Crying, Giving & Training.
Just spent an accidental hour watching The Choir of Hard Knocks performing in the Sydney Opera House. If you’d walked into the TV room you would have seen me crying (although I believe the correct word for it in this instance would have been “sobbing”). God is absolutely amazing. In the weirdest ways he reminds me of His grace and love, and that he made all people in His image. Hallelujah.
And speaking of Hallelujah, it was that song that was the clincher.
Hallelujah - Rufus Wainwright
I’ve heard there was a secret chord
That David played, and it pleased the Lord
But you don’t really care for music, do you?
It goes like this
The fourth, the fifth
The minor fall, the major lift
The baffled king composing Hallelujah
Hallelujah.
Your faith was strong but you needed proof
You saw her bathing on the roof
Her beauty
in the moonlight
overthrew you
She tied you
To a kitchen chair
She broke your throne,
she cut your hair
And from your lips she drew the Hallelujah
Hallelujah.
Maybe I’ve been here before
I know this room, I’ve walked this floor
I used to live alone before I knew you
I’ve seen your flag on the marble arch
love is not a victory march
It’s a cold and it’s a broken hallelujah
Hallelujah.
There was a time you’d let me know
What’s real and going on below
But now you never show it to me do you?
Remember when I moved in you?
The holy dark was moving too
And every breath we drew was hallelujah
Hallelujah.
Maybe there’s a God above
And all I ever learned from love
Was how to shoot at someone who outdrew you
It’s not a cry you can hear at night
It’s not somebody who’s seen the light
It’s a cold and it’s a broken hallelujah
Hallelujah. Hallelujah.
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On a praising God note.. how bout lift up some worship to Him by GIVING this Christmas in a unique way. I’m not sure, but there may still be time.. Check out JUSTGIFTS and give a gift that really means something.
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Also.. Ever thought about being an officer? Why not sign up for what is tipped to be the biggest session in Australian Southern Territory History!! (I hear there will be more than 1000 cadets! Can you imagine?!)
Lots of things. Life is full.
Ever thought about squatting? Seen a big old neglected building that would be perfect for a youth centre? Check out this site to get some info to do with the best way to go about it.
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I read about a new Australian Drama called Satisfaction in the West Australian Newspaper. Here is another article about it. It follows the lives of 6 high-class prostitutes in the city of Melbourne. One of the actresses commented “On one day I had to do 6 sex scenes with 6 different men. I really felt like a prostitute”. Lord, there are so many women & children caught in the grip of the sex industry. Show us what to do. Show us how to react. Show us how to respond. Show us how to love.
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On Coffee again..
I’ve been looking into some more coffee-related things. This time I’ve found two places to recommend.
Urbanista in Northbridge
Great coffee, excelent service, fantastic atmosphere, short walk from Salvo Headquarters, central to Northbridge, easy walk from the city.
and..
Source Foods in Highgate
I haven’t been there yet, but it’s next on my list of places to try.. This is what their website says..
Sourcefoods is a food business committed to providing sustainable foods of excellent quality and value. We define sustainable foods as those products whose chain of supply contributes positively both to our ecological and human communities - environmentally, socially and economically. We think of quality as a description of foods which taste great and are beneficial to your body and mind. Welcome to new paradigm business.
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Newly recieved email updates;
The Foundation for Young Australians has just accounced that their Youth Run Organisation’s Sustainability Grants are open for application until February 11 2008. There is $270,000 up for grabs. Check out their website for more details.
When I was doing some research into Community Based organisations etc. for my Community Development unit this semester I came across this groovy website - Pigs Will Fly. They have a newsletter that you can subscribe to that fills you in on what’s been happening at the site. They have a community / sustainability focus. A great read.
The Forge WA network have recently added some Audio to their website from their most recent WA conference - Nuts and Bolts. If you weren’t able to make it to the conference, or even if you were, check it out.
