Allan Tan's Blog

The Call...

2011-10-31T23:42:00.000-05:00

Currently Reading: The Cost of Discipleship by Dietrich Bonhoeffer "Discipleship is not limited to what you can comprehend - it must transcend all comprehension. Plunge into the deep waters beyond your own comprehension, and I will help you to comprehend even as I do. Bewilderment is the true comprehension. Not to know where you are going is the true knowledge. My comprehension trancends

Under $10, Under 20 Minutes, Microwave Soy Sauce Chicken

2011-10-18T19:58:00.010-05:00

Introduction:This is one of my mother's recipes which combines some traditional Chinese food with the convenience of a microwave. I was skeptical of microwave cooking (I'm a big texture person) but the results are fantastic! The best part is you have an entire cooked chicken in under 20 minutes with no prep or marinading required.Read on for instructions and pics.What You Need:-glass or

Tales

2010-11-08T23:05:00.001-06:00

Having sufficiently completed my assigned tasks from my assigned oversized closet, I closed my work bag with a short sigh. The elevator doors closed with it's unchanging chime and began it's unusually slow descent... landed I swung my heavy leg over my bike and began to pedal home... alone... in the cold wet rain... mostly uphill... (Tales from a Melodramatic Office Worker)

Deal with the devil

2010-11-08T23:04:00.002-06:00

My face burned with the shame of betrayal - yes for I was betraying my fellow man. Supporting the very corporations and bourgeoisie that enslave both you and I! For that I am sorry... What now of my dreams of a new world? Where now is my revolutionary spirit? Had I traded my soul for... for this? I stared at it in my hands. It was my precious - I held it carefully, oh yes very carefully and with

just trying to say something

2010-04-01T20:47:00.001-05:00

first i was going to update my msn status, then my gtalk, then thought i might as well buzz my tweet, or tweet my buzz or whatever. this was all too complicated so maybe i'd just statusize my facebook, but then i bumped my knee into my desk and gave up. so it ended up on blogger. i'm bad at this whole social media thing

The Power of Perceived Value

2009-10-24T12:45:00.007-05:00

A talk from an ad man about the power of perceived value. Hilarious and fascinating. He ends with a hilarious example from our Canadian cereal Shreddies, this is the remarketed image of Shreddies, LOL.And for those who reluctant to embrace the new:

Possibility

2009-10-06T18:43:00.005-05:00

"Saying yes to one thing means saying no to another."I find it weird to consider that much of our life is the product of countless tiny decisions.I find it even weirder that perhaps it is not the chosen path that defines us, but the countless paths that lie unchosen.Not sure where I intended to go with this... but an image enters my mind... we all plot but a narrow course through the vast ocean

Spies from Canaan?

2009-02-19T02:06:00.004-06:00

View of Vancouver from Mt. Seymour's Second Pump PeakInsightful words from a friend: "Allan, its ok to love Vancouver AND Winnipeg"Me (silently): "There can only be one."

Life of an Adventurous Bachelor

2009-01-19T18:59:00.003-06:00

Such a life of daring adventure brings you to sites such as these:http://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&q=how+to+eat+a+rutabaga

Proper Cable Coiling

2008-12-28T23:48:00.008-06:00

When I first got audio cables, I long pondered what was the best way to coil them. After using audio cables for over 10 yrs, it is only recently that I have learnt the correct way of doing so. I also realized my dad (a general contractor for over 30 yrs) already did this with his 100 foot power extension cords. To think I always wondered why I couldn't coil up that cord like he did...The problem:

2008 - The Year in Pictures

2008-12-22T14:16:00.008-06:00

Another year comes to a close. For the photography lovers out there, here's a compilation of some websites "Best Pictures of the Year". They're ordered roughly in how good I think they are (the Boston.com ones are simply head and shoulders above the rest...)Boston.com's The year 2008 in photographs (Also see Part 2, Part 3)BBC's Year in Pictures 2008Time.com's Pictures of the Year 2008New York

Urban Fable

2008-11-19T17:10:00.005-06:00

Prologue: I'm a cyclist.Act I: SummerAngry guy in car: Get off the f***ing road!Act II: WinterAngry guy on sidewalk: Get on the f***ing street!The end.Moral:You have heard it said: "You can't make everyone happy". Unfortunately it seems cyclists don't make anybody happy :*(Author's Note: There are jerks in the world. Cycling is better for the health, the wallet, our traffic, our noise pollution,

M&Ms and Halloween

2008-11-03T17:57:00.001-06:00

Whenever I get a package of plain M&Ms, I make it my duty to continue the strength and robustness of the candy as a species. To this end, I hold M&M duels.Taking two candies between my thumb and forefinger, I apply pressure, squeezing them together until one of them breaks and splinters. That is the "loser," and I eat the inferior one immediately. The winner gets to go another round.I have found

Things that pass...

