Rugby Town

It says on the enjoyrugby website,

'During a game of football on an autumn day in the year 1823, on a ground called the Close at Rugby School, one William Webb Ellis, a sixteen year old pupil of the school, with a fine disregard of the rules....first took the ball in his arms and ran with it, and so began the modern version of this major world sport.

Until you've been to Rugby, it's hard to imagine that the world-wide sport of rugby football took its name from our bustling market town. When you're here next to the hallowed ground where the game began, the atmospheric surroundings of Rugby School will transport you back to the day in 1823 when William Webb Ellis changed the game forever.

If you're a true fan of the game, a trip to Rugby can become a pilgrimage as you find yourself delving into the origins of the sport, the history of the players and the uniqueness of the town's connections. This will be an experience you'll treasure throughout life; after all, where else can you stand next to the spot where a worldwide phenomenon was born?'

I love Rugby, of course I do. I was born there, and grew up there. It'll always have a soft spot in my heart as we've been through a lot together. However, this description has been exaggerated...a whole lot.

'Bustling market town' - ummm, yeah, the market is ok. You have people shouting at you, and there's the famous man who walks around his stall in fluorescent leggings. It's not exactly bustling.

The 'atmospheric surroundings' - apparently will transport you back to 1823. You need to be in the history zone in order for this to vaguely happen. It's exciting to see where rugby was first inspired...but it loses its novelty when Rugby School has a reputation that only pretentious snobs go there, and apparently Harry Potter's Emma Watson once studied there. Knowing the nitty gritty of the school and its reputation to the rest of the town (aka people who didn't go to the private school but to a normal state school) dampens the atmosphere of it a bit.

Taking a 'pilgrimage' to Rugby. Please do not. I have lived in Rugby for nearly 21 years now, and I haven't a clue where to find out about the player's history, the origins of the sport and what not. I believe there's a very small outlet somewhere to find out - but I've been in there once and it doesn't give you much information!

And having an experience you'll treasure throughout life - standing NEXT to where the sport was inspired. It's a school, you're not allowed on the ground. I have had the opportunity to stand on the ground, though it was at a conference and marquees were all over the ground - but I do enjoy remembering that I once stood where William Webb Ellis first picked up that ball.

This was not supposed to have been a scathing review of the Rugby tourism website, but I'd just like to see the truth being published. Raising the profile of Rugby in this way just gets people's hopes up, to find its not *that* fancy. It's a lovely, charming, little town with many other quirky features, memories (on my part) and you can have fun there if you seek it. Sell it as it is! It's got a shopping centre called the Clock Towers, and inside there is a huge clock and on the hour every hour, the famous tortoise and the hare story is displayed. When I was a kid, I used to insist on watching it - and I still stop and pause if I pass it today. It's simple, yet charming.

Pick the not so historically or aesthetically impressive parts of Rugby, and sell those. After one visit, those tourist sites will be boring. So tell them about the quirky parts! I'd love it.

8 Easy Steps To Cope With The Common Cold

Everyone gets them, everyone hates them, everyone enjoys taking a lazy day off to feel sorry for themselves.

If you haven't guessed, I am 'everyone' right at this moment in time.

Thankfully, this cold has held off for a few days giving me some wonderfully lovely days hanging out with friends, and today, I have been able to stay at home to try and get over it.

My guidelines for coping with your cold, and all of these have been tried and tested numerous times over the years...they work.

When you next have a cold, you'll be ready to endure it with these 8 easy steps.

1. Stay HYDRATED

Very important one right here. In my first term ever of university, I had developed a cold. I was eating soup, and that was my main source of energy - however, I didn't really pick up on the fact that I wasn't eating much soup and also that I wasn't drinking anything. This just has disaster written all over it. After a few days of staying in bed in the foetal position, and having Joey's mindset, "It's getting darker and more painful, that means it's healing" - my condition wasn't getting darker, but it was getting increasingly painful. So, what did I do? Phone my mum. Of course I did. She arranged with the security at the uni to come and take me to the hospital, and I went to the hospital, had some blood and urine tests, and what do you know? I was dehydrated. After a few days of solidly drinking water and squash, I was better. Therefore, rule number 1, stay hydrated.

