Short & Sweet - week beginning 20 August, 2012

A car with a view of the sky so blue...

"You take the high road, I'll take the low road..."goes the old Scottish tune penned by poet and folklorist Andrew Long.

Though no one quite knows the exact meaning of the song, one might imagine it depicts that one is taken by vagabonds and rebels, and the other by the gentry and civilised citizenry; one to the eternal life where all goodness and truth reside, the other leading to the ephemeral pleasures of the world and pain and destruction. When spending time on the road, which I have done a lot lately, one is given over to wandering thoughts about such things. My husband is currently executing a covert "get her to the bush" campaign; the still, small whispers of the bush are getting under my skin. It will be interesting to see where that road leads. It takes Stephen and Jan Johnson, draught horse breeders profiled by ABC Open, hours to prepare for a short trip to town. "I like the steadiness of it, the quietness and working with the animals," says Stephen. Oh, for the bush, where the stars and quiet resound.

The Word for the Week: “…for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me…. Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.” Jesus, Matthew 25:35-41.
Quote for the Week: "People of the same trade seldom meet together, even for merriment and diversion, but the conversation ends in a conspiracy against the public, or in some contrivance to raise prices." Adam Smith, economist
Dictionary.com word for the week: nomothetic \nom-uh-THET-ik\, adjective:
1. Giving or establishing laws; legislative.
2. Founded upon or derived from law.
3. Psychology. Pertaining to or involving the study or formulation of general or universal laws (opposed to idiographic).
"Father Frank Brennan has penned a reflective piece on Australia's nomothetic treatment of asylum seekers for the ABC's Religion and Ethics page. He starts, 'Behind all the legal technicalities and political argument about boat people, there is room for deeper ethical reflection and a more principled proposal. But first, to clear away some of the debris.' Well worth a read, I say."

Girl With a Satchel

Short & Sweet - week beginning 13 August, 2012

Our destination over the weekend was Chinchilla, where the cotton-pickers reside, and Dalby, where our loved ones live. Husband had been invited to speak at a Chinchillian church youth event, where we met an amazing and energetic young band, and I delighted in my niece and attended church in Dalby, where the preacher spoke of community in reference to First Corinthians: Paul's gracious appeal to a people with problems to keep Christ at the centre of their thinking and doing.  

How easy it is to be waylaid: to find oneself straying off the path saying, 'I'm doing okay, perhaps I don't need Christ so much today', only to find that you did, indeed, need Christ because you are terribly human and therefore prone to making mistakes and needing his grace. On this, I will endeavour to elaborate soon.

When we returned home, husband and I enjoyed a dinner of pasta on the floor, accompanied by a little glass of red and some nice music. The undivided, simple, quiet life, where the value of what we do on any given day is measured according to the goodness they create for those nearest and dearest to us, is becoming increasingly meaningful to me. From that, it's only natural that the values will permeate father afield... into one's work and community. "Charity starts at home," as my mother says.

The Word for the Week: "If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned." - Jesus, John 15:6 (Yikes!)
Quote for the Week: "We don't have any interesting people in Australian politics." Barry Humphries (not entirely true)
Dictionary.com word for the week: pillory \PIL-uh-ree\, verb:
1. To expose to public derision, ridicule, or abuse.
2. To set in the pillory.
"As the Brisbane Ekka show gets underway, its mix of agriculture displays, equestrian shows and rides drawing in people from across the state who get a day off work, Premier Campbell Newman is being pilloried by the Queensland press for his unmerciful approach to public service job cuts. Hold onto your hats."

Girl With a Satchel

Short & Sweet - week beginning 6 August, 2012

As the bleary-eyed families of Olympians whose hopes have been dashed in the qualifying rounds of the Olympics console their loved ones, dreams of golden victories laid aside, Sophie this week presents a story about two young missionaries going off to do good work in Nepal. 

When he was confronted with two options: to pursue his athletic career or accompany his sister on a mission to China, the Scottish sportsman Eric Liddell ultimately chose the mission field. After winning Olympic gold in the 400m, he hung up his running shoes, became an ordained minister, married and had three children (more on his story to come).

In January, my husband threw away nearly all his sporting trophies. He kept just three. A step of faith that says, 'I will not be defined by these things, though they brought me great pleasure at the time' can be the most liberating thing. But it is often hard to let go if we feel that we have not yet accomplished the task of rising to our best. The finish line has not been crossed.

Read more

Short & Sweet - week beginning 30 July, 2012

Here is the church and here is the steeple...

