Author: George Fournier

Last Saturday, we attended a send off party for one of our youth leaders who was moving out of Calgary to pursue her university degree.  We’ve known this youth for a couple of years now and seen her grow; she has been a good sister to my kids and the rest of the youth.  It was a moment of mixed feelings for me, as much I will miss her a lot, I was happy that she was going to pursue her dreams.

It made me reflect on how many youths have been a part of our lives as Couple Coordinators; we treated them like our own kids.  We laughed with them, we cried with them, and we corrected them with the same love, sometimes tough love, that we show our own kids.  The faces of those youth are still in my heart and mind, some of them I don’t see anymore and I wonder what has happened to them.

On the other hand, quite of a number I still see and are very visible in the community.  The most affirming sight is seeing them now serve with us, as members of Couples for Christ and some are even serving as Couple Coordinators for CFC-Youth.

The bottom line is, we can only plant the seeds in them and hope that these seeds are cultivated and their faith continues to grow as they build their lives and their future families.  My most dreaded moment is when I have to send off my own kids to build their own lives and their families; I know that day will come.  I can only hope and pray that they one day appreciate why we “forced” them to go to mass on Sundays (and even First Fridays and some Saturday mornings), why we “forced” them to pray the rosary as a family, and why try as much as possible to have dinner together and do things together.

What a blessing it is to be called by the Lord to help in building the future families in Christ, I know one day, these families will truly be “Families in the Holy Spirit Renewing the Face of the Earth”.  I know that I may not be alive to see that day (although I hope and pray I do), but getting a glimpse of it now is a beautiful sight to see.

AMDG.

It’s just been over a week but I still can’t get over how blessed I was to witness and experience both the East and West True North Conferences.  I have so much to say so I won’t really structure this but I’ll allow my heart to speak.

The youth is so full of faith- I still thank the Lord for allowing me to be a witness to this, not only in how powerful they worship and pray but in how they translate this in their daily lives.  The host families here in Calgary recounted how blessed they were to have hosted the youth, expecting a rowdy and unruly bunch, but instead pulled into their faith even more as they saw a prayerful group of young people who would pray at every moment and spend time with the Eucharist every day.

Connecting in a personal way – more than being on stage and being highly visible, I cherished the personal moments where I was able to sit down and chat with young people, listen to what’s happening in their lives.  I cherished the times where I was able to join the screening of sharers and listen to the youth share from their hearts.  I was heartbroken, brought to tears by their experiences  but inspired and lifted by their water to wine stories, God was truly amazing.

A lot of people ask me which as the better conference, the East and the West, each had their own better moments and aspects but I can truly say that both had the same powerful Spirit, that the Lord truly showed Himself to both regions in the same way.

It may still be a year away, but I’m now excited and so looking forward to next year’s TNC in Vancouver.

Luke 5:16

¹⁶ But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.

Conference week, anxious, worried, excited.  A thousand things running through my head, the chronic worrier in me trying to think of all loose ends.  It astounds me how a conference of 600 people can be run by only 3 fulltime workers and a lot of other “all the time” workers who have day jobs.  Too many things that still need to be done.  But Jesus showed us the way to handle all these “busy”situations.  It didn’t matter that He was God, He took time to be by Himself and with the Father.

No matter what all the fancy preparations and equipment, it will be the message of the Lord through the talks and sharings that will strike the hearts of the almost 600 coming this weekend.

May I find the “lonely places” this week, where I can just be truly with the Lord, and that’s all that matters.

Phil 1:27

²⁷ Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in the one Spirit,^[a] striving together as one for the faith of the gospel

The road to holiness is not an easy path, in fact the road to evil is the road easier to take.  Last weekend, we took a break from conference grind to tour the families of my wife’s siblings in Canmore and Banff.  Being a long weekend, it was full packed.  Arriving in Banff, already frustrated by the traffic, we entered a free parkade.  It turned out to be full packed and very tight.  At a very tight turn, a truck blocked my way and I couldn’t move both ways.  My temper got the best of me and I yelled at the other driver to give way.  He did backing up so I could pass and I was so upset that I didn’t even thank him.

In CFC-Youth we talk about random acts of kindness, but in this case I had a random act of rudeness.  Many times, being human is used as an excuse to fail but being made in the likeness of God, our humanness should be the key to strive for holiness.