2. Stock up on TISSUES

Tissues had made a home in my room for most of the year, and last week, our house ran out of toilet paper - so I put my tissues in the bathroom. The box soon emptied. The following week, I am sat here discussing my cold. Yes, that's right. As of this morning, I was tissue...less, and using toilet paper to blow my nose. Oh, the irony. Get yourself tissues, or get some lovely housemates who will go out and get you some! I am now stocked up and blowing my nose on SOFT WHITE TISSUES. Nice.

3. Get yourself some OLBAS OIL

This stuff is amazing. I've used it for colds for as long as I can remember - we've always had and used it at home, and I have it here at uni. I went through a phase of putting the oil directly onto my pillow, but after a few eye watering nights, that stopped. Instead, I drip the oil onto my pyjama t shirt so the fumes go right up my nose. It's lovely. However, a word of wisdom. You can't really smell it when you have a cold - other people can. On a positive note, you can tell when you're getting over your cold because you can smell it. Works wonders, get some.

4. Stock up on SOUP and ICE CREAM

Soup makes you feel better - this is why I save all my BIG SOUP for my cold phases. Makes you feel all warm inside, and it's just a lovely dish - not overly filling, but will do the trick to keep your energy up. Ice cream, ok, you can't really taste it due to your nose being bunged up, however you can still eat it whilst watching a film. This most definitely keeps you going during a cold.

5. Don't HUG your cold

Colds LOVE you. They also love the warm, and the horrible "cold" atmosphere that you've developed in your room. Therefore, when you wake up and leave your room to go downstairs to lie on the sofa and watch numerous DVDs...open your window and keep your room fresh, and get those germs out of there.

6. Pick a HAPPY film

You're feeling ill, you're feeling sorry for yourself. Don't pick a film which will make you cry or will make you feel even more rubbish - it just doesn't help. Pick a film which you enjoy, I wouldn't risk a new one which you don't know anything about. I opted for 'The Phantom of the Opera' today, it has my favourite actor in it, I love the music, and it makes me feel better. On 'Glee', we learn that Mr Schuester watches 'Singin in the Rain' when he's ill and wants to feel better. It works like a charm.

7. Ensure you wear COMFORTABLE clothes

It's the time for you to feel as comfortable as possible - you don't need to impress anyone, you're just getting better. Therefore, get out the tracksuit bottoms, the baggy t shirt and the hoody. Make yourself feel as comfortable as possible but stay clean. Just because you're ill doesn't give you an excuse to be unclean, have a shower, wash your face, brush your teeth, wear clean clothes...it'll make you feel better being clean and comfortable.

8. Get OUT of bed and have a hot BATH

Staying in bed gives you more of an excuse to feel sorry for yourself, and keeps the germs wanting to stay with you. Getting out of bed and changing makes you feel heaps better. The last point is one my mum would suggest... having a bath. She's sure it cures anything...stomach aches, foot cramps, headaches, paper cuts, and colds. Whenever I'm ill, she'll run me a hot bath. Not only does it relax you, but the steam from the bath goes up your nose and helps to unclog your sinuses. Killing two birds with one stone...genius.

I hope these steps have either amused you and/or educated you. Either way you have discovered what goes through my head when I have a cold!

Retweets and @ Mentions

This year Twitter has somehow managed to worm its way into my life. I've had twitter for about two years now, but only for the past 9 months have I used it. And boy, have I used it.

Once you understand that there's nothing to understand about twitter...you're set! You can @mention your friends and celebrities, and they will read your message [or with celebrities, they can, if they want to, read your message]. And you can follow people from all walks of life, and if they have that little blue tick sign next to their name - it is really them.

I'm following loads of people, lots of friends, and lots of celebrities. Lots barely tweet at all, some tweet all the time - such as Justin Bieber, LeAnn Rimes and Jerry Bruckheimer.

And the other thing about twitter...if you can follow them as a user...people can follow you.

Again, lots of my friends have joined twitter and I follow them, and they have kindly followed me. But, some famous names follow me.

Jon Acuff - author of 'Stuff Christians Like' - approx 55,000 followers.

Jack Ingram - country singer - approx 29,000 followers.

