Questions

I am a Christian, I am proud to say I follow Jesus and his teachings, I am really crap at it, but I do try and that is all that is expected really. Over the past few years I have had my faith tested to breaking point on a few occasions, and that is where I am at at the moment. Things happen I don't understand, and I see people hurt so bad that it makes me cry and question why? I know there are no easy answers, I know God has never said we wouldn't suffer, he did say he would be with us in our suffering.

I really don't understand why certain things happen, why people hurt each other or why people are taken early? I don't know why accidents happen or incurable illness's take over peoples bodies....I know at the moment I am again questioning...........

Michael Jackson 1958 -2009

I was a fan of Michael Jackson. not a die hard must buy everything fan, I like his early music, the Jackson 5 stuff, I loved "Off The Wall", Thriller and Dangerous. I didn't take much notice of his personal life, his Wacco stuff as it was called. I enjoyed his music and felt sorry for him. I cried when I heard he had died at just 50, Mrs EB and I were on our Narrow Boat, we had tea and put on some of his music and shed some tears. I have a few favourite songs, Ben, ABC, One Day the list goes on and on.
But this song being my most favourite song of Michaels. It was used last night at the Thanks Giving Service, I cried again. I also cried when Jermaine sang, when Marlon spoke and when young Paris spoke my heart broke for her and her brothers.

I pray the press will leave Michael and his family alone now, they need time to grieve and be a family. Rest in Peace Michael thank you for the all of the music you brought us, they joy you shared with us and the most amazing dances you danced for us. God Bless you and your family, I pray you knew Jesus as your own personal Lord and Saviour and you are dancing and singng for him now.

Websites and Photos

Wow sorry I haven't blogged for a few weeks.. What's been happening? I have been updating my website I have had a website on www.thebaynhams.com for about 7 years now and it was looking very tired and needed pages taking down and other things doing to it. So I revamped for want of a better description. I have taken all of the old pages down now. I have my CV on there and some of the better photos I have taken that I think people may want to see, I am not saying they are great photos, far from it, but they are composed photos that I have enjoyed taking. I don't have an all singing all dancing megga camera with interchangeable lenses just a Fuji F810 and patience and sometimes I have seen something worth taking a picture of. I hope you like them if you go and have a look. There are several different pages. Underwater, Underwater 2, Animal, Bird, Panorama and General These pages are in an update phase and new photos are being added as and when I find them in my vast files of photos and edit them.

We have been to The Robber Button most weekends and had some fun with friends tootling up the canal. I have been enjoying Easter, the most special time in the Christian Calender, we have been to a wedding and Mrs EB has been working megga hard. I have had a few meetings but nothing I can really write about as stuff is in the air.

I found this on You Tube the late great Johnny Cash


That is about it really.

Boats and Food

We had a really nice weekend, Friday evening we arrived separately at The Robber Button, I arrived about an hour before Mrs EB and I spent the time cleaning the boat and getting it nice and warm. When Mrs EB arrived we drove up to Stone and had a wonderful curry. Saturday was far to windy to go out so we stayed at the marina, I helped Jon and John move a couple of boats and made us all bacon and egg sandwiches.

Sunday I couldn't get out of bed as I had a horrid migraine. Today I went to the dentist ...all very good mouth wise. Then I went to Tesco to do a shop and I also looked to see what they had for a large meal I am cooking for Alpha and Alpha+.

Cooking for Alpha and Alpha+ means cookin for 50 people... I haven't cooked for that many people for many years and I am a little anxious, I went to have a look at the kitchen this afternoon and to see what ingredients they have in the kitchen... they have nothing... Oh well I have a budget of £2 a head and I have 3 or 4 Vegetarians. All good fun.

Today a New World starts

President Barack Obama

Today the World changes, today has been a long process, but one that I believe God will be smiling up on. Really it started with Rosa Louise Parks who is recognized as the "mother of the modern day civil rights movement" in America. Her refusal to surrender her seat to a white male passenger on a Montgomery, Alabama bus, December 1, 1955, triggered a wave of protest to December 5, 1955 that reverberated throughout the United States. Her quiet courageous act changed America, its view of black people and redirected the course of history.

