Reflective lenses

I have had to purchase my first ever pair of glasses. I am not super excited about the prospect of wearing glasses, but I am fortunate that they are only reading glasses and the most likely place for me to lose them is somewhere near my book. (note to self; read really big bright coloured books from now on!)

It is funny what goes through your mind when you are trying to choose a pair of glasses. It is difficult to find a pair that you like for a number of reasons. The biggest reason for me was vanity. I am not used to seeing myself in glasses and no matter what ones I tried on they did not suit my sense of fashion or my sense of myself. I am not normally particularly choosy when it comes to fashion, if it is comfortable for me to wear and I like the style then I can generally be in and out of a store in 10 minutes and be comfortable with what I purchased, but not with glasses.

Fortunately I waited until my wife could come with me to choose a pair and so, given she was the most likely one to have to look at me in them, she made her choice.

The more I thought about the issue of wearing glasses the fashion vanity issue faded away and I was faced with a vanity that is far more powerful than a label. If I wear glasses, I am admitting a weakness. I do not like to admit that I have a weakness. I have spent most of my life being physically, mentally and emotionally assured, can play almost all sports at a reasonable level, can understand things quickly and can deal with everything I have had thrown at me to this point in my life.

I guess my humanity frightens me.

Harden up Aussie Princesses!

Reading the newspaper lately you can easily believe that Australia is now the softest nation in the world.

Every article relating to swine flu (particularly in the Herald Sun) contains a ridiculous amount of people complaining that they cannot access Tamiflu. Closer reading of the articles shows most people complaining seem to be about 25-35 and should be among the healthiest people in our nation.

I can't help but feel that we have bought this upon ourselves. We use antibiotics, antibacterial and anti everything, not allowing our bodies to get used to fighting things for themselves. No it seems that I, as a healthy 30 something can demand Tamiflu because I have a cold! I understand if you are in serious risk of dying, but come on!

Harden up Australia! Deal with this by eating right, sleeping right, exercising right. Take responsibility for your own health!

The Lord's prayer

THE LORD'S PRAYER AS PERHAPS HE'D SAY IT ON 8 MARCH 2009

*Our Mother who is within us
We celebrate your many names
Your wisdom come
Your will be done
Unfolding from the depths within us
Each day you give us all that we need
You remind us of our limits
And we let go
You support us in our power
And we act with courage
For you are the dwelling place within us
The empowerment around us
And the celebration among us
Now and forever. Amen

May the blessings of the God of Sarah and Abraham,the blessings of the Son,born of mother Mary and the blessings of the Holy Spirit, who broods over us,as a mother over her children, be showered upon us all,particularly on the women of the world,now and for ever more. Amen
(World Student Christian Federation-Asian Pacific region Liturgy for IWD March 8 2009
http://www.ascm.org.au/files/liturgy_wscfiwd2009.pdf/ )

Kneecaps

If I get a thriving sexual thrill from lighting bushfires perhaps I should surrender my bits and pieces for the betterment of society!
It goes against my spiritual instincts to love and nurture people back to a place of wholeness, but this completely selfish action brings out my dark side.
Lighting fires is not the same as killing one person or a group of people that you, in some sick way, believe deserve it. Fire does not take into account guilt or innocence, age or ability. Fire kills people regardless of who they are. Once you light fire you have unleashed an uncontrollable killing power.
In whatever way it happens, I hope justice is done.

Helpless Irony

I have been trying to find a way we, as a church, can somehow assist people affected by the fires. Unfortunately it is not as easy as I had hoped.

Blood banks are saying they have enough blood for the foreseeable future, we have heaps of furniture at the Church waiting for the fete in march, but people who lost their furniture lost their homes. We have kitchen stuff, crockery, cutlery, everything you need to fill your house. But there are no houses to fill. Ironic.

We do have clothes though. However, I cannot find a place that is taking clothing at the moment. All people really need is the one thing we don't have much of, money.

Bugger.

Pete