Adrian Plass

I love Adrian Plass. I love his humour, and I love how he sees God.
I hear he's coming out to Australia at the end of the year!

Off The Boil

By Adrian Plass

I've been reading the book of Job lately. Poor old Job. There were only really three phases in Job's life. Pre-boil, boil and post-boil. At one point he looks back nostalgically to the good old pre-boil days, and remembers addressing the people. He says, "When I smiled at them they could scarcely believe it." One of the things that struck me as I talked to people after a series of meetings one weekend was that lots of them seemed to think that - far from smiling at them - God is somehow out to get them.
We used to know a lad whose mum was ferociously house-proud. She made the family get deckchairs out and sit on them in the living-room so they wouldn't crease the three piece suite. The sort of person who runs around the garden in the autumn trying to catch the leaves before they mess the lawn up. She was a fanatic. Steve liked our house - probably because we - well - tended towards the other end of the spectrum.

One day we bought four very old chairs - all our stuff was third or fourth hand in those days. Local people used to come in and say, "Oh, there's my wardrobe!" or “You’ve got my table!”

Anyway, these four chairs were only about five pence each, and old Steve sat on one. It collapsed beyond repair, and I can still see that lad lying among the wreckage, waiting for Armageddon. In his house you got half-killed for sitting on a chair. He'd destroyed one. We watched his face move from pallid terror through amazement as he realised that we were falling about laughing, to profound relief. He could scarcely believe we were smiling at him. Please - if you're lying amid the wreckage of your life (note the smooth transition to a serious point) sorry to mess about - it is a serious point - don't assume that God's going to put the boot in. You may be amazed to discover that he's smiling at you.

Gimme Shelter

This song seems so appropriate at the moment, earthquakes, cyclones, ongoing wars around the world, desperation..and its all only a moment away at anytime. Lord, Gimme Shelter!





GIMME SHELTER - ROLLING STONES

Oh, a storm is threatning
My very life today
If I dont get some shelter
Oh yeah, Im gonna fade away

War, children, its just a shot away
Its just a shot away
War, children, its just a shot away
Its just a shot away

Ooh, see the fire is sweepin
Our very street today
Burns like a red coal carpet
Mad bull lost its way

War, children, its just a shot away
Its just a shot away
War, children, its just a shot away
Its just a shot away

Rape, murder!
Its just a shot away
Its just a shot away

Rape, murder!
Its just a shot away
Its just a shot away

Rape, murder!
Its just a shot away
Its just a shot away

The floods is threatning
My very life today
Gimme, gimme shelter
Or Im gonna fade away

War, children, its just a shot away
Its just a shot away
Its just a shot away
Its just a shot away
Its just a shot away
I tell you love, sister, its just a kiss away
Its just a kiss away
Its just a kiss away
Its just a kiss away
Its just a kiss away
Kiss away, kiss away

Trees

I took my three children (well one is not technically my child, but she could almost be!) for a drive to the Dandenongs on Sunday, and it was glorious. We drove down dirt roads and country lanes and the kids were really excited about the beautiful bright reds and yellows of the Autumn trees. We even stopped at the side of the road to look closely at a Japanese Maple that was a beautiful scorching red! One of the kids said "I just want to get out of the car and run free" and I felt the same...it was one of those spur of the moment days that just feel so right! We mooed at cows while running along slippery planks of wood that covered a little stream. We said "soooo cool" at the house made out of two trams stuck together, and marvelled at the huge tudor style mansion near Sassafras.
We ended the day by having a twlight play in the Emerald train park before snacking on a yummy roast potato with all the trimmings at a nearby cafe.
As I used to write in my diary when I was 12, I give today an A+!

The Refiner of Silver

I was talking to a friend about my crisis of faith at the moment. Mentioning the problems I have with God letting us suffer and wanting us to come to him, meanwhile being able to stop the pain, but not doing so.
She mentioned this story and it really helped me to see things differently. I like to think of myself as silver being refined, and that one day God will see his reflection in me.





Malachi 3:3 says:
"He sits as a refiner and purifier of silver."

This verse puzzled some women in a Bible study and they wondered what this statement meant about the character and nature of God.

One of the women offered to find out the process of refining silver and get back to the group at their next Bible Study.

That week, the woman called a silversmith and made an appointment to watch him at work. She didn't mention anything about the reason for her interest beyond her curiosity about the process of refining silver.

As she watched the silversmith, he held a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up. He explained that in refining silver, one needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire where the flames were hottest as to burn away all the impurities.

The woman thought about God holding us in such a hot spot; then she thought again about the verse that says:
"He sits as a refiner and purifier of silver."

She asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit there in front of the fire the whole time the silver was being refined.

