i’ve heard this story over and over…but never has it truly hit me until i watched this…
this is an incredible story…
“Greater love has no one than this,
that he lay down his life for his friends.”
- John 15:13
December 3, 2007
so i haven’t blogged in quite a while. with the lack of a working internet, i was just about getting on long enough to check my emails before it stopped working. but as of today, we have a working broadband…which is amazing.
i guess over the past few months i’ve been finding things quite tough. i’ve been struggling with some specific stuff but, i suppose just generally been finding life hard. i’ve been trying to take life less seriously in the regard of just chilling out about stuff more. but the more i sit in an office working, the more my mind continually wanders to others. i think about people whose lives are really tough – lack of food, no money, parents dead from aids or other illness or lack of care, homeless, orphans, alcoholics, drug addicts…how is what i’m doing day in and day out helping them? how is what i do making a difference? they need someone, they need God, and i just feel so helpless. i want my life to count. i want my life to share God’s love and hope with those who really find life so so hard. those little kids who just don’t know what being loved means. those teenagers whose initial reaction when they find life getting tough is drink, drugs or suicide. there is so many people in this world, even in this country, who need help. and i’m not sure where graphic design fits into this.
i know i love it. but i know i love people more. i know God’s given me it and wants to use it. but i know He wants to preach good news to the poor, bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives, release from darkness for the prisoners,to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion, to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. (isa 61)
something about these verses just grasp me. and since i bought Foy Vance’s album (which is awesome!!)…the two songs on that which have just made me think and i guess have really started to put growth on foundations lay through Worship Ireland are Gabriel and the Vagabond and Indiscriminate Acts of Kindness. both things talked about in both songs are so simple. speaking hope into one guy’s life, and giving a girl a room for the night even tho she couldn’t pay for it. around 100 people on our doorsteps will commit a misdemeanour just to get into prison for Christmas simply for a bed, heat, food and company. prison. why is this happening when church halls/churches/youth rooms/whatever else rooms lie empty?
i don’t know if i’m being unreasonable or thinking too much about this, i probably am, but something in me just aches for these people. for the Ali’s, Ra’s, Jerry and Kelly’s…i have no idea where they or anyone else i’ve met are or whether they are ok. but i’ve no idea how to help other than pray. but there’s still a big part of me while praying wonders if i can be the answer to my own prayers.
i know helping in masses is probably not reasonable, but within a classroom is, within a drop in centre is… “in small ways with big love”.
i don’t know, i guess i’ve just been spending a lot of time thinking about life and where i fit into it. i’m still searching and wondering. but it still rings true, i want earth to meet heaven through me.
August 1, 2007
Leaving your room in a mess and dandering downstairs for a ready prepared full fry breakfast and by the time you finished eating, your room is perfectly tidy to the point your pjs are put below your pillow! Knowing that you will always have hot water whenever you fancy a shower, opening the sliding doors and walking down 60 steps onto the beach, absolutely beautiful views, knowing that your 3 course dinner will be on the table at 6. Life in a hotel rocks!
But, there’s nowhere quite like home although…with the hecticness of everything, maybe Jersey is better…!!
Was on the Donegal Team but left early to go on holidays to Jersey with my family and cousins for a week so that was all very beautiful and nice, then this week has been spent doing Spark preparations…headache!
Here’s a few pics from holidays…
July 9, 2007
I had a wee look on Stewart’s blog and he has listed some of the names of the people that we have met on the streets this past week, and I would love ask you to pray for these people, just so we can cover these people’s lives in as much prayer as we can. If only you knew all the stories of their lives that have been shared with us – alcoholics, homeless, lost, raped, beaten, confused, dissatisfied, searching, hearts so hard, loveless, gang controlled, drug addicts, partners dieing, loved ones committing suicide, lonely, isolated, foreign, churched, unchurched, cult-controlled, abused, encouraged, challenged in their own faith…and the list goes on. And so do the people – these are just the names of the people we have got and remembered. There were many more who were chatted to for a brief moment, the reasoning behind the whole free thing explained and either received or rejected, and those who just received a friendly smile and a free CD and some sweets. Please also remember them in your prayers.
As for my thoughts on the week – there’s just been so many. So many laughs, so many tears, so many questions, so many awe-struck moments. I’ve learnt the value of fellowship and friendship more than ever, and also the joy it is to stand on the streets in chucking down rain just to tell people about God. And to stand and watch God move, people sharing stories from their lives with these random people in red hoodies. God is good.
July 3, 2007
Just arrived in Dublin last night and making the most of the rain on Grafton Street! But pain and smiles seem to sum up so far what God has been doing.
Some people we met have lived lives full of unimaginable pain and some horrific stories, yet some just smile at receiving something for free or a kid seeing bubbles blowing all around them. It’s incredible to see how bubbles make such a difference – even to older people! And some people are just full of joy when they see young people lifting up the name of their Lord and Saviour.
Reactions are so different and so diverse…but each and every one come from a secret place in their life, whether of pain or of happiness.
The team have also amazed me – some are such a blessing and can start a conversation with someone in a second and speak words into their life of hope and of truth. I pray that more and more into each of the team member’s lives. May our words be filled with grace and with love, and soaked in Jesus.
Thank you to anyone who has been praying for us – we have felt your prayers with us. And please, continue to pray as we try to lift up Jesus’ name and make Him famous here. And as we try to speak hope and truth in lives which are so desperate for it.
