Hi guys!
So I know that most of us have probably forgotten about God and have gone Boxing Day shopping or have started preparing your NYE texts but I urge you all to have a structure with your devotionals.
We have to grow the Holy Spirit in us by continuing to read God's Word.
On http://rbc.org/ there are some great devotional websites if you haven't started with any devotionals.
Just bookmark that website on your browser or download an application on your smartphone. There are plenty of apps out there, whatever works with you but I urge you to find a way to continue reading the Bible over the holidays.
Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'
Matthew 4:4
Hope to see everyone pumped for next year! :D
Friday, 28 December 2012
Wednesday, 26 December 2012
Wednesday, 19 December 2012
Dear God, thank you for the holidays and giving us rest! Amen.
Keep Him in your hearts and mind and let not your faith wilter but to strengthen as each day goes by even when we are not in the presence of each others' encouragement but God is everywhere.
Tuesday, 18 December 2012
Holidays
Last day of 'school' today! (presentation day is not school in my eyes)
I just really pray that through the holidays we do not forget God. Sometimes I feel as though those who don't go to Church or Youth etc., or even those who do, still rely on SIC meetings to remember God in our life (?) when really we should just know that God is always there for us every day. I'd also just like to pray that you keep up with devotions and reading the bible whenever you can! And pray that God continues to dwell in our hearts and we continue to love each other and have peace within ourselves.
Merry Christmas to you all too! As Christians, Christmas Day is a really special day where we should all celebrate, glorify and enjoy! :)
Isaiah 9:6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
I just really pray that through the holidays we do not forget God. Sometimes I feel as though those who don't go to Church or Youth etc., or even those who do, still rely on SIC meetings to remember God in our life (?) when really we should just know that God is always there for us every day. I'd also just like to pray that you keep up with devotions and reading the bible whenever you can! And pray that God continues to dwell in our hearts and we continue to love each other and have peace within ourselves.
Merry Christmas to you all too! As Christians, Christmas Day is a really special day where we should all celebrate, glorify and enjoy! :)
Isaiah 9:6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Sunday, 16 December 2012
This is really interesting
Gateway of the mind
In 1983, a team of deeply pious scientists conducted a radical experiment in an undisclosed facility. The scientists had theorized that a human without access to any senses or ways to perceive stimuli would be able to perceive the presence of God. They believed that the five senses clouded our awareness of eternity, and without them, a human could actually establish contact with God by thought. An elderly man who claimed to have “nothing left to live for” was the only test subject to volunteer. To purge him of all his senses, the scientists performed a complex operation in which every sensory nerve connection to the brain was surgically severed. Although the test subject retained full muscular function, he could not see, hear, taste, smell, or feel. With no possible way to communicate with or even sense the outside world, he was alone with his thoughts.
Scientists monitored him as he spoke aloud about his state of mind in jumbled, slurred sentences that he couldn’t even hear. After four days, the man claimed to be hearing hushed, unintelligible voices in his head. Assuming it was an onset of psychosis, the scientists paid little attention to the man’s concerns.
Two days later, the man cried that he could hear his dead wife speaking with him, and even more, he could communicate back. The scientists were intrigued, but were not convinced until the subject started naming dead relatives of the scientists. He repeated personal information to the scientists that only their dead spouses and parents would have known. At this point, a sizable portion of scientists left the study.
After a week of conversing with the deceased through his thoughts, the subject became distressed, saying the voices were overwhelming. In every waking moment, his consciousness was bombarded by hundreds of voices that refused to leave him alone. He frequently threw himself against the wall, trying to elicit a pain response. He begged the scientists for sedatives, so he could escape the voices by sleeping. This tactic worked for three days, until he started having severe night terrors. The subject repeatedly said that he could see and hear the deceased in his dreams.
Only a day later, the subject began to scream and claw at his non-functional eyes, hoping to sense something in the physical world. The hysterical subject now said the voices of the dead were deafening and hostile, speaking of hell and the end of the world. At one point, he yelled “No heaven, no forgiveness” for five hours straight. He continually begged to be killed, but the scientists were convinced that he was close to establishing contact with God.
