Yesterday we spent a day dandering through the mourne mountains with some guys (and gals!) from our church. I've been finding great joy of late just spending time in the glorious nature God has provided for us here in NI. A lot of people will talk about the beauty of other places in the world that they have visited like there was nothing more beautiful to be beheld, and I'm sure there are other places of great pulchritude (<-- that one's for you norman!) but as the proverb Travis once wisely quoted goes... the grass always seems greener on the other side.
I think we have been truly blessed in this country with it's outstanding beauty, and in particularly the mournes. There is something mystifying about this places that's captures my heart and imagination. I can see myself doing a lot more exploring.
< - below is a picture of where we went yesterday Loughshannagh/Slieve Doan. One of the unsung heroes of the mournes. It has a wonderful view from the top overlooking most of 7 over 700m as well as lough shannagh and silent valley. There is also some fun rock climbing to be done on the top. If you have any other tips please let me know! - >
I remember reading recently that there is more to averages than meets the eye. For example the GDP per capita in the UK and end of year 2007 was roughly £20,000. Which means the average amount of money each person earnt per year was £20,000. However how many people in the UK actually earn this? the answer is not many. When you take into account the over inflated (to put it politely!) salaries of a few fat cat millionaires, that number is only brought back down to size due to the many people living amongst us living under the poverty line.
Wouldn't it be amazing if we brought back the great Jewish tradition, the Year of the Jubilee, and evenly shared out all our wealth every fifty years regardless of whether you contributed five quid or five million. We would all be earning twenty grand a year! That'll soon sort out the credit crisis!
So the moral of the story is don't always believe in averages, if you did you might be led to believe that...
"Those with 2 feet have an above-average number of feet"
I was ice-skating with elevate last friday, and I discovered that the less I feared the fall, the faster I learnt and the more exhillerating was the ride. It lead me to some brainstorming thoughts about fear that I have been pondering recently...
If we give in to fear we will never reach the heights of our potential, in all God that has for us. We will not live life, nor life in it's fullest.
Fear is like a cancer that grabs a hold of our lives and starts infecting every aspect of it.
There is only one thing that should be feared and that is a holy fear for the Name above all names.
This is where my geeky side comes out. I recently bought an HD projector for a very reasonable amount of money. I have it on my wall at the moment covering 100inches. (picture below in comparison with a standard tv), without compromising any of the hd quality. It's been amazing to watch my favourite tv shows and have people round to play games on it, but I hope to give it some real purpose in the future.
Part of me feels quite bad about spending a significant sum of money on a luxury item like this. I guess at the time I viewed it as a bit of a Birthday/Christmas/Comfort present to myself. I justified it by saying I am working and saving hard this year, this was my one treat, but there really isnt any excuse is there!
Anyway, the Optoma HD700X comes highly recommended to anyone interested out there.
When most people think of advent they think of calendars, chocolates, Christmas, candles. A quick google search for advent and I had to go to page 3 to find anything real about advent (save for good ol wikipedia!)
Advent comes from the latin adventus which means 'coming' so in essence advent is about waiting for something that is coming
Queuing, Traffic, Doctor's surgeries, packages, are all examples of times we have to wait, and they are all things we associate with frustration. Waiting is something we are not very good at. It's not very attractive and it's not a very popular discipline in this western culture where we want everything 'Now', we don't like to wait.
Advent however is all about waiting for the coming of the saviour, the coming of the one who will set the captives free. It's about making straight the path for the coming of the Lord as John the baptist said.
The scriptures have several references to waiting: -
Ps 27: Wait for the Lord, be strong and let your heart take courage
Ps 37: Those who wait on the Lord will inherit the Land
Is 40:31 "But those who wait upon God get fresh strength, they spread their wings and soar like eagles, they run and don't get tired, they walk and don't lag behind."
So what is involved in waiting? Waiting involves reflecting, repenting, resting, longing, hoping, expecting, trusting in His timing.
'Waiting on the Lord' seems somewhat of a lost art in our culture, even in our prayer lives, for myself anyway I find it hard to spend time just waiting for God to speak. But there is something to be said for waiting on Him. Isaiah 35 promises of a desert is bloom as we wait for the saviour. Waiting builds
Strength
relationship with the King
disclipine (- early adveters in the 5th century used to go on 6 week fasts!)
waiting enables us for the future
It brings discernment for when to act..
..and that is the key - knowing when to move into action. I think we have an itchy feet syndrome where we feel like we must make something happen, something we are taught from youth that if you want something you have to go get it. But sometimes I think God is just asking us to wait for His prompting, because when we try to do things in our own strength we only end up messing it up!
Refering back to this I just wanted to give a wee update. I found out that man who wrote that, his name is Dave, and it turns out that he is wonderfully creative. It seems obvious but this is a pattern I have come to see more and more with homeless people.
I have found amazing talent, great faith, and brilliant banter with these brothers & sisters, that as the title suggests was rather unexpected. The thing is now, it seems ridiculous that I have thought any differently, I mean why wouldn't these people be all those things, after all they are made in the image of God.
The hard thing is getting past that first barrier of awkwardness; that vaguely patronising attitude that we 'the Christians' carry when we go trying to live out the great commission. As soon as we realise that the guys we meet are real people, with real stories and colourful lives, real bonds of kinship can be formed.
I speak of this because of a few people I have met on the streets. They are amazing singers, story tellers, comedians, graceful and great carers for each other. I say graceful for one particular ugly incident where a friend of mine was refused entry into church, but was willing to forgive and give me a second chance to try and bring the Fathers grace into his situation. He has faith, so pray that God will be so very close to him, that he would be able to find a house, and that we would be able to help him as he seeks rehabilitation from the things that hold him back.
Some of you may recognise the picture that has been my bebo picture for as long as I remember (see below), well something the minister said in church this morning got me thinking about this.
Luke 8: 5 ~ "A farmer went out to sow his seed. Some of it fell on the road; it was tramped down and the birds ate it. Other seed fell in the gravel; it sprouted, but withered because it didn't have good roots. Other seed fell in the weeds; the weeds grew with it and strangled it. Other seed fell in rich earth and produced a bumper crop"
For the majority of my Christian life I have felt that I am one of those lucky people whose seed fell on 'good ground', and that God was going to use my life to produce a hundredfold crop. However with every passing day, with the many times that I mess up, I am beginning to realise that there is weeds in my garden that need to be rooted out. Sometimes I fear that the seeds never fell on good soil in the first place. So my prayer is that God would plant new seeds in my life that fall on good ground, and produce a bumper harvest for His Kingdom and glory.
