Why I take notes in sermons

I take notes to keep awake!

Without writing notes I find it all too easy to get distracted.

Writing focuses my mind.

You could argue: "Don't take notes for knowledge, let the words affect your heart."

Yet writing notes helps me engage. It's only when I'm engaged that the words can pierce my heart.

How to learn like Buffet

(Based on content from farnam street blog)

Learn daily. Knowledge grows quicker if you have more knowledge.

Keep reading - and learn to take in the information. The more you read, the easier it will be to take in information.

Set time aside to learn. Learning is investing in yourself.

Can't afford to learn today? You'll work better tomorrow if you learn more today. Don't put it off.

A prayer

In the run up to easter my church sent out daily devotional emails. One of them (focusing on Peter, his denial and subsequent reinstatement (John 18:15-18, 18:25-27, 21:9, 21:15-17)) included a prayer I really liked. I've copied it below; I hope you find it useful.

Lord Jesus, thank you for your constant faithfulness and willingness to forgive. Thank you that you have a plan and purpose for my life. Help me, in my moments of pressure or temptation, not to give into fear. And when I fail or deny you, help me to be quick to seek restoration, knowing that you promise to forgive me, because my sin has been paid for at the cross. I ask, too, that you speak to me about the mission you have prepared for me, and that you equip me to serve you with my passions and skills.

God helps me

In the past I've got home from a long day at work, tired, having talked all day, and wanting to crash, yet knowing that in 60 short minutes I'll need to have got changed, tidied the flat, put on some music, cooked a meal, and be ready to socialise, make people feel welcome, and lead a lifegroup as friends arrive after great days, bad days, hearts broken, hearts on fire. So I pray. He helps. In those situations I'm not surprised.

Other times it's the end of a long week of work and some people are going to the pub. I know I should go and socialise, but maybe I don't want to. In those situations I haven't prayed. But why not?! God cares about those situations too.

Today was a lifegroup day (though not at my flat); he helped.
Next time a work thing happens, I'm sure he will too.

New and shiny

I'm gonna try to pick-up blogging again over on Tumblr!
It's easy, they'll be short, and lots of links to other things.
But it'll be a blog (of sorts).

Check it out

Stories not statistics

Stories are better than statistics. Disclaimer: I studied maths and work with numbers.

Today I read lots of statistics, and a story. The story stuck in my head.

Read these statistics from water.org:

• 884 million people lack access to safe water supplies
• 3.575 million people die each year from water-related disease
• The water and sanitation crisis claims more lives through disease than any war claims through guns.
• People living in the slums often pay 5-10 times more per liter of water than wealthy people living in the same city.
• An American taking a five-minute shower uses more water than a typical person in a developing country slum uses in a whole day.

Now compare that to this video of Justin Zoradi tellig his story of "These numbers have faces":

What stuck with me is the stories, the specifics.
To me the statement "one person will die because they can't even get access to clean drinking water in a city" is more powerful than if you change the number to one million.

We have to start by understanding a small problem well, by letting it affect us, by letting it change us.
Statistics don't change people. Stories do.

A statistic is one story affecting more than one person.

Verses that strike #001

"For no one is a Jew who is merely one outwardly, nor is circumcision outward and physical. But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter. His praise is not from man but from God."
Romans 2:28-29

A reminder to seek God and his favour, not man's.