Tropical TANtrums and Periodical POSTscripts

(sorri Andrew but I need to title my blogs for my own sanity)

So here I am trading a quiet Christmas at home relaxing in the mountains with the sounds of nature around me for a sweltering tropical interlude with the in-laws. The sounds of cicadas, cane-toads and a myriad of other creatures that reside within vast expanses of cane fields contrast against the holiday traffic that passes on the "back road"that runs by the farm - a back road that sounds as busy as most highways I have traveled.

But there lies the object lesson. On holidays - I thought- time to reflect down the personal back roads, the tracks that remain untravelled throughout the year. But when a stroll is undertaken to clear the steadily increasing undergrowth, to clean the cobwebs away that invariably cross at face height, I am surprised by the amount of traffic traveling to the destinations I have become unfamiliar with throughout the year, traffic that I have not intended to share a short journey with. So as I planned to spend time relaxing, enjoying the liberation from work and household commitments, I find I cannot find that space, I cannot break the tension within that normally shackles me to routine and obligation.

"Be still and know that I am God"
"Take no thought for tomorrow"
"Be anxious for nothing"
"In everything give thanks"

Meaningless instruction - should that be commands - unless claimed as promises for the payoff promised (then again what right do we have to expect anything in return for our efforts).

Enough banter - time to steel myself for the onslaught of increased family starting tonight!

Trying to remember the real reason for the season (Cliche) in a world that has no time or reason to give honour

Happy holidays!!!!Bah humbug:-)

m<><

no constraints or constrictions on time or actions

So he has no constraints or constrictions on time or actions, a feeling of freedom as temporary independence removes him from the daily domestic duty of relationship and reality. He takes an opportunity to give in to a selfish urge as the sensual draws him towards the forbidden delight of his own decisions and actions. His own time. His own agenda. No need for accountability.

How does he feel when the desire to please himself is juxtaposed against the martyrdom of a Nigerian Pastor and the jailing of a Vietnamese congregation. Fretting over the need to plan a Christmas family reunion and the evil of meeting air fares, whilst for the sake of their belief in a Saviour others have no family, home or sustenance.

Pathetic Western lifestyle. Comfort zone denying the reality of suffering all for the Cross.

no excuses, just the way it is

no excuses, just the way it is

So it is Sunday night and for the first time in a long time I have felt connected in worship, both socially and spiritually on a Sunday morning. What annoys is that I had to experience it without K - washed out and run down.

Tomorrow starts six weeks on ROAC - a necessary evil. At least I don't have to travel to attend. A chance to catch up with old mates, escape from the office and the daily shuffle which can sap the soul.

So Andrew has had a hair cut - quite ironic given my recent jibing.

Nothing profound today, except to say that a nostalgic tour down pop cultural lane tonight with an Aussie Rock retro documentary highlights pride in wanting achievement and recognition in this life. Why do we feel optimistic when faced with a time past, a reflection on missed opportunities? Is it bad? Ambition must be grounded in ensuring that I must decrease and He must increase.

Little inconveniences and lessons in life

(just lost most of this blog due to FFL - finger fault local - spewin! A lesson in life learnt whilst writing about a lesson in life!!!)

Anyway, as I have already typed!?! - Yesterday I locked my keys in the car at work. I did not realise until it was time to go home. I had finished late as it was so my sense of humour was taking severe hits. I had left the window down about an inch and a half and the keys were in the ignition.

I spent 25 minutes breaking into my car, the frustrating aspect being that it only took me 20 seconds to unlock the car - once I had figured out how to do it.

Tried with a coat hanger to unlock the door, but the locking lever would not flip over. Tried with the coat hanger to remove the keys from the ignition - to no avail, the angle was not quite right.

In effect tried two different solutions using the same method!

However, when it dawned on me to use a ruler to exert more pressure on the door lock, in no time at all I had access. ie, my first solution was successful, but required a different method.

Thus the axiom dawns - when faced with challenges we can either try different solutions with the same method, or different methods to achieve the same solution. Ed De Bono would have had a field day.

Is this profound? or just vague ramblings. Doesn't matter, but next time a framework for problem solving is required at least there is something to think about.

More importantly, there must be a spiritual application somewhere in there. Surely God has simple single solutions to situations that he wants to use us to achieve. Who chooses to be used is up to us. We therefore become his different methods.

What about the issue of omniscience and He being outside of time, knowing the end before the beginning? What about self-determination and free will? Individually we may be a single method but applicable to achieving different solutions that are within His will. Some things need to just be accepted until all will be revealed.