As I pondered some more, I began thinking that this problem is deeper than I first imagined, much deeper than just the weeds surrounding my own life. We live in a western culture that has thorns and vultures everywhere. We have abused our lands so far that there is barely any good soil left to plant in. Financial security, comfort in our churches, distant acts of kindness, image & media, and much more are choking the life out of the seeds God has planted in our lives. I believe we need to 'root' this things out of our lives if we are ever see our seeds grow into the full fruition that God has for our lives.
And this is were the hypocrisy begins, the challenge for me and others is to actually start living out these words, and stop talking about them.
Well I can't believe it's that time again, the tennis season has come to a close. Most women I know are relieved when the football season is over, but I doubt most people even know when the tennis season is. Well I'll tell you, it runs from January to October with a big end of season tournament in November.
Speaking of said tournament, that was played this week where the worlds best 8 players from the season come head to head for one final showdown. It involved the like of Roger Federer, new world no.1 Rafael Nadal, and for the first time Britain's Andy Murray. The eventual winner was Novak Djokovic in an unexpected final with my least favourite player Nikolay Davydenko. Murray had a descent run too, winning all of 3 his group games (including Federer), only to go out in the next round.
This season, since March I have been playing a fantasy tennis game kind of like what you get with fantasy football. The idea was to choose who you thought would win each of the first round matches for all of the masters series events, and then guess who would progress through the draw based on those predictions. The further your 'picks' got in the tournament, the higher the points were on offer. I had some really good tournaments and some not so good, but I was very almost rewarded for my conistant picking. After 8 tournaments, I finished 12thfrom23,033 players, and had Roger Federer not pulled out injured in the Semi-finals of the last tournament, there was a pretty good chance I could have won the whole thing (The grand prize being £1000 and an all expenses paid trip for 2 to any tournament of my choice!).
I was livid having been so close, but still pretty proud of my efforts! So hopefully when I make a tennis prediction now it carries some sort of credibility, and next year I'm gonna predict the following. Andy Murray has a lot of points to gain in the first half of next season, with poor efforts in the aus open, early masters series and clay court season this year. He is ranked 4th in the world, which will mean being seeded to make at least semi finals in big tournaments which should make it easier for him to progress through the draw, instead of having to face the likes of Nadal in the 4th round! I expect more of the same from rafa, dominating on clay, and trying to be more competitive on hard court. I think Djokovic will always be a danger, but I think he lacks the legend factor that Nadal and Federer clearly have. Speaking of Roger - I wouldn't write him off just yet, he will not be pleased with how things have went this season, and he will want to prove everyone wrong, and get back to no.1, and I think he certainly could do it. Lastly my one to look out for next season - well there are a few. Jo-Wilfred Tsonga and David Nalbandian (if he ever shrugs off that false dawn syndrome!).
The picture below is evidence for my efforts in the fantasy tennis league (I am antykz, click to enlarge). To play next season log on to http://challenge.atptennis.com
I am not an advocate of war of any kind, but I would just like to remember the millions of people that died to protect freedom in the many wars that have past, and also the atrocity of the jewish holocaust. The numbers of deaths and suffering seem meaningless to us, they are just numbers, but these were real human beings who bled and died.
So we should remember them, and learn from our mistakes. The problem is, despite centuries of war, killing and suffering, we still haven't learned from those tragedies past to stop. You think especially after 2 world wars, we would get the point. It's almost like allowing those who died before us die in vain. I believe in a God of peace, and my prayer is that one day we would seek peace, love and joy over death and suffering.
Well just about everyone seems to have an opinion on this, so I guess I'll share mine too. Listening in to some of the UTV news items, I can't understand why Northern Ireland has such an interest in American politics, like it really is going to have a massive influence here. I'm pretty sure this small little island isn't too high on the agenda of a new President who has been left to pick up the pieces of a global recession with $11 trillion debt and 2 tragic wars that have only incited racial hate to a new extreme. However electing a first ever African American president speaks volumes for a country who now finally seems to put to bed it's own deep ingrained inner racism, which God willing will have an effect on the rest of the world (including N.Ireland's sectarian culture).
The election itself has proven to a bit of a landslide with Mr President Elect Obama taking more than twice the amount of electoral college votes than that of his competitor John McCain (349-162). The democrats now hold quite significant majorities in both the house and the senate (254-173 & 54-40 respectively). So this means any agenda that Mr Obama may have will be quite easy to put through the American 'parliament' so to speak. This creates the ability to run a small dictatorship with not enough power coming from the opposition. So with such great power comes great responsibility and it is our duty as Christians to be praying for the new President elect, that the Holy Spirit will guide his decisions, and the he will pursue peace, mercy and love rather than the ways of his predecessor ("Blessed are the peacemakers ~ Matt 5:9). Consitutionally speaking of course the President elect has no power until his inaugaration in January.
As Mr Obama himself so often mentioned it is indeed time for a change. The American public are tired of the bush/republican rule, in the same way we here in the UK are tired of the Blair/Brown/Labour government. No dount the tories will get back in soon, and like Obama will be left to pick up the pieces of a crippled economy. They will have to make some tough unpopular decisions to get their respectibe countries back on their feet, which could prove their downfalls in 4 to 8 years time. But that is inevitable as people will eventually get tired and want a change, and so the cycle continues.
I am not one who particularly knows much about prison (never having done any time myself!) or even had a particular heart for prison work (another being international students but thats for another time), and if I was being entirely honest I still struggle with developing a passion for it, but what I do know is that God wants us to have a compassion for the people who are on the inside (and friendships with the int. students!)
Firstly, in the bible it was seen as a good thing to have been thown in prison for your faith. But the men and women in prison need to know about the love of the saviour, and the grace of the creator, and it is our responsibility to bring it to them, and what a witness it could be!
