This morning's sketches to and from church on trains and buses.
Went to an event at The Salvation Army. Was supposed to be helping but found time to scribble some people.
Sunday, 22 December 2013
Sketches
Went to an event at The Salvation Army. Was supposed to be helping but found time to scribble some people.
Monday, 25 March 2013
The 7th March 2013
It was a day I will endeavour not to forget.
A day that a silence was broken and fear was conquered.
A day that has probably catapulted me into my destiny. Not necessarily what I did but what it represents - a boldness discovered.
A day that I was completely reliant on the Holy Spirit.
A day that I chose to actually believe and take comfort in the word of God.
A day that I added works to my faith.
It was the 7th of March 2013.
It was the day God used me as an oracle.
It was the day...
Not so fast, let me give you the background story.
When God wants to change your life, He doesn't often give you much warning but you may notice a few strange circumstances. I don't believe in coincidence so I'm going to call these particular events God-instances.
Lately I've been troubled by my submission to fear and wanted to change - a desire that God put there Himself and was only to pleased to help me with. How do I know? First of all, the Bible clearly says that God has not given us a spirit of fear but of power and love and sound mind. Secondly, the God-instances that have happened in the last month or so.
GOD INSTANCE #1 - My perception of myself challenged
He was hammering away at my doubt. He did do this on a Sunday, not during church surprisingly, but after church. He used a 'chance' meeting with an old University acquaintance to question me about my life, what my dreams are and why I'm not going for them.
On the same day, after deciding to spend more time with this girl, looking for an opportunity to invite her to church, I followed her to a make-up stall where she was served by a former primary school classmate. I hadn't seen this girl for at least a .decade yet we recognised each other immediately. She also decided to quiz me about my whole life and ambitions and the two girls ganged up on me and challenged me not to be afraid.
The humbling thing is that neither of them are Christians, and the one who served us at the counter used to bully me in school (verbally, of course) and had suddenly decided that I was her friend and hugged me several times. All these things perplexed me and got me thinking about a lot of things - mainly how I was going to use these new found friendships to bring these girls to Christ.
Anyway, I managed to get my friend and her Mum to come along to church that same night which gave me a lot of encouragement. Various sermons also reminded me that Jesus Christ is the only truth and everyone needs to know it whether you think they will want to hear it or not.
These things really started to stir up inside me, but only one thing was still missing - the courage to act on it.
GOD INSTANCE #2 - Men's meeting
This is where I met a guy who really challenged me to get deeper in my relationship with God, based on what I shared regarding struggling to engage with the Bible in the way I wanted to. He said these words to me that really stuck with me and changed the way I thought of the Bible:
'The Bible is our food'
Those of you who know me know how much I like my food. How could I hear something like that and not relate it to my love for natural, physical food? Impossible.
GOD INSTANCE #3 - Watching Joyce Meyer
She was speaking on the subject of fear and really challenged me to ask myself why I'm afraid to trust God and believe that He's with me. And the need to do things although I am afraid.
All these things and more led me to decide to ignore fear on that faithful morning , the 7th of March 2013. When I got to my destination I was reminded of 1 Corinthians 2-5. Reading verse 3 and knowing that Paul was as terrified as me gave me great comfort. I read it several times until I believed it and then closed my eyes as the moment was approaching - I didn't want the tension of the moment to build up and make me chicken out.
I also decided I'd have to do it as quickly as I could to give me no time to look at faces and cower.
Again, to prevent me from ducking, I threw myself into it by greeting my audience with a 'Good Morning' - this is all I knew I was going to say and I asked the Holy Spirit to give me the rest of the words. The message that left my mouth was greeted with utter silence but I know it resonated in the hearts of some of the people.
The only response I got at all was a man chuckling next to me. This didn't bother me one bit. I had conquered fear. I remained in the same position. I had preached on a train carriage full of people. Or should I say the Holy Spirit spoke through me.
That same Holy Spirit can speak through you. Ask Him to give you boldness.
Be encouraged!
On the same day, after deciding to spend more time with this girl, looking for an opportunity to invite her to church, I followed her to a make-up stall where she was served by a former primary school classmate. I hadn't seen this girl for at least a .decade yet we recognised each other immediately. She also decided to quiz me about my whole life and ambitions and the two girls ganged up on me and challenged me not to be afraid.
The humbling thing is that neither of them are Christians, and the one who served us at the counter used to bully me in school (verbally, of course) and had suddenly decided that I was her friend and hugged me several times. All these things perplexed me and got me thinking about a lot of things - mainly how I was going to use these new found friendships to bring these girls to Christ.
Anyway, I managed to get my friend and her Mum to come along to church that same night which gave me a lot of encouragement. Various sermons also reminded me that Jesus Christ is the only truth and everyone needs to know it whether you think they will want to hear it or not.
These things really started to stir up inside me, but only one thing was still missing - the courage to act on it.
GOD INSTANCE #2 - Men's meeting
This is where I met a guy who really challenged me to get deeper in my relationship with God, based on what I shared regarding struggling to engage with the Bible in the way I wanted to. He said these words to me that really stuck with me and changed the way I thought of the Bible:
'The Bible is our food'
Those of you who know me know how much I like my food. How could I hear something like that and not relate it to my love for natural, physical food? Impossible.
GOD INSTANCE #3 - Watching Joyce Meyer
She was speaking on the subject of fear and really challenged me to ask myself why I'm afraid to trust God and believe that He's with me. And the need to do things although I am afraid.
All these things and more led me to decide to ignore fear on that faithful morning , the 7th of March 2013. When I got to my destination I was reminded of 1 Corinthians 2-5. Reading verse 3 and knowing that Paul was as terrified as me gave me great comfort. I read it several times until I believed it and then closed my eyes as the moment was approaching - I didn't want the tension of the moment to build up and make me chicken out.
I also decided I'd have to do it as quickly as I could to give me no time to look at faces and cower.
Again, to prevent me from ducking, I threw myself into it by greeting my audience with a 'Good Morning' - this is all I knew I was going to say and I asked the Holy Spirit to give me the rest of the words. The message that left my mouth was greeted with utter silence but I know it resonated in the hearts of some of the people.
The only response I got at all was a man chuckling next to me. This didn't bother me one bit. I had conquered fear. I remained in the same position. I had preached on a train carriage full of people. Or should I say the Holy Spirit spoke through me.
That same Holy Spirit can speak through you. Ask Him to give you boldness.
Be encouraged!
Friday, 16 November 2012
GOD IS GOD
A few weeks ago, I was at a bus stop, with my eyes closed, minding my own business - praying that the bus would come soon, and in process of counting it down - when a lady asked me if I was waiting for a certain bus. 'Yes', I said, and closed my eyes again. This didn't seem to deter this lady who was clearly intent on speaking to me and somehow perceived that I was a good listener. Sure enough, I listened. I listened to her telling me she'd just come out of hospital and complain that the hospital had a new section complete with security guards and yet didn't seem to be able to afford good care for patients. I listened to hear talk about her friend's Mum whose life support machine had been cut off recently. I listened to her say life isn't fair. I was quiet through all this. And then I heard her say these words:
'It makes you wonder, if there is a God, he must be an evil one!'
At this point, I could listen no more. She'd talked enough, it was my turn. I was angry she'd said that, but I was more upset that she didn't know how good God is and how untrue her statement was. Instead of unleashing all the scriptures on her, I just said 'You can't say that, God is a good God. You can't blame Him for everything.' (In hindsight I should've said you can't blame him for ANYTHING!). She then said she's 'not a church person or anything' which seemed like a pretty random response to me. 'What do you believe?' I asked her, which earned me the common response of 'I don't know really', followed by 'no one knows for sure do they?'
'I do, I do!' I was screaming in my head, which came out as a more adult 'I know for sure, God is real. He speaks'. I admitted to being a Christian and she then proceeded to tell me she had been having suicidal thoughts. I had no idea how to react to that, but I thought I'd have to pray about that so I took her name and told her I would. I won't bore you with any more conversation details but in the end it turned out she knew the location of my church so I invited her. No idea if she's ever come but I pray she is still alive and has come closer to the truth if she hasn't fully discovered it yet.
The account I gave you proves two things to me:
1. Everyone is looking for God
That lady had no idea what she believed in but was determined to speak to me about the injustice of life. She knows something is not right with the world and wants answers. She was looking for a friend, someone to confide in - why else would you randomly tell a stranger that you are having suicidal thoughts? (I'm sure God made her open up to me but I'm just saying) God alone provides that deep satisfaction that would convince a person of their worth, God is the best listener, counsellor and friend.
2. God can use anyone at anytime
I am normally really willing to listen, but on this occasion I wasn't really in the mood - I'd just done a tough session at the gym and just wanted to go home (I know I sound like a baby). Even though I had my eyes closed,God still conveyed to this woman that I was the correct person to speak to. I'm just glad that God told me the right things to say to her and that He gave me the boldness to 'stand up for Him' in a sense.
I feel so privileged to be used by God to speak truth. I felt that God was telling me write this to encourage someone. I kept procrastinating but for the last couple days I haven't been able to get this out of my head, so whoever you are, I hope this speaks to you my friend.
God bless you.
Remember He is with you and He loves you, He will never forsake you.
Sunshine -`o -
Thursday, 17 November 2011
Change
Hey guys, it's been a while hasn't it.
There was just something that I thought I shouldd share with you:
I was studying a couple of days ago when I came across a Business theory to do with change. I thought it might have some relevance to someone, I knoww it does to me. Behind the business jargon, there are some really important messages.
----------------------------------------
John Paul Kotter is a professor at Havard Business School, who is widely regarded as the world's foremost authority on leadership and change. Kotter says "The change process goes through a series of phases that, in total, usually require a considerable length of time. Skipping steps creates only the illusion of speed and never produces satisfactory results."
Kotter summarises these eight phases as follows:
1. Establish a sense of urgency
Talk of change typically begins with some people noticing a vulnerability in the organisation. The threat of losing ground in some way sparks people into action, and they in turn try to communicate that sense of urgency to others.
2. Form a powerful guiding coalition
Change efforts often start with just one or two people. and should grow continually to include more and more who believe the changes are necessary. The need in this phase is to gather a large enough initial core of believers.
3. Create a vision
Successful transformation rests on "a picture of the future that is relatively easy to communicate and appeals to customers, shareholders, debt holders and employees. A vision helps clarify the direction in which an organisation needs to move".
"A useful rule of thumb: if you can't communicate the vision to someone in five minutes or less and get a reaction that signifies both understanding and interest, you are not yet done with this phase of the transformation process".
4. Communicate that vision
Kotter suggests the leadership should estimate how much communication of the vision is needed, and then multiply that by a factor of ten.
