The 3rd of 4 sessions with Mark Greenwood. Theme for this session was “Handling Objections and the Objector”. Main thrust was thinking about the kinds of questions that people ask you about your faith and the kinds of answers that we should be prepared ahead of time to give.
Followed by a curry at the 3 Singhs with the 2 Marks, Warren, Eryl, Liz (KFM student), Edward and Adam.
The Frisbee was the most durable craze to emerge from the era in which Americans' self-sufficiency in leisure combined with cheap plastics developed for the second world war effort to create the novelties industry. Its inventor, Fred Morrison, who has died aged 90, lived that cultural conjunction.
(Guardian obituary)
Wikipedia entry for Fred Morrison and frisbee.
He is that rare university professor: expert, politically engaged and able to explain simply why his subject matters
(Guardian article from during the election campaign)
Evening meal at the manse followed by the first meeting of Ben’s support group with Johnny and Mark. Good discussion on subjects that were also not exclusively Burn-related. Think it made us all think and food for thought for Ben as he leads the Burn in Bradford.
Emma Harrison's A4e agency brings the personal touch to help the long-term unemployed find work
(Guardian article)
A great film with lots of assumptions that people make being challenged including by the characters in the film.
Started watching this in church but it was too bright to see the screen so we ended up in the daylight centre with the small TV.
Great discussion with Eryl, Mark and Hilary.
Info on the session here including trailer.
Dire game, England terrible, Germany cut through our defence like a hot knife through butter. Lampard’s disallowed goal a disgraceful decision.
The kids took the service this morning and did a great job with Isaac MC-ing and being scarily like me.
Service included Sam’s baptism with lots of specific thanks to people who have helped and encouraged her.
Played the Hope HIV video in adavnce of next week's fundraising BBQ.
Went to the Men’s Breakfast at Bierley. One strand of input was daily bread.
Took Isobel to ballet. Hannah came with us.
Afternoon of chores. Isaac stayed with me while Rachael, the girls and Jean went strawberry picking.
Doctor Who finale was great.
After days of depression and worry in the press and the wider country, England finally played some decent football and were deserved winners – it was still scary throughout though! A few blocks needed in a passage of play close to the end including John Terry putting himself on the line . . .
Fabio Capello was very animated in a post match on-pitch interview. And now on to Germany . . .
Watched the match with the girls – school closed at 2:30pm!
The 2nd of 4 sessions with Mark Greenwood. Theme for this session was “Telling Your Story”. Quite a challenge remembering back to before becoming a Christian, what happened when I became a Christian and thinking about what changes have happened in my life since becoming a Christian.
The story bits reminded me of Donald Miller who I previously blogged about here. I was also reminded me of Andy Stanley’s talk in the “Go Fish” series when he talked about writing a letter to the person who was most significantly involved in you becoming a Christian.
The material for the whole boot camp can be listened to here.
Slide deck for the session here.
The first of these for a while attended by staff reps, team leaders, user rep and the trustees. Good to hear how the staff are getting on and to work on issues that need addressing.
An astounding achievement . . .
Didn’t manage to finish reading Cutting For Stone but enjoyed what I was able to read. Good discussion and main thrust of the feedback was that the author was clearly a medic and used lots of medical details – quite graphic in parts.
Official report here
A very disappointing game in terms of the score, the performance and almost everything else. Not looking good for going through to the last 16.
A work colleague mentioned the Grooveshark web site to me a while ago and since then I have used it extensively. I has a broad music track database and goes back years and years. Worth a look and listen.
A “Good practice and guidance” document from the last (Labour) government.
This guidance deals with some common myths for local government on working with faith groups and is intended to deal with current confusion about these arrangements.
At times there has been a reluctance or confusion on the part of some local authorities to commission services from faith based groups and there are concerns among many groups and organisations including faith groups, that they are disadvantaged when trying to access funding. Greater clarity is needed if local authorities and faith groups are going to have confidence they need to work together.
The 1st of 4 sessions with Mark Greenwood. Good start and very enjoyable. We have a workbook that contains the slide material and space for notes. Theme for this session was “What is Evangelism and Communication and the Gospel?”.
The material for the whole boot camp can be listened to here.
Slide deck for the session here.
As an MBA graduate and an IT professional, I read this article with interest.
Stumbled over this poem by William Cowper (an evangelical Christian and hymn writer) a few weeks back.
It was 25 years ago on March 15 that the first dot com web address was registered.
This one concentrated on Care Centre related matters and working through next steps following a recent report on the centre. A lengthy meeting.
Dimdim was mentioned in a videoconferencing session at work many weeks ago now. Looks to be worth trying for free web conferencing.
