LOST AND FOUND
Don’t you hate it when you lose things, and even more the advice you get when you try to find them. More often than not its always my fault when I lose things and leave them in my room only to get buried under mounds of other things that are waiting their turn to get lost. In the end I find them and they are where I left them (surprised? Didn’t think so).
However recently my Pastor was preaching and he used this same situation to bring out a point about our daily walk with God. Do we feel as if we lost God? Do we feel as if we are missing something in our faith? If the answer is yes then we should examine our lives. Has anything changed? When was the last time we felt close to God? When you identify that time compare now to then, have you stopped doing anything (or perhaps started doing something) different? If you stopped reading your bible then start, have you stopped praying, start have you stopped meeting with God’s people, start! Often its when we stop these routine activities and get caught up in other things that God seems distant to us, try going back to those necessary activities to find what you lost.
Often it is the case that when we lose something its where we left it, the best thing about God is he will never leave us and he is infinitely patient. Often he is just waiting for us, calling to us to come back to him. I may go all over the place BUT God’s going nowhere!
Do Balrogs Have wings ?
This may seem a funny question but it has been around for… well since Tolkien wrote Lord of the wings. I came across this at my A-levels, writing a piece of research on Tolkien. the balrog is a mythical daemon that they fight in Moria, in the recent film it is the most famous part of the whole trilogy and is depicted with wings. There is a lot of debate out there! if your interested in finding out more try:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balrog
and the external links has even more hardcore essays on the subject. Anyone fancy a MA on Balrogisum?
More ways to waste your day from Jonny :)
GANDALF and PIPPIN sit on stone steps . . . Both
covered in sweat and grime, bone-weary from fighting,
spirits and hearts bruised . . .
PIPPIN:(quiet)
I didn't think it would end this way . . .
GANDALF: (gently):
End? No, the journey doesn't end here.
PIPPIN looks up at GANDALF, questioningly . . . .
GANDALF: Death is just another path, one that we all
must take.
ANGLE ON: GANDALF looks down to see PIPPIN looking
up at him with fear in his eyes . . .
GANDALF: (remembering)
The grey rain curtain of this world rolls
back and all turns to silver glass . . .
(to himself)
and then you see it . . .
ANGLE ON: GANDALF breaks off, lost in reverie . . .
PIPPIN:
What, Gandalf? See what?
GANDALF:
White shores ... And beyond . . . A far green
country under a swift sunrise.
PIPPIN stares up at the OLD WIZARD'S FACE, softened
quiet and full of peace . . .
PIPPIN:(quiet)
Well, that isn't so bad.
GANDALF:(gently)
No . . . No, it isn't.
WHO IS STUPIDER:Man who throws ballorDog who fetches ???
HERE’S JONNYSo many might have noticed my absence, but that was explained in the previous blog post. So I’d thought I’d share some randomness from my trip across the ocean.Day 1: in cinema seeing the pursuit of happiness when the lights come on and there is an announcement that a tornado has been sighted please evacuate the cinema and proceed to the tornado shelter, please do not leave the mall. Like day 1!!!Visiting a southern Baptist church, it was big, the worship hall could have fitted my whole church site in (or close to at least). Preaching was good glad the gospel is the same in the USBookstores, the main bookstore has Christian books in, like ones you would want to read!Food, I had root beer, American beer (yes it is as bad as everyone thinks). Taco bell, authentic Mexican, American burgers, dinner milkshakes, homemade fudge, and southern fried chickenTexas being famous for the Wild West meant we went to the historic stockyards, got to see a Rodeo, funnier was the reaction of Lindsey and her mum going into the rodeo and smelling the air. Saw calf lassoing, stunt riding, bull riding and the works. Also got to try on cowboy stuff Cars, all the cars are bigger, the roads are bad. Many many trucks on the road, but petrol is about 1/3 of the price, it costs the same in petrol to run a gas guzzling truck as it did my fiesta. Also saw a beautiful 65” mustang being done up/New years, spent time with some of Lindsey’s family friends in a huge house, really Texan people playing poker and pool.Films saw night at the museum, the pursuit of happiness and children of me. Children of men was really good but made me homesick as it is all filmed on location in Kent and London. Culture, went to see the bodyworlds exhibit. If you get the opportunity see it, yes they are real bodies but my word you see just how good God is in his making of the human body!!!Shopping, I gave in and bought cheap Oakleys, not that I will have a chance to use them much in wet England but I am weak.Overall it was a good trip, but now its back to reality and time to get work!
MEET THE PARENTS
So, i'm going to be away for the next 8 days, why6? i'm off to America to meet lindseys parents. I think this could be an..... interesting experance, she lives in dallas, texas. So i have lots of stereotypes of Americans in my head, and texans are the cowboy type with big guns. Also i heard the men are really protective of their daughters. So best behavior, stiff upper lip and tiddley pom away I go.
HAPPY NEW YEAR to you all :)
ROOM 101 It’s my 101st post. So I thought I’d do a 101 special J.
So what 3 things would Jonny send to room 101?
Yes those Chelsea tractors the bane of the road user everywhere. They seem to always park badly, they never see you because everything is too small. They are really bad for fuel efficacy and are in the worst group for co2 emissions. At night when you travel on the roads because they are so elevated their headlights are slap bang on the same level as your mirror so you get blinded. I see no need for these, if you have lots of kids get a people carrier or an estate car. The fact is the 4 wheel drive is now becoming a road car, there are sporty “vogue” versions, what farmer would buy a vogue? surely this is aimed at those soccer mom’s. I saw a top gear where they raced a new range rover sport against a tank, the range rover was shamed, it cant handle what it was designed to do, off road, though it did have lots of space and a refrigerator in the arm rest. These beasts have my vote to go to room 101! (with the exception of those who live on farms who have need for off road vehicles)
This is one thing that should be locked away and never seen again. Its derisive, its dribble. Theology that says things like, Jesus is not God, penal substitution is wrong, and the Bible is not the word of God. These are the basics that if you take away leave gaping holes in your faith and reduce you to licence or religion. Either way its will leave you empty and unfulfilled.
Okay the first time round x-factor and pop idol got our attentions, but why do they persist in continuing? There is soo much samey rubbish that get thrown in our faces I think we should let music be music on its own merits and on the talent of the performers. With all this clutter being blasted out our TV and radio it strangles those with talent who haven’t been given their showbiz break. Ratings should not control the music business.
I hope this doesn’t sound like ranting, it is but its light-hearted. My room 101 selection for my 101 post.
