Saturday, November 22, 2008

New Podcast!

I came from and still work with a relief, development and education organization in Canada called Global Youth Network. Recently, I sat down with Dave, my good friend and director of Global to talk about what's happening across Canada and beyond.

Glonk here to listen online or download.

Thursday, November 13, 2008

I love Canada!

Canadians are nice. I've heard them described as polite and that is true but they are genuinely friendly. At least most Canadians I have met. Brenden really isn't this grumpy. He's very friendly and kind. I love the atmosphere up here...virtually free of guile.



And I get to go here every day. Sweet coffee and doughnuts and bagel sandwiches. No wonder Canadians are so nice...



And then there's the little surprises along the way. Like, you could say to yourself, "No, I don't have enough for a coffee, I just have a pocket full of change...oh wait, it's 7 dollars!!!!"



And it's not just Canada..I'm in Winnipeg, MB...just above Minnesota out here on the great, wide prairie. And where did I find myself the other day...but on the street Niel Young grew up on! Niel Young!!!! Bob Dylan was just here on this street...check this out!



And the Justice Discipleship Training School has been awesome. It has been a blast being with this team (I've been sharing this week on evangelism) that genuinely likes each other and are challenging each other deeper into Jesus' heart, into loving the neighborhood they are in and getting ready to join with the people in Uganda for a couple of months. We eat dinner every night at a local, co-op style cafe that was started by a church to bring life and enhance the culture of a needy neighborhood. Pray for them. They are cool.



All in all, it's been a great week. Only one down side to being here...

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Puppy-Cam!

Howdy folks, only 3 more weeks to enjoy one of the most popular live video feeds of all time...Puppy-Cam! You can watch the puppies, read about the puppies and chat about the puppies. Puppies! Yay!

See the puppies here!


Adorable...and weird.

Sunday, November 09, 2008

Sunday, November 02, 2008

The body of Christ



This is a picture hanging on my Dad's wall. Dad used to live in a 2 story house full of antiques and very dramatically decorated...our house was kind of like a museum (we even had an old chair with a rope hanging across it...you know...a "do not sit in this chair" rope). This is one of the paintings I looked at a lot growing up. It's sadness and beauty always captured me...even as a little kid.

Dad suffers with dementia and now lives in a small, low income apartment cared for by my two cousins Timmy and Denise. Timmy is mentally handicapped and Denise takes care of both Dad and Timmy day to day. My sister manages the house logistics and gives oversight and help to keep the little group going.

As I looked at the painting again on our recent trip back, it struck me in a new way. What's happening in this picture is what happens in that little home. As my cousins and my Sister faithfully bathe, soothe, feed and love my Dad, they are caring for Jesus. I seldom encounter such humility and grace. It is holy ground, sad and beautiful.

"Inasmuch as you did it for the least of these brothers of mine, you did it for me." -Jesus