So I came out with 22 or 23 in each category:

Activist: 23 - Activists draw near to God through bringing about social change.
Ascetics: 22 - Ascetics draw near to God through solitude and simplicity.
Traditionalist: 22 - Traditionalists draw near to God through ritual and symbol.
Caregiver: 22 - Caregivers draw near to God through caring for and serving others.
Intellectual: 22 - Intellectuals draw near to God through their minds.
Sensate: 21 - Sensates draw near to God through the senses.
Enthusiast: 19 - Enthusiasts draw near to God through celebration and mystery.
Naturalist: 17 - Naturalists Draw near to God through nature.

The main reason I disliked this quiz so much, is that it required me to choose one type of worship activity above another. So though I feel absolutely closest to God in nature, no question, I’m not willing to say that I would rather be in nature than gathering with believers, or celebrating worship, or be alone in a dark room to pray.

I completely agree that typical modern-day individualism is a terrible blight on church health, yet highly value making one’s faith personal. Conflict? Or balance… that is the question, and it’s not answered in this quiz.

Hat Tip to Glenn.

~Jason

~Jason

~Jason

“I was ready to do violence to my career,” Rice added. But the author, who returned to the Catholic Church after leaving as a teenager, needed a more inspirational subject. “I mean, I was in despair,” Rice said.

Interesting!

~Jason

~Jason

~Jason

I’ve also written and recorded some music lately, getting ready for the new church CD. I’m also playing with the idea of producing my own CD— something simple that I can sell at the coffee house.

Come hear me sing!

~Jason

It’s called Serenity, and it’s a type of conclusion to a television series— though it would have little trouble standing on its own. The series was called Firefly, of which I wrote earlier.

If you’re even mildly interested in movies with action, guns, explosions, big mean bad guys, hand-to-hand combat, cool visuals, and sit-on-the-edge suspense, you’ll want to drop a few bucks down for this one.

Great move. See the trailer (click menu, video).

~Jason

There’s always something that is overwhelming me to the point that I just don’t even start. Then the further I get down the road of neglect, the more depressed I feel about starting.

Like calling my grandmother. I have put off calling my nan for months now— I thought I’d get back into it on her birthday— when my mom strongly suggested I give her a ring. I thought, “This is perfect! A great reason to call, and I can finally get past my guilt.” But I forgot, and now it seems even worse to pick up the phone.

You’re saying, “She doesn’t care!! Just do it!” You don’t understand… it’s weird. Maybe you’ve felt the same way about going to church, or reading the Bible, or praying… the longer we’re away from these things, the more we resist starting it again.

I don’t know why I’m wired this way, but I’ll admit it sounds pretty stupid.

I finally took care of a couple of those tasks this weekend. That old antique round table we bought a few months ago needed a leaf. And some craftsman-wannabe before me cinched it together with L brackets, nails, diverse screws and hinges so it wouldn’t open. I took it all apart, and put things together right. Then I made a temporary leaf just in time for Thanksgiving dinner with Joanne’s folks!

I also finished the DVD for small groups at our church— Lane and I filmed sketches at various bridges around Hamilton; one for each week of Forty Days of Mecy.

There are lots more tasks needing doing, especially calling my nan. Maybe Thanksgiving Day is the right moment!? I’ll let you know.

~Jason

Update: I called her right after I wrote the blog yesterday afternoon. It took like, 30 minutes to finally get through since I didn’t know the number, then I didn’t know the extension to her room. Finally a nurse at the North station told me to call the south station. Then the south station nurse gave me her extension  number. Nan hung up on me twice accidentally… but we had a nice chat after the third try! Her voice is getting so week that I can barely hear her anymore. She’s 88 years young already!! Wow. And she didn’t make me feel guilty— though I sure deserve it!

Sorry to those users who prefer to hate Microsoft.

Done! And because everyone has used up mostes everone’s nameses, I tag Al, Brian, Shermeen, Austin, and Stacy.

~Jason

Actually, when I go fishing I’m a little scared I will catch something. Yeah, then I’ve got to be all brave around the guys, and grab that fish, and yank that hook out of his mouth. No gros! allowed here. People watchin’.

So John across the street and his outspoken friend Darko took me fishing. I, in turn, took the weekend off at church. (Which was a little crazy). Then Friday afternoon we loaded Darko’s truck with our poles and tackle and food and drink.

It was a good time. Good partly because we didn’t catch nuthin’. Though they wouldn’t agree, I’m sure. The point was to pull some salmon out of the river at the falls… there were lots of fishermen there, anglers they like to be called, I guess. And they all left empty-handed, shoulders sagging, head drooping— all angled.

‘Cept me, of course, for reasons explained above.

The first day, Saturday morning, the guys coaxed me out of bed at 3:00 a.m. My goodness, how the stars shine at three, when there’s no city to out-swell them. I wasn’t shining quite so bright… but the stars almost made it worthwhile getting up early.

In the pitch black one could barely make out the shoreline. I sat in my folding chair, with my pole stretched out over the water. I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep. It was freezing! This is craziness.

At 9:30 a.m. we packed it in and grabbed breakfast at a little greasy restaurant. Then back to the cottage for a game of Risk and a three hour nap. Then back out to fish.

Standing on the shore does limit your ability to conquer the lake. I think I need a boat next time.

But still, I had a blast. There’s something cool about getting away from it all for a while, the sound of frogs and geese, the crisp air. Leaves were already changing in Saubo. It was beautiful.

Can’t wait for next year.

~Jason