What a prayer...

I've listened to this song a hundred times and its only this morning that I've really thought about how intense the words are, and how hollow I've made them by carelessly singing them without meaning it:

Help me live a life of love that pleases,

My one desire is to see you lifted,

Burn me up, burn me up

Until all we see is you

Jesus, you're all I've ever needed

Your joy will be the strength I live by

Burn me up, burn me up

Until all we see is you

Lead me on to a place where your glory is revealed

Burn me up, burn me up

Until all we see is you

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Random Quote - Chan

"Someone asked me recently why I don't save money for emergencies, or retirement. My answer was how can I justify saving for myself "just in case" something happens to me when something IS happening to so many already. 29,000 kids will die today of preventable causes. If I'm to love my neighbor AS myself, why spend so much time worrying about me?" 

- Francis Chan, June 08

A fairly challenging way to look at things, especially when I took a job that's main attraction is the pension scheme. Hopefully its not just a phase I'm going through, but the last few weeks (after reading Crazy Love) I been really starting to think more about where my money goes, and how much I really need for myself. 

The video below is by Sarah McLachlan - who made the video on a minimum budget, and gave what it should have cost to various causes - a total of $148,270. Visit world on fire for a list of recipients.

clip length: 4min 35sec

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Crazy Love

Out of the three people that read this blog, one has read this book, ones in the middle of it, an one's already had to listen to me harp on about it. However, its still worth a few posts, not least to keep me thinking about the themes and challenges it poses.

Simply put, this is an amazing book! 

Chan basically spends three chapters having us reevaluate who God is, and then the remaining seven examining our response to him. Every page has a challenge, and the impassioned, loving tone that Chan uses throughout makes it impossible to ignore what he is saying or to think that he has any ulterior motive other than love for God and His church.

As an accompaniment to the book he's set up crazylovebook.com that includes videos relating to each chapter. Below is the video introduction to wet your appetite if you haven't already got it [Pete].

Read Challies review and then get straight onto Amazon and order this book!

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Mustache March

Working shifts has a lot of downsides - but a plus is a lot of free time during the day to get lots of useful stuff done. Unfortunately I normally waste hours looking at rubbish on the internet.

It was on one such morning that I found these guys. They took it upon themselves to raise some money for charity, by spending the month of March growing mustaches - surely the most humiliating of all facial hair varieties!

They all shaved clean on March 1st, were allowed 7 days of full beard growth before shaving to reveal the 'tache without the comfort blanket of a beard and leaving it for the remainder of the month.

Because my job doesn't allow me to grow a beard I had to wait until holiday to attempt my own, although only going as far as the 7 day mark. The photos below show my glorious, if rather disturbing efforts!

This is the way we should be raising money to pay of building debts!

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(RED)

Just stumbled across this site when looking for a new wallpaper for the mac. I'd seen this stuff mentioned on places before but never really paid any attention. Basically its a project thats been set up with major brands including Apple, Gap, Armani and American Express whereby when a consumer buys a designated (red) product, they will donate a percentage of the profit to (red) who will then use this to purchase AIDs medication for Africa.

Check out the video clip and website. 

After reading Crazy Love by Francis Chan recently (which is amazing by the way - highly recommended - Homelio gives it a mention) started to think a bit more about what we can do in our privileged middle class lives! Things like this don't even cost us anything!

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Not at all "relevant?", but cool nonetheless!

Sam and I went to a major league baseball game on Sat night, whilst flying the flag for the green and white! And our team even won - amazing stuff. 

Obviously it wasn't as electric as the Kop, but it was a good laugh!

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Incidentally, whilst watching the Sweden v Spain match on US tv earlier that day, it only took the commentator 6mins to come out with the following;

"Spain, who were beaten in Belfast by Northern Ireland. [pause], as were Sweden"! ESPN know we exist!

I love the US y'all

I'm posting this from a MacBook Pro in the Apple Store in Florida.

Sam's about to buy this exact machine!

Hope its raining in Belfast!

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Hellooo Mickey!

I'm going on holiday tomorrow to the good ole US of A! Hopefully I'll avoid all things Mickey related for two weeks! 

Sayonara!

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I love proverbs!

Due to the title of the previous post, I thought I should even the balance by posting my favorite verse from proverbs, and proof that God made sex desirable for a reason and that Christians should enjoy it passionately (with their spouses!)

"Let your fountain be blessed, and rejoice in the wife of your youth, a lovely deer, a graceful doe.
Let her breasts fill you at all times with delight; be intoxicated always in her love." 

Proverbs 5: 18-19

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No sex please - we're christians!

Sex and dating action night, this Wed night at 7.30. Hopefully plenty of people will come along, its something everyone complains that the church doesn't talk about - now that they are you've nothing left to complain about.

We'd posted some links to useful resources up here over the past few weeks - you can check them all out again by clicking on the tags down the right hand side of the screen - or below.

By the way - this is not in any way for couples only - everyone will be able to get something out of it. Hopefully see you there.

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SEX

DATING