Taking A Break Now!

Here is some wisdom from the “Wise Words” selection that I receive daily. This one from 01/09/08 called: “Learn to walk away!” It says the following:
“One of the hardest things to do is 'take a break' without feeling guilty and selfish; or worse, feeling like a failure because everything on your 'to do' list didn't get done. Here's a news flash: there will always be more to do! One of your biggest challenges will be learning the difference between setting high standards for yourself - and setting unrealistic, impossible ones.
We claw our way to success then discover we don't like the pressures that go with it. So what should we do? Learn to walk away! Jesus did. "The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to Him all they had done. Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, He said to them, 'Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.' So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place" (Mk 6:30-32 NIV). Jesus understood that if you don't take a break - you'll break!
So: (a) make a list of the things that only you can do, then delegate the rest or let them go; (b) learn to take small steps and celebrate small accomplishments for that's what life is made of; (c) don't allow the stuff that's still undone, to undo you. (d) Strive for balance; don't become addicted to what you enjoy; (e) don't allow overachievers to put you into overdrive. You're in for the long haul. You win when you pace yourself; (f) take time for the people who matter, otherwise you'll lose them. Busyness is a destroyer of relationships. All the success in the world won't compensate for the joy and treasure of your family and your loved ones!”
All the above, shows that we all need a break sometime and so I am heeding that advice and taking mine now, and I am walking away for a couple of weeks for a break and will be back regularly early in November with the blogs, but maybe intermittently in between, but not till next Sunday at the earliest.
Hopefully I will return refreshed from my time away. But whatever, that is enough about me for now! What about you? Do you too need to learn from the above advice and walk away from some things now?
Remember, even Jesus took his disciples away from the crowds to have a rest. Let us all learn from his example and rest before we burn out. Even if our work isn’t as physically exhausting as some others, it still does not make it any less exhausting, so learn from others and walk away yourself some times, even if only for a week or two, before it is too late and you unnecessarily burn out. Over to you now.

Ozkleen.

While at Philip Island while I was just getting ready for one of my long walks there, I happened to notice something on one of the Daytime TV Morning shows.

It was actually a live commercial spot for an Australian Cleaning Company called Ozkleen.

Although I had never heard of them before, I was intrigued by a couple of comments made by the Public Relations Officer.

Among other things, she said that Ozkleen had only been going for ten years but is now spreading into the whole world. This movement was spearheaded by just one Supermarket initially taking the chance on displaying their first product on the market. That product was called “Shower Kleen”, and the buyer for that Supermarket only bought the product for her store after first trying it herself on a stain on her own basin that she had never before been able to remove.

The lady went on to say that despite being in business for 10 years they still only had 6 products on the market. Before any new line is released it must be either an original product or else far superior to anything else currently on the market.

I didn’t catch the names of all their products but the 3 I did were, Shower kleen, Carpet Clean and Grease Monkey, a product for greasy stovetops & microwaves. As you can see the names are not that original but very descriptive.

The company was started and still run by two family’s thus exhibiting personal commitment and because of this has won awards in the Domestic Cleaning Market. If you want to know more look up www.ozkleen.com.au

I have never seen or tried their product so cannot speak for or against the product, but I was impressed by their business ethic, and thought that it was perhaps a good one to assess for our own personal lives.

1. We should always have a personal and hands on approach to all we do and say.
2. We should not try to push our own products or barrow, unless we have something original or superior to what is already available.
3. We should always start small and build up rather than the other way around.
4. We should always present quality over quantity.
5. If our product is superior, it will eventually sell itself.
6. Fancy names may sound great but descriptive ones can be equally effective, if not more so.

Well those are my thoughts on the matter, what say you? Walter

Vietnam Veterans Museum.

While at Philip Island recently we visited the Vietnam Veterans Museum there. Initially I did not want to go, as it held no interest to me, but a friend did, so we went too. It has just passed the 41^st anniversary of a famous battle in Vietnam involving Australian troops and the Video shown at the Museum touched me more than I expected.

