BEING AND DREAMING RESTING BEING HUMAN

Life is 'full' and we often feel the need to be 'busy'.

Im not opposed to 'hard work', Ive been in 'the work force 'since 1974, when I was fourteen.

These photos below were taken on a recent weekend 'retreat', the need to retreat and be is part of being human.

Don't fall for the 'Christian Work Ethic' which makes one feel guilty for taking time to be.

Be still and know I am God, is often said but rarely practiced.

MAKE TIME TO TAKE TIME

Take me back, take me way, way, way back
On Hyndford Street
Where you could feel the silence at half past eleven
On long summer nights
As the wireless played Radio Luxembourg
And the voices whispered across Beechie River
In the quietness as we sank into restful slumber in the silence
And carried on dreaming, in God
And walks up Cherry Valley from North Road Bridge, railway line
On sunny summer afternoons
Picking apples from the side of the tracks
That spilled over from the gardens of the houses on Cyprus Avenue
Watching the moth catcher working the floodlights in the evenings
And meeting down by the pylons
Playing round Mrs. Kelly's lamp
Going out to Holywood on the bus
And walking from the end of the lines to the seaside
Stopping at Fusco's for ice cream
In the days before rock 'n' roll
Hyndford Street, Abetta Parade
Orangefield, St. Donard's Church
Sunday six-bells, and in between the silence there was conversation
And laughter, and music and singing, and shivers up the back of the neck
And tuning in to Luxembourg late at night
And jazz and blues records during the day
Also Debussy on the third program
Early mornings when contemplation was best
Going up the Castlereagh hills
And the cregagh glens in summer and coming back
To Hyndford Street, feeling wondrous and lit up inside
With a sense of everlasting life
And reading Mr. Jelly Roll and Big Bill Broonzy
And "Really The Blues" by "Mezz" Mezzrow
And "Dharma Bums" by Jack Kerouac
Over and over again
And voices echoing late at night over Beechie River
And it's always being now, and it's always being now
It's always now
Can you feel the silence?
On Hyndford Street where you could feel the silence
At half past eleven on long summer nights
As the wireless played Radio Luxembourg
And the voices whispered across Beechie River
And in the quietness we sank into restful slumber in silence
And carried on dreaming in God.

Songwriters
VAN MORRISON

Published by
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

 Street Lyrics | MetroLyrics 

A true Christian path would lead them into the untidy stables of the poor and oppressed, to shovel shit with the Messiah. Instead they remain spiritually shipwrecked, floundering on the shoals of their own ambitions and indifference, slick and ridiculous in their genuflections to greed.

From B Cockburn: Rumours of Glory: on thoughts of Brennan Manning

Over the past seven weeks I have had time to read and reflect while a fractured ankle healed.

I read, listened to music and watched movies and documentaries.

I was challenged  as to how and why I do what i do as i loiter.


I was challenged  as to my  responsibility in the communities i live and move, so now I'm back on my feet, i need to implement the "KISS' method.......

                                                               KEEP IT SIMPLE STUPID!!!!!

heaven don't miss it for the world

heaven don't miss it for the world....
so said the sign on the road side.....

It appears like we think Heaven is somehow going to be better than The World????

When we pray for God's will to be done on Earth as it is in Heaven, what are we asking or expecting??

Its seems  we are just biding time, or waiting for 'pie in the sky in the sweet bye and bye rather than steak on the plate while we wait'?

Don't get me wrong, I'm eager for things to be 'put right', whatever that looks like.

All new things or all things renewed??

Its Easter, perhaps its time to get on with God's will being done on earth, rather that waiting for your insurance policy to be invoked.

Don't hide Jesus this Easter, get out there where its happening and be part of things being renewed.......if your looking for Jesus this is where Jesus will be.....

there is more to people than 'looks'.

It is said that beauty is "skin deep".

It is said 'Beauty is in the eye of the beholder'.

It is said 'Man looks on the outward appearance, God looks at the heart?.

A lot is said about 'image'.

Image it has been said is 'everything'.

Not sure about you but I reckon 'reflection' is more important.

Whose or what 'image' do you and i reflect???

life is like a cup of hot chocolate

Its 645 am on an overcast Tuesday morning, people are out, running, riding, exercising or rowing along the yarra river. People every where are rushing to work or  going about their daily business,
not me I'm loitering, with a thermos of hot chocolate blended from several ingredients in my hands.

The homes under the bridge are silent as residents sleep, stirring occasional, unaware of  the activity, seagulls wait impatiently for them to stir as they await the crumbs of their food.

I sit quietly, waiting, watching and contemplating, as the residents continue their slumber.

After some time I leave the thermos and cups at the entry to the home under the bridge and go about the day, wondering who will i meet today, whose story will i hear and what will become of the hot chocolate??

BE

For the past few weeks Bubba has been posting his blog on the sentence "Be still and know that I am God." Every week he has been taking a word or two off -

Be still and know that I am God

Be still and know that I am

Be still and know

Be still

Today we end with BE.

There are so many things to be

Be yourself;

Be positive;

Be different;

Be consistent;

Be original;

I'm sure you can add more to that list.

