Still day 4

Off from the Cawthorn family @ Geeveston this morning & onto the Tasmania Trail, around behind Mount Wellington (I think). Copy this link & paste it into your browser: Click for a Glympse of my location: http://glympse.com/07MF-KP3Y

Day 4 Walking

Off from the Cawthorn family @ Geeveston this morning & onto the Tasmania Trail, around behind Mount Wellington (I think). If the link doesn't take you there with a click, copy this & paste it into your browser:
http://glympse.com/0AFC-9864

An amazing day..

Just got home from the day in & around Hobart, with a family that took me in for a night, (see Angels unawares blog post) & has kept me for 3. The last family (who owned a Teahouse/Retreat) that took me in, rang last night & suggested the Tasmania Trail, (from Dover to Devonport) which might be just what the doctor ordered. I bought the guide-book on line, this morning, & they said they'll email it to me within 48hrs.
A doctor I met at church today went home & got an ultra-light tent for me to loan, & send back at the end. I'll try it out.
The feet are not as sore after 2 days "rest".
A few amazing stories from today, but I'll have to put them up separately.
Do you want to come walking (slowly) for a day?(or so?)
PW

Angels unawares

Pete & Annie took in a pilgrim & a stranger for Friday night, then allowed me to stay on & help move some furniture, to meet some of their wonderful children (& grandchildren). Annie plays the piano like an angel, & Pete dances like an angel (with two left feet he says).

Ditty 2 (day 2)

I must just trust;
as too, do You.
But then, when men
choose You, You do
much more.

That's why I try
to do to you;
so He, we'll see
mirrored good Lord
much more.

Ditty 3

Ah, Lord God you made me,
(ah, Lord God you saved me
from what has enslaved me)
ah, Lord God you gave me
Life, & hope, & joy,
gave grace to this boy.
Peace & friendship too
it's all come from you!
Loyalty & love
has come from above,
along with wisdom,
here, in your kingdom!

Ah, Lord God etc..

Responses Walking on the 3rd day

Some of the best things about being alone walking over kms of bush, is that no one is with me, so I can sing to the rhythm of my walking stick on the track.  I can let my heart learn to be thankful, and to learn to live in the care & provision of the most creative person,  who treats me as his son. Some times I make up ditties that I don't expect anyone else to understand. Some times I critique my interactions with people, and practice better ways of responding.
Tonight, I was walking till about 8pm (with a light), on the wrong side of the highway. When a car came I'd stop & get off the road, then when it had passed,I'd start off again. Wow, some people are so thoughtful. Once tonight a cheery fellow stopped on the deserted highway next to me, and said "Do you want a lift mate? I said "No thanks", and asked him if he knew how far to the next town. He didn't, but offered a lift again anyway (a tourist, I thought). I said I was doing a kind of pilgrimage and trying to walk, and he took off again. After, I felt like I wanted (in a situation like that in the future)  to honour such a thoughtful offer more. Maybe I could verbalizeize my appreciation more than just saying "No, thanks", with  "Thanks for such a thoughtful offer." Or "Wow, how thoughtful, that reminds me of a really thoughtful friend"... I hope I can grow appreciation in the garden of this life. I practiced saying these sort of responses out loud, to try to give me alternative habits. God, pls make it stick.

3rd Night Whereabouts

On the way to Geeveston for the 3rd night since leaving South Cape. Beautiful day, good friends, God's provision. V.sore feet. Click for a Glympse of my location: http://glympse.com/0BVE-FHRN

Day two whereabouts

Left Ida.. Station late this morning at 11:30. Hoping for Dover tonight, via Old Hastings Road. Since God is for us, who csn be against us? Click for a Glympse of my location: http://glympse.com/0F41-2H79

Night 1 Whereabouts

Ida Bay TAS 7109 Ida Bay TAS http://goo.gl/maps/Krxb1

First night since the start.

