Merry Christmas :-)

Christmas Eve... it seems to come around so quickly, but I love the change that Christmas gives us a real specific time to focus on God becoming a man.

Think about that, God - all powerful, all creating - becomes his creation!

The only way I can liken it is that as a kid I use to build huge Lego cities... I loved Lego, and I'd spend hours putting together buildings, cars, petrol stations, boats and trucks for my little Lego men to live in.

But what kind of jump would it be for me to step out of my human world and to become a Lego man, to live amongst them, confined to their world.  How would I feel suddenly only being able to move if a human put me into motion, or clicked me into a car seat (wonders how uncomfortable those bits of Lego would be plugging into the two holes in my butt :-P).

That's what God did in Jesus though.  A jump for us to Lego men is unthinkable, but that's a good example of what Jesus did.

"Who, being in very nature God,

did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,

but made himself nothing,taking the very nature of a servant,

being made in human likeness.

And being found in appearance as a man,

he humbled himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross!

Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name,

that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,

in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,

to the glory of God the Father."

- Philippians 2:6-11

I think that sums up Christmas - let's celebrate the fact God became man, to save us, and to redeem the entire world!

Merry Christmas to you all! God Bless, and if you haven't accepted that gift of forgiveness Jesus offers, really look at how much he loves you this Christmas.

I've seen 96 out of 239 films

SUPPOSEDLY if you've seen over 85 films, you have no life. Mark the ones you've seen. There are 239 films on this list. Copy this list, then put x's next to the films you've seen, add them up, change the header adding your number, and click post at the bottom. Have fun.

( ) Rocky Horror Picture Show
(x) Grease
(x) Pirates of the Caribbean
(x ) Pirates of the Caribbean 2: Dead Man's Chest
( ) Boondock Saints
(x) Fight Club
(x) Starsky and Hutch
(x) Neverending Story
( ) Blazing Saddles
( ) Airplane
Total: 6

(x) The Princess Bride
(x) AnchorMan
(x) Napoleon Dynamite
( ) Labyrinth
( ) Saw
( ) Saw II
( ) White Noise
( ) White Oleander
(x) Anger Management
(x) 50 First Dates
( ) The Princess Diaries
( ) The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement
Total so far: 11

( ) Scream
( ) Scream 2
( ) Scream 3
(x) Scary Movie
( ) Scary Movie 2
( ) Scary Movie 3
( ) Scary Movie 4
(x) American Pie
( ) American Pie 2
( ) American Wedding
( ) American Pie Band Camp
Total so far: 13

( ) Harry Potter 1
( ) Harry Potter 2
( ) Harry Potter 3
( ) Harry Potter 4
( ) Harry Potter 5
() Resident Evil 1
() Resident Evil 2
(x) The Wedding Singer
( ) Little Black Book
( ) The Village
(x) Lilo & Stitch
Total so far: 15

(x) Finding Nemo
( ) Finding Neverland
(x) Signs
(x) The Grinch
( ) Texas Chainsaw Massacre
( ) Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning
( ) White Chicks
( ) Butterfly Effect
( ) 13 Going on 30 (suddenly 30 - australian title)
(x) I, Robot
(x) Robots
Total so far: 20

(x) Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story
( ) Universal Soldier
( ) Lemony Snicket: A Series Of Unfortunate Events
(x) Along Came Polly
(x) Deep Impact
( ) KingPin
( ) Never Been Kissed
(x) Meet The Parents
(x) Meet the Fockers
( ) Eight Crazy Nights
(x) Joe Dirt
(x) KING KONG
Total so far: 27

( ) A Cinderella Story
(x) The Terminal
( ) The Lizzie McGuire Movie
( ) Passport to Paris
(x) Dumb & Dumber
( ) Dumber & Dumberer
( ) Final Destination
( ) Final Destination 2
( ) Final Destination 3
( ) Halloween
( ) The Ring
( ) The Ring 2
( ) Surviving X-MAS
(x) Flubber
Total so far: 30

( ) Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle
( ) Practical Magic
( ) Chicago
( ) Ghost Ship
( ) From Hell
( ) Hellboy
( ) Secret Window
( ) I Am Sam
(x) The Whole Nine Yards
( ) The Whole Ten Yards
Total so far: 31

(x) The Day After Tomorrow
( ) Child's Play
( ) Seed of Chucky
( ) Bride of Chucky
(x) Ten Things I Hate About You
(x) Just Married
( ) Gothika
( ) Nightmare on Elm Street
( ) Sixteen Candles
(x) Remember the Titans
( ) Coach Carter
( ) The Grudge
( ) The Grudge 2
(x) The Mask
( ) Son Of The Mask
Total so far: 36

(x) Bad Boys
(x) Bad Boys 2
( ) Joy Ride
( ) Lucky Number Slevin
(x) Ocean's Eleven
(x) Ocean's Twelve
(x) Bourne Identity
(x) Bourne Supremecy
( ) Lone Star
( ) Bedazzled
(x) Predator I
( ) Predator II
( ) The Fog
(x) Ice Age
(x) Ice Age 2: The Meltdown
( ) Curious George
Total so far: 45

(x) Independence Day
( ) Cujo
( ) A Bronx Tale
( ) Darkness Falls
( ) Christine
(x) ET
() Children of the Corn
() My Bosses Daughter
( ) Maid in Manhattan
(x) War of the Worlds
(x) Rush Hour
(x) Rush Hour 2
Total so far: 50

( ) Best Bet
( ) How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
(x) She's All That
( ) Calendar Girls
( ) Sideways
(x) Mars Attacks
(x) Event Horizon
( ) Ever After
( ) Wizard of Oz
(x) Forrest Gump
( ) Big Trouble in Little China
(x) The Terminator
(x) The Terminator 2
(x) The Terminator 3
Total so far: 57

(x) X-Men
(x) X-2
(x) X-3
(x) Spider-Man
(x) Spider-Man 2
(x) Sky High
( ) Jeepers Creepers
( ) Jeepers Creepers 2
( ) Catch Me If You Can
(x) The Little Mermaid
( ) Freaky Friday
( ) Reign of Fire
(x) The Skulls
(x) Cruel Intentions
(x) Cruel Intentions 2
( ) The Hot Chick
(x) Shrek
(x) Shrek 2
Total so far: 69