The museum itself is quite impressive even if a lot of the stuff is not actually strange to me. I spent most of my teen years in the 60’s and it was a time when a lot of World War Two Army Surplus equipment was widely available, thus jerry cans, fold-up spades, Machetes, even army jackets were not unknown to me, as the older brothers were into 4X4 travelling and used a lot of the WW 2 surplus stuff on their trips etc.

Likewise I have never felt any real connection for the war itself although at the time I was convinced that I would be conscripted. My two older brothers had both missed out on being conscripted and I felt sure I wouldn’t, and so had psyched myself up to be conscripted. Thus I was greatly surprised but not really disappointed to actually miss out, with dates being called either side of my birthday but not on mine.

Besides that, apart from Normie Rowe, (a famous Australian Pop idol of that time that I only knew about but didn’t know personally,) the only other person I knew who went to Vietnam, was a friend, of a friend, of one of my brothers, so again the connection was scant.

All of this is to say that the Vietnam War largely past me by at the time and we had no close or real connection to how it played out in the public arena. So the trip to the Museum was a timely reminder of the sacrifices of some of our fellow Australians.

How much of the world goes by around you with out you feeling any real connection to it? How many famous battles have been fought that you know nothing about? I am not pushing war here in anyway but can’t help wondering how much of our history we really know? The Vietnam War is often referred to as the ”Forgotten War,” and I wonder how many other things we have forgotten too? Sometimes we may wish they never happened but they did and we need to learn from them to avoid or plan better for the future. What say you? Walter

Colonnade Beach.

Down on Philip Island just along from Cape Woolami is an area of Beach called Forrest Caves, and just a little further on from there is another beach called Colonnade Beach.

When I went there to inspect this Colonnade area I was at first a little disappointed as I walked along the beach.

At first I was at a loss to see what all the fuss was about? Not really being into rocks, it looked kind of ordinary to me. However I kept on walking along the beach back in the direction towards Forrest Caves Beach. As I went further along the beach I saw the real Colonnades. Much more impressive and worth the extra effort in walking. Had I given up earlier I would have missed the real thing, simply because I didn’t know any better.

This led me to wonder how much in our lives, how much “good stuff’ do we miss simple because we make a judgement on first appearances and don’t journey on far enough to see the real thing?

Thus it helps if we really know what we are looking for or at, before we start or that we have expert help along to guide us so that we don’t accept the first thing we see and assume that it is “the real thing”. Put another way I couldn’t help wondering how many false images I have accepted into my life in the past, simple because I didn’t know or take the time to seek the real thing? How about you? I hope that you are more discerning than me! Walter

Forest Caves.

Down on Philip Island just along from Cape Woolami is an area of Beach called Forrest Caves.

If you wish to see these caves, then you have to go at low tide, as the caves in the rocks there are only visible at low tide and covered with water at Hight tide.

Unfortunately I went there at about half tide, so I only got a glimpse from a distance.

Saw one that I would have liked to explored further but couldn’t because of the water still in it and I couldn’t/ wouldn’t wait for the next low tide.

How often do we in life miss things completely because we come at hight tide times? Or we only see a fraction of what is on offer as we come at mid time, and can not or will not, wait for Low-tide? What say you? Walter

At Observation Point. Finally.

Another moment from my long walk along the Cowes beach, completing my recent but strung out trilogy of that walk.

Anyway on the same foggy morning I told you about before, I went for a walk along the Cowes Beach towards Observation Point there. As said then, it was a reasonably easy walk about 3 kms along the sandy beach at Low tide, and the sand was hard and I made good and easy progress on my way to Observation Point and eventually reached the Point, which is only reachable on foot. I also know now that I wasn’t supposed to be there either! I know now as when I finally reached the very point from my side, I saw a sign on the other side to the one I approached by. So I walked over and read it. The sign was placed so as to be readable from the water. It said,” Absolutely no coming ashore here. Bird Sanctuary.”

Well! It was a bit late to tell me wasn’t it? So turning around and backtracking as fast as I could I headed back the way I came but higher up the beach now because the tide was now coming in. Thus I was walking high up along the high-tide mark where the sand was a little firmer than lower down.

