A funny day

It's been a funny day. I woke up feeling great - much more myself - very much an answer to prayer. However, I was just about to leave for the stag day I'm supposed to be at, when I collapsed in a heap and cried. I was wept, on-and-off, and uncontrollably, for about 2 hours. There was no reason for it. I can only put it in the category of "depression".

Theories:
1) a combination of tiredness, stress, fighting off a bug, giving blood on Wednesday night, and hundred other things...I've not slept well for about 3 nights now.
2) my hay fever tablets. I take loratadine, and have been on them on-and-off for a week or two. After Googling them Sally found that they can cause depression. Perhaps taking them after giving blood (and thus having a higher concentration of the stuff in my blood) made me really low.

Anyway. We eventually decided to both stay at home (which I feel very bad about). We've sat around in the garden, read the paper, enjoyed the nesting birds (more later), and written a few letters.

I can now empathise with people who've had depression. It was scary feeling out of control of my emotions. Just crying for no reason at all!

I can only hope that it doesn't come back.

New beginnings

I'm not supposed to be here this evening. I'm supposed to be at a friend's stag do but I'm feeling pretty ill and need to just rest. Sorry Dave.

But I'm taking the chance to kick off this writing.

I've tried Blogs before and given up quite quickly - and probably will this time too. But I've just moved to a new town and I'm discovering lots of new things...or possibly rediscovering old ones.

Actually I've just moved BACK to an "old" town, Swindon, my original home, which I moved from about 10 years ago. It's been a big move, from the centre of London to a small, new town in the west.

I've long been sceptical of Swindon but I'm starting to see what a good move it is.

Things I'm (re)discovering: cycling, gyms, the outdoors, gardens, being involved in a music group at church.

My intention is to record some of my discoveries, trials, and successes. More for my own benefit than that of others. But perhaps someone else will find it useful too?

We'll wait and see. I give it a month.

Starting again and...oops!

So, I've been thinking for a while, for a number of reasons, that I'll start writing again. Mostly to do with new things that I'm discovering. As always, it probably won't last.

I'm feeling a bit rubbish today but was entertained by this error from Google - I'm not sure if you can read it but it simply says "Oops! That wasn't supposed to happen."...

Easter Is...

My first Blog from work! Lunchtime. Sandwiches...inevitably from Marks and Spencers...

Easter is upon us. It is Holy Week. And the shops are full of Easter merchandise hoping that the sun and the temptation of copious quantities of chocolate will spur people on to spend their hard earned reddies.

But what's it really about?

M&S have a series of signs up:

Easter is...
eating together
Easter is...
giving gifts
Easter is...
all good things
Easter is...
simply chocolate

OK, so the first three probably redeem themselves by bearing a passing resemblance to things that actually happened at Easter. After all there was the last supper; probably the most remembered meal in history; and Jesus is the greatest gift of all and a very good thing! Yet the symbols of fancy wrapping paper and gravy-coated beef don't quite cut it.

Easter is a celebration of the greatest life ever lived and the greatest death ever died; a chance to remember the meaning of life and to celebrate the man who brings us reality and eternity.

Easter is...the best celebration ever. Hallelujah!

Community in Teams

I'm in a band! Not a very big or good band, we're just starting out really playing once a month, rocked up versions of contemporary Christian songs to God ("worship songs" for the uninitiated). I love it, I'm passionate about it, I have fun doing it, it's just great and it's just me.

But I've found an unexpected benefit. I feel like a part of a real community.

Community is a huge thing. The Bible's quite clear about relationships and community being essential to life...it's a Christian cliche but we were made to be in relationships with other people.

I also believe that community is very difficult to find in a society like ours which is incredibly transitory. I've not lived in one place for more than 2 years since I left in University and I still don't have a clear idea of where I will settle. Jobs, girlfriends, family and ourselves all contribute to make us move on quite often. Christians in particular are often faced with the guilt trip of being in a "comfort zone" that they need to move out of.

The band is just one example of something that achieves relationship, community and closeness through having common passions, aspirations and goals.

I also play 6-a-side, an activity which I only started a few weeks ago but which has already made me a lot of friends.

These things (and many others like them) should be examples to us of how to form community. Christians should exist in community with each other because they share a common passion for Jesus and a common goal of seeing his kingdom on earth. But we should also exist in community with people who don't believe in our faith.

We need to engage with those around us and that will require finding common ground. Let us get out there and find what we have in common with out neighbours. God wants us to and we might be surprised - maybe there are close friends waiting to be made.