Wednesday, December 19, 2007

skiing ostrich

Well, you'd think after not posting for about 3 and a half months, I'd have a ton of stuff to write about. And I do, but I don't really want to (write about it). But this you tube clip has given me reason to post again. In fact, it has given me zeal for life again! Thank you, youtube!
I may start posting again in the near future. Thanks for the patience...

Wednesday, September 26, 2007

The rumors are true...


Hey folks. Last friday I asked Dayna to marry me...(she said yes)

We are both super excited for what the Lord has in store for us...This girl rocks my world!, not that I need to explain that to you all, but she is my best friend and loves me just the way I am. Thats pretty cool.

PS. - sorry to those of you good friends who are finding out via facbook or my blog...it wasn't my intention but its the way things seem to go these days!

Saturday, September 22, 2007

Sunday, September 16, 2007

Romans 11:33-36


Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!

How unsearchable His judgements,

and His paths beyond tracing out!

"Who has known the mind of the Lord?

Or who has been His counsellor?"

"Who has ever given to God,

that God should repay him?"

For from Him and through Him

and to Him

Are all things...

To Him be the glory forever. Amen

Tuesday, August 21, 2007

A God Moment

I had the chance to stand up for my buddy Stephen at his wedding in Rosemary, AB a couple weekends ago. I wasn't looking forward to the drive out, a solo mission; but knew at the same time that it would be good for me. It was. I'm going to keep this short. While I was driving, I remember coming up out of a little valley and cresting on a hill. I can't describe everything that was going on; I suspect to fully appreciate the plains you have to grow up farming them or something. Still, I lived in Saskatchewan for a few years, and every time I drive the prairies a nostalgic love courses through me. Driving from Calgary to Saskatchewan meant meeting friends; driving the other way meant going home...Either way, the drive is good. Anyways, I was coming up out of this valley, and there was a flock of birds flying about 100 meters in front of my car in the sky. The sky itself was a great blue, touched with the type of clouds that look like God didn't have a ton of paint left on the brush...my favorite. There were wheat fields on either side as far as I could see and not another car in sight. I was coming towards a train bridge which a train was crossing over...I couldn't see the end of the train in either direction. I haven't been overwhelmed by a moment like that in so long I forgot what it felt like. You know those quintessential moments where it feels like you are the only one on earth, and God is just letting you see Him for who He really is? Creator, Lover, our Glorious...Majesty. I hope that's what heaven is like.

Tuesday, August 7, 2007

Breathing In


I ripped out a kitchen in an old area of town today. Behind the cabinets the walls were rotted and full of filthy black mold. When I went to detatch the sink from the plumbing the most putrid smell came from the pipes I've smelled in a long time, and I'm a guy who lives on my own. I should have done that last, but i decided to do it first, and consequently had to rip out the rest of the kitchen while enduring this awful emanation. When I was done, I walked upstairs into the fresh air, and took a deep breath. It was a deep, meaningful breath. It felt good, I loved the air and the way it didn't meet me with anything but its pure self.

I've done alot of thinking these last few weeks. Alot of crying, praying, singing and crying. Thoughts like the one I had today don't mask pain for me or anybody. There is some comfort, however in the true realizations that the spirit touches us with when we most need them. I was reminded today that after the last breath that a lover of Jesus takes on earth comes the first breath of the purest kind...the breath of the most meaningful kind. The breath where we meet the living God face to face and his presence reaches deep into our being, into the very capillaries which translate breath into blood and sustain us...We breath God, He becomes our breath...We live.

Miss you Bro.

Monday, July 2, 2007

Boo Yah

Hey homies.
Thanks for all the comments on my last post. Talking with my buddy Gord Mills about the post, I realized the last line of it may not be as theologically sound as we would all like it to be. I should clarify that it was more of a joke than anything, I don't actually think that i'm in charge of judging the size of anyone's mansions in glory, or that that will even matter there at all. I guess it wasn't funny ha ha...but just to clarify.

Monday, June 25, 2007

I Chose Paris, God Chose Iris


Hey dudes...

