If I could describe my life at this moment, I would use this picture.

Thanks to Benjie for capturing it.

It may not sound as prestigious as 25 years or even 10 years. But it's an amazing milestone nonetheless.

Happy 2 Years to us.

Welcome to the world, Lucas Marley Lai. My brand new nephew. As i write this, he's just over a week old. He's been helping me get over my aching heart of having to be apart from my fiancee. He poops, cries, sleeps and then does it all over again. But somehow, Lucas being Lucas is more than enough to put a smile on my face.

Thank You Lord, for the daily reminders that life, despite it's challenges, is full of poop hope.

P.S. Happy Birthday Ray Mina

P.P.S. Congrats to Ryan & Marianne Mina, brand new parents to Lucas Jacob Mina as of today.

P.P.P.S. I miss you Gracee.

i can't say i have it all figured out. but what i do know, is that i'm exactly where i need to be, with the right people surrounding me, and that i'm lucky enough to already know that she is crazy enough to love me beyond any measure.

with our wedding day now set, i'm realizing with much gravity, that on that day... my life will completely change (for the better). the next phase of my life is happening, and although in my head i still wonder if i'm really ready or even worthy for all of this... i'm reminded i'm in the right place at the right time. Through the encouragement of my friends. Through the support of my family. Through the unshakable peace I have when i pray. And through everything my life partner has shown me just by being her.

although my self-doubt, and worry to provide the best for another tells me, I am not ready; i know that WE are ready. thank God i'm not island.

love is a beautiful thing.

if given enough time to stand and show it's true strength, it can show the truth and beauty in anything.

for all those who believed in us, thank you. for all those who took the time to understand, thank you. for those who brought tough love and honesty, thank you. and for all those who have always cared, despite whatever good or bad situation. thank you.

i know i can speak for the both of us when i say that, this relationship never would have happened if we didn't know God wanted us to be here.

so thank you to all who have brought something to this relationship. it has comforted us, it has strengthened us, it has purifed our intentions, and has brought us closer to the Lord, and in turn... closer to each other.

we ask for your continued prayers for our wedding preparation, and for this new and exciting chapter of our lives together. God Bless you all.

p.s. woohoo! i'm gettin' frickin' married!

Pain throws your heart to the ground
Love turns the whole thing around
No, it won't all go the way, it should
But I know the heart of life is good

You know it's nothing new
Bad news never had good timing
But then the circle of your firends
Will defend the silver lining

Pain throws your heart to the ground
Love turns the whole thing around
No, it won't all go the way, it should
But I know the heart of life is good

Pain throws your heart to the ground
Love turns the whole thing around
Fear is a friend who's misunderstood
But I know the heart of life is good

I know it's good

"The Heart of Life"
written by John Mayer
from his forthcoming album, "Continuum"

so this is the offiical (and long over due) blog to wrap-up summer. i've actually been workin' on this for about 3 days straight now. i figured i owe it to those who come by regularly only to be dissapointed.
thank God for community life, or my summers would be pretty boring. every summer has always been great and power packed and Summer 2005 was no exception... so let's take a look back, way back... back into...MAY!

MAY - the month of reunions and roadtrips

anthems of that month:

• Coldplay - Speed of Sound
• John Legend - Ordinary People
• John Mayer 3x5

Highlights/Major Events:

• The 3rd Annual KFC Western Canada Kids Village
  Vancouver, B.C.
  May 20-21a longer than expected road trip to Vancouver led us to the Heroes Village. i think i was more excited about actually going back to the West Coast than the actual conference itself. this was my first time back since the move to Edmonton. it was great to be on familiar ground, and because of my lovable friends it really felt like a "home-coming."
  The actual Kids Conference was great! we had about 130 kids participate. i honour all of YFC Vancouver and mostly the KFC Core for really working hard to prepare and execute such a fun weekend. Jesus you're my super-hero!
• on top of all of this fun... i was reunited with SUSHI!! the best in Canada! ever since i moved to Alberta, it's been a meat fest and fat festival. the sushi is what helped me keep my girlish slim figure.
• the road trip back was a lot of fun, especially with my "lil' brother" Matthew. he's a big bundle of fun.

