Well that sucks!

What a shocker!
What a day to have a bad one. If only they put up a bit of a whimper? So many things to have a whinge about. You have to wonder whether it would've been better to bow out (pardon the pun) against West Coast with some sort of fight (although they still would've had a second chance) than to go out like this. All I can hope in, is that this will cause them to fight real hard next year and I guess it certainly has the potential to cause this team to want to prove something so . . . . look out in 08 . . . . please.

Love and the Church

The Dave Andrews awesome read of 'Not Religion but Love' really echo's some of my sentiments towards the local Christian church in huge amounts. I think my difficulty over the years with the church has been because the local church has been more interested in doing the church thing rather than simply being the people that Jesus wants them to be and loving others unconditionally. I wrote this a while ago about this very fact:

"For so long now I believe the church (generally speaking) has given God’s true love a fair bit of lip service that hasn’t dropped to the heart or feet.

For whatever reason, often I have seen local churches chase the easy options, chasing those who can come into the life of church the quickest with the least amount of effort. Unfortunately it doesn’t take much love for this to happen.
What we see in Christ though is far greater than this. Jesus came to love as God loved - with a whole gamut of self sacrifice.

It is this sacrificial unconditional love, that caused grown men to drop their nets and follow, that caused sinners to weep at his feet, that sent self righteous accusers who pointed the finger to take a good look at themselves and men in high positions give up the right to their riches and fame."

I'd be interested in anyone's thoughts on that.

BRING IT ON!!!

C'mon the Power! Tame those Cats!!!

Church and Discipleship

Been commenting at a previous lecturer's (one of my fav's and a good bloke) blog site. There's been some interesting conversation going on about community and understanding Jesus outside the normal Christian format. So I thought I'd post this as it prompted me to think of some stuff I have written in the past:
"The problem is, I believe, that because of our (churches across the world) fleshly desire to create something that ‘looks good’, in building our own church empires and making sure there are plenty of people, we have let go of the very thing that is good, simply growing passionate disciples of Jesus. We’ve replaced what God designed to be good - getting alongside of an individual, loving them, leading them to Christ, helping them grow in their understanding and their position as a child of God, and leading them to do the same, into - come to church, get involved in what we do, become a part of the crowd and follow the religion. No wonder they don’t want to follow Jesus actively, just look at what we’ve served them! An empty fulfilment of rules and rituals, legalities and burnout, high, unrealistic expectations and a love for the things of church, not necessarily a love for God and each other, the primary commandments of the one who we say we follow".

Sports all round!

Well I'm kinda a sports freak in many ways, have been from a young age. Played footy and basketball until my knee decided to go in a different direction to where I wanted to go. Needless to say .. the end of competitive sport. It just so happened that at the young age of 21 I married a very zippy point guard and netballer. So you'd think that if we had some children they'd be loving sport. Well you'd be right! This is as good a bragging place as any so here goes.
Footy. . . . as a coach and Dad of player was very hot this year. The mighty Christies Beach Primary 4/5's were unbeaten! Not only that, they kicked an everage of 107 points per game, with a total of 1395 points for the 13 games played. Brody Kicked 30:10 for the season from playing primarily on the ball and no I didn't tank it so he kicked more. :)

Glenno in the middle - the big one - Brody's on my left arm (with the boofy hair!).










Gymnastics . . . . seems we have a new State champ in the fam! State championships for Shannon, Kirrily and Hannah was last weekend and they all did well!
Kirrily had a ball and came 8th overall with a 3rd on the bars in her Grade. Her team won the overall grade.










Shannon had a great weekend also and her team won the grade overall as well. Shannon also came a personal fourth overall.


















Hannah had an awesome championships! In under 6 in her grade Hannah came first on the vault, 2nd on the beam and 4th on floor and took out the Grade as State champ, what a little trooper!

















So we're very proud of our kids and their efforts, they have tried so hard and it's been awesome to watch them develop and we look forward to that more into the future. It's been a big year in sport! Go 'the Power' and bring on the cricket!

