Hiking, climbing and the great outdoors

One of the things I have always enjoyed doing since I was a little child is to go exploring in the countryside. To pack a bag and just set out walking somewhere I have never been before and with only the basics to survive. One of my favourites is to not just spend a day exploring but to spend the night out in the wild with only the things I absolutely need to survive.

Over the years one of the things I have regularly had to use is my knowledge of foods available in the countryside, what berries I can eat, where to find fresh water and how to navigate when you have lost your map. All these skills I learned from my Grandad (better than Ray Mears) who learned it all when he was a child from his Dad and Grandad who learnt it from.... you get the point. This information has been learned and passed on time and time again in my family right down to me and I am able to survive in many circumstances in which others would find almost impossible.

Now I feel absolutely blessed to have been taught all of this because it gives me opportunities many others do not have. Some of the scenes and vistas I have seen while out hiking are simply breath taking, scenes that when you see them you realise God has an amazing sense of beauty and has created an amazing world for us. Also when you go to the other extreme and pay attention to the very tiny things you realise that God has not only made these huge sweeping landscapes that look amazing, He also paid the most minute detail to the workings of it so that it may stay beautiful too.

Hopefully now that January is almost over and the worst of winter is hopefully gone I am going to be able to get out and do much more exploring and climbing in the coming weeks and months. Being out and isolated in the middle of nowhere but feeling that sense of being completely surrounded by Him and His work is a great feeling. A feeling that is conducive to some of the most amazing prayer times I have ever had, because being completely alone allows me to drop any and all barriers and truly stand there open and honest with God with no distractions, no stray thoughts in the nearest thing to perfect peace I have ever found.

So I am looking forward to getting back out in to the countryside soon, exploring new places and visiting old favourites. Hoping to also spend some more time out on the hills with some friends of mine who have also been known to climb a hill or two (even if it requires a certain amount of encouragement). Here is to a year full of hiking weekends and lots of beautiful mountain top views to share.

Christmas is coming the goose is getting fat

There is an old rhyme I used to sing as a child;

Christmas is coming the goose is getting fat,
Please put a penny in the old man's hat,
If you haven't got a penny a Ha'penny will do,
If you haven't got a Ha'penny the God bless you.

It is just a silly nursery rhyme but for some reason it is one of the few I remember. I have no idea why I stuck in my mind so much, but I do have vivid memories of my Gramma singing this rhyme to my younger brother. But I do like the rhyme, even though it is a christmas rhyme which is about the trappings of Christmas with the geese and the ever present need for money to buy gifts. The best line however is the last one, it brings us back to the real reason for Christmas, God, specifically in the form of Jesus.

Last year we were blessed as a family to celebrate Christmas with a lovely 3 week old baby and a manic but memorable Christmas was had by all. This year it will all be a bit different, where as last year we had a lovely addition to the family, this year we will be missing two grand parents. Thinking about Christmas this year has been somewhat different for me in that all of the material things do not matter to me so much, and I have centred my thoughts on my family and the memories we have and of things with a sentimental value.

For me I think this is a lot closer to the real reason for Christmas. We are celebrating not just the birth of our Saviour but a family which he created. We are celebrating the fact that through Him we were all reconciled to God and that our family is now complete again with God as our Father. Although my earthly family is mourning a number of losses this year, we need to remember that they are not lost at all and that we will see them again when we reach the heavenly palace, when we are all born again through Jesus.

Christmas is a reason to celebrate, a time to realise what we have received, not just now, but also what we have received in the past too, the fact that we have been given Jesus and that it was the greatest gift of all. I have no idea what the people who read this blog will be doing for Christmas this year, but I hope that you can take a small amount of time to consider the baby who grew up and died just for you. Merry Christmas, I hope you have a God filled day.

Advent Challenge Day 23

This challenge is now complete, please feel free to browse all of the 

completed tasks via the Advent Challenge tab.

