Self Growth

Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow

noreply@blogger.com (The White Dove Partnership) — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 16:33:00 +0000

We all know that there is one creator of this world and his creation is an absolute joyous one. If we view this creation in a positive light we can definitely see the wonder of it all. But we do have to see it positively. Unfortunately so many people have a negative view of the world and then their view of the world appears to be full of misery and of bad happenings. It does so often seem that only bad news makes news. If we count the headlines in a news program, ninety percent will be depressive or highlighting somebody's indiscretions. Very rarely does a success story feature as the top headline of a news bulletin.

Is it any wonder then that so many people have such a negative picture of God's creation?

This last week has seen much, if not all of the United Kingdom covered in snow. There have been record low temperatures, deeper drifts of snow than can be remembered and travelling conditions fraught with danger. Salt to grit the roads are now in short supply and the country is criticized for not being able to cope when such weather conditions arise.

All negative viewpoints.

Today the snow came down heavier than ever. It could have been so easy to lie in bed, stay in front of the fire and basically vegetate. But I didn't want to do this. Despite the protests of my oldest son Dale, my wife Tonya, Dale, Charlie (my youngest boy) and I donned our thick coats, Wellington boots, hats and gloves and walked into town choosing the scenic route for our walk. We snowballed each other, rolled in the snow and warmed ourselves in one of the cafes in town. Along the way we met numerous people that we knew, all of them enjoying the abundance of the season that is part of God's creation. The local hillsides were crammed with children sledging and having fun. To crown the day, inspired by the many we had seen on our walk, we all pulled together to make a huge snowman in our garden.

To me, this was seeing and experiencing the wonderful creation of the world. It was such a simple pleasu! re yet s o wonderful a way to spend the day. We could have stayed in doors and bemoaned the bad weather and written off the day. But making the most of what had been put before us was the positive way to spend the day.

If we really want to we can look beyond the bad news that seems to be thrust upon us regularly through the course of a day. Open our eyes and we can see the good things. We take for granted the courteous actions that so many people deliver each day. If we stopped for just one minute we could all recognize these actions and appreciate that this is God's good grace coming forth. It is hard to remember the good because we take it for granted but when the bad happens it centres on our minds.

I appreciated so much today the wonders of God's creation. It was with immense gratitude that I had such a joyous time with my family too. Sometimes all it takes is the simple things to appreciate the good in this world.

How fantastic is that?

Terry Norrington

www.whatisthemeaningoffaith.com

www.cryinthedark.org

Faith? Where Is The Evidence For Faith?

noreply@blogger.com (The White Dove Partnership) — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 07:40:00 +0000

One of the great conundrums of life which places a huge question mark against faith is the phenomenon of natural disasters. Earthquakes, hurricanes and tidal waves seem to be so indiscriminate in their occurrence, causing so much tragedy and human suffering.

Surely a loving, merciful God would not allow such suffering of his people?

With the many thousands of people who die and suffer from such events surely not all these are sinful enough to warrant the consequences of such unforeseen catastrophes?

Questions like these have exercised the minds of many intellectuals over the centuries and undoubtedly their answers have fallen at both ends of the spectrum, proving or disproving the existence of God.

It would be so easy to use natural disasters as indisputable evidence as to the fact that there is no God. A God who truly cares about his creation would not allow for such cataclysms, would not oversee the sufferings from destruction and famine. This surely is not the work of a loving, merciful Father?

Yet there are many scientists, particularly geologists who see the world as a work in progress. The crust of the earth is a movable, floating surface. Plate tectonics proves that there is movement of the different areas of this crust, and friction develops as the plates either rub against each other or slide one under the other, eventually releasing the energy in the form of earthquakes. Constant transference of energy from one part of the globe to another comes in the form of wind, with hurricanes and tornados at the extremities of this process. The conclusion of said scientists is that these are the inevitable changes occurring in the world as Mother Nature heads towards her ultimate creation.

The Tsunami of Boxing Day 2004 would surely be another nail in the coffin of faith?

With many thousands dead in the coastal areas of India, Thailand and Malaysia one would expect the faith of the surviving people to be destroyed.
On the contrary.

Despite the loss of loved ones, despite the loss of homes and property and despite the tremendous suffering after such an awesome display of destructive power, the faith of the survivors was, and still is, remarkably strong. Many saw this as a challenge set by God to test their abilities, to prove the strength of their faith. Others saw it as punishment for the misdemeanors of themselves or their people proving that they still believed in God their creator.

The compassion showed by so many people in the aftermath of this destruction was seen as a demonstration of God's love with mercy missions coming from all over the globe, desperate to offer aid in whatever capacity they could provide.

We could be forgiven for thinking that negativity would prevail. But as time wore on people became more positive as communities started to rebuild; phoenixes from the ashes. Almost unbelievably it was the religious centres that seemed to stand steadfast against the onslaught of water and today remain the focal point as these villages overcome disaster.

The problem that exists when trying to reason as to why God allows natural disasters to occur is that the arguments are set by the human mind. Taking into account the greatest of minds in the scientific, political and theological fields, the human mind is still limited. The intellect can only go so far. In searching for the answers to the universe we always come up with more questions. We are trying to drain the oceans using a spoon. If computers could understand their creator then the world would surely be in trouble. Likewise it is impossible to understand the intelligence of our creator.

It is not hard for any of us to see back through our lives, that when we believe in God he is there for us. And even when times appeared hard, when we could so easily have questioned our faith, God saw us through the darkness until the light shone again. There is a reason for the pain and suffering that we all experience at different poin! ts in ou r lives; they are just not always apparent at the time. Don't try to reason it because the human mind has frailties, it is limited in comparison to the truth that is God. Just know that God is there and have absolute faith that he will guide us through to the good times.

How fantastic is that?

Terry Norrington

www.whatisthemeaningoffaith.com

www.cryinthedark.org

Decorate Your Life With Faith

noreply@blogger.com (The White Dove Partnership) — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 07:27:00 +0000

The last two or three weeks I have been taken away from my love of blogging about faith and personal development by other rather pressing issues, including that of decorating the landing, stairs and hallway ( at my wife's insistence ). Decorating is a chore that I neither love nor hate; I just kind of do it. Yet there is a wonderful sense of achievement as one gets towards the end and it all comes together.

When decorating, I have the image in my head of the final product; what the room will look like when my work is finished. It is this image that drives me on during the grotty phase of preparation, the stripping of wallpaper and the sanding of the paintwork. But the preparation is so important, creating strong foundation for the finished work. Although it isn't always appreciated, each step is a step closer to that ultimate design. Then there comes a phase when it all starts to take shape; as the image becomes reality. The motivation to carry on to the finishing line is high as the fruits of labour become evident.

To create a bonsai tree, its creator goes through the same process, forming bold images of how he wants the tree to look at the end of his efforts. He nurtures the plant, making cuts here and snips there, giving it the right amount of water to thrive. Eventually his creation takes shape, in the form of the image he has so strongly held in his mind.

When we strive for success at whichever endeavour we choose, we need to have strong mental images; bold pictures of the successful end result. These positive paintings we create in our minds give us the drive to succeed and we can then formulate a plan and set goals as we begin to create and achieve that dream.

We reap what we sow; if we have negative thoughts we are planting seeds that become the weeds that nobody wants. If we think positive thoughts we plant the seeds of fruitfulness and our tree flourishes with an abundance of that fruit, the fruit for which we so strive for.
Go d helps us achieve those dreams. He holds our hand as we take each step. Sometimes the dream seems far away as the drought sets in and the plant seems to lack water. But God guides us through these difficult patches and he also provide times of plenty with water to spare, creating the opportunity for the seed to grow and develop into the wonderful plant we had so brightly visualized at the start of the dream.

The Law of Attraction states that if we want something then we have to believe; totally believe that we already have what it is that we desire. If we pray to God for his help, then we have to have absolute, unwavering faith that he will provide. When we know that God is by our side, granting us his unconditional help and love, we can rest easy and our mental images of success our so much easier to harvest.

Any one of us can change our thought patterns from negative to positive ones. We all have the ability to control our thoughts if we so desire. Having an unflappable faith in God though makes thinking positively so much easier.

How fantastic is that?

