We have no inner spiritual lfe if we don’t have the outer experience of a beautiful world. The more we destroy the world the less the sense of God is possible.
Thomas Berry, ecologist and theologian.
Monday, July 31, 2006
Thursday, July 27, 2006
Journaling here
My journal is in my car and I've had a shower and in my pjs so thought I'd journal here instead....
Scripture: Ps 16:5 LORD, you alone are my inheritance, my cup of blessing. You guard all that is mine.
The Big Idea: He is my cup of blessing - blessing is sure when we know God.
Application: Even when we are in times of tension or waiting, we can remind ourselves that He is our cup of blessing. It's so easy to focus on what we don't have or what we are waiting for God to provide, and to stop remembering all the wonderful blessings that we do have. I always have a cup of blessing - something I can drink from, something that I can carry, something to refresh me. The cup is often a metaphor for a person's life - what do I contain, what do I carry within me. We have a cup of blessing!
It's just such a lovely thought - and such a constant one. He never changes. He never leaves us. He never forsakes us. He is closer than our closest friend. He is always gracious and His unfailing love is always with us. He is faithful and is faithful in blessing. We don't have to twist his arm or convince him, or trick him, or even be good enough. His blessing is certain. We often have to learn to recognise it. We can be so busy looking at what we want/think we need/others have that we want or something like that and we fail to recognise and give thanks for all the wonderful blessings of God He has poured out upon us.
Prayer: Holy Spirit - help me to recognise the blessings that are poured out upon me each day, and to give thanks always...
Scripture: Ps 16:5 LORD, you alone are my inheritance, my cup of blessing. You guard all that is mine.
The Big Idea: He is my cup of blessing - blessing is sure when we know God.
Application: Even when we are in times of tension or waiting, we can remind ourselves that He is our cup of blessing. It's so easy to focus on what we don't have or what we are waiting for God to provide, and to stop remembering all the wonderful blessings that we do have. I always have a cup of blessing - something I can drink from, something that I can carry, something to refresh me. The cup is often a metaphor for a person's life - what do I contain, what do I carry within me. We have a cup of blessing!
It's just such a lovely thought - and such a constant one. He never changes. He never leaves us. He never forsakes us. He is closer than our closest friend. He is always gracious and His unfailing love is always with us. He is faithful and is faithful in blessing. We don't have to twist his arm or convince him, or trick him, or even be good enough. His blessing is certain. We often have to learn to recognise it. We can be so busy looking at what we want/think we need/others have that we want or something like that and we fail to recognise and give thanks for all the wonderful blessings of God He has poured out upon us.
Prayer: Holy Spirit - help me to recognise the blessings that are poured out upon me each day, and to give thanks always...
Monday, July 24, 2006
wanna trade?
There has been an outbreak of trading occuring at church ever since last night!
Shoes for paperclips..
Caramello koalas for bookmarks for paperclips..
something for a day on Jess's blog..
Who know where this could end!?
Rumour has it, Shannon even ended up with a spoon signed by Casey Rogers - that will be worth a fortune some day.
Shoes for paperclips..
Caramello koalas for bookmarks for paperclips..
something for a day on Jess's blog..
Who know where this could end!?
Rumour has it, Shannon even ended up with a spoon signed by Casey Rogers - that will be worth a fortune some day.
Thursday, July 20, 2006
More on gym stuff...
First up, kudos to the Professor - if that poster idea is not under copyright - you should so release it! You'd make a fortune! (I would buy one!)
On the 'which church service is more aerobically fruitful discussion' from previous comments, I was reading in the Readers Digest the other day about the 50 habits of thin people - things you can add into your life that help burn calories. They said that if you go to belt out some songs at Church on a Sunday you burn over 250 calories! (And I bet that wasn't even a contemporary church service either...!) I lead the last two Sunday nights in a row so that dress is looking more manageable all the time...
btw, I was sore the next day.. and the day after that..
And went back tonight so may be again tomorrow!
On the 'which church service is more aerobically fruitful discussion' from previous comments, I was reading in the Readers Digest the other day about the 50 habits of thin people - things you can add into your life that help burn calories. They said that if you go to belt out some songs at Church on a Sunday you burn over 250 calories! (And I bet that wasn't even a contemporary church service either...!) I lead the last two Sunday nights in a row so that dress is looking more manageable all the time...
btw, I was sore the next day.. and the day after that..
And went back tonight so may be again tomorrow!
Monday, July 17, 2006
Ask me tomorrow
Well today I went back to the gym, motivated by a very nice dress I am wearing to a wedding in two weeks!
I was sure I had only been away for 4 - 6 weeks but got to the gym, looked at my card and realised it had been 9 weeks since being there. I realised how good we are at self-delusion sometimes.
I heard a great quote once - which is still a huge challenge for me...
We judge ourselves by our intentions. Others judge us by our actions.
btw, I'm expecting to be sore when I wake up - but ask me tomorrow...
I was sure I had only been away for 4 - 6 weeks but got to the gym, looked at my card and realised it had been 9 weeks since being there. I realised how good we are at self-delusion sometimes.
I heard a great quote once - which is still a huge challenge for me...
