Honesty

Honesty- the hardest thing that this life has (maybe it’s just me). I have been alive for almost 22 years now and for most of it I have lied about one thing or another sometimes I have got away with it, sometimes not. I lied about where I was going, what I was doing, who I was with, it was an obsession, I lied and once you lie once, that lie will never die, and through it another one grows.

The lie that has had the biggest spread for me was that I went bungy jumping. This went around almost everyone I knew, until one day I just couldn’t do it anymore and I had to stop lying, it was eating me up inside, and down goes my credibility.

For me lying was my way of avoiding confrontation, avoiding what I really thought, felt and believed, basically I am a wimp that can’t confront the truth because I don’t have the guts to not be accepted or to disagree with others. If you can’t say who you are and change for others then who are you really? Do you have the right to change someone just because they are different to you.

I am a chronic liar.

There are two types of lying that I got caught up in, lying to further myself, and lying to hide (secrets). The lies may have deferred an awkward situation for a few days but all it does is just increases the pain and suffering for everyone when the lie comes out. And all credibility you may ever have had is no more and is just flushed down the toilet.

When that day comes that everything you have lied about gets found out, your life, everything you know and everything you had comes crashing down like the house built upon the sand (Matt 7).

There are many instances in the bible that speaks of lying, and I can’t find one that says that ‘a white lie is ok’. There’s no excuse, I’ve been warned and the consequences are plain to see.

Whoever of you loves life and desires to see many good days, keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking lies. Psalm 34:13 (NIV)

For the sins of their mouths, for the words of their lips, let them be caught in their pride. For the curses and lies they utter, Psalm 59:12 (NIV)

For you are the children of your father the devil, and you love to do the evil things he does. He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of all lies. John 8:44 (NLT)

There is one verse that really speaks to me about truth, I didn’t realise it until today but God gave me that verse at the exact time that my secrets became a big problem in my life, I was too proud, arrogant and stupid to act upon what God had told me, its never to late to change but the longer you leave it the higher the price you pay just because I listened to the ‘father of lies’.

Unfortunately, for me I didn’t act until too late, I have lost the thing that was most important to me and the only person to blame is me.

“But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.” John 3:21 (NIV)

This could have saved me a whole lot of heartache, all I needed to do was be ready to listen and change myself.

Mistakes

Why is it that the ones we love most are the ones we hurt the most? Inevitably all that happens is you just hurt yourself in the process.

Pimp My Trolley

Well what an exciting night, Battle of the Sexes and 'Pimp My Trolley', it was a huge night jam packed full of fun for everyone.

The Night started off with a bit of a 'Meet and Greet' for everyone to catch up and discuss the 3 most important 'F's'- Family, Friends and Footy. After everyone had caught up with a good chat we moved into the very serious and age old question:

'Is it in fact possible, (even though highly unlikely), that females are as intelligent as males?'

So there was only one way to solve this dilemma we found ourselves in...

'Battle Of The Sexes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!'

It came down to a three round playoff.

1. Panel of 3: 3 Manly Men verses 3 Wimp Women, in a battle of ten questions about the opposite sex. Topics covered included Make-up, Superbowl, zodiac signs, basketball, Matthew McConaughey, footy and even different forms of shower products.



2. Movie Charades: obviously the girls won this as the boys had to act out chick-flix, which the boys had no idea about. But the girls Had really easy one that even a 2 year old could guess, (who can act out the princes diaries, seriously).



3. True/false, a game of skill, agility and knowing gossip about what goes on around Box Hill Corps. I don't even need to tell you who won this game, with that many girls in one place the wealth of knowledge of everyone else's business was overwhelming, with the girls absolutely white-washing the boys.
   

Overall it was a strong victory to the girls, but i did notice that all challenges involved talking and gossip with a distinct lack of physical and logical activities, i think the tables would be slightly turned if actual skills were involved in this challenge.

It was then time to 'Pimp my Trolley'

The girls were divided into two teams and the boys into two teams, The idea was to take an ordinary shopping trolley and 'pimp' it to make it into the 'Phat-est' ride in town. The teams were given a trolley, spray-paint, cardboard, and tape and had to 'decorate' the trolley.