"Deeds" along with "words" are powerful communicators of the new ways.
The guiding principle is simple: use every existing communication channel and opportunity.
5. Empower others to act on the vision
Allow people to start living out the new ways and to make changes in their areas of involvement. Allocate budget money to the new inititative.
Remove any obstacles there may be to getting on with the change. You can't get rid of all the obstacles, but the biggest ones need to be dealt with.
6. Plan for and create short-term wins
Since real transformation takes time, the loss of momentum and the onset of disappointment are real factors. In successful transformation, leaders actively plan and achieve some short term gains which people will be able to see and celebrate.
7. Consolidate improvements and keep the momentum for change moving
As Kotter warns, "Do not declare victory too soon". Until changes sink deeply into an organisation's culture new approaches are fragile and subject to regression.
8. Institutionalise the new approaches
In the final analysis, change sticks when it becomes "the way things are done around here", when it seeps into the bloodstream of the corporate body.
There was just something that I thought I shouldd share with you:
I was studying a couple of days ago when I came across a Business theory to do with change. I thought it might have some relevance to someone, I knoww it does to me. Behind the business jargon, there are some really important messages.
----------------------------------------
John Paul Kotter is a professor at Havard Business School, who is widely regarded as the world's foremost authority on leadership and change. Kotter says "The change process goes through a series of phases that, in total, usually require a considerable length of time. Skipping steps creates only the illusion of speed and never produces satisfactory results."
Kotter summarises these eight phases as follows:
1. Establish a sense of urgency
Talk of change typically begins with some people noticing a vulnerability in the organisation. The threat of losing ground in some way sparks people into action, and they in turn try to communicate that sense of urgency to others.
2. Form a powerful guiding coalition
Change efforts often start with just one or two people. and should grow continually to include more and more who believe the changes are necessary. The need in this phase is to gather a large enough initial core of believers.
3. Create a vision
Successful transformation rests on "a picture of the future that is relatively easy to communicate and appeals to customers, shareholders, debt holders and employees. A vision helps clarify the direction in which an organisation needs to move".
"A useful rule of thumb: if you can't communicate the vision to someone in five minutes or less and get a reaction that signifies both understanding and interest, you are not yet done with this phase of the transformation process".
4. Communicate that vision
Kotter suggests the leadership should estimate how much communication of the vision is needed, and then multiply that by a factor of ten.
"Deeds" along with "words" are powerful communicators of the new ways.
The guiding principle is simple: use every existing communication channel and opportunity.
5. Empower others to act on the vision
Allow people to start living out the new ways and to make changes in their areas of involvement. Allocate budget money to the new inititative.
Remove any obstacles there may be to getting on with the change. You can't get rid of all the obstacles, but the biggest ones need to be dealt with.
6. Plan for and create short-term wins
Since real transformation takes time, the loss of momentum and the onset of disappointment are real factors. In successful transformation, leaders actively plan and achieve some short term gains which people will be able to see and celebrate.
7. Consolidate improvements and keep the momentum for change moving
As Kotter warns, "Do not declare victory too soon". Until changes sink deeply into an organisation's culture new approaches are fragile and subject to regression.
8. Institutionalise the new approaches
In the final analysis, change sticks when it becomes "the way things are done around here", when it seeps into the bloodstream of the corporate body.
Sunday, 18 September 2011
Fragile but not broken
There are times in life when circumstances hit you, regrets split you and no job description seems to fit you, leading you towards your breaking point. You can't bow down to these feelings, you have to find that strength within.
What do I mean by that? Well, it could mean different things for different people, but for me it means changing my mindset from a negative one to a positive one. I used to be the most optimistic person I know and now I've been infected with pessimism - I don't like it. It's affected the way I see myself, to the point that when other people say things about me I don't even believe them. That's not cool. This whole self pity thing really doesn't go with my soul, so why am I wearing it?
A lot of things have been said to me which have had a negative effect on me, but is man bigger than God? Not even. Isaiah 2:22, in the Bible, puts it this way: "Stop regarding man in whose nostrils is breath, for of what account is he?" The context is that as great as man pretends to be, as lofty as they make themselves in their own eyes, God can easily destroy them because He is much greater. And I think as much as I hear it and as much as I try to understand and believe it, I still behave as if man has the ultimate say in how my life will turn out. And why, because I'm interviewed by men? And men have marked my exams? And men own companies? Rubbish, men cannot dictate my future, but God can. I've let some things sink in which I shouldn't have, I almost stopped believing in myself, and for what reason?
God is able to do exceedingly abundantly beyond what we can ask or imagine, but these days something in me has been preventing me from even asking or imagining. This is not healthy for my soul - not at all. So for me, finding the strength within first of all means shaking off the doubt I can do without. After that, I will be free to find it. And for me, that strength within is the authority which Jesus Christ has granted me through His Holy Spirit. That is what is going to restore my confidence and drive me on to be the man that God purposed me to be.
There is no time to wallow in self pity and the like. There isn't enough energy to be wasted on doubting yourself. I'm speaking to myself, but I'm also speaking to you. Get up, shake it off and move forward. Find the strength within. Don't be afraid to try things differently. You may be fragile but you don't have to be broken.
Carpe diem.
What do I mean by that? Well, it could mean different things for different people, but for me it means changing my mindset from a negative one to a positive one. I used to be the most optimistic person I know and now I've been infected with pessimism - I don't like it. It's affected the way I see myself, to the point that when other people say things about me I don't even believe them. That's not cool. This whole self pity thing really doesn't go with my soul, so why am I wearing it?
A lot of things have been said to me which have had a negative effect on me, but is man bigger than God? Not even. Isaiah 2:22, in the Bible, puts it this way: "Stop regarding man in whose nostrils is breath, for of what account is he?" The context is that as great as man pretends to be, as lofty as they make themselves in their own eyes, God can easily destroy them because He is much greater. And I think as much as I hear it and as much as I try to understand and believe it, I still behave as if man has the ultimate say in how my life will turn out. And why, because I'm interviewed by men? And men have marked my exams? And men own companies? Rubbish, men cannot dictate my future, but God can. I've let some things sink in which I shouldn't have, I almost stopped believing in myself, and for what reason?
God is able to do exceedingly abundantly beyond what we can ask or imagine, but these days something in me has been preventing me from even asking or imagining. This is not healthy for my soul - not at all. So for me, finding the strength within first of all means shaking off the doubt I can do without. After that, I will be free to find it. And for me, that strength within is the authority which Jesus Christ has granted me through His Holy Spirit. That is what is going to restore my confidence and drive me on to be the man that God purposed me to be.
There is no time to wallow in self pity and the like. There isn't enough energy to be wasted on doubting yourself. I'm speaking to myself, but I'm also speaking to you. Get up, shake it off and move forward. Find the strength within. Don't be afraid to try things differently. You may be fragile but you don't have to be broken.
Carpe diem.
Monday, 20 June 2011
Am I doing enough?
Recently it seems I'm not the only one going through a time of reflection. People all around me are asking themselves pertinent questions, some of which they cannot answer themselves. For some people I've spoken to, there is a feeling of failure and a desire to do more; others find encouragement in how far they've come. It's only natural to evaluate oneself every so often. It's a healthy thing to do, especially when the outcome is a practical effort to improve. It also happens to be the middle of the year. If you set specific goals and objectives at the beginning of the year, you would probably expect to have seen some progress in some of them by now. If you haven't seen as much progress as you would have liked at this stage, it's easy to get a bit down.
I was speaking to someone recently and she confided in me that she felt quite rubbish, and that she didn't feel she was doing enough in the church. I honestly did not know what to say. Firstly, because I know this person very well, and I personally had the view that she does too much. Secondly, I was thinking if she doesn't do enough then what hope do I have? Because of the scale of her disappointment in herself, I came to the conclusion that it must be a spiritual attack. The devil is trying desperately to slow Christians down in any way he can, and one way he does this is by making you feel inadequate. This is what he was trying to do to this lady.
When someone genuinely feels like they are not doing enough in the kingdom, the hope is that they will address quickly by trying to do more (if this is the will of God). But more often than not it produces a heavy guilt which gives birth to inertia. It doesn't take long to get from 'I'm not doing enough' to 'should I even bother? This is too hard?' This is not how God wants us to think, He doesn't want us to beat purselves up about what we are not doing, He wants us to do the things that He wants us to do. Yes, as Christians we shouldn't be complaicent, and we should constantly be examining ourselves to see that we are producing fruit, but complaicency is not an action, it's an attitude. Not participating in recognised church ministries does not make a Christian complaicent; what makes them complaicent is a lack of desire to serve God. These are two completely different things: for instance, a Christian who seemingly does nothing at church could be praying for the church everyday in secret. Is this not vitally important for the church?
Apart from this, God has called different people to do different things at different periods. They may be involved in church ministry but going through a time where they feel ineffective. Maybe God wants to divert their attention back to Him because they were 'distracted with much serving' like Martha in Luke 10:40. Some, God may tell just to be part of the congregation until they have grown enough to take on responsibilities. There shouldn't be a race to grow. As a visiting pastor at our church said last weekend, 'God lets us grow gradually. Wouldn't it be weird if we were babies and we just turned into full-grown men and women overinght, but still thought like babies?' Heck yeah was my answer, the same principle applies. There are some people who God calls to serve in more than one ministry for a variety of different reasons e.g. to teach them teamwork, humility, trust, respect for authority, love etc. You just wouldn't know.
Equally, that you don't see someone actively involved or standing on a platform does not mean they are not serving God; nor are those at the forefront of activity automatically servants of God. The latter may be seeking their own glory, hence serving themselves, or dare I say it, indirectly serving Satan. Believe or not, some people even immerse themselves in activities and surround themselves with churchfolk deliberately to avoid spending time alone with God - they may not know how to. This is an issue as we all need to have personal relationships with Him. No one is going to escape by piggybacking off another's salvation. Each one will stand and give his/her own account before God, so it's necessary for all to know Him intimately. Relationship is vital.
Another person I've spoken to recently who feels she has really grown spiritually attributes this in part to the activities she's been involved in. Her involvement in these activities have helped her mature. The positions of responsibilty she holds means that her relationship with God has to be a good one, both so that she can handle the responsibility, and so that she remains effective. The main factor for her growth, therefore, has been the strength of her relationship with God and not the activities/ministries themselves. It is very important to grasp this, as it is so easy to get caught up in routine and forget the reason you do what you do.
