Sunday, January 9, 2011

Showing Up

It's been a good first week. It seems I'm wired to appreciate being more disciplined/organized so I just feel better when my life has more of that. Got to the fitness club 3 times this week, walking more (which allowed me to do more ipod listening, which I've really missed lately), took Josie (our yellow lab) for a short walk every day, spent time on spiritual disciplines. Lots more little things too. Decided I'd be in charge of weekly washing of clothes.
A few times this week while at school I was reminded again of the saying about how 80% of success is just showing up (apparently attributed to Woody Allen). As a teacher I've always felt it was important to take care of the little things, like something as simple as meeting the students at the door. And for students, I've become more and more concerned by those who are absent from school a lot. It even struck me at study group on Friday when we looked at the concept of 'church' and how Heb. 10:25 says to not give up meeting together (ie. 'show up').
Finally finished "The Source" by James Michener. It's a great book but at 1088 pages it was a pretty big task getting though all that history - set in Israel, beginning in 1964 and then going back thousands of years. I think it will be a while before I attempt a tome like that again.
Listened to great audio interviews with Steve Hindalong (from The Choir) and Dan Hasseltine. Those guys are pretty articulate. Led me to listening more to the Jays of Clay "The Shelter" release - I like it.

1 comment:

Daniel Is Thinking said...

Sounds like you've had an excellento weeko!
I think fondly of The Source. It was the book that led to the opening of my mind on the history of ancient Israel. I had a particularly gratifying - shall I call it an epiphany? - in the understanding of Israel's relations to the Canaanites because of this book. I had just finished the book and was attending Emmanuel Bible College's College for a day in the spring of '75 and was attending a lecture on I Kings 7 by Dr. George Shillington. He was commenting on Solomon's construction of the two pillars at the front of the temple. He was asking the students among whom I sat, what did they think of the significance of these two pillars in front of the temple. Nobody was answering and he was labouring the question. Finally I piped up, "fertility symbols?" Yep, he said. And he pointed out the great laver on the backs of bulls as another Canaanite influence on the temple. At that point, I realized that Sunday School lessons hadn't taught me all there was to know about the Bible. Fertility symbols in the Great Temple!
Well, keep it up, Brother.