The four teams all did an excellent job and the race at the end saw 4 youngsters being pushed across the car park in trolleys. With some very strong pushers behind them, those trolleys would have broken the 40km/h speed limit in the carpark of Box Hill Salvos but fortunately police had not been tipped off.

The night ended with pizza for all and the promise of more fun for all on Sunday Night with the youth going to see 'Ocean 13' at Eastland cinemas @ 6pm Sunday instead of the meeting at church.

Hope to see you all there.

My New House

It has been a while since i talked about my life, and nobody reads my blogs anyway so i think i will tell you about my new house.

If anyone didn't know, i have moved out of home. No my mum didn't finally crack it and kick me out, i was given the opportunity to move into house owned by some family friends while they are away in China for 2 and a half years.

I now live at 100 Junction Road Blackburn. It is a nice two bedroom house with a study a newly renovated kitchen and a big family room.

I am actually enjoying being on my own, i like the responsibility and the thought that i am a big boy now and can do it on my own. It has been fun.

But there have been problems,

1. The central heating didn't work
2. the fridge died and i had to trow out a lot of my new food that i had just stocked up on.

The heating was a killer, it was so cold and i couldn't bear to get up in the morning, the flood was icy, i stayed in this house of pain for a full week and a half before i could get it fixed, freezing.

The fridge required a new thermostat and so i had to get that even though it is not my fridge. i paid for it because i need a fridge.

So basically it was warmer inside my broken fridge where i was storing all my meat that was going off than it was outside the fridge, i should have just taken out the meat and left it on the bench and it would have been better off.

The house is fixed now and i am really happy in it, i can do what i want, there is always food in the fridge and it is my fault if there isn't.

I love my new house, soon i hope it will feel like home, at the moment the free cooked dinner at mum's house i working well for both of us, mum gets to see me, i get food. it is a win-win situation.

Give me a call and come on over sometime, i get very lonely by myself.

I am actaully enjoying talking to the Indians that call at exactly 6pm to tell me 'I can save 5 dollars a month with popadom communications', so someone please give me a call, i'm getting a bit lonely.

"A house is built by wisdom and becomes strong through good sense. Through knowledge its rooms are filled with all sorts of precious riches and valuables." Proverbs 24:3-4 (NLT)

What is God saying to your Corps.

At Box Hill at the moment we are gearing up for a day of prayer and fasting on Sunday. We have been given some reading material to prepare for it. Today we were asked to ponder what are life at the Corps is like. See if these speak to you:

"My dear friends, don't let public opinion influence how you live out our glorious, Christ-originated faith" James 2:1 (Msg)

"You are Christ's body—that's who you are! You must never forget this. Only as you accept your part of that body does your "part" mean anything" 1 Corinthians 12:27 (Msg)

"If I speak with human eloquence and angelic ecstasy but don't love, I'm nothing but the creaking of a rusty gate." 1 Corinthians 13:1 (Msg)

"a church is a hospital for sinners, not a museum for saints" L.L. Nash

Rest In God.

"This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says: “Only in returning to me and resting in me will you be saved. In quietness and confidence is your strength. But you would have none of it." Isaiah 30:15 (NLT)

The people of Israel had turned their backs on God - they had become too busy doing their own thing. God's message is to stop. Take time out to hear what He is saying to us.

Just Listen.

Day 14: In Return For Our Commitment

When he arrived at the other side in theregion of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men coming from the tombs met him. They were so violent that no one could pass that way. "What do you want with us, Son of God?" they shouted. Have you come here to torture us before the appointed time?"

Some distance from them a large herd of pigs was feeding. The demons begged Jesus, "If you drive us out, send us into the herd of pigs." He said to them, "Go!" So they came out and went into the pigs, and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and died in the water. Those tending the pigs ran off, went into the town and reported all this, including what had happened to the demon-possessed men. Then the whole town went out to meet Jesus. And when they saw him, they pleaded with him to leave their region.” Matt 8:28-34 (NIV)

It has taken me such a long time to understand this verse, I would say that this verse has been my biggest hurdle in the bible, I just didn’t get it. But I think I have got it now.
I see this verse as ‘people value lively-hood more than Jesus. If this is completely wrong can someone give me a clue here.

