Just come back from doing a wedding down at Pt Bouvard, didn’t see Rex down there though.

Great wedding, held right next to Cox’s Bay, on grass, overlooking the bay. Beautiful location, bride and groom happy. I love doing weddings, being part of such a significant and special occasion. Interesting and eccletic choice of music.
Rob Thomas (think Matchbox 21) Led Zeppelin and Chicago!
Led Zeppelin played during the signing of the registry if you are wondering.

The happy couple paid for Melinda and I to stay at Mandurah Quay Resort, thanks guys! We went out on Friday night for ‘Wok in a box”. Almost forgot what it was like to go out with my wife. Both so busy at the moment, and with two kids, its never easy. But it was so nice to spend time together.

Then this afternoon spent some time at the Brides fathers house (more like a mansion) overlooking the ocean. Some people have it good! His house is right on the ocean, overlooking the cut. Amazing.

Thanks to Rodney for providing this link.
Here is the transcript from Denton’s interview with Bono. The interview as certainly captivating. Yet I suppose with my bias I would have liked to hear some more questions on Bono’s faith explored. There were some challenges there from him as well.

“BONO: It’s not that. But I do think yeah, it’s being away from me to explain myself to the conservative right, because I just won’t let them away with it. The religiosity of the United States is hugely questioned by Europe – and for good reasons. Europeans know that they pay more per person to what the Americans refer to as “the least of these”, the poorest of the poor. So you can’t get away with this Baroque sort of biblical language and not follow through on it. I just won’t let them follow through on it. I explain AIDS to these very intense religious people as the leprosy of our age. I challenge them on their faith. I didn’t really have to go that route with Bush, although I did talk in and around that.”

“ANDREW DENTON: You fulfil a Christian ideal.
BONO: No, I don’t think so. All the commandments I’ve broken and the ones I haven’t I’ve probably wanted to. But that said, I do have a faith and it is challenged on a daily basis by what I see in Africa. Yes, and yet more than that I have a sense that really people are the problem. We’re the problem, really. God gets a lot of bad press. The tsunami was very eloquent in a way, the response. There’s a natural disaster, this awful misnomer, Mother Nature, it’s just dreadful. But in Africa you have an avoidable catastrophe of tsunami proportions every week. So we have the technology, we have the resources, we have the resources if we have the will.So I’ve gone through my shouting at God, I’ve gone through my angry phase but I finally end up looking at my own indolence and fighting with it, an indifference. Because I have it, too. And I feel that I’m not alone in this. I feel there’s a generation of people. I kind of realised this isn’t something we can really blame God for. This is about us, really. So that’s where I am on it.”

Theres a few sermons in there to preach!

Thanks to Mike O’Neil for bringing this to my attention.

The Australian Newspaper has a stirring and challenging article on the fastest growing reason women are seeking a divorce from their husband. It is not violence, infidelity or even bad personal habits, but husbands who are ‘married to the job’. Its not that they are having an affair with the secretary, but rather having an affair with their own need for success. The article does not actually give the percentage breakdown for this reason, but does say it has more than trebled.

As in many areas of human behaviour, this is full of contradictions. If a man works hard and long hours to get ahead financially at the expense of his marriage, he will soon find himself in a terrible financial situation. Reality is that the scriptures speak to us deeply in Ecclesiastes, “Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.”

There is something very powerful about two people united in their spiritual, social and even economic goals. When that is broken, a lot of strength, and lets be frank, a lot of money, is lost.
The very thing we chase, is the very thing that will be destroyed if we chase it at the expense of relationships. Life is all about relationships, and if you care about your financial situation, you should invest time into your relationships, they are precious.

Related: Private Investigator Services.

This is my series I am starting in the lead up to Easter,
so excited about this one. Looking at some of the things Jesus said which changed the world as we head to Easter.
What do you reckon I am going to preach on Good Friday? Easter Sunday?

One of my goals/strategies this year is to hold four men’s events, culminating in the Grand Final Weekend away. That is unless of course the mighty Dockers are in the GF, in which case I’ll be in Melbourne.
But here is the graphic I have put together for our upcoming event, should be a blast!

It seems Andrew Denton must have been reading my blog. Bono is too appear on Enough Rope tonight.
Will be great to hear an indepth interview on his life, faith and music.
Denton has a great team of researchers, and is also able to quickly take the interview down an intersting path.
Sorry to hear about the Edge’s sickness and the cancelled concerts over East.

Went to Riverview Church tonight with a couple of friends.
Some observations, interesting start to the service, very laid back, casual almost. Devotions and prayer to start, then a couple of worship songs before Mark gave the message. Preaching on Colossions, a good message on needing to have our foundations right, in a world of varying worldviews. Despite all the warnings (!) there was very little made of the offering, just a gentle reminder of the need to give to God, tastefully done.

Bit suprised at the lack of audience participation, particularly the singing, only people really getting into it were those nearer to the front. But maybe that is who Riverview is reaching, those not used to Church.

Overall a good experience, with some good lessons for me in my own circumstances.
Sorry that Phil wasn’t speaking, must go one night when he is on.