First Week Back, Fresh Look Ahead

 Hey everyone!

For many it will be the first full week back just completed and I know for me it's been one where I've decided to press into the new year with a desire to head in a new direction otherwise I'll continue going in the way that I'm going.

People talk of new year's resolutions at this time of year and, I must admit, I'm not one for them but instead prefer to reframe that idea as a goal setting exercise where I ask myself one question.

At the end of the year, what do I want to have achieved so I can look back on the year and say 'yes, this was a good year'?

Once I establish that I can then begin to look at what decisions I need to have made to ensure that happens...

Happy New Year!

Hey everyone!

I've been looking forward to writing this one as the first one of a brand new year.

First off thanks for your patience whilst I've been growing through the grieving process since losing my dad almost three years ago now. It can't last forever, the process, but it's just that; a process. I've had to readjust my priorities in that time which has, sadly, meant that the blog had to take a back seat throughout. I knew I couldn't commit to the pace and quality I prefer to put out so had to take a big step back and walk through it.

I haven't exactly been prolific in my writing this past few years and it's a desire I want to correct this year in my bid, finally, to send Off the Scale finally to one hundred episodes which has taken me so much longer than I expected it would.

But such is life sometimes...

Grow, Then Continue Growing

Hey everyone!

Well, it's the first week after another birthday and I must say that, even though I feel like my home is in the valley just now, I can still see enough of the light to know that dawn is coming. The dawning of a new day of perspective shifting as I seek to follow Peter's advice when he instructed believers to continue their growth in Christ: -

But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be glory both now and forever! Amen. 2 Peter 3:18

This is a verse that has been repeatedly coming to mind at the moment as I remember that no valley experience is ever meant to be a permanent home for me; I am always meant to be transcending all circumstances to skate over the top of them. It doesn't mean I won't feel them, just that I am not meant to wallow in them so much that they end up becoming sinking sand to pull me under...

Everything is Connected to Everything Else

Hello everyone!

I'm glad to be sat here, writing this, in my local library given that I know it's been about a month since my last update. I'm trying to return to a more regular schedule with the ideal being to return to BAU, yet that is not as possible as I would like just now.

It'll come. In time.

Meantime, I want you all to know that I haven't forgotten about you, my dear readers however many or few there are out there. It may look that way but remember that appearances are deceptive oftentimes. The way things look in one season is not necessarily correlative or indicative of how they'll show up in the next season.

That's what this is for me; a shift in seasons...

Empty of Head, Light of Heart II: Forget the Past, Embrace the Now, Run to the Future

Hello,

I wanted to follow on from what I wrote a couple of days ago. I couldn't leave it there. I was pressed for time on a public access computer so had to wrap it up prematurely.

As somebody who struggles with managing my mental health, I find it helpful to write my way through my journey. Though, admittedly, most of that has transferred to my personal journal so won't make it on here. But the fruit of what I discover will, I'm hoping.

Let's carry on...

Empty of Head, Light of Heart

Hello everyone!

Today I'm going to be sharing some thoughts with you that I think will be helpful to you, especially if you are stuck in the mode of mediocrity. 2023 now has taken a hold, sufficiently I feel, for me to begin to restart my posts on my blog.

As you know, last year I lost my dad so had to take some time away from blogging to process my grief. Now that the first year has passed and I've made it through the 1 year anniversary hell, I can look to become regular in my posting again.

It's a long time overdue, but I also knew that I could not afford to rush the process because a process rushed is never going to produce lasting results.

Let's take a deep dive into this, shall we?

Moving Forward

Hello everyone!

The process of finding momentum does not always come easy, but it should be sought out nonetheless for otherwise if you are prone to depression and/or anxiety, you end up losing sight of the bigger picture. I have had to adjust to life without my dad now for the last couple of months and it's not been easy at all. But I know I have to keep moving forward. It's what he would want for me...

Just a Quick Update...

Hello everyone!

Well, it's been just over a month since my last update and, whilst I haven't been able to do a fraction of what I would have liked to have done by this time of the year. I have had to adjust and adapt to differing expectations now that daddy is, sadly, no longer with me.

I miss him like crazy every day. Some days are easier than others, but what I'm finding the hardest is coping with the triggers that remind me of him...

LS039 - The Already Manifest Blessing

So we conclude that there is still a full and complete “rest” waiting for believers to experience. As we enter into God’s faith-rest life we cease from our own works, just as God celebrates His finished works and rests in them. So then we must give our all and be eager to experience this faith-rest life, so that no one falls short by following the same pattern of doubt and unbelief. Heb 4:9-11 TPT

Hello!

In days like these where it can be too easy to forget one's blessings, it is helpful to have an anchor point in scripture where we can go to be reminded of the fact that all that we need for this life has already been made available to us.

It has been my aim, ever since God redirected my focus of this blog to more spiritual matters, to hopefully give examples of this manifest blessing in my own life so that you can see the power in transparency...

