Armchair Love

Peter and Nan stayed up in Gembrook one night this week. Nan stayed at the Funks and Peter stayed close to the work at the Retreat. On both evenings Peter joined the Funks for famly food and fun. Nan caught peter with her three great-grandkids about him. Actually it took a bit to arrange considering that Piper had a particular agenda and Jethro had to be sat on his lap at the last moment. These kids are such a tonic. All three are a blessing and delight.

Nan's Visit

Barb's Mum has come from Brisbane for a visit with us and one of the first things we did was to have a coffee at a nice place. On the following day we did the same and this time with our Dan. He was glad to join us and we made a breakfast/lunch out if it. We look forward to a week of fun and sharing with Nan.

How the Sea got its Salt

Our niece Michelle took this powerful picture the last time she came to Australia... of a bit of our south coast. She is coming for another visit soon and that is very exciting for all of us 'Down Under'. The snap captures the essence of the words below.
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There are fish in the yammin there is life
The yammin is one great Yam the godess
Yam contended with Baal and Mot
She was a force to be reckoned with
Within her flowed life and death in abundance
She watched as Baal and Mot struggled for supremacy
Over air and land over her waves
And endeavoured to submerge them both

Her substance flowed out of the bowels of 'Erets

As 'Erets cracked and moved his crust

Yam expanded in opportunity and power

Searching for a new crevasse to fill

Baal was a minor god of war and destruction

Mot existed to enclose the dead

Both in Yam and on the surface of 'Erets

But could do nothing to subdue the force of Yam

When she decided to display it

And Mot was there to take the crumbs

'Erets expands and feeds Yam

His minerals dissolve as Yam struck him

'Erets slowly broke up and lost to Yam

And Yam gathered up and found his salt

Without this harvest Yam would diminish

If Yam over-gathers she would surely wane

She would smother the life within her

She carries within her an infinite life

All sharing Yam's plunder of 'Erets

Baal does not understand and Mot does not care

But Yahweh gives her knowing

And has created in Yam this gift

As the blood of 'Erets came gushing up

Gushing up as the God's Great Flood

With salt disolved

To recycle life enclosed in time

Coffee Communion

First, let us share some words of the Apostle Paul writing (in 53 or 54 CE) the earliest reference to the Christian Eucharist (I Corinthians 11:23-26) for some background.
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"For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks he broke it and said, 'This is my body which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.' In the same way after supper he took the cup saying, 'This cup is the new covenant in my blood, do this whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.' For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes."
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Our coffee time are our communion times - blessed, sacred times - where we sit in the moment, share ideas and dreams, reflect together and nurture our marriage. Before we drink, we give thanks for the moment - a prayer of blessing. We drink remembering Christ who has led the way to live under God's new covenant. By seeing our coffee breaks this way, we drink and enter into Christ's death until he comes for us, beit in our own death or something so amazing it is beyond explanation.

Funky Growth

Peter had the opportuinity to visit the Funks this week. It was pretty much unanounced but he fitted in to what was happening really well. And of course he got out his trusty camera.

The title of this blog is about growth. Bec and Gord's three little ones are growing in leaps and bounds. Jethro has shown that he knows how to do "steps" and it is just the balancing part that lets him down. But he sure knows what he is supposed to do with his feet.

A nice tea was had outside on the decking table. The day was perfect and there was hardly a fly in sight. The next series of pictures show off Jasper and Piper's tree climbing skills. Somehow Piper has found out about the character "Tarzan" and has developed a new roleplaying game using the tree as a prop. How on earth did she find out about Tarzan?

Seeing Jaye off

We sadly saw Jaye off for her return trip to WA. It had been wonderful getting to know her more. Asher is staying on a few more days and then he leaves too. They are such great value.

It is very few airports that allow such a good photo shot of someone we are seeing off. But at Avalon Airport near Geelong you can do that from the windows of the transit lounge. People call it one big shed, but it is better than that. It is very out of the way but obviously suits those living in the Geelong area, so JetStar will not be short of passangers.

Visiting Geelong

After seeing Jaye off, we drove on to Geelong and strolled along the foreshore. There was a steady sea breeze which made what would be a very hot day very pleasant. Peter was impressed with the clever way jetty pylons were used to make colourful people characters to augment the place.

So we strolled about and talked of church, state, and any other issue that came into our heads. It was a good walk/ talk with our godson Asher.

And of course there was the obligatory coffee at one of the joints along the shore.

After all that we dined at an Indian restaurant near the centre of Geelong. They accepted Asher wearing a singlet. Asher played a critical part in diciphering the menue for a great meal.