Saturday 17 March 2012

A long awaited update

Having realised that I have not posted in this blog for nearly a year I decided to actually do something about this.

Obviously I am not going to update you on everything that has been happening for two major reason:
1. It would be incredibly boring
2.It would take an awfully long time to write

So instead I will pretend that I have updated you all  and all you really want to hear about is the last month or so.

So here goes, lets see if I still have what it takes...

//Life
I have recently been given the opportunity to run a youth group aimed at year 11-13s in my Church here in York. This came as a great blessing and answer to prayer in my life as I have been asking God for a way to get more involved in the Churches life for a long time and youth work is something God has placed on my heart.

We currently get between 7 and 9 young people coming along each fortnight and we generally just play silly games/do some cooking and then have a very informal discussion about Christianity. This week I am leading a discussion on "Who is Jesus" so that should be fun.

As well as the Youth group I am also helping with Sunday School most weeks which is a great chance to be a kid again.

Christian Union is going strong with around 40 people coming each week. Just to show the growth:

My first Year - 15 members
My Second year - 25 members
My Third year - 40 members

...and people say God does not work.

I am still webmaster of the college junior common room committee (JCRC), but this does not take up that much time any more due to the redevelopments that I did last year.

"What about the radio" I hear you cry?!? Well fear not it is still going ahead, we do a weekly show and it is usually on a Wednesday from 5-6pm. However as term has finished it will not be back on for a while. However there are podcasts you can listen to online at http://ury.org.uk/podcasts/search.php?term=Graveshifters

As for my course, well its going ok. I have alot of work to do and have a stupid number of exams in about 5 weeks but it should be ok.


//Other blog
I may as well push my other blog (which is also don't update) its linked at the top of this page...click it!

//Run out of things to say
...... PEANUTS....

//Prayer points
-Exams
-Youth group

//Praise points
-Youth Group
-Radio Show

So yes, there we go. Boring hey!

Well I hope this satisfies your desires...if not well I urge you to find Jesus...

God bless
David
x

Thursday 14 April 2011

Procrastination....

So although I completely fail at keeping my blog up to date, I have decided that as a new form of procrastination I will write a random one off blog. The reason is, believe it or not, I often see things which amuse/entertain me and I do take photos of them. Then today, in another form of procrastination I decided to download all the photos on my mobile…bellow are a couple of my favourites, enjoy =]

Mince Pie Fail
The reason this image is fail:
1- It was taken in September, before I went to Uni...
2-Surely it is obvious not to stack above the display height? No? Maybe its just me...













Camping Fail
This is my 6 year old Tadpole Tent. While on a camping trip I figured it would be a good idea to move said tent with all my stuff still inside. This picture shows that strengthened aluminium ultralight poles cannot do moving a 20kg bag...

Luckily for me though the nice people at North Face fixed my pole (no innuendo intended) for free =]







Jono Fail
So many Jono fails to choose from...however this one stands out.
Jono thought that it would be a good idea to make his grand entrance to a party..in a bin. 

And the results are in...Bins and Jono do not mix.













Fresher Fail
Name: Rose
Occupation: Writing for Nouse I believe
Found: Wandering Vanbrugh
Introduced by: Kallum, who else
Met: Gluten Free Spaghetti
Result!












Electronics is FUN!

 Says it all really

Church win
Once again, says it all.

Happy Food
Contains all the yummy goodness a student needs =]

York wants their students to study...
This is the entire Star Trek Series in the York Uni Library....what chance does my lab report stand? Seriously?

I think that will do for now, I don't want to over indulge you. Now my lab report beckons. Stay safe
David
x



Wednesday 26 January 2011

The Great Return?

//Intro
So, a bit like a person who is late for a lecture I am sneaking back into the blog scene with this post…

I owe apologies to all those dedicated people to me who visit this website weekly, expecting an update just to find reference to my summer…which was by anyone’s standards AGES ago.

However, I return with this post!

//Course
Right, well second year is just over a 1/3 through. It was advised that we should continue our learning over the summer, and being a student I did nothing….well nearly nothing (I worked a lot at Blacks). So the second year started and surprise surprise, first year maths was a  “needed” requirement in order to do any courses this year.

Now for those who don’t know me, here is a bit about me:
-I’m David
-I study Electronics at York
-I got 42% in my maths module last year…

This means that I effectively know 42% of the first year maths….hmmm

This appeared on the first years timetable....


