What's happening in the Aussie music scene...

This past couple of days I've been at GMA-ANZ on the Gold Coast, Australia. A bunch of 'Christians' involved with the 'so-called' Australian and New Zealand music industry got together for a conference. Representatives from Australian and New Zealand Festivals, artists, song writers, labels, recording studios, radio, promoters... gathered to network and encourage those who attended.

It was great actually putting a face to the names of people I've worked with in the past from all over Australia that I'd never met. People who'd imputed into the ministry of Alabaster Box.

Emjoyed seeing artist, Stu Larsen perform again. This Dalby/Toowoomba boy joined Alabaster Box on the first 'outback' Australia tour I organised in 2003. Great to watch the musical journey he has been on over the years. Check him out! Also enjoyed meeting new artist Nathan Eshman and Sevem Mi Lord. Highly recommend 'Christians' in the music industry to come to next years GMA-ANZ.

One keynote speaker, Mark De Jong founder of Parachute Festival and Parachute Music in New Zealand spoke on the power of a 'song'. Quite obvious really... think of the artists that have been catapulted into success after releasing a powerful song. Then think then of those artists that are household names still after decades... hits after hits that stick around on radio for years. A song is the voice of mankind. One persons creativity has the ability to affect anothers mood or emotion... an incredibly powerful phenomena.

I'll never forget the email that came through from Brisbane's local Christian Radio station, 96.5 about Alabaster Box's song 'There's Hope'. A lady in a desperate situation had decided to end her and her chronically ill teenage daughters life. She drove to a carpark, hooked up the exhaust to the car and decided to switch on the radio to listen to a song 'to go out to'. 'There's Hope' came on and the spirit of God filled the car. The lady removed the exhaust fumes and cried a life time of tears before driving to a nearby church where she gave her life to the Lord! The power of a song... and the power of a 'God' anointed song!

Have you ever heard a song that's dramatically affected you and your course of action? You might remember the exact part of the highway you were driving on when you heard it... Hearing the song again could be associated with happy thoughts or incredibly painful. Love to hear your story.

An 'Aussie' ute in Theodore, Central Queensland

Just spent the last couple of days with some great friends - Trevor and Katy Kucks in the small country town Theodore, Central Queensland. Population round 500! My friends just happened to be in the 'Big smoke' - Brisbane, on the weekend and offered to take me back to their farm for a couple of days. I became really close friends with this family while I was teaching out in Taroom a while back. They were just 120kms up the road (just over an hours drive away!) One of the biggest fears I had driving to their house was hitting a roo! Apparently kangaroos account for over 60% of animal collisions in Australia! I've had several near misses but thankfully never cleaned up. Kinda wished I had a 'roo bar' or 'bull bar' for some extra safety.
Check out the Toyota Land Cruiser Ute in the pic. Never seen a 'ute' like this in the US or the bull bar! This bloke works for the Kucks' on their farm.



Great couple of days in Theodore! Thanks Trevor and Kate for the good times! Highly recommend the nice little country drive if you're ever in Queensland. Only about eight hours from Brissy or one hour flight to Rocky and then two hour drive to the farm... if planes decide to be on time!

Overcoming the mountains...

Saturday we climbed Mt Tibrogargan - one of the Glasshouse Mountains near the Sunshine Coast in Queensland. What an impressive climb... yes climb not hike! I actually have sorer back muscles from using my arms and not legs! A couple joined us with their 10month old baby! She even fell asleep strapped to her daddies back. Could draw some spiritual analogies there hey!?

Reflecting on our climb when we came home you realise that when we you are climbing all that matters was finding that next foothold or rock to grasp hold off and hanging on for your dear life! Momentary issues and concerns were forgotten. From the ground looking up at these sheer rock faces the mountain looked impossible... or only possible for hardcore climbers! But as you climb, step by step, hand hold by hand hold impossibilities became realities... the magnificent view of the valleys surround became our reward. What an incredible sight!

So, if you feel like you're struggling up a mountain today and there is no breakthrough in site grasp hold of today... don't look to the worries of tomorrow or the failures of yesterday. Focus on Jesus and allow him to climb the mountain with you showing you the best footholds along the way! Simple hey :-P

How to be happy at work? A tribute to Mr Jones

The other night I was watching Today Tonight and they had this bloke come on to give tips on "how to be happy at work". The two tips he mentioned that have stuck in my mind are
- Help someone else
- Think about death

The latter sounds kinda morbid but if you think about it, momentary problems at work soon fad away and priorities start being realigned if life and death are put into perspective.

Earlier this week I was reminded of all this when I attended the memorial service of one of my teachers, Mr Richard Jones from Westside Christian College. He was an amazing Godly man who was always pointing people to Jesus and providing Godly counsel to his students. The legacy he has left behind is an army of students who are world changers who have had their lives significantly changed. His passion for social justice has led to numerous years of students getting involved with the 40-hour famine with World Vision. Someone set up a Facebook Group to honour him here. You can read for yourself stories from student after student of how he impacted their life.

Such a challenge hey! Definitely got me thinking about the legacy I will leave.

