jogging on the spot

Fridge Friends

2011-01-04T17:30:00.001-05:00

Well it's been a year since Luana and I moved our family up to the other Tdot. It's been a fun and hard and fast paced year.

And 2011 is looking awesome. There are so many new opportunities coming into view that I really can't wait to explore.

But today i'm enjoying sitting in my kitchen with a cup of tea and thinking about the year gone bye. I supposed I could talk about what happened in ministry or the adventures with our house but the story that's striking me today is that our fridge is slowly filling up with the pictures of new friends in Thunder Bay.

It's taken the better part of a year, but our lives are literally filled with fridge worthy friends.

If you're one of them and i don't have your picture, better send me one soon or you might end up on the dishwasher :)

Christmas is coming

2010-12-07T14:18:00.001-05:00

So I thought I'd better get you all in the spirit.

Sunday Dec 5th

2010-11-30T14:31:00.000-05:00

P90X Workout

2010-10-21T18:02:00.002-04:00

Click to Play

A bunch of us at Redwood have started p90x.

I'm not going to lie to you, it's going really well.

Tags: p90x, redwood

Ghosts

2010-10-21T12:54:00.000-04:00

Esther: OOOOOOOOOoooooooooooo! I sound like a real Ghost.
Me: But there's no such thing as real Ghosts?
Esther: maybe we just say that cause they're all hiding in abandoned churches?

Esther's story

2010-09-23T13:02:00.000-04:00

OK before i get into it, You should understand that it's September.

That means that there are a million more things to do than normal.

Kids need new clothes, supplies, shoes etc in time for school, cross country, church whatever.

And all of the programs at church are kicking off.

I'm in a state of eternally playing catch up.

This week i skipped the day off cause i was in Southern ontario serving on a district committee. Got home tuesday night and jumped right back in on Wednesday with a full day of meetings.

This morning i was planning on ticking a lot of boxes because next week we're on Staff "retreat" on Monday Tuesday and Wednesday and i need to get some stuff off my place so next week when we're back, i can be in message prep mode as i've got two assignments approaching. Instead i spent the morning spending some really good time with a fellow staff member who i needed to connect with. Good time, but no boxes ticked.

I checked the email before rushing home to watch Esther while Luana goes to School, and my inbox was full of new boxes.

I got home and Luana, who had been working like crazy all morning greeted me with a list of things i needed to do so she could jump right back in when she gets home with her list.

I wolfed down a bite and fed Esther lunch and started working my way through the honey do list when I noticed that Esther was talking to me and had been for who knows how long.

I paused from loading the dishwasher to hear her story.

"There was a girl named mary who had a sister" And Mary's sister was busy getting ready for lunch because God came over. but Mary listened to God instead.

And God said, you don't have to be in such a rush."

To say i was rattled a bit is an understatement. I didn't know what to say. I sat down next to her and pulled on onto my lap and gave her a hug so she wouldn't see me cry. I asked her how she got so smart.

She reminded me she goes to school.

I need a say a couple things now.

I need to say thank-you to Heather and Mark and the whole team in Children's Ministry at Redwood park for helping my daughter get so smart.

I need to tell you that i love pouring my life into people so that they can learn to hear from God and take steps of obedience and purpose and spend their lives walking with him.

I know that everything i do at Redwood is really important. So if i haven't gotten to something i said i would do or something you hoped i would do, i'm sorry. I really am. I've just been reminded that there's something really important i need to do right now.

Self disclosure

2010-08-27T09:53:00.000-04:00

It's been a while since i've posted so i thought i'd do a little self disclosure.

1. today i'm trying to listen for His voice. I'm feeling off centre. I need his voice today.
2. I finally got my exercise ball inflated again. Goodbye deskchair, hello abs of steel.

3. This afternoon the electrical is coming to my house to inspect the work of the electrician... who overcharged me.

Wildlife

2010-06-13T22:09:00.000-04:00

I mentioned that there is lots of wildlife in Thunder bay right? Well i was at a retreat this weekend and the deer were like squirrels they were everywhere. and on the way home i saw this.

i stopped my car. backed up whilst rolling down the window. and took pics.

visits

2010-05-23T21:42:00.002-04:00

So Oma came to visit yesterday. I picked her up at the airport last night.

It's so nice to have her with us for a week. We've been feeling a little home sick at times so it's great to have a familiar face around.

Hope you have a great week mom.

Face plant

2010-03-17T22:59:00.000-04:00

Her Olympic dreams overtook her dreams last night.

we heard the scream, then the thump, and found her on the floor with this awesome road rash

not sure if the tongue is a symptom of the fall or something else.

Family Day

2010-02-15T17:28:00.000-05:00

Our first Family day weekend in Thunder Bay. We woke up today and headed out to the Sports Dome (aka the soccer dome) for a special habitat for humanity family event.

what can i say? They had a pig. Shiloh and Esther love pig. And they had an assortment of jumping climbing and sliding castles.

it was fun.

Waiting

2009-11-26T09:21:00.003-05:00

It's been a while since i sent an update. I don't know if i was being superstitious or just too busy. Lots has changed since we last talked.

