Best Shot from Down South

Christine takes a great photo. I know we all like shots of the kids being cute and all, but this one is on our desktop at home and I love it.

The South Holiday

The second part of our holiday was 3 days in the South West camping. We were a bit concerned with weather warnings all over the state, but we managed to miss the worst of it.
We were camping at Hamlin Hollow, Contos Field on Caves Road, not far up from Augusta.


We climbed through Giants cave, a self guided cave that takes about 1.5 hours, the kids loved it as much as it was a bit scary in parts where you have to get through small tunnel like bits.


We drove along the coast track from Contos to Point rd and took Point straight back to Caves Rd. This Point Rd was heaps of fun, a good 4WD track with some big water over the track and lots of ugly rocks! The kids loved every minute...so did Dad, Mum loved it, although I am aware that essentially this is her car and every time we scratched the paint or bottomed out I think she wondered if she would have her car back.

We also took the Kilcarnup track one day, now that was an amazing track - LOTS of fun! Of course I didn't buy this car because it was a 4WD, just because it was a diesel...a FUN diesel!

The showers seems to move around us mostly. We had a big tarp over the tents, which gave us extra security in case of big rain and we didn't really get any until the last night - we woke up dry.

We roasted marshmallows and had marshmallow and chocolate burritos on the hotplate on the fire.
We did a night hike looking for possums but didn't find anything but an appetite
We saw Bandicoots, Possums, Owls, roos, Kookaburras and more.

We had Simmos ice cream...HMMM

2 Days of Farming

We have had a great week of "northing" and "southing" it.
North - Badgingarra
South - Contos Field, Almost bush camping somewhere south of the Prevally turn off on Caves Road. (They do have a long drop toilet and a camp kitchen, so it's not true bush camping!)

This picture diary is of the northern part of our adventures.
We have been 'farming' for many years, since we were married in fact. We called in to this farm on our honeymoon for the first time and have been back at least 2 or 3 times a year since. Mel has been Christine's best bud for many years and she went teaching in the country and married Graham - a true blue farmer type, no bloody worries kind a guy! This is their property. We get there a new way now, much prettier than straight up the Brand Hwy. When we get to Regans Ford we turn right off the Hwy and head through Dandarrigan (I think) and then left via the scenic route, it's a great hilly road, very nice.

They are building a new house right in the middle of a wheat crop right now, it looks great!

We spend a few hours cooking up 'local' lamb chops and snags on the open fire.

We also went for a nice long hike. They have some nature reserve in their property, a big hill called Boothandarra, we found Donkey Orchids, a little cave, a few roos and lots of prickly bushes.

Thanks to the generosity of the Whites we usually load up the trailer with wood for the fire and sheep poo for the garden. So considering we used one fuel tank of biodiesel to get up there and almost home, we don't pay for heating our house nor fertalizing our garden, I'd say we had a cheep holiday, many thanks to the generosity of Mel and Graham!!

Mik lazing the day away.

Sophie inspecting the cooking...or the cook more like!

Where have I been?

Been Slack on the Old Blog stuff, here is a quick update;

Going Where?
I have spent the last 2 weeks with Scripture Union. Camp one was with Mirrabooka High Yr 8 boys doing a selective boys to men type camp. 17 kids, lots of attitude and not all good. The last night we had to sleep out by ourselves in the bush under our own hoothchies, I was wet, very wet! The talks I did on Men as Lover, King, Monk and Warrior went well (Thanks to Mike's suggestions on this site!)
Last week's camp was a bit less intense, Winthrop Baptist yr 11's Kayaking on the Murray.

Reading What?
Reading a few books;
Mark Sayers, "The Trouble With Paris"
Rob Hopkins, "The Transition Handbook"
Henry DeWitt, "Fathering Daughters - Reflections By Men"

Watching What?
Last night watched Kung Fu Panda - Great Laugh, even some Python style humour!
Watched a 1999 flick called Pitch Black which was the first in the Chronicles of Riddick series, Vin Diesel - Good watch!

Playing With What?
My bio diesel processor...we made a batch of 50L, then 80L went great, then a batch of 150L, not so great but managed a rescue and it looks great now. Then a couple of weeks ago did a 100L batch and managed soap. Yes soap is an unfortunate bi-product of stuffing up with this process. Glycerol is one of the waste products, it is also the base product for soap manufacturing, stuff up some small element in the bio process and wham - you have litres of liquid sticky glue which is actually heavy grade soap. My mate Lance has done most of the rescuing as I have been away. It looks like we may have saved a good deal of the oil!

