Ne'er Day 2010

As promised in my posting yesterday, below is this blog's most popular post of 2009 
(Edited: original is here {with translation})...


This particular post, has been viewed more often than any other last year, not sure why.
From: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada ; Right across the world to: Tokyo, Japan. 
(stopping along the way, in Kingston, Jamaica; Tel Aviv, Israel & Delhi, India of all places!)


Even more bewilderlingly, is that fact it is the 1st post viewed by anyone this year also.

My wish for 2010 for all is blessings & prayers in what you need...


Also, of course, "Lang may yer lum reek"

-----

"May the best ye hae ivver seen be the warst ye'll ivver see.
May the moose ne'er lea' yer girnal wi a tear-drap in its ee.
May ye aye keep hail an hertie till ye'r auld eneuch tae dee.
May ye aye juist be sae happie as A wuss ye aye tae be.

Here's to all those that I love
Here's to all those that love me.
And here's to all those that love those that I love,
And all those that love those that love me.

I drink to the health of another,
And the other I drink to is he -
In the hope that he drinks to another,
And the other he drinks to is me!

Here's to them that like us -
Them that think us swell -
And here's tae them that hate us -
Let's pray for them as well!

Here's to the heath, the hill and the heather,
The bonnet, the plaid, the kilt and the feather!

Here's to the heroes that Scotland can boast,
May their names never dee -
That's the Heilan' Man's Toast!

Here's tae us -
Wha's like us -
Damn few -
And they're a' deid -
Mairs the pity!

May the hill rise behind you,
And may the mountain be always over the crest;
And may the God that you believe in
Hold you in the palm of his hand.

Lang may yer lum reek!
Wi' ither folks coal!

May we be happy - and our enemies know it!

A guid New Year and mony may ye see.

May ye ne'er want a frien' or a dram to gie him.

When we're gaun up the hill of fortune, may we ne'er meet a frien' comin' doun!"

Thought 2009/11: May God Bless You With Discomfort

This prayer is, apparently from a Franciscan Benediction:

May God bless you with discomfort at easy answers, half truths, and superficial relationships, so that you may live deep within your heart.

May God bless you with anger at injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people, so that you may work for justice, freedom and peace.

May God bless you with tears to shed for those who suffer from pain, rejection, starvation, and war, so that you may reach out your hand to comfort them and to turn their pain in to joy.

And may God bless you with enough foolishness to believe that you can make a difference in this world, so that you can do what others claim cannot be done.

Saw it online (as most things I do) at an excellent website, I've just recently saved to my Google Reader.

It has made be think - but how do you become empowered or even empower others , to act on these words?

For me, for now, I got to pray this one out for a while...

Not just for 'you' but for 'me' too...

"May God bless you & I with discomfort... May God bless all of us with discomfort..."

Thought 2009/10: Clear Conscience before God

This 'Scripture Tag' I saw on a website got me thinking..




In particular, thinking about the past year & my relationship with 'my church'. Which as some of you already know is far from good, in part for reasons that aren't for airing publicly (my sensible gene kicked in there).
My relationship with God, like all good relationships is ever changing & growing stronger (in a big part, thanks to my Twitter & 'online' friends)

However, I haven't been in the church building in 8 months & that's after barely missing a Sunday & almost all other church events in the previous 13+ years!

The bible quote above has hit home, more than anything else has in the past year...

My conscience before God is clear in most places & ways - but step inside 'my church' building & suddenly I feel like a fraud - so what changes?

My dilemma is summed up again by whats above - my conscience before God (when in 'corporate worship') is clouded/unsettled... because I am aware that those around me aren't right with God - their conscience isn't clear!
Many, many of those around me are going through the motions.. being polite, civil & 'doing church' - BUT under all that festers past hurts & angers -

But rather than doing the sensible thing (in my opinion) by addressing & acknowledging the, still obvious, undercurrents - it has been generally accepted (silently endorsed?) that its easier to be dishonest with ourselves & by that logic God..