I accepted a call to join the staff here. That's right. We're moving here.

and since we made the decision to go it feels like we have been constantly rushing and constantly waiting.

Rushing to buy a house, waiting to see if our offer was accepted.

Rushing to sell our own house, waiting for someone to buy it.

about a dozen episodes of amended offers, and counter offers each one with waiting involved.

Since September my wife has been working through the first semester of year 3 of her BA, at UofW.

she goes to school 4 days a week which means that 4 days a week I am rushing to get the kid and wife off to school, and 4 days a week i'm waiting for my wife to get home from school.

Weeks and months have gone by.

we are now just a month from Christmas.

by Christmas most of our Earthly possessions will be on a truck on their way to Thunder Bay.

we will be living out of our cars till Christmas is over and we can join our stuff up North.

it seems like there is a lot to do but i still spend all my time waiting.

waiting for all the paperwork to be done for our houses.
waiting for my chest cold to be gone so i can sleep in my own bed again.
waiting for all sorts of things.

yesterday i realized that i haven't spent enough time waiting on the Lord.

Strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord.

I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope.

God has been so good over the last few months.

We got called to join the amazing staff team here. That's right. We're moving here. Amazing.

did i mention that we found an awesome house?

In order to get said house, we had to sell our own in less than 3 weeks. we sold it in a day give or take a few amendments.

Amazing.

My wife is almost done her semester, the kids are getting excited about the adventure we are departing on, and really, God has withheld no good thing.

I'm not American but i am thankful today.

blue christmas

2009-11-17T10:01:00.001-05:00

blue christmas
Originally uploaded by n.elle

Christmas is coming people.

Elvis is coming people.

2009-09-30T08:59:00.000-04:00

edge

2009-08-08T20:17:00.000-04:00

Dude looks good!

Mom says, "no!"

Dad finishes the cut.

my son

2009-08-05T22:30:00.000-04:00

Chicken pecked

2009-06-24T17:21:00.000-04:00

His smile didn't last.

he's getting better now.

we still haven't found the offending chicken.

Striker

2009-05-26T21:30:00.000-04:00

Don't confuse the flirty look for mercy. This girl is a killer. she'll cut through the defence and make you regret running a 4-2-4.

How to get rid of your Pastor

2009-05-12T22:17:00.001-04:00

Len Sweet posted this today on Twitter and Facebook.

Richard W. De Haan of "Radio Bible Class" once introduced "4 Ways to Get Rid of Your Pastor." Here are the ones I remember . . . Can you think of any other ways?
1) Look your preacher straight in the eye and say "Amen" periodically. They'll soon preach themselves to death, they'll be so excited.
2) Pat your pastor on the back and brag on his/her good points. They'll soon work themselves to death, they'll be so happy
3) Rededicate your life to the Lord, and ask your pastor for a project to do or a mission to accomplish. They'll die of heart failure.
4) Sponsor a congregation-wide prayer fest for the pastor. They'll become so effective in ministry, some larger church will take them off your hands.

Great intro to a pretty complex discussion

2009-05-12T12:57:00.004-04:00

The folks at Thomas Nelson continue to put out resources designed to challenge and inspire people in their faith journey.

I've just finished making my way through their study on Faith and Pop Culture

As a small group study resource I was generally impressed.

The study is designed to examine the intersection between faith and the arts and or modern forms of entertainment. The first 4 chapters cover art or entertainment as it comes to us in the form of Movies, Literature, sports, and television. From there the study shifts to ask questions about the moral content contained in various forms, with a chapter devoted to violence. In the second to last week of the study your group can consider the potential of Christians to influence Hollywood. It’s not until the last week that your group asks what may be the defining question of the book; how does this culture of entertainment affects our inner lives.

I was impressed with the length of the studies. There are pages of questions that thoroughly interact with the article that the chapter is based on.

On the design / layout side of things, I think this book specifically, would have benefitted had it’s format reflected a more artistic look. Talk about art is insufficient. Why not design it as a magazine. Give examples of art, modern and historical or classical. Include pages of ads that demonstrate the positive and not so positive potential of visual advertising. Include a DVD or web links to various media clips.

It also bears saying that while this study seems to encourage the assembling of a small group of people to consider and discuss the affects of of various forms of art, media and entertainment on the individual, there wasn’t a great deal of time spent considering how these various forms of media affect us socially or relationally.

All in all it’s a study that my small group and I would probably enjoy and find stimulating.

Random Art

2009-05-07T10:52:00.002-04:00

Had a meeting this morning and when it was done i thought i would do some work at Joppa.

Walked in to see this.

Very cool. Random Art.

Joppa House Band from Darryl Buckle on Vimeo.

Catalyst West Coast Live Blog

2009-04-19T21:15:00.001-04:00

Catalyst West Opening Session

Playing

2009-03-23T19:39:00.000-04:00

love playing chess with Esther.

Did i mention that Joppa Rocks?

yikes

2009-03-20T08:13:00.002-04:00

Man... i just had a one day to live dream.

Yup. i was to be executed tomorrow. (I was innocent though)

i wanted to see my mom.

I didn't know if i had done enough to make sure my family would be taken care of.

