Who Said It's Easy?

The past week of my life has been more than busy, more than eventful, and more than rewarding. I poured all my energies into finishing my contract with YFC, leaving time and desire for little else. Of course this means that I am now jobless, but it also means I am $2000 richer.

But life has held so much more than just work. The postal service was the bearer of joy not once, but twice. My degree came in the mail concluding 7 years of post secondary edumacation.



My new ESV study bible came in the mail as well. It is amazing, if not a little intimidating. I did not include a picture of it because it looks like...well, a big bible. It is the inside that is amazing. Here is a video about it to better explain. (I think the guy in the video has a neck disorder that causes him to move continously.)


There are so many little joys that I want to share that it would make this post ridiculously long. I will instead end it here and share them with you in bite size portions in future posts. Till then.

From Now On Your Small Breasts Need Not Be the Cause of Your Embarrassment

Today I share with you the joy of words as art. I just love how playful Linzie Hunter is in turning spam messages into beautiful typography. Apparently these will be collected in a book, "Secret Weapon: 30 Hand Painted Spam Postcards", available soon. Below are a few of my favorites from her collection.

The Novel

Life has been...how might I say it...busy. Enjoyable, but challenging and draining. The best part of my busy life the past week was that my brother and his girlfriend came to visit for Thanksgiving. Every time he visits it feels like he has never left. We ended up playing tourist a bit because of his girlfriend, but it was lots of fun. As always, I will miss him till the next time one of us can visit the other.

I've been reading pretty heavily the past weeks despite the busy schedule. I read Ravi Zacharias' The Lamb and the Führer: Jesus Talks with Hitler. It was interesting on it's own, but more so it made me want to read the prison writings of Dietrich Bonhoeffer. God bless libraries.

It's interesting how much of my reading has been accidentally parallel. Reading about a past Christian seemed amplified by the other book I chance to be reading at the same time. I have recently joined a bible study with my church and we are covering the history of the early church. In preparation I borrowed a book on the history of the church by D. Jeffrey Bingham from my friend. The preface arrested my attention more than once. I excerpt at length:


Every historian is an interpreter of historical facts, presenting those facts as he or she understands them. The historian attempts to find some meaning or significance in what has happened in the past and to describe a relationship between this person and another, between this event and that one. Historians try to make connections and, out of those connections, to suggest lessons.


In many ways church history is the history of Christians interpreting the Bible.


So, what in history may be of particular use to Christians of the twenty-first century? Let me suggest three things.
First, history can help us put our own experience, knowledge and practice into proper perspective. Each generation is tempted to view itself as the best, brightest and most insightful generation. Each generation of Christians is tempted to see its way of worship, its way of ministry, its way of doing spirituality as the most biblical or practical. History reminds us that our generation is not the only one that has ever lived the Christian life. We are Christians within a company of Christians, both present and past, both living on earth and with the Lord. History helps keep us from becoming infatuated with ourselves. History nurtures the goldy virtue of humility.
Second, history reminds us that actions and ideas have consequences not only in our own generation but also for generations to come. What we believe, teach and practice affects future generations of believers. therefore history helps us to not act or teach impulsively. We must employ caution. We must enter into self-criticism and self-evaluation. History helps keep us from taking ourselves too seriously, as if we had all the best answers. At the same time history helps us take ourselves very seriously, because we affect others.
Third, history can give us new ideas, new ways of thinking, new examples of practice that may be biblical. Because these treasures of life and faith are old, because they have been locked away in that dusty old chest of history, when we finally open it up and take them out, they seem new. Wise Christians should always be historians in one sense. They sit higher and can see further, more panoramically, if they enrich themselves from the past. John of Salisbury (1115-1180), a medieval scholar, spoke of the jewels, the riches, the prestige of antiquity. He was right. The past has bequeathed to us its gems. Note his wise words:

Our own generation enjoys the legacy bequeathed to it by that which preceded it. We frequently know more, not because we have moved ahead by our own natural ability, but because we are supported by the [mental] strenght of others, and possess riches that we have inherited from our forefathers. Bernard of Chartres used to compare us to [puny] dwarfs perched on the shoulders of giants. He pointed out that we see more and farther than our predecessors, not because we have keener vision or greater height, but because we are lifted up and borne aloft of their gigantic stature.

That was very lengthy, but worth the typing I feel. I hope you found the contents worth the reading.

Life has been more than a little busy lately. Unfortunately, I know that it's only going to get worse. The only comfort is that now that I'm in the working world my efforts are rewarded with a pay check instead of a bill. I do miss school though. I enjoyed going to classes and having my days filled with learning.

But life has brought some joys between the work. My birthday was certainly one of them. Though, I was a little disappointed that my newly received espresso cups will have to sit unused for a while. Before I left for the summer I cleaned the espresso machine I received as a very generous gift by running vinegar through it. I had not had a chance to try out the machine since I got back, so I didn't know anything was wrong. Something crystallized in the machine. Quite seriously, there was some sort of crystallized substance formed around the espresso spout part. It has clogged the machine up so it is unusable. I'm hoping I will be able to clean it out so I won't need to buy a new one.

I also went to see Plants and Animals perform with Born Ruffians. This was my third time seeing Plants and Animals and they are always a joy to see live. I especially like watching the drummer who drums in a very sharp but visually appealing way. Their set was far too short, but Born Ruffians were a good pacifier for my disappointment.

Now unless you (who live in North America) have been completely oblivious to the world around you, there are elections coming up. I came across this past week a fascinating interview with graphic novel Louis Riel author Chester Brown, who is a Libertarian candidate in Toronto. I love this not only because of my burgeoning interest in political theory (especially anarchy and libertarianism), but it is an excellent use of the comic form in a nontraditional manner. I doubt any of my friends have not experienced at least one of my rants on the glories of the graphic novel medium and its under appreciation in North America. But as I am too tired to actually fully rant here, I will let you enjoy this short joy for yourselves.



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