Füssen highlights

Neuschwanstein Castle



View from Neuschwanstein Castle

Hohenschwangau Castle

Füssen Castle

In a church in Füssen

Dangerous faith

We interrupt the holiday highlights broadcast to bring you this special article that I just came across today.

"I believe Jesus died on the cross and I'm saved by grace alone. I believe in Creation and Jesus' death and resurrection. I believe the Bible is God's eternal message to us. But let's say I'm wrong. Let's say it's just a myth. What have I lost? Nothing. I've lived a life of meaning and purpose. I wouldn't want to live my life any other way."

That opening sentence caught my attention immediately as that has exactly been my rationalisation over the years.

What is there to lose, even if God doesn't exist?

But then came the challenge:

Is my faith really only ankle deep? Am I just hedging my bets, hoping for the best? Or do I honestly believe in Jesus Christ with all my heart, soul and mind?

And it's true.

There is the nagging feeling that if I could even come up with that rationalisation, hidden somewhere deep inside of me is the little niggling doubt that hey, maybe God isn't real.

Surely my belief in God needs to be stronger than that.

Nuremburg highlights

View from the round tower at Nuremburg Castle

Frankfurt highlights

Well, I'm back (for about a week now, but we won't dwell on that), and as promised, here are some highlight pics.

Höchst

Jewish cemetary

Memorial to WWII victims

Pop quiz

Where is this located?

(No tries for you, Della...)

Well, wherever that place is, I'll be there for three weeks! I doubt I'll be updating this blog much since well...I'm on holidays!

Friends on facebook may be able to follow my adventures (and maybe even photos).

Those without facebook, I'll post some highlight pics when I'm back.

Changing tastes

I think there's a difference between young and old people's tastebuds, and I think I'm developing that of an old person's.

I distinctively remember loathing vegetables when I was growing up, particularly slimey ones like eggplant and okra.

Traditional Chinese herbal soups were always a chore to drink, even though they're supposedly "good for me".

And I loved carbonated drinks...

Fast forward to 2009.

I feel funny when there are no vegetables in my meal, not simply because I'm vegetarian now.

I have not had okra in a while, but I have no qualms eating eggplant. Particularly when it's nicely roasted. Yuuuuum.

I actually willingly make herbal drinks for myself (and poor D) because of the belief that they're "good for me".

Carbonated drinks...well, I still drink them, but not to the extent that I used to.

Those are the few examples that I can think of now, but I'm sure there are plenty of other stuff that I used to hate that for some strange reason I loved eating now.

What about you?

Have you developed an old person's tongue?

Eflin hats

Not much more to say besides I want to make an adult version of this hat for myself!

And I found a use for scrap yarn as beanie tassles. Go recycling!

Pattern here.

Church marketing fad

A rather insightful remark from Kevin Hendricks, editor of Church Marketing Sucks today:

A mind-blowing post I saw on Twitter last week: "Why is it at church conferences we rarely are taught about real compassion for growth, yet 'Twitter for Church' classes are full?" Ouch.

Let's be clear: Church marketing is not about hopping on the latest cool fad. It's not about iPhone apps or Facebook pages, though those can be great tools to use.

Church marketing should be about communicating the core of who we are as Christians--the compassion, love and grace that [hopefully] set us apart. Those will be the same tomorrow, next year and 20 years down the road. Twitter? Not so much.

Use Twitter if it works for your church, but remember that it's just a tool. Save your excitement for what really matters.

Being in church communication, I have to admit that I do get carried away with the latest and the bestest.

But it is true, the tool is not the point. The message is.

Reverse garbage

Ever wonder where things like excess (brand new) plastic containers, craft supplies, fabric samples and even big street banners and giant industrial displays go to when they die?

Not the landfill, surprisingly.

Well, I suppose most do, but a large amount also goes to Reverse Garbage.

This is what they had to say for themselves:

Reverse Garbage is a not-for-profit co-operative that sells industrial discards, off-cuts and over-runs to the public for creative and practical uses, reducing the amount of waste going to landfill.

We are well known and respected in the education, community and arts sectors for our huge variety of materials, including; perspex, cloth, ceramic tiles, closed-cell foam and foam sheeting, stickers, cardboard, wood, hessian sacks, paper rolls, bubble wrap, toys, craft supplies and dozens of other useful items.