Rosa Parks
Look who is in the background

Because of Rosa's brave stand and that of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Junior today Barack Obama will become the 1st Afro American President and 44th President of the United States of America. This is an amazing day and I pray that God will truly Bless, President Barack Obama, may God be with him and may God drive all of his decisions for the next 4 years.

I have high hopes today, a wonderful day that shouts in the face of evil and that of slavery and racism. The late Martin Luther King and Rosa Parks must be having a massive party in Heaven today....

Reverend Dr Martin Luther King Junior

That Was The Year That Was

As 2008 comes a close and 2009 yawns and wakes up I thought now is a good time to think about the year and sum up what has happened.

The year started off well I was employed and I was sort of enjoying teaching in a Prison, I was using my knowledge of Radio and production and I was helping some guys who had made a few mistakes. Though it wasn't to last and in May I was made unemployed...

My health has been up and down this year, the worst thing about being diabetic is you are always aware that you have to look after your blood sugar, I don't make a martyr of my food intake I eat virtually everything. But this year I have learnt Chocolate gives me migraine, if I have too much sugar my body goes into a sort of sugar shock and it exits everything inside of me PDQ. I have also learnt to read how I feel, I don't really drink alcohol any more, the odd beer on a Sunday and the occasional glass of red wine at home and the odd brandy. I have found I get very tired quickly and I also get aching legs. Also health wise I have had a horrid blocked nose and sinus's for over a year, my Doctor has taken this seriously and I am now under a consultant and I am going into hospital in late January for the consultant to have a good look whilst I am under anaesthetic, not something I am looking forward to I have to say, but I am also tired of not being able to breathe.

I didn't get any diving in this year, money is very tight, also with my nose and breathing and blocked sinus's I can't dive. We did get some great trips out on The Robber Button We had a slightly wet trip up the Caldon Canal, and a few great weekends away with and without friends. I need to do some work on the boat over the next few weeks and we will be ready for some more trips out and about.

I have spent a lot of time at Church, doing the sound and getting involved doing various things, like going for a baked spud on a Friday at Friday diner. I was involved with the mission on Falcon Lodge, I videoed it and made a short film, I also did a little running around. I was involved in both cabaret's and really enjoyed both. They are very stressful and very tiring, the acts are always amazing and we are now growing with the technical side of things and all in all the are nights that just blow me away. They are a wonderful way of getting people into church in a safe and none cringey way.

The big highlight of the year was the Mission Trip to Mozambique I do not think in my wildest dreams I would be going to Mozambique this time last year., with the help of my wonderful friends and an amazing Church behind me I was able to go. I have blogged about this fully and all of my Blogs are in December and are labelled 1 to 7.

That sort of sums my up my year in brief, health not brilliant, but I am OK.I have some of the most amazing friends any person could ever want. I have a wife who I love dearly and by far my best friend and I am very happy and content. Yes I want a Job and I need to actually earn some money again, and I would like to feel better. Yes I would love a nice holiday away with Mrs EB, but that is just the icing on a already great cake.

Happy New Year.

What is Christmas? Well it's not Xmas!!!

It is Christmas, perhaps the best time to share faith, everyone talks about what they hope to receive as a Christmas present. A couple of year ago at a radio station I was working at someone had sent me an email saying Happy Xmas, I email them back saying I actually found that offensive!!! and explained that I like to keep Christ in Christmas, I was a Christian and that taking Christ out of Christmas was offensive. They emailed me back saying sorry, but it's only a phrase and everybody does it. I said thank you for the apology, but I didn't do it...

I really do hate Merry Xmas I think it sums up the World we live in, we have taken Christ out of it. Christmas has become all about consumerism and spending money, getting drunk, fighting and not about what Christmas is all about. "The Mass of Christ" I do not celebrate Mass, I am not a Catholic, but I do celebrate the Birth of Christ, and I will sing Christmas Carols at my Church on Christmas Morning. We will sing the 6th Verse of "O Come all ye Faithful" that is usually only sung on Christmas morning.

