The Christian Foodie: The danny-d-b Guide to...

Saturday, 14 May 2011

The danny-d-b Guide to...

I've been thinking abour writing a series of blogs in a kind of 'how to do this' style- on various parts of Christian life, things like bible studies (e.g. small groups/life groups/ harvest groups/ cell groups e.c.t) worship (being 'good' at worship doesn't mean good at singing) and possibly a few others havn't quiet quite got a full list yet but I wanted to put a few things out before I started writing them

1. if its not included in the list doesn't mean its not important. I don't think I'm not going to do a blog on evendulisam for example- not because I don't think its important, its just that there are much better people (for example if you need advice on Evandulisam- speak to people like Iona/Laura/Joe/Jamie than me at it who can give much better advice- if you feel like you can do it then feel free to be inspired by my example (if my example in inspiring- some people have said it is, and if people arn't getting something positive out of my blogs then please tell me, there not here to make me feel big headed, there here to inspire/inform/excite!

2. I'm not the font of all knollage on these subjects, I'm not 'Mr small groups' or anything (as much as sometimes I occationaly think so, then I hear something awesome from town/storths which shows how amazing Ryan/Dave/Josh are (not that the girls arn't amazing- cos they are but calling them Mr would be instesting))

3. less of a point and more of encouragement- please feel free to comment on my blogs below- its been great for people to come talk to me about them and to say its a good read, its an encouragement to me (which is always needed what ever mood I'm in) and then I can carry on from there, however a comment to me might incourage others as well, or if you have a question about them- feel free to comment and try and get back to you ASAP (obviously if its persoanl might be better talking to me) also if you have a point I've missed, not only does it help other people, it also helps me! so please do so

so please keep reading folks and if you feel inspired start your own- I mean at the moment I'm following 4/5 great blogs which are compleatly diffrent (Josh if you read you need to update yours more there hilarious!) Joe you always get something out deeply, Rosie's blogs seem to be covering pretty much anything (I promise Rosie when I get some free time after my exams I will read more of them!) Jolita's blogs are a a real encouragement to read, especially if times seem hard of how dispight whats going on God is always good and I must of read 4-5 times though recently!) Dave's vlogs although something I'm going to catch up on seem to be something different and new and fresh and give a great incite in to someone who is passionate about music and worship

so on that bomb show keep on rocking and I hope to be posting the first guide soon
God bless
Dan

No comments:

Post a Comment

My testomony

I grew up in a Christian family, dragged to church on a Sunday morning, where I'd sit in church, before going to the sunday school and learning all about God, and the bible and the people in it. Once I'd got to secondy school I'd moved out of the sunday school to the teen group on a sunday morning- however being a rather quiet child, as well as being one of the youngest in the year, as well as my dislexa/dispraxia ment I appered quite young than my age, and thus I didn't make many friends, my few good ones where in the year below me, and thus the first year of secondary school was hard for me, as being the new kid with new mates, and having been brought up in a family who didn't sware or talk about sex openly, the subjects other kids in the school where talking about I didn't have a clue about, also my parents where semi strict on what I was and wasn't allowed to watch, (I'd never even heard of the simpsons till year 8, when I mannaged to make my parents let me watch, so I could be semi cool) and so had very little to interact with my class mates about, and so with the teasing this lead to, I retreated in to my shell even more than before, not realy talking to anyone in my class, and only have a few conversations with my mates in the libary

The seconday school I went to was on split sites, so when I got to year 10, I left my few mates in the year below in the other sight, it was also at this time, the church youth group for my age swiched from a sunday morning, to a sunday evening, and thus allowed me to not attend church very offen, when I did, I mostly talked though the worship and word, with my mates at the back rather than listing, the idea of having a relationship with God had never even crossed my mind,

However the lack of friends, quiet nature and slightly shelted upbringing ment that I was an easy target for the school bullys, and they quickly laid in to me, stealing my lunch money, throwing my Bag and P.E. kit around (the fact I was with the class that contained most of the school rugby team didn't help) and the old favorate of taking the sciance equipment off my desk at the start of every expermant so I'd have to get 5 or 6 sets, and dumping it back on my desk at the end, so I'd have 5 or 6 sets to put back, thus offen making me over run

However during this time one of my favorate lessions was Food tecnology, partly cos it was mixed classes, and though I still didn't have any friends in the group, the main culprits wern't in the class, and the teacher was one of my favorates

However After christmas someone had picked up that I went to church and so this was added to the list of insults they would throw at me, and shortly after easter I dropped out of church completely, and only occasionally went to the youth group.

