Wednesday 20 December 2017

Live Each Moment To The Full

I've been wanting to write something for a while. I knew along the lines of what I wanted to write but I didn't have an idea about what I will call it or the full piece until last night. Most of my writing and my best ideas come to me at night or in the middle of the night. I have sometimes jumped out of bed in the middle of the night to jot an idea down then I've expanded on the idea the next day. Actually even writing that brings me back to my teenage days where I remember getting out of bed many times and trying to find a pen and paper to write something down. I still do it now but most of the time I have my phone next to my bed and make notes.

Ok back to the point of this post. What do you think it means? Another way you could write it is Make The Most Of Each Day. Why would you want to do that? It's ok because you have plenty of days and you know not every day is going to be great. You will still have tomorrow. Although being on a train recently where someone decided to jump in front of another train and it delayed all the train lines really made me think, do we really have tomorrow? Life can be over in a moment in many different ways. The only day we know we have is today and we don't even know if we have the whole day.

Think about this time of year. We have the Christmas season which is such a joyful time of year for most people. Although for many it can be a lonely time of year too. It can remind people that they don't have anyone to share it with. You might be thinking oh this isn't a very happy post but I ensure you it is. Keep reading. Just keep reading.

Life will inevitably have trials that we will face, that is expected. It's not going to be a smooth ride but there will be smooth parts of the ride. You have to live for those parts of ride. I love the quote that says "every day may not be good but there is something good in every day." It's not what is happening in your life but it's how you view your life. Change your view, change your life.

There are special moments every day that happen all around us but if we don't pay attention and are only focused on what is happening to us we can't enjoy everything that life has to offer. What we know we have is these moments and what we can do is Live Each Moment To The Full. It's not about life being hard or easy. It's about knowing that even though there are difficult times that we will face, we know sunshine will be around the corner. We just have to hang in there. We can make the most of our lives.

Going back to this time of year being a lonely time for some. Do you know what this time of year means? Do you know what's it's all about? I have another blog post I wrote on this blog called Christ-mas which you can read. This time of year is about a Saviour that was born to save us all. No matter what your situation is, in that we have hope because Jesus Christ was born and because of Him we are all here today. Think of that this time of year and all year through. That is the happiest news because without Jesus none of us would have been here today.

Remember there is good in every day, you just have to open your eyes and look. It isn't always easy to see the bright side of life and things can get us down but that's when we need to pray. God is always there for us. You always have someone whether you pray or not. He is always there watching over you, wanting the best for you. Remember His timing is not our timing. Just because you aren't getting what you want doesn't mean He isn't there. Just because you are faced with a difficult situation doesn't mean He isn't there. He is there, He has always been there. You just have to talk to Him, ask for help, pray. Even when you pray it's not going to magically happen for you, you have to be patient. God's timing is different to ours. Sometimes He tests you and makes you wait to shape you. Everything is for your own good.

Look at your life. You wouldn't be who you are today if you didn't overcome some things. If you didn't face something and get past it. You wouldn't appreciate what you have if you always had the easier best path ever. You appreciate things because you know what it's like without. You are thankful for good times because you have faced bad times. God didn't create life to be with trials but that goes back to Adam and Eve and when sin was let in to the world because they didn't listen to God. He didn't make the world what it is today but He's still here helping us and He promised to make it good again one day. We just have to hang in there and pray and trust in Him and that trust comes as you build your faith in God.

You can't expect things to happen in life if you do nothing. God has got your back but you also have to make an effort. God's not going to come down from Heaven and do it for you. You have to do some things and trust God will guide you through. He doesn't control, we have free will. The choice is yours. You can't rush things too against God's timing. How do you find out what to do? Pray.

You have got to go and out there and do something. Go out there and Live Each Moment To The Full. Just because things may not turn out how you are picturing in your head doesn't mean they aren't going to turn out at all. God's got a plan, you just have to trust in His plan and the only way you can do that is through prayer and a relationship with God. He wants a relationship with you. He will always love you unconditionally.

Jesus Christ gave us these moments. Let's make the most of it. Christimas time is my favourite time of year because it reminds me of the special moments we have because Jesus Christ our Saviour was born. I love the atmosphere too and the Christmas lights and songs and tree and decorations and that just adds to that fact because to me it's all a celebration and we have something really amazing to celebrate! Jesus Christ was born and He died to save all our sins and because of that there is hope for us all. Just remember it's not about all the hype either, remember Jesus Christ too this time of year.

It's not always easy to see the good moments and enjoy them and it's not always easy to make the most of your life but what you can do is try and Live Each Moment To The Full and with God in your life He will help you make that happen. God sees life as a positive thing and He can help you see it that way too if you let Him. Just pray.

