The thoughts, experiences and views of the unique person God knows as me
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Matthew 28:18-20 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you."
Having provided you with some details on Tuesday this week about the Salvation Army and it's work in the UK (Salvation Army Facts), I thought today I'd share with you some more information about the Salvation Army's work internationally:
The Salvation Army is currently working in 115 countries workldwide
There are 175 languages used in SA work, including some tribal languages
There are 15,175 corps, outposts, societies, new plants and recovery churches
1,155 goodwill centres exist
There are 25,974 officers/ministers of which 16,945 are active and 9,029 are retired
107,902 people are employed by the Salvation Army
There are 1,082,166 senior soldiers
190,215 adherents of the Salvation Army
360,222 commissioned junior soldiers
There are 25,653 senior band musicians and 94,921 senior songsters
In addition there are 45,753 other senior musical group members
There are 128,854 senior and young people’s local officers (leaders)
564,566 people are members of women’s ministries (all groups)
359,230 people attend the Over-60 clubs
There are 74,072 men’s fellowships members
There are 10,652 poung people’s band members and 79,665 young people’s singing company members
In addition there are 55,776 other young people’s music groups members
612,533 Sunday schools members
Junior youth groups (scouts, guides, etc, and clubs) have 236,067 members
Senior youth groups have 79,912 members
There are 23,035 corps-based community development programmes
I think my love of music started at a very early age as both my Mum and Dad were always very musically minded.
My Dad is a big fan of jazz/big band music and as a keen musician has played in many bands over the years. He also spends a lot of time arranging/composing music for some of the bands/soloists he knows.
On the other hand, my Mum's side of the family grew up attending the Salvation Army and as such were heavily involved in both the singing groups and the bands - My grandfather having been the leader of the first singing group (Songsters) at Rutherglen corps!
I remember when I was very young, climbing up on the piano stool beside my Dad while he "tried out" some of his arrangements/compositions - Apparently I was a "great help"!
As soon as I turned seven I started piano lessons and continued this for a number of years, going through the exams up to Grade 8. It wasn't always easy but thankfully I stuck at it.
Although having been taken along to the Salvation Army at Rutherglen from a very early age, and giving my heart to Jesus at age seven, I never joined the junior band (Young People's Band) until I was about 11 or 12 as my piano lessons were the same night as the learners class! Even when I did initially join it was to play percussion!!!
After a short while I was given a trombone, a short lesson on how to hold it, blow into it and the various slide positions for the notes and the rest is history as they say! That was my one and only trombone lesson (and yes I know that explains a lot!) - My Dad and one of my cousins both being trombone players, then became the source of the rest of my trombone training.
Between learning the piano and trombone, I also learned to play clarinet, although I did continue to play my clarinet for a number of years, I'm afraid it's now been a while since I last played it.
After all this while I was still at Rutherglen Salvation Army, age 18, I became a uniform wearing Salvationist - during this time still in the Singing Company (junior choir) and YP Band (junior band), but also joined the Songsters (senior choir) and Senior Band. Not long after becoming a Salvationist I became pianist for the Singing Company (junior choir), and then also for the Songsters (senior choir). A little later I took on the roll of Deputy Songster Leader and a little later again followed in my grandfather's footsteps by taking on the roll of Songster Leader for about two and a half years. After a short break from the Songsters I took on roll of Songster pianist for the second time. I also following in my Dad's footsteps, by composing several songs for the songsters and arranging music for several soloist.
In 2002 I transferred to Bellshill Salvation Army where I'm a member of the Senior Band.
So there you go, that's my musical background! Having had a grounding in music from an early age, I've also found music to be a very important part of my life and especially my Christian life. I've found over the years in so many situations that a piece of music or a song can say more to me than anything another person can say. Music seems to be able to touch my heart and emotions to a greater extent than anything else, so I do treasure the times when I get to just sit and listen to music.
So what's my favourite music?
That's very hard to say, because I often find it depends greatly on how I feel at the time I'm asked! I love a very wide variety of music and style, however it may not surprise you when I list several Christian or Salvation Army songs/pieces of music as my favourites:
- Lord I Come To You (The Power of Your Love)
- The Light of the World
- Just As I Am
- Milestone
I've used it before but here's an video of Lord I come To You which I find inspiring and emotional from the start of the video:
Following on from yesterday's blog post, Language and Uniform, I realised that talked about the Salvation Army as if all of you know a lot about it - this was very remise of me, so to put it right I thought today I'd share some facts with you about the Salvation Army:
The Salvation Army came into existence in 1878 - This was when the then Christian Mission changed its name to The Salvation Army.
