What did Hobbes say about writing lists?

Well one thing I'd add to that list is Hugh Grants floppy hair.

The word of the week this week is succubus - a scrumpet.

Revival - or 'Power Shower?'

Adrian's Blog: Spurgeon on Revival

There is much talk on revival. But the word revival implies something different to what we (Christians) mean. It is so true, that our 'revival' is coming, but what does the word really mean? The word revival literally means "an improvement in the condition or strength of something" (Oxford American Dictionary), but what do Christians mean? It becomes much more the idea of thousands of people coming to faith in Jesus Christ. Thousand of NEW people coming to faith. That's not the same. Improvement? REvive? This is a reawakening of something that has lain dormant, not a new faith, new believer joining a once dying church. Revival isn't a powerful enough word. Revival says that backslidden Christian will realise their mistake, the error of their ways and return to the family they belong. We need something so much more powerful. That's right...full of POWER. The Gospel is the power of God for the salvation of EVERYONE. That's everyone. Salvation is the greatest miracle, because God commands light to shine in a heart which is full of darkness. God commanded light to shine in the dark when I became a Christian, so a Revival of my heart would say I once was in the position I am now.

Let's lose the word. But keep the attitude.
"And now, at this time, we want to have the old truths restored to their places. The subtleties and the refinements of the preacher must be laid aside. We must give up the grand distinctions of the school-men, and all the lettered technicalities of men who have studied theology as a system, but have not felt the power of it in their hearts; and when the good old truth is once more preached by men whose lips are touched as with a live coal from off the altar, this shall be the instrument, in the hand of the Spirit, for bringing about a great and thorough revival of religion in the land." (Spurgeon; From Pyromaniacs)

What is the difference between a young professional and an OAP if they are both going to the same place? We all belong in the New Jerusalem, our happy home, not the burning sulphur so maybe the revival we need is one of where we all belong, not of one that is a lost and found faith. Let's lose the word but Keep The Attitude. God is the one who saves, and it's time for some of us to forget about words, and concentrate on Him who Saves.

I don't belong here.

I was all about sticking it to the man...Now I am the man...I don't think I can be the man

Famous words of Jack O'Neil. I've been spending the majority of my time watching science-fiction dramas; Heroes and Stargate SG-1. Why? Because I have nothing more important to do. Or I do, and find time in my busy schedule not to do them.

The word of the week is qua. I don't care to divulge what it means.


What I noticed on my way to University this morning was the two rainbows in the sky...hence the picture. What I didn't notice was the thumb in the bottom of the picture. God has a tendency of doing everything just right. At times He will be at the forefront of our lives leading us on into new ventures and complete ease at knowing He is by our side, at others He will step back, and look at how we do without His hand moving us in the right direction. We look back only for Him to reassure us that, regardless of whether we go left or right He'll be right behind us. He has faith in us, which many people miss, and all we have to do is act wanting to please Him and He will honour us because He loves us. Why do I say all this? Because in a year of choices, you want to make the right one. I graduate soon and I have no idea where I should be going (except of course heaven), but God definitely likes to keep me on my toes.

Back to the word of the week, qua means 'in the capacity of'. See if you can use it once this week. I dare you.

Knock Knock
Who's there?
Nobody
Nobody who?

Nobody who?

*Ramble, ramble*

104...

SUPPOSEDLY if you've seen over 85 films, you have no life. Mark the ones you've seen. There are 239 films on this list. Copy this list, go to your own facebook account, paste this as a note. Then, put x's next to the films you've seen, add them up, change the header adding your number, and click post at the bottom. Have fun.

