Here is a picture of Erin and I on St. Patrick's Day. It was the warmest day in Three Hills since the day we went to Buffalo Jump in early October. We both slept in and then I went for a run with my friend Josh. After Erin and I went for a walk around town. In the afternoon I read and started working on my Nietzsche paper while Erin made two loaves of Irish bread, some cauliflower soup, and apple crisp. At night we hung-out with the Richardsons and played Dutch Blitz and watched a movie. I also called my dad to wish him a happy birthday. In the end, it was an excellent St. Patrick's Day.

On January 20, 2007, my only brother James got married. It was a beautiful winter wedding and it was just amazing to see James and Nikki so happy. Erin and I had a great time in Ontario spending time with James and Nikki and family, preparing for the wedding, and celebrating with them on their special day. A lot of friends, family, and friends from Moody came to see James and Nikki get married, which was nice. They leave tomorrow actually to start ministry at a church in Indianna. Erin and I are praying that God will continue to bless them as they work with students and youth in their new hometown showing them God's deep love for them. I think James and Nikki are very capable and gifted individuals. We are excited for them, we just wish they weren't so far away. Well, bro, when Erin and I move to Waterloo we will be closer and then we can see each other a lot more. I am looking forward to hanging out again. Erin and I love you guys.

Here are some pictures of Jaxen Wierenga. He is so cute, he is practically a model already the way he poses. All I know is that Erin will probably take a thousand pictures a day of our children. Message to Andrea and Greg, if you can produce this cute of a kid you should probably start working on having more!

How was everyone's Christmas? On a scale from 1 to 10 how does it feel to be back in school or back at work? That's what I thought. Well, Erin and I had a great time relaxing in Grants Pass, Oregon with her family and friends. The weather was nice and we did a lot of nothing. We ate healthy and unhealthy food, watched movies, went to cafés, and played lots of games. I received a poker set for Christmas along with lots of books and The Office Season Two and Seinfeld Season Seven. Good times, not that it is about accumulating more stuff or anything. Above are pictures I took of a rusty door I saw with the word "apathy" written on it. The two ladies above are Suzannah, my sister-in-law and her friend Whitney. Good people. Lately I have been thinking about how apathy is something I can relate to. A lot of times I let the listlessness sink in and I act like Meursault in Camus' The Outsider, who is continually unconcerned and uncaring. Nothing is a serious matter to him, he has no ambition, nothing means anything to him. Camus says that Meursault's downfall is that he refuses to lie and to play the social game, this is how he feels (if you can call unfeeling a feeling) and therefore he is truthful. Question: Do you ever feel like you don't care anymore...about your goals, work, the things you shouldn't do, school, the things you should do? That's what I thought. You could always baptize me in a small blue basin of cold water ("I am a little concerned about your salvation and stuff..."). The answer, I have come to realize, is not necessarily movies like Blood Diamond (which is so good by the way) or reading International Development Magazine or talking to you friends about all your goals that you won't follow through on ("This year I won't shop at Wal-Mart" "This year I am going to tithe better" "This year I am going to the gym"). Whatever. The answer is prayer. Meeting with God. The question is: “Are you still sleeping and resting…?” (Mark 14:41).

Here is a picture of Erin and I at the Christmas Banquet. We had a good night hanging-out with other married couples. The theme was Charles Dickens' Christmas Carol. Erin is finished school now, all she has left to complete in order to receive her Bachelor's degree is her final Intercultural Studies paper. She is researching how a missionary kid's involvement in his or her parent's ministry affects his or her spiritual well-being and consequently, his or her social adjustment to North American culture. It is really interesting. Well, we are going to leave for Oregon on Thursday morning (December 21st). It is a 20 hour trip, so please pray for our safety. Right now Erin is making gingersnaps and I am in the middle of reading an essay by Jean-Luc Marion (Synopsis so far: We strive in vain if we attempt to understand God as an object. St. Augustine said that one knows God best by not knowing Him. Seeing God is to be found in not seeing him. "Incomprehensibility does not epistemologically disquailfy the Infinite," in other words, just because God is incomprehensible does not imply that He is not true or that we cannot know Him. For as you know God reveals Himself in the person of Jesus Christ. 2000 years ago the Infinite took on flesh and this is what we celebrate at Christmas). Anyway, I am definitely looking forward to hanging-out with Erin's family in Grants Pass and simply reading, relaxing, watching movies, hiking, eating pizza and turkey, etc. I hope you all have a great Christmas! Blessings! Love Nathan and Erin

Movies to watch during Christmas:

Half Nelson
Little Miss Sunshine
Stranger Than Fiction
The Departed
Babel
Thank You for Smoking
Fast Food Nation
The Pursuit of Happyness

Check out my book wish list for 2007 www.xanga.com/drawntotreason

Today was a pretty good day. It was -20 something with sunshine (this is me being somewhat sarcastic and at the same time attempting to be optimistic). I had yesterday off, which was nice. I slept in, read, hung-out briefly with Steve in the Loft, and watched Superman Returns with Erin. I am still fighting the cold I contracted after returning home from Ottawa. Erin and I bought our first Christmas tree yesterday. It was only $10. Erin insisted on getting a real tree and now the whole apartment is permeated with a strong pinecone odor that I can taste each time I swallow. It’s nice to look at though. Anyway, Erin and I just got back from the library, she is studying and after I write and post this update message I am going to try to persuade her to watch an NBC Office episode with me. Well, are you finished your Christmas shopping yet? I only have one thing left to get and I am done. Erin and I are looking forward to getting out of this -26 weather and having two weeks in Oregon for Christmas. Until next time, buddle up and stay warm friends.

