Hello everyone, we are in the process of getting the 2012 soccer school organised, and thought it would be good to update the blog for those of you who read it.
How are you all doing? As we're still in the middle of winter, its not really the best weather for getting outside to play football, but no doubt you are all busy doing other things to keep you active, I remember playing badminton a lot in the winter, which was good. It's also this time of year that football training will be getting up and running again, with plenty of drills, fitness training and running to get ready for the summer season.
With all that in mind, I have a verse to share with you from the bible:
"While bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come." 1 Timothy 4:8
While its good for us to train our bodies, and stay fit, the bible says in 1 Timothy 4:8 it is also really important that we train our souls, our minds and our bodies in godliness, as it wont just benefit our wellbeing in this life, but for a long time to come.
That's quite a thought, isn't it!? To think that when we pray, read our bibles, and take time to be with God we will benefit not just in that moment, but also for the whole of eternity!! It's also important to remember that when we let God change us to be more like Jesus, we are getting closer to the state we will one day be in heaven. If we have trusted Christ for salvation, one day we will be made like Him the bible says in 1 John 3:2.
There's a thought for you to take away and think about while you go about your day to day things this next few weeks. Take time to spend with God, ask Him to open up His word to you, and take time to receive training in Godliness, that you may be spiritually fit and not just physically fit.
Looking forward to seeing you all again this summer!
God bless you!
Matthew
Sunday, 5 February 2012
Wednesday, 27 July 2011
Not long to go now!
Hi All,
So as of today there's only 12 days left till this years soccer school! There's been a lot of organisation going on, we've got a big team of coaches coming this year (12+)! Plus remember we have former Aberdeen and Scotland defender Brian Irvine joining us for the second half of the week!
Its humbling to see how each of these coaches is taking time off work, and time away from family and other committments to be up in Shetland with us for the week. Without them there would be no soccer school.
I'm sure all of you who are signed up are looking forward to the week, and getting ready for what will be a great way to end the school holidays.
Looking forward to seeing you there, and if you know of anyone else who wants to come, let them know - we still have 10 spaces left!
Be blessed
Matthew
Theme verse for this year:
"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." Jeremiah 29:11
So as of today there's only 12 days left till this years soccer school! There's been a lot of organisation going on, we've got a big team of coaches coming this year (12+)! Plus remember we have former Aberdeen and Scotland defender Brian Irvine joining us for the second half of the week!
Its humbling to see how each of these coaches is taking time off work, and time away from family and other committments to be up in Shetland with us for the week. Without them there would be no soccer school.
I'm sure all of you who are signed up are looking forward to the week, and getting ready for what will be a great way to end the school holidays.
Looking forward to seeing you there, and if you know of anyone else who wants to come, let them know - we still have 10 spaces left!
Be blessed
Matthew
Theme verse for this year:
"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." Jeremiah 29:11
Thursday, 17 March 2011
Play for the team
Hi folks!
How are you all?
I'm really looking forward to the Soccer School!
Do you ever think about being the greatest? I certainly do! Particularly when it comes to football! I always want to be the best!
But I think it's important to make a difference between trying your best and thinking you're the best and everybody else is useless.
In football the best players are clearly the ones who play FOR THE TEAM and NOT FOR THEMSELVES!
This week Champions' League was on. AC Milan went out to Tottenham and I think that it's because they relied on one player to do the job, but he who was only playing for himself: Ibrahimovic.
Inter Milan instead managed to win a tough game against Bayern Munich and I'd likd to highlight Eto'o's game! He scored but he also passed a great ball to Pandev who scored the decisive goal! He plays for the team!
In the Premier League, Man City rely on individuals but Man U rely on team effort, every player works for the team, from the captain (Ferdinand) to others.
It's a bit like that as Christians too.
Luke 22:24-27
24. The disciples were fighting over which one of them was the greatest.
25. Jesus says: 'Kings rule over people and call themselves great'
26. But you aqre not to be like that! instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rulel like the one who serves.
