Seperated at birth?

Does anyone else recognize the similarity between my good buddy, and Managing Director of S,P&S, Trevor Caffull and the hip celebrity chef Heston Blumenthal?

Introducing the SupperClub

CAUTION: Sally Army-centric post on the way:

..I stumbled across this really interesting site this morning.

Here's how they describe themselves:

"The SupperClub is a gathering for theologically thinking Salvationists eager to share new ideas, provocative research, decent food and good times. The club will gather Salvationists for food and theological discourse, facilitate theological reflection and discussion for a 21st Century Salvation Army and promote innovative thinking around the broad range of issues effecting Salvation Army theology and mission."

The SupperClub is hosted and organised by Gordon Cotterill, Adam Knuckey (secretary), Katie Newton, Stuart Watson, Russell Rook (chair and of Director of ALOVE) and Matt White.


My guess is we're gonna be hearing a lot from these folks!

Fernando

Big thanks to Fernando Gros, who has very kindly given this blog a mention in his post Sharing More Than Just The Love…

Fernando says of "johnnylaird" .... "Keeps sending me off towards a lot of fresh new blogs (and conversations) I wouldn’t have found otherwise and for that I’m very grateful."

Thanks to you, too, Fernando!

Maria's in the house!

Premier Christian Radio Breakfast show co-presenter, Maria Toth has a blog In His Hands which is pretty insightful.

I'm more than happy to give Maria a "shout out" on my blog cause she's visited here at least a couple of times already.

Check Maria's blog out - gives you food for thought.

Happy Thanksgiving!

...to all my American family & friends.

It's good to stop & think of all things that God has given us.

We are truly blessed.

Have a peaceful weekend.

Trippin'

Thanks to the wonderful www, I've been following a couple of my favo(u)rite bloggers, Carlos Whittaker & the Headphonaught, as they're bouncing around the world in different directions, catching a flavo(u)r of another place.

Los & his wife Heather are in South Korean as part of their bid to collect their new son, Losiah and the Headphonaught is in Philadelphia on business, and taking in all the new sights, sounds & smells whenever he gets a free minute.

It's amazing too that another one of the guys I read regularly, Scott Hodge, was able to talk online with Carlos in-flight due to the Free High Speed WiFi on Korean Air. The future is here!

Travel safe guys, and thanks for sharing your experiences.

Alive!

It's good to head that widely read highly caffeinated blogging Pastor, Scott Hodge is very much alive

Seems like a bit of misunderstanding, miscommunication and crossed wires sent a message bouncing around that he'd passed away, which of course was a massive shock to him!

Check out Scott's blog for the complete story.

It's a great reminder to take a deep breath, and check the facts before forming an opinion, and passing it on. In this case, though, every one did it out of the best intention.

Thanks for all the good stuff on your blog, Scott.

Figures & Numbers

I've never liked numbers - I prefer people. Numbers confuse me: always have and probably always will, so when I saw this quote from Walt Disney on Mark O'Brien's blog it perked me up no end ;-)


“I found out that the people who live with figures as a rule, it’s a postmortem, it’s never ahead. It’s always what happened.” — Walt Disney

Anything that shows me & my phobia in a good light, and even makes me feel superior has gotta be good! ;-)


Mark O'Brien is Senior Pastor of Warnbro Community Church in Western Australia

Whatsoever things...

Janet has been sharing the words of Phillipians 4 with me over the last couple of days. Let me share them with you, as transcribed in Eugene Peterson's "Message"

I'd say you'll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies.

...from Phillipians 4, The Message

If you've never heard of Eugene Peterson, why not check out this interview with Bono

Beaches

There are days when the daily commute to the office is quite a strain, and it's on those days when moving to somewhere staggeringly beautiful & remote is very appealing.

So, knowing I am where I am, I occasionally pop over to this site to see some pics of some amazing beaches....and almost unbelievably, they're in Scotland.

...one can dream... :-)

For us, this is church

Pernell Goodyear of the Freeway continues to inspire:


His latest post is titled "Coffee House As Community Commons, Music & Art Space, Funky Cafe" and outlines something of their current up-to-date story - and it's a really exciting one.

Here's just one paragraph:


"New Lifestyle Choices

It may seem small and insignificant, but we took donations for the local food bank as the cover charge to get in to the concert last night. We encourage very diverse people [particularly those who are vulnerable people] to have a space and journey with others. We recycle... and we have taken measures to cut down on waste. We welcome everyone. We always promote fair trade products, organic choices and friendships, healthy food, ecologically wise decisions, etc. whenever we can.

