well, one prob. not the definitive one.

 but a problem with blogs (and to some extent, christians in conversation) is the one sided aspect of the emotions and moods displayed in them. i find blogs are good for encouraging myself and (hopefully) others, creating debates, allowing me to reflect where i am wrong in the way that i think, or to share something thats fun =)  they are good for sharing in the good things of life. but the blogging malark it is not altogether welcoming for those that struggle much, and have bad days. for when life produces its share of the negative. often i have shunned those that use a blog to share these pains or.. umm, "emo moments" - i complain to myself that they are using it as a vent that helps no-one, least of all themselves. but, i am being challenged, especially when i consider that the bible does not shy away from the woebegone. what wouldve happened if, after all the stuff that Job went through, he decided he wanted to keep what happened to himself - that he never wanted people to know what happened, for fear of discouraging people. worse still, what if the psalmists who lamented over the lack of gods presence, had a change of heart, thinking to themselves; "you know what, i don't think i want the people of God to sing this, i don't want these songs to hamper their view of God!"

 it has been a while since i have written about hard times, at least, not without trying to skate across it before people notice that i said anything. but i am convinced that the christian doctrine behind suffering points towards that there is incredible meaning to be drawn out of the tragic. i believe we can be expectant of spiritual fruit to come from both hard times and overtly good times, in equal measure - neither being supreme over the other in enriching us. however, we may not see for ourselves for a very long time, if ever, what good can come from what looks like an awful situation.

 the example that comes the most to mind for me in the bible is Jesus on the cross - i can imagine the disciples who heard of his death, and those who knew jesus that could see him nailed, would be questioning amongst themselves "what a huge loss. surely, nothing good can come out of this". only through the benefit of hindsight, and through the prompting that the holy spirit gave of what jesus said while still alive, could the disciples eventually see the victory Jesus won against sin and death, and see God's unrefutable compassionate love that was being displayed for all mankind.

 in my own life, i guess i could look at the role of prayer secretary that was eventually not to be so, or even further back, of a relationship that ended up disintegrating, and the guilt of a gut feeling that my contribution in her life did more to misrepresent the message of God and choke what fruit was there, rather than allowing us both to be able to live out the message of the freeing power of the gospel.

 i could be tempted to forget both these things, and attempt to just be occupied with the now, and 'what matters'. However, for me, I feel that doing that would be the equivalent of he who "looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like." often it takes confronting something painful in our lives to best know how to deal with it. after all, if no-one confronted their own sin, who would ask for forgiveness? of course, the Lord promises to Christians that, as for us and our sins, "he remembers them no more". we are freed from the guilt and shame of a shaky past - he has taken it all, a genuine Hallelujah moment! but I do not think that this is a calling for us to "remember sin's lessons and their consequences no more". there's a necessary response, and i have to look back at the worst of times and not ignore, for God wishes me to trust that His glory is being displayed (or eventually will be displayed) through every circumstance of life.

one of my favourite songs happens to be one that rarely ever gets sung, so i thought id share it. its by..well im not sure who its by. i've heard differing versions, ones by vineyard, others in german (that was an experience...) but the song is great for emphasising the amazing characteristics of god that co-exist within himself, even if the lyrics are minimalistic in themselves. Singing it over just makes me realise how overwhelmingly rare it is for all these things to reside perfectly in one person - it gives God more than one dimension to him.

Who is like our God
Who is like our God
Holy and intimate,
Tender and strong
Patient and powerful
Who is like our God

Who is like our God
Who is like our God
Mighty and innocent,
Jealous and kind,
Sovereign and merciful,
Who is like our God

All of man's glory fades away
Like a spring flower in the rain
No fallen angel is worthy to be worshipped
Nor anything created


heres a youtube link if you'd like to listen (but i endorse the song, rather than the cheesetastic video :p)
it's not very modern, but as i said, it hasn't been done in a while!

god has the capacity to extend his grace to everyone, absolutely everyone.
god extends his love to everyone, and not just those who acknowledge his love. in doing so, god is a person who experiences the most unrequited love, ever. he's done something in history that cannot be undone, and through the cross he shows an everlasting commitment he has to loving sinners, and giving us all an option to choose him, or something else, as our rescue plan.
this option is not robotic like the angels, as if we have no choice but to follow him. there is temptation, there is evil, there's plenty of things that wish to be our god. the choosing of him is a defining moment, though the faith itself is given to us. the choosing of him means we can place stock on him. the way we show gratitude is fully dependent on his actions that we can be grateful for, the cross, and his character that shows god as a benevolent force willing not to condemn us, but to save us.
as long as there is the gospel, there is a chance for my friends to have life in its fullness. as long as there is the gospel, i can speak without barriers to my god, as if i had never sinned. i can therefore be persistent in following god up on his promises. the lord cannot ignore, and he has no other choice but to respond to prayer in a way that does not contradict his personality and his promises. the prayer of a righteous man availeth much.