Sunday 11 December 2011

Chess and the Bible No.2

Well, it's been a very long time since number one, so I guess this is overdue.

While looking for some games on YouTube for coaching, I came across a very interesting game from 1920. (you can find the game here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJe88cgb4BU) In it white offers it's queen by placing it on an unprotected square for the black queen to take. just giving up your queen is not normally a good idea, and if you just play chess by the numbers you would never do such a thing. However, in this case, if black takes the queen, black looses to a forced checkmate. In fact white is able to offer it's queen two more times with the same result, if taken. However, if white makes a fourth offer of it's queen, in a move that fits the pattern of the past three, it's white that looses. Then, a few moves later, white again offers it's queen. this time it's win for white regardless of whether black takes or not. the key to this game is knowing when to do the unusual and when not. It's about looking outside the box, looking for something new.

In Isaiah 43:19 God says, "See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland." In this I see, as in the above chess game, the need to look outside the box. So many of us do church by the numbers, and in doing so we miss the win. We miss the 'new thing' that God has for us that will lead to a spiritual victory in our lives. the other thing is to know when to stop. Just as in the chess game offering the queen one to many times lead to a loss, we can get to caught up in the excitement of the new thing and miss when God is calling us back to the norm, this to can lead to us missing out on God's real blessing.

In both, chess and following God, we need to know the basics. The rules that govern the normal passage of play. Without the basics we fail before we begin. However, having mastered, or as we continue mastering, the basics, we must be aware of when it's time for a 'new thing'.

Friday 18 November 2011

Second story submission

I've now summitted my second story to a contest.

This one is called "100 Word Story Contest" which means the story must be 100 words or less. An interesting challenge.

The biggest challenge, for me, is the time it takes to find out if you've won. The winners for this 100 word comp is announce on the 17th of March next year. I'm wondering if I'll even remember entering it by them. Actually, i'm sure I will.

Tuesday 8 November 2011

I've started writing

For as long as I've been able to read I've wanted to be a writer, but, until now, done nothing about it.
I'm now on a plan to become a very busy writer. I've already enter one short story contest by a US magazine called 'Writer's Digest'. The story is called Bounty, and I wrote it in about ten days. It was such a rush because I inly had that many days, so I thought, to get it in. However, the magazine kept putting the deadline back after I had submitted my story, so I'm hopeful because I feel my story lacks polish because of the rush to get it in.

I've also entered a very short story comp on Facebook. The story has to be as long as your are alowed for a comment (42 charactors) it can be found at: http://www.facebook.com/thewritinglab/posts/215836788471997
The winner is the story with the most likes by 31/12/11 and the first prize is an ipad. I've only had 3 likes, so no ipad for me I think.

I'm about to submit a 100 word story to a comp for 100 word stories. It's called "Leprechaun in the backyard". Everyone who has seen it likes it, so it may be a winner, who knows?

I've found eight other short story comps or anthologies that I can submit stories to, all due in the next four months. I've started on one, have ideas for two others, so I'm not sure if I'll get stories in for all of them, time will tell.

The big thing is that I'm just really excited about having a go.

Friday 25 March 2011

WHO ARE THE GREENS & WHAT DO THE GREENS BELIEVE?

This may be a bit late, but here are some reasons why Christians should not vote for the Greens.

WHO ARE THE GREENS & WHAT DO THE GREENS BELIEVE?

'Jack Mundy's own description of "ecological Marxism"…..sums up the two core beliefs of the Greens:

First, the environment or the ecology is to be placed before all else. Secondly, the Greens are Marxist in their philosophy, and display the same totalitarian tendencies of all previous forms of Marxism….the subordination of the individual.

Humans are only one species amongst others. Each is equally precious or equally disposable.

In the Greens Manifesto, co-authored by Bob Brown and Peter Singer, declares that there is nothing wrong with societies that practice abortion, euthanasia, infanticide, and bestiality. This comes from believing that there is no fundamental difference between human beings and animals. Hence, euthanasia; tax-payer funded (illegal) abortions (approx. 100,000 in 2010) ; same-sex 'marriage'; campaigns in schools in favour sexual diversity (ie. The promotion of homosexuality as a lifestyle) etc., stems from their pagan belief system.

Their objective is clear: "to transform politics and bring about Green government ……a radical transformation of the culture that underpins western civilization."

For the Greens, "economic development must be compatible with, and subservient to, ecological sustainability". The Greens advocate high levels of State ownership.

Monday 21 March 2011

It’s time

It's time I started blogging again, and sticking at it this time.

Just a quick message to Christians in NSW, if any read this, DON'T VOTE FOR THE GREENS!