The one with the Teabag

I am very blessed.  Yes, I know it.  You see, most mornings one of my sons will bring a cup of tea up to me in bed.  Some mornings I might even get two!  Life is good.

The other morning however, it was not so good.  My alarm had gone off, and been put on snooze, and there I lay, drifting in and out of sleep, waiting to hear the familiar 'chink' as a cup is placed on my bedside table.  It seemed a long time coming this particular morning, but it did arrive.  I slowly sat up, picked up the new Starbucks mug that had appeared, and with a content sigh, I took the first sip.  MMmmmmm ......

BUT - the MMmmmm soon turned into Ewwwwwww.  Something was wrong.

It was still hot.  It looked the right colour.  It was in the right mug (yes, that does make a difference!) - So - what was the problem?

It just didn't hit the spot!  Something was different.  Somehow, something seemed missing.  And then it dawned on me ....

Caffeine!  Or rather, the lack of it!

Somehow, the teabags must have been mixed up in the cupboard and the teabag my son had used was void of caffeine.

Not so good first thing in the morning! Thankfully, I still had time to have a 'proper' tea before leaving the house.

Later on that morning, I met with a friend (yes, you guessed it, for tea!), and I shared my early morning experience with her.  After laughing at how I can make such a big thing out of tea, she explained that she wouldn't have known the difference.  This got me thinking ...

How did I know with such assurance?  After all, it was early in the morning and I was still very sleepy and decaf tea doesn't really taste that different to regular tea.

But ... I knew.

The one with the Sat-Nav

I finished my Tall Vanilla Latte (skinny, sugar free and extra hot) and made my way to the car. Today I would be catching up with a friend I hadn't seen in a couple of years. I was looking forward to it. It had been too long! All the details had been arranged via Twitter, and the postcode of her new address had been put into the Sat-Nav in advance. Music - check. Glasses - check. Engine running - check. Sat-Nav on - check. Ready! I was on my way!

However, as I left the carpark, and entered the roundabout, it became obvious that the journey would be a little more challenging than I had anticipated. I looked at the Sat-Nav to see where I should be exiting, only to see a blank screen! Panic! As I drove around the roundabout for a second time, the screen came back on - but with no directions. Not much help! What was a girl to do? No option but to drive round again and hope that the satellites were found and the directions given! This I did, but to no avail. Three times around a the roundabout, and the Sat-Nav had still not told me which exit to take. Getting dizzy!

I had to make a quick decision: drive around again and again in hope that it would work, or, try and make it on my own. Whilst the first option sounded tempting (and fun!) I was already on a pretty tight schedule if I was to arrive when expected. So ...

I did what I should have done right at the beginning of the journey - engage my brain! I knew this roundabout well, and surely should be able to work out which exit to take. The problem was, I wasn't entirely sure of the direction of the destination.  I began to eliminate the exits I knew wouldn't take me to my destination.  This helped. 

And then, well, I just went for it.  I exited the roundabout and headed for the motorway.  I figured I could always stop at the services and have a look at google maps if I still had no idea where to go.  Or, I could even swallow my pride and give my friend a call, admit I was lost without my Sat-Nav and ask her for directions.  It wouldn't be the end of the world.

Guess what?  Just as I entered the motorway, the Sat-Nav kicked in!  Yes, it had finally found the required satellites, and had the directions at the ready.  Phew!

I was pleased that I could now relax a little and let the Sat-Nav guide me, although I did give myself a little pack on the back for being prepared to try it on my own.  I had somewhere to get to, and I hadn't let unreliable technology stop me.

As I continued my journey, I reflected on this experience, and wondered how often we do something similar in our relationship with God.  Let's take worship as a destination for example.  We key in a heavenly destination on our internal Sat-Nav, and get ready to set off.  We head to the roundabout, and as we do, we focus our heart and mind on the things of God: how awesome he is and worthy of our worship. And then, as we enter the roundabout - nothing.  No emotional satellites are found.  We are not 'feeling' the warm and fuzzies we expect as we worship.  So, we go round again.  And again.  And again.  Nothing.  And yet, our destination hasn't changed.  God is still there and worthy of all our praise and worship.  So, what do we do?  Do we continue going round, in the hope that we will suddenly 'feel' right?  Or do we focus on the destination, trust in the Truth, exit and go for it?

