Terribly Poetic

"Limit poker is a science, but no-limit is an art. In limit, you are shooting at a target. In no-limit, the target comes alive and shoots back at you."

Labels: poker

All throughout the night
I wanted to see a twinkle,
A gleaming hope of
Love in that light
Something to touch and
To instill an image an
Art painted, with that same
Light.
On the canvas of life
Something was imprinted
What I thought I saw was only
An etching, scratched on the
Surface.
But I saw a masterpiece.
Something far more wonderful
And amazing. Mere utterances
About this canvas convey nothing
It is a new realm of love displayed
On my canvas.
Once the canvas was old and
Beaten, but now it is renewed and fresh
Together with your paint
And my canvas
It has left a masterpiece
To richen both soul and spirit.

Labels: poker

So today is the first day of Spring, for nerds like me; yes I admit it, today is known as the Vernal Equinox. Following is some info for those that didn't already know this info.

The date (near March 21 in the northern hemisphere) when night and day are nearly the same length and Sun crosses the celestial equator (i.e., declination 0) moving northward. In the southern hemisphere, the vernal equinox corresponds to the center of the Sun crossing the celestial equator moving southward and occurs on the date of the northern autumnal equinox. The vernal equinox marks the first day of the season of spring. The right ascension at the vernal equinox originally was in the constellation Aries and the point of crossing was known as the first point in Aries (now actually in Pisces because of precession

So I admit that I didn't know all of this (mainly the part of Aries). In layman's terms, today is Spring. Enough said.

"The strong point in poker is never to lose your temper, either with those you are playing with or, more particularly, with the cards. There is no sympathy in poker. Always keep cool. If you lose your head you will lose all your chips."

Labels: poker

So yesterday my wife and I where both reading different blogs from around the net like usual. However, she stubbled across a large number of blogs from people in Saskatoon. Most of these people are people we have not actually met, but know through a connect. After all, how big is the Christian circle in Saskatoon, really, its not that big...anyways. I discovered (my wife really) that some people I hardly know read my blog and some even link to it. Thanks alot to all you readers out there. I feel that somehow I am accountable to MANY people on what I say on this thing. Maybe this just drives home the point about blogging people a virtual porch.

On another note, friends of ours in BC recently started connecting with another friend we know in Saskatoon through blogging. They had never met before. It has become a great connection and their has been some genuine friendship and encouragement just through their blog. If this isn't a virtual porch then I don't know what it is, but it seems to be doing some good on the internet in a place that can be so full of evil.

Well, its off to bring my busted car to the body shop, and I don't want to be late. I can't wait to drive a rental car for awhile. Yeppie!

This poker quote I believe has been witnessed at my house on many occasions. Thanks Greg.

"The cardinal sin in poker, worse than playing did cards, worse even than figuring your odds correctly, is becoming emotionally involved."

Labels: poker

Since my wife posted a picture of our busted up vehicle I thought it would be good if I did too. Here is a close up picture of the close to $8000 worth of damage. The damage was very close to a write off. Thankfully, the body shop is going to be paying the deductible (even when we didn't have to) so that the car is not written off. I think the job will make them more than enough that the deductible won't hurt their profit! But nonetheless, I still am very thankful that they did their best to keep the car from being written off, not every body shop would do that. I am so grateful that we are not going to be doing any car shopping. Can't wait to drive a rental.

Update: After Jessica reminded me about the great referring program at the body shop. Kavia Automotive is the place to go if you need any body work. Just talk to Raj Kavia he is the man. Don't forget to mention me when you go there. Thanks for the reminder J.B.

"Poker, it's all about gambling"

Labels: poker

“It never hurts for potential opponents to think you’re more than a little stupid and can hardly count all the money in your hip pocket, much less hold on to it..”

Labels: poker

I have been thinking lately that we think to much. I know this sounds weird coming from the blog that often sounds very deep. Think about how many problems we have encoutered because we thought about things to much. It reminds me of philosophy alot. So many people jump head first into studying philosophy and come out the otherside messed up. I am not saying that we are to live in ignorance and not learn and ask the tough questions. However, do we sometimes not read to far into everything? And so I say, and I quote,

"There where so many fewer questions when stars where just holes to heaven."

You can read into this as you please. If you know where this quote comes from then you get bonus points in my books.

So I thought that it was time to change the name to my blog. After all, I didn't really put much thought into the last name. Since my blog seems so serious all the time, which I kinda like, but anyways... I felt that that seriousness seemed to show how "terribly poetic" I really am. So the name will stick for now. Just so you know, the poetry (if you can call it that) is my own. Its part of my past and I thought that now is a good time to share something that has for the most part remained hidden till now. So I hope you enjoy. Feel free to comment or pass it along to uplift or encourage. (or maybe make them laugh at the thought of me writing poetry)

Lately, I feel like this blog is so deep, so full of my own ramblings. Why exactly do I write all these thoughts onto a screen and send it off into cyberspace where anyone could possible read or maybe no one will read it. Why? Well, I read a post from someone else's blog about how these blogs are virtual porch swings. It talks about how people use to gather on porches to talk, ramble, and have much of the same dialogue that we do on these blogs. Is that what these blogs our, or, in fact are they a sign of a culture that is missing community so much that we have created a "virtual" community. Our we scared of true community? Is blogging away of testing the waters to see whether or not we can really enter into community? We can enter into someone's blog, and then leave when we don't like it or feel we are being pushed out of our comfort zone. Can these virtual communities thrive to become relevant communities? Thoughts...

