wabi world

Photo April 27th

2010-04-28T04:04:00.004-07:00

You'll notice that there is a two day gap between photo April 23rd and April 26th. I fell down on the job, but am determined no more. Now every day shall have a photo. You'll also notice the last few days have been less than inspired, but hopefully as the habit grows, the inspiration will also.

2010-04-28T03:57:00.002-07:00

Taken on April 26th. The Letter A and the Letter E

Photo April 23, 2010

2010-04-26T08:08:00.002-07:00

Photo April 22, 2010

2010-04-22T10:56:00.003-07:00

Father and Son. I've made a resolution that I can only use one Samuel picture a week, because otherwise, I'm really cheating the two main points of doing this blog exercise (besides fun of course), since I take photos of the Mr. Sam quite often with no external motivation besides capturing that overload of cuteness :)

Starting 365 Photo Blog

2010-04-22T04:52:00.004-07:00

As the heading says, this is the first photo (actually taken yesterday, so today will have at least 2) of my new resolve to take and blog a photo a day for a full year. This is in part to make myself commit to creative time each and every day and in equal part to help myself actually learn the technique of photography so I can start taking images more like what I see in my mind's eye, and less like snapshots.

The first image ain't all that inspiring, I know, but I was determined to actually start this project and it's also a possible O for another photo project I have on the go...Alphabet art.

So let the blogging photographing begin!

Nepal Photos

2007-04-29T11:49:00.001-07:00

It's a gray world ready to be made red....

2006-05-19T19:57:00.000-07:00

create your own visited countries map
or vertaling Duits Nederlands

This shows the countries I've visited. And the many more to still visit. Anything in red, I've spent at least a day in that country. (It lights up the whole country, not just areas, so no, I have not seen all those Provinces or States)
It excites and amazes me how much gray I have left! I'm hoping that after this December, this will be slightly rectified as Nepal, Bhutan, and India will be red-ified.

One more of these....

2006-05-11T19:19:00.000-07:00

I'm still procrastinating....and found another accurate one!

You Are a Dreaming Soul

Your vivid emotions and imagination takes you away from this world

So much so that you tend to live in your head most of the time

You have great dreams and ambitions that could be the envy of all...

But for you, following through with your dreams is a bit difficult

You are charming, endearing, and people tend to love you.

Forgiving and tolerant, you see the world through rose colored glasses.

Underneath it all, you have a ton of passion that you hide from others.

Always hopeful, you tend to expect positive outcomes in your life.

Souls you are most compatible with: Newborn Soul, Prophet Soul, and Traveler Soul

What Kind of Soul Are You?

Beyond expectations

2006-05-08T12:25:00.000-07:00

Today I was reminiscing on an experience I had a little while ago... I was people watching in a favourite cafe. Sitting near me with a esspresso was a dreadlocked young man earnestly engaging in "serious" (in that unique to political discourse type of seriousness) discussion of the merits of Marxism. When his equally serious and earnest companion left (no doubt to change the world) our socialist friend began rummaging through his decal laden backpack for a book. When I next looked up he was deeply immersed in....not a manifesto, but a romance novel. And not just any romance novel, this was one of the "heroine with bosom nearly heaving out of the torn bodice of her dress leaning against the de-shirted muscular chest of the hero on the cover" type of romance novels. And by his rapt expression it seemed my cafe friend was indeed concerned with the fate of this dasmel (who was no doubt in distress by this point of the story). I love the way people can surprise us. The unexpected bringing a jolt of joy. I think the first time I really noticed the wonder of this type of discovery was at age 16 waiting in a boxing day sale lineup at Tommy Lee Music Store. I had received a Christmas present of money towards buying a guitar (sadly I wasn't disciplined enough at that stage to follow through with lessons, but a goal is to eventually try again). I had wanted to be sure to be on time for the best bargains, so I persuaded my mom to rise early and drive me to the store by 7am. In the 2 hour wait for the doors to open we played a little game of guessing what the other people in line were hoping to buy. Straight Long Haired Young Woman in a Long Sleeved Blouse and Peter-Pan Collar -flute. Middle-Aged Long Haired Man Seeming Determined to Bring Back Hippie "Fringe-Friendly" Fashion All By Himself - Acoustic Guitar. Young Punk Rocker With Multiple Facial Piercings and a Green Mohawk Dressed in Black Ripped Leather- Electric Guitar or drums. And so on. In the store now, the young woman heads for the clarinets -close. The would be hippie joins me in the guitar section -bingo. The Punk Rocker....he's gently lifting down a violin and stroking its' body with the tender caress of a familiar love...

Procrastination Personality Problem

2006-05-05T21:08:00.001-07:00

Well...I've been perfecting my procrastination today by playing with mini online personality tests...this one is actually fairly accurate!

You Are Midnight

You are more than a little eccentric, and you're apt to keep very unusual habits.
Whether you're a nightowl, living in a commune, or taking a vow of silence - you like to experiment with your lifestyle.
Expressing your individuality is important to you, and you often lie awake in bed thinking about the world and your place in it.
You enjoy staying home, but that doesn't mean you're a hermit. You also appreciate quality time with family and close friends.

What Time Of Day Are You?

Bloom again

2006-05-04T22:37:00.000-07:00

This is Blossoming Tea. You put the closed up bulb (as seen below) in a cup, then pour in a little boiling water, pour that water out, and then fill the cup with more boiling water...in a few moments the blossom opens, the tea leaves infuse the water, and you have a pretty drink to enjoy. I must admit the gadget/novelty geek in me was jumping up and down and squealing like a little girl who had a new pony. Little, yet oh-so-cool, things like this excite me. I choose to call it childlike, rather than childish (:
Which brings to mind a tangent...namely the Holy
definition of child like joy that Chesterson gave..."Because children have abounding vitality, because they are in spirit fierce and free, therefore they want things repeated and unchanged. They always say, "Do it again"; and the grown-up person does it again until he is nearly dead. For grown-up people are not strong enough to exult in monotony. But perhaps God is strong enough... It is possible that God says every morning, "Do it again," to the sun; and every evening, "Do it again," to the moon. It may not be automatic necessity that makes all daisies alike: it may be that God makes every daisy separately, but has never got tired of making them. It may be that He has the eternal appetite of infancy; for we have sinned and grown old, and our Father is younger than we. " May I stay alive to wonder...and really cool wierd tea!

p.s sorry for the quality of the pics, had to use flash and no tripod....

