This photo of a Cypress tree bent and curved by the wind and drawn to the light speaks to me tonight.
So often I feel as if I'm fighting against life and where I'm being taken and led; why do I resist? Why don't I see that there is a purpose and a beauty being created?
As September moves into October I will try to go more with the flow and allow myself to be led and drawn where it feels right.
Anyone with me?
The Crown Nominations Commission who were meeting last week to pray and decide upon the next Archbishop of Canterbury (ABC) have said it might take several weeks or months to come to the decision.
I am waiting impatiently for the news of who the next ABC will be, mostly because the uncertainty isn't great for those inside or outside the Church of England.
I feel slightly disturbed by the delay in fact; it is better than rushing incorrectly forward, but it means that no one has clearly emerged.
What does that mean?
Is it a sign that the C of E is in complex times and that maybe one man can't be all things to all people across all nations (unless you're Jesus of course).
Is it a precursor for how difficult a job being ABC will be and therefore how monumental this decision is.
Is it a great blessing that those making the decision with Gods guidance are talking it very seriously and know that it's better to be late and right than early and mistaken.
Who knows; I don't know why I'm trying to fathom it. I just need to trust and know that this it's how it's meant to be.
But lets keep praying for the Crown Nominations Commission while we wait.
I was shocked to read the news of an attack on a church in Nairobi with injuries among the Sunday School children. I was even more shocked to hear of a revenge attack on Somali's through possibly responsible. What faith do we have, Muslim or Christian, that violence is the answer?
Tonight I pray for all involved.
Father we ask for peace of heart for those injured and bereaved in these attacks.
Father we ask for peace of spirit for those made angry and wanting retribution.
Father we ask for peace of mind for those living in fear of attack.
Father we ask for peace between all those feeling towards towards others.
Father we ask for peace and stability in Kenya and especially in Nairobi and Mombassa where tension is high.
Amen
If you haven't downloaded the Paper Camera App then I highly recommend it. You can edit photos in different styles of paper, take photos in a chosen style or even video in a paper format. It's a lot of fun and will make a lot of my marketing for children's work more exciting and eye catching.
Here is one photo in many different formats.
This is all dedicated to Julia; it's her inspiration which she's another me to share because she's as passionate about children's and youth work as I am.
What does it mean to be forgiven our trespasses?
How would you explain it?
When we make mistakes or feel angry with someone it's like we have a black mark on our heart. It feels awfully dark and heavy.
When we say sorry and ask for forgiveness from God then we get relief from the sadness and guilt. God forgives us and washes us clean; he removes any trace of what we did wrong and we can stop feeling guilty.
Here is a physical demonstration.
Fill a bowl with water.
Take a vitamin c effervescent tablet.
Write or draw on the tablet what you want forgiveness for.
Drop the tablet into the water.
Watch the words/picture disappear.
Watch the tablet fizzing away.
Know that those fizzy bubbles are you being forgiven.
Feel the joy of forgiveness.
Is your glass half full?
Or is it half empty?
Do you focus on the positive?
Do you fixate on the negative?
Which way do you see things?
I am a born and bred pessimist.
I see the half empty glass of water.
I don't see what's left as thirst quenching.
I tend to worry rather than expect the best.
But I've learned to ignore this first response.
I've trained myself to think positive.
I've learned to see opportunities.
I can see hope now.
In fact some people say I'm blindly optimistic now; how little they know about the debate in many head. When I seize a challenge or propose an idea it is based on facts and analysis but when uncertainty is left, I air on the possibilities rather than the problems.
I might even go so far as to suggest that this glass has two great things about it; it's half full of water and half full of air. What positivity.
Do I share this?
Because if I can do this then you can too.
Try thinking a little more hopefully about things; you never know, it might catch on.
Since abandoning the mighty APPLE, ditching my iPhone and moving lock stock and barrel to Samsung on the Android system I have had my eyes opened to a raft of apps which cost nothing (or nearly nothing). Yesterday I invested a massive 25p on the Autodesk Sketchbook Mobile.
