Books

I have been reading some pretty interesting books of late so I thought I would share some of them with you.

How Sweet the Sound.

This was a really good book by Meredith Resce. It is an Allegory of Jesus. It is set in a made up place which has a country with a king and an island that is under the control of the king but is many weeks journey from the country. The island is taken over by the enemy of the king and the king loses contact with the island. I recognised a lot of similarities with stuff from the Bible. It's a good book and well worth reading (although I don't necessarily agree with everything in it).

the organic God.

This book is by Margaret Feinberg. It is about having a proper relationship with God, which is free from additives and pollutants. Encouraging us to discover God in a refreshing way. It is a new perspective on how to have a relationship with God. Another book worth reading.

The Reluctant Journey of David Connors.

This is a book by Don Locke. It is about a man who is separated from his wife, and his life is falling apart. He is about to end his life when he finds a carpet bag, which magically gives gifts for people that need them. He meets a lady named Maggie and the bag takes the two of them on a journey, where they discover something from their past which they need to let go of to move on with their lives. This is a really powerful book which i would recommend to anyone to read.

Decisions

Despite the lack of reponse to my last post, I have decided to keep on going with my blog (although I might not do it all that regularly, I will continue to do it). Well I have been thinking about what i should write about and I do have ideas but i seem to forget them. I will see if I can remember them to post in the future.

Experiment.

I have been wondering about who actually reads my blog. So I decided to do a little experiment. If you read my blog leave a comment and state your name and how regularly you read it.

Don't You Just Love 'Bruce-ism's'?

So it's that time again... Olympics. One of the best things about the olympics is hearing Bruce McAvaney and his lovely comments. One of the best was in the women's 4 by 200 freestyle relay with about 10m to go he says 'their home, their home and hosed'. It was pretty certain that we were going to win but anything could have happened. I'm sure he's had some other golden moments but i can't think right now. The best thing about Bruce this time around though is that I have not heard him say 'special' once this time around I have heard some of the others saying it but not Bruce.

Some of the other good things about the olympics have been Stephanie Rice. Wow! She has been amazing! And it has been cool watching Eamon Sullivan especially his 'battle' with Alain Bernard.

Be My Escape

"Be My Escape"

I’ve given up on giving up slowly, I’m blending in so
You won’t even know me apart from this whole world that shares my fate
This one last bullet you mention is my one last shot at redemption
because I know to live you must give your life away
And I’ve been housing all this doubt and insecurity and
I’ve been locked inside that house all the while You hold the key
And I’ve been dying to get out and that might be the death of me
And even though, there’s no way in knowing where to go, promise I’m going because
I gotta get outta here
I’m stuck inside this rut that I fell into by mistake
I gotta get outta here
And I’m begging You, I’m begging You, I’m begging You to be my escape.

I’m giving up on doing this alone now
Cause I’ve failed and I’m ready to be shown how
He’s told me the way and I’m trying to get there
And this life sentence that I’m serving
I admit that I’m every bit deserving
But the beauty of grace is that it makes life not fair

Cause I’ve been housing all this doubt and insecurity and
I’ve been locked inside that house all the while You hold the key
And I’ve been dying to get out and that might be the death of me
And even though, there’s no way in knowing where to go, promise I’m going because
I gotta get outta here
Cause I’m afraid that this complacency is something I can’t shake
I gotta get outta here
And I’m begging You, I’m begging You, I’m begging You to be my escape.

I am a hostage to my own humanity
Self detained and forced to live in this mess I’ve made
And all I’m asking is for You to do what You can with me
But I can’t ask You to give what You already gave

Cause I’ve been housing all this doubt and insecurity and
I’ve been locked inside that house all the while you hold the key
And I’ve been dying to get out and that might be the death of me
And even though, there’s no way in knowing where to go, promise I’m going because
I’ve gotta get outta here
I’m stuck inside this rut that I fell into by mistake
I’ve gotta get outta here
And I’m begging You, I’m begging You, I’m begging
You to be my escape.

I fought You for so long
I should have let You in
Oh how we regret those things we do
And all I was trying to do was save my own skin
But so were You

So were You


I think that this clip of Be My Escape by Relient K misses the point of the song entirely. To me the song is about our humanness and wanting to escape it, we are all human and therefore we all make mistakes, so therefore we need to 'beg him to be [our] escape' from ourselves and the wrong things we do so that we can be like him. The clip is about the girlfriends house falling down around him or something, like he is trying to escape from a bad relationship. I want to know your thoughts on this.

