Conflict, Comfort Zones and Fractured Heroes

“I need to get out of my comfort zone” or even worse “They need to get out of their comfort zones” – those phrases have always, sometimes irrationally, wound me up. The first as I’ve always found myself thinking “well do it then”, the second as it has always appeared judgemental and holier-than-thou and yet the past year or so I have found myself increasingly challenging myself with the uncomfortable. Making myself ask questions that can give me headaches.

There’s always need for caution though. I don’t want to walk the path that is lined with fluffy thought clouds and warm fuzzys, but I think there can also be a real danger in challenging yourself too much. Overthinking can lead to less faith, more logic (not necessarily more truth though!) and would probably turn me into a completely paranoid conspiracy nut who wouldn’t believe in anything – in fact I’d probably end up questioning it was raining whilst being stood outside getting soaked!

So why am I sharing these somewhat jumbled thoughts?

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To be, to do. To see, to say. To live, to love

be inspired

be inspired

What inspires you? What motivates you? Drives you? Gets you excited, scared, fired up, moved?

What makes you feel ALIVE?

Sometimes the day-to-day monotony of life can drain us in oh so many ways. It can wear us down physically, it can tire us emotionally, it can even weaken us spiritually and when it does it can be an effort to stir ourselves back up again and find that get-up-and-go.

The early part of the year is always a tiring season for us. The end of the year is a mad rush with Christmas, our youngest lads birthday and Mrs H working all hours selling trees. The beginning of the year isn’t much calmer with another birthday just into the new year, the end of the annual adrenaline rush and then our daughters birthday and more mad rushing around. It’s always a season when catching a breath is a thing to treasure, and where getting going is always an effort.

In the midst of this, I’ve found myself thinking about inspiration. What it is that I can use to stir me up, to get the blood flowing and the fire burning. Searching for that lightbulb moment that will shine through the greyness of winter and bring spring to my spirit. I’m not saying that I feel down, depressed or even mildly like eeyore on a rainy day – it’s more a lethargy and weariness that sets in and drains me and that’s something I actively have to kick to get myself going as soon as I can.

And that’s where inspiration comes in.

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2011–The new road begins…

So, with 2010 now in the past (although the lessons of the year certainly not forgotten!) it’s now time to look towards the new year that lies ahead. Before I do that though I’d like to wish everyone who reads this a really Happy and Blessed New Year. I pray that this year you will know Gods richness and fullness of love and provision and that you will know his peace, presence and joy throughout whatever the road has for you in the coming 12 months.

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2010 – A year in review

faith

faithWhen Mrs H and I both felt God saying to us that 2010 would be a year of change, and where we would be shaken up, we never fully anticipated what that would come to mean or how that would change us but looking back now it’s fair to say that we’ve both changed quite a bit this year and that we’ve grown as a result of all that’s happened.

The year started out with me being ill on New Years Eve, so not the best start – but I was in a job I loved, working with people who were more friends that colleagues, and with plans for the company that had the potential to take us on to big things. We were looking forward to our first family holiday for 3 years and also the celebration of 10 years of wedded bliss. Church life was good, with me especially getting quite heavily involved in some areas and we were planning on pushing that forward more and more as God opened doors for us.

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For I know the plans…

There are times when God astounds and amazes in ways that you just can’t imagine.

As readers of this blog know, it’s been a year of major change and upheaval. It’s also been a year of huge promise and faith. The full fruition is yet to be realised, but I can honestly sit here and say to you that, with the exception of 1 thing, everything that God has told us has happened. That one thing is not ruled out by any means yet, we’re still believing it will come about at the right time, so we’re watching this space and keeping ears open.

To give you a taster of what we have experienced, both me and Mrs H felt at the beginning of the year (independently of each other may I just say!) that we were going to be shaken up and that I would be changing jobs. We were also, along with others, told that we would be moving out of the area – that one is the one thing we are awaiting but are prepared for when we get the nod.

When I lost my job through redundancy we both knew, independently of each other once again, that the following would occur:

  • The redundancy would be longer than I have ever known (we’ve always been blessed in that any unemployment has been no longer than 6 weeks or so in the past)
  • I would get my operation to remove the discs at C5/C6 & C6/C7
  • I would get time to recover
  • I would then get a job

Since being made redundant in July I have applied for over 100 jobs – and never even got a polite “thanks, but no thanks”. I’ve knocked on doors, sent off CVs and called in the hope of a position. Nada, nothing, nowt. It just wasn’t happening. I didn’t slack off I pushed *HARD* even applying for jobs the minute I got the email alert through (the weirdest one was at 2:30 in the morning!) – but the doors were not opening even a small bit.

I had my operation only just over 3 weeks ago (wow, it seems ages ago) and have fully recovered from it – even the scar tissue is healing in an amazing manner.

Now I have a job 🙂

Yup, you read that right. Just at the point I am able to drive again, feeling fully recovered and everything is sorted – I have been given a job. It’s at the only place to have offered me an interview and meets all that we have been looking for in a job. It’s a shorter commute (15 minutes), better pay and is a job that will allow me to grow in new areas professionally. With the decrease in travel we will also see a financial benefit as petrol costs will be more than halved, and insurance costs should come down as well.

I start my new job on Monday. It’s a crazy rollercoaster as we were expecting a situation where I would start in the new year, but this works out brilliantly for us as it allows me to re-integrate back into a working environment with the benefit of having bank holidays to enjoy as well.

All that God has told us would happen, has happened. My oft-quoted favourite bible passage, Jeremiah 29:11-13 (New Living Translation) says it all really:

For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me.