I couldn't figure out why on my last day to live i was touring some historical sight in Ottawa.

go big or go home

2009-03-11T12:04:00.000-04:00

needs no additional comment

Oma and Abi

2009-03-08T20:04:00.001-04:00

1236539807
Originally uploaded by Friar Buck

Every time oma comes over, abi and her work on their "knot a quilt"

Abi loves it and i think it looks really good.

Book Reviews Coming

2009-03-05T19:08:00.002-05:00

hey did you know that Thomas Nelson is looking for bloggers to review their books?

I just found out.

Stay tuned for my two cents.

2009-03-02T19:46:00.000-05:00

Went to the golf show with Dave on Friday. took a picture of my dream golf cart.

Big Brother

2009-02-26T13:40:00.002-05:00

Esther and Shiloh are watching Austin Steven's Adventures on Discovery channel... and Esther's kind of nervious... so they're holding hands... cute.

Dinner Music

2009-02-13T18:59:00.001-05:00

Click to Play

I can't help it if my kids got the rock'n gene

Tags: dinner music, kids

2009-02-12T12:54:00.000-05:00

I've been working hard to keep the house clean while Luana is at school.

2009-02-09T11:19:00.000-05:00

When i was driving Tim Hay to his grandparents a couple weekends ago i noticed this place. Belfountain is a super cute little town. So i though i'd bring Luana for a Monday morning cup of Tea. IT was pretty nice. The Tea was Ok, the setting nice, the music was about a 7, and they had a toy box for Esther. all in all pretty nice. I mean, it's not Joppa but it was nice.

sitting in Joppa

2009-02-04T09:52:00.002-05:00

Esther: Daddy, i'm hungry

Me: Really? i'm surprised to hear that.

Esther: Maybe we should have something.

Me: You think so do you?

Esther: (smiles and nods)

Twitter?

2009-02-03T19:32:00.001-05:00

ok so have you started using twitter yet?

Twitter in Plain English from leelefever on Vimeo.

A Car wreck

2009-02-03T09:59:00.004-05:00

Have you ever seen Meet the Parents?

Ben Stiller, Robert DeNiro?

It's one of those movies that i just can't bare to watch. I hate movies where all the humour revolves around characters putting themselves in situations where they are humiliated or injured. It's a whole genre of movie. There are dozens and dozens of movies like this.

I can't watch them. I can't bare to watch people get embarrassed or humiliated. I don't like being embarrassed or humiliated and i don't like watching others get embarrassed or humiliated.

The worst part of these movies is that 90% of the humiliation and embarrassment comes at their own fault. They don't see it coming. They willfully put themselves into situation where there is really only one end possible. and they don't see it coming.

I get stressed out watching these movies.

I imagine i've gotten myself into situations where there's a world of hurt coming and didn't see it.

And i've seen people walk right into those kinds of situations as well.

It reminds me of those horror movies where the ditzy blonde stumbles on a room in a backwoods cabin where her other two friends have mysteriously disappeared and she decides that she had better investigate why the window in the back bedroom is suddenly open. It's funny when people in the theatre all want to shout "He's right behind you" but don't and so she gets her head lopped off. (for the record, she probably would have gotten her head lopped off if we had have yelled look behind you too... i'm just sayin'")

I get stressed out watching people walk into those kinds of rooms, shout out in disgust at the person who left the window open, self righteously close the window, drop their drawers and proceed to practice their Arnold impersonation in front of the mirror in their tighty whiteys right up until the moment they get their head lopped off. I mean. If they weren't so busy admiring their pecs they might have noticed the guy in the hockey mask coming up behind them. I'm just saying.

Twitter To Go: How one local coffee shop used Twitter to double their clientele. What’s YOUR story?

2009-01-29T09:10:00.001-05:00

Twitter To Go: How one local coffee shop used Twitter to double their clientele. What’s YOUR story?

Posted using ShareThis

Read this today.

2009-01-27T09:36:00.000-05:00

Gracious God,
our sins are too heavy to carry,
too real to hide,
and too deep to undo.

Forgive what our lips tremble to name,
what our hearts can no longer bear,
and what has become for us a consuming fire of judgement.

Set us free from a past that we cannot change;

open to us a future in which we can be changed;

and grant us grace to grow
more and more in your likeness and image,

through Jesus Christ,
the light of the world. Amen

A first

2009-01-20T08:42:00.002-05:00

Esther: When can i have a ceremony

Me: When you become Prime Minister

Shiloh: I didn't think Girls could be Prime Minister

Me: Well it is rare now, but it will be far more normal by the time Esther is Prime Minister.

Me: Hey Buddy that's what's so special about the ceremony today. This is the first time there has ever been a Black president of the United States.

Shiloh: Cool.

Me: You bet it is buddy!

Shiloh: I guess that's why they're having such a big party.

Me: You bet it is Buddy!

2008-12-13T19:27:00.001-05:00

pushing my buttons

2008-12-10T08:52:00.002-05:00

i'm not sure how to blog on this today but i want to. I'm experiencing giving fatigue today. I'm tired of serving people today.

