so this will be my last blog on this site, i've went to wordpress so you can continue to follow me there
http://inthegraspofwonder.wordpress.com/
i hope you visit
a reboot
7 years ago
Thursday 3 September 2009
Sunday 30 August 2009
Fulfillment on the yellow brick road
What is fulfillment? For some it's money or job or family but for me I believe it's the knowledge that I'm walking in the footsteps that the Lord has traced out for me. I've struggled over the last couple of months working in McDonalds, I needed a two month job and they kindly took me on, however it brought feelings of unfulfillment and my summer being wasted. I just had to trust that I was serving the Lord and that he was using me for his purposes even if I didn't notice.
In whatever circumstance we are in, God can use us we just have to let him and he will lead us. Sure I often slip of that path but he places me back on it.
Grace.
How sweet the sound.
On another note, my parents return from Nigeria tomorrow where my Dad has been for 3 months and my Mum for a month. I'm excited to hear their stories and how they saw God work.
I lacked inspiration over the summer hence the lack of blogging but the tide should have turned when I head down to London in a weeks time. I will be working with London City Mission and I'm confident they'll be many stories to tell.
For those who pray, pray for me, pray that I show the Lord's love to the people I meet and that I walk on that path he has drawn out for me over the year.
I'll be blogging alot more now so happy reading.
Grace and Peace my friends
In whatever circumstance we are in, God can use us we just have to let him and he will lead us. Sure I often slip of that path but he places me back on it.
Grace.
How sweet the sound.
On another note, my parents return from Nigeria tomorrow where my Dad has been for 3 months and my Mum for a month. I'm excited to hear their stories and how they saw God work.
I lacked inspiration over the summer hence the lack of blogging but the tide should have turned when I head down to London in a weeks time. I will be working with London City Mission and I'm confident they'll be many stories to tell.
For those who pray, pray for me, pray that I show the Lord's love to the people I meet and that I walk on that path he has drawn out for me over the year.
I'll be blogging alot more now so happy reading.
Grace and Peace my friends
Tuesday 21 July 2009
Opposites Attract
Last night I was at Glasgow Elim church listening to Heidi Baker talk about her life and how God is using her to reach people in Mozambique. Those people who are starving, lonely, homeless, hurting and struggling to survive. What she said was a real inspiration and challenge.
Today I was working at my summer job, McDonalds, watching people buy food and then throw it away. People who are privileged to afford food and living a fairly comfortable life. What I saw made me sad that food is wasted and that those customers don't realise how lucky they are.
One extreme to the other.
I'm not perfect in any respect and I hope God can keep transforming me and teaching me. I want to be able to show his love by being with the poor and the hurting instead of just listening to talks. I hope that the western world will realise how privileged we are to be able to easily obtain food and have shelter to stay in.
Why do we deserve this?
However is our comfort a blessing or are we too comfortable to realise how much we need God. Heidi spoke about how real God is too those African people and about the miracles that have occurred. Is our comfort and lack of faith blinding us from the work of God.
Jesus.
Made the blind see.
May we not be to proud and see how the Lord is moving amongst the people in Mozambique. May we in the West think about our everyday desisions and ask if this is showing God's love.
God's Radical Love.
Today I was working at my summer job, McDonalds, watching people buy food and then throw it away. People who are privileged to afford food and living a fairly comfortable life. What I saw made me sad that food is wasted and that those customers don't realise how lucky they are.
One extreme to the other.
I'm not perfect in any respect and I hope God can keep transforming me and teaching me. I want to be able to show his love by being with the poor and the hurting instead of just listening to talks. I hope that the western world will realise how privileged we are to be able to easily obtain food and have shelter to stay in.
Why do we deserve this?
However is our comfort a blessing or are we too comfortable to realise how much we need God. Heidi spoke about how real God is too those African people and about the miracles that have occurred. Is our comfort and lack of faith blinding us from the work of God.
Jesus.
Made the blind see.
May we not be to proud and see how the Lord is moving amongst the people in Mozambique. May we in the West think about our everyday desisions and ask if this is showing God's love.
God's Radical Love.
Wednesday 1 July 2009
music to my life
Random post for you...
