I'm engaged :-)
To my wonderful girlfriend/now-fiancee/soon-to-be-wife, Melody.
It happened on Saturday afternoon, down in a little sandstone alcove at Conningham beach, looking out over the water. I had a temporary inexpensive ring to propose with, and this morning we looked for, found and bought a lovely ring at a good price.
The wedding's this summer so after my exams it's all full steam ahead with finalising plans. Everything seems to be coming together very well; we feel so blessed.
All the people we tell are very excited and happy for us, although some are little shocked at the promptness at which it's all happening :-) (But as Sam G says, 'just go for it!'). We are both so very happy, as we should be, and we look forward to everything that will be involved in getting married.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Am I a man then?
My last day as a one-score (20) year-old person. Am I officially a 'man' tomorrow? Or was that supposed to be 3 years ago? I feel more like 21 now than I felt 18 when I turned 18...
It's interesting, we seem to have left the man/woman designations in favour of guys/girls when talking about our current generation. Is this important? Does this eliminate the transition between teenagers and adults? Should we by trying to reclaim the usage of "man" and "woman" in referring to people over 18? Or 21? Will this prompt people to think of themselves more this way? Will it aid in developing a sense of maturity for younger adults? I know for me "man" feels like it should be used as I've always thought of it, to refer to someone approximately 10 years older than me. But I still feel I should try and make a change...
Anyway, we are going to The Quarry in Salamanca tomorrow to celebrate this great occasion. The menu there seemed to be sufficiently 'normal' for a good feed. insert text against excessively 'arty' food here* Quite a few other places had menus which were just a bit too much on the 'arty' side.
Here's to a new year of being a Man for my Maker...
*I can't be bothered ranting at the moment...
It's interesting, we seem to have left the man/woman designations in favour of guys/girls when talking about our current generation. Is this important? Does this eliminate the transition between teenagers and adults? Should we by trying to reclaim the usage of "man" and "woman" in referring to people over 18? Or 21? Will this prompt people to think of themselves more this way? Will it aid in developing a sense of maturity for younger adults? I know for me "man" feels like it should be used as I've always thought of it, to refer to someone approximately 10 years older than me. But I still feel I should try and make a change...
Anyway, we are going to The Quarry in Salamanca tomorrow to celebrate this great occasion. The menu there seemed to be sufficiently 'normal' for a good feed.
Here's to a new year of being a Man for my Maker...
*I can't be bothered ranting at the moment...
Friday, March 6, 2009
Random signs around Melbourne
Funny pictures of a guy who puts up very random (but containing very specific yet mundane details) signs around Melbourne.
http://tools.themercury.com.au/photo-gallery/photo_gallery_popup.php?category_id=2741&offset=0
http://tools.themercury.com.au/photo-gallery/photo_gallery_popup.php?category_id=2741&offset=0
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Uni tomorrow
My (potentially) last year of uni is just around the corner of the dawn... I finish my science degree this year, God willing. I'm going for maths and physics majors. I want to get into oceanography into meteorology, so I'm thinking of doing honours next year if I can get something in those areas.
My timetable is kind of similar to last year. I have Friday mornings off, which will inevitably turn into assignment mornings. But it's pretty good. I can get to one FOCUS/UFC meeting, and the slot for the Forum, so I'm thankful for that.
Yes, this year FOCUS is being renamed to UFC (University Fellowship of Christians), so the international group can be called FOCUS, as most of the other international groups around Australia are. It takes a little while to change the habit of calling it FOCUS. We've almost got an imaginary 'swear' jar going. Anyway... we also have pretty cool t-shirts. I might get a photo up shortly.
I have progressed a little more with Ethics. It will take some time to get through the whole thing, I imagine, but it's still very interesting.
My timetable is kind of similar to last year. I have Friday mornings off, which will inevitably turn into assignment mornings. But it's pretty good. I can get to one FOCUS/UFC meeting, and the slot for the Forum, so I'm thankful for that.
Yes, this year FOCUS is being renamed to UFC (University Fellowship of Christians), so the international group can be called FOCUS, as most of the other international groups around Australia are. It takes a little while to change the habit of calling it FOCUS. We've almost got an imaginary 'swear' jar going. Anyway... we also have pretty cool t-shirts. I might get a photo up shortly.
I have progressed a little more with Ethics. It will take some time to get through the whole thing, I imagine, but it's still very interesting.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
A good read (or two)
I read the Great Divorce today by Clive Staples Lewis. It is a great story, and an excellent and thought-provoking read, looking at the subject of choices surrounding heaven and hell. It struck me while reading it what a towering intellect he had. Some of the discussions are so profound. Especially a particular one near the end of the book talking about free will.
"If ye* put the question from within Time and are asking about possibilities, the answer is certain. The choice of ways is before you. Neither is closed. Any man may choose eternal death. Those who choose it will have it. But if ye are trying to leap on into eternity, if ye are trying to see the final state of all things as it will be (for so ye must speak) when there are no more possibilities left but only the Real, then ye ask what what cannot be answered to mortal ears. Time is the very lens through which ye see - small and clear, as men see through the wrong end of a telescope - something that would be too big for ye to see at all. That thing is Freedom: the gift whereby ye most resemble your Maker and are yourselves parts of eternal reality.
...
"For every attempt to see the shape of eternity except through the lens of Time destroys your knowledge of Freedom."