This obviously has me quite conflicted considering that's what discipleship 101 is all about. It's not that i don't see how Christ has given himself for me. i do. I'm just feeling like there is a pattern emerging in my life. Simply put its that i am somehow responsible to serve everyone around me... and that's it.

Monday evening Shiloh got sick again, so we decided to let everyone sleep in on tuesday. At our house that means 8 o clock. so we got Abi up and ready for school. while she was getting ready i went outside to dig out the cars.

Now my 1976 snow blower had recently come back from the shop but it was buried behind the vehicles. So i started shoveling the end of the drive so i wouldn't get stuck pulling the cars out. My plan was then to take the snow blower and if it worked (it hasn't been all that faithful) and clear the driveway.

Abi was already late for school and i had an appointment at 10. so while i cleared the end of the drive i made meaningless conversation with my neighbour's sister who was clearing their driveway too.

I got the cars out and Abi still wasn't outside so i started the snow blower. It started! i took it for a pass. the snow must have been heavy (or my snow blower sucks) cause it would only throw the snow about 2 feet beside the blower.

It became clear to me that i wasn't going to get the driveway done before i had to get Abi to school and get to my appointment.

So i got abi put her into the van which was now parked on the street, pulled up beside my neighbour who was still shoveling.

i explained that i had an appointment at 10 but that after that i was coming back to finish my driveway, and that if she didn't have anywhere to go she could leave the rest of her driveway and i would finish it when i finished mine...

she said, "I'll do it myself... It's a little late"

i know there is a much larger story behind the look on her face, and her words and very little of it if any at all has anything to do with me at all but that doesn't mean it didn't sting.

truth is i have been seeing that attitude a lot lately. It's the attitude that says, "you exist to serve me and you're not doing a very good job doing it lately".

There's something about entitlement that ruins benevolence.

the worst part of all this is that the more i think about it the more it brings to the surface my own feelings of entitlement.

and i'm not sure i'm comfortable with the idea that if you don't expect anything from people they won't disappoint you.

it's tricky stuff.

I see all of these kinds of things eroding my faith. Not capital F faith. just lower case f faith. I know whom i have believed, but all this stuff has me wrestling with motives lately. It says everything that does not come from faith is sin.

but i serve people out of expectation all the time. but i tell you. some days i want do what i want to do and not do what i don't want to do.

i can see that's a dangerous road.

i guess what all this means is that i'm still too influenced by the expectations of people.

so that's why i'm journalling here today. trying to quiet the voices that pull at my life till there is only one.

something pleasing to hold onto

2008-12-03T12:53:00.001-05:00

1 Tim 2

1I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone 2| for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. 3| This is good, and pleases God our Savior.

waking up

2008-11-29T10:08:00.003-05:00

ok so last night my poor wife wiped out and landed squarely on her tailbone. needless to say she was a hurtin unit last night and i don't think she slept that well cause of it. so being the stupendous husband that i am, when the kids started calling this morning, i got up, turned up the filter (white noise) and let her go back to sleep.

problem is that Abi was complaining about feeling sick (through her little sister whom she has conned into hollering for her),

Shiloh got up and told me he wasn't feeling well either - he promptly chucked his cookies into the cereal bowl that we didn't get cleaned up last night and i got him to the toilet without a mess.

by this time Abi has informed me that she wasn't feeling sick at all just hungry.

i get shiloh emptied out and settled, call esther who has been wandering through the house at will, covered in pee, cause she leaked last night and didn't tell me.

so i get her out of leaky pj's and into bathtub for a bath and decide that i don't want to know where she has been wandering all morning.

i get her out of the bath and go to start on Breakfast. There are no dishes or cups cause my poor wife was on her butt last night through no fault of her own (really folks, i don't blame her for not having the cat like reflexes and agility of her husband. you know what they say, "the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will")

so i spend some time clearing up the table and counters, run the dish water, dig out some dishes for breakfast. go to get the shreddies that i bought yesterday for breakfast today and have promised the kids for their breaky, and both bags are split open down the side. so i have to return them.

i pour the cheerios to the chagrin of the kids and get to the dishes.

dishes are done, kitchen is clean, kids are fed and settled infront of their third parent (Kids CBC) and i'm down here thinking that i still prefer working up to agape instead of having to wake up to agape.

Operation Christmas Child

2008-11-21T18:17:00.004-05:00

Esther and I filling up a shoebox for operation Christmas child.

Tech Corner

2008-11-21T10:25:00.003-05:00

watching the snow storm out the window of Joppa

2008-11-10T09:09:00.003-05:00

prolific

2008-11-06T13:05:00.000-05:00

2008-11-06T08:48:00.003-05:00

Darryl - Esther you're going to come with me this morning cause mommy isn't feeling well

Esther - why isn't mommy feeling very well?

Darryl - Cause mommy didn't get enough sleep last night

Esther - ... hugs could make her feel better.

Darryl - I bet they could Esther

halloween

2008-10-31T18:18:00.002-04:00

this is the superhero pose

fun site

2008-10-24T23:15:00.002-04:00

just found a super fun web site.

nice company

2008-10-23T08:48:00.002-04:00

working at Joppa this morning with Esther

The music wasn't playing this morning

2008-10-22T09:44:00.002-04:00

I was surprised with myself this morning. I woke up feeling fine but things quickly deteriorated.

