Wild Bucks Night....

Well I'm a bit late posting this up, but I've had so much stuff to blog about recently. Saturday night was my soon to be brother-in-law Andy's bucks party. It's still 4 weeks to the wedding, but there are so many things on at the moment that this is the only night we could plan it for.

So 14 of us headed down to Kingston Park Raceway for a night of hardcore go kart action. I haven't been karting in 3 years so was really looking forward to it, and Andy's brother (Marty) is a fantastic driver and always good to be on the track with.

There were three guys who were leagues ahead of the rest of us, Marty and Ben were pulling consistent 56 sec laps, fast enough for them to qualify for the twin engine karts! My best lap time for the night was a 59.445, not bad considering I was the heaviest guy there.

The only thing I wanted to do that night was beat Dad, and I'm happy to say I passed him 3 times over the 3 races and beat his lap time by 0.6 of a sec!! There were also some spectacular accidents, most of them caused by my brother Brett, but hey he had fun :-)

Marty was taken out in the third race by some crazy WA driver, don't know how they get their licenses over there! Nah it wasn't Ben's fault, he came around the hairpin to find Marty spun right in front of him and there was nowhere to go (except straight into the side of Marty's kart).

North Qld

I spent the last week travelling to the Cairns branch, and then driving down to Townsville. We're currently rolling out brand new PCs to all branches in Qld, and I was sent up to Cairns and Townsville to set up their branches.

I've never been to Cairns before, so was looking forward to seeing somewhere new. My flight left at 9am Monday morning, and though I made the flight in plenty of time, my co-worker just missed it. So I traveled alone, and Josh caught the next flight an hour later. Once in Cairns my luggage wasn't on my plane, so I had loads of fun filling out forms about that, but luckily when Josh arrived on that next flight, so did my luggage. The baggage guys in Brisbane just put my bag on the wrong flight.

We then grabbed our hire car, a brand new BF Falcon XR6! Hopping in the car I saw the odometer reading - 15k's... so it certainly was brand new!

Work wise, the trip was a bit chaotic. We had 1 less computer than we needed in both branches, and some of the PCs had the wrong software on them. We spent way too much time reorganising, and the work went so slow. My sprained ankle made things pretty hard. I limped everywhere all week, and carrying stuff was a nightmare.

We did one branch and one towing company in Cairns, and two branches in Townsville. In the end we got it all done but Josh and I had to do a fair bit of improvising to get there.

Our motel in Cairns was nice, comfy rooms and a good restaurant. We didn't spend too much time there and on Tuesday night we decided to head to the casino for dinner. It was a huge buffet, and we were able to sit for about 90 minutes and just have a meal and chat. Josh had just become a full time Network Support Officer after 12 months on an Industrial Training contract through QUT.

The drive to Townsville was an eye opener. We drove through Innisvale. The environment there was devastating. Forests were bare, trees with only the smallest amount of green regrowth on them made for an eerie grey landscape. All the trees and palm trees were leaning in the one direction, actually most palm trees were snapped or had lost their branches.

It took a long time to drive, because there was so much damage to the road, and we had to stop at road works every couple of k's. Innisvale and the towns around it were a mess. Even weeks on most houses have tarps over their rooves and smashed windows. The Innisvale Hotel was a wreck, and the McDonald’s had also taken a beating.

Josh and I spent the whole time pointing and expressing our shock at the devastation, and how terrifying it must have been there when Cyclone Larry smashed through the area.

Our motel in Townsville was awesome. Josh and I got side by side rooms on the 18th floor, overlooking Castle Hill and Magnetic Island. Josh was unwell so he ordered room service Wednesday night, I ventured down to the restaurant where I had a great butter chicken curry and they served nice coffee afterwards. The Cowboys NRL Leagues club was opposite our motel so I ventured over there to catch the State Of Origin. However the place was packed, standing room only, so I decided I'd rest my ankle and just head back to my room and watch it there, obviously disappointed in the result.

In the end it was a successful week, though tiring and it felt very long. I was happy to get home and rest up.

Lifeshapes - Triangle

Life is full of relationships, it doesn't matter who you are, where you live, or what you believe, you are going to have and search for relationships with others. Jesus had meaningful relationships, He chose to walk in three specific relationships;

1. With God his father
2. With his chosen followers
3. With the 'hurting' world around him

So the triangle is a good way to remember the three dimensional tier of our relationship needs. Up = Our relationship with God - In = Our relationship with fellow believers - Out = The rest of the world Jesus has commissioned us to reach.

