On the Poddy makes Sydang

...although the article makes it out that it's Dave on the Poddy, rather than Dan too! Click here.

Order of Phoenix trailer

The trailer for the latest Harry Potter film has been released (click here). It looks excellent. Lot's of special effects, and Harry's first screen kiss. I'm a big fan of The Order of Phoenix book (my favourite of the books so far), so it'll be interesting to see how they adapt it to the screen. I wonder if they'll be able to make Delores Umbridge as irritating on screen as she is in the book? The scenes of Dumbledore's Army look pretty amazing too!

Augsburg Confession

Sorry for the lack of posts this week - it's been busy for both Soph and I. We've got our weekend away this weekend, and are both really looking forward to it. Bible study was tops this week - we read through the Augsburg confession as part of our thinking through Martin Luther.

A few thoughts I had:

1. It was full of incredibly long sentences, but digestible with a bit of discussion.

2. I was encouraged by the preface - that the reformers goal was not to break away, but to amicably discuss ideas with the Catholic church in order to see the Catholic church return to the faith of the apostles and church fathers.

3. While the reformers desired reconciliation with the Roman church, they would not stand for cheap unity. The preface is just as clear that if after 'calm conferring' this matter could not be resolved they would leave the church having given clear testimony of their faith and belief.

4. It made me think hard about the sacraments, and how we should view them - I haven't made my mind up yet though.

5. Article IV: Of Justification, was one of the most succinct and clear articles. "Also they teach that men cannot be justified before God by their own strength, merits, or works, but are freely justified for Christ's sake, through faith, when they believe that they are received into favor, and that their sins are forgiven for Christ's sake, who, by His death, has made satisfaction for our sins. This faith God imputes for righteousness in His sight. Rom. 3 and 4."

6. The reformers clearly wanted to honour Christ. They saw everything as being for Christ's sake, or for Christ's glory. Too often we put humanity at the centre of God's plans. The reformers were clear that Christ is at the centre of God's plans.

Download it, print it out and read it. It's great stuff.

Difference of opinions

Went to see this show get filmed tonight - it was fascinating. I did my best to get a comment in, but alas, I never got my chance... Managed to get my face on TV a few times though.

Will blog about a few of the ideas and my thoughts on the discussion soon.

Tactical Change

Telemarketers are making it increasingly difficult to get off the phone quickly and politely while still maintaining good grammar. Until recently, I've considered myself a bit of an expert in the quick, but gracious escape. Generally it goes something like this:

Telemarketer:"Would you like to save 7% on your phone bill?"
Sam: No thanks - but thanks for the offer - have a nice day! Click.
An answer that is kind, quick and shows my command for the English language. They've asked a question and I've answered it.

Lately however, I've noticed that the scripts these marketers use have changed to no longer end with a question. Instead they use a statement aimed, I'm sure, at forcing me to use poor grammar or poor English. For example:

Telemarketer:"I have some great news for you Mr Russell, you are going to save 7% on your next phone bill!"

Sam: No thanks.

You see? You can't say "No thanks" to a statement. It doesn't make any grammatical sense, and I feel stupid saying it. But what do I do? I don't just want to hang up on them because it's rude and my only other option is to engage with their offer, which is really not an option. What to do?

I need a new strategy...

Nixter's funny friday

Aptly named. Click here.

Megadrive Emulator

For anyone a bit nostalgic for old school video games, I just did a quick web search and found a genesis/megadrive emulator for OS X (click here). Nice!

Once you install it, you can download old games off the web. I found a few here, I'm sure there are others.

Sonic the Hedgehog

I'm very excited about tomorrow.

After our early morning staff meeting, I'm driving over to my sisters house to spend a few hours playing Sonic 2 with my nephew.

A bit of context perhaps.