Although I imagine the story wasn't intended to be theologically precise, he paints an intriguing picture about the fate of souls after death in order to discuss some interesting issues.
Oh, and I've started Ethics by Dietrich Bonhoeffer, which is also great. I love the way he thinks. I *might* post something about it later. A bit of a long shot though on that one though...
*The speaker here has a Scottish accent
"If ye* put the question from within Time and are asking about possibilities, the answer is certain. The choice of ways is before you. Neither is closed. Any man may choose eternal death. Those who choose it will have it. But if ye are trying to leap on into eternity, if ye are trying to see the final state of all things as it will be (for so ye must speak) when there are no more possibilities left but only the Real, then ye ask what what cannot be answered to mortal ears. Time is the very lens through which ye see - small and clear, as men see through the wrong end of a telescope - something that would be too big for ye to see at all. That thing is Freedom: the gift whereby ye most resemble your Maker and are yourselves parts of eternal reality.
...
"For every attempt to see the shape of eternity except through the lens of Time destroys your knowledge of Freedom."
Although I imagine the story wasn't intended to be theologically precise, he paints an intriguing picture about the fate of souls after death in order to discuss some interesting issues.
Oh, and I've started Ethics by Dietrich Bonhoeffer, which is also great. I love the way he thinks. I *might* post something about it later. A bit of a long shot though on that one though...
*The speaker here has a Scottish accent
Sunday, December 28, 2008
"Finally a SPRTE report" OR "William Tell" *
Time for a new blog post. Cos I've been lazy. And have been bullied/shamed/coerced into writing another post by Jerome.
Canberra was fantastic. Around 1000 uni students from all around Australia and the Pacific at the huge ANU campus. Philip Jensen (author of several books, and brother of the archbishop) was among the speakers, and gave some great talks. Another guy called Linsday Brown, the former general secretary of IFES, talked about what some of the student groups from around the world have experienced while they were students. He talked about some of the amazing things that Christian uni students have been able to do in the face of all sorts of hardships. Inspiring stuff.
Sydney was great too. We from Tassie stayed with a church in Merrylands and helped out with them. We went to mid-week communion, and had afterwards had a luncheon with all the old folks. A highlight was helping out with an English Language Class. Merrylands is (apparently) the most multi-cultural area of Sydney. But it was wonderful to help them and to hear their stories, and eat their delicious food! Three BBQs in 4 1/2 days was tiresome, but was livened up by me nearly setting one on fire, owing to disgustingly fatty sausages on a grill plate. We also did stuff with the kids' groups, and I gave a talk at the youth group, which I am told was quite good. (Intense preparation though!). It was sad to leave in the end, God was doing some great stuff over there.
We also had a day of being tourists around Sydney. We went through the middle of Sydney, walked across and back over the Harbour Bridge, through to Bondi beach, then around to the Opera House, finishing with a ferry ride up the Paramatta River and home from there. A grand sight going under the bridge, and the view from the Opera house is rather nice too.
*During a semi-logical explanation about the appropriateness of a bow and arrow as part of a Maid Marion costume for a fancy dress party, it was insisted that the William Tell must be a type of cocktail. (It will no doubt contain apple juice and something to make you convinced that you could in fact shoot an apple from someone's head.)
Canberra was fantastic. Around 1000 uni students from all around Australia and the Pacific at the huge ANU campus. Philip Jensen (author of several books, and brother of the archbishop) was among the speakers, and gave some great talks. Another guy called Linsday Brown, the former general secretary of IFES, talked about what some of the student groups from around the world have experienced while they were students. He talked about some of the amazing things that Christian uni students have been able to do in the face of all sorts of hardships. Inspiring stuff.
Sydney was great too. We from Tassie stayed with a church in Merrylands and helped out with them. We went to mid-week communion, and had afterwards had a luncheon with all the old folks. A highlight was helping out with an English Language Class. Merrylands is (apparently) the most multi-cultural area of Sydney. But it was wonderful to help them and to hear their stories, and eat their delicious food! Three BBQs in 4 1/2 days was tiresome, but was livened up by me nearly setting one on fire, owing to disgustingly fatty sausages on a grill plate. We also did stuff with the kids' groups, and I gave a talk at the youth group, which I am told was quite good. (Intense preparation though!). It was sad to leave in the end, God was doing some great stuff over there.
We also had a day of being tourists around Sydney. We went through the middle of Sydney, walked across and back over the Harbour Bridge, through to Bondi beach, then around to the Opera House, finishing with a ferry ride up the Paramatta River and home from there. A grand sight going under the bridge, and the view from the Opera house is rather nice too.
*During a semi-logical explanation about the appropriateness of a bow and arrow as part of a Maid Marion costume for a fancy dress party, it was insisted that the William Tell must be a type of cocktail. (It will no doubt contain apple juice and something to make you convinced that you could in fact shoot an apple from someone's head.)
Friday, November 28, 2008
Canberra Ahoy
Tomorrow I'm off to Canberra, city of dreams*, to take part in the AFES conference SPRTE (pronounced 'sprite' usually). This is where a whole pile of Christian uni students from around Australia and the Pacific for a conference for 4 days, then off to churches in and around Sydney to help out churches with missions and programs. Should be a blast. Although I have to get up at 4:30am for my flight. Oh well, who needs sleep?
*Poetic licence
*Poetic licence
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