On wednesday at my house group we watched this podcast - it's all about smiling and how it is actually way more important than you all thought!
Apparently by smiling you appear to be more attractive to others, and more competent to your employers! Ha.
It got me thinking that smiling is really really important. It is contagious - it is rare that if you smile at someone they won't smile back...usually they might give you a confused smile as they desperately try to think if they know you or not, but actually smiling is something that people find it hard to refuse to give in to.
As a Christian I don't want people to see me as ridiculously happy and not in tune with reality and the pain that that can sometime bring, but I do want to express my joy in all that God has done and continues to do for me. It is something I take for granted.
Smiling is pretty simple, it doesn't cost us anything, has proven health benefits and makes us look good to others...I'm committed to trying to do it more.
Are you?
24 Nov 2011
13 Nov 2011
Sex and Rhythm
So I generally tend to blog about things that are on my mind and just want to say before I start that the two topics for today are not related....not talking about rhythmic sex...
No no, I've been thinking about rhythm because yesterday I had a little "jamming" sesh with some of the people I work with. Some of you may know that I acquired a guitar last year and have been endeavouring to master the instrument. So myself and 3 others gathered in the basement of a Church Office which was home to a drum kit and some MASSIVE amps (like bigger than me - literally). Anyway my friend Davs was on the drums and she was incredibly good. Like just ace at keeping beat, doing fills, playing something you want to listen to. Then someone else got on the drums and to be honest it wasn't great, or it wasn't AS great as Davs had been. One of my biggest problems playing the guitar is that I cannot hold a strumming pattern. I can play the chords, or some of them at least, but I cannot sustain a rhythmic strumming pattern for the duration of a song...this poses a problem as without that it doesn't sound good.
I generally don't like making things super spiritual but I was just thinking about the links between rhythm and God...like a lot of the time people can be doing good things, and can be really nice, but unless they are living in the rhythm of God's grace it counts for nothing. In the same way that I can play the chords but it sounds rubbish without good rhythm, the good things I do with my life are worth nothing without living in rhythm with God's heart. I can often get distracted about why I am doing things, do them to look good, or because I want people to like me. When actually I can be TOTALLY secure in what God thinks of me - he's already told me:
“I have loved you with an everlasting love;
I have drawn you with loving-kindness" Jeremiah 31:3
So living in a way that is in rhythm with God's heart is something I want to be defined by. I want to be someone who:
hmm I don't know if I can really explaining my head very well but hopefully you have grasped something there...
Right so SEX. I am quite interested to know how many skipped the above just to get to this bit...
Firstly I think that sex is something that is really not talked about properly in the Christian context. Like it is pretty rare that you get sermons about sex/sexuality/masturbation/anything sexually related. Which I think is pretty crazy considering what a sexually alive culture we live in. Like everywhere we go we are confronted with sex - adverts, magazines, films, music...like its a big part of culture at the moment...and yet there is pretty limited guidance for Christians other than don't have sex before you're married. So yesterday I was at this 18-30's worship service thing and the topic was sex. Not going to lie, I was pretty shocked and slightly nervous. Like part of me didn't want to stay and listen - I wonder if that is because it is such a taboo subject that people do feel uncomfortable?? Anyway, the guy did a pretty good job of just talking through why sex with one person is good and used David as an example of how God can still use us even when we mess up with sex. However a lot of the nitty-gritty wasn't covered - like what does God think about people who struggle with their sexuality? Or how do you stay pure in a culture where sex is the status quo? What about when you are married? Like are there rules about what you can or can't do? Like sometimes I just feel like there is pretty limited information out there.
To be fair it's not like I need to know at all - and it's not like I have particularly researched into this area. But at some point I will want to know.
Something that did really strike me about this talk was something that the guy said about our bodies not being our own. We are not just bodies, we are body and spirit. The Bible says:
"Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own." 1 Corinthians 6:19
Far too much of the time I forget that my body isn't mine. I don't treat it well - like I don't self-harm or anything but I don't feed it the right things, or exercise it well. But it's not my body...I am housing God...surely I want that to be the best place I can make it??
Just some thoughts...
