Coffee Break Lane: October 2005

Monday, October 31, 2005

"everything else can lie, but the face cannot"

"For the face itself is a contingency, at the magical crossroads of mask and window to the soul, one of the better-kept public secrets essential to everyday life."

Michael Taussig

Saturday, October 29, 2005

Welcome to existance

Having handed in a major essay friday morning i proceeded to enjoy my break sitting on the quad lawn, sipping a cold beverage, listenin to a little Jason Mraz and doing a little reading. With the sun out and shinning as though it was just bursting to be called summer, this was an enjoyable hour.

Move on a few hours and we get to Manly Wharf - on a warm spring evening, the street lights reflected in the water, one word comes to mind - beautiful! And with good company, this was a good place to be.

And came saturday morning. The welcomed sleep in came and went and it was onto a local cafe, where i enjoyed banana bread and a strawberry smoothie as i flicked through the pages of The Pursuit of Holiness, absorbing the words of encouragement and a challenge to change that come when reading of a life freed from the slavery of sin.
Words to remember? "For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be rendered powerless, that we should no longer be slaves to sin - because anyone who has died has been freed from sin." Romans 6:6-7
This was definately a good way to start the weekend - and one i hope will become a more frequent occurance!

Come saturday afternoon i continued my theme of rest and relaxation as I placed myself in front of the television and watched "chaos personified" in Serendipity. Are we really put on this earth to find that one special person?! As a Christian, I know this isnt so. As a romantic, I cannot help but love this story of Jonathan and Sarah. This is a film worth seeing.

welcome to existance.

Thursday, October 27, 2005

Up Close and Personal

Ok, I'm ready for my close-up
Nicki poses for the camera

"when we look into the eyes in a close-up, we no longer think of that wide space, because the expression and significance of the face has no relation to space and no connection with it. Facing an isolated face takes us out of space, our consciousness of space is cut out and we find ourselves in another dimension." Bela Balazs.

Well, I dont know if you agree with that quotation. Wise words? Or maybe a lot of ramble? But that is the sort of thing I was dealing with this time last night - film theory and the power of the close-up. An image that actually can speak more than a thousand words.

Ok, so maybe thats not your cup of tea. Lets try something a little more beneficial perhaps...some words of wisdom and encouragement that i came across this week in preparing for an upcoming camp:

"But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body."

2 Corinthians 4:7-9

These truely are wise words. The close-up may be expressive. It may be intense. It may speak many emotions or meanings. But it cannot provide the same level of intensity, the same amount of encouragement, or the same powerful challenge as is presented in the Word of God.

For me now it is back to the books to finish an essay on New Zealand National Cinema - enjoyable but a hard slog. As I do so I keep these words from 2 Corinthians close to my heart - not to take them out of context and apply it to writing an essay, but to be encouraged regardless of whatever hard slog we may face as Believers.

Saturday, October 22, 2005

Birthday fun times

Friday night. Good times were had. Tastey desserts. Good company. And fun with the camera. Overall, a good birthday!

Glass of white anyone?

A beautiful gift

The music for the evening...

Friday, October 21, 2005

20

“...Something’s different in the world today...”

As I turn 20 today I can’t help but wonder, what will my 20s hold?!

Will I make the most of them?
And on that note, what does it mean to make the most of them?

A friend, much wiser than me, posted a comment last week that hit home hard:

“God has a plan. God has His ways and they infinitely greater than ours - requiring a fair deal of shaping and changing along the way.Is that what our 20's are all about? Some are shaped to commit themselves to changing their world and the world of others through the work of God within them. While some use their 20's to embrace compromise and find passion through the joy of having none.”
(Thanks Craig)

I can only hope that mine will be years that are shaped by the work of God within. What that means exactly and where that will lead me is unknown by all except the Lord.

As I think of the words from In My Father’s Den “Who you set out to be is not always who you become” I can only take comfort in that knowledge that God has for us a will and a plan. A life he wants us to live. A path he wants us to take. And not just wants, but knows is the absolute best for us.

And so, as I turn 20 today I hope and pray that today and each that follows I can trust in this. I know He will not hand it to me on a platter. This life was not meant to be easy. I do know however that I want my next 20 years – and God willing, those after – to be ones that are trusted to Him and follow His directions on His road map.

Happy Birthday to me!

Thursday, October 20, 2005

Loving the camera...

Wednesday, October 19, 2005

In the Dark

Today I watched a film called Dancer in the Dark.

It told the story of a young mother of a 12 year old boy, living in the US and working in a factory. She did not have much money. And she was going blind from a disease that her son has inherited. She kept every single dollar she earnt at the factory to pay for an operation that will one day prevent her son from losing his sight.
Sadly, the money she has so carefully saved is stollen and - to cut a long story short - she ends up in jail facing the death sentence having killed the man who took her money. It is more complicated than that, but i wont bore you with the rest of the details. The film does end with her execution though. Dying a death that could have easily been prevented. One that ultimately was a sacrifice for her son.

