Boxing Day

I've always wanted to go Boxing Day shopping. This year was not the year to start.

I did, however, hit up a few stores… in a small town neighboring my home town. With a small town comes a small crowd.

Skip forward a day, the day after boxing day, should be safe to do some returns/shopping right? Wrong.

It wasn't as bad as Boxing Day likely is… but it might have been close.

While buying something in a video game store (don’t judge me) the sales guy was trying to sell me a few additional things… only to find out, he couldn't sell them, he was sold out. In fact, it looked like a tornado had gone through most stores.

Shelves were barren, whole isles torn apart at the seams by shoppers getting next year’s Christmas gifts (hmmm… maybe I should have done that)

Moral of the story. Boxing Week shopping is fun… but it’s also not something to do in a rush… especially if it involves Customer Service. 15 minute lines are a little crazy.

                                                                                            

Happy Christmas

It's that time of the year again. I love it.
Flashing lights, the smells of awesome coming from the kitchen and the sound of kids on sugar highs using really loud and annoying electric toys.
Can't beat Christmas.
Material fluffy traditions aside, it's important to reflect on what Christmas really is.
Jesus.
Babe, born in a manger. The saviour of the world in a barn. That's such a mind bending thought, isn't it?
One song that truly captures what Christmas is (for me at least) is Downhere's How Many Kings.
Listen to the lyrics... and have a Merry Christmas.

The Grinch

Monday night commemorated one of my family's few "normal" Christmas traditions. Watching How The Grinch Stole Christmas.
Not the Jim Carey abomination blasphemy cash grab mess from a few years ago.
The Dr. Seuss classic.
I've always loved that cartoon. Not sure how much of it is sentiments and how much of it is genuine love of the show, either way, it's a great half hour special.
If you don't know the Grinch (tisk tisk), it's the story of a green guy that hates Christmas. Lights, sounds, smells... not a fan. So he takes all the gifts and food away (and pretty much everything else). Then, when Christmas morning rolls around, he's shocked to hear the residents of the alpine town of Whoville sing despite the lose of gifts. That causes him to realize the true meaning of Christmas is love and family (we know it means something else as well, but it doesn't go that far).
From the stellar rhymes of Seuss to the character arc of the Grinch. It's become a staple.

Last year I discovered that now defunct Christian band Queen's Club, did a cover of the song from The Grinch too! Score!

Enjoy.
  

Hawk Nelson - Words

The first time I heard the song, I was a little concerned.
For me, there is a thin line between profound and cheesy... the verse started out great, but the odds of the chorus bringing the cheese seemed really good.
Thankfully, I was wrong.
This song is totally awesome!
Not only from a lyrical and musical stand point, but content as well.
Something as simple as joking around with friends can cause hurt feelings. You say something without thinking, wham. Someone says the wrong thing to you on the wrong day, wham.
What I love about this song is the reminder it gives us to watch what we say. If it's going to come back to bite us, we're better off keeping it to ourselves.

After this, I'm more than excited for the new Hawk album in the new year!

Helping The Least Of These (Behind The Screens)

Last week you got to experience my first "major" motion picture (major meaning using real mics and shooting it in a room other than my bedroom).
Little would you know, but there was drama, daring and intrigue that plagued production for the entirety of the day.

Here are the top 3 things I learned.

#3 - Malls like when you ask if you can use them 
After getting kick out of one mall for bringing film equipment into it, we were kicked out of a second (this time we started out checking with management). Thankfully the security guards were very nice at the first mall... intimidating, but nice.

#2 - Sunnidale Park has a lot of blind hills
While setting up, we managed to have numerous people wonder in out of the blue/ be scared silly by a camera crew in the middle of a forest.

#1 - Shooting an outdoor video in November is a really really really stupid idea
For the record, it was supposed to be an indoor shoot (see lesson #3)... but the lack of coats/gloves began to wear on us... it took 3 hours to regain all the feeling in my legs...

In the end, I'm still happy to say it worked out... frozen hands and feet aside.

Helping The Least of These

Ever week we have a LIFE staff meeting. Recently the staff have been doing the devotionals. Sooooooo, instead of just talking, I made a video. Let me know what you think.

