The Way We Are Made

What are the things that really make you excited? What are you passionate about? What gives you a sense of fulfillment? Is it work? Is it sports? Is it hunting or fishing?

Did you know that God made us in such a way that we are suppose to get enjoyment from those things? We were made to work hard. Even before the whole Adam and Eve thing. Right at the start. God made us and gave us a job. We were suppose to tend the garden and multiply. When you think about it, that is really freeing. No wonder we want to work hard and have lots of sex. We were made that way! That is awesome.

Sure there are a few boundaries to keep us safe. Like we should work ourselves to death and multiple partners will spread disease. However the fact is, we are men. We are different than women and that is a good thing.

I like sports. I was made that way. It is all right to be competitive and to play hard. I like to hunt. It is in my genes. That is all right too. Some of my best memories of childhood were fishing with my grandfather. So what! I am a man.

It doesn’t mean I have to be an insensitive jerk to the women in my life. But I am not a woman. I don’t need to be in touch with my feminine side. My wife is that side. I love and appreciate her for who she is, and I need to be who God made me to be.

Sometimes I need to be with guys. I just need a place to release and express myself for who I am. Sometimes it is ok to get together with the men and to talk about things.

New Life Valley Ministries is for men like me. We have house churches. We have men’s groups. And best of all, we have guys just like me who like to get together with other guys and be men. Real men. I am sick of trying to be something that I am not. How about you?

- A Real Man

This Is Larry

This is Larry. Larry goes to our House Church. He is an honest hard working guy who cares about his wife and his family. He spends a lot of time helping out others. He has been known to help people move, give food to the hungry, and haul stuff around for his house church.

I tried to get Larry to write something himself, and I am sure that he will later, but for now I just want to tell you something about Larry that he probably would not tell you on his own.
Larry prays.

Not the girly, whiny prayers you might imagine. He prays with passion. He kicks demon butt all over the place. Larry is a man who knows his authority.

Larry knows how to live to. He has a solid understanding of how to get things done, and he has a real good balance in his life. He is the kind of guy that other guys admire. When he speaks, people shut up and listen. Not because he is demanding and they have to, but because he just speaks with wisdom and authority. People shut up because they want to know what he is going to say next. They hang on his every word. That is real authority. It is not forced. It just is.
We are glad to have Larry on our team. I hope you get to meet him soon.

Hockey Is Life and Life Is Hockey

Hi, my name is Terry Paskaruk. To me hockey is life and life is hockey.

Simply put, all of life skills can be learned from playing Canada's sport of hockey. I won't go into everything at this time, as it would take into account my 48 years of living. But first comes the desire to play the game. In order to get the desire we have to be exposed to it, and be around people who also enjoy playing and have played the game before. Like life we were born with a spirit of God in us, and we need to be exposed to people who live their life for Christ which puts the desire in us to want to live as they do.

Just because I have a desire to play the game of hockey, does not mean I will play. I have to get up and get the equipment on or I cannot play. In life we need the bible and Jesus which is the most important equipment in becoming a Christian.

My son is an example of this. He was at hockey games, hearing me coach before he was born. When he was born we used to watch hockey all the time. He was also with his mom as they came and watched me coach. At 2.5 years old he went to his first Flames game. All he did was watch the play go back and forth. He never said anything and was very intent into the game. The people around us were amazed and watched Anthony more than they watched the game.

Then came time for his first pair of skates. All he did was walk in them and got the feel of the skates and also the ice. He also needed me to hold his hand and sometimes hold him up.

Accepting Christ is like walking on skates. First we need to walk, then we can start striding a little at a time. We need to hold on to people to keep us up and in balance. Sometimes we'll fall, but we get back up and continue to learn how to walk in Christ. This is the beginning process in learning how to skate on the ice and with the Lord.

Is There More?

A while back, I was working and while doing what I was doing I began to wonder “Why am I working so hard and what is the purpose in life, Is this all there is?”

I just didn't understand the reason for my life and why everything that I tried would fall apart. The harder I tried to get ahead or move forward in my life the worse it would get. It just seemed so hard all the time to keep things together.

