The Pulse

So it's  a New Year, and it seems at this time of year many people decide to decide on a New Years resolution. It may be giving something up (sweets, spending so much time on the console etc.) or taking something up (exercise, trying to lose weight, being nicer to people). Some Christians may make New Year’s resolutions to pray or read the Bible more or make it to church more regularly.

These are all good goals to set. Spiritual New Year’s resolutions fail just as often as the non-spiritual ones though, because there's no power in a resolution.

Deciding to start or stop doing a certain activity has no value unless you have the proper motivation for stopping or starting that activity. For example, why do you want to read the Bible every day? Is it to honor God and grow spiritually, or is it because you have just heard that it is a good thing to do? Why do you want to lose weight? Is it to honor God with your body, or is it for vanity, to honor yourself?

Philippians 4:13 tells us, “I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.” John 15:5 says , “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” If God is the center of your New Year’s resolution, it has chance for success, depending on your commitment to it. If it is God’s will for something to be happen, He will give you the power to make it happen. But when we rely upon our own strength, we often find we fail to make the changes we are looking for.

What are your resolutions? Why did you make them? Can you do it alone or should you consider asking for help?

I'm sure at some point you've had an email forwarded to you from a friend, warning you about some virus email which if you open it will cause world war three? I seem to get them sent through to me most weeks, the most recent being:

"While driving on a rural end of the roadway on Thursday morning, I saw an infant car seat on the side of the road with a blanket draped over it.  For whatever reason, I did not stop. But when I got to my destination, I called the  Police and they were going to check it out. But, this is what the Police advised even before they went out there to check....There are several things to be aware of ... gangs and thieves are now plotting different ways to get a person (mostly women)to stop their vehicle and get out of the car...."

However the story is nothing but a fake. More recently, many of you may have changed your facebook profile image to a cartoon in order to 'raise awareness' of the NSPCC (National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children). Whilst I am sure that the NSPCC is welcoming of the support, in actual fact the campaign originally started elsewhere as a way to relive childhood memories.

But, as I watched everyone and their best friend change their profile picture to a cartoon from their childhood, it made me think. I wonder how many of those who change their picture, actually made any sort of contribution to the work of the NCPCC (20p , 50p, £1). You see it struck me that we are often so quick to do the easy things that we think will make a difference. Forward a message (even if it's not true) to our mailbook, change our profile picture, spread a rumour. But when it comes to actually making a true commitment we never quite take the step. How hard would it have been, instead of just changing our profile picture on facebook, to log-on to the NSPCC website and commit to their work by giving a quid? How much time do your really need to commit in order to spend some time helping those who are not as well off as you? 1/2 hour a week?

As we get closer to Christmas I'm sure that we'll all be encouraged to think about the real meaning of the season. Of someone who was so commited to us that they gave all they had in order that we may be able to have everything. How will we respond? Will you do the facebook equivalent of changing our profile picture by going to church just on Christmas morning? Or will you  make a real change, make a real contribution, make a real commitment?

It's coming up to Halloween and maybe you will be getting dressed up in a scary outfit and heading out trick-or-treating... but recently I was pretty impressed with LZ7, a Christian band who got to number 26 in the UK charts with 'This Little Light". Check it out http://www.lz7.co.uk/  They are encouraging us to not be scared but to stand up for what we believe in and to show other people how great God is in the way we speak and the things we do... what a challenge!

On the internet today was this blog- check it out, there are some crazy world records.

The summer months have witnessed a host of unlikely, unconventional and downright barmy world records.

Do you want to win an Ultimate Event Ticket? 

This ticket is worth £50 and includes a day at Alton Towers and an evening concert!

Your challenge is to upload a photo, video, blog or music clip on the Pulse website that completes the following:  ‘if I were God I would...’  It could be comedy, it could be factual, it could be poetry...it could be anything! The best 5 entries will receive a £5 cinema voucher with the winner swooping the big prize!

Deadline for entries is Friday 29th October with the winner being announced the following month!  Entries can be up to 3 people in a group, but there will only be one ticket to the winning individual or group.

Please note the judges will be independent from the PSALMS ministers.  The Pulse web admin team has the right to remove any entry that is deemed unsuitable or inappropriate.

What is the gospel?! ~What did Jesus come to do/ say?  This is obviously a key questions as it determines everything Christians live (and even die) for!

I reckon it's about restoring relationships.  About restoring relationship with God's creation to how it should be, with each other and ultimately with God himself.

Someone said to me this weekt that when Jesus returned home to heaven after he was crucified he said to the Father 'the kiss hurt more than the nails'.  Wow!

