Working in the Homeland !!

I have just arrived home from the first day of my college placement at The Bridge Chapel in Liverpool . It seems strange to be working in the city that I grew up in .

I was involved in all sorts today . Firstly a team meeting with all of the full time workers . Then a trip to a district in Liverpool called Halewood to have a look at an old stable that the Church is looking to convert into some meeting rooms and then finally tonight I attended the BBC 2 course ( Bridge Bible Course) . This particular course is aimed at people who have a faith but want to learn more ..

A busy day ....Early start tomorrow and late finish so I may not have time to post ...

Grace Bible Church

The Bouncers !!
Peter Milsom & Steve Barlow (The Pastor)
The new building
Over 200 attended
Paran Chapel ...Typical small Welsh Chapel

Great weekend ...Home late last night , so feeling a little weary this morning .

On Saturday we attended the service of dedication for the new " Grace Bible Church " in Saltford ( Between Bristol and Bath ) . It was wonderful to see . This church has literally been born out of blood, sweat and tears . The folk there have endured much opposition. Which is why Saturdays dedication service was even more special . The singing, as ever, was superb and the message preached by Peter Milsom from Philippians was spot on " Out of the abundace of Gods riches " Thanks to all who made the day memorable .. So now the church is to push on and God willing they will soon out grow their fine new building....

Sunday again was a day to renew old friendships when I preached at Paran Chapel in Blackmill , South Wales . The people there are special . Its only a very small congregation but it has a very large heart .

Today I am off to the Bridge Chapel in Liverpool for three weeks .....so posting may not be as regular ...but I will try .

All over the show :-)

Lots going on at the moment ..Preparing for a youth talk on homesexuality and then another on Mark 9 ...both to be delivered tonight in Wem ..

Tomorrow off down to Saltford near Bath to a special service to commemorate the opening of a new church ( photos' and details on Monday)

Then on Sunday I am in South Wales preaching all day ...followed by Monday morning reporting for a three week stint at The Bridge .... I'll keep you posted :-)

The hills ARE alive....

Still got my funny head on ....

One for Olga de Polga :-)

I'm sorry ....I just couldn't resist ....Ill put my serious head back on later ....

There is always someone who has to go one better :-)

Guess where I had lunch ?

Remember ...thou shalt not envy !!

Back Home

When you surf ...Beware of what is lurking beneath!!


Paying a flying visit to my parents this morning and then visiting the Bridge chapel , hoping to meet the pastor there Bill Bygroves ..But Bill is pretty illusive so I might have a problem tracking him down !!

Tonight it's all about worship at Christianity Explained ...So I need to find some time to prepare for that today ..

Found the shark pic earlier .... Could use it for lots of illustrations ...Why don't you think of a few and post it in the comments......

I'm a dead man !!

I'm a dead man !! ( Hebrews 9:27) But Then What ??

Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment,

That was the title of a discussion I had at the Christian Union this Lunchtime ...Thought provoking stuff don't you think ?

Winter Walk with Photo's !!

Had a chance to relax on Saturday with a walk around one of the local beauty spots ..Colemere ..

Check out Gills wellies ...now there is a fashion statement ...

Oh and to all the YPF ers who accused me of having too many photo's on my Blog ENJOY ALL THE PHOTOS :-)

Stolen goods..

I nicked this from ants blog

Click here and watch the Vid
Like he says.... it's hilarious ..

sorry for the theft ant ...but then again I am a scouser :-)

Blogging can get too obsessive :-)

Dreams

I have been doing a little research on dreams ready for my Sermon on Sunday ( Jacobs ladder ..see previous post)

I was surprised by just how many people out there dedicate their lives to dream research and dream interpretation ...Frightening ...as many of them are new age types ..

Have a look at the Wikipedia article ...and check out the links on dreams

The Father's Song

Zephaniah 3:17

The LORD your God is with you,
He is mighty to save.
He will take great delight in you,
He will quiet you with his love,
He will rejoice over you with singing."

Click the last line of the verse to hear part of the Matt Redman song

The Blue Bucket

Yesterdays assembly seemed to go down well. The children were very inventive when asked "what can a bucket be used for?" ..... You can tell we live in a rural area as a couple of the responses were ..."you can use it to carry coal" ..."and you can use it to milk a cow!"

I used the bucket as a link to Jairus's sick daughter ( sick bucket ...very creative I hear you cry!)

