Over the last few years, I’ve started to set realistic New Year Resolutions. I did away with lists and created annual goals. Last year, my resolution was to Initiate Change. My goal for 2011 was to initiate change in the way I viewed and lived life.

“Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect” – Romans 12:2 NLT

It’s taken a whole lot of courage but what an incredible year it has been. I certainly believe I succeeded in reaching my goal. I wish I shared more of my journey last year and this year, I want to try and share a whole lot more. I’m not the type of person that shares a lot about my life and if you know me on Facebook, I don’t often write much about what I’m up to. In fact, the last time I visited my home town after 8 months away, nobody knew I was visiting till I arrived.

I love photography and capturing my life around me and I tend to share my life in photographs. Unfortunately, this results in me sharing the world around me and not necessarily my world.

The ‘Get Farming’ Concept

I’ve worked on the land for the last 14 months and I’ve been learning some incredible things about how this farming side of life works. Growing up in the city and working with computers saw me sitting in a small narrow viewed world. Boy has that changed!

So the 2012 goal, Get Farming is focused on following up on initiation. We’re talking broad-acre here. Not just small patches  but my whole world in general. From business and finances to faith and relationships. I want to start sowing seeds and harvesting the results.

But before we go too far into this sowing idea, check out Galatians 6:7-10 for some smack down. We’ve got to focus on sowing seeds with the right heart.

Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of faith.

The biggest part of working on the land is the work load. It’s not easy work. You’re out in the sun, you’re working long hours, 7 days a week, broken sleep, getting soaked in rain, getting covered in grease, the list goes on. But there’s a unique sense of satisfaction at the end.

This workload also applies when you’re working the land of your life. It’s not easy. It takes persistence, long hours and sometimes, you just don’t want to get out out bed. But you can’t stop. When you stop, you fall behind, you miss opportunities (like cultivating weeds out), then it rains, the weeds get out of control and they start to strangle you.

Farming is hard work. There’s no doubt about that! If we want to succeed however, I believe that we need to work the soils of our heart and life and continue to do so throughout our lives.

Sweet. Lets see how this resolution goes…

Stewart was a bloke that was ever so responsible. In the years that I knew him, there was only one time that he was a little silly. The time he had a few too many drinks during a camping trip. It’s sad to see that a bloke with such integrity is no longer here. There isn’t enough young blokes like Stewart around.

A passionate young man that loved life. A true adventurer, explorer and photographer. Stewart loved the outdoors. He loved people and above all, he loved Jesus.

There isn’t enough words or pictures that could sum up the incredible bloke this guy was.

The photo above was taken on photo walk up Gibraltar Creek
with another friend of ours, Steph on Dec 28, 2008.

In amongst all this sadness, I know one truth, the truth that I will see my dear brother again in heaven. What epic hope.

And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died so you will not grieve like people who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the believers who have died. 1 Thessalonians 4:13–14

Stewart, it was a pleasure knowing you and I will always remember the amazing adventures that we had together. From Canberra to the Fraser Coast, we certainly covered a few kilometers, even if we didn’t finish our ultimate around Australia adventure. We gave it a shot and now, I’ll keep traveling around and try to live the adventure for the two of us. (Do you think that means I’m allowed to drink twice as much scotch? Drew might not agree!)

You’ve been an inspiration in my life, a brother, always there to support me, to tell me when I was wrong and to encourage me in all the crazy ideas that I had. You kept me accountable to follow Jesus and what the trusty bible had to say.

You have most certainly been a light in my life and the life of many others. A light brighter than any lamp. And salt? Man, when you had to, some of the conversations we had felt like you were rubbing salt into a wound. You certainly had some zing! (Matthew 5:13-16)

Your heart was focused on Christ and it showed though the way you lived your life. Humble and servant hearted, you loved every person that you met. Your generosity I’ll always remember. Your ability to interact with people from all walks of life. You never judged and you stood up for what you believed in. Nothing could get in your way once you had your mind set on a goal.

Mate, It was an epic drive and those annoying point to point average speed cameras slowed me down but I’m glad I made it back to see you one last time. To hold your hands (Which are huger than I thought), to give you a foot massage and even if we would joke about it being a little homo, a kiss goodbye.

An epic road trip to Fraser Island with five blokes jammed into the Patrol

I remember….

• The day I first said hello to you. I don’t think I even got your name. Black Stump in Sydney. I walked up to a bloke with a volunteer shirt on and gave him one of those white Make Poverty History bracelets. Because it didn’t fit me. Little did I know I would meet you again at a Church in Canberra 6 months later. The beginning of a very epic friendship.
• Camping in the Blue Mountains with Richo, Sharpie and Adz. We took Adz’s trusty corolla along with the Nissan and the Corolla bottomed out the whole way though those dodgy roads into the campground. How about that short cut we took to avoid the delays on the highway that was being upgraded. How we ended up with a whole bunch of cars following us thinking we knew what we were doing. We missed a turn and ended up at a rutted dirt track. Naturally being in the Patrol, we kept on going. The poor buggers behind us had no idea what was going on! They had to turn around! Haha!
• Heading snowboarding for the first time ever with Adz. Adz is reverse parking the car. “I’ll tell you when you hit the car behind”…. *bang* ….. “You just hit the car”. Bahaha. What an epic trip. What was the deal with taking snowboarding lessons at the end of the day? That’s right, Adz couldn’t work out how to stand up, he spend the start of the day using his board as a toboggan!
• Heading snowboarding with Brimmy, that was epic too. You piked and skied instead. How about that sweet beanie that Brimmy had. No reverse parking incident there. How fortunate!
• Getting bogged EVERY time we went 4WDing together. How about the time, you had to pike for a church meeting and your old man and I were out for hours trying to get un-bogged just 200 meters off the highway!
• Heading to Batemans Bay for a weekend away together. We packed your swag and a 1 man tent into the Accord Euro and buzzed down to the coast for a night. I didn’t even know what a swag was back then.
• Helping to paint your mums place with Bel.
• Talking about girls.
• Talking about more girls.
• Talking about serious stuff.
• Talking complete nonsense.
• Learning to riding your old dirt bike up and down the driveway at Strewdines.
• The time we road tripped to Fraser Island together.. 5 blokes (Rich, Adz, Drew, you and I) in the trusty Nissan Patrol. We squashed your hat so many times because you ALWAYS left it sitting somewhere where it would get squashed. And how about that middle seat and that really annoying bar? The one guaranteed to give you a sore bum. Ha!
• Heading camping just out of Canberra and having a few too many drinks. Then we started trying to chop firewood with an axe (When it was already in the fire) I have the photos! Drew went to bed early whist we carried on though the night with our crazy antics (We’ll watch the video replay of that night together when I see you next eh?).
• Our last BBQ together at your new house, just 3 weeks ago during my brief visit to Canberra.

Today however, it was thunderstorming so we had the day off. Because the vines grow along metal wires, it isn’t safe to work on the vines.

Instead, I went for a little walk around town. Here are a few photos up Ryall Street in Canowindra.