Getting To Know Me Part 4

So here it is the final part of the series of questions of getting to know me and I must point out that these are questions that were already being asked of me. I didn’t bother to take the time to make new questions with one or two minor exceptions. The irony is that I’d love to be able to do interviews and the such like and indeed have done them before and would not ask these questions. Maybe I should have done a questionnaire with questions I’d ask others. Maybe not. Not to worry – on with this final part in the series!

38. Coffee or tea?

You know I’ve never been the biggest fan of hot beverages. By the time I went to university I gave them a miss completely. Only later on did I see the merits of herbal tea like peppermint tea and especially lemon and ginger. Even then I don’t really have it that often at all. So technically I’d vote tea but only of the herbal variety. Not been bothered with coffee at all.

39. When was the last time you cried?

I find myself crying quite frequently when in a session of prayer, especially corporate prayer. I believe the last time I cried was on Sunday evening at a prayer meeting when we were praying and I was getting something on the importance of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob especially the God bit of it and its extension to the God of this that and the other. Remind me to tell you that whole story about the ministry of tears.

40. What is under your bed?

The floor.

41. What did you do last night?

I went to a particular location to take part in a particular corporate prayer session about a particular development that the corporate body is undergoing of significant proposals. Then I had the great pleasure of getting lost and taking my time to be redirected back on track. (Now when I see I, you should know that as a non-driver I’m obviously referring to my wife, but in the best interests of covering her errors, I’ll take it on.) Got home, did some blogging which was good and watched the highlights of the League Cup matches before retiring to bed after 1am.

42. What are you afraid of?

Failing God. Funny thing that really because I fail Him every day in sinning, but there’s a great fear that I’ll not fulfil all that He’s called me to fulfil. I’m only just learning to enjoy God by His grace and allow Him to do what He has called me to do. It’s taking time, but I’m getting there by His grace. Other than that I don’t go for the usual fears. That’s not to say I have no other fears, it’s just that I cannot remember them at this time.

43. Salty or sweet?

Sweet for real.

44. How many keys on your key ring?

Two – one for the house front door and another for the back door … probably, never tried it.

45. How many years at your current job?

Three. The longest time of employment in a single job at a single organisation – I am so thankful to God for that. How long I’ll stay is up in the air, though.

46. Favourite day of the week?

Thursday. Sure I’m learning to love Sabbath, but on a techinicality that covers two of the days in our calendar week and until we live by a Jewish calendar with Jewish days I have to take that as it is. Thursday is my favourite day because historically it was the day my Mum went shopping which meant getting goodies – like the sweets. Since then I’ve kind of loved that day and even though my pay comes in on a different day and shopping is not a priority to me I love Thursdays. I love the day especially as a precursor before the mayhem and disillusionment of the weekend and the pressures of the working week.

47. What are you going to do when you finish this?

Finish watching the q&a that I’m watching. Perhaps I’ll go to bed. Maybe. Who can say? Waddaya mean I can? Oh alright, I’ll probably do some more reading.

48. Do you like finding out all this stuff about your friends?

I love it. I find people fascinating and I take a great interest in getting to know them and share life together and so I love finding out all this and even more important stuff about my friends like what makes them tick, what broke their heart, etc. That’s what friends are for as well as the helping, sharing and laughter.

Thanks for the questions and onto more blogging on other issues – but don’t be surprised if some other autobiographical stuff pops out of the woodwork.

For His Name's Sake

Shalom

dmcd

Getting To Know Me Part 3

Yeah I mentioned someone calling me a friend recently and also made the scandalous suggestion that retirement only happens at death? Now I promised more and this is the penultimate in the series so check these babies out!

26. What are you listening to now?

Don Carson and John Piper talking about pastoral ministry and being a scholar. That’s just the kind of guy I am.

27. What is a day on the calendar you are looking forward to?

To be honest the next significant date in the calendar is June 15^th 2010. I don’t make a fuss over my birthday and although my daughters’ birthdays are important, I tend to celebrate their birth every time I get to look at them. The wedding anniversary is the most important date only in as much as a reminder of the date of the most significant responsibility I have knowingly taken. The following of Jesus is one that covers a number of dates, but the biggest human relational engagement undertaken in my lifetime is the biggie. Other than that – whatever comes I’m happy to celebrate.

28. What was the last thing you ate?

Get this. White rice generously sprinkled with grated carrots and sweet corn on which is amassed a substantial amount of veggie chilli and kidney beans with some tomatoes quarterly sliced. In a big ol’ plate. What a way to finish her cooking time with us as a family. My mother shall be missed. Now she’s gone I’ll have to get back in the habit of cooking for myself. Ho hum – keep praying for me.

29. Do you wish on stars?

Not in any shape or form.

