Friday, January 26, 2007

Pet Peeves

Here are some of my pet peeves. They are in no particular order. Post some of your pet peeves on your blog.

-People not washing their hands after they use the washroom. I used to not wash my hands when I was a kid, but now I make sure to wash them. Washing your hands doesn't take that long.
-People who barge in on conversations and have no idea what they are talking about or say something that is not related to what the conversation is about.
-I hate it when people say one thing and do another. Practice what you preach.
-When someone tries to outdo another person. For instance, when someone is playing an instrument, then another person comes along and shows them up.
-When some tries to act smarter then they are and think they something about a certain topic. If you don't know something, then don't say anything as if you know.
-People who like a certain musical artist or where certain clothes just to fit in.
-People who elevate themselves to such asshole heights based on the amount of money they have, when in truth, it's there parents that have all the money and they didn't a damn thing to help earn that money.

Until next time, see you on the flipside!

“It is impossible for you to be angry and laugh at the same time. Anger and laughter are mutually exclusive and you have the poser to choose either.”
-Wayne Dyer, American motivational speaker and best selling author

Thursday, January 25, 2007

Manliness, What Does That Mean?

In my SFG groups on Wednesday, we talked about what it means to be a man and the idea of manliness. Now, I can honestly say that I don't have a concrete idea of what it means to be a man. I know what the North American culture's view of what man and manliness is. It is being in control and having power over someone or something. But, truthfully, that is not a total wrong idea, but it's not a right idea either. I mean, one definition of being a man means taking care of your family no matter what the cost. Then again some people view manliness as Chuck Norris or Clint Eastwood.

People make all these Chuck Norris jokes as if he was God's gift to men. Sure he can kick some ass. But in the same respect, it's not about who can beat up who, or who can do something better then who. In Biblical times, people thought of David as a manly man, but he did have his faults and make mistakes. It's just another way of elevating someone to unrealistic heights based on the fact that David was the strongest in all of the land.

Sure it's good to be strong and tough and whatnot. I just think that we have kept the same old stereotypical tough and strong male image as the definition of being a man. We need to get out of this ideal that I need to look and act a certain based on being male to be a man. Some people are of the adage that men shouldn't cry and if they do, they are not a man. It's those stereotypical views that skew what it means to be a man.

It's just not men who have it bad in the fact that they are stereotyped. Woman also have it bad as far what it means to be a woman. Some people define being a woman is staying at home, looking after the kids, cleaning the house, and cooking. But nowadays, woman have jobs and careers and sometimes they are in a position of power in their respective job or career. My mom fit into the stereotypical view of what it means to be a woman once upon a time. She would stay home, look after my two sisters and I, clean, and cook. Mind you, this was before I was in school. Nevertheless, my mom was what some people would is the stereotypical woman. But now in her place of work, she is in a position of power. She is a department manager at Wal-Mart. As time goes on, some people's perception of what it means to be a woman changes. The same could be said for what it means to be a man.

I don't know if any of that made sense. I tried to give my perspective on what it means. But in the big scheme of things, trying to decipher what it means to be a man is a complex issue and we could go on forever what it means to be a man.

Until next time!

“The male stereotype makes masculinity not just a fact of biology but something that must be proved and re-proved, a continual quest for an ever-receding Holy Grail”
-Marc Feigen Fasteau

Friday, January 19, 2007

Which Movie Character Are You?












Forrest Gump

You scored 22% outgoingness, 38% intelligence, and 70% goodness!

A little bit shy, but escentialy good. You are well liked, but a little bit in the shell. It is because of your good heart you are loved.
















My test tracked 3 variables How you compared to other people your age and gender:
free online datingfree online dating
You scored higher than 99% on outgoingness
free online datingfree online dating
You scored higher than 99% on intelligence
free online datingfree online dating
You scored higher than 99% on goodness




Link: The Which Movie Character Are You Test written by 5934 on OkCupid Free Online Dating, home of the The Dating Persona Test


Post your results.

