As I reflect on this last year I realise that this has been an exceptional year in my life. It has been a year of new beginnings in many respects. As I look to the New Year and all the promise that it holds I am determined to view 2009 not as the beginning of the end but rather the end of the beginning! By that I mean some things have ended in my life this year but so many new things have begun. I am not the same person I was at the start of 2009 and I am determined to embrace the new me!
One area I need to re-evaluate and endeavour to rectify in 2010 is my spiritual life that has come under extraordinary pressure from my work and the lifestyle that my work life has brought. Over these last few weeks my spiritual life has taken a back seat and with the uncertainty of where I will worship next year, I definitely need to get my spiritual focus back.
However, there has been a lot to commend in the life of the new me, a lot I am thankful for and proud of: firstly I am thankful for my job at one of the best secondary schools in the county! Although the responsibility of my work and the reputation I need to uphold and maintain ever looms over my mind, I am so grateful to God and to the school for my position, especially given the economic context of our current recession. My job has also blessed me with more money than I have ever earnt before (as a graduate that's not saying much LOL, but still it's true) and consequently I have been able to afford a new lifestyle, which has included becoming a member of Arsenal football club and going to matches.
Secondly I am proud of the money I raised for the Prostrate Cancer Charity after taking part in the Man of Movember contest. I raised a total of £64! Considering the majority of that money came from my students I think they did brilliantly in being so generous. By taking part in the grow a 'mo' contest I felt it helped build bridges with my students as well as with my colleagues. Although I have to admit I was glad when December came and I could shave it off!
The other thing I am proud of is my ability to adapt and diversify. After my break up with my ex-fiancee I was determined to move on and make positive changes. I believe I have done that, through getting my hair cut, which was a huge symbolic turning point, as well as developing new interests, and rekindling a few old ones! I have become much more active, playing football and tennis as well as becoming a committed Arsenal supporter again. I have also diversified my musical tastes, as well as being more pro-active in expressing myself through prose and poetry: this blog being a prime example of this rejuvinated literary interest. Conversely my literary ambitions extend beyond the realm of internet blogging and I have begun to write a novel. I have attempted to write novels in the past, with no success as I inevitably run out of steam. However, this time I am determined to finish my story and have begun reading more into the genre to help with inspiration.
So looking to the future I know that my hopes and expectations have changed since this time last year; my life is radically different and whilst I am still striving to create the necessary balance in my spiritual life, I believe I will do it and that 2010 is going to be a good year, full of blessing. God has His hand on me, I truly believe that, He has never once let go of me.
"The Lord gives, and the Lord takes away, may the name of the Lord be praised". Job 1:21
This was a verse God gave me a few weeks ago and I stand by it and trust in it. God is faithful and my life is His. To understand our place in life and to live in accordance with God's providence. I am going to walk by faith in the new year, by faith that God is for me not against me and in faith that:
"God works for the good of all those who love Him." Romans 8:28
So here's to the end of the beginning!
Sunday 20 December 2009
Sunday 13 December 2009
is marriage and the family in jeopardy?
I teach three year 9 R.E.P. (Religion, Ethics and Philosophy) classes and we have been studying marriage this half term. As I was marking one of my set's assessments it struck me how many of them have a very disillusioned and cynical view of marriage. I know that a lot of students today come from broken homes and therefore do not have good role models or examples of marriage at home, and some of the views just reflected their hormones and immaturity. Nevertheless I find it alarming how pessimistic, disillusioned and angry a lot of these young people are. The issue of the family is another battleground in which the election will be fought next year between Labour and the Conservatives.
The Conservatives want to introduce some sort of tax rebate for newly married couples, whilst Labour condemn this policy as prejudice against co-habiting families or single parent families. However what is apparent is the centrality of the family to the stability and progress of our society in this country. As sex before marriage has ever increasingly become the norm school age girls are now given vaccinations against cervical cancer and there is even a new initiative by the Government to give free contraceptive pills to 16 year old girls in the areas of the country with the highest teenage pregnancy rates.
All this suggests to me that we have a serious problem on our hands here in the UK regarding the place of the family and the morality of marriage and the family. In practically every generation there are moral scares and some people would criticise conservative (with a small c) newspapers etc as being judgemental or merely stirring up a media frenzy. Notwithstanding I cannot help as I observe the attitudes and opinions of my students that the place of marriage and the sanctity of the family is in jeopardy. As this nation has become ever more secular in its philosophy and outlook on life, society has suffered because of it. There seems to be (without being scientific about it) a correlation between our declining faith/church in this country and the increasing social ills present and plaguing this country.
