Category: Archive

Pitching in (even when I don’t know what I’m doing)

by Ben Clapton, posted in Archive, Life

I’ve had a fun couple of days at work so far this week. I’ve been involved in doing tasks and using programs that I really have no experience in using.

Yesterday, I was involved in uploading a Community Service advertisement to be distributed to the various TV stations for Pancake Day. We discovered in the uploading process that we really knew nothing about what was needed to be done. We needed a clapper board. The ad was too long. The audio started in the wrong spot. The first frame marker was too far ahead of the first frame. Through some googling and playing around and trying things out in Premiere Pro, I eventually got it uploaded with everything that I needed. Until I discovered that the exporting process meant that the titles were no longer in the safe area for 4:3. I still have no idea how I should have fixed it, but either way, it’s uploaded, and will be on TV stations in the next couple of days.

Today, with our print designer away, it fell to me to put together the fortnightly printed edition of our newsletter, and also do some work on our quarterly (soon to be bi-monthly) magazine, this time using InDesign – another program that I have very little experience in. Using my trusty friend, Google, I eventually discovered how to do what I needed done, and am now just waiting for the printer to be fixed so that I can figure out how to print it.

Being part of this team means that it doesn’t matter who’s there, if a publication needs to be published, then someone steps up and gets it done, even if they don’t really know what they’re doing.

There are probably a few people you know like this. My mind goes to many people who I know in the Church. They’ll chip in and do stuff, even when they don’t really know how to do it. You learn quickly, and you do what you can, in order to get the job done. I feel more people should be willing to do this – because while you may not know how to do something, you’ll never know how unless you give it a try.

How can you pitch in today?

Postaday2011 links

Lessons learnt so far

by Ben Clapton, posted in Archive, Life

Inspired by Jeff Hester’s blog, I thought I’d write about the lessons that I’ve learned during my blogging every day so far this year.

People judge a post by its title

It’s surprising how important a title is to hook people in. From the last couple of weeks, here’s the dates that have spikes. January 21 – Who I miss and who I’ll miss; January 30 – Looking ahead in Web Design; February 3 – How I lost 6kgs in a month (without paying a cent); February 6 – The show that makes me cry. These are titles that make people think that it’s going to be interesting. I think one of the best post/title combinations I’ve had was one that was titled “Secret Confession” and I wrote the first paragraph as if it was going to be some great big, shameful secret confession. I probably tricked a few people, but I think it was a good hook.

Post regularly, post often

I think even if I wasn’t participating in the Postaday aspect, Posting regularly and often helps in so many ways. You get more visitors to the site (simply through having more posts for people to read), and you also get more experience in writing. While some of my posts haven’t been great reading, the more I write, the better I get at writing and formulating posts that do make good reading.

Link to get links

Since starting this, I have always tried to link to 4 posts participating in Postaday2011 on every post (except for the ones that I’ve had to schedule due to being away). I did this for two reasons: firstly, linking to someone’s post sends them a pingback and they then will come and view my post, generating traffic on my site. Secondly, people who read my post and see the links may click on them to see why I linked to them, giving them some traffic as well. While I haven’t received many links back, there have been a number of people who I have linked to, who have then come to my site and commented on my posts. It’s a great way of generating some community through this venture.

Moving Forward

Having posted 46 (47 posts with this one), I’ve also learnt some things that I’m going to attempt to do in the future. I want to try to get a couple of posts completed as drafts so that I’ve got some there in case I run out of time one day, or have no inspiration. I also want to start writing a couple of longer posts, ones that I can work on over a week or so, to really get some good content on here. I want to get more involved in linking – so that I not only link, but I comment on the people who I link to. Finally, I want to try to end more posts with a question to encourage comments. Seeing stats that people are reading my website are great, but I want to get to know them, and that can happen through comments.

And I’ll start with that now: are you participating in Postaday2011? What have you got out of it so far? What are you going to try to do into the future to make sure you get through the year?

Postaday2011 links

Do I look as old as I feel?

by Ben Clapton, posted in Archive, Life

Age has always been a funny thing for me. I’ve always felt a bit older than I actually was. Perhaps it was my time as a preachers kid, when my parents were ministers of a (to be honest) mostly elderly congregation. I would get to know them, and would relate well to them, even though I was only a kid.

Perhaps it’s my group of mates, who were all two years older than me – yet I fitted in with them like I was the same as them (to the point where they often forget that I’m younger than them).

Either way, I think it’s been good for me to be able to relate well with those that are older than me. It opens up opportunities, it helps with work (as I think I’m one of the youngest people in most offices that I work in), and it just works well.

That said, I have enjoyed having younger friends in recent times. Liesl’s friends are all a couple of years younger than me. And while sometimes they want to go clubbing when I’m kind of over that phase of my life, I think that it is good for me (and everyone) to have friends of all ages.