(x) Rocky Horror Picture Show
(x) Grease
(x) Pirates of the Caribbean
(x) Pirates of the Caribbean 2: Dead Man's Chest
(x) Boondock Saints
(x) Fight Club
(x) Starsky and Hutch
(x) Neverending Story
( ) Blazing Saddles
(x) Airplane

Total: 9

(x) The Princess Bride
(x) AnchorMan
( ) Napoleon Dynamite
( ) Labyrinth
(x) Saw
( ) Saw II
( ) White Noise
( ) White Oleander
(x) Anger Management
( ) 50 First Dates
(x) The Princess Diaries
(x) The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement

Total so far: 15

( ) Scream
( ) Scream 2
( ) Scream 3
( ) Scary Movie
( ) Scary Movie 2
(x) Scary Movie 3
( ) Scary Movie 4
(x) American Pie
(x) American Pie 2
(x) American Wedding
( ) American Pie Band Camp

Total so far: 19

(x) Harry Potter 1
(x) Harry Potter 2
(x) Harry Potter 3
( ) Harry Potter 4
( ) Resident Evil 1
(x) Resident Evil 2
(x) The Wedding Singer
( ) Little Black Book
(x) The Village
( ) Lilo & Stitch

Total so far: 25

(x) Finding Nemo
( ) Finding Neverland
(x) Signs
(x) The Grinch
( ) Texas Chainsaw Massacre
( ) Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning
( ) White Chicks
( ) Butterfly Effect
(x) 13 Going on 30
(x) I, Robot
(x) Robots

Total so far: 31

(x) Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story
( ) Universal Soldier
(x) Lemony Snicket: A Series Of Unfortunate Events
( ) along Came Polly
(x) Deep Impact
( ) KingPin
( ) Never Been Kissed
(x) Meet The Parents
(x) Meet the Fockers
( ) Eight Crazy Nights
( ) Joe Dirt
(x) KING KONG

Total so far: 37

(x) A Cinderella Story
(x) The Terminal
( ) The Lizzie McGuire Movie
( ) Passport to Paris
(x) Dumb & Dumber
( ) Dumber & Dumberer
(x) Final Destination
(x) Final Destination 2
( ) Final Destination 3
( ) Halloween
(x) The Ring
( ) The Ring 2
( ) Surviving X-MAS
(x) Flubber

Total so far: 44

( ) Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle
( ) Practical Magic
( ) Chicago
( ) Ghost Ship
( ) From Hell
( ) Hellboy
(x) Secret Window
( ) I Am Sam
( ) The Whole Nine Yards
( ) The Whole Ten Yards

Total so far: 45

(x) The Day After Tomorrow
( ) Child's Play
( ) Seed of Chucky
( ) Bride of Chucky
( ) Ten Things I Hate About You
( ) Just Married
(x) Gothika
( ) Nightmare on Elm Street
( ) Sixteen Candles
( ) Remember the Titans
( ) Coach Carter
(x) The Grudge
( ) The Grudge 2
(x) The Mask
( ) Son Of The Mask

Total so far: 48

( ) Bad Boys
( ) Bad Boys 2
( ) Joy Ride
( ) Lucky Number Slevin
(x) Ocean's Eleven
( ) Ocean's Twelve
(x) Bourne Identity
(x) Bourne Supremecy
( ) Lone Star
( ) Bedazzled
(x) Predator I
( ) Predator II
( ) The Fog
(x) Ice Age
( ) Ice Age 2: The Meltdown
( ) Curious George

Total so far: 53

(x) Independence Day
( ) Cujo
( ) A Bronx Tale
( ) Darkness Falls
( ) Christine
(x) ET
( ) Children of the Corn
( ) My Bosses Daughter
( ) Maid in Manhattan
(x) War of the Worlds
(x) Rush Hour
( ) Rush Hour 2

Total so far: 57

( ) Best Bet
( ) How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
( ) She's All That
(x) Calendar Girls
( ) Sideways
(x) Mars Attacks
( ) Event Horizon
( ) Ever After
(x) Wizard of Oz
( ) Forrest Gump
( ) Big Trouble in Little China
(x) The Terminator
(x) The Terminator 2
( ) The Terminator 3

