Category: Personal Thoughts

Long Term Planning – Really Long Term


I was at the Victoria University on Flinders Street this morning, for a seminar run by my department. During a break I stepped onto a balcony and took in some beautiful scenes along the Yarra River with Flinders Street Station in the foreground, the Eureka and Langham Hotel buildings in the background and the train running in between alongside the Yarra. It was quite picturesque. I went to the seminar with a colleague who is a young Malaysian lady. This was her first job fresh out of law school in Monash University. Her family want her back in Malaysia but she appears to be enjoying her life here and she likes her job – she works hard and is very pleasant and gets on well with everyone. Privately I was wishing just for a little while, that Kiddo is already at that stage in her life. If she was Tress and I should pack up and head for some rural areas in the outskirts, perhaps even as far as Ballarat. I don’t know what we’d do there but who knows. I guess with recent events like the Libyan war, the Japan earthquakes, tsunami and nuclear plant meltdowns, and with recent news of continuing protests in Yemen, Bahrain and even against the Syrian Bath regime, the tendency is to be more reflective of life and its meanings. I had lunch with an old colleague recently and raised this matter and I think it made him think too. I mentioned to this old colleague how while working in a superannuation related industry (our previous employer provided life risk products to super funds) we constantly talked about planning for our future. That future to many is a 20-30 year period. In the context of eternity, it is but a speck. That however takes up so much time, effort and angst for people to plan for. If 20-30 years took virtually a lifetime to plan, why is it we spend next to no time planning for eternity?

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March Equinox


I think today’s the March Equinox. If that is correct, the days get shorter from today. Soon we’d have the dreaded dark-at-five pm days. I have always said to Tress and Kiddo that I didn’t mind the cold in winter. What I dislike are the short days. I think they contribute to depression for many.

I also remember 21 March for a different reason – it was the day I started work since we moved to Melbourne about 6 ½ years ago. It was also a Monday and I went in to the office of Sharrock Pitman Legal in Glen Waverley. We were living in Mount Waverley then and Kiddo was attending Mount Waverley North Primary. Tress had also started work in Myer on Lonsdale Street in the city.

We were finding our feet in Melbourne. We started to go to the International Christian Community church (ICC) in Glen Waverley. Pastor Chek Chia was there then. Other than a new life in a new city with a new job and so many other things which were new for us, we also had a very new theology to contend with in the approaches of that church towards prayer, guidance and instructions.

In some ways, the shorter days ahead reflect how I feel now. Some things appear bleak. I wish things could be different and we could unwind the clock and set things right from those early days. I know however that God is sovereign and He is also good. God’s wonderful creation included not just the March Equinox but also the September one. We’d have to live through the coming “6 months”, work on things, keep our eyes on God and look forward to the September Equinox when days will become brighter and longer again.

The creation of our God is wonderful. The cycles of astronomy and seasons are part of His beautiful creation. The ever changing weathers, life experiences, joy and pain, hope and despair and indeed even life and death – have all been “signed off” by our sovereign Lord and as the wise proverb says, we need to trust God, acknowledge Him in all things, and He will set our paths straight.

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War again


Julia Gillard must be looking over her shoulders now. Kevin Rudd is looking strong, in command and every bit like the leader Julia isn’t appearing to be. He advocated the no-fly zone for Libya early on, when she was pontificating and taking the safe route of saying it was only one of many options. No the UN has approved it, Kevin looks good and perhaps on course for his personal ambitions for a UN role after leaving government.

I was watching the news on the little TV screen on the cross trainer this morning and the Arab League chief Amr Moussa looked a bit upset at what appears to be an unanticipated level of destruction the no fly zone enforcement has wrought so far.

It is also a bit worrying that what is coming across is the typical image of the west attacking an Arab nation. One minute images of fighter jets taking off are anchored by big bold words to the effect that US, UK and French air forces have launched attacks against Libya and in the next minute we have footage of Moussa saying they did not authorise this action.

No doubt anyone thinking about this would ask what exactly did the Arab League think a no-fly zone entailed, if it did not involve application of firepower of some sort? How do you create and enforce a no-fly zone in the midst of armed aggression between two internal rival groups? But that appears to be beside the point for now – there must be serious and concerted efforts to expunge images of west versus Islamic Arab nations. This is a UN thing, supported by Arab and other Islamic nations, to avert further loss and destruction in Libya.

