Thanks for the post yesterday Dave. It posed some really interesting questions and gave me something to think about during the morning run. Here's some of my thoughts..

This is something I wanted to share with the lifegroup, but probably won't be able to make it to lifegroup anymore as uni starts and I'm far far away with no car haha. So I thought I'd post it up here for those who read the blog. Comment and let me know your thoughts.

God is all knowing. God is always present within our lives. But is everything controlled by God?

It is a common debate about how God is to said to know everything, past present and future, a great Plan so to speak, and yet at the same time given us Free Will. Google it, and you'll find thousands of forums and websites dedicated to this one problem (okay, maybe not thousand, but I found a few).

It was also an aspect of God that I couldn't quite come to terms with either. The fact that everything was planned out, and the conflict between choosing but having the end result predetermined. So one day, I got the chance to go to another of my friend's life group and ask the question.

is he present in things like choices of toast and cereal?
is he present when we roll a ball off a table?

Often, when I had asked this question initially in the past, I'd get back a very disappointing, everything is included in God's plan for us. Even me tripping over the chair. And I could not accept this. It just didn't make sense, that things that WE did could be put on God. When we pass an exam, can it not be because we studied hard? Can it not be that God offer us the strength, wisdom and determination to study hard, but our own will allowed us to achieve such a score?

God has a plan for us all, yes. And with that plan for each individual, it all comes together into one big Plan for everything. But free will was given for a purpose. It's how we travel that path (or even the choice to go on that path).

Roamn 8:28 and we know that all things work together for good to them that loves God, to them who are the called according to (his) purpose.

If we use our free will to work with God, to further his plans, it will benefit us in the future. God's Plan will benefit all of mankind.

No, God does not set things up so you will choose the cereal. No, the toast did not magically look better than the cereal because God made it so. That choice is our free will. Yes, God did put that food there for you to make a choice. THAT is an act of God, and that is what we give thanks for every time we eat.

I think it is important for us to know exactly what we thank God for, and what we can owe to ourselves. Yes, we have many things to thank God for. He offers us wisdom, strength, comfort, guidance. We pray and honor him above all our else for it. But God did not simply give us good marks, or good jobs. We study to accept the wisdom, we persist with the strength he gives, we move on with his comfort and we listen and obey his guidance. It is our own free will that drive these.

there are 3 acts in this world. One by God, one by Satan, and one by man.

Whoaa.

It really does feel like a whole load off your mind.

Thank God first n foremost for sustaining me through this time and thank God for all you awesome peeps for your support n prayers! =]

And thanks to my long suffering family (esp. my dad, the loyal, fearless L plate overseer)

They even made a movie commemorating this day "Friday the 13th"
Check it out, looks like quite the epic xP

But this entire period I really felt that alot of the time, I was still doing things out of my own strength and my own way. The question I now ask is:

How is a life lived led by the spirit different to that of living by emotion?

If you think about it alot of our actions and attitudes in everyday life are moulded by how we "feel". If the weather is dull, we're a lil dreary. If we're tired, we snap into with slight tension. If circumstances are tough and stretch us, the same occurs. It also probably explains how we "feel" after praise and worship. Man, after some of those sessions, you feel like you can CHANGE THE WORLD, spread the love and do ALL THINGS. But does that last? 10 minutes into the message, we've probably forgotten all about it. After the service, we're just thinking about friends, what we're gonna do the next day.

Lyrics like "Jesus i believe in you, and i would go, to the ends of the earth, to the ends of the earth". Wow. Its so easy to get caught up in the atmosphere and the vibe, but after i just take two seconds to think about those words, whaat? Do we have any idea what these words mean? How bout lets start with your friend who you see every day? lol!

Well, theres plenty of questions and we can hypothesise and theorise entire listings of possibilities. But one thing I do know, is that life lived to the absolute fullness is found in and through Him. He who seeks and keeps seeking, knocks and keeps knocking, asks and keeps asking will definitely not come out dry cos HE is faithful. What we tolerate we will never change. So will we tolerate just going through the motions?

Lately, I've been reading the new testament; in particular Pauls letters to the various churches of his time. Heres a verse which really stood out:

Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace and seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. - Colossians 4:5

We've all got so much potential. So many opportunities to impact the lives of many. You may look at what you are; the talents that you have, your personality, your abilities and think you can't do anything substantial for God. hehe and you know what? you're probably right. through our own strength its impossible to please God. But if we are faithful with what we have, what we see as foolish, and meager, God is able to use mightily for His kingdom. Heres how Carl put it: