In The Shadow

Like my last blog, I've decided to write about things that are important to me currently. Hopefully you will understand what I write, and maybe also relate to it.

Sibling rivalry, everyone has it right? No, my sister and I aren't fighting over our parents attention or a turn at riding the bike. We're not even fighting. To the best of my knowledge these are my feelings only. You see, my sister has a dream. She dreams of playing soccer professionally and doing university in the US. It's not the nature of the dream that I envy, it's the fact that she has one and that she's chasing it. All I can say for myself is that I want to be a writer one day.

For a while I thought that I could make her dream my dream. That I could go to the US with her. But its not my dream, as much as I may wish that it was. It's hers and I can't live it with her. I've always seen my sister as the marker or benchmark of success, and I've never been able to match that. I've always been in her shadow. I've always been "Rebekah's brother."

Every so often I have a day when I feel like a failure, realize I have no dreams or goals, and wallow in self pity. A day when I compare myself to my sister even more than normal and feel like giving up. A day when I feel like I'm going to be mediocre all my life and no amount of anything can fix it. Then things get better for a bit, but never forever. It's a cycle I'm getting familiar with.

This christmas, all I want, is a dream. No flash presents or love or thought, although all that stuff would be good, I just want a dream. I guess my encouragement to you would be two-fold. If you have a dream; chase it. Wholeheartedly and without regret. And secondly, don't stop believing in your dream because living without a dream is no fun.

Just A Thought

I decided to use this blog to talk about some things in my life that have become clearer to me of late and I also want to talk about some thoughts of mine that keep me awake at night. Maybe you can relate to some of the things I'm going to talk about.

Just this week I realised that a dream has a very clarifying effect on ones life. Not the dream you have when you sleep, but one that is so very real and attainable and has become so for the very first time. They have a way of sorting through your life and prioritizing it. All that was important is now meaningless and all that was enjoyable becomes futile. It's weird when you think about it. How can my life suddenly be so purposeful despite the fact that nothing has really changed? Not that I mind of course. I like the feeling of purpose. I know what I go to work for now. Although much water has to go under the bridge before anything happens of this dream, I cannot wait to see what this journey brings.

Secondly, on a day recently that was the worst one I have had in recent memory, I wrote three pages of journal entry in which I wrote about how I can't live and what I need. I'm going to share a few.

I Can't Live like This:
I can't live comparing myself to every Jo Blow on the planet, nor can I compare myself against my sister. I can't live a mediocre life, be a mediocre christian or friend. I can't let myself be swayed by what people think of me or tell me to do or believe. I can't live apart from God in anything.

I Need:
I need to give up the things that have kept me 'of' the world for too long and embrace the things that will set me apart. I need to quit seeking my own ends for my own glory but to do all for the glory of God who made me. I need to forget bad reports spoken over my life and live in the good reports even if they are hard to find. I need the love of Jesus to combat my own inability to love as He loved.

The last thing I want to talk about is the will of God. I have mainly questions which I hope someone will answer for me. That is, how do you know? How do you know your doing what your supposed to be doing? How do you know an opportunity is from Him? My father told me when I asked him these questions, I guess you do it and you'll find out if its right by giving it a go. But what if its not that simple? What if the decision requires the commitment to stick it through even if its wrong? That's what I'm scared of.

Finally, do pros and con lists help? My experience suggests not. They always end up equal. One pro outweighs all of the cons, especially if that pro is family and friends.

Encouragement Is A Big Word

Words are powerful things. They have the power to change a life or to kill it. So many people underestimate the power of a word of encouragement. So many people underestimate the damage a harmful word or phrase can have on a person. One slip of the tongue and a tonne of hard work can go out the window. I want to tell you a story of a guy who is a perfect example of what I'm talking about.

It was my first season playing men's and I was pretty much the runt of the league. And I was playing in a position where you usually have a big, tough dude; goalkeeper. I'm fairly certain that every team we played against thought that I would be an easy target, and that they could run over me. This actually happened in the second game. I don't remember what happened between contact and waking up on the ground. Apparently I went flying through the air like a helicopter.

