(Just a side note - I'm away for the weekend and won't have internet access, so I'll catch up on my 40 Days accountability blogs as soon as I'm back! Make sure you read Captain Dave's in the meantime!)

40 DAYS OF PURPOSE
Chapter Four: Made To Last Forever

Main idea: Our time here on earth is just a drop in the bucket compared to the time for which we were created - eternity.
Most impactful verse: "...realizing that every moment we spend in these earthly bodies is time spent away from our eternal home in heaven with Jesus. (2 Corinthians 5:6 TLB)"
Most impactful concept: (1) The Bible calls our earthly bodies "tents" but our heavenly bodies "houses," and (2) The closer we live to God, the smaller everything else appears.
Other thoughts: We focus so much on silly, petty earthly things - we should always instead be focused on the eternal aspect of everything, if this is where we will spend virtually all of our existences. So why do we tend to think our lives are so huge and that everything that happens is the end of the world? Good question. Too bad I don't have the answer - I'd like to, especially today. Perhaps the answer to the problem lies in this concept: "The closer you live to God, the smaller everything else appears." It's definitely worth a shot.

So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. (2 Corinthians 4:18)

My kids are the best. I don't mean my biological kids - of those I have none. I mean the "kids" in my Youth and Young Adults group. Tonight they threw me a surprise birthday party after our Youth service! Everything was pink (and I do mean everything), there was a gorgeous (and really yummy) home-made cake, and they made me the most beautiful presents that must have taken them each hours to prepare. It was a tiring night of church tonight, but what a great ending to the day. They are truly the best and tonight I feel really special.

To those of them who read my blog once in a while - thanks for everything. I dearly love you.





40 DAYS OF PURPOSE
Chapter Three: What Drives Your Life?

Main idea: Everyone is driven in their lives by something - if we know our purpose it gives our lives positive meaning and focus (and therefore peace).
Most impactful verse: "You, Lord, give perfect peace to those who keep their purpose firm and put their trust in You. (Isaiah 26:3 TEV)"
Most impactful concept: We are products of our past, but we don't have to become prisoners of it.
Other thoughts: Our culture is totally driven - driven by lust for money, for power, for recognition. Our church has a culture of its own, and we run the risk of also being driven by those very things. We must recognize what it is that we are purposed to do while here on earth (and beyond) and ensure that these things are done out of a heart that is turned towards the Father and is full of love and worship. And there is a promise of peace attached to that, which is awesome, and not to be forgotten.

40 DAYS OF PURPOSE
Chapter Two: You Are Not An Accident

Main idea: God planned us each with a specific purpose attached to our lives.
Most impactful verse: "I have carried you since you were born; I have taken care of you from your birth. Even when you are old, I will be the same. Even when your hair has turned to gray, I will take care of you. I made you and will take care of you. (Isaiah 46:3-4 NCV)"
Most impactful concept: Many children are unplanned by their parents, but they are not unplanned by God.
Other thoughts: Lots of times when we speak of purpose we are looking for what we are supposed to do in this life - even do for God. But the truth is that this was not even the sole purpose for which we were created. We were created so that God could shower us with His love. Period. Wow - that's amazing. That in itself makes me want to return that love with love of my own, strewn over His magnificent feet every chance that I get.

I was thinking this afternoon about joy - I feel very joyful this afternoon.

I was pondering the feeling, because I wasn't sure why I feel full of joy. Is it random euphoria? Was someone extra nice to me today, and even though I've forgotten the incident, the joy stays with me? Is my cat behaving particularly well today and giving me lots of cuddles? Did I get to have dessert for lunch today instead of just after lunch? Uh...no.

Then I remembered that I wear one of those plastic bracelets that everyone has these days. And on mine it says "FULLNESS." This bracelet originally came from a conference and represented a different verse in the Bible, but lately mine has been reminding me that in God's presence there is fullness of joy (Psalm 16:11).

