A Distracted World

 I am sitting inside an airplane flying home. The past few weeks have been busy with an outreach, conference, and seeing friends. I have a lot to think about from the past weeks, and a lot more to discover from the notes I have taken, but over all of this, I have been struck again with the wanting to know God more deeply and more intimately.The continuing realisation that this discovering never ends astounds me.

I love this feeling of flying, the small vibrations of air, and whilst I'm enjoying my spacious seating (because I have a whole row to myself :O ) I am also privileged to be reading a bible and devotion on my phone. How easy it is for us to learn more about God. We don't have to struggle to get bibles or read only pieces of them over and over again. We don't have to sit in the freezing cold to hungrily watch the Jesus movie to learn more about our saviour. Yet we take this so for granted. We are so blessed by opportunities to attend conferences and events without them having to be secret, to go to church every week - or more - without often being persecuted for it. 

But lying in bed on a Sunday is more important.  

But watching series instead of spending time with God is more important. 

But being on Facebook instead of praying is more important. 

Why don't we take this life more seriously?

Why don't we take other people's eternal lives more seriously? 

We are so distracted by the frivolous that we miss the important. 

We are in a distracted world heading into eternity oblivious, oblivious of the implication of the choices we make now.  Yet we who know Christ know better than to spend our lives staring out the window instead of keeping check on our course and alerting others to the reality that without God we are just headed for destruction. 

This is not a game. This is reality. This is not some fabricated existence inside of the matrix. These are people's lives and people's eternities. Are we paying attention? 

8 Things I Have Learnt In Ministry

This year I have been doing a mission's program through a local church. It has been a good year and I have learnt many things, some expected, some more unexpected. Obviously this is not an exhaustive list, but a few things I thought might be found interesting. Here are 8 things I have learnt this year.

1. Things aren't always as easy as they seem

Although there are many amazing sides to ministry, some are not so easy to find the amazingness in. Some tasks are difficult, or not appealing, or present a lot more resistance than anticipated.

Preparing games for kids in a cancer ward is difficult. Because of ports, illness and surgery it is quite tricky to think of games that are not too hectic but still fun. The fact that most of the children didn't speak English made it more challenging.

Even though we did come up with some ideas that they enjoyed, I found visiting the cancer ward one of the most difficult things that we've done. It's not nice to see people sick and know that they aren't feeling well and have to be confined to the hospital in an attempt to get better against a disease that is not readily curable with the treatments used.

Relating to people can be difficult, even the ones that you'd think would be easy can be confusing.

Hearing people's stories can be hard. Sitting in a dementia ward with an older lady that is crying because she misses her family (which I'm not sure all even exist in the states she remembers or are still alive), and not being able to comfort her is tough.

2. Things aren't always as hard as they seem

At the beginning of the year doing things such as preparing a lesson, or just getting my head around what a week entailed, was challenging, but as the year continued those tasks which first seemed difficult have become less daunting and don't seem like a big deal anymore.

Something that I was keen to do this year was speak in front of people. A few years ago this would be the thing I avoided the most, but somehow a desire for this new experience began to grow even before the year began. Even so, at the beginning of the year when we each had to introduce ourselves and say a few things in front of the church, it was a daunting task, a few months later and it is easier (and more fun) to speak in front of a group. 

3. How to relate to people of different ages

This is something that I think I have both learnt how easy and how difficult it can be. We get opportunities to interact with a whole range of people from abandoned babies, to school students, to residents of an old age home. It is awesome how when you give people a chance and try and get into conversation, how easy it can be, but on the flip side, sometimes how hard it can be to engage someone in a good conversation.

4. Teamwork and vision

Working together toward a goal is important. I was around a different group of people to those that I work with recently and it frustrated me how the task at hand was being carried out. The person with the plan was not taking charge and everyone else, for lack of understanding of the entire task or because they wanted to follow their own idea, was just doing it their own way which was not efficient at all. Having a goal to work towards and a plan to work along and all understanding it and working at it together is necessary if you're to work well and avoid confusion and unnecessary work.

 5. Pastors/ Youth Pastors are busy

I never thought that they sat around all day and did nothing or only worked one day a week, but it didn't quite occur to me all the other things they do in a week that you don't generally notice. When I first attended youth I had the impression that youth pastors would prepare for Friday ministries, run Friday ministries, prepare and run a few events, and maybe some leader's events, run a camp once or twice a year and sometimes see people. That doesn't seem like much, right?

