[12 Days] Eleventh Day…

Read: John 14:15-21 (CEB)

^{John 14:15} “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. ¹⁶ I will ask the Father, and he will send another Companion, who will be with you forever. ¹⁷ This Companion is the Spirit of Truth, whom the world can’t receive because it neither sees him nor recognizes him. You know him, because he lives with you and will be with you.

¹⁸ “I won’t leave you as orphans. I will come to you. ¹⁹ Soon the world will no longer see me, but you will see me. Because I live, you will live too. ²⁰ On that day you will know that I am in my Father, you are in me, and I am in you. ²¹Whoever has my commandments and keeps them loves me. Whoever loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them.”

Reflect:

We reach day eleven and for most of us Christmas is now a distant memory. Replaced with the return of normality, whatever that may look like.

Our passage for today reflects some of the themes of advent and Christmas itself; namely that God is with us.

I love this translations use of the word companion. Many other translations use the phrase Advocate or Helper. But, companion adds a new flavour to the work of the Holy Spirit and ties in well with the truth that Jesus speaks in the remainder of the passage.

We have the risk taking, grace awakening, dream filled, person of the Holy Spirit walking with us every step of the way.

We are no longer orphans.

Respond:

Holy Spirit thank you for your presence with us. Thank you that we are not alone, we have you as our guide. May we get to know you as you lead us in your truth. Reveal Jesus to us, this and every day. For His glory. Amen

 

Thankful Tuesday…

What’s this?

Two posts on one day?

You betcha!

On January 1st when New Year’s resolutions were swirling round, I came across one status that simply said, “what thing(s) are you going to continue to do in 2012?”

Two things I will be continuing in 2012 will be blogging and staying thankful.

So, with that here are Tuesday’s Ten Thanks:

1 ) Christmas

A great time with Team Blunders, no major illnesses, fun times and quality time with family.

2 ) Work

Thankful for the work that I do and returning to work today.

3 ) Friends

Christmas has been a great opportunity for spending time with some of our closest friends, looking forward to more meals and more time with friends in 2012.

4 ) Slow Cookers

Mrs B and I were given a Slow Cooker for Christmas – already well up and running with soups, meat joints, spag bol and an awesome beef and Guinness pie. Looking forward to more!

5 ) New Furniture

We have been saving for a while and managed to grab ourselves some superb bargains for the lounge. I am loving my ‘reading’ chair and we have a three seater sofa on order. So, if you come and visit you’ll now have somewhere a little more comfortable to slit.

6 ) New Year

I used to hate New Year, never really sure why. But, this one was great.  Great company and great laughs as we watched Big Ben ring in the New Year.  Really looking forward to 2012 and all that God will do in it!

7 ) New Projects

I love a new project and this year promises some great opportunities to grow, learn and develop new skills and I’m looking forward to it.

8 ) YouVersion

I love the YouVersion app. Mrs B and I have undertaken this year to read the Bible together, we are going to use a wide selection of the reading plans and see how we get on. I’m sure the stuff we read will pop up in one or two blogs throughout the year.

9 ) Winter Night Shelter & Eastbourne Foodbank

We’ve been continuing to hear great stories from these projects over the Christmas period. We’re both thankful for their work and we’re both looking forward to being more involved with them in future months.

10 ) BlogBlunders Readers

Thank you to all of you for reading these posts. What started off as an experiment has grown into something that I love. As I continue to learn to follow Jesus, to learn to pray, I hope that I will become a more accomplished writer in the process and to see what God has in store in the future…

Grace and peace,

Steve

 

[12 Days] Tenth Day…

Read: Psalm 24:1-2  (CEB)

^{Psalm 24:1} The earth is the LORD’s
and everything in it,
the world and its inhabitants too.
² Because God is the one
who established it on the seas;
God set it firmly on the waters.

Reflect:

Tuesday morning. For most it is first day back to ‘normal’.

A great day to reflect on the past days of Christmas and look forward. Our Bible passage for today is not specifically Christmas orientated but does speak of a single truth that may help as work invades once more.

The Bible is quite clear, the earth is the Lord’s, he made it, therefore it is his.The coming of Jesus is a huge exclamation point on these verses. Rob Bell added to this thought as several others like it when he said,

The Earth is filled with the Glory of God, He never has to turn up, we have to notice Him

We need to continue to reawaken our minds to notice God. Jesus asks us to follow Him in everything we do. Be it work, marriage, parenting, shopping or any other task. It is the same question to a cleaner, a government official, a full time mum/dad or to those who work in an office.

Jesus asks us to follow him, to be Him in the places we live, the homes we visit, in the shops we use and especially in the places we work.

Let us make today count. The earth is the LORD’s and everything in it.

Respond:

Father, I thank you for my work, especially in this time.
Open my eyes today that I might see you at work.
Show me where you are at work in my colleagues lives,
That I may be a blessing to them and serve them.

May I stay awake to your presence with me today.
Bless those who I work with, those I like and those I struggle with.
May I be your grace and peace to them.

May I through your strength,
Put away all gossip, bitterness and anger
So, that I may be able to see you face in all that I meet.

Holy Spirit speak through me today,
Be in every conversation that I have
May I be a true and faithful witness to you at work today. Teach me to take risks for your mission.

In Jesus’ name

Amen