click here for Dave Grohl's metal band Probot. He even teams up with Lemmy for this project!

"Then you see how every student well-trained in God's kingdom is like the owner of a general store who can put his hands on anything you need, old or new, exactly when you need it."
- Jesus (Matthew 13:52 - The Bible)

The continuing journey...
A strange title to this post, but it seemed an appropriate name for my post-education steps. There are many things I know I want to learn and I have a basic idea of what I'm called to do, but there is so much unanswered that I'm feeling a little overwhelmed.

I know that, having spent the last few years involved with the starting of the CV community, having gained certain experiences and grown in this context, I would like to do some consolidation of my learning. Perhaps this could take place through a mentoring relationship with a leader of a faith community - likely in the states, although there are other possibilities.

I met some great people at Doug and Michelle's wedding on Saturday and had some good conversations about the future with people who empathise. Any prayers or ideas as the course is set for my next leg of the journey would be much appreciated.

SL55 AMG
I had a ride in one of these yesterday, with Nick at the wheel. Boy can she shift. Goes from 0-60mph in just under 4 seconds.

I've been offline a few days - networking issues - but I'm back now. Doug and Michelle's wedding went real well and they're now off on their honeymoon in Edinburgh. It was good to see some old friends from Bristol Vineyard and meet some familiar faces.

This Christmas is turning out to be a good chance to relax and enjoy spending time with the people around us.

Happy Birthday!

Was Jesus a Welsh Boy?

Watching the weather forecast today I noticed on the map of Wales that there is a place called Bethlehem! Could it be that our saviour is actually Welsh?! Some would argue that of all the places appropriate for the saviour of the world to be born, the land of our fathers is clearly in the lead - but for years we had all bought into the 'palestinian' story. click here

Congestion charge revolution
Yesterday I went to Bristol with Chris - it was part of my birthday present from him. On the way over we got chatting about politics and somehow ended up discussing the idea of real high congestion charges in big cities (e.g. £80 to enter within a 10 mile radius with a car). To compliment this there would be a bike usage campaign.

Of course, those with disabilities would have a disabled sticker for their car which would allow the congestion charge to be waivered.

Anyhow, to cut a long story short - we decided that it would cause some kind of revolutionary backlash in the west. Over here we're so engrossed in individualist consumerism and 'rights culture' that to infringe on someone's 'right' to drive everywhere would create more disgust than the idea that innocent people are dying for no good reason in the third world.

Somewhat ironic?

"Why did Christ come into the world? To liberate people from sickness, troubles, from death. In its essence, Christmas is a holiday of hope."
- Vladimir Putin (found via jesus-institute.org)

My Surprise Party
Instead of taking me for Japanese food we ended up at Jon and Cathy's place, where all my friends were waiting to surprise me with a party. It was a real good surprise - one I hadn't anticipated.

When I walked in it took me a few minutes to link the concept of a surprise party with the fact that everyone was saying "surprise" - so I kind of glanced around puzzled: "what's this?" I thought...

Anyhow we had food and laughed a lot, played "a new tradition at our birthday parties" (ala Jon Matthias) - Pass the Parcel. It was the first time I had played PTP in years! At last I knew why no one had replied to my emails.

Thank you everyone - it was awesome! Click here for more photos.

21 Today
So today I have reached the grand 'ole' age of 21. I don't really have much to say, with my limited experience of being this age, except that I feel that God's got heaps more in store on this journey. I finish uni in June and to some degree that's where life starts! Saying that I've been learning more and more this year about being content with where I'm at right now. A strange one to balance - being excited about the future but content with the present.

Tonight I go for Japanese with my family before heading to the Woodville at about 9.30ish for drinks and pool with my friends, then to Inncognito for a dance and more chill out.

The Guardian's British Blog Awards are now out.

you might have seen that I added the guys from burn to my links (on the right). If you're ever in St Albans, go check them out every Sunday, 7.30pm at St Albans town hall.

Pray for Cil
Please pray for our friend Cil, who is in hospital in London with what seems to be a slipped disc in her back. She's in a lot of pain and is due to be operated on tomorrow morning.

Friday is my 21st Birthday, so I'll be hangin out with some friends during the day, eating Japanese food with my family in the evening and then hookin up with said friends at The Woodville pub (1 Woodville Road) at 9.30pm. After the Woodie we'll be heading to Inncognito.

So glad that the semester is over. For a few weeks back there things got a bit intense. I stayed up late working for the first time ever! My sleeping patterns got messed up, I lost my appetite (briefly). But then the end arrived.

Next friday is my Birthday (19th December) and I stand a small chance of celebrating it with some of my uni friends (who are medics and still around) and some of the guys who go away to uni (like my good friend Chris Evans). Can't wait.

Tonight we're having a Christmas gathering at the YMCA. It's gonna be Christmas worship, mince pies, storytelling and fun.

Last night we were at Jon and Cathy's for the Roath and Cathays housegroups joint Christmas party. We ate lots, laughed lots and got to hang out with some of the people from the Cathays housegroup.

Before I forget...on Sunday we did our pizza and toiletries giveaway to the residents at the YMCA. Everything went pretty well. I noticed that afterwards, when we had a time of sung worship, there was a greater willingness than usual to really enter into God's presence.

I'm not saying that we never enter into God's presence, but I've been chatting a bit with Lewis about the idea that we need to be worshipping with everything that we are in order to truly enter into sung worship.

I have a hunch that part of what made Sunday night so special was that we came from the point of serving, of stepping outside of our comfort zones, and of worshipping with our bodies through that service. This meant that, when we had already been in an attitude of worship, we could really dive into God's presence for some time in awe of him.

I just went up Caerphilly Mountain with John C - to the Travellers' Rest. It's a great view on a cold winters' night despite the trees. Nice to get to know a new friend better.

Doug's Stag Party

Last night was Doug's 'welsh' stag night - click on the image above to see the gallery.

Tonight we've been wrapping the 'presents' for our toiletry giveaway at the YMCA Sunday night. It should be fun - we're giving out pizzas too. There's a weird dynamic in getting out there and serving, opening yourself up to being shot down, rather than just huddling inside, in some kind of comfortable, inverted huddle.

Last night our housegroup gave away boxes of chocolate on Helen's street. It was fun to hear different people's reactions. When people answered the door we said "this is a small token of God's love for you." One guy was like, "thanks, that's real nice of you" and then when his housemate came to the door asking what was going on he said "man, they're chocolates from God!"

After all the wrapping tonight Lewis and I had a jam - it's a shame we can't do this more often, I need to learn to play with people more and would love to do some co-songwriting, but it seems life is so busy with work and uni and Lewis' commitment to his band, Todah.

Tomorrow is essay writing and then Doug's stag party!

Lewis' new blog makes interesting reading, especially the discussion we've been having regarding sung worship...

I've just noticed that I've once again knocked porn star Jonathan Morgan off the top of the google search ;~)

I thought I would post an interesting quote from Dallas Willard:
"Most of `the faith of unbelief' that exists today in the concrete form of individual personalities is morally irresponsible--because not rationally sustained--and would be recognized as the supersitition it most often is, but for the fact that it is vaguely endorsed by the intellectual system." [click here to read more]

Blogging from the Library this afternoon - learning all about different conceptions of equality for an essay I'm going to write on John Rawls. Things have been real busy the last few weeks, so much to do and often the books (for research) not available...anyhow I'm sure it'll all pan out ok.

Last night was doing some prep for Thursday night's edition of Roath Housechurch...I can't say any more as yet- wouldn't want to give the game away!