Then about half term/easter (can never rember which) I'd desided that there was nothing left in my life, nothing worth living for, my friends had abandoned me (so I thought, in theory I abandoned them when I stopped going to church) and my class mates hated me, and so I diesided there was no way out except though Death, suiside- after all my parents and sister was out, even they had 'abandoned' me

I got down stairs and was heading for the kitchen, when the phone rang, and for some reason I answered it (normal I don't if my parents weren't in as it was never for me, and anyone who did want me normally rang my mobile)

It was my mate from church who invited me to join him on a 10 day long Christian Adventure camp, I'd agreed before I'd even though about it, and then spent 10 mins discussing it (all the time thinking in my head "I'm just about to commit suside, what am I doing agreeing to go away in the summer?")

anyway by the time I'd finished talking to my mate, my parents and sister was back, and I'd desided, that if I was to end my life, I might as well go out enjoying my self, with this summer camp I'd agreed to go on

Somehow (I 'blame' God) I mannaged to get through the next few terms, rejoining the youth group and going to 1 or 2 sunday mornings, before going on the youth camp, fully expecting to slit my wrists or something as soon as was possible when I got back after it

However during a worship session (my mate had got saved a few months before so while he sang his heart out I just stood there, thinking) that God 'hit me' so to speak, and I just broke down in middle of about 200 young people, some who were christians, some who where just church going kids and I relised that what ever I had been though God had been there protecting me and providing the people and situations and suddenly my quietness and timid nature had been replaced by a confindance and energy that I'd never felt before (the closisited had prob been while I'd been in the food classes, however that was nothing compared to this) and I admited then that I needed God as part of my life, and then turned from someone who didn't sing, to someone who couldn't sing, but didn't let that stop him

I returned to school the next year, all thoughts of suicide banished, to find, in the year I'd left my mates behind (them being in the year below) they had made a group of christian friends and I got involved, part of which was a weekly cell group which I was invited to join

I took to it like a duck to warter, and as it was run by the youth for the youth, 6 months later (roughtly a year after I'd got the phone call) I was asked to take over the leadership of the small group, which I agreed to

From there my church life blossomed- I was no longer the quiet timmid boy hiding in the back of church, but did everything I could to get involved with christian life, however the church I went to, as good as it was for moden worship and the like, the rigid structure of the way things were set out ment there was very little chance for me to get involved with anything, and though i lead the small group for a year and a half (I steped down to concentrate on my A-levels after nearly failing the first year) and so i felt that my christian growth had stoped, just as I got to university stage, and then found out I'd been accesspeted to huddesfield

From there I immidatly signed up from the Cu fully getting involved with small groups (which if you know anything about me, you would probiably know is probiably riviling food for my top love after God) and from there got involved with community church- who intrduced me 'so to speack' to the holy spirit, before then I'd just though (it was implyed at my old church) that it was just for the church leaders and the very very privlage christians, not something young Christians had accesses to and though slightly scary at first, relising that knowing the holy spirit was an important part of Christian life, was a huge step to my development, as well as the mentoring from many of the more experanced member of CU (Jonny and Hannah Bowly especialy) /the student group at community turned me from some over exsited new christian, to someone who could use there enthusuasm in usefull areas, and thus I was very very happy to accept the offer of being a small group leader just 4 months after starting uni

Picking up small groups was probibly one of the best, but most challenging parts of my small group life, and I owe a lot to not just the members of town small group, but also to heather, who co-lead amazingly, I still say at the time I couldn't of done it with out her, she mannage to sort out all my crazy ideas and helped to channel my enthusuasam and energy and knollage, while organising the group and adding her own ideas and I loved every minnuiet of small group leading

Getting in to 2nd year I'd desided that I needed to be baptised, and so attempted to get that sorted, when I ran in to a brick wall in the form of my parents- who as members of the church back home which was C of E and so taught infant baptisam and so had to spend a few months convcing them this needed to be done

at around the same time I was asked to lead another small group and agreed, and this time got paired up with Katie, who dispight being a southen (we can't all be amazing KG- love you realy!) has been a compleate joy to work with, and one of the most natualy talented small group leaders I've come across, and doesn't seam to be intimidated by the task in hand (I would of though co-leading with someone who can be as loud and as vocal as me and is also more experanced, could be quite intimidating) however she has been superb in it, and has allowed me to take a slightly less active role, thus allowing me more time to concentrate on church/uni life than last year

The Christian Foodie

Saturday, 14 May 2011

The danny-d-b Guide to...

No comments:

Post a Comment

About Me

Blog Archive