Summit ;p ...

it's really hard to describe how i feel right now... kinda mixed emotions, on top of the world, and at the same time, trying to come to grips with the sad realities of the world i've returned to... it's like returning from another land, a land where ppl with a common purpose come together, a land far removed from the harsh reality of sin and greed that so dominates so much of this world... a land where God is exalted and brought into exclusive focus, where He ought to be in our lives... ;p

summit was such an enriching experience - for those who don't know, it's a camp run by melbourne uni's christian union where around 100 ppl gather and learn abt God, through studying His word... each year, there's a theme, and it happens that ethics was the topic of the week with an eminent bioethicist (douglas milne) and one of the pastors from st jude's (mike flynn) being the two principal speakers... bioethics was interesting, with topics such as ivf, embryonic stem cells and transplantation discussed, among other things...

the sermon on the mount was the key text (matthew 5-7), an amazing account of the teaching of Jesus, where He expounds on the law of God and the principles behind it... it talks about what really counts, the attitudes of the heart, the secret part of us that only God can truly see... it talks about the lofty standards of the life that God calls us to... it warns against the lure of worldly rewards, money and so forth, and against wrong conditions of the heart such as pride, hypocrisy and selfishness... and it speaks also of the great promise of God, that for all who follow Him, we are to be part of His family... ;p

i won't go into any real details about that here and now, am so tired from driving and sleeplessness... ;p but hopefully will have some time to concentrate on it over the next few weeks... so watch this space!!!

so where was summit?!? in the sleepy town of marysville, a lazy hour's drive past healesville, and jus half an hour shy of the white haven that is lake mountain... ;p i think it's such a gorgeous place, set so high up in the hills, and the steavenson's falls are a picture of magnificence among the misty green surrounds of the beautiful marysville state forest... ;p photos to come!!! - the falls were so amazing i'd been there four of the seven days we had for summit!!! it's an eerie sight by night, the blue glow of the floodlight looking quite radioactive, and wowing all the crowds that gather... it's quite a romantic hotspot, apparently... one of the christian union staff workers had intended to, and almost did, propose to his then girlfriend at the falls!!! ;p well, yeh, almost... it wasn't to be, not yet... but they are now married, several years down the track, and they have three of the cutest kids i've seen!!!

we'd visited the night falls vista with a fairly large group from the camp... we were blessed with a mostly rainless night, but the cold weather ensured we were shrouded in layer upon layer of wooly material anyway, scarves and beanies, and seeking each other's warmth... sal & i were among the first to end up at the platform that offered the closest vantage point, and we were simply content to hold each other and listen to the sound of water crashing upon the rocks below... there's such a sense of timelessness when surrounded by nature!!! it wasn't long before one of the staff workers and his wife appeared on the opposite side, and though it was dark, it wasn't hard to work out what they were doing, providing some amusement for a time, until their flashlight came and fell upon us, revealing our wool-clad embrace... oh well... i figured most ppl had come to look at the falls anyhow, so we didn't mind ;p

another time we explored the falls, we climbed to the top, trudging through mud-puddles most of the way up the steep incline... climbing was exhausting, but it was interesting to observe the vast landscape from a higher viewpoint, and the mystery of the mountain peaks hidden by an expanse of cloudy mist rolling across the sky... at times it seemed we were only a few metres from the cloud line!!! at the top we were greeted by the rushing waters of the top of the falls, whooshing over the edge to the rocks below... a sign somewhere said it was about 80m tall, but it's not one single waterfall, but rather a series of fall after fall, from the top (where we were this time) to the bottom (where we had been the other night and days)...

such immense beauty surely is the work of God!!! ;p i guess i can imagine that it somewhat resembles what the first man and woman would have experienced in God's garden, nature so minimally impacted by man, life abundant without worry, and a vista that somehow jus brings forth indescribable waves of joy... with sal, the woman i love, by my side... jus the sort of way i'd want to spend eternity...

so sad having to leave... coming down the windy road back to the big smoke again, i felt a tug pulling me back towards the mountain... but i have to say, having been blessed with so many wonderful memories, friends, time relaxing, and above all, time getting to know God, i'm so happy for this escape which has been one of the best weeks of my life!!! ;p

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ps... read sal's blog!!!