Brian's Blessings

To End All Wars (and Hopelessness)

2011-01-31T14:19:00.000-07:00

Get it at Amazon!

Despite my love of hope, I still have dark days. We all do. I had one a while back, had to spend half the day in bed recovering. I was looking for a story of hope and found it in the book To End All Wars. Ernest Gordon wrote his experiences in WWII in Japanese POW camps (Death Houses) in Thailand and Burma. (He helped build the "Bridge over the River Kwai"...you may have heard of the movie, it's based on his story).
Basically it's this amazing story of how despite brutal conditions, backbreaking work, constant debilitating sickness, and seemingly hopeless conditions, he and those around him were able to keep hope alive. And it came from a willingness to look beyond themselves and their current situation. Ernest is a Christian and was forced to come to terms with the evil surrounding him and his idea of a loving God. After reading the stories of Jesus in the Bible, he summed it up this way.

I see that the victory over the impersonal, destructive and enslaving forces at work in the world has been given to mankind because of what Jesus has done. This is the good news for man: God, in Christ, has shared his suffering; for that is what God is like. He has not shunned the responsibility of freedom. He shares in the saddest and most painful experiences of His children, even that experience which seems to defeat us all, namely, death. He comes into our Death House to lead us through it.

To read the stories of the little acts of hope (making a special meal for a prison-mate by blending lime juice with their rice ration) becoming entire industries of hope (they created an entire factory to make prosthetic limbs from scavenged tin, leather and bamboo for amputees). He was moved to several camps. In each one, it would feel hopeless, despondent. He would begin with kind, encouraging words and regular contact with people in need. Other men began to see the joy of serving others. One man who was the most despondent Ernest had ever met, ended his time in the prison by making it his daily duty to clean and collect the pus-and-maggot-infested, putrid-smelling dressings of men with major infection. He'd be seen whistling the day away, carrying his bucket of putrid purpose.

Ernest ends his book with words that were particularly striking for me, living in a privileged easy life in Canada.

Being forced to face life in the raw may help one to understand the nature of the Debate (between good & evil, health and suffering etc), but that isn't necessary. Every person who uses the talents God gave him so that he is not afraid to live as a sensitive human being among the impersonal forces at work in society is participating and will be conscious of its only possible conclusion.

So what is that only possible conclusion? He goes on to write about Jesus in the paragraph I quoted earlier. And I would summarize it with Paul's words: "Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Faith and hope to you all.

Hope

2011-01-21T13:55:00.014-07:00

I'm taking a graduate class called "Hope and the Helping Relationship". Fascinating to see how the academics look at hope and how much Jesus fits all their lofty wonderings ; )
After my initial readings, this verse just popped into mind

John 16:33
'These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."

The entire Christian gospel is wonderfully, completely encased in this little pearl...
a) peace - we all want it, whether it's peace in the middle east or peace in our hearts: So Jesus addresses our greatest felt need
b) you will have tribulation - this is not an airy-fairy, Tony Robbins, one-sided positive message. It addresses reality: this world sucks, it's evil and you'll get hurt.
c) but be of good cheer - in my reading I've encountered a new phrase that encapsulates what Jesus is saying here "have hope as your orientation". Let hope be your compass.
d) i have overcome the world - Why should I choose hope when doubt makes oh so much more sense? Because Jesus has beat the evil, He's faced it before you, He's won and thus HE IS YOUR HOPE. He is your true north. He is your inspiration, and His loving arms are your final destination.

Lisa Hwang

2010-08-05T16:17:00.008-06:00

Bada-bada, ding-ding, ding-ding, ding!
That stereotypical Chinese "jingle" is what I would bellow into the phone everytime I talked to my friend Lisa Hwang. I've since realized the cultural crassness of this, but it's a testament to her good naturedness that she'd simply laugh at my white insensitivity (or maybe it was just my poor "jingle skillz").