Judas Iscariot was supposedly one of Jesus followers and friends yet betrayed him through a kiss for a real small amount of money.  The emotional pain of this kiss of betrayal would have hurt and cut deeply.

Maybe you're going through a rough patch.  Maybe your friends have let you down.  Maybe your parents are going through a break-up.  Emotional pain is so often worse than physical pain.

It is such relationships that Jesus wants to heal, mend and fix...today!

Well Anton mentioned some Football Bloopers a few weeks ago and even though we are now out of the world cup (see results below) there is more to come in the Summer which will make you smile!!

	Germany	4	:	1	England					-
	Slovenia	0	:	1	England					-
	England	0	:	0	Algeria					-
	England	1	:	1	United States					-

What are those exciting things....
Icecream/BBQ's/Summer Holidays/Soul Survivor (GET YOUR FORMS IN!!) and lots more, maybe even a win by Andy Murray at Wimbledon, what do you think? Let us know.  

Well, whether you love it or hate it, the world cup has started. Possibly not the best start for England (poor ol' Green), but we all make mistakes don't we (as proved by ITV HD cutting to adverts seconds before Englands first goal, grrr). To prove it here are a few classic lines from football commentators over the years!

1. ‘We were a little bit outnumbered there, it was two against two.’ (FRANK MCLINTOCK)
2. ‘If England are going to win this match, they're going to have to score a goal.’
3. ‘I never comment on referees and I'm not going to break the habit of a lifetime for that prat.’ (RON ATKINSON)
4. ‘I'm not a believer in luck but I do believe you need it.’
5. ‘What will you do when you leave football, Jack… will you stay in football?’
6. ‘Celtic were at one time nine points ahead, but somewhere along the road, their ship went off the rails.’
7. ‘The new West Stand casts a giant shadow over the entire pitch, even on a sunny day.’
8. ‘I would not say he [David Ginola] is the best left-winger in the Premiership, but there are none better.’
9. ‘It's now 1–1, an exact reversal of the score on Saturday.’ (RADIO 5 LIVE)
10. ‘Gary always weighed up his options, especially when he had no choice.’
11. ‘I never make predictions and I never will.’
12. ‘Celtic manager Davie Hay still has a fresh pair of legs up his sleeve.’ (JOHN GREIG)
13. ‘I spent four indifferent years at Goodison Park, but they were great years.’
14. ‘Merseyside derbies usually last 90 minutes and I'm sure today's won't be any different.’
15. ‘You have got to miss them to score sometimes.’
16. ‘Bobby Robson must be thinking of throwing some fresh legs on.’
17. ‘I would also think that the action replay showed it to be worse than it actually was.’
18. ‘I'm going to make a prediction – it could go either way.’
19. ‘For those of you watching in black and white, Spurs are in the all-yellow strip.’
20. 'With the very last kick of the game, Bobby McDonald scored with a header.' (Alan Parry)
21. 'Well, it's Ipswich nil, Liverpool two, and if that's the way the score stays then you've got to fancy Liverpool to win.' (Peter Jones)
22. 'I am a firm believer that if you score one goal, the other team have to score two to win.' (Howard Wilkinson)
23. 'Ian Rush unleashed his left foot and it hit the back of the net.' (Mike England)
24. 'It will be a shame if either side lose. And that applies to both sides.' (Jock Brown)
25. 'It was a good match which could have gone either way and very nearly did.' (Sherwin)
26. 'He had an eternity to play that ball, but he took too long over it.' (Martin Tyler)
27. 'Nearly all the Brazilian players are wearing yellow shirts. It's a fabulous kaleidoscope of colour.' (John Motson)
28. 'And so they have not been able to improve on their hundred percent record.' (Sports Roundup)

Coming soon to a town near you...

The Noise! This weekend in Stroud. If you have a spare weekend or even just a few hours come have some fun with your friends, learning about God's love and showing others His love through the volunteering we do.


http://www.soulaction.org/noise/what.html

Woo-hoo! Chocolate (which is officially good for you*)

Try out our Easter quiz and see if you can win a big (not mini, not tiny creme egg but a proper sized one) easter egg. No expense spared here at the Pulse!

Get all the answers right to be in with a chance. Those with the most answers correct will be entered into a prize draw and who ever's name gets picked will get to enjoy all that chocolatey goodness!

Follow the link below to take part! (and don't forget to enter your contact details at the end so we can let you know if you have won)

Closing date for the quiz is the 16th April

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/SBKWMMH

*although I'm not sure about scarfing down a whole egg