Merry Christmas!

After three days of flu...it actually is very good to be on the up and up! Kids are loving the gifts, I'm loving the food (especially after living on lemon water & soup) and yeah - merry xmas!

G

NFC North Champions!

That's right Favre & the Packers once again defeated the Vikings making them the NFC North Champs - this time on Minnesota's home turf! Gotta love NFL football! Made my Xmas Eve a fun one!

G

Exploring Play

Blogs often reflect personality - in fact the better ones reveal much about the blog author. As a teacher, I tend to wander down rabbit trails in the classroom and I realize I have done the same in my Musings blog intentionally. I am a fairly random person and look for teachable moments throughout conversations and experiences. But I also see the need for focus and I recently have decided to begin this sideline blog dealing with the concept of play and its role in our lives. I am considering creating a Leisure Studies class for the college I am currently employed at and perhaps this new blog would aid in the research & design of such a class.

Some goals for this blog would be to create: a definition of & philosophy of play, from there I see the need to explore the role of play in education, in the workplace, in spirituality, in relationships, and of course life management. I would love to hear any thoughts or suggestions my current reading audience may have in this regard.

I recently "amazon-ed" myself a copy of Pat Kane's The Play Ethic (a thick manifesto that I am working my way through) and I also have Jerome Berryman's book Godly Play which I have briefly scanned through. Are there any other books you might recommend that would help me in my research? Perhaps the creation of a theology of play would be an interesting endeavour as well. Any ideas, suggestions, banter, title ideas, etc. are greatly appreciated. Obviously play is a strong component of lifestylism that my friend Jer has been exploring, and I should credit him for inspiring me in investigating this particular aspect of lifestyle.

As always - exploring!

G

Change

Quote of the day:

“Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself.”
~ Leo Tolstoy

In reflecting on this quote, I realize that often I am so passionate (as a teacher) in the changes I hope to see in my students that I forget that they will sooner change if I model change in my own life. Whenever we are in positions of influence - it is not our instructions or words that cause change, it is how our lives communicate change by our actions and lifestyle.

My college students just handed in their personal philosophy of youth leadership papers this past week and I was pleasantly surprised how many of them thanked me for the assignment as it caused them to think and change in someway. Part of the assignment was to create both a mission & vision statement, as well as list potential strengths & weaknesses they have in student leadership.

G

In the words of Sheryl Crow, "A change will do you good!"

Exploring Play

I've decided to start a new sideline blog with a more specific purpose from Musings - exploring the concept of play and its role in our lives. Here's some questions to those faithful few who actually visit this blog: is it a good idea to explore the concept of play? What aspects of play should be explored? It's role in leadership? in education? in lifestyle? in spirituality? I hope to come up with some sort of definition & potentially a philosophy of play so I'm hoping for some interaction from others in this exploration.

I recently amazoned myself a copy of Pat Kane's The Play Ethic (a thick manifesto that I am working my way through) and I also have Jerome Berryman's book Godly Play which I have briefly scanned through. Are there any other books you might recommend that would help me in my research? Perhaps the creation of a theology of play would be an interesting endeavour as well. Any ideas, suggestions, banter, title ideas, etc. are greatly appreciated. Obviously play is a strong component of lifestylism that my friend Jer has been exploring, and I should credit him for inspiring me in investigating this particular aspect of lifestyle.

As always - exploring!

Tis' The Season

I've been a little slack lately in the area of blogposts but tis' the season of xmas parties, banquets, and in my case marking papers and by the end of this week marking exams. I challenged our student body to examine their personal character over the next few weeks. I asked them if who they feel called to be lines up with who they are currently? Tough question but a good one to ask.

Christmas as a holiday obviously has its roots in Christianity and ultimately celebrates the gift of Christ's birth and life. Who was Jesus and how did he lead His life? How did he manage his life? How did he influence those around Him? There are many aspects of Jesus' character that we can learn from whether we are Christians or not. Are we living lives of integrity? Do we live a life of balance or one of extremes? Do we bring hope to others? Are we reaching out to those in need or are we consumed by our own lives?

If one takes a look at the Gospel's account of Jesus' three-year ministry - you can divide it into three focuses. A third of Jesus' time was spent reaching out to the crowds, the community, those he came into contact. Another third was spend with his disciples, family & friends. The final third, it appears, he spent alone in reflection with God away from it all.

When I reflect, I view my life through a paradigm or lens which I call the four C's: they refer to Character - who I am and who I seek to be; Community - my relationships with family, with friends, with acquaintenances; Communion - my time of spiritual reflection (means to commune with God), & Commission - how am I reaching out to others (perhaps within my community or globally)?

Hopefully, Christmas will be a time in which we get to celebrate the gift of life as a country, in our communities, in our churches. My guess is that most of us will celebrate socially as friends and family. My challenge is for us to actually spend some time quietly reflecting on who we are as people - are we living a life that reflects what we are called to do, a life that is intentional?

G

Soundtrack...

Hmmm...well i'm stuck marking papers so no time for a deep musing at this time. Instead - here's the current soundtrack (done in pairs) of my life - Death Cab For Cutie's "Expo 86" & "Transatlanticism" - two emo tunes I'm just loving! Jimmy Eat World's "The Middle" & "The World You Love" give me some great drivin' tunes! Of course - U2's latest - in particular "Fast Cars" & "All Because of You" - great upbeat rock numbers...Then there is the ethereal electronica category of musik - Andy Hunter's "The Wonder of You" & "Go" along with Moby's "Everloving" & "Love of Strings." Coldplay's "God Put A Smile" and "Clocks" still give me musical chills! I'll top it off with a new shoegazer listen for me from the Radiohead-like band Muse "Time Is Running Out" & "Sing For Absolution."

Hmmm - I think i'll make a burn of this current soundtrack of my life!

Perfectionism - Saintly or Sinful?

Perfectionism is one of my traits that I often deny. If you looked at the clutter on my desk or notes to self, you definitely would not guess it is one of my struggles. I am a professor and I love to teach. I teach a variety of college subjects ranging from interpersonal communication to youth ministry to outdoor education to leadership development. I love to inspire others to do what they are called to do, in other words live out their purpose here on earth!

One of the biggest sins that a teacher can commit, in my mind, is to bore people with information & facts. I see story & metaphor as one of the most effective ways of teaching & communicating truth. It unfortunately, takes much more time & planning to create classes that involves students, that causes them to think. It is easy to create lectures which require students to simply take notes while I spout of facts. So this is where perfectionism steps in & where I sometimes trap myself by going too far in preparation.

Curt Rosengren in his blog The Occupational Adventure notes the following anecdote relating to the "perfectionist definition of good enough" which rings so true for me:

A while back I was working with a client who had a serious perfectionist streak.

One session, as we were talking about the lack of satisfaction with anything this

client did, I said, "Do you know what I think your definition of good enough is?"

"What?"I walked up to the whiteboard and wrote: (What I did) + 1 = Good enough

So true! Confessions of a recovering perfectionist: How good does it have to be before I am satisfied? It will never be perfect! I know that it takes me about 8 hours to create a do-able lecture on whatever the subject, including an interactive PowerPoint presentation complete with some good audio or video clips that add to what I am attempting to communicate. If I put 16 hours into that presentation - it does not mean it will be twice as good. All the tweaking & refining of a presentation, might make things look slicker but the content for the most part is going to remain the same. The good ol' Pareto Principle states that "80% of the work gets done in 20% of the time." Parkinson's law follows the same idea that "work expands to the time available."

Monday Night Football!

Wow - another great game for the Packers putting them back in #1 spot in the NFC North! It also marked Favre's 200th game! I felt bad for St. Louis - I actually like their team but they got wupped by three touchdowns on Lambeau Field tonight. I was very impressed with Davenport's running & moves, good to have a great backup for Ahman Green who is still out nursing his ribs. Gotta love monday night football - methinks I may have to wear my jersey to class tomorrow...I love making the more traditional staff members at the college wince at my wardrobe. I've successfully worked three years and only worn a tie twice (my first year I claimed ignorance in not wearing my tie to grad) and they were both for graduation!! I can see the headline now...rebel prof fights status quo by wearing jeans & a football jersey...