Enjoying What?
Loved a walk to the library and then take-a-way and movies with my family yesterday arvo.
I am also enjoying the thought of 2 weeks leave over the July school hols. 3 days at Contos camp group near Prevally/Yallingup. 2 days up at the farm, lots of days just pottering at home.

Working For Whom?
I am still full time with Churches of Christ (3 days Youth Vision Ministry Coach and 2 Days OnEARTH/GMP). The SU (Scripture Union) stuff is really to keep a hand in with youth ministry experience as well as looking at options for next year.
I will be working for SU 2 days a week next year in their Neighbourhood Outreach/Forge area as well as doing a camp a term for them in Warriuka. Hopefully I can continue doing the OnEARTH stuff as it is hotting up a little.

Looking Forward to What?
Well 2 weeks leave, then 3 days in Sydney with Youth Vision, then starting up a 14 week study (OnEARTH/Ignition) which includes 2 weeks in Halls Creek with a crew from our Church as well as some others, I am also running a weekend leaders retreat in August which looks like fun.
Finishing off our new raised garden beds out the back, fixing my dead roller door, tidying up my yard a bit and generally slowing down and reading some more.

So that is it. Been way too busy, but feel ok. Not pumped. Always dreaming too much of a quiet life in the country, working less not more. But I need to learn to be in the moment more, "be where you are".

Sold The Car

Well after 4 years of joy in our Mazda 626 7 seater we just sold it. Funny, no matter how unattached you might feel to a car, when you see it drive off down the street for the last time something in you feels sad... Christine is not sure she shares this feeling, maybe its a guy thing.
We are now a one scooter family !

So, What Would You Do?

I have a Mazda 626 7 seater wagon 1990, It blew a gear box (Auto) 2 months ago, I put another one it, it blew last week and I got another one (free). It needs new exhaust, and the list goes on.
I need to lose it!

I would like;
- Another 7 or 8 seater.
- A diesel (obviously so I can make my own)
- One that fits under my 1900mm garage.
- I don't have to have a 4wd.
- I don't have to have a van.
- I have $15000 max

Any clues?

I hate cars!

Speaking of Farming...

We spent Easter up at our friends place, a massive farm inland from Badgingarra, half way to Geraldton, WA.
It was classic country weekend with Go Karting Saturday and Mora speedway, sprint car championships Sunday night.
Sunday morning I was the 'guest preacher' at the little local church. We did a sunrise service and I was to see up a stations of the cross, but it was s wind we almost ran through the stations...so much for suffering for Jesus!! :)

When The Temperature Soars

Most people stay inside with their airconditioner when the temp hits the mid-fourties like it did on boxing day in Perth...
My family decided to spend the hottest part of the day at the beach...and loved it! It did seem a bit hot, we didn't realise just HOW hot until we went home at 1pm for lunch.

Hope you all enjoyed Christmas.

Love Rules

Folks, you need to see this example of the love of Christ at work in our city.
Seriously, if you are wanting someone to come and share with your family, your church, your small group, your youth ministry, your elderly congregation, your play group mums, your craft group, you left wing anti-nuclear group, your right wing people for high morals group, your men's wood working group, ladies bible study group...your whatever group - Jarrod McKenna will bless you and challenge you to think more deeply about living out the message of Christ in 'real life' tangible ways.
email me [Scott] for Jarrod's contact details.

Click here for the full story.

Odd Phone Call

Many years ago, in fact sometimes it feels like it was another life on another planet, I used to be a youth pastor in a large church.
By many standards - we rocked!
Sure I was pretty proud of the leaders I had trained up (many now in full time ministry around the nation) I was pretty stoked with the 100's of kids coming along each week. We trained these young leaders in the art of follow up and cold (and warm!) calling young people and their friends to ask them to come along to youth group next week, to tell them we cared and see if they wanted to catch up or be in a small group or whatever.

Many years went past, much water under the bridge.

The phone just rang and a 'cutesy' young girl voice was on the phone, it went like this;

"Hello Mr Vawser, this is **** form the [local youth group] (the same one from my past!) I am ringing to let you know that I have your daughters name on a list of young girls who may be interested in coming along to youth group Friday night..." stop to take a breath..."It starts with a 'pre-show' at 4.30 and then youth begins proper at 5.30 to 7.30 I know Mikaela would love it if she came along and if she did love it she could join me in my small group we have a great group of young girls and they all have a great time would you like to pass this message on if its ok with you of course..." she breathed again :)

I had so many thoughts rushing through my head... I was spinning, it was odd.

"She has no idea who I am, I could be some antagonistic pagan Dad anti church, thinking - 'who is this young girl trying to get my daughter into some cult?'"