The story of Jairus's daughter is very powerful , particulary the part when Jesus says to Jairus "Don't be afraid , just believe"

Off to coffee morning this morning and then I must get my head down and write a sermon ...the clock is ticking ....

Fat Free

Back on the slimdom trail today ....a road that I often stray from, as those of you who know me can confirm ...anyway... weighed in at 331lb this morning only got to get to 290lb ....... whats the song ..."Its a long way to Tipperary... it's a along way to go" ( when you click on the link to the song, read the bit that says "extra wartime verse" it starts with the line ..that's the wrong way to tickle Mary , that's the wrong way to kiss ....... hilarious )

Off to "Mums and Tots" this morning , meeting with Phil ( the Pastor) this afternoon followed by an assembly at Lauras school ....and because many of them have been off sick with the bug that Laura had I thought I would take a sick bucket in( unusual I know) and then move onto the story of Jairus's daughter ...I'll let you know how it goes ....

Sick kids can be useful :-)

Laura .... the sick child ...kindly volunteered to decorate the 2005 blogfile ....what is that ? I hear you cry ....it's all of last years postings in an easy to read binder ...you see ,I am into keeping family records and as the blog is partly about that I thought it would be nice to have a hard copy

I know I know ...I am a sad man ....

Stairway to Heaven

This coming Sunday I will be preaching at our church plant in Prees . The text that I have been given is Genesis 28:10-22 , usually entitled "Jacob's ladder" or " A stairway to heaven" .... Whilst thinking about the passage I couldn't stop myself from humming along to the infamous Led Zepplin song released in the 1970's called " Stairway To Heaven" ....so I thought I would look up the lyrics on the internet ...... I have reproduced them for you below ...... I think the word I would use after having read them is bemused!

If, after reading the lyrics you can shed some light on their meaning ,then please let us all know by leaving a comment on this page .... go on, interpret them for bemused bloggers like me :-)

There’s a lady who’s sure All that glitters is gold And she’s buying a stairway to heaven.
When she gets there she knows If the stores are all closed With a word she can get what she came for.
Ooh, ooh, and she’s buying a stairway to heaven.

There’s a sign on the wall But she wants to be sure’cause you know sometimes words have two meanings.
In a tree by the brook There’s a songbird who sings,Sometimes all of our thoughts are misgiven.
Ooh, it makes me wonder,Ooh, it makes me wonder.

There’s a feeling I get When I look to the west, And my spirit is crying for leaving.
In my thoughts I have seen Rings of smoke through the trees, And the voices of those who standing looking.
Ooh, it makes me wonder,Ooh, it really makes me wonder.

And it’s whispered that soon If we all call the tune Then the piper will lead us to reason.
And a new day will dawn For those who stand long And the forests will echo with laughter.

If there’s a bustle in your hedgerow Don’t be alarmed now,It’s just a spring clean for the may queen.
Yes, there are two paths you can go by But in the long run There’s still time to change the road you’re on.
And it makes me wonder.

Your head is humming and it won’t go In case you don’t know,The piper’s calling you to join him,
Dear lady, can you hear the wind blow,And did you knowYour stairway lies on the whispering wind.

And as we wind on down the road Our shadows taller than our soul.
There walks a lady we all knowWho shines white light and wants to showHow ev’rything still turns to gold.
And if you listen very hard The tune will come to you at last.
When all are one and one is allTo be a rock and not to roll.
And she’s buying a stairway to heaven.

Are you as bemused as I am ...or is it just me ?? I am particulary comforted now that I understand that if there is ever a problem with my hedgerow not to be alarmed because its just the May Queen doing a spot of cleaning :-)

Giant Bunny

It's true everything is bigger in America :-)

Sorry folks ...too much humour for one day I know ..forgive me :-(

Sicky

Just had to go and pick Laura up from school .... she is not a well girl ...and has been dispatched to bed ...she cant wait for mum to get home so she can have a little sympathy :-)

Too much caffeine

I haven't been sleeping too well lately .... I think its a combination of too much coffee and Chester the dog barking to go out in the middle of the night !!

Weekend report

Saturday afternoon was spent shopping in Whitchurch ...... I have to say that I don't enjoy shopping especially when you have the girls in tow. I normally try to avoid it like the plague ... I suppose its all part and parcel of the sacrificial life of a father and husband :-)

In the evening we watched an old eighties movie "The Blue Lagoon" ....the last time Gill watched it was when she was 15 ....so the film is ancient !!

