Friday 27th February 2009 She is 2.

My mate. And she is so happy. All of the time. Hasn't got a care in the world. So full of love and good feelings. In fact she spreads her good cheer to those around her.
That photo was taken in Adelaide back in January this year. However, it is so typical of her. The same infectious smile and good cheer.
It was madness here this morning. Cathy had to go for her 2 year old check up and Michele to school. Both had to be there at 9 o'clock. Good thing they got two parents. One of us went one way, the other the other way. And yes, she passed with flying colours. As did Michele when she went for her 5 year old check up. She was a bit late for hers. Her birthday is in January. But hey, what's a month or two between friends.

Thursday 26th February 2009 I am allowed to brag

It occurs to me that I haven't bragged about our children lately. I need to fix that problem.
There she is on her first day of school. She was a lot happier than that photo shows. And since then she has got use to school and now loves it. Mind you, she always did love all things books. I guess because we are avid readers and have always read to her. Cathy also loves to be read to. She will get her own book and bring it to us with the request to have it read to her.
I have also noticed that they both love rhyming books. Arch book are a common request. They tell Bible stories in a simple way which the children can easily understand.
Cocky's Circle Little Books is another firm favourite with both. Michele tries to read the, for herself.
Tonight is "Mr Mum" night. Mum goes to choir practice tonight and I get to be Mr Mum. Not a complicated task really. We watch a couple of videos then it will be bed time. Prayer and bed is the usual routine. That's after the usual drinks. I then relax with a good book or get on the net for a little while.
Almost sounds boring, but it's not. I like it simple and to keep it simple. We live in such a fast world that it is good to sit back and let the world go by. Rushing is not always good.
Talking of things good. Go read this. I am a fan of this lady. And this blog entry is true to our own experience. I am not sure if I have posted on food and diet before. But we have observed a link between the two. Also a clear link between "junk" food and home cooked food.
That brings me to another pet peeve of mine. Shops will often talk about "home cooked" food. Now to me that is false advertising unless the food has been cooked in a home. That is, cooked in some person's kitchen in their own home. A cafe` for example can't offer food cooked on the premises as "home cooked". Coz the premises is not a home, it is a cafe` unless it is a home as well. A home and a cafe` are two very different places. A cafe` is where one purchases food to eat in. A home is where one lives. Both may have a kitchen, that is a place to prepare food to be cooked and cooked. But that is where the similarity begins and ends.
Oh, and being picky is a male thing.
You see men are into details and fixing and waffles. Women are not into fixing and they are into spaghetti and things generally general.

Saturday 7th February 2009 - The day Victoria burned.

Photo from ABC.

More than 1800 homes destroyed. And what you see in this photo is but a drop in the ocean. It is a small percentage of the physical destruction of the mammoth fire, which has beaten all previous records for loss of both property and lives in Victoria. The latest death toll stands at 208.
But those are mere statistics. Go here to read more on this. One can only stand so much reading and viewing of this. Then it all become too much. Even more so when one of our work mates was one who lost the battle with the fire.
Now for the clean up and re-build. And the questions. Why? Our Vicar at St Luke's has written this about the fires. It will only be there for a short time and so I urge all who drop in to this blog also to read that.
I like what Vicar Phil has written. There are no reasons as to why God allowed this to happen any more than there are reasons for the untold suffering and misery that befell Job. Job required and answer from God. He didn't get it. Neither will we. Tim Costello recently admitted that after the Tsunami that hit Thailand a few years ago, his faith was also rattled. But he also suggested that was a "western" attitude. For the people there, it strengthened their faith. They looked on it that now they needed something/some one to cling to. Some one who would give reality to their existence.
This from Vicar Phil
"To me these events are a telling reminder of our human frailty and how vital it is we get ourselves right with God while we have the chance (see Luke 13 on this). It is not about God’s judgement, nor about the individuals who have lost their lives (a number of whom at least were people of committed faith), it is about us all getting shaken out of complacency to face the harsh realities of existence." Those words from the Vicar are tough.
What about me personally? Do I have the answers or some marvellous insight? No. I don't. I asked those questions way back when Mr Bush of USA fame, took the world into a war it didn't need. I read the book of Job at about that time. And Like Job, when I asked God I didn't get an answer. Job was shown God's Glory in creation and that he, Job, was a man of pride. I was shown my own sinful nature and the harsh reality that it is God who should require an answer from us, not the other way around. Where is the justice when something you create lives in a world you have created, of which you give the creature the right to use, but that all that creature does is to abuse what you have created? That don't make no sense at all.
I could go on but it will serve no good purpose.
Our faith has been rattled may we all turn to the Author and Finisher of our faith and cling to Him. After all, He is the reason for our existence. Amen.

