« June 2006 | Main | August 2006 »
July 24, 2006
Children of Men
There is a movie coming out in September that is sure to be a hit. More than hit, it'll probably provide many of us with some hope, thoughts, and material for processing life in the age of terror. For those of us who are entering into the "it's time to have kids stage", it might also provide us with a little more food for thought about our children.
I first heard about the movie from a new friend called Nicholas Fielder You can watch the trailer here.
More than anything, its seems like the hope of this group comes from a group of people planning and thinking their way towards a newer better form of civilization called "the human project". I wonder when it comes to faith and religion in the world, whether religions like Christianity or Islam are know for being for humanity or against humanity. For me, the trailer makes me really contemplate what religion ought to be for in civilization. How can, in my instance, Christianity, make a positive contribution to the sustainable growth of a hopeful civilization in the world, for the world, in the age to come
I can already hear some people saying it, "but isn't Christianity about being "other worldly", "Aren't you just focusing too much on this world, when God is concerned about more than these 'temporary' things?" Yeah...I hear ya...let's chat...
Posted by joshuacase at 06:39 PM | Comments (0)
July 23, 2006
Oh, Tiger, My Tiger
Wow, what an event. Tiger woods just won his 11th major championship! Well done. It's his first since being married, his first since his father died, and his first since turning 30. Well done.
I have to make a confession though, I almost cried watching the finale. All the emotion built up in him, just released as he sank the put on 18th. He grabs his caddy, and just starts balling. Then, walks off the green, grabs his wife, and starts crying even harder. For tiger, today was good victory. He played smart. He played almost flawless. He played passionately. He won.
Oh to know that you have done the best you can do, and that when its all over, you can let out whatever emotions you have because those you know and love, know and love you. Not the image or the things you have done, they love you. What a thought of comfort, and hope of many. To be loved for who you are, and to be doing that which you are gifted at doing!
Posted by joshuacase at 10:05 PM | Comments (1)
Vacation Muscle memory
There is a debate among different friends of mine over whether or not there actually is a thing called muscle memory. Some say yes, some say no. Regardless of which side you find yourself, I can certainly tell you that vacation muscle memory has always been a struggle for me.
Every year, I enter vacation hoping to just enter into rest. To get to my destination, and to just relax. Well, as you might have guessed it, its not that simple. Life it seems, builds muscles that say: work, effort, worry, anxiety, work harder, do better, there's no rest for the weiry, if you don't do it no one else will. All these muscles make vacation for me a difficult thing to enter time after time. And yet, time after time, when i am relfecting on these thoughts and feelings, i think, "next year will be better". Next year, I'll be more balanced and will not need the time to adjust. Next year...next year... next year...Something has got to give.
To make matters even worse, laura and I have been reflecting on the way it seems so many people here tend to define recreation and vacation. Does getting to the beach with your cooler of snacks, ice, and beer at 11:00 and sitting under an umbrella till 3:30 or 4:00 constitute recreation? Are you actually doing your heart, mind, soul, and body the justice it needs to recreate? Or is this just a passive recreation that amounts to more of the "consume and do nothing" mentality of so many in the world today?
As we thought about it, we've come to hope that we are living more of an active recreation, both personally and corporately. That we are in healthy ways being and doing recreation for ourselves and for those around us. That while we need times to sleep in, and to just be, we also need to understand our part for recreation and vacation. Like fishing, or grilling, or golfing, or playing tennis, or running. These kinds of active activities that actual says to time, you are mine, and i want to be recreated through activity not through over passivity. We'll see. Right now, I'm just enjoying watching the mastery of Tiger at the Open Championship. What a player!
Posted by joshuacase at 09:51 PM | Comments (0)
July 21, 2006
Alas, the beach...
Laura and I have arrived at the beach in Florida where we will be spending some good time together. We're really excited about the first four days of the trip as we will get that time alone before some of the family comes South. It'll be great to get this time together, and with family!
In other news, I have undergone my annual facial cleansing. Yep, I've shaved off, or down the majority of the facial hair. Always feels cooler when i do that. And with 100+ F days, it is needed! If you are lucky...photos to come!
As a disclaimer as well, whenever i recommend books and movies on this site, it ought to be understood that it doesn't necesarily mean that I endorse all of the teachings or thoughts therein. Just that I trust people's ability to read, reason, and take the good from those things which they read and watch. Please remember this disclaimer, especially as with many blogs, there are readers from all over the world. The diversity thus articulates that those who read from one part of the world will find relevance in some things that those from other parts will not. Oh the crisis of the in between worldliness of global culture.
I am looking forward to doing some blogging and during this vacation. For me, it's part of vacation...writing that is..
Posted by joshuacase at 06:06 PM | Comments (0)
July 15, 2006
America and more
Well, we continue to adjust to the bits of american life that we had forgetten existed. We have had a good balance of time with family and friends over the course of the last week and have a few meals with friends and supporters coming up. As usual, we're fighting the temptation to eat all the foods we've missed during the past year.
In other news, I have really been enjoying two books: The Emerging Christian Way
and Leading Quietly 
. They've both been very interesting reads and both had some very good insights. You can get them at amazon. To this point, I recommend them both. More to come these with time!
Talk to you again soon i hope! jc
Posted by joshuacase at 10:32 PM
July 07, 2006
A new year of life
Well, its official...happy birthday to me! I find myself in USA for the next few weeks and today, my birthday, has already started early. We left at 4:45am to go to the airport to fly from Kansas City to Birmingham Alabama.
As an aside, there is free wifi in the KC airport, but the hassell of the TSA officials isn't worth it.
For you readers from the other side of the ocean, the flight over went well. We arrived safely and are beginning to get beyond our jet lag! Hopefully, I'll get a little more time to blog in the next few days. If not before, I know I'll be back online on Monday!
As another aside, I was watching tv the other night, and on 4 consecutive channels, there were tv stations that had "you can be a star if the people at home sms your number in to us" shows on. It was very surreal. Very...Also had a couple of interesting laugh out loud expereinces in Walmart. (Yeah, when i return to the US, I often just go walk around walmart to find myself among the culture..then I go to target, still the american culture just a different brand...then I go to the golf course...yet another culture, if you are at private courses;)
Anyway, more to come again in teh next few days. Indeed, these trips to the US have become something to blog about. Amazing the way one sees things when you've been away for 4 years...jeez.
peace and grace to all...joshua c
Posted by joshuacase at 01:23 PM | Comments (9)