Find Your Passion... Dare To Dream!

What are you passionate about? 

Is it a dream that has died? Has someone with a word or action crushed your dreams? Have you discarded them thinking you're not good enough? Have you just lost your passion for something that once felt integral to who you are?

How often have we let people rationalise our dreams and talk us out of expressing ourselves with passion? We are often consumed by fear of what people think or of getting it wrong that we discard our dreams as though they don't even matter... Our dreams and what we are passionate about matters... It's what we are made for. 

It's time to find your passion... time to dream again... Unearth the dreams long buried in the recesses of your heart and mind and see what happens... There may well be a collision of passion and dreams that births something incredible.  

What does it mean for you? Where will your passion and dreams collide to bring freedom to yourself and others? 

Social Networking... The Good, The Bad And The Ugly

Lately, I have spent a fair bit of time reflecting on the increased use of social networking within our modern culture.

As Christians, should we be engaging with our culture and participating in Social Networking?

Romans 12:1-2 (MSG) puts it like this...

"So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life - your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life - and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you."

Clearly the Bible does not have explicit references to Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr or any other form of social media, but it does give us guidance on how we should engage with our culture. We are called to be salt and light within all spheres of society. What does that look lie in our contemporary culture? It means being authentic and a person of integrity across the board... within our relationships and interactions in person and online.

"So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God."
(1 Corinthians 10:31).
If we are willing to let God use our participation in social networking for His glory and not to boost our own ego or be consumed by it then I think that we have the freedom to participate in it... But, this calls for self discipline with our time spent on social networking. We are called to invest in our relationships and communities, to impact our spheres of influence that we find ourselves in.

The Good...

Social networking is a great means of keeping in contact with people across the world, connecting with like-minded people and being able to learn from one another... I am able to connect with friends and family here in the UK and abroad (for free) at the touch of a button thanks to modern technology. I can browse articles and listen to sermons from people I have never met, but seek to influence our society and our world for God.

The Bad...

But there are also negative aspects to social networking... People can become so preoccupied with the number of "friends" they have or feel that they need to portray a persona suitable for the world to see which does not reflect the true person.

Social networking is one of the greatest distractions of our generation. Being so preoccupied with social media can be detrimental to our relationships in person as people often don't feel like they have our full attention... Smart phones are often blamed for this as they are constantly notifying of emails, texts, Facebook/Twitter or DrawSomething posts etc... But surely this is where we need to be more self disciplined.

The Ugly...


We all are entitled to our own beliefs and opinions, but more often than not, these are expressed on a social forum. Sometimes this has a positive effect and response, but all too often I have seen people slate one another for their opinions and get caught up in unhealthy debates which is not glorifying to God or edifying to anyone else.

Accountability for what is posted on social media is important... Do we really want the world to see certain photos or know everything about us? Probably not. I am becoming increasingly aware of things I post... Is it honouring to God? Is it going to offend anyone? If there is any doubt, then it doesn't go online.


I have a love/hate relationship with social media... It's great for me in terms of keeping in touch with friends and family abroad for free, but I am aware that it can so easily consume my time that could be better spent investing in my relationships with friends/family/the community, or spending time with God/being creative etc.

As with anything, we need to have a balance and exercise self control. When social media is used to glorify God and encourage others, it can have a great impact for His kingdom.

New Beginnings

At the start of a new year it's often good to reflect on the year that has just gone and the one that lies ahead... There has been a distinct ending in some ways and a new page lies blank before you, what will be written on the pages of your life for this year? What do you want to achieve in 2012?

What's to say about 2011... for many it was a challenging year filled with highs and lows... As with any year, there will be many memories... I am thankful for many good memories from the last year, even amidst the difficulties, with good friends and family around to support, encourage and challenge when required, I have made it through another year relatively unscathed.

Having chatted to a few friends in the last few days, travel seems to factor pretty high on the agenda this year for quite a lot of people which is all very exciting but sure enough will provide challenges and new experiences. For me... I am heading to Canada at somepoint to see family, some of whom I've never met before. I can't wait!! I am looking forward to getting out of Scotland for a bit at varying points this year, but that depends on what happens work wise. At the end of 2011, my temp contract for work came to an end which has already proved to be a stressful and less than ideal way to start a new year, but maybe something better lies ahead. Ideally that would become apparent asap!!

Some key things that ideally will happen this year: to spend more quality time spent with friends and family without distraction. To repair some broken relationships and let new ones develop. To let go of the things of the past and move forward.

Hopefully this year will be one where creativity can be pursued in various areas of life... through music and art amongst other things... That joy and laughter will be more apparent this year than the previous one. There is much to look forward to and I wait with great expectation and hope for a great year!!

The Road Of Life

At first I saw God as my observer, my judge. Keeping track of the things I did wrong, so as to know whether I merited heaven or hell when I die.
He was out there, sort of like an important leader - I recognised his picture when I saw it, but I really didn't know Him.

Later on, when I met Christ, it seemed as though life was rather like a bike ride, but it was a tandem bike and I noticed that Christ was on the back helping me pedal.

I don't know when it was that He suggested we change places but life has not been the same since. When I had control, I knew the way. It was rather boring, but predictable . . . It was the shortest distance between two points. But when He took the lead, He knew delightful long cuts, up mountains, and through rocky places at breakneck speeds, it was all I could do to hang on! Even though it looked like madness, He said, "Pedal!" I worried and was anxious and asked, "Where are you taking me?" He laughed and didn't answer, and I started to learn to trust. I forgot my boring life and entered into the adventure. And when I'd say, "I'm scared," He'd lean back and touch my hand.

He took me to people with gifts that I needed, gifts of healing, acceptance and joy. They gave me gifts to take on my journey, my Lord's and mine.

And we were off again. He said, "Give the gifts away; they're extra baggage, too much weight." So I did, to the people we met, and I found that in giving I received, and still our burden was light.

I did not trust Him, at first, in control of my life. I thought He'd wreck it; but He knows bike secrets, knows how to make it bend to take sharp corners, knows how to jump to clear high rocks, knows how to fly to shorten scary passages.

And I am learning to shut up and pedal in the strangest places, and I'm beginning to enjoy the view and the cool breeze on my face with my delightful constant companion, Jesus Christ.And when I'm sure I just can't do anymore, He just smiles and says . . . "Pedal."

-- author unknown

Fear Vs Dreams

What stops us from dreaming? What holds us back from pursuing our dreams? FEAR... As stated in this picture... Fear of the future, fear of change, fear of people's opinions, fear of rejection, fear of the unknown, fear of not being good enough, fear of not achieveing our potential... the list could go on and on!!


Fear prevents us from daring to dream big, with expectancy that things can be different form the way they are. Whilst fears are real and can be rational, they hold us back from our destiny... from dreaming... from making a difference.

T.E Lawrenece put it like this...


"All men dream: but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that it was vanity: but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dreams with open eyes, to make it possible."

What a challenge!! Are we prepared to be a radical alternative... to dream for a reality not yet seen? To act upon those dreams and bring them to reality? Or... are we going to be people who let fear hold us captive? This is not to say it will be easy... but it will be worth it!!

Random Wonderings...

Just some thoughts...


"What we focus on we make room for"... What's the focus of your life?... Are you choosing to focus on the things of eternal significance or are you caught up with the concerns of earth? Lift your eyes higher... Look beyond the horizon... Look to the things as yet unseen... As we choose to have a kingdom perspective, we shall see things begin on earth that will 'echo in eternity'.