Life is just too short

Just last night my auntie phoned to say one of her colleagues had died suddenly. I had known the family a little, my sister was friendly with the daughter so we have met them quite a bit. There was just the one child, so she has been left with just a dad.

When you hear something like that, I think sadness and emotion takes over. Then, pray pray pray. Something that gets me there is I don't think the family were Christians, so when it comes to the question of heaven or hell, I really don't know and it's quite doubtful. So when you consider that, it's hard to know what to think.

It finally ocurred to me that maybe God intended this as a wake-up call that life is too short. Maybe we need to reach out to the rest of the community more, help more people get to know God. I find doing that quite difficult, so then it was "How do we do that without making a fool of ourselves?" In Me by Casting Crowns helps a bit on that. "I'll go but I cannot go alone, cause I know I'm nothing on my own. But the power of Christ in me makes me strong ... Cause I'll never get by living on my own ability".

I was thinking about other deaths I've known, thinking how this affected me differently. I think only once before have I known someone personally die. But certainly never anyone young, or fairly young, anyway. And it certainly wasn't expected- maybe if you know it's likely to happen, then it can be easier to deal with, I don't know. And lastly, I've never known anyone die who I've had any doubt about whether they were saved or not. That's the hardest, when you're brought up to know that hell is a reality (a solemn thing, as our preacher would say). Recently I've been trying to focus on the positive things about Christianity, rather than the negatives. But there are times when you realise it's necessary to think about it sometimes.

About five years ago at a church service, Arthur Pollard said "my name's written in the book of life and someday I'll be there in heaven". He was there just two years later. So ... death comes sooner than you think. When you hear news like this, nothing else seems important anymore. All throughout the day I'd been making a mental list of people needing prayers, as there were quite a few, but unfortunately something big like this completely takes over and well, everyone else was kinda sidelined.

I never know how to finish posts, so all I can say now is to anyone not saved reading this, please think about it, and those who are, maybe it's time to reach out to people more. I hope to try to do that myself.

Smaller than a bowl of flour

So today I was making bread and when I weighed out the flour, I realised something. With all these blogs I've followed over the last year and a half, I've seen a lot of tiny premature babies on them. And I mean tiny. It hit me today that that flour's weight was 1lb 4oz and there have been many babies born smaller than that. It seems crazy with that small bowl of flour in your hands to think there could be a living thing smaller than that.

On that theme, I recently bought a Green Beans wristband, seen in top picture. And on that thought ... sadly, small babies don't always survive. Until that happened with these people last year, I didn't really know, as in really know, the reality of that. Only God knows why, obviously. Sometimes it's obvious what He's doing, sometimes it isn't. And we can only accept that.

The other two in the picture are WWJD (What Would Jesus Do) and Shine Like Stars. So now that these two are in my mind, let's have some scriptures about them, which don't really have anything to do with the above topic, but I feel like writing them, so here goes.

"Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe". Philippians 2: 14-15, NIV

That first part, Do everything without complaining or arguing, is very clear and to the point, but yet one of the hardest things to follow that the Bible says. I'm sure I'm not alone on that thought. How often we complain or argue, myself included, I don't know. And when you think, what would Jesus do, I have a feeling He wouldn't argue. When someone offends you, it is so easy to yell at them, particularly if they do so themselves. But the best thing there is Jesus understands:

"The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. " Psalm 103:8

Beauty Will Rise

This week I've heard about a lot of people in this area being ill or depressed or something. One person I know even said this week that life wasn't worth living anymore. I hate to hear people say things like that obviously.

Also I've been reading Hidden by Cathy Glass and although it's hooking, parts of the story are quite shocking. And it's based on a true story. It's written by a foster carer and a child comes to her who has nothing with him and appears to have no records of even existing. His mother was a "drink-and-drugs" type. His past comes out and he had worked in a factory for long hours with little pay, kinda like the workhouses about a hundred years ago or so. But this was in this country. He had fallen asleep while working on a machine and had quite a wound, which of course wasn't treated as he wasn't registered with a doctor.

All through the story, however, the boy was positive he would meet his father again. Social Services couldn't find the man since he didn't know the address, but as the boy was on the Social Services records, his father did find him. All through the book he had been told it was unlikely he would meet his father, that it was probably impossible, yet he held out hope and it happened.

I found a song recently by Steven Curtis Chapman, called Beauty Will Rise. Obviously I know the story behind this album, about the death of his five-year-old adopted daughter when she was hit by a car driven by her older brother. But in this song it says out of these ashes, beauty will rise. "If you won't believe, I will believe for you" ... just like the boy in the book.

actually all the songs on this album are well worth a listen ...

Just felt the need to post ...

These pictures are of the view from my house over Christmas. While most of the country, and even the county, were covered in snow, we had none yet had a clear view of the snow-covered Hoy hills across the sea. Is that a good thing or not, I'm not sure. But it makes an interesting contrast anyway.

