I love the place.
Sun, fishing, sitting on the porch watching the sun go down.

Getting up, throwing on the boardshorts. Plunging into the Indian Ocean.

There is nowhere like Western Australia, and for me, nowhere like Cervantes.

I will never change my mobile phone provider. Optus dont have coverage up there.
I will never change from Optus.

Time with my wife and my kids, talking, laughing, buying lollies and fresh bread from the ‘supermarket’.

Reading the west over a plate of my wife’s pancakes with maple syrup and cream, breakfast at 10am after a swim.

But most of all, my kids laughter and joy as we build the biggest most complex sand castle you have ever seen. Inbuilt bath, seat, tunnel, bridge, moat, outside wall to protect it from the incoming waves. If my son does not turn out to be an engineer or designer, or builder of somesort, I will be suprised. His ideas, for a 5 year old, well I know I am biased, but the kid is smart!

In the mother country there is a relatively new phenomenon occuring known as “happy slapping“

What it involves is a group of youths bullying another youth, all the while videoing it with their mobile phone and then distributing it amongst their friends. The bullying can and does frequently go as far as bashing, stabbing, sexual misconduct and other such things. All the while the kids are either participating or laughing.

If you devalue people so much, this is what you get. A person is only valuable if they can provide you with sick entertainment. As a parent two young children, such activity makes me physically sick. I believe that these young people doing the attack are empty, devoid of purpose, and our humanistic, egocentric, self centered and selfish society has made them this way. They are evil people, yet there are reasons why they are evil.

We Christians have to permeate the Holy Spirit’s influence throughout society. We have to see people changed one at a time.

Alex Huggett has a blog.

Alex is a friend and pastor peer working at Ellenbrook Baptist Church. He has been through some rough times pastorally, have not we all, but apart from the occaisional twitching and other dysfunctions, he seems to have survived it alright. (!!)

His blog will focus on what is going on in the greater Ellenbrook area.
Check it out. http://www.the-ellenbrooker.com/

Whatever other criticism you might want to level at our new Premier, at least he has chosen the right team to support.

Alan is a true supporter. No chardonny sipping corporate box for him. Gallop take notice. Every derby, there was the blue and gold supporting Geoff, in his corporate box, with his limousine parked out front, blocking the path of the plebs.

Alan on the other hand sits in the normal wooden seats, a few rows down from me. He is a true working class Freo Supporter.

And now he is our state premier. Things are looking better for our state already.

2006 is the year that Purple comes into its own.

Tommorow I head off with my family to Cervantes for a few days of relaxation.

I am continuing my devotions in the Psalms and so Ps 5.1 will apply,

“Lord hear me as I pray”

This week its all about praying for fish. Would love to help my son pull in his second fish. Nothing quite like sitting there on the jetty or the beach casting out for some food. My wife is the best filleter and cooker of herring that there is.
Beautiful big crunchy herb infused bread crumbs, fish melting in your mouth. Big fat crispy wedges served with sour cream, and a nice coldie. All while sitting on the verandah watching the sun go down, enjoying the happy banter of my two beautiful kids.

God is so good to us all. I’m taking the time to thank him for my beautiful wife, my wonderful healthy kids, and my beautiful life.
Verse 12 “For you bles the godly O Lord, surrounding them with Your shield of love”.

Both Phil Baker and Andrew Hamilton are discussing where to find the best coffee in Perth, with varied results. It appears though that Leederville is the hub for Perth’s best coffee. Not suprising when you consider the ethnic origins of many of the good folk in that area. Perth has a lot to be thankful for when it comes to the Greek and Italian communities. When I visited the US it struck me how awful their coffee is. And yet they claim to love the stuff. Everywhere I went it was too hot, burnt and bitter.

One of my favourite places for coffee is a little lunch bar called the “Sunshine Cafe” on Beaufort St in Mnt Lawley. Most Tuesday mornings you will find me there discussing Church stuff with my associate. You wouldn’t necesarily think it, but they brew a good latte.

I am getting suprisingly beautiful coffee with my little espresso machine that my wife bought me for Christmas. Even my sister, a real ‘short black’ lady, thought the coffee was excellent.
What is more, it does not cost me $4 for a long strong latte!

The Church report, online magazine, has a lit of the 50 Most Influential Christians in US . Some very interesting names there, along with Bush, Osteen, Warren and Graham is relative newcomer, Rob Bell.
Those of you who visit my Blog will know how much I love Rob Bell’s Book, “The Velvet Elvis”.
It has helped me in my Christian life and ministry. I also love his DVD Nooma Series.
However has he really influenced me a lot? Well not as much as some flesh and bone Christians. A Pastor I had in Albany was one of the biggest influences on me. He taught me that preaching could be fun, interesting and inspiring all in one. He also inspired me to be a pastor. However he did also do some very silly things, and is no longer a Pastor. Like us all, he has feet of clay. Other major influences include my parents and some Christian friends.
I think these lists oversimplify things and make us think these people are more powerful than they are.
Even the most influential books I have ever read in my Christian walk, besides the Bible, books such as “The Velvet Elvis” and “Suprised by the Spirit” and “The purpose Driven life/Church” all have come along at a God apointed time, a time God wanted to say something deep and life changing to me.

I need to remind myself, that as a flesh and blood person, and as someone with feet of clay, that one at a time, I influence people. If your reading this, so do you.