What a year so far

This year has been so busy and different, i feel like my feet haven't hit the ground yet. Up until the middle of March i was working for Superdrug. The first 6 weeks i was commuting 2 hours each way to my place of work, which led to very long days and only seeing my children awake at weekends. During this time i caught the flu and tried to push through it and ended up in hospital. The rest of my time there i was working i Shaftesbury which was about a 45min drive each way. So i was still away from the house for 11hrs a day.



Superdrug was not great, i have never worked for a company who so openly told there employees that if the didn't fit the super cool thin and gorgeous image they wanted that they would be replaced. There business thrives on woman with self images problems, and my job as a manager pushing woman to be more vain. It was horrible i came home everyday demotivated about life. I'm glad i didn't have to stay long. My family and I both suffered from my time there.



But on the 21st Of March i started my training to become a Police Community Support Officer. Which has been brilliant. I had 5 weeks training in Portishead Avon & Somerset HQ. Which was amazing there is so many Christian truths in the teaching programme. It was a really great opportunity to meet and get to know 14 people with the same passion to help the community.

After the training at HQ i started a tutorship in Yeovil. Which has been great, i have seen so much of my home town that i never knew about. I have seen the so many homeless, drug addicts, people living in fear. There has been so much to pray about, and start to make a positive impact on these areas. It is so easy to live a sheltered life, naive to problems around us.

I have just started this week on my own patch and I'm looking forward to forging new relationships and making a different, helping to stamp on injustice and help the poor and the misunderstood. It feels like i finnaly have a full time jobs doing something that fits with one of my favourite passages of scripture. Isaiah 61 The Year of the LORD's Favor 1 The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, 2 to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, 3 and provide for those who grieve in Zion— to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor. 4 They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long stated; they will renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations. 5 Aliens will shepherd your flocks; foreigners will work your fields and vineyards. 6 And you will be called priests of the LORD, you will be named ministers of our God. You will feed on the wealth of nations, and in their riches you will boast. 7 Instead of their shame my people will receive a double portion, and instead of disgrace they will rejoice in their inheritance; and so they will inherit a double portion in their land, and everlasting joy will be theirs. 8 "For I, the LORD, love justice; I hate robbery and iniquity.In my faithfulness I will reward them and make an everlasting covenant with them. 9 Their descendants will be known among the nations and their offspring among the peoples. All who see them will acknowledge that they are a people the LORD has blessed." 10 I delight greatly in the LORD; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. 11 For as the soil makes the sprout come up and a garden causes seeds to grow, so the Sovereign LORD will make righteousness and praise spring up before all nations.

How much do you know about your community? Is there anything you could do to bring about a positive change?

God Bless all of you.

What's going on behind the scenes?

I saw a documentary last night that really shocked my wife and I. The documentary was called "Child at all Odds", weve seen it before but last night really took us by surprize. Why? Because there was someone we have met on the program.

Through both of my wifes pregnancies with Eden and Kai, there was a midwife who was just fantastic, always put us a ease. So was wonderful, always in control of the situation. She was good looking lady, who seem very self assured. In fact when my son Kai stopped breathing in hospital due to a blockage from some black mucus in his nasel passage, it was this lady that without hesitation knew what to do, and removed the mucus. On our first pregnancy when she came to our house and saw how tired we were. Wrote a not and put on the door saying "No vistors today were resting".

This lady we knew as Dee, and what shocked us so much was that this lady was on the television because her and her husband had been trying for children, and even with special I.V.F. treatment still couldn't have children. The program took us threw her emotional struggles through some of the IVF treatment.

I mean we were blown away, and heart broken for her. We had assume as she was so sure of her self and with the babies that she had been there done that and bought the T-Shirt. But she explained in the program that she so enjoys her job and only wishes that she could bring a baby of her own into the world. In this program we saw the hurting woman, who would give up everything to have children. We had no idea?

Since watching the program i haven't been able to stop thinking about it. I mean i am sure that she will deliver some babies into the world that were not planned or wanted by the parents. How hard must that be for her?

This was just another in my face reminder that, we can just people by what we see. Every person has a story behind the scenes that we dont know about. That's is why I belive the Bible teaches us to love everyone!

