I had to admit that the play-off beard was not turning out as expected (read: hoped for) and so I have shaved it. I didn't so much pull off 'Edgy Urban Artist' as 'Michael Moore Stunt Double."

Not only that but the Flames were knocked out of the playoffs in game 7. It was a good effort but they fell apart for a few minutes and found themselves in a hole they couldn't dig out of (this time). In a way I am glad to have my evenings back - there is a lot to do and it is really hard to work around the playoff schedule.

Ehkosit,

Migwec.

Sunday was a very busy (but also very good) day. We had a choir join us for our morning service - and they accounted for thirty-some people - a nice boost especially since the weather has been terrible lately. What is with snowstorms in April. There was a new family out (I still love that we are a small enough congregation to notice those things) and the message went well. Because I knew I was going to be tight for time I think I planned out my sermon more than I have in awhile (maybe I should get back to that).  I just find that when I do that I fall back into an intellectual discourse more than an applicable exposition... I need to find a middle ground between shooting from the hip and "academese."

The evening brought our second baptismal service of the year and potluck. I was thrilled as I got to baptise one guy that I drank tea with in China and he has since moved to Canada, a lady that grew up in a Ukrainian church in Toronto and has made her way back to that early faith via our congregation and then another person showed up with a bag packed for his baptism - he had started the journey in Venezuela at a baptist church there and now was ready to take the plunge here in Calgary. Each of their stories deeply moved me as we met together prior to their decisions to get baptized.

The potluck that followed was a great time of eating and laughing together. These are the times and places we build community that is more than just a buzzword. The awesome privilege of joining people in their baptism is what makes the slinging of chairs and hoisting of speakers worth it all.

I wish I could be more profound but a nagging back injury and standing in water that is best measured using the Kelvin Scale has left me a little off this morning - ah well its worth it.

Ehkosit,

Migwec

I am tranmogrifying into a big fuzzy egg!! For those that care, I have escaped yet another "went-way-to-far-for-a-few-cheap-laughs" adventure relatively unharmed. The dye came off of my face, but I am actually tender in spots because of the amount of scrubbing. BTW Juli if you are reading this blog, I had to borrow your new loofa, but I got most of the black off of it, honey.

Ehkosit,

Migwec

I woke up this morning and discovered my play-off beard had completely grown in!! This was easier than I thought it would be.

Epilogue (or epiblog I guess)

Literally five minutes after taking this picture I tried to wash the dye off (it wasn't really my beard sorry no miracle hair growth) and I couldn't. I think I have managed to get most of it off, but it is hard to tell because my skin is so red and discoloured from the scrubbing!!

I was just looking for another picture when I ran across this. It is a mock (but-not-mocking) Revival Poster I made for my brother-in-law. It is from a campfire last summer.

Sundays are a busy day - even with the shift to setting up on Saturdays we need to get to the school early and get ready for the Sunday service. We also have to tear down after the service. But our church day doesn't end there, Juli and I (and the kidlets), head downtown to help out at another Baptist Union church plant.

We always wanted to have a church support us in our beginning year but that was limited to be honest (and not dwell on a past issue) - so when we were taken up on the offer to help at Goodtree Christian Fellowship we dove in.

In the beginning Juli did the children's program and I assisted. Now there is a team of leaders from Goodtree to come alongside Juli and so I more often attend their worship service and only pitch in when somebody can't make it or Juli's pregnancy slows her down (she will hate that I wrote this but it is true - even she has a limit in the state she is in).

Anyhoo this week I toted my sketchbook in with me and doodled some pix. I paid attention, but their pastor had asked me to do up some pictures for them so I thought this would be the best way to build up some resources for the later work. This is just one of the pages.

Game 3

I warned you it wouldn't be a pretty voyage. There was a point in the first 5 minutes of the game that I thought I would just shave it off then.  What a horrible start - words describing the game as well as the beard.

It is kind of sad that to realize that I my beard is 50/50 grey and brown. I always hoped that by the time I left my teen years I would have mastered facial hair growth. Instead I am nearing the big 4-0 (in a few years) and I still endure pangs of jealousy when I am talking to people that have thick full beards. I went out for coffee with a guy the other night where I am sure I was able to watch his beard grow and fill in as we talked. My attempt looks like a poorly watered lawn in an arid climate - it is reminiscent of my back yard.

Ehkosit,

Migwec

Most often my doodles are the work of an acerbic pen dipped in a well of bitter ink. That is to say my first preference would be to give somebody a quick five in the snot box or tell em off (hey I grew up on a rez - that's the reaction that is really there - no amount of higher education is going to trump what you learn early in life) but in what passes for maturation I don't do it. The feeling doesn't completely go away so I need an outlet - sometimes I go to the gym, sometimes I take the dog for a walk, often I doodle.

Unfortunately this makes me look like a bit of a pyschopath with anger management issues to the occassional visitor of the blog. I have been trying to spend more time scanning pages from my sketchbook so that I can upload them and give a more balanced look at my doodlage. These are from the kids program we run on Wednesday nights...

Just fooling around with Comic Life for Mac... 

I remember reading about a bunch of people that were trapped on a rollercoaster for 30 minutes. Sometimes I feel like I've been on a rollercoaster since 2005 (when we started SouthGate Church). I sometimes wonder if I could get used to regular life again.

Ehkosit,

Migwec. 

There were no other kids at the Tuesday Morning Small Group, so Maggie and I just spent the time drawing and dancing and drawing about dancing. Here are some of the pix. The first is Maggie doing some intense (very thoughtful) ballet and then Maggie showed me how I dance and got me to draw that in the second doodle. I should note that there was a bit of artistic conflict as she wanted me to draw myself in a pink ballet outfit like she has - I didn't want to.


Ehkosit,
Migwec.

Day 1

Sorry to all the Oilers and Canucks fans, but the playoffs are starting and my Flames are in it!! I have decided to show my solidarity for the cause by joining the guys in pursuing the perfect playoff beard!!! I fall more into the Ovechkin camp than the Neidermeyer camp in the Chin Spaghetti all-stars.  I blame it on my Japanese and Chinese ancestry. I've  got limited math skills, I am a nightmare when it comes to fixing my computer but the stereotypical  feature I have grabbed a hold of is the inability to grow solid facial air (well that and I'm a pretty sketchy driver). Lock yourselves in and enjoy the ride. I probably will only check in on a weekly basis as I don't expect there to be too much action from the follicles so I hope the Flames make it deep into the playoffs.

Ehkosit,

Migwec.

PS whaadiya think of my Broke-Back inspired cowboy shirt I like it but Juli's not a big fan of it.

I found this doodle recently. It is from when Juli first met me (really re-met me but that's another story) back in 1992. I think I did so she could learn the names of the family pets.

They are...

Dogs: Mahkate, Copena, Tchaik and Amber
Cats: Mitty, Rawhide and Missy
Human: Jeff

(If you click on it you can get a bigger picture)