Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all!

Well here we are at the end of another year, wondering where all that time went and bracing ourselves for whatever 2009 will hold.

First of all, I just want to say how blessed I've been by so many of you in the past year. You've encouraged me, cheered me up, given me much needed hugs, challenged me, and basically been a massive blessing in my life.

Secondly, I want to remind you all that there are many, many others around us, as we go about our day, who will not view Christmas as the time of joy and abundance that we most probably will be. It could be because it brings back memories of a loved one who has passed away; it could be because they are homeless; it could be because they have suffered severe heartbreak this year. If we can all reach out to those around us and bless them even a little this Christmas season - it might just make their burdens a little bit easier.

And thirdly, I thought I'd write a brief note to encapsulate the highs and lows of 2008 for myself, and my resolutions and plans for the new year.


Highs of 2008

• The 3 weeks I spent in Rwanda in January. Nothing has ever affected me as much as this did!

• The luxury mini-break on the Gold Coast Brad surprised me with when I returned home

• Being able to work in a job I love, with people who are like a family to me, in an area that I am deeply interested in

• My fantastic birthday up at Springbrook, walking around all the waterfalls; followed by dinner at my favourite restaurant at night

• Brad's soccer team being allocated second division, and making the semi-finals

• Going to Fiji for my first overseas holiday with my husband!

• Going on a few short trips to Sydney to see Brad's brother and his wife and kids
  

When it comes to disappointments, it really was just the fact that falling pregnant hasn't been as straightforward as we prayed for. Our adventure only started this year, but long-standing medical and genetic issues meant we started the journey of fertility specialists a lot earlier than most. We're sad that we aren't celebrating a pregnancy this Christmas, but there's a new gameplan for next year and hopefully that will get us our miracle.

And now we look ahead to next year - and what an exciting year it's looking like!!!

• A beachside holiday with Brad's brother and his wife and children at the start of the year
  

• I start tutoring a Refugee family early in the new year

• A possible trip to Tasmania to join Tutsi survivors in commemorating the 15th anniversary of the Rwandan Genocide

• The chance to be a relief Clinical Nurse (Level 2) at work whilst one of them takes holidays

• I could be heading to an International Conference in South Africa late in 2009

So as we gear up for a new year and all it has in store for us; we think of all of you and hope and pray you are having a marvellous Christmas with friends and family and that 2009 is full of God's richest blessings for you all.

We are back!

Fiji was AMAZING. I honestly can not believe how beautiful this country is - and so close to home!

It was SO nice to go overseas with my husband for once; it was so nice to be on holidays; it was SO nice to go overseas, and only have it take ONE plane and THREE hours!

The Hideaway Resort is incredible. We basically did not have to leave the resort to do any of the activities we wanted to. Going to Church, visiting a village, horseriding, rainforest walks, snorkelling, kava ceremonies, firewalking, traditional meke (dance) and love (dinner) - all of it either happened at the resort, or was less than a 1km walk away from the resort.

Our bure was huge, and amazing. A massive bedroom, a great view, and not just ONE bathroom - but a completely private outdoor shower and bath as well!

But enough babbling - here's some pictures...

Our Bure

Our View

The view from our second bathroom - outdoors!

The Pool

The Golden Door Spa - I had a massage here!

Us at the Chief's House - just drunk Kava

Horseriding

Sasch with the 'Warriors'

Our amazing sunset every evening

So yes, it was pure perfection.  We could go back at the drop of a hat, it was that good.

Goodbye Australia, Bula Fiji!

Well we're heading off to Fiji for a much needed break tomorrow, so you won't be hearing from me for a little bit.

This is our first trip overseas together, and the first holiday we've done (apart from our honeymoon) that doesn't involve a specific trip to see family. After almost 7 years together, it's about time we did this!

This month also marks our last month to fall pregnant before booking in to see the Fertility Specialist and begin further investigations. So this trip is important for more than just one reason. Any prayers you could send to us in regards to this would be awesome.

To my friends and family who read this blog - I'm sure you understand that I won't be giving updates to that situation from now on. When I feel ready to tell about a pregnancy, I will tell. I just don't want to have to lie or fib or anything about it - so please don't ask. Just let me know you are praying for us - that's all we really need. Massive hugs to you all!

As a final thought, I would ask you to keep the Democratic Republic of Congo in your prayers. DRC was the place where many perpetrators of the Rwandan Genocide fled after 1994, and there is major fallout occurring there right now, despite the presence of the UN as peacekeepers.

