It’s impossible to look down at those tiny hands, that matted hair, those eyes, open in awe and wonder, and not dissolve into a puddle of cliches.
And now I understand.
I always wondered whether the moment would be too abstract for me. After all, it is just another face isn’t it? But it’s indescribable, unbelievable, maybe chemical?
It’s a new and different kind of love.
And it certainly puts God’s love in the sacrifice of Jesus in a different light, because I can’t imagine giving up my girl for anything!

***It was great to catch up with my good friends Joel & Terrill (and their lovely kids, and some friends) on the weekend. It was/is Terrill’s 30th, which is a pretty big & exciting time.
But that is not the Joel I wanted to write about today.
I had a new idea.
I thought one way that I could encourage myself as I do my own Bible reading & stuff, is to post some of my thoughts up here on the net. I’m not talking about any hardcore exegesis, just what reading a passage gets me thinking about.
And today I read the book of Joel.
Joel is a really interesting picture in two main parts.
On the first side is the prophecy of a coming locust plague. It’s an all-devouring plague, leaving nothing in it’s path.
I love the picture that Chapter 2 has, picturing the locust as a war horse, a chariot, an army, a well drilled soldier, and a thief. Their destruction is absolute when it comes.
At the same time, the reader abhors the locust, because of the destruction that they will bring, but at the same time, we can’t help but admire the little beggars. So disciplined, so powerful, yet so small.
Israel, is the counterbalance. They should have the same kind of power and coordination as the locust, but instead they have turned away from God and sit now under His judgement.
And yet, God doesn’t desert His people. V.12-13 are some of my favourites:
*Joel 2:12  “Yet even now,” declares the LORD,
“return to me with all your heart,
with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning;
13 and rend your hearts and not your garments.”
Return to the LORD your God,
for he is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love;
and he relents over disaster. *
As we find our way into the second half of the book, we see how God’s love and mercy only play themselves out when we understand the nature of God’s judgement. The promise of hope and glory stands out in stark contrast after the expectation of desolation.
Western society is becoming increasingly “spiritual,” yet I suspect that it is equally as insincere. We need to step back, look at ourselves and* “rend our hearts, not our garments.”* Where in my life do I need to strip off the pretense like a locust stripping wheat, and open up my heart to the Lord?
It’s certainly worth thinking about…

It’s fun having two countdowns going at the same time. Three really… actually… four.
I like Easter. I always have.
I really like Darrell Lea nougat eggs. In under two weeks I should have my very own egg.
It’s a downside of ministry that many of those big holidays become work days for you. Christmas, out. Easter… usually out…. But this year, I look forward to the possibility of having not only easter off, but three weeks after that too! What a fantastic idea! Holiday time.
But of course, the most important (at least on an eternal scale) is the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ!
And of course, what better way to celebrate the promise of re-birth, than with the birth of our first child.
Of course, we don’t know if it will come on time.
Anyone willing to place a guess (or a virtual bet) on the due date? How about a name?

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.