Christmas Music

It seems every year Christmas comes earlier for me. This year, I've been singing Sleigh Ride since early October.
I'm not complaining, I just love Christmas.
I also tend to have "Christmas Theme Songs" every year.
Two years ago it was "O Come O Come Emmanuel"
Last year it was "War Is Over" (both of which are awesome songs)
This year it seems to be "Love Came Down At Christmas"

We seem to always focus on the fact that Jesus was born to die. Which is profound and all, but we often forget the motivation behind that. It was love.

As Francis Chan/Hawk Nelson would say, Crazy Love. That God would care enough about us, despite us spiting in his face, to send his son as a human to die. That is true love.

That's what I think every time this songs come across my mind.

Merry (early) Christmas

Ghost Pepper Sauce

Eating a ghost pepper is on my bucket list. I really like hot food, so why not tackle the hottest pepper on Earth?
Earlier this week a few friends joined me at a Mexican Restaurant for some lunch. Said restaurant has a promotion on right now involving Ghost Peppers... in sauce form at least.

If you've never heard of the Ghost, it's one below pepper spray on the spice meter.

On the burrito I had Ghost Pepper Sauce, Hot Sauce and Hot Sauce (I said I like it hot)

Here's what happened.

Bite #1 - Mmmmmmmm burrito......

Bite #2 - Mmmmmmmm spicy burrito

Bite #3 - This is sorta disappointing, I've had hotter sausages...

Bite #4 - Lips begin to tingle

Bite #5 - My entire mouth burns with the fire of the sun. I can't feel my tounge

Swig of milk

Bite #6 - My tongue has exploded with flavors all of which burn. My lips feel like they are on fire.

More milk

Bite #7 - I'm in tears. I don't know if they were of joy, pain or the natural response of the body as it gives into the power of so much spice.

Down half the large milk

Bite #8 - What does it feel like to not have your mouth on fire? I can't remember... what is sweet? Salty? Bitter? I know nothing but heat. Heat and the embrace of the ghost pepper mixed with hot sauce and spicy sausage (ya... I guess I asked for it)

Bite # 10? - Make it stop... plese... mak...i...stjdp

Empty milk


Would I do it again? I wish I would say no... but if Bieber taught us one thing.
Never Say Never.
If you like it hot, give some ghost pepper a try. It's good... when you can taste it.

My iPod (Which I don't really have...)

I have seen loads of these floating around the interwebs (and the LIFE dj blogosphere).
I don't tend to listen to songs on their own outside of LIFE... I usually listen to the entire album, but here goes nothing.

Owl City - When Can I See You Again



Anberlin - Someone Anyone



KJ-52 - Brand New Day



Mute Math - Typical



And that is pretty much what you will sit through when you go on a super long car ride with me.

Group Therapy Thursday - October 25 2012

This week on Group Therapy Thursday we were helping out Amy. Every time Amy is texting a certain male friend, she gets teased by the friends around her. What should she do?

Anthem Lights - The Candid Chat

A little while ago I had the pleasure of talking to Caleb Grimm. Aside from having a name that has a lot in common with network television, he is also a vocalist with Anthem Lights.

If that name rings a bell, it's cause they will be at Air Raid this year. So before you see Caleb live, get to know him in advance. 

Unashamed Tour

Last night a crew from LIFE jumped aboard a moving vehicular device that took us to downtown Toronto for one thing... The Unashamed Tour. Lecrae, Trip Lee, Tedashii, Pro, KB all under one roof. The question is, how was it?

Andy Mineo was the first act. Really cool guy. It was more of an urban pop sound.
KB, Pro and Tedashii all hit the stage afterward. Pro had a guy in a monkey suit join him on stage. Yes, that was as awesome as it sounds.

One of the great things about rap artists is that they are not ashamed to represent Jesus. Very vocally. All of them gave great messages about redemption, faith, love, missions and just general life stuff.
Trip Lee followed that up with songs like Hero and I'm Good. I'm Good was better than hoped.
Lecrae followed that up with songs like Don't Waste Your Life, I Know and his biggest, Background.

