Patience

"Never cut a tree down in the wintertime. 
  Never make a negative decision in the low time. 
  Never make your most important decisions when you are in your worst moods. 

  Wait. 

  Be patient. 
  The storm will pass. 
  The spring will come."

Robert H Schuller

What Is On Your Heart?

The song resounded around the Hall - and in my heart - during the Sunday morning meeting...

"What is on Your heart? Tell me what to do.
Let me know Your will and I will follow You..."
(lyrics by Mark Altrogge)

And there was a subtle nudge...

"Didn't you just say that you wanted to do something about other people making your decisions for you. Is that right?"

Yes, that's what I said.

"Does that apply to me? If I ask you to do something, will you do it?"

(Wow, what a question!)

I'd like to think that I would, Lord.

"Just asking."

Challenges for 2016

There are always a few challenges that I need to set myself for the New Year. You might consider them New Year Resolutions. Some people call it renewing their commitments.  I just like to think it's a good opportunity to start with a clean sheet of paper once again.... of course, we each have that chance every day, however there's something a bit special about the turning of the year, isn't there...

Anyway, here's a link to a blog that gave me a list of twelve things to consider for 2016. Click on the link if you like to read the original list, before reading my spin on this:

Click here for the link!

So, here's my personal thoughts on this dozen tasks -

1. Stop giving up.
Yes, I know that success only comes when you simply refuse to give up - however it doesn't make it any easier to deal with failure after failure, when you know success is clearly possible, and it remains tantalisingly just out of reach.... However, I like the sentiment, and often echo it with the cry, "Never Give Up, Never Surrender!" (Galaxy Quest)

2. Stop letting everyone else make decisions for you.
I particularly like this one. It resonated quite strongly with me. In fact, I got up on Saturday morning and did something bold and quite the opposite from what I usually do - because I could. I did it for me, and not for anyone else. And it felt so good. Not sure how I am going to deal with the consequences, but right now I am OK with this. Think I'm gonna do this again.  

3. Stop thinking you're on your own.
Hmmm, that's a toughie. Particularly when you have asked for help from certain individuals - and I do vet these people, I simply don't trust everyone -  and then they let me down. Am I a bad judge of character?

4. Stop chasing after those who don't want to be caught.
Good advice. How often have I wasted time on people, waiting for them to get ready to help me with some grand scheme, some incredible master plan, and the darn thing simply doesn't materialise. The people scatter. And you need to start again. Given the right people, and the right project, it will work. I wonder if that's why I often think I'm on my own (see point 3)...

5. Stop discrediting yourself for everything you aren't.
It took me a long time to learn to love myself - to understand that I am who God made me - an introvert, and a particularly sensitive one at that. So, this year I have vowed to take care of myself if I want to survive in an extrovert's world. I need to develop more self-respect - and to give myself sufficient space for myself. If I want to be of use to others, I need to look after me.

6. Stop focusing on the negative.
A number of people have said that I need to keep a jar beside my bed, and to write something on a piece of paper every day that's been a positive thing for that day, sticking in into the jar. If I feel negative (and I can do), just look into the jar... OK, like this idea, so the jar's there now. So far, I've two pieces of paper in there (For January 1st and 2nd)... watch this space!!!

7. Stop being hard on yourself.
Sure, everyone makes mistakes, so why do I feel so bad when it's me? Cut myself some slack! You know, I read something the other day that said I ought to consider caring less about my work, not more! And, do you know, when I see other people who don't seem to care that they're not giving 100%, why should I care that I'm not giving 110%?

8. Stop mulling over the past.
Every day is a new day, a clean page in your journal. I get it. (see point 12 below)

9. Stop running from problems.
Understood, the problems won't go away unless you deal with them.

10. Stop expecting life to be easy.
No, it's not. But it's better than the alternative...

11. Stop holding on to things you need to let go.
How can God bless you with something else, if you already have your hands full dealing with everything else in your life. Put something down. When I let go, there may be something better to grab on to...

12. Stop giving up on who you are meant to be.
And there's my absolute challenge for 2016. Now I know who I am now -  I need to discover who God wants me to become in 2016 and beyond. Building on the past, not living in it. And that's exciting....

A New Year's Prayer

Lord, You make all things new
You bring hope alive in our hearts
And cause our Spirits to be born again.

Thank you for this new year
For all the potential it holds.
Come and kindle in us
A mighty flame
So that in our time, many will see the wonders of God
And live forever to praise Your glorious name.

