The Ride

There is nothing quite like exploring play on a bike for me! I admit it freely that autumn is my favorite time of year to ride with cooler temperatures and amazing scenery of colored leaves! I love the feeling of tired muscles, worked out lungs, and the euphoria that comes from riding hard up hills or coasting down steep descents while winding through tight singletrack amidst a sea of trees. Check out my latest photoblog at musings!

Epic Sandilands Trail - September

Amazing trail riding this time of year in the Sandilands and thanks to some serious exploration this fall - Pat S., myself, and Jason H. have managed to put on the kms this season...

Really sweet winding trails through some rolling hills and valleys!

My favorite sections are through a number of Red Pine groves and we managed to end our ride this past Thursday at sunset. The result was some awesome pics and in my case a couple broken spokes! The shot above is Pat waiting up while I take some shots of him and Jason riding through this section.

I love this shot of Jason in motion - lucky!

Pat & Jason

Pat & Yours Truly

The plan is to keep riding until the snow keeps us from going! We are hoping to acquire some good lighting for night riding. A few years ago a buddy from a local bike shop in Winnipeg lent us a $1000 worth of high watt-age - we'll see what happens. Apparently, my rear wheel is a little out of true with it missing spokes...

In Search of Sacred Places

I am the midst of preparing a reading that I will be presenting on a college retreat this weekend. That's right on top of lecture prep, teaching, and marking I get to do some public speaking. I've decided to explore the idea of pilgrimage and linking it to the pursuit of Shalom. It is a concept that I've explored somewhat in preparing for a course I teach entitled Interpersonal Processes.

A pilgrimage for those not enlightened can be describe as a physical journey to a spiritual destination. Daniel Taylor in his book In Search of Sacred Places says, "the act of going is itself a vote for the possibility of meaning. It accepts risk - the risk of coming to harm, of being a fool, of wasting time and money and energy - for the mere possibility of a highly intangible reward." Taylor's journeys took him to the mystical islands (such as Iona) that Celtic monks used as spiritual retreats.

The second concept I hope to merge with the first is the idea of Shalom. Shalom is a Hebrew word most commonly translated as "peace." However it has much richer nuances including the concepts of justice, prosperity, and reconciliation. Walter Brueggemann wrote: "The central vision of world history in the Bible is that all of creation is one, every creature in community with every other, living in harmony and security to the joy and well being of every other creature...Shalom is the substance of the biblical vision of one community embracing all creation."

We seek Shalom because we live in a world of broken relationships. In a sense we all should be on some sort of pilgrimage for peace, a journey that looks towards restoring that which is broken. Is it mere trinkets that we work our lives away for? I hope not - I hope the riches we strive for are found in family and friends.

I've travelled much over my thirty plus years of existence and each trip has taught me much about myself. But it also has taught me much about others, about culture, and ultimately about my understanding of God and His Creation. What have you learned on your journeys thus far? Are they worthy enough to be called pilgrimages of self-discovery? The pursuit of shalom seems to be at times impossible, much like Frodo and his companions' journey (see LOTR) to Mordor to bring healing to a broken land.

G

Finding Rest in Play

I find rest hurtling down steeps on my mountain bike. I need my legs to be throbbing, my heart beating and my lungs out of breath to truly find release from stress. I love this time of year when it comes to riding. The autumn colors, the visibility on the trail, even the cold air and smells of fallen leaves is so refreshing. How do you find rest - is it in play? When I get home from work I often want to just crash on to my couch and find the remote. But life changed when I got married and eventually we were blessed with kids. I have to say, one of my greatest joys coming home from work is being greeted by my two daughters and wife. Play is not optional - it is a necessity when it comes to life, family, work, and rest!

Back to School

Well, it's great to be back doing what I love - teaching. It always takes a bit to get back the "mojo" of teaching and those "aha" moments don't necessarily happen daily but I enjoy what I do. There's no greater joy than hearing, "You made me think, prof!" I hope that the questions I bring will lead to some answers but hopefully more questions - that is how the learning process works. When we explore our ideas in the context of life and not simply the classroom - we learn and grow.

G

Bocce on the Labour Day Weekend

Who would have thought I would enjoy such a simple game as bocce. You don't know what bocce is? Check out this link - bocce rules. We made our annual escape to the cottage on a very fine weekend - complete with 30 Degree C. weather on Sunday, some canoeing, gaming, reading, relaxing, playing with our kids, and of course eating! I have to say though I really enjoyed our Friesen bocce tournament - no we aren't italian although my love of their food would perhaps say different! Maybe it was the terrain in which we played the game or perhaps the fact that my team (consisting of me and my brother Blaine versus Dad and my brother Kyle) won 2 of the 3 matches. Hmmm - we'll see how I'll explore play at work this week. That's right college is back in action and I have a lovely week of orienting students in registering their courses for the year tomorrow!

Over and out...

Music For The Soul

What is it about a song that resonates with our souls? Is it melody, the backbeat, lyrics that somehow reach into us? I'm not sure what it exactly is but when a song is "in tune" with where I am at - I can't not hear it. It may not even be playing on my earphones or speakers and it's presence is felt.

What's in my mind as of late? Sufjan Steven's 2004 album Seven Swans - a masterpiece of laid back acoustic meanderings on life, love, and faith - sort of folky but with a good edge to it all. His newly released 2005 release Illinois is just as deep but with more instrumentation - also well worth the listen - lyrically Stevens truly is a master wordsmith from the profound to the introspective to the tongue in cheek!

I'm also listening to Death Cab For Cutie's Plans (released Aug. 30) - really good! It continues in the direction of their previous album Transatlanticism's dreamy pop with a touch of emo! Vocally both bands remind me of the lead singer (Derri Daugherty) of one my favorite atmospheric alternative bands to come out of the late 80's - The Choir who also have recently released a new album O How The Mighty Have Fallen!

And right now I'm listening to a webjay podcast courtesy of my friend Jer via CBC - a band from T-Bay by the name of The Parkas - very cool! Oh and I should recommend I Witness a local manitoba band - they are in the process of releasing a new CD. There guitar player happens to be my wife's cousin and very good musician! Their latest single "Long Before" (sample on their site) reminds me of REM with a Nickelback edge to them!

Over and out...

How Rich Are You?

Check out the Global Rich List site and find out how you rate as far as wealth in the spectrum of people inhabiting planet earth! It takes less than a minute and very interesting results!

Are you relevant?

Check out a recently revised site that i visit weekly and occasionally daily - relevant magazine! Excellent articles, music reviews, news headlines, etc.

G