Well, a great time with God this morning. Explored as much as I could from 3:30, then decided against trying for S.E. Cape. Left South cape at 7am. I never saw a human person from South Cape to Cockle Creek (nor the arvo/night before, after Hannah dropped me off & prayed for me - what a dear daughter).
There was much oh-ing & ah-ing this arvo as the blisters set in & the bones/muscles complained. Have I brought too much? Still working it out. I haven't got a tent at the mo., just a picnic blanket, a little blue tarp & an emergency plastic rain coat. Wow, I'm glad of those. It was drizzle on & off last night & today.
Hardly got any food, bought a bag of apples on the way from Hobatt, & Hannah gave me some nut mix & a bag of muslie. Wow, thank you God, that here at Ida bay there is a little tourist railway, & "rustic cabins" for $25 a night.

I've already got a fire going in the communal kitchen's wood heater.

Today walked about 5-7 km with a retiree fellow who's (still working, but) staying at one of the free camp-sites along my road north, but was at Cockle Creek this morning. I'm learning to cheat off Jesus, to be quick (active) to listen. A pleasant walk, Phil helped me keep going, & I think I helped him in that too, he was surprised how quick the journey went.

I'm trying to go through my poem "miss ta walker" each day, through a chapter (or 5-7 storylets) of Mark's telling of a bigger than Caesar, polital, world ruler who has already been christened "Leader of Humanity" (his first century Greek doc is commonly called by an old English word: "gospel"). & the Celtic prayers (morning, lunch, & evening/compline) each day.

Better go and get my spaghetti, & look at those Celtic prayers.

Good night.

Off the walking track & onto the road

About to cross this bridge on Australia's Southernmost street.

Hannah helps me get to the starting point.

Trying out a web/phone app - "glympse"

Arrived at Hobart, waiting for Hannah. Then i may do a bit of shopping, & try to get a lift to the Southern most point where i "start" my journey. If i can't get there today, maybe tomorrow. I wonder if this "glympse" app works? - whether it can last for a day or so, or is it only for a journey of an hour or so? Click for a Glympse of my location: http://glympse.com/0BEJ-EMHF

@work or @home

Davo reminded me of a part of the bible written by that first century missionary Paul, to a new group of raw christians from the Roman town of Ephesus: .. "and keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace". We commented on how applicable it was at work or in a family  setting. You can escalate arguments & difficulties, or help diffuse them. Increase discord, or help turn it into some fresh blues or jazz.

A good reminder for me. Thanks Davo.

The fact that "the spirit" (whose unity we are to keep) is a spirit of truth, & produces the fruit of love in human lives, saves this from being simplistic, while keeping it simple. e.g. being a peace-maker is paradoxically not inconsistent with at times, picking a fight. Oh, I like Yeshua's way of modelling what he spoke of.
......

Dave was up after midnight studying for a Uni test today. He texted me an apology for sleeping in (after 4:35am) the next morning & a blessing.

Below was my response to him:

               And peace to you,
               oh brother of mine.
               Glad you slept through
               and I hope you shine -
               a bright full moon
               in your "tests" today,
               his light your boon,
               reflecting away!

God’s Gift - “Ten Words"

One! - is the I AM, Yahweh. Honour Yahweh as god, as No.1, as God the only One!

2.        No technological images to worship! (They miss the most important thing about Yahweh - LIFE. The only allowable images of him are those living images of Yahweh, created by him & procreated by us, in fulfilling his mandate to us)

3.        Honour God’s name! (Names are important & linked to the person, at least through language, which must be important in linking the human race too

4.        Copy God’s  (use of time, & his priority of regularly celebrating not only his work,     but his friends/family,)   Sabbath.

                                                  5.    Honour your earthly parents (who are meant to mirror and concretize God’s authority/ relationship to  you).

                                                  6.    Dishonour not  the other sex nor your word to them (nor the covenant relationship of a man & woman leaving their own father & mother & being formed into a new family unit - by God)

7.     Dishonour not  the right to existence of an image of God in God’s world (as though you yourself could choose whether another image of God should live on God’s earth or not. For who made you a ruler or judge over others?).

8.        Dishonour not  people’s capacity (as images of Yahweh) to rule over the stuff (things & places) of God’s world (since God has given us such authority).

