And here's the other article I wrote for them.
How to have a happier New Year
So I usually spend most of my Christmas break overindulging and enjoying catch ups with family and friends I haven’t seen in a while shortly before inevitably seeing in the New Year obsessing about the over indulgence and setting myself some highly unachievable and ill-advised targets to transform myself from drab to fab. This New Year however, I am fully planning on enjoying the festive period indulging (slightly less heavily than normal) and beginning the New Year in high spirits without the usual ‘come-down’. Here are my tips to a happier New Year.
1. Don’t over-indulge too much
Sounds too simple to be true right? Really though not spending the first few weeks of Jan nursing a mammoth hangover is really worth it- makes getting up early to go to the gym that tinsy bit easier- trust me!
2. Develop an attitude of gratitude
Be grateful for what you already have. As the Christmas classic ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ says “No one is born to be a failure. No one who has friends is poor.” Work with what God gave you, get to know it intimately, and learn to love it! Those quirks, that weird flicky thing your hair does, your weirdo embarrassing sibling? –all God-given. Realising the difference between getting what you want and what you need and knowing that God always provides what you need and that we don’t always align that with what we want is key.
3. Work out what you want and fight for it
You have a vision or dream? Write it down, speak it out, confess it, stake it and claim it. Be prepared to fight for it. You love to be creative? Don’t be afraid to have a go, get it wrong, mess it up and try again. Give yourself a break when you do mess it up and congratulate yourself when you keep trying. American athlete Jesse Owens once said “We all have dreams. But in order to make dreams come into reality, it takes an awful lot of determination, dedication, self-discipline and effort.”
4. Know who you are and recognise who you want to become
Every athlete will tell you that vital to succeeding in sport is knowing your strengths and weaknesses. Know who you are, what drives you and motivates you and what you struggle with. Overcoming your struggles and battling those demons becomes easier when know what your identity is and where it’s grounded. My identity comes from God. I know who I am in him. I know what I need to work on and where I fall short but also where I’m strong.
5. Be intentional
Procrastination is responsible for the biggest waste of talent. Don’t sit around fretting about not achieving your goals or worrying get out there and shake things up. Whether it’s a few extra pounds you want to lose or a novel you want to write nothing ever became of doing nothing. Choose how you spend your time wisely. Spend time with positive life-affirming people who build you up and encourage you.
So those are my tips for a happier new year. For the most part I think they’re applicable to almost all situations. Don’t be too hard on yourself and learn to enjoy the challenge. Who knows this time next year you may not have too much you wish to change! Merry Christmas and a happier New Year.
Thursday 19 January 2012
What if we want to date?
So recently I've been writing for this site www.milkandhoneymedia.co.uk
I've only two articles. Here's the most recent....
What if we want to date?
We all know what it’s like Boy meets Girl. Boy likes Girl. Girl and Boy flirt a little bit and then become boyfriend and girlfriend. And then comes the hard bit- the opinions from the world and his wife on how to act, what to do and when to say those three little words. Defining your relationship and finding a formula that works for you can be tough. Most people get most of their dating advice these days from magazines and rom-coms but what are the rules for dating today? And what does the church say about dating?
Dating can be complicated when you’re a Christian so to simplify I like to go direct to the Bible for some basics. As a Christian I do my best to ensure I live a life that’s holy and pleasing to God and that conforms to the way of life set out in the Bible. It hasn’t always been this way but it certainly is now.
Do not define a godly relationship by worldly standards
As it says in Romans ‘Do not conform to the patterns of this world.’ (Romans 12:2). Do not let the rules and regulations, the dos and don’ts of this world define a relationship where God is in charge. This one I’ve found most helpful in helping define a relationship and its boundaries within a Christian context. It takes the pressure off and keeps me grounded.
Protect your purity and cherish it.
The Bible is clear that to live a Godly life sex must be saved for marriage. It is something God has set aside for the context of marriage and is to be enjoyed within the safety of marriage. Knowing you must not have sex outside marriage is one thing, seeking to cherish this and value your purity is quite another. It has taken me a long time to achieve an attitude that sees it a gift or privilege to set yourself aside for the one man you are going to marry. But I think if you get there it’s worth it and makes the waiting a lot easier!
Date like-minded people
For me this means dating Christian men. To date someone who doesn’t share my faith or believe in God would be strange because it’s so important to me. Also this point has biblical basis: 2 Corinthians 6:14 says ‘Do not be yoked together with unbelievers.’ This makes clear the standard that God sets for relationships in my view. And from personal experience of not heeding this rule it’s a lot harder to establish or maintain a pure relationship with a non-Christian who doesn’t share your raison d-etre.
