Plug Pulled on Secret of Universe

Published in the Herald Sun

AN eight-year experiment to find the secret of the universe has been called off.

Scientists built a $30 million computer capable of a trillion calculations a second but it has finally conceded it is stumped.

Edinburgh University physicists said they had been trying to confirm the Standard Model Theory to explain the behaviour of all matter and energy.

But the Standard Model does not incorporate the law of gravity and the computer's task was to solve the problem.

The plan echoed the novel Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, in which a computer – Deep Thought – found that the answer to Life, the Universe and Everything was 42.

You'll need to undress first

I love this quote from "The Voyage of the Dawn Treader" by C.S. Lewis. It's so close to home it's not funny and accurate to the way life really is.

The water was as clear as anything and I thought if I could get in there and bathe it would ease the pain in my leg. But the lion told me I must undress first. Mind you, I don't know if he said any words out loud or not.

I was just going to say that I couldn't undress because I hadn't any clothes on when I suddenly thought that dragons are snaky sort of things and snakes can cast their skins. Oh, of course, thought I, that's what the lion means. So I started scratching myself and my scales began coming off all over the place. And then I scratched a little deeper and, instead of just scales coming off here and there, my whole skin started peeling off beautifully, like it does after an illness, or as if I was a banana. In a minute or two I just stepped out of it. I could see it lying there beside me, looking rather nasty. It was a most lovely feeling. So I started to go down into the well for my bathe.

But just as I was going to put my feet into the water I looked down and saw that they were all hard and rough and wrinkled and scaly just as they had been before. Oh, that's all right, said I, it only means I had another smaller suit on underneath the first one, and I'll have to get out of it too. So 1 scratched and tore again and this underskin peeled off beautifully and out I stepped and left it lying beside the other one and went down to the well for my bathe.

Well, exactly the same thing happened again. And I thought to myself, oh dear, how ever many skins have I got to take off? For I was longing to bathe my leg. So I scratched away for the third time and got off a third skin, just like the two others, and stepped out of it. But as soon as I looked at myself in the water I knew it had been no good.

Then the lion said - but I don't know if it spoke - "You will have to let me undress you." I was afraid of his claws, I can tell you, but I was pretty nearly desperate now. So I just lay flat down on my back to let him do it.

The very first tear he made was so deep that I thought it had gone right into my heart. And when he began pulling the skin off, it hurt worse than anything I've ever felt. The only thing that made me able to bear it was just the pleasure of feeling the stuff peel off. You know - if you've ever picked the scab off a sore place. It hurts like billy-oh but it is such fun to see it coming away.

"I know exactly what you mean," said Edmund.

Well, he peeled the beastly stuff right off - just as I thought I'd done it myself the other three times, only they hadn't hurt - and there it was lying on the grass: only ever so much thicker, and darker, and more knobbly-looking than the others had been. And there was I as smooth and soft as a peeled switch and smaller than I had been. Then he caught hold of me - I didn't like that much for I was very tender underneath now that I'd no skin on - and threw me into the water. It smarted like anything but only for a moment. After that it became perfectly delicious and as soon as I started swimming and splashing I found that all the pain had gone from my arm. And then I saw why. I'd turned into a boy again. You'd think me simply phoney if I told you how I felt about my own arms. I know they've no muscle and are pretty mouldy compared with Caspian's, but I was so glad to see them.

After a bit the lion took me out and dressed me -

Dressed you. With his paws?

Well, I don't exactly remember that bit. But he did somehow or other: in new clothes - the same I've got on now, as a matter of fact. And then suddenly I was back here. Which is what makes me think it must have been a dream.

"No. It wasn't a dream," said Edmund.

Why not?

Well, there are the clothes, for one thing. And you have been - well, un-dragoned, for another.

"What do you think it was, then?" asked Eustace.

"I think you've seen Aslan," said Edmund.

"Aslan!" said Eustace. "I've heard that name mentioned several times since we joined the Dawn Treader. And I felt - I don't know what - I hated it. But I was hating everything then. And by the way, I'd like to apologize. I'm afraid I've been pretty beastly."

A living sacrifice

a quote from "The Purpose Driven Life" by Rick Warren

The problem with a living is that it can crawl off the altar, so you may need to resurrender your life fifty times a day

Psalm 18:20-24

20-24 God made my life complete
when I placed all the pieces before him.
When I got my act together,
he gave me a fresh start.
Now I'm alert to God's ways;
I don't take God for granted.
Every day I review the ways he works;
I try not to miss a trick.
I feel put back together,
and I'm watching my step.
God rewrote the text of my life
when I opened the book of my heart to his eyes.

