My dog barks too much.

Good night.

My family and I just had a prayer session. It was good. I like to pray with my family.

Now I will go and get 5:30 hours sleep. Should be good.

If I don't post again for a few weeks, I love youse all.

(Someone from Poland read this Blog once and I even love them)

My head is itchy.

Well I'm off to Beach Mission in the morning. This might be my last chance to post for a while. However, if I can make a post I will. It will be very exciting posting from so far away. I guess really, with the way the web is, and modern technology these days, where ever you use the internet you aren't really any further away from anywhere else. Geography goes out the window.

But well I will be along way away from where I am now. And it will be my first time to post from a place that is not home. So that's cool.

We have had a lot of confusion about how I'm getting up to BM, I think I've been going with most of the team in separate cars over the past 24 hours. I figure I'll just get in the car whoever is at my house at 9:30 in the morning. I'm hoping its not a crusty old man with a van and a mattress in the back offering me a lollipop. Lucky I'm over 18 now.

I read that 27% of British Clergy privately rejected idea of the virgin birth (here). I thought "That's sad".

Today I have to do my preparation for Beach Mission, which I have done very little of. I leave for Beach Mission tomorrow so I think I need to do this. I have to create some stories, do some crafts, that sort of thing. And I want to get all that done by 1pm so I can watch The Fellowship of the Ring with the others before we go watch The Two Towers at 7:15. Yayness. I'm so excited. Sold out, that session is, sold out.

How excited am I?

I spent ages trying to get to Blogger last night so I could make a Christmas day post. But Blogger was having a kiniption (is that how you spell it?). Very sad for me.

But I had a nice day yesterday. I went to Austinmer to see my cousins. I went to church. I got Matchbox 20s new cd, yay.

My parents gave me what I asked for for Christmas, forgiveness of my large debt, but they also gave me $200 on top of that. How cool are they?

I ate some food, but now too much. And I got an SMS or three. All up it was a nice day.

What I read Yesterday:

"Here is my servant, whom I uphold,
my chosen one in whom I delight;
I will put my Spirit on him
and he will bring justice to the nations.
He will not shout or cry out,
or raise his voice in the streets.
A bruised reed he will not break,
and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out.
In faithfulness he will bring forth justice;
he will not falter or be discouraged
till he establishes justice on earth.
In his law the islands will put their hope."

This is what God the LORD says-
he who created the heavens and stretched them out,
who spread out the earth and all that comes out of it,
who gives breath to its people,
and life to those who walk on it:
"I, the LORD , have called you in righteousness;
I will take hold of your hand.
I will keep you and will make you
to be a covenant for the people
and a light for the Gentiles,
to open eyes that are blind,
to free captives from prison
and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.

"I am the LORD ; that is my name!
I will not give my glory to another
or my praise to idols.
See, the former things have taken place,
and new things I declare;
before they spring into being
I announce them to you."

Almost Christmas now. I got a new t-shirt from my dog. Don't ya love dogs? I've gotta go to bed. Santa is coming.

I'm really bad at wrapping presents, but my new cd makes me dance.

Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your unfailing love;
according to your great compassion
blot out my transgressions.
Wash away all my iniquity
and cleanse me from my sin.

For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is always before me.
Against you, you only, have I sinned
and done what is evil in your sight,
so that you are proved right when you speak
and justified when you judge.
Surely I was sinful at birth,
sinful from the time my mother conceived me.
Surely you desire truth in the inner parts;
you teach me wisdom in the inmost place.

Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean;
wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
Let me hear joy and gladness;
let the bones you have crushed rejoice.
Hide your face from my sins
and blot out all my iniquity.

Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me from your presence
or take your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation
and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

Then I will teach transgressors your ways,
and sinners will turn back to you.
Save me from bloodguilt, O God,
the God who saves me,
and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.
O Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth will declare your praise.
You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it;
you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart,
O God, you will not despise.

In your good pleasure make Zion prosper;
build up the walls of Jerusalem.
Then there will be righteous sacrifices,
whole burnt offerings to delight you;
then bulls will be offered on your altar.

The Two Towers (Ryan thinks it's funny that I hyperlink and italicise the names of films) comes out in two days. Yay. I'm thinking that's gonna be the best present this Christmas. I'm a lot more excited about it that about my presents.

But I do like Christmas.

10:24 and the phone hasn't rung yet.

Today is Christmas Eve. That would usually be the day that I would have a sleep to make the time go faster, so I could get to the presents quicker. But not this time. No sir. I'm doing many things. I have presents to buy, presents to wrap, Beach missions to prepare for. All them exciting things.

I have done very little Beach Mission prep. I know that I'm bad, but I think I only realised on Friday that it's the end of the year. Before then it's just been near the end of the year. So between Friday and now there hasn't been anytime to do preparation because I have had to do end of year things (chill out, sit around, relax, buy presents, listen to carols). So now I think that it's about time I stopped doing end of year stuff and starter preparing of end of year/new year stuff. Yeah. That is perhaps what I might do.

