Month: April 2006

Not a National Identity card…it's a Smart Card!

I try not to be an alarmist or to be freaked out by progressive technology…but, I don’t like the sound of Australia’s new ‘progressive’ move toward the SmartCard.

Apparently, the access card will replace 17 health and social services cards and vouchers across the Human Services portfolio. Once registered, people will only need to show their card when they want to access Government services.

The card itself will have the cardholder?s name, a digital photograph, their signature and card number in clear view, while a smart card chip in the card will store a photo, address, date of birth and details of any children or other dependants. The card will also provide cardholders with the option to voluntarily store other information such as emergency contact details, allergies, health alerts, chronic illnesses, immunisation information and organ donor status.

While this card is not compulsory, by the year 2010 it is expected that people will only be able to obtain government health and social service benefits if they have an access card!!! So, it may not be compulsory but, if you want to receive benefits,and to get along with daily life you may not be able to do so without your smart card! But…it’s not compulsory, eh?

What happens after people realise that this card can be stolen? Where do we go then? Enquiring minds want to know.

Surely, I’m not the only one concerned about this?

Thoughts on Moving

Well, we’re moving! It will all be happening soon. I think most people know how excited we are…but I’m also getting nervous.

We’ve just had 18 months of solitude, where we didn’t get out and about very much or meet many people. That season was good for a time but boy, I’m glad to be moving to a place where it will be easier to get around. But, I’m also a little apprehensive. Once again, for the second time in 4-5 years, I’m moving to a new place where there will be lovely people…but those lovely people have been happily living their lives, content without me. I often feel like people don’t need me- I need people!

It can be tiring meeting new people, especially in group settings where they might have known each other for years and they share many common bonds. Again, they’re doing fine without knowing me…but it is my family who needs them. Maybe I’m not used to feeling vulnerable.?? Something else I’ll have to put before the Lord and ask Him to refresh me anew and give me strength and courage to face.

We’ve been talking about new habits to institute when we move. Often moving into a new house can be an ideal time as habits can be *hung on new pegs*. Some of the things we’d like to discuss further are:

Family Bible study time
Father/Child dates
Family games time
Re-organise morning routine

Also, I suppose that my computer habits will change as I get out and about…getting out of the home a little more might see me on the ‘pooter less. Not a bad thing though, eh? There were more things that we were discussing but I can’t think of them at the moment.

Waiting on God…

I’m slowly reading and studying through the Heart of Wisdom Teaching Approach by Robin Sampson. Now, I really liked this book the first two times I read it…but I’m still learning and gleaning from it.

In chapter 3, Robin is talking about focusing on God and not on our circumstances and she mentions ‘waiting on God’. She goes on to say that waiting on God is four-fold.

The first part is of ‘wait’ is to be silent. Not always easy in this modern age. But it is when we are quiet in His presence, that we can hear His voice.
The second part of ‘wait’ is expectation and hope. This implies dependence upon Him.
The third part of ‘waiting’ is to watch, observe and take notice. Proverbs 27:18 gives us a good picture of waiting, watching, and taking notice.
The fourth part of ‘waiting’ is to serve or to minister. Read 2 Samuel 23. David had many mighty men but three of them were chief. What set them apart? Servanthood.

Am I silent and waiting upon Him with hopeful expectation…watching, observing and taking notice of Him? Then, He will reveal Himself to me. I’ll be in fellowship with Him. Am I prepared to serve Him through the needs of my family and whatever else He gives me?

Then, as promised, God also gives us a blessing for waiting upon Him: renewed strength, ability to mount up with wings as eagles, ability to run and not be weary and then ability to walk and not faint.

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Put your hope in ADONAI, be strong, and let your heart take courage! Yes, put your hope in ADONAI!

Psalm 27:14

but those who hope in ADONAI will renew their strength, they will soar aloft as with eagles’ wings; when they are running they won’t grow weary, when they are walking they won’t get tired.

