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Life can be pretty challenging sometimes, especially when what you first thought was a pleasant day changes, dramatically. Now, you’re not just walking up a mountain enjoying the view, but you’re fighting for your life as freezing fog or a heavy downpour suddenly envelopes you, snow falls and you realise you didn’t bother to bring any emergency survival gear because it all looked so lovely when you set out.

When learning to drive I faced, what can only be described as, torrential rain – the sort that your wipers can’t work fast enough to deal with; the sort that makes the edge of the roads invisible.

I faced these same conditions recently when driving some friends to a train station, after a weekend of hosting them in our home.

We’d popped into a supermarket on the way, so that they could buy themselves some lunch for their journey, and by the time we had finished the rain had started falling, and then some.

Our car was literally opposite the door from the small supermarket. A fairly narrow footpath (sidewalk) stood between us - it took a matter of seconds to jump into the car, once we had left the dry-safety of that supermarket. And, yet, we were all thoroughly soaked through by the time we’d shut the car doors again.

Life does this sometimes doesn’t it? We go out in the sunny weather, with our shades on, and then we’re taking the shades off and running for cover as, sometimes, all hell seems to break loose directly at us.

It is in those times that we have to consider our following actions. And, sometimes, the best thing we can do is follow the advice of my driving instructor – to take a break, and a pause, while the worst of those conditions blow over. Sometimes being risk averse is the wiser course of action, if we can.

As Christians we can always go to God, and ask Him to help us. The bible reassuringly reminds us that we can take shelter under the shadow of His wings – what a place to be.

So no matter whatever storms you see raging around you, take a pause, and go talk to God, resting under His wings, and asking Him what you should do next.

Just a thought…

Andy B

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Good things and bad things. They make up our lives! And it’s easy to want to forget about the bad things, especially those mistakes we made that we don’t want anybody else to ever know about.

We can accomplish, some of the time. But, there are some mistakes that are impossible to hide from others. And there is nothing we can ever hide away from God.

While it may seem like a great idea to cover over those dents and scratches from the bodywork of our lives, it may actually pay us to leave them as they are. Not all dents are bad!

A friend lost some fingers in a tragic accident. He has a permanent reminder of something that was bad. And, yet, he looks at his hands and remembers that dark time as, more importantly, the time he chose to follow Jesus. That accident was actually the moment when he found true joy, peace and hope in a relationship with Jesus Christ.

The mistakes in our lives can be hidden or visible. We all have things we do wrong which can be hidden more easily than other things. But don’t be too quick to hide away your struggles – you never know when that thing you struggle with, could be what somebody else needs to know about, so they don’t feel utterly alone.

Just a thought…

Andy B

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Stress can hit us in different ways. And one of the symptoms I’ve often experienced myself, or seen in others, is that of confusion.

You can be racing through life one moment and, the next, wonder you’ve just put the milk in the cupboard and the tea bags in the oven.

That, right there, is confusion, and too much stress can leave you in that situation.

As Christians we are absolutely not immune to the struggles of living in this world. However, we do have access to the creator and designer of this world, which means we can always ‘phone a friend’ for help.

If life is stressing you out, go grab a cup of tea, go for a walk, stand outside in nature and enjoy the sky or trees.

There’s always plenty we can do, but prevention is always better than a cure, so if you can see the stress building, talk to someone before you lose the kettle or your car keys!

Spend some time with God, who made you to be emotional – just like He is. So He knows full well, what it is to deal with stress because His own Son got so stressed he cried blood because of the anxiety He was having to process, so you’re in good company!

Just a thought…

Andy B

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“Road Closed”.

It’s a simple sign in the UK. 

It is a big, unmistakable sign – in red, with bold white letters. It means you can’t go any further in your car, without, essentially, permission - such as you live or work beyond it. But, to most people, it is the end of your journey along that road, because you are not allowed to proceed any further.

Near our home is a beautiful location, right on the coast. Steven runs to it. Jo and I cycle to it, often with Peter. We stand, we look, we listen, we breathe. It’s idyllic.

But, it’s also just beyond two pairs of large, imposing, bright red warning signs. They exist because the road has been lost to the sea. Just before that, though, is a spot where you can park a car – or bike – and take in the view, the bees, the birds and the sights and sounds of God’s creation and walk down to the beach and beyond.

You need to know what is beyond those road closed signs for there is considerable danger as the road disappears suddenly beyond some concrete bollards, just in case you missed all the other warning sings!

It’s easy to shy away from ever mentioning Jesus Christ in your workplace. Your colleagues may well shout out His name in anger. But, it’s all too easy for us to never utter His name, for fear of offending anyone.

In certain contexts this is absolutely appropriate. If you’re working with vulnerable people then you need to be especially careful what you talk about, in case you unfairly influence the people you serve. But we should always be speaking of Jesus through our actions and attitude towards our work. And, sometimes, we will need to use words that are more direct too. We really do have the answer in a relationship with Jesus Christ.