Today I was at a friends place and he showed me a DVD about an orphan aid project just outside of Capetown in South Africa, I think called the Jerusalem Project. At the helm of this deal is this really beautiful overweight old lady named Iris. They interview her, and one thing she said stuck out - when asked what drove her to give up her house and job to take care of a huge amount of orphans, and what drives her to still do it, she says: "I don't know...I have no figure, i'm not smart...it's just a call"...In other words, what she's saying is - I'm not cool by the world's standards, but i've been called by God, and thats enough for me...

Heres why that rocks my world. I have no doubt that anyone reading this knows that Paris Hilton is in jail, most probably know that shes getting out this week. Isn't that awesome? We've all heard of Paris Hilton, who is famous for being an idiot, and has made tons of money doing it, but no one has or will ever know about Iris, a real hero, who is taking care of about 100 kids by herself and has given her life to do it? Maybe this is what Paul is talking about in Corinthians about the cross as foolishness...about imitating Christ and following after guys and girls like Iris who are losers by the world's standards...The idea that following Christ might mean you wont be famous isn't a new one...I doubt Paul was an extremely cool dude himself sometimes (that comforts me by the way). Friends, it's all backwards, and i'm starting to think thats what the message of the cross sounds like to people sho don't understand it.

Iris, if you ever read this, which you probably won't; please save me a nice guest room in your mansion when we get to heaven.

Thursday, June 14, 2007

Facebook Made me Do it




Sorry Peeps. Lets be honest here, cause thats what this is about. I've failed the blogging world, and i'm not going to make any excuses for my lack of responsibility (like that I was in Italy or without internet for a month or working...) Lets face it (see what I did there), its facebook's fault. Nobody probably even reads this thing anymore. If you do, give me a shout and ill keep posting. Actually Ill probably keep posting regardless. Moving on.


The last while has been good. Italy is fantastic; I highly recommend it, but not if you want a relaxing time - there is just too much to see. A highlight for me was in the South, a little town called Sorrento just south of Naples. Kathleen and i found a nice little campground and set up shop for a while there. It was good. Wherever we went we seemed to run into Dora the Explorer, as you can see I shared a laugh and a drink with her one night, and then we ran into her in Rome as well. Her keen sense of direction and knack for finding the coolest spots came in handy. Well, I better go, life seemed to smack me in the face with stuff to do as soon as I got back - let me just say that our Church has a retreat this weekend, and I am looking forward to relaxing and reading my Bible.


By the by, I promise not to slack off like that again. Secondly, check out the band's myspace...www.myspace.com/circleand8th


Sunday, April 29, 2007

John for Mayer



Well, last night Matt Dyck and I made the grueling trip up to Edmonton to watch Johnny Mayer perform in all his glory. My synopsis of the event is that he was about the third best performance I have seen. The guy owns the guitar and has a pretty talented bunch of musicians with him. The best song of the night was gravity, not by any means my favorite song by him, but included a 5 or 6 minute tangent of insane improvisation and goodness, a la Dave Matthews. I thought Johnny should do that more often, and that is my only complaint. If you get the chance, I highly recommend the show. Here are some pics!

Friday, April 27, 2007

I'd Save the World, but Friends is on...



First off, I won't take all the credit for this post, as meaningless or nonsensical as it may turn out to be. It springs from a conversation I had a day or so ago with Ron the homeless guy down in Kensington. We (and by we I mean mostly Ron) were talking about the state of apathy that we as north americans often find ourselves in. Ron (who felt everyone was guilty of it - don't worry, I defended you non apathetic activists!) thought that, especially in Calgary, where "times are good" we lack conviction about things that our souls might really value. Why is it that we want to turn a blind eye to the less fortunate? Why is it we don't go out of our way to help people? Why do I not care about the government and where the money I give it goes? Why is it that when Gord Mills, a guy who's passionate about raising awareness about the Darfur/Sudan genocide, writes an article on his blog about what we can do about the situation, he gets no comments, no pats on the back, no "rally the troops" kind of replies? Why do funny "feel good" blog posts get people reading? Why do we show up to our hospital demolitions and school closings with popcorn instead of picket signs?

