post supportMIKE

tags pictures, shameless self promotion

Happy Christmas...
23 December 2006

I haven't had the time to pump out Christmas cards so here is my slightly lame attempt at thanking the many mates, family and blog readers for their faithful readership, thoughts, prayers.
I hope and pray you have a wonderful Christmas and that the birth of Christ is as meaningful to your life as it is to mine.

supportMIKE wishing you a Happy Christmas.

tags christine, shameless self promotion, update, video

Pictures and where I have been
17 December 2006

I have been a busy chicken working the windows of Hobart over four days a week. This is usually around the 40 plus hours bracket. Christmas is a crazy time for window cleaning.

Christine and I have been managing do a few things but not as many as we would have liked. There is so much to show her and see but we both get pretty tired especially me.

Please keep praying for us as we approach our holiday and mission trip in Sydney from the 1st of January. We'll be working for a week with under privileged Aboriginal children in Northern New South Wales. In the mean time enjoy the pics.

5 comments

tags christine, update, wedding, windows

engagment bbq thing invite
16 December 2006

For the internationals that is Sandy Bay, Tasmania, Australia.

supportMIKE invites you.

14 comments

tags christian, wedding

Christine arrives...
09 December 2006

Later today. But you may have some questions...

Am I excited? Yes. More than when I went to the US.
Am I nervous? No I don't get nervous.
Am I going to madly clean up the house and bathroom? No (Christine and I have an agreement from way back not to hide our true selves from each other).
When is she down till? The end of this month.
When will you see us? It's Hobart so you'll bump into us somewhere.
Are you invited to the engagement BBQ? Yes and I'll do my best to make you feel welcome.
Can we have you guys round for dinner? Probably not I'm afraid we're booked out.
Why are you getting married in Germany again? Christine's parents live there.
Is post intended as a desperate bid for greater blogger stats? Partly.

8 comments

tags christine, shameless self promotion

What's happend to Christimas?
05 December 2006

I went for a walk through Eastlands (Nearby shopping mall) the other day and this was the only thing I could find that was even remotely Christian...

Is trying to reclaim Christmas for Christ a lost cause?

In other news it seems that "pink" is the new "red". I walked past Santa's temple to discover it was decorated in ghastly pink. Don't get me wrong I don't hate Santa.... but pink?..... please! In fact all the decorations in the center were pink rather than the traditional red.

tags christian

Is secularism to blame for the rise in depression?

I had an intersting chat with a Psychologist this morning while cleaning his windows. He told me of many observation he had made over the years including the recent rise of depression and anxiety and a lack of Doctors able to look after people with these problems.

Most notably he mentioned that he thought that depression and psychiatric illnesses had a worse impact on persons without a consistent world view/ethical framework. I should note that this guy wasn't a Christian.

A good conversation and I still got paid 250 bucks.

5 comments

tags christian

I don't usually do this...
03 December 2006

I heard a particularly good sermon this morning at Cornerstone on Revelation. This quote sort of summed it up well for me...

"God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks to us in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: It is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world”

C.S Lewis

tags christian

Heads up to...
02 December 2006

Shaun, DooDa and Angus.

tags linkage, video

My Story...
01 December 2006

I arrived in Louisville feeling like… well... I had swallowed a roll of paper towel. It was almost midnight and I’d been flying and battling airports for over 30 hours.

Christine was late and it was a feeling of relief to finally see her. I was very tired. She looked nice… real nice. Much “hotter” in person than over Skype video. I gave her a big long hug and she kissed me on the cheek.

I took her hand. There was no awkwardness… no strange silences, weird moments, fireworks etc. It was just like we’d been together forever. It felt like hanging out with an old friend (be it in a foreign country) someone you haven’t seen for a while but kept in close contact with.

Christine was a million times better in person. We had so much fun together down at parks, shopping malls, coffee shops, book shops, the seminary and other normal some might say boring locations. I didn’t really care I was there for Christine and her alone. Other things in Louisville (tourist attractions and the like) didn’t interest me but that’s just me. We took photos together lots of silly ones. Planned stuff together read the Bible to each other and prayed ever night. I was a very happy pumpkin.

I hadn’t particularly planned on proposing in the USA but within three days I was sure I wanted to. That’s pretty good for me as I’ve taken longer to make similar decisions before and felt less sure. This just seemed right I had a sense of peace that I was making a good decision. Her Mum and Dad we really cool… Her Dad’s crushing handshake and Mum’s tall stories which a gullible me fell for.

I ended up having a wonderful time. The people I met left me feeling humbled for my rubbish attitude to Americans. As I left to fly home I also had an overwhelming sense of how wonderful God had been to me through the whole thing and how worthy he was of glory for our relationship working out.

