Well I'm back to actually typing a blog. I think its been a lack of things making me angry recently. Maybe my blog should be called How fast can a van rant and youtube clips. but anyways onto my next Rant.
As you may have guessed I'm pretty shattered by the demise of the Fury. Now you may shut off at this point and say " Look mate- no one went- thats what happens when no one supports a team." Fair point. But you may not have heard the full story.
2 years ago The NQ Fury joined the A-League Their crowds were modest at home but away from home they had the biggest attendances in the A-League. Meaning wherever they were on the ladder people came to see them mostly due to big signing Robbie Fowler- a english soccer Legend (Think Mal Maninga big). The FFA (Football Federation of Australia) trumpeted their arrival as "Key to a gateway into Asia" However no one from the FFA actually showed up to the launch. Strange
At the end of the first season The owner filed for bankruptcy and quit the club and some of Townsville's most astute business people came on board to "Save the Fury" The campaign was good- thousands of people signed up to keep the fury. Then The White Knight the FFA came on board. We all celebrated the saving of our club. They then sacked everyone. A few players were resigned. A new board appointed. Everyone else's contracts were ripped up.
Strange but ok... The FFA know what they are doing. A new coach appointed. good news. The budget is released- The Fury Salary cap is 85% of every other team. Adelaide who at this stage is also owned by the FFA doesn't have this stipulation. Also we are to have no marquee players (Players who aren't included in the salary cap- e.g. the players you pay the most to play). Most other teams have 4.
This young team launches the 2nd season- with maybe 1 or 2 bigger names. Everyone else was a reject or a very young player from other clubs. Half the players were signed before the coach was selected.
The FFA made it clear that they were only there to help the Fury get onto their feet. "Over the next few years we will be looking for a new owner to take over as it is not the FFA's job to fund clubs"- Frank Lowry. And soon great news came. A Singaporean organisation wanted to buy the Fury. The FFA rejected the sale as it wasn't an Australian entity. Strange considering they wanted the club to be a gateway to Asia.
The Draw was released. The NQ cowboys have shown that the only time slot that works in north queensland is sat night. Even friday night games aren't very well attended and sundays don't work. In the entire draw we had only 4 sat home games and only one of them was at 7pm (1 at 5pm the other 2 at 8:30). we had more monday night games than sat. We had more Wed night games than sat. And the wed night games were mostly on at 8:30 pm??? who is going to take their kids to game on a wed night at 8:30?
The only sat night game at 7pm happened to be a night where 200mm of rain fell on the day of the game. OF course our crowd figures were bad. But The draw was mostly to blame for this.
As time went on it became more and more clear that the FFA was solely focused on getting the world cup in Australia and they were propping up the Fury so they didn't look bad when the fury folded. However the World cup bid was a failure. 50 million dollars spent to get one vote. The Main man responsible for this (Ben Buckley) then came back to his forgotten job- to find the Fury a new owner.
The Board proposed a new ownership system- a community ownership scheme. FFA took the model to review it and promptly announced the Fury was losing money and was going to lose 3 million over the next 2 years. It was up to the NQ to find half of that money and they had till the end of January. This was announced just before Christmas. Any business owner will tell you the hardest time to find money is around Christmas time. The community ownership model wasn't approved. So the board began madly trying to raise money The state government came on board- things were looking great. Then we had the flood and the state government pulled out. The team wasn't doing great mostly due, in my opinion, lack of certainty in their future. The worst refs were sent here and actually cost us games. The FFA responded by fining anyone who complained about the standards of refs sent up.
The deadline drew near- we hadn't raised the money and we asked for an extension. A reply never came back just some ho humming about how the timeline wasn't set in concrete. A just after the deadline the community model was approved. This was on a friday. That next week Cyclone Yasi hit. Townsville was quite messed up and yet despite this sponsors and people started to come on board. The 1.5 million was reached with another 500,000 dollar sponsorship in the wings. The FFA received the books and said to the chairman "You guys have done an excellent job: leave it with us"
Ben Buckley then flew to Townsville two weeks later and closed the Fury down. His reasoning- you have not raised the Capital needed. Apparently sponsorship was not to be included in the 1.5 million. The Board learned that at 11:30 am on the day the Fury were closed. Now the FFA had the Fury's books for 2 weeks. Surely 1 quick phone call would have told the Fury board this.
