Be present...

I heard a great sermon on busyness the other day which had some very helpful practical tips. One of them which I thought was very poignant was to ‘be present’. The point was that when you are going through your day you should think about what you are doing, and don’t let your mind go to everything else that you have to be doing tomorrow, or the next day.

For example, when you are talking to someone, concentrate on what they are saying don’t think about what is the next thing you have to do, or the next person you have to talk to (this will just cause the ‘Wagenaar vague-out’!) but just talk to them!

Very helpful advice I reckon!

Some reflections on youth ministry so far...

I have noticed that youth ministry has to be organised chaos.

Things are going to change at the last minute and you are going to have to deal with random things often and on the spot. So, you have to be organised, but then not totally loose it if all those plans are totally changed, and something very different ends up happening. This means a lot of prayer – that whatever ends up happening will glorify God!

Do you reckon this is the same with all ministry or just youth ministry??

Supporters Letter...

Well a year & a half has gone by in my ministry apprenticeship here at Kingston, so I thought it was about time to again let you know what I have been up to & thank the many people who are supporting me.

I am involved in many different ministries such as youth work, women’s ministry, one-to-one discipleship, & I am being largely challenged in all of them! I am also involved in doing some theological training, & have started the first CBTE course which looks at the book of Acts.

In all the different things I am doing I am continually reminded of the faithfulness of God & the truth of the gospel of Christ which brings such joy & motivation to continue on. I have also learnt a lot about myself & how I function as a person, which sometimes has been quite challenging to realise & accept!

Some highlights so far this year would have to be, the two camps we have had with D-Train this year, the Tasmanian Women’s Bible Conference, & just sitting down to read the Bible & pray with people has been such a great encouragement to me.

I would really like to thank all those people who have supported me financially. It is such a blessing to be given the chance to do this apprenticeship, & it’s through your generosity that I can do it – so thank you! I would also like to thank those who are supporting me through pray. I have been continually reminded this year how powerful & effective prayer is – so thank you to the many people that do pray for me. I would really appreciate your continued prayer for all the different things that I am doing, & that I will continue to grow in my relationship with God.

Mt Welly shows off his stuff again..

I know I just keep blogging about the weather, & Mt Wellington - but it really is very amazing!!

Marty mananged to capture this one on a very frosty morning while the sun was rising over a very snow covered Mt Welly.

It's not a set of rules...

I reckon that Michael Jensen in his book “You: An Introduction” has one of the best descriptions that I have heard of what the Bible is. He writes:

“The Bible doesn’t come to us as a set of rules, nor is it set our like a New Age self-help book. It tells a tale. We could say it is the script of a great play. Its dramatist is the one who made everything (we use the word “God’ to refer to this person) – including the human being who are its actors. It is a love story – a true love story. It tells how this God loves people, and though they spurn his love, he goes to extraordinary lengths to win them back”

I think this could be a great way to explain what the Bible is all about to youth, & hopefully will encourage them to read it!!

Frozen

It seems that not only Mt Welly has frozen, but so has my computer & my brain! Sorry about the lack of correspondence to all my followers... Life is getting away with me a bit!

So today I thought I would leave you with some interesting things to ponder. It's from something I read in ‘The Confessions of St Augustine’ this morning:

“Be warned that a thing is good & pleasant only because it is connected with Him. Use it apart from its Source, & it will come to taste bitter. Since the good thing is His, how can it remain worth loving if you forsake Him to get it? So what it your goal as you wander these difficult, laborious ways? If it is not found in Him, there will be no rest – not where you are looking for it. You can keep looking for it, but it is far from the place you are” (pg63).

First dump...

Mt Wellington has had its first dump for the year...

Oh... I do love Tassie!! :)