intelligent design vs evolution

i read this article in the paper the other day, is interesting, pretty much intelligent design vs evolution being taught in U.S. schools, being fought out in court.

debate over the issue has reached our shores in Australia, this article reflects some Australian's points of view.

Purpose Driven in Rwanda, Rick Warren's sweeping plan to defeat poverty

i found this through Stephen Said's blog, give it a read.

living for the people of this world and helping those in need

last week (19th-22nd) was spent in Melbourne at the Crossway Conference. i had gone last year and registered for this years conference at last years conference. as this years conference approached i kinda didn't really want to go. but i had paid to go and plus my dad was going and i would get to see my mum and nana for a bit cause we were to stay at my nana's place in Mt Waverly. little did i know how much i would be encouraged and challenged at this conference. the two main speakers were to my surprise really great men of God who really knew what to do.

Paul Borden helped the Baptist Churhes in Northern California to turn around and become outward focused, missional churches. he told the stories of how churches that were going no where or dying grew immensely cause they were getting out there and changing their cities, and not from people moving from another church cause this one has better music or something, but from people who see the love of Jesus being shown to them and deciding they want to follow. all week he was telling everyone how the one real purpose of the church is to be missional, making disciples of the people of the world.

Murray Robertson is a New Zealender and Pastor of Spreydon Baptist Church, his church is the largest welfare organisation in Christchurch. with over 40 community ministries are seeing the poor, at risk, mentally ill, criminal, whatever other kind of people Jesus would have gone and helped, pretty much they are helping everyone in need in Christchurch. he has a heart for social justice and people and really challenged everyone who was at the conference to get real. on the tuesday night he pretty much left us speechless.

after the conference my mum asked me what i had gotten out of the conference, and probably it was mostly encouragement to do what i know i need to be doing, living for the people of this world and helping those in need.

Dog registered to vote

A dog was registered to vote in the recent NZ election.
just thought this to be a bit amusing.

theage.com.au

go back to eating their dinners

i watched "Hotel Rwanda" last night, was one of the most amazing films i have ever seen, i laughed, i cried, and i don't want to say much more. It is a tragic story really, and a true one.
The question is, "is a similar thing happening/happened with Sudan, and what is being done?"
if you haven't seen Hotel Rwanda yet i engourage you to do so.
if you don't know much about the situation in Sudan, check out UN Sudan

Hotel Rwanda really is agreat story, i have never seen anything like it.
"and then they go back to eating their dinners"

the different ones

one thing i find a bit annoying is the terms that Christians use to describe other people. Paul Colman has been know to talk about a conversation he once had with a guy who was wondering what the go was with him being called a "non-christian". Paul being a teacher knows how "non" is a negtive prefix and is really quite a negative way to describe someone. i am not described as a non-black, or a non-pagan, but as what i am, not what i am not, a white, or a Christian.
the other thing to this is, why not just call people what they are then, "people", after all, we are the weird ones, we are the different ones, we are the aliens, the ones who do not belong to this world anymore(as citizens of heaven), but are here to live amongst the people of this world. not that this makes us higher than any people, but yes it makes us different. so let us start calling people who they are, "people" and not what they are not. after all it is us who are the different ones.

more Gulp to come

Gulp @ Dictionary.com
v. gulped, gulp·ing, gulps
v. tr.
1.To swallow greedily or rapidly in large amounts: gulp down coffee.
2.To choke back by or as if by swallowing.

v. intr.
1.To choke or gasp, as in swallowing large amounts of liquid.
2.To swallow air audibly, as in nervousness.

n.
1.The act of gulping.
2.A large amount swallowed at one time.

n.
1.A whole bunch of young people in Ballarat, together connecting with God.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[From Middle English gulpen, or from Flemish or Dutch gulpen.]

Gulp was born out of the... well God i suppose and through the hearts of a bunch of youth who make up the Snr Teen Ministry Team from the youth of the Ballarat Baptist Churches. In particular one young man Mr. Daniel "Dan the man"/"Pantsdown" Lansdown has really been the man behind the vision and the dream for a community of young people in Ballarat to be connecting with God in a way that for them is real and understandable.
not to be be-littleing any other persons contribution though.
the first Gulp was held during the month of August at the Wendouree Baptist Church building, and went fairly well in that they did what they wanted to do, but what happened wasn't what they wanted (these are my comments and not necesarilly those of others), this was my understanding after a chat with Dan later that night. in other words, it didn't turn out the way it was supposed to. this was due to a number of factors, some of which were totally unexpected by those involved.
it was a night of food, friends, fun, stories, short videos, and live music. God was apart of all these aspects of the night of course. oh and Gulp is NOT a Youth Service.
to discuss the future of Gulp and where exactly it was heading Daniel, Trav, Harvey, and myself met to nut it out, or more so, to get Daniel to nut out exactly where it was to go. Trav and I assured Daniel that it needed a leader and that he obviously should be that person. besides he came up with the name "Gulp", and he is a good leader, and does have the vision. many things came out of this night, but was mainly a brainstorm and a night to get together the vision and future of Gulp, so it could be then explained to others.
so last Sunday night a bunch of youth from the Baptist Churches in Ballarat gathered, with Dan leading with the vision of Gulp after watching a video about a youth church. the things that are valued at Gulp, and many aspects of what is to be were discussed. another meeting to dsicuss the first real episode of Gulp, you could just call the other one the pilot, is set and hopefully a Gulp Blog will be formed!
so if you would like to pray for Gulp and Daniel as he gets together a core team, i'm sure it would be greatly appreciated, as soon as they get something on the net, i will post it up, so you can see what is happening.
that's all for now but there will be more Gulp to come.

cause you don't learn to walk on your first go

i cannot explain the struggles in my head at the moment, the questions and unsureness.
i say to God "lead me and i will follow", but i seem to always be asking the question, "where are we going?"
i continue to take steps forward, but find myself nervous when i don't know how things will turn out.
i don't want my life to be ruled by my circumstances, because yes reality is reality, but possibilities are almost endless.
there are often things i can do to change my circumstances, and often the things to change this seem scary, and too risky.
but afterall, what would life be without taking risks, one frustrated life of ifs and buts, filled only with regrets and failure to do something about changing that.
so here's to taking risks, hopefully i can be gutsy enough to take them, and less worried about what might happen, and more worried about what would happen if i was to wimp out.
this is something that i really need to put into practice in my life.
too often have i walked by, because i haven't had the guts to go where i haven't gone before.
for far too long have i let the fear of the unknown control my life, it's time to break out of my shell, to get out there and stop hiding behind my past.
there can be no more excuses, i need to swallow my pride and be ok with falling over, cause you don't learn to walk on your first go.