No no, I've been thinking about rhythm because yesterday I had a little "jamming" sesh with some of the people I work with. Some of you may know that I acquired a guitar last year and have been endeavouring to master the instrument. So myself and 3 others gathered in the basement of a Church Office which was home to a drum kit and some MASSIVE amps (like bigger than me - literally). Anyway my friend Davs was on the drums and she was incredibly good. Like just ace at keeping beat, doing fills, playing something you want to listen to. Then someone else got on the drums and to be honest it wasn't great, or it wasn't AS great as Davs had been. One of my biggest problems playing the guitar is that I cannot hold a strumming pattern. I can play the chords, or some of them at least, but I cannot sustain a rhythmic strumming pattern for the duration of a song...this poses a problem as without that it doesn't sound good.
I generally don't like making things super spiritual but I was just thinking about the links between rhythm and God...like a lot of the time people can be doing good things, and can be really nice, but unless they are living in the rhythm of God's grace it counts for nothing. In the same way that I can play the chords but it sounds rubbish without good rhythm, the good things I do with my life are worth nothing without living in rhythm with God's heart. I can often get distracted about why I am doing things, do them to look good, or because I want people to like me. When actually I can be TOTALLY secure in what God thinks of me - he's already told me:
“I have loved you with an everlasting love;
I have drawn you with loving-kindness" Jeremiah 31:3
So living in a way that is in rhythm with God's heart is something I want to be defined by. I want to be someone who:
- talks to the outcasts
- has time for the forgotten
- builds people up
- speaks up for people who don't have a voice
- is welcoming
- has God at the centre of all I do.
hmm I don't know if I can really explaining my head very well but hopefully you have grasped something there...
Right so SEX. I am quite interested to know how many skipped the above just to get to this bit...
Firstly I think that sex is something that is really not talked about properly in the Christian context. Like it is pretty rare that you get sermons about sex/sexuality/masturbation/anything sexually related. Which I think is pretty crazy considering what a sexually alive culture we live in. Like everywhere we go we are confronted with sex - adverts, magazines, films, music...like its a big part of culture at the moment...and yet there is pretty limited guidance for Christians other than don't have sex before you're married. So yesterday I was at this 18-30's worship service thing and the topic was sex. Not going to lie, I was pretty shocked and slightly nervous. Like part of me didn't want to stay and listen - I wonder if that is because it is such a taboo subject that people do feel uncomfortable?? Anyway, the guy did a pretty good job of just talking through why sex with one person is good and used David as an example of how God can still use us even when we mess up with sex. However a lot of the nitty-gritty wasn't covered - like what does God think about people who struggle with their sexuality? Or how do you stay pure in a culture where sex is the status quo? What about when you are married? Like are there rules about what you can or can't do? Like sometimes I just feel like there is pretty limited information out there.
To be fair it's not like I need to know at all - and it's not like I have particularly researched into this area. But at some point I will want to know.
Something that did really strike me about this talk was something that the guy said about our bodies not being our own. We are not just bodies, we are body and spirit. The Bible says:
"Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own." 1 Corinthians 6:19
Far too much of the time I forget that my body isn't mine. I don't treat it well - like I don't self-harm or anything but I don't feed it the right things, or exercise it well. But it's not my body...I am housing God...surely I want that to be the best place I can make it??
Just some thoughts...
5 Nov 2011
WINNER
And we have a winner of the mighty giveaway...
the winner who will be receiving this dress is....
= Laura George!!
Congratulations Laura.
Incase you want to know how I worked it out I just decided to make it nice and random and made a list in excel and then looked up a formula to pick one at random and Laura was the winner.
Thanks so much to everyone who entered....you might be interested to know that the Giveaway post has been my most ever viewed entry with well over a hundred views.
Laura send me your address so I can post it to you asap :)
= Laura George!!
Congratulations Laura.
Incase you want to know how I worked it out I just decided to make it nice and random and made a list in excel and then looked up a formula to pick one at random and Laura was the winner.
Thanks so much to everyone who entered....you might be interested to know that the Giveaway post has been my most ever viewed entry with well over a hundred views.