2008-06-21T11:22:00.002-05:00

No one will believe this who has not lived long and looked hard, so that he knows how suddenly a passion which has for years been wrapped round the whole heart will dry up and wither. Perhaps in the soul, as in the soil, those growths that show the brightest colours and put forth the most overpowering smell have not always the deepest root.Excerpt from Till We Have Faces (C.S. Lewis)

The Real Measuring Stick

2008-06-16T23:42:00.003-05:00

The day will come when the progress of nations will be judged not by their military or economic strength, not by the splendor of their capital cities and public buildings, but by the well being of their peoples: by their levels of health, nutrition and education and by the protection that is afforded to the growing minds and bodies of their children.From The Progress of Nations United Nations

I don't have one and I don't even miss it (except for Jeopardy)

2008-05-29T22:13:00.002-05:00

Band of Brothers

2007-11-09T16:42:00.000-06:00

There was a time when ordinary men were asked to do extrodinary things. (DVD box set subtitle)I've recently finished watching the miniseries Band of Brothers... again. It retells the story of one U.S. paratrooper division from D-day (June 6th 1944) when Allied forces first invaded mainland Europe to the end of the war.Heartbreaking, heroic, and inspiring are the words that come to mind to

A perspective thing really...

2007-08-27T08:39:00.000-05:00

An adventure is only an inconvenience rightly considered. An inconvenience is an adventure wrongly considered. GK Chesterton (b. 1874) British writer and thinker

Defying all Hollywood Odds

2007-07-29T21:38:00.001-05:00

Ratatouille - Two thumbs upPixar - Thanks for Toy Story, Incredibles, Nemo, Monsters Inc, Bug's Life, etcRest of Hollywoord - Why can't you consistently make good movies?

Let the People Choose

2007-07-26T08:07:00.000-05:00

"Television is the first truly democratic culture - the first culture available to everybody and entirely governed by what the people want. The most terrifying thing is what people do want."Clive Barnes (b. 1927)Broadcaster, Chief Dance, Drama and Opera Critic (New York Post)I wonder what Clive would said about the Internet...

Go Team Go

2007-07-15T20:24:00.000-05:00

Rejuvenation

2007-07-07T00:12:00.001-05:00

June 30th, 2007 - Ha Ling Peak, Canmore, Alberta. Elev: 2407mRest is important - it rejuvenates, clears one's perspectives and reminds us not to take life too seriously...Oh and something about having fun too :PBack from my vacation and back to work.

Resources on Learning Ultimate Frisbee

2007-07-06T18:14:00.000-05:00

This year I started playing regularly on an Ultimate Frisbee team (wooo 30 Foot!) through our local organization MODS. I've always loved throwing a disc and have thrown regularly with friends over the past 4 or 5 years. I'm completely new to team sports with offensive/defensive strategies and formations, so its been a lot of learning and fun so far.There's a lot to learn about the game, so I

What does it mean to follow Christ?

2007-06-12T09:54:00.000-05:00

Jane: Have you ever thought of asking God why He allows such suffering in the world?John: No.Jane: Really? Why not?John: I'm scared to.Jane: What are you scared of?John: I'm scared He'll ask me the same question.The following is one of the most moving testimonies I've heard. Shane Claiborne is a American Christian who's "interned" with Mother Teresa, worked in a leper colony, lived among the

Forefoot Running

2007-05-16T12:52:00.000-05:00

Have you ever considered that you may have been running incorrectly your entire life?This was the tough but alluring question I faced as I was first introduced to forefoot running. That was a month ago and now I only run forefoot. If you've ever been injured running, want to increase your running mileage, or am simply interested in the subject matter, do read on. I think that modern shoes and

