Lightbulb

"...We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us, it's in everyone...." - Marianne Williamson

If you know me, you will probably know I absolutely love the full quote for Marianne Williamson, it has really defined my life and touch my heart and soul in so many ways, I read hundreds of times yet it never loses its meaning! But just the small snippet from it helps me to start whats been on my mind lately!

Marianne says we were all meant to shine, and that's its not just in some of us its in all of us! I believe that to be so true. We all have a light inside us that was meant to shine, shine for good, shine for justice, but most importantly shine for Jesus!
Each of us have exactly the same light in us! Each of us has the same capability to shine as bright as one another, to impact the world for good and for God! We have the same light in us that shone as Martin Luther King stood for  racial equality, we have the same light that shone as William Wilberforce brought in the act against slave trade, I would even dare to say we have the same light inside us that Jesus Himself had!
However even though we all have the same light why do others seem to shine brighter? I believe that the reason why people shine brighter than others is because how they choose to use there light, and what they place around it!
Firstly for the light to shine at all we all first need to switch it on! We need to have a need for our light, and the reason for a light is to over come darkness, to bring light to a situation, weather that be big all small! Remember light always over comes darkness, no matter how much darkness in a room you light a small candle and no amount of darkness can stop that flame from shining! So lets switch on our lights!
But for our lights to shine at there brightest we need to make sure its clean, has no dirt or dust on it! I think such thing as sin, dulls our light, it gives us stains and blots, so our light can not shine properly, so lets make sure we stay pure and clean, and the best way to clean our light in through Jesus Christ, He cleans us as white as snow!
My last thing I just want to share is now we have our lights switched on, and shining! How can we get it to shine brighter? Let me share with you a quick fact that astonished me! Have you ever looked at a lighthouse and seen the light that shines so brightly from it, into the sea to light the way for boats? I was once asked the question what watt bulb do you think is in there? I thought something crazy like 10000watt, because it was so bright! the answer was 250 watt! That's less than 2 bulbs that are lighting up the room i am in right now! The key to lighthouse is all to do with lenses focusing the light! The bulb has lenses surrounding it giving it the power to shine up to 20 miles away! We can do the same, if we surround our self with God! If we let God focus our light we will be able to shine like a city on the top of a hill or like a lighthouse guiding boats back home. Guiding people back to their true heavenly Father!

Not skimming the surface!

I just been thinking about life. I find myself often doing it and searching for more than the average. I consider myself a deep person and have been told by others I am. So I guess I want a life of deepness and meaning! In every area whether it be life in general, in friendship, in love, in God, I want that deepness!

I see people every day live out lives and only skim the surface. They never stop to think, appreciate, or just ponder upon the factors in life that can make life from ordinary to extraordinary! People are just so busy living the lives they know, doing the thing that's expected of them to and miss the big thing the most precious things! They are like a rock skimming across the sea, so fast that they barley touch it, but if that rock just stops for a moment it falls deep into the sea and sees the beauty below, beauty they would have miss on the surface! I want to find the beauty in life that most miss, I want that deepness.

I want my friendships to be deep and real! I seem to think that people use the word "friend" very loosely these days as with a lot of other words! But I want friendship where it is true and pure, no hidden motives and trust, honesty and loyalty is at the centre. Friends that will be there for me as I'm there for them, friends that wont gossip or talk behind your back, but instead have your back! Friends that know your heart and intentions! Friend that you can share your deepest fears with, and as they share theirs with you, you wont have to fear no more as you know you're not alone! Friends you can just be yourself with, not having to try and be something or someone your not, just to be you in their presence! Friends that are always their for you when you need them regardless of any factor! Friends that just are the true meaning of friends!

I want deepness in life. I want a life a purpose and meaning! A life that is actually lived! We have one life on earth, we only get one shot, this ain't no rehearsal, and I want to live it all I can. I want a life of righteousness and purity. I want a life that walks in line with Gods heart! I want a life that makes and mark and has a difference! I want to leave this world knowing I played my part, done all I can do, and made a difference! Either to the world, or someones world! There are so many complaints in the world today of how bad it is, how much pain there is, how much hurt there is! And its true, but I'm wanting a willing to try and change it! They are so many people that blame God and say how could a good God exist with all this evil in the world! But how dare they, there so hypocritical they complain, but are not willing to do anything about it, if everyone in the world stop complaining, and lived a life of deepness, a life of action, a life of God, the world could, and would be a brighter place!

