Thoughts from a Sunday Afternoon

Does smoking make you a worse Christian than the person that doesn't smoke? 

Sure it's scientifically proven to not be good for you. And as a Christian your bodies are "temples of the Holy Spirit. You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies". (1 Corinthians 6v19-20)

Does smoking ruin your christian testimony? Make you a hypocrite? Like I said, sure it's bad... but is it any worse than judging the person that's smoking? Or gossiping? Or not paying your taxes? Or porn? Or.... the list is long. At least with smoking it's a visible sin. Does that not actually make it better? We all have "sins" that we will fight till the day we go to glory. But that's no reason not to be doing the work of the Lord. Sure, no one would be doing the Lord's work if we were waiting till we had our act together... but sure no one would be attracted to Christ if all the people that represented Him had their act together. Because really, who wants to be friends with a goody-two-shoes?! The beautiful thing about the Gospel is that not only calls us when we're dysfunctional, but He also uses us as we are, right where we are. 

Is there not a place to witness while having a smoke? I can't help but think that people that smoke actually have an advantage over people that don't. The conversations you can have with a total stranger, just because you needed a light. Or when you're at your work place. 

But again the question must be asked... does smoking mean you can't be a Christian? 

Yes, as a christian you should be growing in your faith. I should be able to see the fruit of you faith by how you're living your life. But we're all at different stages and only God knows our hearts ("For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart" 1 Samuel 16v7). So if God is convicting you that you need to give up smoking, that is where you are on you Spiritual journey. But you can't judge your brother that isn't being convicted by God to quit. You don't know where God's got them, (maybe their mission field is the smoking room at work). You have to separate your relationship with God between your relationship with your fellow man. 

The same could be said for people that drink. Obviously, don't drink to get drunk, but if you can't drink socially, doesn't that make you a prig? (Likewise it should be noted that if drinking causes your brother to stumble, don't drink!)

Why is it so hard to believe that Jesus drank wine? Like the fermented stuff? (I checked, wine in ancient Rome was very alcoholic! It had to be fermented, because if it wasn't then it would just turn to vinegar.) "Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery." Ephesians 5v18 Ironic really, it made people uncomfortable that He ate and drank with sinners and tax collectors."The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.'" and it's still making us uncomfortable today. 

Isn't it true that God cares more for your heart than for acts? "For  it is by grace you been saved, through faith - and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God." Ephesians 2v8  

Personal story. I had to really wrestle with God about this when I was 18 and I learned that my brother not only smoked but had a serious drink problem. At 18, I was your stereotypical "good girl". I went to church, did all the "right things". How was it possible that my brother could do those things? Does God love him any less? No. In myself righteousness, how was I actually any better than my brother?  Sure anyone could see his "sin"... but did that not actually make my sin all the worse? As I posed being the perfect Christian good girl, I'd forfeited the first and greatest commandment, as well as the second, "Love the Lord you God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.... the second is like it: "Love your neighbor as yourself". Matthew 22v37-39

In conclusion to all this rambling, I really just want to encourage you that God can use you wherever you are in life. Don't limit God. Remember, it's His show. We just have to be willing to let Him use us, even when we think we're at our worst. Remember too, God doesn't "need" us, He wants us and He invites to be part of what He's doing. 

STRICTLY Put Your Best Foot Forward

When it comes to dancing, I've always said, "do not dip me, do not lift me and you'll never see me on stage dancing".

Well... that was until October when I saw my friend Rebecca doing a Strictly for a fundraiser..... I mean, it looked fun. The music. The  energy. But doing a dance on stage, in front of people? Yeah, not there yet. 

Strictly Come Dancing is the British form of Dancing with the Stars. Here in Ireland they do mini versions for fundraisers. So instead of getting paired with a professional dancer and it being a whole season of dancing, you're paired with a partner who's as clueless as you are to dancing and you're taught one dance. After 7 weeks of practicing and training you perform it on stage, then you are judged and voted for. (The votes are with money, all going to the charity that the fundraiser's for). 

In December Rebecca told me she was going to do another Strictly in February, did I want to do it with her? 

Well, duh! Of course I do! 

Reality though.... When was it in February? What was the time commitment to practicing? I have to raise money... how much?! How am I going to do that?? (Do I believe in the course enough to ask people to come along and support me?) 

After a month of hemming and hawing I finally decided I had nothing to loose by at least going once to a practice.

I missed the first week of training as I was flying back from Spain (the Camino). I went the following week not ready to commit to anything. But sure, what's the harm in trying it. 

There were about 30 people there to participate in the dance, with 2 instructors to teach and choreograph us, Ricki and Rachel. We went through steps to the group dance that would be done at the opening of the show, before we did our couple dances. Then they went through steps to all the dances we could be doing. Almost useless information for us as only one couple would be doing any one of those dances, but really it was so the instructors could better know which dances to give us and who to partner us with. 

Then they got us in semi circle and told us they were going to teach us some lifts. But they needed 2 volunteers. After an awkward second or 2 the guy next to me went into the middle and said he'd do it. As  firmly as I've always said "my feet stay on the ground", secretly I did want to learn how to do a lift. So looking around at the potential men... I decided my best option was the guy already in the middle. So I walked forward to the center saying I wanted to learn too. After we did it a couple of times, a couple more couples came up to try. Then Ricki and Rachel said they had another one for us to learn and needed 2 more volunteers. This time the guy next to me nudged me and was like, we got this! And indeed we did! 

Rachel and Ricki then took us back to our group dance, telling us that we were going to be doing some of those lifts in the dance. I was paired with my "lift buddy", Stephen. We were positioned front and center of the group. (Not only have I never done lifts, but never have I ever been in front and center of anything!) 

Let's just say, by the time I got home that night I was buzzing. 

The following week, I received a text announcing who my partner was and what dance I'd be doing for the couple dance. As there was a shortage of men, I'd thought I would be put in group dance with just women. So, when I got the text saying I was doing Bollywood with Lee, I was shocked! Ironically Lee was the one person I'd said, "anyone but him!" I'd never even heard of Bollywood, so after Youtube-ing it I learned that it's basically the Indian version of Latin dancing. Fantastic! With my track record of being able to Salsa, this was going to be a breeze... not. 

So naturally I called my mom, almost in tears. I'd been hoping for a more traditional dance... and why did I have to be partnered with that guy? (And why was I being so mean to the guy?) 

Basically, my mother told to suck it up. Do the dance. When else am I going to learn to Bollywood? 

So I did just that. 

6 weeks later we won 3rd place for our dance!! 

Standing on stage after they announced the winners, holding our prizes the couple that won 2nd place, Serena and Bradley (dancing the Tango), along with Lee and I, had a moment. The 4 of us had bonded quite a lot through the training and meeting up during the week to practice our routine. Bradley, 17, a sweet heart of a guy was bubbling when he told me he'd never before one a trophy. I was literally bouncing when I told him neither had I. (No, those "everyone's a winner" medals don't count!) 

Lee and I, in costume 

My friend Sara from the Y 

Friends from Grace, (Lt to Rt)
Renitha, Daniel, Rosalie and Drew