Housemates

2006-04-10T18:17:00.000-07:00

Shazie
Sheila
Shazie, moi, Josh, Shelia

Inspecting the wares Our auctioneer.
My housemates are great! In Sept I decided to enter the wacky world of communal living. In it I've grown a lot and shared a lot of laughter and insights and even tears. But I think it's the cult life for me for the next little while (:

Here's a couple of pics from our fundraiser auction party (raising funds for famine relief in Tanzania by having a acution and wine and cheese party. People donated items and bid on other people's items. 230 dollars raised!)

Names and Numbers

2006-04-08T11:15:00.000-07:00

One of my early posts in this (much neglected) blog was about Russ, a homeless man who lived in my neighbourhood. I told of how important it was for Russ to be known by his name, so that people could pray for Him. Not for an abstract notion of "homelessness" not for "that bum" but for a named and known human being. Russ. In October of last year I learned that Russ had been hit by a car and killed a few months before. I had noticed he hadn't been about, but assumed it was part of a summer migration pattern to a different area of town. I was saddened by the news, but was filled with peace in the knowledge that Russ's name had not been forgotten nor his passing left unmarked. Some students at the local seminary heard of his death the day it happened. They raised funds for a plot and marker and held a memorial service in which they told stories of their encounters with Russ. Though I wasn't at his memorial, I'd like to honour his memory by acting and living on the belief that names matter. Individuals matter. By merely playing the numbers game we can drown out the voices of the oppressed. Joseph Stalin once said, "The death of a man is a tragedy, the death of a million is a statistic." Rather than merely seeing the statistics of genocide, let us fully understand that this is a million tragedies, and more. Let us remember that very real names and individual stories are hiding behind those numbers and statistics. Let us not grow numb. Let us not close our eyes to genocide, oppression, sorrow, poverty. Yes, it's easy to feel overwhelmed. Yes, it's hard to know what one can do as a single person in the face of an ocean of need. But, let us start by learning at least a few names. Let us light candles for at least a few individuals. Let us not live life in complacency, lives of quiet desperation while ignoring the violent desperation all around us. I do not want to say "There but for the grace of God, go I" I want to live "There with God's grace, go I"

Chickens for Peace

2005-10-13T11:10:00.000-07:00

Amsterdam Enjoying the sights of Amsterdam on a 12 hour lay-over...

Amman
Originally uploaded by wabi6.

Sunning myself in the hotel window in Amman...

Amman
Originally uploaded by wabi6.

...where I made a new friend. I hope we stay in touch!

Flight I flew into Baghdad and boy are my wings tired! (Ha! chicken humour)

Baghdad I made friends with the other team members....

Baghdad I watched the sun set over the "Green Zone"

Baghdad
O I did my part to accessorize for Peace in Iraq!

Survey Says

2005-08-23T08:56:00.000-07:00

A Different Kind of Survey
Found this survey on another blog and I thought I'd give it a whirl.

Without pretending, describe yourself in one word:
Curious. (or Compassionate)

Without complaining, describe your day:
An average day? Wake up, shower, devotions, eat, work on thesis, clean up around aparement, coffee with a friend, surf web, go for a walk, eat, thesis, pack for move, read, phone with friend, eat & tv, final thesis moments, web play, take book to bed, sleep.

Without money, what is one entertaining thing you can do:
Walk along the ocean, build a sandcastle or two...

Without doubts, what are you sure of:
There is love.

Without time, what would you say to someone you love:
You are loved.

Without shame, describe your favourite toy:
My rubber chicken.

Without guilt, describe your favourite dessert:
Mom's homemade rice-pudding with vanilla ice cream.

Without selfishness, whom would you do something for and why:
Take the time and effort to find out what is the perfect and unexpected thing I could do for a friend that would make thier day, and then do it.

Without Certantity What do you Hope for:
That I shall one day tell my grandkids about my youthful adventures, and be the hippest grandma to ever rock in a rocker...

Without Bragging What is One Unique Skill You have:
Well it certainly isn't brag-worthy, but unique yes. If I ever get itchy ears, I can scratch them by making this weird gulpy sound in my throat....

Terror-O-Matic

2005-08-21T21:08:00.000-07:00

You really can never be too careful. The need to keep abreast of fear is a Patriotic duty. Here's my small part.
First for a kinder gentler alert; we are currently at Terror Level:

And for when you really want to know what the snarky version colour scheme is saying....

Alerts

Dusk

2005-08-15T19:04:00.000-07:00

I have to make a confession, I'm kinda a snob about Christian Music. Having spent too much time in my youth listening to bad Christian pop, I've become cynical and expect anything with the lable "Christian" to be sub-par.
Now in a different rant, I could go on about factors in the industry that make this a realistic cynicism..... and I'd confess that in opening my mind to it, I've found a lot of music in this genre that is creative and well done. However; this is not that rant or confession, but rather this is about how one particular song impacted me.
Being as it was played in church, my cyncism meter was down. The worship team sang out a spectacular version of "Baby" by 'Lost and Found.' The lyrics hammered into my heart. I could feel them sinking down into me, like a blow or, perhaps, a whisper from God.
All the lost and lonely people, all the Elanor Rigby's of the world...they are loved. I was struck by how my life should be a continual decision to reach out to the marginalized and forgoten. This has been laid on my heart, and to realize meaning it is the path I must follow.
As I listened I was convicted of the ways in which I might pass over the hurts of those whom I would more easily judge. It's not hard for me to imagine befriending the goth girl, or the woman with anorexia...however if the "red neck" had just made a racist joke (yes I know I'm the one stereotyping here...) would I see the forlorn man watching tv alone, because he has no one who wants to listen to what he has to say? In the "3 piece suit" who rants against the homeless, would I see someone to oppose, or someone who was perhaps removed from life and seems uncharitable because he feels uncherished and always has? It's easy to reach out to the lonely whose lonliness I recognize, sometimes in my own mirror...but to recognize and love those who are "other" to me...that is a challange. This song reminded me to keep looking beyond the surface, to see the divine where I least expect it...

