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

Guest Blog - Rev. Martin Kirkbride : when do you feel audacious?

Rev. Martin Kirkbride is the Church leader at Holy Trinity, Lenton and The Priory, Lenton. He is also regional co-ordinator of New Wine.

Last week I spent a couple of days in London, breathing the refined atmosphere of Kensington (even if my hotel was in Earls Court). Many years ago we lived in London and I miss the place. Would love to go back to the noise and bustle - but please don’t get excited in Lenton, I’m not going to. One memorable part of this recent visit was spending a couple our hours wandering round the V& A ( Victoria & Albert Museum). It was great till we got to the fashion section. There was a 1970’s exhibit that included flared trousers and platform shoes . Now to all you younger guys who walk round in jeans that only start where your boxer shorts finish - I think you look utterly naff. But on reflection I think I’d rather walk round Nottingham with half my backside and Calvin Kleins on display than revert to my 1970’s embarrassment of lurching round 5 inches taller than I really was to the background noise of my trouser bottoms flapping against each other. ( slight overstatement as I can’t afford Calvin Kleins and somehow Tesco branded boxers don’t have the same street cred)
Anyway , sans naff fashions I also attended the nearby early morning prayer meeting at Holy Trinity Brompton . They apologised that the guy supposed to be running it had been held up at Chicago Airport. Having myself had some delay at Watford Gap I fully understood the stress of international travel. The prayer meeting commenced with the challenging greeting “Are you feeling audacious this morning? Are you an audacious person?”. Now those of you who know me will be aware that I’m not even a person in a morning till I’ve had at least one very strong black coffee. Generally it would take me several cups of caffeine before I could even contemplate aspiring to audacity. But the statement immediately resonated within me. What can be more audacious than a small group of half awake very ordinary people believing that spending 60 minutes in prayer can have eternal significance, can shape global events, can bring healing and transformation of lives, can change hearts and minds, repair broken relationships, fix broken hearts, bring peace out of turmoil? How can it be that the creator of heaven and earth, the one in whom all things hang together, the one who unlike the fashions never changes, would invite you and me to have input and partnership to his plans?