Lyrics: The Mountain

From Steven Curtics Chapman's Heaven in the Real World

This would have to be one my most loved songs. Its not just the lyrics, although they are oustanding, nor it is the music, which is fantastic. There is great interplay between the instruments and voice. They both support and complement one another. It even it has a great bass part, one I've been meaning to transcribe for many years.

No, its the heart of the song that brings me close to breaking point every time I hear it.
Click the post title to continue reading...

I guess the reason is that the heart of the song is about God's love for his people. He wants to have close, personal times with each of us, one on one. As the song says, I cherish the times up on the mountain. Those times with God where all earthly concerns diminish to vanishing point. The times where you come back having had a glimpse of Heaven, to have really experienced God closely.

And yet, those are times are not for themselves. The real purpose of going up the mountain is to go down the other side. We're headed for the valley, to the low times, to the people that don't know the what's up on the mountain.

Close times with God are great. As always though, God gives you something to do something with it. The time up the mountain is for the time down in the valley. You can't have one without the other.


I want to build a house up on this mountain
Way up high where the peaceful waters flow
To quench my thirsty soul
Up on the mountain

I can see for miles up on this mountain
Troubles seem so small they almost disappear
Lord I love it here
Up on the mountain

My faith is strengthened by all that I see
You make it easy for me to believe
Up on the mountain
Oh, up on the mountain

I would love to live up on this mountain
And keep the pain of living life so far away
But I know I can't stay,
Ohh.. up on the mountain

I said I'd go Lord wherever you lead
For where you are is where I most want to be
And I can tell we're headed for the valley (yes we are)

My faith is strengthened by all that I've seen
So Lord help me remember what you've shown me
Up on the mountain

Yeah...

You bring me up here on the mountain
For me to rest and learn and grow
I see the truth up on the mountain
And I carry it to the world far below

So as I go down to the valley
Knowing that you will go with me
This is my prayer Lord help me to remember what you shown me
Up on the mountain
Up on the mountain

I cherish these times up on the mountain
But I can leave this place because I know
Someday you'll take me home to live forever
Up on the mountain

Up on the mountain
Way up on the mountain
Yeah!

Up on the mountain
Way up high where the peaceful waters flow
Up on the mountain

Up on the mountain
On the mountain, the mountain
yoo hoo!

Oh the Heat...

Should've been posted yesterday.
Every morning I listen to the 6 am news, just before getting up, or (more likely) rolling over and getting a few more minutes shut eye... This was the beginning of the report from our local Christian station, SonshineFm

Its a few minutes past six. We're headed for a top today of 39 degrees, with the chance of a possible thunderstorm. Right now, its 27. Good morning, I'm ...

Urgh!

Seventy Times Seven...

Well, not quite. And no, its not a post about forgiveness! There is a little thing called The Sevens that has been doing the blogs 'round for a while now. Heather said she didn't know anybody who hadn't done it... Well, this'll teach her! Questions are here, find the answers by clicking the post title.

The Sevens

Seven things to do before I die
Make a CD of music for and about my family
Write and publish a novel
Build up artists within in the church
Adpot a child
Live in Eurpoe again
Make my own, quality software
Love my wife even more

Seven things I cannot do
Be consistently kind to myself
Listen to Country and Western music without laughing! (Thanks, Heather!)
Drink instant coffee
Look back without thinking "What if?"
Be totally convinced that I am absolutely right
Play a good improvised jazz bass solo
Paint or Draw

Seven things that attract me to my wife
Her smile
Her laugh
The way she cares for our children
Her incredible talent
Her humility
The way she supports and encourages me when I need it most
Her body (hey, I'm a guy!)

Seven things I most often say
(laugh!)
All-righty then!
OK.
I'm sorry.
um...
Coffee?
Have you thought about... ?

Seven books I love
The Bible (The Message Remix in particular)
The Bridge of Birds
Design Patterns: Elements of Reusable Object-Oriented Software
The Inner Game of Music
Hamlet
The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy
The Heart of the Artist

Seven movies I could watch over and over again
Star Wars (Episode IV - renamed, A New Hope)
The Princes Bride
The Wizard of Oz
Lord of the Rings 1, 2 & 3
Being There (although I haven't seen in many a year!)
The Matrix
The Red Violin (Thanks Zoe, for introducing us to this)

Seven People I want to join in too...
Ok, this one is hard...
Brian (if he hasn't already)
Chris & Coz, by proxy I guess
Wulf
Phil (although I'm not sure he really would)
well, I got to four!
Click the post title see all the answers!

Mould Pilots Robot

At university I did an honours project in robots controlling themselves (Autonomous Robotic Control in a Dynamic Environment was the title - how droll! So, anyway, I have a minor interest in these things...

