Grace & Hope

Christmas

Another Christmas.

We hung some decorations for you. I wish you both were still here.

You would have loved the tree. The lights are so pretty. They make me think of you. You would have been beautiful too.

Can you see it, my daughters?

You would have liked Christmas.

Heaven

One goes more quickly to heaven from a hut than from a palace.

- St Francis of Assisi

Creation v Evolution

Seriously, why do people get so worked up over this one?

The only point in this debate that actually has any importance is whether or not God created the world, and this is not a matter of science but pure faith. It makes little difference whether he did it in six days, or six ages, or over millions of years using evolution. (If you are arguing for a six-day evolution because of Genesis 1, then that is a debate over the Bible, not science. Pure faith again.)

If you are interested in this debate, go for it. It's great to be interested in science and everything that has happened before us. But please understand that not everyone has the same passion. I am not as interested in knitting as my Grandma is, and thankfully she doesn't ask me to converse on that level. I'm sure she has some scintillating conversations with other grannies.

I have not met any people who have been convinced to believe in Christianity or the Bible solely because someone has won an argument about evolution. Usually the only people who want to debate are those who have already decided one way or the other. Come to think of it, I have not met any people who have been convinced to follow Christianity on the basis of argument at all. Arguing doesn't show you care. It just shows your arrogance.

Personally, I think most of the time there are far more important things to discuss.

And the word there was 'discuss,' not 'debate.'

Wedding Ring

Sails

Sunset

Mirror Mirror

I personally believe that the mirror is probably the worst thing we have ever invented.

What would life be like if we had no mirrors? People would be less insecure (well, at least in this area - I'm sure we'd find something else to worry about!). We would have to rely on other people's perception of us.

"Do I look ok?"

My wife would believe me when I tell her she looks beautiful.
Perfect pinups would become powerless with the death of comparison.
We would be able to see more clearly the things that really count: integrity, peace, compassion...

Is there any value at all in having a mirror? So we can see an accurate picture of ourself?

Unfortunately, the picture WE see of ourself in the mirror is usually distorted by our own perceptions anyway. It's not accurate. People look in the mirror, and generally see themselves as being more ugly, or more beautiful than the image actually shows.

When my wife looks in the mirror, she sees a completely different picture than the one I see when I look at her.

We are both biased. But I would like to smash all the mirrors in our house so that she has to go by MY perception.

And maybe I'll chuck out the bathroom scales as well.

Fishing

Chain

Currumbin

Bella

One Way

Richard Gere

I like this quote. I'm not sure why!...

"I know who I am. No one else knows who I am. If I was a giraffe, and someone said I was a snake, I'd think, no, actually I'm a giraffe."

- Richard Gere

Dirt

When

Sometimes it feels to me like God is so far away. Sometimes I wonder why he would even want to be near me. I look at the world, and I look at myself, and I don't see much hope. And sometimes it seems like it will be like this forever.

I wanted to try to express all this, and you can read some of it in my post "Where are you, God?" back in April this year. The blog to me didn't seem to quite capture it, so I tried to write a song about it, and this is what came out. Sorry if the lyrics are a bit depressing! It means a lot to me....

Why do I walk away?
Why do I fall?
Why do I stand and shake my fist at the air
Like you’re not there at all?

Why do I scream at you?
Why do you hear?
Why are these walls always higher than I think?
And do you still care?

When will you save us?
When will we sing hallelujahs again?
When will you break us
Til we see your face?
Your amazing grace
Again

When will you save us?
How much longer will it go?
Why does it feel like we’re here on our own
And that you’re somewhere gone?

Why can’t I hear you?
Where should I go?
I’ve heard rumours of the glorious land
But it’s sure not here

When will you save us?

God let the angels sing
God let the praises ring
With shouts of glory for eternity
God bring us peace within
God let the children sing
With shouts of glory for eternity

[For me, this last bit is a chorus of hope. One day....]

Fences

Something Large

For a few years now I have had this sense that, if I could only reach just a little more, or run just a little harder, or jump just a little higher, or see just a little further, there would be a whole universe of wonder and glory, exploding with the sights, sounds and inexpressible thoughts of God. My deepest desire is to discover more of this infinity of God.

But I have also been getting the feeling lately that I won't get there by pushing harder or reaching further, but I might find it just by enjoying what I can of God in my own world - in the taste and aroma of my morning coffee, in the spontaneous kicks of my not-yet-born baby in my wife's tummy, in the honest lyrics of a talented musician - and maybe I will stumble onto a path to the God-universe.

Or maybe I will find that God's universe is not somewhere beyond my world at all, but has been here surrounding me all along...? Maybe.

This has got to be one of my all-time favourite songs, by the David Crowder Band, Mostly because of the opening verse. This is my life.

