Gillian gone... Rugby on!

I am just back from seeing off Gillian on her 36 hour travel to get back to New Zealand and as I mentioned in a previous post it is really mixed emotions. it has been great having her here but I know she has been feeling a bit frustrated being away from the people she cares about so much and look to her for support. I can’t wait to hear news of the new things Gillian is getting involved with while on the other side of the world.

I was thinking recently how much I love rugby... I have recently started playing rugby again for Boroughmuir rugby club and this has been great. 2 training matches so far and we lost one and won one. I say I love rugby for more than just the game itself; I love it for so much of what the people around rugby demonstrate. I was told rather aggressively recently that football (soccer) is a far better sport than rugby. I don’t think that either is ‘better’ than the other but I did feel in necessary to ask when was the last time they had heard of rugby supporter riots? It is a really brutal game and it is rare for a game to end at any level without a few bloody shirts/faces and a whole load of aches and pains but this seems to just dissipate at the end of a game. Everyone goes for a drink and after game food in the club house and talks over the game. Even as far as congratulating an opposition player on a particularly painful tackle preformed on them. It is not just between teams this kind of camaraderie is seen but much stronger within a club. I have been around the Boroughmuir club for a few years and seen how it works to a certain level. It really excites me to see younger players listening to older players, coaches and old boys of the club so intently. it is well known that this is how a good player will become a great player. Quoting the head coach of the 2’s,

“we are not teaching you how play rugby, we are teaching you how to think while doing it”

This was to really highlight to the team that communication was essential to the game flowing how we want it to. I think there are so many lessons to be learnt from what some people would call a really dark area of society in regards to Christians and being almost opposite to Christian living. I am very excited about the season to come and will keep posting about the going’s on in my rugby life at Boroughmuir and at Napier University rugby.

In Christ
Goose

New skool too soon?

I had a really interesting conversation with some lads from church on Sunday afternoon which really got me thinking about how I veiw Christian living today. The funny thing is the conversation with these guys was not about something deeply theological but about advancement in technology. We were wondering how quickly we would become like our parents and loose contact with the technological world, when will things advance too quickly for our generation to keep up with? Even right now I am sitting in starbucks writing this post from my iphone and this blows my mind, this is just the tip of the iceberg I feel in my soon to be technological aliniation. My dad still feels the best way to refer to the home computor as 'the machine' which brings up conitations of something that starts with a crank handle and will puff out steam.
This shift in age to technological know how got me thinking about how the mainstream Christian opinions towards certain points have changed so much. My example point would be dating, a few years ago I did quite a lot of research about dating over the years in the Christian world and the secular. I think there would be loads of evidence to say that secular people from 100 years ago wouldbe pretty shocked at how we go about dating not just in a secular sense but in the Christian circles too. What's changed in that time to so radically affect the way in which we look for partners?
I've learnt so much from people older and way wiser than me and it frustrates me to see people either not getting that or rejecting it.
After having our chat about technological advance the lads from church introduced me to a game called settlers... AWESOME!!! So much fun, a pretty geeky game but so much fun! All I have to say to end is, "does anyone have any flippin' wheat for a sheep?"

In Christ
Goose

I’m starting with the man in the mirror

This week the new flat has just got internet and this means we can now numb our minds with useless information and stalk people on facebook… yesssssssss. Anyway it also means I get my dear Spotify back and now I can listen to my favorite music again. This morning’s song of choice as ‘first of the day’ was Man in the Mirror – Michael Jackson. While I was listening to the words of the song (along with the awesome music and key change) it got me thinking about how I live my life. I don’t know what MJ’s reason for writing the song (or possibly just singing the song), they are pretty powerful words.

“I'm Starting With The Man In The Mirror
I'm Asking Him To Change His Ways
And No Message Could Have Been Any Clearer
If You Wanna Make The World A Better Place
Take A Look At Yourself, And Then Make A Change”

I was chatting with a friend last night about the death of Michael Jackson and the reaction so many people had around the world. Amazing to see one man influence so many people and affect so many peoples’ lives. I wonder if there is a message to Christian leaders in these lyrics above. I have found myself far too often struggling with why something is not working properly at Christian Union and looking back on these problems almost every one of them I was setting a terrible example of what I really felt the event or activity was about. I’m really excited to be getting back to University in September and starting this new series on Colossians but even more excited to be feeling more ready to be leading in my actions as opposed to just my speech.

In other news I am currently working in a pub/restaurant called the Spylaw Tavern. It is a pretty fun job but the best part about it is free food if I’m working 6 hours or more. The haggis pie in the restaurant is actually to die for, it is huge, filled with haggis, comes with chips or potatoes, loads of vegetables and with pepper corn sauce. I think I have just described a small slice of heaven. Come visit if you fancy a nice meal.

In Christ

Goose