It must be about a month since I last played football with my work colleagues. Admittedly, I played a couple of Saturdays ago in the HWEC vs HTC match (which we lost 3-6), but lack of regular exercise was significant I think! The fact we were the team of 4 against the team of 5 didn’t help. Ah well, despite losing, it was good to get back into the routine!
And breathe….
It seems like a long time since I last blogged about daily life! Things seem to have been very busy over the past few months, so I’m not sure if this post is a resurgence, or merely a blip. It also possible that because I haven’t blogged in a while, I’m out of the routine, and I may not get back into it.
Thinking back, I can’t actually remember what I’ve been doing! There have been a few births, birthdays, and marriage engagements.
At the end of January, there was the funeral of Peter. The day went very well. A combination of sadness of losing a well-loved member of my church, but also a sense of joy as I know he is now with his Lord).
Daily life seems to have settled after a year of almost constantly buying things for the house. I think I now have all the necessities and can let my bank balance recover. Anyway, we’ll see how we go. 🙂
Count your blessings
When upon life’s billows you are tempest tossed,
When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,
Count your many blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
Count your blessings, see what God hath done!
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.
Are you ever burdened with a load of care?
Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear?
Count your many blessings, every doubt will fly,
And you will keep singing as the days go by.When you look at others with their lands and gold,
Think that Christ has promised you His wealth untold;
Count your many blessings. Wealth can never buy
Your reward in heaven, nor your home on high.So, amid the conflict whether great or small,
Do not be disheartened, God is over all;
Count your many blessings, angels will attend,
Help and comfort give you to your journey’s end.JohnÂÂson OatÂÂman, Jr.
a.m.: Jeremiah 10 p.m.: Haggai 1
God alone should be glorified. So often, we create idols, whether they be of wood and metal as in Jeremiah’s satire, or in anything else – football, jobs, fun, friends, people, acceptance, money, drugs, etc. – which are created but are not the true God. In many cases there is nothing wrong with these things in themselves, and God has given us many things to enjoy. However, so often we place them above the God who created us. For he alone is worthy of all glory and honour, of our primary devotion and effort. All of these created things may give us a certain amount of pleasure, or sense of well-being, but they do not sustain us. It is almighty God who sustains us, providing for all our needs. Yet sometimes, our time, effort and money spent on other things is disproportional to that which we spend on God. We being to think we cannot be without something, effectively making them our idol.
For many of us, our greatest idol is ourselves. So often, we want to do what we want and not what God wants. We believe we know better than the God who made us. If we are ever to glorify God and not ourselves, we must submit to his will and do what he commands. In our sinful state we are unable to do this, but through faith in Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit is able to work in us, that we might be able to do the will of the Father.
God and his word
Q: What do the scriptures make known of God?
A: The scriptures make known what God is, the persons in the Godhead, his decrees, and the execution of his decrees.
Q: What is God?
A: God is a Spirit, in and of himself infinite in being, glory, blessedness, and perfection, all-sufficient, eternal, unchangeable, incomprehensible, every where present, almighty, knowing all things, most wise, most holy, most just, most merciful, and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth.
(Questions VI and VII of the Westminster Larger Catechism.)
Ego inflation
A good thing or a bad thing? I’m not sure…
Peace with God, others and oneself
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God. Mt 5:9
Trust and obey
Q: What do the scriptures principally teach?
A: The scriptures principally teach, what man is to believe concerning God, and what duty God requires of man.
(Question V of the Westminster Larger Catechism.)
Right before God
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Mt 5:8
Mercy
Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Mt 5:7
Long time, no blog…
To those who regularly read this blog, I do apologise for the lack of original ramblings of late! (I get the feeling I may be apologising to no one!) This is partly due to the madness of the Christmas season, and an inability to decline requests for help. Needless to say, even though Christmas is a long distant memory, January was busy!
Over the past months or so I have learnt a few new things which are possibly worth sharing.
I read somewhere that if your blog is mostly your own ramblings, rather than links to other people’s, you probably need a dose of humility. Fortunately, del.icio.us keeps me on the humble side!
Buying fruit loose is generally cheaper than buying prepacked. Case in point – I was in Sainsbury’s last week and saw a bag of 5 apples, ready packed, going for £1.99. I saw the same kind of apples being sold for £1.39/kg loose. I thought I’d try something, so picked out 5 apples, put them in a bag and went to the checkout. They came to £0.90(!) Over a pound cheaper than the prepacked! As an added bonus, they’re also a lot fresher – crisper and tastier! (Although I guess the latter is a little subjective and might be coloured by my feeling of self-satisfaction!)
Finally, the Sony Ericsson w910i rocks! A few weeks ago, I’d contacted my mobile operator with the intention of changing my tariff to something which would suit my needs better. I’d succeeded in increasing the number of free minutes and texts, whilst paying the same monthly rate, and the operator mentioned I was eligible for a free upgrade of my phone as well. Initially I was offered the Motorola K1 KRZR, but after a week of sending texts to the wrong people, finding the keypad irritating and generally being frustrated by the unresponsiveness of the software, I sent it back and was sent the w910i. Needless to say, because my previous phone was also an SE, I got on with the interface without hitch, the hardware is much higher build quality and it’s a whole lot more responsive than the Motorola! The fact it has a beautiful screen and plays mp3s is an added bonus!
Justification
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Mt 5:6
The Word of God
Q: What is the word of God?
A: The holy scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are the word of God, the only rule of faith and obedience.
Q: How doth it appear that the scriptures are the word of God?
A: The scriptures manifest themselves to be the word of God, by their majesty and purity; by the consent of all the parts, and the scope of the whole, which is to give all glory to God; by their light and power to convince and convert sinners, to comfort and build up believers unto salvation: but the Spirit of God bearing witness by and with the scriptures in the heart of man, is alone able fully to persuade it that they are the very word of God.
(Questions III and IV of the Westminster Larger Catechism.)
Putting God first
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Mt 5:5
It is well with my soul
When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.
Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live:
If Jordan above me shall roll,
No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life
Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul.But, Lord, ‘tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait,
The sky, not the grave, is our goal;
Oh trump of the angel! Oh voice of the Lord!
Blessèd hope, blessèd rest of my soul!And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
Even so, it is well with my soul.HoÂÂraÂÂtio G. SpafÂÂford
Miscellaneous
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