See I can accept the the club being axed due to lack of support in Townsville. However what I can't accept is the goal posts being constantly moved. Rumour has it the decision was made in August to axe the fury and make it a nice even 10 team comp. However this wasn't made public because they still wanted the revenue from the remaining games. I'm angry about being promised "a few years" and not even getting one. I'm angry that the FFA can spend 50 million on greasing up FIFA executives and wont spend 3 million dollars on the future of football in north queensland. I'm mostly angry because despite the fact that the supporter were held up as some of the best in the A-League apparently we weren't good enough. People's lives have been seriously affected by these broken promises and whiles't its not mine, its gonna take a long time up here for anyone to trust our football authorities again.
Monday, March 07, 2011
Extreme downhill bike run
Extreme downhill bike run: "Watch through the eyes of a crazy Chilean cyclist as he risks life and limb in the VCA race run in Santiago"
Sunday, March 06, 2011
Tuesday, March 01, 2011
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Beached Whale - Donate To Christchurch
Well I've seen all sorts of things promoting giving to charity. This would rank up there.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Cooking With Chef Reverend
A warning to all who are using the "Devil's Box"
And again... Grease is the Word!!!
And again... Grease is the Word!!!
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Sunday, February 06, 2011
Sunrise Mel & Kochie Bringing the Devastation.mov
Climate change???? no just Sunrise
(note- slight language bleep)
No that's just Queensland, back again
From news.com.au
Andrew Bolt
Saturday, February 05, 2011 at 12:54pmA brilliant piece by Heather Brown. Make sure you read it all:
I am a Queensland northerner, born and bred, and, for better or for worse, I carry 100 years of history in the blood, 100 years of a family crazy-drunk in love with a wild and unpredictable place.
Every part of the sweat-stained map that makes up north Queensland is part of the flesh: weddings in Cairns, funerals in Townsville, honeymoons on Magnetic Island. Our history is shaped by disaster: fire and flood, cyclone and drought. The north was a place we built with our hands.
My father once told me that you can never expect southerners to fully understand, because they were different from the rest of us.On Wednesday night I sat up following the cyclone, sitting in the cool darkness between the twin stars of television and internet while my husband—who is a southerner—slept peacefully beside me.
It was true: I just hoped my husband didn’t really know how much I wanted to go home that night, to feel the force of my land again, the sweet dense wind, rain hard enough to bruise the flesh. That’s the thing the new settlers never seem to understand about the north. How fierce she is. How utterly unpredictable.
For the past week I have watched the papers and the people make their assumptions and declarations about the north: dangerous and destructive, a place that needs taming, a very bad place to be. And the sweet southern chorus—television, bloggers, texters, tweeters—started to preach from their mantle of safety in the south.
It was hard watching my fellow Australians panic and plead for their lives, one million human ants desperately running in all directions, trying to ensure their survival.
All the while, they kept asking the same question: how can the north do this to us?
And I wanted to tell them, sorry, but that’s how she is: wild and dangerous, destructive, unpredictable, heart-breaking.
And did somebody mention wonderful?
Is global warming alarmism really a symptom of an urban elite, conditioned to flick-the-switch instant comfort and grown too disconnected with not only history but the land and its seasons?
(Thanks to reader Kevin.)
Saturday, February 05, 2011
The Premier question.
For those who don't know Anna Bligh our Premier was most likely going to be given the boot. However after all the "natural disasters" she actually is looking pretty good. A testament to her PR people as she has profited from the systems already in place. I honestly think they have saved her. This was a fascinating article I found here by Jack marx.