The point of this story so far is what follows. As I slowly got to my feet, to continue the game I distinctly remember my centre midfielder who was helping me up say, "You're a champion Matt, and we're lucky to have you." That was three and a half years ago. As you can imagine, it meant the world to me. To be affirmed by my team that I was good enough to be where I was.

A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of bumping into this old teammate at work. Although I didn't even recognize him at first, once I knew who it was, his encouragement to me three and a half years ago played on tape over and over in my mind. I think the world of this guy and I will for the rest of my life probably.

What he said to me accompanies the name and the picture in my mind that I have of him. To this day, I don't know if he meant what he said or not, but that doesn't matter, because he said it. That's all it takes. A kind word here and there and you can add something to someones life. Encouragement is probably one of the greatest gifts we could give, so give life and not take it away with your words.

Pipe Dreamer

The death of my lifelong dream began as soon as it was born. Let me explain; I wanted to be a soccer star. I always wanted to play on the worlds biggest stage, in front of millions of people, doing what I love more than anything else in the world. It was not to be, probably never to be to be honest. Someone else had other plans for me. But I wanted to write about pursuing dreams because it is something we discussed in tribes and youth recently.

Dreams are just that; dreams. There needs to be something to make them reality. That something is hard work. Looking back on my dream, I realize that at the time when I should have been out practising, I was inside playing games on the computer and PlayStation. When I should have been putting in the hard yards, I would have nothing to do with it.

You see, I had these dreams, but I didn't do the work required. Talent alone won't get you there. I always thought it would just happen. But it hasn't, and it won't. They are just pipe dreams, unrealistic fantasy of how awesome it would be if I didn't have to work for what I wanted. Furthermore, how much greater will it feel to have worked your but off and achieved then to coast through life not really doing anything hard. The result will be so much more cherished if its work for.

So let me put it to you like this- procrastination and goals do not mix. Don't put off what you have always wanted to achieve, you might not have that same chance again.

Lessons Learnt Atop A Mountain

It has been a crazy couple of days for me. Since last Thursday when everything started to unravel to now where it all seems back together again. When I say unravel I mean hate for every other human being on the planet. When I say unravel, I mean ready to do something I would most definitely regret for the rest of my life. When I say unravel, I mean I was ready to give it all away. I did not care. I wanted to live for me and everyone else could go get stuffed for all I care.

To be honest, I don't know why I was so angry with the world. Perhaps it stemmed from the bad report my auntie spoke over my life on Thursday night. True, it upset me. No one ever wants to hear that they're a failure at life, especially people who might just happen to believe it. But, I don't think it was the overarching reason. Or perhaps it all came from an unhealthy discontentedness with they way things are. Had it been building and building? Did people only just seem so stupid?

No matter what it was, it had me sitting in church condemned. There I was, sitting there listening, whilst my thoughts convicted me. My mind was screaming at me. "I don't care how much sense what your saying is making to me. I don't care! I'm not going to change. I don't want to do the christian thing. It won't make any difference." I even thought, "that kid can go to hell for all I care." So something was wrong, massively wrong. However, I still could not pinpoint what it was.

I've always had a thing for nature, so on Tuesday I went and climbed a mountain. A heap of people have said that I shouldn't have gone alone, but to be honest, that's the only way it would have happened. I needed to be alone; with God. I needed to sit atop that mountain 1170m up for an hour and a half and just marvel at all I could see. I didn't want one of my friends to ruin this for me. I had to go alone.

I now know exactly why God made mountains. He made them for his glory. He made them for adventurist types like me. Because their bigness reminds us humans that we're not all there is and that we aren't really as big and strong as we like to think. I learnt that the whole earth tells a story about God. A symphony singing praises. On top of that mountain I felt so small and fragile. One slip and I die. Whilst down below humans like ants busy themselves with life. But what of me?

One thing I had to consider was my influence. While I was up there, I had to think about how I was going as a leader. About whether I was a model that others would and/or should follow. Sure, I could fake it pretty well. But deep down, I was letting myself down. Despite, what was going on in my life, I have to make sure that I don't compromise the influence I have as part of a leadership team. So what do I need to change?