Too deep for a Fri afternoon. Not really, for the simple things in life should not confound us. Want too deep? Try this, the subject of my mental powers and academic attention for the next two weeks, hopefully at the end of which a paper will fall out!?!

Is Information and Technology Superiority relevant in the 21st century battlespace when adversaries adopt 19th and 20th century strategies?

Message on Sunday was reassuring

Message on Sunday was reassuring - if Christ suffered so much personally, why do we need to be so sensitive to suffering for our faith. Reinforced the maxim "don't take rejection, contention, suffering, persecution for your faith personally" - only then can we love our enemies, for revenge, a sense of justic, personal pride will not stand between us and them, or them and the salvation message.

Power and Passion

I felt all morning like writing, sat down, logged on and my mental capacity has deserted me!

What gives us power and what generates our passion?

Is our passion fuelled by that which enpowers us, or must we be passionate about something before it will provide us with power?

A Christian perspective might lead to the power coming from our passion - we have been told to seek first the kingdom of God, all things can be done through Christ who strengthens us, set our mind on things above. This is where our focus will provide the fight - if our direction and desires are sound, the strength will follow.

So a life empty of passion will suffer from the need to be empowered.

Stand for something or fall for anything.

A two minded man is unstable in all his ways. (A non minded man will likewise suffer).

****************

Good friends over last night for dinner. Getting late, fading fast, push through for an eternal value lies in meaningful discussion that the desire for sleep would rob me of.

The four year old perspective on the world continues to enlighten my grumpy eyes. It is easy to lose a cheery disposition when you have no presence requiring you to maintain it, apart from yourself and a long suffering spouse. The responsibility of caring for and sharing in a child's life, even for a short while as protector, guide, teacher, is an honour. Thank you Tullie for being a special part of my life.

A Worthy Task

Dear Lord, I do not ask
That Thou should’st give me some big work of Thine,
Some noble calling, or some wondrous task.
Give me a little hand to hold in mine;

Give me a little child to point the way
Over the strange, sweet path that leads to Thee;
Give me a little voice to teach to pray;
Give me two shining eyes Thy face to see.

The only crown I ask, dear Lord, to wear
Is this: that I may teach a little child.

I do not ask that I may ever stand
Among the wise, the worthy, or the great;
I only ask that softly, hand in hand,
A child and I may enter at the Gate.

Perspective of a Four year old

The weekend was spent visiting with family, Mum, Dad, sister and brother in law and two neices. We came home with an extra piece of luggage - in the shape of a four year old. How the world changes when you are exposed to the perspectives of one so full of optimism and adventure.

This morning it snowed during breakfast - winter continues to exert "mission creep" and rob spring of some of its splendour. But the flowers are not to be bluffed, sharing their created glory in a rolling cascade of colour that opens up our eyes to another facet of the unseen beauty in our garden as we go through our first Spring in our home.

Anyway - the wonder on the face of a four year old, and the ensuing discussions about the happenings are tonic to the world weary soul. Unparalleled in a home empty of children, they refresh the spirit and bring a perspective to the day. Unfortunately the substitutionary companionship of the hound does lack somewhat in the intellectual interaction that a child's wonder brings.

I wonder how this equates to our Christian "childhood" and God's pleasure in sharing with us the wonder of his world. When do we loose that optimism and spirit of adventure in our walk of faith? Can we recapture it in both the natural and spiritual realm? Reading in Isaiah 54 this morning brought out the effort and reward available. A soul, left barren and bereft of blessing through stubborness, rebellion and unholiness can through discipline and repentance be restored - just as Israel was. Have I the strength to see past short term satisfaction to eternal consequence - ESHV.

Processing and Stimulation

Apparently I exhibit balanced hemispheric dominance and a strong visual preference - or so the survey says!

It is the intensity of my sensory preference which may more determine my learning style.

I absorb my environmnet, selecting out details and simultaneously embedding them in a context, an overall perspective which adds nuances of meaning. Given the prodigious rate that I input information, I naturally utilise the services of both hemispheres more or less equally.

I am active and searching, which produces energy. Because I can process multiple inputs comfortably, I do not experience the indecisions of a person with mixed sensory preference. I am able to focus on more than one aspect of a situation and push for resolution.

I can tolerate ambiguity, which is good since I will experience a lot of it due to my input style. While a part of me will always seek completion, the other part will accept the process as it is. I may occasionally get impatient with myself. I will always be able to work through problems in a logical sequence or given order, but I will have other options avialable to me as well.

I may find that I have insufficient time to reflect on my experiences and thus lose a sense of meaning, not appreciating my "inner being" as much as I might otherwise.

Many people would envy my combination of characteristics. Constantly seeking stimulation, I am artistic without needing to be "odd", an active learner and yet reasonably logical and disciplined.