These past few days the biggest topic on Blogger is, quite predictably, the earthquake in Haiti. I saw it on the news again last night, and the news reporter said that even with outside help, it will take a long time to recover from this. Years, probably. So the question is, what do we do? I don't know. But I know someone who does, God does and He has great plans for them. So keep on praying for them and I know He can do miracles. In fact, He already has in some ways. It was reported on the news last night that there was a survivor found in the rubble after a week, when hope was fading. Check out the latest post on Smith Soup for some encouragement to do something.

And one last thing: the end of this month, January 30th, marks one year since little Tuesday Whitt went to be with Jesus in heaven. I didn't really know the family well, either in real life or online. However, I have been following Who Says 8 Is Enough? for quite a while and it is plain to see the effect she had on this family. To know a child die from cancer is something I never have done and certainly don't want to, but it's at times like these when you see how God has clearly worked His plans: by taking one little girl home to Him, He has ensured more souls have returned to Him spiritually. From now until the 30th, Debi on Who Says 8 Is Enough? is donating $1 for every comment left on her blog to peadiatric cancer research, so do visit and drop a comment or two.

New Year

Well it's the last day of 2009 so time for recap and looking forward.

This year has been a really good year, but not really how I'd expect it to go. 2009 was a big year for me as I left school and started college, something I wasn't all that sure if it was the right thing or not. In fact, to begin with I really wondered what I was doing. However, after October it all took an unexpected turn and it got better - just got a bit more comfortable really. I have a friend now and I'm really thankful for every small thing.

This summer was a different one as I did camp leadership at the local Christian Endeavour camp as a first. It was an interesting experience I have to say.

The other thing about this year ... I've spent so much time online but it's been a good thing in my opinion because all these people over there <<<<<< in the blog roll who continually amaze me with their faith in hardship and with many other things. Obviously I'm not naming anyone here, but I'm sure everyone knows who they are.

2010 looks uncertain and I didn't think it would be a good year. However, I then realised I said the same thing last year! and as I've said, this year's been fine! So that gives me hope. Right now I'm excited to see what God has in store for me.

While writing this post the song playing on my computer is this - the current number one in UK singles chart - while I don't really pay much attention to that normally this one (ok, X Factor winner!) includes lyrics which fit the New Year pretty well.

A happy new year to everyone out there. The end of this year has not been good for some people (see previous post for example) but who knows what God is planning for next year - keep smiling, even when things don't go your way. (Here's some more song lyrics - I love them!)

Blessings for a good 2010 everyone,
Emma

Prayers Needed!!

Can't believe how bad some people have it ... Just checked the Riggs family blog and after all the concerns with Abby's cancer, now it's a car accident for their son .... oh grief.

Please guys, remember them in your prayers. Hope everyone had a great Christmas.

Temptation, Elsie and the X Factor

It's been a busy weekend but good. My grandparents just celebrated 50 years marriage (an amazing achievement) and of course there was family here visiting for the occasion.

Anyway, the title of the post ... starting with the Elsie books, I have to admit they're one of the best I've ever read. Set in the 1800s so not entirely up to date, but you get a bit of history lessons in there added onto the story of a little girl with amazing faith. The first two were books I've had about two years and just love.

Book 1, Elsie's Endless Wait, was quite tear-jerking because we see Elsie living in a house full of six aunts and uncles close to her own age, who mistreat her. It's not only their teasing, their mother often claimed that since she was no blood relation she couldn't excuse a punishment as she would her own children, so for that reason in the very first chapter she is punished through no real fault of her own. Yet she is then consulting her Bible and reminding herself that Jesus bore worse than that patiently.

But the main focus is her endless wait to meet her father, which does happen in this book, but they conflict slightly as he doesn't agree with her strict principles. He is a very determined man, and we see a glimpse of what is to happen in the next book, Elsie's Impossible Choice. She had strict principles about the Sabbath, as to what is or isn't suitable to do on a Sunday. If you think that's easy back in the 1800s, by reading this it is not. The real conflict is caused by her refusing to read a newspaper on the Sabbath. A small thing maybe, but it all built up to a big thing and she suffers HUGELY.

So after reading those I wondered about trying out the Sunday idea .... which was easy enough at first but these past few months it has got so much harder to keep the faith that I'm doing the right thing. Back to another part of the title post ... X Factor. I don't watch TV much nowadays, but got a bit hooked on X Factor last year and it's hard to stop once you've started - it's quite good actually.

The only problem that arose this year was that it was extended for the whole weekend with the results on Sundays. I thought it would be simple to just record and watch another day, but because we are so busy and it's hard not to find out when you're out on Mondays, it just became much tougher than I anticipated it to be. I haven't seen the final yet so that's 4 hours to catch up on tomorrow.

When you're making things complicated for yourself, I admit I was tempted to give up and just watch it at the usual time. MANY times. I never thought I would ever say that, but there you go.

However, luckily the Bible has something to say about that:


"No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful, He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it." 1 Corinthians 10:13