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A while back I was doing a random google search for “The Salvation Army” (am I the only one that does that from time to time?) Look at what I found…
Salvation Army Campaign in Brazil
In Brazil, the Salvation Army has launched an interesting outdoor campaign to raise awareness, donations of clothes, and money. What we liked most about it was that for the campaign they are using real cardboard, plastic trash bags and old sneeker boxes that were found on the actual streets of Brasil, which then references back to the living conditions of the people they help.
And… this wasn’t the Salvos but.. A Christmas Wreath Like None Other
The photos above are of a Christmas wreath made out of signs collected from local homeless people in Seattle. It was put up on the street in a heavy trafficked shopping district early in the morning of the 23rd of Dec by Erock and remained up until it was taken down by city workers on the morning of Dec 27th. To create the wreath, Erock went around and collected them from homeless people in the area. In return he gave each of them a few dollars and some more cardboard and pens to make another sign.
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Thought about your Christmas shopping yet? How about checking out these great alternatives.
- JustGIFTS (keep a look out in your OnFire, at your Corps and at justsalvos.com)
- Oxfam Unwrapped
- New Internationalist Shop
- Hero Shop (Be a Hero Australia)
- TEAR Australia
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I was just caught smiling widely when I spotted the DC’s walking hand in hand to get some coffee 
lovely to see!
It’s a New Day (If you want it to be…)
So as of today, I’m 22, and have been given the perfect opportunity to claim a “New Day” for a New Year, because I want it to be! (Hat Tip Jim Knaggs @ Connections) And, I’m excited about having time, and a seemingly new burst of energy!
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I’ve been doing some research about Fair Trade Coffee & Chocolate today, as I’m going to be putting together some “gifts” for the Corps/Centers with some freebie samples to get them inspired about The Fair Trade Principle. What an interesting industry. On coffee, a good friend of mine just began working at a company in Perth that are well known for their ethical, direct & relationship trading practices. I’m thinking about having chats with her about how we might be able to partner with them to make the most of the Fair Trade Principal in the West.
On chocolate, Cadbury - who sometimes present as the worst offender in the sourcing of Cocoa - seem to come off pretty well on their website. Or maybe they have a way with words. Worth looking into some more I think. Check out this page and its links to see for yourself.
As well as this, be reminded, some of the hard work has already been done for those who are seeking to purchase Fairly Traded Choc-ies. Stop the Traffik has created a guide for us listing suppliers who are able to guarantee that their cocoa has been sourced ethically. Check out the Australian Good Chocolate Guide (Pdf).
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I’ve blogged about it once before, but today I was reminded again. (Praise Jesus!) He wants me to come to him. And he wants to give me rest. Hallelujah! Oswald Chambers, in My Utmost for His Highest (June 11th) says that this rest is not the kind of rest where Jesus comes to tuck me in to bed and sing me lullabies (not in this season anyway) It’s the kind of rest where Jesus says “Come to me, and I will give you rest - I will sustain you causing you to STAND FIRM! I will get you out of bed, out of your listlessness and exhaustion, and out of your condition of being half dead while you are still alive. I will penetrate you with the Spirit of life, and you will be sustained by the perfection of Vital Activity.” Praise Him!! It’s funny how rest can come through being AWAKE.
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So you think you can preach! What a fascinating idea. I think sometimes God specifically chooses to work through fascinating ideas.
Speaking of fascinating ideas, I heard rumours of a youth conference in WA next year. Watch this space…!
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There are two coffee places in Perth that have been recommended to me.. Tiger Tiger in the city, and Urbanista in Northbridge. Hoping to make the most of my time in the next few weeks and check these out. Anyone wanna join me?
A New Beginning
Hello 
I’m thinking about attempting to start fresh on the pathway of blogging. I’ve spent a little while playing with colours and schemes, and a little bit of time thinking about the kinds of things that I would like to blog.
I would like to think that my life will continue to become more and more adventurous. And, I would like to think that God will challenge me more and more everyday. For that reason, I hope that I would not have a lack of things to blog about!
Maybe it can be a reflection place.. and other things. It’ll develop I guess.
Thanks for being on board. Feel free to be apart of my online life again!
Praise be to God