There was a recent debate about the prisoner/victim recovery schemes, and that there was an issue in that there seemed to be more emphasis on rehabilitating convicts rather than helping victims. I think there should be a balance, and that it is important that both have the opportunity to receive grace equally, as none of us deserve our second chances. Wasn't it Jesus who told a criminal on the cross that today we would be in paradise with him.
It also got me to thinking that we treat our prisoners really well. Shelter, daily food, clothes, bed, activity, education. That's all far more effort that what we do for our homeless law abiding citizens, and there is definitely an injustice there. It would almost be profittable for a homeless person to commit a crime and be put in prison (except maybe that freedom is more important)! It made me think about my own efforts with the homeless. For example when we bring them food, we might bring them some and bread. But as one homeless person rightly corrected me, we would feed bread to the pidgeons, how much more should we be doing for a brothers and sisters on the street and in poor countries.
So it's time to pray for the prisoner, the homeless, the international student, those on the fringes of society for those are the people who Jesus says are Blessed (matt 5). And not only to pray, but to be the pray you ask for. Be the food giver, the clother, the one who introduces the life giver to the broken.
I found these really old deeds in work (The Northern Bank) last week, way back in the late 18th century! How awesome is that? - they were so old that they were literally handwritten, and were beautifully scribed as well. The thing that blew my mind away is that a human being with a real life like you and me sat down one day over 225 years ago and wrote this out, knowing little how one day I, Chris Scorah would stumble across them. So I guess I had better be careful of what footsteps I leave behind for someone in the future to find.
For those who don't know what title deeds are, basically it is the legal document stating the exact owener of the property, which also includes the history of every owner the property has had. The crying shame is that people are trying to push through legislation that old documents like this one should be destroyed and only the latest kept. See if you can guess the exact date of these deeds from the pic below (leave a msg if you think you have it!)
I've been feeling rather lethargic of late with working in an office all day and not getting any excercise, so I decided to try out a few exercises to see what I liked. I tried a bit of cycling, and running but eventually I came across early bird swimming, and I have to say, I love it! It's so peaceful in the morning, and the people around you just want to get on with the swimming (which is great if you're not really a morning person like me!) and you feel really refreshed to tackle the day ahead of you when you get out. I fully recommend it!
The one down side to it was the first day I tried it I got the biggest mouth ulcer in history! I couldn't enjoy food for over a week! I've only just started getting over it now. If you have any good mouth ulcer remedies, please let me know!
All my favourite tv shows are returning after the writers strike in America e.g. prison break, chuck, heroes (and 4 in January!) and I'm very excited! Back on my recent theme of heroes (see this.) I loved the first 2 seasons and the first new episode was great with....
The show makes it seem real and very possible to have such seemingly super human powers. It is also good and making the heroes seem very human. This series has opened really well, completely shattering what you initially think about some of the characters. I think deep down inside of everyone there is a desire to be the hero. To have something extra-ordinary about themselves, to be the person that everyone looks to, and someone who leaves a legacy, where times has no bounds.
The problem with all these characters, Hiro, Peter, Superman is that they are all fictional, but the good news is, we have actually had some super human heroes in our time. People like Paul the apostle, the twelve disciples. More recently Martin Luther King and Mother Theresa. But the most important of all, someone who does actually transcend through time. He's our Maker, He's our Lover, He is Jesus. He has defied death and Hell, He heals the sick, He has defeated principalities and powers. He is the one true real Hero for mankind. Why should we be star-studded by the likes of David Beckham, when we have met the maker of the universe! The amazing thing is He asks us to be heroes with Him and work together, and all we have to do is believe that He died to save us. Man that is such amazing grace.
Over the summer I have been coding a record storing database for the SOS bus charity. The system inputs data through the use of forms and stores them in a record base format. It stores information about visitors, volunteers and night shifts. It can perform statistical analysis and search queries based on pretty much an critieria you want and it also has nifty import/export and password systems that I am particularly proud of.
One problem was that I programmed in Visual Basic and had to use Microsoft Excel as a front-end, as this was a user specification. Personally for this kind of system Access would have been much easier to use, but Excel does provide some nifty statistics functions. Other alternatives would have simply hard coding with Java/SQL. See below for a pic! I also recently completed a simple record input form, with sort & search functions for the Northern Bank to make it easier for them to enter mortgage data. So if anyone out there is needing a records or office based solution or just any other minor programming why not give me a shout.
Look out for the possibility of bringing one of these bad boys to lurgan!
Some people may remember the horrific picture of my left ankle after going over it when I was climing slieve commedagh a few years back. For those who have not yet seen it, or would like to be reminded, check the links below to see what I mean... http://file010a.bebo.com/large/2006/04/11/00/250301291a575657356b667010685l.jpg
Well today it was the turn of my right ankle. I was bitten on Thursday by some repugnant little creature whilst playing tennis in the park during the twilight of the evening. I didn't think much of it, because I seem to get bitten regularly these days (although up until a few years back I never used to!), but today I felt a discomfort that can only be described like old woman ankles. So I rolled back my trouser-leg, pulled off my socks and lo and behold, my foot & ankle were the size of a cricket bat! I have no idea how such a little bite could cause such an angry reaction but there you have it. Just as a warning, if you are squeamish, you may just want to look away now...
On a philisophical note, apparently I have an above average number of feet.
Melanie made a funny point the other day, that the term "credit crunch" sounds like a flavour of ice-cream, and I guess it does, wouldn't you agree? It seems all we ever hear on the news these days is fuel & energy crisis, cost-of-living increases (since when does living have a price?!), food prices rise, economy at record low, recession, credit crunch. The thing is no one is doing anything about it. For example we are still not building houses with standardised solar panelled rooftops. Oil prices are going down, yet the consumer sees nothing of it. The Reason? Same reason as it has been throughout the ages, people are making money from others suffering. Frankly, I am so sick of hearing about rising costs and didn't the Bible predict it anyway? And on that note that's all I am gonna say on the matter, so here's what I think a credit crunch ice-cream would look like!
Six years, nine months and two days since my 17th birthday, and I have finally hit the road. I passed my driving test in August 2007, after a year of lessons (with a massive break in the middle). Now more than a year on from that I finally have got myself on the road.
