::recipe for fun with meag culkeen::

Outdoor table-
cold metal chairs:
espresso in small
white cups,

puffing black
cigarettes- singing
psalms
to Dennis Lee.

on the high priestly prayer

There are cracks in the foundation of your body. Can you fill them? Can you take away the bruises and the scratches; the cracks from head to foot, they are growing. Can you patch the holes? If you can't even answer your own prayers how can you answer ours?

how can they save me from myself?

"Here I sit, a stranger. I am not dead, but that is not to say that I am alive either. In truth, no one can claim that state of being entirely and still posses a soul." -- Matthew Good.

Even in Christ our souls sit in a slowly rotting sack of flesh and bones. I look forward to that new body.

Now listen, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money." Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that." 16 As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil. So then, if you know the good you ought to do and don't do it, you sin. (James 4:13-16)

Been thinking about mortality. Even if I live to be 80 that's just a blip in the radar of time. Anything I do on this earth is entirely meaningless unless it is of God. That which glorifies God and edifies the body of Christ, that is eternal.

For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. (1 Corinthians 4:12, thanks to Chris Vyn for teaching me that verse)

I encourage you to do something with eternal significance today, you never know, it may be your last chance.

the thyroid gland's connected to the... oh crap.

I was tested for diabetes recently, and I don't have diabetes. Yay!

However, I do have hyperthyroidism (that is, overractive thyroid gland). This gland controls the hormones that regulate metabolism. The Wikipedia article lists the following symptoms:

" weight loss (often accompanied by a ravenous appetite), Intolerance to heat, fatigue, weakness, hyperactivity, irritability, apathy, depression, polyuria [ed. lit. "lots of urine"], and sweating."

Hot damn! Other than apathy and depression that explains my entire personality! (well, maybe the apathy too!) I wonder how long I've had this? Maybe once they put me on the pills for it I'll be a whole new man... hopefully I won't need surgery though.

how my day just got better

I return from Emmaus family books, holding my new copy of Chris Tomlin's album Arriving (this is the guy who brought us the wonderful "Indescribable," "Holy is the Lord," and "How Great is our God;" the first three songs on this album.

And what do I find, but two bulky packages addressed to me- textbooks! (Yes, getting textbooks for school excites me; I am a grade-A nerd).

First we have Poetic Meter & Poetic Form by Paul Fussell, the unfortunately out of print standard work on the subject. The Trent bookstore is charging $65 for this little paperback of under 200 pages. I got it for about $20 after shipping... and it's not in the best condition (yellowed pages, piece missing from the cover) but hey, it saved me $45.

Next we have one of the greatest books ever published, also out of print, the wonderful Nightwatch: New and Selected Poems 1968-1996 by my favourite Canadian poet Dennis Lee. This book is pretty much definitive, containing all his long poems (including Civil Elegies and Riffs) and all his best short poems.

Great books and great music make Noah a happy boy.

the joy of camping

No water, no heat, no showers? Sounds like fun to me!

This weekend was the annual Riverside College & Careers camping trip. I am mega sun burned. Everyone had fun, although apparently mewithoutYou is depressing?! Nah!

I led studies on the Spiritual gifts, and they went quite well, I guess its up to everyone else now...

cheers.

Here's to:

late nights
never being home
friends getting married
3 1/2 hour meetings
beautiful harmonies
hard-wood floors
old friends
new friends
fancy cigarettes
strong coffee in tiny little cups
poetry
James Joyce
online bookstores
the bastard children of spiders & centipedes
gross cats
150 hamburgers
vegan brownies
homemade cookies
reading
listening
praying
singing
hugs
holding hands
those unforgettable smiles
& all the little things that make us happy,

cheers,
I love you.

God bless.

signed, sealed and soaking wet

Despite the torrential downpour, Todd and Heather's wedding was excellent. Here is the happy couple at their finest:

Come on guys, being "one flesh" doesn't mean you have to share the same silly facial expressions!

opening a fresh can of marriage

2:30 am: Noah decides to go to bed
7:oo am: Noah will wake up
8:00 am: Jerry, Shane, and Noah (who all look spiffy) will begin driving to Ajax'
10:30 am TODD ANDERSON AND HEATHER YOSHIKI WILL GET MARRIED!!!

Well, I guess I'd better shut up and go to bed already...

Todd is my hero.

chicken fried rice tastes better cold

Listening to: Sunny Day Real Estate- Seven SDRE have become one of my favourite bands... their music is literate and complex; there is always something new to pick out. The lyrics are truly poetry. Check them out.

It is now officially Friday, which means that Todd is getting married tomorrow! Crazy. One more day of being a bachelor... Todd, I'm thankful to share this with you amd Heather. God bless in this new endeavor.

Next week is Introductory Seminar Week (ISW) aka Trent's [insert annoying high-pitched squeal] namby pamby version of what everyone else calls FROSH week. However the concept of drinking myself silly has never really appealed, so I guess ISW is okay.

This is also when TCF exec has to "kick it up another notch":

Wednesday = Clubs & Groups Day
Thursday = International Students' Day handing out ice cream (yum)
Friday = First exec meeting, First Years' Barbecue.

On Tuesday I am getting together with Meag to discuss Bridge type goodness.

I believe, as well, that I am going camping both this weekend and next weekend...! Wow, when it rains it pours.

Apologies for both the use of the term "namby pamby" and the reference to Emeril. I should know better.