It happened again today, I was listening to music while I was walking to work and the song 'Rain down' came on by David Crowder Band*, just at that moment it started raining outside and the rain practically stopped when the song finished. I always find it very weird when that happens. When I was running once my ipod was on shuffle and 2 songs came on that were about running, they did give me that wee boost.
Anyway I thought I would share that with you.
It happened again today, I was listening to music while I was walking to work and the song 'Rain down' came on by David Crowder Band*, just at that moment it started raining outside and the rain practically stopped when the song finished. I always find it very weird when that happens. When I was running once my ipod was on shuffle and 2 songs came on that were about running, they did give me that wee boost.
Anyway I thought I would share that with you.
Tuesday 30 June 2009
Designed for Community
I always considered myself a bit of a lone wolf, able to go off on adventures by myself but recently this idea has been turned on it's head. I must have watched too many superhero films!
I was walking the west highland way (Milngavie to Fort William - 95 miles) with a couple of mates but they pulled out on the second day, 25 miles into the walk, my pride got the better of me and I decided to go on myself. 20 miles later I pulled out feeling very low and lonely.
I needed someone to share the experience with, someone to encourage me when I was struggling, someone just to enjoy the walk with.
Someone.
This is the same with life. We need to share the experience with people, how often do people get depressed and start to struggle when they don't have someone there to love and encourage them, who have an ear to listen to their problems.
We each need a community of friends to be with, to enjoy life with. Of course there are times when we need to be alone but on the overall grand scheme of things we need someone.
We are designed to be in community.
I'll be finishing the West Highland Way another time and it will definitely be with someone.
I was walking the west highland way (Milngavie to Fort William - 95 miles) with a couple of mates but they pulled out on the second day, 25 miles into the walk, my pride got the better of me and I decided to go on myself. 20 miles later I pulled out feeling very low and lonely.
I needed someone to share the experience with, someone to encourage me when I was struggling, someone just to enjoy the walk with.
Someone.
This is the same with life. We need to share the experience with people, how often do people get depressed and start to struggle when they don't have someone there to love and encourage them, who have an ear to listen to their problems.
We each need a community of friends to be with, to enjoy life with. Of course there are times when we need to be alone but on the overall grand scheme of things we need someone.
We are designed to be in community.
I'll be finishing the West Highland Way another time and it will definitely be with someone.
Wednesday 3 June 2009
Gluing the world back together
I came home from a five day trip to Paris yesterday which was amazing but one major thing that stood out to me in that beautiful city is the obvious divide between rich and poor. Paris is an expensive city so some who live there have a lot of money and may have second homes elsewhere in France while there are many people who call the streets of Paris their home. Of course this is the case of most cities across the world.
There is enough for everyone's need but not for everyone's greed - Ghandi
When I went to visit the Sacré-Coeur, a huge church in Paris, it was so grand and gives a great view over the city. At each entrance sat a different woman, each pleading for money. It was so hard walking around that church while thinking about those women, why is the world like this I asked myself. We cry out to God asking what he is doing but he is also crying out to us asking what we are doing about it. When leaving the church I saw a visitor talking to one of the homeless women and she handed her some perfume. This may not fill a homeless women's stomach but it will give her a sense of identity that they are a woman. The reaction was confusion at first but then a smile appeared on her face.
A smile.
The world is full of divisions and continues to split, countries, governments, religions, the church, myself and yourself. I was reading this morning about the split of Israel into Judah and Israel back in 945BC due to the pride of King Rehoboam.
Pride and humilty.
Let us not be too proud to help that person in need, that person who is lonely and needs a friend, that person who just needs someone to talk to, that person who needs to fill their empty stomach. Let us mend those divisions and the world to become one community and to have a wholeness of peace.
Shalom.
There is enough for everyone's need but not for everyone's greed - Ghandi
When I went to visit the Sacré-Coeur, a huge church in Paris, it was so grand and gives a great view over the city. At each entrance sat a different woman, each pleading for money. It was so hard walking around that church while thinking about those women, why is the world like this I asked myself. We cry out to God asking what he is doing but he is also crying out to us asking what we are doing about it. When leaving the church I saw a visitor talking to one of the homeless women and she handed her some perfume. This may not fill a homeless women's stomach but it will give her a sense of identity that they are a woman. The reaction was confusion at first but then a smile appeared on her face.
