Al Musing

It struck me after I'd read my Bible today and was pondering, how as believers the gospel changes our identity on so many different levels. Through Christ's death and resurrection... Relational: God is my father, I'm his child and he takes care of me. Community: God has made me one of his people who together are charged to love one another and tell others of his glory. Humanity: God has is making me to be how he originally created humanity to be, as one who bears his image. I am being turned the 'Right Side Up' (title of a new book!). Legal: I have been made 'right' before God, as my debt has been paid by Jesus' death on the cross. Heavenly: I can approach God's throne with confidence and without fear because I am made pure and spotless through Christ. I'm sure there are more...

http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/1997/january6/7t1032.html 'Why I'm not Orthodox' Mm... interesting, I've never really thought much about the Orthodox faith before and what it's about- as he says, it all seems so mysterious and alien. Don't ask me how I ended up reading this- that's the kind of random article you end up reading if you surf the web for too long ;-)

http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=QfSPDVcauFUC&lpg=PR5&ots=BoDIeVvS3c&dq=Petty%20teaching%20today&lr=&pg=PP1#v=onepage&q=&f=false ooh, one of my textbooks for my PGCE is online. How handy (and thrifty!)

Looking for a new church in Cardiff, I've been thinking a bit about what characterises a 'good' church (to clarify, by church I mean Christians who meet together, not a building or institution). People might advise us to look for a 'lively' church and/or one which teaches the Bible faithfully. 'Lively' is an essential characteristic- if by it one means that the church is spiritually alive (rather than just lively music etc!). Faithful Bible teaching is important and needed to feed that life, but what if the congregation aren't doing what the Bible says? 'Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says'. (James 1:22) However, the other day I was reading Paul's letters to the Thessalonians and here he seems to be writing to a good, faithful church- He doesn't have any criticisms about them (like his letters to the Corinthians) but rather thanks God for them and encourages them to keep going as they are, doing wh...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uvpikUEIaLI 2 minute silly video to show ESOL/EFL class. My Chinese students loved this!!

http://www.mathsnet.net/puzzles/countdown/countdown.swf A filler for an ESOL / EFL lesson - play countdown (the letters bit)! With the music and everything!

I thought I'd start a blog to get my thoughts down on 'paper' and organise them a bit. And maybe other people might occasionally find them interesting / amusing / useful! Topics will range from my philosophical and theological musings, to thoughts on teaching and learning and lesson ideas. Have just started my PGCE Post-compulsory Education (ESOL) - boy, that's a mouthful- but only been in Monday and back in again tomorrow Have been living in Cardiff two and a half weeks and enjoying living in a city again with everything very convenient- though no Asda behind our house :-( - everything's pretty much unpacked and our lovely little flat is starting to feel like home. Just need a few friends now! Weird thing no. 1: It hadn't rained since we arrived in Wales, until a slight drizzle yesterday! Weird thing no. 2: There are lots of people of our age walking around! The demographic in this area (Roath) is very different from Kingsthorpe (Northampton) which was more fam...