Greenbelt - Saturday

I awoke (as I always do when camping) on the hour every hour but only left my tent at about 7 or 8am to what had to be the loveliest weather ever. In true camping style sausages and bacon were on the menu for breakfast, which seemed to last 2 or 3 hours.

Why is it bacon and sausage sarnies taste so much better when fried in the open air? Is it God teasing us saying - haha your clogging your body up with discusting unhealthy fat but im going to make it taste great!

anyways....

Eventually I left the camp site and went to see an ex vicar called Mark Townsend do a talk called "The gospel of falling down". He gave up the priesthood to do tricks of the mind for a living. He was great, exploring how God uses the pitfulls of life, the phrase that I remember most is how we need to get naked with God, completely strip ourselves of everything in order to have no secrets and be prepared for him to use us, whether we think the things we are going through are good or bad. (he was better at explaining things than me but thats the point that I picked up!)

Next it was time for liquid lunch, yes I did have a pint but thats not why I went, liquid lunch was a panel show where 3 people discussed what had happened in greenbelt so far and recomended future talks etc. One of the panel turned out to be my cousin, so was good to briefly catch up with him afterwards. Theres not much to report on this really, as it seems weird talking about a show which talks about other shows.

After this I arranged to meet a certain Zebedee, aka Martin and his lovely girlfriend Rachel and to watch Matt Redman on stage. Now Im not a huge redman fan, but if you imagion the sun blazing down on me, dressed in shorts and t-shirt, and me laying on the grass eyes shut just listening to worship songs. It was an amazing feeling. Martin and Rachel left because it was so hot but I really felt God stirring me. It was strange, the naked infront of God phrase from earlier stayed in my mind and God brought loads of stuff from my past to my mind. After a while it got to the stage I felt God saying "Go to spiritual direction" so I left Redman and made my way to the area where you could make appointments with the spiritual direction people.

I have got a video of Matt Redman but apparently its too big for youtube, but if you have my facebook you can see it on there.

When I went to the spiritual direction people I met with a guy and had half an hour to discuss anything I wanted to, and a problem occured, I didnt know what I wanted to talk about. It ended up being a pretty emotional half hour with lots of stuff coming to the surface, I must admit Ive pushed it back down again but some of it may have been dealt with.

Next up I had promised a friend called Grace that I would go see the play she was in, and so an hour early I made my way to the venue expecting to be able to get a pint before it started, but there was a huge line already and so I joined it and stood in the blazing heat for ages until they finally let us in.

The show was "Return to the Forbidden planet" and was performed by Faith Hope and Gaffetape, a youth drama group who meet up for a week every summer and do everything in the week, ending with a performance.

The play itself was, ummmm random, it was good, the people involved were really good actors and actressess and most coulod sing pretty well (Grace was amazing - both in terms of the way she looked in her very sexy costumne (cough cough) and the times she sang on her own). The problem was we were sat on the most uncomfortable floor, in a boiling hot tent and the story line was a little confusing. I had to leave before the end as I had arranged to meet my cousin at the Beer tent at 7pm (as I had assumed it would be over by then) so I missed the ending.

Next was the highlight of the weekend, BEER AND HYMNS! This video is taken from Sundays Beer and Hymns but shows what happens.



During this first one (not on video) I sat with my Cousin Murray and a few other people who I hadnt met before. We sang our hearts out and it was the way church should be. Everyone was relaxed (no not drunk) and were just singing their hearts out for the Lord. The best way I can explain what it felt like was like being in a crowd in a football match.

After a couple of pints and all the hymns I explored the stalls around and made my way to see a singer from the band who made my childhood, DC Talk. Kevin Max was amazing and heres 2 videos of him





the day ended at Last orders, a sort of comedy show with a few guests and video clips and it was great.

heres the best video clip from the show that they used, This contains 1 swear word (which was cut out during the show) so do not play those with a nervous disposition!




Overall Saturday was a day where God tried to get me to deal with a few things, and maybe I did, maybe I didnt, I guess we will have to wait and see.

Its a day where I felt challenged to be naked more (hmmmm please get that image out of your minds unless you are a good looking single female and find that image attractive in which case call me!)

Its a day where I was challenged to find someone to help deal with my emotions and get spiritual direction regulary in the future (but this wont happen lol)

and it was a day of worshipping the way it should be - with a beer in my hand!

more Greenbelt reports later but Ive put off work for long enough so bye for now!