Hope you have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! (Notice the "Merry" and "Happy" because it can be, you just have to change your view!)
We have an awesome reason to CELEBRATE because Jesus Christ was born and because of that we have a chance to Live Each Moment To The Full. 

With that I shall love and leave you,
Until I write again,
Nicola Hill






Tuesday 24 October 2017

Are we really connected?

It's been a while since I last wrote. I tend to say something along those lines in a few of my blog posts these days. I suppose it's been a while because I have been busy. I have had a lot to do lately and while I want to write, I don't just write for the sake of it, I have to write at that moment when I feel that inspiration. This post is brought to you by a thought I had and I decided to write about it.

Maybe by the title of this blog post you are thinking of course we are connected. With technology these days the world is more connected than ever. You can call people easily overseas, read everyone's social media, send messages to anyone in the world in an instant. However the resounding question that many ask is does it make us more connected? In same ways it does but in others it doesn't.

It's becoming more of a world where even in company everyone is on a mobile phone instead of talking to eachother. It's becoming a world of where everything is shared, what we are eating, doing and thoughts. It's becoming a world of reading people's social media instead of calling them. It's becoming a world of where human interaction is being replaced by mobile phones or tv or any other form of technology.

I am not saying I don't use technology because I probably use it as much as anyone but as much as I like being connected in a sense, sometimes I don't like it too. I think is technology these days is an addiction and we are all addicted, well a lot of the world population are, if you're not, go you! I remember the days when I didn't even have internet on my mobile phone and I actually only used a phone to call or text people. You know, those stone age days.

All these questions about being connected with technology made me think about our connection with God. We use technology to connect with people. We use the bible and pray to connect with God. In the same way, are we using the tools to connect to God but sometimes are we actually connecting to him? Sometimes we don't look up from our phones to the people around us, sometimes we don't look up after praying to the blessings around us.

The same way we focus on our phones and don't see anything, maybe sometimes we are focused on what we are asking God for and don't see anything. So while we use our phones or technology to connect, are we really connected? And while we read the bible and pray to connect to God,  are we really connected? You can know all about what someone has been doing and saying on social media, in the same way you can know things about God but are we really connected? Sometimes you can have all the tools but if you don't use them in the right way they are not going to work to give you the result you are expecting. Sometimes you just have to change the way you have been using them.

Think of that dial up tone, if you didn't have a dial up tone to connect to the internet and don't know the noise it used to make when it connected, here it is:



I just wanted you to have that noise in your head the next time you are thinking about being connected to people and God, you are welcome. Yes we have come a long way from that dial up tone for internet. Let's just not go away from real connections.

I am not saying there anything wrong with technology or with anything you post, you do what you want, I post all kinds of things too sometimes. I just had this thought about how important it is in life to remain connected to people and God because those moments are the moments you have. It's when certain things break up your connection and that dial up tone doesn't connect, that's when maybe we need to rethink a few things.

With that I will love and leave you,
Until I write again,
Stay connected (think of the dial up tone).
Nicola Hill











Sunday 4 June 2017

Why does God allow bad things to happen?

I have had this title for this blog post for a while and the other day I saw an article that said a lot of what I was thinking. It's a good question. Why does God allow bad things to happen? So I am guessing all of you were born because you exist right? I'm guessing you've made a lot of your own choices. I'm guessing you've made mistakes. That must be God's fault.

The article I read said take God out of the equation and here we have man. So if there is a God, He is to be blamed and if there is not do we blame ourselves? Who are we going to blame? It must be our parents, someone we are close to, a relative, a friend. It can't possibly be us. Ok it is us, we caused our own things to happen. So why didn't God stop it?

God trusted us first in the garden of Eden and Adam and Eve disobeyed God and that is why all the bad was let into this world. If you trust someone with something do you follow their every move and try to be in control. I hope not. Why should God? He trusted us and that happened.

Today He offers us a choice and a chance to make it right. He didn't just become this all controlling God. He wasn't the one who let all the bad into the world but He does try to save us from it. There are also trials of life that God does allow to happen. He allows trials to happen and it's not because He is a revengeful God but because He is trying to help us grow. If we trust God He will guide us through all the trials of life and we will be stronger.

He loves all people. He offers all people a chance and choice. One day He will put a stop to everything but not without giving us a chance to make things right first. If we didn't have this chance we wouldn't be here. Jesus died to save us. What if you had no choice and just control? Because as human beings we just love being told what to do. God must cure the diseases that we let in? God's giving us this second chance. Man caused the bad things to come into this world we are living in but God is helping us through it. Remember we aren't living for this world but for eternal life. God is giving us a chance to get there! If He controlled us and took away any choice we'd have no chance because it is only through our choices we can get there.