So we need to work on keeping our relationship with God growing. Jesus said he could do nothing by himself, but only through the power of the father.

God created us as social beings, as believers we are in relationships with each other, Hebrews 10:25 Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

Jesus also told us to go into all the world and make disciples. We need to get out where the 'lost' are, where people who don't know Jesus feel comfortable. To fulfil Jesus' commission we need to leave our comfort zones, we are the ones who have to move OUT.

No blogging, now off for a week...

So I haven't posted in a while. I was in Bundaberg, earlier this week and on coming home have just been through the normal rush of my weekend. Usually either on Saturday or Sunday I like to find the time to sit down and blog for an hour or so, type up my Lifeshapes overview and all that.

This week I missed my weekly small group due to my trip, so spent some time looking at the Triangle of lifeshapes, but I haven't had time to throw together a diagram and summary.

Why?

Because yesterday (Saturday) during our soccer game I had a coming together with one of the blokes on the other team. We both tried to kick the ball at the exact same time, and in doing so I've sprained my ankle quite badly, it's put me on the side line for a few weeks I think, and I'm praying it won't effect my State Youth Games effort in 2 weeks time.

So I'm limping everywhere at the moment, actually I'm lucky Dad owns a pair of crutches cause I've been able to use them to keep the weight off it. I haven't been to the doctors as yet, because I have another work trip to Cairns and Townsville this week, so I'm just going to push through that and then deal with it.

So yes, off to Cairns tomorrow, so I'll see you all in a week. (Prayer for healing would be apreciated thanks)

My Life in Pictures

Well I mentioned it back in March, and finally the phone I won through the Pepsi Rock Paper Scissors competition arrived this week.

I'd been away on a work trip to Bundaberg and came back to find my brand new Nokia 3250 on my desk. So now I have a good camera with me wherever I go. So I can now document my life in pictures of the most random things.




My workmate Pete driving the company car on the way to a job.









My work computer.

Our I.T Storeman Ashneil







My fully sic ride outside the Ipswich RACQ office this afternoon.

I'm unstoppable now with my new toy, so stay tuned for the next installment :-P

Lifeshapes - Semi-Circle

A pendulum swings melodically, rhythmically and almost hypnotically at times. Like a metronome, which keeps time for musicians, pendulums swing in constant beat, spending equal time on each side of their swing, consistently moving, keeping time forever. If you trace a pendulum swing which swings from horizontal to horizontal it will create a semi-circle.



John 15:1-4 "I am the vine , and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me."

These days we're so busy. I mean we even brag about how busy we are, almost trying to out do others with stories of overtime, rushing around, picking things up, and complaining we have no spare time.

God created us to work, God worked hard in his creation, and then created us in His image. So we are built to be engaged in active work, and feel at a loss if we are unable to work for a period of time.

But looking at creation, what was mans first day spent doing? We were created on the 6th day. So our first full day as a created being was the 7th day, and that was the day God rested. So our first day on the planet, we rested with God.

But God also wants us to bear fruit and use our skills for meaningful work. But the key is that his first moments of time spent with his creation was in rest. So many times we plan our working weeks, and then use the little bits of time left over to catch a quick rest. That's not how God did it, he planned a rest time, and then worked from it.
The semi-circle shows us we need to work from rest, instead of resting from work. Like a pendulum we need to swing from a time of rest into our time for work, and then consistently swing back into a rest time, so we can again move into a time for working.

Jesus rested before his ministry, and seemed to pattern rest into his ministry as we went alone to pray with his Father. He also taught his disciples to 'get away' and rest so they could then move back into their work. (Mark 1:12-13, 35-39 & Mark 6:30-32)
When we rest we give God time to prune us, to allow us to abide in God, and from abiding we grow. From growing we bear fruit. From bearing fruit we are cut back. This is the pattern of the semi-circle.

The Wins Continue

Whitehill Div 4 wins 3-2!!!

Great game, though a bit dirty from the other team. 2-1 to Whitehill at half time with the opposition scoring very early in the second half.

Another great goal by out WA draftee Mr Zambra sealed the win for Whitehill. I was able to put a lovely through ball in for Ben so he could take on the goalie 1 on 1 and score our winning point.

We're becoming a real team, our communication is getting better and we're learning how everyone plays, I think we can only get better.

Whitehill Wins!

Well it's the third round of the season and my division 4 Whitehill soccer team won it's first game!

