Remember that Freedom is NEVER FREE

Every Rememberance day I have a tradition of watching Saving Private Ryan to help me remember the sacrifices that previous generations have done for me. It seems so long ago that we were in the middle of a World War where the Axis of Evil was pitted against the Allied forces of Freedom. And I never had to make the same sacrifices that they had to go through. But I want to honor them for what they have done because freedom is never free. It comes with a great sacrifice and most people in my generation or later have no idea what that sacrifice is like.

But I felt it important to bring my thoughts, heart and emotions to what they had to sacrifice. To remember that Freedom is NEVER FREE. And I know that we as Canadians are known to be neutral and not war mongering. And people of my generation or the generation that grew up with President Bush Senior and Junior can scoff at the American Military machine and some around there world have a certain distain regarding the Americian foreign policies. But back just 60 years it was the Americans that put their young men and women to fight for the freedom that we all so enjoy. To jump into a conflict that claimed so many lives.

How would our world look like if the German or Japanese dictatorships have won? Where would we be? Could we pursue our dreams as if we could now?

I am supremely grateful for all the young men and women that have sacrificed their lives for me. And it makes me remember God's ultimate sacrifice for me too. Not just from the face of political tyranny but from the penalty of sin. And to remember that I am on earth to not build on my personal empires but to further God's kingdom. We are all soldiers of God and I must remember to pray; to witness and to live the life that God created me to live.

So this is when I write and pray to remember that freedom is not free too in heaven. It cost God His son too. To die for you and for me to be the sacrifice for us all. Now as we spend the day to remember and to rest for our weary days of work. When we stop and pause to remember that there is joy in our work; there is a joy with our meals shared with family and friends. And there is joy to know that because of the sacrifices of previous generations and the sacrifice from God.  

So remember that Freedom is never Free.

Peace out BK aka Bigteddy

Today my very special lady asked me if there was anything in my life that I regretted.

I thought about what she said in the midst of a very busy Wave's coffee house. I pondered such a open ended and profound question that can't really be answered without much thought but I gave her some off the cuff answers.

I told her that I regretted not being more involved in High School and learned to assert more leadership. I was shy and non confident back then but deep down inside I was struggling to get out of that restricted and scared little shell that was my highschool persona. Which I strove to shed in my years at University. Choosing to leave my old High School and Elementary school friends. And choose to find another part of myself that was more confident, more assertive, and develop into the leader that was struggling to get out.

Then I told her that I wish I treated Stephanie better. She probed for more knowing that this was one girl that was very significant in my life prior to knowing her. I couldn't really elaborate anymore without carefully chosing my words or thoughts. This was not an easy answer to share. I remember when God spoke to me and told me that He was taking Steph away from me forever. And no matter how I pleaded or prayed to Him; He would not change His mind. I struggled for many months and years with what God had said and done. I wepted for many hours over many years at a loss of love that I never thought would end.

But end it did.

And over these many years that I finally learned what God was trying to teach me. How He was trying to change and shape my life, my heart for His glory and for the one He meant for me to marry.

God taught us how to truely love someone.

He said "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices in the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perserveres. Love never fails."

1 Corinthians 13: 4-8

The thing I regretted was being selfish and self centered with someone that was so selfless. I was proud and boastful with someone that was so humble and meek. I was so angry and short tempered with someone that was so gentle and kind. I did not protect, I did not trust nor was I trustworthy. I did not hope nor did I perservere as much as I should have.

These are the things that I needed to learn. In order to truely love someone. These are lessons that can not be learned without heart ache and pain. And without grace and mercy from the God that loves us.

And now as I strive to live those words in 1 Corinthians 13.. Now is the time to live without regret and to live with joy, with faith and with hope. Hope with a new love that by God's grace will last till the end of my days until we meet again in heaven.

Peace out, BK aka Bigteddy

Sometimes I am at a loss.

I am at a loss of how some people are so unappreciative towards others. There are people no matter how bright there future looks or how much they have in their lives they always see the glass half empty. Or they just complain and complain about everything.

I admit that I can sometimes fall into this funk myself. When I experience dissappointment and I am so stressed out with work or business or small groups or whatever. And I notice that my head is so far up my ass I can not see daylight. But I usually have people that help me see the light or give me a swift kick in the butt to free me from my own selfishness. 