Ron seems to think it's because we are distracted. Work, TV, Flames fever, Family, friends, what have you - it all leaves no room for conviction. If I get excited about something, the logical end to my passion is action, and I don't want to have to act, because that involves time and energy - both of which I can't spare a drop. Notice how much TVshows have taken off in the last few years. Funny that we actually can't wait for things to distract us now. We line up for it!
Oh dear.
Whats the answer? I dunno, but I think that we need to get excited about stuff more often. If your a Christian and reading this, you probably believe that God's wired you to be passionate about certain things. Pursue that. Don't waste time doing it either. Yeah, it will involve time, energy, and might not always turn you on, but lots of times the road to getting crap accomplished isn't going to. All I know is that if we leave everything up to Jack Bauer, we might end up disappointed.


As an aside, I went biking today and took some pics. Hope you likeee.

Monday, April 23, 2007

This could be random

I think I might be narcoleptic. On my way around today, in the car, at work, I had to fight the urge to just fall asleep. Sorry to anyone who actually is narcoleptic out there, but i've heard the condition can present itself at anytime - the ol' eyes just roll back and you're done for a few minutes; maybe an hour. That was me today, except I had a little more self control. I was actually so head tired that I drove home with one eye closed so that at least half of me could get some rest.
Here's the serious bit. I got to thinking, as I woke up from a much needed, lengthy nap, about how I had planned to do so much today. Then, as I got in the shower, I thought about how much I have planned to do this week, where I will be on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, yes- even Friday (the John Mayer concert, BTW). I thought about what I have to do this month, how much planning I have to do, yes- I even thought about the things I have to do in the next year.
I got zapped.
God does that to me sometimes. Wake up, buddy, you're a moron! (except He's waay nicer than that)... 3 verses from James 4 jumped into my head like a Calgary Flame into a penalty box (we'll talk about that later):
You should know better than to say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to the city. We will do business there for a year and make a lot of money!"
What do you know about tomorrow? How can you be so sure about your life? It is nothing more than mist that appears for only a little while before it disappears.
You should say, "If the Lord lets us live, we will do these things."

It is good to plan; I think it's foolish not to. But when I become consumed with scheduling and worrying about what gets done and what doesn't; or with what I can fit into my day, I've lost the point. I've made time an idol. Like money, I just need more and I could do it all. Then I'd be happy, right? What I need is to live by the Spirit, accepting that my plans aren't always going to be what pans out; sometimes I just need a nap...

Alright, about the Flames quickly. I never lost hope. I didn't jump off the bandwagon. But, two things. Firstly, last night the fans were WEAK. Get on your feet and cheer during second overtime of the biggest game of the year. Weak. It felt like a regular season game in there. Worse, an exhibition game. Give me your tickets and I'll cheer if your not going to. The problem is the lower bowl tickets are about 400 bucks each so only oil moguls and their wives who don't want to be there can afford to go anymore. Secondly, honestly boys. The numbers game is against you when you get outshot 893 to 14. Kiprusoff is good, but he's no machine. I think next year they'll be better after Amonte, Hamrlik, Friesen, Playfair, and possibly Phaneuf are gone...Go sens go.

Monday, April 16, 2007

Spring Fever, Baby



Hey hey...


Well, spring is starting to poke it's sweet heeed out finally, and we all know what that means. Frisbee in the park, camping, biking, and general not wearing winter clothing. Last year I remember appreciating this time of year alot more than usual. It's quintessential redemption - we come out of the cold dark, and enjoy the warm sun. That was cheezy. Anyways, I got to wondering if people who have it hot all year round really miss out on the whole spring joy. I guess they also miss out on seasonal depression, and all in all, i'd rather see palm trees than snow - but i'm trying to be positive here. Anyways, all this to say I've been out riding my 'hog' quite a bit in the last month, and by that I mean my mountain bike. Gord Mills and I went on a little jaunt tonight (pics).

Bikes are awesome. They get you from point A to point B, you get in shape, you don't pay money for the fuel, and the only by- product is your own beautiful sweat. How good is that. Ride your bikes, my friends.
P.S - Get into the new Hillsong album "All of the above"...The song Hosanna will blow your mind.

Wednesday, April 11, 2007

a,b,c,(darianism), it's as easy as 1,2,3...

