Come set Your rule and reign
In our hearts again
Increase in us we pray
Unveil why we're made
Come set our hearts ablaze with hope
Like wildfire in our very souls
Holy Spirit come invade us now
We are Your Church
We need Your power
In us
We seek Your kingdom first
We hunger and we thirst
Refuse to waste our lives
For You're our joy and prize
To see the captive hearts released
The hurt; the sick; the poor at peace
We lay down our lives for Heaven's cause
We are Your church
We pray revive
This Earth
Build Your kingdom here
Let the darkness fear
Show Your mighty hand
Heal our streets and land
Set Your church on fire
Win this nation back
Change the atmosphere
Build Your kingdom here
We pray
Unleash Your kingdom's power
Reaching the near and far
No force of hell can stop
Your beauty changing hearts
You made us for much more than this
Awake the kingdom seed in us
Fill us with the strength and love of Christ
We are Your church
We are the hope
On Earth
Saturday, 6 April 2013
Tuesday, 19 February 2013
3 years, a few weeks ago.
I wrote this blog on the 19th Feb and some how managed not to post it, but i guess better late than never!
Tomorrow marks my 3 year relationship with Abi. And I have to say its been a pretty amazing time. Earlier I asked Abi to describe our time together in 3 words, and her response was 'up and down' which if I was honest I would agree with. I don't think anyone can have a healthy relationship without some downs. But I guess the only thing that matters is that we get through the down times and come out the other end together. I consider my self to be really lucky with Abi in the fact that we both respect each other, we love each other, we live together, we spend a lot of time together and we also worship together.
A lot has happened in these three years, I got a new job then quit and started my joinery business again, I have shared new experiences with the band, gigging and recording. Made new friends, lost old friends, brought a rust heap of van that costs me a fortune, come into money and lost money. Took up responsibility of leading my church's worship group. But there is one thing that hasn't changed much and that's my faith in God, well it has changed in the way I pray, praise or worship him but my faith has never wandered. Yeah there have been times when Iv felt a little lost, or unsure but deep down I have always known that God loves me. God has made these years a challenge and forced me out of my comfort zone, but it's great, as uncomfortable as I may feel, the experiences and time spent with God has been nothing but Amazing! And I look forward to the years to come, the challenges, the opportunities and the hope!
Tomorrow marks my 3 year relationship with Abi. And I have to say its been a pretty amazing time. Earlier I asked Abi to describe our time together in 3 words, and her response was 'up and down' which if I was honest I would agree with. I don't think anyone can have a healthy relationship without some downs. But I guess the only thing that matters is that we get through the down times and come out the other end together. I consider my self to be really lucky with Abi in the fact that we both respect each other, we love each other, we live together, we spend a lot of time together and we also worship together.
A lot has happened in these three years, I got a new job then quit and started my joinery business again, I have shared new experiences with the band, gigging and recording. Made new friends, lost old friends, brought a rust heap of van that costs me a fortune, come into money and lost money. Took up responsibility of leading my church's worship group. But there is one thing that hasn't changed much and that's my faith in God, well it has changed in the way I pray, praise or worship him but my faith has never wandered. Yeah there have been times when Iv felt a little lost, or unsure but deep down I have always known that God loves me. God has made these years a challenge and forced me out of my comfort zone, but it's great, as uncomfortable as I may feel, the experiences and time spent with God has been nothing but Amazing! And I look forward to the years to come, the challenges, the opportunities and the hope!
