:-)

Guess what I did today ?!...I bought a new guitar :-) (Still hasn't quite sunk in that it's mine yet!) It was fairly expensive, but it is very beautiful (I wasn't too keen on the colour at first, but it's growing on me) and sounds truly amazing. I was very much in need of a new guitar, and have been looking around for a while, but we found this one today. (For anyone interested, it's a handcrafted Tanglewood, brazillian rosewood back and sides and a spruce top. mmmm... Still needs to have a pick-up and a pick-guard fitted, but that's a problem for another day). No regrets so far. Good decision I think. I shouldn't ever need to buy another guitar again. Oh, and it truly was a profitable (but expensive) day as Glyn also managed to find himself a new bouzouki too, very excitingly, from a Luthier in East London. It's not every day you get to see the inside of an instrument maker's workshop ! Was very interesting. All in all, a very good day :-D

Make them go away

I'm on the mailing list of Oliver Gearing, an amazing musician I met once whilst performing at an open mic night in Cambridge. Anyway, since I'm on his mailing list I get to hear about all he gets up to, and he recently sent out the following e-mail about the use of one of his songs...


"Breaking news: Make them Go Away has been selected by The Department for Children, Families and Schools to feature in their latest anti-bullying campaign. The song forms the backbone for poignant short film created by Nick Webber and his team at Take One Productions
Currently being distributed to schools across the UK, you can watch it now at olivergearing.com

I am delighted to be involved in such a good cause and thought provoking campaign."



I've just watched the video and would recommend watching it - although, don't watch it unless you're prepared to be challenged. The song is good, of course, but the film is very moving. It moved me to tears anyway.

There's so much wrong in this world, and sometimes one feels overwhelmed and helpless to know what one can do to make any difference at all ! Although, I do know that because of Jesus there is hope...we can make a difference, not in our own strength but by learning how to be his body and hands on this earth. I'm not trying to preach, just trying to be real as I'm struggling to work out my reactions to stuff in life. I didn't have this in mind when I started this post, but oh well...it seems appropriate to post the lyrics of another Ginny Owens song I have been impacted by in the past, which me starting this post brought to mind. The song is basically talking about various people from the Bible (who, were actually real people like us too!), and how some of the stuff God asked them to do seemed so overwhelmingly huge, yet God just asked them to be obedient and to trust in Him; that He had a plan and would use us to "show them I Am". Seems relevant in many ways:

"No Lord, he said, you've got the wrong guy.
Simple conversation gets me tongue-tied.
And you're telling me to speak with a maniac king.
Could it be I've lost my mind?
And besides, I am weak, don't you want someone strong,
To lead them out of Egypt when they've been there so long?
And anyway, they wont believe You ever spoke to me.
That's not your problem, God replied.
And the rest is history.

There's a bigger picture you can't see.
You don't have to change the world, just trust in me.
'Cause I am your creator, I am working out my plan,
And through you I will show them, I Am.

Now Lord, are you sure? He's just a shepherd boy,
Too small for battle gear with a giant to destroy.
What on earth can he do with five stones and a sling?
That's not your problem, God replied.
'Cause I can do anything.

There's a bigger picture you can't see.
You don't have to change the world, just trust in me.
'Cause I am your creator, I am working out my plan,
And through you, I will show them,
I Am the first, I Am the last,
I Am the present and the past,
I Am tomorrow and today,
I Am the only way.

Great Lord, she said, I'm just a simple girl.
You say that I will bring your son into the world.
How can I understand this thing You're gonna do?
That's not your problem, God replied.

'Cause, there's a bigger picture,
And you don't have to change the world.
I'm your creator, I am working out my plan.
And through you, I will show them,
There is a bigger picture, you can't see.
You don't have to change the world, just trust in me.
I'm your creator, I am working out my plan,
And through you, I will show them, I Am."
- I Am by Ginny Owens

Sorry for rambling (again) - it's late, I'm tired, that's my excuse ! Having said that, I need some sleep now (and to finish my work for tonight, which is the reason I'm on the internet in the first place!) Before I do, let me commend the rest of Oliver Gearing's music to you. You can download most (if not all?) his music for free from his website, as cited above. Enjoy and goodnight !

p.s. I don't know why the song lyrics format has lost all the formatting between preview and posting...I hope you can still read it, but I'm too tired now to try and mess around sorting it out. I'll try and sort it out another day.

Fireworks

The University of Surrey held a big fireworks display last friday evening, to which I went along. It was great ! Fireworks are so pretty. I love them - although, I love the colours more than the noise. (Also, it does seem a little odd that we celebrate the fact that the houses of parliament weren't blown up, by blowing things up ! But hey.) This is probably the best photo I managed to take over the evening. Not too bad. (Note all the lights - from cameras and mobile phones not glow sticks, lol.)