Getting kids up and ready for school is often a challenge but today something was different. maybe that's not entirely true.

Lately i have been wrestling with the realization that some things are getting to me in a way that i wish things didn't.

I'm not talking about resentment of some of the stuff in my life. Jesus said in this world you will experience stuff. He said that stuff teaches you obedience, and stuff makes your grow. knowing Jesus comes through sharing in stuff. God allows stuff and sends stuff and i have no business resenting stuff.

it's that stuff has been getting to me in surprising places and ways. I've seen stuff before. (...thinking of all the different directions i could go with that metaphor... from stepping in it to watching a group of monkeys throwing it at each other...)

What i'm trying to say is that some days i expect it and manage or handle or navigate it better than other days.

today was strange. I got all hot under the collar about little stuff. little annoyances. not sure why.

but i know that it has nothing to do with the fact that the music wasn't on in Joppa this morning.

but the quiet made me notice that something was missing.

i once heard someone say that kids wear ipods all the time to drown out the noise of the jungle, which is this present day's culture...

IT didn't sit well with me cause I think that music is the soundtrack of this present day's culture.

I think life is a jungle sometimes - maybe all the time, and music is, for me at least, the soundtrack of life.

It inspires, it motivates, it adds rhythm to my movements,

it injects a little poetry into the monotony

And I noticed this morning when it was missing.

And now that i think about it some more i realize that there are a few things in my life that add poetry to the monotonous stuff. i don't want a life free from stuff. But this morning i was reminded that i need to make sure the right soundtracks are playing through it all.

... and the Barista turned the music on after just a could minutes of silence.

It is what it is. and it is a new day

2008-09-26T00:22:00.001-04:00

And all the people gave a great shout of praise to the LORD, because the foundation of the house of the LORD was laid. 12 But many of the older priests and Levites and family heads, who had seen the former temple, wept aloud when they saw the foundation of this temple being laid, while many others shouted for joy. 13 No one could distinguish the sound of the shouts of joy from the sound of weeping, because the people made so much noise. And the sound was heard far away. Ezra 3

kickoff

2008-09-17T15:15:00.005-04:00

Well the first pictures from our Fall kickoff are in.

I like this one cause it shows the scale of our whale. All the shoes are remnants of children the whale has already consumed.

photos

2008-09-11T18:30:00.003-04:00

"Esther, look at the green light... ya that green light"

The start of a full week

2008-09-09T09:45:00.005-04:00

So it's kickoff weekend and that means my todo list is bigger than my week probably.

But i was still glad to have Ester with me at the Office this morning.

Off we go to Office #2

Sovereign

2008-09-04T09:10:00.003-04:00

I was reading Ezekiel this morning and stumbled across a phrase.

"When this happens, you will know that I am the Sovereign LORD."

It reminded me how we slip into the delusion that the things that happen in our lives are somehow a product of our own efforts or our own deservedness, or our own positive thinking.

Now i realize i must work honestly and honorably in this life. That in that way i share the responsibility of my fate. Sometimes lazy hands make a man poor (Proverbs 10:4)

I also realize that if i think i can, there is a better chance of my caboose cresting whatever mountain is ahead of me.

But if i think i am blessed because i deserve it, i am deluded. If i think my life is blessed cause i did good or cursed cause i do evil. If i think that i can have whatever i want if i just believe, i have forgotten that there is a God who is sovereign.

Time and time again God acts to show us That he is, who he is, and what he is like and we miss it.

Today I'm going to look with more care, to see the sovereignty of God.

And i'm going to be thankful that the God who is sovereign is also the God whose love has no limits, whose grace has no measure, his power has no boundaries known unto man. And out of His infinite riches in Jesus, He gives and gives and gives again.

First Day of School

2008-09-02T20:28:00.005-04:00

The day my kids have been waiting for for a long long time.

The first day of school has finally arrived.

three happy kids - all bearing the bruises of a full summer.

I can't wait til next year when Esther will join her siblings.

Worship Planning

2008-09-02T14:11:00.002-04:00

Ok so we have a lot of people who are now part of the worship planning process at our church. Worship Leaders, team members, Team Leaders, Audio Video people etc. And while this affords us lots of help, it also means it's hard to keep track of who is doing what and when in order to make sure things don't slip through the cracks.

As i often do when i have a question about worship stuff i emailed Chris at Orangeville Baptist Church for help.

He pointed me straight to these guys!

What a great tool. They even have a free subscription to get guys like me hooked. I expect we will upgrade our subscription at some point cause i can already see how great this resource is.

This made my day.

Templates

2008-09-01T22:18:00.001-04:00

ok so if you have been following me lately you will notice that over the last week or so i have tried about 7 different blog templates.

i just can't find the one i like.

i think i'll play with this one a bit.

not that you know which one this is but let me know if you like it...

Exercise ball replaces desk chair

2008-08-14T21:08:00.002-04:00

I don't know where i heard about this idea. To use an exercise ball instead of a desk chair cause then you are strengthening your core stabilizing muscles all day long... All i know is that after just 2 days i can tell that under the 3 or 4 inches of jello is a rock hard 8 pack shaped bowl... and Bob Marley sounds way better now.