The combination of deep community, music, art, and urban renewal is a powerful one. We will continue to strive as a community to live differently. To treat people better. To subvert systems that oppress and hold back. To become wiser consumers of goods and services... and to not consume relationships. Basically, to live out the gospel.

Conclusion

For us, this is church."


I've watched Pernell & the FRWY from afar for a good couple of years now, and I continue to be hugely impressed by his passion, and heart for this project.
He & his family have committed to this - big time.

Reminds me of that passage from John 1: 14

"The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood"

You are in my prayers, Pernell.

Been through the desert...

There's something amazingly beautiful about the desert, and this place just adds to the appeal.

A little hat tip to Randy Bohlender for reminding me about Dwell in this post


Here's what he says:

"Dwell is a gorgeous magazine - incredibly well produced. Not only does it look killer setting there on the coffee table - it gets you thinking thoughts like "heck, yeah, a family of six can live in a treehouse...". I dig Dwell."

...and so do I, Randy - so do I!

The UberTech Branches Out

The UberTech has started a new blog, which promises to contain lots of his usual idiosyncratic mix of stuff about Getting Things Done, faith, Moleskine and breakfast cereal.

I would highly recommend you pass by, and say that I said "hi"

Peace & Blessings

J :-)

..a sight for sore eyes

TARTAN ARMY RECRUITS

I’m so proud to present a pic of Mia & Noah wearing their matching Scotland T-shirts.

Those who know me best know – that despite my English accent – I’m a proud Scot, so am duty bound to pass on that pride & heritage to my lovely kids.

Techno Ratty

Technorati Profile

resonance

I attend a lot of meetings as part of my role at Church, and to be honest...somewhat unusually...I kinda enjoy them.

However, I do feel some resonance with this quote from Henri Nouwen

“More and more, the desire grows in me simply to walk around, greet people, enter their homes, sit on their doorsteps, play ball, throw water, and be known as someone who wants to live with them. It is a privilege to have the time to practice this simple ministry of presence. Still, it is not as simple as it seems. My own desire to be useful, to do something significant, or to be part of some impressive project is so strong that soon my time is taken up by meetings, conferences, study groups, and workshops that prevent me from walking the streets.

It is difficult not to have plans, not to organize people around an urgent cause, and not to feel that you are working directly for social progress. But I wonder more and more if the first thing shouldn’t be to know people by name, to eat and drink with them, to listen to their stories and tell your own, and to let them know with words, handshakes, and hugs that you do not simply like them, but truly love them.”

Henri Nouwen

Noah's One!

This weekend we celebrated Noah's first birthday.

I hope I can always be the best Dad I can be for him...and his sister, Mia.

Family Man

I've slowly started to include pics of Jan & the kids to this blog, so it only seems fair that includes a picture of me.

2 Posts 1 Week

It's not often that anyone in my circle of blogging buddies gets a 2 posts in a week, but I just have to flag up Lard's entry into the world of the Moleskine.

Creative genius behind Lardmonkey & Larddesigns, Lard is a talented wee fellah!

I should be on commission for this kind of exposure.

FRWY

It's great to see some national (Canadian) recognition for the ministry of Pernell Goodyear at The Freeway in Hamilton, ON.The Freeway is a missional church community and coffee house located in Hamilton, Ontario

There's a great piece in Salvationist.ca - a Canadian magazine published by The Salvation Army which tells their story.

I've watched what's being going on there from a distance for some time, and Pernell is a cool guy worth listening too.

Read the article here

Carbonara 4 Lard & Becks

What a great weekend.

Jan & I spent Friday night at our place with Lloyd & Becky, just chillin’, eating, sharing stories about our kids & exploring the outer edges of geekdom during our meandering late night conversations. L&B are seriously good people, and we loved having them round. Cooked my favourite dish (to cook) - dairy-product fueled carbonara. We gotta do it again soon, guys!

We are blessed with some awesome friends.

On Sunday evening at Café Church we had a visit from The Salvation Army’s Korean Corps in London, based in Wimbledon. Top evening: it was good to spend some time with our Korean brothers & sisters, who had brought along their Singing Group & traditional Percussion Ensemble.

Mia & Noah nearly jumped out of their skins when the Percussion Ensemble started off their piece, but by the end of it Noah was clapping away like a good ‘un.

I’m hoping this new relationship between our two Churches can really flourish.

