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Signs of a good night
June 15, 2008 3:19 PM
You know that youth group has been had when there is both blood & vomit on the floor by the end of the evening (unfortunately, carpet!).
Friday night was an exciting time. We had just had dinner and were playing a silly game whilst some of the kids finished their ice creams, when J tripped over & bumped his head on either a door hinge or a chair leg. I asked him if he was OK & he said yes. Then, as he ran his head through his hair, it came out with a fair bit of blood.
There ended up being an impressive amount of claret on the the floor, in a lovely pattern heading toward the bathroom. The drain in the bathroom was handy, to wash away the small pool of blood that collected there.
In the end, only three stitches were needed. head wounds are always a killer because they bleed like nobodies business! Fortunately Mr & Mrs J have a bunch of kids, so they were very cool about the whole thing. It just happens...
Encounter two happened when we played my new favourite game "Pass of Play." Basically it involves giving someone a giant dice & asking them to "Pass or Play." If they pass, then they don't have to roll the dice & they can just sit & watch. If they play, they have to roll the dice & then eat the food that corresponds with the number they rolled. Some foods are good. Chocolate, Starbursts, etc. Some, not so good. On friday it was the Artichoke heart that got the vomit response, though the pickled ginger also seemed to come close.
Blood on the floor
February 6, 2008 12:58 PM
You know that it has been a good service when, afterwards, the preacher has to clean his own blood up from the floor...
It sounds so much more melodramatic than it actually was. I would love to concoct some great story about how I got into an argument about Supralapsarianism v. Amyraldism, which lead to a fist fight, but I'd be lying. The real story is so much less dramatic or cool.
At "The New Angle", the congregation that I now pastor, we have the first half of our service (usually made up of singing, prayer, a special spot of some kind, and sharing time... but not always all of them), then we have some supper & chat for a while. During this time I ended up going outside in the drizzle with a couple of the kids, because they wanted to see how I can spit a grape & then catch it again in my mouth (a must-have trick, in my humble estimation *1 ). Anyway, this then moved on to "how far can we throw a grape that Tim can catch?" and while I was picking up a grape from the ground, a little leech must have grabbed onto me.
It turns out that Shona noticed it just as I was about to start my Sermon*2. She didn't want to interrupt me, just in case I was feeling the flow, so she let the little sucker keep on drinking over the next 20 or so minutes.
the first I found out about it was when Greg, sitting next to me, told me after the sermon, by which time I had bumped it off with my other foot & there was blood all over the hall-floor. Anyway, it did make me worry that any interested look that I received during the sermon could have been because of the extraction that was happening on my person at the time.
In other news... I am not sure what the other news is. Just plugging along.
Dan & Harriet (two good friends from college, who will be working down the road at Kincumber) get back from the Middle East on Friday morning, so I'll be going down to Sydney to pick them up at 7 something on Friday. Praise God for family. P&K have let me stay at their place, which will make the travel that much easier in the morning.
Oh, yeah, for those who pray...
Praise points
I really enjoyed having a meal with parishioners last night & the Ash Wednesday service this morning. Some aspects of church are quite foreign to me up here, but much of it is very encouraging.
Shona had a conference on Mon/Tuesday, which means I have her home for the rest of the week!
Prayer Points
Continue to pray for Shona as she looks for some part-time work.
Pray for me as I get ready for my first Youth Group on friday night.
Pray that I might be bold in calling people up to meet & stuff. I am a bit shy when it comes to calling people I don't know well (embarrassing for a 32 year old guy, I know)
-------------------------------------
*1 The only trick that outdoes that (not true, there are a thousand, but this is my favourite) is Sam Chan's ability to play two recorders at the same time, using his nose as the wind-source!
*2 Romans 10:9-15. I really focussed on 10:9, looking at the Simplicity of the Christian message. The beautiful simplicity should be a great comfort to the Christian, but all too often it leads us to consternation. I think we all want things to be more complicated. Surely we have something to bring to the table? Surely I am actually earning some of my salvation? No, even the faith that I exercise is a gift from God! (Eph 2:8-9)
Still, as I prepared, I was struck by my/our need to constantly ask myself how I am transferring my belief from being a noun to a verb? How am I acting out my faith. I think Paul certainly had public confession of our faith as a way of living our beliefs, hence the placement of v.14-15 after the 9-13 section.
Anyway, that's just a couple of my thoughts. I was challenged by Justin & Tubeo posting stuff before. Partly I have felt embarrassed to do so. Surely I'll just get picked apart.
Monday
January 22, 2007 1:13 PM
I'm sitting in the SMBC library now. Of course, I needed to do work anyway, so it wasn't a hard decision to come into college, but I have to say that the air conditioning was a big draw card. While you Northern Hemisphere people are copping a bit of a chill from what I head (particularly the Americans) it has been hovering up to 39 (100 farenheit) here in Sydney...
I love the house I am looking after in Lakemba, but it doesn't have Air Conditioning.
Again, the AC was a draw card to visiting the Library...
Yesterday's sermons went well (one sermon, two venues). I spoke a little too fast in the evening service, but felt I did a better job with the sermon as a whole though. John 10:1-18 was a really fun passage to do. Particularly, because you can go down two distinct tracks. Rather than focussing on Jesus as the Good Shepherd, an idea I suspect that most of us grasp easily, I was really taken by Jesus as the gate. The fact that He is very clear in making exclusive claims of himself. It is only through Christ that we can come into a proper relationship with God.
I was particularly struck by how the pharisees (and we ourselves) have a small picture of who Jesus us. The question that was floating in the air, which I too have been asked many times, is "how can you be so arrogant as to claim that Jesus is the ONLY way?". While studying I was struck by the thought that if it is arrogant to claim that just one man could be the only way to God, then it is equally ignorant to believe that if God has come down in the flesh, that we would be able to approach God through any other medium!
God-become-man to rescue his people. Providing a gateway between us and God by laying his life down for us (being the Good Shepherd).
Anyway, enough of a potted summary. Now to answer a couple of quick questions and then deliver a couple of pictures for you visual types before getting back into some work.
Justin: Sermon went OK. I have another two shots at it next week, so hopefully I will improve further.
Dave: Wine & sermon prep at the same time. You just have to drink slowly, lest on impinges on the ability to perform the other...
Lara: Yep, it certainly is a moleskine. In fact, I have two!! One is a diary, the other is a little notes book. I write down little things that I like & want to use again in them...