On Sunday I preached from this text in the morning and this text in the evening ...God was gracious yesterday ..

Pics from Senior YPF

On Friday nights our 14+ Gang gather for fellowship and a bit of fun ..these are some photo's that will soon be appearing on the church web site ( which is under construction )

Time Management ...I haven't got time for that !

In the days when I used to be part of the business world, on a number of occasions I found myself as a participant on a variety of different time management courses ...all of which taught you the basics of prioritising your time .....something that Ant reflects on in his blog today..

As a result of my limited exposure to the realm of best practice in time management I have found that the best advice that I have ever come across is in Stephen Coveys book " First things First " ....So If you are in need of a little organising and prioritising then order a copy today ...

A word to the discerning , Covey is a mormon (as you will read here) but in this particular publication his belief system has no bearing on the practical advise offered in prioritising your time

When Reality Strikes

I spent an hour or so with a chap today who is dying of cancer ... we had a cup of tea and a serious chat ..... a man who had enjoyed good health all of his life ..he is a good man who is seeking peace with God ...I won't give his name but please pray for him.

I was reminded of this poem ....

I walked a mile with pleasure, she chattered all the way
But left me none the wiser, with all she had to say
I Walked a mile with sorrow, never a word said she
But oh the things I learned from her, when sorrow walked with me

Backache

I'm quite tall 6ft 2 .... I am overweight .... I slouch ..i.e posture has never been a big thing with me ... I no longer take regular excercise ....So I shouldn't be suprised that MY BACK IS KILLING ME TODAY

Just thought I would share my pain with you this morning ...

A week of mission in 2006

I have a planning meeting for our week of Mission in 2006 ...we have given it the nifty title of "Y"

Roger Carswell will be our main speaker .....dates for your Diary Sept 11th -17th

So far we have secured Fiona Castle, Rosemary Conley, Vinny Commons and John Mosey ,who will all be interviewed about their faith by Roger

If you are a Christian reading this then please pray for us and if you are a non-believer then get yourself over to Wem in September and check out the meetings ....

My Best Mates Birthday

It's my mate Paul Howards' birthday today ...the one who had lots of anti aging cream bought for him at Christmas .. He commissioned this portrait especially for his birthday ...but he has promised to give the pipe a miss in the future :-)

Happy Birthday mate ....

Busy week

I am speaking on a number of occasions this week . Yesterday I was at the local high school Christian Union and my topic for discussion was "The Future "a subject which finished on a discussion about a future event that nobody can avoid , Death . Next week they have asked me to deal with a number of issues . Firstly do all babies go to heaven , secondly what is the process of judgment and thirdly is there such a place as purgatory ...and I have to cover that in 15 minutes ...I like a challenge

Tonight I am leading our Christianity explained group ...It's all about the Holy Spirit tonight ...who he is , what's his role and how he can become part of our lives ..

On Friday I am covering Mark 7 with the youth Group and then on Sunday morning I will be speaking on the subject of the "New Heart" and then in the evening I will be looking at the book of Habakkuk ..

So plenty of time for me to put my feet up then this week :-)

Who killed Christianity ?

Apparently ...Christianity is dead according to Dr David Starkey ( who is an honourary member of "The Nationl Secularist Society" )and he is going to debate his theory with the nation on the radio tomorrow . He has recorded a series of five 15 minute programmes that will be broadcast starting tomorrow at 9:30am on BBC Radio 4 .... might be worth a listen ...click here for more details

Film to look out for ...

This film might be worth a look at ...the story is true ...the sacrifice is real ...
click here for more info

The Ainscough's Hit Town

Dave, Deb , Becky, Abi and John came to visit yesterday ...Good friends , good company and a good time had by all .

Coffee Morning

On a Thursday at Wem , we open up the doors to the community for coffee , tea and cakes . Many folk from the town come in , the atmosphere is very friendly and welcoming and people often talk freely about where they stand with God .

Yesterday we held a Family service that revolved around the work of the Coffee morning team . Many people who wouldn't normally come to church came along , the church was full and the gospel was preached.

