D is for Death

On 04/04/201501/04/2018 By auntyamoIn April AtoZ, Getting to grips with God stuff4 Comments

Today’s word is not so obscure but I thought, as it is Holy Saturday (next Saturday is Easter Saturday…) and we’ve a day off tomorrow, that it is the perfect word.

Many Christians take time to remember Good Friday (the Crucifixion of Jesus) and celebrate Easter Sunday (the Resurrection of Jesus), but Easter Saturday is a quieter day. I’ve read a few articles and discussions about it and there is varied opinion on exactly where Jesus was on the Saturday.

The two main sides of the debate based on a) the words that Jesus says to the thief on the Cross, “Truly I ; and tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.” Luke 23:43. He says, “It is finished” suggesting that His work was done and that we should do as He did, and rest on Saturday in anticipation of Resurrection Day.

Based on other verses in the New Testament, there is the opinion that b) Jesus ‘descended into the lower regions.’ 1 Peter 3 says that when Jesus died ‘he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison’ Those verses are the reason that Jesus’ descent into hell was added to the Apostle’s Creed.

It’s a great subject to dwell on and put some study time into, however what’s far more significant is the victory achieved by Jesus death. The sinless Lamb, taking on the sin of the world. Whatever conclusion we come to about Saturday, joy comes in the morning. The stone is rolled away and the tomb is empty. Death has been conquered, Jesus lives.

Death is so painful; I’m still recovering from two big losses last year. My mam is gone 10 years – I still feel that loss too. Jesus’ death means that death has not won, it’s not the final word.

Enjoy tomorrow folks. Jesus is risen, He is alive!
xx

C is for Consequentialism

On 03/04/201501/04/2018 By auntyamoIn April AtoZ, Getting to grips with God stuff2 Comments

So Day 3’s word is ‘Consequentialism’ – the Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy explains it like this – “of all the things a person might do at any given moment, the morally right action is the one with the best overall consequences.”

I suppose it’s not a theological term as such, though it does appear on some glossaries. It is however another one of those concepts that I’ve been aware of, even if only vaguely, but didn’t know what it was called.

The action that comes to mind when I think of this word is, lying. I have told so many lies in my life, I can’t count them. I have justified almost all of them and have felt many of them a necessity.

I think of how many times I fobbed my Dad off with lies. It was easier to tell him that my brother’s band were playing in some far off venue. If he knew they were performing just up the road, he’d have been in a taxi on his way to the pub, rather than safely tucked up in his bed where I preferred him to be.

The ‘overall consequences’ of my action helped me to justify the lie; and I freely admit that if he was still alive, I’d still be doing it.

It is something I have and still wrestle with. I don’t have a balanced thought to round this one off with. Only to say that I’m so thankful to God for His mercy and forgiveness for this and many other things I’ve done for the sake of ‘the best overall consequences’ – more commonly known as – ‘an easy life.’

B is for Bibliomancy

On 02/04/201501/04/2018 By auntyamoIn April AtoZ, Getting to grips with God stuff11 Comments

Here’s another thing that I didn’t realise was an actual thing. Bibliomancy

The Westminster Dictionary of Theological Terms says that Bibliomancy is: the practice of opening the Bible at random and seeking guidance through the first verse one sees. In quite a few sources it’s described as ‘divination by means of a book.’

When I was a new Christian, it took a while for me to grasp what the Bible was and wasn’t. So I often did let it fall open on a page and read a verse to see if I could get a lightning quick response to a question. I don’t think I ever landed on anything that made sense to my particular query. Over time. I found that reading, understanding and listening to the Word of God gave insight into situations and comfort in times of trouble. Doing an ‘eenie, meenie, miney mo’ never did anything for me.

In my search about this term I found that, though it dates back to ancient Greece, it’s still a common practice. It all sounds a bit magic 8 ball-ish to me. And it’s poor use of a fabulous resource. Like preparing and firing up a space shuttle to get to the local shop for a pint of milk. It was built for so much more.

I believe the Word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword (Hebrews 4:12); and so it has to be handled carefully. I love having scripture verses on fridge magnets and on the pages of notebooks; but individual random verses can be and often are taken out of context. If the Bible is a rocket, then fly me to the moon 🙂

A is for Absolutely Astraddle (and ‘Adiaphora’)

On 01/04/201501/04/2018 By auntyamoIn April AtoZ, Getting to grips with God stuff9 Comments

It’s Day 1 of the A to Z Blogging Challenge and I still haven’t come up with a theme. I considered Bible characters, Bible verses, Hymns or Songs, great theological writers… but I couldn’t decide.

