EasteR ReflectionS

what is it about special times of year that make people go all philosophical... Easter, Christmas, New Years, Birthdays, Annaversaires etc. What makes these days any different to any other day? Why do we all post meaningful messages on our facebook or msn status' and feel that by doing that we have done our bit for the cause or we have helped to cleanse our souls? Why are such moments of spiritual clarity only achieved on such days i wonder? i do of course realise that there are some abnormal people out there who are capable of having these epiphanies outside of the boundaries of a special or memorable day of the year, but these people are just insanely spiritual and have already achieved a certain level of clarity that plebs like you and me could only dream about :) i am of course being sarcastic... mostly.

it has always struck me as odd why someone would announce that they are doing or contemplating something spiritual (don't get me wrong, i have done this too). i kind of liken it to the pharasies praying in the courts in loud voices so those around them could hear how great they were. i am absolutley positive that this is not the reasoning behind doing such announcements for us, but it now strikes in interesting chord within me. i noticed that at the beginning of the easter weekend many of my facebook friends updated their status' to read something along the lines of so-and-so is thinking of Jesus, or so-and-so is thinking about God's love. Don't get me wrong, these are wonderful things to be thinking about, but shouldn't we as Christians be thinking about them all day every day? why now does it get a special mention in our facebook status? Please understand that i am not having a go at anyone in particular, i am having a go at me mainly because i do this too and it disturbs me! why do i have to wait for a specail day to commemorate Jesus and what he has done for me? even the title of this very entry is doing exactly what i am complaining about. why do i only take communion at church on sunday? why don't i commune with my friends and family and break bread with them?

i don't have any answers or solutions, just questions asked of myself in annoyance. why is it not an every minute of every day thing when it should be? too much was paid for me to just live it or accept it whenever i feel like it. too much was paid for me to just make some insightfully spiritual status update a few times a year. too much was paid...

stay tuned... more to come...

Jeffros

Pretty Paper

well it's officail! i am qualified. i have graduated now from Tabor with a bachelor of arts (youth work). it feels good to have finally finished. it is a pretty major achievement for me because of how much i detested the thought of study. there were times along the road where i thought that i wouldn't finish the course, but there was always someone there to lift me up and encourage me along the way again. sarah has been great throughout the whole thing. she has encouraged me and pushed me (sometimes dragged me kicking and screaming) along the path to completion. i really couldn't have finished without her!

so where to from here... well at the moment i am being completely satisfied knowing that i have a piece of paper that tells me i know how to do my job :) i want to do more study... not sure what i want to study, or where i want to study it... but i will do more... next year i think.

i have learnt many things throughout my study. many things about youth work, faith and myself. i think one of the most significant things i learnt is that it's ok to quesiton things. throughout my studies i have been challenged on nearly every part of my theological and sociological beliefs. i have looked at what i believe and asked why do i belive it? and most of the time, i couldn't answer, not straight away anyways. but ya know, it's ok to question it. it's ok to not just swallow everything we are told by our 'spiritual leaders' because sometimes, even they get it wrong! there is only one constant, and that is God. that was my breakthrough i guess... it's ok to say why!

that's all for now...

stay tuned... more to come...

Jeffros

Welcome Home

i realise that nearly 3 years of absent blogs could be constituted as abandonment, but i have decided to return to the fold of blogging. so i would like to welcome you to my blog... again...

the purpose of this blog is simple, i get to rave on about whatever is on my mind and you have the choice of whether to read it or not, whether to believe it or not, whether to agree or disagree with what i say... in the end it's your choice and i have no control over that...

this blog is called Trains Run on Time for a very good reason, they don't! it's the same in life, we want opporutnities and stuff to happend when we want it to happen. we want God to fit everything into our timetable. well i don't know about you, but i tried that and it sucked! so instead of bitching to God that he isn't doing it right, i have decided (in my great capacity for wisdom) to step aside and let Him do his job. and while this is all happening, i will do mine... now i just have to figure out what that is...

stay tuned... more to come

jeffros