Hapkido and my little ones.

Since I began taking Hapkido my little girls have been seeing me do the things that Hapkido practitioners do - kicks, punches, joint locks, throws, etc. Stacey has even volunteered to be the one I get to practice the locks on - she's a trooper! An aside here - I NEVER lock her hard!

Now my girls ask lots of questions about it and I have even shown them some stuff. I let them practice on me and they're not bad. It's exciting for me to see them do this. The other day I was loaned some videos pertaining to the style of Hapkido I take, Jin Jung Kwan, and we all watched them. One of the videos shows a big tournament that took place in Korea in 2003 that had adults as well as little people participating. The girls thought this was wonderful. After watching a little of this Mackenzie decided to draw a picture that had little kids doing Hapkido. Not only that she has drawn in the belt progression - white belt all the way to 10th Dan (10th degree black belt). I thought it was so cool that I asked her if I could add it here and she said I could. This makes me smile every time I look at it.

He is Risen!!!

Today was the day many years ago that Jesus Christ rose from the dead after being severely tortured and then hung on a cross. I ask myself, "What does this mean to me, if anything?"

I go about my day living my life and things go pretty much normal. My day is interspersed with moments where I think about some scripture or I say a quick prayer but I am not what I consider a super Christian - not by a long shot!

I think terrible thoughts about others and say things about people that are incredibly hurtful (if I had the courage to say these things to their faces, which, of course, I rarely do). I am like "everyone else". In the things I say and the things I do I want to honor God but I know I don't. It is easy to measure my "goodness" against other people and come out on top. There's is always someone else out there who is "badder" than me.

Recently a Governor in the States has been on the news constantly for spending money on a high priced prostitute. I have been amazed at the continual barrage in the media of how much of a scumbag this guy really is. I am also amazed at how we all get in line to cut this guy down. Don't get me wrong, what he did is despicable. But it made me wonder if the despicable things in my life, or anyone's life, were brought out into the open for the world to see what that would do to my/our finger pointing and haughty smugness. Like Jesus said to the crowd who was about to kill a woman caught in adultery - "Let him who is without sin cast the first stone." They all walked away.

An honest searching of me reveals that I am FULL of sin. God doesn't accept a "I'm a lot less sinful than that other person over there." A lot less sinful is still sin and ALL OF US are full of it. If we measure ourselves in this fashion against Christ we realize in light of who He is just how completely not even on the chart we are.

And so it comes to today and my question, "What does this mean to me, if anything?" He died in my place paying the penalty that my sin SO deserves in order that I might be rescued from sin and spiritual death. He rose again defeating death making it possible for those who believe in Him to live forever. No amount of doing good things could result in my being able to rescue myself because my sin had never been dealt with. I am so thankful that he knows the worst about me and chose to rescue me anyway. God sent His Son to do what humanity could never hope to do for itself.


Here's a neat vid to end this post with. I apologize for the sound quality, but enjoy it anyway.

Great day at Bowness Park

Stacey had the great idea of all of us going to Bowness Park to enjoy this beautiful day. It was sunny and warm with very few people there - I love very few people!!!

We had a picnic lunch by the river then went for a short walk in the "bush". While we were standing around on the trail we noticed some avian wildlife fluttering closer to us than one might at first, be comfortable with. There were some short-lived, muffled squeals of alarm as these creatures moved in on some members of the Urquhart family but, as I said, these were short lived. For those of you wondering I did not squeal but there was a "Holy Cow!!!"or two uttered by yours truly when I nearly got bopped in the head. Hey, I was surprised!

Here's some live-action, on the move photos from our little adventure. We were lucky to have escaped with all our digits intact.

They actually landed on, and fed, from our hands.

Today...a couple thousand years ago.

I have been thinking off and on this week about Good Friday, the day a long time ago that Jesus Christ underwent the farce of a trial, was severely tortured and then executed only to rise from the dead three days later.

The following Scripture verses are found in the Book of Isaiah chapter 53. Written many centuries before Jesus was born but tells of what he, the Christ, was to go through and why.

He was despised and rejected by men,
a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering.
Like one from whom men hide their faces
he was despised and we esteemed him not.

Surely he took up our infirmities
and carried our sorrows,
yet we considered him stricken by God,
smitten by him, and afflicted.

But he was pierced for our(my) transgressions,
he was crushed for our(my) iniquities;
the punishment that brought us(me) peace
was upon him,
and by his wounds we(I) are healed.

We all like sheep have gone astray,
each has turned to his own way;
And the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

(all italics are mine)

Below is a link to a YouTube video from the movie "The Passion of the Christ". If I could figure out how I would have posted the vid here but...oh well. UPDATE: Thanks to my wonderful friend, Colleen, I now have the vid. WOOHOO! You ROCK, Colleen!

Welcome to friggin' Calgary.

Well, it figures! This is what I woke up to this morning. Pffft!!! No more tulips.

Is Spring really coming?...

I looked out the kitchen window this morning and this is what I saw in my flower bed. Yup! Those are tulips pokin' through. WOOHOO! Winter's goin' bye-bye.

Introducing...

G'day mates, and welcome to all you dang foreigners from other nations. I finally decided to try my hand at this blog-thingy I keep seeing other friends of mine doing.

I'm not exactly sure what my intent in beginning a blog is but I thought, heck, might as well give it a try and see what happens.

I am Curt. Male. 6 feet tall and 210lbs of lean mean rollie-pollie-ollie. "What is that?", you may ask. It just came to me so I'm using it. I take a martial art called Hapkido and am close to getting my black belt. It's a lot of fun and can be very painful. I love it and wish to teach it one day. I hope to blog some on this in the future.
I am a Christian and living proof of why humanity needs a Savior. My life today is a result of my encounter with Jesus Christ many years ago. I will probably most definitely blog on this.
I have worked with the homeless here in Calgary for almost nine years and this experience has had a very positive and a very negative impact on me. I no longer work in this industry. Will I blog on this? Perhaps, perhaps not.

I am also married to Stacey (ain't she purty?). She is the kindest, gentlest, honest woman I have ever met. I love her very much!
We have two wonderfully beautiful and fantastic little girls Mackenzie (8) and Alaina (6). They're my little poopsies.
Kenzie is an AMAZING artist. I may post some of her drawings here, if she'll let me. She loves to laugh and it is indeed infectious.
Alaina has a keen mind and beautiful smile. I swear she will figure out how to split the atom using pop cans and wax crayons while she busies herself doing mommy and daddy's taxes.
DEATH, slow and painful, to anyone who hurts these little ones!

On that happy note, take care and I look forward to seeing how this develops. I hope you enjoy it as well.