In a short week I am starting back at school! I am also starting a new position having just been promoted at the very end of last term. I am now the KS3 coordinator in science and will be paid a bit more money for my trouble. (A financial blessing?)
Also on the 10th September Terri and Zoe start here as part of the Gap Year Cornwall that we are running for SJI. They will be living with us (bringing in a small amount for board and lodgings - more financial blessing?) and working with several local churches and organisations to serve God in Cornwall. We will make regular podcasts to enlighten people as to what they are up to. A feed for this can be found here.
September is often a start to a new season and this year will be very much different to loast year for us. There is a great deal happening in Cornwall and I am so excited to be playing even a small role in God's plans.
Finally just a quick note to those people who comment on this blog. My brother in law Dan (seen here on the interweb) suggested that I remove the facility for people to comment anonymously on this blog. However I do not intend to do so as I feel that people may feel more able to say things anonymously than they would if their identity was known. I do not want people to stop reading and commenting on this blog and fear they might if they could not continue to comment anonymously.
Saturday, August 27, 2005
Tithing
Just a quick post to note how much of a reaction I have had about the subject of tithing. There have been several comments about tithing on the posts below. It is interesting to see there is so much difference of opinion.
If it all the same to those commentators who are opposed to tithing I am still going to go for it!
I would also like to point out that I fully agree with all those who say we should not give just 10% but extravagantly. For me this is a lifestyle choice of honouring God with our finances and depending on Him for His provision. I already have testimonies about the financial blessings God can bring but this is not what I am seeking. I want to know the giver not just get the gift. I want to build a history with God, a history of dependence and provision, a history of testimonies and miracles, a history of knowing God as provider, Lord and friend. I am not satisfied right now with the level of dependence I have on Him, or how well I know Him, or my experience of Him. I am desperate for more of God! It is in this spirit and with a hungry heart that I am putting lifestyle changes in place for me and my family, not because I have to to earn that which I seek, but because I want to, because I believe God deserves it (at the very least!) and that I believe God will enjoy it! (I know already how much he enjoys me right now too!)
As I am getting better now at regular posting I hope that I can blog the story of this particular aspect of my journey with God! Please keep reading!
If it all the same to those commentators who are opposed to tithing I am still going to go for it!
I would also like to point out that I fully agree with all those who say we should not give just 10% but extravagantly. For me this is a lifestyle choice of honouring God with our finances and depending on Him for His provision. I already have testimonies about the financial blessings God can bring but this is not what I am seeking. I want to know the giver not just get the gift. I want to build a history with God, a history of dependence and provision, a history of testimonies and miracles, a history of knowing God as provider, Lord and friend. I am not satisfied right now with the level of dependence I have on Him, or how well I know Him, or my experience of Him. I am desperate for more of God! It is in this spirit and with a hungry heart that I am putting lifestyle changes in place for me and my family, not because I have to to earn that which I seek, but because I want to, because I believe God deserves it (at the very least!) and that I believe God will enjoy it! (I know already how much he enjoys me right now too!)
As I am getting better now at regular posting I hope that I can blog the story of this particular aspect of my journey with God! Please keep reading!
23:23
Many times over recent months I have seen the number 23. On digital clocks, buses etc. I have, in the past also seen 22 a great deal as have a number of other people (I posted on this issue some months ago). I always assumed that 23 was just missing out on 22 but I have just read Matt 23:23 that Helen pointed out to me after recent comments on this blog about tithing. Any way I laughed out loud at the coincidence that the verse was about tithing and lifestyle when that is the very thing God has been speaking to us about.
Wednesday, August 24, 2005
Tuesday, August 23, 2005
Fasting
I am going to enter a three month season of prayer and fasting. I really want to see my intimacy with Jesus and Father deepen and I want to walk in a level of Holy Spirit power that sees greater works.
I am still praying about what forms the fast will take but I am excited about the next few months!