( ) Swimfan
( ) Miracle on 34th street
( ) Old School
( ) The Notebook
( ) K-Pax
( ) Krippendorf's Tribe
( ) A Walk to Remember
( ) Ice Castles
( ) Boogeyman
(x) The 40-year-old Virgin
Total so far: 70

(x) Lord of the Rings Fellowship of the Ring
(x) Lord of the Rings The Two Towers
(x) Lord of the Rings Return Of the King
(x) Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark
(x) Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
(x) Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
Total so far: 76

(x) Baseketball
( ) Hostel
( ) Waiting for Guffman
( ) House of 1000 Corpses
( ) Devils Rejects
(x) Elf
( ) Highlander
( ) Mothman Prophecies
( ) American History X
( ) Three
Total so Far: 78

( ) The Jacket
( ) Kung Fu Hustle
() Shaolin Soccer
( ) Night Watch
(x) Monsters Inc.
(x) Titanic
(x) Monty Python and the Holy Grail
( ) Shaun Of the Dead
( ) Willard
Total so far: 81

( ) High Tension
( ) Club Dread
(x) Hulk
( ) Dawn Of the Dead
(x) Hook
(x) Chronicles Of Narnia The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe
( ) 28 days later
( ) Orgazmo
( ) Phantasm
(x) Waterworld
Total so far:85

(x) Kill Bill vol 1
(x) Kill Bill vol 2
( ) Mortal Kombat
( ) Wolf Creek
( ) Kingdom of Heaven
( ) The Hills Have Eyes
( ) I Spit on Your Grave aka the Day of the Woman
( ) The Last House on the Left
( ) Re-Animator
( ) Army of Darkness
Total so far: 87

(x) Star Wars Ep. I The Phantom Menace
(x) Star Wars Ep. II Attack of the Clones
(x) Star Wars Ep. III Revenge of the Sith
(x) Star Wars Ep. IV A New Hope
(x) Star Wars Ep. V The Empire Strikes Back
(x)Star Wars Ep. VI Return of the Jedi
( ) Ewoks Caravan Of Courage
( ) Ewoks The Battle For Endor
Total so far: 93

(x) The Matrix
(x) The Matrix Reloaded
(x) The Matrix Revolutions
( ) Animatrix
( ) Evil Dead
( ) Evil Dead 2
( ) Team America: World Police
( ) Red Dragon
( ) Silence of the Lambs
( ) Hannibal
Total so far: 96

Now Add them up and... you've seen 96 out of 239 films

I am the Little Drummer Boy

Loving Christmas and all the Christmas Carols, but listening to 96.5 the other day and a version of The Little Drummer Boy really stood out.

Obviously as a drummer I like the carol, but I really listened to the words and wow!

The second and third verses are what do it for me.

Little Baby, pa rum pum pum pum 
I am a poor boy too, pa rum pum pum pum 
I have no gift to bring, pa rum pum pum pum 
That's fit to give the King, pa rum pum pum pum, 
rum pum pum pum, rum pum pum pum, 

Shall I play for you, pa rum pum pum pum, 
On my drum? 

Mary nodded, pa rum pum pum pum 
The ox and lamb kept time, pa rum pum pum pum 
I played my drum for Him, pa rum pum pum pum 
I played my best for Him, pa rum pum pum pum, 
rum pum pum pum, rum pum pum pum, 

Then He smiled at me, pa rum pum pum pum 
Me and my drum. 

I am so poor and unworthy, and when I play the drums many times I feel it is the only gift I can bring him.

So many times I sit back and think, I'll play my drum for him, I'll play my best for him!  

And the thought of him smiling at me, me and my drum...

That's wonderful!

Storms

We've continued to have some beaut storms up here in Queensland.

Here's a photo I got on Stafford Rd at Gordon Park in Brisbane the other week.

Yes... I went and stood in the middle of the road... busy road, probably not smart, but made for a good shot.

At Peace

I think sometimes we forget what it's like to be at peace with God's will for us.

For the past month I've had something I knew God wanted me to do... but it was big, and scary, and though I didn't 'put it off' I just took my sweet time doing it.

I did it on Friday and I woke up Saturday morning feeling completely different.  I can only put it down to being at peace with the knowledge I've done something God wants me to do.  It means big changes, and it's still a scary idea - but the peace God gave me since Saturday makes me know it will all be alright.

So if there's something God's telling you to do, no matter how big and scary it is, no matter what it will mean for your future; I can tell you that once you do it you'll have a peace that will make everything feel alright.

Don't Be Vomit

Revelation 3:14-22

"To the angel of the church in Laodicea write:

      These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God's creation. I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see. Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent. Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."

Some points on the passage;

• ~This message to the church in Laodicea comes from Jesus himself - John is isolated on an island when the vision comes to him, in which Jesus is telling an someone to send these separate churches a message... this is from the mouth of Jesus himself
• ~Laodicea was a rich industrial town, with a big textile industry producing fine cloth, and a developed medical proess with a mineral that helped with poor eyesight.
• ~Being far from a water source the towns supply was transferred via a series of aqua ducts, and by the time it arrived to the town it was luke warm.

Jesus uses the characteristics of the town to highlight specific issues in the church

• ~They are neither hot nor cold, but luke warm, which like the water in the town was able to give a sickly feeling in one's stomach.
• ~The people in the church from Laodicea believed they were rich, due to what they had, the wealth from industry and self image from knowledge - when from God's perspective they were really more of a wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked group of people.
• ~They were spiritually blind, something that would have dug deep because of the pride the people had in their ability to restore sight.
• ~They were spiritually naked, again digging at the pride the people had in their fine linen industry.

Jesus points out that the only true healing can be provided from himself.

• ~(v18)"I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see."
• ~(v19)"Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me."