Sometimes though, it's just good to be. That's it, just be. Sit and think and be. We don't do enough of that. We are so caught up with meetings and deadlines and what's on next that we forget to be.

So this week take a little time to sit and to

Be still and know that I am God

to Be still and know that I am

to Be still and know

but also to just be.




(Couldn't resist this!!!)

Is there anybody out there????

I see you in the darkness
I hear you in the silence
Through clouds of uncertainty
In doubts on enquiry.
D Lind
Album; Stations

SHUT UP FOR A MINUTE AND LISTEN!!!!!!

A recent conversation on the street went like this.

Giday mate ( Australian greeting) what do you do for a living?
I loiter with intent, I replied, and you?

I am a mercenary in South Africa Game Parks, shooting poachers, came the reply,
I love the travel and the adrenalin rush!!

I was then offered a pouch of tobacco and papers to roll a cigarette, which I politely refused, as I prefer cigars!!

Its a bad habit anyway came the response, that and amphetamines have been my downfall exclaimed the stranger!!

We chatted for a little longer and as we parted company , it got me thinking about the strangers story.

Did it matter if it was not true? I figured it didn't , what was important, was the fact the story was true for him, and it was important for me to listen to it, allowing the stranger to be heard.

Sometimes we are not good at hearing others stories, believing our own are more important.

I recently, heard someone exclaim that they did not understand people leaving church because they had been hurt by it, 'no one has been hurt more by the church than me'!! they said, and I still believe in it and attend.

Responses like this stop others from telling their story, because it seems no longer important!!

If we fail to listen, we fail to care.

While the strangers story may not have been true, he was allowed to tell it and maybe just maybe its the only time someone gets to hear it.

SO YOU WANT SOUP??

YOU GIVE THEM SOUP, THEY WANT THEIR LIVES BACK.

That is a line from a movie I watched last week and that one line has caused me to think about, why and what I do on the street.

This is not to say providing food, clothing,meals and conversation or friendship is not a good thing.

 For me however, it goes to motive.

Why do I do what I do?

Is it the best for the other, does it bring new life or indeed a 'better' life??

Those are the questions I am asking myself.

is there anybody out there??

There is a God, you just have not met him yet;

These are the words on banner at the intersection in a local suburb.

Apart from making assumptions about 'gender' it assumes most people are ignorant of God.

I wonder who it is to 'blame' for this apparent ignorance?

I wonder if people like you and I are so busy being busy, we fail to show people what God is like?

If people don't encounter God in us they may just 'find' God elsewhere, or maybe God finds them, maybe even in the 'darkness'??

How do people have to 'act' or 'look like us', for us to determine if they 'know God'?

Taking it to the streets

One of my mates from around town called the other day wanting to catch up.

He told the story, with scared face and broken nose, of his recent bashing.

He wanted me to ask the person who bashed him why?? 'M' felt helpless and frightened, he was shattered.

The person responsible for this was not in the usual spot, this person too has the street for his 

home and is just as vulnerable.

As we walked and talked we met up with three other of his mates, two who had also received the same treatment from the same person. 

We shared food and drink we talked together. 

It was heart breaking. 

By their own admission, they are no angels, but the sense of helplessness and despair, not so much about what they do or don't have, rather of being respected and loved, was evident. 

One of these men I have known since 2014 we catch up regularly and this week, along with his mates we hope to celebrate 'M's' 44th birthday. 

As we share food together, as we respect, care for each other and celebrate the precious live of one of God's children, I hope this moment in time will be the start of dignity and hope restored.

Post Easter Blues??

So Easter celebrations are over.

So whats different today after 'Formal Easter Celebrations' have ended?

'popup church'.

POPUP is an informal get together of people, who have faith communities, but sometimes like to to discuss, vent, encourage, be encouraged and heard in a different setting.
Today three of us spent one and a half hours drinking coffee/hot chocolate and discussing matters of faith and personal stuff.
We are quite different, rather than look for differences we share what we have in common and challenge and are challenged to think and rethink what we believe and why.
It is always good to listen and be heard, and to go away knowing we love and care for each other.
One person who is a regular, has recently moved back with partner and family after a time of separation,another is a single dad coping with all the stuff of life and who hangs out with 'dangerous' people, then there is me, who struggles to make sense of doubt and faith.

Together we travel this road we call 'our faith journey', and together discover the importance of life before death!!

It's a mixed group, crazy group, and its sinners and saints together making sense of life

Where you stands depends what you see

Getting around Melbourne by various means of transport, including Car, Motorcycle, on foot, Tram and Train, has provided some observations about us humans.

Depending on which mode of transport we take, often depends on what we expect from others, and our own actions or behaviours.

One thing tat appears not to change is our expectations on others to put our needs first, our biggest need, or so it appears from my observations is, the need to get where we're going.

This then may mean we need to ignore the usual rules around obeying traffic signals and rules, even if it means putting ones self and others in danger!!

So we're guided by our needs and mode on getting around, as to how we act and react.

I wonder how it might look if we put others needs before our own, it could get messy!!