Greenbelt - Friday (my bday)

Friday

I awoke early (6am) to pack and ensure that I had all the essentials.... 2 hours later I began my packing and by 9am I was almost ready, apart for a small matter of not having a cool box or any food. So I make an emergency phone call and borrow a cool box and then go to the shop down the road and spend £40 on food.

Actually thats a little wrong, I spent £10 on food and £30 on alcohol... 6 bottles of wine and a crate of lagers! well it was going to be a long weekend afterall.

My lift to Greenbelt was due at 10:30am so I quickly got home and stacked all my luggage together and waited til they arrived and we made the nice smooth journey, arriving at Cheltenham at about 2pm.

Well I had booked my ticket so had to collect it and the other 3 in the car had not booked so they had to join a different line to me. The line I was in was for the organised people who pre book so naturaly it was shorter WRONG! I waited for over an hour to pick up my paid for ticket whereas the less organised travelers waited for less than half an hour! - the moral of this story is that the world world be a lot quicker if we were all disorganised! honest!

next we got in the car to drive to the campsite and joined the long line of cars waiting for the moment, which gave us the perfect excuse to open a bottle of wine and enjoy the sun while we waited. Small problem - we didnt have any cups, well we improvised byu pouring wine into empty sprite bottles etc and then toasted our journey and my bday.

During the wait we tuned into Greenbelt FM and someone texted them so that they sang happy birthday, which was nice.

Eventually we Got onto the site and set up the tents etc and by the time this was done it was about 6pm. BBQ time. we sat around eating and enjoying the rest that we had earned and drank a few bevys.

Then 3 lovely ladies from Sanderstead (where I used to work) arrived and ate and set up their tents and then gave me my first (and last) bday presents of the day.... an interesting book about being a christian man, some chocolates, and...............some baby food! (the baby food had a story about it and a reason for giving me but i wont go into it here - boring tho, oh and it was possibly stolen!)

We then went into the arms of Jesus.... well technically the organic beer tents title was the Jesus Arms and we had a couple of pints whilst catching up and reading a random christian girls magazine, which was very educational!

we eventually returned to our tents and went to bed.

before I continue with my Greenbelt experience I should thank all who texted me bday greetings, they were much appreciated.

it didnt really feel like a birthday to be honest, coz of all the travelling etc but the day was made great by seeing Roz, Kathy and Mim again so thanks to you 3 for coming and for my only bday presents (lol sympathy anyone)

later I will tell you about the rest of the weekend but Im at work and should really be doing more important things than this.

Videos tribute day

This is a video of My dad and his brothers and sisters singing Found a peanut which Grandad taught them - this was done at the tribute part of Grandads funeral day (as were the rest of these videos)

The Welsh Moretons singing some sort of anthem

The Welsh Moretons main tribute

All the Moretons singing Bind us together Lord as the final part of the tribute day.

pictures from the funeral

Cant be bothered to write a proper blog yet but heres photos from the funeral day. Will blog about it - probably tomoro



The Flowers which were to accompoany grandad in the hearse - notice the brilliant drum made completely out of flowers!

Not all the Moretons could make it (due to a criminal vandalising their minibus the night before the funeral so they couldnt come any more) but there was quite a few of us as you can see.

It all took place at a Salvation Army in Woodford, this is a pic of my dad in the pulpit (because he had lost his voice so needed the microphone. Brought back memories!

My part of the Moreton famiy, although my parents are now divorced and I dont see any of them that often it was really nice to see us as a family again.

Then after the tributes were over the Salvation Army people departed for their homes and the non Salvation army Moretons went to their home.... The pub!

A proper more indepth blog will follow in the future but this gives you a glimpse of how the Moretons know how to party no matter what the occasion (videos are next then normal blog)

Grandad - play the drums for me

Grandad and some of his children, his grandchildren and his great grand children (and this isnt all of them either - he was a busy man lol)

At 9:45am this morning Bert Moreton aka Grandad drums was promoted to glory.

He was an entertainer, an inspirer, a Godly man, he was everything you would want from a granddad.

Music and God were so important to him. His neighbours must of hated it, downstairs he had a record player and an electric piano, up stairs he had a cornet, a drum kit, anouther record player, and various other musical instruments.

