Sunday 31 July 2022 (hang out for a day)

I slept in, had a slow start, then bacon & eggs with John and Janey, and Criag and Jack arrived from Brisbane to work on electronic silo control instalations before the rain that is forecast to start tomorrow morning. 

Spent the morning with John & Janey at their church (back in Narrabri, called New Life, where I met heaps of new people), then had lunch with an old acquaintance from 25 yrs ago, who now lives in Narrabri, with his family (wife, Katrina, and daughter Mackenzie) and their local Anglican church, out at a National Park. Met some very interesting folk there too. They then dropped me back at John and Janey's place. Thanks to those two families, and their communities that welcomed me in so openly, New Life (& Keith & Margaret for their hospitality) and the Anglicans, of Narrabri.

An bit of time in the arvo, helping lay cables around the silos, a luscious lamb shank dinner and bed and a phone call with my lovely lady, before 10pm.

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Some time during New Life church meeting and before bed considering Jesus' take on prayer …

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OLD TO NEW WORLD VIEW

Despite that science tells us "This world is

not what it seems on outside, to the feel,

with layers upon layers forming things",

I still believe that our ol' world is real.

Our scientific story tells us that

despite what we all see here (think we "know"),

there's layers of "community" which mat

together, and which interleave.. (quite so):《1》

Inside, within each body, making up

the living ones, are individu'l "cells",

or living creatures that can be corrupt-

ed, or combined to make a host where dwells

the multicelled "community" we see

that's planted right before us "on" (or "in")

our ground of being. Even you and me.

And these can be disrupted or can win!

The ways that these communities would seize

things 'round about to aid their tiny parts,

to work together: shelter, feed, and ease

their life, to bring a thriving from their starts,

are called in this Our world "to feed", & "clothe

and shelter", self or fam'ly, other lives.

The old words from Our world that covered both

are "love", & then there's "peace"- which meant "life thrives".

But smaller yet, each body that exists,

of rocks, or gasses, animals or plants;

(and irrespective of "life" tagged to its

existence as an entity, per chance..)

is made of smaller atoms, molecules,

or other things that kind of are like "seas".

But smaller yet (these aren't just words of fools)

are forces "circling", balancing with ease.

Where either particles or waves "impart"

existence to those higher levels too.

But here we haven't even made a start

on bigger things, like Galaxies and U-

ni-verse, or other categ'ries rehearsed,

like Supernova, Nebulae, and Giants,

Dwarves, and other stars that shoot and burst,

to cook up compounds, elements and ions

from which all of the rest can start to "be".

Invisible dimensions in this way

we start to understand, and maybe "see"

within our "mind's eye" - as they used to say.

But still our story makes more sense, or less

of all dimensions we've encountered here,

since we were born - to order and to mess,

with this ol' world. - And this is where I cheer

myself as I move on, and others too.

The world we "started" in, that let us learn

about dimensions and these worlds that you

have just now been reminded of, don't spearn!

The story that's apparent: God made this

whole world with more dimensions than you'd poke

at with a stick, does not seem so remiss

and starts to look less like it was a joke!

"The best is yet to come", as AA found

in fact, through living in this re-al world.

And there's a higher power hanging round

to see if we would reach out and be curled

within the love of biggest Dad, or Mum,

and let the Great Creator's fam-il-y

look after us and grow us, and then some..

towards more of a nature that is free

to love back, as we have ourselves been loved.

And that's why most religions in this world

admire, and think good-life was surely gloved

within the life, that we have mostly hurled

our insults at, and blamed him for our faults

and misdemeanours, laziness, and such.

It's him I would commend to you. Us dolts,

we killed the model human God loved much -

the second Adarm (and would kill his Eve,

that God brings from him while he's "not around").

In jealousy and ignorance, we'd weave

a net to catch them yet, like beasts been found

and named. So if you ask me to I'll tell

the story of the glory of God "THERE",

who loves his kids, and wants them to do well,

take on creative love, and learn to share.

