How do you spend your time?

I am currently sat on my net book listening to a football match which is making me extremely nervous. Play-off semi final between forest and Swansea. I don't know whether i am enjoying it or not, one comment i am sure a lot of Forest fans would appreciate in a play-off competition. Despite this feeling, i wouldn't rather be doing anything else. Why put yourself through it? i know plenty of people would say including my father in law who is a fair weather supporter. Thing is somethings are important and other things aren't. For me supporting Forest is an important part of my life, as is my faith and my family. I do know though that there are often times where i end up spending lots of time doing things that aren't important. In a world where technology can, and often does in my life, take over. My downfall is my phone, whether it is the internet on it or whether it is texting someone or playing some pointless game that i have completed 700 times. Whether it is something similar or television that really isn't that interesting, we can often try and fill our lives, but why? Are we scared of boredom, are we just trying hard to fill any space that doesn't seem to be filled. One of the things that i also love is my garden. There is a place that yes i want to do things in but also gives me time to think and pray. Unsurprisingly enough i find this use of time so much more refreshing that my eyes being glued to my phone. What i want to do is learn. Learn that somethings are healthy for me to spend my free time doing and that somethings aren't. To maybe learn somethings that you do can refresh and inspire you and other things drain you. It will be different for different people but i know that if a spent more time in prayer and in my bible then i wouldn't feel so lethargic so often.
Anyway it's half time, and it's still not a relaxing evening, but you know what, it is certainly passionate.

Richard

Why do people like football?

OK so i am biased. As are most football fans. But this morning was hard. After having convinced myself that i wasn't bothered if Forest didn't win last night and get through to the play off final, sitting at half time in the city ground, i was absorbed in the knowledge we were going to do it. But pretty much like always we didn't. Don't get me wrong, finishing 3rd in the league i would have taken at the start of the season, but in the moment, you start to hope and dream of what could be.

Screaming your teams name, jumping up every time they go forward and have a shot, it is easy to get carried away with the occasion and the emotion of the event. I think one of our problems in life is that we live for the experience, the highs of life. This can be great, especially as we learn and experience hoe much God loves us, but it can also become a crutch. When we live for the experience it can be like a drug, and although that time you are on a high nothing feels better, each time you come down from that high, it is easy to feel low, and keep feeling low till our next high. I know after last nights match what a downer felt like, and it was more so because there were times where we were in the lead.

How do we lead our lives? are we looking for the experience or are we content with what we have? Our lives would be so much richer if we look for God in the everyday, see His creation around us, rather than dismissing it and believing He is only around when we feel warm and fuzzy. If we live like the latter we deny God His creativity and His desire to be in every bit of our lives.

If we see what God truly has to offer our lives will be so much richer. Then when we do experience His love and mercy, it won't then lead to a downer but to a richer and fuller life.

Will i listen to my own words? Of course, but i will still be misguided enough to believe Forest will get promoted next season. Duh...