My purchasing habits are out of control, so I've decided to renounce the charms of Amazon and concentrate on stuff I've already bought(from a Guardian article that sounds suspiciously like me . . . )
According to this Guardian piece from 2008:
Every booklover has their favourite shop, and while it's true that many independents have been driven out of business by online sales and supermarket bestsellers, you still don't have to look too hard to find one that's thriving. To prove it, Sean Dodson chooses the 10 bookshops from around the world which he considers to be the fairest of them all.
The latest book by Nick Hornby whose “Slam” we studied in the Culture Club a while ago.
Publisher book page (includes videos)
Observer review
Guardian review
The years really cracking on now with Hannah (youngest child) now 7 years old,. Her main present this year was an iPod like music player – Hannah is often leaving stuff places so we are waiting till she is older before she becomes an iPod owner! She loved the player.
At Microsoft, computer science pioneer Bell has worked with senior researcher Gemmell for years on a project called True Recall, which will allow people to create a "digital diary or e-memory continuously," something they predict will "change what it means to be human" as fundamentally as language development and the invention of writing. Based upon further development and integration of three already-extant technology streams (digital recording devices, memory storage and search engines), the authors have worked toward this "third step" in the development of human memory for a decade and a half. A number of issues will need to be addressed, including privacy; the authors distinguish between being a "life logger," with privately stored digital records, and a "life blogger," whose web posts are accessible to others (like friends or coworkers). Bell and Gemmell outline the tests they've run since 2001, scanning and then cataloguing for retrieval a mass of personal data (documents, photographs, books and articles, web pages visited, instant messages, telephone calls) and wearing miniature cameras that sense light shifts and take automatic photographs. Readers will be wondering about the consequences of "recalling everything you once knew" long after they put down this fascinating text, of particular interest to techies, but clearly written for general readers.
(from the Amazon US book page)
Author presentation:
We hosted the planning session for the next All Age. Full house with Ben, Sue and Anthony and Ann, Dave and Joseph. Next mark of a disciple is servant-like. One of the quickest sessions we have done with lots of good ideas and music.
Dave and Rachael put the trampoline up while I cleared up and others watched the footie.
Watched the game with Isaac. We scored early, great Gerrard goal so nerves were calmed down but equaliser came from a howler by the goalie, not the sort of start we wanted.
Goalkeeper Robert Green suffered a World Cup nightmare as England were forced to settle for a disappointing draw in the opening game of their campaign against the United States.
(BBC match report)
Hannah is 7 on Monday and the prior Saturday was her party day. While Rachael and the family were setting up I took Isobel to ballet, enjoying a Latte while reading The Guardian.
Hannah’s party started at 1:30pm and had a bugs and insects theme – not a typical lady at all. Went really well, Rachael did a great job of planning it with lots of variety and included bug hunting in the church garden, making desserts for the tea of mud pies and worms (Angel Delight, jelly worms with crushed Oreos!).
I went home with Isaac while the rest of the family went with Hannah to spend her birthday money – she bought a trampoline.
Na h-Òganaich are a Gaelic band that have released an album of their music after a 35 year break.
I saw them all those years ago in Lochcarron Village Hall in Wester Ross while on a summer holiday with my sister and parents. We also bought 2 of their vinyl records after the gig.
Stumbled over this BBC Alba programme about the recording of the new album on YouTube and was amazed and delighted to see that Mick MacNeil formerly of Simple Minds produced the album.
TV video clips of the programme here.
The new album is Gun Stad.
Why is it so hard to make lasting changes in our companies, in our communities, and in our own lives?
The primary obstacle is a conflict that’s built into our brains, say Chip and Dan Heath, authors of the critically acclaimed bestseller Made to Stick. Psychologists have discovered that our minds are ruled by two different systems—the rational mind and the emotional mind—that compete for control. The rational mind wants a great beach body; the emotional mind wants that Oreo cookie. The rational mind wants to change something at work; the emotional mind loves the comfort of the existing routine. This tension can doom a change effort—but if it is overcome, change can come quickly.
Went to Lister Park for some fresh air, Isobel loving riding her bike (given for free from a school friend who had outgrown it), Hannah on her scooter. Quick shop at Tesco then lunch at home. A chilled 3 days that went very quickly as ever.
Curry: A biography tells the story of an array of familiar Indian dishes and the people, who invented, discovered, cooked and ate them. The British relished the kaleidoscope: indiscriminately, they called everything 'curry' and took it back to Britain where it became a staple of the Victorian dinner party. Later, after the second world war, Bangladeshi seamen, by opening Indian restaurants and take-aways in London's East End, helped to make curry Britain's new national dish.
