Steve Taylor was the specail guest speaker at Synod, delivering the Norman and Mary Millar lecture on Saturday night. He was a great speaker - interesting, dynamic and challenging. If you want to hear it for yourself there is an audiofile that you can download from the journeyonline website.
http://www.journeyonline.com.au/showArticle.php?categoryId=10&articleId=2365

Sorry, I still haven't worked out how to add hot links to the blog so that you can just click on it and it will take you there. Perhaps one of my clever children will be able to work it out.

Less than 24 hours till I go now.... have to do some ironing and tidying up, and get the washing in and a few other things too. I probably will think of 100 other things I should have done today... and all before I land in Brisbane!!

Packing

I have had a busy day today trying to get ready to go away. Only 2 days now till I leave. Exciting and scary. Actually it is a day and a half till I leave Emerald and 2 days till I leave Australia.

This morning the electricians arrived to finish off some work in our new car port. They installed 2 double powerpoints and two fluro lights. I think we get to declare the carport finished.

While they were here, because they had to turn the power off I couldn't do some work I needed to do on the computer so instead I worked on my bag. I wanted to get it down to 7kgs as we are trying to "one bag" it ie travel with just one cabin sized bag for our trip which means that we don't have to wait for the baggage to be unloaded from the plane and so we get to the head of the queue for customs. As well as that and perhaps more importantly we don't have to lug so much stuff around with us. When we get to our first 3 destinations on the plane ie Narita, Rome and London we have to get public transport to our accommodation. As well, all around Italy we are travelling by train so it is going to be much easier to do this if we don't have to lug so much stuff. It was pretty tricky but by wearing all my heaviest gear, putting my camera in my pocket, and carrying my folder of papers I managed to come in under 7 kgs - woot woot. This is the link http://www.onebag.com/ I am not sure if that will work as a hot link... not sure how to do that in blogs. Will see if it works. At least you have the address if you need it.

Once I got through the packing I went out for a while to try to get a few jobs done. I got myself a long sleeved shirt. I am beginning to panic about being cold. I also saw the accountant re last years tax (mine is all done) and did some P&C stuff. Isn't this riverting stuff.

Later on in the day went back up the street with youngest son and got him a jacket for camp. He goes while I am away. Tonight while the rest of Queensland was watching the State of Origin match I entered the P&C bills, then paid the bills and did the wages so I am all up to date. I have to hand the stuff over to someone else while I am gone.

Oldest son, G, went back to Brisbane today. He has to pack his bag and get himself organised to go with me on Friday. He also has to finalise his prac assignment and hand that in. I am expecting his cat to give us all a hard time. Tiger adores G and the feeling is mutual. After G leaves Tiger misses him terribly and whinges and looks pathetic. So far she hasn't reacted... but I am waiting for it to start. I was thinking I would miss it as orgingally G and I were going to leave together on Friday, till G decided he needed to be back earlier and also that he needed his car back in Brisbane.

I am sorry I don't have any photos for the post yet. I have to work out how to add them and also I haven't taken any yet.

I got onto our internet provider today about increasing our download both in speed and in amount. Ended up being offered a deal which does both for a lesser amount than we are currently paying which is good. It is supposed to kick in at midnight tonight. Perhaps I will wait up and see if it works.

Middle Son C just got home. He was watching the State of Origin with other blokes from his Cell group from church. Apparently Queensland won by 4 points which is good, but given that they were leading by 18 at one point it was a close call. Since I was staying up to go and get him but he ended up getting a lift home with a mate, I can now go to bed. Night all

Friday night at Synod

On Friday night at Synod I participated in the most amazing worship service. It was the opening worship service of the 28th Uniting Church Queensland Synod which was held at the Alexandra Park Conference Centre on the Queensland Sunshine Coast.

It was an amazing time. The emphasis of the service was the multiculturalThe emphasis tonight was on the multicultural diversity of the Uniting Church of Australia in Queensland. The service started with a special ceremony, a welcome to the land by the Kabi Kabi people, the traditional owners of the land that we were meeting on. Because the Bay, just down from the conference centre was known as a birth place by the traditional owners, the welcome ceremony was carried out by indigenous women. Not all of them were from this area but they blessed us by walking amongst us and sprinkling us with water, flicked by gum leaves. As they did so we were sung to by a band made up of aboriginal people and accompanied by a didgeridoo player. Then there were words of welcome spoken by an aboriginal man, and an aboriginal elder, a woman and an exchange of gifts to and by the moderator.

Immediately following that there was some singing at one of the doors and a group of Tongan people, in traditional costume entered and sang unaccompanied as they walked down one aisle to their seats. On the other side of the auditorium another group of people entered, also in traditional dress singing in their own language, a different song, then another group and another and another... a cacophony of sounds, and a myriad of colours of costumes and skin, people singing praise to God. It was amazing... spine tingling, awe inspiring and worshipful. There were people from Samoa, the Solomon Islands, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, South Korea, Sudan, Burma, and some others that I have forgotten.

Throughout the service which followed there were times when people spoke in their own language, to pray, to read the bible or to sing. The South Korean group presented a worship item of song and dance. The man who sang had the most beautiful voice and his wife who did the dance was so graceful and beautiful. The different groups brought greetings to the Synod in their own language. It was wonderful.

The next day the Synod business sessions began. There were hours of meeting, debate, tabling of reports, motions, voting. There were times when people agreed over important things and also disagreed. Sometimes the disagreements were minor, and over trivial issues, sometimes they were over major issues. With God's grace and strength we were able to find a way through the discussion and debate and hopefully were able to determine what God's will for us as a Synod was.

Welcome to Welcome to my world

Seems every woman and her dog has a blog these days so I couldn't be left behind now could I. Actually I have started this in an attempt to keep my many and varied friends and families abreast of what I am up to whilst I am away. In 8 days time I am beginning a 6 week overseas trip. I am going with my oldest son, Gavin and will be joined in Italy 10 days later by my daughter Ros. Whilst I am an avid user of Facebook and am on several google groups I thought it might be easier to communicate with you all via this blog. I doubt that I am going to be very creative with it because time will be short however hopefully I will be able to let interested family and friends know what we have been doing. Of course it might all fall over in a big heap and this will be the first and last blog.

Choosing a name for the blog was more difficult than I thought. I am a keen patchworker and crafter and follow a number of blogs on the web of a craft nature which have some great names however this isn't going to just be about my craft, especially not to start with so felt that a crafty name wouldn't be suitable. Nor would a strictly travel name work as, despite my great love of the activity, I won't be always travelling... money and other commitments just won't allow it.

I hope I don't bore you all silly with my ramblings. I guess you won't come back if I do that.

Like I said I leave in just over a week. Between now and then quite a few things have to be accomplished. To start with tomorrow morning I am flying to Brisbane for the Queensland UCA Synod meetings. I have been asked to be on the Facilitation committee. Not entirely sure what that is going to involve but I am willing to learn and to participate so that is all that can be expected. Before I get there I have about an inch of readings to get through. If I don't get them read it will mean that I won't be as informed about the debates and discussions that will take place. Anyway will have a go... can at least dip into them.

I get back from Brisbane on Tuesday evening and will have two days till I leave on our trip. I will need to finalise my packing and sort out other stuff. I will no doubt detail all that at another time