27. For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? is it not the one at the table? But I am among you as one who serves.
Let's learn from our captain (Jesus) and let's serve, hep others. let's play FOR OTHERS AND NOT FOR OURSELVES. and not only in footbal but in everything!
Take care people (GHANALALA!)
Steven
How are you all?
I'm really looking forward to the Soccer School!
Do you ever think about being the greatest? I certainly do! Particularly when it comes to football! I always want to be the best!
But I think it's important to make a difference between trying your best and thinking you're the best and everybody else is useless.
In football the best players are clearly the ones who play FOR THE TEAM and NOT FOR THEMSELVES!
This week Champions' League was on. AC Milan went out to Tottenham and I think that it's because they relied on one player to do the job, but he who was only playing for himself: Ibrahimovic.
Inter Milan instead managed to win a tough game against Bayern Munich and I'd likd to highlight Eto'o's game! He scored but he also passed a great ball to Pandev who scored the decisive goal! He plays for the team!
In the Premier League, Man City rely on individuals but Man U rely on team effort, every player works for the team, from the captain (Ferdinand) to others.
It's a bit like that as Christians too.
Luke 22:24-27
24. The disciples were fighting over which one of them was the greatest.
25. Jesus says: 'Kings rule over people and call themselves great'
26. But you aqre not to be like that! instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rulel like the one who serves.
27. For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? is it not the one at the table? But I am among you as one who serves.
Let's learn from our captain (Jesus) and let's serve, hep others. let's play FOR OTHERS AND NOT FOR OURSELVES. and not only in footbal but in everything!
Take care people (GHANALALA!)
Steven
Wednesday, 23 February 2011
Serving Others
Hi Everyone!
It's been a while since we had a post on here, so thought i'd get that sorted! I'm going to write today about service, and especially how the bible talks about service. When we think of servants we usually think of those lower than us, who will wash our clothes, and do the things we don't want to do - and in a sense that's right, in this world servants are lower than others.
In God's kingdom however, to be a servant is one of the highest honours anyone can have. People like Moses and Joshua were called "God's servant". Jesus himself was a servant of others, and he said that in his kingdom, the least would be the greatest. He washed the feet of his disciples, then told them to go and do likewise.
Our motivation for serving others should not just be because we love them, but ultimately because we love God. That is the source from which all our service should come from. If our service flows from our love for God then we can even serve those who we don't get on with, and who wont give us anything back.
How are you getting on with that? I know its difficult to serve others when its something we don't particularly like doing, but remember everything we do for God will not go unnoticed by Him.
Jesus told a parable of a man who was found faithful in the tasks he gave him, and at the end of the parable Jesus says because the man was found faithful in what he had been given to do he was a "good and faithful servant" and that he was to be given much greater responsibility.
I hope all of us who trust in the LORD Jesus for salvation will one day hear the words "well done good and faithful servant" as we enter into heaven. Surely that's the greatest accolade anyone could ever have..........
All for now
Have a great week :-)
Matthew
It's been a while since we had a post on here, so thought i'd get that sorted! I'm going to write today about service, and especially how the bible talks about service. When we think of servants we usually think of those lower than us, who will wash our clothes, and do the things we don't want to do - and in a sense that's right, in this world servants are lower than others.
In God's kingdom however, to be a servant is one of the highest honours anyone can have. People like Moses and Joshua were called "God's servant". Jesus himself was a servant of others, and he said that in his kingdom, the least would be the greatest. He washed the feet of his disciples, then told them to go and do likewise.
Our motivation for serving others should not just be because we love them, but ultimately because we love God. That is the source from which all our service should come from. If our service flows from our love for God then we can even serve those who we don't get on with, and who wont give us anything back.
How are you getting on with that? I know its difficult to serve others when its something we don't particularly like doing, but remember everything we do for God will not go unnoticed by Him.
Jesus told a parable of a man who was found faithful in the tasks he gave him, and at the end of the parable Jesus says because the man was found faithful in what he had been given to do he was a "good and faithful servant" and that he was to be given much greater responsibility.
