random musings of an honest humbug...

Hello all.

I have done some serious thinking and I figure my jibberish posts are akin to forum graffiti. And I won't stand for it. The nonsensical posts have got to stop!

Now, as you all will have observed travelling via cityrail around the city...the underside of bridges seems to attract these...well...a kind person would call them graffiti artists, an unkind person would call them hoodlams. And these aspiring graffiti artists (or hoodlams as your want may be) like to...how shall we say...display their creative ability?

So, this is what this post is for. This thread is the underside of a bridge. This is where this south american wannabe hoodlam is gonna impress some creative ability. And the beauty of it is that you're completely free to ignore this post! Or, as your want may be...you may hurl insults at me. Consequently, you may send the council to remove this...forum vandalism. But it'll be there again in a matter of days! Or you may post some kind words. But I warn you. Its best not to encourage me!

Now Kel. I have transferred $26 to your account. I trust this seals our arrangement? lol. Pls don't annihilate this aspiring forum artist! Not poor miggy!

Bless youse!

now, I think you need to add some graffiti to this post.

$26 seals the deal.

Oh and forum graffiti is allowed. I endorse random information finding posts. I will not be deleting anything like that. I am still a little surprised that a few more people haven't joined us actually. There have been others invited, but none have accepted the challenge.

Miguel, can you ask Trent if he can ask Wil if he got the email please?

Right. So. Sunday arvo. Its like quarter to six and I have a few minutes to decide whats gonna happen this night. A few minutes to make a decision which is gonna have a serious effect on my frame of mind.

I can go to church and make the same stupid mistakes I made the week before. Wind up even more frustrated, confused and anxious. Or I can spend some time with God. Get God focused again. Have a chat and get some things off my chest.

All is not well with my soul.

So I decide to not go to church. I have to find God.

Its raining outside. Not heavy, but its particulary overcast and looks threatening. But my heart says do it! I wanted to feel the rain rolling down my forehead. I wanted to smell that rain smell that can be so delicous. Something in me wanted to be caught in a thunderstorm, feeling the wind and the rain lash at my skin. Something in me said go for it!

So, I switch my mobile off and leave it on my desk. I hunt around for my bible and keys. I put a shirt on and leave my watch behind...bounding down the stairs and into the drizzle and off towards Parramatta park, not really sure about whats gonna happen but hoping for an encounter...

And as I head towards Parra park the rain get slightly heavier...my shirt gets darker and darker...and I'm loving every minute of it...more content than I had been in weeks. I follow the path...not really sure of where it leads but not caring either. Looking out for a quiet place with some shelter that I can just read some scripture and let God speak to me. And as I walk...God works. He brings me to forgiveness...and then bends my heart towards him all the while the rain gets heavier...and just as it begins to get particularly heavy...the path winds towards the old roman bath. I figure Gods just gonna keep sending it down so heavy until he's done with me in that place...so I read...and read. I worked through John some more. Chapters 8 through to 12 or so.

John 12:10-11 reads "So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus as well, for on account of him many of the Jews were going over to Jesus and putting their faith in him."

Now. Like Lazarus, we have been raised from the dead. Like Lazarus...our being raised from the dead into new, joyous and abundant life is gonna bring people to Jesus. And like Lazarus, there is a bounty over our souls. Our wretched enemy is going to work tirelessly to take out hearts out. To wipe em out. To keep us from the new, joyous and abundant life we have been raised into.

We are targets.

Whoa. No wonder my heart has been knocked around these last couple of weeks. I am being assailed.

So, the rain eases up...its still heavy...but I want to be covered in it anyway...so I rise and walk. And as the rain comes down, my prayers go up. Prayed about much...and most importantly I got some stuff off my chest and into Gods hands.

Then I see a pair of ducks in the river swimming along. I see a flock of ducks wandering around in the wet grass. It strikes me that they are loving this wet weather more than I am! This is their element. This is where they shine. This is how they bring glory to God. By being themselves. By doing what they are made to do.

And I? Am I doing what I love? Am I doing what I was made to do? Am I bringing glory to God? A part of my soul sighed...said no. Of course not. Part of me feels that there is a greater cause...a greater joy to be had. But then my soul lifts and remembers that I still have that to look forward to. That God will bring me to that road, if I just let Him! To find my calling and the desire that has been woven into the fabric of my heart. I have so much to look forward to!

Our God is so good!

Ephesians 6:16 (New International Version)
New International Version (NIV)

Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society
[NIV at IBS] [International Bible Society] [NIV at Zondervan] [Zondervan]

16In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.

Rayzed Edge wrote:
Ephesians 6:16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.

