and follow what you love

No. I won't get over it. It's football, the beautiful game. It's the game I love, it's a passion. It's not footy, no matter which brand of "football" in Australia is called that, it's not footy. I don't think it is understood. I want people to understand why i get up at 3,4am to watch men run around and kick the ball into the back of the net, because it is so much more than that. It is the world game, played in every country in the world. It brings waring nations together in peace. It is where sportsmanship and fairness are held in the highest regard.
It is the original football, the earliest form recorded is by the Chinese, "The very earliest form of the game for which there is scientific evidence was an exercise of precisely this skilful technique dating back to the 2nd and 3rd centuries B.C. in China. A military manual dating from the period of the Han Dynasty includes among the physical education exercises, the "Tsu'Chu". This consisted of kicking a leather ball filled with feathers and hair through an opening, measuring only 30 - 40 cm in width, into a small net fixed onto long bamboo canes - a feat which obviously demanded great skill and excellent technique." FIFA History of Football
It was only formalised into the game we see today in the late 1800's by the English, and forming the F.A.(Football Association).
Where the distinguishing Association Football comes from, not that anyone calls it Association Football cause it is Football.
I don't have a problem with some people calling it soccer, I just don't want people to expect me to call it that. If you ask me about soccer I will reply with Football, cause to me that's what it is.
I don't mean to be rude, but while i am on the subject. One thing i have found rather astounding from living in Victoria for 8 years now, having moved from New South Wales, the state where i was born and bred, is the persicution for the love of my game, especially from the country people. Ever since I moved down south in 1997 I have had people on my back about why I love my football and why don't I just forget about it and follow an AFL team of the Victorian grown Australian Rules as they call it. I've had the game I love called the girls game, a game for panzys or gays. Told by people who have never watched a whole match in their lives that it is too boring, and stupid.
'My opinion' is that there are a whole lot of Victorians who should open their eyes and see that the world is bigger than this small state, and while it is great to have passion for your state and sport, I find it just plain rude the amount of disrespect both myself and my sport is given.
If you don't understand something, then either shut up or find yourself learning more about it and then if you still don't like it fine I'm not saying you have to, just leave those of us who do alone, and follow what you love.
(I'd just like to make note that 'My opinion' here is not aimed at anyone or any persons comments, and I am not having a go at anyone here, it is mainly just a generalisation of my experince from many years.)

A-League

thought i had better make sure peoples knew that it is not just my birthday but also another birthday, yes it is a new born, it is the birth of the newest professional football league in the world, the Australian born A-League or Huyindai A-League as with it's naming rights sponsor
check out the banner on the bottom right to link to the A-League site or the link below it to watch the mad new tv ad
it's football
but not as you know it
A-League

things God really wanted us to do

have been getting frustrated with youth group a fair bit this year.
i think it is because of the lack of real discipleship going on.
the focus seems to have run away from discipling young people to running youth group.
some people may look at my small group and think how can i say that when i spend most of my time playing sport with my group and little sitting in a group doing discussion like we are supposed to.
but the thing is, i don't see how once a fortnight spending time talking with a bunch of guys who don't want to talk about life yet would do any good.
the other thing is that i only have like 3 guys which is great cause it means i can give them all attention and i actually have enough time for each of them.

this has also had me thinking about Jesus and how he had Peter, James and John as his 3 closest disciples.
there was the 12 and there was the 3 too in that 12.
so did Jesus just leave the other 9 out a bit or did the 3 have 3 of there own or what?
see i have been thinking about the whole small group thing and how if there are 5-12 people in a small group what happens there?
how do you make sure everyone is pouring their lives into others.
i mean surely one leader doesn't have enough time to spend with 6 let alone 12 people, and really be making an impact in all their lives.
and if everyone in the group has people they are putting time and life into to help them continue to grow then how are they supposed to do this outside the group as well?
like ya know the rest of the world, those people that God left us on earth to go and make disciples of.
hmmm... sometimes i wonder if our Church is so tangled in the things that we decided were important to do that we have forgotten about the things God really wanted us to do.

Stephen and Alan

check out Stephen Said and Alan Hirsch talking about Alan's new book and the Church in China over at neurotribe
Podcast: Stephen Said and Alan Hirsch

God's beer brewers

i was recently surfing the net and found some interesting things about the history of beer on the Fosters Group website



"3,000 year old beer mugs were uncovered in Israel in the 1960s. Archaeologists said that their find at Tel Isdar indicated that beer drinking in Israel went back to the days of King Saul and King David. An Assyrian tablet of 2,000 BC lists beer among the foods that Noah used to provision the ark."

"The Christian era"

"Beer really came into its own with the advent of the Christian era, largely through the influence of the monasteries which brewed and improved the beer. Monks often built the first breweries as pioneers of the hotel business, providing shelter, food and drink to pilgrims and other travellers.

Three Christian saints are listed as patrons of brewing, all distinguished members of the Christian faith: Saint Augustine of Hippo, author of the confessions; Saint Luke the Evangelist; and Saint Nicholas of Myra, better known as Santa Claus.

Other saints also had links with brewing. Saint Columban, doing missionary work in Germany, found people preparing to consume a cask of beer in a ceremony to a pagan god. He blew upon the case, which fell apart, and when the crowd became penitent he miraculously increased the small amount of beer left. Saint Bright is credited with changing water into beer to feed lepers. She personally brewed ale each Easter time to supply all of the churches in the neighbourhood.

Saint Mungo, the patron saint of Scotland's oldest city, Glasgow, established a religious brotherhood there in 540 AD, and one of the brothers started brewing to supply the others. Brewing is still regarded as the oldest industry in Glasgow. Saint Patrick, according to Senchus Mor, the book of the ancient laws of Ireland (438-441 AD), numbered among his household a brewer - a priest called Mescan."

when life happens, God happens

when things seem to be falling apart
God is picking up the pieces
when people are a long way away
God is right there with me
when i lose sight of what i am doing
God reminds me of what's important
when i lose heart
God gives me a new one, his
when life happens
God happens

always

always
God is there helping me along his way
always
God is in me, with me
always
God is
always

sometimes

sometimes
things seem to be falling apart
sometimes
the people you love are a long way away
sometimes
i question if what i am doing is worth doing
sometimes
i really want to give up
sometimes
i just know i can't give up
sometimes
i know just how much worth there is in the things i do
sometimes
it's like the people who love you are right there with you
sometimes
things are going great
sometimes