We praise You Jesus, and we love you
“Open up the doors and let the music play
Let the streets resound with singing!”
June 28, 2007
Wimbledon – The Championship 2007
Court 1 – Tuesday night…Kuzentsova v Vakuleko.
Henman Hill – Tuesday afternoon – second round tie-break to end…
View from Court 13.
It was an incredible week – up at 5 both mornings, buy breakfast, on the tubes for 6, queue from 6.30/45. Enter grounds about 9.30. Wait for gates to be opened. Head to practice courts. Go get seats in a court. Spend all day dandering around watching tennis, catching glimpses of famous people, being kinda on tv! What else could i want?! Watching it on tv now doesn’t seem as interesting. 
)
May 29, 2007
Just spent all night beside a girl I’ve known since I was 10…she’s now 25/6 and married for 3 years. And…she’s 5 months pregnant. And I just need to say…how the flip does it all work?!
If there is one thing in life which just baffles me beyond all believe, it is how the meeting of two tiny tiny things produce….well…a me and you! With all my thoughts, memories, abilities, talents, intellegence….how does that start with being inside a mother’s tummy! Just how does that happen?!
This just is phenomenal to me…my mind just can’t comprehend the true miracle that is pregnancy! In 9 months within a woman’s tummy a full human being is produced…how unbelieveable!!
And then, to add on all that….God is the one who designed this. He dreamed up this method. He decided the process second by second. And…He knows the development of every single baby everywhere in the world. He knows exactly what I looked like at 2days after conception….5 months….and just before I was born…and every day inbetween. He marvelled. He moulded. He shaped. He overlooked. He protected. He cared. And He still does….to this very day…He still does. If pregnancy and the capability of a human to carry another mini-human is just completely mind boggling…how much more is the whole concept of who God actually is.
And who am i to ever doubt…to ever wonder….to ever think i know better than the LORD…than YAHWEH, the Great I AM.
“Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Tell me, if you understand. Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know! Who stretched a measuring line across it? On what were its footings set, or who laid its cornerstone?”
- Job 38:4-6
God, You are indescribable, uncontainable, unfathomable…
May 28, 2007
So, haven’t blogged in a while – simply because my internet is completely messed up – it bearly works anymore! So I haven’t been bothered to try to make it work!
The life of Sarah hasn’t been very exciting – I just started a temp Clerical Officer at Belfast Trust, next door office to Kate…I’ve been absolutely loving it so far. I love being able to do something well and also just doing something! I’m not one who likes to sit around all day and not see anyone – I like company and I like having a purpose.
There’s been one thing which has really made me think differently in recent days…and it’s this:
“i live to serve His Majesty”
that encompasses it all…every letter…every demand…every sheet in every file…every laugh…every conversation…every word…ever encounter……in it all…i live to serve His Majesty.
and just for Stew…
a……t……s……h…..q……z…..o…..
May 12, 2007
Life has really settled down. It’s wonderful! Uni finished, all organisational commitments over, placement almost sorted, and God’s voice teaching me clearly. Although, what’s the deal with the weather?! Why is it always beautiful when you have to do loads of work, yet, when I’m completely free the rain pours?!
Trees have always been a fascination for me…As a kid I could tell you every single tree and loads of information about that tree from their leaves…I loved trees. However, this fascination slowly died as I grew up and as other things took over in my life. But, yesterday, I was taught about two trees: one found in Genesis, the other in Revelation. One tree was grown in the middle of the garden of Eden. The other in the middle of the new earth. And somewhere, between these two trees, is where my life is. Is the Christian life about hoping and waiting for Jesus to come back and for life in this new earth, beside the last tree and that’s it?
But, as Rob Bell says, I need a God who is now. A God who teaches me how to live today. A faith which is about today and how to understand the world that I live in today. The here and the now. I NEED to know how to live here and find meaning and purpose in this world. And this is the centre of Jesus’ message – living in the reality of God now.
We live between the trees, in a world drenched with God.
This has just really gave me comfort and given me a fresh glimpse of what it means to be following Jesus. xx
May 2, 2007
How fully awesome is the weather?! Yesterday has been one of my favourite days at Glenavna so far! I lay out all day – from 9:30 to 5:30! Not at all burnt!!! Hmmm…ok…just a little…but not sore so it’s all good! Lauren is shockingly burnt…silly girl….but she’s sitting out today too….dono whether I’ll get out or not – need to get assignment work done!! Grrr…! And everyone else was out working or just sunbathing or reading or just have some banter….then we all had a BBQ….was so cool!!
So, then, last night…..fully went to DANCING ON ICE!!! It was actually just like being at the live show…except there was loads more acts! Was phenomenal! There’ll be some photos and videos to follow but currently just have photos off my phone:
Lauren was just soooo excited – was so glad I could take her! Poor Kyran tho was really sick so he only did one act. But it made Lauren’s night! The professional guys did a couple of routines….and I have never seen anything like it EVER!! They were so fast and soooooo difficult…yet they make it look sooo easy! Breath was actually taken away! And actually seeing in real life, two of my childhood heroes and also possibly the world’s best…was unreal! Torville and Dean are just so tight, although, not as fast as they used to be, but that’s understandable!
Unbelievable night…will post more photos and videos of some of the acts!
