A Thought for Thursday: 'Dare to go for it'!

"I've missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I've been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed." - Michael Jordan-

Some grow through childhood in to adulthood being told that they are ‘useless’ because they’d failed somewhere along the line in something they sought to achieve.

But shouldn’t our failures become our life lessons?

It is rare for a person to ‘always get it right’, but if they give up because they’ve listened to the voices of criticism around them - the world in which they live will lose out!

Mistakes made today are ammunition for your future!

I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me.

(Philippians 4:13, WEB)

w.h.a.t.e.v.e.r wednesday: Mothering the Poor

For today's w.h.a.t.e.v.e.r I've listed two links that you can use to find out more about the heroine who inspired us on The Vine yesterday:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mother_Teresa

http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/1979/teresa-bio.html

Bill Hybels has done extensive research on Mother Teresa and highly recommended her biography. The biographies of great people of faith, and also books of their letters can be deeply inspiration, challenging and even life changing. Consider finding one at your local library or picking one up online.

Testimony Tuesday - A thought from a heroine

At a conference two years ago, this quote from Mother Teresa blew me away:

"A child is a gift of God. If you do not want him, give him to me."

It still does. Despite this quotation being specifically in the context of abortion, there is a broader challenge in there is for all of us, as sons and daughters of God. Do we treat people with the love and respect due to them because they were created by and are loved by God? Do we 'throw people away'? Do we dismiss them?

Or do we have those loving arms...'give him to me'?

"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see,that the oppressed will be set free, and that the time of the Lord’s favour has come.” Jesus - speaking about himself and fulfilling prophecy from Scripture about the Messiah - Luke 4:18-19

That same Spirit lives within us because Jesus died for us and we believe. So are we?

Are we:

Proclaiming that captives will be released?
Proclaiming that the blind will see?
Proclaiming that the oppressed will be set free?
Proclaiming that the time of the Lord's favour has come?

Mother Teresa said 'If you don't want him, give him to me'. Jesus says 'Come to Me, captive, blind one, oppressed one.' 'Come to Me, hungry one, naked one, homeless one, crippled one, outcast, unwanted, unloved, uncared-for, burden-to-society, shunned one. Come.'

Mother Teresa, accepting the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979 said:

I choose the poverty of our poor people. But I am grateful to receive [the Nobel] in the name of the hungry, the naked, the homeless, of the crippled, of the blind, of the lepers, of all those people who feel unwanted, unloved, uncared-for throughout society, people that have become a burden to the society and are shunned by everyone.

This morning I leave the following song phrases for you to ponder along with Mother Teresa's quoted words and Jesus purpose as He said it in Luke 4. Click through to the link to hear the songs and ask God what your
purpose is within His plan. Who should you be opening your arms to...'If you don't want him, give him to me.'

We must go live to feed the hungry
Stand beside the broken
We must go
Stepping forward keep us from just singing
Move us into action
We must go

~ Tim Hughes - God of Justice from album Holding Nothing Back

But if we are the body
Why aren't His arms reaching?
Why aren't His hands healing?
Why aren't His words teaching?
And if we are the body
Why aren't His feet going?
Why is His love not showing them there is a way?
There is a way

~ Casting Crowns - If We are the Body from album Casting Crowns

Meditation Monday: Women's Day. For Men.

Today we celebrate Women's Day in South Africa.

This day commemorates 9 August 1956 when women participated in a national march to petition against pass laws (legislation that required African persons to carry a document on them to ‘prove’ that they were allowed to enter a ‘white area’).

It's a tribute to the fact that women are capable of far more alone and certainly a great deal more together than they are often given credit for. I'm all for honouring women.

But today's meditation involves men.

Today I want to honour men who choose to hold their leadership within their homes and in business with gentle, thoughtful and considerate hands. I want to honour men who choose to bend their ears to their wives, honouring these with their full attention, insight and understanding. I want to honour men who consider their wives and female colleagues as equal and different to themselves and who celebrate both whether among those who do the same or among those who would scoff.

I want to honour men who strive for integrity at home and within their business worlds. These men want to be the people that they say they are, even when no-one is watching. Men who do the right thing, no matter the sacrifice to themselves or their comforts. Men whose word is still their bond - whose 'no' is no and whose 'yes' is yes.

These are men who make time to mentor those coming behind them. Who lift those young than themselves up to their shoulders and allow them to build where they have laid the foundations, regardless of where man's glory falls. These are men who, in every way they can try to create a frame within which their mothers, sisters, wives and daughters can be beautiful and free.

I want to cheer for men who are equal to the kind of women that marched that day. Women and children are watching you. Because when you stand tall and strong, full of godly character, all our hearts swell with pride and we are inspired to be better people than we think we are.

But you, ..., are a man of God; so run from ... evil things. Pursue righteousness and a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness. Fight the good fight for the true faith. ~ 1 Timonthy 6: 11-12a

Friends Friday: Young friends

God talks to us in His word about children. It's clear that He loves them. When His Son was on earth, He welcomed them. He said that His Kingdom belongs to people like them. God's word says that out of their mouths He has ordained praise.