First thing is quite simple. Practice what you preach. I need to live out what I want others to live out in their lives. The main one is love. If I can't love someone like Jesus would, then how can I expect others to? This is a simple yet massive point. Obviously, you can't expect it to work like that. But somehow I did.

I think the second thing is to be real. Honestly, life sucks sometimes. Clearly, someone who hates everyone is not a picture of a happy person who is enjoying life. The whole time I felt like this, no one knew. I didn't tell anyone and I had a happy normal mask on. The "yeah good thanks" mask. Everything was not OK, but I acted like it was. If we are to be real with people, we have to ditch the masks.

Third thing that has to happen is the practice what other people preach. I don't know how many times, I have asked, "how do I live like that?" when I have heard messages about things like radical christian faith. Or, when I receive counsel from a leader above me. And I honestly want to live like that, but I never actually make the change required. Or take the step required. And so I stay where I am, discontent and unhappy with how things are. It's kind of silly when you think about it.

So what have I learnt in the last week? I have learnt that I can't do it by myself. I can't do it at all to be honest. I need help. I need God. That's the only way this thing is going to work. I don't have enough love to love those who need it. I need His. I have come to believe that Christianity is a doing word. I don't think its about being a christian, but what we do that makes us a christian. All my life I've been a christian, but I've done nothing. Time for that to change I fancy.

Death's Legacy

I have not written in a while, partly because I fear I have lost the ability to put coherent sentences together. Coupled with this was the fear that my mind which is usually analytical in thinking, had turned to mush and thus idea less. Although I don't think this is the case it has been the long time coming all the same.

Today (Saturday 17/10), I went skydiving. I, however do not want to talk about this event so much as to say that this decision prompted my pondering prior to today. I will share them with you.

The scene is set. I am going skydiving. I've just received the registration form. I'm reading through the terms and conditions, as you can imagine there are lots. Most along the lines of 'you are engaging in this activity at your own risk' and 'accidents can happen'. As you can imagine, this got me thinking. What if the worst does happen? If I have a massive accident and die. So for the second half of the week, I lived with the fear of death as a companion. I don't know why this was such a real fear for me. Honestly, I couldn't place it for a while. After all, my future is secure. I know what happens to me beyond this life. So that wasn't an issue.

It was only really last night (Friday 16/10) that, as I was lying in bed thinking, something came to mind. My legacy. What I'll be known for and as at the end of my life. I instantly knew why I was scared to die. I am not happy with the legacy I am leaving at this point. I could not look back on my life and say, that I had accomplished much and was loved much. I can do better.

The point of this blog is not to tell you all my problems, (apologies if this is what it seems) but to encourage you to strive to leave a legacy worthy of what you can achieve. My questions are numerous-

1. At your funeral (morbid thought time), what are people going to say about you? What did they think about you? Did they love you?
2. Is there something that you have passed down to someone else that will outlive you? Or will the next generation be unaffected by your existence?
3. What kind of legacy do you want to leave? Are you achieving this now?
4. What is the theme of your life? When your name is mentioned what do people attach to it?

I'd encourage you to have a think about those things that I've mentioned. And think if you were to die tonight or tomorrow or soon, will you leave behind something you'll be happy with. The best thing about legacies is they can be changed. It might not be what you want it to be now, but it's not beyond hope.

The purpose of life can be summed up in one quote I love so much, "to live, to love, to learn and to leave a legacy." Note the last part. Its kinda important. :-)

Shelter Of The Grey

He just wanted to get away. To leave this place. To escape everything that held him here and everyone. To start again. But why? He lacked nothing. He had friends who he loved and a family that supported him. He was well respected and well known. So what was the problem? Why did he feel like he did? So he ran.

The rain soaked him. His shirt clung to his body as he ran. His shoes squelched with the water that they had absorbed from the footpath. He loved this feeling. The rain on his face. The loneliness of the rain, that came as the people hid. But not him. He stayed out. He identified with the rain. The rain hid his tears.