Sustainable House Construction #1

Ok, so, starting a new line of Blog that will be a journal to building a new, Energy Efficient Home.
We have a block of land at Aldinga Beach that we want to build on. It is approx 1200m2, 51m deep and 24m across, it's flat and north facing.
We want to build it as energy efficient as we possibly can and the least amount of impaction on our environment. That means on gases into the air, co2 etc, amount of electricity, lpg etc used for living and most importantly that we are doing our best to save water.
So, hopefully this can be a reference point for us as we research and maybe for others as they also consider building or renovating their homes.
I'll be gathering information off the web and hopefully linking to other like minded blogs and resources that are doing the same. If anyone can help or wants to join in, it would be most appreciated.

New Camera

Bought a new camera, mainly for the business, a Fuji Finepix S9600. It's nearly an SLR but not quite. Very good though and so far am having a good time with it. The main shots that will be taken will be ones like the header of this blog, of bricks and homes. But there'll be some others like the macro's of the flowers around the place and some action shots.
It's very easy to use and has many manual functions. The 28mm lens gives a great wide shot and should be good for shots of homes, especially those with a wide frontage. Now I just have to learn some good photography techniques! The shots above were taken at my place, two macro shots, a daisy and a reed with droplets of water. Then an action shot of Lara.
Not bad seeing as I had to kick the ball, focus and shoot in a few seconds!

Our wild stallion and equine flu

Check out our lawn mower! Don't have to start it, give it fuel, push it (sometimes) and it goes all night.
Bossy's his name for a good reason too.
Talking about Horsies, this equine flu thing seems to be a bit of a farce. Yep I understand the need to be careful about spreading the disease etc but it's only really affecting the racing crew. If a horse gets it it's like getting the flu ourselves, we lay low and get better, and that's the whole issue!
Horses have to lay low, that's fine for ours that's all they do anyway but for the racers it's all about the $$$$$ As if they don't have enough anyway!

The adventures of Glenn and Stuey

Well we have an employee, the big stumeister, a very good friend of mine. It's great having him around and we work well together. We have some rather funny times also so I thought that now and then I'd have and adventures of Glenn and Stuey section on the blog.
Today the big Stu nearly had a major issue. It's hard to explain in full without actions but as we were about to pull up a mold Stuey bumped himself on the saw bench which propelled him towards the soft blocks in the molds and towards me. So imagine the look on his face as he's falling towards me and the wet bricks and my face as I brace myself to catch him. Now think about how it looks when one man is supporting another like a bridge over a bunch of wet bricks! He he. I pushed him back and we lifted the molds. No damage done and much laughter was had by all!

Mars Hill

I've been listening a lot to Mars Hill teaching lately and I'm finding it awesome and inspirational. I have this mp3 transmitter and can transmit a teaching mp3 into the factory from the office. So while I'm stacking (it's too noisy when making them) Timbercrete bricks I'm listening to Rob Bell or someone else at Mars Hill.
The focus on biblical teaching, church not being just Sunday but people, focus on serving local and global, mentoring instead of just programming, methods of ministry that have resonated in my heart for years all come through this place and I'm loving it.
At the moment the series is 'God is Green' you can find it here. Seeing as Timbercrete is green and we as a family are trying to live and build green, to know that God is the greenest of all means we need to listen to him about that. As followers of God and His son Jesus, the green greenies, I pray that we can follow, live and lead a greener life.