But putting that aside I plodded on with the term and managed to get through without too many battle scars (such as burning my nose on a soldering iron…who remembers that?)

After Christmas I had to do exams and these ones actually counted towards my life  dignity  motivation pokemon…Degree. So I decided to revise, which was a weird alternative dimension where suddenly tidying my room became extremely interesting and motivational…..

I am currently awaiting my results.

Second term is about the same as first term just with even more maths so I am actually screwed, however the topics are interesting so with a lot of late nights and a pornographic magazine on processors I should be able to get by.

 //Christian Life
God is good, and he is always there even when we kid ourselves into thinking he is not.

That above line probably sums up what I have learnt over the last term and a third. I can’t go into much detail because I could write pages and pages of how God has moved in my life and those around me over the last couple of months, however just be encouraged that he keeps his promises!

I am still going to Hes Church, although I have started looking at others just to get a variety.

Oh yes, I am now no longer the leader of Explore (Alpha Course style thing) for Vanbrugh CU or the PA co-ordinator for the main CU, all roles change over at Christmas. I am now Publicity Co-Ordinator for the main CU which is exciting as I get to boss people like Emily M (see previous blogs) around….oh which note, “EMILY I WANT A CUP OF COFFEE!!!”

I will at this point bring in my house a bit:
-I currently live in a house
-It is a bigish for four people
-I live with men
-Our house is called The House Of Man

The people in my house:
-Bulgaria (yes the entire country)
-Kallum Taylor (Who is now the chair of Vanbrugh)
-Jono Hodson (Who is now the head of the Vanbrugh CU)

The Crew (K-Dog, Bulgaria, Jono, Me!)


If you bothered to read the above lists (and I wouldn’t blame you if you had actually stopped reading this blog by now) then your eyes will see that I live with both the head of the student body for the college and the head of the Christian Union for the college. This can only be a good thing….praise God!

//Graveshifters


Yes we did continue with our failing radio show….and we hit our 1 year landmark.

We decided to do a best of show, which was hard considering the lack of actually good content, however we managed to scrape the jar (is that even a phrase?) and put together a passable show.

It was actually great fun to produce and we had a lot of listeners so yayyy!

If you want to tune in, then you can on ury.org.uk  we broadcast from 8-9pm on Mondays!

Also we made a new video

//Door Wars
Unfortunately, being in a house, a level of respect has to be kept.

Having said that last week Bulgaria, Jono and I did post-it Kallums Room:


I think Door Wars may have died =[

//Prayer Points
-For Vanbrugh CU as it continues to listen and learn from God
-For The Christian Union Weekend away this weekend

//Praise Points
-Thanking God for amazing friends
-Thanking God for being so faithful and good

//Conclusion
So there you have it, a very brief, probably too brief insight into the last 3 months. I worry that I cant remember most of what has happened, but those bits I can have on the whole been good..

Much Love
God Bless
David
x


Sunday 1 August 2010

University- Summer Term

//Intro
Well its been a while. Actually since Easter a blog has not occurred. And seeing as this blog is going to be rather long, its going to be written in three parts for your reading pleasure.

PART I-Course
I apologise for the lack of blog, but as you will soon see I have been very busy. So part one of the three part blog. This part is called “Course”.

Last time we met (we being the blog, and the meeting being reading it) I was on Easter Holidays, and despite the rumours which floated around the 1st April, I have not transferred to male nursing although at times that seemed like a pleasant release from what is Electronics.

The summer term start was littered with late nights, including an all-nighter in which I managed to program an evolutionary art program.



*note* A Evolutionary art program is a program by which the program will display a series of images and then evolve one that you choose *end note*

This particular incident caused me to use nearly a whole jar of coffee but in the end victory was had. I am expecting the results of this assignment later this week.

Below is a picture of some of the art work my program generated, if anyone wants a copy of it just drop me a message (although I can’t for the life of me think why you would).

Some of the images produced


After the stressful start, the term did not slow down. With between 24 and 28 contact hours a week and an expected 20 hours minimum own study; late nights have been a common occurrence. I found myself more than once being the last person left in the library and on one particular evening I nearly got locked in as I was sitting in a small room with one study desk, the porter came in and promptly turned off the lights… Why all this studying you may well ask, well as a first year Electronics student I have to pass a series of exams in order to progress to year 2.

