Wednesday, August 25, 2010

attention

Generally, I think we all like attention.
Maybe not all the time?
But quite a lot of the time…

We want to be noticed.
We want to be complimented.
Most people are looking for their 15 Minutes of Fame.

We have the tools now more than ever to live out this primal human desire.
Facebook.
Twitter.
YouTube.
MySpace….
Endless amounts of avenues to grab yourself some of the attention you crave.

Before you judge someone else for their attention seeking stunt or comments, I bet on some level and in some way you have tried to do the same recently.

You see, no one wants to be ignored or to feel completely invisible...unless they are needing ‘some space’.
As humans we have something inside of us that craves attention. My wife thinks I need too much attention...but that is another story for another time…

I reminded myself today that while the old facebook/twitter thing can fulfill that need in some way, ultimately I can upgrade.

God is always paying you attention!
Now that might freak you out, but that is the deal.
He is paying so much attention that he can record all your activities in some books.
Maybe God likes scrapbooking?
He also spends time each day counting the hair on your head. Personally I would like Him to count and add hair at the same time…

Why?

Because he wants to pay you all the attention your heart desires...you can’t outdo His capacity to pay attention to all that you do.
God cares more than just wanting to police your life.

Next time you are sitting there craving attention
Update your status...
Tweet or retweet…
Post something…
...Directly to Him.
He Cares!
He is paying you attention!

Something to think about…

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

people

I gave myself a pop quiz this morning!
Yes, I am weird…
I mean who gives themselves a quiz???

I was thinking ‘If someone put me on the spot and asked me what the most important things in my life were...what would they be?’

I was surprised by the first thing that came to mind.
Coffee was the first thing...
Most likely because I wanted one anyway and was about to pour myself some freshly brewed goodness.

It didn’t take me long to answer a bit more thoughtfully to the quiz master in my head.
My real answer...people!

Now before you switch off from reading this saying how predictable that was, please let me say a few other things?

For me people are everything!
Without people in my life I will do anything to hide the fact I need them.
I will eat too much.
I will drink too much coffee.
I will watch too much TV.
I will play too much PS3…

People are the ones who define really what sort of life you have. People are who you are designed to be connected to on this little planet of ours.
You need friends.
You need ‘family’.
You need connection with people in all facets of your life.

My encouragement to you as you read this very ‘simple thought’...is to choose to immerse your life with people.
All sorts of people.
Inconvenience your life with as many people as possible!
I bet you will look back over time if you do this well, and be more grateful for the ‘people’ then all the coffee...

Something to think about…

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

manners

When you were growing up, were you told again and again to have good manners?
To say “please”.
To say “excuse me”.
To say “thank you”.
Funny how things go in cycles...now I am teaching my kids (well I am trying) to do the same.

Today I have been thinking about these ‘manners’ things.
Thinking about why we do it.
Thinking about what effect it has on me and those I practice them with?

Saying “thank you” is actually quite a powerful thing!
People seem to respond well to hearing it.
People even get upset when they think they should have heard it from someone...and then didn’t.

Part of what got me thinking about “thank you” was a
passage of scripture we shared from on Sunday.
Jesus said these words just before Lazarus came out a tomb where he had been dead for 4 days…

...Jesus looked up and said, "Father, I thank you that you have heard me.” John 11:41

In fact Jesus said “thank you” a few times…
And each time something cool or supernatural happened.

He thanked God as he took those few loaves bread and fish...and fed 5,000 in one sitting.
He broke bread and thanked God during what we call the last supper...and then went to the cross for us!

Why say “thank you”?
Not just because it good manners...but because it is good!
You can’t really go wrong saying it.
And you may just have something cool or supernatural happen from it.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 simply says…
give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

Something to think about…

Thursday, August 05, 2010

laugh

Hey...thought I shock you all and post something twice in 2 days...
Now before you read any further...watch the clip from the link below...then come back and carry on reading. I guarantee it will make sense.

[video]

The Bible says that God laughs...
It also says that we are made in His image, so we are designed specifically to laugh as well...


It is normal for people who believe in God to laugh!
I think we should take our faith in God seriously...but not to the point where we are dead!
Why is it that religious people are seemingly no fun or potentially have no personality?

It is actually 'christian', actually 'biblical' to laugh!

God wants us to be salt/light/attract.
I have found that fun people who can laugh and enjoy stuff tend to be better at the attracting of people more than boring religious types.
People are naturally attracted to fun people.

Laughter seems to even change something inside of us.
When I was looking into this yesterday and medical research into it, there are several things scientists have found:
1. Laughing causes blood vessels in the brain and other parts of the body to expand promoting blood flow.
2. It produces endorphins, which make you feel happy.
3. In some studies they have found the limbic area of the brain being involved.

That is the part of the brain which helps us with all the basic functions needed for survival.
So is laughter a basic requirement for human survival?


Many of us have seen the movie Patch Adams.
It is based on the true story of a medical student who found happiness seemed to improve quality of life.
He found that happiness was like a drug.
It had power to transform a life.
Power to kill some pain.
Power to possibly heal?

Funny how God knew this all along, and we take some time to figure this out...

Proverbs 17:22 says...
A cheerful heart is good medicine,
but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.


The Amplified Bible puts it like this...
A happy heart is good medicine and a cheerful mind works healing,
but a broken spirit dries up the bones.


Make sure you take some time each week laugh if you can.
You are designed to function better when you do.
Take some time to enjoy life...
Take a moment...
LAUGH!

Something to think about...

Wednesday, August 04, 2010

clean

Suze & I had a little conversation that I thought more about after, then during...if that makes any sense?

We were talking about what we like or appreciate clean in our house.
For Suze it was the removal of all the dust.
For me, I like having a clean toilet.

We like clean don’t we?
We like to be in a clean environment.
To visit clean places.
It just makes things ‘feel’ better...

Which got me thinking about us.
I like to feel clean.
Not just that feeling you have in the shower washing away the grime you have accumulated.
But that feeling of clean when you know you have done the things you should have.
When everything seems right in your life.

One of the key ‘themes’ to our relationship with God is that he wants us to be clean.
And the best part of it for me...is that it is more to do with what God can do in us, that what we can do.
It is a ‘grace thing’.

King David wrote some stuff in songs, and sometimes they referred to his desire to have a pure heart and clean hands.
Even back then they recognized that without all this clean stuff, that you didn’t feel quite right and that it affected their relationship to God.

Check out how this works for us now…

21and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. 23Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.
Hebrews 10:21-23

The question is…”how clean do you feel?”
If you don’t, don’t panic!
Just simply come back to Jesus and get it sorted.
It is not complicated.
God doesn’t want it to be.
Get clean and enjoy the life that God has for you...

Something to think about…