Each cell in your body is a tiny machine. Inside each one is a set of chromosomes that instruct how the cell should work. This DNA is the blueprint, the command set, the language that builds life. The cell uses this long, complex set of data, follows the commands given inside, and with the surrounding organic chemicals, it makes life happen. You could look at these instructions as a type of software, hardcoded within the DNA of each and every cell.

So, if DNA is a type of software, then we are made of software. Each cell is a library of code. Is this why I feel a passion for writing code? If God made all life, and all life is made of DNA, and DNA is software, then is God the ultimate coder extraordinaire? Indeed He is, and He doesn't use TypeScript either!

Over the years and over the many languages, tools, platforms, frameworks, SDK, APIs, operating systems, devices and replacement keyboards, I have found one important thing, I have become old, but not too old, and creating stuff with software makes me feel happy.

My primary goal of this site is to show you how good web components are and why you should use them instead of the every changing frameworks that exist out there.

My secondary goal is to put together some of the more interesting things I run into. Stuff that bores most normal people but gets my mind working. I hope you find some of it useful, interesting, or just something to do for the last 10 minutes of your working day.

If you want to get in touch then drop me an email at StephenPaulHassall@hotmail.com

You may think the standard way people come to Jesus is by going to Church, hearing a message, having their hearts convicted, going forward and giving their lives to Him. This may be the case for most, but it was very different for me. Instead it was a case of being slowly convinced that God exists, then that Jesus also existed, and finally that the only thing I could do was to give my life to him.

Growing up my parents did all the Christian stuff. They went to church, visited people's homes for bible study, had groups round for meals, and tried to teach us all we needed to know about God. I even ended up going to a Christian version of Scots called Boys Brigade. However, I found the whole church thing pointless and boring. Sitting in an old building listening to some old bloke talk about nothing interesting seemed to go forever.

So, over time, during my early teenage years, I went through life doing whatever seemed good to me, which was not always the right thing. I don't remember much of those years, only that it was fun at times, but contained some very stupid and dangerous moments, with a lot of bad behaviour, and things I regret. School was not going well, I couldn't care about anything, and I only did what was required, and nothing else. There was one moment I remember clearly. One day, sitting in an English lesson, I came to the conclusion that my life was totally pointless, and I could see no future or hope. So, out of my depressed despair, I prayed to God that he might as well have my life, after all, I wasn't doing anything good or useful with it. My attitude changed almost instantly and I found myself suddenly wanting to learn and do well. I really didn't pursue God after that, I just changed from doing nothing all day to wanting to learn and do well.

With my mind now focused on learning, I moved towards my best subjects, Maths and Physics (with some Electronics too). I spent my time understanding how the world works, from atoms, elements, to light, gravity and everything in between. It was around this time I started thinking about God and whether he really existed or not. Using my understanding of science, looking at it with only logic and reason, I slowly came to the conclusion that the world could not have come about by random chance. From that point on it was clear to me that God did exist, but that was as far I wanted to go.

My life continued on and I went to university to study Applied Physics. It didn't go well. I really wasn't smart enough and my heart wasn't into it. One day in the library, while I was looking for information relating to building 3D modules on a computer, something I was doing for fun, I thought about my career and what the future would look like. I didn't see any future in Physics for me. I was a little lost. I needed some direction. As I was working out how best to write some software I was playing with, it occurred to me that this hobby I was enjoying so much could be my future job. I decided to leave university, take a step back and enrol in a college course in Computer Studies. It was brilliant and I enjoyed every moment. God was directing me where he wanted me to go, even if I didn't see it at the time.

Each job I had was great. The people I worked with were smart and caring. Things were going very well indeed, I even bought my own flat. It was about this time that my dad started to encourage me to learn something about Jesus. He gave me some tapes to listen to and some books to read. I knew God existed but I was enjoying life and I didn't want to think about all that sort of stuff. But slowly, again, my mind dwelt on them, and I was left with a simple choice. Either I just give up my whole life to God, or I stubbornly refuse the obvious and continue ignoring Him and his constant calling. I gave up. Not only did he exist, but he could have my life. I was all in.

From then on I wanted to learn all I could about God and Jesus. I read the Bible, listened to sermons, read books and took it all in. Over time I came to understand why Jesus came to earth, why he had to die, and why it was our fault. Each of us is born with a bad heart. This stops God from being with us. Because of this, when we die, we cannot spend eternity with him, and as a result, there is only one place to go. God doesn't want this. But God is just and cannot just pardon people. Someone has to pay for our sin, but the penalty is for someone totally pure to die and no human comes close. The only way around this was for God to tell His son Jesus to come to earth and pay the penalty himself, by dying on a cross. This now allows God to forgive us, because the penalty has been paid, all thanks to Jesus. He also gives us a new heart to replace the bad one. Because of this, I gave my life to Jesus, so he could live in me, and I could live for him.

The rest of my life has had its ups and downs, but Jesus has been there with me, directing me, comforting me, and making me a better person. Everything good in my life has come from him. I have also had some health problems, having lived 20+ years with ME/CFS, which makes much of life very limiting, but even this has been a blessing. I have still been able to work and my career has not been affected (it may have even ended up being better because of it). My parents and family have been a real blessing throughout my life, and I thank God for their love and support. If there is one thing you should take from reading all this is, Jesus Christ is real, ask him for help, He will change your life for good.