Broken Hill and General Footy

At the start of the month Brod's and I traveled to Broken Hill for a couple of games of footy. Brody made it into the U13's South Adelaide Dev Squad which was a huge feat as he's a year younger than he should be so that's been cool. The team played the first game straight off the bus against the best from around the Broken Hill area. The boys had been on the bus for 6 hrs so to lose by only a couple of goals wasn't bad. The next game 2 days later was much better, the boys put in a very hard effort and came away with a good win. It was a great trip, good to get to know a few people and I helped out as a runner which was cool but I discovered I'm very unfit, aerobically anyway!
Coaching this year has been a blast. This will be the last year of coaching the 4/5's as next year Brody and most of the team will be 6/7's, so I'll probably coach them. I have to say that coaching footy is awesome! Being around people in this footy community is great. I have some close friends there now after coaching for the last couple of years and I would say that there are who some who are more like Jesus than some of those I have known in the past that have claimed to be.
As far as results go, the boys haven't lost a game, as a matter of fact they haven't won by less than about 9-10 goals, some by about 20. This is fun but in many ways they're getting a bit cocky and could do with some good competition, reality will hit next year I think / hope.

Switchfoot in Paradise?

Ok, I'm a bit miffed.
I heard a rumour from a pretty good source that Switchfoot were at one time invited to the Oz gospel Music Festival in Toowoomba and they turned the organisers down due to the fact that Switchfoot had said they don't do 'Christian Events'. Now I fully support this to the hilt. I would rather see Christians impacting our world in the world than saying they're a Christian and never leaving the comfort of the church pew. So I was pretty pumped to hear that Switchfoot wanted to have more of an outside impact than in. Now . . . I was pretty excited to hear that Switchfoot were coming here to Oz, then I read off the website that they are only playing at Youth Alive venues in a youth alive package, one of them here at Paradise Church - not happy.
Now lets just say Switchfoot are struggling for mainstream airplay on radio, which I think they are, is playing at these venues going to do them any favours? I don't think so. Who will also go to these venues and what will they be hit with when they're there? Will there be an alter call, a love offering?? What is this about, Switchfoot and their kingdom impact or Youth Alive and drawing a crowd? Is Switchfoot changing their tack, are they just interested in the $ more than the influence, if so then 'American Dream' is just a song with no meaning?
I'll be trying to get there coz I like their music so much, but I'm confused and not happy, wishing they were at a better venue.

My answer to my year 12 english teacher

I think it was 1987, sitting in Yr 12 English and after receiving a result (probably a bad one)Ms Matthews asked me this question. 'Why are you in this class? What are you going to do after school anyway? The real question was - what are you doing in my class? You're obviously not going to use anything from yr 12 English, what are you going to do that could ever need English!
So now - my answer to Ms Matthews wherever she may be:

Well after school I'm going to become a carpenter and I'm going to have to write some assignments for trade school. I'm also going to need to write essays for my advanced building certificate. After a few years in the trade I think I might try and get a theological degree which will require me to know how to write 2000-3000 word essays with specific guidelines so that the lecturers know what I'm talking about and to meet protocol. After I finish my degree I'm going to become a pastor in a church and I'll be writing messages for public speaking every week and sometimes twice a week. After about seven years of that I think I'll start my own business and have to answer emails, write invoices, fax's, marketing strategies, financial reports etc etc and then I think I'll do some more building study just because I love English soooo much. During that I think I'll blog a little. :)

So Ms Matthews that's why I'm in this class.

Just an encouragement to all of you - You may not know why you're doing what your doing, but God does. You may get people saying to you 'why are you doing this or that? That's ridiculous!' My encouragement is to keep your eyes fixed on the goal and push on. What you're doing now may not make sense but in years to come you may be able to look back and realise that what seemed stupid at the time God had a purpose for.

When not paying attention makes big statement!

Went for the first time, with the whole family, to the footy last night. It was a good time! For a half it was great until the littler girls had enough of football catching their attention. All Kirrily wanted to do was see if she could kart-wheel the whole length of the oval! So a good night but that's not what I'm writing about.
A couple of Ports new players were signing autographs in the Planet Teal area for the kids. One of those players, a bit of a hero in Brod's eyes(and mine on the quiet)was there. I asked Brody if he wanted his autograph and Brod's, while nervous, was pretty keen. I even asked him if he wanted a photo and he was keen on that too. So we walked to the table where they were sitting and Brody handed the player his hat to sign on. The player didn't look at Brody as he was talking to his team mate, but he, like on auto pilot, took his hat, signed it and gave it back without giving Brody the time of day, continuing with his conversation.
Needless to say that Brody didn't want a photo with him and that the signature on the hat is now pretty worthless to him.
It makes me think of the impact that we, even though we're not all hero's, have on others. The not looking people in the eye, the wanting to do something else coz we're busy, just being involved in ourselves more than we are with others. It asks the question what really is important and I have to say it, that Jesus, I believe, really gave people the time, looked them in the eyes and cared. I believe that in reading scripture that all who met Him never went away empty. I don't know how but I don't want to leave people empty, somehow I want them to know Jesus through the interaction that I have with others and Jesus has through me.