Howdy.

Have you gotten onto dictionary.com yet? Because yesterday's word was abecedarian (AY- BEE-CEE-DAIR-EE-UHN). It refers to someone who is learning the alphabet (as in: Jon was an abecedarian last week) or, if you please, it can mean rudimentary, or elementary (as in: reading Jon's blog is such an abecedarian thing to do). As you can tell, I'm so impressed with this word that i've nominated it for word of the year. If I hear no opposition to that move, i'll assume everyone agrees.
Not really in the mood for writing too much tonight, I worked a late one and i'm tired. Right now I'm thinking about which celebrity I would most enjoy seeing a comment from on my blog. Its between Bono and John Mayer. Jarome Iginla was up there to, but I already know him. So was Stephen Harper, and he does read my blog, but never posts for fear of accidentally making a left-wing comment. Bono would be nice because I feel like he has alot to say. I saw an interview Bill Hybels did with him a little while ago about the Church. It was amazing actually. He's a modern day O.T prophet in my mind; he's got the platform and decides to use it to communicate messages (often to the church) that are uncomfortable. We need guys like that.

John Mayer would be cool because I think the guy is intelligent. His lyrics are smart, and besides, he shreds on the guitar, and I want anyone who can shred to comment on this blog. Well, thats all for now. Bono, John - at your leisure.


P.S - FYI John, I will not allow Jessica to comment on this blog. Thanks.

Monday, April 9, 2007

(I like brackets)


I've discovered a trend in the titles of my posts. My way of getting out of that habit is to make fun of myself for it...

Anyhow, as of about two months ago I started taking every monday off to work for my church, SEMA community, as the worship coordinator. It's been stretching to be in charge of something, to get people exctied about the things God has excited you about...Nonetheless, mondays have become quite the blessing for me, time to just sit and 'be', time to plan and pray, and get away from the busyness of juggling work and other responsibilities, and the tendency I have to create worries and problems for myself. This morning I talked with my pastor friend about joy, celebration and the responsibility that comes with being a recipient of salvation. 30% of Canadians, according to a recent study, would opt out of meeting someone new if they knew that that person was a 'born again christian'. 18% would opt out of that meeting if they knew that person was muslim. We talked about how and why, the message or believers themselves have lost the attractiveness; why people would rather take a step away from us than a step towards when they realize who we are. Granted, you could argue that the natural response to the gospel is polarization; people either reject it or embrace it, and those who reject it make up the statistics. Here's the thing, though - there is nothing unattractive about the heart of the gospel. There is joy, life, and life beyond the grave in it. Sure it's not easy, and not attractive in that sense, but at the core it is something beautiful, life changing and life giving. Here's the question then. Have we forgotten how to live and 'wear' that joy in our lives? Have we managed to miss the celebration of life that comes through knowing Jesus and expecting life beyond the grave? Especially during Easter, it's really hit me, that Jesus beat out death on the cross. I'm pretty sure thats worth celebrating. It's not our job to attract people to Jesus, it's His. But if we are a people who walk in light of what he's done (and i'm not just talking about being 'happy' all the time); people will be attracted. Ever found yourself wanting to hang around with people who 'have it'? Think about that.

On a side note, my girlfriend Dayna and I celebrated our one year dating anniversary on Saturday... for those of you who don't know her, I put a pic up to prove that she actually does exist. She's the bomb.

Jonny

Monday, April 2, 2007

I love the Flames (when they win)


I'm sure it's been thought a million times. "If only more people were healed, more 'red seas' were parted, and more dead people came alive because of miracles, believing in God would be so much easier." I know i've thought it quite a bit. Last night at church the message was about the 'bandwagoner's faith'. How, often when things are going good (i.e we are really 'experiencing' the presence of God in our lives), we unashamedly jump on the Jesus bandwagon and look ahead to a decisive victory. When hard times come, or our experience becomes less felt and more decided, we can fall off the bandwagon because we become unsure of it all. Funny that my pastor used Calgary Flames fans as a parallel - lovin' it when the wins are coming in, pessimistic as anything after one loss...
Anyways, this led me into a few conversations today, one of them about signs and miracles. See, i'm not sure I would have more faith if I saw miracles everyday. The disciples saw them, and they busted as soon as they realized Jesus might not be restoring Israel in a blaze of catapults and arrows (or whatever they used in those days). The people of Jerusalem saw them (Luke 19:37), but same result. And what about me...I've seen them before, and they have increased my faith for a time, but I fail to keep asking or believing that they can happen.
I don't really know where I'm going with this, but I think about some of the seasoned vets of the faith I know...These men and women have been through the tough times and the times when believing is easy. Faith, it seems, becomes this childlike choice to believe anyways, a learned way to rejoice in both the mundane and the supernatural. That is what this Flames fan wants.