D'you Think...

Digory Kirke - I don't think you'll get back in that way... you see, I've already tried

Lucy Pevensy - Will we ever go back?
D.K. - Oh I expect so... it'll probably happen when you're not looking for it.

D.K - All the same is to keep your eyes open.

I'm not sure that I quite got that last line absolutely correct but this scene from the Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe got me. You've gotta see it to really get the context but I just love it. Probably because it's a bit on the relevant side to me at the moment.

Although how is for me to know and for you to maybe find out through bamboo torture or something like that...

The Famous Faces of 2007

While I’ve just blogged on the goings on of 2007 and how it was a year of consolidation, it would not have been the year it was without the people in it who have all had their part in how this year turned out. This is a list of those people who had a starring role and has no particular order... that is intentional anyways. If you can work it out you tell me.

Mum and Dad - Thank you for your faith, prayers, tears, support and butt kickings throughout the year. I really couldn't have done the year without you. All the encouragement and wisdom exactly when it was needed has not gone unnoticed or without gratitude. You have directed this child in the way that he should go, and by God’s grace I won’t depart from it! Thank you!

Tim and Shels - you two are awesome. Thanks for all the talks and walks Tim, those early mornings talking about girls, gear, dogs, farts, God and more have been really important to me. Thanks for letting me get a load off sometimes and for the sound advice when I needed to hear it, and even when I didn't want to hear it. Shels, thanks for putting up with me taking up so much of Tim's time as well as for your influence and wisdom. Y'know what... I am marriable! You're awesome chick!

Jen and Nathan - I love you guys. You speak volumes into my life, beat me up when I need it and set me straight when I need it. Thanks for the late nights, coffee and dinners at late notice! I'll miss you when you move to brisbane, but maybe I'll just have to crash when I'm down there for uni. Thanks for running this race with me Naath, I really will miss my production buddy next year. The team won't be the same without you... cameos always welcome.

Annie and Lil - You're the two most beautiful girls in the world, only to be eclipsed when I have little girls of my own. You make me laugh and look at the world in a different way. You're very special girls and God's little princesses!

Daniel Cooper - Bro, the year has been amazing. Thanks for sticking with me as I put myself back together and for putting up with me sticking my nose in where it's not appreciated. Oi, when are you getting engaged?

Rosslyn Kate Spencer - You're awesome! You challenge me, and that isn't a bad thing. There's not too many people that do that so don't stop in a hurry. Thanks to you to for sticking with me as I healed. You've been a part of that process!

David and Ness Schenk - I love talking to you guys and I don’t do it often enough. You challenge me every time I speak with you regardless of what it’s about. The Godly wisdom blows me away and invariably helps steer me toward the place God wants me to end up. Thanks for trusting me and giving me the opportunities to serve under you. Your influence has been a major shaping in my life. Thank you!

Sarah McDermid - Friend who I don't see too often, but who's company and conversation I enjoy. Don't stop dreaming!!!! Take the dreams you have and run with them, but take the time to put the game plan down first! You have amazing things ahead of you and I really look forward to seeing where 2008 takes you!

Jen Cook - Where did you come from girl?! While a sudden appearance, I hope you stick around. I need people to teach me to slow down and smell the roses. You've helped there. Thank you!

Steve Purnell - It's been a great year this year man! I love working with you! Just think about all the things we pulled off this year! You've helped make God's name Famous! Been a part of countless numbers of people getting their lives right with God! Thanks for putting up with me throughout the year. I know I haven't been that easy to work with, so thanks again for giving me the grace and letting me serve on your team!

Richard Griffiths - thanks mate! It’s been awesome working with you this year in getting photography happening at Kings, and in serving under you on the media team!

The Kings Production Crew, W@CA Band and Singers - Too many of you to name by name, and I'm so glad that God knows each and every one of us by name! The new faces and the old ones, you've been a pleasure to work with this year. Thanks for giving this grumpy bastard grace and understanding. Can't wait to keep running this race in 2008! I love serving you every week

Tim Allen - Thanks for trusting me and giving me the opportunities that I wouldn’t have received anywhere else.

Naibuka Sokovagone - You’re awesome dude! Thanks for keeping me sane all those long hours at the daily! There’s nothing like a good laugh to put things in perspective. You’ve been a great friend and I look forward to working with you in 2008 and onwards!