So here I am on day 1 thinking of holy ‘A’ words.

Annmarie…? nah I don’t think so.

Ann, is a form of Hannah, who I believe was the mother of Mary; and of course, Marie comes from Mary. So, even though Annmarie is made up of the names of Jesus’ mammy and granny, when you put them together you end up with me. That knocks holiness out of play 🙂

However, I had a rummage around for an interesting ‘A’ word that might be closer to holiness than my own name; and I found this word, ‘adiaphora’

TheFreeDictionary.com tells us that it is, “a Christian Protestant theological theory that certain rites and actions are matters of indifference in religion since not forbidden by the Scriptures.”

The concept itself is familiar to me but I didn’t realise it had a name. If you think about it, it’s a big part of Christian life. When we think of guidance for some of the big things we ‘choose’ – spouses, jobs, money, which church to attend etc – there are few hard and fast rules. We know we should work, and should gather together in fellowship, and should be good stewards of what we have – using it wisely etc. But although I know I shouldn’t work in a brothel, there is nothing in the Bible to say that I shouldn’t be a civil servant, accountant, hairdresser or dog groomer.

We’re not told what person to marry, how much is too much to spend on a house, or whether a church is holier with or with or without a pipe organ or drum kit. We’re to use our wisdom and discernment, seeking God’s guidance and will for our lives. I also believe this connects to preference and diversity. I don’t see all the varied styles of church as disunity or contradiction. I see them as a gift from God. We’re all different and have different likes and bugbears. So He has made a vast range of worship styles and building shapes, so that we can – with all our foibles and oddities – find a place to worship Him in, and a group of people to worship Him with.

So here’s to adiaphora!

I only hope that my search reveals more interesting words for the rest of the alphabet.

Happy A to Z to you all,
Amo x

Creative Christians in Wales

On 17/03/2015 By auntyamoIn Moving from Ireland to Wales, Writing, Blogging etc3 Comments

Last night I’d a great evening chatting to some of the Creative Christians in Wales group.

It was a small gathering in a coffee shop in Cardiff, chatting about set up and making some plans. The vision, though still in its formative stage, is to give creative believers an opportunity to share their art, network, encourage each other and pray together.

It’s not often I get to talk about my creative life, within the context of my faith in a Creator God. We talked about how we reflect that part of His nature, as creatives, and the hope that this group will give us more opportunity to do that. You know, I worried when I moved to the UK and lost direct contact with a lot of creative people I was connected with, that I would somehow lose out. This is not the first, but the greatest reassurance that won’t happen.

The group on Facebook has artists, writers, poets, graphic designers, photographers, videographers, musicians, and at least one excellent deliverer of the spoken word. Jordan Sheehy… you must check her out.

It’s great to be part of such a group. Last night we discussed potential. There’s so many things the group could be and do. I’m excited to be involved at this early stage. Watch this space, as they say…

You don’t have tick all three boxes to get involved. It’s not an exclusive club. So if you’re a Christian, in Wales, interested in the arts then great, be sure to get in touch. However, if you only fall in to one or two of the categories, please do connect if you’d like to. There’s the Twitter feed, a Facebook page, and keep your eye out for a blog coming soon. It will showcase some of the artists and encourage discussion about faith and the arts.

Oh and in case you’re worried I’ve forgotten I’m Irish…. Lá Fhéile Padraig shona dhuit
(Happy St. Patrick’s Day) 🙂 x

Restraining Grace, how sweet the sound

On 27/02/2015 By auntyamoIn Getting to grips with God stuffLeave a comment

I suppose I knew what it was, but I’d never heard the phrase before… restraining grace.

It was in the context of a sermon. I’m paraphrasing here, but our pastor mentioned that though some testimonies of salvation are more dramatic and colourful than others, they are all the same. There is the same joy in heaven over every sinner who repents. He said that some people have a quieter, less eventful path to following Christ; the presence of a ‘restraining grace’.

Not for the first time, I wished I’d had that type of experience. Something that stopped me (or others) making mistakes that affected me negatively. Everyone has the same level of need of God, I believe; but my path left me with baggage and ‘stuff’ to deal with. I have memories I don’t want and experiences that I wish I’d missed.

The phrase has been rolling around in my head since then; restraining grace.

I’ve spent (wasted?) an awful lot of time asking God ‘why?’ and ‘why not?’ over the years. I haven’t received many answers, and I probably won’t when I meet God face to face.

