affectionately titled

Listening to: August Burns Red- Your Little Suburbia Is In Ruins the first time I heard the drumming on this song my jaw literally dropped to the floor (ask Jer!) The drumming alone sold this record to me, but the rest is fun too. Standard, but high quality metalcore. They ain't gonna break down no doors, but they sure are pummeling me!

What? It's October 1st... really, its been that long? Wow!

Well, uh, last weekend Rach came to Kingston and make me sick! Whatta girl! It was lotsa fun to see her though. I also appreciate that I will be going home in 5 days! A whole lot of work to do this week though before I can go home.

Recently I made purchase of a wonderful beard trimmer. That's right. A beard trimmer. That means it ain't going anywhere. The Beard trimmer is pretty swank though. Phillips Phillishave system... nine preset lengths that go from perma-stubble to a bushy two centimeters. Oh yeah. And it even has a vacuum function that successfully sucks up 95% of the hair, so almost no mess! I am way to excited about this.

Uh, not much else for now.

I am not safer than a bank

Listening to: Fear Before the March of Flames- Drowning the Old Hag Got into these guys after seeing them live with Underoath and The Chariot. They are pretty schizophrenic musically; each album changes and progresses in a healthy manner. The Always Open Mouth is easily their best both lyrically and musically, not to mention it has probably the best album design I have ever seen. Looking forward to lots more from these guys.

Well, it has been almost two full weeks since I arrived in Kingston, and I can safely say I have "settled in" whatever that means. It could mean that I am now used to cooking all my meals for myself... or that the opening of my morning is comfortably Jim and Joe instead of Mom... or that I am used to missing my closest friends and my fiancee... or perhaps it just feels like "home" now.

Living, for all intents and purposes, alone and as a bachelor is bittersweet. The excitement of the freedom is palpable, as is the feeling of being alone and somewhat insignificant. However I am finding a growing significance in my work. I am excited about teaching again... but more than that I can now see it as something worthy of my life's devotion. Shaping the next generation is a privilege that is important, humbling, subversive, and above all that something Godly, something that can impact souls as well as minds... and to think that I can do this with Shakespeare and World War II.

I have also become more thoughtful than I have been in a long time... I have much more time to think, and I have devoted more time into pursuing specifically God's will, be it a burden or a featherweight. But conviction seems to burden as a featherweight, but one that is always present, always demanding, always significant.... "I smell a change with horizons..."

To bring some levity, I am also sporting a rather rocking beard... as beards are quickly becoming something only the rocking attempt to possess. I enjoy it greatly, I definitely feel as though it holds some significance at the moment, a symbol of change, of moving on, of growing up perhaps? Wait, where's the levity? I think it looks bad ass. Bad. Ass.



Maybe that is all for now. Make your mamma proud.

More updating

So it turns out that there is a coffee shop that is near the church that has free wireless internets!!! So I went to Bethel Tabernacle... turns out it happens to be the church that Caroline Cuthbert attends... also turns out the preaching was awesome so I think I'll be going there regularly. Today I need to get in contact with Sybil somehow... kind of hoping she gets her internet going or that it is not too expensive to phone her on a pay phone... the reason being I'm already downtown and I don't want to walk the hour back home to phone her then walk an hour back downtown to meet her for the movie.... argh

Anyway, Kingston is being good to me so far, and God is certainly faithful. I don't take it as a coincidence that the church that Jim pointed out to me is also the church that Caroline goes to... I will choose to take this as a hint from God that he wants me there, after all, I don't believe in coincidences.

Another interesting thing: I received an e-mail today from a woman that I haven't heard from in a while... she is one of the people who helped lead me to Christ over six years ago at Alpha in Norwood... apparently she reads my blog! It's funny what the internet can do.

That's all for now, I have to do some reading for my essay that is due on the second day of class. I guess this whole grad school thing isn't a party after all, byes.

I am in Kingston now

First of all, Kingston is freaking beautiful. The population is similar to Peterborough but it is very spread out. There are tons of trees and greenery, cliffs, and of course, Lake Ontario visible from my classrooms and a massive river running through town. Absolutely breathtaking.

The man I'm living with is named Jim McTavish and he is certainly a blessing from God. On my first night he drove me all around Kingston to show me where everything is, and he even took me out for dinner to a spicy, spicy thai restaurant (and he paid too!) Much better than a dorm for sure! I am thankful for his kindness.

Also he is the first true "Liberal Christian" I have ever met. He rejects pretty much the entirety of scripture as authority, but he reads theology and goes to a couple different church meetings. He also recommended a church that fits "my spiritual needs"... an associated gospel church called Bethal Tabernacle. They are reformed but as far as I can see also charismatic to some extent and apparently they have some rockin' worship, I'll be checking them out this Sunday.

The Kingston downtown also makes me happy. With 2 colleges and 1 university it is entirely aimed at young folks. The main street has a bunch of indie record shops and even an American Apparel (yes!) and to appease my homesickness, the sister Chumleigh's is located in downtown Kingston... lol I just need to not become as regular a customer as I am at home because I don't have a job anymore!

That's all for now, any Kingston folks better give me some love soon before I get lonely!

last post before Kingston

Well, it is 2:31 am and I have just finished packing all the stuff that I am taking with me to Kingston (including a nice going away present from Steve: a six-pack of St. Ambroise Apricot Wheat Ale, sweet!) Tomorrow at 9:00 am I'll be leaving for Kingston with my parents.

I'm apprehensive... I have never set foot in Kingston before and now it is going to be where I live?! Oh well, at least I have Syb to show me around. We'll be catching the new Halloween on Monday and she's gonna show me around downtown.

I'm also excited, first time away from home and all... long overdue! We'll see how this Noah by his lonesome thing goes for a few months.

Thanks to Jer, Steve and Syb who made my final time in Peterborough fun... miss you Rach, see you as soon as possible. And all you who are in Kingston I expect a ring! See ya there!