Sunday, 6 January 2013
Counting Sheep
I'm sorry for feeling sorry for myself
Feeling helpless could be helpful with a little help
Hopelessly hopeful that my dreams will come true
It's hard to focus when it's only day dreaming I do
I'd be thoughtlessly thoughtless if I thought it would work
But I've been working on my thought process, now my brain hurts
In bed, wide eyed, awake,
I pray to God, if he exists, my mind he'll take
Never any sleep between these sheets
But I've been counting sheep for weeks
Inside my head, when I'm in bed
Maybe I'll sleep when I'm dead
Fighting the night by writing lyrics describing the act of sleep depriving
Fighting the night by writing lyrics describing the act of sleep depriving
I'll go insane if I dont get some rest
Why am I emotional when I'm motionless
Lately it's been getting later 'til I drift away
But I know fourty winks later I'll be fast awake
Getting bored of bordering the state of conciousness
I'm half asleep the whole time, three quarters at best
Down I lie to try and get myself some shut-eye
To no surprise I find my eyelids are avoiding my eyes, I'm tired
Never any sleep between these sheets
But I've been counting sheep for weeks
Inside my head, when I'm in bed
Maybe I'll sleep when I'm dead
Fighting the night by writing lyrics describing the act of sleep depriving
Wednesday, 17 October 2012
Scared of the dark
Man is,
Afraid of the unknown,
I don't know what the night brings,
When I'm alone
The lamp's on,
It's always been that way,
It's a way, I hope that things,
Will always stay
And I'm embarrassed to say,
That I'm still scared of the dark at my age,
It's not the monsters under my bed or in the wardrobe,
I just feel alone in the dark,
With the lights off and eyes closed
Now the world knows,
The world knows
In darkness,
I see shapes and beings on the walls
And in the corners of the ceiling
Fears surround me,
Like an army of ninja ghosts,
Waiting for me to sleep,
It's when they attack the most
That's when they attack the most
And I'm embarrassed to say,
That I'm still scared of the dark at my age,
It's not the monsters under my bed or in the wardrobe,
I just feel alone in the world,
With lights off and eyes closed
Now the world knows
The world knows
And I'm embarrassed to say,
That I'm still scared of the dark at my age,
It's not the monsters under my bed or in the wardrobe,
I just feel alone in the world,
With lights off and eyes closed
Man is,
Afraid of the unknown
More lyrics: http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/l/lower_than_atlantis/#share
Sunday, 14 October 2012
Reflections
if you know me you will know I love driving, even tho my van is a sludgy, 14 year old beast I still love the feeling of freedom I get from driving her. Last night I decided to go for a drive on my own, to fetch supplies (chrisps and drinks). It was rather dark and the street lights do an amazing job of lighting the way for you, but as I headed out the back of Ilkeston I was driving along a road without street lights, the darkness covered the intire landscape. I prefer night driving, I don't know what it is but I love it, the sense of being in the middle of nowhere with just the lights of the van to guide me.
I had my full beams on and the lights reflected on the cats eyes in the centre on the road, and it made me realise that, even in the darkness there is still something to guide me, and it really related to my relationship with God at the moment, I feel dormant in my faith, not a lot is going off in my life, but like the cats eyes in the road, God will reflect the light I shine living out my life, and guide me in the right direction even through the darkness. All I have to do is shine my light!
I had my full beams on and the lights reflected on the cats eyes in the centre on the road, and it made me realise that, even in the darkness there is still something to guide me, and it really related to my relationship with God at the moment, I feel dormant in my faith, not a lot is going off in my life, but like the cats eyes in the road, God will reflect the light I shine living out my life, and guide me in the right direction even through the darkness. All I have to do is shine my light!
Thursday, 17 May 2012
Wednesday, 15 February 2012
Sunday, 5 February 2012
Band!
A Little Change
Ok, so I have decided I'm going to change how I use this Blog, I'm not just going to use it to talk about God, or havinga rant or using lyrics from songs I listen to, I'm going to start adding photos and bitsand bobs, of things that happen in my life and things that inspire me. I'm not a very good photographer so some photos may be stolen from those with better skills than myself, but I do promise that i will only use them if they relate to something going off in my life!
Monday, 23 January 2012
Thoughts
Today, so far has been boring, I've been really lucky to get 3days off work, and today is the third. but so far I have failed to do anything productive, apart from play GT5 on the PS3. I've been alone too, as Abi is back at uni today. beeing alone is nice but it makes the time drag, and makes the day seem endless. All this time alone is getting to my head now though, thoughts and feelings are running wild in my head as a loose myself in a race of thought. some of these thoughts, I could do without. These last few weeks, I haven't felt to stable, silly things just get to me and get me worked up and upset and angry, but I don't know why? I know I have a short temper and I have been working on it, but silly little things seem to be able to annoy me so much. I keep having these thoughts of 'what if?'.
For some reason I've always been one of those people who look back on life and think, 'What if?' its really annouying becuase it digs up buried feelings from the past, and I let them get to me. I don't know where this is heading so I'm goona go before.... I dunno, incase I say something I don't want to.