BABY by Lost & Found:

Shaved head and her pierced nose,
big rotweillers and her tie-dyed clothes,
Dr. Martins with her biker tights,
long black leggings on a hot summer night.

And nobody calls her baby,
Nobody says "I love you so,"
Nobody calls her baby,
I guess she'll never know.

His working boots and flannel shirts,
His sympathies buried as deep as his hurts,
Long lonely walks with nowhere to go,
His only appointment's with a tv show.

And nobody calls him baby,
Nobody says "I love you so,"
Nobody calls him baby,
I guess he'll never know.

Eighty pounds, she's hardly whole,
Losing her body to gain some control,
Hours alone in a tanning salon,
Trying a smaller and smaller size on.

And nobody calls her baby,
Nobody says "I love you so,"
Nobody calls her baby,
I guess she'll never know.

Pin-striped suits and wing-tipped shoes,
His lap-top computer and his Wall Street news,
He makes his plane and keeps his pace,
He hides his pain behind a poker face.
And nobody calls him baby,
Nobody says, "I love you so,"
Nobody calls him baby,
I guess he'll never know.

But somebody loves those babies,
Somebody loves what we can't see,
And if somebody told them maybe,
Those babies would be free.

working hard

2005-08-09T00:02:00.000-07:00

working hard
Originally uploaded by wabi6.

Well, now that thesis is finally drawing to a close...it's time to share those sites that helped me keep (or loose, depending on your view of it) my sanity...
A few of the more quirky ways I found to procrastinate.

Here is a site that for some reason I was captivated by...something to do with the hypnotic gaze of the noble llamas...the catchy beat...and the random weirdness...I guess. Enjoy!

Speaking of random weirdness...what better way to pay homage to Star Wars than by showing what it would have been like if Lucas cast VEGETABLES! (make your own joke about Lucas dialogue here).

This is a prime example of what happens when Bible college students have too much spare time. All in good fun.

No matter how many times I see this video I always Laugh One of my favourite comedy central clips.

A few good ways to avoid reading about the phenomenological imperative can be found here

If you want to really find ways to avoid working on your reference page check out someone (not in bible school) who has way way way too much time on his hands. a link or two

Of course Bunnies re-enacting epic movies is a productive way to gear up towards working on lit review.

Finally, if you're going to be good and only procrastinate for a minute or two...then use that minute to brush up on the classics.

tourists....

2005-07-29T00:49:00.000-07:00

tourists....
Originally uploaded by wabi6.

Svet, Nebo, Brocolli, and The Chicken went to the Vancouver aquarium today....

butterfly exhibit

2005-07-29T00:48:00.000-07:00

butterfly 2
Originally uploaded by wabi6.

butterfly exhibit

2005-07-29T00:47:00.001-07:00

butterfly
Originally uploaded by wabi6.

butterfly exhibit

2005-07-29T00:47:00.000-07:00

butterfly
Originally uploaded by wabi6.

Four of my friends at the aquarium

2005-07-29T00:46:00.000-07:00

friends at the aquarium
Originally uploaded by wabi6.

jelly fish

2005-07-29T00:45:00.000-07:00

jelly fish
Originally uploaded by wabi6.

blowing in the wave

2005-07-29T00:44:00.000-07:00

blowing in the wave
Originally uploaded by wabi6.

do dum do dum do dum (think Jaws music)

2005-07-29T00:43:00.000-07:00

do dum do dum do dum (think Jaws music)
Originally uploaded by wabi6.

Svet & Nebo on our visit to the Aquarium

2005-07-29T00:42:00.000-07:00

svet & Nebo
Originally uploaded by wabi6.

kayaking

2005-07-26T17:24:00.000-07:00

DSCF4582
Originally uploaded by wabi6.

time for a swim

2005-07-26T17:23:00.000-07:00

time for a swim
Originally uploaded by wabi6.

pretty island

2005-07-26T17:22:00.001-07:00

pretty island
Originally uploaded by wabi6.

chickens roasting over an open fire

2005-07-26T17:22:00.000-07:00

chickens roasting over an open fire
Originally uploaded by wabi6.

The lovely Ms Julia!

2005-07-26T17:21:00.000-07:00

The lovely Ms Julia!
Originally uploaded by wabi6.

island at dusk

2005-07-26T17:20:00.000-07:00

island at dusk
Originally uploaded by wabi6.

steve on guitar

2005-07-26T15:52:00.000-07:00

steve on guitar
Originally uploaded by wabi6.

beats the colonel ever time

2005-07-26T15:50:00.000-07:00

beats the colonel ever time
Originally uploaded by wabi6.

darn paparazi

2005-07-26T15:49:00.000-07:00

darn paparazi
Originally uploaded by wabi6.

chicken as tacky tourist

2005-07-26T15:46:00.000-07:00

chicken as tacky tourist
Originally uploaded by wabi6.

the whole gang

2005-07-26T15:45:00.000-07:00

the whole gang
Originally uploaded by wabi6.

chicken on glass

2005-07-26T15:44:00.000-07:00

DSCF4553
Originally uploaded by wabi6.

10,000 years shining like the sun

2005-06-30T19:07:00.000-07:00

DSCF1755
Originally uploaded by wabi6.

I had an interesting conversation the other day; question under review "Does concentrating on fighting injustice act as a red herring keeping us from the greater good of showing grace?" I've always thought I wanted to dedicate time and energy to fighting injustice, but perhaps it is time to rethink the perspective from which I come. Does the idea of fighting injustice make it more about me and what I'm doing? Emphasize my own strengths? While grace is more about the other?

My first thought of objection to that argument was the Civil Rights movement in the USA. All those who stood up and resisted segregation and opposed those who would subject's people on the basis of their skin colour. But....The more I thought about it the more it seemed that this example could be about showing grace and standing with the oppressed. Perhaps the difference lies in deciding whether you are going to stand against something or with someone. They may even lead to the same action, but a different starting point, a different attitude and a different perspective. Standing with the oppressed, taking on their burdens as our own, living sacrificially, are these things more about grace or justice? Is it possible that the best way to see justice is to show grace? Finding creative ways of standing in solidarity with those who struggle. The more examples I think of, the more I see it is about the standing with, not the fighting against.
Justice is mine said the Lord. "I desire Mercy not sacrifice" are further words on the subject. Sacrifice had more to do with justice and atonement...Mercy about the sacrifice of the self. Christ said that we need to practice faithfulness without neglecting justice. The emphasis seems to be on the former...
I don't have answers to all these quandaries, but as I contemplate doing some overseas volunteer work in the next few months, I'm glad to have the questions.

