Melbourne - Shrine of Remembrance

The Shrine of Remembrance is located on Melbourne’s most recognised boulevard, in Kings Domain on St Kilda Road, Melbourne. The walk towards the Shrine gives the feeling of space and on a cool, slightly windy, clear sunny day, it feels really peaceful.

There was a small family having a picnic with the works; rugs with picnic baskets by the grass, soaking up the sun and the children playing around their parent and granddad. I think they have the right idea for the day.

The Shrine was built as a memorial to the men and women of Victoria who served in World War I and is now a memorial to all Australians who have served in any war, that Australia was involved in. It is a site for the annual observances of the ANZAC Day (25 April) and Remembrance Day (11 November).

For its history and what the memorial is about, click here.

Work on redeveloping the Shrine begun in the year 2002. It introduced two new courtyards, a new gallery and the Visitor Centre. It opened in August 2003.

The photo shows the new Entrance Courtyard, from the left side of the Shire, with the words 'Lest We Forget' etched onto one wall. The second courtyard is the Garden Courtyard (no photos), to the right of the Shrine, features the Legacy Olive Tree and a seating area.

From the Entrance Courtyard, as you enter the passage to the Visitor Center, you'll pass the Gallery of Medals, a 40 meter wall with 4,000 service medals. Each medal represents 100 Victorians who have served in military and/or peacekeeping operations.

The Crypt, the blur photo on the bottom left, is below the Sanctuary. It contains the Sovereign and Regimental colours and a series of bronze panels recording the army and navy units that took part in World War 1 and the names of Royal Australian Navy ships lost in the war. The flags hanging in the crypt are the regimental colours.

The bronze father and son statue in the centre honours the courage and service of two succeeding generations of Victorians, service men and women who served and died in the World Wars 1914-1918 and 1939-1945.

The Sanctuary, above the Crypt have the Stone of Remembrance, a marble stone sunk below the pavement where no hands may touch it and where visitors must bow their heads to read the inscription on it:

GREATER LOVE HATH NO MAN

The inscription is part of a verse from the Bible, John 15:13 "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends".

The Stone is aligned with an aperture in the roof of the Sanctuary (photo on the top right) so that a ray of sunlight falls on the word LOVE on the Stone of Remembrance at exactly 11 a.m. on 11 November, marking the hour and day of the Armistice which ended World War I.

Tipbits: Since the introduction of daylight saving in Victoria, the ray of sunlight is no longer in the right place at 11 a.m. A mirror has been installed to direct sunlight onto the Stone at 11 a.m. During the rest of the year, a light is used to simulate the effect.

Melbourne - National Gallery of Victoria

The National Gallery of Victoria is also commonly known by its acronym NGV. It is one of the oldest and largest public art gallery in Australia. Since December 2003, NGV has operated across two sites – NGV International on St Kilda Road, and The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia at Federation Square. Both of these sites are easy walking distance from the Royal Botanic Garden.

The photos above are those of the NGV International. For details about the NGV history, collections and even about a Picasso theft, click here.

Aside from the various art works on permanent display, the touring exhibitions happening on the day or the architecture of the gallery itself, what interest me most this morning is one of the three places to eat at the NGV International.

Don't get me wrong, all the exhibits ....over 65,000 artworks, Western and Eastern collections, ranging from paintings, antiquities, sculptures to photography, multimedia and decorative arts are worth the time to explore the NGV. All these are open to the public for FREE. The touring exhibitions however do require entry tickets.

However, after the "energetic" morning walk through the Royal Botanic Garden, I thought it is about time for some brunch (breakfast and lunch together), so that is how we come to know about The Tea Room, located on Level 1, overlooking The NGV Shop.

As advertised, The Tea Room offers a modern interpretation of a timeless tradition, the Afternoon Tea. Said to be first introduced by Anna, the 7th Duchess of Bedford, it was later made popular by Queen Victoria.

Yummy!

A New Beginning

Received this from a friend just recently. Thanks Hooi Hooi!
This is a short video with a message of love; a collection of scriptures celebrating life in Christ. Thought this is really a good way to start the New Year with ....a New Beginning.

Recommend taking a short break from whatever you are doing, dim the lights if possible, sit back on your chair or sofa with a cuppa and turn on the volumn.

An Inspirational DaySpring Movie - A New Beginning

This video is sourced from DaySpring a shop online site, inspired by the words of Luke 1:78.

Luke 1:78 (NLT)
Because of God's tender mercy,
the light from heaven is about to break upon us,

Live Caleb's Way

Numbers 13:30 (NLT)
30 But Caleb tried to encourage the people as they stood before Moses. "Let's go at once to take the land," he said. "We can certainly conquer it!"

At the ripe old age of eighty-five, Caleb said to Joshua, 'the Lord has kept me alive just as my strength was then, so now is my strength for war give me this mountain of which the Lord spoke in that day. And Joshua blessed him, and gave Hebron to Caleb because he wholly followed the Lord' Joshua 14:10-14.

There was nothing half-baked or half-hearted about Caleb. His dream kept him alive; he got out of bed every morning intent on pursuing it. When God gives you a dream as big as a mountain, it will keep you going while others around you are giving up.

But be careful who you listen to. Don't let the critics discourage you by saying, 'You're too old.' The Bible says that like a palm tree, you can produce your greatest harvest of fruit in your final years Psalm 92:12-14. When the sun goes down the stars come out so you can shine brightest in the closing chapters of your life.