Total so far: 62

(x) X-Men
(x) X-2
(x) X-3
(x) Spider-Man
(x) Spider-Man 2
( ) Sky High
( ) Jeepers Creepers
( ) Jeepers Creepers 2
( ) Catch Me If You Can
(x) The Little Mermaid
(x) Freaky Friday
( ) Reign of Fire
( ) The Skulls
( ) Cruel Intentions
( ) Cruel Intentions 2
( ) The Hot Chick
(x) Shrek
(x) Shrek 2

Total so far: 70

( ) Swimfan
(x) Miracle on 34th street
(x) Old School
( ) The Notebook
( ) K-Pax
( ) Krippendorf's Tribe
( ) A Walk to Remember
( ) Ice Castles
( ) Boogeyman
( ) The 40-year-old Virgin

Total so far: 72

(x) Lord of the Rings Fellowship of the Ring
(x) Lord of the Rings The Two Towers
(x) Lord of the Rings Return Of the King
(x) Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark
(x) Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
(x) Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

Total so far: 78

(x) Baseketball
( ) Hostel
( ) Waiting for Guffman
( ) House of 1000 Corpses
( ) Devils Rejects
(x) Elf
( ) Highlander
( ) Mothman Prophecies
( ) American History X
( ) Three

Total so Far: 80

( ) The Jacket
(x) Kung Fu Hustle
( ) Shaolin Soccer
( ) Night Watch
(x) Monsters Inc.
(x) Titanic
(x) Monty Python and the Holy Grail
(x) Shaun Of the Dead
( ) Willard

Total so far: 85

( ) High Tension
( ) Club Dread
(x) Hulk
( ) Dawn Of the Dead
(x) Hook
(x) Chronicles Of Narnia The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe
(x) 28 days later
( ) Orgazmo
( ) Phantasm
( ) Waterworld

Total so far: 89

(x) Kill Bill vol 1
(x) Kill Bill vol 2
( ) Mortal Kombat
( ) Wolf Creek
( ) Kingdom of Heaven
( ) the Hills Have Eyes
( ) I Spit on Your Grave aka the Day of the Woman
( ) The Last House on the Left
( ) Re-Animator
( ) Army of Darkness

Total so far: 91

(x) Star Wars Ep. I The Phantom Menace
(x) Star Wars Ep. II Attack of the Clones
(x) Star Wars Ep. III Revenge of the Sith
(x) Star Wars Ep. IV A New Hope
(x) Star Wars Ep. V The Empire Strikes Back
(x) Star Wars Ep. VI Return of the Jedi
( ) Ewoks Caravan Of Courage
( ) Ewoks The Battle For Endor

Total so far: 97

(x) The Matrix
(x) The Matrix Reloaded
(x) The Matrix Revolutions
(x) Animatrix
(x) Evil Dead
(x) Evil Dead 2
(x) Team America: World Police
( ) Red Dragon
( ) Silence of the Lambs
( ) Hannibal

Final mark.... 104... Which means this obviously is a lie. I bet everyone else gets over 100.

Chestnuts roasting on an open fire

Except not this year. Every year I get "home" with the joys of family life; food, wine, warmth, remoteness, only to find the tradition of every year is ruined by a 400 metre long queue at Morrison's. Now, tell me if I'm wrong, but that's not the best reason to miss shopping on Christmas Eve. My parents hadn't got any nuts. "No nutss..." Which meant my mum mentioning it in her sermon on Christmas Eve morning, and a lot of "sarcastic sympathy" from the church congregation.
Of course we have some now (only walnuts, not the usual selection) but it took them (the parents) over 6 days. Not acceptable. My standards remain high when I return to my parents house, so that they know I miss them. It's a healthy thing to do. No compliments of the food at lunch means "This is really good" and so on....if you were visiting it may be a little strange for you.
Now, why did I return? One reason. Christmas. The giving and receiving of gifts, filming silly films with my two brothers, catching up with friend(s), but why? Why is this time of year clothed with reunion? I think I have the answer. This holiday signifies (whether it is the actual date or not I neither know nor care) the birth of Jesus Christ. A fascinating character who became my sin so I could have a right relationship with my perfect heavenly father. Don't worry if that means nothing to you...reunion is my focus. When Jesus was born, He started something utterly magnificent, He did not come to live, but to die. Take punishment for everyone's rebellion against God, whom everyone knew regardless of if they are in denial or not. Why did Jesus do that? Forgiveness? Eternal life? I suppose yes to both. But the primary focus of His free gift to us was God. We can be reunited with our Father because Jesus has bridged the gap, fulfilled the requirements so that any of us who believes in Jesus death & resurrection and trusts in Him for forgiveness and salvation will be reconciled. It's a wonderful thing.
This Christmas, when you are reunited with the family, or wishing you were, think about a reunion that is the most important decision you will ever make. You can be reunited with the God you once knew by asking Jesus to take your sin on His shoulders and be put right with God. No prerequisites; you can do it right now.

