The Spirit Was Willing But The Flesh...

This white man wrote recently that there is a time for everything, a season for things to come and for things to pass. Well it seems I should have heeded my own advice! Today I attended a birthday picnic for one of our youth leaders who turned twenty (Happy Birthday Trinh!). Kim and Luc came along and with a bunch of other youth armed with bat and ball an impromptu cricket match quickly ensued. And that's when things went pear-shaped! In a flash of inspired insanity this white man re-lived his youthful days as an acrobatic fieldsman by leaping airborne to his right to take the "classic catch" of this summer! Green grass that looked so soft and inviting didn't prove so and now he's suffering for it...

As I sit here typing this my shoulder is aching and my ribs feel like they've been worked over by an angry mule! And it's in moments like these that I am forced to remember my words about a season for all things. And whilst I can taste the bilious bitterness of those words of wisdom regurgitating in my spiritual gullet, I acknowledge they are true. I must freely admit that my season of youthful athleticism ended some years ago. Whilst physically I am in very good shape right now compared with years gone by, my abilities are not what they were. This 37 year-old body is more limited now and I am feeling this reality and eating some humble pie in the process. Actually life has a way of paying one back as I can clearly remember a middle-aged red bearded DYS running at an Eastern Divisional Youth Athletics day. He'd talked himself up all day with the youth and in a pompous moment of ego grandly stripped down to his baggy running shorts and strode with aplomb to the starting blocks. The starters gun went off and he took off striding out with purpose to the first bend. Then, like he'd been shot he pulled up to a stop clutching the back of his leg - his hamstring and pride in tatters. As a young buck with little sympathy for big-talking leaders I laughed until my bladder protested! Yet who is laughing now?!

So there really is a season for everything and I guess the key to knowing this and living it out well is to understand what season you are in and live appropriately and proportionally to it's rhythm. So at least whilst I'm sore I feel better for learning a lesson.

And I dropped the catch if you really must know!

Contemplative Art...

I AM (Revelations 1:13-18)

"When I think of Jesus as being with the Father during creation of the universe, and His glorified appearance to John in Revelation, I think of how pallid and static He is so often depicted. Imagine how glorious the apocalyptic language makes it to hold "stars in His hands." I thought why not illustrate verbatim what John described. After taking some artistic license to simplify the list, the painting was laid out. To make the figure more overwhelming I placed it center canvas as large as possible. At first, I thought the image was to be mostly gold and white; as illuminated as possible. I soon realized contrasting the dark void of space was more dramatic. Hubble telescope pictures inspired the intertwined cosmic clouds making up the sleeves. The "star hand" looks as if the figure is making stars out of nothing. For a time there was a concern the sword dangling from the mouth might look silly, but it finally occurred to me the "Sword of the Word" might be energy - maybe a beam of light and it was no longer a problem. I hope this painting reflects a little of what I believe the power of the Lord to be." Gaye Lynn LaGuire.

A Season for Everything...

As this white man currently writes, it seems that a cricketing dynasty is crumbling around itself. The Australian cricket team have ruled the cricketing world for over a decade now with a grouping of players that were the pride of a nation and the envy of other teams world-wide. They have so completely dominated test and one-day cricket with such force and intimidation that the Australian public have grown accustomed to the team being synonymous with only one thing... success. But the tide is turning. Australia's champions, such as the Waugh twins, Warne, McGrath, Langer, Martyn and Gilchrist have all retired over the past 3-4 years and what was a star-studded champion team now finds itself back in the pack of moderately good cricket teams. Two months ago Australia toured India and found itself on the end of a 2-0 series defeat. Pundits, whilst acknowledging the series loss also reasoned that the Aussies couldn't be quite written off yet as a cricketing power. A sub-continental tour for any team is accepted as being the harshest task to negotiate and not a reasonable measuring stick for a diminishing power like Australia. But over the past week and a half the reality is hitting home. South Africa, currently touring here in Australia and leading the series 1-0 with a second test victory imminent, are finally proving that Australia's crown is well and truly slipping. Australia have not lost a test series on it's home soil for 16 years. And Australian fans don't like it one bit. But this white man asks what all the fuss is really about?

No sporting team remains on top forever. Not even a powerful political empire lasts forever so why should any one nation remain number 1 in any sporting endeavour? It reminds me of the famous wisdom passage from Ecclesiastes 3:
"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven...a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance."

So come on Australia - accept with grace the reality that our cricketers have enjoyed an extended bountiful season of success. But now it is other nation's cricket teams turn to shine and have their moment.

And before you ask yourself then let this white man just tell you...yes it's true! Pastors do often preach to themselves and I guess blog to themselves too!

Verse for the day...

Christmas All Over The World...

Christmas 2008 has been a widely diverse international celebration for this white man and his extended family. Of course Phuong and myself enjoyed Christmas in our hometown of Melbourne, Australia. Phuong's sister Nguyet celebrated a nearly-white Christmas with her partner Nick in his hometown of Durham, UK. And of course Phuong's family spent their Christmas at the family home in Hoi An, Vietnam. Celebrations on three different continents! So as a family we may be spread far and wide but we still have shared a close spirit of joy in celebrating the spirit of Christmas this year. Life is good!