Joff and Elaine Day have helped me see that I do not need to earn, nor indeed can I ever hope to achieve, the approval of God, it is already there. I do not need to qualify myself in to getting Him to bless me. This fast is more about pursuing Him, seeking Him and training myself to rely more on Him. I don't need to do this but I want to. There is a real sense that I must train myself and learn myself what it is to see what the father is doing and rely on Him to do that myself.
Martin Scott says that if Jesus had ever written a book it would only have said "I only do what I see the Father do". If we are to do this then we must learn to see what he is doing!
He must increase and I must decrease!
(Also we have another COPP day with Martin on 3rd September)
I am still praying about what forms the fast will take but I am excited about the next few months!
Joff and Elaine Day have helped me see that I do not need to earn, nor indeed can I ever hope to achieve, the approval of God, it is already there. I do not need to qualify myself in to getting Him to bless me. This fast is more about pursuing Him, seeking Him and training myself to rely more on Him. I don't need to do this but I want to. There is a real sense that I must train myself and learn myself what it is to see what the father is doing and rely on Him to do that myself.
Martin Scott says that if Jesus had ever written a book it would only have said "I only do what I see the Father do". If we are to do this then we must learn to see what he is doing!
He must increase and I must decrease!
(Also we have another COPP day with Martin on 3rd September)
Catch Up
There is a lot to catch up on so this post is going to be a little bit "bitty".
First off, Helen and I have recently heard a teaching tape by a man called Clive Pick. It was very challenging and all about finances. We have made, as a response to the conviction we felt, a commitment to sort our finances out once and for all. We have been doing a great deal better recently. One major thing is that we have become regular tithers. We have done this occaisionally in the past and always been amazed at the financial blessing that God brings in response to it! Last time we tithed on our monthly income we were given a brand new car (or the promise of! We actually picked it up yesterday!) Since deciding to go for this we have already been blessed financiallly with gifts and open heaven type incidents where we are seemingly walking in God's blessing and provision. I cannot wait to tithe next month and I will try to record all the testimonies I may have.
Next, progress is still being made on the India trip. My friend Justin Blake is getting excited about coming with us and our relationship deepens with sister Janaki. The best news is that Helen is planning on coming as well, we will leave the kids at my mum's.
Also concerning Justin, Andy Frost and I along with JT and Chris Frost are planning to take the VOW together. Justin has agreed to help us to do this which I am very excited about as he was one of the main guys to research it all and prophetically see that this is the time to bring that sort of thing back in to the mix!
Road Trip is stil going and i have got one or two words for them to encourage them which I will post on the journal site (see post below for link).
As Andy is away I do not know how things are shaping up with the house at Land's End.
Rugby season starts soon and I am well excited abouth this, having fully recovered from my injury that put me out of the end of last season.
Our new car is great!!!
First off, Helen and I have recently heard a teaching tape by a man called Clive Pick. It was very challenging and all about finances. We have made, as a response to the conviction we felt, a commitment to sort our finances out once and for all. We have been doing a great deal better recently. One major thing is that we have become regular tithers. We have done this occaisionally in the past and always been amazed at the financial blessing that God brings in response to it! Last time we tithed on our monthly income we were given a brand new car (or the promise of! We actually picked it up yesterday!) Since deciding to go for this we have already been blessed financiallly with gifts and open heaven type incidents where we are seemingly walking in God's blessing and provision. I cannot wait to tithe next month and I will try to record all the testimonies I may have.
Next, progress is still being made on the India trip. My friend Justin Blake is getting excited about coming with us and our relationship deepens with sister Janaki. The best news is that Helen is planning on coming as well, we will leave the kids at my mum's.
Also concerning Justin, Andy Frost and I along with JT and Chris Frost are planning to take the VOW together. Justin has agreed to help us to do this which I am very excited about as he was one of the main guys to research it all and prophetically see that this is the time to bring that sort of thing back in to the mix!