My beauties

My wonderful kids make Jan & I so happy.

We are so blessed.

ROCKHARBOR

I've been increasingly intrigued & inspired by this sentence I read on the ROCKHARBOR site:


"The rush for this adventurous community was in getting to be the Church – not just attend it. It was clear church was experienced best when we were in living it, not simply watching it happen. ROCKHARBOR had been marked by a heart of passionate involvement.

In the midst of this movement, we began to recognize the importance of having chances to serve and sacrifice for everyone that walked through our doors. It became clear that our young church shined when everyone had a part to play.
....

Today, this is still true of our growing church – ministry belongs in the hands of our people. But more than ever before, God is aiming us outward – in investing the best we bring beyond ourselves to a world that desperately needs to see His love and life on display. The call is clear – to give ourselves away. To be challenged and changed by investing our best outward. To believe that the more we risk, the more we are transformed to be like Jesus."


It's a lesson for all involved in Church life

Janet

She's my love, my rock, wonderful mother to my beautiful kids, my source of inspiration, my life partner...I love you, Baby!

Dreams for my kids

Lard posed a question as part of his regular Thursday Thought post:

"Whatever it is you do for a living. Whatever age you might be, do you still have a dream?"

Some of my dreams were for and with my kids:

to live to 100 with Janet
to walk my little girl Mia down the aisle
to go to the game with my son
to retire to Hawaii
to watch Scotland win the World Cup
to have time to wake up & smell the coffee
to see my Saviour’s face


J :-)

Can't resist

In a week when pride seemed to be restored to Scottish football...a loss against the highly rated Ukrainian side notwithstanding, it was so delicious to see the England keeper cast in the role of numpty against Croatia last night!

Oh what joy!

...makes up for all those years of abuse suffered because of so-called Scottish keeper deficiencies

Ziggy & SpongeBob

Now we're talking!!

The BIG news is that David Bowie is going to be a guest on "SpongeBob SquarePants," playing a character called Lord Royal Highness in a show that will air sometime in 2007.

Both of these guys - David Bowie & SpongeBob - are highly lauded figures in our house, especially SpongeBob now that Mia & Noah pretty much rule the remote control any time before 7.30 PM.

Check out CNN's report here

Tall Skinny Kiwi Rides Again!

Andrew Jones - uberblogger, Emergent type, well travelled pilgrim took a blog fast in September, but is now back with avengeance now that we're in October.

TSK is one of the most consistant & creative bloggers out there, so definitely worth reading. He's a true citizen of the world..and beyond, having lived in the following countries:

17 years in New Zealand
10 years in USA
7 years in Australia
3 years in Czech Republic
3 years in UK
1 year in Latin America
3 months in Canada
2 months in Asia

Read & learn

Johnny Laird "meets" Johnnie Laird

There can't be many bloggers who have resisted the tempation to find "themselves" on the web by googling: I guess it's that whole parallel universe thing that hooks you...thinking you might not be the only you on the planet.

Well, I uncovered another Johnny Laird, all be it with another spelling.(Johnnie)

We each have very different lives! I had my usual 1 and a ½ hour slog around the M25 in the car to arrive at the office for a days work – I didn’t see a single bear or goat all the way!

Endless harmless fun

...if you're bored, and want to have some harmless fun, check out this little game

Waltz Wisdom

The Leadership Team at Granger Community Church , IN, USA are really worth watching out for.

Tony, Tim and Mark are frequent bloggers who never fail to inspire.

Mark Waltz posted something really interesting recently called "My Friend Is Trying To Save Me" which kinda stopped me in my tracks


"I love it when people come to Jesus, and because they understand how much they matter to God, suddenly their perspective on people around them changes, too. For the first time in their lives they see people differently, they see that people really matter. They matter to God. They matter as treasures God created. They matter to that person who's just discovered God's grace.

It's disappointing though, when followers of Christ begin to see their friends as walking targets, a bull's eye target to faith-wrestle to their knees, so they can be "saved"."

Read on here:

Thanks, guys, for all your good stuff, and making me really take time to think.

He's a funny la'

I simply can't not make a reference to Kevin's awesome blog on the perils & joys of collecting on behalf of The Salvation Army.

As Kevin says "if you are not a Sally then this will not make any sense, but if you are, here is some guidance."

