Waltham Fun Fair

The Waltham Fun Fair took place this afternoon. I arrived just after 3pm (went to canterbury University for the afternoon so finished school slightly early) and got to standing behind the OBY info stall. Thanks to Eulalia and her knowledge of all the Waltham School students, the amount of Intermediate Group (the name escapes me) Pamphlets spread out around the year 7 and 8 students was wikedly high. Quite a few parents enquired about the youth group and the new intermediate group and it was good to give the information to them to take home and talk over with their children. I'm really hoping for an increase in numbers in the youthgroup, each soul saved is worth so much more than the effort put in, and it would be awesome to see a really positive turn out for the intermediate group on the first day, as usually groups start off with a few people and gradually grows larger by word of mouth. I want the intermediate group to start big and grow even bigger. That way when those atendees begin to filter into youthgroup they will already have relationships with leaders and other people in youthgroup who they can turn to when trouble or problems arise, or even for friendship, just to hang out, talk, mess around with, etc.

(some of you may be thinking that for me it's not the case as i am heading down to Otago for 4 years to do a pharmacy degree. That's not necessisarily the case, my mind is not entirely made up, if God calls me to stay in Christchurch instead of going down south then that is the option i will take. In the other case, being me going down to Dunedin, I will still be coming up on free weekends every so often, and will definitely be coming up on holidays. I am a part of Opawa and will always be, so after four years it is fair to say you will be seeing as much of me as you are now.)

So with that in mind, the relationships i build with the form 1 and 2 pre-teens (or hope to), and their parents, if i am a leader (which i hope to be) will be set in stone.

The day ended in lots of sales for the Eastercamp Fundraiser stall, good live music (thanks to all the artists, no i didn't play), and memories that will, i hope, last for years to come.

still having a few problems..

I'm still having a bit of trouble getting the sidebar to stay on the side. I can't understand why it isn't there. I'm very confused right now. Anyone with any ideas?

Giving is Getting

"You have not lived a perfect day, even though you have earned your money, unless you've done something for someone who'll never be able to repay you."

Makes you think doesn't it? How often do we live perfect days?
I know this quote is totaly true for me. I feel happiest when i make other people happy. It is a selfish reason to make people happy i know, but it's how i feel. I get joy out of other people's joy, and so the best way to forget life's problems, is to try to make people happy.

"No man can live happily who turns everything to his own advantage. You must live for others if you wish to live for yourself."

No saying rings truer.

(quotes taken from word for today)

I don't know if anyone else felt it, but tonight was awesome. Usually when i'm on the data projector i don't get into worship because i'm busy making sure people have words to sing to, but tonight i arrived from work early and went through the songs with the worship team. So when the time came to worship i just seemed to get right into it. Just sang, not to anyone but God. I know worship is not for me, it's for God, but tonight i realised, when you give to God you get back (in a different way than i had in mind, i always thought this was just to do with money). And i got back, i felt so revitalised, i felt the spirit moving in the church. I really loved the service tonight, other than the strain on technology (always dangerous when it comes to relying on computers). The sermon was really heartseeking. We all got a text at the end saying this:
God B W me n evry pass. Gsus B W me on evry hill. Spirit B W me n evry stream. ea step of D jRne I go
I felt so at home in the church this evening. I must say, At AA and Summer's house afterwards, for supper, i was a bit quiet. Why? Because i was constantly being reminded of the people around me, and how important they were to me, i was continuosly thinking of the importance and the influence to my development, my character, my life, those people were. How i would be nothing without them, how with God living in them, I live for them. I think what Randall has constantly reminded me...i think far too much, needs to be applied here too. I am thinking too much. But tonight i really felt God and it was so easy to just sing and worship him in the company of those who matter to me. So as i listen to Till Kingdom Come by Coldplay I...whoops tell a lie, the song has changed.. Miracle Drug by U2. As i listen to U2, i think of how i want to get inside the minds of those who i do care about and want to help out. How i want to open up to those people and let them inside my head. I'm going to stop thinking now.

Which Theologian Are You?

Which theologian are you? created with QuizFarm.com

the definition of pelagianism is this:
A concept proposed by Pelagious (circa 356 to circa 418) who denied the existence of original sin inherited from Adam. He taught that a soul created by god cannot inheret sin from an ancestor. Thus humans are born morally neutral. They can fall into habits of sin but can overcome sin through mental effort. He promoted adult baptism in place of infant baptism. His beliefs were declared heretical by the Christian movement.
www.religioustolerance.org/gl_p.htm

I agree with that to a degree anyway, although i am subject to change. I think that we fall into sin because Adam first sinned and because of his first sin we fell into the habbit of sin. After Adam sinned he continued to sin and thus so did his children. Just as a baby cannot lie until it is taught to, nor does man sin until he learns how. He learns this by watching others and as others continue to sin around him he too starts to adopt sinning into his life. However I don't agree with taking God out of the equation!?
You can't take God out of anything! If you did then you would be left with nothing.

Fixed blog

This blog seems to have fixed itself. I tried to get on today and it just popped up. However my whole sidebar had been deleted. Luckily i had saved the sidebar content a few months ago so had most of it there to put back on. I know it's not teh same as it was but i just can't remember what and who else were on my sidebar so please tell me if you know anything of either. I'm sure i've missed out atleast someone or another from my sidebar (i'm not even sure if it has the right category names now). Terrible memory i know.

