Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.
Acts 4:12 (NIV)
Category: Archive
New Posts, New Layout
Got a brand new theme, new layout, getting ready to kick into blogging for the rest of the year.
How I accidentally became an expert (and how you can too!)
I’ve been thinking about what I could write about on this blog. I want to be able to write some decent length posts that have some quality writing in them, as well as my airy-fairy short posts that keep the writing happening every day. And the change to this new theme, Twenty Eleven, allows me to have these feature posts along with those less-featureable ones. But what to write about. I think I may have spent a lunch break or two staring at my computer screen, browsing different sites and blogs, reading posts about “finding your niche” and “develop your microniche” trying to think about what I could write about.
And then it struck me. Some how – and I don’t know why this happened – I became an expert. It all happened rather accidentally. Yet, there are those around who treat me as an expert. In what field?
The internet for Churches. Continue reading “How I accidentally became an expert (and how you can too!)”
Not good, but not bad
I want to write today about a story that has been in the News the last couple of days. Reader’s Digest published their list of the 100 most trusted people in Australia, and the person who came in position 100, Shane Warne, has been labelled the Least trusted celebrity in Australia.
Now, I’m sure Warnie doesn’t need me to go in to bat for him, but I’m not a fan of this misreporting that has been occurring. While Warne is the least trusted celebrity in this list, there are plenty of well-known celebrities who did not make the list. Just because he came last in the list, doesn’t make him the least. Continue reading “Not good, but not bad”
We are all called
As I did last week, I’m posting the Sermon that I preached on Sunday. This was at my church, at Floreat Salvation Army, and was part of my pre-college assessments. The reading that this sermon is based on comes from James 2:14-24. Continue reading “We are all called”
Getting back into writing
At the beginning of the year, I signed up to the Post-a-day challenge. I thought it was a great idea, to get my mind thinking, my fingers writing and some content onto my blog. In that time, I’ve had some really good, really popular posts. My post on the viola for example, or my reflections on the Zangief Kid. I’ve had some stimulating discussion on my thoughts on Salvation Army Soldiership, and Climate Change. However, eventually, Life got busy, and I found it difficult to find the time to write daily. I tried to draw it back to weekly posts, but could never get into the habit of doing it. So it dried up. to the point that I’ve had 3 posts since the beginning of May.
But I’ve decided to change that. Starting July 1, I’m going to attempt to publish a post every day for the rest of the year. I’m going to get back onto the Post-a-day bandwagon, and get it happening again. But I’m going to do it slightly differently this time. Continue reading “Getting back into writing”
What do we do with these gifts?
On Sunday, I took a service at Cottesloe Uniting Church. This was my first service at a Uniting Church, and I had to put the service together – not knowing what a Uniting Church Service consisted of. I think I did ok. Anyway, I thought I’d publish my sermon from Sunday. The bible readings for the day were Acts 2:1-21; 1 Corinthians 12:3b-13; and John 20:19-23. I’m backing up this week, I’m preaching at Floreat this Sunday. I think I’ll be building a bit off of this sermon as well as the one that Lt. Gareth preached at Floreat. Continue reading “What do we do with these gifts?”
Spotting Potential
I’ve been at a Candidates weekend for the Salvos this weekend. I’ve had an incredible time, meeting people all considering heading to the Training College to become Salvation Army Officers. Over this time, I’ve also been reading Bill Hybel’s Just Walk Across the Room. I’d like to quote a couple of paragraphs.
Better than anyone in history, in any field or discipline, Jesus capitalized on the possibility in people – the hidden potential inherent in all of us. Talented entrepreneurs in our society see hidden potential in a product or service before anybody else does – and as a result of pursuing their vision, cutting-edge companies emerge. Expert athletic coaches often spot hidden potential in a high school football player or tennis player, and because of applied foresight, collehe sports dynasties are built.
