Friday, September 30, 2005

I Hate When This Happens...


Has this happened to anyone else??

Why is this picture amusing to me?


1. I love simple humour and this is simple. Cartoons where I have to read anything more than 3 boxes usually isn't worth the extended read.

2. The cat has a look on his face that says, "meh, I suppose I will indulge myself in a 25 cent goldfish"

3. The fact that this is so ridiculous. If the cat actually inserted the coin and turned the knob, a lot of water would come out, and he is not even guaranteed a fish! Although he does have a chance at two!

4. The cat has a pocket.

If you discover more reasons why this is funny, let me know in the comments section!

P.S. Maybe I should look into having different sections of this blog or create a new one as it is quite funny that I post something like this moments after posting something so serious and from the heart. I think I will leave it all on one blog though as this gives you a better understanding of all that is Jamie Strickland.

Thursday, September 29, 2005

God's Power for God's commands


I am reading Piper's follow-up book to Desiring God called When I don't Desire God - How to Fight for Joy. So far I am really appreaciating this book. One of the things that struck me in the last chapter I read was concerning the rich young ruler. In Matthew 19 there is a story of a rich guy who met Jesus and asked him what he had to do to inherit eternal life. Jesus says that he has to sell everything he owns and give it to the poor and follow him. The rich guy walks away sad because he can't give up all his riches. Now usually when I read this story of hear it in a sermon I assume that this story is not aimed at me. I am not rich. But Piper points out that apart from God working in our hearts, we are all too selfish and stubborn to turn toward God. Our turning to God is a gift from him, and not something we can do on our own. After the Rich guy walks away Jesus says that it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. The disciples knew that was impossible, so Jesus responded by saying that "with man it is impossible, but with God all things are possible". With man it is impossible choose God over money, but with God all things are possible.

As humans we need to rely on God's empowering strength to choose him over things of the world. It is a difficult concept to wrap your mind around, that we have to rely on God for the stregth to follow his own commands, but it is also freeing. I know by know that I can't do it on my own. I have tried many times but my heart is just so hard. Only God can soften it. This is a fact that should bring us to prayer constantly. St. Augustine himself prayed, "Grant me the grace (oh Lord) to do as you command, and command me to do what you will! O holy God, when your commands are obeyed, it is from you that we recieve power to obey them." He realized so early into the life of the church that even when we obey God's commands it is only by his strength and empowering that they are done.

Bowling and Blue Behinds



Last night, being Wednesday, we went out for 99 cent bowling. After 10pm at the local bowlerama, games of bowling, fries, and hot dogs are all 99 cents. This has been a tradition for me for a probably 3-4 years. Originally it was myself, Wes, and Steve as the core with the likes of Tumber, Vanessa, Lup, Mark Chan, Tim Sree, and Gedny as the group who came out every once in a while ensuring that we would average 5-6 bowlers per week.

I discovered however last night that there is something missing from the bowling nights of old. What is missing is the competition that we used to share. Whether is was the loser who had to pay for everyone's games, or snacks or whatever, I can't seem to bowl when nothing is on the line.

The ultimate example of our betting on bowling happened during the winter 2 years ago. We had probably already played a game to decide who was paying, but we wanted to go a step further. We decided that whoever lost the next game had to stick their bare butt in the snow. (I don't quite recall how we decided that, but it happened). I believe Tumber was our first loser. In the following weeks Steve, and Wes had to follow suit. Eventually I was coerced into taking a seat in the snow (although I never lost), and the rest is history.

After taking this stroll down memory lane it becomes so clear why bowling doesn't have that same spark anymore. No one is sticking their butt in the snow.

P.S. A special thanks to wes for allowing me to post this embarrassing picture of him. Wes, when I see you next, I will ask your permission.

Wednesday, September 28, 2005

My Beloved Leafs

So with the hockey season just around the corner, I am pondering what the season will look like for the Leafs. I don't like making predictions, as they are for gypsies, but I think this year has a lot of questions. Will Eric Lindros, Jason Allison and Jeff O'neill be able to play the way they have before, when they were premier players in the league? Can Mats Sundin put up the numbers he has in the past which saw him the in the top 5 of the league in points? What about the D? Is McCabe, Kaberle, Klee, Khavonov, (with pick 2 of Brown, Berg, Coliacovo, Kronvall, Marchment) enough to be a solid core? And then the biggest question mark, the Eagle. Is Eddie ready to carry the team again, and win a few games for us?

The answers to these questions will soon be answered, but I think it is wise to note that all teams have questions. No one at the begining of the 03-04 season would have predicted that it would be a game 7 between Calgary and Tampa Bay in the final.

I am always optomistic when it comes to the leafs, so I think we will have a decent season. We'll make the playoffs and then lets just hope that we can stay healthy, because anything could happen at that point.

GO LEAFS GO!!

