Multiple Worlds Overview

I just as you live in more worlds than just the one. We live different lives depending whom we are with – our actions are different, we are different people but when is it when we are truely honest to ourselves and others around.

I find my place is at a place I help out at called harvest – its a Christian youth camp – I feel totally free there to share who I really try to be in all the things I do. I don’t at all hide my beliefs, I just fit in and can see the world in a totally different view to normal life.

Some of the other worlds…

Please click each point for more information on each world I have.

Life Worlds Overview

Belief seems to shape our world, whatever we believe is right and true is what shapes us and our actions – I hope people start to see who I really am and not the mask that was up.

At the moment life is sectioned into lots of different areas with no real web to hold them all together. I need to change this to make my life livable and purposeful. Many sections conflict and stop me from fulfilling any real possable potential.

By having so many sections it has shown me I have many abilities, and that if I was to use them together I could do so much more than just on their own.

Faith Fueled World

My Faith is important to me as its what defines who I am and what I do.

I get involved in different Christian events happening in and around the area including IXth Hour, Harvest, Just 10 and NE1. I attend church but not every week.

I find the world of Christianity a hard place to be while at the same time can be the happiest place I exist.

The thought that Christ dies for my sins so that I may meet with God on an anytime basis is a great thought and truth. I want to be able to go out and talk and be free to talk to anyone I want about it without the thought of rejection… I mean I feel I’m only trying to help people find the amazing truth I know.

If you have a game, a toy, a programme, a friend, an event that made you truely happy you don’t keep it to yourself, You want your friends to enjoy it too – whats the difference here? The only difference is that this truth can give them eternal life, and a joy exceeding any life long other thing that is on offer.

When I talk about it, a joy fills me – that I want to tell more and more people. I don’t know where to start or how. I don’t like rejection but does anyone? How can we help others without taking the risk? Doesn’t risk bring excitement and help you really realise life.

This is what I believe in and how I’ve got there over the past 19 years or so. Read it, comment on it, and Think about it.

Money and Work world

I must work, and earn lotsa money – to pay off all that I have and have had and want or may need in the future.

I work a general 5 day work week doing 2 jobs that both are OK, each for 20 hours a week totalling a 40 hour work week. I quite like both of my jobs but at the same time hope for more… Not just in money, but in acheivement and making a real difference to life and the people around me.

I look at all what I have and know that I’ve been blessed – I have a home, car, and all I need to survive. I have friends that support me, and work to help pay for it all.

I’ve never really ever opened up at work, they know that I am a Christian but I don’t think I yet show what that really is to them. I’ve always hidden whom I am to protect myself and not to be asked too many questions. Althou in reality, I want questions to be asked… I won’t know all the answers and will be challenged but thats part of the point of life.

No challenges, and easy does it gets boring over time if not quickly. Although a very comfortable existance, its not really living.

In this I am not saying I shouldn’t work, I think all people should work if they are able to do so – be that in helping others and earning money or volunteer work. Some people are in training, learning what they need and thats good too.

Health, fitness, figure, weight, appearance World….

I must look a certain way, I must be fit, I must not be over weight, I need to get fitter, thinner, more flexible, healthier – I must.. I must…

This expectation of the world we live in that if you don’t fit an image, then you don’t fit anything. I know that I struggle with the thoughts that I could get fat and overweight althou according to guides I have a BMI of 22.1 which is almost perfect [22 is ideal] but still it feels wrong.

I try to get fit, I am currently doing trampoling each week – A very fun and energetic workout. I am careful on what I eat that I don’t generally have high fat based foods and generally make meals from fresh ingredients [they taste so much better].

I’ve tried ball room & Jive dancing – both quite energetic which suprised me and a lot of fun. I tried the gym, but didn’t have motivation… I occasionally go swimming but not as often as I’d like. I go on random walks from my house to wherever I end up.

I feel I must try and keep a certain outside view of myself althou in the reality of inner life it doesn’t matter too much. But we all want to be liked and appearance can often help greatly to sway opinion.