Some eagle-eyed viewers might have noticed a novel feature of Anna Bligh’s press conferences lately; a grimacing,gesticulating presence to the immediate left of the Queensland Premier, translating her words into sign language for the deaf. For those of us fortunate enough to have no hearing impairment, it’s as absurdly distracting as a breakdancer at a funeral - so mesmerised am I by the almost Vaudevillian exhibition on screen that I no longer pay much attention to what the Premier is saying. Even the deaf might find it all a trifle unnecessary, considering they surely have access to closed captions, if they bother with TV at all. And, if the Queensland Government’s own information is correct, less than 3000 deaf people in the state use sign language. So what’s this grand demonstration all about? I suspect the answer to that question might be found in the rebounding fortunes of a certain man who might be the next President of the United States.
Last Thursday, as Cyclone Yasi was cooking in the Pacific, Haley Barbour, the Republican Governor of Mississippi, broke months of speculation by announcing to reporters that he was “seriously considering a run for president”. It is a remarkable achievement for the former lobbyist and unsuccessful U.S. Senate candidate from Yazoo City, whose first few years as Governor of Mississippi (he took office in January, 2004) were so mired in charges of corruption that many were astonished when Barbour survived to a second term.
But there’s nothing like a civic catastrophe to revive a political career that’s on the nose, and, for Haley Barbour, his luck changed in August of 2005, when Hurricane Katrina visited upon the south-eastern states of the USA. Of all the public figures to address the nation during that chaotic time, it was Barbour who seemed to connect with the people, his frankness and calm during his media briefings moving fellow Republican Billy Hewes to remark: “He is to Katrina what Rudy Giuliani was to 9/11.” Peggy Noonan of The Wall Street Journal concurred:
“Mississippi’s Gov. Haley Barbour came closest to the Giuliani model,” she wrote. “In news conferences he laid out with breadth and precision the facts of the Mississippi coastal devastation. He had to keep telling the press and the public that there would be more dead than they understood, a delicate thing to have to do. He did it with candor and transparency but no defeat. He had command of what facts were known. His face was shocked and sad, but he never looked beaten; he referred on Larry King Live to the rebuilding of the coast as if it were a foregone conclusion but one that will take massive work. He seemed straight, unillusioned, human. Watch Mr. Barbour. If he continues like this, he’s going to become a significant national figure.”
Barbour took the advice to heart, rode his post-Katrina reputation to re-election at the end of 2007, and now looks certain to be a candidate for nomination in the Republican race for the White House in 2012. The folksy Mississippi governor has, in the eyes of some, “played the press like a violin”.
One of Barbour’s little trademarks - a novel addition to the press conferences that were to become standard during hurricane season - was the very visible inclusion of a sign language interpreter. There is no evidence that a single deaf person ever benefited from these exhibitions (indeed, deaf viewers were outraged when Barbour’s translator, during a TV interview, justified his position by claiming that most deaf people couldn’t read subtitles), but, as a piece of window decoration for Haley Barbour, the idea was inspired - that madly gesticulating figure to his left made the rich, conservative, anti-abortionist Republican seem as if he gave a hoot about minorities all of the sudden. People came to see it as symbolic of a leader so totally on top of a crisis that he had thought of almost everything, even the few people who could neither read nor hear. For many, it gave birth to the thought that maybe Haley Barbour wasn’t so bad after all.
Now, it might be just a coincidence that Anna Bligh started using sign language interpreters when the storms came, or that her stage set-up - with the interpreter to the left and her rear flanks covered by emergency personal - is identical to Barbour’s, or that Bligh’s most memorable line - “We are Queenslanders...We’re the ones that they knock down, and we get up again” - is a mirror of Haley Barbour’s now-famous war cry to his own from 2007 ("We got knocked down hard, but Mississippians got right back up..."). It might be a coincidence that Anna Bligh, prior to the storms, was looking down the barrel of political extinction, and that people are now comparing her to Gillard, and asking how she might cope as Prime Minister. All of this might be a coincidence.