I am sitting by the phone.

I am meant to be getting a phone call about this job at 10. I think it's an interview type phone call. Pehaps it is not. But whatever it is I am waiting.

I got up especially early for this phone call. 9:45. I have warmed my voice up so that I don't sound like I just woke up. I have even put on a t-shirt. I am still in my boxers though. I felt a little a little over-dressed at my last interview, but I don't think I'll have that problem this time. I'm so glad we aren't at that future were we all to video conferencing, that would be bad. Then I would have to dress up to talk on the phone in my own home, perhaps. Perhaps not too.

While I was driving to the the airport (well Dad was driving, I was a lot more passive in my travel) I got a phone call to say that the people who interviewed me liked me. So now I think this is the last hurdle to getting the job. It's all been really good so far. I am feeling that God has His hand quite firmly placed on this part of my life. It's a very nice feeling.

Jo's home now. I went to the airport without having any breakfast. I was very hungry until I had a dodgy chicken and vegie pie from a petrol station on the way home.

Jo comes home often now. Usually about as much as she leaves.

I'm going to Koorong today. They have extended Christmas trading hours till midnight tonight. How amazing is that. What a great place Koorong is. I have $20 to spend on myself there, and I have a present or two to buy. I figure I'll be able to sift through enough dodgy stuff to find at least three good things. Perhaps not. Michael is going with me because he has a $20 voucher too. The parents at my church are so nice. They got Michael, Becky and I vouchers for all our work at chruch this year. They are cool, I say, cool.

I wasn't planning on posting tonight, but I figure seeing as I'm here...

My sister didn't come home today. She was meant to come home from Bangladesh tonight, but there was fog in Dakka so she's coming home tomorrow morning. That makes me happy because it means I'll be able to be at the airport when she gets back. I couldn't go tonight because I had to be at a carols service.

I was thinking the carols service was going to be terribly long and boring, I have much dislike for carols. But it was ok. I was going to not go, but I figured I am employed by the church so I should at least turn up. But as I said, it was ok. I enjoyed the Bible readings, and I survived the carols, and it didn't go for too long so it was good.

Chris, Jem and David came 'round after church to watch Gremlins. That wasn't the plan, but that's what we ended up watching. I don't think it's a great movie. But it's sit through-able. I was one when it was made.

The interview was good. It was harder than the last "chat" I had. The questions were tougher, but it was good. I hope they liked me. I figure whether I get the job or not, that's not my problem. I'm sure I'll try and make it my problem, but really that's up to God. I guess now I have realised that I have left my current church and now if I don't get this job I have nothing else to do. So I'm trusting God that He has it under control. And if He doesn't have it under control then he probably doesn't have anything under control, and in that case we're all screwed.

But He does, so that's good.

I have to go to an interview today at the church with the yellow walls. I found out about it this morning. I'm not sure what to wear. I don't know how official it is. I feel a little un-prepared. Nothing a little prayer can't fix.

Perhaps they would like it if I put some shoes on.

I think these things are silly. But watch the video. Good for a laugh.

(What's the bet I'll be riding one in 10 years time? Who's gonna be laughing then? "Not I" said the boy.)

We had a sleep over for youth group last night. It was a lots of fun, and a little sad. It was probably my last time running Reg Spacy, due to next years movements.But it was cool. I was great hanging out with the "kids". They are a good bunch, I like them muchly.

We went to Pizza Hut. Seeing as it was all you can eat, Luis and I were encouraged to eat a drink concotions of various foods and drinks and ice cream and bacon chips. It wasn't too bad but I did gag a few times.

I also discovered a fun thing to do with jelly and lips and teeth. It's an individual activity, so don't worry.

I also got to tell the story of the bomb and the CityRail man. I think that's my story of the week. I think I've told it about 30 times now. Good thing Robert isn't around at the moment or he would complain about hearing it over and over again. Perhaps I will have to start complaining to me for him.

We looked at fairy lights too. They were nice. Some people put a lot of work into their displays. Some don't. Most don't, but that's ok, I still love them.

After our lights, we went to church and watched movies, and closed our eyes for extended periods of time.

When I told the kids that I wasn't going to be there next year, and neither was Becky, and Michael might not be around much, no-one cried. Oh well. Although I think I might have been a little uncomfortable if someone had cried. One day though, one day I say "I'm leaving" and someone will cry. I'll say it to my wife. I won't mean it, it'll just be a little joke. She'll cry, then I'll tell her I'm not really leaving and we'll all have a good laugh.

Was I talking about the youth group?

I got this cd today.

It's not like any of my other music. It's like a dance party, man. Rave. Ooo. I could go clubbing. That kind of music, of which I don't know much about. There are no gaps between the songs. Very hard to figure out what track you're listening to. But I'm having fun.

I bought it because I was buying lots of Chrissy presents and I thought, "Hey, Christmas is the time for giving, I'm going to give something to myself." So I did. Now I am experiencing new things. Ooo.

I haven't had lunch yet. Little hungry.