Terry Norrington

www.whatisthemeaningoffaith.com
www.cryinthedark.org

Sad News from Romania

noreply@blogger.com (The White Dove Partnership) — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 22:57:00 +0000

As many of you may know from past blogs, I had the tremendous privilege of being a part of a team that spent a week at Casa Lumina in Comanesti, Romania helping to build an extension to the orphanage.

We were very humbled to be able to interact with the orphans during our time there and constantly felt that they were ministering us rather than the other way around.

Unfortunately today I have heard the very sad news of the death of one of these orphans. Noemi Tanase was at Casa Lumina for about six years after the orphange took over her care when her Grand Mother was no longer able to cope for her special needs. It appears that she died from Bronchial Pneumonia brought on by a bout of flu that is haunting Casa Lumina at present. It is possible that Noemi's chronic hepatitis may have been an added complication but this cannot be confirmed until hospital reports are forthcoming.

I would like to ask everybody to offer prayers to the community at Casa Lumina during this sorrowful time as it will have hit the orphans and their carers particularly hard. It will also be appreciated if we can remember the fantastic work that Cry in the Dark continue to do for these loving orphans as the extension nears completion.

Many thanks.

Terry Norrington

www.whatisthemeaningoffaith.com

www.cryinthedark.org

Who Yer Gonna Call? God

noreply@blogger.com (The White Dove Partnership) — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 22:34:00 +0000

When we have a problem the first person we turn to is ourselves. We face up to the issues and try to find a solution. For the most, this is normally sufficient and we create independence by sorting out our own problems. It also helps in building self confidence and self esteem.

If a solution doesn't come forth through our own efforts then we normally turn to friends, family or a professional; an expert in the field in which our problem lies. Two heads are better than one so the saying goes, and particular with regards to the expert, their wealth of experience will usually guide us in the direction we need to go.

There are times though when despite our best efforts, despite the efforts of others, an answer to our problem doesn't seem to be readily available. For every problem there is a solution but when it just doesn't seem obvious "who are we gonna call?"

God.

When the going gets tough, the tough get going. But when we have a deep rooted faith, God becomes our strength. We can face up to any challenge if we believe and trust that God will see us through.

So in the event of a crisis we have three levels at which we operate.

We look for the answers ourselves. We do a bit of research and apply the grey matter a little bit harder and if that fails we revert to plan 2.
We ask somebody. Hopefully there is an answer out there amongst the people we know.
Plan 3 is to ask God. By having faith, asking God for his help and being patient, the answer will come.

So what happens to those non-believers? What do they do when they get to level 3. Emotions normally take over. Panic and quite often depression, and when anybody gets to this state it can be a downward spiral. When negative emotions cloud thinking the problem becomes the sole focus of attention, blinkering any thoughts of a solution.

I once had a boss who would say to me "don't bring me problems, bring me solutions". Easier to do when God walks by our side and we can think positive thoughts. Nowhere near so easy when negative thoughts run through the mind.

When we have the joy of knowing Gods love, when we have absolute faith in God helping us to find the answers, we think positively and the solutions surely emerge.

Perhaps I should have added another level between 2 and 3. "If all else fails read the instructions". The bible.

How fantastic is that?

Terry Norrington

www.whatisthemeaningoffaith.com

www.cryinthedark.org

What Do You See?

noreply@blogger.com (The White Dove Partnership) — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 23:04:00 +0000

A candle burns gently, giving a warm glow to dark surroundings. Then a slight breeze blows out that enchanting flame.

Do we see that breeze?

No we don't. But we may feel the cool softness of the air as the breeze brushes our faces.

The operation of a switch brings light to a room in a fraction of a second. The miracle of physics determines that electricity illuminates darkness through that single light bulb.

Do we see the electricity?

No we don't. But we see the results of its work.

A television sitting in the corner of a room beams out a mass movement of light. Radio waves carrying digital information through many miles of space creates that picture on the screen.

Do we see those radio waves?

No we don't. But we can enjoy the stories that they create.

There are so many things that we cannot see yet we feel, see and enjoy the results of.

People doubt God's existence.

Why?

Because they cannot see him. This means that there is no proof that he exists. Scientists can tell us how energy creates a breeze, causes electricity to flow and allows radio waves to carry signals through the air. But scientists cannot explain Gods love and the energy that this provides to anybody who opens up their hearts to him.

So he can't exist, can he?

So you want proof!! Look around you.

How did this wonderful creation ever come into being?

Oh!! The whole universe was created by a massive nuclear explosion derived from one small atom. The "Big Bang" theory the scientists call it.

But where did that atom come from?

A mathematician once calculated the odds on life being created on a planet with all the chemicals and atmosphere to sustain that life plus putting the sun, moon and stars in all their corresponding places. It worked out at 1 to the power of billions. Personally I have better things to do with my time, but at least he concluded that life, the world and the universe is too orderly to have been created by such chance.

For those of us in the know, those with faith; we have the knowledge and the wisdom. There is a creator of this beautiful world and all that surrounds it and that creator is God.

We may not be able to see him but we can most definitely feel his presence, see his work and enjoy his love.

How fantastic is that?

Terry Norrington

www.whatisthemeaningoffaith.com

www.cryinthedark.org

Losing Faith in God

noreply@blogger.com (The White Dove Partnership) — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 23:13:00 +0000

I've lost my faith in God.

Why didn't God help me?

I really don't believe that he will save me.

Although people may not out rightly say these phrases, very often their dejected words and actions prove evidence that this is what is going on in their minds. Through times of strife they appear to lose all faith in God.

I once had a friend who was extremely successful. He had a fantastic career, a loving wife and family and a great circle of friends. His faith in God was strong; or so he thought.

One day this friend had a major disagreement with his bosses at work and ended up quitting his job. About the same time some of his friends emigrated to different parts of the world. His mood deepened and as he fell into depression his wife struggled to cope with the situation and finally left him.

I could see the troubled questions going through his mind.

What's happening to me?

Why does God give me all these troubles?

Shouldn't God have mercy?

Maybe there is no God?

Now at rock bottom, he firmly believed that his faith in God was lost. He stopped thinking about faith and just tried to live his life as best as he could.

A few years later, he found another job and made great progress, re-establishing a career. Some of those friends that had travelled abroad returned home, preferring the British way of life. He re-built a good relationship with another women and life became as wonderful as he had previous known. As the good life returned, so did my friends faith in God. He believed that his faith had been restored.

The truth is that his faith in God hadn't been restored because he had never lost it. In fact he had never had a faith in God, just a faith in his life's conditions.

Why did he lose his faith?

When life was good and full of happiness he trusted in this life style. Psychologically he believed it would last forever. In the stock market world, when the price of a stock goes up, investors believe the price will go up forever in complete ignorance of what economics are actually telling them. The price of that stock becomes exaggerated. Reality then sets in when the price of the stock starts to fall. It is then assumed that the price will continue to fall forever and that stock is sold cheaply. Here we can label the economy as being "faith in God" whilst the direction of the stock price can be called "faith in a lifestyle".

My friend, when life turned bad asked the question ...

Where is God?

His faith was never in God but in his work, his family and his friends. When he lost them, he lost his faith.

When we are at our lowest ebb, this is when God is truly by our side. For those of us who absolutely believe in God, this is when our faith is strongest. We do not have a "fair weather" faith in God. Inevitably we find a path through our troubles and strife thus proving God will always be there for us. This is absolute faith which provides such hope, inspiration and optimism for us all.

How fantastic is that?

Terry Norrington

www.whatisthemeaningoffaith.com

www.cryinthedark.org

The Faith of Children

noreply@blogger.com (The White Dove Partnership) — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 23:00:00 +0000

On occasions our faith can be in need of strengthening. Life has a habit of sometimes throwing doubt at us when things don't quite go as smoothly as we would like.

So where can we gain our inspiration from?

Where can we turn to regain that absolute faith that we have so relied on before?

The answer is quite simply all around us. For a start Gods creation is wonderfully inspiring. Despite the scientist great efforts to explain the origins of the universe, there are always more questions than answers and one can only conclude that some kind of super force is the creator of our world and the planets and stars beyond.

But just by purely observing nature we can see how creatures rely on faith to progress. Imagine being a chick in a birds nest. Eventually, one day that chick will have to flee the comforts of that nest to make its own way in the world. But first it must learn to fly.

But how does a bird learn to fly?

