thoughts on Thanksgiving

thoughts on Thanksgiving
Originally uploaded by weddlen.

"Our Way of Giving" by Chief Maquinna

"Once when I was in Victoria, I saw a very large house. They told me it was a bank, and that the white men place their money there to be taken care of, and that by and by they got it back, with interest. We are Indians, and we have no such bank; but when we have plenty of money or blankets, we give them away to other chiefs and people, and by and by they return them, and our hearts feel good. Our way of giving is our bank."

...to read more click here

( I really suggest that you do... it's really good! )

nW

a life of Hide & Seek

a life of Hide & Seek
Originally uploaded by weddlen.

As I sat in my car today, waiting for my friend, I watched as two young boys played in the fall leaves of orange and yellow, the game of Hide & Seek. I felt sorry for the younger brother, who was only about 4 yrs.old, as he croutched down behind a large rock, bearing most of back to the view of his searching older brother. He didn't have a chance. I remembered back to playing it when I was young(er) and how we played different variations of the game: Poison Ivy (where the 'tagger' recruits more taggers each time he/she gets someone), Sardines (where one person hides and everyone else searches until they find him, but then attempt to hide with that person, until all are hiding, minus the last, and unfortunate losing player), et. al.... It also seems that this game is almost a human staple, in almost every culture and people group around the world. Why is that? Why does it feel like 'Hiding' and 'Seeking' is almost formed into our very being, regardless of language or ethnicity? I believe that this somehow ties into the very fabric of our lives given by God. This theme of Seeking and Finding is woven throughout the Bible, and the story of God and his people. And heck, even with older, non-youth-type-people, the games often involved with dating seem to be almost 'hide-n-seek' ish. Verses in the Bible like "Come near to God, and He will come near to You..." and "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled," seem to float around in this language. And also the verse "But if from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find him if you look for him with all your heart and with all your soul." It seems as if the game we play as kids and even as adults, stems from an even deeper aspect of who we are. Seeking to find questions to deep longings within us... Why was I not important enough for my parents to love me? or Why did I receive such abuse growing up? or still, Do I have what it takes to be someone/to be successful? or Why would God love me when there seems to be such ugly things about me/my life? I remember how I dreaded being the 'seeker' or 'tager' when we played. I guess it was the fear of not finding what (or who) I was looking for. And conversely, how good it felt to be the hider, knowing, in an almost anxious way, that someone could pop out any moment and scare you and get you. Exciting, and yet scary at the same time. I think that God works the same way in our lives too. Just like Adam in the garden as he hid, God sought after him, to speak to him, to have fellowship with him. How often do we hide from God now in our lives, either from guilt or just plain 'ole shame. I find it interesting how both of these realities play out in my life, regardless of who I am, in whatever moments.

Selah. (...take time to think on these things...)

nW

Blue Like Jazz

Blue Like Jazz
Originally uploaded by weddlen.

I wanted to tell everyone how much I have been enjoying this book. He tells stories of his life and his observations about it. It's very honest, and so revealing to my own experiences. I totally recommend it.

Pyramid Team

Pyramid Team
Originally uploaded by weddlen.

I worked a church camp down at Camp Galilee a fortnight ago, and this was my team. We were the Cheesy Orange Cheetahs, and won the whole week for points. We also won the much sought after Spirit Bell, although it was stolen shortly after ceremonies. Thanks Randolph the Red.

generosity

I've been thinking about what it means to be generous. This is partly because my pastor Tim has been speaking about generosity and because I honestly love to give. there's something about it that makes you feel free and almost overflowing with joy. Anyway, it reminded me of a Sarah McLachlan video, World on Fire, they showed a while back. click here to see it and choose the 'watch video" link.

be blessed.
nick

"inner" Cleavage ?

As I was skimming through one of the many Newsweek mags at my parents house, I came across this article, "Showing Off a Little (Inner) Cleavage," and thought it was pretty good.

Here's to finding where real beauty and worth comes from.

nW

buffalo, NY, the Peace bridge over Niagara River

buffalo
Originally uploaded by weddlen.

Greetings from Buffalo.
I was up in New York with my family for a few days celebrating my stepdad's-grandmother's-90th birthday. Granny Tessie, who's real polish name is too long for me to remember, and definately too difficult to pronounce, loves to gamble, slots or poker (she counts cards still), and loves to travel and visit with family. She currently is living in Omaha with other family, and is still so full of energy and joy for each day. Here's to you Tess, Happy 90-th!

Buffalo is on the far western side of the state, as opposed to the east side, where the city is located. But they still talk funny. That's the best part.


*note - - Niagara Falls are just a short drive from this picture