I was always blessed by Lisa's sense of adventure. I don't remember where we met, I just remember the adventures. The epic hike down (and back out in 40C heat!) to Havasupai Falls near the Grand Canyon, tubing down the epic North Fork of the Walla Walla River, and of course the epic "jig-moshing" parties we'd have with Great Big Sea & Cotton-eyed Joe blaring. If you're doing something fun and epic, she's there.
Thanks for the laughs and showing me how to let out the dance in all of us Lisa! You'll be a blessing and an inspiration to all your patients!

Mike Adams

2010-08-01T21:23:00.010-06:00

I love all things about India. Their curries, colours and culture. Their family focus, their friendliness and food. Yes I mentioned the food twice, it's the best! So it should be no surprise that I love Mike Adams (sounds Indian eh?) Here's the picture to prove it.

Awesome. Lovin' the Indi-Urkel thing you got going on bud.

This one shows him all growd up and sarcastic. That's one of his defining traits, his withering sarcasm. Don't EVER get into a war of words with him, he'll ace you.
But beneath that veneer of sarcasm is a heart of gold. I visited Edmonton a lot before I moved here. I often crashed at Mike's house I always appreciated the awesome hospitality he and Bev gave me...and the MOST AMAZING FUTON EVER! Thanks bud.

The real blessing Mike's given me though is a model for someone who really loves the youth of this world. He's been tireless in his youth activities at his church, and is always seeking to bring the kids closer to God. I spend a lot of time with the youth at my church and I've learned alot from Mike's approach of being fun, real and relevant.

He's a teacher at Coralwood and it appears he has found that balance between fun and authoritative. Point in fact...two comments from students on his facebook pics page.

"`wow i can't believe you r my teacher"

"Oh mygosh. i showed my mom this and i said. this is the guy whose teaching me every week" (hopefully not english, eh Mike ; )

Anyway, just wanted to send a shout out to Mike for all his love he's shown to the kids at school and at church. I know many of your students...they love you and they're blessed by you...and so am I.

The Little Engine That Could

2010-07-30T11:11:00.008-06:00

When I was a kid, one of my favourite stories was The Little Engine That Could. He had a mantra that got him up a seemingly insurmountable mountain pass. It was "I think I can, I think I can, I think I can...". And he did.

So did my friend Nikia Furman.

Tenacity. That's his word.

Never
Give
Up.

I met Nikia in video production classes at Walla Walla College. He was quiet, strong, passionate when he spoke and just a bit different. He believed in the power of story more than us. He believed in the possibility of story to change, for the collective good.

That tenacity led him to create an outdoor adventure documentary series called Escape. The idea was to get people outside. View their adventures. Hear their story and insights along the way.
Under very trying circumstances, he turned it into an internationally broadcast and award winning show. He started with "I think I can" and he did.

Since then he's gone on his own with Furman Pictures, producing films, corporate promos, ads and a show similar to Escape called Beyond Adventure. It's taken him all over USA, Canada and even Patagonia in Argentina. And as far as I can tell, he's still the same strong, quiet, quirky guy.

God bless ya bud. Keep chugging away. It's a blessing to me and those around you.

Bouquet of Blessings

2010-07-28T14:29:00.003-06:00

I just want to say thank you. Thank you to TJ for his persistent, God-filled friendship and encouragement. Thank you to my mother for wisdom, deep caring and never-ending love. Thank you to my father for understanding, listening and leading me down the paths of discovery our brains share. Thank you to Keith for smiling and laughing. Thank you to Kibbee for being himself. Thank you to Nyater for being Jesus' greatest witness. Thank you to God for pain, for letting me face it, for always being there, for carrying me when I couldn't walk anymore.