It's not exactly one of those skills that can be practiced before hand. That chick has to take one almighty leap of faith and jump. Instantaneously that chick becomes a fully fledged bird with the instinct to fly.

Mother Nature provides many other instances of faith, but we can also see this happening naturally in our own children.

My son Charlie was up on his feet quite early; about seven months. He practically skipped the crawling stage. However once he was on his feet he would hold on to every piece of furniture to guide himself around the room. This he did for about another nine months until one day we were sitting on the patio at my parents' house. My wife and I were sitting on one side on a concrete bench linked to the patio table and my mum and dad were sitting on a wooden bench on the other side of the patio. Charlie was eager for his grandparents' attention and was stretching out for them to come and get him. I made to take him over to them but after a couple of steps I let go of his hand. He was left stranded in the middle of the patio.

What should he do?

For a second we could see the bemusement on his face. But he looked at my mum and dad and then went for it. His faith became instantaneous as he toddled over to nanny. From that point on there was no stopping him. His faith had provided him with a new found confidence and freedom.

We can see this faith and self confidence naturally and unquestioning in children.

But what happens to us as we grow older and our faith tends to weaken?

With life's many ups and downs, the downsides can test our faith and self confidence if we let it. But if we take the trouble and time to look around us we can see the miracles of God all the time, and we should easily be able to recall the many times that God has helped us in our lives.

In children faith is unquestioned. They don't think about it, they just practice it, even if they are unaware of it. This is how our faith in God should be; unquestionable.

How fantastic is that?

Terry Norrington

www.whatisthemeaningoffaith.com

www.cryinthedark.org

Give Me Joy in My Heart

noreply@blogger.com (The White Dove Partnership) — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 23:05:00 +0000

In visiting other countries doing charitable works there are always plenty of opportunities to see God's work and better understand him. This was much the case when visiting

Romania

on behalf of the charity Cry in the Dark where, for one week at the end of August through the beginning of September, fourteen of us from Tenterden and the North-East of

England

faced up to "The Hard Hat Challenge".

Our task was to help in the building of an extension to Casa Lumina, an orphanage for children with learning difficulties and life limiting illnesses situated in Comanesti. The extension will accommodate the growing needs of the children as they develop into adults.

The sheer fact that a Christian organisation such as Cry in the Dark has achieved so much is just one unbelievable testimony to Gods work.

Throughout our work we had many opportunities to interact with the orphans and it was remarkable, even emotional as to how much love they have and wanted to give. Alan Clover, who in his seventies, was the oldest member of our party had been to Casa Lumina before albeit some two years ago. Yet one of the girls remembered him from his previous visit and embraced him so lovingly. The tears of joy that welled up in him was quite infectious as many of us struggled not to weep alongside him. At the end of the week, Nicholas Cooper, a curate from St. Mildreds Church in Tenterden, offered a communion service on a makeshift alter created from one of the work benches. Two of the orphans attended this service with such quiet respect and dignity that we all felt humbled by their presence. Where we thought we would be ministering to them, in fact truthfully they were ministering to us.

On the Sunday of our week in Romania, we spent the morning in worship at the Biserica Sfanta Trieme Church, a free Christian church in the city of Bacau. This church is a modern, white walled building hidden away behind some houses in one of the back streets. The service was conducted from a stage on the first floor of the church which was back dropped by a magnificent wooden cross. A welcoming warmth and love from the entire Romanian congregation soothed any apprehensions that we may have been feeling.

Lyviu, an operational director for Cry in the Dark in Romania conducted the music and singing along with his wife Anna. The words to the songs were projected onto a screen on the stage, karaoke style, and I'm sure it was with some amusement that we British folk were trying to sing along evangelically in Romanian.

Pastor Marion gave the sermon. Fortunately we had a few very clever members of the congregation who thankfully translated for us. His subject was joy.

Joy comes in many forms. Entertainment gives us joy, so does our favourite football team when it is winning. Such joy is short lived (particularly if you support Gillingham) and we have to keep searching for it time and again. There is a longer lasting joy that comes from things like a loving relationship, marriage and family.

Once discovered though, the joy found through God is everlasting. In order to find this joy we have to repent of all our sins. Sin creates an enormous barrier between us and the joy of knowing God. Therefore we need to seek forgiveness and once given, the hurdles and barriers are removed and we can experience the joy given by God, forever.

During the blessing there were a couple of the congregation who cried. These were not tears of sadness but of gladness, realising that they had come to God and he had spoken to them. Indeed, as I found out later, there was one young, debonair looking lad who had not that long ago been out on the streets, getting into trouble, committing crime. This church had saved him and turned his life around.

Towards the end of the service Lyviu and Anna's little boy - who must have been two or three years old – made an impromptu and unannounced appearance on the stage. His innocence of face and his unrestricted actions seemed to poignantly demonstrate the presence of joy without barriers.

There were three messages that I took away from this wonderful Sunday morning service.

Nicholas Cooper, the curate, offered a prayer which was translated for the benefit of the Romanian congregation. In it he pointed out that language and culture doesn't have to be a wall built between us. The wooden cross mounted magnificently above the stage unites us all in one common good.
As was demonstrated so effectively throughout the service by Pastor Marion, the joy of God is eternal, once we have sought forgiveness from all our sins.
During the service some of the children sang a song with the self assurance that only children have. The motif on the tee-shirt of one of the little boys read "Pick noses, not fights".

How fantastic is that?

Terry Norrington

www.whatisthemeaningoffaith.com

www.cryinthedark.org

Absolute Faith

noreply@blogger.com (The White Dove Partnership) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 22:28:00 +0000

There is no doubt that helping others or doing something charitable can give a tremendous sense of pride and fulfilment. Whether it be fundraising, helping at a charity function or devoting time to work voluntarily in a charity shop; these all provide that sense of purpose.

Occasionally there comes an opportunity to help charities by working at "the coalface", so to speak. For fourteen of us this opportunity was presented in the form of "The Hard Hat Challenge" as set up by the charity Cry in the Dark. Cry in the Dark was established twelve years ago by Steve Cooper. At that time he was repairing a ladies cooker and she related the horrendous plight of thousands of orphans in Romania. Steve was compelled to go and look for himself and from that visit the charity was formed.

Two years later Casa Lumina was completed. This is an orphanage in Comanesti housing twenty three orphaned children all with learning difficulties or life limiting illnesses. Casa Albert became the next project for Cry in the Dark. Initially intended to be a hospice for sick children from the poorer regions around the city of Bacau it has become an outreach centre to enable a team of dedicated nurses to visit these children in their homes. Whilst Casa Albert remains the base for this outreach team, it will also be opened as a Day-care centre once the final finishing touches are complete.

Ten years on, many of the orphans at Casa Lumina have, physically at least, developed into adults. Cry in the Dark have pledged to provide a home for these young people for the rest of their lives, so "The Hard Hat Challenge" was the project created to build an extension to Casa Lumina in order to cater for the orphans through their adult lives. Primarily the work was to be undertaken by volunteers hence, on Saturday 29^th August 2009 eight of us from two churches across Tenterden plus six from Geordie land (one wee lassie from Edinburgh also included in that party) arrived in Romania for one week to help with the task.

It was hard work in some hot conditions but we achieved a lot, developed some new DIY skills, created fellowship amongst the team and yet felt extremely humbled by the experience.

So what have I gained personally from this trip?

How have I changed as a person and what has it taught me?

Certainly I am more grateful for the things that I have; my family, my friends and my home.

But I bring back from Romania one extremely valuable lesson.

On the Sunday, Steve Cooper explained how Cry in the Dark came about. He described how he was inspired to come to Romania to see for himself the dreadful conditions which orphans were having to endure; the cramped and loveless conditions which tugged at the heart strings.

God spoke to him and he knew he had to do something.

We can look back now at what has been achieved with the development of Casa Lumina and Casa Albert. In the beginning though this must have seemed like a daunting challenge.

Where does one start?

How do you even know where to start?

These were questions I put to Steve.

He answered. "I didn't know where to start. I just turned to God, prayed for the answers and he showed me the way."

WOW

This is true faith in God ... in action.

I can recall tales, particularly in Nigeria, where my faith in God saw me through some sticky encounters.

One offs.