I want a life of true love! I wonder how many people are actually in love in the world. Do people have true pure love for one another or have people just settled? I believe in true love, love that can created miracles, love that was meant to be. I believe that two people can work together and have a happy life, but I also believe that two people, two certain people were meant for each other and they life a beyond than happy life in love. I don't want to "work" I want to be "meant"!
I want love that never become complacent, that never grows old, regardless of time, I want a love were the feeling of newness and butterflies still happen after years to come! I don't live in a dream world, I accept that love is not always rainbows and butterflies, but I believe through it all the love for two people never has to change or fade! I want a love that is described in the Bible which is "love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices with truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails" That's what I want. True love never fail, that's what the Bible says, so that's what I want!

I want a life with God at my centre! I want a life that is deep with God. My life has been changed for good with God, He has done amazing things in and with me and I am so grateful to Him. I want to live my life for Him and do what He wants me to do, as that is the perfect plan for my life, no other plan can compare to His. God's love for me is crazy, I can not even begin to describe it, but all I can do is love Him back. I want to live a life in line with His will and commandments, I know I fail time after time, because for one I'm human, but God always forgives me when I ask and lets me try again, and I will never stop trying for Him. He gave His life for me, so in return I want to live my life for Him, changing the world where He wants me too. I want to live a life where I live on Gods word everyday and get to know Him more, and for our relationship to grow more. I know if you don't know God, this may all sound crazy and deep to you, it would have to me, I didn't know or have anything to do with God for 17 years of my life, but then I found Him and turn to Him and my life changed from that day, and my life is incomparable to what I use to live, a life with God is the best life ever, its where you begin to actually live, not just exist, His love for you, you will never find anywhere else, and that missing part in your heart that we all try to fill is finally filled. So instead of just think "man this kid has lost it" just stop for a second and ask Jesus into your life, then you'll understand. Either accept it or reject it. The choice is yours. But my rock is going deep in the sea, and finding beauties you couldn't even dream of!

What do you do in your spare time?

I recently was asked the question by a young girl girl "What do you do in your spare time then?" And in all honesty it shocked me, the reason it shocked me is because of what the conversation was before.
The girl was talking to me about general talk, and then she went on to talk about how awful she feels as she went out the night before and got drunk so now she was suffering with after effects, and she was kind of proud about it. I replied to the girl, that " I don't have that problem as I do not drink" then this is where the question " What do you do in your spare time then?" arose!
Do we really live in such a society where the spare time we have is only invested in drinking and similar activities? And if it is, why do we see it a normally accepted! Is this how people value there life, to see it wasted under drink, to wake up the next day feeling awful after a night you can barley remember doing activities you would never do sober?
I feel so much compassion and pity for these lost souls! There is so much more to life, we were meant to live for so much more, and as previously blogged about Jesus came and died to give them life to the full. If only they would turn to Jesus!
Why is it that people today, are become proud of getting "hammered" and feeling awful the next day? Why do they find it something to show off about? Why is it that its more normal and accept to drink, than not drink? This is not this first time people have came across this was to me, and instead of me think "these guys are cool" my heart breaks for them. They could be making such a big difference in the world, and the people around them if they invested their time wisely, not in just this wasteful drinking!
But then this got me thinking, me as a Christian, what do I invest my time in?
Bob Marley said "The people in this world who are trying to make it worse are not having a day off, how can I? Light up the darkness!"
This is the view I try and have, and this quote is really impacting to me, but this is the view we all should have! I'm not saying I'm perfect by any stretch! and I'm not saying I don't have time to just chill and relax because we all do need that or else we would burn out! But in everything I do, I trying to shine and do it for a purpose for Jesus! Whether it be doing the preach at youth, to cleaning the toilets, whether it be designing a feature for church or going to the cinema! Every where I go I try and do it with purpose, purpose to make this world just a little brighter, because we all know this world could do with a little bit more light in it!
So in our spare time lets try and make the world better, it may start off small just by saying thank you, or have a great day to the person who serves you at the check out! Or picking something up you saw a person drop and give it back to them. But then lets aim for higher things, one of my personal dreams is to volunteer build and houses in a third world country, we can all have big dreams to make our world brighter, as long as we invest our spare time right now in the right things!

