Chasing the Wildgoose

bonnie scotland

2011-12-19T20:46:00.000Z

belhaven bay

things I like about Scotland: family, old friends, catch ups, the weak winter sun that sets at 3pm, fires, central heating, my Mum's cooking, Lydia's cooking, mulled wine, Christmas in winter, getting up before the sun (not hard), my brother's pub quiz, the golf tavern, St Andrews, German Christmas markets, hot chocolate and tea, spiced cider, expansive views, seeing your breath, scraping the car, thick socks, big coats, scarves, soup, knitting with purpose, folk who pray for and with, frost, ice, snow, trees, Hogmanay, driving, bridge, church family (gathered and scattered), humour, tv, accents, radio 2, home...?

coming soon....

2011-11-12T02:42:00.001Z

a little hint of something coming soon... watch this space!

RWC2011

2011-10-10T20:12:00.000Z

NZ has been a wee bit consumed of late with a little festival of rugby - Rugby World Cup 2011! It really has been exciting times and there's folk from all over gathering for games and in fanzones. I've been along to a few as well! Sadly Scotland didn't make it to the Quarter Finals - they fell so narrowly to both Argentina and England. We just need to work out how to score tries and we'll be unstoppable!

me, pauline and matty readying for the bannockburn battle

An exciting element for us at TSCF has been partnering in different ways with some of the players who are Christians. It was exciting to have an event at Auckland Uni with Deacon Manu - the Fijian rugby captain - sharing how he had made a commitment to following Jesus while living in Wales, through the influence of his neighbours, a couple in their 80s. It was good to hear of the opportunities and the challenges of being a witness in international and club rugby, and the sense of calling he felt to where God has placed him now.

Godzone is a resource TSCF has produced in light of the witness of these players. It is the Gospel of Luke with testimonies from international rugby players from many nations, of how the Gospel has changed their lives. Several thousand of these have been printed and we're hoping each one ends up in the hands of someone who can meet Jesus through it, through the eyewitness Luke and the alongside testimony of those transformed in light of it. They're available to order on the website!

uncle john

2011-08-01T20:12:00.003Z

Last week a legend went to be with the Lord. I guess it is hard to quantify the impact a man like this has had and many, many folk, more qualified than myself have attempted to do so over this past week (like here). All I know is that for me John Stott's writing, preaching and life has been an example of a humble Jesus follower, committed to the Word and His Lord above all else and seeing the strategic value in students and in training pastors the world over.

I didn't realise when I was 15 how privileged I was to be at Keswick when he spoke throughout the week on 'One Lord, One Church, One Task', talking through 1 Corinthians. I remember a lot from those talks.

It seemed fitting that the verse that was on my blog the day he died was this one from 2 Tim4v7-8:

'I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.'

A good fight fought, a finished race, a faith kept.

brother number one

2011-07-26T12:11:00.003Z

The NZ Film Festival is on at the moment. It has made me realise that I love documentaries. Fictional film can be brilliant but the amount I have thought, felt, enjoyed and been challenged by the handful of docos we've been to seen this year has shown me there's power in reality.

On Sunday I went to the premier of a NZ documentary called 'Brother Number One'.

It is the story of a NZ man - Rob Hamill, whose brother was killed in the Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia 30 years ago, testifying at the trial of one of the senior leaders - Duch.

The detail of the tragedy in that country, the decimation of a society and the deaths of close to 3 million people was told in conjunction with the story of one NZ family who lost so much through the loss of their brother. It is completely heart-wrenching.

It brought up so many questions for me as I watched, of justice and restoration; of how one responds to or even begins to address such tragic situations.

What isn't shown in the clip above is that Duch, the leader of the most significant torture camp and prison during the regime, has since become a Christian and has been working for World Vision on the Thai border. There was a question in the film of the 'convenience' of this transition from Karma to Christ; one which was very much there for the asking. Interestingly though - Duch is one of very few leaders who admit responsibility for what happened.

I guess it felt trite for me to comment on any of this, being of such removed position and without ability to empathise or even properly understand. But I went to see this film with Sueanne whose family are from Cambodia themselves and lived through these very events. As we discussed the film afterwards I felt it convicting and challenging to hear Sueanne question where grace and vengeance lay in this story. It is not clear cut. It is not easy.

'Brother Number One' is worth engaging with. There are more trials of leaders to go and it is a story that will continue to be in the news. Not just because of this but because this wasn't an isolated, unique event. To be watching that film the very morning we woke up to hear close to 90 people had be shot dead in Norway, that famine continues in Africa, that Amy Winehouse's body had given up at 27 - this is a broken world in need of a Saviour.

inmeatment

2011-07-15T13:39:00.004Z

few verses have changed my life more than john 1:14

'And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.'

God became a human being, flesh like us, in the person of Jesus. He could be seen, touched, heard - john talks about it even more in his 1st letter and it's been challenging to have spent the past week or so looking at this.

it's made me think a lot about what it looks to 'incarnate', to be like Jesus where I am.

read it.

Traumatic Tax

2011-06-01T07:12:00.003Z

I am currently in middle of trying to fill in my tax return stuff (extremely late) for back in the UK. It is a nightmare of epic proportions. It involves me having to remember the ins and outs of dates two years ago. Whereupon I remember this thing! My blog! On which I kept track of some things back then! It was a good wee trip down memory lane, for which I am thankful, and it even helped me remember when I started work in the UK in 2009. Good job.

