Battleground vs. Playground

Martin (therevhead) showed us this quote at a Spiritual Warfare workshop a little while ago. I love it:

People, our parents held, had to choose sides; they could not be neutral.
For them it must be life or death, heaven or hell, and if they chose to come
on God's side, they could expect open war with God's enemies. The fight
would be real and deadly and would last as long as life continues below.
Men looked forward to heaven as a return from the wars, a laying down of the
sword to enjoy the home prepared for them.

How different today; Men think of the world as a playground not a
battleground. We are here not to fight but to have fun. We are not in a
foreign land we are at home. We are not getting ready to live, but we are
living already. And the best we can do is rid ourselves of our inhibitions
and our frustrations and enjoy life here.
- AW Tozer

Computer Games

I was lying in bed this morning (it was 7.15 and I was awake because I'd gone to bed at 9pm last night - nice...) and I was hiding under my covers from the outside world, thinking how wonderful it is to be safe for at least the net hour or so until I had to get up, and I starting dwelling upon the fact that all I really wanted to do for the rest of the day was sleep in and play computer games. I also know, however, that I need to do other stuff, like go to uni, get my window fixed on my car, do uni homework, ring a bundle of people about stuff and other stuff. The desire to run away from it all and play computer games was intense though, and I knew that I had to do something about it.

Reluctantly (very, very reluctantly), I said "God, please take this burning passion to play computer games and turn it into something productive." I hated saying that. Because I didn't want my desire to change into something productive. How logical is that?

Then I pondered; "God, why is it that I like playing computer games so much?" What ensued was a very enlightening and confronting conversation. I'm not sure if I like the answers to that question just yet, or how it helps me deal with this better, but here they are:

I like gaming so much because in a gaming world, there is no pressure placed on me by outside entities. I can't let anyone down in a gaming world. Letting people down causes me anxiety. Anxiety is not a nice feeling for me.
I like gaming so much because I can see results for little effort.
I also like gaming so much because it is a challenge that I take on of my own desire; I'm not forced into this activity by anyone else or by any other circumstances.

Anyway, I'm playing a game called "Sacred" at the moment and it's really cool!

My Favourite Ad of All Time

Check this out guys. This is easily my favourite ad of all time. I can't stop laughing when I watch it. And it's so quotably quotable!

A Short One

Haheet! He is an slopey! Can drink cos it's teeth are brased on top with manchamangy!

My Blogging Experience

I was just thinking about how cool it has been in this past while that we have been blogging. I think the best thing for me has been seeing different sides of of people I already knew. There's something about the written medium, in the context of a forum-like jigger, that is different to verbal communication.

These are the things I have enjoyed different people:

Megan - I guess it's funny, because in a way, I've come to actually know you properly through this. Before I would have said that we were more acquaintances, but now I would consider you a friend. You are a clever, deep and caring person, and it to you I owe the thanks for introducing me to blogger in the first place. Oooo, I forgot to say that you're talented :)

Pavlos - Wow, I've known you for how many years? About 17 I think. And I have never seen you be so witty. Don't get me wrong, you've always been very funny, but in this time, and with this medium, you've shown a real talent for using the written word to make me laugh, and to make me think. I'm impressed by your ability to write too. For a bloke who didn't do Yr 12, I think you would find the transition to Uni study a breeze (if that's ever where you want to head).

King Kohl - Hehe... I've always known you to be the craziest kid in town, but here you've shown that you have the intelligence and understanding of your dad. You are a switched-on kid, Matty B. God's gonna do awesome stuff with your sharp mind.

Andrew - Actually, nothing surprised me here. I don't know whether that's if I know Andrew so well, or because of... I don't know what else, but... Hang on! I just thought of something that I wasn't expecting: you think up very funny and interesting titles for blog posts. Hehehe.... 1000 posts? Writing backwards? That's the best :) Otherwise though, you've been the deep, funny and random man I know you to be :) So random it's everywhere at everything I'm hungry!

Luke - you don't get a mention because you don't post on my site, and hardly ever on Megan's. So NNNNEEEERRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!! (even though technically you did just get a mention).

Revhead - Where have you gone? I'm impressed by three things with you on blogs. One: your ability to make up a story with very little material to go on; two: your knack for elaborating on something that someone else is saying, but then taking it to an all new level of obscurity and enjoyability (evil overlord??? that was your idea!); and three: the fact that a pastor of a big church takes the time to contribute to the bonding of an online community - I like your innovative intellect, I like your desire to see things differently, I like that your mind is always buzzing with new and interesting ideas.

If I've forgotten you, just post and I'll create one. These guys above are the main players (ie. the ones who post regularly on each others' sites), so they're the ones I thought of first :)

Kohl's Kritique :)

I'll give you the honour of having the content of this post, Kohl. As a bit of background, I was asked to give a talk on loneliness at church last Sunday, and it was something that I could (and did) relate personally to. This is what Kohl had to say:

I've never heard you so serious. Maybe that just shows that I don't know you well enough.
But it was truly great. I saw it really hit home for many people, everyone was so attentive. Fergus just before had said how he was struggling with lonlyness, but you didn't just address the problem, explained the symptoms and encouraged self diagnoses with personal experiences (kudos for you for sharing btw) but you gave helpful hints for fixing the problems, both practical and spiritual
not that spiritual isn't practical... :P

As far as personal relevance goes, I believe you said that everyone struggles with lonelyness. Even Tink said on her blog recently "I'd be shocked if I could find someone who hadn't struggled with loneliness at some point in their life."
Not saying this purely to try and be better than you, or to be different, I seriously cannot think of a time when I have been lonely. There have been times when I've been bored, there have been times when I needed to ask someone a question but there had been no one, but they are hardly lonelyness. It probably has something to do with me being an introvert, and always being around my brother. I have a really close knit family and extended family and there has always been someone around, more often than not, someone around even when I didn't want them around. I can't recall ever feeling lonely at all, I suppose I struggle with the other extreme, I'm always trying to avoid people... but that's a different issue.