My changing world…

Yet another great entry on Headphonaught’s blog has set me thinking. They usually do:

‘Naught happened to mention that he “Had a picnic on the front... porkpies... rolls... houmous... prawns... cheese... you know what I mean... the kind of food your folks would pull together for picnics... except maybe the houmous... unless your folks were really cool! Had a picnic on the front... porkpies... rolls... houmous... prawns... cheese... you know what I mean... the kind of food your folks would pull together for picnics... except maybe the houmous... unless your folks were really cool!”

Food seems completely different now to the kinda stuff I ate when I was a kid. It used to be a sort a fatty wasteland mostly composed of various combinations of pies, chips & bread. I can vaguely remember pizza coming on the scene in our house, but it would barely be recognized as pizza today.

Things like houmous, chorizo, bagels, sushi, olives, the myriad of pasta & coffee variants and any number of other of today’s run of the mill stuff weren’t even on the radar.

So, if the food’s changed, how much more so the world.

I was chatting with someone a good deal older than me a few weeks back, and we got into talking about “Al-Qaeda”, who they confused with “Aljazeera”. When I explained that Aljazeera was a kind of Arabic CNN I stopped short. “ “You know what CNN is, don’t you.?” “Err…..no” came the reply.

Sometimes the pace of change is so rapid, those of us who kinda keep up – or at least try our best to - should remember that there are many who just get lost in the wake of change.

Thanks, ‘Naught once again for making me think.

Geetar Double Whammy

Today I found a couple of cool bits online that I want to share with you:

Firstly, why not bounce over to Carlos Whittaker at Raggamuffin Soul.

Carlos is the Worship & Arts Pastor at Sandals Church in Riverside, CA, and blogs here about his stolen guitars. The cool part is you - yes, YOU! - get to vote on the colour of his new replacement.

Go ahead: you know you want to.

Vote here

BTW, you should check out the Sandals site anyway.

SECONDLY.....I found this great piece of guitartistry on one of Carlos's buddy's blog:

Thanks, Brian, for introducing me to Erik Mongrain

Sneaks

Now, I've always been a sucker for eye-catching sneaks, so these things really caught my eye.

I'd love to see them up close. Kinda freaky! I think I like them

Vox Veniae

Yesterday I was rapidly bouncing around the blogosphere & googling away like crazy when I happened to stumble into Vox Veniae a new Church in Austin, TX. As it happened, they really only kicked off in their present form this week, September 10th, so I figured it would be interesting to watch their progress, and add them to my prayers.

A little bit of online detective work threw up something that drew me in even further. Their lead Pastor, Gideon Tsang has a couple of kids who share their names with my boy, Noah Joseph.

Man, the web makes the world such a small place!

Guys - you have my support. I'm gonna enjoy observing your journey.

I like this, which comes straight from their site:

"We dream of grace to make Austin a more grace filled city
We dream of grace to care for those of us in need
We dream of grace imposed in the face of social injustice

We dream of grace expressed through art and music
We dream of grace unleashed through our talents and passions

We dream of grace to be a part of Christ's death and resurrection
We dream of grace to be redeemed from our destructive human condition
We dream of grace to live in the way of Christ
We dream of grace permeating friendships, marriages and families

We dream of experiencing grace through
racial, cultural and socio-economic diversity
We dream of experiencing grace through the greater global church

We dream of grace to hear & become the voice of Jesus"

Buildings

I've always loved beautiful buildings.

When I was a little kid I harboured ambitions to be an architect, before someone - I don't remember who it was - blew those ambitions out of the water by saying "you need to be really good at maths to be an architect". I used to have books filled with scribblings of my kiddie house designs and stuff, but I HATED maths!

Well, it never happened, but I never fell out of love with beautiful buildings.

...just found this great site with awesome pics of some great modern places.

Have a look - you won't be disappointed.

What can be said?

Romans 8

31-39


So, what do you think? With God on our side like this, how can we lose? If God didn't hesitate to put everything on the line for us, embracing our condition and exposing himself to the worst by sending his own Son, is there anything else he wouldn't gladly and freely do for us? And who would dare tangle with God by messing with one of God's chosen? Who would dare even to point a finger? The One who died for us—who was raised to life for us!—is in the presence of God at this very moment sticking up for us. Do you think anyone is going to be able to drive a wedge between us and Christ's love for us? There is no way! Not trouble, not hard times, not hatred, not hunger, not homelessness, not bullying threats, not backstabbing, not even the worst sins listed in Scripture:

They kill us in cold blood because they hate you.
We're sitting ducks; they pick us off one by one.

None of this fazes us because Jesus loves us. I'm absolutely convinced that nothing—nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable—absolutely nothing can get between us and God's love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us.

