You’re supposed to slow down as you get nearer to having a baby, but that doesn’t seem to be happening for Shona & I. Friday night was Youth Group as usual. Shona has retired, but I’m still going. It was actually a really encouraging night. We changed things up a bit & I felt it went really well. A good encouragement from 1 John 2 to “Stay the course” in our faith.
Saturday was about Shona catching up with her bestie, Bec (freeing me to visit my favourite chocolate store in the world, [Adora](http://adora.com.au/)… seriously, I have eaten chocolate in many of the great nations, but this stuff takes the cake!) then we headed to Hornsby to catch up with Shona’s mum & dad, but even that was a double booking. We also dragged them around the shops looking for cots & other bits of baby paraphernalia.
Of course, the highlight, (pictured above) was the baptism of B. Tim & Dee have been one of the biggest blessings to us since we moved up to the coast, so it was a real honour to be able to be a part of this big day with them & to make some promises of our own on that day.
They are big days.
I have to make sure not to enter that trap, where I see the month that I have off in 5 weeks time as a holiday. I suspect having a newborn child is quite the opposite.

I was given a copy of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s “The Little Prince” as an ordination present. I had thought, at first glance, that it was an odd present to be given. It’s illustrated & is primarily seen as a kids book. Of course, this little title is so much more, asking questions about the nature of man & making social commentary in a stile reminiscent of C.S. Lewis’ work “The Great Divorce.”
Anyway, it got me thinking. What a great shame that so many of us feel the need to read only “Adult” books. There is so much that can be challening, comforting, and informing in material that was intended for a younger audience. Heck, even picture books, like “Where the Wild Things Are” can be great to read if you give them a chance.
What helps you reconnect to the child’s world?

I’ve been thinking a whole lot about blogging. I just haven’t done any.
It’s been a big couple of weeks.
Silent retreat, ordination, Shona’s big conference, mum’s birthday, it’s all been happening. I’ve been thinking about a lot of it & not writing.
I think I might just start again. I’m committing myself to blogging weekly at our [Youth Group](http://wyomingyouth.blogspot.com/) webpage, but I think I need to extend that commitment to here. I think I’ll spend more time writing about what I am thinking of, what I am preaching on, and then see if I can fit a photo or two in there too.
Anyway, I do have a couple of photos for you. The one above was from the roof of a tunnel in Sydney city. The ones below are from a “high tea” that Shona & I had on Saturday.
The last chance we have to go out on a date before the baby? Who knows?

Just some of the minis on offer. I know [Amy](http://10ft8music.com.au/blog/takentopieces.html) would kill me if I didn’t blog the food. I’m looking forward to [Amy](http://10ft8music.com.au/blog/takentopieces.html) putting up some stiff competition in the Creme Brulee stakes… they were tasty!

You’d look happy if you had this food ahead of you! We also had a 3 page list of different teas available to us. I had an awesome Ayam (sp?) tea that had malty & cocoa undertones… very nice

I know, I should have something profound to say, but don’t worry, I am sure I will have something by the time I blog next. By this time next week I will be the Rev. Tim Goldsmith!
I’m off to ordination retreat tomorrow morning, and I stay there till Friday afternoon, when I head back to Newcastle & get ordained on Friday night!
I’m excited at the prospect & excited about the idea of having a week (OK, only 5 days) to spend in prayer and contemplation, even if the threat of a “silent retreat” freaks me out a little.
So I should be more inspired to write, but I miss my wife who is down in Sydney for the week for her big conference.
So it looks like your luck is out!
But instead, here are a couple of cute pictures of my soon-to-be God-daughter!

I think this one has a very “Girl Power’ feel to it. The raised fist makes it for me!

More of the standard cute shot, but I still like it…

So the big news was looking like it was going to be that Shona & I are house owners, but as it turns out, it wasn’t to be.
Right to the very moment of signing we were, but then we got back pest & building inspections & they were pretty darn questionable. We made another, amended offer, allowing for all the work that would need to be done, but didn’t get a favourable reply.
In the end, when the other party refused to show documentation that a converted garage was council approved, and when they couldn’t show that they had done any protection work after having a history of termites, we decided to cut our losses…
So, it’s sad news there.
The good news is that we’re not lumped with a big mortgage on a place that needs lots of work! Now it’s just a matter of seeing where the church will put us!