Environmentalism

2007-04-27T14:42:00.000-05:00

*Updated Tuesday, May 1st, Scroll to BottomI recently saw the documentary An Inconvenient Truth. With all the fuss over global warming and climate change, it’s a great film to get up to speed on what that fuss is all about. According to An Inconvenient Truth, climate change (caused by global warming, argued as beomg caused by human activity) is already having devastating effects and is leading

Great Wits is Oft to Madness Near Allied (Dryden)

2007-04-12T12:30:00.000-05:00

Currently Reading:Orthodoxy by G.K. Chesterton [?]A couple of my friends are big G.K. Chesterton fans, so I eventually got around to reading some of his stuff. An amazing thinker and writer, although apparently he could barely read at age 9. When interviewed and asked which one book he would take should he be stranded on a desert island he replied: "Why, A Practical Guide to Ship Building of

Search for the Best Way

2007-03-30T11:46:00.000-05:00

Shut It

2007-03-23T10:49:00.000-05:00

What's your pain? What's your pleasure?

2007-03-21T10:15:00.000-05:00

In an Orderly Fashion

2007-02-21T17:22:00.000-06:00

Learning to Drive Stick

2007-02-13T11:47:00.000-06:00

9-5 Grind

2007-01-22T11:24:00.000-06:00

Its not rocket surgery...

2007-01-10T13:04:00.000-06:00

Wise Consumer Say

2007-01-07T00:16:00.000-06:00

As inspired by http://indexed.blogspot.com/.

Who I've Been Makes Who I Am

2007-01-02T12:10:00.000-06:00

A quote I came across in Dachau (formerly a WWII concentration camp, now a memorial) went: "We are creating the background history for tomorrow". We do that both collectively as a whole, and also on an individual basis. This is why the study of history, both personal and collectively, is so important to understanding who we are and where we're going. I unfortunately have a pretty bad memory,

Inspiration Lacking

2006-12-29T11:08:00.000-06:00

My brain is on holidays as well.

Bending Over the Abyss

2006-12-06T22:40:00.000-06:00

Solitude: the fine art of intentionally doing nothing for extended periods of time. As a Christian discipline, its understood as a way to separate yourself from the busyness and noisiness of this world. It is to be quietly still in God's presence, and through this quiet stillness, to actually be open to God's voice and presence. The world is a busy place, and we love the noise and activity.

Blog Updates

2006-12-01T16:18:00.000-06:00

I've made the move to Google's new Blogger Beta, so what you'll notice is the new labels. Each post I write can be assigned labels, which you can think of a way of tagging all my posts.So for example my previous post was tagged: article, chinese and culture. By clicking on any of labels you can see all my other posts with similar tags.I plan to be blogging more these days, for whatever reason the

Where I begin

2006-11-27T12:52:00.000-06:00

Its sort of like being beat up. Well sort of anyway. You feel a bit spacey, and there's some difficulty in focusing that can be accompanied by head throbbing. Not to mention the temperamental effects including impaired patience, mild unhappiness, loss of judgement, and just feeling plain drained. Its not a great state to be in. This is the world of sleep deprivation. Its a good reminder to know

Lost in Translation

2006-11-19T12:44:00.000-06:00

Who am I? Over my travels I constantly met people of different nationalities/ethnicities. After learning each others' names the next question is always "where do you come from?" or essentially "what are you?" My reponse was complicated. If I said "I'm Canadian", they would sort of peer at me strangely, since they're really asking about type of Asian ethnicity I was. If I said "I'm Chinese", they

No more

2006-10-27T13:08:00.000-05:00

Everyone dies. If we call approaching death "dying", then it would follow that we are all dying. Now for the Christian readers they would argue for rapture-related exceptions but for the sake of discussion today let's not go there.Dying is rather significant (at least somewhat significant) - so what are we doing about it? Do we think about it? Are we aware - and have we come to grips with this

Contentment

2006-10-19T12:47:00.000-05:00

Life is filled with all sorts of changes and experiences. I can ask all sorts of difficult questions trying to evaluate the past - should I have done X? Why did I leave Y? Did I ever consider Z?This brings up the discipline of contentment. I just started a new job. Could my cubicle be nicer? Sure. Could it be worse? Again, sure. Could my salary be better or worse? Sure. I am not attempting to