What form these rules can take and what following them can lead to in a relationship I haven’t figured out yet. But for now, these are my dating rules. Borne partly out of knowing the other side,
making these mistakes and learning from them, and partly from desiring to meet and have a relationship with a godly man. I know now what I want and what I don’t and a little more on how not to act when I think I’ve found it.
For those who feel these rules may not apply because of past actions in previous or current relationships I have written this not from a place of self-righteousness or smug moral and spiritual superiority but having made many of the mistakes these rules advocate avoiding. I have not always been a Christian and my relationships to date have not always had God at the centre. The result has been an unequal yoking and often has ended in heartbreak. But I believe these rules can absolutely be applied to my life now as a single Christian and to my next relationship (which believe you me will be with a Christian, grounded in Godly authority and enriched because of it) so if you’re wondering whether having broken these rules in the past whether you are exempt from having a good, Christian relationship the answer is no. Why not turn over a new slate today and see whether any of these rules might work for you?
I've only two articles. Here's the most recent....
What if we want to date?
We all know what it’s like Boy meets Girl. Boy likes Girl. Girl and Boy flirt a little bit and then become boyfriend and girlfriend. And then comes the hard bit- the opinions from the world and his wife on how to act, what to do and when to say those three little words. Defining your relationship and finding a formula that works for you can be tough. Most people get most of their dating advice these days from magazines and rom-coms but what are the rules for dating today? And what does the church say about dating?
Dating can be complicated when you’re a Christian so to simplify I like to go direct to the Bible for some basics. As a Christian I do my best to ensure I live a life that’s holy and pleasing to God and that conforms to the way of life set out in the Bible. It hasn’t always been this way but it certainly is now.
Do not define a godly relationship by worldly standards
As it says in Romans ‘Do not conform to the patterns of this world.’ (Romans 12:2). Do not let the rules and regulations, the dos and don’ts of this world define a relationship where God is in charge. This one I’ve found most helpful in helping define a relationship and its boundaries within a Christian context. It takes the pressure off and keeps me grounded.
Protect your purity and cherish it.
The Bible is clear that to live a Godly life sex must be saved for marriage. It is something God has set aside for the context of marriage and is to be enjoyed within the safety of marriage. Knowing you must not have sex outside marriage is one thing, seeking to cherish this and value your purity is quite another. It has taken me a long time to achieve an attitude that sees it a gift or privilege to set yourself aside for the one man you are going to marry. But I think if you get there it’s worth it and makes the waiting a lot easier!
Date like-minded people
For me this means dating Christian men. To date someone who doesn’t share my faith or believe in God would be strange because it’s so important to me. Also this point has biblical basis: 2 Corinthians 6:14 says ‘Do not be yoked together with unbelievers.’ This makes clear the standard that God sets for relationships in my view. And from personal experience of not heeding this rule it’s a lot harder to establish or maintain a pure relationship with a non-Christian who doesn’t share your raison d-etre.
What form these rules can take and what following them can lead to in a relationship I haven’t figured out yet. But for now, these are my dating rules. Borne partly out of knowing the other side,
making these mistakes and learning from them, and partly from desiring to meet and have a relationship with a godly man. I know now what I want and what I don’t and a little more on how not to act when I think I’ve found it.
For those who feel these rules may not apply because of past actions in previous or current relationships I have written this not from a place of self-righteousness or smug moral and spiritual superiority but having made many of the mistakes these rules advocate avoiding. I have not always been a Christian and my relationships to date have not always had God at the centre. The result has been an unequal yoking and often has ended in heartbreak. But I believe these rules can absolutely be applied to my life now as a single Christian and to my next relationship (which believe you me will be with a Christian, grounded in Godly authority and enriched because of it) so if you’re wondering whether having broken these rules in the past whether you are exempt from having a good, Christian relationship the answer is no. Why not turn over a new slate today and see whether any of these rules might work for you?
Thursday 12 January 2012
Beauty
Believe in the beauty you were given
Strive for it,
Fight for it's promise to be real to you. Fight for the strength, safety and confidence acceptance of it brings.
Above believe that you like a clay jar becomes ever more transparent and invisible showing his greatness and glory. Believe for the beauty you possess to be less assumed and more innate.
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