Today I decided to write something. Wow. I am in a particularly melancholy mood. If you are as well, best to not read below. There are a lot of things connected in life. Below is just a tip of the iceberg, for me. I have just driven the youngest son to Druoin, to catch a train to Melb., where he will help lead an activity as part of the SEDA school which he attends. He then also gets a ticket to the game tonight, and works in Melb. tomorrow, back tomorrow night. He loves SEDA, and that is great. I struggle with the obsession with sport, and the lack of interest in God. I guess all parents do have similar concerns about these things at times, if they have faith, that is. Otherwise , if they were in my situation,sport is their god possibly already and so it wouldn't matter a bit. When we went to the Tiwi Islands a bloke who was also a teacher there quite quickly asked if he could tell me something that God had told him about me. I said 'yep', and I am old enough to know that you can listen, but you must always weigh up such things carefully. He said that God told him that I had an 'Orphan Spirit'. Now, when you get told things such as this, with the intent that God has spoken, you either respond to it, and know exactly that it is right or what it means, or you go 'Well, thanks, but I reckon you had too much pizza last night!'. Of course, you may also be wrong either way, but time will prove/disprove that. To me, it was an enlightening moment. He had no more to tell me, no cure, no magic wand to wave, no further info from God. But it resounded in me deeply, and I knew exactly what it meant, and why. What I didn't, and still don't know, is what, if anything I should or could do about it. I immediately thought of all the times we were left at home to fend for ourselves. How I was very young and in charge of my siblings. I was a terrible brother. Power, without wisdom or guidance, will do that to you. I have never felt close to my parents, I didn't cry when Dad died. It was just sad-ish. I call mum on Mother's day and birthday, because that's what good kids do. She is a nice person, but not a particularly capable mother in connecting with children. When we were on the Tiwi Islands, it was the most adventurous/scary/amazing/compelling and overwhelming time we ever had as a family. My friends were always very eager to hear the latest info, get the most recent story of the roller-coaster ride that being there was. Strangely though, when I tried on several times to communicate with my eldest children, they were so uninterested that often I could actually stop talking about it mid-way through something, and they wouldn't even notice. I showed 40 pics of the place and what we were doing up there, in spite of obvious indifference, and was then told that I shouldn't do that again, as 'XX doesn't like slide shows'. There was nothing I could do to get a spark of interest. I was completely mystified. We never received calls to see how we were fairing. We still don't. I understand that a divorce, which remains an unhappy event, can devastate children, and I take full responsibility for that, and apologize deeply to my two eldest, lovely children. I am sorry and I love you deeply. I am stuck in the middle. Nothing coming down, nothing coming up. Unable to communicate with pretty much anyone. Not sure where to end. One day, they may read, perhaps understand. Perhaps even want to communicate. As I said in the beginning, I am in a melancholy mood, and have been for some time. Forgive me if it is too self-serving, I just wanted to write it down, and hope I don;t get into trouble for doing so.

Hey Len Help Me!

Gday mate,

Mark Copland here. I am on the way to Tiwi Islands in 30 minutes. And I was restarting my blog and when i signed in as coplanddiary@blogspot.com I was in charge of your blog and can't find mine? Can you help me?

Open Blog

Hi all. Len here.
Well, it has been some time since I used this blog. I just thought that I had little to say of interest to anyone.

However...

I am getting an urge to write again. I will see how that works out.

I am thinking that there are many pieces of poetic writing inside me that want expression, much about church life (people church, as opposed to Building 'Church') that we as a family are exploring and this means we must take some radical steps to be more true to our beliefs and the Word.
It will be a journey, but one I invite you to share, and to consider, as well.

The boring home news.
We have settled well into Leongatha. It is a very pretty place and friendly.
I miss my life long friends, but Burnie is gone for us.
We settled (finalised the sale of) our Burnie home last month and have sold our cars, buying a newer XTrail, that will hopefully take us through for many years yet.
We have just put on Solar hot water, in a bid to do at least something for the environment, which many speakers whe have listened to who have challenged all Christians of late to take seriously and lead the way, instead of following behind as we seem to do so easily.
(Go on, put on a jumper, turn off the light! Assist God's creation that He trusted us with)

All are well here.
We have just left the 'Church' (denomination) that we were attending and are possibly going to go to the AOG instead.