I visited Reverse Garbage about a month ago when I read about it in a magazine. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that its "offices" were located on the grounds of a old military barracks and a market springs up on the premises every Sunday!

Unfortunately, that last visit was interesting, but less than fruitful. There was nothing of interest at Reverse Garbage and the market stalls were closing (they close at 2pm). I did get a two-player board game for $2, but that was about it.

But I really loved the atmosphere of the place. It was very alternative - most of the food sold were organic, and had a very family and community feel to it. Not to mention the fact that there were real life hippies, as opposed to wannabes like me.

And because I loved it so much, I had to return. And the trip two days ago was probably the highlight of my Queen's birthday long weekend.

The lovely atmosphere was still there and this time, there were a bunch of young adults busking, with music that transported me to a medieval court.

The food stalls were all open this time, and I got the most delicious plate of char kway teow - a great reminder of home. And for those who don't know, this is a miracle in itself. Seven years in Australia and I had yet to find a good plate of char kway teow in this country. That plate of char kway teow was enough to make it a highlight.

But no, that stall also sold chai tow kway! It must be the only stall in the whole of Australia that did (in my knowledge anyway)!

Ironical that the chef was not Asian, but...

Tastebuds satisfied, I decided to poke into Reverse Garbage again and found some great stuff:


Metres of elastic band that will probably serve as hair tie for me for the rest of my life.

Some cute buttons and the little ring bits that I will soon transform into earrings (watch this space).

All for the low low price of $2.

If you're ever in the Sydney region, I highly recommend visiting Reverse Garbage. And do so on a Sunday, you'll never be the same again.

Transformers cufflinks

It was D's birthday on Wednesday and I had a dilemma.

I wanted to buy him a present, but I didn't want to participate in the wanton consumerism of birthday presents and whatnots as well.

I couldn't knit him something because well, I had left it too late to be able to knit something of worth in time for his birthday.

The solution?

Something handmade from the delightful "marketplace" called Etsy.

All items are handmade by individual artists, which means supporting people and creativity, as opposed to items made from mass producing multinationals.

And because I could even shop by location, I specifically chose Sydney so that transport and postage is kept to the minimum.

I also found the perfect little present:


Yes, they are Transformers cufflinks.

And yes, we are nerds.

Wondrous buttonhole

Currently knitting up the most delightful looking February Lady Sweater and have learned the most wonderful way to make a buttonhole!

Previously, the only way I knew how to make a buttonhole is to do a yarn over. Which essentially means that my buttonhole is limited to the size of two stitches, which therefore does not allow for bigger sized buttons if one wished.

Cue the wondrous buttonhole (with easy to follow instructions).

And in essence, it's a matter of binding off and casting off again. Neat, tidy, more or less reversible, makes no adverse impact on the garment and best of all, the buttonhole can go for as big as you want it too.

unGrace?

Can you sincerely share the Good News and the love of God with someone and yet disdainfully mention their sins/mistakes as if you're better than them?

I believe that when we truly love someone like Jesus does, and are trying to reflect who Jesus is to people, we should perhaps hold back on our judgements and see them for who they are.

So what if they're currently in prison serving a sentence for a crime they committed before they were introduced to Christ?

So what if they've sinned in some form or manner?

Do we say things like "they're scary, I wouldn't want them near me!"

How can you say you love them, when you really don't think they're worthy of your love? How can you care for them, and yet think yourself better than them?

How is that extending the grace of God to them?

We're all sinners in our own right. What we have to our advantage is the fact that we weren't caught or publicly punished. But we've still made mistakes.

If we expect God and others to treat us fair, shouldn't we at least do the same to others?

What do you think?

How will you treat someone who is currently serving a sentence in prison for a crime they committed before they knew Christ?

How will you treat them if they've served their sentence and are now wanting to meet you in person?

My new best friend

Yup. My new best friend is white vinegar.

That cheap, strong smelling liquid found in most households.

I haven't discovered a use for it yet for actually cooking, but oh, the wonders it does for cleaning.

There is a whole list of things you can use vinegar for in cleaning, but so far, I've only used it for two.

The first one, I've mentioned before - when combined with bi-carb, it removes stains extremely easily and gives surfaces a real nice shine.

The second one was something I was a little dubious about, considering how strong the smell of vinegar is, but it works.

I'm talking about pouring vinegar into your laundry in the final rinse.

The recommended amount is 1/2 to 1 cup, but I usually just pour a glug.

It acts as an extremely environmentally friendly fabric softener and it also brightens the colours of your clothes.

And when you pull the clothes out of the machine, no strange vinegar smell.

Perfect.

Environmentally friendly.

And cheap.

Vinegar photo from here.

Legwarmers and headband

I blogged about the wonders of Freecycle a while ago (so long ago I no longer know where the post is), but have you ever heard of Yarncycle (Ravelry link)?

It basically works on the same concept as Freecycle, except it only deals with yarn.

I got two skeins of super bulky red/black yarn from a lady in Canada a while ago, but did not really have an idea of what I was going to use it for.

After knitting up my sleeves, I decided that I needed a leg equivalent and that was when that free yarn (well, not quite, since I had to pay postage) came to good use.


It's so warm and snug! Now I can wear short skirts and not have to worry about cold calves!

Had some yarn leftover that did not really amount to much, except for a headband that I can use for when I go for yoga or pilates!


And the proudest moment for me is the fact that I made both more or less with a made-up pattern!

Free yarn well-used I say.

Communication lesson learned

...that no matter how clear you try to make yourself, someone somewhere somehow, will misunderstand what you mean.

Perspectives

My previous post may have caused some people worry, thinking that I'm ready to give up my faith in God.

Far from that. God has been too good to me for too long for me to even contemplate that.

I thank those who have expressed concern and given words of encouragement. It's always nice to know that people care and to have extra ammunition to lift you up when you're down is never unappreciated.

But for the record, I'm not walking away from my relationship with God. I'm not even contemplating it.

But as much as I hate to admit it, the behaviour of others does have an impact on me.

I know as humans, we have a tendency to fail and are certainly far from perfect. But when you have a storm raging around you, and when you look at the seemingly un-Christian conduct of others, you start to wonder if it's all worth it.

And then you just get tired, and dare I say it, lazy. You start to wonder if it's worth it. You contemplate simply rebelling.

But I guess what I want to say is, and like what others have mentioned, it is OK.

The beauty of God is that he understands. This is not the first time I've had a low and I'm sure it won't be the last. But God will continue to watch out for you, to be with you and to love you.

From my point of view, a break from God is perfectly alright.

You just need to remember to return.

And as for the impact of the behaviour of others? Who am I to judge what they're doing? It's up to them to answer to their own God/conscience.

I'm not going to force my views on others. I should not let their views and behaviour impact me.

Not always close

I'm not sure about you (if you are a Christian, that is), but have you always assumed that your walk with God will always be there?

By that I mean, you don't really expect that there'll be times when you just don't feel like talking with God.

You're uninspired and unmotivated to do anything perhaps even remotely God-related.

There is an underlying relationship you have with Him that will always be there. You love him, you know he exists, but you just...cannot be bothered.

God's there, but not as close as He used to be.

You know you ought to try harder, and yet at the same time, you're really not trying any harder.

That's where I am right now.

I like to think that God and I are on a break. I don't feel that we've forsaken each other, I'm probably just in need of some serious time out.

I'm not angry with him and I certainly still believe that he is my saviour.

I'm just...tired.

Sleeves

It's pretty much only been knitting on the Aussie Adventures front.

Not much reflecting, pondering, or thinking going on.

Winter is near, it's raining, daylight hours are shorter...what else is a girl to do but knit?

These sleeves are made especially for the cooler weather because I still want to wear my summery clothes and yet am not really looking forward to having cold arms.


Made from Malabrigo merino wool it is extremely soft and snug.



D thinks I'm insane to simply be knitting sleeves, but I know he will be extremely envious when I am able to prance around in short sleeve summer clothes and yet be warm.

Pattern here.

Update: The designer likes my version of her pattern!

Sweet poppy

Well, she asked me for a beanie with a difference and so I tried to deliver.

Sweet poppy is meant to be reflective of a 1920s style kind of hat and was actually meant for children. Had to make some minor adjustments for an adult sized head.


Knitted with bulky yarn, it was completed in about five days.

I'm not sure if she actually wants her face plastered all over a rather public blog, so you'll have to make do with the above pic.