Now for some pictures. I wont explain them, I'll let you just enjoy (or critique if you want) them.
A quiet evening
January 20, 2007 1:00 AM
A pleasant evening to be had.
A sermon to write, a glass of white to drink & a nice book to read.
Time in the sun
April 4, 2006 8:47 AM
As the days start to cool down, it becomes an attractive prospect to lie down on a couch indoors & enjoy a little sunlight through the window.
Wouldn't you agree B2?
Since it's the done thing...
April 1, 2006 1:07 AM
Master, they say that when I seem
To be in speech with you,
Since you make no replies, it's all a dream
--One talker aping two.
They are half right, but not as they
Imagine; rather I
Seek in myself the things I meant to say,
and lo! the wells are dry.
Then, seeing me empty, you forsake
The listener's role, and through
My dead lips breathe and into utterance wake
The thoughts I never knew.
And thus you neither need reply
nor can; thus, while we seem
Two talking, thou art One forever, and I
No dreamer, but thy dream.
C.S. Lewis
Long days and sleepy nights
February 27, 2006 11:09 PM
Saturday was a pig of a day.
Don't get me wrong now, it was great to be involved in Steph & Andre's wedding, and I was almost happy with my photos, but I only got maybe 5 hours of sleep & I was doing wedding stuff for about 12 hours!
I limped back to my car after the bride, groom, and wedding party departed to the reception, then crawled along to Phil & Kristin's place, cause Amy was up from Wagga! Despite my being wrecked, it is always rejuvinating to see my big sis (or Phil & Kristin, or Mum or Dad for that matter), and to have a free Indian meal thrown in was just icing on the cake!
The family get together was energising enough to see me drive home safely & then hit the bed for a good 8 hours!
Sunday was another great day. I was off to Church to have a staff lunch, which was awesome fun. I am truly blessed to work with so many fine people. We also had a meal together at evening church & that went great. If the staff are a blessing at church, then the parishioners are doubly so & the kids treble!
That night I was in bed by 10:45 & didn't get up till just after 8am!!! A fine night sleeping to a big storm!
So here I am, another good day of college. Fun lectures, an afternoon jog with my next-door-neighbour cum personal trainer, a steak dinner, then "Prayer and Biff" with the boys at 9:30.
I've worked my way through the tiredness & now it's back to good times!!!
Steph (on the left) certainly has style! Anna too, is very cool...
Showing the 'bling', it's the new wedding rings!
Wasting Time
January 21, 2006 1:29 AM
Baby, I am BACK!!!!
I finally got the problems solved with connecting to the internet here at Dave's so I am back in business at timgoldsmith.com!!!
OK, now the only problem might be that I have very little to write about, cause I am on holidays & that means achieving very little. This, of course, has been aided by my good mate Craig Geeve, who was so kind as to arrange to get me a second hand Playstation 2. Of course, couple this with a free copy of John Madden (American Football) 2004, and a VERY cheap EA Sports Rugby 2005 & my abundant spare time is very much less..... abundant!
Otherwise, things really are fairly slow. Doing a little reading, and some prep for first term youth group, watching a lot of cricket and too much tennis, and eating too many chocolate bullets!
I guess I will give you a picture or two to look at (more at Flickr) and go to bed so I can dream up something more interesting to fill in your precious internet minutes!
"Touching the Void"
Mum & Rog, powering through the afternoon on Christmas day...
"Always with the ladies!" You always have to make sure there is at least one good looking person in the photo!
A fading cheer
January 1, 2006 7:33 AM
It's just on 7:30 in the am, and it is already 25 degrees (that's about 80f for your crazy North Americans), maybe a little warmer out here in Dural, and it will only go up. Somewhere around 42 they say (107f) which is getting up there.
Were I still home, I think I may have dragged myself out of bed already to turn on the air conditioning, but I am not home.
I get to kick off my new years preaching at our St. Columbs church in Arcadia. Initially, I was a little bummed that I would miss out on some of the New Years festivities because I know that I need to get some kind of sleep if I am going to preach effectively, but on consideration, I was quite happy for the opportunity.
Firstly, it has been my experience that New Years Eve parties are never quite what you hope they will be. The great view of the fireworks also means being cheek to jowl with a million other people crowding any half decent spot of land on the harbour. The chance to meet up with your mates in the city is frustrated by the fact that EVERYONE in Australia is on their mobiles at the same time, so you can never get through and Transport in and out of the city is a debacle!
Secondly, it is good to have a sense of focus as we come into the new year. To remember what it is all about & where we want to go. It's a time of the year when people start making resolutions. They want to be wiser in the way that they live. They want to be more effective in what they do. With this in mind, it was appropriate (though not intentional when I picked it) that I preach on Psalm 1. It's a psalm which is all about wisdom. Finding the right council. Here it is.
1 Blessed is the man
who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked
or stand in the way of sinners
or sit int he seat of mockers.
2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
and on his law he meditates day and night.
3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither.
Whatever he does prospers.
4 Not so the wicked!
They are like chaff
that the wind blows away.
5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.
6 For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish.
If you want to hear the sermon, you could come back to St. Jude's on the 22nd when I will be giving it again, or if that is a Geographic Impossibility, I could send you through the full text, otherwise, I will let you ponder over the Psalm yourself, but for this one thought.
As you get ready for the new year, and you resolve to make it better, or smarter, a "growth year", where are you going to look for wisdom? What is going to be your focus? The focus on now, or the focus on Eternity?
Working
November 5, 2005 10:46 PM
I'm working on a longer post, after having spent an awesome morning with Craig & Chelsea in Bondi. In the mean time, I'll leave you with a pic & a teeny-tiny question inspired by some emails with a good friend of mine in the US. Read it how you will.
Do you know who you are? Have you got your own masks? Do you feel like you are really "known"?
It's good to think about these things....
Reminiscing
October 11, 2005 12:13 AM
Clava Cairns. Culloden, Scotland.
You know, it is just shy of a year since I was standing at the Clava Cairns taking this picture. Man, time goes quickly!
My weekend in 5 disjointed statements and a couple of pics...
October 9, 2005 9:29 PM
Finishing an assignment after far to long.
Waking up to winds that were so rough, that some guys thought the dorm might get blown over...
Making my own T-shirt that said "I shot the Deputy!" on it. (It got the popular vote over my preferred option, the slightly criptic "Can I be your Boaz?")
