Flashpoint 27-FEB-2011

Flashpoint is on tomorrow and with all good new years intentions, the planning has been left till the last minute

Matthew 6:24  Children's Bible Talk / Object Lesson)
6:24 "No one can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.

We put a piece of 50mm square x 1500mm long piece of wood down on the dais.
Then balanced a piece of 24mm thick 1200 x 1200 ply on it.  Like a see saw.
Invited the kids to come and stand on it and get it to balance.  Then tried to get them to move aorund while having it balanced.
Then got them all to move to one end of the see saw piece of wood.  Now we are not trying to keep it balanced.  Then asked some to walk around on it.  Do not worry about the balance.  Now it is easy to walk.
The Message - Get your priorities right.  Put God as your first priority.

FLASHPOINT Based on  Isaiah 49:8   Object Lesson / Children's talk
"Thus says the LORD: In a time of favor I have answered you, on a day of salvation I have helped you"

Got everone round the ute.
Asked them to lift it.  They could lift the tray up somewhat but the wheels stayed ffirmly on the ground.

Asked what we could do to make it easier.  (Had hoped someone would say take some of the stuff out of the tray (It was loaded up with a PA system).  But there were some kids (notably my own) who knew what was coming and so they jumped strait to suggesting using a lever.

So out with some pieces of wood.
A lump to use a fulcrum
A long and very strong lever.
Then the kids got on the lever and lo and behold they could lift the wheel off the ground.

If you are replicating this, note a few things - The wooden blocks on either side of both front wheels (to stop the car moving)
The lever is under the plate where the springs bolt to the axle.  The bits of the U bolt that point down sort of trap the lever so it is less likely to twist.  Especially handy when the kids are jumping off or getting on.

Later on after we had the Isiah bible reading had a little talk where we pointed out
1.  From Matthew reading - Make sure God is your #1 priority
2.  Then God will help you to do the big things that He wants you to do.  With God's help (like the lever) you can do much bigger things than you can do on your own or even with your friends.

 
Then sang some songs.

Paul read a story "I Can Do Anything That's Everything All On My Own (Charlie and Lola)".

Then we stuck these really tricky spring out box things together so we have something to remind us of when flashpoint is on and also somewhere to stick our memory verse reminders.

Making Power Point Presentations

PURPOSE
Ask your self, what is the purpose, what is the one thing that the viewer absolutely must get from this slide and is it clear?


PICTURES & WORDS
Pictures & Drawing are better than words

5 X 5 WORDS
5 lines of 5 words each.  (7x7 maximum)

ANSWER THE OBVIOUS QUESTIONS
For example if the slide shows a measured result, show the spec. 
If the slide reports a problem, acknowledge that its a problem and either provide the solution right there or indicate that the solution will be outlined in the next few lides.

BACKGROUND
Use a single colour (or black or white) background.  Do NOT use a graduated shade background as your text will not be visible on one side or the other. Do NOT use a picture for the backgraound.  It will clash with something.

TAG LINE
Where appropriate try to have a key tag line that the reader takes away from each slide.  Not every slide but as often as possible.


LAST SLIDE
At the end have a slide of the same design with nothing on it (ie just the background) because sometimes power point jumps back to the design vire and this way you can stop early.

House Captain Chris

Chris being crowned "Coolabah" House Captain
Congratulations Chris










And the crowd goes wild

Rip up floor part 2

Sunday

Bob (forground) working hard on the bits jammed in the corner

Chris and Hunter got stuck into ripping off the gyproc.  The Gyproc that was stuck to the concrete had remain moist.  I think the water was trapped in the concrete.  The back of the gyproc was black with mould.

Megan carrying gyproc and Fin looking happy.
Amazing how good it feels after demolishing something.

Jemma examins the room.  Looks so much bigger when empty.

Rip up that floor

Saturday dawned with me (Frank) still trying to manage internet issues.  We have on going issues with TPG that  followed on from the line being completly out as a result of the flood.  Telstra themselves took about two weeks to fix the line and then even though for voice calls it is as clear as ... the internet went up and down like a yo yo.

I think the general consensus at work is that the problem is in fact inside TPG's network and not even anything to do with the physical line.  However we have not been able to convince TPG of that and so a Telstra tech is due Monday to look into this.  Given that we first reported this on 2-FEB (I think) it has been a long and frustrating experience where we have bought new ADSL modem and disconnected fax machines and put up with non cohereant customer "service" people.  Anyway enough of that vent.  So I reinstalled the server at work and then came home.

