Passing Through

We are in Arkle's Bay, Whangaparoa, NZ, passing through on the way to LA. We spent Christmas Day with my parents and one of my sisters and her husband. which was nice. It's been a long time since we've been able to be together at Christmas.
I wonder what's on the other side of this door? ... I wonder what's in store for us on the other side of the Pacific? Well, we begin to find out at about 10:30am on Friday 29th December! We're looking forward to it ;-)

No , This is not Ali's new Lap Dog!

We went to Melbourne at the start of December and stayed with Ali's parents. This is Lucy - perhaps a bit bored with everything.

We visited Christian City Church Whitehorse on Sunday 3rd in the morning and were involved in leading the worship and doing a couple of items. We then went to Bayside Community Church at night where I was the "guest artist", leading worship and doing a40 minute set as well. It was a great day in church (as well as a very long and tiring one for Ali and I).

We have been absolutely flat chat the last couple of weeks trying to wind everything up here in Perth ready for our move to California. We fly out on Christmas Eve and spend Christmas day in NZ with my parents and one of my sisters and her husband, before heading to LA on 29th December. We'll be in church on Sunday 31st - New Year's Eve! Wow!

New Horizons

Hello friends,

Just wanted to let you know about some exciting developments for us as a family.

As of January 2007 we will be moving from Perth and living in Orange County, California. There is a church there called Destiny People that was started from scratch about 5 years ago by Wes and Ellie Beavis. This church is going to become a Campus of Riverview Church. Wes and Ellie will become the “Lead Pastors” (as opposed to Senior Pastors) of the campus, and Ali and I (and Daniel) will come alongside them bringing the Riverview “DNA” and all the support we can. We will lead the Worship Team as well as having input in many other areas.

This is an exciting new phase for Riverview Church and for us and we’re excited about the new opportunities and challenges that God has for us. We’re particularly pleased that even though we’re leaving Perth we are still very much part of Riverview.

Please keep us in your prayers and stay in touch.

Big love,

Mark & Ali

More Legends from Church Together '06

This is Jason about an hour before the start... Jason played drums and did an incredible job.
He's "in the zone" - I think he was a bit nervous!

Eddie Botha - one of the great characters of Riverview...

...and Di Botha - the other great character of Riverview!
I love these guys.
Boof still working up a pout...

Boof's beautiful red shoe! It had a fantastic day apparently.

A Beautiful City

On the night of my birthday we sat on the South Perth foreshore and ate fish and chips with this as our view. Fantastic!

A Stolen Kiss

Kiss me—full on the mouth! Yes!

For your love is better than wine, headier than your aromatic oils.
The syllables of your name murmur like a meadow brook.
No wonder everyone loves to say your name!
Song Of Solomon 1:2 (MSG)

This is my favourite shot from the Church Together snaps. Lance and Simone sneakin' a kiss!

Great Music From Phil Wickham

I bought this album a couple of months ago and I'm still loving it. It's worship music although most of it would not be congregational. It's heartfelt and God directed.
This guy can write, sing and play!

Great lyrics... I love this particular song - Mystery:

Here in the Quiet speak to me now
My ears are open to Your gentle sweet whispering
Break down the door, come inside
Shine down Your bright light
I need a lamp for my feet, I need a lamp for my feet

I want to hear the thunder of who You are
To be captured inside the wonder of who You are
I want to live I want to breathe
To search out Your heart and all of Your mysteries

You were the first and You’ll be the end
Time cannot hold You down
Why save a wretch like me?
No eye has seen, no ear has heard
No heart could fully know
All of Your mystery

He sings with great passion and fantastic control with obvious influence from the likes of Freddy Mercury and Jeff Buckley.

Anyway, I could go on about him or you could just check out Phil's MySpace site for yourself here.

Some of the Special People at Church Together

Simone bought this radio from the $2 shop and pretended she was running the whole show! What? It's real?! How cool!

Boof did a magnificent job on sound... he's still working on the modelling career though - just doesn't know the difference between a pout and a pucker. (This was his best pout.)

Annette The Rocker - and yes, she truly is that!