Sometimes when driving I spontaneously pull over to take pictures of churches and contemplate whatever message the resident pastor or priest or reverend has deemed worthy of signage this week. I think it's a marvellous thing to contemplate, that even in this day and age so many of them remain all over the place, though they have turned many away and others have gone astray. Come what may, there they be, in town and city.

One of my favourite scenes in that seminal film Home Alone 2 Lost in New York is when Macaulay Culkin takes refuge in the church in order to run away from the "baddies" (aka "the wet bandits") and comes across the scary man from next door who had been estranged from his son. Really, churches are full of all sorts, which I'm sure delights God because He created us that way, and all.

This past Sunday, our church welcomed a budding but shy young preacher to the pulpit and I was agape at what he had to say... humble, simple but defiant in his approach, he brought it back to Jesus – our most wonderful friend and fearsome fellow – time and time again as he preached on the Beatitudes. "I think Jesus goes deeper, because it's all about your heart, ultimately, and if it's not, then you're just like the religious people who did all the good stuff but didn't get righteousness, other people and love," he said. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth, indeed.

The Word for the Week: "Be confident and determined and so what the Lord orders you to do. Obey all His laws and commands, as written in the Law of Moses, so wherever you go you may prosper in everything you do." 1 Kings 2:3
Quote for the Week: "I was just so proud of myself for getting this far and just believing in myself was the big thing. Having the odds stacked against you is really tough but to have to believe in yourself under those circumstances is even harder. You always have negative comments going through your head but today it was about, "Well, this is you office, you know what to do!" Leisel Jones, girl-hero and Olympic swimmer.
Dictionary.com word for the Week: usageaster \YOO-sij-as-ter\, noun: A self-styled authority on language usage. "Bill Bryson, Lynn Truss, Stephen Fry... all lovers of language contributing books celebrating the proper usage of English for the layman, and yet mere usageasters in the eyes of professional linguists, much like the lay preacher on the pulpit."

Girl With a Satchel

Short & Sweet - week beginning 16 July, 2012

"Share it Maybe" by Cookie Monster

"And I think to myself, what a wonderful world," sang Louis Armstrong in 1968. Written by Bob Thiele and George David Weiss, the song was "intended as an antidote for the increasingly radically and politically charged climate of everyday life in the United States", its hopeful and optimistic lyrics included in the soundtrack for the 1988 film Good Morning, Vietnam.

Just the same, you can't underrate a good laugh when troubled times come and the world takes on a serious and sombre tone. I have chuckled a lot in the past couple of weeks over very silly things, and I hope you have too. If not, Cookie Monster's "Share it Maybe" for Sesame Street might do it for you. When life gets too much, we can either laugh or cry, or a bit of both. But there must always be hope... even if it takes the form of a giant, moon-shaped chocolate-chip cookie amidst the sparkle of stars on a dark blue night.

Let's catch up: Sophie has lost a cherished loved one so will be absent from the blog this week, while Brooke is off on holiday with a friend leaving two interesting reads in her wake. As for me, I've been nursing a husband with the man-flu and spending time with Man with a Bag (aka Dad) and have a sermon to plan.
The Word for the Week: "Have you commanded the morning since your days began, and caused the dawn to know its place, so that it might take hold of the skirts of the earth, and the wicked be shaken out of it?" Job 38: 12-13
Quote for the Week: "Perhaps they are not stars but rather openings in heaven where the love of our lost ones pours through." - Eskimo proverb 
Dictionary.com word for the week: mote \moht\, noun:
1. A small particle or speck, especially of dust.
2. Moit.
"We are but a tiny mote under the wonder of the cosmos, and yet each of us has so much being it's almost as if there's a whole cosmos stirring within left to explore."

Girl With a Satchel

Short & Sweet - week beginning 2 July, 2012

How simple life can be! No carbon emissions here, just wonderful photosynthesis.

I reckon Geoffrey Blainey, C.S. Lewis, G.K. Chesterton and Ross Gittins would make for marvellous companionship... I enjoy their writing, so I imagine their company would be much the same.

But beyond their profession, it's something of their character I like. They are men of a certain age whose bristles have been worn down with the passage of time; who wear sports coats and hats and scarves and slacks and glasses; who look adoringly upon their wives, children, grandchildren with the kind of affection that melts your heart; who have mental dexterity enough to debate you under the table but enough generosity and good humour to allow for your personal foibles; who still have a childlike curiosity about the world, enabled by their daily walks and well-travelled thoughts; the disposition is generally cheery, sometimes cheeky, sometimes curmudgeonly, but not for long. 