Isaiah 40:31

Put your hope in ADONAI, keep to his way, and he will raise you up to inherit the land. When the wicked are cut off, you will see it.

Psalm 37:34

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, and your ways are not my ways,” says ADONAI.
“As high as the sky is above the earth are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
For just as rain and snow fall from the sky and do not return there, but water the earth, causing it to bud and produce, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater; so is my word that goes out from my mouth – it will not return to me unfulfilled; but it will accomplish what I intend, and cause to succeed what I sent it to do.”

Isaiah 55:8-11

Using Bible Stories Year After Year

This time of year is always fairly spiritual for me as I meditate and ponder fully the work of the cross, the work of God to redeem His people.

Yesterday I was reminded by my 15yo daughter that this is also an opportunity to learn more about the Lord…and opportunity for our children to develop more of those *mental hooks or pegs* in place or to make some connections. As we were reading the story of the Passover and the Exodus, my daughter and I were having some great discussions…and I tried to ‘enlighten’ the boys (rather unsuccessfully might I add) when ‘Miss A’ said,

“Mum, why don’t you just stick with the story like you did for me at that age?” Well DUH!!!!!!!! (See, I’ve told you more than once that I can be a tad thick-skulled).

When I immediately agreed with her, she went on to remind me that reading and discussing the stories was what I had done with her, and that hearing them year after year enabled her to build upon the mental hooks more and more until she is now at the point of understanding a great deal. Uh? It takes a 15 year old to remind me of things.

The local Christian school here has done very little in commemorating or teaching about Passover or Easter. I find this sad. I think they had ample opportunity, especially this year. In Victoria, the schools only schooled for 6 weeks and then they had two weeks holiday for the Commonwealth Games…then they returned for 2 weeks of school before breaking again for end of term one holidays. Those 2 weeks back at school could have been a great time for teaching in their Christian Studies period. However, they chose to have the students watch a video…the animated Moses, Prince of Egypt.

Now don’t get me wrong…I’m all for using modern technology (we use tv and dvd’s fairly liberally) and then documenting that as a learning activity or opportunity. However, I was saddened at the lack of teaching on the Centrality of Our Faith. There’s also a time and a place for watching animations…I guess I just expected a little more from a combined Yr 8/9 class at a private Christian school.

On the bright side, if it is acceptable to chart Moses, Prince of Egypt as the Christian Studies subject for the week…then it is certainly acceptable for me, as a homeschooler, to document similar activities as one learning opportunity in a subject – not that I care to compare to a school system, but it can be an interesting exercise.

'I Dared to Call Him Father' – Must Read

I’ve just read a biography called “I dared to call Him Father” by Bilquis Sheikh. It is the wonderful true story of a prominent Muslim woman who was called to Christ and of her subsequent trials, ups and downs. I remember reading this book many years ago as a fairly young Christian (also a young woman then too) but it touched me more deeply this time round. I believe there is a new updated version of the book but I still have my old tattered copy. Throughout the book, the author has a true, deep sense of being In His Presence. She cares more about doing right by Him than doing right in the world’s eyes. She doesn’t look at what a Christian considers the right thing, right words or what labels they wear. Rather she looks at the simple truth of loving one’s neighbour…being guided by His presence…sharing His love with others.

Wow.

This is what I aim to impart to my children. Not whether or not they know church doctrine or man’s theology rather that they worship the Lord by loving their neighbour…being guided always by the Holy Spirit…be doing all possible to be obedient to Him and having a desire to share our knowledge of God with others.