So updating was needed. Here it is. And hopefully there shall be more to come...

a little something

2010-08-19T08:06:00.002Z

I had forgotten about this blog thing. Mainly because I thought it was broken I think. I think it is more likely me that is broken.
Too too much to write about. So I thought I'd share something very random.
Every morning when I go to campus I walk down the same road from where I park into uni. It's a wee distance and about when I hit campus I pass this little thing on the left. It hangs very high in a wee corner just outside the entrance to the science building. It is a little bit broken and tarnished. It is so very out of place but I love it. It is so random. I think there are many that don't notice it, it is so small and high but I like walking past it everyday - special but out of place.

another wee update...

2010-03-21T23:34:00.000Z

it HAS been a while!

2010-02-09T04:48:00.009Z

It's been an interesting summer so far... a great student leadership conference featuring quality teaching from Andy in 1Peter, scripture in song and some brilliant new TSCF t-shirts; sadness in celebration in my Aunt Mary finishing the race; bidding farewell to my good friend Waitangi (my wee car); being blessed with a new wee yellow car thanks to very generous friends; welcoming my bro back to NZ and traveling to, what felt like, every corner of the country while celebrating Christmas and NY; becoming acquainted with trailers. and second gear on the desert road; time with all the TSCF staff and their families down in Nelson; hot, hot sun and wet, wet rain at Parachute - and an amazing 19-strong team doing their bit for TSCF; a new Marsden in the form of an inspirational Mackay from Palmy; and finally, after over a year's waiting - permanent residency!

It can be difficult to keep perspective on purpose when things are tough. How much I am learning about God working out His purposes in and through me. It hasn't been an easy year, or past few months, but I can see how God is at work in it.

At the beginning of the summer I read a book called 'Finding God Beyond Harvard' by Kelly Monroe Kullberg and it has influenced much of my thinking over these past months. It is a response to the earlier 'Finding God At Harvard', which profiles the development of the Veritas Forums on campuses around the States. The book I read this summer is Kelly's story. It is written in a helpfully honest, biographical style and deals with many of the issues of being in ministry on campus.

What the book got me thinking about was the foundations of the institutions around us. Veritas Forums were established to help students think well and reconcile reason with faith. 'Veritas' means truth and is the motto upon which the university of Harvard was first established, coupled with a verse from John 8:32, "And Jesus said, 'If you hold to my teaching...then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.'"

Amazing! A university like Harvard was founded upon the truth found in Jesus and seeking for students to discover that for themselves through what they studied. When one looks at it it is amazing to see the original purpose and vision for so many of the establishments around us.

Looking at my school, my university - those who had the vision way back to establish these institutions to the glory of God and to serve His purposes, it really is an amazing encouragement to those of us seeking to glorify Him in the way we live, study, speak and lead now.

I was mentioning this encouragement to a bunch of students from Auckland Uni recently. One of the guys went away and did some research on the roots of AU and it was so exciting to hear of some of his findings. Indeed, the first people to establish an orientation week at Auckland Uni were the Christians on campus. How exciting to discover that those who first saw it as valuable to invest in the welcoming of fellow students were those who wanted to see Jesus glorified on campus!

As we head into the beginning of semester and O-weeks what an amazing testimony to God's grace and faithfulness that it was our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ who first established this tradition. How good it would be to see orientation give Him the glory at this point further down the track!

for your viewing pleasure...

2009-11-29T23:28:00.003Z

Was great to have Nigel speaking at our church ABC yesterday. He spoke from Hebrews 12 on laying aside that which hinders; getting rid of sin; running with perseverence; and fixing eyes on Jesus.

'Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.'

What a great reminder that we are surrounded, not by spectators, but by those who have also witnessed the truth in Jesus - it is a 'we','us','our' identity and calling.

It is a privilege and a spur to be surrounded by witnesses to Him as we run this race together.

I made a video recently (well Kate did the skilled bits) that I hope captures some of the desire to live together for Jesus - such that all may know of Him! This is Marsden....

There have been some challenges, some really exciting times and great opportunities to witness to our great Saviour and Lord - together. Praise God for that! Changing times ahead...

The privilege of sharing with those around me in witnessing the truth of the Lord Jesus is something I have been reminded of recently with Sueanne's review of her Minty year. Watch her video.

a great cloud of witnesses indeed. Praise God!

blessed and thankful

2009-11-08T23:09:00.006Z

I sometimes feel a pressure that when I update this thing I have to be revealing of something completely new and brilliant that I am learning, understanding, seeing. To be honest an awful lot of the time I am learning similar lessons over and over I think. And I am thankful for that. There are many things that I have been reminded of, in His grace, over the past few weeks:

Friends are brilliant. And generous. And pretty amazing companions for walking this path of faith.

It was the quarter century last month. I am a little bit rubbish at organising things like that. But what a quality night. Epic people, cakes, cards, presents made it flippin brill. I am so thankful for the folk God has placed alongside me! Creative, generous, lovely people. Who organise folk to come over. And make coconut saltire cakes. And massive goose on the loose cards.

I am in the middle of planning a session on following Jesus in the company of friends for our upcoming Student Leadership Conference - specifically for those students who are graduating this year. This is probably one of the main things I have been learning and experiencing over this year - the value of community, of following Jesus together and seeing the fruit of that.

