Category: Getting to grips with God stuff

Well I am a Christian…

A(n im)politic rant – very unlike me! (I’ll probably regret it in about 7 minutes!)

On By auntyamoIn Getting to grips with God stuff, Random Ramblings2 Comments

Now it’s a bad day when I start commenting on politics but I’m not a little irked at Eamon Gilmore’s comments over the weekend.

So let me rant for a bit… my faith is not a handbag that vaguely matches what I’m wearing on a particular day. It is at the centre of my life. Being a Christian is not a badge. It means to follow Jesus on a journey to be Christlike. (I haven’t gotten very far but that’s what some of the other blog posts are for!)

I really don’t like public representatives deciding and proclaiming that the most important thing in MY life should be pushed to one side so that this country can be governed without matters of faith being in any way taken into consideration.

I know we live in a democracy! I know that lots of people feel differently to the way I do. I also know that referenda will be voted on and things will change.
But I don’t believe that Eamon Gilmore and the Labour party have the right to move faith to one side. He mentions the “the interconnectedness of the views of one Church, with the laws of the country”. I’m not Roman Catholic, so if and when this disconnect comes how are the things that I hold dear taken into consideration?

He talked about “a positive vision of society – one where every person, regardless of background, gender or creed, is free to flourish.” I don’t believe I will be free to flourish if the foundation priniciples of my life are considered irrelevant and ignored when decisions that affect my life are taken at a national level.

It has long been unacceptable to ignore the voice of the minority. If that’s where believing practising Chrstians are then thats where we are, but we’d like to be extended a similar courtesy.

Me dander’s up big time!

Hear Ye, Hear Ye

On By auntyamoIn Family, Getting to grips with God stuff, HumourLeave a comment

So, himself and meself were going to a wedding and decided to treat ourselves to a night in the hotel as most of the wedding guests were doing the same.
I poured over the hotel’s website looking at the fab rooms and the posh restaurant. Under the stones at...

“Yippee” says I, “they have a Spa!”

“Ohhh great”, came the enthusiastic reply, “I’ll be able to get a paper”

“A SPA!” I shouted… “A SPA! NOT A SPAR!”

I’m not even going to get into the twisted logic of why a posh hotel would have a Spar in it. Or why he was more excited about a paper than even I was about the Jacuzzi!

It’s very easy to mishear stuff. And usually it’s because we’re not listening.

I’m intrigued by this phrase that Jesus used at the end of Luke 14…
“He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
I wonder if the reason we misunderstand each other and God’s Word is that we don’t listen.

There are many who do not have ears to hear. They’ve already decided they have no interest. They don’t believe in or care about God or what He has to say. It doesn’t make me angry, but it does make me sad. World events, political decisions, personal choices end up being made and responded to without the essential ‘eternal perspective’.

But those who have ‘an ear to hear’… we need to hear what God is saying. In the beginning of that verse, Jesus said, “Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile; it is thrown out.”

It’s a challenge to us to be salt.
Not enough and we have no effect on the flavour.
Too much and we make people choke and want to spit!
But as Colossians 4:6 says, “Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt…”

Happily I have my own stock to Haribo to show you 🙂

 

Oh and by the way, we ended up having a lovely time in that hotel.
I’d love to stay there again… I hear they do a great hot stone massage… and 2-for-1 on the Haribo jellies!

Dear Da… A belated Father’s Day post

On By auntyamoIn Family, Getting to grips with God stuffLeave a comment

Father’s Day yesterday reminded me of a letter I wrote to my Dad well over a year ago. I wrote it, but I know I can never send it…

Dear Da,

Image
Dad with 2 of his many beloved grandchildren

You’re nearly 81, who knows how long you have left? Only God I suppose. Mam’s been gone nearly 6 years and you still miss her don’t you. Every single day. You talk about your prayers and not being able to get to Mass and it makes you sad.

Sometimes I get a glimpse of grace in your life. When you wept for a prisoner who will never see the light of day again or a family whose home has been destroyed by floods. But then you go back to your little world of memories and your silly lotto tickets!