Let’s not ever be afraid of mentioning Jesus as part of our normal conversation. Sure, if you throw Jesus at everybody, you’ll soon lose any right to talk to them at all. And it is really important for us to win the right to speak with people – we truly do need to exercise caution and restraint. But we also need to exercise wisdom and boldness. They all go hand in hand.

Don’t ever be afraid of sharing Jesus. Because beyond the Road Closed signs of fear, is truly a beautiful place. And we all need Jesus in our lives – He is the only true source of peace and hope in this world.

Just a thought…

Andy B

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When people say well done, do you try and deflect that compliment? I know this is something I’ve always struggled with!

I’ve led worship for more than 3 decades. Ever since the age of 11 I’ve been part of the worship group in a church, leading worship to children, or adults, or both. By the age of 15 I was leading worship in a church of 350 to 400 people, and a worship group behind me of perhaps 10 or more people on occasion - frequently either older, or more experienced, than I was.

People would frequently come up to me after the service and say how good it had been. Sometimes they were thanking the worship group, through me, which I quickly passed on to the others who had been involved in that service. But, it was always easier for me to deflect that thanks – when it was given to me personally, rather than the group as a whole – and say it was because of the musicians behind me or it was all down to God. Simply taking that encouragement was something I struggled with, badly! But there are a few fundamental problems with this approach.

When we say it was others, or God, that deserve any praise, then we’re also, additionally, - albeit perhaps unintentionally and inadvertently - blaming them for everything that was also not so good.

Work with me here, because it’s worth it, I promise!

Someone says ‘Thanks, that was great’. You respond by saying ‘It was all God’.

Someone says [of the same thing] ‘That was awful’ You respond with ‘It was all God.’

We’d never say the latter! But we say it every time we don’t let somebody simply praise us for something. Because, when we deflect thanks and praise, we both risk offending the messenger, as well as not taking responsibility for all that we were doing, both the good and the bad.

God gives us gifts. If you have a gift of leading worship as I do, it is only because of the breath He has put in your lungs. Sure, we can be skilled and talented, but gifts like the one the Holy Spirit gave me, do take it up a notch from what you can humanly do.

Chris Eaton, a well known British Christian songwriter, regularly received songs from people that ‘the Lord had given them’. He threw pretty much all of them in the bin because, as he said, it was obvious the Lord had gotten rid of them because they were so truly awful!

Let’s not shoot the messenger when they simply want to say thank you. But let’s not blame others for the good that God has put inside of us.
God deserves all the glory. Absolutely! But He also hand made us to be amazing creations capable of some amazing things, so don’t just dismiss praise and thanks, but accept it, humbly. We’re made in His image, and He can do some amazing things. But, then, so can you!

Just a thought…

Andy B

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Bilbo Baggins is something of a hero, if you know anything of Lords of the Rings. And there is a line he utters which is wonderfully descriptive!

He mentions about how tired he has become, and he likens his tiredness to ‘butter spread over too much bread’. To be fair to Bilbo, he had long gone past his natural oldest age, but that description paints a great picture of how life can, sometimes, feel.

The bible tells us that, as Christians, we should stand out – like salt does in a meal. It describes how when salt loses it’s saltiness it is useless and is only good for throwing out and being trampled upon. This isn’t good if you think that, as Christians, we’re supposed to live quiet lives that never offend anyone. Actually, if everyone you know is happy with you, you’re probably getting it wrong by not living a faithful enough life! And the whole heart behind living a godly life is that we will be offensive to those we meet, because of the Jesus in us. It is the truth which is offensive - not our loving Heavenly Father, who is unable to offensive in His nature, except to those that do not wish to hear His loving message!

This does not mean, however, that we can go around - like a meal with far too much salt - and being unhelpfully abrasive to the people we meet. We are supposed to live peaceable lives. But this, perhaps, is where there has been a terrible misunderstanding on what the life of a Jesus loving Christian should be like.

As we look around the world, at some terrible atrocities, wars, famine, drought and controlling governments and industry, it’s very easy to understand the reason why this is so as a Christian: As Andy Hawthorn of the Message Trust once stated, ‘when you take Jesus out of society, everything starts shaking’. And it is that shaking we are seeing as people pursue lives that are diametrically opposed to God’s best for each one of us.

A good meal is balanced by salt. 

A healthy society is balanced by Jesus Christ and Christians actively living out their faith, boldly, and unashamedly.

So, let’s not be overly salty people who offend before people before they even meet us.

Yes, let us live peaceable lives so people can’t point at the many failings in our lives, but at the hope and joy and peace that pours out of our very pores. But, let’s balance that by not living such tiny lives that nobody ever notices we actually have a passionate love for our Saviour - Jesus Christ.

The message of the gospel of Jesus Christ is one that not a single one of us truly wanted to hear or accept - until we had surrendered to the love that Jesus Christ has for us. But let’s make sure that the people we meet are not offended by us, unnecessarily!