We judge ourselves by our intentions. Others judge us by our actions.
btw, I'm expecting to be sore when I wake up - but ask me tomorrow...
Wednesday, July 12, 2006
How do you turn a paperclip into a house?
You just gotta love this!
Scotsman.com Living - How do you turn a paperclip into a house?: "How do you turn a paperclip into a house?
EMMA COWING
EXACTLY one year ago today, at 12:48am, a 25-year-old Canadian called Kyle MacDonald sat down at his computer in Montreal and uploaded a picture of a red paperclip on to his web page. 'This might not surprise you,' he wrote above it, 'but below is a picture of a paperclip. It is red.' MacDonald went on to explain that he wanted to trade the paperclip for something bigger. 'Maybe a pen, a spoon, or perhaps a boot.' He was, he said, 'going to make a continuous chain of 'up trades' until I get a house. Or an island.'
Today, MacDonald will make the ultimate trade up from that original red paperclip when he takes possession of a three-bedroomed, 1,100-square-foot, white clapperboard farmhouse at 503 Main Street, Kipling, Saskatchewan. Over the past 12 months he has bartered away random items, such as a snowglobe and a part in a movie, travelled across North America in search of the perfect trade, and been interviewed worldwide by a fascinated media that included several Japanese TV channels and Good Morning America. It is a story that has reawakened the notion of bartering, proved the brilliance of one simple idea, and once again demonstrated the ferocious power of the internet."
Scotsman.com Living - How do you turn a paperclip into a house?: "How do you turn a paperclip into a house?
EMMA COWING
EXACTLY one year ago today, at 12:48am, a 25-year-old Canadian called Kyle MacDonald sat down at his computer in Montreal and uploaded a picture of a red paperclip on to his web page. 'This might not surprise you,' he wrote above it, 'but below is a picture of a paperclip. It is red.' MacDonald went on to explain that he wanted to trade the paperclip for something bigger. 'Maybe a pen, a spoon, or perhaps a boot.' He was, he said, 'going to make a continuous chain of 'up trades' until I get a house. Or an island.'
Today, MacDonald will make the ultimate trade up from that original red paperclip when he takes possession of a three-bedroomed, 1,100-square-foot, white clapperboard farmhouse at 503 Main Street, Kipling, Saskatchewan. Over the past 12 months he has bartered away random items, such as a snowglobe and a part in a movie, travelled across North America in search of the perfect trade, and been interviewed worldwide by a fascinated media that included several Japanese TV channels and Good Morning America. It is a story that has reawakened the notion of bartering, proved the brilliance of one simple idea, and once again demonstrated the ferocious power of the internet."
Hillsong
Well Hillsong was great. There were so many things I could write about.
Here are just a few recollections!
Leaders must learn to discern the small things from the great things and not focus on the small things.
The significance of a service on Sunday - people get an impression of God and Christianity from our services.
Take the tape measure off! Don't try to measure God.
What's in your hand? Use that.
The importance of the stewardship of affluence and influence. Influence allows us to speak for those who have no voice.
Let the 'because factor' be written across you!
The power of the squeeze - it increases our capacity.
Just walk across the room - learn to obey those small promptings of the Holy Spirit to step out of our comfort zone and just go and talk to someone. You never know what God can do with that!
Now ....... just to put that into practise!
Here are just a few recollections!
Leaders must learn to discern the small things from the great things and not focus on the small things.
The significance of a service on Sunday - people get an impression of God and Christianity from our services.
Take the tape measure off! Don't try to measure God.
What's in your hand? Use that.
The importance of the stewardship of affluence and influence. Influence allows us to speak for those who have no voice.
Let the 'because factor' be written across you!
The power of the squeeze - it increases our capacity.
Just walk across the room - learn to obey those small promptings of the Holy Spirit to step out of our comfort zone and just go and talk to someone. You never know what God can do with that!
Now ....... just to put that into practise!
Saturday, July 01, 2006
What a week or so
What a week! An article I wrote recently generated a bit of interest, with the paper that I write for publishing an opposing article last week and then starting a blog about it! At last look, the post had 216 comments. It certainly had some emotive comments, which were rather innocently or deliberately misleading in content as well. (I checked with my legal sources today).
I have been pondering about how Jesus would respond to all of this and to one person in particular who has taken exception to me in their comments posted and could be contacted if I chose to.
Truth with grace.
I will not back down from truth and applied truth, and yet at the same time, I want to demonstrate grace and love.
You see, the whole 'tolerance' thing is a load of rot. How insulting that you would tolerate someone. As a christian, I am called to live from a higher place. I am called not to tolerate, but to love - unconditionally.
So I am still pondering......
I have been pondering about how Jesus would respond to all of this and to one person in particular who has taken exception to me in their comments posted and could be contacted if I chose to.
Truth with grace.
I will not back down from truth and applied truth, and yet at the same time, I want to demonstrate grace and love.
You see, the whole 'tolerance' thing is a load of rot. How insulting that you would tolerate someone. As a christian, I am called to live from a higher place. I am called not to tolerate, but to love - unconditionally.
So I am still pondering......
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