OK!!! Maybe It Is Getting To Me

I have received a lot of rejection letters for teaching jobs for which I have applied. They have all been kept so that when I finally get a job I can see how far I’ve come.

But it is all getting a bit much as I consider whether I was meant to do teaching in the first place. There are moments when I think I am on track with God’s plan but right now I have my doubts that I am anywhere near.

Consider these moments:

• Being accepted by all three Uni’s when I thought I was surely off to Bathurst for my grad dip ed
• Being one of very few in my dip ed class to go straight into a teaching job

Then contrast with:

• Being sent to the edge during my first year of teaching, so far that I almost gave the profession away completely
• Being so close for some jobs yet being so far away

So how do you know what is God’s plan for you?

This Blogging Fad

I joined the blogging craze with a bunch of people from a former church a few years ago. But now it seems that the blog craze, in this particular group at least, is on the decline. Not many still regularly update or add to their blog. While this is disappointing it is not overly surprising.

Blogging was a new thing and like most new things people want to try it out. I guess it just didn’t fit with many people’s lives, fair enough. It was exciting in the beginning with everything to blog about and so many features to play with. But then the reality hits and the excitement disappears.

The reality is that blogs need maintenance. No one likes to visit a blog that hasn’t been updated in months. Otherwise people become disinterested very quickly. We all have busy lives and because the blog was the last addition it usually becomes the first extraction.

Maybe people misinterpreted the purpose of a blog. Finding a purpose can provide the driving force behind keeping the blog fresh. If there was no purpose or a very weak one then perhaps it was doomed to fail anyway.

Families Come First

We have our first ever female Prime Minster, be it for only a few days while the elected PM is overseas on official climate change business. Ms Gillard is using this as an opportunity to inspire young women to consider a career in politics and perhaps to dream of being elected PM one day.

I find it interesting that she is doing this and in the process elevating herself to female role model. I can’t help but think of the relevance of Bill Heffernan’s bluntly truthful yet tactless comment in describing Ms Gillard as “deliberately baron.”

In a climate where many MP’s have resigned from parliament for family reasons, Gillard just hasn’t had to deal with the same problems as she has chosen to not have children.

She’s selling a false reality to the young women of Australia. She is selling that women can do it all when she hasn’t done it all. Reality is that she had to make a HUGE sacrifice to get where she is today. Fellow MP’s Jackie Kelly and Carmel Tebbutt (NSW) have recently resigned from parliament because they felt they were missing out in their family life and it wasn’t worth that sacrifice.

Doesn’t just apply to females. Men also have to make a huge sacrifice in regards to family. Peter Costello in his speech following the election loss emphasised the fact that his family had a lot to deal with while missing his presence.

Twenty20 Cricket #2

I made some comments about the tactics of Twenty20 cricket in January of 2007. Some of my comments have been verified by Cricket Australia, such as:

• Michael Clarke as captain
• Fringe players being given a chance
• The need for free hitters not settlers

Although the tactics seemed to have changed. The slow spinners for New Zealand last night worked well but for Australia it was the blistering pace and accuracy of Brett Lee and Shaun Tait that ripped the NZ batsmen apart. Follow that with the not so fast but highly accurate Nathan Bracken, Ashley Noffke and Mitchell Johnson. They never had a chance to hit them. The only bowler that copped some stick was Andrew Symonds when he came on to throw down his gentle off spinners. Jacob Oram sent him to and over the fence on numerous occassions.

Still a very entertaining and enjoyable form of cricket. I think I still like the 50 over format though.

Three Month Report Card

At the beginning of this year I reported on how well I survived a stint house-sitting for some friends. I felt I did pretty well, but it was only house-sitting and now I have had the real thing for about three months. Time to look back and see if I’m still doing as well as I thought I was. Looking at the same areas:

Mum’s cooking
Still go home for dinner a few times a week, depending on my roster. However I am doing big cook up and freezing meals for my lunches at work. Or if I cook for dinner I deliberately cook too much so that they can be frozen for lunches.

Cable Television
It’s not so bad anymore. I’m surprised that I actually watch less television now than before. It’s possible that facebook and MSN has taken over though.

Air Conditioning
Hasn’t gotten too hot yet. I’m in between levels so it shouldn’t get way too hot in here, but it does get stuffy so a few open windows and fans tend to do the trick.

Clothes Washing and Ironing
People are surprised and sometimes disgusted when I say I still send some washing home to mum. Think about it, I haven’t had to do much washing for myself in 26 years. It’s going to take time to get into the swing. Plus it is hard to hang up bulky items on my balcony. At the moment I only send my nice shirts and work shirts back home, I do everything else.

The Internet
I got lucky, my flat mate had a modem that worked. Will need to find a more long term solution soon though.

Everone Needs A Drummer

Out of all the members in a band, it’s the drummer who seems to cop the rough end of the stick when it comes to their musical intelligence. Look at the layout of most bands, the lead singer showing off at the front, they are the focal point after all. Next to him are the guitarists and the bass guitarists. Guitarists get their moment to shine when they have their solos. The bass guitarist just always looks cool creating that fat sound. Then way in the back somewhere is the drummer who is unable to show of as much due to the fact that he has to sit and he usually has all four limbs in motion at any one time. All the drummer can do, apart from play wicked grooves and hold the sound together is twirl his sticks in his fingers in an effort to get some attention.

Drummers cop all the jokes as well. Here’s just one:
Q How do you know a band is about to break up?
A The drummer says, “hey guys I’ve written a song”

I was also once laughed at when I mentioned that there was drum music with every drum and cymbal using a different space or line on the staff just like how every other instrument arranges it’s notes.

So why is it then that musos from every church I’ve played at are begging for a drummer? Like there must be one otherwise the music will fall apart. It is possible that the music will fall apart. Although I have seen shocking worship music because of poor drumming and I have seen fantastic worship music without a drummer at all.

I had always thought that drums weren’t required in church, despite being a drummer myself. But apparently other musos can’t do without them.

The Fine Line

Situation:
A couple is to be married, one is a Christian and a regular church attendee, and the other is not. What should the church’s response be? Taking into account an important biblical passage:

Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? (2 Cor 6:14)

Options

Banishment
Completely disassociating them from the church in disgust of their ‘ungodly’ acts. This involves relinquishing all positions where they are responsible for spreading the word. As it appears you are now unable to speak the word anymore.

Counselling
Not agreeing with the decision but talking with (not talking at) the couple as to whether this is the best thing for them to do.

Ignorance is Bliss
Ignoring it and hope that they work it out themselves.

Would be surprising to find out that a church has just used door number one for dealing with this situation.