"You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven." [Matt 5:14-16]

It is a privilege to be part of a city on a hill. The light produced with many together is amazing to behold I reckon. That is the prayer - that in shining for Him together we would see many glorifying God!

Another thing I relearned as we did way up to Cape Reinga and back in a day: God is pretty good at creating...

Happy 1st!

2009-10-08T05:08:00.004Z

A year ago today Sueanne gave her life to Christ. Today she lead our team study in Psalm 5 and in praying for the ministry on campus. How amazing to have witnessed her growth in Christ. How God is using her. And how he will use her in the future. Praise Him!

Sueanne's story is here if you want to have a read!

Oh brother, where art thou?

2009-08-14T01:31:00.003Z

Andrew Thomas Wildgoose is blogging again! And with epic posts like this I say long may it continue...

http://goose-tales.blogspot.com/2009/07/glad-youre-here-great-youre-leaving.html

Praise God for Bible Study that transforms! And brothers that appreciate it.

Hezekiah and the Geese

2009-08-09T16:09:00.006Z

Going through a series on the Kings in 2 Chronicles has been really interesting. There is a really limited number of the kings that are talked about in positive terms - only four in fact. Hezekiah is one of them. He became King when he was twenty-five and ruled for twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. If one looks at the things he sets about doing while he ruled - repairing and opening the temple, calling the priests to purify themselves and to remove defilement from the temple - he learned from mistakes of those that have gone before. This is what it says of him: "He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, just as his father David had done." There are amazing lessons of leadership to learn from a character like Hezekiah.

It was brilliant to hear Jeremy speaking on this recently. He used an example for leadership and community from Charles Swindoll. Geese!!

Some facts about geese:

-When we see geese in the sky they fly in a V formation - As each goose flaps its wings it creates an “uplift” for the birds that follows. By flying in a V, the whole flock adds 71% greater flying range than if each bird flew alone.

Sharing a common purpose, a shared direction within community is so valuable - working together, travelling on the thrust of one another is so much more effective for the Kingdom. Anyone who has seen Gospel community in action - people who are working together for the eternal - will know the amazing witness this can be to Jesus.

-When the lead goose tires, it rotates back into the formation and another goose flies to the point position.

In community we are depending on one another's gifts, skills and talents. It is amazing to see how each of us excels at those things God has gifted us in and made us passionate for. Leading can be hard. I have been reminded of this recently when hearing from one of the legendary student leaders in Auckland. Student Leadership can be hard. It pays to take turns doing the hard tasks and sharing leadership. It is so important to depend on one another as we all depend on Christ in living for Him where he's placed us.

-The geese flying in formation honk to encourage those up front to keep up their speed.

I love this one. Encouragement. We need to make sure our honking is encouraging. How vital it is that we are encouraging those who lead and those around us to keep going - to strive for the prize set before us.

There is nothing more exciting than leadership for Him within a unified purpose of community that is honking it's encouragement to keep going. Hezekiah knew this. He lead in such a way that he glorified God through his decisions, actions and interactions. The fact that we must talk of community when we talk of leadership speaks volumes though. How much we can learn from the supportive, effective, flying V formation of the geese!

One last thing that geese do: they fly south for the winter. And that's what this Wildgoose will be doing! I got a visa! Praise God! And it means that I can fly back to NZ at the end of the month. It is truly so exciting to think that I will be able to be a part again of what God is doing in that country, that ministry, His people. Can't wait to get stuck back into campus, to see Auckland whanau again and to serve alongside them in this work he has gifted us with.

The task now is to finish well, that I leave in such a way that I make the most of what he has given me here - take all the opportunities I can to speak of and live for Him here. It is exciting to see buds of this community, this flying V, appearing; to see people beginning to properly grapple for the first time with His Word, with who Jesus is. I pray that this will continue and grow - folk will be together, leading and honking, all to His glory!

Before The Throne

2009-07-18T20:40:00.006Z

Top questions asked on a daily basis at el castillo:

- do you take American dollars?

-which clan was Braveheart in?

- can I have 'real' money (aka English notes)?

- do the international stamps go to America?

- have you heard if the rain'll clear up by this afternoon?

All of the above are obviously answered with a due sense of understanding and grace.

The music we listen to in the shop is limited in style and Scottish in variety. One of the songs which comes round on a regular basis is one called 'When the Pipers Play'. The words fit with the limited style, all about piping and Scotland and leaving (all Scottish songs involved people leaving. It's a wonder there's anyone left in the place).
However, what I love about this particular song is that it is set to the tune of the hymn 'Before The Throne Of God Above '. What a hymn:

Before the throne of God above
I have a strong and perfect plea.
A great high Priest whose Name is Love
Who ever lives and pleads for me.
My name is graven on His hands,
My name is written on His heart.
I know that while in Heaven He stands
No tongue can bid me thence depart.

When Satan tempts me to despair
And tells me of the guilt within,
Upward I look and see Him there
Who made an end of all my sin.
Because the sinless Savior died
My sinful soul is counted free.
For God the just is satisfied
To look on Him and pardon me.

