Monday, February 18, 2013

The Peace of the Wild Things...



When despair for the world grows in me
and I wake in the night at the least sound
in fear of what my life and my children's lives may be,
I go and lie down where the wood drake 
rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds.
I come into the peace of the wild things
who do not tax their lives with forethought
of grief. I come into the presence of still water.
And I feel above me the day-blind stars
waiting with their light. For a time
I rest in the grace of the world, and am free. 

Wendell Berry



...updates from the trip over January to come soon...

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

2012 photographs


I have posted some of these photo's before, but they are some of my best of the year, so I'm posting them again :)






















Sunday, December 30, 2012

books...

I've read a lot of books, and a lot of other small readings in course packets or chapters out of books. I'm a slow reader, that needs time and no distractions to really read. So some of these books I may have skimmed through, and others really read. But I will share them with you and make a few recommendations. I read a few more than what is on this list, but since we are only doing 12, I thought I'd put the ones I liked best.

east of eden1. East of Eden - I started reading this around Christmas time last year, and worked my way through slowly through it during the spring.  A MUST read classic by John Steinbeck.
















2. Love Wins by Rob Bell & Erasing Hell by Francis Chan- I'm putting these two together, because they are both about heaven and hell, and one in response to the other. I honestly didn't really think either book was that great, but I thought they would be good to read since there was so much commotion (especially from Love Wins). There were a few good points that I liked, particularly made about heaven in Love Wins, but over all there were a bunch of posed questions that, weren't really answered or I thought dealt with in the best way. I think if reading both of these books together it could leave many readers confused for various reasons, one being that they both seem to use scripture as their backing for their points, and their points are both very opposite. They were also written in such a way that made it sound as if these ideas had never been thought of or these questions asked before. The doctrine of heaven and hell have been thought about for hundreds of years before these books were written, and I think looking at past writings might provide more fruitful study if you are interested in talking about heaven and hell. These two pop-Christians culture books by two famous pop Christians culture authors, I think are worth reading if you want to talk about them. But I heard a lot of conversation condemning both without people even having actually read the books. It's definitely good to ask hard questions, and definitely good to talk about them, but we have to do it in community, looking at context with other historically respected authors and most importantly with Christ and the Word of God at the center.


 3. Abandoned To God by David McCasland- A Biography on Oswald Chambers. AMAZING! He was an incredible man (and his wife Biddy too!) Great examples of what it means to trust God. My Utmost for His Highest is also something I've read involving Chambers, as it is a compilation of his teachings and sermons. 


4. The Damnation of Theron Ware by Harold Frederic- a very bizarre but interesting book about a young methodist pastor who becomes obsessed with temptations in the world. 

5. Who is this Man? by John Ortberg - a more historical look at Jesus Christ, and his impact in the world not just in the Christian, salvation sort of sense but even just in how society changed with his coming. 

6. Celebration of Discipline by Richard J. Foster- great great book on spiritual disciplines.


7. Humility-true greatness by C.J. Mahaney



8. In the Name of Jesus by Henri Nouwen - A superb little read on reflections of what it means to be a true Christian leader



9. Discipleship- by Dietrich Bonhoeffer - I read a section out of this book, on the church and for a big paper I wrote in my Christian Theology class. It was so good. I have read life together, but this was also really excellent writing on what the call of discipleship really is.


10. The Heavenly Man - the story of Brother Yun, a major underground church leader in China. I'm still reading this one, but it is an incredible story of how God reveals himself in miraculous ways, and how the obedience of this one man to preach the Gospel brought thousands and thousands of people to the love of Jesus.
 

11. A little exercis for young theologians by Helmut Thielicke- a pretty dense little read, warning of the pitfalls studying theology can bring and thoughts on how to avoid them.



12. After the End of Art by Arthur C. Danto - Very complicated and hard to understand art theory book speaking about modern and postmodern/contemporary theories.

 

a look back on 2012...

roller coaster. I like vintage coloring sometimes, but this is a little too bleached out for my taste. However, I find the composition interesting.
2012.
What a year.
"It's like being on a roller coaster, but in the dark."
A friend quoted this to me during the fire this summer, and it seems that it could ring true for the year as well. Not always in a negative sense, but just in the idea that it has been full of up's, down's, twist's and turn's. Many times with no idea of what is next. It can't definitely be terrifying, or make my stomach drop, but under neath it all, underneath the roller coaster is a firm set of tracks that knows where it's going. It brings us safely to the finishing point. Underneath every up and down has been the solid Rock, the ever faithful and guiding Shepherd.

I might not go into an in depth description of the year, but I do want to share some of the tunes, images, books and various other aspects of life that have accompanied me through the year.

Saturday, December 29, 2012

Karl Barth on faith...

"Faith is acknowledgment of our limit and acknowledgment of the mystery of God's Word, acknowledgment of the fact that our hearing is bound to God Himself, who now leads us through form to content and now from content back to form and either way to Himself, not giving Himself in either case into our hands but keeping us in His hands."

Tuesday, December 25, 2012

joy to the world! the KING has come!



Light of lights! All gloom dispelling,
Thou didst come to make thy dwelling
Here within our world of sight.
Lord, in pity and in power,
Thou didst in our darkest hour
Rend the clouds and show thy light.

Praise to thee in earth and heaven
Now and evermore be given,
Christ, who art our sun and shield.
Lord, for us thy life thou gavest,
Those who trust in thee
Thou savest,
All thy mercy stand revealed.

St. Thomas Aquinas

...Then let us all with one accord
Sing praises to our heavenly Lord,
That hath made heaven and earth of nought,
And with his blood mankind has bought.
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel,
Born is the King of Israel...

Saturday, October 13, 2012

a little behind...

I said a while ago that I was going to post about a number of different experiences that I could say might sum up my experience this summer...so far that hasn't happened, so I think i might just do it with photographs with maybe a few teeny captions. Here it goes.

                                                                       WEDDINGS

There were many many many weddings this summer. Unfortunately I was only able to attend two, but never the less many friends said their "I do's" this summer. Congratulations my friends!





BABIES

There was also many a new born this spring and this summer... here's a few pics of the new babe's 






FIRE

As many of you know, this summer had a quite traumatic aspect to it, as we watched our city light up and our neighbourhood burn. By the grace of God, our house is standing, but we are still dealing with the emotional and physical reminders of what happened with the Waldo Canyon Fire.






N. IRELAND & CZECH









OREGON