Wednesday, June 29, 2005

i've given up on trying to put god onto words. he just dosn't fit, and attempting it seems to do more damage than good. music notes seem to come a little closer to describing anything about him...

normal

'normal' what the heck is normal? and what is with everyone obsession with it?

what's a 'normal' way to spend time? what's a 'normal' way to make money? what's a 'normal' way to spend it? what's a 'normal' way to live life? what's a 'normal' way to follow christ? what's god's version of 'normal'?

maybe 'normal' is completely absurd

Sunday, June 26, 2005

'like slavery and apartheid, poverty is not natural - it is man made and can be eradicated through the choice of human beings' -nelson mandela

those who have the ability have the responsibility.

do i really believe that?
i'm not sure i even show a tenth of the compassion i'm capable of.

'life shrinks and expands in proportion to ones courage' -anais nin

courage. possibly my favourite thing.

Lord, grant me the wisdom to accept the things i can not change.
Courage to change the things i can
Wisdom to know the difference
And conviction to flee apathy.

good weekend

watched 'end of surbubia' dvd on friday night. it amazed me how dependant we have become on something which is quickly running out (oil). i get the feeling the average aussie lifestyle is going to look very different in 20 years, and with possibly a lot less of the comforts to which we have grown accustomed (cars, electricity, international food...)

had a bit of a birthday party saturday avo at the leederville hotel. mounty gospel choir were singing. it was incredible. i was standing their, beer in hand, eyes closed, worshiping god. got the feeling that if jesus was in perth this weekend he would have been there. (almost won a cd for my dancing efforts too!) thanks to all who attended. you put a smile on my face.

had a good sing at church this morning

and this avo hubby and i went for a surf down at mullaloo. icie cold crystal clear water, golden sun, perfect blue sky. caught a beautiful little wave and for the first time walked up to the tip of my 7'6 mini mal and back with out stacking it. smiling.

nighty night world.

Friday, June 24, 2005

this website is helping me in my quest... http://www.nosweatshoplabel.com/ happy to see billabong, ripcurl and king gee on the accredited list :) i've also read that Levi makes a small effort to protect the human rights of their workers.

Fair Trade

three thorns in my side. 1. i love convenience 2. i love wearing beautiful clothes 3. i love buying beautiful clothes.

actually the last thorn i think i am just about free from. i haven't bought any new clothes since we got back from cambodia in january (which for me is quite impressive!) but the other two still muddle with my brain and effect my choices.

case and i have been learning heaps about Fair Trade products (and i think i can smell Jesus). Fair Trade is a label given to products in which work conditions met the UN human rights criteria at every level of production. The coffee bean industry seems to be the current focus of Fair Trade.

after reading the bible for myself i have on overwhelming sense that part of following Christ means caring for the poor...so, i have made a stand...i will not buy coffee or chocolate unless it is fair trade.

but unfortunately know i've started down the rabbit hole i can't seem to stop. the clothing industry is apparently also riddled with oppressive business that don't care about their workers. people work 16 hours a day, 7 days a week and still don't earn enough money to pay for basics like the doctors and school, and sometimes even food. working conditions are atrocious and workers are treated like slaves. i shudder to think of how many items in my wardrobe have been made by my beautiful christian sisters living in those conditions.

the red pill, the blue pill? kind of wish i choosen the blue pill. it's my birthday next week and i want to look good. ignornace is bliss...

there's this jumper that i want, but all evidence suggests that if i purchase it i will be supporting business that oppresses the poor. part of me wants to buy it, part of my dosn't. i have two voices in my ears.

"just buy it, don't be so pedantic" "you're being a bit anal" "get off your high horse" "stop being so judgemental, your making other people feel uncomfortable" "just be normal" "be thankful for the good things that you've got, shut up and take you place" hmmmm

the other voice...

