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.