Thursday, September 22, 2005

Other Letters written by Paul

Today in my Bible reading I read the entire book of Colossians. It is a short book, 4 chapters long, so it did now take very long. In a book I am reading I was told that it is good to read the entirety of a book (in the Bible) first, and then read it in shorter readings (i.e. a few verses, or one chapter at a time), in order to get more out of it. So anyways, I got to chapter 4 verse 16 which says:

"And when this letter has been read among you, have it also read to the Laodiceans; and see that you also read the letter from Laodicea."

From this it seems that Paul is saying that the Colossians and the Laodiceans should read each others letter from him, in addition to their own. This would mean that there are other letters that Paul wrote that did not make the canon (Bible).

Which lead me to wonder… if we ever found any more of Paul’s letters, say the one written to Laodicea, what would we do with it. I am sure some would want to include it in the Bible, while I suspect that most would not. I think that while it would be cool do be able to read another one of Paul’s letters, it would not be enough, just because it was written by Paul, to be entered into the Bible. It is not because Paul wrote it that makes it Biblical, it is because the Holy Spirit inspired it that makes it Biblical. I believe that if God wanted any other books in the Bible, it would be there. There were many books that did not make it into the Bible that were written by people in and around Christ, but the early church fathers overwhelmingly voted against their entry.

The whole topic of what made it into the Canon and what didn’t is a very interesting topic, something that I would like to learn more about some time down the road. But even with the limited knowledge I have, it comes down to trust in God’s sovereignty, and trusting that what he wanted us to have as the Bible, is what is there.

Friday, September 16, 2005

Little Green Men???


I was reading this small booklet the other day called, Is There intelligent Life in Outer Space. The booklet was made by a Christian organization called Answers in Genesis.

I have kind of casually held the opinion that there is no life on other planets, based on the fact that the Bible doesn't really mention it, and if there was life on other planets, the Bible would have said something, especially in the book of Genesis that recounts the creation of the World.

One of the interesting points that the booklet mentioned was that NASA has a sector that is devoted to searching for intelligent life in outer space. When searching for this life, they once came heard a pulse from Space. They noticed that it was coming in at a regular rate of once every 1.3 seconds. PULSE - 1.3 secs - PULSE - 1.3 secs - PULSE... Etc. This kept going. After reporting it, they said if could be coming from little green men in outer space. So this pulse was named LGM-1 (LGM = little green men).

What they later learned was that they actually found a rapidly rotating neutron star, which was making this sound entirely on its own, without artificial aid.

Now these same "scientists" also are the ones that believe in evolution, and the big bang as the beginning of the universe. The writers of this booklet I was reading pointed out an interesting double standard held by these scientists. This is what they wrote:

"Do you see what is so illogical about the search for non-human intelligence? If these same scientists would exchange their telescopes for microscopes, look down into the cells of every living creature and observe the DNA making up chromosomes, they would see the most complex code, the most complex information system, the most complex language in the universe. They would look at this and say, "Chance!" Yet if they receive the simplest ordered sequences from outer space, they are prepared to say, "Intelligence!"

I thought this was an interesting fact. I still don't understand how people can see the genetic code in each human cell and say that we all came here by chance. It just doesn't make sense to me. But if you think it does, let me know what I'm missing...

If you are interested in reading this, or other articles by Answers in Genesis, visit their website at: http://www.answersingenesis.org/

Sunday, September 04, 2005

I will try to fix you??


I think somebody is trying to tell me something... A few thing have come across my path today to urge me to consider how I react to a problem or difficulty. One of the songs that has been going around in my head over the last little while has been the song "Fix you" by Coldplay. As I was looking at the lyrics I wondered whether it trying to fix something is the best thing to do in the face of a problem. Some of the lyrics go like this:

"When you try your best but you don't succeed When you get what you want but not what you need When you feel so tired but you can't sleep Stuck in reverse When the tears come streaming down your face When you lose something you can't replace When you love someone but it goes to waste could it be worse? Lights will guide you home and ignite your bones And I will try to fix you"

I think this is how I always react when Vanessa has a problem or is going through a hard time. I just want to fix it. She always tells me that she doesn't want me to fix it, she wants me to feel what she is feeling, and to relate to her. That is hard for me, because I always want to just fix it.

I was also reading an article today by Albert Mohler, who is the President of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He was being interviewed about how Christians should respond to tragedies such as Hurricane Katrina. He said:

"I think the first thing we have to do is to weep with those who weep. And this is not a tragedy that is over. It continues to unfold. And so right now, there are people who do not know where their wives and husbands and children are. They have no idea what their future might be. They have no idea if there's even a home to which they can return. Some of them already know they have lost loved ones, and some of them have not even been recovered, in terms of bodies. So there's an appropriate Christian response to weep with those who weep".

He then goes onto say how we also need to help practically through finances, etc. But the point I am getting at is that he first tells us to "weep with those who weep". I think there is a generally feeling in people that we just want people to understand us first and foremost. Don't try to fix me, just understand me. I think that is something I need to work on as I try to grow as a husband and as a person.