Then yesterday I shared something in a meeting. I told the story of how, as a teen, I was quite into tarot cards and ouija boards etc. I was already prone to nightmares, but during that season they were particularly bad. When I became a Christian, they were worse than ever. At that time, someone shared these verses with me from Philippians chapter 4, and encouraged me to put them into practise.

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

Instead of trying to stay awake as long as I could, so as to avoid nightmares, I made lists of things to think about. Noble things, admirable things, pure things. Eventually I was able to sleep. Over time the nightmares came less and less, and these days they are rare. Although I had one last night, interestingly…

Yesterday I was able to share how I put verses into practise and I testified to God’s promise that His peace would be with me, when I fixed my thoughts on what He said to.

So… I dipped my feet into the edges of the occult. I wish I hadn’t; but it led to me being able to share God’s faithfulness to His own words – a different kind of grace I think. I’m sure I’ve experienced a lot of restraining grace and just don’t realise it. Thankfully, His grace comes in many forms.

photo credits:
1. Stop via photopin (license)
2. Tarot cards, Oracle Cards, Runes, Crystal Healing, Divination Techniques via photopin (license)
3. I took this on hols. Kerry I think… peaceful 🙂

What’s love got to do with it?

On 14/02/2015 By auntyamoIn Family, Getting to grips with God stuff4 Comments

Yesterday I was at a thanksgiving service for the life of a truly lovely lady.

It was the first funeral I’ve been to since my Dad died in last March, so it caught me by surprise. I was sad to be saying goodbye to a woman who I was delighted to have as an aunty when I got married. But I was not upset. She had a sure and certain hope of eternity with God, and we gathered to thank God for her life; rejoicing in hope that we would one day see her again.

What got me though – what caught me so that, for a just a few seconds, I could not get air in my lungs – was the open grave.

I’ve been to many funerals in my life, but the site of an open grave did not give me real pain, until my mother’s body was committed to the ground 10 years ago. And just last year when my dad was buried, I felt that same sharp pain of seeing the coffin lowered. It’s not easy to watch.

Different from my usual ‘Irish’ experience of funerals, my aunty was buried first. Then we went to the church for a service and some food. I liked it that way around, we did the hardest bit first.

The sight of an open grave though… the idea of putting someone you love in there… it made me think of when Jesus’ friends had to ask permission to take his body down. Then they placed Him in the borrowed tomb; someone else’s grave. No polished coffin with a brass name plate. No flowers, or photos of him. John 19 tells us that His body was treated with spices and wrapped in cloths… by his own friends.

I can’t imagine how difficult that must have been.

A bit dismal for Valentine’s Day?

Well, yesterday, people paid tribute to a woman who loved her family and loved her God. A woman who was loved by her God. We could place her body in that ugly open grave, comforted by resurrection truth.

It was all for love; God so LOVED THE WORLD that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

So no matter who responds, no matter who believes – we are ALL loved. xx ❤

photo credit: Six Feet Under via photopin (license)
photo credit; Garden Tomb 07 via photopin (license)
photo credit: Like This, I Love You, as You Smile so Light as the Water of the Spring…. via photopin (license)

Moving to the UK – it’s further than you think

On 22/01/201522/01/2015 By auntyamoIn Getting to grips with God stuff, Moving from Ireland to Wales, Random Ramblings4 Comments

The title of this blogpost will surely, one day, be the title of a book. I will write of how I took the 300 (ish) mile journey from Kildare, Ireland to Newport, South Wales – only to find that I might as well have come from the centre of a densely populated (but only by trees and macaws) jungle.

We have been here over a month and we are still filling out forms. Long forms, with tiny boxes, wanting nitty, not forgetting that gritty, information about who we are, where we have been and what emissions we are emitting into beautiful Welsh air; from our car, you understand.

We’ve gone through the job seekers allowance application twice since we got here (that must be some kind of record). We made the mistake of leaving the country for a few days, so had to close down the claim and reopen it. Having lived in the UK before, I have a UK National Insurance Number already. A huge relief, as I’m not sure there’s enough ink in my pen to fill in that form.

Job hunting has begun in earnest and there’s one application and impending interview that I’m very excited about. If you’re of the praying persuasion, do please pray for God’s will in that one.

I get that there have to be checks to make sure people are who they say they are. I’m happy to wait my turn in the dole office and actually BE a jobseeker to get Job Seekers Allowance. Having been an NHS patient before, I am REALLY grateful for the health service. It’s not perfect, and many may think it’s a shambles. In Ireland, you PAY for the shambles, so I’m happy to wait my turn in a doctor’s surgery here too… That reminds me; I must register with a doctor. (Note to self, buy another pen!)

