dorfusdunkin's Revelife

OH NOT ANOTHER ONE!!!

Tue, 11 Nov 2008 21:54:19 GMT

Is there any way of filtering the featured posts on the main page...because if I read ANOTHER post about....Being Single..being depressed whilst single...partnerships...relationships...dating...the differences between men and women .....finding that 'special' someone.....

I may end up gouging my own eyes from out of their sockets....or just quit visiting revelife altogether. If I wanted to read posts about marriage/dating/partnerships and the likes all the time, I'd join datingish. Okay, I don't mind the odd one or two...but it's getting beyond a joke here and I'm seriously considering leaving Revelife altogether because of it.

Can't a new place be started up for christian singles (seeing as they seem to be the majority posting all these weblogs about dating and various questions etc etc) so that those of us happily single, not interested in relationships, not having an opinion on relationships and seeking to read about things other that finding that special someone, don't have to be utterly bored by the posts on the main page.

I'm a lurker here at Revelife, I comment on posts more than I weblog (evidently), so a lot of my interest is taken up with the featured/main page topics. I'm becoming increasingly irritated by the various 'relationships' posts appearing. I feel like singles are being vicitimised and making themselves victims also. There seems to be a mindset that it's wrong to be a Christian and single. That we should be lonely, that we should be constnatly seeking for a partner, that we should be suffering all these pent up feelings of emtions because we haven't got that special someone in our lives.

It's exhausting trying not to be weirded out by the fact young twenty somethings would rather be tied down in relationships than enjoy their relationship with God and freedom as a single person.

Harry Potter: Should we as Christians be supporting witchcraft and wizadry?

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 08:16:56 GMT

I've noticed a lot of people supporting the reading of Harry Potter books and saying that it's a silly notion to not read them. The usual comments occur, 'it's only fiction', 'none of it is real', 'a person who reads it isn't going to suddenly start riding round on a broomstick waving a wand about' etc etc.

But I'm wondering, isn't it part of our Christian duty to, I suppose you could say, 'Shun' that part of society. Should we really be showing our support from such things as wizards, magic, goblins and ghouls?

Of course the second argument that arises is, 'Haven't you ever read the Narnia books or LOTR's?', because of course these are steeped in Christian values and the walk of life for us. It's a free pass to going to see the movies, which I'm sorry, but really, you can honestly sit and see some of the evil images of beasts and beings in LOTR and tell me it's all right, it's Christian.

People are so quick to say that it doesn't affect them, and perhaps it doesn't. Maybe your missing the point, that in supporting such books as Harry Potter, which are about witchcraft and wizadry, we are showing the world that it is acceptable. I take my cousins to the bookstores all the time and it amazes me the amount of fantasy and supernatural based books are on the shelves now for kids. That we let young minds reads such things and then wonder when they stray off the path is a little stupid on our part.

I wonder, the people who read Harry Potter books with such a intense will. Do you turn to your bibles in the same way? Are you ask quick to promote the reading of your bible as you are to someone reading books filled with fantasy and magic?

And before people turn and ask, yes I have been privy to the reading of Harry Potter. I'm an avid reader, I love books, but I realised that in reading it I was showing a support for something that in the basis of my spiritual life, is wrong. I put it down. As for LOTR, before the movies came about the books were well known about but probably barely read by many so I was never interested in reading them. When the movies did arise and the trailers came out for them, I set my mind against reading them if such images came from it's pages. It was the same with the Da Vinci Code, although at the time I started reading it, it was before the book became so popular and I was unaware of it's content. However the more I read, the more uneasy I felt reading it and although it was hard I also put the book aside and stopped reading it because it just didn't feel right reading it.

I just find it hard to accept that people who readily turn around and say they are Christian can then easily turn to someone unsaved and say 'Oh yes, Harry Potter, great reading material' and show support for what is inevitably the occult, no matter what kind of childlike spin we put on it. I'm wondering, if Jesus walked in right now, would you give him your Harry Potter collection and tell him to enjoy the read? Maybe some people would, I'm in no doubt that this is a controversial subject throughout the Christian church.

I just felt the need to air some of my own views on the point.

Inspirational Character

Sun, 20 Jul 2008 08:14:54 GMT

I wanted to speak a little about my granda (or grandfather) George, my mothers father.