I'm not sure if you've ever had a rough tummy bug, I'd assume most people have.  I remember when I was in Africa - I'd eaten a BBQ with some British mates, and the meat had not been quite right.  I caught some bug (Banjul Belly all the Misso's called it) and was crook for days.  What I distinctly remember though was lying on the floor of these British friend's house, feeling terrible... my stomach hurt, my head hurt, my throat hurt and I felt totally weak.  I knew I had to go home so I started walking back to my place. I can remember I couldn't even walk in a straight line and I felt faint.  Suddenly I knew whatever was inside of me needed to come out.

I threw up in the street - and instantly I felt much better. All that gunk that was in my belly, making me feel so ill wasn't there anymore.  My body knew what was making me feel sick and expelled it.

Some versions of this passage say that God is going to vomit the Laodicea church out of his mouth, because they are luke warm.  In essence the luke warmness makes God feel so ill that he will feel better by expelling that from his body.

That's a very harsh though, that we could make God feel ill.  I know in many cases I am luke warm in my relationship with him - and I strive to heat it up.

Here are 5 principals to live by which should heat up your life;

• ~Repent of any kind of sin in your life
• ~Put right any wrongs with others
• ~Get rid of any doubtful behaviour
• ~Obey the Holy Spirit promptly
• ~Proclaim a faith in Christ publically

1Year Today

12 months ago today I said goodbye to me 97 Falcon XR6 and hello to my brand new Mitsubishi Lancer.

(My final thoughts of the Falcon last year)

Well a year on and I can honestly say I haven't regretted the decision. I miss my old XR6, but the Lancer has been brilliant.  

I've spent hardly anything on servicings, the fuel economy has been simply fantastic and the Lancer is still a fun car to drive.

The Odometer clock for today was 33 999kms, so basically I've done 34 000ks in the poor thing this year, so it hasn't been taking it easy.

The Lancer has been exactly what I wanted it to be - a comfortable, reliable and cheap car.  I miss the excitement and exhilaration of driving a big powerful car, but that's something I can live without for the moment, as the more important things are certainly covered in the little Mitsubishi.

Though at the moment it is in desperate need of a wash!

Memories Past

I just put my new rego sticker on my car.

I remember as a kid, that was one of the most exciting things to watch Dad do.  It only happened once a year (twice later on when my parents were able to afford a second car), and I can remember each year tottering out after Dad to sit on his lap while he peeled the old sticker off with a knife, then cleaned the window with alcohol before applying the new one very carefully so it was straight and didn't have air bubbles in it.

By the time I was 10 he would allow me to put the sticker on, but his hand would be over mine, guiding, and making sure the sticker was on right.

These day's it's just another chore... and you no longer need the knife to peel these modern stickers off.  But it does give me time to think as I clean down the spot and then apply the new sticker just like I watched Dad do so many times, pushing the air out and re-adjusting the line so it's straight.  

It's funny that something most people would do in a 5 minute job on a Sunday afternoon becomes so much more because I do it just like Dad, take more care than most people probably would, and then usually smile at the end of it amazed that something I use to think was such a 'big person's job' was now something I do all by myself.

Dad always looks after his cars as well as he can, and it's something that has rubbed off on me.  So being the little tyke back in the day in awe of sitting on Dad's lap while he worked on his precious cars really makes me reflective as I find myself doing it these days.

And also makes me look forward to maybe one day having a little boy of my own sitting on my lap thinking that changing the rego sticker is the most exciting thing in the world!

Work Place Health and Safety

We've had a WH&S audit here this week. One thing they didn't pick up, and I feel I will have to lodge a complaint about is the dangerously bad substance they store in our kitchen for general consumption.

97 cents per litre

I put 40 Litres of petrol in my car tonight, and it didn't cost me $40.

Nice to see fuel drop below that 1:1 ratio again- high time!

Photo

I took this on my phone as i was driving home yesterday. The weather round here recently has been totally chaotic. This storm pretty well missed us last night, but hammered the Gold Coast. Looks like we get a days reprieve today, but they are predicting a huge storm on Saturday.

Aftermath

Waking up this morning it was kind of strange to see blue skies.  When I went to bed at 1am last night it was still hammering with rain, as it had been for about 3 hours.

It wasn't until I drove to work I saw what had really gone on.  I knew we'd had a massive 200+mm of rain over night, our gauge fills to 170mm and it was full, but others had said their 200mm ones were full too.

Driving down my street I saw a house a few down from us with its fence hanging out over the road, obviously not where it was suppose to be.  Grass had been swept away... basically we're pretty well at the top of a hill and everything from just below us down had most of their garden, fences and anything else lying around swept down to the bottom of the hill (there was a nice pile of dirt and belongings in the intersection). People were turfing out water soaked gear they'd left outside, one veranda looked totaled with wood collapsing from under it.

The schools were closed, and driving past I could see fences leaning over and moved... ovals flooded (Mum told me later it was actually the sewage that had flooded and covered the oval - nice).  

If you check out news.com.au there are photos from around the Ipswich area and the immense flooding - it seems in the span of maybe 5 or 6 hours between 200 and 300mm of rain fell over quite a large area, causing the worst flooding we've seen here since 1974.

As I've been writing this the rain has started again and BOM shows another big storm front moving through, so we haven't seen the end of this yet - it is quite amazing.

I'll leave you with this photo - take note, the river usually flows at least 40 feet if not more below this bridge (though the channel is quite narrow this is a huge rise!).

Wow

So it continues

Reporting on location

Laptops and wireless are wonderful things.  Internet in the middle of a cracker storm.

Nothing destructive as yet, but the rain is amazing, so much, so hard, so fast - everything is getting overrun.

And BOM just keeps impressing!

Incoming

Ahhhh check this out.

Current radar image from BOM on the Brisbane weather radar. I think we're about to be hit with a doozy of a storm... hopefully not as destructive as the one that hit The Gap on Sunday - but I'm turning this computer off now just in case.

Looks like Ipswich is right in the path of a big patch of red!

See you on the flip side...

Still Raining

Driving into work this morning... The rain hasn't let up since the storm on Sunday. So please remember those people who lost roofs, windows or had holes punched in their homes. The rain is expected to last all week, so it's really hampering the clean up efforts.