I remember sitting at the drums with one of his military records playing very loudly and me drumming along in the way he had taught me, in walks grandad and he starts marching around the room, conducting me and the record and making noises as if he was drumming with his mouth.

No matter how badly the drumming was, how much of a noise it was, he would always say how much rythm it contained and how good I was. The same goes for no matter what of his many musical instruments he was attempting to teach me to play, I wont even mention his bugal horn.

Music is definitly in the blood in the moreton family, and im convinced it was grandad drums that put it there!

Then theres God. Grandad could turn a discussion about Benny Hills amazing comedy (which both me and him loved) into a discussion about Gods love for us. And no matter what job you were doing it was a God given job. the times I rang him up and he asked what I was up to and he would always say "thats such an important job, Gods really using you" etc etc. I sometimes wonder what he would have said if I had rang him when I was working at the chicken factory.

His house was full of books by Billy Graham and although i dont remember the content of the chats I do remember many times talking about the era of Billy Graham crusades and revivals etc. if I could have just an ounce of the passion for God that Grandad had then id be a better man.

But his passion for God didnt make him super spiritual, I remember goiong to Mcdonalds with him only to see a very attractive lady and for grandad to point her out and nudge me and tell me in great detail how attractive she was. he never came across as pervy tho, he was a real charmer, and Im sure he stole womans hearts whenever he spoke to them.

His other passion was keeping fit, and he put me to shame many times, even in his old age. He would walk a few miles from his house to the local swimming pool swim laps for a long time and then walk home again, i remember visiting once and almost begging him to catch a bus coz there was no way I could walk as far or as fast as him.

I will always remember Grandad as a passionate Godly man who was approachable and down to earth offering advise when and where it was needed, with an open door policy to guests, no matter who they were.

At 10am today i got the phone call telling me 15minutes earlier he had died. at 10:45am I was leading a service at my church on love and faith and a few times I was sure he was sat at the front of the church smiling.

In the sermon i quoted one of the last things he said to me "I believe in miracles and have so many people praying for me that I know a miracle will happen!" and I wish I had said to him he is the miracle, i hope he knew how special he was to all his family (and its a very big family), and whilst im sad to lose him Im sure that Gods smiling even more now and that everyone in heaven is having a great, very load party because it will never be quiet with him around.

The thing we were all praying for, the miracle Grandad wanted, has happened. He is now healed, yes I will miss him, yes I selfishly wish he was still here, but, well Im sure hes having fun.

Grandad drums thanks for the music, thanks for the advice, thanks for everything.

Have fun (rest in peace doesnt really fit for you does it?)

Matt (Christophers middle child - coz theres so many of us grandchildren that you never could remember the names!)

Kevin (Cousin) and Grandad at a wedding

Dad, Liz and Grandad at party 2006

Grandad and his children (2006)

Grandad the way I like to remember him - tanned and enjoying the sun

Grandad drums

Today I got a phone call from my dad which has left me feeling weird.

My dad had visited my granddad today and he is not at all well, and the jist of the phone call was warning me to expect a phone call in the next few days informing me that my grandad had died.

Over the last few years I havent seen him as much as I would have liked but He is a man I respect so much and when I have seen him and spoken to him he has always given me wise words on every area of life from spiritual stuff to how important a good women is lol.

All his grandchildren call him Grandad Drums because he always had a drum kit upstairs in his house and he would teach us how to play them by putting on his records and sitting us down getting us to play along to them - every time we viosited.

I once went to a radio one road show and said hello to grandad drums, only afterwards being asked by my dad - "do you really think your grandad listens to radio 1?"

The last time I saw him he looked awful and we have known for a whiloe that we wont see much more of him, but now I know it almost certain I wont see him again.

My dads said not to visit as hes so ill that he wont know etc. Now I just dont know how I feel. He's alive still so i cant mourn him, but we are just waiting - which means he may as well be dead. Does that mean ive given up on him? the last time I saw him he said to me "I believe in mioracles and i have so many people praying for me that a miricle can and will happen!" So i shouldnt be counting the days I should be praying like he wanted.

He is a great man, one of my cousins wrote a book which was a top seller and most of it was about my grandads life. It wasnt an easy one but through it all he truely turned into a man who i respect and love and whilst I dont feel I have a right to be upset as I havent seen that much of him, I know I will be devistated when the phone call comes. Ive even not answered the phone twice today just in case.

anyways yeah please pray for whole family, but most of all pray for a miricle!