I bought a new battery for my D50 a while ago. I charged it fully, but want to drain it fully before charging it again. I will be wanting to use it for the wedding I’m shooting (aaaarg!) this Saturday. However it is taking too long to drain! I have taken loads of shots with it, and haven’t turned my camera off for days, but it is still going strong.
Do I have to run it empty before recharging it? Do you have to do that with new batteries anymore?
Whilst I wait for my tea to brew, and my planning-motivation to kick in, I thought I would write a little something on the new school term which is starting in a week.
I went into school yesterday, mainly to find out if I have my own room. Last year I moved around classrooms to teach music. Not ideal at all, as obviously I had to lug around instruments etc to each lesson. So I was really hoping and pushing for my own room. I found out that I will have my own room, but the assistant headteacher I spoke to didn’t know which room it is. A week to go.
Also, the assistant headteacher I spoke to wasn’t a happy person. He/she (anonymity in the extreme – hang on – can I use the word “they” to refer to a singular person?) has been told by the headteacher that they (yes, I can) are required to teach FULL TIME this year. So the assistant head has been in school for most of their holiday, sorting out their new classroom and getting their head (now “they/their” reads very strangely) around the planning for a Year group they haven’t taught recently. Not good. A week to go.
Also, we are soon due a visit from the infamous group of inspectors. Her Majesty’s Inspectors. It could be as early as this half-term. I am predicting it will be next half-term. I am hoping it will be next half-term.
So as I sip my lovely mug of tea and ponder the up-and-coming term, I feel a hint of gratitude that I have a job, but a larger dose of apprehension about what this term will hold. It’s weird. I never imagined myself being in this situation. But hey, it makes for more things to blog about, doesn’t it?
Beth and I arrived back home after a week long holiday in Malta a few days ago. Whilst on holiday I read Secret Believers by Brother Andrew. It was un-put-downable – I read it in two days whilst sunning myself on the beach at Golden Bay. Okay, I was in the shade for the whole time. I digress.
Secret Believers is an amazing book. It documents the lives of several Muslims – in an undisclosed country – who discover the Prophet Isa to in fact be God’s own Son – Jesus Christ – the Way, the Truth and the Life. It documents the new believers’ excitement and in turn persecution from their family and other Muslims.
It inspired me on two fronts. Firstly that God is changing the hearts and opening the spiritual eyes of Muslims through the prayers of His people and through brave and courageous Christians in these difficult countries. Secondly, the excitement and reality of Muslims finding salvation through Jesus is contagious, and made me look at my own faith and salvation with fresh eyes.
Before the holiday I purchased another book to do with Islam – Holy Warriors, by Frog and Amy Orr-Ewing. I hope to have finished it by Christmas – it will definitely take me longer than two days to read this one! A paragraph from the introduction explains the book’s intentions:
This book intends to provide a fresh perspective on militant Islam in the world today. We aim to help readers understand this new phenomenon in its theological context within Islam and also in its relation to the West. We ask the question: Do the ideas of extremist Muslims find precedent or justification in the scriptures or history of Islam?
Prayer. Sometimes I don’t understand it.
If a group of you are praying, for example, for a young child who has no eye-sight.
Someone may be bold in their prayers, asking God for complete healing. They know He’s done it for people before, they know He can do it again.
But then, someone else in the group may pray. And they might pray for some kind of “hope” for the child’s family. Maybe some peace from God. Maybe some assurance that everything’s going to be alright.
My question is, can the second person pray that, whilst not contradicting or undermining the first person’s prayer?
Does the second person’s prayer render the first person’s prayer ineffective? Sure, pray both things – healing AND peace/assurance. But not either or.
Get what I’m talking about? Does anybody have any thoughts on this subject?
