My Car Part 3

Today I rang the mechanic. And yes, I blew a (or the?) head gasket on my car. Badly. How bad, he doesn't know until he takes a look (which will cost lots of $$$ just to have a look), but bad enough to say that it seriously overheated and doesn't look good. So basically at the least he'll need to have a look at the car's head (weird, but that's what they call it), fix/replace the gasket, fix/replace the radiator, and then check if there's damage in the bottom of the engine too, which is also a possibility. But he won't know more about that until he takes the head off, and I'm not quite prepared to spend lots of money just to see if there's more damage. That said, he also mentioned that should I get it fixed, there's no guarantee the car will work all that well afterwards any way, because it could start burning oil etc, but again he won't know that until it's fixed and I start driving it again. Which probably won't happen... All in all, adding in the back windscreen, it adds up to over $2000 plus tires plus suspension etc. Probably not worth it. So, at this stage, I think (or know but don't want to admit it just quite yet) that I need a new car. 

Just in case you wanted to know, that's the story. 

Lest We Forget

They shall not grow old, 

As we that are left grow old,

Age shall not weary them, 

Nor the years condemn.

At the going down of the sun, 

And in the morning

We will remember them.

Today is ANZAC Day. A day to remember the lives lost in war, to celebrate the freedom of this land, and to reflect on the blessings afforded us through peace. I'm not sure when the last time I've thought about peace was, to be honest (Remembrance Day perhaps?). It's something that I guess I don't really reflect on all that often. I don't see warfare on the streets, I don't witness violent acts, I don't have to hide away from soldiers... I suppose peace is just one of those things that is present and exists in my life, but rarely noticed. 

So today, when I think about those soldiers who have fought and who continue to fight for my country, I'm going to be thankful for them, for their willingness, courage and bravery, for their sacrifice for this nation, and also pray that God will bless their efforts so that I may continue to live in peace and freedom.

Today, when I think about the peace I have, I'm going to be thankful that God has given me a peaceful home, that I have rights and privileges, and a stable country to live in.

Today, when I think about the free existence I can live, I'm going to be thankful that I can serve my God, that I can live as a Christian, and that I live not in fear, but in patient expectation of Christ's return.

When I hear the Last Post (one of my all-time favourite pieces of music), I'm going to think about the trumpet call on that final day, when Christ will be revealed in glory on the clouds of heaven. 

I also pray that as a nation, Australia will recognise and come to know the Creator and Sustainer of all. There is still turmoil and conflict at times, and although we all want it, there will never be world peace. Because there is a battle between the seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent. And therefore I pray that Australia will turn to Him, trust His guidance, obey His commandments, and value that which is pleasing to Him. 

As today I remember, I'm not going to only celebrate the achievements of men, but the power and wisdom of God, His wonderful work of preservation and providence, His glorious strength which far surpasses any human might, and then marvel that I know such a great God. 

Lest I forget Him. 

My Car Part 2

This time, my post will be serious. No, I didn't just make up all that stuff about no back windscreen and a blown head gasket. But there is also something I've learned from this unpleasant experience. And it's got something to do with taking things for granted. I've posted about that before, but this time I have a concrete example to work from. Here goes, 5 things to think about:

1. What's right to do on a Sunday?
When my back windscreen smashed, I was wondering how I was ever going to get back to Perth (from Dunsborough). I first discovered it was broken on Sunday afternoon, and I had to work at 530am on Monday morning. Uh oh. So, should I ring RAC? It was Sunday after all. Or should I ring my boss and say I can't get back and so I can't work on Monday? Or is there any other way I can get back to Perth and use my sister's car to get to work on Monday morning? Should I even have planned to drive back on a Sunday? Some discussion right there- what's right to do on a Sunday, and what's not? I'm still not sure that I can answer that question, or perhaps the question isn't phrased correctly. Something to think about.
(By the way, I did end up ringing RAC (or should I say, I got Dad to do it, because I know nothing about cars)... But they couldn't help, because a broken back windscreen isn't classed as mechanical failure, and so I wasn't covered for them to come and fix it).

2. How much owning your own car and having your license does for your independence.
It's amazing how quickly you forget what a car and a license means. I remember first getting my P's, and being able to drive myself around, whenever I wanted, so long as I had a bit of fuel in the tank. But, after blowing a head gasket, my car was out of action. And all of a sudden, I couldn't go places whenever I wanted. I had to borrow a car or get a lift from someone. Freedom and independence in that regard, was something I'd never fully realised, or at least I'd forgotten.

3. How often we take material possessions for granted.
'I wouldn't be able to live without it!' is a pretty common expression. And even if we don't literally mean it, there are certain things that we pretty much can't live without. And for me, a car was one of those things. So much so, that I organised that I had a car to drive within two days (admittedly that wasn't all that difficult, but even so). This whole incident has been a lesson in thankfulness and gratitude for me. I'm actually thankful for a car, for the opportunity to drive, for good roads, for a way to get to places when I need to. That's just one example of the material things we forget about and take for granted. And I'm also very thankful for those people that drove me around everywhere when I didn't have a car to drive myself around in.