I wanted to leave you with some words from the speech Mr Peter Evans, also a former teacher a Westside, shared at a tribute service. He starts off by referring to one of his favourite scriptures.

1 Peter 3:8 8 Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble.

This verse finishes off from the previous chapter ... that’s all about living as Christians in the world. Peter talks about good conduct, submitting to authority ... to rulers and masters ... and then about marriage ... about submission and respect and being considerate of each other. That Christ is the example ... he suffered for us ... and we should follow in his steps. When the going got tough, Jesus trusted in God.

Peter’s final word in this section is that we are to be 5 things. We are to be united, living in harmony. We are to be sympathetic to each other ... to walk in the other’s shoes. We are to love each other like we’re family ... like brothers and sisters. We’re to be compassionate towards each other ... caring deeply ... getting beyond the superficial. And lastly we are to be humble ... which means being teachable, putting the other person first, never using people for your own selfish ambitions.

Y’know, Richard was like that ... and it used to frustrate the heck out of me. You see at Westside Christian College, Richard was the Pastoral Care Coordinator ... and I was a Year Level Coordinator. All of the complaints, all of the behavioural issues ... whenever a kid was naughty ... that came to me. And I had to sort them out. I would interrogate ...I mean investigate, hunt kids down, find out what happened, try and work out who was at fault ... and dish out the punishment: Lunchtime detentions, sport detentions, after-school detentions ... litter duty, cleaning windows, sweeping paths ... but best of all ... calling their parents ... I wielded a big stick.

Isolate the perpetrator and punish them. My job was to maintain discipline. But Richard ... he used to drive me nuts. I wanted to know what they had done ... he wanted to know them. I wanted justice ... he wanted to understand them. I wanted to punish them ... he wanted to love them. The kids that kept mucking up over and over and over again, I wanted to get rid of them ... but he wanted to adopt them. Richard loved the ‘unlovables’. The kids that got under your skin. He spent time with the kids that no-one else had time for. He loved them ... and they loved him for it. We used to call his sandals: ‘Jesus Sandals’.

He always challenged me to get to know the story behind the student. To look at the bigger picture. He taught me ... someone who did everything to avoid conflict ... that conflict can be good ... because it allows you to address a problem ... it exposes a wound ... it’s an opportunity for resolution and healing.

...more

Richard was one of those rare people that you meet who drank richly from life and held on to things of this earth very lightly.

He inspired me ... as a young Christian man ... to look up. To keep my eyes on Jesus. To stop and be still and know God.

Richard focussed on the journey ... because he knew the end was already sorted. He knew where his true home was. He lived out his days with the end in sight.

So I mourn for Richard ... and I thank God for the way he challenged and shaped me as a young Christian man ... but I know where he is ... and I know that one day I will join him ... and I look forward to that day. With Richard, a Son has been called back to his Father. I remember that day when he wrapped his arms around me ... and shared my pain ... but bigger arms than mine ... embrace him now.

So... how's your job going? Are you allowing your life to be a positive influence that one day people will reflect on with gratitude and admiration? If you know Jesus... does your life reflect him and bring him glory? I reckon we can all learn something from Mr Jones.

Climb Mt Tibrogargan this Saturday...

Any climbers out there? This Saturday me and me bro and climbing Mt Tibrogargan. Let me know if you might be up for the action!

Who's bring people to your church?

Thought this was a classic story worth sharing with you all. As you might be aware I am currently in Australia spending time with family and friends and working on Alabaster Box's next Australian tour. I've had a great time so far spontaneously doing stuff... from visiting with friends on the Gold Coast and in Brisbane... climbing mountains with nieces... going to the beach... getting my butt kicked while trying to run with my bro.

Anyway, last night, my brother, Tim (pictured - he took the pic so I figured he was giving me the liberty of using however I pleased ;-) ) invited me to his church - Citipointe Church - where Raju Sundas from Hosanna Church Ministries in Kathmandu Nepal was going to be sharing. It was an incredibly refreshing hearing from this influential guy. People everywhere are becoming Christians in Nepal where 80% of people are Hindu's - formally a country where Christians would have been persecuted for their faith there is now freedom. Raju has favour with the president and has seen the tides turn just in the last year. Just last Christmas - Christmas Day was declared a public holiday and the message of Jesus was shared on TV channels all over the country side. I could go on... but that was not the intention of this post.

When we arrived, Tim introduced me to his Pastor who then proceeded to tell us about this chick who was already there that he'd just met. He said he walked up to her and introduced himself and asked how she found out about the church. She said 'Tim Argow' So he then asked her how he'd met him. She then told him how she had been in a car accident. Her car (that she'd literally just bought and was driving home uninsured") was written off. The guy who hit her apparently was on his way to the hospital with his pregnant wife so he couldn't stay and wait for police. She was freaking out on the side of the road without a mobile phone and a written off car... and Tim drove by and stopped to help out... invited her to church and the rest is history!

Modern day story of the Good Samaritan I say. What do you think? How are people finding out about your faith and relationship with Jesus? Words without action are dead.