LS038b - This is Not the End II: - My God Will Finish What He Started

 Hello everyone!

In this climate of pandemic we are all getting used to living in it can be easy to get frustrated by things being out of our control. I want you all to know that, though that may be true of us, the same cannot be said of our God.

God is in control and He will see us through this!

LS038a - This is Not the End

Hello everyone!

It's been a while since I posted my last lifestyle update where I try to show you why there is always another way to face your problems. Even if I'm not perfect, or right all of the time.

This is My Life

Hi everyone!

Though I might not be able to see whoever reads this, know that I fully respect and love that you have taken the time to read this, an anonymous voice from somewhere across the internet.

My updates might have been sporadic for much longer than I have ever intended, it has not come without price. That price has seen an increase in importance for me to journal my way through this year's valley experiences rather than plastering them all over here.

Don't you worry, what I am hoping for, is a real sense of purpose to come through out of the aftermath of what I've written since starting my Faith Experience journals...

Stuey's News: Further Reviews Coming, Off the Scale to return & more...

Hello everyone!

I just wanted to take this opportunity to thank you all for your patience. Life has just become one almighty storm right now and I'm here, caught in the middle of it. Caught in the eye of the storm, as the song goes.

Luckily, my faith in God has only gotten stronger as has my conviction to see out this year committed to changing what I can and accepting what I cannot as beyond my control.

Anyway, I just wanted to let you know that my revamp of the blog is still on course to be completed, as are more book and film reviews, with a view to, finally, restoring Off the Scale to continue on its journey to episode 100, the final stop in the series.

It has been one heckuva journey and I am glad to be in the eye of the storm right now (but that's a story for another time) out of harm's way.

Keep your heads up because that's where the horizon is!

===TLP===

Stuey's News: Design Changes Coming, More Reviews Planned

Hello everyone!

This is the first break in commitments that I've had so I'm making the absolute most of it in order to keep you all in the loop that little bit more.

I hope you liked my recent review feature on ROM emulators, it's been nice to relive (and promptly get destroyed by, some of the classic videogames of my youth).

In time, I will be looking at writing a feature assessing whether we, as gamers, have become softened via the various tutorials and auto-aim elements of modern-day videogames. You can agree or disagree in the comments below, or you can face it that we, as gamers, are changing.

Given that I spent enough time getting distracted by stuff in the past, it was high time that I added this quick update to assure you that I am trying to keep all my ducks in a line, even if I have had to make some adjustments to the way I was doing things...

LS036 - Heart, Body & Soul

Hello everyone!

Thank you for your continued patience as I have worked through some personal stuff. It's starting to clear up my schedule now so I will, hopefully, be able to churn out more regular content in addition to my "Off the Scale" series.

As already mentioned, I have some exciting projects coming up that I'll be incorporating into this blog, having decided not to create a new one. Instead I will be focusing upon polishing this to a standard that is befitting of my blog. It's going to be a slow process so further patience will be required whilst I change things around.

But there will be no new web address to memorise for my output, at least for the foreseeable future...

LS035 - Strength of the Heart

Hello everyone!

It's been a long time since one of my lifestyle posts hasn't it? Last time I looked at how the way we often view our situations is a good indicator of the truths we are starting to believe about them.

This time, mainly because I'm feeling better than I have been of late, I want to take a look at something that's a little closer to my heart; imperfection...

LS034 - Trials Perceived is Truth Believed

Hey everyone!

I hope you are all having a good Wednesday, or Thursday, or whatever day that you are reading this on. I know I am.

I have been doing some journalling today and I wanted to share with you some thoughts I've had based upon something I wrote in my journal; how we perceive what happens to us is an indication of what we are believing...

LS033 - Cero Miedo (or the Art of Living Without Fear)

Hello everyone!

Today, I'm going to be tackling a subject that many of us struggle with but very few of us might actually admit to struggling like this; fear.

Maybe just my mention of that word has sent shivers up your spine because we usually put "fear" and "change" in the same boat and I'm here to show you that this is not necessarily a bad thing to encounter in your daily living...

LS032 - Thinking is Believing

Hello everyone!

Welcome to the first devotional in quite some time. It's not been intentional as there has been a lot of personal stuff going on at the moment that I just don't want to blog about.

I'm not keeping you out of the loop for your best interests, but for my own best interests because I have come to realise that, in my life, I am clearly becoming too open a book for some people to deal with. I'll never apologise for that because it's who I am and it's what I do.

It's why I blog; what you see, is what you get.

Today, I want to look at some of the lessons I have learnt from keeping a rigorous check upon thought life...

LS030 - From Lip Service to Heart Service

Hello everyone!

I hope that you have been enjoying my "Off the Scale" series so far and we are moving ever onwards through our thirties with a view to continue until at least 100!

Today, however, and because it's been such a long time, I just wanted to post a really heartfelt post on some of the stuff that caused me to leave !Audacious Church...