View From The Basement

Car

Sunrise Today

Had a bad day?

I left the house at 6:30am to get to Edinburgh for a class I have at 9am. I got in at 10:30am!

The day started with the alarm not working again! Note to self...buy a new alarm. Given this Alison said I could take the car and that way I should still get to Edinburgh in time for class. Things were going well until I joined the A8 just as the road was closed due to an accident a couple of miles ahead. The traffic moved about 100 yards in 3/4 and hour when we were directed off the road by the police. I had no idea where I was but found the M73 and thought I'd try and go to Edinburgh via Falkirk. I did not get far before I hit stationary traffic again, at which point I made the decision that there was no way that I would make it to Edinburgh on time.

I turned back to Glasgow making it back in time to spot Alison and Robert standing at the bus stop. So at lease I got to give them a lift to pre-school. I then took the train into town and then a train across to Edinburgh. When I got to the barrier to leave I could not find my ticket. Despite my pleading with the guard I had to go and buy another ticket so I could get out.

Thankfully the day improved and the journey home was "normal".

Write Regularly

Once a week I have to attend a course on Basic Research Methods. Yesterday's class was on  Effective Reading and was taken by Jolyon Mitchell. It was a good class with a mix of stimulating visuals, quotes and interaction.

The session ended with the thought that reading makes us better writers and writing makes us better readers, and with the challenge to write regularly. That is, don't just leave writing for essays, dissertations or other projects, but write regularly (daily?), even if it's only fifty words, for in doing so we can learn to become better writers, and thus better readers.

I had been thinking that given the new pressures on my time that this blog might slowly fade away, but Jolyon's encouragement to write regularly has strengthened my resolve to use the blog as a place to write regularly and try and improve my skills in this area. This ties in with some of Fernando's thoughts that blogs should be well written.

So hopefully over the coming weeks and months there will be less spelling mistakes, typo's and poor grammar from this particular blog.

All Change

I've stepped down from my position as Youth Pastor at QPBC to start a full time taught masters at New College (part of Edinburgh Uni) in Theological Ethics. My responsibilities for the Youth work formally end with the close of this month. My supervisor is Oliver O'Donovan, which is a great oppertunity to learn and be challenged from someone who is widely respected in his field.

I hope to take this onto PhD level but finding funding for this will be key if it is to happen.

We'll continue to stay in Glasgow which means that the days on which I travel through to Edinburgh are long, so prayer for energy and good nights sleep would be welcome.

My application to start this year we a little late and the uni admin offices have been very busy. All this means that getting matriculated and thus able into the libary etc., has been slow going, and I'm still not there with it yet! Transitions rarely go simply and we feel that there's a bit of a battle going on as I make this move.

That said God is good and I feel excited about this oppertunity to study more.

I hope to try and keep the blog going but things are pretty full on at the moment so time for blogging may be limited.

Comments

Thanks to everyone who has made a comment on one of my post recently, especially all those who commented on Post Christendom Christianity. I normally like to thank or comment on each comment but changes which are making new demands on my time have meant that I've not been able to do this.

Hopefully something like normal service will be resumed soon.

I can do this in my head!

In my head I'm still 16 - 18 years old - I think I can attempt or should be able to do things that I tried then. Yet I can't, or when I do I end up very sore!

The kid in the video is only 12, and I think I should leave the real life dangerous stuff to this generation of kids and content myself with memories and dreams.

Help get me out of here!

Yesterday I wrote about what I love about Glasgow, but it's not all love. There are things that drive me to despair about this place.

(1) I hate the fact that we smoke and drink too much. Addictions are a real problem for too many Glaswegians and as a result we top the league in Europe for many health problems.

(2) I hate that there is still an undercurrent of sectarianism in this city. If people want to know if you are one of them or are "the other" you'll be asked what football team you support. I at a very young age decided not to support any team. This separation along protestant and roman catholic lines is not as bad as it used to be, but it still exists and defines a large part about what is negative about our city.

(3) I hate the rubbish ont he street and the dog Pooh. Hmm we're not the cleanest city in the world

(4) while I've never suffered from this, Glasgow has a long history of being a violent place. If your stabbed in Glasgow then your more likely to die from your wound than if you were stabbed in any other European city. The reason for this is not scientifically known, but it's suggested that it's the force and aggression behind the attach which means it's so serious.

(5) I despair that the gap between the have and have not's has grown rather than reduced. That while the city center is architecturally a great place there is a shortage of good affordable housing, thus too many people still live in damp flats with a lack of local amenities.

Hameildaeme

As a family we're getting away for a short holiday this week. We had thought we'd just be at "hameildaeme" (i.e. home) but a friend whose parents have a caravan has invited us to spend the week there with her and her boys.

I hope the weather is good and I'm looking forward to time with the kids and Alison without the distractions of work, TV or computers. Yes I will be computer-less for a week, but do not fear I've saved some posts to appear here in my absence!

Looking

HT to Dave