My kind of party

2010-03-26T16:17:00.005-06:00

So I turned 32 yesterday. To be honest, I wasn't feeling great, couldn't really explain it, just down. But I'd been invited to supper by my former colleague to supper and the only night it worked was my birthday night. Totally random. My friend Suresh Joshee is from Nepal (which I visited for 1.5 days) and he's got a wonderful happy outlook, a wonderful happy wife and a wonderful happy son...and by the end of the night I felt wonderful and happy too!
I wasn't expecting any birthday festivities, but here's what the Joshee family did for me. They bought me a nice new shirt (which fits perfectly), they cooked the most delicious vegetarian pakora (fried veggie patties), butter korma (cheese) curry, lentil soup and best of all...for the vegetarian...they bought me a carrot cake!!
Their son Samyog and I ended up playing hockey for an hour too. I found that rolling around on the floor in your business clothes is incredibly freeing and indeed confirms I'm still young : )

Artist of All

2008-10-05T17:35:00.000-06:00

Holy Sculptor of my heart
in loving labour, man your crowning art
Life's greatest organ, tireless fist - first flex?
Began when Your breath did bless

From dust we came and dust we use
in various textures, layers and hues
Dabbing, stabbing, splashing, stroking
till the offering's altarized, drying

The greatest lens of all
resides inside our eyes
Yet with self-made lens, we scan your sights
Optic truth, our precious, never-realized prize

Earth cracking thunder
inspired kettle drums smashing nonchalance asunder
Wall of sound? A waterfall
Brooks and streams, variations on Your theme.

Holy Sculptor of my heart
This temple walks and talks, hope's others gawk...
but the only form that's truly pleased
is humble, broken, on its knees.

Mother's Touch

2008-09-24T23:03:00.005-06:00

So, I've finally succumbed. All my life, my precious mother has been trying to get me to cook. I've resisted with valiance and great success. She's at times said, half-jokingly, half-sadly, that's "she's failed as a mother" because of my culinary dullardry. Well my mother is no failure. She's simply persistent, and her persistence has finally won out Praise God!
She's spent the last two days at my place cooking and teaching me to prepare food that I may cook on my own, and I'm incredibly excited.

I've recently discovered the joy of eating as healthfully as possible, the way God intended, and mother's recently discovered how to cook this way at a new level. Lucky me! See, too often veggie or even vegan dishes are....well....food you "choke" down. Sweet goodness, it doesn't have to be that way!

I'm telling you, I've never eaten better, and never felt better. Well prepared vegetarian or even vegan food is so incredible, it's like my tongue's discovered a new country. Okay, okay...but I'm lovin' it and I'm lovin' my mum for her time and perseverance. Tomorrow we're making apple pie...

Pillars of Thanks

2008-05-29T19:04:00.004-06:00

'Tis been awhile since I've memorialized the blessings in my life. And it's a shame because I forget so easily.
I was talking with my buddy Keith tonight about just this situation. He mentioned how the Israelites used to erect altars and stone pillars to remind them of God's blessings (like crossing the Jordan, crossing the Red Sea). The times that God came through, when they clearly couldn't. And I've had a number of those moments in the recent past, so it's time to erect a virtual pillar of remembrance to God.

I truly wanted to attend a conference on Friendship Evangelism in April. Couldn't afford it. So God whispered to my life coach Debbie these words..."tell people your dream and tell them your dilemma". Within two days I had the money, it was waiting for me already. And my dream of finding a ministry that fits me was realized.

I've begun to see the countless situations that God puts me in where I can be that sliver of light, He's given me hope for my own faith, seeing it blossom under stress. He's helped me accept the process of knowing Him, accepting that I don't have to have it all figured out, He continues to lead.

I've been struck in the last month how blessed I am to have friends that truly, deeply, love God. They also love fun. And the outdoors. These two joys combined with one of those life-altering friends of mine, James. At our last camping trip, on the descent from the view pictured above, we began "freeruning" at full tilt down through the forest...leaping logs, dodging branches, bobbing and weaving. The freedom of that moment, the joy in nature...that's good stuff.

I preached my first sermon last weekend...and saw God absolutely rewrite my sermon the night before. Amazing to witness a clarity of thought that comes after deep prayer.

I could go on, but enough about me, what about you? What pillar of thanks would you erect to God right now? How's He come through for you?