As I was going back I saw another sign even higher off the beach and slightly buried by sand, so I went for a closer look and brushed a little sand away before I could read it. It warned people not to walk any further (along the beach to the point) as it was a restricted Bird Sanctuary.

A bit further on and closer to civilization was another sign that said, among other things, “No dogs at any time past here. Stay out of the Dunes. Walk along the water’s edge.

As I had no dog with me the first didn’t apply but the other two requirements were the very things that I did, but because I did so, I was not able to read/see any of their signs, could I? I know that it is impossible to put signs at low tide level but bigger signs along the way and more of them still would have done the trick for all but the stupid. I include that last little bit because I did see someone in the Bird Sanctuary area earlier with a dog on the loose.

Reflecting on the above, I wondered how many signs I have put out in the past and have I checked them lately to see that they are either readable or even still current, as well as in the right places? How about You?

What are some of the things in your life that you have put up signs to and then left them? How many of these things do you need to check to see if the signs are still readable or even still current? Over to you: Walter

Observation Point – Isolated But Still In Contact.

Another Sunday and another spiritual moment inspired from our stay at Philip Island. (Don’t worry this will be the last spiritual one from there!) On the same foggy morning I told you about last Sunday, I went for a walk along the Cowes Beach towards Observation Point. As said then, it was a reasonably good easy approximately 3 kms walk, along the sandy beach at Low tide, even though visibility was poor. As the sand was hard and firm, I was making good and easy progress on my way to this place called Observation Point, which was only accessible on foot along the beach. As already stated, it was very foggy to start with but visibility improved as I went along.

Because of the fog and the fact that it was winter, I basically had the beach to myself! Or so I thought. Initially I thought I was isolated from the whole world but no, the world was still around me and I couldn’t escape from it.

One of the Psalms in the Bible says that there is no-where that one can go that he can avoid God and be beyond His reach. A bit like Mobile phones I guess? As I was walking along the apparently deserted beach that morning in the mist, about 2kms from Cowes, the fog lifted a little and I saw two men ahead of me, walking back from the water’s edge at low tide in a direction that eventually cut directly across mine.

As I got closer I could hear talking. As I got even closer I realized that one, whilst he was walking next to the other person on the beach, was talking to another on his Mobile Phone. I could also gather from the way he was speaking that the person on the other end was having trouble believing that the one he was speaking to was “on the Island now”.

It seems these days that if we have our Mobiles with us, we can be reached anywhere and at anytime. Even when we don’t want to be reached, unless we turn our phones off.

Sometimes I think humankind must have a built in Mobile phone in our Heads where God can reach us anytime and any place, if our receivers are on.

The trouble being, we often have our “God-receivers’ either switched off or leave the calls unanswered because we are busy doing other things to bother with God?

Maybe even worse, it could be like the chap on the beach’s friend on the other end, and we struggle to really believe where the call is coming from and ignore God’s call to us as unbelievable.

What say you? Is your God-receiver, switched off, on but unanswered, just waiting for you to make the right connections? Or is it on but you are having trouble believing the call is what God says it is? Again what say you? Is your direct line to God open or have you switched it off? Over to you now as the answer is figuratively and metaphorically in your hands now.

You can either switch on and answer God's call with your full attention, or you can continue to wander in the fog and mist and often with wet shoes from the ever-changing tides of life: Walter

Cape Woolami Walking Tracks.

Whilst staying at Philip Island recently I went for a walk one windy morning along the walking tracks around Cape Woolami Point on the Island. There are about 5 kms of official tracks to walk around in various combinations or selections. I had plenty of time and supposed that I would probable never come back there to walk them again, as they are not that spectacular (apart from the sea view). So having decided that If I didn’t do walk them all then, I probably never would, I went on them all, including the longest one which, at one point, actually goes along the water’s edge at low tide.