To believe so, one has to accept that those sign language translators really are there for but 3000 Queenslanders, and are not meant to send any messages at all to the rest of Australia.
I’m not sure there’s a hand sign for what I think about that.
Friday, January 28, 2011
hmmmm
A FATHER won the first round in his historic battle yesterday to have government-funded chaplains thrown out of the nation's public schools.
Ron Williams journeyed from Toowoomba to Sydney yesterday for a directions hearing in his challenge and was thrilled to hear that his case could be heard in the High Court over three days in May.
"This is a very important moment," a jubilant Mr Williams said yesterday.
The father of six, who has four children attending Queensland public schools, said his main argument was that the funding for chaplains in schools breached Section 116 of the Australian Constitution, which states that the "Commonwealth not legislate in respect of religion".
"This is not about getting chaplains out of schools, it's about the government funding them, which I believe is against the Constitution," he said. If Mr Williams wins his challenge, government funding for chaplains would be removed.
The National School Chaplaincy Program was introduced in 2006 by former prime minister John Howard.
The national program won support from Prime Minister Julia Gillard, an atheist who, just before the election last year, pledged $222 million to extend the program for four years.
More than 430 schools in NSW get up to $20,000 each a year for their chaplain services, totalling almost $12 million, and more than 2500 school across Australia now have chaplains at a cost of more than $151 million.
The chaplain program is run in Queensland by that state's branch of the Scripture Union.
In NSW the program is run by the National School Chaplaincy Association which is based in Western Australia.
A spokesman for the association said yesterday it was not appropriate to comment.
NSW Greens MP John Kaye said yesterday's decision was good news for those who believed in separation of church and state. "The anger felt by many of us at the use of public money will now at least be tested in the court," he said.
"There will now be an opportunity to hear in court why this program so deeply contradicts the integrity of the Australian Constitution."
Read more: http://www.news.com.au/national/man-1-god-0-in-school-chaplains-case/story-e6frfkvr-1225995855196#ixzz1CHfcJvbJ
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Australia Day 2011: Lambassador Sam Kekovich takes on Europe
Well we had a great Australia day-(except the fury getting smashed) but I realised there was something missing... I hadn't seen this year's Lamb add. Here it is now.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
THE QUEST (Michelangelo's Pizza and Pasta)
Well we started with what I might call the Baseline model. Its one of my favourite pizzas and pizza shops
Michelangelo's pizza and pasta on Bamford lane, Kirwan (just up from red rooster) phone number 47551978
The Pizza is called Pollo Special- it is described as follows- "Our home-made special satay sauce, roast chicken, king prawns, shallots and garlic. Large Pizza Cost17.50
Scooter's rating is as follows
Quality: 7 (good amt toppings & cheese, cooked well)
Base: 7 (yeah, it was yummy)
Reheatability: 8 (great in a sandwich press)
Presentation/Ingredients: 6 (looked great, but I took marks off for including prawns on a Satay pizza. Who does that? It took away from the experience. And for having a gooey sauce, rather than a textured sauce, which is what I love about my own Satay pizza recipe).
Overall: 6
Base: 7 (yeah, it was yummy)
Reheatability: 8 (great in a sandwich press)
Presentation/Ingredients: 6 (looked great, but I took marks off for including prawns on a Satay pizza. Who does that? It took away from the experience. And for having a gooey sauce, rather than a textured sauce, which is what I love about my own Satay pizza recipe).
Overall: 6
so that adds up to 34/50 not bad
I gave it
Toppings quality: 7 Really nice but when you pull a piece out not all the toppings came with it
Base 8 very nice base
Reheatability: 9- the satay sauce goes into the base, tastes absolutely perfect
Presentation/Ingredients 8 (would have like to see maybe broccoli or some other vegetable or something to make me think it was healthy)
Overall 8
So I gave it 40/50
This adds up to 74/100 which all in all is pretty good.I think this pizza could do better but its the first one- so I think we will try it again later.