This challenge really has been a bit of a challenge for me, I know I have a lot to be thankful for but it is very hard to think of when we are all gearing up towards the first Christmas with out my Gramma and my Grandad.

But as I said, I know I have a lot to be thankful for and after spending some time reflecting on the things that will be missing this year I began to pray for the things I do have. The thing I am most thankful for is my family, after losing so many family members this year I am thankful for all the family I have left, specifically my nephew and Godson.

In addition to this I am thankful for the friends I have. These people have put up with a lot and been there for me when I have needed people most. My friends are a fantastic bunch of Christian people who really live out what they believe and who have been a great example.

I am thankful that I am blessed with a great job and the opportunities that it provides and the financial stability that comes from having a regular income for the first time in a long time. I am blessed to work in a challenging environment where I come in to contact with a huge number of different people with a range of issues to work with. It is a job that I enjoy hugely and have the opportunity to learn new things every shift and develop my skills and to grow as a person myself.

Most of all though I am thankful that I have come to know God this year. That through the examples and guidance of some fantastic saints I have grown to know the Saviour who was born at Christmas who went on to die that I might be saved. I am thankful that this year I will appreciate Christmas for what it really means, not just a time to look forward to presents and gifts.

The next task in the challenge will be task number 7. Attend a Christmas service. Check back tomorrow to find out about what happens in this task, but until then Merry Christmas.

Advent Challenge Day 6

This challenge is now complete, please feel free to browse all of the 

completed tasks via the Advent Challenge tab.

Well I am not sure if yesterday's challenge was a failure or a partial success.The task I was supposed to complete was to tell my loved ones how much they meant to me. The reason that I am unsure how to classify the outcome of this task is that although we did spend a lot of time together as a family yesterday I never specifically told anyone what they meant to me.

However we did spend a lot of time talking about the family we have, the family we have lost. We spent time playing with my Godson and had a very enjoyable day. We had such a good time and spent most of the day laughing with each other and enjoying each others company.

My family are not the greatest at communicating with each other when it comes to our faith and our feelings. We have been raised in a family that while we understand that we all love each other and that we are always there for each other. This last year has been tough for everyone in my family as we have lost three family members within five months, two grand parents and an aunt. However this has cause us to become closer as a family, we are spending more time with each other, trying to heal past grievances and ensure we keep the family together.

So although I did not explicitly say to anyone yesterday that I loved them it was clear in all my actions that these people are the most important to me in the world and that there is nothing that I would not do for them. Some people may see this as a cop out and that I should make the effort to say the words "I love you" to my family. To them I would say that if I did talk to my family and tell them that I loved them they would ask me why I was saying it. When they asked me I would not be able to lie and would have to tell them that I was doing so for my Advent Challenge which I feel would cheapen the action of saying "I love you" to them. Therefore I feel that showing them how I feel is much more fitting than saying it, but I can also see how people may say I have not completed the task, but for me I believe I have in spirit if not in action and they key with this challenge is to make a difference rather than being legalistic.

Today's task has been chosen by my friend Dan who selected task number 2 which is to buy a gift for someone you wouldn't normally buy for. This task should be fairly easy to do as I am going shopping with my parents tonight and will be able to buy something for someone while I am there. All that is left to do is decide who I buy for and what to get them. Check back tomorrow to find out what I bought and for who, but until then Merry Christmas guys.

We will remember them

They went with songs to the battle, they were young.
Straight of limb, true of eyes, steady and aglow.
They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted,
They fell with their faces to the foe.
They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning,
We will remember them.
     Laurence Binyon's

Today marks the 92nd anniversary of the end of the fist world war. The Great war as it was called, the war that would bring peace to our time. Or so people thought. And yet here we are nearly a century on still fighting wars the world over.

My Paternal Grandfather was born not long after the end of WWI and lived through the troubled times of the aftermath and then WWII. During WWII his job at the coal face was deemed too important for him to fight yet the stories he has of the war on the home front were still chilling and poignant. My other Grandfather however was an RAF engineer, working on Spitfires and Hurricanes during WWII. Keeping these planes flying was of paramount importance in England surviving the war.

