Judy is...

A short FaceBook fiction

"Judy is … "

The small entry box stood there blankly, prompting Judy to type something interesting, witty, comical or clever. Just waiting, but Judy couldn't think of anything. One by one options crossed her mind, and one by one she rejected them as uninteresting, too much information, or just plain silly. And the unerringly cursor blinked at her, eagerly waiting a status update.

Truth be told, Judy was a little scared of FaceBook. She knew how it fascinated people, capturing unforeseen hours, addicting the user. Indeed, one of the first applications she had been prompted to install was FB Addict! It all seemed rather ironic, really. And yet, here she was again for what was it, the fourth time today? Time was getting on, and the dishes needed doing. Just this one little thing, she thought sleepily. And still, Update Status waited, blinking.

"Judy is … 5' 6" tall". No, that won't do.
"Judy is … being Judy". Hmm… well, what else what I would be?
"Judy is … fat and ugly". Hey! No, I don't want say that to the world!
"Judy is … "

Oh, Hang on!

"Judy is sick and tired of facebook!" Yep, that'll do it, she thought, shutting down the computer. Yawning, she glanced down at the clock before it popped out of view. 12:28 am. Oh well, it'll do until tomorrow. I'm sure I'll think of something better then.

No Zoë, you can't!!

I have two adorable kids. Xander, now 5 years old, is very much the big brother to Zoë who is smidgeon under 2 and a half. Xander believes he's got the pecking order sorted out:

• Mumma and Pappa bigger than me, so they're the boss of me
• I'm bigger than Zoë, so I'm the boss of her

Trying to tell him otherwise can be a bit of an uphill battle at times! However this weekend, we were pretty grateful for his bossiness.

With our third coming on in December, we decided to move Xander and Zoë into a bunk bed. Xander and I put it together on Saturday afternoon and the kids were literally running around, jumping up and down, beside themselves with the idea of sharing a room. When bed time came, they were so worn out that both of them went down very easily, and Alice and I had nice quite night. We prompted Xander not to wake Zoë up in the morning but just to play quietly on his own. He's good at that, and, now that he reads the clock well, he also knows not to disturb us until 7 o'clock.

Alice tells me she heard this conversation the following morning, at about 6.20.

Zoë: I go see Mumma and Pappa
Xander (with a sense of urgency): No Zoë, you can't! It's not 7 o'clock yet!!

… and they didn't either. But when seven did roll round, we were both jumped on by our two wonderful, if energetic, kids!

My 23rd Psalm

Ok, bravery time. Last week at church music rehearsal we looked at Psalm 23. "The Lord is my shepherd", David wrote, as he himself was a shepherd. It may be proposed that that is how David understood God - through his own experience. We were challenged to rewrite Psalm 23 as we understand Him. What is God to you? Here's my humble, if wordy, attempt.

1 The Lord is my comfort. I shall not stress, put myself down, or believe I am unworthy.

2 He provides my worth; He sees me as gold and jewels. He quietens me, and restores my soul.

3 He grows me and builds me up for his own sake, for his purposes.

4 Even through the pressures of life, and though there are those that would tear me down, I will not lose hope, for God believes in me. His righteousness and His promises uphold my faith.

5 You hold my head high among those that see me as useless, even me. You give me meaning and purpose. My life is worth living.

6 Surely I will live a full and fulfilling life. I will live on your word forever.

What's your theological worldview?

No surprises here... Taken from my brother's community site... A bit of fun, but I don't need a quiz to tell me what I believe!

You scored as Evangelical Holiness/Wesleyan, You are an evangelical in the Wesleyan tradition. You believe that God's grace enables you to choose to believe in him, even though you yourself are totally depraved. The gift of the Holy Spirit gives you assurance of your salvation, and he also enables you to live the life of obedience to which God has called us. You are influenced heavly by John Wesley and the Methodists. Evangelical Holiness/Wesleyan 79% Neo orthodox 64% Emergent/Postmodern 64% Reformed Evangelical 50% Roman Catholic 43% Charismatic/Pentecostal 43% Fundamentalist 39% Modern Liberal 32% Classical Liberal 29% What's your theological worldview? created with QuizFarm.com

Flickr Privacy changes

Annoying and disappointing, but what Dad wouldn't protect his kids?
Due to some niggling concerns I had, and confirmations from a friend, I've chosen to make most of the photo's on our Flickr site only accessible to contacts we consider "family", or "friends". (You can become one these. Read below).

Click the post title to find out why...It pains me to realise that some people do use sites such as these for selfish, perverse means. Sometimes public photos of children can fall into the wrong hands, and no parent wants them to be the photos of thier kids.

I would be more concerned if some photos had more hits than others, or random comments from people I don't know. But so far the number of hits have been small, and the comments from people we know. So, so far, I'm not too concerned. But you never know, and you can't track everything, and I just want to protect my kids.

If you want to view the photos you can contact me here, or at flickr. You'll need to sign up for a flickr account, which only requires an email address. We will "friend" people we know, and those kind enough to introduce themselves. I don't actually forsee this being a problem, but we'll cross that bridge when we get to it.

Yes, they're beautiful kids. I know that. And yes, I'm biased. I'm their Papa, and love them more than they know.

On Depression

It hits without warning, its stay is undetermined, and living without it can be as much a battle as living with it. (Sorry, this a bit messy in its writing. I hoped to do more, but have really just run out of time.)

