Do you feel like the QE2? - left to rot

All photos courtesy of Unsplash 

The QE2 – the longest, widest, tallest, fastest and most expensive passenger liner when it was built – made 26 circumnavigations of the world and took more than three million passengers a staggering 5,875,264 nautical miles in glittering surroundings that were the epitome of luxury. 

Today, however, more than 55 years after she was launched, the once magnificent QE2 is a discarded shell taking on rainwater and slowly gathering rust alongside a spartan dockside in Dubai’s commercial harbour, Port Rashid. At a distance – and that’s how the security guards like to keep inquisitive tourists – the former Cunard flagship looks as if she is ready to cast off at any moment, full steam ahead on what would be her 1,375th voyage. Close up the reality is tragically different. Gone are the glorious days of pre-dinner cocktails in the Chart Room, formal meals at the captain’s table or late nights over liqueurs in the Yacht Club. No longer do bronzed couples on 80-day world cruises spend lazy hours on sunbeds or enjoy unhurried moonlit strolls around the teak deck.

Look at the Bible for yourself.

My advice - take a look at the Bible for yourself.

Don’t just take my word for it. See for yourself if it makes sense. I believe that the Bible changes lives through faith in the author (God). My view reflects what the Bible claims - for instance in 1 Timothy chapter 3 verse 15 it states 'from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus'. Another passage says 'faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of God,' Romans 10. 17.  The fact is that many people are afraid to read the Bible because they don’t know what it is about and they either don't care or are frightened that it might get to them.

Let me ask you some questions. 

What if everything you need for living, this life and the next, is in the Bible? 

What if God is the creator and you are answerable to Him? 

What if we are all sinners and need redemption, forgiveness and a new beginning?

What if we can't make sense of this life without God, and He really is the missing piece that we need?

We were created to know Him and to worship Him. I have gone off my 'what if's' because I believe what I am saying is true and you need God in your life. At the end of the day the only reason you will miss out is because you never got around to reading the Bible. You never evaluated whether Jesus is who he claimed to be. You didn't take the time to look into who Jesus was, why he died, why people died for the belief that He rose from the dead and why He is still being talked about 2020 years later.

Reasons to trust the Bible!

 All photos courtesy of Unsplash 

If you read my blog regularly, you will know that I write to help people look beyond their present circumstances and think about the big questions about human existence. My advice and thoughts are all from the Bible. You may think that this is narrow-minded and restrictive, but I have discovered that God’s word, the Bible, ‘is truth’, and in reality, it has opened my mind more than it has ever closed it.

But please, don’t just take my word for it. See for yourself whether it makes sense. I believe that the Bible is not a book of theory but that it changes lives through faith in the author, God. The sacred writings, the Bible, state that they 'are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus,’ 2 Tim. 3. 15. Sadly, many people are afraid to read it because they don’t know what it is about or are anxious about the demands it might make on their lifestyle.

Thank you for the music

 

All photos courtesy of Unsplash

Music and songs create passion in our hearts and evoke vivid memories. Some of these memories are good; some are sad! 

Songs are very emotive and help us store memories. A very effective learning method is linked to the rhythm in repeating words that somehow glue the words or the facts to our minds. Most of us didn’t necessarily enjoy it, but we often learned facts or figures (times tables, for example) by musical rhythm. If you were dragged off to Sunday School (maybe you loved going), you might remember learning bible verses, for example, “For God so loved the world that..” or “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and ..”or maybe “Honour your Father and your Mother”. All of this was to get some important facts from the bible into your young mind for the purpose of living life and one-day meeting God.   

If I was asked to quote some great piece of literature, I would struggle, but if you whistled a tune of some popular song, I often amaze myself with my ability to recall the words. Maybe you do this as well. Music has a powerful effect on our memories in this respect.