For some reason I've always been one of those people who look back on life and think, 'What if?' its really annouying becuase it digs up buried feelings from the past, and I let them get to me. I don't know where this is heading so I'm goona go before.... I dunno, incase I say something I don't want to.
Now I can say, Now I can Feel
Maybe now I can say
Maybe now I can feel
I know it's out of my hands
You said you would but I don't know if I can
Two weeks of hiding from the sun
Night Train should get me there in time
And I would breathe eventually
If you could tell me now
We won't have to wait
Maybe now I can say
Maybe now I can feel
It's going out of my head
You said nothing but I know what you meant
Two weeks of hiding from the sun
You looked in my eyes
Thought it was better left unsaid
And I could breathe eventually
You've always showed me the beautiful
We won't have to wait
Maybe now I can feel
I know it's out of my hands
You said you would but I don't know if I can
Two weeks of hiding from the sun
Night Train should get me there in time
And I would breathe eventually
If you could tell me now
We won't have to wait
Maybe now I can say
Maybe now I can feel
It's going out of my head
You said nothing but I know what you meant
Two weeks of hiding from the sun
You looked in my eyes
Thought it was better left unsaid
And I could breathe eventually
You've always showed me the beautiful
We won't have to wait
Sunday, 22 January 2012
Another Sad Song
Flashback to 1999,
It's the summer,
Not a cloud in the sky.
Present day,
Things have changed,
Summer's over
And it rains here every day.
Don't cry,
We all make mistakes from time to time.
Unfortunately, for me,
Being me was mine.
Don't cry,
We all make mistakes from time to time.
Unfortunately, for me,
Being me was mine.
But how so?
I'm only 21 years old.
I used to be so happy,
Now here's another sad song by a sad boy
Playing the saddest chords he knows.
Don't cry,
We all make mistakes from time to time.
Unfortunately, for me,
Being me was mine.
It's the summer,
Not a cloud in the sky.
Present day,
Things have changed,
Summer's over
And it rains here every day.
Don't cry,
We all make mistakes from time to time.
Unfortunately, for me,
Being me was mine.
Don't cry,
We all make mistakes from time to time.
Unfortunately, for me,
Being me was mine.
But how so?
I'm only 21 years old.
I used to be so happy,
Now here's another sad song by a sad boy
Playing the saddest chords he knows.
Don't cry,
We all make mistakes from time to time.
Unfortunately, for me,
Being me was mine.
Tuesday, 8 November 2011
Textbook church
My church has just taken part in the National Church Development (NCD) survey, and I have just been looking through the results, and if I'm honest it scares me.
The survey is set up so that all members of the church fill in a questionnaire answering a range of questions about how well you feel the church does in different aspects of church life, from reaching out to the community to praying for each other to how you feel within your small groups. The survey is completely anonymous, and you have to be completly honest when answering it. I hope others were as honest as I was. All the questionnaires get sorted and the results get totted up, and the results are given. I think it works on an average score so all the scores totaled then divided by the number of returned questionnaires.
Reading the results was interesting, it shows how people at your church feel, and what people think the church's strengths and weaknesses are. But its only an average. All the scores are shown on graphs and charts, this is what scares me. How can you represent a church in numbers and figures? Church isn't a business! Fair enough that it will help highlight areas of our church that need looking at and working with. But if we are helping one person with someting we do surely thats better than helping no-one at all?
Within such a small church averages won't work. If someone isn't happy with something or down scores something on the questionnaire will it make a difference within an average? I just hope that these results don't get to people or upset anyone, and don't get me wrong I'm not having a go at anyone for this, I just hate seeing a church in numbers and figures, would God really want to see this? Using time and effort to asses the churchs pros and cons rather than getting out there and doing his will, helping the needy, lets stop reviewing and nitpicking church, lets get out there and show the world Gods love.
The survey is set up so that all members of the church fill in a questionnaire answering a range of questions about how well you feel the church does in different aspects of church life, from reaching out to the community to praying for each other to how you feel within your small groups. The survey is completely anonymous, and you have to be completly honest when answering it. I hope others were as honest as I was. All the questionnaires get sorted and the results get totted up, and the results are given. I think it works on an average score so all the scores totaled then divided by the number of returned questionnaires.