So while I’ve never lied about my age (never even tried to buy alcohol before I was 18 – which made me annoyed when I did and they didn’t check my id), I believe many have thought that I was older than I actually am.

Postaday2011 links

The price of a relationship

by Ben Clapton, posted in Archive, Life
Three golf clubs of different classes. From le...
Image via Wikipedia

I’m cheating a little bit. I forgot to write my post yesterday, so I’m writing it today, and using the date stamp feature in WordPress to make it appear that I posted it yesterday. But I don’t want to lie to you so I’m telling you the truth now.

Anyway, yesterday I went to the driving range, as I am attempting to get myself better at golf. One of the things I’m going to do is save up and buy myself a set of golf clubs that’s right for my body and swing. Buying a set of golf clubs is quite different to buying anything else. Say I was to buy myself a computer (something else I’m passionate about), I could compare the specs, and figure out what is going to be the best computer for my needs based on value for money. However, with a set of golf clubs, you can’t just choose what set you want, and compare prices across the board.

In the process of getting custom fitted, not only will they figure out what length the shafts need to be, but they will also discover what shape head for the irons you need, what driver will work best for you. They then choose a set based on your budget that will be the best for you.

Now, I’ve got to choose a store to buy my clubs from, as we’ll be telling people to buy me gift vouchers from there to give me some extra money for my clubs, or if it costs less – then that money that I’ve saved can either stay in savings, or go towards some golf lessons. But how do I choose which store to buy from?

There are three stores I’ve been considering – The Golf Box, Drummond Golf, and On Course (which are the pro shops on some courses). I went to Drummond yesterday and asked flat-out why I should buy from them. Drummond Golf seemed to have a really large range, which means that it’s more likely to find the best set of clubs for me. They also have the Drummond Club, which would give me a 5% discount – however it costs $35 to join. So unless I spend $701, I haven’t actually saved anything.

The Golf Box and On Course don’t have as large a range as Drummond, however, they don’t charge you to join their rewards club which also provides discounts (though doesn’t say how much the discounts are).

Club fitting at The Golf Box and Drummond Golf are essentially the same, they’ve got a practice net in the shop, you swing, they analyse your swing and choose the clubs that are best for you. Fitting at ON Course is slightly different. Some stores have the same technology as Golf Box, others use a more traditional method of club fitting. But the big difference is that they take you out on the driving range so that they can not only assess how you swing, but what happens to the ball in flight.  This will help ensure I get a set of clubs that will be great for my game.

Finally, my dad pointed out something that On Course provide that the other stores won’t – a relationship. We’ve already got a relationship with the guys at Marangaroo due to playing there regularly. They know the course that I will be playing on. Also, if I’m going to get lessons – they’re the same guys, the same team that fitted me for my clubs can be the same guys that teach me.

So I think I’ve made my decision. If you want to buy me a present for my birthday in April, a Gift Voucher from On Course Golf would be fantastic.

Postaday2011 links

My Favourite Word: Love

by Ben Clapton, posted in Archive, Life
"Pure love is a willingness to give witho...
Image by Parvin ♣( OFF for a while ) via Flickr

I think Love would have to be my favourite word. Yes, there are far more interesting words out there. There are many more words that are more fun to say. But Love is my favourite, because of the wonderful associations I hold with it.

For God so Loved the world that he gave his only son.

Why did God give Jesus up to die? Love! What are the two great commandments? Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and all your mind and all your soul; and Love your neighbour as yourself.

I am lucky in that I can say that I share in the Love of my parents. But thankfully, since getting married, I not only share in the love of my wife, but also the love of her parents, and her grandparents. I also share in the love of my church community, and in the love of my old church.

Love makes us able to get through the tough days, because those that love us encourage us.

The Way of Love

If I speak with human eloquence and angelic ecstasy but don’t love, I’m nothing but the creaking of a rusty gate. If I speak God’s Word with power, revealing all his mysteries and making everything plain as day, and if I have faith that says to a mountain, “Jump,” and it jumps, but I don’t love, I’m nothing. If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don’t love, I’ve gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I’m bankrupt without love.

Love never gives up.
Love cares more for others than for self.
Love doesn’t want what it doesn’t have.
Love doesn’t strut,
Doesn’t have a swelled head,
Doesn’t force itself on others,
Isn’t always “me first,”
Doesn’t fly off the handle,
Doesn’t keep score of the sins of others,
Doesn’t revel when others grovel,
Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth,
Puts up with anything,
Trusts God always,
Always looks for the best,
Never looks back,
But keeps going to the end.

Love never dies. Inspired speech will be over some day; praying in tongues will end; understanding will reach its limit. We know only a portion of the truth, and what we say about God is always incomplete. But when the Complete arrives, our incompletes will be canceled.