Behold Him there the risen Lamb,
My perfect spotless righteousness,
The great unchangeable I AM,
The King of glory and of grace,
One in Himself I cannot die.
My soul is purchased by His blood,
My life is hid with Christ on high,
With Christ my Savior and my God!

What a privilege it is to be reminded of this amazing message on a regular basis as I wander round the shop. It is a real and regular temptation to despair. Awareness of sin and guilt. That we can look upward from this mire and see our God who accepts and forgives because of Jesus. That my life is now hid with Him. Flip. What a message. I wish these actually were the words that were being proclaimed around the shop every hour. However, I hope that the way that I speak and live will proclaim this message loud and clear to all those around. To HIS glory!

Kintyre, California? Na, still Alba!

2009-06-14T20:21:00.009Z

My goodness Scotland is a beautiful place. I've had a helpful reminder of this in the past week. It was a privilege to spend some time this week down in Kintyre with Heidi and her family - what an amazing display of God's creativity.

Such fun to share in roadtripping in the yaris; mraz; fish and chips at loch lomond; resting and being thankful at the rest and be thankful; b+bing with the Mollers; oatcakes and honey; tea, tea, tea and tea in a flask; walking; beaching; jumping; paddling; sun; hiking up Dunskaig for the best view of the west I've ever seen; sunset; ferry trips; bike riding; back in time to Gigha's island beauty; muddy bogs; sea + sand; flowers and gardens; old hymns and old churches; going the wrong way home with mraz, mayer and penny+me!
While I was away I was able to read a bit of a compilation of letters of C.H.Spurgeon, 'The Suffering Letters'. Spurgeon suffered with ill health for about the last 24 years of his life that regularly took him away from his ministry at the Metropolitan Tabernacle. The letters are written to his congregation and employees to encourage them to stand firm in the faith. Amazing stuff.

It is clear that these times of suffering and inflicted separation were incredibly frustrating for him but his attitude of praise in the midst of it is stunning:
'Mysterious are the visitations of sickness. When the Lord is using a man for his glory it is remarkable that he should suddenly smite him down and suspend his usefulness. It must be right, but the reason for it does not lie near the surface.' [C.H.Spurgeon, 'The Sword and the Trowel' 1876]
I have never experienced the levels of suffering or frustration that we see here but there are ways in which this really speaks to my current situation. This must be right. Indeed, God is sovereign and He is in control - this must be right. It's just not always evident why on the surface! It was again a privilege to read Sueanne's recent study response on God's sovereignty and the way she is able to look back over the years and see how He was at work in everything - way before she came to know Jesus for herself. God is Sovereign and I am thankful! Even if I still don't quite understand why things are the way they are.

Indeed Spurgeon is so encouraging in his attitude, both to his own situation and to his congregation and fellow-workers. The love he shows to them and their ministry shows in every one of his many letters. He misses them, he misses being part of the exciting work they are involved in. But he is aware throughout that it is all for God's glory - that this is the point of it all and he never fails to remind them of it. My favourite finish to one of his letters is this one:
'May God, the Eternal Spirit, abide over you all, beloved, and cause you to be strong in the anointing of the Holy One. May the poor be comforted, the sick supported, the warriors be strengthened and the labourers be sustained. My hearty love's ever with you.
Yours in Christ Jesus
C.H. Spurgeon'

Just under this final greeting is this: "Keep up the prayer meetings". A short addendum that reflects amazingly what he sees as central for his congregation, especially in his absence. Prayer, prayer, prayer is the focus throughout the correspondence - it is through this the God's people will be reliant on Him; through this that the poor WILL be comforted, the sick supported, the warriors strengthened and labourers will indeed be sustained. All to HIS glory!

14 seasons in a day...

2009-06-02T21:59:00.006Z

Life in Scotland. No wonder we talk about the weather a bit. Flip. I've been back a couple of weeks now and literally every item of clothing possible has been required...

I went to see Andrew play in the last game of the season for Napier rugby. I thought I was going to die of frostbite. The rain was lashing, gales, flooded pitch. Everything that rugby should be in May in Scotland. The poor French team that came all the way from across the water...
It was really brill to see Andrew play finally - he's been working hard on his rugby and has a great witness on his team. They even managed to win!

The sun's been out since then and has been great to spend time with friends. We had a mini camping trip out to E.Lothian which was fun - freezing but fun!
Is interesting catching up with folk after quite a time away. The pain of those that don't yet know Christ will never diminish. It is encouraging when we see folk striving for Jesus, growing and being challenged. With that comes those who are finding the journey hard. It can be difficult to know how best to invest in those situations now that I'm back. The excitement of hearing of those who have come to faith is amazing though! Praise Jesus!

Been some great rugby weekends of late...Super14 final, Lions (flippin exciting from Ellie on that) first game and the Edinburgh 7s last weekend. 7s is a great game. Scotland did not bad in these last couple of tournaments. They were well and truly gubbed on Saturday by Kenya - a great testament to a minnow nation investing in the 7s game when they can't stretch to rivalling on the 15 pitch. I think this might be the way forward for a struglling Scotland team... we'll see but I reckon there's something in 7s for us!

I'm still waiting on a visa....

Have been some real encouragements in being back here - being able to share with individuals and groups, sharing Jesus- what he has done in me and others, sharing what he is doing in NZ; being able to share in difficult situations, to speak advice, to pray; to have fun in the sun, to catch up with people, to meet new people...
Is pretty challenging at times as well... is quite difficult to discern how to best to use this time. I am looking for a job but not sure how long I've got! There are challenges around where people are at and situations back here that I have to slot back into.

