oh my 'mim'??

I do feel uncomfortable when people use Gods name in vein- but why is this an issue?

For me it's the same reason that I would feel uncomfortable used one of my friends names in vein or bitched about them. I'm in no way anti-swearing ( as my competitive swearing tally with finkel on camps proves!!) but I draw the line at using swear words in relation to/ or describing other people no matter how much they're annoying me. Think it comes from a respect for God and that includes not using swear words to describe anyone of his creation.

Recovery

Song lyrics written by someone (think a late teenage girl)who is in rehab after brain trauma- scary stuff to have an acident and wake up not being able to do so much stuff that we all take for granted!

I used to be, haappy and in control of my life
and now I'm not, anymore
I used to feel important, I could make a difference, in people's lives
But now it feels like I'm wasting time

Now I feel like a pain in the neck
an inconvenience, causing trouble
And my memory's gone
I'm having trouble making sense
they make me feel like I'm not normal

I just want be free again to do what I used to do
enjoy my life, how I want to
I just want to go home again and be with my friends
that's what I live for

i need to feel like someone understands, what I'm going through
to sit and talk and sympathise
I don't want to be called a liar, don't wanna be undermined
I wanna be valued with love and care

All the, Small things

What an iconic song of my teenage years!!!

But I'm noticing the small things so much more at the moment- like getting upset at stuff that normally won't effect me much at all but also finding a lot of joy out of little things. Like receiving a random, unexpected card in the mail from a lady at church, or the fact that a speed I'd planted, but didn't have much hope of growing has sprouted- fully think Gods showing me that I can nurture things and help them to live instead of having things die around me, which means a lot at the moment. Prob the next time I look it will have died or turn out to be a weed- but maybe there's so much more life in death than I understand and there's beauty in the 'weeds' or 'ugly' in this life- and I'm going to take care of that weed and allow it to live it's life as much as any flower!

50 fun things to do in an elevator!

Linda- this reminds me of you!

-Make race car noises when anyone gets on or off.
-Blow your nose and offer to show the contents of your kleenex to other passengers.
-Grimace painfully while smacking your forehead and muttering: "Shut up, all of you, just shut UP!"
-Whistle the first seven notes of "It's a Small World" incessantly.
-Sell Girl Scout cookies.
-On a long ride, sway side to side at the natural frequency of the elevator.
-Shave.
-Crack open your briefcase or purse, and while peering inside ask: "Got enough air in there?"
-Offer name tags to everyone getting on the elevator. Wear yours upside-down.
-Stand silent and motionless in the corner, facing the wall, without getting off.
-When arriving at your floor, grunt and strain to yank the doors open, then act embarrassed when they open by themselves.
-Lean over to another passenger and whisper: "Noogie patrol coming!"
-Greet everyone getting on the elevator with a warm handshake and ask them to call you Admiral.
-One word: Flatulence!
-On the highest floor, hold the door open and demand that it stay open until you hear the penny you dropped down the shaft go "plink" at the bottom.
-Do Tai Chi exercises.
-Stare, grinning, at another passenger for a while, and then announce: "I've got new socks on!"
-When at least 8 people have boarded, moan from the back: "Oh, not now, stupid motion sickness!"
-Give religious tracts to each passenger... then ask them if they like the pictures.
-Meow occassionally.
-Bet the other passengers you can fit a quarter in your nose.
-Frown and mutter "gotta go, gotta go" then sigh and say "oops!"
-Show other passengers a wound and ask if it looks infected.
-Sing "Mary had a little lamb" while continually pushing buttons.
-Holler "Chutes away!" whenever the elevator descends.
-Walk on with a cooler that says "human head" on the side.
-Stare at another passenger for a while, then announce "You're one of THEM!" and move to the far corner of the elevator.
-Burp, and then say "mmmm...tasty!"
-Leave a box between the doors.
-Ask each passenger getting on if you can push the button for them.
-Wear a puppet on your hand and talk to other passengers "through" it.
-Start a sing-along.
-When the elevator is silent, look around and ask "is that your beeper?"
-Play the harmonica.
-Shadow box.
-Say "Ding!" at each floor.
-Lean against the button panel.
-Say "I wonder what all these do" and push the red buttons.
-Listen to the elevator walls with a stethoscope.
-Draw a little square on the floor with chalk and announce to the other passengers that this is your "personal space."
-Bring a chair along.
-Take a bite of a sandwich and ask another passenger: "Wanna see wha in muh mouf?"
-Blow spit bubbles.
-Pull your gum out of your mouth in long strings.
-Bring a blaring boom box along with you and start dancing wildly (extra fun when the elevator is packed).
-Carry a blanket and clutch it protectively.
-Make explosion noises when anyone presses a button.
-Wear "X-Ray Specs" and leer suggestively at other passengers.
-Stare at your thumb and say "I think it's getting larger."
-If anyone brushes against you, recoil and holler "Bad touch!"

