you know your getting old when....

Ok. so here's the deal. I'm speaking at Seven on the 15th June, about the Past.
So what i need you to give me some quotes. finish the sentence for me
"you know your getting old when...."
eg.
"you know your getting old when you choose to wear levi 501's"
"you know your getting old when you talc after you shower"
"you know your getting old when you say 'what's that noise' when you hear radio1"

Please do me proud and every (decent) one shall be included in my talk.

tc//Px

Gaelic Clans

Coming from the north-west of ireland, in the gaeltacht (irish speaking community), we have some funny traditions. one of the older ones is that of names and identity. As i'm sure you are aware, we use a first name and last name to identify each other in life. well in Gaoth Dobhair (Gweedore) it's not quite the same. this may be confusing so hold on!
You are identified by your parents first name and their grandparents first name. for example,
my mother : Noirín
Her Mother : Bríd a.k.a Biddy
Her Father : James a.k.a Jamesy

so my mothers name would be commonly known as Noirín Biddy Jamesy.
My name would be Paddy Noirín Biddy Jamesy.
Although my father would be known as Noirín Biddy Jamesy's Husband, because he's a blow in from Dublin!

A lot of the time, what has happened in our past dictates to us who we are today. When we read Psalm 25 we assume David has written in time of Absalom's rebellion, which ultimately is a result of David's sin with Bathsheba and the murder of Uriah. What we see here is that although God has forgiven David, the consequences of his sin is still with showing its face.

What a blessing it is then for us that Jesus dealt with all our sin. Of course when we sin often we have to deal with the consequences, but the ultimate consequence has been dealt with by Christ. Not only that, but our identity is firmly in him now too!

Isaiah 61:10

I delight greatly in the LORD;
my soul rejoices in my God.
For he has clothed me with garments of salvation
and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness,
as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest,
and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

So when God looks at us, he sees Christ! don't allow your identity to be dictated to by your past, be confident that the Maker of all things see you as a precious son or daughter in robes of righteousness.

tc//Px

Squash Kings

I am going to come clean and admit that i enjoy an occasional game of squash. unfortunately i never managed to win. i was often played Sam 'the rocket' Barbee, whose got an arm like a missile. I was always enthusiastic and eager but most of the time walked home with my tail between my legs! It didn't stop me from trying all the harder to get better, but i still haven't managed to overcome the rocket. even a racket over the shins hasn't dissuaded me.

Psalm 24 has given me a bit of a reality check. so often when i think of Jesus, and all that he's done i think mostly about the cross and how he put sin in the grave, and left it there when he walked out of the tomb. I often forget before that Jesus beat satan in the desert while fasting for 40 days. Its incredible to think, that satan had free reign to attack with all he could first of all mentally in the desert, and secondly physically on calvary. AND despite all his best efforts, he got beat twice. not just a little beating, he got sorted for eternity. Jesus reigns! as David puts it in Psalm 24

'Lift up your heads, O you gates;
lift them up, you ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.'

Brian Somerville told us this morning, that we needn't fear what's ahead because God's already been there. to know that Jesus has already profoundly defeated sin AND satan, gives us courage to carry on in our call. We are on the side of the ALREADY victorious King, and we are his royal subjects whom he gave his life for! so to know that God is on our side plus he's always the winner is enough inspiration to boost me into action for God!

tc//Px