iChristian

Our Lord was not a wimp. Nor was he someone who had a robotic personality who spoke as if he was reading a stock market report. On Earth he felt every emotion we feel. He laughed, sighed, became weary and excited. He got righteously angry upon seeing his Holy Temple in Jerusalem misused.

So how do you think Jesus feels when he sees us destroying our bodily temple of the Holy Spirit? Probably the same.

Here are some common excuses I hear each year and what I’d offer as practical alternatives in overcoming them:

“This year I want to really get healthy, but . . . ” 

“I can simply take a vitamin pill” Our bodies work within a fascinating team environment. Vitamins and minerals need food in conjunction with each other to produce optimal efficiency. For example; iron should be consumed with vitamin C for maximum absorption, (try tomato…

 Wow…I’m still filled with ineffable joy as i think back over my gruelling step challenge, and sat reading all of your encouraging, loving and inspiring messages i’m getting quite emotional!

All of your cheering, sharing and kind comments have helped carry me through one of the hardest things i’ve ever done…And now it’s time to try and say a huge thank you to you all without having enough words to describe how you’ve all made me feel throughout this challenge. So i’ve posted a list of thanks to you below which i’ll cherish forever! 😀  

1. I’d like to give a gargantuan amount of thanks to you Ambber (my sister) for your understanding, support and encouragement…Especially as you’ve just been into hospital with severely high blood pressure! ❤️ Message: “Blood pressure as us as a family know is a life changing deadly illness, we’ll done Bro for raising awareness of…

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I’m filled with such ineffable joy as i complete my gruelling step challenge, and my lovely wife Sarah presents me with a surprise winners trophy! 💪🏼 😀 ❤️ I simply can’t believe i’ve done it?! 

Once i’ve finished celebrating…An sleeping, i’ll follow up with a thank you post. A post to thank all of you fantastic donors and supporters for making all of this happen…I can’t thank all of you enough…Merry Christmas, have a lovely time and stay safe!! 🎄 😀 

My final Grenade bar advent calendar flavour is…???

Grenade Carb Killa Cookies & Cream Bar…Mmmmmm A…

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After yesterdays rain, 20mph winds and lack of energy…It was time the gloves came off…And they did literally, as there was no rain, no wind and it’s a lot warmer!! 🤣 Even the beanie hat stayed at home today. I also meant business when putting on the shorts…They felt like i was coming home and i was very happy to be wearing them again! 💪🏼

As i leave for my walk at the same time everyday, i know it’s a similar time when i arrive at the crossroads just before i call…

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Waking up and hearing the rain lashing the windows, it was really hard to get up for the 21st day on the trot without proper rest.

“GET UP AND GET READY” screamed my inner drill sargent to the inner lazy me who just wanted to go back to sleep! My legs felt like concrete and i didn’t seem to have any energy at all, and knowing it was going to be raining the whole walk didn’t help!

Eventually i rustled (had all my waterproofs on) and slowly drag my concrete legs out…

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Wow can you believe it? The 200 mile marker has been smashed today! 💪🏼 😀 

The day started like yesterday…Grey, raining and wind that feels like you’re being held back by a bungee rope! After 50 minutes walking up the long road and hoping no cars (going about 70mph about 2 feet away) mount the kerb and take me out, i arrived at the crossroads.

Not the most photogenic of places but i’ve not shared a pic with you guys yet. Once arriving here i call Sarah and let her know…

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After cheering and a few fist pumps from stepping on the scales this morning, i quickly opened the Fitbit app to see what colour my new -60lb badge would be. Of course i had to ask Sarah as i’m also colour blind too, lol! 💪🏼 😀  

To say i was excited is an understatement. I’m getting closer with each badge of maintaining a healthy lifestyle which includes exercise, healthy nutrition and a healthy weight. I’m no expert at all as i’ve just tried to change things little by little so i don’t rebound…

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Woah is it only day 11?! It was around 9˚C this morning so much warmer than i’m used to, i seem to function better when it’s around the 1˚C mark. I also travelled with my new friend “Mr Blister” for the first time today…I don’t think the extra weight slowed me down but the constant stinging on every step was an extra challenge, lol! 🤣 

I split my walk by having a short pitstop after i’ve walked for 2 hours…I always pause my tracker every time at my front door so any of my lazy…

Wow…My ‘Ultra Step Challenge’ has hit the news stand!!! 😲The amazing team at Blood Pressure UK interviewed me for their ‘Positive Pressure’ magazine and they’ve also sent the article to Surrey Comet! 

Please CLICK HERE and read all about it! 💪🏼 😀 

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Well another 0˚C start this morning, and when Sarah told me she couldn’t see up the drive as the fog was so thick…I knew it was going to be even more of a challenge today! 😨

But with 2 slices of dry super seeded toast (i like it with no butter just like Elwood Blues from the Blues Brothers movies) and with one of Sarah’s amazing espresso coffees…I was ready to face whatever today’s challenge had to throw at me. 💪🏼 😀 ☕ 

I managed to take 8 photos along my routes today…

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Hi friends!

Woah i can hear the rain pounding the window and i havn’t even got out of bed yet…It’s beating down harder than my beta-blockers! 🤣 

I was excited about trying my new fully waterproof adidas adizero tracksuit bottoms but i didn’t want to get soaked in the process…But i suppose that’s the point of wearing them, lol. I knew my stupendously bright Dortmund jacket was waterproof but i still wasn’t sure how it was going to go today. 🤔

Although it rained for the full duration of my walk and the sound of…

Wow!!! It looks like my ultra step challenge is going to go off with a BANG tomorrow!!! A huge thanks to my lovely wife Sarah! 😀 💪🏼 ❤️Even if this challenge kills me…At least it’ll be tasty! 

An Advent For Change…❤️

OH…Have you heard about my ‘Blindman 20,000 steps, every day, for 24 days (during advent 2020) for Blood Pressure UK!’ That’s around 252 miles!! 

If not, lol…Please read my story and DONATE and help me smash my £1,000 target! 💪🏼

Please don’t forget to share and make everyone aware of the silent killer that could be lurking inside us! 

Do you know YOUR blood pressure numbers?? 

I believe that the greatest gift you can give your loved ones and the world this Christmas…Is a healthier you! ❤️ 💪🏼 😀 

Hi friends!

Wow…Can you believe there is only 4 days to go! I thought i’d try and do 3 days on the trot of walking the full 10.5 miles everyday so i can reach 20,000 steps…Phew i’ve just got back from my 3rd day of cold, rain and even thick fog this morning…But I’ve managed it…Just! 🤣 This is going to be a really tough challenge! 💪🏼 

Also it’s a great way of testing the Fitbit app properly and see if it’s consistent…And it was, yay! 

I’d like to give a brobdingnagian amount of thanks to my lovely wife Sarah for always making me a fantastic fresh coffee before, during and after my walks. Also preparing my food which fuels me each day…And for being my number 1 supporter and encourager all of the time! 💪🏼 😀 ❤️

An Advent For Change…❤️

OH…Have you heard about my ‘Blindman 20,000 steps, every…

Hi friends…

Wow…With only 12 days to go, I just had to show you this fantasicly bright rain jacket that my lovely wife Sarah Rebus bought me for smashing my 4 stone weight loss goal yesterday! What an amazing surprise! 💪🏼 😀 

I think Sarah and my sister must have been chatting about me being careful when i’m out walking, lol! I don’t think the cars will have any trouble seeing me now!  

An Advent For Change…❤️

OH…Have you heard about my ‘Blindman 20,000 steps, every day, for 24 days (during advent 2020) for Blood Pressure UK!’ That’s around 252 miles!! 

If not, lol…Please read my story and DONATE and help me smash my £1,000 target! 💪🏼 

I believe that the greatest gift you can give your loved ones and the world this Christmas…Is a healthier you! ❤️ 💪🏼 😀 

Today’s prayer:

Psalm 28:7 KJV — The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him.

Dear Lord Jesus,
Thank You for Your love. Thank You for Your care. Lord, thank You for watching over us and giving us so much. Lord Jesus, thank You for guiding our lives and allowing those things we do not like to teach us. Lord, thank You for revealing those things which are hidden. Lord, thank You for loving us so much that You allow things which are hard to stretch and grow us. Lord, thank You for teaching us compassion and humility. Thank You for showing us how dependant we are upon You for all things. Lord, I love You, thank You for first loving me. Lord, I trust You, thank You for…

Yay my next fitness goal smashed! Being lighter will help me on my stupendous advent walking challenge. I can’t believe the journey so far and all of the walking i’m doing as preparation for my step challenge is making it even easier to stay in the healthy calorie deficit! 💪🏼 😀 

OH…Have you heard about my ‘Blindman 20,000 steps, every day, for 24 days (during advent 2020) for Blood Pressure UK!’ That’s around 252 miles!! 

If not, lol…Please read my story and DONATE and help me smash my £1,000 target! 💪🏼 

I believe that the greatest gift you can give your loved ones and the world this Christmas…Is a healthier you! ❤️ 💪🏼 😀 

Yay i did it!! 😰

Hi friends! Yesterday i completed the whole 20,000 steps as my ‘Blindman Advent For Change Step Challenge’ starts in only 21 days!

The accident and the AirPods…?

Woah, it doesn’t half make you jump when you hit a post…Especially when you’re blind and everything is so blurry or just vanishes! 🤕

As i walk i have only 1 AirPod in which plays my audiobook really low so i can hear my surroundings with my other ear. Also it plays the important announcements from my Fitbit app as the GPS is tracking me along my walk. So when i suddenly felt the cold hard post graze the side of my forehead then hit me square on the right shoulder that stopped me in my tracks…You could say it made me jump, lol!

⇧ Photo of the road i was walking down ⇧ 

As it didn’t…

Wow…That was hard…😰

Hi friends! Today i did about ⅔ of my total steps i need everyday for 24 days during my ‘Blindman Advent For Change Step Challenge’ which starts in only 27 days! 

