Dralion

Because my girlfriend rocks (ie. she bought tickets for my b'day) - we're going to Cirque Du Soleil on Thursday night!!

Yeah, she's pretty great.

JT

Sound Lounge

Journeyed with a creative Jazz genius from Boston tonight down at the Sound Lounge (Seymour Centre). Amazing guy, Aaron Goldberg was his name. Played with clarity and precision, but a deft subtlety and range of emotions that took you places and gave you permission to break from the expectations that normally run your day. He could've been on his own or playing to a crowd of thousands and it wouldn't have mattered. He was in a world he had created of his own music, sharing it only with 2 of his friends and any ear that would listen.

It got me thinking about preaching. It's a difficult thing to find permission to step outside of the box from up front, so things can become mundanely average. It's actually pretty rare that the bible is average, predictable or stuck in one emotion for an entire section. There's an amazing range of experiences that take you on a journey, if only we will follow.

And yet ironically, while staying on a restricted path, we still miss the finer subtelties that colour and move those that would hear. Mediocre and static, rather than outrageous and dynamic, fighting to live up to the expectations of a few only to ignore the cravings of the many for a coloured, engaging journey into God's mind.

That's my danger anyway. I've heard many for whom this is not their struggle...

I also got to thinking about the power of words. He would play incredibly, but his comments in between were so empty and uncreative, I wondered if there was much substance to his music after all, or if it was uninterpreted emotions on their own. There was certainly no praise of God on his lips, made with his beautiful music. There was no score to record his melody, and no direction of it towards the source of life. Will it be lost to the walls of an intimate musical leisure hall, or will it be explained and directed to the only appropriate recipient of such a gift?

I want to enjoy the subtleties of expression and emotion, and have permission to dabble in the extremes. I want to give my gifts, however limited, for the praise of the one who gave them, and is worthy of receiving them. I want to preach faithfully to the Word of God.

JT

Nice

Live simply.
Love generously.
Care deeply.
Speak kindly.

JT

Once

The thing I love most about that movie is that they DON'T get together in the end.
They just meet randomly, share a passion which climaxes into a weekend of capturing a moment which would then inform their own worlds, and shape their lives from that point on.
(Though living the bus scene would be pretty awesome too!)

I kind of had a moment like this one. Well, not as defining let's be honest, but still good.
I went for a ride down the Princes Hwy a few weeks ago, the first ride for way too long. As I got off to fix my bike, this girl rode past me and stopped at the next lights. I caught up to her as you do, and we ended up sharing the wind resistance load, and just chatting, making the time go faster and enjoying the awesome autumn day that it was.

She was was younger than me and much fitter than me, but had a long day, getting up at 4:30 to work at the fitness centre. So we were struggling equally with the long slow hills I'd forgotten about since the Sydney to the Gong ride a million years ago.
But you know what - she didn't complain at all. We acknowledged that we were both doing it tough, but chose to think about the good bits, and just slow down. Dwelling on it only makes it harder. It might be unjust that you can train for months and then lose it in a matter of weeks - but like she said, 'getting out is better than sitting around not doing anything'.

I spose you need to experience the pain to see the beauty of that. Focussing the mind can be so much tougher than pumping the legs! It's a great moment to take back and inform the rest of my life.

I figure in life and ministry it can be all too easy to focus on yourself rather than on God, his people, or the task of taking the gospel to them in all aspects of life. Performance dictates success, and failure (or fear of it) can lead to a crippling self-focus. But training the mind to focus on the things of God can change your view of serving him; lifting your eyes from the pedals can give you the view of a pristine autumn world. :-)

So a simple version of a supremely orchestrated movie, but a simple reality is better than a grand pipe-dream, in this simple man's opinion.

JT

That'd explain it

This week I found out why Ive been feeling unduly tired and cruddy for most of this year - apparently Ive had glandular fever!

I can't believe it. I mean Ive had some flu like symtoms a couple of times, and there was one week there where I couldn't get out of bed before 10:30 no matter what I tried, and occasionally haven't studied without feeling bad at all cos I was just so out of it - but I just thought I was soft, or getting old or something... Turns out I actually function at an elite level of physical fitness, pushing on through glandular fever :-p

Just kidding, but it does add another element of satisfaction to having handed all my assignments in on time and doing all my exams. Now whatever my marks suggest Ill know I put in some hard yards this year and there was a reason for it.

But while Im on it, God has really given me reason to praise him having found this out. GF effects different people to varying amounts - Ive seen active people reduced to bed rest and some people still suffering from it years later. It can be a soul destroying, body defeating nightmare. And yet God spared me from that. For goodness sake, Im no elite sportsman - far from it! God has been good to me because while Im still not feeling quite normal, I could have suffered so much more from it. That's reason to praise him.

More than that, Ive been challenged in other ways too. When things aren't going well and you don't know why, it's an interesting opportunity to learn something about yourself, in my case what I would let drop when I couldn't do everything. I assume that reflects what I think is most important in life. That's gold to know for future hard times.

Ive also been challenged about contentment (again) and being happy in my relationship with God outside of my own works. There's more to being human (and Christian) than working, so that's been a good reminder.

Ive also realised the importance of good friendships to share life with. I did a lot better at that last year, so one of my goals for '08 is to work on reltionships again. :-)

I could go on, but I feel like I need to think a bit more about it before I say anything, it's still farily fresh news. It has certainly changed my view of '07 in hindseight though - and I think in a positive way!!

It is God's nature to bring good things out of bad (Rom 8:28)

He is so good.

JT

Waifer of Mysticism

Currently listening to:

Enjoying a slice of calming buddhist inner peace type pre-exam meditation. Does it defeat the purpose if the very words that are supposed to put you in an emotional equilibrium grate you to the core at the same time? :-) They're not that bad... Fav's are 'get me some', 'sundirtwater', 'sweetest dream' and 'goodbye'.

How do we top this???

So looking forward to my holidays. Im lacking sleep and feeling a little under the weather, even though Im learning lots. Looking forward to some time away at this stage.... :-)