Update: well, seems like she doesn't mind having her face plastered all over a blog...

Pattern here (Ravelry link).

Some things I am unable to understand

Not written by me, but voices questions I've always asked like:

1. I don’t understand why mean, destructive people get into positions where they manage others. And how they stay there, and even get promoted.

2. I don’t get why churches will tear themselves apart, destroying friendships and relationships, over minor matters of belief or practice.

3. I’ve often puzzled why people cling to the details of eschatology, and spend all of their interest and anxiety there, when there are far more immediate things in their lives to deal with.

4. I can’t understand why people won’t let you in when you have to change lanes.

He doesn't give any solutions or explanations, and the only one I can come up with is the fact that unfortunately, we live in a sin-filled world where humans are prone to being terrible to one another.

Somewhat cliche, and probably doesn't give any helpful solution, but perhaps it's a reflective of the life we have ahead of us.

It will always be like that.

Article link.

Buy Mars

Have a chocolate craving?

May I suggest getting a Mars bar?

Origami bolero

My first knitted jacket thingamebob. It's called a bolero, but I just call it a jacket.

It's not for me, which is why it's a little big, but I kind of like the drapiness of it.


This was an extremely surprising quick and easy knit. It looks complicated, but the thick ply of the yarn combined with the (only two) stitch pattern helped me finish this super fast.


It looks a little "holey" and was knit up with cotton yarn, but don't let that fool you. The jacket is still rather warm and snug.

It does feel a little delicate though. I wonder if all future jackets I knit will be as delicate. That would make washing a pain.

My seaming, unfortunately, leaves much to be desired I think. Don't look too closely at the pics.

Nevertheless, great fun knitting up this top, especially since it was completed in just under a month!

Enjoyment

A discussion with a friend about being happy in life and doing something that you like got me wondering about this:

If all you get to do all the time is something that you enjoy, will you enjoy it as much?

Or will it become part of the norm that it no longer becomes enjoyable?

Is it enjoyable only because you get to do it occasionally?

Licensed to drive

Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to present to you, a new fully licensed driver on the streets of NSW.


Three and a bit years later...

No more having to drive around with a target "P" next to my number plate.

I can now drive at the normal speed limit and not have to see everybody whizz past me.

I can now drive rental cars.

I now have up to 12 demerit points to gain, as opposed to only four!

I am fully licensed to drive.

Ah, another rite of passage...

Resources 4 the retrenched

So, the "R" word has finally been mentioned.

Australia is already in, or fast hurtling towards recession.

Kel over at xfacta was unfortunately retrenched last year thanks to the decline.

But in true survivor style, she not only moved on, she started a blog to help anyone else who has suffered the same fate.

She says it better than me:

When I was retrenched at Christmas time, I was amazed at how much information I needed to find and make decisions about in a very short space of time. This blog will attempt to gather information, resources, support, in one spot. A referral portal I s'pose.

It's still in early days, but I'm already collating a bunch of information to add over the next few months - and hope it will become a much referred to online resource.

Particularly relevant if you are in Australia.

Jet capelet

Finally, after what felt like eternity (reality = three months), the Jet capelet is done and finished!

It wasn't actually a really hard knit. The only skills you need are knit, purl, minimal cable knowledge and making decreases.

The decreases are actually what made knitting this so fun. The more you knitted, the less stitches you had to do per row. Which helped since I was pretty much over it towards the end.

I ran out of the bluey/purple yarn deliberately added a white trim to give the capelet some form of texture and to make it look less boring



Bought the cute little star button at the markets at Caloundra. Thought it matched the capelet perfectly!


And off it goes...

Pattern here.

News: Man gets on bus

Go the Fiji press, I say.

unChristian book review

Hypocritical, anti-homosexual and judgemental. That is how Christians are described in the book UnChristian, by David Kinnaman and Gabe Lyons.

Kinnaman is a professional Christian researcher whose company embarked on an extensive three year research to find out just what people think about Christians and Christianity in America. The result, as detailed in UnChristian, is not a pretty one.

Not only are Christians perceived to be hypocritical, anti-homosexual and judgemental, many also believe that we have a hidden agenda of wanting to convert them when we befriend them. We are seen as irrelevant and lacking authenticity and sincerity.