When I was an infant at my mother’s breast, I gurgled and cooed like any infant. When I grew up, I left those infant ways for good.

We don’t yet see things clearly. We’re squinting in a fog, peering through a mist. But it won’t be long before the weather clears and the sun shines bright! We’ll see it all then, see it all as clearly as God sees us, knowing him directly just as he knows us!

But for right now, until that completeness, we have three things to do to lead us toward that consummation: Trust steadily in God, hope unswervingly, love extravagantly. And the best of the three is love.

Dailypost2011 links

What makes a worship song great?

by Ben Clapton, posted in Archive, faith, Life, Music
Amazing Grace, First version, in "Olney H...
Image via Wikipedia

I’ve recently been asked to lead the Youth Band at my church, and it’s got me thinking about songs. There are some songs that we sing in worship that absolutely touch the soul, while there are others that are neither here nor there.

For example, take a look at Amazing Grace. What an amazing song, a powerful testimony for everyone. Yet its composition is incredibly simple.

Where as the song “Yours Forever” by Hillsong is a rocking song musically – but do the lyrics move you?

As I choose songs for the Youth Band to learn, I’ll hopefully be able to choose a mixture of songs that are moving in both music and lyrics.

What is your favourite worship song, and why?

Postaday2011 links

I’d give anything for a pancake

by Ben Clapton, posted in Archive, Life
Pancakes with strawberry syrup and blackcurrants
Image via Wikipedia

Had an interesting experience in devotions today. We had an Ash Wednesday service. The minister who was leading devotions was certain that Ash Wednesday was today. It isn’t. He went round afterwards to let everyone know that he’d made a mistake and Ash Wednesday is actually a month away.

But it was interesting anyway, because I was able to start thinking about Lent. Lent is the time before Easter when you fast – you give up something. The idea is whenever you would normally have that thing, you think about God instead. In recent years, there has been a push from many people to say that Lent isn’t just about giving things up, but you can also take up something – for example, a bible study, or a spiritual discipline such as daily meditation, or a personal daily devotion.

Last year, I gave up coffee. It was tough (Liesl didn’t think that I could do it), but I managed to get through it, and that first coffee on Easter Sunday was just beautiful. This year, however, I’m thinking I’ll take up something instead. I’m thinking that I’ll try to get through as much of the bible as I can. This has been a goal of mine for a while, but I often get derailed. I’m not certain where I’m up to, but I know that there’s a bookmark in my bible of where I was. I think that for the 40 days of Lent, I’ll try to put an hour or two each day into reading my bible. Hopefully I’ll get through the Old testament, and make some headway into the new testament. I’ve heard it takes 72 hours to speak the bible. 2 hours a day for 40 days, I could most certainly finish it.

One of the great things about Lent is the way it starts. March 8 is Shrove Tuesday, which is colloquially known as Pancake Tuesday. It’s on Shrove Tuesday that you would get rid of everything that you were fasting of – which traditionally is Flour and Eggs. Best way to get rid of Flour and Eggs? Make Pancakes!

I remember heading to a party at my friends a few years ago where he’d made a Pancake Cake – chocolate pancakes, layered with alcoholic sauce (such as Kahlua, Bailey’s and other tasty liqueurs). It was so rich, most people could only have the tiniest of slices. But it was such a fun way to spend Shrove Tuesday.

The Uniting Church have caught onto this idea, and run Pancake Day as a fundraising event. They encourage churches, businesses, schools and individuals to hold a pancake day event where people can buy pancakes, with money raised heading to support local programs supported by Uniting Church organisations. It doesn’t matter where you are – you can have a Pancake Day event. Take a look at this video to see how the money raised is used:

So give a toss this Pancake Day and raise some money for awesome projects. And use this time before Lent to think about your Lenten Fast.

Postaday2011 links


Early Thoughts: What do you do with your gift?

by Ben Clapton, posted in Archive, Life
Holy Spirit dove window
Image by hickory hardscrabble via Flickr

Yesterday, I was asked to preach at a service at a Uniting Church. Although Initially being asked to preach in April, due to other commitments, it’s been moved back to June, and the day that I’ve been given just happens to be the day of Pentecost. Now, the sermon is a long way off, but I still have some ideas on what I may speak on.

For those not in the know, Pentecost is the day that the Holy Spirit descended in the form of flames, and allowed the disciples to speak in other languages. One of the readings for the day is 1 Corinthians 12:3b-13, which says:

No one can say “Jesus is Lord” except by the Holy Spirit.

Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.

To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the discernment of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues.

All these are activated by one and the same Spirit, who allots to each one individually just as the Spirit chooses. For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body–Jews or Greeks, slaves or free–and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.

There are varieties of gifts – but these all come from the same spirit. Varieties of services, but the same lord. Varieties of activities, but the same God who activates them. It doesn’t matter what gift you have, they are all important, and they are all from the Holy Spirit.