I’m happy i managed to walk for 2 hours without getting too mentally tired. The sun was so low and bright which gave me such a headache, as it took so much more concentration for me to focus on where i was going whilst not falling into the road etc. 😨

As i use a Fitbit Inspire HR that my lovely wife Sarah bought me for our wedding anniversary in July…All of the hills along my route are not counted or the stats page, and although this sounds like an excuse, lol it really does take it out of you! I’m planning on hitting the 20,000 steps mark very soon and i’m adjusting my…

 Wow…I only posted my challenge & fundraising page 2 weeks ago and i’ve already been blessed with 20 donations! 💪🏼 

I’d like to give a gargantuan amount of thanks to my Sister Ambber for her understanding, support and encouragement…Especially as she’s just been into hospital with severely high blood pressure! ❤️

A colossal thanks to Charis & Adam for their donation and relentless kindness. 😀 

A huge thanks to Dora for always believing i can do it…Whatever the challenge!  💪🏼 

A heart warming thanks to Christine for always being here to cheer me on! 

A massive thanks to Alan for completely silencing  me with a mind blowing donation that equates to £20 a day for 24 days!  

I’d like to give a huge thanks to Sheila for her support and encouragement. 💪🏼  

A massive thanks to Andrew & Jenny!  

 A colossal amount of thanks to Sarah A who…

🌻 The first sunflower to bloom in our challenge was Steve’s ‘brobdingnagian’

🌻 But Steves sunflower certainly wasn’t the tallest and didn’t reach the required 2.6m 😭

🌻 BoB, Musical joy, Liz, Audrey2, Ben turbo and Southern Palms all raced past… and all reached over 2.6m 💪🏼 

🌻 Our good friend Dora visited and we took the chance to get a proper measurement for the sunflowers in your challenge… so that we could let you know the winner. ….which was Liz (Sponsored by Ruth Penny to encourage her friend ‘Liz’ who is going through cancer treatment at the moment). What a great result

🌻 Liz not only reached 2.6m first but grew to a stunning height of 3.35m…. closely followed by Audrey2 who reached 3.2m and BoB, who reached 3.15m

🌻 The sunflower that didn’t grow tall but had an amazing 15 sunflower heads on the one plant was ‘Weed’…

John Piper:

I have never met a mature, fruitful, strong, spiritually discerning Christian who is not full of Scripture, devoted to regular meditation on Scripture, and given to storing it in the heart through Bible memorization —and that’s not a coincidence. So, what I want to do is persuade our new believing friend that it is absolutely essential, after coming to faith in Christ, to be radically, deeply, experientially devoted — unshakably, unwaveringly persuaded — that reading and meditating on and understanding and memorizing and enjoying the Scriptures is absolutely essential for the Christian life, which would include being in the word every day with the aim that we will meet God there and, little by little, the glory of his truth will fill and transform our lives.

And that may seem obvious to them or to others, but it isn’t obvious, because I know fairly well-along Christians who…

What a topsy-turvey world we’re living in – Lord, please come soon! Right is wrong and worshipping rebellion is king. If Christians defend Truth, professing “wait that’s against God’s Word!” we are vilified. Therefore the majority remain silent and fearful. Isn’t silence compliance? We allow that unknowing frog in the frying pan to get cooked without even realizing the frog is us.

“In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” (Judges 21:25)

Even if I knew I could riot and break into an establishment, snatch money, merchandise, destroying and taking someone livelihood and get away with it, I wouldn’t! Have you noticed some condone this? People resort to crime and the police are supposed to be the bad guys? All of them??? (Isn’t that the definition of prejudice which the lawbreakers profess to hate?)

I don’t care what someone looks…

Last Sunday, our pastor included a wonderful illustration which I also found epitomizes our relationship between Christianity and nutrition.

The illustration by the late chaplain of the US Senate, Peter Marshall, was entitled, “The Keeper of the Spring.” Perhaps you’ve heard it before. Here’s the Cliff note version of it:

“It seems a spring at the top of an Austrian mountain provided water to a charming, picturesque village down below. The village council hardly saw the keeper and began questioning why they were paying for a service when they never saw the benefit. So they fired the Spring Keeper.

As time went on, leaves and debris began to clog the source of the well. Then downstream, leaves, twigs and debris muddied the water. It smelled and tasted badly. Tourists stopped coming, restaurants served less tasty food and the town lost its beauty and charm.

Finally the council realized its mistake…

Sam Storms:

What does it mean to say that God is holy? Most people think of moral rectitude or righteousness or goodness, and that is certainly true. To be holy is to be characterized by purity and blamelessness and integrity, both in terms of one’s essence and one’s activity. In this sense, God’s holiness and his righteousness are somewhat synonymous. He is described in the OT as “too pure to behold evil” and intolerant of evil (Hab. 1:12-13). But this is only a secondary way in which God is said to be holy. We need to understand the primary thrust of the word.

1. The Biblical evidence

God is regularly identified in Scripture as “the Holy One“. See Job 6:10; Isa. 40:25; 43:15; Ezek. 39:7; Hosea 11:9; Hab. 1:12; 3:3. He is also called “the Holy One of…