Monday, March 30, 2009

The Geese are Back in Town...

Despite the huge piles of snow around, there is something comforting in the return of the birds; a sign that spring really will come someday. There is certain irony in the fact that Thursday I got frostbite on my hands and feet digging a truck out of the snow and Friday I was driving that truck with the windows down. Icy mud is everywhere. T-shirts by day: winter coats by night. Welcome to Alberta! I've been warned this pseudo-spring could last until mid-may. By then there's finally enough sunlight to warm things up. Just wait until summer when the sun sets at 11pm...What a strange thing, to be so far North. One benefit: the sunrises/sunsets and stars are incredible. (not that I've ever really seen a sunset I would say wasn't incredible...)

Thursday, March 19, 2009

"I Often Make Light Of My Chemical Dependence On Caffeine"

I just found an amusing mug...It is sort of ironic that "Drug abuse and chemical dependency isn't a problem if the drug is caffeine." What a strange culture we live in...

Saturday, March 14, 2009

Sweet Home Chicago...


A recent facebook update just informed me that several of my friends signed a petition to keep the famous Sears Tower just that; or rather to prevent it from being officially titled the "Willis Tower". (http://www.itsthesearstower.com/) I've lived near Chicago for 10 years of my life. (which at this point still doesn't mean too much...) It just got me thinking about all the things I associate with Chicago: Visiting the Science & Industry museum...Seeing "Sue" at the Field Museum...Wrigley Field, that diner where the waitresses dance on the tables and serve super small ice-cream sundaes (the name is something like "Eds"), boating on Lake Michigan, being grossed out by dead fish and freezing cold green-grey water while swimming in it. I remember visiting inner-city churches that had amazing gospel choirs and were quite different from my suburban E.-Free church (where I first met David and Sally Michael) ; Navy Pier, that big fountain...(it has a name...) Lincoln Park Zoo ( though Brookfield Zoo was WAY cooler. They had more animals...)
I used to think that I left a part of my heart behind whenever I moved, but now I realize that's not really true. It seems rather the opposite: everywhere I go has a place in my heart, and just when I think there's not possibly any more space, I move again or visit somewhere new and find to my delight that I was wrong. God has been gracious.

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Every day, our lives are full of events, yet when you go to have a conversation, it goes something like this:

Hi!

Hello!
How are you?
Good, how about you?
Good!

The conversation tends to go one of a few directions from there; usually just further exchange of pleasantries or if you're one of those smart people, witty bantering. There's always the "No really, how ARE you" conversations, but those seem only to happen among close friends (who actually care) or people who are really bored. (who just want to know because it's "interesting". About as interesting as whatever's on TV....if your life isn't juicy enough, they tune you out after a few sentences and start making non-committal responses.) Or my personal favorite, the ones where some completely random topic comes up and is discussed at length along with some "No really, how are you" and accompanied with a warm beverage. (and preferably a cat-on-lap)

Thursday, March 5, 2009

Practical Theology

"O how relevant and practical are the doctrines of God's sovereignty for our daily lives! If we did not know...how would we apply our wills and our assiduous efforts towards holiness and ministry without becoming self-reliant, self-exalting moralists?" -John Piper
Something I found particularly relevant as I begin my work as a ministry assistant (and in general!) Other things I've learned this week:
-if you change the paper in the copier ALWAYS remember to remove it! (lest your worship team be practicing with brightly coloured music...)
-despite what your parents remember from their college days, boiling water in a coffee pot is not a great idea.