For twelve years God has been by Steves' side. The creation of the Cry in the Dark team, the building of Casa Lumina, Casa Albert and now the extension at Casa Lumina.

Steve and the team at Cry in the Dark have been the sole reason why twenty three children with learning difficulties and varying illnesses have made it happily through to adulthood.

All this through his faith in God.

WOW

I believe in God, obviously.

But can I say my faith is as resolute as that of Steve Coopers'?

Probably not, or at least, not up until now.

As I've said, I've had my encounters where I believed God would pull me through…and he did. But I still worried about the bills, job, family etc., wanting to know step by step the path of my future.

I can see now the effects of an absolute belief and trust in God. By praying, and listening to his answers and believing that he WILL look after me, I can worry less about the future and open my eyes to the present.

If Steve Cooper has ever doubted his faith, it never showed, and I will be eternally grateful for this priceless lesson.

How fantastic is that?

Terry Norrington

www.whatisthemeaningoffaith.com

www.cryinthedark.org

Why Do We Question the Lord?

noreply@blogger.com (The White Dove Partnership) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 22:36:00 +0000

I had a cousin, Stephen, who was a larger than life character. He was the proverbial gentle giant. Always full of laughter, always full of stories. He was loved by everybody.

He was a lorry driver and revelled in the open roads. He eventually found his soul mate and settled down to become a step-dad to five children who all adored him. Through his new family he was introduced to God. You could not find a more enthusiastic follower of Christ through his local Baptist church. He really had faith; the deep faith that meant he could enjoy life, make the most of God's creation without any signs of worry or woe.

Stephen could always exercise a childlike quality and he really took great pleasure in bringing the other love of his life, his lorry, and parking outside the front of the church. I guess the congregation always new when he was about.

As I said he was a larger than life character.

So why do I refer to him in the past tense?

Unfortunately he never made it to his fortieth birthday. One night his next door neighbour was playing his music aloud at 1.00a.m in the morning. Stephen knocked on that neighbours door to kindly ask to turn the noise down. That neighbour saw fit to draw a knife on Stephen and he was killed.

So why did God allow this to happen?

Why did God let one of his true faithfuls die in such a way?

Perhaps God recognised Stephen's devotion and decided he wanted him near to him. Perhaps Stephen was ready to experience heaven.

The truth is that whilst we are here on earth we will never know the answers to questions like this. Many times we hear the dissenters ask the question, "If God is so good, if God is so mighty, why does he let all the atrocities happen in this world?"

As it is said, God moves in mysterious ways. Us humans create machinery, develop computers. The inventors, the computer programmers understand how these pieces of equipment work. If computers could understand how we humans work, how we think and how we behave, we'd be in a whole host of trouble. Computers and robots would then have the upper hand and would be able to control us.

Likewise, as our creator we are not supposed to understand the workings of God. We accept and believe that everything he does is for the benefit of the greater good and we all play our part in the progress of God's universe. There isn't the need to question why things happen, why tragedies strike; we just have to have faith that God hears our prayers and provides us with the tools to live a good and wholesome life.

At Stephen's funeral, one of his life long friends commented that he would act his shoe size not his age. That child like innocence was the evidence that he enjoyed life and could trust in the lord. With a deep and absolute faith in God we know that God will look after us and guide us along the right path through our journey in life, however long or short that journey may be.

How fantastic is that?

Terry Norrington

www.whatisthemeaningoffaith.com

www.cryinthedark.com

Give Thanks

noreply@blogger.com (The White Dove Partnership) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 21:08:00 +0000

It's that time of year again to give thanks. The church was full today as the people brought in their gifts of fresh fruit, vegetables, bread and many other types of food. Yes it was the harvest festival. Being also in conjunction with the family service my two boys took up our gifts of a packet of rice and biscuits. I'm sure someone somewhere in our community will be enjoying a chocolate digestive curry anytime soon.

It got me thinking though about how grateful we are for the good things we have in life. How many of us appreciate all the good we have in life and give thanks for that?

Do you see life as a glass half full or half empty? Do you see this world as being a wonderful place, a true gift from god, or somewhere filled with doom, fear and misery? If you view the world as the latter you are likely not to see anything worth being thankful for. You cannot see passed the next day, never knowing where the next penny is coming from.

On the other hand, if the glass is half full, it is seen to be half filled with champagne. This in its self is worth being thankful for; a positive outlook on life. Despite all the doom and gloom that goes on you see and smell the roses, appreciate the food on the table, enjoy the company of good friends and family.

Even if finances are hard, having faith, trusting in god will see you through to the next day and the next harvest.

After the church service I took my wife and two boys over to my parents. Every two or three weeks we visit and they are generous enough to cook the Sunday lunch, again for which we are truly grateful. My father particularly is deeply interested in politics and will create heavy debates based upon his points of view.

Today he rambled on about the credit crunch and the financial mess that most parts of the world seem to be experiencing. He complained about the banks and bankers that reportedly have conjured up this situation. A downcast picture was painted which could very easily depress any of us. My stance however was to ask what he could do about the situation to make it better? The answer of course was nothing. Other than to vote for the other lot cometh the next general election and even then they probably won't do any better.

Having now made him understand he could not personally do anything about the current circumstances I asked him why he was worrying about it? My point was that we all should be concerned with the things we can control and not the things we can't. Given where we are we need to be looking at how we can progress forward, making the most of our lives and continue to grow and achieve our ambitions. It is so easy to fall into the negative trap of bad news that is constantly dished out by the media that focussing on the good becomes very difficult.

Life is full of wonderful things. Observe these and view these with gratitude.

Terry Norrington

www.whatisthemeaningoffaith.com

www.cryinthedark.org

Good News is Here to Stay

noreply@blogger.com (The White Dove Partnership) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 21:50:00 +0000

I find myself getting more and more deeply into my faith. I have always believed in God and in dark times he has helped me through. But these days I am getting far more involved in the church, doing more charity work and studying faith and personal development with a great deal more intensity.

As I write my blogs I try hard to research faith and personal development thoroughly and also try to put into practice much of what I learn. It is a wonderful fact that there is so much in the way of resources out there for me to call upon.

Of course the internet is one of the largest of these resources. Although we have to be careful to disseminate between what is quality information and what is poor, we can all be guided into so many different directions. One such direction is towards Christian radio. Much of my day is spent travelling in the car and listening to the traditional news based radio programmes can be somewhat depressing. Granted, we need to be in touch with what goes on in the world, but do we need to be constantly bombarded with misery after misery?

Many TV programmes focus on portraying all that is bad in the world. For some reason production companies believe that people's disasters make for entertainment. They assume that we wallow in other people's misery. On news programmes, bad news is the only type of news that people are interested in. Even if there is good news, they will still hunt out the negative slant to the story.

The fact is there is so much that is beautiful in this world. Despite the world's imperfections, there is so much joy we can obtain from this world. God has created so much abundance for us to enjoy if we choose to open our eyes, trust in God and grab those opportunities that he puts before us.

The vast majority of people in this world conduct their lives with good intent. Yes there are some little parts of our make-up that bring out the worst in us but these are well and truly over shadowed by everything that is good inside. Therefore we should be far more uplifted, far more entertained by all the good that happens in the world.

This is why it is so refreshing to come across media such as Christian radio and television. To hear some tremendous lectures, speeches, programmes and music lifts up the heart. There are quite a few out there that can be connected to via the internet. I am currently experimenting with a couple that are of interest to me which are primarily geographically relevant.

If every body was to search for good news perhaps our broadcasters would have to re-evaluate what constitutes news and entertainment. Perhaps then we can live in a world of happiness. The good news is that we don't have to put up with bad news any longer.

How fantastic is that?

Terry Norrington

www.whatisthemeaningoffaith.com

www.cryinthedark.org.com

Nightmares

noreply@blogger.com (The White Dove Partnership) — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 22:54:00 +0000

The most recent book that I have just finished reading was Rachel Elnaugh's "Business Nightmares". In this book she at first describes how she took the concept of packaging days out and experiences of a life time into gifts and creating the company Red Letter Days. She worked extremely hard to build this company into a multi-million pound business and became a celebrity as one of the first "Dragons" in the hugely popular British TV show "Dragons Den". Unfortunately her fortunes took a downturn and Red Letter Days eventually went into administration.

