On a personal scale this doesn’t seem like very much, but what happens when our big national corporations start to make this kind of decision? As it turns out, it’s cheaper for the NHS to provide new walking frames, sticks, chair raisers and other home helps, than it is for them to collect, clean and reuse the material.

Yes, I’m a little horrified when I know of someone in Uganda who could probably use every last bit that’s being thrown away. Just this week she was making a splint from Banana leaves and paper mache.

Yes, I am thinking that somehow I could collect all that stuff we’re throwing away, clean it and send it to Uganda in a crate. Anyone else interested?

The overview according to Marko

this process was fairly simple, really, and is based on the idea that the holy spirit is in each of us (both the person with the question, and the other participants). but it’s not as much about “advice giving” (which often crosses into our own junk and mere opinions), as it is about asking open-ended questions to bring the convener into a space where he or she can more clearly hear what the spirit is saying.

Of course, as soon as the process is over it would be really easy to slip into advice giving mode, but that’s not the point.

While I was at uni I had a friend who would get into a real flap about her assignments. Deadlines would loom and the pressure would increase and she’d ask, ‘what do I do?’

We’d then talk for a bit about her options and she’d come to some kind of conclusion and press on with the task. Her assignments would all get done and the pressure would ease.

I never once said, ‘Well, I think you should do this.’ We’d just talk until she had a clear idea of what needed doing and when. This Clearing Committee sounds like the same kind of thing. Giving an individual the space and time to think through some of the stuff that life throws at us and making us more equipped to make decisions.

Maybe for some there is an element of the Holy Spirit in there, especially around certain issues, but I also think it’s a pretty good process for people who don’t necessarily believe in God.

It was a pretty poor state of affairs to be honest. Wycombe’s home ground is shared with London Wasps rugby club, and you could tell by the state of the pitch. When the football hit grass it bounced nicely, when it hit mud it just died.

Southampton are making a charge for promotion. They beat top of the table Norwich City at the weekend and should make it into a play-off place by the end of the season. Wycombe on the other hand will be lucky not to get relegated. Unfortunately, last night, you couldn’t tell the difference in the sides as they fought out a really rather dull 0-0 draw.

Ah well, at least I got out to see some sport and it was good to catch up with friends.

Anyway, he recently wrote a rather good post about what he’s learnt from his children.

The last paragraph partly rings true to me too…

A second thing I learned is that having children has expanded my capacity to love. I was single until I was 29. Getting married expanded that love capacity. Having children expanded it further.

Read the whole thing here

I only partly share his experience. I’ve learnt that getting married has expanded my capacity to love. Maybe one day I’ll find the same thing with children – not that I’m in a rush!

Then there was the challenge of finding roads around Cardiff. Not all A roads have the green backing to their number. A lot of signposts are overgrown and ignored. Street names are just completely missing.

Anyway, it was all for Jo and James’ wedding. The sun shone, the service was great and the whole day flew by. We even made it home by midnight to get some reasonable sleep.

Now as a disciple of Jesus I am with Him by choice and by His grace I am learning how to live in the Kingdom – I am learning to live my life from Jesus as if He were me. I am no longer learning how to do special religious things – my life is not just a matter of what I do but how I do it. And it covers everything religious or not, for everything is spiritual not just the Sunday morning gatherings as we try to squeeze New Testament dynamics into Old Testament structures. My family, my workplace and my community is where I am now learning to live my life as if He were me.

The purposes of God in human history will be realised. I ask myself now – is the information I offer, the life I live, is it consistent with that which entered the world with Jesus and through His disciples changed the course forever of human destiny?

Read the whole thing here, it’s worth it.

In a sort of continuation from my last post. One of the things I want to develop here is making rehabilitation equipment from easily available items – well basically rubbish! As well as providing items to use in the hospital, I also want to make things for home use to inspire patients and their families about what they can do. [read the whole post here]

So can you come up with any ideas of how people can improve their mobility through the use of scrap? It’s a bit like Blue Peter really, only there’s nothing much that’s been made earlier.

If you’ve got any bright ideas, or you’d just like to see what the life of a physiotherapist is like in Uganda, go over to her blog – A Physio on a Wander

I know that she’d be really encouraged by any comments, support or suggestions. So feel free to share her posts, or this one, and encourage your friends to get involved too.

Blogging has brought a new dimension to my friendships. People that I have not yet met, and yet I seem to know so well because I’ve listened to their thoughts and arguments, rants and praises; and despite the great distances between us, I can even join with them in prayers.

“Then call on me when you are in trouble, and I will rescue you, and you will give me glory.” Psalm 50:15 (NLT)

Three things there -

1) call when you are in trouble, and
2) I will rescue you

now - get this ..

3) and you will give me glory.

My blogging friends God is good. Let us give Him glory, complete the circle. You called upon Him in times of trouble, He has stored your tears in a bottle – I know this His Word tells me, He has rescued you and now it is time for us to give Him glory!!! – Live the Sermon on the Mount, this is my desire …..

Amen?

Thanks Mark… and yes, Amen

We shifted a very full car this morning, unloaded at the flat and than charged out to a family friend’s 60th birthday. I’ve seemingly known David for most of my adult life and he’s spent most Easter and Christmas holidays with my parents and me. Today, with about 100 other freiends, we celebrated his birthday. There was a meal, singing, poetry (a particular poem about some people being old at 40 while others are still young at 73, is something I want to remember and track down at some point) and some brilliant music; and then David shared what it meant to have friends and family as well as knowing a real relationship with God.

Strange, as we left I couldn’t help think that this was exactly the kind of birthday party Jesus would have loved. There were people from work, artists and poets, religious leaders (a couple of CofE vicars), friends and family all sat around meal tables talking and sharing life with each other. New friendships were made and old ones reaquainted, sad and happy stories were told and all the glory, honour and praise was given to God.

Tany and I had a little social bash at the Southwestern Arms lat night. It was to celebrate our engagement and for me to say goodbye to my Southampton friends before leaving here at the end of next week. Invites were sent out on Facebook and we thought we’d just sit back and wait to see what happens, I was thinking that a group of 20 would be good. I didn’t really expect so many folk to turn out (we took over the top floor of the pub), or people to travel so far to join us. It was an awesome evening and I really do have some great friends.

Eddie was the only person with a camera so I’m going to have to wait for the pictures to appear on Facebook.

A big thanks to everyone who came along, it was a really special evening.