Hey there peeps.

I’ll be at Diocesan Leadership Conference for the next three days, so may not post while I am away.

Meanwhile, I’ll leave a proud dad. Apparently, Pumpkin didn’t ask mum for a children’s television show this morning, she said “Mummy, can I have milk and football?”

The question I leave you with is “What’s the difference between education & indoctrination?”

I don’t take as many photos of my kids as I should.

I certainly don’t take that many formal photos, but that is largely because it takes time to set it up & it is hard to wrangle them.

This afternoon I was taking some shots for Tim & Dee of their latest addition (I’ll leave them to share their own photos), and in between shooting their three kids we gave Gumnut a bit of a try. I have to say it is MUCH easier to shoot an energetic young bloke when you have a wife & two friends to hold up extra black cloth, keep Gumnut smiling & make sure he doesn’t divebomb off the couch!

Anyway, if this doesn’t keep my Sister, Sister in Law & Aunty Maurny happy, I don’t know what will!

If it weren’t too late, I would enter this into a “Bonds Baby” comp…

Just playing around with Angles

Chances are he just heard someone mention food…

Gumnut things Uncle Tim (holding up the black sheet that he’s sitting on) is very entertaining!

One of my favourites. I know I am truly blessed to have such a lovely young son.

I had plans for a bigger 500th post, but I am shattered after the Wallabies got embarassed.

So instead, enjoy some late Phat Beat Phriday…. The Wallabies are killing me QUICKLY with their play tonight!

Not sure how a google search with the term “αγιο πνευμα” found my blog.

P.S. The next post I make will be my 500th! So, what should I blog about (shameless attempt to get some comments going… 😉 )

She wanted to go to work with daddy. When that wasn’t going to happen, mum had to set up an office Like dad’s.
She did pretty well, right down to the mobile, computer, diary & books…

Always nice when they imitate the good habits!

Have you ever noticed how hopelessly addicted we are to victory as the hallmark of enjoyment?

I’m the first to raise my hand in guilt. Knowing how childish I must look being all down after a loss, I can’t help but be down when the wallabies aren’t victorious.

Surely, if I love the game, my team is trying their hardest & I am seeing something good happen in front of me, it should be enough to just enjoy the spectacle?

No wonder people say there are struggles with kids these days to enjoy sport when it isn’t a guaranteed victory….

My new goal for the Rugby World Cup is to enjoy every game I watch. Sure, I’ll be hopeful that Australia (or Scotland!) come up trumps, but my first commitment is going to be to a a good game of rugby.

Do I even stand a chance?

How to earn the tag “the ultimate guest”.

The Rugby World Cup is here baby!

6 weeks of nations from around the world coming together to play the best game on earth.
With New Zealand in the same pool as France this time, they’ll have to find another team to choke against in a Quarter of Semi Final, before Australia rises to ascendency.

On a more serious note, I’d love for Australia to win, but I suspect it could be the Kiwi’s opportunity to take the crown they’ve deserved for years. He may cause me a lot of sadness, but Richie McCaw has been such an influential captain that it would be a shame for him to finish up with the All Blacks having never won a World Cup. Meanwhile, I am sure that we have a lot of great rugby to watch between now & then.

I’m excited, because we had a TV Antena attached to the top of our church. If you have a building that has a big screen & projector, decent speakers & a BBQ, why wouldn’t you invite families to come along & watch, so they don’t have to either crowd into a room at home (admitting that the prevalance of 50″ TVs at home these days means that there are probably bigger better screens in most houses than at our church), or shuffle past a bank of pokies at the local RSL.

I hope it can be a great chance for some fellowhip, an opportunity for people to invite a non-christian friend along to find that churches aren’t too scary a place, and maybe a chance to hear some Testimonies from famous sportspeople too (Just gotta find that DVD…. I think it was from the Olympics).

Actually, having just done 30 seconds of research, William Webb Ellis, the alleged father of Rugby was an Anglican Clergyman, so really, is there any better place to watch Rugby?

No matter how you play it. Spending time watching the game you love, surrounded by people you love can’t be a bad thing!

Comment if you’re on the Central Coast & you’d like to come along.

Post Script: For all you poor people who didn’t learn from William Webb Ellis’ brilliant idea in 1823, don’t worry, the round ball will get its fair share of attention in 2014.

Young MC. What Can I say? Pure Class!

Young MC co-wrote some of Ton Loc’s best known songs, before releasing his first album.
“Bust a move” was written in 90 minutes (can you tell?). It might be simple, but it’s catchy, and it’s still memorable over 20 years later!

The Old Testament is not contrary to the New: for both in the Old and New Testament everlasting life is offered to Mankind by Christ, who is the only Mediator between God and Man, being both God and Man. Wherefore there are not to be heard, which feign that the old Fathers did look only for transitory promises. Although the Law given from God by Moses, as touching Ceremonies and Rites, do not bind Christian men, nor the Civil precepts thereof ought of necessity to be received in any commonwealth; yet, notwithstanding, no Christian man whatsoever is free from the obedience of the Commandments which are called Moral.

I’ve always had a bit of a yen for the Old Testament. I remember the gross boyish joy with which I read Judges 3 and the idea of King Eglon meeting his fate in the ostensibly in the bathroom. I remember playing a game with some teens on a camp, when we had to find the best pick-up line in the Bible (Song of Solomon was prime territory for that.)
But, like many, my early years were dominated by the idea that the God of the Old Testament is the “Smiting” God, and the one in the New Testament is the “Loving” God. It’s so easy, with such a large tome, written in different styles, by different authors over a large amount of time, to cherry pick bits & pieces of the narrative & then imply that this shows the shape of the whole thing.

When you really spend a little time, you realise how the God of the OT really is the God of the NT. How the OT is a story that is about Sin, and the inevitable (and appropriate, we who love our legal systems would say) judgement that comes from direct disobedience of the God who made us. Yet, the most powerful narrative throughout the OT is that of Love. Of a God who loves his people, who is committed to redemption, and who promises to care for his people. We learn throughout the OT, that we can’t earn it ourselves, because we tend to love our way more than God’s way, but we also learn that God promises to deal with the problem of Sin in a powerful & absolute way.

What a Joy it is for us as Christians to be able to read the OT in the light of the news of Jesus Christ, his death and resurrection. That great hope, the final answer that the people hoped for has been revealed!

I’d like to think I’ve got past Eglon (thought I am sharing the love with my Youth Group boys), but I’ll never get past the OT. I can read about Israel, and it gives me a picture of the rebellion that I see within me.