New Blog, New Post, Old news but feel the need...

In recently looking at the 'Political' groups on facebook.com, and my good friend **** ****** I came across a group called Stop Pure. This is an interesting topic and I will probably return to it on numerous occasions. I won't join the group because I don't agree with it; I think Pure (a UCCF run course on sexual purity with a look at the most authoritative book on the planet, which if you disobey it's teachings you disobey God himself - I would say that is inadvisable) is a good and helpful course that any Christian should attend so that they can safely ask questions without finding out the hard way.

I immediately had a look at this group and two uploaded photos of articles about this course and the recommended reading. I think the main problem people with something like this is they believe it's forcing views which not everyone has on people who haven't made a decision. This is wrong, of course, because if somebody has made a decision to give their lives to Christ then the views they want is that of Christ, so in fact they are allowing Christ's views to be told to them, not forced upon them.

The next point I took from the article in particular, which states "A pro-abstinence Christian course will encourage gay students to suppress their homosexuality" made me think about the world which knows nothing of Christianity. What is it? A commitment and relationship with an all-powerful, all-knowing, all-seeing God who gives what He wants from you so you can commune with Him. If this God doesn't like homosexuality you should agree with such a being. Secondly, they assume homosexuality is something to suppress, rather than a lifestyle to leave. Christianity encourages other things, like sensible drinking, it doesn't encourage suppressing alcoholism because it's not something to suppress but something to deal with. Is this making sense?

It makes me passionately angry when people don't know enough about something to respond to it. If they did know enough they would agree whole-heartedly because the truth of salvation from God's wrath is overpoweringly attractive, it looks like foolishness to men (and women) until it is understood by their heart.

New Post, New Film, New Freedom

I'm not talking fence post here, I'm talking....blog. Not always as exciting, but let's see where we're going. My conviction to start a podcast hasn't got me much further than designing a 'joke time' logo. As with most people trying to find a ladder to get on the rung of, they desire the talent of entertainment. Some people told me I was funny; out of that came a crazy desire to do stand up, and look what happened. I did quite well. Until I ran out of material that is. Then I decided to pull apart the revious act, saying she wasn't funny, it was the same jokes as last time...etc. The feedback I got was that if I had a problem with her, she's a very nice person and I could have talked to her after. I didn't think she was rubbish. I said it for a reaction and no one defended her! How am I supposed to find out how my crowd are doing if they don't react? Of course their lack of response makes me think they agreed. Which I'm not too sad about. He he...

I went to see Casino Royale last night. It's quite good. Well, actually, it's very good. Indeed. I saw a certain upside to the fact that he made such a good James Bond they didn't concentrate on women the way they did with the last 21. What else? The credits at the start were focused on James rather than women, that was another plus point, I saw, because if that's what the film's based on it should be that way. It is good, but it could have stopped about 3 times before the credits finally came up. AI springs to mind in that respect. It's a must see...I really must see it...oh I did. Yes, it most definitely isn't a waste of 3 hours.