Everyone wants to leave

Well it seems that it's not just the Dog who wants to leave the Munyard fold of love and care, the horses also think that they have had enough!
As you may be able to tell, the horses in this photo look kind of tired, they would, at this time of the morning (approx 7.30am!), usually be fighting to get to their portion of feed. Not this morning as they were probably feeling tired and fat!
You see Glenn (sounds better in second tense) gets up at 5.45am before a day of manufacturing the magnificent Timbercrete blocks, so that he can feed the horses. This morning as per usual (well sometimes not usual) Glenn drives to the horse property at about 6.15 to give these lovely animals their morning breaky. Where we keep the feed is at the end of a gap in the fences which is a walkway through to the yards the horses are in. Glenn walks past the the walkway and looks to see the horses, hmmm he says to himself, they must be down the bottom (sometimes the view to the horses is obscured due to other sheds) 'nothing too unusual' he thinks. Glenn gets all the feed ready and walks to the tap to water the feed down where he can see the yards a bit better, hmmm he thinks to himself, they must be in their shelter, (things are starting to get little unusual now, they would normally be at the fence waiting to get their hay). Glenn pushes the barrow to the yards and still there's no sign of darling little horsey's . . . . 'oh crap!', Glenn says to himself, THE GATE IS OPEN! Although Glenn didn't say that about the gate he just thought it in is head. 'Oh crap' was definitely audible however.
So, not being the man from snowy river type horse handler, Glenn rings his horse handling wife only to find that his horse handling daughter picks up the phone and says that his horse handling wife is in the shower and can't talk right now! 'Well', Glenn said, 'tell her (the horse handling wife in the shower) that the gate is open to the horse yard and the horses are gone and I can't find them anywhere!' (that got her out pretty fast!)
Glenn knocked on the door of the home of the place where the horses live, the bleary eyed owner came to the door. Glenn said 'sorry to wake you but you haven't seen four horses by any chance coz the gate is open and they're gone!?' 'Mmmm . . . nup' came the reply, 'let me get changed out of the pj's and I'll help you out'.
So Glenn walked off to do some serious tracking. The concern was twofold, first that maybe they'd been flogged, second they've found there way on to a main Rd somewhere. The concerns were settled pretty soon by the evidence of multiple hoof tracks leading off to the back of the property. Now in the 4wd, Glenn sets off with his tracking buddy to find the lost herd. Glenn called the police to see if 4 horses had been reported around the area, the copper said 'nup only a case of someone hitting a kangaroo'. (sure it wasn't a dog hitting a kangaroo, Glenn thought)
So off over the vineyards and far away they are driving and tracking. After stopping many times to regain the hoof tracks they spotted them on a hill, a k or 2 from their home. Glenn and his tracking buddy drove up to them and found that they were actually in a backyard of someone else's property. They looked at them as if, 'what . . what's the trouble?'. All Glenn had in the car to lead them was a snatch strap 4wd. So he grabbed the leader and led them home. Hence the end of the story of the escaping horses.
We're still not sure what would've been more interesting for the people at which home the horses finished up, seeing four horses in their backyard or seeing a 4wd left there. Funny. . . . . . now.

Eco Living Expo

If you're interested in helping our environment and want to see products or be informed on being more eco friendly then come along.
We have a Timbercrete exhibit there, so if you're coming, let us know! If you let me know early enough I might also be able to get a 2 for 1 discount for you as well. Should be great! Also doing a talk spot on alternative building products - Timbercrete :)

Time flies when your just flat out!