On Christmas eve last year Soph and I were still unsure what we would get for my nephew as a present. My sister had said something along the lines of "He's Sonic obsessed at the moment, but we don't want to buy him something like a playstation, because we'll have to keep buying games for it". All of a sudden my mind darted to the bottom of the games cupboard at my parents house, where my trusty Sega Megadrive was sealed in a box. Soph and I pulled it out and dusted it off, uncovering scores of old games - Mortal Kombat (the original) Sonic the Hedgehog, Golden Axe, and NBA live 95 among others. Best of all, it still worked, and there was no way my sister would have to buy new games for it!

My nephew loved it, and Soph and I were suddenly the best present givers of the day. Sweet.

So, as far as I understand tomorrow's couple of hours will be spent mastering "Mystic Cave" (does anyone remember that level!? - I think it had a particularly hard boss). Hopefully my skills will come back quickly enough that I won't be shown up by a 7 year old! It'll be lots of fun, and I'm looking forward to hanging out with this lovely family!

Back in town

Hi all, I'm back at thefountainside after some time away at our student conference. It was a great time, and I thoroughly enjoyed doing a series of talks.

I've been enjoying a bit of a quiter week this week, with pretty much everything I'm involved in being on holidays - so I'll probably post a bit more regularly.

2 John

I found this verse yesterday while reading the bible. From 2 John 8-9:

Watch out that you do not lose what you have worked for, but that you may be rewarded fully. Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not
have God; whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son.

Does John hold together in these verses the tension between God's sovereignty in our salvation and the part we play?

Newtown

I went out tonight to Newtown with some friends from work - African food at the restaurant opposite the Dendy followed by ice-cream cocktails at ice + slice. It was great fun and I'm enjoying hanging out so much with my friends, but I do miss my husband a lot.

One thing I love about living where we do is being close to so many great places.

Surrounding us are Glebe, Leichhardt, Balmain and Newtown, where you can find the best of everything. By everything, I mean the stuff that really matters to Sam and I: good coffee, music and bookstores.

I love the fact that you can sit at a cafe and read your book for the whole morning, see people in the most outrageous clothes walking down the street and not even blink twice, drive in the car for 5min and find places open at 9pm when you're in the mood for dessert, walk past houses aren't just big and new, but have character. I love the fact that I'm closer to The Palace or a Dendy than Hoyts or Greater Union, and that our Blockbuster's arthouse section consists of more than a shelf full of old video tapes. I love the fact that the pubs are funky, and beer is not just VB on tap. I love the markets, rustling through necklaces and pretty clothes and second hand CDs. I love how on the train there are so many different types of people; it always fascinates me how we live so crammed together in this little collection of suburbs.

One day God may call us to where I don't want to go, but for now I am thankful that he has called us to live and serve in such a colourful city.

cushions

Training was canceled today, so I enjoyed a day off from work with Bethany, who taught me how to sew.

I made four cushions for our couches (thanks to Matt for the couches!) - deep red ones to brighten up the house. I also bought some supplies to start another canvas for our little flat. I'll take some photos of my artworks and post them on the weekend.

Sam will be surprised when he comes home, as it's a well known fact that I can't sew. Bethany is a great teacher. I also can't bake, but one thing at a time...

cruising along.

"Dear God, please don't let me roll into the BMW behind me".

This was my regular prayer whenever I hit the slight incline on the corner of New North Rocks and Pennant Hills road. I would mutter it repeatedly while my sweaty hand gripped the clutch and the steering wheel, waiting for the lights to turn green.

"Remember: foot off clutch, then at the same time, release break and accelerate. But at the same time. And slowly. And don't stall".

There was always that moment of uncertainty as the red switched to green, followed by either the comforting sound of the engine kicking into gear and taking off smoothly, or the screech and smell of tires skidding on the road. Bunny hops were also common, along with embarrassing stalls when nudging through traffic and crunching gears.

My first month of learning how to drive a manual car.

