The house is ours in about 12 hours……

We take possession of our new house today. The people we bought it off, and have been renting if off us for the last few months are moving out.

Tommorow a good mate is polishing the floors for us, that will take two days, and then the house will need to ‘sit’ for a week.

Then on the 24th the bathroom renovator is moving in, and we are forking over some hard earned cash for the bathroom reno, including a spa/bath/shower combo. This photo is the before shot. The roman bath is going, in fact everything is going. All the tiles, floor and wall are GONE. The vanity GONE, the toilet, GONE. All replaced with…..you guessed it, federation style. And if you did not guess that, you dont know my wife.

All very exciting. Mind you I am pretty grateful to still be in this house for the next three weeks, what with the heat, and the pool out the back. This pool has been wonderful over the summer.
My son has learnt to swim! I am so proud of him, and it has been a great place to live.

” My heart is breaking as I remember how it used to be: I walked among the crowds of worshipers, leading a great procession to the house of God, singing for joy and giving thanks– it was the sound of a great celebration!”

What a beautiful mind picture, and yet sad as well. That at one point he was part of something wonderful, and then, his heart breaks, as he realises he is not experiencing that anymore.

Headed off to Subi with about 15, 000 other footy fans to see Freo beat the Colliwobbles.

Tough game, much tougher than last week against the weagles. Collingwood had come to play and win, despite leaving Rocca and Buckley behind.

Most impressed with Sandilands again, hit touch work to Haselby, Crowley and J Carr was exceptional.
Good to see the PAV back, had a solid game.

But the Wiz was great, hard working as always with 5 goals as his reward.
The whole team came right in front of me at 1/4 and 3/4 time. Could see the whiteboard. If I can work out how to get these photos off my mobile, I will post the pictures.
Also really good to see Rooky Duffield have a real impact. Will be a great player.

Letters to the West, this Saturday, page 21

“In what hasn’t been a great couple of weeks for the image of AFL football, a good news story (patron Cook repays debt to footy report 2/3) must have brought some welcome relief to the games administrators. Congratulations to Troy Cook on his appointment as patron of the Kulunga Research Network and to Dr Fiona Stanley for having the discernment to choose a Docker for the role. “

I imagine there are as many views of what God is like, as there are people. How much of what I think about God is a product of my environment, my upbringing, my own personality, my dad’s personality and how much is the evidence as presented in the scriptures?

My small group is looking through the book of Judges at the moment, and there are times God gets really angry. In chapter two it states that, “the Lord burned with anger”. And this is at His own people.

Sure I hear you say, thats the Old Testament. But Jesus got really mad as well. We know the common examples, where he berated and insulted the Pharisees, when he fashioned a whip out of cord and drove the money traders out of the temple.

In the book of Hebrews 12 we read, “For the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes those he accepts as his children.”

He punishes us, for things we have done wrong. Now this punishment may be so we learn, but He punishes none the less.

I know I have been guilty of fashioning God into a more politically correct version, but the truth is that God is to be feared, He is Awesome, awe inspiring, HOLY HOLY HOLY.

We are not righteous, He is righteous, and I know He gets mad at some of the things I do wrong.
Thank God for Hebrews 2, which brings the balance, ” 14That is why we have a great High Priest who has gone to heaven, Jesus the Son of God. Let us cling to him and never stop trusting him. 15This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same temptations we do, yet he did not sin. 16So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it.”

Continuing my devotions in the Psalms.
These words from Psalm 32,

“When I refused to confess my sin, I was weak and miserable, and I groaned all day long.”

Isn’t that so true. Run from the God who is everywhere?
Hide from the God who see’s and knows everything?

Yet I know I do it.

Short accounts, with God, and with others. Thats my desire.