Changed blog site again www.konradslack.org

This new site is better (I promise). My new site can be found here! (http://www.konradslack.org/)

This site allows me to have a photo gallery (a work in progress at the moment) and I can do a lot more with it when I have the time.

Month of Misfortune

It appears that this month is my month to have bad things happen to me. First my car is damaged by a truck driver. Then I was driving back from university today, bought some fuel and haeded home. As I was driving home I saw a kangaroo on the side of the road (it a was an 80km/hr zone and I was doing just that), suddenly the kangaroo jumped in front of my car, I braked, but too late it hit my bonnet. I'm not sure how damaged the 'roo is as it sorta continued across the road. Then I noticed that my bonnet was raised up on the right side a little. When I got home the full extent of the damage was evident: a dent in the front of the bonnet (quite deep) and a pushed back headlight. I have ordered a new bonnet from the wreckers for $220 and Kim will collect it for me tomorrow. The problem will be matching the paint to repaint the new bonnet to match the old one. Also, I had a mechanic check my radiator and he said to keep an eye on the fluid level for the next few days just in case and the temperature (a bit hard as my car has no temperature gauge - what brilliant designer thought it was unnecessary to have a temp gauge as well as leaving out a tachometer?)

Its not as if I drive badly or anything, but its like the world is out to get me when I drive. I dream of a day in the future when I buy a new vehicle: a 4WD with a bull-bar!

On more cheerful news: on the weekend I went to Dalby and visited a friend. We had a lot of fun playing our network games. I had the pleasure of company whilst driving back to Brisbane on Monday. My friend's sister came back with me and I appreciated having someone to talk to for the 3hr drive. I started uni again yesterday and had one lecture. It was all I could do to concentrate after having 3 months off. Today I had another lecture and managed to concentrate a little better.

trucks, traffic and thirst-quenching

WARNING: this post contains anger, resentment, and abuse of truck drivers. If you are a truck driver - don't take it personally :)

Grrrrhhhhh, rant, rave, (and weep?). My car has some lovely scratches in the side now. Stupid, moron truck driver jerk. Yesterday afternoon I was travelling back from the south side of Brisbane (picked up a sata pci slot add-on: data serial cable adapter for IDE motherboard) and was driving along Kingsford-Smith Drive near the Brisbane River. I was in the left lane when I suddenly noticed a truck next to me in the right lane. The next thing I knew, this imbecile of a truck driver started moving into my lane, and before I could do anything, he had scraped his truck into the back rear door and panel of the drivers side of the car. I was shocked and my heart was racing as I beeped my horn and we both pulled over to the curb. We then pulled into a side street where we got out and I kept my cool as I asked him what had happened. He responded with some kinda comment about his mirror and how he didn't see me (obviously - jerk!). I got his address, rego, license number, and mobile number. Then he said he would contact me later with his insurance details (note: third party liability insurance is useless unless you caused the accident). So I have to go through his insurance company for a claim.

This driver said he would ring me back after work or tomorrow morning (being today) with his insurance details. And did he? no, I have heard nothing from him and have decided to get a quote for repairs and to see a solicitor on Friday. Next I will send him a letter of demand for his insurance company to pay for the damage - I think he will try to get out of this (I called his home after looking him up in the phone book and someone - maybe his wife - tried to pretend that he did not live there - yeah right!). I will change over to comprehensive insurance by next year (bit expensive for this year, but when I have a new job I should be able to afford it).

On a lighter note, I enjoyed my Sunday afternoon as I went for a drive up to Caloundra and had lunch there whilst looking out to sea. I relaxed as I read a novel, and walked along the beach and over some rocks. It was refreshing and re-energising. I need to do that more often.

QUENCH YOUR THIRST IN THE LIVING WATER

Because I have made it a tradition in my blogs to talk religiously or on topics of faith I will talk about thirst. A godly thirst is not as the world see's thirst. It is a thirst that we all have, but only those who believe in Jesus and follow after Him recognise it as a thirst for God. In Psalm 42:1-2 I was reading today how it states:
Psalm 42:1-2
¹As a deer longs for streams of water, so I long for you, O God! ²I thirst for God, for the living God. I say, "When will I be able to go and appear in God's presence?"

In Matthew 5:6, Jesus said:

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied.”

In a another place God invites us:
Isaiah 55:1-2
¹"Hey, all who are thirsty, come to the water! You who have no money, come! Buy and eat! Come! Buy wine and milk without money and without cost! ²Why pay money for something that will not nourish you? Why spend your hard-earned money on something that will not satisfy? Listen carefully to me and eat what is nourishing! Enjoy fine food!

Jesus also agains invites us to drink from the 'water' He provides:
John 4:13-14
¹³Jesus replied, "Everyone who drinks some of this water will be thirsty again. ¹⁴But whoever drinks some of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again, but the water that I will give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up to eternal life."

John 6:35
Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life. The one who comes to me will never go hungry, and the one who believes in me will never be thirsty.”

John 7:37-38
³⁷On the last day of the feast, the greatest day, Jesus stood up and shouted out, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me, and ³⁸let the one who believes in me drink. Just as the scripture says, 'From within him will flow rivers of living water.' "

Let us quench our thirst in Jesus Christ alone. Only He will satisfy us. Only He will satisfy all our needs and longings in Him.

Jesus the great High Priest

Another week has come and almost passed. On Sunday the church sermon was about service and serving God through serving others. We looked at James 2:14-26, and its theme was about faith without works is dead. James 2:17-18 states:

17So also faith, if it does not have works, is dead being by itself. 18But someone will say, "You have faith and I have works." Show me your faith without works and I will show faith by my works.