They are on pensions or semi-retired and hang out at men's sheds and golf clubs and buy the paper and say, 'Good morning, how are you today [sometimes "sweetie" or "darl"]?'. Some are married, others alone. Three of these older blokes, with whom I am very close, have taken ill of late. It's very disconcerting. They are mighty men to me, full of dignity though I know also their faults, so to see them rendered somewhat incapacitated is saddening. 

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Short & Sweet - week beginning June 25

Short & Sweet - week beginning June 25, 2012

Good times in the world of The Satchel; the wonderful Sophie and Brooke.

As a Christian it was somewhat disheartening to pick up the papers before church on Sunday and find that the number of young Australians aged 15 to 34 who identify with a religion dropping off the spectrum, such as it is with the latest statistics coming out of the Bureau and highlighted in the press, and also to hear that church attendance is on the wane.

Those declaring that they have ‘no religion’ has risen from 18.7 per cent to 22.3 per cent of Australians. As one friend put it, 'At least people are being honest' – they are much more comfortable with saying, 'About religion, I will not go on the record'.

It's no big secret that Australia is becoming an increasingly secular society, and, as noted by John Dixon of the Centre for Public Christianity in his superb and enlightening interview with the lovely Jane Hutcheon on ABC's One Plus One last night, it's partly – if not wholly – the fault of the church.

That said, there are several other factors at play, including a popular atheism, a school system less open to religious teaching and the media, or sections of it, which may not tell the other story: that the number of Catholics has grown by 300,000 between 2006 and 2011 and the 'other Christians' group showed a 1.1 per cent increase.

As noted by Margaret Simons in The Monthly last year, in the introduction her piece titled 'Crises of Faith: The future of Fairfax': It was Jay Rosen, the New York University academic and new media pioneer, who declared some years ago that journalism was a kind of religion, and the average newsroom a nest of believers. 'There is a religion of the press. There is also a priesthood. And there can be a crisis of faith,' he said.

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Short & Sweet - week beginning June 18

As the Prime Minister Julia Gillard fronts the G20 summit in Mexico and makes her case (medium-term fiscal discipline, decisive new measures and realistic strategies) off the back of a credible economic report card, The Australian continues its probing coverage of the Australian education system, one of Gillard's key prime ministerial calling cards.

"Suspending students from school for bad behaviour is counterproductive, with students who have been suspended twice as likely to be excluded again in the next 12 months," reads the introductory paragraph to Justine Ferrari's front-page story, 'Suspend judgment: keep kids at school'.

Researcher Professor Sheryl Hemphill tells the paper, "Kids who are suspended just keep getting suspended. It doesn't stop the behaviour that resulted in the suspension, it almost sets them on a pathway more likely to lead to suspension. The risk for students who are having trouble maintaining engagement and staying at school is that suspension starts to help them move out of school."

Based on a study by The Australian that shows suspended students are 50 per cent more likely to engage in antiscocial behaviour, and 70 per cent more likely to commit a violent act in the next 12 months, Hemphill points out the contradiction in the message sent to recalcitrant children: "suspension is potentially a way of cutting off students."

Peter Chalkley, head of a school program that deals with suspended and expelled students, and believes in "a redemptive element, offering young people a way forward, would get on well with the gents from the Old Boys Gospel Band, who fronted up at my church over the weekend and frequent goals in order to share their own message of hope and creating a new life through classics by the Doobie Brothers and Rick Price.

They reminded us that in Queensland two-thirds of male prisoners and half of female prisoners are repeat offenders, making a sound economic and social argument for better rehabilitation programs, as well as early intervention, particularly with kids who suffer abuse and neglect in the home (and many are homeless to start with). Of note: most women released from prison have just a garbage bag and nowhere to go.

The majority of Australian prisoners come from the most disadvantaged sections of the community (the Indigenous, underprivileged, those suffering mental illness). Shaking off stigma, getting a second chance, finding some new clothes... there's lots of work to do. And we can help by supporting the people who are in there doing it, including prison chaplains and post-release support programs, and the teachers and families who help keep kids on the right track, and give them chances when they stray.