It's always a blessing when we remember.

Milestone

2008-03-24T23:34:00.001-06:00

So when I started writing this, it's about 30 minutes before I turn 30. I used to think birthdays were unremarkable, not worth too much fuss or time. But my bud Karel figures it's one of the most worthy times to celebrate and tonight I realized he's right.

Have you ever had one of those moments when you actually glimpse the depth of what it means to live? It's like getting a sliver of what God sees. Like when you're able to imagine Heaven and actually SEE it, consider the mind-blowing intricacies of a human body, or understand and experience what love -true, selfless, intoxicating, fulfilling love -is actually like.

A birthday is an invitation to experience those sorts of thoughts. One day, 30 years ago, the most wonderful woman in the world gave birth to a squalling miracle of life. I couldn't feed, move or clean myself, yet now I do all that (with varying degrees of success :) and oh so much more. And that development has less to do with me and more to do with those around me.

A God who designed this miraculous body that grows, develops, changes, each cell with a purpose...simply because He said so.
A father who's given me balance, strength and true comradeship.
A mother who's bled love and devotion.
A sister who's inspired determination and my love of a cackle.

An extended family that's been a pillar of strength and support.

A friend, a Nubian king, whose deep thoughts and authentic heart propelled me to late hours and the dawn of my spiritual awakening.

A friend whose leap of faith hangs on my wall. He's felt the fear, did it anyway and inspired me to do the same.

A friend with his own country and a list of things to do before he dies.

A friend of true authenticity, who I call one of my closest, despite only several days spent in person.

A friend of astounding vocabulary, her stories having unparalleled hilarity and sublime, sardonic wit.

A friend who beckons to the great outdoors, lives and breathes the nature God's set before him.

A friend, a mentor, a man of artistic passion, zealous joyfulness and one with whom I experienced my greatest moment of happiness.

Friends that I've hurt, yet received forgiveness and wisdom.

A friend who showed what true love meant, and "laid down His life for [this friend]" that I may know Him now, and thank Him for eternity.

Truly...I am blessed.

Brothers

2008-03-09T14:41:00.000-06:00

I had a spiritual retreat with these brothers of mine in Lethbridge last weekend. It wasn't planned, but then God's blessings are often surprises. And it was more than religious discussion. It was belly-aching laughter, hearty food, and the open, frank discussions of men. God nourishes us in many ways, and we were filled.
To my brothers Yual and Job, I say thank you. It seems that some of the people who most often strengthen you in life, often must leave you. But I believe it's so that they can bless others, and so that you can learn to move forward on your own. It's then we realize that distance can never erase the bonds of friendship.

Thankfulness . : . THE Reason

2008-03-09T13:54:00.000-06:00

So it's taken me a month to come full circle since my last post. It's been a struggle to let God work in me. Yet today I had a breakthrough.

I've been convicted the last several weeks that my focus is off. I realized I didn't know Jesus. I know OF Him, but I've let my friendship with Him completely slide. And today, I got a greater glimpse of Him. Pray that it lasts!

Have you ever considered what it would have been like for Jesus to be born? Here's the Creator of all things, giving up an audience of angels, for a painful, bloody birth. Imagine all of those first experiences at birth. His first pain, His first chill, His first yell. The one that stuns me is His first smell.

Jesus was born in a barn, laid in a feeding trough. The King of Heaven volunteered to save our world, and his very first introduction to the earth...was the smell of animal feces. No parent on earth today would wish such a birth situation as that...but God chose it and it humbles me.

"The heart of the human father yearns over his son..he trembles at the thought life's peril. He longs to shield his dear one from Satan's power, to hold him back from temptation and conflict. Yet...yet...To meet a bitterer conflict and a more fearful risk, God gave his only begotten Son , so that the path of life may be made clear for OUR little ones".
~ Desire of Ages, p 48-9

I'm not a father, but I am a brother to a beautiful, wonderful sister. And I know what it means to pray and fear for her well-being in a world that's bent on the abuse of women in all forms. So when I consider what it meant for God to send His most precious child, to send Him to "meet life's peril in common with every human soul, to fight the battle as every child of humanity must fight it, at the risk of failure and eternal loss" (DA, 49)....I don't really know how to deal with that. The risk was huge, Christ could have failed, but the reward was worth the risk.