What I want to do is to start a Home Cell Network, as Church buildings etc are a pretty Pagan thing to be having (read 'Pagan Christianity) and were not considered part of genuine Christianity for the first 300 years, then Constantine built one to 'legitimize' Christianity up to the same status of other, pagan religions. He was also a Sun Worshiper. The lovely St. Peter's Cathedral, which we have seen in the news of late, has Jesus in an artwork depicted as Jesus-The Sun God! (Does that make you think?) This was common, and the beliefs were absorbed by the institutionalized 'church', and still are, but now they are 'our traditions'.

Anyway. I expect some may find this to be a bit controversial, although history and facts are just that.
This is why I have opened the blog to 'anyone' instead of being locked away as before. The constraints of Tiwi are not on me any longer and we may speak the truth, as opposed by the leaders of the school when were were up there.

Please feel free to comment and contribute. Enjoy the journey, seek the truth. I am reliably informed that it will 'set you free'.

Blessings,
Len

Platelets

The little suckers that help your blood clot had a party in Len's Leg, and forgot to leave and get on with their job of looking for cuts to mend etc.
There was a lump (sore one) on his inside left lower leg for some time, probably just where it must have been hit during the move, so it was thought.
Len also took up riding his bike to work a few days a week, and went to Ikea for 4 hours of shopping (standing!).
Jude has said all along that it must be looked at urgently.

Len is stupid.

On Wed. Len just knew that it was important t get in and have it looked at.
The medical people were great, rushed him through, got a doppler (whoooo, nice word) done and was sent straight to hospital. Do not pass go, do not collect $200, or clothing etc.

So, many needles to the stomach later, wolferine tablets, really 'nice' stockings to wear, and a few days laying down, Len is home again.

No walking much, no brussels sprouts, spinach, cabbage and all the other stuff that will be hard to give up (even ginger!), and perhaps 3 to 6 months of treatment, and having to wear the STUPID STOCKING until FOREVER.....

OK, calm now.

The food was quite respectable, the needles weren't.

The annoyance of having what feels like a disability is... well....annoying.

It was a Deep Vein Thrombosis.
Fortunately it did not travel around the body, or this blog might have a different title, along the lines of 'So long Len, some of us will miss you'.

On the travels down the West to Gippsland area w must have run over a hundred chinese people (that is supposed to give you bad luck, not that we believe in luck, but you get the drift.

The Prado cost $8000 to fix, on top of the $3000 we spent just before we left Darwin.
Our Air con blew up after a week of being in the new house.
The caravan is needing repairs and we were ripped off by the 'repair' (HA) man.
The good news is, friends have called, church people have called, Anthony and Len's mum called. People have been unbelievably kind.
The house is great, apart from the Air con and the fixing we will do, but the fixing items were what we wanted to do anyway, so it is still cool.

On Tuesday we get three aircons put in, and that will be better than sitting in front of the little fan heater as we are doing now, shivering a little.

Anyhoo.... that is the news.

Catch you next time.
The Clarks

The Prado Lives, and well it might!

Hey all,
We picked up the Prado today, finally.
I wrote that the bill might be $2500.

I was wrong. Again!

It was $7200.00

This was a shock, and now we have a Prado that has LOTS of new stuff, motor, fuel pump, etc etc etc etc.

Anyhoo, we have 5 weeks until 'Clinton Court' days.

We are unconditional with the contract now, so it is all ahead on 1st Sept.

So, keep in touch and blessings to you all.
Len

Some ups, some downs, some colds

Well, today the wind blows from a direction that must include a snowy landscape.
So far we have not experienced the icy winds of Burnie this winter, except for today. Still, it is not as cold, but unwelcome anyway.

The news...
For some time we have had our caravan up at Warragul where a bloke has been messing about, but finally we got it back on Friday, a lock was replaced, a window and a light cover that was smashed transporting it to him. It cost a bit, and when we got home the glass is cracked already. :-(
The bloke messed us around so much that we will not try to take it back, so it is here at last.
But......
There has been some smoke from the Prado for a time, we thought it was injectors, but it has a cracked head, and injector issues. So the bill will be somewhere around $2500.

We have also been looking at homes here, as we pay a considerable rent anyway, so we may as well make it count.
We will sign for one tomorrow. That is the one in this post.
The internet address for the place, so you can have a look is; http://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-vic-leongatha-105768897

It is a flat block and a large house.
There are a few things that need repairing, but we can do them ourselves.

We will consider what to do with the Burnie house, at the moment, it stays.

Judith has been very unwell. Jessie also, but less.
Sam and Len are robust!