I remember the day you were knocked down. I was told that you broke your leg and I had to stay with Aunty May for a while. I didn’t like that. I was 13, not a baby but I wanted to go home. Did I know it was worse than they had told me? How could I have?

Your brain damage has taken your sense of responsibility, your ability to reason, your hygiene. But not your love alcohol sadly. But nor has it taken your love for your children and your grandchildren. You love Christmas and enjoy buying and wrapping more than getting. You passed lots of that stuff on to us all and we’re grateful for that.

I wish I could get your attention long enough to tell you all this. And to tell you that I have another Father. He is older than you but ageless. He has His wits about Him at all times. And listens to me in a way that you haven’t been able to for years. He is your Father too. Well you’ve said He is, when I heard you saying the Lord’s Prayer. I hope you totally understand what you are praying.

If I could get you to listen to me I’d love to tell you how He loves you and cares for you and wants you to be with Him when your body finally gives up on you. But I can’t get through.  So I pray the Holy Spirit speaks to your spirit and that you know His love and will be with Him eternally.

I love you Da, thank you for everything.

Your baby, Annmarie x

Remembering Joe Fitzgerald

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I wanted to share my memories of Joe Fitzgerald who today went to be with the Lord.

It’s nearly 19 years since I started to work in Switzers on Grafton St. (now Brown Thomas) and met Joe who was working there too. I worked in the hair salon and one of Joe’s many jobs was to hang the flags outside. So he would come through the salon, climb out the window on to the ledge and hang them out. Most mornings the guys I worked with gave him a hard time. “Here come’s Hallelujah!!!” “Look it’s Hallelujah Joe!!” Joe would smile and shout back, ‘Praise the Lord!’  Every so often he’d say, “One day you’ll say it and you’ll mean it!” 🙂

I was very wary of him, as my sister had just got interested this ‘religion stuff’ but I decided to check him out.

So I lied to him.

I asked him to tell me about his faith and pretended to be interested. Every so often we’d sit together in the canteen and he’d take his Bible out of his pocket and show me some Scriptures and explain things about God, Jesus and salvation. I was no more interested than the man on the moon. But he WAS fascinating to listen to.

Eventually, I didn’t know what it was at the time (conviction I suppose), but I felt I had to be honest with him and tell him that I wasn’t actually interested. I told him I only wanted to suss him out cos I was worried about my sister. I expected him to be angry! But he wasn’t. He was great! He asked me about my sister and her church and reassured me that her pastor was a good man of God. He told me that it was obvious to Him that God was after me and encouraged me to ‘give in to Him’!

And so I did after a while. Joe was a great help in those early days. He was very hard on me!!!! My lifestyle didn’t change as much as it should have in the first few months. I was saying the right things but he knew I wasn’t fully living out the faith I proclaimed. He saw through me 🙂 and like a good brother in Christ, encouraged me to live for Him.

I thank God for Joe’s influence on me and his willingness to put up with all my questions and arguments. I’m truly grateful for him spending his lunchtimes sorting me out… when he could have been relaxing. But it was no chore to him. He loved to talk about his Saviour.

Only later did I realise Joe loved to sing about him too!!!

Well the choir in Heaven has just been blessed with a great voice.

Thank you Jesus for Joe Fitz!

More of a Go-Slow than a Fast this Lenten season

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So I’m NOT giving up FB for lent. Mainly cos I’m in the middle of a campaign 😀

I’ve decided that I’m going to do something that I would be harder than even stopping chocolate. I’m going to have at least 15 minutes of total silence every day. No phone, no music, no nothing.

You might think it’s a little thing but I can’t bear silence. But I’ve heard it’s a great thing to do. Hopefully I’ll get to enjoy, hopefully I’ll be able to do more than 15 mins at a time, hopefully my spirit and my mind will learn to be quiet too and hopefully it will lead to some real communication with God!

So day 1….. Let me give you a list of the stupid things that came into my head as I was trying to just think about God…

The cobwebs on the window, Fox’s Glacier Dark, my sister Liz, how much like eternity 15 minutes is, Dysons, the launch of my book entitled something like “It Started With a Fast: how I went from 15 mins of silence a day to utter pertection in 6 weeks”, my job, weight loss, weight gain (I’m yo-yo dieting in my head now!), soup and some other subjects that I’d rather not share.