Vandalism, crime, teenage pregnancy, divorce, abortion are all symptoms of an ailing society and these are eroding the moral fabric of society like a cancer. May God have mercy upon this country and may the major political parties take seriously (as the Conservatives say they do) the importance and place of the family to our social wellbeing. I urge my readers to choose wisely and carefully who they vote for next year, because I believe it is imperative we have a Government who will uphold the family not undermine it further. We need to treat these young disenfranchised people with godly compassion and show His love through our actions. We need to pray that the sanctity of marriage and the family is preserved so that future generations of young people will have good, positive role models from which to base their worldviews.
The Conservatives want to introduce some sort of tax rebate for newly married couples, whilst Labour condemn this policy as prejudice against co-habiting families or single parent families. However what is apparent is the centrality of the family to the stability and progress of our society in this country. As sex before marriage has ever increasingly become the norm school age girls are now given vaccinations against cervical cancer and there is even a new initiative by the Government to give free contraceptive pills to 16 year old girls in the areas of the country with the highest teenage pregnancy rates.
All this suggests to me that we have a serious problem on our hands here in the UK regarding the place of the family and the morality of marriage and the family. In practically every generation there are moral scares and some people would criticise conservative (with a small c) newspapers etc as being judgemental or merely stirring up a media frenzy. Notwithstanding I cannot help as I observe the attitudes and opinions of my students that the place of marriage and the sanctity of the family is in jeopardy. As this nation has become ever more secular in its philosophy and outlook on life, society has suffered because of it. There seems to be (without being scientific about it) a correlation between our declining faith/church in this country and the increasing social ills present and plaguing this country.
Vandalism, crime, teenage pregnancy, divorce, abortion are all symptoms of an ailing society and these are eroding the moral fabric of society like a cancer. May God have mercy upon this country and may the major political parties take seriously (as the Conservatives say they do) the importance and place of the family to our social wellbeing. I urge my readers to choose wisely and carefully who they vote for next year, because I believe it is imperative we have a Government who will uphold the family not undermine it further. We need to treat these young disenfranchised people with godly compassion and show His love through our actions. We need to pray that the sanctity of marriage and the family is preserved so that future generations of young people will have good, positive role models from which to base their worldviews.
Monday 7 December 2009
An attempt at poetry
Being in a somewhat reflective and melancholy state of mind this evening, I decided to write a poem and channel some of my mental energy into something at least constructive if not entirely positive. I like to use blank verse and enjambment as I am not necessarily a fan of the traditional rhyming metre when expressing pathos. Whether my poem by my own standards is a success I leave to your judgement:
The Great Siren
If hope is the quintessential human emotion,
then love must be the quintessential human dream.
For some it becomes a reality
While to others it remains a fantasy
Love inspires the very best in human nature
Is the muse of the some of the greatest literary masterpieces
Upholds honesty and truth
Produces selfless heroism
Love nurtures and protects
Yet to those who are not counted privileged to experience it
Is a harsh and unforgiving monster
Cast away its victims are discarded
To seek in vain the scraps from underneath the table
Love is either an angel or a demon
Depending on where cupid’s capricious arrows land
We desire masochistically for love’s approval
To find that personification of love that will make us feel complete
Sometimes we seek all our lives to no avail
For like a siren love eludes and seduces
Only to destroy our lives in its pursuit
Love truly does make fools of us all...
The Great Siren
If hope is the quintessential human emotion,
then love must be the quintessential human dream.
For some it becomes a reality
While to others it remains a fantasy
Love inspires the very best in human nature
Is the muse of the some of the greatest literary masterpieces
Upholds honesty and truth
Produces selfless heroism
Love nurtures and protects
Yet to those who are not counted privileged to experience it
Is a harsh and unforgiving monster
Cast away its victims are discarded
To seek in vain the scraps from underneath the table
Love is either an angel or a demon
Depending on where cupid’s capricious arrows land
We desire masochistically for love’s approval
To find that personification of love that will make us feel complete
Sometimes we seek all our lives to no avail
For like a siren love eludes and seduces
Only to destroy our lives in its pursuit
Love truly does make fools of us all...