Laura send me your address so I can post it to you asap :)
4 Nov 2011
2 Nov 2011
Hope
This a rare and could possibly be a one time occurrence that I blog TWICE in one day...but I just felt I had to...
Right so recently I have been struck by how sucky life can be for people, like lots of my friends are going through really hard situations, you watch/read the news and see how hard some people have it, I look at people with kids on the bus who look close to giving up. I sometimes find that really hard to reconcile with God. I mean we have a God who has done AMAZING things, like saving me from a death I should face...that's pretty immense. And yet, for your average person they want someone to help in the immediate. To actually give hope that things can and will change...that the situation you feel stuck in isn't forever.
The God I worship totally does bring hope for those situations. Today I was at a praise evening at a Church I have been attending and as I was worshiping God I was drawn to read this verse -
"But as for me, I shall always have hope; I will praise you more and more. My mouth will tell of your righteousness, of your salvation all day long, though I know not its measure". Psalm 71:14-15
I want that to be my heart, to ALWAYS have hope...there are times when I hear stories of how rubbish things are with people and I forget what an awesome God I serve. It is easy for us to get sucked into how bad things are and forget that that doesn't have to be the end of the story. I want to be someone who always remembers the greatness of my God and will always praise him more and more.
I am convinced that when we find ourselves in challenging situations we can rely on a God who is bigger than we can possibly imagine. There is nothing that is too great for him (Luke 1:27) - I just feel like I want to encourage anyone reading this who might feel like giving up or that its too hard that its ok; God knows your struggles and totally wants to help - remind yourself of what he has done and surrender to what he has in store...
Sorry this has turned a little preachy...I just had to get it out.
Right so recently I have been struck by how sucky life can be for people, like lots of my friends are going through really hard situations, you watch/read the news and see how hard some people have it, I look at people with kids on the bus who look close to giving up. I sometimes find that really hard to reconcile with God. I mean we have a God who has done AMAZING things, like saving me from a death I should face...that's pretty immense. And yet, for your average person they want someone to help in the immediate. To actually give hope that things can and will change...that the situation you feel stuck in isn't forever.
The God I worship totally does bring hope for those situations. Today I was at a praise evening at a Church I have been attending and as I was worshiping God I was drawn to read this verse -
"But as for me, I shall always have hope; I will praise you more and more. My mouth will tell of your righteousness, of your salvation all day long, though I know not its measure". Psalm 71:14-15
I want that to be my heart, to ALWAYS have hope...there are times when I hear stories of how rubbish things are with people and I forget what an awesome God I serve. It is easy for us to get sucked into how bad things are and forget that that doesn't have to be the end of the story. I want to be someone who always remembers the greatness of my God and will always praise him more and more.
I am convinced that when we find ourselves in challenging situations we can rely on a God who is bigger than we can possibly imagine. There is nothing that is too great for him (Luke 1:27) - I just feel like I want to encourage anyone reading this who might feel like giving up or that its too hard that its ok; God knows your struggles and totally wants to help - remind yourself of what he has done and surrender to what he has in store...
Sorry this has turned a little preachy...I just had to get it out.
Neck
So after visiting the Doctor's about my neck I was pretty much in the same position as there wasn't much they could do apart from tell me that it wasn't going to spread and affect my whole body (which I was slightly worried about)...
HOWEVER - the lovely old lady I live with had told me to put something warm on it and to just gently stretch it (this was after intensive praying for it, love her!) and do you know what...it's not totally healed but it is WAY better than it was.
PRAISE THE LORD.
I think this whole episode has made me realise how much I take my body for granted. I mean its so intricate and can do so many things....you use your neck for a load more things than you think. I'm just glad its on the mend.
Thanks to any of you who prayed.
HOWEVER - the lovely old lady I live with had told me to put something warm on it and to just gently stretch it (this was after intensive praying for it, love her!) and do you know what...it's not totally healed but it is WAY better than it was.
PRAISE THE LORD.
I think this whole episode has made me realise how much I take my body for granted. I mean its so intricate and can do so many things....you use your neck for a load more things than you think. I'm just glad its on the mend.
Thanks to any of you who prayed.
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