Being at Bognor meant I missed out on much of the coverage of the inauguration of President Obama.
I have managed to catch up with some, but surely by Rev. Joseph Lowery was a particular God high moment!
Who cannot say ‘Amen’ to that?
not blogged a lot recently due to not being able to sit at the computer due to pain … but this day is exciting and, with many in the world, I hope the election of Obama as the president of the USA will mean, in time, a better world.
A recovery from the Bush era(s) is very much needed.
The victory speech here is great and worth listening to.
I’ve mentioned ASBO Jesus before, the wonderful creation of Jon Birch.
He says what he thinks here (and I for one share the prayer) and there is a discussion brewing at ASBO here.
Jon over at ASBOJesus seems to capture the mood well yet again.
Mark sums up the Boris and London situation very well here.
What a joke!
Today has been a day of sadness when I have reflected on the events of the last couple of days.
Labour’s dismal performance in the elections and the election of Boris Johnson as the Mayor of London cause more than a little concern. I’m glad I don’t live in London at this point in time! A sad day for politics.
Today Gillingham were relegated to League 2. We’ve have not played at this level for some 12 years and I’ll be praying we cam move onwards and upwards quickly. A sad day for football.
These emotions of sadness have to be contrasted with the great joy experienced while spending time fixing and rebuilding a Guinea Pig run today with Joseph. W chatted, I measured, he sawed, we both hammered nails and in just a few hours we had a smart looking run for the newest members of the family to run about in. A happy day for family life.
Today I’ve remembered to live!
Today I ticked off one of those things that I’ve wanted to do for ages … a kind of little lifetime ambition in going to a meeting that was held in the Houses of Parliament. Today I got to meet with others in Committee Room 21, which is on the second floor you know!
It was great to walk up the stairs where politicians of the ages have walked and to wonder what conversations the walls had heard. To sit where countless others had sat as they eeked out legislation.
I was representing YFC at a meeting pulled together byChristians in Politics where we were looking at how we can encourage churches and Christians to become involved in politics. It was an interesting and worthwhile 2 hours.
I even got to sit in those genuine green leather chairs!
I had a fairly long day working in London yesterday and while reflecting on my various meetings I became aware that the one thing that connected yesterday together was dreams, some great, some ok, and some plainly ridiculous!
The start of the day was at the chief execs meeting of NCVYS where the first part of the morning was given to a Tory MP and his team to share with us their ’emerging youth policy’. It was interesting to hear but quite saddening as they outlined a dream of all 16 year olds having a 5 week residential to look at citizenship and stuff (I must admit my mind drifted a bit!). I was amazed at the arrogance to think that all 16 year olds should go on what I think it basically a boot camp! After Tom’s GCSE’s we will want to go on holiday, not say goodbye to him for 5 weeks, and I’m sure (and hope) many other parents would feel the same.
After a few challenges on how this would happen the MP said they would make it happen and actually said ‘this is going to happen’ – thankfully he has to get through an electorate first and the odds of that happening are at very best 50:50!
My meetings in the afternoon were with YFC people to hear about their dreams. I met with Dione to hear about the progress she is making in Wandsworth. The experience was so different to the morning in hearing a dream that was well thought out and had the interests of young people at its core and was manageable if a little challenging. I then met with others working in London and heard of their aspirations and dreams for their areas. Again it was like being in another world – meeting with people with nothing to prove and only God to impress.
At the end of my refection (call it Examen if you like) I reflected on how releasing it is to have only one person to impress – that one being God. I do not need to think up ambitious unattainable sound-bite dreams to impress a group of people – I simply need to be wanting to impress my creator.
The latest Protest4 update can be found here.
This is a great ridiculous idea. I’m going to get my pineapple today – not the tinned variety, but a real one!
Should I wrap it or not?!
Want to know why the free Burma Campaign is suggesting we send Margaret Beckett a pineapple? Read here or click the pineapple to find out more.
The Shiny Headed Prophet 