What is Boxing Day?

Well today is the 26th December 2008 and in Australia and other countries abroad, that means today is Boxing Day. This white man doesn't mind the day after Christmas being a holiday - in fact I think whoever came up with the idea made an inspired decision. For I have to admit, who feels like functioning normally, still with the gluttinous remnants of overindulgence, foodwise or otherwise, from the day before?! In Melbourne, Boxing Day also means the start of the now traditional Boxing Day cricket match at the MCG, this year between Australia and South Africa. It also is synonymous with a human stampede of avid bargain-hunting shoppers at department stores like Myer. Boxing Day is a day of rest, relaxation, rampant retail and recuperation. But after all these years this white man has a question...what exactly is Boxing Day anyway? As I said, I don't mind having a holiday to acknowledge Boxing day but I have to admit, even after 37 years of basking in it, I still don't have the foggiest idea as to what the day actually commemorates. And so it's about time I found out!

According to that most 'reliable' of internet sources Wikipedia, Boxing Day is based on the tradition of giving gifts to the less fortunate members of society. 'On this day in England, the Christmas Box was opened and the gifts inside were distributed to the poor.' What was the Christmas Box you ask? The Christmas Box itself was a wooden box centrally placed in the village square where village folk could donate their item - much in the same way as they have those boxes in the front of supermarkets where you can place a can of food or other suitable non-perishable item for a charitable organisation to distribute to the needy at Christmas. Yet as Wiki importantly highlights 'contemporary Boxing Day in many countries is now a "shopping holiday" associated with after-Christmas sales.'

And therein lays the irony - on the day originally, when celebrations centred around benevolent acts of charity for the poor, now we celebrate Boxing day by being totally self-indulgent, either by loafing around on our lounges all day or by abusing those plastic demons called credit cards! I guess that's the 'developed' world we live in today. A world I find myself very much being a part of, challengingly and vexingly so. A world Paul summed up pretty well in 2 Timothy 3:2-4. So why is this white man not surprised, yet profoundly convicted...Mmm...

Merry Christmas!

May our God who came as Emmanuel make His dwelling in your heart this Christmas season and bring you peace and joy in abundance!

'Twas The Night Before a Politically-Correct Christmas!

'Twas the night before Christmas and Santa's a wreck...

How to live in a world that's politically correct?

His workers no longer would answer to "Elves".

"Vertically Challenged" they were calling themselves.

And labour conditions at the North Pole were alleged by the union to stifle the soul.

Four reindeer had vanished, without much propriety,

Released to the wilds by the Humane Society.

And equal employment had made it quite clear

That Santa had better not use just reindeer.

So Dancer and Donner, Comet and Cupid

Were replaced with 4 pigs, and you know that looked stupid!

The runners had been removed from his sleigh;

The ruts were termed dangerous by the E.P.A.

And people had started to call for the cops

When they heard sled noises on their rooftops.

Second-hand smoke from his pipe had his workers quite frightened.

His fur trimmed red suit was called "Unenlightened."

And to show you the strangeness of life's ebbs and flows,

Rudolf was suing over unauthorised use of his nose

And had gone on Geraldo, in front of the nation,

Demanding millions in over-due compensation.

So, half of the reindeer were gone; and his wife,

Who suddenly said she'd enough of this life,

Joined a self-help group, packed, and left in a whiz,

Demanding from now on her title was Ms.

And as for the gifts, why, he'd never had a notion

That making a choice could cause so much commotion.

Nothing of leather, nothing of fur,

Which meant nothing for him. And nothing for her.

Nothing that might be construed to pollute.

Nothing to aim, Nothing to shoot.

Nothing that clamoured or made lots of noise.

Nothing for just girls, or just for the boys.

Nothing that claimed to be gender specific.

Nothing that's warlike or non-pacifistic.

No candy or sweets...they were bad for the tooth.

Nothing that seemed to embellish a truth.

And fairy tales, while not yet forbidden,

Were like Ken and Barbie, better off hidden.

For they raised the hackles of those psychological

Who claimed the only good gift was one ecological.

No baseball, no football...someone could get hurt;

Besides, playing sports exposed kids to dirt.

Dolls were said to be sexist, and should be passe;

And Nintendo would rot your entire brain away.

So Santa just stood there, dishevelled, perplexed;

He just could not figure out what to do next.

He tried to be merry, tried to be gay,

But you've got to be careful with that word today.

His sack was quite empty, limp to the ground;

Nothing fully acceptable was to be found.

Something special was needed, a gift that he might

Give to all without angering the left or the right.

A gift that would satisfy, with no indecision,

Each group of people, every religion;

Every ethnicity, every hue,

Everyone, everywhere...even you.

So here is that gift, it's price beyond worth...