It's true that lately I've been making spending time with God more of a priority. I've been trying to seek His guidance for my decisions more, especially to do with work and being a pastor. I've been reading my Bible more with a goal of hearing His voice through every page. I've been journalling more and having more conversations with Him.

The long and short of it is, I've been in His presence more. More presence. More fullness.

There will always be an underlying joy in my life knowing that the God of the universe loves and wants me, but today, the simple knowledge of having a friend that is closer than a brother is bringing me a lot of joy. In His presence is fullness of joy.

You will make known to me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; in Your right hand there are pleasures forever. (Psalm 16:11)

A man of too many friends comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. (Proverbs 18:24)




40 DAYS OF PURPOSE
Chapter One: It All Starts With God

Main idea: We were made by God and for God. (It's not about us.)
Most impactful verse: "Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, My way, to finding yourself, your true self. (Matthew 16:25 MSG)"
Most impactful concept: We don't get to choose our purpose - God has planned it out already.
Other thoughts: If God has a purpose for my life, and He has always had it, then I don't need to worry about what I'm supposed to do with my life, I need instead to listen to what He's telling me about what He has planned for me to do. Time to tune in. And I imagine that since He knows me better than I know myself, He will have a great plan for me that fits perfectly with who I am even now and also who I am to become in the future.

Hey everyone - Captain Dave Macpherson is blogging on his daily experience with the 40 Days of Purpose. Check out his blog - Purpose Driven Dave.

My grandmother is a truly beautiful woman. She has always been the most beautiful woman her age that I have ever seen, and at 94 she is still every day dressed in a suit with a brooch at her neck, her earrings on and her hair curled.

But there is a beauty inside of her, too, that I have always liked. She is older now (her response today when we told her how old she is was, "Gracious!"), and fairly well advanced into her Alzheimer's. She hasn't known who I am for a few years now, and now doesn't even recognize her only son, my Dad. But every time we go to see her, she is gracious and hospitable, welcoming us in and chatting with us as long as we choose to stay.

I know that she is not always like that. The Alzheimer's also assists her to often be fairly belligerent and regularly think she is dying. And I also know that she has not always been like that to everyone she has known in her life - even to assume that someone was always genteel and kind would probably be too much to imagine. But to me, she has always been as I often see her now - gentle, loving, affectionate and kind. She can also still find the humour in many situations and make us laugh.

Today I had the opportunity to take off her chipped nail polish and put some fresh polish on her nails. Just that little time to hold her hands took me back years to remember the times when I was younger and we would share a chair together or she would rub my back or make me peanut butter and banana sandwiches. Back then she used to tell all her neighbours that I was her granddaughter and prove how proud she was of me. Today, she told me.

It's amazing to me that when we try to do something so small to bless someone else, how often we are incredibly blessed instead. What a great day. What a great lesson to remember.

Lately God has been speaking to me about many things that need adjusting in my life - some even little detailed things, like how I manage my work schedule and whether I ask His guidance on everything that I do. Or better yet, whether I ask Him first what He would want me to do.

Acting upon these things that He requests is sometimes hard - it involves risk and courage and discipline. But when we begin to do this, there is such a peace!! Not necessarily that there will be no fallout - that's always a possibility - but rather that you're doing what God asked, so regardless of the outcome, you know that you're in His good books. That's a pretty solid feeling. Frankly, I would rather be in God's good books than be beloved my whole congregation (and that's saying a lot, because a group that big can offer some serious hurts, especially when you really love them). But I'm sensing these days that those two things are not mutually exclusive. In fact, God has my congregation's health as one of His primary goals, so when I follow His leadership for my leadership, I can't really see how that can go far wrong.

Surrender is a key factor to living a life of worship - if we say we trust Him, if we say He is all-powerful, but offer Him no surrender, we are simply offering lip service and not true worship. For me, surrendering the making of little decisions through my everyday life is something I regularly forget to do (or never quite mastered, one or the other) - but every once in a while when I start to 'get it,' I see the abundance of the blessing of surrender.

