If you have been checking this blog in the last few days you may have become a little frustrated as it has suddenly become rather static. After blogging almost every day for the first ten days or so I haven't quite got round to writing again, until today that is. This is and always has been a bit of one of my failings and the same is true I'm sure of many of us if we are honest. We start with good intentions; to diet, quit that habit, sort out the garden, save for that holiday, spend time with friends, write a blog etc. But all too soon other things tend to get in the way and suddenly we turn around and realise that our good intentions have once again failed and fallen by the way side.
Someone once said to me at church "the problem we have is that we are very good at starting things" and she was correct, starting a new idea or project is easy, the challenge comes in keeping it going. Just like those New Year's resolutions that you may have made in January which now seem like a distant memory we often struggle to complete our own goals.
I think one reason for this is probably that we set ourselves unrealistic goals in the first place and then the goals that we have set we expect to just happen for themselves. If we are to achieve anything in life we have to work at it; achieving our own goals, plans and dreams are no different, they sometimes need a little work.
Let's take a little time today to think about some of those things that we promised ourselves and other people but haven't quite followed through or lived up too. Now I'm not a big fan of New Year's Resolutions but instead I am going to make a fresh commitment to myself and the people around me that I will try to follow through on my promises. Firstly be there when a friend is in need, to be available and not always too busy and make time equally for each part of my life not just the bit that pays the bills.
And to anyone reading - I will make a new resolution to try and post a little more regularly.
Have a great day.
God Bless.
Chris
Wednesday, 29 September 2010
Friday, 24 September 2010
Carpe Diem
I was watching the snooker on TV tonight as Ronnie O'Sullivan played Jimmy White and it was a really good match. In the new format the rounds are played over a best of five frames basis so we are able to see a winner very quickly and it really keeps the game interesting. During this encounter Ronnie quickly took a two frames lead but Jimmy began to fight back and there was a point when Mr White made a break of about forty points whilst Ronnie could only sit and watch. At this point the commentator said the line "it doesn't matter how good a player you are when you are sat in your chair". Eventually Jimmy made a mistake and gave Ronnie a way back into the frame, which he took with both hands and finished the match off in style.
This started me thinking about the times that we spend "sitting in the chair"; the times when potentially we could be the best player in the world but choose to stay sat down.
Today's blog thought is short, sweet and simple (much like me) - I am sure that we all have a gift to share; be it a smile, a word of encouragement, a hug, a gentle word or a shoulder to cry on. We all have something to give when we look on someone in need; when a friend doesn't have anything to smile about all they often need is to borrow a smile from a friend.
Today please choose to seize the moment, get up from your seat and take the chance to step out; share with generosity, love with naivety and open your heart without fear of hurt. Only by getting up out of our chair and stepping out can we hope to make a difference to the lives of the people around us. Let today be the day that we choose to make a difference and say regardless of the risk I am going to recklessly share my love with those I care for.
Have a great day - Seize it!
God Bless
Chris
This started me thinking about the times that we spend "sitting in the chair"; the times when potentially we could be the best player in the world but choose to stay sat down.
Today's blog thought is short, sweet and simple (much like me) - I am sure that we all have a gift to share; be it a smile, a word of encouragement, a hug, a gentle word or a shoulder to cry on. We all have something to give when we look on someone in need; when a friend doesn't have anything to smile about all they often need is to borrow a smile from a friend.
Today please choose to seize the moment, get up from your seat and take the chance to step out; share with generosity, love with naivety and open your heart without fear of hurt. Only by getting up out of our chair and stepping out can we hope to make a difference to the lives of the people around us. Let today be the day that we choose to make a difference and say regardless of the risk I am going to recklessly share my love with those I care for.
Have a great day - Seize it!
God Bless
Chris
Wednesday, 22 September 2010
Happy Autumn
Today, September 22nd, is the the first day of autumn and marks yet another season passing by as this turbo charged year continues to race away. The motor sport season has only a handful of races remaining, the cricket season all but over and the FA cup is already into the qualifying rounds meaning winter is just round the corner.