4. How things can change in a matter of three seconds (and don't boast!).
I was just telling Oma on Saturday that my car was running very well. All the cars owned by my family members recently had a service, and mine was the cheapest by far. Boastful much? I needed two new tires, but for the rest, everything was running smoothly. And I didn't even think about it, I just assumed it would run fine, I assumed it would start every time I turned the key, that it would get me places without breaking down. How many other things do we think will just work? But three seconds changed all of those 'don't-care' attitudes of mine toward my car. Now I may just have to buy a new one. There's so many things we can't predict. Thankfully it's all in God's hands.

5.  Trust God to provide!
I'm really hoping that the mechanic isn't going to say that my car's not worth fixing. And even if he does fix it, it'll cost a bit of money. I bought this car, for the price that I did, thinking that it would get me through uni at least, and hopefully a bit more. But it didn't even do that, well that's what I'm guessing... Money isn't the nicest thing in the world. Because it comes and leaves very quickly. And it drives the world (no pun intended)- sadly. For me, I'm going to have to learn to save a bit of money, use what God's given me wisely, and trust that He will provide everything in His good time. May this be a lesson that in everything we trust God's guidance, and when things don't go exactly according to plan, that He'll provide. 

Once Upon a Sunday Drive...

Once upon a Sunday drive... my wonderful white beast carked it. I'm still waiting for a call from the mechanic to see if it's worth reviving, but that's another story for another day, when I've received that call. For now anyways, I've been asked by someone to blog about my car- why, I'm not so sure, but I do like to honour requests. It so happens that this very same person thinks that I should get my parents to buy me a new car, because it's their responsibility to look after their children. I wonder what my parents would think about that......

Okay, so back to the original story. Man, I get way off track sometimes! I'm sorry. Sorry for going way off track, and for putting my car through such torture- it pretty much got torched, if you can say burning out, and letting off way too much steam, more so than is acceptable for a four-wheeled thing, is getting torched. I like to call it that, anyway, then at least I can say it's been through torchure. Not on my behalf though, I don't think I would ever consider torturing a car, it's a bit too precious for that. I like to care for things, and I'm always careful not to upset the applecart. But you see, carrying such a responsibility (i.e. caring for things in such a way that you don't topple the applecart) is scarcely heard of these days, so I'm thinking I either need to make a career of it, or I should forget about the applecart and think of yummier things like caramel, or macaroni, or macaroons. Oh no, too full of carbohydrates. Let me see, carrots are probably a healthier option, and they match well with the applecart. At least I'll get my 2&5 serves of fruit and veggies. And I can even add some bicarb to spice (or fizz) it up a bit.

Anyways, as I was saying, it all happened once upon a Sunday drive. Some carpenter person, who also lays carpets, was carpooling with his caretaker friend, and towing a caravan, and just randomly decided to precariously drive down the road on his way to post that postcard he'd spent hours carefully writing. Oh the irony of carefully and painstakingly writing a card and then forgetting about the applecart when you actually go to send it off. Okay, so this dude was carrying some precious cargo, and because he was concentrating so hard on precariously driving to protect it, he decided to make my back window a carcass of tiny glass fragments, by simply flicking a stone just right into a perfect cartwheel, scarring the road as it leapt up, carved beautifully through the air, careened into my windscreen, and made the glass look like a 20carat diamond. Magnificent finish, and an applause-worthy performance. True story except for two things: I wasn't applauding, and I have no idea who or what or when or why or how my windscreen smashed. Oh, and that's just the beginning.

My car was in Dunsborough, sorry I forgot to mention that bit. And somehow it had to get back to Perth, and I wasn't going to drive it without a back windscreen, and we didn't have plastic or cardboard to cover it up... So my sister drove it (carazy! I know!) and I drove her friends car... And everything was going magnificently until she pulled over and so did I, and there was all steam pouring out of the bonnet, and the coolant was boiling, and I didn't know what to do, and so I rang Dad, he said ring RAC (ever notice that this acronym is car backwards...), so I rang RAC, we couldn't figure out where we were, then they rang me back, then the lady on the other end of the phone who had a lovely voice told us to wait while a guy came from Harvey, then he came, then he said it wasn't good, because he said that I'd blown a head gasket, but he couldn't say why, and he drove away, and Rachel got Ryan to come, and we waited for about 2.5 hours at the petrol station, and then Ryan finally got there, and then we pushed the car on the trailer (that was hard work!), and then Ryan took it back to our house, and then I bought him a carton of beer because he did such a good job, and then it sat in the garage looking rather sad for a few days, and then I was carless (not careless, that's not me, remember!), until my sister sorted out the paperwork for her car, and now I can drive her car, but while that was happening my car was taken to the mechanic last night, and now I'm waiting for a phone call.

