Welcome to our life.

May 22, 2007

This is the week that was.

A short update -
~ Here I am, sat in the Free Church College, having eaten lunch in between sittings of the General Assembly, where I am on door/sound today.
~ College finished last friday. My last exam was last tuesday, and the College closing service was on Friday. I gave the reply to the valedictory address, as I am the outgoing SRC President. It was a fine service, though the Principal's address was a bit of a diatribe about how we are not evangelicals. I thought I was. Funny to hear it coming from the mouth of a key speaker at the next IFES (International Federation of Evangelical Students) Conference, and a man who has, if memory serves, had an article on reformation21.com (the e-zine of the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals). Anyway, thats College finished with. Three years done and dusted, except for the graduation ceremony on July 4th - Indepedance Day! How fitting.
~ Sara arrives tomorrow morning. Her plane lands at 8.35am, so I shall be at Glasgow Airport to see her, and not too soon either! Boy am I ready for her to be here.
~ I have spent time since College working around the house - mainly working on our side gate, which I stripped of all its paint, undercoated, and gave two coats of paint. It is done, but I am also re-doing the metal work, and they are only have done. I shall get the second coat of primer on them tonight.
~ Sara has started a new job with a Real Estate company, which she is enjoying very much. This job is a real blessing - a job which she will really be able to enjoy and put herself into. And it will provide the cash required to support her bummy student husband!
~ Now, we look forward to a summer of relaxing, and reading, and a little travelling too.

Okay, the call of "MODERATOR!" will soon be ringing, so I need to get back to the GA.

May 2, 2007

Covenant Seminary

I got word today that I have been granted a place on Covenant Seminary's ThM programme. So, starting in January, I shall embark on that course of study! I am very excited about it... but not the extra exams that come with extra education.

Apr 26, 2007

Where all my jorneys end...

I've longed for you
And I have desired
To see your face your smile
To be with you wherever you are

Remembering
Your touch
Your kiss
Your warm embrace
I'll find my way back to you
Please say you'll be waiting

Together again
It would feel so good to be
In your arms
Where all my journeys end
If you can make a promise
If it's one that you can keep
I vow to come for you
If you wait for me

And say you'll hold
A place for me
in your heart.

A place for me in your heart.
A place for me in your heart.
A place for me in your heart.
(from The Promise by Tracy Chapman)

We seem to be depending on other people's words to express how we are feeling right now. Sometimes someone else just says it better. Less than a month and we'll be back together. The Atlantic ocean gets smaller every day.

Apr 23, 2007

How 3, 971 miles feels.

"the atlantic was born today and i'll tell you how:

the clouds above opened up and let it out.

I was standing on the surface of a perforated spherewhen the water filled every hole.

and thousands upon thousands made an ocean,making islands where no island should go.

oh no.

those people were overjoyed; they took to their boats.

I thought it less like a lake and more like a moat.

the rhythm of my footsteps crossing flood lands to your door have been silenced forever more.

the distance is quite simply much too far for me to row

it seems farther than ever before

oh no.

I need you so much closer"

(-- Transatlanticism by Death Cab for Cutie)

Apr 20, 2007

The Nine Commandments.

I realise that this is outwith the scope of this blog, but today I bought Terry Johnson's The Family Worship Book (husbands/potential husbands this is a really good why and how of Family Worship - very much worth reading.) and read in it this and found it very challenging (emphasis mine):

'We are the first generation of American Protestants to have forgotten the benefits of the Sabbath command. Prior to the middle of this century, all American Protestant denominations, whether Presbyterian, Methodist, Baptist, or Episcopalian were Sabbatarian. This was true for over 350 years, dating from the establishment of the Jamestown colony in 1607 until the mid-1960's. For generations it was understood that the Sabbath was made for man, for man's benefit (Mk 2: 27,28). But once again we have become too clever for our own good. We have crammed our schedules full of activity seven days a week. We have lost our Sabbath rest in the process. What have we given up? Hughes Old has recently written, "Any attempt at recovering a Reformed spirituality would do well carefully to study the best of the Puritan literature on the observance of the Lord's Day."'

Oh that we in Britain and America would realise that the Lord's Day is a precious gift from God, and not one to be brushed aside lightly. The Sabbath is no burden, but it is indeed a delight!