9.        Dishonour not  your neighbour’s nearness & trust (since it is God who ordained the boundaries of our existence in time & space; and you know more about your neighbour who lives beside you trusting you. You are responsible for that knowledge, to use it to bless, not curse, your neighbour).

10.      Dishonour not  your own lack of things (in general & in particular, even though you have the capacity to change many things there are some things you are simply stuck with - or without) at God’s ultimate discretion, since Yahweh (not others, or our own self,) is our god, our number One!

Way ta go

Well, that car trip from Dubbo to Blaxland was a wonderful help in thinking through what I'm going to do with catching stories... of "ah ha" moments, from complete strangers, or maybe I should think of them as "new friends".

Who should my driver be from Dubbo to Blaxland, but a fellow trained as a sports reporter(, but  who loved sport too much to stay a "reporter of other people's experiences of sport"). He helped me see that

. I'll have to try early on to sort the wheat from the chaff. Sometimes that's hard & I'll make some blunders. Look out for the glint of gold. Only take notes on, or try to record, the best.

. Ask for people's help in my task of looking for & recording those ah ha moments (or moments that communicate  faith, hope, & help).

. Then, tell them a story or two that have happened to me, or others who have told me theirs, to give the flavour & help folk see what I'm on the hunt for (which is otherwise going to be pretty hard to explain.

. Listen to what they offer me, carefully.

. When I hear something great, or see something golden, ask them for permission to record them telling that story, & or ask if it is ok if I use your real first name in telling this story? Else I could use an alias.

. Be willing to go over the stories, even after the trip, and polish them to something like a triple j hack, a feature or general-interest news story, with a narrator helping the story move along, and snippets told by the other speaker.

All sounds a bit familiar and consistent to my hero's methodology:
Quick to listen, slow & respectful in speech, look for good to affirm, tell stories as a main method in his communication & interpretation etc. Still more to learn.

Dubbo2Sydney

Wow! The coolest people, John & Monica (or was it Ethan & Estelle?) just picked me up & took me from Dubbo to Blaxland where I have caught the train in to Davo's place before the early plane in the morning.
SHE is part of a team of 4 from a W.Sydney Uni, who helps thousands of yrs 9-12 school students become aware of their strengths and passions, and make informed plans (not just one, but Plan A,B,C,&D - she says that the most obvious path to an end point is not always the best) for their future, helping them discover, & inspiring them into futures with bigger horizons. They use books like Covey Junior's "7 habits of highly effective teens". Inspiring!
HE loves managing effective teams of people. He worked this out by a circuitous route. He loved cricket and football. So he thought "l'll be a sports commentator - following cricket & football. What could be better than being paid to watch your favourite sports?" It wasn't until the last year of his (uni?) course, playing football & cricket all the way through, on the weekends, that he realized that he had chosen the one job that would preclude him from ever being able to play football or cricket on the weekends, that would be his prime work time.
Somehow proving his wife's dictum about the (apparently) most straightforward route (at least to an 18yr old person, of little experience) not always being the most effective.
HE also told me the candid & surprising tale of a perceptive mate who had known him before his first marriage, who said to him during his grief at his wife leaving him, "You'll live to yet thank her for this." He couldn't agree with his mate at the time, but when he finally came to a point where it was true, he was glad of a mate with a bigger, more hopeful view than his.
Makes me look for other similar situations. I think they're around more than we dream of.

I leave Dubbo today...

If I'm alive in God's world & able, some time this arvo, either on the XPT, or catching a lift with friends, to Sydney, thence to Hobart Tuesday morning(24th September). The aim: to walk the length of Tazzy, from the Southern-most tip towards the northern-most tip (by a route yet to be worked/walked out, the highway seems to be 100km shorter, though much less suited to walking... I might have to "suck & see").

I've booked my ticket We'll see how far I get! - and what God does with this pilgrimage. You can meet up along the way & join in. Come & follow with me, if you're fairdinkum about these goals (see "miss ta walker" on the right, & some of the motivations/models below that). I'll post stuff every now & then to this blogspot: yvalker.blogspot.com.

