Hi all

It's snowing at Cliff! Isn't it great when no one can get in or out, especially when you need to get to tesco, but still it looks fantastic outside. Time is getting busy again at cliff (not that it wasn't before) with all the assessments and essays coming up, got a Greek test that i need to revise for and a couple of book reviews that are due in next week and then the other 10,500 words which are due in for January. Fun times!

I realise my last post was a little intense so I thought I would lighten up a bit here and talk about how good it is to be still. I have been making time to be with God for a decent period of on the mornings of this week, and though so far only have done two, I feel that I have met with God in a great way (Jeremiah 19: 12-13). The big silence got me thinking in a big way and showed how God wants to meet with all people and we can put up the barriers, not just people who don't know God but even those who are Christians. I think there are a lot of barriers that I can put up that need to be broken down. These barriers can be broken down by praying, by being saturated in the Holy Spirit, and reacting in a way that it is not a temporary experience, but reacting so that my heart is changed, and thus my lifestyle starts to change, and I continue to grow into the person I am meant to be.

I find this quite exciting, it makes me think about what is possible as I continue to grow and change. Matt Bellamy of the band Muse wrote this lyric in the song hoodoo 'and I've had recurring nightmares that I was loved for who I am, and missed the opportunity to be a better man'. I hope that won't happen, to anyone, although I would be ignorant to say that all people reach their full potential, and in many cases, even half of their potential.

Don't miss the opportunity, you might just like the person you become.

Have a great week everyone, and if you have snow, make some great snowmen!

Andrew

my next post... finally.

Hi all

I was reminded the other day that I haven't blogged in a long time and I thought it would be a good idea to get back on.

I hope everyone is ok, I'm well into cliff life now for the second year having a great time but struggling to balance work and organise my time correctly. Prayer would be nice because it's a new thing for me but I'm getting there.

I thought I'd share something that's on my heart which is about the influence the media has over us. I'm reminded of John Bunyan's portrayal of Christian walking through vanity fair. As he walked through the fair with his friend he was bombarded with advertisements and people trying to entice them to buy their products as they will help bring fulfillment to life and they had to resist this stuff. This is a truth for a culture today, we are constantly being bombarded with stuff that tells us we need this product to live life, whether it's money, sex, education, or general stuff. Although this has been around for as long as I can remember, it still doesn't make it any less scary, the fact that people of all ages are giving their lives to products of the world of which 99.9% of them are lies. It's stuff like people thinking going out drinking can solve problems and If you buy this make up you will look 100% better than you would with any other, (9 out of 10 people think so according to the adverts). Something has got to give. How long can we allow people to lie to us and also lie to ourselves that this stuff is the answer? I believe God is hurting over this, that he see's people being drawn in and falling into this stuff and more and more he is being put on the sideline. Im amazed at how many people care so little about God, this is mainly because I care so much, and I believe that he is the only way we can get out of this mess.

This whole rant has led me to think about what Christians need to do about this. do we need to be part of the media to solve the problem? I personally doubt it because I don't think Christianity should necessarily be commercial and become part of the problem. Or does there need to be a new culture, a culture that is ready to find the answers in Christ, in his teaching, in the way he lived his life. Wouldn't it be an interesting Church if it's members were more enticed by the words of the bible than the words of the world? I know I'm challenged by it because I think I'm more guilty than anyone in it.

BTW I hope I haven't offended anyone on my rant, If I have I'm really sorry.

Have a good week

Andrew

Come on Spring!

Hello everyone

It’s really nice to see the sun outside…finally. I’ve been able to sit on the terrace and start to write a sermon which has been really nice and relaxing, especially since my whole life seems to be getting busier and busier every week. What’s more is that it’s not going to get any quieter. But I guess that’s life, and I can at least say I’m not getting bored or lazy. There has been some really interesting things that have been coming up and new ideas and attitudes that I have been discovering that I thought might be good to share.

I have discovered a lot about my attitude to giving everything to God. I have seen that I can often do it, and that when I do the effects on my abilities go up considerably, because it is not in my own strength I do those things but in God’s. But I have found that it is too easy to then start to think I can do all those things that were done in God’s strength in my own. I have found that once I start to think like this, it is the beginning of the fall to not doing what God’s will for me is, but what I see best for myself, even if I think what I am doing is for God.

I have also found that in the last couple of weeks I have been challenged by the level of respect I should treat others with. I have always tried to be nice to people to their faces, and be willing to do anything for them, but if I am to love how God has intended for me to love, then I must also hold that attitude of love for them in everything I do. It’s so easy for me to think negatively of someone, maybe because of different attitudes or different personalities, but all of that can be unhelpful, leading to gossip and unfriendliness and starting to lose the fellowship that we are called to have with each other. Love for others has certainly been on my heart throughout my time at cliff, and it is something that I must work hard at allowing myself to be transformed by because of my experience of Christ’s, the ultimate example of love.

Just a few thoughts on the way I have been changing, and of course there are loads more things that I have been working through, but I would be hear till midnight writing about them.

I hope everyone is ok

Andrew

Hi all

Been a long time since I was on here, did right one a while ago but the internet went dodgy and got lost somewhere and i couldn't be bothered to write it again. But I'm back with lots of new things that have happened!

While i'm typing i'm sitting opposite my new niece who is currently sleeping. She's so cute and is living the high life of sleep, feed, poop... Simpler times. She is doing really well ad getting bigger and bigger everyday.

Cliff is going well, I've now got all my results from the first set of essays and exams and I feel I've done really well in them, next stage is getting a first in one of them. It has been really encouraging finding that I've been doing well, and it just encourages me and helps me realise that I can strive to do better, which is a novelty :p.

My local preaching is coming on nicely, had my half way trial service which went well and also having my half way interview next tuesday, which I am a little scared about.

Missing everyone at home, I think i would like to see some old faces some time and go to a pub quiz. O how i miss failing at pub quizzes.

Hope everyone's doing well.

Acndrew