Meme Moment

2005-05-25T11:29:00.000-07:00

I've been tagged by Andy of Vermont to Continue a Meme.....Apparently the rules are that I am to cut and paste a list of sentence beginnings "If I were a...." and then complete the sentence for three of them. I then tag another person to continue the game...
So, without further ado

If I could be a piece of furniture I'd be...one of those big round balls you sit on at the computer desk...mixing work, ergonomic correctness, and a sense of the zany (bounce! bounce! bounce!).

If I could be a professor...... I'd be the beatnik cool professor who would sit on the desk cross legged and wear funky cloths and be sardonically amusing. My class would adore me and I wouldn't let any of them know my secret favourite student. I'd bake cookies on exam day and encourage discussion and come up with cool ideas for class assignments. I'd also be a loquacious one that doesn't stick to the one sentence rule.

If I could be a super-evil-genius...well who says I'm not. Now that you know though, I may have to kill you. (picture me holding up my little pinkie, twirling my mustache, patting my cat, and laughing manically --> and yes I can cover all these cliches at once because I'm an evil GENIUS)

And just because I don't like following rules, I'll throw in number 4.

If I could be an annoying catch phrase.... I'd be a nerdy one, but in a slyly ironic sense so you'd never be sure if I was in on the joke or oblivious to it....

Water

2005-05-15T22:20:00.000-07:00

water
Originally uploaded by wabi6.

In Madeleine L'Engle's study of Genesis, "A Stone for a Pillow" she speaks to the vulnerability inherent in free will. This vulnerability is seen both in the risk God took when He called us to write the story of humanity with Him and in the risks we frail beings take when we act on God's calling. L'Engle writes that

"If we refuse to take the risk of being vulnerable we are already half dead. If we are half dead we don't have to starve with the people of Ethiopia. We don't have to share the terrible living conditions of old people struggling to exist on dwindling social security payments...We don't' have to smell the stench of filth, and disease, and hunger in the favelas and barrios." (pg 313).

I believe that our refusal to step out into radical love pains God, not only for the sake of His children who we leave to misery, but also for the offer of abundant life that we refuse for ourselves. By living in passive mediocrity and succumbing to comfortable numbness we throw the gifts of life and free will back in the face of God. We live as though God was "out there" and not Emmanuel, longing to act with us, in us, through us.
Small actions we take may have huge ramifications, pebbles on the pond so to speak. Or to use a once-trendy analogy- "A butterfly flapping it's wings in Costa Rica sets in motion an earthquake in Japan." By choosing to use our free will to follow the voice of El and go where we may not wish to be led, we can choose to be a "universe disturber" (in the words of L'Engle). A moment of self-sacrifice on the part of one human being can set in motion an earthquake in the soul of another. Surely the risk is worth it?

Personality Profiles

2005-05-12T17:02:00.000-07:00

Took a version of the Myers' Brigg, as usual came up as an INFP....this one was rather fun in that it also gives you your 4 next closest matches. I'm not too surprised that the N (intuitive) is the one constant......

Your #1 Match: INFP

The Idealist
You are creative with a great imagination, living in your own inner world.Open minded and accepting, you strive for harmony in your important relationships.It takes a long time for people to get to know you. You are hesitant to let people get close.But once you care for someone, you do everything you can to help them grow and develop.
You would make an excellent writer, psychologist, or artist.

Your #2 Match: INTP

The Thinker
You are analytical and logical - and on a quest to learn everything you can.Smart and complex, you always love a new intellectual challenge.Your biggest pet peeve is people who slow you down with trivial chit chat.A quiet maverick, you tend to ignore rules and authority whenever you feel like it.
You would make an excellent mathematician, programmer, or professor.

Your #3 Match: ENFP

The Inspirer
You love being around people, and you are deeply committed to your friends.You are also unconventional, irreverant, and unimpressed by authority and rules.Incredibly perceptive, you can usually sense if someone has hidden motives.You use lots of colorful language and expressions. You're qutie the storyteller!
You would make an excellent entrepreneur, politician, or journalist.

Your #4 Match: ENTP

The Visionary
You are charming, outgoing, friendly. You make a good first impression.You possess good negotiating skills and can convince anyone of anything.Happy to be the center of attention, you love to tell stories and show off.You're very clever, but not disciplined enough to do well in structured environments.
You would make a great entrpreneur, marketing executive, or actor.

Your #5 Match: INFJ

The Protector
You live your life with integrity, originality, vision, and creativity.Independent and stubborn, you rarely stray from your vision - no matter what it is.You are an excellent listener, with almost infinite patience.You have complex, deep feelings, and you take great care to express them.
You would make a great photographer, alternative medicine guru, or teacher.

What's" Your Personality Type?

Bridges

2005-05-05T13:42:00.000-07:00

bridge from Washington to Oregon

Never really thought before on how often bridges are used as metaphors. We speak of bridging the gap between thou and I. We conceptualize the Cross as a bridge between death and life, sin and holiness, God and humanity. We warn against burning bridges. We worry about whether or not a difference of opinion is unbridgable. Mothers wonder if we'd really jump off of bridges just becuase Jane/John did.
So, why this random potpuri of bridge comments? Can't really say. Just food for thought I guess. Which parts of my life need a bridge? After all, bridges allow us to pass over the unpassable. What in my life can I not get over or through that is holding me back? I need to discern which oceans I'm afraid of drowning in, before I can figure out how to build a passage over them. I guess this means I'll just have to cross that bridge when it's right to come to it.

Interestingly, as I was writing this I opened MSN explorer in another window-my home page generates a quote each time and the quote I recieved was "I demolish my bridges behind me...then there is no choice but to move forward." -Firdtj of Nansen

2005-05-02T22:38:00.000-07:00

beach

2005-04-25T10:14:00.000-07:00

Started my vacation in BC. Here's a bit of the forest growth near Lyn Caynon.

2005-04-25T10:13:00.001-07:00

Victoria Parliamentary Building. The Dark Black Heart of BC politics.

2005-04-25T10:13:00.000-07:00

Beautiful BC. It's on the licence plates for a reason!