First it was a prominent polititions, former WA Premier Geoff Gallop and NSW State Opposition Premier John Brogden. Then high profile sportsmen Wayne Schwass, and Olympic medallist John Konrads, and well renowed actor Garry McDonald. Now the latest celebrity to talk about his battle with depression is the Blue Wiggle, Anthony Field.

Click the post title to continue reading...Like many others, I too am susceptible to depression. I'm certainly not prominent, high profile, or well renowened, but depression can, and does strike anyone. Its not just for those in the limelight, or with too much pressure, or a modicum of "success".

Firstly, thanks Geoff, John, Garry, Wayne and John, and now Anthony. Hopefully others will also be encouraged to talk about and find strategies for managing their depression. However, I also think with such a lot of celebreties virtually revelling in coming out about their battle, the little guys can be lost.

Sometime ago, Australia set up BeyondBlue, to deal exclusively with depression, and particularly male depression. Interestingly, this week marks the start of their Men's Health Week, and the link between alcolhol and depression.

So, let me repeat it. Anybody can struggle with depression. My father struggles. A friend of mine suffered from postnatal depression, after his wife learnt how to live with it too. In fact, I would habour a bet that most people, at somepoint, have learn to how to manage it.

I've had bouts of depression since a teenager. Previously it's been downplayed, dismissed and avoided. By me, as much as anybody I've talked to, which is disappointing and frustrating. One of the most anonying was from a medical professional who indicated that it wasn't depression at all, but simply exam anxiety. Following reading that report was one of the lowest times I can remember.

In the article above Anthony says, "You can feel very lonely even when you're surrounded by wonderful people." How very true. I wonder, however, if this (and other symptoms of depression), are simply not just the logical outcome of our society. In my experience, we are certianly becoming more isolationist. That is, we choose to isolate ourselves, and call it normal. Yes, we even have communities on line, but there is nothing like actually sitting down and talking to somebody, or just being with them. I don't believe you really get to know somebody without spending time with them. Its an old line, I know. But I just don't buy the "I can get along without real contact with people" alternative.

So, and you might have seen this coming, but the same is also true of my relationship with God. Without really spending time with him, or his Son, our relationship whithers. Without talking to God, listening for his voice, reading his letters to me, or remembering his instruction and work in my history; without just sitting in his presence, our relationship distorts to a mock imagery, a mere pale of a real partnership, which, ironically, I accept as normal!

And this is the point about depression: its all about finding things that matter. If nothing matters, nothing is important, I am not important, there is nothing to live for. But even the writer of Eccellisastes came to the conclusion that the only thing that matters is loving and following God. He is the ultimate reason, and really, there is no other.

Its not main course...

A teaching moment on the ettiquette of food goes horribly wrong...
Last weekend I made a pumpkin soup - it was great, and of course we had lots left over! A couple of days later Alice made a beautiful Tuna Morney, and so consequently in the middle of the week we had more than enough left-overs for dinner. The following coversation occured between Master 4 (The X man), and me (Pappa)

Pappa: What would you like for dinner? We have pumpkin soup and tuna morney. Which one would you like?

X-man: Both. I want both.

Pappa: Ok (said I, seeing a teaching moment in action.) We'll have the soup first, and then the tuna moreny.

X-man: No, I want both together. Both at the same time.

Pappa: Well, when we have soup and something else we always have the soup first and then the main course. That's the way its done.

X-Man: But its not main course... its...

Click the post title to see what Master 4 said...

Tuna Morney!

Didn't I feel put in my place!

Who am I?

Thinking back on the last few posts, has made me reflect on the many faces I wear. These aren't so much facades, as they are the different components that make up who I am.
We are all lots of different people, in lots of different situations and places. I believe that whilst they can all be different, there can still be a growing integrity to the whole. Sometimes there are competing or conflicting interests or values, and difficult choices need to be made. Consistently making choices in the same direction leads to a less conflicting life, one of increased integrity.

But that is not to say that integrity alone is worthwhile. We're seeing more and more people with mental disorders, particularly with terrifingly violent results. What I find interesting is that their world is integral. It is not right, and certianly not "normal" (that is, similar to the world in most people's heads), but it is consistent. The depressive sees everything consistently black. The paniced, oppresed world of the terrorist is consistent in its outrage against the dominator.

Our Men's ministry at church is called Integrity. Part of its charter is to "seek to identify what it means to be called men of God through teaching, relationship, and fellowship." We're trying to encourage not just integrity within men's lives, but a Godly integrity; one that reflects the wholeness of God. In a world that seems to rely a personally generated integrity rather than one of values and truth, this is increasingly difficult to do. Men in particular, it seems, are put on by society. They are too brutish, too violent, and yet not manly enough. (Personally, I think that the liberation of women has gone so far as to expect those attributes of men as well, and that is ureasonable. We are not women, and what we bring to the world is equally valuable and important. Its just different.)

So, who am I?

Click the post title to find out who I am..

I am...

• a rogue, impatient, impetues child of God
• a musician
• a writer
• a husband
• a father
• a software engineer
• a dreamer
• a fatalist
• lazy
• sometimes depressed
• a friend
• tired
• a home group leader and member
• an enourager
• excitable
• forthright
• scared
• sometimes brave
• sometimes innocent

... and many more things that God challanges me to integrate.