New Specs

2008-08-07T13:58:00.008-04:00

ok so i went to that place where you get 3 pairs of glasses for the price of one.

I got some sun glasses and 2 pairs of regular glasses.

I can see clearly now, the rain is gone. I can see all obstacles in my way...

and once again it is my loving wife.

So for the next month i want you to vote on my new specs in the sidebar polls.

Below are two pics of each pair.

if you like that pair vote Darryl

If you don't, vote Wife

Please vote for each pair as #1 and #2 ok?

specs 1

specs 2

Sing a new song

2008-08-06T11:12:00.003-04:00

So i'm at the home office today. My wife needed some help this morning so i'm working on the couch and the eldest two are outside playing.

I'm working on a draft outline of this sunday's sermon...

and my youngest daughter sits down beside me with her Whinny the Pooh hymn book, and starts to sing...

"Joy is the word of God"

What a wonderful distraction

One step forward, Two steps back

2008-07-23T11:07:00.004-04:00

OK so I think i've turned a corner. It's now the third season of playing soccer in waterloo. My fitness is slowly (italics mine) improving. My statistics are improving. My +/- ... might be improving. But i think i've turned a corner. When I started i knew my limits... I knew when i was beat. I knew that i wasn't going to catch up to the ball so i might as well not even try...

Last night i didn't get back when i should have and the other team scored... it was all my fault...

so i had to redeem myself.

so when i saw a ball going out i thought... i can get that.... if i slide....

So like a said. I've turned a corner. yeah, the sacrifice your body for the game corner that i turned last night... yeah, not going to try that again.

I now know why they call it carpet burn.

Cloverfield

2008-06-03T11:53:00.001-04:00

100_2614
Originally uploaded by Friar Buck

And this is where we hid when the other monster from outer space was attacking Manhattan.

blogging

2008-04-29T19:41:00.002-04:00

i realized recently that i'm a little too casual about my blogging efforts.

i was reading the blog of an old friend. Her blog is nice. and contains in depth details about her life these days...

i just post pictures and the occasional video.

i didn't tell you about ...

ok.

it's because my life is boring

did God create committees?

2008-04-23T08:28:00.002-04:00

well i'm sitting in an undisclosed location (the holiday inn) in Toronto at a meeting of the 2008 general assembly nominating committee....

i'm not really allowed to tell you anything more than that....

... not that there is anything to tell.

coming home

2008-03-31T12:05:00.001-04:00

Click to Play

Curling 2008

2008-03-01T11:13:00.002-05:00

This past Sunday was our 2nd annual "Curl for something" Community Building event. Last year we were raising some money to put roofs on churches in Guinea, and this year we were raising funds to put a chair lift in the church to make it more accessible to people with physical limitations. The event was a resounding success... though the curling left a little to be desired.

Click To Play

only visiting this planet

2008-02-25T10:18:00.004-05:00

I got really bad news today.

the Godfather of Christian Rock passed away yesterday.

I was first introduced to Larry Norman at Camp by a long hair granola type.

all i can say about that is that it changed everything.

I never got the chance to see him live but Luana did.

I don't really know what else to say except to share a portion from his last email.

"I feel like a prize in a box of cracker jacks with God's hand reaching down to pick me up. I have been under medical care for months. My wounds are getting bigger. I have trouble breathing. I am ready to fly home."

I hope you'll take this minute and enjoy the legend one more time.

on becoming virgin

2008-02-20T17:12:00.002-05:00

so every once in a while i get fed up with the man, with his spirit of entitlement and his lack of personal care.

so last week i got a bill from "the man" charging me a huge cancelation fee from when we abandoned him at christmas on my wife's behalf.

They tried to automatically sign her up on a new contract when her last contract finished. I called them up and was assured that it was no monkey business just an honest mistake and the mistake would be corrected.

so when my bill came and the monkey was still throwing his business all over me i was a little less than enthused.

they corrected their mistake but i still had a funny taste in my mouth.

so i asked him what the "penalty" would be for me to cancel prematurely and get out of my contract.

$^%.00 Unbeleivable.

but it's the principle that counts.

you see in just a few short months i will have saved just that much money having moved over to my new best friend.

Virgin.

Now making new friends can be difficult.

it has taken many days to get my number "ported" over to virgin from "the man".

My old phone continued to work until today... so i called them... and they said it should be all done today... and my schnazzy new phone should be activated today.

hope so. I hate the man... but i love having a phone...

breaking up is hard to do.

are you missing out?

second contact

2008-01-30T14:43:00.001-05:00

Click to Play

It is what it is.

First contact

2008-01-30T14:39:00.001-05:00

Click to Play

Galen was the first drop in to my recently redecorated office.

Retreat

2008-01-13T20:17:00.000-05:00

Well it's been a long winter so far. I guess for that matter it's been a long spring too. Last week we awoke to a full scale flood in our basement. it seems our house couldn't take the amount of rain and thaw etc.

it's ok. we're cleaning up and we'll wash the carpet in a couple weeks...

but this week....

we're on retreat.

Every Year our district pastors meet to get refreshed and renewed....

and swim...

and eat.