We cannot rely purely on our feelings.  Just like technology, they can fail us.  They can be unreliable.  They can let us down.

We can, however, rely on the Truth.  Always.

Are you currently going round the roundabout, waiting for your internal Sat-Nav to work?  Are you focusing on the screen, instead of your destination?

Can I encourage you to take your eyes off of the screen and fix them firmly on where you need to go.  Trust in the Truth and pull off the roundabout.  You may find that unless you do, you will be going round that roundabout forever!

What if we take the wrong exit?  Well, is this really such a problem?  Isn't it better to set off, discover a wrong turning, and put it right, than to keep going round and round and never getting anywhere at all?

I once heard a great analogy that I have often considered in these situations -

It is much easier to change the direction of a car once it is moving, than to try to position it perfectly whilst it is stationary.  I would rather set off and allow God to alter the direction, than to try to lift the car into place myself!

How about you? 

Sometimes when we do put our trust in the Truth, rather than our feelings, we find that somewhere, further along the road they kick in - just like the Sat-Nav on my journey.

I had a great afternoon catching up with my friend.  Would I have ever got there if I had waited for the sat-nav to work on that roundabout?  I doubt it.  What a shame that would have been.

Don't put all your trust in your 'feeling' sat-nav, you never know what it is you will miss out on!  Instead -

Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.  Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. (Proverbs 3:5,6)

Focus on the destination, and make it happen!

The one with the Duck Song

WARNING: Interacting with this post will get into your head and stay there - for a very long time!
Waddle Waddle!!

Last year one of my boys introduced me to Bryant Oden's genius Duck Song.  I say genius because for a short and simple song (with video) first uploaded in 2009 - it has already had a whopping 59,924,170 hits!!  That is some achievement.

What is the appeal?  Well, watch the link below and you will see for yourself .....

 
Cute and catchy eh?  Now, I challenge you to watch it again without singing along - it just can't be done!!

So - that is it, there is no going back!  The Duck Song is well and truly inside your head - and for that I do apologise a little.  However, my hope is, that in sharing this song with you, it will find its way not only into your head, but also you thoughts, your mind and your heart.  You see, I believe this simple (if not annoying!) song has a lot to teach us.  Really?  I invite you to read on ...

The story begins with the duck walking up to a lemonade stand and asking ... got any grapes?

However, to his dismay, he soon discovers there are no grapes on offer .... and he waddles away ... till the very next day ...

Our duck friend doesn't seem to learn from this, as the following day, he walks back up to lemonade stand, and again asks ... got any grapes?

Once again, the duck is to learn that the lemonade stand has no grapes to offer, and he waddles away ... till the very next day ...

Despite being very bright in colour, it would seem that Mr Duck lacks a certain amount of intelligence, and visits the same lemonade stand a total of five times, each time asking for grapes.  Why would he do this?

My guess is that such was his desire for grapes that he would do whatever was needed in order to get some.  He had his heart and mind fixed on grapes and nothing else seemed to matter, including continued knock-backs. 

Silly duck.  We wouldn't have been so daft right?

The one where I dish the dirt

Whilst I wouldn't say I was obsessed with cleaning, I do like to think that I keep my house in a reasonably clean and tidy state.  I hope that if you popped over for an unplanned (but always very welcome) cuppa with me that you would find the house looking tidy but lived in.  There may well be dishes in the sink that need washing, Playstation leads across the lounge floor, and paperwork piled on the table ready to be filed - but all in all - it is generally tidy and comfortable to be in.  That is my understanding anyway.

Which is why, last week, when I had the afternoon free to do some housework, I had a little bit of a shock!  Perhaps my idea of a clean and tidy house really needs to be revisited and revised!  Had I been deluding myself?

The next few paragraphs I do not share with ease, as it may well reveal a little bit too much for comfort.  Hopefully it wont have a negative impact on the frequency of friends' visits to the house.   I am not so sure though ... as I know how shocked I was myself!  Am I really ready to dish the dirt?! 