"She should know who I am and that I helped start this thing she is ringing about"

"Oh you are so full of pride you jerk Scott"

"Do I want my daughter to be a part of something that I walked away from, something that I question so much of its long term value?"

"What right do I have to choose for my daughter what she does and does not attend when it comes to church?"

"This upbringing did no harm to me" (that hasn't taken a decade to unpack!!!)

So I took the note down.

I couldn't help but press a bit further and ask her about small groups, ministry philosophy, core values, mission vision and doctrinal statements...ok not all of the above! :)

Then I thanked her for calling and hung up tingling, odd...life is odd.

It's The Radiation from Microwave

We are having some leaking of radiation from the microwave, I think it is not effecting the kids as yet...I think...

Water Weekend

Well you know it starting to look like summer when you drop in to your neighbors house and they are all out at the pool having a beer...and you join them!
You know it's summer when the howling easterly starts up around 3 am!
You know it's summer when you spend at least 10 hours of your weekend in or at the water!

I took my loaner kayak that I obtained through a Facebook contact from South Perth Church to the Swan river the other day. It was my second trip on it, the first was out and around Hillarys boat harbor.

The breeze was a bit strong Sat morning but that just made for harder training! Push...PUSH!
I put in just under the old east Perth power station and headed up river, upon my return I was greeted by a pod of about 5 dolphins. In fact both time I have gone out now I have paddled with dolphins, quite a nice experience, they come right up to and under the kayak, like within a foot of me!



Then today I took the kids for a picnic up the Avon river. We went to the opening of the Northam Church of Christ building, then took off for a spot I stop at from time to time on my way home from Northam. Not enough water to get the kayak off but we had some tubes and body boards and had heaps of fun rock hoping and surfing VERY small rapids :)



The Kayak is not a true sea kayak, it is only 4.1M long, but it is doing the trick. My muscles are working hard, and I am having a great time! I have not fallen in yet, well I did a few months ago when I went out with a mate Geoff.

Daughter Growing up

You know you've made it when your oldest comes in and asks if you want breaky in bed!
She ground the coffee, brewed it and made a sweet looking yogurt muslie and fruit thing!

Busy Few Weeks

Well, it's been been a while since I seriously blogged anything. I have had a crazy month.
I am working for GMP the Churches of Christ missions group for 2 days a week. This group is trying to go through major change and restructure. As to the success of this change or even if the group embrace the full picture the suggestions entail we will wait and see. I went to Adelaide (Head office) for some meetings over the weekend of 14 - 16 Sept. It was short and sweet.

I had a week at home before a quick wedding rehearsal on the Saturday and flew out to Sydney on the Sunday to spend a few hours at the ACOM retreat en-route to Queensland for National Youth Ministry Convention.
I flew with Mark O'Brien of Lowercase fame. We chatted extensively about the 'biblocentricity' (love that word? I think I just made it up...not sure) of our Joondalup thing. A conversation coming out of a long discussion on his blog.
I came to a couple of conclusions;
1) What we are doing is different and challenges some of the 'come and see' models of church. We are a church that is low on 'event' and high on 'just live it out'. If you hang out with our crew, intersect with out group's web of relationships, you have 'come to our church'.
2) What we are doing does indeed lack some sense of biblical missional/evangelical type drive that seems to be present in the New Testament from my (and Mark's reading). It also lacks, as I have always felt, a common set of beliefs.

Anyway, we chatted lots, not just about that, but lots of stuff, all the way to Stanwell Park in the south of Sydney. Caught up with Neale Meredith that night and all the ACOM crew the next morning before heading back to the airport for a 3pm flight to Coolangatta.

I checked into my flash hotel (Watermark) right on the Gold Coast, managed to wangle a free room for the week! Nothing like saving money for Youth Vision!
The next day was an all elective day at conference. I elected to have the day to chill. I was a bit peopled out and needed time to me. (A new thing I am finding I value a lot!) But with people flying in from all over the place I found myself spending the best part of the day catching up with people. By about 3pm I realized I was getting rude, argumentative and sarcastic so took myself to my room for a couple of hours reading and rest - getting old I think :)

We had dinner on the beach with most of the WA crew that night, nice.

Wednesday saw the start of the NYMC proper. Tim Hawkins jumped in as main speaker #1. He is probably Australia's premier youth pastor. Brenton Killeen and I had the privilege of being MCs at the conference so we had the chance to banter a bit with the speakers and get to know them a little, this was great stuff.
Duffy Robins spoke that evening and Tony Campolo the next day morning and night. I lead an open space technology session on Thursday on youth ministry issues which was fun.