I'm so bored of little gods
While standing on the edge of
Something large
While standing here, so close to you
We could be consumed
What a glorious day

I give up, I lay down
Rest my face upon this ground
Lift my eyes to your sky
Rid my heart of all I hide

So sweet this surrender

How great your love for us
How great our love for you
That grace could cover us
How great your love

- "How Great", The David Crowder Band

Suffering and God?

How can God be loving if there is so much suffering in the world? Or, is God really in control of it all?

Please let me know what you think about this one!

Touch

I long for something beautiful
To touch my heart of pain
I'm desperate for waters pure
To cleanse my jaded shame

I don't know if I could take it though
But I would die if you let me be
Please cleanse my broken, dirty heart
But please don't look at me

I'm a helpless, broken thing
An eagle that can't soar
A lark that can't sing
Is there grace enough for me?
Please don't touch me
But please don't let me be

World Cup

Just got home from watching the World Cup final, Italy v France. We don't get SBS at home, so thanks Luke & Amy for letting me crash at 3.30 in the morning! It went through full extra time to a penalty shootout. Far out, that is not how the World Cup should be decided. Just waiting for some unlucky kicker to make a mistake....

I can't believe Italy won! They shouldn't have even won against Australia! Where is the justice in the world?

Still, it makes the Australian team look even better now that Italy have gone and won the World Cup. We gave it to the world champions for 93 minutes, and then only lost because of a dodgy ref's decision.

Go Aus! Next stop, Asian Cup, 16th August.

Sacred Space

If you, like me, want to give more time to "the sacred" instead of just doing so many things, check out this website. It's a site to help us pray, produced by the Irish Jesuits, who are so much better at it than me!....

http://www.sacredspace.ie/

Put aside some time so you don't have to rush.... I guess this is the kind of thing that's good to practise a lot!

The Non-Religious God

I've been reading some of the Jesus stories in the gospels lately (the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John), and I've been noticing more and more just how REAL everything is.

Jesus hung out with fishermen, tax collectors, prostitutes, lawyers, etc. And he was constantly going to parties with drunks, sailing across the sea smelling of fish, walking miles between cities and getting very dusty, sweaty and exhausted. These stories aren't just about religious ceremonies, or great epiphanies, or sacred rites, or mountaintop supernatural experiences for the spiritually elite. They tell of real, "unspiritual" people, in real life.

Jesus' parables and the entire God story relates to our everyday lives MORE than our church-on-Sunday "spiritual" lives. I like that about it.

P.S. To the "onlooker" who commented on the Braveheart post, thanks for your remarks! I agree that the church is not as effective as it could be - and in many ways is not an accurate representation of God in the world. Sadly, in some ways, we have actually lived exactly the opposite of the message of Christ (the "good news"). Speaking as one of those in the church, I am truly sorry that we have left so many people "bruised and battered" along the way. For a group of people who exist because of the love and grace of God, we have had some very sad moments in our history. I am deeply sorry.

Lily

Braveheart

What does this world need?

When I look at the world, in general I see a people dying. Who is really alive? Are there any amongst us who are tasting life to the full, rich and bursting with beauty? I look around and instead see far too many people with depression, or just hopelessness and despair. I see people searching desperately for life, or people convincing themselves that they already have it, or people giving up and finally saying "This must be all there is...."

But this can't be true! There must be more than this! I don't want to live a mediocre, hopeless, meaningless life. Please someone show me some other way!

On behalf of my world, I'm asking for leaders with vision and courage to give us hope. There is no more important time to stand up and be bold. Watch Braveheart again and be a leader like William Wallace. Show us what truth there is, show us what beauty there is, give us something valuable to live for. We are confused - walking blindly in a haze. Leaders, please stand up and lead. Lead with courage. Lead with integrity. And don't leave our side.

I would follow you.

Millionaires

We should all be millionaires, right?

I was at a conference today, where the speaker said everyone in the Western world has the potential to be millionaires, and really, if we aren't millionaires by the time we're 40 we must be somehow oppressed or just dumb.

You'd probably guess I considered this a load of ____.

He was a Christian speaker, but his message was pure rubbish, no offense dude. It was centred around two statements.

1. Our business on earth is affluence (ie. gain more money, more resources)
2. Our purpose on earth is influence (ie. influence more people for God)

His point was that our priority is to build our affluence (money and possessions) so we can influence more people for God. Sadly, many people at the conference were nodding at this point. He of course threw out a few Bible verses to back up his point, but both verses he used (Jn 10:10 and Eph 3:20) actually make an entirely different point when read in their proper context. And he also said that if we do everything right (ie. live life right, with the right priorities), then God will give us more affluence. And further still, he said that if God does not make us affluent, then we are obviously poor Christians.

Codswallop.

The Bible clearly does not say this at all. Our influence for God has nothing to do with our affluence. The amount of money/possessions we have has nothing to do with our quality of character. In fact, Jesus says that the more rich you are, the harder it is to be a good Christian. There are a lot of rich Christians with pretty poor character, and I've met some very poor people who are incredible Christians.

