another week...

...another form filled completed!

I'm on a roll! This one I've been putting off for 4 years.

I am now a member of APRA. I will get paid when people perform my songs!

Joel's Easter Acrostic

Easter is a time to remember
As Jesus died on the cross
Sad to me. Is it to you?
There is the cross he died on. See two beside him.
Easter is good
Remember, remember

Easter eggs are good but
God is better.
God raised Jesus from the dead.
Sad to remember. It is if you think about it.

JR 2009
(age 7)

twist away

Early Bird rate closes today. Be quick!

more YouTube fun!

Axis of Awesome 4 Chords

Auto-Tune the News

Tragedy sounds better, auto-tuned.

Watch it, it's funny.

ht: addison road

"i am a recording artist and song composer, so i should know."

No, not me!

An anonymous commenter down here. Have to draw attention to it.

I still think I'm right, of course!

I hate teaching...

... if what I did today was actually teaching. Didn't feel like it.

Today 6'X' at ESh School learnt that Mrs. Richardson is a bitch. That's what they were saying, at least. And I was. But they were revolting. And they were revolting first. So it wasn't my fault.

on chocolate cake and sin

I love chocolate cake. Truly love it. But it's bad for me. If I eat it, it'll be on my thighs tomorrow and will take weeks of hard work to make it go away. It's so bad. I won't eat it. I won't. But it looks good. I wonder... See that little bit of icing hanging off the side? Maybe if I just broke that off... Such a little bit can't hurt. Mmm. That was good. I wonder if the cake's as good as the icing? I really need to try both to get a feel for what I'm not having. Just a crumb. Oh. Looks a bit obvious that I've broken off that bit. I'll just tidy it up with a knife... Such a thin slice is like having nothing at all. Mmm. Better take some off the other side to keep the same angle...

It's not that bad. It's not like I had the whole piece... But since that I've had that much I might as well finish it off.

For me, the easiest crumb of cake to say no to is the first. After I've had that first bit, there's no stopping me. I've gotten a taste for it and will most likely keep going till all the cake's gone.

I was lying in bed the other night, imagining sin looking like a piece of chocolate cake. My dealing with the two is much the same. I know that x sin is bad. It's bad because God says it is, but it's also bad because it will lead to y and z undesirable consequences. So I decide not to do it. I just won't. Easy. But that tiniest, smallest sckeric of x's icing... I look. I think. I smell. I touch... My mouth is watering... I taste! My senses are euphoric! They cry out for a fuller experience! X, X! (Y and Z are, for the moment, out of sight.) X! The cry is deafening. Resistance useless. Defeat inevitable. I have x and x has me.

The trouble with sin (and chocolate cake) is that very quickly we develop a taste for it. Having had a little bit, we discover that we like it and we want more. There are cakes in the shop window that don't appeal to me. Baked cheese cake, pecan pie... but I'm confident that if I put the time in, I could acquire a taste for these. Similarly with sin. There are sins that I've had no particular inclination towards... but after a few crumbs and a bit of icing, they are putting fat on my soul as chocolate cake adds weight to my thighs.

In fact, I don't think there's many sins I couldn't acquire a taste for if I gave them a go.

So, what's the answer*?

1. Don't buy the cake. Don't even look at it. Don't smell it. Don't touch it. If someone else has brought it into the house, put on your gloves and bin it.

2. Say no to that first crumb and don't break off the icing. It does matter. The first crumb is the easiest to resist.

3. If some (somehow!) reaches your mouth, don't swallow! Stop. Spit it out now. All of it! And bin the rest of the cake.

4. So you've already had some? Don't make it worse. Stop now and bin the rest.

5. Work out what you're really craving. Chances are, it's not chocolate cake. Go fry up a steak.

* To sin, that is. Chocolate cake doesn't matter. In 100 years time, we'll all be thin.

hair cut and colour

I had my hair cut and coloured today (first cut in 6+ months, first colour in 3 years). So far, no one has really noticed. Not the kids, anyway - even #2 who is usually very observant. Wondering if I wasted my money.

