iPhone...

Got one of those fancy little machines that all the kids are talking about these days. You know, the iPhone. In what can only be described as one of the greatest Christmas conspiracies ever, I unwrapped a box filled with old boxers to find the familiar looking box buried within. (So that's where all my old boxers go?!?!)

I've been tooling around lately and trying to figure the machine out. It appears to have no end to useless, trivial and even mind numbing possibilities. And I must admit that it's been a pile of fun.

Most interesting discoveries so far:

1. FaceTime chats, whether within the office with Jamie (who is two doors away) or with Brad (who has now had a first-class FaceTime tour of the castle that is my office), is completely impractical but joy giving.
2. Angry Birds. I must fight Erin and the kids to keep them away from my phone, lest they complete levels that I have not yet completed.
3. Movie/TV trivia is important in our house, kind of like food is important in other houses. I can't tell you how often we've had to start up the computer to find out what other movie "that" person was in, so that one of us could be declared trivia champion yet again. Now I grab the phone and hit up IMDb. I still lose the game, I just lose faster now.

As for practicality...I installed a calendar which is so far keeping me organized. I was able to opt out of purchasing a new Moleskine Weekly Notebook for the year as I attempt to go without a paper trail. So far, so good.

Anyway...all this was a lead up to ask what apps I should be installing. If you've got some recommendations please let me know as I also received a few iTunes gift cards that I should spend before my wife does.

You aren't in the iPhone loop? No worries! I'll still accept you. And I won't even judge you. But maybe you can make a music/album suggestion?

Snow Day...

It's so rare to get much snow around here, but the last week has made life interesting.

On Saturday we all headed out to the church to here some friends talk about their past (& upcoming) missions experiences. It was just starting to snow when we left and Becca remarked about how great it would be to walk up the hill later that night. (Side note: living on a mountain means that we usually have 1 or 2 times a year that we can't get up the road due to slick roads.)

We head out from the church around 9:30pm and it's not looking good. Sure enough, we can't get the car up the hill so we make the 40 minute hike. Good memories, but it's a little tiring.

Then it starts snowing again last night. The phone rings just after 6:00am to inform us that the schools are closed. I hang up midway through the automated call, which means I get another one 15 minutes later. And then another one. ( Like I can't figure out the school will be closed when I won't be able to make it down the hill.) I check Erin's classes on the phone. Cancelled. Time for an old fashioned snow day!

So now, no youth tonight (we cancel when the schools cancel) and I figured I should dust off the blog. And then I realize I'm falling further and further behind on my blog reading. Then I realize I didn't even evaluate my 2010 goals. Then I realize I don't write much anymore. Then I realize there's a hockey game on...

Unwrapped...

Christmas was good...no, lets' say great. And not just because I got some cool gifts under the tree. (And by cool I actually mean "re-freaking-diculously awesome".) I've had two weeks of nothing but hanging out with family and friends. I should do this more often.

The last 9 years have seen me having some sort of Christmas responsibility at Church. Not that I begrudge it, but you start to realize pretty quickly that needing to preach or lead worship 2 days after Christmas will quickly eat up some of that other "vacation" time.

So this year I was a little selfish and took it all off. And I am glad that I did.

Can I be honest? I don't really want to think about going back to work on Tuesday.

Day #11 of the Not So Normal Christmas...

Random Christmas facts...

I miss snow on the ground at Christmas.

I like having the Christmas lights on all day.

I think I wrecked my first attempt at making Christmas fudge.

The kids are watching Home Alone.

Santa is being tracked.

Oh...Merry Christmas!

Day #10 of the Not So Normal Christmas...

Friday was our annual youth Christmas Bash. We had a really good turn out for our last youth event of the year, and it was a lot of fun eating pizza, watching students build gingerbread houses (and then watching them get demolished by head butts), and then wrapping things up with the used-gift exchange.

My personal highlight though had to be the end of the night when I was presented with this gift from my students. I've promised to wear it the next time I'm on stage at church.

And then last night it was off for our other annual outing. Christmas Lights with the Schutte's. The train rejected us, but Santa did not.

Book #36...

Radical (Taking Back Your Faith From the American Dream)
David Platt

The American Dream took my faith? But I'm Canadian. Too be honest, I think they could probably reprint the book without the American Dream parts and it would still speak a great deal to Christians around the world.

The basic idea is that we're just not living out our faith as radically as we should be. And you'll find no arguments from me. After spending time with some Christians on "the Island" back in June it is so completely evident in my own life that my faith is lived out in some very different ways. (And that's not necessarily a good thing.)

I just have my doubts that many people inside the traditional Western church have the desire to change. And that's because I sometimes doubt my ability to change.

Do I rely on God enough? Do I trust Him enough? Do I give enough to those in need? Do I pray enough? Do I pray at all? Do I share my faith enough? Am I urgent about it? Do I sacrifice? Do I risk?

I'm scared to answer those questions. Which leads me to believe that I probably need to spend much more time processing them.

And why on earth is Arcade Fire running through my head?

"Working for the church
While your family dies
You take what they give you
And you keep it inside"

Radical a decent read if you can overlook (or maybe just understand) the constant references to the American Dream and to American Christianity. I'm sure it will cause some questions to rattle around in your head.

