FRONTLINE S.M.E.A.C.

The little one grows

2007-10-31T22:21:00.000+11:00

It is the duty of a doting parent to be to post photos from every ultrasound! This photo is in 3D, it is of the baby's face. You can see the little nose and eyes (which are closed) and it's little chin. The baby's arm is up near its face and it looks a little funny because of how the technology works. If you look carefully you can even see the baby's right ear (on the left of the picture). We think the baby feels that its right side is its best side because it often turned its head to face that way during the ultrasound. Most of the pictures are all are in 2D so this is a special photo. There is no video going up as I haven't worked out how to shorten the DVD that goes for over an hour, it isn't designed to be played with.

Our Newest Family Member

2007-10-10T19:11:00.000+10:00

This is not the usual post on this blog but there is something important to show you! This is our newest family member, just a little one and you can't meet the little one until March sometime, but it is a cute little one, even the student sonograher (person who does the unltrasound) thinks so. The baby is a shy one but you can see their face here. Isn't it cute!?!

half time report

2007-07-07T13:17:00.000+10:00

hello all... i promised that i would keep you in the loop so here is my half time report.

i arrived in vancouver on monday morning and was greeted with one of the most amazing sights i have ever seen... the rocky mountains.

i then caught another plane to toronto (5 hours flying)and was greeted with no luggage. the kind staff at air Canada gave me toiletry bag and a t-shirt and sent me on my way saying they would have my bag by days end. three days and 16 phonecalls later i finnaly have my bags.

here is a look at my hotel room 7th floor of the sheraton towers in tortonto... and the view that i get every morning.

on tuesday arvo i visited one of the drop-in centre's that inspired the bolt drop-in that i started... The Dam.

it was great to finally put faces to names and to see how another christian drop-in centre run. what an inspiration.

the conference started on wednesday night, the theme " where love and justice meet".

here are some of the photo's from that night.

Ron (PFI's CEO)

this Chic tried so hard to get people fired up for jesus that it was painful.

Superman on his day off (ugly disguise)

Phillip Yancey is as good a speaker as he is a writer...fantastic.

finally here is MOST of the team from Australia i am with.

more to come when i get back.

lost in translation

2007-07-04T23:15:00.000+10:00

been in Canada since monday. its now wednesday and istill don't have my luggage. stay tuned for photo's and stuff.

injustice...retribution.

2007-06-13T03:32:00.000+10:00

last night i had an interesting conversation with a relative around my work with prisoners and their children. during the conversation i came to a point when i just realised... people are really sinister. during this conversation i heard my Relative say that any murderer should "be needled".

whilst i was thinking about this today i thought about Jesus' teaching on the sermon on the mount, "You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.' But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment." (matt 5: 21-22).

myt reli also used the eye for an eye debate. which is quickly followed up by a lot of love your enemies passages... easily refuted.

but what should be done with murderers, rapists and paedophiles? is justice about retribution or restoration?

post-modern ponderings???

2007-05-29T00:36:00.000+10:00

over the last few months i have had the privelage of speaking to church leaders and their congregations about the work of Prison Fellowship Australia - Victoria. this has been one of the most enlightening times of my life. whilst i have some misgivings about my own church it has shown me that even though we do not match up to my own view of what we should be doing as the people of God that we are far ahead of the pack.

i recently spent some time at a little church in the west of melbourne where i was speaking. i have known the pastor for over ten years and when i got to his church i was surprised by the attendance. they had just lost one of the families he sadi as i walked in...which haqlved the number of attendees. they are right in the middle of one of the mosdt transient communities in melbourne, they have a committed pastor with a heart for the lost, and they own their property.

why is it not jam packed?

within ten minutes walk of this church are towering cathedrals and massive monuments to christendom that will probably stand for many years to come. but are they just that... monuments?

what shall we do as the people of God when we are the foresaken ones? all the property in the world does not make a church. so how then shall we live?

what shall we do oh LORD?

i guess my question is this " we are quite rich in Eltham, we are also an amazinglyy talented church. how then shall we use our gifts to help our struggling brothers and fellowships that are all around us?"

