As I write this it’s the day after the fire in Notre Dame cathedral and also ‘Holy Week’ (ie the week before Easter Sunday).  Whatever your views on Notre Dame being just a building and the potential rebuild costs, it appears that there were some brave firefighters who were involved in the operation to save the building.  It reminds me of an incident that occurred when I was part of the Flag Officer Sea Training (FOST) team (we were a bit like OFSTED for ships ..). We were doing the initial baseline checks (called a Staff Sea Check) on a warship from a foreign navy (no names no pack drill). Half way through the days serials and inspections with 60 + inspecting team on board, there was a fire alarm in the main engine room.   All the orders and commands coming over the main broadcast were not in English except the standard ‘FOST Staff muster on the Flight Deck’. All our team however were quickly accounted for except two Marine Engineering (ME) Warrant Officers. We all assumed that they were assisting with the incident. 

We ended the blog on Good Friday by saying;

‘This is my burial. This is my death. This is my Jesus.’

Here’s the thing, this lady we read about on Good Friday in Luke 7:37-38, in using her own burial perfume seems to be saying this is my death! What she didn’t realise is was her resurrection too!’

We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.
Romans 6:4

“A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.”
Luke 7:37-38

Some years ago, I earned a living in the Business Continuity (BC) industry, perhaps more commonly referred to in the early days as Disaster Recovery (DR). In fact, the emphasis initially was on how businesses would recover from an unplanned outage (disaster).  This meant that DR was a set of policies and procedures to enable the recoveryof a business’s critical technology, infrastructure and systems. 

Whilst DR remains a relevant and practiced element of an organisation’s business strategy, the approach swiftly developed into one of complete resilience. Consequently, at its heart BC plans, prepares and coordinates activities such that an organisation’s key business functions continue to operate in the event of a serious incident or disaster. In many sectors, incorporation of a proven BC strategy is mandatory; for an ever-decreasing number of others it remains advisory. For those that opt not to include BC as part of the business’s policy it normally comes down to the appetite for risk. (Hope you are following all this .. Ed)

A friend invited me to go with him to see one of the Hobbit films. Lots of us men love myths, legends, and stories of adventure. Especially epic stories of adventure, where there’s a struggle going on between good and evil, darkness and light. They hold a strange fascination for many of us.

We duly met at the cinema only to find that the schedule had been changed and it was not on that afternoon. It wasn’t on anywhere else that afternoon. His ‘Plan B’ suggestion was to go ten-pin bowling. Now I’ve only played occasionally since school days and probably the last time I went was ten years previously. So I was a little rusty to say the least. However, amongst the many rounds where I didn’t get a strike at all, I had one when I got four strikes in a row! I knew three in a row and you were a ‘turkey’, but never before had I heard of anyone getting four. I’d never even had three! So I was unprepared for the declaration that came up on the screen that I was a ‘four-bagger’. To me at least it was a story of epic proportions, albeit a short one. Me – a four-bagger!

On Monday 25^thMarch I reached the ripe old age of 50. I cannot believe how quickly this has happened, seems like only yesterday I was celebrating my 21^st, (not that I can remember much from that evening, but that is another story……..). 

Turning 50 has actually been a joy, and I certainly do not feel any different. The body is not in too bad shape and my mind is functioning well, and as my darling wife says I still think and act like a 21 year old. 

We often judge what people should or should not do because of age, yet in the Bible we see how God used many people in very old age.

CVM are renowned for their famous Top 10`s, so how about the 10 oldest people from the bible.

I grew up a massive fan of the comedy duo Laurel and Hardy. When most of my mates were into ‘Morecambe and Wise’, the Two Ronnies or Little and Large, I would be watching and laughing out loud as Stan and Ollie got themselves into one ‘fine mess’ after another. 

Created at a time where smashing stuff up, public brawling and men wearing knitted socks and full-length gowns in bed was all the rage, their films went on to be compulsive viewing for our children as soon as they could open their eyes and focus. The years of dedication in this vital area of parenting has meant that when the family gather, we’re never far from another viewing of one of Hal Roach’s famous productions. One such occasion happened just the other evening, after a day spent contemplating a huge garage bill to keep the family car on the road. Our youngest son James could see I was a little preoccupied and suggested we put a film on. Randomly we chose a classic (for me, most of them fall into that category). Me and My Pal tells the story of Oliver’s wedding to oil baron Peter Cucumber’s daughter. You can appreciate why she might’ve been quite eager to marry with a surname like that! Anyway, while waiting for the taxi to take them to the ceremony, Oliver and his best man Stanley become absorbed in a jigsaw puzzle, Stanley’s wedding present to Oli. Eventually the taxi driver, the butler, a policeman and a messenger boy all get involved with the puzzle, while Cucumber fumes as he awaits the long overdue groom.

There is very much a pioneering dynamic to the work of CVM Cymru. We are a small ministry here in Wales, and much of what needs to be done right now is simply raising awareness of the need for men’s outreach ministry amongst local churches. Sometimes we find ourselves falling into the trap of thinking that this is all about the next meeting, the next presentation, and even the next event.

We certainly do need all the above, after all even with us men it is fundamentally about building relationships, trust and working together. But, reaching the men of our nation can never be reduced to a numbers game—we will never win the nation for Christ simply by having enough meetings with church leaders, or presenting a plan to as many Christian men as we can. I am also pretty sure that, as important as curry is for our health, we can never organise enough curry nights to propel us into national revival.

Let me picture the scene for you.

Recently at Stanstead airport I was waiting for a plane, something lots of us have done. I could smell wafts of pasties loaded full of cheese and ham being consumed, litres of coffee and coke, full fat being chugged. To my right-hand side I could see a group of people on their third pint and finishing off with a cheeky glass of prosecco. All normal stuff.

To get to this place I walked through the brightest tunnel of lights ever, illuminating seemingly endless shelves of perfumes and make up with fellas frantically spraying themselves with 8 to 10 shots of the latest must have scent.

Have you ever been misunderstood? You’ve said something, put something out there on the socials, had a go at raising your voice and sharing something of you but you’ve been misunderstood? A moment when you found the courage to share something, to throw out an idea or a sentiment, or even more maybe to share an idea original to you but you ended up being character assassinated and taken down.

Have you felt that?

Maybe you’ve discovered a lie about you that’s gone arounds your mates, family or at work. Social media warriors have latched on to the lie and taken it out into the cloud and back again, but it was a lie, not even a shred of truth.

Have you felt that?