After reading this, I asked God for a simple principle that I could apply to remember this.
And the answer came quietly, but quickly - "Be thankful and receive".

So thank whomever deserves your thanks today, it's all you can do to repay them.

Struggle

2008-02-10T12:50:00.000-07:00

Jeremiah 29:13 has new meaning for me.

"You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart."

The last couple weeks have been a journey of struggle and discovery. Mostly discovering how good God is and how little I deserve it. But it's been that seeking "with all my heart" that's been the blessing. I've seen how dark my heart can be, how being a Christian most of your life enables you to think "you're all good". You're better than 95% of the world, abstaining from all sorts of bad stuff.

But it's the pride of the heart that kills. That's the root of everything. It brought down Lucifer and I've come face to face with it in my own heart. Somehow I thought I was a pretty good guy. But alot of that "good" was for selfish, "look at me" motives.

What a gift, to see my heart for what it truly is. Because here's the kicker...for the first time in my life, I've finally actually believed, TRULY believed, that I need a Savior. Ellen White talks about being able to see the "length of chain that was let down for us". When I finally saw the deep hole I was in, and finally saw my need, I've been able to receive the gift of hope. Because until I realized what I was missing, I couldn't receive what I needed.

So now I see differently. I see the greatest source of happiness -- purpose. Purpose to love and be loved by the Artist of All, to share that love in the unique way he's enabled me, and to see the potential for that love in every single solitary person. Praise God!

PDXtasy

2008-01-09T16:42:00.000-07:00

Reunions are a wonderful thing. My good bud Todd finally got himself hitched to a ridiculously wonderful woman, Brenda. We're all college friends, so it was an awesome gathering of the clan in Portland, just down the Columbia River where we all met, Walla Walla College.

I was struck by many things during the trip. It's an amazing thing to behold the change that comes over your friends when they
plunge into the creation of life, God's stunning metaphor for love. The strength, the awe, the depth it brings them to...it's beautiful.

I was blessed to share the search for meaning and purpose with friends, many of whom are older than me, a gentle reminder that no one has it all figured out, but we're doing the best we can with God's guidance.

I was blessed by acquaintances who opened their home and their family to me, to become friends. These are people who appear incredibly nice, and you find out to your surprise, they're even nicer.

I was blessed by the joy of having no other purpose than to hang out and be comfortable with friends. No need to "catch up quick", just leisurely chatting, looking at wedding pictures, walking the dog.

I was blessed to laugh...alot.

I was blessed to smell the fresh, verdant Portland air.

I was blessed by a bite of coconut syrup on buttermilk pancakes.

...I was blessed to experience Jesus, his sacrifice, my unworthiness, in the most unlikeliest of places.

'Twas the Night Before Christmas

2007-12-25T11:45:00.002-07:00

It's the evening of Dec 24. It's been quite some time since I've written. Not because I haven't been blessed...rather, I've had difficulty seeing it. Tonight God gave me new eyes. I saw the rejuvenated, angelic smile of Grama Letniak, 24 hours after we rushed her to the hospital, fearing pneumonia or worse. Fear of losing her sweet soul was swept away today. For precious minutes, I basked in the light of love. There's an eagerness in her eyes, an urgency in her soft, wrinkled hands, reaching to touch and kiss me. And the smile...when her lips pull back, her teeth glow, I can feel love. It's like an unseen light, mystical and warm, latches onto my heart, pulsing truer and purer love than all the poets and musicians could ever convey.
It's the love of God.