Growing up, Granda George was a huge huge presence in my life. My ma comes from a big family, six kids in all, and all of them married, with kids of their own. Growing up, a family visit to Granda and Nanna's every weekend meant the house was filled with kids and grandkids and even great grandkids. And all of us were completely devoted to my granda as he was to us. As I've grown up, he's remained a 'hero' in my life, despite having passed away several years ago.

My Granda was a devout catholic, a regular church attender who gave of his time to help others also. He had such a heart and love after God that touched and has helped me over the years, certainly an inspiration.

Even after all these years he's remembered by the people who knew him as a good man who was very much liked and loved within the community. I've met people who had only met him once or twice who hold fond memories of the man.

My granda died of cancer, after four years of suffering. In the last two years of his life he could barely speak and was bed ridden in the worse, latter months. What started off as bowel cancer spread to his throat and despite treatment, nothing could be done. It was a dark time for the family yet he never wavered from his faith, from his happy outlook in life and I think it gave my nanna, my ma and the family some strength in the hard times. In the last year or so our communication with him was through a notepad or type of etcha sketch. He still told us jokes, made me laugh and was contented to see his family surrounding him.

When he died I was only eleven and my ma didn't think it a good idea for me to attend the funeral. In a way I'm glad of that, because in not saying an 'official' goodbye, I never felt as if I'd really lost him. I'm not sure if that makes sense to others, but it certainly does to me. Whether I remember him as he carried me over the railway lines to the horse fields opposite the old house, (which looking back on it now was a crazy thing to do, but at the time, sitting atop the giant of a mans shoulders, sugar cubes in hand to feed the ponies, I was oblivious to any danger), collecting worms in a tub as he dug for potatoes, going with him on occasion to mass or in those last few years where our communication was through a notebook I just remember that glint in his eye and the happiness he always seemed to exude.

George was from a working class generation. He and the family had little yet they made the most of what they had. I know he went through a dark time in his faith although I've never really asked about it, I just know he pulled through it. When he was in his early twenties, there was an accident involving his nephew whom he'd been looking ofter. The child fell from the back of a wagon and was killed and my granda went through a very depressive stage. A few weeks later he was walking with my nanna in what has now become the towns shopping centre and an Angel appeared to him. It was a great vision and testimony that he held onto and spoke about throughout his life. Whether people believe in angels, in people seeing them or not is neither here nor there for me. I believe and know he believed and that what he saw was an amazing experience which helped him through a time in his life when he was wracked with guilt over a young boys death.

Other things happened in his life which would have swayed many from their path. He worked in the shipyards and a terrible accident occurred where he was smashed in the face by a steel beam and lain up in hospital for months. He lost his sense of smell in the process. He went through months of depression after the accident, yet somehow he pulled through. I've no doubt that God's hand was forever guiding him despite how low he felt within his faith.

I think sometimes we can go through those low times where we think 'I'm just so bad, I can't get anywhere in God, I've let my Christian life slip and slide down a long slope. What's the point in trying? ' Yet we probably don't have to look very far to see how God helps people along through those dark times. That no matter how low they get or what comes against them, if they just keep hold of that little bit of faith they have left and put their trust in him they will pull through.

Who are the inspirational people in your life who you can draw strength from, through their faith and their testimonies of what they've gone through and how God gave them strength to carry on?

Thursday, July 17, 2008

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 14:25:17 GMT

I love the innocence of kids and those questions they suddenly present us with. My little cousins are quite inquisitive and we were at Borders today looking at a book on Space when R turns to me and said something like:

'Isn't it strange how people came up with inventing God?'

remember the kid is six and I think his question was more inquisitive of origins and belief rather than anything. Problem is that they are forever asking the 'Why' question and so you start explaining and inevitably more questions arise. I was rather amused by the above question and they way they asked and explained that it was rather the other way around.

Me: God wasn't invented by anyone.
R : Then how is he here.
Me: Well God has always been here. He 'invented' us.
R: Yeah but he had to come from somewhere.
Me: No God has always been there and he created us, the universe and everything within it.
R: Even black holes?
Me: Yes, even black holes.
R: But nothing exists in black holes.
Me: Yes but they are there even so.

The conversation flowed into stars, the planets and galaxies afterwards but I do love the questions kids come up with. I know in this case it was rather simple, but sometimes I find they are like a training ground for when we come up against people who want to knock us off our Christian paths by fencing us in with questions they demand answers to but sometimes we find hard to answer. It isn't that we don't have answers, but sometimes people are so determined to derail us that they throw everything at us and try to confuse us.

