Heading further north we spent a morning walking the Sandstone Caves track in the Pilliga Forest, and the afternoon between Coonabarabran and Barradine. Signs of regrowth The way in Some bizarre patterns A mighty big lump of sandstone Holes within holes The way out Grasstrees Siding Spring Observatory from the Barradine Road An abandonded farm?
Continuing the holiday trip we spent some time in the botanical gardens in Dubbo. The gardens are divided into a number of areas incuding Japanese, Indigenous, and an Adventure playground area.
On our recent holiday we visited the Japanese Gardens in Cowra. There is something of a link between the Japanese and the people of Cowra as a result of the breakout from the Cowra POW camp in 1944. Here is a selection of photos from the gardens. Sunshine appeared about half way through! Crepe Myrtle Weak sunshine From the teahouse A place to pond-er Spring and autumn probably look the best
This is a copy of the first sermon I preached. The year was around 1992. I have done some very light editing. Reading back over this sermon thirty years after its appearing, I would be happy to preach it today. That can’t be said for all of my sermons! Exodus 3:1-20 “What’s in a Name?” Introduction Read through the newspaper… Watch the television… Listen to the radio… Within a short time you’ll discover (if you haven’t already) that Australia is in a recession1 – the world is in a recession.
For the past nine months I’ve been the primary bread maker in the household. My standard recipe is a slightly modified version of Peter Reinhart’s light wheat bread from The Bread Baker’s Apprentice. My up-scaled recipe makes two ‘one pound’ loaves. Ingredients 667 grams breadmaking flour 333 grams wholemeal flour 40 grams sugar 20 grams salt 60 grams milk powder 10 grams instant yeast 60 grams melted butter or olive oil 540 grams/mls tepid water (around a quarter recently boiled water, and the balance cool tap or filtered water) My Method Use the KitchenAid on its slowest setting using the dough hook.
Around six years ago I bought a copy of The Complete Works of Oswald Chambers. It was on special–reduced by around $20. It contains something-like 40 books either on biblical topics, Bible books, or daily devotional readings. I’ve dipped into the volume sporadically since–though not for several years now. Until that point the only book of Oswald’s that I had read was My Utmost For His Highest. The fascinating backstory is that Oswald didn’t write ‘My Utmost’.
In my previous post I discussed some of the rationale and methodology for writing in your Bible. I made reference to a method for making more extensive notes than will fit in the margin of a Bible. Several methods exist including two developed or certainly implemented by the New England pastor and teacher, Jonathan Edwards in the mid-1700s. Firstly, Edwards had a Bible especially made comprising the Bible text on small pages interleaved with larger blank pages so he could make notes on pages that contained three times as much blank space as Bible text.
On 6th January 2022 I recommenced something I hadn’t done in over 30 years–marking my Bible. I used to make marks in Bibles–underlining or highlighting significant verses; very occasionally making a brief note next to a verse; making a copy of the ‘Bridge to Life’ diagram and verses in the back pages, etc. I stopped making notes or underlining in my Bibles, as I said, something like 30 years ago1. The reason I stopped was because I didn’t want to be distracted the next time I read a passage by something I had underlined or noted on a previous occasion.
I undertook a Bible ‘stocktake’ the other day to ascertain just how many paper Bibles I have. The predominant purpose was to see if I could donate some to a local op-shop. The Bibles in my collection include: Revised Standard Version pew edition New Living Translation Bible Study for Men hardback English Standard Version 2001 centre column reference hardback English Standard Version 2011 Single column legacy trutone New Revised Standard Version pew edition New King James Version Thompson Chain Reference leather New King James Version pew edition New King James Version Spirit-filled Life Bible hardback Christian Standard Bible pew edition English Standard Version Study Bible trutone Of these I have decided to donate the ESV centre column reference Bible and the NKJV pew edition to the op shop.
In the middle of the evening Heidi Abigail arrived. Well done Emma and Ben. All glory to God.