The pain of the run pushed him on. It didn't hurt quite enough just yet. He needed that pain. It had become his friend; his mask; his litmus test. He knew he was alive when he ran. At other times he doubted it.

And so he ran, as it poured. The rain covered his tears that he shed for things that he didn't understand. And this rain soaked man ran; under the shelter of the rain. And he ran under the shelter of the grey sky, hiding from the world.

Imitation is the Sincerest Form of Flattery

I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ." (Gandhi)

Are we as Christians helping promote the message of Christ or are we defaming it? Does someone look at us and see Christ or do they see a hypocrite? Sadly, I feel it's more often than not they see someone they don't like. It's not Jesus they don't like, its us and our superiority complexes. They see someone who isn't any different from themselves apart from the occasional church service attendance.

I've got to be honest, if I wasn't a Christian, I probably would hate Christians. And its not because I think the theology is stupid or senseless. It's because more often then not, I don't see the faith that they profess acted out in their lives. Its because they are willing to judge and not love others.

As Christians we are called to imitate Christ. Which requires a fair bit of thought before action. Jesus was love. So we need to love unconditionally and without claim for reward. Jesus was moral compass of the time, so similarly we need to be the moral compass in our area. Jesus was action. He said things, then he backed them up with action. So we need to do likewise. We need to say things we mean, and we need to back up statements with action.(I'll talk about these in more detail in the next blog)

Simply, as Christians we need to be above reproach. We need to be shining examples in our community. People that others can look at and find no cause for dislike or mistrust. We need to change the perception in society of what it is to be a christian; and that can only start with us.

It's Not What You Think

Ever gone somewhere expecting it to be a certain way and been pleasantly surprised by what you found? I have.

My early church years were full of problems, mistrust, disunity and tradition. There is no way to sugar coat it. I hated going to church. I'd call myself a christian and stuff, do the right thing but I hated church and what it was.

When I started going to the church I now attend I had a certain idea about what it would be. All my life I had grown up with and gotten used to the idea that church was a conservative place. A place where you come to be serious, sing a few songs, listen to someone preach then go home. I thought it was a place where fun was never allowed.

And when I first went, that was what I expected. I was wrong. Very wrong. My expectations were shattered by a church that was the exact opposite of my old church and what I thought church should be. It was what I needed. I had hated church. So how would something the same as the old one help me in anyway? Can you imagine me being put off by church/es completely, as so many are, if all I found was another church exactly the way my old one was? I can.

In their minds, most people would imagine church as the boring, serious, stand up, sit down, show no emotion, don't clap and don't even contemplate dancing kind of church. Church is so much different than that. It is exciting and interesting. It can be emotional or light hearted. You can clap during the songs and not be frowned upon and you can dance if you want to.

What I want to say is, don't let what you expect from church be what makes your decision for you. Give it a chance, then make a decision. Experience it and make a judgement. We say don't judge a book by its cover; I say the same about churches. Don't judge this church based on your experiences at that church. Don't label all churches as the same, because they are not. There is one that's right for you and it'll probably be the one you walk into. It's not what you think or expect. I promise you. Please just give it a go.

Is This Justice?

A short story. Dedicated to all who have lost their lives on our roads at the hands of others.

He stood there. The rain tumbling down on him disguised the tears. The tears he cried did not fully replicate the pain he felt. Not physical pain, but emotional pain. He wasn't dead. Good for him. He hated it. He hated the thought of living now. Was this his lot? His consequence? He’d rather have died. He’d rather be the saviour. But he can’t, it’s too late. His future gone in one foul swoop.

People buzz around doing what they can. No one looks at him. No one says a word. No one wants to know him. They see his crime. Not again, they say. In their minds they have already prejudged him; a criminal. He feels it. But he’s not. I’m different surely, he reasons. But the result is the same. It’s criminal.

His desperation screams. Why! He sinks to the ground. Doesn't want to move; or breathe; or live. He glances upward as the paramedics remove the lifeless body from the car. Torn up, bloodied and mute. This is not how he remembered her. He turned away. He wished he hadn't seen. That picture, like a broken record, playing over and over in his tormented mind.

