Foy Vance

Last night was possibly the best night of my life.

Foy Vance was INCREDIBLE. I think that is the only gig I have ever got emotional at. I can't even explain it. His playing (loop pedal, guitar, vocals, violin bow, harmonica, keyboard, etc) is awe inspiring. His lyrics are phenomenal.

And the crowd participation was equally exciting!

Marriage, babies, and more.

Yesterday, a friend of mine told me she is expecting a baby, so naturally, I am very excited! Small screaming and pooing objects are a source of endless curiosity for me. I cannot wait to meet the little thing.

Today, someone commented on my previous post - that the majority of those people are in relationships or married. I found it interesting that he noticed something like that. I didn't.

Currently, I have friends at every stage of life:

• single
• dating
• married
• pregnant
• having babies
• having 'families'

What I find interesting is that there is something in all of us, something wired into our very being which desires to be in relationship with others. In the Shawshank Redemption, there is very moving scene where one of the characters is released from the prison that has been his home for most of his life. And he finds himself in a world he doesn't recognise and where he doesn't fit in. Eventually, he kills himself.

How would we cope if all our relationships were taken away one day, if we were stranded with no one for companionship? We are all relational beings, even those of us who are introverts and who need time away from others. We were created for community. And that is why I think we look forward to marriage and family life. We are excited to share our lives with others.

People who are single may sometimes struggle to celebrate genuinely and honestly with those who have found love. What should be joy ends up feeling like resentment and jealousy.

Let us learn to rejoice with those who rejoice. Let us not resent what others have because we, too, want it. Let us be pleased for the sucesses of others.

"May heaven grant you in all things your heart's desire - husband, house and a happy peaceful home. For there is nothing better in this world than that a man and woman, sharing the same ideas, keep house together. It discomforts their enemies and makes the hearts of their friends glad - but they themselves know more about it than anyone."

Homer, The Odyssey

Friends

Friends.

So many, and so great!

This is a blog giving props to these wonderful people. I can't express to everyone exactly what they mean to me. But here are some photos of wonderful people in my life who bless me, teach me, encourage me, challenge me, and look after me!

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!

Knowing God

"We can no more find a method for knowing God than for making God, because the knowledge of God is God Himself dwelling in the soul. The most we can do is to prepare for His entry, to get out of His way, to remove the barriers, for until God acts in us there is nothing positive that we can do in this direction."

Alan W. Watts

The lusciousness of Mr Foy!

I can't quite believe that in 2 days I shall be seeing this beautiful man in the flesh!

Foy Vance is the first musician I have heard in a long time who writes lyrics with genuine passion. His experiences as a church kid growing up in Northern Ireland have shaped his character, and his songs reflect this.

Please go and check him out on myspace or his website (http://www.foyvance.com/) if you haven't already!

Writing a book...

So, I've started writing a book.

Nothing special. Just a short devotional book. Something which people can learn from, something where you only have to read one page a day. That kinda thing.

I was thinking of lumping together all these facebook notes, thoughts and blogs into one book. Then using them as a resource for '30 Days of Devotion' (an idea from friends of mine), where young people commit to reading one devotion every day for a month.

I wonder if that would be a good conversation starter and content for discussion?

Encouragement

Wow, so someone said I should start a blog. Here goes!
These are mostly my incoherant and strangely odd ramblings and thoughts from my days.

"Today, I have mostly been..." thinking about encouragement. How can one small word feel like such a huge knife to your chest? Why do we find it so easy to put down and mock, rather than build up and encourage?

In Proverbs 16 it talks about some key qualities of a leader:

"A good leader motivates, doesn't mislead, doesn't exploit."
"Good leaders cultivate honest speech; they love advisors who tell them the truth."
"Good-tempered leaders invigorate lives; they're like spring rain and sunshine."
"Gracious speech is like clover honey— good taste to the soul, quick energy for the body."

Why are we not developing gracious speech? Words are powerful, they cut right into the heart of something. When we speak truth to people, we are impacting their lives in ways bigger than we know. When we speak negative and sharp words, we cut down who they are as a person.

They say that you remember negative words much more than positive ones...so much so, that it takes 5 positive words to outweigh just 1 negative one!

More than anything I want to build people up. I want to take the time to notice their hopes, dreams, gifts and passions, and see their self worth increase by telling them how amazing they are. I want to tell friends that they are beautiful and inspiring without feeling embarassed. I want to listen well to God so that I can speak just the right words into someones life who really needs them. I want to be a builder and not a destroyer.