Reading the results was interesting, it shows how people at your church feel, and what people think the church's strengths and weaknesses are. But its only an average. All the scores are shown on graphs and charts, this is what scares me. How can you represent a church in numbers and figures? Church isn't a business! Fair enough that it will help highlight areas of our church that need looking at and working with. But if we are helping one person with someting we do surely thats better than helping no-one at all?
Within such a small church averages won't work. If someone isn't happy with something or down scores something on the questionnaire will it make a difference within an average? I just hope that these results don't get to people or upset anyone, and don't get me wrong I'm not having a go at anyone for this, I just hate seeing a church in numbers and figures, would God really want to see this? Using time and effort to asses the churchs pros and cons rather than getting out there and doing his will, helping the needy, lets stop reviewing and nitpicking church, lets get out there and show the world Gods love.
Wednesday, 26 October 2011
Our God.
Our God is an awesome God
He reigns from heaven above
With wisdom, power and love
Our God is an awesome God
He reigns from heaven above
With wisdom, power and love
Our God is an awesome God
Saturday, 22 October 2011
I, Will Follow!
Where you go, I'll go
Where you stay, I'll stay
When you move, I'll move
I will follow...
All your ways are good
All your ways are sure
I will trust in you alone
Higher than my side
High above my life
I will trust in you alone
Where you go, I'll go
Where you stay, I'll stay
When you move, I'll move
I will follow you
Who you love, I'll love
How you serve I'll serve
If this life I lose, I will follow you
I will follow you
Light unto the world
Light unto my life
I will live for you alone
You're the one I seek
Knowing I will find
All I need in you alone, in you alone
In you there's life everlasting
In you there's freedom for my soul
In you there joy, unending joy
and I will follow
Monday, 17 October 2011
God's Call
sooo, It's been a while. Alot has changed in my life since i last wrote on here. I have a new Job, at Tile Giant, I now know every thing anyone would want to know about wall and floor tiles. I have a little bit of money, I can finaly do things in life thatI enjoy. (maily going to KFC). but the biggest development is that Abi and I have started going back to the salvo at Aspley, its soo good to be back and thepeople there are amazing, its like i never left. Abi loves it too which is great for us, we both worship together and enjoy it.
I went for soo long without gonig to church. And I really missed it, its one of those things that you either take for granted or you don't know what you have until its gone. I felt like there was a part of me missing for a long while when i wasn't at church, I knew God wasn't happy with me for not going, for my reasons for not goig were proberbally silly, but to me, they were good reasons.
I knew God was calling me back to church, but I ignored him, made up reasons in my head of why not to go, too busy, too lazy. But if I was honest, I was just too scared, I didn't know what the people, my friends would think of me, being away for soo long then just walking back in. But the longer I left it the harder it felt to go back. It wasn't till God was being releantles with His Calls that I bit the bullet and ventured back to the Army and its been great my life seems one step closer to being whole again!
Wednesday, 20 July 2011
It's Been A While
It's been a while
Since I could hold my head up high
and it's been a while
Since I first saw you
It's been a while
since I could stand on my own two feet again
and it's been a while
since I could call you
But everything I can't remember as fucked up as it may seem
the consequences that I've rendered
I've stretched myself beyond my means
It's been a while
since I could say that I wasn't addicted and
It's been a while
Since I could say I love myself as well and
It's been a while
Since I've gone and fucked things up just like I always do
It's been a while
But all that shit seems to disappear when I'm with you
But everything I can't remember as fucked up as it may seem
the consequences that I've rendered
I've gone and fucked things up again
Why must i feel this way?
just make this go away
just one more peaceful day
Its been awhile
Since I could look at myself straight
and it's been awhile
since I said I'm sorry
It's been awhile
Since I've seen the way the candles light your face
It's been awhile
But I can still remember just the way you taste
But everything I can't remember as fucked up as it may seem
I know it's me I cannot blame this on my father
he did the best he could for me
It's been a while
Since I could hold my head up high
and it's been a while since I said I'm sorry
Since I could hold my head up high
and it's been a while
Since I first saw you
It's been a while
since I could stand on my own two feet again
and it's been a while
since I could call you
But everything I can't remember as fucked up as it may seem
the consequences that I've rendered
I've stretched myself beyond my means
It's been a while
since I could say that I wasn't addicted and
It's been a while
Since I could say I love myself as well and
It's been a while
Since I've gone and fucked things up just like I always do
It's been a while
But all that shit seems to disappear when I'm with you
But everything I can't remember as fucked up as it may seem
the consequences that I've rendered
I've gone and fucked things up again
Why must i feel this way?