However, it isn't always the case that positions of responsibility in the church cause one to grow, it depends on the person's motive and how vigilant the ministry team is. As I alluded to earlier, there are many people who simply hide behind ministry to seem busy, or to avoid relationship. For instance, imagine if a church had 2 services and one lady insisted on teaching a Sunday School group for both services every week. When will she hear adult preaching or fellowship with other people in the church? People would eventually realise that there was and issue and ask questions.
It's not for us as Christians to judge based on what we see with our eyes. Neither should we be discouraged or feel inadequate because others seem to be doing a lot. What we should be doing is making sure that we have a relationship with God. 'Seek first the kingdom of God and all things will be added to you.' A lot of people tend to think of this verse referring to us getting what we need or desire, but how many see this as including responsibilty as well?
I believe that when we seek God earnestly, and with our whole heart and we get to know and love Him, he then trusts us enough to give us responsibilties, which, by the way are a privelege.
So maybe 'am I doing enough?' is the wrong question to use to evaluate ourselves. We can never do enough, especially for God, that's why people are not saved by works. Perhaps the more helpful self-appraisal questions are 'Is my relationship with God getting stronger?', 'What are my motives?', 'Am I ready to take on new/more responsibilities?'
Check, check, check.
I was speaking to someone recently and she confided in me that she felt quite rubbish, and that she didn't feel she was doing enough in the church. I honestly did not know what to say. Firstly, because I know this person very well, and I personally had the view that she does too much. Secondly, I was thinking if she doesn't do enough then what hope do I have? Because of the scale of her disappointment in herself, I came to the conclusion that it must be a spiritual attack. The devil is trying desperately to slow Christians down in any way he can, and one way he does this is by making you feel inadequate. This is what he was trying to do to this lady.
When someone genuinely feels like they are not doing enough in the kingdom, the hope is that they will address quickly by trying to do more (if this is the will of God). But more often than not it produces a heavy guilt which gives birth to inertia. It doesn't take long to get from 'I'm not doing enough' to 'should I even bother? This is too hard?' This is not how God wants us to think, He doesn't want us to beat purselves up about what we are not doing, He wants us to do the things that He wants us to do. Yes, as Christians we shouldn't be complaicent, and we should constantly be examining ourselves to see that we are producing fruit, but complaicency is not an action, it's an attitude. Not participating in recognised church ministries does not make a Christian complaicent; what makes them complaicent is a lack of desire to serve God. These are two completely different things: for instance, a Christian who seemingly does nothing at church could be praying for the church everyday in secret. Is this not vitally important for the church?
Apart from this, God has called different people to do different things at different periods. They may be involved in church ministry but going through a time where they feel ineffective. Maybe God wants to divert their attention back to Him because they were 'distracted with much serving' like Martha in Luke 10:40. Some, God may tell just to be part of the congregation until they have grown enough to take on responsibilities. There shouldn't be a race to grow. As a visiting pastor at our church said last weekend, 'God lets us grow gradually. Wouldn't it be weird if we were babies and we just turned into full-grown men and women overinght, but still thought like babies?' Heck yeah was my answer, the same principle applies. There are some people who God calls to serve in more than one ministry for a variety of different reasons e.g. to teach them teamwork, humility, trust, respect for authority, love etc. You just wouldn't know.
Equally, that you don't see someone actively involved or standing on a platform does not mean they are not serving God; nor are those at the forefront of activity automatically servants of God. The latter may be seeking their own glory, hence serving themselves, or dare I say it, indirectly serving Satan. Believe or not, some people even immerse themselves in activities and surround themselves with churchfolk deliberately to avoid spending time alone with God - they may not know how to. This is an issue as we all need to have personal relationships with Him. No one is going to escape by piggybacking off another's salvation. Each one will stand and give his/her own account before God, so it's necessary for all to know Him intimately. Relationship is vital.
Another person I've spoken to recently who feels she has really grown spiritually attributes this in part to the activities she's been involved in. Her involvement in these activities have helped her mature. The positions of responsibilty she holds means that her relationship with God has to be a good one, both so that she can handle the responsibility, and so that she remains effective. The main factor for her growth, therefore, has been the strength of her relationship with God and not the activities/ministries themselves. It is very important to grasp this, as it is so easy to get caught up in routine and forget the reason you do what you do.
However, it isn't always the case that positions of responsibility in the church cause one to grow, it depends on the person's motive and how vigilant the ministry team is. As I alluded to earlier, there are many people who simply hide behind ministry to seem busy, or to avoid relationship. For instance, imagine if a church had 2 services and one lady insisted on teaching a Sunday School group for both services every week. When will she hear adult preaching or fellowship with other people in the church? People would eventually realise that there was and issue and ask questions.
It's not for us as Christians to judge based on what we see with our eyes. Neither should we be discouraged or feel inadequate because others seem to be doing a lot. What we should be doing is making sure that we have a relationship with God. 'Seek first the kingdom of God and all things will be added to you.' A lot of people tend to think of this verse referring to us getting what we need or desire, but how many see this as including responsibilty as well?
I believe that when we seek God earnestly, and with our whole heart and we get to know and love Him, he then trusts us enough to give us responsibilties, which, by the way are a privelege.
So maybe 'am I doing enough?' is the wrong question to use to evaluate ourselves. We can never do enough, especially for God, that's why people are not saved by works. Perhaps the more helpful self-appraisal questions are 'Is my relationship with God getting stronger?', 'What are my motives?', 'Am I ready to take on new/more responsibilities?'
Check, check, check.
Monday, 21 March 2011
Know for yourself
John 4:42 ~
"They said to the woman, "It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Saviour of the world.""
Recently I was asked why, if I grew up in the church, did it take so long for me to accept Jesus as my personal Lord and Saviour. I could've given a number of reason s, but the real reason is that I was believing in Jesus through others, I didn't know Him myself. And how could I have? I hardly ever read my Bible in my own time. All the verses I had knowledge of I'd heard at Sunday School, in the main services at church or from parents and friends.
I accepted what people said was true at face value, but it didn't have any major bearing on my life. All it inspired me to do was live by good morals, it didn't inspire me to seek after a relationship with God. There are dangers attached to believing based on other's experiences/testimonies. They may impact you for a little while, but unless you seek those experiences/truths yourself the effects are likely to wear off quickly.
In John 4:42, the Samaritans said, "... we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Saviour of the world." [emphasis added]. So, in addition to the aforementioned danger, there is also a chance that you didn't fully believe in the first place.
As a teen I was quite apathetic, so the change began when I suddenly had all these inquisitive people around me. They were not satisfied with just hearing about the Bible, they would read it and ask God for their own interpretation - something that I had never considered.
One friend from college was especially fond of quoting scripture, and it became increasingly difficult to hang around with him without contributing much to our discussions. And so, the quest for more knowledge began. It was about time too. Hosea 4:6 says in the New International Version, "My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge." Self-destruction is not my portion, neither will it be yours.
I'm very grateful for that friend's commitment at the time as he would also invite me to afternoon youth services after I'd attended my regular church in the mornings. It was there that I felt God tugging at my heart's strings when a girl from our college made an altar call after preaching.
I was still reluctant to go forward as I knew many of the youth in the congregation, and suspected that most would be shocked I hadn't made this decision already. This was not a valid excuse, what is pride if not a burden? So I went up, said a prayer, was prayed for, and felt some sort of release.
Almost 6 years on, I haven't looked back. I'm getting to know the real character of Jesus a little more every day, thus feeling closer to God. I can honestly say that over the years my relationship with God has compelled me to dramatically change my mindset. And my new way of thinking has changed EVERYTHING!
There will be trials and tribulations, and times when you wonder why you bother being a Christian - such is life - but let me tell you this:
The rewards during - and most importantly - after the battle, far outweigh the pains of the battle.
Keep on keepin on, the joy of the Lord is your strength.
God Bless,
Sunshine -`o -
"They said to the woman, "It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Saviour of the world.""
Recently I was asked why, if I grew up in the church, did it take so long for me to accept Jesus as my personal Lord and Saviour. I could've given a number of reason s, but the real reason is that I was believing in Jesus through others, I didn't know Him myself. And how could I have? I hardly ever read my Bible in my own time. All the verses I had knowledge of I'd heard at Sunday School, in the main services at church or from parents and friends.
I accepted what people said was true at face value, but it didn't have any major bearing on my life. All it inspired me to do was live by good morals, it didn't inspire me to seek after a relationship with God. There are dangers attached to believing based on other's experiences/testimonies. They may impact you for a little while, but unless you seek those experiences/truths yourself the effects are likely to wear off quickly.
In John 4:42, the Samaritans said, "... we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Saviour of the world." [emphasis added]. So, in addition to the aforementioned danger, there is also a chance that you didn't fully believe in the first place.
As a teen I was quite apathetic, so the change began when I suddenly had all these inquisitive people around me. They were not satisfied with just hearing about the Bible, they would read it and ask God for their own interpretation - something that I had never considered.
One friend from college was especially fond of quoting scripture, and it became increasingly difficult to hang around with him without contributing much to our discussions. And so, the quest for more knowledge began. It was about time too. Hosea 4:6 says in the New International Version, "My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge." Self-destruction is not my portion, neither will it be yours.
I'm very grateful for that friend's commitment at the time as he would also invite me to afternoon youth services after I'd attended my regular church in the mornings. It was there that I felt God tugging at my heart's strings when a girl from our college made an altar call after preaching.
I was still reluctant to go forward as I knew many of the youth in the congregation, and suspected that most would be shocked I hadn't made this decision already. This was not a valid excuse, what is pride if not a burden? So I went up, said a prayer, was prayed for, and felt some sort of release.
Almost 6 years on, I haven't looked back. I'm getting to know the real character of Jesus a little more every day, thus feeling closer to God. I can honestly say that over the years my relationship with God has compelled me to dramatically change my mindset. And my new way of thinking has changed EVERYTHING!
There will be trials and tribulations, and times when you wonder why you bother being a Christian - such is life - but let me tell you this:
The rewards during - and most importantly - after the battle, far outweigh the pains of the battle.
Keep on keepin on, the joy of the Lord is your strength.
God Bless,
Sunshine -`o -
Monday, 7 February 2011
What's your motif?
I've had a fantastic start to the year, I must say. Nothing extraordinary has happened per se but I just feel better in myself. Not that when the clock struck midnight to mark the 1st minute of the year I suddenly became positive, not at all. It's just that since then, I haven't had anything to worry about. Or what I would normally worry about I've taken in my stride so far (or tried to, anyway).
In all honesty, this new lease of life has been coming. I've endeavoured to make more and more time for God and I'm learning more about His character each day. He's actually a hilarious character. To say that He's unorthodox would be an understatement. He continually tramples on the perceptions I have on the way He works. He doesn't have to be systematic- He's God. He's continally changing the way I think and I'm steadily realising the need for flexibility in that area.