I always thought that this was one thing that Jess stuffed up, he killed these pigs and hence was kick out of town and no-one was saved.

To the owner of those pigs, Jess had just destroyed his meal ticket, he had nothing left, Jesus just killed his pigs. But Jesus had done far more than that, he had freed two men, who came to Christ, he eradicated these demons back to hell inside these pigs (pigs can swim for up to 1km if required, Jesus just sent then straight to hell).

Jesus had made his choice, he would prefer to save even just one person at the expense of an entire herd of animals. What a sacrifice for just one person, but not nearly as much as what was to come.

Day 13: Total Faith

“Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. Without warning, a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke him, saying, "Lord, save us! We're going to drown!"

He replied, "You of little faith, why are you so afraid?" Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm. The men were amazed and asked, "What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!" Matt 8:21-27 (NIV)

Do you have complete faith in the fact that God has all control? Are you happy for God to have that control? God does all things for a reason, I can’t explain it all but there is definitely a reason. I don’t know why God allows suffering, torture and pain but is all part of a lesson God will teach and is a consequence of the downfall of mankind. We need to have complete faith that God has a plan and he has total control even when we do not.

"Everything is possible for him who believes." Mark 9:23 (NIV)

Good will carry you when it gets too tough. Give your control over to him and he will calm the storm.

One night a man had a dream.

He dreamed he was walking along the beach with the LORD.
Across the sky flashed scenes from his life.

For each scene he noticed two sets of footprints in the sand:

one belonging to him, and the other to the LORD.

When the last scene of his life flashed before him,

he looked back at the footprints in the sand.

He noticed that many times along the path of
his life there was only one set of footprints.
He also noticed that it happened at the very

lowest and saddest times in his life.
This really bothered him and he questioned the LORD about it:
"LORD, you said that once I decided to follow you,

you'd walk with me all the way.

But I have noticed that during the most troublesome times in my life,
there is only one set of footprints.

I don't understand why when I needed you most you would leave me.

"The LORD replied:
"My son, my precious child,
I love you and I would never leave you.

During your times of trial and suffering
when you see only one set of footprints,

it was then that I carried you."

Day 12: Committing to the Cross

When Jesus saw the crowd around him, he gave orders to cross to the other side of the lake. Then a teacher of the law came to him and said, "Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go."

Jesus replied, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head." Another disciple said to him, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father." But Jesus told him, "Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead." Matt 8:18-22 (NIV)

Wow, that’s a commitment, to give up your own father and mother and follow Christ. That’s fine if you don’t like your family, but if like me you do like your family than that’s a huge call. This is the commitment that God asked of all his disciples. You must deny your family and deny yourself to follow him.

“Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny
himself and take up his cross and follow me.” Matt 16:24 (NIV)

I find it easier to deny myself than to deny my family. My family don’t really understand but they are getting better. It is so much easier to deny myself than to say to my family ‘No, I can’t’.

But even God himself gave up his only son for me, the least I can do is listen to his leading and give him a solid commitment.

Elton John wrote a song called ‘Sorry seems like the hardest word’; I would agree but to some people saying ‘No’ is just as hard. But as Annie taught us all in cell last year we need to know when to say two special words, thanks Annie.

Where does your commitment lie? sadly mine is hugely lacking.

Day 11: Stand Upon the Rock.

"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” Matt 7:21 (NIV)

This verse is not a great one for all the ‘Sunday Christians’ out there. Church is on one day a week for most but God is on evry second of every day of the week, you can’t walk away from him at 7:34pm on a Sunday night. As payment for your salvation he expects that you will let him into your everyday life. He just wants to let you know he is there and will be in constant conversation with you, leading your life.

God is the only solid thing in this life (to me birth and death are a little bit fussy now because God has changed the rules on that when he died for you and me)

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash." Matt 7:24-27 (NIV)

Stand upon that unshakeable rock or see how you go on your own, it worked well for this house with its foundation on the sand.

