Claude's Day as a Movie Star

Well, here is the obligatory ultrasound pic (or U/S pic for those 'hip' enough to be 'up' or 'down' with the lingo).

The Dr wanted to get an image of Claude's face, however Claude had other ideas. So this is the best we can do.

This is the wrong thing to say, but if you ask me, Claude looks like every other 18 week old foetus (and a little like an alien of some type).

It becomes very 'real' when you see a picture. There is a small human that is going to be totally and utterly helpless and dependent!

Can't wait!!!!

Options...

I wish I had this information previously -

Should I get a Dog or have a Child?

Dog option...

Child Option...

Either way, I figure they will end up at the RSPCA (or sold on the internet)

Baby Baldwin

If you haven't heard already, there is going to be another Baldwin as of early May 2007. Yes, Rach is pregnant! It is customary for expectant bloggers to post the ultrasound of the little tacker so below you will find said image. I must admit, I thought it would be a little higher definition, perhaps I was expecting too much. In addition I didn't realise that an ultrasound was a 'full body shot'!

We have given our Foetus/Embryo/Offspring the name 'Claude'

Newbie

Well here it is - the new Baldwin Chariot. Yes we do feel absolutely blessed! It is a 2003 Subaru Liberty Wagon.

We didn't choose the color on purpose. There were very few liberty's around, and the one that was available and in our price range happened to be the same color as Rach's squashed Lancer!

For some reason, Rach has decided that I get to drive the new car!

What do you reckon, is it a bit nice?

Rach's New Convertible

On Sunday, Rach and I came home to see that Rach's car wasn't as tall as it used to be. The insurance company classifies it as "An Act of God". I don't think they know how right they are! You see, we were wondering if we should trade Rach's car in the next month or two, before it hit 100,000kms. As it turns out, with the odometer on 90,000kms, that decision has been made for us!

No one was hurt, our neighbors were entertained for a bit and we get a new car out of it. All good if you ask me!

Spewin' - i missed it!

I was SO annoyed when I saw on this video that Jesus had already come back. I had some ideas as to what it would be like - definatly didn't realise Jesus would be wearing sunglasses....


All i can say is "Cuckoo"

Prayer

For those of you who are familiar with Myers Briggs personality test, I think this will be amusing (ripped from Steves site..thanks Steve!)
If you have done a MB personality test, comment with your type, I'd be interested if you think the prayer is on the mark!


ISTJ: Lord help me to relax about insignificant details beginning tomorrow at 11:41.23 am e.s.t.
ISTP: God help me to consider people's feelings, even if most of them ARE hypersensitive.
ESTP: God help me to take responsibility for my own actions, even though they're usually NOT my fault.
ESTJ: God, help me to not try to RUN everything. But, if You need some help, just ask.
ISFJ: Lord, help me to be more laid back and help me to do it EXACTLY right.
ISFP: Lord, help me to stand up for my rights (if you don't mind my asking).
ESFP: God help me to take things more seriously, especially parties and dancing.
ESFJ: God give me patience, and I mean right NOW.
INFJ: Lord help me not be a perfectionist. (did I spell that correctly?)
INFP: God, help me to finish everything I sta
ENFP: God,help me to keep my mind on one th-Look a bird-ing at a time.
ENFJ: God help me to do only what I can and trust you for the rest. Do you mind putting that in writing?
INTJ: Lord keep me open to others' ideas, WRONG though they may be.
INTP: Lord help me be less independent, but let me do it my way.
ENTP: Lord help me follow established procedures today. On second thought, I'll settle for a few minutes.
ENTJ: Lord, help me slow downandnotrushthroughwatIdo.
Amen.

WIN WIN WIN

I won our first game of Netball last night...... I mean, the team played really well! We won 21 to 11. Sure the opposition were all amputee pygmy midgets with emphysema and a penchant for mid game naps....BUT WE WON NONE THE LESS. Admittedly, I may have gone a little over the top after the game when I started dancing around the aforementioned sleeping midgets shrieking "LOSERS LOSERS - NAH NAH NI NAH NAH – WE ARE THE WINNERS – SUCK IT UP MIDGET BOY"


Note: I actually like midgets, some of my best friends are little people.

Laminate

You can't laminate a lollie snake....too big to get through the gap

Acronym Competition

Following a some posts on Steve's blog, I thought it might be fun to get some healthy competition going. This is how it works. I will give you some letters, your job is to tell us what they stand for.

The letters are:
PHAT

Example competition entry:
PHAT= pygmy Hunters Association of Tahiti


So, tell me, what does PHAT stand for?

Interesting....

I don't usually go out of my way to get into politics (sorry Steve, can we still be friends?), but I just couldn't dismiss this with my usual 'I don't do politics' quip.

I got an email from Wire about a survey the Democrats have on their website regarding God and government. I usually hate these things, but I don't think I could bear to hear them crapping on for the next 3 years that the 'results of our survey showed that Australians don't see any value in religion' etc etc. SO, here is the link, it is about 20 Q's, will take most people less than 5mins.


I just can't resist this opportunity...."Do the survey if you want good luck for the next 486 years. Send it to 890 people in the next 2 minutes if you love Jesus........."

What If...

At a recent Youth Hub meeting, we were talking about how our church as a community can reach Eltham High (as another community). We were talking about how in the past we have tended to segregate and neglect some parties in that community. Eg, Eltham high is largely made up of 3 groups - kids, teachers and parents. We have tended to only engage the kids (at a limited level).

The idea of 'incarnational' ministry is that we as Christians must follow Jesus' example and go into the world. And not just to go into the world, but to immerse ourselves in THEIR culture, and hang out in THEIR territory and become like THEM. We have fallen into the exact opposite of these statements.