I am at a loss with some people that we have helped make a good deal of money in investments or helped coach them with their career development. And they don't even thank you or buy you a cup of coffee. In  particular we helped one of my investors make over $30,000 in capital gains this year and helped coach her from working at a job making $50,000 a year. To another career job making over $90,000. Coached her through the interview process, through the negotiation of compensation and terms of employment. And other things that she was concerned with. But at the end of helping her out. There was not even a thank you; or any signs of appreciation. And both my buddy and I are at a loss. She wasn't even happy with her new job; and no peep about the money we helped her make. All she did was complain about other things that she wasn't getting. A little loss in flexibility or that the new job is a little farther away from her home. Or how she perceived it was that we were encouraging her to leave for our own selfish gain. I was pissed at those accusations and I couldn't believe that she would even think that.

I always strive to encourage others and try to in particular to appreciate others who helped me out. I am convinced that this one habit of appreciating others will lend you well in all the years of your life. Even if the people that you are helping don't appreciate you.

You should make it a habit of appreciating the people around you. Your mother, your father, your family, your friends, the girl serving you a Starbucks or the officer giving you a ticket. And I definitely tried to walk this walk today. At work I had my car towed again for parking too long at the mall. It cost me another $79.00 for the tow but I really appreciated my co-worker for driving me to the tow truck place which was on Kingsway close to New Westminister and he lived in Kitsilano. He didn't have a problem with it because his feedback was that you always need to build that relationship with car favors. In case he needed me to pick him up too and he knows that I would also. And I would, because of his help I would totally drive out of my way to help out this friend. And it was also his way of appreciating me for all my help over the last few months; taking him on presentations and giving him personal coaching at work. I guess this is the cycle of help that lends others to return the favor.  

Everyone has an emotional bank account. And when you do something nice like buying them a gift or giving them some verbal affirmation or an act of service, like driving them to the tow truck place. You are making an emotional bank deposit in their life.

But there are some people that we know is making emotional bank withdrawals from others all the time. And I am not sure if they are aware of it or not. Maybe they are aware of it and don't give a shit.  

Like when your so called friends make plans with you and never follow through. When they make plans for dinner or a night out and they bail last minute or that you expected them to call and they don't. It makes an emotional bank withdrawal.

Or when your friend helps you out with something and instead of making them take the bus home or dropping them halfway to their destination. No matter how out of the way it is make an effort to take them home.

I was impressed with a buddy of mine. Who would drive from Vancouver to pick up a friend in Surrey to drive them to my place to play some Halo. And even though we would play till 2am; he would still drive his friend back home to Surrey and then return home to Vancouver. Because this guy remembered all his buddy that chauffered him when he didn't have his drivers license or had his own car.   

All I know is if your friends asked you to walk with them one mile you go two. And if they ask for your tunic you give them your sandal too. Where did I hear that from? Oh wait it was what Jesus told us to do.

Remember to be thankful for what you have and appreciate others no matter how big or small and to go the extra mile for people who ask.

Peace Out BK aka Bigteddy.

Today I attended another memorial service. This time it was for Pastor Darwin Darrell Dewar. I have never met him but many of my friends was impacted by his life and ministries. And since many of them were attending his memorial service I decided to go to pay my respects.

He was involved in ministries at UBC back in the nineties when I was at SFU. He ministered to a few of my friends as part of the ambasadors for Jesus Christ. And he was a Pastor at Westpoint Church where many of them attended. He was friends with many of my mentors and close friends. And his name was mentioned to me over the years but unfortunately I never had the priviledge of meeting him or getting to know him personally.

To be honest I have never met Darwin; nor have I ever attended any of his sermons. But something was drawing me to his memorial service today. I have been so busy giving presentation after presentation, furthering my career and running after success but deep down inside I was feeling deader and deader.

It was a beautiful memorial service and he was only 43 years old. Leaving behind a beautiful loving wife and 3 young children. I kept thinking and praying to God asking WHY? Why did such a good man have to die so young. He was an athlete, he was healthy, he was a faithful servant and he was an  impactful leader. But I was reminded by the Pastor Jon Boyd today that who are we to question GOD? For we are temporary and He is eternal.  

Throughout the service people told us stories that reminded them of his life. The things I learned today was that he was tall, strong, athletic, and a man on fire for Jesus Christ. My buddy Cory said not only was he a big physical presence but he had a personhood that can take over an entire room. Darwin truely lived a life that impacted people.

And as the service was ending my friends left for the reception downstairs. I stuck around in the chapel and observing the crowd to see if I knew anyone else. Then in the corner of the chapel  I recognized a person standing by himself at the side. He was praying quietly and I recognized him as Pastor Ken Shiqematsu. And since I never met him either; even though I have been attending his church at Tenth Ave for the last few months. I decided to say Hi and introduce myself. And for some reason instead of the normal chit chat and leaving him alone. I asked him for advice on a few people that God had placed into my life to shepherd. And I shared with him that my uncle just died but that God had mercy on him at his death bed and my uncle received salvation before his death.

