January 13, 2010 · 7:47 pm

Hi there!

One thing for sure, the kind of thinking required to do well in a seminary class is very different than the kind of linear, logical, technical thinking of dentistry. 

And it is good, different as it should be, I suppose since the consideration of how we as Christians are sent out into the world is anything but technical.  We have shared reading from texts, discussed the changing face of our world and neighbourhoods and listened to great teachers from a variety of backgrounds.  We’ve spent hours preparing presentations of our own – for class on Friday – and that has been fun and challenging.  Advertising – the “air we breathe” as one aspect of pop culture.

So my brain has been expanding – sometimes close to exploding. but the challenge to the grey matter is likely not harmful.  It does take a few classes to get into the groove of a different way of thought.

Tonight I have been re-reading a booklet and writing my reflections into a paper due on Friday.  The library is a great place to work.  And there is internet.  Of course, how can one work these days without it?

And the weather here – well it is probably better than travelling down to Florida – is fairly balmy and today the sun was shining.  Of course we were all inside around tables and not outside in it.  Such is the life of a student.

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January 9, 2010 · 8:04 am

So here I am

Made it to Toronto last night about midnight their time. The flight was good – not full, so I shared a seat with myself.  Every introverts dream seating.

I watched a good Canadian made movie about a single mom from Palestine moving to the US – the challenges of moving to a new place with racial and religious prejudice.  That helped the 3 hours pass faster.  I also read one of the books I need to be up on for my course.

And my book promised for delivery by Jan 8 did not arrive by Jan 8, so I am short on the required reading.  The joys of living in the boonies. 

But anyway, I am sitting here in Rachelle and Asen’s living room while Ronin watches his new DVD and plays with his cars.  He’s a good kid – let me sleep in his room last night on his comfy bed.  It is fun to see him and his mom and dad too.  This afternoon I will let Rachelle do a pedicure and manicure and all sorts of esthetic wonders on me as I visit her at work.

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January 4, 2010 · 10:25 pm

Farewell

We learned the news tonight that a good friend died suddenly on Sunday night. Keith Fullerton was a spiritual father to Leo and I.  He was our pastor in Saskatoon when we were students learning about life and faith and he was the pastor that sent us off to the Congo.  You can read more about him here.

It has been good to keep in touch over the years, visiting when the occasion permitted.  I guess it is a few years past now since we spent some time together in their home in Surrey.  They gave my car with the broken window a safe place to sleep while we waited for the glass people to open on a Monday morning.

Keith was retired but not really. He was always busy serving in some capacity. I last saw him at Alive this fall.  He continued to be down to earth, loving life and people and keeping up with current issues in theology.  The term pastor suited him well.

Funerals never fall at convenient times and this next week is full of travel and study for me and travel and work for Leo so I doubt we will  be able to go and celebrate his life with friends.  My thoughts and prayers are with his family.  We will all miss him but we will meet again.

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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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December 29, 2009 · 4:31 pm

A Christmas Review

In past years I was on here posting stuff almost daily.  Not sure what has happened.  Maybe it is a sense of disconnect from you real people out there and less of a need to write stuff out to myself.  I’m not sure.

Christmas has come and gone and we had a good time here in our home.  All the kids and grandkids were home, all but Rachelle, Ronin and Asen from Toronto.  The house was full and noisy and the kids had fun.  It was fun to watch them interact with Ronin on Skype.  Seeing Rachelle and family helped ease the pain of separation – more than just a phone call.  Seeing has great value in communication I guess.

Dave, Annette and kids stayed for most of the week.  I love having them around even if the house gets to be a mess. They are just easy to be with and sit around and watch TV and play games with. 

Today Leo was back at work and I joined him, Eric and Michelle and Kimia for lunch at Shenanigans.  Leo got me a new phone image

that was Bluetooth compatible so that I could set up a hands free connection for the car.  We stopped and got one problem with it sorted out on the way to lunch.  Now I have to learn to use this new phone.  I don’t know if I really like it.  It does too much and although it will be nice to download ringtones and maybe take a picture or two, it does more than I really need or want.  The keyboard is nice for texting – which I do occasionally – so that feature is nice.  But I spent hours trying to figure out stuff and if the learning curve is too steep for my purposes, I wonder if I will just hate the thing and hardly use it.  It also is very square and does not feel nice in my hand – kind of clunky – so I don’t know.  Functional things should have some aesthetic value besides functioning.  Shouldn’t it feel like it fits my hand?  Maybe I ask too much.

The rest from work should allow my thumb to heal up. It is still very sore when I do certain things.  Holding a pen is still quite painful.  and holding a pen is very similar to how I hold a handpiece unfortunately.  I guess I must have torn the ligaments around the Metacarpophalangeal joint.  It will have a few more days to heal before I have to get back to work and I suspect I won’t let it slow me down too much. 

Other than eating too much and being generally quite lazy, a lot of my free time has been spent studying.  In two weeks I travel down to Chicago for an intensive seminary class on the missional church.  I will enjoy the class but there is quite a lot of reading and a few book reviews that I must get ready.  I plan a stopover in Toronto to visit Rachelle.  I sure hope the extra security becomes more efficient so that I can take a carry on and not have to spend 6 hours in line.  Maybe it would be faster to rent a car and drive from Toronto.  I guess I will just need an extra measure of patience. 

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December 23, 2009 · 9:55 pm

The Night Before The Night Before

Last day of work today for a week and a bit.  We finished off the day with a couple of emergencies that walked in to the office at the very last moment.  One fellow I could not help.  My sore hand had been working hard on some fillings and I just did not think it was wise to start an extraction that I might not be able to finish.

So the end of the day was spent catching up on all the last minute shopping, some gifts, some groceries, filled the car with gas and printed off some pictures I need for gifts.  Then I realized that I no longer had my VISA card.  It was not in its customary slot in my wallet. 

I don’t think there is a feeling that is much worse.  I need that card when I travel in January.  There would barely be time to replace it and there are all those accounts set up that I would have to remember to change.  So, my mind began backtracking the events of my afternoon – when had I used it last, etc.  And I realized I had l left it in the chipreader following one of my purchases.  What were the chances of it still being there two hours later?  I almost gave up before returning to the store.  But, I thought I’d better at least give it a try. 

So glad I did!  The person minding the till was still on duty and there was my card.  Wonder of wonders!  Thank God it was safe.  Made my day! 

So, now there are just gifts to wrap, food to cook and a bit of relaxing to do. 

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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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December 20, 2009 · 12:30 pm

And it is done.

It was tempting to state “It is finished” but I hope it is not. There is still half the class to complete.  I did well enough to feel not too badly about it and feel good just knowing the Greek mid-term is done. No 100% either but a good effort.

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December 17, 2009 · 8:20 am

It arrived

The long awaited exam has arrived – finally. 

So this Saturday I will be praying that my memory doesn’t fail me completely. 

Meanwhile I continue to study like crazy.

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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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