In Christ alone my hope is found;
He is my light, my strength, my song;
This cornerstone, this solid ground,
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm.
What heights of love, what depths of peace,
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease!
My comforter, my all in all—
Here in the love of Christ I stand.

It is in Christ alone that I stand.

Like a Yo-yo...or hopefully a Boomerang

2009-05-15T19:18:00.005Z

Jetlag has set in again. Got back yesterday from a month back in NZ. What an amazing time of seeing God at work, catching up with folk and experiencing something of God's glory!

One of the things I was able to be part of in going back to NZ was Northern Region Camp. Students from all the universities in Auckland had four days together out East with teaching from Nigel on Joseph. It was so great to catch up with students and staff and to hear a bit of what has been going on around Auckland. How exciting to see the continued work in AUTCF - new people coming and folk who don't yet know Jesus coming to CF and conference, grappling with who Jesus is and the group united in prayer and confidence in Christ. Also exciting to see representatives from both Massey Albany and Unitech at camp - how great it would be to see the ministry on these campuses grow in reaching out for Jesus. The presence of several from the newly formed bible study for EU was also brilliant - amazing to see how God is regenerating that group.

Just after camp was Kiwi-made preaching - a one day conference organised by Paul Windsor, based at Carey Baptist College, all about engaging with the issues of preaching in NZ in a seminar format. Paul has just finished as principal of Carey and this marked the start of his new role in Langham Partnership - a very exciting venture. It was a privilege, over this past month or so, to spend a bit of time with the Windsors. They, as a family and as individuals, have been such a blessing to so many and not least to the Marsdens. It was great to share a meal with them, give a wee hand in helping with the house move, be part of commissioning for new role with Langham, see Stephen off to Uganda and generally be encouraged by how this family is living for Jesus.

To be honest, there were really hard bits about being back in NZ this time...
Immigration continues to be slow and slightly frustrating. I came up against two significant visa hurdles while I was away - one of which has been surmounted but we are still waiting on resolution to the other. I have been really challenged on what it is that gives me security through this whole process. It is not nice to feel in limbo, to be confused as to what side of the world you're on, to not be earning, to not be able to be useful on campus. I think this was the hardest thing about being back - not being able to do my job! I did feel pretty useless with regards to involvement on campus. It is tempting then to think that this will all be fine when I have a visa, when I know where I'll be, what I'll be doing. But no! Security is not found in my immigration status but my status as forgiven in Jesus!

God did really use this trip to reveal more of Himself to me, and hopefully others.

Not least did we see this on a wee holiday to the South Island in the last week I was in NZ. We spent 8 days travelling down through Welly (with lovely hospitality from Rach and Dave), to the West Coast of the South Island (stunning weather considering), down to Wanaka and Queenstown, back up to Kaikoura (with a wee stop in Lincoln to meet Gideon and the usual suspects) and then the boat to Welly (Greg in his new surroundings) and home.
It was a privilege to share in experiencing God's good creation with Singaporean friends - the sort of trip where you run out of adjectives on the first day. What we didn't expect was the way a wee prayer for opportunities would open us up to incredible meetings, amazing people and God using us for much more than we'd planned! Such amazing opportunities to share Jesus with those that have met Him since being in NZ, those that are searching and those who know nothing of Him. So much to be thankful for, excited about and praying for. Praise Jesus for unexpected opportunites to see God revealed!

Back to Caledonia

2009-03-18T21:32:00.003Z

It is actually ridiculous the length of time since I last posted on here. Thank you loyal and forgiving few who will read this...

Quite a lot of radical change over the past wee while. Well just one radical change really - location. Am now back in Bonnie Scotland for a bit while I wait for a visa for life back in NZ. Was quite a quick transition from summery start of academic year excitements back in NZ to getting on a plane for an age and ending up in snowy Edinburgh.

There are some very exciting things happening back in Aotearoa at the moment: Marsden madness is up and running with the new ministry flat - so exciting seeing this taking shape and God using it already; O-Weeks have been happening around the country and have seen 160 folk along at the first joint TSCF event at AU and hundreds of cups of ice milo given out at AUT; the two Auckland Minterns are finding their feet and beginning to invest in relationships and groups; and the Auckland Team is growing!

So exciting to hear about all this stuff but brings with it frustration that I'm not there to be part of it! Has been hard to feel like I am abandoning an awful lot and that responsibilty will fall to others who have enough to cope with. Also just sad to not be part of exciting times as the groups start up again on campus and ministry continues in earnest at Marsden.

But I'm praying! And convinced that God knows what is going on and why I am back now!
Has been great to get the opportunity to catch up with folk back here - see friends and family, be part of church and small groups, see Scotland play at a respectable hour (although respectable is not how I'd describe the performance so far...). It really has been a trip full of opportunities so far - to encourage and share my excitement at what God is doing.

It's now just a waiting game to hear back about visa from immigration. I like games. This one is not so fun though. Andy suggested I use my blog to post one word updates of my emotional state through the whole process. We will see what transpires...

Through it all - whatever country, whatever visa status - it is my desire that God be glorified in all I am and that he use it to further his glorious message! Trusting in Him!

