Here we are, Ian and I, back in Spain for the half term break. After a very early start this morning, all we've been fit for on arrival is eating and sleeping! Mum reminded me earlier that I came over about 4 years ago during the October half-term and it rained for 6 out fo the 7 days! Such rain as Spain hadn not seen for many years! Locals hired taxis to take them to the nearest large town and they stood along the river bank with cameras taking photographs of the water levels!
On arrival the sun was shining today. I'm grateful I've got the break from school to recharge my batteries, I'm just hoping I don't spend my time recharging them by sleeping all day and all night!.
This really is a beautiful country and I love coming here to unwind and relax...
Saturday, October 22, 2005
Wednesday, October 19, 2005
It is well
I'm finding my job pretty tough at the moment. I've got to the stage where I wonder why I bother. It all seems so pointless, attmepting to teach when I'm being constantly harrassed by groups of 20 - 30 teenagers who just don't want to be there. When I say harrassed, I mean harrassed. I often get pointed personal comments made and I'm finding it tough not to react. Yesterday I snapped! One group of year 11s got the full force of my wrath!
So why do I do my job? Because there is nothing more satisfying than watching someone learn! Sadly those moments appear few and far between!
This morning I've woken up feeling low, yet inside I'm singing... the annoying thing is I can't remember any more than one line!
"It is well, it is well in my soul."
Do I need to sing any more? It is well in my soul! My soul sings to a creator God. My soul can sing in his presence. Singing praises will lift my spirit. God's spirit will bring to my soul the words I need to encourage myself.
So if today all I sing is " It is well in my soul" then that's all I'll sing. For my soul is well! I am a new creation! I am a royal priesthood. Everyday life may be pressing in, but God's kingdom is here with me when I do his will. When I praise him, I do his will!
These are words of encouragement and affirmation of who I am. So to those who want to knock me down, to those who want to see me break, just hear this...
It is well in my soul!
So why do I do my job? Because there is nothing more satisfying than watching someone learn! Sadly those moments appear few and far between!
This morning I've woken up feeling low, yet inside I'm singing... the annoying thing is I can't remember any more than one line!
"It is well, it is well in my soul."
Do I need to sing any more? It is well in my soul! My soul sings to a creator God. My soul can sing in his presence. Singing praises will lift my spirit. God's spirit will bring to my soul the words I need to encourage myself.
So if today all I sing is " It is well in my soul" then that's all I'll sing. For my soul is well! I am a new creation! I am a royal priesthood. Everyday life may be pressing in, but God's kingdom is here with me when I do his will. When I praise him, I do his will!
These are words of encouragement and affirmation of who I am. So to those who want to knock me down, to those who want to see me break, just hear this...
It is well in my soul!
Monday, October 17, 2005
Royal Priesthood
I'm still slowly working my way through 1 Peter. Partly because there are days when I just don't read it and also partly because I'm just reading such small parts at a time.
Yesterday, Tony Ling was talking about the restoration of God's church. We may not be seeing it here in the UK, but God's church is worldwide and it is growing. God's church is being restored. What we need to be doing is making sure that we are not left behind.
1 Peter 2 4 - 12 talks about us being built together. We are the living stones that are being put in place as God's temple. We are his priesthood, his nation. His sacrifice.
The Jews had different types of sacrifice. We are not the sin sacrifice. That sacrifice has been totally paid through the death of Jesus. He paid the final price for every sin, both past, present and future.
We are the sacrifice of praise. Everything we do is to be a sacrifice of praise that raises glory to God. Our lives should be such that when non-believers look at us, they see the glory of God.
It's hard to make everything we do a pure sacrifice of praise. We so often mess up. But God knows our weaknesses. He knows our human-ness. That's why he hasn't left us on our own. He's given us, not only the gift of a new life, but also the gift of his Holy Spirit that we may have the strength to do God's will. His Holy Spirit within us guides us, speaks to us, counsels us, empowers us.
I've gone through the year getting to know the Trinity but the Holy Spirit seems to be the one who is most difficult to bring into my everyday life. Yet the Holy Spirit is the one who dwells in me.
If I am to be the person God wants me to be, if I am to fulfill his will, I need to daily acknowledge the person of the Holy Spirit and allow him to be my guide and strength for each day, for each action, for each second of my life.
