Thursday, November 30, 2006
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
How big is your God?
Housegroup tonight -
discussing how sometimes we limit what God can do in our lives by limiting how big we make Him... and how difficult it is to make the jump from knowing what we read in the Bible, to outworking that in our lives... we know God is big, but somehow we don't live our lives as if that were true...
and thinking about times when God appears not to answer us - when what He is asking us to do is to wait... and trust in Him...
These are some of the verses and promises of Scripture we read and meditated on...
I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. (Ephesians 3 v16-18)
So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ ...but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. (Matthew 6 v31-33)
But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength.
They will soar high on wings like eagles.
They will run and not grow weary.
They will walk and not faint.
(Isaiah 40 v31)
Then Job replied to the Lord:
“I know that you can do anything, and no one can stop you..."
(Job 42 v1-2)
discussing how sometimes we limit what God can do in our lives by limiting how big we make Him... and how difficult it is to make the jump from knowing what we read in the Bible, to outworking that in our lives... we know God is big, but somehow we don't live our lives as if that were true...
and thinking about times when God appears not to answer us - when what He is asking us to do is to wait... and trust in Him...
These are some of the verses and promises of Scripture we read and meditated on...
I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. (Ephesians 3 v16-18)
So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ ...but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. (Matthew 6 v31-33)
But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength.
They will soar high on wings like eagles.
They will run and not grow weary.
They will walk and not faint.
(Isaiah 40 v31)
Then Job replied to the Lord:
“I know that you can do anything, and no one can stop you..."
(Job 42 v1-2)
Sunday, November 26, 2006
At the foot of the cross...
Some song words which had new meaning for me yesterday...
I exchange all my sin
for the promise of salvation
and your name across my brow...
My name is graven on His hands
my name is written on His heart
I know that while in heaven He stands
no tongue can bid me thence depart!
To think that my name is tattooed on God's hands - what a truly amazing picture - but it's not just a picture... it's true! God will never let us go!
"Behold, I have indelibly imprinted (tattooed a picture of) you on the palm of each of My hands" (Isaiah 49 v16)
I exchange all my sin
for the promise of salvation
and your name across my brow...
My name is graven on His hands
my name is written on His heart
I know that while in heaven He stands
no tongue can bid me thence depart!
To think that my name is tattooed on God's hands - what a truly amazing picture - but it's not just a picture... it's true! God will never let us go!
"Behold, I have indelibly imprinted (tattooed a picture of) you on the palm of each of My hands" (Isaiah 49 v16)
Saturday, November 18, 2006
Friday, November 17, 2006
Jelly Night at Kidz Klub
Captain Hook got jellied tonight...
...but I think we managed to wipe most of it off the walls!
Glad it wasn't me this time!
...but I think we managed to wipe most of it off the walls!
Glad it wasn't me this time!
Wednesday, November 15, 2006
Grace is like water
Housegroup tonight - we're working our way through John Ortberg's 'If you want to walk on water, you've got to get out of the boat'...
Tonight we were thinking about failure and how we deal with it, considering David's cry to God in the cave (Psalm 142) - and it struck me that it's OK to fail - as long as we have the right attitude to it - that we should learn from our failures and mistakes - ask God what He wants us to learn, and how He wants us to change... rather than retreating into a cave and feeling sorry for ourselves...
And isn't it true that when we are at our lowest point, feeling inadequate and 'a failure', that we are able to hear God speaking His truth. Somebody said 'grace is like water - it flows to the lowest point' - I like that...
When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, then You knew my path. (Psalm 142 v3)
Tonight we were thinking about failure and how we deal with it, considering David's cry to God in the cave (Psalm 142) - and it struck me that it's OK to fail - as long as we have the right attitude to it - that we should learn from our failures and mistakes - ask God what He wants us to learn, and how He wants us to change... rather than retreating into a cave and feeling sorry for ourselves...
And isn't it true that when we are at our lowest point, feeling inadequate and 'a failure', that we are able to hear God speaking His truth. Somebody said 'grace is like water - it flows to the lowest point' - I like that...
When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, then You knew my path. (Psalm 142 v3)
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
Monday, November 13, 2006
Mrs D is home - Hurrah!
Hurrah!
Mrs D returned home this evening after a mammoth weekend away with her year 6s at High Borrans near Windermere. It would appear that much fun was had by all, with highlights including walking around caves in the dark, dangling from ropes in the trees, paddling round a tarn in a canoe, and sitting on top of a mountain under a parachute drinking hot chocolate! Mostly in the pouring rain!
