Spoilt footy players

I was reading about a famous soccer player pretending he was ill so he would miss an international friendly recently. He was then not selected for the team's recent encounter as a punishment.

It made me think about how rediculous the game has become especially because of all the money involved nowadays. There was a day when to get called up to the National team and put on your country's colours was the highest honour in the sport and to me that seems appropriate.

It brought to my recolletion a personal story that I experienced in Romania a couple of years ago. I was with the good people of Hope for the Nations/Romania and they had just completed a home makeover for a family in a tiny rural village near Brasov. The family was living in a converted slaughter house on the edge of town. The house was one room with a tiny window and a lean too shed outside where the older kids would sleep if the weather permitted.  I was invted in to see the completed project by this overwhelmingly thankful family and I noticed a faded photo on the mantle. I noticed that it was a photo of the Romanian National soccer team. In the photo was the man of the house who had once played for his county.  I couldn't help but think that if he had played for a team nowaday's he would be living in the lap of luxury but there he was in his very difficult situation, wife and 4 or 5 kids in one room. This mans proud face lit up as he acknowledged his former achievemnes in the National Team. He had played for his country for pride and how refreshing it was to behold.

A place to write more thoughtful things

If you know me then you will know that I love to piss around and have a good laugh, you will also know that I love to contemplate more serious things as well. One of the ways I have learnt how to cope with some of the bewildering things that life throws at me is to laugh at them. This however doesn't mean that I dont actually think deeply about them. I have been thinking about writing a more serious blog about such things in the hope that it can be cathartic for me and also so that people who are interested in an on line dialogue can enter in to that with me.  I have decided to do it here because it takes a deliberate effort to find this blog rather than on facebook which is open to anyone and I dont know if I want anyone to see this if you know what I mean.  I have been involved with a couple of online discussions in the past and they have sometimes become a bit agressive or dare I say it narrow and I am not really interested in that kind of approach to discussion.
So with this in mind my first posting will be some inconclusive thoughts about how gnosticism (A heresy dating back to the first 25 years of the church's formation) effects how Christian artists are permitted to express themselves in most churches today. I will put the finishing touches to my 1st draft soon and post it up here to see how it goes down.
I welcome your constructive input.
Cheers Graham.

It has been many a year since I last posted so it's probably about time I did again eh?
I have just returned from Germany where I did a 3 week tour with my buddy Norm Strauss. It was a blast. I really love Germany and the people there are great too. What I really love is going to the old towm squares and having a coffee while watching the world pass by! It's great.
Thanks for popping by
Keep rocking
Graham.