2005-04-25T10:12:00.000-07:00

Pike Place Market. Have to say there wasn't a lot of fish tossing, more like gentle fish chucking.....but this guy is friendly at least.

2005-04-25T10:11:00.001-07:00

Getting ready for OVER THE RHINE!!!!

2005-04-25T10:11:00.000-07:00

Over the Rhine!!!! AMAZING show. Can't say enough.....

2005-04-25T10:10:00.000-07:00

With anemones like this.....who needs friends; or something like that (:

2005-04-25T10:06:00.001-07:00

Pucker up!

2005-04-25T10:06:00.000-07:00

This is what passes for the cute wildlife in Oregon USA

2005-04-25T10:05:00.001-07:00

When you wish upon a star(fish)

2005-04-25T10:05:00.000-07:00

Hay Stack at Canon Beach

2005-04-25T10:04:00.000-07:00

Abondoned Delapitaded House near Astoria Washington

Crocus beau

2005-03-25T00:05:00.000-08:00

Crocus beau
Originally uploaded by wabi6.

I've been thinking a lot lately about comfortable numbness, and living a dangerous sort of safety. I'd like to be a paradox, but if honest right now I'm more often a contradiciton. I want to be free...as Nicolas Berdyaev so eloquently puts it "it is God who demands that man should be free, and not man himself. Man himself loves servitude and easily comes to terms with it. Freedom is not a right of man but a duty of man before God." I want to live up fully and joyously to that responsibility.

Questions?

2005-03-10T13:42:00.000-08:00

flags
Alright, continuing yesterdays train of thought/blog....Here's a couple from "The Book of Questions"

What was the last song you sang to yourself? Stevie Wonder's "I Love You More Today Than Yesterday"

What would you do if you weren't too inhibited or scared too? Try out for a Broadway musical. Now, those who know me are on the floor laughing at this because they know my complete (as in total. as in full. as in 100%) lack of skills in the singing and dancing arenas....but that's the whole point! To totally give myself over to fun and the loosing of inhibitions and doing something that I know "I can't"...to be willing to be a fool...

Do you feel ill at ease going to a movie, dinner or vacation by yourself? Hmmmm...I rent movies by myself all the time, and if there's some foreign arty flick I can't persuade any one else to go to, I'll go on my own and enjoy it. I wouldn't want to eat dinner in a restaurant on my own, though I often go to coffee houses for work or reading time alone. Vacations, I'm ok with going alone because you meet people along the way, but I prefer to go with someone-in part so you have someone to share the memories with later. However, my life's' biggest regret is not taking an amazing sailing trip I could have because my friend I was supposed to go with backed out....so never again will I turn down a travel opportunity because I'd have to do it on my own.

IF, if, if........

2005-03-10T13:08:00.000-08:00

Celtic
Originally uploaded by wabi6.

I have a habit, a little peccadillo if you will, of reading and enjoying the "If" series of books. Basically these are conversation starter books that pose hypothetical questions. I find them fun (yeah yeah call me a nerd!)

Here are a few:
If you were to define what true personal freedom is, what would you say? Well the cliche is, of course, "nothing left to loose" and to a degree I say yes....but maybe not in the way that the Bard Mitchell meant it....for me true personal freedom would come when I loose my attachments to my material goods, when I truly possess them but am not possessed by them. Being able to walk away without regret from all the little "things" that I use to define my existence...to just be...that is freedom.

If you were to complete the phrase "I love my life when....," how would you finish it? hmmm well there are a myriad of ways I can think of to finish this statement...I'll just list two. 1) I love my life when I notice what beautiful music the song of the "ordinary" truly makes. A rather clumsy poetical attempt to note that this universe is alive and God-drenched in wonders we all too often blithely pass on by...to open my eyes and see those wonders and small everyday miracles is to be joyful. 2) I love my life when I live it rather than avoid it. Simplistic? Yes. Simple for me to do? Definitely not.

If you were to name what you have the most compassion for, what would it be?
Those who are rejected and ignored in their misery. Driving down East Vancouver can break your heart.

Finally end on a fun note. If you could have the characters of any painting come to life, which painting would you choose? Well sure there are the great answers like Rembrant's prodigal Son, or the romantic knights and women of J.W. Waterhouse....but in reality it would probably be
something cheesy like this because, really, who wouldn't want a flying horse?

Oh Canada!

2005-03-03T20:19:00.000-08:00

Now if only I liked cold weather as much as warm tropical....this is what I would have come up as.....Go Canada!

You're Canada!

People make fun of you a lot, but they're stupid because you've
got a much better life than they do. In fact, they're probably just jealous.
You believe in crazy things like human rights and health care and not
dying in the streets, and you end up securing these rights for yourself and
others. If it weren't for your weird affection for ice hockey, you'd be
the perfect person.
Take
the Country Quiz at the href="http://bluepyramid.org">Blue Pyramid

Spanish eyes

2005-03-03T15:42:00.000-08:00

You're Spain!

You like rain on the plain, as well as interesting architecture and
a diverse number of races and religions. You like to explore a lot, but sailing,
especially in large groups, never really seems to work out for you. Beware of pirates
and dictators bearing bombs. And for heavens' sake, stop running around bulls!
It's just not safe!
Take
the Country Quiz at the href="http://bluepyramid.org">Blue Pyramid

And many of my friends thought I'd be Russia.....ha!

hmmmm, maybe.....

2005-02-01T18:26:00.000-08:00

Umberto Eco: The Name of the Rose. You are a
mystery novel dealing with theology, especially
with catholic vs liberal issues. You search
wisdom and knowledge endlessly, feeling that
learning is essential in life.

Which literature classic are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

We are the lucky ones....

2005-01-20T20:34:00.000-08:00

A preamble to this entry. An amazing opportunity to give to something greater than oursleves is here. This group is doing powerful things. Donations will be matched.
I volunteer with the Red Cross, going to schools giving talks on either a)Poverty/Disease Cycle or b)Children in War. Often at the conclusion of the Poverty/Disease Cycle I read this little piece.

We are the Lucky Ones

If You Can Read........
....then you are luckier than over one billion people who cannot read at all.

If You Woke Up This Morning With More Health Than Illness......
....then you are luckier than the more than
one million people who'll not survive this week...and even luckier if you have accessible care.

