Sunsets are beautiful

So to start off I should probably mention that I live in a little town in the Lake District, one of the most beautiful places in the world (in my opinion, but maybe I'm just biased...) and I have a very lovely border collie that needs lots of walking!

So yesterday I was walking a fairly usual route through the park and then I thought I would go up the hill (it's not really a hill...more like a mound and you can get up it in about 3 minutes) opposite where I was baptized in the river, somewhere that is very special to me and very beautiful, especially at sunset. I was just standing on the top of this hill and I could just see these incredible views all around me, i could see the river, the trees, then further off I could see a few of the fells and I was just drinking it all in as the sky just became more and more beautiful around me. For someone who needs green a lot and just spent the past year living in concrete Coventry it was just amazing, and so quiet and peaceful. I love the sky so much, it always amazes me, especially when I'm in Coventry, it's just like God is saying to me "hey, I'm still here, I still made all this for you and now I'm going to carry on presenting you with this incredible display of colours, clouds, sunsets, sunrises, rain and lightning. And I'm going to paint it right above you, so not even the biggest buildings can quite block it out, you can always see the sky." It just feels like this incredible gift to me, it's the most fantastic display of creation I can think of, things on the earth, mountains, streams, plants, and even living things, humans can try and replicate them and are sometimes successful and sometimes fail. But the sky is on a whole other plane, I don't think anything we can make can ever compare to anything as beautiful and continuous as the sky.

But my doggy was starting to get a bit impatient at the top of this hill, although she'd been really good up til then, sitting quietly by my feet, I am certain she can sense moods! So we started our way home, this is a route that I have walked for about 10 years, my house is on the west of the town so I was just walking into this incredible sky of colour and light, oranges, reds, pinks, purples, blues and yellows all tinting the clouds and the sky. And then it just hit me, this is exactly what walking closer with daddygod is like, as we get closer and closer to him everything just becomes more and more beautiful and filled with colour and peace, until eventually we're just part of that beautiful landscape. It was one of those moments that I just wanted to capture in my mind and share, it was perhaps an insignificant moment and yet it was a really significant to me. It was like I was hit afresh with what an amazing daddy we truly have, He's just so beautiful and loving and powerful all at once, there are just no words to describe how truly awesome He is. I just want to curl up on His lap and spend time with Him, in worship or just chatting through my day, my hopes, my silly worries and just soak up His presence.



This is the view I saw on my way home, it doesn't really do it justice but it's trying!

Life Shapes: Circle (Part 2)

1) Observation

"Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?" Matthew 6:26 (NIV)

An observation can happen at any point in our lives. You could be looking at a sunset, watching a movie or anything else. It draws attention to observe something with kairos (which is kind of like a critical moment). At this point, we should be asking why God is showing us this observation, at this moment.

2) Reflection

After being drawn to an observation of something, we should be trying to figure out the meaning, the causes and values behind it all. Whilst observing, God speaks to us to reflect upon what we've seen.

3) Discussion

"Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin." Matthew 6:27-28 (NIV)

The next thing to do after reflection is to discuss with others what you have seen. This may or may not come as a surprise to you but discipleship is not a private internal matter.

4) Plan

"But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." Matthew 6:33 (NIV)

As the name suggests, this part is about planning how to live life differently after reflecting and discussing the revelation. To effectively plan, there should be a vision for should happen next.

5) Account

After planning, it is often helpful to tell somebody of our plans, and ask them to hold us accountable these plans. This means that they can ask us about any details within the plan, and also if we've followed through.


6) Act

"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock." Matthew 7:24 (NIV)

So after making a plan, and having someone hold us accountable to these actions, it only makes sense to actually do the thing! It is often so easy to make a plan, and forget to follow through, so this is the most important step!


After this step, the circle is complete! So quickly adding a few things:

Repentance is about discovering who God is and what He's like, and the implications for us who receive His love. In a way I guess it's a recognition of unbelief.

Believing is learning to live in the light of discovery, and walking day to day with God.

Repentance in one area of our life leads to belief that brings us to another kairos, another opportunity to repent ie continuous breakthrough!

Hope this is helpful to you!