The man answered that yes, he not only had to sit there holding the silver, but he had to keep his eyes on the silver the entire time it was in the fire. If the silver was left a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed.

The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silversmith, "How do you know when the silver is fully refined?"

He smiled at her and answered,

"Oh, that's easy -- when I see my image in it."

If today you are feeling the heat of the fire, remember that God has His eye on you and will keep watching you until He sees His image in you.

The temple of Dave

Saturday night I went to worship the coolest dude in rock! Dave Grohl. He and the other Foo Fighters put on a brilliant show, lots of grinding, crunching guitars, loud drums, Dave's screams and pounding choruses!
Rock on Dave! I'd have your babies :)

of Dragons

I dont know what's going on in the subconsious of mine, but it's really screwed up judging by my dreams :)
Last night I dreamt that I worked in a caryard/garden centre and had noticed a guy drive up in a sandman panelvan, he was quite cute so I sprinted out of the door of the glass fronted office building to serve him. Seems he was after a new pet, one that ate meat. So I, in my infinite wisdom, recommended a Komodo Dragon! Just as soon as I mentioned it, it appeared! scrambling along grey concrete stones looking fierce.
hmmmmmm

The Futureheads

Id heard a song from The Futureheads a little while ago and really loved it..then upon further investigation realised that they cite new wave postpunk bands and Kate Bush as one of their influences! They have a new cd out soon and I may just buy me a copy! They definitely have an 80's feel about them, I can hear and XTCish/The Jam sound too

I'm pretty fussy about Kate Bush covers, but I love this one!!!! probably as much as Kate's original version.

apparently it's become a bit of a cult favourite at music fesitvals! I can imagine everyone shouting oh oh oh!

Lyric of the Week

gorgeous song, written by Mikc d'Abo who was the frontman with Manfred Mann. My Favourite versions are Rod Stewart and Stereophonics. They both have that raspy character to their voices and it adds to the song.
I think it also got noticed when they used it in the credits for "The Office" (the original British one, not the crap US one)



mmmm Kelly


Handbags and Gladrags

Ever seen a blind man cross the road?
trying to make the other side
Ever seen a young girl growing old?
trying to make herself a bride

So what becomes of you my love
When they have finally stripped you off
The handbags and the gladrags
That your poor old Grandad had to sweat to buy you

Once I was a young man
And all I thought I had to do was smile
well You are still a young girl
And you've bourne everything in style

So once you think you're in you're out
'Cause you don't mean a single thing without
The handbags and the gladrags
That your poor old Grandad had to sweat to buy you

Sing a song of six-pence for your sake
And drink a bottle full of rye
Four and twenty blackbirds in a cake
And bake 'em all in a pie

They told me you missed school today
So what I suggest you just throw them all away
The handbags and the gladrags
That your poor old Grandad had to sweat to buy

so you missed school today
So what I suggest you just throw them all away
The handbags and the gladrags
That your poor old Grandad had to sweat to buy you

Joshua

There is a little house near me with a sign outside saying "House of Books". Ive driven past many times and until now have never stopped to investigate further. I dont know why not, sheesh! a house full of books is more or less heaven on earth!
Well last week I took myself off for a child free date at the bookshop, and it was bliss! I met a sweet man sitting at a table in what would have been a front loungeroom when the house was sans books. He had a lovely smile that reminded me of my Dad, so I immediately felt fond of him! He was sitting next to a stack of books on theology and Catholic saints. He explained that the shop was run by the nearby Catholic diocese and most books were around $1 to $2 dollars! Bliss again! I ended up sitting in the religious section for an hour just thumbing through books on every type of religious dogma you could imagine. I ended up coming away with 4 books for me and 10 for my children ;) I just couldnt help myself!
One of the books I am now reading is a book called "Joshua, A parable for today" by Jospeh Girzone. Now I have to say when I began to read this book I almost put it back down again, the first few pages are really quite awkward and I winced at some of the dialogue, but I continued on. He is not the best writer I have ever come across, but I decided to keep going, after all, this is a classic book written in 1983 and still popular! There must be something in it?!
Well Im now three quarters of the way through the book and I will probably take myself back off to the "House of Books" first thing tomorrow to get the second in the "Joshua" series. There is something so simple and yet remarkable about this book..it's basically a book about a man called Joshua (Jesus) coming to live in a small American town and changing everyone around him. There are, as with any book claiming to represent what Christ would think or do, some things I may or may not agree with, but on the whole it's an insightful look at how man has got it wrong! Jesus is love and freedom, and Joshua has that in spades! I cant put it down now!

Dogsitting

I love this blog: ;)

http://www.headrambles.com/2008/03/23/dogsitting/