Now this is just plain WOW! (research paper) Are we one step closer to Daleks, or The Borg?

Philippians 4:8

Memory Verse time...

Finally Brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable, if anything is noteworthy or praiseworthy, think about such things.

I guess like a lot of guys, I have some trouble keeping thoughts pure. That's a real admission, but before condemning me take a look at your own thought life. Is it really as true, noble, right, pure, lovely and admirable as you want it to be? As God wants it to be?

Anyway, that's a different topic all together! The focus of this post is trying to examine what this verse says. At first glance, it seems to be fairly restrictive - think only about those things that the have attributes mentioned above. Wow! Its hard to come up with something that has all those attributes.. I mean, almost anything could be excluded for some for lack of conformity.

But perhaps its not so hard. What happens if we think about it backwards?

Click the post title to continue reading...You'd probably get something like this...

Finally Brothers, whatever is a lie, whatever is unrespectable, whatever is just plain wrong, whatever is impure, whatever is ugly, whatever is rotten, if anything is trivial or plain, don't think about such things.

What is this telling us? I think, when we compare these two versions, they tell us something very important about our thought-lives. We need to think about positive things - things that help and encourage us. Things that build us up and support us. We don't need to think about things that tear us down, or that innately we know are "just plain wrong".

I've used the comparison of noteworthy / trivial, praiseworthy / plain here which I think is particularly helpful Of course there are other ways of negating Paul's words, and I'd appreciate a scholar's comments on what they should be!

Anyway, I think this comparison tell us that God wants us to THINK BIG! The plain, the ordinary, the insignificant - these should not be our dreams in God. But the exceptional, the extraordinary, the meaningful, the notable, these should be what we dream of. Paul encourages us to not only think of the good things that God has put before us, but the amazing things too, to allow God to inspire us to the biggest plans possible, and then some.

But I can understand why Paul puts it in the positive. It's like that old trick - Don't think of pink elephant! What do you do? Immediately you think of a pink elephant! Trying to think of wonderful things might be hard, but trying to think of loathsome things, only to reject them, isn't helpful at all!

So finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable, if anything is noteworthy or praiseworthy, think about such things.

Happy Wintereenmas!

To gamers everywhere, Happy Wintereenmas!

Happy Wintereenmas!

I've never been really much of a gamer. For some reason the "Shoot! Maim! Kill! Kill! Kill!" thing I've never really seen as enjoyable. I guess its a reflection on my character and interests, but I've much more enjoyed playing adventure games - Zork or Kings Quest (back in the day) for example - to just mindlessly shooting anything that moves.

But even still, I have an appreciation of games, regardless of their genre. I've had my time of being immersed in a game to the virtual exclusion of all else. Time can certainly seem to stop whilst you're working on the latest puzzle, or wondering how to defeat the latest giant. Very easily can the world a game encompasses become your own.

Which is why I was so saddened to read this.

Click the post title to continue reading about games, and the value of life...It's a sad thing when anybody loses their life. Its very sad when they feel the need to take it.

I'm not suggesting that the games had any direct involvement in Mitch's death. However, as with anything we do, I'm sure they created a mindset that contributed to his outlook on life.

Anything you let into your mind has an effect on it. Its what you let in that helps define you who are. It determines your viewpoints, what you accept, what you don't, and what is borderline. The only problem is, and I know from personal experience, that after a while the boaderlines start moving. What was unacceptable once has now become vaguely acceptable. Not being cautious about what you let in leaves you on a very slippery slope.

If you don't already know, Jack Thompson is an outspoken conservative lawyer in America fighting the gaming industry seemingly single handedly. See the link above, about three-quarters down the page, for the comment he gave on Mitch's death. This I also find sad. Did Jack value Mitch's life? I don't think so. He used the occasion to push his own agenda.

Which, actually, is not a bad agenda to push, I think. Whilst I enjoy games there do need to be some limits. Not every game needs to graphically display all that it can. Controversy doesn't need to be the selling point - good game play and an enjoyable story were the original tickets, what's gone so wrong that we need to resort to violence and sex? I think that in many respects game companies have cheapened themselves by relying on the controversy and graphic depictions. They've taken the easy way out.

It's like the liquor industry relying on people getting drunk to sell their wares. Sure, some people do, and we all know the results. Alcohol can be enjoyed responsibly, but alcohol abused is an ugly thing. That's why there are strict controls on it, and social norms frown on giving it children. There's still that market for it - just ask any teenager - only they're not allowed to advertise with children in mind. How do we do that with games? How do we get the hardcore, graphic games into the hands that can handle them, and out of those that can't. Graphic games limited to those over 21? Bans and strict controls on advertising?