I wonder how Mother Theresa would have felt hearing this message? She is widely regarded as a very good person, and yet she has no money or possessions and lives in slums. And what about other missionaries? Jim Elliot and his four friends could have had very successful careers if they had stayed where they were, but they decided to fly to a hostile tribe in Ecuador to tell the tribespeople about the love and grace of God. They were killed shortly after setting foot on the ground. But they had their priorities absolutely correct. This is what it means to be a Christian. Not living selfishly to gain more and more for ourselves, but giving everything we have for others. As one of Jesus closest followers said in 1 John 3:16...

"This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers."

I don't want to be a millionaire, thank you very much. I'd rather live my life for other people, like Jesus did.

Trapped Miners

I would hate to be stuck in my house for two full weeks, let alone trapped in a mine.

Last week two Aussie guys, Brant Webb & Todd Russell, escaped from a mine that had been their horribly small home for two full weeks. I just read a UK news report that said it was the most famous resurrection since 33AD.

This is such an amazing story - and I'm sure the celebrations are still going strong down in Beaconsfield, Tas!

I've just had a thought that this might be quite a good illustration of what spiritual rescue is like as well. We all start out as if we're trapped in a mine. It's dark and cramped, but it is our entire world, so we have to live with it.

And then we hear distant calls, reports - the news that there is a way out to a vastly different world, much bigger, much more exciting, much more colourful, where we can live life to the full. All we have to do is call for help and we will be rescued.

At this point, what we call "free will" kicks in. You can choose. You might decide that, actually, you're quite happy where you are - this is what you know and you don't need anything more - and besides, who wants to live a more exciting life...? So you don't call out, you just make yourself more at home in the cramped, smelly hole.

Or you might decide that, even though you've gotten used to the dark, smelly hole - and the thought of light and a bigger world scares the living daylights out of you - it just might be worth the trouble. So you call out, and you are incredibly RESCUED. The open, unfiltered sunlight burns your eyes, and the fresh air sears your lungs.... But after a while you find you can see and breathe infinitely better than in the hole, and the bigger world is so beautiful, and the colours so vibrant, and the life so rich. You wonder how anyone could choose to live in a cramped, smelly hole....

It is impossible to know the richness of life until you call out for help. There is no real life without God. Look up and see.

Bibles

Should Bibles be allowed in hospitals?

Recently there has been a bit of debate over whether or not hospitals and schools should allow the Gideons to deposit Bibles around the place. A few hospitals have taken the holy books away from bedside tables, so as not to offend people. It's a move to be more "multicultural".

What I want to know is: who is offended by a Bible in the first place? Basically all the major religions regard the Bible as a sacred book - Islams, Mormons, JWs.... Even people who believe in nothing at all still generally think the Bible is a good book. Sounds pretty multicultural to me.

For goodness sake, our entire legal system is grounded in Biblical principles: "Thou shalt not steal. Thou shalt not commit adultery...."

The Bible is widely regarded as a great book, and still tops the best-seller lists, in front of The Da Vinci Code. Now there is a book that offends people. Actually, if we're talking about hospital waiting rooms, I think maybe even the Woman's Day magazines generally contain more offensive material than the Bible.

(I wonder how Woman's Day would stand up to the Ten Commandments?: "Thou shalt not lie... Thou shalt not covet...")

And if it's because Bibles can carry germs, what about the lampshades, or the TV remote? Are they going to remove those as well? And what about all those flowers that come in? Many people are actually allergic to flowers, but I haven't met anyone allergic to Bibles yet. Maybe I just haven't lived long enough.

Interesting decisions, people.

Where are you, God?

I haven't felt close to God for at least a couple of years.

Why? I think I've done all the right things. I read my Bible, if not every day, than at least fairly regularly. I pray. I love the church. I even work there every Tuesday. I trust that God can work in my life. I have an insatiable desire for God - I feel like I've walked for days in the desert and desperately need his cool water.

So what is wrong? Why doesn't God speak to me? Why don't you, God? Where is that water you promise?

It might be that I have only just had a serious, honest look at my life. It's easy to just cruise along, and I'm a star cruiser. Only lately have I stopped to really think about it. But still, I have been doing all the right things. I have been working hard for God, and I desire his touch more than anything.

Surely, if he wanted to, he could meet me, wherever I am. Am I missing something?

God, why don't I feel you here with me? Where are you?

Fear

I wonder if we really give God enough credit?

It seems to me that most of us believe we are in control of everything - or at least most things. My success, my finances, my life - I think it all depends on me. We think that everything we've achieved in the world is because we are so clever, industrial, intelligent.