A smile.
The world is full of divisions and continues to split, countries, governments, religions, the church, myself and yourself. I was reading this morning about the split of Israel into Judah and Israel back in 945BC due to the pride of King Rehoboam.
Pride and humilty.
Let us not be too proud to help that person in need, that person who is lonely and needs a friend, that person who just needs someone to talk to, that person who needs to fill their empty stomach. Let us mend those divisions and the world to become one community and to have a wholeness of peace.
Shalom.
Tuesday 28 April 2009
The world needs a hug
Last weekend was slightly unexpected and crazy but so good.
I made it to 'the rescue'in Edinburgh on Saturday after rearranging my study plan and I am so glad I did. The protest started out with us meeting outside the parliament buildings to be made into a group of 20 and given a rope to hold on to (I ended up at the front of my group). We then walked to Princes street gardens to symbolise the children being abducted. Once we got there we did some photo and film shoots before setting up camp, well, rolling out our sleeping bags. Letters were then written to be sent to Gordon Brown and David Milliband. Billy Boyd (aka Pippen from the LOTR films) came and rescued us, he made a speech and stuck around for quite a while which was really sound of him. We left in the morning at 6.30pm, knackered but happy.
It was my first experience of being involved in a protest like this, it didn't seem to make too much of a difference at the time but knowing that it was happening in a 100 cities in 10 countries all over the world made it special. Hopefully the media attention and letters will drive the governments into making a difference and get the peace process back on track. Those children out there, who are suffering in an invisible war, who are killing for a man who is insane and who are dying in the process, need a hug and may that happen soon.
On Sunday afternoon I ended up on Sauchiehall Street giving out free hugs with a group from church. You should have seen the faces of the public, some were shocked, some confused, some excited but all those who got a hug left smiling. It's amazing what one hug can do, a few people said it made their day and a few came back for more. The free hug was just a way to show how much God loves us.
God
Loves
Us
It can be hard to see this in situations like in Uganda but just because we can't perceive a reason for it doesn't mean there isn't a good reason. Sin has caused this injustice but God has a plan to end it.
He wants to give us all a hug.
He wants to give the world a hug.
I made it to 'the rescue'in Edinburgh on Saturday after rearranging my study plan and I am so glad I did. The protest started out with us meeting outside the parliament buildings to be made into a group of 20 and given a rope to hold on to (I ended up at the front of my group). We then walked to Princes street gardens to symbolise the children being abducted. Once we got there we did some photo and film shoots before setting up camp, well, rolling out our sleeping bags. Letters were then written to be sent to Gordon Brown and David Milliband. Billy Boyd (aka Pippen from the LOTR films) came and rescued us, he made a speech and stuck around for quite a while which was really sound of him. We left in the morning at 6.30pm, knackered but happy.
It was my first experience of being involved in a protest like this, it didn't seem to make too much of a difference at the time but knowing that it was happening in a 100 cities in 10 countries all over the world made it special. Hopefully the media attention and letters will drive the governments into making a difference and get the peace process back on track. Those children out there, who are suffering in an invisible war, who are killing for a man who is insane and who are dying in the process, need a hug and may that happen soon.
On Sunday afternoon I ended up on Sauchiehall Street giving out free hugs with a group from church. You should have seen the faces of the public, some were shocked, some confused, some excited but all those who got a hug left smiling. It's amazing what one hug can do, a few people said it made their day and a few came back for more. The free hug was just a way to show how much God loves us.
God
Loves
Us
It can be hard to see this in situations like in Uganda but just because we can't perceive a reason for it doesn't mean there isn't a good reason. Sin has caused this injustice but God has a plan to end it.
He wants to give us all a hug.
He wants to give the world a hug.
Friday 17 April 2009
Protests
Saturday the 25th, time to raise awareness for the child soldiers who are abducted every day in Northern Uganda by a rebel organisation called the 'Lord's Resistance Army', led by rebel leader Joseph Kony. There are events happening all over the world on that day with one of them being in Edinburgh. I would be there if I didn't have to study for my finals.
