February, 2009:

Getting Older

There are several ways you can tell that you’re getting old. One of the things for me was having to start wearing reading glasses a couple of years ago … well I think it was a couple of years back … it’s hard to remember such things when you’re getting older.

I know that whether or not you wear glasses isn’t always down to aging, many young people need glasses for various reasons, but the optometrist I dealt with told me in my case it was all down to aging eyes not being able to focus like they used to. Sadly I now think I need stronger glasses.

Still … that doesn’t mean that I’m getting older … but maybe … just maybe … the fact that I left the radio studio a few minutes ago to get my glasses … went to my desk … and came back without them could be a clue. The fact that I almost did it twice may well be confirmation.

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Carina's Funeral

Feb 11th, 2009

by Rodney Olsen.

3 comments

As I mentioned a couple of days ago, Pauline’s sister, Carina Berg, passed away at 6:30 Sunday evening at Bethesda Hospital, Claremont. Pauline and her parents were at her side when she passed from this life.

A service to celebrate her life and remember the impact she made on each one of us will be held at 10:00 a.m. this Friday at Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church, 497 Marmion Street, Booragoon. Please feel free to join us, either as a friend of Carina or to support her family.

Please pass on this information to anyone you know who was a friend of Carina.

Thank you for your prayers, kind thoughts and support over the past month as Carina battled the cancer which took her life.

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Victorian fires continue to destroy lives

Feb 10th, 2009

by Rodney Olsen.

4 comments

Fires are continuing to rage across the Australian state of Victoria. Extreme conditions have made the firefighters’ task even more difficult as they battle to bring the flames under control.

The death toll in the Victorian bushfire crisis is expected to rise above 200 in the next day or so as more bodies are discovered. It is the worst ‘natural’ disaster in Australia’s history. It’s difficult to come to terms with the fact that the fires which are causing untold death and destruction were deliberately lit.

There are still over twenty fires across the area with some towns completely wiped out and others still under threat.

Strathewen, with a population of only 200 people before the bushfires, had lost 30 residents in the last official count.

It’s hard to know what to do in a time like this but it seems to be a very natural thing to want to offer some kind of support to those in need.

At 98.5 Sonshine FM we’re encouraging listeners to do whatever they can to help the survivors of the tragedy.

We’ve placed a number of links on the Sonshine FM website to allow people to make a secure online donation to the organisation of their choice.

There’s also opportunity to post a prayer or a few thoughts for others to read online.

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A sad goodbye

Feb 9th, 2009

by Rodney Olsen.

11 comments

Less than a month ago I let you know that one of Pauline’s sisters, Carina, had been diagnosed with fairly advanced cancer.

Yesterday evening, while we were visiting her at Bethesda Hospital, Carina passed away. She was just 41. Funeral arrangements will be made in the coming days.

Please pray for Carina’s family and friends.

Over the past few weeks I have started planning a significant event to honour Carina and the many others in our community who have been touched by cancer. The event will take place in October this year and I’ll give you further details once plans are more certain.

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The Phantom comes to Perth

Feb 9th, 2009

by Rodney Olsen.

1 comment

There we were … a couple of guys in suits heading out for a big night at Burswood.

James and I went to see Phantom of the Opera in the Burswood Theatre on Friday. It was a great dad and son evening and it’s amazing how many smiles you get from complete strangers when you’re wandering around with a ten year old who’s so well dressed.

We grabbed something to eat at The Emporium before heading into the show.

I’ve got to admit that within the first ten minutes I was wondering just how much a young boy would enjoy Phantom. I needn’t have worried. He hasn’t stopped raving about it.

He loved the magnificent sets and the great sense of occasion. He loved the pyrotechnics and other effects used throughout the show. Most surprisingly, he wants to get a CD of the music.

Anthony Warlow gave a flawless performance in the title role and the rest of the cast were magnificent.

If you’re looking for a lavish night out, Phantom of the Opera certainly delivers, and while I can’t guarantee that it’ll be every ten year old’s idea of a great night out, it certainly made one young man very happy.