Friday I headed to the Sunshine Coast for the day and evening with Gary, a great mate. He and I have become friends through working with ACOM together, but as our lives (our ACOM lives) have gone separate ways, we have retained some contact, mainly through blogging really. We have some differences of belief and understanding about who God is and the way he works, and we have some deep similarities about the way we think about the earth, family, peace and lifestyle...and red wine, Guinness and cigars!
I enjoyed a relaxing day with Gary and his amazing family, Catherine, Christopher and Tamara Gary's great wife.
I got on particularly well with Christopher their 11 year old, he and I have some common interests; 4WD videos, the bush, naughty jokes, and identifying cars a long way off!! He is a champ!
Gary has a great little electric scooter, it only does about 60km/h and only travels about 50km before needing a recharge but is great for around their area, just ducking to the shops etc. It is completely silent but for the wheels on the road, felt odd!
Sadly I said goodbye and headed to the airport after a great night's sleep in their guest house in the forest.

A long day traveling took me, 2 hours on a freeway, 2 hours to Melbourne, 3 hours to Perth and finally in my own bed!

Sun 30th Sept is Animal Sunday according to the new insert into the traditional church calendar "A Season of Creation". So we celebrated this day as a church out at Landsdale Farm. We explored what, at the farm, stood out and made us this of God the Creator. It was a great sitting together on the lawn surrounded by goats, sheep, horses, pigs and rabbits discussing our creator.

I did a wedding in the afternoon...a 15 minute service, almost my shortest on record...one I did was 11 minutes long!! Hey, there is only so much you can add to a wedding in which the couple don't want too much at all!

The next day was a public holiday, our whole extended family went to Super Golf in the Swan Valley and then for a picnic lunch. A great day was had by all, Super Golf is worth the effort.

Tuesday2 Oct saw me back up in Lesmurdie for another day of "Life Skills" with Roger tan and the Churches of Christ crew, not bad stuff, good PD.

Trip to Northam Thursday for a meeting about an outreach we are doing their next year. We met in the old hospital which is slowly being transformed into a conference centre of sorts...long road ahead!!

I took the kids south with me on Saturday for some work meetings;
Sunday - preached at Busselton Church of Christ, good crew there. I caught up with Greg, who thinks a bit like me in terms of Church. He has done some Forge units and indicated maybe I would be a good fit for the Senior Pastor's job going there... hmmm I love the church, Greg seems great, we do think a like, I would love to go country one day, but for now I think we are where God wants us. I do often wonder how I would fit into an 'normal' church these days. I entertain the thought from time to time!
I caught up with some of their new youth leadership team, a great bunch of young adults willing to make something happen for their High School Youth Min. I think something great could happen there!

Sunday night dinner with Dave Cohen from Dunsborough along with Gavin R my long time mate. Gav is a Dr in Busso, Dave the Pastor at one of the Dunsborough Churches. Great night of chatting until the kids were ready to move, could have talked all night with these guys...Gav and I eventually did!!

Monday morning saw us driving further south to catch up with the Youth guys from Rivers Church (the CofC in Margaret River) Steve and Jaylene live right down towards Augusta on a big eucalypt plantation. He is a timber mill dude...no I did not set up a Gunns Pulp mill protest sign at his front door :)
They have just built THE most amazing house on the bank of the Blackwood river. He has done the rammed earth himself as well as most of the timber...in fact it has almost been all done by Steve. These guys are great and are doing brilliant work with young people in and around the South West.

On to Bridgetown...a big contrast to our Rivers Church (pentecostal)!! Bridgetown is typical of most small country churches. We met in the pastors house, a very traditional looking country conservative pastors house with morning tea laid out on the table in the dining room and all the chairs set in a circle ready for our meeting of key members of the church to discuss youth and children's issues in the church and town. They were a really wonderful bunch of people with a passion God and for their town, a stunning town I could really live in, seriously this place is a picture.

The kids and I camped out next to a beautiful lake not far from the little town of Franklin. Nice break in the rain for our camp, even when it did rain we had a picnic shelter under which we pitched the tent and swag.






































Tuesday saw an early visit to the Mt Barker bakery to pick up a nice bun before dropping in to visit Paul and Deb Ritchie. Deb was a 'Michaels', a kind of relative of mine in a round about way!
These guys are ministering to youth in Mt barker, they are part of the Baptist Church...but, hey, I'm not fussy about who I coach :)
We chatted extensively about ACOM study, Forge, missional living, Christian community and other stuff...if I told you I would have to kill you :)
These guys are champs, seriously they have a house full of kids on Wednesdays after school for homework club, fun, games and dinner, they deserve a medal!

After almost a half a day at their house me and the kids drove to the Stirling Ranges, my favorite spot in the world...ok Tasmania is but the Stirls comes in close.
With so much rain around we took a cabin...cheats!!

