Rain, rain don't go away...

Believe it or not but we've had quite a bit of rain here. I feel cheated. I only came to Cornerstone because I thought it would be wall-to-wall sunshine, but beggars can't be choosers. Actually, I'm not sure about the validity of that statement because I'm sure that beggars can be choosers (i.e. as in "Hmmm, which shoe should I eat first?").

In England children run inside when it rains. In Australia they run outside when it rains. Calvin and Reid have been enjoying the water with all sorts of traditional boyish pursuits such as running through puddles, getting muddy, ruining their clothes with said mud, and making mum clean off the mud that they decided to plaster one of the Pizza Runners cars with. It's all good, harmless fun says I (whilst being 10km away in the safety of the Mat Exchange van).


On Sunday we had 'The Gathering'. That's the name of Cornerstone's monthly worship service. The format of the service is not so different from a regular church service, as we start with a time of worship and follow that with a sermon. Where 'The Gathering' differs is that we end with a time of, for want of a better word, 'sharing'. Now, I'm sure that many of you don't like hearing the words 'church', 'service' and 'sharing' in the same sentence but it works really well at Cornerstone. The idea is that people are encouraged to share thoughts and responses to the sermon. It's not really about discussing the sermon but rather exploring positive ways to apply what God might be saying to individuals and the community at that particular moment. It seemed like a good thing to do. It probably wouldn't work as well in a larger group, or where the individuals involved don't have the prearranged understanding that they're aiming to be a genuine Christian community and that means sometimes making yourself vulnerable to one another, but it works well at Cornerstone. It makes the service seem more like a group effort and, as an erstwhile preacher (what does 'erstwhile' mean anyway? It sounds good), it allows you to see something that you don't normally have the privilege of seeing - what God might have been saying through you. I would recommend it as a model for a church that is small in size and willing to take the risk.

I think I might have to market 'The Cornerstone Plan for Weight Loss' (hereafter referred to as TCPWL). A combination of the outdoor lifestyle, Splashe Cola and throwing those heavy mats around has meant that I've already lost massive amounts of weight. I've helpfully included a before and after photo below for those who want to see what an impact TCPWL has had on my bloated body. It's amazing! The weight is just dropping off, despite the fact that I had two meat pies for lunch today. These amazing results can be yours too - for just $50 I will share the secrets of TCPWL with you. Order now and I'll throw in a free 5x3 Grey Mat (choose between 'New' and 'Daggy') for you to experience my lifestyle in your own home!

BEFORE

AFTER

You're absolutely right. I do have too much time on my hands.

Ruth said that I should mention her more in my blog so I will just simply say that she has been working very hard to make our home a home (a little 'Fortress England' if you will) and has coped extremely well with the huge changes that our move has brought on. She is, as usual, more popular than me and everyone here loves her. I'm willing to bet, however, that they don't love her as much as I do (Now, I hope that she reads this or I've just wasted a perfectly good compliment). She has already arranged for Calvin to start pre-school this week and has made a delicious Victoria Sponge for afternoon tea tomorrow. What a lady. It's a good thing that Xanthe can't talk or she'd be nagging me for a mention too. That's right. Everyone wants to be a part of my blog. Everyone.


Thanks for reading. Please do leave comments because otherwise I'm not sure if anyone's actually viewing this (except my mum, who always e-mails me her comments. Hi mum!). G'day for now!