Doglet is also muchly pleased at Mrs D's return - she has spent all evening lying as close as doggedly possible to Mrs D on the sofa!
Mrs D returned home this evening after a mammoth weekend away with her year 6s at High Borrans near Windermere. It would appear that much fun was had by all, with highlights including walking around caves in the dark, dangling from ropes in the trees, paddling round a tarn in a canoe, and sitting on top of a mountain under a parachute drinking hot chocolate! Mostly in the pouring rain!
Doglet is also muchly pleased at Mrs D's return - she has spent all evening lying as close as doggedly possible to Mrs D on the sofa!
Sunday, November 12, 2006
Upheld by the everlasting arms
Something from Spurgeon I found again today...
"When we stand in the midst of Jordan, we shall be able to say with David, "I will fear no evil, for Thou art with me." We shall descend into the grave, but we shall go no lower, for the eternal arms prevent our further fall. All through life, and at its close, we shall be upheld by the "everlasting arms" - arms that neither flag nor lose their strength, for "the everlasting God fainteth not, neither is weary."
"When we stand in the midst of Jordan, we shall be able to say with David, "I will fear no evil, for Thou art with me." We shall descend into the grave, but we shall go no lower, for the eternal arms prevent our further fall. All through life, and at its close, we shall be upheld by the "everlasting arms" - arms that neither flag nor lose their strength, for "the everlasting God fainteth not, neither is weary."
The Lord of hosts is with us...
... and the God of Jacob is our refuge - think of that!
Psalm 46 this morning - a difficult service for many, for loads of reasons... but what struck me from what Paul was saying, was just how awesome and powerful God is. No matter what life throws at us; no matter that what we thought was solid and secure may be crumbling beneath our feet; no matter that the waves are washing us off the boat - the God of Jacob is our refuge, our strength, our safety - The Lord who made the heavens keeps us safe - truly amazing when you really think about it!
Paul explained that not only is a fortress a place of safety and of strength - but it also is a place of life - I'd never thought about it before, but every castle has a well or supply of water - to sustain those inside during times of trouble - and it is God, our fortress, who sustains us and gives us life - Revelation 21 says: 'To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life'.
I was also reminded this morning of what we learned on Wednesday at re:fuel - Paul was talking then about trials and suffering, based around James 1 - that trials are universal, trials are useful (producing perseverence and maturity), and trials are to be understood from God's persepective (His ways and thoughts are not ours). The peom Paul read out at the end sums it all up brilliantly I think:
God gives us...
enought tears to keep us tender,
enought hurts to keep us human,
enough of failure to keep our hands clenched tightly in His,
and enough of success to make us sure we walk with Him.
Psalm 46 this morning - a difficult service for many, for loads of reasons... but what struck me from what Paul was saying, was just how awesome and powerful God is. No matter what life throws at us; no matter that what we thought was solid and secure may be crumbling beneath our feet; no matter that the waves are washing us off the boat - the God of Jacob is our refuge, our strength, our safety - The Lord who made the heavens keeps us safe - truly amazing when you really think about it!
Paul explained that not only is a fortress a place of safety and of strength - but it also is a place of life - I'd never thought about it before, but every castle has a well or supply of water - to sustain those inside during times of trouble - and it is God, our fortress, who sustains us and gives us life - Revelation 21 says: 'To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life'.
I was also reminded this morning of what we learned on Wednesday at re:fuel - Paul was talking then about trials and suffering, based around James 1 - that trials are universal, trials are useful (producing perseverence and maturity), and trials are to be understood from God's persepective (His ways and thoughts are not ours). The peom Paul read out at the end sums it all up brilliantly I think:
God gives us...
enought tears to keep us tender,
enought hurts to keep us human,
enough of failure to keep our hands clenched tightly in His,
and enough of success to make us sure we walk with Him.
Thursday, November 09, 2006
Dusk in Edinburgh
Princes Street at dusk... waiting for the green man, with 2 minutes left before my train leaves!
Wednesday, November 08, 2006
Deacon Blue
and I'm thinking about faith...
I've got a love that Ill cling on to...
What an excellent evening... dinner with Mrs D and two friends and then off to the City Hall to see Deacon Blue - and what a performance! I've regretted not going to see them more than 10 years ago when they played the Caird Hall in Dundee - it was definitely worth the wait!