So, it seems that as long as the church 'looks right' .. God will understand & accept our weekly/daily dishonesty?
My opinion is that's so twisted a logic, it falls over before it has even begun!

Ultimately, I don't have an answer to my dilemma... Still listening to God on that one.

But... still my conscience, under those circumstances isn't clear before God..



BTW: I know that 'church' is not the building, but the people joining together in worship. Also that I could go elsewhere but (fortunately/unfortunately?) God says, for the moment, my church is still where its been for the last decade & a half.

So...

...Prayer is all I got left...

Thought 2009/9: Coach Carter-Our Deepest Fear

via youtube.com

Reminded of this clip from Coach Carter
Thanks to: Emmsy

Used this QUOTE when I became a Soldier (Full Member) of The Salvation Army..

"Our deepest fear is not that we are in adequate.
It is that we are powerful beyond measure."

So having been reminded - thought I'd share it!

EDIT: I did blog on this quote before... Right Here!

Posted via web from aldakila's posterous

Thought 2009/8: Where has childhood gone

This news story that @jdblundell twitter'd, got me a little bothered, so I shared my indirect thoughts on Friendfeed. Not sure why it did perturb me entirely, but it did. Probably influenced by this earlier 'rant'.
Decided to share it with my blog friends too..

So...


What follows is exactly what I said there, (unedited & straight from my heart then brain -allegedly) :

"Where has childhood gone?
Sexualizing of society in advertising & beyond; "hands-off parenting"? more like "hands-off" society - no-one wants to take responsibility - its always someone else's job to sort it.. the blame game is just going to lead to a downward spiral!

.. "it wasn't me! or who can I sue? or no-one stopped me!" or anything similar shouldn't stand up to scrutiny.
But who is watching out for others? Who is going to stand up & be, firstly an example of action, & secondly a positive voice? YOU? or what about.. YOU hiding behind 'trendy excuse of the day?'
In the end, if you don't stand up with positive action.. then just sit down & keep your words of condemnation to yourself!! {Actions or being an Example shouts so much louder than all the words in the world!}

- Just my opinion, but wrong as what the 13yr girl was doing is... where was the positive action that would have lead to a possibly different life experience? For her & thousands-upon-thousands like her?"

Thought 2009/7: We Are All Saints

Yes, we are.. All Saints (not the girl group - Silly!)

Your deeds in God's Name & in God's Image - As We Are ALL Made - don't need to be flashy or public. It can be as simple as a smile, a willing ear, or a shoulder to cry on.

If the deeds/actions are public or flashy, in my opinion, they should reflect on Jesus' example & NOT on you.
They should show you're following in Jesus' path not creating one of your own. Yes even food parcels, famine relief, or eradicating a disease!

You deserve the recognition no doubt about that, but only if its done in junior partnership with God... Only with acknowledgment to God in all steps along the way...

Something, we all should attempt to do & try to remember.

Anyhoo, the reason for this short rambling was inspired by this cartoon from ASBO Jesus:



Indeed Saints occupy all life!!

Easter Sunday - Bible

1 Peter 2:21-25 (The Message)

^21-25This is the kind of life you've been invited into, the kind of life Christ lived.

He suffered everything that came his way so you would know that it could be done, and also know how to do it, step-by-step.



He never did one thing wrong, Not once said anything amiss.


They called him every name in the book and he said nothing back.


He suffered in silence, content to let God set things right.

He used his servant body to carry our sins to the Cross so we could be rid of sin, free to live the right way.

His wounds became your healing.

You were lost sheep with no idea who you were or where you were going.

Now you're named and kept for good by the Shepherd of your souls.

Good Friday - Bible

Romans 5:6-8 (The Message)

^6-8Christ arrives right on time to make this happen. He didn't, and doesn't, wait for us to get ready.

He presented himself for this sacrificial death when we were far too weak and rebellious to do anything to get ourselves ready.

And even if we hadn't been so weak, we wouldn't have known what to do anyway.