I love retreat and we really do have some pretty good friends there now.

i am looking forward to seeing everyone.

maybe i'll post some pics next week.

Top Ten list

2007-11-30T09:11:00.000-05:00

I saw this great top 10 list from gentle.org

Top ten Christmas gadgets for the techno preacher

10. A Pulpit Electromagnetic Pulse Generator(PEMP) -- with a press of a button all cell phones within a 300 metre radius will be knocked out for the entire service! Guaranteed to almost never interfere with pacemakers!

9. A Membership to "Transitions Anonymous" (TA) -- for the preacher who feels compelled to use every slide transition available for his PowerPoint presentations!

8. The Three Stooges Deluxe DVD collection with Sermon Illustration Annotations -- What sermon couldn't be made better with a video illustration from Curly, Larry and Moe?

7. Clap-On-Clap-Off Star of Bethlehem Nightlight -- the nightlight has an LED display that guides the star around your room during the night. It can also be programed to guide you to the refrigerator after everyone else is asleep!

6. "The Light of the World" Chistian Laser Pointer -- comes with an attachment to make the beam into the shape of a cross.(Also comes with a 666 attachment for those rare occassions when meetings go extra-long, or salesmen come to visit.) Use with caution! Don't aim at planes or wives!

5. "THE PREACHER Automatic Voice Synthesizer" -- This gadget looks for monotone speach patterns and processes them into a more compelling presentation. Available vocal qualities/intonations include: Billy Graham, Bill Hybles, Rick Warren, James Earl Jones, Charlton Heston, Boris Karloff and Jay Leno's impression of Arnold Schwarzenegger!

4. Hallelujah Chorus Alarm Clock -- it makes your wake ups heavenly!

3. Force-Feedback Pews -- with these babies installed the congregation will not only hear your sermon, they'll feel it as well. Guaranteed to make seekers sensitive!

2. "Youth Pastor Common Sense Governor" -- there'll be no more late-night calls or emergency board meetings with this little-blessing powered up! Set the"Common Sense Parameters" and sleep well on youth group night!

And the number one Christmas Gadget for Techo-Preachers is:

1. The "Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth" Manual (BIBLE) -- it certainly isn't a gadget, and it may not be new technology, but it is timeless. It will never be outdated or lacking in truth or power!

what a shot on flickr....

2007-11-16T10:26:00.001-05:00

2004-12-20_02592
Originally uploaded by christian fessel :media

love it.

Hard Day at work

2007-11-08T10:15:00.000-05:00

So today is my writing day but Luana isn't feeling well so she went back to sleep and i got the kids to school and had Esther downstairs working with me.

Usually she plays in my office and interupts me every 30 seconds or so...

not today...

Today she stood infront of me and played with some pieces of plastic.... for at least an hour.

I thought i had better take a picture.

I wish she was always this easy to entertain...

She's not.

Child of Grace

2007-10-16T10:06:00.000-04:00

This is my Daughter's favourite doll.

I don't know where my mom found it...

I suspect it came from the pit of hell or some place like that.

I have fully exorcised it and it's expression hasn't changed so i can only conclude that this is one of the least of these.

My Daughter will no doubt be welcomed into his eternal kingdom just for the love and grace shown to this poor thing

TV

2007-10-06T14:15:00.001-04:00

OK so i just spent 2 days trying to hook up Luana's new TV.. all so she could watch the cooking network while cooking.

...hope it pays off.

times are changing

2007-09-12T22:07:00.000-04:00

So tonight i hung out with a good friend.

I'm not as young as i used to be and i'm getting tired so i start heading for home and i remember that my front driver's side tire is getting soft. We decide to stop at the local gas station to fill her up...

that's when we saw the sign that said 50 cents for air.

I thought... I'm not paying 50 cents for air.

It's a principle thing. Air should be free. that's right you heard me right. Air should be free.

They're not foolin anyone. they'll give you free chilli and free nacho cheeze sauce for your hot dog but not free air for your tire.

so we left.. went to the next gas bar...

same thing "air 50 cents"

gas bar number 3 "air 50 cents"

number 4 "50 cents"

we even tried 2 car washes... and didn't find any air.

I don't know if i like what this world is becoming.

i feel like my whole world is crashing down around me.

The Amazing who wants to be a star trek 3

2007-09-08T22:12:00.001-04:00

100_2808.JPG
Originally uploaded by Friar Buck

Hayley tallying the scores...

We lost.

290 to 283.

I think Ann's gang cheated...

Summer holidays

2007-08-06T09:56:00.000-04:00

I thought i should give a quick update on my life the last few.

I'm just more than half way into the soccer season. my ankle is fine but i'm still fat and slow. I do have a blast playing though.