Oh, the contrast. Just yesterday it seemed as though they’d be together forever. Today is the beginning of an eternity of separation. Her life snuffed out by his stupidity, her beauty marred by his hand. He was mortified. He had done this? How is it possible? To see justice now. Him dead and her alive. Is it right that she should pay for his folly?

He felt dirty. Dirty to his very core. He’ll never be able to wash it away. He’ll never be able to wash her and what he did to her away. Or strike her from his memory. She would be there, in his memory. Her face battered. His crime visible. His condemnation eternal.

He didn't know it would hurt this much. He didn't know how bad it could go wrong. He didn't know he would lose control. He was a good driver, he thought. Evidence told its own story though. A conflicting one. A story of brash and brazen driving. Of carelessness and negligence. A story of irresponsibility; written as plainly as the death sentence he delivered.

He sat there in the church pew. Tears rolling down his cheek. Regret bouncing around his head. Her last words ringing in his ears. Stop it! You’re gonna kill someone! She had said. His fault? Couldn't be. He’d done it before; safely. But everyone in the church thought differently. They knew exactly whose fault it was. He could feel it. He wasn't welcome here.

Are they perfect? Have they never made a mistake? It was an accident. As if I’d mean to kill her. I loved her. I never meant to hurt her. Why don’t they believe me? These questions tossed and turned in his mind while he sat. The bitterness grew.

He didn't know which was worse. His punishment of living, or her punishment of death. He wished he had died with her. That would be the easy way out. It was just one mistake…

Fun Is A Dirty Word

"It's only fun if it's still fun in the morning. It's only fun if it's still fun next week. It's only fun if you can laugh at it in church!" (an exert from Ps Judah Smith's message entitled Are We Having Fun Yet?)

Today we a part of a generation of people who have a blurred perspective of what fun is. It really is that simple. We have people all over the world living for their Saturday nights when they can go out and have 'fun.' Where they do things that are fun at the time, in their semi-conscious state of being. Invariably they'll wake up the next day cursing how their head now hurts after last nights fun. Am I the only one who thinks this is folly?


Is that same things going to be fun in a few months time? Or in a few years? What about in the future, when your past catches up with you? Will you still think its fun? Long after all the fun has gone and all you're left with is the broken pieces of your life, will you still think what you did was fun?

There are three things that something must be to be fun-

• Fulfilling- do you leave feeling empty and disheartened? Real fun satisfies.
• Freeing- do the consequences restrict you? (ie. health problems down the track) Real fun doesn't do that.
• Lasting- in your future will you look back on your life with regret or shame? Real fun lasts.

I encourage you then, to seek after the things that will provide real fun and not the hollow, short term pleasure that people perceive as fun. I challenge you, look for fun that'll profit you in the now and live a life that won't catch up with you in the future.

Burn Those Boats

At IRCC's youth camp in 2008 Pastor Nick Khiroya told a story about Alexander the Great, which I have mostly remembered to date. I'll share with you what I remember.

"Alexander the Great was a mighty warrior and one of the best kings in conquest. The mode of transport in these times was ship and this is how Alexander and his army got around. So when the fleet landed upon the shores of the nation they wanted to conquer, I guess they felt pretty safe knowing that if things went badly, they could turn and run back to their ships and sail off. As they faced the opposing army, they discovered that they were grossly outnumbered. As you can imagine, soldiers started to worry and doubt that they'll live to see tomorrow. Something that Alexander the Great was obviously keen to arrest. He needed all his soldiers completely committed to the task at hand.

He ordered that there ships be burnt. Yes, their only mode of transport now non-existent. It sent a clear message to his army. The only way off this island, is to win the battle. There was now no backup plan if things went badly, there was no get out clause. It was fight or die. Despite being outnumbered, Alexander the Great's army responded to his declaration of intent, winning the battle."