If You Have Never Experienced the Danger of Battle, The Loneliness of Imprisonment, The Agony of Torture, Or The Pangs of Starvation......

....then you are ahead of 300 million people in the world.

If You Can Attend Any Meeting You Want -Political, Religious, Social......

.....then you are luckier than 3 billion people in the world.

If You Have Food In the fridge, Cloths On Your Back, A Roof Overhead And A Place To Sleep ......

...then you are richer than 75% of this world.

If You Have Money In the Bank, In Your Wallet, And Spare Change In A dish Someplace......

....then you are among the top 8% of the world's wealthy.

Joseph Stalin once said "One death is a tragedy; a million is a statistic." I do not throw these numbers out to numb the mind or take away from the individual tragedy each represents, but as a reminder to myself. How blessed am I.... What am I doing with that blessing? In the face of God justice kisses the lips of mercy. As a follower of Christ I believe I am called to work against injustice and practice mercy. May I always remember the individual God breathed lives that these numbers represent, may I never become "comfortably numb".

Orange farm

Seeing Eleanor Rigby in the Mirror

2005-01-19T09:58:00.000-08:00

on the pavement

A friend recently used the word "Shibboleth" in a blog entry and somehow this locution resonated with me and brought order to some of the cacophony of thoughts and ideas that have been moiling about my mind and soul lately.
What is my search for community about? Is it about finding a way to serve others? Or a way to meet one's own needs. Am I looking to affirm or to be affirmed?
Shibboleth is a term from the Hebrew which represents a linguistic password. It's a way of acknowledging those who are a part of the in group and those who are not. A form of inclusion that is meant to exclude. Those who speak correctly are allowed to live. Those who mispronounce, misunderstand, miss the boat; they are put to the sword. How true in today's disconnected, individualistic, consumer driven, in-group seeking world. People desperately searching for a way in which to belong to something, anything, just so they won't be left alone. Alone to face themselves. Alone to face God, naked, without the comfort of slogans or mantras or inner-ring conceits. C.S. Lewis wrote that the desire to be a part of an "Inner Ring" is one of the most powerful driving forces of human behaviour and thought. In his words "The quest of the Inner Ring will break your hearts unless you break it." (The Weight of Glory) To Lewis both "pining and moping outside Rings that you can never enter" and "passing triumphantly further and further in" are dangerous states of being. In each of those possibilities the rings tighten and strangle the soul that seeks to cleave and find true relationship. Rings like this dictate that you sacrifice your true self on the alter of conformity and that you demand others do the same. A false offering that cannot heal. the smoke does not rise.
Relationship is a good and natural desire. We, created in the very image of a God who is relationship personified, must have connection in order to live. But, fallen and broken we turn what is a thing of beauty and freedom into yet another weapon. One that we believe we are using in self defense, not realizing that those who live by this sword, die by it. How do we take the blade and beat in into a plowshare? In the words of Edward Markham
He drew a circle that shut me out,
heretic, rebel, a thing to flout.
But love and I had the wit to win;
We drew a circle that took him in.
Love, being a receptical of the enduring never ending eternally inclusionary love of God can turn us from seeking an inner ring to seekers of circles in which the centre is eternal and the circumference nowhere. (apologies to Timaeus of Locris)

Satan Seen at Cinema

2005-01-10T01:02:00.000-08:00

random picture-no real relation to this entry

I read a little piece today about a 19 year old man who was forced to leave a theatre amidst cat calls and thrown food. The reason? He was at a showing of Mel Gibson's "The Passion" wearing a bright red devil's costume. Faithful evangelicals upset by his presence demanded his removal and pelted him with food and wrappers (let he without sin throw the kernel?). The theatre owners are now instituting a rule that no one will be given admittance if wearing costumes of evil entities. (I wonder how will they handle Star Wars fans dressing as Vador for Episode 3?) The reason for his attire? He wore it in order to "prove there was no God." If there was a God, surely this God would strike him down for what he was doing. Besides the twisted humour I see in this it did bring up some interesting thoughts.

1) What sort of petty small view of God are we giving the world? A petulant being who is so concerned with self image that he will smite anyone who tries to defy him by wearing a culturally derived costume of Belezabub? A god who does not seem to mind being mocked by those who hate and destroy in his name, but cannot take insolence shown towards a movie? I don't believe in any such god either. God is so much bigger and more than that. However; I fear many Christians project the petty god as the true nature of God. When we decry purple telletubies, when we focus all our energy on hating the sin and none on loving our neighbour, when we become rule bound, legislation living, humourless beings, we paint the picture that the world sees. I imagine the fact that this view of a small god is so prevalent is more an affront to the true God than that red costume ever could be.

2) How much do we worship media and image? In thinking that mocking this movie could be the same as mocking God this young man is a metaphor for the way in which we view our symbols and idols. In thinking that they were defending "God Himself" by defending this movie the Christians in the audience were linking the Represented with the representation. Attempting to ridicule a work of art, is not the same as defiling the Sacred. Mel Gibson made a movie that represented his vision of a portion of the story of God. But it is not, in face, a manifestation of God. This is not a case of touching the Ark of the Covenent or entering the Holy of Holy's. Again, God is being made far to small.
If you decide that wearing a devil's costume is appealing, here is a website for you.

Recanting Resolution Rejection

2005-01-07T23:14:00.000-08:00

Earlier in the New Year I thought about not wanting to make resolutions this year; but I've decided to reconsider. I meant every word of my statement of revolution, every breath, every fibre, every heart beat confirms their veracity. However; that said, I think I was a little all-too-serious in tossing aside the notion of resolutions. Life needs a little whimsy (and I love whimsy)and setting goals for the New Year can provide that and give motivation and encouragement to find new paths. So, in the spirit of beginnings I'm going to mix up a New Years Goals List with items on my "Things To Do Before I Die List."
The road to be taken.......

Picking random selections to accomplish by the end of 2005.