Membership

As of yesterday, I am now a member of City North Baptist Church.

Big Storm

Brisbane was hit pretty hard from a huge storm last night. We didn't cop to much out Ipswich way (well at our place anyway), but as I headed into church I saw tree after tree which had been felled in the high winds.

Parts of Brisbane have actually been declared a natural disaster zone.  Friend of mine have 30m trees down in their yards.  One friend told me that he turned up to his church and there was no power, and carnage everywhere, so instead of holding a service they walked around their church's neighbourhood and helped people move trees, clear yards and cover holes in roofs.

We had a small number at City North, and had power, so held a cut-back service before heading to Macca's - though everyone else had too cause it was the only fast food joint around that had power.

250 000 homes without power, some friends in Brissy are still without power over 24 hours later. Some suburbs are being told to boil drinking water because a huge water tower had it's roof blown off.

Feel very strange being right in the middle of it all - but not overtly effected by it at all.

Remembrance Day

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,27574,24628065-5016619,00.html

THE guns may have fallen silent at 11am on November 11, 1918, but for many Australians like Penelope Ransby the personal stories of the Great War sound out as strong as ever 90 years on.

When war broke out in 1914, her grandfather, Evelyn Wilton, was working on a farm he owned with his two mates, Lance and Chris Andrews, in Western Australia's Margaret River region.

Few places could have been under less direct physical threat from the Central Powers (Germany, Austria-Hungary and the Ottoman Empire) than their farm but, sure enough, the three men left to serve the British Empire in battle.

In time, two of them would make the ultimate sacrifice.

As Ms Ransby prepared with the nation today to remember the fallen with a minute's silence at 11am, she shared her family's story with news.com.au.

"These guys had so much to offer and it was all taken away from them," Ms Ransby said.

"There is no longer any living memory of what they did so I think it's more important than ever that we remember them.

"Unless we do that it will be forgotten forever."

The brothers Chris and Lance were thrust into Gallipoli but did not serve together. Chris was in the Australian Imperial Forces, Lance in the Royal Marines.

On April 27, 1915, Lance was shot in the leg at Bloody Angle. But he could be considered lucky because at a time when many were dying as he was evacuated to England for medical treatment.

As Lance was heading to England Chris was sitting in a Gallipoli dugout writing letters to friends and family.

"I am longing to get back to the dear old Margaret (River) and never want to leave it again," he wrote.

"I did not like leaving Margaret at all. I am sure it is one of the choicest spots in the world. I fully expect to be back before the end of next year."

Instead, as he stepped out of the trench to hand the letters to his Colonel, he was unaware he was being watched by a sniper. The bullet hit him in the stomach and he died on died May 11, 1915.

"A mound, a small wooden cross and a few pebbles alone mark the last resting place of as brave a gentlemen as ever walked," wrote Chris's comrade-in-arms Private Horace Bruckshaw.

Lance would return to the front and even volunteered to join the Australian forces in Gallipoli so he could see where his brother had died.

After four long years of service, and only three months before the armistice we remember today, Lance was killed in action as the Allies captured the French town of le Barque on August 25, 1918.

Evelyn would have his own brush with death when the ship he was serving on, the Drake, was torpedoed by a German submarine on October 2, 1917. He survived but 19 of his shipmates did not.

There would be a final cruel blow to the dream of three men who had looked forward to the war's end and a return to their Margaret River property.

The task of running the sheep and horse farm proved too much for one man. The frontier lifestyle also took its toll on Evelyn's wife and young children who would return to England without him.

Evelyn ended up selling the farm moving to Hobart to live with a  sister he barely knew. He died in her care in November 1960, aged 60.

More Indy stuff

Continuing to process things I did at Indy.

Here's a crude video off my mobile phone of a pitstop during the race.  Their efficiency is impressive.

This is where I stood (in a medic station) for the entire race... tough job being the chappie :-)

Update

Well I visited Grace in hospital today.  She fell into some hot water yesterday and has burns on both legs.

She'll be ok, not sure if there will be scarring, and it will take a long time to heal.

Keep praying for her, she was very sweet and quiet today. But it will be hard for her parents once she comes home.

Please Pray - Linking through the Blogosphere

Please pray for my little friend Grace,  she's had an accident this morning and we ask God to heal her, look after her and her parents at this time.

Amen.

Surfer's Paradise Indy Cars 2008

A lot goes on down at Surfer's Paradise during the Indy Carnival... and after a few weeks of laziness here are some photos I took down there over the weekend.

V8 Supercars:

Indy Cars:

F-111's

And Other Stuff:

Everything else is over on http://flickr.com/deanoqld 

Brisbane Eye

I'm at Southbank tonight with the City North youth group, and this is the first time I've seen the new ferris wheel up close. It is an impressive structure. I wish I had brought my DSLR camera with me. Beautiful!

And the world changes...

I get a funny feeling anytime I watch something that I know will be part of history forever.  I've always loved history, studied it during my senior school years and seriously thought about studying it at uni.

I felt that feeling today watching John McCain concede defeat in the 2008 US Presidential race and Barrack Obama give his victory speech.

I don't really have much of an opinion, or know what will come of it.  But I just got the feeling I was watching something historic.

The Saddest Day in Our Nation...

... is tomorrow.

I hate the Melbourne Cup.  Celebrating affluence in it's worst instance, wasting so much money - NSW TAB is estimating over $100 million to be spent plus millions more with bookies, even with the current economic crisis.  

Plus the amount spent on food, clothes, hats!!!! It's terrible.

Close to $200 million spent on nothing, celebrating a day for no reason... when there are so many in our nation who are in such need, let alone the amount of poverty world wide.

It's a disgrace that we spend so much. I'm not even joining in the special lunch they're throwing at work tomorrow... I mean the only excuse to have this lunch is this horse race and hugely selfish cosumeristic celebration.

I just don't feel I can join in at all and not feel guilty.

