Quote of the Day

"Fairy tales do not tell children the dragons exist. Children already know that dragons exist. Fairy tales tell children the dragons can be killed."

G K Chesterton

Read Books ?

So if you are an avid book reader and living in the UK you might be interested in the website Readitswapit

The idea of the site is that you register the books you've read & would be willing to swap (there are currently 67533 books in the library). You check out the library of books & if you find one you like you initiate a swap with the person who owns the book. They choose one of your books & you post them to each other. A (nearly) new book to read for the price of a stamp !

The site works a bit like ebay in that users rate each other on the swap.

I've swapped 39 books so far and counting. Much cheaper than going to Waterstones, and just like browsing a charity shop without leaving your home.

Check it out and give it a go.

Songs that connect

Your love, Your everlasting love
Transforms me
Your love, Your everlasting love
Transforms me
And it brings me to my knees again
It brings me to my knees again
I worship on my knees again

Your grace, your unending grace
It lifts me
Your grace, your unending grace
It lifts me
And it brings me to my knees again
It brings me to my knees again
I worship on my knees again

Your blood, unfailing blood
It saves me
Your blood, unfailing blood
It saves me
And it brings me to my knees again
It brings me to my knees again
I worship on my knees again

Great is Your name
Great is Your name
Great is Your name
In all the earth

(by Aaron Boyd)

I first heard this song when the wonderfully talented Emma H sang it one night at Emerge. Her singing and the words blew me away. The words are so simple & yet profound.

No matter how I "feel" or what is going on in my life this is one song that reminds my heart who this God is that I worship. No matter what the circumstances my heart sings & I raise my hands, my heart in worship.

Are there songs that connect others to God like this ? Would love to hear people's thoughts.

Arrrrr..... shiver me timbers...... walk the plank......

Yes, in case you haven't heard, today is "international talk like a pirate day"

So if you haven't yet - get out your pirate costume, hop round on one leg & practice your lines. And if you're reading this tomorrow, there is always next year........

Someone emailed this to me this morning. I've seen it before, but it still makes me laugh.

Spooks

yeah :) Spooks is back on our screens this Sunday night. Spooks is my all time fav TV programme - something in me must long to be an MI5 agent.

Can't wait.

As the saying goes MI5 not 9 to 5.

Little Miss Sunshine

Went to see "Little Miss Sunshine" tonite. I love Crazy Tuesdays at the cinema !! I haven't laughed & cried so much during the same movie in a very long time & it's even longer since I've heard a film get a round of applause.

The basic premise is of a family travelling from Albuquerque to California to allow the 7 yr old daughter (Olive) to compete in a beauty pagent. The script writers have done a great job of making the family "real" - I could actually imagine myself being part of this dysfunctional family.

My favourite character without doubt was the Nietzsche reading teen who had taken a vow of silence until he was accepted to flight school. There is this great point in the film where the family are talking about going on the road trip when he writes a note declaring "I'll go on the trip but I'm not having fun". How many stroppy teenagers have declared that over the years ?

The themes of loss & family were challenging - every character lost something in the film, but banded together at the end to protect Olive's dream (& her) realising "family" was what mattered.

Great choice of film Rowan. Would definately watch it again.

Anyone else seen it ? Any thoughts ?

Jesus gets things wrong ??

I'm reading a novel I picked up in a charity shop somewhere for light entertainment at the minute. There was a line in it that has stuck with me for a couple of days now. The character was talking about life in the deep south (US) & how blacks & whites weren't meant to worship together. On being challenged by the local minister as to what Jesus would say, she replied "I know full well what Our Lord would say... Our Lord would be wrong...."

It got me thinking. How often do we know full well what Jesus would say about a topic or something we face in our lives & decide we know better.

What would he say in response to how we welcome the alcoholic/ homeless into our church/ home ?

What would he say in response to the magazines we buy/ books we read/ websites we visit ?

What would he say in response to how we spend/ don't spend out money ?

Who are we to think we know better than the One who made us ?

Survived !

Well, survived the camping - actually it was alot of fun.

Almost got drowned by the vast quantity of rain that fell Fri night til Sat lunchtime - am sure i looked like a drowned rat, but hey who do i need to impress ??

Sat night the wind was kinda strong - think casulties included a couple of gazebo type things that blew away.

Thanks to Gavin, Davey, Denise & Dave for organising it - youse did great & we can't wait for the week long camp next year......

Gone Camping

OK I think I've lost it.

We are going camping this weekend - when I say we - the first City Church grand camp at
Tollymore Forest Park in Newcastle
It sounded like a great idea back in June when it was sunny. Except that it has been raining all week. I expect that we shall be washed into the Shimna River.

I love camping/ being outdoors & I guess its no fun unless you wake up with a leaky tent in the morning.

So am heading down after work with my tent & disposable bbq. Bring on the S'mores.