Day 10: Where Do Your Convictions Lie?

"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that
leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and
narrow the road that leads to life and only a few find it. Matt 7:13-14
(NIV)

I don’t know about you but I am attracted to big, shiny things. If those gates are shiny I will need help keeping away from them. This is a problem for a lot of people, they follow the crowd and don’t think for themselves. Don’t follow all the others when you get to heaven for the gates most will take will not lead where you might hope.

"Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but
inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do
people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise every good
tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear
bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear
good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will
recognize them.” Matt 7:15-20 (NIV)

Stay true to your convictions, what you work out with God about where the line is drawn is where you must stop. The only person that will know whether you stay true to that is you and God. To be fruitful in your lives, ministry and calling you must be in connection with God.

A tree that is not watered will not grow, a tree that doesn’t grow doesn’t produce fruit and a tree that does not produce and grow is useless and is cut down and made into firewood.

You make the call as to what your convictions are and where the line is, it’s your choice as to whether you will bear fruit or become firewood.

Day 9: Ask And You Shall Recieve

"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.” Matt 7:7-8 (NIV)

As a kid did you ever ask for something while you were at the shops and your Mum or Dad would get it for you, I did and I was good at it. Back in the day my family (when we were still all together) had a great undercover carport and in summer Dad and Mum’s car were parked on the street because we set up the massive pool in the garage, this thing was the size of a proper in ground pool so all the kids from the street came over for a swim. Anyway we all got hooked on these little battery operated boats that ‘Franklin’s’ (that was the supermarket back then) stocked. They were great, you switched them on and they flew along, they were fast, and dangerous for kids of 5 to be playing with.

Anyway, I used to go shopping with Mum or Dad (never together or I had no chance) to buy the groceries for the week and I got a boat when I asked, I didn’t ask every time because I knew what mood Mum or Dad had to be in (Dad was so much easier to persuade, still is), I just asked and I received, it was great.

Sometimes the answer was no but I have forgotten all the times it was no, but I do remember the times it was yes.

Imagine if you could have that relationship with God, ask and he will provide. Well you do, if you want it and ask long enough God will answer you in someway. Like the boats it wasn’t always yes but when it was I was so happy. Thank you God for the generosity to give me another day in connection with you, for that is a true gift.

Day 8: Remove The Plank

"Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”
Matt 7:1-2 (NIV)

Have you ever had to deal with one of those people that are really good at picking the faults of everyone else except themselves, they are usually called hypocrites, and I know a fair few of them. In fact I would also classify myself in that category. At times I really struggle to see me own faults but can tell you most of the faults of everyone around me.

It’s not such a bad thing to see the faults of others just as long as it doesn’t scar your perception of them as people. It is ok to be cautious but not to the point of exclusion.

Being able to judge people isn’t the same as being judgmental, judgemental is where the trouble will begin. No one is perfect, and no-one will ever be so it is very unwise to be judging everyone else until you yourself are perfect. Good Luck with that.

"Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay
no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4How can you say to your brother,
'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in
your own eye? 5You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then
you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye. Matt 7:3-6
(NIV)

I will have to change but at least I can see my own plank. In fact I have a few planks, probably enough to build a nice pergola out of. Jesus is the one that has the power saw that can cut through all the planks in my eye, and I pray that he will for both me and you.

“Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they
kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, "If any one of you
is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone." John 8:7 (NIV)

Day 7: Seek the Kingdom First

“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be
given to you as well.” Matt 6:33 (NIV).

This verse is a carry on from day 6. God’ kingdom comes first. We need not sweat the small stuff, focus on God and all the rest will automatically fall into place, if we listen to God then all things are seen in perspective and are in control. In God’s word it says that nothing can separate us from his love:

“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,
neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39neither height nor depth,
nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of
God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38-39 (NIV).

So why do we let things get in the way of our relationship with God.

This week I moved into a new house, by myself and I have been running around doing so many things that I really haven’t focused on God. It got to a point yesterday that I just had to stop and sit down and say to God, ‘I’m sorry I have made myself so busy that I have ignored you, speak to me and draw me back to your love’. He did, I still got done what I needed to get done but God was leading and showed me the next step I should take.

