Use Weakness as a Strength

So after my last blog I came across this verse "Consider it pure joy, whenever u face trials of many kinds, because u know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance". -Jame 1:2-3

Easily confused I when tot my NIV bible which can sometime make much more seance... It read...

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.” James 1:2-3

So the bible is saying periods of hurt and suffering actually teaches us perseverance.

 I continued reading and read...

“Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do. James 1:4-8 NIV

Have faith that god is making you stronger? 

Use Weakness As A Strength

I'll never forget the time my ex wife told me she was seeing somebody else. It was like one of those creepy old hands and gone into my chest and grab hold of my heart and squeeze it really hard and startsrt pulling it slowly out. That was when my world crumbled around me. 

Over the next few weeks and months I was home alone with my kids in bed.  wondering where my wife was and what she was up to. The hardest part was knowing deep down who she is with and what she was doing. 

To an curtain point I would say my life hasn't really looked any better. I'm overweight and unfit, have no motivation but worst of all no self-respect. 

However as a Christian I believe God can change things for the good. I remember blogging about the song that we sing in church that I had sang a million times before. In that song are the words "he turned our weaknesses into his opportunities". Now singing that song time and time before I'm pretty sure I've never really heard those words in it. As the song continued all I heard was those words "he turns up weaknesses into his opportunities". It was almost as if God had slapped me in the back, I'd turned round and he looked to me and said "that's a heck of a lot of opportunities I have in you"

Some one today told me that vulnerability can be such a powerful thing. Some people can use vulnerability as a negative thing. But god can use vulnerability to strengthen us and others

I'm doing okay life's a bit slow, and I find it really hard to get motivated im trying hard to start liking myself again. I'm started to get my courage back and myself belief. Sure I've got about a ton of weight to lose i'm probably gonna have to work on my smile again but maybe I can come back stronger, and God can use my weakness. I'll go back to that saying KNOW God KNOW Hope, NO God NO Hope. I have hope, and I have faith that God will use my weakness and turn it around

Together is Better

So here's another attempt to bog and see if it puts me on a roll, and gets me blogging more. See when you need motivation and it just ain't coming you some times have to just get out there and push a bit harder.

So thinking about this blog I was remembering some great nights spent in a rugby club house singing our hearts out and joining with the opposing team for the odd rendition of 'Swing Low Sweet Chariot'.

I also remember singing in church and on church holidays be it Music School or Butlins church week, we would always manage to get a good sing song in at some point, though the songs differed a lot from rugby club to church.

I remember one fine night at around 11.30pm about 6 or 7 of us sat in the main reception at Butlins holiday camp Skegness. We suddenly started singing Bread of Heaven and as we did people in the reception / lounge area went silent as we sang, and people passing through stopped to listen.

it was at this point we should have maybe stopped, but no. A spontaneous repeat and enriched harmonies started up as more people gathered. we put the national welsh choir to shame as we sang for the second time Bread of Heaven. and as we finished the people in the reception gave us a round of applause as we sat there a bit red faced yet a little proud.

To us That song was just a rugby Song, and the fact was three of us had been playing rugby just an hour before travelling to Skegness. So you can see why we where a little shocked when people stopped and the place went quiet. though id have to say we did nail it.

Its times like this I look back and see how important fellowship is. from the rugby club to church. Fellowship is so important to us all. it strengthens us both personally and as a group. It teaches us and encourages us, and we each in turn can teach and encourage one another. That burning question is always ''is church really important?' the bible tells us it is. and as Christians we cant grow alone and weather its a church service or a cup of coffee with a friend the important part is be part of something and knowing you have your part to play.

Be like Jesus.

People always say to me that being a Christian is an easy way out of bad times. But Christians are not spared bad times in any way shape or form. Ok, I have even said that myself and wondered if God was a way out or a way to take away the hurt and sadness I have be going threw. 

I have come to the convolution on fact, that being a Christian is far harder than having no faith. To try and keep away from doing bad, to try and do what god want and and trying to follow what the bible says is far far harder than having no faith not worrying about it. 

I for one am far from a good Christian and if we look at what it says in the bible I'm far from getting into heaven. But I hope it's work in progress and I'm trying my best to gain gifts such as being non judgementle, open minded, forgiving and loving. 

Of course Im not happy or complete yet bit by trusting in God and trying to find those skills I know one day my rewards will come. 

We can't come even close but we can still try to be like Jesus

Jesus in disguise

A guy walks down through town on his way home from work. The town was fairly quiet and the man slowly walked enjoying the peace. 

Later at home he heard the voice of Jesus call to him. "Why did you ignore me today" the voice asked

The man was stunned and answered "lord I would never ignore you "

The voice then said "bit walking through town on you way home, did you not see the old lady struggling with shopping, the blind man who dropped his wallet or the little girl crying cause she could find her mum?"

The man said "yes I remember, but I didn't see you lord, you know I'd never ignore you"

But you walk straight past those people who could have done with just a little help, the old lady just needed help to cross the road with here trolley. The blind man just needed help to see his wallet at his feet and the little girls mum was only 10 foot away look in a shop window"

The man paused for a second and said "but lord, I didn't see you there"

The reply came "he who gives his time to help others lends to The Lord"

From the beginning of the church at Pentecost, the people in church sold property and gave money to help the less fortunate than them. When they grew crops they would grow a little more to help feed the poor and when buying material to make clothes they would buy more to help clothe the naked.

Jesus says... When we hold out a hand for someone in need we hold out a hand to him. When we give food to the hungry we feed him and when we give clothes to the people that need clothes we dress him. 

When we do things for others to help them without asking for praise or anything in return we do it for god because god created every man and woman. 

Whoever is kind to the poor lends to The Lord, and he will reward them for what they have done

Proverbs 19. v17

Mother Theresa said about all the thousands she helped

"They where all Jesus in disguise"

Motivation.

So another long break from the blog. Not my intention just been in one of those situations where Ive be struggling to find the motivation to blog. which strangly got me asking the question ''What motivates us?"

I recently heard a story of a sailer that set out from spain heading for America. The guy in question called himself a moderately experienced sailer and had a good knowledge of the sea and good navigation skills. He had taken the time to prepare his course and gain supplys for his journey, and also prepared for all events.

afer 3 days at sea and making good progress his boat was suddenly hit by something. unsure of the damage he rush to the lower deck and saw his boat was rapidly taking on water. this was an abandon ship situation.

He released the life raft and got his emergancy racions together along with a bag of emergancy equipment. Having got himself and all his equipment into the raft he sat and watched as his yocht slowly sunk. 

He had well thought out rations and equipment which included a book on survival at sea, a harpoon gun, 18 litres of water, small amount of food and distress flares. 

He talks about how he tried to catch a fish to eat and it took him days of trying before he caught one. This was of course a boost but had now been alone in the raft for over a week. 

Water was running short too and luckily for him he had pack a divice that turns sea water into drinking water, however this hardly helped as was a very slow process. 

At one point he caught a larger fish and as he tried to get it out of the water it struggled and the harpoon gun pierced the raft. He was now in a worse situation and had to repair the raft as it was taking on water. 

This guy was reportedly on that raft for 120 day before being picked up by a commercial ship. When asked what kept him going he said that little things like catching a fish kept him going to some extent, but the knowledge that his family was at home waiting was the one thing that made every day worth fighting for. 

What motivates us. Well as a church member I have to say I take great motivation hearing testomonies from others and learning from others. To be a Christian also means it's important to spend time with other Christians shareing experiences and learning from each other 

Motivation comes in many forms, but the greatest comes fom people around us encouraging and being encouraged!