1) Read:
The Brothers Karamazov: Fyodor Dostoyevsky
Slaughterhouse Five: Kurt Vonnegut
Krapp's Last Tape: Samuel Beckett
The Glass Bead Game: Hermann Hesse
Phenomenology of Spirit: GWF. Hegel

2) Watch:
A clockwork orange: Movie
A live version of Le' Boheme: Opera
The sun rise and set over the ocean sunset at the same place on the
same day: Life

3) Do:
Organize time better, less procrastination more intentionality (ongoing
goal)
Give "I love knowing you" gifts anonymously, make sure they never find
out ......
Volunteer with the Salvation Army

Learn the names of the "street people" I come in contact with.....
Visit a country I haven't yet set foot upon

Find & purchase a piece of art that I love; in a flea market
Dance like nobody's watching, even when they are

Go camping(yes even though I've spent much of my life in beautiful BC,I've never camped)
Spend a day in silence at the abbey

Do a wine sampling tour
Begin learning Latin

All in all, this looks like the beginnings of an interesting year....but someone out there really got this resolution list right. I am so going to steal this idea

Exceedingly Random Thoughts in the Wee hours of the Morning.....

2005-01-06T01:19:00.000-08:00

KFC%20copy
Originally uploaded by wabi6.

I see a new KFC is going up near campus, ach, I hates the friggin KFC, which puts an addictive chemical in theirr chicken that makes you crrave it forrtnightly. Acht! I hate the Colonel, wi' his wee beady eyes.

(props to those who recognize the source quote)

Now for people who REALLY hate KFC.....

Prayer

2004-12-24T17:38:00.000-08:00

world on fire
Prayer is not a device to arouse God, to make Him aware of us and our needs. God is always aware of us and our needs. God is always aware. The true purpose of prayer is to arouse us, to keep us aware of our obligations - toward our community, our people, our God, and even toward ourselves. Prayer is a means of keeping us spiritually alert and morally awake.
These words of the Dubner Maggi hold a deep truth that I would do well to heed. Too often I try to shape my words to God in order to try and shape God Himself. I talk, but how little I listen. Many people believe prayer is merely talking to oneself. How tragic that while I believe that prayer is one of the few things actually capable of taking one beyond oneself, all too often I am indeed holding a conversation for one, not worshiping the One. Not because He is not listening, but because I am not. The cacophony of noise I create in my head, heart, soul, leave little room for the still small voice. I know so well what I want, what I desire, what I yearn for. But filled with longing I cannot be empty enough to be filled with Him. I yearn for more but focus on the yearning not on the One I yearn for. I know, but knowledge without action is merely whispers in the void.
May I learn to pray to bring awareness. May I learn to focus on my obligations and not solely on my desires. May I stop praying with empty words and start praying with meaningful action. May I be more in the ways I need to be more and less in the ways I need to be less.
Lord, hear my prayer, may I hear your Voice.

2004-12-14T22:34:00.000-08:00

Peace.

Auld Lang Syne (Part 2)

2004-12-14T01:14:00.000-08:00

Dogwood.
Ok....a couple more books....
Collected Poems: Gerard Manley Hopkins: I've always considered Spring and Fall one of my favourite poems, but didn't delve too deeply into the Hopkins repertoire....my mistake. Beauty, grandeur, profoundness, all to be found in these lines. The world is charged with the grandeur of God....just one of the poems I memorized this year and my favourite one to contemplate when I go for longish nature rambles. I find myself praying many of these poems....

Now...on a much more frivolous note...
Generica: (Novel) Will Ferguson: Sharp like a knife humour to be found here. The premise of the book is that a self help book that promises to show its' readers how to; quite smoking, loose weight, find love, advance in career goals, and find inner peace actually works. Once published the results of its' nefarious influence an apocalypse is unleashed upon America. Very witty off-skew humour. If you enjoy weird and funny and black you'll enjoy this book.

Orientalism: Edward W. Said: Not really fair to include this yet, as it's more a potential than a sure entry....I've just started it. But from a few Said articles I've read recently, and the strong opening I have a feeling that it will make the list. I can always edit it out later if I change my mind (: I enjoy a good critique and am interested in intellectual tradition and communication, therefore a good critique of intellectual tradition and communication seems right up my alley.

Ok....I think that does it for books. I read many others of course and many of the many were also wonderful....but these are the ones I've chosen to write on. Stay tuned for Music, Movies and Photos......

Auld Lang Syne (Part 1)

2004-12-12T09:17:00.000-08:00

Favourite coffee shop to read at.....Pane E Formage

I've always been a bit of an aficionado of the year end "best of lists". Through them I've found some great movies, books, music, art, etc that I never would have otherwise. Also there's the pleasure of shared agreement with the choices or the pleasure of knowing how much better you could do at this list thing, the superior feeling of knowing that you would never put Mortal Kombat II on your list....so it's time to put my money where my mouth is and present my humble list of the years' best finds. In keeping with my love of randomness my lists won't presented in a neatly binary or metric based "10 of" format.
The number of items on each list is completely arbitrary as is the order in which they are presented....it's enough to make the list - I don't think I could fairly categorize the items on in it in a sequential manner.
So today's' list is
Great Books I Read This Year:

Blue Like Jazz: Donald Miller: This is a beautifully written book that shows you can be passionate about your Christian faith without being a cookie-cutter/pew-warmer/ignore the rest of the world/churchy person. Miller has a knack for being irreverently reverent. One of my favourite scenes in the book is where Miller and friends set up a Confession Booth on an university campus. A Confession Booth with a difference; rather than take confession from visitors to the booth, it is the Christian (pseudo-priest) inside the booth who confesses their own ineptness in following Jesus in such a way as to make His love clear.
The Swallows of Kabul (Novel): Yasmina Khadra: A haunting fable like tale that exposes the horrors of the fascist theocracy of the Taliban. Through the tale of Moshen, his former-lawyer wife Zunaira, the jailer Atiq and his wife Musserrat the author shows the difference between the strength of faith and the danger of religious extremism. Sparse prose that is all the more impactful for its' minimalist style.
Christ and the Media: Malcolm Muggeridge: I cannot believe that I've never come across this book before. The interaction of cultural forces and spirituality has long been a fascination of mine and the presentation of this subject here is top notch. This little book is amazingly witty while still remaining a trenchant critique of media culture and its' power over culture at large. It reminds the reader of the constant need to be aware of the influences we subject ourselves to. Very powerful, very well written, very needed.
The Dogs of Babel: (Novel) Carolyn Parkhurst: Another fable like novel, this one exploring the realms of grief and loss. Paul Iverson becomes convinced that as a linguist he can teach his dog, the only witness to his wife's death, how to talk. His hope is to find answers to unanswerable questions. A meditation on life, love, coming together and falling apart. Bittersweet and strange and all the more beautiful for it.
Selected Readings from Soren Kierkegaard: What more to say? Challenging, thought provoking, stimulating. The basis for many a great conversation can be started with a Kierkegaardian quote.