Gutted.
If you have no idea what I am talking about then check out http://therescue.invisiblechildren.com/en/#/watch/
It will hopefully stay peaceful and hopefully get the attention of the Government.
The guardian website today tells me that the policeman who pushed Ian Tomlinson who died at the G20 protests is to be faced with manslaughter questions. OK the manslaughter charge would be a bit extreme from looking at the video evidence but I wonder what his defence will be, the victim was walking away to slowly, or maybe, I was bored with the majority of the protests being peaceful. I suppose he might have just got caught up in it all, he is probably feeling completely guilty about it all now.
I havn't actually been part of a mass protest before but I reckon there must be some thrill in it all, the adrenaline rush. I reckon alot of people that get involved with protests don't actually know what they are protesting but just jumped on the bandwagon. For example in the recent Israel-Palestine scenario, there was a protest at Strathclyde University and the protesters had ridiculous demands. I bet if I asked say 80% of those who were protesting about the demands they wouldn't have had a clue or had actually thought them through.
However, when protests do make a difference, are peaceful and are for a worthy cause then I hope that the people who can change things take heed.
25th April 2009 will hopefully make a difference.
Gutted.
If you have no idea what I am talking about then check out http://therescue.invisiblechildren.com/en/#/watch/
It will hopefully stay peaceful and hopefully get the attention of the Government.
The guardian website today tells me that the policeman who pushed Ian Tomlinson who died at the G20 protests is to be faced with manslaughter questions. OK the manslaughter charge would be a bit extreme from looking at the video evidence but I wonder what his defence will be, the victim was walking away to slowly, or maybe, I was bored with the majority of the protests being peaceful. I suppose he might have just got caught up in it all, he is probably feeling completely guilty about it all now.
I havn't actually been part of a mass protest before but I reckon there must be some thrill in it all, the adrenaline rush. I reckon alot of people that get involved with protests don't actually know what they are protesting but just jumped on the bandwagon. For example in the recent Israel-Palestine scenario, there was a protest at Strathclyde University and the protesters had ridiculous demands. I bet if I asked say 80% of those who were protesting about the demands they wouldn't have had a clue or had actually thought them through.
However, when protests do make a difference, are peaceful and are for a worthy cause then I hope that the people who can change things take heed.
25th April 2009 will hopefully make a difference.
Sunday 12 April 2009
Hope in the 21st Century
The news is full of bleak stories, the credit crunch and the earthquake in Italy to name a couple. Innocent lives are being taken in unjust wars, jobs are being lost in the recession, families being torn apart with the stress of it all. How can the death of a 1st century Jew provide any hope for us in the 21st century?
The unbelievable happened.
This first century Jew rose from the dead and defeated death. Wow, people don't rise from the dead, but when they are the son of God they do.
Empty tomb.
There was no objection to the empty tomb, just excuses made why the body wasn't there. It's so hard to believe at times and I can be full of doubt at times but it all makes sense in the end. The hope of Jesus is that we will have life after death but also that we have life before death. I'm not saying your worries will disappear just that a different worldview will become possible, a world view where the rich and powerful, the unjust rulers and the evil in the world do not have the last laugh.
Hope.
I will finish with the words of Tom Wright in his book 'Surprised by Hope'.
"And this is the point where believing in the resurrection of Jesus suddenly ceases to be a matter of enquiring about an odd event in the first century and becomes a matter of rediscovering hope in the twenty-first century."
Happy Easter all!
The unbelievable happened.
This first century Jew rose from the dead and defeated death. Wow, people don't rise from the dead, but when they are the son of God they do.
Empty tomb.
There was no objection to the empty tomb, just excuses made why the body wasn't there. It's so hard to believe at times and I can be full of doubt at times but it all makes sense in the end. The hope of Jesus is that we will have life after death but also that we have life before death. I'm not saying your worries will disappear just that a different worldview will become possible, a world view where the rich and powerful, the unjust rulers and the evil in the world do not have the last laugh.
Hope.
I will finish with the words of Tom Wright in his book 'Surprised by Hope'.