The UN has 17 000 Peacekeepers present in DRC (in Rwanda there were less than 500 during the time of the Genocide), however they still are only able to 'observe' rather than 'preserve' the peace deal that has been brokered. That 'observation' caused absolute decimation in Rwanda; and the same thing is brewing in DRC.

Please pray they step in before more people are displaced, tortured, raped or murdered.


God bless you all - and I will see you when we return!

Happy Pill Overdose - rants from the Christian subculture (Part Four)

So where did all this musing leave me?

Basically, I think we overcomplicate a lot of things as Christians. We often try to make a little box called 'Christian', with a list of things that Christian should look like. And we can often be very strict as to what is/isn't allowed in the box. And can be very mean to certain people if they try to get in the box, but don't look like anything else in there.


Over complicating can leave to alienation. Over complicating can make a lot of people go 'well, if that's how you're going to treat me - I don't even want to try and get in the box any more'. I know for myself I've felt like that some days; as have many of my friends who have left Christianity, or have 'dabbled' in it for a little bit.

I don't expect everyone to agree with these last few posts. Heck, some of it I'm still frowning over, and wondering where I 'fit' in all of this.

I don't want to throw the baby out with the bathwater. And I know when I start a discussion (?diatribe LOL) like this, it can have people question where your Christian faith stands.

There is a lot of that 'what will people think' approach to Christian thought. There can be a very strong 'follow the crowd' when we talk like this.

Because it's scary. It shakes things up. It promotes self-thought and self-analysis, something which can be a bit scary when it might mean stepping away from the crowd for a bit. And history tells us that Christian communities haven't always dealt with that in the best way possible.

But, I needed this. Moreso for me than for anyone else. And I think that at the end of the day, the question I'm left with is:

What Would Jesus Do?

It's become one of those 'naff' questions we throw around our wrists; something we say when we disagree with the behaviour of someone who calls themselves a Christian; another one of those Christian pop-culture references.

I don't think it should be like that. I think there's some tough stuff behind that question - yet sadly it more often than not gets used for all the wrong reasons. Especially when you look at Jesus himself, what He did, who He hung out with and where He went.

And I think Jesus would like us to ask these questions. DON'T make it the 'crux' of life as it exists - but don't be afraid to challenge group thought and challenge the behaviour of Christian industry, when you believe it's missing the mark or alienating people.

I think I'll always be a bit more 'fringe' than I was growing up. I know that I'll shock people sometimes. I know I may even drive people to distraction with how I behave.

But honestly - I think that's okay. Based on history, I think I'm in good company.

Happy Pill Overdose - rants from the Christian subculture (Part Three)

Mythbusting Christian Music on a Matchstick Scale

So now let's move onto the Christian Music Industry. Primarily Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) - which is a monster in America, and continues to grow.

Note - not talking about Praise/Worship songs; or the monolith that is that industry. Just the normal, 'sing along in the car' style music pumped out by the Christian Music Industry in Nashville and the like.

Myth One: Every song should praise God.

This is one I particularly love.

There seems to be some kind of rule which says that if you've formed a band, and that band is full of Christians - your songs should from then on always be talking about God, how much we love God, how wonderful He is, etc etc.

Not saying that's a bad thing - just the fact that the minute a singer or band writes a song that DOESN'T have this as it's foundations - they get accused of 'backsliding' or have questions like 'how can they call themselves Christian - they don't even sing about God' fired at them.

I think this gets covered by that great object called a 'Christian band'. I've never really understood this phrase.

Is a band not a 'thing'? Not a person, not a human being - just a 'thing'. The humans in it, yeah sure, they can be Christian - but can a 'thing' be a Christian thing?

It makes as much sense to me as 'Christian pebble' or 'Christian milk'.

I agree that the humans in said band (who could be Christian) could agree that the lyrics they write will be primarily about praising God and glorifying His name. But I feel sad when I see amazing bands with Christian artists in them (think Flyleaf, for example) get pushed out of the Christian music industry, because they write a song that doesn't mention God by name.

I remember this with Amy Grant (yep, I'm old - 80s child through and through). Suddenly the woman writes 'Baby Baby' rather than the El Shaddai style songs she'd been known for - and she gets yanked from most Christian radios, music promotions and music shops.

(Yes, more came out of that down the track, but my first memories of the scandal was the fact she wrote a love song to a man, rather than to God).

I didn't understand it then; I still don't understand it now.


Myth Two: You can't sing about grief, depression or failure.

I think I touched on this a bit in the Film rant I posted earlier in the week.

Christians (your 'suburban' type, as well as those in big industries such as film, tv or music) often seem to have a problem with people admitting that life can be awful for a Christian.