How Great

How Great is Our God

(Chris Tomlin)

The splendor of the King, clothed in majesty 

Let all the earth rejoice 

All the earth rejoice 

He wraps himself in Light, and darkness tries to hide 

And trembles at His voice 

Trembles at His voice 

How great is our God, sing with me 

How great is our God, and all will see 

How great, how great is our God 

Age to age He stands 

And time is in His hands 

Beginning and the end 

Beginning and the end 

The Godhead Three in One 

Father Spirit Son 

The Lion and the Lamb 

The Lion and the Lamb 

How great is our God, sing with me

How great is our God, and all will see

How great, how great is our God

Name above all names 

Worthy of all praise 

My heart will sing 

How great is our God 

Name above all names

Worthy of all praise

My heart will sing

How great is our God

How great is our God, sing with me 

How great is our God, and all will see 

How great, how great is our God

Best Ad on TV

New favourite TV commercial - the Cadburry Gorilla - just brilliant... makes me feel all fuzzy inside!

Pit lane.

The bonus of being the chaplain.

Ooops it's early.

Some pretty lousy phone typing in that last post:) that was 'tyres ' that were being shipped around and 'hundreds' of people bothering the grid girls.

Race Day.

Early morning at the race track, there's nothing better... All the Indy teams are doing their final preps for todays race. Types being shipped around and grid girls doing all their promo work before there are houndpees of people bothering them. It's a whole heap of stuff you normally don't see.

Loving it...

My first time as an official chaplain at a V8 Supercar event, and it's been great. I stood in the pits all day, talked to people, watched the racing and got some good photos which I'll be able to show you when I get them back on my laptop.

V8 Chaplain.

Am on the bus heading into Indy this morning. This is a totally different experience to my previous years on the Gold Coast track. I've brought no Ford supporters gear because this year I am filling in for Garry Coleman as the V8 Supercar chaplain. I'm looking forward to it but am also just a little bit apprehensive about it all. Pray for me will ya? Thanks.

Looking Forward.

I'm sitting in a park near my church in Brisbane. I live nowhere near this church, and have never been to this park before. The majority of my life has been lived in Ipswich but today i look around and realise that only my family, and spot to sleep is there. So sitting in this park I'm looking forwad, life in Brisbane must become more permanent soon. I need to move on, and that's a bit frightening. The sun is setting here, kids are playing basketball in the park,and it's a lovely spot... A good place to ponder, to sit and think about life.

Weekly Photography Assignments

A few weeks off again - seems my life is too busy for much photography at the moment.

But the assignment this week is "Leaves" so I thought that was easy enough to find something to shoot.

Thanks to those loyal ones

Was checking up on my yearly stats on Google Analytics and saw this.



So to those people who are regularly visiting My Jarrol Spot I want to say a real warm thanks, and would love to know what things keep you coming back for a gander into my life and thoughts...

One final one...

Here's the footage of the Jesus All About Life V8 Supercar coming to it's end at the top of the mountain... certainly highlights the foolishness of the other driver, and that there was nothing Andrew Fisher could do.

Video titled... Jesus Crashes at Bathurst... (at least there's some publicity out the for the team)

Champs 2006, 2007 and now... 2008

It was a great race - worthy of the iconic heritage it represents.  And no matter the winner it would have still been a great race, though some years you enjoy the whole race but have a hollow feeling at the end when a Holden crosses the line.

Other years you rejoice in a Ford win at the end, but the best years are like the 3 previous years, when the team and drivers you support over all else are standing on the top of that podium with the Peter Brock trophy in their hands!

Well done Jamie Whincup and Craig Lowndes for winning yet another Bathurst 1000 - they were so strong all day, each driver fast in their stints and Craig putting in a top effort after 3 restarts to pull ahead each time.

I wasn't too sad (or could I say surprised...) to see Mark Skaife put the #1 HRT Commodore in the wall... he just doesn't have the distance in him to perform without a mistake.

With that accident knocking Garth Tander back, it's made the 2008 Championship look a whole lot more exciting, with Whincup now leading, Winterbottom (Ford Performance Racing) second and Tander third.

Bring on Indy in two weeks! Looking forward to being there...

The Bathurst Church

Most pastors spend their Sunday mornings in a church building.  It's slightly different for V8 Supercar Chaplain Garry Coleman.  On Bathurst Sunday Garry is there bright and early, making sure the officials are feeling good... spending the last bit of the marshall's briefing giving a devotion and word of encouragement before they head out to their flag points... and then the part everyone sees - the opening prayer before the race starts.

This year I used my webcam to record Garry's prayer, he always knows exactly the right thing to say, and though it's a very crude recording I wanted to share with you a small part of the work or a Motorsports Chaplain.

Sunday Morning - Bathurst Style

It's early Sunday morning, race day! The suspense of the whole weekend is wrapped up and packaged ready to explode as the red lights go out in just under 3 hours. With day light savings starting early in NSW this year, us poor blokes in Qld are up an hour earlier (6am) to catch the morning practise and start our dose of car racing for the day.

Yesterday was action packed, the Top Ten Shootout left Garth Tander and Mark Skaif on pole position, that's almost a comforting thing due to the fact no one has won the 1000 race from pole in about 20 years. 

During practise yesterday Paul Radisich crashed the number 15 Toll/HSV Commodore into the wall up on Skyline.  It was a terrible crash, almost as much as the Paul Wheel accident on Friday. Radisich broke is right ankle and dislocated his left... no doubt because the throttle had stuck open and Paul had both his feet on the clutch and brake flat on the floor, trying to slow the car down. 

In the Development series a car spun on the Esses coming down the mountain, stupidly he pulled out on the blind corner without waiting for the whole field of cars to go through.  Andrew Fisher in the Jesus All About Life V8 Commodore came over the bump into the Esses and this another Commodore drive straight in front of him, with no where to go Andrew T-boned the dope who hadn't waited for a safe time to re-enter the track.  It was a very unfortunate end to Andrew's V8 Supercar campaign at Bathurst.

This morning, the 20 minute practise is over, the Utes are racing (Andrew in his ute is running 15th), the Porsche race is now the only thing between us and the start of the big race.

