Falling On Deaf Ears

So yesterday morning I woke to the joyful sound of ringing. Not a nice ringing. Not even a phone ringing (which would be awesome as I have Jamie Lidell as my ringtone) but the annoying ringing you get after a concert. Its called Titanus apparantely. I don't really care what its called, its annoying. But unfortunately I can't even look at it with fondness like I would if it was caused my an amazing concert. That was last week.

No this was caused simply by a blocked ear. Now I don't know about you but when I get this it changes the person I am. I am easily irritated and I am probably a bit more prone to losing my temper. I'm not really like that but when something like this happens to me I act like a spoiled kid.

And this got me thinking.
I can look at this as being the worst thing to ever happen to me like I did.

It wasn't.

Or I can look at it as something that is mildy inconvienient and that can be easily treated.

It is.

When I look at it like that then it changes my outlook. In fact after 24 hours of not being able to hear out of my left ear I am actually pretty used to it now.

And it may be a bit of a cliche but I am starting to appreciate my hearing. On my way home from Belfast yesterday I listened to music and for a brief few seconds my ear completely cleared up. Can I tell you that the music has never sounded so good. I have been listening to Sleeping at Last pretty much non stop the past week but it sounded so so better for a few short seconds.

I was reading a blog post on Shellie R Warrens facebook blog in which she was taken ill with the flu last week and how this as she saw it was God's way of "making her lay down." Psalm 23v2 ESV. God started to heal her about something specific going one in her life at that time. God had something to do with her illness. Reading about how she saw this period and how it was one way that God gets our attention by knocking us for six inspired me.

Sometimes we go through things that don't just cause us to stop and take stock but 'make us lie down'. So I started seeing my ear problem like this. I started to wonder what was the purpose of this and I believe it was to talk to me about sin. To see what is necessary and what is not. To see my sin and to see what I need to cut out. I like this. I am enjoying this. I think I am becoming more patient. I feel I'm thinking clearer about a certain issue in my life right now. My ear is blocked and even though I can do something about it, it won't heal straight away. I have no other choice but to wait and grin and bear it.

Maybe when we are sick or disappointed we should use it as a time to force us to stop and take time to hear (easier for some than others). There is nothing to do but be helpless and look to God and that is something I don't do nearly as much as I should. And remember that after God imposes on us something that stops us in our tracks to remember that there are good things about that time.

"He leads me beside still waters" -He gives us time to take stock and be peaceful. To stop thinking about the next project, the next meeting, the next problem. He gives us perspective.

"He restores my soul"- He take something that has been bothering you, something that has been tempting you or eating at you some disappointment and says it's OK. It's not who you are. It doesn't have to ruin or define you. It just gives you a new way of looking.

"You anoint my head with oil" - He gives you drops to put in your head to heal you, he brings you back to health after making you look to him with a new outlook.

The hard stuff is a "path to righteousness" that brings us to a new place. A better place where we are different people, more a real person than we were before. So if you are suffering right now remember there is a reason. There is a purpose. It's not needless. It's crucial. And with God we can be sure it will be good

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
forever.

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Invisible Children

My girlfriend Brittany has been passionate about Invisible Children for a while now and her love of this organisation is rubbing off on me now. If you don't know who they are, they are a charity who are working at freeing the thousands of child soldiers held by Joseph Kony and the LRA in Northern Uganda. In a nutshell.

When a war has been going on for as long as the one in Uganda it is easy to forget the people there or keep uptodate and it seems it fades into the background. When was the last time you heard about the war on the news. I think the same has happened here for a long time. But the truth is this is going on now in our world. There are children who are having their lives taken from them and it is our responsibility to help. Not to think that is awful, but to do something. It's pretty simple. This is the world that we have been given to look after and that means that part of what we as human being are required to do is to look after it and the people in it. This isn't about being a Christian. It's about something deeper. About being human.

I am really excited that Invisible CHildren are coming to Europe and I am even more excited that they are coming over to Northern Ireland. We will be holding a number of events and screenings of their new documentary during April including one at Queens and Belfast Bible College.

If you are reading this and want to get your church involved or your friends or your cat and dog then leave me a post.

Even better sign up now and get pumped and informed for the big event happening in Belfast on the 25th April. It is going to be pretty huge and it is going to be a chance to make a difference to someones life. Not to be missed. More soon

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Inspiration

I was asked to write another blog by someone but I am feeling distinctly lacking in inspiration for anything to write. Life has been busy lately and I guess I could write about some of that. But most of what I want to write about I want to wait until it all goes down. But there are some pretty exciting things coming up. I'll keep you posted.

But anyway I have been back at college for Dessies two week course on Jewish culture and it has been amazing. I love bringing Christianity back to its Jewish roots and realising we have got so much of our preaching and out interpreting of the Bible wrong. It's inspiring to start reading the Bible.

So on that note I want to share two blogs/websites that have been inspiring my thinking and my life recently.

First up

Stuff Christians Like

This guy is so talented. He has this nack of putting everything that I have been thinking about Christianity and church into words. This is a hilarious site but its more. He isn't just taking the piss, he is trying to get us to see the ridiculousness in how we act as Christians sometimes. Please check this out. It will make you laugh and it will make you stop and think. Two things which it is very hard to get you to do at the same time. On a side note check out his other blogs 97 seconds and prodigal john.

xxxchurch

There isn't much more that I need to say. This site and this ministry has been an amazing help to me. They are stepping up and doing something that nobody else is willing to do. They are changing peoples lives and going places that other ministries wouldn't be seen dead at. Recently the blog by Shellie R Warren on the site has been the main reason I visit it. She doesn't just deal with sexuality with care and grace but she more than anything else I have read is moving me to stay away from that crap. Please read her blog. Even if you don't struggle with porn (though I think most guys do at some point) her words and the way she thinks will make you think.