After another day, the subject could no longer form coherent sentences. Seemingly mad, he started to bite off chunks of flesh from his arm. The scientists rushed into the test chamber and restrained him to a table so he could not kill himself. After a few hours of being tied down, the subject halted his struggling and screaming. He stared blankly at the ceiling as teardrops silently streaked across his face. For two weeks, the subject had to be manually rehydrated due to the constant crying. Eventually, he turned his head and, despite his blindness, made focused eye contact with a scientist for the first time in the study. He whispered “I have spoken with God, and he has abandoned us” and his vital signs stopped. There was no apparent cause of death.
In 1983, a team of deeply pious scientists conducted a radical experiment in an undisclosed facility. The scientists had theorized that a human without access to any senses or ways to perceive stimuli would be able to perceive the presence of God. They believed that the five senses clouded our awareness of eternity, and without them, a human could actually establish contact with God by thought. An elderly man who claimed to have “nothing left to live for” was the only test subject to volunteer. To purge him of all his senses, the scientists performed a complex operation in which every sensory nerve connection to the brain was surgically severed. Although the test subject retained full muscular function, he could not see, hear, taste, smell, or feel. With no possible way to communicate with or even sense the outside world, he was alone with his thoughts.
Scientists monitored him as he spoke aloud about his state of mind in jumbled, slurred sentences that he couldn’t even hear. After four days, the man claimed to be hearing hushed, unintelligible voices in his head. Assuming it was an onset of psychosis, the scientists paid little attention to the man’s concerns.
Two days later, the man cried that he could hear his dead wife speaking with him, and even more, he could communicate back. The scientists were intrigued, but were not convinced until the subject started naming dead relatives of the scientists. He repeated personal information to the scientists that only their dead spouses and parents would have known. At this point, a sizable portion of scientists left the study.
After a week of conversing with the deceased through his thoughts, the subject became distressed, saying the voices were overwhelming. In every waking moment, his consciousness was bombarded by hundreds of voices that refused to leave him alone. He frequently threw himself against the wall, trying to elicit a pain response. He begged the scientists for sedatives, so he could escape the voices by sleeping. This tactic worked for three days, until he started having severe night terrors. The subject repeatedly said that he could see and hear the deceased in his dreams.
Only a day later, the subject began to scream and claw at his non-functional eyes, hoping to sense something in the physical world. The hysterical subject now said the voices of the dead were deafening and hostile, speaking of hell and the end of the world. At one point, he yelled “No heaven, no forgiveness” for five hours straight. He continually begged to be killed, but the scientists were convinced that he was close to establishing contact with God.
After another day, the subject could no longer form coherent sentences. Seemingly mad, he started to bite off chunks of flesh from his arm. The scientists rushed into the test chamber and restrained him to a table so he could not kill himself. After a few hours of being tied down, the subject halted his struggling and screaming. He stared blankly at the ceiling as teardrops silently streaked across his face. For two weeks, the subject had to be manually rehydrated due to the constant crying. Eventually, he turned his head and, despite his blindness, made focused eye contact with a scientist for the first time in the study. He whispered “I have spoken with God, and he has abandoned us” and his vital signs stopped. There was no apparent cause of death.
Saturday, 15 December 2012
Do you get God?
Hello my SICs, I am writing regarding something that has been on my mind. I'm not here to get something off my chest or to express my opinion on something - I am merely here to ask you a question. Do you get God?
I don't mean this literally - that is to say, I am not asking if you physically have a hold of God. I mean mentally and spiritually, do you understand God?
My mum is both a scientist and a Christian (this is going to give me away but #yolo - it is never inappropriate to use #yolo). My mum believes in science and all that is non-spiritual, and at the same time she believes in God and all things spiritual. Every day she uses phrases like "God forbid", "Father forgive them" or "Always thank our Father before you sleep". And I get those phrases, but I don't get God.
