Jono's blog

Why do I do the things I do?

To make me happy? To make me blue?

Mind is thinking about this thinking.

Yet my eyes are blinking and winking

And my bum goes on stinking.

What the church is – what it does-

But all I hear is a buzz

A commotion and chaos inside my brain

As I’m waiting for the train

Of my thoughts to take me closer

To my destination.

So are these thoughts of any value?

Do they influence the fate I go to?

Or is my course already set.

I know I haven’t made it yet

But on the narrow path I tread

Jesus You’re my daily bread.

And now I write religious jargon

God this needs to STOP!

I want my thoughts to be captured by You

I need You – I believe You

I love You – I do

And now we talk of the church edifies

Not just a burger, coke and fries

But hurt decreased and joy increased

As life is shared.

It’s messy, it hurts, it makes you vulnerable

But God kill my pride

I know I lied and trust has died –

So heal restore

And may I live once more.

LOOK BOTH WAYS

‎Thankfulness and Anticipation

I want to look back on 2011 with thankfulness. Try it. Try listing all the things you can be thankful for last year.

I am thankful for a place to live, a car, a job, a wonderful school of staff and students, my family in various parts of the world, visiting and visits from friends, rugby, Gollans, Weldons, Turners, coffee, Skype, NZ, Ukraine, Australia, mountains, Millers, Pirinis, van Ballegooys, Walkers, Kirkegards, Bryants, Watkins, Facebook, cricket, health, table-tennis, good food, and there is so much more I could add. I notice how richly God has blessed me with good people in my life. Thank you to everyone reading this who has been a part of my life this year. That’s looking back.

ON ALL THINGS GOOD

 ‎”Goodness is not an abstract concept, it is an element of the character of God.”

I always like to believe the best about people. I always try to find the good in any situation. I expect people to be upright, honest and generally good. Maybe I am naïve. Maybe I am trying to encourage people to be the best they can be. But I want people to be good. I want to believe they are good. I want to be good and I want to believe that I am good.

But the only way I can achieve those dreams is to reduce goodness to something that I can grasp, understand and possibly attain.

TEN YEARS ON

‎This week marks the tenth anniversary of the terrorist attack known globally as 9/11. I remember it well. I was up late and saw the footage. But I remember it well for another reason. It was my first year teaching. We were given a debrief on how we should handle an event of this nature with our students. My students were in grade 3. They graduated last year from High School. One student told me that he still remembers the song I played. I don’t remember everything I said. But we had a time of quiet and a time of prayer and I played “The Blessing”. Every time I hear that song now it reminds me of that day.