My Art

I've been thinking about how I might incorporate two arts that I am developing. Flint knapping and wood carving. I thought how cool would it be for me to make primitive knives by flint knapping the blade and making wooden handles that I then carve designs into.

Here's a cool video of flint knapping a knife that you can check out. My idea is related to this except the handle would have designs similar to this or nature/landscape carvings in the handle.

Vision not Resolution

I have chosen not to do any New Year's Resolutions. I do have some things that I am going to place more emphasis on in my life but no resolutions. (Think about it re-solution. What are you doing? Nothing more than trying another way to solve the same problems that has been plaguing you for years.)

I read Tom Brown Jr's (Tracker School Founder) Newsletter and he offered this bit of wisdom:

I recommend that you don't make any of the typical New Year’s resolutions that most people forget about within a few days. I do recommend that you take a few hours or a day to sit alone in the bush and think deeply and clearly about your path in life, the things you are passionate about, and your Vision.

A Boy and His Dog (pt. 2)

Four months ago, I blogged about our new dog. Muffin was an older dog and we found out that she had some sort of stomach/intestinal cancer and was with us for only 10 weeks. So we decided with our Christmas money that we would get another dog, this time a much younger one.

We brought home Jasper yesterday from a local humane shelter. He is a year and a half old beagle (25 lbs.) with lots of energy and curiosity. His nose has been in everything around here not to mention marking his territory in and outside the house. He seemed to be really anxious at the shelter but in the near 24 hours he's been home he has adjusted quite well.

I can't wait for the weather to break this spring so that we can spend more time outside playing and tracking!!

Silent Night

I heard this song on previews of ER a few weeks back and loved the arrangement. There's just a haunting ambiance about this version that is heavenly. I've been following Pricilla Ahn's music for almost a year as she has toured with other Hotel Cafe group musicians that I love (i.e. William Fitzsimmons, Cary Brothers, Jay Bush).

Books = Emphasis?

It's a funny thing that has happened the past few Christmases. I tend to view the books I get from family and friends as a new focus for the coming year. Confused? Let me clarify.

A few years back, I got mostly theology, biblical studies and spirituality books for Christmas and the next year seemed to focus more on those items.

Two years ago, I got books that mostly dealt with wilderness survival, rites of passage and vision quest. And that year I ended up going to Tracker School and prepping myself for my vision quest (which I have yet to take) all the while immersing myself in initiation rites.

Last year, I got books related to nature education and found myself working at a camp as a naturalist teaching nature education and starting programs that are enriching my knowledge and desire for teaching.

This Christmas, I got books mostly relating to nature and the soul... so I wonder (if the pattern remains true) what my emphasis and priorities will be this year?

What I'm Doing

I said that I am now going to focus my efforts and energy on the outdoor education/ministry and wilderness living skills. Here are some of the things that I am working on:

- sent an application to an outdoor education program affiliate to be an instructor (waiting to hear back)
- applying for a (CoB) church camp manager/director position
- contacted two local park districts with proposals for wilderness skills workshops
- will be a wilderness resource person for two camps this summer (one in IL & one in IN)
- forming a men's community this spring for men to gather for sharing, worship, rewilding etc.. in a camp or state park setting
- starting the Kamana program and using Coyote's Guide as additional resource material
- considering furthering my certification to teaching in an outdoor education environment or more Tracker School courses
- thinking about when to go on my Vision Quest and do a sweat lodge

Beard of the Week

If you are in any ways interested in how I want my beard to look... this would be it! Not a big fan of long beards per say but full beards... most definitely.

(Thanks to Paul for his magnificent beard from beards.org)

Managaing Life (and Faith?)

There are lots of folks I know who are really good organizers and managers of their life. In fact, they spend A LOT of their time managing and keeping things in order. It really is built into our culture to be that way. Honestly, it's not all bad. For me, it depends on what I am managing and organizing as too how much time and effort I put into it.

I am discovering however, that many people take the same approach to their spiritual lives as well and quite simply it becomes profane, in my opinion. I've tried to control and influence my spiritual life for years and it wasn't until I learned to let go, did it begin to create something anew in me.

We were taught at Tracker School to wander without time, destination or expectation. Meaning that if you decide to go for a walk in the woods, don't plan to be there a certain amount of time or hope to see a certain thing or expect to arrive at a certain destination. When we do so we manipulate the circumstances and it becomes nothing more than a task. And we wonder why we don't experience nature anymore.

I use that illustration because it has a parallel in our spiritual life. For many, faith is something to be managed and organized into neat little compartments of their life and they only refer to it when the need arrives. When we approach faith like we do a hike in the woods we miss a lot! Only when we realize that we can't manage or place expectations on our faith do we truly begin to experience it in a way that renews our souls.

Maybe the challenge here is to approach your faith without time, destination or expectation.

Brethren 2.0

The Church of the Brethren has a new look!

Check out the new CoB website with a fresh look and a more user-friendly site (i.e. a welcome center that allows visitors to get all the info on us Brethren) by clicking here or on my favorite websites I read on the right side of my blog.

This One's for You Brad

More Zach Galifianakis humor.

46:16

Americans are working more and playing less. Read more here.

No wonder I am sensing a strong call to outdoor education. By playing we are learning, growing and dare I say it... working a little as well.

Trouble

I have always had a fascination with John the Baptist. There are some parallels in my own life and faith journey that allows me to have a spiritual kinship with John. Maybe this also explains why I am where I am in the church today... (sigh)

In my devotional time today, the author makes these statements regarding the person of John.

Always pointing beyond himself, ready to get out of the way, finally beheaded by the powers that be, John represents the kind of liberation and the kind of prophecy that we need in our affluent culture. He is not just free from the system, he is amazingly free from himself. These are the only prophets God can use, the only prophets we can trust... Trouble us, John!

The wilderness/desert has taught me more (in the 18 months) than the 28 years I've been in the church. I am not one to make the statement that I am a prophet. I do believe a lot of what I've been thinking/feeling and saying has had prophetic meaning. And I know it is troubling people in this affluent culture. People in the church aren't ready for that kind of message... they have their Joel Olsteens and Prayer of Jabezes... We aren't free from the system. Hell, we still aren't free from ourselves.

I guess writer Flannery O'Connor said it best of our present circumstances:

Truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it.

Grand Canyon Adventure

I meant to post this when I got back from our trip in Indiana. I saw an ad in my Outside magazine for the movie Grand Canyon Adventure:River at Risk and wanted to see it. So when we were walking the canal in Indy, we passed the IMAX Theater and I saw that this movie was playing! I went the very next day and it was one of the coolest movie experiences I've ever had. It was in a 3D IMAX format. A full-on sensory overload with an important conservation message as well! Check out the trailer.

Direction and Inspiration

It has been really neat to see how things are coming into focus for me in the past few days.

I mailed out an application and resume today to an emerging outdoor education program. This just might be my opportunity to do what I'm passionate about. Keep me in your thoughts and prayers.

In the past week, I have been writing new songs and rerecording older ones. I have uploaded (much better) versions of my original songs "Fly", "Harvest", "Campfire" and a brand new one called "Elders." You can check out the songs on my music websites:

http://www.myspace.com/randallwestfall
or
http://www.purevolume.com/westwardwolf

I plan to have one more song finished, recorded and uploaded by the end of the week (I think it might be the best one yet).