Having two worlds colide. College and old friends, both at a party.
Preaching a sermon that involved the phrases "The chicken or the Egg" and "how do you play Marco Polo with God?"
Doing the hard yards with the word to prep for the sermon.
The look of a man who is both tired and relieved...
He's back and he's bad
October 1, 2005 1:57 PM
OK, I am looking a little worse for wear here, but I had been on camp for a week, doing 5:30am starts, and just stressing myself out.
Camp was good. Camp was fun, but I am glad to be home. The talks went pretty well & the team was awesome. It was great to see God working in and through these people, many of whom were quite young, but showed remarkable maturity!
I'll definately fill everyone in about camp & stuff soon, but I am straight into the slog now that I am home, so it might have to wait till tonight or tomorrow.
Cunning Plans
September 9, 2005 11:25 PM
Making them is so much easier than keeping them.
I am always making plans for what to do with my time, but that time always appears shorter than it looked. Like the playground from your youth that you go back to visit at twenty. That giant slide is in fact 2 meters long and the mountains of time I had to study, writer, take pictures and make plans, turned out to be hours that flittered away quickly into nothingness.
Well, the pressure is now on. Of course, I wont be feeling it tomorrow, cause I will be wearing a suit & smiling for photos at N8's wedding! One day of smiles, joy, prayers & a drink to two too! Then, reality, like a sledgehammer will hit back.
Essays, Greek study, Talks for an upcoming camp, and my confirmation on Sunday night! These things take time. I know I'll have to find that time. Somewhere...
Why my quad hurts...
August 28, 2005 4:25 PM
It has been a pattern for almost all of my years (30 of them in November). I have a thing about being on time. I tend to get to most places early if I can. Most other people don't have this issue. I start to worry that I got the time wrong, the day wrong, or the fact that these people wanted to see me wrong, about 1 minute after the time people were supposed to arrive & it sits there, buzzing quietly in the back of my head until they arrive.
Thankfully, I only had this feeling for maybe 5 minutes before N8 turned up at the front of Luna Park for his Bucks day.
The numbers wavered between 8 at the beginning & somewhere around 20 at some point. The ages varied from Luke (at 7, definately the youngest) and Mr McElveney (who is old enough to be a Grandpa,that's all I know). It's a theme park, we're predominately 20-something guys looking for an exciting day. We had one!
The highlight, as it should be, was just spending a great day with N8 & seeing him happy as he had mates from all differen parts of his life together. After that, some highlights included the following.
1: There was a smooth disc shaped thing, kind of like a merry-go-round, but with nothing to hold onto when you are on it. It spins around & the last person on it wins. OK. Simple concept, UNBELIEVABLE fun when you have a dozen guys on it. When we arrived in this part of the park, it was purely the domain of the 1-5 year olds. When we left, there was all kinds of adult groups battling it out for "king of the hill" supremacy.
2: Roller coasters are always fun. The "Wild Mouse" is no exception, even if it is a slower, less dangerous ride. What makes is the most fun though, is knowing that there is a camera at one of the dips & then convincing everyone that they should try & get the funniest picture possible as you come through that section.
It all started with me taking a picture of the camera with my own camera, then things started to escalate & really get imaginative. Over the next 15 minutes we had people pretending to be asleep, making all kinds of weird faces & firing out "shooter McGavins" and the like. I was the second last to ride it & as I walked down the off-ramp to the photo viewing place, I heard the laugh & thought I had the crown. My pic came up, riding a rollercoaster, while quietly reading my bible & pondering the mysteries within. The crown didn't stay on long though.
Todd, last ride of the day, comes up with a pearler as he does his jacket up over his head & comes in "headless horseman" style. It was such an awesome photo!
3: Dodgems. Do I really need to explain the fun of this? One Groom, a dozen guys whose duty it is to pick on him! I am amazed that there were no concussions by the end of the day!
I was really bummed that I had to miss Capt'n Stubing's 30th that afternoon/evening. Major props to him for taking it well! I was glad that he was so gracious, cause I was so tired by the end of the day, that I returned home, happy, but headachey & ready for bed.
Only a couple more weeks till the wedding. What will I do with all of my Saturdays after that? Sleep and study maybe?
Busy Daze
July 25, 2005 3:48 PM
Black tie dinners always sound like a great idea when it is just a matter of putting them on paper. The reality of trying to get them organised on the other hand... When all is said and done, however, it was all worthwhile on friday night. 15 or so kids from youth group, 5 excited leaders, a whole lot of decorations & half a dozen helpers under the expert tutelage of Dana, the mother of one of the kids & master of all things edible!
How do you manage to organise something like this for $10 a head? Firstly, have some extra money in reserve. After that, comes a little bit of ingenuity. Shannyn, always a fountain of good ideas, managed to convince the nursing home she works at that they needed helium balloons for their birthday celebration. Of course, they couldn't be left at the home afterwards, so we had to "look after them" for them. Simone had some left over decorations that she could offer for free. Of course, the kids too excercised their brains, some making the most of op-shops, while others just raided their parents wardrobes for the appropriate clothing.
Good atmosphere, Great food, awesome company!
He was not just a Monk!
June 30, 2005 11:51 PM
The brave new world continues.
Up at 8am. I know, that is shocking, but it was all worth it. Eggs Benedict (see title) is a joyous thing, and when it is made with your parents free range eggs (the parents own the eggs, but chickens made them.... ;) then it is all the better.
I didn't sleep so well last night. I only had myself to blame. I always liked to tell myself that I was immune to such things, but I realised that the half a litre of diet-coke that I consumed at about 11 probably had something to do with my anability to achieve some kind of sweet repose. That said, the night was sweet nonetheless. Rain, that half distant memory, the old, almost forgotten friend, came knocking and decided to spend the even chattering away outside. I slept with the door open. Listening, smelling, drinking it in. It's not just the rain, but the countryside too!
So, I was up at 8am. I enjoyed a fabulous breakfast. How does one top such a lovely morning. Well, Rog had arranged to go on a tour of the local coal mine. I took mum's place, cause she is a bit claustrophobic (and because she loves her son & is exceptionally generous), so by 12:30 I was eating a free lunch, by 1pm I was being instructed on the use of my head lantern & the emergency breathing apparatus, and by 1:30 I was 3km down a tunnel and a couple of hundred meters underground!
Dark? As pitch!