FPR in the practise have had a scare, the car's running on only 7 cylinders, but they should get that fixed by the race.  Rick Kelly has switched from the destroyed car 15 in to #16 his partner's car and has been getting use to that. 

It's all leading to a very exciting day!

Photos from www.v8supercars.com.au

Motorsport is Dangerous

But just ask Paul Wheel - there's nothing he'd rather be doing, even with this horrific crash on Friday.

Pray for him and his family during his recovery - he's spent some time in hospital under observation but with no serious injuries.

This video shows the durability of the roll cages in these cars, and how safe they really are.

Today there was another accident - Paul Radisich crashed his Commodore into a wall on the top of the mountain at almost 200km/h after the throttle failed and stuck wide open. He's broken his ankle and the car won't be running in tomorrows race. A shame for his driving partner Rick Kelly who still had an outside chance at winning the championship this year.

Bringing Christ to the Mountain.

Andrew Fisher and the Jesus All About Life Racing team are taking it one step further with this years Bathurst campaign.

Not only is Andrew driving the 'Jesus Ute' in the V8 Ute Series this weekend but he's also been given the opportunity to run a 'Jesus V8Supercar' in the Fujitsu Development series.

This is the team’s second year driving in the Yokohama V8 Ute series. Last year, driver Andrew Fisher finished fourth overall and was named Rookie of the Year.

2008 saw the Jesus Team join forces with Wollongong Performance Racing (WPR), who now look after the preparation, transport and running of the Jesus. All about life. branded Ute.

Now the two organizations have joined forces again in order to attack Mt Panorama in the V8 Supercar Fujitsu Series in WPR’s ‘Daisy’, which is the ex-Paul Morris Motorsports Supercar...

...Andrew says the car also looks amazing. Black with the ‘Jesus’ logo, he says it really stands out from the crowd.

“We’re extremely happy with the livery,” says Andrew. “We received fantastic feedback, with everyone saying they can’t believe how good it looks.

“I can’t wait to drive the car at Bathurst!”

Bible Society NSW (which runs the ‘Jesus. All about life.’ program around Australia) is standing alongside Jesus Racing in this bold initiative.

Motor Sport is not where you would expect the Bible Society to focus its efforts, however the organisation recognizes the tremendous opportunities in using Andrew’s profile in motor sport to connect teenagers with Jesus.

“Bathurst is the most prominent race circuit in the country,” says Andrew. “And the V8 Supercars is the country’s premier category.

“This is the perfect place to participate as a professional race team, as well as present the name of Jesus to an audience that wouldn’t normally see it.

“We are hugely excited about the opportunity, not only by the racing, but because of the opportunities off the circuit.”

Bathurst weekend will be busy for the team, doing double duty in both the Ute’s and the Supercars, as well as taking the Ute and the ‘Jesus. All about life.’ program to surrounding schools in the weeks close to the Bathurst round.

http://www.v8supercars.com.au/content/latest_news/32684146-Jesus-Racing-joins-Fujitsu-Series/

In Race 1 yesterday Andrew started 22nd and finished 16th, which is a fairly decent effort around such an amazingly hard track. Chanel 7 even have an in-car camera in the Jesus Supercar so you can see Andrew in action as he muscles the car around Mt Panorama.

The only issue I've got is that the new Supercar is a Commodore, unlike his Falcon V8 Ute... but oh well you can't have everything can you?

Keep up the good work mate.

Bathurst - Starts tomorrow.

Bathurst! The BEST time of the year.  V8 Supercars are the best touring car series in the world, and Bathurst is the best track in the world.  Tomorrow begins 4 days of the best racing we'll see all year.

For those who love it, and those who don't know anything about it watch the video, it shows you the amazing track, and what it takes to get a car around it once.

And remember they have to do it like this 161 times!

Goose bumps rising just watching that video. I can't wait for Sunday!

Humilty in Action

{Notes and ideas from Ps Murry's sermon last Sunday night}

True humility begins at the cross, it all starts with our position before God - and then is evident in different aspects of our life

James 4:11-12. 

Brothers, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against his brother or judges him speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor?

What we say about others is a true depiction of our level of humility.  Slander = talking down to or taking a higher position of someone else before speaking to them.  How then can someone who slanders, and takes a higher position be showing humility?

Do we sometimes even do this when we pray? (eg: "God please help this person who is doing these terrible things, only you can save them because of the mess they're getting themselves into."), When we pray for people, do we take a higher position than we aught? Especially when we are praying with other people and in a place where our prayers are heard.

~Beware the critical and judgmental attitude that puts people down~

Like the last part of the verse above says, when you speak against someone, you're judging the law that is held on them - when you do this you bring that judgment of law on yourself also and how well do we really stand up against that?

James 4:13 - 17.  

Now listen, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money." Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that." As it is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil. Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins.

What are we so caught up in our own importance? We don't even know what's going to happen tomorrow, yet we spend all our time planning and thinking about it.

We do not have control of our own destiny, our plans are only ever subject to the One who ultimately has control over them. Our humility is shown through how we plan our lives.  We need a 'God willing' attitude to life - "I've made these plans for next week God willing" - not as a catch cry to religious living, but as a honest reaction to the plan of God.  Planning our lives isn't a bad thing, but we need to continue to realise that our lives are in God's hands and we can't assume anything.

~Are we filled with a sense of our own importance, or are we open to God directing our lives to his will?~

James 5:1 -6.

Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming upon you. Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes. Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days. Look! The wages you failed to pay the workmen who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty. You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter. You have condemned and murdered innocent men, who were not opposing you.

Our wealth can provide for us the kind of lifestyle we want to live, because of this we gain this attitude of 'why do we need God?".  When everything is going well we kind of just cruise forgetting about our reliance on God and look to our own provision to provide out needs.

It seems the more and more we have, the less and less we rely on God.

So what can we do with our wealth to display humility? Life is not about living in a flash house, gaining a large salary or driving a late model car. Our life should reflect our real wealth which is in Jesus Christ.  If that means using your late model car to ferry around youth group kids that's great, but we need to be open to the fact that it may mean selling that car and using the funds to volunteer in an aboriginal community out of the city where you won't need a new set of wheels.