Quite a lot covered in 15 minutes eh?

Now do you see why this is so hard for me?

Now do you see why abstaining from chocolate would probably be easier?

Oh I better dash, got to make dinner, where does the time go?????

Ahhhh Mrs. Miles lovely to see you again, will you be staying long with us this time???

On By auntyamoIn Getting to grips with God stuff, Health, weight & wellbeing1 Comment

 A few weeks ago that familiar and hateful voice started to poke me in the ear with it’s verbal pencil…  “Amo… it’s time to… “pack up your sugars in your old kit bag and diet, diet diet…..” What a dismal thought. What was even more dismal was that this would be attempt #20 probably and here I am nearly 40 battling the same old (excuse my swedish… ) shite! As usual I ignored it for a while, smiled at family and friends who are ‘in the zone’ and kept my head down.

But I knew I’d have to do something. So I prayed. I pray quite a bit about a lots of things. (Mostly to do with myself if I’m honest.) But I prayed that God would help me. That he would inspire me and forgive me for being so rubbish at looking after myself. I thought maybe I wouldn’t write this in the blog and I’d start with my usual positive…. ‘here we go again… haha… aren’t me and me big bum just hilarious….’ But then I thought well if I’m going to talk about it I might as well be honest from the start.

So this is where I started… sighing… dreading talking about it and FACING it…! But as usual, God being the merciful One that He is made it a bit easier for me. First thing that happened was when I was researching books for work. Minding my own business I stumbled across a book by Lisa Terkeurst called ‘Made to Crave’ I laughed at the thought of it.  Then I saw the subtitle…  Satisfying Your Deepest Desire with God, Not Food.  I literally felt pain when I read that, and thought to myself… imagine if that were possible! I really didn’t want to read a book, but I spotted a 60 Day Devotional based on the book, so I ordered it.

The next thing was being introduced to ‘myfitnesspal.com’ One of my family, currently ‘in the zone’ showed me the iphone app. An iphone app about pretty much anything will get my attention! But it’s actually very helpful.

So on Monday I did what I’ve been promising to do every Monday since I was about 14. I started again…. I’m quietly and cautiously optimistic. Glad to have started again, at least it swats the ‘guilt bugs’! But I’m not kidding myself. I blogged for a year about weight loss and actually in one post declared myself to have conquered ‘this whole eating thing’ There’s a death knell if ever I heard one! Not long after I stopped blogging about food, and around the same time I stopped addressing the issue. That was more than 2 years ago!

This subject haunts me I don’t deny it. But as I checked-in to the all too familiar ‘Hotel Flabylon’ the devil, dressed in his best concierge outfit, with his smart ass smile said with his usual cynicism… “Ahhhh Mrs. Miles lovely to see you again, will you be staying long with us this time???”

I smiled right back at him, signing in with more flourish than necessary and said… Let’s just see shall we!?

Saint Bernard remembered

On By auntyamoIn Family, Getting to grips with God stuff1 Comment

Yesterday it was 10 years since my father in law Bernard Miles, went to be with the Lord. I have such great memories of him and still miss him. I loved him loads and loads. 🙂 I only knew him for 3 years, but I have some great memories…

 He loved me. He used to greet me by clapping his hands together and rubbing them, saying with a big smile (in his terrible Irish accent) “ahhh sure ‘tis yerself.” And I’d get a big hug. I always smile when I think of it. If ever we were on our own together he’d make a cup of tea or coffee and we’d have a chat. He used to say that he was delighted that Rich found someone who shared his two great loves…. God and music.

He loved Sundays. Before me and Rich were married we often stayed in their house. I’d come down stairs for breakfast with only minutes to spare and he’d be smiling brightly. “It’s the Lord’s Day Annmarie. We’re going to praise the Lord together. Isn’t this the best day!” I would grunt as positive an answer as I could muster and try to butter my toast with my eyes closed.

