Trekking Poles

We have just returned from a week walking in the mountains of the Mont Blanc region of France. We had been invited by Jo and Jackie Taylor, who are in-laws of our son Ben; they are also very good friends. As we were making preparations to go they asked us whether we had got our “Trekking Poles”, to which the answer was “No.” “You’ll need some good trekking poles if you are going to hike in the mountains of France,” they told us.

Now, that placed me into somewhat of a dilemma. A couple of years ago, while visiting my cousin in Switzerland, I had observed a group of walkers, with their trekking poles, all looking very serious, and according to me, somewhat comical. I thought, “What’s wrong with my legs, I don’t need those things!” But after my conversation with Jo, who told me they were essential equipment for our trip, I duly complied, and was delighted to find two sets of poles at a bargain price in T. K. Maxx.

On our first day, we left the chalet in Morzine and drove up for our first walk, fully equipped with walking boots and poles. After some instruction, we got them the right length and ready for our first climb. We had not walked very far before I was an instant convert. The poles were brilliant, they spread the load so that your legs do not have to do all the work. They help keep you moving forward with speed and purpose; and when you are descending they are great for keeping you steady and preventing slips and slides. However, last Sunday as we walked on the Mendip Hills with our poles, we had some very strange looks from our fellow walkers.

This has made me realise how independent and opinionated we can be. We see something that we do not comprehend and have made up our minds before we have really understood what it’s all about.

This is so true about the Christian faith – I have heard people say, “Being a Christian is just a prop for weak people.” That was my attitude to the trekking poles I saw in Switzerland. It was not until I had experience them that I realised they are so important.

So my spiritual “trekking poles” - give me someone to lean on who keeps me steady and takes the load - keep me going forward with pace and purpose - stop me from falling when negotiating difficult terrain.

It is amazing what lessons we can learn from a couple of sticks!

Inside your Head

During the six weeks of late July and August, we have been having a special series of teaching at Living Waters Church entitled "God in our Living." On July 26th, Daniel spoke about leisure and our need to have time for rest and reflection in our over busy lives. A week later Joyce spoke on Family Life, with the subtitle, "Behind Closed Doors" and took the five commands given to Timothy as her key points - "set an example in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity." It was a very challenging message. Last week my theme was our Thought Life and I gave my message the title, " Inside your Head." It was a challenge to face up to what is going on in our heads and how we can as believers live with good thinking and renewed minds. Both messages that Joyce and I have given will be on our podcast soon.

After my message one of the folk said to me - can you give me a copy of all the scriptures you have used? I said yes - and here they are

“Inside your Head”

Key Scripture: Proverbs 23:7 For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.

The Bad News

Fear – Job 3:25 What I feared has come upon me; what I dreaded has happened to me.

Failure – Jeremiah 20:11 They will fail and be thoroughly disgraced; their dishonour will never be forgotten.

Sickness – Jeremiah 10:19 Woe to me because of my injury! My wound is incurable! Yet I said to myself, “This is my sickness, and I must endure it.”

Guilt – Psalm 38:4 My guilt has overwhelmed me like a burden to heavy to bear.

Shame – Psalm 89:45 You have cut short the days of his youth; you have covered him with a mantle of shame.

Hopelessness – Acts 27:20 When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days and the storm continued raging, we finally gave up all hope of being saved.

Lost – Ephesians 2:12 Remember at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from the citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world.

Unclean thoughts – Galatians 5:19-21 The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Criticism – Acts 11:2 So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcised believers criticised him and said, You….

The Bridge – there is a way to go from the domination of negative and destructive thinking to new wholesome, positive thinking and living.

Take thoughts Captive – 2 Corinthians 10:5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that set itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take every though captive to make it obedient to Christ.

Forgive – Luke 6:37 Forgive, and you will be forgiven

Renew Your Mind – Romans 12:2 Don’t let the world around you squeeze you into its mould, but let God remould you from within…

Made New in Your Mind - Ephesians 4:22-24 You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitudes of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

Speak in Tongues - 1 Corinthians 14:4 He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself.

The Good News we can think differently and become transformed people.

From Fear … to Peace – John 14:27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

2 Timothy 1:7 – For God did not give us a spirit of fear, but a spirit of power, of love and of a sound mind.

From Failure … to Future – Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.”

From Sickness … to Health – Psalm 103:1-3 Praise the Lord, O my Soul ….who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases.

From No Hope … to Faith – Acts 27:25 So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me.

From Lost … to Saved – Titus 3:4-5 But when the kindness and love of God our Saviour appeared, he saved us, not because of the righteous things we have done, but because of his mercy.

From Unclean … to Pure – Philippians 4:8 Whatever is true, whatever in noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.

From Criticism … to Blessing – Luke 6:28 & 35 Bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you….love your enemies, do good to them…

Finally… 2 Peter 3:1 Dear friends, this is now my second letter to you. I have written both of them as reminders to stimulate you to wholesome thinking….

Learning New Things

Last autumn I decided I must do something with all the home videos of the family that I had taken over the years. I had a drawer full of videotapes, which I could show to our children and their families when they were with us, but they could not enjoy them on their own, because I had them.

So having inherited some money from my mother, I decided to splash out and buy a new Apple Mac computer and the programmes necessary to edit my videos and burn them to DVD’s. So it was off to the Apple Store in Bristol to buy a 24” Imac computer and Final Cut programme. During the buying process, I discovered that Apple have a One to One training programme for all their customers, if you add £79 the purchase price of the computer. I discovered that this modest figure entitled me to one hour personal training each week for a year. It was not until a few weeks had passed that I realised that his training was vital, learning Final Cut was not easy and each week I attended my training lesson with a list of questions.

Through this I discovered something else – I was enjoying the challenge to acquire a new skill and to become proficient in film editing, but I was having to take up the role of being a student who was willing to be taught. Everything I learned I wrote down in my notebook, went home and practised, and then transferred my scribbles to a word document on the computer and am building my own manual of how to do all that I have learned.

Then we decided to develop our own website, and I found myself having to learn another set of skills. The website has been designed by Pete Worthington and his team at Worthers, and the email to their support line has been red hot as I have battled with all the challenges.

It is so easy to bury ones head in the sand and not learn anything new or acquire new skills. It is a humbling experience to have to keep asking others to help when in a jam. It means receiving correction and being able to admit failure.

This has set me thinking – Can I learn new things? Can I accept instruction? and Can I receive a rebuke?

Proverbs 9:8-9 says, “Do not rebuke a mocker or he will hate you; rebuke a wise man and he will love you. Instruct a wise man and he will be wiser still; teach a righteous man and he will add to his learning.”