Texture & Taste

I'm starting to really fall in love with U2's Atomic Bomb album, for whatever reason - songs I wasn't too fond of in the beginning are now fitting better and I'm sensing more of a flow to the album than originally. I think the closing song Fast Cars (on the UK & Collector's release) balances out Vertigo in the beginning and that may be part of it. I love the nostalgia that the album exudes from past albums while still pushing some musical boundaries for the band. It is very hard to do both but I think U2 have done it in some way. In other words, it is still clearly U2 but with a different overall texture & therefore taste. Which brings about my age-old question does texture affect taste? In food, in music, in art?

A Rocket & A Bomb

Speaking of taste...one of my favorite songwriters is Michael Knott (of LSU, Aunt Bettys, Cush - the most u2-like of knott's stuff, Lifesavers fame). Much like Dylan, he's got a lot of rough edges, a bit of maverick and is often misunderstood. He is an alcoholic, recently divorced, but has a clear love for his Maker. This belief in God however, does not mean he does not question God or his own struggles. His music is all about authenticity & asking real life questions. One of my favorite songs & albums by him is entitled Rocket & A Bomb. In it he questions & recognizes some of the bizarre things we often pray for. I think we often forget that prayer, like all forms of communication, needs to be two-way. We are very good at making requests and even making demands of God, but we often forget to listen to what He is telling us.

"Rocket and a Bomb"

Mr. In and Mrs. In

Can you please tell me what's in

And what is wrong with me

I'm never in your company

Mr. Out and Mrs. Out

What is this all about

Before you know it you've come in

And all I ever wanted

Was a good job and some bus fare

And a rocket and a bomb

A rocket and a bomb

Mr. Bill is there a Mrs. Bill

Does she tell you how you should feel

Does she let you get away

Will Sluggo come and make me pay

Mr. Bank is there a Mrs. Banks

Is she the one that turns the crank

Is there a Mary Poppins still

And all I ever wanted

Was a good job and some bus fare

And a rocket and a bomb

A rocket and a bomb

Mr. Life and Mrs. Life

Are you really in for life

Are you planning to make a break

Could it be a big mistake

Mr. God is there a Mrs. God

Could she help me find a job

One that pays enough to take

A rocket and a bomb

My favorite lyrics may sound simple from the outside, but when you savor them, explore them - suddenly you taste their actual depth. U2's lyrics have always done that for me and that is why I like Knott's music as well.

Dismantling The Atomic Bomb

Well, it's finally in my possession - the new U2 - How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb Special Limited Edition. It is a well-crafted package complete with a 48 page book of photos/artwork, the cd with a bonus track called Fast Cars, and a DVD with a documentary on 3 of the songs and five performances from U2 HQ. Well worth the $35 price tag from A & B Sound. I made a quick drive out to the store this morning (apparently through snow - now that it has arrived in formerly balmy manitoba) before having to get back for teaching my class. So here's my take on dismantling the album:

Many reviewers have noted how the album contains tracks that are reminicent of different time periods of U2's past 20 years of existence - some strong glimpses of Achtung Baby, a little ATYCLB, a touch of Joshua Tree at times, even a hint of Boy! The album of course opens with Vertigo which is a radio friendly upbeat song that clearly references Steve Lillywhite's role in producing albums 1 thru 3, & now 14 - uno, dos, tres, catorce. It is not my favorite tune but it will be fun one for the band to perform in concert and most likely will do well in the charts. It reminds of Elevation in that regard - again not my favorite tune but it did help sell ATYCLB. Miracle Drug opens with Joshua Tree-like atmospheric resonance and it clearly will be an incredible anthem for the tour. It is one of my favorite songs on the album, along with Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own which is all about its' chorus - big, beautiful and made for Bono to sing out almost like an opera-inspired tribute to his dad.

Love and Peace or Else begins a divergence from the first three tracks with more of darker, edgier, punkish feel to it. It is one of the more unique offerings on the album and I'm not sure what my thoughts are on it yet. City of Blinding Lights - starts out with again Joshua Tree-like atmosphere but morphs into a ATYCLB track with a Achtung Baby bridge within it and a unique chorus. I love the driving bass line through out the song. Actually the whole album's bass tracks are perhaps the best that Adam Clayton has ever blessed U2 with. All Because of You - is the next track and it has the energy of Vertigo but with less pop and a touch of punk-drive in the guitars.

A Man and A Woman - is kind of an emptier sounding song (in my opinion) and it may grow on me yet but I found the chorus too 70ish'. The bass line moves the song but the song as a whole leaves me wanting a bit more, my least favorite track on the album. Crumbs from Your Table is a powerful song and destined to be a big hit for the band. I think it is one of the more unique songs on the album and definitely one of the deeper ones lyrically. Catchy chorus and the bridge is classic U2 emotive & building! One Step Closer is another ballad off the album and I'm not sure where it fits in the U2 library - still digesting it and not sure what my thoughts are on it. It seems to have a touch of Lanois (I checked the liner notes and sure enough he helped with production on this one) which may be why it stands out (doesn't quite fit? but still a good tune) somewhat from the rest of the album.

Original of the Species - I love the title and the piano intro, the orchestration may be a little too much but the chorus is very well done -big, deep, & dreamy! I can imagine Pavarotti do a background vocal for this one which is why I see this song having a tie to The Passengers but in my humble opinion is a much better crafted song than Miss Sarejevo. Yahweh is basically Bono's worship song/hymn on the album and acknowledges the role of God in regards to redemption. Incredible chorus and prayerful meditative verses! I really like the vocals and Edge's classic ethereal ringing guitars throughout. U2 again produces a reflective yet building bridge, and clearly are the masters of seguing a song from a bridge into the rest of the song seamlessly. The bonus track for UK and collector's edition of the cd is Fast Cars which in many ways is a perfect bookend for the album. It matches Vertigo in energy and with a very Spanish flavour (oddly a little Beatle-esque with a dash of flamenco or something?). This is perhaps the most danceable tune on the album and my daughter Chelsea's favorite for that very reason.

I've actually heard some of the B-sides (Vertigo remix, Neon Lights & Are You Gonna Wait Forever) and will comment on them some other time. Overall, I'm very pleased with the album but then again I am a U2 fanatic so what do you expect! I think I still like Joshua Tree & Achtung Baby better and I haven't decided which album will get third spot yet - HTDAAB may beat out ATYCLB but maybe not. Love to hear fellow U2 fan's responses on the album! Is there anybody out there?

G

Calm Before The Storm 2?

Well, I'm about 30 hours or so from running a youth event at the college and I'm surprisingly pretty relaxed. I have about a 100 high-school aged youth and 20 chaperones/sponsors arriving on campus tomorrow late afternoon. I'll have about 60 or so college students running different activities, leading worship, & taking the youth on different opportunities for service (soup kitchens, drop-ins, etc). My job is to coordinate the madness of programming, so that people can grow in their relationships to others and ultimately with God.

So today, I'm doing my best to rest before the chaos hits. I am not really a details person but for the most part the details seem to be taken care of. That is thanks to the details people around me and admittedly I have a fair amount of experience of running these types of events at colleges & camps. It's the unknown aspects of such events that are scary and obviously hardest to prepare for. We'll see what happens but in all honesty, I can hardly wait for next Tuesday and the official release of How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb by U2. If I survive till then, I can make it through the chaos. I hope to escape to the wilderness for a short mtn bike ride and find some peace there as well.

G

Go Packers!

It was a close & exciting win by Green Bay over Minnesota! Brett Favre led the Packers with 4 touchdown passes and dominated the first half of the game. Culpepper responded and tied up the game with less than 2 minutes to go but thankfully the Packers clinched the game with a fieldgoal bringing them back on top of the NFC North after a 4 game winning streak! See the NFL Standings for a full NFL report!

On a side note, Packer's fans once again (3rd time) have clinched the top clicked donations for Cambell's Soup "Click For Cans" contest of all NFL team fans. Soup will be donated via Campbell soup to a needy soup kitchen determined by the GB Packers!