Megan and I went to an Easterfest meeting (http://easterfest.com.au/).  This is shaping up to be bigger than Ben Hurr.

Anyway on to the fun stuff.

Ripping up the floor.

The best technique (in my opinion and as I am writing the blog I get to judge.  The rest of you can expand your theories in the comments section) is as follows.
1. A tool like a pinch bar is used to lift the edge slightly.
2. The crow bar is kept as low and flat as possible and rammed in.

3. Pieces of wood are hammered in.  The objective is not to lift one board but to lift as many as possible.
4.  Eventually by hand you wiggle off the nearest board to you.

Frank and Marcus lift one of the water logged pieces of ply.
Cath in yellow hat and Jono in black hat.

Peter Burrows carries out a section of floor.  Paul with a sweat band gets a break for a few seconds.

Thanks also to ...
Wendy who brought Gatorade.
Megan who worked hard, took photos, made snacks and drinks.

The posse of teenage girls who took lots of stuff off the shelves and upstairs.Bob who worked hard but likes to remain in the background.







What do you do with a photo like this.





Peter Burrows (Action Coach) Chris and Paul.

Chris and Callan did a great job.

That drink at what turned out to be the end.
For today anyway.

Kate (on the left) took the boards and separated them and stavked them.You can see the pile almost a metre high at the left.

Thanks guys and girls.

Bicycle Helmets are BAD

Most people associate bicycle helmets with safety.

I hate them and think that they should NOT be compulsory.
Why you may ask.  And so you should.

My first reason is that when we were in Europe, especially Germany, many many people rode bicycles.  In the down town area and around suburban railway stations, every light pole and fence had dozens of bicycles chaied up.  The roads were teaming with people on bicycles.

Over here only the real enthusiasts ride bicycles.
I wonder how many of Campbel Newma's rent a bikes ever get used?

I wonder if we had gazillions of people riding bicycles whether the long term health benefits for many people, fewer heart attacks, lower stress levels, less fatness would out weigh the short term issues - deaths from being run down and of course the increases in head injuries because they would not be wearing helmets?

I wonder if there is any research to support this.  I bet no government sponsored research.

So I typed "whats wrong with bicycle helmets" in to google.
http://bicyclesafe.com/helmets.html

"Helmet use among U.S. cyclists was nearly non-existent before the 1990's.  Nobody wore helmets in the 80's and before.  So what happened when helmet use skyrocketed in the 1990's? Head injuries went down, right?
No, head injuries went up.
Let me repeat that:  
When helmet use went up, so did head injuries. 
There's a big article about this in the New York Times, showing that head injuries among cyclists went up 51% in the 1990's as more and more cyclists started wearing helmets.
I'm not suggesting that helmets caused the head injuries; there are other plausible explanations for why head injuries increased (more attention to helmets and less attention to safe riding skills being one of them).  But what I am saying is that the protective value of helmets is so small it's hard to measure."

http://bicycleuniverse.info/eqp/helmets-nyt.html
Still, with fewer people riding bicycles, experts are mystified as to why injuries are on the rise. "It's puzzling to me that we can't find the benefit of bike helmets here," said Ronald L. someoneorother.

But what about in Australia
http://www.marcuswestbury.net/2010/12/08/australias-arts-and-culture-scene-has-a-bike-helmet-problem/
According to Mikael Colville Anderson, a Danish cycling advocate who was on Radio National last week, the main reason Europe doesn’t have compulsory helmets is . . . Australia. Every time it comes up in any European city or country the response according to Anderson is: “Let’s not do what they did in Australia, they killed off the urban cycling culture.”
What you gain is not worth what you lose.
Killing a culture through well-meaning rules and regulations? Where have I heard that one before? Australia’s cycling culture isn’t the only one we’ve smothered with rules and regulations. We live in one of the most micro-regulated societies in the world

you can say that again

We live in one of the most micro-regulated societies in the world

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/lifestyle/wellbeing/bicycle-helmet-dos-and-donts-20100915-15cs8.html?comments=87
""I don't know if [helmets] do much to protect the inner part of the brain," he says. "That's where people might be saying, 'Well, if you're going to get a serious head injury, it's going to happen whether you're wearing a helmet or not.' Well, there's some truth in that, but...."

So what shuld be done:-
1.  Get rid of compulsory helmet laws.
2.  Let people make the decison them selves and
3.  Accept that there will be more serious head injuries and death.
The government should not try to protect us from ourselves.
4.  Find out what the laws in Germany and the Neatherlands are regarding cars and bikes.