Arts: Film, Literature and Music

2006-10-10T12:24:00.000-05:00

Great art can communicate before it is understood. -T.S. EliotI've had more time to explore these things these past weeks. We have the privilege of having easy access to film, literature and music like no generation before us. I have often taken this for granted, forgetting how these forms of art have power to inspire, impact, teach, entertain and allow you to experience such amazing

Lilfe Doesn't Have an Autosave

2006-09-19T15:18:00.000-05:00

It was on. I had brought my A game. It all started with a furious smattering of keys (in a somewhat consequential order), followed by a pause, and further smattering. Again I paused with hand on chin, and then smattered some more. It had good links in it and well thought out paragraphs. I proofread it several times, as to improve on my writing style and word choice. Being the multitasker I was, I

Perspectives

2006-09-09T17:33:00.000-05:00

Life as we know it is governed by our perspectives. Something can happen that person A and B both experience, but can exist as completely different experiences based on their perspectives. Our perspectives hold great power over the way we interact with the world. Hence, improving our perspectives (in truthfulnes and wisdom) becomes a very worthwhile activity.A neat site I came across helped me

The Unnecessary Webpage

2006-09-04T22:33:00.000-05:00

For awhile I had messed around with making a personal webpage (ThinkTankProject.com, and currently allantan.net) but with the advent of the blog, its become practically useless. There's simply so much cool stuff out there. Here's a breakdown of my current setup:At the base of it all I use Google's Blogger.com to host my blog (which allows anonymous commenting, and you don't need a blogger.com

Faith and Culture

2006-08-29T00:21:00.000-05:00

For this Friday I have been planning a movie night for Together Under Grace (TUG), the university/career fellowship at Chinese Alliance Church. I had recently seen a movie that really impacted me called Changing Lanes. I felt it would be great to show, but had some hesitations. Some Christians are definitely sensitive to things like crudge language, violence and that sort of stuff in movies. The

How I roll

2006-08-23T13:24:00.000-05:00

Its been a busy time (but good) time since I've been back. Its good just to catch up with people. Its strange - when I'm unemployed and not in school I'm remarkably productive. Lots more pet projects I'd like to get rolling as well.My main two objectives right now are job hunting and finishing up work for my Biblical Exegesis course I did at the Schloss. In our day and age, job hunting seems to

Home

2006-08-18T01:52:00.000-05:00

There and back again... got back Wednesday afternoon. "Sweet Home Alabama" has been stuck in my head. I can truly say Winnipeg is my home. Some former Winnipeggers have different sentiments (see the song One Great City! by The Weakerthans).

Toronto

2006-08-11T10:57:00.000-05:00

Well I arrived in Toronto Wednesday night, a rather tiring trip. It took me a bit over 21 hours from the time I left Ross' house in Oxford until I walked in the door of my sister's apartment. I should consider myself fortunate though, the day after I left, this happened, delaying/messing-up all flights from UK->North America. The bottom picture in that news article was the airport I flew out of (

Live and plugged in Cambridge

2006-07-30T14:08:00.000-05:00

I scarcely believe its only been a week since I left the Schloss. I'm in full swing and halfway through my time serving with the Cambridge International Outreach. Coming here was tough. The Schloss is a place where theres tons of visitors already, so each person there has to strike a balance between having a comfortable circle of friends, yet also meeting new people.What basically happened was I

Bye...

2006-07-22T18:46:00.000-05:00

Going in 5 hours. Off to Cambridge for 2 weeks, Oxford for 3 days, Toronto for 7 days, then home!

End is coming

2006-07-18T16:45:00.000-05:00

4 more days to finish up everything before I leave the Schloss. So much to reflect on, both on my time here and to peer at the steps ahead. I think leaving always involves sadness :(Sat in for a couple lectures on a course "Building Christian Communities", had some really interesting content. We often remember that after the fall people long for a reconciled, perfect relationship with God, but

When things come to an end

2006-07-18T09:18:00.000-05:00

*glances uneasily at watch*4.5 days left.