Rather than to depress you all that summer is definitely over I mean to encourage that the most beautiful months that are on their way. This time of year is probably my favourite with crisp frosty morning, trees showing off with their autumnal fashion display and clear moon-lit star filled night skies. Add to that bonfire night, the excitement of counting down to Christmas and sitting by a fire with a mug of hot chocolate or something stronger to warm you and I think we have much to look forward too.
The last couple of mornings, driving my wife Debbie to work has been a true pleasure, as there has been a low fog hanging over the fields around where we live. Then by the time we have driven maybe only five or six miles the sun has burnt it's way through to lift the mist and reveal bright blue skies. Driving along this morning I could not help but be amazed by the colours of the fields, trees, the reservoir and the sun shining bright.
Spring may give us images of new life with lambs in the fields and bulbs bursting forth and the summer months may have the gardens shining in brilliant colour. But I think that Autumn is a time when it almost feels like creation is showing off; saying "Summer, is that all you've got?" When the frost turns the fields to white, the leaves shine bright from burnt orange to scarlet red and clear blue skies transform into breath taking sunsets. This really is a time of true beauty displayed for all to see if we only look beyond the chill in the air and see the magnificence of the world around.
In the first book of the Bible, Genesis, we read the story of how God built for us the amazing world in which we live. At this time of the year as all of creation seems to want to display it's glory it is easy to see how God reflected on His work and "saw that it was good."
Have a great day embracing the beginning of a new majestic season.
God Bless
Chris
Rather than to depress you all that summer is definitely over I mean to encourage that the most beautiful months that are on their way. This time of year is probably my favourite with crisp frosty morning, trees showing off with their autumnal fashion display and clear moon-lit star filled night skies. Add to that bonfire night, the excitement of counting down to Christmas and sitting by a fire with a mug of hot chocolate or something stronger to warm you and I think we have much to look forward too.
The last couple of mornings, driving my wife Debbie to work has been a true pleasure, as there has been a low fog hanging over the fields around where we live. Then by the time we have driven maybe only five or six miles the sun has burnt it's way through to lift the mist and reveal bright blue skies. Driving along this morning I could not help but be amazed by the colours of the fields, trees, the reservoir and the sun shining bright.
Spring may give us images of new life with lambs in the fields and bulbs bursting forth and the summer months may have the gardens shining in brilliant colour. But I think that Autumn is a time when it almost feels like creation is showing off; saying "Summer, is that all you've got?" When the frost turns the fields to white, the leaves shine bright from burnt orange to scarlet red and clear blue skies transform into breath taking sunsets. This really is a time of true beauty displayed for all to see if we only look beyond the chill in the air and see the magnificence of the world around.
In the first book of the Bible, Genesis, we read the story of how God built for us the amazing world in which we live. At this time of the year as all of creation seems to want to display it's glory it is easy to see how God reflected on His work and "saw that it was good."
Have a great day embracing the beginning of a new majestic season.
God Bless
Chris
The cup is definitely half full!
In life there are two distinct types of people; those that see the world with a view that their cup is half full or half empty. Some people always look on the negative, finding something to be miserable about at every possible chance and those that always seem to see the silver lining behind every one of life's clouds. Some look at the sky and only see the clouds full of rain where as others see the clouds and look for the rainbow.
My sister Elizabeth is one of life's optimists who always looks very much on the bright side of life; always seeing the good in every situation and for whom everything is always 'fine'. And this was bought home to me with a renewed sense of clarity on a recent holiday to Disneyland Paris. We stood waiting for the evening parade on a cold November evening when the more sensible activity would have been to withdraw to a warm hotel lounge. As the wind blew, the cold began to bite and we began to lose the feeling in our fingers and toes then it began to rain, and boy did it rain. This was the point that most people would have called it a night, accepted the conditions as they where and started planing for the next day. But Elizabeth chose that moment to produce possibly the most optimistic, glass more than half full, silver lining statement ever to be heard.
As we stood freezing in the rain and biting wind waiting for a parade that took an age to arrive she announced to anyone who would listen that "the lights on the floats would look amazing reflected in the puddles". That moment sums up my sister Elizabeth, her view on life and my renewed perspective on just how much our attitude can affect the way we travel through life.
