e~mergent kiwi

heart in my mouth

I need a book reference for a lecture I am about to do in 2 hours. I used the book in my PhD, so I go looking for my PHD on my laptop. No sign of my PhD in the usual folder. How strange.

Puzzled, I hit "search."

Stranger still. According to "search" my PhD is in my computers "Recycle bin."

I open the "Recycle bin." I find over 500 of my files, waiting to be deleted. I have no idea why.

Could I have ever been that jet-lagged in the last 10 days? Could someone have fiddled with my computer (it was left accessible in a classroom a number of times recently)? Can a virus do this?

(And yes, I did backup all my files recently).

Mary Magdalene is now blogging

Mary Magdalene is now blogging. And I am part of her inspiration (scroll down a bit from here). Worth watching.

how to win friends and influence people

I love my American friends; so instant, so action orientated. So one of my American friends emailed yesterday. They need to tele-conference with me. A group is meeting and they love a missional project I had suggested to them. Could they talk futher?

Sure I said.

But they could only talk at 6 am my time.

I groan. That's when I'm asleep. Surely it can wait.

Not it can't.

So I set up alarm and I'm up this morning.

The call comes. And then they let it slip. Oh, we had trouble ringing you. The first time was the wrong number.

How to win friends and influence people:) At least I was up. But imagine being woken by a toll call at 6 am in the morning only to find it was the wrong number! :)

Google ads

Since this blog costs me to run, I'm playing with using Google ads on this site to "fund" my habit. It might take a day or so to get ads in the right zone, so in the meantime, I might not support all the ads you see.

uk dreaming

their is a missional happenning I'd really like to observe in England, UK on 1 May. it's a long way to travel for just 1 thing. could anyone use my speaking/thinking/worshipping talents in the south of England around 1 May? if so, drop me a line steve at emergentkiwi dot org dot nz (I'd be hoping that whatever emerged would either pimp my book and/or help with my airfare:))

narnia quiz

I'm working on a Narnia Quiz for our Take a Kid to Faith service on Sunday.

Question 1. Ponder this … Who said, "Narnia is my favourite children's book?"

a) Madonna
b) Paddington Bear
c) Shannon Taylor
d) Jeff from The Wiggles

Answer

b) Madonna: Madonna said on TV that the Chronicles of Narnia was one of her favorite children's books (according to here and scroll half way down).

Question 2. Ponder this ... The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe is the first Narnia film ever. Yes or no?

Answer: No. Six Narnia films have been made: Two versions of "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" (1968 and 1979), live versions of "The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe," "Prince Caspian and the Voyage of the Dawn Treader" (combined into one film), and "The Silver Chair" in the 1980's.

Question 3. Ponder this ... Narnia is the name of a real town in
a) England
b) Norway
c) India
d) Italy

Answer: d) Narnia is the name of a town in Italy.

Question 4. Ponder this ... The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe book was almost never printed. Was this because

a) Tolkien so criticized the novel
b) Lewis got very sick
c) The printer jammed

Answer: a) Lewis' friend J.R.R. Tolkien so criticized "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" that Lewis nearly didn't finish it.

Monks at a Belgian abbey have been forced to stop selling their famous beer after it was voted the best in the world and was promptly sold out.

The abbey of Saint Sixtus of Westvleteren in western Belgium is home to some 30 Cistercian and Trappist monks who lead a life of seclusion, prayer, manual labor - and beer-brewing.

Link

a poorly paid writer

Today I got paid to write. I am doing my first ever commissioned piece of writing. It feels very strange.

Today I have learnt that I won't make my fortune as a paid commissioned writer. I would need to do 10 of these commissions a week and to work a whole lot faster than I have today.

jack johnson concert

Great night at Jack Johnson concert last night. Great to hang with some other Opawa people and friends, and sway, sing, holler and be glad of being human.

A bonus was Xavier Rudd, a neo-Ben Harper. I have never seen one person make so much music and how someone can sing and play didgeridoo, drums and electic guitar in one song I have no idea.

A downside was G. Love's forced rap, a secret best kept in the States IMHO.

a day off through the eyes of a 5 year old

"Daddy, have a good day at home cuddling Mummy."

The Diary of the Opawa Baptist mouse

If there was a mouse, in the house (of God), their dairy for the week would note the following.

Sunday: Some tired ladies laugh and joke about something called “camp.” After dark, a big, fat, sound system arrives.

Monday: Dodge some paint from the community art class. The carpet ain't so lucky.

Tuesday: Staff team leaves a trail of crumbs through foyer at morning tea. 35 American university students leave an even bigger trail of crumbs after lunch. When it gets dark, the Board arrived. Senior Pastor tries to look sharp, but I think he’s bluffing.

Wednesday: Small groups of youth (cells) are in so many rooms that I go to bed early. But the sound system cranks up for a video. Can’t sleep. Get up to watch some new people at Opawa mingle over pizza, with that new bigger Pastor looking pleased with himself.

Thursday: That office person rushes around looking “Crafty.” And some Asian voices practice their (Conversational) English. When it gets dark, ten people arrive for a new members information evening. Again, Senior Pastor tries to look sharp, but I’m sure he’s bluffing.

Friday: More crumbs from the staff table. More dinner for me. Hope it’s quiet for the weekend. I need a sleep-in Sunday morning.

Signed: The mouse.

how far should I go?

OK, so I am back in the west coast of USA April 27-29. And so is U2. So, is it worth me arriving early, and flying up to Seattle (April 24-25), to say "Hi"?

Or do I wait, and hope they come to Melbourne, Austalia (still a 3.5 hour flight from Christchurch, New Zealand).

Update: I booked. I am not chasing U2. I fly into LA on Sunday 24th April and leave Friday 29th April.

Can daddy leave please?

I am a vegetarian and when I am away from home, the family get to eat fried chicken at Kentucky Fried Chicken. We were driving past the local KFC last week and Kayli, our 4 year old asks from the back seat; Can Daddy leave please?

All this to say that her dreams are coming true. It looks like I will be at the emergent convention in San Diego, Feb 2-5 next year, doing some stuff.

I am available that weekend, Feb 6, if anyone in the US wants to use me. Ideally, you'd be able to share some plane fare with the promoters.

PS: I am white, male and under 45. But I have NO dabs in my hair (just a few natural grey streaks!). What do I do?

words, words, words

Bozone :: the substance surrounding stupid people that stops bright ideas from penetrating. The bozone layer, unfortunately, shows little sign of breaking down in the near future.

Beelzebug :: Satan in the form of a mosquito that gets into your bedroom at three in the morning and cannot be cast out.

Dopeler effect :: the tendency of stupid ideas to seem smarter when they come at you rapidly.

from Washington Post's Style Invitational 2003