Road Trip is stil going and i have got one or two words for them to encourage them which I will post on the journal site (see post below for link).
As Andy is away I do not know how things are shaping up with the house at Land's End.
Rugby season starts soon and I am well excited abouth this, having fully recovered from my injury that put me out of the end of last season.
Our new car is great!!!
Saturday, August 20, 2005
Road Trip Mission
Hi, I am on a holiday at the moment staying with both sets of our parents. Back soon and I will have a greater chance to write some stuff here. Just to mention though that Andy's mission called Road Trip has now started and can be read about here.
Tuesday, August 09, 2005
Walking on Water
I must write fully about last week where I led the SJI event called Walk on Water. Basically we had an incredible time and I especially got so much from it. However more later...
Share Jesus House
This is just a quick post to make sure that I have the things that are happening on record so that in future days I can look back and learn.
Share Jesus International have been given a house (an old farmhouse) with a bit of land and the remains of a few farm buildings. This is very exciting as they can do with it what they want. The really cool thing is the location of the house which is just outside St Just and on a hill that overlooks Land's End. There is an uniterrupted view of the lighthouse and rocks there! So we are pressing into to hear what God would have us do with the place. This is an extract from an email that I sent to Andy Frost with my own thoughts and vision for the place:
The vision that I have for the house and land is this (similar in lots of ways to the transit course on the boiler room site)
I want to see a community created there that is focussed on prayer and mission, on intimacy and power much like we have been talking about this week! Imagine 60 people living in a permanent community like we had at walk on water. I want to see the site used to make money to support the community. People would be living in a rhythm of life that is monastic, work, prayer and mission. The place could be a modern day Hernhut community with the prayer birthing missionaries from there to go to the nation and nations (like India!) I would have visiting speakers to come and bring not sessions of teaching but rather themselves for a small period of time. So Martin Scott (eg) could come down for a week and invest what he has in that community, being part of it for the time he was there. We could run specific events from there such as DP, wow, Destiny and all that small scale type stuff that fits in to our heart for prayer and mission. We could also have people who come in to the community for shorter spaces of time, either a few months to do a course like Transit (see Boiler rooms site) or just for a while to have a retreat and renewal type experience. But overall I see there should be a permanent community of people who live, work to support themselves on site, pray and go on mission from there. It will be a monastery, a base for prayer and mission. This would still leave it open for all the extra stuff like conferences, training and church weekends away. That could be another source of income and work for the guys! It will be a centre of excellence! The other really exciting thing about what I feel is the idea of recreating (in this new time) the Moravian community at hernhut. Remember what Justin said about the 24-7 movement and the Methodist Church. This place could combine those 2 and amazing things could happen!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am so excited about all of this and the whole India thing. This is definitely a time of acceleration towards the things of God. My heart is for Intimacy and Power. In fact I want to do some writing now about all that so check my blog out for my thoughts as I try to describe all that I feel God is laying on my heart.
Andy then said that his friend John had invited him to come and help out at a worship event in Hernhut in October!
I am taking around a gut that financially supports SJI on Friday this week so we will see what happens!
(Also there is other stuff that I cannot record here but I write this to remind myself that it is there!)