Lady Antebellum - country group, their song 'Need You Now' performed by Glee. Approx 343,000 followers.

Justin Bieber - pop singing sensation. Approx 9,600,000 followers.

These all have those little verified blue ticks, which means it is them. Exciting times.

I have had a lot of @ mentions, but from friends when in conversation with them. However, from celebrities - it tends to be a bit of a rarer occasion.

I had @mentioned LeAnn Rimes, saying I was a big fan etc etc etc. And she @mentioned me back with the memorable...

'@StephParsonsUK Thx babe'

Oh my word! She replied to my tweet! Best day ever. Genuinely, I loved this tweet.

Now, moving onto the realm of retweets, also known colloquially as an RT. Now, I've written [as of this very second] 897 tweets. And never really paid attention to RTs...until very recently.

I got a RT in January about a tweet I had written from the Oscars...which I found surprising and nice.

Then I delved in the realm of celebrities, will celebrities RT you? They can do, yes. I tweeted the actor Gary Sinise [Lt Dan in Forrest Gump, Mac Taylor in CSI:NY] and told him my grandad was a Royal Marine Commando [Gary Sinise used to be in the Marines, and holds those who are Marines and those who have previously been Marines in very high respect], I also told him that my grandad trained US Marines. My grandad loves CSI:NY, and always wears his Royal Marine cap when Mac Taylor comes on...so I told him all this. And Gary Sinise retweeted it. This was a good day.

In April, I got a random RT from 'coffeybot'. Bit random, though maybe they found it funny. But this is when the RT thing started to kick in.

Last week, I was looking at the top trends, and some comments made in them. They were regarding Margaret Thatcher, and some were disgusting. So I tweeted, not at individuals, but as a general statement. And people did RT. Given, some people @mentioned abuse at me, but when you delve into the Thatcher debate, you know what's coming.

Then suddenly, this past week, a tweet [which was not aimed at anyone in particular, and had no mention of a top trend] was RTed. It regarded LA Galaxy's stadium - someone somehow found it, and retweeted it! This felt good! Then I saw on top trends something about Girls Aloud reuniting - I didn't know they'd even broken up, so tweeted. And what do you know? Someone RTed. THIS IS WAY TO DO IT! Tweet about a top trend! I've suddenly got an RT addiction, I love getting RTed.

Tonight, Eurovision was trending! So I tweeted about Graham Norton and Terry Wogan - instant RT from someone! Then I saw Borat top trending - wrote a tweet about him - BOOM! Instant RT from someone else! Addicted to Twitter ReTweets - though, this has all stemmed from the fact that I finished all my uni work and exams about two weeks ago, and have had nothing to do, so therefore I've been sat around doing not much. RTs have just shown that people appreciate my comments and opinions about things, and also have shown that I really need to get out more.

Demographics

According to blogger statistics, if you are reading this there is a very very good chance that you are in the UK....or if not, there is quite a good chance you're in the USA. There is also a good chance that you're using Windows, or perhaps a Mac. There's also a good chance that you're using Internet Explorer...followed closely by Google Chrome. If you're on IE, switch to Chrome - I love it.

If you're from another country, and don't know me. Why not leave a comment with where you're from...then I might be able to understand my audience a bit better...not by much, but a little bit may go a long way.

If you're from the UK, let me know. Do you know me? Do you not know me? Where are you from?

Wherever you're from, are you a regular? or have you just stumbled upon this page because you searched for a picture and it came up here...or you wanted to find the music to Brad Paisley's Cliffs of Rock City, and it led you here...perhaps to your disappointment.

Just let me know, I am intrigued as to who you are!

NWA + HBC

Anyone know what these acronyms stand for? Yes...well done. NWA is New Word Alive, and HBC is Holiday Bible Club.

Last week, I spent an amazing week in Pwllheli at New Word Alive, a Christian conference full of great teaching, worship and friendships. I can't quite describe how much I enjoyed last week, and can't quite describe the intricacies of the emotions I experienced there when I realised...again...what a horrible sinner I am, and when I realised...again...how loving a God I have, and how he sent his son to pay for the sins of mine which I am so ashamed of. He has paid the price for me - one atoning sacrifice...and now, it's not about what I can do to achieve salvation, but it's what God has already done. With this in mind, God is bigger than any sin (compared to God, our sin is nothing) and he is gracious and glorious, and not only has he already saved us, but he helps us to live for Him by giving us his Spirit! What a gift! I am so undeserving of it, yet, God has graciously given me this gift to help me live for his glory. Fantastic. This is a brief description of my emotions, if you'd like to know more, talk to me. I'm going to get on with the next section of this post...