Think you can beat that... Try us
Thursday, January 20, 2011
The Quest Begins
I Like Pizza. And I like Satay Chicken. Of course I like them combined. This led to a discussion tonight between Scott Gambling and myself and after which we thought we would set out on an intrepid quest to: Find the perfect Satay Chicken Pizza. And we want YOU to be part of this quest. That is right- WE NEED YOU to help us find the perfect pizza. Thus we have established the quest- For the ONE PIZZA TO RULE THEM ALL.
How we propose to do this is simple. We intend to sample as many pizzas as humanly possible. There are two ways you can be involved.
Firstly tell us where the best Satay Chicken pizzas may be found.
Secondly Are you and your Pizzas up for the challenge? We Challenge You to prepare your best Satay Chicken Pizza and have Scott and I around to taste them.
Our Categories are thus.
1. Overall taste
2. Good amount of toppings and or cheese
3. Base- (this is subjective as people prefer different things) judges decision is final
4. How it heats up the next morning. This will be one the of the hardest things but most crucial. After all who wants a dodgy pizza the next morning? (And yes you will need to provide us with some to bring home)
5. Presentation- (bonus marks for unusual things that add to the pizza's taste)
Each of these characteristics are scored out of 10 from both judges with a total score of a 100.
In case of a first place tie- both pizzas must be re-sampled and re-scored.
Now we don't wish to leave non- Townsville people out of this so we propose a compromise.
A) you can send your recipes to us with instructions or B) We will at some stage be in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne separately so in that case we will accept One of the judges plus a neutral person.
Disclaimers: It is in our opinion and our taste buds and please do not be offended if your pizza doesn't score well. It is a fun bit of a laugh.
ONE Pizza to rule them all,
Two judges to find them,
One chicken satay pizza to bring them all,
and in our stomaches bind them.
In the lands of Townsville
where our prize will lie.
Monday, December 13, 2010
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Lecrae - Prayin' For You (music video)
As a rule Christian Rap annoys me with a few exceptions. I didn't mind this song though. Its a good encouragement to keep praying for that friend of ours.
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Wolverine Movie The Musical : BFX : Original Short
Nothing worse than when you recruit a musical actor for a serious role- they just want to keep singing... Apologies for all the adds
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Interesting documentary.
"My life is tethered to a rolling stone, my dreams are anchored in the
wind. I come from here, I come from there, in truth I come from
everywhere. My tongue does not have a mother, my language is an open
mind. Before I learned how to walk, I already knew how to fly. Comfort
for me is a constant motion- continent to continent, ocean to ocean."
wind. I come from here, I come from there, in truth I come from
everywhere. My tongue does not have a mother, my language is an open
mind. Before I learned how to walk, I already knew how to fly. Comfort
for me is a constant motion- continent to continent, ocean to ocean."
This is a statement which really does hit home to me. Interesting thing Third Culture Kids (TCK) and they will be more and more common. Worth a watch.
Les Passagers : A TCK Story from kalen hayman on Vimeo.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Surprise performance by The Opera Company of Philadelphia "Hallelujah!" Random Act of Culture
I would love to be involve in something like this. would be great fun.
David Koch on parenting.
I don't mind David Koch on Sunrise. He is proudly an older fashioned guy among a team of ladies and isn't afraid of being called sexist or putting noses out of joint. Often he has something worthwhile to say. This is his article on parenting. found here.
One surefire way of knowing you’ve officially become an old man is when you catch yourself coming out with a “kids these days…” rant. Well I’ve recently discovered that I am now among that special group of people with unending old school wisdom.
I’m mourning the demise of what I call the “respect your elders” values of kids today. But I don’t blame them. I blame a new generation of mamby-pamby (not sure that’s a real term but you know what I mean) parents who want to be a child’s friend rather than a parent.
I’ve had these concerns for a while, but they’ve been brought to a head by a couple of recent incidents.
First was that story last week about the Queensland 15 year old pulled over by police for not wearing a helmet while riding his bike.
