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 Charlie Knox26, m, resident of spa, northern ireland, a thinker, who tries to be real, enjoys the company of nala(left), indebted to jesus for his grace and instruction in life and whose, amongst other things, studying sports science at UUJ. enjoy rugby a whole lot! |
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Tuesday, April 29, 2003 Nala really, really rolled in crap again today at Drumkeeragh. Usually when she does it, it's a wee dried out piece of rabbit poo or something and it doesn't get her too dirty but today it was a full on smudger piece of orangey brown, dog or human poo. Everytime she ran past me a waft of fusty air followed several seconds later. Anyway she wasn't getting back into my car in this state, so we had to walk until we found a big deep puddle. Eventually we found one and i held her down in it, drenched her, let her get out to shake some of the stuff off and then threw her back in to repeat the process. After a few dips and the help of a stick or too we got the most of it off. In the end it was pretty funny - no point in crying over spilt milk (or sumdged faeces in this case)!!!! That said the full blown psychological effects of this crisis were dampened slightly by the fact that i found a bunch of trails through the middle of the forest that i never knew about before - i love adventure! posted by charlie | 8:51 PM | From the uneducated point of view i come from this sounds real positive posted by charlie | 8:35 PM | Monday, April 28, 2003 I think i figured out our fundraising strategy for Ukraine - Britain's Rich List 2003 has just been released and it looks like some of these folks might have a penny or two to spare - i just gotta figure out how to get to know them now !? posted by charlie | 10:56 PM | We won again on Saturday, but again only by the skin of our teeth, sealing the victory in the closing minutes (14-10). Anyway we play the final on Wednesday night(7:15) against Malone 3's at Dromore Rugby Club. This is our last game of the season and i haven't played on a loosing team yet this season so it would be nice to get the win. posted by charlie | 10:53 PM | Friday, April 25, 2003 News on the street is that Fiona Coles (wife of Paul) is pregnant! posted by charlie | 11:12 PM | I got another big match tomorrow, this time in the Harden Cup - we play Cooke 2's down at Shaw Bridge - if we win we are in the final and get another chance to play at Ravenhill - that would be fun!!! posted by charlie | 11:10 PM | Fundraising for Ukraine Tonite at our team meeting and in Senior youth afterwards we handed out over 90 tubes of Smarties. The deal was that people would take them away, eat them and then fill the tube over the next month and a half with 5p's and 20p's. None of this money is for our team - it will all be going to provide money in order to fund the camps that we will be taking part in. My reason for posting this info. is that you might consider going and buying a tube of Smarties, leave it lying around your house somewhere, fill it up with your loose change and then fire it to one of the team. If you fill it with 5p's you would be donating £4, if with 20p's, over £16. So if you are nearby and would consider this simple exercise much would be the benefit. posted by charlie | 11:07 PM | Had a really good time exploring at Drumkeeragh this afternoon with Nala - i found some new trails and that makes me happy - particuarly the one's that aren't official paths! Of particular beauty at the moment are the freshly blooming leaves on the Hawthorne bushes. posted by charlie | 10:58 PM | Ballynahinch 13 - 12 Ards (click for report and photos!) Dead happy to get the win on Tuesday and very happy that my back was ok too. The rugby wasn't pretty but nonetheless it was good to clinch the victory in the closing minutes and turning round after we took the lead to see Pete Martin going beserk by way of celebration made the win even more memorable! After the match we headed back to Ballymacarn for a good old feed and plenty of craic. Highlight of the night was the boy's drinking games, particuarly for me and Andy Edgar knocking back the water and coke respectively!!! After the games DJ 'Squidgy' provided some fine tunes including a few Kenny Rodgers numbers. I left at about 12:30 and whilst leaving Niall McCordick home i was invited in for cheese + bacon on toast which rounded the day off just brilliantly. The next morning was sore - particuarly my right thigh and left bumcheek - both were quite dead. However a 'mini grill' at the village grill definitely did my spirits (and belly - don't know about heart!) good! posted by charlie | 10:53 PM | Monday, April 21, 2003 Headed over to the St. Patrick Centre in Downpatrick today with Chris, SJ and Peter McC. I've kinda made it my mission to get round all the tourist places about County Down and this was one yet to be conquered. 'The Saint Patrick Exhibition uses 21st Century technology to depict the story of Ireland's Patron Saint. Bold graphics, sculptures, video and audio technologies provide a very exciting part of the detailed storyline, designed to enliven your visit.' The 'experience' takes around 1.5 hours to get around and basically is a mix of videos and stuff to read, all about Patrick and what we know of him. As one guy said, the story of Patrick isn't just external history, but it gives insight into his inner life, and in particular his spirituality - i suppose it was this that i found most interesting - to observe Patrick's faith was both encouraging and challenging. He seems to have been tremendously humble and thankful to God, someone who considered himself very ordinary and lowly but who was also bold, vigourous and thoroughly uncompromising in his exploits for God, even when challenges came from within and without the church. In my opinion it's well worth the £4.50 (£3.00 for students) if you can make it over there (plus the centre has flopped financially and could do with all the business it can get!)