I found the entry path to the water’s edge all right, but didn’t see the exit point and ended up walking another 2 or 3 kms, right out of the Park and into the nearby adjoining housing development. So I had to either backtrack or find my way back to and along the entry road. Taking the latter choice, I was nearly back to where I parked the car, when I saw the end of the track that I should have come back on. So after a short rest in the car, I went along this track to the beach, just to see why I missed the exit point earlier.

Well when I reached what should have been the exit /entry point at the Beach I realized why I didn’t see it from the beach. I didn’t see it because it wasn’t there anymore. It had eroded away and instead of an easy entry path to the beach, there was a shear 2-metre drop to the beach. Completely un-accessible and completely obscured to all from the beach!

Even though it was winter, we were there the week after the school Holidays, so one would have thought that they would have at least checked out all the paths and signs before hand, wouldn’t you? As it was, this problem only caused me minor inconvenience, as I had nothing else to do then, and all day to do it in, so the extra distance travelled, and time involved was no real problem, (except to tired leg muscles!). That Time, but what about on other occasions? What if time was short, or if a life depended on the path being where it was supposed to be and accessible?

What about the paths in your Life? Are they as clear as they can be? Do you check to see that they are still workable for those who copy and follow you, to use? Or is your life, instead of being a shining example to others, actually leading them down a false or dead end Path?

Will your life, if followed by your closest friends and family, leave them stranded and confused on a lonely beach? It is no matter that the beach is pretty now; if high tide is coming in to cover it all is there?

Again, what sort of track is your life-path to others? One to be followed, or one to be avoided? Over to you again, Walter

Cape Woolami National Park.

Whilst staying at Philip Island recently I drove out to Cape Woolami National Park to walk around the tracks out to and around the prominent and photographic granite rocky point there which is its main feature other than being a Sea-bird Haven and popular nesting/resting point. As I drove into the Park entrance there was a sign that said, “No Dogs. Penalties Apply”. I remember immediately thing, yeah, that’ll work, Not! It was my instant estimation that not too many dog owners were going to take much notice of that, as I had already seen many dogs on this holiday where they were not supposed to be. But Immediately I thought that, I saw another sign that I believed would achieve the desired result of no dogs roaming around among the Bird Sanctuary.

What did that sign say that would make it so effective to all but the most stupid? It wasn’t wordy, humorous, or even legally binding. In fact it was a fairly simple sign indeed. The next sign simply, read, “1080 Poison Laid. Foxes.”

Yeah! Don’t know about you, but I reckon that sign should have the desired result of people controlling and keeping their dogs out.

People may disregard the first sign, as they think their chance of getting caught are low and even if they do, the price/penalty would be affordable if not totally acceptable. But with the second sign the risks indicated and probable for disobedience, are much higher all around with the death of the dog the ultimate price to be paid for disobedience.

We all have a price or limit on the risks we will knowingly take, don’t we? Yes we will knowingly take some risks if we think we can get away with them or that the penalties are minimal or reasonably acceptable if we do have the misfortune of getting caught. Yes we will often take what is called calculated risks, but not if the penalty is too extreme, and definitely think long and hard if it includes a strong possibility of paying the ultimate price, particularly for a much-loved Pet.

What about you? What dangerous , unnecessary , or even foolish risks are you taking today? And can you really afford the price if all goes wrong in the end? Have a think about that and look past the “NO dogs allowed” signs and see that the reasons may be because of Poison Laid for other reasons. Remember too, whether you are a Fox or a dog, the poison doesn’t distinguish. Poison is poison and death is the usual result. So what poison are you taking unnecessary risks with today?

Observation Point- Observing But Without Seeing.

Seeing that it is Sunday I thought I would pass on one of my more spiritual moments of our Philip Island holiday.

I went for a walk one (non Sunday) foggy morning along the Cowes Beach towards a place called Observation Point. It was a reasonably good walk about 3 kms along the sandy beach at Low tide. Thus the sand was hard and I made good and easy progress on my way to Observation Point. The only problem was that, because of the mist, I couldn’t see very much around me. There could have been big ships passing going on up the Bay like the day before, or little fishing boats out there. Could have been anything out there and I wouldn’t have been able to see it! Even close in front of me! Just as well that I didn’t really want to see anything wasn’t it? It was a place where ships and boats and sea are to be seen in abundance normally, but at that time it didn’t really matter to me, as I didn’t really want to see them then.