I have a 2003 cyan renault clio billabong that I bought from my dad (who was purchasing a rather nice Ford Focus), and I was able to ensure for about a grand - not bad for a first time young driver I guess. I'm trying to think of a name, something dog-like perhaps because the window wiper looks like a dogs tail. So far I have come up with Sam-bo. Anyone got any suggestions?
This is something that really scares me in the UK at the moment. The idea that you could be walking down a busy city centre and get stabbed (or beaten) for just looking at someone the wrong way even in daylight!
There has been many prevention programs and tv adverts. These are great and I wouldnt want to give comment on any of them unless I had a better idea which I don't. However one thing that strikes me as odd is how can the government expect socially deprived young people to not hurt/stab/kill each other, when that very same government leads by the example of waging war and using violence on other countries that they don't like to get what they want.
Perhaps what we need is more for young people to do in these areas, such as community centres, parks etc, something to give them purpose. But I think we need to be more creative than that, to understand the culture that they live in. Also I truly believe that violence and sex in movies and video games that kids as young as 3 can easily watch is peverting their minds. Afterall whatever we take in through our eyes is what goes into our heart.
There's something very wrong about that and we need to do MORE. Perhaps showing a little bit of God's grace to our countries enemies, could be part of the way to diffuse the whole problem
I have to say, love them or hate them, I love the olympics. I know they can be cheesy and i know people get fed up with their tvs forcing it down their throat for two weeks. However it is the one of the very few things that can bring every tribe and every tongue on this earth together in more or less harmony. I love the way all kinds of athletes, spectators and cultures come together for one big sporting celebration for 2 weeks every 4 years.
The olympics also brings a healthy competivity where nations can pit their best against each other, mutually enjoy it (win or lose) and not end up killing 1000's of each others citizens. It also allows people a very real opportunity to honour God by use their giftings to the maximum, and maybe even write the history books.
I have to say well done to china for putting this together. Despite all of the international disapproval over political grey areas I really don't understand, massive natural disasters only a few months back and fears of terrorism, this massive communist machine just got the job done and to the highest of standards. This can only be a good ambassador for the country to finally open up its doors to the rest of the world. I'm thankful to God that their were no attacks on the olympics. It's a sad thing that we even after to consider it. China even had an anti missile battery installed on-site in its main stadium.
Well done to GB for doing so well with 19 golds, 13 silver and 15 bronze and err nice try to Ireland. Here's hoping for an even better peaceful olympics in London in 2012.
I realise abortion is a very delicate topic on it's own, but even more so for a man to talk about, because what do men know about it right? So I promise before i say anymore, I realise I am a man and I do not wish to offend anybody.
Mel and I were talking about this the other night, and we both would be what is widely considered to be pro-life (which is a fancy term for being against abortion). Then the questions came up about What if a woman was raped? or what if it is a danger to the mothers life? and I can totally understand those points of view, and I can't pretend for one minute that I know how hard it is to be in that position. However, what my gut instinct tells me is that abortion is not of God, fullstop.
In the case of a rape, I believe that almighty God is abundantly more capable of healing a woman from those scars completely. Also the child may bring much blessing to the mother and others around it, and it's hardly fair the child doesn't get the chance to live because of another man's evil-doing. In the case of life-at-risk I feel that we should put our trust in God to be the keeper of our souls. We aren't the ones who decide if we get another breath, not to mention the fact that God would want us to put our complete faith in Him to perform the miraculous and defy medicine. The Bible says he who tries to hold onto his life will surely lose it, but he who gives up his life for the sake of Christ will gain eternal life.
The bottom line, God is the soverignty on life. He is the one who knits us in the womb. He is also the one that returns us to dust. I just don't feel that any human being has the right to decide if another life lives (I believe life begins at conception), and that included the death penalty (but that's a story for another day!). That said, I do not feel it is the place for government to legislate abortion as legal or illegal, as sadly not everyone in this country believes that Christ came to save. As I read in irresistable revolution one thing is important for anyone taking a pro-life status, is that they had better be prepared to adopt some babies and help some single mothers. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7462934.stm
Some when they hear about conflict in the caucuses think "what's new" but things have seemed relatively quiet in recent years in this volitile area. Sadly that changed as Georgia attacked south Ossetia region over alleged terrorist activity then Russia advanced on the Abkhazia region. Georgia is the north neighbour of the country I went to a few years back - Armenia, so I have a particular interest in this area.
Georgia was the 2nd country in the world suceeding Armenia to adopt Christianity as it's officical national religion in 312AD. It's a shame some of it's ancestory values haven't been adopted by this tiny forgotten about little country.
America has condemned the russian aggression on Georgia and has demanded their troops to fall back to Russia. Bush called it bullying a country trying to live in the free world (after seeking independance from the soviet union over a decade back). I thought to myself isn't Bush one to talk? What does he call Iraq then? He bullied his nations values and democracy on a small, comparatively defensiveless country just because he didn't like what was going on there? I am not saying that Georgia is on a par with Iraq, not even close, but the idea remains the same.
It's frightening however, how effective the Russian aggression was, much more so than the coalitions efforts were in the middle east. Perhaps that is what caused America to act. Or perhaps it was the fact that Georgia is a key ally in the transport of oil from east to west? Whatever the reasons, I pray that this conflict ends here, because I think this has the potential to escalate internationally, and the hundreds of lives lost already makes it tragic enough.
Today in Northern Ireland we marked the 10th anniversary of the omagh bombing disaster. This was an abominadable act, and it is right the the lives lost should be remembered. It got me thinking however, that we have rightly made such a big deal out of the 30 deaths that occurred in this one incident, but these kinds of incidents are happening everyday in Iraq where scores have lost their lives and we barely bat an eyelid? We need to put a face to these people like we have for Omagh in order to motivate people for change. I praise God that He moving is our little nation closer to reconcilliation and I can only pray that our example can be a light to the rest of a world in conflict.
Back in Georgia, this whole conflict is about two disputed pieces of land that both Georgia and Russia have both staked a claim on, but the actual population of the two regions just want independance from them both! It's an incredibly sad thing that nations wage war over something as trivial as land. Surely in God's kingdom there are no borders?
Since graduation in June from Maths and Computer Science I have been scaling the job market to finally get myself a 'real job'. So far I have completed 12 applications, 8 of which were unsuccessful, 2 are still pending, another 2 I got invited to attend an interview, and one of those I finally received a job offer - praise God - that being from the Northern Bank (which I have subsequently taken).
What I can not understand is the age-old argument of experience. Everywhere I looked it was 2 years experience this, 1 years experience that. How is anyone supposed to gain said experience if no-one is willing to give them that chance? I heard Great Victoria Street Spar had over 100 applications for just 2 customer advisor positions. The way they filtered the applications was to separate them into experience and non-experience and then binned the non-experience. What has the world come to? You don't need experience for a bottom-of-the-food-chain shop job, where you pack out shelves and serve on tills!
The reason for all of this is that I am giving consideration to doing a second degree in Youth & Community Work with Applied Theology to qualify me with the lawfully required JNC to work with young people. I do not wish to go further into debt so I am going to work this year to help pay for this 2 year course. It's amazing how unrelated all this is to Maths & Computer Science, but I guess that is how God works sometimes. It's for that very reason that I am keeping an open heart for the gentle whisper of God that could blow my plans completely out the window, because I really want this to be all about Him (see my post on Matthew 7 : 21-23). So please pray...
"All of my ambitions hopes and plans, I surrender these into your hands"
I had the pleasure of spending the last week on the Sheep's head (see below) near Bantry in West Cork. It took me over 12 hours and multiple bus journeys to get from Dollingstown to Bantry via Belfast, Dublin Airport, Dublin and Cork (see above). This magical place is less popular than others on our little Island but it has quickly become my favourite.
There is much to do around here such as fishing on Bantry Bay (see right), sailing in Adrigole, the market in Bantry, visit the many towns & islands, Ceiledh's in many local pubs, eating out at the many lovely restaurants around, climbing mountains (only in Ireland would you find mountains names Hungry Hill & Sugar Loaf!), or simply just savouring the local scenery which in my opinion is the best the country has to offer.
One place I have yet to go but would love to is Sherkan Island. I hear it has beautiful sandy beaches and an amazing surf!
I am deeply concerned by the recent bad press the Church of England has been receiving with respect to women bishops and homosexuals (see Mark Russell's blog). Personally speaking, I am unsure of my position on women in leadership roles within the church. There are explicit verses in 1 Cor 14:33-36 and 1 Tim 2:11-12 that forbid women from teaching men in church, however it is sanctioned for women to pray and prophesy with their head covered in 1 Cor 11:5. In today's society, feminism has made the Gospel seem sexist. I think rather that the roles described for men and women in the New Testament suit the natural order of creation and that it should not be considered that hospitality, mercy, teaching and helps are lesser positions that pastorship and preaching. Click here to read more.
The other issue in the CoE is ordination and the sanctioning of marriage of homosexuals. I am often wary of positioning myself on either side of sensitive issues such as this one, so what I do say, I say with love, an open mind and I hope without discrimination. I find it hard to accept how the act of homosexuality can ever be described as not sinful. The bible makes this clear in both the old and new testament e.g. Lev 18:22, 1 Cor 6:9. However in a world that is obsessed with sex, Christians often fall into the trap of making this sin bigger than the rest. God will punish liars for their sins in the same way he will punish sexual sin. There will not be one Bishop in this world who can say he (or she lol!) has never lied. Everybody has a sin that is a "thorn in their side"; for some that will be lies, others lust, and some homosexual temptation. I say temptation because one has not sinned by being tempted by homosexual tendancies in the same way another has not sinned by being tempted to lie. The sin only occurs when the temptation has been been acted upon. Therefore i think that people who struggle with homosexuality can of course be in ministry as long as they do not act upon their temptations (which is the same for everybody!)
The problem with all of this is not everyone in the Church of England agrees on what is right on these matters, and it has caused threats of a split in the Anglican church, which is utterly ridiculous! This should never be a reason for splitting a church, I would like to think I wouldn't leave a church if it contradicted what I have stated above. It's not like these issues are fundamental to our salvation, and all this in-fighting and bitterness makes Christians seem old-fashioned and irrelavant to the rest of the world. Not only is it a terrible witness, but the church is already multi-denominational and it flies in the face of one of Jesus last requests to His Father - that His church would be united!
We need to show the world that Christ can unite us no matter what. I mean if Ian Paisley and Martin Maguiness can do it, why can't Christian men! Shane Claiborne wrote a funny and very appropriate line in his book Irresistable Revolution, "Jesus is returning, and we need to unite as one body because Jesus is coming back for a bride - not a harem!" Boy have we made a mess of God's amazing story! Praise God for his promise that I will build my church and gates of hades will not prevail against it.
I must admit I have usually cringed at this statement this year as Roger Federer has had an incredibly difficult year battling with mononucleus (aka Glandular fever). People started writing him off months ago when Novak Djokovic beat him in the Australian open semi's, and after which having some shock losses. I couldn't believe this because this is Roger Federer, who has been (and still is for that matter) world no.1 since January 2004! Yes his year has not been up to his usual impeccable standards but even after that, the rest of the pack still haven't caught up.
This is reflected in the fact the Rafael Nadal won Wimbledon yesterday, and now owns 2 of the 4 grand slams in comparison to Federer's one, and is still behind him in the rankings! However, after Nadal beating Federer at Wimbledon (Federer's favourite surface where he had a 64 match unbeaten run), it would be difficult to argue now that Rafa is indeed the best player in the world at the moment. It leaves Federer needing to retain his US Open title in September, and have a great end-of-season run to have any hope of holding on to his no.1 spot, and perhaps more importantly for him, a chance of equalling Pete Sampras' record of 14 career grand slams to be considered the best player ever (Federer is on 12).
Yesterdays final was amazing, probably one of the best tennis matches I've watched ever, and I watch a lot of tennis! I am traditionally a Nadal fan, but I was won over by Federer's incredible heart to come back from 2 sets down, and facing championship points. Two of the best points you will ever see was Nadal's pass to get championship point in the 4th set tiebreak from an almost perfect approach shot from federer. Then only to have Federer save it with an equally as amazing pass from practically in the spectator stands (see video below). It was heart breaking to see him lose after such a fightback, and I felt so sorry for him when I saw his face at the prize-giving. I do hope he doesn't lose motivation like Borg did after such a demoralising defeat.
I think the match was more lost by Federer than won by Nadal, that is no disrespect to Nadal for he too played extremely well. Coming into the net is grass court tennis 101 and as the kind of grass, Federer should know that only too well, but he seemed reluctant to do this. In fact the whole first two sets he seemed scared to play his best shots. This is because Nadal is in his head and has been ever since that 5 set comeback in Rome 2006. Perhaps this rivalry would have a completely different look if Federer had won that. I said before the beginning of the match that Federer's serve would be key and I was proved right, for when he served well, Nadal could not get close to his service games, but in each of the 1st, 2nd and 5th set Federer lost his focus and played some mindless points which cost him the sets. What did work for Federer was playing the dangerous yet if done right, successful tactic of playing wide to Nadals's forehand to open up a show at the backhand wing. Perhaps this will be a feature in a future Federer comeback?
I myself had the luxury of going to wimbledon this year for the second and third round. I got to see Federer, Nadal, Serena play Mauresmo, David Ferrer and Mario Ancic, Chris Eaton and Maria Sharapova. Speaking of Sharapova, she played absolutely rubbish, practically every point was an error, and it was terrible to watch. In fact (without trying to sound sexist) I found most of the womens matches error-strewn this year. The best match I saw was Ferrer vs Ancic. It was high quality tennis throughout with long rallies and by the end the crowd were really into it.
The new brit - Chris Eaton was a surprise package. He serves and volleys very well and is a bit like Tim Henman in that respect. I don't think he will quite reach the heights of Henman/Murray but I do think he can beat the rest of the british men into the top 50. Which is good news for all round for British tennis as the women are coming on much stronger now with outstanding perfomances from Anne Keothvathong and the Junior champion, Laura Robson.
I would recommend Wimbledon to anyone, it's worth trying at least once as it's great fun (even the queuing overnight!) and the quality of tennis can only be appreciated fully watched live. In saying that next year I think I will be up for something different and head the the dirt of Roland Garros! Check out my photo's on bebo
I wanted to recommend an under-rated, relatively-unheard of tv show called Jericho. It is about a small town in Kansas, USA supposedly 200 miles away from Denver. The main plot is that a nuclear acttack has occurred in Denver and the people of Jericho can see the mushroom cloud. Panic ensues as to what happened, and their worst fears were realised when they discover that this attack is much larger than first thought
The whole first series captures your imagination not only as they unfold the mystery behind the attacks but more so the way they work out each of the new roles and relationships between the characters as they learn to rebuild in the strange new world with power, fuel and food shortages. I will not give any spoilers but you should definitely try this show. This is up there with my favourite shows such as Prison break, 24 and heroes.
I love it when your day doesn't go at all how you expected it to. Yesterday, I went to dungannon to spend some quality time with my girlfriend Mel. She had just picked me up from the bus station and were off doing our usual random things when we spotted a dog at the side of the road.
This poor creature looked miserable. It was camped in the busheds at the side of a country road, soaked through to the bone from the torrential rain we had just had. We couldn't just leave it there so we stopped the car and tried to coax him over, but it was too nervous and wouldn't come near us.
After several failed attempts, Mel went to the shop and came back with tesco value ham, and that seemed to do the trick. However, the dog had a limp, a bleeding mouth and just generally looked confused so we decided we should take him (yes we estblished at this stage that he was indeed a him!) to the vet and tried to get him into the car. But the dog wasn't having any of it, so we call Mel's mum over for help.
Sure enough Dr dolittle herself got him into the car, and we got him to the vet for a little TLC. There was no way though we were gonna allow the vet hand him over to the dog warden just to be put down, he was a gorgeous black lab! So in the morning we came back and collected him in order to find him a home. Praise God, his owners had contacted the dog warden about their missing black lab, and they put the 2 together.
Turned out his name was giggsy. It was sad to part with him after our ordeal, and it got me thinking that if we put all this effort in just for a stray dog, how much more should I be doing this for our homeless people. Despite failed attempts to lure the dog over, despite failed attempts getting him in the car, despite not knowing where to bring him after the vets, we still did something, I mean where does our responsibility end?
Wouldn't have Ian Paisley been proud? Thank God Ireland said no to the Lisbon treaty. It may be the case that it is inevitable the EU will take over everywhere, but at least it has been stalled for now. There are too many "hidden shadows" with this bill, and way too much that the general public don't know what they're signing on to.
I have several issues with this bill. We would be handing over federal power to unelected officials in brussels, with no real accountability being handed back to local government, and by local they actually mean national. It would be much harder to pass laws appropriate to our situation. There are way too many diverse cultures in Europe to have them all generically governed in one place. If the President of a European superstate wanted to abuse his power, he could achieve hitler-like ambitions without the wars.
Apart from all that, the Irish fought for centuries for home-rule from Britain; why would they hand it all away to Europe now? At least the Irish have had some sense and shown an example to the rest of Europe that hopefully the UK will follow. If not, I would suggest that perhaps then would be the perfect time to unite Ireland, and stay away from the EU. Also isn't there something apocalyptic about the rise of a nation in the scriptures?
I was reading this passage the other day, and as that happens with many who read the Bible, this was not the first time I have this scripture but this time I learnt something new from it.
"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' 23Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'"
I thought to myself I try to do things in Jesus name, just as that verse describes, and I worried that one day Jesus would say to me 'I never knew you'. I think what this passage means is that if you do things (in the name of Jesus) but you are not really doing them for His will and glory, then you must be doing them for yourself and you will never get to truly know Jesus
I tried to apply to this to where I am at in my own life at the moment. I am trying to make big decisions now that I have finished Queen's in what to do next, and my big fear is that I will make a decision based on what I would like to do and not God's will for my life. For example I have had some ideas of things I would like to do in the future, and then I have prayed about them. I wish I had of prayed first, and then came up with those ideas, so that I could know they were from God! I don't want to pray about something because it is what I want. I would hate to wake up some morning and realise I've really been doing things for my enjoyment and not for God's pleasure and have Jesus say to me 'I don't know you'.
So please pray for me so that I can make decisions without being blinded by my own human ambition and that God would reveal His will to me and also that I would know Jesus more everyday.
