I think I've run out of interesting ways to say "Hello." Suggestions are welcome.
I got a letter in the mail yesterday telling me I have received a scholarship for one third of my tuition for all three years of my PhD research. This is very exciting because we're trying to pay for my education without selling our souls to the student loan sharks! I still have several other scholarships that I'm waiting to hear from as well.
I really feel at this moment that life is really good. All our needs are being met, my work is progressing, and I am aware of myself growing and changing in many different ways.
I'm reading a book at the moment that is causing me to do some serious reflection. It's called "The Inner Life" by Thomas a Kempis, a medieval writer. He says some things which are very hard. I was tempted at first to write it off as the kind of asceticism that is so prevalent in our stereotype of pre-Reformation Christianity, and while popular in many religions, has no basis in the Jewish and Christian scriptures, where God consistently affirms and celebrates the physical world in all of its pleasure and sensuality and power. However, I continued reading; and I'm beginning to wonder if I was misunderstanding his message. I'm just going to quote a few of the things that have made an impact on me and are causing me to reexamine my own "inner life":
"It is wise not to be over hasty in action, nor to cling stubbornly to our own opinions. ... Take counsel of a wise and conscientious man, and seek to be guided by one who is better than yourself, rather than to follow your own opinions."
"The eye is not filled with seeing, nor the ear with hearing."
"True peace of heart can only be found by resisting the passions, not by yielding to them."
"We could enjoy much peace if we did not busy ourselves with what other people say and do, for this is no concern of ours."
"Judge yourself, and beware of passing judgment on others."
"Keep yourself a stranger and pilgrim upon earth, to whom the affairs of the world are of no concern."
"Keep a clean conscience, and God will mightily defend you."
As I'm reading over it again to glean these quotes, I'm realizing that none of this is really earth-shattering advice; but for whatever reason his writing style is really grabbing me personally, maybe just because it's old and obscure, leaving it free from the misinterpretations of sentimental, entertainment-seeking church folk on the one hand and systematic theologians on the other that the Bible has undergone. (That's another topic though)
I've posted these quotes for the benefit of fellow Christians, but also for fellow, non-Christians, because much of the wisdom seems to be self-evident. Any reactions are welcome and appreciated, just post a comment.
I'll leave you with one last quote that has really affected me; my immediate thought upon reading it was "This is who I want to be!" My hope is that the person I am in the process of becoming will be of benefit to those around me, and ultimately be part of God's incarnational redemption of whatever corner of the universe I happen to inhabit...
"He who walks by an inner light, and is not unduly influenced by outward things, needs no special time or place for his prayers. For the man of inner life easily recollects himself, since he is never wholly immersed in outward affairs. Therefore his outward occupations and needful tasks do not distract him, and he adjusts himself to things as they come. The man whose inner life is well-ordered and disposed is not troubled by the strange and perverse ways of others; for a man is hindered and distracted by such things only so far as he allows himself to be concerned by them."
Until next time,
Chris
24 June, 2006
01 June, 2006
Hello faithful readers,
Spring in Yorkshire is quickly passing; the snowdrops of March were followed by the daffodils of April, which recently gave way to buttercups and these little white flowers that look like baby's breath. I wish I had taken a whole day just to photograph each transition, it's so incredibly beautiful.
It's still light after 10pm, which is having the interesting psycho-physiological effect that I seem to be getting a lot more done in an average day. Nevertheless, teaching three days a week and working 8 hours at Miller's (Melissa lied about me quitting right away) on top of my music work is pushing me to my limit. The grade schools have off this week, which is why I have some time to post an update for you.
I've been doing some self-reflection recently, about where we are and where we've come in this past year. In one sense, little has changed; but in another sense, everything has changed. I am still very much the same person I was before I left; but at the same time, this radically different place has left an indelible mark on my person, even if I were to leave today. I can't describe it in any other way except that one's environment is an integral part of oneself. The feeling of "I have seen" and "I have been" is very profound, and it forms the foundation of understanding. I know very little about what goes on inside of me, but I think it is making me a better person.
On a more practical subject, I am finding that I may have something to offer to the worship team at our local church congregation. There seems to be an opportunity for me to exercise my limited gifts of vision and discernment, and some very interesting things could happen in the future...
This summer should be very interesting in general, as I finish this year's work and gear up for the long road towards a PhD. Also, we should be making at least one more exciting excursion (location TBA, probably somewhere between here and Scotland) before Melissa heads back to the States in the fall. Besides that, I should have plenty to blog about as I will be launching my first professionally-developed website, and pondering the vocational aspect of my work. Stay tuned...
-Chris
p.s. If you enjoy our blog and haven't done so already, drop us a line with the comment function. It's nice to know who's reading...
