interesting conversation

What do you talk about after church during fellowship time? Maybe you get into a deeper discussion about the sermon. Or maybe just polite conversation about the weather, boys, girls, relationships, kids, grandkids, or work. Maybe it is about natural disasters, news items, global economics, or world poverty. Maybe you chat about upcoming projects or studies. Sometimes you have conversations, that are just fun - light banter. Do you remember any of these conversations. Recently, after worship during the fellowship, we had a conversation that I just can't seem to stop thinking about. The topic - snakes, yes, snakes. All kinds, the King Brown, the Red Belly Black, the Tiger Snake, and Death Adder to name them specifically. All can be found around here. Now, people who know me know I don't like snakes. But I learned a bit about them. I learned that they can be found in washing machines. I learned that "in the good ol' days" snakes were routinely shot. Now because of animal protection, people call have them them removed. So there were several stories about snake removal. I learned that the gas pipeline crew employs a snake handler to go ahead of the work crews and relocate the snakes. I learned that you can often tell if you have a snake around by listening to the frogs. Apparently, frogs make a very distressed sound when being eaten by a snake. I will be listening for that for sure. I also learned a few ways people keep snakes away. Apparently, if you drape the shade material used for shade sails around fences, snakes will get trapped like a net so that they can be removed before you happen across one accidently. I will not forget this conversation for some time.

Mental Health Week

I got this joke from my family, that said they had heard that all the mentally ill were being deported and that they thought of me and said, "Run my crazy little friend! run!" I thought it was funny and forwarded to a friend of mine who also thought that it was funny. I think we thought it was funny because we feel a bit crazy sometimes (okay, many times). However, mental health is not a joke. I have family, friends and acquaintances that suffer from mental illness. This week in Australia is mental health awareness week and I encourage people to go along to activities in their communities to learn more about mental health. It should be a subject that we speak about as freely as breast cancer or seat belt safety. Mental health issues should not be deep dark secrets. We as a community should profess to support and pray for people we know with mental health issues the same as we support and pray for friends with other problem. No problem. Okay then.