Friday, March 30, 2007

I like the government (I guess)

Had about an hour to think in traffic on my way home today. Probably due to the fact that i'm in the process of starting a business, and the fact that taxes are due at the end of the month, I found myslef thinking about just that. Taxes. Well, govenment, in a broader sense. Now, if you are anything like me, you'll stop reading right now. To me, the government is like a really bad employee who also happens to be your younger brother. You know its there, working in some capacity, you have to pay it more than you want to and you can't fire it. But, as I sat there in my little car, I started thinking about how amazing 'government'actually is. You see, the whole notion of a governing body over a group of people requires a fair amount of honour and trust on both sides. We go to work , make our money, pay the government part of that wage, then expect them to do things for us like build roads, bridges, subsidize health care, and so on. Its amazing to me to think that this idea wasn't spawned by any one person, nor is it run by any one person, but by everyone's natural inclination towards the feeling that there needs to be some sort of order and system to our being. Really, nothing is stopping total anarchy except the fact that we really do like the way things are going down. Laws might stop us, but they are made by the government, and lose their potency as a result (to the anarchist)...All this to say, I decided that we need the government, and i'll stop complaining about paying taxes. But I still won't pay them happily.

Tuesday, March 27, 2007

Mobsters and Roborants


Hey people,


So in case you didn't know, I have been a finishing carpenter for a little over a year and a half now. I've formed some good relationships at work, enjoy the work itself, and, combined with the fact that I can take time off whenever I want, I have minimal stress as a result. All that to say the atmosphere at work is pretty light, and we usually end up talking about pretty amazing things for most of the day. The topics of conversation may seem meaningless upon first glance, but at some point in my life, I know that I will need to know things like the fact that a ninja could probably beat up a samurai. Or that when I rap, I sound and look most like Dr. Dre. Today we spent alot of time thinking about what our mob names would be if we were in the Italian Mafia. I chose Giuseppe as mine but my co-worker seemed to think that that was a Jewish name. I'm sticking with it. Anyways, pointless stuff, but i'm interested to know all of your closet mobster names. I know you've thought about it.

Hey, if you're not already, get onto dictionary.com and on the mailing list for the word of the day. It's a way to expand our vocabulary in a time where language is simplifying and moving backwards. Think about it, by the time our kids are our age, they'll all talk in MSN to each other, and how annoying will that be? Take a step in the right direction people. Today's word is ROBORANT, which mans "strengthening; restoring vigor, or, a strength restoring medicine. Strangely after typing this much I am in need of a roborant. LOL, LOL, TTYL, JKJK, BRB.

Sunday, March 25, 2007

Hallo Thar


Hey people.

I did it...I made one of these things. I can't wait for all the amazing comments "welcome to Bloggerdom" and the like. It'll make me feel so special. Heres the deal. I haven't wanted a blog until now for a few reasons, the biggest being that haven't had the net until now (thats a good reason). The second is that most people who start these things post once then forget about it two months later. The third is that, especially within Christian circles, I find that there is an immense pressure to sound smart when we post. Just so you know, I don't plan to find a solution to existentialism or solve world hunger on this thing. I just want to write about some of the stuff I think about. That may be deep, but it may be about the type of Mini Wheats I like too (regular frosted). So there you have it. I also realized that I do like to keep in touch with friends, and since everyone has a blog and a wierd type of connection to other people through it, I might as well not miss out on that.

Oh yeah -I know the pic is on Betty's blog but I like it..Note the intensity on Matty's face