I thought to myself today...why not do the simple thought a little different?
So I am going to...
...Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.
Luke 5:16
…Jesus told him, "Go and do likewise."
Luke 10:37
...those who seek me find me
Proverbs 8:17
You will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.
I will be found by you," declares the LORD
Jeremiah 29:12-14
Something to think about…
And maybe something you could do?
Wednesday, October 07, 2009
Saturday, October 03, 2009
I started to write this simple thought waiting in our car to pick someone up.
Because I had some time on my own, I had time to reflect on the week and what had been impacting my life.
You may have thought that it would be the teaching at the conference we were at.
Maybe the worship or the atmosphere?
Maybe great coffee?
But what impacted me the most this week was my
interaction with other people.
It was our first time back to our old church since officially moving to Taupo, and it seemed people might have missed us?
Every few meters someone would come and say hello.
Want a hug.
Take a few moments to catch up…
I am not sure how to describe it without sounding like a weirdo, but it was awesome! You realized after you had gone and then come back, that maybe people like you after all.
Isn’t that how it is?
That we generally don’t take the time to show how much we care, when we have the people we care about around us all the time. It is when they are gone, that we realize just how much we cared.
Funerals are a big case and point.
Maybe over the next few days you could think about the people in your life. The ones you care the most for…
Maybe, just maybe, you could tell them.
Appreciate them now.
Because people and the days we spend together are a gift that doesn’t always last forever...
Something to think about...
Because I had some time on my own, I had time to reflect on the week and what had been impacting my life.
You may have thought that it would be the teaching at the conference we were at.
Maybe the worship or the atmosphere?
Maybe great coffee?
But what impacted me the most this week was my
interaction with other people.
It was our first time back to our old church since officially moving to Taupo, and it seemed people might have missed us?
Every few meters someone would come and say hello.
Want a hug.
Take a few moments to catch up…
I am not sure how to describe it without sounding like a weirdo, but it was awesome! You realized after you had gone and then come back, that maybe people like you after all.
Isn’t that how it is?
That we generally don’t take the time to show how much we care, when we have the people we care about around us all the time. It is when they are gone, that we realize just how much we cared.
Funerals are a big case and point.
Maybe over the next few days you could think about the people in your life. The ones you care the most for…
Maybe, just maybe, you could tell them.
Appreciate them now.
Because people and the days we spend together are a gift that doesn’t always last forever...
Something to think about...
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Some people think imagination is a bad thing.
Maybe it is because an over active or unrealistic imagination can get you into trouble.
Beyond that, imagination is fun and extremely powerful.
Just watch a kid playing with some Lego.
Or writing a story.
Or playing some game with their friends.
Imagination seems to play a natural part of who they are and how they behave.
As adults we can sometimes think imagination is a childish thing that should be left...in our childhood.
Belief and Imagination I believe are two related entities.
Without them in your life...well it just seems a little boring.
Without belief you don’t dream.
Without belief you don’t try something new.
Without belief you don’t take chances.
Without belief nothing much changes…
In fact the only things that seem to change for you are what you think happens just by chance. Which can fuel your feelings of thinking life is random or even out of control.
I am convinced God wants you to believe, yes in him and what Jesus has done for you on the cross…
But beyond that to keep believing.
Believing is a stagnant experience when it is based on what has already happened.
God has more for you and I to believe in and believe for.
It is like he wants to use your imagination to dream (with his leading) what to believe for now and what to believe for next.
Trying to shut it down will cripple you.
It will cause you to miss out on what God has for you, under the guise of being ’adult’ or ‘grown-up’
Didn’t Jesus say about having something like a faith that was childlike? Where your outlook on God’s Kingdom needed to be like a kid...maybe even with some imagination?
The Israelites even illustrated this as well.
They didn’t all entered into the promised land.
Hebrews 3:19 records it like this…
They were not able to enter, because of their unbelief.
It wasn’t that they didn’t have the gifts or talents.
It wasn’t that they didn't have the opportunity.
It is just that they would not believe God could really do what he said he would do.
So here is my simple challenge to you this week…
Please dream, please imagine, please believe.
Believe for something in God beyond where you are right now...something you may even need.
Pray for it. Focus on it. Believe for it!
Something to think about...
Maybe it is because an over active or unrealistic imagination can get you into trouble.
Beyond that, imagination is fun and extremely powerful.
Just watch a kid playing with some Lego.
Or writing a story.
Or playing some game with their friends.
Imagination seems to play a natural part of who they are and how they behave.
As adults we can sometimes think imagination is a childish thing that should be left...in our childhood.
Belief and Imagination I believe are two related entities.
Without them in your life...well it just seems a little boring.
Without belief you don’t dream.
Without belief you don’t try something new.
Without belief you don’t take chances.
Without belief nothing much changes…
In fact the only things that seem to change for you are what you think happens just by chance. Which can fuel your feelings of thinking life is random or even out of control.
I am convinced God wants you to believe, yes in him and what Jesus has done for you on the cross…
But beyond that to keep believing.
Believing is a stagnant experience when it is based on what has already happened.
God has more for you and I to believe in and believe for.
It is like he wants to use your imagination to dream (with his leading) what to believe for now and what to believe for next.
Trying to shut it down will cripple you.
