That's right. I have officially fallen off the wagon. I've not stopped taking photos, I've just decided to go back to my old style of hobby photography which is to take no photos for a while then take lots all at once. It's what suits me. It's what I enjoy doing. I got to the point where it became a chore and I wasn't pleased with the results - there were too many half hearted images which I only took to tick off another day on the calendar. I still love the idea of 365 so maybe that'll happen one day, but 2009 was clearly not my year.
The photography continues...
Sunday, 24 May 2009
Sunday, 12 April 2009
Rising from the dead?
Coming down the mountain, Jesus swore them to secrecy. "Don't tell a soul what you saw. After the Son of Man rises from the dead, you're free to talk." They puzzled over that, wondering what on earth "rising from the dead" meant.
Mark 9:9-10 (The Message)
To me, this passage sums up perfectly the disciples inability to understand as Jesus prepared them for his death and resurrection throughout his ministry. It makes me aware of some of the times I've done the same thing - failed to comprehend what God means because I'm failing to believe what He's actually saying. I know I do that sometimes, and I wouldn't be surprised if I do it more often than I realise.
He is risen indeed! Happy Easter (again)!
Mark 9:9-10 (The Message)
To me, this passage sums up perfectly the disciples inability to understand as Jesus prepared them for his death and resurrection throughout his ministry. It makes me aware of some of the times I've done the same thing - failed to comprehend what God means because I'm failing to believe what He's actually saying. I know I do that sometimes, and I wouldn't be surprised if I do it more often than I realise.
He is risen indeed! Happy Easter (again)!
Saturday, 11 April 2009
Hot Drinks
I've recently got involved with a ministry to the homeless once a month. The basic idea is to take hot drinks and snacks to Big Issue sellers in the city centre on a Saturday morning. (For those that don't know, the Big Issue is a magazine sold by homeless people in the UK and various other countries to earn money).
I LOVE doing the project so much!
It's a simple idea and it doesn't take long, but it's great to be able to offer something to these guys (it's mainly men, but a few women). It's also good to just hear their stories and be reminded of the problems of poverty even in our own affluent society.
Today, we also got talking to a young mormon missionary, which was pretty interesting. He's just moved to the city and doesn't really know his way around yet. There's a chance we might be seeing him again, which would be cool.
Has anyone else ever noticed that when you go out with the intention of just meeting a simple need and talking to people, walls just seem to break down and conversation comes so quickly? And, with it being Easter, what a wonderful thing to know that Jesus has brought new life for each and every one of us! I'll be praying that the people I met today experience this new life with the God who created them and loves them so much.
Happy Easter & God bless you!
I LOVE doing the project so much!
It's a simple idea and it doesn't take long, but it's great to be able to offer something to these guys (it's mainly men, but a few women). It's also good to just hear their stories and be reminded of the problems of poverty even in our own affluent society.
Today, we also got talking to a young mormon missionary, which was pretty interesting. He's just moved to the city and doesn't really know his way around yet. There's a chance we might be seeing him again, which would be cool.
Has anyone else ever noticed that when you go out with the intention of just meeting a simple need and talking to people, walls just seem to break down and conversation comes so quickly? And, with it being Easter, what a wonderful thing to know that Jesus has brought new life for each and every one of us! I'll be praying that the people I met today experience this new life with the God who created them and loves them so much.
Happy Easter & God bless you!
Sunday, 29 March 2009
Some people don't 'get' Twitter. I love it. It's basically the status function of Facebook with a 140 character limit per post. My twitter is on the side bar of this blog and as you can see, I post there more often than I post here! I haven't given up on this blog though, sporadic as it has undoubtedly become I will be posting again.
Thursday, 12 March 2009
CADBURY DAIRY MILK GOING FAIRTRADE!
I am very excited about this.
Linkage (and more)
Cadbury are the first major chocolate company to provide a Fairtrade product. Not only that, but they are doing it by switching their flagship Dairy Milk bar. Certification should be reached by the end of summer this year.
I don't need to point out what a major milestone this is in the journey of seeing the end to modern day slavery. The cocoa industry is one that has been implicated time and time again in use of forced labour, child labour, poorly paid labour. Cadbury's decision to switch this one chocolate bar to Fairtrade will triple Ghana's Fairtrade cocoa market!