Andrea and Ruthie just being glamorous.

Ali and Penny just being naturally gorgeous!

Heather (who did a great job with the offering), and Ali.

Adam (Big Bird) showing off his beautiful features!

Church Together '06

Here's a few pics from Hillsong United's set at Church Together. They were rockin' and it was good to see virtually everyone stay and be part of it.

Joel Houston

JD takin' it to the people

Joel, JD and Matt in a frenzied moment!

JD and Matt

Jad, having a chat to the boys

Jad - rock god!

Matt's view

All Creation Sings???

Yep! But it doesn't mean they all have a great voice... ;-)

Final Rusting Place

"Ageing unprepares us for life in this visible world and gives opportunity to prepare for the next." Philip Yancey in Rumours Of Another World.

(Thanks Boof for the title)

The Model Wife

The man who finds a wife finds a treasure,
and he receives favor from the Lord.
Proverbs 18:22 (NLT)

Yes, I am blessed... and I managed to get a cool photo of her too!

All Creation Sings!

Cottesloe, WA
1 The heavens proclaim the glory of God.
The skies display his craftsmanship.
2 Day after day they continue to speak;
night after night they make him known.
3 They speak without a sound or word;
their voice is never heard.
4 Yet their message has gone throughout the earth,
and their words to all the world.
Psalm 19 (NLT)

Canal Rocks, South of Yallingup, WA
The seas have lifted up, O LORD,

the seas have lifted up their voice;
the seas have lifted up their pounding waves.
Psalm 93:3 (NIV)

Visual Variety 4

Daniel getting some air... Ollie off the stairs at a little church in East Perth.

We were "down South" for a few days recently and enjoyed some great weather and some great scenery. This is the very famous - and very long, Busselton Jetty on a stunning day.

Thought Of The Day

There are two ways of spreading light:
to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it.
Edith Wharton

Wild!

Froth On The Rocks!

From near Moses Rock, just South of Yallingup, Western Australia

Old Rusty (Or is it Old Bluey?)

There's something about old broken-down things that draws me to them as a photography subject...

Final Resting Place - Job Done!

Something To Bug The "Purists"

Here's something different for you to look at. What do you think it is (or was)?

That’s the problem with art: what is and what isn’t art is decided by very few people. Bono on Bono, p73

If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change. Wayne Dyer

Wet Night Storm

Sea At Night

Outback Painting

Into The Night

Icy Blue

Ice

So... Does it matter what tools one uses to make their art? Or do you think one must stick to very defined guidelines to create anything of relevance or significance?

From Wikipedia:
A purist is one who desires that a particular item remain true to its essence and free from adulterating or diluting influences. The term may be used in almost any field, and can be applied either to the self or to others. Use of the term may be either pejorative or complimentary, depending on context. Because the appellation depends on subjective notions of what is "pure" as opposed to "adulterating" as applied to any particular item, conflict can arise both as to whether a person so labeled is actually a purist and as to whether that is desirable.

Here's a short discussion on what is fake, or not:
http://www.danheller.com/faq-manipulation.html

P.S. The above creations were made from one photograph of a rusty light pole in Perth City... a pole that does exist, but is now only distantly related to this "art".

Visual Variety 3

No prizes for guessing what I've been up to lately! I've spent a fair bit of time learning about Photoshop Elements - a great imaging programme from Adobe. You can do SO much if you have the time and the patience. Love it!

Church in East Perth. Had some fun distressing this one.

A door at Mundaring Weir.

A house in the country in the Middle Swan area. Nice colours!

Engaging!

Thanks everyone who responded to an earlier posting regarding what makes you connect with a song and make you want to sing it. Some great thoughts there!

I have another question for you: When you go to church, what engages you, pulls you in and gets you involved in worshipping yourself? Comfortable environment, seating, lighting, sound, staging, props, worship leader/band, preacher, video/multimedia, etc, etc.????

Visual Variety 2

Nailed!
This I found on an old condemned bridge near Mundaring Weir.

A goat in the country-side...

Wet Night. Great Eastern Highway, Burswood.