The Word for the Week: "But before the time of faith came, the Law kept us all locked up as prisoners until this coming faith should be revealed. And so the Law was in charge of us until Christ came, in order that we might then be put right with God through faith. Now that the time for faith is here, the Law is no longer in charge of us." (Galatians 4: 23-24
Quote for the Week: "No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite." ― Nelson Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom
Dictionary.com word of the week: ec·u·men·i·cal \ ek-yoo-men-i-kuhl \ adjective
1. general; universal.
2. pertaining to the whole Christian church.
3. promoting or fostering Christian unity throughout the world.
4. of or pertaining to a movement (ecumenical movement), especially among Protestant groups since the 1800s, aimed at achieving universal Christian unity and church union through international interdenominational organizations that cooperate on matters of mutual concern.
5. interreligious or interdenominational: an ecumenical marriage.
"In his essay, Restorative Justice: Working toward healing, peace and forgiveness, for the ecumenical journal Justice Reflections, Rod Carter contends that, 'a correctional system driven only by statistics and research eventually fails because it ends in polarization and academic debates, which in themselves are forms of violence and exclusion of the offender, victim and community." 

Girl With a Satchel

Short & Sweet - week beginning June 11 (happy returns)

This year's Order of Australia accolades went to 'Those who serve without a crowd', according to The Australian's front page, with honours going to the more cerebral, creative and caring, as apposed to those whose achievements take place on the sporting field, all very timely given the fracas swimming around two young sporting champs of the pool together with the social media's love of a self-promotional update.

The essence is that these are times for toning down, working hard and keeping your nose clean. Business leader Tony Shepherd, president of the Business Council of Australia, who graced The Australian for his Queen's birthday honors list inclusion, disclosed his love of sport, particularly cricket and football, as well as reading, the Australian Chamber Orchestra and his grandchildren, painting a picture of a man of many interests.

"Life is very busy, but fulfilling," he said. His mentor, Italian construction patriarch Franco Belgiorno-Nettis taught him that, "you need to build your relationship on a personal basis first". Meanwhile, last week at a conference held by Christian business industry group CMA titled 'Courageous Leadership in Turbulent Times', micro-finance pioneer and Order of Australia recipient David Bassau told the audience how "the small things were the training ground for the bigger things".

Filmmaker Annika Salisbury with a young companion in Cambodia. Annika and her dad Trevor accompanied us on the whirlwind trip.

Let's catch up: The entanglement of emotions and information and experience procured on my trip to Cambodia, via Thailand, is stuffed in my satchel awaiting gentle extrapolation given the sensitivities around the reason why I was there and the nature of the work of NGOs in culturally sensitive situations; this has been an education in itself.

On arrival on Australian shores – at which point of time I was to attend a funeral under the burden of a thankfully brief bout of flu – I was relieved but longing to be back in Cambodia all at once; we do make life so confusing in the West, do we not?

And yet I tentatively relish the opportunity to get stuck back into the progression of life on the home front; we can't very well put off the bills and decisions for all time while wandering about in far off places now, can we? That is, unless we felt absolutely called to do so. I don't think I am at this point in time. So back to the grind...

This week's agenda: Untangling the journal entries and photos and thoughts to produce something comprehensible for you to read! It was a relief to be without social media responsibilities (thank you, Sophie and Brooke!) and yet I felt a longing to write, write, write as I was seeing, doing and being... this was a learning experience, too: should one stem the flow of creativity when the spirit takes us by surprise and opens up our eyes? I think perhaps not. A thought for further thinking...
The Word for the Week: 'You may brag about yourself, but the only approval that counts is the Lord's approval.' (2 Corinthians 10:18)
Quote for the Week: "There was no stress involved because I wasn't singing my own songs...You have to be as sustainable as you can – in everything." Neil Young, The Australian
Dictionary.com word of the week: divulse \dahy-VUHLS\, verb: To tear away or apart.
"To divulse oneself from everyday cares and responsibilities in the quest for worthier pursuits in far-off places is a romantic notion but may in some ways be denying the necessity of finding contentment with self in any circumstance or situation, but on the other hand forces us to do exactly that."

A big thank you to Sophie, Brooke and Liz for taking care of things around here in my leave of absence... It was a trip in itself to be looking at GWAS from a reader perspective. Feedback welcome.

Girl With a Satchel

Short & Sweet - week beginning June 4th

This week is sure to be one of relief for four aid workers who were rescued by the British SAS after being taken hostage in Afghanistan by armed men for reasons that were not politically motivated, and relief for the British SAS with all hostages being retrieved unharmed (an effort to rescue a British aid worker in 2010 backfired disastrously with the aid worker losing her life in the chaos). UNESCO is warning Australia not to allow the construction of new ports along the Great Barrier Reef as the precious natural-wonder comes under threat from "unprecedented" coastal development, and jobs are continuing to be cut at News Limited and Fairfax Media as the chief newspaper publishers proceed with plans to centralise production and editorial operations, with 28 printers made redundant in the last week at News's Queensland Newspapers - poor print!!