Get to know the Holy Spirit in your life, get filled each day that you may live God's way that the glory of God may fill the place where you are as the life you lead is a sacrifice of praise to the most holy God. Worship the Lamb of God, worship Jesus by the way you live. Let your life be a sacrifice of praise in every moment you live.
It's a tough call, but with God's spirit in us, it isn't impossible!
Yesterday, Tony Ling was talking about the restoration of God's church. We may not be seeing it here in the UK, but God's church is worldwide and it is growing. God's church is being restored. What we need to be doing is making sure that we are not left behind.
1 Peter 2 4 - 12 talks about us being built together. We are the living stones that are being put in place as God's temple. We are his priesthood, his nation. His sacrifice.
The Jews had different types of sacrifice. We are not the sin sacrifice. That sacrifice has been totally paid through the death of Jesus. He paid the final price for every sin, both past, present and future.
We are the sacrifice of praise. Everything we do is to be a sacrifice of praise that raises glory to God. Our lives should be such that when non-believers look at us, they see the glory of God.
It's hard to make everything we do a pure sacrifice of praise. We so often mess up. But God knows our weaknesses. He knows our human-ness. That's why he hasn't left us on our own. He's given us, not only the gift of a new life, but also the gift of his Holy Spirit that we may have the strength to do God's will. His Holy Spirit within us guides us, speaks to us, counsels us, empowers us.
I've gone through the year getting to know the Trinity but the Holy Spirit seems to be the one who is most difficult to bring into my everyday life. Yet the Holy Spirit is the one who dwells in me.
If I am to be the person God wants me to be, if I am to fulfill his will, I need to daily acknowledge the person of the Holy Spirit and allow him to be my guide and strength for each day, for each action, for each second of my life.
Get to know the Holy Spirit in your life, get filled each day that you may live God's way that the glory of God may fill the place where you are as the life you lead is a sacrifice of praise to the most holy God. Worship the Lamb of God, worship Jesus by the way you live. Let your life be a sacrifice of praise in every moment you live.
It's a tough call, but with God's spirit in us, it isn't impossible!
Sunday, October 16, 2005
Awesome Praise
This morning I awoke still feeling lousy with my cold. In fact, during the night it appeared that the cold had moved down to my chest and I was developing a cough. Now, seeing as I suffer mildly from asthma, this is generally not a good time. I felt that I would need at least one more day off school. I'd need the time to renew the strength so that i can carry out the physically, emotionally and mentally exhausting job of teaching kids aged 11 - 16.
Nothing was going to keep me from going to church though.
We had good worship, we had a good talk by Tony Ling. At the end Tony went very quiet. I was getting a bit worried. He kept repeating "praise and worship, praise and worship". So that's what we did. We entered into a further time of praise and worship, this time, instead of it being led from the front, we were exhorted to just worship God individually. At first the time was a bit strained. We're so unused to worshipping in public without it being led. yet slowly we awoke to the task. For much of the time I just sat and watched the people. My son had brought a non-Christian friend and I wondered what he thought. Then I watched the faces of the worshippers. As the time of worship grew, so their faces changed. You could see them enter God's presence. The initial fears and worries of being led to worship this way was fading as people entered their own place of worship. As I watched, my spirit was stirred. As my spirit was stirred I felt my strength restored. As my strength was restored I was lifted into that awesome place of God's throne room.
This evening, after a restful, but not lazy afternoon, I am feeling as though I just have a few snuffles. I know my strength is renewed. I know I will be in school tomorrow, to serve my God in the place he has put me to impact the lives of those I come into contact with.
Oh, and Matt's friend? Well he was pretty spooked out (his words) by the worship. The woman behind who was singing in some foreign language... the people with their eyes closed and their hands raised... He told Matt that he won't be able to come next week. Then he added, "but I should be able to come the week after"!
God's at work! He's restoring his tent!
Nothing was going to keep me from going to church though.