~There is pride lurking in all of our lives!~

The key to humility:~ understanding our place under God.

Mikelear Fallout

A nuclear blast is an incredible thing.  It blows up huge, unable to be hidden, is seen from far away and is a shocking sight for everyone who would ever see one fired in anger.

However it isn't for a few weeks, or even months, until the real damage and effect of the nuclear blast is realised.  As the fallout (radioactive waste) that was blown high into the atmosphere settles back to earth, possibly thousands of kilometers from the original blast location, and poisons the environment.  

Everyone sees the initial blast, but may not be initially affected by it, but it's the 'unseen' fallout that will change the landscape of the environment it lands on.

In many ways I think that the Mike Guglielmucci situation is much like a nuclear blast.  The initial scandal, all the media coverage and the shock felt world wide was like the huge mushroom cloud shooting the particled remains of Mikes life high into the sky for the whole world to see. However those not in the initial blast area were not really that adversely effected. They saw the cloud, they felt shocked at it's sight, but it didn't change their day to day lives.

However at Recharge I think I realised some of the fallout from Mike's lie settle on me.  The music by Andrew Sercombe was brilliant, it was heartfelt and humble - musically fantastic with great musos playing really really well.  But I struggled to find a place of worship and praise during the music times.

Images of Mike Guglielmucci singing Healer with the oxygen tube were shown world wide.  They were part of the Hillsong DVD. I saw the YouTube video which had the DVD part of that song, which showed Mike, Darlene and others talk about the night Healer was recorded. They all spoke of how they just knew God was working through Mike, that everyone was touched by God acting through him. 

It's pretty obvious now that God would not have been very happy with the lie Mike was highlighting by dedicating his lyrics to the fact God would look after him through his cancer struggle. The simple fact is God was not helping Mike through cancer struggles, because Mike didn't have any.  The words to Healer are pretty good (I wasn't totally blown away with them), but I think God would have felt slightly saddened that night it was recorded that so many people were being dupped. He certainly may have used that night to speak to people in the crowd, or the words of that song to bless the heart of hurting people who have heard it, but I don't think he would honour the act that Mike was actually doing that night. 

So that YouTube vid is a bit of a slap in the face, showing how music can emotionally charge people into believing something is 'from' God, when it's really just something we are creating all by ourselves.

That's the fallout from this situation in my life at the moment.  Suddenly good music makes me question if I'm being spoken to by God, if I'm responding to something in my life that God is pointing out, or if I'm simply being affected by the music and coming up with my own feelings all by myself. 

Music isn't bad, I'm not saying that, I'm not even saying that music is all hype and not worshipful - I'm just saying at the moment I struggle, after being shocked by falsehood, to connect with the worship side of music. 

Playing the drums is different, it is my response to God, something I physically do to show him love - yet I know me doing this may create the emotional effect on someone else in the same way I'm struggling when I'm in a congregation.

Don't know if that makes sense, it confuses me, and I'm not sure what to do about it. But it has caused me to see different ways to emerse myself in God's love and worship him - away from anything musical.

I don't have an answer for it, or know if I'll ever really enjoy big worship music nights again (I enjoy the music, just don't find myself worshiping God like I use to).  I don't know if playing drums in one of those nights is the right thing to do, knowing that I'm worshiping playing the drums, but there may be someone like me in the congregation.

It's all part of the fallout, falling into and changing a part of my life.  Maybe changing it forever, or just a little while.

Recharge

Am back - and finally ready to lay out a few thoughts on Recharge 08.

I always enjoy Recharge, simply for the fact I can get away for a weekend with people I see often, and some I don't see very much at all.  There are so many up at Tamborine Mt for the weekend you're bound to bump into someone who you totally do not expect to be there.

This year instead of the Friday night Bush Dance, they put on an 80's Prom Night (which was basically a bush dance but you had to come dressed in bad 80's formal attire).  Was a little bit of fun, and good to catch up with a friend Bel Morrison who kind of became my 'date' for the night (sorry Bel) - but anyway check out her myspace as her music is fantastic - http://www.myspace.com/belmorrison

Anyway the social aspect of Recharge was good, as always (special note must go to Derek and his fantastic choice to get Merlo coffee for the cafe this year - GREAT JOB MATE!!), and it was heightened by the fact that a whole group of us from City North booked into the same accommodation at WEC and us boys shared a cabin and really got to spend some time chatting, which was excellent.

Tim Hein was the main speaker for the weekend, and I thought he was pretty good.  Tim spoke at the WHY Young Adults camp in January this year, and unfortunately the messages were fairly similar so I'd hear most of it before.  I still took some good notes though and was able to get stuff out of what he said.

I also went to 3 out of the 4 electives Tim did over the weekend, and thoroughly enjoyed them.  His one on the Emerging Missional Church was great  - and the two on Young Adults ministries wasn't far behind.

As usually Andrew Sercombe from Soul Survivor was back to lead worship and did an amazing job.  I knew some of the other people in the band this year and it was a different dynamic knowing the guys who were leading us in worship - not just Andrew.

I did react to the music differently this year, but I'll cover that in another post.

Anyway a brief overview of what I learnt this year...

• ~The God who is the same yesterday, today and forever is just as relevant today as he was at creation. Even though God may be seemingly different in his actions, "seeing everything as good", "wanting to wipe out the nation of Israel", "weeping over the people", "judging the nations" and "offering the ultimate forgiveness" God is still committed to being Himself through that in all those different emotions he is constantly loving us - and that is what has remained unchanged through it all, but has caused those different emotional reactions.
• ~God is committed to this world. God was so committed in fact that he left the divine environment of heaven and limited himself so that he could join what he had created, to teach and show us, and ultimately die in our place.
• ~God is committed to our personal transformation, his plan is written into our lives and it was placed there the moment we were conceived in him. His plan will evolve in my life by itself, just at the right time.
• ~God is not a god who is backing off.

That's just a little bit from the first session Tim did.  If I get a chance I'll write out some more of my notes later.