"And this is the point where believing in the resurrection of Jesus suddenly ceases to be a matter of enquiring about an odd event in the first century and becomes a matter of rediscovering hope in the twenty-first century."
Happy Easter all!
Friday 10 April 2009
The Nazarene
So today being Good Friday I can't help but mention the crucifiction of Jesus Christ. He suffered so much for us, it was innocent blood that was spilled so that we may be free. He suffered the pain silently and hung on that tree, so that we may be free and our sins forgiven.
Freedom.
Awesome.
I pray that everyone on this planet will see the truth and realise the who Jesus is and what he did for us. I worry that so many people that are celebrating Easter don't know and understand what it is about.
The Nazarene who courageously died for us so that we may have freedom. Who was resurrected so that we may have eternal life.
Not long until Sunday.
Freedom.
Awesome.
I pray that everyone on this planet will see the truth and realise the who Jesus is and what he did for us. I worry that so many people that are celebrating Easter don't know and understand what it is about.
The Nazarene who courageously died for us so that we may have freedom. Who was resurrected so that we may have eternal life.
Not long until Sunday.
Tuesday 7 April 2009
King of the Road
Went for a 10k run this evening and it occurred to me that whenever people are out running they lose all sense of road safety and are very arrogant on the pavement. My flatmate saw a guy run into a women and then just continued running. When I was training for a marathon last year, I was tooted at, flashed at and got the finger put up at me all because I just wouldn't pay attention to cars and just kept running in front of them.
Subconscious King of the Road syndrome.
I wonder if it has been reseached.
Subconscious King of the Road syndrome.
I wonder if it has been reseached.
Monday 6 April 2009
Doing the dishes
This morning I noticed that there is a huge a pile of dishes to be done in my flat. This reminded me of community mentioned in Claiborne and Hartgrove's book entitled 'Becoming answers to our prayers'. They have T shirts with 'Everyone wants a revolution but nobody wants to do the dishes', a reminder that the route to a revolution is through small aspects of love like washing someone's feet or doing the dishes.
Love - a beautiful word.
What does love fully mean, is it all emotional or is it in part a choice, a choice to completely care for a certain person or thing? I think when you love something you don't need to question it. Love should be a word that describes the Christian Church along with grace and forgiveness. However many people associate the church with words like hypocrisy and hatred.
Something has went horribly wrong somewhere.
I was challenged at church on Sunday when my pastor spoke about how he was out with a group at the bottom of Buchanan Street holding a sign saying 'Sorry' while the others were giving free hugs. This is similar to what Donald Miller talks about in his book 'Blue like Jazz', where he set up a confession booth at college and people came to listen him confess about the Church's faults, past and present.
Confession and Forgiveness.
The church needs to look out for the oppressed, help the poor and first and foremost be Christ-like. May people describe Christians as full of God's love.
Now to do the dishes.
Love - a beautiful word.
What does love fully mean, is it all emotional or is it in part a choice, a choice to completely care for a certain person or thing? I think when you love something you don't need to question it. Love should be a word that describes the Christian Church along with grace and forgiveness. However many people associate the church with words like hypocrisy and hatred.
Something has went horribly wrong somewhere.
I was challenged at church on Sunday when my pastor spoke about how he was out with a group at the bottom of Buchanan Street holding a sign saying 'Sorry' while the others were giving free hugs. This is similar to what Donald Miller talks about in his book 'Blue like Jazz', where he set up a confession booth at college and people came to listen him confess about the Church's faults, past and present.
Confession and Forgiveness.
The church needs to look out for the oppressed, help the poor and first and foremost be Christ-like. May people describe Christians as full of God's love.
Now to do the dishes.
Sunday 5 April 2009
A Sunday Evening
Blogs....not sure if they are out of date and I am behind the times but I decided to start one. My thoughts will be about life, God, the world and general randomness.
Not unusual for a blog.
We will see how long it lasts but at least I have another way to procasinate for the time being.
Enjoy. (There is a coffee shop on Great Western Road called that, has a certain memory linked with it).
Not unusual for a blog.
We will see how long it lasts but at least I have another way to procasinate for the time being.
Enjoy. (There is a coffee shop on Great Western Road called that, has a certain memory linked with it).
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