Sometimes I have a motif of thinking that I don't want anyone to reshape or resize. Let's call this motif a square. The square is safe, all its sides are equal, it tesselates whether you turn it on its side or on its head. I am in control... This is where the problem lies. The previous sentence IS a lie. I begin to feel I'm in control because I have somehow made God fit into this square, I almost hold God to ransom by trying to force certain issues and then when they fall flat I look to the sky.
Whose fault is it? Isn't God bigger than my square of thoughts? The truth is He's the only one in a position to control my life, in the first place:
"In their hearts humans plan their course, but the LORD establishes their steps." Proverbs 16:9
Jeremiah was also aware of this principle and reminds us in Jeremiah 10:23 ~ "LORD, I know that people’s lives are not their own; it is not for them to direct their steps."
I tried to fight against certain career paths, courses, etc only to be led right back to them. Often times what we think is best is far from it. And sometimes we know what's best but because of the weight of expectation try to reason against reason. The old cliche "God works in mysterious ways" is so true.
God does not follow motifs. He is not lazy. He doesn't trace or copy and paste. He uses different methods. He made each of us indivually and therefore tailors you-specific-plans. Expand your mind. Enlarge your thinking.
If you find yourself boxed in at the moment, hemmed in on all sides, it may be because you've enslaved yourself in a square pattern of thought. If you feel that's you, open up the square and allow God into your situations, don't minimise His capabilities and stop squeezing Him out. Talk to God and allow him to renew your mind and guide you- that's what He does! Moving from A to G and then back to E may seem illogical to you but God may just be concerned with you completing the alphabet. What worked for someone else may not work for you, and what worked for you in the past may not work for you now. So stop comparing and start listening and learning.
In all honesty, this new lease of life has been coming. I've endeavoured to make more and more time for God and I'm learning more about His character each day. He's actually a hilarious character. To say that He's unorthodox would be an understatement. He continually tramples on the perceptions I have on the way He works. He doesn't have to be systematic- He's God. He's continally changing the way I think and I'm steadily realising the need for flexibility in that area.
Sometimes I have a motif of thinking that I don't want anyone to reshape or resize. Let's call this motif a square. The square is safe, all its sides are equal, it tesselates whether you turn it on its side or on its head. I am in control... This is where the problem lies. The previous sentence IS a lie. I begin to feel I'm in control because I have somehow made God fit into this square, I almost hold God to ransom by trying to force certain issues and then when they fall flat I look to the sky.
Whose fault is it? Isn't God bigger than my square of thoughts? The truth is He's the only one in a position to control my life, in the first place:
"In their hearts humans plan their course, but the LORD establishes their steps." Proverbs 16:9
Jeremiah was also aware of this principle and reminds us in Jeremiah 10:23 ~ "LORD, I know that people’s lives are not their own; it is not for them to direct their steps."
I tried to fight against certain career paths, courses, etc only to be led right back to them. Often times what we think is best is far from it. And sometimes we know what's best but because of the weight of expectation try to reason against reason. The old cliche "God works in mysterious ways" is so true.
God does not follow motifs. He is not lazy. He doesn't trace or copy and paste. He uses different methods. He made each of us indivually and therefore tailors you-specific-plans. Expand your mind. Enlarge your thinking.
If you find yourself boxed in at the moment, hemmed in on all sides, it may be because you've enslaved yourself in a square pattern of thought. If you feel that's you, open up the square and allow God into your situations, don't minimise His capabilities and stop squeezing Him out. Talk to God and allow him to renew your mind and guide you- that's what He does! Moving from A to G and then back to E may seem illogical to you but God may just be concerned with you completing the alphabet. What worked for someone else may not work for you, and what worked for you in the past may not work for you now. So stop comparing and start listening and learning.
Tuesday, 21 December 2010
The wait.
Human beings... we're a strange bunch. We want everything 'quickfast' as my Dad would put it - notice how there is no gap between quick and fast, it's one word. Similarly people want their lives to be as one sentence that ebbs and flows without any commas or full stops. *insert wry smile* I too sometimes dream in colour.
Dreamers, I hate to break it to you but life hardly pans out like that. Life is a stutterer, and here's the bit that's bound to annoy you - sometimes.... wait for it.... LIFE STUTTERS ON PURPOSE. Yeah, I said it. Life makes you do the one thing that you enjoy least - wait.
How many times, in life's corridor, have you raced through a series of doors only to be halted by one giant one? Coincidence.... I think not? And your first reaction would probably be to force it to open somehow.
We constantly try to force doors open, which only leaves us feeling frustrated. It's funny how easy it is, in those instances, to eliminate the possibility that the door is closed for a reason. How often, when faced with a closed door, would you immediately reason that God is trying to sort things out on the other side of it? I don't know about you but that tends to be my last thought, after I've huffed and I've puffed and all my energy's spent.
So often when our attempts to rush through life are thwarted we are quick to blame Satan. We're so impatient that we jump to conclusions without blinking. Do we ever stop to wonder if we were standing behind the right door in the 1st place?
We have to learn to wait, and while we're waiting, to listen. It might not always be best to just stand behind the door either, you may need to come away from it completely. God doesn't think like us, He might be planning to bring the walls down too but He won't do it unless you step back. He doesn't want to see you hurt. And He definitely doesn't want you walking through a door when you're not yet equipped to deal with whatever's on flipside.
No one ever said it would be easy. Waiting can be tedious and tasking, but it is a character-building exercise all great characters must learn to love. And you cannot race time - it will overlap you, so you might aswell wait for it to come back around.
Besides that, timing is everything to God and He always waits for the opportune time as should we. One day we will live outside the bounds of time but for now He has planned our lives in seasons. We have two choices: Either we try and learn how to interpret the seasons or we ram our heads into the same door over and over - I know which one I'm choosing. In due time you will appreciate that the wait is usually worth more than your weight in gold. When the mosaic that is your life starts to make sense, you will be thankful that some of those doors were initially shut in your face. I know I am.
Dreamers, I hate to break it to you but life hardly pans out like that. Life is a stutterer, and here's the bit that's bound to annoy you - sometimes.... wait for it.... LIFE STUTTERS ON PURPOSE. Yeah, I said it. Life makes you do the one thing that you enjoy least - wait.
How many times, in life's corridor, have you raced through a series of doors only to be halted by one giant one? Coincidence.... I think not? And your first reaction would probably be to force it to open somehow.
We constantly try to force doors open, which only leaves us feeling frustrated. It's funny how easy it is, in those instances, to eliminate the possibility that the door is closed for a reason. How often, when faced with a closed door, would you immediately reason that God is trying to sort things out on the other side of it? I don't know about you but that tends to be my last thought, after I've huffed and I've puffed and all my energy's spent.
So often when our attempts to rush through life are thwarted we are quick to blame Satan. We're so impatient that we jump to conclusions without blinking. Do we ever stop to wonder if we were standing behind the right door in the 1st place?
We have to learn to wait, and while we're waiting, to listen. It might not always be best to just stand behind the door either, you may need to come away from it completely. God doesn't think like us, He might be planning to bring the walls down too but He won't do it unless you step back. He doesn't want to see you hurt. And He definitely doesn't want you walking through a door when you're not yet equipped to deal with whatever's on flipside.
No one ever said it would be easy. Waiting can be tedious and tasking, but it is a character-building exercise all great characters must learn to love. And you cannot race time - it will overlap you, so you might aswell wait for it to come back around.
Besides that, timing is everything to God and He always waits for the opportune time as should we. One day we will live outside the bounds of time but for now He has planned our lives in seasons. We have two choices: Either we try and learn how to interpret the seasons or we ram our heads into the same door over and over - I know which one I'm choosing. In due time you will appreciate that the wait is usually worth more than your weight in gold. When the mosaic that is your life starts to make sense, you will be thankful that some of those doors were initially shut in your face. I know I am.
Friday, 5 November 2010
COMMITMENT ISSUES
From a very young age I was quite adventurous. I tried a lot of different activities, I had a lot of different dreams, I was not afraid of change. I taught myself to adapt to things quickly, which was just as well, as that quality has come in handy on several occasions.
Throughout my life I have had to resettle as soon as I was settled. For example, I went to 4 different Primary schools, 2 Secondary schools and 2 colleges. As I said, it's just as well I'm someone who can adapt easily.
However, for me, the ability to adapt also came with the inability to commit. An inability that, in hindsight, has cost me dearly. You see, because of past experiences, in the back of my mind I always feel that I'll probably have to move on anyway. This frame of mind results in me refusing to put my all into things. 'Don't commit. Always keep your options open, never show too much interest in one thing. Save yourself some hurt'. That's how I've lived the majority of my life and probably why I often find it hard to complete things, or get into habits and patterns in the first place. Everythin with me has to be open-ended. Nothing is ever set-in-stone.
The more I've analysed myself, the clearer it has become.It's like a bad habit. It is a bad habit. It is, however, a habit that I am much more aware of, and one that I have been addressing.
I've also noticed a pattern in this bad habit. Senseless as it may seem, the things in front of me are harder to commit to than those that are out of my reach.
Scenario:
It's easy to say that if you had a certain job you wouldn't want to quit, when your perception of your job is warped by that same fantasy.
Commit to what you can, right now, and be content with it, you may be surprised at the results. Since I've started putting my heart into things I feel a lot better for it. I'm tired of being a 'Half-way man'. I'm sick of how easy it is to detach myself from my 'commitments'. When nothng is at risk, when there is no emotional attachment, where does the motivation come from?
The same emotions I wouldn't dream of putting into my commitments have now become my chauffeur.
I've challenged myslef, and now here's my challenge to you:
Go and search yourself and find all the things you need to commit to and commit to them. Whatever happens, at least you'll know you gave it your all. That's all it takes.
Throughout my life I have had to resettle as soon as I was settled. For example, I went to 4 different Primary schools, 2 Secondary schools and 2 colleges. As I said, it's just as well I'm someone who can adapt easily.
However, for me, the ability to adapt also came with the inability to commit. An inability that, in hindsight, has cost me dearly. You see, because of past experiences, in the back of my mind I always feel that I'll probably have to move on anyway. This frame of mind results in me refusing to put my all into things. 'Don't commit. Always keep your options open, never show too much interest in one thing. Save yourself some hurt'. That's how I've lived the majority of my life and probably why I often find it hard to complete things, or get into habits and patterns in the first place. Everythin with me has to be open-ended. Nothing is ever set-in-stone.
The more I've analysed myself, the clearer it has become.
I've also noticed a pattern in this bad habit. Senseless as it may seem, the things in front of me are harder to commit to than those that are out of my reach.