Let's catch up: I spent this week tediously working away at building my new website (and literally not much else) before finally getting it up online, followed by a huge sigh of relief and a good break from computer related activities. I then signed up for my first pair of glasses - simply for computer use, I was pleasantly surprised to find I still had good vision, hoorah!
This week's agenda: My week is a fairly full one, though in a very pleasant way; amidst The Satchel and other jobs here and there (a somewhat 'foodie' theme coming up this week), I have a very important 21st to be celebrated (no, not my own), and the best friend's wedding - I'm SO excited!
The Word for the Week:  "Anxiety weighs down the heart, but a kind word cheers it up." Proverbs 12:25
Quote for the Week: "A man wrapped up in himself makes a very small bundle." Benjamin Franklin
Dictionary.com word of the week: bosh \ bosh \ noun;
1. Absurd or foolish talk; nonsense
"UNESCO has declared that the proposed development of coastline along Australia's Great Barrier Reef is absolutely bosh."

Hoping your week is off to a wonderful start,
Sophie @ Girl With a Satchel.

Short & Sweet - week beginning May 21st

 

The week is greeted with sadness for many with the news that Bee Gees singer Robin Gibb has passed away following a long battle with cancer. Queensland & New South Wales NRL fans (and once-a-year football fans) are gearing up for game one of the 2012 Origin series on Wednesday, and The Australian is reporting that our New Zealand neighbours are packing their bags for Australia in record amounts with the number of annual departures sitting at 53,462.

A little agapanthus flower (now flowerless in the colder climate)

peeking above the sill of my bay window this morning.

Let's catch up: After a whirlwind week inclusive of Mrs. Satchel's last-minute departure for Cambodia, Brooke & I spent this morning resting up; yesterday was spent photographing a lovely home-style garden wedding (the weather was perfect and I'm so excited to get into the editing), while Saturday involved exploring an artist's studio to share with you later this week.

This week's agenda: Plenty of photo processing, editing and compiling to be done, as well as a trip to Brisbane for The Mummy Exhibition (stay tuned), and ending with the best-friend's Hen's Night for myself, and Florence & The Machine's Brisbane show at the Riverstage for Brooke!

The Word for the Week: "I am the vine; you are the branches..." John 15:5

Quote for the Week: "Failures are fingerposts on the road to achievement." C.S. Lewis

Dictionary.com word of the week: Gambit \ GAM-bit \ noun;

1. A remark made to open or redirect conversation

2. Chess. An opening in which a player seeks to obtain some advantage by sacrificing a pawn or piece.

3. Any manoeuvre by which one seeks to gain an advantage.

"Despite having the opposition hot on his heels, he took a last-minute dive and placed the ball over the line, scoring a try. The gambit secured a win for the team."

Sophie @ Girl With a Satchel

Short & Sweet - week beginning April 7

Another long Labor Day weekend greets Queenslanders today, a welcome reward for politicians partaking in two Saturday elections within six weeks. At the federal level, the carbon tax looms like last night's full moon over the delivery of Wayne Swan's budget, while François Hollande has taken the French presidency from Nicola Sarkozy. This possibly means less deliberation over Carla Bruni's wardrobe in the press.

Let's catch up: After three blissful days away last week studying the book of Hebrews on a balcony where I watched a rainbow touch the sea (and took a photo so you could see), I gathered myself to preach at church on Sunday in an utter state of spiritual bliss. God had roused me from sleep and delivered His message on paper at 5.45am on Saturday morning. Being me, and prone to over-research and over-writing and over-thinking, I came back to the message on Saturday afternoon. And overcomplicated everything. Of course, 'twas not me but the Gospel and Jesus that resonated on the day, prompted by a few divine things, which put me in the right swing, right space. Good thing, that grace. I might share part of the sermon – watch this space.
This week's agenda: Many errands to run in addition to the task of generating an income (fun!).
The Word for the Week: "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." Joshua 24:15
Quote for the Week: "Comment is free but facts are sacred." Charles C Scott, British journalist, editor of the Manchester Guardian, 1872-1929
Dictionary.com word for the week: fulcrum \FOOL-kruhm\, noun:
1. The support, or point of rest, on which a lever turns.
2. Any prop or support.
3. Zoology. Any of various structures in an animal serving as a hinge or support.
verb:
1. To fit with a fulcrum; put a fulcrum on.
"The Australian parliament now sits on a fulcrum with the balance of power tipped the way of the independents and a Budget that needs to be passed. That's 70 Labor seats, 71 coalition, 7 others (including Craig Thomson) and the Speaker (-1)."
Reading: 'What money can't buy: trading in the souls of men' by the Archbishop of Canterbury @ ABC Religion & Ethics; 'Other people have an interest in your not writing. I was self-destructive, no questions' @ SMH; Faith Under Fire: What the Middle East Conflict Has Taught Me About God by Andrew White

Girl With a Satchel

Short & Sweet - week beginning April 2

Holly Hobby vintage lunchbox @ Life With a Fussy Eater

The Week, via The Herald Sun, reports that an Australian mother has been banned from her daughter's school after replacing lunches made for the girl by her father. The Family Court heard that the girl was left "upset in the playground" as she attempted to eat two sets of lunches so her mother wouldn't be angry.