So, enjoy your games. They can be a wonderfully creative, fun experiences. Just don't let them control your life, or your thinking. You do so at your own peril.

I Am Not A Heretic!

And I've got the test results to prove it!

You scored as Chalcedon compliant. You are Chalcedon compliant. Congratulations, you're not a heretic. You believe that Jesus is truly God and truly man and like us in every respect, apart from sin. Officially approved in 451.

Actually, on the results, I apparently have Monophysitism tendencies, and influences of Pelagianism, Apollinarian and Nestorianism. Now if I only I knew what they were!

Are you a heretic?
created with QuizFarm.com

Modern Nursery Rhymes

My son's child care centre modifies the nursery rhymes we've taught him. He's often taken us off guard when he comes home with these new versions.

Sometimes they teach him things...

Twinkle twinkle traffic lights,
Standing on the corner, fairy lights.
Red means Stop!
Green means Go!
Yellow is the light if you need to wait.
Twinkle twinkle traffic lights,
Standing on the corner, fairy lights.

Sometimes its just bizarre...

Baa baa pink sheep have you any spots?
'Yes sir, yes sir, lots and lots.
One on my nose, and one on my tummy,
One on my toes, and that's not very funny.'
Baa baa pink sheep have you any spots?
'Yes sir, yes sir, lots and lots.'

Humour - A Great Blonde Joke

I'm not normally one for these types of things but this joke is really, really good.

Leaving Home To Go Home

Catapult Magazine have published a revised version of the Leaving... blog entry. I've really appreciated, and learnt a lot, through working with Kirstin Vander Giessen-Reitsma, the Catapult editor. Its really focused the article, taking a lot of the "Christianese" out, and making it more approachable, and hopefully understandable, for those that haven't faced this kind of dilemma.

Thanks once again, Kirstin.

Two Views of Christmas ... or ... The Parent I Want To Be

With 2005 almost said and done, here are a couple of events from the past few days that have stuck in my mind.

1. The Parent I Don't Want To Be

Ok, so it's a couple of days to Christmas, and we're out as a family (mum, dad and two kids) at the local mall getting a few last minute things together. My wife desperately wants to get some prints done of digital photos, so we burn to a CD at home, and are now in front of one of those "self serve" print machines. You stick the CD in, make a few selections on the touch screen, and a take your order to the counter to pay.
Click the post title to read more...
We're in the middle of this process when a lady comes in with a shopping trolley full to the hilt, including a toddler in the front seat. She waves a memory stick up in the air and asks how to use the machine. From next to us a sales assistant tells her where to insert it, and then to follow the prompts. She seems happy enough, and gets on with her order.

By this time, we've finished making our selection and go to the counter to pay for the prints and find out when they'll be ready. We also need to pick up prints from a roll we'd put in earlier in the week.

So, we're standing there, looking at the prints, and the lady pushes her overloaded trolley round to the counter. "Where are the prints?", she asks the assistant. "Well, they'll take about five minutes. Can I have your order slip?" "Oh, no, sorry", she says, "I don't have time to wait five minutes. Just cancel the order. I thought they just came right out."

"Oh, they'll only be a few minutes."

"No, I don't have time to wait. Just cancel the order." And she shoves off.

I don't get it. Five minutes. That's all it would take. By the time she'd finished paying they'd be just about done. She must've spent at least that in making her selection, and arguing with the assistant.

What really gets me though, is this is what she was modeling to her kid. Impatience. Demands. Rudeness. If I don't have it my way, I'm not going to have it at all. That's definitely not the parent I want to be.

2. The Parent I Do Want To Be

Thankfully this view of Christmas is a much happier one. I'm out the front of our house, mowing the lawn. I'm feeling a little self conscious with my Akubra hat on, sunglasses, and loads of sunscreen. Our house is on a slip road, next to a major road with three lanes in each direction, and a median strip. On the other side is the local mall (from above). It is a convenient place to live, if a little noisy sometimes, and definitely exposed if you're working on the front garden

So I'm mowing away, and a car I don't know pulls up onto our curb. It's big four-wheel drive. The kind that never sees any off road work, but the driver feels 'safer" on the city roads, for some reason. A man is driving, and from the passenger side out hops his teenage son, dressed in a uniform, clearly from one of the fast food places at the mall. The son comes around to the drivers side, and they say goodbyes, and he then starts to cross the busy road.

What happens next just about floors me. The dad pulls away and turns around in our street. By this time the son is halfway across the major road, waiting for the traffic to clear. Without his son knowing, the man stops on our street where he can see his son. He waits there just long enough to see his son cross the road safely, and then drives off, happy that he has safely delivered his son to work.

