I bought a book

If you have seen my aims for the year you will know that one of them is to only buy 10 new things this year. (there are some exemptions such as disposable items and replacing old things which make it easier) and as such  I have only just bought my first new item.

52 by the round.

It is a book of subversive ideas for English language teaching.

I have written a review on my other blog and will do a give away very soon as part of my post 500 posts celebration!

Jacob blessing to other nations

I love this moment in Genesis 30: 25-30

Here we can see that Jacob has been fulfilling the Abrahams promise of being a blessing to other people. He has worked hard, Laban has noticed this and acknowledges God because of it.

It makes me think about my work. Am I being being a blessing to those around me through my work, is their livestock increasing? Are they seeing god in what I do? Are they praising him for it?

I can't say for certain but I suspect in some areas I am failing, I guess it's another log to deal with.

500 blog post later

Well I hit the mark! 500 is a pretty good number. That's more than one a day for a whole year.

Admittedly some are better than others in fact some are awful! However, there are some that I am very happy with.

• I've Been mentioned on Lib Dem Voice. TWICE
• I've stopped blogging about politics
• I've changed country that I live in.
• I've started a second blog (with a teaching reflection focus)
• I've set some challenge
• I've track my new years aims for a year
• I've shown you Ukraine as I've seen it.
• I've shared some fears and faults
• I've improved as a writer and explored my creativity. The origins, purpose of this blog.
• I've become hooked on blogging (sometimes at the sloth too of missing the moment) but I am going to continue, don't worry.

You may have noticed that I have been blogging less frequently and more erratically recently. Partially this was a deliberate slow Down in the lead up to the 500 post and also as I was trying to follow Jeff Goins and found lead and write only great posts when I felt inspired rather than half hearted attempts. I think it's been pretty good but do feel free to suggest more regular posts.

The Cost of Discipleship

Dietrich Bonhoeffer is one of my heroes, he didn't just write about living a sacrificial life, he did it. He didn't talk about following Jesus, he did it. He didn't compromise what he though, he stood up and defended truth (though it was costly), and yet he still was a professor, father and church leader.

His book "the cost of discipleship" is what I nicked this blog title from.

However, he wasn't the first person to talk about the cost of discipleship.

 ¹⁸ When Jesus saw the crowd around him, he gave orders to cross to the other side of the lake. ¹⁹Then a teacher of the law came to him and said, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” ²⁰ Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” ²¹ Another disciple said to him, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”
 ²² But Jesus told him, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.”

[Matthew 8:19-22]

Here two people want to follow Jesus and he warns them of the cost. The price of finding the kingdom of heaven.

It may seam at this point so costly that there could be no reason to follow the path of discipleship but there is still more.

 ⁴⁴ “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.   ⁴⁵ “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. ⁴⁶ When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.

[Matthew 13: 44-45]

Discipleship involves following Jesus, following his steps and his path really did cost him everything. However, in return we gain everything. To buy the field the man had to first sell everything, to buy the greatest pearl he had to first sell all the lesser pearls.

Discipleship costs.

The Start of Discipleship

Come follow me and I will make you fishers of men

[Matthew 4:19]


Jesus is a great model for discipleship, after all he picked 12 guys got to work on and the end result was not only were they changed but so was the whole world.

Two simple steps.

1. Follow me, imitate me, become like me.
2. Go and do the same.

Seeing as he was talking to fisher men he talked about fishing, if he were talking to me he'd talk in teaching terms, in music terms, or anything to get the point across.

Listen and repeat, Follow the beat, play it for others.

There is one last problem. Following someone means not going your own way, instead you have to go where they go.

or Perhaps a better way of saying it....