Noodle Night Market - Melbourne First Time Ever

The Noodle Night Market, is a first time ever event at the Alexandra Garden, in Melbourne. This is already a popular annual event in Sydney for the last 15 years. It is however the first time that it opened in Melbourne, as part of The Age Good Food Month, from November 18 to November 30, from 5pm each weekday, and from 4pm on the weekends.

Alexandra Garden was transformed into a hawker style market with food stalls, a couple of drink bars and entertainments, mostly DJs with one exception that I notice; a Chinese Lion Dance troupe.

Food stalls are predominately Asian; Indian, Thai, Malaysian, Vietnamese, Filipino, Chinese, Japanese. The drinks are represented by Coopers for beers and Yalumba for wines, but an interesting addition is the Rekorderlig Swedish Cider stall. Seems there is more to Sweden than Ikea.

Judging from the long queues at many of the food stalls, the crowd response for the night and the newspaper write-up of the event, it is highly probable that this event will be back next year.

There is also a small section of the garden that highlights lanterns in its many forms, size and colours. Position near the Yarra River, it also show off some of the best skyline views of the city.

The following photos are taken, standing at the river edge, taking in the view of Melbourne evening skyline and the happenings along the river.

Why Would God Hear My Prayers?

Put simply, God loves you. It is for this very reason that Jesus gave his life for us.

John 3:16 - 17 (NLT)
¹⁶ "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁷ God did not send his Son into the world to condemn it, but to save it.

But often we are not conscious of how much God loves us.

Also we are more prone to the mistaken belife that God not answering our prayers as God not hearing our prayers. Hence, leading us to the belief that this is because of our sins, we are unworthy and therefore we have to do something good otherwise God will not hear our prayers.

Any wonder why we ask the question, "Why would God hear my prayers?" Such question shows our fear of God's judgement.

The truth is, sin is not a barrier to God hearing our prayer. Roman 5:8 and 1 John 4:10, shows that He was willing to even send His Son while we are still sinners.

Romans 5:8 (NLT)
⁸ But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.

1 John 4:10 (NLT)
¹⁰ This is real love. It is not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.

What more, God no longer sees or count our sin towards us, because of Jesus Christ finished work at the cross.

Romans 4:7-8 (NLT)
⁷ "Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven,
whose sins are put out of sight.
⁸ Yes, what joy for those whose sin is no longer counted
against them by the Lord.

If this is so, why do we still hold to the belief that God would not hear our prayers? Our challenge is in us believing the above scriptures, trusting God that Jesus sacrifise and finished work at the cross, an expression of God's love, is being "worked" in us.

1 John 4:15-19 (NLT) says

¹⁵ All who proclaim that Jesus is the Son of God have God living in them, and they live in God.
¹⁶ We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in him. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them.
¹⁷ And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we are like Christ here in this world.
¹⁸ Such love has no fear because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of judgment, and this shows that his love has not been perfected in us.
¹⁹ We love as a result of his loving us first.

When you simply believe and accept that you are perfectly accepted by God because of Jesus sacrifice at the cross, you can have the courage and liberty as a child of God to come boldly into the presence of your heavenly Father. You know then that God hears your prayers.

What more, when you are conscious of His love, you will love God and cannot help but also love (effortlessly, supernaturally) people around you. You know then that God hears your prayers.

More than that, you will find yourself wanting to do the right thing at the right time, because you know His love for you. This sense of His love for you causes you to live life victoriously from the inside out. You know then that God hears your prayers.

Melbourne Observatory - Seeing The Stars

This is a night out in August at the Melbourne Observatory, for some stargazing. The historic Old Melbourne Observatory is located in the Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne. We heard that the planet Saturn can be seen in the winter night sky, this time of the year. The catch was, we need to know where in the sky to look and the use of a telescope, a very large powerful telescope.

So we joined a winter night guided tour of the Melbourne Observatory, for a chance to see the stars and planets of the southern sky. Saturn being the highlight for the night. The winter night tour starts from June to August, so we were very much at the tail end of the season.

This was also our very first time inside the observatory. As it turn out, the very first time for many who turn up on the night too.

There were about twelve of us that night, from children as young as ten to the mature wise ones. We were divided into two groups, each group going with their respective guides to one of the two observatory on site.

As with all tours, we were treated with some history about the observatory; how the observatory was and how it is now.