"don't buy the jumper - take a stand" "at every opportunity make choices to live out your values" "what do you value most - looking good or caring for the poor?" "let me make you beautiful, let me make you radiate." "when you let your light shine you unconsciously give permission for those around you to do the same." "don't shrink to make other people feel more comfortable." "Who's approval are you after? their's or mine?" "you make statements everyday by the way you choose to spend your money. let me define normal. do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world"

arrrr...well after that it looks like i won't be buying that top...and bugger you if you think i'm being anal.

i dance for an audience of one.

Wednesday, June 22, 2005

useless money and ethical business

i have this sence that there's alot of useless money floating around the world at the moment. useless in the sense that god desparately wants to use that money to see his kingdom come on this earth, (feed the poor, release the oppressed etc) but because of the choices of selfish consumeristic christians he can't.

imagine if all the christians in the world lived of only what they needed, and gave the rest directly away to the poor...

casey and i are currently trying to 'cap' our lifestyle. to work out how much money we need, and then be content to live of that. [of course the word 'need' is an interesting one. i know for a fact that my definiation of 'need' and some of my sudanese friends definition of 'need' are quite different. my definition seems to include, 'need to be comfortable' where as there's is more 'need to survive'. ] But regardless, we want to work out what we need and then channel the rest somewhere more useful for god's kingdom. somewhere which maybe shows some respect for our unmet brothers and sisters who are living in poverty. (we useually channel this money through aid organisations).

other than capping our lifestyle, the other way we can help see god's kingdom come is by choosing Fair Trade products...i've just been learning how the coffee bean industry is literally keeping people in povery. the price that coffee bean farmers in third world countries get paid for their beans has dropped dramatically in the last two years. so much so that many of them can no longer afford education for their children, medical expences and in many cases enough food for their families. their are growing coffee beans to make cappuccinos and chocolate for fat white people when they can not afford to give their children a proper meal. mark on sunday asked what makes you angry...THIS DOES!

but some business do choose to pay a fair price so that produces will have enough income to provide for their basic needs...products from these producers are called Fair Trade, and they do not contribute to oppression, like the producers of nescafe, cadbury and brands apparently do. (if you have any avidence to suggest the contrary please let me know...i don't want to bag the innocent.)

but with this new knowledge i can not hide in ignorance any longer. i have a choice. convenience or compassion.

http://www.oxfam.org.au/campaigns/mtf/fairtrade/

Sunday, June 19, 2005

if you are rich enough to be reading this then you capable of making choices that will help make poverty history...

"Our employment and consumption no longer impact just our local community. Our economic community in this global age includes our neighbors in every part of the world. Every dollar we earn or spend has some direct or secondary impact on brothers and sisters we will never meet in person. This is a blessing and a curse. We can promote great kindness or foster terrible atrocities throughout the world without leaving the confines of our home or community. "

http://www.cacradicalgrace.org/resources/consumption.html
caught the train on the way into the refugee rally in town today. witnessed something which turned my insides to fuming jelly. a bunch of six primary school aged kids were talking and laughing with an asian looking man, just out of ear shot. the kids were obviously not shy but from where i was they looked pretty friendly, playing and interacting with the other people on the train. as we pulled up to perth station the red headed kid threw a piece of rubbish at the asian man and then spat at his face. my inside's flipped. i was confused. what the hell had just happened? my blood was curdling...what to do? something needed to be done? this could not happen in perth in front of a bunch of adults with out someone saying something? what to do? yell at the kid? the train stopped and the doors opened. my mind was swirling. what to do? what to say? something about being an aussie and how that behaviour is not tolerated here. quick. what to do? the kids have walked off and are now half way up the escalator. 'do something' my heart screams. the man has walked in the opposite direction. the moment is slipping past. come on brain get it together. the moment is gone and i did nothing. something intolerable happened right in front of me and i did nothing. i feel ashamed.

i wonder if that man thinks that all the other people on the train thought it was fine for that kid to spit in his face?

to that man where ever you are, i am so sorry about what happened on the train. it disgusted me and i wish i had expressed some form of friendship to you today.
charlie

Saturday, June 18, 2005

alabaster oil

saturday night

hubby has gone to play computer games with his mates. all my girl friends are either busy or in america. figured we won't be ending world poverty tonight so had a glass of red wine and a candle lit bath.

felt god in every heart beat
saw him in the stars
his freezing air floated over my skin and brought me back to life...

as if i could escape his presence...