We might admit it privately to friends or family, but it can really cause controversy if you announce it on a large scale. Whether that be from the pulpit, from a movie, or in your music.

We will always support someone who is struggling - but often there is not much more declared in movies or music with the 'Christian' tag apart from 'when you find Jesus, all your problems are solved'.

I'm fairly certain my blog readers are nearly all Christians (or have grown up in a Christian home), so I'm fairly sure you all know this isn't the case.

Some of you, like me, still struggle (or have struggled) with fertility issues, despite your faith. Christianity may have helped you cope - but it didn't necessarily solve the problem (congratulations to you if it did - it hasn't for me).

Some of you still struggle with depression, despite having a strong relationship with God. Again - your Christian walk may have helped you cope (via support from others, talking to God, etc); but it didn't make it go away.

Some of you have gone through divorce, though still being a strong Christian. Or been victims of violence or abuse or infidelity or any other number of things that destroy a marriage. We hope sometimes that being a Christian would save us from that - but it doesn't.

So why can't we sing about this? Or why, when we do sing about it, do we have to always have the tag line of 'but Jesus solves this for me'. Yes, Jesus does put His arms around you; yes, being a Christian often gives you a ready made support network to help lift you up during trials; yes, being able to talk to God like most Christians do can help lift the burden a lot more. But it doesn't necessarily make the problem go away.

I just hope and pray we can be a bit more honest in our music (like our films) about this. That some days it is just 'one foot in front of the other'. That some days, life still sucks. That I do want to yell at God some times. That the platitude of 'God cares' sometimes makes me feel worse. Just some honesty (and encouragement of bands and artists who speak this honesty) would be nice.

As much as I know I'm biased; I think the reason U2 speaks to me so much is the fact that they honestly talk about grief and depression and feeling 'lost', with a Christian theme a lot of the time, without it going back to 'paint by numbers' solutions that a lot of overtly Christian music does.


Myth Three: You always have to be a 'happy' band. God wouldn't like goth or 'dark' music.


What band or artist are considered 'popular' in Christian music? What do you usually hear when you tune into Christian radio (if you do that)? Is there a nice little undercurrent 'theme' that runs through all these bands and artists?

Usually happy, usually light, bright and airy, usually what I like to call 'bubblegum pop'. Something akin to Adult Contemporary Rock on any other radio station, right?

Goth, heavy metal, thrash? That usually gets hidden away and when you mention a name like Demon Hunter or Flyleaf or Underoath and most Christians will give you a look like 'whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa??'.

It's sad that we aren't more aware of these bands, and don't suggest them to others. It's sad that when we hear of a metalcore/goth band made up of Christians, we question if they can really be Christian as 'Jesus wouldn't like that style of music'.

Wouldn't He? Why wouldn't He? Last I saw, Jesus seemed quite an alternative kind of guy, who tended to avoid the 'traditionals' for those who were a bit on the 'fringe'. And if those on the fringe did turn to Him, and spend time with Him, He didn't try to make them 'fit' the biscuit mould of 'Christ follower'. He told them to sin no more; but he didn't also say 'now you have to listen to this and this and this, and dress like this, and watch this' at the same time.


As you can probably tell, I'm a bit alternative. And I see a lot of fellow 'Alternative' Christians get judged unnecessarily, simply because they don't have all the popular Christian songs on their Ipods; or wear goth clothes; or like Metallica and Radiohead more than they like Michael W Smith or Twila Paris.

And I just find that a bit sad.

(ps. In case I haven't plugged them enough - if you like a bit more 'alternative' style music, and are keen to find if there is a Christian niche for this - try looking up the websites www.firestream.net or www.angelicwarlord.com).

Happy Pill Overdose - rants from the Christian subculture (Part Two)

Mythbusting Christian Film on a Matchstick Scale

There are a few 'myths' I've come across whilst looking at Christian film and music, believed by people when they 'excuse' Christian film not being as tightly packaged or delivered as the Hollywood Blockbusters.

(For the record, I think some Hollywood movies are pretty crap too, and that we shouldn't have to 'excuse' poorly delivered Christian films, but that's neither here nor there right now).

Myth One: Christian movies don't have a hollywood budget, so they can't be as good as a secular movie

I hear this SO much when debating this issue! We need a budget of 1 million PLUS to make a popular, interesting film. The Christian film industry doesn't have that, so it's automatically going to be less 'polished' than a movie made by the big corporations (WB, 20th Century Fox, et al). So we just need to accept that, and like it anyway.

That is untrue.

