A good question, an inspiring answer...

I got asked a very good question last night - How do you know you're in love?

Well, how do you know you're in a situation, unless you know what the situation is?

so... What is love?

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. ⁸Love never fails." (1 Corinthians, 13:4-8, The Bible)

Love... it is different to infatuation. infatuation consumes you - Love is a choice. One you make, to be kind, patient, accepting, forgiving, truthful, protecting, trusting, hoping and unfailing toward another person.

When we think that someone is worth the effort of "Agape" love (unconditional love), then we have made the choice.

The choice to have love, to give love, and to be in love.

It's incredible what we can learn from the Bible, isn't it?

Insightful? Or maybe just a bit of old twaddle.

So, i'm sat here with a bowl of cous-cous and cheese, attempting to make myself slightly less chubby.

Me and Georgie just finished our packing for UBM (As always, pyjamas and toothbrush almost forgotten, grips and hair bobbles packed first, the swapping of each other's packing lists, and the "Have you got ____ so I don't have to take it?"). We blew up the new air beds and covered them in heavy objects (such as our suitcases!) to make sure that they won't deflate when we're slumbering happily on top of them.

Now, I'm planning on enjoying the rest of me "lazy day" before my hectic three weeks of going here and there start. Once I get back from my dad's, I have two weeks to get ready for college. It's all go, and I can't wait.

For UBM, our team leader has suggested we read through Ephesians 5, which is what he'll be covering. I didn't want to feel out of my depth, so I read Ephesians 5, and three different commentaries on it! Maybe a little too much?

It's most definitely an interesting passage, and has a lot of meat to it. Lots of different issues can be delved into:

Imitation - Imitation of Jesus Christ, His life and his example. In which issues such as fornication, uncleanness, covetousness, foolish and coarse language, and idolatry are touched upon. Just the mention of some of these things can make us hot under the collar, but Paul insists on reaching into the deepest parts of people's lives and bringing to light the things that they do.

Illumination - All of the things listed above, are things that we need to reject. They are part of the old life, that dark life that we were once a part of - now, however, we are filled with God's light, and must show the fruit of the Holy Spirit. We should separate ourselves from sin, and have a personal revival.

Intoxication - Have you ever heard the phrase "Drunk On The Holy spirit"? Well, in Ephesians, Paul says instead of being filled with wine, we should be filled with the Spirit ( ¹⁸Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.) It is pointed out that we should make good use of our time, "Because the days are evil". Honouring God in all that we do, in our conversation, worship, praise, and thanksgiving. Submission to each other will result from a proper fear of God (A respect, and awe so deep that it is a sort of fear.)

Instruction - The relationship between husband and wife is parallel to that of the Church and Christ. The husband is to take the lead, and the wife is to be subject to his authority. But the love referred to is a sacrificial love, on both parts. A love of respect and understanding, and caring. As Christ loves the church, so a husband should love his wife.

(With thanks to the Bible Panorama for helping me to understand a lot of the issues covered in the passage!)

At the risk of seeming eager...

Two posts in one day... I hope this isn't setting the tone! I just felt that, while I'm thinking about it, I should type it out:

Since we've been in our "new" house for 7 months, a lot of things have started falling into place. After our first church didn't handle the family situation very well, we decided to all change.

I think God used this as a big part in our lives, where we all started being treated as individuals - previously, we had moved to the Reformed Baptist church as a family, and were treated as a family even after Beth and Jonathan got married, and Georgie started university. We were hardly invited out as individuals, or talked to without being referred to as a family-unit.

Now, though, God has worked in incredible ways. Me, my mum and my older sister Jo have moved to a Presbyterian church, which is interesting. We're finding our views challenged in different ways. We've been enjoying the ministry, and the atmosphere of the church - although we are like a big family, every one of the members is known individually, and personally. All our needs are being catered to, and we have found ourselves getting stuck in, helping out in the church and making new friends.

Beth and Jon went church hunting, but found the ideal place of worship in Bulkington, which is near where they were hoping to move to anyway. They fell in love with the people and the ministry, and they feel as if they fit in and are appreciated at the church.

Georgie isn't sure where she wants to go for the time being, as she is hoping to move away to a different university next year. For the moment, she is going to Beth and Jon's church, or the one I attend with mum and Jo.