Belief Changed World

I have groups of friends that believe many things I know exist but are not true at the same time, they touch on things that no man or woman was ever meant to use and are in a dangerous place and don’t see it.

I once went into their groups, to try and understand where they were coming from and a whole world was opened up to me which excited and terrified me – especially when I realised what it was. I am no longer in that place and thankful for that.

I talk to people about what I believe is right, and they speak to me… I don’t know if i’m getting anywhere with them but hope they see something in it all.

My Physical expected world

I mix with friends, we go out, drink, night clubs, pool, cinema, bowling, hang out and talk but beliefs don’t really come into it.

I hide my faith as I don’t want them to dislike me althou I also know that they wouldn’t dis me for it. I’ve spoken to them about it and often when I’ve drank more than usual I can’t help but talk about it – it just fits into conversation.

I also feel that I don’t want to force them into believing althou I really want them too – I know that if they don’t that they will not be with me in the long term and I really don’t want that.

Multiple Worlds

I just as you live in more worlds than just the one. We live different lives depending whom we are with – our actions are different, we are different people but when is it when we are truely honest to ourselves and others around.

I find my place is at a place I help out at called harvest – its a Christian youth camp – I feel totally free there to share who I really try to be in all the things I do. I don’t at all hide my beliefs, I just fit in and can see the world in a totally different view to normal life.

Some of the other worlds…

Please click each point for more information on each world I have.

My Journey in Belief

I became a Christian in 1989 – I was 10 years old, and felt in my heart and soul it was the right thing to do – it just made sense even at 10 years of age. Since then I’ve re-dedicated my life to Christ multiple times.

When in youth sunday school at the tab church I often felt the power of God in my life, often when we went away and life was away from school, and home life – where I could be free to believe and know that those around me didn’t judge me. I would be a lot more faithful then.

In February 1992 I started to go to an event named “Crucible” where a lot of youth groups met together and worshipped God together. There was around 200 people there when I started and the event had to move to different locations as it had around 400 people going each month – always based in the Tees Valley.

In 1994 I went to a youth camp named Harvest – The theme was “Everybody needs somebody” and was using music from the Blues Brothers theme tune. I went with The Tab Youth group.

While at school I discovered that many schools had a Christian union, but mine did not – myself and a group of others tried to set one up and had a small group of students meeting together once a week. It didn’t really work out – we didn’t know what was to happen just that there should be one. So without a real plan we went out and tried. Now they have one thats going well at the school but that many years since.

In 1995 I stopped going to church, I didn’t see the point anymore.. The sermons seemed to be repeated and the information stale. I’d been told I had to go into the main church now and youth church was no longer an option. I found the services tedious and quite boring so stopped going. I continued going to the crucible events each month and Harvest but otherwise church was out.

In 1997 I started University and was determined that I would not let people dis me for my beliefs – I would not make friends for them to throw religion at me..

so I introduced myself with “Hello my name is J… and I am a Christian” – It totally terrified me of the response and was so glad to find the first person I asked replied with.. “Hello my name is T… and so am I” which was a relief. I was later to find that no-one else in the class felt the same way so wow, I think that was a good sign and is still a great friendship.

We joined the Christian union of the University and were members throughout the time of University. At one point for a year I was involved in running part of the group which was an honour.

Uni was a suprise to me at how people seemed to look at people and the world, it was more of an accepting place of “oh, you believe that… thats nice” and not such ridicule for believing in God.

I found friends from all over the country and world that also believed as I did and were supportive and helping althou we were all doing totally different things in life, we are all following the same Christ.

It got me thinking as to why people from different denominations didn’t work together – always confused me – people asked me what my denomination was – I’d say “Christian” and they’d ask which type… I thought “There’s only one” and reply “Christian, Were all in this together”

In 1999 I joined a church named “Riverside” – I went after a friend bugged me continually about going for several weeks from the Christian Union [CU] – the services were quite long but enjoyable. They had a youth church on a friday night – around 20+ went which was nice. We would sing, and worship, games, pray and learn together support whatever any of us were going through.