Monday 16th February 2009 Respect

Today's Bible reading for St Luke's is from Leviticus chapter 21. It covers two subjects: priests and those with disabilities.
As I read this chapter I am reminded that the priest has a standard required by God that is well about Mr and Mrs Joe Average. This chapter covers their relationships, who they can marry and who they can't. But as I read this, it occurs to me, that we don't revere our modern priest's as we should. We are too familiar with them. Who are they? The modern equivalent of priests would be Pastor's, Vicars, Reverends and Fathers if your in the Catholic church. We are in the C of E, Anglican if you will, and we call our local priests Vicars. But we don't address them that way. When I was a wee little boy, many many moons ago I would no more call my Vicar by his first name than I would fly. They were worthy of our respect. Remember a person is that position doesn't have to "earn" your respect. His very positions entitles him to that respect. We conveniently forget that.
The second subject covers offering bought by people who have a disability, namely they couldn't. The Word is very clear on that. Some would call that legalism. Good on them. But I would remind such folk, me included, that God didn't say He doesn't love them. No, far from that. The qualification for God's love and salvation is open to all who will believe and repent. I don't see being disabled as disqualifying one from Salvation.
In my last blog entry I mentioned that the following day, Saturday 7Th February was going to be hot. It was. Very. And there were fires. Bad ones. One Hundred and eighty nine people as of this evening have lost their lives in these fires. The death toll is predicted to top 300. That is 300 people who will no longer be eating and living and loving. But it is more than that. Countless more will be affected. Then there will be the analysing that always happens after an incident such as this. My prayer is that cool heads will prevail. But also that we as a society will be prepared to make the changes that are necessary. May God have mercy on us all.

Friday 6th February 2009 Hot

Yes, that is for tomorrow. Go here to see how hot it will be. It's going to be a bit warm. Well hot actually. Lots of sweat tomorrow. See God is looking after our figure again. And yes, we will moan. I am working, starting at 1541. Right in the hottest part of the day.
Connex, who happen to employ me, are not happy campers. They are blaming the union for all the ills of the company. Like the union organised the extreme weather conditions we have had recently. I really think the saddest part is that people who are advising the CEO are feeding him all sorts of rubbish and crap. It is sort of like an anti driver campaign. All a bit sad really. The Melbourne transport network is groaning under old equipment in an aging system well past its use by date. Melbourne did have an ultra modern system that was the envy of a lot of other cities. That was 30 years ago. It just hasn't modernised anywhere near enough. So the managers look for a scape goat ans we are the pigs in the middle.
Of course Australia as a whole in groaning with extreme weather conditions and the economy is a mess. It doesn't matter what Mr Rudd does it wont help much. Australia, like the USA and other countries has walked away from God for way too long. We, as a nation, must repent. Our leaders have made some terrible errors, Iraq being just one example. But we can't lay the blame entirely at their feet and say they did it. Yes, they did. But we, the people, should have stood up more and complained louder. Too many of us just sat on our backsides and said nothing. I believe we are being called as a nation to a Solemn Assembly. This, of course, wont happen. What a pity.
I noted with interest that the leader of another religion stated that his religion offer real joy. That is good. I am pleased for them. However, Christ will give us all something that religion can't. Christ offers life.
I think I might just put my foot in my mouth now. Israel is in the news again. At least it has been for its latest efforts in the Gaza. Some are praying for peace in that part of the world. Sorry it isn't going to happen any time soon. Some think God is finished with Israel. That also is wrong. i think they might find Romans 9-11 interesting reading. Israel at this time is still refusing to acknowledge their need of Christ. This will happen. But not until Israel hits rock bottom. They, like all of us, must acknowledge their collective and individual need of Christ. They haven't yet. But they will. Unfortunately, a lot of people will suffer in the mean time.