Words alive

This is a wonderful animation, I can’t even begin to think how many hours went into this. It’s beautifully intricate.

Brick brilliant

Here is an exceedingly cool scene of stop motion animation and a website all about how they completed the project. Some might argue this is a waste of time, but can one put a price on art?

Check out the side by side version of the animation with the original footage too, it comes up as an option to watch at the end of the video.

Healthy belief

I’ve been recently re-awakened to look at the spiritual gift of healing again, largely because a significant number of our church are suffering from illness of one kind or another.

In many ways I find healing to be a fairly simple thing, I believe God does it, I believe that’s why I’m here, but at the same time I find it deeply difficult, ‘why doesn’t it always seem to happen?’, ‘why don’t I see more of it?’ etc…

I’m wrestling at the moment, but in my place of wrestleitude, I’ve decided to go for it anyway and start to pray in faith for the restoration of those that I know of, that are sick around me. I don’t have all the answers on the ins and outs of healing and I’m not even sure I know how to pray for it, but I’ve made a choice to go for it, to ask God to use me. He calls us to desire the greater gifts so that’s what I’ve set my heart on.

I think faith is a pretty key element in all this so I’ve started reading a bit about that, here’s an article on the subject that I found pretty interesting.

I particularly like these quotes:

Like the father who brought his boy to Jesus for healing desperately proclaims, “I do believe, help me overcome my unbelief”. A prayer that, if we are truly honest, we should recite daily.

Most often, having faith is a conscience decision that builds strength, as trust is earned. Whereas people grow tired and become uninterested, giving up the pursuit of earning another’s trust. God is persistent and will continue to prove himself to us continually and faithfully.

If you’re in the area, we’ll be praying for health issues at my church from 7:00am to 7:45am tomorrow morning. Come and join us to pray.

Holy Trinity Church Richmond

Tea potty

And this is just rather fun.

Genius, simple

This short excerpt from a documentary is pretty amazing. It is breath taking what the human brain can do, I particularly enjoyed the divide 13 by 97 bit, where he beats a calculator and then goes on to beat a computer.

This video make me think about what we describe as disabilities, because Daniel has Autism, but he is clearly far better at utilising the memory and logic aspects of his brain than I am. Interesting.

Really?

I can’t quite believe this is real, apologies that it’s a little crude, but what on earth were they thinking when they came up with this.

Rather lavatorial if you ask me.

Rhadamanthinically principled

If you are obsessed with a social drive towards the avoidance of atychiphobia or you enjoy deftly pin pointing that which is exsufflicate, then you will most certainly enjoy Grandiloquent. A site with the clear intention of catering for the linguaphiliacs out there, of which I would certainly count myself a member.

Advance both weblically and vocabulistically here.

You mug

A college and I are often lured towards random and beautiful objects and sometimes those objects are mugs.

Today as we were in search of this mug which is designed by Naoto Fukasawa we stumbled upon this very fine collection of beverage vessels.

I love some of these, the mug is such a beautiful object, the perfect product for exercising gentle, human centric ergonomics with a touch of simplism and a lashing or two of flair.

I’m working on my own mug concept on the back of various envelopes.

Pants on show

I meet (almost) weekly with two guy chum’s for a bit of prayer action, this morning was one of those mornings and was noteworthily brilliant. I’ve spent a lot of time in prayer triplets over the years and there’s nothing quite like them for spiritual growth. Whilst it’s really important that they don’t become self indulgent laundry airing sessions, the prayer triplet is about the only place I’ve felt safe enough to take James 5:16 seriously and find freedom in the glorious gift of repentance. I heartily recommend getting honest with two trusted friends, it’s so often been a place where God has ministered his grace and encouraged me to live in the fullness of that, in freedom.

As our modern day Starsky and Hutch helpfully remind us, ‘Do it… do it… do it’.

(Thanks guys, you know who you are.)

JC Maxx

It’s been fairly hectic over the last few days, I disappeared to the mobile receptionless depths of east Sussex for our church’s Alpha weekend away.

It was largely a really positive time, God was clearly doing some exciting things in people’s lives and that was a real pleasure to see. On occasions though, I found it a little hard being a leader, it sometimes seemed I was slightly disconnected from what God was doing. Making sure other people were being prayed with and continuing my role of providing a little extra rhythm to the worship, left me feeling a little distant from just receiving from God. But a wise friend said that God sometimes seems to afford us a little extra ‘clarity’ when we’re in the role of ministering, so that we can keep an eye out and be alert. After events later that day, I think this proved to be true.

We made it home from the weekend in time for the evening service and I’m glad I didn’t bail in favour of an evening in front of Top Gear.

I came to a place of feeling quite empty during the service, but a truth dawned on me, I’ve been shopping at other Supermarkets. Obscure, yes, but hang in there. I began to realise that I had been lost in idol worship over the last few weeks, going to the telly, or a friend, or food for comfort and re-energising, rather than coming to JC Maxx. Yes, friends, telly and food are good things, but they aren’t the total solution and can never fully satisfy, God really is the best resource and when I finally realised that I’d been shopping elsewhere, He totally met me last night and it was rather inspirational.

Very exciting.

On a  side note, James Bond’s ‘The Spy Who Loved Me’ is really much more amusing than you ever remembered. Innundated with innuendo I can’t quite believe this slipped under the radar for general PG viewing, but watched with a symbiotic comedy partner and with the freedom to add your own commentry, this film can definitely provide a hilarious night in.

 

See the sounds

I stumbled across this video today. Audiologically speaking, it may not be your ear’s favourite flavour, but it’s strangely beautiful to watch.

Sometimes it’s really special to see things that you usually hear, helps you appreciate your God given senses.

Apologies for PC’s lack of content this week, feeling a little steam rollered at the mo.

We’re not worthing

Ok so extreme sports usually arrive on a Friday, but this article and video from Monday, posted on the BBC news website has got to make it in.

Simply unbelievable, this must have been a massive thrill, but 3 years planning, that’s loads.

Right now

Erm

Vote for Brigitte.

Thanks :  )

(You can once a day until 7th December)

Toymber

This video is not only pretty impressive in a, random waste a few moments, kind of fashion, but it’s also strangely beautiful.

I used to like building towers when I was a kid, I think it appealed to my moderate OCD tendencies. Perhaps that’s what’s missing from my weekly routine?