There’s more people out there who have been a part of this year and your impact hasn’t gone unnoticed, it’s just I’ve run out of names in immediate recall right now, its after midnight and I’m going to bed.

God Bless
Thanks
Mick

2007... time for a bit of reflection

Wow... what a year. In retrospect, which is the only way to write about anything at the cusp of a new year, this year has been amazing. Sure it's had it's ups and downs and most certainly didn't turn out the way I expected it but, wow, I can't be happier with where I find myself standing at the end of it.

Starting the year in the middle of a compulsory time of being off team to allow for recovery from a number of issues wasn't really where I wanted to start from. At least it allowed me to focus on work and actually being in church for a while. I guess that this was the start of the year of consolidation in many areas of life. My relationships with people, relationship with God, my commitment to work, my commitment to my church as well as a rebuilding of my self esteem and value.

If anything while 2007 was a year of consolidation it was also a year of discovery through distillation. Bringing things to the boil so that the crap was boiled off and the good oil remained. It saw me through the journey of having stepped down as technical director for Kings and finding my place in the team again. Most of the year was spent serving as a camera operator and photographer under the most esteemed Richard Griffiths and filling holes as needed on the sound team. While I enjoyed the time and the leadership and my talents weren't wasted the pull back to doing my "first love", mixing sound proved to be inexorable and by November I found myself back in the middle of production and December finds me more pumped than ever before to make sound, lighting and staging more excellent than ever before.

2007 also saw me through a time where the church I'm planted in was called into question. Not so much that the church itself was questionable but that within me I reached a point where I was unsure if my roots were as planted as they should be. After much talking through with friends (thanks Dave, Daniel, Roz & Sarah) and family (again, thanks Tim, Naath, Mum and Dad!) I decided that Kings is my home. Sure sometimes I may not have the most amount of fun there and I might go through some rough stuff, but that'll happen anywhere. So my roots are down regardless of how I feel and I now have a foundation and a place that I can go out from.

January started the journey toward medicine and a career as a naval (or air force) officer with my application to sit the GAMSAT exam in March. After not enough study and a wing and a prayer I sat the exam and left the process in God's hands as I waited for the results. In May I was rewarded with a score of 63 putting me in the top 20% of all candidates who sat the exam and then proceeded to put together my application for medical school. Along side this my application with the military was churning along with various interviews, information sessions and medical scrutinies to be undertaken. After applying in June the painful three month wait for med school interview offers began. I received an invitation for interview and submitted myself to the process and submitted the process to God again, praying that he would have his will every step of the way and started to wait again.

The military application progressed to the point of the medical and interviews in Brisbane at the beginning of November while I had no offer for uni yet. I took the day off work, went down to brisbane and started the day with the psych evaluation questionnaire and then a fifteen minute essay. The process finished earlier than expected. I was then advised that because I did not have a place I was not eligible for the position and therefore could not continue with the interview process. Various people apologised profusely before advising me to be in touch and sending me on my way. The good point there being that I didn't have to go through the medical before being sent packing.

I still haven't received an offer or letter of non-offer (I don't think they're allowed to reject you these days) but it's reached the point of being comfortable with where I'm at, that God's will was for me to stay where I am, to keep doing what I'm doing and let him take care of the rest. It's by God's grace and peace that I can keep running and not have a problem with not getting into uni and the military after all the effort, time and money that went into the process. God is Great, to Him be the Glory!

Career Highlights at APN would have to include moving to the Sunshine Coast Daily in a site support role after a year and a half on the Service Desk. I may regret making that public but there's still people there who have absolutely no idea who I am (I'd like it to stay that way but that just aint gonna happen). The installation of ITSM in New Zealand and the project setting up ITSM so that Australia and NZ can share the same system was an amazing project to be a part of. Sure we're still working through issues and tuning the system to do what we need it to but it's been amazing to be a part of. Three trips to NZ in the month of September was pretty intense, going from never going out of the country to trench hopper in one giant leap.

The consolidation has been key at work too. The process of going through the application to the military and uni as well as having job offers come my way recently has really forced me to look at what I'm doing and why I'm doing it and realise that I'm not finished where I'm at and that I'll be around for a while yet.

2007 has been an important year and while most of it has been making up ground again and building my foundations under me again it's been a successful year. It's been a fruitful year and most importantly it's been a year where God's will has been done on earth as it is in heaven. Can't ask for much more than that.

Now I've just got to remember what I prayed at the start of 2007 so I can pray it again now at this the beginning of 2008. Can't wait to see what this one is going to bring!