More great books to come tomorrow.....

"And homeless near a thousand homes I stood"

2004-12-06T22:13:00.000-08:00

square drop
Originally uploaded by wabi6.

The Roman Historian Publius Cornelius Tacitus once observed; "They made a wasteland and called it peace.” These words can apply to souls as well as to countries.
My struggle lately could be called a literal jihad; a holy struggle within ones’ self. And the price for a wasteland peace is too great a one to pay. Nor is it a real peace, peace that deeply abidith….wasteland peace is more like the stillness of the void....

Questions:
I wrote about physical homelessness a couple of days ago, but what of spiritual homelessness? Why do I feel as one adrift on empty waters when I long to be one sailing unknown seas but to a sure destination?
I yearn for a spiritual community in which I will rise to the deepest depth of true serventhood. But why not here? Why not now? I search for God where others have found Him; is it that I do not have eyes to see, nor ears to hear? Why can’t I just be content with what is offered before me? Is it because I don’t want to settle or is it because pride hardens my heart? Do I long for more because I want to honour God, or myself?

How are these lines of T.S. Eliot to be interpreted, concerning my life?

Where is the Life we have lost in living?
Where is the wisdom we have lost in knowledge?
Where is the knowledge we have lost in information?
T. S. Eliot

Are they a call to continue the path that seems to lead onward through the dark night of the soul? Or are they an admonishment for me to get over myself? To start living what is here and now? I know that, in part, the answer lies in inteniality...I am not being intentional with my life and that must change. But the cycle of questioning continues...how to move into intentional spirituality, relationship, growth, outreach. And whose intentions? mine or His? How to make those one and the same......

Somehow I know there is more, and still I will search for it. May I be open to finding it wherever it lies….whether it be in front of me all this time or whether I must leave the known and traverse a new path. My heart longs to beat in it's true spiritual home and my soul to sing in the shadow of His wings….

to be continued.....

P.S. The title is a quote from William Wordsworth.

the fox has his lair and the lion his den......

2004-12-04T22:41:00.000-08:00

homeless
Originally uploaded by wabi6.

Homelessness. When I pass the sidewalks of the downtown East Side my heart breaks.
I look at the wreckage of one lost soul after another and wonder how did it come to be this way? How did yesterdays' child become todays' junkie? What does it do to the spirit to be without a home or even hovel to call your own? What does it do to the soul to see people pass you by with no more thought than they give the refuge lying about their feet. What does it do to the identity to know that when you die you may not even have a tombstone bearing your name? A name you might not have heard in years.
Last month I had lunch with a homeless man and he just kept repeating: "I'm Russ. My name is Russ. People won't even look at me, but I have a name. You can't pray for me without knowing my name, please remember it's Russ." I remember Russ. I see you. Or I try to. Because sometimes, many times, I'm one of the multitude passing on by. My hands more like those that drove in the nails than like Christs' own. How can this be? How can I allow myself to be indifferent. I know I care. I know I burn with passion, but now it is a cold blue fire. I search for the tools that will make me burn white hot. For Russ. And for all those whose names and faces I don't know, whose faces I've not looked into, whose names I didn't take the time to wonder about.
God forgive me.
For I know what I do not do.

more later.....

Thesis blog photo

2004-12-04T01:14:00.000-08:00

thesis blog photo
Originally uploaded by wabi6.

Well. Here she is. My albatross. My weight of the world. My Sisyphean task. My Thesis. All the cards are comments and quotes....and the layout is my attempt to organize into thematic categories....
So it goes....had coffee with a friend and was secretly relieved to hear that she's even further behind in this dissertation endeavor than I am....oh the guilty pleasures of schadenfreude....(I'm not the only one behind! YaY!)
Of course as penance for my gloating, I'll sort an extra 20 cards tonight (: It's worth it.

that's all folks......

sun

2004-12-01T22:27:00.000-08:00

0002
Originally uploaded by wabi6.

Just a little poetry today....one of my favourite Hopkins pieces.

The world is charged with the grandeur of God.

It will flame out, like shining from shook foil;

It gathers to a greatness, like the ooze of oil

Crushed. Why do men then now not reck his rod?

Generations have trod, have trod, have trod;

And all is seared with trade; bleared, smeared with toil;

And wears man’s smudge and shares man’s smell: the soil

Is bare now, nor can foot feel, being shod.

And for all this, nature is never spent;

There lives the dearest freshness deep down things;

And though the last lights off the black West went

Oh, morning, at the brown brink eastward, springs—

Because the Holy Ghost over the bent

World broods with warm breast and with ah! bright wings.

Wabi

2004-11-28T22:33:00.000-08:00

broken (a piece of work by a local artist I admire)
Originally uploaded by wabi6.

Leonard Cohean, Mosaic, Wabi......three different facets of a theme that's resonating with me these past few weeks.

Last night I attended a church service called Mosaic, a service for those who would feel marganalized by church society and probably just society in general, come to think of it. The premise of the name Mosaic is that broken things brought together become something of great beauty.

Wabi is a Japanese word. In the book "They Have a Word for It" (aside, this is a must own book) Wabi is described as the beautiful, distinctive, authentic flaw that distinguishes the spirit of the moment in which this object was created from all other moments in eternity.

Leonard Cohean weaves words that are music before even the first note is played... his song Anthem tells us to "Forget your perfect offering / There is a crack in everything / That's how the light gets in."

So these strands weave a rope which moor my spirit to a tenious understanding of the unfathamable love of God. The cracks in my own soul, the doubts the questions, the discontent with living life just as it is, the yearning for something more....can I learn to let the light in?
.......
more later

world in a drop

2004-11-26T11:06:00.000-08:00

world in a drop
Originally uploaded by wabi6.

what can we see in a rain drop? what can we see in each other? what worlds are there that we look through, past, beyond, but never into?
They say a picture is worth a thousand words...so here in is my first thousand and some words in this world of blogging.....

the beginning....