So as exams drew closer my course mates an I got better at worrying and even better at procrastinating. Below is a particular procrastination which sticks in my mind. My lab partner and I decided that instead of revising Digital Electronics, we would instead have a virtual pokemon battle via the means of photos on each others facebook walls:

Thanks to Wil for compiling this


I think everyone will agree that I won that battle as Jesus Obviously beats a middle finger. Thanks to Wil for compiling the images.

So exams came and for two weeks I saw no sunlight and turned into this ugly mug:



While awaiting the results of my exams I had to make a vocoder/keyboard for a group project. This was the result that was formed:



It sort of worked but we ran out of time..

As for my results, thankfully I passed my first year and with a 2-1. Maths was the lowest pass by a short margin with TX lines coming narrowly in second place. Finishing miles in the lead was C programming with Physics and Devices coming second. It was lovely to be able to have a sigh of relief at the end of term knowing that I was into the second year. Thanks to everyone who supported me in any way through my exams. Special mention goes to Ella Jennings who made me food when I was hardcore studying and the Vanbrugh CU who brought me coffee and biscuits during a particularly stressful evening.

End of Part I

PART II – Christian Life
God has really revealed himself to me this term. I think without God I would have gone insane quite early on.
Amongst the course and Uni life is an interweaving of Christianity. Earlier in the term I had the honour of helping lead the junior TFG weekend. It was a great weekend and saw several young people give their lives to God.

While on that weekend it occurred to me that I actually gave my life on a junior tfg weekend in the very same room. I then worked out that I had been a Christian for 6 years and that blew my mind. If I had known what God was going to do in my life then I would not have believed it. It is just so refreshing to know that even when we are stupid, foolish and just human God loves us and uses us all the same. In 6 years I have made so many stupid mistakes and done things that does not honour Gods glory, however he still uses me and is happy to talk to me and answer prayers.

The weekend was made all the better by seeing Harry once again. I met Harry on the TFG ex-student weekend where we shared many jamming sessions on the keyboard and sax. He is a doctor in London and as Kallum would say “an alright sound bloke”

Harry rocking out the drums


I have also recently decided to buy a new translation of the bible. I feel that the youth bible has served me well but the time has come to get a more literal translation. I am yet to decide which translation to get.

There is a lot more that has happened this term involving God, a lot of personal development has gone on with God revealing more and more of him to me and what I need to change about myself.

It has been truly amazing this whole first year to remember some of the conversations I have had about God with others. Even up to the day of leaving I chatted to some floor mates about God. I would ask any of you who pray to ask God to bless everyone who I know at Uni for making my first year so memorable and that they would all be protected over the summer.

The fun us PA have at CU meetings...


More prayer points are at the end of the blog.

End of Part 2

PART III- Other Happenings
//Graveshifters
As most of you will know, Graveshifters is a show I help to present and run on the university radio station. This last term we did a full season including a (failed) outside broadcast:



We also were privaliged to win a award. Graveshifters is now officialy URYs Best Entertainment Program 2010. A special mention to anyone who tuned in or joined the facebook group and I appologise for the number of reminder texts I have sent out over the last year…long may they continue.

Me (left), Daz (center) and Wil (right) at the awards evening

Graveshifters will be back next term so keep checking the facebook group for details:
Graveshifters Facebook Group

//Door Wars
Unfortunately, due to exams and assignments, door wars did not really continue into the final term. However I did come back one evening from the library to find this outside my door:



It is infact solidified gravy of the onion variety…

To end the term there was one final door war prank played. At the beginning of the year we were all given rape alarms. I found this “rape” alarm and decide to have some fun. By randomly opening peoples doors and throwing the “rape” alarm into the room without the pin inserted caused a large amount of fuss to be caused by one LAURA TREWICK who thought that with a hangover it was totally inappropriate behaviour…I beg to differ.

//New House
Having come the end of my first year it was time to move out of halls. It was a very sad occasion especially leaving my room and handing back my keys to the wonderful A218 on Le Page Top Floor.


However not all was doom and gloom as with leaving the old came moving in the new house. 68 Frances Street York.

It is a four bed roomed terraced house down in Fulford (for those of you who know districts of York) near the river. Below are some pictures:




It is a lovely house and I am sharing it with some lovely people next year.