That's the parent I want to be. One that has a great relationship with his son, and cares for him, even when he doesn't know it.

Have a great 2006. See you in the New Year.

Margin

My friend and former pastor, Brian, blogged about having "margin" time. An interesting concept, I think. A long and rambling post. I just hope you can get through it!! ;-)

How much margin is in your life? I know in mine, there's not much at all.

By "margin" I mean time to sit around and read, think, observe people going here and there. I think it's more than just time to "veg out", doing nothing. Whilst it might be physically inactive, margin time is still very active - at least, it is for me.

Click the post title to continue reading...My schedule basically looks like this:

Monday to Friday:

• Get up & shower
• Get my 3 year old up, dressed, and having breakfast
• Take the bus to work
• Work
  
• Take the bus home again
• Help my wife finish off preparing dinner, and have it with our kids
• Get the kids washed and to bed
• Monday and Tuesday nights I work from home
• Wednesday night is Home Group (which I wouldn't miss for the world!)
• Thursday night is music rehearsal for church (generally whether I'm playing or not)
• Friday is tidying up the house and preparing for the weekend

The weekend is generally just as busy. Often I'm taking my son to swimming lessons, shopping, or helping my wife catch up on the things that need to be done, etc. Sunday morning is church, and sometimes in the evening as well. The weekend has been good for those catch-up-naps, of late, too.

Now I'm trying not boast here - this is certainly not the quiet, relaxed life I'd like to live. Much of what goes on is necessary to keep us afloat financially, spiritually and emotionally. Circumstances permitting I'd gladly cut the neccessary in half to have more time for what I think would benefit me, and those around me, more. Things like writing, composing, more playing, more talking with people. More time for prayer.

Anyway, the point is that the marginal time is fairly limited. I crave the time on the bus, as that is where I get to read my Bible, or our latest home group study, or the latest book I'm into. Two 30-minute times a day doesn't allow for much reflection, but I certainly know when its missing.

I miss the days when we lived in The Hague. There was this fantastic cafe down the street from us that made its own bread, and on Sundays it served breakfast till 3 in the afternoon! When my wife was away on tour I'd often go down there for a beer with a good book or a good a friend or just to watch people. They used to give free Salsa lessons, and the music and dancing was inspiring. I realise now that it wasn't simply a relaxation time, it was the time I needed to put things in perspective.

You see, I think we need margin time in much the same way we need sleep. The nightly slumber allows our body to refresh itself, to do the repair work it needs to do. Having a nap may help, in that it gives my body a short term boost, but there is nothing like a having a good, solid night's sleep, even a few in a row, to totally refresh and enliven your body. Margin time is the same, I think, but for our minds.

With so much going on in the world, with the advance of media and communications, we're constantly bombarded with information, often whether we like it or not! Can you imagine what it must have been like, even 50 years ago, to not know what was going on in another state, let alone another continent? Today, Australians keep up with American politics like never before. We were all impacted by the Boxing Day tsunami's the very day it happened.

Our minds need time to relax, to refresh itself, and to take in and process all this information. We need margin time, to put things in perspective, think, and adjust what we have just learnt or hes ard. Without this time to let our minds wander and evaluate, to make the necessary connections between differing concepts, we risk running them ragged - letting the constant flow of information never be questioned. We end up letting anything in and become part of us, regardless of what we think about it. In fact, that's the whole point: without margin time, we're not thinking about anything, we're just accepting it!

Romans 12 : 2 (NIV) urges us:

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Or, in The Message:

Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you. (Emphasis mine.)

So, this Christmas, take some margin time. Get out of the hubbub, and at least try to get some things in perspective. Perhaps there are things you need to evaluate that you've just been accepting, things that need to find out what God might think of them.

Have a very Merry Christmas.

Leaving...

A short reflection on leaving The Netherlands, now 2 and half years ago

I had never seen her cry, and even now she only teetered on the brink of tears. Although she would not let herself dissolve into emotion here and now, I knew that when we had finally gone through the gates, the good byes said, the prayers and blessings pronounced, as soon as she was comfortably home with her husband, the tears would not stop. I felt honoured; this was the closeness of our friendship. Remembering that day still brings tears to my own eyes.

Click the post title to continue reading...She was my wife’s closest confidant. Their professional careers shared many experiences and qualities. Had my Indonesian wife an English double she might have fooled even me. She was my ministry leader and coach. She was the one who, in the wars of leadership and power struggles, believed and trusted in me. In those tumultuous times we became her sounding board, shoulders to lean on, and close friends. We shared meals, movies and wine together, just to unwind and forget the day. We laughed, drank coffee and talked. Still, I had never seen her cry, and she wouldn’t allow herself to do so in the busy airport corridors.