Charles R Swindoll said that the longer he lived the more he realised the impact of attitude and stated that life is ten percent what happens and ninety percent how we react. From now I am going to try and take the advise of Swinney (as he would have been known if he came to my school) and try and live my life with a glass at least half full view. Why don't you try and find the reflection in each puddle, the rainbow in a stormy sky and the sliver cloud behind the cloud today.
Between us we may just be able to be 'fine' together.
Have a great day.
God bless.
Chris
I would also like to take this opportunity to say my other sister Rachel and brother Timo are both equally fantastic and special and are both 'fine' to me - love you all - C.
My sister Elizabeth is one of life's optimists who always looks very much on the bright side of life; always seeing the good in every situation and for whom everything is always 'fine'. And this was bought home to me with a renewed sense of clarity on a recent holiday to Disneyland Paris. We stood waiting for the evening parade on a cold November evening when the more sensible activity would have been to withdraw to a warm hotel lounge. As the wind blew, the cold began to bite and we began to lose the feeling in our fingers and toes then it began to rain, and boy did it rain. This was the point that most people would have called it a night, accepted the conditions as they where and started planing for the next day. But Elizabeth chose that moment to produce possibly the most optimistic, glass more than half full, silver lining statement ever to be heard.
As we stood freezing in the rain and biting wind waiting for a parade that took an age to arrive she announced to anyone who would listen that "the lights on the floats would look amazing reflected in the puddles". That moment sums up my sister Elizabeth, her view on life and my renewed perspective on just how much our attitude can affect the way we travel through life.
Charles R Swindoll said that the longer he lived the more he realised the impact of attitude and stated that life is ten percent what happens and ninety percent how we react. From now I am going to try and take the advise of Swinney (as he would have been known if he came to my school) and try and live my life with a glass at least half full view. Why don't you try and find the reflection in each puddle, the rainbow in a stormy sky and the sliver cloud behind the cloud today.
Between us we may just be able to be 'fine' together.
Have a great day.
God bless.
Chris
I would also like to take this opportunity to say my other sister Rachel and brother Timo are both equally fantastic and special and are both 'fine' to me - love you all - C.
Tuesday, 21 September 2010
A little 'more' conversation
The title of my blog thoughts for today comes from the title of an Elvis song recorded 1968 for the film 'Live a little, love a little'. A song that only reached number 69 in the hit parade of the day and was pretty much ignored by all but the most hardened Presley devotee. As a dedicated Elvis fan I am more than a little ashamed to say that this tune had passed me by until it's relaunch in 2002 for the Nike world cup advert campaign released under the title Elvis verses JXL.
The original and the remake are both very catchy tunes and are equally worthy of note, not least as the re-released version made it's way not to number 69 but a rather more impressive number one in over twenty countries. A feat that I am sure the Elvis Presley foundation where a little surprised about and then very happy for as they reaped the royalty payments. The lyrics, for those of you not so familiar with this tune (shame on you) suggest that the time has come to stop talking and get on with it, to "close your mouth and open up your heart".
Following on from yesterday's thoughts on talking together I cannot resist the observation that in the same way that we fail to converse meaningfully with one another we also fail to really chat with God. In our church in Selston this week we are focusing on the topic of prayer and fasting (more about the latter another day) and thinking about how we should talk to God. And this is a subject that we so often complicate and miss the simple beauty of the opportunity to really talk.
Any conversation should be a two way street, an opportunity for both parties to share their feelings and their points of view. Our prayers to God should be the same, an opportunity to talk to God and an equal time to listen to his responses. Which will probably not come as a booming voice from the sky but may come from a quiet thought or a gentle whisper, a verse of encouragement, the advice of a friend or maybe even from the words of a song.
Maybe Elvis didn't get it completely right and rather than a little less I think we actually need a lot more conversation with each other and with our God who is ready to listen. But we should never forget that this prayer stuff is supposed to be a conversation not a shopping list. Today lets take the chance to share a time with God when we really do close our mouths, open up our hearts and ears to really listen to His music.
I pray that today God will be 'satisfactioning' every one of us.
Have a great day.
God bless.
Chris
The original and the remake are both very catchy tunes and are equally worthy of note, not least as the re-released version made it's way not to number 69 but a rather more impressive number one in over twenty countries. A feat that I am sure the Elvis Presley foundation where a little surprised about and then very happy for as they reaped the royalty payments. The lyrics, for those of you not so familiar with this tune (shame on you) suggest that the time has come to stop talking and get on with it, to "close your mouth and open up your heart".