HBC. Holiday Bible Club. This is an amazing opportunity to tell kids about the above! The thing is that children can understand and know what they need to do to be saved...yet, I still think I can earn my salvation? As adults, we can often twist and over complicate the gospel, when it's actually a very simple message. Last week was a great week to help me remember the glorious gospel, and this week helps me to remember the simplicity of the gospel. I'm so thankful that I can serve God in this way by doing HBC...I'm so thankful that God saved me. One of the questions that was on the worksheet today was what do we see in the world that makes us remember that God is amazing - the kids were giving great answers like the countryside. The countryside, the mountains, the sea...I often take for granted. I've seen them so many times, it's like they're just a part of my thinking -- and I can often forget that it had a Creator. I had a moment last week where I did the whole 'Gladiator' thing, and picked up some sand from the beach...and just looking at each tiny grain of sand was created by God - and it just struck me as brilliant.

It's been one day of HBC so far, and enjoying it so far. The kids understand it, they don't try to extort it - the gospel is simple, and God is amazing. Easy stuff. It's great to be reminded of it by the kids. The memory verse is Romans 5:8, 'But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: Whilst we were still sinners, Christ died for us.' - such a great verse, it's our one memory verse for this week....it'll not only be good for the kids to understand this verse really well, but for me too.

I'm up early tomorrow again ready for another HBC day! So I'm going to be off - check you later.

America's Most Hated Family in Crisis

The BBC description,

"Following up on his 2007 documentary, The Most Hated Family in America, Louis Theroux returns to Topeka, Kansas, for a week-long visit with the Westboro Baptist Church."

Watching this documentary made me feel a vast array of emotions, sadness, anger, fear, amongst others. I can't quite explain my feelings in a written format, so I'm attempting to write a blog with a lot of inspiration, but lacking in being able to explain what I'm seeing and hearing.

This family preach that God hates sin...and the sinner. They don't only preach this at church, but they picket events in which to proclaim their belief with huge signs reading 'God Hates Fags', and 'Thank God for Cancer'. This is simply not Biblical.

In one of the most famous verses in the Bible, it reads,

'For God so loved that world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.' - John 3:16

and

'But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.' - Romans 5:8

God loves us...but he hates sin...and rightly so. He created the universe and everything in it, and man rejected God. This rejection is inbuilt within everyone, and we are all sinners. However, God's infinite love for us saw him send Jesus, his son, to Earth to die for us. Jesus, the sinless one, the only perfect man, died. Taking our sins and putting an end to them. Taking our punishment on the cross, and being the one atoning sacrifice for us. This is AMAZING news. Not only this, Jesus rose again three days later - no man can do that...only God can do that. This is AMAZING news. Through Jesus' blood, our relationship with God is restored. We can come to Him, whatever we've done in the past...whether it be a little white lie, a lustful thought, murder, pride, theft, greed...etc etc. We can ask for forgiveness, and come to Him who saved us from death. We can ask Him to turn our lives around, that we would want to turn away from sin and live for Him. This is the gospel. Isn't it BRILLIANT?!

Now I wonder why this family are proclaiming that God hates specific people. This shows that they consider their own sin nothing compared to the other sinners who practice homosexuality. Why are they comparing themselves with others? None of us are perfect, and 'all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God' (Romans 3:23). We should be comparing ourselves to Jesus, and striving to be more like Him, not comparing ourselves with others to make ourselves feel better. Instead of picketing funerals of soldiers, burning flags and calling Obama the anti-Christ...evangelising with the family of the fallen soldiers, with homosexuals, with anyone...this gospel is for everyone. This is GOOD NEWS. We can't do anything to achieve salvation, as we are sinners, but thankfully God is merciful and gracious and has given us a way in which we can be saved - so let's proclaim that!