Yep - I'm wearing my Favre jersey!

Escape

Another great autumn day in the Sandilands! This time round Pat & I were joined by our wives Darlene & Wendy. Wendy & I dropped off Chelsea & Aimee at the grandparents and made our big escape! Our goals were simple - take a leisurely hike along one of our mtn bike trails and construct a new descent that joined up with a trail we marked out earlier in the week. So armed with machetes, pruners, & a couple rakes we made our way to our biking paradise! Admittedly, I was pretty stoked that our wives joined us and that they actually seemed to enjoy helping us with the trail. We worked a solid couple hours and I'm guessing the trail will be ready to ride with another couple hours of work. Hopefully, the snow holds off till Christmas! Wishful thinking but it has happened in the past.

The trail itself follows a pretty high ridge and rolls along singletrack through some poplar stands and makes a steep descent across our original trail (x-country ski trail in winter) and heads down through some willows and into a cedar stand with some very cool twisted & gnarled trees. The ground unfortunately is very spongy by the cedars but we are hoping it will firm up after some riding. If not, we will have to build it up with some split logs or something (a mild north shore attempt?).

I'm looking forward to taking my bike down the steep next week sometime!

Chain Breaker

Hey - another mountain bike blogpost! Pat & I hit our Sandilands X-country Race trail again and had a blast. My conditioning is a little off but it still was a good ride. We stopped to do a little trail construction near a cedar stand but the ground needs to be raked and then hardpacked before it is really ridable. Also found a couple cool downhill runs off a ridge near our main trail - hope to develop them as well. Managed to twist my chain on one of my descents through some brush - glad my chain breaker was with me! Riding conditions were perfect, it was a balmy minus two degrees Celsius.

I'm enjoying the two U2 Vertigo singles (which Wendy graciously picked up in the Peg yesterday!) and admittedly I've had a listen to the Atomic Bomb rough tracks currently online - very, very good! Looking forward to the full-album release on the 23rd! I'll be picking up collector's edition complete with DVD & a booklet!

Later!

G

Benchmark

Well - it has been six months of blogging and what have I learned? As an experiment into self-reflection it has been quite rewarding. I used to journal back in college but I always struggled with making consistent entries. With this whole online journaling thing, for whatever reason, I've managed to consistently make at least 2 entries per week. I think that's pretty good.

I've also appreciated some of the dialogue that other posters have contributed the musings of my wandering mind. In some ways, I wish I had more interaction but perhaps that it is an unrealistic expectation. I have learned though that generally speaking, when one responds on another's blog - often that blogger will respond to your site. I'm not sure if that is a courteous expectation or if it just happens randomly. My guess though is that we are all curious as to how others percieve our thoughts, however random or unique or mundane they are.

What has happened in my life in the last six months. Well, I'm living in a new house and operating a new computer. Wendy and I celebrated our 8th anniversary on June 14th. My family has expanded from one daughter to two! Chelsea will be three years old on the 17th and Aimee will be three months old on the 8th! I am in the midst of module three in my third year of college teaching and I still am surviving more or less.

The summer flew by way too fast, and it seems autumn is likewise. Has blogging been worth it? I think so - we'll see where we are at another six months from now and I'll be a yet better judge.

G

Beautiful Day!

It was a beautiful day! That's right I went on a three hour ride with three of my former high school friends, Pat S., Kent K., & Reg F. We made arrangements earlier in the week to leave around 7:30am and drive out to Ingolf, Ontario about 1 1/2 hours from here for an epic mountain bike tour d' trail! Pat and I on full-suspension cross country and Reg & Kent on free-ride bikes...different styles of riding but considering the technical nature of the trail we actually stayed pretty close together for the most part.

The trail provided plenty of excitement, rolling granite, some minor drops, some good climbs and dicey descents! All in all - very rewarding! Plus with Reg & Kent along - guaranteed laughter! Unfortunately, there was a lot of rain in the last number of weeks and a number of sections of the trail were submersed making the travel a little wet at times. The weather was perfect - somewhere around 12 degrees C, no wind, no rain!

At one point, we met up with a guy in his thirties making a campfire along the shore of the lake. He was making lunch for himself and his 2 year old son, who happened to be hiding behind a nearby boat. Apparently, the boy (who kind of looked like a hobbit) was a little intimidated by 4 mtn bikers. The father had travelled by ATV with his son & dog. Pat decided to interact with the dog and picked up a big stick. He chucked it and his unfortunate aim ended up heading for the little boy - who basically retreated under the boat for cover. Thankfully, the stick bounced off the overturned hull of the boat but we decided to leave shortly thereafter, thinking we had outstayed our welcome. So we grunted our way up a good climb back on the trail, trying to contain our laughter at what had just taken place. Admittedly, I was probably getting more of a workout from laughing than the actual climb at that point!

All in all - it was a great ride complete with a little blood loss and scar on my arm & shin! I made some very technical climbs that I wasn't expecting to make and the steep descents complete with some loose rocks made for some good times as well. It was good to be back on my bike and hanging out with friends, but man I'm feeling pretty wiped right now!

G

Quotes of the Day...

I was replying to a post on a blog focused on culture and this first quote came to mind, so I thought I might as well post it here as well and see if it causes any nibbles or responses:

"Music is Worship; whether it's worship of women or their designer, the world or its destroyer, whether it comes from that ancient place we call soul or simply the spinal cortex, whether the prayers are on fire with a dumb rage or dove-like desire...the smoke goes upwards...to God or something you replace God with...usually yourself." - Bono from his introduction to "Selections From The Book of Psalms" Grove Press, 1999.

My other quote comes from www.billycorgan.com

"...a kid said to me the other day, 'like, I heard you found God and stuff, is that true??' uh, no, I didn't find God...you cannot find something if it has never been lost...ok, maybe, in that thinking, God found me? It is not important, I am Billy, spirit made flesh, word made whole, insanity made mainstream, love made lover...life is good!!! Jesus people, please save someone who needs saving, there are many who are in greater need than I... I will never be a puppet for man's vision of the whole deal..." - Billy Corgan from his website post entry 10.24.04

Jump!

I just got back from the last concert I will ever see at the former home of the Winnipeg Jets - the Winnipeg Arena which is scheduled to be torn down in the next little bit. Van Halen played for just over 3 hours of pure adrenalin...they haven't lost much if any of their energy & playing ability. Last time I saw them play was in 1991 and I distinctly remember the same ringing in my ears following that show! They played all their hits as far as I can recall - Panama, Right Now, When Its Love, Jump, 5150, Can't Stop Loving You, and You Really Got Me...

Off to bed I go...

Art

Quote of the day, "Art is not the truth. Art is a lie which enables us to approach the truth." - Pablo Picasso. After reading the quote, I wondered what other words we could replace art with...how about music? story? theology?

Just a thought - sometimes we need open doors to see what is in the next room.

G

Season

I am in the midst of a change of seasons and it excites me! Coincidently, here in Canada we are close to entering a new season of snow - Winter. Autumn started out being warm but for the last couple weeks has been rather dreary - rainy & cold. I'm not sure how much the weather affects my psyche but I have been going through a season of disorientation. Even looking at my past number of blogposts I see my blogs as being rants and having an element of lament to them. In fact, I even entitled one lament. I'm not sure if it was that deep of a lament but it did release some of my thoughts & emotions.

We all go through seasons within our life, seasons of joy & happiness, seasons of dissaray - when everything seems to go wrong, and finally seasons that reflect on the difficulties gone through and the realization that we are better off than we were before. Walter Brueggemann in his book The Message of the Psalms - sees these three seasons of orientation, disorientation, & new orientation as sort of a lens in which we can look at the different psalms. In fact, it has become the template for much of what I have done in the psalms course I am teaching. Ironically, the season of disorientation, of lament has echoed what I am going through.

