Random Reflective Rantings

I can take you to this place if you fancy it. Down near my relatives. You can see more photos on my flickr. In a lot of ways we are all discarded pieces of clay or pottery. We encounter rejection in our own lives and it hurts. But even the ‘unwanted’ pieces of clay can be beautiful and mean something to someone.

Do it Anyway

People are often unreasonable, illogical
and self- centred.
Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you
of selfish, ulterior motives.
Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some
false friends and some true enemies.
Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and frank,
people may cheat you.
Be honest and frank anyway.

What you spend years building,
someone could destroy overnight.
Build anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness
they may be jealous.
Be happy anyway.

The good you do today,
people will often forget tomorrow.
Do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have,
and it may never be enough.
Give the world the best you’ve got anyway.

You see, in the final analysis,
it is between you and God.
It was never between you and them anyway!

Allegedly from Mother Teresa but I haven’t checked its authenticity

How to win arguments. Amazed the amount of people who do the don’ts

FAIL whale

One Christian Nation Under God

So, want to get married?

Dilbert

Being a woman. It’s great

Dying to work

ASBO Jesus

Why do we have our little routines and do they benefit us?

So you find that special someone. Everything comes together. You love each other and are looking forward to a long happy life. Then one of you becomes entirely dependent on the other and can only communicate through the most basic means. How do you manage it? (Single/Certain)

I wish I could be as certain about my career

I love

Energy Independence = Energy Security

Better late than never?

Mascots. Can Be Funny. (HT: Arms Wide Open)

Cause Jesus only did what He saw You do
And He would only say what He heard You speak
And He would only move when He felt You lead
Following Your heart following Your spirit

So How could I expect to walk without You
When every move that Jesus made was in surrender
I will not begin to live without You
For You alone are worthy and You are always good

So we have a team from this place over right now. They’re the reason I’m on the couch but I love them all the same. We’re doing a conference right now. In Christian circle we’re in the midst of what is known as a soaking session i.e. you ’soak’ in God’s presence to the accompaniment of a worship team or music. I just felt I should blog a little about what’s going through my head Christ wise.

I don’t journal that much. (Not counting the blog here). It’s a regular basis but it’s more a once an every three weeks kind of thing. The journal is a means to an end but I do want a regular God time. The way I look at it is that God should be number one in my life. This should be reflected in how I divide my time, my effort and our money. Effort and money are pretty good. Even time is pretty good but alone time doesn’t really register on the scale as much as it should. Time spent with the community is up there but neither is a substitute for the other. Both are designed to complement and assist you in your walk.

The Book of Daniel is one I should really read more often and know inside out. Should listen to some expository preaching on it or something. There’s a few things that strike me about it though. I’m not going to get into the symbolism concerning the dreams and visions. I’ll leave that to someone who actually knows what they are talking about. I just want to share a few things that stood out for me when reading this book. Firstly is the resolve and dedication of Daniel. His discipline. I love the way that the NKJV describes Dan 1:8. Purposing in his heart. He knew who he was and what he stood for. He heard that announcement and knew straight away what he was going to do. But he was also smart about it. It wasn’t a case of a flat out refusal for the sake of it. It showed a certain keenness of insight His dedication in maintaining prayer and fasting. The Lord rewards those who diligently seek Him. Furthermore we can see that Daniel got where he was because of the favour of the Lord. In several places it talks about how God blessed the lads with wisdom and intelligence so that they excelled in their work. We can’t do anything through our own power but we can work through Christ who strengthens us. It’s sort of mind boggling in a way. We can all think of people who work against us but there are few of us who face been thrown to the lions. How do we honour God when responding to normal workplace politics. Food for thought

There’s something I may start doing on a once a week basis. I’ll do a little thing on my Bible reading and post it here for discussion. What I’m reading. What I think it says. What can be learned from it. An application to our lives if there is one. But it’s one way of increasing my Bible reading if I have an online study of sorts going on here. Would people be interested? Do you think it’s a good idea? The fitness thing doesn’t really work unless you’re next to the person. When I have money I may get a personal trainer for a while and see how that works out. Or find a friend who is a personal trainer maybe. Who knows?

One last thing is just about my little community of believers. We’re great. I love them all. Their service and the way they all honour God with their lives. I ask where God is? Look at those who love Him.

Thanks to Don’t Date That Dude for the image. My offering:

“Is it my fault I’m this cute?”

Don’t think of a white polar bear…

Ruined your day didn’t I? It’s a technique that has application in a wide variety of areas. When dieting say I will only eat three meals a day rather than saying I won’t snack on chocolate. Focuses your mind in a better fashion. Like in soccer I tell myself that I will play well rather than, “Don’t panic under the high ball.” Because it’s all you can think about when you phrase it like that.

