Leading Better Bible Studies

I've mentioned this book before, but it really deserves to be reviewed in more detail.

This was an invaluable resource to me at uni (and afterwards) while I was learning to lead Bible studies for the first time.  It teaches you how to write studies from scratch yourself.  Even though there are some really good study guides out there, this book will give you the confidence that you can read and understand the Bible yourself, and then teach it to others.  The Bible is not a mystical kind of book that needs to be explained by gurus.

The authors, Karen Morris and Rod Morris, have extensive experience in adult education.  Quite a few chapters are dedicated to explaining different learning styles (i.e. visual, auditory, kinaesthetic).  I personally found Chapter 3: Learning from the Bible in groups to be the most helpful as it shows you how to apply the different learning styles to particular Bible passages.  Some people find the question and answer method of Bible study quite boring so this chapter shows you how to use flow charts, diagrams, compare and contrast lists, role plays and drawings to assist people to learn effectively.

The book is quite a nice balance between teaching the mechanics of how to prepare a Bible study with the practicalities of leading a group and the issues Christian leaders need to wrestle with such as godly character and how to resolve conflict.  There is also a chapter called Developing group life which shows you how to make sure your group is more than an academic exercise, but people who love each other dearly and seek to spur each other on in living for Christ.

If you're a Bible study leader, this is a must-have book.  If you've ever considered leading a Bible study, but not sure if you're cut out for it, it may well give you some confidence to pursue this.

It Was a Jolly Night With Mary

I went to see Mary Poppins on stage in Perth last Friday night.  My friend Emma (who I used to live with back in the day) invited me and booked the tickets a few months ago.  It was so nice to have a night out with a good friend.

If you live in Perth and haven't seen the show, then I highly recommend it.  The set is spectacular and Mary actually flies! :)  Having said that, it really is a show for the ladies (Duncan scoffs at musicals..."No-one just starts singing and dancing in the street...it's not normal!")

The funniest thing was that it had been raining all that day in Perth and was still raining when Emma and I arrived.  We watched heaps of people make their way across the carpark with umbrellas.  How appropriate!



Show's about to start!  Better put my camera away.

 



The Pendulum: Christians and the Environment

With climate change and the carbon tax still featuring prominently in Australian politics, it seems that many people I've spoken to seem to fit into one of two camps when it comes to election time:

The Environment Religion
We need to be spending our time saving the planet by reducing waste, taxing companies which pollute, having environmentally-friendly homes, recycling...and even having less children.

The Environment Doesn't Matter
If I want to get in my car and drive 10 seconds down the road instead of walking, I'll do it.  If I want to litter, I'll do it.  Recycling is too hard and I don't want to be bothered.  Bring on disposable plates, utensils, nappies...  God is going to create a new earth anyway.  Who are you to tell me how to live?

When it comes to following Jesus, I think there is a third way.  It's the way that recognises that making God's name known should be our number one priority, and that our main focus should be people...not animals, not the earth.  Yet, this way also recognises that God appointed people to rule over creation on His behalf, and that rule involves not abusing what He has made, but caring for it as we have been commanded to do.  Just because our world is marred by the effects of sin does not excuse God's people from this command.  The creation is still 'very good'.  Yes, God will make a new heavens and a new earth, but that does not free us from our obligation to care for this one.

I also believe that we are to enjoy this creation.  We are to delight in what God has made and thank Him for it.  We are to feast on the abundance of good things He has provided us with.  We are to worship the Creator and delight in beautiful beaches, forests and gorges.  The trouble is that the world gets this confused.  Many people make 'saving the planet' their religion and forget about the God who created it.

The other extreme is frugality.  Years ago there was a segment on Today Tonight called 'Perth's Biggest Scrooge'.  This featured people who reused their teabags and Glad Wrap, but the winner was a guy who refused to let his wife have a hot bath!  I'm not sure if these people were being frugal to save money or to save the environment, but I don't think this is the right way to live.  You can be wise in the way you use the resources at your disposal without being a stinge.

Personally I think many Christians could learn a lot from their non-Christian friends who try to live more sustainably.  I remember not long after I became a Christian, I got a lift with some Christian friends.  I was eating in their car and asked them if they had a rubbish bag.  Suddenly the window next to me came down and the driver turned around and smiled at me, indicating I should toss my rubbish onto the road.  Ummm....no!  I've met Christians who don't recycle because they think it's too hard or they don't read the instructions for what goes in the recycling bin and end up chucking in a pizza box with old pizza still inside it.  Yuck!  Come on guys.  It's not that difficult.  Each city/shire will indicate which items are recyclable and which aren't.  I don't know why some people ooh and aah like I'm some kind of saint when they find out we recycle.  It's such a basic thing that everyone can do.

Caring for the environment is not a religion.  Christians should be focused on telling the gospel to all who will hear so God's name will be praised throughout the earth.  But caring for what He has made is something we should do to bring glory to Him.

Amanda wrote an excellent post three years ago called Environmentalism or Frugal Living (or a Bit of Both).  Check it out.

Get On Your Soapbox #21

It's over four months since Christmas and those cute, cuddly kittens and puppies won't be so little anymore.

When I hear about people who change their pets like they change their underwear, it really gets my goat!