We lived in The Netherlands for almost seven years. The intended two year stay become just one more; then just one more; then an apartment just outside of Amsterdam; a new church; our first child. We met her at the new church, and over the next three years our friendship grew. Together we struggled through internal wrangling and Dutch bureaucracy. We helped her move house. (Twice!) She met her future husband and married him, and the four of us spent hours together solving the world’s problems. They are God-Parents to our son.

I was unsure about staying permanently; caught between what had become an exciting, adventurous home, and mother country Australia, with family and a language and a people I could at least understand properly. I think I wanted to stay, but it was such a departure from our original plans, I couldn’t bring myself to accept it. When my wife first brought up moving back, my heart raced with anxiety. I was still so unsure. I didn’t know what to do. We prayed.

It would mean leaving this small home, leaving our European Adventure of culture, art and history. We would be going back to a place I wasn’t sure I wanted to return to. The few times we went home for a holiday the extended family dynamics were, at times, rather difficult. We would need somewhere to live. I would need to find a new job. We would need to go Church shopping again. But the hardest pill to swallow was leaving our current church family and friends, particularly these two.

Over the next few months we came to the conclusion that God was asking us to return to Australia. It wasn’t forced, or manipulated, but He knew it was the best thing for us, and we wanted to be obedient to Him. We didn’t like it, we didn’t understand it, but that was the way it was. It was very painful. For three months we met with people to say good bye. We started with the easy ones, those important to us, but not emotionally close. Slowly we worked ourselves to the closest friends, the ones whom it would be most painful to leave.

The last two weeks were hell. Constantly in tears, we were emotionally wrecked and the reality of what was about to happen hung over our heads as a rocky outcrop just waiting to collapse under its own weight. We felt blank, empty, like a bucket with a hole in the bottom, and the last of the water finally, slowly, dripping away. The last dinner, the night before we got on the plane, was with these friends. This is the hardest thing I have ever done, I remember thinking. We cried out to God so many times, wondering what on earth was going on. Why was He asking us to go through so much pain?

It took a month to find a place to live; two months to find a church; three months for my wife to find work, and four months for me. All the while we were only just surviving financially, emotionally, and especially spiritually. We were certainly not living abundantly or prosperously. Each day it was all I could do to turn myself over to God, and to trust that He knew what He was doing. Despite the pain of adjustment I was not going to let myself be overcome by confusion. God was going to stay firmly in my sights, even when work did not materialise for me, when old friendships we counted on evaporated, or when it was hard to adjust to a new church.

And you know what? God did know what He was doing. We’ve been in Australia for two and a half years now, and I cannot begin to describe the work He has done in us. Only He could’ve placed us in an internationally experienced home group, with new friends that understand our pain, and don’t gloss over it or try to fix it. Only God could place us in a house that suits our needs as our family grows. Only He understood that learning to stay close to Him meant we needed to be totally out of depth in every possible way. Only in all that pain could we have possibly learnt just how good God is. It isn’t over yet, not by a long shot. In many ways we’re only just getting on top of things. But God knows what he’s doing, and slowly, He’s teaching us to leave, and to return to Him.

You'll be going to sleep now...

Coming out of anesthesia is not at all like waking up. It seems more of a switch or a toggle than the slow progression of states that greet the very early morning. One moment and you're awake, aware. Hours may have passed but the prior lucidity remains, dulled perhaps, but certainly not clouded over as with sleep. Still, the effects last much longer than any strong coffee can put right, the light-headed swaying softer and subtler than any alcohol could induce.

No, anesthesia is not at all like sleep. It is but a controlled superficial mimic that neither rests, nor, ironically, recuperates.

Do you rest, or do you just go to sleep?

Be a Christian Like Me!

I know I haven't blogged for sometime, and whilst there is good reason (like a new job, a new baby and just plain exhaustion), there is still a lot I want to share. I hope you'll bear with me.
This is something that's been on my mind for a long time - possibly years. I'm not sure of its basis or validity, and would really appreciate feedback. I call it "Be a Christian Like Me" syndrome.

Click the post title to continue reading...
I've been a Christian most of my life. As far back as I can remember I've been attending church, listening to sermons or talks, and thinking about how well they apply. One of the things we used to do as a family was to pick apart my Dad's sermons over Sunday lunch. They were interesting times, and I learnt a lot. Consequently I've come to appreciate solid, biblically based, applicable teaching. It doesn't have to be outright exegesis, but I think any teaching needs to be grounded in scripture as a whole - rather than single verses that support elegant arguments.