Now I will tell you about something I did. Ok, so I had made the decision to drop out of uni at the end of the semester and find a full time job. Until yesterday however, I hadn't actually officially quit yet. I hadn't filled in any paperwork or anything and I did have my timetable and was enrolled to go to classes. It was like, if finding a job got too hard for me, I'd just go back to uni and waste half the year. Uni is the boats in my story. As long as they are there the temptation is to run away from the fight. Yesterday I burnt my boats. I am no longer a uni student, and there is no other option for me now but to find a job.

I have decided that I'm not going to allow myself to do the easy thing, but I'm going to put all my eggs in one basket and count them before they hatch. In faith that God will provide for me. I would be lying to say I wasn't scared, worried or even doubtful about it. But I can't see any other way. For me to completely commit to this decision I needed to get rid of the easy way out and leave no escape plan. And for me the outcomes are equally as cut and dry as Alexander the Greats; find a full time job or leave home.

Do you think it was easy for me to do that? No way. The easy choice would be to stay in uni. There are hardly any jobs going at the moment. Despite this, I still know that my God is my provider. And when all seems to hard, that is what I'll cling to.

The Past-Present Dichotomy

Yesterday (Sunday 2/8) after church, I was having tribes with Obi when he said something that I loved very much. We were talking through forgiveness which is the topic for youth at the moment. He said, "You can't be in two places at one time."

And now I want to clarify why this is such a awesome pearl of wisdom.

To be unable to forgive someone of something means that your holding onto the past. Their past mess ups, failures and wrongdoing. Your also holding onto that past hurt. So harbouring unforgiveness is only living in the past.

So when God forgives, he forgets that past sin and that is what forgiving is all about. Forgiving and forgetting. Letting the past be exactly that; the past. Then moving into the present free of that past weight.

You can't be in two places at once. Meaning if your living in the past, holding onto those grudges and ill feeling then you can't be living completely in the now. Only by letting go completely of the past can we live in the present completely. Only by forgiving others can we move on into all that our now has for us. Only by letting go of the past.

Procrastination: Facing the Giant

Recently, during a period of three weeks I heard 6 sermons/teachings on the topic of procrastination in a row. The fact that I heard them from different locations by different pastors might suggest that they were comparing notes. I'd suggest not.

So procrastination. We all do it. It's so easy to do too. It's subconscious sometimes and it starts with a thought. "You can do that later." Or "just one more turn/game/song/chapter." Right now you are probably procrastinating, putting off something else to read this. (I'll forgive you in this instance though)

The thing I needed 6 messages to realise was the fact that it is a very real problem. I always thought that it wasn't that bad if I delayed something. I never completely forgot anything, so what's the big deal? But when I thought about it, and when I put my life and what I did under the microscope, when I looked at it I wasn't busy with things of consequence.

So lets look at it as it is. A problem of gigantic proportions. I found that it was hindering me in my walk with God. After all, I wasted time when I had it, then I didn't have time to read His Word and communicate with Him. I realised that I couldn't keep putting off stuff. I realised that I couldn't still expect to accomplish what I wanted to accomplish by spending so little time on it. I realised that through my layers of business was nothing, but wasted time and talent.

Luckily for me, I realised before it was too late what a massive problem I had and still have. But now I know I have the problem, I can work towards beating it. The first step in beating the giant is facing it. If you can't face it, how can you beat it let alone fight it. And that's the problem. I don't think a lot of people realise they actually have a problem called procrastination.

Chocolate Christian?

Following on from my last blog called Even When It Hurts, I have decided to pose another question. It is this: if you're not willing to follow Him when it hurts, are you really following Him at all?

It's a thought that I have paraphrased from the book Do Hard Things by Brett and Alex Harris. Point is this. Everyone has good times and easy times. Times when things go well. When being a Christian isn't all that hard. But what about the times when being a Christian is hard? What about when your friends desert you because of your belief? What about when you are ridiculed or put down, shut out or ignored? Will you still be so eager to follow Him?

Or what about when God tells you to go talk to a new person at church, or a lonely person at school? Still so eager?

