One of THOSE days.

It started at 3:15 this morning when I woke up to voices in our backyard. Two kids stole my sons' and daughters' bikes. I found the bikes they had abandoned in the alley, old beaters. We also found out that the transmission in our car is dying; this after just getting $400 done on it yesterday.
This afternoon I got a call from my Mom that my uncle Dan passed away. I hadn't seen him in a long time, and I was surprised when my Dad told me tonight that the family wants me to be a pallbearer, which I am honoured to do. He just turned 78 two days ago, and had been quite sick for the last 4 months. My dad has lost two brothers in the last couple of years, and this seems especially hard for him this time around. The family would appreciate your prayers.

So, there it is in a nutshell. Not one for the reord books, but then, we were never promised an easy life. To quote a line from the movie "City of Joy", why do the gods make it so difficult to be a human being?

New Job!!

I just got the invitation on Monday to become the Saskatoon Community Chaplain,and I accepted. This ends five months of wondering where I would be working next, and begins a journey into a world that I know very little about. It is a Corrections Canada position established in partnership with MCC. I'll be working with offenders/ex-offenders as they work at connecting back with society. There is also a lot of restoritive justice work, and raising the profile of social justice i the community. There is so much to learn that I can't really even fathom it right now. I am excited and nervous. There seems to be a really good group of people around this position that I'm sure I'll be relying on a lot in the next months. Thanks to Brent, Barb, and the others involved so far in getting me in the door.
Like I said, there is lots I don't know, but I'll fill you in on where I'm learning from as time goes on. Thanks to all of you who have been praying for us over the last five months for a new job. And now that we know the direction I'll be heading, it seems I'll need your prayers more than ever. It's a new world I'm walking into.

USNews.com: The man in the middle (7/25/05)

USNews.com: The man in the middle (7/25/05)

For those of you who haven't heard of Jim Wallis, he is an author/speaker/advocate for a brand of politics that is neither fight nor left. He is calling for honesty and smart biblical thinking from politicians, and he has a voice in the US political picture. If you want to see a different way that Christians can view the political problems of North America, check him out.

USATODAY.com - Tom, you've said enough

USATODAY.com - Tom, you've said enough

Back to the Future: Ingmar Bergman's "Saraband"

Back to the Future: Ingmar Bergman's "Saraband"

I saw a review of this movie on Ebert and ropere. The way they talked about the legacy of Bergman drew me in; he has a style and a feel that doesn't really exist today in Hollywood. I'd like to see this film.

OASIS - GALLAGHER SLAMS BORING BONOS RELIGIOUS TALKS

Gallagher says here that he is "his own god". I tried that; trust me, it doesn't work.

Here's the Latest from MY newsdesk

No job yet...there's a possible meeting this week.

Just got back from a week at the lake.

Reading Mystic River, 5 People you meet in Heaven, The Contemplative Pastor.

Watched Crash (again), City of Joy (liked it).

And I'm really enjoying the Daily Show with Jon Stewart.

Happy Birthday Nolan (July 27th)...right?