Parachute and Staff+Families

2009-01-30T10:46:00.004Z

Just back from a packed week or so that started down near Hamilton, in Mystery Creek, at the big music festival Parachute. Myself and a group of students went down to man the TSCF stand as part of the global expo and to take in a bit of what goes on in Parachute Music Festival!
It is safe to say I have never been hotter or dustier in my life. Scots are not made for desert conditions... It was a really great opportunity to get a bit of a taster of this world: to have good conversations, meet new people and old, experience some great gigs and bake in the boiling NZ sun.
A couple of highlights for me - a seminar on why students so often lose their faith and to see the number of people for whom this was a concern. To hear the second of three solutions to this given as to find community on campus; to seek out a campus group. Absolutely. Was also great to see the servant heartedness of the students who came to help with the stand - in such temperatures! It was interesting to see them wrestling with how we can best relate to this bunch of Kiwis, envisioning people to mission on campus.

Went from Parachute on to the first conference for the year with all the TSCF crew and their families - at the beach about 3hrs from Auckland. It really was a lot of fun this year - benefitted from great teaching and discussion on Colossians; brill conversations with sound and encouraging colleagues; time in the sun and the sea and some quality opporunities to work out what God has in store for campuses this year.
It was the greatest privilege to hear from a couple of wise experienced souls a couple of the nights. It is difficult to quantify how encouraging, supportive, challenging it is to be journeying with TSCF alongside folk like Paul Windsor - what a privilege to hear something of his story: his influences, lessons, growth and convictions and the way that grace impacts his attitude to all challenges he encounters. Its all change quite soon in the Windsor household so am sure they'd appreciate your prayers if you're that way inclined....

Jam-packed January

2009-01-22T18:27:00.003Z

Just back from a nice wee trip down to the South Island with my Mum! She came to Auckland for a few days and then we headed down together to see her family in Queenstown and to stay a few nights in Wanaka. It was funny being with her and being in a place that can so often look like home... Reassuring to know I didn't want to just hop on the first plane back (even with great blogposts like this from Nigel about our great Caledonia) but good to hear a bit of what is going on back in Bonnie Scotland. There are bits of the South Island where it feels like you're just driving through the Highlands...and then there are lakes lake this one - Pukaki, the colour of a some sort of turquoise paradise. Amazing.

January has been pretty packed full of mainly immigration stuff (a big point for prayer) and preparing lots of things for the year to come. We've seen some incredible answers to prayer already and a real sense of God's leading in various ventures to come. Exciting!

It is going to be a busy few weeks coming up as I head off to Parachute this morning to man the TSCF stand and then straight on to Staff and Families Conference. Prayers for energy and grace much appreciated!

Christmas!

2008-12-28T03:42:00.004Z

It has been a bloomin long time since I updated any news on this thing! Sorry for any who are actually still even bothering to read this. Unlikely that there is anyone though!!

Well Christmas has been and gone for another year... my first Southern Hemisphere one and it really is quite strange to be singing carols in shorts and t-shirt! Has been great to have a bit of time off - spent some time down in Wellington before Christmas, such generous hospitality down there and some good time spent doing not very much with friends. Then went on down to Christchurch for Christmas with the Bridges. So good of them to have me!

Good to be back up in Auckland now - came home to have Christmas again on Boxing Day and it really did feel like returning home to family. Praise God!

One of the things that has really hit me this festive season is chatting to a few of the folks around and the fact that Christmas is not something they standardly celebrate with their families/friends. It was amazing to have the opportunity to share with three different people on boxing day about Jesus - the amazing truth that he came to earth- fully God, fully man- to bring us back into relationship with God. The girl I was giving a lift home spent most of the journey after our get-together exclaiming about the way she felt welcomed like family. That she can see that we are family because of Jesus. Praise God!

Would appreciate prayer, if you're that way inclined, for my visa situation again. Is all looking a bit bleak on that front and is a little unsettling. Will hopefully chat to someone form immigration this week at some point!

So 2009 is beckoning...can't wait to see how God will be at work over this next year...

It's all Jesus...

2008-11-25T01:51:00.002Z

There have been many times over the past year that I have been speechless in trying to explain all the great stuff God has been doing in Auckland. We are just back from SLC where we have seen more evidence of God changing hearts, transforming lives in a way that so powerfully speaks of Him.

Elliot sums it up with his photojourno project in a better way than I ever could. The people he has quoted- at the beginning of this year several of them had no idea of the truth in Jesus Christ. Praise Jesus for his transforming power!

Coro, Stevie, Fashion and a Trip Down South

2008-11-11T01:51:00.007Z

So there's been much going on over here in the past few months. Had a great weekend in the Coromandel with Meg. Mixed weather but much fun and hilarity insued- incidents with a choking seagull, a collapsing bed and hitchhikers being chased by bulls amongst others meant it did feel like a good wee break away. Not the best picture ever below but is pretty much the only one with both of us and a hint of the car that did all the work...

Exciting events the week following included the long-awaited Stevie Wonder concert - what a night! What a voice - sounds even better than the recordings! So well worth the wait.
It was also a privilege to be part of the Rookie Fashion Show on the Friday afternoon - this was a chance for those final year fashion students from AUT who were selected to show off their collections that they've been designing all year. The show was so professional and the girls did so well! A great end to a hardworking year for them - there've been tears ( a lot of tears), trials, triumphs but it all resulted in one fine show!

