Blog comeback, Part II

Don't call it a comeback
I been here for years
Rockin' my peers
Puttin' suckers in fear...

Go ahead - play my favourite game... name that tune!

So it's now been a month since I've posted anything of signficance on my blog! Crazy. It's because it's summer... and I'm too busy DOIN' STUFF to write.

Back on April 15th, I posted a list of all the things I was looking forward to doing in summer. Let's look back and see how I'm doing on that list...

- Sandals, shorts and t-shirts without the long sleeves underneath
Every day apparel!

- Hearing the birds every morning
If I'm up early enough!

- Actually needing my sunglasses because it's too bright
Oh yea - Mr. Sensitive Eyes here!

- Opening the sunroof all the way (and not putting on the heat to compensate)
Yes - and the funny thing is now everytime I open the sunroof, sand blows in. Sand got up in the weatherstripping and stuff last week after I had the boat on the beach and then put the boat back on the car without cleaning it off!

- Playing at various parks with the girls
Every couple days!

- Picnics at those same parks
Only in the spring at the waterfalls. None others yet.

- Swimming at the pool
Not enough... but some!

- Saturday afternoons at the beach
Saturdays, and other days too!

- Going to Gravenhurst to pick up my new kayak
Okay... it was at Georgian Bay. But I got it!

- Kayaking the Grand River
A little bit. Not in the fun swift sections yet.

- Kayaking Cootes Paradise
Never again - it's a gross swamp!

- Kayaking 16 Mile Creek
A nice pre-work paddle almost once a week!

- Kayaking the Saugeen River
Not yet - I hope so!

- Kayaking the Hamilton Harbour
Love it! Lots of fun! Last week being right next to the huge barge was fun!

- Camping with the girls
Soon!

- Camping and paddling with just Arja
Dunno if it will happen

- BBQing without wearing a jacket
Oh yeah! Gonna BBQ some jerk chicken soon - just got the recipe!

- Mowing the lawn
Well, the lawn is about dead now :(

- Sitting on the porch with Arja after the girls are in bed
It's a nice end to the day at times!

- Ancaster Heritage Days Parade
The parade was good this year. The kid's fun-land was a joke. :P

- Canada Day
Other than it being on a Sunday, it was great this year! We enjoyed it with great friends!

- Spending a weekend at a cottage
We spent a Thursday at Shel's cottage. Going back for a full week soon!

- Slow walks with Arja and the girls
Last night at Bayfront was a keeper!

- Working with Kanah on her biking - riding without training wheels
It didn't take any "working". She just did it one day (thanks, Uncle Gav!), and is a pro now!

- Helping Taly become more accustomed to her trike
Well, she's not all that enthusiastic about it.

- Cleaning up the car and keeping it clean
I cleaned it up. Now it's full of sand. :(

- Walking the boardwalk at RBG and watching the birds eat from Arja's hand
Not yet. EDIT Actually, the girls and I went, and Kanah had chipmunks eat from her hand! It was so cool for her!

- An afternoon pint on the patio at St. Louis, Montana's or Jack Astor's
I now love Jack Astor's nachos. Oh ya, and the pints are good too!

- Setting up the tent in the backyard for the girls
Hasn't happened yet.

- Fresh strawberries
Didn't get enough of them!

- Fresh peas
Again, not enough!

- Fresh corn
Soon I hope! Not ready yet!

- Family Camp @ Kahquah? (the jury is still out on that one)
Nope - the jury came back negative. We are going to Shel's cottage instead! Even better!

- Watching Kanah shred it up on a tube behind a boat
That one probably won't happen this year. :(

- Baptisms in 16 Mile Creek
They moved it to Lake Ontario. Meh! I paddled Ontario last week - It's friggin' cold!

- The Bruce Peninsula
Oh yeah! Paddling Lake Huron was great! Going back soon!

- Canada's Wonderland
Not yet.

- Taking each of the girls kayaking
Not yet.


So there's a partial list of what's been keeping me from my blog.

This, so far, has probably been the best, most relaxing summer I've had in YEARS. I've had three 1/2 weeks off (with a few days of work thrown in), and I have 2 full weeks off soon. One of those is painting the house. The other will be at the cottage with Benj and Shel. That will be alot of fun.

It's been so healthy to just take a lighter pace and relax, go paddling, go swimming, to the beach, etc. I've really enjoyed just hanging out with my ladies!

I've done some great reading this summer.

- Jim and Casper Go to Church
A very impacting book that has me thinking significantly about the way I approach my work. It's an expose of the modern church movement, written from a pastor and an atheist who went around to many churches and critiqued them. Fascinating reading. The thing that got to me over and over again was the criticism of the "big production". Matt Casper, writing from his impressions as a non-church-goer who was open-minded to the experience... he said of the big production (cameras, lights, haze, etc)... "Is this what Jesus REALLY told you guys to do?"

It's got me rethinking the way I approach production at The Meeting House. Brux and I discussed this yesterday. It's like we take these small little steps over the years, and eventually, the thing gets so big, but we don't notice it getting just a little bit "over the top". We started with white lights, then we added some colour to them, then we made them flash, then we added haze so you could see them more. Same with the cameras and all that jazz. We make excuses by saying we are "culturally relevant". It's true. But we discount the non-church-goer's desire for something "real" - not something "flashy".

Anyway, it's something I'm having to process. I need to figure out how to tame the beast.

- Race Against Time
Stephen Lewis' book on the current crises of HIV/AIDS, debt, famine and lack of free education that is destroying the bulk of Africa. It's tearing me apart when I read it. Some of my friends/coworkers just came back from 2 weeks in Africa. Their stories break me. I am feeling a burning to help in some way - any way that I possibly can. It feels like David facing Goliath. We (our church) are looking for God to show us how we can face the giant together with our African brothers and sisters. It looks like a strong partnership long-term with Mennonite Central Committee may be part of our approach.

It's another thing to process. It's reaffirmed my committment to simple living. Ironic how that comes just after I bought the boat. It's a process. I'm not there yet. The first steps, for now, are recognizing how much we have here, and living in light of that knowledge. Being more grateful... desiring less... spending less... giving more... but beyond that... I don't know yet. Lots of thoughts... none ready to be shared publicly yet.

And with that... I'll sign off now. I started fun, and end pensive. After all... when it comes down to it... while I'm out paddling this week and eating steak and drinking Corona, how many people will die from AIDS? How many children will be orphaned? What the **** am I gonna do about it??!?!?!?! We in North America go on with our cushy little lives, acquiring stuff... spending money... and asking God to bless us. We earn thousands of dollars per year... most people in Southern Africa live on less than $1 per day....

These are the tensions in my head this summer.

Wow - how's that for a change of gears mid stream? And with that, I quit my rant.

Peace.
jamie