2-1

Delirious! Excruciating watching though. They think it's all over....

Grapevine

We were at Grapevine 2005 yesterday. It was great to see Delirious leading worship last night one year on from the terrible accident when the seating in the big top collapsed.

They led us in the song ‘We’re gonna dance in the river’ (This is the song we were singing at the time when it all happened) - Martin Smith declared ‘let us finish what we started last year!’ Great stuff.

Go Freddie!

A great first century against the Aussies.

I'm Back...

...after being on holiday and then being struck down with a bad dose of tonsillitis. All I could eat was well cooked spaghetti mixed with grated cheese, butter and a touch of basil! Not bad really.

The crickets back also. The Ashes 4th Test and England are making steady progress despite the rain interruptions yesterday.

Hopefully they’ll see off Australia today by posting a good first innings. Looks like Freddies winding up for a big one!

Ashes 3rd Test

On holiday this week so not much blogging.

But I had to mentionn the cricket. Wow, boo-hoo and all that. What an emotional roller-coaster this Series is becoming.

This will no doubt go down as an all-time classic...one they'll remember for many years to come.

Vaughan Again...at Last!

Well done Michael. A great knock of 166.

What will today bring, hopefully a final tally of around 500 should see off this test match. Also...

600 not out!

Finally, I've got to mention the effervescent Shane Warne who reached the incredible milestone of 600 test wickets.

Lost

The popular American TV series ‘Lost’ starts here tonight on Channel 4. I will watch with eager anticipation.

"Cinematic, lavish, shock-and-awe television"
"Big-budget, massive cast, great special effects, nail biting cliff-hangers"

Synopsis: ‘After a somewhat mysterious sequence of events, an oceanic flight from Sydney to LA crashes on what appears to be a deserted island. The chance of being found and rescued are fairly small, so the survivors have to cope with a set of challenges. They have to learn to survive on the island, a mysterious place with enough dangers on it's own. Also, they have to learn to live with each other if any success is to be expected. And finally, they have to live with themselves and their pasts. Interwoven with the events on the islands are flashbacks to the pasts of some 10 main characters. Step by step, we learn a little more about their diverse and unexpected pasts as the group's quest to survive takes shape.

A horrific plane crash leaves 48 passengers alive, and stranded on a remote island in the South Pacific. The survivors include doctor Jack, now freed prisoner Kate, one hit wonder rock star Charlie, Iraqi military vet Sayid, and a mysterious man named Locke. For a while their goal is simple survival, but they soon realise that it was far more than mere chance that brought them together, and each of them has a purpose that will help them unlock the island's secrets.’

Ashes 2nd Test Report

Great stuff from Derek 'Robbo' Robson (The Tees Mouth) courtesy of the BBC.

‘Warne treads on his stumps, and you're thinking he's a great bowler but you wouldn't want him as a dance partner.’

WANTED: Aussie Bowler

Nice hot bath too ease the bruising.

Another one out? Brett Lee is doubtful for the 3rd Test at Old Trafford. He's suffering from a knee infection which apparently has nothing to do with Freddy's exocets at the weekend.

Hope you get better soon Brett!

Living Life Well

Jeannie Benger spoke an encouraging message in church last night on the keys to ‘living life well’. We will talk about these things in our Connect Group tomorrow night.

God is a Father - encouraging his kids, cheering us on. When we fall off - 'get back on...have another go!'

God wants us to live a full life – to squeeze every last drop out of life! Run the race well.

Keys:
Having a generous spirit
Sow generously. Practice good ‘customer service’ – not just a shopping thing but a life thing!
Proverbs 11:25 - The generous prosper and are satisfied; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.
Live lives full of generosity.

Having a great attitude
In every area of our lives. Home life, work life etc.
Enjoy work! (When you go into work and you ask someone are they ok, how many respond - ‘I’ll be all right at 5 o’clock’?)

Get planted in the House of God
Ephesians 5:25 - Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her.
Christ loves the church. We also need to love church. Be positive about church...not looking to pull it down, critical etc. Support the leaders and the vision of the church.

God is for us…He wants us to win! To live life to the full.

Q’s
How important are our attitudes in life? Where can we see the positive/negative effects of the right/wrong attitudes?
Sowing and reaping in life...it’s not just about money. What other examples of the kinds of good sowing and also bad sowing can we think of?

Greatest Ever Test Match?

I’ve just witnessed an incredible finish to a great Ashes Test match. A real nail-biter!

What seemed like a formality this morning with Australia chasing 107 to win with only 2 wickets in hand, turned into a frenetic finish

The tail in Warne, Lee and Kasprowicz fought brilliantly and were just denied at the end only 3 runs short of the win. You've got to feel for the lads.

1-1 in the Series...game on!

Slipped on a Cricket Ball?!

McGrath out of Second Test!



See previous post. I was only joking - honest!

McGrath and Warne

How to play these two? 1097 test wickets between them.

I think something slipped into their meals tonight might do the trick!

Blog Birthday

One year old today!

Vaughan Again

Just one of the headlines I’d love to see over the coming weekend.

He’s gone from being rated number one in the world to number 28. His test average has dropped from 50.98 before he was captain to just 36.55.



BBC link

Dead or Alive? Part 3

Paul Benger finished off our Dead or Alive series last night in church. It’s been a great three weeks.

Ephesians 2:11-22

Paul deals with 3 issues concerning the Ephesians church (Vs 11-12)

They still thought they were ‘outsiders’
Thinking they were not good enough. But now all one in Christ.

The Jewish pride
Galatians 3:28 – in Christ there is neither Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male or female – you are all one in Christ!

The concept of ‘circumcision’
Not a human activity but a Holy Spirit activity at work in our lives – making us more like Christ.

This is what Christ has done, a fundamental change has taken place to our condition:
(Vs 13) We now belong to God – brought near, no longer far away.
(V3 14) Jesus has broken down the wall of hostility – made us one, not only with God but with other people. Unity – one in Christ.
(Vs 15) Jewish law has ended – a new way of being right with God, through Christ and all he has done.
(Vs 19) The new temple has been constructed – a place where God dwells, in the hearts of people. The church is people. Flourishing when planted in the House of God.

Finally...
(Vs 12) The church is a place of HOPE. Hope is the true spirit of the Christian. To have faith we need hope. Hebrews 11:1 - What is faith? It is the confident assurance that what we hope for is going to happen. It is the evidence of things we cannot yet see

Psalm 42:11 - Why am I discouraged? Why so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again - my Saviour and my God!
Proverbs 17:22 - A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person's strength.
Proverbs 18:14 - The human spirit can endure a sick body, but who can bear it if the spirit is crushed?