I wasn’t out saving souls for God but I was listening and taking the time to put God first.

Day 6: Don't sweat the small stuff

“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.
Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Matt 6:34 (NIV)

In the verses before this one Jesus tells us not to worry about life, ‘what shall I eat’, ‘what shall I wear’, ‘what do I look like’, the answer to these questions is, ‘it doesn’t matter’.

But unfortunately it does, I am ashamed to say that I am a product of society. Today a lady came into work to do a rental on a flute, this lady was morbidly obese, this lady was not the biggest I’ve ever seen but she was by far the most awkward person I have dealt with. I really struggled to look at her and she could tell I was struggling and she looked down at the floor for most of the conversation, I really tried my best but it obviously wasn’t enough to disguise my awkwardness, I felt horrible afterwards, I’m sorry I am not who I should to be.

I understand worry and I understand stress (it had me returning to the doctor 46 times and hospital 4 times in the last 3 years), It is hard not to worry and over analysis what is not ours to worry about. The Lord is in control and will carry you when times get unbearable (read Footprints), the Lord is in control, we just have to let go of the reins for long enough for him take control.

The closest I have ever felt to God was lying there in a hospital bed, some say it’s because I was half dead, but I don’t think so, it was that I had nothing, I couldn’t do anything for myself, I had to rely on God to get me through, he was a constant companion (Em wasn’t too far behind in the companionship stakes).

Trust in the Lord and he will get you through.

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding”
Proverbs 3:5 (NIV)

Day 5 : Treasures in Heaven

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matt 6:19-22 (NIV)

The reward of God, I have talked about it before, but again I’ll just remind you again with one word. ‘Inconceivable’.


To me storing up treasure sounds like you put it in a vault and lock it away for a certain time. Now, I rarely store up my treasure here on earth, I put them on display, (maybe I need to go back and read Day 2 again). I think that the vault idea works for me in the way I think of storing up my treasure in heaven. I locked place were ‘pirates’ can’t steal my treasure, everything a good deed is done and it is done not for the eyes of man, God takes that reward and put it in the vault. One day when I get to heaven God will open that vault put aside for me and give me my rewards.


So does my heart end up in this vault too? I don’t know, but if my heart is worthy enough to be put in that vault I guess it will be there.


I know that my heart will not actually come to heaven with me but the way I see it is this (it’s quite confusing):

• We are called to have the Heart of God for his people here on Earth.
  


• God’s heart is in heaven
  


• I want to go to heaven
  


• If I have God’s heart and it is in heaven then isn’t it the same heart,
  


• So therefore my heart will be there also.
  

I told you it was confusing, but that’s the way I see it.

Lord give me your heart to see your world changed for you.

Day 4: Forgive

“For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” Matt 6:14-15 (NIV)

Wow, if that’s not scary, I don’t know what is. Can it be anymore black and white?

If you can’t find it in your heart to forgive, God will not be forgiving of all your flaws.

Imagine being convicted of all your sins, Past, Present and Future, I wouldn’t be able to stand under the weight of all my sin, scary thought. That is why we need to be out in the world saving souls for Christ, he can’t physically go and talk to people, that is our job (Matt 28:19)

But God wants to forgive, he wants nothing more than to share an eternity with us, but we must learn to forgive also, if we are going to be like Jesus, which is the aim, we need to forgive.

Learn to love and you will learn to be like Christ.

Day 3: God's agenda, not ours

"Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.”
Matt 6:9-13 (NIV)

I have prayer this prayer almost every Sunday since I have been part of the band in the 11am service at church, but I actually had a decent look at it the other day, I don’t know about you but it is quite boring to me unless you mean what you are saying.

Have a look at it with me.

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,
Lord God, Held above everything else is your name.

your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
You rule this world, Have it all your way, restore this world to be like heaven.

Give us today our daily bread.
Provide us with all we need to survive. and not want anything more.

Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.
For give our wrong doing and sin as we forgive those that have done us wrong.

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one
Help us not to fall and have the courage to fight for you.

