Reflections on turning 23

Yesterday was my birthday - its always quite weird having a birthday just after you've moved somewhere, but I had a happy day being sung at by small children, being given lots of chocolate and receiving loads of text messages and phonecalls from lovely friends (who I miss a lot). So now I'm 23 - storming into the mid-20s - how weird. If I were still in Brighton I think I'd be feeling over the hill by now, but here I think all of my friends are older than me, so I stil feel like the baby. The weirdest thing is 22 years ago doctors didn't think I was gonna survive at all. I had cancer in my eyes. I've seen some of the correspondance that went on betweeen doctors at the time and they always seemed to be referring to me as an 'unfortuanate child' - if I survive I'd have either one of both of my eyes removed. However, I was prayed for in the name of Jesus and came through a course of radiotherapy still alive and with both eyes in tact, something that just doesn't happen with my eye condition. I'm so thanful to God for giving me these 23 years of life, I don't want to take any day fo r granted. I don't know how long I have to live on this Earth, but I do want to live each day for God and to his glory. I'm saying this knowing that actually quite often I don't appreciate every day, I'm not excited about getting up in the morning and living for God. But I should be, looking back over my life I can see so much to be thankful to God for, above all the fact he sent his Son to die for me so that I can have a relationship with him that goes on forever. How amazing! There are so many people on this planet who don't know about hte amazing relationship they can have with Jesus. I do, and I want to spend the days God's given me here telling people about it. Lord, help me break through my apathy.

Tooo heavenly minded?

This week at TEAM (the mgithy Training for East Anglia Minstitry one day a week course that I go to on Wednesdays (yes once Ii've finished it I will be fully equipped to minister in East Anglia - obviouusly the rest of the world has a different gospel - blatanly you're only saved by grace through faith if you live within a 30 mile radius of cambridge - otherwise you ahve to work at it.... or move!! (sarcism in case you can't tell i'm not really heretic!) I had to speak on Colossians 1:1-8 where Paul praises God for the Colossians faith in Jesus and their love for all the believers both of which come from their hope of heaven. In my homegroup this week the phrase 'you can be too heavenly minded to be of much earlthly use was brought up', I was struck by how starkly this contrast with what Paul actually says in Colossains. Our faith and love should spring from our hope in heaven. We should be completely heavenly minded coz the we'll be of ultimate earthly good. If I'm sure I'm going to spend eternity worshipping the true and living God, if I know the only reason that I'm gonna be in heaven is nothing to do with what I've doen but all to do with what Jesus did on the cross for me, and if I know that those who are not trusting in Jesus will not be in heaven, then I'm living in reality and my actions should surely be of eternal earthly good. Lord - make me more heavenly minded, help me live in reality day by day, moment by moment, help me to point others to reality too. Make me so heavenly minded that I am of ultimate earthly use.

The delights of small children

I've been in Cambridge a month now, quite bizarerely. Sometimes it feels like I've been here 2 days, sometimes forever. Strangeliy its sometimes the small children that make me feel like I've always been here. Earlier today, I wandered into the home of some lovely people from Rock who live down the road from me. I was greeted by their two and a half year old excitedly shouting my name over and over again, while her sister (whose 1 on monday) bounced up a down with a huge grin on her face and held her arms up to me. This really touched me, they know who I am by name and they are excited to see me, it makes me feel known and loved. How much more touched / excited / overjoyed should I be that the Creator of the Universe not only knows my name, He knows how many hairs there are on my head and everyting else about me. And he loves me so deeply. The kids are fickle - it doesn't take much for Jasmine to be shouting at me and Lily to be in tears - but God is not, He loves me no matter what I do. And I bet he gets excited when I spend time talking with Him. We have a brilliant Dad.