Church - Having fun and feeling good

Thu, 03 Jul 2008 18:42:12 GMT

Just some thoughts that were in my head I felt I needed to write down after reading some replies to a comment I made on one of the weblogs here at rev. I'm not one for getting into debates/politics of different aspects of church. I believe that everyone has a different way of living their Christian life and making it work for them. I think different people have different standards and totally respect that. I can't expect someone to live the way I do because perhaps certain ways of how I live will bring them down in someway spiritually and equally so in mine. We are non of us perfect and although there are basic rules of living as a Christian (and probably even then most of us would differentiate in the meanings haha) a person cannot live my life nor me theirs. But I felt a need to react with my own views on the comments but didn't want to start a full blown heated debate so I'm posting it on my blog so as to not 'spam' a weblogs comment page. The comments I'm 'replying' to are in italics

The way the church of Christ sees it, if it gets to the point where people don't want to worship unless there's some sort of "entertainment" going on, then it's wrong. And our church just doesn't do anything like that, because we don't want our members to come for the fun. Church isn't just about feeling good.

Personally I have to say, Church should be all about feeling good. It should be about being excited for God and looking forward for what is to come. A Church is a mere gathering place for the congregation. The Church is the body of people and I'd not like to be around people who aren't looking to be feeling good in God. I'm glad I attend a church where fun is encouraged. It's not like antics are going on ALL the time, but at the same time my ministry team are always happy, joyful and laughing quite often enough. If I don't go church expecting to have a better time than I did going to a 'social' event through the week then I'd be a little disappointed. Because church should be more fun than any 'social' occasion we go to. I'm not saying church is a 'social' occasion, I'm just saying that it should be funner than one.

When I see the ministry team becoming so caught up by the music and worship, unable to hold themselves back because God is moving then it's hard not to want that for yourself. There are times for being quiet and silent and there are also times for dancing and singing and giving God all of your praise.

Yes, I can hear an uplifting sermon or hear the congregation sing a song (without instruments) that gives me goose bumps, but it's not always about that. Sometimes you have to hear things that don't make you feel good. The Word of God is not about entertaining. It's about teaching.

Growing up I went to a completely different church to what I attend now. I basically grew up surrounded by many rules, regulations and a lot of fire and brim stone. I was never truly stirred in spirit by that way of teaching. The church I now attend is completely different and very uplifting. I understand that many people are affected by different ways of teaching. Personally I could never ask for better teachers than my pastors. They are the most influential, touching couple I've had the honour of meeting and knowing. They are all for fun in life. They have a passion for living that comes for God and strenuously work to teach and show people how amazing he is. That isn't to say they don't sometimes bring a harsh word to say to get people back on track. That comes with the job description, they have to admonish as well as encourage. But I also find myself crying with laughter through some of the ministry because it's taught in a light, touching, positive way. I learn from that and find myself more encouraged and willing to try harder, because I want to catch on to that vision that my ministry team brings. I could not ask for better, more encouraging loving leaders who want nothing more than to see their church thrive in their spiritual walks.

Also, it's not about how we want to worship God. It's about how God wants us to worship him. In reverence.What is reverent about clapping, or dancing, or waving your hands in the air, or special performances?

I couldn't imagine going to church and not clapping, raising my hands in praise, jumping up and down shouting hallelujah (most of the time I have to kick off my heels, I should really remember to wear flats!). It's all done in praise to God, I'm not doing it to impress anyone or even because of whatever is going on at the front of the church in the praise and worship time. And there are moments where I am so touched by the Holy Spirit that I am still and silent reaching out to him and letting him work in me. There are also times when I've been so touched by the Holy Spirit that I've fallen into joyful laughter that cannot be stopped. It's an amazing feeling to suddenly be so filled that you cannot hold in the joy of God and yet have no idea where the laughter is coming from or why. There are times when there's no music, no singing just people reaching out to God speaking out, praising, praying, speaking in tongues, being silent, just doing whatever they are stirred inside to do.

I've been to churches where it hasn't been encouraged to not jump about and dance/clap/raise your hands even and have felt very uncomfortable in such situations. But then it could be working for someone in their spiritual life and who am I to question it? As much as I'm uncomfortable and unable to be touched spiritually in those situations they may be equally uncomfortable in the way my church and the worship/ ministry team works.

Life in the Single lane....

Thu, 05 Jun 2008 08:23:07 GMT

I was just reading ccarothers 'Seasons of Singleness' and was quite encouraged to see so many like minded people replying.

