Today is the first Sweet Shot Tuesday of 2012. A day to share with the world and other bloggers what you have shot during the lastweek. Head over to Darcy's blog to tag along, can't wait to see your shots. Mine is of my brother Brian and his girlfriend Sarah out for a walk on a blustery day. My sister shot this photo on my camera with my settings, but I did the editing. So it's a joint NicNom effort. My second picture is of my sister, brother and Sarah, all dancing as the new year was rung in.
May
I ran nine miles in the Belfast Marathon, in my brother's girlfriend's relay team. It was simply fantastic, I really felt a true sense of achievement. Only a few years ago, I was so ill, living in a world of pain, I wouldn't have been able to walk one mile, let along run nine. Since 2009 I have lost eight stone, I have a bit more to go, but I am taking it one step at a time, and I know I will do it. I'll be telling you more about how I achieved this over 2012.
I heard Chris Hodges speak. His talk has been extremely influencial in my thinking over the past year, and really has helped me when times were tough. In fact I think what Chris preached is in fact a radical message, one that so many people have never heard. I know when I have shared it with others, they have been blown away by the ideas and concepts, I hope you are too.
For Chris Hodges, this message is his personal life message, if he only had one message left to give, this would be it.
I will summarise it in a few points below:
Jesus Gets Us - Jesus Understands
- Many churches & people have cold and distant relationships with Jesus
- Jesus did not intend to be a statue, a stain glass window, a name in a song, or a piece of liturgy - but instead to be our friend, our best friend, He wants to have up close & personal relationships with us
- Jesus gets us - and how do we know this?
- Jesus ministry lasted three years, but what happened to him between the age of 12-30, the 18 years that theologians call "the years of idenification" was that he learned to identify with us
- He lived with a large family - so he learned all about family dynamics - arguments, noise, space, heartbreak, arguments between parents, and siblings, between siblings, between siblings and friends or people they loved
- Jesus gets singleness, loneliness, marriage, being shunned, being laughed at, being scorned
- Its likely that he would have been bullied, that people would have mocked him as a bastard
- He would have known sleepless nights and eyes full of tears because of relationships
- Jesus understands relationships and our desire for them
- On the cross Jesus asks John to look after Mary & his family, therefore we can surmise that Jesus, saw his earthly daddy die too
- Jesus gets this thing we call life, this thing we call work
- He worked in a hard manual job, starting at the bottom as an apprentice and working his way up (he was a carpenter)
- He had to meet other peoples obligations, pay taxes, deliver on time, over deliver
- His work would have seen him be subjected to hard graft
- He would have known what it would be like to work until his back ached and his brain felt like it would explode
- He would have seen in some overtime
- He worked in less than ideal conditions - hot & dusty middle east
- He would have had unsatisfied customers, difficult orders, unpaid invoices, he would have to have chased people to get the money they owed him
- Christianity often portrays Jesus, as this pale skinned, meek & mild, blond haired man - an entirely Western picture and I believe a false one. This westernised view of Christianity seems to have forgotten that Jesus would have had muscles, he would have sweated, he worked in rooms full of sawdust, as well as dry dust, he would have worked until he cried, he would have known the pain of work
- JESUS GETS US exactly where we are, there is nothing we have to do to make him understand, he already does
Have you heard this before? Do you think it is radical? This idea that no matter where you are in life, what you are going through, Jesus gets it, and that is why he can stand at the father's side and intercede for us?
He can say, 'Hey God, wait up a sec, I have been there, remember back in 18AD, remember when that happened, seriously they are going through the same thing as me.' I don't know about you, but when I realised just how much Jesus get's it, it changes things for me. It changes how I see him - more intimate than ever.
Think about it, if you go through something really tough - for example unpaid invoices, like those that happened to me this year, and someone says to me, 'Oh I totally know how that feels' when not only have they never had an unpaid invoice in their life, they have never worked for themselves. I don't know about you, but I certainly didn't gain much strength from their council. However, when someone else who had their business nearly breakdown because of unpaid bills told me how they felt, and dealt with it, I really knew that this was someone who got it, who had something important to say to me. You see I firmly believe that we do receive more from people who have been there, than people who haven't, when we are in a sticky wicket.
Jesus gets it, he really does - and this not only opens up my relationship with him, as Jesus is the only one who truly qualifies for our surrender, love, and trust. These ideas also open up my relationship with scripture.
I would like to give a big shout out to Chris Hodges, for this wonderful message, and sharing what I believe has also become my life message.
I took a trip to Brighton at the start of the month, to recover from the marathon, and also to visit my dear friend Tal. We listened to music, walked, explored the Royal Pavilon, cooked for each other, ate wonderful food, laughed, talked and talked, and talked a bit more, enjoyed the silence between us, ate ice cream on the promenade, had glasses of pimms and champers, read the papers and just in short hung out. It was fantastic.
At the end of the month, my friends Gina & Gray came to stay. They were with us for less than 24 hours but it was simply wonderful. A time to connect, and just be. Mums & I took them on a trip up the North Coast to the Giants Causeway my favourite place in the world perhaps. We also stopped on the way for a tipple or two at The Bushmills Distillery.
This year I have really felt the celebration of friendship of seeing my friends. It is hard for us to get together on a regular basis because we live on far flung corners of the world. It is so wonderful to get time with my dearest pals, I am so thankful for it, because I know how precious it is.
Gina writes a brilliant blog that never fails to inspire me. Beautifully written, with honesty and insight, I recommend you head over there now to read some of her magical posts.
I also came to the conclusion that when a situation or relationship needs to end, it is best to end it well, that often means, that you don't say everything, you keep your own council, and you hold your tongue.
June
June was filled with work styling and working on a cookery show - pics to come after the show is transmitted! My mum's operation - a complete knee replacement. An amazing trip with my brother Brian, to see Bon Jovi in Dublin - it was one of the best concerts I have ever been too. Standing singing along to every song, waving my arms, dancing, and just loveing every moment of it. I can feel the rush of the crowd, the pounding of the drum - whooooooow we're halfway there, living on a prayer.
I think that line sums up my entire year - living on a prayer - because that is literally what I have been doing.
The end of June saw me head over the Irish Sea for a wonderful party thrown my my uni friends Pete & El. My nickname the Irish Warrior was reprived, there were martinis, and laughter, singing, and speeches. All in all it was such a fun evening. As I sat at the table laughing with my friends, I thought of many nights that we had shared in flats and grand rooms at the University of St Andrews where we all met, and I was so thankful for having been introduced to such amazing people. Here are a few of my pictures that I think set the scene of the evening.
I had lunch with Siobhan and Neil, two of the most amazing people on the planet, in this hole-in-the-wall pizza joint, that I had on good recommendation - an Italian - served the best pizza in London outside of Italy. The three of us must have had lunch for several hours. Talking and chewing, sipping some red wine, and dreaming. Can't wait to do it again guys.
I met up with a friend of mine that I haven't seen for years, and she took me to Daylesford Organic, and my love affair with it intensified. Watch out for some great Daylesford posts coming in 2012.
Again this time spent with my friends, reminded me just how precious they are to me, and how much I love them.
Would love to hear your thoughts on your year, drop me a line or a comment, can't wait.
To be continued
That's it for now ...
Nics
Salt and Sparkle = Life Remarkable
by Nics