When Sam asked (read: urged) me to learn how to drive a manual, I was adamant that it would be too hard for me to manage. It took a few months of patient lessons, repetitive instructions and frustrated moments where I wanted to give up, but today I can drive our car without thinking twice about what my hands and feet are doing.

To share the lessons I learnt while struggling with a manual, (and possibly because Sam wanted me to post about something that would allow him to put up another picture of the new Purgeot and this was the only thing I could think of) I thought of 7 reasons why girls should learn how to drive a manual car.

1. It's fun. You can accelerate a lot faster and zip around corners. This may not sound appealing, but it is.
2. The more girls insist they can't do it, the more people will think that being a good driver is only a "guy thing".
3. It's cheaper and more economical fuel-wise (or so I'm told).
4. Driving a manual makes you a better driver. Since making the switch, I've found that I concentrate more on the cars around me and how fast I'm going.
5. Don't let the car conquer you! Girls, I've noticed, often try a few times before getting to a point where the complexity of driving a manual frustrates or scares them, then give up in a huff. You have to push past that point where it's baffling and be determined to master it.
6. Related to 5 - it's not too hard if you find the right teacher. Sam was a great instructor, mainly because he also explained how the gears worked together with the clutch and engine rather than firing a bunch of instructions at me.
7. Girls who drive manual are cool - up there with girls who drink beer, girls who play bass,and Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Hot Fuzz

I thought I should write something about the other movie I saw recently, mainly because I'm wary of this blog becoming too girly while Sam is away.

Hot Fuzz is not the kind of movie that I'd usually see, mainly because I don't like cop movies and I'm wary of movies that try to be funny (there is only one movie I can recall at the moment as laugh-out-loud funny, and that's Zoolander. Team America made me laugh too, but in the "this is so dodgy I shouldn't laugh but I can't help it" way).

I'm glad I saw it, because there were lots of scenes that I can easily recall as funny. The film is about a cop who is forced to work in a small country town, with dire consequences when it turns out that the townspeople are being stalked by a cold blooded murderer. It's hard to describe the plot from here on in as it goes a little haywire (it's from the same people who did Shaun of the Dead), but there are some humorous take-offs of Point Break and other action movies, plus a lot of snappy one-liners.

There is a bit of swearing and mild coarse joking in the movie, so avoid if that is something that bothers you. However, the great thing about it is the cinematography and fast paced editing. the action is clean, creatively put together and sharp - a rare thing for a British comedy.

Friends with Money

Roz came over tonight; we ate Thai takeaway and watched the movie Friends with Money.

Featuring the lives of four female friends, the film is a chick flick with the saccharine sweetness removed and replaced with cynicism about materialism, marriage and the perfect life. Olivia (Jennifer Aniston) is working as a maid while her best friends live the supposed perfect life with husbands, successful careers and gorgeous kids. As the film unfolds, we discover that everything is not what it seems, and the life that Olivia envies in her friends is also tainted with sadness and disappointment.

I liked the film because it tackles the female idol of marriage without degrading it. While the majority of chick flicks reinforce the fantasy of relationships, films that try to challenge this often go too far the other way, reveling in adultery and selfishness - e.g. Closer, We Don't Live Here Anymore. Friends With Money questions "the perfect marriage" (and along with that, the wealthy life) while still having faith in relationships and hope that the characters will find happiness in the end.

Aniston is, as always, much more three dimensional, complex and enthralling to watch than Rachel on Friends. As Olivia, she reacts to different situations in a way that reveals her lack of self esteem. One question though: how does a maid clean an entire house in such cute outfits?

New Car!

Soph and I picked up a new car today! Soon to be gone is our trusty 1980's Nissan Pulsar - along with it's broken fuel gauge and tacho, it's detatched and saggy roof lining, the fading paintwork and it's general electrical system woes.

But our party Pulsar has been a good reliable car for a number of years. It was once upon a time my brother in law's car, and since it lasted so well, we decided to buy another car from within the family - this time from another brother in law who gave us a very kind deal.

