Sunday 28th March
Wow, Sunday lunch at our house doesn’t get much better than that, than to have two lovely ladies completely fresh to the things of God sit round your table, share food with you and hear them talk about finding God. It was quite funny, cos we’d chatted for a bit, and I thought, I want to know where they are with God, so started asking them questions. They’d been brought up Catholics, and not had a great experience, and certainly not truly discovered God through it. I’m thinking to myself, these two ladies are so going to give their hearts to Christ by the time we’ve done pudding. Then just as I was explaining about giving your life to Christ, they said “Oh yeah we did that with Kevin on Friday” Sure the angels were rejoicing, but I’m gutted, I wanted to do that (why I ever thought I could beat Kev Worsnop to an opportunity like that I’ve no idea.) But just a big fat reminder from God, “It’s not about you Matt!!!!” By the way I wasn’t really gutted (well not for long) soon we rejoiced in the new found freedom they had. We prayed for them, asked God to pour out His spirit on them and Angela described an amazing floaty type feeling after we’d prayed for her. What an absolute privilege, and how amazing to invite people over for dinner who are just blown away by being invited out, and “being with people who actually care” – their words.
Thank you God, that seriously poured some fuel on this fire!
Sunday, 28 March 2010
E-mail addiction
Friday 26 March 2010
E-mail addiction
I had the most bizarre experience the other day. I was working from home as I do every couple of weeks to get a bit of space to think, be creative, get some stuff cleared out of the way, blitz my to do list etc. (That wasn’t the bizarre bit) Now normally as I work at home I try to steer clear of looking at e-mails. I turn off my e-mail programme so I can’t even get them, and then just turn it on from time to time. But this day, (this is the bizarre bit) something just gripped me, I was like a man possessed (I’m not by the way (oh yes he is, oh no he isn’t) sorry those voices just never go away). It was like every time an e-mail pinged in, I just didn’t have any self control, any discipline whatsoever to ignore it. “READ ME, READ ME” they would shout at me. And I found I was no match for their temptation. So maybe I’d be in the middle of preparing a talk, just crafting a great concept, then STOP “THERE’S AN E-MAIL TO READ!!!” so lose track, lose focus and read e-mail, only to discover someone at work is selling some Stars Wars figures and the online auction is about to end, with 5 shillings and thruppence having been raised.
Why, do we do this? I’ve also noticed when I get up in the morning, as I make my cup of tea, I always check my e-mail. I tell myself that it means when I get to work, I’m ready to go. But why not just chill and have a few minutes acknowledging God and enjoying his presence? Because e-mail knocks Him off the top spot in my life.
I’ve just got a new phone, it’s amazing you can ring people and send texts, flipping awesome. Self Control comes and goes doesn’t it, I decided to exercise self control and not get a phone where I can check e-mail, not get a phone where I can go on the internet and see who on facebook has made a funny comment on my status update.
Life is so much better when e-mails and facebook and twitter don’t control you. They’re not bad things, in many ways they are brilliant ways at interacting with a wider community. But when they control, I truly believe they can squeeze out the peace and relaxation of a mind at rest which from time to time is exactly how God wants our minds to be.
Right, time to check e-mail……
E-mail addiction
I had the most bizarre experience the other day. I was working from home as I do every couple of weeks to get a bit of space to think, be creative, get some stuff cleared out of the way, blitz my to do list etc. (That wasn’t the bizarre bit) Now normally as I work at home I try to steer clear of looking at e-mails. I turn off my e-mail programme so I can’t even get them, and then just turn it on from time to time. But this day, (this is the bizarre bit) something just gripped me, I was like a man possessed (I’m not by the way (oh yes he is, oh no he isn’t) sorry those voices just never go away). It was like every time an e-mail pinged in, I just didn’t have any self control, any discipline whatsoever to ignore it. “READ ME, READ ME” they would shout at me. And I found I was no match for their temptation. So maybe I’d be in the middle of preparing a talk, just crafting a great concept, then STOP “THERE’S AN E-MAIL TO READ!!!” so lose track, lose focus and read e-mail, only to discover someone at work is selling some Stars Wars figures and the online auction is about to end, with 5 shillings and thruppence having been raised.
Why, do we do this? I’ve also noticed when I get up in the morning, as I make my cup of tea, I always check my e-mail. I tell myself that it means when I get to work, I’m ready to go. But why not just chill and have a few minutes acknowledging God and enjoying his presence? Because e-mail knocks Him off the top spot in my life.
I’ve just got a new phone, it’s amazing you can ring people and send texts, flipping awesome. Self Control comes and goes doesn’t it, I decided to exercise self control and not get a phone where I can check e-mail, not get a phone where I can go on the internet and see who on facebook has made a funny comment on my status update.