There are 3 movies I can think of, off the top of my head, with very small budgets that were fantastic quality, excellently delivered and also made a good showing at our local cinema.

Juno was a perfect example of a movie with a small budget, that still was received with praise by critics, and loved by the every day film watcher at the same time.

It had a strong message, characters that evoked feeling from the viewer, and was brilliantly made - even if it wasn't so 'polished'.

There is no reason that Christian film makers can not do the same thing. Sure their budget may be small, but with the right people in place, something 'small' can be wonderful.

Myth Two: If we don't have the Gospel message displayed obviously through our film, noone is going to grasp it.

Too often in Christian films, the emotions of a conversion scene, or a strong relationship of God is often destroyed for a viewer due to a 'cookie cutter' approach.

Instead of leaving the symbolism to speak for itself, for some reason there's this massive fear that someone will miss it, if we don't have the big booming voice explaining in detail what's going on.

(I should add that Hollywood especially is not void of being too 'obvious' with their message - but the best movies are those that allow symbolism and subtlety speak for themselves).

People, generally, are intelligent enough to know the subtext of a film, more often than not. You do not need the 'paint by numbers' approach to Christianity tacked on like some little 'extra', to show someone's heartfelt relationship with Jesus Christ.

The other problem we run into when we do this, is being so afraid of offending any particular 'subsection' of Christianity, that the film just loses it's sensitivity and genuineness entirely. Yes, there are different groups that will demand to see certain things, when agreeing to finance/support a Christian film - but at the expense of reaching the very people we're supposed to be catering to?

We do this SO much in Christianity, and sadly it ends up with our 'pop culture entities' (whether that be film, tv, music or even our more famous Churches), becoming a laughing stock to the wider community.

If you would like to see some amazing films that don't lose their subtlety, and still have a strong message of Christianity and redemption, please consider films such as Chariots of Fire, and Amazing Grace. N.B. Please don't let something like the word 'arse' being used, taint your whole opinion of said films.


Myth Three: Coming to Christ solves everything

Sadly amongst our community, we often (not always deliberately) come across as though we're saying 'come to Christ, and all your problems will be solved'.

This is never more evident than with a lot of Christian films lately.

Have a marriage problem? Convert, and this will be solved.

Suffering depression? Convert, and it will go away.

Infertile? Convert, and God will bless you with a baby.

Not that I'm condoning a 'works' doctrine - but these things don't necessarily get solved or 'go away' when you ask Jesus into your heart.

It still takes work. Counselling, medication, psychology is still often JUST as important after you have Jesus in your life, as it was before you did.

So why do we show this as being 'truth' with most, if not all, of our Christian films?

If it's leaving me with a feeling of anger that we're deceiving non-Christians like this - imagine how the non-Christians feel!

There is a definite feeling amongst pop culture Christianity that 'we can't talk about bad things'. To pretend like they don't exist once you become a Christian. To not share that despite your relationship with God, you still struggle with depression/infertility/mental health issues/etc.

Yes, Jesus can certainly (and does in a lot of instances) make it easier to deal with issues in your life, and can often provide an avenue to help treat the issue, that may have not occurred, prior to asking Him into your heart.

But trust me - most of these issues are not solved solely by praying harder, reading my Bible more, or having my backside in Church every Sunday.

Those things can often open up doors to healing - but they are not the 'bandaid' we often make them out to be.

And we shouldn't be perpetuating that in our films.

In my next article, I'll be discussing myths that abound in Christian music, and how we present our music to the world, more often than not, alienates and has people laughing for the 'cheese' we manufacture.

Again, please do not think I am against supporting our Christian film industry. I am definitely keen on viewing the majority of Christian films I hear about, and am still open to their message. And I do appreciate the hard work that so many of them put in to 'preach the gospel' through this medium.

But I just get frustrated with the mentality that NOT liking a Christian film, or highlighting 'flaws' instantly means I am doing the wrong thing as a Christian.

I just think we can do a heck of a lot better than we usually do.


(ps. I thought it good to note that tomorrow I'm going to Church - and I'm going goth).

Happy Pill Overdose - rants from the Christian subculture (Part One)

Now, I was very upset at not getting any comments over my Mac/PC parody ads, so I expect you all to 'up your game' and let fly at me over this one! (I get in so much trouble when I start writing these posts; self-edits come flying by thick and fast, I tell you!).

All this started about 3 days ago, when I launched into a debate over Christian Art with a bunch of fellow Christians. There was a movie coming out that people seemed to be falling over themselves to go see, and I honestly felt I was going to burnt at the stake when I mentioned that I really wasn't interested - and admitted that I had cringed when I saw the trailer (due to the way it was presented)!