I didn't know what to expect but am very very impressed. Not only can you choose the type of pen or paint distributor and colour, but you can also choose opacity and style. You can layer your drawing - enabling slight changes for cartoon strips etc.
I have created a few backgrounds for blog post pictures; but it's in free hand creativity where it comes into its own; and for that Rachel was my chief tester. She quickly got the hang of the options and menus and created drawings like the one below (her favourite). She kept saying "it's like a real pen/paint brush".
I dread to think how much this same app would cost on the iPad (edit - it costs £1.99) but it is a bargain at 25p for use on both my Samsung Galaxy S3 and Samsung Tab2.
Well done Autodesk Sketchbook Mobile and Android for making such a great app available to the masses.
There's something lovely about receiving a personalised message from Lenny Henry on a Sunday morning, even if you know it's gone to thousands of other people. The message is both a thanks for fundraising we've done in the past for Red Nose Day; and a reminder to save the date for 2013.
15th March 2013
I have put the date in my diary and have been getting my mind into gear about what we can do for Red Nose Day. I'd like to get the whole community involved in something; perhaps we can "paint Earley red" with a party or hold a "red themed silent disco". I don't know yet.
How about you?
Is this the first you've heard about the 2013 date?
Is the date in your diary?
Have you got any plans yet?
“Teacher,” said John, “we saw someone driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us. Do not stop him,” Jesus said. “For no one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me, for whoever is not against us is for us. Truly I tell you, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to the Messiah will certainly not lose their reward. “If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them if a large millstone were hung around their neck and they were thrown into the sea. If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, where the fire never goes out. And if your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than to have two feet and be thrown into hell. And if your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell, where
“‘the worms that eat them do not die,
and the fire is not quenched.’
Everyone will be salted with fire.
“Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again? Have salt among yourselves, and be at peace with each other.”
We are called to follow Jesus and to live in his name; and Jesus reassures reassures that we will be with him always if we continue to believe in and follow him. We know that's not easy, but we also know Jesus forgives us when we fall. Put all this together and we can know that Jesus will keep us safe.always.
Save the Children are running a campaign to highlight the plight of children in Syria and the atrocities they are living through. I felt powerless to do anything to help the situation in Syria and have been praying my heart out; well now we have something concrete we can all do to help the children there. Let me hand over to save the children themselves:
Horrific crimes against children are being committed in Syria’s conflict. Boys and girls are being killed, maimed and tortured. These appalling violations against children must stop, and those carrying them out held to account. All sides fighting in Syria must know crimes against children will be exposed to the world. Join us in calling on UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to ensure the UN and its member states are doing all they can to make sure every crime against children is counted and their perpetrators held to account.
By making it clear to the perpetrators that the world is watching – that they will be held to account for their crimes - we can help put massive pressure on them to stop.
If you would like information on how you can donate to the Save the Children appeal then please visit their website http://www.savethechildren.org.uk/syria
And to sign the petition to the UN calling for the counting of crimes against Syrian children to be scaled up go to
www.savethechildren.org.uk/syriaact
Rachel found this stone today; she gave it to me saying "I thought you'd like this, it's really interesting". She's right of course, it is fascinating, but not just as a stone; it's about its symbolism of life in the waves.
Take a look at the picture and look at the stone in detail.
See the smooth outside?
That smoothness comes from years of waves battering the stone and rolling out around in the force of the water. Sounds a lot like life to me; being battered and rolled around from pillar to post by events out of our control. I know that I don't often feel smoothed by the traumas of life, but I have to admit that my reaction to them is smoother than it used to be and perhaps more of it rolls of me, though I'm not sure about that.
Now look at the hole through the middle.
