Game on for God!

Another good weekend for the football team - we played EK Claremont this weekend and won 4 nil.  Once again no goals conceded but 1 booking picked up.  Overall a good performance from the team but still room for improvement.  Boycey in goal again did what he had to do and again did it very well.  Defence picked up a couple of injuries including Gary Morton who was solid at the heart of the defence, Shug who again has been a real revelation at right back but who should be fit for next Saturday when we play CEC2 in Eaglesham.  Graham Cuthbert made his return from injury and Kevin Goodwin made a good contribution at centre half.  Colin Crichton, James Ghattas and Graeme McKee all played well.  James and Colin are pushing for top scorers for div 2 and the way they are playing they deserve it.  Derek Auld was awarded MOM and he deserved it at last.  Well done Derek, again Chris Malone put his heart and soul into the team and played very well he is a natural leader and keeps the team together with his play and his attitude it is a privelege to work with all of the guys in the team.  They are a superb bunch and hopefully we will be able to keep them together for next season and goonto more glorious things in the churches league.  Another player to mention is James Connelly who has made an impact on the team he is a very good skilful player who can get frustrated at times and it shows but when he is concentrating on playing he is a wonderful assett.

I would not swap one of our team for any other in the league, I love working with them and they are a real blessing.  Fantastic ending to a good season but they will get better and they will reach another level with discipline and self belief which is growing all the time.  Fantastic all of them.

Preaching today from 1 Peter 2: 1 -9 a Royal Priesthood - Really enjoyed preaching at Clydebank Methodist Church they are a spirit filled bunch of people who are a real blessing to visit.  Tomorrow I am leading the bible study at Milton, Wednesday I am preaching in Milton at the monthly praise service really looking forward to it.  Busy week this week as I am also planning a children's work with one of the local primary schools - Exciting and challenging.  A really good and blessed week ahead as a son of the living God.

Blessings to all who read this especially the boys from the team.

Today we said farewell to our good friends Billy & Rachel they are off to Thailand for a year to work in the Juniper tree.  We have met with them over the past 4 years to pray, eat and minister to one another.  For a year we will be without them but we will be skyping at times and they are back in September to visit their daughter and their first grandchild.  We will miss them they are a major part of our lives and Billy has been my mentor since he baptised both my wife and I and then led us through Alpha they are both really great friends.

No football this weekend for St. Andrew's and so I took the boy and youngest daughter to watch Kirkie Riverside against Westwood BB.  Kirkie won 3 v 2 in what was a very good game.  I missed us not playing but only for a weekend as we  are playing Hope Hall next weekend at either the race course or KGV in Renfrew.  League meeting Thursday and my main topic was to speak about extending the season by one month but it seems most teams will complete on time??

This week will be a busy one for me as I have 2 bible studies to lead this week, plus a meeting Thursday morning and a Praise night Wednesday night at which the church welcomes Linda Galloway - looking forward to it and excited at the same time.  Working all day tomorrow - preparing for the bible study tomorrow night, moving carpets and anything else that happens to need to be done.

Two things that have bugged me over the past week - one is the person that killed Jamie Bulger is allowed to maintain his anonimity amidst accusations of other charges that have meant he has been put back in prison.  This is just another example of helping the the attacker rather than protecting the victim.  This has annoyed me because we have friends who are looking after a 17 year old girl called Rima from Eritrea? and she is being sent back to Italy where she escaped from to come to Britain, she is a lovely girl and worships at St. Silas, goes to college and is a victim of everything that is bad with most governments our very own included - we are supposedly living in a Christian country and yet we show no compassion for a person who has suffered a great deal in such a short life, we do not welcome the alien into our land, we do not set the captive free - she is captured by fear of deportation a fear she should not have at such a young age.  There are thousands of people praying that she is allowed to stay in our country and remain living with the family that she has adopted and who have adopted her.  We are living in strange times where everything is upside down we have moved so far from God that we have forgotten why we are here and how we are to act towards one another.

On another note after that wee rant one of my major topics of conversation is with regard to the church and mission - what we appear to have at the moment is a church that is into maintenance i.e. look after what we have and try and get back those that used to come and may still have a connection to the church.  We must be continually looking for opportunities within our communities and start thinking outside of the box - Our mission is to be Jesus to a lost and hurting world to offer a different direction to take people on the most awesome and amazing journey they will ever go on.  We have something exciting to offer and yet we don't, we have something that is hard to continue with at times and is a challenge every day and so we don't offer it.  It is easy to be an atheist, non believer or a I don't care person but being a Christian is the hardest thing anyone can ever do and that in itself is a challenge that more people should take up before they judge what being a Christian is about.

Blessings to all who read this.

Football & Friends

Yesterday we played Kilsyth COG and had avery convincing victory 5 nil - Although we didn't play the best all round football it was a fantastic display of counter attacking football.  Well done to all the guys especially Colin who got a hat trick.  Everyone in the etam did very well and this result menas that we stay joint top for another week.  9 games to go and now we have played all the top teams, beaten 3 of them and drawn against Ebenezer last week.  The team is doing very well at the moment and I cannot praise them enough well disciplined and scoring goals.  Well done guys.

We have a week off next week and so I will be trying to catch a few cup games and watch a few teams other than St. Andrew's it also means that I get to spend the morning with the boy as he will come and watch them with me.