I'm 28, not getting any younger and loving being single. In fact the older I get, the happier I am being single.

This seems to be a problem for everyone around me, ok not so much my Christian friends, but my non saved friends such as work mates etc.

Why is it that you have to be settling down into relationships by a certain age? Work colleagues are constantly wondering when I'm going to settle down. I'm not sure I understand this concept that one has to be with another person in order to be happy.

A close friend of mine who is a Christian also thinks that we are getting to old to be cruising this single lane. She seems to be under the mind set that by the time we reach thirty, if we are still single then we'll be considered 'Old Maids'.

I beg to differ, I don't think I'll ever consider myself an old maid or over the hill. I don't need a significant other in my life to give me some sort of status.

Of course it's difficult on one side of it, because we do follow the belief of no sex before marriage. Thing is this isn't a big deal for me, if it were I would have been actively seeking a partner long before now and probably settled down with several sprogs. I can understand my friends alarm perhaps, we're all driven by different natural urges. And of course the world views such beliefs as rather bizarre in ritual. Most kids these days are having sex by the time they are teenagers. Personally I find it rather sad, but it's just the way the world views sex.

I'm quite happy with the decisions of my life in that respect. I'm not ashamed to state my beliefs about sex out of marriage. I remember when some close friends at work found out, they all looked at me like I was a pig flying about. Then all the questions come, such as ... Why? It's not easy to explain if people don't follow the same beliefs as you and don't understand your faith, but I think I've made it clear that even though follow such beliefs I'm not missing out on anything major in life. I can still have a laugh, a good time, I'm no prude when it comes to sex and talking about sex in certain circumstances. Just because you follow the path of chastity doesn't mean you're unable to discuss certain subjects.

When I was little I used to dream of the big white weddings, the big church wedding with all the trimmings. All girls do, and whilst part of me still likes to plan such things with a little nostalgic quality, in reality I am so not ready to settle down and start that side of life.

I've made it quite clear that I'm not interested. my aunt found this rather shocking in fact that at the moment I

a) don't want to be married.
b) don't want kids.

I may change my mind, maybe next week, or next month, or five years time. But as of the right now, No Thankyou, Not Interested.

As I said, as the years go on, I don't feel I'm missing out on anything. In fact considering the problems people get into when they are in relationships, I'd rather miss out on all the hard work and headaches. Relationships need work in order to survive, whether it be with partner, a best friend, family members.

At the end of the day if my relationship with God needs work, I couldn't even begin to think about a relationship with a significant other.

So for now I'm loving cruising the single circuit of life. There's so much in life to enjoy, as Christians we get to enjoy so much more than the average person. For now I'm happy working on building up the relationship with the one 'boyfriend' I really need in my life, Jesus.

Now wouldn't it be hilarious if tomorrow God decided it's time for me to get off the 'single circuit' and into 'relationship lane'.

Only human....

Thu, 29 May 2008 15:19:02 GMT

I've just had a quiet time, reading through my bible, currently reading about David, I'm onto Samuel 2 at the moment. Then I turned to the Psalms, because I always find the Psalms are vastly encouraging to read through and I can always apply something of them to my everyday life, or at least have something to muse over throughout the day.

I just happened to turn to Psalm 78, a Psalm about teaching the coming generation of things that had happen. It goes on to tell of the happenings when Moses led Israel from Egypt and Israels subsequent rebellion against God despite how much he did for them.

Strangely enough I'd just been talking to my mother about how, no matter how many wonders and amazing things God did for Israel they still didn't believe. I'd just happened to have been channel surfing and 'The Prince of Egypt' animation was on one of the channels.

It's something that has been on my heart lately because I went through a really rough year last year and was very close to leaving church and giving up on everything, despite having previously had a decent relationship with God and within church. I just felt caught between a rock and a hard place, the devil really had me down and I felt like I was spiralling out of control.

Thankfully, a few months ago something happened at church which changed it all and I found myself fighting to get back to where I once was. I'm slowly getting back to a good position in God, I just have to keep fighting against everything which threatens to break me away from the one person I can truly count on.

Something in Psalm 78 struck me as I was reading it:

38 Yet he was merciful;
       he forgave their iniquities
       and did not destroy them.
       Time after time he restrained his anger
       and did not stir up his full wrath.
39 He remembered that they were but flesh

My pastors keep bringing this point up. that we are going to make mistakes, that we are after all, only human and God knows we aren't perfect. Another point that had come to me as I was reading John 2:

....because he knew all people 25 and needed no one to bear witness about man, for he himself knew what was in man.