The poor girl. As if Little Lunch and Big Lunch with its playground politics isn't distressing enough without having to assuage parental guilt with the excess consumption of boxed up food. "Piggy in the middle" syndrome, represented by this lunch metaphor, brought on by the tummy ache of parental separation, can be troubling, indeed... more so if one parent has lost sight of the plot – what is good and proper conduct – as seems to be the case in this instance. Let's hope the child's little friends are good buddies and that her mum gets some help.  

Let's catch up: After completing the 900km drive yesterday, GWAS has returned to her desk and home, sweet home. Deciding to take "compassionate leave" to attend to Dad, save for a trip to the Hope 103.2 studios in Seven Hills and an engagement 'do by the Quay (Sydney, your Harbour looked splendid – do you know how lucky you are?), it was a short but sweet trip down south.
This week's agenda: Preparing for Easterfest music festival – the schedule is immense! I check into the media section on Friday morning and it's all go-go-go over the weekend. Lunchboxes will need to be packed in advance. I'm also working on five devotionals for the Bible Society and getting through (finally...hopefully) the Finkelstein Report (Christmas is fast approaching!).
The Word for the Week: "Come now, and let us reason together, says the Lord, though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool." (Isaiah 1:18)
Quote for the Week: "A man should never be ashamed to own he has been in the wrong, which is but saying, in other words, that he is wiser today than he was yesterday." – Alexander Pope
Dictionary.com word for the week: Conflate, /kuhn-fleyt/, verb (used with object):
To fuse together, to combine or blend (esp. two versions of a text) so as to form a whole.
"The Boston Consulting Group's Culture Boom report, the Finkelstein Inquiry and the Convergence Review provide an opportunity to conflate the new media debate and the direction media in Australia will take over the next decade or so."
Reading: The Culture Boom: How Digital Media Are Invigorating Australia.

Girl With a Satchel

Short & Sweet - week beginning March 26

The Historical Society of Somerset Hills

Last week I read of a Year Nine boy who had been suspended from a Melbourne school after shaving his head to raise money for his friend suffering from leukaemia.

While the headmaster explained that if the boy had gone through school procedures first, and kept the 'do to a number two, he would have avoided punishment, I do think that sometimes there must be exceptions to the rules, don't you?

In life, if we were all to be perfectly law-abiding citizens all the time, then we might turn a blind eye to opportunities to help others, like in the event that your best friend has leukaemia. What if Rosa Parks hadn't dared to part from the law, to challenge the status quo, and keep her bus seat to herself? What then of progress? Or if a few brave people hadn't dared to question slavery?

While railing against authority and conformity in all its forms must have a true and righteous cause, and not all rules are made to be broken because then we'd have full-on societal anarchy (anyone can steal! kill who you like! why not drive on the other side of the road?!), surely there must be special exceptions... particularly if it's a gesture of gentlemanly humanity and not all-out rebellion that's the motivation? And especially in a world where the opposite (doing things for selfish gain: money, power, fame) is commonplace.

What do you think?

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Short & Sweet - week beginning March 19

Kate Knapp's It's Not Always Black and White, a happy comfort on inevitable grey days

Feeling a little battle-weary, I was treated to the kindness of two strangers this morning: a gentleman who ushered me inside a cafe out of the cold and another who offered up his spare change at the counter when I pulled up short. Isn't that wonderful? Like God's angels sent down to smooth the way, they were, just like the little treasure of a book by Kate Knapp lent to me by a friend (I really must return it soon... parting will be sweet sorrow).

