Category Archives: Day to Day

January 31, 2010 · 7:55 am

I am still here

Things are getting a bit crazy but I am still here – up in my little study.  Studying.

There has not been a lot of time for anything else although I am speaking this morning.  Fortunately when one takes a seminary class, it provides lots of stuff to speak about.  At least in this case when the class is about the missional church.

The class I start tomorrow may not – Old Testament I.  It will be heavy on history and I am not a historian.  However I have my own personal historian on site and I think he will like me asking him all sorts of questions.

I am also working to finish up my Greek class as quickly as possible to get it off my back.  Three classes at once since I am still needing to write my term paper for the class I took in January.  

I may not post very often.  I won’t likely do anything much but study and work I guess.

 

On the bright side, Leo and I booked our flights for Europe this July.  We are going.  Belgium, Portugal, Spain, England.  Hope we can do it all in 6 weeks. Toronto is on the list to visit as well on the way back.

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Filed under Day to Day, Studying, Travels

January 2, 2010 · 7:58 am

Pushed to efficiency – but no rest in sight

It seems as if a strange phenomenon happens to me – when I get busier, I become more efficient.  Therefore, I suppose I should look on the unexpected events of this week so much as an inconvenient imposition on my time maybe but more as a helpful impetus to efficiency.

One week from today I should be on my way to Chicago to take a J-Term intensive class at my denominations seminary.  The class material looks good and the professor is an old colleague from the Congo. Well, actually, he is probably not “old” at least not exactly older than me but we have known each other for a considerable time.  The class is entitled Pastoring the Missional Church.  Even though I’m not likely to ever pastor a church in an institutional setting the material speaks of a subject that I feel a connection to – how to interact with the culture in which I find myself in ways that are consistent with the teachings of Christ; how to live out my faith in ways that demonstrate God’s love and care for the people I interact with.  This I know is something I am called to even if the setting for me is uncertain now.

So, anyway, I have a lot of reading to do to get ready for the class and a couple of short papers to write reviewing the books. 

On top of this, I have a Greek quiz to get done this weekend.  So, this evening or tomorrow afternoon that is one thing I will be doing.

And then circumstances threw another big change into my schedule. Got a call on Tuesday that a space had opened up in a very nice home for my aunt but that we should either move her there on Thursday (New Years Eve) or next week.  Since next week I have a full slate of patients and since this kind of a move involves a huge amount of time for paperwork and packing not available when I am working, I chose to get the move done this week.  So far, the past three afternoons have been entirely taken up with this move and I expect today will be no different.  But today should finish the move.  I hope.

I have found that in spite of the full schedule things are getting accomplished.  I don’t have a lot of time to just relax though and very little time to enjoy the outdoors like I was anticipating.  But –37 C is a little cold for outdoor activities anyway, eh?

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Filed under Day to Day, Dealing with stuff, Family, Studying

December 20, 2009 · 12:58 pm

The Staff Party

I work with a great staff and so our annual office party is always fun.  This year we decided to do something a little bit different so we arranged for a van to take us up to one of the lakes north of town where they have a great restaurant for our festive meal together. 

We also arranged to rent a chalet and have a sled dog presentation to help entertain us for the afternoon. 

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The chalet was cozy and of course allowed us to bring our own booze and have a campfire to enjoy outside.  The weather was really great so we all had a good time.

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We learned a lot of interesting things about the sled dogs too, including how hard they have to work!

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Unfortunately, I tripped and fell, landing on my right thumb.  It is swollen and bruised.  Only sprained I think but that is my working hand.  Tomorrow may be interesting.  😦

The meal was as good as promised – way more food than we could eat! 

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And my partner and fellow dentist was in fine form – not as fine as last year – he was able to get up this morning for church.  He does keep us entertained. 🙂

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Filed under Christmas, Day to Day, Dental, Photos

December 14, 2009 · 6:56 am

This waiting time

Waiting for an exam at Christmas time is not a good way to prepare for the coming of Christmas.

Or is it?