These are some pictures of Erin's new haircut. She is very beautiful if you ask me! Unfortunately, she is feeling really sick today and I went to the Dentist earlier to get a crown done, so we are quite the pair. Erin is a part of a women's conference in Three Hills this weekend, but I rented some movies and hopefully we will get a chance to relax. I had an awesome time on the Christian College University Fair (West), but I didn't get a lot of sleep, so it will be nice to rest on the weekend. I leave for my next trip on November 7th (CCUF East). I'm going home for a few days before the tour, so I'll get to see my parents and some of my friends. Have a good weekend!

This is a picture of Erin and I at Jocelyn's wedding last Saturday. Well, not much is new with us. We got a new computer (used but new to us), so I bought a wireless card and now we have the Internet. I traveled this week to Saskatchewan and eastern Alberta recruiting students. I had good conversations with lots of people, are there are some people who are really interested in coming to Prairie. I've been listening to the Bible on CD as I drive, which has been really great. Yesterday I shared with two people what I had read in Acts, it just fit into the conversation. I found out today that my sister-in-law Suzannah was in a car accident yesterday. Her head went through the windshield. She is okay though, which, of course, is good. I talked to her today, I guess her one eye is swollen over and she can't move her head. Next week I travel to British Columbia on a bus with 25 other Christian College & University representatives. Should be fun. I've been listening to Saxon Shore, Iron & Wine, Calexico, and Josh Tillman, check them out (links). Have a great weekend.

These are some pictures from our Saturday trip to Buffalo Jump. It was probably the last nice summer day for the year (pull out those winter jackets...if you haven't already). It is very beautiful at Buffalo Jump, you feel as if you are in the land of dinosaurs. Well, I just got back from my first recruiting trip, which was in California, and I can't believe it is already Thanksgiving! I predict that the rest of the year goes by way too fast. Today I went to the hospital because I have this wicked rash all over my arms. The doctor doesn't know what it is exactly, so I'm left popping allergy pills. Well, I got to go and read "Either/Or" by Soren Kierkegaard and do some laundry. Have a great Thanksgiving everyone!

This is Suzannah's new haircut...it's so 80s...pure vintage.

Here are some amazing pictures Erin took in Edmonton last weekend. Erin's sister Suzannah and two of her friends (Bo & Marcie) came up from Oregon last week and we all went to Edmonton on the weekend to the Harvest Moon Festival. I represented Prairie at the Festival, which turned out pretty good. Two bands from Prairie played at the Festival, so that helped, plus everyone loved the Prairie tattoos. We stayed downtown, saw some shows (MXPX, Blindside), hung-out, I learned how to long board, it was fun. The "Consume Much" picture is taken just outside of the Bay at the West Edmonton Mall.

Well, Erin and I have been discussing lately when a good time to have our first child would be. I received this picture from a friend and showed it to Erin. We shared a brief moment of non-verbal communication. She looked at me as if to say, "Let's wait a little longer." The perfect horror of this picture has put an end to our discussion of bringing children into this sorrowful world...at least for now. On a different note here is a good prayer to pray regularly: "God in Heaven, let me really feel my nothingness, not in order to despair over it, but in order to feel the more powerfully the greatness of Thy goodness."
- Soren Kierkegaard

Well, last Friday Erin and I drove to Edmonton and attended Claire Thompson's wedding. I grew up with Claire in Indonesia. It was a nice wedding at the First Baptist Church downtown Edmonton. A few other missionary kids from Indonesia came so it was great catching up with them. Two of the Clark girls were there, three of the Kirkley girls, and, of course, the Thompsons. The reception was on the 11th floor of the Delta hotel. You could see the city and the city lights at night, it was really nice. Shawn and Claire are perfect together, they are so goofy and carefree, and they smiled the whole time. I almost fell asleep on the way home and Erin got sick from drinking too much coffee, wine, carbonated drink, etc. Good times. The next wedding Erin and I are attending is Daniel Enns' wedding on September 16th.

I know, I know I am ridiculously in love with my books and my new bookshelf. I bought it in the AS/IS room at IKEA and now all I hear are the words of Tyler Durden: "Deliver me from Swedish furniture, deliver me from clever art…the things you own will end up owning you.” For some of my thoughts on books that I have read recently or books that I am currently reading go to my xanga blog (see link). Also, check out all the links I have added. These are some of the bands Erin and I like, organizations we support, and good Websites to get quality books and music at a decent price.