"And victory remains with Love..."

ICTHUS · 12-31-2008, 01:17 PM

Hello, lonely little blog.

I called Kirsten and Adri (like, as in CGR Adri) - really my only friends left in the lower mainland area, and asked them if they wanted to hang out. No return call yet. :/

ICTHUS · 12-31-2008, 08:23 PM

New Years plans: I has them.

Chrysostom · 01-01-2009, 07:36 AM

Haha, congrats. I was sick so stayed home with the dogs and went to sleep. ^^

ICTHUS · 01-01-2009, 01:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chrysostom

Haha, congrats. I was sick so stayed home with the dogs and went to sleep. ^^

You poor man!

I went to see a Bob Marley cover band at a local pub, the Rusty Gull, with some friends. "Mostly Marley" was the name of it.

I actually felt a little awkward because I showed up after Kirsten told me where she was going, but didn't specifically invite me. Catherine was there (her sister) and we..sort of used to be friends, but drifted apart.

But it was good. She's supposed to be driving out to Abbotsford tonight so hopefully we can hang out before then.

**Ted Logan** · 01-01-2009, 08:50 PM

I'm glad it was good despite the awkwardidity (the ridiculositousness of that word is joyfulmakering). Sorry I didn't call while you were at your grandmother's; I was in Texas with no cell phone charger and thus kept my phone off all week. I'm back in Chicago - where can I call you this week?

**Skeeter** · 01-02-2009, 01:34 AM

Ack, sorry for not getting back to you! We've had an assault of business. If you're still free at some point, we should still hang out.

ICTHUS · 01-02-2009, 02:08 AM

Sure thing, Dan. See my PM.

I think I must have talked to Aaron for at least two and a half hours on Skype tonight. It was great.

Kirsten PM'd me on Facebook to tell me she had some kind of family emergency and couldn't come see me, and now she's driving back to Abbotsford as far as I know. :/

I'm kind of hoping to hear from Adri while I'm here.

That's pretty much it. I'm going to bed.

Chrysostom · 01-02-2009, 07:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ICTHUS

I went to see a Bob Marley cover band at a local pub, the Rusty Gull, with some friends. "Mostly Marley" was the name of it.

My favorite Marley song is Stir It Up. What about you?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ted Logan

I'm glad it was good despite the awkwardidity (the ridiculositousness of that word is joyfulmakering). Sorry I didn't call while you were at your grandmother's; I was in Texas with no cell phone charger and thus kept my phone off all week. I'm back in Chicago - where can I call you this week?

My phone has been on the fritz too. My dogs ate it, but that wasn't the problem. The problem was that when I picked it up from them it slipped out of my hands and I accidentally tossed it into a full pitcher of water haha. I've never dropped a call before but in the last week I've dropped probably ten calls. I don't like having to buy a new phone ick. =/

ICTHUS · 01-02-2009, 01:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chrysostom

My favorite Marley song is Stir It Up. What about you?

Hmm. Probably "I Shot the Sherriff" or "One Love"

*edit* John, I called you a couple of times today. Is there a good time for me to call?

ICTHUS · 01-02-2009, 07:00 PM

Does anyone know the name of that nifty organ that's used in a lot of Southern music? It's in Sandra McCracken's version of "Go To Dark Gethsemane" as well as a lot of Caedmon's Call's music.

slap_j · 01-02-2009, 07:14 PM

Hammond organ?

ICTHUS · 01-02-2009, 07:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by slap_j

Hammond organ?

Ah, that's it! That's a really cool organ. Does it only have the one setting, as far as sound?

slap_j · 01-02-2009, 09:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ICTHUS

Ah, that's it! That's a really cool organ. Does it only have the one setting, as far as sound?

Check this out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Ck__wghRww

ICTHUS · 01-03-2009, 05:16 PM

A family friend of ours has found it necessary to institutionalize her autistic daughter. There's a thread over in Prayer Requests. If you'd have a look and pray for them I'd appreciate it.

On that note, I found this:

http://www.enablelink.org/include/ar...ubid=&aid=1403

Quote:

The hopes of families everywhere were buoyed by a decision from the Court of Appeal for British Columbia in October of last year. In a decision styled Auton v. B.C. (A.G.), the Court found that the refusal of the B.C. government to provide IBI medical treatment to children with autism violated the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The B.C. government has filed an application seeking leave to appeal the decision to the Supreme Court of Canada.

How the HELL could anyone in their right mind and with a right-thinking conscience try to weasel their way out of this? It's pretty clear that the BC government would rather parents of autistic children go the institutionalization route. These people have no ****ing empathy at all. Being a disabled person in this province, it's hard enough jumping through hoops to get the support I need when it's just me I have to look out for - I can't imagine what it would be like being the parent of a child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) who is non-verbal, non-communicative and violent.

Here's hoping the Supreme Court upholds the Court of Appeals decision. I don't know much about the economics of these sorts of things, but I do know that ABA/IBI treatment and regular language therapy has proven results with children with autism, and that the earlier such treatments begin the more success tends to be had. It is likely less expensive to provide the needed treatments to these children than to institutionalize them, and has much greater positive impacts on families and society. Just imagine if a child with a diagnosis of low-functioning ASD were to get to a point, with therapy, where they could hold down a job, even with supports? Success, right there. The person is a contributing member of society.

*edit*

Ugh.

ICTHUS · 01-03-2009, 07:42 PM

I need a break...

I desperately want to bring God glory through my life, making use of all the talents He's given me. I've cast down one of the idols which was damaging me quite severely a few weeks ago, a real, tangible thing which was enslaving my my mind. It was a game. An online game. If you want more details you can ask me, but that's all I'll say for now. I ended a relationship which was causing some serious problems for me, as well.

Well, I still have problems. I don't have stable housing, thus I can't go back to school. I just feel like I'm in a huge hole and there's no way to get out of it. Now..some things have materialized to help me out of this hole. God is providentially good through His saints, that's all I'll say on that subject.

So, some of my new years resolutions:

- Watch my finances like a hawk. Learn to budget.
- Use my time wisely. Accomplish the days tasks to the best that can be done that day, and then relax with healthy, life-giving, creative recreation. The God I serve is creative. I'm a musician - a guitarist, a whistle player, and an aspiring sean-nos singer...all of those things bring glory to God.
- Read more. I have a reading list a mile long of stuff that I should have read but didn't. This includes the Bible, folks.
- Exercise. I need to lose weight in a big way.

Those are most of them. There are just a few things (like housing) that I need to materialize for me before I can get on the road to having a modicum of success at life again.

I need...

- A house. Preferably on my own. There are some health issues I'd like to work on and try different things with and having the stress of trying to cope with another person is not really conducive to that at this point.
- A job. This really has to come second, since I can't really work without stable housing.

When those things fall into place, I can go back to living. Because how I'm getting along right now isn't really living, it's just sort of existing. I'm reminded of the parable of the talents. I'm convinced that, compared to a lot of other people, I'm the guy who was given five talents. I have a lot to give. For various reasons (some of which are mostly outside my sphere of control, most of which are not) that proverbial capital isn't being invested as it should be. Here's hoping 2009 will be a year for that.