It is peace, and it is beautiful.

One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple. For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle and set me high upon a rock.

My heart says of you, "Seek his face!" Your face, Lord, I will seek. Do not hide your face from me, do not turn your servant away in anger; you have been my helper. Do not reject me or forsake me, O God my Saviour.

I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.

(Psalm 27:4-5, 8-9, 13-14)

Our congregation just kicked off the 40 Days of Purpose Campaign. It's based on The Purpose Drive Life, a book by Rick Warren, and though my initial (and periodic) response was to write off what seems to obviously be a money-making business, I have to say I am impressed. Rick Warren's message on the video tonight was direct, strictly scriptural and held nothing back.

As a very brief re-cap, our 5 purposes in life are:

We were planned for God's pleasure - WORSHIP
We were formed for God's family - FELLOWSHIP
We were created to become like Christ - DISCIPLESHIP
We were shaped for serving God - MINISTRY
We were made for a mission - EVANGELISM

Sounds like stuff many of us have heard before? Yup - me too. And yet tonight as I was listening to this video, I have realized (as I have been realizing for the last few weeks as God opens my eyes) that I am not living up to my full purpose.

The ministry part of it hit me quite strongly tonight - shaped for serving God. In the acronym "SHAPE", our Spiritual Gifts, Heart (passions), Abilities (natural skills), Personality and Experiences all shape what our ministries will (or should) be. It was very enlightening, and makes me ask myself whether all those things in my life are still aligned with the ministries in which I am involved. Or rather whether the ministries in which I am involved are still aligned with the aformentioned list. Or have I instead become involved in many things simply because I am able to "fill the gap." The more I think about ministry for that reason, the more I think it is dangerous. Working for too long outside the passions, gifts and abilities that God gives us is a recipe for burnout and disillusionment. And I think, too, it keeps others within the church, who have the gifts and passions for those things, idle and frustrated with their lack of opportunity to worship God in the way they were created.

It was good stuff. Hard stuff to process in some ways, but good stuff. I will likely be blogging more about 40 Days of Purpose as we continue through the program - I pray this program will not be just another "thing" that we do in the church, but rather a life-changing and congregation-changing experience that brings more glory to the name of our great God.

Praise the Lord!


PS - Just in case he's reading this - HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY BROTHER, GREG!!

I think there's a place where too many of us in the church (and in life in general, but I'm more concerned with the church) are regularly just riding the wave of what's going on, instead of seeking to find out what the goal is and to row like heck to make sure we get there.

I think there's a place where those in the church that are rowing are getting tired, getting beat up by the waves, and mocked by those that are simply riding the wave and enjoying it.

I think there's a place where we say we know God (and probably do know some stuff about Him), but aren't pursuing Him to the end of our strength by rowing as furiously as possible to wherever He is or might be.

So are you rowing or riding the wave?

Sometimes, when you're exhausted, you have to ride the wave to stay alive and not drown. But most of the time, we should be focused on finding out where God is going or going to be, and rowing together with all our strength to get there. Two or three leaders in a church can't row the church to God's presence and will. And when those leaders need to ride the wave, someone is going to have to continue paddling to ensure that the boat doesn't drift aimlessly away.

We are called to be in community. We are called to support one another. We are not called to just let our leaders do all the work and make all the decisions. What's your gift? Use it. What's your strength? Walk in it. Need help? Need training? Cool - get it. Need rest? Take it.

So what's the goal we're rowing towards?

Simple. As is says in the Westminster Shorter Catechism: Man's chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever.

Every time.

"You are worthy, O Lord our God, to receive glory and honour and power. For you created everything, and it is for your pleasure that they exist and were created." (Revelation 4:11)

I think I saw a ghost today. Not the kind that wears a white sheet and lives in the attic. (I live in an apartment, so the closest I could get to that is my cat caught in a towel in the bathroom cupboard. Not very scary.) No, it is the ghost of an old fear that I thought I was completely rid of a long time ago, that seems to have found a new avenue in my life in which to manifest itself.