Friday night the wife and I spent the night with our good friends Ruth & Jim at Margaret & Russell's.  We had a great meal and a good laugh plus as they are such good friends I got to watch the Rugby as well.  You can't beat friends like that.  Watched the Rugby yesterday and it was good to see Ireland beat England.  The results in the premier league were also kind to me yesterday with Man City winning never thought I would be saying that the only concerning thing was Arsenal winning and looking good along with it, it was sickening to see the young lad Ramsey breaking his leg but it did not appear to be a malicious tackle there have been worse and I don't think wenger should have his conspiracy theory head on he sounds like a lunatic yes it was bad but I don't think teams go out to delibaretely break Arsenal players legs every season - maybe wenger should start working on tackling with his superstars and also watch his own team more closely.  I hope the lad Ramsey returns as good as what he was when the injury happened he is a very good young talent.  Anyway Aston Villa for the Reds today in a cup final should be a good one but not sure what the result will be.

Church and it is a busy week for me - As a church we are trying to connect with the community more and so we are holding an art competition running for the primary schools in the area and so far all 4 are on board with it.  Bible study tomorrow night in Milton and then a league meeting on Thursday.  Next week is even busier as I am out nearly every evening with bible studies Monday and Thursday and also a praise night on Wednesday in Milton which I am really looking forward to and excited by our visiting speaker.  I pray that the church will be full and that God will be blessed by the praises of his people.

Blessings to all who read this blog

Catch up....

It has been a while since my last blog and a lot has happened.

Football firstly St. Andrew's need another 3 wins out of 3 to remain in the division they are in.  This is due to league restructuring!  We have a game tomorrow night against EK Claremont at Toryglen which I have to say is one if not the best facility we have played at for a while.  Recent results have been a 4 v 3 win against KCC and also a 4 v 1 win against KCC (we hadn't played them at all this season so this was the rearranged fixtures).  We still have Trinity Possil and Mure Memorial to play over the next 2 weeks.  No game Saturday as our opponents are in the cup semi final and I am at a friends daughters wedding.

Family are all well #1 daughter has her visa for America and leaves in 3 weeks.  #2 daughter is very excited as she gets her room while she is away.  #3 & #4 don't care and the boy well that is another story and one that will take a seperate blog.  The sun is out and trying to keep the son in is a nightmare and so far this week he has wrecked the barbecue and the wall in the garden, destroyed 2 plants and climbed the fence at least 5 times and that is in 2 days.  There is a lot to be said about rain.  The wife is doing well and has been asked to write some material  for the expositary times.  I am really proud of her she is awesome and a real b lessing to me and our children.

Work is going ok.  I am preaching on Sunday which I am looking forward to and then 2 weeks after that I am preaching again.  Exciting times are coming.  Anyway that is probably all I need to say just now?  Oh!  My dissertation is due in in 15 days time argh!!!  Better get on with it again.  St. Andrew's had another Praise night which went well and I am looking forward to the next one already.  Oh and I drove an Audi RS 4 amazing! fast,  awesome what else can I say 4.2 ltr engine 0 -60 in 5 secs.

Progress

I have not blogged since last weekend and a lot has happened.  I have taken my 2 exams and done ok I think!?  I still have one more essay to be in by Saturday but that really means Friday and I have another 3000 words to find.

I preached for the first time yesterday at Partick Methodist Church on Jonah and Ninevah.  I really enjoyed it and got a lot out of it my mentor/trainer Alan is very good and always gives me some good tips afterwards and a lot of Methodist history beforehand.  I have decided there is not many he people he does not know involved in Methodism.

Football and the game was off on Saturday after moving pitches the opposition decided that they weren't playing on either pitch which meant an early finish for me and I got to catch a wee bit of a first division game in East Kilbride.  Next week we are playing EK Claremont which if memory serves me right the last time we played them was a cup final and we lost 2 v 1 which was also the last time I saw big Tam alive.  The game will be in EK on grass with a 10.00am KO.

Barack Obama is the 44th President very interesting.  I listened to the inaugaral speech and noted that he used scripture throughout it.  Very good but I am still not convinced that he will be a good one.  He strikes me as wanting to appeal  hence to appeal to the Evangelicals he uses scripture and some well know American Evangelicals.  On the war he starts pulling troops out etc. etc.  I hope he does a good job but will he be allowed to?  Do all of the states of America recognise him as their president I doubt it as rascism still exists in some states.  My prayer would be for America that they recognise Obama not as their last 'hope' but as a man who has changed their history and can bring about some unresolved issues for their country.  He may even bring them to remember that as with us for their country God is their only hope.  

BBC are not showing an appeal for the Gaza.  Maybe their refusal to gives the appeal deserved publicity and people will give to this cause.  I have to say that for me personally I am glad they are not showing it.  One of the main reasons is that I don't agree with the Hamas cause.  History has taught us that if you go against Israel they will respond dispraportionatly and to continue to do that is sheer stupidity.  The tension had to break at some point.  I hope that the two factors can get around the table and use diplomacy at least then there may be a chance that this won't happen again and many inncoent children will not have to suffer because of grown up stupidity.  I know life in Gaza is not great and that in Israel it is much better.  Constant missile attacks make life hard but Hamas didn't kill that many people with them as opposed to 1400 people killed by an all out attack justifiable?  Not really but that is and has always been the way of a country that lives in constant fear.  Not a very good way to live.  Lets hope diplomacy can sort this one out and that Israel allows the Palestinians a better way of life and that both sides share the resources that they have.

All children in our household are well and the wife had a great time with HRH last Tuesday.  She is continuing to work on her training manual plus her day job with St. Silas.  As for me I have a church council meeting tonight which will be good fun as well as being a challenge.  I now have to prepare half the service for next Sunday in what I hope is preperation for preparing and doing a whole service in the near future.                      

I can sympathise!

My friend is in hospital with kidney stones and hopefully having treatment today!  I can sympathise as it wasn't too long ago that I was in the same position.  It is excruciating pain (although my wife says every man should experience kidney stones - not funny!).  Praying that he is pain free and recovering well quickly.