Scenario:
It's easy to say that if you had a certain job you wouldn't want to quit, when your perception of your job is warped by that same fantasy.
Commit to what you can, right now, and be content with it, you may be surprised at the results. Since I've started putting my heart into things I feel a lot better for it. I'm tired of being a 'Half-way man'. I'm sick of how easy it is to detach myself from my 'commitments'. When nothng is at risk, when there is no emotional attachment, where does the motivation come from?
The same emotions I wouldn't dream of putting into my commitments have now become my chauffeur.
I've challenged myslef, and now here's my challenge to you:
Go and search yourself and find all the things you need to commit to and commit to them. Whatever happens, at least you'll know you gave it your all. That's all it takes.
Friday, 15 October 2010
M@RR!@&£
As time goes on I'm meeting more and more people who now consider marriage a swear word. If that's you, I don't usually swear, forgive me.
In some instances talk of marriage has gotten me scowls, 'ewwwws' and 'yucks'. I wasn't talking about it in relation to me by the way, just generally. A girl posted a tweet which made me question whether she ever wanted to get married. Turns out she's one of the 'yuckers'. Somewhere along the way the image of marriage in some peoples' heads has been tarnished to look more like a curse than a blessing.
Well, I have grown up having a fantastic image of marriage (I don't care if fantastic comes from fantasy). I've witnessed via my parents and others how beautiful it can be. It doesn't all have to be stress and restrictions as is the view seemingly in fashion now. Everything in life takes effort, sometimes you don't feel the effort because you enjoy doing certain things or you're just used to them, but effort is being put in regardless.
I had a conversation with a friend who said this: "Both being in a relationship and being single are hard". So true but it made me laugh because it sounded like she wasn't sure if she wanted to be either right now. Maybe this is the view of these 'ewwwers' and 'yuckers', I don't know, just simulating. You can only be one or the other. Some people have told me that they don't want to get married but they do want to live with their partner. To me this makes no sense *shrugs*.
Anyway, bottom line is my parents have proved to me that marriage is not in vain. It can work, it does work. Tomorrow they will be having a party to celebrate 25 years of marriage. I take my hat off to them. If I have a marriage anything like theirs I'll be a blessed man. (Not that I'm not a blessed man now of course :D).
Marriage is the way forward whether you like it or yes.
Toodles.
In some instances talk of marriage has gotten me scowls, 'ewwwws' and 'yucks'. I wasn't talking about it in relation to me by the way, just generally. A girl posted a tweet which made me question whether she ever wanted to get married. Turns out she's one of the 'yuckers'. Somewhere along the way the image of marriage in some peoples' heads has been tarnished to look more like a curse than a blessing.
Well, I have grown up having a fantastic image of marriage (I don't care if fantastic comes from fantasy). I've witnessed via my parents and others how beautiful it can be. It doesn't all have to be stress and restrictions as is the view seemingly in fashion now. Everything in life takes effort, sometimes you don't feel the effort because you enjoy doing certain things or you're just used to them, but effort is being put in regardless.
I had a conversation with a friend who said this: "Both being in a relationship and being single are hard". So true but it made me laugh because it sounded like she wasn't sure if she wanted to be either right now. Maybe this is the view of these 'ewwwers' and 'yuckers', I don't know, just simulating. You can only be one or the other. Some people have told me that they don't want to get married but they do want to live with their partner. To me this makes no sense *shrugs*.
Anyway, bottom line is my parents have proved to me that marriage is not in vain. It can work, it does work. Tomorrow they will be having a party to celebrate 25 years of marriage. I take my hat off to them. If I have a marriage anything like theirs I'll be a blessed man. (Not that I'm not a blessed man now of course :D).
Marriage is the way forward whether you like it or yes.
Toodles.
FEELING A BIT LOW?
Lately I have been hearing/ reading/ seeing a lot about thinking and speaking positively and feeling good about yourself. These things made me obtusely aware of something. It seems that the more I've tried to encourage myself the worse I've ended up feeling. I realise now that I've been doing it the wrong way. The problem is I've been trying to encourage MYSELF. My opinion of myself is always going to be skewed one way or another because it's my opinion. One point of view. It gives me steam for a little bit and then the engine just stops dead in its tracks.
What am I saying? That I should rely on my friends to encourage me? Not even. That's even more dangerous than relying on me to encourage me because a day will come when the compliment tap will stop running. And it even when it is running it still doesn't fill the void. Feeling confident in yourself is not to be mistaken with ego trips. I believe the ability to feel good about yourself comes from humility and not pride. Think about it. Pride makes you look to yourself for strength. The weight of supposed expectation is what makes you think about yourself in a negative light in the first place. If you were able to see beyond yourself as a competitor of everyone else then it I think it would become easier to feel good about yourself.
I believe we have been offered a relief in the form of a relationship with God who does not discriminate against anyone. The God who gives everyone a fair chance to feel accepted. If we were able to fully accept this fact and keep it in mind we would probably spend more time with God. Who doesn't want to spend time with someone who loves them for who they are? Someone who sees them as a champion? God wants us to rely on Him for encouragement, reassurance. He wants to be the one you ask 'can I really do this?' because in truth only He knows. That's why Matthew 6:33 says:
"But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."
If we seek God we will find EVERYTHING we're looking for. Our life has no choice but to fall into place. But knowing this, why is it easier to seek everything first and then look for God? A question I am still asking myself. All I know now is that life is bigger than I but it's not bigger than God. I trust that I am whatever he says I am.
What am I saying? That I should rely on my friends to encourage me? Not even. That's even more dangerous than relying on me to encourage me because a day will come when the compliment tap will stop running. And it even when it is running it still doesn't fill the void. Feeling confident in yourself is not to be mistaken with ego trips. I believe the ability to feel good about yourself comes from humility and not pride. Think about it. Pride makes you look to yourself for strength. The weight of supposed expectation is what makes you think about yourself in a negative light in the first place. If you were able to see beyond yourself as a competitor of everyone else then it I think it would become easier to feel good about yourself.
I believe we have been offered a relief in the form of a relationship with God who does not discriminate against anyone. The God who gives everyone a fair chance to feel accepted. If we were able to fully accept this fact and keep it in mind we would probably spend more time with God. Who doesn't want to spend time with someone who loves them for who they are? Someone who sees them as a champion? God wants us to rely on Him for encouragement, reassurance. He wants to be the one you ask 'can I really do this?' because in truth only He knows. That's why Matthew 6:33 says:
"But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."
If we seek God we will find EVERYTHING we're looking for. Our life has no choice but to fall into place. But knowing this, why is it easier to seek everything first and then look for God? A question I am still asking myself. All I know now is that life is bigger than I but it's not bigger than God. I trust that I am whatever he says I am.
Tuesday, 14 September 2010
SAVED
If Christians were relying on their own ability to obey God's Word, it would be a great struggle. However, many Christians are; without even realising it. And I'm one of them.
Everytime I think that I have grasped the meaning of my salvation, a deeper (or more true) understanding comes to blow the other one away. It's only in the past month or so that I've noticed what I've been doing. For some reason, I've been beating myself up and trying to justify my actions as if I have the power to combat sin. (Did you see what I did just there? Beating MYSELF up- combatting SIN... Get it? Get it? Never mind- you will!). If I did have the power to combat sin, why would I need a Saviour in Jesus? Why would God send His Son to take responsibility for my sins? Surely, when ever I sinned I would just make excuses in a bid to explain why I sinned.
Do you see how silly that last sentence is? I dare you to read it out loud, it sounds even more stupid!
Anyway, I digress. What I'm trying to say is that we are humans, i.e. flesh is a part of us. The flesh cannot fight spiritual battles such as the temptation to sin. Exhibit A:
Romans 7:18~
"For I know that nothing good dwells within me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out."
verse 19 goes on to say:
"For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing."
Now, I don't know about you but if I don't want to do something, I wouldn't keep on doing it. However, in this circumstance it is clear that something else is causing Paul, the author of Romans, to go against all reason- It's a negative spiritual influence.
Let's skip to verse 22:
"For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members."
This goes to show that no matter how hard WE try WE cannot justify ourselves because a sinful nature has lived within all humans since Adam and Eve disobeyed God.
The only way we are justified and made holy and acceptable before God is through the Holy Spirit of His Son, Jesus Christ, in whom there is life, and through whom we escape the wages of sin, which is death.
Romans 8:3-5 ~
"For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit"
Galatians 5:16 ~
"So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature."
It's walking in the Spirit that will validate Christ's atonement for our sin. Although He has atoned for every sin ever committed, being committed right now, and yet to be committed; it's up to you to accept that gift with both hands by walking in the Spirit.
What does it mean to 'walk in the Spirit'?
To walk in the Spirit is to desire God and live your life based on His word AND guidance from the Holy Spirit. The more time you spend seeking God, i.e. reading the Bible, praying; the more you will understand what the Spirit wants you to do. And if you are doing what the Spirit wants you to do, then naturally, you will exhibit the fruit of the Spirit:
Galatians 5:22 and 23 ~
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law."
There may be some people reading this who want to know more about Christ, or want to become Christians but have been putting it off because you 'want to be clean first'. I hope what you have read so far has given you the confidence to come as you are. If not, how about this?
Romans 8:1 and 2 ~
"There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death."
Don't worry about what you've heard about what other Christians do, or the way they judge others. That's for them and God to resolve. You just come as you are- there is no other way. Don't think you're being a hypocrite. You can NEVER make yourself clean . It is CHRIST who CLEANSES YOU and then calls you brother or sister. You become a child of God:
Romans 8:14 ~
"For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.
verses 16-17 say:
"The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs- heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with Him in order that we may also be glorified with Him."
The suffering that is referred to is the constant battle against the flesh. It will intensify as you get closer to God, I can't lie to you, but no good thing in life comes without a struggle- this is also true of ETERNAL LIFE. These are the promises that await you when you accept Jesus Christ as your personal Saviour and start walking in the Spirit. So what are waiting for? Claim your inheritance!
For my Christian readers, I hope that this has challenged your concept of salvation in some way. Keep trusting in God and not in man, especially not yourself because your flesh is an enemy of God, and Satan knows that, that is why he uses it against you on a daily basis. Your strength comes from Christ. Don't ever forget that.
Shalom (Peace).
Everytime I think that I have grasped the meaning of my salvation, a deeper (or more true) understanding comes to blow the other one away. It's only in the past month or so that I've noticed what I've been doing. For some reason, I've been beating myself up and trying to justify my actions as if I have the power to combat sin. (Did you see what I did just there? Beating MYSELF up- combatting SIN... Get it? Get it? Never mind- you will!). If I did have the power to combat sin, why would I need a Saviour in Jesus? Why would God send His Son to take responsibility for my sins? Surely, when ever I sinned I would just make excuses in a bid to explain why I sinned.