Wanting to blog about Recharge

Work's been a shocker this week, no time to think - and now I'm home I just want to veg... Expect some thoughtful blogs later - cause Recharge was great, and as usual produced some big thought processes during the weekend.

Sorry

Be back soon...

I'm off.

Heading up to Tamborine Mountain for the Recharge young adult conference... Looking forward to it... Especially the drive up the mountain; what a special road it is!

Fridays.

The new improved Employee 2.0 has a new driver feature with upgraded work ethic and we've also taken out the crude jokes and long lunch breaks. ~ can't half tell it's Friday eh?

You Can't Fix Everything

I've always been one of the Mr Fix-it kinda guys. I want to fix everything, not just physically, or mechanically, but also relationally and emotionally.

When I see someone hurting I want to fix it. I may not be able to, but I try.

However I've learnt something this week. Sometimes when it comes to relationships, friendships and just relating with people it doesn't matter what you do... it's not up to you to fix it. Even to the point that trying to do anything is only going to make it worse... not better.

I think there are times when you get to a point that you've done your bit - you've apologised, explained yourself or done whatever it is you needed to do. After that it is up to the other person to do their bit (even if that's just get over it).

I've had this experience this week - something is still not right, but I have to leave it where it is, it's no longer in my hands cause anything else I do will simply make it worse again.

It's hard and I'm struggling with it - I don't really know if I can just wait now... because I have no idea if it will ever be right.

Sometimes learning curves are painful.

Slow Victory

Wow, just watched the end of the Belgium Grand Prix! Rain fell with a couple of laps to go. Raikkonen lost his lead to Hamilton, then the rain gets harder and both cars on dry tyres start to slide everywhere.

Around the next bend a car had spun and Hamilton had to dive off the track to miss it. Raikkonen took the lead again, but spun coming out of the corner, Hamilton back into first as they slide around for one more lap to go... as they enter the main straight Raikkonen got his wheels on the white lines on the edge of the track and spins hitting the wall...

Hamilton then creeped around a very slippery track very slow to claim another Grand Prix title.

But what a way to finish, slow and careful, fearful of sliding off and hitting the wall, even at such a slow pace. And poor Raikkonen leading the entire grand prix to put his Ferrari in the wall on the second last lap!

Exciting stuff!

Sickness

Well missed my Thursday and Friday posts... I've been unwell. But it did give me another analogy and experience to think on.

I thought I was just getting a small bout of the flu, but then a tummy bug kicked in and I had a terrible day Thursday.

I slept most of the day, ate some toast and that was about it. I woke up Friday morning, tummy bug gone, but I had a hammering headache - felt totally normal except for the headache. I went to work, I took some panadole to ease the headache but it didn't work.

It was only when I got to work and filled the water bottle I usually drink during the day did I realise that all through Thursday, even though I was sick, I hadn't drunk any water. I drank that bottle of water very quickly, I hadn't realised how much I needed water until I started drinking.

I drank 3 bottles in a row.

Within 10 minutes my headache was gone... I'd simply been badly dehydrated. Giving my body what it needed (water) had solved all my problems.

It's like that with God too I think. We spend so much time doing our own thing, not listening to him, not reading the Bible that we start to get symptoms in our lives that we can't explain. We may try a heap of stuff to fix it (like I did with Panadol and coffee), but what we really need is the living water of Jesus.

Spending time in prayer, reading God's word, living a life in tune with the teachings of Jesus will be like the 3 bottles of water I drank... they'll fix you up straight away.

Quote on Relationships

"A woman's heart must be so hidden in God,That a man must seek God to find her..."

~~ MAX LUCADO

Single guy moment... that sounds well and good, so what's the deal? Am I not seeking God enough? Or has she not hidden her self in God enough for me to find her?

Is Temptation a sign we're doing it right?

Why do we see so many Christian leaders fall from grace? Why are there so many sex scandals in the church? Why wasn't I entirely surprised when I saw the news about Mike Guglielmucci?

And why don't we see the same sort of things from Muslim leaders, Buddhist monks, Hindus and Scientologists?

Maybe they're better at hiding it? And I don't want to make any excuses, all that stuff is wrong and should never happen but I wonder is Satan doesn't bother pushing the boundaries with Islamic Imams because he already has them in a place he wants. There's no doubt there's such temptation on the church, but is that because if we weren't tempted, and didn't stuff up we would be an unstoppable movement in the world today?

Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism aren't saving people. Those religions are not God working in this world, so they must be a tool of Satan - why would Satan tear down those tools? But the church is the movement of God, in fact with the Holy Spirit living inside each Christian the church can be God to the world around them... that must be the place Satan will try and tear down. The Islamic religion is always so quick to point out the hypocrisy of the Church, and their discipline is something that they can show off with pride... but is that just because the work of Satan is focused on the one group of people who could actually make the difference, and not worry about those preaching darkness already?

It's not an excuse, but it might explain the media coverage shown to church downfalls and not other religions. It's also a call for us to be extra vigilant. Why when I'm with the guys at work they may see a skimpily clad girl, make a comment and get on with the conversation, yet the image of that girl may linger in my mind as a continual temptation... if I give into that temptation it makes me an ineffective witness to those guys around me - wouldn't it make sense to make that temptation much bigger for the one person you're trying to stop being effective?

As always the answer to this is Jesus - as powerful as Satan may be over the minds of human, however he may weave situations for the purpose of our downfall, Jesus is so much more powerful than him. Again, due to the Holy Spirit's presence in each one of us, we have that power at hand when we are tempted.

James 4:7 says "Submit to God, resist the devil and he will flee from you." Is that what we are missing somehow? Is that why we're seeing so much stuff in the church that looks like a downfall? Are we failing to submit to God, because even if all the focus of Satan's temptation is on the church - that verse is still the truth and we should be able to make Satan flee!

Let's pray for each other, let's support each other through each of our temptations, let's not hide ourselves from each other, but let us stand together, submit to God and make Satan run away. For we are the salt of the earth, we are the way to God, and we are the group of people who can make the difference for the kingdom of God!