Amen

(A modern prayer for the New Year from www.lords-prayer-words.com)

The Black Dog: A Video Introduction

Ever wondered why people who have depression talk about their condition as "The Black Dog"? If so, I would recommend the following video as a useful introduction for you.

http://youtu.be/XiCrniLQGYc

Happy Christmas!

Love the present I got today!

 

 

Have a terrific Christmas, folks. 

It's All Gone Pete Tong

The title for this post is a reference to a piece of modern cockney rhyming slang, a reference to the BBC Radio 1 DJ Pete Tong. It means that "it's all gone wrong."

Sometimes, all the pieces fit. It all comes together. It's all proceeding well. As I often say, "it's going like a well-oiled machine"...

And yet, I'm still not entirely happy.

I'm still looking out for the problem. When things are going well ("perhaps too well" -  why do I say it that way?) - I always tend to be looking over my shoulder for something to go wrong... I don't know where it is - or indeed, what it is. But I know it's there to trip me up...

Ahhh, self-sabotage. There you are again! I'm familiar with the way you operate. Why is it that you show up about now, so that I always end up thinking that way?

Is there somehow something deep inside me that still cries out:  

• "It's never going to happen. Not for you..."
• “I’m not worth it...”
• “I can’t...”
• "Someone else might be able to achieve this, but not me..."
• "I'm just not ready for this yet.."

Is it fear? An overwhelming fear of exposing myself and my point of view to the outside world?

Some part of me that says I don’t deserve to be happy or content?

Or is it a lack of belief -  perhaps I don't have what it takes to make this work?

This is not true. 

I don't need to look over my shoulder. 
I can do it.

I need to keep telling myself. 

An Attitude Of Gratitude

Why do some people stumble their way through life, lurching from crisis to crisis, enveloped in a cocoon of doom and gloom, with a (figurative) black cloud perpetually over their head?

And there are others that are quite the opposite. They seem to be full of boundless optimism, full of positive energy. They are - well - happy. And amazingly and genuinely so. Their positivity shines through!

What is their secret?

It's hardly what some people would call normal. Because these positive people are so rare nowadays.

But I'm assured that it is possible.

It's a question of attitude. And as a church we explored this briefly in our Sunday meeting at the Corps last week. And we were each given a challenge.

To sit down and to list three things to be thankful for at the end of each day.

I must admit, even I found it tough. We're surrounded by negativity all around us, so much so that such negativity starts to become second-nature to us. It doesn't need to be. On the first day I had to sit for a long time to come up with my list of three. There was no problem in getting the one. One is usually possible. But three? Regularly? Every single day? Even the days when everything seems to go wrong, when the computers crash, the trains are not running to time, that household appliance finally gives up and dies?

Yes. There will be something. Don't assume that your day (even if it has been awful) is truly all bad. There will be some positives to hold on too. And finding three isn't as hard as it sounds.

I'm told it's worth the effort. You see, without gratitude, happiness is rare. With gratitude, the odds for happiness go up dramatically.

And do you know what?

It's not only possible. It actually gets easier as the days progress. And you'll start to feel better..

Try it yourself! Count your blessings. Jot them down.

"Count your blessings, name them one by one,
Count your blessings, see what God has done!
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord has done."
(lyrics: Johnson Oatman, jr)

A Thought For Today

Dare To Be Different, Choose To Be Careful

"I dare to be different, I dare to believe;

I dare to be different, God's Spirit receive.
I dare to be different, my life sacrificed;
I dare to be different by living like Christ."
(lyrics: Dick Grommenhoek)

I appreciate the need to live a life that is different from other people. Jesus sends his followers out to make a real difference in this world.

But we also need to be mindful of others. Not only being aware of other people's opinions or beliefs, but sharing your own with tact and diplomacy. We need to take care to do this wisely... remember, Jesus said:-

"I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves." (Matthew 10:16, NIV)

Sounds like quite a juggling act, doesn't it?

A snake is a keen hunter, wary, attentive, wise and yet still eager to learn. They possess tremendous subtlety, and yet with the ability to win against overwhelming odds.

A dove is innocent, harmless, meek and gentle. Remember when the Holy Spirit appeared in the form of a dove?

The challenge - my challenge - is to find the ways of witnessing without apology, without giving offence.

And without abdicating the responsibility to others.

Be different. But be careful...