Let's catch up: A bunch of girlfriends and friends-of-friends and new friends and I got together on Saturday, threw our things into an orderly pile, sorted it all onto racks and created a little marketplace for the friendly exchange of goods. For the first time, I walked away with nothing to put in my wardrobe, but I was still blissfully happy. It was such fun to have so many gorgeous girls in the one place, the young (my four-year-old niece ushered the ladies out to their cars under an umbrella to keep them from getting wet) and the old-er (who supplied a bountiful display of brownies and relish – yummo!).
This week's agenda: It's World Poetry Day on March 21, did you know? Also celebrating the birthdays of two very special ladies.
The Word for the Week: "The Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9
Quote for the Week: "I believe I could have had a good race this afternoon, and I can still take some positives out of the weekend as we have seen our car was confirming our feelings, and is definitely a clear step forward. We can now build on that and start improving further." Michael Schumacher
Dictionary.com word for the week: dowager \DOU-uh-jer\, noun:
1. An elderly woman of stately dignity, especially one of elevated social position.
2. A woman who holds some title or property from her deceased husband, especially the widow of a king, duke, etc.
"By all accounts, Margaret Whitlam was a dowager of considerable esteem, an asset to the Labor party, the Arts world, the sporting field and to her husband. He called her his 'most constant critic'."
Reading: Margaret Whitlam tributes here, there and everywhere.

Girl With a Satchel

Short & Sweet - week beginning March 12

A stunning day on Mount Tamborine

"What are we worshipping?" my mother-in-law preached this past weekend. "What are we making our God?". Newspapers and magazines and media in general have been a particular bugbear of mine (one does not live and die by the day's news, but it can seem that way, can't it – particularly in light of Finkelstein). So keeping them in their rightful place (at work, during work hours, and certainly not the first course of the day) is something I am trying to practise consistently. If only Insiders wasn't so darn interesting! (Great job, Bazza!) 

This rule-of-thumb does not apply to everyone, of course – what is a stumbling block for one person may be a pebble for another. But how can we be true to ourselves, and to God if you believe, if we are not conscious of those things that get in the way of our most important relationships (God, self, partner, neighbours) and cause us more trouble than is necessary? That lead us into hypocrisy, unhealthy habits, wrong-thinking or take away from our peace? Life is all about connection, is it not? But true connection is not always what we're sold. It is sometimes false.

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Short & Sweet - week beginning March 4

Why are all the people who descend on my newsagent in the morning to pick up the paper white, middle-aged men? This is what I'm thinking as Wagga Wagga residents flee the flooding that threatens their town. The view from the Satchel office this morning is rainy but a trifle irritation compared to moving all your things and your family to safer ground; too little too late for the victims of the tornado that tore through the US on Friday leaving 38 dead. 

Let's catch up: A flood of media coverage sparked by the Finkelstein inquiry poured down on Friday with more coverage, as would be expected, today. 'The Media Satchel' will enter the fray once the 476-odd page document is read to satisfaction. This suggests one pressing concern: is waffling on about media matters perhaps occupying time and space than could be better spent elucidating some more important story? Alas, everything has its time and place, and the Government started this debate, after all. 
This week's agenda: With a new youth Bible study group to coordinate, I'm feeling energised by the task at hand while trying to adapt the schedule to accommodate more things that mean big things to me. Know what I mean?
The Word for the Week: "Whoever makes himself great will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be made great..." - Jesus, Matthew 23:12.
Quote for the Week: "A person is a person because he recognises others as persons." Desmond Tutu, South African activist and first black South African archbishop of Cape Town.
Dictionary.com word for the week: cant \kant\, verb:
1. To talk hypocritically. 2. To speak in the whining or singsong tone of a beggar; beg.
noun:
1. Insincere, especially conventional expressions of enthusiasm for high ideals, goodness, or piety.
2. The private language of the underworld.
3. The phraseology peculiar to a particular class, party, profession, etc.
4. Whining or singsong speech, especially of beggars.
"Foreign Minister Bob Carr has been quick to suggest that his Thoughtlines are of the past (it's a foreign country where people do things differently, you see) and not to be viewed as contradictions of government policy. His rhetorical cant is really quite entertaining... but, really, are any of us not guilty of the occasional hypocrisy?"
Reading: 'Carr's contradictions and the new diplomacy' at The Drum.

Girl With a Satchel

Short & Sweet - week beginning February 27

The question of the day: who will take out the Academy Award for Best Performance as a Labor Politician? While Anthony Albanese is the frontrunner for Best Supporting Caucus Member, giving a heartfelt speech in which he pledged his support for Rudd, the fate of Rudd's political future will ultimately be decided today. The result is sure to reflect Academy politics more than the people's popular vote. That's how it rolls in Hollywood, and so too in Canberra. Will the light on the hill shine brighter after the imbroglio or fade to oblivion?