Wait and see if Andrew comments.

Oh well.

I like it. And it smells nice.

[UPDATE: Nope. Andrew didn't notice.]

Randolph's comrades are here

I wish them all a slow and painful death.

Seriously, who needs a pope...

...when we have Mark Driscoll and the Houstons?

900 AV men for Jesus?

Nathan speaks about it here.

Similarly, I listen to Mark Driscoll but can't help thinking this is revoltingly egotistical and idolatrous.

How can this not end badly?

post-modern spelling?

I taught year 3 today. We started the day with spelling. I expected kids to misspell 'until'. Many did. We talked together about how it has only one 'l'. Good. When I was recording their results, one (unlikely) child told me he had all the words correct. I asked him to bring his book to me. As I suspected, his 'until' had two l's. He had given it a tick. When I pointed this out, he said, "Oh no, that's okay because, like, everyone in my whole entire family spells it that way." He spoke so confidently that my first thought was that he must have some special allowance to operate under an alternate spelling regime since his family has declared independance from the rest of the English speaking world...

Five seconds later (after a long pause!) I got a grip!

"Well. Everyone in your whole entire family is wrong." And I gave him a cross, corrected it, and changed his result.

Um...

I've written quite a few frustrated posts about a song that has given me trouble. I've described it as dumb and stupid and have condemned all theological words, particularly those with 4 or 5 syllables. The particular lyric is now finished (after around 15 re-writes) and I'm pleased with it. The offending words which I pulled out a couple of weeks ago, have been put back in. And I like it. It seems that not only is it unstupid now, but it actually might even be good.

Pretty soon I'll be erasing (or disguising) all the posts I wrote about this particular song. What I thought were it's most offensive words may turn out to be the title of the cd!

Today is my bloggiversary!

My blog is one year old today! Hip Hip Hooray!

Leave me something nice in a comment. Go on!

interesting

Today I was at church but not available to play piano (I was teaching Sunday School). No other pianists were available either. So there was no piano - just guitar and drums. As a congregation we sang better than we've sung for ages. More volume, more enthusiasm.

[Trying not to take it personally.]

Maybe we try too hard.

RIP Randolph

Our friend Randolph died this week*. Maybe 5 days ago. On Thursday night we thought we smelled something in the lounge room. By yesterday morning there was no doubt. Yesterday afternoon it was unbearable. At 10pm last night Andrew pulled apart the piano and found Randolph's remains. He was lying on the key hammer thingies. I had wondered why the A was sticking.

RIP Randolph. Actually, I don't care whether your resting is peaceful or not. So long as you and your comrades don't come back, ever.

*technically speaking, we killed him.

things I like #3

My new font - freestyleScrD.

Not for everyday use, of course, but it's worked for headings with avenir text.

I know that too many cooks spoil the broth....

...but I'm going to enter the kitchen anyway.

Because my ingredients will make better soup. Pull out the potatoes. Let's give it a rice base. And chicken would be nicer than beef.

Okay? Great. Do it.

David the righteous sinner

The other night I listened to a lecture on 1 Chronicles 21 (David's census, God's judgment, and David's repentance) and Psalm 51. The lecturer (Douglas Green, professor in OT at Westminster) argued that both passages are about David's righteousness. Sin is inevitable and David was being the perfect Israelite modeling heart repentance as the law required it.

⁸ Then David said to God, "I have sinned greatly by doing this. Now, I beg you, take away the guilt of your servant. I have done a very foolish thing."

⁹ The LORD said to Gad, David's seer, ¹⁰ "Go and tell David, 'This is what the LORD says: I am giving you three options. Choose one of them for me to carry out against you.' "

¹¹ So Gad went to David and said to him, "This is what the LORD says: 'Take your choice: ¹² three years of famine, three months of being swept away ^a]">[a] before your enemies, with their swords overtaking you, or three days of the sword of the LORD -days of plague in the land, with the angel of the LORD ravaging every part of Israel.' Now then, decide how I should answer the one who sent me."