One thing Crae said, that I thought was awesome, was that for every 10 people you influence, there will be one hater. That's so true. It doesn't seem to matter how "good" we are, there will always be someone that finds fault. He then went on to make the point that we can't be worried about what people think, but have to focus on what God thinks.

Now for the pictures that I took on my phone.... ya.... they prove that pictures and phones should not be legally allowed to coexist...

 Tedashii on stage!

Trip Lee bringing his flows

This is KB doing a hand stand

Wait... this looks familiar...

Hmmmm.... must have been the lighting

Why I Love Fall

Fall is awesome. Why? Here is my list.

1. Colors 
The leaves are incredible. Reds, oranges, yellows, pinks all swirling around in the breeze... gets me excited every time.

2. Air

I can actually go outside without feeling like I'm being doused with smog/sauna/ a heat ray. I like the cold. Cold starts in fall.

3. Thanksgiving
Turkey, pumpkin pie and gravy on potatoes... lots and lots of gravy...

4. Being Thankful
This is a reflective time. There is so much to be thankful for, even if we don't think so. Even if everything has gone haywire all year, we can be glad that God still loves us and that we are alive.

5. Making Fun of the Leafs 
The annual pastime of making fun of Toronto's hockey heroes is not happening this year. This makes me sad... more time to build material for next year.

6. Remembering Why I Want A DSLR Camera
See reason #1. All that color, leaves reflecting in the water. The pictures almost take themselves.

7. Christmas Shopping
The strategy and planning begin now. Yes, I am that type of person.

8. Bonfires
They are better in fall.

9. Daylight Savings Time Ends
I get an extra hour of sleep. Can you spell A-E-W-S-O-M-E?

10. I'm out of stuff now... list is over
 Go eat some turkey or ham or a candy or something.

Red Umbrella - An Interview

Parry Sound's own Red Umbrella recently gave me a shout. We covered such topics as Kick Starter, new music as well as the whack of line-up changes they've gone through. Here's the run down.

To get involved in the Kick Starter - http://goo.gl/2cpzl
To become their BFF - http://goo.gl/oMzQS
To become my BFF - http://goo.gl/vodmn

Sherlock Holmes

Sherlock Holmes. 

I'd been told most of my life the books were good, I knew I'd likely read 'em sooner or later, but never got around to it. Then, last year I watched a trailer for Sherlock Holmes 2. My immediate thought? Forget the movie! I'm reading the book.

It took 8 months, but I finally read "The Book". Or books. 

Turns out Sherlock is a whack (and I do mean whack) of short stories. There are 4 long form books, but the rest are from an old school (think 100 years ago old school) magazine.

I really loved them.

I think it's the way the problems are solved. With CSI being the standard in mysteries anymore, a different format was a refreshing experience.

Another thing that surprised me was how messed up Holmes is.

He's moody, rude, a slight chauvinist and even has some less the terrific habits.

Sounds like us doesn't he? Messed up. Yet, he was a hero in fiction world and in our world.

Believe it or not, God used this as an analogy for me. 

Just like Holmes was used despite his idiosyncratic, God uses us despite ours.  

I did wind up seeing the movie... just read the books...

Text... oh, hold on....ing

I don't usually like doing rant posts. The internet is angry enough without me spewing out my pet peeves, however, the time has come.
Texting. We all do it (o.k, most of us do it). The problem is, most of us do it in each other's faces.
Have you ever been talking to someone when they randomly glaze over in the eyes, whip out their phone and force you to hold your thought? I have, worse, I've been the glazy eyed phone zombie.
When did it become o.k to ignore real people in favor of someone sitting miles away with plastic in their hand?
As I said, I do it too.
Consider this my way of saying, it's time for a "Technically It's The New Year Because School's Back And Stuff" Resolution.
I'm hoping to stop doing it to others. It will be a small act, however I will be one less lost in the land of glazed eyes.
By this time next year I ho... oh, hold that thought, I have a text....

