Hi all,

Very sorry, it seems someone has used my blog feed to post ads, I will attempt to get to the bottom of it! Sorry you got spammed.

Bec

Blogging

Prayer the Churches banquet, angels age,
Gods breath in man returning to his birth,
The soul in paraphrase, heart in pilgrimage,
The Christian plummet sounding heav’n and earth;

Engine against th’ Almightie, sinner’s towre,
Reversed thunder, Christ-side-piercing spear,
The six daies world-transposing in an houre,
A kinde of tune, which all things heare and fear;

Softnesse, and peace, and joy, and love, and blisse,
Exalted Manna, gladnesse of the best,
Heaven in ordinarie, man well drest,
The milkie way, the bird of Paradise,

Church-bels beyond the stars heard, the souls bloud,
The land of spices, something understood.

-George Herbert

Christianity Words

Sufjan Stevens is coming to Melbourne.

And we are going to see him.

!

My ultimate Sufjan gig would include the following songs (regardless of whether they ‘go’ together)

  • From the Mouth of Gabriel – All Delighted People
  • John Wayne Gacy Jnr. – Come On Feel the Illinoise
  • The Predatory Wasp of the Palisaides is out to get us! – Come On Feel the Illinoise
  • Casimir Pulaski Day – Come On Feel the Illinoise
  • Chicago – Come On Feel the Illinoise
  • The Dress Looks Nice On You – Seven Swans
  • To Be Alone With You – Seven Swans
  • He Woke Me Up Again – Seven Swans
  • The Transfiguration – Seven Swans
  • A Good Man is Hard to Find – Seven Swans
  • Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing – Songs for Christmas
  • Sister Winter – Songs for Christmas
  • Star of Wonder – Songs for Christmas
  • Holy, Holy, Holy – Songs for Christmas
  • Futile Devices – The Age of Adz
  • No Man’s Land – The Avalanche
  • Romulus – Greetings from Michigan
  • For the Widows in Paradise, For the Fatherless in Ypsilanti – Greetings from Michigan

So… mostly all of Seven Swans (really) and although ‘A Sun Came’ is not bad at all and A Winner Needs A Wand is pretty decent it’s not the best of the best. I haven’t listened to The Age of Adz quite enough yet to fully make up my mind.

I really think that Sister Winter and He Woke Me Up Again come in on top of my list.

What’s on yours?

Music

Today is blustery and terribly Melbourne-esque. Spring dropped by to say hello and now he has gone away. Christmas is itching and the giant of mental tasks to slow down is hopping around like a jumping jack only ready to bite in frustration. There are books to be read – undecided, tea to be drunk – when there is milk, endless piles of washing and the gory tiredness that comes from dreaming about spending a whole day cleaning up after someone post sorting out your friend’s wedding dress the morning of their wedding – only in my mind. Why is it that date clashes abound this time of year? And days off still demand task after task, necessary or not. I would like to catch up with slowing down. Perhaps I need to learn to run backwards a while?

Life Words

“You don’t write because you want to say something, you write because you have something to say.”
— F. Scott Fitzgerald

I’ve been wondering a little about why I haven’t blogged lately, nor even felt the true compulsion to get at it. I’ve lost my rhythm and my routine was royally screwed this past year so it’s no great surprise. Mr Fitzgerald has said it quite nicely. The bulk of the starkness (and patronisingly easy image/music posts) is that I don’t feel like I have very much to say. This of course is probably wrong when I really assess things…

What I haven’t said is…

Lots about work. It’s tricky you know, because I do work on some quite interesting stuff but I can’t really talk about specifics online. Work needs to get seen by the client first. Fortunately the folio, long overdue for a refresh is in the works of a facelift which shall include more work and possibly some of what I’ve done. In general terms some of the exciting/sometimes intimidating stuff I’ve done includes:

  • Full building signage, we’re talking large format, stuff I haven’t really done before and it came up pretty well (not a sign, like a whole building wrap and frosted glass areas etc)!
  • An exhibition stand. More large format, and a tricky client topic. It amuses me no end this client, it really does.
  • Web. Doing more of web has further encouraged the little burn of happiness that comes when the code just works and your <divs> can magically make a structure as fast as you can type. I have also learnt much about Adobe Business Catalyst, which is a CMS/eCommerce solution > not always the solution but is pretty darn nifty. Lets just hope they keep developing it further.

I have loved being part of a small workplace where I can have interesting conversations, am treated (although I am technically a junior designer) as an equal where my input is valued and where I genuinely enjoy the company of the people I work with. We also play Triple J, Indie/Folk, The Smiths (a lot) and have MegaMix Fridays. There is the additional bonus of being within throwing distance of a superb cafe, props to Pat and Toby throughout the week and the Monday guy/girl team (I’ll get around to asking names).

I have said something about how the first two and a half months of full time work left me wrecked and incapable of normal function most evenings. Good news is that I’m getting used to it.

I haven’t said much about Missio Dei, and the community of new friends, the openness, the great food, girls group and the inspiring people who encourage me to live a better life… and join with me in making that happen.

and I haven’t said much about theology and God lately. This is not due to the fact (upon initial suspicion – my own) that I am thinking less about that stuff or am ‘less into that stuff’ etc. – however you might put it. But more that I have come to the conclusion (or rather the inkling) that God is teaching me in a different way at the moment and it’s more to do with my living than with my head. This is indeed a good thing although a monster to deal with at times. How to communicate that just yet, I’m not quite sure. Perhaps I will have to have a little think…

On the same lines as Missio etc and even theology/God/life stuff we have talked a fair bit (we had a camp you see) about the Enneagram, as many of may know I’m a bit mad keen on anything personality and so I jumped at it (and I am going to talk about it because I find it interesting)… Interestingly the Enneagram has actually genuinely helped me recognise certain responses in myself that are very ‘oneish’ and not always positive, and consequently I can change my response or attitude. Steve asked (I think… I could have this totally wrong) way back if I – as a one, clenched my jaw a lot – I said no at the time, but it’s currently freaking me out how much I am catching myself doing it, as a natural physical response I never really noticed to indicate something such as stress or the glorious ‘internal critic’. There’s something for you to chew on if you’re interested in blackboards, about as interesting as chalk – still, very helpful. I don’t think I really fully ‘get it’ yet in regards to helping me connect better with God – but I reckon we’re getting there slowly.

Love books, still do, always have. Bookclub is going great guns, we’re up to our 13th book – I think and have a regular tribe reading the Popular Penguins. We’ve had two engagements (Ana to Blake, Amanda to Tim) and there’s a baby on the way for lovely Cat. Currently we are lacking in the boy department and are working hard (if you’re reading this Norman) to get Norman back and suss out any prospectives. Harsh but true, most of the guys we all know don’t seem to be so inclined to read a book (even in the likes of Dracula or In Cold Blood) and discuss it with great food and wine. Society lacks. Society lacks.

And friends. It has been interesting looking at the past year and what our move North has done to friendships. Proximity is a grand thing. Thankfully many of our friends are above and beyond proximity or we would be dastardly lonely (apart from the new friends… but yeh, we’re still getting there). I went to a friend’s engagement party the other night and caught up with my lovely housemate (where proximity is a geniune issue and not just because we’re lazy about it)… but it reminded me of all the truly wonderful people I know and the richness of those I know who are encouraging and so distinctly themselves. It is so ridiculously good, seeing so many of my friends truly happy at the moment.

Geoff. He’s the best. Marriage is grand.

and now, I have said something. Throw some curlys my way and I might just say more.

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