May you and your loved ones, enjoy peace on Earth."

Notice: This poem is copyright 1992 by Harvey Ehrlich.

Free to distribute without changes as long as this notice remains intact.

The New-Maker!

This white man was intrigued recently when watching the news and a report came on explaining that many new species of animal life had been discovered over the past ten years in the upper Mekong jungles of Vietnam and Laos. For a more detailed account then click on the link below;

http://conservationreport.com/2008/12/15/new-species-more-than-1000-new-species-discovered-in-rivers-junglesand-restaurants-of-the-greater-mekong-in-past-decade/

It would seem to me that our Creator God is still in the business of creating new life. One can argue the theories of evolution and natural selection etc... but the pure essence of life has to begin with a source. I choose to believe that source is THE Source, a wonderful Creator God who hasn't shelved His creativity just yet. Praise God for that and may we all learn to wonder a little more at His marvellous creation!

Verse of the Day...

Interesting Photo!

I have heard that what you read stays with you, even becomes a part of you but this is ridiculous!

Everything Is Spiritual!

Recently a young person mentioned to this white man that they couldn't understand why I didn't put more 'spiritual' stuff on this blog. I think they made an assumption that I, as their pastor, should feel a moral, or at least 'spiritual' obligation to give more attention to all things 'spiritual'. Maybe I could be feeding a perception that I am unspiritual and too focused on the real world of worldly affairs.

Yet I would contend this - never once during the entire ministry of Jesus Christ did He ever mention 'spiritual life' as opposed from just life itself. In fact, in the Hebrew Bible and language there is no distinct word for 'spiritual'. And so, as Christian commentator Rob Bell points out really well, I too believe that everything is spiritual. So if you happen to arrive here at this white man's blog and ask the question why this pastor doesn't have a plethora of biblical reflections and theological musings then now you know! If you want that stuff there are plenty of other blogs around to feed your 'spiritual life'!

Screaming Blue Murder?

This white man is deeply perplexed at the outpouring of vengeful anger against the Victorian Police in light of the recent and tragic shooting of a 15 year-old teenage boy in a Northcote skate park. On that night the police did what they felt was the last resort to do - and for their own safety as well. It is easy in hindsight to hypothesise that the police members were "heavy-handed" in dealing with a youth running at them with knives threatening to kill them. All I would contend is that generally-speaking, whether or not you are a serving police member or serving in the military or even just a face in the general population, to kill someone, by accident or intent, is not just something that happens and you just move on and get over it. That is why I believe that the hatred being spewed all over the serving members who felt compelled to discharge their weapons against Tyler Cassidy last week is unfair and ill-considered.

How would those police be feeling right now? Do we really think they were happy to shoot down the kid like he was just some empty can in a shooting gallery? That course of action which they believed to be necessary will never leave those police members - they will wrestle with it for the rest of their lives. And today a grieving family lays to rest their 15 year-old because he tragically made a series of choices that led to his untimely death. No-one denies the scale of this as a personal tragedy that was in every way unfortunate. But to just lay the whole onus of responsibility on the police, who were doing their job in serving to protect our community, is uncalled for. I say let's be fair in examining the role and actions of our police before condemning them as trigger-happy kid-killers. After all, if that teenage boy or anyone else was threatening you or your family with his knives wouldn't you want the police to protect you in whatever way they felt necessary?

How Powerful Is The Word of God?!

A woman had just returned to her home from an evening of church services, when she was startled by an intruder.
She caught the man in the act of robbing her home of its valuables and yelled: 'Stop! Acts 2:38!'
(Repent and be Baptized, in the name of Jesus Christ, so that your sins may be forgiven.)
The burglar stopped in his tracks. The woman calmly called the police and explained what she had done.
As the officer cuffed the man to take him in, he asked the burglar: 'Why did you just stand here? All the old lady did was yell a scripture to you.'
'Scripture?' replied the burglar. 'She said she had an Ax and Two 38s!'

Poor 'Cousins' No More...

Ben Cousins is back in town, well football-wise anyway! After a much publicised exile from AFL action during which Cousins has been sorting out his life and battling drug addiction, today came the news that the Richmond Football Club have thrown the beleaguered Brownlow Medallist a career lifeline. Picked up today in a pre-season draft for 2009, Ben Cousins has literally been offered a Christmas gift...a last chance to excel in the game that made him a superstar. And this white man is very happy about it!

One can get philosophical, even judgmental about what road Cousins took himself down in relation to his substance abuse issues. But the truth is this - giving someone, who has messed things up, a second chance is the Australian way. It's the attitude personified within the ethos of a 'fair go". But even more than any Aussie stereotype, it is simply and universally just the right thing to do. Everyone deserves a second-chance - even when it seems that they are undeserving. That's not a personally derived opinion but rather what I see as being the example of grace that Christ lived out for us to follow. How easy is it to become adept at stone throwing in pursuing our own self-appointed zealous ideas for what we think is right. Such is life...In any case well done Richmond Football Club for having the courage of your convictions in giving Ben Cousins a fair go!

