Sunday 10 January 2010

MONTEITHS

We had a marvelous time at the Monteiths, though they did try very hard to kill us all off this visit. This massive water wheel was, however, successfully installed without incident. Too many chiefs & not enough Indians, but no loss of life-or-limb (just two shaky Mums).


Johnny: "How about we all sit on a beehive each!"

No- this is not a Ceilidh. Just soccer...

And of course, a Ceilidh. Just you try & out-dance a Monty!
Kids also managed to fit in a rabbit-shoot, a swim in the icy spring,
500 till after midnight, and a visit to the coussies (of Bagheera fame).

Tuesday 5 January 2010

FOSSIE-GRIFF 2010

Another fabulous Fossie holiday! We were well loved and looked after, and had a wonderful time. Tramping, Ceilidhing, feasting, laughing, debating, vollyballing, 4squaring, shopping, nattering, sewing, sword-fighting, swimming, late-nighting, tenting, slobbing, sleeping in... all the best things in life in less than a week! Can't wait to do it again...

Roy running to get in the photo!
slippers (noun) anti-prickle devices

photo prep

Pinnacles Tramp



Ess and Becks sewing the Bridesmaid dress

Pinnacles Tramp swing bridge
"The shape of the pool makes Josh look taller than me..." Luke

Feasting time!

Ceilidh (verb): controlled chaos set to Irish-jigs music
More sewing!


Statement of Belief

Bible: We believe the Bible, consisting of 66 books, to be the inspired Word of God, without error, the revelation of His will for the salvation of men, and the divine and final authority for all Christian faith and life.

God: We believe in one God who exists and operates as three: the Father, Jesus Christ the Son and the Holy Spirit.

The Father: We believe the Father created all things in heaven and on earth. He created human beings and desires a personal relationship with each of us.

Jesus: We believe that Jesus Christ is true God and true man, having been conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He lived a sinless life and died on the cross as the sacrifice for our sins according to the Scriptures. Further, He arose bodily from the dead and ascended into heaven.

Holy Spirit: We believe that the ministry of the Holy Spirit is to convict men, making them aware of their sin and the salvation available through Jesus. He regenerates, guides, instructs, and empowers the believer for godly living and service.

Man: We believe that man was created in the image of God and sinless, but fell into sin and is therefore lost and subject to judgement. There is nothing man can do to save himself from this judgement, but he can accept the death of Jesus as punishment in place of his own eternal death by acknowledging God and accepting the free gift of salvation.

Salvation: We believe that the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ provides the only way of justification and salvation for all who believe. Any who attach additional works of man as a requirement for salvation are false in that they infer Jesus' death is insufficient in and of itself to save and that human beings somehow have the capability to save themselves.

Grace Plus Nothing: We believe that it is only by grace through faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus that one is justified and receives salvation. It is heretical to add any additional requirements to God's grace, or to claim that certain prayers, water baptism, baptism of the Holy Spirit, speaking in tongues, or any other human work is essential for salvation.

Accepting the Sinner, Denouncing the Sin: We believe that no sin is too big for God to forgive. Therefore, as Christians we should be open and eager to share the Gospel with everyone regardless of their sin or affliction. However, making Jesus Lord of our lives means striving towards holiness and turning from our sinful ways. Therefore, while being open to all sinners, Christians ought not accept, ignore, or promote any sin as permissible.

Non-Essential Elements: We believe the above tenets make up the basis of Christian faith on which all Christians believe and agree. We also realize that many aspects of God's nature including His omnipotence, omniscience, holiness, and tri-unity are beyond human understanding, and have therefore intentionally omitted any statements regarding areas of legitimate disagreement (i.e., baptism, predestination, end times) on which agreement is not essential for salvation.