AboutLife

International Random (Act of Kindness) Dayout

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 13:43:48 -0800

It's been about 18 months since the last Random Dayout and that's just too long. I've been thinking about it and how though the Lifers may be smaller in number we are a pretty global bunch.

As far as I can figure:

North London
South West London
Yorkshire
Holland
South Africa
East Coast of USA
West Coast of USA
Hong Kong
Australia (I think)

Quick prayer request

Thu, 06 Nov 2008 15:46:10 -0800

The son of a friend of my Mum's is in very deep trouble with the law. It could be said that he only has himself to blame, but the predicted punishment appears to me and my mum to be way too harsh.

So, could you please add a little to your prayer that he should receive a just punishment in God's eyes. If it's meant to be as bad as it appears then how can we argue.

Peace to yo

Just rambling

Fri, 24 Oct 2008 13:26:12 -0700

It's funny how you have nothing to write and then you have loads. I think that I have officially got my bloggers head back on. It seems that to think of something to write you need to write first.

Anyway, I was walking across the street (actually I was just about to start walking across) when I saw a street cleaning truck and thought

Street cleaners are much like the best of us. They slowly get on with making things clean while nobody gives them any praise. Indeed, those who love cleanliness the most usually just notice how ugly and dirty they are.

Never seen this before

Thu, 23 Oct 2008 15:34:14 -0700

I know of people who like sport going into the ministry.
I know of people who love sport going into the ministry.
I know of people who used to play sport going into the ministry.
I know of people who used to play sport professionally going into the ministry.
I have never seen someone give up pro sport to be a priest.

Roaches

Wed, 22 Oct 2008 12:53:00 -0700

We have them, in the kitchen. We have quite a few fewer after last night's killing spree, but we fear there's many more hidden behind the cupboards. It's annoying but they are hardly quick or intelligent - or tough to kill.

I have to admit that I wasn't sure whether or not I'd blog this. You see, when you have roaches (or similar) in London you don't want to tell people in case they think badly of you and wonder what you have to do wrong to get roaches. However, once you get rid of them, as a guy I'd be quite happy to tell people how I used to live with them as that might seem more manly or shows me to be closer to nature or some such thing that only someone who was a male as a child could possibly come up with.

Happy Brithday Henhry!!!

Thu, 09 Oct 2008 11:06:42 -0700

My middle brother is 11 years old today!! I talked to him on the phone which was apparently a big thing. I suppose he hasn't got a present from me so a phone call is better than nothing.

It's tough being a good big brother so far away.

A new parable

Sun, 05 Oct 2008 07:46:35 -0700

After flipping his hydrofoil, Jesus quickly leaves the scene before his father finds out.

WiFDiF...

Sat, 06 Sep 2008 14:55:47 -0700

... is how you pronounce the World Federation of Flying Discs. My first weeks holiday was in Vancouver to watch my brother play for Ireland at the World Ultimate and Guts Championships. Now I may have mentioned ultimate (frisbee) before but you'll be wondering what guts is. Well, basically it's two teams who throw discs as hard as they can and in such a way as to not be caught by the opposition. It's fun too watch but it's hard to take it seriously as a team sport.

Working back up to speed

Sun, 31 Aug 2008 06:35:37 -0700

I have to admit that I have been away for a while as, simply, I can hardly deny it. However, I do have a pretty good excuse for the past 5 weeks. What I would normally do now is write a long piece that explains my absence quickly followed by another noticeable break in my blogging.

So, this time I'm going to try and write regular short posts that build up a picture of what has been happening. So, today 'Burgurlary: why it keeps you up all night'

Being posh with Wall-E

Sun, 20 Jul 2008 14:57:29 -0700

I grew up in a very well off family, though sheltered from that reality. We thought that annual skiing trips and pretty large homes were the norm. We would talk of the wealthy as others, people from another, elitest class. My father was the basis for both sides of the story - he earned quite a lot while never baulking at the idea of buying second hand cars and Sainsburys economy.

Since leaving home I have had to come to terms with this. In some ways I have been fortunate to do so in England where I can play the relative pauper with my lowly thoughts and 'country' and accent. But at times I just can't get away from the fact that I'm a bit posh. This is what I had for lunch:

What I do

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 10:49:40 -0700

Actually, what the company does. Quite a few people have never heard of Arup - they tend to be non-engineers which isn't overly surprising.

Anyway, the chances are that you will have seen what it does. Here's a quick blast.

Sydney Opera House
The Gherkin
The Millennium Bridge (laugh if you want to but we did also fix it)

That's just a taste as apparently at any given time we're working on more than 10,000 project. Personally I'm on about 5 none of which are famous.

What to write, what to write, what to write...

Sun, 06 Jul 2008 08:16:55 -0700

It's been a while since I put finger to keyboard to blog. As a simple excuse I'm going to blame sport with the European Championships, Wimbledon and ultimate taking up much of my free time. It has but I probably could have blogged in that time.

In terms of interest, there hasn't been a great deal happening. 2 weeks ago I went on a stag weekend up in the Peak District. On the Saturday we did loads of mountain biking and then did a touch of skiing in Sheffield on the Sunday. It was a lot of fun and I got the chance to catch up with friends from HTB that I hadn't seen in quite a while.

Still here

Mon, 09 Jun 2008 12:50:18 -0700

Hi guys

Sorry for not posting recently but I'm still around, reading your posts from time to time (I never expected Latin to get so much attention). It has been a strange 3 weeks since the death of my uncle. I didn't really know how to react. As my uncle and his family are out in Bangkok my Mum and gran went out but the rest of us stayed at home. I've still to see any of the family and I still think that I'm struggling to believe that it actually happening.

Bereavement

Sun, 18 May 2008 14:42:57 -0700

My uncle died today. It's all a bit numbing as he was only 43.

Could you please pray for his wife and two young kids;
my grandparents as losing a child is as hard a thing to take as possible; his brother and two sisters who are having to come to terms with losing the youngest of them.

Thanks

Matthew

Be serious about what you don't do

Tue, 13 May 2008 15:32:54 -0700

Right, this isn't a blurb on all the things that I don't do or don't do enough. This is all about the things that I don't recognise that I do. If you ask me what I did today I'll probably say that I went to work and then homegroup (for the first time in ages). These are the things that I focus on and use to define my day and, if I'm honest, myself.

Yet there are so many other things that I do that I don't 'mean to do', they 'just happen naturally.' Like make someone smile, or open a door, or make way for someone, or to talk to someone etc. I don't really recognise any of this stuff. I don't take it seriously.