I mean it isn't exactly rocket science, Jesus was a man he knows what it's like to live on earth and be tempted. we already know this, but sometimes it's the simple things which really stick in the heart and mind and brighten the horizon a little. We will make mistakes, we won't always get it right the first, second and third time. But if we set things aside, put ourselves right and try again, we will learn the right way. If we put our faith in the right place then the Spirit will help and guide us.

Staying positive

Tue, 27 May 2008 10:29:56 GMT

Ok, so I'm going to have to start copying everything I type out before I hit save. You think I'd have learnt this by now, but nope I still haven't caught on to the habit.

I'd written out a long weblog entry on just everyday thoughts about staying positive, treating everyday as a new day etc etc and hit send only for an error to come up and I lost the entire thing. Haha, Ironic I guess, to not get all miffed about it and instead stay positive, breathe in and out a few times, just let it go. I'd write it all again only like I said, it wasn't a plotted out entry, just stuff whizzing through my head as I typed. A few points I guess would be:

* Treat everyday like a new day - If you fall off the track in your journey with God, don't get downhearted about it, just get up and try again.

* We're just like children - We are God's children, he expects us to learn and grown, but at the same time he understands that we won't always get it right the first time. Or second. Or third time either hehe.

* Our relationship with God is like a journey - Half the fun of going on a holiday/vacation is the journey part. Some go smoothly, others are filled with hazards. Point is, for the most part, we do get there in the end!

Oh and on a personal note, I have been seeing the difference, even just small things like how everyday things have suddenly become prioritised etc after I've been putting aside personal time with God and actually working on a relationship with him.

Stay positive peeps and as one of my Pastors said a few weeks back (I've been reading over my notes and this has stuck in my head the past few days):

God Is Worth It!

Music

Tue, 20 May 2008 16:09:58 GMT

I'm listening to Chris Tomlin: 'Sing Sing Sing' song. AGAIN.

I love this song, it's becoming a little addictive. I'm sure that can't be a bad thing, when it's about worshiping God and uplifting him. It lifts my spirits and cheers me up so much. When I lead worship at church I'm always tempted to sing it, but it would become repetitive if I did it every week ha ha.

Still, I love worship songs, fast, slow, simple or intricate. Whether at church, in a meeting or personal time at home, if I start worshiping sometimes I don't want it to end.

Worship is that connection with God, it gets us focused on him, like nothing else is important.

One of my pastors also brought up a good point a few weeks back that I'd never really focused upon before although of course when things are pointed out it makes perfect sense and you feel like a 'doh' moment had just commenced. She mentioned when Saul was in turmoil from the tormenting spirit put upon him, and how David came and sang to him and he was calmed. (1 Samuel 16 v 23) Because worship isn't just about getting closer to God, about that connection. Worship can calm us, feeds our spirits and calms our turmoils. When we go through difficult times, we always think to pray, isn't worship a form of prayer, a prayer we sing rather than simply say.

I love music, be it secular, christian or the birds singing their songs. There's something special about the unique sound of it, how it can evoke such feelings within us. Sometimes at church I like to pause and listen, hearing everyone lifting their voices and singing to God. From when your caught in worship so much that you just want to jump and shout and let the excitement rush over you, to when it's calm and still and quiet and beautiful.

Psalm 150

Let Everything Praise the Lord

1 -Praise the Lord!
Praise God in his sanctuary;
praise him in his mighty heavens!
2 -Praise him for his mighty deeds;
praise him according to his excellent greatness!

3- Praise him with trumpet sound;
praise him with lute and harp!
4 -Praise him with tambourine and dance;
praise him with strings and pipe!
5- Praise him with sounding cymbals;
praise him with loud clashing cymbals!
6- Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord!

What worship songs, old or new do you love to sing? Any reccommendations are always wanted to add to my small but much loved collection. Everyone has their favourites, what are yours?

Monday, May 19, 2008

Mon, 19 May 2008 19:40:29 GMT

So, me trying to keep up with one blog is sometimes bad enough, never mind two at the same time. But I like the idea of this place, and being affiliated with Xanga means I've got peace of mind that it will provide plenty to read and think over as well as voicing my own views, opinions, rants and excitements.

Look forward to becoming part of the 'community' and reading plenty of interesting blogs and views.

Sarah Lou xx