Whether it's things that happen through illness or things other men or ourselves cause. God is there to help us through all these moments. The better question is: Why does God always want to help us when bad things happen? The first of human beings let Him down and they let all the bad into the world, why would He want to help us?  Maybe He should just say good luck it's your fault. He wants to help because He is a forgiving God and He loves us unconditionally.

"I have said this to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation but be of good cheer I have overcome the world." John 16:33

It's hard when bad things happen but you know what is harder? Trying to deal with it on your own. Everybody needs God.

With that I shall love and leave you,
Until I write again,
Nicola Hill





Friday 3 March 2017

Waiting

The first question I want to ask you is "What are you waiting for?"

There must be something you are waiting for. We are always waiting for something. Think about it... Is it forgiveness? A new job? To fall in love? To get engaged? To get married? A new friend? A new item? A restored relationship? A new opportunity? A new holiday? To have a child? What do you want? It could be any number of things. Now I want to ask you again, "What are you waiting for?" Have you got something in mind? Ok read on. 

Waiting is one thing we all don't always like but it's also the one thing that helps us more than we realise. If we got everything straight away, where would our appreciation be? Sometimes it's best if we don't get the things we are waiting for at all. You hear a lot of stories of people whose lives didn't turn out the way they imagined and they are thankful for that because it turned out even better. Sometimes waiting is a gift. Sometimes it feels tiresome. 

I have heard a lot of people say that God feels silent when they are waiting for something. They pray and they don't feel like God is there. It reminds me of the phrase, "the teacher is always silent during the test." Waiting is a test of our faith. At the same time, you can't sit back and do nothing and say "I'm waiting for God." Yes you are waiting and praying for something and God is always listening but you must also think about the things you need to do too. 

There is a reason why you are waiting. Maybe there is something you need to learn before you can receive all that God has for you. Maybe there is something you need to change about yourself. Maybe what you are waiting for will hurt or damage you. Maybe there is something better than what you are waiting for. We don't know the plans God has for us but we trust in His plan for our lives. 

Waiting is ultimately one of the most special things. No I didn't type that wrong. It is special. We don't realise how much it helps us and it certainly doesn't feel great at the time but the outcome of waiting is always worth the wait. Just because you are waiting for something and it hasn't happened yet does not mean it's not going to happen. Just because you are waiting for something doesn't mean it's going to happen. 

That sounds great doesn't it, it could happen, it could not happen, I guess it really doesn't sound great... What is the purpose of waiting? There it is. That is the ultimate question. Waiting is a test of our faith. It's easy to become disheartened when we are waiting for something. It's easy to believe God has left us. That's easy when we are putting everything into something we are waiting for instead of God. God's still there but are we focusing on Him or what we are waiting for? 

At the same time you could be waiting around and God's providing you with opportunities you don't even realise because you are so focused on what you are waiting for. In the meantime God is trying to give you what you are waiting for but you don't see it. If you are waiting for something to find you it wont, you also have to put yourself out there. 

Wait but don't rush. Don't push the waiting process because sometimes you need that wait more than you know. We have got to serve God while we wait. It's not just a case of pray and wait and do nothing. It's a case of pray, wait, focus on God and do. You can't push things to happen, everything happens in God's time not ours. Do you know why it happens in God's time and not ours? It's because if it happened in our time we would have everything right away but we would learn nothing. 

Sit back, grab your popcorn or whatever you like, get comfortable and wait. Enjoy this season of waiting because you know that your next season is reaping what God has for you. What are you focusing on? God wants to draw us closer to Him, we need Him in our lives. We need to be thinking more about God than what we are waiting for. Notice I didn't say, put your feet up! There are still things you need to do while you wait. It's not a passive waiting it's an active waiting. 

If we ask God for an opportunity and then we just sit back. Yay, God's going to give me that opportunity I have prayed about. I will just get on with my life. I won't try anything different, I will just sit here, God's got it and I'm just waiting for Him. It's been 2 months now and nothing has happened. Why when I am praying, does God feel silent? Why isn't God helping me? Has He left me? I keep praying and praying and why hasn't it happened? I haven't done anything because God's going to do everything. This is an example of the focus being on what we are waiting for and everything else revolving around it. That's a bit of what it is like isn't it? No just stop! God first.

I asked you two important questions:
"What are you waiting for?" and "What are you focusing on?"

Remember just because it feels like God is silent does not mean He is not there. Think about where your focus is. Is it on our relationship with God or the thing we are waiting for? God knows the difference.

I pray that God gives you what you are waiting for or that you see what else God has planned. 

Until I write again,
Wait patiently :).
Nicola Hill