Something from me to you...

I am writing this blog in the evening - well, almost night really - as we spent most of yesterday travelling, finding our hotel and getting sorted out and getting ready for a four day conference which started this morning.

I did have chance, however, to read and then pray through today's #40acts challenge (read it here: http://www.40acts.org.uk/the-challenge/BOGOF? ) 

It's about bargains - and anyone that knows me will know I LOVE a bargain! But it has to be a real bargain - not just something that I buy because it's cheap but something I would have bought anyway but is massively reduced. Like when I looked in a charity shop for some black shoes and found an unworn pair of black Loakes for £12. List price £130 - bargain!!!

So I have to do a bit of a buy one get one free - and pass the free one on...

No problem - I think...

Except I'm at a conference centre and everything is provided for me for the next four days! So it looks like I'll have to bank this challenge for later on, maybe at the weekend, and do it then.

However i do have something to pass on: my faith. Even though I am with forty or so senior leaders from my denomination it is too easy to get hung up on church governance and structure and forget the one that we are doing all of this for. 

Jesus - it's all about Jesus.

His generosity of living and dying reflected in our generosity of giving. So I will share what I have - the most precious gift that is mine. My devotion to Jesus.

Party!!!

As a teenager I loved a party! The loud music, the bad dancing, the witty banter, the terrible flirting! It was what happened almost every weekend, someone would be celebrating something and thirty or forty of us would turn up at their home and for a few hours the party would distract us from whatever else was on our minds.

The last party I went to was my wife, Catherine's, birthday party. It was brilliant, good food, lovely friends, great music (that was my responsibility so I am bound to say that!). All of my family together - brilliant!

I don't even know when the next party will be...

Until today when #40acts challenged me to host one! So the challenge is on for me to put together a community party. It's not going to happen this weekend but maybe later in the summer (when it comes!) I'll get it together!

I am reminded, of course, that Jesus lived a party. He loved to spend time with His friends and others - even when it wound the respectable religious people up! 

So, there will be a party sometime, it's friendly, it's generous and it's biblical!

What a weekend!

No not partying 'til I drop but following that sometimes narrow road up to the Caithness Coast, spending time with my boys and lovely wife who is thankfully getting stronger by the day although tiring very quickly.
Spending time with good people and remembering that experience is no preparation for personal pain particularly when someone is taken from us - their earthly life coming to an end their eternal life continuing but those who have ministered to them as friends are left with real pain and the challenge of continuing in relevant ministry, yet our God who calls home is the same God who equips for the day to day ministry of caring that continues. A new friend of mine is in my prayers as he faces the prospect of ongoing care for family members as well as pastoral care for others around the fellowship.
Having thought a lot about death in recent days I am now convinced more than ever of God's overall control and our utter helplessness in the face of that plan so that our faith is all we are left with - that and the knowledge that it is not until Jesus is all we have that we realise that he really is all we need.