This is the view from the drivers seat at night. I'll award a hot lap around the block to anyone who can guess what kind of car we've bought.

From the Dean

The latest is on the Christian calendar. Click here.

discouraged

I lost a story today.

It’s not the first time this has happened as journalists follow dead-ends all the time, and it was a government story so it was covered in red tape, but I’m upset about this one because it could have been prevented, had I changed tack when talking to a contact that is now unreachable until after my deadline.

To add to my frustration, I’ve just looked at the copy of an analysis article I wrote yesterday and a good proportion of it has been rewritten. Again it happens all the time, subs always go through my copy and change things – but it took me ages to write the piece and I was so proud of it. That also made me sad.

I’ve discovered a few things since changing from my sleepy little manufacturing round to the faster pace of media news. Firstly, I’m no news hound. I hate the pace and pressure of having to turn over a story in half a day. Secondly, I need to work on my information-extraction skills. I think I’m a pretty good interviewer, particularly for colour stories, but I’m terrible at getting information I need quickly when the person is not willing to give it.

Sam has been great though, boosting my confidence with “you’re a great journalist Soph!” and “don’t give up!” over the phone. Yes I know its clichéd and my bruised ego needs to toughen up rather than be stroked, but it still helps to hear it.

One thing I love about Sam is that he is so encouraging of me using my writing/career as a way of serving God, from cleaning the house when I’m working on a story, being great about my later working hours and always having good feedback on my stories. That's not to say he plays house-husband while I'm the career woman – floral aprons don't suit Sam's colouring and powersuits are so 80s – but he always makes me feel like my work is just as important a ministry as his, which I’m grateful for.

I’m also glad I go to a church that encourages Christians working in the media to be the best journalist they can be. In some churches, Christians feel guilty for working hard at their job. When I started my cadetship this year, I felt bad for not being able to devote as much time and energy as I had planned to helping out with church ministries and other things.

However, Sam said something really helpful: “God has given you this position for a reason, so you need to work hard at it and learn all you can, because being an average writer doesn’t serve God as well as being a great writer (okay, I’m paraphrasing, I think his version was a lot more eloquent).

It’s great to be encouraged to work hard at your job so that you may win the respect of those around you and use your role to bring glory to Christ. I think it’s important that wherever I am –whether high or low in the food-chain – I bring honour to my God by working hard at what I do.

However, I’m still glad that the Easter long weekend is just around the corner…

Alanis does Black eyed peas

This is all too weird. Click here. Slowing this song down does show how stupid the lyrics are though!

Inside Scoop

...from the toosehoose. Click here.

Who wants to be a public embarassment?

Doubt this is true, but it's funny all the same. (h/t Shanna)
(Update: it's definitely a hoax - see here, but this one really is true - poor guy.)

NEW YORK – Idaho resident Kathy Evans brought humiliation to her friends and family Tuesday when she set a new standard for stupidity with her appearance on the popular TV show, "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire."

It seems that Evans, a 32-year-old wife and mother of two, got stuck on the first question, and proceeded to make what fans of the show are dubbing "the absolute worst use of lifelines ever."
After being introduced to the show's host Meredith Vieira, Evans assured her that she was ready to play, whereupon she was posed with an extremely easy $100 question. The question was:

"Which of the following is the largest?"
A) A Peanut
B) An Elephant
C) The Moon
D) Hey, who you calling large?

Immediately Mrs. Evans was struck with an all consuming panic as she realized that this was a question to which she did not readily know the answer.

"Hmm, oh boy, that's a toughie," said Evans, as Vieira did her level best to hide her disbelief and disgust. "I mean, I'm sure I've heard of some of these things before, but I have no idea how large they would be."

Evans made the decision to use the first of her three lifelines, the 50/50. Answers A and D were removed, leaving her to decide which was bigger, an elephant or the moon. However, faced with an incredibly easy question, Evans still remained unsure.

