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Mum! All I want for Christmas is this and this and this and that!

Mum! All I want for Christmas is this and this and this and that!

As a parent of a 10 year old boy, I have struggled with gift ideas at Christmas since he was very young. I always had grand notions of what I would like to give him, although when he was old enough to start writing lists, it seemed our ideas didn\'t align. .

  • May 1939 - King and Queen visit Canada

    My late mother was an avid and passionate Royal watcher, as were many Australians on that era. Many of the newspaper clipping in the family archive and colour magazines featured the Royal family. Having a look through the family archive air-tight chest recently, I came across a feature article dated 18th May 1939, from the Sydney Morning Herald entitled: "King and Queen leave London for Canada."

  • What is faith anyway ?

    It is impossible for us to think, make decisions and interact with the world at large without relying on some personal beliefs which are formed, to the greater extent, by our personal faith.

  • An opportune moment while looking at Mt. Everest

    My last article I wrote about my YWAM (Youth With A Mission) short term mission trip to India in 2007. This is a detail from another story from that trip. I hope this will be a source of encouragement, inspiration and a reminder to us that we are called to be open and available to God at any time of day, in any place and in any situation.

  • 1939 - Before the East End was hit by the Blitz

    I recently found a hand-written note my late mother had written at the top of an article from The Sydney Morning Herald, May 1st 1939 entitled "Slum Life in London\'s East End" with a sub-heading "Supper from the Pie and Eel Shop."

  • Jobs, Jobs, Jobs – especially in hard times

    It was interesting to read recently in The Australian newspaper in an article written by Andrew Colley that IBM has decided upon the Gold Coast to house their development program. This will secure 34 new places as well as ensuring that 13 existing positions will remain.

  • Newspaper gave missions a good rap in August 1938

    There was a short article in a Sydney Morning Herald edition in August 1938, "The Churches: Missionary conference".

  • Improving Sports Performance: Thought Stopping

    This article examines some tips from elite athletes on getting the most out of your sport and exercise. "Thought stopping" is a powerful tool in your performance toolkit. If you find that you are having extraneous thoughts that are distracting you from doing your best, then this strategy may be worth a try – particularly if those thoughts are negative. It is very effective in reducing counter-productive ideas that may pop into your head.

  • My experience of Psalm 42

    It was in the middle of my second year at seminary when things got really hard. Karen my wife was heavily pregnant with our second child, we were flat broke, we needed a bigger car to fit our growing family, the unit we were living in at the time was put on the market for sale and we just could no longer afford to live in the Sutherland Shire. It felt as though my world was crashing in around me and I can honestly say I was at rock bottom.

  • Should we read the Bible literally?

    This is a question which not only many Christians ask, but is one which is also used as an objection by those who are critics of Christianity. But whatever the reasons for raising such a question, it is an important issue, and deserves a careful response.

  • Is sexual harassment now better definded?

    A recent article in the Sydney Morning Herald titled "Will sexual harassment at work ever be eliminated" summarised the opinions of four people with considerable expertise in this area.

  • 1939 April Rains in NSW

    In my family archives, I came across an article dated 3rd April, 1939 from \'The Sun', entitled: "Rain in N.S.W. - Further showers predicted – Southerly change on way to Sydney".