Hmmmmmmmmm! - Thanks Steve, you have given me something to think about.

Andrew blogged, I read, I responded and ....

Andrew blogged, I read, I responded and ended up venting on the current situation. Below is the heart of my missive to him

He wrote

I hope your Saturday morning gives you rest and peace and HOPE for the rest of the week -- because ultimately, I affirm that its not the presence of the institutions and their suckage that =s The Nothing --- it's the seeping & creeping away of HOPE in the bustle of trying to keep up with the great Sucking....and i hope that rest & hope leaves you feeling God's

peace~


I wrote:

My friend, your summary gains concurrence from this part of the world. I have a weariness in my bones, an ache in my heart and an emptiness in my soul that has its foundation in the gravel rash ravished across my bare butt as "the system" drags me along.

Where is the pressure release, when is there time out? Are we victims of the system, or victims of our dreaming of a better way? When do we have the right to punch out, to blame the world for our woes and accept that this is not the way we were created to be? Or are we obliged to accept that we are in the world but not of the world (a challenge) when the world seeks to be all consuming of either our time or our attention (interesting connect to the time vs attention management discussion). Do we have the right to want to be released from this bondage - is this part of our curse after the fall? How can we "Be still and know that He is God"? When can we?

Priorities?!

I have little optimism today - my attitude is sapping my altitude - I spent the most glorious Saturday in the last six months, laying on a couch ill, while many priorities reserved for such a day went unattended. Last night I had four hours sleep - is this a bad time to be reflecting on the greater purpose of life?!

More questions than answers.

I trust that you are travelling well. Busy times, exciting moments, challenges for time, effort, mental energy. Kel has two weeks semester break, I am too weak and need a semester break!!

Spring descended with a passion on the weekend, but I was feeling shabby. The frustration. Today winter extends its tendrils into our fair season, with a gentle rain falling from a leaden sky outside - makes my mood easier to bear!!!

Still enjoying your passion for your craft - still searching for my own, passion and craft that is......

m<><

12.5 %

My weblog owns 12.5 % of me.
Does your weblog own you?

I am disturbed that I am 2/3 as consumed as my blogging mentor, when his efforts are much more all encompassing than mine. It is scary what to think someone who is really consumed would be producing!

Tardiness, Apathy and the Reality of Life

Over two weeks and not a word has appeared. A saying we have in the military "Excuses are like (a certain part of the anatomy), everybody has one!" So no excuse, just the reality of a busy schedule and a lack of thinking space. However - attention management, not time management is the answer!!

Unlike my good friend, I do not have any renovation horror stories to account for the business of life, no flooded rooms (again). I have two wood fires that keep my chain saw busy, I have a half completed chicken run, several landscaping projects in conceptual stage, and a mitre drop saw that is yet to be calibrated.

But it doesn't matter because everything needs to be taken one step at a time!!!

Did I mention that my little run about currently sounds like a V8 Supercar? - booked in for a new muffler tomorrow; the 4WD needs a service - always painful in the hip pocket.

With this domestic to do list hanging over my head it thrilled my heart to go shopping on the weekend!- for a new couch and mattress!!! Oh the joys.

But it doesn't matter because everything needs to be taken one step at a time!!!

Hold versus Cling

Driving to church last Sunday we were listening on the radio to a message from an American preacher - Reggie Dabbs. Very powerful, left us sitting in the car park after we arrived, listening to the end instead of moving straight into church.

The rub came when he amplified the difference between Hold and Cling - we hold onto many things in our lives; a casual grip of convenience, including God. What do we cling to? What do we grip as if our lives depend on it?

Pastor then preached on Hold Fast - no coincidence, preordained confluence of thought!! When will we let go of the routine, mundane, domestic and cling to elements of our lives that have an eternal consequence?

We are given a birth date, we are given a date of death. On our tombstone nothing seperates the two save a tiny dash (-). That (-) makes all the difference.

Tail gating, slow trucks, impatient speeding and road rage

From the other day:

Tail gating, slow trucks, impatient speeding and road rage

I drive to work on single lane country roads that are rapidly seeing housing developments extended out from the city limits. Traffic can get quite heavy and impatient, especially around morning and afternoon peak hour. The other day I was driving to work and had been tail gated by a couple of cars who then overtook in a rather dangerous manner, cutting in at the last minute on a blind corner. In front of my was a large tip truck towing a trailer, which these two cars then proceeded to overtake in a similar manner. My frustration at their actions was mounting until God dispelled it in a manner that only he could achieve with his heavenly sense of humour. As we rounded the next corner a similar truck to that they had just overtaken was pulling out infront of the two cars from a side road, forcing them to quickly slow down and not affording them any opportunity to overtake.