If The Shoe Fits, WEAR IT!

This white man often just shakes his head at the delicious ironies that life regularly serves up. One such moment has to be seen in the actions of an Iraqi journalist who, in his own moment of rage, did what any insulted Iraqi would do to express the fullness of his disdain. The target of his outburst: President George W Bush...The means of his attack: his two shoes which flew past the President's head as he dodged and weaved as only politicians can! And then the ultimate Arab insult to any person - "YOU DOG!"

What a moment of inspired hilarity! The final moment this bellicose poor excuse for a world leader will be remembered for, on the very soil of arguably his greatest failure, Iraq, is a size 8 dirty sandal whizzing past his furried brow! This white man says, if the shoe fits then WEAR IT Mr Bush!

For a detailed account of the incident click on the link

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/15/world/middleeast/15prexy.html?bl&ex=1229403600&en=41084e144739b723&ei=5087

Verse For The Day...

Rain Falls

Rain falls to wash the earth

Rain falls so sad one's know they aren't alone

Rain falls to make us new

Rain falls so that we know we can have a fresh, clean, new start too

Rain falls so that we believe everyday can't be perfect

Rain falls

Rain falls...

A Christmas Thought!

Sometimes when it comes to blog profundity you just can't go past some emails that get sent your way. It may seem a cheap and easy 'out' to just cut and paste away one's blog principles of originality but the picture and the humour are just priceless. So here is a Christmas thought to remember...

Well it made this white man laugh...

Another Contemplative Expression of Art....

"When they saw the star, they were overjoyed!" Matthew 2:10

Christmas Lights Craziness!

Every year at Christmas time this white man continues to be astonished at the superhuman efforts put into decorating the facades of houses and gardens everywhere with thousands of colourful lights and various ornaments. These displays can range from the fantastic to the forgettable but there has to be one constant - the expense. So pardon me for invoking the un-Christmas spirit of Scrooge for a moment but aren't we supposed to be conserving our energy output at present? Has global warming now been put to rest in lieu of the federal election being all but a distant memory? Have all those 'black balloons' flying out of our TV sets suddenly been forgotten in light of some twinkling christmas indulgences? Then again, we are all being encouraged to spend our pennys at present to revitalise a teetering recession-bound economy. Perhaps we all should spend our handouts on Christmas lights and life-sized robotic Santas because Kevin told us so! But save a little of your war-chest for your new year's electricity bill - what a pity they don't share the same Christmas spirit!

Call this white man old-fashioned but if I'm correct all it took on one dark celestial night some 2000 years ago was one star to shine a light and make a way for a dark world for all eternity. But then again, if Edison had of showed up a little earlier then I'm sure there would have been some garish flickering cycle of lights around the windows and eaves of that Bethlehem stable! In any case, let's just remember who the true Light of Christmas really is...

And by the way, this picture could well accurately depict the white man's christmas light effort this year!

Merry Christmas!

Sustaining Wisdom...

"Choose your friends carefully - you never know who is on your side, and remember; the truth shall prevail! "

AMEN!

A Battle Lost?

This white man sadly learnt today of the passing of champion Australian athlete Kerryn McCann. Kerryn McCann won two consecutive Commonwealth Games gold medals in the women's marathon event. Following this she was diagnosed with breast cancer and died last night surrounded by her husband and three children. Of course deep sadness and sympathy lie with those left behind, especially her children. She was 41 years of age.

Yet in the midst of this sad event this white man has an issue. What really irks me is a cliched explanation heard incessantly concerning people who die from illnesses, but particularly cancer. It is a personal pet hate of mine and by the time of writing this blog entry I've had a gutful of hearing it today. It's the expression "she lost her battle with cancer..." Since when is the process of dying a contest? Sickness is sickness; surviving is surviving; dying is dying. Many times death comes as a blessing, a win if you will. Likewise surviving illnesses that ravage one's body and reduce one's quality of life can be equally a curse. But for goodness sakes, Kerryn McCann was a world-class athlete with a level of personal fitness beyond 99% of us. If cancer would claim a physical specimen such as her then how can there be any notion of a contest?!

Maybe this white man is just hung up on a minor matter of semantics. Or perhaps this world needs a real perspective check so that it may see terminal illness and dying for what it really is - a natural reality that is not about winning or losing, but rather how well-remembered that soul will be and what legacy-print they leave behind. You lost nothing Kerryn McCann! You simply just crossed another finish line and hopefully those closest to you will one day be able to celebrate your life (and your death) as a victory and not a defeat.

Verse for the Day...

Another Two Amazing Photos...

A Cumulus trumpet blast...

And a supersonic stork!

Opinions & Pride...

