Jessica Louise

At 8.00 this morning Roh and I became proud grandparents! Congratulations to Elspeth and Rob.

Welcome to this world Jessica Louise Mill. May God's face shine on you every moment of every day. May you know peace in the world and peace in your heart. May you be a blessing to your parents and find God's blessing on your life. May you future always be clear before you and may you achieve all that God intends for your life.

A wonderful gift for Fathers Day.

The Law Of The Lid

“You can find smart, talented, successful people who are able to go only so far because of the limitations of their leadership.”

So says John Maxwell in his book ’21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership’. It’s the ‘Law of the Lid’. I may be good at something but if I can only do what I do without a vision as to how to apply it, grow it, achieve something with it, then my leadership lack limits my skills.

The most successful enterprises have skilful people who are also successful leaders. Their ability to grow the organisation means those who work for them also grow. The law of the lid again. If I grow, the people I work with have room to grow. If I stop, they hit the lid.

Off And Running

I completed the Ramsey Abbey 10k road race today. The first competitive race for some years. Hence, not the fastest of times! But I was please to finish and to notch up another small milestone as I prepare for the London Marathon 2011.

The worst part of the race was running on rough tracks that forced you to slow down. The best part? The finish of course!

Paul writes in the Bible about running. It’s one of my favourite passages and very apt for both road races and the race we all run in this life:

I'm not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don't get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I've got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I'm off and running, and I'm not turning back.

So let's keep focused on that goal, those of us who want everything God has for us. If any of you have something else in mind, something less than total commitment, God will clear your blurred vision—you'll see it yet! Now that we're on the right track, let's stay on it.

Philippians 3: 12-16, Message Version

In the Beginning, Man Created?

Craig Venter is a biologist and an entrepreneur. For the last 15 years, his company has been working on creating life. He claims to have succeeded.

By identifying the DNA of a tiny bacterium, he separated out the genes to see how it was formed. Then he substituted the genes with synthetic ones, until he had the first synthetic genome- and his claim that he has created life.

But let’s just remember a few things….

-He replaced the living genes with others created by him. But did he create from nothing? Of course not. He used ‘inanimate objects’ to create the gene. The ‘objects’, effectively DNA designed from scratch, are still ‘objects’.

-He’s an inventor and biologist. He learned this skill. He was born, went to school, and learned his trade. He didn’t come from nowhere. He was ‘created’ like everybody else. As a created being, he is, at best, copying his creator.

-He has not created life, only copied it. By following God’s instructions – the picture of the DNA, the structure of the genes- he has been able to mimic the original. But is that very different from us, say, painting the picture of a flower, copying the original? Sure this new synthetic bug has life- but it is a copied life. All very clever. But still a copy.

In the beginning man created? No. In the beginning God created. We have the privilege of discovery, of learning, and even of copying life. But creation is God’s prerogative and His alone.

Just Been Volcanoed.....

Has this ash cloud got it in for me or what?

I was in Dublin last week for a pensions meeting. By the time it finished…. no planes, due to the ash cloud…. again. Having already been stranded in Cape Town for a week, it was getting a bit repetitive. Not that I got any sympathy from workmates. They just laughed!

This time, I escaped by ferry to Hollyhead. From there, after a short stay in a B&B, on to the Euston train the next morning, and finally home.

Remember those TV adds for Tango? This big orange bloke used to come up behind a poor unsuspecting lad (called Ralph, no less!) and slap him around the face to the announcement that he’d ‘ just been tangoed’.

Well this Ralph is a bit fed up of just being ‘volcanoed’, and is planning not to travel too far from home!

Dear Gordon (3)

Why so negative? Your little temper tantrum with the Rochdale lady pretty well typifies your campaign. Criticise anyone who seems difficult. Slam the opposition. Create fear. Bully the electorate.

But there was so much to be positive about. The Labour governments record is a good one. And you were part of that success. Why so little reference? Afraid it points to your predecessor and not you maybe?

Seems to me its fear of failure that has driven you. Fear of letting go of power. That’s why you took the enormous gamble of the televised debates. Good for democracy. Not so good for you though.

Well, we’re there now. I’m a Labour voter. But not this time. I don’t react well to scaremongering. I don’t like bullies. There’s an Independent standing in our constituency. A local man, with a good local agenda. Time for a protest vote.

Captive in Cape Town

Remember 'Sleepless in Seattle'? Well, Roh and I are creating a new epic- 'Captive in Cape Town'. We were due home yesterday after meeting our daughter in Cape Town this last week. But the volcano ash has beaten us and the next guaranteed flight is 13 days later.

Cape Town is a captivating place. We were moved by what we saw on Robben Island, we were charmed by the friendliness of the wine estates and we were excited by the worship of the local Hillsongs congregation.

But now we are captive against our will.

I remember being stuck in a hurricane in Orlando, and lost without a visa in Hong Kong, but being captive in Cape Town is entirely new!