Despite losing everything she had worked hard for over many years she is still positive about her future which includes much demand for her to speak publicly about business and business motivation plus, obviously she has now written the book. The whole idea of the book is to highlight the fact that life can carry on after business failures and disasters of which some can be very publicly announced.

The book recounts many other successful entrepreneurs, all who have suffered their personal business nightmares and yet have managed to rise again like the phoenix from the ashes. Indeed despite the appearance of a Midas touch where everything turns to gold, all the entrepreneurs interviewed had experienced life in the doldrums, periods when finances were tight and in some cases bankruptcy loomed. What appears to many people as failure is really just part of the learning curve in the apprenticeship of entrepreneurship.

Each chapter focuses on a different type of problem which can occur whilst building and sustaining a successful business. In each of these chapters she gives a case study of somebody who has stared that particular problem in the face. At the end of each chapter she also gives a summary of how in her opinion these obstacles can be avoided. The advice given at the end of chapter eleven was of great relevance in my eyes. Subtitled "Here are my observations of being in deep problems in business and dealing with a mountain of debt:" this is my interpretation of her words.

Fear

This emotion is tremendously restrictive. It will lead to panic which in turn makes for bad decision making. Other negative emotions such as anger and resentment cloud judgement and when displayed, can alienate clients and colleagues affected by these emotions. It is much better to try to remain positive, hopeful and optimistic.

Challenges

A positive attitude to any difficult situation will help view this situation not as a problem but as a challenge. By rising to this challenge, strength is gained and valuable lessons can be learned.

Faith

The paragraph on faith really hits home to me. She advises that even if somebody is not particularly religious it helps to call on a "higher power" in order to give strength during crisis. Having absolute faith (the experience is like having a deep sense of calm) creates the opportunities to meet people and recognise the answers as they unfold. At this point keeping an open mind is essential so that every opportunity can be explored.

Life's Journey

It is good to remember that we are all on a life's journey. Change is inevitable and is often sent to push us onto the next phase of our journey. Even though this can be downright unpleasant and things don't go well, this change is likely to be paving the way to something better.

Rachel Elnaugh ends this summary with the poem Desiderata.

You are a child of the universe,

no less than the trees and the stars;

you have a right to be here.

And whether or not it is clear to you,

no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God,

whatever you conceive Him to be,

and whatever your labours and aspirations,

in the noisy confusion of life keep peace

with your soul.

With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,

It is still a beautiful world.

Be cheerful.

Strive to be happy.

How fantastic is that?

Terry Norrington

www.whatisthemeaningoffaith.com

www.cryinthedark.org

The Wonderful World of Faith and Creativity

noreply@blogger.com (The White Dove Partnership) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 21:38:00 +0000

Very often we can be bogged down with a problem and really struggle to find a solution. The creative juices fail to flow and we become totally frustrated at our total lack of creativity.

So do we resign ourselves to the fact that we are obviously not the creative sort?

Or can we train ourselves to think with creative spirit?

Firstly let's define creativity. Creativity is the ability to solve problems with new methods to accomplish daily tasks. This can also lead to new insights and visions to help achieve goals and obtain success.

So is creativity inherited?

If we look at children at play we can see tremendous examples of creativity. They can take every day objects and create totally new games to play. The playground is full of wild imagination and creativity.

So where did we loose it all?

Routine

As we have seen, children have an inexhaustible ability for creativity. But as we get older life becomes full of instruction. Restrictions are placed upon us and we lose a lot of the ability to think for ourselves. Creativity flies out of the window. Systems and repetitiveness stifle creativity. Strict time tables, daily routines, working in closed areas and desk jobs all hamper our imaginations.

Free time

It is virtually impossible to avoid all routine but what we do need is to develop some free time. Put aside one day per week where nothing is planned. Just let the day unfold and "go with the flow". Spend time going to places like the seaside or strolling through the woods; places of natural interest with open spaces. At work create a few minutes of free time. There are some people who spend their free time alone and then spend that time thinking of work. They even take that work to bed and dwell on work issues as they fall asleep. These people need to develop free time un-associated with work for the sake of creativity and also for the sake of their sanity.

Left brain – Right brain

Our brains are divided into two hemispheres- the left brain and the right brain. The left side deals with our logical and reasoning thought patterns. Our right side of the brain handles intuition and creativity. Much of our work life today asks us to use logic and reasoning and therefore our right side of the brain becomes somewhat redundant. Ideally we need to exercise both sides of the brain to get the most of our cerebral abilities.

How's best to develop creative thinking?

1. Understand that there is no exact solution to a problem, but there will always be more than one solution to that problem.
2. Don't give in to false beliefs. If we believe there is no solution to our problem then there won't be. Have faith.
3. Never restrict or dismiss thoughts. Two silly thoughts may well lead to a third good thought.
4. Break away from routine when thinking of solutions. This allows for a better flow of creative thoughts.
5. Brainstorm. Ask others. Again two ideas that may seem ridiculous may lead to a third, sensible idea.
6. Take time occasionally to do something not done before.
7. Put aside some time as free time.
8. Spend time with creative people. Creativity is infectious and we may be pleasantly surprised as to how creative we really are when we compare ourselves to these people.

We needn't be restricted to a path of logical thinking. We all have that wonderful ability to be creative. Breaking away from routine and giving ourselves time to think will stimulate creative thinking and then we will find that no problem will ever be without a solution.

How fantastic is that?

Terry Norrington

www.whatisthemeaningoffaith.com
www.cryinthedark.org

Knock Knock

noreply@blogger.com (The White Dove Partnership) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 22:04:00 +0000

How can we measure true faith?

How can we tell when our faith in god is truly justified?

When the chips are down and we our facing real adversity and our situation seems completely hopeless do we turn to god?

There will be many times in our lives when doors keep shutting in front of us. The dreaded "no" keeps being thrown in our face when we go knocking on those doors. Somehow we still believe in our ideas but it seems impossible to get anybody else to be interested. This is the moment that the really strong will switch into overdrive. The tough keep going.

There are so many examples in history of successful people who have found the going sticky at times. Just about every single successful person did not start out being successful. They had to endure hardship and persevered in the project that they believed in. They kept knocking on doors because they never knew whether that next door might be the one that led to the road of success. They continued with hope and faith. Thomas Edison tried nearly one thousand different patents before he finally created the model light bulb that worked. Each one that did not work wasn't considered a failure but more of a learning curve. He learned that that one wasn't the correct way and he was one step closer to finding the right way.

A tremendously positive example of focussing on the solution, not the problem.

So how can one stay strong during extreme times of adversity?

One way is to have faith in God. By turning to God and asking him for guidance he will listen to our prayers and provide us with answers. And sometimes the answer lies in a completely different format to what we expected. There can be no greater example of this than that of "The Virgin Birth".

Mary and Joseph arrived in Bethlehem with Mary just about ready to give birth. Mary knew that she was giving birth to God's child but did he have to make life so difficult? Did that census have to come right now?

They knocked on door after door only to be told that there was no room at the inn. But they had faith in God. So they kept trying and eventually they were given shelter in a stable. Jesus was born in that stable.

Now the obvious answer to their dilemma would have been for God to have found a spare room in one of the inns. A room with a comfortable bed. But it was extremely fortuitous that they ended up in that stable. Firstly, the inn keepers would have been obliged to have provided them with a room each as men and women weren't allowed to share rooms in those days. Joseph, being Mary's only travelling companion would have missed out at being present at the birth. Secondly all those visitors they had wouldn't have been able to find them and they wouldn't have gone home loaded up with Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh.

Mary and Joseph's faith in God eventually provided them with a solution to their problem, even though it was in the most unexpected of ways.

Likewise for all of us, in the mitts of adversity we can turn in faith and hope to God to gain our strength. Strength to see us through to the bitter end. But don't be surprised if his ideas are somewhat different to our own.

How fantastic is that?

Terry Norrington

www.whatisthemeaningoffaith.com

www.cryinthedark.org

A Christian View of Islam - Part Two

noreply@blogger.com (The White Dove Partnership) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 23:17:00 +0000

In part one we looked at how the Christian faith and that of Muslims were very similar. We also explored the differences between Christianity and Islam. Much of this information was sourced from here and trust that the facts have justly been interpreted.