Background...

After forming the Adarm from the soil of the Adarmah (ground) & his own breath, then after planting a garden (East, in Eden) with all kinds of beautiful trees to produce good fruit, and putting the Adarm in it, and after naming two trees   in the middle of his garden, God says that the way forward for the Adarm in Eden, was “You may eat the fruit of any tree in the garden, except The Tree of the Knowledge of Good & Evil”  God went on to say, “You must NOT EAT the fruit from that tree-  for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die”[1].

 Later, Snakey says “that is a lie! You won’t surely die!” In fact, (though he doesn’t command it straightforwardly, he sows doubt into Eve’s mind about the character and motives of the previous commander, with the view to tempting her to eat it, to get the knowledge of Good & Evil that it will supposedly give to them - when Eve & Adam EAT the fruit. Then, to compound things,  it looked like when they do eat the fruit, that they DON’T DIE - in that day! [it seems to me that God wasn’t  talking about the death of their biological life (bios) which (death)came along years later]

But the whole sad story - after Genesis 3 shows something dead, lost, purposeless, stinking , rotten about humanity. We are “The living Dead”, zombies who are born, & move, grow old, have kids, do work to maintain the system (or work against it, to make another system basically the same) then die & perpetuate the cycle.. (of “life(bios)”). And, Jesus later says, “I tell you the truth (not like snakey), the time is coming, - the time has now come- when the dead will hear the voice of the son of God, & come to Life(zoe).”

 One more thing from the bible... Israel is a tree planted by God in his garden. It is a “vine/olive-tree/fig-tree”, the planting of the Lord, meant to bear fruit for it’s gardener to eat. (Am I pushing it too far when I wonder whether it Is meant to be a tree to bring the knowledge of good & evil somehow to the onlookers or even non-partakers, & also wonder whether, in this new garden of God, it is  meant to be a tree of life to the nations?)

One more thing from life... two nights ago we had some mind-games/riddles on the way home from the Teen Camp. Jayden Sweeting told us one that was simple enough, but  we all gave up before we got it (We might have got it if we had acted it out concretely?). But solving it hinged on information gained not only from what happens, but also from what doesn’t happen in the scenario:

That, & the stories above that I had spoken of in class, alerted me to another level of story the next day, when I was reading or thinking about Jesus - on his way one morning to clean out the rotting “thieves’ den” of a temple[2] & then also the next morning going back to the same place[3].

 And, since then, I've also been reminded of a  story from Israel's history; as they learned to be ordered as the people of God to serve the Nations and be a blessing to them... there was a time when the leaders quibbled over the power/authority and the spiritual leadership of God's people and (maybe a bit like snakey) didn't want to have God's choice of leaders (Moses or Aaron) "over them". Aaron and his descendants were given the priesthood via a sign from God: his dry stick of a staff/rod being miraculously given buds (and flowers, and fruit) overnight.

Adarm’s Fruit-tree

“..In da day you eat there-of you will surely die.”

came the words to the first pair from the One On High.

Leader, he - named  that tree, then[4], to let children know,

and told them   how to spend life   with this tree[5], to grow.

And o-nly  one more tree was   named by Father God,

and we’ll see   what’ll be the   upshot of his nod,

his ok,  to today go   and find you’ve eaten[6]

fruit from The  LIVING Tree that   grows in God’s Eden.

Later on,  when second Ar-darm came to get fruit

from fruit-tree,  lovingly plan-ted in his “youth”;

poet he,  used that tree then   to let children know:

Adarm came, to it’s “shame” the fruit-tree’s fruit dain’t grow!

And the Fa-ther must ’a said   something “like” before

“in da day  he  don’t eat of   it, dat tree ’s no more!”

‘cause sure e-nough when Pe-ter next day saw that tree

   that there stood,  “Aaron’s Rod”, had   no buds to be seen.