Sam kicked another goal on Saturday, so that made his day (goals are VERY rare in his team!).
Jessie is in art classes, and attending a holiday club, the Scripture Union 'Shipshapes' programme.

So that is the news.
Blessings to all.

Don't forget to stay in touch...PLEASE!

Football makes us wiser

So, Sam is a Footy Player now.
Each Thursday night we travel to Tarwin Lower (25 mins south, in another country almost!), fly capital of Australia in the Summer. Also the place where Sam and Len take SPECIAL care to look for cars with no lights on at night (It still haunts them a little).

Two weeks ago Sam had to play at Yarram, which is another hour towards New Zealand (or, if you are a Kiwi speaker 'New Zilland, Bro'). This week was Philip Island.
The good thing about driving an hour in every direction from Gatha, is that you get to see the countryside a bit.
The Yarram drive was beautiful. There were lots of cows (as usual) but a nice mountain lookout and very pretty countryside. Philip Island is beautiful, and we will take some of you there if you visit and time permits etc. There is a seal population just off shore by 1.5km that is 20 000 strong, and you can see them with binoculars, well, they don't have binoculars, you need to have binoculars in order to see the seals, get it?
(Just in case you were confused)
So, footy has taken us out and about the place, the only good thing about footy.

School is VERY busy, there are exams and reports coming up, so the holidays will come very soon.

The family have had mild cold things, but all ok otherwise.

Travis has had the bone samples taken (YUCK, poor Trav) and this week we find out the extent of the treatment required. We continue to pray for him and the family.
Georgie is nearly 2 years old, and Skype has let us see her and blow kisses, Michelle is still working most days and being a great mum.
Anthony has sold his flat and will move to Devonport next month, that should be good for him we think.

Our caravan is STILL (STILL!!!!!) at the 'repair' place, three months and no action. On Monday we will call the insurance company and, depending on the conversation we have with them, we may take it away to somewhere else. I don't think we will have it in time for the holidays, sadly.

Anyhoo.... that is the news that is the news.
Will post some pics soon. Comments welcome.

My goodness, what a few eeeks...

Hi all.\
We have returned to 'Gatha' after the trip to Tas.
We loved catching up with all there.
We were there for Travis' operation to remove some lumps in the throat.
Sam and Len decided to visit Michelle and Trav asap, and it was just after Trav returned from the op. and was still messy and half asleep when we arrived. Apart from the blood on Trav and his pillow, the scar and stitches, the heat of the hospital and that Sam had not drunk much for the whole day, it was topped off by an old bloke across in the next bed that was blind and had one eye that was completely whit(ish). Sam managed that...just. But then a nurse came in, dipped two fingers into some cream stuff and proceeded to rub it INTO THE EYE, as in 'INTO the flamin' thing'!Sam then managed to get a bit overcome by it all, and fainted. Much to our surprise and consternation. His blood pressure was so low for a minute that the blood pressure cuff could not read it at all!

Unfortunately the test on Trav showed it was cancerous and has spread.
It is apparently the 'best' kind to have if you are to have any form of the dreadful thing, but we are obviously concerned a great deal and ask that those who pray, pray for Trav please.
It is a great shock and strain on all, especially Michelle.

I have witnessed worse things being healed by God, so that's what we are asking for.

It is colder here now, as elsewhere in Southern OZ.

Last night Sam and Len went to Tarwin Lower (20 mins east of Gatha) for Sam's footy training, on the return trip we missed our usual turn and ended up on another road to home.
Sam and Len were discussing how bright the moon was, and how Cat Stevens wrote the song 'Moon Shadow' after leaving London for the first time and seeing a shadow cast by the moon. London was sopolluted (still is0 that he did not know the moon could shine so much.

They came to a T section and turned right. At this time Jude and Jess were actually praying for a safe trip home for the boys.

On turning right, Len stayed in the right hand lane more than usual and then felt teh urge to swing to the right quickly.
As he did, a car flashed past from behind.
It had been speeding without the lights on, enjoying a Moonlight Shadow night as a prank.
It missed the car by a foot for the length of the car.
If Len had turned as per usual, or not swerved they would have been T-boned and Sam certainly would have been killed, and perhaps Len as well.

It is the closest to death they have been.

The car turned their light on and went off.
It was quite upsetting, but we are all thankful for the prompting of the Holy Spirit, obviously there is work for the boys down here to do yet.

That is the news as it stands for now.
Hope you all are enjoying yourselves,
Blessings to all.