Historically, Melbourne Observatory was founded in 1862 to serve as a scientific research institution with the purpose of establishing correct Melbourne time. As the reliability and accuracy of time improved, kept accurate through observations of the stars using a transit telescope, the role of the Melbourne Observatory moved to astrophysics and projects, such as mapping the southern sky.

Today, the Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne manages the site of the Melbourne Observatory and works closely with the Astronomical Society of Victoria to maintain this historical site.

As very much evident to us, though the telescopes are old and ancient, they still do work very well. We were fortunate that we got clear night skies most of the time, so we got to see Saturn and a number of star clusters.

Overall, it was an interesting night out. We got to see the night skies through a new perspective and an opportunity to meet other people, who are also interested in the celestrial stars.

Jesus Is My ...

• Saviour .................... (John 3:16-17, 2 Timothy 1:10)
• Giver of life ............. (John 10:10)
• Advocate ................. (1 John 2:1)
• Healer ...................... (Ex 15:26, Act 4:10)
• Comforter ................ (2 Corinthians 1:5; 7:6)
• Counsellor ............... (John 14:16, 26)
• Teacher .................... (John 13:13 – 14)
• Good Shepherd ........ (John 10:11)
• Friend ...................... (John 15:14 – 15, Matthew 11:19)
• Brother .................... (John 20:17, Rom 8:17)
• Lord ........................ (John 13:13)

The list above suggests the many ways how one could come into a relationship with God the Father, through Jesus. It need not necessarily begin with Jesus as our Saviour but at one point or another, have to accept Jesus into our lives as our Saviour.

The test for us all, in our walk with God, is to finally come to the place to call Jesus, LORD, in every sense of the word. Until then, it is going to be a journey of discovering our Father's heart, coming to a realisation that we have a good God, who protects and provides for those who trust in Him.

This realisation requires faith on our part. To help us with our faith to come to this realisation is the Holy Spirit, who in Romans 8:14 and 16 reminds us that we are God's children. In fact, sandwiched between these two verse is 15 where Paul urges us to call God the Father; "Abba, Father".

The whole of Romans 8 is worth a read. Highlighted below is Romans 8:14 - 17 (NLT)

¹⁴ For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.
¹⁵ So you should not be like cowering, fearful slaves. You should behave instead like God's very own children, adopted into his family [You received a spirit of sonship] -- calling him "Father, dear Father."[Abba, Father]
¹⁶ For his Holy Spirit speaks to us deep in our hearts and tells us that we are God's children.
¹⁷ And since we are his children, we will share his treasures--for everything God gives to his Son, Christ, is ours, too. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering.

Did you notice what verse 17 is saying? Let's look at this verse in the New International Version (NIV)

Romans 8:17 (NIV)
¹⁷ Now if we are children, then we are heirs — heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

We are heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ. This also means that Jesus is our brother and God the Father, our Father.

As a family we to can/must share in His sufferings. Let the sufferings therefore be for His kingdom sake, with Jesus there with us as our advocate, healer, comforter, counsellor, teacher, good shepherd, friend and as our brother.

Realising also that Jesus is also God's chosen Lamb of God (John 1:29) who takes away the sin of the world, I hope brings our relationship with Jesus closer to calling him LORD.

John 14:6 - 7 (NLT)
⁶ Jesus told him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.
⁷ If you had known who I am, then you would have known who my Father is. From now on you know him and have seen him!".

Maling Road Shopping Village - On a Rainy Day

Here's another weekend and it looks like it may rain today. But the sun is still shining for now, so what can we do today and where can we go for lunch?

Maling Road! It has been quite a while since we last went there, like eons ago.

Well, most large cities have streets or districts which are known for their shops and cafes. Maling Road is one such street. It is promoted as one of the top 5 shopping destinations in Victoria, hidden in the shopping precinct of Canterbury in the inner eastern suburb of Melbourne.

It's a great little area for cafes serving quality coffee, of which I can attest to and good gourmet foods. There are some interesting shops to check out too. Maling Road combines long established shops mingle with the contemporary.

The Maling Road shops start at the intersection of Canterbury Road - right next to Canterbury train station. This station is just 15 to 20 minutes east of Flinders St in the city. All Lilydale and Belgrave trains stop here.

