Children of God

You are children of God , sons and daughters of God and you’ll succeed in whatever God wants you to do , whatever he asks you to do. And you’ll do it through trusting in Christ because he who lives in you is greater than anyone in the world
You were taught the scriptures from a young age and you know they’re good. And as you go on trusting God they help you to understand what salvation is all about. So you need to keep on in the things you’ve learned, remembering who you learned them from. All scripture comes from God and is useful for teaching and correction in how to live the right kind of life so that you will be ready for all the things God wants you to do.

Praise

I read this recently – a book review –  this novel ‘celebrates how ‘family, community, nature and art can offer hope through the darkest of times.’ And I thought. Lord, where are you celebrated in this tribute. Without you there would be no family, community, nature or art.

A line from an old hymn came to me: to thy feet our tribute bring ransomed healed restored forgiven praise him, Praise Him . . . praise the everlasting King

Rest

It is sad when we who are in our thirties and beyond continue to be troubled, actively influenced by early experiences. Say an absent father or mother, or who drank, were adulterers or abusive.

We wonder if there is an answer. Will I have to go on being troubled and confused. Are these experiences going to darken, to negate all my relationships?

Or these experiences are closer in time. A husband or wife who cheats, who drinks, who is never there when needed or who is abusive.

Some may find it difficult to believe that women are also abusers. But not who are alcoholics or adulteresses or absent.

Life we are told is unfair and often experience seems to show this to be true.

Is there an answer?

There is, if you are willing to look for it, which many probably are.

Come to me all who are heavy laden and I will give you rest

If you are troubled and confused talk to God. No need to go to church, or to a priest or minister, or read the bible or take up a certain position, or try to be holy or clean your self up. He’ll listen to you where you are, how you are, what you are because he cares for you not where you are or what you are doing.

He said, come to me if your stressed and anxious and I’ll give you rest.  

Who? What?

This blog is firstly for believers, secondly for those who are searching for answers to those questions that many of us ask: Why am I here? What is life all about? What happens when I die?

I will give answers to those questions and if anything touches your soul, your heart then keep on asking, keep on searching, to find the way to make those answers a living part of your heart and soul. It is said that God stands at the door of our lives, knocking and speaking to all of us. If we open that door he will come in to share his life with us. Because he gives his life to us – because life is a gift, not a given – we will have real life. Be Blessed

Bio

Add to Bio

Today in the 21st Century I am, in urban netspeak a blogger and activist . . . which is really a elevated way of saying, I sit in my room and compose on Word things I’ve been thinking about, which is mainly hope and faith . . . and post it on the net -which is the extent of the activist bit.

The Parallax View

When the late Malcolm Muggeridge observed the Pope kissing the ground  on landing in Ireland in 1979 after flying in on Aer Lingus,  and while other commentators were gushing with religious fervour, full of ‘great day’ comments and so on, the eminent journalist said, ‘ I too have flown Aer Lingus.‘

Isn’t it interesting how we all, thankfully  see the world in different ways.  And those different ways are particularly trenchant when we are , older and hopefully more mature. Certainly with more experience of life. Of course as my wife says we can all have blind spots. But should we, who are older, have blind spots. Aren’t we supposed to be fairer, to see the other side, to be more empathetic, wiser? ‘To see ourselves as others see us.’ Or as Bob Dylan put it , ‘I wish that for just one time you could stand inside my shoes and just for that one moment I could be you . .  .’ Then there are those who deliberately pull on their blinkers – a whole host of clichéd sayings come to mind. Particularly. , ‘There is none so blind as those who will not see.’

When we look out at the world through our PC blinkers or through those ubiquitous, rose coloured specs, when we avoid a truthful perspective and ignore context in order not to offend or hurt groups or individuals then we lose, perspective: we are not being truthful, we are being hypocritical.

 In art, movements like cubism, surrealism, etc which may present reality from imaginative perspectives, we know it is not reality, as is. When we look at les demoiselies d’Avignon , the maidens of Avignon,   we know we are not looking at reality.  I believe the original title was, The Brothel in Avignon.

We know it is oil paint on canvas. No one man or woman is cubed in shape, our bodies are not uniformly pink and all women cannot be represented by hookers. It may be a fantastic work of art, or not, but it is not real. It is flat and lifeless, in the true meaning of life. For that, art cannot show or provide, life as it is. Which is constantly growing, changing, moving. Art can imitate, suggest, point to , indicate, represent all in slightly clumsy static ways but not be real life. 

 .

Ask and it will be given to you

More talk on blog mountain
. .
When we live selfishly, doing things which seem okay but in our minds and emotions there is conflict, there is a struggle with in our soul , in our conscience, then we experience pain, emotional and mental. It is like sandpaper being rubbed against silk. An agony that never recedes but only gets worse. For our soul is a delicate fine thing, as silk is a delicate fine material, which if you rub with sandpaper, would soon be destroyed.
Is there an answer to this conflict? There is, but it is not to be found in following legal rules, or the religious application of laws, or in the rigorous training of the body or in will power or in any self-applied rules and regulations, which all of us are free to try. Many of us have tried and found them , eventually to be lacking in those qualities which our souls were made for.
The answer is to be found in the gracious gift of a new life. It is found in becoming a new man or woman.
It is to be found by seeking in the right place, asking the right questions, knocking on the right door.
It is a gift which only God can give

Bio

My name is Charlie Alexander, I’m married to Sylvia and we have a son named John. Sylvia and I have been together for 42 years and John joined us 37 years ago. We live in Dundee in Scotland where we have lived most of our lives. Sylvia and I were loosely acquainted with one another before we were married. We moved in similar circles. Most of our friends were artists, writers, musicians. I say were advisedly, since many are now gone. We are both from working class families. My Father was a soldier and my Mother was a hospital cleaner. Sylvia’s Mum was a school dinner lady and her Dad was a driver. Both of us retired. John is between jobs. The three of us are, like most of us at this time, under the restrictions of Lockdown.
Like most people who join things, I am a sociable being, and like people. Hearing, reading about people’s lives, interests and experiences is what draws me to blogging. Naturally I have interests and experiences of my own to share. I look forward to sharing in what other ‘bloggers’ have to say.

We are Christian believers but we don’t evangelise and we are not out to convert anyone to anything. As I say in one of my blogs, we are simply going to write about things that we hope will encourage others who might read these pages, these blogs, to hope or to find hope. A wise man named Solomon said a few things about hope, like how the hopes of believers results in happiness. And your hope as a believer will find fulfilment and you won’t be disappointed. Blessings.

Hope

Hope, it is said, springs eternal in the human heart. So you will find messages of hope on this blog but also words that I hope will encourage you . Encourage you to keep on keeping on. To keep on searching , to keep on asking , to keep on knocking at those doors. Let me help you to search in the right places, to ask the right questions, to knock on the right doors.

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord and blessed be he who goes in the name of the Lord.