Just a thought…

Andy B

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When you’re playing cards you can wish a better hand, as much as you like. But, at some point, you have to accept the cards you’ve been dealt.

And it is much the same in life. We can wish for a better car, a better job, a better house, a better retirement plan, better health. But wishing just pushes us deeper into a place of being sad and depressed.

Wishing doesn’t change what is. It just robs us of our ability to enjoy what is.

Rather than wishing away our lives, we need to accept what is. We don’t accept it as something that can never change, but we do need to begin to change from where we are at

For example. If you want to run a 4 minute mile, you don’t start by running a 4 minute mile. You train hard and, over time, you’ll get faster and, eventually, you may be able to run that golden 4 minute mile. But all that training and effort doesn’t guarantee you’ll achieve what you want. Because plenty of things can stop you!

So, enjoy the life before you. And start by enjoying the hand you’re dealt- it simply means accepting what you can’t change, and moving on from that point!

With God by your side, you’ll get where He needs you to!

Just a thought…

Andy B

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Life can be full of struggles. Some can be good – like the effort needed to build muscle in a gym. The struggle feels good, because we can – possibly slowly – see a positive difference to our bodies. Some struggles can be bad – like grieving a loved one when we’re not ready to say goodbye to them, or having to live with life changing injuries from an accident that was not our fault.

In her book, Hiding Place, Corrie Ten Boom wonderfully illustrates how things that can at first appear truly awful, can be God’s blessings - which is why her sister was praising God for the fleas that attacked them where they slept in the middle of a concentration camp during World War II. If you want to know why that was such a blessing to them, you’ll need to read the book!

In life we often face challenges; hurdles; struggles; obstacles. We see them as things in our way, or as things to get around. We all too easily blame God for not doing a good enough of protecting us.

God never suggests that we’ll have an easier life when we become Christians. Actually, the bible is replete with examples why this just isn’t so!

When life throws us challenges we can either blame God for not protecting us enough, or we can trust that He truly does see all, and that we’ll be able to rejoice because of those fleas like Corrie Ten Boom and her sister Betsy Ten Boom!

God sees so much better than we do, and that delay to our morning commute might easily be something that protected us from something far worse. The point is that we don’t know, because we can’t read the future. But, God can, does and already knows the struggles we’ll face every day of our lives.

In Isaiah 43 we see God’s loving words that whatever we face, He will walk alongside us as we journey through them, not around them - in my book Broken Dreams, and Hope! I explore this specific topic much more in depth.

God loves is and nothing is ever wasted, even fleas.

Just a thought…

Andy B

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When carrying out some rather widespread and deep website building work, Nathan and I ran across a really odd problem to have! Because, every time we loaded one video, another one kept on displaying instead.

After something of a panic, since it seemed to affect every video we had been working on, I thought about clearing the cache - for our internet browser.

If you’re more computer savvy than me (not very hard) then sorry for the following explanation:

The cache is much like the memory for your internet browser. When you visit a website and see a picture, the cache remembers that image and displays it for you, to save you data and time, without bothering to go and look to see if the latest image matches what it thought was there.

Our browser had simply remembered something we just were no longer using, and kept showing that instead. Clearing the cache made it look at the website, and display, in our case, the correct video.

And hence my somewhat concerned thoughts as to how I’d managed to break the internet from my little studio in the UK!

In our lives, as Christians, we can often get stuck remembering what used to be, and it inhibits our ability to move forwards in our relationship with Jesus Christ. It’s like walking forward towards a lamp post, while remembering back to a time when there was no lamppost. What you remember is quite irrelevant, as will become rapidly apparent as you meet the lamppost, and it’s best mate, gravity, and it’s brother in arms – pride!

What is, may be. But what was, may not be anymore! This is why wiping that cache is so important on your internet browser.

The bible tells us to daily renew our minds – that’s akin to wiping the cache for your internet browser each time you open it up to surf the internet. That way, you’ll only see what is currently true, and what be stuck on what used to be.

When we clear the cache in our relationship with God we’re not deleting anything. We’re simply letting God show us the latest version of something that He wants us to see.

Just a thought…

Andy B

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In this Season Finale, Andy and Jo make the most of the time they have available, and their friendship - they go out for a cycle together. And, while it took a bit longer to organise themselves to both be available - during a working day - they made it in the end.

Marriage rarely turns out how we expect and you'll never prepare for everything that comes your way. But, a marriage that is based around a friendship will always be much stronger and richer, than one that isn't.

It's easy to lose sight of that friendship, and that spark of fun and joy that sustains a marriage and grows a marriage. So, don't give up when things get difficult - either because of life issues that you can't control, or those that you think you can.

They will be back for another Season of Marriage Matters because they loved sharing the highs and lows of their 25 years of marriage. And, if they were going to sum up how - to quote Jo from episode 1, they lasted this long - making the deliberate effort to be together as often as possible would be it, and enjoying that time when you can!

Andy and Jo

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Catch us on Konnect Radio for our weekly show - Family Focus: Sundays, 3 til 6pm