hazy clarity

In her new book, Visualising Hope, Dr Sarah Dunlop explored the values and spirituality of students in Central and Eastern European countries. She wants to know what makes them tick, what their hopes are, and if the church is meeting them. In a very creative way, by getting students to respond to and take photographs of things that are significant to them over a period of time, Dr Dunlop gets underneath the pat answers and stereotypes to discover their real motivations.

"As someone who did the best she could with the talent she had." 
- J.K. Rowling in a interview on 'A Year in the Life' ITV2

... and with the opportunities she was given.

That's not a bad epitaph to aspire to. I've always liked the single-line summaries that Kings and Chronicles gives to the few good kings of Judah...

"Asa did what was good and right in the eyes of the LORD his God." 2 Chron 14:2

I went to a school Christmas carol concert last night. Amongst the squeaky recorders and the slightly sharp violins was a glimpse of beauty. A short, unassuming girl, with glasses and a flower in her hair walked to the microphone. The organ began with the familiar notes of a Bach prelude (in C, I think), and then she sang - Ave Maria - Gounod's melody which sits on top of the Bach prelude. I dont think I was quite ready for a perfomance which filled the church, reduces everyone to a reverent hush, and lifted our eyes to the beauty of God. It really stood out amongst the "Winter Wonderland"s and "Santa Claus" songs.

I found a quote I liked and decided to share it with you. I think it's quite pertinent for our 21st century mostly middle-class evanglical churches, even though it was written in the 15th century:

“A humble knowledge of oneself is a surer road to God than a deep searching of the sciences. Yet learning itself is not to be blamed, or is the simple knowledge of anything whatsoever to be despised, for true learning is good in itself and ordained by God; but a good conscience and a holy life are always to be preferred. But because many are more eager to acquire much learning than to live well, they often go astray, and bear little or no fruit. If only such people were as diligent in the uprooting of vices and the panting of virtues as they are in the debating of problems, there would not be so many evils and scandals among the people, nor such laxity in communities. At the Day of Judgement, we shall not be asked what we have read, but what we have done; not how eloquently we have spoken, but how holily we have lived. Tell me, where are now all those Masters and Doctors whom you knew so well in their lifetime in the full flower of their learning? Other men now sit in their seats, and they are hardly ever called to mind. In their lifetime they seemed of great account, but now no one speaks of them”

I'm having trouble adding Rich Text blog posts on my Mac (using Safari). The site deletes my content from the RichText box before posting - thus posting a blank box. Anyone else having this problem? How do you get around it?

So Kylie is launching a social networking website called KylieKonnect. See this BBC News article.



The idea is that fans who join will be able to connect with each other as well as have some sort of connection with Kylie. THey will be able to hear about latest releases and tours, etc, as well as upload personal stories, pictures and fun onto their own profile page, much like Facebook or Bebo.

I'm not sure that's the best place for an exhaust!

7% is not very good.

Spoken by a good friend of mine, for people who don't know where to start when it comes to evangelism.

"Find out what you like doing and do it with non-Christians"

Spoken by Miss Tickle.