Shared Eternity.

And I realise that I've become the dramatic teenager, flung across my bed, crying into my pillows over a guy.


Not just any guy though. This guy cares about me so much that He sacrificed his life for me. Would do anything, did do everything, all for me. And all for you.

I'm going through a stage in my life which I'm struggling to explain or define when people ask about it. Until just now, that is. I had a picture of a hill in my mind. I'm almost at the top, and I can't see much of what is on the other side. Logically, of course, I need to keep climbing this hill, and I know that what's on the other side, although I can't see it, is safe. I guess I just needed God to give me a nudge and tell me what everyone else has been saying for almost two years now; God has an amazing plan for me.

' "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." '- Acts 17:11

I don't feel alone any more, although it's still difficult being the only Christian in a household of swearing, smoking, gambling, lying and shouting. I'm not perfect, and I appreciate that I'm probably difficult to be around at times too, but I often ask myself, and God, why I've been put in the situation that I'm in. As of yet, God hasn't given me an answer to that one, and I haven't found one myself.

"Arrested by Your truth and righteousness; Your grace has overwhelmed my brokenness."

I can't find a better way to describe the feelings I had when I was at the Cross a few nights ago, than that I was simply overwhelmed by God's Love, Truth, Grace and Majesty. It really is the safest feeling that there is. Knowing that there's nothing that matters more to Him than us.

"My whole life I place in Your hands."

So it's time again to give it all back to God. It's times like this when I imagine him with a giant sieve, just filtering out all the stuff I don't need in my life. And foolishly, sometimes I look back through the contents of the sieve, and pick up things that really, I could do without. Things or people that are causing me to sin, to give more attention to the worldly things I have than the Holiness I could have. If only I'd let them go before.

But we are called to be resurrection people. We don't need to dwell on the past, the trials, tribulations and things we've done wrong. We're alive, and surely, in the world we live in today, that in itself is a miracle. Although it doesn't end there. It doesn't have to end! We have a bright hope for our future, and that Hope came along with Jesus. After all, God gave us life... Christ gave us eternity.

Bare Necessities.

"Look for the bare necessities
The simple bare necessities
Forget about your worries and your strife"
(The Jungle Book)


Not such a bad idea, is it? The bare necessities. The things that we really need. What do we really need? Food, water, shelter, clothing... Seems like God's a pretty long way down the list. He should be right up there at the front, after all -
'I can do all things through Christ, because he gives me strength' (Philippians 4:13)
But without him, I can't do anything.


Most people within the Church have heard that verse before. But how strong is your faith in what it's telling you? What would you do for God? How far would you go? Abraham was willing to sacrifice his own son. Would you sacrifice yourself? If you were to stand on a diving board, high above an empty swimming pool, and God told you to jump, saying that if you did, he would fill the pool with water, would you do it?


I learned a long time ago that God isn't actually out to get me. He's running after me, sure, but he's running around fixing the messes I leave behind. The real trouble, I've learned, isn't caused only by other people. I'm not always the victim. Sometimes, I'm the troublemaker. I know we can't be perfect, because we're human, but we can be Holy. Through God and with God. You don't have to do it alone, because he's right by your side, being the support you need.


'You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.
You annoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.' (Psalm 23:5)


Essential things aren't worldly things. We can cope without them. Not for long, but God provides. How many people do you know who DON'T have a mobile phone? Take away from that number those who are children, those who are only temporarily without one because it's broken, or was flushed down the toilet or put in the washing machine, and those who can't afford one. How many people do you know, who don't own a mobile phone, purely because they choose not to? Maybe they don't see the need, or they don't like the health risk.


Mobiles come with all sorts of different features, and I'll admit that the main reason I chose mine was the walkman technology. I wanted to be able to store lots of music on my phone, and to be able to acess it easily. Amazing how picky we get when we have a choice, isn't it?


Anyway, I know a lot of people who DO have a mobile phone. Needless to say, there are advantages, such as being able to reach people when they aren't at home, or somewhere with a landline. But of all the text addicts I know, I am undoubtedly the worst. I'm constantly checking my phone to see if I have a message, or if someone's gone all retro and actually phoned me.


The point is, I don't really need it, but I'vve grown accustomed to it. I've cut down a lot lately, and try to only check if i'm actually expecting a text. I've realised that i must look pretty desperate checking it every two minutes anyway.


'Humbly, You came to the Earth You created, all for Love's sake became poor'


If it's good enough for Jesus...


I'm on a quest this Lent. I'm trying harder to be more like him. To realise what's most important, and act on it. This is going to include random acts of kindness, ( I don't know what they are yet, because they're going to be random) being generally nicer to people, trying to say yes to people, when usually, I'd say no (only in appropriate circumstances, mind) and hugging people, a lot ( though not to the point it's considered stalking), and I'm going to get done the things I've been meaning to get done, some of them, since Christmas.


In short, I'm going to try to be what i should be, and I'm going to try hard.

'The bare necessities in life will come to you!'

For A Boy Was Born....