All my family is Christian and always has been, but I find it so hard to understand God and understand my world at the same time. The one thing I've always liked about Science (as a subject in school, per say) is that it makes sense. I get it, and through learning Science, I get the world. But as my faith as a Christian grew this year, my grades in Science correspondingly slipped. That could just be a coincidence, but I know that my ideas of Science and God are very conflicting.
For example, I believe in the Big Bang theory, and I (try to) believe that God created the Earth in seven days. Ideas like this keep building up and up - another example is homosexuals. Some Christians often say that homosexuals make the unnatural and un-Christian choice to be gay, but Science (i.e. what my Mum taught me) is that homosexual have no choice in the matter - they are gay due to a hormonal imbalance in their body.
So how do you guys work with these conflicting ideas? How do you guys find the midpoint? I don't understand some of the principal elements of Christianity, but I really, really want to. Am I a bad Christian because I don't always get God? Do you get God?
I asked my Mum this, and she said: "You're worrying about understanding God. You shouldn't. You're not here to understand God; He is here to understand you. Being a Christian isn't about knowledge, it's about belief."
I don't mean this literally - that is to say, I am not asking if you physically have a hold of God. I mean mentally and spiritually, do you understand God?
My mum is both a scientist and a Christian (this is going to give me away but #yolo - it is never inappropriate to use #yolo). My mum believes in science and all that is non-spiritual, and at the same time she believes in God and all things spiritual. Every day she uses phrases like "God forbid", "Father forgive them" or "Always thank our Father before you sleep". And I get those phrases, but I don't get God.
All my family is Christian and always has been, but I find it so hard to understand God and understand my world at the same time. The one thing I've always liked about Science (as a subject in school, per say) is that it makes sense. I get it, and through learning Science, I get the world. But as my faith as a Christian grew this year, my grades in Science correspondingly slipped. That could just be a coincidence, but I know that my ideas of Science and God are very conflicting.
For example, I believe in the Big Bang theory, and I (try to) believe that God created the Earth in seven days. Ideas like this keep building up and up - another example is homosexuals. Some Christians often say that homosexuals make the unnatural and un-Christian choice to be gay, but Science (i.e. what my Mum taught me) is that homosexual have no choice in the matter - they are gay due to a hormonal imbalance in their body.
So how do you guys work with these conflicting ideas? How do you guys find the midpoint? I don't understand some of the principal elements of Christianity, but I really, really want to. Am I a bad Christian because I don't always get God? Do you get God?
I asked my Mum this, and she said: "You're worrying about understanding God. You shouldn't. You're not here to understand God; He is here to understand you. Being a Christian isn't about knowledge, it's about belief."
Regarding the sandy hooks shooting
I read a comment that said, "it's stupid how people blame guns for this, it's the media that should be blamed, giving this madman so much attention, it's just going to make some other lunatic want to do this as well and then shoot themselves after. The attention this is getting is just going to influence other people to as well. Just don't take away my gun."
Can we please just pray that what this guy says wont come true, that no more of these innocent children will have to suffer. They had so much ahead in their lives, so much more that they could experience. Their funerals came far too early.
Another comment I read was, "the guy committed suicide after killing 20 kids, what a coward, because he couldnt face up to what he did. but I'm glad he did because I don't want to pay taxes so this guy can rot in prison."
I don't know what to think, what about you?
I read a comment that said, "it's stupid how people blame guns for this, it's the media that should be blamed, giving this madman so much attention, it's just going to make some other lunatic want to do this as well and then shoot themselves after. The attention this is getting is just going to influence other people to as well. Just don't take away my gun."
Can we please just pray that what this guy says wont come true, that no more of these innocent children will have to suffer. They had so much ahead in their lives, so much more that they could experience. Their funerals came far too early.
Another comment I read was, "the guy committed suicide after killing 20 kids, what a coward, because he couldnt face up to what he did. but I'm glad he did because I don't want to pay taxes so this guy can rot in prison."
I don't know what to think, what about you?