“So many Christians are caught up in the Christian sub-culture and are completely closed off from the world. We got to church on Wednesdays, Sundays and sometimes on Saturdays. We attend small group on Tuesday night and serve on the Sunday school advisory board, the financial committee, and the welcoming committee. We go to barbeques with our Christian friends and plan group outings. We are closed off from the world. Even if we wanted to reach out to nonChristians, we don’t have time and we don’t know how. The only way we know how to reach out is to invite people to join in our Christian social circle.” (Page 130).

The data in UnChristian may be based in America, and Americans may relate more to the content than others, but the core material is still highly relevant. UnChristian is a book that every Christian should read. For those who shy away from statistics, UnChristian is not simply a book that provides data. Kinnaman analyses the information and gives Christians strategies on how to solve the problems in a Biblical, Christ-centred way.

It is a book that provides the harsh reality and makes no attempt to gloss things over. And yet it provides a saving grace, bringing the readers back to the Bible and revealing how Jesus would have solved the problems. Also included are success stories and thoughts from those who have managed to connect with the community around them in a convincing and helpful way.

“In our efforts to point out sin, we often fail to do anything for the people who are affected by sin. Think of it this way. The perception is that Christians are known more for talking about these issues than doing anything about them. Based on our survey, a majority of outsiders say Christians are quick to find fault with others.” (Page 184).

UnChristian is not simply a wake-up call to Christians, it spurs you into action. The heart of its message is about grace – remembering the grace we received from God, and extending it to others unreservedly.

Official website.

World's most ethical companies

Struggling to find out what companies to support for their ethical behaviour?

Look no further than the Ethisphere Institute's list of the world's most ethical companies.

I thought it was interesting that Nike is actually on the list, but according to Reuters, it is because they have "demonstrated a will to correct past mistakes".

It's a pretty handy list to be aware of, particularly when you're trying not to support unethical behaviour and sweatshop labour.

Pity it doesn't have a full comprehensive list of all the businesses, but how can that be possible?

And Westpac bank is the only Australian company on the list.

Although, those wanting to find out more about which Australian clothing companies to support can look here.

Complete listing of companies.

Related news article.

Seven facts

Over Easter, I was tagged by Kel over at the X Facta, so here are seven facts about me, whether you want to know or not.

1. I am an introvert - I may be in public relations, I may have studied communication and I may not have a problem with public speaking and holding leadership positions, but I would rather be surrounded only by a select number of people at any one time. Noise, crowds and having to deal with people tire me.

2. There is probably a Martha Stewart bubbling inside me - I love anything to do with crafts. I like making things. I adore the creative process and the fact that whatever I've created is unique and probably not quite perfect. Eventually, I want to buy a sewing machine and perhaps, start a business. Perhaps.

3. I loathe cooking - I only like the crafty "I make stuff" side of Martha. I can cook and I haven't made a non-palatable dish yet, but I would rather leave the cooking to others who enjoy it.

4. If I lived in the 70s, I would be a hippie - I recycle, I like visiting op-shops, I feed food scraps to chickens and I try to minimise my impact on the environment as much as I can. I love flowing dresses, natural beauty products and remedies and dream of owning a VW beetle.

5. I can be very pedantic - Certain things have to be done in a certain way. The house must be tidy. My car needs to be clean. Perhaps that's why I like knitting so much. I am learning, especially when I have a boyfriend whose spirit is the complete opposite of pedantic, but I still have a long way to go.

6. I communicate with God through writing - Praying in the conventional sense usually sends me to sleep or starts my mind wandering. When I write, I start to calm, my thoughts start to make sense, and most of the time, God communicates back.

7. I dream to live in a new country every two years - It has never eventuated and probably never will, but I love the idea of moving to a new country with a completely different culture every two years.

And going with the rules of the meme, I now pick seven bloggers to share seven things themselves:

Kristin @ Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Free Speech
Kenneth @ Kenneth Birch
Her highness @ Everyone is a queen
Faith @ Faith Toh
Shimona @ Happiness is a choice

...and that's it. I don't have that many friends who blog it seems.

