And Finally......

From June 2004 - June 2005, I was studying for an M.Phil in The University of Birmingham, researching into the area of using hydrogen instead of fossil fuels to provide for humanity's energy needs. During that year, I became increasingly aware of the dire situation that the human race finds itself in. With global temperatures increasing significantly, and the frightening possibility of a 'point of no return', things aren't looking good. As a result of this revelation, I began reflecting on my own personal actions and contribution to the wider problem, hence the inclusion of 'Our World' in my spirituality plan. Since moving from Birmingham I've failed to continue many of the practices that I started. Only recently have I begun to revive things.

Our World
Only use a car when absolutely necessary
Use a renewable energy provider
Recycle as much waste as possible
Buy locally produced food where possible

Let me know what you think, what you do, and what you would like to do (I'm expecting big things from the Scrivners).

Light a candle, say a prayer

As someone who struggles to pray, I found this to be really helpful. It takes about five minutes and is worth every second. Thanks to Maggi for the link.

Spirituality II

Of the three areas of spirituality I mentioned in my last post, Our Neighbour is the one that I find most difficult to plan for. There are so many needs, both local and global, that I find myself paralysed by the enormity of the task which usually leaves me doing absolutely nothing. The list below is a work in progress. Since coming back to Swansea I have begun to tackle the first and the last practices, but am still struggling to fit the middle two into my routine. Let me know what you think.

Our Neighbour
Use ethical banks
Buy ethical clothes
Volunteer on a regular basis
Give some money away

Spirituality: Plans and Proposals

One of my lecturers used to say ‘Spirituality is an external manifestation of our internal desires, or more simply, how we live in the world’. On the basis of this, I have been periodically reflecting on how my internal desires (the ones that reflect God’s kingdom that is) are being played out, if at all, in the world of everyday life.

One of my central motivations in joining this whole ‘blog community’ thing was so we could begin or continue (depending on how well we knew each other before) to encourage and motivate each other to live lives that reflect that higher purpose (I think even the Scrivners can include themselves here) that we all want to be a part of.

My spirituality reflections tend to come under three headings, Our God, Our neighbour and Our world; and they detail various practices that I feel will help me live out my internal desires in the immediate future. Given the current state of my journey, I thought I would begin with Our God (I’ll probably post the rest over the next week or so). Please let me know what you think, offer me advice or even better, post your own spirituality plans.

Our God
Immerse myself in the sacred narrative of Christianity
Study and learn from the history of the Christian tradition
Keep a prayer journal
Repeat the Lord’s prayer daily
Pray the rosary
Follow the traditional Christian calendar

New Zealand 41 : Wales 3

Outplayed, outclassed and overpowered. Gutted.

The main mitigating factor was the absence of seven first choice players, but then losers are often found making such excuses. While Wales may be the current dominant force in Northern Hemisphere rugby, the South appear to be in a league of their own.

Are New Zealand the best in the world? Only after the 2007 world cup will we know for sure. In terms of the current tour though, it is difficult to see anyone beating them.

It's been a while

Life has been busy recently. A stag night, a fantastic wedding and the busiest week at work so far has meant blogging has taken a back seat. Anyway, back to buisness...

Halloween came and went and not one trick or treater graced our doorstep for the second year running. Maybe all the kids were out at Halloween parties, or maybe they just heard that I am tight.

All the Halloween festivities on television have got me and Becky thinking about what role Halloween will play when we have kids. Will they be allowed to celebrate with the rest, or is there something more sinister lying beneath it all? When I was younger, my church used to put on Christian parties to compensate; looking back now it just all seems a bit 'Ned Flanders' to me.

We ended up coming to the conlusion that we probably would let our kids celebrate Halloween. What do you think?