We played Raceview - another local Ipswich team - and I have to hand it to the guys, we held it together pretty well. Right from the start we pushed hard, and really worked on our offense, attacking their full backs and the goalie pretty intensivly. The first goal came from an own goal, which was lucky, but we created our own luck by pressuring their defence. Our second and third goals were scored off some great running by our forwards, and good kick placements from our mids. In the end we won 3-1.

A real confidence booster for all. Even though I spent the whole game nursing a swollen ankle which I'd twisted at Amped the night before and am still trying to recover from.

Lifeshapes - Circle

Eight shapes... eight different life lessons. Whitehill started running the lifeshapes program this week, using simple shapes to set examples on God's teaching. The first week is the 1 sided shape (a circle), week 2 is a semi circle (2 sides) and so on as the weeks progress.

The Circle

Kairos is one of several words which in Greek mean time. Another is Chronos, as in the passage of time (i.e chronology), kairos is a specific point in time, a moment which will be memorable for some reason or another.

We can use these kairos moments, and the shape of the circle as a lesson on choosing to learn from life.

In the diagram above the arrow is our life. The 'x' is a certain kairos moment, it may be something small (i.e spotting a beautiful sunset, a bible reading or a chat with a friend) or something more impacting (new job, death of a family member). The idea is that whenever you realise you're in the middle of one of these kairos moments there are things to do so that you learn from the experience, and make it a life changing moment for God to help you grow that little bit more.

Two things to do - Repent, and Believe. The word repent comes from a Greek word that means to change your mind or have a change of heart. Once we change, that will effect the outlook on the rest of our lives.

First thing to do in repentance is to observe our thoughts, reactions and emotions to the kairos event, then to reflect on why we reacted like the did, why we feel like we do and why this particular event brought on these emotions. Then we need to bring someone else in on the process, and discuss you reactions. Other's will have a completely different outlook on what you're going through.

Just because we experience a kairos moment doesn’t mean we learn from it. The only way to bring change into our lives is to take action through belief.

Again there are three parts, planning from your observations and reflections, finding someone to be accountable too (probably the same person you choose to discuss it with), and then you need to act on everything you've learnt and complete the change in your life.

Our lives are about connecting all the events that happen to us. In essence that's linking all the kairos moments in our lives. We have so many opportunities to learn and let God stretch and grow us.

So keep a lookout for kairos moments this week, and use this process to grow your relationship with God, and change your life.

What's going on!!

OK seriously, what a woeful start to the season. This weekend's game against Hawthorn just clinched it for me. COME ON BOYS! I thought the first round was great, we absolutely trounced Sydney, and Lloyd kicked the first 5 goals.

5 weeks later and looks what's going on. Lloyd's gone for the season, and we haven't won a game since that first week. Last weekend was horrific! 1 point!!! ahhh! I mean with all the controversy about the Freo v Saints game ending, I'm almost wishing the Essendon game went for an extra 30 seconds... we may have won!

Anyway, not loosing faith, just venting some frustration, let's go boys... make it like the 93 season... loose the first half, and finish with the premiership!

Weekend News

Well I had a GREAT long weekend!

Saturday I played soccer. It's the second game of the 06 season, and man, 90 minutes of football is a hard slog! We're playing division 4 of the church leauge this year, and having only ever play div 6 and 7 (bottom 2 divs) these first two games have been an eye opener!

Plus we played 1 man down for most of the first half - and were not able to make use of the new unlimited interchange rule at all, cause we've never had a reserve! 90 minutes of footy, and i'm buggered hey, time to work on that fitness!!

We lost 6-2 which sucks cause it was 2-2 at half time. We have the most lucious fields this year, Ipswich Boys Grammar school are letting us use their fields for free - they are awesome... I did the most excellent slide tackle and saved a goal in the dying minutes of the game.... it felt so good to get something exactly right, plus it's so easy to slide tackle on these fantastic fields!

I went for dinner at Ben and Julie's with Scotty, and had a great time. Watching young Elijah roll all over the cat, and having a push up competition (which I lost!).

Sunday was church, and lots of drumming. I played the morning and evening service, at night a strange thing happened. During the bridge of a song I was mainly working the Toms and snare for about 32 bars (for the musos out there), and when I finished my 10" tom fell clear off my kit! I must have loosened the grip screw holding it on, so it slipped off. Never had that happen before!!

I spent the afternoon pushing a lawn airator around our lawn, in the glorious pouring rain!

Monday was a good quiet day, set up another blog for Vanessa's wedding register - so people can check out the register email what they want to take off the list and have it removed. It saves her having a Myer one which forces people to buy only from one store... and more freedom for the 'little' things, like garden hoses and stuff.