I received another gift tonight. It too is warm, supple in love and mystical. It's a Steps to Christ, World War II Army & Navy edition, bound by staples and glue, covered in a velvety, leather-like paper they don't make anymore. It's the most perfectly created book I've ever held. Thin and soft, it begs to be held, opened and read. The yellowed pages flip effortlessly; it's like a book of formed air, transcendent love of a Savior pressed into soft pages.

I held it a month ago, when it was my Grampa Bell's. Today I held it a second time; and this time it's mine. This book that my Grampa carried from the beginning of his walk with Christ, through missions to the mountains of BC and the wilds of East Africa, to staff morning worship at Branson Hospital, till faithful, daily devotions before he rises each day...this book brings me the strength, warmth and love of a God that has shone through F. Lloyd Bell like a lighthouse of joy, not a rotating light with shafts of brilliance in darkness, but a beacon aglow in all directions, beckoning and embracing anyone who can see it.

It's Christmas day in 30 minutes, but I've already received my best presents.

Purpose

2007-11-04T17:36:00.000-07:00

So I was reading about Creation today, trying to better understand why God would even bother to create us. Some say He's a tyrant who just wanted some pawns to play with, others say He didn't do it at all...and then there's what I believe.

Everyone who is called by My name,
Whom I have created for My glory;
I have formed him, yes, I have made him.
~Isaiah 43:7

This entire chapter is a very intimate portrayal of God's love for Israel and mankind. However, the phrase "for My glory" caught me off guard. Initially I thought, "Hmm, sounds like an artist who creates solely for accolades and compliments".
But in prayer, I thought about it more.

Why do we "glorify" anyone? If we uphold a politician, celebrity, writer, family member, friend...anyone up for glory, it's because they have enriched our lives or inspired us to reach beyond our present state. You may disagree on the value of their contribution, but the fundamental principle is that we admire what they've got and believe it could benefit us too.

So here's how I look at it. God knows all and is all. He understands the greatest joy and the most satisfying fulfillment. If you were in His position, would you keep that to yourself? If you have joy in your life, you can't help but share it. So that's what He did. He created a world of perfection, so that Adam and Eve might experience His joy with Him. So when He says that "I created for My glory", He's speaking of the inevitable thankfulness that anyone who experiences that same joy will "glorify" Him with. It's thankfulness for His risk, thankfulness for His generosity.

Does our current state negate what He did at Creation? Not in my mind. For we still have glimpses of the supreme joy that He promises. A baby's smile, true true true love, friends that stick closer than a brother, vistas that rob you of your breath...and ultimately we're promised the fullness of His joy in heaven.
I think God deserves a little glory for that.

artwork copyright Joe Tucciarone

Nature

2007-10-14T15:30:00.001-06:00

So this is my new favourite picture. It's from the Plitvice Waterfalls in Plitvicka Jezera National Park, Croatia.
It's photos like this that just take your breath away, allow you to see God's handiwork and a little glimpse of what heaven will be like.
A favourite site of mine right now is Prettiest Images. It's got this picture and so many others that just blow your mind as to the beauty on this world. You can check out the photographer's site (John Brauer) here

Thanksgiving

2007-10-09T06:57:00.000-06:00

At times I'm overwhelmed by the blessings in my life. If I can say this without being misunderstood, it doesn't seem fair. When I spend a weekend with my entire extended family and realize how much we truly love and enjoy each other...it's staggering and humbling. I know this is the exception, not the rule. And part of me is almost embarrassed at my good fortune, which I've done nothing to warrant.
So that's why I do this.
How else can I deal with the blessings I receive, other than sharing them with others? I share because I can't help it. As David said, "My cup runneth over".
I don't claim to understand why I'm blessed, I only know that to not praise God for the reality of my blessings, would be like damming a waterfall.

Childhood

2007-10-02T18:51:00.001-06:00

This picture captures much of the blessings of my childhood that continue today.