I have been challenged in my understanding of lifestyle, of what really is important. I have been challenged spiritually and taken a renewed look at calling, at ministry. I've realized more fully that life is not so much about doing as it is about being. Being who I am meant to be and affecting those around me by actually being me. Confused? Sorry - no excuses here...I'm leaving lament behind for now and focusing on the future. Yes I will look back at what I've learned but right now I'm about to leave my cocoon and take flight. It may be a slower process than what I would like but I can anticipate what lies ahead.

Here's a toast to new seasons & new understanding!

G

BTW - I managed to play U2's Wake Up Dead Man in my class and compared it first to Psalm 143:1-8 and then Psalm 44:23-26.

Survivor

Well - I have survived a week I would prefer not to repeat. I've worked enough hours that anyone sane would do in two weeks. 7:30am till 1:30am is plain not healthy - felt like i was on some kind of eco-challenge only worse - I was chained to my desk & computer. In fact, I have come to the conclusion that an eco-challenge may in fact be healthier because at least I would get to have some fresh air.

Interestingly, besides having astronaut-like stress levels I was pretty sharp for my classes. We got through an amazing amount of material, but more importantly we had some really good discussions in class regarding the concept of God in our lives. I asked some perhaps controversial questions regarding prayer and I may have blown up some boxes that people were formerly comfortable with.

One of my students in particular was bothered by the statement I made regarding praying for safety. This person felt that without prayer we were asking for trouble. I agree that praying for safety makes sense from a human perspective but what if you get into an accident? Does that mean you didn't have enough faith? You didn't pray enough? I think that is dangerous ground to walk on. Not everyone gets healed through prayer - does that mean they didn't have enough faith?

Bad things happen to good people - that is a fact. As much as we all would like to believe in Karma - justice is not necessarily present in our chaotic world. Perhaps there is a reason for pain & suffering in this world? Perhaps that is why the concept of grace is so critical.

I encouraged my class to pray for safety but with the clause that they would pray that God's will would be done. In other words, perhaps the crisis we go through has a direct purpose - and praying against something really isn't the point. Rather we should pray for wisdom and direction whatever the situation. I'm not sure if it is necessarily good that we are safe.

When do we grow as people? It is when we experience difficulties, tragedies, misfortune that we often are better equipped to give advice to others and have a better understanding of the role of God in our lives.

Obviously, we don't want people to get hurt or die and praying for journey's mercies are completely understandable but would it not be better to pray that whatever the circumstances God allows us to go through that we would be empowered by him to handle it.

The Scriptures call us to pray as Jesus did,

Our Father in heaven, may your name be honored.
May your Kingdom come soon.
May your will be done here on earth, just as it is in heaven.
Give us our food for today, and forgive us our sins,
Just as we have forgiven those who have sinned against us.
And don't let us yield to temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.

Amen

There is much we can learn from this prayer. How do we honor God? By being in relationship with him. It is not just about following rules or Torah, rather it is about communicating with him. It is important to acknowledge God's will and purpose here on earth. We need to be thankful for our situation, our food, our security & safety. We need to acknowledge our sin and that without grace we deserve karma. In other words - we reap what we sow. Sin breeds sin without intervention and it grows. You lie to someone and you don't want them to find out. So you cover your tracks. Think of a child - if they do something wrong what do they do? They hide. Not too different from the Genesis story of Adam & Eve. They sinned and tried to hide from God. It didn't work - they had to face up to their sin. Sin has consequences, forgiveness by God does not eliminate the consequence. Am I getting to preachy? Sorry - I tend to preach at myself more than anyone. Or maybe its just a rant.

Futures

I heard the new Jimmy Eat World Futures cd today and was impressed. I believe it came out yesterday - sounds more like their Clarity album and will be on my "to buy" list. Still looking forward to U2's latest offering which will arrive November...

Ironically, I heard the new Jimmy album from some of my students in my Psalms class. I think they are impressed that I actually listen to some of "their" music - even though I'm guessing i was listening to the band prior to their exposure. I keep bringing music as an offering to them as well in my class - exposing them to greats such as Dylan, Cash, Cockburn, Knott, and of course U2.

Lament

In true davidic fashion - I thought why not do a brief entry in response to the busyness of my life as of late. I am guessing that i put close to 70 hours, possibly more this past week in preparation for the new course I am teaching. Admittedly, I have wondered if it has been worth it all? What has the cost been to my lifestyle?

I enjoy my leisure time and plan on doing a serious mtn bike ride once a week for about an hour or so. I love spending any time I can outdoors, in fact at one time I used to get paid to work outdoors. I love to spend time playing with my daughters & wife! Our family usually spends a morning a week with our church community that meets in a building near where we used to live and every two weeks we spend an evening with our small group. But lately - all those things I love have been pushed aside to meet the demands of my so-called work or ministry.

How many hours do you pour into your work so that you can put food on the table, make those house payments, & buy those vehicles to put in your garage? How much does our lifestyle actually cost us? The government of Manitoba estimate that to raise a single child from 0-18 costs somewhere in the neighbourhood of $166,000 Cdn. Again, this is an average guestimate and perhaps a reflection of the lifestyle choices we force our children into. Why do we work? Obviously to meet the economic or physical needs of a family. But what about the emotional, social, & spiritual needs that exist?

Ironically, if I would maintain my current workload I most likely would be sacrificing my children on the altar of "doing." The hours we spend at work each week (even if it is a job that we truly enjoy) obviously are more than the hours we actually spend with our families right? In fact, even when we are home away from our workplace, often we are still at work solving some type of problem. The problem of our age is that often never leave work - our computers now fit in our pockets and tell us what to do hour by hour.

Humankind has made the mistake of believing that what we do actually counts for something when in reality it is who we are or are becoming which should really be recognized. Some people call this self-actualization - others simply call this discovering your calling. We have all been called to develop our character - to be people that extend grace & mercy to those less fortunate.

We are called I believe to some form of community - we all need friends and function best when we have other people to interact with & love. We are all called to commission - to reach out to the world in sharing what we have learned and in a Christian context - the good news that this life can have meaning beyond what we do or even who we are. And finally, I believe we are called to communion - to spend time reflecting on who we are becoming and we are called to be. For me personally, this not only includes self-introspection but God-introspection. Who is God and what does our relationship look like?

So here I sit in lament, typing out my frustrations but closer than ever to finding a way out of the cage. I may be deeper in the darkness but I'm closer to the light.

G

J33:3

Bono once described himself as having a form of Tourette's syndrome where he would always mention God in places where it was taboo. As if to confirm that, Bono recently confessed in Rolling Stone Magazine that the J33-3 on the cover of the album is a scripture reference. The verse is Jeremiah 33:3 and says "Call to me and I will answer you." "It's known as God's phone number" says Bono.

The above quote links nicely to my theme for this college year - "The Calling." What is our calling, our purpose in life, our passion? I love to teach - nothing gets me more excited (other than spending time with my family or spending some of my excess energy kayaking or mountain biking). Unfortunately, I'm at a stage or season right now though where excess energy just isn't there. I feel like spent uranium - I still can pack a punch but I no longer radiate as I was meant to do. I have mismanaged the time given me and filled it up with stuff I am unable to complete. The result is that I am experience a definite valley spiritually, physically, mentally, emotionally (not that there is a way of really separating the mind, body, heart & spirit). Despite the darkness I still have hope.

I can feel with Bono in that I often mention God in places where it may not be expected. That is because I see God in the strangest of places. I hear him listening to The Clash's song "Should I stay or should go" or watching an episode of Extreme Makeover Family Edition. It's weird where God appears. I've had another song in my head this past week - Bruce Cockburn's Closer To The Light - the chorus that goes something like "Gone from mystery into mystery, gone from daylight into night, another step deeper into darkness, closer to the light."

Ironically it is in those deep dark valleys or caves in the seasons of our life that we find that glimpse of grace, that distant hope that leads us back into the light. Right now, like David the Psalmist - I am frustrated with the world & chaos around me but I still have to be thankful for how God has blessed me & my family.

"What can I give back to God for the blessings he's poured out on me? I'll lift high the cup of salvation -- A toast to God! I'll pray in the name of God; I'll complete what I promised God I'd do, And I'll do it together with his people." - Bono quoted Eugene Peterson's paraphrase The Message Psalm 116 on the Elevation Tour before singing out "Where The Streets Have No Name."

