A meta-blog post*

Just discovered that our blog post on money-related resources from Christian organisations gets an honourable mention in the Church Times blog. The Church Times blog is written and drawn by Dave Walker and features cartoons, commentary and links. We've included some of Dave's cartoons in this blog, always following his copyright guidelines.

*This is a blog post about a blog post about a blog post from this blog....

My Treasure Thou art

Christian Praise 2008 seemed a little bit more subdued than last year, despite a great band, choir, and speaker (Rodney Green on Psalm 103: God's Word, God's will and God's works). De Montfort Hall was not completely packed out on the Tuesday night, and the chair attributed this in part to the credit crunch. We concluded by singing Be Thou my Vision, and Andy Upton noted that the fourth verse is an antidote to the credit crunch:

Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise,
Thou mine Inheritance, now and always:
Thou and Thou only, first in my heart,
High King of Heaven, my Treasure Thou art.

Jesus said: Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Luke 12:34)

Track down that elusive novel, story, or poem

Locating a novel, short story, or poem without knowing its title or author can be very difficult. If Googling doesn't work, check out a guide from The Library of Congress to help readers identify a literary work when they know only its plot or subject, or other textual information such as a character's name, a line of poetry, or a unique word or phrase

Tea-related gadgets

Wondering what to get your tea-loving friends and family for Christmas? If you don't go down the alternative gifts route, you could consider these tea-related gadgets:

• Tea Tool: Designed by a doctor who couldn’t bear the drips created when transferring a soggy tea bag from mug to bin, Tea Tool is a simple solution. Pop a tea bag in the cage, place it in your cup and pour the hot water in; give it a stir and press the plunger to squeeze the bag, releasing all the flavour and excess water. Then, pull the plunger to drop the bag in the bin. No drips on worktops, no burnt fingers, and no mess!
• Teabag Bin: The Teabag Bin is as simple as its name suggests: a bin for used tea bags! This stylish little container made from high grade steel or plastic sits happily next to the kettle and swallows up used teabags keeping your kitchen mess free.

Or you could just buy them a new mug and a box of their favourite tea!

Credit crunch: web round-up

Lots of credit crunch stories in the media - here's a selection to make you think:

• Christianity and the credit crunch
• We could save a fortune by living in hotels
• Oxford lecture on credit crunch tops iTunes chart
• How do you live without a bank account?

Perhaps you want to emulate the Prime Minister with his reputation for prudence and frugality - is it his Scottish genes? Why not learn from the new World Porridge Making Champion or tartan yourself up?

A Green Bible?

I recently came across an ad for The Green Bible - produced to "equip and encourage people to see God's vision for creation and help them engage in the work of healing and sustaining it". The editors point out that there are over 1,000 references to the earth in the Bible, compared to 490 references to heaven and 530 references to love.

The Green Bible includes the following distinctive features:

• Green-Letter Edition: Verses and passages that speak to God's care for creation highlighted in green
• Contributions by Desmond Tutu, the Bishops of Liverpool and Durham, and others
• A green Bible index and personal study guide
• Recycled paper, using soy-based ink with a cotton/linen cover

Infusion walks the Great Ridge

On 31 May 2008 Infusion walked The Great Ridge (Mam Tor to Lose Hill), starting from Castleton.

Alternative gifts: the 2008 round-up

This is an update of last year's post on alternative gift ideas (sometimes called ethical gifts). They won't clutter up anyone's home, but will make a significant contribution to the individual or community who are given the gift.

• Bible Society's Bible a Month
• Good Gifts
• Oxfam Unwrapped
• Samaritan's Purse Gifts to change a World
• Tear Fund's Living Gifts
• UNICEF Inspired Gifts
• World Vision's Alternative Gifts

And don't forget the Gift offset calculator which lets you to purchase carbon offsetting for driving, holidays, homes or even individuals!

Internet searching may boost brain

A new study suggests that searching the Internet could be a boost to the brain. In recent years, several studies have showed a link between pursuing activities that keep the mind engaged, such as crossword puzzles and memory games. Keeping your brain active could drive some of these brain chemistry signals in the opposite direction compared to where they go as dementia sets in, and now it looks like surfing the Web could be another way to do that.

So the next time you someone tells you to stop surfing the Web or checking Facebook, you know what to say!

Happy Birthday, SuperBadger!

Tearfund's SuperBadger application in Facebook is a year old today, and he is celebrating with a party and a cake in a pub called the Fat Badger.

Can't remember what SuperBadger does? It is an application created by Tearfund which runs in Facebook and helps you to use your voice to fight global poverty. With SuperBadger you can send prewritten emails straight from your Facebook profile to the people making the decisions. Whether it is badgering politicians about climate change or badgering supermarkets to stock more Fairtrade products, now is the time to start badgering!

Film showing: Black Gold

Remember the blog posts about the Black Gold film last year? Black Gold is a film about fighting the injustice that coffee growers in Ethiopia face day-to-day, which traces one man's fight for a fair price.

The film will be shown at Loughborough University on Wednesday 22nd Oct in the EHB atrium. Fairtrade stalls and refreshments from 6.30pm. Film Screening @ 7.30pm. The film is supported by imago, ethics and enviro society, people and planet society and CAFF (Charnwood Action For Fairtrade)

Chocolate Week 2008

Today sees the start of Chocolate Week 2008 - a week of "pure chocolate indulgence", according to the organisers. How about sharing some chocolate happiness as well as indulging yourself by making and sharing some Divine chocolate recipes? If you buy Fairtrade then you ensure the producers get a fair deal, too - as the video reminds us.