Wednesday, June 15, 2005

refugees

been educating/discussing refugees with the kiddies. first lesson was to educate them that refugees are people seeking refuge (they're not necessarily terrorist or criminals as many of them assumed) asked them what they think should happen. most of them concluded that we should treat them as we would like to be treated be there should be some sort of checking system to make sure they don't have contagious diseases, drugs or bombs. i ask them how long people should be detained whilst this was happening...they reckoned a few days, or however long the health check results take, they pointed out that you can tell straight away if they have bombs or drugs.

then i read them some stories of people who have been in port hedland detention centre for years.

kid: so basically they are guilty until they can prove themselve innocent
me: ummm
another kid: that's like what they did to schapelle corby - guilty until proven innocent
another kid: how are they suppose to prove their innocent while their stuck in a detention
centre? do they get lawers?
another kid: why would they get lawers? they haven't done anything?




my favourite ad is floating through my head...

we are one, but we are many
and from all the lands on earth we come
we share a dream, we sing with one voice
i am, you are, we are......AUSTRALIAN

i've always been proud to be an aussie, and those kids certainly are.
come on aussies, lets stick up for the underdog - charlie
rode to school for the first time in 10 days today :)
kid: why didn't you ride to school last week miss?
me: because it was raining and i don't really like riding in the rain.
kid: so you only care about the environment when it's convenient?

umm, yeah i guess...just like i only care about refugees and poverty and the poor and the oppressed when it's convenient...

charlie

Sunday, June 12, 2005

having the urge to blurt but i really should shut up!! listen...be still...wait...breathe...wait...rest...pray...
"Like slavery and apartheid, poverty is not natural. It is man-made and it can be overcome and eradicated by the actions of human beings." - Nelson Mandela

Saturday, June 11, 2005

haven't been riding this week. to wet. charlie

Friday, June 10, 2005

god's presence

read/experienced this on sacred space this morning.

I reflect for a moment on God's presence around me and in me.
Creator of the universe, the sun and the moon, the earth, every molecule, every atom, everything that is:
God is in every beat of my heart.
God is with me, now.

god is in every beat of my heart...every beat?? but,but,but......

-charlie

:(

from the desert to the mountain top and back again. missing my girl friends. got a letter from one of them yesterday. made me ball my eyes out…knew it would…why did I so desperately want to read it?

one month ago…the mountain top…i remember…

called up an old, old friend on sunday night. it felt so good to speak to her…so good that I drove to bunbury to catch up face to face…there’s nothing like real human contact. i've never been good at the long distance thing.

the drive itself brought me back to life (in a strange superficial way). cranked up the music, skulled the V, opened the window and charged though the pouring rain…arrrhhhh…to be young and free…

and the next day…the ocean was alive, the rain poured, the thunder crashed. awe, beauty, fear…all at once. waiting to exhale…alive…really alive. a day forever etched in my mind.

and now i’m back home, back in the ‘real’ world. I have about 40 hours worked to do over the next three days (because I didn’t do any last weekend). i miss my friends. i miss my friend.
charlie

Sunday, June 05, 2005

Bells

Went to Bells rapid today. It was my first time shooting the rapids in this kayak so i thought i might post a couple of pics. not bad eh?- case



Bells Rapid 1 Posted by Hello

Bells Rapid 2 Posted by Hello

Thursday, June 02, 2005

'nothing exciting happens on the path of least resistance'

gold quote from lauren, sunday night