22 May, 2006
Great Britain Powerlifting...
Hi everyone, it is Melissa again. I just got back from a weekend holiday and wanted to tell you all about it. I spent the weekend in Leamington Spa (pronounced like the fruit), which is in the middle of the country, near Birmingham. My Aunt and Uncle live there. My Uncle is a powerlifter and was competing in Milton Keynes on Saturday. I have never seen him lift but I have seen his many trophies and plaques and thought I should go and check it out.
I took the train from York on Friday and it took about 3 1/2 hours to get there. Luckily it was a direct train and so the weren't any connections. When I got on the train there were computer screens above each seat that said they were reserved! There were people sitting on the floor and standing in between the cars, it was terrible. Apparently, people book their tickets in advance and get reserved seats. And they will still sell tickets even if there are no seats availible. Craziness! My ticket was an "open return" ticket and you don't get a reserved seat with these. But luckily, I was able to find a seat that was reserved from Edinburgh to Coventry and nobody was sitting there, so I stole it.
On Saturday we had to be in Milton Keynes for 8:00am so Uncle Dennis could weigh in. That means we had to leave by 7:00am on the dot, as a carload of people were coming to the house to follow us down. Milton Keynes is a suburb of London and all the roads look the same so directions can be confusing. So we left on the dot at 7:00am and made it for the weigh in at 8:00am. The actual powerlifting didn't start until 11:00am so we were just sitting and waiting. The whole thing is pretty cool I think. Chris thinks I am insane, but oh well. Power lifting consists of 3 events: squat, bench press, and dead lift. For each event you get three attempts; if you make the first attempt then you normally go to a higher weight. If you don't make it, then you repeat the same weight. You must have at least one good lift in each event in order to continue to the next. There are three referees and they give you a white light for a good lift and a red light for a bad lift. You need a majority of white lights in order to have a good lift. The weights are measured in kilograms. Uncled Dennis is in the "Masters Four" division because he is over 70 years old. In each division there are classes which are determined by body weight. Uncle Dennis was in the 90Kilo class.
I had a job to do, of course, because Uncle Dennis can't stand for me and Aunt Helen to sit around all day. She was in charge of taking pictures of all the lifters for Uncle Dennis' "International Powerlifter" magazine, and I was the runner. What exactly is a runner, you ask? Well, the weights for the first attempts are given at weigh-in, but you have to hand in the 2nd and 3rd attempts after the previous attempt. My job was to hand in the next attempts for Uncle Dennis and his friend Brian within 1 minute after the referees marks were given after conferring with Dennis and Brian about what they wanted to lift on the next attempt. I was very nervous, but it went fine.
Are you bored yet? It is ok if you are, but here are some pictures of the three events. Note the three "costume" changes.
Uncle Dennis starting his squat
Uncle Dennis down in the squat
Uncle Dennis doing the bench press
Uncle Dennis doing the dead lift
This is Brian, Uncle Dennis' friend who is doing 197.5 kilos (435 pounds), a world record for his age and body weight!!!
Uncle Dennis did very well; all nine of his attempts were good lifts. He said that was the first time he ever did that, and I think he was the only one to do it in the whole competition. He got 26 out of a possible 27 white lights! He received a gold medal for his weight class. Go Uncle Dennis, another one to add to the collection.
On Sunday, we had my cousins over for dinner, and it is always nice to have them all over at the same time! I didn't get many pictures, just one of my cousin John's daughters, Elisabeth and Francesca, with their Mum, Helen. Francesca is the same age as my nephew Seth. They have sooo much energy. My cousin Peter and his wife Georgina are expecting a baby in August, and we are all excited for that.
Anyway, I had a nice weekend, I just got home today (Monday). I hope you are all well. Until next time,
Lots of love
Melissa
I took the train from York on Friday and it took about 3 1/2 hours to get there. Luckily it was a direct train and so the weren't any connections. When I got on the train there were computer screens above each seat that said they were reserved! There were people sitting on the floor and standing in between the cars, it was terrible. Apparently, people book their tickets in advance and get reserved seats. And they will still sell tickets even if there are no seats availible. Craziness! My ticket was an "open return" ticket and you don't get a reserved seat with these. But luckily, I was able to find a seat that was reserved from Edinburgh to Coventry and nobody was sitting there, so I stole it.