And this is where I get unstuck. Lately I've been listing to a lot of different speakers and I wonder how much is really biblically based, and how much is the speaker supporting their own life and walk with the help of scripture. Sometimes sermons seem to come across as, "If you just did this, as I do, you would have a greater understanding of God. Try this out - it works for me - and you'll get closer to God. Be a Christian Like ME!"

Now I don't doubt that God works in and through all of us, and we can certainly share how God has worked in us, and those experiences can certainly be helpful to other Christians. I worry however that too much personal experience as a basis for teaching is harmful. God hasn't called me to be Ian or Brian or Mary or Jane. God has called me to be Phil. Is not my experience and struggles with God worth as much as theirs? I repeat: I can learn from them. I can certainly try on some clothing and see if it fits, but ultimately I have to find God in my life apart from their experiences, and in my own.

The trouble with this is that it gets dangerously close to post modern thinking: My way to God is as valid as your way to God. Don't judge me. Let me find my way. It's this that causes me concern in my own thinking, and I haven't' totally resolved this issue. My pride gets in the way, but at the same time, God is not letting up on this issue within me as well.

In all things I want to honour God. I also want to value people and their experiences, to show them how much God loves them, and how much they are valued by God. He loves you, the man in the back row, as much as he loves those serving at the front. You, faithful attender, are as important to God as those serving in more obvious positions. You, shy teenage girl, wondering where your life will take you, are in God's thoughts as much as the bold, outgoing speaker or leader of your home group.

In our leader-led, out spoken, loudest is best, society, I think the last thing we need to hear is Be a Christian Like Me. Be a Christian like you. Tell me your story, that I may know God better through you.

Catapult Magazine

This was published here, with some additions and alterations.

Wow! Thanks to Kirstin and the gang at Catapult & *cino!

Blessings,

Knowing your Bible

How well do you know the most important book in your life? And why?

Do you know your Bible as well as you want to? If not, why not? If a life choice comes up, can you think back to verses or passages that point you in the right direction? I know I can't, but I think I'm beginning to see the importance of it.

I'm reading a very interesting book at the moment, that my wife gave me for our wedding anniversary: "The Dad in the Mirror", by Patrick Morley and David Delk. Its about being a Christian father, and how to bring up your children to have a real relationship with God, and to follow his was because they want to, not because you force them to. Its about learning to change their heart attitudes, rather than just controlling the behaviour. The premise being that if you can change the thinking, the behaviour will change all on its own.

So, what has this got to do with knowing your bible?

Click the post title to find out...As it happens, its got everything to do with it.

Time and time again Morley and Delk give examples of applying God's word to the training and discipline of children. The provide both theoretical situations, as well as illustrations from their own experience, always correcting and teaching in the light of what God has to say about the issue at hand. Here's an example:

Dad: Eric, did why did you hit Kevin?
Eric: I didn't him that hard
Dad: Eric, why did you hit Kevin?
Eric: I don't know.
Dad: I think you do know. Why did you hit Kevin?
Eric: He wouldn't let go of my Hot Wheels car!
Dad: Were you angry when he wouldn't let go of the car?
Eric: Key is just a cry baby. I hit Tommy twice as hard yesterday, and he hardly cried at all.
Dad: Eric, you angry when he wouldn't let go of the car?
Eric: Yes.
Dad: Why do you think that made you angry?
Eric: Because I wanted the car.
Dad: You thought that if you had the car you would have more fun?
Eric: Yes.
Dad: Son, you wanted to get your own way, and I understand. I feel like that sometimes too. I know it seems as if you feel happier if you get the toy, but do you know what the Bible says?
Eric: What?
Dad: The Bible says that in the end we will be happier if we share. God says that if we are selfish, we will be sad, but if we love him and love our friends, we will be happy. Let's pray right now, and I'm going to ask God to help you believe that.

Ok, so its a bit contrived, and I can't really see myself talking like that to my kids, but the principal of what is going on here is the important part. In other examples the "dad" actually does quote or paraphrase verses and passages. Do I really know what the Bible says well enough to be able to pass that instruction on to my kids?

If I believe that God is the answer, and that the Bible is His Word, then I need to know it. I need to know it backwards, forwards, and inside out. I need to be dealing daily with it - not just reading passages, but thinking about them, understanding what they mean, letting them be applied in my life, and applying them to my kids life. If I don't believe it, then my kids certainly won't believe it. If I don't know it, then I can't teach them, and may even come to see my life as hypocritical.