Then one day I found myself behind bars, I just couldn't believe it but that's where doing it my way had got me. I would sit behind the fence in prison and look at the highway. I could see the road, the cars and the load bikes as they roared by.

It was then that I realized that there had to be something more out there than what I had been experiencing. So I began to search and came across some guys from outside that fence. It was great! They were bikers. They were with the CMA (Christian Motorcycle Association).

I began to listen to their stories and they talked about this and that and than began to talk how Jesus had set them free and how He filled the empty gap inside them. Every month I would visit with them and when I got out I began to research more about this Jesus and also more about the CMA. As I did one of them lent me one of His bikes. " I couldn't believe my eyes."

Anyway I began to ride and ride and ride I just could not shake that feeling of freedom that came from it. Then I began to add Jesus to that ride. I tell you that everything began to change before my eyes. He answered all my questions and healed all my hurts. My angry feelings began to go away, I became a totally different Man.

All of a sudden I began doing things different and people started making me feel important, and I became a more real person and I began to live life to the fullest. So now when I have a problem I take out my bike and meet with Jesus on the road with the wind in my hair and a smile on my face. Just talking with Jesus makes it better.

Now I am ten times the man that I ever was before. True freedom comes from having Jesus live in my heart and as my best friend. I just meet Him on my bike out on the open road and let Him come in and set me free from all my burdens.

FREE FREE FREE FREE

Now I am no longer alone. I have a family, and I have a place, and I have a life. That doesn't mean I don't have problems I certainly do. However I know have someone to turn to and my secret place to do it. I know that Jesus is always there for me no matter what. There's my Jesus, my family, my bike, and me.

THE TOTALLY FREE BIKER

EDWIN

PS. Don’t be a wimp come check it out. You just might find what you’re looking for.



I don’t like church. Why should I go to church?
A good church can be great to help us to become all that we can be. When God made you He had a plan and purpose for you. If you don’t really know what that is you wonder around aimlessly trying to figure out what you are going to be when you grow up. The problem is that many of us are still wondering at 70 years old!

Church is for women, children and for pansies.

I understand how you feel. I have felt the same thing. We walk into the foyer of many churches and the carpets are pink, the wallpaper was tastefully chosen by a woman - obviously. Even the pictures on the wall are of a feminine Jesus and women angels. It is no wonder that we feel like leaving. It reminds us of grandma’s parlor.

However not all churches are like that. Some are different. House church in particular is very different. It is always held in someone’s home where we can sit around the living room or the kitchen. If you want a real masculine setting you can start one in your garage sitting around your Harley if you like. Church is wherever believers gather regularly to have a relationship with God and with each other, so if we want to have a weekly meeting at our office, at the golf club, or in a living-room, each would work just as well. Where do you want to meet?

I feel uncomfortable around “church people.”

I feel judged in church I am not aloud to be a man. I can’t dress normal and people judge me if I swear.

House church is way less formal than church in a building. Come as you are. Jeans are great, and if you feel like dressing up or down, it is totally your choice.

Of course you will notice that one group may be a bit more conservative than others but that is only determined by the people who gather there. If you want to wear cowboy hats, and boots and those are the kind of friends that you attract then that is kind of the flavor of that group. If you are just a casual dude, then you will feel comfortable in jeans and a t-shirt. It is all good.

As believers in Jesus we of course don’t promote swearing, but honestly we are all on a journey and nobody is perfect yet. If you let a swear word slip as you are just being yourself, nobody is going to condemn you at a house church.

However, if every second word is the “f” word we may bring you a bar of soap and ask you if you kiss you’re your mother with that mouth? It is no different though on most job sites, right?

You can be yourself. Just don’t intentionally be a pig. That’s cool, ain’t it?

We will try to accept you for who you are, and you can try to accept us for who we are, and that will build character in all of us. We will be better men for it. We will be better husbands and better fathers, and we will be better on the job too.

House Church is for real men. It allows us to be real men. If we are a bit loud and rough around the edges, so what. That is what men do. If some of us are more cultured and we want to be all nice and everything that is fine too. However the Holy Spirit is not looking for “tame” He is looking for willing. Are you willing? If you are, this could really give you purpose and help you find your destiny. So join us at a House Church today.