As this white man was driving into church this morning he listened intently to the various issues/current affairs being discussed in earnest on 3AW693. Talk-back radio is one of my real pleasures in life when I happen to be in transit. This morning discussions ranged from the parliamentary performance of deputy PM Julia Gillard to suspected faulty fixed speed cameras on the new EastLink tollway. One thing continually amazes me about the callers who make talk-back radio so simultaneously pleasurable and painful. They all believe they are right. One caller phoned in responding to the pleas of many drivers who honestly believe they have been unfairly caught out by a speed camera on the aforementioned tollway. His opinion was that every person issued an infringement for speeding were, in fact speeding and had not been 'dudded' by a faulty camera. When asked why and how he could form such a resolute basis for this opinion he simply answered "because..."

And again it struck me...As human beings we have this incredibly audacious presumption of innate correctness on just about every issue known or relevant to us. Somehow, in the scope of all human wisdom and knowledge ever accumulated on this pale blue dot of a planet called Earth we really do believe that we are right. None of us are immune from this prideful condition, including myself. So this white man poses the following question; at what point can we, or do we have the ability to step outside of ourselves and confess the true condition of our innate selves...that actually we may be correct some of the time but actually more often than not we're just deluding ourselves as to how wise we really are. That more often than we'd care to admit we find ourselves just being wrong.

Pride is such a delusionary failing when you really think it through. It ultimately leads us back to a place an angel once stood in the throne-room of Heaven. The most beautiful angel in all God's creation looked at itself and then looked at it's Creator and made the fatal mistake of comparison. In pride that angel fell - for it boastfully assumed it's status was even higher than God. Is it so hard for us, just in the midst of our todays, to step outside of ourselves once in a while and gain some Divine perspective on who we really in light of who He really is? Maybe then, we might just come to a place of understanding, the vantage-point of humility perhaps, that our opinions may be valid and worthy but they are not 100% inerroneous. Or perhaps if all of that is just a little too existential or high-brow to consider then simply reflect on this timeless truth from Proverbs 29:23 ; "a man's pride brings him low, but a man of lowly spirit gains honour."

That's the white man's preach for today and by no means do I claim that my opinion is anywhere even near being all-consumingly correct or infallible. Amen to that!

What a Photo!

Guess we're never really out of the span of His reach!

Ballistic... (part 2)

Wow! Swimming must really bring out the worst in some parents. Today this white man was back at the pool and, would you believe it, another manic mum took her turn on the stage of theatrical hysterics! This time it was a barrage of abuse directed towards a young hapless swim instructor who, in this mums opinion, was 'pushing' her fragile flower-petal of a son just too hard. Her flip-out at Flippers ended on this momentous finale; "You're gonna goddam drown him you b......(just think illegitimate child)!" Whether her boy will return to swimming tomorrow is debatable. One thing's for sure...they won't be rolling out the red carpet for her!

And just in case you're wondering - the kid wasn't being pushed too hard at all. He was treated no differently from any other kid in his group. And by the way, the other boy from Monday's melt-down has been re-assigned to the rightful group according to his ability. Justice prevails... One and a half more weeks of swimming - will the mums of Mackellar cope? And what will tomorrow bring? My suggestion is that they ban all parents from being able to attend at all...for the kid's sake most of all!

Ballistic!

This white man has in times past reflected with bemusement upon the antics of over-zealous primary school parents in all sorts of situations. Today provided another lowlight in the annals of parents behaving badly much to the embarrasment of her son and everyone else present. The first day of summer saw Mackellar Primary School's Prep to Grade 2 classes begin their swimming program at Flippers Swim Centre in Sydenham. The first task for the small group of four besieged swim instructors is to group all the kids in accordance with the standard of their swimming skills. A short test on each kid quickly and effectively sorts out the porpoises from the pilchards and everyone moves on from there. Well usually everyone moves on...

One young Grade 1 boy, who looked reasonably competent in the water, appeared to have been mistakenly grouped in a lesser skilled group. This didn't please his Mum at all who started fuming in the parents area glassed off from the main pool deck. "What's he doing in that group?! He's better than those other kids! I don't pay big fees for his private swimming tuition for this crap! Change his grouping now or he won't be back tomorrow! You'd better do something or I'm really going to go ballistic!!" Honestly I think everyone feared seeing what 'ballistic' would entail! I guess there must be degrees of difference between merely ballistic and seriously BALLISTIC! Anyway, all the most venomous invective just continued to pour out of this poor kid's mum in one big spiteful rage-filled splurge! She was really flippin' out at Flippers!

This white man isn't sure what happened next - he decided to beat a hasty retreat to the safety of his car where the cricket on ABC radio provided a better form of entertainment. But it still causes me to question why and how some parents totally lose all semblance of self-control when it comes to trivialities involving their kids. Obviously it's not trivial to them but even so - you'd think there'd be a less loudly extraverted form of protest possible? Oh well - each to their own...if only they could keep it to their own!

The Christmas Season Begins...

"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given..." Isaiah 9:6

Right and Just!