Last night I preached a sermon from Jonah 1&2 ...entilted " Where are you Going .....Ninevah or Tarshish ? " In other words are you living a life that is constantly striving to please God and do his will or is your life in many ways rebellious , steeped in disobedience and self-centeredness ... I finished on Jonah 2:8
"Those who cling to worthless idols
forfeit the grace that could be theirs

Below you will find my concluding challenge at the end of the message :-

But what about you and I tonight .In the society we live in there are many worthless idols . It is all too easy to cling them. The idols of money ,work, sex , pleasure , ambition , sport , fashion , films , playstations, the internet ,cars, holidays,tv programmes and the list goes on . It's so easy to put them first . Its so easy to spend too much of your time in the meaningless pursuit of things that are only temporary, that have no bearing on God’s kingdom and His glory.

We all , at the start of this new year need to examine ourselves as the Apostle Paul instructed us to do .Do these idols dominate my life ?Is my life more about myself and my creature comforts than a life of sacrifice and service for the sake of Jesus Christ and his Kingdom .

Am I on the the boat to Tarshish sailing the wrong way and forfeiting God’s grace or am I on my way, as I should be, to my Ninevah and fulfilling God’s calling for me? Am I more inclined to cling to the idols of this world ….or cling to the cross ...

Church Social

We had a bit of a new years get together at church tonight ...100 or so folk who turned up to chat , eat and play some party games ... great fun ... I was the MC for the night trying out a few new games that I haven't used before .... I have to admit, I had earlier in the day turned to my good friend the internet to provide me with a few new ideas ...I found a good site here ...if anyone is in need of a few games to play ....

Shropshire Radio & Kettles

Tracey doing her Knitting between broadcasts :-)
I was back on the Tracey Higgins show tonight ...between Ray Evans ( the other Guest) myself and Tracey we managed to make a dent in Shropshires contribution to Global Warming by making our kettles more efficient and thereby reducing greenhouse gases ... You see I can be useful sometimes....

If your intrigued ...the way to cut down on your kettles consumption of energy is to 1. only fill it with the required amount of water ..i.e if you only want one cup then fill it to one cups level ...logical eh
2. De- lime scale on a regular basis ...improves your kettles efficiency levels ... ( but how do you do that I hear you cry !! click here )
and 3 . Go and buy an eco friendly kettle that is 30% more efficient

You see together we can save our planet .....

Stay focused !!!

It's vital that you maintain concentration at all times ;-)

Back into the routine

Back on the school assembly trail this morning ... I am in the local high school today and have been given the title "Great Expectations" to speak on . So I am going to take a brief look at the Apostle Pauls life , he was a man driven by a future hope , he was a man who kept going despite many difficult circumstances ....

Do you have great expectations of a heavenly home like he did ?

Mortality

Came across this site today .... when you open it , reflect on that fact that one day you will be part of the mortality statistic

A challenge for the Christian ....are you doing enough with your life, are you taking the light of the world into the world ..... throw off the sin that so easily ensnares and go and make a difference before your time is over ...Read this passage Luke 13;6-9..one that has really challenged my wife this week , at the start of a new year

A challenge for the non-believer ...not from me from Christ himself ...Read this Luke 13:1-5 ..............be ready

Birthday Celebrations & Time

Yesterday we travelled over to "Cheshire Oaks " for a meal celebrating my nephew Rob's 21st birthday ...he looked a little worse for wear as he had not long arrived back from his Hogmanay trip to Edinburgh ....

I can remember the day he was born as if it was yesterday ...How the years fly by ...reminds me of a poem written on the clock in Chester Cathedral..

When as a child I laughed and wept,

Time crept.

When as a youth I waxed more bold,

Time strolled.

When I became a full-grown man,

Time ran.

When older still I daily grew.

Time flew.

Soon I shall find, in passing on,

Time gone.

O Christ, wilt Thou have saved me then?

Amen.

A lesson in humility

I thought that I was becoming a chess master ...after all I have spent the last few weeks with Laura learning the basic strategies of chess at chesskids.com .... and in that time I had slaughtered Gill ( my wife ) not just once but five times ...you see she has always , always beaten me at chess .... but now I was brimming with confidence ...

Then along came my brother in law Nick ...who came out of retirement ,having not played the game for at least 10 years.... and within minutes he had annihilated me ... the blood was dripping from the chess board as my queen , knights and bishops were mutilated before the King finally lost his crown ....He did this to me twice ..... humiliation ...and to cap it all Laura beat me as well this afternoon ....

So its back to the classroom for me :-(