Let's catch up: The end is nigh for our short stay at our country abode. Woe! But what a wonderful change of scenery it has been. Meanwhile, we're celebrating a special 11-year-old's birthday today.
This week's agenda: Cleaning house... just like Labor.
The Word for the week: "Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found in Him in peace, without spot and blameless.' (2 Peter 3:13-14)
Quote of the week: "'This is not in my self interest, I am doing this because it is right.'' - Anthony Albanese, Minister for Infrastructure, in defense of his pledge for Rudd and Labor values.
Dictionary.com word for the week: bandy \BAN-dee\, verb:
1. To pass from one to another or back and forth; give and take.
2. To throw or strike to and fro or from side to side, as a ball in tennis.
3. To circulate freely.
"The leadership of a nation is hardly the sort of thing to be bandied about as if politicians were taking part in Hey Hey It's Saturday's 'Red Faces', with Red Simmons sitting there with a smirk and the gong, but we Aussies have a certain antipathy for the current national office born more of distrust than respect (perhaps this is media-led, or a British inheritance... Yes, Prime Minister?). Is this necessary in a democracy? Or a defeatist way to be? Maybe Clarke and Dawe should just run the country?"
Reading: 'Dysfunction in the church and the ALP' at Eureka Street.

Girl With a Satchel

Short & Sweet - week beginning February 20

The Gonski report on education, Kevin Rudd's ranting and raving, a possible federal leadership challenge, a Queensland election campaign officially in full swing (Team Bligh or Team Newman?)... it's a treat of a start to a week in news media, so I was relieved to have spent the weekend in an abode that can only be described as the ultimate country retreat.

Let's catch up: House-sitting for a couple of dear friends, my husband and I are in our element in our country cottage; one featuring fluffy towels, shabby-chic furniture, a beautifully functional kitchen and an abundance of vintage books and nooks and crannies to investigate. There's even a neat little shelter for our two dogs! I am tickled pink and feeling very spoiled. It's a wonderful, generous thing to be able to bestow on friends a place to rest that you have invested your heart and soul into, much more to leave a little note saying, "Feel free to explore! We hope you feel refreshed after your stay", in addition to a bottle of wine and six-pack of beer and (squeal) a gift voucher for the local IGA. As an added treat, a big storm rolled over the house yesterday afternoon (it was soothing to the soul).
This week's agenda: I am tempted to take the entire week off and immerse myself in Anne's impressive collection of books, read under the cover of a tree on a swing, no less, and DVDs, which include The Complete Black Books collection, Roman Holiday, Pride & Prejudice, and Fern Gully! Unfortunately, there is a backlog of emails to catch up on. Sigh.
The Word for the Week: "Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace. Where there is hatred, let me show love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy." - Prayer of Saint Francis (custodian of my confirmation name), at the entrance to my current place of rest.
Quote for the Week: "There can be miracles, when you believe; Though hope is frail, it's hard to kill." - Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston, "When You Believe"
Dictionary.com word for the week: lucent \LOO-suhnt\, adjective:
1. Shining.
2. Translucent; clear.
"As the afternoon storm rolled in, its turbulent, rolling clouds cast a lucent light over the country house that darkened its stony features and made the pleasure of seeking respite within all the more alluring."
Reading: The features at the new Fairfax Women's Network site, Your Daily Life.

Girl With a Satchel

Short & Sweet - week beginning February 6

Illustration by Beci Culley

The Super Bowl is underway in the US of A while parts of Australia resemble a soup bowl: namely St George, which is going under. Most of the 3,000 residents have been evacuated, the largest evacuation operation in Queensland's history. 

Meanwhile, deputy premier Andrew Fraser has said the Flood Inquiry will not do damage to Labor's reputation in the lead up to the election and Roma mother Jane Sheahan is hailed as a hero for saving her 7-year-old. "Save my boy" were the last words she said before she was swept away after helping transport sandbags in her car. It's okay to shed a tear right now. I think we see a little glimpse of Jesus whenever someone makes a sacrifice like that. Is any action without love as its motivating source worthwhile? 

Let's catch up: My Saturday was tinged with sadness at both ends with lots of adventure in between. In the morning I said farewell to my husband, Jim, at the airport. He is currently in Cambodia working with Destiny Rescue. I made breakfast plans with a friend to avert feeling sorry for myself. We had a wonderful time tripping about Woolloongabba, and I look forward to sharing some of what (and who) we found this week. Then it was off to the shops to buy a birthday gift and have some lunch before setting off for a party. The drinks and nibblies were cut short by some sad news. I returned home to spend some time with Jim's grandfather in his last moments. A blessed man, a good man, he passed away at 2am Sunday morning peacefully.

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