Last weekend we headed down south for a few days - the main purpose being that we were asked to go and be part of the graduates weekend away that they run in Canterbury. They have quite a developed grads ministry down there and it was great to go down and be part of the group of 30 or so who headed away to beautiful (if a bit colder than Auck) Akaroa, about an hour out of Christchurch. We had some great teaching from Nick in 1Tim, amazing food, good company and a good opportunity to do some working out of faith/work issues. The less said about the AB's victory over the Scots that I got out of bed at 5:20am for the better. Why can we do nothing with the ball?

We took advantage of being on the South Island and spent a bit more time in Christchurch - splendid hospitality shown by the Mackays, the Santichs, the Castle amongst many others and great to be part of campus church for the night.

We also went across to Lincoln for a night, which was truly brilliant. How to describe Lincoln...? It would be difficult for me to picture ministry in a place more far removed from Auckland. It is an agricultural, farming area - beautiful, such sunny weather while we were there. Amazing hospitality shown by the Hodges and Miss Chrin - so good to see her in situ and how settled she is. Quite far from the mean streets of Eastend Glesgae. Good pies in Lincoln. I recommend them!

So, got back on Wednesday - fairly tired but straight into getting things organised for Student Leadership Conference which is happening next week down near Welly. We're roadtripping down on the Sunday - quite a long drive but a fun one. I really am so excited about this conference - there's quite a few going down from Auckland and I think it really could be a significant time for so many of them. Please be praying and I'll update you when we're back!!

Birthdays and New Births!

2008-10-22T23:21:00.002Z

This has been so long in coming...there has been so much that has been blog-worthy over the past wee while and yet it is only now I am updating! Sorry...

These past few months have been just amazing. Amazing. Great time with students in God's word - studying Isaiah with EU, seeing God's salvation plan unfolding as the Servant is promised; studying John in AUTCF, being challenged with the relationship between Father and Son; continuing and finishing Luke at Jesus on Trial, being stunned by the cross and the resurrection.

And we are seeing people coming to Christ. What joy it was to receive a text from one of the amazing girls who has been part of these studies declaring her belief, that she'd 'prayed the prayer', that 'this is what she wants to live her life for'... This is what it is all about. Praise God! And there are others, growing, coming to know him for the first time, working through counting the cost of being a disciple. He really is at work.

So work is continuing amazingly. Great reminders of God's goodness to us as well and his blessing on me as I was able to share celebration of my b'day with just the best bunch of folks... didn't realise it'd be quite so early. What a surprise at 6:45am! And then such a lovely weekend. I am thankful for each and every one of them!

Opononi Excitements, Muffins and a Musical!

2008-09-14T03:58:00.006Z

Last week I spent four days away with AUTCF up north in Opononi. They've had retreats in the past but what was really exciting this year were the number of folks involved - 19 of us went away in six cars and what fun we had! Seriously, it was an amazing few days...
It started off interestingly. My car was leading what we thougt was the right way. Until our dirt track ended up in the ocean. Literally. Only in NZ. That's it there on the right. I just kept driving until there was no road... We had taken a wrong turning and ended up going about 120km down a peninsula. Interesting detour. Gave the fishermen a laugh! Had we not gone down this road we wouldn't have met Ernie and his kumaras as well. What a show! I thought I was going to hurt myself I was laughing so much.
The journey there was a bit hairy and not without several reminders of God's protection but eventually we got there and were shown how worth it the journey was!

The place was absolutely lovely and the four days we spent up there were I think truly significant for many if not all the people there: sun, eating lovely food, taking photos, looking at photos, chatting, singing, dancing, laughing, playing rugby, meeting locals, locals becoming part of the group!, walking on the beach, kayaking, sand-duning, reading Philippians, observing, interpreting, applying, praying...

I truly count it a privilege to have been part of a week like that. It was just so evident how God was at work in and through the people he had brought together - an ecclectic bunch, many Christians, some not yet who all met together to have fun, to enjoy each other and to study his Word. It was so exciting to see folk engaging with Philippians. What a challenge it is for our priorities in life. Christ is all. What a clear message. Check out Andy's blog for more of that... There was also an investigative study in John running, mainly for the Korean guys that came with us, that saw those folks accessing, really for the first time, who Jesus was and being given the opporunity to respond to that. Amazing!

It is difficult to convey the number of exciting conversations, words, experiences there were on this trip. All I can say is that God is at work in this group of individuals and it is a privilege to be a part of it. We are seeing lives changed in Jesus' name and I cannot wait to see the way this overflows on campus. The fields really are ripe for harvest!
The day after we came back was spent making 10 batches of muffins which the group sold to raise money for IFES - students movements around the world. They did a great job and raised close of $200! The venue for the selling was the much anticipated OCF Musical. So much effort and hardwork went into this over the past 9 months and they did so well in the show on Friday night. It was a musical of the story of Hosea - not a simple undertaking - but they did a great job and much fun was had by all! All glory to God!