I think this is only half the picture - not even that. Actually, I think this is a miniscule bit of the picture. I think that God controls everything - my life, my money, my success, my circumstances, my possessions, my ambitions, my health....... Without God, I am nothing. Any creativity, passion, knowledge, wisdom, friends - anything I have - is because of God. He gives me life. He could quite literally take my breath away any second.

That scares me a little bit.

I think it would be fairly arrogant to believe that I am in control. Seriously, what control do I have over my life? I could be out driving today and a truck could total me. My house could catch on fire. Centrelink could send me a letter saying I need to pay them back four grand. I could already have cancer and not know about it. My boss could fire me. And on the upside, I could be randomly promoted. I could get a cheque today for four grand from an anonymous person. Someone could give me a car. My wife might fall pregnant (except that she already is...!). Any of these could alter my life totally, and I have no control over any of them.

Who is in control of all of life? Well, you could say no one is, which is a bit depressing. I choose to believe that God is.

For this reason, I think that we need to fear God a whole lot more than we do now.... myself included. I need to come to God trembling, the way I fear my boss - times infinity. This I think is the beginning of wisdom.

Regrets

Are you doing what you want to be doing with your life?

I've talked to a few older people who look back at their life and wish they'd spent it differently. Many of them wish they'd spent less time trying to achieve, trying to be successful in business, trying to raise their reputation, buying bigger and bigger houses, better cars, the new boat... And they wish they'd spent more time with their family, with friends, doing things they enjoy, slowing down.

Some people really wanted to be in a rock band when they were young, or to be a writer, or to paint, or to be a carpenter, but it didn't earn enough, so they ignored their desires and spent their entire life doing something they didn't really enjoy.

What about your job at the moment? Do you enjoy it, or is it just to bring in more money? Do you really need more money?

It's surprising, but often the happiest people are those who are not well-off. The happiest people are not often the wealthiest, most successful. It's more often the people who are just doing what they were designed for.

And there is very good reason to slow down. We live our lives at such a fast pace. We work hard, and then work harder, and then get a second job and work harder still. And we don't spend time with our families, we stop going picnicking, stop camping, stop walking, stop enjoying life.

I love my wife, and we are happiest when we spend time together. And when our baby is born, I intend to spend as much time as I can with my child.

I choose not to centre my life around success and financial achievement. I choose to centre my life around relationships - with my family and friends. We don't always have a lot of money, but I'm sure when we get to the end of our lives, we won't regret it.

At least, that's what the old people say.

He Qi Arts

I just discovered some awesome artwork, by a guy named He Qi, an innovative artist from China. Check out his work at http://www.heqiarts.com.

Time

I think I am procrastinating.

I have an assignment that I should be writing. I also should be organising an event at church which is in two days. At the very least I should be weeding the garden, which is not looking too neat at the moment....

Does anyone else feel like they have many more important things that they should be doing right now? I spend a lot of time complaining that I don't have enough time.

Why is that?

Well, I need to get all these important things done, so I can spend time doing the other things, like hanging out with my wife, praying, doodling, blogging, listening to music, blogging.

What? These are not important things?

Maybe I am doing the important things already? I spend a lot of time hanging out with my wife, doodling, blogging, listening to music, chilling with my friends.... Why do I think of these things as not as important? Because they are not urgent?

I automatically classify anything to do with my work as "important", and everything else as "less important".

But I have begun to think that these "less important" things are just as urgent as the other "important" ones. Maybe more important....

People and relationships are more important than anything else. Spending time with my wife is one of the most crucial things I can ever do. Doodling on a pad inspires creativity - one of God's greatest gifts to us. Music lets us in on the beauty and wonder of life, and says things that can't be said with mere words. Work is important to give our life purpose - we were made to work. But it is less important than people.

It is easy to fill my day with activities, but the greatest tool for building relationship is time - free time. I want to be a person who always has time for people.

Especially for my family.

Names

I've been thinking lately about names. We put a lot of emphasis on making a name for ourself, gaining honour, respect.... We write a book, and make sure our name is on it, so no one else gets the credit. We write a song, and make sure it is copyrighted to us, why? So no one else gains from my talent and skill?

If I do anything good, I make sure people know it was me, not someone else. And if I do anything bad, I try to explain that it wasn't me....

Is this a good thing?

I'm not sure.

It seems to me that when Jesus Christ said, "Those who want to be honoured should become the least, and those who want to be first should go last," he was talking about names. I think this might be saying that we should not strive to make our name great....?

Really, if I write anything good, can I claim any of it? Without my teachers at school, I would make no sense. Without the inspiration of the books I read, or the musicians I listen to, I would likely have nothing to say at all!

I would not even have life, if not for God.

What credit can I claim, seriously? I would much rather people follow Him than me.

Let His name increase, and mine decrease.

I'd rather be a no-name lowly fisherman than a millionaire entrepreneur with too much reputation.

Must Fish

Too busy.

Must fish more.