Lessons/Realizations of the Month:

1. I have the worst timing. Maybe it's God's curse plan for me?
2. distance is nothing to true friendships
3. I kinda miss Vancouver

June - the month of long stressful nights

anthems of that month:

• Hillsong United - Salvation Is Here
• The Caesars - Jerk It Out
• The Bravery - Public Service
• Aaron Hale - 61804

Highlights/Major Events:

• there really wasn't any major events in the actual month of June. it was really the preparation for TWO CONFERENCES at the very start and end of July.
  with the Singles For Christ Workers at a bare minimum, i really stepped in to help out. i guess you can say i was assigned to be the "art director" for the Singles For Christ conference. which meant i stayed up late nights cursing at my laptop and some nights cutting wood and painting. it was definitely a learning experience. and in the end, i really liked what my hard-working team came up with... a great and simple stage design, killer t-shirts and really cool nametags/program.
• a big highlight was being able to catch up with my good friends Debbie and Ryan. Great conversation over beer/drinks, stupidness and inside jokes.

Lessons/Realizations of the Month:

1. God is more than enough for the present, and more importantly, the future.
2. some things, you just have no control over.
3. Stephen Tamayo has a heart of gold. Plus a Jeep full of gas all the time ready to drive us wherever
4. in poker, there's no such thing as a "Royal Straight." (that's how you lose your chips)

July - the month of Conferences, Jesus and t-shirts

anthems of that month:

• Hillsong United - Tell The World
• Hillsong United - What The World Will Never Take
• Hillsong United - Shout Unto God

Highlights/Major Events:

• 7th Annual CFC Singles For Christ National Conference
  University of Alberta
  Edmonton, Alberta
  July 1-3
  this was probably one of the more 'personal' conferences... at least for me. being asked to share my own personal fears to 300+ complete strangers definitely made me think about, how much i really need to rely on God even more. God really reminded me that he must always come first, no matter how much i tell myself it hurts. He's never let me down, why should i ever doubt now?
  the launching of our 100% Pure Movement within the ministries took place at the conference. i think this is something great for SFC, because i don't think they've been challenged enough to be holy. Praise God!
  this was the best SFC conference thus far... can't wait for Winnipeg in 2006!
• The Get-A-Long Gang
  i literally have spent more time with them, than i do my own family back in Toronto. it was really nice to spend almost every waking moment, everyday, for over a month with these guys. surprisingly enough, we really didn't get on each others nerves as much as i thought we would. well... maybe for Janice, considering the three of us would literally impersonate her, and exhaust ourselves trying to crack her "proper" exterior.
  Memorable Moment: "The Laughing Game" over MSN Messenger while we were all sitting in the same room.
• Calgary Stampede
  the concept isn't anything different from what the Vancouver people call "PNE" or what those in Toronto call "CNE." i think what makes it a lot cooler than any of those is that the ENTIRE CITY celebrates this event. you can't go wrong with free breakfast across the city over the enire 14 day event, the best meat fixin's in the country and the whole cowboy thing (everyone was rockin' a cowboy hat!). the stampede was a refreshing change from your regular run-of-the-mill carnivals and exhibitions.
  click here for even more pics!
• CFC YFC Calgary Couple Coordinators
  these "adults" are really just that cool! they're love for God was shown to us by the way, they literally fed us, took us out, gave us a place to sleep and work and more importantly how united they were as a team to execute such a stressing event as the YFC Conference. you can really tell that these young couples are true friends, and not just people who know each other through our community. their hard work and commitment to young people is inspiring. and on top of all this, we got to corrupt play with all their kids!
  THANK YOU to The Fourniers, The Ganadens, The Junio's, The Mercado's and The Villanueva's. take joy in knowing that you've literally made us better people.
• YFC Conference Preparations
  i've got to divide this into two parts...Part I: The (actual) Work: out of all the YFC conferences i've helped organized, this has been the most peaceful. not that the stress and actual labour was any different from the previous years; if anything we bit off more than we could chew this year.
  it was peaceful, because we had a super reliable and innovative team this year. i was able to delegate the tasks with full trust that they would hit our goals and then a little shimmy and a shake to top it off.
  it was also peaceful because our team consisted of fresh new faces. it was comforting to know that the future is bright for our movement. they added such a great energy to the team, and they really pushed for nothing but the best.
  but what it came down to... was that we were literally the most prayerful this year. we had an assigned time to pray together, there was mass everyday and/or worship and sharing everyday in the morning. for those who were able to attend mass would also go right into the Eucharistic Adoration Chapel to pray some more. we also had a team fast, which wasn't easy to keep. but we all did it. it was great!
  there was this almost "startling" peace amongst those who were suppose to be the most stressful (aka the conference steering committee). i pray every year will be like this, or even more so.
  