Saturday 5 December 2009
Apocalyptic Visions
No I am not referring here to Ecthirion's debut ep (which is absolutely awesome btw!) but to my scripture reading this morning. I had been contemplating and musing on the idea of writing a blog about the holiness of God inspired by some of my reading of Derek Prince, however as I meditated on my scripture reading this morning I felt it was a very pertinant issue for our times.
The scripture was from Mark 13 and verses 1-13 in which Jesus prophesies what must happen before His second coming. Now I know that there are some Christians who are always seeing the apocalypse in world events and there are others who bury their heads in the sand and pretend it's not happening. I do not intend to fall into either of these extremes with this blog, only to highlight some of my thoughts and meditations on what is a very challenging area of faith.
Firstly Jesus warned not to be deceived by false messiahs (Mark 13:6). Since the birth of Christianity there have been many new religions and cults. Take Islam for example which claims to be the final revelation of the one true God (in Arabic Allah). Then there is Mormonism, which begun in America in the 19th Century, Rastafarianism and Jehova Witnesses. All these more recent cults and religions claim to be believe in the same Judao-Christian God. Yet all these 'revelations' are totally different from one another! How can the same monotheistic God give drastically different messages to so many people? Messages which blatently deny the authority and authenticity of the Bible, God's 'previous' revelation to humankind! Do not be deceived, Jesus has not returned in the form of Haile Selassie, nor will He return as a muslim.
Then Jesus went on to warn of wars and rumours of wars (Mark 13:7&8). Human history is replete with examples of extreme violence, inhumanity against our fellow man and wars. In European history alone there have been several major wars, let alone the factionalism of ancient China & Japan and the many feudal wars both countries experienced. There were the Crusades in the middle ages, the Crimean War and the Boer wars of the 19th Century and of course there were the two World Wars in the 20th Century, the likes of which the world had never seen, or has seen since. When you study world history the scale, atrocity, violence and consequences of war has been escalating all the time. For the latter part of the 20th Century humanity was on the precipice as the nations of America and the USSR fought a nuclear war of brinkmanship. Nuclear annhilation is still a threat, especially with Iran developing its own nuclear arsenal.
Jesus went on to explicate that families would be divided as brother would betray brother and children betray their parents (Mark 13:12). We have seen such heartbreaking, callous betrayel under the regimes of Facism and Communism as the governments sowed seeds of distrust into their populations in their attempt to route out and destroy the 'fifth columns' which threatened to undermine their existence.
Jesus also spoke of famines and natural disasters (Mark 13:8): again human history is full of examples of such suffering and human tragedy. Only a few years ago there was that horrendous tsunami, which devastated the far east, as well as the increasing severity of the hurricanes, which have brought catastrophe to the Carribean and Southern America. It seems that not a week goes by without some new tragedy ruining lives in the developing world being reported in the news.
Jesus described the 'signs' that would precede Him as 'birth pains' (Mark 13:8) and all of the many catalogue of 'signs' can be seen in our history: both long term and modern. What then does this mean? I believe that it means we must be living in the latter days of the end times, for all of Jesus' prophesies have been fulfilled to some degree or another. Roughly 2000 years have passed since He spoke those words and therefore there surely must be less time ahead of us as there is behind us. What must our response be? I believe faith: we must believe that Jesus was speaking the truth and that His prophesies serve to vindicate His divinity and messiahship. This is good news as Jesus died for our sins upon the Cross and we are guaranteed eternal salvation through faith in Him. Halleluyah! However we must also respond in a holy and reverant fear of the almighty God. The Bible teaches that we should work out our salvation through fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12). This does not mean we can earn our salvation (that would contradict and negate Jesus' sacrifice), but rather that we must have a right respect for God as creator and judge of humanity. Some people often use the argument of the 'silence of God' as a reason for atheism. But God is not silent. God has given us His holy scriptures as well as prophesies which continue to be fulfilled either partially or in full. Do not be deceived. Believe in Christ and in His word. As a Christian I seek to be diligent and vigilant in being aware of the course of human history and the developments in world events as they will reach a climax eventually. I believe this could be sooner than many people realise.