Cold? Not really.
Dirty? You betcha! I didn't get "Zoolander" dirty, but if I were actually to have done some work down there, I am sure I would have been.
Fascinating? Definately! To see a machine that is 260 meters wide, that sheers off 1m wide sheets of coal at a time, well that is just cool.
Other news? There isn't a great deal of that. It is too wet to really take any outdoor pictures & I have spent enough time here at home before, that there is not really a great deal I want to shoot here. I have neither the time, not the inclination to go wine tasting by myself.
It is fun being here. It is nice to be reminded of how much your parents love you (did I mention my fave "Chunky Chilli" for dinner, along with the promise of Mushroom soup next week?) and to have some "down time" too.
Back to Sydney tomorrow afternoon. Off to a concert with, what I hope will be some youth group kids. My mate Dave said he might get me backstage, so I can be his bands photographer!
And the weekend? Who knows what possibilities lie there!
Happy Happy, Joy Joy
June 29, 2005 12:21 PM
Holidays are good.
Today I woke up at 11:53. Par for the course for some people *cough,cough,Michaela* but a LOOONG sleep for me!
I'm not acheiving too much in the holidays, but that is just fine. So far I visited my grandparents, spent some time at church, went to my nieces birthday party & drove up to the Hunter Valley. Today I intend to drink a little wine, play a little pool, eat a little lunch, read a litte book (Balzac, or a biography on Master Robert Bruce... I haven't decided), study a little Greek, before I have a little sleep!
Yes, holidays are good.
First birthdays totally get the most presents!
One week on
May 8, 2005 12:37 PM
OK, so I have survived a week without my computer, but I am feeling the pain! Not being able to do essays. Not being able to listen to music in my room, not being able to watch DVDs, stuff like that all sucks!
Well, there are other things in life to think about anyway.
This last week has been "Preaching COnference" week at http://smbc.com.au and it has been a lot of fun. David Jones spoke each day on different parts of Matthew 13. I would love to put up my notes @ some time, but they are not with me, so you get a repreive.
Gary Miller, from Ireland, spoke on preaching the OT & there were a bunch of other talks that happened too. I particularly enjoyed the lectures on "Preaching Leviticus" and "Preaching in a post-modern world". GOod times!
SO much more to write, but so much reading to do for my Church History essay, so that comes first.
Always another quiz
April 19, 2005 1:03 AM
Occasionally I play "link tag" where I visit one of my reciprocal links (tonights visitee was Mal) then I follow a link of his that I don't know, and then follow a link of theirs too! This goes on till I am lost or bored.
Tonight I ended up at Lara's page. She had an interesting quiz on books, so I couldn't help but give it a crack!
If you could be any character from a book, who would you be and why?
I feel bad about having to mention Lord of the Rings these days, because they movies have made the books such a cliche to love. I have loved the books since I was 9 though. Sam was always the go-to guy for me. Totally the hero of the books! He was often seen as simple, but he had a wisdom which expressed itself most often through his actions & when pressed through well thought out, deliberate words.
Which book do you wish you had written and why?
It would be nice to have written the book "Compelling Reason" by C.S. Lewis. It is actually a collection of essays. I wish I could have written it just so I could have the clarity of thought that Lewis displays.
What book(s) have you wanted to change the ending of?
A couple of Stephen King's books. I never read his Horror stuff, but many of his other books rock, EXCEPT for the fact that he often likes to leave the ending very open. I usually like to have some kind of closure after investing my time.
The ending of "The Brothers Karamazov" by Fyodor Doestoevsky was also a bit of a letdown. The book tended to be a bit of a slog & the ending didn' really feel like an appropriate pay-off.
What is most important to you in a book and why?
Story/Plot? Character? Language? Ideas? Other?
I would probably go with Characters. I have read books that don't go that far with the plot, but it is all good if the characters draw you in. Language is also great. Part of the power of the Narnia series is lewis' ability to use such simple, but elegant language.
In your opinion, who is the writer who is best at:
Story/Plot? Character? Language? Ideas? Other?
I did think that Steinbeck's "East of Eden" was a great story. I don't know if it was the best. Maybe I am just saying that so I appear well read.
Tolkien's Characters have real meat on their bones. The land itself becomes a character. You know you are reading a good book when you feel like you can smell the grass under the feet of the characters.
Lewis has an elequence that amazes.
C.S. Lewis also has an amazing mind for ideas. A unique way of looking at things. You often have to read his books of essays to get a true feeling for the guy though. Don't get daunted, they read like stories anyway!
Which book(s) have you most wanted to burn/obliterate the memory of off the face of the planet?
The Viscount Herbert Samuel said "Libraries are thought in cold storage". I have never really wanted to obliterate anything, because whether it bores, frusrates, or excites me, in every book you pick up, you have hundreds, if not thousands of hours of thoughts, ideas and efforts from people. You'll never be them, but that book can be a window to their mind.
Describe your favourite place to read (plus essential accompaniments, etc. tea).
Bed is a good place. I long for the day (which will never come) when I can have a room which has wall to floor shelves and a big brushed leather seat with footstool, big arms & headreests, just like "Alistair Cookie" in Seasame Street's "Monsterpiece Theatre".
I also miss the old days when the "Allens" company made chocolate bullets. They were an awesome reading snack.
Which books are your “comfort” books? (ie. the ones you keep coming back to to read over and over again because you enjoy them so much each time.)
Lord of the Rings
the Narnia Series
Compelling Reason
Calvin and Hobbes comic books
Where the Wild Things Are. The greatest storybook ever, by Maurice Sendak.
What attracts you about your favourite genre?
Good question. I guess Fantasy books are the ones I read most often. I guess I don't really care about the dragons & stuff like that, but often people can go somewhere you can't in real life & express things in ways that we can't usually. I am not ever sure that the modern conception of Fantasy is what I am all about. I think it is just "fantastic" situations that draw me. It could be sci-fi, it could be Lewis' stuff like "The Great Divorce", which is (loosly) about getting to the doorstep of heaven.
Which book has had the biggest impact on you/completely changed your life? (apart from the Bible)
LOTR was the first book I read where I felt like crying at the end, cause I just wanted it to keep going on & on. Really though, I guess I need to tip my hat to my th grade Librarian who got me to read "The Hobbit". That really turned me into a Bibliophile.
Which book do you most want to see as a movie done well which has not been turned into a movie already?
