Christmas Week

As some will know I have spent the week of Christmas in Wales with some friends.
I will blog a bit more about this when I get my photos through but here are some highlights (albeit some lowlights too)....

1. Leaving to go on holiday with all the christmas presents bought.
2. Clutch failing 30 miles from our destination and costing £300 to be fixed.
3. Meeting up with friends.
4. Good food all week and and good laughs.
5. Reading the visitors book.
6. Asking for a faggot in the village chippy (I wasn't being rude honest).
7. View of the stars at night, unbelievably clear.
8. Illegal hunt
9. Craig catching a Wren in the bathroom (no he wasn't trying to shoot it for Christmas meal).

Use before you buy

This is something I was thinking of the other day but reminded when in a queue at Morrisons in Norwich today. The scenario is this: I put a bottle of coke, or a packet of biscuits, or something like that in my trolley. Half the way around the store I decide to take a nibble or have a drink.

I continue to the checkout and pay for the goods and leave.

Am I stealing something because I am using it before paying for it? Or is it ok.
I think I am airing on its ok as long as you know you can pay for it, but it got me thinking.

One , Two, Three..........

Four.............

Hopefully all being well there will be four montgomerys by July 28th 2006.
















Some extra information that your probably not interested about but.
Because of a medical condition Emma has she has a consultant team that lead her pregnancy progression so its good to know where in good hands.

The caesarean she had last time as an emergency means she has a 60-70% chance of giving a normal birth this time.

28th July is exactly three weeks before max's birthday.

There is only one - we couldn't find twins as Emma was hoping.

Nicking Stuff Part 2

On another occassion I was at home and a rather scruffy (I have no way of politley putting it) man approached my day. I went downstairs at the man stood five feet away asking if I wanted to buy some household items. I politely refused and watched where he went. Living in a terraced house you would expect him to have gone to one of the houses either side of me. This he didn't do and wandered up the street.

I thought thats odd. So I rang the none emergency police line where they were very helpful. They took my details and details about the incidence and that was that.

At about 7pm that evening, the Police rang back to say they had found the guy and he was genuine (apparently you need a licence to do door to door sales). He had a certificate and was doing it with a mate. But like my last post about nicking stuff, I immediatley felt bad and wondered if I am being too judgemental. In the end I thought that at least I was being honest and it could have ended so much different. Better safe than sorry.

Space Cadets

I have been watching the Channel 4 programme Space Cadets.
The synopsis of the show is they advertised for a once in a lifetime opportunity as part of the reality show. They got the people they wanted and then revealed that they would be trained to be the first space tourists. In reality, its a big practical joke and they are actually being tricked in a disused milatary base in Woodbrigde, near Ipswich (Back end of no where near enough space).

The programme has been funny and clever to watch and the effort they have gone to fool them is incredible. And like many reality programmes its captured me (as well as it being space for which I have always wanted to go on). But there are two interesting things about this that I take issue with.

The first, which is not really an issue is, whats the point. In Big Brother, the public ring a telephone line and get charged for voting for the person they want to keep or evict (or whatever it is). The company in then end makes, I suspect, a substantial profit via this mechanism. In this programme, they clearly have gone to extreme costs to make the illusion real at all levels and with no expense spared, but I cannot see where they might recoup that money at all. All the contestants in the end are awarded with £5000 and a trip to real Russia for space training and a trip on the "vomit comet". Thats 9 people which will costs a fortune I understand.

The second, and more concerning issue I have is I watched a group of people on TV almost in tears because they were living a dream, something unbelievable. But I don't know if I feel comfortable that someones dream is being used to this manner. Imagine something you wanted to do the most in the world, and you could be tricked into thinking your doing it, to then find out it was all a practical joke. Fair enough, some might say thats there own fault for being someone so easily fooled. I actually simply don't like someones precious dreams being used and abused in this manner.

New Songs

I have done a couple of new songs in church recently and I think the words are great, so I thought I would share them hear:

The splendor of the King, clothed in majesty,
Let all the earth rejoice, all the earth rejoice.
He wraps Himself in light, and darkness tries to hide
And trembles at His voice, trembles at His voice. 

How great is our God, sing with me, 
How great is our God, all will see 
How great, how great is our God.

Age to age He stands, and time is in His hands,
Beginning and the end, beginning and the end.
The Godhead, three in one: Father, Spirit, Son,
The Lion and the Lamb, the Lion and the Lamb.

Name above all names,
Worthy of all praise,
My heart will sing
How great is our God.

Chris Tomlin – Arriving.

--------------------------------------------

God in my living, there in my breathing
God in my waking, God in my sleeping
God in my resting, there in my working,
God in my thinking, God in my speaking

Be my everything, Be my everything
Be my everything, Be my everything

God in my hoping, There in my dreaming
God in my watching, God in my waiting
God in my laughing, There in my weeping
God in my hurting, God in my healing

Christ in me, Christ in me
Christ in me the hope of glory
You are everything

(C) Tim Hughes.

Probably the best pie in the world, but I am easily pleased.