We can understand someone dying for a person worth dying for, and we can understand how someone good and noble could inspire us to selfless sacrifice.

But God put his love on the line for us by offering his Son in sacrificial death while we were of no use whatever to him.

The Message Bible can put things so well (almost my favourite bible translation)

Good Friday - Picture

Close-up Wooden Cross @ Erskine S.A, originally uploaded by Aldakila.

Thought 2009/6: Earth Hour - Kids

TEXT to Follow

Thought 2009/5: Great Love

Following on from my previous thought is Corinthians 13 in its entirety allowing verses 6 & 7 to be seen in context There are 3 Translations here as I gleaned something different from each, I hope that you do too.

I feel that the words are not only speaking of our love for God, Christianity & our fellow men (human race in general) ; But also of our love for those individuals we come into contact with in our daily lives...


Wife, Husband, Daughter, Son Boyfriend, Girlfriend, Grandmother, Grandfather, Uncle, Aunt & so on...

Boss, Colleague, Customer, Coffee-Shop Assistant, Lunch Lady, Teacher, Janitor, Minister & I'm sure there are more you could think of...

Anyone who influences & impacts your life; Anyone whose life you impact & influence...

What about... Drunk, urine soaked, sweat oozing, vomit covered, blood caked, pus infected... Wait...No cant you imagine coming across anyone like this & loving them?

Let me help...
Drunk, urine soaked, sweat oozing, vomit covered, blood caked, pus infected...
Wife
Husband
Daughter
Son
Boyfriend
Girlfriend
Teacher
Minister
... They are someone important in someones life! Think About It...

Actions are more powerful than any beautiful eloquent words, so they say, true but... If the words aren't uttered with love they are nothing, if the actions aren't carried out in love they are nothing!

Without Love We Are Empty & Soulless? Love for those we spend our life with, is no more important than our love for everything in our lives!

Love isn't just for celebrating & showing to those we want to spend our lives with on February 14th..

But is for Every Day of Every Year to Everyone?!

To paraphrase: "Just as a puppy isn't just for Christmas ... Love isn't just for Valentines!"


God asks, wants & demands of us to do everything with & in love following his example of actions & reading his words:


LOVE is...

(New International Version)

1 Corinthians 13

Love

¹If I speak in the tongues^a]">[a] of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. ²If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. ³If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames,^b]">[b] but have not love, I gain nothing.

⁴Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

⁸Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. ⁹For we know in part and we prophesy in part, ¹⁰but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. ¹¹When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. ¹²Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

¹³And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

(The Message)

1 Corinthians 13

The Way of Love

¹ If I speak with human eloquence and angelic ecstasy but don't love, I'm nothing but the creaking of a rusty gate. ²If I speak God's Word with power, revealing all his mysteries and making everything plain as day, and if I have faith that says to a mountain, "Jump," and it jumps, but I don't love, I'm nothing. ^3-7If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don't love, I've gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I'm bankrupt without love.

Love never gives up.
Love cares more for others than for self.
Love doesn't want what it doesn't have.
Love doesn't strut,
Doesn't have a swelled head,
Doesn't force itself on others,
Isn't always "me first,"
Doesn't fly off the handle,
Doesn't keep score of the sins of others,
Doesn't revel when others grovel,
Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth,
Puts up with anything,
Trusts God always,
Always looks for the best,
Never looks back,
But keeps going to the end.

^8-10Love never dies. Inspired speech will be over some day; praying in tongues will end; understanding will reach its limit. We know only a portion of the truth, and what we say about God is always incomplete. But when the Complete arrives, our incompletes will be canceled.

¹¹When I was an infant at my mother's breast, I gurgled and cooed like any infant. When I grew up, I left those infant ways for good.

¹²We don't yet see things clearly. We're squinting in a fog, peering through a mist. But it won't be long before the weather clears and the sun shines bright! We'll see it all then, see it all as clearly as God sees us, knowing him directly just as he knows us!

¹³But for right now, until that completeness, we have three things to do to lead us toward that consummation: Trust steadily in God, hope unswervingly, love extravagantly. And the best of the three is love.

