Rebuke July 17, 2009
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People no longer accepted criticism as an act of love. Instead of listening openly to a description of how they had acted inappropriately and then working to modify their behavior to remove that flaw, the object of rebuke would respond defensively by either ignoring or insulting the person who had highlighted the error.
Pointing out someone’s shortcoming or error should not be a chance for insults or a sense of superiority. It should not become an opportunity to humiliate or gloat. Instead, a rebuke, if properly intended and given, becomes an act of affirmation and love, an affirmation that the person is worth the effort in the first place, and a faith that he or she remains capable of improvement. Offered with love and a sense of humility, a rebuke is a gift and a challenge.
Without our friends, colleagues and families willing to point out our own errors of judgment or action, we all blind ourselves to our own faults and to those aspects of reality we don’t want to see. Each of us depends on the caring of others, their courage to articulate disappointment in our action, as the indispensable prerequisite to self-improvement and refinement.
We cannot afford to wait for the perfect, loving hero to point out our flaws. Instead, we rely on those around us, family and friends, to act as our early warning system, pointing out moral failure and ethical obtuseness before it is too late to improve. But when they do, we must be able to really listen.
Following on from that last post – Meet ‘Lou’ the snake. March 4, 2009
Posted by jonesy24 in Glasgow, What's happening with me....Tags: snake
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Meet ‘Lou’ the snake. Named ‘Lou’ because we captured him in the toilet aka. Loo. On Sunday afternoon a couple of the guys that had been playing football inbetween church services came back to use our flat’s shower, etc. We joked about how 3 showers in a row would no doubt bring out the snake.
By the second shower, the snake came out… And I caught it. Basically kept it in a pillow case over night, a shoe box by day… until yesterday afternoon (monday), the owner came to claim him/her. It was sad to say good bye to what we thought might be our new pet – Lou the snake.
The ‘horror’ in/under the bathroom… March 1, 2009
Posted by jonesy24 in Glasgow, What's happening with me....Tags: snake
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I’m assuming from the title you can tell this is another one of my silly blogs… which is more for my entertainment that to blog anything meaningful.
Anyway, It being as Saturday, I was having what was meant to be a long lie… and it was probably about 11am when Stuart (my flat mate) came into my room, telling me I had to come see something. Usually, in my half asleep state, I’d tell him to ‘go away’, but something in his tone of voice suggested urgency.
I clambered, nae… jumped off my bed (which is up ladders on a platform), and followed Stuart out of my room, through the living room, and into the bathroom. I literally could not believe what I then saw. A big spider? No. Something only boys would be proud of in the toilet bowl? NO! A large bright yellow and orange snake, coming out a hole in the floor behind the toilet. AGHHHHHHHHH!
There’s no word to describe the screach of disbelief that came out of my mouth. This thing was huge, and it certainly was no grass snake, adder, or any other boring UK snake… this thing was big, boy band coloured (you know, bright orange, sky blue, sea foam green – those sort of colours), and foreign.
Now what does one do with a large unknown species of snake, from an unknown origin, with no prior experience of handeling snakes? I decided I wanted to pick it up. Thankfully, Stuart spoke sense, and suggested that because we didn’t know what the snake was… whether it was aggresive/dangerous/etc… maybe I should be careful, and not stick my right hand in it’s face as I was about to.
I then proceeded to armour myself with winter gloves (bough for my by my lovely mother for the cold season of winter), a towel wrapped round my arm… and my boots. However, as if the snake knew our plan… it decided to begin to slither back down the whole from whence it came… I arrived back in time to see it disapear back down the hole in the bathroom floor.
Anyway, it was exciting. Until we realized that we had to ‘use’ the toilet…
Who knows… maybe the snake will come back again… and if it does… I’ll hopefully have the sense to take a picture… and then you’ll perhaps understand the horror, the terror… that is the snake in/under the bathroom.
The tin opener January 31, 2009
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My beloved flat tin opener. I’m sure you’re wondering how could such a simple device, a common tin opener… deserve the honour of a blog.
It’s because, for the life of me… I can’t work it. The tin opener completely perplexes me. I have absolutely no idea how to work it. It was actually so bad that until recently, I had been using a kitchen knife to stab open any cans of desired food.
Which brings me to my first tangent. Why on EARTH do they still make tins without the ring pull? To me, and in my current tin opener situation… it would seem that the only reason why all can goods have not converted to the highly superior ‘ring pull’ opening technology… is to ensure that the tin opener factory does not go bust. Imagine the jobs that would be lost?
Anyway…
I myself am now wondering why I didn’t ask one of my fellow flat mates – Stuart or Gordon – how to work the tin opener. But I can quickly conclude that it comes down to pride. ME? Ask for help on how to work a simple tin opener? I THINK NOT!
Now, I’m sure many of you are concerned as to my well being, especially in the area of food, proper eating, and ‘is he starving out there’? Rest assured, all is well. Thankfully, my mother still occasionally sends up food packages, including Marks and Spencers Chicken curry – which comes canned, and has the handy, genious ring pull technology.
The tin opener itself, has finally revealed it’s mystery to me. What I thought was a tin opener with only one handel, in fact has a stealthily hidden second handel!!!!!!!!! Some sneaky designer decided to hide one within the other. I personally think he should be thrown into a jail cell, along with previously mentioned heretics, false teachers, and… Dan ward.
In conclusion, there is absolutely no point to this blog what-so-ever. Other than to save me from bordom, to ’slight’ Dan Ward, and to reassure you all that I, Mark Jones, have mastered and conquered the tin opener. VICTORY!
Dice, Power word Man, and Bugs bunny… November 3, 2008
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Oh, and just in case any of you were wondering…
We are in fact perfectly sane…
Yieldedness October 16, 2008
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What is it to actually follow God?
How does the average ‘Christ follower’ respond to God’s calling?
What is it to follow God no matter the cost?
What should yieldedness look life in my life?
———————————–
To refuse Him nothing;
To yield to Him everything.
Internship August 30, 2008
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Just to let you know I finally updated my Internship page which you can see HERE.
-Mark
Brief Update August 21, 2008
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So… there’s potential for some ‘newness’ within the Blog and the way I keep my supporters up to date with what I’m doing with Re:Hope.
That’s right… I may even be as courageous to video blog – which would obviously allow you all to see what I’m talking about when I say ‘building’, and all the other work stuff that I talk about. It’ll also allow you to see my long, uncut hair and my clear need for more support… 
Just kidding!
Watch this space…
Heart former! August 11, 2008
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From heaven the LORD looks down and sees ALL mankind; from his dwelling-place he watches all who live on earth – he who FORMS the hearts of all, who considers everything they do. (Psalm 33:13-15 emphasis added)
O LORD, You have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; You perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; You are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD. You hem me in – behind and before; You have laid your hand upon me. (Psalm 139:1-5)
For You created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well… (Psalm 139:13-14)
My God is a heart former. I can’t help but get blown away by stuff like this. I mean… COME ON! It’s amazing. I love how God is always there. I love how even when I maybe feel a little further away, or ‘un-heard’… he’s still watching over me.
Short ‘n sweet.