Renewed strength for the weary

Following an earlier post that sparked interest in it, some of Infusion watched Chariots of Fire last night. In the film, Eric Liddell reads from Isaiah 40:

Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall;
but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.

[stained glass window in St Bernard's Church, Wengen, Switzerland]

Credit crunch: looking to online prayer and advice

The C of E reports that thousands turn to online prayer and advice as financial situation worsens, as Web users looking for support during the current financial situation have boosted traffic to a Church of England website section focusing on debt advice by over 70%, and increased visitor numbers to the Church’s online prayer page by more than a quarter.

We blogged about these resources at resources for the credit crunch and prayer for the current financial situation.

Fifty ways to save money online

Check out this recent Guardian article with tips for 50 money-saving websites "to help us all stay afloat in the coming months". I'd also suggest Martin Lewis' Money Site - the weekly newsletter is well worth signing up for.
[Image from FreeFoto.com]

Race with a Difference

A 2-day race to promote good driving habits started this morning, reports the BBC. The winner of the 'MPG Marathon' will be the entrant which gets the most miles per gallon, rather than necessarily arriving first. For a first-hand account of the 2006 race, check out this link. (The Aygo won, with 84pmg. Not bad.)

There are some basic fuel-saving driving tips on the MPG Marathon website. Or, you can read up on some more advanced/radical tips here (spotted on Sigrun's Facebook page a couple of months back - thanks!)

Tea and cake

Talking about the revival of interest in afternoon tea, a spokesman from the UK Tea Council recently spoke of the "charm and elegance of the traditional English custom". But after a hard day walking in the hills, you want a tea shop that specialises in pint mugs of tea and large chunks of cake!

Seasonal food chart

Wild food is obviously very frugal food, but one of the best ways to keep the food budget down is to buy what is in season (and perhaps even preserve some it). Today's Guardian includes a seasonal food chart which you can print out and keep.

Domestic gadgets go hi-tech

At the beginning of the year I blogged about 2008's most wanted culinary gizmos. Now comes a list of home-helping gadgets that put "the fun in functional". These include a washing machine that will do the ironing, a droid that cleans your floors, and a toaster that always produces a perfect slice of toast.

Operation Christmas Child

Last year this blog ran a Countdown to Christmas series and the first post looked at Operation Christmas Child.

With less than 80 days until Christmas Day, maybe its time to preparing to send a message of hope to children in need around the world through gift-filled shoe boxes. You can drop off your filled shoeboxes between 1st - 18th November at a local Drop Off Point. If you would like to add a personal touch to your box, you could knit a scarf, hat or teddy. Its probably better not to knit a dalek!

Want to learn more about the impact of Operation Christmas Child? Then watch the video or read some stories.

Resources for the credit crunch

Let's look at some practical (and free) resources to help put credit crunch theology into practice:

• Care for the Family provides a range of resources on money issues including the Money Secret website (which offers a free online course) and support if you decide try the ‘Cash for a Month’ technique.
• Stewardship also offer resources in the form of challenges, which can be used by individuals wanting to get a grip on their personal finance or used as exercises in home groups to practically apply what is being taught and discussed.
• In Balance your budget we discussed the Church of England's resource: the Matter of Life and Debt website. They include a selection of prayers for those worried about money .

Wordling politicians

You can use Wordle to analyse any sort of text - not just Scripture. The BBC have just used it to analyse the speeches made by the two US vice-presidential candidates.

While we don't really "do politics" on this blog, if you feel you are losing the plot about what's happening in the US, check out the 20-page briefing on the US election 2008 from the Economist.

I Love A Nice Cup Of Tea!

There's a new Facebook application: I Love A Nice Cup Of Tea!

You can send and receive virtual "brews" and collect points. More points means a better league ranking (Tea's Most Wanted) amongst friends and the world!

Ten cyberspace commandments

Podcasts from the recent EA meeting for Christian bloggers are now available for download, together with ten cyberspace commandments "to give bloggers a moral edge in a virtual age".

High tea enjoys a revival

The Guardian reports that the old-fashioned high tea (scones, cakes, sandwiches and a refreshing cuppa) is enjoying a credit-crunch revival and attracting a new, young clientele. Apparently customers are starting to shun the expensive chains of coffee shops in favour of more homely tea-parlours and cafes. A spokesman for the UK Tea Council commented that "it seems a younger generation is re-understanding the charm and elegance of the traditional English custom".

Don’t Stop at the Lights

A new guide from the Church of England offers church leaders a template for a year-long programme of practical action to reduce their congregations’ carbon footprints, as energy prices head upwards. The book, Don’t Stop at the Lights, has already won praise from the Archbishop of Canterbury amongst others.

Don’t Stop at the Lights includes sermon ideas and extensive bible study notes drawing on ancient theological themes which aim to reconnect the church to the natural world and the roots of its faith. It inspires leaders to make churches beacons in their community, offering case studies linked to the Church’s year. More info here.

Godblogs

The Evangelical Alliance hosted a gathering for Christian bloggers on 23 September at its Headquarters in London. The event was “designed to give Christian bloggers an opportunity to network face-to-face and to think through a godly approach to blogging”. One of the intentions of the event was to begin to develop “a code of conduct for godly blogging”, to help Christians communicate in cyberspace in a Christ-like way.

Read a write-up about the event from one of the speakers, Mark Meynell, who provided a Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Christian Blogosphere. The EA website says that a podcast will be forthcoming.