My Blue Heaven

Updates From Chilly London

10:18 pm Tue, 17th May 2005

Hey guys. Sorry, long time no update. Things have been pretty hectic!! (Gee I hate using that word now… ever since KYC in January. :P) Anyway, a summary of my life thus far, broken into groups:

WEATHER

I’m slowly getting used to the weather here. It’s been sunny quite often, which has been nice. And Sunday was absolutely beautiful – it was actually singlet top weather!! Bring on more of that! 🙂 But when its cloudy.. its cold.. and if its windy too… then its damn cold!!



JOB HUNTING

This has been going fairly well actually. The main cause of my busyness. So far I’ve had 3 interviews, 2 with one company (dialaphone.co.uk) and 1 with another (IFX Markets). The interviews with dialaphone have actually been going very well – I just had the 2nd interview today, which consisted of an interview with HR and then an IQ logic test and a personality quiz. Then this very afternoon, I got a call from the IT manager (not the recruitment agent) who told me I had scored 100% in the IQ test!!! And that they wanted me to come back for the 3rd round interview – to meet with their senior developer… tommorrow morning at 9am. Ack early start.

And then I also have another interview tomm afternoon with another company – Adgistics – for an asp web development role. Looks like a very good role and a good company actually. Also they’re in a more central location at London Bridge. Anyways…. we’ll see how things go! Looking good so far! 🙂


CHURCH

For the 2 sundays that I’ve been here thus far… I’ve gone to CCiL on both sundays (11:30am english service), with my cousins. I’ve found the people at that church quite friendly and welcoming.. which is probably why I went back again last sunday. However, I found the teaching to be a bit… not-so-solid. Esp the sermon last sunday… ack. Talk about direct application of OT, skipping of hermeneutics and not much mention of Jesus. I took some notes… coz I’m not sure if my thoughts regarding the sermon are correct or not. I guess my theological and biblical knowledge is a bit rusty too. I don’t wanna jump too quickly to wrong conclusions.. but my “dodginess” bump was itching throughout the sermon. For my notes, click on the “more” link at the bottom of this post.

So, for this reason, I’ve been wanting to visit other churches – namely All Souls and St Helens (well actually, I had planned to go to one of these churches before even arriving in London, but wanted to visit CCiL too coz my cousins went there). I finally went last sunday to All Souls 6:30pm service. Which was quite huge. Around a couple hundred I’m guessing. Firstly, the sermon was GREAT! Really solid bible teaching… just like a KYC talk back home. It really struck home for me too… about the danger of hard hearts (passage was Ezekiel 2 & 3, sermon title “God Appoints A Watchman”). However… I was lost in the numbers there – nobody noticed I was a newcomer, and nobody really talked to me. I pretty much came and left on my own. Oh, but the music was phwoarsome. They had the All Souls Orchestra playing (as they do once a month) and that was pretty amazing. Very majestic and uplifting!

So now I’m stuck…. I like CCiL coz of the ppl, I feel comfortable with them, and they are so friendly and welcoming…. but I prefer the teaching at All Souls. Still have yet to try St Helens – will do so next Sunday methinks.

SOCIAL/PERSONAL


Have been making friends with CCiL ppl. After the All Souls service I actually met up with some ppl for dinner nearby just down Oxford Street. (Went out with them for lunch too!) So that was fun… am getting along quite well with these guys.

But other than that… I don’t really feel I’m at the stage yet where I can just call one of em up during the week to chat, or meet up. I mean.. maybe I could… but its early days yet, and I feel a bit hesitant to do that so soon. The familiarity is not quite there yet. So during the week I still feel a bit lonely. Esp when I go home and have nothing to do… wanting to talk to and share with someone about my day, the interviews I’ve been to… or just hang out. But I think with time this will get better… just need to be patient. And also once I start working I’ll have a lot less time to feel bored and lonely, as I will probably be so busy with work and stuff, that I have little time to spend alone.

But still… at times.. it kinda sucks doing all this alone.

FOOD

Save the most important for last eh. 😛 I am rapidly getting sick of having toasted panini sandwiches. So tonight, I cooked myself (and my cousin & her husband) a pasta dish. Yummo. I enjoy cooking I realised. It gives me a sense of satisfaction and contentment. 🙂 Anyway… food is expensive here. And fresh groceries are hard to find. 🙁 Not like Australia where we have mountains of fresh fruit and veges to choose from… grrr.

Oooh I discovered one gem of a cafe today. Haagen-Dazs cafe! OMG it is soooooo gooooood *drools* They have icecreams, sundaes, hot and cold drinks, cocktails. desserts. I went there today…. and ordered the Chocoholics Sundae. A scoop of Belgian Choc (rich choc with belgian choc flakes all through it), a scoop of Choc Choc Chip (rich choc with chunky dark choc chips), cream, hot choc fudge and a wafer cone. It was to die for… and I nearly OD’d on all that chocolate and cream. Hahaha. Dearie me.. think I need to hit the gym again real soon!!!

Okies… well I think thats about all for now. Need to go sleep soon so I can get up bright and early for tommorrows interview. Photos are coming soon… err… I promise!! I know, I know, I’m just a lazy sod who can’t be bothered going through and resizing images. Well you try sorting through 150 photos. 😛

Current listening :: “Ounce Of Your Cruelty” – Bluebottle Kiss
(Argh I miss Aussie music…. the radio here is truly awful, esp the stuff they play at the gym…. crappy british commercial dance crap everywhere.. yuck. I noticed in Aust we have more US or Aussie music.. but here they have not much US or Aussie music – which sucks coz they don’t have much decent R&B/HipHop or good Aussie bands. Though I did here The Vines “Get Free” on radio once, which was kinda cool… wooo! Go Aussie music!)

Sermon Notes – Lessons From History (2 Chron 36:11-21)

1. God Is Always Right

Sorry didn’t start taking notes at this stage. But it was basically about God knows all, knows best and is always right.

2. What could go wrong with us (v11-15)

• Watch out if you are young (ie below 30) and in power (point taken from the fact that Zedekiah was 21 when he became king and he did evil) <-- Can you really apply and draw this point from the passage in this way? I'm not so sure....
• Keep the marriage covanent (errr… where in the passage did he get this one from.. I’m not sure..)
• Money, sex, power need to come under the rule of God (CR Matt 22:37, Jn 2:16) Good and true application points… but I don’t see how this passage is really talking about that…)
• Talk to, relate to, listen to, be like Christ & see him in other people (Hm.. again true statements…. but… just… very general waffley christian principles without solid backing or explanation from the passage)

3. What are the consequences (v 15, 17-20)

• Call to repent
• There is a deadline
• The anger of God is the love of God in action
• Next generation was changed

4. Conclusion

• Peoples hearts and the land was renewed (v21)
• There is always a future with God no matter how terrible the present conditions are
• The hope for the glorious future is guaranteed by God’s love & power. Both are infinite (CR 1 Pet 1:3-5)

Hrmm.. so there u have it. My slightly-pezzle post. 😛 I have put in a few of my thoughts in italics. What are your thoughts? (For my christian friend’s back home)

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