We have just had our bathroom tarted up a bit... and I would not recommend having your old bath re-enamelled… the stuff absolutely stinks!
We have had a chap called Simon come in to do the bits for us (we have never found the time to do it all ourselves) and he apparently said it was the evilest smelling stuff he had ever used all the time he has been doing decorating work… I haven’t even been in the bathroom yet, and it stinks… got to wear a mask when I do go in for a wee… what with having asthma an all, I don’t want to make myself ill!
Anyway… off to bed now, to sleep in the sweet smelling fumes… and probably wake up with a migraine!
My Sister Claire sent me this lovely little story today...
The Shipwreck...
The only survivor of a shipwreck was washed up on a small, uninhabited island. He prayed feverishly for God to rescue him, and every day he scanned the horizon for help, but none seemed forthcoming. Exhausted, he eventually managed to build a little hut out of driftwood to protect him from the elements, and to store his few possessions.
But then one day, after scavenging for food, he arrived home to find his little hut in flames, the smoke rolling up to the sky. The worst had happened; everything was lost. He was stunned with grief and anger. "God, how could you do this to me!" he cried.
Early the next day, however, he was awakened by the sound of a ship that was approaching the island. It had come to rescue him. "How did you know I was here?" asked the weary man of his rescuers. "We saw your smoke signal," they replied.
It is easy to get discouraged when things are going bad. But we shouldn't lose heart, because God is at work in our lives, even in the midst of pain and suffering.
Remember, next time your little hut is burning to the ground it just may be a smoke signal that summons the grace of God.
Well then, part II of my catch up… it’s still about spiritual things, because that is what has been on my mind for the last couple of days. I go to Manna Christian Fellowship, in Maidstone. I have been going there literally all my life… Mum and Dad met there, and have been there for well over 30 years, and I have now been there myself for over 28 years!
For the past few years I have been helping in leadership, I went from being a key-helper at house-group, to being a co-leader… but now house-group has come to an end for the time being, and I am now helping to run an Alpha course, in the role of a group leader talking to those attending and trying to answer their questions during discussion time.
I have not always found it easy to be a leader, it is not something that come naturally to me, and I feel that I lack the confidence that is needed to be in that position. But that is not what I wanted to share… it just sort of came out!
What I wanted to share was the teaching that we relieved at our Church Leaders away-day yesterday… we had Stuart Bell, from Lincoln New Life Church come to speak to us, and his ministry really blessed my heart. Stuart spoke about being Heaven Sent. And he had6 main points…
1. Jesus was sent to express the Fathers’ heart of love. Everything that Jesus said or did was an expression of the love that God wanted to show the world… we should have that as a foundation of our Christian lives, a desire to show Gods love to the world.
2. Jesus was sent to announce the message of the kingdom of God. When Jesus announced the Kingdom, people were healed and demons were cast out, miracles happened. We should also announce the Kingdom of God.
3. Jesus was sent to start a community. Jesus called the disciples to him and formed a relationship with them through spending time together and teaching them. He did not; as we so often want to do, immediately reach out to thousands at a time with a huge gospel seminar… he selected 12 ordinary men and spent time with them. Jesus says in John chapter 17 verse 9 “I pray for them, I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me for they are yours”. This is not to say that Jesus had no concern for the world, of course he did, but he was concerned at this moment in time with those close to him. He also chose a mixed array of men to form his community. He chose four fishermen, a hated tax collector, a zealot belonging to a violent religious sect, “sons of thunder” (hot-headed men, who argued first and discussed never), James – known as James the Less, Thomas – a pessimistic depressive, and of course Judas who was to betray him in the end. Yet Jesus built a community from these men, they grew and changed, built into the foundation of the Church, their lives changed completely. Jesus still uses ordinary people, people who are not “in it for the glory” but who want to give God the glory.
4. Jesus was sent to serve the people. The people of the time (especially the church leaders) did not expect the messiah, when he came, to be a suffering servant, rather he though he would be one to be served, even the Old Testament prophets spoke of a humble servant. Isaiah chapter 42 verse 1 speaks of the “servant of the Lord”. We are sent, as the Father sent the Son, to serve, to lay down our lives as an investment in compassion for others.
5. Jesus was sent to all the nations. In Luke chapter 4 verses 14 to 30, Jesus reads from a scripture prophesying his own coming. Yet as he carries on teaching he tells the synagogue about the reason for his coming; to share God’s love with all, and tells stories about two Gentiles. This made the Levites angry; they had assumed that the messiah would come for them. They did not understand that God’s love is unbounded. We should show God’s love, regardless of who a person is, or where they are from… because God loves them just as much as he loves me.
