2009 - people who've passed

I just watched this on BBC News site, quite touching.

2009 People we remember

Just caught this on ASBO Jesus and thought it was good. Strangely enough my wife and I were talking about how we show and share faith last night. She had come from a social engagement and had had a conversation with another Christian and they had shared that it is a huge struggle to share faith with their colleagues let alone tell them that they are a Christian.

We then talked about how often we leave it a while to show them that we are normal and not one of those crazies!! But after we've left it a while and maybe shared a few to many unholy jokes or said/done something that would tarnish our halo slightly we then often opt for just not saying anything and instead decided to be 'the good person'.

I am not saying that I am the bright shining star on how to share faith and live a holy life - those that know will testify to this, but still, surely we are charged with sharing something about our faith, even if it is that we go to church?

I undestand that it can be really hard to take the jibs and the ribbing that many may well give, but are we not told to pick up our cross? Are we not asked to stand in the face of hardships? I now it may sound as if I am on my little hobby-horse, I am not, honestly, this is a challenge to myself first and foremost. How do I show my faith?

Faith - how do you wear yours?

Drawing a Decade

Saw this earlier and thought that it was pretty cool.

Anything that they have missed? BBC drawing a decade

Christmas!

Well there are only 11 more shopping days until Christmas!!

Last night we put our tree up (twice! It fell down) and I have begun to feel festive. Not just that but the Christmas party season starts with the football social tomorrow night - always great fun!!

I really do love the whole Christmas season, everyone seems happier, life is more joyous and most people really enter the festive spirit. Not just that but you really think about what is most important to you.

Above all though we get to celebrate the gift of life!! That a God that loves us gave us his son, lived life as a human and tasted everything that is bitter and sweet about being a human so that He could show us that he knows what it is like to feel joy, pain, love and sorrow.

I hope that you have a great Christmas and that it is a time of joy and happiness, but I also hope that in between the food, drink and your neighbours Christmas lights that you are able to take the time to think about the gift that this loving God offers you.

Merry Christmas

ASBO Jesus

Just found this really cool blog - ASBO Jesus really worth a look.

Sadly or maybe not sadly, so many of the cartoons on there are true!

Let me know what you think.

Oh My God

Have just seen this trailer for Oh My God and it looks very interesting.

Out on the 13th November, so will have to go and see it and then let you know what I think.

Where The Wild Things Are - Are you a wild thing?

Image via Wikipedia

I was sent this link earlier to Relevant, its about the new movie" Where the Wild Things Are" and I found it very enlightening. It made me ask the question, Am I a wild thing? Maybe some days I am.

I will not re-write or even plagiarise the article, but I encourage you to read it. Here is my favourite quote from it:

"Go ahead. Be mad. Shout your questions. Punch a wall. Color with red and black. Go to where the wild things are. But dock your boat, mark your trail and remember your own weakness. You could never be half as mad at God as He is in love with you.

In fact, He loves you best of all"

If you are anything like me, you may find yourself angry and annoyed at life sometimes, but it is true, once the moment has passed I realise that life is good, people love me, I am not perfect and most of all God is good.

Nearly there!

Image by ecstaticist via Flickr

So it is nearly half term and there is light at the end of the tunnel. I had not thought that it had been a long term, but these last few days have been hard work to get up and out of bed!

It is funny how we work to these way points, we reach there physically and mentally tired. We have a few days and then it's back into the race they call Rat!

I am really looking forward to this half term as I get a few days away with Mrs M, time for us to just be, to reflect on the past 6 months of change and re-adjusting to what married life looks like and what it means to be married to me! (oh the poor women!)

As I was driving to work this morning I was praying that God would "give me my daily bread", that He would be my strength for today. I have been reminded recently that God asks us to live for today, He has tomorrow sorted so we have to get on with today.

God be my strength today, let me worry about tomorrow when it gets here!

