kinnon.tv

I Miss the iMonk

Blogdom is simply not as interesting, challenging or as much fun without Michael Spencer's voice. And I really miss our email conversations. Sigh.

Whinge Alert: Wish I Could Type More

If you've been reading my feeble posts this fall, you may have noticed that I haven't engaged in many of the conversations I've started. Nor have I blogged as much as I would like to. The reason is a little mundane. It hurts to type.

In late August, both legs went out from under me as I slipped, stepping onto the wet deck of our lakefront at the cottage. I'd come down off the small hill above the deck, rather than use the stairs at the other end of the lakefront.

I landed on part of that rise rather than on the deck itself. Unfortunately, my tailbone managed to connect with the one prominent rock on that path - and was fractured in the process - my tailbone, that is. The rock is just fine.

If that wasn't enough, it would seem that the fall may have also caused whiplash - and my spine hurts at both ends. The pinched nerves in my neck make it painful to type. The fractured coccyx made it hard to sit. (The tailbone is improving nicely. The neck, not so much.)

So. If you feel I've been remiss in responding to your more than pithy comments, please forgive me. My restraint is pain imposed.

Creeping Back to Blogging or Grün and Bear It

The huge project has been completed. Some hiccups. Many kudos. Little sleep. Recovering @ the Falsons in LA for a few days and then the Lindblads behind the Orange Curtain, for a few more.

This first post in weeks is stolen from my beautiful and gifted wife who just sent this to her three children and exhausted husband. (She is but a few yards from me.)

From Imbi:

I am reading a book by Anselm Grun, a German Benedictine Monk called "Images of Jesus" (while sitting out by the pool in an LA backyard, that has a lovely courtyard effect - bougainvillea, orange trees - paradise in short.)
I am reminded of a recent sermon from Barry Parker, "Do you have life or does life have you?" (Trade the word life for any situation you find yourself in.)
From a chapter called "The Jesus who leads to life".
"In the gospel of Luke, Jesus shows himself in the most varied ways to be the one who leads to life, the author of life. He leads us to life by seeking what is lost in us and restoring us to wholeness. He gives us life with his words and his attitude to life. Jesus wants to open our eyes to true life, particularly in sayings which initially alienate us. He provokes us, so that we become open to authentic life. He opens our eyes so that we discover everything in ourselves that we haven't lived out. Often life drags us along; we haven't really got hold of it. Jesus urges us to have lives of our own. He encourages us to go our own ways. Only by doing that will we come alive, bear witness to life. Unfortunately many Christians don't understand Jesus as one who leads to life, but rather as a refuge from life..... Jesus is where life is, not where for fear of life we escape into pious rules. Jesus urges us to dare to live our own lives without constantly paying heed to the opinions of others." P 126

Anselm Grun

I've Been Felled...

...by a wonderful summer head cold. My thoughts are profoundly garbled. Worth aren't reading they.

Glen Hansard is making My Wife Crazy

OK. That's only partially true. I, William e. Kinnon, am driving my wife crazy with Glen Hansard. Or. More accurately. With his music - and that of his companion, Marketa Irglova. Early in the week we watched Once, which the four of us loved. (Kai was studying). I bought Hansard and Irglova's The Swell Season from iTunes (and then the last Frames album, the band Hansard leads). BTW. Once gets 97% favourable rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Hansard tunes have been blasting out of every iTunes location in the Kinnon household. This is a genetic pre-deposition. My Dad did the same thing (with music, not iTunes). Drove my Mom nuts. I continue the tradition (only with my wife, rather than my Mom.)

UPDATE: On threat of apparent violence...or at least no dinner, I'm now listening to some good jazz. Glen et al have been relegated to headphones. At least for a few days, anyway.

And the Grizzly Will Lie Down with the Husky

Speaking of Faith is one of the great programs that NPR does. Krista Tippett is a wonderful host and this is a good podcast to regularly stick on your iPod.

The shot below is from Speaking of Faith's Play, Spirit + Character SoundSeen with Stuart Brown describing Norbert Rosing's pictures of a wild polar bear playing with a husky. Watch the 2 minute Flash Slide show from which this was taken. It will make you smile...guaranteed (or you desperately need help). [via Reddit]

And speaking of good podcasts, the next Roxburgh Journal Allelon Netcast features Al in conversation with Kath Atkins - part of the Fresh Expressions team (along with her husband, Pete) working in Lincolnshire. She's a very good story teller.

The podcast will be up next Monday (September 17th) here. Or subscribe to the Roxburgh Journal via iTunes.

We will also have the 2nd half of the Stanley Green interview up as an Allelon Netcast video. Stan is the Executive Director/CEO of the Mennonite Mission Network. (Part One is here.)