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HairSpray!


Kiddo wanted badly to watch the Hairspray musical so we went last week, on Thursday night. It was at the Princess Theatre and I am really glad Kiddo suggested this because she obviously enjoyed it thoroughly but not only that, Tress and I enjoyed it immensely too. It pays to listen to your kids!

Ides of March


The Ides of March was a few days ago I think. But I wake up today feeling perhaps today is closer to that traditionally ominous day. Maybe it is the UN led attack on Libya – the French warplanes have bombed Libyan air defence sites overnight – but despite a beautiful sunny morning here in Melbourne and a 1-0 win by Manchester United over Bolton and Arsenal’s 2-2 draw against West Brom, it feels sombre this morning.

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St Patrick’s Ex


Fergie aims at the perch


SAF has been given a 5 match ban, and this IS a pointy end of the season, when Arsenal seems to have – before it crashed out of the League Cup, Champions League, and FA Cup competitions in the past 2 weeks – the momentum. They have a game in hand and just 3 points behind.

While the league is almost always the most important competition for yours truly, I am just pleasantly surprised we are where we’re at now. At the start of the season I didn’t think we’d be gunning for gongs. Chelsea was riding a massive crest and we didn’t get any player other than the “Little Pea” (what a Javier Hernandez has turned out to be – Ole!). The likes of Gibson and Obertan haven’t really impressed as solid United players and players like Carrick was starting to look tired and not up to providing the gravy for the hard work by Fletcher. it looked like we had to rely on old warhorses like Giggs and Scholesy to arm the lone gunman upfront, Rooney.

But see where we are now – still at the top of the heap in the league, in the semi-final of the FA Cup and the quarter final of the Champions League. Frankly all that matters to me is the league because if we hold on and sneak through, we’d be one up in the all-time tally against the ‘Fools. SAF would be truly pleased then as we would have well and truly knocked them off the frail perch.

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Oz Tax $ v Malaysian


There is a National Medicines Policy Document. The aim of the policy is to improve positive health outcomes for all Australians through their access to and use of medicines. It has four objectives – timely access and affordable, appropriate quality, safety and efficacy, quality use and maintenance of a responsible and viable industry.

The Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, Therapeutic Goods Administration and National Strategy for Quality Use of Medicines are frameworks which facilitates the fleshing out of these objectives.

I came across this policy document while working on a file concerning a regional (Victorian) support group for health practitioners. They were working with me on state revenue compliance issues and I was seeking to understand the context of their set up. The extent and details of frameworks put in place as a result of Commonwealth and State government initiatives which support delivery of health services was a very pleasant surprise for yours truly. I could go on for weeks looking up the scores of websites, policy documents, program write ups, reports, findings etc – all serious work done to better the health and delivery of healthcare services.

Just a few days ago we had a few families over for dinner and we were talking about paying taxes and where our tax dollars went. Barry one of my mates said he could see our tax dollars in the remote road networks out in the country area. I mentioned how I didn’t mind paying higher taxes in this country precisely because we could, to a large extent, see delivery of services.

In Malaysia, our taxes went largely to things like religious causes – huge and expensive mosques, salaries of Imam’s and Islamic clergies, Quran reading events and worst of all, our tax dollars often find their way into corrupt politicians’ retirement funds. Frustrated Malaysians often use throwaway lines like “Samy Vellu has a few billion dollars stashed away” and the common belief is that politicians over the years have stolen tens of billions of dollars from public purses – our tax dollars. There are commentators who suggest as much as USD300 billion have been squandered – with no doubt a big slice going into politicians’ pockets – over the years as a result of mismanagement and leakages in the Malaysian economy.

I wonder if there is a Malaysian equivalent of the National Medicines Policy and the extent of work done to flesh out the policy and give it the tools and resources to work.

We may spend our free time bemoaning our Aussie politicians but actually they have – by and large – done good work. It is at least much better work than the rubbish dished out by the Malaysian counterparts. There is a much weaker case of not seeing our tax dollars work better for us here.

