Defying Gravity

From the Musical WICKED - Sung by Kerry Ellis.

LEMMINGS.

Remember that game Lemmings? It was all about guiding a load of little creatures from one place to another and bringing as many as possible safely to their destination. You had to use different skills to ensure that all the Lemmings got home Safe. This meant using the right skill at the right time.



Now the thing about Lemmings is that they don't really have any sense of Direction and most of the time just follow each other. They don't have much sense of danger either and very often they will just keep running until they hit a dead end. Very ofter it has been known that Lemmings will run and run and run straight over the edge of cliffs because they didn't sense any danger and didn't notice any obvious dead end.

Now when a Lemming does sense danger it will quite often either STOP! in the hope that the danger will pass or will run and run even faster in a panic to get away from the danger.

What do we do when we see or sense danger? Will Some of us will run away from it, some will hide from it and some will stand and face it.

What do we do when we feel down and feel there is just no way forward, or no light at the end of the long dark tunnel?  Well again I guess there could be a few answers for this one to. We can Stop, And hope to be rescued or wait for light to appear. We could even run back from where we came and try and to get back into a safe place we are familiar with.

Around 509 BC many people where taken from Jerusalem to become slaves in Babylon. Miles away from home and with the worst living situations imaginable God spoke to them through this guy called Jeremiah. He Told them to ''Dig in, and pray for for peace. because when it prospers you will prosper''.

God knows how hard things can get for all of us from time to time and he knows about the suffering we feel when the worst things happen. God wants us to live fully and work hard to build his Kingdom. Even through the lowest times God is there and he is ready to give us the best.

So how about we try and follow the Lemmings example and if we are in that long dark tunnel and we don't see the light at the end, KEEP GOING! and know that God is there and the light will come.

Loud Disco.

When ever I go to a disco I always find myself at some point moaning about the volume of the music and these days the music being played. I'm told its a sign of age, and it doesn't help when your trying to chat to others with loud music going on in the back ground.

Well when Iv tried to pray this last week or two, Ive been trying to listen to God and seek his will. I even started to listen to Worship music and sit listening to what God is trying to hear. But how ever hard I listen I get the same replies which is hard to wonder if that's in my head or actually God talking.

People around me are telling me the opposite to what I hear, but the what I fell and what I hear just seem to out way the rest of everything around me.

Trying to look at other things or hearing other stuff is just impossible, a bit like at a disco. Even listening to the person next to you is impossible when you have S Club 7 blasting in your ears. but you don't stop trying to make conversation, you just shout louder and move your ears closer.

Even when things around you seen to be pushing you away from what you believe is right, do you give up and go with the flow? or do you swim against the tide following what you believe is Gods will.

Well I'm hearing from God and it seems to be going against what others are telling me. But I sit and look for other answers and all I get is ''Trust is God'' So I do just that, and although I listen to what people say to me the fact is I have to follow my heart and my belief and Trust what I hear is God.

Try listening to God too. Be open and pray first. I know God Answers prays and wants the best for all around you.

Which will hit the floor first?

To weights the same shape and size, but one is heavier than the other. Which will hit the floor first?

Everyone assumed its was the heavier of the two weights because that's what they had all been told. Then came Galileo who actually decided to do an experiment and see if this was true.

They all laughed at Christopher Columbus when he came up with the novel idea that the world was round. Until them every one had assumed it was flat and didn't journey to far in case they fell of the edge.

Then in the bible you had Noah, everyone must have thought insane when he was building a massive wooden ship to house his family and all those animals.

These examples of people in history all followed a 'Gut feeling' and came decided to do what they thought was right. Galileo and Columbus had the idea that in fact everyone around them where looking at the world in tunnel vision. What ever was the rule of thumb to many may not have been correct and they went out of their way to explore other ideas.

Noah, although being told by everyone around him that he was waisting his time, felt god talking to him. He Trusted God and refused to listen to all those other people. He built the Ark and placed all the animals on board because his ''Gut Feeling'' was God had told him too and the rest is history.

Many times you may have ideas that come into your mind and others may mock you (abit like me doing this blog). People will look at things as impossible, ridiculous and sometimes stupid but if you believe in your heart and trust your gut feeling then maybe just maybe you could achieve the impossible.

By acting on these ideas we may find out that we can see prayers and hope answered. The bible warns us of false Prophets and I believe if we truly listen to God we can only move forward. of course evil thought and ideas will enter our head but God always wins

The Death Crawl.

I think it was the Hypmotist Paul McKenner that came up with a diet where you eat normally but you eat your meals blindfolded. The idea is that you then only eat until you are full, and not keep eating just because you see there is still food on your plate.

Our Brain can often tell us stuff that maybe we dont need to hear, because we see it doesnt mean we can or cant do something. It was another guy from TV Derren Brown that did an experement with Robbie Williams where he put a large needle in his arm. As Robbie was blind folded he didnt feel the pain until he saw what had happened.

I had this when years ago I had stitchesin my eye after a rugby collision (you should have seen the other guy). In A&E after the doctor had stitch me up I was told I was to have a Tetnus injection. I hate needles and had already told myself it was going to hurt. As i rolled up my sleeve the nurse looked at me and said "other end''. I dropped may trousers and bent over the bed tense and wieghting for the pain. The nurse said ''Finished'' and i didnt feel a thing.

Watch this Video.....