My band had their final gig exactly one week ago. Albums are for sale for £6 if you so wish (I would highly recommend it). visit: http://www.thesalvatordarlings.co.uk/

What a day

Not really, it's been pretty dull. It's been raining a lot, and I've been getting wet. Brilliant. Terry Virgo was up in Leeds this weekend, talking about grace...which was nice. I spent a lot of time enjoying his encouragement and then went home. Mark was up as well...we finally got an album. It was recorded in February and finished two weeks ago. Pathetic. It's not really a bad thing, because the album is ready for our last ever gig. Last ever. Short sentences seem to be my thing today. Listening to John Piper has made me very open to hearing more about the greatest letter ever written, only for the radio to start a series on 'Jesus is Precious because...' which isn't a bad thing but I was really getting into Romans. Phooey. Writing my blog today I'm looking a bit like this. And I can do that because of my new laptop. Anyway.



What on earth is it about Christianity that makes people so angry? I was telling 'housemate' Chris about the FACT that no one can earn their way into heaven. When someone swears at that it makes you upset. When they go on to condemn themselves to hell by saying that a Buddhist monk who 'hasn't done anything wrong' (this is a lie) it makes me angry because the very grasping of such a simple message, the same for everyone, everyone is equal in their standing with God, it does cause offense. Terrible state of affairs if you ask me. I hope you learn nothing from this. It's not even very interesting is it? Oh well...

The weekend

"Nothing happened really" the three least comforting words in the English language.

How many time have you been away, but really wanted to get back, then wanted to stay, then get back etc..and never really known what to do so sat in a hole for a while hoping someone will pick you up and move to where you're supposed to be. Well that's not really what happened to me this weekend. Firstly, I was going to be spending a weekend with my CU, which means brilliant networking, community, and sleeping in a less than comforting cabin in a sleeping bag with a sweat on every night. Secondly Andrew Satch (author of 'Digging Deeper') was preaching on Jonah, so that was fun, compelling and moving, tra-la-la. Thirdly I had my MacBook waiting for me. Which is what I is writing this on. You can see the dilemma. Going away is good, but not being where my new toy is waiting isn't. I also was going to, and did, miss Abbey. It was only a day so it could have been worse, and there was zero reception in this place so communication was not an option with anyone. Especially when you accidentally give the key to someone who disappears, and Tom really wants a shower because he's been walking in torrential rain for an hour, only he can't because there's only a bath. But that was sorted in the end. Right before Ria spoon fed me cake and custard, seasoned with salt.

The quote is from Peep Show. I'm from Rotherham, and I'm beginning to think there should be a Golden Statue of the Chuckle Brothers erected in Rotherham town centre when they die. Brilliant.

Everyone loves a good pun

While the majority of people looking for an excuse to travel down to London, and found one by the march called "Admission: Impossible" to do with raising student fee caps so that only wealthy people can get an education (the way it should be), I was travelling down to London for an entirely different cause. My Nana turned 80 on Tuesday, so we commemorated the event with a nice family reunion. Eleven Isaacson's in the same room, the first time in about 12 years. Sitting in a restaurant in the centre of London is odd enough, when you have in the back of your mind "it's nice to be here but let's try and keep the £10 per head still intact", so when the rules are turned on it's head and it's "have what you want, with red & white wine around, blah..." the uncomfortable level is turned UP. At the beginning of the meal my dad spotted Eel on the menu, when I commented "I haven't got that far down yet" it truly set the mood. Except most of my sarcasm was missed by the main guest because she's hard of hearing; not surprising at 79 years 363 days old.

Yesterday was a funny day. It always is when you spend it with 2 2-year-olds & a 7-year-old. Especially when the first thing she says to you is "you're one of my best friends" when you've only met her once before. Anyway, laughs were had all round. I did find the twins funny, they had their own little language to be getting on with which made the majority of their pointing useless. *Point* "ablahblangahree" "I don't know Josh". I was surprised when I proved myself wrong by actually being good with kids, but there you are.

I'm preaching tonight at CU. Scared isn't the word to describe how I'm feeling, but that doesn't mean to say I'm not. A provocative thought I heard last night was "You'll make more friends in two months by being interested in people, than in two years trying to make people interested in you." You can have that one for free.