Since Curtis already told his story of wonderful winter driving incidents here. I thought that it was my turn. Busy with banquet preparations I drove to the office on Saturday evening parking right out in front of the office. While I was expecting Greg to be right behind me I left the front door of the office open and proceeded upstairs. Then I heard a loud sound and thought that it was the door closing, but when Greg didn't arrive after the sound I went to investigate. Well, turns out a Pathfinder had slid right into my car!! Let's just say that a parked Corolla doesn't stand a chance against a sliding Pathfinder and the Corolla is in need of a makeover. However, the story doesn't end there. I go back into the office to get paper to exchange info and when I return Greg has now arrived but he has also been rear ended while trying to park!!! Can you believe that both of us got our cars rear-ended in a matter of a couple minutes!! WOW. At least no one got hurt and neither are in fault so the other people will be paying insurance to fix our cars. Man, what a crazy day. As a side note...while watching the same section of road we saw at least 5 near accidents...car after car slid through or into the intersection or was almost read-ended. I guess with this mild winter no one has had to practice their great winter driving skills. Oh, well, at least I will get to drive a nice loaner vehicle for awhile. That's life.

Why is it that we think we are so powerful? We think we can do everything by ourselves and that we don't need help. So often we might not say exactly that we think we can do it all, but everyday we wake up and get ready for life without once considering how we even got to the place we now our. I don't mean, the life we now live with our families, jobs, or whatever, but I mean life and how we live it. We take it forgranted. We look at our "wonderful life" and seem to be proud of it and everything that we accomplish and do. Recently, I hurt my back, and not just alittle, I mean, I can barely get out of bed in the morning. I have become powerless. I can't even get my own socks on in the morning. It was hard for me to allow my wife to help me at first, but then I realized that I was humbled. I couldn't do everything by myself anymore. It was a small or infinidisimal look into the lives of people like the elderly or the paralysed. But this small humbling I believe can teach us more than just to appreciate or to look after these people, but it teaches us that our life is not our own. We are so individualistic in our modern society. We think we can do everything and that we are so powerful, but I believe we are really very powerless. So today, may you realize that your life is a gift and that we all need to look beyond ourselves. May we come to live in a humble manner and not in a "me" first kinda way. Without living this way, I don't think we can possible be able to hear from God. I think that God chooses to humble us at times so that he can get His voice through, but why don't we live humbly so that we can hope to hear His voice all the time?

I just discover that one of the premier MC's of all time has his own blog. And he has some insightful things to say. Read Father Father Father and you will be amazed at how an MC can write. Very enjoyable blog. A must read.

What would happen if Microsoft designed the Ipod? Click here

This made me laugh a lot. Especially since graphic design is something I love and I also happen to love Apple design.

Hope this lightens the mood from all the indept thinking I have been posting on my blog recently.

Why exactly is preaching so important in our churches? I thought I could write something good about this, but I would fail, so why not post a link to someone who already made a good post about this. Click here to read it.
I especially enjoyed the link in the above article from the "Complex Christ." Too often I feel like I should have enjoyed the sermon because I am supposed too. But really when was the last time I enjoyed a sermon? Can't remember.

We also always ask each other "how was church?" Often if the sermon was "good" then we liked church and if we didn't like the sermon then we respond "it was alright" or "okay." But why is the sermon such an important element. There is no real dialogue and no real community in the sermon. And often these same things can be said of the "worship" part of the service. Which begs the question, isn't it supposed to be the Sunday Worship Service? Shouldn't the whole service be worship? Why is there a time when we enter into worship? Why do we say things like "thanks for that great time of leading us in worship" And the sermon then follows that comment. If we are to be making disciples how is this sunday morning meeting accomplishing this. What should we change? How do we need to act. As I believe we talk about things too much and don't DO anything. See previous post where I talk about this issue. How do we need to react? Should we quit preaching in church? Should we replace it with something else? If so what? These are issues that I believe are relevant.

Five reasons why this guy is Post Emergent.

1. The conversation still looks to much like the old conversation, white, male and academic. The dominant culture still dominates.
2. The values behind the conversation aren’t readily expressed in actions. No generous orthopraxis to go with the generous orthodoxy. (see my previous post)
3. The lexicon of the white European theological framework which still dominates. There is very little inclusion of black theologians and the theological framework of people of color. People of color seem to be included in the conversation only if they are willing to use this language and framework. It seems we all need to read NT Wright in order to have any credibility.
4. Talk, talk and more talk. My experience is we love to talk about this stuff but other than retro worship stuff we don’t get around to acting on it. Even so talk about diversity has never come to the fore. I want to be the church and act like the church not just talk like the church.
5. Ultimately its about relationships and I have made some good ones which go beyond the whole emergent (non movement) thing. So I’ll go about the spiritual practice of reconciliation through relationships with my brothers and sisters and leave emergent tag to others.

I am starting to believe that there is alot of truth to what he is saying. The popular ideas of change in our churches are not always tagged as emergent, but the basic idea is the same. The idea that we talk to much and have very little action is something that has been a problem for a long time. Even Solomon warned of talking to much in Ecclessiaties. The "retro" worship stuff we talk about often becomes just a different order of worship and a differnt "look." Instead of traditional worship services with "fellowship" before or after, we replaced it will fancy coffee times and call it changed. I don't buy that. True change is attitude. I agree, its about relationships and we need to change the way we approach these relationships. Away from the "us and them" mentality towards thinking about the community as a whole, not just OUR community.