It is hard to do a book into a movie well. Often things I like just wouldn't translate. Maybe Stephen King's "The Long Walk".
Well there you go. It was a long slog, but if you made it, then I am proud of you. make sure to leave a comment if you decide to do this quiz on your blog!
Busy Bees and apologies
March 15, 2005 6:23 PM
The Busy bee in me.
Camp from Friday to Sunday, N8 & Amy's engagement party squeezed into the middle of that, leading church on Sunday night, then research this week! To top everything off, we are getting rid of the wire-free internet at college because it didn't get great reception, and trading up to some ISDN/ADSL or some other acronimous connection. Good news because it will be twice as fast & half as expensive, bad news because it will take two weeks before we are hooked up.
That leads me to be here, sitting at my brothers house, holding my little zip disk so I can give you, dear readers, a couple of pics to hold you over till I am back online.
I could write so much more, but, this being study week, I need to devote all of my creative energy to discussions of the possibilities of Chiasms in Judges & the effects of post-Wittenberg Luther.
As usual, click for an enlarged view...
After a game of "glowstick capture the flag" I got shannyn and Geneveive to throw the glosticks in the air, while I held the lens open. This was the best of the results.
N8 & Amy. What an awesome couple! What a fun morning! What a shame I couldn't stay for more than an hour! That will teach N8 to plan things on camp week!
What a blessing to have friends like C8! Any day when I see C8 is automatically a good one! I think N8 & Amy are going to be as cool a couple as C8 & Dan.
For the obvious child-safety reasons, these kids shall remain nameless. They were cool to hang out with at the party though.
A couch at college. Sometimes even I don't know why I like some photos, but this one I kind of do.
Plugging away
February 11, 2005 6:23 AM
It's hard work. Most of it is fascinating, all of it is challenging, and one subject is, frankly, frustrating!
College has kicked into gear. My first full week & I have already missed two lectures. It wasn't my choice. Instead, I spent 5+ hour sitting in different parts of Cocord Hospital, waiting for the doctor, waiting for the X-ray's, waiting for the same doctor again, then waiting for a Physio. Finally, after waiting for the fibreglass to dry on my new walking cast, I made it back to the second half of my big thursday.
On the whole leg front, it appears to be healing well. I have a walking cast now, so I can start to put a little weight on the leg. In the mean time, I could get used to having meals brought to me, chaufers driving meand the girls showering pity on me.
For those who are looking for some photos. They will be coming soon. Believe me, I haven't stopped taking them, though my current lack of mobility has shifted my style from "roving reporter" to "rear window". I still don't have internet access at college, so that means I have to visit my bro to post pics.
So what do I do with my spare time at the moment?
Study: Greek is the main source of stress, though there are 8 different subjects for me to work on this semester.
Reading: Ok, this is part of study, but a lot of it is also fun. I think I am also going to try & read at least one book just to make me happy. My current reading list is as follows.
Gospel and Kingdom by Goldsworthy (A great work on Biblical Theolgy)
Concise Theology by J.I. Packer (Man, packer is the bomb!)
Biblical Preaching by Robinson (I kind of wish I boug the Martin Lloyd-Jones book instead, but this will do)
Church History in Plain Language by Shelley. (pretty good so far. I am looking forward to the rest of this one.
Introduction to Biblical Greek by Black (It's a love/hate relationship)
God in the Dock by C.S. Lewis. (This is my fun reading at the moment. I really love C.S. Lewis & this collection of essays revolving around ethics, morality and theology is AWESOME! It is so much cooler than it sounds too!)
There are other bits & pieces of stuff that I have to read too. A couple of articles on things & sooner or later I will have to start some prep for essays. I hope you understand; those that live in Sydney that is, if I tell you that I don't have enough spare time to hang out too much.
Games I LOVE risk. I have played it twice since I got to college & have been soundly beaten both times. I'm improving though, and it is only a matter of time. The world will be mine!
Just hanging out: The guys in my dorm are cool. We all went & had a beer last night at the Croydon Park Hotel. The girls who live on campus are cool too! Everyone hangs out a fair bit at the moment, but we all know how busy we are, so invariably we all get drawn back to the books.
So, here I am again, back at my church, ready for another awesome Youth Group! It's busy, but it is all good!
In the mean time, I do have some basic email access on occasion at college, so I would love to hear from any and everyone who reads the blog on occasion. Words of encouragement, pleas for more pictures, suggestions for pictures! I'd love to hear it all. It makes you feel like people are thinking of you, when you are too busy to actually spend the kind of time you would like to with them! Just send them to tim at timgoldsmith.com
Man, I never know how to finish a blog. How about you just try & think of something that you find meaningful & pretend I finished with it here.
Thanks.
Busy Days
February 4, 2005 3:47 AM
Well I survived Greek week, I enjoyed an awesome weekend where I celebrated my Godson Thomas' birthday, and now I am a week into college itself.
At the moment I am keeping my minister from his computer, so I better post a couple of pictures and run...
Congrats to Matt, Lisa and Thomas!
Annie, Caitlin and Emma. Three little angels.
A butterfly that I chased for 4 minutes. Even now, he/she is a little out of focus.
Apparently college is all about love & beating each other up!
Casual & comfortable
January 21, 2005 7:19 AM
I have always maintained that the real love that I am looking for is less about intense passion & more about an enduring ease & comfort which is felt when you are around your beloved. Less of a craving for a person & more of a feeling that they are part of you, that it is just natural that your hands should gravitate toward each other. This is why I love to see my close friends, as they find people they love, express themselves in their casual comfort.
I really like these pics of N8 & his girlfriend Amy, because N8 is not always a 'contact' person, so when he looks so comfortable as Amy whispers something to him in a loud pub, that makes me feel happy for him.
Chatting between songs.
Casual comfort
Beers with Stu
January 19, 2005 1:45 PM
I am pretty sure that if I went through my archives, I could find a similar post about having beers with Stu "Capt'n Stubbing" Beattie. A true champ among men. Again, we found ourselves at the "Vicar of Wakefield" tonight, catching up on 6 months of movements & just enjoying good Christian fellowship. Any night with the Capt'n is guarenteed to be a highlight of the week.
In other news, I have a new interest in taking black and white photos. It is something that I haven't really done much of previously. You will all have to live with my initial fumbling attempts to capture something interesting.
Oh, and thanks to a majority vote, I will continue giving explanations with my pics. They are long ones today!.