Regards,Ian

Sent from my iPigeon

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Inapt Words from “Prayercentral.net”


Choosing the right words to say at the right time is a virtue encouraged and praised by the Scriptures (Prov 25:11, 15:23). The converse is also true. We need to consider or have a basis for, what we say especially in the present age where both the spoken or written word can be recorded, broadcast and disseminated widely and quickly.

Which brings me to the below prayer notes, which someone kindly forwarded to me this morning. Tress and I have been watching the news of the Japan earthquake through the long weekend, on several channels – Sky, CNN, BBC, Fox and of course our very own Nine and Seven. I was on my laptop quite a bit yesterday and I intermittently jumped on BBC, New York Times and our own Herald Sun, The Age and The Australian websites. I also checked on Malaysiakini site now and then, which also had pretty up-to-date coverage of the quake, tsunami and nuclear plant tragedies in Japan.

Not one of the above sources mentioned anything about breakdown in authority and security, or about injustice or corruption. Japan is a first world/developed country. Corruption and social unrest attributable to political upheavals or despotic behaviour are traits you almost never associate with Japan. In fact the contrary is true and the images I see on the media are of an orderly – unbelievably orderly – management of the crises. Many experts are differentiating Chernobyl from Fukushima in the way each dealt/is dealing with the nuclear plant crisis. Fukushima is almost an embodiment of preparedness, discipline and orderly execution of emergency measures. The early administration of iodine to minimise the effect of radiation is a case in point. The damage we see is due largely to the tsunami and not the earthquakes as Japanese construction is probably leading the world in earthquake-proof features.

So what is it that “prayercentral.net” knows which many of us don’t, which made it write the way it did? If the basis of this writing is unsubstantiated waffle it is very likely based on prejudice – that just because this is an Asian disaster, the elements of injustice, corruption, breakdown in authority and security all abound. If this is the case, then “prayercentral.net” needs prayer itself. Lots of it.

What the Japanese need now is prayer, no one doubts that. What they also need are apt words which show mercy, compassion and love. Not rebuke and warnings. I hope “prayercentral.net” either explains itself or amend this piece.

Here’s the link and the text of what’s there now:

http://prayers.prayercentral.net/?page_id=5&target=Japanese+brothers+and+sisters&pronoun=group&cat=86

Break the Power of Corruption in Japanese brothers and sisters

Scripture: Woe to those who enact evil statutes, And to those who constantly record unjust decisions, so as to deprive the needy of justice, And rob the poor of My people of their rights… -Isaiah 10:1

Prayer: Lord, You are the great judge over all the earth, watching the wicked and the good. You see the deeds and the intentions of the heart. Only You, Lord are worthy to sit on the throne of judgment.

Lord, in every crisis there is a breakdown of authority, and security. I know You hate injustice and corruption, so I bring to Your attention the corruption in Japanese brothers and sisters during this crisis, and I ask Lord, that You would hear the cries of the weak and powerless, and break the power of corruption in this place.

Lord, for the good of the people, I ask that You would swiftly judge acts of corruption today. Give no place for the wicked to think they have escaped. Leave no room for looters and others to steal away what has been provided for the needy. Make an example today Lord of someone, so that others may see and fear.

Vindicate the weak and the poor, and break the power of wickedness that oppresses them. In Jesus name, amen.

Let us know you prayed…

Regards,Ian

Sent from my iPigeon

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Infallibility and Inerrancy – The Chicago Statement


In catching up with MST work, I had to go through the Chicago Statement on inerrancy. This statement jumped out at me: “…the sequence of revealed messages ceased. Henceforth the Church was to live and know God by what He had already said, and said for all time”. This was in the exposition section at the end of the 19 Articles. It goes on to say this: “No new revelation (as distinct from Spirit-given understanding of existing revelation) will be given until Christ comes again“.

The Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy was signed in 1978 with signatories which include J.I. Packer, R. C. Sproul and the one I admired immensely, John Warwick Montgomery. In my still lay mind, I cannot find any reason not to subscribe to this statement – every one of the 19 Articles. I understand there may be some issues with autographic texts and the resulting implications but the exposition has addressed this too. It stated that th authority of the Scripture is in no way jeopardized by the fact that the copies which are available are not entirely error free.

Much work is needed still to get on top of this issue but I am very happy to start with this Statement.

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