Reminded me a bit of how some people look for God. They look in the right places, but at the wrong times, and then complain that they couldn’t se Him anywhere! Yes they looked but with eyes that didn’t want to see!

Yet, if one really wants to find God, they will find Him, even in the fog and mist. One of the Psalms in the Bible says that there is no-where that one can go that he can avoid God and be beyond His reach. Not even you! I know that that is true for myself, what about you? Walter

The Long Steep Hill.

Heading to Wonthaggi recently I was reminded of a story my parents used to tell of their first Journey to Wonthaggi to visit one of Mum’s sisters. I believe I was there, but as I was only a “bub” at the time have absolutely no memory of it.

They had apparently been given clear and concise instructions on how to get there once Past Kilcunda. They were told of a bridge that came very quickly after a very long steep hill. Well they found the bridge all right but never saw the long steep hill!

What was a long steep hill to my Aunt and Uncle, was just a long low slope to my parents, thus they traversed the long steep hill that they were looking for without knowing it, because it did not fit their understanding of a long steep Hill.

I wonder how many things there are in my life that I missed out on because I did not recognize them at the time because they did not fit into my interpretation of what a thing should or should not be. How about you? Walter

Religion is for Fools.

While we were at the Philip Island Baptist Church Service last month, their little in-house Book Store did a sales pitch on is a small little book called “Religion is for fools,” by an Australian author, Bill Medley. Despite being written by an Australian, it is published both here, in the UK and the USA. In Australia it was originally published by Viva Press. In the UK and US, it is put out by Monarch Books and distributed in the US by Kregel Publications (P.O. 2607, Grande Rapids, Michigan 4951.)

In fact this copy was published in America, hence all the above information was available to me. I am passing this onto you because I think it is a book for all Christians and non-Christians to check out. Now when I say it is a small little book, I mean it is a small little book! Just a fraction bigger than pocket size (unless you have extra large pockets), and only 160 pages long!

It is written by a former Australian Comedian (No, I had never hard of him either!) Now although I have never heard of him before, he obviously has a sense of humour like mine. (Which could explain why no one has ever heard of him, too!)

Anyway it is short and simply written, in the form of a letter (A long one admittedly, hence it is in 8 chapters with 8 short appendixes at the end. Actually, the appendixes occupy half as many pages as the main text!) Anyway, Bill claims to have been a sceptic originally and wary of “organized religion” when he started to examine the claims of the 5 leading Religions. (Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism & Islam.)

He now uses this research to answer his sister in law, who is still searching for answers and is still where he was originally. As I say it is only a short book so obviously there is not a lot of in-depth material in it, but I still think it is worth a look if you get the chance, whether you are a Christian, a non-Christian or someone else.

If you have already checked it out I would be very interested in your opinion, even if you hate it. If you have not read it and you do get the chance to check it out, please let me know what you think sometime: Walter

Pestered By Gulls.

While on my recent holiday, as I was not allowed to do any bike riding, I did a lot of walking along the various beaches there. One mid-week day, I was walking along the deserted Cowes beach, minding my own business when suddenly I became aware of a small flock of seagulls” hovering” in the wind around me.

They were so close that I believed that someone only slightly more nimble than me could have reached out and grabbed one. They really were that close in flight. Of course I didn’t do that, after all I had no idea what I would have done with one had I been proven right by catching one!

These birds, these scavengers, were hovering around “on Spec”. I had no food with me but they didn’t know that so hung around in the hope of getting something, even if they had to pester me in the process. Eventually they got the message that they weren’t going to get anything from me and gave up and tried elsewhere, but I was left wondering at their commitment and I wondered at how committed I am at times.

Do I believe in something so much that I make the most of every opportunity? Even to the point like the seagulls and try every potential opportunity, whether it looks promising or not?