Bible Movies Everywhere

Bible movies. There are a lot of them in the works. Rumors of a new movie based on Moses.
A David epic on the way... and Will Smith turning Able and Cain into Vampires.
Ya.
Aside from the last one, I'm stoked! At first I was a little worried that they would mess with the story too much (it is the 21st century), then I watched "The 10 Commandments."
It's a classic to most Christians... with a LOT of license taken. A LOT.
Which made me realize poetic license is going to happen. Let's just hope there's not too much (ahem, Will Smith)

I'm most excited for Noah.
It stars Russell Crowe as the title character with Anthony Hopkins as Methuselah. March of 2014 is a long wait, but I'm hoping it will be worth it. At the very least, I will put some faces to the names.

When Engineers Get Bored

Is your church looking for a drummer? They can be hard to find. Especially a good one. So why not get this guy? Not only does he keep perfect time, he's also never late and goes until the battery dies.

The only real draw back I can see is the whole General Grievous/Alien look.

That may scare some people...

But once they hear his drumming chops, all will be right in the world again!

Carrot Fest 2012

Carrot Fest. There are carrots, it's a fest, too good to be true right? Well, no... though there weren't as many carrot food products as I had hoped (no deep fried carrot?) however there was cake. Cake is good.
The highlight of Carrot Fest was the food! There was lots of it from Tai to Hawaiian to Italian. The food was great!
There were also street performers. Unfortunately, I didn't get my picture with Spider-man however, I did score one in a Delorean !

I was geeking out believe it or not

Then there was the giant tooth thing. A little scary (just look at it) but cool none the less.

See... creepy...

And finally, some guys that actually made me feel short... that was different...

Gotta love those top hats

All in all if you ever get a chance, check out the Carrot Fest, fun for all!

Group Therapy Thursday - August 16, 2012

Tonight on Group Therapy Thursday we were helping out Craig. He has two friends who are brother and sister, the brother treats her like garbage. What should Craig do?

For Future Olympics

The Olympics (love 'em or hate 'em) are going back into their top secret sports cave to hibernate for another 4 years.

While it's in its traditional slummer, it usually thinks up some new events for the next time it rears it's head in public. To save it some thought, I have compiled a list of events I'd like to see added.

Paintball - I've never tried it, however the thought of watching the thrill and strategy of paintball on t.v is very alluring. Plus, the commentators would be hilarious. 

Chess - It may sound  crazy, but it will work! Think about it. All the thrill and strategy of chess on t.v! Plus, the commentators would be even more hilarious!

Football - No, not soccer. American football. Not only would this provide the U.S or Canada with an extra metal, but it would cause a fair bit of confusion as to what to call it vs. soccer.

Controversy - This will be a hit, which team will score the most controversy earning them a medal? Not only will the fans love it, the tabloids will too! 

Planking - Even tough it's not as hip as it once was, planking is a great option for the Olympics! Metals are awarded to the athlete with the most original and difficult plank. (owling is also an option)

There you have it! My 5 new Olympic sports for next year... or in 4 years... same thing....

Melodie Joy Interview

I recently had the chance to chat with Miss Melodie Joy author of such fine musical pieces as Savior and Psychobabble. Here is how said visit transpired...



And just cuz I can post one of the songs....

Useless Box

I really don't have a caption for this or a cleaver catch phrase.
It's just a legit idea.
Useless.
Pointless.
Just sits there.... but when someone comes over and starts pushing the button...



I'm thinking this may be a good Christmas present...

Talk Back Tuesday - July 10th 2012

Tonight on Talk Back Tuesday we were talking about movies. More specifically, terrible movies. So what is the worst movie you've ever seen?

The Amazing Spider-Man - Review

Back in 1990 Michael Chichton wrote a book called Jurassic Park. It's a really good read (despite some language). In '93 the book became a really good movie (despite the language). The catch though, was that they were two very different beasts (pun intended). The characters, locations and story were basically the same, however there were a lot of huge differences in the plot. But, they both worked.
Sam Raimi did the same with the first 2 Spider-man films (as said in my last post, the third didn't really happen). The characters, locations and story were basically the same, but the plot and way things transpired were way different from the comics.

The Amazing Spider-Man is a re-boot of that series.
It's selling itself as a dark, gritty, untold tale, truer to the original.