OK, so I haven’t really ingratiated myself to any of you by not posting over the last little while. Does it make anyone feel better if I said that I GUARANTEE that there will be some big news up on the site in the next week?
Really, you should strap yourself in for the ride over the next couple of months anyway. What with Ordination & Fatherhood on the doorstep, you can rest assured that I will be looking for an outlet. If nothing else, you have the guarantee of pictures of the kid.
Anyway sit tight. I have some theological thoughts in the pipeline & a whole passel of other info just waiting for the right moment to unleash!

I’m sure I’ve pulled out the old Douglas Adams quote before, but it’s true:
*”Time is an illusion, and lunchtime doubly so”*
So, time was at its illusionary best last saturday when I got to catch up with some of my oldest friends.
If you were to discover a snapshot of my childhood, at least one of the people pictured above is likely to be in it.
Friday night meant time for the Bevans (Chris on the left, Nell at front in the blue & Lucy to Nell’s left) to come over. A glass of [Seaview](http://www.seaview.com.au/) for the mums & a 20c mixture (lollies, or “candy” for our American friends) for the kids.
Somewhere on the weekend, or definitely in the holidays we’d see Scott (Right) and his mum Ness (to Nell’s left), Anthony (Centre-right) and the Pannell clan.
[Guy Fawkes Night](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guy_Fawkes_Night), January at Pearl Beach, lazy summer days on the SS Bundabah, these were my formative years.
Still… my formative years are long since gone…
15+ years.
It’s been that long since I have seen some of the crew, but when we got together on Saturday afternoon, the sun stopped in the sky, the calenders spun in the opposite direction & for a few short hours I could have been 10 again.
It’s a worthy addition to my little “Things I Like” theme. It’s nice that we have friends who are there for a season. You know, the people you hang out with at Uni, but don’t really keep in contact with after.
But even better are the friends for the long haul. It’s not that you have to see them every week (or in this case, you might not have seen them for over a decade), but there is enough shared history, enough context, that there will always be the connection.
Even if it’s just spent reminiscing, the time has great value.
Here’s hoping we can organise a proper catch up for the parents now!
…. And to leave you, a happy little santa picture. Our departure from the [Manly Wharf Hote](http://www.manlywharfhotel.com.au/)l was ushered in, in part, by the arrival of 400-odd santas on a pub crawl.
Surreal to catch up with a bunch of old friends? Yes!
Too surreal to catch up with said friends whilst surrounded with santas? absolutely.

So, I worked through the [Youthworks biblestudy book on Philippians](http://www.youthworks.net/youthworks-series-youth-ministry-bible-studies.php?c=22&d=835&e=836&f=72&w=7003&r=Y) with Caleb from youth group. It was good to go back through it, because I had preached on the book at the beginning of the year. It was also good because it’s a nice convicting book that can’t help but put things in perspective.
In particular, I got to thinking about verses 12-13 of Chapter 4.
“12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13 I can do everything through him who gives me strength. ”
Am I really content? More importantly, is contentment something that we gain, or something that we practice?
I suspect that, being part of such a capitalistic society, we get caught up in the idea that contentment is something that we have to gain or achieve. If only I can get the right girl/boyfriend, if only I have the right car, live in the right suburb, get a degree from the right place, have the right friends, own the right brands, then I will “BE” content. It’s always something that we are aiming for, and of course, it is always something we come up short on.
What if we recognised that we’re already blessed & that we need to “Practice” contentment. I’m not saying that we should just magically be happy, but maybe, by focussing on those things that we already have, we can come to appreciate our present life more and worry about our future life less.
The things we spend our time thinking about, or chasing after, are the things that we come to value.
So, I’ve decided to start blogging about things that I am content with. What opportunities God is giving me. All of the good things that I have in my life. Some of them might be small & trivial & some might be big & meaningful, but all of them are a blessing….
OK, I’ll start off with two biggies, since they were brought to my attention last weekend…
**1: Family.**

So, I was at a wedding last weekend. My cousin Nick & the gorgeous Marika (Sorry Nick. Your picture doesn’t make it this time…). It was great to hang out with them, but it was also great to have the whole family together. My [sister](http://10ft8music.com.au/blog/takentopieces.html) was up from Wagga, and my [brother](http://goldfinchfamily.com/) from Melbourne. I also had a whole passel of cousins at the gig. I realised that I love my family!
OK, so I am not stating anything profound here, but it is still an important realisation to have. So many people constantly bicker with their families. There’s a movie currently out about the pain of having to go to family Christmases, but for me it’s a highlight of my year.
Family are an awesome thing. Rather than thinking about how I don’t get to see them as much as I’d like, I’m practicing contentment, knowing I have an awesome one!