Following on from yesterday's thoughts on talking together I cannot resist the observation that in the same way that we fail to converse meaningfully with one another we also fail to really chat with God. In our church in Selston this week we are focusing on the topic of prayer and fasting (more about the latter another day) and thinking about how we should talk to God. And this is a subject that we so often complicate and miss the simple beauty of the opportunity to really talk.
Any conversation should be a two way street, an opportunity for both parties to share their feelings and their points of view. Our prayers to God should be the same, an opportunity to talk to God and an equal time to listen to his responses. Which will probably not come as a booming voice from the sky but may come from a quiet thought or a gentle whisper, a verse of encouragement, the advice of a friend or maybe even from the words of a song.
Maybe Elvis didn't get it completely right and rather than a little less I think we actually need a lot more conversation with each other and with our God who is ready to listen. But we should never forget that this prayer stuff is supposed to be a conversation not a shopping list. Today lets take the chance to share a time with God when we really do close our mouths, open up our hearts and ears to really listen to His music.
I pray that today God will be 'satisfactioning' every one of us.
Have a great day.
God bless.
Chris
Monday, 20 September 2010
It's good to talk
I was thinking this morning how much communication has changed even in my lifetime with the introduction and explosion of the Internet. Combined with emails, mobile phones, text messaging, Skype, social networking and smart phones, communication has never been easier and we have never been better connected. All of these devices are designed to make keeping in touch easier and to give us more free time by communicating more effectively and working smarter together.
But if you stop and think about it for a little while I really don't think that they do give us any more free time or an easier lifestyle, if anything they actually rob us of our free time. With the reliance on mobile phones we are virtual never out of contact and with laptops, smart phones, PDAs, I-Pods and Pads our emails follow us where ever we go and so does our work. We have very quickly moved from being at work nine till five to being in a situation where we never really switch off.
In the midst of all this communicating we rarely get chance to actually talk; to stop, down tools and spend time talking to the people closest to us, our friends, families and loved ones. With 11 percent of UK marriages ending in divorce and the highest percentage of them being couples in their twenties a common reason given is "we just don't talk anymore". Think about how many of your school friends you are still in touch with, how many of your extended family you are in contact with more than just at birthdays and Christmas. I would hazard a guess that the main reason we lose touch and drift away from old friends and distant family is that we just don't have time to keep in contact.
In the old BT adverts Bob Hoskins had the catchphrase "it's good to talk" and guess that, he was right, it is good to talk. Take some time out of your busy day to spend even five minutes have a genuine conversation with someone, over lunch, over a latte or over the desk. But turn off the TV, turn off your mobile (or put it on silent if you're scared to turn it off) and have a face to face old fashioned chat. A conversation without an agenda or one that needs minuting with no other motive than to natter about their day and yours.
The bible tells us that it is good when people live together in unity and I would suggest that one of the very first steps towards achieving that unity is to talk. In a 24/7 world when we are always on call, always thinking about work and the next challenge or dead-line. We can only hope to stay united; in friendships, marriages, families and churches if we make the effort and become committed to talking to one another.
Have a great day.
God Bless.
Chris
But if you stop and think about it for a little while I really don't think that they do give us any more free time or an easier lifestyle, if anything they actually rob us of our free time. With the reliance on mobile phones we are virtual never out of contact and with laptops, smart phones, PDAs, I-Pods and Pads our emails follow us where ever we go and so does our work. We have very quickly moved from being at work nine till five to being in a situation where we never really switch off.
In the midst of all this communicating we rarely get chance to actually talk; to stop, down tools and spend time talking to the people closest to us, our friends, families and loved ones. With 11 percent of UK marriages ending in divorce and the highest percentage of them being couples in their twenties a common reason given is "we just don't talk anymore". Think about how many of your school friends you are still in touch with, how many of your extended family you are in contact with more than just at birthdays and Christmas. I would hazard a guess that the main reason we lose touch and drift away from old friends and distant family is that we just don't have time to keep in contact.