I’m glad I did that process because I can walk away saying ‘your will be done’ not mine, your will be done. Imagine that, a life totally lead by God.

Day 2: The Right Reasons

"Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven." Matt 6:1 (NIV)

Why do we do the things we do? I must admit I am not perfect even thought I would never say it to your face, I stuff up, every week, every day, every hour and sometimes even every minute of the day. I do a lot of things to make myself feel and look better than I actually am.

But I do not always stuff up, sometimes I get things right, my mind, my heart and God’s will match up and what results is an act of selflessness.

In the verse above it says that if you do your acts of kindness to be seen by man, ‘you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.’ I don’t know about you but the rewards of man for me don’t stack up against the rewards of God. I don’t know what they are, and if I did my brain would explode because as a man on this earth I do not have the capacity to comprehend what that reward might be, (woman might because of their higher brain capacity and intelligence)

Even thought I stuff up sometimes, I’ll still try to do what I can for God and not for sight of man. Lord help me!!!!!

Day 1: One thing is needed...

"As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!"

"Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her."

Luke 10:38-42

Have you ever been told you priorities are out of order? I have, I get told it quite a lot even today by my own family.

Before God lead me to him I was a model student, did my homework, focused on perfection in everything I did and I like to think i was quite a gentleman. My priorities were in order, get through school as well as I could and be nice in the meantime.

Now, I have a new priority one that I think eclipses all others (otherwise it wouldn't be my no 1 priority), Jesus.

To people that don't know and understand Jesus, the commitment required to him by all Christians is a huge one. For me that entails, living life with God every step of the way, being the hands of Jesus that reach out to the lost the last and the least, and listening to the Holy Spirit every step of the way.

My mum couldn't understand why I spent so much time at church and neglecting my Uni work, but it was my number one priority, I wanted more of God.

This is what the story of Mary and Martha represents to some degree, Martha was working so hard to impress Jesus that she missed out on what Jesus was saying, her priority was to prepare this extravagant meal for Jesus, while Mary's Number one priority was to forsake all others and to connect with with the Lord for every second that had been given to her.

Where is you number One priority, Footy, School, Friends, Popularity or Jesus?

Spend 10 seconds and see.

Cirque Du Soleil

What a show!

I went to Cirque Du Soleil last night with my family and Em. It was a party for my sisters 18th birthday. It was a really good night.

It was not all laughs and amazement though, we had some difficulties.
We didn’t know that the Collingwood vs. Fremantle game was on last night at the ‘G’ and so there was no parking anywhere and ended up parking in some place that made me leave my keys in the car (not comfortable with that at all when you have instruments in the boot of your car, it was ok they were there when I got back)

We were running late because we parked so far away, and we ‘walked’ more like ran a half marathon to the arena. Em takes a lot smaller steps than me and so she has to take about 3 for every one I take so she was virtually running to keep up.(Made it just)

We needed a toilet stop when we got there (all went well I’m pleased to report)

It was freezing; I think my nose it still unfreezing.

But it was great, people flipping and contorting their bodies, it was amazing.

My favourite was these two guys who one lies down on a chair and flips the other guy around with his legs. It was just ridiculous. It was amazing because at the end he did like 20 in a row and was just flipping like a wheel going around, it was a huge effort, I found a purpose for the leg press at the Gym!! (Just wait one day I will be able to do that.)

“People are amazing creatures”
Optus Telecommunication’s logo.

Lazy Old people

What is it with young people always having to do the work? I was working today (with Em and her Gaffa tree), and it is sale day tomorrow. On Sale days companies pretend that they have all this stock that they have had out the back that they want to clear. The real story is that suppliers give huge discounts on stock if they can sell it at the sale. So really you are buying new stock that is making more profit than usual stuff. What a sham!!!

Anyway all this stuff arrives the day before and lucky me I get to ‘help’ carry it all up stairs. This means ‘Dave, can you carry this stuff upstairs while I sit and do nothing’. It is trash. The other guys here do nothing, they complain that they have back problems or disappear after moving the first box. So I end up moving all the boxes and I end up with the back problems.

Oh well, such is life, who am I to complain.

(At least I didn’t have to rip Gaffa all day!)