way out west

Petition for Tibet

After decades of repression, the Tibetans are sending out a global cry for change. Unrest is spreading across Tibet and neighbouring regions, and the Chinese regime is right now making a crucial choice between escalating repression or dialogue.

President Hu Jintao needs to hear that "Made in China" exports and the upcoming Olympics in Beijing will have the support of the world's people only if he chooses dialogue. But it will take an avalanche of global people power to get his attention.  Click below to sign the petition--in just 7 days, the campaign is over half way to the goal of 2 million signatures! (current total over One and a quarter Million have signed)

Petition

Technorati Tags: Culture: News

Birth of a lamb

We took Nathan to our local Farm park this afternoon... obviously it's lambing season at the moment with lambs being born pretty much everyday... as we arrived in the lambing barn we saw a ewe cleaning a lamb that had been born about 10 mins previously.  The Shepherd told us that the ewe was due to give birth to a second lamb within 20 mins, about half an hour later it had not yet arrived, so the Shepherd decided to help.  So, in true James Herriot style, on went the long glove and up went the arm!  The lamb had it's legs tucked back so could not come out on it's own, so after a little help and a bit of wiggling the Shepherd brought the lamb into the world.  Nathan was gob-smacked and loved every minute of it!  And it was quite appropriate for Easter Sunday!

Technorati Tags: environment: Family

Nathan's Day

Nathan (meaning = God has given) our whirlwind and daily blessing... is FOUR years old today.  I know it's a cliché... but it only seems like yesterday I was wrapping him up in a blanket for the very first time in Stoke Mandeville Hospital.

May God continue to bless your walk and your growing,
may your life be one of love and service,
may God use you for his purpose of peace,
may you change the world as you daily changes ours.

We love you Nathan, and always will no matter who and what you become.

Technorati Tags: Family

A birth less ordinary

You hear people at this time of year stressing the ordinariness of the birth of Christ... but it always strikes me that there was nothing ordinary in his birth... it was special, but not by being "better" rather by being in the midst of more difficult circumstances than the ordinary birth... even then there would have been support, rituals, preparations; wise women, experienced grandparents, care taken about the environment etc.  probably some would seem alien to us, just as ours would to them... but they would have had their ordinary procedures.

A birth less ordinary
No ordinary start to a life on earth,
No preparations, no ante-natal rituals, no gradual build-up,
No getting things in order, bag packed, hospital number by the phone,
No nursery decorated, no teddy waiting in the Cot,
No family around, no friends sending flowers,
No midwife popping in, no reassuring experts,
No people who’ve been there, no experience to help,
No warm ward, no birthing suite,
No pool, no gas, no epidural,
No hot water, no towels, no Surgeon on hand,
No sterile safe place,
No friendly face, no familiar place,
No ordinary birth,
No ordinary baby.

Technorati Tags: Christmas: Poetry

Its November it must be Winter!

So... it's November the 18th... and todays weather in Telford has been Snow, all day!

Build your own Coracle...

If you have £300 going spare and fancy going rustic and a bit celtic... we have stumbled across (thanks to Carol one of our community members and eco-activist) this fantastic woodland eco/craft centre down the road from Ironbridge.... where you can take a two day Coracle building course!

Green Wood Centre

Technorati Tags: Celtic: Telford

Summer(?) connections

Over the summer (if that is what you could call it) I have had the pleasure of meeting some great people (some for the first time), who have stirred me and encouraged me... so I'm attempting to do a mini blog-roll type posting... or a "contextless links" type post but with a smattering of context... at leasy of those I can find links for...

Jack Stapleton - Guardian of the Aidan Trust US
Peter and Dorothy Neilson (Peter chaired the Church of Scotland’s Commission on the Future of the Church - Church without walls report)
Patrick Dodson - Kiwi dwelling creative and speaker on culture and social entrepreneurship
Ray Simpson - Guardian of the communities of Aidan and Hilda UK
Brandon Wellcome - Dublin, Greater Europe Mission
Phil Kingsley - GEM, The Journey

There where others for whom I can't find a web presence at this moment.... Mark Sampson, Ferg Brown, David Wetton, Kate Tristram, Trent Sheppard...

Technorati Tags: Blogging: Church: Spirituality

T-shirt design

Been working on T-shirt designs today... hopefully to make available through an online shop like spreadshirt... or to get done locally and have to sell/wear at Greenbelt... the best design so far (I think) is based on the statue of Brendan found in a shrine at the foot of Mount Brandon... the blue would be the T-shirt itself (inc. the Brendan Cross)...

Technorati Tags: St Brendan: T-Shirts

The Great Train Robbery

I have to go to London Tomorrow for a meeting at CMS... the meeting starts at 11:00am, I have to be honest I usually drive to London from Telford because the trains between Telford and Birmingham are so unreliable... anyway I thought I'd look at what trains are available and the cost... the cost?  Hold your breath and make sure you are sitting securely...

£139:00!

...hardly encourages people to leave the car at home, or steer clear of Air travel does it? 

Away

I'm off later to the "Emerging Church Leaders Network" gathering somewhere in deepest darkest Leicestershire... then down to Worthing to celebrate Nathan's 3rd Birthday... so unless they have wireless at the conference centre it may be more quiet here than usual for a few days... I will post the readings for the coming week this afternoon on here.

On another note... heaven for a Football supporter is to see their team at the top of the League... how good is it for me at the moment then... my two teams, Telford and Derby are sitting at the highest point of their respective tables... The Bucks and The Rams - Hopefully the gaps will be even bigger come Saturday evening!

1 AFC Telford United 65
2 Witton Albion 58
3 Marine 57
4 Hednesford Town 56
5 Burscough 55
6 Whitby Town 52

1 Derby County 69
2 Birmingham City 67
3 West Bromwich Albion 63
4 Sunderland 63
5 Preston North End 62
6 Wolverhampton Wanderers 62

Technorati Tags: Emerging Church: Football