Best of the Blog (so far) Part 3 – This time it’s personal…

So, back to today’s post. In this part of the series I’m focussing more on reflections from my own life experiences and what they have taught me. As ever, there will be the title of the post and a small excerpt of it, with a link to the full post. Some of the posts may be also be particularly relevant given what’s going to be happening over the next few months on the blog – which I will explain in more depth soon.

So here’s today’s posts – please feedback in the comments & let me know what you think!

I want to be free.

Free to explore God and my relationship with Jesus without being bounded by theological rules or boundaries.

Free to think dangerously.

Free from the box of faith.

I’m tired of religious and legalistic boundaries, which seem to either limit or misrepresent the God I love and worship. I want to go beyond them, to delve deeper into the mystery and the unknown of God, so I can know Him better.

I desire to be free to ask complex and difficult questions and discuss them without fear of consequence.

Isn’t that what faith is? (read more here…)

 

Mum’s story – April 29th, My day she died

Death and grief is something we don’t like to talk about, yet ironically it’s one experience that pretty much all of us will have to go through at some point in our lives, probably more than once.

Having been through the grief of losing a close family member at a young age, I’ve always felt it’s important that I use what I experienced to serve and bless others who may have been through – or are actually going through – the same. There were tears writing this story, I can assure you – but tears of joy.

As C.S. Lewis says in the film ‘Shadowlands’ (one of my favourite and most moving films, a great film about grief, love, faith and suffering):

“The pain now, is part of the happiness then”

How true that is.

It all happened in April 2000. (continue reading here…)

 

Step outside yourself – you might be surprised

 

Although my sense of worth has increased considerably, there is still that little voice, the old tape, that plays deep down telling me I’m just not worth it and not to bother trying to change.

Which brings me to the event that many of you have been asking about.

One evening earlier this week I sat down and reflected on all this, and thought and prayed about what I needed to do next. I knew that I had to do something, that this grumpiness and disillusionment and frustration with myself was not healthy. I knew what God had said about me, I knew in my head all the positive things in my life and all the blessings I had. But I just couldn’t connect to them, I couldn’t see myself as God did. Although on the surface I’d been saying one thing, in my heart I was thinking to myself, just as Marianne Williamson wrote, “Who am I to be brilliant, talented, fabulous?”

I needed to do something. I prayed, but eventually ran out of words. God had heard them all before.

I sat in silence, and as I did this, I decided to do something. I started mentally to move out of myself and look at myself, really look at myself and my life. (read more here….)

 

Soul Speak: My Psalm 139

 

I am so in awe of you God. I love how you know me inside out, upside down, back to front, broken, battered and naked.

You have searched and seen my soul, my heart, the truth of my being – before I even knew it myself. Before I even speak, before I write a word, you know what is coming out.

You know the early mornings when I rise to go to work, when I want to lie in but know I must go out, you know the nights I go out and nights I am in, all the things I do you know intimately Lord.

I sometimes think I can escape from you, that somehow I can escape from you. That criticising you, shouting at you, disobeying you, will somehow push you away (continue reading here….)

 

Hope you enjoyed these posts. Please feel free to comment – I love a good discussion! As I said, I’d also love to connect with you so please also go and subscribe here.

Have a blessed week.

Grace & peace, JP.

 

Hi, I’m James and I’m a writer. I’m interested in exploring digital media & our divine journey, and aside from blogging here at JamesPrescott.co.uk I’m a regular guest blogger at bigbible.org and other sites. Follow me on Twitter and Facebook, and for bonus material subscribe to my blog/newsletter here

 

Related posts:

 

Best of the Blog (so far) – Part 1

 

Best of the Blog (so far) – Part 2: Social Media