I was hugely encouraged by the sight of a prayer room in the main shopping area of the city centre of the capital of northern ireland...that's right Belfast!! In the old accessorise shop, the methodist church in Ireland had set up a temporary 24 hour, 7 day a week prayer room. It was amazing to see open doors and windows and being able to watch people pray from the busiest street in northern ireland. Curious people who maybe had no faith were able to get their first possible taste of their maker.
It's a shame it's only temporary, but wouldn't it be great if we could encourage a more permanent one in such an amazing location? Thank you Lord though, for what you have given us! For more check out this
One would have to be inhumane not to be moved by recent disasters in first burma and then china. So far the death toll is 40,000 (including many crushed school children) in china and 78,000 in burma with many more displaced and desolate. To many that is just a number but try to let that sink in for a while. They were human beings just like you and me with lives and families and there were enough of those people to fill wembley stadium twice over. That is tragic... in fact there are no words.
Once again the shallow western media haven't made a big deal out of this. They have barely made a front page yet the scale of the death and human displacement is tsunami like. When hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans, we heard about it for over a month. Don't get me wrong that disaster was also terrible and it was right that we were made aware of the devastation for so long, but surely then don't china and myanmar deserve the same respect? Sure both are very closed countries, burma more so than china, but that should make us want to make even more effort.
China have actually got quite an impressive military regime that will have the worst affected areas up and running again in no time but the picture is bleak elsewhere, especially in burma. The UN chief Ban Ki-Moon is there today trying to force the issue of international aid. Please pray that the burmese government will give in to international aid so that the many left broken and homeless can get help they so desperately need. Also pray for the millions left behind from the disasters, that they would find help to rebuild their lives and comfort from loosing the ones they loved. You can also give at Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) by clicking here.
That's not all however. In South Africa angry mobs have broke out killing at least 40 and displacing up 15,000 other people. Read more on the BBC Website. Also at the start of the month there was the massive volcano eruption/electric storm which brought about some awesome fearworthy pictures. It is believed the volcano had been dormant for thousands of years! With all these disasters occurring in such a short space of time - that is weeks! - for me it all had very much an armageddon feel to it, with reference to Matt 24:7 (and various other scriptures) "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places."
Check out this amazing photo of the chaitan volcano
Just wanted to blog to say i love this mans music. I heard him for the first time at summer madness in 2001 and immediately I was affected by his worship leading. He writes quiet humble songs as well as joyful melodic ones. Some of the ones that I really like are (i hope I don't break copyright infringement here!): -
My soul praises the Lord - A joyful song taken from Mary's Song written in early Luke. It's all about being praiseful for the things God has done for us and the day of salvation to come
He has filled the hungry with good things Sent the rich empty away He has helped to servant Israel and He still does it today
All I Am - A song that talks about our purpose is to give God glory but we try to hold on to our lives (he who gives up his life will gain eternal life)
Each perfect gift has come from you Yet I cling tightly I pray oh Lord, release my grip So I give gladly All I am, I offer to you..
Arms - This song is all about trade justice (something I am extremely passionate about), corrupt governments and arms dealings. The candid sheer truthful nature of this song really hit me the first time I heard it and still does
We'll give you the food we're the generous ones But only if you buy our rockets and guns A bullet tastes better than bread, or so they say ... When the arms that you use The arms that you use Are the ones that are holding the children you lose ... So take me away from these facts that I've heard The back of my head is the place they deserve Take them away so my conscience remains undisturbed
Fragile - This is one that has affected me more recently. It was written in the aftermath of the tsunami. This was a particularly gut wrenching time for Andy as he was a missionary on one of the islands that got washed up just 2 months before the wave hit. This song can empathise with anyone who has gone through such suffering.
The same waves that brought you crashing in in with joy Are the same waves that leave your universe destroyed And the same sand that once warmed this white man’s toes Makes graves for your silent flesh and bone. ... The same man that the winds and waves obeyed, Is the same man who was the first one to know pain same man could keep control of everything same man knows more than me about suffering So calm this overwhelming force As earth and heaven seem divorced.
But why does life have to be this fragile? Why is there a death so close to birth? Why does life have to be this fragile? Here on earth.
He has released two albums called 'Advertising the invisible' and 'Son' as well as being on a few Summer Madness live CD's. There is more as well and some good new stuff on his website http://www.andyflan.com (where you can also learn his mums cooking recipes!). You can also download most of his songs off itunes. It's amazing to think this 'wee' man came from portadown, but I am also surprised his songs aren't more well heard of!
I was reflecting the other day on some of the things I've become and the people who have influenced my life in so many amazing ways and I would just like to honour some of them here (there are others of course so don't feel left out!).
David McMullen - This man is the epitomy of humility. His unquenchable thirst for only the things of God, and desire to do everything he can for the people around him, has really taught me alot. Thanks for all the lifts and encouragement mate.
Mark Russell - When he was my youth pastor his passion and zeal for God used to stir up my heart. He was the man who convinced me to take God seriously. He has taught me so much about scripture and stepping out in faith as well as just being a good mate. He is an inspiration with the way God blesses his ministry because of his obedience to his calling.
Peter Fryer - As good a friend as anyone can ask for. We have had so many class chats ranging from tennis geekiness to life and scripture. Despite being in different worlds most of the time he always makes time for me. He is an awesomely talented man in so many areas, and has given me example in how to get things done in life.
Melanie Baird - My loving girlfriend. One of the few I can take constructive criticism from. Makes me wanna do better and be better. Doesn't let me away with anything short of my best. She has taught me how to love (in a totally non-cheesy way!)
and of course Jesus but that goes without saying...
I came across this a few years ago and it really moved me. Each line is based on scripture and it helps reveal the heart of God for us. Check it out and really allow the scriptures sink right in to your heart
I was flying home from London the other day and my flight experienced some bad turbulance. It had been snowing earlier (which is strange enough for London) but it wasn't until we were out of the clouds and into clear air that the turbulance occurred. I reckon it may have been something to do with a shift in air pressure.
Anyway, I am a nervous flyer as it is, so my heart skipped quite a few beats while I was up there. Melanie was making the man beside her terrified! It's not the worst turbulance I've experienced though; that was when i came home from Majorca and took off into a tropical storm - where the plane's backside swung like a pendulum and when the air hostesses began to panic, we knew we were in trouble!