He loved to work. Very often you’d find him in his overalls attending to one little job or other that needed doing in the house or the garden. He had a garage/workshop that was cleaner than my kitchen. Everything was neatly arranged and in little individual pots or containers. If ever you said, “Dad, have you got one of those nails  shaped like an elephant?” He’d say, “oh I think I have hang on…” Into the garage he’d go; and lo and behold… he’d find one.

He knew I was lazy but he was very gracious. He was building a wall in the garden one time and one day I said, ‘Hey Nehemiah, lunch is ready’ and with a big smile said “the Bible says that Nehemiah had a mind to work Annmarie… and so did his family!”

He loved the Bible. He had such a great love for Scripture. I never heard him preach or lead a Bible study, but we came across some notes he’d made over the years. It’s obvious he had a great love and understanding of God’s Word. And any time I stayed in his house, at some stage during the day, I’d find him in the conservatory reading his Bible.

He loved God. Of all the things I remember about him, his love for Jesus is my most abiding memory of him. He had been sick, but he had an amazing attitude to his illness. He told me once that if he got to stay with us that would be great. But if he didn’t he’d get to be with Jesus. So from his point of view, he couldn’t lose.

“No Dad”, I thought to myself, “we’ll be the ones who lose”

He was and wonderful and had a wonderful witness. I will never forget him and thank God for every memory I have of him.

Taking a whole year one day at a time…

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Well well, it’s been a while I know. But I haven’t been totally silent. My ponderings have mainly turned up on the joint blog with my hubby www.ajourneyof2miles.wordpress.com as we have been on a bit of an advernture lately.

2011 has indeed been an adventure! I did things and went places and met people I never imagined I would in my whole life!

Highlights include….

I was contacted by the family of my cornea donor, from Indiana of all places. Now I’m in regular contact with his mum and planning to meet the family later this year. Subsequent to that I was asked to submit a photo for the exhibition called ‘Circle of Light’ which is run by the eye bank in the US. My photo was published as part of the exhibition. What a privilege!

I’ve continued my contributions to UCB Ireland Radio and now also do a weekly little spot on Spirit Radio with RoJo in the Mornings. Two very different types of input but I’m delighted to be involved in Christian Radio and look forward to developing that over the years, God willing.

I went to Cyprus! Oh boy did I go to Cyprus 🙂 First for 3 weeks then I came home for 4 weeks and went back for 6. It was an amazing experience that, when I get my head around it I will talk more about. But I got an insight in to the Middle East and the Arab people that has changed me forever. I cried my eyes out saying goodbye to people I was just getting to know, and they’ll always stay in my heart.

And I moved… more than once 🙂 I’m now a resident of the lovely village on Kilcullen in Co. Kildare and we’re going to Brannockstown Baptist Church.

It was an exciting year. And probably the best year I’ve had for a while. And it was the last year of my 30s. I’ve only a couple of months left before I enter a new decade and only God knows what is ahead.

There have been many times that I’ve said “Can’t wait to see the back of this year!” ” Can’t wait for the new year and a new start” etc. But I don’t say that any more. And when I heard some really sad news on New Years Day, that an old friend had taken his own life that day, I couldn’t help thinking that his poor family, only hours into the New Year would already want to see the back of 2012. I pray that they will know God’s compassion, faithfulness and mercy every day. I thank God that with him we can have a new start everyday. Lamentations 3 says

 22 Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed,
   for his compassions never fail.
23 They are new every morning; 
   great is your faithfulness.
24 I say to myself, “The LORD is my portion;
   therefore I will wait for him.”

I’m excited for 2012, my 40th birthday and all the potential and opportunities there are. But as the old song says, “One day at a time sweet Jesus….”

For those who wanted an update on yesterday’s adventure

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So yesterday was the planned prayer day.

We decided to go for a drive up the mountains. Find somewhere to park with a nice view. Have a chat, pray for a while. And just listen. Seeking wisdom, seeking a view of the future and God’s grace.

So off we went. Found a beautiful little spot by a river and a bridge that we’ve been to many times.