---

《1》 physically enact this by interleaving the fingers from each hand with those of the other

---

Jesus' take on prayer …

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Don't babble on.. Don't pray in such a way 

your prayers just focus on the people 'round.

You're talking with your father, you can say

(since you've reached out, creative love's been found):

"Our Father who's in heaven, may your name 

be held as holy (may our lives help that).

'nd may this Earth experience your reign 

as Heaven does: your will is where it's at!

And please give us today some good plain food.

We rest in your forgiveness, as do they

who owe us any debts, or are just rude,

we'll hold against them what they have not paid

as much as we want you to hold us to

our debts, or other acts of ignorance,

We plead, don't lead us where we'll be those who

are tempted by our own evil per chance.

And we ascribe the right to rule to you,

along with all the power in the world.

For you keep all this dream world dreamt and new,

fresh flowing from your mind as it's unfurled,

And we who recognize you as the source,

then know your goodness as a shining light,

we're glad your grief did not turn to remorse,

and wipe us off the table into night.

Your Father is unseen, that's very true,

and ev'rything unseen or secret is

of special int'rest to him, and he's who

will scrutinize each act we claim is his.

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Grow Up!

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I seem to have propensities to make

up words and titles, names and systems too,

in order to communicate and take

my thinking to the next level, if you

know what I mean, economies of scale

exist, and sometimes are a helpful thing1,

but sometimes they're the cause of what might ail

my focus and the outcomes it could bring.

If gen'ralizing helps whom I serve thrive,

then generalize as much as it helps folk.

But if it stops me working to arrive

at really understanding one more bloke,

it's been used where it shouldn't be at all,

my naming isn't with creative love.

I'll work out where it helps, and not just fall

for lazy half-way measures, that just shove ..

the sons & daughters of the Most High God

into some little cubicle constraint.

When all the time his take is not on what

they are, just now, to multiply  complaints,

but what they will become, when at "full term",

for foetuses are mostly incomplete,

but if they keep united, they will learn, and get a body new, and very sweet!

A body that can breathe the stuff of wind*,

or spirit* and get life itself from this.

An open-ended life that can't be pinned

down, any more than could that one of his.

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1  As in that process of the man naming the animals (mentioned in Genesis 2), noting the similarities and the unity within a named grouping, and yet necessarily allowing for vast differences [say, between the sexes of birds (male peacock, and female peahen) and some beasts too (lions & lionesses), and the adult and juvenile forms (think mother duck and 5 ducklings) , and sometimes larval or other initial forms (think marsupial young, e.g. a baby kangaroo)].

*  in both the 2 main languages which the (Judeo-Christian) scriptures were written in, Hebrew and Greek, the one word covers all the meanings that we mean by our English words "wind", "breath", and "spirit". They weren't, in the minds of the writers or readers, 3 distinct things, like we have in English, say with two words that we pronounce differently but spell the same (and we have to work out by the context which pronunciation to say, when we see the written word): e.g.

• The process by which we put energy into a mechanism, by a circular twisting force and movement, or by metaphoric use of this word when one treats a human as a mechanism, and when they respond that way, as seen in a repeated pattern. Often followed by the word "up" to indicate increasing energy being stored or expended. To WIND, or  WIND UP. 

• The movement of air from one part of the globe to another, or from any high pressure area to a low pressure area. Or sometimes, where the normal course of events is that there is constant movement of air (as in human breathing), then a process that temporarilly stops that movement (as often occurs within the bigger scale of things in nature), is designated by this word too: WIND.

In order to get a little bit of a feel for what meanings might merge and how jokes and poetry might take these words slightly differently, try saying a sentence or two with each of those two English words in it, then swap your pronunciations for each sentence. But their one spoken word incorporated what we think of, as at  least 3 mostly distinct meanings, because we have different words .