Well, haven't had much time to think or write lately. Up to my eyeballs in bricks and study and kids sport. All good though. Some good orders in for bricks and some good fun watching kids do well at sport.
The big bosserooni came over from the big smoke and he kept us busy. Such a humble, Godly man. You know the type of people you love to be in the presence of? Well he's one of them.
Brod's is playing for the South Adelaide U/13's Country Development squad at the moment as well as for his school team. He played a ripper on Tuesday night against west although the team were pummeled. The school team he plays in and I coach is going great guns. We haven't won a game by less than 10 goals yet. Last week was 147-20. The team is really gelling and they all seem to be really enjoying each other's company and are learning a fair bit about life and footy.
Girls had gymnastics comp last weekend and they all did well. All of their teams came first and Kirra's has had an approach from an elite team but we don't think it will be happening.
Big week ahead of more sport and more bricks and then we're off to the Eco Show.

Teenscamp April 07

Camp was all about I love . . . . . ?
I spoke on passion:
- What is passion and the passion God has for us.
- The leeches of passion
- Being the passion

I blogged about passion no too long ago Here. I guess my heart for passionate followers of Jesus has been strong for a long time and see this as probably one of the biggest attributes to the view that most people have of Christianity, that it is not alive and stuck in it's religious format of Sunday worship.

My heart is that the younger generation will defy the past and look beyond religion and follow Jesus wholeheartedly wherever they find themselves and not get too caught in some of the, often fruitless, religious avenues that the institutional church finds itself.

I didn't go into that too much but concentrated on a personal relationship with God and my prayer is that everyone who heard stuff over the weekend will focus on that more than anything.

I'm hoping to podcast mp3's of the messages here soon but for now I have a link to my notes on the first session. Feel free to copy it and do whatever with it, even use it for your own speaking if you want and change it around etc.

So here yah - Session 1

Feel free to comment on it as well - session 2 soon

Phew!

Ok, feeling a lot better now, thanks for asking.
I dunno if life is like this for everyone but you know when you get these times when there's not much happening and then everything happens all at once in a really short space of time. Well that just happened.
Here's the last week and a bit.

Large brick order came through woo hoo!
Found out that a lump on my groin (no a bit higher than the other lump) was a femeral hernia. (docs and us thought it may have been lymphoma for a while until an ultrasound, bit scary)
Wedding for Michelle and Bean
Making bricks
1 whole day's of brick manufacturing no good due to an off ingredient, grrr.
Family arriving from Perth and US for mums 80th
Finishing exams and assignments for building study
Preparing for Teenscamp
Groin sore
Family week-long party begins amidst preparing for teens and kids finishing school.
Started teens camp just down the road.
Session one at teens in the morning, Birthday bash in the arvo, party goes on into the night - much fun is had by all.
Teens for session 2 on Sunday and the fam comes along so that T can take an ellective to horses, home late after grumpy and tired kids get the better of us.
Teens session 3 and teens finishes - awesome! (not that it finished, the camp was great!)
Pre admission at Hospital for surgery tomorrow.
Family party continues at our place tonight.
At hospital at 11 am Tues and I'm sitting in bed and everything has stopped. Suddenly from everything going nutso and then nothing - weird.
Surgery around 4.30pm.
Flying with the fairies on general antisthetic and morphein. 6cm slice on upper groin with some stainless mesh in there somewhere.
Nurse accidentally punches me in the stomach! Of all the places!
Morphein wears off - NOOOOOOOO! Can't hardly move, feels like they used my stomach as a trampoline!
Home recovering and playing video games with Brod's.
Nearly fixed, will be back into it Thursday.
The end - Phew!

Teens Camp then Pain!

For now all I'm saying is that teens camp is way more fun than having a hernia fixed! I'm in pain and am not sitting here any longer. Teens camp wrap soon. AAAAHHH!