“..son of Adarm[1], son of God.”*

When the term “the son of God”

was used within the bible

that Jesus read as a child,

it would have made his head nod,

he was most likely liable

to think of “Adarm^[1]”. He smiled,

I s'pose, when he thought more of

Adarm's “Father” who had made

all things good in Earth and Hea'en

-such that goodness is a “spore of”

his Great Goodness; ours is “shade”.

Adarm was his baby-boy bairn (!) -

naked and also innocent;

in the image and likeness of

the one who's only clothed in light,

creator of the world(s) that “went”.

Son was the very “brightness” of-...

But “innocent” is not quite right

for what his Father always was;

more “good”, or “wise”, or “perfect love”,

who when he comes drives out all fear.

The son was meant to grow, because

authority (sourced from above)

grew as he copied “Father-Dear”,

and listened to his every word.

...Glory of the God was Adarm,

and glory of Adarm was Eve,

Love has bright glory, its absurd

power is “nuclear” [though it can’t harm

Zoe Life, it might not retrieve

our bios-life to keep it going -

it was meant to end, and fall out.

Like our baby-teeth that first come

still with pain, along with growing,

yet the permanent still “call out”

(whether we think it's good or dumb)!]

Then there's talk of  “son of  Adarm”

I grant you number one is Cain,

but the story is quite odd here

and there's anothen^[2] branch or arm

where Adarm's son has “Seth” for name.

Maybe we choose OUR branch? Quite queer!

Stamped“in the likeness, and image”;

first case is the Adarm, ..of God,

second case  is Seth, ..of Adarm;

meanings  get piled like a scrimmage,

but this text, without being odd,

describes “a son”, as in a psalm^[3].

“Son”  still’s to be inter-prett-ed;

it can mean descendant/ younger

or  a copy, or second  one.

If  I, as a father, fretted,

missed my “call” (though for it hunger);

might it yet be caught by my son?

And thus could “son” be far more  still

than younger / less experienc’d

- as my grown sons have shown in part-

& no doubt as time flies, more will.

(His use, too, of “child” is nuanced,

to lead us by and to our heart.)

This “second edition” meaning

of the word “son” might well be what

Jesus was getting at when he

claimed “the son of ..”; was he leaning

heavily on  this “second shot”

use, with “Adarm”, or “David”? - See?

He doesn’t disdain to be known

as “the son of..” a wayward one,

and takes the title  as his own.

(Both “Father” & “King” he’ll be shown

to be,  as the archetypal son.)

Though it’s still “not good Adarm’s alone”. ...

A bride therefore, right from his side

(maybe the in-side DNA),

is being framed to be brought near,

and that wise God (who has a “hide”:

-he has thick skin/ he seems ‘away’)

plans they’ll be “Naked, without fear.”...

---

* Luke 3, end.

^[1]Adarm (Hebrew)= humanity (plural);  (the) man (singular); Adarm (proper noun, Individual’s Name)

^[2] anothen (1^st C. common Greek; had two distinct meanings:  another/again,  &  from-above. (meaning understood by the context)

^[3] a beautiful poetic way of describing, rather than naming? (Gen 126f cf 5:1f) We sometimes describe a son (or daughter) who are very like their respective parent as being “in the spitting image”of their parent. Some later Hebrew poetry/psalmistry does take up this meaning Psalm 82.. and even the corollarizing meaning of “a second shot at” so that a son of a lion is a lion, the son of a god, is a god (though both are babies to begin with)(+ Ps97; Ps138+ John10:33-38)

Pictures of people 2

here's some from the other weekend:

 

Pictures of People - the pitchers that can contain more than biological life.

It seems like if I am going anywhere, specially if it is deeper into "my own back yard", & I am to follow Yeshua (Jesus) as the Leader of Humanity, then I will be serving any folk I meet, offering something to brighten up their day. I don't appear to have much, but what I have I will give. One thing I started some years ago (at a schoolies week event) was having a go at drawing someone with a pen. I started doing it on thin card with a faint watermark on the back of the card, to the effect of the pic immediately below. Then I'd have a go at drawing the person, on the other side of the card, preferably while one of my friends (or even stranger) asked them personal questions (though not about romance), to keep them still for 3 minutes. see examples below, & above.

