Reflections on "up North"

I met some amazing people at the weekend. That kind of situation where you walk into a place and you feel totally at one with the others who are there. I always thought, when I heard people say this; that they were kind of kidding themselves - after all, we all have a natural suspicion of other people, don't we?

I enjoyed the drive up - singing my heart out to a very loud Ipod and beautiful scenery - and a lot of time to reflect on what I was going to be speaking on that day. As those who know me can testify, I am not an exegetical whizz kid, but I do have a heart to train and equip; and that's where my passion is. I hope I got that right on Saturday!

I had the opportunity to spend an hour with the team from the Healing Rooms before I spoke at the final training session - they were going off to pray for a while; I didn't know them; they didn't know me; but I asked if I could join them and honestly - it was amazing. God's presence swept over us. We sat (or knelt) in a small room mainly in silence, or praying quietly on our own, but it was like "We belong here with you Lord. We're family".

Precious moments.

It was a great day; I met folk from all over the north west coast and heard great stories of what God is doing all over these rural parts. Encouragement!

And so I'd like to ask: what is encouraging you these days?

Can't wait..............

Tomorrow a friend is lending me Series 5...............
I'm picking it up at 1000 hrs precisely....................

Still Small Voices

New post on Still Small Voices. Please do read it.


Please pray for a friend of mine and her children who face their final hearing before the High Court. She has given me permission to ask for prayer. She knows undeniably that her future is in the hands of almighty God.

Please believe me that her reasons for not wanting to return to her homeland are immense and all to do with her safety. She met Jesus in a remarkable, supernatural way. He saved her.

I have heard some people question how and what we should pray. How about:
- for mercy and justice to be meted out, which will result in.....
- a fair hearing
- for God's will to be done. This is not overly simplistic; this will mean that the
family continue to know God's peace.

I have never met anyone like her before. She is amazing.

Busy weekend

I don't think I have ever posted twice in one day.......

This is a busy weekend. Going to a party tonight for a special friend's 40th - he also happens to be getting his hair shaved off for charidee on Sunday afternoon - so all of us are saying its the last time we will get to touch his long flowing locks - and the best of it is that his father is our senior pastor and he will miss the de-fleecing as he's sunning himself in Greece somewhere!

Then tomorrow I am going up north at 0630 to be a speaker at one of these.

And on Monday away before 8 to speak at one of these groups in our capital city!
Oh my exciting life ::::::grin::::::::

Wrestling with.......

John Smulo has raised some interesting questions about the problem of evil. It is inextricably linked with sin. I've been thinking...... (dangerous activity for Lynn!) I went back to this video, which I watched a few weeks ago. Please allow yourself to be moved by it. Each life is precious.

Why do bad things happen to good people?
Why is there sin and suffering?
Why is Madeleine McCann missing?
What is going to happen to her?
Why are countless vulnerable people (the young, the elderly, the poor.....) suffering as I type this all around the world?

Am I so comfy that I can become immune?
Can I lose my edge....by allowing the devil, the world, the sin that is prevalent around me to take my focus off the one who brought me out of the kingdom of darkness into the glorious kingdom of his son?
Why do insignificant internalised events take up my time when there is a world that NEEDS TO KNOW about the love of God which rescued me. My Saviour.

Praying for Maddy

We took the decision earlier in the week to talk to our children about the disappearance of Madeleine McCann. We do shield them from some news, but not all of the news and not all of the time. We discuss what we consider appropriate and how much detail we feel is best to give.

Last week we began by not having the news (TV/radio) on when stories of Madeleine's disappearance came on; but then we felt that our kids are deluged outside the home by pictures of Madeleine everywhere and there IS discussion amongst other children and in school too about the case. While we want our children to hold on to their childhood, we recognise that they live in the world and that they are capable of sensing the hurts and sadnesses of the world to which they are called.

In particular I recognise a desire and I would say a gifting on them both to pray for the things that are causing hurt to this world. I think they are picking up God's heart for situations. They possess compassion. On many occasions over the last three days, the younger one (aged 4) has called us to pray as a family for Maddy, such as when we sat down to breakfast this morning, and again at tea-time. His first response is to call out to God, rather than problem-solve. There are things to learn from little children.

We are crying out to God for this little girl and her family - as a family.
Lord, hear our prayer.

The secret of theology

Am voluntarily reading a book on the atonement - it's not even on the reading list or anything!?!?!? - by Steve Chalke. Got a Heat magazine here as well, but haven't picked it up (too much on the Beckhams. As if I'm interested!)

and I have now realised the Secret of Studying Theology.


1. speak using questions aka "good morning, class. Is it a good morning? What makes this a good morning?"
2. ask questions ALL the time "Is it time for morning break? At what time do we usually reconvene? How do you feel about coming back at 10.35am this morning?"
3. leave questions hanging tentatively in the air, with a sideways lean of your head and a smirk, I mean, smile on your face
4. use the phrase "ah, but..." a lot
5. use praise involving the word "question" such as "that's a good question"/ "well thought out question"/"interesting question"
6. gently correct using the word "question" i.e. "is that a valid question?"/ "unusual question" NB "Interesting question" can be used in this context too

This is SO different from my background in education. Teenagers want the ANSWERS. They want absolutes. They want FED information. I am in a culture warp, adjusting from information provider to novice thinker. For the first few weeks of this class I wanted to grab my lecturer by the lapels and growl "just tell me the answers, man!" but he's hooked me in; drawn my attention, drugged me into thinking deeper, examining assumptions I had always made; auditing other views; causing me to re-examine the basic tenets of my faith. An amazingly skilled man indeed. Not a lot makes me almost 100% silent for 3 hours.

I recognise excellent learning and teaching approaches practised too. At the start of the class, he explains where we're going. He recaps and summarises so that we start with what we already know. {A la...ascertain what a child knows and teach him accordingly} He picks up on inaccurate learning or incorrect terminology/categorising and corrects it within the context of an "ordinary" class.

I'm very glad to be doing this class at this moment in time.