In Florida, an atheist became incensed over the preparation of Easter and Passover holidays. He decided to contact his lawyer about the discrimination inflicted on atheists by the constant celebrations afforded to Christians and Jews with all their holidays while atheists had no holiday to celebrate.
The case was brought before a judge. After listening to the long passionate presentation by the lawyer, the Judge banged his gavel and declared, "Case dismissed!"
The lawyer immediately stood and objected to the ruling and said, "Your Honor, how can you possibly dismiss this case? The Christians have Christmas, Easter and many other observances. Jews have Passover, Yom Kippur and Hanukkah...yet my client and all other atheists have no such holiday!"

The judge leaned forward in his chair and simply said, "Obviously your client is too confused to even know about, much less celebrate his own atheists' holiday!"
The lawyer pompously said, "Your Honor, we are unaware of any such holiday for atheists. Just when might that holiday be, your Honor?"

The judge said, "Well, it comes every year on exactly the same date---April 1st! Since our calendar sets April 1st as April Fools Day, consider that Psalm 14:1 states, 'The fool says in his heart, there is no God.' Thus, in my opinion, if your client says there is no God, then by scripture, he is a fool, and April 1st is his holiday!

Now have a good day and get out of my courtroom!"

That's tellin' em judge!

In Times Like These...

In times like these, with massacres in Mumbai and bedlam in Bangkok, it pays to always remember that unforgettable Sunday School song "He's got the whole world in His hands..." Amen!

A Very Funny Sporting Moment!

Thursdays are this white man's second-busiest day in any given week so I will simply leave you with a very amusing clip for your viewing pleasure.

http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=_lP0CmEA6PA

I guess the question is "why would you do that?!"

What's In A Name...

"I AM the Lord; that is my Name!" Isaiah 42:8

More Stupidity...

Taken from ninemsn.com.au this morning...

ATM thieves blow up their getaway car

"Four thieves who blew up an ATM in Sydney's eastern suburbs were forced to flee on foot after the explosion damaged their getaway car, police say.
The four males set off the explosion at the Bendigo Bank street-front ATM in Clovelly Road, Clovelly, at about 1.45am (AEDT) on Tuesday.
The bank was extensively damaged with debris spewed out across the street.
The thieves had to abandon their Audi getaway car and escaped the scene on foot.
Bomb squad officers were called in to ensure several gas cylinders found in the car were safe.
Police have cordoned off Clovelly Road near the intersection with Mount Street, and it is expected to remain closed for several hours.
Police called in Polair and the dog squad to search the area.
The incident was one of three ATM-explosions across Sydney during the night.
About the same time, three males were seen blowing up an ATM on Waldron Street, Chester Hill, in Sydney's west, damaging the front of a bank.
Police believe the bandits fled in a late-model silver Audi.
In the third incident, an ATM on Guildford Road at Guildford was blown up at about 2.15am.
The area of Guildford Road between Cross Street and Station Street has been cordoned off due to a large amount of debris.
Police did not yet know whether any cash was taken in the three incidents."

Yes, this white man is convinced there is a God and He does have a sense of humour!

Sore Losers & Total Stupidity!

If my previous blog entry didn't highlight clearly why Australia didn't deserve to win the Rugby League World Cup then just click on these two links to know exactly why this national side and those associated with it are a disgrace!

http://wwos.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=670800
http://wwos.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=670964

Enough said!

On another note, at my gym today, again I was left astounded! This time for negative reasons unfortunately. After finishing my shower and getting changed in the mens change room another father came in with his child after swimming. He went off into the shower area leaving his child, who was getting changed, unattended. This was bad enough on it's own merit. What was even more ridiculous was the fact that his child turned out to be his daughter, probably 6-7 years of age. What kind of parent leaves their young girl in the middle of a men's change room with a dozen or so naked males?! Surely all parents understand that the world today is sickeningly full of all manner of depravity and to leave your kids vulnerable is unforgivable? This white man thought he'd seen it all at his gym...he was wrong!

Rightful Come-uppance!

When an Australian sporting team takes it upon themselves to challenge the tradition and integrity of another nation's accepted pre-match ritual then it says to this white man that something is amiss. That is what I witnessed last night in the final of the Rugby League Cup contested between Australia and New Zealand. After both country's national anthems were sung, New Zealand lined up and performed their usual "haka" war dance. Usually any other team facing this symbolic dance will line up respectfully at a distance and allow the Kiwis this one indulgence that connects them to their cultural roots. Last week in the semi-final, the English turned their back on the haka and ignored it - another show of disrespect in my opinion. But I believe last night was just as disgraceful, if not worse! During their haka last night, the Australian Kangaroos team linked arms and, in one long line walked towards the New Zealand players in the midst of their dance. They stopped as one literally a nose hair's width from the first Kiwi's in the front line of their haka formation. I believe it was obvious that they encroached so closely to the New Zealanders that they could not freely complete their dance with the same extravagence as normal. And then, when the haka finished the Australians arrogantly just walked through the New Zealand players. Absolute bad taste!

