Birthing wind series 3: Pain in vain

Birthing wind series 1: don't sweat the small stuff

Break-though series 4: Nothing is as it seems

Breakthrough series 1: Context

Leaving the desert part 3 - Sounds of Silence

Stand and be heard

The French connection

In the movie, “Now you see me”, the actors are at pains to remind us that illusionism is about keeping your mind focused there while they do their thing here. It is about distraction.

I might add that the modern illusionist has taken such deception to unprecedented levels, to make planes or bridges disappear, while others walk on water or drive coins through glass.

During the French revolution, the illusionists were never seen. They used a stage hand, Robespierre, to do out there what detracted from what the puppet masters did over here. 

When they had had enough of Mr R, his head rolled as well.

Immortal invisible god only wise

One of the hardest things for most Christians is the tussle between the literal account of scripture and the reality of God. It challenges us theologically, as in the creation story, and personally, as in the dissonance between what the bible says and what we experience. 

Many feel that anything less than a literal take on creation diminishes God and deducts from His power. I disagree.

Did Jesus call on ten thousands of angels to help Him at Calvary or marshal a massive show of force? No. Because, as Ephesians 2 confirms, He revealed His WISDOM to principalities and powers. Victory lay in the subtle march to the cross its outworking.

On the offensive

A friend referred to a football concept as a model for prayer, as in defensive versus offensive prayer.

It is a great notion. A lot of our prayer, maybe most of it, is defensive: as in, “Lord I am battling to stand, our defenses are failing, please send in reinforcements; please help me”. That is the cry of someone under siege, defending their existence or the castle they occupy.

Pain is God's megaphone

Life is a choice and choosing to live victoriously is better than trying to live a positive life negatively.

But here's the thing. If a child doesn't feel pain, will he learn? If an underlying health issue doesn't instill some pain, will we do anything about it?

Lepers yearn for the gift of pain, because their disease so dulls pain that they injure their limbs enough to lose them. The pain of learning carries through life, but it only is pain and will only adjust us, if we feel it and admit to it.

The real dragon to beat in a dragon boat race, is the challenge of working together

I once watched the Oxford-Cambridge boat race. I have never seen athletes as exhausted by a race. They were absolutely broken by the sheer demands of the challenge, aggravated by the fact that for the entire course it was impossible for any one member to goof off or even lose rhythm - it was an all or nothing race, the price paid to even qualify for participation in the greatest eights' race in the world.

Well today I discovered why they were so tired. I, along with a number of my fellow church members, competed in a dragon boat race. It has pagan roots I suppose, but we just entered for the fun and fellowship. It was a relatively short course, yet the impact on arms and shoulders was amazing. Thanks to its resistence, it is very physically demanding to pull an oar through water, although I sense that the stroke used on a Dragon Boat is less natural than for a rowing eight. 

Oh there probably were other factors that influenced the outcome of the race, such as the relative efficiency of each boat, tactics and the draw, which is something of a wild card that influences the effort and outcome of each race. However, time and again, coaches said that by far the greatest success factor in a dragon boat race, and it is true of all boat racing, is the ability of a team to work together.

Experience, hope and a reason to overcome, equips our souls for life

Lewis Pugh is a soft spoken, unassuming individual, but he has swum a few hundred meters through arctic waters and across a Norwegian Fjord. His latest swim was across a glacial lake at 5,000m (15,000 ft) below the mighty mount Everest.

It took substantial mental and physical training to prepare him for his swims. His sponsors have enabled him to enjoy the support and company of a small army of medics, supporters and an arctic sports phsychologist. But his mission is not an act of vanity. He is a serious champion of global environmental issues. His swimming stunts give him access to world leaders who make a ready audience for his impassioned pleas. He is also empathetic, giving moral support to leaders in their fight against public resistance.

Poem: Journey to victory

"It takes much building and rebuilding to establish a kingdom", said my youngest son. I had just lost months and months of work on my blog site, all accidently overritten in a moment of madness. My initial reaction was a mixture of sadness and anger. Even the postings had gone and that really saddened me, for each post represented a priceless moment of reflection. It was also just another brick in the wall, another setback amongst so many in a long journey with God.

I did not understand Daniel's counsel at first, but then my 12 year old added, "Dad, Israel was given to the Jews, yet it rose and fell, sometimes to the level of a smouldering ruin. It was attacked again and again and again, especially Jerusalem. But they carried on building it anyway."

Indeed, the Jews returned like ants to the nest, determined to secure their heritage. God also built up and then tore down, until they got it right. No wonder the Arabs are finding the Jews so intractable today - they never truly fought for that land, which to the Jews is as a child to its mother.

Your own struggles might reflect steps forward and sometimes even more steps back, as you advance and fall back, but still advance, for so you must, until you find,

(c) Peter Eleazar @ http://www.4u2live.net/
Image: Rembrandt's, Christ in the storm on the sea of Galillee