When I caught up to the cars at the first set of traffic lights it really brought home to me the spiritual application. How often do we not trust God to judge both the just and the unjust. He knows what we need and he will deal with others as they need to be dealt with. I am often frustrated by this world but need to recognise that God is in charge and he carries the burden of judgement, punishment and accountability, not I. And that realisation certainly makes the occassional frustrations on the road a lot easier to bear.


A Call for Balance and Priorities
From Chucky's radio segment and monthly newsletter:

We Worship our Work
We Work at our Play
We Play at our Worship

- a personal challenge for balance. The world will try and draw us away from a balanced state. I must not be deceived.

A Call to Perfection:

I have recently been challenged on the requirement of being Called to Perfection in "all" areas of my life. God doesn't want to be compartmentalised in my life. He wants free reign. I limit what he can do with my life when I limit where he can go in my life.
Another self defeating strategy that needs to be addressed if I am to maximise the potential for my Heavenly Vision given the use of Earthly Sight.

God doesn't call those who are prepared, he prepares those who are called.

God doesn't call those who are prepared, he prepares those who are called.

Ongoing interest over the years in creation and the fallacy of evolution. Recent weeks caught up on some reading on the matter - why? what purpose Lord?

Yesterday a deep conversation with the chaplain who turns out to be a qualified bio-chemist, reassuring to talk science with a man who has a scriptural view point. This morning I was able to open up a conversation with my car pool companion about evolution when he made a passing comment about it. Turns out he is Catholic, wife Anglican, believes in evolution but also believes in God! Good base level discussion to feel out each other and maybe set up for further comment. Enquiring minds still need to be willing to consider other options, and must be willing to look at other info - he was reluctant to take up my offer to look at some material because it "might prove his belief system wrong" - a bit head in the sand, but I am encouraged that we could talk about it.

Reminder that we don't need to create or seek opportunities, just listen for God's leading and be prepared for the opportunities when they arise.

m<><

Worship or Consumption

'Christ is not for consumption, but for worship' David Wells.

What a challenge in todays market driven, consumer based society.

When we have our motivation based on the need for personal satisfaction, then we need religion/Christ/ a God for personal fulfilment. Christ becomes a resource that we can use, one of many ways to reach a personally defined end.
When we understand that we are created beings, here for a purpose, then we will understand our role in worshiping him, and our need to fulfil that role. Then we realise that there is only one end, one that we do not define for ourselves, but which has been set since before creation.
The challenge - to live with that eternal perspective in an earthly realm.

Technology has its frustrations

Technology has its frustrations. Finally I am back after a week of glitches, mainly due to templating problems!

Life has been good this past week - relationships developed, experiences had, no profound progress towards any tangible goals but sometimes it is the intangible that is most important. I like the thought that the only things that matter when this realm is behind us are relationships and experiences, nothing of material value will count.

3 am this morning and I am standing in the rain, on top of the roof unblocking a downpipe! I am sure that there is a spiritual application there, let me dwell and return to enlighten later. Must away and see if the doctor wishes to restrict my future career prospects with a detrimental medical assessment.

Later:

I am still alive and have been given a green light for continued employment at Her Majesty's pleasure.

Application of my early morning experience: lying in bed, hearing the rain fall and the wind rush through the gum trees, knowing that I had not cleared the gutters recently I wondered if there would be a price to pay. The sound of gutters overflowing was not deafening: distinct enough to be recognised but subtle enough to be ignored. A sense of duty and practicality drove me from my slumber and forced firstly confirmation of the problem, and secondly the resolve to do something about it. It also gave me an excuse to stand in front of the fire enjoying the warmth and the light that played on the kitchen walls after the effort of climbing onto the roof, torch in hand, cutting a quick lap around the slippery perimeter, all the while testing the friction quotient of my warn out runners which now masquerade as yard shoes.

As Christians we often face situations or decisions that are loud enough to be noticed, but subtle enough to be ignored. What motivates us to act? From where is our sense of duty derived? And what simple pleasures may await us after we have answered the need before us? What provides the grip for our feet, the rain may be cold, the roof may be slippery, our shoes may be worn, and the very predicament we find ourselves in may be the result of our own original inaction - but some things just have to be done. And we genereally can't expect our wives to be taking care of house maintenance in the fury of the storm - a goading for husbands to take a lead in the spirtual walk.

Enough for today - m<><

On Resistance to Change, and why we Change our Resistance

Format for the posting screen has changed and my blogging mentor is not happy. I too am not keen, but this is a fairly normal reaction to something different, especially when it replaces something that makes up part of our reality, something that helps define our comfort zone.