Having dusted and polished the entire house, I turned my attention to the carpets; it was time to vacuum.  I carried the vacuum cleaner upstairs, turned it on, and set to it.  In no time at all, upstairs was finished.  However, it was a while before I made my way down the stairs.  I couldn't believe it.  I stared at the vacuum cleaner, which sat proudly upright in my son's bedroom.  It was as if it smuggly said: 'Look how dirty your house is!'  and believe me - it was!!  Gross!

Warning: For those of you who have a 'thing' with dirt - I suggest you quickly abort this post - and find a 'cleaner' one to read ...

The one with the handprints

Yesterday at Twinkling Stars Toddler Group we made handprints.  I say 'we' deliberately, as I also decided to put my hands in the paint!  'Such fun!'

My Handprints - to remind me how quickly I am growing up!! :)  

The handprints joined a poem about growing up and were named and dated before going through the laminator.  The children enjoyed getting their hands messy, and the parents were pleased to have a record to keep of their little one's hands.  A perfect mornings work!






So, why did I choose to join in the fun?  Because I am all too aware at the moment of how quickly time goes by and how much we can lose if we do not make the most of the opportunities we are presented with.  Carpe Diem and all that!

The circumstances that led to this reflection?     A pair of shoes!

Most of you will know that when I say 'shoes' - I am not referring to the 'shiny heeled lady variety', but pumps.  Yes, I will admit to having a slight obsession with Converse.  For the last 3 months I have been searching for a pair of green Converse to add to my collection.   With all the different Converse colours around this may sound a simple mission.  It was not!  Having searched far and wide it appears this particular shade of green (it had to be just right!) is not being made by Converse in this country at the moment.  Even the online Converse shop let me down!  Sadly, I had to abort the mission.

That is, until I spotted a pair of green Converse style pumps in Superdry a few weeks ago.  They were the perfect colour!  Despite the obvious fact they weren't real Converse, I decided to give them a chance.  They fit well, were on par with Converse price, and looked great.  Fantastic.

I am now a proud owner of green pumps - the perfect colour to wear with several of my favourite tops.  End of story?  Not quite ...

The one with the game of tag

3:15pm on a Thursday afternoon can only mean one thing - school pick up. Yesterday, an incident happened on the way out of school that caused my thoughts to change from what I could cook for tea that evening - to something entirely different ...

As I walked back through the playground chatting casually with a few of the 'playground mums', children ran playfully, totally absorbed in a game of tag.  Shouts of 'you're it' and squeals of laughter filled the air as five or six children darted around, their royal blue jumpers colouring the small playground.  I half-heartedly listened to the 'grown-up' conversations, as I marveled at how the children see the short journey through the playground as an opportunity to run, play and have fun, and at the ease in which they seem to be able to join in with others without standing awkwardly around waiting for an invitation.

How I wish I felt comfortable enough to do these things now.   When did I stop running, skipping and squealing with laughter and begin to walk sensibly and quietly?  When did I cease looking for opportunities to have fun and start to look for ways to prove my maturity?  Why does growing up so often mean the same as growing boring?

I know that in 1 Corinthians 13:11 we are exhorted to put childish ways behind us, but does this really mean we need to stop having fun?  Surely this passage refers to maturing in our Christian walk, and not to life in general? 

Maybe, just maybe, it would do us all good to be 'childish' every now and again.  This does not mean we need to cast aside all our adult responsibilities, but to let the child in us run about aimlessly for a while in the sun, or sing a song whilst walking down the aisle, or giggle uncontrollably with friends over nothing.  I miss these times :(

And what about the ease in which young children join in with each other, and how strangers quickly become friends?  Another angle for reflection:  Do I behave like a child in this sense and invite new people into a group and encourage involvement as though I have known them for ages?  Or do I tend to keep them at a distance, discouraging full participation?  Am I prepared to remove the barriers in order to allow others to join in?  In theory, yes ... in practice ... I will try.

Back to the game of tag in the playground ...

Chasing, laughing, shouting, twisting and turning - and then - the fall.  My niece, in her attempt to outrun the tagger, tripped up and fell on her knees in the middle of the playground.  My heart went out to her, as not only did it look painful, but everyone had seen.  How embarrassing.

What did she do next?

She brushed off her knees, got back on her feet and continued with the game.
Wow.  Good for her.   She hadn't wallowed in self-pity or embarrassment.  She hadn't let the fall stop her from having fun.  She got up and carried on.