(New Living Translation)

1 Corinthians 13

Love Is the Greatest

¹ If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. ² If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. ³ If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it;^a]">[a] but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing.

⁴ Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud ⁵ or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. ⁶ It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. ⁷ Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.

⁸ Prophecy and speaking in unknown languages^b]">[b] and special knowledge will become useless. But love will last forever! ⁹ Now our knowledge is partial and incomplete, and even the gift of prophecy reveals only part of the whole picture! ¹⁰ But when full understanding comes, these partial things will become useless.

¹¹ When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things. ¹² Now we see things imperfectly as in a cloudy mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity.^c]">[c] All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely.

¹³ Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.

...GOD is LOVE

Thought 2009/4: Love

The "Verse of the Day" from Bible Gateway was from 1 Corinthians 13: 6-7 & speaks of Love...

Having read several translations of the same verses (on the Bible Gateway site) I realised that:

Firstly - Love is so simple from God's perspective {looking outward perhaps} & as people we make it so complicated {maybe by looking inward at ourselves}

So really the word love has been hijacked & used in a way so that it suits each individuals singular purpose ~ my detailed thoughts on that are for another time, perhaps?


Secondly - I got something different from each translation I read - but all were leading to same message needing to be heard...


So I leave you with that-> Many Translations of the same message...




Love Is...

1 Corinthians 13:6-7

(New International Version)

⁶Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

(New American Standard Bible)

⁶^A)">(A)does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but ^B)">(B)rejoices with the truth;

⁷^C)">(C)bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

(The Message)

Love never gives up.
Love cares more for others than for self.
Love doesn't want what it doesn't have.
Love doesn't strut,
Doesn't have a swelled head,
Doesn't force itself on others,
Isn't always "me first,"
Doesn't fly off the handle,
Doesn't keep score of the sins of others,
Doesn't revel when others grovel,
Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth,
Puts up with anything,
Trusts God always,
Always looks for the best,
Never looks back,
But keeps going to the end.

(Amplified Bible)

⁶It does not rejoice at injustice and unrighteousness, but rejoices when right and truth prevail.

⁷Love bears up under anything and everything that comes, is ever ready to believe the best of every person, its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances, and it endures everything [without weakening].

(New Living Translation)

⁶ It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. ⁷ Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.

(Contemporary English Version)

⁶Love rejoices in the truth,

but not in evil.

⁷Love is always supportive,

loyal, hopeful,

and trusting.

(New King James Version)

⁶ does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; ⁷ bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

(Worldwide English (New Testament))

⁶Love is not glad when people do wrong things. But it is always glad when they do right.

⁷Love forgives everything. Love is always trusting, and always hoping, and never gives up.

...God is Love

Thought 2009/2: Relationship NOT Religion

CityWest Church (Austrailia), originally uploaded by Aldakila.

CityWest Church (Austrailia):

Love their credo -Relationship NOT Religion-

A move in the right direction I feel...

Looks like the right attitude for Christ-Followers
(More authentic/truthful than saying Christian?)

CityWest Church is not a building, not a religious gathering, not a platform for a man nor contained to a Sunday. We are a people who love Jesus, serve Him as we serve those in our culture, united by Him as a family and live life empowered to give away to the world what God has given us.

:How CityWest Church describe themselves on their Website

Now that's also something I can relate to desiring for all...

Thought 2009/1 Good Mantra?…

Lang May Yer Lum Reek

Following on from Previous Blog & Final Line-
"Lang May Yer Lum Reek"
An Explanation (of sorts) :



Here's the above before being "Wordle'd"

May the best ye hae ivver seen be the warst ye'll ivver see.
May the moose ne'er lea' yer girnal wi a tear-drap in its ee.
May ye aye keep hail an hertie till ye'r auld eneuch tae dee.
May ye aye juist be sae happie as A wuss ye aye tae be.

