Too far to fall

As I cycled home from Uni, I decided the sensible way to cross the road to my house would be via the zebra  crossing. Unfortunately my bike decided to stay on the road and well, we both landed on the floor. As I got up, and did the embarrassed look around, I realised that it had been a long time since I had fallen over and a scene from 'The Duchess' came to mind.

After one of the Duchess's girls has fallen over, Lady Bess remarks: "Up and down, up and down. Why can't we recover like that?" To which Georgiana replies "It's too far to fall now."

And she's right, how often before we start something new do we consider the consequences rather than jumping straight in and risking failure - a fall? As a child I'd be eager to put my hand up and answer a question, more excited about being picked then whether I was right. But, now I have to know I'm right before I even consider answering. And I wonder, does this attitude of not wanting to take the risk affected my life in other ways, am I too afraid of falling to take the risk of ending in a better place?

I know it's true in my faith, I like the pattern of reading books I've read before, and know I agree with, I don't like to be too challenged in my faith. But, there have been times when I have been, like when I discovered the true value of the Holy Spirit and then God's grace, and I wouldn't turn the clock back on that change if I had the chance.

So, I ask you, what have you turned your back on because you're too afraid of the answer?
And if you have turned your back on something, is it something that other people value, like having a faith. And if you did, is it time to re-examine it? Find out why. Because somethings in life are too important to ignore, and I say religion is one of those things.

How much is £7?

Seems a daft question, but just how much is £7? I mean, if I went to a supermarket I could get a small shop for £7, or I could spend the money on a DVD or a book, or if I was really lucky it would pay for a meal out. But, £7 isn't that much, I mean I couldn't live off it. 

But, 80% of the world's population lives off £7 or less a day. How is that right? When I'm willing to spend £7 so easily, and yet for some people they have to live off it.

Don't believe me? 

Image taken from: http://www.globalissues.org/article/26/poverty-facts-and-stats

It's crazy, but do you know the reason why? Because you and I are rich - we are in the richest 20% (at least) of the world population, and us rich people we account for 75& of the global income whilst the lowest 40% of the world population accounts for only 5%? 

Can't get your head round it? 

Here are some other horrifying facts:

• There are 2.2 billion children in the world of which 1.9 billion live in the developing world and 1 billion are in poverty. 
• The best way out of poverty is by getting an education, and yet 121 million children aren't in education.

And if that isn't bad enough:

• 640 million children are without adequate shelter,
• 400 million children have no access to safe water 
• 270 million children have no access to health services.
• and the worst roughly 29,000 children die every day.

And there was me thinking that a day in labs was bad, and yet I have been able to come home to clean water to make a pot of tea, biscuits to dunk in it and the chance to relax. I'm incredibly lucky to be doing a degree when so many children don't even get a basic education, and yet do I value my education as much as I should? Do I value the luxuries of my life or do I take them for granted constantly asking for more and more and not considering the consequences. The richer the rich will get, the poor will just get poorer. And yet isn't that what life is about? Building riches up on earth and not caring for others?

And if that really is what life is about, is that life you want?

I know I don't.

Please comment and/or discuss

And the facts were taken from this website and all seem legit, at least they have a huge pile of sources.

Christians: Holier than holy?

No.

But also yes, Christians are stereotypically seen as holier than holy. Ohh, and there is that well known fact that you can't be a Christian unless you live a perfect life and obey the bible to the t.

I mean, it even says to life like that in the bible:

"Anyone who claims to be intimate with God ought to live the same kind of live as Jesus lived." 

1 John 2:6 (The Message)

I tried that route, and I failed. Because I can't be perfect, not even close to it, and I imagine that no one else can either. But then I discovered what God's grace truely meant. Grace means that God has already forgiven me for what I have done and for what I will do. In fact, as long as I believe that Jesus died for my sins and rose again, so that I can join him in eternal life. I can't do anything so bad that God won't forgive.

Brilliantly, so Christians can live their lives exactly how they want, but we don't. We do try to follow what's written in the bible. Something we can't actually do, and doesn't matter because God will forgive when we slip up anyway. So why do we?

For me, and probably many others it's because of Jesus. I don't follow him because he is the King of Kings and Lord of Lord, I follow him because he loved me so much he died on a cross so I could live with him forever. So why wouldn't I want to walk life with him? I can't ask for a better friend. So I follow Jesus down the path he lived his life, because if I'm with my closest friend, why wouldn't I want to do what he wants? So me and Jesus we walk the narrow path together, sometimes I wander off track, sometimes a sit down and scream that's it's not fair. But whatever I do I know that when the going gets tough, he's going to be there to hold my hand, to carry me, to wipe my tears away when I mess up yet again. Because, I get to call Jesus, the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords my friend and my brother and together we walk the path Jesus walked 2000 years ago. 

 Any comments welcome :)

A week as a veggie....

First off, it's day seven and I've failed to be a veggie (twice) although both times the meal was cooked for me so it seemed rude to refuse.

But overall it's not been too difficult, there have been moments when I've wanted to cook one thing but instead had to cook something else, but overall substituting meat for other forms of protein has been relatively simple.

So, why did I?

As most people who have lived with me know, I don't eat that much meat - so why did I go veggie for a week. Partly, because I like a challenge but more importantly I read an article which made me realise the negatives to eating meat. To summerise it, the amount of meat we eat in the western world isn't sustainable. It's adding to climate change and whilst people are staving we're feeding animals only to slaughter them a few years down the line. Which, through a scientists eyes is a definite net loss of energy.

So, why does this bother me?

As a christian I believe that we (as human beings) have a responsibility to look after the earth, God calls us to be stewards of his creating.

"let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground."

Genesis  1:26 

Therefore, if my actions are leading to climate change, how I can I claim that I am looking after God's creation? So, I need to change my lifestyle to properly care for God's creation.

It's now the 28th November, over a month since I went veggie, so what have I changed?

First things, I've cut down the amount of meat I eat, whilst that is partly due to the hectic lifestyle I have been living recently, it also has something to do with thinking about this. I managed to make a 2 meal amount of beef last 4 meals, just by cutting the meat really thinly. Whilst this is only a small action, if we all did it, we could easily reduce the amount of meat we eat. But, I will admit, I've not done half as well as I'd have liked to, so I'll re-consider my meals and try again!