I will make one complaint, that is the process of reregistering the car from Irish reg to UK reg. That is still not done, as the hurdles we have to jump would challenge Red Rum on his best day. As well as it being complicated, it has turned out to be very, VERY expensive. So if you’re considering importing your car from Ireland to the UK, my advice is… don’t. I’m not kidding; had I known, I’d have sold mine and taken the loss on the chin.

Having said all that we’re very happy to be here. Enjoying being back in Malpas Road Evangelical Church, and hopeful for the future.

My heart is in Ireland, always will be. Difference this time is, it’s not broken to be away from Ireland. Thanks God for that.

photo credit: amandabhslater via photopin cc

Starting the New Year with reasonable demands

On 09/01/201509/01/2015 By auntyamoIn Getting to grips with God stuff, Random RamblingsLeave a comment

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

I can still say that can’t I? I’m never sure when it’s too late to wish someone a happy new year… I’ve probably come back just in time.

Speaking of my absence… I’m delighted to see that even though it’s a month since I’ve written here, you’ve still been checking in and having a read. Thanks for that. As always, it’s much appreciated.

In case you missed it though, I’m now living in South Wales; the homeland of my husband. I’ve lived here before, so it kinda feels like home anyway. We moved back just before Christmas, so the last few weeks has been a haze of boxes – thankfully some of them were covered in Christmas paper.

This week we’ve spent a lot of our time filling in forms and taking or sending those forms to the relevant office to be processed. Bank accounts, registering the car, applying for job seekers allowance, applying for jobs. I’ve written my new mobile phone number so many times, I nearly remember it. (I’m not great memorising numbers – so this is a bigger feat than you realise.) I confess, a lot of it has been tiresome, answering the same questions repeatedly, trying to ‘prove’ who we are and where we live. Times like these can make me want to keep my head down. “Just leave me to do what I need to do, I’ll pay attention to that other thing when I’m done.”

Since I’ve written here last, Glasgow has had its 2nd tragic event in 2 years, another plane somehow fell out of the sky in Asia, and it seems the whole of Paris is on a lock-down as they try to track the terrorists who shot 12 people.

I don’t want to look up.

I want to stay buried in the humdrum of bureaucracy. I can feel the call to look up, to look around and take in what is happening; I’m resisting it. The form filling is boring, and safe. And now that I’m nearly done with it, I wish I wasn’t!

I’m not sure what it is God wants me to understand or learn. I don’t know what it means and I’m not sure how to respond; but He is demanding my attention.

photo credit: runnx via photopin cc

Someone’s on the naughty list…

On 11/12/2014 By auntyamoIn Family, Getting to grips with God stuff, Random Ramblings2 Comments

I have broken my very own rule of not leaving my blog idle for weeks on end. As a reader of blogs, I really don’t like to visit one, only to find it dusty and in need of a fresh post. And here I am, rocking up for the first time since Halloween!

Naughty Amo!

small__180146202 — The Poolbeg Lighthouse & the east coast of Ireland

I do have reasons (excuses) for my absence though. It’s a frantic time for me at the moment. I’m 5 days away from relocating to the UK. If you missed that bit of news, you can catch up here. I’m trying to pack my life into boxes, say goodbye to people, clear the decks as it were, and… AND I’m battling one of my winter lurgies. *cough *splutter

Yeah, yeah, I know, poor me, boo hoo… 🙂
I would be a firm proponent of the ‘let nothing stop you from writing’ ethos, but I have indeed let things stop me. Busyness, tiredness, coughing, crying, more crying, packing, and a heart bursting with emotion at the thought of leaving my homeland.

I hate goodbyes and because my days are full of them, I don’t want to write them. And it’s not just goodbye to Ireland, and my family & friends. It’s goodbye to an era, as we experience the first Christmas without my dad in the world. He WAS Christmas to us, and to think we’ll never gather in our family home on Christmas morning again is hard. Very very hard.

So I have allowed the pen to dry up a bit as I pack stuff, hug people and eat chocolate.

HEY! people keep buying it for me, what am I supposed to do…?

Not sure if I’ll be back here before 2015, So I want to thank you all for reading, and the support you’ve given me during the year as I’ve wrestled with loss, and rambled on about it here.

Here’s to another year of words. There might even be a few good ones.

I’m thankful to each and every one of you who has liked, followed, commented or just popped in for a quick read. Have a great Christmas all.

auntyamo x

photo credit: Corey Leopold via photopin cc