Plants and Pillars or Sons and Daughters

I love gardens. Beautiful flowers of varying colours delight my senses. I see many parallels between gardens and families…gardening and training a family. Sometimes the word, ‘training’ (in regard to children) holds negative thoughts for some people but I see it rather differently. To achieve the most beautiful display that a wisteria can create, it needs to be trained…to be pruned, to be fed and watered, etc. I was recently reading Psalm 144. It is written by David and in it, he thanks God for His mercy and he prays that God will protect him. He makes a promise to praise God and then he prays for his kingdom. Listen to verse 12:

Our sons in their youth will be like full-grown saplings, our daughters will be like sculptured pillars fit for the corner of a palace. Wow! We all want to see our children do well, don’t we? I want to see my sons as plants grown up! Not weeds or thorns but I want to see healthy, mature and fruitful plants! Nothing could make me happier and joyful. Sometimes our plants need to be strong in order to brave the elements…to weather the storms, the rain, hail and burning winds and sun. God often likens children, especially sons, to an olive tree. Olive trees were pretty important to the Israelites as they were a symbol of God’s blessing. They needed to be ‘trained’ else they become wild and unfruitful. They [the trees] had a purpose! They need to be strong in order to face the weathers.

Your children around the table will be like shoots from an olive tree.~Psalm 128:3

I see that word picture quite clearly but what exactly does it mean to be ‘sculptured pillars fit for the corner of a palace’? Palaces were indeed ornate and beautiful buildings and great care was taken in building of palaces even the angles or cornerstones of the building. Sometimes, the ancient Greeks used to make corner pillar type statues carved in the form of a woman, elegantly dressed in long robes. These even provided strength to the building . They would have been graceful, strong and polished, although the material would not originally have been smooth and polished. It took some polishing to get it that way. Even today, any good builder will tell you that the foundation is extremely important and then the cornerstone is vital to the longevity and strength of a building. The cornerstone is where all the other measurements are taken from.

What I found strange was that I thought this was back to front. What??? The word of God is back to front? See I imagined that the women would have been portrayed as beautiful ornaments in the garden whereas the men would have been the strong cornerstone of a palace…carrying the weight of the building. I would have to look into this one further. Why did God deliberately use these word pictures? What is He trying to convey to us? I’ll leave you to figure that one out for yourselves, if you want to. So, as a mother what does this mean for me? I start with the end in mind: I want my sons to be plants grown up…to be mature, fully developed…to be stable, healthy, fruitful, and able to withstand the storms of life. I want them to be rooted in good soil (rooted in The Spirit of God) so that they will not be blown about by every wind. What more could a mother of sons desire?

In training my daughters to be ‘cornerstones’ I need to train them in virtue of character…to train them into strong, polished pillars who have a pure heart…a modest demeanor filled with gentleness and graciousness…to see my daughters as polished cornerstones, fit for the service of the King.

Does God Say ‘Oops’?

Ever heard someone say that they are going to do something because God told them to do it? I’m sure you have. I hear it often. I guess I don’t really have a problem with it, in itself. However, I do have a problem when a person is fairly adamant about a decision or choice they’ve made, claiming that ‘God told them to do it’. Some of these things aren’t black or white areas; they’re just every day decisions in life that we all have to make. What I don’t have a lot of tolerance for is when God [apparently] says oops.

Of course God doesn’t say oops! Yet that is what it must seem like to non-believers when we march on, adamantly proclaiming that God told us to do it … and then a few weeks later, we completely change direction. What? So does God get it wrong or are we too quick to use God’s name as a justification for our choices, hoping He will bless it … only to find that life takes us down another path? Why do we find it so difficult to simply take responsibility for our own choices and decisions in life?

God has a plan and a purpose for our lives. And I believe that it is bigger than whether or not we drive a Ford or a Holden! He is with us when we’re wandering through the wilderness … and he’s with us when we’re in the land of plenty. There’s nothing wrong with man using his mind to make reasonable and rational decisions, while living in the understanding that all his way are ordered by the Lord.

When God says to do something, He means it! He does not say oops or get it wrong! Let us not to be too hasty in proclaiming that God told us to eat Weeties or CornFlakes that morning … just eat what you believe to be best for your body and go on with your purpose in life, which is to love God and enjoy Him forever.

That is, everything you do or say, do in the name of the Lord Yeshua, giving thanks through him to God the Father.
Colossians 3: 17