Friday, 14 December 2012
thankful
today was such a wonderful day that we were all blessed with, today was our last sic meeting of the year at school and we handed out encouragement letters and all and they were all really nice, i think we can agree on that.
i remember the first sic meeting we had when cathy came in and she asked us what we wanted to get out of this group. and i think most of us agreed on, building relationships with each other through God and getting to know each other as SICs. Just reading through my encouragement letters, personally I feel that it's safe to say that we have achieved that goal, it's never going to be a goal that we can fully achieve because like having a friend, you can never know everything about them!
it's just really beautiful to see how much we have evolved as a group, going from just a bunch of individual christians meeting up to talk about God to a family. I am in awe of the transformation of our group by the power of God, and it just goes to show how amazing He is.
also wanted to say, this blog doesn't have to be sad all the time. we need to rejoice the good things in life! it's like talking to a friend, i don't think anyone only ever speaks in complaints!
i remember the first sic meeting we had when cathy came in and she asked us what we wanted to get out of this group. and i think most of us agreed on, building relationships with each other through God and getting to know each other as SICs. Just reading through my encouragement letters, personally I feel that it's safe to say that we have achieved that goal, it's never going to be a goal that we can fully achieve because like having a friend, you can never know everything about them!
it's just really beautiful to see how much we have evolved as a group, going from just a bunch of individual christians meeting up to talk about God to a family. I am in awe of the transformation of our group by the power of God, and it just goes to show how amazing He is.
also wanted to say, this blog doesn't have to be sad all the time. we need to rejoice the good things in life! it's like talking to a friend, i don't think anyone only ever speaks in complaints!
Wednesday, 12 December 2012
Tuesday, 11 December 2012
Hi guys
I spoke to the counsellor today and i talked to her about sic. She is really happy for our love for each other and fellowship. She think it might be a good idea for her to come to one of our sessions because she wants to hand out resources everyone so that those who might be having a rough time or wanted to get something of your chest. Would you guys like this? Do you think it's a good idea? Please reply with thoughts :)
Saturday, 8 December 2012
Friday, 7 December 2012
Summer
Hey everyone!
What did we all think of our guest speaker today? Personally i think the things thatvshe said really struck :) For example that story about the wife who kept leaving and God who stayed truthful, loving and was patient...
However when she said that God was jealous of the thibgs... i mean... are we alliwed to love things? e.g. am i allowed to love .. sport so much that sometimes my love for it makes me want to win so much i forget about my love for God??
What did we all think of our guest speaker today? Personally i think the things thatvshe said really struck :) For example that story about the wife who kept leaving and God who stayed truthful, loving and was patient...
However when she said that God was jealous of the thibgs... i mean... are we alliwed to love things? e.g. am i allowed to love .. sport so much that sometimes my love for it makes me want to win so much i forget about my love for God??
Thursday, 6 December 2012
i think this needs to be made clear
GUYS JUST LOOK AT YOURSELVES! DID GOD NOT TEACH US TO RESPECT OUR SICS? DID GOD NOT TEACH US TO SUPPORT EACHOTHER? DID GOD NOT TEACH US THAT WE GROW ALTOGTHER AS ONE BODY AND THAT IF ONE MEMBER STUMBLES, WE WILL ALL STUMBLE AS WELL? DID GOD NOT TEACH US TO LOVE? LOOK AT US! WE ARE SUPPOSED TO BE SETTING AN EXAMPLE TO THOSE WHO DON'T YET KNOW GOD BUT WE ARE DOING THE COMPLETE OPPOSITE. HOW CAN WE LOVE GOD IF WE DONT LOVE EACHOTHER? I BEG ALL TO JUST STOP AND THINK ABOUT WHAT YOU'RE DOING. JUST TAKE A MINUTE AND JUST STOP! DO YOU WANT THE FUTURE OF SIC TO BE IN CONSTANT CONFLICT?