While the challenge at the end of the book to take up a year long "experiment" seems a little gimmicky, you can't argue the fact that if you committed the next year to praying for the world, reading the Bible, sacrificing your finances, spending time in other parts of the world, and committing yourself to a multiplying church community, your life would likely take some significant directional changes for years to come.

I just wonder how many are actually willing to embark on such a journey.


Oh...and FYI, I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review. I'm just saying.

Day #9 of the Not So Normal Christmas...

Go to NoiseTrade.com and download Zack Williams "Storytime" for free. Do it. Then thank me for sharing this gem with you. It's not Christmas music. It's better. (No offense Jesus.)

Day #8 of the Not So Normal Christmas...

Post game press conferences hit an all new level of hilarity with this one.

So this is Christmas...

I've got one more week of work and then it's a much needed two-week (almost) break. I've saved up some vacation days, and when used in conjunction with the office closure due to the holidays, I'll get to spend a fair bit of time around the house. I'm looking forward to a few things during that time:

• Sleeping in.
• Reading. I'm so far behind on my 2010 reading goal that I can't touch it now, but I might be able to make up some ground.
• Hanging with friends and family. Meals, Christmas lights, and lots of laughter.
  
• PS3. I need to redeem some recent losses I've experienced at the hands of my 9 year old son. I also expect to play a little Modern Warfare 2 online with my brother-in-law. Male bonding at it's finest!
  
• Christmas shopping. So close to finished...yet so far away.
  
• The Knott-Defries Christmas Eve tradition of appetizers and board games until all hours of the night.
  
• Boxing Day. We have a gift card that's waiting patiently to be used.
  

What are you looking forward to this Christmas season?

An early Christmas present...

Thank you Jon Coutts for your incessant raving about CBC Radio 3. I finally succumbed and did some listening and iTunes subscribing, and while I'm also now convinced that almost anyone can get played on Canadian radio, there are some hidden gems that are taking over my iTunes playlist.

My personal favorite right now: Luke Doucet

Great guitar playing. Great storytelling. Great driving music. Great background music. Just great.

Day #7 of the Not So Normal Christmas...

I'm glad Facebook didn't exist in college.

Day #6 of the Not So Normal Christmas...

I'd recommend not having a Gross Games Night as one of your final events before leaving your church.

Oh...do you recognize the guy in the background with girl hair?

Day #5 of the Not So Normal Christmas...

I once got hit by a deer. Seriously, the deer ran into the side of my car in the middle of Abbotsford.

Day #4 of the Not So Normal Christmas...

During our annual trip to Saskatoon from Portage we usually stopped here. Have you ever been to Gopherville?

I also regularly wore this shirt in college.

Day #3 of the Not So Normal Christmas...

Incriminating photo...

Day #2 of the Not So Normal Christmas...

My wife once convinced me that I should bleach my hair.

Day #1 of the Not So Normal Christmas...

Many people have been begging to see this photo of Erin. I don't have the heart to put it on Facebook. Instead it becomes Christmas joy for you.

Litle things...

I'm at one of those points where the clouds are a little darker than usual so I'm doing my best to try and find some solace in the little things. So here's a few things that have picked me up lately:

• Winning some concert tickets on the radio. (And promptly passing those tickets on!)
  
• A free lunch.
  
• Spending time with my youth leaders. This is one part of my job that is not "work".
  
• Singing Christmas tunes to my kids to try and figure out how much they'll let me sing before asking me to stop.
• A gift card from some VERY generous people at church.
• A long distance phone call from a friend.
• The stuffed Santa Claus sporting Manchester United colors on my living room couch this morning.
• A text from my wife.

I think we all need a little pick-me-up (and I'm not necessarily talking about the liquid kind) from time to time, so my goal in the countdown to Christmas is to bring you some great joy through this blog.

So, tomorrow will be the beginning of "12 Days of The Not So Normal Christmas". What can you expect? Actually, very little. But I'm sure at least one photo I will share with you in the posts to come will leave you with great inner joy.

Stay tuned...

Mo-vember Recap...

What have I been up to? Let's see...

I tried Movember, but I only made it 16 days until I had to shave what little fur I had on my face off because it was driving me bonkers. But I kept armpit that's growing on my chin. It's become like a third child to me.

Met my new niece. I will forever look at the pictures and wonder why I didn't listen to my wife and actually shave before we started snapping photos.

Hung out with some of my favorite people on the planet where we had to listen to a crabby guy tell our kids to shut up because they were laughing in a restaurant. The nerve of those kids! Laughing in a public place...how dare they! How. Dare. They.

Also got to see one of my favorite past-interns (there are so many, don't make me choose favorites).

Hung out in the hospital and at home with Erin as she recovered from surgery. If you can, remember to pray for her tomorrow when she sees the doctor to talk about options. We're asking God for an option that doesn't require waiting a long time.

Built some furniture. But only thanks to Ikea.

Stayed up all night to shop on Black Friday with my best friend. I hate shopping. I hate standing in lines. But we made Christmas a whole lot cheaper just by giving up sleep for an evening. And I got to have a burrito for breakfast, so that's always good too.

Preached. And promptly read from the wrong passage. (I also asked people to yell out what they love, and I swear someone shouted "polka".)

That's it in a nutshell.

Morning...

Are you a morning person? I'm not.