Paradox Porch

whack slosh slippity slap

2009-01-05T11:10:00.000-08:00

Ecstasy of God or,...drunk with wine?

day dreaming

2009-01-03T09:08:00.000-08:00

2008-12-30T08:19:00.001-08:00

This was the morning after Christmas....

imagine what the morning after New Years will be!

mural

2008-12-27T08:49:00.000-08:00

Rot, Papal, Fissures

2008-12-21T07:50:00.000-08:00

My kids love this movie, and I, I detest it. One of Johnny's worst. Anyway, this is for my kids I'm sure they'll appreciate this, or...maybe not. (hehehe)

smart bird

2008-12-20T14:10:00.000-08:00

sometimes it's just better to be in the boat...

Holiday fence

2008-12-17T17:02:00.001-08:00

Make a Blanket Statement

2008-12-13T09:28:00.000-08:00

Every year some of my students go downtown and walk around with blankets, and coffee, and...hope. Our venture is not to see who can hand out more blankets to those in need, but rather to spend some time looking for Jesus. Noticing the city, the sounds, the smells, the people.

Jason van Genderen created a profound and poignantly beautiful video, titled Mankind Is No Island. Amazingly shot entirely on a cell phone, the video asks us if we should love a place or love its people.

My friend Jim Hancock say, "my mind’s eye flashed to Jesus walking through the streets of ancient Israel. And while those around him may have been in awe of the accomplishments of culture, business, and government — Jerusalem was, after all, renowned for it’s architecture; a cosmopolitan city of 80,000 that swelled to more than a 100,000 during the Jewish festivals — Jesus made hardly a mention of any of that. But he would bring the whole crowd to a halt and zero in on a blind man that no one else could see or hear. No, it wasn’t that their hearing or sight was impaired, but that their focus was on themselves, their goals, their experience — not on others."

In our commercial lives, it’s not only easy to look past the homeless person we pass on the way to the office, but also the waitress, the janitor, the cashier, the secretary, the gardener — all these who have become invisible to us because they are just a part of the machinery we use for our lives like a gasoline pump. They aren’t people, but service dispensers. But Jesus notices them.

We can also look past our spouses, our kids, our parents, our neighbors so preoccupied are we with how we are doing and where we are going.

So take 3 1/2 minutes to watch this video and listen to what God might say to you.

2008-12-13T09:08:00.000-08:00

design

2008-12-09T17:54:00.000-08:00

These are sweet bookshelves...

Espresso

2008-12-07T20:39:00.000-08:00

(got this from Rob in Edmonton)

Espresso is different from normal coffee in that it requires the beans be crushed/ground to a finer degree, it also requires alot of heat and pressure. But these things do not guarantee a great cup of espresso. In fact, you could have the best beans roasted in Italy, and a $30,000 espresso machine, and still not achieve a great espresso. It seems that it also depends on subtle little details that affect the result. The fineness of the grind, how compact the coffee in the filter is, the temperature, and purity of the water, and a host of other nuances go into making a great espresso. When you taste espresso made by a master... it is like nothing else.

Just like life – crushing, heat, and pressure are inescapable, but that does not guarantee that I will develop inner character that will enrich the lives of those around me. It depends on subtle attitudes I take daily while in the process that will determine the flavour I become. As I run to God, seek Him, and choose to live by faith even when the darkness and despair of life seem to prove that God is not just, or loving... an aroma begins... then a beautiful product starts to emerge. I slowly and sometimes painfully develop an inner character that shares the greatness of God to whoever “tastes” me.

Next time you have a great espresso beverage, crack open your bible to Hebrews 12: 1-13, and Romans 5:1-5. And choose to trust the Master who is making something beautiful out of your struggle.

Close call

2008-12-06T11:05:00.000-08:00

music is pretty hideous, but there's some amazing clips here, my favorite is the bank robbery...

It's the WEEKEND!!!!!

2008-12-06T08:58:00.000-08:00

FEE - FI - FOFAMA

2008-12-03T21:35:00.000-08:00

You no doubt saw this:

And it was a brilliant piece,
but here's some others
you may not have seen;

Whew!! Report cards are done, ...I should post something

2008-12-01T21:32:00.000-08:00

Advent Conspiracy

2008-11-29T09:20:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Mandy for this one!!

And so it begins...

2008-11-22T10:55:00.000-08:00

40in40

2008-11-18T16:57:00.000-08:00

Got a great idea from a fellow blogger and I adapted it a bit. If you pop in here from time to time and read my blog (or laugh at the pictures), I invite you to join me in an experiment, a project.

40in40
NOVEMBER 22 – DECEMBER 31

Okay, so here’s the deal: it’s time to do something. We are all busy and we always have lots of things that preoccupy our time & attention. It seems that every year we put off being adventuresome, creative, unusual or generous. Basically we need some new stories to tell. But what’s important? The point is to get started living in a new kind of way. Deal?

All right then.

In an effort to not lose the last year to ‘good intentions,’ I’m proposing a project! Yes, a PROJECT! Projects are fun! Go with me on this. Here’s the premise of my project: fortyinforty. That’s more of a title, but you get it. Doing forty things in forty days for forty. The forty things come from us, the purpose comes from Luke 12:40- “Just when you don’t expect him, the Son of Man will show up.” So there it is. Let’s take on the challenge of doing forty creative, fun, adventuresome things, in forty days, in order to watch and notice where Jesus shows up and to get some fantastic stories. By the way, this is the season of Advent (Emmanuel, God WITH us). The first 25 I came up with, yeah yeah – editors privilege. The next 15 come from your suggestions. If you pop in here, give me some suggestions, I'll compile the complete list of 40 things, and then we'll get started. Cool?

So, here’s the criterion:
1. Have to stay in Metro Vancouver
2. Have to be able to do it on my own (only with company if that’s how it works).
3. It cannot cost billions of dollars, which I/we do not have.
4. It’s a good idea if it were something that could be accomplished in a day.
5. Nothing offensive, inappropriate, or dangerous (obviously, since that’s not the point).

Oh yeah, if you can verify each one (or as many as possible) as you do it (photo) that would be cool.

So....suggest away!!

This dog is trying to tell us something...

2008-11-14T23:09:00.000-08:00

uh huh, okay, I understand...you've had too
much espresso. Okay, sure...got it, pick up some
milk and eggs, okay,...

Shocking on every level

2008-11-14T23:03:00.000-08:00

I'm speechless,

simple

2008-11-13T19:12:00.000-08:00

Human beatbox

2008-11-10T16:03:00.000-08:00

heavy, propulsive hip-hop rhythms, layered, club-style jams from James Burchfield.
Enjoy!!

One of these things is not like the others...

2008-11-05T19:28:00.000-08:00

(click on picture to embiggen)

While I believe we could have easily seen a remarkably new and cool thing with Sarah Palin as Vice President. And while I also believe that Barack is simply a man (his african-american heritage doesn't make him any more qualified or give him superhero status) it is hard to down play the significance of some new texture and variety at the helm. He's certainly not the saviour that some blubbering idiots (ahem Oprah) I saw on TV last night, try to make him. It is good to hear all the talk of commitment to work together and move forward. Change can be good, but is not without its challenges.

Let's get this straight...

2008-11-01T14:15:00.000-07:00

THIS is where the whole singing the
national anthem started- Hockey Land,
OIL COUNTRY. are we clear?

peace

2008-11-01T09:51:00.000-07:00