Brown Sent to Coventry...

Gordon Brown was sent to Coventry in order to begin the campaign proper at a Labour rally.

One foot in the grave.

A Walk with Friends

I've just got back from heading out into the night on a stroll with a couple of friends. These stroll's used to be commonplace a number of years ago but have recently died out - it was about time they were resurrected.

I often find the best thinking is done walking. Either walking alone, with friends, with much talking or with little.

We talked about houses a lot. Where we live we have a lot of big - sometimes very big - houses. Some are so big they are ugly. It can be quite disturbing to see that size of house... The interesting thing we noted was how we used to think about our idea homes when we were younger. A common ideal was to have a room dedicated to whatever our hobby may be: library/reading room, sewing room, music room, etc.

That led me on to thinking about idols, things we put above God, and how we discern them. A pertinent point was made to me recently that in order to discern our idols we need only to think upon what we daydream about. Another way would be to consider what we most easily spend our money on.

What do I daydream about? What do I most easily spend money on? Alarmingly easy questions to answer.

How do we reorder these things? Maybe a walk would be necessary to work it through......

The Twelfth.

Below is the song of the day. Update on The Big Essay Push coming soon... the good news is that I'm winning the war. Tune in again to find out how. But for now, here's the song of the day.

The Big Essay Push - Days Six, Seven, Eight & Nine.

The last four days have seen some coming together of the essays. Days Six and Eight were particularly fruitful, and the result is 2 draft essays that, with perhaps another few hours work on both, would be about ready to hand in.

As ever, I'm not happy with them, and feel I can do better had I had more time. Here's hoping they get through the stern eyes of the markers and pass (though it would certainly be an adventure if they didn't).

Days Seven and Nine have had slightly different foci. Day Seven was a church day; Day Nine my normal day off which I try to keep no matter what the situation.

Thus, today has been filled with two lovely meals - courtesy of a carvery lunch with the boys, and dinner with the lovely Nic & Ruth - the beginnings of some seminar reading (that didn't last long), and an evening filled with a phonecall home and starting a new book - 'Major: A Political Life' by Anthony Seldon - whilst listening to Iron & Wine.

I read Seldon's book on Blair over the summer of '09 and thoroughly enjoyed it. So far, his words on John Major are reading just as enjoyably.

Tomorrow is going to be re-designated 'The Big Seminar Push' as prep begins for a seminar on the Sermon of the Mount I'm leading on Monday. Let's see if we can't sort that out in a day...

Room: Thoughts on living space.

The Big Essay Push - Days Four and Five

This morning I had to pay our electric bill to E.ON. Nothing strange there. However, I was spoken to by a computer with a female voice, and I had to have a conversation with this female computer (telling her my bank details etc.) - suffice to say the conversation did not flow. Bizarre.

A friend of mine, Mark Tatton, recently recommended some music to me... Kilmory Day Trip. You should now stop reading this, open up a new tab, and listen to them - especially their song 'You Are' - then come back and continue reading this as you listen.

You should also check out Mark's photography, here.

Another recent discovery is Christian Audio. They give away a free audio book, and this month it's Mark Driscoll's book 'Religion Saves: And Nine Other Misconceptions.'

So, the essays...

Yesterday was great between 9am and 1pm. Then I crashed, having worked for a week and a half with no day off. Before I crashed, however, I managed to reach my 'Day Four' target - so it's not all bad. I've taken today off - went and saw Dave Marriott which was great.

So the plan is to have an early night tonight and finish the essay by the time I go to bed tomorrow. Not an easy task - keep me in your prayers.

The Big Essay Push - Day Three.

Day three.

It has been a day of reading once again. Ben Witherington III has kept me company for a significant part of the day - and he was interesting company.

Tomorrow will be the first day of writing.

That's about it today - there really isn't much to write about when writing an essay, but perhaps my lack of ability to write here will stand me in good stead when tomorrow comes around and I aim for 2000 words in a day.

Oh, i did also play football today, on the LST mud-bath. Very good to be back out playing footy in the cold and wet again.

The legs will ache tomorrow.

The Big Essay Push - Day Two.

Today has unfortunately been summarized by the thought: "Today should be my day off..."

Thus, whilst I got through a couple of articles (including possibly the most significant article for the essay - and the most in depth!), I feel as though not much progress has been made.

However, they were very good and relevant articles... and the rest of the day has been good. I do enjoy being a student.

Not much else has happened on this second day of the big essay push.

The Big Essay Push - Day One.

I've just returned home from day one of the big essay push. Cup of tea is sitting next to me, BBC live text coverage of Transfer Deadline Day open on the tabs (where, incidentally, they have just reported that Robbie Keane is in talks with Celtic over a loan move - I can't help feeling that perhaps Benitez was justified to sell him back to Spurs last January, considering that he now cannot get ahead of Defoe or Crouch... just a thought), and I begin my little blog series on the two week run up to my own deadline day - 15 February, 4pm.

Today has been productive. I have over 1000 words of a plan plus notes written, plus read a bit of Jimmy Dunn. Also discussed the essay over coffee with Helen Morris, which was fantastic - quite a brain she has indeed, and immensely helpful in formulating my own thoughts. Thank you, Helen.

So, upon reflection it has been a remarkably productive day. And to add that magical touch, picked up some free books that included the BST commentaries on Isaiah and James. Can't argue with that.

Now it's time to catch by breath, perhaps have a little lay down, and then it's off to a meeting tonight. Let's hope my energy returns by then!