It will cause you to miss out on what God has for you, under the guise of being ’adult’ or ‘grown-up’
Didn’t Jesus say about having something like a faith that was childlike? Where your outlook on God’s Kingdom needed to be like a kid...maybe even with some imagination?
The Israelites even illustrated this as well.
They didn’t all entered into the promised land.
Hebrews 3:19 records it like this…
They were not able to enter, because of their unbelief.
It wasn’t that they didn’t have the gifts or talents.
It wasn’t that they didn't have the opportunity.
It is just that they would not believe God could really do what he said he would do.
So here is my simple challenge to you this week…
Please dream, please imagine, please believe.
Believe for something in God beyond where you are right now...something you may even need.
Pray for it. Focus on it. Believe for it!
Something to think about...
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
I bet you played all sorts of games when you were a kid you don’t like admitting too now!
Games like Catch and Kiss.
Spin the Bottle.
Or even Dare, Truth and Promise…
Most of the time it was harmless fun.
Normally it is until someone takes it too far…
To be honest I liked Catch and Kiss.
I don’t mind admitting it.
In fact I would make sure I got caught...
Enough of all that.
What about being ‘dared’ to do something?
It was always a case of the longer the game went on, the more outrageous the ‘dares’ became.
The essence of the whole ‘dare’ thing is two fold.
One, it is a chance for the person giving you the ‘dare’ to push you into something you wouldn’t normally do.
Secondly, it was a chance for you to see how brave or crazy you could really be when pushed and challenged a little.
I want to give you a ‘dare’.
I ‘dare’ you to do something completely over the top for someone else.
I ‘dare’ you to bless someone who is not expecting it and in a way that will amaze them.
I ‘dare’ you to do it without anything being in it for you.
So what are you are waiting for?
Pray about who it could be,
Then go for it!
I ‘dare’ ya!
Games like Catch and Kiss.
Spin the Bottle.
Or even Dare, Truth and Promise…
Most of the time it was harmless fun.
Normally it is until someone takes it too far…
To be honest I liked Catch and Kiss.
I don’t mind admitting it.
In fact I would make sure I got caught...
Enough of all that.
What about being ‘dared’ to do something?
It was always a case of the longer the game went on, the more outrageous the ‘dares’ became.
The essence of the whole ‘dare’ thing is two fold.
One, it is a chance for the person giving you the ‘dare’ to push you into something you wouldn’t normally do.
Secondly, it was a chance for you to see how brave or crazy you could really be when pushed and challenged a little.
I want to give you a ‘dare’.
I ‘dare’ you to do something completely over the top for someone else.
I ‘dare’ you to bless someone who is not expecting it and in a way that will amaze them.
I ‘dare’ you to do it without anything being in it for you.
So what are you are waiting for?
Pray about who it could be,
Then go for it!
I ‘dare’ ya!
Wednesday, September 09, 2009
Apparently today was a special day…
The date and time did something that had never been done before, where it was 09:09am on the 09/09/09.
I have no idea what that means.
Or if there was something special spiritual significance, beyond a quirk in our clock and date systems…
But a little fun none the less.
There is something about us that looks for meaning in the small things.
Just recently I saw a website where one of the sections was headed up ‘be the change’.
It is a nice phrase with plenty of meaning.
It is a quote from another guy many years a go now, and people (especially Christians) have latched on to it, flogging it for all its worth.
In a job I had some years a go now, the walls around the board room and offices were lined with little phrases.
The management had gone to a lot of trouble to display them as each one was typed up and well presented in frames.
They said things like…
“Plan the work, work the plan”
“You can avoid frustration by simple preparation”
“You get what you go for”
All good I guess, but after a few views you start to ignore them. Even though they invade your line of sight each day, you start to not notice them.
I reckon Jesus had some good one liners as well!
He said things like…
“Get behind me Satan” now that was a good one!
“Come follow me”
“Neither do I condemn you”
“What do you want me to do for you?”
Don’t just take my word for it, how about checking some of them out for yourself this week. Grab a gospel and have a read.
I personally think the one liners we can read from God can have a bigger impact on our lives then any other quote...
Something to think about…
The date and time did something that had never been done before, where it was 09:09am on the 09/09/09.
I have no idea what that means.
Or if there was something special spiritual significance, beyond a quirk in our clock and date systems…
But a little fun none the less.
There is something about us that looks for meaning in the small things.
Just recently I saw a website where one of the sections was headed up ‘be the change’.
It is a nice phrase with plenty of meaning.
It is a quote from another guy many years a go now, and people (especially Christians) have latched on to it, flogging it for all its worth.
In a job I had some years a go now, the walls around the board room and offices were lined with little phrases.
The management had gone to a lot of trouble to display them as each one was typed up and well presented in frames.
They said things like…
“Plan the work, work the plan”
“You can avoid frustration by simple preparation”
“You get what you go for”
All good I guess, but after a few views you start to ignore them. Even though they invade your line of sight each day, you start to not notice them.
I reckon Jesus had some good one liners as well!
He said things like…
“Get behind me Satan” now that was a good one!
“Come follow me”
“Neither do I condemn you”
“What do you want me to do for you?”
Don’t just take my word for it, how about checking some of them out for yourself this week. Grab a gospel and have a read.
I personally think the one liners we can read from God can have a bigger impact on our lives then any other quote...
Something to think about…
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