Just had 2 days as an observer at a Winning Strategies Seminar held for the benefit of a group of pastors from the New Testament Church of God denomination. The material originated with Bill Boerop of World Thrust International. The seminars were conducted by him with two local friends, Willie Cuke and Paul Hynam. Four others, including myself, sat in on the times, adding our questions and comments and then today three were ‘auditioned’ with a view to becoming accredited facilitators of the program. I’m not a great program guy myself but was impressed by much of the material especially perhaps the demonstration that the whole bible, not only well known New Testament commands, reflects God’s heart for the world and mandates world evangelisation i.e. is missional. There is an emphasis on the un-reached people groups of the world. The course in its present form doesn’t really allow adaptation beyond the ‘targetted’ pastors and as such was not something I could totally identify with: my priority concern is for the next, younger generation and I’m not a fan of the pastor-centred church! I tussled long with God before reaching my decision though - friendship has a drawing power! But we are gradually understanding each other and there was no pressure to conform. I can’t wait until we have breakfast together on Monday!

In connection with our desired relocation to create a ‘place of prayer’ I have been challenged to take some steps that are within our grasp so that we can trust God for the bigger financial transaction that seems way beyond us. These steps include investing in a new Apple laptop and also (for health & fitness reasons) in two special bicycles made in Denmark!!!!

The difficulty arises in that Apple do not accept Mastercard Credit Cards registered outside the USA and the bicycle company do not accept cards at all. Having plucked up all our faith and courage to take the steps of obedience (when logic would suggest all money is reserved for the house move) it is a frustration to encounter more hurdles - the joys of living on a tropical island.

It has been good having Vicki around more of late and even some of the expected training course don’t appear to be happening - which means more availability but less income!

At the same time Vicki has had the opportunity to be involved in a ‘deliverance’ conference and I have been doing it by ‘distance learning’. It is something we are familiar with but it has been good to focus our attention in this area and to realise afresh that in the past  there have been some ‘open doors’ through accepting negative criticism etc., which satan has exploited to limit our effectiveness. Revelation having come, the doors have now been firmly shut and tonight the enemy’s forces will be cut off from affecting our lives.

While all this has been happening others having been coming to us sadly with deep-seated issues in their lives so that we have been taking several through this process at the same time. And we have been facing some personal faith challenges (involving risk of course) which have not been easy. It seems that the conflict we are in does not let up and diligence is a word that has been uppermost in my mind of late. So when nothing is being written that usually means we are pre-occupied with this sort of stuff and you could say that ‘no news means please pray!’.

It’s good when we have times of peace and can be consciously built up but I know that the conflict times are inevitable if we are to make progress. When we see the devastation in some people’s lives and the sad lack of vision and perspective we are reminded there is so much work to be done, and yet the labourers still seem few.

Hi Rowley,

Just reading this book by Lou Engle entitled ‘Digging the Wells of Revival’, and found this passage….

“As Paul Cain so urgently entreats us, “We must have tears if we are going to see revival. If we have no tears its because our hearts are not parched. The gift of tears is more than the result of suffering that comes from living in a fallen world; it flows from feeling the pain and the suffering that the Lord Jesus feels for us. He is our High priest touched by the feelings of our infirmities. The shedding of tears shows that the heart is engaged.

Where are tears today? Prayer and intercession is the most important work of the church. Ministry in the last day is worth everything. It will cost everything…
Ask God for the gift of tears and expect it. I tell you there will be no public reaping without some public weeping. The greatest reapers in the world are the greatest weepers.”

Those who know me will appreciate why I enjoyed this quote. Looks like another book to go on the wish list…

What a difference this makes! Vicki has finished her school stints and most of her private coaching as exams are all over and there is an air of relaxation about the place. I have my wife back! And so she is busy tidying her teaching room and getting a lot of pleasure about doing some of the backlog of things she needs to do.

Now lest you get the wrong idea she is scheduled to be training teachers throughout July (change is as good as a rest?) so won’t be totally available but for right now we are enjoying this brief respite. We have been talking about different approaches to relaxation: we have tried to maintain a habitual day off together each week but the edge is taken off this for Vicki because of her awareness of all the vital things not done and accumulating which create even more pressure on her. Hence we are exploring (with the aid of suggestions from friends) that we might approach this differently - something regular for me, something seasonal for her - provided that each week we do carve out time to be together for policy and decision making over a meal out perhaps. What about a regular day out on the bike for me? What about some days over half-term sketching for Vicki? Etc. The seasonal approach reminds me of bygone Celtic monastery days when the weather dictated seasons of study, work, mission etc. Strange that with my interest in the Celtic church we haven’t thought it could be applicable to this area of our busy lives! We (I) have been trying to enforce a ‘one size fits all’ approach to relaxation - amazing!

And of course we haven’t forgotten my 91 year-old mum who needs to get out of the house for a break from all her hard work but is dependent on me for doing so. And did I mention August? Could we possibly have a real break together then…

I have to lose some weight. The visit to the cardiologist confirmed it - 20 pounds slowly accumulated since my first visit to him nearly 4 years ago - contrary to people saying how slim and fit I look. Others know the truth - namely my wife, Vicki! It has got to stop and so I have 6 months, before the next appointment, in which to apply some more discipline and lose that unnecessary and dangerous weight (it correlates to an increase in blood pressure, which is not good). My resting pulse rate is good, but then medication is controlling that. I asked if the medication also made me somewhat sleepy and tired but no - that is due to lack of quality sleep (I had hoped to just cast out a demon or two!). And so we have closed the windows to shut out neighbours security lights and were reminded that if we are to get up early then that means early to bed. Saying this was a health ‘wake-up’ call doesn’t seem to fit but you know what I mean. I’m getting plenty of exercise - walking and cycling and will perhaps increase that but I have to watch the food intake, even though by others standards I’m not a great eater but occasionally (?) forbidden items get through my guard!

