Neck Normination

The latest thing on the internet seems to be neck nomination which basically consists of people drinking pints in one, then nominating another 2 or 3 people to do the same. This is all videoed and placed on Facebook for all to see. 

This has been widely contested by people saying its dangerous and should be banned. Others on the other hand say it's just harmless fun.

I guess the danger comes when people try and out drink the one before and so on, but even if we say it's peer pressure is involved, it's still down to the actions of the individual. And I've seen many a pint being "necked" and have "necked" plenty myself and to be honest the only bad thing that happened was a bloated feeling and the possibility of a hang over the next day. 

I've not had a drink in over 3 years and to be honest I don't miss it. I'm not against alcohol, but maybe I see things people do (after a few beverages to many) is not really something to be proud of and mostly regret the next day. 

Though I'm not against the neck nominations, I do believe it's maybe a bit crazy and sadly people have taken it to far. This is to try and out do, or look bigger than the rest. 

For a time during rugby I used to wear a blue wristband that said "audience of one" on it. This was a Christian in sports wristband I had to remind me that I had nothing to prove and the only one person opinion mattered was God.

I would like to point out that didn't make me good or did it make me any less part of the team but was there to remind me that I didn't have to follow the crowd or try and be better than anyone else. 

As we strive to enjoy the neck nomination fad, remember that there is nothing to prove to anyone and it is more important to be true to ourselves and to God

God doesn't exist says dentist

Gideon's err!!! Towel???

Looking for answers and hearing from God is kind of a hard subject to tackle. I here so often about people that have heard gods voice or had something in side there head telling then to do or not to do something, and I find this hard to understand.

When we know that god exists, then the Devil must also exist. And knowing the devil can use our minds too, then surely things we hear in our heads can be the voice of God but also the Devil trying to send you the wrong way.

Now I have had things in my head and heard voices that seem to be instructing me too or not do things. Yes off course we all know right from wrong and of course this can be our sub conscience working however how can we be sure what we feel is speaking is actually that.

I've had something on my mind that could be God trying to speak to me but as past experiences have proved It could be totally wrong, so I tend to just ignore it. So how do I know if it's a divine message I should act on or a complete nonsense made up by my own crazy thoughts?

I then remembered Gideon, who put a fleece out one night to get conformation from god. The idea being that if it rained the fleece would stay dry while everything else was wet. The next morning the ground was soaked but the fleece was dry. Then because Gideon still didn't believe he did the same the next night but reversed the outcome. In the morning the fleece was dripping wet and everything else was bone dry.

So here's the thing. I decided I'd try and do the same thing (I don't have a fleece, so used a towel) I came up with the idea that if it worked all those years ago for Gideon the that same God could do it again. Ok to be honest it was maybe a shot in the dark and the answer was "unconclusive" as this morning the ground was we and the towel was fairly dry but not as dry as I'd expected. So I'll try again to see if it will be more obvious.

This is probably the craziest thing you have heard and I know it's probably not way god works but being told by someone else it's a stupid thing to do got me wondering. Surely if the creator of all things the made bushes set alight, parted the sea and make that fleece dry or wet all those years ago, then why would he not do it now.

Today we are all looking for answers to many life questions and some might say that if god is real why can he answer our prayers and questions. Why do some people here from god and some just don't. Maybe sometime we just have to lean to wait and know he makes all things perfect in his time not ours.

CATFISH

Catfish is a MTV programme that came from a film of the same name. The film was based on a guy that had entered a online relationship with this girl and his film making mate asked to film the progress of this relationship.

All was good with things going well. He would receive gifts from the girl which would include paintings that the girl had done and would even receive links on email to songs that she said she had written and sung.This girl had become a big part of this guys life and being a good looking model, artist and and singer why wouldn't he be falling for this girl.

The twist came when he found a song (she had said she sung) on you tube, it was the same recording but was not her on the video. He googled more songs and found them to also be someone else's voice on them, this is when alarm bells started to ring.