A beautiful, wonderful sister with whom I've shared the most soul-shaking cackles.
A home where I'm safe and happy and encouraged to be me.
My favourite Canadian past time, the blessed "savage ballet" of hockey.
Exquisite fashion sense : )

Adjustin

2007-09-26T07:48:00.000-06:00

Justin is a buddy I met through Choices, which is a whole other blog post. He's the one on the left. All of these boys got tight (and a wee bit foolish ; ), but Justin and I have remained close and I thank God for that. Justin's raw, honest, smart and seeking. And his questions and his honesty constantly challenge me. Recently I've been challenged to ask & answer some questions I've had all my life, and didn't realize it till Justin asked it. Thanks fella.

PleaZant Surprise

2007-09-20T07:37:00.000-06:00

I have a friend, a good friend. His name is Isheanesu Charumbira. In greeting I often revel in his strong surname with a hearty "Mr. CharumBIRa". I enjoy his last name because it embodies the strength of a man raised by strong, Godly parents in the ravaged country of Zimbabwe. I have shared laughs, sorrows and true Godly fellowship with my Zim brother.
He recently moved to Ontario. It was in a rush, so I never really spent much time thinking about it. Then, a week later, he walked into my workplace unannounced. I'll never forget the joy I felt at seeing my friend again. I realized at that moment how great a friend he is and how much I'll miss him. It was a fleeting experience (I was in the middle of a staff meeting, and he was on his way to the airport having flown in for the day to clear up unfinished business), but it was a powerful one. Epiphanies usually don't last long. But this one lasted long enough for me to cherish it. Cherish yours.

Mums

2007-05-15T12:02:00.000-06:00

For me, this past weekend was a blessing because I could reflect on the strength and love of a mother. In particular mine... and hers. My mum got an award for the best school administrator in Canada and her mum's sporting a cute short hairdo and her angelic smile, despite recovering from a nasty fall.
But deeper than that, I believe that if we didn't have mothers, we'd never quite understand the love of Christ. It's a determined love, a tenacious love. It doesn't matter how much we reject, berate or hurt them. They'll always return; tenacious, scarred and bleeding, with arms open wide.
To Grama and Mom...Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you.....

Friend of Wit and Whimsy

2007-04-04T10:39:00.000-06:00

Hilary inspires me. For two reasons. First, she's set a big goal and is currently smack-dab in the centre of achieving it. She's a historian, doing original research on the effects of the atom bomb... in Japan. That's her above (on the right ; ) under the world-famous cherry blossoms.

Hilary also inspires with her stories and staggering use of the English language. All the stories she tells should be posted somewhere online so that everyone can listen to them. Her ability to draw hilarious details out of mundane occurences is a constant source of joy and cackles for me and her friends.

Soldier on Hil, thanks for sharing your pictures, your laughs...And your inspiration.

More inspiration from Hilary's lens.

This picture is here simply because I like the older man's face. I'd love to look like that in old age.

True Canadian Home

2007-03-01T13:43:00.000-07:00

Yes it's true, Canadian's DO live in igloos. My Pops and I recently built one using a handy contraption pictured above. After many hours of packing sugar-like snow (the most difficult to use), this 8-ft beauty was ready to be slept in. I did that very night (we fashioned a door "flap" from an old rug) and nicely endured -15 C temperatures. Pops is starting on a second one soon, this one will be larger and have a deeper base so that we can build a trench in the centre which will have the door at the end. This way, you'll sleep above the trench on either side inside and all the cold air will escape out the door and the hot air will be trapped inside the dome itself. It was truly a blessing to awake that frigid morning knowing that I was probably one of the only white men in all the world who slept in an igloo that night!

Pops

2007-01-15T19:04:00.000-07:00

If all the men in this world had a father like mine, here's how it would be different.

Boys would grow up secure, knowing that Pops will teach him, praise him, never leave him.
Young men would venture out confident, knowing that Pops will cheer him, coach him, always enlighten him.
Men would wrap a wife and children in love, pledging that he will comfort them, entertain them, always sustain them.