It's the fear of man - the fear of what people might think of me.

Generally, I'm pretty together when it comes to being confident in who I have been created to be. It's taken me a while to get there, and I have my off moments, but if you disagree and have noticed anything that belies that statement, all I have to say is you should have met me 10 years ago. WOW. (Neurosis personified.....)

But today, as I was sharing with two different groups two different things that God is asking me to do as a leader (and us to do as a group), I was somewhat nervous and felt I communicated very poorly what I was trying to say, which somewhere in my head is translating into "they'll think I'm bonkers and never follow that" or "they'll be offended at something I said."

Perhaps this is some of that "His strength is made perfect in my weakness" stuff? Or perhaps it's still some of the old fear of man that I always think I'm over and then it rears its ugly head up again. In other words, I know I believe that God gave me this direction to go as a leader, but what if the people I'm leading don't follow me? Isn't it then said that I'm just out for a walk? But aren't I going to just have to go for a walk if I really believe this is what God's called me to do? Even if no one comes with me?

My comfort in these questions tonight is this: God is ever faithful. He will not let me be disgraced. He will do whatever needs to be done to bring His name glory. Praise the Lord. It turns out that's all I need to know.

"Do not be afraid; you will not suffer shame. Do not fear disgrace; you will not be humiliated. You will forget the shame of your youth and remember no more the reproach of your widowhood. For your Maker is your husband — the Lord Almighty is his name — the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer; he is called the God of all the earth. The Lord will call you back as if you were a wife deserted and distressed in spirit — a wife who married young, only to be rejected," says your God. "For a brief moment I abandoned you, but with deep compassion I will bring you back. In a surge of anger I hid my face from you for a moment, but with everlasting kindness I will have compassion on you," says the Lord your Redeemer. "To me this is like the days of Noah, when I swore that the waters of Noah would never again cover the earth. So now I have sworn not to be angry with you, never to rebuke you again. Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed," says the Lord, who has compassion on you. (Isaiah 54:4-10)

Do you ever go for a long period of time without seing a certain friend? Like, years, I mean, not just a few weeks. And then do you find that with some friends it's like not a moment has passed, but with most people it's rather like learning all about them all over again? Re-learning how to be comfortable, re-learning what their minute facial expressions mean, re-learning how to interpret their silences?

I find it's the same with God. If you're like me, you spend some serious time being very busy in order to fulfill God's every wish. These things start out as passionnate acts of love - done because seeing Him smile just once in my direction, pleased with wanting to bring Him pleasure, is enough to make my breath catch in my throat. Then I get used to doing these things, and often confuse them with commands - things I must do lest He be upset with me. Then I move into a routine where this is just 'what I do' - knowing that somewhere I do it because I think it brings God pleasure, but really getting rather tired of it, and wishing to find again the spark of passion that used to motivate my actions. Or worse yet, I do certain things because I figure it's the thing that He would want.

The result? Exhaustion for one. And worse yet, His smiles are more piteous. The kind that look like, "Oh, there she goes again, a little off the rails from what I was looking for, though her intentions are good. How long should I let her go this time before I throw a wrench in the works and bring her back, I wonder?"

From everything I read in the scriptures, God wants us motivated by love, not just in what we do for others, but even in following the things He has commanded us to do. He is not looking for mindless robots, but sons and daughters who love Him with a passion that even defies our role as His servants.