It's gritty, and that's about it.

I really, really wanted to like this movie.
However, I just can't. There is no character arch to any character, and even the attempt at an arch messes up. It comes off being a little fake.
If you know the comics, you will suto be able to call the shots with the film. That said, it sorta messes it up just enough to get you mad, instead of becoming it's own thing (see Jurassic Park or Spider-Man).

The villian is also drab. You never really understand what his motivation is.... other then moving the plot along.

On the bright side -- Emma Stone is really good as Gwen Stacy. She was great in The Help and really proved her chops here. She even looks like comic book Gwen. Kinda creepy really... Andrew Garfield was good too, he pulled off the "Punky Parker" quite well.

The action choreography was good. It stayed fast while not getting too complex.

There are already two (yes, TWO) sequels in the works for this film, here's hoping for a winner in 2 years!

Spider Time

I's a web-head. I think that's the name for a Spider-man fan... not sure.
My fan-boyism began after watching the first 2 movies (there was a third one that occurred in a nightmare once, people insist it was real, I'm convinced otherwise) and now we are going back to square one.
My first reaction was outrage. Reboot? Why?
Then I read the comics. Turns out while the movies were good, they were ripe with poetic license.
This one is supposed to be more true to the original. Web-shooters, Gwen Stacy, Captain Stacy they're all there this time.
I'm excited. It could just be a re-hash, or it could be the start of a really awesome re-boot.
Plus it opens in one week.

The Truth Of Fast Food

It's always bothered me how good "food" looks in pictures and on the T.V, then when you buy it, it pales in comparison. Staging the food isn't a new concept to me, but this much work going into it is!

Group Therapy Thursday - June 21 2012

Tonight on Group Therapy Thursday we were helping out Jacob. He is tired of constantly arguing with his siblings and is looking for ways to make the fighting stop.

Here are your thoughts.

Pizza Of The Future

Would you eat pizza from a machine? An Italian company hopes so. This is the info video on the new Pizza Vending Machine. It's a little less gross then it sounds at first, but still....

 

Most Anticipated 2012

While most of these albums don't have a name yet (or in most cases a release date) I'm still stoked!

5. Relient K - Untitled
I wont lie, I wasn't a huge fan of the stuff that I heard on Forget and Not Slow Down. Not as fun and goofy as the Relient K I know and love. Here's hoping that when this album comes out, that will change!

4. Gungor - Live
Since I discovered how awesome these guys are in 2010, they have released an album every year (yes, I'm pretty sure that is a coincidence... maybe not though...) This year it's going to be a live cd/dvd combo. I've actually already purchased this glorious worship compilation through Kickstarter. Now, to wait for a release date...

3. Anberlin - Untitled
Every since these guys left Tooth and Nail, they've gone from being all rock to more of an alt rock deal. I'm not complaining. Dark Is The Way Light Is The Place was stellar. Ballads, soaring rock tracks, twists, turns, all juggled in a very nice balance. Plus, this one will include guest appearances from random fans on vocals!

2. Owl City - OCTMS (I think???) 
Adam Young doesn't stop. The odds of him being a machine that just makes music day and night are pretty good at this point. After the catchy/summery/dreamy All Things Bright And Beautiful that came out last year, he has said this will be more of a dance album. BRING IT! (And I love Shooting Star... just saying)

1. House of Heroes - Cold Hard Want
By just saying "new House of Heroes" to me, you will cause me to as excited as a squirrel on Red Bull! Really weird analogy aside... There are very few rock bands that get the mix of deep and cleaver lyrics with insanely well planned out and executed music. House of Heroes is one of those bands! Proof of this can be found on the single Touch This Light (You can catch it on the Slam and 3SN) or the really hard to find Comfort Trap. It's awesome! Seriously, try to find it online. If you do, it will be worth the effort! Bring on July 10th!!!!

group therapy thursday - may 14, 2012

Tonight on Group Therapy Thursday we were helping out Jasmine. She has been seeing this guy from college for about a year. Everything is great, until they are at school together. What should she do?

group therapy thursday - may 14, 2012

House of Heroes - Touch This Light

I love House of Heroes. I was ecstatic when I heard they would be at Air Raid 20. I was even more excited when the concert hit. To make the excitement reach a point where adjectives cease to work well, they did 6 (6!) new songs at the show. Since then, we have found out that the new cd will be called Cold Hard Want. Which is pretty much what I have for this cd (get it Cold Hard Want?.... I thought it was funny).
On top of that, we now have our first taste of the album, Touch This Light.
At first, I wasn't a huge fan... it sounded very aggressive for the guys. However after, 3 or 4 more listens, the song is really growing on me.
Great message, great beat and loud guitars. Bring on the album!