But Jesus had a corner on the “potential” market. He had an uncanny ability to look past the obvious flaws in people’s lives and envision who they could become if the power of God were released in their lives. Intrinsically, he just wondered about people. Wondered what they could become. Wondered how they might look in a transformed state. Wondered what impact they could have if their lives were invested in things of eternal value.
…
“All things are possible” was Jesus” mantra. All things. And countless lives were transformed because he chose to look past the surface stuff to see what was ultimately possible.
For every person here this weekend, God has looked past the flaws that we all have, and has seen the potential we have to change the world for Jesus. He has called us, and we have responded. For some of us. It’s going to college next year, for others, it’s going in a few years. For some, that calling may not include college. But we have all heard his call, and have responded.
God sees your potential. All he’s asking is for you to respond.
Very Clever Spam
My site at work got a spam comment on one of our posts. In fact, we got two, but one wasn’t really a spam comment. But it set up one of the most interesting methods of spam that I have seen in quite a while. Continue reading “Very Clever Spam”
Cleveland clubs heading my way
Today I went off to Marangaroo Golf Course to treat myself – to get fitted for a new set of golf clubs. Having properly fitted clubs will help my game a great deal. I met with Ross, who guided me through the process.
We started off with a discussion of the process, and how we would go about choosing the right clubs. They use a Mizuno fitting system, which is a special club that measures club head speed, as well as a few other statistics. I hit a few shots, then we went back to the shop. I have a club head speed that’s about average, however, my total swing routine is slow, which can increase torque in the club. That meant that the club at impact would be either a little open or closed, and the ball would not hit straight. The solution to that is to stick with a steel shaft for my irons. Graphite may have less flex, but it also has more torque, so while I would get more distance, I would lose accuracy.
From that, I was asked about my budget. I had a maximum of $1250 to spend, but was hoping to spend between $800-1000. Ross then took a look around the shop, looking for what sort of clubs would fit in my budget range, and be good for my swing. He narrowed it down to four irons and three drivers. There was a set of Wilson Fat Shaft clubs that was a complete set, a set of Cobra graphite irons, a set of Mizuno irons, and the new Cleveland CG16 irons. We had the matching Wilson, Mizuno and Cleveland drivers.
I hit a few shots with each of the irons. The Fat Shaft wasn’t really working for me. We had already thought that a lighter steel shaft was what I needed, but it was included because it was a complete set and at the bottom of my budget. The Mizuno clubs had nothing wrong with them, but for some reason, they weren’t coming off the face quite right. The King Cobra clubs felt really good, and came well off the face, as did the Cleveland CG16’s. I couldn’t really split the difference, so it was basically going to come down to cost on which ones would be best for me.
With the Wilson irons out of the picture, there was no need to try the Wilson driver. So it was just the Mizuno and Cleveland drivers. I took a few hits with both of them, and it started feeling like the Cleveland was the one that felt right in the hands. SO we headed back to the shop to price the two sets, the Cleveland driver and 3 wood, and either the King Cobra’s or the Cleveland clubs.
It turned out that because the King Cobras were already significantly reduced, so the entire set couldn’t be reduced, so the set of CG16 irons ended up being the cheapest options.
Because the CG16 was not sold as a set, but as the individual irons, I could actually get the lie angle and length adjusted especially for me. So we headed back down with a lie board, and saw where my clubs were hitting. We found out that I was actually hitting the ground quite near the heel, which also meant that my club head was rotating at impact sending my ball off in different directions. So with a club set up with the right lie angle, I’ll be hitting the ball with a square face (hopefully).
So with the lie angle all done, all that was left to do was order the clubs and pay for them. Because they’re being custom fitted, it will take a little while for them to arrive, but by the time I get back from Melbourne, I’ll have a full set of Cleveland golf clubs. I’m looking forward to my first round with them. The drivers don’t need to be adjusted, so I’ve got the driver and three wood for my round tomorrow.
So for anyone who’s looking to order a set of custom fitted clubs, I hope this sheds an insight into the process for you.
Ben Clapton 