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In musical terms, I’m a child of the 70s. I grew up on the heavyish rock of Argent, Led Zeppelin, Free and Deep Purple. And when I’m feeling nostalgic, that’s still where I return. So you won’t be surprised to learn that I never really got into Rap, didn’t particularly get along with Punk and as for Garage, Grunge and Grime… it passed me by. That was, until four months back, when the artist Stormzy appeared as a guest on X Factor on TV, and sang Blinded by Your Grace. I’m told he’s a Grime and Hip Hop artist. What I heard was pure Gospel. In fact, for me, one of the best Gospel songs I’ve heard in many years. If you’ve not heard it yet, here’s a link: As I watched, I found myself worshipping: Lord, I've been broken Although I'm not worthy You fixed me, I'm blinded By your grace You came and saved me... You saved this kid and I'm not your first It's not by blood and it's not by birth But oh my God what a God I serve ….. Now I'm in a better place No longer afr...

A 75 year study (yes, 75 years!) by Harvard University shows that long life and happiness is reflected by strong relationships. This remarkable study is still going after all these years. Over 700 men started out being interviewed. Over 60 are still alive and in their nineties, and still being studied. It’s not money or fame that gets you a long and satisfying life, its good relationships. Loneliness is a killer. Family feuds take a terrible toll on the person that holds the grudges. A happy marriage adds years to your life. This is not rocket science- but it is social science. A real study over 75 years is hard to argue against. It’s not the first time I have heard this either. Dr JohnTrickell did a study of various societies around the world that lived the longest. His conclusion as to what brought long life? Fun, friends, family and faith. To have good friends throughout life is a blessing. To have a faith that brings about a friendship with Christ is even more precious. So, lean i...

My thanks to our good friend Ros Turner for this one.... Two tough questions ...   Question 1: If you knew a woman was pregnant, Who had 8 kids already, Three who were deaf, Two who were blind, One mentally retarded, And she had syphilis, Would you recommend that she undergoes an abortion? Read the next question before looking at the response for this one. Question 2: It is time to elect a new world leader, and only your vote counts. Here are the facts about the three candidates. Candidate A:  Associates with crooked politicians, and consults with astrologists. He's had two mistresses. He also chain smokes And drinks 8 to 10 Martinis a day. Candidate B:    He was kicked out of office twice, Sleeps until noon, Used opium in college And drinks a quart of whiskey every evening. Candidate C:  He is a decorated war hero, He's a vegetarian, Doesn't smoke, Drinks an occasional beer And never committed adultery. Which of these candidat...

Splendid grief. Two words that don’t go together? I heard them used by Sir Nicholas Soames MP in relation to his grandfather Sir Winston Churchill, and specifically to the full State Funeral given him in 1965. Fifty years on, there’s been a lot of reflection this week as to what Churchill achieved. It was unusual for a ‘commoner’ to be given such recognition with a State Funeral, and the occasion was both solemn and a celebration of a man who led a nation to victory against the Nazi’s. Grief. But splendid too. It would have be a very different world without him. As I reflect on the loss of two dear friends from cancer, one at quite a young age, the words come back to me. As we celebrated their lives, there was genuineness about the celebration. But grief too. Lives taken too soon. It would have been a very different world without them. Splendid grief.

So lets’ recap why I can’t blog so often, tweet so often, or do my work properly.... This is day 41 without broadband and you are no nearer a solution. Just so you know, this is the story so far.... We moved house on 10 th June. The electric contract took a day to transfer. The water services took a day. Sky TV took two days. The Post Office took a week to change the address. And BT have taken 41 days. And counting. First I went for a Sky package. BT Openreach apologised when the first deadline was missed. They said they had sent the instruction to the wrong exchange. A week’s delay. Then, when the second deadline was missed, they said they had lost the link with the phone number. Funny that one, as it’s their phone number. Finally, after a month of trying, Sky were told by BT Openreach that they were unable to facilitate a service at the required exchange. So.... Unwind the deal with Sky and go to BT. Twice the cost. Half the service. Two week delay while BT retrieve the phone line f...