Well, there are only so many hours in a week and a more realistic look at that list is probably: prepare and run Friday night ministries, co-ordinate teams, create rosters, prepare lessons, buy stuff, make stuff, prepare for bible study/ies, run bible study/ies, respond to messages, run other ministries, plan events, meet with people, pray for ministries and teams, plan and run camps, help with other church activities and responsibilities, and so on.... In other words, a lot more than it first appears. Although I've never held a full time job in another area and don't understand completely what that entails, the belief that pastors only work one day a week is strange. 

 6. People have different standards to you

Spending many years dancing and doing exams and shows taught me some things such as responsibility for what you have been asked to do (if you're told to practise a certain step for a group dance and you don't, you let your whole group down), and commitment (if you are in a show and don't show up for rehearsals there is big trouble. You just don't do that). It has been interesting to see that not everyone has these standards, yet I know there are probably other things that I don't do, or don't always do, that others think are basic standards.

7. What is important

Although I already knew the importance of God's place in my life, it has been highlighted to me again and again to remember what is really important in this world. Although God can use you in many places and pursuits, in the light of eternity, what is really important?

It's not making a lot of money or being successful by worldly standards, because the only things that last into eternity are God and people's spirits.

8. Where you are is just as important as where you'll be

Many people have a calling to a certain place or certain ministry, but even if you don't have, or if it is for the future and taking a while to get to, where you are is important too. We can get caught up in visions of the future and what things can and might be like, and how amazing it will be to go to this place to do this thing for God, when right here there are things that you can do to show others that same love. Because, really, that's what it's all about. We don't have to be on a ministry team or mission trip to change someone's life.

Shaw Academy Review

Earlier this year I took two courses through Shaw Academy. I'd never heard of them before, but through Daddy's Deals I purchased two courses for R19 each. I was readily willing to pay that to try their courses, even if it turned out to be terrible, I'd only lose R40.

The courses I took were 'Diploma in Blogging and Content Marketing', and 'Introduction to Photoshop'. They were both very interesting. Since I only purchased courses and not a subscription, I won't be talking much about the Membership side of the site. 

After buying the deal and receiving the voucher, you go onto the website to redeem it and register for your course/s. 

Registering:

When you register for the courses you get to chose which session you would like to attend. I think that you usually get two options that are in two months. For example, if you bought your course in March you can choose to do your course in April or May. Once you begin the course you have just over a month to complete it if you're not a member. 

Classes:

Once you have registered, there are classes to attend twice a week for around an hour each time. The lectures are live and you can ask questions during the lesson. The lecturers are usually happy for you to email them questions as well or you can request a call. 

If you can't attend the online lectures when they are streaming, you can watch all the lessons in your own time after they have been recorded and uploaded to your student area. They become available to you within about 24hrs. 

Assignments, quizzes and the final exam:

Depending on the course, you usually have some quizzes or assignments to complete. These help to prepare you for the final exam. The final exam is a 100 question multiple choice test. If you aren't a member there is a 5 Euro (about R80 when I did it) fee to take the test and get your certificate emailed to you. Unless you are a member you can only take the exam once. At the introduction level, the exams aren't too difficult if you pay attention so this isn't too problematic. 

In some courses, such as the introduction to Photosop course, the teacher sometimes gives optional assignments that you can submit for their review or to show off your newly acquired skills :) 

The lecturers quite often bring students examples into the lesson. This is quite nice as you can get free critique and see what others have accomplished.

Lecturers:

The lecturers that I had were awesome. They sounded interested in the material and were happy to answer questions. The thing that amazed me with Shaw Academy is the willingness of the lecturers to help you. They would remind you of their email addresses and that you could send them questions, and they both tried to call me at least once from the UK (where they are based) during the respective courses to see how I was finding the course, ask if I had any questions, and to let me know of membership deals. When I didn't manage to answer the calls they emailed me to let me know that they had tried to call me and why. 

The whole experience was pleasant. The only thing that I found slightly annoying was the continual reminding of the special deal for membership. I also found the tests slightly disappointing. The reason was that although the website and courses seemed fairly profesional and well run, during the test there were a large number of spelling mistakes and weirdly constructed sentences, most of which could have been corrected by just reading through all the questions carefully to check for mistakes before using them. 