It is reckoned that Christians look for their rewards or punishment in the next life, whilst Muslims believe that by conducting themselves correctly every day heaven can be created here on earth. However through the teachings of James in the bible, this isn't necessarily a true interpretation of Christian philosophy.

"But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves" – James 1:22

"What does it profit, my brethren, if a man says he has faith but has not works? Can his faith save him?" – James 2:14

"So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead." - James 2:17

These verses obviously demonstrate the need to place action behind beliefs and faith.

A Muslim will conduct himself with dignity and honour. Not to do so is disrespectful to the Islamic faith. Likewise, cleanliness is a very important aspect of their day to day conduct. It is their belief that being unclean offends God. Being dirty through honest toil is acceptable; at any other time it is not. It has to be said that from my experience of people following the Islamic faith, their cleanliness is wholly commendable as cleanliness doesn't seem to be at the heart of Christian faith.

Whilst bodily cleanliness ranks high in a Muslims conduct, so also does internal cleanliness. This is why they do not partake in alcohol and illicit drugs. As a pig is seen as an unclean animal, eating filth, the consumption of pork is also forbidden.

The Qur'an is obviously the book by which the words must be followed, but a Muslim will also abide by the laws of the land in which they reside. They are lawful and responsible citizens that abhor sin. To make a mistake and sin once is forgivable but to continue to live in sin is wrong and shows contempt of God.

How does this compare to the Christian notion of forgiveness?

The religion of Islam acknowledges that everybody is a brother or sister. A practitioner of Islam must not discriminate between race and ethnic origin.
They must not contribute to the downfall of another. This too, is best practice of the Christian faith.

Islam decrees that a follower should observe the following five points:-

To say the creed several times a day.
To undertake daily prayer – at dawn, midday, mid-afternoon, sunset and nightfall. Cleansing must be undertaken prior to prayer and they must face Mecca during prayer.
Give alms – give money to the poor in the community.
Fast during the month of Ramadan. Fasting during day-light hours is a reminder of the gift of God's revelation to Muhammed, ie. The Qur'an.
Undertake a pilgrimage (Hajj) to Mecca once in a lifetime.

By sticking to a disciplined regime a Muslim obviously remains in touch with God many times during the course of the day. A Christian daily routine would be more flexible and consequently perhaps doesn't retain his/her thoughts on God so much during the day. Grace at meal times and a once per day offering of prayer doesn't strike as being quite so devout as that of a Muslim.

Although some of the differences between Islam and Christianity may appear to be divisive, there is a lot of common ground. The shear fact that both religions share a belief in one God should be THE uniting factor. Ultimately demonstrating ones faith in God is an individual choice. By living our lives through him and creating a quality in life that is in harmony with fairness, kindness and morality means we can have that freedom of choice and should be able to live peacefully together.

How fantastic is that?

Terry Norrington

www.whatisthemeaningoffaith.com
www.cryinthedark.org

A Christian Look at Islam - Part One

noreply@blogger.com (The White Dove Partnership) — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 21:22:00 +0000

As a Christian I practice my faith in God in a manner that feels the most comfortable to me. Perhaps this has evolved from my upbringing, the teachings that have been presented to me through the course of my life and from what I have encountered myself during my life.

Ultimately how I allow my faith and beliefs to affect my life is down to me. The rules that I obey through Christianity allow me to live a clean and happy life with a well developed sense of morality and fairness.

But do we need to be Christian to have a faith in God and live a decent life?

In the first of two articles we shall look at the very basic beliefs of Islam as practiced by its Muslim followers.

The major source of information for this article has come from here and it is sincerely hoped that the interpretation is factually correct and in no way offensive.

The Islamic faith and Christianity agree in many things and as is also common with other faiths such as the Jewish faith, they all believe in one God. Perhaps the confusion comes with the fact that Muslims refer to Allah, which is a contraction of Al Ilah (The God).

A true Christian will follow the teachings of Jesus as presented in their one book, The Bible. A Muslim will accept the teachings of the great prophets Jesus, Moses and Abraham, but practice their faith through the words of The Qur'an. This, they believe is the most complete and reliable source of God's revelations as presented through the prophet Muhammed, and as he was the last of the great prophets, this must be the most up to date account of God's wisdom.

So Christians and Muslims have common ground in the belief of one God and a desire to live good, clean and honest lives. So where are the differences?

Muslims are taught to be proud and to conduct themselves with dignity and honour. They believe that Christianity teaches meekness, which is true although it could be argued that modesty doesn't have to obscure self esteem. Assertiveness is viewed as inline with Muslim thinking.

Muslims place tremendous store on education. They place great reverence on schools and books and encourage efforts to acquire great knowledge. It certainly could be said that those that sit on the fringes of Christianity are not so disciplined in their attempts to gain a better education.

The Islamic faith encourages commerce and the accumulation of wealth whilst it believes that a good Christian will shun riches and depend on God for sustenance. Muslims have an immense work ethic and although they aren't against benefits handed out by governments and charitable organisations they have the belief that they should work where at all possible. In defence of Christians, the bible implies that it is the desire for wealth that is the root of all evil. The earning of money to enjoy God's abundance and perhaps to help others is no sin at all.

Christians are certainly encouraged to turn the other cheek. A follower of Islam on the other hand will defend his family, his faith and himself. Although not advocating violence they would not be subjected to humiliation by submitting to evil. The difficulty may come in respect to the interpretation of who or what is evil.

This is the first of two articles on a Christians view of Islam . So far we can see that there is a lot of common ground between these two major religions and perhaps the differences aren't really that great a divide. Accepting the common denominators of the two should surely mean that we can live in harmony with each other.

How fantastic is that?

Terry Norrington

www.whatisthemeaningoffaith.com

www.cryinthedark.org

Aborigines - Part Two

noreply@blogger.com (The White Dove Partnership) — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 22:38:00 +0000

Throughout the world, spread across the continents, there are many so called "primitive" tribes. These tribes live off the land, hunt for their food and generally live day to day. Yet they have tremendous faith; faith that their creator will look after them and provide.

These tribes view the world far differently than the chaotic, competitive existence of the developed world. In the capitalist society the dollar, pound or euro is king. The idea of success is about how much money one can acquire, whether we have more material possessions than the person next door. Our brains function on logic, formulas and ideas that can be proved.

Tribes like the Aborigines exist by being more in tune with the environment and don't depend on things tangible. They observe and learn from what nature teaches them. They endeavour to improve their situation by constantly increasing their knowledge and then passing that information on to the next generation in their tribe. Initiation ceremonies are a passage that everybody goes through but this is about learning the Laws of Living and the skills that go with it.

The tribe will have at their head Wirinuns which are wise men, shamans, medicine men and magicians. They will guide the tribe, help them over come hardship and teach the skills that help the drive to achieve and improve. Rock paintings and more recently bark paintings are some of the ways in which Aborigines record their lessons and great events so that they can be passed down the generations without losing clarity through interpretation.

There is much mystery surrounding the magical powers of The Aboriginal Culture. Extra sensory perception, faith healing and the remarkable ability to conduct surgery by inserting their hands into a sick person's body without leaving a trace or scar are all part of the fascinating world of the Aborigine. Although there have been many attempts to discredit these amazing skills, to my knowledge none have been proved or disproved as yet.

The Aborigines have a phenomenal belief in the spirits. Every spirit has their own vibrational thought frequency. Remember, Aborigines believe that everything comes from a thought yet not everything is physical. So by tuning into the frequency of the spirit they can communicate with that spirit. In practicing Totemism they also believe that everything has a frequency including animals and physical objects. They will spend part of their lives searching for the Totem that has the closest vibrational thought frequency to their own and once found brings about some peace and harmony to their lives.

Although any Aborigine can communicate with the spirits if they develop the skills, it is generally the Wirinuns that contact them and the very skilled will be able to do this at will. Much of their communication will be with ancestral spirits who can provide answers gained from their greater experiences. In order to reach into the realms of the spirit world they will alter their moods to align their frequencies with that of the spirits. Even then thoughts aren't easily transmitted to the spirits. Thoughts will be much clearer if accompanied by emotion.

A Wirinun may well be able to convey emotion by himself but rituals, dances and chanting enhance the emotional state and the transference of thought becomes much easier.

