Sometimes i wonder what the point of lent is. I hear things like this, and a lot of them make me think, have we completely lost the true meaning of what lent is about?

Lent obviously originates from the 40 days and nights that Jesus spent in the desert, in the wilderness being tempted by the Devil. 40 days of hell really.

Yet lent for us seems to have become a ‘Holy new years resolution’ often self righteous attempts to impress ourselves or others. We give up chocolate, because we need to lose weight, hang on a minute I don’t read anywhere in the Bible… ‘Jesus went into the desert to be tested by the devil, and to concentrate on his weight watchers programme’ Or we give up alcohol or Cigarettes because we want to save money! Wait i think i’ve found this on Bible gateway… ‘Jesus went into the wilderness to save some money, so then he can keep it and spend it on other idols like food or clothes.’

Now obviously these are sweeping statements and God can really move through our sacrifice of these things over lent. But too often our motives are wrong. We do things for our own good, or because we think it will be worth it. But in actual fact lent should be the time we really suffer for God. If chocolate is our problem, then maybe we shouldn’t give it up for 40 days, but maybe we should challenge ourselves to eat 20 chocolate bars a day for 40 days, that is more like suffering! But we don’t do that, because we might get ill, or we might put on weight, and we don’t fancy that.

Lent isn’t about creating rules for yourself and sticking to them, for example ‘I will not watch TV’… ‘Apart from 7-9pm on Monday, 6-8pm Wednesday, 7-10pm Saturday and 1-3pm Sunday.’ Because already there we have given into the temptation without even starting! If we really want to give something up for lent, then we need to give something up that we really cannot live without right now. Give up your computer, or your phone. Give up Coffee. If you try to think of reasons why you shouldn’t give that up because you need it or don’t think you can manage without it, then you have probably found what you need to give up.

But I was absolutely blown away! The amount of creativity was unreal. Everything from Brooms to rubber rings, Dustbins to Matchboxes, and so on! It was just amazing. The show went on for about an hour and a half, and for every minute my eyes were fixed on stage just wondering what they were gonna pull out next! And right to the end the show was packed with surprises.

I really can hardly understand how much work and rehearsing goes into something like this! It was so amazing how tight they were throughout, when there was so much going on, yet they were all always perfectly in time, and in unison. It was amazing, it must have taken literally weeks of time to get it so spot on. I love seeing something done well. Something that just says straight away, this took a long time to get right, but its worth the commitment. And if ever i saw something that said that, here it was.

As well as being technically brilliant, it was so funny. For an hour and a half, not one word was spoken. Yet the amount we laughed, due to mainly facial expressions, was unreal!

I would definitely love to go again, such a great night out, if you haven’t been, go!

There was a really excellent atmosphere to the place, everyone was up for everything we did, and I was especially inspired by how willing people were to learn, and grow in their walk with God.

On Saturday night I had quite the traumatic experience however, when I got dressed up as a hoola girl, (Still with my original clothes on, don’t worry!) And was made to do various tasks, against my will. Including the dreaded food game, I hate all games food related! And then was asked to make up a dance routine with my team, for the song ‘Stacey’s mom’, not one I will be introducing at church any time soon. The video of which will probably never be shown anywhere, ever!

Today I lead a session on Worship, with just the Lads. One of my greatest prayers for the church is that we really try a little harder to grasp just how great our God is. Church, in my opinion is far too casual. We don’t get excited; we often offer lame, heartless, small worship just because ‘that’s what we’re supposed to do’. And this just doesn’t seem to match whom our God actually is. Our God is huge, amazing, and has such a heart for us, when I’m pretty sure it should be the other way round!

The God who made the universe, the world, the God who breathes out the stars, the God who speaks and light appears. This is a God we need to get excited about. A God that deserves more than a half raised hand once a week. A God that deserves more than our too often, lame worship.

Yet the most amazing thing is this is a God who makes Himself relevant to us as well. The God who came down, to give sight to the blind, bring life to the dead, and bring the lame to their feet.

One of the guys asked the question, God created everything, even the sun, and there is even stars bigger than the sun. Then he must be bigger than everything he has created, so how does he speak to us?

This kind of baffled me, because I always go straight to Jesus for the answer to a question like this. But so often we dumb down the sacrifice that Jesus made. This is not about a great man coming to earth to help us out. This is about God, who created matter, time and space. Who holds the universe in the palm of his hand, giving everything for us, forfeiting all glory for us, becoming so small, for us.

In the scheme of thing’s a miracle like making a blind man see, is only the start of things, but a God so big we cannot even imagine, becoming a fetus so we could understand, now that is amazing.

Comfort is so easy to achieve, and always looks so desirable. But the saying rings true, the grass is always greener on the other side. Comfort quickly becomes boring, stale, over rated.

But why is it so hard to leave the comfort zone? Why is it so hard to think outside the box? I love writing, I especially love writing songs. Yet when I sit down with a pen it is sometimes so hard to write. The same, boring ideas float round my head. The same cliché sentences that already send people straight to sleep, the same boring rhymes. Why is it so hard to find a way outside the box?

When we spend too much time being comfortable, it gets harder to break away. Waking up in the morning it can be so hard to get up, and it seems the longer we lie in bed, the more difficult it becomes to get up, well this is how it works for me anyway! Yet when we get into a pattern of getting up, it becomes easier, yes we will have off days. But when you get yourself used to it, it becomes natural.