If You Don't Like Chicken There's Something Wrong With You...

Ingham Chicken has recently launched a series of ads which (most of) my family thinks is very funny. Why? My older brother is one of "the 0.001% of Australians" who don't like chicken, so obviously there is something wrong with him.

The Good Weekend

I had a really good weekend.

On Saturday I went and visited some old friends. They used to lead a youth group that I used to go to. They were missionaries in Ethiopia for a couple of years at a school. And are planning to return in a couple of years. They now have 4 children, and it was great to meet them. Those kids are very funny. It was a really good time.

Then that night I went and baby sat the next door neighbours kids, who are adoreable (most of the time). We watched Robots, which is a pretty good movie. Then they went to bed, and the two year old really didn't want to but i could see that he was tired and i didn't give in, and he basically went straight to sleep.

Then last night my brother and his wife came over for dinner. It was a welcome back/celebration dinner for my brother. He had just returned from 10 days in England where he was having his oral examination for his Phd thesis. He has finished his Phd and will soon be Dr Dixon. It was great to have everyone around.

I'm Back

Well it been a while since I have posted anything here. What have i been doing?

My Birthday.
Well back in April I had my 25th birthday, which was pretty cool. We went out for dinner and my grandmother came too, because it was the completion of 25, 50, 75. Meaning that my mother turned 50 earlier this year and her mother also turned 75 so we all thought that was a pretty cool thing to celebrate.

WALK4BIBLES

Every year The Bible League puts on a series of walk a thons in different cities in Australia to raise money for Bibles for people in countries where it is hard to get Bibles. This year in Sydney it was on the 10th of May. A group of us from church went and did it, there was a choice between 7km and 14km (guess which one i did). It was fun but tiring,

Goodbye Aunty Janet.
My Aunt went to Africa as a missionary in the middle of May. She was there before with her husband but he got sick so they had to return to Australia. My uncle died and then my aunt had to get further qualifications so she could return.
We had a big farewell do with my mother's family up at her aunts place a couple of hours from Sydney. It was a really good day and good to catch up with everyone.
The day before she left there was a special farewell service for my aunt at her church which we went to. Then we had a lunch at my grandmothers place.
The next day a whole lot of us went to the airport to say good bye to her. It was very sad but good. Everyone that was in her family cried except my brother and my father.


What else has been happening?
Well I have been doing a bit of casual work, around the place, but that seems to have dried up lately. But I do have a job interview tommorrow for a full time position. I will post about what has happened with that at a later date hopefully it won't be so long between posts though.

Easter

Well my Victorian relatives (and the one that is studying in Adelaide) came up for Easter.
My Adelaidian cousin came up by plane and on Thursday, and stayed at our place Thursday night cause we live close to the airport. Her plane was meant to be arriving at 8:40 on Thursday, so she was up at 4:30 but there was a hydraulic leak or something on the engine so the plane was cancelled. She didn't end up arriving till 12 in sydney.
My brother met her at the airport and they were catching the bus back but my brother forgot to check which direction the bus was going in so they went the wrong way and didn't arrive at home till 2.

All my mother's side of the family got together on Friday evening at my mother's sister's place. It was really good for everyone to be together especially when everyone is spread so far and wide.

On Sunday afternoon we went and visited my father's mother. that was a nice time too.

We also had some good church services, Good Friday, Easter Sunday, and Easter Monday with the Easter Feaster. I think that everyone who came enjoyed the time. Lot's of yummy food and celebrative time for the service.

Changi

A fantastic miniseries which was first aired in 2000 on ABC and which i recently bought on dvd, follows a group of 6 Australian prisoners of war in the Changi Japanese prisoner of war camp in Singapore. These friends form a society called the Secret 9 and agree to meet up every 9 years after the war is over.
There is an episode dedicated to each of the friends, which has them as old men look back at something that happened during their time at the camp. Their memories are jogged by the approaching reunion, which is probably the last, and by something that is happening to them in their life.
It shows the importance of mateship in getting you through tough times, and the horrificness of war, and how it brings out the best and worst of people.
I reccomend that everyone watches this

What have i been doing lately...

