Karaoke

N.B. I have decided to change the title of this blog from 'Ami loves...' to 'Ami Blogs.' because so many things I want to write about do not involve me 'loving' a particular object or activity. I continue.

Last night I sang in my first Karaoke. We went to a pub (as we do every Sunday evening) and this time it was the Yates pub near to Southend High Street, which was celebrating/commiserating its last night at the current building. (Loads of the major companies are upgrading, resulting in a major shift around in buildings....) Anyways, I was coaxed into singing with Danny, so we sang 'Video Killed the Radio Star' - all I can say is, at least we were in tune, which was more than you could say for the other singers (all suffering from a bit too much alcohol.)

I was being grilled last night on my decision not to drink alcohol. Its not a biblical thing, or even God calling me to do it, but merely a decision I made about my life. A lot of people don't believe me, when they buy me a drink and I say 'Coke', they say 'and what...?' Thinking about my reasoning, I guess it won't make much sense to anyone else. I know that too many times in the past I had way too much to drink and the ability to judge my decisions became seriously blurred. It's quite worrying. But when I was thinking about it, I turned and questioned other peoples motives TO drink. Even before you get to the escapist reasoning behind alcoholics, drinking becomes a way of releasing problems and trying to hide behind the confidence, and the image that alcohol = fun. I have met many people who believe you cannot have a good time without drinking alcohol, and I know that that is rubbish. Its been 6 months since the last time I had alcohol, and if someone wants to say that I haven't had a good time in these last 6 months then they are seriously wrong.

If someone is not confident, chatty and 'fun', why should alcohol give them that? Why not God? (Big cheese coming) If they are not filled with the Spirit, they are being filled with spirits. And its wrong. God gives me confidence, and a life filled with too many blessings for me to count. And its completely free! Jesus has paid the price for me to be saved, which means I do not need to be paying money in order to enter this social atmosphere of drinking! At the pub last night, I saw too many people who maybe just didn't know what it was like to follow God. There was a big group downing shots, in some vast attempt maybe to escape their weekday lives and find something fulfilling in being totally slaughtered. All I can say is, I'm glad I made my decision when I did. I went to sleep last night, knowing I wouldn't awake with any regrets from last night. (Except perhaps the decision to sing that song.)

"And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit."

Ephesians 5:18