- although make sure you have plenty of time - it wouldn't be that good in a rush. I'm not so sure it would be good for kids either! posted by charlie | 11:53 PM | Sunday, April 20, 2003 For those of you who were asking - my final kicks off at 2:30 down at Ravenhill. posted by charlie | 4:25 PM | Thursday, April 17, 2003 Let life rip! "The trouble with folks like Brownie is they hold their life in like a bakebean fart at a Baptist cookout and only let it slip out sideways a little at a time when they think there's nobody noticing. Now that's the last thing on earth the Almighty intended. He intended all the life a man's got inside him, he should live it out just as free and strong and natural as a bird." -- Leo Bebb in Frederick Buechner's "Treasure Hunt" via echo posted by charlie | 5:47 PM | You've probably heard of this one before but go to www.thehungersite.com and simply by clicking you can help donate more food to where it's needed in the world. Thanks to Len Sweet and Debs Erwin for the link posted by charlie | 5:41 PM | Monday, April 14, 2003 Immediately after writing and publishing my previous post i hopped into the car and Andreas Johnson's song, Glorious was playing - it struck me the chorus of it is almost a paraphrase (admittedly Andreas song is written with a different intention) of the prayer used below from Psalm 139. It goes like this..... Bringing me in, Checkin' me out Making me Glorious. posted by charlie | 9:51 PM | I often find myself ridden with many fears and worries, rarely are they big, they sneak in subtly often eluding my consiousness, but they are there, they whisper underneath, slowly eating away at my confidence, my peace, my joy, my faith - they cause me to question what need not be questioned. Sins are the same - i know how to avoid the so called big ones i don't struggle with alcohol, i never smoked, i have no desire to take drugs, but i sin. Subtly, unaware to the many around me they have found their way into my life, however, i am good at covering up, an expert actor. Subtly my eyes wander, i pride myself in gracious compliments, i fight for control, i box people with my judgements, the list could go on. The truth be told it aint pretty. Fears, worries and sin suck the life out of me. I need a home, a place free from fears and worries. I need help - i stuff up alone. I need hope. Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. Psalm 139: 23-24. posted by charlie | 4:27 PM | Saturday, April 12, 2003 Hadden shares some wise words in the members report for the church's 2001 AGM. During the past year I have been reflecting on how we do church. What is church to us? How do we project the whole idea of churchto the commmunity of which we are a part? We talk about going to church, about how church went last sunday. Isn't there a danger that churchbecomes what happens between 11:00 and 12:30 on Sunday morning and between 6:30 and 8:00 on Sunday night...with the really keen types doing a bit of church on Wednesdays? Is there not also a danger that we project the idea of church as a delivery service with sermons, praise, prayer and counselling on tap and the memebers like customers, some better pleased that others? Surely the truth is that church is us. We are all in the delivery business and we are all at the end of what we deliver too. Sometimes we are the church at prayer, sometimes at praise, sometimes in acts of kindness and encouragement, sometimes going well, sometimes struggling, sometimes on the premises on Lisburn Street but for most of the time out there in schools and homes and factories and shops and hospitals and offices and fields......but always the church. Indwelt by God the Holy Spirit we are commissionaed to communicate the gospel and show it working in changed lives... posted by charlie | 12:05 PM | Wednesday, April 09, 2003 I know anything said about the war, whether pro or con, always stirs debate (and as i see it thats often all it does!), and i know in our questioning world the following words will be debated also (by the way i think questioning is highly useful to a certain level !), but i thought it was real good to see some of those jubilant/hopeful scenes in Baghdad today, it kinda gives me some sorta of encouragement that the war wasn't completely in vain and that something postive may have been achieved ie. the liberation of the Iraqui people from that regime and the chance of a better future. With these scenes in mind i wondered today if the war could be compared to labour (as in the baby producing thing) - a lot of pain and suffering that just isn't pretty or nice at the time , questionable whether it's worth it at the time but in the end it produces life. I know many of the arguments against the war still remain valid and I know alot pends on how the governing structures are set up post conflict but tonite i am slightly more hopeful that the war wasn't 100% in vain. Whether or not the war was the right idea, it came and therefore scenes like those today definitely are good to see. posted by charlie | 10:10 PM | Tuesday, April 08, 2003 Just added a few links... Global change - packed with info to plough through - particuarly the online books, one on AIDS and the other on Relationships post the sexual revolution. and Go4less Travel - a new site for youth and student travel - the cheapest i've come across so far!! posted by charlie | 4:07 PM | Dunlopo number 3 Word on the street is that Glynis birthed a little, 6lb something, female this a.m. past. This little life has been named posted by charlie | 12:23 PM | Monday, April 07, 2003 Did you know SARS had made it's way to Ireland? I don't know about you but I never tend to think these things can come about here. posted by charlie | 3:29 PM | Sunday, April 06, 2003 Don't usually put cell group stuff on this but these two questions, both directed at Derick Trimble, were worth a post.... If you had the whole earth as your audience for one minute what would you say? Dave Smyth Do you wash and maintain your own ambulance? Do you wash the roof of your ambulance? Mike Allen posted by charlie | 11:30 PM | We won our semi-final yesterday beating Ballymena and what a mighty fine day i was. That means we're going to ravenhill (flippin right!!!) on Easter Tuesday and also that Donard is off for me this year! posted by charlie | 11:27 PM | Friday, April 04, 2003 'let us be the change that we wish to see in the world' Ghandi via an article of much wisdom from the ooze posted by charlie | 10:56 PM | Tuesday, April 01, 2003 Watched a movie last night called 'The Straight Story.' It chronicles the remarkable story of Alvin Straight, who at 73 years old embarked on a journey to see his ill brother who was over 250 miles away. Impressively his mode of transport was a John Deere Lawnmower which had a top speed of 5mph and his accomodation an 11 foot trailer. The film itself was pretty slow, and slightly melo dramtic but the story is mindblowing. posted by charlie | 11:39 AM | |
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