Laptop Sabbatical...

Nothing lasts forever, well in this world anyway.

Materialism is something that effects all of us, as it's all around us everyday and technology is another area in which we are effected by everyday. It's not until we give up or loose a piece of technology that we notice how much we rely on it.

My laptop broke last night, and although I'm using another laptop at the moment, it does mean 2 weeks if not longer without a laptop, something that I use everyday. When it broke to be honest I wasn't that bothered, I'm looking on it as an experience and an opportunity to fill my time more constructively, rather than wasting my time away on Facebook and MSN (maybe in a few days I won't have the same attitude!) But it's given me the chance to reflect upon how much I seem to rely on it and use it, time where I could be talking to God and praying into things OR even revising!

My laptop tends to distract me and fills the silence also, I got back from an exam today and just sat chatting to God, whereas before I would have got my laptop out and sat watching something useless. The silence, although relatively rare in my uni halls was relaxing and it allowed me to actually be able to hear God clearer and to think clearer, instead of filling every waking second with music.

I guess my challenge today, as I go to shut off this laptop and go back to my laptopless life, is this...

What piece of technology can you 'not' live without?

What is it that you take everywhere with you? Could you give it up and will you?

If you gave up something you use regularly, you may be surprised at the way it can change and effect your lifestyle and make your relationship with God better or it could just allow you to spend your time more constructively. Seriously have a think about it and give something (technology etc) up today!

Now that I don't have my laptop, I can see the benefits that will come from it and when I next blog again (whenever that may be) maybe you'll see a difference. I will let you know.

Now, it's time to turn the laptop off and go on a laptop sabbatical and learn more about that fantastic God of mine!

Being in love....with God!

A new revelation hit me recently and thinking about it, it's pretty simplistic but to me it's made me view my relationship with God differently.

Thinking recently about being single and being in love, they're often put as two separate things, they exist on their own or if you're single and in love (a love that's not returned), it's generally a hopeless case (I know that's not 100% right)!

Being in love is generally best left to the people that have someone to love and to have that someone love them back. Being in love is an amazing thing, it hurts at times but it makes people happy, so why can't a singleton have that? I want it! And I have it!

Being in love means you get shivers and butterflies thinking about them, seeing them, hearing them, you see a place and it instantly reminds you of them, they're on your mind constantly and you never want to hurt them, if you hurt them you want to make it up to them, you're desperate to gain their trust and their love back. Isn't it like that with us and God?

I may not be in love with anyone but it doesn't mean I can't taste what love is like, and still enjoy being in love with an amazing God. It's not a romantic love, it's an indescribable love, but the conventions are all still there.

When God heals someone or I hear an amazing testimony or He speaks to me I get butterflies, I get shivers...I'm amazed (if you couldn't tell from the latest entries!) I love hearing from God and I'd love to see His face.

I go to places and I see His beauty there and I'm reminded of Him.

Although He's not on my mind 24/7 I'd love to make it that way and be that focused on Him.

When I sin, I feel awful because I've hurt Him, and I love Him so much, I'd hate to lose Him and although God says He will never leave me, I want to make it up to Him, I want to strive to at least TRY and be better, even though we both know I'll never be perfect and I will always fall short! To put it better and definitely more poetically...

"To love the Lord your God, and to walk in all his ways...to cling to him and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul" Joshua 22:5

So I'm loving being in love! I may not be the most intellectual person, or the most theologically minded (I'll probably get told this blog isn't theologically sound!) but whether or not this makes sense one thing is for sure...

I love God He is the ultimate listener, the ultimate artist, the ultimate friend, father and saviour and it's good to know that He loves me infinitely more and that it is unrequited.What more could you want? It doesn't get much better than that!!

A Few Revelations...

It's been weird being at home, revision has been amazingly difficult and procrastination is my favourite hobby. Whilst I've been back, I've gone through a reminiscing time, thinking over all the decisions I made and looking over past situations.

Throughout every blunder, every foolish mistake and indeed throughout all the fantastic memories and the good times there is one thing that is common with all of them, one thing that has been there in each of those things and that is God. God has a plan, He has plans for us, plans for good not for harm. He is a God that cares about us, and though it may not seem like it at the time, it is all in His plan. Looking back on some mistakes I made I see clearly now how God used those bad experiences for the better. It's amazing how he completely turned those mistakes around and now I am a changed person and (I hope) for the better.

He brought me out of dark places and set me back on the right path (excuse however cheesy that sounds) He really is a saviour! It is amazing how in a desperate place He is there and that when bad situations come in the long run He has a plan, meaning you can look back and see the fruit of it.

One of the joys of being home and indeed one of the reasons I came home was to go on a walk to my favourite place. That sounds really twee I know, but it's a place that is filled with beauty and God's creativity never ceases to amaze me as I walk through it. Whilst sitting on a log (yes I am a hippie) I was astounded at God's beauty in all creation and I was amazed at the intricate detail of each plant and to think heaven is infinitely more beautiful...can't wait!

Whilst sitting reading about David and Goliath it hit me...We all go through Goliath sized problems, but just like David we can defeat them because we've got God on our side. When we come up against fear and temptations we can defeat them with God as the stone from our sling shot (as it were). God continues to astound me and I love it! He is a faithful God who answers big prayers and answers little prayers!

I guess it's repetitive, but whatever...God is amazing and He is worthy of praise!