I hope all of us who trust in the LORD Jesus for salvation will one day hear the words "well done good and faithful servant" as we enter into heaven. Surely that's the greatest accolade anyone could ever have..........
All for now
Have a great week :-)
Matthew
Tuesday, 14 December 2010
Be Wary Of Constant Comfort!!
Hello Shetlandites!
The title of this post is the best I could come up with to sum up what I'm going to type about. I am typing this post as a challenge to you and myself to seek to change our mindsets of always aiming for an easy and ultimately Mind Numbing lifestyle. First things first I suppose something needs clarified and that is that the title is not saying to be concerned with any time of comfort in your life and purposefully go looking for challenges or experiences to make your life deliberately more difficult.
Rather this is about noticing opportunities that God allows to cross our paths, opportunities that sometimes will not have an obvious impact on our live's whether we take them or not like the opportunity we have all had to include someone in a conversation that others have left out.
Taking the easy way out in most opportunities means not speaking up, not protecting someone, not sharing, telling lies, not trying to better yourself and Ultimately means disobeying God and battling against the quiet voice of the Holy Spirit.
This is something we all fail at but Practise is what God is looking for, it is how he moulds and defines us, as we put ourselves in an uncomfortable position for him we are saying "Lord, you alone are God and I trust you".
It is also important to remember it's not only about being friendly and Gracious, God will provide strength and Grace for you to; study for grades you want in School/University, train at a sport you love, practise a musical instrument, talk to a friend about Jesus or talk to a stranger about Jesus. I have tried all of these things, succeeded sometimes and failed sometimes but the success is often permanent even just as a happy memory or new skill learned whereas the failure is just an opportunity to try harder or try something new. Failure is not comfort but never risking failure is, and it is that form of comfort which you need to avoid.
As a bit of my own testimony, I only started trying in life and aiming to better myself as soon as I understood how much God Loved me, it gave me validation and made me emotionally secure to know that the God who created the world loves me and aims to prosper me and not to harm me, before when I failed I thought God was laughing at me and setting me up for my next failure but that's a lie from the devil. God was the one picking me up each time and offering his Grace.
If you don't want to succeed and aim to have no aim in life then you are no worse than anybody else, you just haven't realised yet how much God Loves You.
God Bless
Cliff
Wednesday, 17 November 2010
Forgiveness
Hello everyone,
Thought I’d share a peerie story with you from yesterday. I was cycling home from work (in Aberdeen) and was going round a peerie round-about when a car almost knocked me over. It was a bit scary, but also I was surprised that I just stopped and didn’t want to cycle on. I was paralysed with fear for a split second, and even afterwards it took a peerie start to get going with confidence again. The driver carried on, and so did I. Paralysis doesn't just have to be physical, it can be emotional or even spiritual.
There’s a fascinating story in chapter 2 of Mark’s gospel, which talks of a man who was physically paralysed, being brought to Jesus by friends who desperately lowered him through a roof into a crowded room to where Jesus was. There were lots of “religious” people there who were against Jesus and they thought Jesus was bonkers when he told the paralysed man "your sins are forgiven!" Jesus could read the minds of those religious leaders (called the Scribes). The Scribes were very clever, they knew that only God has the power to forgive sins. By claiming to forgive sins, Jesus was saying he was God.
There’s a fascinating story in chapter 2 of Mark’s gospel, which talks of a man who was physically paralysed, being brought to Jesus by friends who desperately lowered him through a roof into a crowded room to where Jesus was. There were lots of “religious” people there who were against Jesus and they thought Jesus was bonkers when he told the paralysed man "your sins are forgiven!" Jesus could read the minds of those religious leaders (called the Scribes). The Scribes were very clever, they knew that only God has the power to forgive sins. By claiming to forgive sins, Jesus was saying he was God.
After that, to prove His power and show that he was qualified to forgive sins, Jesus commanded the paralysed man to get up and walk. The man was healed, and Jesus’ power was displayed to everyone there. Everyone was amazed at Jesus, even the unbelieving sceptical Scribes.
