the friesen blog

Restraint is a word that I am growing to like.  In many ways it is a reaction.  Every day I am bombarded by messages to spend.  So I react by restraining (as much as possible).  At every meal my body tells me to eat more.  So I am trying to react by restraining (I am now at the age where my metabolism is slowing down).  I say I am growing to like restraint but the truth is I only like restraint in the areas of my life where addiction, habit and laziness have not won.  There are areas of my life where I can use a little more restraint.  I am an idea junky- I love hearing new ideas.  I don’t think new ideas are bad.  I just need a little restraint from my need to look for the latest idea – be it in the latest book, blog, magazine or movie. 

I like that I am intentional about not always seeing the latest movie.  In fact, I am as excited about some of the great movies that I have not seen as the ones that I have seen because it means that the marketers haven’t won me over completely.

Typically, I have negative connotations of restraint.  But I am growing in my embrace of restraint.

This spring my youth group is going to do an activity where they do not use technology or electricity for 24 hours.  Below are some descriptions of the 24 Hour Blackout.  Cudos to Canadian Baptist Ministries for coming up with a great experiential experience for talking about restraint.

·         "Blackout does not just throw money at a problem hoping it goes away, but addresses the issues that create these problems ... It is a discipleship tool as well has a practical way of being involved..."

·         Involvement in the 24 Hour Blackout illustrates to youth how commercialism and excessive consumerism impacts both the industrialized and developing worlds.  In short, how the West affects the Rest.

 ·         A new initiative that addresses poverty in a new ideological framework - no longer simply becoming providers for those in need, but beginning to walk alongside them in a partnership role.

 ·         A great way to introduce youth to advocacy and the power of their voice and actions in everyday life.

 ·         By limiting our use of power, we are "unplugging locally, to plug in globally."

According to a British psychologist, January 24th is supposed to be the "most depressing day of the year."  For us Canadians, today is election day.  (I already, walked under the beautiful warm sun to my voting station!)  Meanning tommorrow when we find out all the results of the vote it may not be just the British who find it a depressing day! 

One of the ways my Hamiltonian Friends can keep it from being too depressing is checking out the Living Rock's soupfest.  Check out a friend of mine, Mike Helpard who will be singing and strumming his guitar!

So my big brother (Dwight Friesen) is in a picture in the Washington Post.   cool!

For much of my life I have been somewhat of an idealist.  I also try to live as present in each moment as I can.  For some people living in the present comes naturally.  I struggle with being present because I love ideas, story and history so my mind is always active and usually thinking about anything other then whats in front of me.  Now, I often feel a great amount of angst about being an idealist because I often feel my idealism keeps me from being present.  I feel a great amount of tension between ideals and being present. 

I have written previously about my word of the year- a word that I use to meditate on, be aware of or think about for the year.  I have used both present and tension as my words of the year.  I love to embrace the tension between ideals and being present but as much as I say that I often find myself seeking to reconcile the two.  This week I have had a renewed sense of accepting the tension between what I would like to be true and what is real all around me.

may you too find grace in the midst of the tension.      

(Random Picture)

This afternoon on the CBC radio program FreeStyle.  There was an interview with the winner of the Zamboni Olympics in Edmonton.  The compitition had nothing to do with the Olympic games but was a contest where Zamboni Drivers went through an obstacle course that had to be completed as close to 53 seconds as possible. 

So the winner was a guy named Dave.  He was from a small town rink and was honored to be able to drive at an NHL game.  In the interview, the journalists wanted to make the story as interesting as possible so at one point they asked Dave- "so what was your strategy?"  To which Dave basically said with his Canadian prairie accent "I didn't really have a strategy." 

I love living in a country that has nation wide public radio.  I love living in a country that has Zamboni Olympics and that millions of Canadians are jealous of those who were involved in the process.  And I love that Dave won.  I don't know Dave but on the radio it seemed like he was a quality hard working guy who loves hockey and has a passion for Zamboni driving and making ice. 

What a great country! 

So I am not one of those people who likes reading books on leadership.  When I was a teenager I did- I think I read my first Max Depree book when I was still a teenager.  I am often skeptical of charismatic leaders so I have tried to avoid that style of leadership in the various positions that require me to lead.  Well, today I got a link to an article about Colin Powell's view of leadership in "A Leadership Primer."  In the article there are eighteen lessons on leadership.  Including,

Lesson 12

Perpetual optimism is a force multiplier.  The ripple effect of a leader's enthusiasm and optimism is awesome.  So is the negative impact of cynicism and pessimism.  Spare me the litany of the "realist" and give me the unrealistic aspirations of the optimist any day.

What do think of that quote?  

I have a question. 

Does anybody know of any good books, websites or resources on designing spaces?  In both the church that I minister in and in my own house over the next while I will have the opportunity to be involved in redesigning a few physical spaces.  I am looking for resources that might be helpful in asking questions about how physical spaces are related to community, functionality, unity, etc.  I read all the “Third Place” stuff years ago.  So I am looking for something a little more about the actual physical space.

I grew up with the heavy gnostic notion that physical space is not important and that only those things that are on a spiritual sphere are important.  As I grow older, live in a virtual world and the global village, I am more concerned with living locally in my neighborhood.

Let me know if you have any ideas.

Peace.

This Sunday I am using the "Hurt" video from Johnny Cash as part the sermon that I have to preach.  I was talking to Leanne about the song and shen reminded me that it is a song about addiction, which it is but I also think that it is about addiction and about seeing ourselves for who we are - and I believe that when we see ourselves for who we really are we move in the direction to redemption.  Especially, when we see that redemption is not from within.  --We saw Walk the Line last night - beautiful. 

If you want to listen to a great little discussion with Rick Rubin, the producer of Cash's last couple of albums check this out.  Tribute to Cash on NPR. 

peace.

“Hurt”

Performed by Johnny Cash Written by Trent Reznor

I hurt myself today
to see if I still feel
I focus on the pain
the only thing that's real
the needle tears a hole
the old familiar sting
try to kill it all away
but I remember everything
what have I become?
my sweetest friend
everyone I know
goes away in the end
and you could have it all
my empire of dirt

I will let you down
I will make you hurt

I wear this crown of thorns
upon my liar's chair
full of broken thoughts
I cannot repair
beneath the stains of time
the feelings disappear
you are someone else
I am still right here

what have I become?
my sweetest friend
everyone I know
goes away in the end
and you could have it all
my empire of dirt

I will let you down
I will make you hurt

if I could start again
a million miles away
I would keep myself
I would find a way

When I think of Christmas I think of family and games.  This Christmas we didn't have family near us so we played a lot of games with friends.  Two of my favorites are Sudoko and Settlers of Catan.  Sudoko is like crossword puzzles for people who don't like words and Settlers is like Risk with more strategy.

Sudoku

 
http://familieolie.filternet.nl/sudokus/sudokusenglish.html

Settlers of Catan

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Settlers_of_Catan