End of Part III

//Prayer Points
-For the summer to be amazing and that I can really catch up with my friends
-That God will help all those having to do resits
-For a friends Dad who is ill

//Praise Points
-That I passed my exams
-That Graveshifters won an award
-That I survived one year at Uni

//Conclusion
I know this has been a long blog, but in fairness I was trying to sum up a whole term. I have skipped absolutely loads of important things but I did not want to bore you to death. The next blog will be shorted, I am considering making a sister blog for shorter random posts, that is the new poll this time so give your feedback on that.

Thanks to everyone for the support over the last year, roll on year two.

Much Love
God Bless
David
xx

Wednesday 7 April 2010

Easter-A long time ago, in a galaxy far away...

//Intro
Once upon a time, many many years ago David Lindley once wrote a blog. This blog was passed down through the Lindley generations until it eventually ended up here…on your computers screen. These are the tales of the Star Ship Lindley, boldly going where no Lindley has gone before….ah yes.

Well after that rather poetic intro I must apologise for the lack of blog. I really have no excuse so in the wise words of someone, “meh, deal with it”.

And before the battle commences I have littered this blog with sci-fi references in order to mark the new season of Dr Who. So count them up (there has already been a couple) and tell me how many you think there are!

//Poll
Ah the long lost poll section. So seeing as it is the Easter period the question is “has Easter lost its true meaning”. Once again with a various number of different answers available so pick and choose and be merry =]

In response to the last poll, as expected most people answered that they were already penguins to the question “Should humans be allowed to be penguins”. In response to this I will probably vote BNP in the next general election because they are cold hearted and thus will make this country’s climate better suited to that of penguins.

//Graveshifters
My first term as a presented on the radio show “Graveshifters” came to an end with the end of term. It was a great term and I certainly had a lot of fun. Thanks to everyone who tuned in. If you have no idea what I’m talking about and have in fact stumbled upon this blog through the worm hole I set up then click here
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=266790214074&ref=ts

We also now have a cool thing where you can ask Mr Box any questions, this link is:
http://www.formspring.me/graveshifters

Also, URY (University Radio York) now do podcasts so you can catch up with your favourite episodes of Graveshifters here
URY Graveshifters

// Course
I am now on “holiday” or as the department likes to call it “five weeks in which to learn the stuff you should have learnt but we know you haven’t because we give you a planet load of work in which to satisfy your cravings for electronics while at universe ity”. Wow that was a mouth full. So yes I have 5 weeks off in which to *cough* TAKE OVER THE WORLD *cough* revise and learn the course. But that’s boring so instead I did this:

I bought off eBay a broken Nintendo DS original (broken case/hinges/screen)


I then proceeded to take it apart


I then proceeded to buy components to fix it with off eBay




I then fixed it



Overall I made a profit (if I sold the fixed DS on eBay) of an amazing £3!!!!
But yes that is what electronics is really about!

//TFG weekend
For those not in the Twyford star stream, TFG stands for Twyford Fellowship Group. It is the CU for my secondary school and each year it hosts an ex-student weekend. This weekend is run by the amazing Jedi Geoff Lumley.

The trip was focused on how the river of God runs alongside the river of life and together their destination is eternal life. The weekend was really great and I learnt a lot about God and where I need to improve in my walk with him.

As per usual the weekend was not without pranks:
Edward finds himself pondering if he really needs a portable toilet...



Thats right folks, praise the lord...oh dear No Entry that way...



I figured Geoff may want to be woken up with a sun lounger...who wouldn't


And we were even lucky enough to have a visit from Jesus!

He had just teleported from heaven

All the talks and stuff are available on the tfg website
www.tfg.org.uk

Big thanks to Geoff for making the weekend happen.

//Family
Well seeing as I am back in the mother ship that is London now I shall talk briefly about what has been “jamming” here. When I first arrived back in London I was greeted with this in my bedroom:


I mean my parents must honestly believe that I do not wash when in York…

Over the Easter weekend my family and I went camping in the Peak District. You may think we are mad, but I prefer to call it “hardcore”. Although my facebook status would disagree:



In order to spice up the cold and windy trip I took a series of photos of things I found vaguely amusing at the time:
Thats quite alot of parsnips...

Churchill...Microwave and Dishwasher safe...and this fact was established in 1765...

A Bakewell Pudding that has been handed down over four generations...yum.

When my father plays scrabble

A successful trip I feel, and I felt once again connected with my Lindley-ness as we failed miserably at pool…


//Person of the week
I feel after much consideration my sister should get person of the week. Major reason is because I miss her when at Uni and now I’m at home I can finally show my appreciation via this:

So Grace Lindley congratulations you are person of the week!