Death dealing

Death is something we're all going to have to deal with- but having a job that works with the elderly, sick and lonely it's probably something I'm going to have to deal with more than if i'd just stayed a piano teacher!

One of my friends is now at placement in childrens palliative care (basically very sick kids who are expected to die soon). And she was quite worried before hand about how she was going to deal with such a situation and as much as I knew it would still be really tough, my faith would help me out heaps.

But on the train into uni a couple of months ago 2 people were talking about their christian friends and how going to church made then even more convinced it's all bull crap, and how they were pissed that their friends couldn't come to their birthday parties but went on bible camp the next weekend......but what got me....how can Christians believe in something that says their friends will spend eternity in hell. Yuk, where do I sit on that one!?! If I look at it honestly at the moment- my faith is not something thats going to help me deal with death and make it harder. The whole life after death thing is not something I've got my head around and prob won't on this life. But avoiding the issue is prob not the best solution here either.
You never know where people sit with God on their death bed and God is the ultimate judge, but hoping that the people I love will all live on and having faith in Gods great goodness and love while forgetting the whole deal with free will...... hmm time for me to switch my brain off for a while!

Sin vs. Holly Spirit

One of the people in the wed night group I attend, brought up an interesting idea from a book they had been reading.
Instead of losing our sinful nature when we become christian or having our sinful nature worked on and changed for the better over time/working on it, our sinful nature will always be with us and always present. However, when becoming a Christian we aquire the Holly Spirit and so we should aim to better live in the Spirit and not our sinful nature, to learn more about the spirit and what that looks like and how to hear and live in and recognise this but our same sins are always a part of us (forgiven, of course) and its more a point of being aware of this and recognising it so we can call on the spirits help and strength, istead of expecting to work on it to the point that that sin doesn't exist in us any more.

Show me the way to go home

Talking to one of the kids on camp and how her mum didn't allow her to go to her pa's funeral and how thats effected her- has reminded me of how we need to deal with death.

So having lost my first client as a music therapy student, and not having the opportunity to attend a funeral- I'm going to debrief on here. Working in aged care, its still unexpected, but I guess always in the back of your mind that their time is coming.
She was a funny lady that would sit up the back and continually request her favorite old drinking song wearing a flannel shirt. And she'd sing along with me every single word in such a comic way then chuckle to herself.
Last time I saw her she was quite aggressive saying- 'what do I have to do to be left alone round here' and asking for 'daddy' and how she'd have to go find him (due to having dementia, people lose memory often leading to anxiety etc....). So I left her, respecting her wishes and allowing her to have control of at least something in life. I think she was ready to go and had had enough, but I'm going to write out the words of the song she loved and the only time I was a smile and laugh from her-

Show me the way to go home
I'm tired and I want to go to bed
I had a little drink about an hour ago
and it's gone straight to my head
no matter where I roam
on land or sea or foam
you will always hear me singing this song
show me the way to go home.

thou shalt bash the fairer sex

Tuesdays MX (yes I know it's not the most stimulating read, but spending half my life on trains in & out of the city I'm happy to read the same junk as the rest of Melbourne!), included an article about- how 'church of England leaders have warned that calling God "He" encourages men to beat their wives. In new guidelines for bishops and priests on such abuse, they blamed " uncritical use of masculine imagery" for encouraging men to behave vioently towards women.