Some things I believe...

I believe in an awesome God.
I believe Jesus Christ died for me, and through His death my sins are forgiven.
I believe God never gives you something you can not handle.
I believe you can keep going longer after you think you can not.
I believe it takes a long time to become the person you want to be, but it can be done.
I believe you either control you attitude or it controls you.
I believe heroes are the people that do what has to be done, when it needs to be done, regardless the consequence.
I believe its is'nt always enough to be forgiven by others, but sometimes you have to learn to forgive your self!
I believe that your background and circumstances may have influenced who we are, but we are responsible for who we become!
I believe that with God the impossible can be done!
I believe no matter how big your challenge seems, God is bigger!
I believe no matter what people say it does not alter the truth.
I believe if God says you can, you can!
I believe we all have a purpose that is in our reach!
I believe dreams come true!
I believe that without God, you will always have a part missing!

Dream. Dream big. Believe it. Achieve it.

What do you dream?

Jesus said to us in John 10:10 "The thief comes to only steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full"

Jesus came to not only give us life, but life to the FULL. That's what His word says so lets grab hold of that! When we have Jesus in our life we should not settle with the ordinary. We should have the extraordinary! We should dream big for Jesus!
Oscar Wilde (writer and poet) said "To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all"
We should not be content with just existing, we should not go through life just surviving. Life was meant to live, so lets live it! Lets have dreams and ambitions! I do not want to go through life just blending in, not making a difference! I want to stand up for what I believe! I want to impact the world for good! I want to leave this life on earth knowing I made a difference and did all I could do for God. I don't care for money or fame, I don't care if I leave this world and no one remembers my name, as long as they know one name that name been Jesus! I don't do things for my own glory but for Gods Glory!

Lets us all have dreams! Let us dream big! Believe it! Achieve it!

Lets take a moment just to stop in the crazy chaos of a world. Stop and listen. Listen to your heart. Listen to what God is saying to you, listen to the dreams He has for you! Lets want what Gods what. When I stop I see the worlds beauty, but I also feel its pain, and I am here to help!

Lets aim to reach our full potential for God. Lets aim to fulfill our dreams for Him. But we don't have to wait around! We can do it now! Even if you are young and feel like you can not make a difference yet, you wrong, you can!

In 1 Timothy 4:12 it says "Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young..."
Do not see you age as a handicap! You can still dream. You can still make a difference and achieve no matter what age you are! It say don't let ANYONE look down on you, ANYONE includes you self!

Even if you start off small, and your works seem insignificant remember a small ripple can gain momentum and cause a current that is unconquerable! So lets start with one small step! Walk your own path and don't let anyone get in your way! And don't let anyone tell you, you can't do it! If its from God you can do it! You have permission to do your mission!

Christopher Gardner said "Don't let someone tell you, you can't do something. You got a dream you got to protect it! People can't do something themselves, they want to tell you, you can't do it. If you want something, go get it. Period!"