Back to being paralysed, you would think that being paralysed and unable to walk was that man’s greatest need, but apparently not. Jesus saw his main need was for forgiveness, and rewarded the faith of both him and his friends. Forgiveness came first!
This passage in mark (Mark 2:1-12) shows that Jesus cared not only for the man’s physical needs, but even more importantly he wanted to make him right with God. Jesus wasn’t just God’s representative, he was God’s Son, who is alive today and is interested in your life and mine. Through Jesus' death and resurrection He continues to change lives every day. If you come to him for forgiveness, with a genuine and sincere heart he will transform your life. Why not have a look at the story of Kaka, former world footballer of the year in 2007, who experienced God’s forgiveness and continues to build his life on the foundation of forgiveness, or speak to a Christian you know, perhaps you could ask them how God has transformed their life.
This passage in mark (Mark 2:1-12) shows that Jesus cared not only for the man’s physical needs, but even more importantly he wanted to make him right with God. Jesus wasn’t just God’s representative, he was God’s Son, who is alive today and is interested in your life and mine. Through Jesus' death and resurrection He continues to change lives every day. If you come to him for forgiveness, with a genuine and sincere heart he will transform your life. Why not have a look at the story of Kaka, former world footballer of the year in 2007, who experienced God’s forgiveness and continues to build his life on the foundation of forgiveness, or speak to a Christian you know, perhaps you could ask them how God has transformed their life.
Well that’s enough for now; hope you are all having a great week. Kaka's story can be found in the clips at the bottom of this page.
Be Blessed
Matthew
Saturday, 6 November 2010
Good Company
Hi Guys!
How 's it going?
i hope you've been well!
I've been very busy these days. Bit annoyed cause I'm dealing with a foot injury so "shouldn't be playing football" but i'm finding it hard to resist! I still play! Which means foot doesn't get any better!
anyway how are you all? i hope you are still warming up with the "cheekey chack" dance? How's you guys of Ghanalalalalala?
Anyway i though I'd finish up with a quote from the Bible:
"Don't be misled: 'Bad company corrupts (ruins) good character'". ( 1 Cor 15:33)
I think so many of us know it's true. There's a saying in Italy (not sure if here too): if you walk with the lame, you start limping.
So true isn't it? Our company makes a lot of difference to who we are.
That is why we want to keep in touch with you guys. We had a great time in Shetland together; it was good company. And that makes good character.
Also, that is why we talk about Jesus as well. his company produces perfect character, (the bible calls it righetousness) and the promise is that if we believe that, it can never be ruined, corrupted. Actually we are promised an eternal crown, which is incorruptible, cannot be ruined! But that only comes from company with Him! Spend time with Him, pray, read the Bible!
All for now folks,
Stay well,
Steven!
Ghanalalalala!
How 's it going?
i hope you've been well!
I've been very busy these days. Bit annoyed cause I'm dealing with a foot injury so "shouldn't be playing football" but i'm finding it hard to resist! I still play! Which means foot doesn't get any better!
anyway how are you all? i hope you are still warming up with the "cheekey chack" dance? How's you guys of Ghanalalalalala?
Anyway i though I'd finish up with a quote from the Bible:
"Don't be misled: 'Bad company corrupts (ruins) good character'". ( 1 Cor 15:33)
I think so many of us know it's true. There's a saying in Italy (not sure if here too): if you walk with the lame, you start limping.
So true isn't it? Our company makes a lot of difference to who we are.
That is why we want to keep in touch with you guys. We had a great time in Shetland together; it was good company. And that makes good character.
Also, that is why we talk about Jesus as well. his company produces perfect character, (the bible calls it righetousness) and the promise is that if we believe that, it can never be ruined, corrupted. Actually we are promised an eternal crown, which is incorruptible, cannot be ruined! But that only comes from company with Him! Spend time with Him, pray, read the Bible!
All for now folks,
Stay well,
Steven!
Ghanalalalala!
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