Do some men really think like this?

Nice idea if it works but I somehow think the issues a bit deeper than that- how screwed up an image of God must these guys have if they think that God being 'male' allows violence to women and their wives. Not going to get into the whole 'is God a he or she' debate because I honestly don't think it matters- what matters is that God wouldn't go around bashing people up just cos of their sex.

youth mentoring

http://www.youthmentoring.org.au/index.php

Good site I found for anyone interested in doing this kind of stuff

Seasons of love

Been working out the music for the song 'seasons of love' from the musical rent (also on dvd!) :) which deals with a huge amount of issue- all of which I've met (except aids) in my 21 years- mostly through the lives of friends.

And I thought the lyrics of the song had a really good message (and I think the musics good to- which makes it in my top list of songs- i find it interesting how some people like a song mainly cos of the lyrics and some mainly cos of the music- I have a stronger musical orientation personally, but a good combination of both makes my top list!!- be interested to know your orientation!!?!)

(BTW steph, this is the song I thought we could do)

Seasons of Love Lyrics
525,600 minutes, 525,000 moments so dear. 525,600 minutes - how do you measure, measure a year? In daylights, in sunsets, in midnights, in cups of coffee. In inches, in miles, in laughter, in strife. In 525,600 minutes - how do you measure a year in the life?How about love? How about love? How about love? Measure in love. Seasons of love.

1525,600 minutes! 525,000 journeys to plan. 525,600 minutes - how can you measure the life of a woman or man?

In truths that she learned, or in times that he cried. In bridges he burned, or the way that she died.

It’s time now to sing out, tho the story never ends let's celebrate remember a year in the life of friends. Rememberthe love! Remember the love! Remember the love! Measure in love. (a gift from above)Seasons of love! Seasons of love. (Measure your life in love.)

Would you eat your own poo!?!

I start working at my local high school (or secodary college to use the 'proper' fancypants terminology!) tomorrow and having been sick for over a week now on the back of leading camp, which came after the most tiring and draining week of my life, which followed some of the most emotionally crappy weeks of my life (which prob lead to the tiredness and physical sickness)....... seriously can't be arsed going tomorrow.

All this raises my age old question about 'Why do I come down sick/ tired/ exhausted/ emotionally wrecked when I really put myself out there on a limb for God?' (am feeling spiritually ok at the moment- and maybe thats all that really matters!?!)

Possible reponses
- it's not really what Gods asking me to do and this is his way to informing me
- 'Satan's' having a go
- this is just how life goes and Jesus pracitically promised that it wouldn't be easy
- I involve myself and invest too much of myself into things
........etc.


Remember my first day at placement at the special school last semester, and despite having worked with severly mentally and physically disabled people before and seen a lot of stuff that the majority of people know not to do in public and really sad stuff....... I was shocked to hear (and made some dumb gasping noise) when one of the staff mentioned that one of the little girls had started to eat her own poo- not something I'd every really thought about- but I guess I'd just assumed that no one would ever even think of doing such a thing and that as humans we had some inbuilt instinct that poo just doesn't make a good meal. Every kid picks their nose at some point but I have never hear of anyone of any age going to the poo (not that anyone would admit to it thought I guess). So there you go- not eating poo is socially conditioned into us it is not an instictual thing!

But also, as humans think we all do stuff that will only harm us in the long run- some are socially conditioned into us that we know will harm- like eating poo, cutting yourself, even drinking and smokeing to a certain extent..... but how many things are incredably harmful and we just have no idea- is it a case that we can't rely on instincts or we just don't know how to understand them smoking never used to be considered harmful and everyone did it..... did people ever think that hhmmm I'm turning myself into a chimney- this may not be at all good for me and just ignore a small thought or do we as humans sometimes just have no idea?

Am I 'eating my own poo' by adding a couple of hrs in a school each week to my life?