Thursday, January 18, 2007

Resident Mentor Update & Winter Retreat

Well, I emailed Paul Lessard and he did respond to me. He said that I have to wait a year after I finish Covenant Bible College (CBC) before I can apply to be a resident mentor. This makes it very interesting on what to do the next year. I mean I can go back into the workforce and pay off my student loan or I can go to broadcasting college in Saskatoon like I am wanting to do. My original plan was to be a resident mentor. If that didn't work out then I would just go to broadcasting school. I guess I will see where the rest of this year takes me.

Yesterday, we got back from our winter retreat. It was a pretty good time. I mean some people got their emo on as my friend Mark would say. I have to agree that some people got emotional. At the one worship gathering, one of the girls got up and said that three days after Christmas break she found out that her parents were getting divorced. I thought that's unfortunate, but not all marriages work out nowadays. I mean fifty per cent of marriages end in divorce. Anyways, people went and gathered around her and prayed for her. I just looked out of the window and while people were praying. After there was a time where the teachers and the resident mentors went out of the room where worship was happening and were sitting around various parts of where we were staying and people could go and talk and pray with. So I went and talked with Ryan about the feelings that spurred up when Corrina got up talked about her parents getting divorced. I was telling him how nobody was there for me when my parents were getting divorced. I was saying how none of my friends were around to help me. I mean nobody was around. I asked Ryan if that was selfish thing to have wanted support. Ryan it isn't. Then I went outside and talked with Shawn about what I talked with Ryan about. He said that his parents also got divorced and growing up he didn't really have anybody. But he said something that totally said something that made sense. He said that even though he didn't have the kind support he wanted, he had the support and love of God. Even though I didn't realize it at the time, God was my support and my rock. Then Shawn prayed for me. Later that night at around 2:30 I was sitting in the upstairs lounge just looking out the windows and Big Jon came and sat down and talked to me. I told him how I was feeling and it was about the issue of the divorce and the support I never had. He said that it sounded like I was jealous. But that's not it at all. Unless you have parents that have been divorced then you don't truly know what I am going through. Then I went to bed and slept on it.

The next day during our time of solitude, I went outside and walked along a trail and found this spot where there were some benches and I sat down and closed my eyes and I prayed. I didn't saying anything, I just sat there in the silence and beauty of nature and just felt a calmness rush over me. I also took a few pictures. Then later in the day, after lunch I walked for an hour and a half down that same trail. I first went back to that spot where the benches were and sat down for a few minutes before continuing on. I was intending to walk to the river which I did. I also took a few pictures. I kept walking along the trail and I went so far. I could have kept going, but I didn't. I turned back to go back to the camp. As I was walking back I saw a deer bounding through the woods. I didn't get any pictures or anything because it was gone before I knew it. I made to that spot where the benches were and I stood there and just praised God and gave thanks to God in prayer for the beauty of nature that we sometimes take for granted. I was grateful for being able to see some of God's work. We as Christians can't truly comprehend the vastness of God's work. I think in someways that was humbling.

True knowledge exists in knowing that you know nothing.
And in knowing that you know nothing, that makes you the smartest of all.
-Socrates

As human beings, our greatness lies not so much in being able to remake the world — that is the myth of the atomic age — as in being able to remake ourselves.
-Mahatma Ghandi

Saturday, January 13, 2007

Small Group Auditions, Resident Mentor

Yesterday the small group auditions happened. I tried out with a piece I wrote. The piece was called "Am I A Saint." My friend Mark accompanied me. I played the piano while Mark played guitar. It went as expected and I think I did well. At least I didn't screw up. But I heard that Brian has some people in mind that he wants in the group as far as music goes. I think that if you already have set in your mind who you want in the group is I guess wrong in a sense. I mean, they maybe talented musicians and all, but would they work good in this small group ministry team?

