"Cheers for the car God"

This week a friend asked me why I hadn't blogged on for a while. The simple answer is that I haven't had much inspiration to block for quite awhile. But strangely this week just 48 hours after being questioned about it inspiration came. 

A friend of mine has been working in Italy helping helping to conquer the battle against people trafficking there.

This lady having worked in London and now in Rome has been now posted to work with people affected by people trafficking in Florence (Italy)

This new post much like her and others will take her to people in need of helpfrom the effects of people trafficking.

I'm not hundred percent sure what her job actually entails, however she had mentioned that it that the new post was going to be hard for the fact she had no car. Florence being a large area where she will need to visit people to help them would be difficult or the impossible without a car. she had in fact prayed that a car would be made available for a new posting.

She mentioned her concerns on Facebook and one of her friends suggested if all her Facebook friends donated 3 pounds should raise £5000 which would be enough to buy a car and help with initial running costs and expenses.

Well this idea in fact was agreed by many  of her Facebook contacts and very soon someone had set up a fund raising page for her.

Within less than two hours it had raised over £1000 and as the day went on she had raised over £3000. The next day I looked at the page around midday and sure enough the total had past £5000, in fact it was nearly up to £6000. 

Now I've seen things like this before and many people that have tried will tell you that to raise money is hard, and to do it on line without offering anything back is near impossible. 

The fact that so many people felt they wanted to help this lady raise the money for a car so that she could do gods work to the best of her ability influenced me to write this blog as just maybe God had it covered long before she knew of the move to Florence. 

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

Romans 8:28

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