My final post for 2003.
2003 was the wellest year of my life.
I love Jesus.
I have no idea what 2004 will be like. I’m sure very different to 2003. If God keeps working on me at the rate he did in 2003, then I’m excited.
My times are in Your hands.
I drove around all day today in my mum’s car (due to my own highly musical brakes) and listened to classical music. I haven’t listened to classical music in a long time. Found it really refreshing.
I like films that make me think.
I watched Rabbit Proof Fence last night after I came home from Ozfire (let’s not talk about Ozfire…). The opening scenes sent me down memory lane. I remembered the short story I wrote for the English prize at school in year 10 called ‘The day they took the children away’. That was in 94, 7 years ago. That’s a long time to have been thinking about an issue, and it still manages to pull the heart strings. I also thought of my time in Papunya in 2000 and remembered singing songs on the bus to and from trips to find Mangarri Palya (good tucker!), many of them old Christian songs. It occurred to me the Aboriginal kids probably would have known those songs because their parents and grandparents would have learnt them in missions like that of Rabbit Proof Fence. I also thought of the woman I interviewed for my research for Scoiety and Culture in year 12 and her story of being hit for using her language and not English in the ‘white man’s mission’.
‘This is your home now. We don’t use that jibberish here. We speak ENGLISH.’ (Nurse to Gracie in RBF).
One thing about the stolen generation that really disturbs me is the fact that many white folk honestly thought they were doing a good and right thing by taking in half castes and teaching them ‘Christian ways’. Its only in hindsight that we see the incredibly racist and ethnocentric devastation of a people and a culture. It makes me wonder and fear the possibility that we may be in the midst of implementing some sort of cultural genocide or societal destruction without even knowing it. The human race is so full of good intentions. Its often not till you look back on history that you see evil in its subtle inroads to what ends in autrocities.
God help us have wisdom.
That’s why I never want to stop asking questions.
That’s why I never want to just do things because we’ve always done them like that.
That’s why I need people in my life who will question what I do as a leader.
That’s why I sometimes get scared by my own surety of ‘that’s how things should be done’.
Would the stolen generation have happened if white people had asked the right questions???
I just found out my parents go to the bridge club for an afternoon of bridge not once, but TWICE a week EVERY week. They gloatingly told me this afternoon that they came first ahead of the Bridge club director and my grandfather.
I now think I have permission to offically call them old. I guess this kind of thing happens once you retire.
I don’t think I’ll ever visit the bridge club twice a week.
You give and take away
You give and take away
My heart will choose to say
Blessed be your name
- Matt Redman
Michelle gave me a present this morning. A Smith Wigglesworth devotional book and a pink bag. I love the bag…its very pink. I wanted to get a bag just like it, but I’m not sure of i would have got pink. Maybe it will grow on me. I’m starting to like it more already. But its very girly. Is that good??
I have bits of metal stuck through my ear lobes.
Jo told met today I should stop thinking. Its not good for me. She’s right. Hard to do though. Any suggestions?
Tomorrow I’m on holidays…how good does that feel…
Last night Nic & I watched Down with Love and ate fruit and chocolate. I finally joined the local video store after a whole year of living in Frenchs Forest. Hire one get one free for the first month. Nice. Twas a silly movie. But needed something light hearted so it worked.
Led 10am service this morning.
Had lunch with Jo. Vegetatrian nachos with real vegetables. Mmmm. We then came back to church where I played the piano and we worshipped and prayed. Gosh it was nice to do that. Reminissced bits about Romania where we were a year ago. Amazing to think what has happened in that time. Could see how what I learnt then is relevant now.
Been sorting through more stuff in my office. Discovered a whole lot of folders today from 2000 & 2001. Found leadership notes, Bible studies, programs and dramas I’d written from when I was in youth ministry. (some of which was very amusing, particularly the dramas.) WOW. Feels like another world, another time. And here I am back again in youth ministry. Feels strange. Its fascinating what you find when you do a big clean up.
No church tonight. Might go to Ozfire. Maybe.
I seem to want to use the word ‘nice’ all the time at the moment. Not sure if that’s good or bad.
Well, Christmas is done for another year. It actually went better than I expected.
I enjoyed services.
Jo & I were welcomers at 11pm and did an interesting job. I think I should stick to other types of ministry!
Chinese was fun. Chatted lots with Delle who came. We planned an adventure for Tues.
Christmas day, got to my Aunt’s place late. They have such a beautiful place. If I was into home making (which i’m not) I’d want my house to look like theirs. I guess they are artists, so it makes sense.
Relo’s commented on how well I looked. Prob first year that I haven’t turned up completely exhausted and sick. I know I’ve had the wellest year of my life. Tis nice when people notice.
Had a good long chat with my bro after lunch. He seems to be well which is really good.
Left feeling satisfied that the day hadn’t gone as bad as it might have.
Went home and set myself up to call Helen & Mike. Chatted for over an hour. SO good to talk to them. There were tears. But hey, you get that.
Guin called and her & Phil & I went to the beach. Had a big debrief of all our days. Guin & i had a good girly chat whilst swimming in the pool and Phil braved the waves. Don’t think I’ve ever swam in a seaside pool at 9 at night. Twas lovely. Ate chips and ice cream and had d n m’s. I like Phil & Guin. Can always be really real with them.
Lay down and read my Bible on the couch and started to fall asleep.
‘My times are in Your hands’ was in my head as I drifted off. Nice way to end Christmas day.
Boxing day morning had the traditional left over Chrissy pudding for brekky. Read, stretched, danced, had a bath. Nicola rang from NZ and we chatted for about an hour. SO good to catch up with her.
Matt drove me & Jo over to Wahroonga for the Rings event. A birdy told him my brakes weren’t working. I was glad.
I enjoyed two towers. Nice to escape into another world. So much more enjoyable without a headache.
Trip to the city was fun. Sal, Jo, Matt & I played car games. They didn’t really like my word game…at least Jo didn’t just coz she lost. Association was fun. Funny how something so simple can make you laugh.
The cinema had lots of vibe.
I sat next to Jo French. I like Jo French. She’s cool.
I enjoyed the movie, but less than the first 2. Could be because I spent the whole time working out how not to freeze to death. Just thought there was LOTS of battle scenes and was constantly very intense (camping even). Maybe I was tired after the 3 in a few days. BUT in general I enjoyed it. By the end I had a great sense of satisfaction. It really did take you into another world. There were some profound moments that stand out.
Got to hear Jill’s engagement story this morning form the horse’s mouth. YAY.
Caught up with Nic over lunch. Had noodles at DY.
Have started to sort out my office ready to move upstairs. Feels good.
Holidays are here soon!!!!! 
I thought I liked change. But there’s a bit much of it going on at the moment.