¹³ David said to Gad, "I am in deep distress. Let me fall into the hands of the LORD, for his mercy is very great; but do not let me fall into the hands of men."

1 Chronicles 21:8-13

An interesting idea. Heartwarming. Anyone come across it before?

rat rat ratty

Andrew put baits out to try to kill our little friend. No sign of dead rat except a smell. Not good.

I want to move house.

satisfaction

I've just finished a desktop publishing job for a conference this weekend. It wasn't heaps of work - a couple of hours behind the computer, a couple of hours printing, stapling and folding. But now I feel hugely satisfied. I have 85 sixteen page booklets stacked nicely in a box.

You should try it.

I have lots to do today...

lots and lots.

Conference tomorrow that I need to do stuff for.

I start teaching Sunday School on Sunday - with brand new material that I've not quite writing yet... And I'm wanting to make t-shirts and posters and other things to make it look happening and exciting.

Still one song to be re-written again... (yes, the stupid one. It's the 11th hour and 59th minute...)

The washing is out of control.

No time to go to work.

Hope the phone doesn't ring.

I love teaching because...

...today I got to:

• be a netball coach
• be a group trainer (I made those kids hurt! Run faster! More push ups!)
• Read and talk for an hour about the 2nd World War
• Wander round in the autumn sunshine
• Send my kids off to LOTE, library, and RE

A great day with only a couple of difficult customers.

I'm on top of the world!

I just filled in a form I've been putting off for months!

It's all enveloped up, addressed and stamped, and Andrew has promised to put it in the post box for me.

I've achieved this task and now I feel like I can do anything!

[Incidently, while looking for the things I needed to fill out the form, I found $500 worth of uncashed cheques and medicare receipts. Bonus!]

I am a political animal.

Didn't realise it till now.

Watch out.

Mike Bird lecture

I listened to this lecture at a meeting tonight. PCQers out there might be interested to watch it too.

Good stuff, of course, but can you go wrong with the royal Psalms?

Things I know

1. Wasabi Peas clear the nasal passages.
2. The Eras fonts were cool 7 years ago.
3. God sticks his finger up at the strong by choosing the weak.
4. The BBC can be trusted to choose the next doctor.
5. It's important to know when to stop.
6. Knowledge, faith and passion are a compelling combination.
7. Baldness can be excused.
8. A hairy face must be forgiven.
9. Presbyterian men should shave more.
10. Glory is hidden in the dirt.
11. It will be worth the wait.
12. Ties with large or irregular patterns should not be worn.
13. After the second hour, I start passing notes.
14. After the fifth hour, everyone starts passing notes.
15. After 11pm it doesn't matter.

[written during a long meeting]

something I've learnt this last week

"No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other." Matt 6:24.

I cannot serve both co-writer and producer.

A whole week of blogs to catch up on...

A Little History of the World

I've been reading this book to the kids. It's a beautifully told, [humanist] account of the history of the world. If your kids are history buffs, you should take a look at it. We're up to the fall of the Persian Empire, but I've read ahead!

Gombrich incorporates biblical events into his overall historical picture, which is quite interesting. He speaks highly of the bible and even encourages us to read it ourselves, though he says we shouldn't be in any hurry to do this! As you'd imagine, Gombrich has no idea that it was God acting behind all the political events.

I can't wait to keep on reading it to the kids. Will be harder now that we're back into the grind of everyday life.

Back from holidays

It was great.

Here's what we did:

• daily jog along beach
• visit to the capricorn caves
• horse riding
• swimming in pool
• shell collecting
• dvd watching (Dr. Who, Clone Wars, A Series of Unfortunate Events)
• sleeping
• driving between Yeppoon and Rockhampton (far too much!)
• church here
• reading

Thankful for a generous sister. Can't wait to go back again.

Finally...