Now I know that sometimes there is a fine line between being committed and being desperate, but again one can’t but admire these particular seagulls for seeking out every possibility, checking it out thoroughly and then when there is no result moving on again to look for the next possibility available.

Do you too have that commitment? Or like me do you sometimes struggle with it? Over to you: Walter

Seagulls at San Remo.

When we stopped over at San Remo on our way to Cowes, it was around lunchtime so we bought some fish and chips there and as it was a little windy and on the cool side, we ate them in the car. It was very nice and even though I only bought a single serve of chips for both of us, there was more than enough with a few scraps left over that we couldn’t finish off.

Despite the cold weather, there was a family bravely braving the elements and having a picnic at one of the tables in the park along the foreshore nearby. As well as braving the elements, hey were also braving the seagulls flocking around them in the hope of stealing a feed. So taking pity on this family, I started throwing small bits of our leftover chips and scraps towards the seagulls. I am not a good distance thrower and it was around 40 metres to the table, yet it didn’t take long before some of them noticed and a few started drifting our way. Before very long indeed we soon had about 50 or 60 there. (No! I did not/could not count them properly!)

Watching these birds in operation was a lesson on life itself. Some were very brave and flew in very close and grabbed what they could. A couple even grabbing at them out of my hand while still in flight because they thought I was too slow.

Others came so far and no further, and got the odd bits and pieces that occasionally reached them. Yet others hung right back at the edges & got nothing or next to nothing other than being pushed and shoved around by the other birds.

Those who came real close got the most food but also stood the most risk of danger. Those who hung back, missed out almost altogether, yet still got pushed and shoved around for their just being there. Whilst those who took the middle action still got fed. True they did not get as much as the closer ones, but at the same time, they were less exposed to possible and probable danger. (And I am not talking about the dangers of eating too many polyunsaturated fats from the chips either!)

This led me to thinking about which category I fitted in to. I like to think I fit best into the middle action grouping. That while I am prepared to take some risks, I am also not that keen to take too many in the long run.

What about you? Which seagull are you? One who is too timid to try and therefore usually missing out on most things, yet still getting knocked about by life?

Or are you one who is too greedy for your own good? One who is well fed, but maybe too well fed to appreciate the dangers around you and ultimately too fat or slow to escape when danger arises like dogs, cats, other birds or even cars?

Or are you the semi-cautious one? Getting fed and doing okay, yet not so timid that you hang back and basically starve. Nor so greedy that you rush foolishly and sometimes dangerously too close and pay the consequences? (Sometimes the ultimate consequence!) I for one don’t know what category is really the best, but I know what works for me. What about you?

Not Cape Paterson Revisited.

As already stated elsewhere, while on our Philip Island holiday, we returned to the mainland for a day trip and visited the coast at Cape Patterson past Wonthaggi. Cape Paterson being another of the places I have visited periodically over the past 50 odd years, first as a child with my family and later by myself and later again with my own family.

Walking down to the beach from the car park I had two different reflections come to mind. One I told you about in “Cape Paterson Revisited”. The other I will describe here.

The feeling was not like going back 50 years or so to my childhood memories of Cape Patterson, but rather of going back only 10 years or so, but to another place and another continent.

Walking down to the beach at Cape Paterson, Victoria, Australia, I was struck by the similarity to the Wild Coast Area of The Transkei in South Africa. In particular to the area around Second Beach at Port St John’s.

The similarities, on the surface at least, show that while everything is unique in its own way, every thing is also similar too, and that it is not the place that makes a memory unique in your life but the unique experiences that you have had there. That is what makes it unique, special and important to you. Taking this thought one step further, when you think of the past, what do you really think about? The Place? The events that took place there? Or the people who were part of those events?

Where are your memories now as you read this? With places or People? If places, maybe you need to revisit that place, even if only to find that it is not the same and has moved on and that you need to do the same.

If of People, and those people are still alive, maybe you can visit them and let them know that you still have fond memories of them and the fun times you all had together. If a visit is out of the question, how about a phone call, or even a letter. Think about it please. But not for too long! Thing about and then do it! Over to you: Walter