This hole has not been around as long as the stone; it is still rough round the edges. I'm not sure what would have made this hole but it would have been dramatic. Life can make holes in us in the same way. We meet people who can see right through our hard externality and smooth surfaces; people who look into us and see the rough, pure inside of us. They understand what we are deep down and allow us to be ourselves.
There's someone else who sees the inside of us where we are rough and vulnerable. God sees us all the way through; smoothed by the rough parts of life and left pure in our roughness inside where he can heal us.
Through relationships with people who can help us show the rough inside we can come closer to God; we can trust Him with all of us.
Look and see the holy
It's everywhere around
I'm not saying this stone is miraculous
But it's amazing what's to be found
God is in action in our world
We just need to look and see
All the things He helps us with
And how He helps us be...
Better than we could otherwise hope
If we wondered vaguely through life
God is there beside us
In our joy and in our strife
Which path are you following?
Which way are you journeying in life?
Are you on your own?
Or with a few others?
Are you floating along?
Or tight and direct?
Are letting the path lead?
Is it straight?
Or round the bend?
Colourful?
Or perfectly plain?
Direct and to the point?
Or meandering and taking everything in?
Crossed in the middle?
Or joining with another?
It doesn't really matter
Which path you walk along
As long as you keep walking
And trusting it won't go wrong
In the end He's waiting
To welcome us all home
There we'll all be safe
Fully loved and fully known
In this society we live in
Age isn't really valued
We neglect to see the wisdom
We long to be renewed
We try not to look any older
We hide the lines and grey
We pretend that we're much younger
That the years have gone away
Yet like this stone the years are clear
They've formed us as we are
The lines are signs of wisdom
That we have travelled far
So let's celebrate the years we've seen
And know that it's made us us
See the beauty that's how we are
And stop making aging such a fuss
There's something very special about circles;
they have no beginning and no end
there are no sharp corners
nothing is straight or stiff
It's no surprise that they have been a symbol of the eternal and ethereal for as long as people have been pondering the big questions in life.
We talk about prayer circles being groups of people who join together in prayer and become greater than the sum of their parts. I love praying with kids this way, it's supportive and strong and friendly, it allows the kids to be focused together and know that no one is more or less important than anyone else.
We are thinking about our outside space at church right now. We are looking at having a garden space for the kids - celebrating creation and encouraging a nurture of our environment. We'd like a prayer labyrinth for everyone to be able to use, ad a different way of being deeper with God. And it'd be great to have places where you can sit and pray.
That's where this prayer circle has come from. Playing with rock and stone of different types I made a circle pattern which I felt captured the variations of life and could be a focus for prayer. I'd love to allow the kids to create some of these in different places in the church garden as an outpouring of their creativity and a focus for prayer.
What do you think?
Have you ever made or seen or used anything similar?
God loves .....
Everyone
All of us
You
Me
Those who can't get their head around out
Those who used to believe
Those who never heard
Those who believe
Those who don't
You
Me
God loves all of us
Yesterday
Today
Tomorrow
God is ready for us to receive
His Love.
All of it.
Are you?
Today, as we came out of the Rising Sun pub near New Milton, this was the sight we encountered. One pony, all alone by a sign for good pub food. It sums up what we love about being By The Sea Shore in the New Forest.
Being a family takes compromise
Being a family isn't always easy
Being a family means waiting sometimes
Being a family is great when it works
This Saturday afternoon we found nirvana
This Saturday afternoon everyone was happy
This Saturday afternoon Mike could mess
This Saturday afternoon Rachel could create
Sometimes you bend, sometimes you break
Sometimes you create, sometimes you mess
Sometimes you can do both
Sometimes everyone is happy
And as for me; I could be content
As for me; I could read
As for me; I could write
As for me; I could watch and photograph
Xxxxxxxx
This poem was inspired by today and fitted fantastically with the Saturday Centus prompt at Jenny Matlocks blog.
We write this to make our joy complete. This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.
There is no darkness in the light of God, nothing for us to fear. What a blessing and joy to us all.