Rather than fine the kid or give him a warning, they made him let down his tires and walk home to ensure he didn’t ignore them and simply get back on after they’d gone.
His mother was outraged accusing the police of bullying and putting her 15 year old angel in danger by making him walk half an hour home.
I interviewed the pair on Sunrise. The 15 year old retold the story, and highlighted how unfair it was that the cops also took his pack of cigarettes. He said he asked for the cigarettes back because he knew he had rights.
A 15 year old demanding cigarettes back because he has rights. You can just imagine the tone of the exchange.
Rather than his mother getting stuck into him for riding without a helmet and having a pack of smokes, she gets on the case of the police for “putting him in danger”.
This is the issue I have with modern parenting. It’s the rose coloured glasses that their little angels can do no wrong. Backing the kid rather than the authorities.
It’s the absence of basic principles like respecting elders and those in authority like the police.
It’s not the kid’s fault. He’s simply following the example of his mum.
These little things bother me. The values which were pretty standard not too long ago but are now seen as old-fashioned and irrelevant.
Things like standing up on a bus for someone older. Things like calling an adult Mr or Mrs unless invited to use a first name.
I had this discussion with some of my colleagues after I explained that I still expect my adult children to address friends of mine as Mr or Mrs unless invited to do otherwise.
They were gobsmacked. I explained it was a mark of respect to someone older.
My colleagues claimed adults must earn the respect of children before they than can expect to be shown it.
And that is the root of the problem.
In my opinion all adults (and those in authority) deserve instant respect from children until they do something to lose it.
Yes it may sound silly and unimportant, but it exemplifies what is happening on a larger scale. Parents are trying way too hard to be their kids’ best friends, rather than being the parent.
A good friend, and inspiration for me, is Father Chris Riley who runs Youth Off The Streets, an organisation which certainly deals with its fair share of troubled adolescents.
For years he’s been helping street kids, drug dependant kids and abused youth by helping them turn their lives around. Guess what his golden piece of advice for parents is?
He says setting boundaries is a sign of love, and that it shows kids that someone cares enough about them to set limits and values.
He says all kids crave boundaries and direction because it makes them feel safe and loved.
What I fear is that we’re bringing up a new generation of smart-ass kids who have no respect and assume they can get away with anything they like because the boundaries are blurred.
The results from a UK study this week are claiming that it’s better for a kid’s happiness to be an only-child. But reaching this conclusion involved simply asking a bunch of kids whether they’d prefer to be the sole child in their family (and get spoiled rotten). Not exactly a reliable study I don’t think, but now it’s being touted by child psychologists as new, valuable ‘knowledge’.
It’s time parents did their part, stopped worrying about the emotional fragility of their special little darlings and started acting like a parent.
The problem is that people are over-thinking parenting. It’s not rocket science; it’s just common sense.
These sort of basic moral lessons may be old-fashioned, but they work.
Sad moment in basketball
Have you ever noticed the funny things guys do in sport. The bum slap in volleyball. The Hugs in soccer. And the high five/handshake in basketball after freethrows- score or miss...
Here is a story about a handshake gone tragically wrong and but it has a happy ending.
Friday, November 12, 2010
Thursday, November 04, 2010
Just get it right.
Don't you hate when you read a book or watch a movie and there is some inconsistency between them and the sequel. Normally it is pretty minor and we complain or whine about it and get over it. Not so This Red shirted guy. Ian Bates a 17 year old from Florida asked at a major Blizzard convection about an inconsistency in the game World of Warcraft's expansion game Cataclysm. (For video see below)
Credit to the Head designer- he could have just made up some excuse but instead thanked the kid for pointing it out and promised to get it fixed. Something which is a very minor detail but for Ian it is a big thing. See Ian suffers from Asperger's Syndrome and a statement dismissing him or making fun of him who have really hurt the kid.
It made me think about how sometimes our throw away comments can really hurt someone. I found this a great reason to think about what we say and be easily ready to admit we are wrong. I'm not advocating nitpicking (This can do just as much harm especially Spelling/Grammer Nazis) nor am I advocating sloppy work but rather I want us to think about the snap replies we make that can be hurtful.