SO.

I wonder what would be required to reach Eltham High School (as a whole) and to go to them as a community rather than expecting them to come to us!

Imagine the potential...imagine the relationships.....imagine sipping the perfect latte in heaven at at a table with a kid or parent or teacher who says "I'm really glad your church loved Eltham High otherwise I wouldn't be here in heaven enjoying this divine, never ending latte - FOREVER!!

The potential is to change the world...To change the world for the people of Eltham High....to change their eternity!

We Need Your Money!!!

Well the time has come for the cash to flow...flow freely indeed! Yes this is a shameless call for your money. Shameless because the money is not for me. A call because I don't have access to your bank accounts!. Money, because you can't feed kids with good intentions (we all know what Mr Lewis says about good intentions!!!)

One of my challenges in this world is that there are so many issues, I often feel insignificant. There are also so many options to help, that the feelings of insignificance are bolstered. That doesn't mean I shouldn't try!

I also have another confession to make. I have become immune to the footage on TV of hungry African kids in crisis and I hate that!

SO my challenge to you is to go to here and read some stories. LET IT GET TO YOU!!

Yes, I am doing the World Vision 40 Hour Famine. If you don’t know what I am talking about, each year people all around the world people get sponsored to ‘do without’ for 40 hours. The money goes to help some of the poorest and most struggling of our fellow humans, usually kids.

That’s where you come in. Can I ask for your money again? Could you please sponsor me?

If it’s a YES, let me know, or go to ‘Help kids by sponsoring Billy’.

If you are asked for the Famine Number, please enter 26192073-0. This makes sure that the donation is recorded against me and that I'm sent a record of your donation (the important bit!!!)

If it’s a NO, go to the start of this post and start reading again because you must have missed something!

"We need to talk"

This is really hard for me to say. I started out being ashamed but then I decided "NO, this is who I am and people should know the truth". I have become something that I never thought I would become. I do something that I never thought I would do. I hope you will understand. I hope you won't judge me. I hope we can still be friends after you hear my confession.

OK...here goes....I am a netballer. There. I said OK. Rach and I have started playing mixed netball with some friends. It is hilarious. I spend most of my time trying to figure out what I did wrong, where to stand, where not to stand, who my opponent is and the code that the umpires are speaking.

Please don't judge me!

"Filled with the Spirit"

This is truly hilarious......
my favorite line "Make the booty drop like the wall of Jeriocho"

"Welcome Back Welcome Back"

BACK IN ACTION!!!! After a week of sun 'n' fun (in no particular order) I am back into it. Another week would have been lovely, but alas, schedules did not allow. I can assure everyone that the sun is still existent, it is interstate at the moment.

I also have a question. What is it that makes people volunteer in a church? What are the TRUE motivators? I am interested, not in the reasons that we should volunteer, but the reasons that we do volunteer.

I like this....

The American president, Mr Bush is getting his daily briefing. The aide giving the briefing concludes with: “Yesterday, three Brazilian soldiers were killed.”
“OH NO!” the President exclaims. “That’s terrible!”
His staff sits stunned at this display of emotion, nervously watching as the President sits, head in hands.
Finally, the President looks up and asks, “How many is a brazillion?”

Vertical and Horizontal Communion

Sunday night saw an awesome time at church. We did some worship, then I spoke about thanksgiving and how important it is that we give thanks to God. We then had a time of communion. I had been thinking lately that we 'miss out' on one part of communion. We so often take communion and in a quiet solemn time, reflect on what Jesus has done for me and thank him for dying for me. We are encouraged to have some time, just God and I. That is the 'vertical' relationship - the relationship between God and an individual.

But I believe there is suppose to be more. The idea that we are one body (Paul talks in Corinthians about the significance of breaking one loaf to signify one body) seems to often be missed.

So on Sunday night after sharing how I imagined the last supper to be (a bunch of blokes having a good time, telling jokes, retelling stories etc) I asked people to come and get a cup of juice and some bread and to find two other people that they had not spoken to in the last month. I encouraged them to 'catch up', have a yak, talk, tell a joke, tell a story and finish up by sharing some stuff that they are thankful for. That is the horizontal part of communion - the relationship between two or more people in a community in the name of Jesus.

What a great time it proved to be and the feedback from people was positive.

STOP..caption time!

"Although Henry hated the dentist, he just excelled at the 'open wide' part."

OK people, you know the drill. Captions, headlines, explanations etc etc....

Camping!!!!

Over the long weekend, I had the opportunity to go camping...so a camping did I go. Friday night saw representatives of the Baldwin, Stewart and Toohey families travel to the Cathedral Ranges, about 1.5 hours from Eltham, near Eildon.

The highlights were many (including wildlife, fire, coffee, fire, unsuccessfully warding off kleptomaniac Kookaburras from Ness's breakfast, fire and coffee). I also learnt that Kathryn just LOVES tuna. The girl can't get enough of the stuff!!!

On the down side, Matty got sick and fair to say, the weather was a little 'fresh'!

The thing I love about camping is that it is so slow!!! For example, If you want a cup of coffee (which I often did), you can't just press a button and have boiling water 1 minute later. You first have to go to the river and get some water, boil it on camp burner etc etc. The whole process takes a lot of time. As a result of everything taking longer, you basically only have time to sleep, eat, drink coffee and build and maintain fires. I LOVE THE SLOW LIFE!!!

I think the thing that makes or breaks a camping trip is the people that you camp with. In this case, excellent people made an excellent trip!