The above, in translation, reads:
May the best you have ever seen be the worst you will ever see.
May the mouse never leave your grain store with a tear drop in its eye.
May you always stay hale and hearty until you are old enough to die.
May you still be as happy as I always wish you to be.

Here's to all those that I love
Here's to all those that love me.
And here's to all those that love those that I love,
And all those that love those that love me.
(You have to think about that one!)

I drink to the health of another,
And the other I drink to is he -
In the hope that he drinks to another,
And the other he drinks to is me!

Here's to them that like us -
Them that think us swell -
And here's tae them that hate us -
Let's pray for them as well!

Here's to the heath, the hill and the heather,
The bonnet, the plaid, the kilt and the feather!

Here's to the heroes that Scotland can boast,
May their names never dee -
That's the Heilan' Man's Toast!

Here's tae us -
Wha's like us -
Damn few -
And they're a' deid -
Mairs the pity!

May the hill rise behind you,
And may the mountain be always over the crest;
And may the God that you believe in
Hold you in the palm of his hand.

Or alternatively:
May the road rise to meet you,
May the wind be always at your back,
The sun shine warm upon your face,
The rain fall soft upon your fields.

Lang may yer lum reek! (Long may your chimney smoke!)
Wi' ither folks coal! (With other people's coal!)
(The second line is said to have originated in Edinburgh!)

May we be happy - and our enemies know it!

A guid New Year and mony may ye see.

May ye ne'er want a frien' or a dram to gie him.

When we're gaun up the hill of fortune, may we ne'er meet a frien' comin' doun!

Just an insight into Burns' Words, Hogmanay & Scotland :

Scotland (We invented New Year "Ye Know")

2009 - Homecoming Scotland

Everybody's Welcome!!!

Happy Ne'erday

Its Hogmanay!!!

So Happy Ne'erday when it comes...

(Don't really see the point to New Year Celebrations - never really been all that comfortable with the logic of it even as a very young child - always seems maudlin & a feeble excuse to get drunk)

But still - I'll not spoil what is for some is a fab excuse for a big party / small family gathering or whatever life brings you...

Glasgow Hogmanay 2007/8 (Runrig just after 'the bells')



Edinburgh Hogmanay 2007/8 (Fireworks across city)




Some Fab Hogmanay TV from my Childhood...
(for Salvationists - the last 30/40seconds are very funny)



Though, finally I offer up, right now, prayers for those who want or need Gods Comfort & Grace, in whatever situation or 'celebration' you find yourself the Holy Spirit & God's blanket of love will surround you & warm you. You are never alone - God's there walking beside you & me

"Lang may yer lum reek"

Thought: Wrong Focus (Blurred)

Sometimes we focus on the wrong thing at Christmas...

(in response to & inspired by @stewartcutler's Blog:"Blurred")

Reflective Thought

In last few days I've been searching for & sorting various bits & pieces (as you seem to inevitably do in run-up to Christmas!)

In doing that, I came across my scribblings & thoughts from around the time I became a Senior Soldier (full member) in The Salvation Army...

I felt it would be interesting in this time around Christmas & New Year, when Christians & Non-Christians alike reflect on their lives (& the world around them), to add my little quote to the mix....

It always, whenever I read it, makes me pause for a moment....

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.

This quote has been attributed to Nelson Mandela, indeed for a long time I thought he had used it in his Inaugural Presidential Speech, but the source of this excellent thought lies elsewhere.

Either Way, It makes me think... for little while I try a little harder....

Jeff Buckley - Hallelujah

Live:



Recorded Single Version (note-photo only Video):





Jeff Buckley - Hallelujah... for Christmas #1!!!

Update: Christmas #2 thats respectable...
(Original Cohen Version: #36 - not too shabby)


Christmas UK Top40 2008

Thought for 5th December 2008: The Salvation Army @ Christmas

This Should be shown Everyday on every TV Channel-From Now until Day After Christmas....
Can't remember last time I saw The Salvation Army UK advertise on TV?
In Canada & USA they seem to all the time... Deeper Pockets & Better Resources perhaps...