No Compromise

2007-05-06T01:33:00.000+10:00

over the past few weeks i have been reading "No Compromise" the life story of Kieth Green. i see a lot of myself in this story. Kieth Green was an over the top, full on, no hold bar kind of guy who loved God and thought that christians compromised their faith way to much.

i also believe that we as christians compromise way to much. here are a few areas i think we compromise way to much in:
-political correctness rather than spiritual correctness
-niceness rather than truthfulness (even if it hurts)
-Sin rather than theological correctness

now i know i will cop flack for this thinking...i have all my Christian life, but i see it all the time and so do those who are on the outside looking in. i believe that we as followers of Christ need to lift our game. i believe that we need to step up or step out... your either a sold out follower of Christ or you WILL hear get away from me i do not know you.

a new blog

2007-04-16T15:11:00.000+10:00

my wife and i have just started a new blog. the purpose of this blog is so that youth leaders (particularly christians) can hav a place to 'Chew the Fat' about how we can do things better.

the blog is working with youth issues.

if you have christian friends who are working with youth then let them know about the site. we will update it every week with a new topic.

feel free to let us know some topics you would like to discuss.

a question of ethics

2007-04-09T00:27:00.000+10:00

on wednesday night i chatted with a Christian friend of mine who is a youth worker. we were talking about a proposed "youth work code of practice" being proposed by the Youth Affairs Council for Victoria YACVic

he said that he believes that christians do not need training or a code of ethics to be youth workers. i said we did. what do you think?

are christians above the rest of our peers when it comes to services?

Intentional Christian Community???

2007-04-02T18:10:00.000+10:00

over the past few weeks i have become more and more disenchanted with church. i have been disenchanted by corporate, small and many other forms of the way WE do community. i have come to feel that we do a version of community that is very individual and very dare i say it Post-Modern.

we have said that we are an intentional community at EBC however i am not certain that we are. i believe that most of us who are searching are wrestling with the questions i am wrestling with. the main question that i have at the moment is what is an intentional community and how will EBC become more intentional in the way we become followers of Jesus in Eltham? what will it look like? what will we have to sacrifice? what will we gain?

first day back.

2007-02-26T11:12:00.000+11:00

well today i start back at RMIT in the pursuit of a piece of paper. to get this piece of paper i have to go through a class called "modern Australian society".

this class will look at the many facets that make up our society and see if any of them are worth a damn or if they are all bedtime stories that will help us sleep at night as ignorant people.

i was reflecting on the story of Adolf Eichmann and believe that, in the same way he did, many Australians turn off their thought process to just follow the crowd.

what is our society like?
what changes should we make?
how would Jesus view Christians in the present Australian context?
what can we, individually and corporately, do to change this?

The return.

2007-02-20T16:59:00.000+11:00

it is with a heavy burden that i write this entry. over the past year or so i have increasingly become aware of the losing battle that we as supporters of the King of Kings are faced with. to date i have been lucky to serve with some of the great warriors of our time... however this is slowly becoming an excersie that is floundering.

i have spoken with many people over the past 2 years about the thought of continuing my ministry degree, some giving me curry others encouragement. yesterday i had a meeting a Whitley college as to the opportunities for me to gain some extra training in the area's of ministry. i am considering the master of divinity course and the ordination stream as a possible part of my continued personal and professional growth and for the purposes of the war that is happening now and the continued struggles that i believe are coming sooner than the scholars are predicting.

i ask for your thoughts and prayers as well as your advice. i could really use it at the moment.

All battles are fought by scared men who'd rather be some place else, but in this kind of war, you've gotta believe in what you're fighting for.

i have returned

2007-02-19T13:08:00.000+11:00

well after a long hiatus in the forrests of outer mongolia i have decided that a return to duty is most definately needed.

stay tuned as i begin the long march for freedom and truth.