The Blurb: October 2006

Aberystwyth - Twinned with Timbuktu?

Monday 30 October 2006  11.27 am

Despite the fact that in a recent survey, 34% of young people questioned did not believe it existed, the town of Timbuktu, Mali, deep in the Sahara Desert, is up for twinning with at least three Welsh towns.

Cardiff, Hay-on-Wye and Aberystwyth are in the running.  Aber is on the list courtesy of my brother who nominated it using the form on Stuart Redler's website last week.

Little did he know that it would shortly come to the attention of Aberystwyth Town Council and the local press.  Town clerk Jim Griffiths was surprised to learn that Aberystwyth was being considered, but said it would be a "fantastic opportunity" for a Welsh town or city.

By the way, it's Sam's birthday today.  Happy 22nd birthday, Sam!
 
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A brave new IE7 world

Tuesday 24 October 2006  8.04 pm

I thought I ought to mark with a blog entry the week that Microsoft finally admitted it was wrong to declare Internet Explorer 6 "as good as it needs to be".  IE 7 is out, with a completely new (and slightly confusing) interface, tabbed browsing and an icon with a golden swoosh around it.  It's not perfect yet, of course, but it's rather good, and certainly a step or three up from version 6.  Go and download it now.

See Paul Thurrot's detailed review here if you need more convincing.

However, for the moment, I'll actually stick with Firefox 1.5, since I've got used to it.  Maybe Firefox 2.0 will be worth upgrading to tonight at 1am when it is released.  Or I might instead go to bed and discover the delights of that tomorrow.

And now?  I'm off to the Beach Chalet to party with past community.  And not a copy of Internet Explorer (any version) in sight. :o)
 
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Another me

Saturday 14 October 2006  12.35 pm

It's all very well to know there are other people out there with my name, but it's just a little more of a strange feeling when you actually see a signed picture of one of them.  This particular gentleman writes articles for beginners using computers, and has recently written a tome entitled "Help - My Taskbar's Vanished!".  As far as I know, he is unrelated to the co-author of these maths textbooks, but then I could be wrong.
 
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A message from the Lord?

Wednesday 11 October 2006  9.31 am

How is it that two completely different cartoonists, linked only by the fact that their style is similar and they use the same pen, come up with the same idea in the same week?

I assure you that this cartoon I have just uploaded was actually drawn a few days ago, before Dave Walker posted this one.

Maybe it's a word from the Lord.  Argos is shortly to rise up and become a world power, and the prophets of doom are out in force.  Quite what we should do about it is another matter.  Maybe the Government should issue forklift trucks to every citizen in a bid to help them lift the latest volume...
 
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Jonah

Monday 9 October 2006  9.40 pm

I led morning prayers for community today.  This isn't unusual - we all do it, at least once every three months.  It was my ninth time today, in the 2½ years I've been here.

But this one - on Jonah 1 - was quite special for me.  As I read the passage, none of the usual points came to the front of my mind, about obedience to God, and things like that.  What stood out to me instead was the bit where Jonah says to the guys on the sinking ship, "It's all my fault." He doesn't just confess to God in private; he declares in audible (well, possibly only just audible over the storm) words that he is in the wrong.

This is one major thing I've learnt at Lee Abbey: words have power.  Stating something out loud in Jesus' name helps it to come true, and admitting a sin out loud to a brother in Christ is an incredible way to feel freedom from it.  Jesus has given anyone with his Spirit the power to forgive sins (John 20:23); so your friend can act on God's behalf by forgiving that sin.  How incredible is that!

It's hard though - very hard.  Confessing a sin to a friend (James 5:16) means putting aside pride.  It hurts.  But it's so worth it.  I can now honestly say in my prayer triplet that there is literally nothing that I am deliberately hiding from them, that I feel guilty about.  God's still working on things, but I can't tell you how amazing is the freedom of knowing that I've nothing to hide.

"The truth will set you free" - John 8:32.

And the really amazing bit is that I've discovered all this in a very particular and real way at Lee Abbey.  It will be one of my most significant memories of this place.  And it was certainly what God wanted me to share in prayers this morning, so despite a little shaking (and a little Veggie Tales), I did.  Now I feel very used.  In a good way.  By God.
 
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