Staying Alive

I found this article interesting. Its about Twelve Australian celebrities sharing their tips on how they have kept their energy and vitality into old age.

• They eat low fat healthy diets.
• They are pro-active in having health checks and prompt in taking any necessary action.
• They watch their weight.
• They are non-smokers.
• They take regular exercise.
• They keep their brain active.
• They take care of their skin by staying out of hot sun and used sun-block.
• They cope with stress both by taking exercise and using relaxation techniques.
• They are early risers - grasping life with both hands.
• They are active in the community in charity and voluntary work.
• They refuse to look back on their lives with regrets that will only make them miserable.
• They are always working on some project that is a challenge to them.
• They all have some belief in something greater than themselves whether they call that God or not.
• They are very positive in their attitude although they are honest in admitting negative thoughts and tough times they have dealt with them well.
• They value their health.
• They are committed to doing what they want to do.

Technorati Tags: ageing, health,

Come Alive This Easter

Jesus came alive physcially so that we can come alive spiritually

This year Nettes and I organised our church's Easter service. We wanted to tell the story of Jesus going to the cross and rising again in some fresh and interesting ways. So as well as some standard readings and songs & hymns – like Hosanna (with the kids processing with streamers) – we also had two or three multi-sensory activities. For the ‘kids slot’ Nettes did a cookery demonstration of resurrection cookies. The ingredients tell the Easter story and the cookies are hollow representing the empty tomb. We also had a table at the front to which people brought items that depicted Jesus agonies on the cross such as a crown of thorns, an alarm clock to represent sleeplessness and a black box to represent horror. Nettes had made a cross for the table – not something we usually have in our church. But first we told the story through a PowerPoint display using paintings of scenes leading up to the cross with sound effects. We watched and listened to these with the lights out. The effect was stunning.

Later that day, as a family, Nettes & I had our Easter dinner of roast lamb and broke bread.

Technorati Tags: multi-sensory worship, Easter

Weekend Away

Last weekend our church had a weekend away at Cloverley Hall with Ian Rossol from Together as our guest speaker. One Friday evening Nettes tells me he spoke about transparency. I was putting Callie to bed reading her the raising of Lazarus from her Bible story book.

On Saturday morning there was a choice of workshops. I went to the one on evangelism. Among other things we did a good role play that highlighted for me the importance of listening sensitively to other people’s views on God.

Ian Rossol then spoke about intimacy with God and how God wants to spend time with us. This was encouraging because our church recently did our second 24-hours-of-prayer. Ian also said, ‘There is a hurting world out there that is waiting for the church to emerge’.

In the evening we had a variety performance in which Nettes read the children’s book A Squash and a Squeeze with me acting out the old lady some kids being the animals. Callie was the hen.

On Sunday morning Ian spoke about on ‘Christ Jesus is riding forth in victory’ and how he is inviting us as a church together to join him. After lunch we had a time of breaking bread.

A good time was had by all.