just make this go away
just one more peaceful day
Its been awhile
Since I could look at myself straight
and it's been awhile
since I said I'm sorry
It's been awhile
Since I've seen the way the candles light your face
It's been awhile
But I can still remember just the way you taste
But everything I can't remember as fucked up as it may seem
I know it's me I cannot blame this on my father
he did the best he could for me
It's been a while
Since I could hold my head up high
and it's been a while since I said I'm sorry
Sunday, 17 July 2011
Yeah, I'll miss you when I'm gone
I'll sing you a sad song tonight
And I'll miss you when I'm gone
I'll sing you a sad song
One more chance to get this right
One more chance to get it right
One more chance to get this right
But you'll never get it right
I know you'll never get it right
You only take this so far
Then leave it all behind
So tonight I'm making up my mind
You know you make this so hard to leave it all behind
Step up to the plate to play the game
Save yourself and quit to play it safe
I'll sing you a sad song tonight
And I'll miss you when I'm gone
I'll sing you a sad song
One more chance to get this right
One more chance to get it right
One more chance to get this right
But you'll never get it right
I know you'll never get it right
You only take this so far
Then leave it all behind
So tonight I'm making up my mind
You know you make this so hard to leave it all behind
Step up to the plate to play the game
Save yourself and quit to play it safe
Saturday, 16 July 2011
If Jesus is God, Was He perfect?
Can God feel pain?, If we sin does he hurt?
I spent this morning with a couple of people from church, looking at what it means to be a soldier within he Salvation Army. Looking at the Articals of war, Which You sing on becoming a Sinoior Soldier within the Salvo, I supose its like a Mission Statement, It lays out what we believe and how we should live our lives as a desciple of God in the Salvo. I signed the Articals of war 2 days after my 18th birthday. A great deal has changed in my life since then, So it was good to go through the 'AoW' and relate it to my lie now. Most of it sat very comfortably with me as they are values and ideals that I still Try to live by.
There was one Artical that did play with me slightly and got me thinking....
'We Believe That In The Person Of Jesus Christ The Devine And Human Natures Are United, So That He Is Truely And Properly God And Truely And Properly Man'
so, Jesus, is God! God is human! God is perfect, a perfect being. but being human must have meant that he felt pain? Emotion?
Jesus was a carpenter, and as someone pointed out this morning, all Carpenters have hit thier thumb with a hammer, and trust me, we have, and it hurts! ALOT! so did Jesus hit his thumb with a hammer? did he feel the pain? Did he feel the pain on the cross as he wept? Did he get head aches? did he become ill?
I'm loving the paths of though that I'm going along at the mo, Did My God feel my pain? The emotions that I've felt? the joy that I've shared. The more i think about it and talk about it the more I realise My God Is Human!
I spent this morning with a couple of people from church, looking at what it means to be a soldier within he Salvation Army. Looking at the Articals of war, Which You sing on becoming a Sinoior Soldier within the Salvo, I supose its like a Mission Statement, It lays out what we believe and how we should live our lives as a desciple of God in the Salvo. I signed the Articals of war 2 days after my 18th birthday. A great deal has changed in my life since then, So it was good to go through the 'AoW' and relate it to my lie now. Most of it sat very comfortably with me as they are values and ideals that I still Try to live by.
There was one Artical that did play with me slightly and got me thinking....
'We Believe That In The Person Of Jesus Christ The Devine And Human Natures Are United, So That He Is Truely And Properly God And Truely And Properly Man'
so, Jesus, is God! God is human! God is perfect, a perfect being. but being human must have meant that he felt pain? Emotion?
Jesus was a carpenter, and as someone pointed out this morning, all Carpenters have hit thier thumb with a hammer, and trust me, we have, and it hurts! ALOT! so did Jesus hit his thumb with a hammer? did he feel the pain? Did he feel the pain on the cross as he wept? Did he get head aches? did he become ill?
I'm loving the paths of though that I'm going along at the mo, Did My God feel my pain? The emotions that I've felt? the joy that I've shared. The more i think about it and talk about it the more I realise My God Is Human!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)