How are you?

It has come to my attention that I never ask how the people who happen to read this poor excuse for a blog are.

No this is not a lame attempt to get people to comment on this post.

But I realised how little I actually ask this and show my interest in the answer. In the country I am presently in, there is a greeting which is said something like "yarite". It is obviously an amalgamation of the words "are you alright".

As so many people ask how are you just because they don't know what else say, hoping that you won't reply with anything except some variation of "fine", the brits and unfortunately I, ask this question of the people we meet in the stairway at work - "yaright". Often, the response will be "yaright" nothing further. What is the point of asking if we're not really interested.

So, how are you, or yarite?

I hope you are all fine, but if you're not - I hope that if we actually met in the street and I asked how you are, that you'd feel like you could say what's going on, either way.

See ya round.

PS - How lame is the new Linkin Park album
PPS - How lame was Spiderman 3 - venom was wicked but only in it for like 2 seconds

Oh yeah

I got a promotion at work last week. I'm now a Senior Customer Services Officer - I line manage 6 people and will have to go to planning and target meetings.

Good for me huh?

Growing Up

It hit me today as I sat in church.

Maybe, I'm finally growing up.

What brought this on, you ask?

Well, the Church I'm going to, Holy Trinity Brompton, is an Anglican church. Slightly different to the churches that I'm used to going to. Both in NZ and the one I went to while we were living in Witney. Maybe slightly is an understatement.

Anyway, those of you who are down with the 'evangelical' world of Christianity will know HTB is the church that started Alpha. Must do the course one of these days - maybe in the Autumn. Anyhoo. We had baptisms this morning, about 10 of them. Exciting huh? Indeed.

But...

There's always a but. They were infant baptisms. It was said that there are three things that have to happen to become a Christian, one is repentence, two is baptism and the third I can't remember - must have been listening very hard.

I'm not going to get into the debate about whether or not you have to be baptised to become a Christian - I know what I think, it's not really that interesting to argue. Which also adds to my conclusion which will be coming shortly - promise.

So they said the order of these three things doesn't matter, I guess in a way of explaining why they were baptising these babies before they are able to make concsious choice to follow Jesus or not.

And same old me, instantly wanted to argue. I mean how can the commandment 'repent and be baptised' be changed around? among other things.

This need or desire to argue lasted for about three seconds.

The following thought that went through my head was, what does it matter?

Who cares? I'm pretty sure God doesn't.

The point was, this was a church with families who had been blessed with children, committing to raise them as Christians and the symbol of infant baptism was just that - a symbol.

And as I was lost in my thoughts about the fact I no longer needed to argue about this, or object in any way, I realised that maybe, just maybe - finally, I am growing up. Just like I'm not interested in arguing about whether or not you need to be baptised to become a Christian, I don't care about small things that are different to what I have understood, or been used to.

Is this a good thing or a bad thing? I guess this remains to be seen. And of course, I'm not one to back down from an arguement that is worth having, and should something come up that I don't agree with that actually matters, then perhaps I would argue or question. But the little things that I'm sure would have bothered me in the past, no longer do.

Growing up, it had to happen some time.

PS - suppose that conclusion wasn't as soon as I expected - sorry.

Who says movies are all lies?

Witnessed during my trip to France last year...

It's been a while...

Welcome back everyone!

Yea, well...

It's been far too long but I have now finally got internet at home and I can re-begin to post my brilliance.

Whatever

Anyway, I'm about to fly off to Las Vegas (hopefully, depending on seat availablity - stupid stand-by tickets) to go to Jenna's sister's wedding. Should be good. Have been told that I should watch '300' there, might have to do that. Yep, same old Steven - movie geek. Speaking of movie geeks - the first ever Star Wars convention outside the US is happening here in London in July. Yesssssssss! Guess I'll be there with my Star Wars T-Shirts on.

Hope this long long overdue blog finds you all well, and I look forward to seeing you all soon, so to speak.

Laters

REPENT OF YOUR SINS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Have you yet? Do you:

BELIEVE IN THE LORD JESUS CHRIST!!!!!!!!?

(do capitals make it look like I'm shouting?)

I got that shouted at me yesterday. I was told I need to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and repent of my sins so that I may be saved and not burn in hell forevermore.

Where do these people get the idea that there is anything remotely positive that might in a million years come out of getting a flippin megaphone and screaming at people.

It drives me crazy. I was that close to going and telling him to shut up; I can only imagine what the non-Christians walking past were thinking.

That might have been the high/lowlight of my day yesterday. Oxford Street (in London - but I'm sure those of you who have played Monopoly already knew that), is a pretty interesting place. Everything you could want in a street. It's flat. It has a footpath. It has vehicles going up and down it (the street, not the footpath). It has who knows how many tube stations - at least 3 and a subway with an internet cafe for bums without jobs to hunt for them as well as post on his blog. I've had way too much subway in the last two weeks; I'm now considering going to McD's - that's how bad it is!

I didn't have that interview in the big corporation after all. Turns out they had never said they wanted to interview me. The recruitment place just "thought they would". So no dilemma there anymore - but, the good news is, I've got a definite interview on Monday, as-well as a day and a half of temping - that should get me a good 50 quid, yesssssss!

The Corporation

I had yet another recruitment agency interview today. Like I said, I've been told I should go for a PA position. So I'm going for an interview tomorrow for a PA position for an American engineering company, based in 46 countries around the globe.

Getting the job would be mint - way more money than I ever dreamed of getting - starting on Monday - and a great booster for my CV.

I sometimes pictured myself doing this sort of job before we came over here. Imagined buying a nice suit, a classy overcoat and a scarf - even some new shoes (since I haven't bought any new smart shoes for over 5 years) and heading off to work in the centre of London.

Now, when that it's actually an option, I don't know what I think about it. Does that sound like me? I don't think it does. While I pictured myself doing it, I didn't really want it. I have been extremely blessed with a ridiculously wealthy upbringing, but my career up until now has been so far away from the corporate life it's not funny.

And I'm glad about that.

Of course, I'll take it if I get offered it. At the moment, as horrible as it is to say - at the moment, it's all about the money.

I just need to make sure I don't change after being exposed to this different way of life.

"The things you own, end up owning you"

Jobless

There comes a certain point after being a bum for over a month that you begin to feel a little down and frustrated. I haven't worked for over 6 weeks now and it's driving me crazy. Not so much the not working part - that's nice - more the unknown and unsettled-ness. We finally got ourselves a flat (managed to secure it while sacrificing the first half of the All Blacks annihilation of England - worth it because it's a two bedroom flat with a garden for the same price as what we were paying in Witney). But now, the pressure's on even more because we've all of a sudden got expences to pay!

I've been told that I should be looking for a PA position - cool, most likely means more money, but nothing still has come up - and the waiting is killing me. Moan moan moan - I know God has it all in control - he knows I need a job, and yet I still get impatient. How flippin ungrateful am I?

Anyway, there's so much more to write about - that second Hillsong post, our trip to France, London, but to be honest I'm not in the mood. You might catch me a little more chatty shortly, assuming a job finds me...

Welcome back