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A) Saturday 30.07.2022CE on the way to Moree, towards Ballata.

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Plan to wake @6:30am, and cuppa and breaky, leave at 7:30am with Keith, before his morning push-bike ride.

John, who lives just outside Belatta has offered to pick me up at 5pm and take me to his place foor the night, and maybe Sunday too. I said i'll join in on what ever he does on Sunday. He usually goes to New Life church in Narrabri, where I slept last night. Great.

Woke with gout in my left forefinger. Eek. God, help! Well, I have brought my colgout tablets, and though I've been skipping on my allopurinol (normal gout prevention) tablets, scared of running out, I took one last night. I'll do what I can, then, we'll see.

It dawned on me that if I was coming back on Sunday with John from Ballata then maybe O could take some spear socks and undies and save towing the trolley today, and collect it on the return trip on Sunday. So we left the trolley in Narrabri, to be collected tomorrow. 

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Out on the road about 8am.

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Thanks for the lift back to where you picked me up last night Keith. 

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Hoping that without the trolley today, I can make it to the half-way point between Narrabri and Moree. I think that will be several km past Bellata. But I'd have to work out how to get back to John's place, which is the other (Narrabri) side of Belatta.

Just thinking.. With this hike in fuel prices, it's more costly for everyone on this road. On all roads. Or even to mow the lawn, or run a generator. Heard this morning about grey nomads being stranded, or having to drive at 80 or 90 km/hr to save fuel.

Around 9:30am I try to check out the Edgeroy fuelstop toilets.. no go. But Imeet Dale Oliver who drives this truck down here. He offered me a couple of sandwiches. Love to get to know him more. But he has some work to do, & I have some walk to do.

.

He comes from Cloncurry up in Qld, where a good mate of mine now lives, so I was hoping to pay Cloncurry a visit, on the way up, or down. Said we might see each other up there in 2 or 3 months time, if we happen to both be in town then.

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These mountains are amazing. 

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The photos don't do them justice. You'll have to come and see them. They say that from up therevthe view is spectacular across the plains, especially at night, when towns, and farms, and mines have their lights on.

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Cars, trucks, caravans,utes, tip trucks, tankers pasd all day. This is a lovely patch of road, with a wide flat shoulder. Fantastic for pulling a trolley on, or for NOT  pulling a trolley on.

With many graders, rollers, excavators  working on the fast train line to the left of the road.

.

At about the 10km mark, I stop for a foot break, bandaid a toe, eat some trail mix, take a call from a good mate and Uncle to me, Paul Roe who has been connecting me with friends along the way.

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Back up on on, at 10:50am. See how this stint goes?

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OLD TO NEW WORLD VIEW

Despite that science tells us "This world is

not what it seems on outside, to the feel,

with layers upon layers forming things",

I still believe that our ol' world is real.

Our scientific story tells us that

despite what we all see here (think we "know"),

there's layers of "community" which mat

together, and which interleave.. (quite so):《1》

Inside, within each body, making up

the living ones, are individu'l "cells",

or living creatures that can be corrupt-

ed, or combined to make a host where dwells

the multicelled "community" we see

that's planted right before us "on" (or "in")

our ground of being. Even you and me.

And these can be disrupted or can win!

The ways that these communities would seize

things 'round about to aid their tiny parts,

to work together: shelter, feed, and ease

their life, to bring a thriving from their starts,

are called in this Our world "to feed", & "clothe

and shelter", self or fam'ly, other lives.

The old words from Our world that covered both

are "love", & then there's "peace"- which meant "life thrives".

But smaller yet, each body that exists,

of rocks, or gasses, animals or plants;

(and irrespective of "life" tagged to its

existence as an entity, per chance..)

is made of smaller atoms, molecules,

or other things that kind of are like "seas".

But smaller yet (these aren't just words of fools)

are forces "circling", balancing with ease.

Where either particles or waves "impart"

existence to those higher levels too.