Share Jesus International have been given a house (an old farmhouse) with a bit of land and the remains of a few farm buildings. This is very exciting as they can do with it what they want. The really cool thing is the location of the house which is just outside St Just and on a hill that overlooks Land's End. There is an uniterrupted view of the lighthouse and rocks there! So we are pressing into to hear what God would have us do with the place. This is an extract from an email that I sent to Andy Frost with my own thoughts and vision for the place:
The vision that I have for the house and land is this (similar in lots of ways to the transit course on the boiler room site)
I want to see a community created there that is focussed on prayer and mission, on intimacy and power much like we have been talking about this week! Imagine 60 people living in a permanent community like we had at walk on water. I want to see the site used to make money to support the community. People would be living in a rhythm of life that is monastic, work, prayer and mission. The place could be a modern day Hernhut community with the prayer birthing missionaries from there to go to the nation and nations (like India!) I would have visiting speakers to come and bring not sessions of teaching but rather themselves for a small period of time. So Martin Scott (eg) could come down for a week and invest what he has in that community, being part of it for the time he was there. We could run specific events from there such as DP, wow, Destiny and all that small scale type stuff that fits in to our heart for prayer and mission. We could also have people who come in to the community for shorter spaces of time, either a few months to do a course like Transit (see Boiler rooms site) or just for a while to have a retreat and renewal type experience. But overall I see there should be a permanent community of people who live, work to support themselves on site, pray and go on mission from there. It will be a monastery, a base for prayer and mission. This would still leave it open for all the extra stuff like conferences, training and church weekends away. That could be another source of income and work for the guys! It will be a centre of excellence! The other really exciting thing about what I feel is the idea of recreating (in this new time) the Moravian community at hernhut. Remember what Justin said about the 24-7 movement and the Methodist Church. This place could combine those 2 and amazing things could happen!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am so excited about all of this and the whole India thing. This is definitely a time of acceleration towards the things of God. My heart is for Intimacy and Power. In fact I want to do some writing now about all that so check my blog out for my thoughts as I try to describe all that I feel God is laying on my heart.
Andy then said that his friend John had invited him to come and help out at a worship event in Hernhut in October!
I am taking around a gut that financially supports SJI on Friday this week so we will see what happens!
(Also there is other stuff that I cannot record here but I write this to remind myself that it is there!)
Monday, August 08, 2005
India: Excitement Grows
I spoke with my friend Justin Blake last night and am very excited about what he said! We speak about once evry 2 months and catch up on what is happening and so last night I was telling him the story about India (see post below for the story). When I had finished he was very excited and said that just that week he had been chewing things over and was on the verge of speaking to me and Andy about setting up a missions trip to a poor nation such as Africa or India. Because Justin is so prophetic this fills me with faith and a buzz! Justin also said that he may even be possibly able to come with us!! Amazing, Andy and I are so excited about that!
The other cool thing is that on Walk on Water this week we had 2 girls that have been or are going to India and 1 girl who went to Mumbai and is now setting up a project to raise money for the street children feeding programme that she saw! So the connections continue to build. Oh yeah, I was emailing the 24-7 office to register the WoW prayer room and a girl in the office, Becca Horsley, who I sort of know and she is telling me about the Dehli mission team and all the pryare rooms that have been set up there!! Cool.
Hang on, even more cool is that I just spoke to Ruth Horsely who I have been with this week in WoW and she was in my small group and everything. She even stayed round our house last night as she was ill! Any was just a I was writing this i noticed that Becca Horsley had the same surname as Ruth so I just phoned Ruth and she said they were sisiters!!! Unbelievable.
I am soooooo excited and buzzing right now about all the things that are happening. Please read more posts soon about the other cool stuff that is going on here!!
The other cool thing is that on Walk on Water this week we had 2 girls that have been or are going to India and 1 girl who went to Mumbai and is now setting up a project to raise money for the street children feeding programme that she saw! So the connections continue to build. Oh yeah, I was emailing the 24-7 office to register the WoW prayer room and a girl in the office, Becca Horsley, who I sort of know and she is telling me about the Dehli mission team and all the pryare rooms that have been set up there!! Cool.
Hang on, even more cool is that I just spoke to Ruth Horsely who I have been with this week in WoW and she was in my small group and everything. She even stayed round our house last night as she was ill! Any was just a I was writing this i noticed that Becca Horsley had the same surname as Ruth so I just phoned Ruth and she said they were sisiters!!! Unbelievable.
I am soooooo excited and buzzing right now about all the things that are happening. Please read more posts soon about the other cool stuff that is going on here!!
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