That day on the plane (simlarly with my recent flight), people were faced with the inevitable fact of their mortality, and it is amazing to see how many people all of a sudden turn to faith in such a time as that. People offering up prayers of help and repentance on the top of their voices, whether they believed before or not. I imagine a lot of people if faced with imminent doom like that would wonder what comes next and would turn to God. It's sad however that it would take something like that to do it.
I'm not so sure if it's even natural that men should fly. I think I think I'll take a boat more often. At least if a boat is in trouble, you have a chance of survival, but if a plane goes down - you have absolutely no chance! I suppose millions of planes fly every year, and very rarely do you hear of a horror crash, but speaking as a Maths student, I still don't like the numbers!
There is a class group of musicians who jazz up classical pieces of music and busk in covent garden. For those who see it often i'm sure the novelty would wear off but i think it's a great way to keep this genre of music alive amongst today's generation. Whilst they are playing the music they chase people around and play to them as well as just generally messing about, it's brilliant. Check out the video i took with my phone below.
I am so happy for my friends who tied the knot yesterday. So much contraversy surrounds marriage these days but there is just something special about these two that you know they are so perfect! It really was a beautiful day, and I wish them God's best for the future. Michael and John made a hilarious video about dave, so if I can get a link to it I wil put it up. You can find photo's on my bebo
It seems so many of my friends around me are either married, getting married or getting engaged. Excuse me if I sound cynical but it just seems to be that it's the latest fashion! (not the case with these guys though
I saw this video courtesy of Beth in youth cell, and I thought it was a great way of describing the kingdom of God. Do you ever wonder what heaven is like? We should really listen to Jesus in the Bible when he says things like "The kingdom of God is like..." because he would know!....
My friend dave and I when we were in school used to go around on Friday's and randomly shake peoples hands and say "Happy Friday!". Well on this in particular Friday, I want to say happy Friday!
A lot people when they think of this day, think of how Christ died on the cross - the phyical pain he went through because he loves us; but I want to concentrate on a worse torture. When Christ died and took the punishment of our sins, He took on every sin every believer has ever made upon him. Imagine being at the right hand of God, completely sinless, entirely in love with His Father one minute, to the next where he is feeling, and being punished for over, 2000 years of millions of peoples sins. I can not even come infinitely close to comprehending what that must have been like, except to say thank you so much for saving my life Lord!
Colossians 2:13 And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, 14 having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. 15 Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.
So lets rejoice! So many Christians walk in condemnation of their sins (sexual, drinking etc..) and they forget that Jesus has already taken the punishment for that and you are forgiven! All those sins that hold you back have been nailed with Him to the cross. So put your faith in Him and stop letting satan condemn you because God has "disarmed" him of that, as only unforgiven can be condemned.
As it turns out today happens to be the Spring equinox (where the day and night are theoretically of equal length at the equator). It marks the coming of the Spring time where new life dawns. Lets take this opportunity to take the shackles of winter off, and live in the freedom that Christ won for us on the cross and let's blossom in our relationship with Him.
To finish I would like to mention that easter egg chocolate is outstanding! What is it about it that makes it taste so much better! If you know please comment!
I was in church this morning and was reminded to write this because of something my friend Besty had said to me. Besty usually wears a 'beanie', and apparently some people were giving off, and this is why...
1 Cor 11:2-onwards "..keep the traditions just as I delivered them to you. 3 But I want you to know that the head of every man is Christ, the head of woman is man, and the head of Christ is God. 4 Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonors his head. 5 But every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head...13 Judge among yourselves. Is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered?...16 But if anyone seems to be contentious, we have no such custom, nor do the churches of God.
So here we see paul establishing the tradition that men should not cover their heads but women should whilst in worship. However what people tend to miss when talking about hats in church is that paul opens the paragraph declaring that he was establishing a tradition, not a commandment! Furthermore he reiterates this in the closing of this section by suggesting that if the issue causes arguments then not to worry because not even his church or any other church of God, strictly adhere to this, as it is not a commandment. It clearly does cause arguments in today's church, so lets take pauls advice and not be a bad witness to the world by bickering over something as unimportant as head dressings in church.
I would also love to know where people get the whole "women must wear skirts" and men must dress respectfully. Yes I know you would want to look your best for God but doesn't it say in His Word "come as you are?" and besides who decides what items of clothing are respectful and what aren't? It's these very things that people can be put off the church!
There are indeed some very wacky hats around churches these days, ranging from the minimilistic to royal ascot!
Fair trade is an important step forward in the development of 3rd world countries and justice for all men. We should strive to be more aware of where our products have come from, and try to buy those which are ethically made. The next couple of weeks is called fair trade fortnight and it runs from 25th February to 9th March. Please do check out the website and see what is going on near you and use this opportunity to find out more about fair trade.
As I am writing this post I am fearful that this going to come back to me in a job interview someday so I pray to God that won't happen! My grumbling is about our countries current child protections policies. Do not get me wrong, I understand comepletely why they exist, and fully agree about their importance, but I have to be honest, I get frustrated with child protection sometimes.
I have been through so many child proctection courses for different things. Usually about 3/4 every year. To be perfectly honest they are not the easiest thing to stay focused in especially when you've heard the same thing so many times! What I don't understand is why I have to go through a separate course for every little thing that I do? Surely some of the previous ones should count? I think they should come up with some sort of certificate as they have with first aid and food health & safety, which can be topped up after a few years declaring that somebody has been through child protection training.
It seems unfair that for a few disgusting people in the world, the rest of mankind has to suffer for it. Besides what child abuser is going to stand up in one of these CP courses and admit they are one? The thing that annoys me most is that when a child is upset, or has injured him/herself, you are not allowed to initiate comforting that child in the fear the someone may perceive it as inappropriate. It's inhumane to not want to take care of an distressed child! It is against our human nature not to take sympathy and want to help.
It is right that we should extremely cautious when it comes to our children. Still we should strive to do more to meet the balance of protection and loving care for them. I wonder what Jesus would do?
First and foremost I live for God. Everything is about Him, anything else comes second.
"Oh the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His ways. Who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?
Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him?
