I am yours

I cannot believe it is the 1st of December!

Yes, I do class the whole month of December as Christmas. Advent is amazing. Every week when someone lights that candle on a sunday morning, I get that much more excited.
I had no idea what the date was (this is not unusual) untill I asked a lady in college today 'cause I had to sign and date something, she told me and we both let out a happy 'yey!'. It's crazy how quick the years are going, you know that you're growing up when you don't look that much different a year ago. I have 1 month and 13 days of being a child, and I'm hanging on for dear life.

I had wrote a whole blog before under the same title, and very stupidly didn't manage to save it, so instead of recalling what I previously wrote, I shall just share the thoughts going around my head recently. I feel very sad I have lost it forever, and there is now no evidence of the time I put into it. So sad. I also now have the task of completing this before the 2nd of December, three hours for this, The Apprentice, and Celebrity get me out of here. I don't particularly like the programme, I just really like Dom Jolly.

After I realised my previous blog was deleted, I tried to do a bit of work, which resulted in a quiet time. I don't know why I call it a quiet time, I am rarely quiet during praying or worshipping, however, I do shut up for the reading in addition to a lovely concentration face. Sarkasmus. Anyway, I re-discovered my love for the book of James, and I read this:

"Get serious, really serious. Get down on your knees before the Master; it's the only way you'll get on your feet."

As I read this line, 'With Everything' by Hillsong was on. And I was literally drawn off my bed where my dog looked up to see why I had left his side, and knelt on the floor.

Today it's been made apparant to me that we have to make every effort for God. When I put every effort into making my day God-filled and being a true disciple, loving, forgiving and kind, my day feels much more complete than when I'm being a bit of a rat. Everything we do goes toward something great, which is God's name being glorified, and spreading the news that he is a living, real and truly incredible God. Me and my best friend have become really accountable to each other. We have started saying to each other when we are out and about, 'it's the little things that count'. As part of God's greatness, he is all seeing, and all knowing. So when I talk about trying to get things for free (e.g. cinema tickets) or telling my parents a white lie so I can stay out later, I am reminded that those things arn't me giving my all.

People seem to be telling me more often than not now to stop striving. I'm not sure how much I agree. Google says to strive is to 'make great efforts to achieve or obtain something'. I think it's important we make great efforts to achieve being Jesus-like. Yeah, I know we get it wrong. I know all too well we get it wrong, but still, if we don't make every effort, then surely it's not much effort at all. I think God just wants us to try, try with everything we have to spend each day close to him. After all, that is what he created us for, to return to him. And that purpose of creation makes me just want to give him a hug, and say, yeah, I am yours. And belonging to God is very different from belonging to the world.