Search the scriptures, meditate upon them and believe in them and in Jesus whom they reveal. We are now in the season of advent, the build up to Christmas. Christmas is generally a time, religiously speaking, of thinking about the birth of Christ and the new beginning of God's salvation plan. Conversely I want to encourage people not to forget the present state of the world and the near future and judgement, which await it.
The scripture was from Mark 13 and verses 1-13 in which Jesus prophesies what must happen before His second coming. Now I know that there are some Christians who are always seeing the apocalypse in world events and there are others who bury their heads in the sand and pretend it's not happening. I do not intend to fall into either of these extremes with this blog, only to highlight some of my thoughts and meditations on what is a very challenging area of faith.
Firstly Jesus warned not to be deceived by false messiahs (Mark 13:6). Since the birth of Christianity there have been many new religions and cults. Take Islam for example which claims to be the final revelation of the one true God (in Arabic Allah). Then there is Mormonism, which begun in America in the 19th Century, Rastafarianism and Jehova Witnesses. All these more recent cults and religions claim to be believe in the same Judao-Christian God. Yet all these 'revelations' are totally different from one another! How can the same monotheistic God give drastically different messages to so many people? Messages which blatently deny the authority and authenticity of the Bible, God's 'previous' revelation to humankind! Do not be deceived, Jesus has not returned in the form of Haile Selassie, nor will He return as a muslim.
Then Jesus went on to warn of wars and rumours of wars (Mark 13:7&8). Human history is replete with examples of extreme violence, inhumanity against our fellow man and wars. In European history alone there have been several major wars, let alone the factionalism of ancient China & Japan and the many feudal wars both countries experienced. There were the Crusades in the middle ages, the Crimean War and the Boer wars of the 19th Century and of course there were the two World Wars in the 20th Century, the likes of which the world had never seen, or has seen since. When you study world history the scale, atrocity, violence and consequences of war has been escalating all the time. For the latter part of the 20th Century humanity was on the precipice as the nations of America and the USSR fought a nuclear war of brinkmanship. Nuclear annhilation is still a threat, especially with Iran developing its own nuclear arsenal.
Jesus went on to explicate that families would be divided as brother would betray brother and children betray their parents (Mark 13:12). We have seen such heartbreaking, callous betrayel under the regimes of Facism and Communism as the governments sowed seeds of distrust into their populations in their attempt to route out and destroy the 'fifth columns' which threatened to undermine their existence.
Jesus also spoke of famines and natural disasters (Mark 13:8): again human history is full of examples of such suffering and human tragedy. Only a few years ago there was that horrendous tsunami, which devastated the far east, as well as the increasing severity of the hurricanes, which have brought catastrophe to the Carribean and Southern America. It seems that not a week goes by without some new tragedy ruining lives in the developing world being reported in the news.
Jesus described the 'signs' that would precede Him as 'birth pains' (Mark 13:8) and all of the many catalogue of 'signs' can be seen in our history: both long term and modern. What then does this mean? I believe that it means we must be living in the latter days of the end times, for all of Jesus' prophesies have been fulfilled to some degree or another. Roughly 2000 years have passed since He spoke those words and therefore there surely must be less time ahead of us as there is behind us. What must our response be? I believe faith: we must believe that Jesus was speaking the truth and that His prophesies serve to vindicate His divinity and messiahship. This is good news as Jesus died for our sins upon the Cross and we are guaranteed eternal salvation through faith in Him. Halleluyah! However we must also respond in a holy and reverant fear of the almighty God. The Bible teaches that we should work out our salvation through fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12). This does not mean we can earn our salvation (that would contradict and negate Jesus' sacrifice), but rather that we must have a right respect for God as creator and judge of humanity. Some people often use the argument of the 'silence of God' as a reason for atheism. But God is not silent. God has given us His holy scriptures as well as prophesies which continue to be fulfilled either partially or in full. Do not be deceived. Believe in Christ and in His word. As a Christian I seek to be diligent and vigilant in being aware of the course of human history and the developments in world events as they will reach a climax eventually. I believe this could be sooner than many people realise.
Search the scriptures, meditate upon them and believe in them and in Jesus whom they reveal. We are now in the season of advent, the build up to Christmas. Christmas is generally a time, religiously speaking, of thinking about the birth of Christ and the new beginning of God's salvation plan. Conversely I want to encourage people not to forget the present state of the world and the near future and judgement, which await it.
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