Dubbo in the Spring

It's been a bit quiet round here. It's school holidays and last Monday was a bank holiday. There were no lectures last week so lots of people cleared off for a few days. A large group of Cornerstoners were away providing a Pizza Runners service at Black Stump, a Christian alternative music festival. I think it sounds like the name of an amputee reunion rather than a music festival, but that's Oz for you.

This coming week (the second week of the spring break) is the Cornerstone open week. There will be about thirty people joining us here in Dubbo to spend a week experiencing Cornerstone and deciding if they want to join us. It would be tempting to welcome the people with a big smiley face but then pass them secret notes during the week with things like "HELP ME" written in big red crayon. As I am a Christian I shall resist the temptation.

It's well and truly spring here, with temperatures reaching into the 30s. We're still waiting for rain but as I write big black clouds fill the sky and Ruth has brought her washing in. It's looking pretty hopeful.

I've been preparing some teaching sessions on Acts to prepare for the first week back in classes. We're doing a nationally recognised Training and Assessment course so we need to teach some classes to make sure that we're competent at teaching. This is in preparation for those of us who want to stay on at Cornerstone as staff members. I've quite enjoyed preparing the classes, though I see that a lot of work goes into each session. I'm looking forward to it though.

Tonight is a big night for me. At 10pm England shall be facing off against Australia in the Rugby World Cup. Things could go very well or very badly. I shall be watching it with a bunch of Aussies so it's not going to be my finest hour whatever happens. A friend suggested that I get there half an hour before kick off and just gloat over the fact that we're World Champions for as long as I can just in case it all goes badly after the game. By the time some of you read this it will have all been decided. Congratulations or commiserations will be welcome as appropriate.