I decided to take a picture of the leaves on a tree that I was walking under. It never seems to work well in colout. This old Japanese guy appears from nowhere (I was next to his block of flats) and asks me what I was doing. I thought he was going to tell me off for something, but we ended up chatting for 10 minutes as he told me all about the camera he likes to use & how I should join the APS (Australian Photographic Society). I wish I had have taken a picture of him now.
Killing time in Hornsby, I was taking pictures of this fountain (none of which turned out) when I spied this kid trying to till a bottle by holding it over one of the spray-jets. He actually drank what he caught. I didn't have the heart to tell him that it is supposed to be recycled water...
I was taking pictures of Stu, then he took some of me. I think I like his pictures better, though it is definately not because of the subject matter...
back again
November 19, 2004 2:29 PM
Over the last couple of days Chris has been changing servers, so things have been down, but now we are back & live!
There should be some new photos in a day or two, but I haven't had a chance to really take anything over the last week.
Michaela gave me a russian medium-format camera for my birthday, so I will be working that thing out over the next little while too! Otherwise, I have a couple of posts in the mental banks that I need to work on. I need to get back into the habit a little over the next little while. Don't think I have forgotten you all!
Oh, OK, here is an old photo of some flowers. They seem to be one of my big subjects these days. Go figure. This is from a fair in Madison Wisconsin. I liked the photo cause I thought it looked like I had played with it in photoshop, but I never touched it!
HBTM
November 17, 2004 10:50 PM
Special thanks to Caroline and Caroline for the cake and to Danielle too for coming in to work & giving me a special surprise birthday party!
The Rugby
November 10, 2004 11:08 PM
Getting to Saturday was a painful process. I was working Thursday & Friday nights, which meant getting to get at 8am on Saturday morning. Fortunately, my other afternoon plans got cancelled, so I was able to get at least a little sleep before I headed off to my own little bit of Rugby bliss.
We went via Dermott and Benita's place. Mic & I had met them in an Aussie pub, we had hit it off & they had invited us to come along to the Rugby with them. After having a little tomato soup & then waiting for Dermott to grab us some "roadies" (a couple of beers to drink during the walk to Murray Field), we were off!
It rained during the whole half hour walk to Murray Field, then it continued to rain during the match, but luckily we were under cover. Dermott & I were find anyway, looking as Australian as possible in our Driza-bones. Murray field itself is reallly beautiful & the vibe was great with thousands of guys cruising around in rugby jerseys & kilts and everyone feeling a good vibe.
The game was pretty awesome too. The First half was the better for Australia, with 4 tries leading to a 28-0 lead, but in the second half we really sucked & we lost that half 14-4, leading to a final score of 31-14. On the good side, we were behind one of the goalposts & it just happened to be the one that saw all 6 tries!
Anyway, I have been feeling lazy about actually writing for the last month. Again I think I will leave you with just a couple pics.
Stirling Mortlock going over for the first try of the night.
For my first time, the Aussie flags were in the minority.
The slog
November 2, 2004 11:22 PM
Well I am slogging through work & focussing on the fun that is coming in the future. That is coming into clear focus at the moment, cause I just booked some easyjet flights for my travel. So far the planned destinations are Venice, Geneva, Berlin, Budapest, and Prague, but I should also fit in some time to enjoy a little more of Italy, a lot more of Switzerland & hopefully Krakow!
I'm feeling fairly uninspired at the moment, so I will leave you with a couple more travel pics.
Carbisdale 10pm, whilst I was looking for the best view of Carbisdale Castle.
Georgie enjoying a moment of sun at the Clava Cairns.
Quiet nights out
October 30, 2004 10:51 PM
With only 4 of us doing room service at work, if one person can't do things it often means that one of the others has to pick things up, so since one of the night room service guys has had some personal things happening in his life over the last month & the rest of us have been dealing with it. the point of this blog? Well I have to do a number of night shifts over the next week, which means 7pm-7am. I am not a fan, but if I don't do it, then someone else has to, so what are you going to do?
What this all meant for me yesterday afternoon was that I had to make the decision to stay up as late as possible last night & prepare my body for the late night I have coming this evening. It was aided by two things. No.1 I had to get up at 4am to say bye to Georgie & Julie who had to get to the airport for 7am flights, and No.2 There was a party happening for Stevie, a guy I have worked with for the last couple of months.
Georgie & Julie got to bed nice & early, so I headed out to keep myself awake. This is the first time that I have been out with a large group of people from work & it was nice to see everyone having fun. There may be lots of stresses with my line of work, but the bond that comes through shared experience (and the consumption of a fair bit of beer) is a strong one, and the stresses of everyday are usually left at the bar door.
As usual, I think the photos might tell a better story, so I will let them do the talking.
Basicallly the only view we had of Stevie all night...
Girls about the town.
The relationship I share with all chefs is one of mutual respect and admiration!
Quick moment
October 28, 2004 7:31 AM
Hey there people.
I will make this quick, cause I am sitting in a hostel in the Cairngorm Mountains, and I am paying 1 per 20 mins & only have 18 left. Anyway, I have been having an awesome day off. Georgie arrived OK from London & she met a French/Canadian girl on the flight called Julie, who was in Edinburgh for 5 days & didn't know what she was going to do. Well the long & the short of it was that she ended up coming with the two of us.
We drove up to Ben Nevis (talled Mountain in Scotland, if not the UK) via the William Wallace Memorial and the Doune Castle. We didn't end up climbing BN though, cause the two girls have a bit of a flu. Day two saw us head up to the Carbisdale Castle which was awesome, cause it is actually a Hostel. YOu have no idea how HUGE this place is. You will get pics sooner or later. On the way we got to visit Culloden, home of the last great battle on British soil. Very interesting.
TOday we came down to the Cairngorms & we climbed up most of the Cairngorm Mountain together, then Georgie & I finished it off. It was at cloud level, so windy that we had to stand on an angle to keep from being blown over & so cold that there were bits of snow all over the shop.
Tomorrow is a drive back home via the Edradour Distillery, then it is back to work tomorrow.
Anyway, I will write more about it later & will be posting pics for weeks to come for sure. In the mean time, here is your question for the day...
What is your principal motivation for what you do? No explanations or anything, I just want the answer.
TCG.><>.
