Life of David

I'm teaching a course on the Psalms this semester and in fact almost through the majority of my lectures and now in the midst of presentations. A big section of the course is centred around the life of David & how we relate to his story. One of my favorite musicians Michael Knott did an album which essentially is his own story interwoven with the life of David. The album is from 2001 and here's the promo:

Magnificent

I love what I do & I can't hide it. Teaching puts a spring in my step and I can't help but grin like the Cheshire Cat at all the opportunities I've had to challenge, encourage, & inspire during my lifetime. 52 days left in the semester and 7 years of teaching at a college level will have passed. Hard to believe just how fast time flies. SO many things to ponder - am I better teacher than when I first began? Or have I lost some that enthusiasm & optimism I had during graduate studies? I'm still being stretched as a teacher and I do think I've become more relational & less tied to my teaching notes. I still feel I'm just exploring the realm of experiential teaching within the classroom - it's hard to let go of the reigns I suppose. I've always believed that experience is the best teacher but I've also learned that you need a phenomenal guide for the learning experience to be of value. We need boundaries to explore - we need boundaries to push against.

I've written about why I do what I do but perhaps I should muse about why I can't not do what I do? So much to explore in this life!

I wrote a little speech 7 years ago that compared my graduate studies to that of the sport of whitewater kayaking. I think that challenge still rings true - we need to face danger, we need to face obstacles, otherwise we grow complacent & cloudy like a stagnant pool. We need change to grow and learning is all about change. I still have an incredibly strong passion to teach but I'm restless & admittedly tired. I'm due for a sabbatical (overdue actually) and I'm looking forward to January 2010 & the "great escape" with Wendy & our kids. New places to discover, new things to learn!

I purchased the BBC Planet Earth series for our family and this past Sunday enjoyed Disc 1 - which includes an overall look from pole to pole. One word captures it all - magnificent! In fact it reminded me of a new track from U2's new album (release tomorrow) No Line in the Horizon:

Magnificent
Magnificent

I was born
I was born to be with you
In this space and time
After that and ever after I haven't had a clue
Only to break rhyme
This foolishness can leave a heart black and blue

Only love, only love can leave such a mark
But only love, only love can heal such a scar

I was born
I was born to sing for you
I didn't have a choice but to lift you up
And sing whatever song you wanted me to
I give you back my voice
From the womb my first cry, it was a joyful noise...

Only love, only love can leave such a mark
But only love, only love can heal such a scar

Justified till we die, you and I will magnify
The Magnificent
Magnificent

Only love, only love can leave such a mark
But only love, only love unites our hearts

Justified till we die, you and I will magnify
The Magnificent
Magnificent
Magnificent

Some Facebook Mocking...So True!

Only 4 Chords Needed:

All you need is four chords and a means of selling a song and voila! Enjoy - some classics in this youtube mix!

How the City Hurts Your Brain

I haven't blogged yet this year - still numb from all the Christmas festivities & food perhaps. I came across an article in the Boston Globe on How the City Hurts Your Brain that I thought was worth exploring & posting. Here's excerpt:

Now scientists have begun to examine how the city affects the brain, and the results are chastening. Just being in an urban environment, they have found, impairs our basic mental processes. After spending a few minutes on a crowded city street, the brain is less able to hold things in memory, and suffers from reduced self-control. While it's long been recognized that city life is exhausting -- that's why Picasso left Paris -- this new research suggests that cities actually dull our thinking, sometimes dramatically so.

The article goes on to note that humans were designed to interact with nature and that even simply seeing trees helps patients in hospitals recover faster - providing a mental break from a harsh urban environment. Here's another tidbit I found interesting,

This research is also leading some scientists to dabble in urban design, as they look for ways to make the metropolis less damaging to the brain. The good news is that even slight alterations, such as planting more trees in the inner city or creating urban parks with a greater variety of plants, can significantly reduce the negative side effects of city life. The mind needs nature, and even a little bit can be a big help.

I'm about to take a group of students on a mission trip to inner-city Winnipeg and I've noticed that there is only so and so much I can take of living there. In part - it is the chaos of organizing & transporting people to different areas of the city that drains me but I'm used to being near nature. Even though I live in a small city - my backdoor literally exists into a park area.

I also have found that spending time at our parents cottage in the Whiteshell provides me with an outlet for stress & consistently is the best environment for me to actually relax. During my graduate studies - I skied every evening after completing research for a paper and I found it was the only way to shut my brain down effectively.