So, after dressing myself in flame-retardant overalls, it got me to thinking about Christian subculture, particularly in the realm of movies and music, and how I just don't 'get it', most of the time.

Honestly, I think a lot of Christianity seems to have taken a massive overdose of happy pills. The industries of film and music often seem very 'milk toast' to me, and I have to admit I don't like a lot of what my fellow friends and family seem to enjoy.

I HATE Contemporary Christian Music, 99% of the time. There are bands and artists I love (Rebecca St James, Delirious and Brooke Fraser mostly); but the majority are the kind that I'd rather stick a needle in my eye, than listen to.

The problem that arises from this, however, is that there can often be a lot of pressure amongst Christian groups (Church, Bible Study, Youth Group, etc) to go see something/support something, simply because it's "Christian". Many times I've been privy to conversations about 'let's go see this movie so that the theatre is packed, and the cinema has to screen it for longer'.

The last movie I did this for, it turned out to be an excellent thing. It was Amazing Grace, and I loved it. I've gotten that movie out so many times on DVD, I think the store manager was at the point he'd just roll his eyes and pass it to me on my way in. I've since convinced my husband that it was a necessary addition to our DVD library!

However, I always feel a bit 'off', when encouraged to 'flood' a cinema, or continually order a movie at the video store, simply because it's Christian. In some ways, I think that it prevents the Christian Film/Music industry from improving, if we keep supporting what is often, sadly, mediocrity. Sometimes I think the need to 'get the message across' often destroys what can be absolutely beautiful and amazing films. Subtlety and symbology often are destroyed due to needing an overt description, or 'paint by numbers' approach to the gospel message.

As a result, there can be a lot of 'cheese' - and friends don't let friends eat really bad cheese.

This can get me into a lot of trouble with people. As evidenced by the conversation I had a few days ago.

Anyway, I realised that I'm more likely to run from Christian subculture things, than run to them with my arms wide open - so I thought I'd go see if there were 'fringe dwellers' amongst the music industry that I actually enjoy.

My deepest darkest secret when it comes to music is that I love heavy, metal, guitar-driven, goth/thrash artists. I am a MASSIVE fan of Rage Against the Machine. I have (secretly) enjoyed Nine Inch Nails for a few years now. And I have never EVER admitted this to anyone, save my husband, who also has a small interest in said bands.

(I should add that there are 2 other artists I'm thinking of now, who I also like, but mentioning their names is far too fraught with danger!).

Evanescence wrote a song called 'Tourniquet', which really spoke to me on a spiritual level when it first came out. However, I found that Evanescence were globally rejected by the Church, due to being too pagan or dark or 'just plain miserable'. Which is sad, because the majority of the band align themselves with Christianity, and were unable to join the Christian market because of the assumptions had because of their goth/dark 'themes'.

I wear goth clothes. I LOVE my corsets and velvet skirts and knee high lace up combat boots. I am in love with Amy Lee's wardrobe. Most of my Christian friends who read this post will probably be shocked by that admission - because I never wear these kinds of clothes at Church. I'm the 'jeans and t-shirt' girl. I would love to wear more of my medieval/gothic stuff; but it's not the place for it. Sadly, assumptions get made when I have worn these kinds of clothes, so I don't wear them half as much as I would like to.

And now I've found Demon Hunter.


Demon Hunter are a Christian metalcore band from Seattle, who, if I didn't listen closely, I'd assume were either Rage Against the Machine or Slipknot some of the time. And not a 'poor imitation' of metal/goth, which some Christian bands sadly fall prey to. The picture I posted above (a demon skull with a bullet through it's head) is their trademark.

"Not Ready to Die" in particular has become one of my favourite songs lately, and I currently have the album on pre-order with my husband for Christmas.

The band speaks out quite forcefully against the 'blandness' that Christian subculture often falls into the trap of, often unnecessarily.

They also are very honest about the fact that being a Christian doesn't suddenly turn everything 'happy chappy clappy'. This is not something that often gets displayed through Contemporary Christian Music (CCM).

I guess I just get so frustrated by the approach that I should be supporting something, simply because it's 'Christian', that I had to write this post.

Yes, absolutely, I think it's important to encourage those who are trying to bring Christianity to 'the masses'.

But do we have to then 'water it down' so much that it in turn alienates people, or turns them off?

I don't think so. And I think that the majority of things labelled as 'Christian' often get so heavily censored for a Christian audience, that they end up missing the very people they are wanting to reach out to.

Continued in part two...