The Lad in the Movie is already looking at defeat, the drill with the guys on their back ''The Death Crawl'' seem so hard to get to the 30 yrd line. Once the boy is blindfolded and with a littyle encouragement from the coach he crawls the full 100yrds of the pitch.

Remember ''Lean not on your own understanding''. Dont just trust what we see with our eyes. Dont just trust what we hear with our ears and feel with our body. Trust that God is there and has a bigger plan for you and gives you more ability than you can ever imagine.

Nothing is inpossible or out of reach, and true belief and real faith will get you to achieve more than you think you can.

Go Produce Fruit

I was reading my bible last night (like every good christian boy should) and I came across a piece of A4 paper that was given to me a few month back. The paper had at the top ''Who am I'' on it so I decided to look up some of the bible passages on it.

I read the stuff about how we are all unique and God has made us and had a plan for us way way back before we had even been born. Actually it said even before the world began God had you/ me in his plan.

Quite hard to get to grips with I think, I mean how could he have planned me when he was creating the world? Its not as if I'm special or important, and lets face it I'm a bit of a wild card for him to use. I read all this and swiftly moved on to another reference on the page.

I'm sorry but I cant remember what part of the bible I read next but it said something along the lines of we were all chosen to play a part. It talked about branches of a tree and that when the branches are pruned some get cut of and die and those that stay attached to the tree produce more fruit.

Now, I wasn't expecting a lesson in gardening but I continued reading and it went on to say that we are all like branches of the tree. God has planed for us to be a branch and to grow fruit. Does this mean we should all star allotment gardening? NO.... I can only say what I came up with as I read it and what I thought Jesus was talking about branches for.

If we are all part of Gods great plan and we are part of the ''Tree'' then we must be here to produce fruit. I think that means we have all been given the job of telling people about Christ. We are all in different situations and all have to follow gods plan (with his help) and start to produce fruit. this doesn't mean going around annoying people telling them ''the end is near''. God give opportunities for Christians to wittiness so look out for them and learn to spot them.

''YOU ARE CALLED TO PRODUCE FRUIT'' 

Fig Tree

Jesus and his disiples where walking along the road when they cam across a fig tree. As they got closer they saw that the fig tree was in bloom and full of leaves. Looking for the fruit of the tree (Figs) they found there was none. Jesus decided that there must be something wrong with the fig tree and said ''+This Fig Tree is not baring fruit, something is wrong'' then he spoke to the tree ''Fig tree, let no man eat from you again'' (or something like that)

The disiples where amazed as they watch the fig tree die and lose all its leaves. ''How did the fig tree wither so quickly'' They asked..

Jesus Replied, ''Truly I tel you this, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to the mountaian 'Go throw yourself into the sea' and it will be done. If you believe, you will recivewhat ever you ask for in prayer''

Matthew 21 v 21 and 22.

Now Im thinking that this story is pretty important to the Christian faith. I dont recall hearing this story in all my years of going to sunday school (though I probably just didnt listen). What Jesus is saying is that when you pray Go listens and if you truely belive that god will answer then you can expect it to happen.

Im not saying start praying for big houses, fast cars and loads of money. Jesus was talking about stuff that goes along with his teaching and stuff that can do good. He promises the best and the best is what you can expect when you truly believe.

Im gonna mention again something I dont think every christian understands. As a christian you have the Holy spirit within you, the same spirit as what enabled Jesus to Turn water into wine, help the blind to see and raised him from the dead. Please dont think im telling you to start your own wine company or to become a eye doctor. What the bible says is that things we ask for should be in accordance with the bible and the good of others.

Ofcourse belif is learnt through seeng and hearing. but it can also be be about trusting.

FOG

Its Been a really hard week for me, So much going on in my life and not knowing what the best way forward is. Ive been looking for inspiration to blog but it just hasnt come. So after messages asking why Ive not blogged I thought I start typing and see what transpires.

I was chatting to a stranger the other day and was talking about the stuff that has been going on in my life. I was chatting about how God has been with me this year and that he seems to be pulling me in the direction I didnt think was possible.

Speaking to another person I dont know to well I again tokd him about stuff that has been happening and that God seems to be leading me.

Both people said that the future is exciting and I have so much ahea to look forward to. They also mentioned that I should try and see things, not as they are but what they coulkd be. But to be honest I just cant see any future at the moment.

I was Driving home the other night and it was getting late. The fog had started to apear on the road and being very patchy fog at some points it was really hard to see more than 20 metres ahead. At one point I hit a really thick patch and had to slow down to crueling pase, then I switched my lights to full beam... bad mistake.Full beam in fog doesnt really work as it makes the fog seem thicker and lights up the fog to make it even harder to see where your going.

At another point in my journey the fog seemed to vanish and I could pick up speed and make proggress quickly before hitting the thick stuff again that slowed me down. Its at those points in a journey we start to wonder if we are going to get to where we are going and start to think about pulling over and stopping  till the fog clears.

Some time I feel just like that car journey throgh the fog, and right now it the thickest fog Ive ever had to go through. But if I stop (at some points I have) the fog want clear. If I stick my full beams on and ''go for it'' ill make mistakes. So slowing down and making steady proggress is the key.

God Promises the best. Life in all its fullness, and all I can do is keep my eye fixed on his way and trust that he will see me through the fog and into the crystal clear road that he has planned.

We can all get low and hit fog patches. But the way forward is to slow down and know that with god anything is possible. The future is bright, the future is in his hands.