Do you see how silly that last sentence is? I dare you to read it out loud, it sounds even more stupid!
Anyway, I digress. What I'm trying to say is that we are humans, i.e. flesh is a part of us. The flesh cannot fight spiritual battles such as the temptation to sin. Exhibit A:
Romans 7:18~
"For I know that nothing good dwells within me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out."
verse 19 goes on to say:
"For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing."
Now, I don't know about you but if I don't want to do something, I wouldn't keep on doing it. However, in this circumstance it is clear that something else is causing Paul, the author of Romans, to go against all reason- It's a negative spiritual influence.
Let's skip to verse 22:
"For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members."
This goes to show that no matter how hard WE try WE cannot justify ourselves because a sinful nature has lived within all humans since Adam and Eve disobeyed God.
The only way we are justified and made holy and acceptable before God is through the Holy Spirit of His Son, Jesus Christ, in whom there is life, and through whom we escape the wages of sin, which is death.
Romans 8:3-5 ~
"For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit"
Galatians 5:16 ~
"So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature."
It's walking in the Spirit that will validate Christ's atonement for our sin. Although He has atoned for every sin ever committed, being committed right now, and yet to be committed; it's up to you to accept that gift with both hands by walking in the Spirit.
What does it mean to 'walk in the Spirit'?
To walk in the Spirit is to desire God and live your life based on His word AND guidance from the Holy Spirit. The more time you spend seeking God, i.e. reading the Bible, praying; the more you will understand what the Spirit wants you to do. And if you are doing what the Spirit wants you to do, then naturally, you will exhibit the fruit of the Spirit:
Galatians 5:22 and 23 ~
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law."
There may be some people reading this who want to know more about Christ, or want to become Christians but have been putting it off because you 'want to be clean first'. I hope what you have read so far has given you the confidence to come as you are. If not, how about this?
Romans 8:1 and 2 ~
"There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death."
Don't worry about what you've heard about what other Christians do, or the way they judge others. That's for them and God to resolve. You just come as you are- there is no other way. Don't think you're being a hypocrite. You can NEVER make yourself clean . It is CHRIST who CLEANSES YOU and then calls you brother or sister. You become a child of God:
Romans 8:14 ~
"For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.
verses 16-17 say:
"The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs- heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with Him in order that we may also be glorified with Him."
The suffering that is referred to is the constant battle against the flesh. It will intensify as you get closer to God, I can't lie to you, but no good thing in life comes without a struggle- this is also true of ETERNAL LIFE. These are the promises that await you when you accept Jesus Christ as your personal Saviour and start walking in the Spirit. So what are waiting for? Claim your inheritance!
For my Christian readers, I hope that this has challenged your concept of salvation in some way. Keep trusting in God and not in man, especially not yourself because your flesh is an enemy of God, and Satan knows that, that is why he uses it against you on a daily basis. Your strength comes from Christ. Don't ever forget that.
Shalom (Peace).
Thursday, 26 August 2010
AHHHH... THE FREEDOM OF WRITING
Hey fellow Sunshine citizens, it's been a long time I know, if you were having to pay a suscription fee you would all have cancelled your direct debits. Forgive me, but today I've been convicted to write a blog (a friend of mine has started 1 lol).
There's something theraputic about writing, even if it's utter rubbish it just makes me feel a certain way. Have you ever got goosebumps from a book? The actual goosebumps series doesn't count by the way. I would love my writing to make people shiver but there's probably an art to it.
The art of writing reminds me of dance in the way both are judged. Dance audiences expect a lot in terms of composition, they want it to be sharp, seamless and succinct, but at the same time expect an element of freedom. You have to let loose but somehow keep definition, it's a very hard skill I pressume. I can confess that I've never been taught how to dance and don't know much about it but I love trying different styles so here I go. Loose but composed (I think (or hope)):
CRIPPLING UNCERTAINTY
All things un-seamed
undetermined-
unsightly,
semi-curse words
like maybe
or likely
How about slightly?
probably
might be
the worst of the lot
yep
might as well
bite me
Uncertainty
of the highest degree
climbing society
like it was a tree
Spreading like viruses
on a PC
I'm not immune
no I'm talking to me
'Can't you decide man?
left or the right man?
Decisions taking up
all of your life span'
Scared of my life man
don't know if I can
muster up courage
to become a ‘kite man’
Soaring above land
and diving in seas?
sounds like the life man
for you and not me
I'm cool right here
where I still feel the heat
coz what I'm unsure of
is uncertainty
Not sure if I can
venture off dry land
swim in the ocean?
Bruv, am I a merman?
Don't know what's out there
naked and laid bare
that's how I'll feel
when I realise I can't stand
And sky is to bird
as the land is to man
if you reason verbally
you’ll understand
But how can you reason
when you’re on cloud 9?
The fact that you numbered them
means you have time
Too much time really
when time’s in decline
And I can see clearly
You don’t value life
Spend your time dreaming
when dreams are misleading
illusions you’re breeding
they fill up your mind
You should try my trick
and fill it with worries
you’ll only be crippled
the rest of your life
All things surrounding
uncertain ambitions
should sound the alarm bells
so wake up in time
Or uncertainty
of the highest degree
will climb up society
like it’s a tree
Then spread like a virus
on every PC
no I'm not immune
so I'm talking to me!
There's something theraputic about writing, even if it's utter rubbish it just makes me feel a certain way. Have you ever got goosebumps from a book? The actual goosebumps series doesn't count by the way. I would love my writing to make people shiver but there's probably an art to it.
The art of writing reminds me of dance in the way both are judged. Dance audiences expect a lot in terms of composition, they want it to be sharp, seamless and succinct, but at the same time expect an element of freedom. You have to let loose but somehow keep definition, it's a very hard skill I pressume. I can confess that I've never been taught how to dance and don't know much about it but I love trying different styles so here I go. Loose but composed (I think (or hope)):
CRIPPLING UNCERTAINTY
All things un-seamed
undetermined-
unsightly,
semi-curse words
like maybe
or likely
How about slightly?
probably
might be
the worst of the lot
yep
might as well
bite me
Uncertainty
of the highest degree
climbing society
like it was a tree
Spreading like viruses
on a PC
I'm not immune
no I'm talking to me
'Can't you decide man?
left or the right man?
Decisions taking up
all of your life span'
Scared of my life man
don't know if I can
muster up courage
to become a ‘kite man’
Soaring above land
and diving in seas?
sounds like the life man
for you and not me
I'm cool right here
where I still feel the heat
coz what I'm unsure of
is uncertainty
Not sure if I can
venture off dry land
swim in the ocean?
Bruv, am I a merman?
Don't know what's out there
naked and laid bare
that's how I'll feel
when I realise I can't stand
And sky is to bird
as the land is to man
if you reason verbally
you’ll understand
But how can you reason
when you’re on cloud 9?
The fact that you numbered them
means you have time
Too much time really
when time’s in decline
And I can see clearly
You don’t value life
Spend your time dreaming
when dreams are misleading
illusions you’re breeding
they fill up your mind
You should try my trick
and fill it with worries
you’ll only be crippled
the rest of your life
All things surrounding
uncertain ambitions
should sound the alarm bells
so wake up in time
Or uncertainty
of the highest degree
will climb up society
like it’s a tree
Then spread like a virus
on every PC
no I'm not immune
so I'm talking to me!
Thursday, 29 July 2010
NOW IS THE TIME TO BE BRAVE
We all have fears but we have not been given a Spirit of fear. Why fear life when life is short? And in Matthew 6:27 Jesus is telling us not to worry and asks "Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?" (NIV); some manuscripts say "Which of you by worrying can add a single cubit to his stature?"- In other words, worrying is futile. God gives and God takes away so give your heart to Him so that He can take away all fear and help you to live a victorious life.
How does He do that? Well, He can only do that if you allow Him to by increasing your faith and this can only be done by spending time with Him both in prayer and reading the Word of God in order to get to know more about the nature of God.
There is no substitute for the presence of God. It is like a bright healing chamber where all the pain that was clutching to you in the forrm of the flesh is peeled away and your spirit is exposed to the light and renewed filling you with an inner peace. This is the reason you should not forsake your 'quiet-time' or time spent with God, reflecting, meditating. Now is the time to pray harder than ever and not to shy away from reading the word but make a habit of meditating on it and doing what it says (Joshua 1:8).
You may have heard statements similar to the followiing a number of times but it remains true and something must be done to change it. It seems that many people who call themselves Christians focus more on what they shouldn't be doing than what they should be doing as children of God and we tell others what not to do as well as forcing religion on ourselves. This can sometimes have adverse effects as we could pile on excess pressure and make ourselves/ other people feel inadequate when God hasn't said so. For example, a friend of mine recently told me that she grew up believing she was clumsy. She recalled a couple of occassions when her dad would be watching her as she was carrying plates and say something along the lines of 'Don't drop them, make sure you don't drop them!' What do you think is the most likely outcome? It's like when someone is about to take a penalty and someone shouts to them 'No pressure'- that's the exact instance when the pressure is likely to kick in. She dropped the plates. Obviously she didn't want to drop them but the words were probably echoing in her head and she soon cracked under the pressure.
Don't get me wrong I'm not suggesting that in your Christian walk will feel no pressure whatsoever or that should ignore the warnings about sin, but I do feel we succumb to pressure from other people, not even just Christians, as a substitute for conviction by the Spirit. And if we call ourselves Christians then we should be convicted by the Holy Spirit. The Word clearly emphasises that if we walk by the Spirit then we will not gratify the desires of the flesh. It's not a complicated principle but evidently not as simple to actually live by. We were not created to live in fear, we were created to feel a level of freedom and boldness that comes from having relationship with God. And believe me He craves a relationship with us, why else would He want us to call Him Abba Father?
About 2010 years ago Jesus died for all our sins and gave us absolute access to the same power and authority He had when He was on Earth. Subsequently it has become clear through the scriptures that the key to having a true relationship with God is accepting this fact. I used to find it hard to believe that Jesus was fully man because of how brave He came across. Now that I have studied the Word for myself I see that His bravery was as a result of His relationship with His Heavenly Father. There are instances recorded in the gospels which prove that He definitely felt fear and anxiety, however, He knew they could be overcome by prayer.