Compare this then to our prayers. When we speak to God our words can very easily be lost if we aren't focussed on what we have to say. If our moods distract us we don't concentrate on the words. Creating emotion helps God understand our prayers better. In the high churches of the Anglican community a lot of the prayers are sung. Other denominations and faiths will chant to get their message through. Is it any wonder then the increased popularity of gospel worship. The entertainingly enthusiastic approach to prayer and worship enlivens the congregation promoting a tremendous sense of wellbeing. Emotion plays a big part in this style of prayer.

How fantastic is that?

Terry Norrington

www.whatisthemeaningoffaith.com

www.cryinthedark.com

Aborigines - Part One

noreply@blogger.com (The White Dove Partnership) — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 22:29:00 +0000

When anybody talks about faith the obvious assumption is that the conversation will be religious. Indeed the great religions of the world base faith at the heart of their teachings and understandings but even the smaller religions, cults and cultures all still have their faiths. Even atheists will have faith in something even if that faith is in themselves and their abilities to accomplish a goal.

Tribes' people of the world have their individual cultures with their own type of religion revolving around beliefs and faith. Typical is the Aborigines of Australia which is arguably the oldest continual culture on this planet. As Australia urbanises around the coastal areas, Aborigines are constantly drawn to or consumed by the Western way of life and much of their sacred lands have been taken over. Consequently the Native Aborigines are dwindling in numbers.

In the 1970's when carbon dating was the best way of dating historical artefacts, history could only have a date set upon it to 40,000 years ago. Carbon dating could only take us back that far and Aboriginal Culture was proved to have existed then. Today it is thought that Aborigines were in existence 60,000 years ago and possibly 100,000 years ago.

With such a long history it is safe to assume that they have learned something during that time. Although collectively the Aborigines share similar beliefs, the culture is still very much tribal and thus there are variances in beliefs and customs between the differing tribes. Ceremonies, rituals and customs are shrouded in secrecy so their meanings will not be totally understood by the next tribe. However there are some common stories, beliefs and faith shared by all.

The Creation Period

Many religions are characterised by having a god or gods who in their wisdom created the universe. Baiame is the Great Spirit. It was he who dreamed of creating the world and along with the other spirits Nungeena (Mother Nature), Punjel (the Architect of the Universe) and Yhi (Sun Goddess) they set about making this dream come true.

Punjel, being the Architect of the Universe, took multi-million portions from the Supreme Intelligence of Baiame and created Yowies (souls). These Yowies were given three strong drives; the need for nutrition to sustain a physical body, the desire for reproduction and a will to achieve. These Yowies were then collectively swirled around in an anti-clockwise direction and thrust towards Tya (earth) which created the gravitational force of earth.

Because of their desire to achieve, the Yowies started to mould Tya and eventually a solid mass was formed. The Spirits decided that the Yowies needed memory so they gave them a spirit body called the Dowie; a memory bank to retain all previous experiences and the Mullowill; a sheath like protection to guard the Yowies from psychic and emotional influences and also to protect the Dowie.

The next stage of the creation period was to introduce plant life so Nungeema was called upon to create her magic. The Yowies creative abilities were somewhat lacking, plant life was merely in the form of mosses, so Yhi was asked to warm up Tya. The sun created steam caps and the ice encapsulating Tya began to melt.

Their next problem was that the plant life was now drowning in the flood of water so Uluru, The Intelligent Snake from within the higher spirits of the universe was summonsed. He burrowed holes into the solid mass creating the seas, lakes and rivers with the spoils creating mountains. His work created an imbalance and Tya began to wobble as it span through space.

In digging the holes, Uluru had thrown masses of soil into the air and as Yhi didn't want this contamination ruining her work of sunlight, she took this soil to create Bahloo (the moon).

Plant life was now starting to overgrow due to the three main drives. More action was needed so the spirits decided to introduce animal life. Advanced Yowies were selected because of their memory banks, their desire to achieve and creative abilities. These Yowies became animals. Jelly fish were the first of the animal kingdom and as the rains came and ponds overflowed many of these jelly fish were left stranded upon the rocks once the flood waters subsided. The Strongest and most creative Yowies survived and evolved to create different species.

The next part of the jigsaw was to create an advanced intelligence; the human being. Baiame descended to Tya with three hundred men and woman to introduce them to all the previous experiences and intelligence of mineral, plant and animal life. These men and woman became the first tribe and Baiame taught them the Laws of Living and the Laws of the Universe with the magic, art and healing contained within them. Elders and wise men and women were chosen to ensure that these lessons were interpreted correctly and handed down through the generations.

This is just a brief summary of the Creation Period as understood by the Aborigines. Yet through the haze of the myth there are some remarkable resemblances with how modern day science depicts the creation of the universe.
The order and time span are notably similar, indeed the aboriginal version of creation with regards to time is much nearer to modern day thinking than the bible, if the idea that the world was created in seven days is to be taken literally.
And these ideas came many thousands of years before modern science.

At the beginning Baiame had a dream and with the aid of the other spirits his thoughts and dreams became a reality. Today we have ideas and theories such as the Law of Attraction which helps us understand that everything created in this world started with a thought in somebody's head. If we believe in our thoughts hard enough, desire it great enough, these thoughts will manifest themselves into reality soon enough. Have faith.

How fantastic is that?

Terry Norrington

www.whatisthemeaningoffaith.com

www.cryinthedark.org

The Battle is Not Ours

noreply@blogger.com (The White Dove Partnership) — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 21:35:00 +0000

So many times in life things get on top of us. Things don't seem to go right and other people demand so much that we wonder how we can cope with it all. We brood over our problems and dispair at the magnitude of everything. At this point our faith in God can very much be tested.

Amongst all our problems we can easily forget to turn to God. The hussle and bussle of everyday life creates no time to sit and allow God to give us answers.

Yet amazingly, if we can just switch off for a few minutes, think about God and re-affirm our faith and belief in him, suddenly a peace of mind washes over us. This allows us to see the problems from another perspective and helps us to prioritise the things that are really important.

If we turn to God and ask for the help that accomplishes good works, we get answers. To do good works is not our battle but that of God. We are merely the tools for which God's work can be completed. God will take on the burdens and relieve us of the pressure if we allow him to.

Heb. 11 : 1 Faith means that we have the full confidence in the things that we hope for, it means being certain of things we cannot see.

Joshua 1 Verses 2 and 5. Arise, go over this Jordan...I will not leave you or forsake you.

2 Chronicles 20 : 15 Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God's.

How fantastic is that?

Terry Norrington

http://www.whatisthemeaningoffaith.com/

A Valuable Lesson in Faith

noreply@blogger.com (The White Dove Partnership) — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 22:05:00 +0000

As I have mentioned in many a blog, I have recently returned from a trip to

Romania

doing some charity work. I was part of a team that spent a week helping with the construction of an extension to an orphanage in Comanesti.

Steve Cooper and his Cry in the Dark charity had created Casa Lumina ten years ago to provide a loving home for children who suffered appallingly under the Caucesceau regime. They also established Casa Albert, an outreach centre and soon to be day centre for children with life limiting illnesses. The extension is being added to Casa Lumina to support the children as they now progress into adulthood.

So what have I gained personally from this trip? How have I changed as a person and what has it taught me? Certainly I am more grateful for the things that I have; my family, my friends and my home. But I bring back from Romania one extremely valuable lesson.

On the Sunday, Steve Cooper explained how Cry in the Dark came about. He described how he was inspired to come to Romania to see for himself the dreadful conditions which orphans were having to endure; the cramped and loveless conditions which tugged at the heart strings. God spoke to him and he knew he had to do something.

We can look back now at what has been achieved with the development of Casa Lumina and Casa Albert. In the beginning though this must have seemed like a daunting challenge. Where does one start? How do you even know where to start? These were questions I put to Steve.

He answered. "I didn't know where to start. I just turned to God, prayed for the answers and he showed me the way." WOW!

This is true faith in God ... in action.

I can recall tales, particularly in Nigeria, where my faith in God saw me through some sticky encounters. One offs.

For twelve years God has been by Steves' side. The creation of the Cry in the Dark team, the building of Casa Lumina, Casa Albert and now the extension at Casa Lumina. Steve and the team at Cry in the Dark have been the sole reason why twenty three children with learning difficulties and varying illnesses have made it happily through to adulthood.

All this through his faith in God. WOW!

I believe in God, obviously. But can I say my faith is as resolute as that of Steve Coopers'? Probably not, or at least, not up until now.