Rob, Mark, and myself were talking and Mark said that he heard that this small group was going to be acoustic. If I remember correctly, each year is acoustic. In 2004 when small group came to my church in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, they played acoustic. If you change it up and have electric guitar and even saxophone, then there wouldn't attitude of no I don't want acoustic. I mean you could even balance out acoustic with electric. A healthy balance of both is key.

The list of who made the cut will be posted this coming Thursday. I am hoping that I make the cut, but I don't, sure I will be bummed out about it and all, but I won't dwell on it. I mean, sure it will be a great opportunity and it will be an experience of a lifetime, also it will be something to remember for the rest of your life. Plus it will giving back to the churches that support CBC through the ministry of music, drama, and so forth. So in with that being said, I hope that I make it and I guess I will just pray about it and what happens, happens.

Now onto another subject at hand. I submitted my name to Paul Lessard via email about being a resident mentor for the 2007-2008 school year here at CBC. I didn't write a hugely long email because I felt it wasn't necessary. Some basic stuff I said was that I have been thinking about it and that I could mentor the CBC students just like this years are doing. I also put that it would be a great opportunity for me to be in that role of leadership and of mentorship. So I will see what happens. If I don't get in with being a resident mentor, then I will apply to a broadcasting school in Saskatoon to become a radio DJ.

I will leave you with this quote that I find relates to what have I have been talking about.

"We must be willing to get rid of the life we've planned, so as to have the life waiting for us."
-Joseph Campbell

Wednesday, January 10, 2007

Being Real... What Does That Mean?

Today in my spiritual formation group (SFG), we were talking about identity. Then the issue of being real came up. A big question was posed on what it means to be real. Now one person said that they have a problem with it. They think that it is away for them to have you conform to what they think is real.

Now I think that is a valid point. I mean, you encounter people in your life here at Covenant Bible College (CBC) and elsewhere that will try to get you to conform to what they think is the standard you should be living. But that is not necessarily a good thing because the way you live your life and the way they want you to live your life is too different things. I know that I have felt like this with my dad. I have felt that he has tried to impose such unrealistic standards on me that I thought I could never attain. But is conforming to what other people want being real to yourself?

I say no because you can could take what they say and examine it and see if what they say makes sense to you in your life. Then you could probably apply it in your life. I am not saying you should develop the "Avril Lavigne complex" and outright change who you are. You should stay true to who you are and who God created you to be. Sure you will never be perfect and if God would have made everyone perfect then life would be pretty boring. I feel that staying true to oneself is being real. You don't need to say I will totally change one hundred per cent just to appease someone. If everyone did that then the world would filled with nothing but fake and almost manufactured humans.

I am against being a conformist in the sense that you have to conform because it's what everyone else is doing. If I conform, it's because I want to. It's like me in my Christian faith, I want to conform and try to be more Godly because that is what we are called to do. It what we as Christians strive to do. Sure we don't always hit the mark, but at least we are not conforming because someone else said we should. I think if you are a Christian and don't want to conform and try to be Godly is not being real to yourself as a follower of Christ.

Maybe I have strayed to much off the topic, but in the end whether it because of your religion or whatever, make sure you are real on all fronts because you will be considered a fake ass phony. At least that is what I will see you as. But in all actuality, the issue of being real is very complex and may never be fully answered and that is something I am okay with because not every question is answerable.

Come back when you are 30, 32 at the most!
-Russell Peters on his Outsourced DVD

Monday, January 01, 2007

Happy New Years Mother Chuckers!

As the title says, Happy New Years. I didn't do much for New Years except play some games, sang karaoke, and ate food. But today I am going to my aunt and uncle's for supper. So I hope you all have a good one.

I will be taking the bus back to Strathmore and resuming school. I will be heading out on Saturday evening. But before then on Tuesday and Wednesday I have to go to the dentist. Fun, I know. So I will see you when I see.

"This is old fashioned, fat bastard food."
- Brad on Resturant Makeover