Marking Time (re-iterating)

willing walker(s)

while away

the time of his(/their) life!

(Marking Time! - 2013AD)

This walk is a kind of pilgrimage.  People normally go away for pilgrimage, but I’m wanting to go deeper into my own back yard...

I’ve seen what happened in 1st Century Palestine with Jesus of Nazareth. I do think he’s the best leader this world has seen. I’m enamoured with him, & think he is God’s chosen Leader of Humanity (the CHRIST), but I want to see what God’s doing here in my own country; I’m not really looking for religious stories, but REAL stories.

(thanks to Andy Vincent who helped this above explanation be born by asking, listening & reflecting back creatively; 1st posted on the 10 Sept 2013. The explanation below was first posted on Monday the 23rd of August- interesting especially as I look at) the last point and consider my movements in the next few days. In a bed with sore tendons(?) in my left leg.

Monday 23 August:

Walking under the same guiding stars that Enoch & Abraham walked under, i.e. to go with the original purpose of Adam, the son of God.

Walking “against the flow” of the first Adam & Eve (after not refraining from eating the forbidden fruit - hiding from the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the evening).

Walking as the second Adam walked in deserted areas with wild animals, filled with God’s spirit (to no seeming purpose, except to be personally tempted), & looked after by God’s emissaries,

Walking as he walked dusty crowded streets, to bear witness to God’s reign, to affirm the good he saw,  disenfranchise the evil, & to serve in God’s name.

Walking as he walked - to call others to follow him in the above; to a cross (a period of suffering, rejection, which might not seem linked to purposive service to others), before being raised by God.

miss ta walker?

The good that Jesus Christ called “God”

through hell & high water,

is walking, and has always trod

with his people, they’re his daughter.

It’s like there are two kinds of folk

who live throughout the Earth

-  and I don’t mean the “sheila” / “bloke”

dichotomy, for what it’s worth –

I mean the kind who’re “open up”

to what they were made for:

it doesn’t matter: tiny bub,

or a hundred in the shade, for

they’re like God’s kids, his child-er-en,

his own daughter or son,

whether new-born, or two, or ten,

he loves them (and he’ll discipline)

-not in that harsh, embittered way-

but still enough to learn

the worth of all they do or say;

they learn respect, and they won’t “turn-

-on ya”, and then just be diff’rent,

they get God’s character!

They’re “open up” to love and when’t

causes pain, they still barrack ta

see it win. They have confidence

and know the mys-stur-y

of love that is it’s one defence,

won’t throw it out for just what’s seen!

These folk come in shapes and sizes,

cultures - all seem diff’rent,

but the thing that each one prizes:

what eternity’s culture’s meant!

It means that all power and glory are

by God owned, and on loan,

instead of “We are the STAR”,

they want God’s light of love more shown!

The others have already died,

some grieving has been done;

but plans of God are now being tried

to raise them up, each one.

Mean-while God’s still brooding, weaving,

walking throughout his world.

“Looks” have often been deceiving,

half (his grieving) has not been told!

Jesus told us his secret plan:

to hide within the weak,

the smallest, slowest, of human-

-ity’s face, is from where he’d peak.

We’re used to looking up to ’mpress

not down to beneath us;

so he who’s real, to real-ly bless

uses this ruse to bequeath us

his blessed image growing up

within our hearts & minds

and beings, that by showing up

will rule his world in ways divine.

I want to give more airplay to

the stories of these ones

who let God look on this world through

the eyes of his daughters and sons.

I want to walk just as he walks

I want to see as he,

to listen as he does (and talks),

let his story be told in me!

And to this goal I know I’ll slow

-ly keep on moving too;

a walker only, but I’ll go

on day-by-day walking with you.

Not only with self-discipline,

but with your true coaching,

one day, I’ll be the kind of man

that can handle man’s reproaching,

or human praise, and not become

sep-ar-a-ted from you,

and your care, in that christened ONE,

who walked the dusty streets then too.

Please now again, as long ago,

come walking in some skin

and bones, and let me see, please show

your world to me from eyes within.