Yoke???

How stupid do I feel? It says in the bible ''Share my yoke'' and I had always thought it meant part of an egg (which could be a good thing) but in fact I have just learnt that a yoke (not sure on the spelling) is a bar on a plough or cart that joins two animals together so that they share equal weight distribution of what they are pulling.

Was I the only one to think it meant ''Lets do breakfast''?

Well after thinking that it meant let Jesus share your life, as the yoke in an egg is the life and share it with God I now feel a bit stupid as I have found out what it really means after all these years.

So, it means let Jesus share the burdens, the strains and the worries of life. He promises to make all things good and all things right, he promises to be there at your side to help pull the weight to make it a little easier and help keep you going straight.

You know I'm starting to realise that being a christian isn't about having all the answers or knowing everything about the bible. Its about learning and sharing faith, its about trusting and telling people what you learn.

''Runaround''

Years ago there was a programme on TV called ''RunAround'' Where questions where asked and a load of kids would have to choose one of the 3 options (A, B or C) and run to that option. The they where given a chance to change there Answer.

Now I'm sure I'm not old enough to remember this, so I must have seen the re-runs.

Must of the time you would get most of the kids running to the same Answer with one or two on a different answer, the when Mike Read the host gave them the option to change that when kids would start to wonder if they should move to another option.

I remember one time (on the re- run, honest)3 kids chose option B one chose option A and all the rest went for C. The Mike Read shouted RUN AROUND and 2 from B moved to C, and 6 from C moved to A. One loan girl on B stood knowing she had it write when others where doubting, and moved to where they thought the correct answer was.

The Answer was B, and the Girl that went straight there and that stayed there was the only one that got it right.others didnt5 trust the first choice and some followed the crowd. Some even decided to trust other people thinking they where cleverer than themselves.

So Many things in life can be like a big game of run around as we try to decided whats right.Try to look to others for answers and make choices we find are wrong.

But if we stop and Ask God to be there by our side, and trust he is there listening h is there listening to our prayers then we shouldn't need to worry to much about the results and know that God make all things good and all things work.

It says in the bible that God had planned our life's even before we where born and if we trust in him we can know he will use those plans for the better.

Don't follow the crowd don't worry about making the right choice, worry about keeping god at the centre of those choices and trust in him.

Motorway Madness

The other day I drove over the Dartford Bridge, It was a clear day and I could see Canary Wharf as I look out over London.

As I Joined the lines of traffic waiting to pay my £1.50 I notice the people in the cars around me where all in there own little world within the the cars. some where looking almost asleep and some nodding along to the radio and some chatting to passengers.

Its not my most favourite pass time it must be said, sitting in traffic waiting to pay £1.50 for the privilege of crossing the river when I have already paid Road Tax, and through the nose for Petrol, but its something we all choose to do.

In the cue I also found and got annoyed by people jumping in and out of different lanes because they thought another was quicker, but the fact is this type of driving slows everything down further. then you have the drivers that follow closely every move and never leave you bumper in case they let another car in.

Once to the toll gate you get a choice of gates. Correct change or change given, this can bring out a number of situations as I have seen someone throwing the money into the basket and missing, then getting out to search for it holding everyone in that cue up. then you get the driver that realises he hasn't got the correct change and trys to change lanes but the lane he needs is about 5 gates away.

Oh the joys of driving. I guess nothing much can be done about it so the best thing to do is stay cool and just take you time and trust you ll get to where your going at some point.

My Nana used to say... Better Late in this world than early in the next...and I guess she is spot on. As we look at what Life can throw at us and what things can stop us in our tracks or get in our way to slow us down we can be sure that God knows best and that when we trust and have faith, and seek his will in all we do then we cant go wrong.

Drop The Shield.

I know this guy who for many years was trying to be someone that he thought he could be. He hid behind a shield of self belief and when the rear time came and he let the shield down he started to feel weak and put the shield up harder and stronger.

He had many friends that knew him as a Strong character and friend that could see through him and all liked him for who he was even when he was sometimes grumpy and aggressive or when he was fun and joking around.

One day something happened that made this guy unable to hold the shield up and how ever hard he tried the shield was weak and could not be used to defend or hide his true feelings.

Soon the chap realised that actually people like the weakness and he actually found that being him self and not something he thought he should be was a strenth. People began to learn on him and he them. he found a whole new look on life and instead of trying to hold up the shield he was trying to lose it as he felt the weight was holding him back.

He still has many friends and more, and he worked out that friends like the weak version more than the strong, and he know if some didnt then maybe they are not as good friends as he thought. 

Do you carry round a wieghty shield to stop people getting to see the real you? do you feel strong and losing the defence is not an option? Well what this guy realised is that he was made to be someone he wasnt being and that the weaknesses became his true strengh.

We sang a song in church the other week and the words for the first time stood out at me......

''He turns are weaknesses into his opotunities''

So why not ty and be weak as it will make you strong. You never know God may well be there to turn your weaknesses and disasters into his opotunities.

We Are All Normal.

During the Paralympics There is a channel 4 called 'The Last Leg' a chat/ comedy show base around the Games.

I watch this every night and each night it makes me laugh, as they look at the fun parts of the Games and highlight the amazing ability of the athletes.

Hosted by disabled people, they take a laid back look at peoples disadvantages and make light of some athletes mistakes. This is all done in great taste and the fact that many of the athletes themselves watch it in the Olympic village shows that they are not offend by the programme.

One of the features on the programme is where viewers can message in and ask.... is it OK to ask?..... for instance... is it OK to ask how the swimmer with no arms gets out of the pool? or... is it OK to ask if the guy that runs with one leg and one blade gets a discount on trainers?

Making light of the bad things in life is sometimes a great way to over come barriers. one athlete said...

''Ive done more with out my legs than In would have done with then''

This sort of statement is great to hear and can inspire so many. Like the mother and father of a young disabled boy, after not knowing what sort of life their son would or could have they watched the Paralympic swimming and saw a swimmer with the same disability as their son win gold, and now have book him in to swimming classes.

Making light of Christian values and behaviour maybe not quite the same as God set out rules. but in the same respect Christians are all different and can all reach out to different people. they are not stereo typical and can laugh and make fun of each other.

If Christian people do this in a respectful way then they to can become inspiring and change peoples view.

We can all use our situation to inspire and change peoples views. It maybe in your work or school. It maybe in a sports club or local group. I t could also be as a parent at the school gate.

we all have the ability to try and show that Christians are Normal and don't need to preach to do it.