We headed up to a cloud covered Bluff Knoll first thing the next morning the kids did brilliant, they climbed all the way to the top with no complaints.
















Even Amy after falling and giving her knee a big whack got up and made it to the top and back. Girls going to wee in the bush is not an issue I have experience in! I found myself pondering ways in which to invent some pipe system in which to simulate the same 'system' boys have...ok, I didn't spend a long time thinking about this, but seriously, there has to be a better way girls!





On top of Bluff, we did not see much at all, the cloud was too thick, but the buzz of being on the top was brilliant.











I took some video on my phone, see below. The girls made lots of crazy video once they discovered how to use the phone video thing, see here.

























We headed home in time for Church last night, a great few days of combined ministry/life/family/work/play/recreation/mission/whatever you call it...it was fun!

Forgot To Mention

I forgot to tell you, a few days after getting home from Cambo, I took my 2 youngest girls to Mt Cooke down past Armadale on the Bibbulmun Track.
Great overnighter, the kids did brilliant, even climbed to the top of the highest Mtn in the Darling Rangers...hmmmm

Pictures of the past few days.

Some snaps of the last week -





Sophie and I finally pulled out the stump I had been working on for months! Well mainly me, but she promised to pull out her front tooth if I got the tree out that day...the tooth came out some days later...but we think she swallowed it!
Now I get to build a tank stand for my new water tank.








I took off for a few hours in our local National Park, just over the road with the the kids for a walk. It was a long walk for Sophie but she handled it well. Lunch under a big gum tree then back home just as the rain came down.














The kids fascinated by ants getting caught in the sticky plants.














Yesterday and this morning Casey and I took a few hours to climb Mt Cooke, the highest in the Darling Rangers I think. It was...as they say...a walk in the park.










Nice and easy.

Nice and cool.

Nice and wet.








The hut had 9 campers including us in it. 2 of them were heading off in 2 weeks to do the Kokoda trail. The other group had in it...wait for it...gear testers.











Explanation - there are some people in this world, highly blessed by God [maybe I should say god, as in the 'god of backpacking'!!!] They get FREE GEAR to test, and they wander the tracks of the world with all the latest hiking gear and gadgets.







This one guy had a Steripen - LOVE EM!












He had a Kestral thermometer, with wind speed, and wind chill factor readings.
He was sleeping in a Black Diamond Tent, single skin, so not so good, but hey, that's the life of a gear tester.

All in all, every consumer bone in my body was stimulated, especially when my old sleeping bag kept me frozen most of the night and I slept fitfully dreaming about a warmer bag.

Agh, the simple life of spending less and living more...Maybe a rug from Good Sammys would have worked for me?

Joondalup Thing Does Pentecost

We did our Pentecost celebration with a difference yesterday.
It was the 40th anniversary of the vote by 90% of white Aussies to include our indigenous people in the voting process. That is...they would no longer be counted as stock ie animals!
I can't believe it was just 40 years ago, we have so much shame over our nation in the way we treat and have treated the owners of this land.

So we watched Rabbit Proof Fence with the kids as well, had some discussion followed by communion/lunch and then we dramatically read (with different people 'playing' the different parts) the story of the Holy Spirit coming in Acts 2 followed by Charlotte leading us in some Aboriginal style dot paintings of our own depictions of the Holy Spirit and His work.
Here are some - (Click on the images to see them full size)

AMY'S BIRTHDAY

My middle Daughter is 9 years old today.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMY!

New Book

There is this family who tried living without spending any money for 6 months, well they had to pay rates and house insurance but pretty much everything else they generated themselves at home...I mean everything! They even made their own soap. They traded flour for eggs and had solar panels and water tanks.
It was an Aussie experiment and Christine and I are reading their story. Actually it was a good find by the Gazman while we were pottering through Oxford books yesterday (one of the best little book shops around!).

So I think I will post a few extracts from it. Bit and pieces of useful info about the way we use our resources in Australia and ideas for living more sustainably...it is true that more than any other nation we we the squander award! We waste a lot of stuff!

Oh, the book has inspired me to prepare the site for my water tanks and today I expanded our vegi garden and got rid of a good patch of water wasting lawn!

Packing

Well my wife and kids have gone away to the farm for a few days, just me and my mother-in-law left home alone.
I am packing for Thailand and hanging with Mark, the guy down th road, he's bored as he was meant to be on the rig but the cyclone damaged it the other week and he is home waiting for a call back.
Leave in 24hours for the Leprosy Colony!

Firefox crashed last night, lost all my bookmarks...like 400 of them!