Our Epic Quest

There are 3 key elements in all GREAT and enduring stories or myths:

1. Things are not what they seem.
2. Some great struggle or quest or battle is well underway.
3. I have a crucial role to play.

--Don Sawatsky

Your friends, your family, your co-workers. Things are not what they seem. Each of their lives is a quest, with many hidden battles. And you have a crucial role to play. What would you like it to be?

Mystefied Kitty

Saffron's first view of snow.

This inside cat is not too sure why her world has turned white.

She has judged it and found it wanting.

Winter Wonderland

24 hours after returning from Winnipeg, and its unseasonably plus-zero weather, I was treated to a winter wonderland in my own front yard.

I found Winnipeg to be a beautiful city. I've posted some pics of its arcitecture and artwork here.

Winnipeg On Grey Cup Sunday

I flew into Winnipeg on Sunday, and took this picture of the stadium from the plane right around the time the BC Lions won the game. Pretty cool!

Visiting The Viv

On Sunday I went with some friends to view The Vivian - a shelter for the hardest to house women in Vancouver, run by Triage. It is my company's chosen charity, and is dear to my heart. The Viv was gutted in a fire last May. My company has committed to raising $100,000 in the next 5 months to help rebuild this home of hope. If you're inspired to give to this worthy charity, get in touch!

Where Would YOU Shop?

If this was an option, I'm not sure I would choose IKEA, but I love this commercial!

Ask An Evangelical

"Jesus loves me and I love him. But my story is part of a much bigger story that tells me about who God is, and why human beings exist, and why — in the midst of so many bad things happening in the world around us — there is hope for a better future."

That's what evangelical Christian Aileen Van Ginkel wrote when we [Globe and Mail] asked her to explain a bit about her faith. What do you think? She came online Monday to respond to your questions about her religion.

Christian Aileen Van Ginkel was the guest of Globe and Mail for a 1 hour online forum titled "Ask An Evangelical." Ms. Van Ginkel presented a surprisingly balanced view while fielding questions like:

• I am a homosexual. Does Jesus still love me?
• How do you feel about the efforts of the so-called "Moral Majority" or Christian Right in North America?
• If the Bible is the inspired word of God, how do you justify the negative parts of the Bible, such as slavery, killing your neighbour, the plagues of Egypt (which God states he prolonged to glorify him), and hell?
• I was raised an evangelical Christian and left the church in my late teens. Why is it that when an earthly leader says "love me, obey me, serve me, be faithful to me....or else I'll torture and kill you," he is recognized as evil, but when God says the same thing, He's supposed to be supreme Good and Love?

Kudos to you, Ms. Van Ginkel, for taking on this challenge. Thank you for representing Evangelical Christians so well.

See the full interview at globeandmail.com.

The Truth Is Better Than Fiction

Sometimes it's nice to have a legend proven true.
Snopes.com, a site dedicated to finding the truth behind urban legends, has verified this picture and the moving story associated with it:

This moving photograph shows Chief Master Sgt. John Gebhardt, superintendent of the 22nd Wing Medical Group at McConnell Air Force Base in Kansas, holding an injured Iraqi girl. The picture was taken in October 2006, while Sgt. Gebhardt was deployed to Balad Air Base in Iraq. According to the Air Force Print News, the infant girl Sgt. Gebhardt held in his arms "received extensive gunshot injuries to her head when insurgents attacked her family killing both of her parents and many of her siblings."

Sgt. Gebhardt is now back home in Wichita, Kansas, with his wife and two children. An Air Force Link article about the sudden fame he gained as the subject of this photograph reported that:
The chief had a knack for comforting [the injured Iraqi girl] and they often would catch a cat nap together in a chair.

"I got as much enjoyment out of it as the baby did," he said. "I reflected on my own family and life and thought about how lucky I have been."

While deployed to Iraq, the chief tried to help out any way he could. He figured holding a baby that needed comforting that would free up one more set of arms that could be providing care to more critical patients.

"I pray for the best for the Iraqi children," he said. "I can't tell the difference between their kids and our kids. The Iraqi parents have the same care and compassion for their children as any American."

More details from Snopes

The Only Good Use For Aspartame

They're back - the geeky yet cool Mentos 'n Diet Coke guys who freely admit they have too much time on their hands. They've inspired me to do a few 'experiments', and now they've published their second video. Enjoy!



Too see the original, go to Eepybird.com

If We Break Faith With Those Who Die

It was very moving to watch the Rembrance Day ceremony on CBC this morning. I was especially moved by the faces of the World War II soldiers, men and women in their 80's and 90's. Two of my grandfathers fought in that war, and lived through it. One volunteered for the British Royal Air Force, and was shot down three times. The other lived his life with shrapnel in his back.

We have no difficulty remembering these great men and women for their sacrifices. My concern is for our soldiers who are currently fighting in Afghanistan. With the ongoing political debate as to whether or not Canada should continue her involvement, it is easy to forget the soldiers themselves. They fight because they know that our freedom to debate was bought with blood, and that freedom will always be bought with blood. We owe them a lot, and cannot afford to sacrifice their efforts on the altar of politics. In the immortal words of Lt. Col. John McRae:

If ye break faith with those who die,

we shall not sleep, though poppies grow

in Flanders Fields.

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Ottawa, Ontario
Photo taken from Occasionally Right blog