The important thing to take away from the day of Pentecost is that we have been given this glorious gift – the Holy Spirit. Now that we have this gift, what are we going to do with it?

Below is the Parramatta Songsters doing an awesome version of Send the Fire. The last line of the first verse always gets me: “We need another Pentecost! Send the Fire today!”

Postaday2011 links

His love endures forever

by Ben Clapton, posted in Archive, faith, Life

Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to acknowledge those who work hard among you, who care for you in the Lord and who admonish you. Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other. And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone. Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else.

Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

Do not quench the Spirit. Do not treat prophecies with contempt but test them all; hold on to what is good, reject every kind of evil.

May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.

1 Thessalonians 5:12-24

This passage is really full of meaning here, full of hope and more. It really could be the subject of a few blog posts, but there are a few things I really want to share with you today.

These words come at the end of the first letter to the Thessalonians, and in the NIV are headed “Final Instructions.” This is basically a list of things that Paul needed to share with the Thessalonians. It’s a great list of goals for a Christian. Acknowledge those who work hard, hold them in the highest regard. Live in peace with each other. Encourage the disheartened (sometimes interpreted as “Strengthen the disheartened”), help the weak, be patient with everyone.

Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances. Those last three are wonderful calls to what we should do. We should always rejoice in what the Lord is doing in our lives. We need to pray continually as it’s through praying that we establish and maintain our relationship with God. We need to give thanks in all circumstances. Not just in the good times, but also in the bad times. Romans 5 says that “we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character hope.” So in the bad times, in our sufferings, we should give thanks because we know that it will create character and hope. That doesn’t make it easy, but knowing that gives us hope. Thanking God always gives us hope, because we have God’s love, that “has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit” (Romans 5:5)

Finally, Paul shares this benediction: “May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.” We don’t know when Jesus will come. It’s difficult for us to make ourselves blameless. We must humble ourselves before God and allow him to chip away those things that keep us from being the reflection of Jesus.

My officer shared this video on the Sunday Night service yesterday. There’s all this stuff that we have in ourselves that keep us from being God’s original masterpiece. It’s like those paintings that are hundreds of years old. They need to go through restoration, and the difference at the end is incredible – it is the original masterpiece once again. Are you willing to let God chisel away all the things that have been added to your life, and allow yourself to be God’s original masterpiece once more?

Forever God is faithful. Forever God is true. Forever will his mercy flow to you, and forever will he embrace you, and be willing to restore you. Be faithful, because the one who calls you is faithful, and He will do it.

Postaday2011 links

The show that makes me cry

by Ben Clapton, posted in Archive, Life
Abyssinia, Henry
A scene from the episode "Abyssinia, Henry" - it's about here that the tears start to well up. (Image via Wikipedia)

I’m not exactly the toughest guy going around. That said, I’m not exactly the most sensitive new age guy. I see myself as kinda average – probably leaning slightly to the SNAG side, but only ever so slightly. I don’t cry often – though I did cry at the rehearsal for my wedding. That’s right – the rehearsal. It wasn’t even the real thing, she wasn’t in the dress yet when I saw her walking down I cried.

But anyway, this morning I was watching some episodes of M*A*S*H while doing my exercise. And it got to the episode where Radar is told that his Uncle has passed away, and he’s getting sent home. And I cried. I always cry in that episode. I also cry in the episode where Henry is sent home, but his plane gets shot down on his way there. And I’m certain that I’ll cry when I eventually get around to watching the final episode.

Yet, I’ll still watch this show, even though it makes me cry. Why? Because I love M*A*S*H. It’s an incredible show. It captures the entire gamut of emotions, and tackles some really tough issues – while at the same time, being incredibly light-hearted. For example, one episode I watched today that I had forgotten about, Margaret gets accused of being a communist, and is forced into a difficult position where she either gives up the names of her friends who also knew this alleged communist, or is subpoenaed to appear before the council where she will either clear her name – but lose all respect and privileges of rank – or be declared a communist as well. It sounds crazy, but these things actually happened.

There’s an episode that delves into the main characters dreams, in what provides a ghostly and chilling image that I’ll never forget – Hawkeye sitting in a boat, with no arms, unable to help the wounded soldier on the shore. But there’s also an episode that revolves around a boxing fight where they ether up the gloves of Trapper so that the 4077 can win the bout.

I think what makes M*A*S*H great – and other shows like it – is that over the course of the episodes, you get to really know the characters. You sympathise with them. You Empathise with them. Similar shows like this are Friends and Will and Grace. They invite you into their lives, and you feel a part of theirs.

So even though M*A*S*H will continue to make me cry sometimes, I will continue to watch it.

What’s some of your favourite TV shows, and why?

Postaday2011 links