Debt Paid

'M' came and sat next to me the other day on a Mall in Melbourne.
'M' was the first person I met as I started loitering and lurking just over a year ago, we met on March 20th, 2014.
I enquired as to his well being and he started sobbing, I put my arm around him as he told me why he was upset.
After a while we decided it would be good to eat, so I invited 'M' to choose where we would go.
Upon arriving we were met with some suspicion, and as soon as we placed out order we were asked to pay. I explained we may want more food and or drink and that I was paying and would do so at the end, ( as in normal practise).
I approached the owner of the cafe and asked if there were a problem or if 'M' had been before and gone without paying?it transpired he had so I offered to pay the whole $2.00 !! She politely refused and then proceeded to 'warn me of giving any money to 'M'!!
I returned to the table and asked 'm' if he owed the owner money, he did and knew it was $2.00, I gave him the money and he paid his debt in full!!

I so am blessed to get to hang out with crooks!!

Yes people its almost Easter!!

TAKE MY ADVICE I DONT NEED IT.

A recently spotted Tshirt with words, take my advice I don't need it, caught my attention.

Not having ever being big on offering advice however, it did ring a few alarm bells for me!!

It was a reminder to be a 'do as I do not do as say kind of person'.

It's easy to tell others how to act, behave…..add your own favourite here!!

It reminded me of Jesus, much more than 'being an example' Jesus 'exampled'.

So I will take my own advice first.

Still Small Voice

In the bigger scheme of things, where you have your morning coffee in not that important…..right?

Maybe not, but sometimes you have to listen to that 'small still voice'.

Recently as i was riding into the city for my daily loitering activities, I had my mind made up where i would go first and get a long black!!
As I neared my destination, something, I call a 'still small voice' suggested an alternate venue.

I listened, and went to another cafe instead, had my coffee and you guessed it nothing happened, that is until I was skulking back to the bike, when out of nowhere a pair of arms came around me from behind and I got a bear hug.

It was a bloke I had met once, at the funeral for Les, which I wrote about last year.

We hugged and chatted for a time, which was good for the heart!!

We parted company a short time later, and I now listen more carefully to the 'small still voice', maybe just maybe its God and maybe I should listen.

PS Please don't tell The Ruth, she says I never listen!!!!

Silent Vigil, Actions Speak louder Than Words!!

Every Monday on a prominent mall in the Melbourne CBD, a Silent Vigil happens.

The Quakers have been there at the same time for the past 15-18 years.
Not a bad effort by any standard.

I join them from time to time, as they respectfully acknowledge Australia's First Peoples.

Anyone who is interested or curious are able to take a handout explaining why they hold this vigil.

Many years ago a student in her final year of secondary school, presented her art workpiece for the yr 12 art competition, a State wide competition.

It was at the same time as the Port Arthur massacre in Tasmania in 1996

This was described as the 'worst massacre' in our short history, by many journalists, commentators and politicians.

This student disagreed, and depicted in her piece the massacre of many of our First Peoples in Tasmania, suggesting this was the first massacre and equally despicable.

This student was aware her piece would not qualify to win the competition, and proceeded anyway.

 As I watch people. observing the vigil, and recall the students art, it reminds me that there are times when actions speak louder than words!!

What we 'wear' may identify us.

Travelling around Melbourne on the train, I get to see and hear some interesting stuff.

On a recent trip, a woman boarded and a conversation started between her and a stranger.

This stranger, a male was very observant, during the conversation he asked which part of Russia she was from.
The woman was surprised at his accurate 'guess' and enquired as how he knew, he replied, it was the unique jewellery she was wearing.

He had purchased some for his partner and knew it came from a particular jeweller in Russia.

It made we think, what is it we 'wear' that identifies our residency??

Yackandandah

What or where is Yackandandah I hear  you ask??!!

Nestled in thew country side of Northeast Victoria Australia, a small town with two pubs, mind you many years ago it had three, but, i digress.
This rural town was my home in the early 60's and 70's, and a place where family still live in the close vicinity of.
It holds many memories, some pleasant, some not so.


My partner and I  recently returned for a brief visit, to see family and as is our tradition it included a visit to a local cafe for coffee and food.

After placing our orders, and our coffee cups were long empty, an hour had past, we were wondering if the ingredients for our meal were being freshly harvested, baked or purchased from the local stores!!

At the prompting of The Ruth (my partner in crime) I decided to approach the young person,who as fate would have it was no in charge of taking orders!! Before I could get my request out for the whereabouts of the seemingly elusive order, a person sporting chefs attire, met me at our table.

I explained our order, which had been placed over an hour earlier had not made it to our table.

I need to explain that I worked in the hospitality industry from 1974 through to 1999, and whilst not a difficult customer by nature, did wonder how our simple and straight forward order had seemingly been overlooked!!
It also needs to be said I at no stage became, irritated, irrational or grumpy!! rather composed and calm.

What happened next showed the team at the cafe understood how to manage what could have been a difficult situation.
No excuses or blame was made, no promises of money back or special treatment, just resolving the issue of the absent food, and a round of drinks (coffee) delivered post haste!!

We will visit again without hesitation, not because it was 'perfect' rather because they made good and were allowed to make good.
There is something in that for us all!!