So its February 28th and I haven't blogged all month. I have made a sort of resolution that I would blog at least once a month. That is to keep my family at least somewhat happy. Apparently they check my blog almost daily and are usually disappointed to find that there is never anything new there. I am afraid that after a while they will stop checking altogether. I can't say I would really blame them. Dave, I think I am doing even worse than you at this blogging thing.
But I am blogging tonight! It's 11:13 p.m. so I am beating my self-inflicted deadline by a good 45 minutes. So there, me!
I was going to blog/rant about made-up words like "blog", etc. but I can't now as I just learned this evening from Matt Foreman where the word came from. Turns out it is a shortform of "web-log". That makes sense to me and really isn't all that interesting. Sometimes short forms are just a lot more cooler, of which this is the case.
I am off to Kitchener tomorrow on a business trip -- which is a rarity for me. The Christian Social Service Agencies in Ontario are trying to team up with Ontario Bible Colleges to see if there could be a partnership which would provide the agencies with training facilities/programs and hopefully provide the colleges with students. I am representing KLBC to listen to what the possibilities might be. This is the second of such meetings. The first one took place in Guelph last May.
Good night from the 'Boro.
Tuesday, February 28, 2006
Wednesday, January 25, 2006
Aria Grace Easton
Born into this world at 5:45 p.m. on January 24th, 2006, Aria Grace Easton declared to all in hearing distance, and in her case this was a fairly lengthy measurement, that "oxygen is hard to get used to." She weighed exactly 7 pounds and was 19 3/4" in length.
We left for the hospital at 2:00 p.m. at the suggestion of the obstetrician, since Valerie's contractions were getting very severe although the interval between them was more in the 8-10 minute range instead of 5 minutes (the usual signal to head to the hospital). Apparently things were very much in progress because when we arrived Valerie was already close to 6 cm and it didn't take long for things to progress. Three hours later, Aria had arrived!
Aria is perfect in every way. She looks a lot like Lael but has her own distinct nose. We discovered that her lungs are of exceptional quality. Her name means "A melody of grace". At this point the melody is rather cacophonous but we pray that through the grace of God in her life, her life will demonstrate the grace of God to all around her. "Ann" is a family name (Valerie's middle name is Ann; My Granny's middle name was Ann, my sister's middle name is Ann, Valerie's mother's middle name is Anne) but we chose "Grace" as her middle name because that is what the name "Ann" means and I liked the sound of it better. It is also one of God's attributes with respect to his children, which he bountifully has demonstrated to Valerie and I throughout our lives.
We thank God for a healthy baby girl and for her safe arrival. We thank Him for the strength that He gave to Valerie throughout these past couple of weeks and today in the final hours of labour. We thank God for our supportive family and friends who have been so thoughtful, caring and encouraging. God is so good!
Monday, December 05, 2005
Big Skies
This is me this summer off of the coast of Cape Breton Island, embracing a very big sky made by an even bigger God.Ambience
Friday, November 25, 2005
"Eddy"
Eddy was a hermit crab
He never came out of his shell
Eddy, he was shellfish
You know him very well
His peers just down the sandy beach
Found him to be crabby
Was it just his stone-washed genes
That made him so unhappy?
These are the lyrics of a little song, Stephen Burbidge and I wrote a number of years ago. I have always considered it to be one of the cleverer poem/songs to which I have contributed. Oh, that Eddy and his angst.
He never came out of his shell
Eddy, he was shellfish
You know him very well
His peers just down the sandy beach
Found him to be crabby
Was it just his stone-washed genes
That made him so unhappy?
These are the lyrics of a little song, Stephen Burbidge and I wrote a number of years ago. I have always considered it to be one of the cleverer poem/songs to which I have contributed. Oh, that Eddy and his angst.
When you are shovelling it's hard to see the sparkle
I arose early this morning to try to swell the tide of the rising snow on our walk and driveway. As I bumbled about trying to drag out my boots for the first time this season and bringing down the shovel from its abode for the past eight months, I did not feel particularly joyous.
After a number of minutes shoving the snow in various directions (to my pleasant surprise it was not as heavy as I had feared), I began the work on the driveway. I must admit my mind was fairly focussed on the mundane moment of my existence.
But this comatose state was soon to be lifted as my landlady appeared from her garage to drag her garbage to the crestfallen curb. As she headed back to the house she commented how she "loved the sparkle" as the early light and streetlights caught it at just the right angle. I realized suddenly that I had failed to notice the beauty in what lay around me. Sure enough, unbeknownst to me, indeed there was a sparkle in the blanket that covered the yards in all directions. My snowblindness consisted of earthly-mindedness. I had failed to observe the beauty of God's handiwork because I had been caught up in the inconvenience and selfishness of the thoughts of a sleep cut short and the little pain in the shoulder from the constant rotor-cuff motion.
"The heaven's declare the glory of God", as does all his creation. This was a good reminder to stop and consider Him, no matter what the moment might make us feel.