Christmas is fast approaching. But instead of rejoicing, and feeling the childlike rush of excitement it brings to some, many feel nothing but apprehension and fear.


I need more money. I need to get these cards in the post. I must buy those presents soon. Raise your hand in shame if you have said one of those things already this year. And I will be the first to admit that I'm concerned about not having bought any Christmas cards, or presents yet.


Yes, we tell ourselves, we know that Christmas isn't really about the food, the decorations, the giving and recieving of presents, or the lovely songs about a nice nativity a long time ago. Christmas is about the biggest gift God could ever give us. For God gave us life, but Christ gave us eternity. Now where did I put those envelopes?


It's all very well and good saying we know what Christmas is about, as we hum along to carols while wrapping presents. But do we really stop for a few minutes in a month as busy as December to consider the proclamations we make in these songs?


We may stand outside a drafty Tesco with an open door (ha!) singing about a boy who was born 2000 years ago, but do we really think about that at the time? Do we mean it when we say we should worship him? Or are we preoccupied, anticipating the nice warm hot chocolate we can drink when we get home? I'm not perfect, and I've felt that way on a few occasions. Ok, whenever I go carolling, really. I moan, and grumble about it, saying that I'm losing my voice, or that it's freezing. But in reality, it could be worse.


I've been offered no less than four loans this week, via email. All of them using Christmas as a marketing ploy. Because, if you can't afford Christmas, you are a Scrooge. At least, that's what the media tells us. So get a loan. Then you can have a big Christmas. Don't worry now that you won't be able to pay it back before this time next year. Life is for living.


Too right. Life IS for living. Living for God, and like God. And I don't think carpentry paid too well, if I'm honest. I don't think turkeys are native to Jerusalem, or that the Christmas cracker is a trademark of Bethlehem. In short, I don't believe that Jesus celebrated his own birthday with quite the flair we do these days.


In fact, I think we may have commercialised Christmas, just a tad.


We complain that it gets earlier every year, yet we still don't have enough time to do all the 'necessary' Christmas tasks we create for ourselves. I wonder, if we took the time we spend complaining at Christmas, and used it for the shopping, or the sending of cards, would we have a bit of extra time on our hands?


We are so busy complaining, that sometimes, Christmas really doesn't feel all that much like Christmas.

'Oh hush the noise, Ye men of strife,
and hear the Angels sing!'

I think Edmund Hamilton Sears was onto something when he wrote that.


Jesus wasn't born so we would complain about it 2000 years later... So get celebrating!

Submission

In many cases, submitting to someone, or something, is incredibly dangerous. The internet defines submission simply as 'the act of submitting; usually surrendering power to another.'

What are you submitting to?

I realised today while listening to the words below, just how difficult I make things for God by submitting to the wrong things or people sometimes.

'Little garden how do I make your flowers grow, when I already do everything that I know? I bring you sunshine and I bring you rain, but still you refrain.'

He provides me with everything I need, like sunshine and rain, but still, I don't fully submit to him, and do his will. Often, it will be because of other things I think I need, which I don't. Sometimes it is because we have submitted to the other things in life. Addictions, habits, the will of the world around us... etc. The list goes on.

God never gives up with us. He tries so hard, and, more often than I'd like to admit, we just don't take in what we should.

I've been worried for a while about my GCSE results. I have less than two weeks left before I find out which subjects I have passed, and which I haven't. I wonder occasionally; what would happen if I failed all of my subjects? I wouldn't be able to do what I want to. I didn't really stop to think about what God might want.

If that was really what God wanted for me, something which may publicly shame me, would I still submit to his will, or would I fight against him? Would I try to compromise what I believe for what I want, or what I expect? It worried me when I thought about it at first, because I truly wasn't sure. Then I realised that God would have an amazing plan for me if that really was his will. He has an amazing plan for my life anyway, and he has an amazing plan for you too.

Psalm 7:12-13 : 'If they do not change their lives, God will sharpen his sword; he will string his bow and take aim. He has prepared his deadly weapons; he has made his flaming arrows.'

God likes us to submit to him, because when we do, his plan works out. When we don't; now that's when the major disasters occur.

Faith through the questions.

Matthew 17:20
"I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, "Move from here to there" and it will move."


When you first become a Christian, you develop something called faith. This can happen gradually, or very quickly, depending on you. If you find it hard to trust people, this process is sometimes more difficult, but happens in time.


Some of my friends have a lot of faith. These are the Christians. But it's the not-yet-Christians that interest me the most. I have a friend called Anthony. He told me that he believes in God because he don't agree with the idea of evolution. He believes it's a much more humane theory that we have a reason for being here, yet does not have a relationship with God... Yet.


I have another friend called Benjamin, who isn't sure what he believes, but likes the idea of Angels. I haven't yet pointed out to him that if Angels are real, so is God, because they had to come from somewhere!

Another of my friends, Colin, doesn't believe in God at all, and thinks that there is far too much suffering in the world for God to exist.