G

Here's to simply taking a deep breath!

Modules

Well module one is almost complete - exam this Friday! The course Interpersonal Processes has been a challenge but overall I think been a success. I have determined that sociology is a field that for me personally is more difficult to teach in. I'm more of a philosophy prof but it is good to be stretched. It may have been also the simple fact that it is much harder to teach 35 students as opposed to my normal sized classes of 15-20. Add to that some increased stresses due to an addition to our family, increased responsiblities in leadership with our church, & man do I miss mountain biking more than once a week.

Next course - I leave sociology for biblical studies (another stretch for me) - The Psalms! Together with my 17 students we will explore conversations with God (my tagline for the course). Another route to go would be Life of David but seeing as David clearly was not the only author it would not accurate enough for my details students. Although we will spend several lectures on the character of David and how he reflects best how we actually should communicate with God - honestly and without restraint. You are mad at God - tell him. You love your life - tell him.

This next module will go by quickly - I teach double blocks and for a solid three weeks as opposed to the regular 6. It will be tough but hopefully we'll all survive!

Professor G

Thanksgiving

We've been blessed with some summer-like weather this weekend and our family has taken advantage of it! I took Chelsea to my dad & brother's farm today to take a ride on the John Deere Combine. She enjoyed steering the $300,000 gobbler of grain and even was brave enough to take a pee on the field due to the obvious lack of bathroom facilities.

We had a bountiful thanksgiving feast for lunch at my Mom & Dad's complete with turkey and all the dressings! And of course pie for dessert! And for supper we went to my Grandma Loewen's for a variety of soups & breads and again pie for dessert! I have always enjoyed autumn - I actually like the mix of cool & warm days, mountain biking without mosquitoes (although they were out today with the 25 degree C weather!), & the colors & crunch of leaves.

There is much to be thankful for - my lovely two daughters Chelsea & Aimee, my beautiful wife Wendy, a teaching job that I enjoy (even if I am overworked?), a great church family to be a part of, a secure & inviting house, the list goes on...

G

Triking Parkview Crescent...

What is it about bikes, trikes & kids? There is something freeing & empowering about self-propelled transportation isn't there? With our infrequent tastes of warm weather this summer & fall - I've tried to take advantage of our opportunities to enjoy it by taking my daughter out for short spins on our crescent and the cul de sac down Parkview.

Chelsea like her dad loves speeding and the thrill of the chase or being in hot pursuit! Awhile back we made figure eights with our wheels by driving strategically through some puddles and thus transforming our rubber tires into paint brushes!

One of her newfound tricks is to drive with only one pedal or to ramp up onto the curb with one of her wheels. She has tipped a few times but generally this has not resulted in tears - only a little frustration. In mountain biking - the guys I ride with frequently comment that unless there is some blood loss - we haven't been pushing limits. Although there is truth to that statement - I want to limit that when it comes to raising a daughter.

Another recent interest of Chelsea is squishing crickets with her front wheel - not sure why the delight or why the hatred of a pretty harmless bug? I have so far refrained from going over the top environmental on her but perhaps I should intervene? Any thoughts out there? Hmmm - ironically I think I hear crickets...

Vampire Killer?

Grace takers versus grace givers....

Do we just drink the blood of salvation as some type of a pseudo-vampire professing belief in Christ (with apologies to Williard) or do we share the good news that there is hope in a future & present kingdom of peace?

Are we believers in Jesus or are we followers? Or do we view Jesus as simply a radical teacher who happened to claim that He was the truth, the life, the way?

Some still are seeking truth, others believe it as if it were true, some live truth and share it with whoever is willing to hear them out...

Do we got to church to have our needs met or to meet the needs of the church? Or do we even consider church to be anything other than a building?

Do we worship in song to attain some type of temporary euphoria or to truly acknowledge that God in someway has worth in our lives? Perhaps we worship our own lives, our successes, our personal kingdoms. "What have I become? My sweetest friend; Everyone I know goes away; In the end; And you could have it all My empire of dirt." - Hurt (as sung by Johnny Cash)

I long for honesty, integrity, & a genuine passion for living a life dedicated to following Jesus whereever He leads - even if it means to accept whatever the circumstance and actually embrace suffering...

There is something beautiful yet terrifying about a genuine Christianity that dies to self and lives on in others...

There is something disgusting, vomit-producing about the lukewarm faith of a so-called "Sunday Christian" - but then again how many of us actually live out what we believe?

There is something freeing about giving grace to others and not keeping it locked up in the confines of our own caged heart...

There is something holy about recognizing how unworthy but how amazingly our lives can be transformed from something of filth into something more pristine than a waterfall in the garden of Eden...

Are you a bloodsucker or do you share your lifeblood with those dying?

Are you willing to die for your belongings, your car, your house, your stuff - or are you willing to die to self?

The ponderings & musings of a postmodern truthseeker continue...

Let it ride...

Yeah great song by BTO - I know. I'll have to share my Fred Turner story sometime...anyways - i got a couple responses re my drowning man story below. It's part metaphor and of course there is always truth behind metaphor but emotions are always suspect. Anyways - I have to celebrate the fact that I actually get paid (not much mind you) to teach a course on Mountain Bike Skills! So off I go with 4 of my students to the Sandilands to enter the real classroom - God's creation! Yeehaw (with my apologies to the Duke brothers)!!!

Later,

G

Drowning...

Drowning with land in sight - the fear of any sailor caught adrift. Well it appears this sailor's ship is taking water and the land is too far off to see. He has been caught in the enigma of loving what he does but hating the constructs of the institution that he is employed by. This institution or "ministry" as it could be so labeled has captured not only his passion but his energy, his being, his time. What does he actually have left? A feeble spirit that is trying to cry out despite the salty gasps of water that drench him in this storm.

The sabbath is but a distant memory now. He has endured three weeks without rest, without a port to refuel & restock his once swift vessel. He has gone through some incredibly stormy waters where he has questioned everything he has been called to do. He attempts to console himself saying that emotions have an ebb & flow to them - this is simply one of those mountains to be climbed. Once triumph takes place at the summit - all the pain & suffering will be worth it. Will it? Will the sacrifice of friendship, of relationships, of family be worth it? Does he put every breath he breathes, every beat of his heart on the altar of an obscene work ethic?

Has he been tricked by actually believing that it is he that makes a difference in this world? How he longs for rest, for air to breathe, for escape! Like a deer pants for water - this lonely sailor pants for restoration, for a place to find renewal, a refuge from the struggle he lives.

Are we not more than mere emotion? Perhaps after a mind is spent - that is all we have left.

Drowning with land in sight.

Reading Paul in a Postmodern Context

What would happen if Paul would write a letter to a postmodern audience? Well Brian Walsh & Sylvia Keesmaat did just that - they recreated Colossians in a very interesting way! Have a peek at their manuscript in pdf format: Colossian Targums. The book is entitled Colossians Remixed: Subverting The Empire and will be available from amazon.ca sometime in November.

G

Life in the fastlane...

Life is going way too fast these days... I can't believe I am past the half way point in the course I am teaching! It all seems like a blur. What is this rat-race we are in. Why do we do what we do? I've answered this question to a point in my last two previous posts but I still question the obscene hours that I and so many of my friends & colleagues go through.

I have a friend from high school that has a blog devoted to the exploration of lifestylism. His posts & links have brought to me a number of questions in regards to the choices we make in living the lives that we do. I think many young adults are now questioning the lifestyle choices of the previous generation. Why do we need the two car, 3000 sq ft home, & $100,000 + salary? What is the best way to raise kids in this postmodern society? How do we best educate our children? We all know what a failure the public school system is and universities are not much better. Why do we live the lives we do and are there some better choices that we could make? Perhaps living a life that is simpler and maybe does not require to full-time incomes is the way to go. I will close today's post with two quotes from Thoreau:

Our life is frittered away by detail... Simplify, simplify, simplify! ... Simplicity of life and elevation of purpose.