Prayer, by the way, is both talking to AND listening to God. The listening part is often omitted in our society today where there is a tendency to rush through our prayers in order to busy ourselves with other things. Often much less important things that we make a habit of doing whether they add to our lives or not. By failing to recognise prayer as THE priority we could easily set ourselves up to lead sheltered lives. We don't have to lead sheltered lives, we were made for greater things. We are sons and daughters of God and co-heirs with Christ, OUR FATHER MADE THE WORLD, we have a responsibility to live up to our names and also to look after the world.
Our lives are not just ours, We have no idea how many people are depending on us to live at God's intended level for our lives, both as individuals and as a generation, so that we can be blessing to their lives. If we fully realised how many opportunities we have compared with others I think we would have a change in attitude. When I think about third world countries I think about the fact that in a number of cases the people have big dreams but little access to resources, whereas in the Western world especially, we usually have access to a lot more resources but suffer from fear of dreaming big. We have the power to do a lot more than we are and have been doing. We have to stand up, We have to stand out.
NOW IS THE TIME TO BE BRAVE!
How does He do that? Well, He can only do that if you allow Him to by increasing your faith and this can only be done by spending time with Him both in prayer and reading the Word of God in order to get to know more about the nature of God.
There is no substitute for the presence of God. It is like a bright healing chamber where all the pain that was clutching to you in the forrm of the flesh is peeled away and your spirit is exposed to the light and renewed filling you with an inner peace. This is the reason you should not forsake your 'quiet-time' or time spent with God, reflecting, meditating. Now is the time to pray harder than ever and not to shy away from reading the word but make a habit of meditating on it and doing what it says (Joshua 1:8).
You may have heard statements similar to the followiing a number of times but it remains true and something must be done to change it. It seems that many people who call themselves Christians focus more on what they shouldn't be doing than what they should be doing as children of God and we tell others what not to do as well as forcing religion on ourselves. This can sometimes have adverse effects as we could pile on excess pressure and make ourselves/ other people feel inadequate when God hasn't said so. For example, a friend of mine recently told me that she grew up believing she was clumsy. She recalled a couple of occassions when her dad would be watching her as she was carrying plates and say something along the lines of 'Don't drop them, make sure you don't drop them!' What do you think is the most likely outcome? It's like when someone is about to take a penalty and someone shouts to them 'No pressure'- that's the exact instance when the pressure is likely to kick in. She dropped the plates. Obviously she didn't want to drop them but the words were probably echoing in her head and she soon cracked under the pressure.
Don't get me wrong I'm not suggesting that in your Christian walk will feel no pressure whatsoever or that should ignore the warnings about sin, but I do feel we succumb to pressure from other people, not even just Christians, as a substitute for conviction by the Spirit. And if we call ourselves Christians then we should be convicted by the Holy Spirit. The Word clearly emphasises that if we walk by the Spirit then we will not gratify the desires of the flesh. It's not a complicated principle but evidently not as simple to actually live by. We were not created to live in fear, we were created to feel a level of freedom and boldness that comes from having relationship with God. And believe me He craves a relationship with us, why else would He want us to call Him Abba Father?
About 2010 years ago Jesus died for all our sins and gave us absolute access to the same power and authority He had when He was on Earth. Subsequently it has become clear through the scriptures that the key to having a true relationship with God is accepting this fact. I used to find it hard to believe that Jesus was fully man because of how brave He came across. Now that I have studied the Word for myself I see that His bravery was as a result of His relationship with His Heavenly Father. There are instances recorded in the gospels which prove that He definitely felt fear and anxiety, however, He knew they could be overcome by prayer.
Prayer, by the way, is both talking to AND listening to God. The listening part is often omitted in our society today where there is a tendency to rush through our prayers in order to busy ourselves with other things. Often much less important things that we make a habit of doing whether they add to our lives or not. By failing to recognise prayer as THE priority we could easily set ourselves up to lead sheltered lives. We don't have to lead sheltered lives, we were made for greater things. We are sons and daughters of God and co-heirs with Christ, OUR FATHER MADE THE WORLD, we have a responsibility to live up to our names and also to look after the world.
Our lives are not just ours, We have no idea how many people are depending on us to live at God's intended level for our lives, both as individuals and as a generation, so that we can be blessing to their lives. If we fully realised how many opportunities we have compared with others I think we would have a change in attitude. When I think about third world countries I think about the fact that in a number of cases the people have big dreams but little access to resources, whereas in the Western world especially, we usually have access to a lot more resources but suffer from fear of dreaming big. We have the power to do a lot more than we are and have been doing. We have to stand up, We have to stand out.
NOW IS THE TIME TO BE BRAVE!
Monday, 24 May 2010
BIGGER PICTURE
I wrote this poem today. Haven't got much to say about it, read it for yourself... Currently writing another so watch out I may post it tomorrow :)
Bigger Picture
Shutter
In front of my eyes so I was blind to the
Clutter
The reason I can’t hear God and why I tend to
Flutter
Towards the crowd so I’m not seen as a
Nutter (nutter) (nutter)
The truth sounds mad so it’s easier not to
Utter
A word about Jesus before people start to
Mutter
You know how their minds are, always in the
Gutter
To them it’s garbage but to me it’s bread and
Butter
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*LONG SIGH*
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Word is bread and
Butter
Before you start to knock it get your mind out of the
Gutter
It cannot be contained it’s more like shouting not a
Mutter
The truth will set you free and then your peace will be
Utter (utter)
You won’t stop smiling like a bona fide
Nutter
No butterfly effect, no need to
Flutter
Tidy up your heart and get rid of the
Clutter
You’ll get the bigger picture if you open up the
Shutter!
Bigger Picture
Shutter
In front of my eyes so I was blind to the
Clutter
The reason I can’t hear God and why I tend to
Flutter
Towards the crowd so I’m not seen as a
Nutter (nutter) (nutter)
The truth sounds mad so it’s easier not to
Utter
A word about Jesus before people start to
Mutter
You know how their minds are, always in the
Gutter
To them it’s garbage but to me it’s bread and
Butter
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*LONG SIGH*
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Word is bread and
Butter
Before you start to knock it get your mind out of the
Gutter
It cannot be contained it’s more like shouting not a
Mutter
The truth will set you free and then your peace will be
Utter (utter)
You won’t stop smiling like a bona fide
Nutter
No butterfly effect, no need to
Flutter
Tidy up your heart and get rid of the
Clutter
You’ll get the bigger picture if you open up the
Shutter!
Tuesday, 18 May 2010
IN SUCH TIMES
This is a blog for my guys, starts with a poem:
In such times
Beware of your influence
Do not impose your personality on others
In such times
Stay tight-lipped
Or face the backlash of your words
In such times
Your opinion is irrelevant
In such times
In times such as these
Please...
Do not make a fool of yourself
Because the world has enough of those
Yes it does
Do not seek to lead
Do not excite others
Or sweet talk a lady that isn’t your lover
Do not call a non-blood your brother
Do not...
Do not not listen to me
If you are granted only two chances to speak a day
Be content
In such times
You do what you’re told
And never look forward for fear of being bold
Just take in deep breaths and hold
In such times the world is cold
Boy: Mum does this mean I can't be a poet?
Do not be silly
You will follow in your late father's footsteps
Your job will be to nod
Whatever a woman says to you, you nod
And do not shake your head
Lest it be mistaken for trembling
And your workload is doubled
Saying no to a woman could end your career
Saying no to a woman is a 'do not' is that clear?
*Boy nods*
A little confusing?
...Yes? .... No?
Before I go on I want you to know that I say everything in a dramatic way, hopefully you'll understand what I'm getting at:
The point I was trying to make is that the future man is not looking too sure of his identity. Allowing women to dictate your moves WILL stifle your dreams. In the poem when I said "You will follow in your late father's footsteps, your job will be to nod" the father is very much alive but without power and therefore he might as well be dead. He ended up handing his strength to the woman like Samson did Delilah. "Stay tight-lipped or face the backlash of your words"- the woman makes all his decisions, she makes him feel as though he needs her to pull him through and on his own he would make a mess, on his own he is lost. I've spoken to many girls that have said things like "Don't you want a girl to help you get to your dream?" No thank you, I need God to help me achieve dreams, not a woman, that's where people make the mistake. Before they even realise it they become reliant on women for everything.
The book I'm reading at the moment puts it in a way that I hate to think of it but the gist of it was 'For a long time men have been replacing God with women!' *SHOCK HORROR I KNOW!* I totally agree with it as well, although no one likes to be seen as worshipping women that's what men have been doing since Adam fell and it's only getting worse.
The example given was that for men women are the closest thing to God. Think about it, they were formed out of man and both were formed in God's image. A man easily gets caught up in the mystery of a woman when he's really looking to solve the mystery of God. We go to women for comfort, support and in the worst case scenario, which happens most often, we go to the woman to tell us we are men. In other words we let the woman shape us... KAI, I don't know about you but I don't want any woman to shape me, NO SIR!
I want to shape myself (with a huge helping hand from God (and my friends))!
Same goes for ladies- don't allow a man to be your whole life or your world will crumble like digestive biscuits being readied for lemon cheesecake.
We need to go back to basics. We need to start going back to God for answers, for comfort, for support. We need to forge deeper relationships with our families, we share genes and surnames why can't we share life issues? We need to make use of the same sex friends around us, they should be able to understand us right?
These are just my thoughts anyway I wrote this blog for me as much as anyone else
Disjointed thoughts, incomplete sentences and one-sided arguments, sounds a lot like life....
This is the WORLD OF SUNSHINE!
Saturday, 15 May 2010
MIRACLES HAPPEN
Oh yes they do, I can bear witness. I don't know how many lifelines my team were handed this end of the season to remain in this league, yet every week a similar story- People go home crying (well with sad faces anyway) but Today, on Saturday the 15th of May 2010, we went home smiling.
Why? Simply because this was our very last lifeline and we took it. We went out on that pitch knowing we needed 1 measly point to stay in the top Division, just one point... Problem was the team we were playing had a fierce reputation and we knew that if we were to have a chance of getting that point there would have to be blood shed in the process (I've only got a little graze on my knee but it was bleeding nonetheless).
I'm not gonnna give you a whole match analysis but this is the blurb:
They scored first, a soft goal to say the least, we were doomed!
I scored to equalise from a corner (I smashed it angrily after some neat control)
There were battles all over the field after that, most of the verbal, tempers were flaring, players sprouting grey hairs, fans willing us on... and then....
SILENCE.
Time and sound were suspended as a beautiful through ball was put through to me by Bradderz. I got the ball under control, looked up at the oncoming keeper and effortlessly slotted it past him. The silence of his puzzled expression broken only by the roaring of my team-mates and all associated with New Life. Epic moments I tell you, Avatar wasn't as dramatic as this.