And the world would be blessed, as am I.

Grampa

2006-12-31T17:30:00.000-07:00

My Sailor. My Popeye. The strength, the tatoos, mementos of a vanquished foe and past. The twinkle that becomes a sparkle, then quickly disguies itself as a deadpan face for a dead-on delivery of mirth and mayhem. He sacrificed, endured and continues to endure trials, so that I may live and live better. And I WILL.

Pilipino Power

2006-12-31T17:22:00.000-07:00

Most people have two sides of the family. I have three. The Raguis adopted a lonely missionary in the Philippines and have loved me like another son. I can't really put into words their impact on my life, but if you can imagine laughs that taste like mangoes, hugs that warm like the perfect chili spice and love like the neverending dishes at a Filipino potluck, you might a taste of their fellowship. And I'm stuffed on it.

Michaela V. Lawrence.

2006-12-31T16:59:00.000-07:00

Her friendship has been a constant blessing the last couple years. In so many ways, she points me to God: her marvelous music, her luxurious laugh and her soul-search for God. Her ministry has led her to Andrews University in Michigan for her Masters in Divinty, so I'm sure one day the Adventist church will have its first black female president!

Happy New Year

2006-12-31T16:44:00.000-07:00

Since I've been on vacation the last couple weeks and not had easy access to a computer, I've fallen off the wagon. However, I've been taking notes of some of the outstanding people who've blessed me over the holidays, so here we go!

Mum

2006-12-12T19:21:00.000-07:00

My mum. Imagine if you will:

a woman of towering strength, whose faith in God slays demons and naysayers.

a woman whose love breaks my heart when I think of what she's endured to give it.

a woman who puts herself last all too often, but she'll be put first in the Kingdom.

and finally a woman who's got the best-worst joke of all time:
" Is it further to Leduc...or by Bus?"

Don't worry if you don't get it, she does, and the laugh it gives her, is joy encapsulated.
And her joy is mine.

God's Gang

2006-12-08T07:35:00.000-07:00

Matthew 18, verse 20 says that "wherever two or more are gathered in My name," Christ will show up, hang out and fill up anyone who is present with an open heart. So thanks to Melanie, our group shows up, hangs out and fills up on Christ every Tuesday. She started the group, shepherds it and bakes us cookies. She's introduced me to new friends. And she's brought me closer to God.

Gammaw

2006-12-06T17:37:00.000-07:00

Eye for excellence. That's Gammaw. She's met with kings, queens; entertained presidents, ambassadors. Swarovski crystal, finest of crystals, highlights her home. She could decorate a room with her eyes shut.
Gammaw birthed one son. Got it right the first time; her excellence lives on. A woman of her refinement chooses carefully, then is loyal to a fault. So she's chosen to love her one and only grandson as if he were perfect in every way. And though I'm not, I feel like it, everytime I'm with her.

Rodney

2006-12-04T21:32:00.000-07:00

If Brian Inc. ever got started, I'd want Rodney as the Chairman of the Board. The fella's just a joy to work with. He's a Rottweiler on problem-solving, can explain computer code to anyone who wears plaid, and should have his own character on Looney Tunes. Tenacious, insightful and kooky...And I'm his teammate.

Jaren

2006-12-02T21:44:00.000-07:00

How long have you lived? And I'm not talking about how long your heart has been pumping blood. How many minutes or hours have you spent soaking up the most meaningful, precious, exhilarating moments in your life? I just added 3 hours to my life. This bundle of joy actually gets tired, believe it or not. And he fell asleep in my arms.

Sister

2006-12-01T17:14:00.000-07:00

Everyday she blesses me, through pictures, memories, phone calls. God's exquisite handiwork radiates from her face. Her guffaws and giggles are joyful synergy, we share them often. She saves lives, literally. She's lost them too. Her pains vastly outweigh mine. But she endures, because she is destined for greatness. Her strength has, does and will continue to change the world. And she calls me "bruzzer". I am blessed beyond measure.