Very short post but at the moment these two places are inspiring me to move forward and to do something. To realise my dreams and start realising myself. Realising myself by bringing who I am meant to be and what I know I can be to life.

I hope they bless you as much as they have me.

Peace out

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moving to(o) fast

Recently I decided to go on a fast. 7 days without food, just fruit juices and water. I have never done this type of thing before (except for a very on/off successful sweet fast) so I was pretty excited and really up for it. It was going to be amazing, getting closer to God, challenging myself to something and learning about myself.

I managed 2 days!

If I am being completely true my motives weren't so pure. I didn't want to do it to look impressive but I did think it would be a quick way of losing a few much needed pounds before the football season resumed. The whole spiritual aspect was a bit of a side issue. Which I know now is not the way that a fast, especially the type I was looking for, should be done.

So I decided to read up a bit and start again sometime, ease into it instead of rushing into something I didn't fully understand. So I will.

That's not to say that it was a waste of time or a complete failure.

I started to pray. That may sound like a strange comment from a Bible College student but I don't pray that often. But when I didn't have any food for two days I just started praying. The best thing was it just seemed natural. It was supernatural. It wasn't forced. I turned to God instead of food. And I liked it a lot.

I also was less agitated. I was working for both the days I did it and I was really relaxed with annoying customers. I was in the queue paying for petrol and someone pushed in in front of me. It didn't bother me. Someone took my place and I didn't care. It didn't matter to me. It was a great feeling to be honest. Instead of getting all worked up and letting it consume me it just washed over me. I felt really healthy. Physically and mentally.

Even in such a short time my outlook on food has started to change. I like eating. Who doesn't but I started to realise that it is possible to survive without it. It was strange coming to meal times and not eating but it was possible. And after not eating when I did eat again it was good. In fact it was better than I could have imagined. Food that I have had a million times before tasted different and better. It made me think of Heaven when everything good will be heightened. Maybe it was a small fortaste into eternal life.

I appreciate food a bit more. I appreciate and am thanful that food is available to me whenever I like. I'm pretty lucky. There is a 24 hour garage a 5 minutes drive away that I can get whatever I like, whenever I like. Everytime I have eaten since, I remember this and meals have been so much more enjoyable because of it.

These are all great new ways of thinking to come out of this experience. But I want to change my behaviour. I want to not just remember people who don't have food or homes or anything else which I can readily get access to, but help them. I read somewhere that if after doing a fast it doesn't change your behaviour then it is a waste of time.

I really recommend fasting to anyone. In fact if you believe what Jesus says is true, maybe its not a command but definately an expectation. I only managed two days but in those two days I learnt a lot more about myself than in a long time. I saw my sin highlighted and I saw my outlook on things changed. It inspired me to do longer and it inspired me to do something.

I hope you take up the challenge. You won't be disappointed.

Though if I would say one thing, maybe start with short fasts and maybe someday, we can do what these guys did.

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Pushing against a wall

It's hard for me to write sometimes. This may be reflected in how it has been exactly a month since I last posted something here. I really like to write but for some reason I have just found it tough recently. There may be many reasons.

I've just finished this term at college and was getting sick of writing essays. Or maybe it's because I just don't have anything to say right now. But there is another reason I think might be important in my not writing.

Sometimes when we are called to something we start to struggle with that thing.

For example I believe that I'm called to stay sexually pure but I find it tough to do so sometimes. Yeah sure there are loads of things we are all called to as Christians in general and being sexually pure is one of them. But with my past life of lust and porn I believe this is something I am specifically called to. Or maybe you are called to be a leader but struggle with your ego. Maybe you are called to give help to someone or some people but struggle with selfishness. There are many ways we can be called specifcally.

And its in these times that I believe that we find it hard to be that person. We have an urge to become exactly the opposite of who we are meant to be, even when we really desire to be that.

And I also love to write. I love reading and I love how words can make sentances that can have such a massive impact on us. I'm thinking Rob Bell and Don Miller here pacifically. I enjoy writing and without sounding like I have a massive head I think that I have some talent for it. That's not boasting. It could be a gift. But thats for another time.

What I am saying is when we feel like we are failing with something we feel we are called to we shouldn't just give up. Satan could be making you feel this way because he knows that (insert your own thing here) is what you are called to. He knows it and he will do anything to make you doubt that.

So I haven't felt like writing lately and I am starting to see that maybe I have been feeling like this because I have been called to write and if I fulfill this then I am doing my part in building God's kingdom. Maybe Satan wants me to waste my time with something else other that what I was made to.

So don't get down if you are seeing a wall with something you were created to do. Don't get down if how you're behaving right now is the opposite of the person you believe you are called to. Don't get frustrated if you are struggling with being that person.

Instead be inspired and more confident that this thing is what you are called to. Maybe your lack of desire to be that or you're fighting to be like that is down to someone wanting you not to be.

Let this fact be an encouragement, not a doubt in your mind.

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