Or what about other things that hurt and stretch you? The things you haven't done before. The things that you are afraid of. The things that take you out of your comfort zone. Are you still eager? Or do you want to ignore them?

This is something I have a lot of problem with. Sometimes I want to run away and hide from all my duties as an adult, as a christian and as a leader. But, despite all this, I know that I need to hang in during the testing times and not only that, but live a life of selflessness rather than selfishness. As it says in Matthew 16:24, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me." The key part is the denying of self. Whatever it is, deny self and complete the task. When what you're doing hurts and stretchs you, deny self and see it through.

Is all you're doing showing the light that you proclaim? Or are you only there while its easy?

If you're not willing to follow Him when it hurts, are you really following him at all?

even when it hurts

As a bit of a sports nut, I enjoy a bit of exercise here and there. Since leaving school however, I think that my level of fitness has dropped enough for me to notice and care. At this point, I have been trying to go for a run as often as I can, usually in the afternoon at about 5.30. All to often I find myself sitting at home, the time for exercise has passed and I haven't taken the chance. I'll blog about procrastination one day, excuse the pun.

The point I want to make involves me actually going for that run I wanted to. And usually it involves pain, shortness of breath and a great amount of will power. About 1km into my I start to struggle, and I still have most of the run to go. But I push on. I know that I can run the full distance without stopping. I also know that if I stop then the benefit of that run will be tarnished and downgraded. I often have a voice in my head tell me, "just this once, you can walk and nothing will happen and no one will be hurt by it"

Surprising how close this is to the lie of the devil. He tells us that this sin and that sin can go unnoticed and unpunished. He tells us that it won't compromise us or damage us. He tells us that everything will be the same as it was. Don't believe that lie. Everything has a consequence. Good and bad. Every decision brings the need for another. Every lie births a second, and a third.

And so, I want to encourage you. Even when the temptation is so great that you want to give in. Whatever the sin and temptation may be- Don't! When the hard ships of life close in around you and when critics circle above you like vultures; don't stop. Crawl if you have to. But don't give up or give in.

Just like I had to think about the benefit of carrying on in my run, you also have to think about the blessing and benefit available once you pass through the storm.

Even when it hurts...

Fact and Fiction

Many have read the book The Shack by W. Paul Young across the world. It is currently one of the best selling books in print. Yet despite this, many people have rated it poorly, wrote defaming reviews and began many an argument about the nature of biblical content. I read this book a while ago, so a lot of what I read has now been forgotten. What I do remember however is, how much I liked this book and how much it made sense to me when I thought about it. Problem is/was my naivety and my willingness to accept anything that made sense without actually doing some research to see what the Bible said.

Since I finished the book, I have begun listening to Ps. Mark Driscoll of Mars Hill Church in Seattle. I suggest watching this video on what he had to say about The Shack from a biblical viewpoint.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pK65Jfny70Y

If you watched the video you would have seen a pretty black and white picture painted before you. Yet despite this, I don't want you to take his word for it. What I would encourage you to do is to read the book and compare what it says to what it says in the bible, so to define your own beliefs about it.

Finally, The Shack is a work of fiction, which is the explanation I have recieved when I asked both my mother and my friend about it. This opened up a whole new set of questions for me. As an aspiring writer, is it okay for me to say whatever I want in a novel? Can I write about something so essential to christianity and not have my facts right?

Surely writing a novel about the God of the Bible is not the same as writing a novel about war or crime. After all what is prison time in comparison to eternity? But I'm not so sure. I really wish there was a difference between the two.

And finally, is there such thing as a novel about God?

Thinking Juice

So the title of my blog page is In My Own Words, however it is only named such because I thought that naming the page "We Have To Change The Way We Think" was a bit long and tacky. That title adequately describes what I hope to achieve by writing this blog. I truly and honestly believe that we as people need to change the way we think about things and not just that but also the way we do things.

All I wish to do is to encourage people to look at things differently to the way we normally look at things. I think we need to throw away the preconceived ideas about whatever it may be and press on to find answers of our own. And from that, draw new pictures of our lives and their significance, for us and for others.