I have been through GCSE classes and a correspondence course, enough to get me the qualifications i need to go to Solihull college, to study A-Levels (which i'll be starting in September of this year). I'm looking forward to the new environment, since I've not set foot inside a school for full time education in my life.

I'm nervous about it, but it should be fun. Me and Georgie were talking the other day about how sometimes when we remember that the Bible says "Do not fear", we think it's just a handy piece of advice, from God to us - but it's not, it's a command. A command form God that we shall not have fear, because we should trust in Him.

This year I decided to abandon my camp (CCIW, which I have attended for the past three years and made some very good friends), and decided to have a go at UBM (United Beach Missions, which a lot of my friends have already done, including Jo and Georgie who have gone on it since I started camp.) We're going to Dawlish to help out with children's work on the beach for a week. I've heard it's challenging and helpful for your personal Christian life, and I can't wait to see!

After we get back from UBM, we're going on holiday to Scotland as a family - including Beth and Jon, which we're all very excited about. Long awaited break for some of us, and for others it's a nice chance to explore and do something worth while during the summer.

So, August is an all 'round busy month for me, before I start college. I'm looking forward to whichever ways God might change me.

So to start off, I think I should properly introduce myself -

I am a 16 year old, home-educated, Christian. I've never been to school before, and was raised by my mum with my 3 older sisters.

I've had a somewhat interesting life, moving to different places and learning to get on with and live around lots of different people. The first years of my life were spent in a rough area opposite a primary school, but I don't remember it very well. We went - as a family - to a Baptist church near by. Eventually when I was 4 we moved to Brighton (Fun fact #1: the gay capital of England) to be caretakers of a church situated up the road from a night club, and down the road from a pub. It was there that family life took a turn for the worst, when my dad left. My mum carried on with an open door ministry, inviting people from the church and strangers from the flats nearby for cups of tea or coffee, and to have a chat. Many varieties of people came through our house; I was raised around druggies, alcoholics, sex-offenders, people who were faced with or had been through jail, and people with rags to riches and riches to rags stories.

It was at this important time in my life when I learnt that the Christian message was truly to forgive people their past, and to support them no matter what difficulties had arisen in their lives. My mum lived her Christianity and didn't just talk about it, and she raised us to do the same.

She would refer to her heart's desire being that us four girls, her girls, would come to know Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour - and just as God promised her: we have all, at various stages, asked for Jesus in our lives. (In Psalms 37:4, the Bible says, "Delight thyself also in the LORD, and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.")

When I was 8 years old, my mum met a man who she got on with very well, and they were eventually engaged - we moved back to Birmingham for mum to marry him when I was 9 years old and started attending his Reformed Baptist church (where subsequently, I became a Christian). At first it was fun learning to live with a "new dad", but eventually he became grumpy and complained a lot - he didn't make an effort to get on with us as much has he had in Brighton. Our mum was very gracious in the way she dealt with our dislike towards him. She tried her best to be the mother and the wife she should be. Just after my mum remarried so did my dad, and it was especially difficult "losing" him to another family.

During the years that followed, us girls grew immensely close. We could never find much to laugh about, but we always tried. We would talk about everything, and cry about everything together.

When our step-dad was told by his ex-wife that he could no longer see his youngest daughter, he withdrew and became depressed, and the only times he would really talk to us was when he would try to wind us up, or get us told off. Us girls were sure he resented us being there, instead of his own daughter. My oldest sister got married to her long-term boyfriend and moved out as quickly as possible, and they are still happily married.

But, after nearly 7 years of mum's marriage to our step-dad, us girls and mum left his and moved into rented accommodation due to previously unknown, and harmful addictions on our step-dad's part.

This turned our world upside down, and although for the most part we were happy to be out, it's always difficult getting used to yet another family situation, a split, something that made us even more different to our friends in Christian circles.

Through the past 16 years, I have learnt that everything happens for a reason. Everyone is to be loved despite their downfalls. Everyone can be changed, by the love of Christ. Be sure, your sin will find you out. Relationships are special and aren't to be taken for granted, whether friendship, romantic, or family. Take everything with a pinch of salt, and always aim for the highest you can see, at least then if you miss your mark you'll still be half-way up.

God's biggest gift to me so far in my life has been all the trials He has put me through, as they have given me the ability to understand people on so many different levels... when I say "I can understand how you feel." I really mean it, when I say "I know what it feels like to be hurt." I can say it with utter confidence. And when I say "God is bringing me through." I can say it with complete conviction.