The founder of the Salvation Army was William Booth who was born in Nottingham in 1829.
The Salvation Army is a registered charity
Many of the terms used in the Salvation Army have army associations:
Our ministers are called Officers (Captain, Major, ..., General etc)
Our local churches are called Corps
Many corps have junior and senior bands and/or choirs
Junior band is known as the Young People's Band or YP Band
Junior choir is known as the Singing Company
Senior choir is known as the Songsters
Senior band is known as....the Senior Band!
Within the UK, there are currently approximately:
50,000 members (adult, junior and adherent members)
4,000 employees
1,500 Salvation Army officers (full-time ministers)
And within the UK the Salvation Army provides a range of services, including:
3,000,000 meals served every year at community and residential centres
79,000 prisoners visited each year in 134 prisons
3,200 homeless people given food and shelter every night in 57 centres
709 local church and community centres
636 elderly people accommodated every night in 17 residential centres
300 youth clubs providing a caring environment for young people
120 drop-in centres offering support and help for people in need
70 day centres for elderly and disabled people
50 nurseries and playgroups
30 Red Shield support centres for military personnel in the UK, Germany and the Falkland Islands
10 people reunited every working day with their families through the Family Tracing Service
6 residential centres for victims of alcohol and drug abuse
6 centres for families and one community home for children
2 centres for people with special needs
2 employment training centres
1 centre for women escaping from domestic violence
So there you go, I hope you've learned something from this information about the Salvation Army. You can find out more about the Salvation Army and it's work in the UK athttp://www1.salvationarmy.org.uk/uki/www_uki.nsf
When I was in my office on Friday last week, during a general conversation that was based around the closure of Borders and specificly the one at the Glasgow Fort, the word "hoaching" was used to describe the Borders during it's final days before closure.
I knew exactly what was meant, but one of the other folk who is not Scottish did not understand what was "hoaching" meant, despite having lived in the West of Scotland for quite a number of years now.
So, now I've given you a clue that "hoaching" is a Scottish word, do you know what it means?
Hoaching means: - To have a plentyful supply of - To teem with
- Busy
While those definitions explain what "hoaching" means I personally still think "hoaching" is a far better descriptive word of just how very busy Borders was.
Isn't funny how everyday we use words which we assume those around us understand.But do we as Christians use words to explain our beliefs and our faith, in a way non believers can understand?
My Thoughts...
I have no answer to this question for you, this is a question we must each answer based on our own experiences. Don't be surprised if you find your answer is "no" because, personally I think that we as Christians, can often seem a different breed to non Christians because of the words/phases we use when talking about our our faith and the Bible.
Although I've attended the Salvation Army all my life, and have been a uniform wearing Salvationist for a number of years now, it doesn't stop me from feeling that maybe the Salvation Army isn't as welcoming and open to everyone as it likes to think it is.
So what do I mean by that? Well going back on my previous comments about how the way Christians talk may put non believers off finding out more, I think that sometimes the Salvation Army can be seen as an exclusive club, only accessible to those who wear their specific uniform.
Just a few thoughts today to get you all thinking at the start of another week!
I'd be interested to hear your views on what I've said today, so please comment on my blog.
I've been here a thousand times before Face down on the floor Wondering how I even reached this place again
But, You have shown so endlessly, how Your love pours over me No picture can re-create the beauty that I see
Show me what it means, to live my life a sacrifice If only I would realize how much it took to pay the price I know I'd always give, everything to You
I want this world to see Your perfect majesty Reflecting from my life this brilliant poetry
Written all over this place The signs of all creation that You breathed Words can't even state how much You mean to me
Show me what it means, to live my life a sacrifice If only I would realize how much it took to pay the price I know I'd always give, everything to You
I want to face my very crime Of not giving all of mine But I can feel the hope You bring to me
Romans 12:1-2 (NIV) Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Please watch the video below and listen closely to the words - It's another one of Twila Paris' songs which I often listen to when I'm struggling to cope with what life has thrown my way.
I hope and pray More Than Words can truly be more than just words to you, and that you are reassured of God's presence as He is our heavenly Father:
He loves you more than I can say And He is always taking care of you He loves you more than I can say And more than I can say He hopes That you will love Him too
A great video to go with a beautiful song, I hope you receive blessing from it.