In the old BT adverts Bob Hoskins had the catchphrase "it's good to talk" and guess that, he was right, it is good to talk. Take some time out of your busy day to spend even five minutes have a genuine conversation with someone, over lunch, over a latte or over the desk. But turn off the TV, turn off your mobile (or put it on silent if you're scared to turn it off) and have a face to face old fashioned chat. A conversation without an agenda or one that needs minuting with no other motive than to natter about their day and yours.
The bible tells us that it is good when people live together in unity and I would suggest that one of the very first steps towards achieving that unity is to talk. In a 24/7 world when we are always on call, always thinking about work and the next challenge or dead-line. We can only hope to stay united; in friendships, marriages, families and churches if we make the effort and become committed to talking to one another.
Have a great day.
God Bless.
Chris
Saturday, 18 September 2010
How you doin?
Forty years ago today, September 18th 1970, Jimi Hendrix died aged only 27 from choking after drinking heavily at a party then taking seven sleeping pills. He is remembered for many things not least being recognised as probably the greatest guitarist of all time leaving a back catalogue of great hits. His professional career only lasted four years but Jimi lived that time at 100 miles an hour. He attracted attention where ever he performed with his wild guitar playing style and outlandish image, his legacy lives on in his music and scores of young guitarist dreaming being the next Hendrix.
The sad truth is that, like in so many other famous lives, his professional success could only mask and not heal his personal unhappiness and feelings of depression. On the day he died Jimi began to write a new song called the story of life in which he penned the lines; "The story of life is quicker than the wink of an eye, the story of love is hello and goodbye, until we meet again". He was never able to finish the lyrics but they clearly speak of a man who recognised the briefness of his life. During the party that night Jimi left his last spoken words on the answerphone of his manager saying "I am in bad trouble man, real bad".
As we travel through our busy days I am sure you get asked or ask someone else how they are many times over and 99 times out of 100 I'm sure the answer we give and receive is "I'm fine". This is partially because that is the sociably acceptable answer and maybe if we walked around telling people how we really are they would soon stop asking. No-one really knows what goes on in the mind of another human and it is never easy to truly tell someone how we feel deep down.
There is one who really does know and care and with whom we can share our very deepest thoughts, concerns and fears and that is God who is always only a prayer away.
Maybe today we can take a little time out of our day to ask someone close how they are really and be ready to spend five minutes listening, most people don't want an answer or advice just someone to listen. It may just be the case that you are the only person who has asked them all day or even all week, that conversation may achieve nothing but it could change their life. I think it could have for Jimi and it may be that your friend is silently crying out in the same way "I'm in bad trouble man, real bad".
Why not tell God today how you really feel and ask him to help you, he wont wave a magic wand and solve all you problems in one go but he will help you as you journey along the way.
How are you doing really?
Have a great day.
God Bless.
Chris
The sad truth is that, like in so many other famous lives, his professional success could only mask and not heal his personal unhappiness and feelings of depression. On the day he died Jimi began to write a new song called the story of life in which he penned the lines; "The story of life is quicker than the wink of an eye, the story of love is hello and goodbye, until we meet again". He was never able to finish the lyrics but they clearly speak of a man who recognised the briefness of his life. During the party that night Jimi left his last spoken words on the answerphone of his manager saying "I am in bad trouble man, real bad".
As we travel through our busy days I am sure you get asked or ask someone else how they are many times over and 99 times out of 100 I'm sure the answer we give and receive is "I'm fine". This is partially because that is the sociably acceptable answer and maybe if we walked around telling people how we really are they would soon stop asking. No-one really knows what goes on in the mind of another human and it is never easy to truly tell someone how we feel deep down.
There is one who really does know and care and with whom we can share our very deepest thoughts, concerns and fears and that is God who is always only a prayer away.
Maybe today we can take a little time out of our day to ask someone close how they are really and be ready to spend five minutes listening, most people don't want an answer or advice just someone to listen. It may just be the case that you are the only person who has asked them all day or even all week, that conversation may achieve nothing but it could change their life. I think it could have for Jimi and it may be that your friend is silently crying out in the same way "I'm in bad trouble man, real bad".
Why not tell God today how you really feel and ask him to help you, he wont wave a magic wand and solve all you problems in one go but he will help you as you journey along the way.
How are you doing really?
Have a great day.
God Bless.
Chris
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