Dear day, It was tough yesterday. Tough to live. Hard to breathe. But you’re a new day. You’re ahead of me. And I’m going to live you. I’m going to squeeze the life out of you today, dear day. I’m going to care. And I’m going to laugh. Give. Smile. Stand up when I fall down. Walk.... Run. Breathe the air. I’m going to appreciate the simple today. And lose myself in something pleasurable. I’m going to listen. To God. And to my friends. Did I say I’d stand up if I fall down? Oh yes. Not only that. I’ll laugh. Laugh at the trivialness of what used to upset me. Today, dear day, I’m going to live you. Poem based on the 16 Habits of Exuberant Human Beings by Kate Bratskier

Life is short. Live it to the full. Here's a small reminder of how quickly the years go by..... Danielle http://vimeo.com/74033442">Danielle > from Anthony"> http://vimeo.com/anthonycerniello">Anthony Cerniello on Vimeo . https://vimeo.com">Vimeo . > For everything there is a season, and l a time for every matter under heaven: 2  a time to be born, and a time to m die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; 3  a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; 4  a time to n weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to o dance; 5  a time to p cast away stones, and a time to q gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to r refrain from embracing; 6  a time to seek, and a time to s lose; a time to keep, and a time to t cast away; 7  a time to u tear, and a time to sew; a time to v keep silence, and a time to speak; 8  a time to love, and a time to w hate; a tim...

You never know what’s around the corner. It could be everything. Or it could be nothing. You keep putting one foot in front of the other, and then one day you look back and you’ve climbed a mountain. Tom Hiddleston [We are] created to walk in precarious places, not on the easy levels of life. Amy Carmichael

There was a very cautious man Who never laughed or played He never risked, he never tried, He never sang or prayed. And when he one day passed away, His insurance was denied, For since he never really lived, They claimed he never really died. Anonymous poem  from Developing the Leader Within You by John C. Maxwell.

Some signs of improvement, but still struggling with a virus that has pretty much knocked me out these last few months. In the meantime, Kari Jobe's new song says what needs to be said: Even when it hurts Even when it's hard Even when it all just falls apart I will run to You Cause I know that You are Lover of my soul Healer of my scars You steady my heart

The latest results from the Office of National Statistics happiness survey – carried out earlier this year and interviewing over 4000 adults- shows money doesn’t make for happiness. The survey shows that as a nation we have a happiness index of 7.4 out of 10. The same score as last time, despite a real downturn in the economy. What did show up was what a lack of a job did. Here the index went right down to the low 6’s. People need to be valued, to have a purpose, to be able to provide for others. We are a ‘people’ people. Work is what is valued above money. As we’ve been told over the years, riches can’t buy happiness. And the statistics show it to be true. Money can buy a house, but not peace; medicine, but not health; amusement, but not joy; therapy, but not healing; a bed, but not sleep; allies, but not friends. A final word from the writer of Proverbs: Blessed is the man who finds wisdom, the man who gains understanding, for she is more profitable than silver and yields better retu...

I was meant to be there that day. I keep an email in my diary of the invitation to a meeting in New York on 11th September 2001. What’s more, the company I was visiting had offices in one of the towers. I postponed the meeting. God knows the time and the hour, and for that I’m grateful. In the meantime, the email is a reminder of the transience of this life. C S Lewis described this life as like the front cover and the title page of a book compared to what is to come. As Lewis says, one day I will begin Chapter One of the Great Story.

We're all in a race. It's the race of life. How we live determines how we finish. Even if we fall, we can get up, run again and still win. Heather Dornidon shows how it should be: St rip down, start running—and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we're in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God. Hebrews 12: 1-2, The Message Version of the Bible. (This was a clip I showed in my talk at KingsGate Church recently. You can find the talk at: http://www.kingsgateuk.com/Media/Player.aspx?media_id=73639&file_id=81982 )

“Where there is no vision, the people perish” is one of the best known quotes from the Bible (Proverbs 29:18). What we are seeing on the streets of our cities reflects the truth of those words. If you are in your late twenties, unemployed, and in fact have never had a job (not for want of trying), it’s likely you will lack purpose in life. If all you know is gang culture, it’s likely that is where you get your values on life. If you live in a materialistic and godless society, it’s likely you worship the HD TV, Nike shoes and designer labels. What we are witnessing in our streets is a result of the society we live in. No excuse for riots. But a clear reason. And there is a clear answer. Not that it appears to be an acceptable answer to a majority of our society. When you find the reason you’re here, it makes a difference to how you live. As we wake this morning to pictures of burnt out cars, looted shops and fearful communities, there has never been such a need for faith in Christ.