So in short,

Pros:

Can get cheap courses

Good lecturers

Support

Flexibility of recorded lessons

Cons: 

Short time frame

Paying extra for the exam and certificate

Spelling errors in tests

If you get a deal on a course that you're interested in, go for it! If you love it you can go back again and again, or buy a membership deal for more great short courses.

Adoration

I've been thinking about some things that have come up frequently recently. I want to share some of these thoughts and the theme I have been noticing in a few ways - through talks, people's actions, personal challenges. Be open about what this means in your life. Ready to be challenged?

What is most important to you?

Is it being well liked? Having enough money? Your girlfriend/boyfriend? What is it that you think about most and devote your most time to?

Which of these answers are really important when compared to eternity? How important to us do we let them become? They might be fairly important. For example. spending time with your family is a good thing, working hard is a good thing, but they can get to a point where the balance is not right. We can get to a place where not only is it unhealthy, but sin.

"Sin, at it's core, is misplaced adoration." - Christopher Witmer

If we look at some examples of sin, how does this look?

Stealing, adoration of things and putting your wants above others and what is often felt inherently to be morally right.

Swearing. Where does this come from? Your mind and your heart that aren't rooted in God. [For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. Luke 6:45, Matthew 12:34]. So I think this could be adoration of image, trying to appear a certain way, or showing an adoration of self through the filling of the mind with things that you feel like seeing instead of focusing on the things of God and what is true and pure and lovely.

Adultery, adoration of your feelings and pleasure over what is right.

Laziness, for example laying in bed on a Sunday instead of going to spend time with God, adoration of self and of comfort.

If you read Romans 8:7-14 you'll see how the bible talks about if you are governed by the flesh your mind is hostile to God and you cannot please God.

We might say that something is important to us, but how do we show it? Do our choices display what is important to us?


I know that my choices don't always reflect what I say.  It is so easy to spend my time doing meaningless things, and sometimes resting and relaxing is important, but is this how I am going to spend the majority of my spare time?

The thing is, God is eternal. TV shows, fashion, money, games aren't. 

Besides God being eternal - and therefore our relationship with Him being eternal and vitally important - people's souls are. We have this opportunity to reach people, to be God's servants and reach the world. Again this highlights the importance of a relationship with God as you alone can't change a person's heart.

How can our actions reflect God's importance in our lives?

Obviously time is one way. The things we choose to spend the most time on are generally very important to us. I don't think this just includes Sunday services and weekly bible studies but time spent alone with God. I've said this before, but it's like spending time with a friend in a group as opposed to alone. You'll get to know them in a group setting and possibly quite well too but usually when you talk to a person one-on-one is when you really get to know them more deeply.

I've realised this year, having finished school, that although school is an important part of life it really isn't the most important. Once you're dead will it matter to you what grade you got or what you studied? It may have an impact on the world and other people, but will it be of eternal significance?

The one constant, the one thing that remains after all else is gone, is God. Nothing can seperate us from His love. You might become an amnesiac - however unlikely - and forget everything you learnt for your degree, you might lose an important person in your life, but God doesn't go missing, or forget us, or decide that we are too broken to love. He loves us just the same.

For I am sure that neither death nor life, not angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. - Romans 8:38-39

The Bible In 9 Days

This year I am doing a program through a local church. It is a year of serving and loving the city, getting the church involved, and showing them that they can live missional lives even if they are busy and that they don't have to be missionaries far away to do it.

The first thing we did this year as a team was to read through the Bible. I was really excited for this. I have set out before to read through the bible from beginning to end, but hitting a lot of geneology a few books in took the excitement out of that plan somewhat. 

Having a set aside time to do it and other people to do it with helped a lot. Doing it alone requires even more self discipline than when you have other people along side you struggling through the same exhaustive lists in Numbers. 

We had an audio version that we listened to as we read. This kept us at a steady pace, had us all at the same section at the same time, and had us taking the Word in through two senses. This was also helpful when you got lost or distracted as though I can't honestly say I have read every single word of the Bible, I have heard it all. 

