Current Projects

I’ve not done much blogging here for the last couple of weeks. Louise and I had a weeks holiday where I began to complete some projects and start some more!

When we installed the kitchen we could not find any suitable units to go around the cooker. We decided that we would make a copy of what Louise’s Mum and Dad have over there cooker. It is a kind of mock fireplace. I started using end panels that I bought with the kitchen. In my foolishness I didn’t realise that they were chipboard. It was obvious that using chipboard was going to look really bad. I ripped it down and started again in solid wood (pine) panels. I am really pleased with the results. All it needs now is varnishing up to make it match the rest of the kitchen.

I finished off a couple of window sills and began to examine how I could stop the leaks in the roof (more on that another time!). Paul and Angela came at the weekend to look after Isaac and Alice for us. We took Elizabeth to Glasgow for the weekend. We had a really relaxing time chilling out and doing some shopping. We visited Bishobriggs Community Church on Sunday. It is very refreshing when you are involved in church all the time to go somewhere where you have no responsibility and you can just sit in the congregation and enjoy going!

Forge Response to Don Carson and “Becoming conversant with the Emerging Church”

I came across this, this morning (from www.backyardmissionary.com).  It is as summary of an internal discussion about some of the fire they have been drawing because of the Evangelical backlash against Brian McLaren and Steve Chalke’s writing.  What ever you think of what Brian and Steve have written, it is interesting to read how some genuine missionaries have had to respond to the affect that the unsympathetic and reactionary criticism of two prominent writers has had on them.

UPDATE

Hammo (Backyardmissionary.com) has removed his paper because it caused a bit of a stir, at his request I have de linked it.  More here. 

Fossils on the Beach at Morecambe

We were outside the Midland Hotel this week sitting on the beach enjoying the pebbles and the sun. Elizabeth was picking up every stone and sucking the salt off it. We fished this one out of her mouth.

 

Cool hu!

 

Regeneration in the West End Of Morecambe

Living near the West End of Morecambe and interacting with different people I some times I often hear rumours. The latest was that there wasn’t enough money to do any work to Bold Street. I can’t believe that that is true. Quite frankly that street is a mess.

However the good news is that some funds have been allocated. £3,060,000 to be precise.

This is what John Prescott’s underling, Yvette Cooper had to say when Geraldine Smith asked the question “How much?”.

“The Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) has made available £60,000 for a feasibility study into the establishment of an arts/creative industry campus in the West End by St. Martin’s College. NWDA will also consider investing up to £3 million from 2006–07 onwards in projects that will encourage the growth and establishment of businesses in the area. This is subject to satisfactory progress implementing the masterplan, the completion of NWDA’s appraisal and approval processes and the availability of resources.“

There is more money allocated for the longer term:

In total, English Partnerships plan to invest up to £7 million in the West End of Morecambe in support of the masterplan.

It doesn’t tell us that they are going to work on Bold Street or not, but I suspect that it is just a rumour.
Geraldine asked more questions of the government, which you can read for yourself at her profile on theyworkforyou.com which is here.

Stress

I have been thinking a little about stress lately. Mainly what makes people stressed and how can we cope with it. I have a fair idea what makes me stressed (grin), I am vey interested in how I can deal with it.

Recently the samaritains commissioned a survey which found some of the following stuff.

• 20% get stressed on a daily basis (one in five) – i.e. most of the time.
• 23% are stressed more than once a week (over one third of the UK), but not every day.
• The majority of the population (62%) is stressed out at least once a month or more.
• Men and women suffer from roughly the same levels of stress, regardless of how much stress they suffer from – none, some, a lot.

 Link: http://www.samaritans.org/know/samsweek2003/questionnaire_results_popup.shtm

Weekend in Scotland

We have just spent a nice relaxing weekend in Scotlan.  We stayed at Auchenlarie caravan park (map) which was fantastic, overlooking the Irish Sea.  I spent the whole weekend in shorts (and not just because I forgot to pack trousers).  Alice found two dogs on the caravan next door which she gave sticks to look after.

  Feeling fully relaxed, I am about to go and spent the morning back at the churches drop in centre!

Blogging and Commenting

I had a few days of not posting much here earlier in the week, mainly because I have been using my blogging time elsewhere.

Steve Taylor has provoked some discussion about listening during services here and here.  I took notes at the day at the custard factory by SMS on my mobile.  I wonder if everyone else thought I was being rude and disinterested.

I have continued to post some of my story about how my view of evangelism has developed over the last few years.  You can read it here, here, here and here. 

Isaac’s Questions: The Smarty Factory

Isaac was eating some Smarties yesterday.  As he ate he pondered "If one hundered people worked at a Smarty factory and elleven left, how many smarties would they make?" – Good question.

Water through the ceiling

Ever since we started on the house rennovations we have had the washing machine a bathroom upstairs.  IT works fine until you forget to put the waste hose from the washing machine into the toilet.  This morning we had another torrent of soapy water in the hall.

Isaac stood watching it shouting "quick, quick its raining in the hall".  Louise and I ran round trying to sort it out.  Maybe I’ll bring the utility room up the priority list… but then again perhaps the leaking roof has priority! 

I’m famous!

Andrew Jones has put a photo of me on his blog!

I went to the custard factory on Saturday. It was a great venue and I enjoyed the conference, particularly listening to Andrew Jones. He is an inspirational speaker and left me wanting to go and change the world (again). What really impressed me was his relaxed and authoritative approach to scripture. It was refreshing to hear. Various people have posted their notes of Saturday.

The most significant things for me were:

When talking about yeast and the kingdom of God he pointed out the as the yeast cell divides the old energises the new and at the end of the cell multiplication there are two healthy cells. 

Luke chapter 9 is the passage of "bloopers" and Luke chapter 10 is the "planting chapter".

He asked us to look for key verbs from chapter 10.  Some one asked what a verb was, I was glad because that was what I was thinking!  My significant words were Pray, Do, Don’t.

I kind of hoped that the day would have been taped, or MP3′ed or something, but it doesn’t seem so.  Shame.