Morrisons Chiken and Veg Balti Pie.

Nicking Stuff Part 1

Nicking Stuff Part 1

I was in Sainsburys the other day and as I was approaching an unpeculiar young guy came out of the store. As he did so he rolled his arm with a grey plastic bag over the top of the security barrier and once past this launched into a short jog whilst looking back over his shoulder. I suspected and reported that he had nicked something, although it was a judgement call based on his actions.

This got me thinking about whether or not it is worth reporting. If it had been my old Aunt Agnes’s shop I would have been fraught with upset and annoyance (I don’t have an Aunt Agnes by the way). However, since it was a large international company it seemed a less of a crime. In fact I pondered whether to say something.

I am sure there are good facts that businesses both large and small loose millions in lost sales like this, but Sainsburys wont notice it on that day. I wonder if anyone would have noticed it if I hadn’t said anything. This made me think whether it was worth me saying anything about it in reality. He could have needed that money for something innocently although illegally. Even if caught, nothing is likely to happen, and I am sure prison will just breed more problems.

In the end I concluded that I was write in reporting it. Just cause something happens that appears insignificant shouldn’t be ignored. It needs to be dealt with in the proper manner. But I pray that the guy finds what he is searching for.

Noel Edmonds

I noticed Noel Edmonds on the TV tonight on a gameshow (Deal on Deal off - or something). I don't know about anyone else but I everytime I see the guy he always comes across as "bloody nice bloke"....

Anyone get me on that or is it just me?

Mind Boggles

This might take some getting around your head and is probably not very well explained:

I was on the train the other morning and the countryside looked amazing, covered in ice. The air was misty and the sun was just poking through the clouds. It was this that made me think about everything man has invented, don’t know why it did, it just did.

It struck me that everything on earth has been invented by man. That’s not to diminish God – he may well have released the knowledge etc, but it made me wonder what more we could do if we weren’t sinners. That is - does sin reduce our ability to create (create being all facets from discoveries, arts, science etc etc).

This lead me to the thought of how things would have been if Adam and Eve hadn’t fallen to sin in the Garden of Eden. Would we be bothered inventing light bulbs, telephones or anything? Was everything we needed in the garden of eden? This then got me thinking, would Adam and Eve had sex and gone on to bring about a family?

This got me thinking about the phrase, God knew me before I was born. But when did he know me? A couple of hundred years ago, week before I was born, when I was conceived, or before the very beginning of time? At what point did God by his thought bring me into being? This ultimately then made me think about whether some people would exist if sin never entered the world. Let me explain……

Lets say I was born because my mum slept around, she slept with one person and it was because of this sin that I was born. Now lets take away sin if it never happened, she would never have slept around and therefore I wouldn’t have been born. Does that really mean I would have been born or not? If we answer no, I wouldn’t have been born, then God could not have known me before the world began because I am a consequence of free choice. If we answer yes, then he must have known sin would have occurred for the same reason....

Probably too much caffiene on the train.

Nice Pic of the three of us....

Here is a nice pic of the three of us from a while back.
I am posting this here simply to enable me to use it in my profile :-)

Couple of Images from Eastbourne

A couple of pics I took on my phone in Eastbourne.
The first is the view from our Hotel. It was great. Looked like a hot summers day until you stepped out onto the balcony and it was freezing. The second is this amazing sweet shop. It was so full I couldn't believe it....

Worship Experience 25th – 26th November

Last weekend saw me meet up with my best friend Raymond. We actually decided to meet up the day before the conference started so we could spend some time together. That alone was both good for us on different levels.

The conference for me really was great on two levels. Firstly, spending time with a good friend and secondly being able to spend that time in great worship with him.

I was sceptical about going because my history with Kingsway and Worship Experience brand had not been particularly convincing and not particularly engaging. This weekend showed to me that they clearly have moved on. Highlights were seeing Tim Hughes lead worship and finding a new inspiration in a guy called Andy Bromley to the side splitting antics of Godfrey Birtil. Worship times were relevant, stimulating and moving and I am sure God’s done something in me.

Would I go again – at £75 for what was essentially a two day conference I am not sure, probably. I suspect I would rather spend the money going to Soul Survivor, New Wine or Passion for Your Name next year, but that involves tents which is a whole different ball game.

Shaving the ol' way

Got this: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6886845
From this: http://seehere.blogspot.com/

American Dad

One of the best comedies on the TV at the moment:
American Dad is the brainchild of Seth MacFarlane, also creator and executive producer of subversive animation Family Guy, a story of the everyday trials and tribulations of family life in the Griffin Household.

The fourth season, to be shown exclusively on the BBC, also features special guest voice appearances by Drew Barrymore, Keifer Sutherland and Adam West.

Satirical animation American Dad follows typical US dad Stan Smith and his unique family as they strive to cope in a world that seems increasingly stressful.

Stan works for the CIA and will go to extreme lengths to protect both his family (including Roger, the space alien that Stan rescued from Area 51, and Klaus, a lascivious, German-speaking goldfish) and beloved America from harm.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/familyguy/