Next time your having a hard time with someone, stop and think what going one behind the scene, and love them regardless of the situation.

God Bless

Are you frustrated with your Church?

This is an interesting question, especially with myself. As those of you who have read my previous posts will know i have been on somewhat of a journey to find what Church is really all about.

A yearning for a better Church can be helpful, but it does have a lot of pitfalls as well. I believe that we should always strive for the best in everything that we do. But the problem comes when you see the problem instead of the people. People are first and foremost the most important thing.

Mark 12
28One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?"
29"The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one.[e] 30Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.'[f] 31The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'[g]There is no commandment greater than these."

This is something i feel i did forget at times along my journey for Church. Bill Hybels says in the book Courageous Leadership that "The local church is the hope of the world", which i believe. I also believe that him downstairs believes that too, so he does what he always does. He puts all his efforts into making us stray away from the original truth.

Extra long times of polished Worship, awesome relevant teaching, cultural relevance are all great things to aim for. But the heart of Church is and always must be relationships.

Our Family
Matthew 12 46While Jesus was still talking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside, wanting to speak to him. 47Someone told him, "Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you."[a]
48He replied to him, "Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?" 49Pointing to his disciples, he said, "Here are my mother and my brothers. 50For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother."

I like these verses in the way that they illustrate that we are all family. There was a Disney Film produced a few years back called "Lilo & Stich", my daughter loves watching it. There is a great quote in it about family. "Oh hanna! Means family, and family means nobody gets left behind or forgotten." I like that a lot, especially when we put it into this context of Church Family. I will leave you to think about how that phrase helps us think about issues in Church.

I recently had some close friends i could see falling into the same trap i fell into, there hearts were to help extend the Kingdom of God. But they were forgetting what they had already. I encouraged them to meet others in the Church on a more intimate basis like Cell groups and the like. They have and seem to be thriving on it.

I have also had friends that have decided to start there own form of church not happy with the current model; and have cut themselves off from the church (family) that has been walking the journey of life with them. I recently heard that they are now separated and likely to get divorced. Which is really sad, now i am not saying that is a direct result from leaving the church. But we all need help from one another, church is about being united. United we stand! Divided we fall.

I recently saw a great film with Michael W Smith in called "The Second Chance", its really great i recommend you to watch it. Its about an assistant pastor of a big church with televised meeting massive music group and abundant funds, who finds himself working in a sister church in the poorest part of the city, and rediscovered what church is really about. I found it very moving and inspiring.

So i will leave you on this thought. Which relationships in my church am i investing in at the moment? And who else could i invest in?

God bless you all.

If you want to get a copy of the film i mentioned its called "The Second Chance" its stockcode is 6023410112 its probably available from your local Christian Bookshop, and is also available on the web. http://www.eden.co.uk/shop/the-second-chance-film-dvd-120657.html

Eden Photo

This is my beautiful daughter Eden. She is going to break some hearts. She has already discovered the ability to get older boys running round after her.
 

Kai Photo

This is Kai at 8 weeks in his bouncy chair. Doesn't he have cool hair!

 

Eden & Kai Photo

I thought i would put up some photos of my beautiful children, that cause me more tiredness then i have ever known, and more love and joy then i ever thought my heart could experience.

This is Eden and Kai Cuddling on my wife's lap. Kai is only 2 weeks old here.

Isn't if funny how God does what He says He will, in a way you didn't think He would?

I have posted anything for ages because life has been really busy, with family life, illness and the birth of our Son Kai. But anyway our plans have changed massively again. We are no longer going to Gloucester to be part of the new Church there, which I still think is going to be awesome! But we are staying in Yeovil. I however am changing jobs. My position in the bookshop is being made redundant at Christmas, and I am going to become a Police Community Support Officer. Very different!

Its interesting really, as some of you will know i have had a passion for building community and investing in relationships with those who do and don't know the love of Jesus. But, have never found the time to do it, without sacrificing time with my own family. I have felt that God has quite clearly put this passion in my heart.