Once when Jesus was praying in private and his disciples were with him, he asked them, “Who do the crowds say I am?” They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, that one of the prophets of long ago has come back to life.” “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”Peter answered, “God’s Messiah.” Jesus strictly warned them not to tell this to anyone. And he said, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.
Peter is acknowledging that Jesus is not a prophet, that he is more than that and will have to go through more than they did. Peter knows Jesus is God and he tells so. Do we also declare this truth?
Now Herod the tetrarch heard about all that was going on. And he was perplexed because some were saying that John had been raised from the dead, others that Elijah had appeared, and still others that one of the prophets of long ago had come back to life. But Herod said, “I beheaded John. Who, then, is this I hear such things about?” And he tried to see him.
Herod was worried about Jesus and all his work and popularity with the people. Can you imagine being in charge of a nation that then finds someone who is better; it must be threatening. Yet Jesus never threatened Herod, he had more important things to teach us all.
Say hey Sammy snake
Show why Susie snail
Sing how Stanley sheep
Start now Sarah slug
Simple steps Sharon seal
Shake well Steve shrew
Slide fast Sophie shrimp
Sell fast Sidney skunk
Slowly climb Salem sloth
Slither through Shelby shark
Settle now Stuart scorpion
Skyward fly Suzanne seagull
This poem was written for the letter S at Jenny Matlock's Alphabe-Thursday.
When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. He told them: “Take nothing for the journey—no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, no extra shirt. Whatever house you enter, stay there until you leave that town. If people do not welcome you, leave their town and shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.” So they set out and went from village to village, proclaiming the good news and healing people everywhere.
Take nothing with you; do not worry if you are rejected. Well that seems very apt at the moment but I'm not appreciating the message.
What do we do when God is trying tell us something but we don't want to hear? I've tried putting my fingers in my ears but it doesn't work. I guess listening might be the best way forward but I'm not ready for that.
Sometimes the world feels very small
Until you look upon it all
And see it's us that aren't so tall
And have a very quiet call
Amidst the beauty of it all
We alone have built a wall
To keep us safe against them all
Yet it's us that let them fall
It's magnificent and wonderful
Complexity runs through it all
We just can't understand its gall
At being free, they don't fall
So next time that you're feeling tall
Sit and look at the natural hall
And appreciate the wonderful
And know that you are part of it all
This poem was written for the #100wcgu at Julia's Place where we were given this picture as inspiration. How small do you feel?
Title: storm clouds spectacular
Date: 26th September 2012
Location: the sky over Earley
What an amazing promise for this third image based reflection on Jesus being the light of the world for us in our darkness.
Isaiah 60:19
The Sun will no more be your light by day; nor will the brightness of the moon at night shine on you; for the Lord will be your everlasting light asked your God will be your glory.
This is a second image related post about God's word and Jesus' light in the world.
Psalm 119:105
Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.
This is the first of a series of image based posts which share the Word of God relating to Jesus being the life giving light of the world.
These scriptures have helped me through the last few weeks when darkness has overcome me. I thank God for providing light throughout and helping me hold onto that light.
2 Samuel 22:29
You are my lamp, O LORD; the LORD turns my darkness into light.
While a large crowd was gathering and people were coming to Jesus from town after town, he told this parable: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the birds ate it up. Some fell on rocky ground, and when it came up, the plants withered because they had no moisture. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up with it and choked the plants. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up and yielded a crop, a hundred times more than was sown.”When he said this, he called out, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.” His disciples asked him what this parable meant. He said, “The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to others I speak in parables, so that,“‘though seeing, they may not see; though hearing, they may not understand.’ “This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God. Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. Those on the rocky ground are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away. The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature. But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.
I know I'm reading this a day late but could it be any more appropriate for a weekend with a prayer walk? We sow the seeds; we walk, we talk, we pray and we share the good news of Jesus; what happens with that is in Gods hands. Thank you God for allowing us to sow the seeds of your good news.