It all comes back to this: If I love God, and believe in Him, His Word needs to be in my thoughts, on my lips, and in my actions. Only through that relationship with Him can I really bring my kids up to have their own relationship with God, and do what is right in His sight.

I don't know my Bible nearly well enough. Do you?

Conversion

Over at Faith * In * Fiction Dave is running another competition: Write a conversion scene / story. I'm not sure if this counts, but its been a bit of a challange to write. WARNING: some adult language contained therein. No offence intended.

So I guess what I did you could call praying, but I don't know.

Mike had been at me for a while to try it. ‘See what happens’, he said. ‘At least you’ll know what you’re dealing with. If don’t try, you’ll never know.’ And he was right – I lived by that motto. “You got to try it to buy it. You’ll never know if you don’t give it a go.” I mean, what was there to lose?

Click the post title to continue reading...It wasn’t as though I needed to pray. I mean, it wasn’t as though I needed a crutch or anything to lean on. It was just that, well, there had to be something more, something that really meant something. I was sick of the advertising. Sick of the whole “Work. Money. Spend! Spend! Spend!” thing. So I had the crib and the car and all the latest tech. I had unwatched DVDs and downloaded CDs by the dozen. But it didn’t really get me, you know? I figured I was only living somebody else’s dream. There was nothing really in it for me. There had to be something else, surely.

And my girl was less than enthusiastic about the idea. Lisa thought Mike was full of shit, trying to mess me up with all that religious talk. ‘You be careful around him, baby’, she’d tell me. ‘Don’t give him too much rope now or he’ll just pull you in and hang you big time. All that religious crap is for losers, and you ain’t no loser. Just look at you. You got me. We got each other. We don’t need no big ass god trying to tell us what to do and what not to do. We’re the winners. We run our own lives. What you doing trying to mess that up with all this god talk, eh?’ And she as right, kind of. She certainly ran her own life. She kind of ran mine too. But wasn’t there something else?

So I prayed, but I didn’t want anybody to know. I certainly didn’t want to make a fool out of myself in front of Lisa, or make Mike think I was more into this than I really was. I just wanted to know. I wanted to know if there was anything really out there, you know? This was all about me, and what I wanted. What I really wanted. I really wanted there to be something more.

I went to a park over on the north side. Somewhere I never went, where people didn’t know me, where I wouldn’t run in to anybody I knew. I figured that if it didn’t work out I could act like a madman or a drunk, just another loser talking to himself, and leave it at that. I tried it. It didn’t work. No big loss. Move on.

It wasn’t a great day, kind of overcast, a bit cold. I really should be doing this inside, I thought, but I pressed on. I just wanted to get it over with. I found a deserted bench on the grass somewhere – there was no way I was using one of the ones on the walkway – and sat down. It was wet. Great. What a way to start. A cool wind blew of the lake into my face, and I could feel it go through me. I closed my eyes. I have no idea what I’m doing. I opened them again. Why the fuck did I come here? I looked around. The place was deserted, probably because of the weather. Well, at least I don’t have to worry about seeing anybody. OK, here goes. I closed my eyes again, and took a deep breath. Is there something more? Is there something out there? I don’t know you. I don’t know if anything is there, listening, but here I am. I want to know if you’re there. I want to know if there is something more to life than just this. Surely, there’s got to be something.

Mike always said that too few people listen to god. They talk about him, they talk at him, and they talk to him. But how many actually wait to hear from him? I wondered what it would be like to be god, having one way relationships all the time. I figured that if I wanted to know if something was really there, I had to wait for an answer. I said this to Lisa once. She just laughed at me and said I could be waiting a life time. I don’t know. If I were a god being talked at all the time, I’d want to talk back, I think.

So I waited. I don’t know how long, but probably only a minute or two, but it seemed like ages. I couldn’t keep my mind on trying to listen. I didn’t even know what I was listening for. I wanted to keep as open as possible, kind of zoned out, but I couldn’t. I thought about all sorts of stuff: work, movies, Lisa, Mike. Eventually I opened my eyes again. What a waste of time that was.

I looked out over the lake. Some ducks were just taking off, leaving the emerging winter for some warmer place. There is something more. I’m here, you know. What the? Where did that come from? Its just my mind, I thought, just my own mind playing tricks. But then again: No, I’m here. Come with me. Let me show you something more.

I can’t say that I became I a bible bashing, card carrying, loud mouth Christian that day, but something changed. I know there’s something more now, and I know that God has something to do with it, but I don’t know exactly what. I need to find Mike and talk with him some more. Maybe we’ll go to that park on the north side. You know, I don’t think Lisa’d understand.

