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

trade in for a new model?

Had the most bizarre experience today. While i was trying to order some new toner for my printer, i had a conversation with the sales assistant, as always trying to get me to buy something else. She explained to me about this new printer and that with the cash back option it would cost me less to have a new printer filled with lovely toner, that it would to buy a set of toner for my existing printer, (of which i have only had for 4 months max). How mad is that? That actually you end up spending less getting a newer model. Although this seems like a brilliant idea (and yes i know it is just a con because printer makers know that the money is in cartridges, rather than in the printers themselves), but having reflected on it a while, it shows how easy it is to throw things away, how fickle we are, that as soon as something has run it's course, we move on to the next best thing. Mobile phones, prime example, you don't have to look after your phone because you know you will get an upgrade pretty soon. Nowadays we don't have to work anymore to keep things going, we don't have to try for the long haul because there is always something newer to replace it.

Chatting to 2 of our year outs, one from Canada and one from Germany (bring on the world cup). They both said there are so many older houses here than where they live. Especially in Canada, Kristy said that it is all new towns and cities, and in Germany Lukas says when a house gets too old they knock it down and rebuild.

If you are like me you will remember when Dr. Who used to be over 6 weeks, with 20 minute episodes gripping you each week with a cliff hanger. You think we live in an age now where people would persevere with that?

We see it a lot in magazines with relationships, that when we get bored with someone, we trade them in, get someone a bit younger, a bit more lively, someone with a bit more money.

Do we move on too quickly in life? or do we try and make things work. Do we get bored when we can't do something or do we persevere.

If we want quick fixes in our lives then Christianity isn't the answer, but if you want the best life possible, want to journey with others that can easily get things wrong, but come out the other side having learnt lessons, then Jesus wants you to get on board.

Let's not throw things away, think of the waste, whether a book, a toy or even a relationship, things we value deserve to be worked at.

Invest in some toner.