Oh, and I always like to look on the bright side... I've reduced my carbon footprint. (Well, at least for the two days I was carless, anyway).

Now, your job is to fix my car. But if you can't do that for free, then find how many times the letters see, aye and are can be found, in that order, in this blog post. Or how many times you can find 'car' in this blog post. You should get the same number.

P.S. I think the appropriate use of commas, and the term 'my ramblings', just received new definitions  :)  :)  :)

Easter

I would like to wish all my blog readers a blessed Easter. May our gracious God bless you as you commemorate the death of His Son, and remember that first Easter 2000 years ago. Amongst all the holidays, family do's, chocolate, fish, and beer, do take time to reflect on the blessings afforded to us because of Easter. How rich we are in Christ, who through His crucifixion and resurrection grants us forgiveness of sins and everlasting life!

Take care, have an enjoyable weekend, and stay safe, especially if you're travelling...
Now I have to pack. I've got a busy weekend in Dunsborough and Albany planned! :)

Psalm 90- In Memoriam

On Sunday morning, the LORD took home to Himself one of His children, a beautiful lady who lived in the hostel where I work. Today, I was blessed to attend a mini-memoriam service with the residents and staff of the hostel/retirement village. Together we read Psalm 90, prayed and sang the same psalm. It was a nice way to reflect on the blessings God gives us in life, and also to receive comfort from His promises of life after death.

PSALM 90, NKJV
"Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations.
Before the mountains were brought forth,
Or ever You had formed the earth and the world,
Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.

You turn man to destruction,
And say, “Return, O children of men.”
For a thousand years in Your sight
Are like yesterday when it is past,
And like a watch in the night.

You carry them away like a flood;
They are like a sleep.
In the morning they are like grass which grows up:
In the morning it flourishes and grows up;
In the evening it is cut down and withers.

For we have been consumed by Your anger,
And by Your wrath we are terrified.
You have set our iniquities before You,
Our secret sins in the light of Your countenance.
For all our days have passed away in Your wrath;
We finish our years like a sigh.

The days of our lives are seventy years;
And if by reason of strength they are eighty years,
Yet their boast is only labor and sorrow;
For it is soon cut off, and we fly away.

Who knows the power of Your anger?
For as the fear of You, so is Your wrath.
So teach us to number our days,
That we may gain a heart of wisdom.

Return, O Lord!
How long?
And have compassion on Your servants.
Oh, satisfy us early with Your mercy,
That we may rejoice and be glad all our days!
Make us glad according to the days in which You have afflicted us,
The years in which we have seen evil.

Let Your work appear to Your servants,
And Your glory to their children.
And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us,
And establish the work of our hands for us;
Yes, establish the work of our hands."

 

We are blessed with life; and many people, by God's grace, receive more than 80 (some even 90) years of life.  Reflecting on the blessing of life, it is easy to take for granted the riches we receive in simply breathing; let alone being able to 'live' i.e. communicate, work, play, etc. Life is frail. God numbers our days, and each day is another blessing from His hand. When thinking about this, it's also important then, that we live our life to the fullest. That is, to God's glory, and as a blessing to others on this earth.

As Psalm 90 also says, our sins weigh us down, and this world is full of evil. Yet with God's mercy, we can be glad for the days God gives us, even if they're full of trouble. Because He redeems and rescues us for that slavery, and grants us a new life in Him, beginning on this earth.

And we can be thankful that He is our dwelling place to all generations. We can find comfort in His arms, also as we grieve. May He grant us the peace of knowing that His children, when they pass away, go home- home to their eternal and majestic Father. May He grant us comfort when we grieve an empty space here on earth, and the grace and strength to move forward.

May God so establish the works of our hands, that we work in His kingdom with all joy, that we are grateful, that we shine as lights in the world, and that we live for His service. For one day He will call us home, where we begin a life with God that will never end.

The Comfort of Everlasting Life

Jesus is our sure defence.
Why should we then fear or waver?
All our hope and confidence
Rest on Him the risen Saviour.
Even in our darkest hour
He will shield us with His power.

We are flesh and must return
To the dust whence we were taken,
But we from the Scriptures learn
That from death we shall awaken:
We like buried seed that dies
Shall unto new life arise.

What is weak and mortal here,
Prey to illness and destruction,
Shall with glorious power appear
In the hour of resurrection.
What today is sown disgraced
In great honour shall be raised.

To our God be thanks and praise:
He through Christ made us victorious.
Be then steadfast all your days;
See how death's defeat assures us
That in Him who comes again
All your toil is not in vain.

- Hymn 51, Book of Praise