Going against the Flow

At the moment, my little girl Lydia is always counting. She is doing maths at school, and every day she asks me to write down sums for her to do - just simple one digit addition and subtractions. She loves it!

Well, it got me thinking of a little test for you to do today, just to find out how you think. I want you to do what I ask you as you scroll down my blog. Don't cheat and go to the end - just do it carefully as you go down from line to line.

Let's make a deal - if you get the correct answer, you have to send this blog to all you friends. Promise??

If you get it wrong I will send you a free "How to Count for Dummies' book from amazon UK! Deal??

Here goes ... you ready? Thinking caps on, as the teachers say here!

OK ...

THINK OF ANY NUMBER BETWEEN 2-9




MULTIPLY THAT NUMBER BY 9




NOW, ADD THE TWO DIGITS OF YOU NUMBER TOGETHER (FOR EXAMPLE, IF YOUR NUMBER IS 34, 3+4=7)




OK, GOT A SINGLE NUMBER NOW?




SUBTRACT 5 FROM YOUR NUMBER





NOW WE CONVERT YOUR NUMBER INTO A LETTER.
A=1, B=2, Z=26 ETC.





THINK OF A COUNTRY BEGINNING WITH THAT LETTER






TAKE THE SECOND LETTER OF THAT COUNTRY AND THINK OF AN ANIMAL BEGINNING WITH THAT LETTER




THINK OF THE COLOUR OF THAT ANIMAL




DO YOU GET ...

A...

A...

A...

A...

Em ....a.....

...A GREY ELEPHANT FROM DENMARK??

Wow! Can you believe that? How did I know? How can I, in the middle of nowhere in the good old Philippines Islands, know what you was going to think? Am I moving in a great prophetic ministry? Do I also know the deep secrets of your heart and ...

Well, no. I don't. (Phew!) It is simple. We are all programmed to think in a certain way. The first part of the puzzle is easy - any number you choose when multiplied by nine will add up to nine (54, 63, 72, 81 etc.) So when you take away 5 everyone should have 4.

Convert to letter D. What other country do you know that starts with D other than Denmark? Usually it is always Denmark. Second letter is E .. what other animal starting with E comes into our mind? And the colour of the elephant - always grey (although many are dark brown!)

So there you have it. We all more or less think the same way. Amazing eh? It doesn't always work - I once did this in Africa and my Pastor friend got a brown Orangutan from the Dominican Republic!! Also right!

We are not called to think the in the same way as the world. As Christians we have to go against the flow. We have to think differently. We have to work things out, know what we believe and live according to the convictions of our heart. It is so easy to compromise and 'think like the world', especially in this crazy age of political correctness. In many ways we have not only lost our voice in society, but we have lost our ability to reason. We need to 'work out our salvation with fear and trembling' and plan our lives according to the will of our Father.

In Romans 12 it says, "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind."

The Message Version puts it like this:

'So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.'

In every decision, every action and every thought ... may you know in your heart the mind of Christ. Listen to those you love, but fix your eyes upon the Lord and hear clearly His voice. Don't think like everyone else but go against the flow if you have to.

...and by the way, the deal was that those who got it right were going to forward my blog to your friends! Come on, get sending! Let's get the Sefton blog out all around the world!

And to those who didn't get a grey elephant from Denmark, please send you address to me!!!!!

Selahhaha!