I reflected on this bravery, and realised how often as adults we allow little knocks or falls to have such a negative impact on our journey. We fall down and feel hurt or embarrassed, and instead of brushing our knees off, and getting back up, we stay down or limp away in shame - never to give it a go again.

Is this really the best way to live our lives?  It may feel like the easy option at the time, but how much will we begin to miss out on if this is our response? What opportunities for growth will pass us by if we simply give up when we take a fall?

Can I encourage you not to allow life's knock backs to stop you. Brush off your knees, learn from the fall,  apply a plaster if necessary and continue on with your journey.

Learn from the wisdom of Chumbawamba (Tubthumping 1997) .. 

I get knocked down
But I get up again
You're never going to keep me down
I get knocked down
But I get up again
You're never going to keep me down   :)

The one with the flat tyre

After the morning school run I sat quietly in Costa (yes, sorry Starbucks but if you had a store in Chineham I would be there!) enjoying a much needed cup of tea.  As I sipped, I flicked through the first few chapters of Jeff Lucas' book - 'How not to pray'.  On the whole I don't find writers funny - but Lucas is an exception.  I already have 'Lucas on life' and despite having read it several times, I still laugh out loud as I imagine myself in some of the situations about which he so humourously writes.  With great wit and a brutal honesty he explores the Christian life in such a way that encourages you to laugh and learn!  If you have yet to experience Lucas' writings - you are missing out.  Seriously - go to  Amazon and order one of his books.  Treat yourself to an early Christmas present.

Anyhow - enough of the advertising!

Back to Costa, with my tea and book ...

In the first few chapters Lucas looks at prayer - and admits that despite being a Christian and knowing Jesus loves him, he doesn't actually find prayer all that easy, and in fact, at times he even finds it boring!  Shock!  You know what though, I can empathise with him.

So, in a rare moment of quietness I reflected on how I really felt about my prayer life.  This reflective process left me in no doubt about my current experience of prayer ...

Flat.  Yes, that is it.  Flat.

A car with a flat tyre is an apt pictorial representation of how I feel about prayer right now.  The rest of the car is functioning well, but cannot perform effectively because the tyre is flat.

Recently I have felt as though I have just been plodding on in prayer.  Nothing new.  Nothing exciting.

Like a tyre with a slow puncture I have gradually become flat.  Am I alone here?

Prayer is my 'flat tyre'  - but yours may well be something else. It could be your bible reading,  your fitness, or perhaps your commitment to work or enthusiasm in relationships.  I guess we all have areas in our life that go flat from time to time.

Are we destined to live our lives in such a way?  Will our flat tyre continually impede our performance?  This, I believe,  is up to us.

I can see three obvious solutions to the 'flat tyre' problem.

Firstly - we could pump the tyre up.

Simple.  Well, simple this may be but it still requires effort.  If I want my current experience of prayer to change, it's unlikely to just happen.  I need to put time and effort in.  I need to push through the barriers (boredom, lack of time etc) and commit to seeing things change.


Secondly - we could locate and fix the puncture.

We might find that simply pumping the tyre up has no lasting impact.  There might be an issue we need to fix first.  In my example of prayer, this could include cutting my facebook hours down so I have more time to pray.  Whatever the nature of our 'flat tyre',  a slight lifestyle adjustment may be necessary in order for the tyre to remain inflated. 


Thirdly - we may need to give up and fit a new tyre completely!!

Let's face it - some tyres just aren't worth fixing.  They may have been fixed so many times before that they are never really going to perform efficiently.  We may need to remove the old tyre and discard it completely.  We can then fit a new tyre and full performance can commence :)  I may need to put aside my old struggles with prayer and start something new and find a new way of praying.   There is something incredibly refreshing about turning over and starting a fresh page. 


If like me, you have a 'flat tyre' - can I encourage you to do something about it.  Don't accept  performance under your true ability.  Don't put up with mediocre.   You, and those around you, deserve more!

Prayer may be flat for me at the moment - but I am going to do all I can to fix it!  Feel free to challenge me on this and make sure I am working on it :)

Jesus said - 'I come to give life, and life to the full' (John 10:10).  We cannot live this full life with Jesus if our tyre is flat!   I, for one, want to experience all that Jesus has for me.  Do you?