Wednesday, 5 December 2012
Hi
I strongly agree on 'no title' @ 8:04pm. Instead if all this bitching, can we just move on and do what God wants us to do? Yes. Stop all the stupid stuff and do good things. Lets help those in need and offer help to others not open about it. Lets love one another from the bottom of our hearts. Lets stick together as SICs and look up to God and listen to him and not forget him, not like what we are doing now. Right now i feel like there are two sides. The tumblr msg side and the fb sic posts as the defender. This is not a fight. The msgs on tumblr may be harsh but the things people post on fb are harsh too. Watch what comes out of your mouths or internet mouths. We have to stick together, not be angry with each other. We are all God's children and he doesnt want us to fight like this right? I have certainly learned a lesson from the happenings of this week or so. Lets just focus on doing good and move on.
Ily all xx
Ps. Can we start labelling or numbering our posts on the title area its getting super confusing
Ily all xx
Ps. Can we start labelling or numbering our posts on the title area its getting super confusing
I'm really trying not to be mean or harsh about this and I love each and every one of you but when it comes to some problems, I guess it would be best to only tell a few people. Telling a whole group of people such as our group may have more adverse effects than good ones. I feel as though sometimes it is not about sharing, but about trying to get better. I'm not defending the people before who wrote "get over yourself" because I know that it certainly not easy to do that. You simply cannot get better that easily. It's like if you were feeling extremely hungry, you can't just make yourself full by sheer force. You need to reach out to get what you want. I also think that we should express our concerns in a better manner which would not offend anyone as we have no right to diss other people as we are all sinful and there is nothing we can do about it other than push each other up. Maybe it may seem to people that those who are reaching out for help are doing it for attention but what do we know? If someone says they are sick and ill, we will tend to them no matter what. Don't question why they do it but rather find out how to help them. It is not within our power to decide who can feel what.
Also a message to anyone who is not ready to share their troubles yet, you don't necessarily have to share with our whole group and if you feel more comfortable talking one on one with one of your peers than I highly suggest you do that. If you need help you may want to speak to the school counsellor or your parents. God gave you these opportunities and you have to use them. One can't simply get better by themselves, we all require a helping hand.
So yeah, what I'm saying is, if you need help then there may be some better ways to get it other than telling our group because we can't expect perfect reactions from everyone.
Love you guys!
xx
Also a message to anyone who is not ready to share their troubles yet, you don't necessarily have to share with our whole group and if you feel more comfortable talking one on one with one of your peers than I highly suggest you do that. If you need help you may want to speak to the school counsellor or your parents. God gave you these opportunities and you have to use them. One can't simply get better by themselves, we all require a helping hand.
So yeah, what I'm saying is, if you need help then there may be some better ways to get it other than telling our group because we can't expect perfect reactions from everyone.
Love you guys!
xx
i am honestly so scared with what's been happening recently. it would kill me if something really bad happened, and i stood still knowing about it but not doing anything. It would kill me if i found out that there was SOMETHING ANYTHING i could have done, but didn't.
we can't let it get that far.
please please please, no more stupid stuff.
we can't let it get that far.
please please please, no more stupid stuff.
To that unpublished post previously
THANK YOU. thank you for being one the very few who states the truth. Yes i agree with you. We are dragging each other down, rather than the other way. Get over yourself. If you want to change then do something about it! Don't just complain and expect people to care about you and so that others can say wonderful thing about you you are the only person that can truly affect yourself and your thinking, so learnt to do that for yourselves. Sorry and thank you
Tuesday, 4 December 2012
things can change for you too
im smiling so hard right now
because of the power of God...
i thought some people in my family were extreme non-followers of Christ
but im smiling now
because sometime, somehow
they have changed... :)
there are so many things that Gods power can do for us
Just give Him some time
things can change for u too
Sunday, 2 December 2012
A note from Joanna:
Just as I'm going into holiday mode as I'm sure many of you are, I really want to remind you about how amazing God is.
I really encourage you to all look outside and be thankful. Look around and just be amazed by Gods' creation and how perfect everything is. When you think about stuff like that you really can't help but be thankful.
I don't know if this works but every time you want to cut, starve, flick or slowly punish yourself I really beg you to think of one thing your thankful for or think about one of Gods perfect creation.
Think about Gods love and think about how with God everything's possible. Everyone has struggles but God loves and he cares and he listens.
Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.
And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.
~ 1 Peter 5: 6-10
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)