Go Confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you've imagined.

Teaching with Passion (Part II)

Teaching can be one of the most rewarding and most difficult occupations. On one hand you have an incredible opportunity to explore our worlds and on the other - the incredible challenge of keeping people engaged in whatever topic you are teaching on. Obviously the more relevant & applicable the topic - the easier it is. So I struggle on and find those glimpses of "ahas" and "Yeah! I learned something new!"

So here I am, hoping that in some way I actually am doing what I feel passionate about doing. But also realizing that there are always multiple dyadic relationships in a classrom, and naturally I will connect more with certain types of students than others. It may not be realistic to reach everyone but that does not mean I cannot endeavor to do so. I believe St. Paul talks something about "pressing onward and taking hold of the truth?" That's what I feel I am called to do - to keep exploring, to keep striving, and to keep teaching with passion. I don't have all the answers and I definitely haven't reached perfection, not even close but I have to push on and claim what I am called to do. If I don't - there is no reason for me to put the energy I do into each class I teach.

Kicking the darkness till it bleeds daylight,

G

The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates.The great teacher inspires. - William Arthur Ward

Teaching With Passion (Part I)

Amazing how time flies - two weeks of teaching seem like a blur right now. This is year three for me teaching full-time in a college. It has its joys and its struggles - sometimes the joys and struggles are the same but usually I place them in different categories. I made the comment in my classroom the other day that my greatest struggle or frustration is to not be able to have every student leave my class being changed in some way. Not necessarily changed by my input, but by them actually processing the information presented or discussed. I love to teach, I love to share things that I have learned or am learning. I love to see minds explore, process information, create new ideas, and frankly - I love to see minds struggle.

I love this quote from Bruce Cockburn, "But nothing worth having comes without some kind of fight --Got to kick at the darkness 'til it bleeds daylight..." We need those mountains to climb, to struggle with, and hopefully summit! That is how we learn and how we grow as people.

We are all or should be in pursuit of a calling, a natural or even supernatural pull towards fulfillment. In my case - I have what I believe a spiritual calling to teach. My passion is to inspire others to find their calling and enable them, equip them for the tasks they have been called to. Nothing excites me more than to see students graduate and to actually put their faith, their dreams, their calling into action.

G

He who dares to teach must never cease to learn. - Anonymous

Conversations

I wanted to make a brief comment on a show that I find intriguing because of its unique playful conversations with God. Joan of Arcadia basic storyline is focused on a teenager named Joan who goes through regular teenage struggles (complete with angst) but has the added issue that God is now talking and appearing to her. Amber Tamberlyn continues to be an amazing actor (for the medium of television) portraying Joan in a very authentic way. Once again the writers for the show ask fascinating questions about God, our existence, & our purpose here on earth. Check it out on CBS's Friday night lineup.

Spam

You should really check out the original blogpost but I had to repeat this particular Kiwi's take on spam:

My name is Spam.
Spam I Am.
I have some stuff I'd like to sell.
Take a look! It's really swell!

I do not want your worthless spam.
I do not want it, Spam I Am.

Spam I Am:$500 software that really rocks!
Just 20 bucks--still in the box!

You are really full of bunk.
I do not want your bootleg junk!
I do not want your worthless Spam.
I do not want it Spam I Am.

Spam I Am:How about some fast cash?
Fifty Thousand in a flash!!!

How stupid do you think I am?
I won't join your shady scam.
You are a sucker, you silly gitch.
If it worked, we'd all be rich!
I do not want your worthless spam.
I do not want it Spam I Am.
Stop it Spam.
Enough's enough.
I do not want your trashy stuff!
I do not want your d___ spam!
I do not want it Spam I Am!

(with apologies to Dr. Suess)

What makes the article so interesting is that it compares spam to some modernist forms of evangelism. The blogger asks the question, "Do the evangelism attempts of your church ever seem like spam to you or others?" A friend of mine recently received one of those cartoon evangelism tracts (that were so big in the 70's) from the local baptist church. You know the ones that show you on a life destined to hell and are backed by of out-of-context verses in a language apparently used by King James. Ironically - the cartoon designed to scare people into heaven out of the fear of burning in hell - just scares people.

Actually, what the cartoon told me is that I know where I won't be going - to that little baptist church on the corner that tells me I'm not "saved" unless I read my bible (KJV only) daily, go to church with a steeple, wear a suit & tie, pray to God daily & do devotions, sing out of a hymn book, etc. Why won't I go there? Well - it seems they've forgotten the simple fact that the things we do (no matter how good or significant) has ever brought redemption. I'm not saying we shouldn't read our bibles or go to a church building. Only that doing stuff like that never made anyone any less of a sinner. Grace saves. Nothing more, nothing less.

Don't spam...be real, be honest, be willing to love others in a way that Christ did. None of us like cheap imitations, empty promises, or gimmicks.

G

Hurt

Johnny Cash died one year ago today. The Man in Black is someone who I came to deeply respect and love. His music - particularly the American Recordings - not only continues to inspire me as a musician but also my understanding of humanity, God, & love. The video for Hurt is one of the most powerful audio-visual works of art I have ever seen. I grew up on Johnny Cash's songs from my dad's music collection and came to appreciate him again in my late twenties and now in my thirties. The Johnny Cash website has a moving tribute video online right now - I encourage you to check it out.

G

Community Part II

I'm in the thick of "prepdom" and teaching - the depth & height of it all I suppose. I love the classroom and stretching those teaching muscles that may have atrophied some over the summer. What is community? It is a question we are investigating in my Interpersonal Processes (Communications) class.

I believe I introduced those few readers of "Musings" to a bit of Martin Buber's take on community but here's a quick refresher: Buber (yes - he has rather unfortunate name) sees three types of relationships on our planet - relationships with people we view as objects (I-Its), people we acknowledge and interact with at some level (I-You), and people that we actually connect with and express ourselves, our beings to (I-Thou). On a continuum it is a move from an impersonal relationship to a interpersonal relationship. The difference is as radical as the relationships you have with your gas jockey to your spouse/love interest.

I believe that we have all been created for relationship and for community. We all long to feel acknowledged, to be more than simply an object or corporate pawn. We all desire to love and be loved. Without love - we have no hope and no faith in humanity or in a relevant concept of God.

I'm sure many of you were struck with shock & horror when viewing CNN or whatever news medium you check daily by the atrocities of the terrorists in Chechnya. How could these extremist Muslims actually kill innocent children, teachers, and parents? For that matter - how can anyone kill another human being?

I think the only way that we as humankind can actually kill each other is when we deny another's existence. In other words - we can only kill when we treat others as not human, as objects, as its. We obviously have no problem with killing "enemies" in a video game - no one actually lost their life, these computer generated people have no job to go back to or families to feed or purpose in life. They are simply pawns for our perhaps warped amusement. Fighter pilots who flew missions over Iraq do not see people on the ground below but strategic targets.

Here's another random thought - maybe we are killing people daily unintentionally by our not acknowledging their existence. Maybe by not striving to get to know our waiters, our bus-drivers, our custodial staff - we are causing others to question their self-worth?

I-Thou relationships admittedly are rare and it is obviously impossible for us to have each one of our relationships be that deep. But I think our world would change radically if we would at least attempt to treat people we meet as more than objects, that we recognize the importance of being acknowledged and treating others respectively.

G

It begins...

Yes - it has begun! College. After a rainy labour day weekend, I made my presence known to the parents of my future students this evening at a welcome dinner & orientation. Am I ready? No - I still need some divine intervention I suppose but I'm sure once I'm back in the classroom I will feel more centred.

My hope is that I will continue to inspire young minds to do great things - to pursue whatever they are called to do in this life. BTW - my soundtrack for this blog entry is Moby's - We Are All Made Of Stars "...no one can stop us now because we are made of stars" It's a song that for me describes the start of a new year. Many challenges lie ahead but it is encouraging to know that there is a purpose for it all. That there is an intent for these created bodies made of the same matter as the glowing night sky! God matter.

It begins...