If I remember correctly, the audio Bible is 75 hours long. We split it up into sessions like this:

8:00 -9:30

15 minute break

9:45-11:15

15 minute break

11:30-13:00

45 minutes for lunch

13:45-15:15

15 minute break

15:30-17:00 

15 minute break

17:15- 18:45

Finished for the day

On the ninth day we had to do a few sessions in the morning only but I can't remember how many or how long they were as we changed it up a little bit that day. 

It was a lot more tiring than I expected. It was also harder to concentrate than I anticipated, even in the New Testament where it seems like there is a lot more to take in than some of the Old Testament books that had more facts than things you got distracted thinking about. This was also a challenge, not having time to think on a particular scripture too long, but continuous reading. To be honest, I did fall asleep a few times...

However, it was very interesting to read through the Bible in a short period of time. I found it fascinating to see things like how Jacob had his name changed by God to Israel and that name was used for the tribe of Israel, God's chosen people; how Jacob's sons names were used for the 12 tribes of Israel through the Bible and how this thread carries on into Revelations. 

If you'd like to read through the Bible too but don't have a number of whole days to set aside there are some plans here: http://therebelution.com/blog/2014/12/reading-gods-worda-new-years-resolution-for-the-rebelution/  that are for a few months or for a year and this site: http://www.howlongdoesittaketoreadthebible.com/  can give you an idea of how many minutes a day you have to read to finish it within your time frame.

I would encourage you to read God's word in it's entirety. 

Tagged

As this is a year of firsts I guess it makes sense that I have been challenged to do my first tag. It's called the Liebster Award, and as far as I can tell, is for the purpose of recognising and promoting blogs that are of a good standard but have few followers. I am quite honoured that Bonnie of Bonnie's Blessings tagged me. I recommend that you check out her blog. It is honestly an awesome place with many interesting articles ranging from faith, to a sky diving experience, to fun Awkward & Awesome posts. Besides, Bonnie is a lovely person and I am happy to know her even though we have never met in person.

So on to the tag. I have a series of 11 questions to answer and then I shall (attempt to) tag 11 (I honestly don't even know 11) bloggers to continue this challenge.

Alright, let's go!

1. What is the scariest thing you have ever done?

It may sound strange, but I think the scariest thing I have ever done was a performance. I have been involved in a number of dancing shows; whether studio shows, shows that incorporated dance, shows at festivals, etc. This one was a youth ballet and had auditions for the various parts. I didn't audition for it as I was writing my first academic exams ever during the auditions and first rehearsals. After a few months of rehearsals and people dropping out for various reasons, they decided they needed an understudy for some of the parts. To try and explain which parts and the details is too complicated for here, but I basically had to learn 6 dances in four different people's places in 6 weeks. That was hectic, but wasn't the scariest part. On the morning of a performance day one of the girls that I hadn't understudied for was sick. I had to learn her parts and placings in an hour or two before the performance without a run through and without the rest of the cast. I think waiting to go on stage that night was the most nervous I have ever been for a show, or anything! But it was exhilarating to be on stage dancing a part that I had just learnt, and I did it! I managed to do a whole performance in a position I had only learnt that day and not make too many mistakes. I honestly wouldn't have thought I was capable of that!

2. If someone asked you to give them a random piece of advice, what advice would you give them?

Something I have been reminded a lot of lately is that doing anything without love is just doing a good deed. God doesn't want us to do things begrudgingly but with love as this is what others will see and will bring Him glory. So I guess my advice would be to remember what is important and why you are doing it. 

3. Who are some famous people (currently alive) that you would like to meet someday?

Hmm, I think it would be interesting to meet Richard Dean Anderson from MacGyver (my favourite series) although I know that meeting people in person might not be as you expect. As it says some, Anthem Lights and the performing arts group Enra. 

4. Do you like to plan things out in detail or be spontaneous?

This depends on what it is and the mood that I am in. If it is an event or trip or something important, plan it. However it is also fun just to do things sometimes. 

5. What is your favourite joke?

My favourite joke is probably one about people discussing going into space and to the moon and someone says that they will be the first to go to the sun and that they won't burn up because they will go at night. I also really like the jokes that appear between friends that you can laugh about for years and sometimes don't even make sense. 

6. Who or what in your life has influenced you the most?

What: Dancing. I still want to do a post on the many things that dancing has taught me. Who: Jesus. I can't imagine my life without Him and I know that He will always have an influence on my life. I always want to keep growing and with that comes new challenges that will influence me and will put my life on a completlely different path to that which it would be if I were to blindly choose it. 