The Message

Noah's Walking: The boy done good!

I don't have a picture of the actual event, but this one's close. (even though his eye's look like he's been on the razz!) My wee man has taken his first steps unaided! What a great surprise when I got home from work last night to see him wobbling over to greet me. I'm a proud Dad!

ubertech:GGTD

I stumbled across this site through Scott Hodge's blog:

GGTD - Geek's Guide to Getting Things done

There's a lot of good stuff from the mysteriously named Uber Tech, who describles himself as an "E_Preacher and Information Technologist"in the area of productivity, life hacking & all that good stuff. I've got a feeling this is a blog I'm gonna visit over & over.

Loadsa good links to more of the same too...definitely worth a browse.

Scotland 6 Faroe Islands O

How fantastic is it to read a result that starts "Scotland 6.....". I don't really care that it was against minnows like the Faroe Islands: I'll take that. Possibly the best margin I can actually remember.

We arra peepul! :-))

Fantasy Festival

Thanks - once again - to Headphonaught for some lovely bloggin' stuff.

The 'Naught suggests the following game:

"OK... here's a game to play... Fantasy Festival :: 8 artists / bands - only one can return from the dead. Who & why?"

Here's mine....(and this counts for today only & in no particular order)

Santana: Saw them in the 80s, Saw them in the 00s - brilliant both times.

Julie Fowlis- was completed captivated by her band, Dochas, on a track on a compilation album I picked up in FOPP a few months back, so now I'm keen to find out more.

Ry Cooder: Mr Electic Electric - pure genius.

Bill Frisell: Long time jazzy fave.

MUSE: They had completely passed me by, but saw them on TV at Reading, and was seriously impressed.

k d Lang - sings so beautifully, it makes you wanna cry

U2 : Do I REALLY need to explain? ;-)

Stevie Wonder: Playing the old stuff

The passed away one: This was the hardest - there are so many, but I'd probably have to go for Bassist Numero Uno, Jaco Pastorius

The wheels on the bus...

This is just really an excuse to share another picture of my wonderful kids.

I thank God for them everyday...every time I see them they just make me beam!

Cloudy

No doubt you've all seen this before, but here's mine...

If you want to see a Word Cloud of your blog, you can do it here

Thank You for the cross

Jesus Christ, I think upon Your sacrifice
You became nothing, poured out to death
Many times I've wondered at Your gift of life
And I'm in that place once again
I'm in that place once again

And once again I look upon the cross where You died

I'm humbled by Your mercy and I'm broken inside
Once again I thank You
Once again I pour out my life


Now You are exalted to the highest place
King of the heavens, where one day I'll bow
But for now, I marvel at Your saving grace
And I'm full of praise once again
I'm full of praise once again

Thank You for the cross
Thank You for the cross
Thank You for the cross, my Friend

©1995 Kingsway's Thankyou Music
Words and Music by Matt Redman

Darrin is blogging

I mentioned that Darrin Reeves was about to start blogging, and now the day has arrived. He's a clever, creative chappy, so expect lots of good stuff. In fact his first post is so good, he's gonna struggle to maintain his own high standards. Look out for depth & wit in equal measure.

Welcome to the blogosphere, D!

Immigration Nation

Kudos to The Independent for spotlighting one of the hot political footballs of the moment....in a positive way.

For my money - and it's an opinion not everyone will share - the UK is all the richer for it's successive waves of immigrants over many centuries. In all areas of life, our little island is enhanced by the wonderful diversity of our people - ALL of our people.

When we're slipping into a nightmare scenario when people are being thrown off planes, forbidden from enjoying The London Eye , and having to tolerate a seemingly less welcoming environment we would do well to remind ourselves that we are a hugely mixed crowd, with roots entwined & tangled from a myriad of different places over many generations.

Love All, Serve All!

The family: Don'tcha just love 'em?

Littlelaughalot

It looks like Mrs Headphonaught has finally started blogging here. If her world is as inspiring as her old man, it'll definitely be worth a read. I recommend it!

Also - trawling through my own archives, I was very pleased to see that Scott and Mark had droppped in to read my ramblings. Thanks guys - you're both an inspiration - I appreciate you passing by...

Bonio; Hat tip to the 'Naught

I have to thank Thomas AKA Headphonaught for reminding me of this fantastic reinterpretation of a classic hit from Bono

Salvadore in Hawaii

Boy, how I wish I could get to these gigs. Salvador are heading to New Hope in Oahu for a couple of gigs in early September.