Stupid song no longer quite so stupid.

Hoping for a studio miracle whereby this no-so-stupid-song becomes a good-song (the tune is already good).

Things I've learnt from this particular endeavour:

• 5 syllable words suck (unless you're Chris Tomlin)
• 4 syllable words aren't much better
• Big theological terms make for bad songs
• Nothing rhymes with 'unlimited'. Nothing that you'd want to sing, anyway.
• No song should ever use the word 'unlimited'. Even if it doesn't need to rhyme with anything.
• I need to know what I'm talking about and feel something for it before trying to write it into a song
• Opening up a doctrine text and reading a couple of lines is bad writing prep
• Some lyrics should never be sent to your tune-man
• tune-men who can normally be counted on to reject terrible lyrics occasionally let something slip through
• tune-men expect a re-write of dreadful lyrics
• re-writing is so much harder than writing from scratch and no fun at all
• God is kind and can make the okay come out of the terrible.

Unless it dies in the studio (which is possible) this song will be available in June on emu's Dr. Rocktrin 2 cd (or whatever it may be called). See if you can pick it.

I'm off on holidays...

There is no comment moderation on this blog, so you can play amongst yourselves till I get back.

We're off to see my sister in Rockhampton. We're staying right on the beach in a lovely big house - apparently we can sit on the deck and watch the kids swim. The boys are going on a 3 hour long horse ride. Andrew and I hope to get to do some conversation, watch more Doctor Who, eat some steak (Rocky is the beef capital of Australia), swim and run. I'd like to beat Andrew at this exercise circuit (actually, I'd also like to beat him at running, but considering that he can run a marathon and I can run...well... not that far... it's unlikely.)

Hope you have a good week. No fighting while I'm gone and I expect any mess cleaned up before I get back!

See you Monday night.

things I like #2

www.dictionary.com

www.thesaurus.com

www.rhymezone.com

what I hate...

... spending 8 hours re-writing 3 lines of a lyric that took me 40 minutes to write originally.

And today is also the deadline for this especially trying one. (Also written about here and here.)

circuit class

I just did a circuit class at the gym. Thought I'd write down what we did - could use it at home with Andrew.

Warm Up - jogging

Work with partner and do three sets of each:

1. Push Ups and Wall Squats
a. Push ups (partner counts) start on toes, move to knees when nec. Keep going till you fatigue.
b. Wall sit squat (both people together). One leg at a time. Watch clock for each leg.

2. Walking Push Ups and Crunches
a. Push ups, face to face with partner, on toes, walking to the right (moving arms and legs) push up, walking to the left, push up. When one person drops, fall to knees and push up from side to side, till someone fatigues. Keep count.
b. Sit ups. Partner holds legs at 90 degrees and counts. Crunch till fatigue. 25 would be average first time.

3. Lunges and Shoulders
a. Lunge, knee 1cm from ground, 2 counts up, 2 counts down till leg till fatigues (should 40+ first time). Repeat with other leg.
b. Shoulders. 2.5 - 5kg weights in each hand. Raise arms to front. If make 20 without fatigue, pulse at top till fatigue.

4. Reindeer run - Towel around waist of one person. Other holds towel from behind. Front person runs, back person tries to stop them. Till fatigue. Swap.

Little child

Little child
who taught you
to block out today
and strive for tomorrow,
swimming in front
of waves of dread
[ahead! ahead! always ahead!]
with memory's teeth
snapping at your heels?

Little child,
Who muted your senses
and severed your soul?

I feel your heart race,
your hands shake.

Today is a carton that cannot be sealed
Yesterday's lid is waiting to open
The past is a jack-in-the-box
springing to life.

Little child
hold this day
examine it.
Fling it against the wall
catch it
and wash it with your tears.

Weep, little child, stop running and weep
Lay your head on my breast, I will hold you

so sleep.

sar 2009

Doctor Who is pro-life

hello...... hello......

a bit echoey in here....


in here....


in here....


in here....