To lighter subjects, I have started listening to two more songs that i really like. Both old Opawaian songs so i think it's safe to say taht most people will know them.
Firstly; Behold He Comes (These Are The Days Of Elijah)
and secondly; There's A River Of Life
(i wonder if anyone can imagine why i know that song now, one hint.. spent the weekend in the wild with guys, Randall was among them.)

Great times. I won't forget that song now.

Speaking of remembering songs for particular moments in time. I will post my short talk that i presented on Sunday on Discernment of the Coldplay song A Message. (what i didn't expect was the quote Jason and Steve both used extrated from this blog. Thanks guys, i never knew my words spoke to other people [maybe the words weren't my own]) Without further a do, here is the short-speech:

First verse says to me this simple message; Love is the greatest. It never ends. Love is and will always be.
When you are loved, and in the company of love, you are not alone.

Second verse goes on to say; On our own we are without love, because we have not accepted the love of God, but when we do, we are not alone. We don’t see clearly because stepping out in faith and trusting someone is hard and it seems like we should only trust ourselves. But stepping out in faith is the best thing to do.

The chorus is saying to me about how love is a one way street. It is! I don’t care what Ricky Martin says in his Private Emotion song. You give without the expectation of getting back. Sometimes you do get back and that’s awesome, but don’t expect it because if what you are giving really is love then it shouldn’t matter to you how the person reacts because you will love them regardless. And love doesn’t ever end.

The last verse talks about the refusal to back down. When you do have love, who cares what other people think! You do what you do for love not for other people. Get on that platform and sing your love! Cos without it, you ain’t nothing.

Sleeping in a Cave

A few of us, led by Randall, headed out to Ocains bay this weekend to get away from the world and just 'be boys'. We mucked around the bay for the day and then went to sleep in a cave. Weird experience i must say, but i'm glad i did experience it. Now i can tell people i've slept in a cave. And it really wasn't a haunting experience, it was a relaxed enviroment (Michael can assure anyone of that) and we could talk a lot more openly about Earth, Heaven and all that lies between.
Today was filled with Boating, Fishing, Water skiing, and clutching on to the hold on the boat as my feet lost their footings and went flying around by the speed in which Randall powered through the sea. Awesome time!! (And i made it to work on time, Thank God for daylight savings)

I have noticed that when viewing http://inhisradiance.blogspot.com a blank screen appears. This post will hopefully change my template by adding in another post and thus fix the error. Well we can pray. If you can read this then my praying worked. :D

Back in the game

This weekend was particularly hard. Not just because it was the first time i did the 40 hour famine with two of my greatest passions (blogging and eating) but because the eating included drinking and drinking included coffee. I went to the barista course on saturday after youthtrain and was flooded by the delicious smell of coffee and had to make coffees without drinking them. I suppose it was a good test because when in the hospitality service one has to forget about his own comforts and focus on the needs of those he is serving. (my coffees did all turn out terrible mind you). After getting home i continued to absentmindedly head down to the kitchen to get something to eat. But i never ate :D just as i opened the fridge and saw all the beautiful foods i would remember i was on the famine. Eventually i locked myself up in my room where i read a book and texted people. (my computer famine was for the computer only). The evening was really fun though. I went to the 40hour famine sleep over at the friendship center. Dave and I went to fresh choice St Martins to find some empty boxes for making our carboard houses. I found a mate there and got him to get some boxes from the back for us. Everyone thought it very odd two fellows walking through a supermarket with carboard boxes, especially when we walked out and the checkout chicks were all looking at us so i told them we were just stealing their carboard boxes. Confused looks crossed their faces and Dave and I walked out and filled up my car boot with cardboard. Good times, good times. Anyway later on the night we watched some movies. Napoleon Dynamyte!!!! i finally got to see it! Woke up the next morning and went across the road to church. Then had a really big brunch. Waffles, fruit, potato chips, chips, wedges, savs, savories, etc. Now it's time for me to go to work. Cya tonight. If you're a sponser for me i am bringing my little book tonight.

will be back sunday night

Question to get you thinking.

What would make you happy?


If you have found that then the question is

What does make you happy?


this is a serious question, give time and thought.

Sick

Just as i went to sleep lastnight a sudden headache came upon me. I thought i would sleep it off. I didn't. Waking up several times in the night (more time awake than asleep) i decided at about 3am to go down and get a drink and a panadol. i almost threw up as i walked down to the kitchen. after taking the medicine i went back to bed and tried to sleep. I lay awake as my stomach turned uneasily. Then before i could close my mouth sick smelling liquid spurted out of it spilling relentlessly all over me and the bed on which i lay. I imagined if i sat up to get a bowl i would not make it even out of bed, let alone the kitchen, before i threw up again, so i lay there and momentarily more liquid excreted itself from my mouth, and yet more. After a few minutes of covering myeslf in foul smelling insides i got up got a cloth and attempted to clean up the mess that was on me and the bed. After a poor job of doing so, it took a clean pillow and slept sideways on the bottom, clean half of my bed. By now the panadol had kicked in, or i was just too tired to notice my migrane, and i fell asleep almost instantly. Waking up in the morning to mum calling me to get ready for school i explained i wasn't going to go to school today. After all i am very rarely sick and i'm sure i don't use anywhere nearly all my sick days throughout the year. (i'm not even sure if schools have a certain amount of sick days). So i read a book after i got up at sometime during midday called The Seer And The Sword which i really do reccomend to anyone who likes love stories entangled in fantasy which weirdly enough seemed to have as much empathy as an allegory. One of the best books i ever read actually (which probably doesn't say much because i rarely read these days).
Any way i feel much better now and will be good for school tomorrow, and YG tomorrow evening.

How goes your soul?