Wednesday, October 25, 2006

Song Title Tag

I got this from Barbara at Writing From the Inside Out.

How does the world see you?
Birds Without Wings (David Gray)

What do my friends really think of me?
The Jean Genie (David Bowie)

What do people secretly think of me?
Sulky Girl (Elvis Costello)

How can I be happy?
Fortunate Fool (Jack Johnson)

What should I do with my life?
Hey Manhattan! (Prefab Sprout)

What is some good advice for me?
Deep Forbidden Lake (Neil Young)

How will I be remembered?
Tokyo Girl (Ace of Base)

What is my signature dancing song?
All For The Love (Beth Nielson Chapman)

What do I think my current theme song is?
Heartbreaker (Dionne Warwick)

What does everyone else think my current theme song is?
God Put A Smile Upon Your Face (Coldplay)

What song will play at my funeral?
All Mine (Tom Jones with the Divine Comedy)

What type of men/women do you like?
I Need To Be In Love (The Carpenters)

What is my day going to be like?
Blues Before Sunrise (Eric Clapton)

Some of these seem remarkably apt, but others are downright bizarre! If you have some sort of an MP3 player and want to play along, consider yourself tagged. Put your player on random and keep hitting “next” to get the answer to each question.

Robber of the Cruel Streets

I just watched this dvd about the life of George Muller. I grew up in Bristol so I knew something of his story of living by faith alone, never asking anyone for money or support for the orphanages he founded, but it was interesting to find out some more about him. Its well worth watching and certainly challenges the way you think, its very easy to say that God will supply your needs but another matter to live by that principle. Its partly dramatised and partly documentary, narrated by Russell Boulter (I think he's been in a few things, but primarily recognisable as being in The Bill and Casualty). Go out and buy it now, or borrow my copy in the case of any family or friends reading this!

Sunday, October 22, 2006

A Prayer

Dear Lord

The bread and wine remind me of the great love you showed for me when you died on the cross. I thank you that you loved me enough to allow your son to die such a terrible death.

Lord, I want to say how sorry I am for doing those things I know I should not have done and for those things I know I should have made the effort to do.

I thank you for the love and strength you have given me through the difficult times and that I have been able to share the good times with you.

Lord, I don’t know what the future holds, anything could happen to me tomorrow, next week, next year. Help me to make the most of every moment and to live for you whether I have months, years or decades left to serve you.

May I be able to say with Hezekiah “Remember, Lord, how I have walked before you faithfully and with wholehearted devotion and have done what is good in your eyes.”

Amen

Friday, October 20, 2006

Pink Day


My sister decided to raise money for Cancer Research UK by dressing up in a pink fairy outfit today. Doesn't she look stunning!?!?! I hope she didn't embarass the children too much!

Congratulations Suzy on being brave enough to look a bit silly in order to raise a lot of money. If you haven't sponsored her yet I'm sure its not to late!

Knickers!

Saw a link to this on Calia77's blog, have a look at how one vicar is serving his community!

Thursday, October 19, 2006

This Is Cool!

http://snowflakes.lookandfeel.com/

What's your theological worldview?


You scored as Emergent/Postmodern. You are Emergent/Postmodern in your theology. You feel alienated from older forms of church, you don't think they connect to modern culture very well. No one knows the whole truth about God, and we have much to learn from each other, and so learning takes place in dialogue. Evangelism should take place in relationships rather than through crusades and altar-calls. People are interested in spirituality and want to ask questions, so the church should help them to do this.

Emergent/Postmodern


75%

Evangelical Holiness/Wesleyan


68%

Neo orthodox


57%

Modern Liberal


50%

Classical Liberal


46%

Reformed Evangelical


46%

Charismatic/Pentecostal


43%

Roman Catholic


39%

Fundamentalist


32%

What's your theological worldview?
created with QuizFarm.com

Sunday, October 15, 2006

Weekend Away!


Just got back from a weekend away with a group from church. We had a great time but I'm shattered and will be pleased to sleep in my own bed. I really enjoyed it and I'm glad I went but I think tomorrow at school will be hard work!

Sunday, October 01, 2006

Don't Worry

The reading this morning was from Matthew 5, the passage entitled "Do not Worry" in the NIV.

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labour or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendour was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Matthew 5 v 25-34(NIV)
Now I have to say of course I agree with the sentiments of this passage but the logic of the passage sometimes grates on me a bit - not worrying about what I wear because the flowers don't worry! Surely that suggests I should go out in all the natural beauty God has given me, why worry about clothes!! (Don't be scared, I don't plan to do this!) However I now have a parallel TNIV and The Message Bible so I was able to read the version of this passage in the message and it made much more sense to me and has made a passage I have heard many times before more alive to me.
"If you decide for God, living a life of God-worship, it follows that you don't fuss about what's on the table at mealtimes or whether the clothes in your closet are in fashion. There is far more to your life than the food you put in your stomach, more to your outer appearance than the clothes you hang on your body. Look at the birds, free and unfettered, not tied down to a job description, careless in the care of God. And you count far more to him than birds. Has anyone by fussing in front of the mirror ever gotten taller by so much as an inch? All this time and money wasted on fashion—do you think it makes that much difference? Instead of looking at the fashions, walk out into the fields and look at the wildflowers. They never primp or shop, but have you ever seen color and design quite like it? The ten best-dressed men and women in the country look shabby alongside them. If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers—most of which are never even seen—don't you think he'll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you? What I'm trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God's giving. People who don't know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don't worry about missing out. You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met. Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes. " Matthew 5 v 25-34 (The Message)

Another Night Out!

Last night I went to see Thea Gilmore (I know, my life is sounding a bit too interesting, out 2 saturday nights running!) and she was great. So was her support act Dan Arborise, who I've never heard of before but is a very good guitarist and singer. Much quieter and more reflective than most of Thea's songs, which to be honest is more my usual sort of music. I have to say I preferred Thea's quieter songs, the best were just her and her guitar, but her band were good too (but I'm getting old, they were too loud!). Considering she is 35 weeks pregnant she coped very well, only nipping to the loo once in her set!