The long and short of the movie (now a TV show) was that this girl turned out to be a completely different person, and older ladie was many children. The turn "CATFISH" came when the ladies husband mentioned that she was like a catfish, and explained how fishermen would put a catfish in with their catch on long trips to keep the other fish caught on their toes and fresh.

So a Catfish is someone that deceives anoth person on the internet by making out they are someone else, hence keeping the other person keen and falling for the lies.

I was trying to think of a biblical character that could be loosely discribbed as a catfish, and the most obvious one I thought of was Delilah, she tricked Sampson into falling in love with her and when he fell asleep Delilah a cut of his hair hence making him loose all his strength. She made Samson trust her when secretly she had other plans. 

Anyway in the TV series these guys from the film go around exposing these catfish type people and quite often put closer on the situation. Or sometime even turn the situation in to a positive thing. 

Now god has the abilities to turn the worst situation into good and promises that he has the best for us all if we trust him. But this can only be done when we have Gods will and good intentions, the nightmare about that is that we don't know what that is. 

I guess what a so called catfish does is try's to force something that may not be good or of wisdom. And that goes for all of us. I kind of think we all in some way pray or wish for things to happen. this could be winning the lottery or winning over a curtain person. But we don't see what god sees but we learn in the bible that his plans are far far better than we could imagine.

See if we think we know what's best for us, then rest assured God knows he wants better for us. If we think we can change our future then know god has already planned it. I can't have what I believe god wants but then again maybe he wants better. I can't do what I think god wants me to do, because god wants me do so much more.

In the sewage

Wow been a while since I blogged, but I found myself on Christmas Day all alone and missing my family more than ever. It's not that I hadn't  had offers of Turkey dinner but I guess I just felt I didn't want to feel needy or a charity case.

Not having my family round and kids waking me up excited that father Christmas has been, smell of roast dinner and opening of presents has of course been hard and at moments been a bit depressing but I guess in a way a simple, quiet Christmas Day gave me time to reflect on what Christmas really mean. 

It's strange that we all look at Christmas as a time to share with others and to reach out to people in need. And TV is filled with not only adverts of goodie to buy for the festive time but also adverts for charities to ask for donations to help the less fortunate.

As a Christian it is a time to remember and reflect on the fact that it is the time we celebrate the comming of Jesus, the king of kings and son of God (pretty important title right) bringing peace on earth and good will to men.

So I've been wondering what makes Christmas a more charitable event than the rest of the year, and if we all do enough throughout the other 11 months to please God and help extend that peace on earth and good will that the angels spoke about.

Is there rules about when the good will should be performed? Is there a label on when we should give a little more than usual? I don't think there is, so I've been thinking that there so much more I can do to try and serve God.

I guess 2013  has been for me a year to try and forget. With so many bad events in it. It's almost as if the Last 2 years have been a walk through the long sewage tunnel struggling through the horrid smelly sewage waste high at time only to find that when you seem get clear of the deep stuff you walk a little further to find yourself upto your neck in it again.

The only light comes in the form of drain covers to high to reach but locked anyway so even if you try to get to the light you'll be waisting your time. 

The only true light comes from the entrance and how ever hard it is, you have to find it no matter how deep you find yourself in the muck you have to keep moving in the hope the exit is comming soon.

I'm not going into what I've had to deal with this year but let's say its a year I'm not going to want to repeat and like 2012 it's one I can't go back and change as much as I want to. But still I have to try and move forward and trust that I will see the exit light soon. Turning back is not an option.

Jesus said "I am the way, the truth and the light" but sometime even when I know god is there I have found myself doubting it. It's a tuff thing trusting in god when everything is against you. Yet as a Christian I believe in the bible and know it to be the word of God so in 2014 I'm not going to make resolutions or start by saying it's going to be any different to 2012 or 13, I'm going to try and continue walking and listening more to God and know that through him everything is possible