Barbara Klassen says: 'My great-great uncle lived to one hundred and six. He was healthy and spry and took joy in chauffeuring his less able-bodied senior friends around town. On his hundredth birthday his driver's licence came up for renewal. When he went to the licensing bureau a sceptical clerk said, 'You're a hundred years old! What do you need a driver's licence for?' My uncle, completely nonplussed, replied, 'Somebody has to drive the old folks around!' He continued to have a legal driver's licence for the next five years.'

Caleb said to Moses, "Let us go up at once and take possession [of the Promised Land] for we are well able" But the men with him gave a bad report saying "There we saw the giants and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight” Numbers 13:30-33.

Notice two attitudes at work in this story:

1. An attitude of doubt.
Ten of twelve spies came back saying, 'It can't be done!' But the majority isn't necessarily right. If God promises you something, it's yours, even if you're in the minority. The majority report terrified God's people; they got spiritual amnesia; they forgot the years of His supernatural provision.

They talked themselves into believing that Egypt was actually the land of milk and honey. '...you have brought us up out of a land flowing with milk and honey, to kill us in the wilderness' Numbers 16:13. Incredible! Egypt was a land of straw and slavery, not milk and honey.

What was their problem? They allowed their surroundings to influence them more than God's promises. When that happens you dry up spiritually, begin to grumble and say stuff like, 'God may have worked miracles in the past, but He doesn't do it anymore.' As a result of their unbelief, not one of them entered the Promised Land except Joshua and Caleb.

2. An attitude of faith.
God said, 'But My servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit in him and has followed Me fully, I will bring into the land...and his descendants shall inherit it.' Numbers 14:24.

Contributor - Anonymous

So, which attitude do you (generally) have?

Have you given some thought about how you would like to start the new year 2011? .....with an attitude of doubt or will you much prefer Caleb's way, with faith in God the Father and Christ Jesus the Son of God.

May God our Father and Christ Jesus our Lord give you grace, mercy, and peace.

Melbourne - Royal Botanic Garden

It was one autumn weekend that we wanted to see some autumn colours. So instead of going to Bright, a Victoria town where it is known for its autumn colours, the next nearest best spot we have was the city botanic garden.

Victoria has many gardens so much so that it is also known as the Garden State of Australia. The Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne was formed to administer to the many gardens in and around Melbourne, with their very own vision, mission and objectives. The Royal Botanic Gardens encompasses two diverse sites; South Yarra and Cranbourne locations.

The photos in this posting are from the South Yarra site, consisting of over 36 hectares and displays as many as 50,000 plants and it is one of Melbourne's most popular tourist attractions.

Strangely, I do not have any photos of the flowers in the garden, only some of the views of the garden. Maybe it is because I have been to the garden so many times, that the flowers have lost its impact on me, simply due to familiarity. It is like driving to work using the same route every day that it is easy to then miss things we have never really seen before. However, I do remember seeing flowers that blooms in the autumn season.

Then there is the lesser known perspective of the garden.

There always seems to be something happening in the garden. A lot depends on the season and the weather for the day. There are the usual tourist, seasoned "fitness fanatics", the occasional art classes and nursery market, strollers passing time and the conducted/guided tours of the garden.

The guided tours is a treat. It gives you the history and cultural significance of the garden and more importantly a new appreciation of the garden and its purpose. Some of the walks and guided tours you can find are:

• Summer Discovery Walk
• Aboriginal Heritage Walk
• Gardens by Twilight
• Birds, Binoculars and Botanics
• Garden Snapshot

and more.

Tours can be arranged at the Visitor Centre, Observatory Gate at the Melbourne Observatory, just outside the gate from The Ian Potter Foundation Children's Garden. For more details, search the garden web-site.

The Children's Garden is the place for children who like to get their hands and clothing dirty; digging, building, hiding and exploring the gardens such as the Ruin Garden, the Meeting Place with a water feature that sprays up out of the ground in summer, a Wetland Area, Bamboo Forest and lots more. There is even a Kitchen Garden for the future master-chefs.

Then again if everything above is a little too many activities or buzzziness for you, there is always the stroll around the garden or even through the garden to the city for a different kind of "adventure".

"In The Name Of The Lord" - Sandi Patty

This was one of the songs sung in this year 2010 Vision Australia's Christmas Carols by Candlelight, held at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl, Melbourne.

Love the lyrics so I went searching and found this one in You Tube.

Where's the Line to See Jesus? - Becky Kelley

Every now and then, you come across a music or a song that kind of hit the spot. Well, this is one such song that did it for me, thanks to a friend who sent it to Margaret. Thanks Julie!

So I thought, why not share this with you. Hope you enjoy this as much as we did.

Merry Christmas!

Update:
For those who wish to sing-along, the following are the lyrics to the song, thanks to John.

Christmas time was approaching; the snow is starting to fall
Shoppers choosing their presents, people filling the mall
Children waiting for Santa with excitement and glee
A little boy tugged my sweater, looked up and asked me

Chorus
Where's the line to see Jesus? Is He here at the store?
If Christmas time is His birthday, why don't we see Him more?
Where's the line to see Jesus? He was born for me.
Santa Claus brought me presents, but Christ gave His life for me.

As I stood in amazement at this message profound
I looked down to thank him, he was nowhere around
The little boy at the mall might as well have had wings
As the tears filled my eyes, I thought I heard him say

In the blink of an eye, at the sound of His trump
We'll all stand in line at His throne
Every knee shall bow down, every tongue will confess
that Jesus Christ is Lord