Where did you come from where did you go

2006-07-11T03:58:00.000-05:00

Its been quite awhile since I last updated, its good for me to pause and try to sum up where I am and where I'm going. I leave Schloss Mittersill in 12 days, and I don't think I'll be back anytime soon. Since my last update its been a nonstop rollercoaster ride as summer is the busiest season here. I have often tried to summarize what life at Schloss Mittersill is like - well in many ways the

Innovation

2006-06-12T17:07:00.000-05:00

Here's a couple innovative online music radio ideas:http://www.pandora.comCalled the music genome project (clever), you enter an artist or song that you like, and it creates a station based on that. From there it chooses songs that it thinks you'd like, and even tells you why, lol. You can provide further feedback on whether you liked its choices and it'll adapt.http://www.musicovery.com/A focus

Pure and Simple

2006-06-06T09:00:00.000-05:00

There's a reason I like endurance sports like running or cycling - the simplicity and purity of the aim. I can momentarily leave the complications of my life and pour all of myself into this one thing. Its tiring, there's times when you want to quit - but there's unfettered freedom in willing one thing.Danish philosopher/theologian Søren Kierkegaard wrote a book called "Purity of Heart Is to Will

On Accomplishment

2006-05-25T10:49:00.000-05:00

A great excerpt from a book I'm currently reading that I think is worth sharing. Its talks about different phases of leadership development, but you don't need to know the phases to grasp the core of what Clinton is saying here:The amazing thing is that during Phases I, II and III God is primarily working in the leader (not through him or her). Though there may be fruitfulness in ministry, the

Could be

2006-05-22T13:20:00.000-05:00

It was the frequent theme of all my parent teacher interviews. "Could be" - specifically "could be doing better". I suppose each teacher felt it was the right thing to say, but all of them together created a sort of cloud above my head - "I could be, but I wasn't".I've been having a terrible time trying to do my research papers here. All the struggles and personal torment I encountered during

Pursue your goals

2006-05-19T07:45:00.000-05:00

A human being's highest achievement is to let God be able to help him.(Søren Kierkegaard)

Ideas

2006-05-16T04:26:00.000-05:00

Been thinking about ideas, and how good it is to always be exposed to new perspectives, thoughts, ideas, etc. Last night had dinner with a Canadian IVCF worker who's been visiting Central Asia regularly, an Uzbek medical student studying theology at the Schloss, a Russian speaking Ukranian theological student, and a British medical student currently working for the Christian Dental and Medical

Empty chairs and empty tables

2006-05-09T07:16:00.000-05:00

I'm looking at my passport... my D visa for Austria expires on July 23rd. I've looked into the different possibilities, and the only way for me to stay longer would be to apply for a student visa, a lengthy and complicated process.The Schloss has gone through its share of legal difficulties, mainly being that the Schloss (classified as a hotel in the Austrian government's books) cannot have

Reflections after a Short Term Missions Trip

2006-05-02T16:57:00.000-05:00

(Our team with the IFES workers in Sienna, Italy)Got some of my pictures from my trip to Italy up now: Check em out on FlickRThought I'd share some reflections after the trip:Synposis:We visited two cities (Siena and Perugia) and worked with the local IFES (International Fellowship of Evangelical Students) chapter there, known as GBU (Gruppi Bibblici Universitari). We helped with doing

Awhile...

2006-04-21T16:04:00.000-05:00

It's been awhile since I wanted to post something. Just in terms of updating, it's been a busy month of April!Cole's notes of my doings of the last month:-finished my 3rd course - Old Testament Theology. Had the pleasure of learning under Carl Armerding, who's expertise in Biblical knowledge is pretty evident as he's one of the OT contributors to the NIV translation. Amazing to learn more about

I could try...

2006-03-30T15:55:00.000-06:00

Things have been busy, haven't updated my blog in awhile. Started my 2nd course for credit here - History of Christianity. Quite an interesting course, tracing Christianity from around the 2nd century up to current times. All sorts of interesting topics - mostly on the various foul-ups and corruption of the church throughout the ages. I suppose we shouldn't be so presumptuous as to suppose we the

Food for thought

2006-03-18T16:38:00.000-06:00

Today's email from Christian Quotation of the Day was:On the one hand, in matters of the spirit, nothing fails like success. On the other hand, in matters of the spirit, nothing succeeds like failure.Os Guinness (b.1941), Dining with the Devil: the Megachurch Movement Flirts with Modernity [1993], p.89Worth thinking about...

Lest we forget...