While I was away, I realized that while others may have the impression that I was a "passionate worshipper," I had lost that passion to worship, to serve others for His sake and to exist completely in His will. I had become a servant only and forgotten that I am a daughter and even more, I am a bride. If a wife never spends time and focus on her relationship with her husband, but rather only goes by what she has known in the past he likes, assuming that she'll get a chance soon to spend a few moments with him (though that probably never happens), she will eventually lose touch with him, and find that her relationship is merely a shadow of what once existed. I pray that we as Christ's bride will never forget that we are first and foremost His treasured creation, His sons and daughters, His bride and His wife. I don't want to measure what I do anymore by what others will think of me - even my bosses or my family. I feel today like I would rather lose my job as a pastor and have the contempt of my friends and family rather than once again fall into that "routine of ministry," which looks great but can be such an empty, passionless shell, and most likely only as effective as I alone could be. I want to measure what I do by what He is asking me to do. I want to measure what I do by what will bring that smile to His face. I want to measure what I do by what I know intimately of Him and what He wants me to do each day. I could evangelize the entire world, but if it's not motivated by my love for God, it's nothing. Absolutely nothing. And it's a heck of a lot of work when you try it that way, anyway.

Here are a couple of great quotes that brought this home to me this past week:

“As a servant I was dispensable - servants come and go and God can choose any of us to do any job in His Kingdom. As a worship leader I was replaceable - God could have used anyone for the events that we’d been privileged to be a part of. But as a son [daughter] and as a child of God, I was indispensable. There could never be another me - a child is irreplaceable. (Pages 37-38, The Unquenchable Worshipper, Matt Redman)”

“I’m convinced that it’s possible to work really hard at the tasks God has called us to and still maintain a vibrant, intimate heart relationship with Him. Jesus did. The key is balancing the times of hard work with times of uninterrupted devotion - moments to be still and know that He is God; times when everything else fades into the background as we sit and listen devotedly at the feet of our master. As Richard Foster reminds us, the divine priority will always be “worship first, service second.” Interestingly, when I regularly make quiet times to meet with God, I also start becoming much more aware of Him in my everyday activities. (Page 101, The Unquenchable Worshipper, Matt Redman)”

Worship first. Service second. I'm so loopy when it comes to remembering how to live that out. And to be vey frank, we have created an atmosphere in the church - and in the Army especially (God forgive me for saying that out loud) - that is not conducive to that divine priority. Let's change that. Let's hold each other accountable. Let's not expect that we're not going to get tired, but when we do, let's re-assess and make sure we're still passionately in love with the Saviour and can't wait for the next moment we spend one-on-one with Him.


If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing. (1 Corinthians 13:1-3)

Hey everybody - I'm on holidays!! I'm taking a break from, well, everything for a couple of weeks, so the posts may be sporadic at best (if there are any at all). I'm heading off to spend some time with just me and Jesus on a beach in the interior. (Life's rough, eh?) Be blessed while I'm gone and I'll be back in a couple of weeks!

Here's a last thought or two to ponder for a little while:

You drew near when I called on You; You said, "Do not fear!" (Lamentations 3:57)

Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.... (James 4:8)

Meaningless. That's what King Solomon describes, well, EVERYTHING as. Meaningless.

I'm inclined to agree with him. And since he has been canonized (in other words, his writings got to be part of the Bible) and I have not, it's probably a good idea to agree with him. Here are some of the things he thinks are meaningless or useless in this life:

Everything (yup, that's where he starts)
Wisdom
Pleasure
Possessions
Labour (working for money)
Riches
Life (as a good summation, in case "everything" didn't cover it)

Sound a little negative or depressing? Actually, it's a good reminder. We work and strive a lot in this world. Even as Christians we often follow the trends of the culture to make enough money to be "comfortable" or have the things we want. We want to be known as smart or we want to have things or enjoy life. Or perhaps in the church we strive to fill our pews with just more numbers or louder singers. Ecclesiastes warns us that all of this is useless.

OK, then! So.....now what?

Easy - it's all about God. It's the Sunday School answer, I know. But after 12 chapters of how meaningless everything is, Solomon ends the book with these 2 short verses:

The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person. For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil. (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14)

Fear God. Keep His commandments. There's too much to keep up with in the world. There's also too much to keep up with in the church culture, if we let our focus go awry. Fear God. Keep His commandments. I can remember that much.