God has stuck by me in the past even when I’ve been a (bad person). I’ve made many mistakes, dumb decisions, hurt people, stuffed several relationships up and felt like chucking in the towel. But God has forgiven me and has given me the strength to persevere through tough times. Praise God I’ve become the person I am today. May he continue to grow and change both Christine and I to be more like himself every day. It’s my prayer you discover this also.

tags christian, christine, travel

Jonny... wants to be famous

Here is my friend Jonny playing in a pub band.... he doesn't actually know what song he's playing in this photo (by his own admission).

Jonny is always serious and always joking (his words not mine). He is known for his lack of facial expression when playing music. Here he is playing at church the next day... (note lack of facial expression).

Jonny is a very very funny guy. There are many stories about Jonny that could be told but he tells them so much better. Some say Jonny invented a crazy bike part worth millions. I heard recently that he was the internet...

Best of all Jonny is a Christian. Jonny supportMIKE salutes you

tags friends

How to be a good window cleaner
30 November 2006

... like me.

Always look like you know what you are doing even if you don’t.
Have confidence in your self and your skill (but not arrogance).
Introduce yourself and be friendly but don’t talk any more than you have to. You are there to work. If you shut up and listen you may just learn something.
Learn “patter” (the art of engaging a customer to allow them to relax). Questions about children, the weather always work well. Complement them on their house and how nice it is. Avoid conversations that might bog you down. If another visitor arrives fade into the background you are there to clean windows.
Have a neat and tidy appearance (shave everyday).
Smell nice and have clean clothes.
Keep your tools neat clean and tidy and in good repair.
Change your water in your bucket regularly. Dirty water is just rank.
Leave things exactly how you found them (eg trinkets and blinds in place)
If a customer asks “can you...?” the answer is always yes. Worry about how you will do it later.

If you use the toilet for heavens sake put the lid down.
Always be polite.
If a customer watches you allow them to see you being meticulous in your cleaning. Leave the work area cleaner than when you found it.
Look for opportunities to talk about being a Christian. For example talk up the boss because he’s a Christian.
Never admit how much experience unless you are asked.
Never get flustered and swear (or at least don’t allow the customer to see you do this).
Always keep the volume of you radio/i-pod at a level where you are aware of your surroundings and can hear is customer speaks to you.
When quoting never apologise for a high price. Don’t look nervous when you give the price. Be confident, as if you charge that much every day. Your work is worth good money if you do a good job.
When quoting if a customer seems overly fussy or fastidious charge them extra. That way you can take the extra time to make them happy.
Have a good supply of clean rags so you don’t run out.

tags windows

Christine talks...

about my time in the USA. I'm undecided to as to whether I should post my side of the story or not. Perhaps if enough people are keen I'll give it a shot...

tags christine, travel

Welcome...
25 November 2006

...to the new look supportMIKE. Comments and feedback are appreciated so please comment away.

Firstly a few things to notice…
My old posts will be still be available (click here). You'll also find a permanent link in the sidebar under “ministry links”.

Secondly I now have tags or labels on my posts. Clicking on these will allow you to read only about those particular topics.

Due to some feedback I’ve placed a link at the top of the sidebar that will allow you to view ONLY “supportMIKE updates”. “supportMIKE updates” will be about my work at FOCUS and ministry exclusively. Their purpose will be to inform my supporters of my work and ministry at FOCUS.

I will however continue to blog about all the things I have in the past including Christine, Kinder Surprise, sunsets, window cleaning, weird stuff, coffee and so on. These will be tagged accordingly.

Finally I have given my linkage column a revamp. If I have left you off or you’d like to me to include (or remove) you please feel free to email me.

Enjoy the new look supportMIKE

tags shameless self promotion, update

Last Post (pun intended)

I'm re-launching my blog and switching to blogger beta (here)

0 comments

tags linkage, update

supportMIKE update

I made it back into the country on Monday night after a good 30 plus hours of battling across the pacific. Many may be jealous but I didn’t really suffer any jet lag flying in either direction during my travels.

In any case I’m back into my work straight away. I’ll be working 4 days a week cleaning windows until I finish up at the end of December.

In the mean time I’ll be considerably revamping my blog and switching to blogger beta where I can more effectively manage things. There will also be more focus on the ministry work I’ll be doing beginning next year. Please be patient in the interim. I’ll also be busy getting as much support for FOCUS and myself in preparation for FOCUS next year.

As announced before Christine and I will be getting married June 29th next year. It wasn’t made clear before but we’ll be coming back to Australia to live in Hobart. Christine and I have agreed that my original ministry plans (working for FOCUS for two years) will remain unchanged.

Thankyou again to all my friends (round the world) and family who prayed for this trip things could not have turned out better.

supportMIKE over and out

tags christine, update, wedding

Update
24 November 2006

tags pictures, shameless self promotion, travel, update, wedding

Wedding Date...
20 November 2006

All who can make it are invited... (click here)