Furthermore, it is proof that consumer power really does make a difference, and a massive opportunity for consumers to put their consumer power into action. From the end of summer this year, almost every corner store, petrol station etc. etc. in the UK and many more across the globe will be stocking a Fairtrade chocolate bar. So here is my challenge to all (3) of my blog readers: If you haven't already - go Fairtrade, and challenge others to do the same. Stop buying any chocolate bars that are not Fairtrade. If the public get behind Cadbury on this, it won't be long before the other chocolate companies have to follow suit.
I think I've mentioned on this blog before that I don't see Fairtrade as the whole answer to the problems in the chocolate industry. For starters, it requires a very different production set-up than the one used by many chocolate manufacturers. But, at the moment it seems to be the best thing out there, though I'd be interested to see if the Rainforest Alliance is chosen as the certification of choice by any of the others.
Either way, this story encourages me afresh that things really can change. We can see the end of the constant injustice and oppression suffered by many around the world, injustice and oppression that so often occurs to provide us with cheap luxuries. Things shouldn't be that way. They don't have to be that way.
Sunday, 22 February 2009
Thursday, 19 February 2009
Safari, Spotify & the Story of Stuff
Safari
I'm experimenting with using Safari instead of IE. It's better in some ways (those graphics I posted actually look right viewed in Safari) but not so good in others (I haven't found certain toolbars/options that I have set up on IE). Overall, I quite like it but I'm not fully switched, at least not yet.
Spotify
Free music streaming in the UK. I've been using this for a few weeks. There's a few audio adverts but they really don't intrude, they just get put in between two songs every now and then (I'd say only about 3 an hour, max). www.spotify.com
The Story of Stuff
This video is about 20 minutes long, but I really enjoyed watching it. It was course reading for one of my modules this semester (videos as reading = excellent). Anyway, there's one or two aspects of it that I didn't like but overall I think there's a lot of food for thought there.
The main point of the video is how much waste our consumer culture creates, and how much of this is intentional. It also talks about the 'hidden cost' of a lot of the cheap goods we buy and states "We don't actually pay for what we buy". It's true and it's horrific. So much stuff, cheap and expensive, is made by businesses with unethical practices. Honestly, it seems little better than stealing to me. And yet...what will it take to get away from this? Fair Trade and such initiatives are a step in the right direction, but there's still so much more to do.
I hate that my lifestyle is built on the exploitation of the Earth and many of it's people. I love the luxuries I enjoy, but the reality is that western lifestyles are not sustainable, and frankly, aren't fair. So what can I do about it...?
"I know I've smiled upon injustice as I've washed my hands of blame
and in my selfishness I've lived for all that I could gain
While those with nothing never once complained"
-Pete James
I'm experimenting with using Safari instead of IE. It's better in some ways (those graphics I posted actually look right viewed in Safari) but not so good in others (I haven't found certain toolbars/options that I have set up on IE). Overall, I quite like it but I'm not fully switched, at least not yet.
Spotify
Free music streaming in the UK. I've been using this for a few weeks. There's a few audio adverts but they really don't intrude, they just get put in between two songs every now and then (I'd say only about 3 an hour, max). www.spotify.com
The Story of Stuff
This video is about 20 minutes long, but I really enjoyed watching it. It was course reading for one of my modules this semester (videos as reading = excellent). Anyway, there's one or two aspects of it that I didn't like but overall I think there's a lot of food for thought there.
The main point of the video is how much waste our consumer culture creates, and how much of this is intentional. It also talks about the 'hidden cost' of a lot of the cheap goods we buy and states "We don't actually pay for what we buy". It's true and it's horrific. So much stuff, cheap and expensive, is made by businesses with unethical practices. Honestly, it seems little better than stealing to me. And yet...what will it take to get away from this? Fair Trade and such initiatives are a step in the right direction, but there's still so much more to do.
I hate that my lifestyle is built on the exploitation of the Earth and many of it's people. I love the luxuries I enjoy, but the reality is that western lifestyles are not sustainable, and frankly, aren't fair. So what can I do about it...?
"I know I've smiled upon injustice as I've washed my hands of blame
and in my selfishness I've lived for all that I could gain
While those with nothing never once complained"
-Pete James
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