On Saturday we had to be in Milton Keynes for 8:00am so Uncle Dennis could weigh in. That means we had to leave by 7:00am on the dot, as a carload of people were coming to the house to follow us down. Milton Keynes is a suburb of London and all the roads look the same so directions can be confusing. So we left on the dot at 7:00am and made it for the weigh in at 8:00am. The actual powerlifting didn't start until 11:00am so we were just sitting and waiting. The whole thing is pretty cool I think. Chris thinks I am insane, but oh well. Power lifting consists of 3 events: squat, bench press, and dead lift. For each event you get three attempts; if you make the first attempt then you normally go to a higher weight. If you don't make it, then you repeat the same weight. You must have at least one good lift in each event in order to continue to the next. There are three referees and they give you a white light for a good lift and a red light for a bad lift. You need a majority of white lights in order to have a good lift. The weights are measured in kilograms. Uncled Dennis is in the "Masters Four" division because he is over 70 years old. In each division there are classes which are determined by body weight. Uncle Dennis was in the 90Kilo class.
I had a job to do, of course, because Uncle Dennis can't stand for me and Aunt Helen to sit around all day. She was in charge of taking pictures of all the lifters for Uncle Dennis' "International Powerlifter" magazine, and I was the runner. What exactly is a runner, you ask? Well, the weights for the first attempts are given at weigh-in, but you have to hand in the 2nd and 3rd attempts after the previous attempt. My job was to hand in the next attempts for Uncle Dennis and his friend Brian within 1 minute after the referees marks were given after conferring with Dennis and Brian about what they wanted to lift on the next attempt. I was very nervous, but it went fine.
Are you bored yet? It is ok if you are, but here are some pictures of the three events. Note the three "costume" changes.
Uncle Dennis starting his squat
Uncle Dennis down in the squat
Uncle Dennis doing the bench press
Uncle Dennis doing the dead lift
This is Brian, Uncle Dennis' friend who is doing 197.5 kilos (435 pounds), a world record for his age and body weight!!!
Uncle Dennis did very well; all nine of his attempts were good lifts. He said that was the first time he ever did that, and I think he was the only one to do it in the whole competition. He got 26 out of a possible 27 white lights! He received a gold medal for his weight class. Go Uncle Dennis, another one to add to the collection.
On Sunday, we had my cousins over for dinner, and it is always nice to have them all over at the same time! I didn't get many pictures, just one of my cousin John's daughters, Elisabeth and Francesca, with their Mum, Helen. Francesca is the same age as my nephew Seth. They have sooo much energy. My cousin Peter and his wife Georgina are expecting a baby in August, and we are all excited for that.
Anyway, I had a nice weekend, I just got home today (Monday). I hope you are all well. Until next time,
Lots of love
Melissa
27 April, 2006
Yea DSL!
Hi everyone
This is Melissa writing. Yes we finally got DSL at our new flat and we are up and running again. Life has been busy for the last couple of weeks and it has been harder to post. Chris is near to a deadline and has been working crazy hours in order to finish it. Hopefully he is almost done.
I can't remember if we told everyone that he is going to be quiting his fish and chips job because he will be teaching guitar to primary school kids during 3 days a week. I hope he likes it, he will be teaching kids in groups of 2-4 kids at a time. He will have to travel around to different schools in York and then pull the kids out of class for a half an hour once a week. He will be starting on Tuesday with 3 schools and then by the next few weeks he will have 7 schools a week. He is employed by the council same as me and his admin team is downstairs from my office. :) We are excited by this opportunity for him as it will immensely help us in paying for his PhD tuition. Please continue to pray that he will get scholarships to help as well. Of course this means that Chris will need a new guitar. He picked one out that he really likes for £189.00 and we are picking it up tomorrow. It will be funny to see him cycling around the city with a guitar strapped to his back...
Not much news from me except that my job has now been made permanent, Yipee! Originally I was only on a 6 month contract that was due to end on 26 May. This is a great relief for us too. I will still be working only three days a week but this combined with Chris' three days will be plenty for us to live off of.
There really isn't much else going on at this time. We went to Leeds at Easter and spent the day with my cousin Mark and my my Aunt Helen and Uncle Dennis. That was a nice relaxing day. We are beginning to get more involved in our church. Chris is starting to play on the worship team. Mostly just his guitar and I will be running sound for the service. I may also be helping out with admin stuff one or two days a week. I am excited about that.
Here are a few pictures. Hope you all are having a great day and check in soon for more pictures.
Chris at Miller's Fish and Chips
Chris and Abhay in the City
Me and Abhay in the city
Some cool pictures of York
This is Melissa writing. Yes we finally got DSL at our new flat and we are up and running again. Life has been busy for the last couple of weeks and it has been harder to post. Chris is near to a deadline and has been working crazy hours in order to finish it. Hopefully he is almost done.