In these wars and the many that followed it many people have lost their lives fighting for freedom and as the politicians claim "peace". Yet still we fight on. Yes on a day like today we should remember the servicemen who have served, who have fallen or been injured fighting for their country. The job they do is one that requires bravery and courage. We should not only remember the soldiers though, we should remember everyone involved. Be they support staff or civilians, these wars impinge on many many lives, even those not directly involved. The families of soldiers left behind at home or left bereaved by wars. We should remember everyone affected by war and the problems it causes.

But we should not forget the hope that was held throughout all this time, peace. It is an aim worth holding on to, an aim as Christians we should strive daily towards. For it is not by war that we will achieve peace, but through love. Jesus commanded us to love thy neighbour, and we are more than aware that by neighbour Jesus meant our fellow man. We need to remember that we are all God's creations, that He loves us all. Let's show our love to everyone, lets strive for the peace that this can bring.

Matthew 19:26 (NIV)
     Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

At the going down of the sun and in the morning,

We will remember them.

In Christ alone

In Christ alone my hope is found
He is my light, my strength, my song
This Cornerstone, this solid ground
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm
What heights of love, what depths of peace
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease
My Comforter, my All in All
Here in the love of Christ I stand

In Christ alone, who took on flesh
Fullness of God in helpless babe
This gift of love and righteousness
Scorned by the ones He came to save
'Till on that cross as Jesus died
The wrath of God was satisfied
For every sin on Him was laid
Here in the death of Christ I live

There in the ground His body lay
Light of the world by darkness slain
Then bursting forth in glorious Day
Up from the grave He rose again
And as He stands in victory
Sin's curse has lost its grip on me
For I am His and He is mine
Bought with the precious blood of Christ

No guilt in life, no fear in death
This is the power of Christ in me
From life's first cry to final breath
Jesus commands my destiny
No power of hell, no scheme of man
Can ever pluck me from His hand
'Till He returns or calls me home
Here in the power of Christ I'll stand


I was talking to a friend the other day about what our favourite hymns and worship songs were. To be honest neither of us could really settle on one song and decided to leave it at a top 10 list. Although I am not certain which song would top the list I am certain that this song would at least be in the top 3 whatever mood I am in. The reason for this is that the final verse makes me think of my Grandad, click the link to find out a little about him. As I was watching my Grandad in his final hours it was clear that he was ready to leave this world. He was looking for the way to leave this world to travel to the next. I know that he knew he was going to heaven, and I have to say if he does not get in there is little chance for anyone else. I also know that my Grandad's life is echoed in his life. He lived his whole life as a Christian, followed Christ where ever it took him and was rewarded many times by God. I hope that my faith can be anywhere near as strong as his so that I can always say, "Here in the power of Christ I stand".

Grandad

As has already been mentioned the last year and a half has not been the easiest for me. I have lost the girl I was going to marry and have had 6 deaths in the family in 8 months. However in this post I would like to pay tribute to my Grandad. He was an amazing man who had a huge impact on my life. Although he was born in 1919 and had very little formal education to speak of he was always the only one to show an interest in my studies and research. He was a source of constant encouragement and yet never made me feel as though I had to do anything to gain his approval. A visit to see Grandad would guarantee that we would both end up smiling no matter how we felt or the circumstance. I can not articulate into blog form just how much this man meant to me. In addition to all of this he was the most amazing Christian I ever met. During his funeral the tributes were full of amazing things he had done that he had never mentioned to his family. Stories of his generosity and kindness that we knew existed but never knew the extent of his charity. My hope in life is that when I die the tributes given for me will be a fraction of that given to my Grandad, that I can be anywhere near the Christian he was. I am glad that he lived long enough to see me return to the Church in which he raised his family, I will never forget the smile on his face that day. God bless you Grandad.