In 2000, we heard about a mission event that was going to happen in Manchester at summer time – something that hadn’t happened before named “Message 2000” – two weeks of working in the area supporting the people there though running youth/children groups, clearing gardens and decorating homes and speaking to people about God. There was invitation to events on the night where bands would play in the areana and got around 14,000+ people turning up.

We went for week 2 of the project, where we camped out in groups in a park in manchester and worked on different teams in the area. I was working on a kids group team. Over the 2 weeks around 10,000 Christians joined together and helped out.

We also went out in small groups of 2 or 3 and spoke to people about out beliefs. This terrified me and on the first day when I tried to speak no sound came out – I was embarrased, and scared but nothing bad came from it… The next day, we went out again and spoke to people successfully.

Many people didn’t want to know and shrugged us off, but there were a lot of people willing to talk and convesations would go on and it was good. A lot of oposing ideas but people were listening and responding – something I was not expecting and felt blessed for it.

Around 2001 I went and got baptised – this isn’t the same as a Christening, this is showing people that I do believe in Christ and want God in my life – a public demonstration where I had many friends and family attend and see me leave one life and come into another.

I have continued to go to Harvest althou not as a patron any more, now I help with stewarding which helps keep the place running safely. I started in 2000 and done it almost every year since.

In 2006 an event named NE1 was ran where several churches all from the North East of England met up in chester-le-street and spent a week going out helping people in the area. From Clearing gardens, and painting to spending time with people and running childrens groups.

NE1 reminded me of the Message 2000 event but was local to the North East instead of another part of the country.

I helped with stewarding and anything else I could help with there. A fun time, great hot dry weather and wonderful friendships made aswell as seeing so many peoples lives changed through Christ.

In Late 2006 I moved back to the church I started at – The Tab where I attend and can involved with things from. They have a 20s to 30s group that meets each week on a friday at Borders on Teesside Park at 7pm ish til closing. A time to chill out and be with other Christians not in a church setting.

Over the whats coming up 20 years since becoming a Christian, I’ve fell away from God and the Faith many times but always have came back. If I look at all the times when I’ve been truely happy there has always been A God aspect to it all so that where my focus should be.

I don’t know what to expect from life in the future, or even in the present really but think that its going to be an amazing adventure.

A few bible verses come to mind:

Jeremiah 29:11: For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

– I had always read that passage and missed the point of future – I’ve always looked at what NOW, and not future but to know that there is going to be a future and I will be looked after – I like that.

Psalm 139:1-3: 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.

– To know that God knows everything is amazing and scary at the same time, but to know that someone is in control is a great thing to realise. Especially when they know what you are able to do and give you the power to do it.

Over the last 10 weeks theres been a local event named Just 10, I’ve wrote about it here but its been a truelly local opertunity to see around 5,000+ people coming together and worship God together.

Peace within Dispair and Pain

A peace within some walls on an estate of dispair and pain. Driving around feeling unsafe, walking into a building of peace. Children from the estate coming in, joining with worship, singing and enjoying their time.

Small groups meeting, talking, listening to music – reflecting on what God has to do in the area.

Last night I went over to Hartlepool where I went to an event I saw advertised on Facebook. It was a small church with a vision to see people coming together. Things have not gone quite exactly as expected – it was thought that many from the church membership would come when infact it seems kids and people from the estate are coming which was not planned but welcomed.

I found out when I got there, that it was a church of some of my friends I’d lost contact with a while ago and they were the ones running it all. I met with them and made a lot of new friends at the same time.

It is currently just a small group of people meeting in a church on an evening [all the last week] coming to pray, and worship and listen to see what God has in store for them. Quite amazing to see, althou not many as yet its certainly a posative start that could change their world.

They are running for the next weekday nights aswell restarting Monday 30th June 2008 and a worship night on the saturday… Starts at 7:30pm.

Website: http://www.wvbc.org.uk/

Start at home & work outwards – Together we can do it all