If we are so adverse to change, is that why it can be hard for us to change our resistance to issues in our life?

Consider the frail arguments we throw up to friends, family, God when an attitude, decision or action needs to change - pride makes change hard on the inside, and apathy, laziness, an uncaring attitude makes life hard to change on the outside.

Anyway - the point of all this rambling after a week's abscence - not sure except I empathise with your feelings about the blog change Andrew. I have much to write, but little time. My one outstanding question is why can't I view my blogspot on the web?? Foiled by the very technology that has sought to free us!!!

m<><

A busy mind doesn't allow you to mind your business

It is amazing how time can be stolen from you, particularly the time needed to clear your mind of thoughts that need to be captured so you can move on. Work has required 14 hour days for the last week ( and on til the end of this week ), so little opportunity has been available to indulge in self expression.

During that time several challenges have arisen. My wife is a grade five teacher and one of her student's mother died. This creates much sadness and consideration of what is important in life. Especially when you see the challenges that an 11 year old has to face in such a situation. Then on Sunday God challenged the very core of my attitudes - judgemental, self righteous, a lack of love, the sort of things that you really dont want to have pointed out, but result in an honest appraisal when considered appropriately.

Is it a shameful thing to confess that it was the first time in a supposed 24 year Christian history that the power of a sermon sent a tear flowing down my cheek? Is it testimony to the omniscience of God that he had me there at that time, to hear those words from John 5 - the challenge of the reality of Jesus and his life, the effect that his eternal existence should have on my every moment of being. How wonderful a God - that totally unrequired, he has made a way for us to have an eternal relationship with him - devoid of religion, piety, works, deservedness. If I really understood the reality of who God is and what he has done in allowing his Holiness to be made available to us, then I know that my life would be lived differently.

If I believe in Jesus and his death on the cross, if I appreciate the magnitude of that historical fact, would I be so blase with the knowledge? Would I care that those that come into my sphere leave it without exposure to the life giving truth? Would I crawl across the country over broken glass to share it with the one remaining soul who remains unsaved?

Traffic lights and traffic delays

As I embed my inner thoughts into this medium I am going to bring thoughts from the past to this forum, just to build a foundation of who I am. The following was something that I wrote to some friends after one particularly introspective drive to work one morning. I hope it challanges.

Why is the light green but the traffic still not moving?

I was sitting in a long line of traffic this morning, waiting for the light to turn green. When it finally did, I pondered the age old question of why the traffic can sit still for so long when obviously the leading cars are moving (I know Lena has queried me on this very thing in the past!!). Considering the physics and spatial arguments which actually answer the query posed, I thought of how applicable that quandary is to our daily walk.

As individual Christians we have many green lights, but are unable to move due to others before us. As a Church body we have green lights, but collectively move off in fits and starts. If all cars could anticipate the change and move off together, traffic would flow more smoothly and the frustration of missing the green and having to sit through another red light would not occur. But physically this is not practical as each car must regain the space between it and the car in front to travel safely, and the reaction time of each driver also adds to the delay.

As individuals in the Church body, if we did not require so much space between us to travel safely then we could move together with the green. If we were in joint anticipation of the green light then we would also be able to start moving at the same time. The challenge lies in having the security to travel closely with each other and having a common view of when the red light will disappear.

There are many further illustrations that can be followed from the traffic analogy, but just as road users need to study the road rule book, so too we as followers of Christ must also follow the rule book given to us. Only acceptance and adherence to one set of rules will allow all to travel in harmony.

m<><

Welcome

Welcome - I have been brought to this medium through a good friend who has paved the way for me by taking our mental musings over the years from the written page to email, and now to a publishing forum. A forum where thoughts are not restricted between a dedicated originator and addressee, but are available to all who care to be invited in.

Why ESHV?

We walk in this world but need to consider our lives with a view to the next one. Daily our Earthly Sight (read attitudes, opinions, knowledge, actions) is challenged, tempted, assaulted, lured, shaped. It is also fortified, strengthened, educated, enlightened, disciplined, rebuked, expanded. The difference in effect arises from what we put before our sight. This is where our Heavenly Vision or Eternal Perspective comes into effect. As Christians we should walk daily 'by faith, not by sight', this exhortation should embolden us to face each day in this realm, prepared for the challenges that come our way. If we fail to consider eternity in all we do, then our sight will lead us astray.

Thus an aspiration for the Christian walk should be - Earthly Sight, Heavenly Vision.

I hope those that join me here may get a greater understanding of what gestates in my inner being; and along the way would be challenged to enter into the discussion themselves.