This quaint street, since its humble beginnings in 1800s has preserved its old time Edwardian look. Its proximity to Melbourne’s CBD, makes Maling Road shopping village both a nearby destination and a "Back to the Future" time traveling opportunity of sort.

Maling Road has currently over 70 shops to entice you over. So if you are looking for some place different to go or something to do, even on a rainy day like today, here is one destination to consider.

One of the shops we took an interest in is the 'Maling Road Antique Market'. What once used to be an old theatre is now a bursting antique shop with all sorts of antiques and knick-knacks. The beautiful old decoration of the theatre and the ceiling forms the grand backdrop to the treasure troves you can hunt through; porcelain, china, glassware, old medals, old maps, even pieces of jewellery lock in glass cases. At the back where the stage once was, there's even a small collection of books and clothes.

Other places of interest is Tim's Bookshop located next to the community bank or just across the antique red post box. There is also the Darriwill Farm where we go a bottle of red wine with a recipe to make mulled wine; said to be a good tonic drink for a cold wintery night.

It is at this point that I noticed across the road, Bambaleros Freshly Roasted Coffee. This cafe roasts its own beans in a roaster positioned proudly at the back of the small premises. They also serve food and as it was about lunch time, I had to try some and it was good .....coffee and food.

The other shops at Maling Road sell all kinds of goodies; gifts, boutique clothing, fine art, china and crystal, books, beauty therapy, and interior design. There is even a sweet shop for those who have sweet tooth. Of course there are more everyday shops too, like the pharmacy, post office, hair salons and grocery shop.

Notable absences from this street are the multinationals and big chain stores. Apart from IGA and Bakers Delight (both Australian and locally owned), all the shops and eateries in Maling Road are independant one-offs.

Prayer For Leaders

May you have the grace and wisdom
To act kindly, learning
To distinguish between what is
Personal and what is not.

May you be hospitable to criticism.
May you never put yourself at the center of things.

May you act not from arrogance but out of service.

May you work on yourself
Building up and refining the ways of your mind.

May you learn to cultivate the art of presence
In order to engage with those who meet you.

When someone fails or disappoints you
May the graciousness with which you engage
Be their stairway to renewal and refinement.

May you treasure the gifts of the mind
Through reading and creative thinking
So that you continue to be a servant of the frontier
Where the new will draw its enrichment from the old,
And you never become a functionary.

May you know the wisdom of deep listening,
The healing of wholesome words,
The encouragement of the appreciative gaze,
The decorum of held dignity,
The springtime of the bleak question.

May you have a mind that loves frontiers
So that you can evoke the bright fields
That lie beyond the view of the regular eye.

May you have good friends
To mirror your blind spots.

May leadership be for you
A true adventure of growth.

by John O’Donohue

NGV - A Day Out At Monet's Garden Exhibit

Claude Monet the artist is in town. Well, his work actually. The National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) is holding an exhibit of Monet's work till the 8th September 2013.

If you are into art and particular his art work, you do not have much time left. As of the 23th July, over 200,000 visitors have viewed the exhibit.

Monet was one of several founders of the Impressionism movement, though some do say that he is the ‘father of French Impressionism’. The exhibit show works from his early life where the colours of his work are bright, more towards blue and green to his later life, where he paint works viewed from his cataract affect eyes.

Seems his earlier works did not sell, but it was his later impressionist work, especially those of his garden at Giverny that he built, sold well. The story of his life with his family, his determination to be an artist and to paint as he sees the world was interesting.

One of Monet style was working on "series" paintings, in which a subject was depicted in varying light and weather conditions. He focuses on a subject matter painted from different points of view and at different times of the day.

Because it is an exhibition, photo taking was not permitted. Hence I am unable to post any here. However, above is picture of Monet outside his house at Giverny.

On entry into the NGV, the first exhibit seen is a 2000-year-old statue, PixCell-Red Deer by Kohei Nawa, from its collection. There is also a water exhibit at the Federation Court.

Below photo show the world's largest stained glass ceiling in the NGV's Great Hall. You'll see in the hall, people queuing up to the Monet's Garden Exhibition ticket booth.

The following are some views of the Grimwade Garden, located at the back of the NGV building. It is a good place to get away from the crowd and to take in the peace of the place.

Photos of an interactive activity room, on the right of the water exhibit at the Federation Court. You get to actually draw and colour on the walls.