I was encouraged to serve by joining the Blend68 coffee shop outreach to young adults. During this time we had a band (Soulframe) playing and because there were so many people who came along I helped out the shop staff with taking people's orders to them (was an interesting and sorta humbling experience). I was an honourary waiter for part of the night. I had fun though :)

Sunday also brought me an ache in my tooth which worsened on Monday and kept me awake and awoke me in the middle of the night before Tuesday. I made an appointment to see the dentist and they could only fit me in for March 17th (too far away with the pain I was facing). Througout Tuesday the pain was a sharp throbbing pain that constantly plagued me and distracted me from my work. I made another call to the dentists and they rang back later with another appointment for me for Wednesday 9:30am. I praise God that someone else cancelled their appointment. By Wednesday morning the pain had sort of gone but after the surgery (a 'temporary temporary filling' as the dentist told me until I come back for the start of root canal surgery - expensive but necessary) I had another toothache, being pain as my tooth recovered. Fortunately it feels less painful now and is much more bearable (just a little nagging ache).

My plans for the weekend: I might go to Dalby and visit my friend Greg. Should be interesting to visit my old stomping grounds again (went to school there for grade 7 to 10). We will probably spend our time playing games and watching movies or scifi.

Today I started reading Leviticus in the Bible. I find Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy to be mostly boring as they are concerned with so much law and tedious names of people. But at least sometimes there are the rare verses which speak to me and send me searching the scriptures to compare verses. One verse in particular stood our for me:

Leviticus 4:35

So the priest will make atonement on his behalf for his sin which he has committed and he will be forgiven.

Firstly I decided to research the meanings of some of the key words from that verse such as atonement, sin and forgiven. The word ‘atonement’ comes from the Hebrew word ‘Kaphar’ (pronounced: kaw-far’). It means to cover, purge, make reconciliation, appease, cancel, pardon, for a transgression. Or to coat over or cover with pitch (thus blotting out the error, mistake etc.)
The word ‘sin’ comes from the Hebrew word ‘’asham’ (pronounced: aw-shawm’). It means a guilt, offense, trespass, fault.
The word ‘forgiven’ comes from the Hebrew word ‘calach’ (pronounced: saw-lakh’). It means to pardon a persons transgression. Dictionary.com states that to pardon means:
• To release (a person) from punishment; exempt from penalty: a convicted criminal who was pardoned by the governor.
• To let (an offense) pass without punishment.
Pardoning, in effect (or forgiving) means that God has taken away the punishment we deserved and Jesus paid the penalty by taking upon Himself our punishment for us.

This reminded me of how Hebrews speaks about a great High priest. In Hebrews 4:14-16 it states:

¹⁴Therefore since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession. ¹⁵For we do not have a high priest incapable of sympathizing with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in every way just as we are, yet without sin. ¹⁶Therefore let us confidently approach the throne of grace to receive mercy and find grace whenever we need help.

I love that verse. It is good to know that Jesus is our mediator between us and God. He continues to make intercession for us and we come come boldly to His throne of grace to receive His mercy and grace when we are tempted.

I occasionally (very occasionally) write poetry. Here's one that I wrote today that goes along with the theme of this entry:

Jesus the great High Priest
the one who intercedes for me
Shed His blood on the cross
Died He there for me

Jesus, pardoned my sin
Bore the sin and shame
Rose again one bright new day
No longer do I have blame

Jesus, my saviour King
Why did He die for me?
Took my place and punishment
In order to set me free

Jesus, You I love
My praise to You I give
I bow down and worship You
For You now I can live

Jesus, set me free
From my guilt and sin
Pardoned me on the cross
Made me one of His kin

I will conclude this entry with one last verse from Hebrews. Hebrews 10:19-22:

¹⁹Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the sanctuary by the blood of Jesus, ²⁰by the fresh and living way that he inaugurated for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, ²¹and since we have a great priest over the house of God, ²²let us draw near with a sincere heart in the assurance that faith brings, because we have had our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed in pure water.

tribute to my great Uncle Philip Donaldson

Recently my great Uncle Philip Donaldson passed away to be with the Lord Jesus. We will all miss him, but have hope that we will see him again in heaven one day.

I have written a little poem which is not that eloquent, but serves to express some of my feelings:

You have gone
For the moment we stay
Life is a shadow
You have found the new day

You have gone ahead
Carried away
We remain instead
We'll see you someday

At present, grief
Sorrow and tears
The future: joy
happiness, no fears

You were loved
You loved in return
You have gone to your Love
Life on earth was adjourned

Life seemed brief
Joy and pain
happiness and grief
All things loss, now much gain

All the sacrifice for a goal
The race that was won
Now your soul
Is free with the Son

But the bible is very eloquent in this regard:

Matthew 5:4
"Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

John 11:25-26
²⁵Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live even if he dies, ²⁶and the one who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?"

1Corinthians 15:51-55

⁵¹Listen, I will tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed — ⁵²in a moment, in the blinking of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. ⁵³For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. ⁵⁴Now when this perishable puts on the imperishable, and this mortal puts on immortality, then the saying that is written will happen, "Death has been swallowed up in victory." ⁵⁵"Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?"

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

¹³My friends, we want you to understand how it will be for those followers who have already died. Then you won't grieve over them and be like people who don't have any hope. ¹⁴We believe that Jesus died and was raised to life. We also believe that when God brings Jesus back again, he will bring with him all who had faith in Jesus before they died.

¹⁵Our Lord Jesus told us that when he comes, we won't go up to meet him ahead of his followers who have already died. ¹⁶With a loud command and with the shout of the chief angel and a blast of God's trumpet, the Lord will return from heaven. Then those who had faith in Christ before they died will be raised to life. ¹⁷Next, all of us who are still alive will be taken up into the clouds together with them to meet the Lord in the sky. From that time on we will all be with the Lord forever. ¹⁸Encourage each other with these words.