Isaiah 58:6-9

"This is the kind of fast day I'm after:
to break the chains of injustice,
get rid of exploitation in the workplace,
free the oppressed,
cancel debts.
What I'm interested in seeing you do is:
sharing your food with the hungry,
inviting the homeless poor into your homes,
putting clothes on the shivering ill-clad,
being available to your own families.
Do this and the lights will turn on,
and your lives will turn around at once.
Your righteousness will pave your way.
The God of glory will secure your passage.
Then when you pray, God will answer.
You'll call out for help and I'll say, 'Here I am.' "

"Si Tu Me Olvidas" (If You Forget Me)

Tú sabes cómo es esto:

si miro

la luna de cristal, la rama roja

del lento otoño en mi ventana,
si toco

junto al fuego

la impalpable ceniza

o el arrugado cuerpo de la leña,

todo me lleva a ti,

como si todo lo que existe:

aromas, luz, metales,

fueran pequeños barcos que navegan

hacia las islas tuyas que me aguardan.

---

Ahora bien,

si poco a poco dejas de quererme

dejaré de quererte poco a poco.

---

Si de pronto

me olvidas

no me busques,

que ya te habré olvidado.

---

Si consideras largo y loco

el viento de banderas

que pasa por mi vida

y te decidesa dejarme a la orilla

del corazón en que tengo raíces,

piensaque en esa día,

a esa hora

levantaré los brazos

y saldrán mis raíces

a buscar otra tierra.

---

Perosi cada día,

cada hora,

sientes que a mí estás destinada

con dulzura implacable,

si cada día sube

una flor a tus labios a buscarme,

ay amor mío,

ay mía,

en mí todo ese fuego se repite,

en mí nada se apaga ni se olvida,

mi amor se nutre de tu amor, amada,

y mientras vivas estará en tus brazos

sin salir de los míos.

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by Pablo Neruda

Always For You

It is true that absence makes the heart grow fonder.
And while your heart grows fonder, the absence makes the mind grow sadder.

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I miss things I never thought I would... and the absence is killing me.

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Edmonton is such a pretty city. Everything about it is brilliant and peaceful and exciting.

The skyline.

The back alleys.

The river valley.

The sounds.

The people.

-------

Don't get me wrong...

Everyone I've met so far here, have been wonderful.

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But they aren't Edmontonian.

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It's probably way too early to even be thinking like this.

I mean, I just got here.

But really.

This city is so old and seems very... still, almost... too traditional.

Of course there is so much history here and great things happened on this land,

but where is the colour?

This city is so monochromatic.

It's all concrete and stone.

All freeways and cramped streets.

The most beautiful thing I've seen since I've been here...

the sky at dusk after the rain.

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New life is incredible, isn't it?

A brand new flower blooming, or a baby being born.

It's as immaculate as the sky at dusk, after the rain...

All Shook Up...

I'm back!!
It's been a long month or so but I'm online once again...
with a totally different outlook on life.

-------

This past month has been one of, if not the, most challenging months of my life.

To start off I've moved to Ottawa... a city that well... isn't quite Edmonton.

As if that wasn't hard enough, life ewa painful disaster into the mix and blew up the truck that was carrying all my belongings from point A to supposedly point B.

So here I am, in a new city, with nothing.

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However! The Lord provides right?

I've begun replacing some things that are able to be replaced and now that I'm online I am able to retrieve some photos I luckily put online, that I lost in the fire.

The Salvation Army has taken really good care of us and I appreciate it immensely.

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My new bed is soft, though missing my favourite companion... Rev. Bear. R.I.P.

And my walls are blue, but missing Bob Dylan and my art work.

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I've made a few new friends though, which is awesome cuz they are all so rad!

Ryan and his wifey and cute little girl.... Kerrie and I spent the day with them touring around, getting really bad sunburn and visiting the Parliament and Art Gallery.

Sid, Allison, Jacob, Liam and Aaron... love em to death!!!

And i do suppose that is all for now... however everyone I've met so far have been so nice and very welcoming.

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I feel like a Rolling Stone.

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I find things ironic. Such as the fact that I became obsessed with Bob Dylan and 'Like A Rolling Stone' right around the time of my move. The song talks about a girl who goes from living a high class life, having everything she ever needed or wanted, to being one with the street and living her life begging. In a way I've come to relate to this girl. I went from having it all to being stripped down to nothing, over night. Now I know I'm not on the street and I still have a roof over my head, but I do feel like I can relate better now to people who have lost everything. All my possessions are things the world gave me... and all I really need is the gifts God has given me. It's been a huge eye opener, and I do appreciate it.

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Humidity is sticky.

The airport is basically my neighbour, so air traffic is more common then street traffic.

Is a Harrow a type of bird or a piece of farming equipment?

What's your Starbucks Drink?