I don’t like being wrong…  It makes your heart feel a bit achey and makes your brain feel a bit fizzy.  Admitting that you are wrong is even worse, it is like someone has just put up a big placard saying “LOSER” above your head.  There is nothing worse than having a disagreement with someone and half way through, realising that you are wrong, but being so proud that you cannot possibly admit it and trying to manipulate every angle of the debate in order to make yourself right.

This evening I am wrong.  I had a very minor disagreement with a friend which turned into a heated debate and I suffered with the usual (as JT often gently tries to tell me), not “knowing when to stop and agree to disagree.”  When he says this I usually want to implode with fury, as, being a girl, I really wanted a bit of sympathy.  Again, that lesson in humility - he is right.

I have had to apologise and tell the person that I am wrong.

Last night a group of people got baptised at church after the Alpha weekend away.  I always feel inspired after these evenings because each person shares about how God has changed their life and every story leaves you with your mouth open.  From recovering alcoholics to broken marriages that are being restored, last night was no exception, praise God.  Not everybody has a ‘dramatic’ story in Hollywood terms (unfortunately movies, wonderful as they are, have set a precedent for such interpretation of ‘dramatic’ or ‘amazing’), but actually to me, seeing someone for whom something they have wondered about or questioned  for years clicking into place is one of the most amazing and dramatic experiences.

Keith made an interesting point last night.  He said that baptism is really very simple.  As people go in and out of the water it is representative of dying to your old life and starting a new life with Jesus and a free ticket to heaven (he worded it better than this).  He wondered why more people wouldn’t want this, but feared that the church had got in the way.

If you have stumbled upon this blog and this is true of you, please please please, don’t make the mistake of refusing to have anything to do with God because of your experience of church.  Unfortunately the church is full of human beings and, well, we are just not God and will definitely make mistakes.  Even the vicar will offend you, but it is of paramount importance that you bear with church, as church is so important to Jesus.  In the Bible it is described as the “bride of Christ”, the body for whom He is coming back.

For existing church members who are frustrated with church, what is it that frustrates you?  What are you doing to change this?  Audible objection (moaning) is NOT a solution in most cases.  I have little time for those who object loudly to things within church and then leave without the thought ever occurring to them that their frustration could be God’s solution.  Why do you get particularly narked about one thing?  Maybe there is a window of opportunity in ministry for you here.

A simple example - which my Mum told me about the other day as she has recently started going to a church in Leckhampton where the older people were moaning that there was no church fete anymore.  My Mum realised that this is an area where she could help, as she is brilliant at organising such things.  It is a smaller church than Trinity but for them it is a good way to get the local community into the church.  If they had just moaned about it, noone would come in and they would just remain bitter.  Us British are all too good at using our mouth in place of our hands and feet.

I went to photograph some autumn leaves, but unfortunately a thick fog came down… It was fun though - I was trying to learn to use my manual focus (partially successful…)

The age range on this product made me laugh…

This post is not intended to offend anyone who wears Crocs, but it made me laugh! Clever parody….

Last night we headed up Cleeve Hill for cluster fireworks!  It was a great fun evening with large and small explosions, topped off by sparklers, my favourite bit!  A very chilly group of people then headed down the hill to the pub, where we engaged in an intellectual discussion about the housing market, the design agency that Dan works for, squeamish-ness and various other things.  We also booked in for our Christmas social (how organised are we?!?)  and finally went home to bed.

Here is a photo of us all up the hill minus JT and Pete who were letting off fireworks.  I am the little pink hat, top right.

This is Sarah and her sparkler!

Today I had a conversation with Long John Silver (the pirate next door’s friend)…  First of all he told me how he acquired the infamous dog with no teeth.  Said dog, chose that moment to howl mournfully and show that it is indeed devoid of a single tooth.  Eerie…  He told me that the dog likes to play football and that he also likes to pee up vertical surfaces.  I was a little unnerved at this prospect and started to shuffle nervously from one foot to the other.  He then told me of how his association with the pirate occurred.  They worked together for a housing company in 1976, after he had moved to Cheltenham with a broken heart.  Eventually we moved on to the subject of graphic design and, as he tried to tell me about the so-called revolutionary idea of illegal software, JT, who was hiding behind the sitting room door, rang my mobile to get me to go inside!  All very interesting.

I have not yet summoned up the courage to ask him if he likes to hunt for buried treasure or sail the mighty seas.  Perhaps another day.

23:02pm, Wednesday 7th November.  RED DUCK is complete.  All that remains for me to do is finish compiling my sketch pads in the morning before ‘the big presentation’ at 2:45pm.  2.5 very expensive ink cartridges, 2 folders, lots of expensive paper and umpteen man hours later, it is finished (in the wise words of Jesus, only not nearly so momentous!)

Well the deadline is in sight, so I apologise for my quietness in blogging.  All was going well with the printing today until I looked round and saw a very self-satisfied ginger cat sitting on my work!!

Today we went to Music Live at the NEC in Birmingham, which was a fun day out.  There were LOADS of guitars and really big amps, a Neil Peart signature drum kit (mmmm….  Very nice!), some pink guitars, lots of noise and some crazy bass guitarists!  JT purchased a guitar pedal (he is very excited about it) and I bought a pink guitar strap with white stars on it, which I am probably equally as excited about!  All in all a good day out.