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| I like the floor I put down last Monday. |
Skype still blows me away...
I spent time on my service, exploring options and looking at YouTube clips to use. While mucking around with the computer, a friend from Adelaide Skyped me. We had a conversation for about half an hour. I then chatted via Skype messaging with a friend in Perth. Just now my sister in Christchurch Skyped me and we have talked for well over half an hour. Now I know such technology is old hat to many, but I am still blown away by it. I can sit in my study, see the person on my screen, chat to them whether they are near or far away and it does not cost much! If I had told my father that would be a possibility he would have told me I was into science fiction.
Mountain trips...
I have walked the Organ Pipe track up "my" Mount Cargill on Saturday and today, Sunday. Today's trip I was pleased about because I did it at speed. I don't know what has happened, but there seemed to be a lot of people on the mountain. On Saturday there were quite a number of young student type people. Today it looked like family groups, the car park was full. On Saturday I realised I was getting old. As I headed up the beginning of the track I noticed a young couple arriving. The first five minutes is steep going and I was puffing away, but still pride myself in the fact that I don't stop for a breather, I keep going, and can generally keep ahead of most. This young couple (they both looked like film stars) came up behind me at quite a fast pace. I pulled to the left and let them past then walked up behind them. It annoyed me! They were wandering up the hill conversing, not puffing, just as if they were going along the flat! I, on the other hand, probably would have gasped if I had tried to talk! Old age is not much fun even when you keep yourself reasonably fit, you know you are on a downhill slope. I did notice later on they slowed up and I was catching them up again. I think my arteries take a few minutes to wake up to the fact that they need to expand to let more blood flow! Today I noticed that people were happy. Most people were coming down as I was going up. The mountain was covered in fog so there were not great views from the top. But people still loved the climb and expressed their enthusiasm as they passed me. They were buzzing from the bush, the exercise and somehow the fog blowing past makes the mountain seem alive. I came to a junction and a group of three were looking at the noticeboard which says 30 minutes to the top. I advised them it was a long way shorter than that. (I did it in less than 10) They arrived up on top when I was sitting having my drink. I explained that there are usually great views for miles - apologising for my mountain. "We guessed that." they said with happy grins on their faces, "But this is still sooo cool!" I love seeing people enjoying "my" mountain. It has one down side for an old man with prostate problems. It is much more difficult to find a spot to "relieve myself". I nearly embarrassed myself yesterday when a young woman came along the track when I thought I was far enough off the track and alone! I go up there so often but still enjoy every trip.... strange man that I am.
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| This little guy came right up to me on the Mountain track. I wish I knew where he came from. |
This morning's theme was, "If the Church were Christian gracious behaviour would be valued over right belief." In my sermon I guess I exposed more of my "progressive Christian" and heretical understandings about Jesus and scripture than I have before. People seemed to accept it, and I had positive feedback. One man said it was my best ever sermon. I suspect that most did not understand the full implications of what I was saying, but it felt good not compromising or fudging. I will not bore you tonight with a summary of my sermon.
Friday night funny...
We had a wee woopsy at the Friday night drop-in. We had about 50 through, all was peaceful and quiet till a couple of guys suddenly yelled at each other. One older guy has real issues and ran out the door. My wife followed to sooth him but he kept going out to the street yelling abuse at her as he headed down the road. A caring lady passing by came up to my wife to ask if she needed help. "That's your husband?" she asked assuming it was some domestic quarrel. My wife explained what we do and that no this poor guy was not her husband, just one of our guests with mental health issues. She said when she came back, "I could have said, - Oh no that's not my husband! He's much worse than that!" Surprisingly we celebrate 43 years marriage later this week.
Two different Facebook posts for your consideration...
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| My son posted this... maybe he is sick of my moaning? |
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| I spend a lot of time with people struggling with mental health. |
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