As we’re sitting there I heard this noise comiing towards us, I opened my eyes and there was a car coming towards the bridge which was about 100 yards away from us. Can’t believe how close we were to danger!

The car was travelling at an unbelievable speed. It skidded around the bend hit a huge boulder which went crashing into the river. The car hit the bridge went up in the air flipped over a couple of times and landed cross ways on the bridge.

My prayers went from O Lord what should I do to, Gooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooood what will I do.

So I jumped out of the car, ran towards the bridge. One of the guys got out of the car and shouted for an ambulance.

I rang 999 and like a bumbling idiot tried to describe exactly WHERE up the mountains we were. Other cars arrived and couldn’t cross the bridge.

The Emergency Services (ES) guy on the phone asked me to go to the car and find out how many, how bad etc. I was terrified.

The guy who had called for the ambulance was obviously in a bad way so for some stupid reason i handed him my phone to talk to ES. The guys looked and sounded like they were drunk. And suddenly the other guy noticed me. He was not happy that I had been on the phone. He ‘warned’ me not to call the police. Suddenly I was in danger again. There were lots of people around but this guy was aggressive and wanted to make sure I didn’t call the fuzz!!!!

A truck pulled up and tried to get me and guy #2 to move so they can move the car. Guy #1 was rummaging in the car for stuff, still on my phone.
EVERYONE WAS ON THE PHONE ACTUALLY!!!!

So I got my phone thrown at me and got moved out of the way and in about 30 seconds the car was moved, the two guys jumped in the back of the truck and sped away.

I was actually shocked that I still had my phone and my life!!!!

We were still there when the police arrived, so I’m ‘helping them with their enquiries’ but I doubt I’ll hear from them again.

It took me a few hours to really calm down and remember why I was there in the first place.

So all in all, quite an adventure!
I thank God that He kept me safe.

And now an answer to my original question would be great 🙂

The Beauty of Submission

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I know I’m writing on something that is not a popular subject for a lot of women. But the picture I see of submission in the Bible is beautiful!

I’m aware that through the centuries the picture of leadership and submission has been used against women and in many cases still is. I try not to get into the arguments and debates about it mainly because most women I know who disagree with me are far better debaters than I am. They’ve got their arguments well studied and rehearsed and I am no match for them.

But if I was a stronger debater, and knew my Bible better maybe…. I would argue my point more effectively I’m sure.

To me it is simple. A triune God who in eternity knew that one of them, though equal in status and glory, would have to submit, obey and ultimately suffer. Now there’s a picture for you.

Creation of man and woman and the glorious connection they were to have was marred by deception and sin; and it’s been a struggle ever since! I sometimes wonder what would have happened if Eve had said something like ‘Hey honey, what do you think about what this guy is saying about eating the apple?’
Not asking permission… Just asking his opinion about a pretty big decision.
Not a blow to her human rights or her individuality…. Just a consultation with the other stake holder with a vested interest in their life together.

And then there’s the other picture in the New Testament.
Husbands like Christ.
Wives like the Church.
I’m supposed to be willing to live for him and he’s supposed to be willing to die for me. I reckon I get the easier end of the deal on this one.

Now I’m a big, opinionated woman with a fairly strong character. And I married a quiet man with a gentle spirit. Submission doesn’t come naturally to me, nor does authority come naturally to him. We’ve had to work on it. I was quite happy to run our lives and he was quite happy to let me. Then some very good friends pointed that out to us. And we realised why things were wrong in our marriage. I WANTED him to stand up to me, but never allowed him to! It was all wrong.

Now everything is different. I’m still as loud as I ever was and to the onlooker it probably doesn’t look different!

I know I am blessed to be married to someone who doesn’t try to stifle my individuality. And I know that not every Christian woman is married to a man that loves her as Christ loves the Church and gave himself for her.

Maybe submission isn’t beautiful now! But it was meant to be!

Yes! The authority of men has been used against women, yes there are Christian men who wield their authority like a light sabre. And yes there are women who crouch under if in fear.
But I thank my God in Heaven that I don’t. I think it’s beautiful!