Someone tells me they have a new pet bird.  A little while later I ask them how their bird is going and I get an answer like this:

"Oh we don't have the bird anymore.  It didn't do anything interesting.  The kids were bored with it.  I was bored with it.  So we gave it away/opened its cage and let it fly away..."

or

"Oh yeah....the bird.  We forgot to feed it/fill up its water container and it died.  Oops!"

When I ask them how the dog is, I get an answer like this:

"I think we'll have to give the dog away.  The kids are bored with it.  Nobody takes it for walks."

But wait...it gets worse...

I had a conversation with someone who said she was sick of her kids not taking care of their pets.  Since she didn't want to do it, she said she was contemplating just letting the animals starve to show the kids they need to take some responsibility.

Rightio, so the innocent animals have to starve/dehydrate/drown in their own poo just to teach your kids a lesson?

Then there was the time someone I know put her cat outside on a 40+C day in Perth with no water for it.  When I asked her if she was going to put some water out for the cat, she replied, "Oh it'll find water somewhere."

Rightio.  Your cat will just miraculously manage to find water in suburbia on a stinking hot day?  That person then got annoyed at me because I filled up a container of water and left it outside for the cat.

I was talking to a friend on the phone the other day and she said, "If I see one more post on Facebook from someone giving away kittens because they can't be stuffed getting their cat sterilised, I'm going to really cut sick at them!"

A pet is a commitment.  Cats and dogs can live until they're 20 (or more).  That's a long time.  Way longer than when the kids get bored or go back to school.

Is A Shared Past Enough?

As I've left school and become an adult, I've found enduring friendships to be a real blessing.

I have a friend who I've known since kindergarten.  We went to the same school all the way through to Year 12.  In fact, she just called me this afternoon for a chat.

I have five friends from high school who I keep in touch with regularly  Four of them were my bridesmaids.  They are very dear friends to me.

But not all of my childhood friendships have survived time and distance.  Statistics show that a friendship lasts for an average of seven years.  Some friends were such a part of my life during school days, but now I only see their faces on Facebook.  When I read their statuses and see their photos, I can't help thinking how different our lives are now.  I doubt that we could ever go back to what we had.

Some people say that sharing your childhoods is not enough of a reason to remain friends as an adult.  I think that's true.  It's not enough on its own.  You still need to have something in common as you move towards the future.  As fun as it can be to reminisce about the past, a friendship cannot be based solely on that.

Even though we've all changed, I still feel there is something there.  I doubt we would make the effort to see each other in person, but there still seems to be an enduring bond - especially with some of the girls I went to primary school with.  This really hit home when my Nan became sick and passed away.  I sent a private message to some ladies who I'd become friends with as an adult, and some of them did not reply, even when I let them know of her death.  But some of my primary school friends sent me messages and commented on my status as soon as they read it.  They said they were so sorry for my loss.  Even though many years had passed, they still remembered meeting her at my house when they used to come over to play.

This made me question what friendship truly is about.  I may not see some of these girls in person (although I would love a primary school reunion), but they still remain part of my life.  They were there during some of the most humiliating moments of my childhood.  Some of them have kids now and I send them comments, encouraging them as mothers when they feel like they've just had enough.  Likewise, they encourage me with my book and wish me well when I'm sick.  They are not Christians, yet they have often showed me greater love than some Christians - even from behind a computer screen.

Is a shared past enough?  No, I don't think so.  Not on its own.  But I've come to see that a shared childhood creates a unique bond.

Do you keep in touch with school friends?  Tell me stories...

Quote of the Day

One of the greatest things about being a teenager is the sharing, the closeness, and the great times you have with your friends.
- Unknown

Having fun with my friend, Christina, at my 16th birthday (1999)

Still having fun together 13 years later

The Acts 2:46 Garage Sale

Two years ago, I had the Acts 2:46 Stall.

Ten days ago, I had the Acts 2:46 Garage Sale.

I've had the desire to sell my unwanted household items to raise money for ministry and charity for the past few years.  I'd been hoping and praying that the garage sale would generate lots of money for our chosen charity.

I won't beat around the bush...it was a complete and utter flop!  Despite having the garage sale at my parents' house in Albany so it would be central, advertising in the local papers and on Facebook, I made just over $50 in four hours.  Oh we had quite a few people come....but they weren't interested in buying.  I think many people go to garage sales looking for specific things and, if they can't find them, then they don't bother browsing for anything else.  It did seem that everything was against us that day.  There were heaps of other garage sales on at the same time, plus it started raining so heavily, we had to shut the garage roller door for a while to stop streams of water coming in.  The persistent wind and rain made my roadside signs wet and even blew some off the bins I'd stuck them to.

Since there was such a lot of stuff left over and there was no way we wanted to take it home again, Duncan and I gave it all to an old lady who fundraises for the local hospice by having a monster garage sale once a year.  She was so grateful.  My Nan had spent some time in the hospice so it was good to help them out.

Despite the stall and now the garage sale failing, I still really want to keep doing this.  Duncan hates garage sales and even joked to a friend of his that I'd sell the shirt off his back if I had the chance. Haha!

I will not give up!


Some of the junk before it left our house



All set up ready



That's me in the background trying to make a hasty escape before Dunc took the photo