Coincidental
October 8, 2004 9:34 PM
First off, thanks to all of you who said some nice stuff in the comments about the last blog. Don't worry too much. On the balance of things I am still having an awesome time over here. I think everyone goes through tough days & stuff & that just puts the joy of the rest of it into contrast!
On to my Story.
To tell this story properly, one that I should have told at least a week ago, you have to come back with me a huge 8 years! back in those days it was only "posers" who used mobile phones in public, being asked for ID at a club was a major embarrassment rather than a compliment, and Tim still had to ask his parents for permission before he could take the car out for the night.
I remember those times really well. Jeans, approximately 15 sizes too large (but at that time, at least they covered my underwear) adorning my legs, "AKIRA" T-shirt declaring that I was casual, but somehow cool because I knew the name of a Japanese cartoon, and a smile on my face, because I was almost 21 years old, and in three years out of school, so I was obviously much more cool than those dorky 1st years...
At this time I would also have been smiling because I had a lovely girl on my arm. For the sake of this exercise we will call her Allison. Actually, her real name is actually Allison, but I have always loved the term "for the sake of this exercise" and refuse to give up any opportunity I have to use it during any kind of verbal, or written correspondence.
Sorry... where was I? Oh yeah, so Allison & I dated for about three months, and then as was the fashion in those days, we broke up. Of course, I think I was pretty immature about how I went about this whole process, the result of which was that within three months of that time, I had little or no idea where Allison was, and what she was doing.
Cut to 8 years later.
In the intervening time Tim has convinced himself that he is obviously more cool than those 3rd year "kids" hanging out in pubs, he has gained some scars, done some travel, enjoyed some study & eventually found himself typing in an awesome cafe near the centre of Edinburgh. Allison has moved back to the state of New York, where she had done a "gap year" after school, received a ring that most probably had one or several diamonds on it, and followed that up shortly after by receiving and giving a gold band, then settled down to a life of matrimonial bliss in the US of A.
So one day, Allison, who works recruiting & selling people to other people (for jobs, that is, not slavery) is at work, doing some research for a jeweler looking for someone who might be good at working with gold. In her search for "Gold Smiths" whose website should happen to pop up? None other than your old mate Timmy G! Plucking up the courage, she decides to find out if this is actually the guy she knew almost a decade ago. A couple of emails later, we have both recovered a new OS friend and answered one of those late night "I wonder whatever happened to....." questions.
I still stand amazed at the ability to keep my mates at home up to date on my movements here, so it is no wonder that I am almost floored at the coolness of being able to "run into" an old friend despite being on different continents. The coincidence certainly brought a smile to my face.
Down?
October 7, 2004 11:10 PM
I am not entirely sure when I became such a chirpy character. I really am just an upbeat kind of dude. When I am around people I just like to smile and as often as possible I try to make any interactions I have with people as pleasant as possible.
Some people have voiced the question of whether or not I just put it on for them? Am I really ALWAYS happy? The answer is no. When all the people are gone and it is just me and my thoughts (OK, and probably a beer) I sometimes feel sad. It isnt that I am trying to hide it from anybody all the time, but it just appears that I am more inclined toward depression when I am by my lonesome
Why am I bringing this up? It certainly appears to be a contrast to my usual posts. Well I guess I have had a rough couple of days. I wont get into it, but it is a little tough. Three cheers to the medium where I can share the feelings that I might have in my quiet hours, that might otherwise escape me when the day hits full swing.
In other news...
Welcome to my parents who are now online. Go visit Tahlee.com. I can't be bothered making a link
What's doing?
September 30, 2004 8:54 PM
Reading: About Luther & how he brought the reformation
Wondering: If the rain will stop. The source of some frustration
Listening: To some Aussie tunes. Some songs by Powderfinger
Questioning: If I farted now, would it dissipate or linger?
Eating: A small bagel on which is draped some Parma Ham
Drinking: As much vitamin C as I Possibly can.
Feeling: A little crook right now, I think I have the flu
Debating: If theres more constructive things that I, right now, could do.
Pondering: What new experience Ill find around the bend.
Betting: That youre now hoping this inane post will end.
AAAAAAAAAnd he's back!
September 29, 2004 8:56 PM
Well I have made it through my second 4 day stint at work. I can relate to the Apostle Paul in regards to beating the body into submission. After my first day of work, my feet wanted to lead a peasants revolt against their superiors, and it was only suppressed by ibuprofen. After my first 4 day stint there was general disquiet, but after the second week of work they have settled down to being governed by my mind & one the whole have followed the rest of my body in keeping quiet about the whole experience. It makes the days a lot easier when you can actually walk properly during them!
I would love to write more about the politics of work places, reflections on half hour walks to work at 6am & the value of a good bacon roll, but I have barely any battery left, so I will have to leave things here. Possibly I will return to put up a pic or something. Until then, stay beautiful people!
TCG.><>.
Homesickness
September 24, 2004 10:06 PM
I would love to be able to hang out with my friends, but I can hold off till next January. After all, I have all of Scotland & Europe to keep me entertained, plus a full time job to bash away at too. Family is a little tougher in some respects. It pains me to think that Charlotte & Bethany are going to be 6 months old when I get back & I have missed out on a big part of their growth, but again, I hope to be around for the rest of their lives & it is certainly a little better knowing that they wont even remember the time that they spent growing up without me.
Basically, I haven't had any major problems with being away from people in Sydney at all. Working in Mangrove Mountain got me used to the idea of being a fair way away & then my mind which is geared toward just getting whatever is in front of me done is coping with doing just that as the opportunities to try new things & see every fresh thing around me.
Knowing how comfortable & secure I feel, I was a little tripped out by last night. Not only did I have a dream that I remember upon waking (a rare occurrence indeed), but I ended the dream in tears & almost woke up crying.
I was out in the country, I saw a plane fly by low & drop something (it is interesting that even in my dreams, seeing a low-lying plane makes me think that they are aiming at a Sept. 11 style attack) & then I was walking to the plane so I could help pick up whatever it dropped. My dad, Uncle Stevie & some other random guy were standing there, so I shook all of their hands. As I continued to scan around for hands to shake, I saw my Grandfather Joe-Joe. Joe-Joe died a couple of years ago, but I could see him as clear as day, but where I could chat with my dad & shake all of the others hands, I knew that despite appearing in front of me, he was beyond touch & all I was going to hear would be an echo of his voice stored away from memories of him telling me that he used to be able to hold me in the palm of his hand. He was a man that I loved and admired, but now he only stood before me as an image & a collection of memories.