2006-03-16T16:21:00.000-06:00

The topic on my mind has been history, looking specifically at the instance of World War II, but really history in general.Life is a story. History an even bigger story. If you want to understand me, you need to understand my story. Why am I so afraid of being embarrassed? Know my story and know the answer. And if I want to know myself better, my parents, my upbringing, then there's some stories

Maybe this time I'll finish it...

2006-03-08T04:42:00.000-06:00

Why the change in color? To make it fit better onto my new website.Yah I purchased www.alllantan.net awhile back and started working on it. I have a lot of ideas, but hopefully I'll actually be finishing it more than my former website. I don't have much done yet, you can check out my pictures and sign the guestbook if it so pleases you tho :)I'm currently taking a course on the importance of

A new page

2006-02-27T15:53:00.000-06:00

Hm has factors of 2, 3, 4, 6, 8 and 12. Must be a flexible year? :PI always longed to sing this song on the right occasion, funny how fitting it is for how I actually feel right now. I find it such an honest song - yet uplifting, ah to not cop out on life! I am the second man now...Click to listen: http://www.allantan.net/Switchfoot_TwentyFour.wmaTwenty Four by SwitchfootTwenty four oceansTwenty

Swing of things...

2006-02-20T12:30:00.000-06:00

I've almost been here at the Schloss for one month now. Its been good so far, although I have my moments of homesickness for sure... So what have I been up to? I find the list getting long, one thing is I don't want to be overambitious, yet the Schloss is a place where lot of opportunity comes a knockin'Coursework - Just finished a course on marriage/family/sexuality, and starting Biblical

To think about it...

2006-02-17T07:21:00.000-06:00

Wandering through the library here at the Schloss you come across all sorts of interesting books (this one happened to be signed by author and originally gifted to one of our OT profs here), randomly picked one up and came across this quote:A human being's highest achievement is to let God be able to help him.-Søren KierkegaardYeah I really like it. I tend to fall into a mindset of thinking I

Imagine

2006-02-07T09:28:00.000-06:00

A quote that has always impacted me is:Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.We all find ourselves in different circumstances, and being human we believe certain things are possible and certain things

Here at last!

2006-01-31T07:07:00.000-06:00

Arrived safely back at Schloss Mittersill and been here exactly a week now. Finally getting settled in, as I got pretty sick when coming, and then it was the weekend, so now finally getting into the groove of things. A few pictures to share with you all.The now wintery town of MittersillCurrently working out of a sound booth. Reallyslick sound board on the right there, shouldbe learning to get

Lessons from Learning Cantonese

2006-01-21T12:15:00.000-06:00

Most of you know one of my latest hobbies is trying to relearn my Cantonese (mostly using this site). Its part of my 5 yr plan to hopefully learn conversational Cantonese, conversational Mandarin, then either reading/written simplified/traditional. I'd like to see myself in some type of full time Christian ministry one day, and I think they'd be valuable assets. It'll be a long road tho, so

Choice

2006-01-07T19:41:00.000-06:00

Lately I've been thinking about choices a lot... the power of them... and also the privilege of them. Its an area of controversy I admit, I don't pretend I have all the answers... but let me intro this a bit:I often hear people attribute circumstances, situations, relationships and all sorts of things to God. As a Christian myself - I have a firm belief that God exists and is an active part of

I don't know

2006-01-02T20:22:00.000-06:00

To err is human, to moo, bovine. I have often wondered: as humans, should we ever be surprised to find that we're wrong or have committed some fault of some sort? It would seem doing wrong, or being imperfect (what Christians would call "sin") pervades everything we do. Whether a simple miscalculation when adding numbers, to hurting someone close to me - it seems my very nature to do so. One

I'll do it later

2005-12-26T13:47:00.000-06:00

"One of the lessons of history is that nothing is often a good thing to do and always a clever thing to say." -Will DurantProcrastination is a funny thing. Its a way of life for students. Acknowledged by all, hated by most, and joked about and almost flaunted by many. I read a couple interesting articles on procrastination, started from this Slashdot post, interestingly the first article suggests

Life Together

2005-12-26T09:09:00.000-06:00

Currently Reading Life Together by Dietrich BonhoefferMy job actually has resparked my interest to be reading more, and when things are quiet I can get in a few chapters everyday which is nice. I had read Bonhoeffer's Cost of Discipleship (Link) and am finding Life Together to be an amazing book. Its about Christian community - what it really means to have fellowship and to live together as the

A thousand words...

