Thanks!

Just to say a big thanks to all who sponsored myself, Ness and Dan for running the Bristol 10K yesterday, as can be seen from the Just Giving widget we have raised / pledged £1215, which is a fantastic amount. The money will be going to Little Bridge House part of Children's Hospice South West which provides respite care for Josh (my nephew - see www.forjosh.org.uk) and his family.

Dan completed the race in 57 mins, Ness in 69 mins and I did it in 65 mins. We started the race fairly cold but after about 20 mins we suddenly realised how humid and warm it was, so by the time I got to the only water station at 5K I was really thirsty. Unfortunately I picked up a bottle which still had the top on which seamed to have been sealed with super glue or so it felt.

Ness did really well as after about 3K her ankle which she injured last year really began to hurt to such an extent that she will now have to go and get some physio on it, but like the true trooper she is she persevered and completed the race...so well done.

Dan meanwhile had to endure a fall, which hurt him quite a bit, so he had to stop for about 5 mins, but again being one to never quit he pushed on, and still managed to beat me by 8 minutes!!

So it's on with the training for the Half Marathon in September......what joy!!!

Andy

Knowledge is power...

...or so we are told many times. The reality is that knowledge by itself is nothing, unless we apply the knowledge. In fact it is the application of that knowledge which ultimately results in 'power' or as I heard the other week:

"only when we use the knowledge is it power....take ownership of the knowledge....have the courage to put that knowledge into action."

Wise words.

Andy

'What if'

I have often asked myself the question ‘what if. ’Two small yet very powerful words.
‘What if’ is probably one of the most asked questions around the world, people talk about the ’what if’ scenario all the time, often we will lie awake at night pondering the ‘What if’ question!

Today I would like to challenge us all to turn some of our ‘what if’s’ into ‘I did.’ Rather than thinking about what might be let's begin to act. The reality is that Jesus was a person of action. He followed up His words with action, He acted on his ‘what if’s’!

God has a unique plan and purpose for all of us to walk in, a whole series of ‘what if’ situations for us to face, with Him. The question is which way will we choose. We posses what God has for us one decision at a time, If we make a wrong decision we always have the option to make our next decision the right one.

Finally take time to look around and listen, to see and hear what is going on around you. When you do you will see that God is at work all around, and rather than asking the question ’God where are you?’, you may just hear the answer ‘I am here… through you.’ Question is what will you do next?

Andy

The 'New' Year - Pt 2

Thirdly, and I am quite ashamed of this, myself and Ness finally went away to London for our Wedding Anniversary a couple of weeks ago (hence the picture of us on the London Eye..'champagne flight' as they call it no less.)We went to see Cirque Du Soleil at the 02, great visually, story...didn't have a clue. Saturday we did the Eye (really good especially the champagne except to say our host was a French student called Ryan, really nice guy, until he told me he was a Portsmouth fan...at which point I wanted to eject him from the capsule...only joking!! On the evening we went to a pre-show dinner followed by seeing Grease, but the great thing was just being able to spend time with each other.

So this year it is my aim to bring a balance to what can often be a hectic existence, as I know life is for many...to spend time with the people that really matter, Ness, Alicia and James. As the saying goes no one on their death bed wishes they spent more time in the office. Time is the one thing we don't get a second bite at, so my aim is to use it wisely and effectively.

Finally this phrase has been going round in my mind for a couple of days now, and it is a line from Dickens 'A Christmas Carol / Scrooge' where the ghost of Marley turns to Scrooge and rebukes him when he is trying to justify his attitude to life ie) greed, money and selfishness, by stating 'mankind should have been our business.'

As I look to the rest of 2008 I pray that I will not be so self absorbed as to miss the point of life, to reach out to others, to love, to be real but more importantly to follow the best example that ever was...Jesus, the way, truth and life.

Andy

The 'New' Year - Pt 1

Not having blogged for a few months I have decided to once again pick it up. It has always, been one of my secret ambitions to write, so have purposed to write every day....lets see how long that lasts then.

So far this year has been quite interesting. A lot of last year was pretty naff, we lost a very close member of the family, had some major changes in church structure which initially were quite tough, Nessa's dad was very, very ill, I had pneumonia so when New Years Day promptly arrived I was pretty glad....8 after all in the Bible refers to new beginnings....so Amen to that.

It was with this thinking in mind that I was determined this year would be different for all sorts of reasons, so I set about the year with a clear number of goals...the main one being to lose weight. So on the 9th January I began my Lighter Life weight loss programme (see www.lighterlife.com) and after 4 months have now lost 5 1/2 stone.

Secondly we (myself and Ness) have stated for a number of years that we would go skiing, so it was in March that we booked a weeks skiing in the French Alps, to begin 2 days after Christmas 2008, for all four of us (me,Ness,James and Alicia.) James has elected to go boarding, which I am sure he will be a natural at, Alicia has not long returned from a school skiing trip so I am sure she will be an expert. Nessa was a keen ice skater for many years so will take to it as a mallard (her old surname by the way...bad joke i know) takes to water...which leaves me the man who has no balance, cant skate even after 40 yrs to be the expert at falling over!!

(cont. next post)