It took some prodding!!

Finally getting off my backside, recovered my password and started a new post. I really should get to grips with this you know....

Anyway, what shall I bemoan today? Well nothing really. In fact I want to tell you guys about an event I recently attended called Promise Keepers.

This is a Christian event focused on and designed for men. It talks about and tackles real issues that men face and is intended to help men in the following ways:

1. To become the man God intends them to be
2. To become the husband your wife wants
3. To become the father your children need

I was seriously sceptical as this conference orginated in the states and had all the American hype and ra ra going on. Needless to say I was proved wrong on every front. It had been given a unique kiwi twist, was down to earth and more importantly the point.

It hit home with such issues as Marriage, Porn, Violence, fear and how feminie men were becoming. To cut a long story short, I have returned with a new pardigm on my life, my relationship to God and my wife and family.

Have a look here:

www.promisekeepers.org.nz

How manly are you guys????

For the Love of.....

....Just seemed like a catchy title I guess ;)

Life flies by sometimes and you can easily wonder where it has all gone. Here we are in the middle of Winter, looking back at 15 month in NZ. Man it has flown by so fast. You know, this gets me thinking, how often do we just let it all fly past without taking in what is really going on around us?

A lot of people I come across at work are mainly concerned with booze and beating the wife up and more than likly will never leave the backwater twon of Huntly. Their life is for all intents and purposes a meaningless endevour on a road to no where.

Every human being, no matter where they are born or what circumstances they are born into has the unique oppourtunity to make the most of life, yet how many of us really, really sieze upon it?

All too often lifes 'victims' complain that it is always somebody elses fault that they are in debt or haven't any material things. These 'Victims' are generally claiming the benefit which the rest of us pays for. They are short sighted and refuse to believe that they are the answer to their own issues.

Is there and answer? I doubt it as you cannot change the way a person thisnks or acts. Naturally it is easier to be a victim than a proactive person, but I wonder; when they are facing death how will they consider their legacy? How will you consider yours? The same goes for me.

Now compared to this stuff, Morris Dancing hasn't a chance!

Haka

We did the whole cultural thing and watched these guys rip it up on the dance floor. Quite impressive actually and it beats Morris Dancing by miles!

It stinks!!!!!!!

Oh man does it smell, get me outta here!

Yes that is Rotorua for you, a haven of tourist sites, geysers, bubbling mud and rotten eggs and sulpher. Lovely. It wouldn't have been so bad, but the smell lingered in our van for days!

It's like a Loaded gun.....but worse!

Well I thought of a catchy title but no content to come anywhere near it! About time for an update from us lot to you lot I suppose.

So I last post in January and it is now April. So what has happened? Well Lots really, the question is where do I start?

Well most importantly I will start with the Spiritual Side. As many of you know, we are committed Christians and have been for many years (Even with a few hiccups). We found ourselves in a position of really having to trust God for everything and I mean everything. It is not every day when you find you have NO food and no way of buying any. The questions is this 'Do you beleive God or not'.

He really stretched out faith in him and it was a really tough time, both spiritually and mentally. When you have anonymous food parcels arrive, money and the like you begin to realise just what a great God he is. The most important thing is that in our lives Jesus was glorified and lifted up.

Our faith deepened and has really matured. It has proved a blessing to be able to share our experience with others to encourasge them with the reality of Gods love.

The question for you is:

DO YOU KNOW THE FORGIVENESS AND LOVE OF CHRIST IN YOUR HEART?

I havenow returned to full duties, thankfully after a stint in the office I was glad to get back to proper police work.

Sara is now working from home in child care. this gets a biot mad at times with upto 4 kids running around.

Coffee wise? Well I am getting to taste some great Coffees from El Salvador, Nicaragua, Kenya, Colombia, Yemen etc. Still getting used to this:


But it is pulling some great shots, but is really sensitive to grind, dose and tamp. Not quite the brute Oscar was!

Roasting is proving tiresome. I really have to time it right during the day in regards to Electrical output. If I roast during peak times, forget it. The optimum time for me is 1300 hrs during the week!

God bless y'all.

Some of my favourite Pics from the past 6 months...

Here are some of my favourite pics from the past six months.

The first is a gratuitous coffee related picture - Sad I know, but tough!
















Next one is of 'My girls' at Bridal Veils Fall near to Raglan

























This next one was taken on a flight over the South West Coast going over Paraparaumu whilst at College in Porirua.




















This is one from our back yard...