Crikey
http://blogs.crikey.com.au/croakey/2010/12/08/cycling-helmet-laws-what-does-the-evidence-really-say/

Beatitudes. Childrens Address

Megan and I are helping with church today.  The children's address is part of it.
The bible reading today is Matthew 5:3-10.  The Beatitudes.
Mind you I am not quite sure why Sherwood is a week behind.  Anyway we will try to catch up another day.


"The message of Jesus was one of humility, charity, and brotherly love. He taught transformation of the inner person. Jesus presents the Beatitudes in a positive sense, virtues in life which will ultimately lead to reward. Love becomes the motivation for the Christian. All of the Beatitudes have an eschatological meaning, that is, they promise us salvation - not in this world, but in the next. The Beatitudes initiate one of the main themes of Matthew's Gospel, that the Kingdom so long awaited in the Old Testament is not of this world, but of the next, the Kingdom of Heaven.

While the Beatitudes of Jesus provide a way of life that promises salvation, they also provide peace in the midst of our trials and tribulations on this earth."[1]

Matthew 5:3-10.  The Beatitudes
1  Blessed are the poor in spirit,  for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

2  Blessed are they who mourn,  for they shall be comforted.

3  Blessed are the meek,  for they shall inherit the earth.

4  Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness,  for they shall be satisfied.

5  Blessed are the merciful,  for they shall obtain mercy.

6  Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God.

7  Blessed are the peacemakers,  for they shall be called children of God.

8  Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness,  for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

Almost all translations of the bible use "Blessed".  The "Good News" translation uses "Happy".

In my opinion, "Happy" is not appropriate and significantly different.  "Happy" are those who mourn just does not do it for me.  La de dah my xyz has just died.  I am mouning.  I doubt that I am happy.  But I am "blessed" because I have experienced something -> "Mourning" and from that I grow.  At the very least, through the process of mourning, I will let go somewhat of the person or thing I am mourning for.  However more importantly, I will most probably develop a sense of empathy toward someone who them selves is mourning so in the future I will be able to comfort someone who is mourning.

We will have to make sure the bible reader reads from a version that is "Blessed are ...."

CHILDRENS ADDRESS
Part 1 - Discuss Beatitudes
Part 2 - Climb over the wall.

Part 1 - Discuss Beatitudes
1
 Before the bible reading. Kids sit down the front.               [Megan]
Point out that we are going to hear in the bible reading some sentences that start with "Blessed are....".  You need to listen very carefully because there is going to be a quizz after.  Hint for the littlies count the number of times he says "blessed are.."
2
Explain "Blessed"                                                               [Megan]
2
Bible reading by                                                                  [Grant]
3
Quizz                                                                                 [Frank]
Who knows how many "blessed are..." statements there were?  (The answer is 8 by the way.  :)  )

Put your hand up if you can remember one of the "blessed are ..." statements.
Start from the littlest.
As each statement is remembered we will explain its meaning

And stick it up around the church somewhere.


poor in spirit - This means sad.  If you are sad today then you are blessed because when you see someone who is sad you will understand and be able to comfort them.  Maybe give them a hug.

mourn - What does mourn mean?  Its when a person or animal dies.  We feel sad in a big way.
Again when we mourn, we learn what it is like to loose someone and we can help some one else who is mourning.  We also understand in a small way that life goes on.

meek - This means not being a bully or being a pain.  Sometimes it is very hard to just sit and let something happen and not jump up and sort of help out.  Do you ever have a brother or a friend say "here I will show you" and they jump in and do it for you.  Sometimes you wish that they would just let you work it out for your self.  You wnat them to me meek.

hunger and thirst for righteousness, - This is when we see something not right like someone stealing in a shop or bashing up someone at school.  We see it and we want to put it right.  We learn from that feeling of wanting to put it right.

merciful - This is when you accept an apology.  When someone does you wrong and you do not make them pay.

pure of heart - This is when you are right with God.

peacemakers - This is like when you can stop two people fighting or arguing.  but remember you have to do it in a way where they do not feel like you are fighting with them.

persecuted - Have you ever gotten into trouble for something you did not do?  It happens in families and it sure happens at school.  You learn


Part 2 - Climb over the wall.

Set up the big office partition on the dais.  Need a couple of adults to hold it up.
Little kids challenge is to climb over it.  They will need to help each other.  Push and maybe even one sits at the top and pulls.  Adults to spot.  When you get over, you can go round and help others get over.

Big kids help but make sure you let the little kids help too.

Remember you can be a helper and you can be helped too.

REFERENCES
[1] http://www.jesuschristsavior.net/Beatitudes.html