2005-12-24T18:44:00.000-06:00

Reuters and Time both released their best pictures of 2005.Check it:MSNBC's Year in PicturesReuters' Pictures of the YearTime Magazine's "Year in Pictures"BBC's Year in PicturesSome amazing shots. Some look a bit unrealistic... The MSNBC waterfall shot must have been on slow exposure, but the monks came out in focus. Hmm dunno. Anyway thought you might enjoy. Eagerley awaiting BBCs to come up,

Surprisingly Undeep

2005-12-21T17:08:00.000-06:00

I'm standing here. I look around for a moment - to remind myself if I really am where I think I am. Yup... to be perfectly clear: I don't want to be where I am. There's countless other places I could think of being - places I would much rather be.Life is like that. We often find ourselves in places we don't want to be. Confuscius say "road to growth, easy it is not"... or maybe it was Yoda...

Globalize this

2005-12-17T17:29:00.000-06:00

Heh I being at work on the computer at work means I'm blogging lots...Wouldn't want to be this guy:More Pics(BBC)I've never had any personal encounters with pepper spray but that's gotta be pretty painful... was chatting with rob last night who lives out in HK, and how there are big WTO protests as WTO is meeting there right now. Buses suspended from going to the island where the talks are held..

WOW

2005-12-15T18:37:00.000-06:00

Starting Xmas I get day shifts at work!! 8:15-4:45 for the entire week of the 25-31st, I'm assuming I'll be getting days from herein! Wow I just might keep working here longer afterall... :P Its an especially pleasant surprise because we were told not to even imagine day shifts until after our 3 months of probation were done. Right now scheduled to work xmas day 8:15-4:45 dunno about that (>.<) I

It was perfect....

2005-12-14T19:05:00.000-06:00

Its the sort of evening you dream about. There is a light snow falling... the temperature just around -5. The glow of the streetlamps creates a candlelight-like aura. The snow crunches underneath me, but I barely hear it under my breath. My legs feel pretty good - although my heavy breathing lets me know my cardio is suffering. I really had to get out of the house - one of those times where you

The unglorious trenches that must be held

2005-12-10T15:43:00.000-06:00

Yesterday night I was tempted to buy Band of Brothers, a miniseries based on WWII stories of the famous airborne regiment Easy Company. Theres something about war stories thats so appealing - perhaps its the adventure, the glory, the chance to test and see what you're really made of.Aye what a beautiful letdown it is. Its funny how that works out - especially as Christians we want to do great

Impulse vs Stability vs Passion

2005-12-08T19:21:00.000-06:00

If I look at my life I see hobby after hobby gone by. I find myself switching hobbies/passions very frequently. I've never been to sure what to make of this. I find when I'm into something I tend to get way too into it, and then a few months later I'm switching hobbies. Maybe I just like to be learning something new - or perhaps I develop unsustainable behaviour over my hobbies? hmmAnyway my

A sober view

2005-12-06T19:37:00.000-06:00

Last Friday Terry gave a talk at youth group, somehow age came up and he said something along these lines: the older you get, the easier it is to rationalize yourself. Which is pretty scary, when I consider how easy it is already to convince myself that I'm right, and what I want is right, and that pretty much everyone else is wrong.. lol. Pride runs deep, it will do all it can to try to

When the way is hazy...

2005-12-01T15:46:00.000-06:00

Any of you who read my blog would know I was very excited about returning to Schloss Mittersill. But now doubt fills my mind. How does one begin to way big life decisions? The pros and cons, the weights attached, the resulting balance, the things to come... are all unsure.I suppose at the core of it all is fear - if my decision is not "right". Which is silly, as a lot of these decisions are not

Destitute...

2005-11-28T18:21:00.000-06:00

Excerpt from today's My Utmost for His Highest devotional (Link)We have to realize that we cannot earn or win anything from God; we must either receive it as a gift or do without it. The greatest blessing spiritually is the knowledge that we are destitute, until we get there Our Lord is powerless. He can do nothing for us if we think we are sufficient of ourselves; we have to enter His Kingdom

Residual Image...