When you shovel, look for the sparkle!
After a number of minutes shoving the snow in various directions (to my pleasant surprise it was not as heavy as I had feared), I began the work on the driveway. I must admit my mind was fairly focussed on the mundane moment of my existence.
But this comatose state was soon to be lifted as my landlady appeared from her garage to drag her garbage to the crestfallen curb. As she headed back to the house she commented how she "loved the sparkle" as the early light and streetlights caught it at just the right angle. I realized suddenly that I had failed to notice the beauty in what lay around me. Sure enough, unbeknownst to me, indeed there was a sparkle in the blanket that covered the yards in all directions. My snowblindness consisted of earthly-mindedness. I had failed to observe the beauty of God's handiwork because I had been caught up in the inconvenience and selfishness of the thoughts of a sleep cut short and the little pain in the shoulder from the constant rotor-cuff motion.
"The heaven's declare the glory of God", as does all his creation. This was a good reminder to stop and consider Him, no matter what the moment might make us feel.
When you shovel, look for the sparkle!
Tuesday, November 15, 2005
Why the title "take a whiff"?
In case you might be wondering why the title "Take a whiff" I will hope to give out a number of reasons. In a lot of ways it touches various aspects of my biographical sketch and it also has spiritual connotations. In general, to sum up, before I give my lengthy list, smell is curiously important to me.
Here's a few reasons behind the title:
1. I like baseball. "To whiff" means to miss the pitch. I always prided myself on my pitching more than I hitting so this is a positive thing.
2. "Take a Whiff" was my suggestion for a slogan for my friends' band (as I recall it was for a T-shirt). The name of their band was "Abel's Offering" (featuring Stephen Burbidge and Todd Bearisto and no longer in active service) because it was an acceptable offering to God and I thought it was a great slogan-- kind of catchy and with the implication that others were benefitting from their worship. Turns out they hated it; in fact, Todd really hated it and laughed every time I suggested it. I still like it.
3. The smell particle was an elusive scientific theoretical phenomenon that made up a surprisingly significant aspect of my highschool conversation with my closest friends. I still believe that this is an underdeveloped science area.
4. My alias is "B.O. Man." This not-so-fictional character was created at an all-nighter event at Westmount Bible Chapel back in 1994 by Gary Telford for a video. For some strange (I like to think there was no correlation to my particular odor that evening) reason I was selected to play the lead role. It was great fun and an iconic figure was born that would last for another decade of film-making. My friend and I did one half-hour movie called the "Eh Bomb" and then a second longer film was in production that included a larger cast (of staff from Fair Haven Bible Camp in New Carlisle, Quebec) which was never completed and remains on various VHS tapes in my possession.
5. Finally, as the subtitle aludes, Christ's death for us is referred to as a sweet-smelling sacrifice. We are also called to give our lives as "living sacrifices" (Rom. 12:1). Our good things that we do for others are also seen a fragrant offering and pleasing to God (Phil. 4:18). The sacrifice of Christ has pleased God and we are called to emulate that sweet-smelling gracious gift to others around us. That is what this life is all about.
May others be able to "take a whiff" of you!
Here's a few reasons behind the title:
1. I like baseball. "To whiff" means to miss the pitch. I always prided myself on my pitching more than I hitting so this is a positive thing.
2. "Take a Whiff" was my suggestion for a slogan for my friends' band (as I recall it was for a T-shirt). The name of their band was "Abel's Offering" (featuring Stephen Burbidge and Todd Bearisto and no longer in active service) because it was an acceptable offering to God and I thought it was a great slogan-- kind of catchy and with the implication that others were benefitting from their worship. Turns out they hated it; in fact, Todd really hated it and laughed every time I suggested it. I still like it.
3. The smell particle was an elusive scientific theoretical phenomenon that made up a surprisingly significant aspect of my highschool conversation with my closest friends. I still believe that this is an underdeveloped science area.
4. My alias is "B.O. Man." This not-so-fictional character was created at an all-nighter event at Westmount Bible Chapel back in 1994 by Gary Telford for a video. For some strange (I like to think there was no correlation to my particular odor that evening) reason I was selected to play the lead role. It was great fun and an iconic figure was born that would last for another decade of film-making. My friend and I did one half-hour movie called the "Eh Bomb" and then a second longer film was in production that included a larger cast (of staff from Fair Haven Bible Camp in New Carlisle, Quebec) which was never completed and remains on various VHS tapes in my possession.
5. Finally, as the subtitle aludes, Christ's death for us is referred to as a sweet-smelling sacrifice. We are also called to give our lives as "living sacrifices" (Rom. 12:1). Our good things that we do for others are also seen a fragrant offering and pleasing to God (Phil. 4:18). The sacrifice of Christ has pleased God and we are called to emulate that sweet-smelling gracious gift to others around us. That is what this life is all about.
May others be able to "take a whiff" of you!
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