For Ian it doesn't look like this will the end of the issue. Blizzard have released a screenshot from it's testing area. They have fixed the inconsistency. And given the Council member an assistant- Entitled The Wildhammer Fact checker. Not just any Wildhammer Fact checker but one wearing a red shirt. Good on them :) and good on Ian.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Chaplaincy on Compass.
Interesting show on compass on Sunday night on School chaplaincy. Well worth jumping on here or something to have a look at. It had a kinda balanced look at both sides of the debate but then never gave answers though both positive and negative were handled wellish I think. What do you reckon?
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Balance or lack there of.
Well tonight I failed. I had agreed to catch up with someone after my futsal game. My problem was the game got delayed and then the game lengths got extended. To make a long story short I stood up that person although it wasn't entirely my fault. Turns out that person has some kinda serious things they wanted me to talk through with them. I feel terrible and apologise hugely. I feel selfish. To make matters worse men's A futsal is now moved to Sunday night which means I miss church. I feel just as bad about that. Problem is my men's futsal games are stress relief as well as much needed fitness for me. I miss catching up with people after church. So what is the answer? Do I drop futsal (I do go the 11am morning service) what tips do you guys use when balancing things out?
Tuesday, October 05, 2010
Heath Shaw's legendary grand final smother
In my opinion this was for me the moment that won us the afl premiership. At a key point of the game Heath Shaw showed that even though this wasn't his man- they would fight as a team. Quote of the year "came up behind him like a Librarian."
With what attitude are we serving
This Song has been getting stuck in my head and call me happy clappy but I think its for a reason. I'm starting to think I may have a problem with my attitude in service. Let me just put these thoughts in context and in the big picture.
I was always brought up believing service is a key part (if not one of the main) of Christianity and when I was five my family demonstrated this when they moved to PNG as bible translators. Mum and Dad were there for over 20 years and are still serving with Wycliffe today. Thus I was always introduced to the thought- As a Christian YOU HELP OUT wherever and however you can and I believe that as a whole I have been serving and serving in many different ways. I try to help out with as much as I can and often do to much- (I've been the guy described as the one who will do anything to help out someone but wont help himself out.) My thought is this- I think I've been finding joy because I feel like I'm helping rather than I help because of the joy that I have in me. What that means is things, when repeated become chores and the joy I have at being helpful fades rapidly. It is only recently I think I have realised the joy and love mum and dad have for the gospel which makes them translate it and help other people translate in other languages. Not because they feel like they are helping out but because it is the end product of their joy in God.
However then I run into more problems, if we aren't serving why not? Should there be expectations place on people to serve knowing they are serving with the wrong motives. E.G. I know people who will only agree to things if it is upfront- visible service. They come in- make a big impact and take off leaving others to clean up. Now I know we all can have different roles but at what point does this become selfish and self serving? I remember doing adventure club you really do get addicted to the upfront buzz, but I can say confidently- I've learnt that the leader who quietly stays behind to pack up without moaning or complaining- well I'll take them any day over the upfront superstar. May God help me to be more humble and serve with joy not just joy because I feel like I'm doing something or that I'm something special.
(Cheers to Adam Tunnah for the introduction to the video/song too)
Monday, October 04, 2010
Monkey Riding little motorbike on the streets in India!
Saturday, October 02, 2010
Nearly Forgot.
Psalm 139
One of my favorite psalms. (see below for the Sons of Korah song)
Psalm 139
For the director of music. Of David. A psalm.
1 O LORD, you have searched meand you know me.
2 You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.
3 You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.
4 Before a word is on my tongue
you know it completely, O LORD.
5 You hem me in—behind and before;
you have laid your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too lofty for me to attain.
7 Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, a]" style="font-size: 0.75em; line-height: 0.5em; ">[a] you are there.
9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,
10 even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.
11 If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me
and the light become night around me,"
12 even the darkness will not be dark to you;
the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to you.