//Prayer Requests
-Thanking God for family and friends
-Praying for a continued concentration with work load

//Conclusion
Kepoow! That be all for now. Hope you have enjoyed reading it. I enjoyed writing it.

Post how many sci-fi references I made (I can’t even remember as this was written in two parts)

Stay safe, I hope you had a lovely Easter…

God bless
David
Xx

Friday 26 February 2010

University- Knitting?

//Intro
Well its been a while since I did one of these (nearly two weeks now). Sorry to those who tuned in expecting a blog and received a rant about Maths last week. Thanks to TFG for explaining how to work out that x=0 is the same as 0=x…much appreciated.

//Poll
So this week, a little less rant, a little more constructive: Should people be allowed to be penguins?

I realise that these polls are getting more and more obscure but hey…

In response to last weeks, 61% of people said that Maths should die in a hole. However as Geoff and Will both pointed out, without maths the statistical analysis I have just mentioned would not be able to occur, therefore Maths probably should not die in a hole.

//Graveshifters
Once again a section about the ever increasing in popularity Graveshifters. For those not in the know (or care) graveshifters is a radio show I present with Mr Hodson on Saturday evenings on URY. The highlight last week was when one listener (who shall remain anonymous but we all know as Megan Jackson) requested that I took off my top whist in the studio. Feeling left out Mr Hodson joined suit. The response was thus:


The above image was broadcast to the world through the medium of a live webcam. The chief computer engineer was in the studio at the time and then proceeded to post this onto facebook. I have since requested we get a censorship image placed on top of our webcam for our next show…tune in to see if this occurs (www.ury.org.uk 11:30pm Saturday)

//Other happenings
*Phone*
In sadder news, my phone decided to finally die. It did it in quite an amazing fashion, first the screen only worked ½ the time. Then the Speaker stopped working, meaning I had to rummage around for my headset every time someone called me. This proved a major issue when my future landlord rang me and I had to explain to him that I could not hear him…

The final straw was when the keypad stopped working, and although I tried using my new found knowledge of electronics to resurrect it was not happening…dead phone.

But help was at hand, in the form of ebay. I have now got a Sony Ericson thing, which actually has a better inbuilt camera…which is good =]

*Reconnecting with my feminine side*
Last weekend I once again crashed the home of 20 Sussex road in order to get some maths work done, whilst there I came across a strange habit that girls seem to develop…that of knitting….


That’s right bloggers, girls seem to like this strange “sport” whereby they spend hours making things out of dead sheep….

This did not really bother me I just wanted to make a point, that I don’t find knitting an attractive pastime, but neither is maths so fair does.


//Christian Life
As some of you may know I am joint leader of Explore (a group for people exploring faith). So far its going amazingly well with God bringing new questions and people every week. Its been a challenging time for me as obviously being human I do not have all the answers, but God is good and explore is continuing to surprise me.

Christian Union also cleaned my kitchen last week as part of Love your uni:


Just thought I should mention this as they did an awesome job.

We also held a join event with Alquin CU this week called Curious; the idea was to have toasties with testimonies. It was an awesome event especially because I broke all health and safety regulations:


And I found this gem on campus:
"University of York in the evening"- Confused much?


*Rag week*
Two weeks ago was RAG week (raising and giving), not much to mention apart from I had the privilege of marching into York city centre dressed as a Jedi, enough said:


//Course
Last week my supervision group and I had to present a poster for our group project, this went well, although we did turn the whole event into a sort of rave by bringing speakers to accompany our poster…I’m sure the physics and Electronics building appreciated Daft Punk being played on a Friday afternoon.

We also took the opportunity to take lots of photos on my new phone:
Our Poster






//Person of the week
This weeks person of the week finishes off a family of people that have been on my blog for quite some time now. Jayne Chuter completes my family of 20 Sussex Road.



Enjoying music and knitting, Jayne is a lovely person. Although she denies it, she absolutely loves having her hair rustled and thrives in having her hair platted by David.


//Prayer Requests
-Explore Group
-People on my floor, for continued good relationships
-Graveshifters (thanking God)

//Conclusion
So there you have it, another blog from me. I hope you have not fallen asleep reading it. Remember to tune in to Graveshifters and send me a message and ill do my best to give you a shout out. In the mean time, remember that God is good, life is fun and cheese is awesome.

God bless
David
x

//Random Photo of Jono
This is what happens when you pose like that...I post it online mahahah