My first real pang of homesickness had arrived. It had come in a dream & it is not a need to get back to Sydney or even Australia. To love people & loose them is not what God created me or anyone else for, but through our sin it is what we have received. I'm homesick for the Promised Land. I want an eternal relationship & want to see the faces of those I love around me & know that they are secure in Christ. I want an end to mourning, and end to war and an end to death. I long to wake every day to the pleasure of real peace and the joy of endless opportunities & to never have to hesitate because of a real or imagine fear.
I love my family so much. Every one of them is precious to me, but I know that too often I disappoint them & that sometimes they frustrate me. I have more quality friends than any one man deserves and enough friendly acquaintances that I never need fear that I don't have a place to stay in an emergency, or someone to chat to if I was worried about something. Sometimes I lie to my friends & all too often I work at portraying an image of myself to the wider circles of my world which is a representation of what I would like them to think I am rather than an accurate representation of who I really am.
I yearn for an honesty that is complete and definite & I pine for depth of relationship that transcends all pretence and sings with a passion clean and pure.
I love my life. There is so much I would like to see and do, but sometimes I can almost hear heavens call.
Some days I just want to go home.
stupid surveys
August 26, 2004 10:30 AM
OK, I am mainly doing this because Michaela said she would be interested to see what my songs would be.
Opening song: "Grounded" The Orange County Supertones
Waking up: "Days like these" The Cat Empire
First date: ... They don't seem to have a song about a girl who tasted a bit like peanut butter...
First kiss: 1812 Overture" Tchaikovsky
Falling in love: ""Colour you in" Jake Amerding
Seeing an old love: Harpoon" Jebediah
Heartbreak: Heavy Heart" You am I.
Driving fast: Bring Tha Noise" Public Enemy and Anthrax
Getting ready to go out: Black Betty" Spiderbait
Partying with friends: "Rockin Rocks" Powderfinger
Dancing at a club: "Do you love your hardcore" Ultrasonic
Flirting: Knock me a kiss" Louis Jordan
Feeling sexy: I'm too sexy" Right said Fred.
Walking alone in the rain: Hard time killing floor blues" John Hartford
Missing someone: she'll come back to me" Cake
Playing in the ocean: Caught inside" Orange County Supertones
Summer vacation: Mas Que Nada" Sergio Mendes & Brasil 66
Fighting with someone: Chop Suey" System of a Down
Acting goofy with friends: Jumpin East of Java" Brian Setzer & the Brian Setzer Orchestra
Thinking back: Masters feet" Eli
Feeling depressed: Friend is a four letter word" Cake
Christmas time: Baby it's cold outside" Brian Setzer & Ann Margaret
Falling asleep: Sleepwalking" Exceptions
Closing song: The Shepherd is the lamb" Orange County Supertones
Well there you go. I look forward to reading anyone else's if they blog them, or even if you email them to me. Always in interesting insight into someones character.
Eating bird food
August 21, 2004 11:24 AM
I'm not a nuts & seeds person, so one might wonder why I could consent to work at a place called "Parrots". Well let me assure you. This litte avian has a VERY broad diet. Lets just say that the menu at this restaurant is so impressive that they even have an index at the beginning!
Of course, this does mean that it is a lot of work for Tim to learn, but I am sucking it all up slowly. Every dish has a code & that is what we have to write down, so it works the brain out but that is all good. I may as well cover the few bad points while I am at it. Scottish people appear to be significantly smaller than Australians, or at least they were when they made this building. The hall space is only as wide as me, and the equipment racks are cunningly placed above my eye line, but below the top of my head to ensure maximum connection with my noggin when entering or exiting the kitchen area.
One the whole though, I am enjoying the work. The people there are all fun & it is great to be working for a guy who is openly & evangelically Christian & who uses his restaurant as a tool for the gospel (not in what I would consider an offensive way. It means tracts in the bathrooms, free books in a corner & a Christian ethos to service). The best bit about the work though is that Tim gets dinners at cost price. so far I have been taking a walk down the spice trail with "Lamb Koftas" and "Chicken Tikka Massala". Some later planned forays include a stop in Greece for a "Lamb Mousakka", and then a tour of Briton with "Three mustard beef" then maybe a quick stop in Thailand for a "Thai green curry". Oh the life I live!
Well it is almost 3am again, so instead of more ramblings, you will have to just live with a couple of more pics. I need some sleep. After all, tomorrow is Tri Nations!!! at 2pm Australia takes on South Africa. Truly an exciting time!
Click the pic for a bigger version.
Handprints on the bus window
You know what. I think I might just give up explaining pics!
Entering the final days.
July 5, 2004 8:58 PM
It is my last week staying here in the Hunter. Time to start dotting the T's & Crossing the I's before I start my travel (as a side note, should you not capitalise "I" when using the cliche about "dotting i's", cause then the dot itself is redundant? tough questioon. Maybe our resident linguist, Nate, will grace us with his thoughts on the matter). I got the chainsaw sharpened today & will cut enough firewood for my grandparents this Saturday. I also went & bought all the chocolate to give as gifts during my travels. I need to do a trial pack, clean this place up & get this site operational before I go too.
In regards to the site. It is looking a little less colourful at the moment, but things should be coming online over the next little while. In the mean time, i am a bigger fan of the cleaner lines & it is certainly easier to use from my side of things.
Thanks again to Chris Bevan for all your work on this. I am really excited.
Site Shutdown
July 4, 2004 10:23 PM
Hey there people. The site could be ofline for a day or so, cause Chris Bevan has been so kind as to host my brother & my sites & help up out with cleaning it up a little & moving into the 21st century. Hopefully I will have a smooth looking & easy running site by the time I head OS.
Till soon.
TCG.><>.
Well this is it, I
July 30, 2003 5:13 PM
Well this is it, I am finally alive & on the web. A scarey time I guess, as we get to find out whether or not I am this exciting & intriguing person that I like to tell myself I am, or if I'd just some other shmoe that clogs up web-space.
Well watch this space & hopefully over time we can start to see some bits & pieces appear. In the mean time it is good to be here at TimGoldsmith.com & I look forward to entertaining you...... or at least myself.
Oh, most importantly I have to give a HUGE thanks to Jenn who is the reason that this all happened & that according to her she is very very cool & all praise & glory should go to her (this is what two years at Fuller theological seminary does to you)
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