G

Shalom Revisited

For the past few weeks I have felt led to discuss & explore the Jewish concepts of Shalom & Sabbath. Why - you ask? For one I think every person has within in them a longing for peace & rest. I live in a culture that longs for both but seems to have lost both the art & science of finding it. We were created for Eden but have been cursed with the sting of death by sin. Like a confused deer caught in the headlights of an approaching car - we freeze in shock of our impending death not knowing what to do. I chuckle as I drive down my city's streets and see the health stores & gyms& wellness centres. We desire to live forever but believe the lie that our money can buy happiness & health.

What is shalom you ask? I refered to it as peace above and it is commonly known as a Jewish greeting. Much like our own North American greetings - it has lost its meaning over time. How are doing? is not a question looking for an honest reply but a way of breaking the ice. Shalom is about restoring what has been lost or broken. Shalom exists when the prodigal son comes home to his Father. Shalom exists when a child is born into this world. Shalom exists when we seek God in prayer. Shalom is about mending relationships with God, with people, and with creation.

In Brian McLaren’s book, A New Kind of Christian, there is a scene when one of the characters defines religion. Neo’s description of religion also describes the intent of the concept of Shalom. “The old Latin roots of the word simply mean ‘reconnecting,’ you know—broken ligaments, severed connections, being reconnected and defragmented. That sounds like exactly what we need, don’t you think? We’re ‘deligamented,’ disconnected, fragmented people who need to be‘religamented,’ reconnected, put back together with God, with on another, reintegrated within ourselves, reconnected to the world we are part of.” I desire this blog to be a place where Shalom reigns or is at the very least rekindled.

Calm Before The Storm

Well - I've got less than a week and half before I'm back on the saddle again. I'm looking forward to teaching again (do I ever actually stop learning or teaching?) and attempting to inspire young minds to do great things. I realize though - my lifestyle will soon change from summer mode to speeder mode. Right now during my prep time - I spend a few days prepping a lecture. Then - it will be 3-4 hours prep-time then teach then back to prep. Two new courses Interpersonal Processes & the Psalms. Ironically - both are about communication. The first being more focused on communicating with other people and the second communicating with God. Martin Buber has been a blessing in disguise in that regard.

I find it happens often though - subjects flowing into others. Just like people - relationships love to ooze and collide with other situations or people. Soon I will be put back into the gladiator ring of education and chaos will rule. Even now I'm longing for a time-out, an escape, a holiday on a warm tropical island. But I love it. I embrace the chaos & confusion. I love to see minds challenged, thoughts created, ideas inspired, to go where no teacher has gone before!

Right now is the calm before the storm. How will be able to put sabbath into my week? How will I escape to recuperate, to refocus, to re-energize? For me - it's always involved God's creation - the great outdoors!

G

BTW - Aimee is three weeks old! Chelsea has a nasty scar on her forehead from a collision with a door but is loving being a big sister. Wendy is doing much better but too is not looking forward to me being away at college or me working long hours.

Community

I'm in the midst of prepping yet another college course - this time Interpersonal Processes. It is a fancy title that basically refers to how we communicate within relationships with other people. At first I was a bit nervous with teaching the course as in the past it was taught from more a counselor-type perspective. I soon began to realize though that I could take a different approach - more of a facilitator approach that suits my abilities in experiential initiatives & exercises.

I have always been curious as to how people respond in situation involving a problem to be solved, a conflict, or even a crisis. How do you communicate with others when there is a fire, you are a witness to a robbery, you are involved in an accident? How do you communicate with your spouse when you don't disagree with a decision he or she has made? How would we cope with not being able to communicate with someone?

Over the summer, I like to challenge myself with difficult 'reads' - books that I have to reread and digest before I can come to a conclusion about. Books by thought-provoking authors like Kierkegaard, Thoreau, Pascal, Commenius, etc. One of the books I am still in the process of reading is entitled 'I & Thou' and is written by a Hasidic Jew by the name of Martin Buber. His basic premise is that humankind was created to interact with each other in community. I-It relationships are not what God intended - in other words treating people like objects simply goes against his eternal design. I-You draws near to Buber's ideal of mutuality & equality within relationship but the ideal is I-Thou. I-Thou is the highest form of human communication because each person affirms the other as of great value and unique. It goes even further in acknowledging the need for relationship with God.

Who are we? We are designed to be involved with each other. We are designed for relationship & community. We are designed to communicate with Creation & the Creator. We are the human race - fallen but ready to take flight in community.

G

Sanctuary

It's been a week of having Aimee as a member of our family! Slowly we are getting used to this whole 2 child thing as a family. It has definitely not been an easy transition but Aimee is loved by all of us. Chelsea no longer is the centre of attention but in all honesty I probably am spending more time with her than before because Wendy is focused on recovering from the birth and looking after Aimee's needs.

One thing I fasted from this week was my love of mountain biking and it was tough. But today I went to God's church on two wheels - yep my Sunday morning was spent mountain biking in His amazing creation! I had a good ride - not my best time but not my worst for this particular trail. I stopped twice for a few seconds to catch my breath after a technical climb but it was all good! Tomorrow it's back to the office and more course & syllabi prep! It will be tough but we will survive. Baby Aimee is doing good, Wendy is getting better but there are a few more hurdles to overcome but such is life in a young growing family.

Breathe Deep

Well - I've managed to catch my breath and actually get another post online. Aimee and Wendy are both home! We are enjoying our new daughter - she is beautiful with similar facial features to her sister Chelsea but has long dark hair! She also appears to be more relaxed than her older sister which hopefully will allow for some much needed recovery time for Wendy.

Chelsea and I have been spending a lot time together - tricycling, being creative with play-dough, going for rides in my dad's golf cart, reading, etc. It actually has been a lot of fun! Unfortunately - I won't have as much time with anyone as I'm officially in the office more regularly next week. I was in the office last week as we were anticipating this week being the baby's arrival.

Breathe deep - breathe deep the breath of God! Aimee is an amazing creation and we praise the Maker for both her and Chelsea! What a privilege to learn and grow with these two amazing daughters. We know many challenges lie ahead but oh the learning and adventure to be had!

A New Baby!

This will be a quick post but I wanted to announce the exciting news that Wendy and I welcomed a new addition to our family this morning at 7:45am! Aimee Joy Friesen is a beautiful baby girl and her big sister Chelsea is very proud of her! Check out this link for details!

Losing My Religion Part 2

I work at a college sponsored in part by three Mennonite denominations - obviously the Anabaptist heritage of the school is important to be passed on. But if we fall into the trap of being somehow saved by being an Anabaptist or Mennonite or Baptist or Evangelical Free instead of following Christ - we clearly have missed the point of the Gospel. The good news is that following the law is not what brings salvation! Again - don't misunderstand me - there is nothing wrong with holding onto a faith that is guided by Anabaptist teachings but if we somehow think being a Mennonite (or your fill in the blank denomination) brings salvation we simply have it all wrong. The Gospel is about relationship with Christ, with the living God. Does it make life easier - not a chance - it will probably make your life harder because Christ calls us to sacrifice everything to follow Him.

True Christianity is not about following rules, it is about following Jesus. It about being a friend to the people you typically avoid. It is about living out the beattitudes in Matthew 5 and being honest to God. It is about reaching out to the poor, the hurting, the outcasts, the dying, the hopeless. Who are the lepers of today? The majority of homosexuals assume that Christians hate them. We respond - "Oh no - we don't hate them we just don't like their sin." Do we treat divorced people the same? How about people who cheat on their taxes? Instead of being concerned about whether or not gays marry someone of the same sex - why don't we instead care that so many people are dying from AIDS?

Self-righteous bumper-sticker Christians beware - read Matthew 6. Don't toot your own horn about what you are doing for God. It's not what you do for God - it's what He does through you that is important! Okay - i'm starting to sound a little preachy...sorry I don't mean to bug ya. But don't you think we should (and I should) start following Christ rather than a list of rules & regulations.

We are called to share the life given to us not death. We are called to share grace not guilt or condemnation. We have no right to be simply grace-takers... we are called to be grace-givers as well!