My emotions were played with as I was confronted by a musical and a tragedy. Trust me, this makes for a weird viewing experience.

Three main thoughts came to my mind when watching this 2 1/2 hr long film:
1. That we need to be thankful for all that we are blessed with.
2. There is too much injustice in this world.
3. Just a few minutes before her death the words "I'm afriad" were spoken. Now thats probably pretty understandable. But when watching this i couldnt help but be thankful that as a Christian I do not need to fear death!

While this was not the intention of the filmmaker, these things definately struck me.

It was an emotional two and a half hours as i sat there in the dark faced with a tragic life story interspersed with fantasy musical numbers carried out in great joy.

The joys of studying film come in many shapes and sizes....
and are often hidden in the dark.

Monday, October 17, 2005

Here's just a sample so far...

Sunday, October 16, 2005

Its all about the wordplay

Time for another update:

Tunes: Jason Mraz 'Waiting for my Rocket to Come'
Yes, I am continuing my music education, and so far, I like it! Still working out the favs, but lets just say its all about the wordplay...

Latest viewing: Last night I saw In my Father's Den for the second time. Ok, so its not a film to bring many laughs. But it is a beautiful film. Not only is the NZ landscape in which this film is set and filmed beautiful, but there are a few treasured scenes in which two friends enjoy the beauty of life - what could be more enjoyable than running through the rain and throwing mud at each other?! We see a joy in friendship that can be so coldly contrasted to the rest of the film. But i shall not spoil it for you all, as i recommend you definately pick this one out the next time you are walking those aisles of the local video store, lost and without inspiration.

Keepin me busy: Now, I would like to say my essays are the answer to this one. But sadly, this is not the case. While this weekend was not without productivity, my newly arrived camera was calling and all uni work was put on hold while the creative juices flowed and experimentation with my new toy took over.
Oh so good!

I will therefore be posting some more pics soon!

For now, it is back to the books.....

or possibly the camera....

Sunday, October 09, 2005

Weekend Joy

The wedding…

A string quartet.
Beautiful white lilies and red roses.
A groom named Jimmy.
A bride named Kat.

This is what my Saturday afternoon held. As the cloud gave way to sunshine, these two became husband and wife. Vows and promises were made in love – for each other and in the Lord.

Encouraging and challenging words were read from Hebrews and Proverbs, as Justin led us in understanding just what it means to love, and what it means to make these vows in marriage.

Congratulations Jimmy & Kat!
While it is scary to think that you now have a WIFE Jim, my prayers are with you as you start your new life together!

A day of joy!

...as you can see in Foxy's smile (the best man)...

The camp…

6 am start
4 tired bodies
A car trip through the country
A stop at McDonalds
10 great kids
A community of believers

Earlier than my body is used to, but all worthwhile.
This Sunday morning drive led me to the Christ Church family weekend away, where I was helping run a program for the 13-15 year olds of the camp. Although I was sad to miss out on the first half of the camp, Sunday was good times, and it was clear this had been a weekend of good fellowship, bringing both enjoyment and challenges to a community of believers.

The Lord spoke through Craig as we studied The Lords Prayer – how do we pray?! And although numbers were small, good times were had, singing songs, studying the Word, learning verses, making frames, strengthening relationships, and of course, praying. It was clear these kids were encouraged and were passionate about what they had learn – this, my friends, brought me great joy.

Overall, a weekend full of joy!

Wednesday, October 05, 2005

"When I want to do good, evil is right there with me"

In continuing the journey of The Pursuit of Holiness on my train journey home from uni this afternoon I was once again challenged.

In speaking of the various ways in which the 'heart' is used in the Scriptures, Jerry Bridges says
"The heart is also deceitful. It excuses, rationalizes, and justifies our actions. It blinds us to entire areas of sin in our lives. It causes us to deal with sin using only halfway measures, or to think that mental assent to the Word of God is the same as obedience (James 1:22)."

He continues by reminding us that we should realize that "indwelling sin works largely through our desires" as "Ever since his fall in the Garden of Eden, man has listened to his desires more than his reason. Desire has come to be the strongest faculty of man's heart."

How often to we listen to our desires over our reasoning? How often do we ignore the struggle we face between the two when we face temptation?

What is even more scary than our ability to be decieved by our hearts and its desires, is that only God alone is beyond this deceit and knows the truth in every single one of our hearts. (Jeremiah 17:9-10)
I dont know about you, but i think thats a pretty scary thing - amazing, but scary!

All these words, my friends, are presenting a challenge. One which we need to keep in our minds, and ironically, on our hearts.

I hope these words challenge you the way they challenge me.
And like Tim, I cant help but wonder who actually reads my site either - who it is that may be challenged by these words. So leave a comment sometime and let me know!

Sunday, October 02, 2005

My baby

Well, its been a while. But here's the exciting news - today this little baby joined my family

Just two weeks til Mr Canon EOS and I will be walking the streets of Sydney...
The countdown begins...

Coffee Break Lane