The highlight for me must have been Lorraine singing 'Cover from the Sky' - but Dignity and Loaded were fab too, as always! And a brilliant intro to Fergus from Ricky... Can't wait for the next time!
I've got a love that Ill cling on to...
What an excellent evening... dinner with Mrs D and two friends and then off to the City Hall to see Deacon Blue - and what a performance! I've regretted not going to see them more than 10 years ago when they played the Caird Hall in Dundee - it was definitely worth the wait!
The highlight for me must have been Lorraine singing 'Cover from the Sky' - but Dignity and Loaded were fab too, as always! And a brilliant intro to Fergus from Ricky... Can't wait for the next time!
Sunday, November 05, 2006
Living stones
1 Peter 2 this evening...
Paul was talking about how we are all being built together into a spiritual family - of priests and servants... and why? - so we can declare His praises as we serve each other.
God particularly reminded me again (I seem to easily forget!) that we are all called to behave in life, as Jesus behaved in death (v21-23). Not an easy call, but so much better to be seeking that way of life, than going along with the world. With Christ as our shepherd, looking after us, guiding us, keeping us safe, we can't fail!
Paul was talking about how we are all being built together into a spiritual family - of priests and servants... and why? - so we can declare His praises as we serve each other.
God particularly reminded me again (I seem to easily forget!) that we are all called to behave in life, as Jesus behaved in death (v21-23). Not an easy call, but so much better to be seeking that way of life, than going along with the world. With Christ as our shepherd, looking after us, guiding us, keeping us safe, we can't fail!
Thursday, November 02, 2006
New church website launched
Our new church website is now live! After many months of hard work by many people, it's finally there. And it looks fabulous, if I do say so myself!
Special thanks must go to Chris Juby, without whose patience and expertise, we wouldn't even have started
Fenham hedgehog massacre averted
Well, for now, anyway!
Last night, just as we were going to bed, doglet metamorphosed from her normal cute cuddly adorable self into a ferocious mawling beast... the subject of her attack? - a poor wee tim'rous beastie... well - a prickly hedgehog to be precise...
After saving the poor thing from doglet's teeth, there was little I could do as it was pitch dark... But the evidence of the attack was plain to see inside - fleas jumping all over doglet and the carpet, and numerous hedgehog spikes caught in doglet's coat... so out with the flea spray (NOTICE ON CAN - 'do not spray directly on animals'!) to disinfect the carpet and cushions, and out with doglet's flea medicine to disinfect her...
In the morning, the battlefield scars were clear - grass ripped up in the fight, flowerbeds trampled... but no sign of the hedgehog. I can only hope that it managed to stay rolled up during the attack, and was able to crawl away to safety overnight.
Perhaps I need to erect signs around the garden to ward off unsuspecting hedgehogs
'Beware of the ferocious doglet'
Hedgehogs - you have been warned!
Last night, just as we were going to bed, doglet metamorphosed from her normal cute cuddly adorable self into a ferocious mawling beast... the subject of her attack? - a poor wee tim'rous beastie... well - a prickly hedgehog to be precise...
After saving the poor thing from doglet's teeth, there was little I could do as it was pitch dark... But the evidence of the attack was plain to see inside - fleas jumping all over doglet and the carpet, and numerous hedgehog spikes caught in doglet's coat... so out with the flea spray (NOTICE ON CAN - 'do not spray directly on animals'!) to disinfect the carpet and cushions, and out with doglet's flea medicine to disinfect her...
In the morning, the battlefield scars were clear - grass ripped up in the fight, flowerbeds trampled... but no sign of the hedgehog. I can only hope that it managed to stay rolled up during the attack, and was able to crawl away to safety overnight.
Perhaps I need to erect signs around the garden to ward off unsuspecting hedgehogs
'Beware of the ferocious doglet'
Hedgehogs - you have been warned!
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
Cold in Edinburgh
It was cold in Edinburgh yesterday - very very cold - and windy to boot...
That was once I got there - my train was cancelled, so I ended up on the delayed earlier train - eventually arriving at Waverley an hour late thanks to 'signal problems at Berwick'. The free coffee provided by GNER helped pass the boredom, although I suspect the young student who had been waiting on the train in Newcastle for two hours had little good to say about them - she left the train briefly to sit on the platform, and the train left without her - no announcements or warning - the doors closed and away we went - leaving her with her head in her hands... I just hope she was reunited with her luggage and a suitable apology!
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