6. Jesus was sent in the power of the Holy Spirit. In John chapter 20 verse 22; Jesus breathed on the disciples, and prayed that they would received the Holy Spirit. We need the energy, life and empowerment of the Holy Spirit. If we lose the power of the Spiritual Gifts, we loose the power of God.
As Jesus was sent, so we are sent.
The main thing that i learnt from this message was that i don't need to be special to do God's work... he chose ordinary people... just like me!
I haven’t blogged for a while, so this might turn out to be a long one… I have a few thoughts that I have been writing in my journal about the last few days, and last Sunday… so I thought I would share them! I will start with last Sunday… this might take a few posts over the course of the afternoon… but I’m sure that won’t matter!
Communion
I was asked to lead the communion part of our Church service last Sunday (5th March), I had a couple of days to think about it, but to be honest I didn’t dedicate much time to preparing. I was busy at work, and straight after work on the Friday I went to visit mum in hospital (she had an operation on her foot), and then on Saturday I was running around a bit too… and I didn’t really think any more about it until I got up on Sunday morning.
I had to challenge myself about this, and ask myself why I had left it so late to prepare for what should be an act of remembering what Jesus did for me. I realised that I had let communion become something routine, just something else that takes place at Church, and it upset me that I should have let that happen.
I read through my bible a bit, and focused on the verse in Luke chapter 22, verse 19 where Jesus, at the last supper, says “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me”. Instead of taking the time at communion, to remember and pray, I had let it become something familiar, just something I did.
I wanted to share what I felt, and ask the congregation to join me in something a bit out of routine… so, instead of having some friends take the bread and grape juice (we use grape juice rather than wine) round to serve everyone, I asked two couples to stand at the front to serve, and asked everyone to make this communion something special, and to make a conscience effort to take part… to leave their seats and come to the front to share together.
I know that what I shared was quite personal, but I am glad that the congregation was receptive, and I know from their response that I was not alone in my feelings. We had a good time at communion last week, sharing together in a way that was just a bit different from the norm… and this week, it really did help me to focus more, and to pray to God in thanks for his wonderful sacrifice, whilst communion was served to us.
1. Grab the book nearest to you, turn to page 18, and find line 4. In the month before I was admitted, I’d had the craziest
2. Stretch your left arm out as far as you can. What can you touch?
The living room curtains
3. What is the last thing you watched on TV?
Casualty
4. Without looking, guess what time it is:
8pm
5. Now look at the clock. What is the actual time?
7:58pm
6. With the exception of the computer, what can you hear?
The TV
7. When did you last step outside? What were you doing?
At 5:55 this evening when I left work to walk home
8. Before you started this survey, what did you look at?
James’ then Rachel’s blogs
9. What are you wearing?
My jammies and dressing gown and Bagpuss slippers
10. Did you dream last night?
Not that I can remember… but I did wake up with a numb hand and had to take my splint off
11. When did you last laugh?
About 15 mins ago, with Nigel
12. What is on the walls of the room you are in?
Various pictures… one of Nigel’s nieces and nephew, 3 wedding cross stitches, a picture of Priestfield Stadium, home of Gillingham Football Club. But mostly we have framed tickets and programmes from some of the many concerts we have been to…
13. Seen anything weird lately?
Many things… the world is full of the weird and wonderful...
14. What do you think of this quiz?
It’s ok… seen better, seen worse…
15. What is the last film you saw?
Blade Trinity… just because it was on TV the other night!
16. If you became a multi-millionaire overnight, what would you buy?
A house, then a bigger car… then I would give some money to our families, they all mean so much to us that we would want to give them something…
17. Tell me something about you that I don't know
I suffered with depression while I was at University… it was a very tough time…
18. If you could change one thing about the world, regardless of guilt or politics, what would you do?
Make peace…
19. Do you like to dance?
Not really… I’ve never been much good at it!
20. George Bush:
Well, not too sure… don’t really follow US politics… or UK politics for that matter… can’t comment!
21. Imagine your first child is a girl, what do you call her?
I think maybe Ruth… it’s my middle name, and a biblical name too… although I don’t know what Nigel would think, we are not planning on having children for a couple of years yet!
22. Imagine your first child is a boy, what do you call him?
Luke James… this one we did decide together… a childhood friend of Nigel’s and my brothers’ names… and again, they are both biblical!
23. Would you ever consider living abroad?
Nah! I’m English through and through… and neither of us would want to leave our families…
24. What do you want God to say to you when you reach the pearly gates?
”Welcome home”
25. 4 people who must also do this quiz in THEIR journal:
Well… I’m not going to send it round; anyone that wants to can copy it from me!