As much as I give talks about being loving and kind, I failed miserably.  In situation where I was supposed to be Christ and bring Christ to the other driver, I acted in a manner that the world expects me to act.

The beauty about being a follower of Christ is that in the journey to holiness, we fail many times, we fall but we pick ourselves up striving for the prize towards the prize of heaven through Christ Jesus.

The last two weeks have been an amazing experience for me, while sleep has not been high on my agenda for my more than a week vacation, I feel so energized, boosted not by some caffeine overloaded product but by the Holy Spirit.

CFC CANA Weekend, July 12-14, Vancouver

A weekend like no other weekend, probably the best CFC conference I have attended with my partner in life.  Don’t get me wrong, all the CFC Conferences I have attended were amazing, but for only for me in a personal way.  This year’s conference was so affirming for us as a “couple” for Christ.  Before I saw the Miracle at Cana as just a story of where Jesus did His first miracle.  This time I saw many things at Cana, Mary’s personal connection with Christ, her faith in what He will do and Jesus does listen to His mother, even though He is God!  The significance of the miracle at the wedding feast for me speaks volumes.  He chose the wedding feast for a reason, that our marriages are a great celebration and that He and His mother would always be there for us even in our most difficult moments as a couple to turn our water into the finest wine.  The weekend totally affirmed us that God has always the husband and wife in His great plan for humankind and He continues to have this for us through Couples for Christ.  I have never been so affirmed that this is the community my wife and I will serve for the rest of our lives.

CFC-Youth Eastern TNC, Jesus Expo, July 19-21, University of Waterloo

The Lord’s exposition with me started on Thursday when I was hosted by this amazing couple from the area, who has a son with Down Syndrome.  I truly saw Jesus in the way they hosted me and other youths and the amazing chats I had with them.  Their son, even with his disability, had a knack for music, no ordinary music but music from the old days, 40’s-60’s.  His compilation of music from artists I have never heard of was completely astounding.   It just humbled me that he had an appreciation of the better things in life than I did.

I am always blown away by the passion for serving the Lord that our youth have.   When they serve, it’s done out of innocence and purity, I truly can feel they do this because its what they want to do.  I had to force myself to wake myself up each day at 4:45 am so that I could join the service team worship at 5:30.  If the youth can do it, it’s the least I can do for them.  Honestly, it wasn’t easy, I’m physically far from what I used to be.

From the Liveloud, the worships, talks, sharings and until the last praise fest, I saw Jesus everywhere I looked.  I am truly affirmed that the Lord uses the youth to do His work in the most powerful way.  Just look at the Bible, Joshua, Jeremiah, David, Daniel, Joseph and many more.

Thank you Lord!

Gospel reading, July 2, 2013 Matthew 8:23-27

The words from the song “Sure Foundation’ goes like this, “when the storm comes, we will not be shaken”.

I am a chronic worrier, I worry about tomorrow, I feel anxious when I have to give a talk or lead a meeting, I worry about finances, I worry about almost everything.

But there’s no real need to worry because the surest thing ever in this world, is that the Lord will always be there for us.  He has sustained me in my darkest hour, in the lowest points in my life.  And even though, my faith has been shaken at times, He constantly assures me of His presence.

I see Jesus in the good times that happen in my life, but Lord, help me to see you even in the midst of a storm.

 

Sometimes, it just doesn’t hit you.  I’ve lived in Calgary for 19 years.  It’s a beautiful city, safe, progressive, and a great place to raise a family.  Other than an occasional blizzard during winter, there are no real calamities that have hit the city.

The floods of these past few days have been very eye opening. No matter how smooth your life is, a storm will come, trials will come, and devastation will come.  Where is God in all of these?

No matter how bleak the situation is, God will bring out the best in people.  I see God in the outpouring of support, the willingness to lend a hand, to open their homes even to strangers.  When people come together in the midst of adversity, God is there.

Some people wonder why God doesn’t intervene to prevent these calamities, wars, crime etc.  And yet they ask God to stay out of their lives.

I can never expect to understand the wisdom of our Lord, but I fully trust in Him.  In the midst of all the chaos in this world, all we have to have is an expectant faith,  to be still and know that He is our GOD!