This family, this church, preach a false gospel. They are leading people into a religion built into hate...pure hate against others. This family has a daughter who decided to leave the church as she wanted a boyfriend [which is wrong apparently, as having a boyfriend obviously means having premarital sex, according to them - therefore I have no idea how you go from being single to married in their minds, but anyway...] and her church kicked her out, her family kicked her out of their home, no longer talk to her, have removed all her pictures from their home, and were thankful when she left. Her best friend was asked whether she was sad to see her go, she said "She wasn't my friend" I'm sorry - I would try and explain my thoughts on this further, but I could cry. Family and friends are a beautiful gift from God, to encourage us, to support us, to help us grow, and their false gospel shatters it...and makes family and friendship absolutely nothing.

Louis Theroux doesn't believe the Bible, and he makes it clear in this programme. He tells this family that what they say is offensive, and this family laugh. It's so sad that this guy has an opportunity to hear the gospel, and all he sees is hatred against everyone. They believe that natural disasters happen as it is judgment from God, that those who denounce their church die [a Muslim man denounced the church, and a week later his wife died] as judgment from God. They say that Hell is a scary thing - yes, it is - but they don't know that they are driving people even further away from God.

Louis interviewed this girl 4 years ago who was adamant she would stay at the church. When he came back to do this next programme, she had left the church and explained that after long tensions with the church, she felt a strong urge that she had to get out of the church. She is scared that she's going to Hell for what she did whilst in the church...I pray that she meets someone soon who is able to tell her the true gospel of grace and despite what she has done, Jesus has saved her. The church are not allowed to make personal interaction with people not in the church...how is evangelism possible this way? It's not.

The more and more of the programme I watch, the more and more saddened I am in how lost these people are. This guy spoke to one girl who came over, and there was no reference to Jesus, only how her parents raised her from the devil and that her parents hated her. This programme has made me angry, and I have judged these people, and I just pray that God works in their hearts to the real truth. The gospel of love, not hate. The gospel of Jesus, not religion. Please pray for these people.

"So how many are we taking out today then?"

Dentists.

I haven't had the best experience with them, to be perfectly honest with you.

I'm pretty sure the first teeth that grew in my mouth were wonky, and they continued to grow wonky. Very wonky. My two front teeth had a huge gap...not a Madonna gap, but a big gap that formed in the shape of a triangle. And the rest of my teeth were in there, but all over the place. I couldn't bite into an apple because of the shape of my teeth...this made apple bobbing one of the most difficult things to do in my childhood. I competed an apple bobbing relay race at my youth club once, and need I say, my team lost - very badly. But at the time, I loved the uniqueness of my teeth. But, the dentists did not feel the same way. I was told I need braces when I was about 12 years old, and they said that they'd send a letter with my next appointment. I seem to remember always falling ill on these appointment days...for about 3 years.

When I was about 15, the dentist set an appointment, and my mum got in on the fun too. My mum said I needed a filling, so I was like - ok. Let's go get a filling. I sat down on the dentist's chair ready for my filling...the chair goes back and as I was reclining, he turned around and said those fateful words. "So how many are we taking out today then?".......

I'm sure you can imagine my horror. Tricked into it! That day he took out 7 of my teeth. They were milk teeth that just didn't want to leave...I gave them a nice place to live, why leave? But, in order to have braces, they had to come out...and that's what happened. When you're 15, the last thing you want is a smile where teeth are missing...and that's what I had.

The problem? After the milk teeth came through, one of my adult teeth didn't want to come through. So, back to the dentist. They said that I needed an operation on my gum, and essentially, I needed a window in my gum...and that's what happened. I went to the hospital and had a window cut into my gum.

But, what? The tooth started growing the wrong way? Of course it is. Back to the dentist. He refers me to an orthodontist, and when I had just turned 16...I got my brace. I had the brace until the week before I came to uni. And despite the years of horror as explained above...and the fact that I don't trust anybody when it comes to my teeth, I am now happy with my relatively straight teeth. I still don't like going to the dentist, they're perfectly nice people, they play the radio, they ask questions they know I can't answer because their hands are in my mouth...but I don't enjoy going, just in case they say those words again...

"So how many are we taking out today then?"