But I assume I'm a minority, I usually am. Like I said, I personally saw it hit home to many people. There was maybe one or two people who weren't listening avidly, and that's rare. Especially since one of those people was a baby.

Adventures!

Chrystal and I went on one of our little adventures last Saturday night. It was great.

We got dressed up pretty and headed into the city, with the plan to have dinner somewhere and do whatever we felt like doing. First stop was Chinatown. We walked up through Little Bourke for a while pondering which restuarant to eat at, and half enjoying, half getting irritated at the people who stand out the front and hassle you to come inside, and Chrystal spotted a sign that said some kind of Japanese name with "Stonegrill" in the title. Only problem was it looked like it was in a food court. Chrystal persisted that we should check it out so we went in. It turned out to be this gorgeous Japanese-style place which had the best steak I've ever tasted. They served most of the food uncooked on these slabs of stone, and you actually get to cook the food yourself (because the stone is so hot) as you eat it. This means that every mouthful was perfectly done, hot and very tasty. It was quite a fun activity too :) The whole place was filled with this smokey coolness and the atmosphere was great. We both ordered one of those wacko Asian drinks too. Mine had beans in the bottom.

So after that we decided to check out movies. Madagascar was the only one that we really felt like seeing, but it wasn't on that late at the cinemas on Russel/Burke St., and we couldn't be bothered walking all the way to crown, so we waltzed around the city for a bit and just had a nice walk.

We thought we'd go for a drink, so we started heading down Southbank way, and I had a cool idea. I remembered when Chrystal's grandparents took us for dinner at the Sheraton Towers, and thought that that would be a nice place for desert wine and some nice sweet niblets. So we went along, but couldn't find it (I was sure I knew where it was). Anyway, after walking for a little bit, I decided to give up and go to a nice wine bar on Southbank, but Chrystal suggested we ask a porter at a nearby hotel to see if he knew where Sheraton Towers were. We walked up to the hotel and something was nagging me in the back of my mind about this hotel (I was sure I'd seen it before). We asked him and he tells us that this hotel used to be Sheraton Towers but had changed its name. Nice :) We walked in and had a beautiful crisp muscat and some Pistaccio gelati. There was this amazing guy playing piano there too - real chubby bloke, but he played with the feeling and grace of an artist. Everyone was clapping him, and it was a lovely place to be.

On the walk back we saw a group of Asian people singing worship songs at Flinders St Station. It was great - there was a whole lot of people watching them, and a couple of Aussie blokes were joining in with the fun (being really funny about it, but it was really inclusive and great to see).

All in all a gorgeous night. I love city adventures where you head into the city for a night and just see what happens and where you end up. The two places that we found though have made that adventure probably the most succesful that I've had :)

Well, that was fun...

So yesterday. Bruce, your rebellion has ceased to amuse me any more, and so I have sent my innumerable imperial forces to your not-so-secret base and slaughtered every person in sight. If you've survived, you'll find that you can no longer create posts, and that your are no longer a contrubutor to my site. In addition, you are not a part of the Diabolical Brutishness Of Yondike any more (even though you thought up 1/4 of the name). You may reapply for subscription to this cult upon many episodes of foot kissing and low bowing (the kind with the hand twirls).

Ahhh... now, back to ME...!

Asserting My Position!

Since Dboy has neglected his followers, I just thought I'd take this opportunity to assert my position at head honcho of this evil empire! You will all follow me!

Dancing... YEAH!

Hahaha... I just came back from a period of dancing with Year 7 and 12 students and it was great!!! Everybody was having stacks of fun: laughing trying to get coordinated, laughing because we stuffed it up every two steps, laughing because people were falling over the ground, and then cheering when we finally got it right. It was such a good atmosphere in the class. I really got to know the students too, much better than I have teaching them English stuff (in a certain way and to a certain degree), and I think I've learned something really important.

Dancing is a fantastic way to dissolve barriers between people and create group friendship and solidarity. You are kinetically involved with people, looking people in the eye, solving a problem together, and, if the people involved have a good sense of humour and fun, you create a hilariously enjoyable place to be. Yay for dancing!

You've been uncovered!!!

I have found your secret base!! I will wipe you out!!!!

Noooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!

WHAT?!!!! So much resistance to the resistance!!!! WHat's going on?! All I wanted to do was provide a regime that whilst still being evil, provided a valued place for all of my precious minions. I may have to retreat and take my place within the organisation rather than imposing myself on it. Ah Communism, you have failed me yet again...

Resist the Resistance!

Ok, it is well known that our town is being occupied by the more-evil-than-Dboy Overlord Bruce, and that he/she is creating a stack of angst for the wise and sensitive Old-Evil-Overlord-but-now-devious-guerilla-warfare-mastermind-and-still-all-round-nice-guy Dboy!

Therefore, I have gone underground and am organising the resistance to the resistance. We are meeting at a secret place, and organising an uprising. It will be a slow and costly process - many of you may lose your lives - but soldier by soldier, we will drive the occupying tyrants out of our land and restore the shark infested cupboard!!!

Just send me an email, pledging yourself to the resistance, and I will assess your integrity and send you the secret meeting place coordinates. Power to the people!

(dannysymons@hotmail.com)