Hi I’m John, welcome to my rather pink world.  My girly family consists of lovely Fi, Princess Rachel (5), Monkey Emily (4) and Bouncer Lucy (2).  There is rarely a dull moment at home and I would rather not think about the amount of money I am going to spend on shoes and handbags over the next few years.  I teach chemistry in THE college (that’s Lurgan College for you Portadown people and I enjoy pretty much any sport but due to old age, a big tummy and  a busy life, I usually settle for watching these days,

The older I get, the more I realise God has been faithful and gracious to me.  I became a Christian early on in my life and have spent the time since then discovering more of how much I am dependent on his love, kindness and mercy.  Although sometimes life can seem to be too busy and small everyday issues can be frustrating, I am becoming increasingly aware of God’s blessings on me and my family.  Over the past number of years it is difficult to image how I could have been any more privileged and blessed.  As a family we have experienced abundantly more than we need in terms of food, clothing, shelter and health and I have been surrounded by a Christ-like example in family members, work colleagues, church friends and young people within school and CE.  I have not always been as good at praising God when ‘the sun is shining down on me’ as I should and I pray that I will also learn to trust him if and when ‘the road is marked with suffering’.

It has been an awesome privilege to be involved in CE for a number of years.  I am continuously encouraged and challenged by the living and vibrant faith of many of the young people who attend.  It is a genuine pleasure to be about on a Saturday night.  People within CE have shown me such a good example of how to put faith into action and to be reliant on God’s Grace, not just for salvation, but in each area of daily living.  The fun on day trips, weekends, trips to London and wonderful New Horizon weeks, the freshness of worship within praise, and the wonderful example and kindness of young people very publically living out their faith and influencing my own tiny family are some of the wonderful highlights of CE.

I think the verses that sum up all that I continually need to be reminded of, because I forget and lose focus so frequently, are the theme of 2010/11 in CE from Colossians 2 v 6 & 7:

“so then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in Him, rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught and overflowing with thankfulness”.

It is also my prayer that with a greater understanding and dependence on God’s Grace I will grow to have a greater “Passion for Christ and compassion for people” which is our church motto.