"Oh! It removed the two I was leaning towards!" exclaimed Evans. "Darn. I think I better phone a friend."

Using the second of her two lifelines on the first question, Mrs. Evans asked to be connected with her friend Betsy, who is an office assistant.

"Hi Betsy! How are you? This is Kathy! I'm on TV!" said Evans, wasting the first seven seconds of her call. "Ok, I got an important question. Which of the following is the largest? B, an elephant, or C, the moon. 15 seconds hun."

Betsy quickly replied that the answer was C, the moon. Evans proceeded to argue with her friend for the remaining ten seconds.

"Come on Betsy, are you sure?" said Evans. "How sure are you? Puh, that can't be it."

To everyone's astonishment, the moronic Evans declined to take her friend's advice and pick 'The Moon.'

"I just don't know if I can trust Betsy. She's not all that bright. So I think I'd like to ask the audience," said Evans.

Asked to vote on the correct answer, the audience returned 98% in favor of answer C, 'The Moon.' Having used up all her lifelines, Evans then made the dumbest choice of her life.

"Wow, seems like everybody is against what I'm thinking," said the too-stupid-to-live Evans. "But you know, sometimes you just got to go with your gut. So, let's see. For which is larger, an elephant or the moon, I'm going to have to go with B, an elephant. Final answer."
Evans sat before the dumbfounded audience, the only one waiting with bated breath, and was told that she was wrong, and that the answer was in fact, C, 'The Moon.'

Luther

In our Bible Study we've adopted the practice of studying a theologian in between our Bible Study series'. So, since we've just finished our series on 1 Thessalonians, we're going to spend the next two Wednesday evenings on Martin Luther. Tonight we're going to watch the Luther film and have dessert together and next week we're going to spend some time looking and thinking through Luther's theology.

Haven't yet fully worked out how to structure this study. We might just use some of Craig's 'Table Talk' book? Any suggestions on how we should structure it?

Easter

I'm really looking forward to Easter this year. It'll be my second at Christians in the Media.

Last year we showed 'The passion of the Christ' on Good Friday, and then Soph and I ran a discussion panel. This year, since so many people visited our church for the film last year, we're going to screen 'The lion, the witch and the wardrobe' and again we're having a discussion panel.

Resurrection Sunday will be pretty relaxed - we'll go to church, and we're having a dear friend round for lunch.

But best of all, I'm looking forward to a time where we can slow down, and remember the Lord Jesus - who died and rose for us that we might have life.
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you, 5who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.1 Peter 1:3-5.

Please pray for me next week - I'll be away for most of the week. I'm speaking on a conference from tuesday thru friday - on Philippians - a great part of God's word around easter time!

Lets see if daverichards comments on this post with spam

Sermon on Sydang

Dean Phillip Jensen, Dominic Steele, Simon Manchester and now Sam R. Yep, I'm up there with the big guns.

Not sure how many MTS'ers can claim this, but my sermon on Judges 6-8 is currently the headline sermon on the Sydang main page - right next to a sermon by the Dean... Scroll down a bit on the main page, and you should find it. Don't know how that happened? I do hope that talk was theologically correct...

Wonder if they're interested in the videocast of my sermon on Romans 14?

P.S I don't really think this means 'i've made it'. I'm just being silly in this post. I'm actually very humbled that my sermon is up there amongst men whose preaching I admire, respect and look up to.

Dashboard widget

There is a new RSS widget for Mac users. I've just downloaded and added a few blogs to see if I prefer it over bloglines. The buttons up the top allow you to switch between feeds. Clicking on a title takes you straight to the page. Not sure if it'll be fantastic, but I'll give it a go.

What widgets do you use regularly?

Pauline Hanson - not so improved

An article at news.com features some of Pauline's latest 'foot in moutherisms'. My favourite line was "Ms Hanson said Malaysia had been "taken over by Muslims, despite a long history of Islam in that country". Read more here.