7. Do you like spicy food?

I do, although not extremely spicy. 

8. If you could try out any job for a day, which job would you pick?

I think it would be fun to see what an actress's day is like. I think it is one of those jobs that aren't normal and also will be different each day and expose you to many new experiences and views of life. 

9. If you could learn one random skill, which skill would it be?

How to pick a lock. Somehow that seems like a fun skill to have. I'm not sure how useful, but interesting. 

10. What is the biggest personal change you have ever made?

Wow. What a question. I guess deciding to do a missions program this year was a change. It was definitely different from what I thought I would be doing and has exposed me to many new things that I haven't done before. I'm not sure if that answers the question specifically but I can't think of any very personal change that was significantly large.

11. If someone were to make a movie about your life so far, what would that movie be called?

I can't think of a suitable title so I'll just choose my favourite word: Nefelibata. It kinda fits because I sometimes feel like I spend to much time in my imagination and I don't think I fit a cultural norm. 

Okay! Done! 

So now for those tagged below, these are the rules:

1. Link back to the person who tagged you

2. Answer all the questions

3. Tag 11 bloggers (if you know that many) that have less than 1000 readers

4. Ask them 11 questions

5. Let them know that you have tagged them

The people I would like to challenge are:

1. Amy from Aimzpaiges

2. Cari fom Dance In The Rain

Feel free to go look at their blogs! Amy has a lovely way of writing and using it as a form of expression with beautiful imagery and symbolism.

Cari is a lovely person that I had the pleasure to meet at a Dance Intensive. She has a bright smile, lovely heart, and though I haven't read a lot of her blog posts, she has some very interesting topics to discuss. 

And now the awkward part where I realise that I really don't know many people with a blog that has less than 1000 readers, or has the time to complete this...

Questions: 

1. What makes you feel most alive?

2. If you were to live in another place for a year, where would you choose?

3. Why is your favourite book your favourite?

4. What is the biggest change you would make to the world if you knew it would work?
5. What is your favourite way to travel?
6. Are you loud or fairly reserved?
7. What is one food that you could almost not live without?
8. What are you looking forward to?
9. What is the strangest place you have been?
10. Tea or coffee?
11. What makes you happy?

Enjoy :)

A challenge to myself

This year I am a part of a team that works in the church and in the city. It's been great and also challenging. One of the things I have for some reason been struggling with the past few weeks is having a consistent quiet time. 

It's not that I doubt the importance of it or think that I don't need to spend alone time with God, but it has been difficult to do it every day. 

Over the past few years I have had my quiet times at different times of the day. I would have it in the morning so that I could think about what I read throughout the day, I would have it at night because that's when I prefer to have it, I would have it at night and recap in the morning, I would have it at random times of the day, or I would neglect to have it at all. Recently we had a lecture on time management and one of the points was about giving God your first fruits. This also applies to your time and doesn't necessarily mean that because it says first fruits you must spend quality time with your Father in the morning the moment you open your eyes, but to give Him your best time, when you are most alert. As a night owl this is definitely at night for me. I also much prefer night time as it is quiet, there are less distractions as there probably won't be anybody coming to talk to me (just in writing this post I have been interrupted four times) or anyone running through the house. This comes with other distractions though as this is also my most creative time, the time when I want to paint or write or create. This is also the part of the day when if I have had a busy day and am tired I just want to watch a movie or simply sleep. 

Somebody brought up the fact today that in ministry you can feel like you are spending the whole day talking about, thinking about or serving God, yet these can't replace your time alone with God. Even though these are all good things and I think that they can help you to abide in God and be mindful of Him, your relationship with Him comes first before the service. You can do good things but it is hard to do them out of love without spending time with God. I thought it was interesting to compare that to human relationships. You can spend time with someone in a group of people and get to know them, and enjoy spending that time, but it won't be as meaningful, or as special, and won't develop as deep a relationship as if you were to spend time with that one person. Groups just have a different dynamic, and preparing lessons, having lectures, talking or teaching about God are like that group time. I think they will teach us more about Him and can help us to fall more in love with Him, but not without that deep relationship which comes from focusing on Him alone. 

So that is my challenge to myself at the moment, not to get so busy and distracted by everything else I want to (or need to) do and set aside time each day to have alone time with God.