Posts by Andrew Pubalasingam (Page 5)

As I think about all the tidbits of knowledge and wisdom that have been shared this past Family Weekend, I wonder how I can apply these things to my life today. There were many things that were caught this weekend but for the sake of time and space I will share one that stuck out to me. In the first Parenting Session, Brett talked about the progression of Parenting being: Hands on, Hands near and Hands off. It is a…

At our Wildfire Youth Retreat this past weekend, we taught on discovering your Spiritual Gifts, Core Values and Identity. It was a time where we could all come together and seek God for what He wants to say to us. As I was teaching about Identity, I felt like this lesson was not just for the Youth but a lesson for us all. In the world that we live in, our identity, if not found in Christ, can be easily…

Imagine you went out for dinner at a restaurant with a bunch of people you never met before and the person you sat across started making racial comments about your racial group to the people next to them. What would you do? How would you respond? As someone who is non-confrontational and a minimizer by nature, I can tell you that I’m not the type to escalate these types of situations. That does not mean that I won’t be upset…

In my addictions class, my professor made an interesting spin to a familiar quote. It goes like this: “You can lead a horse to the water but you can’t make it drink. But you can make the horse thirsty.” In the context of addiction counseling, my professor shared that we often spend countless hours and energy bringing people the information and tools necessary for change and treatment, in the hopes that they can use it and walk it out for…

On our journey to learning about Kingdom Parenting, I’ve discovered that one of the things that is necessary in becoming Kingdom Parents is to take responsibility. Life teaches us how to take responsibility in many ways. For example, Parents learn how to take responsibility for their children by providing for their needs like food, clothing and shelter. Students learn how to take responsibility by making sure that they do their homework and assignments. Working adults learn how to take responsibility…

After having a discussion with both my father in-law and my brother in law, I picked up on an unusual “gem” that they both shared in their respective fields that I thought was really deep. They both mentioned that some of their limitations in their respective fields is the lack of land and property available to build in order to expand. Being innovators, they both seemed to have come to similar conclusions. That is, when you can’t build wide, you…

In the old days when a king or emperor would take over a country/province, one of the first things they would do is burn their history books. If you took away their history books you would take away their past, their collective knowledge and ultimately their existence. The history books of a people group tell them about who they are, where they came from and what they went through to get to where they are today.The Bible is a prime…

This past Sunday we heard from Pastor John Park of Compassion Canada. He shared that he sponsors 4 children from 4 different countries with the goal of not only being a beacon of hope in their lives and providing tangible support but also that one day he would get a call saying that they no longer needed his support anymore. This idea of receiving a call that the person you have been sponsoring no longer needs your help is bittersweet.…

If you’re reading this on your Sabbath and wondering whether or not this qualifies as work or rest, perhaps you need to ask yourself: What does Sabbath mean to you? Ray reminded us that although we are “Heroes” in God’s Kingdom, we must be careful not to fall into the traps of the world, where we are meant to do God’s will. John 17:14-18 (NIV) 14 I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they…

When Aunty Pat shared this past Sunday, I was reminded of the importance of passing things on to the next generation. When she shared the scripture in Deuteronomy 4:9 (NLT), I was reminded of an experience I had. Deuteronomy 4:9 (NLT) 9 “But watch out! Be careful never to forget what you yourself have seen. Do not let these memories escape from your mind as long as you live! And be sure to pass them on to your children and…

On February 12, 2023, Rodney closed Ada’s message to the Church with a clip of the Justice League intro. For those of you who have missed it, you can check it out here: https://www.youtube.com/live/e1dnilx6UNc?feature=share&t=5658 With so many challenges facing Lifespring, Rodney asked the Lord “What He wanted to say to Lifespring?” Rodney got the Justice League: A group of superheroes walking out of the dark into the light.  What the Lord impressed upon him was that “we are superheroes for…

When Silvia shared her testimony she said something that sparked a thought in my head. She said “Growing up God was the same in every season of my life. I was the one who was changing.”  Hebrews 13:8 (NIV) says “8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” Malachi 3:6 (NIV) says “6 I the Lord do not change. So you, the descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed.” One of the things that makes God such a…