And then the most embarressing thing happened. I started sharing with him a prophetic vision my friend and mentor Herman had for me a couple of months ago. It had to do with my lack of faith for witnessing to my mom. Because she was a devout buddist and there are many many idols in my house. And I couldn't imagine being able to witness or share Jesus with my mom. And that was when Herman told me that I was not to judge God's power nor His faithfulness. And that was when he shared with me that in my weakness God's power is made perfect and that was when he told me that he can see that someday my mom would smash her own idols and receive Jesus as her Savior and Lord.

And this was when the most embarressing thing happened. In the middle of sharing with Pastor Ken my story I broke down and wept.

I couldn't stop crying in front of him. I could not even speak a word for what seemed like an eternity. The flood gates of my heart just poured out. And my heart was finally opened to seeing what was truely important again. It wasn't success or money or praises from men. But the Glory of God and the good news of our salvation through the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. Our salvation from our own sins and the preaching and sharing of this good news to our family and friends.

And then Pastor Ken prayed for me. And the power of God and His great mercies poured out on me and my family and my friends again.

"Remember To keep the main thing the Main Thing" by Darwin Darrel Dewar 

"For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." John 3 verse 16

Peace out BK aka Bigteddy73

I can say without a doubt. Tonight has been one of the saddest times I have felt in a long long time.

It's not that life has not been great. I just came off a banner year at work and won all the top awards I coulld have achieved and received a great new promotion to National Accounts. Which was my dream job for many years. Received all the awards and accolades I could have received in Bermuda for our Presidents Club trip. Hobnobbed with the big wigs and received enough notice that the senior executives wants to entice me to move to Hong Kong to take the sales lead for our Enterprise Solutions for Asia. But luckily for me my new boss reminded them that I just got promoted and owed them two years of my impecable service in Canada. Which to my relief I don't have to relocate to that crazy hot and humid place.

And it's not that my real estate projects are not doing fantastic in Alberta. And we are just shy of a year before we expand our real estate investment projects to the US. And having taking just shy of 1.5 years to take care of all  of my bad debt and moving forward having a brighter financial future. And having tons of business opportunies with my friends and colleagues to delve into being part owner of a pub and or beer & wine store in Kitsilano. Or other opportunies to participate capital pool into the foreign exchange markets or buying and selling companies much like equity firms. My head is spinning with all the the opportunies presented before me.

And my mentor was informing me that God is finishing preparing my heart with more patience and it was a sure sign that God was preparing a wife for me. Which I did jump for joy.

But its that I am reminded by the brokeness of this world. By my friends that come to me because their wife of 15 years is leaving them. And ripping their family apart. It wouldn't be so bad if it wasn't for the fact that in many ways they were soul mates. How many times have I been at their house for Thanksgiving and Christmas and played with their three kids. But because people fall into temptation and wives leave their husbands or husbands leave their wives. And this time as it happened to many of my buddies their wives committed adultery with another man. Whether it was physical or emotional it hurts either way. Which I have to remind them that men and women can NOT be friends; the sex part always gets in the way. Especially when you are married. It is just inappropriate for your spouse to have close friends of the opposite sex after marriage.

I am angry. Angry that they didn't heed my warnings of working too much or traveling too much.. Not spending enough time playing with your wife and kids. Warning that if you don't spend quality time together the spark dissappears.

And then I am reminded that true love can last till death till you part. I visited my dying uncle this week in the hospital. And I watched my aunt sitting by his side, moistening his dry chapped lips and holding his hands. He has less than 2 weeks to live. The brain cancer is eating away at his frail ailing body. And she never left his side. And I pray to God for more time for Him to work into his heart. To save his soul. And for her too that they may be reunited in heaven someday.

I weep at the thought of such love. My grandparents loved till death till they part. But death seperates us all. And unless we are joined into heaven we will be apart for ever. So I weep; so I pray and pray for their salvation.

And God reminded me that life is more than pursuing our careers; our proverbial rat race; or the pursuit of our significant others. Because you never know when all of those are gone. And we are left to remember the ones we loved and lost.

I pray that the time will come when we will not shed anymore tears. And we will no longer have sorrow. But I know that the only place that has that is heaven.. So I hope to see you all there some day. And if you are not sure about whether you will get there or believe in a heaven. Then let me share with  you my faith and my God.

Peace out, BK aka Bigteddy.