The Bush Behind Our Home

Went for a walk in the nature reserve behind my home yesterday afternoon.

I took the camera with me and went in search of the elusive "storm bird."

The dog and I tracked him down to this tree. The bird is in this photo... if you have a keen enough eye. A bit like "where's Wally?"

I took some time to observe the detail of what I was standing near.

Lilley always likes to come for a walk with the boss!

Sunset @ The Lakes

Jethro and I went for a bike ride late this afternoon and it included 2 laps around Spring Lake at Springfield Lakes.


There were a lot of other locals out enjoying a great part of the day. Even the ducks!

My Region Greater Springfield Has a Soul!

It has been an interesting few days in my community. Our local state MP made some interesting comments in state parliament about the progress of community infrastructure.

Here is a sample of what hit the media:

Satellite city in a soulless orbit: MP
Natasha Bita September 18, 2009

SPRINGFIELD Lakes is an award-winning prototype for a 21st-century city -- but does it have soul?
A half-hour's drive west of Brisbane, the city-under-construction offers its 18,000 residents every convenience. The shopping centre will be the biggest in the southern hemisphere; it has a university campus, golf course and man-made lake; and bulldozers are clearing bushland to build a medical precinct to be known as Health City.

But local member Jo-Ann Miller reckons the satellite city in suburbia has "no soul". The Labor Bundamba MP's tirade on developer "greed" has triggered a debate on the future of low-density development in the 'burbs......

I knew something was "on the go" Thursday morning... an ABC twitter entry used the 2 words "Springfield" and "soulless" - and then I turned on my mobile phone and there were 3 messages - one from Ipswich City Mayor Paul Pisasale, one from Channel 7 TV reporter Neil Warren and another from ABC TV reporter, Josh Beavis.

Here are some TV media clips (below) about the story.

This one is from ABC TV - I get to appear in this one with a snappy quote about "new options" as pastor of Westlife Church.

Here is another from Channel 7

It was great to see and hear how vocal my community is about it's value - powerful stuff!

I'll write some more soon about my thoughts on community infrastructure and social capital development. All this means that my community is continuing to grow and mature.

(if you are viewing this post in my Facebook "notes" section click the link below somewhere called "view original post" - it will redirect you to my blog page with the media links)

Special thanks again to Peter Williams for his great HDD work!

Here is what was on the front page of the Queensland Times on Thursday.

Councillor Morrison to Walk Across Ipswich City

Go for it, David!!!

Greater Springfield Community Inc

We have been working for many months now gathering like-minded people together.

It all started June 2008 with the USQ Western Corridor Summit that I attended. I wrote about it here.

We developed the Greater Springfield Advisory Group. And now we are incorporating Greater Springfield Community Inc.

Here is an article that appears on the latest Delfin Springfield Lakes Update. Wow!!

Greater Springfield Church Launch Project - 2005 Promo Clip

I was thinking about how far Westlife has come recently. God has been very good!

And then I remembered our first vision and promo media clip. It was done in Septemeber 2005... that's almost 4 years ago.

Here it is below.

(I still have that great fluro green shirt!)

And then this was "the moment!"

This photo was taken in July 2005 when the Elders of Garden City Christian Church (now Hillsong Brisbane Campus) visited the region and God spoke to all "at the same time."

We were at The Summit - the highest point in the region. It has become a very special place of prayer since then. Notice the background... there is nothing there!!

..... Abraham ..... he dared to trust God to do what only God could do: raise the dead to life, with a word make something out of nothing.

Romans 4:17 (MSG)

....God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did.

Romans 4:17 (NKJV)

...... in whom he believed--the God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were.

Romans 4:17 (NIV)

View From My Roof

I was up on the roof at home during the week retrieving a toy.

As I got down I hurt my back. It is slowly getting better.

Anyway, when I was up there I took these photos.

Looking at them makes me feel better about my back!

I live in a great region!