Let me say - I am Australian and I am proud of it. Nobody rejoices more when Australia succeed on the global stage and especially so on a sporting arena. But one thing this white man cannot cop is seeing arrogance by an Australian team to the extent that it disrupts another teams ritual preparations. Especially when that other team is performing a traditional cultural display. A couple of weeks ago I wrote in this blog that the RLWC08 tournament itself was a bit of a joke as it was so one-sided towards Australia. I think the Kangaroos believed they were the only team in the competition and treated everyone accordingly. Well, as they say, after pride comes the fall and how the 'mighty' fell! A 34-20 victory for New Zealand last night is a rightful vindication for a country disrespected before the game even began and it is a rightful come-uppance to an Australian national side so inflated with individual egos that they simply didn't deserve to win. Justice was done and so be it!

Christmas is Coming!

Christmas decorations in shopping centres along with appearances by the jolly red fat man may be annoyingly early this year but one thing remains the same...The best gift we could ever receive is still Jesus and an old rugged cross!

The Most Important Question I Ever Asked God...

In the midst of walking through shadow-filled dark valleys in life this white man knows that the irrepressible question that usually pours out of our souls is "WHY?". It is a necessary question appropriate for that stage of our journey through suffering as aligned with our faith and relationship with our Creator God. Yet I believe that there is a further place along that journey where the question must change if we are to ultimately move on into the green pastures and still waters of the soul. It is the location where reflective wisdom is gained, the oasis of new perspective if you will. That is the place where I can confidently cry out to God from the deepest ravines of any valley "WHY NOT?!" When those two words can finally penetrate through the heavy pressure of your pain then surely peace comes - the kind of peace Jesus spoke of; peace not of this world, peace that this world cannot understand. And there tranquility reigns...

Reflective Art...

"He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name" Psalm 147:4

The Killer Punchline!

A man is driving down the road and breaks down near a monastery. He goes to the monastery, knocks on the door, and says, "My car broke down. Do you think I could stay the night?"
The monks graciously accept him, feed him dinner, and even fixed his car. As the man tries to fall asleep, he hears a strange sound. The next morning, he asks the monks what the sound was, but they say, "We can't tell you. You're not a monk."
The man is disappointed but thanks them anyway and goes about his merry way.
Some years later, the same man breaks down in front of the same monastery. The monks accept him, feed him, and fixed his car. That night, he hears the same strange noise that he had heard years earlier. The next morning, he asks what it is, but the monks reply, "We can't tell you. You're not a monk."
The man says, "All right, all right. I'm dying to know. If the only way I can find out what that sound was is to become a monk, how do I become a monk?"
The monks reply, "You must travel the earth and tell us how many blades of grass there are and the exact number of sand pebbles. When you find these numbers, you will become a monk."
The man sets about his task. Forty-five years later, he returns and knocks on the door of the monastery. He says, "I have traveled the earth and have found what you have asked for. There are 145,236,284,232 blades of grass and 231,281,219,999,129,382 sand pebbles on the earth."
The monks reply, "Congratulations. You are now a monk. We shall now show you the way to the sound."
The monks lead the man to a wooden door, where the head monk says, "The sound is right behind that door."
The man reaches for the knob, but the door is locked. He says, "Real funny, may I have the key?"
The monks give him the key, and he opens the door. Behind the wooden door is another door made of stone. The man demands the key to the stone door. The monks give him the key, and he opens it, only to find a door made of ruby.
He demands another key from the monks, who provide it. Behind that door is another door, this one made of sapphire. So it went until the man had gone through doors of emerald, silver, topaz, amethyst...
Finally, the monks say, "This is the last key to the last door."
The man is relieved to no end. He unlocks the door, turns the knob, and behind that door he is amazed to find the source of that strange sound.
But I can't tell you what it is because you're not a monk.

Anglo-Celtic & Norse Observances...

One of the few subjects this white man embraced during his school years was history. It didn't matter if it was Australian History, European History, Modern or Ancient History...I loved it all! Perhaps history endeared itself to me because early in my life I grasped the fact that interpreting history speaks into the realities of today and can help chart the course of tomorrow. Naturally, as a pastor, biblical history always fascinates and feeds me. Yet it isn't really bible history that has been fanning the intellectual and spiritual flame within recently. For I have been finding great joy in discovering the depth of wisdom within Anglo-Celtic and Norse history which is the major heritage of my ancestory. Epic tales from the Celts and Viking tales from the north and their amazing mythologies have led this white man deeper into his understanding of himself and the God he worships.

One such tale is the account of the Norse hero Beowulf. His story was the first-ever documented piece of writing in Old English script. The epic of Beowulf, especially as interpreted through a recent cinematic adaption is a saga of heroism, egoistic pride and ultimate downfall. For after all, the superheroic Beowulf, slayer of monsters and dragons is eventually revealed to be a mere mortal with drastic failings. A healthy reminder that at the height of pride a fall always comes.