Here's what you do:

1. Link to your original tagger and list these rules in your post.
2. Share seven facts about yourself in the post.
3. Tag seven people at the end of your post by leaving their names and links to their blogs.
4. Let them know they’ve been tagged.
5. Let your tagger know you've completed the meme.

then sit back and enjoy the linky love :)

Easter

Nothing much to say besides the fact that I'm going on holidays from this afternoon and won't be back at work till Tuesday.

Am looking forward to a break.

Oh, and I'll leave you with a revisit of an old post to bring in Easter.

Maya's maner

This was completed ages ago but I didn't want to post about it until I had given it to her.



Well, that has since happened.

Unfortunately, it doesn't fit her.

Because I knitted with bamboo yarn, it isn't as stretchy as say, wool. But there was no way I was going to be knitting with wool since she lives in Singapore and giving my friend a heat stroke is not on my list of things to do.

Still love the bead-button though.

I made one for myself awhile ago as well.

Hit them where it hurts

Not too long ago, I watched a documentary about the increase in piracy in Somalia.

They did some interviews with the pirates and the story that emerged was this:

The pirates came from a village that used to survive on the fishing trade. However, overfishing from other countries near or on their waters caused the fish supply to dry up.

The livelihood of would-be pirates therefore became non-existent and they appealed to the international community for help. Naturally, no help came. Just more fishing boats.

So would-be pirates became real pirates. Most recently hijacking two boats, and already making off few million dollars.

That's when the international community stood up and listened. The boats the pirates have been hijacking belong, after all, to these countries that will sell the goods and resources in the boats for way more than a few million dollars.

And that's when the stories of the pirates are told.

No one listens when a small village in Somalia is dying of poverty and starvation.

But when you hit them where it hurts, people start to pay attention.

Crazy?

Crazy people don't think that they're crazy.

We (sane people) don't think we're crazy.

Does this mean we're actually crazy?

How NOT to manage a mailing list

So, for the last few months or so, I have been receiving email updates/requests etc., from a lady that:

a) I do not know
b) I have never heard of
c) I have no idea how she obtained my email address

Anyway, after receiving yet another irrelevant email this morning, I decided that it was time to request to be unsubscribed from a mailing list that I didn't even know existed.

Within a few minutes, the lady replies, copying someone that I know of but don't even work with in the email, saying

Dear Melody

I would like you to reconsider your request....I was the one who put Adventist on the list for involvement re the Olympics...great things have come from that.

The email below is to find people for sports ministry to become chaplains.

Would you please supply the best contact for your denomination to alert you all re the great opportunities re sports ministry. Australians love our sports and its a very relvenat way to fulfil the GREAT COMMISSION...over to you. Many thanks.

A few questions:

a) Why did you feel the need to copy someone else in the email, who has nothing to do with anything?
b) Can't you respect my decision to unsubscribe from something I don't want to be on?
c) I run mailing lists too. If someone unsubscribes, I don't hound them and try to make them feel guilty about unsubscribing.

So, I suppose I'm forced to remain on your mailing list. But that doesn't mean I will read any emails that you send me.

Now, has that achieved anything?

This incident just made me think about our dealings with people about other things. One of the major things that we need to do is to truly respect their decision to choose what they want to do.

We can give them advice, we can give them our opinions, but we really cannot force our thoughts and actions on them.

The only thing we'll achieve is a sour relationship.

No wonder non-Christians think we're pushy about the Gospel. We can't seem to take no for an answer.

It's true that we shouldn't just give up, particularly when it comes to someone's salvation. But perhaps forcing them into a corner where they have no choice is not the way to go?

Toyota sucks

The utterly useless reply to my initial letter:

Good morning Melody,

thankyou for contacting the Toyota Customer Experience Centre.

The Toyota Yaris was introduced with several wheel and tyre options according to grade. Although Toyota strive to provide the best customer service possible, we are pleased to know that Castle Hill Toyota were able to satisfy your enquiry efficiently.

Regards

Craig Niven
Toyota Customer Experience Centre
Toyota Motor Corporation Australia Limited

My questions:

1. So why is it that Castle Hill Toyota can fix my problem?
2. What are you going to do about the dismal customer service and lack of product knowledge at Pennant Hills?
3. Doesn't it bother you that the email address to the Pennant Hills dealership doesn't work?
4. Where were you when they taught grammar lessons in primary school?
   
5. You're not planning to do anything about the fact that I'm still disgruntled are you?