2005-11-25T14:40:00.000-06:00

Remember in the Matrix where you look like your residual image or whatever? Have some fun, click on my pic and make your own:Avatar CreatorThe "email" link doesn't work, so you'll have to print screen and paste into a picture editor like Paint.Oh and on my last post I had listed that "Persistence" picture, haha I found the entire collection. You can view them here or buy them from the creators.

Just give it up

2005-11-22T16:06:00.000-06:00

haha came across this funny picture, it made me laugh a lot. Not even sure why, but perhaps it will do the same for you:LOL. Not like "ha ha" funny, more like a snickering that starts small and grows.

When stars align...

2005-11-19T16:43:00.000-06:00

Well my parents come home tomorrow. Its been about 6 weeks of enjoyable bachlor life ^_^ Naturally I want to be responsible, so a lot of things to do before the 'rents come home, cleaning, booking off work so I can pick them up, going to cook them a nice meal to come home to, etc. Then some things came to rain on my parade:This week I got a flat tire on Wednesday night, at 2:30am, when it was -32

When the time is just right

2005-11-11T03:14:00.000-06:00

I Need Words by David Crowder Band [ Listen (Amazon.com) ]I need wordsAs wide as skyI need language wide asThis longing insideAnd I need a voiceBigger than mineAnd I need a song to sing youThat I've yet to findI need you, ohI need youI need you, ohI need youTo be here nowTo be here nowTo here me nowTo here me nowLeft today for work (doing 5:30pm-2:00am shifts) and you just catch the right sunset

Go to your cell...

2005-11-04T14:32:00.000-06:00

Getting quite excited as I'm diving into more reading/meditation on the topics of solitude and silence. Check out this excerpt from Bill Hybel's Too Busy Not To Pray:You can't become an authentic Christian on a diet of constant activity, even if the activity is all church related. Ministry, Christian rock concerts, weekend conferences, church committee meetings - these all may be valuable, but

The evening shifts begin...

2005-11-01T00:40:00.000-06:00

Today was my first day of real work at Convergys, but also marks the beginning of my evening shifts. I'll be starting work between 3-6pm and finishing from 11:30pm-2:30am. Not exactly the hours I'd like, and will do a number on my social life. But it is a job, and will raise the funds for me to pay off my debt before my missions trip to Austria.Speaking of that, so I did email the Schloss and

Recent happenings...

2005-10-23T01:05:00.000-05:00

I've been back in Winnipeg for exactly one month to the day. Its been both exciting and challenging to be back. This is also two weeks to the day of being completely home alone, as my parents are off to HK for a good month at least. Dinner guests are welcomed!So whats been up... I've decided to go back to Austria to volunteer for a longer term at Schloss Mittersill. For awhile this was kinda up

Back in Winnipeg

2005-09-25T22:12:00.000-05:00

Ah! Its nice to be back. This summer has been quite the adventure, so its nice to be back home. Thanks to all those who extended hospitality to me!Its been a bit weird, I've only been back 3 days but I did not anticipate this much nostalgia, confusion and general shock to readjusting back to life here. I've been thinking though, it should be understandable as pretty much all the areas of my life

Pictures Up

2005-09-16T00:26:00.000-05:00

All my pictures from London, Paris and Austria are now up. On the right hand side are the links. Hm not the same without commentary to explain some of them, but I'll gladly give a "tour" to you once back home. ^_^I leave for Toronto in 2 days, will be back in Winnipeg in 6 days. I'm ready to go home. *clicks heels*

The end of a chapter...

2005-09-10T09:58:00.000-05:00

...always means the start of a new one.Well I've left Austria (just on Thursday morning). Hmm for me it was very sad, my first experience of living for that long away from home, making new friends, and then having to say goodbye. I guess this is simply part of life, but one part of life which I don't have much experience. I'm pretty nostalgic by nature (I think its closely related to my idealism,

When it seems time is against us

2005-08-21T06:43:00.000-05:00

Wow its crazy how quickly time passes. My summer volunteer term here at Schloss Mittersill is winding down. Many of the volunteers have begun to leave already. Heres a picture of the summer volunteer group. Nationalities represented: Polish, Lithuanian, Slovakian, Australian, Spanish, American, Russian, Canadian, Irish, British.Yeah its just crazy... it feels as though time is against us in some