(from this redhotcurry.com page)
I stumbled over this book a couple of months ago while prep-ing for the Culture Club session on the Athlete album “Black Swan”.
A Black Swan is a highly improbable event with three principle characteristics: it is unpredictable; it carries a massive impact; and, after the fact, we concoct an explanation that makes it appear less random and more predictable than it was. The astonishing success of Google was a black swan; so was 9/11. And why do we always ignore the phenomenon of Black Swans until after they occur?
(from Publisher book page)
Going through some old notes and found this Times article on military eve of battle speeches.
Speech from Lieutenant Colonel Tim Collins in Iraq from 2003
A reminder of my Ancient History “A” Level.
First Lady, Mom-in-chief, role model, fashion icon, dinner lady, serial hugger. Twelve top female writers celebrate the many faces of Michelle Obama
Observer article (from just over a year ago)
Went to York to see Mum and Dad. The National Trust property was closed Thursdays and Fridays so that was disappointing. Stopped to look at a Norman church on the way back. Lunch at theirs followed by coffee in Wilkinsons in the afternoon.
No agenda tonight. We finished off the Andy Stanley “Go Fish” series last meeting and the next meeting will be after the Mark Greenwood Evangelism Boot Camp.
Free ranging discussion with Tracy, Joly, Dave and Lyns on all sorts including camping, holidays, animals etc.
Overcast day, shopping in Bradford including Waterstone’s for books – love that the kids enjoy reading! Then great lunch at Mamma Mia’s –the girls enjoy eating out and its great seeing them enjoy it.
Great feeling leaving work tonight with 3 days off to be with the girls who are off school for an extra week while Rachael and Isaac are back after their one week only off school. Grandma Jean had them the first 2 days.
At the end of his life, in a little house in Golders Green, troubled by financial problems, weakened by ill-health, this "firm defender of the sacred laws of eternal art" (in the words of Glazunov) went on calmly writing music in an idiom as out of date as the wing-collar he wore, completely untouched not just by fashion but by common sense as well. He was a hero because he was right to work in that way, the way that suited his genius, the way that was true to his art, and to refuse to work in any other
(Guardian article)
Wikipedia entry for Nikolai Medtner
An informative article from Sue Halpern from The New York Review of Books included in a recent Saturday edition of The Guardian.
I am an iPod owner but that is the only Apple hardware I have.
Ali Ahmed Aslam, owner of the Shish Mahal curry house in Glasgow, has a strong claim to be the inventor of chicken tikka masala. He created the dish in the mid-70s using a tin of tomato soup to make a spicy gravy when a customer complained that his meal was dry. The rest, as they say, is history.
Went to the Shish Mahal curry house in Glasgow just the once when north of the border. Was taken by the Hogg. Happy memories triggered by this Guardian article.
Photographer Michael Donald tracks down the men who have lived every boy's dream – to score in the World Cup final
(Guardian article)
Like his characters, Robert Harris has often found himself close to news in the making. As his 'Tony Blair' novel hits the cinema, he reveals why his friendship with Roman Polanski has lasted, but his affair with New Labour has not
(Guardian interview)
Robert Harris’ novel “The Ghost” has been made into a film.
Interview:
After the morning’s service, we stayed for Tracey’s Great Big Tea Party for Open Doors where the focus was the persecuted church in Iran. Great cakes!
Brief stay at home and then off to collect Isobel from Brownie camp. She had a great time but was very tired.
Did this Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall recipe for meatballs and tomato sauce for the first time this evening. Got all the ingredients in a whole family shopping trip to Tesco earlier in the day. Took a while to make but great results.
After blogging about the prospect of this, Grand Central services have been up and running for some time now. Received a timetable last week.
. . .to much rejoicing from Isaac who was not impressed all of last season.
Liverpool have announced manager Rafael Benitez has left the club by mutual consent after six years in charge.
BBC article
Guardian interview from before the General Election and a short time into the election campaign.
Bought a couple of bottles of this beer at Booths in Ilkley on Monday. Happy memories of Austria. Tasty, tasty.
Dreams from My Father was a notable contribution to African-American memoir long before it became a campaign sensation. In an exclusive extract from his biography of the American president, David Remnick explores the ultimate act of self-creation
(Edited extract published in the Guardian)
Mainly a church streamed meeting. Prayed for Bradford at the meeting. Got nostalgic telling my story of the King George VI leadership training course after dinner speech using F(ellowship) P(articipation) and F(un) – FPF is the Finnish name for Boys’ Brigade.
Isobel is on a sleepover at a friend’s house before Brownie camp and Hannah has her one night Rainbow camp . Very peaceful in the house.
More recipes that sound great; New potato salad, Papas arrugadas, Pizza bianca
(Guardian article)