We had good worship, we had a good talk by Tony Ling. At the end Tony went very quiet. I was getting a bit worried. He kept repeating "praise and worship, praise and worship". So that's what we did. We entered into a further time of praise and worship, this time, instead of it being led from the front, we were exhorted to just worship God individually. At first the time was a bit strained. We're so unused to worshipping in public without it being led. yet slowly we awoke to the task. For much of the time I just sat and watched the people. My son had brought a non-Christian friend and I wondered what he thought. Then I watched the faces of the worshippers. As the time of worship grew, so their faces changed. You could see them enter God's presence. The initial fears and worries of being led to worship this way was fading as people entered their own place of worship. As I watched, my spirit was stirred. As my spirit was stirred I felt my strength restored. As my strength was restored I was lifted into that awesome place of God's throne room.
This evening, after a restful, but not lazy afternoon, I am feeling as though I just have a few snuffles. I know my strength is renewed. I know I will be in school tomorrow, to serve my God in the place he has put me to impact the lives of those I come into contact with.
Oh, and Matt's friend? Well he was pretty spooked out (his words) by the worship. The woman behind who was singing in some foreign language... the people with their eyes closed and their hands raised... He told Matt that he won't be able to come next week. Then he added, "but I should be able to come the week after"!
God's at work! He's restoring his tent!
Saturday, October 15, 2005
Cold
Why is it that a simple cold can wipe a person out? For the past couple of days I've had a head cold. Yesterday I awoke with no voice, so I stayed at home. It's pretty difficult to teach without a good voice. It's impossible to teach without a brain! Yesterday, that's how I felt. My head was just a fuzzy mess. Everyone time I tried to communicate, it wasn't the lack of a voice giving me problems but the lack of coherant thoughts!
I'm feeling slightly better this morning, at least my voice has almost returned to normal. I'm hoping my brain will function better too!
For the record - God is great! Not because I've got a cold, but because he's my God and I love to worship him!
I'm feeling slightly better this morning, at least my voice has almost returned to normal. I'm hoping my brain will function better too!
For the record - God is great! Not because I've got a cold, but because he's my God and I love to worship him!
Wednesday, October 12, 2005
Donald Miller in his book "Searching for God know's what" talks about communion. And he said he thought the disciples would be a little perplexed to see us sitting around or lining up to take communion and everything being so quiet and somber. He said he thought the disciples would have a huge cup of wine, and a loaf of bread and sit around and tell Jesus stories.
I thought about that for weeks. We do a once a month service called Encounter and we always take communion and like you, I am always looking for a way to make it fresh and different. This week we had loaves of bread... a lot of bread... and we had big cups of juice... and we sat around and we ate and we remembered Jesus, and we told our Jesus stories. We laughed, we cried, we celebrated. It was an awesome night.
I've copied this from the evotional site I like to peruse. It's a comment made by another reader after reading the blog from October 9th - Communion Tin.
The first thing that hit me was the thought of how the disciples possibly "remembered Jesus" when they took the bread and wine. Were they probably just sitting around sharing a meal and someone suddenly broke the bread and said "remember when Jesus did this? Remember he told us to remember him?"
Did they just sit back and quietly contemplate his death and the new meaning it had brought to their lives? or did they sit and share stories about the things they'd experienced whilst he was with them?
"Remember that day on the hillside when he'd talked for hours and then we realised how hungry everyone was? Remember he told us to share out that little boy's loaves and fish! Boy how stupid we felt! One crumb or two sir?"
"Remember when he sent us, I mean us!!! fishermen!, to go and heal the sick! Go on , admit it. Did you really think you could? But when we took that first step, Wow!! the impact! Not just on the healed, but on us! When we realised the power he had shared with us! I just thrill every time I think of what he does through me!"
"Remember the time when life felt it had fallen apart? Then we realised that he was in control. That he cared so much for us that he had suffered for us. He wants us to remember him, not because he wants us to be sad but because he wants us to know his intimate love!"
It thrills me to think that Jesus didn't just die for my sins! He died to bring me into a place where I could stand in awe and worship the most holy God. Where everyday of my life I can come into his presence and enjoy being with him.
I just want to celebrate the life I have now because of what Jesus has done for me! I want to remember all the amazing things he has done since I gave my life to him!
I thought about that for weeks. We do a once a month service called Encounter and we always take communion and like you, I am always looking for a way to make it fresh and different. This week we had loaves of bread... a lot of bread... and we had big cups of juice... and we sat around and we ate and we remembered Jesus, and we told our Jesus stories. We laughed, we cried, we celebrated. It was an awesome night.