As good as it felt to be 2-1 up there were still about 18 minutes on the clock. Too long to relax, too long to even think of being complacent, or so we thought, but a lapse in concentration 13 minutes later saw us level again. Another soft goal which felt like a dagger piercing through the hearts of all 11 lions on the pitch.
Chances were missed, bodies were battered and these things play in your mind all the more when you are not winning. My brain began to tell my legs they were tired, my hips began to crumble under me, my vision was blurred but I didn't need to see because I could hear and the next thing I heard was music to my ears....
Yep you guessed it, the final whistle! Oh what a feeling, no on gave us a chance, people only saw darkness ahead, the darkness of the lower division, but my team and I rose above. We conquered. We fought. We injected New Life into New Life Football Team.
We found our form when it mattered, I found my form when it mattered.
The result- We llive to fight another season in the top flight.
MIRACLES HAPPEN!
Why? Simply because this was our very last lifeline and we took it. We went out on that pitch knowing we needed 1 measly point to stay in the top Division, just one point... Problem was the team we were playing had a fierce reputation and we knew that if we were to have a chance of getting that point there would have to be blood shed in the process (I've only got a little graze on my knee but it was bleeding nonetheless).
I'm not gonnna give you a whole match analysis but this is the blurb:
They scored first, a soft goal to say the least, we were doomed!
I scored to equalise from a corner (I smashed it angrily after some neat control)
There were battles all over the field after that, most of the verbal, tempers were flaring, players sprouting grey hairs, fans willing us on... and then....
SILENCE.
Time and sound were suspended as a beautiful through ball was put through to me by Bradderz. I got the ball under control, looked up at the oncoming keeper and effortlessly slotted it past him. The silence of his puzzled expression broken only by the roaring of my team-mates and all associated with New Life. Epic moments I tell you, Avatar wasn't as dramatic as this.
As good as it felt to be 2-1 up there were still about 18 minutes on the clock. Too long to relax, too long to even think of being complacent, or so we thought, but a lapse in concentration 13 minutes later saw us level again. Another soft goal which felt like a dagger piercing through the hearts of all 11 lions on the pitch.
Chances were missed, bodies were battered and these things play in your mind all the more when you are not winning. My brain began to tell my legs they were tired, my hips began to crumble under me, my vision was blurred but I didn't need to see because I could hear and the next thing I heard was music to my ears....
Yep you guessed it, the final whistle! Oh what a feeling, no on gave us a chance, people only saw darkness ahead, the darkness of the lower division, but my team and I rose above. We conquered. We fought. We injected New Life into New Life Football Team.
We found our form when it mattered, I found my form when it mattered.
The result- We llive to fight another season in the top flight.
MIRACLES HAPPEN!
Friday, 14 May 2010
INTERESTING BEINGS
Don't you just hate awkward silences? (0_0) (tick tock, tick tock)
Yeah, that was awkward *shivers*. So many times when I was at Uni the Seminar leaders would ask questions that at least half the class could have answered but they never did. There was this particular teacher who would scan the room for my face and gesture as if to say 'Rescue me please, this silence is awkward', and most of the time I would do, even if I was chatting utter rubbish, it was better than the silence. All silence did was make things awkward *shivers*and encourage time to slow down. Sometimes after the seminar he would say "Thanks for that. Why don't the others talk? Are they shy? Are they clueless?", to which I usually responded with a shrug.
Similar things happen in church. A pastor will say something like "Praise God Jesus died for sinners!" expecting everyone to respond with a "Hallelujah" or an "Amen" but what he usually receives is somewhat reluctant groans which in the vastness of the building sounds just like awkard silence. People look at each other as if to say "I ain't no sinner, are you?". It's quite comical really because the same people who are silent when questions are asked are the same people talking very audibly, without remorse, when the pastor is actually expecting a bit of silence. Why do we talk when we're supposed to be quiet and refuse to talk when required to?
Oh oh, my personal favourite- Surprise parties. Yeah right? Is it ever a surprise? I mean really. People "whisper" at the top of their lungs when the birthday boy/girl is supposed to be outside the door.
Exhibit A: *cue shouting* "Sssssh, ssssshhh, SHUT UP! What's wrong with you black people? Can't you keep quiet? Gosh! You're getting me mad, just SHUT UP! She's on thee road didn't you hear?"
Yep, round of applause that was really discreet, you made everybody laugh and it's common knowledge that laughter is the most quiet noise on Earth.
Don't get me wrong I find it hilarious, I mean what would a surprise party be without those who didn't give a hoot? I was merely wondering why?
These are the things on Sunshine's mind today.
Until next time...
Ciao!
Yeah, that was awkward *shivers*. So many times when I was at Uni the Seminar leaders would ask questions that at least half the class could have answered but they never did. There was this particular teacher who would scan the room for my face and gesture as if to say 'Rescue me please, this silence is awkward', and most of the time I would do, even if I was chatting utter rubbish, it was better than the silence. All silence did was make things awkward *shivers*and encourage time to slow down. Sometimes after the seminar he would say "Thanks for that. Why don't the others talk? Are they shy? Are they clueless?", to which I usually responded with a shrug.
Similar things happen in church. A pastor will say something like "Praise God Jesus died for sinners!" expecting everyone to respond with a "Hallelujah" or an "Amen" but what he usually receives is somewhat reluctant groans which in the vastness of the building sounds just like awkard silence. People look at each other as if to say "I ain't no sinner, are you?". It's quite comical really because the same people who are silent when questions are asked are the same people talking very audibly, without remorse, when the pastor is actually expecting a bit of silence. Why do we talk when we're supposed to be quiet and refuse to talk when required to?
Oh oh, my personal favourite- Surprise parties. Yeah right? Is it ever a surprise? I mean really. People "whisper" at the top of their lungs when the birthday boy/girl is supposed to be outside the door.
Exhibit A: *cue shouting* "Sssssh, ssssshhh, SHUT UP! What's wrong with you black people? Can't you keep quiet? Gosh! You're getting me mad, just SHUT UP! She's on thee road didn't you hear?"
Yep, round of applause that was really discreet, you made everybody laugh and it's common knowledge that laughter is the most quiet noise on Earth.
Don't get me wrong I find it hilarious, I mean what would a surprise party be without those who didn't give a hoot? I was merely wondering why?
These are the things on Sunshine's mind today.
Until next time...
Ciao!
Saturday, 8 May 2010
BLOG - ON (BATTLE LIKE ONLY GHANAIAN - ON NEPTUNE)
Is it just me or does life get harder the easier you try to make it?
Par example:
- I trip over my laces when I tuck them in instead of tying them.
- I get lost when I know how to get somewhere but try to forge a non-existant shortcut.
- My sister gets frustrated guessing the notes of Alicia Keys' songs on the piano (the songsheets are online- read woman!)
Did you see a common factor in the examples above? Yep, you guessed it- LAZINESS!
Don't let anybody fool you;
Laziness Monday x Laziness Tuesday = Laziness 365
And life has no obligation to the lazy ones. In fact, most times, it will laugh at you and spit in your face. Life is a battle, every minute of it, and I have never heard of a lazy warrior (well not one who wasn't slein anyway). The way I see it, laziness is merely a product of over-thinking the effort which you would have to put in to something. More often than not, if one fails to put in the effort initially, one ends up having to put in double effort. #justsaying.
'In trying to cut corners humans go round in circles. Yet going round in circles often drives us round the bend. WHOOPS we're going round again! Someone stop this pointless merry-go-round!'
Life does not have to be a merry-go-round, nor does it have to be a slide for that matter. However, if you sit back and ALLOW life to happen to you, I repeat ALLOW life to happen to you, then it's most likely to feel like a playground apparatus. LIFE IS A BATTLEGROUND not a playground.
If you fail to accept that you must fight your way through it you will lose before drawing a weapon.
Life is your planet and you have to do what you can to defend it and make it better, this obviously does not have to and in fact cannot be done alone which makes the people you trust doubly important (but we'll talk about that another day). Just ask yourself who your fellow warriors are, those who would go with you to the frontline and vice versa.
At the moment I would call my planet Neptune because it is far away from the Sunshine that I imagine but not the furthest it's ever been. My life is seemingly cold right now but not the coldest it's ever been, soon I'll exchange my planet for Earth at the expense of some other warrior. That's just the way it goes...
PROFILE
Name: Selom Sunu
Current Location: Neptune
Status: Fighting for my life and the right to call it mine.
Mission statement: To BATTLE LIKE ONLY GHANAIAN- ON NEPTUNE
Confession: Most of the time I'm too lazy to blog but still I must BLOG-ON!
Par example:
- I trip over my laces when I tuck them in instead of tying them.
- I get lost when I know how to get somewhere but try to forge a non-existant shortcut.
- My sister gets frustrated guessing the notes of Alicia Keys' songs on the piano (the songsheets are online- read woman!)
Did you see a common factor in the examples above? Yep, you guessed it- LAZINESS!
Don't let anybody fool you;
Laziness Monday x Laziness Tuesday = Laziness 365
And life has no obligation to the lazy ones. In fact, most times, it will laugh at you and spit in your face. Life is a battle, every minute of it, and I have never heard of a lazy warrior (well not one who wasn't slein anyway). The way I see it, laziness is merely a product of over-thinking the effort which you would have to put in to something. More often than not, if one fails to put in the effort initially, one ends up having to put in double effort. #justsaying.
'In trying to cut corners humans go round in circles. Yet going round in circles often drives us round the bend. WHOOPS we're going round again! Someone stop this pointless merry-go-round!'
Life does not have to be a merry-go-round, nor does it have to be a slide for that matter. However, if you sit back and ALLOW life to happen to you, I repeat ALLOW life to happen to you, then it's most likely to feel like a playground apparatus. LIFE IS A BATTLEGROUND not a playground.
If you fail to accept that you must fight your way through it you will lose before drawing a weapon.
Life is your planet and you have to do what you can to defend it and make it better, this obviously does not have to and in fact cannot be done alone which makes the people you trust doubly important (but we'll talk about that another day). Just ask yourself who your fellow warriors are, those who would go with you to the frontline and vice versa.
At the moment I would call my planet Neptune because it is far away from the Sunshine that I imagine but not the furthest it's ever been. My life is seemingly cold right now but not the coldest it's ever been, soon I'll exchange my planet for Earth at the expense of some other warrior. That's just the way it goes...
PROFILE
Name: Selom Sunu
Current Location: Neptune
Status: Fighting for my life and the right to call it mine.
Mission statement: To BATTLE LIKE ONLY GHANAIAN- ON NEPTUNE
Confession: Most of the time I'm too lazy to blog but still I must BLOG-ON!
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