This Latin Christian Band are really worth a listen, if you don't know them already. Worship music, with an authentic Santana like groove. ( I know everybody hates pigeon holes, but I couldn't resist it ;-))

What a combination - Latin beats & Hawaiian ohana.

Darrin's Blog

My good buddy, Darrin Reeves, wants to start blogging as soon as he can think of suitable blog name.

This is your chance to contribute by suggesting a name....that's if anyone is out there reading my blog.

I guess it will be easier if you know Darrin - if not, give it a go anyway.

Wonderfully diverse…

This has been bouncing around in my head for a couple of weeks, but I hadn’t written it down:

At the beginning of the month, Janet, Mia & Noah & I joined about 20 of my work colleges & their families for a day at Thorpe Park. We had a great time, but for me, the most beautiful thing of all was just pondering what a wonderfully diverse bunch we are. Within that small number we had English (Black & White), Scots, Japanese, Italian, Swiss, German, Thai, Nigerian, French…plus our little gaggle of mixed race kids.

We are blessed!

The Miracles of Jesus

There's a new 3 part series about The Miracles of Jesus starting on Sunday 6 August at 6:35 on BBC ONE.

Now....I'm a little hesitant to recommend it, because I'm not sure exactly what prespective presenter Rageh Omaar will present, but it's got to be worth checking out.

Gordon, Nick & Steve

There are a few blogs I've started to read more regularly which have got to be added to my list - you may wanna have a look too:

UrbanArmy is Gordon Cotterill's widely read blog. It's always full of good thought provoking stuff about faith, the world & The Salvation Army.

Nick Hanover is a top lad - Sally Army officer in Stratford East London, marathon runner, Scotsman & peceptive blogger.

I also bounced into the blog of the South Meadows Community Church in Calgary, Alberta, Canada via Pernell's site, and it looks like a very cool place to check out.

Croydon Gateway

Things like this have a habit of not always rolling out as planned, but I've just found about about a MAJOR regeneration project in Croydon called Croydon Gateway. Plans look pretty cool, so I'll be watching this one closely.

...makes you wonder what the implications & opportunities are for my Church, Croydon Citadel.

The 12-thousand seater arena sounds like a great place to Worship!!

No Parking

....you gotta check out the progress of young Chris Parker, as he bounds around the globe.

Chris is enagaging in a year of development, of learning, of seeing and being. His year long internship with The Salvation Army International Emergency Services Team will teach and train him in ways he will never have imagined.

He's a good buddy, and little bro of my best man, and all round top geezer, Duncan Parker.

Watch & learn....I'm hoping his blog will be a goody

Peace & blessings to you, Chris my young brother.

Synchronicity

Synchronicity - it's a funny old thing.

Creepily, I've just clocked that there is a company which uses the same office facility site as my office which is called Laird Recruitment.

Strange but true!

RE:SOUND 4 WATERSHED

I have to big up The Salvation Army's London South East Divisional Youth Chorus - AKA RE:SOUND.

...went to one of their gigs at Upper Norwood Salvation Army last night, and was completely impressed. As far as I can understand, it's early days for them in their present incarnation as a Gospel Choir, but they did a great job: good, authentic soulful Gospel sound - some soloists of real promise, tight band, and they clearly were having a good time.

On top of all that - and most importantly - they're on fire for Jesus.

I hope they can sustain this, because they can be a really effective unit.

Proceeds were in aid of The SA's WATERSHED appeal

Books

I took a raft of books on my recent holiday - Coupland's JPod, iCon - a biography of Steve Jobs - Finishing Well by Bob Buford, Searching for God Knows What by Donald Miller, Velvet Elvis for a re-read, and my old faithful Peterson's Message. However, I'd forgotten I've got two little kids! I barely even got started with the first few chapters of JPod!

My bookshelves at home are rammed with books that are on my "to read" pile, and sometimes I wonder if I'll ever get round to finishing any of them.

On top of that I have no particular desire to cure my magazine addiction, although I'm doing well. The only one that I still buy regularly is WIRED although I can't resist dipping into Fast Company when I can actually find it in an English newsagents. Gone are the days when I would comfortably shell out for 5 or 6 mags a month. I guess that money goes on Pampers now!

Back

...back to work after a top week away at New Quay, in Cardigan Bay West Wales - I didn't need to wear one once. Weather was great, it was still quiet because the schools hadn't finished for the summer, and we chilled to the max.