I can't remember if we told everyone that he is going to be quiting his fish and chips job because he will be teaching guitar to primary school kids during 3 days a week. I hope he likes it, he will be teaching kids in groups of 2-4 kids at a time. He will have to travel around to different schools in York and then pull the kids out of class for a half an hour once a week. He will be starting on Tuesday with 3 schools and then by the next few weeks he will have 7 schools a week. He is employed by the council same as me and his admin team is downstairs from my office. :) We are excited by this opportunity for him as it will immensely help us in paying for his PhD tuition. Please continue to pray that he will get scholarships to help as well. Of course this means that Chris will need a new guitar. He picked one out that he really likes for £189.00 and we are picking it up tomorrow. It will be funny to see him cycling around the city with a guitar strapped to his back...
Not much news from me except that my job has now been made permanent, Yipee! Originally I was only on a 6 month contract that was due to end on 26 May. This is a great relief for us too. I will still be working only three days a week but this combined with Chris' three days will be plenty for us to live off of.
There really isn't much else going on at this time. We went to Leeds at Easter and spent the day with my cousin Mark and my my Aunt Helen and Uncle Dennis. That was a nice relaxing day. We are beginning to get more involved in our church. Chris is starting to play on the worship team. Mostly just his guitar and I will be running sound for the service. I may also be helping out with admin stuff one or two days a week. I am excited about that.
Here are a few pictures. Hope you all are having a great day and check in soon for more pictures.
Chris at Miller's Fish and Chips
Chris and Abhay in the City
Me and Abhay in the city
Some cool pictures of York
03 April, 2006
Nederland!
Hello! I Finally have the chance to catch you up with the past few weeks! If you remember, we moved to our very own flat in the beginning of March; but I'll save those pictured for next time, in favour of the more exciting pictures of our first excursion to the continent. We did have to postpone the trip until a week after our original plan, after overlooking some particulars regarding international travel (ok, so we forgot our passports. Are you finished laughing yet?!)
We took an overnight ferry across the North Sea, arriving in Holland the following morning. Above is the sunset over Hull, the port we left from in England.
It was a really big boat! Besides the duty-free and restaurants, there were no less than two cinemas, a childrens' area, and large stage for a band. Unfortunately, the prospect of playing Roulette and listening to bad cover bands while drinking copious amounts of over-priced alcohol doesn't really appeal to us that much; but it was still an experience.
Sunrise over the North Sea!
Holland is a quite unique place. We decided for some reason to go to Rotterdam instead of Amsterdam (the more obvious choice), but there was still plenty for us to see, and we had great weather! The first highlight for us was Delfshaven, a stretch along the river which is the only place not destroyed during the second World War. The historic buildings were nice.
The strangest bit of our sight-seeing (and definitely the most memorable) were the Cube Houses. Built in the 1980's, these residential complexes consist of "trees" with concrete trunks leading to flats which resemble a cube standing on one end, overshadowing areas of shops and businesses. Sound weird? Wait until you see the pictures...
The inside photos were taken from one of the cubes which was turned into a museum.
Last, but not least, we visited the Boijmans van Beuningen museum, which houses a selection of classic and contemporary art, sometimes in strange juxtaposition. These are just a few random selections from the things I found interesting...
I hope the pictures were worth the wait! Stay tuned, there's more to come, and it should come with less delay if-and-when we get internet access at home. The funding for that will be facilitated by the part-time job I've recently acquired, dishing out fish and chips! But that's another story all together...
We took an overnight ferry across the North Sea, arriving in Holland the following morning. Above is the sunset over Hull, the port we left from in England.
It was a really big boat! Besides the duty-free and restaurants, there were no less than two cinemas, a childrens' area, and large stage for a band. Unfortunately, the prospect of playing Roulette and listening to bad cover bands while drinking copious amounts of over-priced alcohol doesn't really appeal to us that much; but it was still an experience.
Sunrise over the North Sea!
Holland is a quite unique place. We decided for some reason to go to Rotterdam instead of Amsterdam (the more obvious choice), but there was still plenty for us to see, and we had great weather! The first highlight for us was Delfshaven, a stretch along the river which is the only place not destroyed during the second World War. The historic buildings were nice.
The strangest bit of our sight-seeing (and definitely the most memorable) were the Cube Houses. Built in the 1980's, these residential complexes consist of "trees" with concrete trunks leading to flats which resemble a cube standing on one end, overshadowing areas of shops and businesses. Sound weird? Wait until you see the pictures...
The inside photos were taken from one of the cubes which was turned into a museum.
Last, but not least, we visited the Boijmans van Beuningen museum, which houses a selection of classic and contemporary art, sometimes in strange juxtaposition. These are just a few random selections from the things I found interesting...
I hope the pictures were worth the wait! Stay tuned, there's more to come, and it should come with less delay if-and-when we get internet access at home. The funding for that will be facilitated by the part-time job I've recently acquired, dishing out fish and chips! But that's another story all together...
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