I've copied this from the evotional site I like to peruse. It's a comment made by another reader after reading the blog from October 9th - Communion Tin.
The first thing that hit me was the thought of how the disciples possibly "remembered Jesus" when they took the bread and wine. Were they probably just sitting around sharing a meal and someone suddenly broke the bread and said "remember when Jesus did this? Remember he told us to remember him?"
Did they just sit back and quietly contemplate his death and the new meaning it had brought to their lives? or did they sit and share stories about the things they'd experienced whilst he was with them?
"Remember that day on the hillside when he'd talked for hours and then we realised how hungry everyone was? Remember he told us to share out that little boy's loaves and fish! Boy how stupid we felt! One crumb or two sir?"
"Remember when he sent us, I mean us!!! fishermen!, to go and heal the sick! Go on , admit it. Did you really think you could? But when we took that first step, Wow!! the impact! Not just on the healed, but on us! When we realised the power he had shared with us! I just thrill every time I think of what he does through me!"
"Remember the time when life felt it had fallen apart? Then we realised that he was in control. That he cared so much for us that he had suffered for us. He wants us to remember him, not because he wants us to be sad but because he wants us to know his intimate love!"
It thrills me to think that Jesus didn't just die for my sins! He died to bring me into a place where I could stand in awe and worship the most holy God. Where everyday of my life I can come into his presence and enjoy being with him.
I just want to celebrate the life I have now because of what Jesus has done for me! I want to remember all the amazing things he has done since I gave my life to him!
Sunday, October 09, 2005
Check this out
The other week I did a search on Holy Spirit blogs and I found this site. I'll be adding a link to the site later but this guy alternates from quirky comments on his life to incredibly intense comments about a spirit filled life. He just lives for God and is making incredible use of technology to get into people's lives.
http://www.evotional.com/
Check out Flight Delay Entertainment for quirkiness!
http://www.evotional.com/
Check out Flight Delay Entertainment for quirkiness!
Feeding Time
Yesterday morning, Ian and I were up early to go to a bible study entitled Bible Overview. One of the things that hit me was a more casual comment about eating. God's word is the Bread of Life. It is meant to sustain us and give us the strength to live, yet how often do we starve ourselves and then binge eat? It's so easy to have a busy day and forget to read. Then when something important is approaching, or when we are energised by God, we binge eat for a while.
In 1 Peter 2:2 It says
In 1 Peter 2:2 It says
Like newborn babies , crave pure spiritual milk,
so that you may grow up in your salvation.
A newborn baby generally drinks 6 feeds a day. It will never miss a meal, it will never snack. A baby naturally knows the importance of regular and substantial meals if it is to grow and develop into adulthood.
In the same way, we need to be eating 6 regular meals a day. It would be fantastic if our lives allowed us the time to sit and eat God's word for half an hour 6 times a day, sadly for the majority of us that is impossible. In my busy day at school, there are sometimes days when I get less than 20 minutes to sit and eat my lunch, and many others of us have similar hectic lives.
But in our busy days, we can still feed on God. We can listen to songs of praise and worship as we work, or as we drive to work. We can dot words of life around us that our eyes may rest on them as we go about our lives. We can chat to God at any time, even whilst walking around a class full of demanding children.
If we retire to bed at the end of the day and realise we haven't touched base once with our creative God, we are starving ourselves and missing out on our chance to grow. Sometimes we only find the time to snack but surely we should be making much more effort to grab a good hearty meal.
Sit down and devour God's word. Enjoy the pleasures of good eating!
Thursday, October 06, 2005
Hectic week
This week we're having lots of little jobs done on the house. It's exciting, every day I come home from work and look to see what's been done. You know all those annoying little jobs that you never really get around to? The ones you put off because you know that although they're simple tasks, they're simple to someone who is experienced and knows what they're doing.
Two weeks ago the shower heating element died! So we've had baths every day since then. Now don't get me wrong, I like nothing better than a leisurely soak in the bath now and again. But these days I really don't have the time to run a bath in the morning, let alone soak in one! Today the shower man comes to fit a new shower! (As well as the handyman continuing with his jobs!)
Change is good, renewing is exciting!