Yea, Lord, we greet Thee,
Born this happy morning;
Jesus, to Thee be the glory giv'n;
Word of the Father,
Now in the flesh appearing,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord.

Christmas is a wonderful time to talk about Faith. I am not a hard hitting evangelist, I don't smack people with theology or condemn people for the way they live, but I do believe in inviting people to The Carol Service, or a special service. I try to live my life in a good way and share the Love of Jesus, hopefully through my actions as well as my words, OK, I know I am not always very good at it, in fact I am pretty lousy at it, but I do try, and that is what matters, as God knows what is in my Heart.

Over the next week Christmas will come and go, Millions if not Billions of Pounds will be spent, millions of gallons of booze will be consumed and hangovers will had, arguments will escalate, and people will be hurt physically and mentally. Just over two thousand years ago in a town in the Middle East a baby was born in the poorest of conditions to a young girl and young man. He would grow to become a carpenter and then a Rabbi. That Rabbi would preach sermons that some would listen too, he would heal the sick, raise people from the dead, he would walk on water. He would be crucified and die for being a Good Man, and on the third day he would be raised from the dead by his Father and over five thousand people would see this miracle over the next weeks. Every sin of man can be carried on his shoulders. They can only be placed there by the sinner themselves, no one else can put them there, no priest, vicar, minister or Pope, only the sinner. Christ will gladly take them and he will forgive each one of us, but there is a clause it is not Santa it is WE MUST ASK FOR FORGIVENESS and accept him into our hearts.

By far the best Christmas Present of all.

Mozambique Mission Part 4 (8 weddings and a boat trip)

The next dedication was just amazing. We had to be up very early 4 a.m!!!! and walk to the harbour beach to catch a Dow at 5 a.m to an Island called Khelelene (pron Keya-laynee). The boat trip was 3 hours which I loved every second of. We sailed past Islands that could have been in Bounty adverts, I dipped my hand in the sea and it was as warm as a cool bath.

On some of the little islands there would be guys fishing with big nets catching everything they could, these nets would be so heavy when they were pulling them in it would make you wonder if they ever would pull them in.

When we arrived at Khelelene there was a shortish walk to a rest area a small gazebo like area they had built for us. we were then invited into the Church where one of the best things I have ever tasted was waiting for us.

The Church on Khelelene

Fresh green Coconuts!!! I have had a coconut before, they are brown and sometimes they have a little milk inside... naaa. Fresh green Coconuts taste nothing like that. The milk inside is clear and just has a hint of a coconut flavour to it, but they do taste slightly fizzy!!! and it is so refreshing!!! I have never tasted anything like it in my life. God knew what he was doing creating the Coconut. As Ray Mears the survivalist says...If I was ever marooned on an Island with Coconuts I could last forever. The tree gives you... Food, shelter and the best drink ever.

Cutting open our Coconuts for the best drink ever.

Enjoying God's Bounty!!!! without the chocolate.

After a break and time to collect our thoughts we were taken on a small tour of the island and to the beach. We were followed by loads of Children who it seemed were mesmerised by us. They would hold our hands and keep looking at us smiling, it was just wonderful. When we got to the beach I was taken with how beautiful the Island was and how perfect it seemed, I said to Missionary Man that the island was Paradise, to which he replied, Yes if you don't have to live here. Which was very true.

Some of the Children who had followed us to the beach playing in the sand.

A fisherman showing us his catch

Some of the fish caught drying in the sand, if only I could of bottled the smell!!!!

Again this island is a fishing Island and as we headed back to the Church we would come across area's of fish drying in the sun, you could smell them way before you ever saw them!!! We walked back by what must be the High Street!!! half a dozen or so houses with produce outside for sale Mango's, Rice, this root that is mashed up into a porridge that has no taste or nutrients but fills you up, clothes and this shop that even had Haribo!!! Julia you could live here!!!!