Even if at times we fail, its part of life. If you haven't failed. you haven't live! Remember if we are living and not just existing we will face failure at times, but that means you are aiming for something that means you are living! But remember if you fail always get back up! Thomas Edison puts it like this, he had 99 attempts of making a light bulb before he actually made it but he said i didn't fail 99 times, i just found 99 ways of how not to do it! Every time we find a way of how not to do something, we are closer to achieving what we set out to do!
Do not let what people say alter your dreams! Even if people say you can't, know that you can! Lets look at what some people said to others who achieved:
Turned down by the decor recording company who said "we don't like there sound, and their guitar music is on the way out" - The Beatles
Cut from the high school basket ball team. He went home, locked himself in his room and cried. -Michael Jordan
A teacher told him he was too stupid to learn anything, that he should go into a field where he might succeed virtue to his pleasant personality - Thomas Edison
Fired from a newspaper because he lacked imagination and had no original ideas -Walt Disney
Did what happened or what people said alter whether or not the could achieve? No! So don't let it change you either! Some may laugh. So what! Many will follow!
As we dream, and chase our dream we will hit failure! If you never failed you have never lived! If you fail at something it means you are aiming at something that's hard to reach which is what we need to do! But don't ever give in! There are many ways to fail, but only one way to succeed; NEVER GIVE UP!
If we take it to the Bible Joseph had a dream, and he never gave in on it. He pursued it the whole way as it was from God! And even when it seemed impossible, and everyone laughed, and he ended up in prison, when everything was against him. He never gave in and his dream came to be. So can yours! Success seems to be largely a matter of hanging on after others have let go!
Do not have fear! Do not let fear stop you from achieving your dreams. Fear keeps people small. If God is for you who can be against you? If God is for you, who shall you fear? Our faith needs to be bigger than our fear! Lets run towards our fear and embrace them. because on the other side of our greatest fear, lives our greatest life!

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am i to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightening about shrinking so others don't feel insecure around you. We were all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to manifest the glory of God that is within us. Its not just in some of us; its in everyone! And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. And as we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others - Marianne Williamson

Let us not think Who am I to do this? Who am I to achieve this? Who am I to dream like this? Who are you not too!Let us not have that fear, let us chase our dreams and have confidence in them as we do, we will inspire others to do the same. Lets get down from the stands, and on to the court, lets play the game of life. Lets stop looking at people having their own dreams, lets have our own! Lets life life to the full, the life Jesus came to give us! Lets be able to say at the end of our life "I dreamed! I dreamed big! I Believed it! And I achieved it!"

Looking beyond the surface!

So lately I have this vission in my head, its kind of like a parrable! It represents the world, the people that only see the surface and for me personally my parents and family, the other people represented are people "Christians" who search deeper than the surface!
Its like the world settle with rocks and gravel that is on the surface as that is all they can see, so that is what they accept! Its got no great value but it is all they know! This can be the relationships they have, the jobs they have, the role they play in the world! They are scared of digging underground as it is hard work, and they dont know what they will find down there so they dont bother looking! They are scared of leaving the surface as it is where they feel comfortable and it seems the "normal" thing to do is to stay on the surface!
This is the view my parents have, they want me to stay on the surface! They want me to get a "normal" job as that is where they think i'll be secure! They get scared of me going underground!
But me I want to dig deep underground! I want to go places they never dreamed of! Yes I will get mucky along the way, and it will be hard work at times! And sometimes I will get lost, but the I will have a light to guide me back on my journey and that light is Jesus! And after all this hard work and all this "digging" I will find something that people on the surface will never have seen, I will find a diamond!
That diamond will be what Jesus has wanted me to find, what He wanted me to do, His purpose that He planned for me! And I will find it! Everybody has a dimond to find! So get your spades and start digging!!!!

Just a quick something that really spoke to me the other day!
I was listening to Lecrae - Rebel album and there a song called truth which put somthing into simple terms which I thought was great, here is what it was:

"Some people say that God ain't real 'cause they dont see how a good God can exist with all this evil in the world. If God is real He should stop all this evil, 'cause He's all-powerfull right? What is evil thoigh man? It's anything that's against God. It's anything morally bad or wrong. It's murder, rape, stealing, lying, cheating. But if we want God to stop evil, do we want Him to stop it all or just a little bit of it? If He stops us from doing evil things, what about lying, or what about our evil thoughts? I mean, where do you stop, the murder level, the lying level, or the thinking level? If we want Him to stop evil, we gotta be consistent, we can't just pick and choose. That means you and I would be eliminated right? Because we think evil stuff. If that's true, we should be elminated! But thanks be to God that Jesus stepped in to save us from our sin! Christ died for all evilness! Repent, turn to Jesus man!"

Thats all think about it! Peace out!