Booyah! Just what I wanted to hear! Reminds me of a line out of one of the greatest movies ever made - Top Gun: "Get back in the fight Maverick!"

I am psyched for this!

So I just finished watching Flags of Our Fathers. Its a moving story. For those of you who haven't seen it, it tells the story of the two flag raisings atop Mount Suribachi by US marines during the battle of Iwo Jima in the latter stages of world war 2 and the effect this has on the lives of the soldiers involved.

As with many war movies told over the last couple of years, one of the major themes presented in Flags of Our Fathers is the concept of a hero. What makes a man (or woman) a hero and if there can really be any heroes?

The sobering truth that is presented is that soldiers may fight for their country but they die for their friends. And if the popular definition of a hero is one who is willing to sacrifice their life for a greater cause, then are these men who die for their friends really heroes?

For the record. I think the warriors of world war 2 are heroes. And I don't really want to get into that debate. Thats not what was on my heart to share. But I love watching war movies. I love watching these movies where tremendous courage, valour and strength are needed in the great fight to set people free. These remind me of the warrior heart of God. One of the most impactful verses on my life as been this found in Exodus 15:

"The LORD is a warrior, the LORD is his name."

Our God fights for us. We were enslaved to sin and it is Jesus Christ who steps up to the plate. With incredible courage, valour, strength and conviction he fights the battle that so desperately needs to be won.

John 18 illustrates the incredible conviction and strength of Christ Jesus:

"4Jesus, knowing all that was going to happen to him, went out and asked them, "Who is it you want?" 5"Jesus of Nazareth," they replied. "I am he," Jesus said. (And Judas the traitor was standing there with them.) 6When Jesus said, "I am he," they drew back and fell to the ground. 7Again he asked them, "Who is it you want?" And they said, "Jesus of Nazareth." 8"I told you that I am he," Jesus answered. "If you are looking for me, then let these men go." 9This happened so that the words he had spoken would be fulfilled: "I have not lost one of those you gave me."

Knowing full well what the coming hours would bring, we don't see Jesus hiding. Or waiting. But he boldly goes out and meets those head on whom are sent to arrest him. When he tells the armed men that he is the one they are looking for, the sheer conviction and strength behind his words floors them and they draw back and fall to the ground.

Whoa. This man is incredible! I want to be like him!

Knowing full well what is at stake, Jesus Christ endures the cross. Galatians 5:1 explains that "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free."

And can it be any wonder why "God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, 10that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father?" (Phillipians 2:9-11).

Our God is an awesome God!

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A Love Affair of the Heart
01/21/2008
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For above all else, the Christian life is a love affair of the heart. It cannot be lived primarily as a set of principles or ethics. It cannot be managed with steps and programs. It cannot be lived exclusively as a moral code leading to righteousness. In response to a religious expert who asked him what he must do to obtain real life, Jesus asked a question in return:

"What is written in the Law? . . . How do you read it?" He answered: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'"
"You have answered correctly," Jesus replied. "Do this and you will live." (Luke 10:26–28, emphasis added)

The truth of the gospel is intended to free us to love God and others with our whole heart. When we ignore this heart aspect of our faith and try to live out our religion solely as correct doctrine or ethics, our passion is crippled, or perverted, and the divorce of our soul from the heart purposes of God toward us is deepened.

(The Sacred Romance, p8 )

Right. Big news.

Like that TV show called Big Sky. Except that instead of aviation, I have a more newsworthy focus.

whatever.

Corporate visa's are done for this month. Now I can go sleep...

How exciting!

That must make you so happy!

Heya.

So Chris, Maryanne and I saw 3:10 to Yuma tonight, and I really really enjoyed it.

At its core is the struggle of a man who has battled hard times on his ranch. He is enslaved to debt and is struggling to maintain his wife and his boys respect as a man.

Then one day he unwittingly finds himself aiding in the arrest and subsequent escort of a wanted criminal. Thus begins a journey to get this criminal to the station for the 3:10 to Yuma. Along the way this man comes under the wiles of this criminal who offers him substantial sums of money to let him go and secure financial freedom for his family. Fighting for his integrity he denies the temptation.

His second great struggle comes when outnumbered and abandoned, he refuses to walk away from his task. Escorting this criminal into certain death, his son begs him to stop but he refuses and he tells his son to remember this day, this day when he escorted the dangerous Ben Wade when no one else would. The day your father shows his quality as a man, a good man.

Thus ensues a battle that takes everything that Dan Evans has to win the victory and to free his family from bondage.