Toby Mac on The View?

The View isn't really the first place I'd have guessed Toby Mac would be performing. However this morning, Toby was on the show!
One of the hosts of the show wanted him on for her birthday and that's how he got on.
Two cool things to watch for.
1. They do a special birthday song for her
2. She mentions he started out in dc talk

Group Therapy Thursday April 19th

Tonight on Group Therapy Thursday we were helping out Angela. She wants to get a nose piercing, but her friends have they'll disown her if she get's it. What should she do?

How It's Made - iPad

I'm a sucker for those "How It's Made" videos. It's surprising how simple some stuff is and how complex other things are!
One thing I've always wondered about is the iPad. Every time I use a friend's I marvel at how thin the thing really is.
If you're like me and what the answer to this technological mystery. Here it is.
After watching the video, it has me questioning buying any tech... let alone an iPad...

Colton

As much as I hate to admit it. I like American Idol. It's cool to see the different performers year in and year out. Try to figure out who'll make it, who wont. This year I'm really digging Colton.

He has a different voice, style and doesn't seem to be faking the nice guy thing. That's always refreshing. (not to mention he's got some sweet hair going on)

He is also apparently a Christian. Last week on the show he did one of my favorite songs from Lifehouse called Everything.

It's more of a worship song then a pop tune. Seeing this on national television is super sweet!

Group Therapy Thursday, March 15

Last night on GTT we were helping out Dana. She has been seeing this guy for a little while and they get along fine. But, as soon as she texts or calls him, he is hard to reach and even avoids her. Should she be worried?

Be Somebody

Every now and then I hear a song that makes me stop. I don't have much of a choice. It could be the music, the lyrics, the vocals. With Be Somebody, it was all three. What Thousand Foot Krutch did with this song is amazing to say the least.

Look at these lyrics -

After all the lights go down
I'm just the words, you are the sound
A strange type of chemistry
how you become a part of me
and when I sit alone at night
your thoughts go through me like a fire
your the only one who knows
who I really am

We go through life wearing masks. Pretending to be all together, good Christians. When if people could see the truth, we struggle. There are still temptations, trials, heartaches and at the end of the day hiding it is pointless. God can see it.

The chorus then goes on to say that we all want to be somebody, so we invent that person. Instead of working toward it, we create it. God wants us to be real not only with each other, but with him too.

And when we become more real, our faith will start to show. More then it did when we were just "acting."

This song is really ministering to me. I hope you enjoy as well.

Group Therapy Thursday, February 16th

Tonight on Group Therapy Thursday we were helping out Matthew. He wants to go to college come September, but his girl friend has other plans. She's said it's either college or her. What should Matthew do?

Valentine's Day

I've never been a fan. It seems wrong on a lot of levels. Do we only show we love someone on one day of the year? Can't we everyday? Do we have to get chocolates?

It seems to me to be what most people complain about with Christmas. Over commercialization.

That... and it's all based on a rather grizzly death.

Or, maybe I'm just acting like this guy...

Either way.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Alex Kendrick - I Am Second

I know I'm slightly late on this one (The Courageous Movie Tour ended last week). But I had a cold so what can you do!

The history of film maker Alex Kendrick (Fireproof, Courageous). It's long, but worth a listen.

Alex Kendrick - I Am Second

Group Therapy Thursday, January 12th 2012

Tonight on Group Therapy Thursday we were helping put Darrin. He's wondering if church is that necessarily if he's already hanging out with Christian friends, reading his bible and doing devotions.

Here's what you had to say -