More Than I Can Say by Twila Paris
The One who makes the children is watching from above
He placed you in a family so that you could know His love
A mother and a father to hold you here on earth
But he was with you long before the moment of your birth
And if you don't have a mother
He will sing you lullabies
And He'll be right beside you everyday
When you're all alone at night in bed
If you feel like crying it's okay
He will wipe your tears away
He loves you more than I can say
And He is always taking care of you
He loves you more than I can say
And more than I can say He hopes
That you will love Him too
The One who hears the children has known you from the start
He placed you in a family so that you can feel His heart
A mother and a father to keep you safe and warm
But he was with you long before the day that you were born
1 Corinthians 13:1-3 (The Message) If I speak with human eloquence and angelic ecstasy but don't love, I'm nothing but the creaking of a rusty gate. If I speak God's Word with power, revealing all his mysteries and making everything plain as day, and if I have faith that says to a mountain, "Jump," and it jumps, but I don't love, I'm nothing. If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don't love, I've gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I'm bankrupt without love.
Have you experienced love in your life? Have you ever been badly hurt by someone you love, or by someone you thought loved you? Or have you hurt someone you love or loves you and then felt deep sorry afterwards?
There is only one TRUE true which is available free of charge, with no ties attached, and that is the love of God. As the above bible verses says, we can go through our life doing good deeds and helping others, but if we don't truly know God's love in our lives we have achieved nothing.
God's love is everything - Accept God's love into your life today!
Do you love Jesus? Do you love God? Have you given your life to God?
When you have given you life entirely to God, your life is no longer your own, it is God's. All God requests of you, you do unquestioningly and faithfully, knowing that it is part of God's plan for your life.
Your life may no longer be your own, but with your life in God's hands, you will receive unequivocal rewards from God for all you do for Him.
God will set up free from all your earthly longing and desires and focus your life in new and rewarding directions. Give your life to God today.
Romans 8:39-40 (New Living Translation) No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.
God's Grace is all we need - Trust God today for all that you require.
Ever felt like your friends have forgotten about you? Ever felt like God has forgotten you?
I've been there and can tell you without any hesitation that if there's one sure fact, it is that God has NOT forgotten you! Be strong, God is with you, reach out to Him today.
I found the following song by Twila Paris (another of my favourite Christian artists), as well as being sung beautifully, it also is full of reassurance that God really has not forgotten about us. Hallelujah!
(Adrian Plass, Dave Clifton, Ian Blythe, Phil Baggaley)
Soon your trials will be over,
Offered up by mercy's hand;
Let Him heal you where you're standing,
A doorway to another land
The sweetest welcome from the Father,
Gathered up and carried home,
We have come to this time of waiting,
Come let us bow before Your throne
We will meet in the golden city, in the new Jerusalem
All our pain and all our tears will be no more.
We will stand with the hosts of heaven and cry,
"Holy is the Lamb",
We will worship and adore You evermore
Never can the powers of darkness,
Neither death nor even life
Let nothing ever separate us,
From the holy love of God
When we find something or someone we love, we never want to be separated from it/them. Our relationship with God should be no different, we must love God so much that we never want to be separated from Him.
Fortunately God promises us that if we love Him, we will never be separated from Him, ever!
Romans 8:38-39 (The Message) I'm absolutely convinced that nothing—nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable—absolutely nothing can get between us and God's love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us.
I recently qualified as an AIIM ECM Specialist, however personally I will not go shouting about that as I feel I have not yet got the “real world experience” I feel need to be able to consider myself a specialist on ECM (Enterprise Content Management). Yes, I’ve been on the courses and passed the associated exams, but would my current level of ability reflect this?
This got me thinking about training in general and classifications we assign ourselves and others. In particular I was thinking about the fact that I call myself a Christian...yes I’ve read the “manual”, the bible, and I’ve been getting the “real world” experience ever since I was born, but is that enough to say I'm a Christian?
No it's not! As well as gaining the "real world" experience and reading the bible, we as Christians must live our lives according to God's plan for us. i.e. we must act as Christians in all we do and say, we must continue to read our bibles and most importantly we must pray regularly.
So, have you passed the Christian exam? I would love to say that I do, but if I'm honest, I do not always read my bible, pray or follow God's plan for me as often as I should.
Maybe we should treat our life as an exam, which if we pass will result in us spending eternity with God in heaven. If this is what you want, start your Christian training today and receive eternal life!
I'm married to Sandy, we have no children but we do have a cat called Tigger who we've had since he was 6 weeks old (he was a wedding present - we got him on our 1st anniversary).
I'm a christian and have attended the Salvation Army all my life. I play trombone in the Bellshill Salvation Army Band. I'm also the webmaster of the band's website.