It means that every moment of my day has to be thought out. Can I get some good studying done? Should I take a break now and put up some decorations? How much of my time should I give to my kids who need babysitting so they can get some important things done?

What are my priorities when it really comes down to how I use my time? I guess this has been the question foremost in my mind these days. What are the most important priorities when I am living out my life stressed by too many demands on my time and at the same time trying to walk through life as a follower of Jesus?

Just trying to live out my relationship with God as I take care of my family, myself and my work. Trying to maintain some sort of balance and sanity. Besides studying and passing a midterm. Thus not much blogging or deep thoughts.

I will be so glad when I have a short break from work between Christmas and New Years.

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Filed under Day to Day, Family, grandchildren, Studying

November 27, 2009 · 6:53 pm

Seeming endless

Today was one of those days that just seemed to have no clear starting point.  Yesterday went on late into the night as I drove back from Saskatoon and the endodontic course, arriving back at my house around midnight, some 18 hours after my morning alarm woke me to start the day.

Then, tired but still alert from coffee on the road, I finally was settling into sleep when Leo’s phone rang.  He is on call but of course did not hear the phone – I did.  Back to sleep again.  At least I think I had fallen asleep when the phone rang again – 2:30 am.  This time it is the security people that monitor my office. Dragged myself out to check the office out.  It was fine and I was back into bed within half an hour.  But I was not asleep again – that took a lot longer. 

I had the sense to set the wake up time on the alarm back a couple of hours and didn’t wake till it rang at 7. 

Today was a very busy day at the school dental program.  I saw 40 kids and stayed alert enough to do that, have an interview at noon and participate in a staff meeting after school ended. 

But now my eyes feel like lead and I doubt that I will do anything productive.  So I shall try and sleep – till my kids and grandkids arrive from Saskatoon around 8. 

Tomorrow is another day.  Less demanding I hope.

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November 22, 2009 · 6:25 pm

The Lake Sings

It was such a beautiful day today that I just had to get out of this place – out into a place with trees and water and sky.  So, in spite of the CFL big game which I do enjoy watching, I went for a drive to Anglin Lake.

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The lake is frozen quite solid.  But it was singing to me.  Honestly.  I’ve never heard the ice sing like that before.  A strange haunted noise as if something were trapped in the lake below the frozen surface. I wonder how the sound is produced.

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I am glad I went. My spirit needed some fresh air and clear skies.

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November 18, 2009 · 8:19 am

I have a lot of respect…

for anyone who can grow and maintain a perfect ‘fro.  And sing his heart out to boot.

That was Alex Cuba.  Really was worth the trip to Saskatoon and the late night which will catch up with me today, I am sure.  He sang all his songs in Spanish which very few in the audience understood.  His passion for music and life was unmistakable and came across to all os us.

 

Music – what a way for people to connect.  I think God gave us a truly wonderful gift in our ability to make and appreciate music.

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November 16, 2009 · 6:53 pm

And tomorrow

I’ve been invited by Christian to go with him to Saskatoon to the Jazz Bassment to hear Alex Cuba.  It may be a late night but should be fun.  And it is kind of cool that Christian thinks his mother likes the right kind of music enough to merit being invited.  I asked if we would be sure to get in, would there just be a cover charge or what and I was informed that we’d be on the guest list.  Super cool.  Can’t say I’ve ever been on any musicians guest list.

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November 14, 2009 · 6:27 am

Sort of took a day off

OK, so I posted about the sin of indifference and then yesterday when I could have been studying, I spent the afternoon watching a movie instead.  Seven Pounds.  I would recommend it.  Has some spiritual implications that make one think.

And I felt good about it.  I haven’t done anything for fun in a long time and I needed that. 

But now maybe it is time to get back to the books.  I am thinking that solitaire is the ideal thief of time and feeds my tendency to acedie all too well.

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November 10, 2009 · 10:06 am

No camera

The sky was almost the color of my header this morning as I drove to work.  ( Since I’ve since changed my header I inserted the original picture here.)

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A bit pinker.  Hope tomorrow’s sky is as vivid because today I had no camera along.

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