This article is a reminder for my need for interaction with nature in order to better balance my life and I urge everyone to take advantage of your escapes to God's Creation! Shalom!

Riding on Frozen Ground

I had a great escape to the Sandilands with Pat & Ed - taking on the "roller-coaster" section of a trail that follows the main escarpment on the west side of the park.
We drove in through the clear-cut section (the aftermath of a fire) and got to the trailhead - unloaded the bikes and sped effortlessly over the frozen ground.
Sure some the hills' traction was compromised by the light snow but for the most part - the riding was fast. I went solo for the last half - taking a different trail than the others - I felt I need some alone time both mentally & spiritually - it was good!
Not sure how many kms I put on - about a dozen I'm guessing. I'm definitely out-of-shape compared to summer but I did surprisingly well. I hope it isn't the last ride of the year - we'll see if I can escape again this next weekend?

Bob Dylan Concert - 11.02.08

For whatever reason - my Sunday only really started at 7:45pm when Dylan walked onto the stage at the MTS Centre. I suppose the time-change messed up my wiring because I was dragging my feet until the show started. Wow. WOW! Bob Dylan and His Band simply blew my preconceptions away.

That's right - Mr. Dylan playing some gee-tar!

I was expecting his voice to be somewhat mumbling & rambling but whoever was doing sound was spot on - his voice was perfect and musically the band was tight. Some of the songs listed below were completely reinvented - which is typical Dylan I'm told and I wish I could get some recordings of it.
Don't Think Twice, It's All Right had these amazing guitar parts that reminded me of a modern Moonlight Sonata (I joked with my sister who joined me for the show that Dylan had written that too).
My personal favs included: Don't Think Twice,Highway 61, I Still Believe, Ain't Talkin, Thunder on the Mountain, and the two closing numbers in the encore totally rocked - Rolling Stone & All Along The Watchtower! So there ya have it - I once again witnessed a legendary musician. It's been a good year of live music for me!
Setlist:
1. Rainy Day Women #12 & 35
2. The Times They Are A-Changin'
3. The Levee's Gonna Break
4. Don't Think Twice, It's All Right
5. 'Til I Fell In Love With You
6. Simple Twist Of Fate
7. Stuck Inside Of Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again
8. I Believe In You
9. Desolation Row
10. Blind Willie McTell
11. Summer Days
12. Nettie Moore
13. Highway 61 Revisited
14. Ain't Talkin'
15. Thunder On The Mountain
Encore:
16. Like A Rolling Stone
17. All Along The Watchtower

Bob Dylan "prancing" on the stage...you go Mr. Zimmerman!

Band Members
Bob Dylan - keyboard, guitar, harp
Tony Garnier - bass
George Recile - drums
Stu Kimball - rhythm guitar
Denny Freeman - lead guitar
Donnie Herron - viola, banjo, electric mandolin, pedal steel, lap steel

Concert Review: Neil Young with special guests Death Cab For Cutie & Everest

Well - another great show at the MTS centre on Oct. 16, 2008. Not as great seats as we had for Sheryl Crow but it was great to have a hometown legend like Neil back in the Peg. I could have done without two opening acts personally - even though I enjoyed Everest's sound (vocals reminded me of Paul Simon) and Death Cab For Cutie were brilliant but better suited as a feature act. Their set was short & sweet with most of my favorites. Here's a review from the Winnipeg Free Press and a few other links here & here.

Here is the setlist for those interested in Neil Young's show - a great mix of grunge-y rockers, some acoustic classics, and everything in between. Highlights for me were Cortez, Cinnamon Girl, Mother Earth, The Needle, Unknown Legend, Heart of Gold, & Old Man. I was hoping for Harvest Moon but was impressed with the great mix of old, in between, & new.

1. Love And Only Love
2. Hey Hey, My My
3. Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere
4. Powderfinger
5. Spirit Road
6. Cortez The Killer
7. Cinnamon Girl
8. Oh, Lonesome Me
9. Mother Earth
10. The Needle And The Damage Done
11. Unknown Legend
12. Heart Of Gold
13. Old Man
14. Get Back To The Country
15. Just Singing A Song
16. Sea Change
17. When Worlds Collide
18. Cowgirl In The Sand
19. Rockin' In The Free World

Encore:
20. A Day In The Life

Extreme Swinging?