Uplifted Spirit

Image by Loci Lenar via Flickr

Last night I attended my home group from "Letchworth Garden City Church" and we had a great time. We have been looking at the Holy Spirit and last night we looked at "Baptism of the Holy Spirit". We spent a short time talking about it and looking at various bits of scripture, the leader was very sensitive that everyone of us would have or could have a very different view, so we kept it brief and then decided that it would be good for us all to pray for each other. With there being nearly a 50/50 split of "boys and girls" as he put it, we did just that.

So all us guys went through to the kitchen - the women were staying where they were! So all 5 of us went through and the long story short was that each of us received prayer and each of us received a fresh or new touch of the spirit. One of the guys had always wanted to speak in tongues but had never felt he could, so we prayed and he did! We then prayed that each of us would receive something from God for one of the lads and what happened? God spoke!

Personally I felt that God's holy spirit gave me a fresh touch and spoke to me both directly and through others. I came away with an excitement that I have not felt for quite a while. I was reminded that this faith is all about being, it is alive and if I want to life to the full (John 10:10) then I have to step out.

One thing that we all felt was that we had not been living that full life, so I encourage you to take the step, pray, ask God for a new or fresh touch of His spirit, even ask others to pray with you. Only by taking a step do we really live by faith.

The futures bright, the futures Orange!

Well today i am a very happy boy! It has finally been announced that Orange will be getting the iPhone by the end of the year! My prayers have been answered!

Since the wife got an iPod touch I have been totally sold on an iPhone, I just had 2 problems
1. I am committed to Orange, as sad as it is
2. Orange did not have the iPhone (probably the bigger problem!).

But now life is great!! What wonderful news it was to read that the rumours were now true! Not often we like rumours to be true!

The future is bright and it will be Orange!

No 'I' in team

So they say that there is no 'I' in team, but there is me - OK probably not very helpful right now.

Isn't weird how our worst attributes only come out towards those closest to us. I am beginning to realise that I can be a little bit of hard work and can often be stubborn and probably rather frustrating for those around me.

A marriage is meant to be a team and not two I's trying to fight for tog dog, even when we are not sure what top dog is?! Think that I need to spend sometime cogitating what it means to be team and not about 2 individuals bumbling through mostly together!

Saying all this makes it sound like hard work, never, still amazing and I suppose I bit like a fire that refines me, us, together more than before.

Team, that's what I want.

Some Space

It has been an evening of looking after the wife as she has not been too well, the bonus (for me) is that I have had some time to just browse the net. Over the past few months I have not really had the time to just surf, I treat that I have missed!

As I have been mooching from one site to the next I read my good friend Joe's blog, he was sharing a bit about his adventures over in Africa. Sounds like he is having some good times!

On a completely different note seems as I am rambling, I lost a whole website today! Was not too overjoyed when I realised. I was planning on updating it but looks like I will be doing it somewhat sooner! Such is life as they say.

Now for something completely different - over the summer I read a few books, one in particular got me thinking and that is Velvet Elvis by Rob Bell, I found it a very interesting read and gave me a heap of questions to think about, most of all about faith and that possibly everyone has it, the question is what in?

Well I think that is enough nonsense for now. If you've read the book let me know what you think, also if you've got any cool sites to just surf, be rather grateful if you passed on the links.

Good day

Shining a light

Red Candle, originally uploaded by King Kieran.

It's only 38 days until I get married and just been thinking about the wedding ceremony.

Had not really thought how hard it may be for people that I love that do not know God to come along and hear about our commitment to each other and God?

I want to be a shining light for those around me, I want to be salt and light to their lives, but how do I do this?? I am just an ordinary man and not a very good one at that! But I do love God.

I was encouraged the other day when I was reading Psalm 42 - it talks about even though we might be lacking in faith and life might be hard God is still good and God is still our saviour! That really encouraged me. If David could write that after all the troubles he faced then I am sure that i can make it.

As the deer pants for water, I want to be a shining light for all those around me.