An amazing God...

This week has been a week of God continually showing me how amazing He is. I have been struck constantly in different areas of my daily life by how incredible our God is. Something that made me awestruck was the following extract from Incomparable (Andrew Wilson):

"Try sitting completely still. You are not allowed to move anything except your eyes. Ready?

Almost everything about you is changing right now, even as you sit completely still. Your body is changing, as every second you produce 25 million cells, and your brain processes 100 million new pieces of information. Your location is changing at a rate of 66,000 miles per hour along with the rest of the large lump of rock we call the earth. This lump of rock is itself changing all the time, with the earth's crust moving continuously, continents changing shape, and Mount Everest growing 5 cm every year. The sun, probably the largest and most steady object you know anything about, is changing rather more dramatically: it is now 50 million tonnes lighter than it was when you started reading this paragraph. Everything changes."

How amazing is that? That God created such amazingly, intricate things and although there is constant change in the world...He never changes! God is unchangeable. That's just one way that I've been struck by His amazingness this week!

He's answered my prayers, prayers that were very little in the grand scheme of things, yet were important to me and it showed to me even more that I have a God who loves and cares for ME.

The third thing was at church today, it was amazing to see so many people worship an awesome God and on top of that 3 healings and 9 people giving their lives to God, all reinforced how amazing He is.

We have a God that loves us deeply, who reigns forever, over all things and who knows everything about us.

How amazing is our God?!

God, the comedian!

I know that this may be repetitive by now, but we do have an amazing God and yet again He has shown it to me today.

As I was going through my drawers I found all my old notes with words from God and pictures/words from others they felt over me and my life. It was so encouraging to read them and remind myself that God has a plan, and that there is an aim, there is a focus in my life. Whilst reading over them God highlighted a certain one to me, that was so relevant to what I was facing.

After sitting for what must have been hours trying to do my essay, I have to say I felt so dejected when all that ended up on the piece of paper was a few notes, that were not going to give me the 2,500 words I needed. I felt stupid,unintelligent and I think I actually begged God for a brain!! So I turned to my daily reading and it was then that I realised God's humour and how God works in mysterious ways. I'm currently reading Incomparable by Andrew Wilson and today was "God the Creator" as I continued to read through it there was an overwhelming sense of relevancy and when I reached the very end of the chapter I realised God's humour in it all and His superb sensibility to my emotions...

"If God carefully designed every diatom, how much more can we be sure that he made us, his people, carefully and wonderfully!...An even more astonishing example of God's craftsmanship is the human brain, perhaps the most baffling and amazing created thing on earth: The human brain is heralded for its staggering complexity and processing capability...the storage capacity of the human brain is nearly infinite...During our life-time, our brain will have amassed...to more than five times the amount of the total printed material in the world!" (pg. 38, Incomparable)

It just spoke to me and made me see how intricately He has designed my brain, and even if it didn't seem to be flowing at that moment, it just made me sit back and laugh.

He loves it when we come to Him, God has an awesome sense of humour, an acute sensibility to every emotion and situation and even better He has the solution! When we feel weak, all we need to remember is...

"I can do everything through Him who gives me strength" Philippians 4:13 (NIV)

He showed me today that when we feel weak we have Him, I wrote that verse on my hand and for the rest of the day I was reminded that Christ is in me, and my strength is not mine alone, but His. Today God has shown me His diverse character, the greatest comedian of all is, by far God. The more I learn of God the more I love Him.

So I guess, if a challenge is to be given it is this...

How well do you know God?

How much do you want to get to know Him?

(It should be a burning desire, a passion for all of us, for He took the time to create us and takes the time to care for us...I think He deserves the effort! Don't you?)

God is amazing!

Well, I've been back at uni for just over a week now and God has blessed me incredibly. I just can't believe how awesome a God He is! I don't deserve His blessings and yet He lavishes them on me and continues loving me, He is an amazing Father.

I can't help but feel my low spirits rise when I hear worship songs declaring His name, when I listen closely to the songs I hear the truth in each one and it makes me want to sing louder and louder. Being left on my own to revise, with not a soul around is a little lonesome-as I start to wonder what they're doing and I start to wish I was included, but then I hear those beautiful words of a worship song and I can't help but feel joy in my heart. Each one is declaring a different aspect of how awesome my God is...

"You are all that I need, you are all that satisfies me, what can the world offer me now? This is life, this is hope ... I am free."

...Words like that, bring a smile to my face and make my heart leap and my spine shiver...I have a God who is AMAZING!!

What more do I need in this life?? He is my sustainer, He is the reason I am here, He is the reason I stay strong and when I'm weak He is the hand that picks me up and walks with me. He is an awesome God.

I've wanted to write a blog entry for ages, but felt I had nothing profound to write, all I find myself wanting to write is how amazing this God is of mine! This is my bit of profound insight...

I know and love an awesome, mighty God who...loves ME...can you believe it?...Yet even crazier and even greater is this...Not only does He love me, He loves you too, whoever you are, whatever you've done, whatever you believe or don't believe...He loves you!

I wish I could write how much my heart is full of joy with God's love, despite the fact I feel emotionally shaken and tested. How the two can coincide is a mystery only answered by God, He helps me focus on Him and eradicate all other fears, worries, problems, for He is glorious and I love Him.

"Praise the Lord. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, his love endures forever" Psalms 106:1 AMEN!