A General Store that even had Haribo!!!

As we were walking back to the Church we passed a slightly larger hut that even had a satellite dish next to it, it was a cinema and had a couple of posters up advertising films!! both were the violent types like Fight Club!!! Just before the Church we walked past a small hut and the little boy who was holding Mr Administrator's hand mimed getting drunk and said no and pointed to the Church!!! Then he mimed smoking a Joint and did the same...obviously what goes on that little hut come pub...but at least this little chap of about 8 new it's wrong to get drunk and high....

The service was again just amazing and it left me emotional and totally drained, it is just amazing that during most of the services I didn't really understand the words but I knew what was being said. I can see God working and feel that he is changing the lives of the Koti. Whilst the service was going on a little girl sat near me and would inch her way closer, eventually she got close enough and got up the courage and touched my arm where I have a tattoo and rubbed it gently with her finger then looked at her finger to see if it had come off. I couldn't help but smile.

After the service and a wonderful meal, the same sort of meal we had before Chicken, Beans and Coconut Rice, we had 20 minutes to refresh ourselves before we headed back to the beach to catch our Dow back to the mainland. I looked up at a Coconut tree and there was this little boy maybe about 8 years old, standing happy as anything a good 20 feet up at the top.

The Dow trip back was a little more exciting the wind had got up a little bit and this made the boat rock a little. I thought this wonderful, a few of the team didn't really like it, which is understandable. As we got closer to the beach the boat needed to cross the waves and of course this made the boat rock a lot....Yay I thought, it's like a fair ground ride. I don't think everyone agreed with me.

The next big thing we did was head inland early one morning to attend a wedding, this wasn't a Koti wedding but a Macau Wedding, Macau in an area a little further inland. It was a wonderful honour to be invited to a wedding and I was very excited to attend. It took quite a while to arrive at the wedding because the truck we had borrowed belonged to the shop we had earlier purchased the cokes from and changed our Dollars to the local currency at. Well, he wanted us to deliver some corrugated zinc roofing in exchange for the use of his truck. This involved a trip up a wonderful dirt track to a house nearly finished. We all thought ohh a Church with no roof!!! I hope I have enough sunscreen on. Everyone got off the back of the truck the roofing was removed and everyone got back on and we headed back down this track. It was so funny, as no one knew what was happening.

On the way back down this track I saw a Mongoose!!! Yay I saw some real African wildlife. It took probably another 30 or so minutes to arrive at the wedding, and an area had been saved for us at the front in the shade under a Cashew Nut tree, that was shedding cashew nuts, one landed on my head!!! and it hurt. There were a few sermons 5 I think and Missionary Man did 2 of them, the 2nd one was due to a misunderstanding about a passage and he cleared up what was being said. (Paul and it's better not to marry, Missionary Man explained the context and all was OK)

Sitting under a Cashew Nut Tree (sorry I am yawning) (yes I am in Mrs EB's trousers)

We then went through 8 Marriage ceremonies!!! I know but it was just amazing and wonderful 8 couples wanting to stand up in front of a entire village and say we believe in Christ and want to marry and promise to stay faithful to each other and God. In these Muslim Villages and the culture of many wives and divorce, it is an amazing and brilliant thing. Though affection is not really shown, after the vows (supplied by our Church's previous Minister using the book of common Prayer, the; to have and hold, richer or poorer) The couple give each other a small piece of wedding cake and then some mango juice, wipe each other face and then kiss...well a peck on the cheek. Then it's a big cheer and you then give them a present, usually a small gift, and most people do give them a present, some sweets, a small amount of cash, fizzy pop, a head scarf etc. After the amazing weddings we went to the Church and were given a wonderful meal of Chicken, beans and Coconut Rice and then someone came in with some wedding cake for us. It was possibly the best and longest wedding I have been too, unless of course I was at your wedding and then that was the best wedding.

The next post the last two dedications.

Wednesday

I have had a trip out to the MASTA Clinic!!!! the what? well if you intend to visit places that don't have the same diseases as us you need to visit there for a Cholera injection as my GP clinic doesn't do that one? well if only it were that easy!!!