When I met my young friend Simone, she was still a child. I have learnt a great deal from her. I learnt about how to worship God with abandon. To be perfectly honest, I'm still learning that from her! I learnt, too, about how simple faith works. Just believing that God is who He says He is can change the way you live your whole life.

On Sunday, I will have the deep privilege of baptizing Simone. She has said that she believes in Jesus Christ, she loves Him and she wants to follow Him. On Sunday she will say that to the world. She will tell them what has already happened in her heart. I will be filled with joy.

We make it so complicated and convoluted. But really, it's simple.

How about you? Do you believe in Jesus? Do you love Him? Do you want to follow Him?

When will you nail your colours to the mast and be baptized?

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For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives. Romans 6 verse 4

A Thought for Thursday: 'I don't want your money, honey. I want your love.'

We have three verses to think about this Thursday morning:

"...a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God." ~ Jesus (Luke 12:21)
"Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and he will give you everything you need." ~ Jesus (Luke 12:31)

"Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be." ~ Jesus (Luke 12:34)

I think these verses speak for themselves. It's always good to check the context of the passages. You can read the full passage online here.

What do you think? How rich is your relationship with God - on a scale of 1 to 10 - one being dire poverty and 10 being extravagantly, gloriously wealthy?

w.h.a.t.e.v.e.r wednesday - What's love got to do with it?

Love from a Kid's Point of View

"When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn't bend over and paint her toenails anymore. So my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when his hands got arthritis too. That's love."

"When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different. You know that your name is safe in their mouth."

"Love is when someone hurts you, and you get so mad, but you don't yell at them because you know it would hurt their feelings."

"Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip before giving it to him, to make sure the taste is okay."

"Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen."

"Love is like a little old woman and a little old man who are still friends even after they know each other so well."

"Love is when Mommy sees Daddy smelly and sweaty and still says he is handsomer than Robert Redford."

"Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you left him alone all day."

"You really shouldn't say 'I love you' unless you mean it. But if you mean it, you should say it a lot. People forget."

—What Is Love—From a Kid's Point of View, LightSinger, (accessed 3-14-02); submitted by Jerry De Luca, Montreal West, Quebec

Testimony Tuesday - From user to pastor in one Jesus step

Our Testimony this week is from regular contributor Mark. If you'd like to talk to him more about it, please email The Vine using the link on the right hand side of the blog and he'll email you back.

...

I was pretty messed up with drugs. I was using cannabis, ecstasy and cocaine regularly. To the point where I couldn’t start, or even get through a day without some kind of drugs, even if it was just cannabis.

As a train driver such living was not good. I had tried to give up using drugs many times but just couldn't get free.

One day I was at work when I was asked to take a train to Edgeware. Upon arrival I smoked a spliff and then drove back to Morden. When I got there I found out they were doing drugs tests and it was likely that I was going to be tested.

I would have failed the test obviously. I called my mother and asked her to phone my work and pretend that someone in the family had died and I was needed at home. This worked. I was allowed to leave work without being drug tested.

Anyway, this messed with my head big time. I caused my mum to lie and I worried about being found out at work.

About this time St. Peters – my mum’s church - was having one of their open days. Trev and my mum were both saved and encouraged me to come along which I did. I was surprised to find that it wasn't just old people but there were loads of young people excited about God. This started me thinking all about the God they were excited about.

I think it was that same weekend that my mother had a birthday party where I met Sandy, a friend of mum’s. She tried to share the gospel with me. I tried to put her off by telling her all the bad things I had done in my life in an attempt to put her off. It didn't work. Sandy sat and listened to me for what felt like hours.

When I had come to an end of what I could tell her she gave me this incredible hug which I now recognise as Jesus hugging me through her. She said that I wasn't a bad person but someone good hiding behind a mask. This blew me away and added to my thoughts about God.

Soon after this I was invited to attend an Alpha course. That evening the subject was “why Jesus died on the cross”. Jesus showed me that night that all the bad things I had shared with Sandy could be forgiven if I turned to Him. The following Sunday I did just that, I gave my life to Jesus and he saved me.

He really saved me. From that point on I no longer needed or used drugs. It was like He flicked a light switch and drugs were out of my life.

I've had a lot to work out with Him as a growing child of God but that work has led me to a new, complete and exciting life with Him.

I'm now some thirteen years later, I’m married and living in South Africa where I serve as a pastor!

I can look back at my life now and see that my drug use, and the other crazy stuff I had done, was an attempt to be accepted and wanted even if by the wrong element. It worked, I was accepted and loved but it could only last for a short time, such a life could only end with my destruction. God has shown me that I'm accepted in Him, I'm loved by Him and that He wants me so much that He chose to die for me.

Man, I love telling my story. GOD ROCKS!

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If you'd like to talk to him more about it, please email The Vine using the link on the right hand side of the blog and he'll email you back. He'd love to share more with you about how Jesus loves you and He can turn your life around, too.