I envy people who have the perseverance to master their skill so much that it becomes 2^nd nature. I long to have the same determination, but I spend too much time getting half way and being satisfied to quickly.

I long to stretch myself so much that I find it hard to sit comfortably, I strongly believe God longs for us to become uncomfortable, He did not send us to earth just to rest, and have an easy time. That’s what heaven is about! But we are here to grow, try, and try again. Sometimes at great cost. When this is not happening, something is wrong.

I find there is nothing worse than looking back on a day off and thinking, well I slept till 12, I watched TV, played on the Xbox, had a shower and got dressed at 4pm, and watched TV all night because it was too late to do anything. What a waste. So my challenge is simple… What can we do today, that will make tomorrow, a yesterday that we will want to live again?

These past few weeks have been lovely. After such a great Christmas with Church, Family and friends. I managed to get some good rest the week after Christmas, we popped down to wales for a few days to see the Grandparents, who unfortunately were not able to make it up for Christmas. And then, blessed by the snow got back to work!

There is something special about the new year, even though nothing has changed, just another day gone by. There is a real feeling of a fresh start, new inspiration, so i am really enjoying that.

This week is very exciting actually, i am going to Oxford for the weekend, along with a trip into London on the Saturday, for a bit of an intern reunion. I am so excited about this, I cannot wait to see everyone again, especially those who i haven’t seen since August.

This year I am also starting something very new and exciting with regards to my music and stuff. I will reveal all very shortly!

This, i hope will be the first of many regular updates, I will aim for at least one a week. I am willing for you to hold me to that!

However i have just ordered a new guitar amp! Which i am very excited about, it is a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe, for those of you who have any idea what that means! I can’t wait till it comes! I have had my eye on it for a while, had one last play of it today at Real Time Music, and then ordered it online for over £100 cheaper! Sweet can’t wait.

Now i just need to find a way to shift my old amp. Anyone wanna buy a Marshall AVT 100? excellent condition! Let me know and i will sort you a good deal!

I really need to get on with Christmas shopping. This week i will try and nail it all! Or it will be too late. Anyway, leading at 2 services tomorrow and drumming in the evening. Best get some sleep!

Christmas is well and truly upon us anyway. On Wednesday i lead worship at the first Carol Service of the year. Which was just for the local beavers. Was a good event though about 100 kids filled the church, parents and all! It was also the debut of the a couple of the new youth band. So that was really good, they did such a good job, I messed up more than them with the lyrics! Why do christmas carols have so many bizare lyrics?!

Tomorrow we have our Church Christmas Crafts market, which should be fun. I am organizing the cafe, which i am excited/scared about as this isn’t my usual cup of tea, (Get it?! Cafe – Cup of tea!!) But i am really enjoying it. Hopefully it will be a really good Christmassy day.

I am in a good mood right now because i think i have just put the final touches to a couple of songs i have been working on for over a year. Will hopefully get a demo done in the next week or two…

But we made it, and it was worth it! They played for close to 2 and a half hours! Including taking the role of their own support act, as the ‘Cutting edge band’ taking us back to where they started. Who would have known they were going to pull out ‘Men of Faith’?! And ‘The Happy Song’! Excellent.

It really struck me when they were performing, just how many powerful songs they have written, song after song was soaked in the incredible message of the gospel, and portray real hope and salvation. So many of their lyrics blow me away completely. It was like every song God was giving me a little nudge as if to say ‘Yep, thats me!’

There is always the old debate about performance and worship and whether the 2 should mix. And i totally believe they do. There is something amazing about seeing an example of worshippers, because although all the words may not be on the screen, and the songs may go above C or whatever worship leaders are told not to do. Your heart can’t help but jump on board and worship with them, even in the quiet of my heart i found myself in awe of Gods love, and through the lyrics, I couldn’t help but sing along and offer it to God deep within, even if i had no idea of the melody!

There was something really great about a packed secular venue, full of worshippers, worshipping using a slightly different expression than perhaps we are used to. God has really used these guys over the past 15 or so years. I know he will continue to do so in other ways. But it was really so encouraging to see 5 normal men, who simply gave everything they have to see Christ lifted in this world. There is not enough bands like Delirious in the UK, so if you’re reading, and this is your thing. Get on it!

I have the proof copy of the Christmas magazine right in front of me as i write. Ready to go to the printers this week. Trees are going up, the Coca Cola advert is on TV, and it is exactly one month till Christmas Eve.

I must say that I never really believed people who work in Church, when they say how busy they are. Until last year. And i realised, yeh its Kind of a lot of work. But this year, I have been blown away again. There is so much to do!

It is such a relief when you can tick things off the to do list though i must say. The Christmas Magazine, ‘Spotlight’, is done, proofed and will be printed this week, and delivered next week. Can’t wait to see the finished product! Next week we have our Christmas Crafts fair at church. I took the fliers into the local schools. Best get printing the menu for the Cafe!

But the big one is planning for the Christmas Services. Christmas Eve is the big one. With 2 services repeated at 4pm and 6pm, I can’t wait! Got the Choir practices booked in for the debut of our new Contemporary Choir along with the Band Practices, should be rocking.

I will keep you updated of what’s going on. I love Christmas! And in the midst of all this, I am off to see delirious on Saturday in Leeds with Katie. Can’t wait.