30. If you were a footballer, what position would you play?

You know I cannot believe I don’t have an electronic note of this. Still, here goes. For ages now I thought to myself that the way I continue the legacy of my dad is to play in the same position he would have played had he been a footballer. I think in as much as I am useful as a holding midfielder or even as a sweeper, the best position for me on a football pitch would be right back. (No not that joke of being right back in the dressing room.) I guess I fit here because it’s one of those unassuming roles that doesn’t get much attention but is useful and functional in supporting moves from the back forward as well as ensuring the tricky attacks of the left winger can be thwarted by keeping focussed on retaining possession and allowing the progressive players to progress and should the attacking midfielder require overlapping I can provide that. There’s more to that than just a football point, but you’ll have to wait to get the full meaning.

31. How is the weather right now?

Dark and cold, but that’s usually the case in the night.

32. Last person you spoke to on the phone?

I think it was my dear friend Joyce. No hold on it’s my dear friend Deon. That however was a brief chat. I don’t have many long chats with people on the phone. No reason why, I guess I don’t make the time for that sort of thing as I’d prefer to converse face to face whenever I can.

33. Favourite soft drink?

It fluctuates from time to time but undoubtedly always in the running is ginger beer. What a beverage that is and what a gift it is to humanity!

34. Favourite restaurant?

Now this is a toughie cos we’re regulars at Venus which does a great deal on chips and veggie burger with water (all for £2.50). Edging it however because of the ability to eat indoors on tables and chairs is the Seafarer. I love going there with my friend(s) to enjoy their delicacies.

35. Favourite toy as a child?

Remember the remote control car? Ah how short lived it was, but that’s the favourite one I can recall, although I’m sure there was a teddy bear that grabbed my affections.

36. Summer or winter?

Winter. Love having to hibernate and keep in from the cold and regard the outside world from the warmth of indoors with people and reading and writing. Love the short days and the long nights. I absolutely love it.

37. Chocolate or Vanilla?

Tell me you’re not seriously asking that question. Do you know that for vanilla to even be in the same sentence is a privilege for vanilla? Chocolate is undoubtedly one of my favourite foods to digest. I am to cut down from time to time, but a lot of the time I enjoy feeding on it whether in chocolate bar form or in chocolate ice-cream form. I’ve never been that much into chocolate tea, but other than that I be a chocolate man! Love it!

Nearly done now – one more post on this bad boy and we are done. Don’t miss it!

For His Name's Sake

Shalom

dmcd

Getting To Know Me Part 2

Have I mentioned someone calling me a friend recently? So without further ado onto more questions

13. If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?

Scotland. I’ve not been that ambitious a travelling man. I would have said USA on previous occasions, but I’m not so keen and up on going there as before, especially seeing as though with the amount of stuff that comes from there, they are as good as here anyway. Not ruling it out though, with family members being there and all. The Scotland thing is because I’ve been to Wales and I’ve always been fascinated with what goes on north of the border. I like the thought of exploring these British Isles more than anywhere at present. Thankfully, however, I’m married to a woman who has a passion for travel so inevitably somewhere down the line I may pop over to those places far afield.

14. Are you an organised person?

You want to read something funny? I’m not all that organised unless it’s on the laptop. There’s something about having folders here that means most of my files are put in a specific location in which I’m able to recover it relatively quickly. I’m into that level of organisation. Other than that, I’m not really fussed about organisation other than in my hand – i.e. it may not look like a mess, but I know where what I need is.

15. Where would you retire to?

The grave. My concept of retirement is death and even that is temporary if you get what I’m saying. As long as my faculties are functioning I’d like to think I’d still write and read and that is the basis of my working life – all I ever do is rooted in my reading and writing. I’ve not really got it into my head to think of a time where I’m ‘retired’. Retired from what? Of course that is not a solo decision so I’m sure the wife might want to settle down elsewhere, but as far as I’m concerned as long as it has space to read and write and I feel relatively comfortable in the environment I’ll flex with her desire. Don’t tell her that, though, it might give her ideas.

16. What was one of your most memorable birthdays?

Never been that big on birthdays at all over my brief sojourn on planet Earth. The one I remember most is the one when I was around 5 or 6. Living in Minerva Way, there was something of a gathering and I believe I got a remote controlled car for my birthday. Another one of those significant sacrifices by my mother. The only reason why it was memorable was because of the gift and the fact that it didn’t take me long to wreck the present. Pity, that, but it is the thought that counts.

17. Do you make friends easily?

Well I can read this question however I wish. My definition of friend is not light or shallow and I find a number of people seemed to prepared to deal only at that level. I can be an awkward case at times, what with thinking all the time and all. So I’d say I don’t make friends easily, but I’d like to think I make friends deeply and I enjoy it when I do make a friend.

18. What’s your favourite pastime activity?

Have I mentioned reading and writing?

19. When is your birthday?

21^st November 1977

20. Morning person or a night person?

I’m a funny one where that’s concerned. Some of my most productive hours have been in the early hours of the morning, where others have been into the night. I’m just funny that way.

21. What is your shoe size?

12 – at times I’ve been accused of being like a penguin with me big feet, but I is happy with what I have.

22. Any new and exciting news you'd like to share?

None whatsoever … at this time … to share … with you … yet

23. What did you want to be when you were little?

Bigger. I believe my job dreams were journalist and lawyer. I might have wanted to be a detective as well, but that didn’t last long. The main ones were those first two.

24. How are you today?

I am in fair spirits. It has been a weird day today involving many different emotions and sentiments, but I sit here at 22:00 listening to some good preaching about the miraculous work of God in making a new creation out of that which was dead and I am grateful that He would extend such a grace to me.

25. What is your favourite flower?

This question always sounds better spoken that written cos then I can crop up with the quip of plain or self-raising! In any case I’m not really fussed about flowers. I don’t have a particular favourite and will not be tasked with the challenge of plumbing the depths of my head and flower-kind to discover what I like in that area.

Right enough of that for now – more on the way in a blog entry coming to you soon. Cos the more you get to know me, the less you can say you don’t know me – and that’s a good thing, right? Right?

For His Name's Sake

Shalom

dmcd

Getting To Know Me Part 1

Someone called me a friend in an email I read recently. Yeah, honestly, me – a friend. I was surprised too. So this was one of those emails that ask loads of questions about things to find out about you. At first I was going to reply to the email … then I thought, nah. Then I thought … better still why don’t I blog my answers. So having not had a third thought since then here is the beginning of the answers to those questions. There were quite a few of them, so it didn’t make sense to place them all here, especially as though some of my answers reflect my usual approach to making a story out of a sentence!

1. What time did you get up this morning?

8.35am. My usual waking up time is earlier and ideally I’d even prefer to get up at about around 6 or 7am. I would be up around that time when the children get back to school, but for now, with the transition at work and other factors that is the time I got up today.

2. Watches or Rings?

Watches. Although to be fair I have a ring, but no watch! That’s only because it’s the ring I got when I got married. Not really been fussed for jewellery really. Never saw the need – still don’t to a large extent, whereas a watch has a function!

3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema?

G.I. Joe. Disappointing, very disappointing.

4. What is your favourite TV show?

Law & Order: Criminal Intent (the ones with Goren and Eames especially). I’ve written about them elsewhere. Other than that I’m not really a television man – only because I got my quota in when I was a lot younger!

5. What do you usually have for breakfast?

Fresh Air. I’ve not got into the discipline of having a slap-up breakfast until recently with me Mum and all. When she goes I’m not sure if I’ll get into the discipline, but I do see it’s merits, as I’ve written before.

6. What is your nick name?

Don't have one really, only me wife calls me CD from time to time, not that I answer to it all the time, you understand.

7. What food do you dislike?

Egg and cheese in particular. I would have started a society against especially cheese but because of the harassment I would have received, death threats, persecution, rejection and sponsorship by Edam I just thought it was not worth my while. But be in not doubt, I am still a cheese-hater!

8. What is your favourite CD at the moment?

CD? As in that thing from which you can often receive audio entertainment? Man, I don’t use a CD no more? Why when most of my music is on me laptop which is the only source from which I get me music and I can set up playlists that will last a lot longer than what a CD would manage. Sure I have to endure my wife’s impression of good music when I’m in the car, but that’s the Lord teaching patience and endurance and exhibiting gifts of the Spirit. Nah, man, CD is so not me at the moment.

9. What kind of car do you drive?

I have not learned to drive. I have not taken the theory test or practiced for it. I have no intention of doing so either at this time. However, the car I would have driven ideally had I bothered would have been a five-door black Golf GTI. Recently I’ve also been interested in driving a Ford Focus – black as well obviously … and five door as well, obviously.

10. Favourite sandwich?

Sandwiches? Seriously. Man what kind of questionnaire is this? I am not into sandwiches friends, I find them to be pathetic efforts at satiating the craven ravenous hungers of a man like meself, especially those limp pieces of dry bread between which are put in an assortment of equally pathetic condiments. However, I have been convinced of the power of Subway and they have proper filling ‘sandwiches’. As you may have gathered by now I can be an awkward so and so, but when I’m at Subway, despite the extortionate prices, I enjoy indulging in a 12” Veggie Pattie with corn, lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers and a Thousand Island dressing. Typing that reminds me of how long it’s been since I last had it. That should be some indication of two things – how busy I am and how much money I have – remember those (three figure plus) donations by cheque should be made payable to Mr. Christopher Dryden. All donations will be graciously received.

11. What characteristic do you despise?

There is a good question. Wilful ignorance is one I’m put off by. Bullying superiority complexes are also a particular pain in the neck.

12. Favourite item of clothing?

A recently purchased pair of black jeans. I’m not really fussed about my clothing as the fashion police have pointed out to me on a number of occasions, but I did need a new pair of jeans and having waited so long for it I was overjoyed to be getting my mitts on it. I have been a blue jeans man of late, but I felt it was time for a change and so plumped for the black look. It turned out to be an inspired choice for once and has made the ever growing frame that bit svelter and that cannot be a bad thing can it?

OK more questions and answers in the next entry where among other things you can find out when my birthday is, my most memorable birthday (and when you say it, it can sound like you’re mumbling!), and whether I make friends easily! That and some actual stuff worth knowing about me in a blog to come soon!

For His Name's Sake

Shalom

dmcd

God's Gift For You - Knowledge