At work, school is busy. We had our annual open evening on Tuesday, which meant smiling at prospective parents and pupils until 9 at night. It appeared to go well in our department and we were surprised that we still had parents visiting the maths department at 9.10pm.
Many other things are happening and I feel as though I'm not getting my job done well, or that I've got the energy to keep going! Yet, yesterday someone commented that I was looking far more relaxed and less stressed at school than I had last term. Now last term, due to staffing, I was on a reduced timetable and only teaching 12 lessons a week. This term I'm teaching 21 lessons! The difference? A Holy Spirit difference.
I'm feeling far more prepared to face my days this term. God is doing amazing things and some of it is being done to me! I'm excited by the strength I'm gaining. I'm feeling so much more secure in God, so much more in awe of him, so much more in love with him. So much more hungry for more!
I may not be witnessing openly, but God's power within me is beginning to change the way I work, the way I react around other staff and around the pupils. People are beginning to notice a change! I know I've felt different. It was encouraging to hear that someone else had noticed a difference too.
Two weeks ago the shower heating element died! So we've had baths every day since then. Now don't get me wrong, I like nothing better than a leisurely soak in the bath now and again. But these days I really don't have the time to run a bath in the morning, let alone soak in one! Today the shower man comes to fit a new shower! (As well as the handyman continuing with his jobs!)
Change is good, renewing is exciting!
At work, school is busy. We had our annual open evening on Tuesday, which meant smiling at prospective parents and pupils until 9 at night. It appeared to go well in our department and we were surprised that we still had parents visiting the maths department at 9.10pm.
Many other things are happening and I feel as though I'm not getting my job done well, or that I've got the energy to keep going! Yet, yesterday someone commented that I was looking far more relaxed and less stressed at school than I had last term. Now last term, due to staffing, I was on a reduced timetable and only teaching 12 lessons a week. This term I'm teaching 21 lessons! The difference? A Holy Spirit difference.
I'm feeling far more prepared to face my days this term. God is doing amazing things and some of it is being done to me! I'm excited by the strength I'm gaining. I'm feeling so much more secure in God, so much more in awe of him, so much more in love with him. So much more hungry for more!
I may not be witnessing openly, but God's power within me is beginning to change the way I work, the way I react around other staff and around the pupils. People are beginning to notice a change! I know I've felt different. It was encouraging to hear that someone else had noticed a difference too.
Sunday, October 02, 2005
The Return of the Prodigal!
This week my daughter asked if she could join us at church with a friend tonight. She's made friend's with a christian youth worker and together they came with us to the church my youngest son attends on a Sunday evening.
It's been many years since Laura has attended church and although she sat quietly throughout and didn't participate, she afterwards remarked to another friend that she will be coming again - because she knows she needs to!
God is at work in this house. Laura still has a long way to come, but it's good to see she is beginning to recognise the need for God in her life.
Often we give up on our kids, our friends, or even our spouses and parents. But God is at work. This morning I was reminded that God knows my burdens. He knows the people I have a burden for and that he has a burden for them to. I need to hand them over to God and trust him.
Part of tonight's message was that God has a plan for our lives, we need to be patient and let him see it through! Often we look at the situation and try to hurry things up. If we try to take control, to fulfil God's plan before his time, then things are likely to go wrong. In God's time, things work!
Fully Rely On God! That's what we need to do in every aspect of our life! That's what we need to do with all the people we have a burden for! Rely on God to see them through.
It's been many years since Laura has attended church and although she sat quietly throughout and didn't participate, she afterwards remarked to another friend that she will be coming again - because she knows she needs to!
God is at work in this house. Laura still has a long way to come, but it's good to see she is beginning to recognise the need for God in her life.
Often we give up on our kids, our friends, or even our spouses and parents. But God is at work. This morning I was reminded that God knows my burdens. He knows the people I have a burden for and that he has a burden for them to. I need to hand them over to God and trust him.
Part of tonight's message was that God has a plan for our lives, we need to be patient and let him see it through! Often we look at the situation and try to hurry things up. If we try to take control, to fulfil God's plan before his time, then things are likely to go wrong. In God's time, things work!
Fully Rely On God! That's what we need to do in every aspect of our life! That's what we need to do with all the people we have a burden for! Rely on God to see them through.
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