13 For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother's womb.
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,
16 your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me
were written in your book
before one of them came to be.
17 How precious to b]" style="font-size: 0.75em; line-height: 0.5em; ">[b] me are your thoughts, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!
18 Were I to count them,
they would outnumber the grains of sand.
When I awake,
I am still with you.
19 If only you would slay the wicked, O God!
Away from me, you bloodthirsty men!
20 They speak of you with evil intent;
your adversaries misuse your name.
21 Do I not hate those who hate you, O LORD,
and abhor those who rise up against you?
22 I have nothing but hatred for them;
I count them my enemies.
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
24 See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.
New things.
Firstly I'd like to welcome new reader(s) to my blog- Hi Donna- Thanks for dropping by :)
Well This is probably my first about me blog in a while, other than a kinda poemy thingy in may it would be Febuary.
Since then (in no particular order of time or importance)...
I've been on 10 camps (which is down from 14 last year so i'm Proud of that)
I've been learning to say no to things.
I gave a speech at the chaplain's corporate fundraiser dinner which I've been told I did a great job.
I've started keeping myself more accountable with people- even in as much as if I'm doing something that I enjoy.
I've had the opportunity to have people come into school and give a clear gospel message.
I have started having professional supervision in my role as a chaplain (read seeing a psychologist) This is a requirement for chaplains now. I feel its helped me.
Realised more what a great group of friends I have around me and grown closer to a few more people.
Had a bible study shake up and got a mostly new group and enjoying getting to know these people.
Gotten to two Futsal grandfinals and lost both of them.
COLLINGWOOD HAD A GREAT WIN AFTER A TIED GRAND FINAL.
Also a few other things have been going on which hopefully I can share more on later.
For those who do faithfully check this blog thankyou and I shall endeavorer to actually post more.
But first some cartoons
Friday, September 17, 2010
Semi tonight
Well once again Collingwood have the chance to show us all they can win. A really nice news story came out about Collingwood's captain Nick Maxwell (see below). Maxwell is a genuine nice guy who gives his all for the team and promote the club. Found here, He is playing the team that told him they were going to draft him, didn't in 3 drafts and then told him 2 days before a 4th there was no place for him in their side. Hopefully this come back to bite them on the backside. This is also a good article here on why Collingwood fans are passionate. In other news, the three people Lions supporters have held up as the great hopes of the team are leaving... rats leaving a sinking ship???
NICK Maxwell's dad will have a present for all his son's doubters if Collingwood wins the premiership.
The Magpies skipper was overlooked for several national drafts and rejected by Geelong, Hawthorn, Sydney and Port Adelaide.
On Friday he will lead out the Pies against the Cats in the preliminary final at the MCG.
In 2002, Geelong coach Mark Thompson broke Maxwell's heart when he told him the Cats wouldn't draft him after Maxwell had trained at Kardinia Park for three weeks.
Doug Maxwell will never forget it.
"You know I was pretty dark on 'Bomber' Thompson that night," he said.
"When Nick came home he was gutted. I'd still love to, to this day, see Nick holding up the cup.
"And if he did, I'd take a photo and post it to all who doubted him."
Maxwell, who went to school at St Joseph's, Geelong, was cut from three Geelong Falcons teams and overlooked for two national drafts and a rookie draft.
Two days after Thompson delivered his shattering news, the Pies selected Maxwell with their first pick of the 2003 rookie draft.
He made his debut in Round 9, 2004, and was made captain of the most famous sporting club in the country at the end of the 2008 season, replacing Scott Burns.
Despite the rejections, Doug Maxwell knew his son was a leader.
"He's captain because he's the best leader there," he said. "We knew he was a leader before he got there, from when he was playing Little League. He led by example."
His sister, Lucy, 22, said her brother's attitude got him the job.
"Because he got rejected by five clubs, he kept working and working and working. That's how bad he wanted it," she said.
"People know they can rely on him."
Friday, September 10, 2010
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