I have been slack with this of late, but i will rectify that. I have been back in Sydney for a little over two months, you may be wondering what i have been up to...

Christmas
Well we had our annual Dinkum/Aussie carols, wish was really good, we had 43 people attend, and everybody enjoyed it.
We had 31 people come to our Christmas day service, which was good, and everyone who came enjoyed our service.
The Christmas Lunch was a succes we had 49 people come and we had enough to eat and there was even a little left over.

I spent christmas evening at my aunt's house, which was a fun evening, and included the watching of Merry Christmas Mr bean, and a good catch up time. We went together to the family gathering at my grandmothers house, prior to which we chopped up the fruit salad for lunch. It was a lovely time at granny's house including playing Uno Attack and Disney Trivial Pursuit.

Mum's Birthday and Australia Day.
Just before Oz day my mother had her 50th birthday, it was a good day doing exciting things, like palying the game that my brother gave her called backwords, where you either have to work out what a word said backwards is or turn a forwards word backwards. Hilarious fun.
The best present that my mother got though was that my brother and sister in law returned from England that day, which was exciting for all of us.
As the birthday was so close to australia day we had the big party on that day, it was also a welcome home for jon and amy. It was a lot of work but it was an enjoyable time, especailly seeing all the rellies.

What about the day to day?
Well I am looking for work again it's not always easy but God is here and i know that he has a plan for me, i just have to trust him. It's good to be back with my family, but i do miss Tassie sometimes especially the people.

Update

Well many things have happened since i last wrote on my blog. A family here at college had a new baby, he is absolutely gorgeous.

I have also been to the Tasmanian Craft Fair at Deloraine, which was fantastic, it is the largest in the southern hemisphere, there were 13 diffent sites all over Deloraine, with shuttle buses between the sites. They had so many things ranging from woodcraft, to jewellery, to hand made soaps, candles, furniture, paper craft, hand made paper.

We also had a two part surprise 40th birthday for the father of the new baby. First of all we went on a cruise on the river, and discovered about the history of Launceston, it was fun to be there, and discover it all, as well as to be with everyone (and hold the baby). Then we had a bbq at the gorge. The birthday boy was surprised when he turned up to both parts, he was especially amazed that with so many people knowing about it he still didn't find out.

It has been a lovely time here in launceston, but i will be leaving in 16 days which i am extremely excited about. woo hoo!!!!!

JESUS. All About Life.

This campaign started in Tasmania yesterday. It is a series of adds on the television, on the radio and on billboards etc. There are three adds on the television, one aimed at youth, one aimed at parents and one aimed at baby boomers. Basically they are to get people thinking about Jesus and ringing the number or visiting the website for more info and to get a booklet, which is one of the gospels, as well as helping churches to connect with people who do not attend regularly.

This is the first time that it has been done on a state wide scale, in the past it has been done in Canberra and Adelaide, it was originally going to be just Hobart or something, but due to the lack of people in tassie they decided to do it for the whole state. I believe that sometime next year it will be run in WA but i am not sure if that is the whole state or just Perth.

Pray for this campaign, that it will get people interested and attending local churches, that churches will get behind the campaign, pray for the call centre, that the staff working there will have good relationships, and be friendly etc, especially pray for that because the call centre is at the college.

If you want to find out more about it www.jesusallaboutlife.com.au

There's a bear in there

We recently took the kids to see the Play School concert. It was so much fun, for us adults as well as for the kids. They have it balanced so well plenty of funny stuff that the kids will get and also a sprinkling of stuff for the adults as well. The children were talking about it for days afterwards it is an experience to remember. The one thing that is amazing is that Benita is still doing the concerts, I remember watching her as a little kid on the tv. She still does it so well, she should still be on the tv. Teo was also good but he didn't hold the same memories that Benita did for me. It was a fantastic time.

Goodbye...

Well it was a very sad time recently, not only did my grandfather died, but some very good friends of mine who were students here at the college, returned to England because the husband was unwell and was not improving. I will miss them so much, they were such good friends to me, so generous and welcoming. I will also miss there two little girls who were such a pleasure to have in the play centre, so happy and fun to be with.
Goodbye, God bless you.