But here we haven't even made a start

on bigger things, like Galaxies and U-

ni-verse, or other categ'ries rehearsed,

like Supernova, Nebulae, and Giants,

Dwarves, and other stars that shoot and burst,

to cook up compounds, elements and ions

from which all of the rest can start to "be".

Invisible dimensions in this way

we start to understand, and maybe "see"

within our "mind's eye" - as they used to say.

But still our story makes more sense, or less

of all dimensions we've encountered here,

since we were born - to order and to mess,

with this ol' world. - And this is where I cheer

myself as I move on, and others too.

The world we "started" in, that let us learn

about dimensions and these worlds that you

have just now been reminded of, don't spearn!

The story that's apparent: God made this

whole world with more dimensions than you'd poke

at with a stick, does not seem so remiss

and starts to look less like it was a joke!

"The best is yet to come", as AA found

in fact, through living in this re-al world.

And there's a higher power hanging round

to see if we would reach out and be curled

within the love of biggest Dad, or Mum,

and let the Great Creator's fam-il-y

look after us and grow us, and then some..

towards more of a nature that is free

to love back, as we have ourselves been loved.

And that's why most religions in this world

admire, and think good-life was surely gloved

within the life, that we have mostly hurled

our insults at, and blamed him for our faults

and misdemeanours, laziness, and such.

It's him I would commend to you. Us dolts,

we killed the model human God loved much -

the second Adarm (and would kill his Eve,

that God brings from him while he's "not around").

In jealousy and ignorance, we'd weave

a net to catch them yet, like beasts been found

and named. So if you ask me to I'll tell

the story of the glory of God "THERE",

who loves his kids, and wants them to do well,

take on creative love, and learn to share.

---

《1》 physically enact this by interleaving the fingers from each hand with those of the other

---

Friday29072022CE, out of Narrabri?... towards Moree..

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Heard we might be in for some rain before I get to Moree, so, since the old one was pretty shabby, I redesigned and made a new top for my trolley last night. Woke, packed roughly, on the way to get some more glue (liquid nails) from the hardware store, then finished off my canopy at David & Gae's place. David helped with coffee, tools, materials, and advice. David sent me off with a blessing, 

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and I left after noon, bought some pies for lunch, stocked up on muslie bars and tinned stew from Coles, and at  2pm I'm about to cross the first bridge on the way out of town North, with a tummy full of yummy Narrabri pies!

A sunny day, cloud strewn sky, cool breeze. 

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Mt Kaputae and National Park on the hirizon. A perfect day for a walk!

.

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As I walk through Australia, I start thinking of Moses walking through a similarly dry are over near Horeb or Sinai. I started to think about that sentence: "Take off your shoes, for the place where you are walking is holy ground.."

As a member of a fully Western-ized family group, this made no sense to me. But, I visited a friend on my way into Orange on this walk. Shin and his wife Makiko, are from Japan. When I walked into their home, I saw that they took off their shoes. So I did too. Shin motioned for me to be given some special slippers, which I squashed my big feet into and continued to balance my way into the house. That experience taught me something about Eastern Culture. The house is where you take of your work day shoes, your sandals, the outside clobber you have for your feet. Inside you either wear special inside shoes (if it is too cold for your feet otherwise), or you have naked feet. This is the place, not of contract but of covenant. This is a family's nest, a home, the house of a family who is learning to love, practising love. The temple in the Hebrew scriptures was a holy place, a place where God lived. It was called "the House of God", or sometimes in Hebrew culture it was referred to as simply "the House". When I treat a part of the world as holy ground, I wonder if I am equating it with the house of God, a place where God lives. How beautiful. This whole Earth is holy ground, the house of God.

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5:21pm; the sun is just about to fall over the horizon, and a car with a smiling man in it stops to see how I'm doing. His name is also Paul, and he works in Narrabri, but is going home to Moree. He double checks that I'm ok. What a thoughtful human being!