'A man went to a barbers to have his hair cut and his beard trimmed. As the barber began to work, they began to have a good conversation. They talked about lots of things, ending up on various subjects. When they eventually touched on the subject of God, the barber said: "I don't believe that God exists." "Why do you say that?" asked the customer. "Well, you just have to go out in the street to realize that God doesn't exist.


Tell me, if God exists, would there be so many sick people? Would there be abandoned children? If God existed, there would be neither suffering nor pain. I can't imagine a loving a God who would allow all of these things." The customer thought for a moment, but didn't respond because he didn't want to start an argument. The barber finished his job and the customer left the shop.


Just after he left the barbershop, he saw a man in the street with long, stringy, dirty hair and an untrimmed beard. He looked dirty and un-kept. The customer turned back and entered the barber shop again and he said to the barber: "You know what? Barbers do not exist."


"How can you say that?" asked the surprised barber. "I am here, and I am a barber. And I just worked on you!" "No!" the customer exclaimed. "Barbers don't exist because if they did, there would be no people with dirty long hair and untrimmed beards, like that man outside."


"Ah, but barbers DO exist! What happens is, people do not come to me." "Exactly!"- affirmed the customer. "That's the point! God, too, DOES exist! What happens, is, people don't go to Him and do not look for Him. That's why there's so much pain and suffering in the world." '


If you're reading this, and you're not yet a Christian, just think about it. It will make some sense one day.

Yummy!

O.K. Raise your hand if you own, or have at some point owned a toasted sandwich maker... Most of you? Not surprising, really. They are fairly inexpensive, and nice to have around, aren't they?

Well last year, I was given the gift of tounges on Soul Survivor. I had eagerly desired it, (how very holy of me) but once I had used it once, I just sort of stored it, knowing it was there, but never really finding the time to use it.


Spiritual gifts can be a lot like toasted sandwich makers really. You want it, you get it, you use it, you put in in the cupboard and use it about once a year. Some people get rid of their toasted sandwich makers, as some lose their spiritual gifts. Some don't want it in the first place, because they don't think they will use it, as some people do with their spiritual gifts. Some people don't get a toasted sanwich maker or a spiritual gift because they don't like Toasties, or God.

We have the choice as to whether we use our spiritual gifts or not. We aren't forced to, but how disappointed would you be if you gave somebody a gift, and six months, or even a year later, you saw it lying in a corner, or shoved out of sight into a cupboard, having been used very rarely? It would hurt.

At the same time it is difficult to keep a balance in life. Balancing reading the Bible, praying, evangelism and all the other day-to-day tasks we face.Balancing how much time you spend with friends, and how much time you spend cleaning. Balancing the right food groups, balancing accounts... the list seems endless.

But life shouldn't be this way. We shouldn't be spinning twelve plates on sticks, struggling to keep everything in order. We should give our problems to God. Good has planted a seed, which is your life. Just as plants need sunlight, water and carbon dioxide to grow, we need prayer, the Bible and Witness. Once we give it to God, he will slow everything down, and take hold of the sticks for us, transforming them into one plate which is our life, then hand it back to us when we are ready.

'Turn your eyes upon Jesus, Look full in his wonderful face. And the things of Earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of his Glory and Grace.'

This challenged me yesterday. I was thinking about how busy I always seem to be, even when I don't seem to be doing anything. But when do I find the time to come to God, and look fully at the miracles he has worked in my life? If I'm too busy doing things for the world, of the world, such as household tasks and socialising, something is seriously wrong. Because the most important thing is what happens at the end of all this earthly stuff. Because we don't know when Jesus will return.

He will come like a thief in the night, and as the lightning flashes from the east to the west. Thats pretty quick, and doesn't give us much of a chance to say 'Ooh, hang on a second, I've not paid quite enough time to my glorious Creator lately, maybe I should spend a few minutes praying.' God gave me this life, and it's not mine. I should be giving all I can back to him.

Vital

As I turned the computer off a couple of nights ago, I noticed a sign which sometimes appears. It mentions something about installing vital updates... to be honest, I don't see what could be so vital... I mean, my computer has survived the past year or so without them and it's fine. This got me thinking about what is really vital in life.

In GCSE Business studies you are taught what the difference between a 'Need' and a 'Want'. A 'Need' is a basic thing which you cannot survive without, i.e. clothing, shelter, food or water. These are the four needs of life, yet everywhere we turn, there are people without all these vital things we need in order to survive. Homeless people, people living in poverty with no food, water, clothing or shelter.

But there is something even more important and vital than any of these things. A relationship with God is far more vital than any material posession. Yet all around us, there are people without him, people struggling, searching.

'There's someone, somewhere, out there searching deep inside themself for you,

And there's someone, right here, right now, searching despeately for truth.

Everywhere there's people seeking you, and everywhere you're found,

The Comforter, the Stronghold, in you all hope is found. '

A want is something that develops after we have our four basic needs. We begin to get fussy about what food we eat, or what we drink, where we live and what we wear. Eve wasn't content in the garden of Eden when she took the forbidden fruit. Surely she had enough choice... But she wanted it. It's basic human nature to want things we can't have, but if we don't need it, we should bequestioning whether we really ought to have it at all.