New Year's Recap

To my relatives making your first visit to my blog, welcome!

Bouyed by Krystle's comment that I have "lots of avid readers" and the possibility that these avid readers are actually interested in what I did to see in the New Year, I offer the following account.

Friday, 30 December
Worked and then headed to Manly Beach for a Powerhouse-organised gathering. Played some beach volleyball - always less fun when you have to include people who have little or no idea of how to play - and went for a swim with Paul and Josh. The water was the warmest I've experienced in Sydney. Nice. Unfortunately, our bodysurfing heroics were cut short by the fact that the tide was going out. ( No, my finely tuned sense of the ocean and its ways did not alert me to this fact; rather it was the increasing regularity of my head and upper body hitting sand.)

Saturday, 31 December
Having church services in a school hall has its drawbacks. The terrible acoustics (recently brought under control by a drum screen! Woohoo!), the necessity of having to set up and pack down (on the bright side, I save on gym membership), and a lack of air-conditioning. This last feature of the Oakhill Drive Primary School hall is best experienced on-stage, where there are no fans but plenty of stage lights that generate heat. Not good on a hot day like today. Suffice to say, Sweat has now been well and truly added to Tears on the list of things I've sacrificed for the sake of the Gospel. May Blood never join them!

This New Year's Eve was also the first in several years that I was not in a rural or semi-rural town somewhere in South East Asia. There was no way I would be celebrating anywhere other than near the Harbour (Bella Vista, watching the fireworks on TV... are you SEEERIOUS?!!). Steve Jenkins picked me up from church and we made our way to a harbourside park in Woolwich (pronounced Wool Itch, not Wool Witch) to join a bunch of Powerhousers.

Some of the group had been there since 11am and had staked out a nice spot. Still, I was expecting to watch the fireworks explode around the Harbour Bridge in the distance. Imagine my surprise when the first explosions near the bridge were followed by others only 200 metres in front of our location. Turns out that one of the six secondary barges located around the harbour was floating right next to us! A good night.

Sunday, 1 January
Played bass at the Burwood Extension Service. Unfortunately, their air-conditioning system was not functioning properly so again my sweat adorned the stage. Got home looking forward to a swim, and boy, did the pool look good! What came next was a most unique experience. There I was, baking in the 45 degree heat as I retrieved my towel and boardshorts from various parts of the house, but anticipating the sensation of being enveloped by the cool water.

Finally, I was ready. Launching myself off the waterfall feature as I normally do, I found myself landing in water that was hotter than the air!

I found out later that because my parents were having people over that afternoon, Dad had had the solar heating on for the past two days (not expecting today to be such a scorcher). A lesson learnt: don't commit to anything until you know what you're getting yourself into! (Well, except the stuff that God calls you to... see below.)

Looking Forward
I am seriously so excited about 2006! God had been giving me direction for much of 2005 and Pastor Amos' words and prayer confirmed so much of what I had already been sensing. Joanna, if you're reading this, please thank your Dad again for coming to Asian Service. I'm sure I speak for the whole congregation when I say we were very blessed!

Among other things, 2006 will be the year that my first business gets launched. I have hit 2006 with a lot of momentum and a determination not to procrastinate, so keep me in your prayers. More details to come so stay tuned!