Life is so much better when e-mails and facebook and twitter don’t control you. They’re not bad things, in many ways they are brilliant ways at interacting with a wider community. But when they control, I truly believe they can squeeze out the peace and relaxation of a mind at rest which from time to time is exactly how God wants our minds to be.
Right, time to check e-mail……
Self Control runs out.....
Friday 19th March
Have just started reading a book called Switch by two brothers Chip and Dan Heath (or Chip and Pin as we like to call them) it’s a book all about change, helping people to change etc. First fascinating insight from this is around the issue of self control. They talk about some psychological experiments where they took a bunch of hungry people, some of them were told that they were allowed to eat freshly baked cookies and others were only allowed to eat radishes and were all left in a room alone with both things on offer. The people told to eat radishes did not touch a single cookie – pretty amazing. They were then all put in a situation where they had to use self control again. The people who had not had to use any self control lasted more than twice as long in the second test than those who had eaten radishes. The point being – people have an inexhaustible supply of self control. Once you’ve used some up, you have a lot less to offer.
Personally I think this is one of those insights that whilst you may struggle to see how it’s relevant now, at certain times and in certain situations, that’s going to be invaluable!
Have just started reading a book called Switch by two brothers Chip and Dan Heath (or Chip and Pin as we like to call them) it’s a book all about change, helping people to change etc. First fascinating insight from this is around the issue of self control. They talk about some psychological experiments where they took a bunch of hungry people, some of them were told that they were allowed to eat freshly baked cookies and others were only allowed to eat radishes and were all left in a room alone with both things on offer. The people told to eat radishes did not touch a single cookie – pretty amazing. They were then all put in a situation where they had to use self control again. The people who had not had to use any self control lasted more than twice as long in the second test than those who had eaten radishes. The point being – people have an inexhaustible supply of self control. Once you’ve used some up, you have a lot less to offer.
Personally I think this is one of those insights that whilst you may struggle to see how it’s relevant now, at certain times and in certain situations, that’s going to be invaluable!
Edinburgh CAP Money
Saturday 13th March
Just had a great day training another load of CAP Money coaches. The highlight for me was a testimony from a lady called Helene. Her journey with CAP started 9 years ago. She was dramatically healed from MS (wow God how amazing are you?) and as a result lost loads of benefits, a mobility car etc and her healing meant she ended up in debt. CAP stepped in through one of her first centres (and actually the first centre that I set up on my own – Dunfermline) and we helped her through her debts and she is now debt free. The main thing that got me was she said what a treat it was to have £10 per month for “treats” - £10 per month!! She said they used to take their boys to KFC for a family meal and it was the highlight of the month. Man, I just don’t know I’m born, but hey praise God for the chance to bring a small bit of joy into her life and into the lives of hundreds of new families every month! She is also now a CAP Money Coach and shared a story of how she had helped a couple who were maxed with their credit cards get debt free in just 3 years. How amazing is that.
It was just a great day, with Johnny not there Dave Kendall did a great job! And I finished the day off with watching the first half of Scotland v England in a pub. So funny, I tried asking for my beer with a slight Scottish accent and whenever anyone talked to me I just smiled and nodded. Remembering what Josie said – “don’t open your mouth or you’ll get beaten up!”
Now on my way home, looking forward to a great Sunday at the Light, with my amazing wife preaching!
Just had a great day training another load of CAP Money coaches. The highlight for me was a testimony from a lady called Helene. Her journey with CAP started 9 years ago. She was dramatically healed from MS (wow God how amazing are you?) and as a result lost loads of benefits, a mobility car etc and her healing meant she ended up in debt. CAP stepped in through one of her first centres (and actually the first centre that I set up on my own – Dunfermline) and we helped her through her debts and she is now debt free. The main thing that got me was she said what a treat it was to have £10 per month for “treats” - £10 per month!! She said they used to take their boys to KFC for a family meal and it was the highlight of the month. Man, I just don’t know I’m born, but hey praise God for the chance to bring a small bit of joy into her life and into the lives of hundreds of new families every month! She is also now a CAP Money Coach and shared a story of how she had helped a couple who were maxed with their credit cards get debt free in just 3 years. How amazing is that.
It was just a great day, with Johnny not there Dave Kendall did a great job! And I finished the day off with watching the first half of Scotland v England in a pub. So funny, I tried asking for my beer with a slight Scottish accent and whenever anyone talked to me I just smiled and nodded. Remembering what Josie said – “don’t open your mouth or you’ll get beaten up!”
Now on my way home, looking forward to a great Sunday at the Light, with my amazing wife preaching!
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