Last month i dove into a project with some friends to take over the operation of a restaurant and two snack bars in the community centres of Orangeville. It's a really exciting project that we will run as a non-profit so that we can used the businesses as a means to accomplishing some social and community building projects that are near and dear to our hearts.

so that is exciting.

a few weeks ago my sister began the last lap of the adoption process. the baby was born and she has him at home, and they are counting the days until he officially becomes part of the family. It's exciting and stressful but we have all seen God's hand at work in the process.

plus right now i'm on holidays. On holidays meaning i've had a week full of meetings, a roof on Saturday and a family reunion today. i love faily reunions... but they are a lot of work. The good (not good, just good) thing about this one is my kids are at Camp Grandma for the next week so we won't have to be chasing them today. it's nice.

anyway i've got an appointment with a lawn mower before we go.

soccer

2007-06-20T21:17:00.001-04:00

ok so i have been thrilled that soccer has started back up for the summer.

I updated my musiclisteningto abilities in the car with a fancy fm transmitter from my pocketpc and about 4hours of music for a one hour drive.

I bought new socks. new shin guards

a great shirt that says God save the queen,

and in minute 10 of game 2 i rolled my ankle...

now when i was a whippersnapper i would get up, shake it off and play.

so i did that...

it started to really hurt by the end of the second game of the night.

i drove home and got out of the car... it had swollen... alot... and was really really sore.

so i am limping today.

humiliated by my weakness.

wondering how long it will take to heal...

... at least good enough to play.

finished...

2007-05-25T16:00:00.000-04:00

well here it is.

mostly done.

except the lopsided rail thing.

I'll fix that some day.

I'm please how it turned out...

except that lopsided rail thing.

building stuff

2007-05-25T15:52:00.000-04:00

I was talking to my wife about building bridges. my son overheard and said bridges are built of wood. I corrected him by saying bridges are built of wood and love.

I've been busy lately. Building a new walkway and a new deck on the front of our house.

here are some befores

I realize that at this point it only looks like i'm destoying stuff. that part often comes first.

and another thing

2007-04-16T14:27:00.000-04:00

I'm a little embarrassed that i just found out how to view all my silent commenters...

I thought you all hated me and never left a comment...

i just didn't know you were there... something about needing to moderate the comments...

thanks all of you for being there all this time.

I don't hate you

2007-04-16T13:39:00.000-04:00

what can i say, i've been busy...

and i found facebook.

she gives me what i need.

2006-11-18T22:00:00.000-05:00

What does it mean to follow Christ?

Funny Video.

makes you think doesn't it?

i thought it was funny.

A Few days off

2006-11-16T10:58:00.000-05:00

so it's been a long time since i've posted it's november 16th and i am taking a few days off.

this weekend is my moms side of the family Christmas... i know it's early but its still all good.

and so i'm taking a much needed few days off before the business of Christmas.

plus Luana and i are still recovering from the business of my ordination service and get together and then the women's Christmas tea event where Luana was part of the planning team and a presenter that night.

needless to say busy so we are trying to get back to sanity this week...

the best way to do that...

Clean out the laundry room...

Ok i admit it was a stupid idea but it will be nice to have it done..

And i think we'll go to ikea on Friday.

mmmmmm Swedish lingonberry...

Darryl loves Luana

2006-09-07T12:10:00.000-04:00

click here to download

17 more sleeps

2006-08-31T23:23:00.000-04:00

I'm back in the saddle again

Out where a friend is a friend

Where the longhorn cattle feed

On the lowly gypsum weed

Back in the saddle again

Good to see you today Josh.

Snif.

love bleeds

2006-08-14T04:44:00.000-04:00

A poem for Josh.

Alas I cannot count to four.

It is too painful

Four times my heart was crushed.

Four times I hoped for breath.

Four times I shaved my head.

The zebra races.

Four birds sang a dirge outside my window this morning.

It is winter.

Four is a grace when 5 threatens

Cursed be the tires on my car.

I am lost

Like goldfish lie limp in the globe that once spun me

I am sunk

Like grilled cheese torn from the pan of their creation

I am full

I will walk

I will dance

I will shout

I will miss you Josh.

See you in four....

....snif

My Strategic Planning Network

2006-08-04T14:55:00.000-04:00

Watch the video

So i've been dusting off my Black Suit and Fedora because i'm going to Chicago next week. I will be travelling with some fellow pastor's who i meet with 3 or 4 times a year for mutual encouragement and growth... i found some Video of a SPN meeting i had taken. I reformated it to remove most of my wise cracks and what you have left is a brief look into one of those days. I really do enjoy meeting with this group of guys. they're all good folk. They challenge me to grow... up and this coming week will be no different. The Leadership Summit which we are going to is one of the premier leadership training events in the world. This years speakers are brilliant. I can't wait... to have chicago stuffed pizza

2006-07-22T17:29:00.000-04:00

weird

Watch the video

Young people these days... sheesh

of the mountains

2006-07-13T21:44:00.000-04:00

This was one of our last stops before Vancouver. It is just about 20 minutes past Whistler. The model is a lovely German woman dressed in blue fleese. grrrrrowl.

2006-07-11T00:51:00.000-04:00

This is the river on the property of our Bed and Breakfast.

... not missing Ontario yet...

(Just our kids) that's it.

God's Blessing on our holiday.

2006-07-11T00:48:00.000-04:00

It was supposed to rain all day.

it didn't rain more than 2 minutes in Jasper and 10 while we were in our bed and breakfast. That rain gave us this.

What a spectacular place.

2006-07-09T02:34:00.000-04:00