Another year older

I got older this week. Leslie & the kids gave me Brian Welch's book - I'm super stoked to start it! My good buddy gave me a Flyers flag for the van (even though he's a die hard Canucks fan)!

Joel is in the middle of a hockey tourney where they are 2 & 1. They've won the last two games with Joel scoring in both of them! Final game on Saturday.

I read three books this month: Prince Caspian, A Heretics Guide to Eternity & Hitman

All three books are great. I especially enjoyed Bret Hart's book, an incredible story telling of his life. If you grew up watching wrestling, this book takes you into the real life of a real champion. Context, politics, the Hart family legacy & influence and the huge part that Calgary & Canada plays into the evolution of wrestling.

I saw three good movies: Bee Movie, Michael Clayton & 3:10 to Yuma

I hadn't seen a good western in a long, long time - 3:10 to Yuma more than made up for the hiatus.

I met with my Spiritual director and I have good feelings & am excited about getting closer to God through this experience.

After spending a week sick Leslie & I (with a little help from our friends) managed to clear out of our space at the community center where our church had been meeting. Mixed emotions.

I'm looking forward to February!

Blessed

For the second day in a row I spent the day home sick with all three kids home from school sick too. I'm hoping for a better day tomorrow.

It's funny how different things can make one think.

We were watching Cars today and the Porsche was talking to McQueen about why she chose to stay in Radiator Springs instead of going back to the hustle and bustle of lawyering in L.A.

As they looked out over the rolling hills I got to thinking about where we live - with the Rocky Mountain backdrop each morning we wake up and just minutes drive away. It's great to live in the city but it's also great to be able to drive less than an hour away and experience wilderness, wildlife, running streams & rivers, breathtaking mountainous scenery - and the best part of all, being able to share in that as a family!

I started thinking about how much I love Leslie & my kids...I started getting all choked up watching Cars for frig-sake! I gotta stay off the Neo Citran for a while.

What goes around comes around

I'm experiencing one of the worst bouts of a head cold that I've had in years. It was only a matter of time before someone else in the house came down with it...both Joel & Julia are home with me today.

Needless to say, it's hampered some of my work. Despite it I have some time deadlines that I'm working under, one of which is to get all of our church stuff out of our present rental space. The first three days of my sickness last week (Wed, Thurs, Fri) I spent going through our stuff and taking junk (three loads) to the dump. I figure that's why I'm still not feelin' that great this morning.

New Look

It's been a while since I posted - been busy & sick (cough).

Huge thanks to Phil Marriott for designing this new look for me! Phil, you're the man! Great job!

My home phone & internet are down until Monday. So, if you want to contact Leslie or I, hit us up on our cell phones.

Michael Frost

I got these vids off Johnny Laird's blog. They are a bit lengthy but well worth the watch. Take half a day and consider it a couple of sessions of a personal conference.

Blokus

Blokus is an excellent board game but if you have no one to play it with this online version is the next best thing!

Gondola to Sulphur Mountain overlooking Banff

Going up!

Looking across to Sanson's Peak (the kids counted 368 steps X 2!)

Lake Minnewanka (where I plan to take the kids this summer!)

Looking across with the town of Banff down in the left hand corner

We made it!

A Prayer

Dear Jesus,

help us to spread your fragrance

everywhere we go.

Flood our souls with your spirit and life.

Penetrate and possess our whole being so utterly

that our lives may only be a radiance of yours.

Shine through us and be so in us

that every soul we come in contact with

may feel your presence in our soul.

Let them look up and see no longer us, but only Jesus.

Stay with us and then we shall begin to shine as you shine,

so to shine as to be light to others.

The light, O Jesus, will be all from you.

None of it will be ours.

It will be you shining on others through us.

Let us thus praise you in the way you love best

by shining on those around us.

Let us preach you without preaching,

not by words, but by our example;

by the catching force -the sympathetic influence of what we do,

the evident fullness of the love our hearts bear to you.

Amen.

prayer of mother teresa

George, George, George of the...

I was driving with my three kids on Tuesday when Jake asked what the 21st century meant. We began a discussion about century being 100 years and that it's been over 2000 years since Jesus was born. From there I tried to explain a little about BCE & CE (maybe a bit much for the kids to take in).

The conversation went from era to death. The kids began to ask me about Bible people and if they were dead or not. We got into a discussion about OT & NT.

From the back Joel chimes in and asks, "Is that guy George the baptizer still alive?"

Good times!

Grace

Not too long ago I was sharing with some people that to say one doesn't like another person says more about one's love maturity level than it does about the love-worthiness of another.

God's love of people is not based on whether they are love worthy or even whether they deserve it - it's based on His character/who He is.

Whether we choose to love others or not says more about us than others. It speaks to our character and whether or not we are maturing people of love.

I recently heard someone say that one of the lessons a recent set of events has taught her is to love more, forgive more & judge less.

At the beginning of a New Year, these are admirable resolves that would begat deep character qualities for a better life, better relationships & an overall better year.