As I've said, I've had my encounters where I believed God would pull me through … and he did. But I still worried about the bills, job, family etc., wanting to know step by step the path of my future.

If Steve Cooper has ever doubted his faith, it never showed, and I will be eternally grateful for this priceless lesson.

How fantastic is that?

Terry Norrington

http://www.whatisthemeaningoffaith.com

Romania Day 7. Push to the Final Frontier

noreply@blogger.com (The White Dove Partnership) — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 20:11:00 +0000

Our final day of work. All members of the team were psyched up to give one last push to get as much work done as possible. We all had our little goals to accomplish so motivation was running high to get to the finish line.

Nicholas had offered to conduct a communion service at the end of the day; a fitting tribute to a fitting cause and fitting efforts by all involved.

The morning started as usual with prayers then it was off to site for one last time. We all worked at supercharged energy levels as we strived towards those end targets and as the day got hotter more water was being consumed. In the afternoon the pace got quicker and the sweat poured for the cause. The opportunity arose to view the established parts of Casa Lumina but many refused in their attempt to get the job done.

At the end of the day all bar three OSB boards covered the ceilings and some rooms had even got plaster boards up as well. Considering the aim was to leave only the walls to cover with OSB boards for the team arriving the following week, it showed what amazing work the girls (Sally, Shirley and Karen) had put in by getting several of the rooms completed.

I would at this stage like to praise the fantastic leadership qualities of Keith Maynard. From the very start he had organised this trip. He, along with the organising committee had invited Steve Cooper to give the original, emotional presentation about the work of Cry in the Dark at the Mens' Breakfast in Tenterden. Then the momentum grew as the team of eight from the Tenterden area was formed and the fund raising took place. Keith saw us easily through check-in at Heathrow Airport as one party, drove the mini-bus through the gauntlet of the Romanian road infrastructure, co-ordinated and advised the various groups on site as they performed their work tirelessly and taking us on tours of the country when the limited opportunities arose.

At just gone 5 o'clock a lorry turned up with eighty (yes 80) packages of polystyrene which had to be unloaded and transferred into the loft of this new extension. It was so brilliant to see the orphans join in this endeavour and between us all the task was soon completed.

During lunch break Nicholas had prepared his communion service; this included the make-shift building of a cross from three pieces of wood, some nails and some screws, some bread from the bakers around the corner and some homemade wine that Mark and Callum had received from one grateful parent when they had visited the children with life-limiting illnesses on Wednesday.

Two of the orphans joined us for the service at the end of the day and were remarkably respectful as Nicholas conducted the communion service in rather different surroundings than he was used too.

There were many hugs and kisses from our resident friends at Casa Lumina as we prepared to depart from site for one last time. One girl in particularly had taken Alan to heart as perhaps she had remembered him from two years previous when he made the trip out before. It gave us all immense pleasure to see our oldest member of the group experience this deep love from the child.

We didn't get back to our accommodation until 7.45 p.m. and we all had to have a shower before heading off for our evening meal. Probably because the hard work was over, every body seemed to be more relaxed, more able to let their hair down and twelve of the sixteen rounded of their meals with a shot of pelinker; a very strong Romanian shot made from prunes that should be downed in one.

It was a late night for us all with a lot of banter, laughter and a few games played. The morrow is our departure from a land and culture so very different to our own, a country trying to pull itself from a second world status (if one indeed exists) to join the elite countries of Europe. Money is being invested in Romania by the European Union but only really can be tangibly seen in the slowly improving road system. Medical care is difficult to obtain and for many they have to depend on the sterling efforts made by charities like Cry in the Dark. The mindset of many, particularly in the older generation, remain in the dark ages of the communist regime. It is an unfortunate fact that the efforts of Cry in the Dark will be required for some time to come.

Terry Norrington

Romania Day 6. The Return of the Missing Two

noreply@blogger.com (The White Dove Partnership) — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 20:00:00 +0000

Yesterday we were minus two of the team. Mark and Callum went off with Beth to observe the nurses and doctors from Casa Albert as they performed their outreach work in the community. They visited four patients with an age range between six and twenty three and had to travel to communities in villages off the beaten track.

These villages consist of the poorer members of the Romanian community where medical attention wouldn't be forthcoming if it wasn't for charities like Cry in the Dark funding the outreach care and medication that is vital in prolonging their lives.

Mark and Callum saw people like Emmanuel the twenty three year old with a broken spine and currently suffers seizures because of fluid on the brain; our two actually witnessing this whilst they were there. His parents are loving and caring; his father being the rock of the family despite suffering from cancer himself.

They visited Damien, a child with cerebral palsy and also suffers with fluid to the brain. His treatment from the outreach team helps to keep the fluid under control.

Lorencio a spina bifida patient. He is the youngest child of four, his older brother and sister suffering mental disabilities and all of them being looked after by their oldest sister. She struggles to cope at times and unfortunately finds comfort from alcohol. Their mother is no longer alive and the father rarely visits. When he does this is normally in a drunken state and then he beats the children.

Their last visit was to another child with cerebral palsy. The parents again are loving parents but tend to be so over protective. They are frightened to take her outside incase she catches a cold. They over dress her and then she gets hot causing skin conditions for which the outreach carers were treating her for today. Her parents are fearful of her getting any bigger. They are elderly and consequently feel they would be unable to cope if that was the case. Because of this they are resistant to the vitamin treatment that would help her to grow normally.

For Mark and Callum this was a humbling experience but also a heart warming one. Without exception each patient was extremely happy to see their doctors and nurses and above all extremely grateful. The bright eyes and wide smiles of these children will remain with them for a lifetime.

At Casa Lumina the team have speeded up production. Probably four-fifths of the ceilings on the building site are boarded with the OSB boards and the girls, Sally, Karen and Shirley have certainly picked up new DIY skills as they continue to board over the walls. Most of us manage to take a measurement, cut the boards and nail them up. Not Nicholas and Jeff. They take precise measurements and calculate their cuts according to the equilateral equation taken from the isosceles triangle formula … and still end up with gaps.

The orphans came out again today and offered another chance to interact and take photographs. It is hoped to place some of these photos on this blog page once we get back home. We gain so much pleasure from this simple interaction, particularly at the end of a grueling day.

As we all prayed this morning, Mike offered a prayer which was also a reminder. At the end of this week we all get to go home and feel comfortable that we have "done our bit". Steve Cooper however doesn't quite have that luxury. He has been committed to this project for over twelve years now and the work at Casa Lumina continues. Steve has dedicated his life to the orphaned and sick children of Romania and this is a guy that has a family back home in England. Funding still has to be found for both Casa Lumina and Casa Albert and will continue to do so until these projects can be self supporting in Romania. The timing of this is anybody's guess.

We pray that Steve can carrying on finding the strength and energy to continue these projects to the correct and successful conclusion through Gods' guideance.

Terry Norrington

Romania Day 5: A Word from the Priest

noreply@blogger.com (The White Dove Partnership) — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 20:03:00 +0000

Today I am cheating. I'm handing over to Nicholas Cooper, the Curate at St.Mildred's, Tenterden, soon to be Priest-in-Charge at St. Peter and St. Paul, Saltwood near Hythe. Over to you Nicholas.

The work has been rewarding. For most of us carpentry has been entirely new experience, for others it brings back memories of GCSE woodwork. The following well-known prayer reminds us that Jesus prepared for his ministry as a carpenter.

Lord Jesus, Master Carpenter of Narareth, wield well your tools in the workshop of our lives. That we who come to you rough hewn may be fashioned to a truer beauty and a greater usefulness for the glory of your name. Amen.

As the work progresses there are rapid and visible changes at Casa Lumina as rooms are boarded, first the ceilings and then the walls. The rough joinery and insulation are covered and the space becomes recognisable as a room which will one day accommodate someone.

However, the prayer goes on to remind us that there is a more important transformation – that of our lives. Here the changes are slower and less dramatic. Some of us grow impatient, recognising our failings and longing for God to create a more habitable space in our lives, both for God and for others. That said, we must recognise that such changes are God's work. Slowly but surely, God his doing his work in us. Paul writes to the Philippians, 'I am confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Jesus Christ.' (Phil 1:6).

Nicholas Cooper and Terry Norrington