Monday I called to make an appointment, the message said leave your name and number someone will call you back, I believed this statement of fact and did just that. I phoned at 10am and by 6pm no one had called me back? So yesterday I went to Handsworth Wood and visited the centre to ask for an appointment I have one for next week. Joy of joys....

I have a friend...well I like to think I have a few friends, but one friend who emigrated to Beijing a couple of years ago, we worked together at GWR Creative in Nottingham knocking out adverts by the dozen every day. Well my friend Richard has started a blog!!!! only a few years behind everyone else...but he was always like that (a little slow) It is good to welcome Richard to the blogosphere. I hope you enjoy Richard's slant on life, which seems to be a hankering for American food? I think I would want a good old English Roast or British Balti, each to his or her own huh?

Lastly, I have heard off Mrs EB from the Girls Brigade Camp that she has laryngitis via a text as she couldn't phone.. what luck huh, she never has that here!!!! I knew I could never be that lucky.

A Mission.......Mozambigue

My Church is sending a team out to Mozambique for two weeks at end of November and I have been accepted on to the team. This is so exciting and also very challenging, firstly health wise I have to get the all clear from my Dr, and financially I have to raise £1500.00 or there abouts.

This is making me a little nervous, it is a lot of money especially when you are unemployed....I have a plan to make a Worship album...don't worry I wont be singing or playing on it. I have some amazingly talented friends who hopefully will do that for me. I actually have 5 tracks virtually ready!!! last year we made an Album for Mullins Burger to help finance a 2nd year at Nexus but that wasn't to be, so it was mothballed and 4 of the tracks off there are ideal. I have also recorded another track with my great friend Skip and that is nearly finished..it just needs some harmonies and recorder... so the album is half finished.

So I have an idea for raising some of the money.... Mrs FLN thinks I should auction off a day on The Robber Button ..... who knows? I do know that if it is right for me to go that God will provide the money for the mission trip.

Weekly Update

I have had an interesting week, Last Sunday evening was a great service and I got to see someone to tell them something they had preached on in church a few months before had been amazing. I have had a week to try and prepare my lessons....well that didn't work out, I spent half of one day finding chairs for my classroom, spent another day trying to get to grips with the PC's and software which I ended up more confused. I had a day for lesson planning so I have done my two induction course. I was told we are expecting an OFSTED at anytime!!!!! I am scared stiff of the prospect. I am not a teacher, I have never taught before and within weeks of starting I am going to be OFSTED'D (if that's the word or a word)

On Friday I had a chap come in and help me set up the Radio Studio...we spent all morning setting a Network for the all the PC's, easy peasy I hear you say...yeah I thought so, but NO, things just wouldn't talk and a Buffalo Drive...well that’s a DODO, and I had high hopes for that as a server for my SFX library.

So Monday see's me start my classes, this is exciting and scary, as I have said I am not a teacher and from Monday I will be expected to teach.....Well it will be in God's strength and not mine, and any Glory will be his. Please pray for me this week.

Tuesday update

Sunday.

By Sunday evening I was very nervous about Monday morning and starting my new job, well not really starting the job, starting the security clearing part of the job, but I was still very nervous about being there.

Monday

I am/will be working for Derby College, somewhere in the Midlands that doesn’t really let people out. I will be teaching young people about how to make radio programmes and all that entails, such as script writing, editing, collating , choosing the right songs etc. I believe God has called me here to be his light in a dark place. I spent a good day there yesterday and I felt God with me, though I did feel very out of my depth and so far out of my comfort zone it was scary. I will also be doing a teaching qualification as I am working, which is fantastic, if anyone had said to me a year ago I would be doing work to become a teacher I would have laughed at them...God does challenge us doesn’t he!

If you would like to Pray for me in this new venture I would really value that support, if I don’t have your email address can you email me via comprodman at hotmail and I will be in touch with a prayer support email. I am using hotmail in the first instance because I don’t want me regular email addy on here.