I told ye not to click on something. It’s not even obvious. But at least one of you a day does. Well at least 1.6 of you does. There may or may not be a secret link there but should you click there? Who knows? And no I wasn’t stuck for a topic to blog on

So the crazy bunch of Canadians we have over are sound out altogether. They’re not all Canadian. We have South Africans, Americans, a German and a Dane. They are great but I will be honest and confess that I will be quite happy to have my room back after the three guys currently resident in there have left. The guy who has my bed says he has never slept so well in his life. Yep that’s a good bed alright. Couch is grand as well though. I’m a heavy sleeper once I’m not sleeping on a porcupine or anything. One thing my brother mentioned about the School of Ministry he studied and interned in was the atmosphere of encouragement there. Contrast this with my circle of friends who generally take no prisoners. And for the record I did underestimate the angle of the turn and I do know where North is on a compass. We love each other but sometimes love hurts a lot Anyway today the guys went around picking everyone in the group and you had to say the first positive thing that came into your head about that person. Here’s what they said about me:

Accepting

Flower (as in I blossom)

Man of Integrity (Repeated)

Man of Honour

Gentleman

Knowledgeable

Willing (to serve)

Good Friend

Father’s Heart

Heart of a Leader

Friendly

Encourager

All this from people I’ve known a week and a half. It was nice to hear. I like to think I’m positive to be around and encourage people and remind them that they are actually good people. When was the last time you encouraged someone? Why don’t you pick someone who might taken for granted on occasion and acknowledge how great that person is to you. It will cheer them up. And it’s always good to share in the happiness of other people

If God is enough why did He he create Eve for Adam?

Why does the Bible take the place of personal experience with God?

Why must you be slain in the Spirit when God moves?

Why are Christians so ready to do a conference together but won’t go to a service at the church down the road?

Can you make an idol out of the Bible?

Is there a middle ground between good Bible teaching and a healthy appreciation for moves of the Spirit and spiritual gifts? Should there be a middle ground?

Sometimes I don’t feel like abstinence in and of itself is a virtue.

Why are some people so limited to their group and what they are doing?

The Early Church didn’t have the Bible and they seemed to do alright…

The presumption that the Early Church did things the only and best way is an idiotic one IMHO

It was always to the Church at Antioch or Ephesus. Never to the churches.

Why do we seek to restrict rights on the basis of selective sins?

How come abbreviated is such a long word?

Is it not a bit odd that the word monosyllabic isn’t?

Even if a girl says it’s ok to possibly mention she’s possibly being over-sensitive around that time has any man mentioned that and lived?

It is fine for some readers to call me kiddo or young boy. But I dare not call them old lady…

Can some Christian organisation actually come out and say that sex is great for once?

Betting on a match = Gambling. Betting on the stock market = Trading

Hugs are so important to me I sometimes wonder if I have some condition. It could just be a phase

I let old friends get away with things I would never let new friends get away with

If this is what revival is like is there a God at all? I thought of revival as something much, much bigger

If you don’t understand something it’s alright because it’s not your duty to inform yourself about it

People get raped by someone known to them. Children get abused by someone the parent trusts if it’s not the parent. Worry about that stranger though

I’ve seen more mature teenagers than some writing from people old enough to be my parents

It’s odd how such subjective qualities form such massive parts of people’s opinion of you

Constructive Criticism is preferrable to constant praise

Don’t give me bollox about there definitely being someone out there. You can never actually say that because you don’t actually know

I used have a sharp mind. Maintaining a distinction in my thinking approach between real life and intellectual life was one of the dumbest moves I ever made

I’m probably disappointed with so many things because deep down I’m one of the most hopeless idealists there is

I am happier playing soccer than attending church a lot of the time recently

I like photos

I hope my best friendships are ahead of me

Odd that youth is pointed out while at the same time nostagically eulogised and longed for

I rarely get passionate any more.

The credence of the narrative in Christian circles about certain options in life is undeniable to my mind

I only ever consider you a friend and never anything more. If I do consider you as more you will be told most likely face to face. There is no-one right now that romantically interests me. I like to banter, to be silly, to tease and to flirt. I’m fed up of second guessing that.

Being selfish about certain things is absolutely necessary to life

agus tiocfaidh siad de réir an seanfhocail. Cad faoi na fir óige? Ba mhaith liom teidal speisalta as Béarla a cur ar an mblag seo ach níl sé istigh orm. Tá mé ag lorg rudaí nach bhfuil sna lamhaí mo leitheoirí a thabairt dom. Caithfidh mé lean ar aghaidh arís ’s arís. Tá me brean de mo shaol anois. Is dócha go mebidh an dara leath den mbliain seo níos fearr ná an chéad leath. Níl ach cúpla rud beagainí níos fearr atá ag teastáil uaim.

Is féidir a lán daoine a lán rudaí abair fuaim. Uaireanta ceapaim go bhfuil mé as mo cheann less na smaointe atá agam. Deireann an múinteoir lean ar aghaidh libh. An molann éinne leat? An molann éinne liom?