Friday 25 December 2009

The Cambridge Seven


The Cambridge Seven is a biography focussing on the lives of seven ordinary men, who came together after their studies at Cambridge during the late 1800s. Their progressive coming to and growth in their faith of the Lord Jesus Christ as their personal saviour, led to the increasing sentiment within each of them that this was a message which couldn't simply be kept to those with repeated opportunities to hear it i.e. those within the fair British isles - China was their destination to be. The book shows each individual's journey towards this decision, and the many challenges and huge sacrifices put before them to be conformed more into His likeness, giving up all within them to Him, trusting in him fully and serving the kingdom of God with all that they have. These personal recollections are an awe-inspiring and tremendous challenge to the all too often feeble faith that I possess. The sacrifices joyfully made, and the love for and rejoicing in time spent praying to and reading the word of God, and their eagerness and sincere desire to talk to others about their personal relationships with God, has earnestly encouraged and inspired me, to want to live in light of a Saviour and Lord most worthy.

A good read indeed! [ 8.3/10 ]

Friday 18 December 2009

The latent...

Am I the Latent? While the majority graduate and move on, the medics keep on going. Three more years of intensive studenthood awaits... I'm now halfway through this, just a year and a half to go! But what is to happen after this... I find myself becoming lost in the possibilities of the future. The path seems to have so many possible divisions, some steep and angled, others flat and smooth, if you squint just right you can almost see where they go. But then you remember that there's the long straight road before you reach that junction. There's no turning off this road, no rest station, no diversions. So you keep plodding on, pushing onwards as the gradient picks up pace. Every so often you get a little glimpse through gaps in the clouds. The view looks good, you see your friends trying different avenues from routes they're taken. It seems so long since their paths split away. However take your gaze away from the route ahead for too long, and you trip. A old man passing by tells you to watch your step - the road's not for novices! But I am a novice I think to myself, I don't know where I'm going, or how I'm going to cope when I get there... He sits down on a stone by the side of the road, and ushers for me to sit next to him. 'Don't stick you head in the clouds, and don't stare down at your feet' he says. 'When you get to the junction, the stride you've grown used to, will be the stride you take then... If you're not prepared for mountain climbing at the junction, then you're not going to end up doing it, or worse keep slipping down when you get a few feet up...'.

'So here's a park manual, and here's the rangers details. He's the guy you need to keep in touch with'

So here I am, walking up hill, working on my stride, trusting in the manual I've been given. I'd trip up a bit less if I used it's guidance a bit more, however it's something I'm working on. The junction is coming, however in the meantime I remain... the Latent.