And then there are the incredible accounts from Norse mythologies about the pantheon of gods like Odin, Loki and Thor. Their belief in the spiritual afterlife as expressed through their hope in Valhalla and even their own apocalyptic revelation of Ragnarok have eerie similarities with Christian views of heaven and the end of this age. And so on...Arthurian legend, Druid spirituality, Gaelic legends...too much to elaborate on here.

What I am saying is simply this - to touch the heart of oneself in relation to who you are in your physical and spiritual life-blood, sometimes you must return home into the history of that which you are a product of. I guess it is a way of truth to arriving at a place of 'owning' oneself and the complexity of who you are. For at that place of understanding hopefully comes wisdom, heightened self-esteem and serenity of soul. And most importantly, a closer understanding and connection with our God of Ages, revealed in and through the person of Jesus Christ.

Nature's Fury...

A terrifying storm hit SE Queensland yesterday unleashing a barrage of fury that killed one person and left massive amounts of damage to properties and infrastructures. Just another awe-ful display of nature that leaves one trembling at the true vulnerable condition of our mortality.

It causes this white man to reflect on God's reminder to Job in 38:25;

"Who cuts a channel for the torrents of rain,

and a path for the thunderstorm?"

Yep...God does...

Verse for the day...

The Amazing Buddha Boy!

This white man was bemused to learn of the emergence of the Nepalese young man dubbed 'Buddha Boy'. His story can be accessed by clicking on the link below:

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24645114-2703,00.html

Honestly, I've seen first-hand Buddhist and Hindu religious fervour in Nepal and India. And even a story like this doesn't surprise me in the least. Because at the end of the day, some people will just believe what they want to believe. Don't think for a moment Christianity is exempt from such fanatical hysteria. I can clearly remember the sad case of a young 10 year-old American boy named Shaun Walters. His father basically would take Shaun around churches and put him up to preach as your stereotypical hellfire and brimstone tele-evangelist! Even gave the boy the title of pastor! Around 8-9 years after the original expose, a follow-up documentary of Shaun Walters revealed him as a socially retarded and mentally disturbed young man with major issues in his life. Wonder what will end up of the Buddha Boy?

Just For Laughs...

A highway patrolman pulled alongside a speeding car on the freeway. Glancing at the car, he was astounded to see that the blonde behind the wheel was knitting!
Realising that she was oblivious to his flashing lights and siren, the trooper cranked down his window, turned on his bullhorn and yelled "PULL OVER!"
"NO!" the blonde yelled back,

"IT'S A SCARF!"

Clothed in Righteousness...

True Dutch Courage!

One morning mid last year this white man was simply stunned when news came through over the airwaves of a shooting in the Melbourne CBD. "This is Melbourne, not New York!" was my first thought (that reaction was actually misinformed as New York City has probably an equal or even less amount of street crime in their CBD than Melbourne does due to their successful zero tolerance crime policy but that's another discussion...). News continued to filter through that a Melbourne lawyer was dead and a woman and a backpacker seriously injured. It was revealed that the lawyer and the Dutch tourist came to the aid of a woman being assaulted by another male. The protagonist then produced a gun and the three were summarily shot. In time the offender was eventually arrested, charged, found guilty in court and sentenced to life in prison. And still an innocent man's family grieve their loss of a husband and father. Another woman still struggles to piece together her life after the trauma she was subjected to. And then there is the Dutch backpacker, Paul De Waard...

Paul De Waard, a young tourist on the other side of the world from his home made a decision one day to do the right thing. It can't have been an easy decision, after all he was here on a holiday in a country not his own and really, he didn't have to get involved in what transpired...but he chose to involve himself. And he has paid a heavy price for that act of heroism. This white man has travelled abroad and cannot imagine the dilemma of being faced with a similar situation in another country, let alone my own. Today Paul De Waard has been honoured with a bravery commendation and medal. It is both an appropriate and obligatory gesture no doubt, but even still it seems inadequate compared with the real legacy I believe this brave Dutchman has left in our lives here in Melbourne. For me, his legacy is this - a personal challenge. That come any time in my day-to-day life, if I was to be confronted with a scene alike what he was faced with, that I, too would remember his rightful actions and follow his example by not being content to be a spectator to another person's suffering but be willing and able to interject myself, even at personal cost if necessary. Moreover, I would expect it not only of myself but also, later in life when they are older, I would expect it of my sons. Why are my expectations worth the time of day? They aren't in themselves, but I also believe them also to be Christ's expectations and so at least for me that means something.

I feel personally challenged by this and consider the heroism of Paul De Waard a clarion call into the collective consciousness of Melburnians. How often to we keep walking past situations when we truly know deep inside that we should have stopped to help? How often do we cower to our innermost fears and retreat into self-preservation when confronted with the suffering of others? Let me tell you, this white man has heard the story of the Good Samaritan many, many times over. Yet honestly, it took a real life good samaritan on my own streets to fully reveal the deep truth Jesus taught one day in responding to a simple question "who is my neighbour?" I guess that Dutch guy knows the story of the good samaritan - whether he knows it or not, more importantly he lived it. May I also have the same courage to make that truth the testimony of my life as well.