  Part II - Time to Relax: with so many people to help out, the workload was done at a relatively fast pace. thus, leaving more time to just have some good ol' Calgary fun! it was really nice to just hang out and be stupid with about 35+ people! everywhere we would go, people would stare like we were some sort of gang. with that many people, however boring a place you go to ends up being a lot of fun. it's definitely who you're with and not where you're at.
  Memorable Moments: The Service Team Assembly, watching 'Wedding Crashers,' and every moment we had a time to play with the kids of the Couple Coordinators.
• 7th Annual CFC Youth For Christ Canada National Conference
  University of Calgary
  Calgary, Alberta
  July 29-31AMAZING!! simply AMAZING!!. in my personal opinion, this was probably one fo the greatest conferences Canada has had thus far.
  the creative competitions were really something this year. it just keeps getting crazier and crazier. the level of excellence was bar none. now with the sports competitions, all i can say is... PACIFIC REGION. it helps to bring over 200 people to conference. i think the only 'hitch' we had was that the competitions took super long to complete. but it was all good because i felt it actually made the YFC more anxious for the Sessions for Saturday Night.
  The pastoral flow of the conference was one of the tighest i've seen. the speakers and sharers were so relevant. i felt that at least one of the four sessions really struck a chord with every single person who heard them.
  my favourite part was the 100% Pure Commitment 'ceremony.' being on stage, and witnessing a sea of people wearing white, shouting at the top of their lungs, that no sin has any control over them. seeing them decide, that no matter what happens in the future, that i will always decide to be with God. to be 100% Pure. simply moving. makes me want to ugly cry.
  Other Memorable Moments: emceeing the AWAKE! Fair with John, the hard work of Richard Arandela and Lynette Garcia, all the reflection songs, Session 2, the launching of our 100% Pure Brand of clothing, Session 4 Creative Component! (simple yet, effectively fun), and anytime we WORSHIPPED!

Lessons/Realizations of the Month:

1. YFC has a bright future. this new generation will reach greater heights than i ever could.
2. Singles For Christ rocks my socks!
3. work hard, play hard, pray harder
4. being a good parent, isn't as hard as you think
5. Love is a Decision haha
6. i love my co-workers!!
7. i'm getting old
8. i have to decide everyday to be 100% Pure
9. i got fat!!

AUGUST - the month of 'tired yet refreshed'

anthems of that month:

• the constant hum of the Greyhound Bus

Highlights/Major Event:

• CFC Kids For Christ National Leaders Summit
  St. Cecilia Parish
  Calgary, AB
  August 1-2to be honest, i really wasn't looking forward to this. just because of the simple fact that i was wanting to rest, especially after the YFC Conference. BUT... God had other plans, and he really revealed to me the potential of the Kids Ministry, and how it really does affect the ministry i currently serve in. i guess you could say, God really put more of the puzzle together for us to see the mission and vision of our "C4" campaign.
  Memorable Moments: Nap time! (for real, it was in the schedule), Meat Fest, and the cute-as-heck Reyes kids.
• Camping in Banff
  after the KFC Summit was finished, we took a spontaneous camping trip out to beautiful Banff. after months of late nights and work, God was really giving us a time to rest and be in awe of his greatness. it was a highly needed trip, just to unwind and enjoy the great outdoors. too bad we weren't able to stay longer.
  Memorable Moments: 5 guys sleeping in a van with me in the trunk, John Acosta asking me to get him some water, Moraine Lake,
• High School Base Edmonton's Summer House Training
  so after a month in Calgary, i finally headed back to base camp in Edmonton. first thing on the agenda.... SHOUT for our High School Base Core. it was an interesting 4 days together. all in all, i can say that this SHOUT brough a lot of hope for me regarding our currently struggling program of High School Based. it was very refreshing to see these youngsters desire for more of God in their very school. Pray for us, we've got a lot of work to do! woohoo!
  Memorable Moments: "Monkey Woman" song, the team running laps around the block, while i watched them on a bike, Abel's moments, planning for the first semester of the school year and exfoliating (that's some good stuff!)
• The Amazin' Grace
  although all the real extreme racers went to Germany for WYD, our WYD@Home celebrations in Edmonton went rather well. i have no pictures or evidence of this event. but it did happen. we were there... oh yes, we were there.
• You're Fat! Get Moving!
  after a month of heavy eating in Calgary, i decided to pick up a new hobby to help me with my situation. i'm glad to say i've been a consistent JOGGER for about a month now. i think what helped was that i bought a pair of ridiculosly priced runners to motivate me. if i don't jog, i'm just wastin' my money.

i think the only thing that kind of turns me off to jogging, is that for comfort, i have to wear shorts that are above my knee. i mean i'm tryin' to do my part for the world by not showing some of my hairy tree trunks. other than that... i love it!

• Paid in Full
  they callled to say... "stop sending us money, you're balance is paid in full. in fact we need to send you back some money..."
  it was probably one of the greatest things i've heard in awhile. I'M DEBT FREE!!! no more bills to pay. no more loans to look after. what a feeling. i guess you can say that this is an acheivement.
  it's funny, because a lot of people are turned off from being a Full-Time Pastoral Worker or missionary, simply because of debts and loans they need to pay. it feels good to show people, that even when it comes to finances, GOD must come first. i can proudly say that i'm a living testament that GOD PROVIDES. i was roughly $15,000 in debt. but now, i'm the happiest man on earth!

Lessons/Realizations of the Month:

1. Nothing is impossible with God
2. now that i have more cash, i gotta be more prayerful with how i handle it
3. it's good to go home

Wrap it up B!

So, if you've stayed around this long you are completely bored out of your mind a true friend. so thank you for staying for the Offical butcheee.com Summer Wrap-Up.

for me, summer isn't really over yet. just because it's September 1st. i just started my holidays here at home (Toronto), so thank God i'm able to squeeze a couple more days out of an already awesome and crazy summer. i can't wait 'til next year... can anyone say.... EUROPE? holla at me if you're down for another serious butcheee.com summer.

p.s. i promise to blog more

p.p.s. here's the best of the rest of the pictures i didn't post up. consider it a bonus for those who read this whole thing.

so to compensate... here's some pictures.... (clickity-clack away!)

• SFC Canada National Conference 2005 in Edmonton, Alberta
• Post Conference Fun
• My First Calgary Stampede

big ups to Renee Geronimo. she took most of these pictures. i'm too lazy to carry around my camera.

pray for CFC Youth For Christ Canada. we have our National Conference coming at the end of the month. i must say... this is our most ambitious conference yet. 100% Pure Launch. AWAKE Fair. a new level of personal holiness. let's make it happen!

God is Enough. always.

til next time!

in order to give you a full experience here at butcheee.com, you can now give your vote and/or opinion on the (actual, physical) look of butcheee.com. so the question is....

MOHAWK vs. SHAVED

here are the facts

• the mohawk has been in effect for 3 months but has been steadily growing itself out
• i've got a nicely shaped head fit for that clean shave
• it's christmas time, so that means pictures.
• mohawk cool factor = 10 out of 10
• people at church naturally stare at mohawks
• mohawk cuts the wind in a 100 metre dash, creating faster run times.
• mohawk + snowboarding = EXTREME wicked cool!
• shaved head means no worry of hat head

YOU, as a patron of butcheee.com, you must give your opinion. the hair will get cut tonight. so act quick!

VS.