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I am going to…

Last night was the Evening of Awesome at Carnegie Hall in New York, celebrating the one year anniversary of the publication of the fantastic The Fault In Our Stars by John Green, and the 6 year anniversary of the world known as Nerdfighteria. It was an amazing evening, streamed live on YouTube to Nerdfighters around the world, myself being one. Now, I’m not here to talk about the show, about Nerdfighteria. I’m here to talk about why, at the end of watching the show, I found myself deeply emotional, for reasons that surprised even me.

Closing the show, John & Hank invited many people onto the stage, and everyone sang the song This Year by The Mountain Goats. (NOTE - if you haven’t listened to The Montain Goats, go listen to them, they are all shades of awesome!)

I am going to make it through this year if it kills me…

How have you lived your years on this earth so far?

If you died at the end of this year, what would you have accomplished with your life?

Would you be happy to leave this realm, knowing that you had lived a full life?

A life you were happy with?

A life where to good outweighed the bad?

A life where experienced outshone regrets?

There’s many things that I would like to do in life, many places I would like to do, things to see, people to meet. Not all of them are possible. Not all of them are realistic.

But many of them are down to me.

Down to my actions.

Down to me just doing them.

Down to me getting off my ass and doing what I want to do with my life.

And this year, I am going to endeavour to do the things that are in my power to do.

It is better to regret something you did, than something you did not do…

What is there in your life that you want to do?

What is there in your life that YOU, and you alone, have to power to do?

What is there in your life, that the only reason you haven’t accomplished it, is because you haven’t tried hard enough?

Graduation, Laziness & the Carly Rae Jepsen Challenge 

(Source: morgenty, via bookporn)

BLACKOUT!

He sat there in the dark, decrepit room beneath his house, a tattered piece of paper in his hand, barely visible by the solitary candle that was sitting beside him. Silently, he read the piece of paper over and over again, memorising it, and meditating on it. He was careful that the light from the candle didn’t shine through the floorboards, for fear of what may happen if he was found. Whilst sitting there, getting lost in the wonder of the words on the paper, a loud crash came from above him as the door was forced open and masked men, rifles in hand, stormed into his home. Pulling up the hatch on the floor, they found him cradled in a corner, this was not the first time they had had to visit him. They gave him a chance to renounce and they would leave and let him live. As he stood up, the barrels of the gun followed him, as he refused to do as they said. The shots rang out, and he fell to the ground, the sliver of paper falling to the floor, the words shining in the light of the candle.

“I will never leave you, nor forsake you…”

Now this may seem like a story that could come straight from the latest bestselling book, but although this particular story is a work of my imagination, scenes like this are rife all over the world. As Christians in Western civilisation, we can very easily take for granted the freedom that we have to worship God so openly and without persecution. OK sure, we might get a bit of mocking from people around us, but really that’s about it. 

Open Doors is a Christian organisation which strives to reach out to and help Christians who are being persecuted in their countries, purely because of their faith and love for the Lord Jesus. They help in many different ways, from providing bibles and Christian resources to engaging in legal support for the persecuted by campaigning, writing and petitioning to both local and foreign government.

This year, I will be taking part in a movement run by Open Doors called BLACKOUT. BLACKOUT is all about making a big noise by keeping quiet. It is a 21st Century fast; through which people can creatively use social media, and other aspects of their lives, to make our voices heard. The premise is simple. From 9pm on Friday 2nd November to 9pm on Sunday 4th November you BLACKOUT from from something. Maybe it’s Facebook, Twitter, TV. This year, I am going to BLACKOUT from speaking, and from all forms of social media. For 48 hours, I won’t be speaking, using Facebook, and instead will be focusing on raising awareness for the millions of Arab Christians living in some of the most hostile and restricted places on earth. 

Why am I telling you this? Because YOU can help. You can join me in BLACKOUT, you can pray for the persecuted around the world, and you can practically help by giving your money to this cause.

Some experts say that if bibles aren’t provided for some believers in the Middle East within six months, as many of 50% will fall away. As believers, we cannot let this happen.

Donations can be made are www.justgiving.com/craigmccullough

Alternatively they can be given to me personally as I raise awareness in Ballymena on the Saturday of BLACKOUT.

Will you BLACKOUT? Will you pray? Will you give?

“But if you suffer because you are a Christian, do not be ashamed. Praise God because you wear that name…” 1st Peter 4v16

This arrived today… 1st American comicbook appearance of The Doctor… #doctorwho #comicbook #geek (Taken with Instagram)

(Source: staypozitive, via cherie-misirii)

(via cherie-misirii)

Tonight I am reading comics from the 80s… #geek #nerd #superman (Taken with Instagram)

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“Nobody really thinks it will work, do they?
“No.

You just described every great success story…”

Ione Skye & John Cusack

in Say Anything

It was old but it was far from beautiful…

A friend told me a story once. She was away on holiday in America and they asked her where she was from. After telling them she was from Northern Ireland, they asked her what it was like growing up in a war zone. Now those of us who are from NI [i.e.99.9% of you reading this] know that Northern Ireland is not a war zone. But at a certain time of year, it can sometimes feel like that.

Earlier and earlier each year you keep seeing signs saying “Dump Wood” spring up all over towns and villages around the country. Slowly but surely, bonfire start being built everywhere. Now it’s not the bonfire I have a problem with. On the contrary actually, I have very fond memories of on the night of 11th July heading out with my family, and going round all the bonfires in the local area.

Unfortunately the family feel of it has gone.

And the hate has returned.

Where I have a problem is when I drive by them, and see an Irish tricolour at the top, when you see election posters from Sinn Féin or SDLP representatives resting o the bonfires.

Everyone says that NI is moving forward, especially at the minute with The Queen and Martin McGuinness meeting and shaking hands recently, but yet there are still riots every 12th July during the parades, and there are people burning effigies of republican politicians and flags of a different country.

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think that there is anything wrong with pride in your country and beliefs, but outright hatred of another country or certain type of people just because of their beliefs, is just blatantly wrong and makes me sick.

I’m proud to be from Northern Ireland. I’m proud of “my wee country.” I sometimes call myself British, sometimes Irish, depending on where I am and the situation. I have a British passport, I plan to get an Irish passport at some point.

But even with that pride, there’s no justification for hatred of people because of their origins or beliefs.