Looking for Coco

My sister-in-law has released a new album - Looking for CoCo. You can find her blog here. In short, this is a solid album from a mature artist, best listened to at high volume or in the close confines of good headphones.

I really should listen to albums in more settings before deciding what I think of them.

The first time I heard Looking for Coco was in my less than dodgy car stereo, ferrying my wife, son and weeks old daughter to the shops. My mind clearly not on the job, and the stereo most definately not up to the task, I was less than impressed. It's alright, I thought, but it won't set the world on fire. Her voice hasn't changed much, and the music isn't challanging. There is no complexity, no hidden gems for the attentive listener, and the marriage of music and lyrics seems more like a distant relative than an intimate relationship. Somehow I was expecting, hoping, for something much more.

As it turns out, I was just listening in the wrong setting.

Click the post title to continue reading...Now, I won't say that I was totally wrong - there are some things that continue to annoy me. They are, however, much fewer than I originally thought.

I next heard the album on our home stereo. I intended to listen more intently this time, knowing I needed to write this review. Distraction, children, and chores conspired against me, and again I came away uninspired. Finally, I took a copy to work and listened through my Philips SBC HP 200 headphones.

Finally, it all came alive.

Coralie's voice had the depth and character I so desired. At times she soars as high as faint whispery clouds, beautifully barely there, an acoustic reflection of purity and grace. At times it is tinged with pain and character, displaying her growth and muturity. In a modern pop world that favours immature, processed voices, her vocals are refreshingly rounded and balanced.

The lyrical content reflects the album's (and the final track's) title. Here are my experiences, she says, and this is what I think of them. Here I am. This is who I am, and who I am in God. She is gracefully honest, rather than blatently. Nothing offensive or shocking, just a plain presentation of her heart and struggles. Nothing is needlessly hidden nor presented. I'm convinced she believes what she's singing. This is not "Christian Music", it is music by a Christian.

The music too finally revealed what I missed: complexity and depth. In the close confines of headphones the parts separated. The common interjectory bass solos, percussion, and gorgeous 'cello of Emma West on My Child, all add to the pleasure. There is much to dig out of the tracks. One of my original frustrations that still stands however is that in places the music overpowers the vocals. It seems overly strong for the tender, self-revealing lyrics. Musically, dynamics are provided almost exclusively through orchestration, with any dynamics in the main vocal not similarly accompanied.

Special mention must be made of the track 5, Little Feet. Mourning over an unusual topic for pop, a lot is drawn out in an appropriately brief track.

At nine songs and only 32 minutes Looking for CoCo is surprisingly short, but despite its length it doesn't lack impact. This is a solid album from a mature artist, with both beautiful songs and challanging topics. Well worth a listen.

Looking backwards, looking forward...

Paul Simon again provides inspiration for a post...

Yesterday it was my birthday.
I hung one more year on the line.
Well, not really. It was the day before yesterday. I meant to post this yesterday, but was just too lazy!

I should be depressed, my life's a mess
Again, no, not really. My life is certainly not a mess, in fact, it could be said that it's looking up, professionally and spiritually.

But I'm having a good time
I'm constantly amazed that these two can be divorced! Am I having a good time? hmmm. On the most part yes...

Click the post title to continue reading why...Why isn't my life a mess? I can think of a number of reasons:

• I'm finally leaving my current job.
  Over the 20 or so months I've spent here, I've seen and experienced some rather dodgy practices. Like changing dates on transactions in order to maximise tax benefits. It could be legal, it could not be. Either way, I'm not prepared to live in the gray.
  
  
• My next job will not only be a relief financially, but also a step up in responsibility. Actually, it's pretty much everything I wanted in a new job. Interesting technical challanges, $$$, Team Leadership, less hours (I currently get paid for about 85% of what I work now). It's a small company, which is a bummer, but at least they are not under investement funding - which is a real bonus!
  
  
• Life with two kids is a challange.
  You kind of expect your life to change when you go from being a couple to having one child. Nobody tells you that going from one to two is just as big a change! Zoe is 10 weeks old today. Everyday I thank God that we've got her this far, and indeed she seems to be growing and changing. Her smile is just wonderful! Her big bro is wonderfully loving with her, although at three he thinks he can do more than he can really safely do, resulting in frustration all round! A challange, but not one I'd pass up any day.
  
  
• God is moving!
  Oh, yes. Definately yes. I'll post more about this later, but needless to say that He is definately speaking into my life right now, and its not the usual (or expected), "You have to clean this up!" It's love, and overwhelming grace.

I'm definately having a good time! The only thing missing is my development as a musician. Its frustrating, that I can't seem to devote time even to practice. Perhaps, when things have settled a bit with the new job, and the kids, I'll see more of the way forward.