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A joy to share the planet with people  like Paul. See his demeanor, in the photo, it gives away the effect of his presence.

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What lively, colourful, beautifully silhouetted sunsets:

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I passed some signs from above

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 And finally stopped at about 6:10pm as Keith arrived to pick me up, at this sign (facing the other way):

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This might have been the best coverage of ground that I've made on this walk so far!

Then it was time to load the trolley, get back to the New Life centre  which had the feel of a large family home, have a quick shower (while Margaret and Keith made my bed), and go out to the RSL (again, since David and Gae had started a trend last night). Then home to the New Life Centre again, for a cuppa, play a song on a guitar, write this up, and drop off to sleep earlier tonight than last night. The plan is to be up to leave here at 7:30 tomorrow morning, with the trolley. Thanks for such a generous offer Keith.

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OLD TO NEW WORLD VIEW

Despite that science tells us "This world is

not what it seems on outside, to the feel,

with layers upon layers forming things",

I still believe that our ol' world is real.

Our scientific story tells us that

despite what we all see here (think we "know"),

there's layers of "community" which mat

together, and which interleave.. (quite so):《1》

Inside, within each body, making up

the living ones, are individu'l "cells",

or living creatures that can be corrupt-

ed, or combined to make a host where dwells

the multicelled "community" we see

that's planted right before us "on" (or "in")

our ground of being. Even you and me.

And these can be disrupted or can win!

The ways that these communities would seize

things 'round about to aid their tiny parts,

to work together: shelter, feed, and ease

their life, to bring a thriving from their starts,

are called in this Our world "to feed", & "clothe

and shelter", self or fam'ly, other lives.

The old words from Our world that covered both

are "love", & then there's "peace"- which meant "life thrives".

But smaller yet, each body that exists,

of rocks, or gasses, animals or plants;

(and irrespective of "life" tagged to its

existence as an entity, per chance..)

is made of smaller atoms, molecules,

or other things that kind of are like "seas".

But smaller yet (these aren't just words of fools)

are forces "circling", balancing with ease.

Where either particles or waves "impart"

existence to those higher levels too.

But here we haven't even made a start

on bigger things, like Galaxies and U-

ni-verse, or other categ'ries rehearsed,

like Supernova, Nebulae, and Giants,

Dwarves, and other stars that shoot and burst,

to cook up compounds, elements and ions

from which all of the rest can start to "be".

Invisible dimensions in this way

we start to understand, and maybe "see"

within our "mind's eye" - as they used to say.

But still our story makes more sense, or less

of all dimensions we've encountered here,

since we were born - to order and to mess,

with this ol' world. - And this is where I cheer

myself as I move on, and others too.

The world we "started" in, that let us learn

about dimensions and these worlds that you

have just now been reminded of, don't spearn!

The story that's apparent: God made this

whole world with more dimensions than you'd poke

at with a stick, does not seem so remiss

and starts to look less like it was a joke!

"The best is yet to come", as AA found

in fact, through living in this re-al world.

And there's a higher power hanging round

to see if we would reach out and be curled

within the love of biggest Dad, or Mum,

and let the Great Creator's fam-il-y

look after us and grow us, and then some..

towards more of a nature that is free

to love back, as we have ourselves been loved.

And that's why most religions in this world

admire, and think good-life was surely gloved

within the life, that we have mostly hurled

our insults at, and blamed him for our faults

and misdemeanours, laziness, and such.

It's him I would commend to you. Us dolts,

we killed the model human God loved much -

the second Adarm (and would kill his Eve,

that God brings from him while he's "not around").

In jealousy and ignorance, we'd weave

a net to catch them yet, like beasts been found

and named. So if you ask me to I'll tell

the story of the glory of God "THERE",

who loves his kids, and wants them to do well,

take on creative love, and learn to share.

---

《1》 physically enact this by interleaving the fingers from each hand with those of the other

---