Amy, Shona & Kristin
**2: Friends from Bible College**

So on the weekend I had my graduation ceremony for Bible college. It was great to see a whole bunch of familiar faces & catch up on old times. Of course, I don’t need to look to special events to be reminded of the good things I have. I’m lucky enough that I work 15 mins away from Dan & we have breakfast once a week.
However, Sunday was a great reminder of the great gift I had.
I only got to chat to Bainy[](http://paradoxspeak.blogspot.com/) for about 5 minutes on and off, but we talked about important stuff. Art & its relationship to ministry. Art & its relationship to life. I was challenge. I had to think deeply & hopefully I gave [Bainy](http://paradoxspeak.blogspot.com/) something to think about. I’ve also really enjoyed [his blog](http://paradoxspeak.blogspot.com/). It’s a little bit of college online…
Sometimes I feel really sad that college is over, but today I am practicing contentment, knowing that I had the opportunity to learn heaps during my time at SMBC & that I have a network of friends who continue to challenge me.

Dan performing his exam ceremony during the first year exams…
So, there’s my two… Where is your contentment today?

Words cannot describe the horror one feels when browsing Facebook, only to have your eyes assailed by pictures of your cousin wearing only a fluorescent green “mankini” (as made famous by our good friend Borat).
This was part of the manhood ritual known as the Bucks day (Or “Stags party” if you are one of our American friends). What exactly is the point of removing a guy’s clothes & then trying to remove any vestiges of dignity or maturity that a man might possess?
Of course, I don’t blame Nick. I rest assured that the clothing, the activities & the indignities were all envisaged & supplied by his “best men.”
I’ve been thinking…. Is it an attempt to make the metamorphosis more apparent. One week he is protozoic, the next week he is an advanced life form? Or is it just, as the classics say, “his last taste of freedom”? (If that were the case, why would so many bucks days be a matter of a groom having things done TO him rather than BY him?)
Either way, it did make for some interesting photos. I am sure a psychologist will have a field day with the memories I am trying to repress, having looked at them, 10 years from now.
Meanwhile, I need to clear my mind of such stuff…
It’s nice to know that I can focus on Saturday. The day when all those memories are erased in a whirl of white silk (or insert your girly bridal gown fabric name here) and black suit.
Failing that, I have SMBC Graduation to focus on on Sunday…
Failing that, here are a couple of serene pictures I took last weekend, when I helped out with the kids programme at my mate Dan’s church camp.

“Ahhh the Serenity.” Water gently lapping, a boat or two on the lake, and a giant power station whirring away in the distance…. peace, perfect peace!

I fish-eyed view of the world at dusk.

Once upon a time I might have balked at the idea.
“Why should I comment on their elections? They don’t even know who our Prime Minister is!”
But, of course, that is very ungracious. One has to acknowledge that we are a tiny country of 21-odd million on the “arse end of the world” (to quote a former prime minister, Paul Keating), while they, like it or lump it, are still the most powerful nation in the world & the biggest economic nation.
So, whether we have Kevin Rudd, Malcolm Turnbull, or even the fat kid from “Hey Dad” as the Prime Minister it doesn’t really change their world, but I think there could be some big changes in ours.
So… on to my comments.
I am happy that Barack got in. I am sure that he has a lot to offer, but I can’t help but wonder how much of our feelings are swayed by media hype.
Could any Australian really outline what any of his policies are?
Could we outline McCains?
Maybe I am getting all “conspiracy theory” in my old age, but I can’t help but feel that lots of society get manipulated. Like[ J-Moff](http://moffattnyc.blogspot.com/) noted, there seems to be a real air where you are uncool, or out of touch if you voted for or were pro-McCain.
Whether or not you like the guy, I hope everyone respects his speech after defeat. He may not be the “Cool” choice, but I respect a man who just loses the biggest moment of his life & then openly embraces the new president elect & calls the nation to get behind him & make America great.
Meanwhile, I think the next 4 years should be an interesting time. Has America voted in the best man for the job, or have they voted the most charismatic man? I guess we’ll find out….