Its a great story and Christian Bale (Dan Evans) plays a commanding performance. Its a great old fashioned Western that shies from the over the top computer effects and explosions and instead resorts to old fashioned gun fights.

Highly recommended!

Morning all,

I concur on 3:10 to Yuma being a great movie. When I read what it was about I thought it was just an outlaw holding up at a homestead, but it had so much more.

Love it when a movie totally takes you to another time and place. I left the movie wanting to be a cowboy !!!

Yeehaa! Sounds like you guys had a great time! Sorry I couldnt come - I didnt get the text message till this morning? Might have a little something to do with a thing called a flat battery!

Bring on the cowboys. lol.

Socceroos 3 - 0 Qatar

Our boys did Australia proud...playing with passion and intensity despite their lack of preparation.

So begins Australias long road to World Cup 2010!!

Everybody, get on the bandwagon, its gonna be an emotional ride!

So.

Wednesday night.

10.32pm.

I watched The Sarah Connor Chronicles.

It was okaaayish. And thats not what I want to talk about. But there was one scene where obviously the director couldn't help himself, and he had the terminatrix (the chicky terminator) say "Come with me if you want to live".

Obviously a throwback to good old Arnie "the governator" Schwarzenegger.

Anyways, the terminatrix says this to John Connor when he is in mortal danger. Pursued by a terminator much bigger and stronger than he and facing certain death...he has little choice but to do it the terminatrix's way.

Has it occurred to you that Jesus presents the same option to us? Come with me if you want to live? We were at one time in bondage to sin and death. Certainly we still see the devastating effect of sin in ours and others lives. But Jesus makes it clear that there is escape from mortal danger. If we do it His way.

Yet it doesn't stop there.

As in terminator, John Connor takes up the terminators offer of life. And we know that in the final act John Connor is able to lead a rebel army to absolute victory over everything that enslaves humans.

Christ offers so much more! If we do it his way, there is restoration and release of our hearts from everything that would enslave it. Like John Connor, we will see absolute victory! Maybe not now...but it is certain. When Christ uttered the words "It is finished"...victory is guaranteed. It is finished. It is done.

Go with Christ if you want to live!

Okie dokie everybody...in typing out the above post, my best friend suggested I should create a post utilising every emoticon here. So here goes:!:

So, I was last night and had a very vivid about . In my dream, I was a that was eaten by an I woke up startled and confused .

It didn't matter tho because the was shining, the were playing, the were scratching and the were smelly. I sorted myself out and played some with the locals but then something strange happened.

The and sent their scribe on a reindeer who was flogged from to collect me and hold me ransom so as to flush out .

Seeing as how I started to get bored of this story, this made me feel a whole range of emotions:

The end!

love the story! Will have to think about the terminator analogy a little more I think though.

Heya youse.

Whoever youse are. There might not be any youses out there...whatever.

Consistent with my current interest in the Terminator story, I went out and hired Terminator 1 & 2.

And watched Terminator 1 last night. Very late last night.

But theres a scene where Sarah Connor is trying to make heads and tails of the situation she finds herself in. She grapples with the question "Why me? Why is this all happening to me?" to which her saviour friend replies "Its because of what you are about to do. You are to give birth to a son, whom will teach us all to fight. He is our hope for freedom".

Terminator 1 ends with a pregnant Sarah Connor pondering these recent events and her and her sons place in human history.

It reminds me of a young Mary, responding in faith to Gods request that she raise the saviour of humankind. What Mary must have pondered as all these events unfolded. Was there confusion? Doubt? Angst in her heart?

And then has she nursed the baby Jesus for those first few weeks, would she ever have wondered "I am holding the one whom will one day save me. I must raise this little one for the sake of Israel, and maybe the world".

Interesting thought isn't it. She is nursing the one that will one day save her very self.

What is one to do with those thoughts? That pressure? I suppose respond in faith and trust. What else could you do?

Bless youse!

Heya all...but specifically Kelly,

I have some pretty incredible news. Make sure you're seated because this will blow your mind!!!

I bought an ironing board today.

I told you this news was legend "I hope your're not lactose intolerant" dary.

ROFL!

That is great! Still go and visit your mum occasionally, but at least you don't HAVE to go there to do your ironing. How long have you had your unit and been living in it and still been going to your mum's to do your ironing???

yeah.

only a little while now...something like...ooh, I don't know...maybe 14 months.

not that long!

Man.. Do you have any idea how long it took me to read this entire post? It took a while, and time is short on my side.....

LOL Im going on a picnic this Saturday to wollongong - well thats the plan. The problem is I dunno how to get there - so it will be trial and error me thinks.

Hee hee hope everyone is having a great week!