G

"Religion is when God leaves the room and people make up rules to fill the space." -Bono

Losing My Religion

Do you remember REM's song Losing My Religion? I remember the tune being incredibly catchy but the lyrics bothered me at first. In part, it was due to my misunderstanding of what the song was about and I suppose what religion is all about. I guess at first I thought it was about actually walking away from a faith in God. It turns out the expression of "losing my religion" is from the southern states and refers to losing one's cool or simply cursing. Hmm - when's the last time you lost your religion? Was it when that guy cut you off the other day?

The phrase "losing my religion" for me personally means something very different than swearing. No - it's not about walking away from God but rather walking away from the constructs or "box" we put on our faith in God. It's not that those religious trappings are inherently bad, in fact ritual & a focus on holiness can be a good thing. But when we depend on religion to save us or make us appear righteous we are walking down the wrong road. Religion does not bring us righteousness but rather self-righteousness.

Let's face it - the culture we now live in does not particularly like people called Christians (definitely not fundamentalists) but they seem to have no problem with Jesus. If only the people that actually call themselves Christians would live out a faith that honestly followed Jesus. It's not about going to church (not that it's bad to go to church), about wearing the right clothes (definitely not about WWJD bracelets), about posting the 10 commandments on our school wall (but maybe the beattitudes?), or blowing up abortion clinics (definitely not!). But it is about being honest to others and to God about who we are. All of us need to lose our dependency on religion and focus in on Christ.

This past Sunday, Pastor Terry Kaufman entitled his challenge to our church 'The Refuse of "Religion" on the Road to Righteousness.' It was a gutsy message based on Paul's letter to the Philippians (see Phil. 3:1-11). Let's face it we all desire to be right with God and look right to everyone else. But being a follower of Christ is not about appearing righteous to others. It is being dependent on Jesus - the attention is not on us but on Him. Before we can be called holy - we need to be broken! Pastor Terry talked about how Man's religion is all about status and accomplishment; about following rules and looking good! Paul called this refuse - in the original Greek it is closer to dung or you can fill in the less-sanitized more current four letter expletives if you wish.

It seems to me that Jesus broke a lot of these so-called rules - he hung out with all the wrong people: prostitutes, taxmen, shepherds, the lepers, etc. It seem he not only was the life of the party - he also was their bartender! Jesus was most critical and condemning to the religious. The most militant Jesus we see is when he starts overturning tables in the local synagogue. He was more liberals than the liberals in reaching out to the poor & sick on the Sabbath and more conservative than the conservatives when it came to acknowledging God.

Le Tour De France!

Lance Armstrong does it again! With his sixth winning race Lance is the undisputed champion of cycling! Yet another yellow jersey and amazingly one of my favorite female musicians Sheryl Crow is his girlfriend. Admittedly - I am a mtn biker and not a roadie but I was impressed by the sport once again this year.

Road cycling in many ways is more dangerous than the so-called extreme sport mountain biking. The speeds these guys hit is outrageous and the climbs simply insane! Their average climb speed is faster than the average speed of a cross country mtn bike race. The race itself is complex with all sorts of different competitions happening within the actual 3,395km 20 Stage race including king of the mountain and a points winner established by who crosses first over certain checkpoints during a stage. The history of the race is also fascinating!

Here's a quote from Lance - “I believe that the man who works the hardest is the man who deserves to win.” Very true and it is well known that Lance prepares for his races harder than anyone else. I'm hoping to pick up one the biographies on him sometime. Hopefully he inspires Sheryl Crow to keep making amazing cds too!

Well Lance brought some excitement to our house this Sunday, as it will be a while till my Packers take up my Sunday Football afternoons!

G

Life of David

I'm in the midst of researching for a new course I'll be teaching this fall focused on the Psalms. Obviously one of the keys to unlocking the poetry of the psalms is to get to know the poet. The life of David is one of contrast between human lows and spiritual highs.

What I love about David is that he is real - he is human. David sins but finds redemption. David struggles but finds peace in the wilderness - God's creation. He wrestles with God, questioning the suffering of the world, the loss of friends to war & murder... He demands justice in a world where the scales seemed to have tipped in the favor of all who rise against him. Yet David is a man of God.

David is human like you and I. Yet He rises from his simple skin, his human condition into someone worthy of the love of God. Despite being a murderer, an adulterer, a sinner - David the man finds grace & forgiveness! He recognizes that we do not control our world - only God does.

Through praise, through lament - David discovers that God is always there. No matter how great the mountain, how deep the valley, the peace that passes all understanding can be found in the amazing love, the amazing grace of God Almighty!

Selah!

Shiny Happy Teeth...

I don't think I rant often but here's one for ya!

You know the whole dental profession is an odd one...what is it that attracts people to become dental hygenists or dentists? Are they people who just have a thing for teeth? Are they obsessive about cleaning their own teeth? You ask - why my comments on dentistry...well I went for my annual check-up & cleaning.

Admittedly - its been a few too many years since my last visit. And yes - I don't floss enough. I have no valid excuses for not going sooner other than not having a dental plan for awhile and I couldn't make an appointment that fit my schedule... But hey - i finally got an appointment and went back to the chair of torture with a positive attitude and ready for plaque removal!

Maybe I dislike dentistry because I hate the lecture on flossing or the nagging "you need to come in more regularly!" Here's the best one - have you considered pulling out your wisdom teeth? It would make it easier for you to clean your back teeth! I'm not sure why I would get teeth pulled for no other reason than being able to clean my next set of molars better?! Umm - maybe so the dentist can take out his wife for a fancy steak supper!

Well despite the lectures my teeth do feel clean and I am sure glad to not have any teeth pulled or filled or drilled! And I survived my tooth examination without revealing any cavities!

Later,

G

BTW - I have again updated my homepage with new pics! And despite my rant I am enjoying my shiny happy teeth! My apologies to any dental hygenists I may have offended - dentists make enough money that I need to make no apologies to them!

Holidaze!

Wow - it's great to finally unwind and not worry about work. Okay, I admit it - I'm still reading & prepping for my courses but I'm not at the office. I actually am in the process of reading Leonard Sweet's latest take on leadership (from a postmodern perspective) called Summoned To Lead. His take on leadership is that we are neither born or made leaders - we are called by situations?God? into a leadership opportunity.

In other words when it is how we respond when put into situation that demands leadership that determines whether or not we are leaders. He gives the example of Shackleton the famous Antarctic explorer who was in a number of difficult leadership situations - one of them being stranded for 2 years off the coast of Antarctica with his crew. He never lost a person under his command despite numerous perils.

I have always felt that everyone has the capability of being a leader - it is just a matter of taking a step of faith and doing something with the gifts & abilities God has given us. Sweet also says that a vision is something that we listen for and not necessarily see. I likewise has felt that both your mission & vision is not something that you create. It is given to you by God.

Happy Canada Day!

Well the fireworks are done and now I'm back at my desk planning some teambuilding sessions for Red Rock Bible Camp's staff training tomorrow & Saturday. I really enjoy taking people through initiatives that make them think about their role, their leadership skills, their communication skills, etc. I keep learning better ways of debriefing and running the simulations I put them through. I'm trying some new ones again this year - in part, so returning staff have something different and because I simply like trying new ones.

G

BTW - Chelsea really enjoyed the k'bangs, k'pows, & k'pops of the fireworks. Although she preferred being in my arms under a blanket - just seemed to make her a little more secure & warm!

All Moved In!

Sorry for my tardy post but I only reestablished my Internet connection yesterday afternoon. That's right - we are all moved in and excited to be here on Parkview Crescent. Thanks to the help of a number of family members and friends we moved basically everything from McKenzie to our new residence on Thursday. Admittedly, my fear of cardboard boxes remains which may explain why unpacking is still pretty slow.

Chelsea is enjoying her new room and toy room in the basement. We absolutely love our kitchen although we still have not installed our microwave yet. Our school of tetras have found a new home for their aquarium at the base of our stairs in the basement. Still some finishing touches to the house are necessary but very livable.

I'll maybe make another post tonight and throw some pics online as well.

I believe it's supper time!

G