There are other things that appear to need discipline too. We were talking about the best use of my time at the computer - so many e-mails, so many interesting research articles, so many blogs to keep up with but does it all lead to not enough time to DO? And it’s hard to get as much done in the tropics (we were warned before we came). A student saying came to mind: “those who can’t do, teach and those who can’t teach, lecture”. Oh dear!

There are also some things that have been lost that ought not to have been lost. I can’t find an article printed out for Vicki’s benefit which I now need for some teaching that I want to give, and I can’t remember where I sourced it from (a senior moment that has lasted!) There are piles of printed e-mails and such articles - some in the lounge , some in the study and some even in the bedroom, ‘filed’ wherever they were last being read. These are days of information overload and I’m going to have to devise a better method of reaching this more reputable quote - “Reading maketh a full man, conference a ready man, and writing an exact man.” - Sir Francis Bacon. I don’t think he had to cope with the internet!

I did talk about operating best on a disciplined foundation the other day!

A fascinating post by Mark Sayers equating the Emerging church with generation X gives much food for thought. Introducing emerging concepts to the traditional religious Caribbean church is challenging enough, even though exciting for us so-called ‘baby boomers’. But that we may be already behind the times in communicating among the young adults (under 30’s) who gather to us and are our priority is a sobering ‘wake-up call’. Is it possible not only to pass the baton to the next generation but perhaps to skip them for the next? Society is changing so fast.

When I moved 4 years ago from PC to Apple it was considered a radical step, but now my OSx Panther cannot cope with Firefox 3. Should I have skipped Apple and gone straight to Linux???!!! Brother Maynard thinks so. And is this what is behind Martin Scott’s 3 Generations blog?

I visit the Cardiologist later but I’m going to squeeze in a bike ride first. He’ll probably tell me that if I keep taking the tablets and exercise I’ll be alright. Now where’s that red pill?

It was her birthday yesterday and we took her for a meal today at the Barbados Hilton. Two other friends joined us and we had a pleasant leisurely buffet high up overlooking the sea - and at the same time discussed church strategies and how to draw a younger generation into a greater commitment whereby God really is a first priority. And then I reminded folk it was a birthday meal…

We moved on from there to visit some other friends, who Mum is particularly close to not only in age but in appreciation for their kindness to us. Stayed there longer than intended then investigated Pricesmart - an American based bulk store - full of lots of enticing things (easily resisted after spending money at the Hilton!) and then on home feeling very sleepy.

Tomorrow looks like being a busy counselling day and action starts at 6 a.m.

I usually ride on a Sunday avoiding the traffic but it was Monday or nothing - so I braved the heavy traffic period and it went well. On the return leg I realised someone had joined close behind so I maintained my pace (not fast by racing standards!) but he seemed content to stay in tow. I realised he would be club rider on a light weight Cannondale and when I eventually had to turn off for home he thanked me, was surprised at my age, suggested narrower tires would be easier etc., but said I did well! Actually it was 3 years since I maintained that average speed on that ‘circuit’ and that was on slick tires so I was pleased. I tell myself that these days I’m more interested in distance travelled rather than speed but I guess the competitive spirit remains, even if I’m on a basic GT mountain bike!

But I’m still dreaming of a Dursley Pederson…

I think the title is somewhat presumptive as I could hardly be considered a ‘writer’ - yet! Nevertheless this is the longest gap since I tentatively began this blog in August last year and each time I log onto the internet and see my dormant home page my conscience is pricked. Insight began to come when I checked out Maggie Dawn’s entry after what for her has been a blog-lite period - “If you are going to write, you have to do it everyday”. I think she had a better ‘excuse’: for me it is a symptom of a potential Achilles Heel.

Light began to dawn (!) when my printer finally stopped after a few days of erratic behaviour - shutting itself down after a job and then the power light flashing when the power cable was clearly plugged in. And then I remembered that I had ignored a low ink warning and neglected to buy a spare cartridge. The situation was soon remedied but the illustration remained.

30 years ago a wise man asked the leader of a new house church to allow me to speak/preach every week for a year, notwithstanding there were other capable speakers present. It was quite a discipline, given my family and work responsibilities, but it brought with it a real sense of fulfilment and at the end of the year the same man gave me a much wider itinerant responsibility. Perhaps 10 years later I volunteered to be part of an evangelistic team in the days when ’street theatre’ was in vogue. To my surprise I was given quite an involved script in one sketch and remember asking, “How will I learn this?” (the implication being that it was too much to expect of someone who had left school over 25 years previously). I well remember his simple, direct reply, “By learning it!”

Another friend used to say, “Doing it, is doing it!

Mulling these things over I realised that it is possible to be always looking for a better way/method/route and fail to choose a disciplined approach i.e. doing it! We can be paralyzed captives of an ideal rather than true visionaries taking necessary interim steps and ensuring that we are fit enough to take them.