In 2004, God was stirring up emotions and thoughts to get ready to move on from my time at Keith Jones (Oasis). My time here in the bookshop has been one of unlearning the way of the world and learning the way of the creator of the world. Which has been wonderful.

Then in 2005, I felt this was the time to move into the new season God had for me. I began seriously looking at lots of different possibilities. Ranging from Long term Overseas Mission to planting a Church in Gloucester. Through this time i was searching for deeper meaning in what Church and Christianity really mean. Getting back to grass roots, of what we are called to do and be. It is in this time, that the word Community really started to resound within me, and got excited everytime i heard the word.

Then in 2006, we starting to help plant a church in Gloucester, we were driving up from Yeovil weekly, to be involved in discussion and prayer about what Church is all about and what form it should take. But, in May my wife told me she didn't think it was right to move to Gloucester. Which had me stumbling for answers. Which I then found.

One day whilst looking for jobs in the local paper i saw an advert for a Police Community Support Officer. As i read through the job spec, i said to myself this is the perfect job for a Christian. It is what we are called to do, and you could get paid to do it. AWESOME!! Then I thought actually I would love to do this, and applied. After a lengthy application, I have been selected. Which is amazing. I never thought I would be joining the police but I am so excited about it.

I finally will be doing what the passion burning inside of me has been wanting to do for the last 2 years, just in way I had never thought I would be.

Isn't God Amazing! God will always do what He said He will, and probably not in the way we think He will.

Pathways to God

I have recently re-read courageous leadership by Bill Hybels. Its amazing when you re-read a book. I often find its like reading a different book. Quite often your current situation reflects what you get out of a book. Being that situations most of the time change, so does what you get out of a book.

What struck me when I re-read courageous Leadership this time was the penultimate chapter; "The Leaders Pathway". Its talks about everyone having a primary pathway to God. "The Intellectual Pathway","The Serving Pathway", "The Contemplative Pathway", The Activist Pathway","The Creation Pathway" and "The Worship Pathway". When Bill refers to the word "Pathway" he is talking about how you access God, interact with Him get refueled and fired up.

briefly outlying the Pathways, The Intellectual Pathway is for those who get fired up by learning more about God. They have a constant need to learn more about him. Quite often reading lots.

Serving Pathway is for those who become more like Jesus by being a servant and helping where ever they can.

Contemplative Pathway is for those who need time alone, to meditate and pray. Through doing so become energized to his works.

The Activist Pathway is for those who need to be busy for God.

The Creation pathway is for those who are taken deeper into God's presence by nature. Seeing His glory all around us.

And the Worship Pathway for those who need times of extended Worship and Praise.

The first question I found myself asking was which one am I. Bill says that you may have more than one pathway, but one will certainly take you to God more so than any other. He called this your primary Pathway to God.

For me being a worshipleader I instantly thought my primary pathway would be through worship, but when a gave it some thought. I realized that my primary pathway was through creation. Worship does come a close 2nd especially when I sing songs about creation.

Then the next obvious question is how much time to I spend doing my primary pathway a week? And how could I make more time for it? In Jesus 1st temptation he replies that we need every word God speaks. So it stands to reason that we need to make sure that we spend a good amount of time a week accessing God through our primary pathway. I'm sure if we all did make time for it, we would be significantly be changed more like Jesus.

What is your primary pathway to God?

How much time a week do your spend in your pathway?

Why not try accessing God in other pathways?

If you haven't read courageous leadership I recommend it, it is full of great nuggets.

A sign of Hope (Daffodils)

I was struck the other day by the beauty of daffodils. There suddenly everywhere; and everytime i see them my heart gives a little cheer.

I am a real Sun Worshipper so its no surprise that i can't wait for the summer. So much so that i often get very deppressed in the winter. I long and crave sunshine.

You see the reason daffodils look so beatiful is because they are a sign of hope that Summer is coming. That there are better times ahead.

When we go through difficult times sometimes its hard to see past the current situation. But then when you think all hope is lost, up pops a daffodil; to let you know better times are on the way. Daffodils can take on various forms, perharps a word of encouragement, a touch, a picture, a phone call or email.

I thank thank God for daffodils, a drop of hope in the midst of uncertainty.