Transforming Lives

2008-09-05T20:22:00.007Z

Bit of a blog drought over the last month or so - not because there's nothing to report. On the contrary there is so much to encourage that it can be overwhelming at times!
That is us now half way through second semester - both universities I'm working with get a couple of weeks off before working through to the summer.
This first half of the semester has been really amazing to see the fruit that the time and ministry and prayer of the groups has been bearing. Seeing individuals coming to groups and interested in Jesus simply through the witness of the people who love Him on campus has been fantastic - what an encouragement. We really are seeing lives being transformed by the gospel!

Staff Training
I got back at the beginning of the week from a few days, down near Wellington, of staff training. It was great to have all the staff together again, to hear what has been happening on campuses across NZ and to pray and learn together - still sadly missing Andy. We had sessions on what it looks like to train students; what it is to be a Kiwi Asian; what strategic priorities we will have for the coming year; exciting updates on new initiatives, like Catalyst, the new graduate ministry; planning for Student Leadership Conference in November; Bible study in Acts each morning and of course a trip out to play Laser Strike. My years of retirement from Laser gaming has apparently been good for my game... I did significantly better than I was used to when I was 13! Maybe it was the competition....

The other thing that was launched for us at staff training was the new TSCF website!! What a great new resource, well worth checking out. It is great because we are able to update very easily all the news and events stuff so keep checking that for latest TSCF news etc. Brilliant!

After training I was able to have a couple of days with Catriona, home in NZ for part of her summer holidays, and her mum, Viv.
We started in Palmy and then had a couple of nights over in Napier. Was the first time properly in the Hawkes Bay and we had such lovely weather - no rain at all! A really lovely holiday of coffees and chat and relaxing.

Was good to get back to Auckland on Monday - felt like I'd been away for a while! It is nice to feel like I'm coming back home when I arrive in Auckland.

Over the past month or so I have been putting together a video of some of the stuff I get up to with the students here in Auckland. Technology is not my strong point but hopefully it is a wee insight to what God is doing here on campus - so exciting!

On Monday I'm off on retreat with AUTCF, up north. Pray for good weather and God's Word to work in people's lives...

Today

2008-08-04T10:14:00.004Z

Today I got my very first (and let's try for only) parking ticket in NZ. I did park in a 60min maximum space for about 2hrs though. The fine is $12. That is about £4. At times like these I quite like that I live in NZ...

Today is also my brother's 21st birthday. That only actually happens once in your life. He's not planning anything mega special but going out for dinner with the family and seeing some friends etc. I'm sure he will have a fantastic day. I've already done 4th August and it went well for me! No, seriously, can't quite believe Andrew is 21. I long to actually be in Edinburgh, to be able to have a chat with him and my family. To have a laugh. To celebrate. I am very proud about who God is making Andrew to be and how he is using him. Happy Birthday Andrew!
At times like these NZ seems quite far away...

At times like these it is helpful to have people like the above to remind me of why I am here; to encourage me and challenge me, to support me and to try me and most of all to point me towards Jesus in their own individual ways. Again, what a privilege.

Conference and a Roadtrip!

2008-07-20T09:41:00.005Z

OK, this post is supremely overdue. There's been loads happening in these parts!

The students have been off for what feels like ages, and before conference this meant that I spent a lot of my time in the office getting prepped for conference. It was good to have this time to plan some things and prepare bible studies and various things for conference. There are also some things like the sign to the left that manage to brighten things up. Folk at BCNZ clearly need help with descending the stairs...

Was also great to have Sarah Chrin staying with me for the week. She has just arrived in NZ to do the same thing as me but down in Lincoln on South Island. It was good to see her, to introduce her to the exciting sights and sounds of Auckland. It happened to be one of the worst weeks of weather ever - having to be rescued in the middle of a thunder/lightening/hailstone storm is nothing if not a bit exciting!

National Conference
The theme of the conference was 'Lives that Count' and it truly was such an amazing opportunity to get together with students and staff from across the country, to pray and praise our God together. It was great to see the students be totally impacted by so much of what happened: conversations with students from other places; teaching from Acts - sowing expectantly, widely and tweeting the gospel; praising God with I Am Not Ashamed and Santo,Santo,Santo; visiting a Buddhist Temple and being charmed at the Islamic Centre; seeing folk rising to the challenge of various world record attempts; perusing the bookstall with interested students, willing to read and find out more. A massive job was done by so many to make it all possible. The highlight for me was leading a seminar on the basics of the faith for those who wanted to find out more. So great to sit at a conference like that with folk who hadn't yet made a commitment but were willing to come along an find out a bit more about it. Great chat, great study in John3, brill questions and what followup over lunch. This is what its all about!

Had a week or so of back to the office stuff after some time off and then this past week went roadtripping with some of the AUTers down to Palmerston North and Wellington. It really was a fantastic trip. So great spend time with the bunch from AUT - pretty much my NZ family - to laugh, have fun, chat, sing, nap but also have some really quality conversation about important stuff, study Jude and experience some amazing hospitality down south. We were seriously wowed everywhere we went with how generous people were and we came away so encouraged by our fellow believers, the way they are standing for him in those places - what a challenge and an encouragement as to how God is using people.

"To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy—to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen." [Jude 24-5]

Exam Time and Rugby

2008-06-15T05:03:00.004Z

So we are well and truly into the time of exams and deadlines now at both AU and AUT. It is amazing how thankful I am still that I am not in that position - character building though. This means that CF regular meetings are now off till next semester. For me the routine looks a bit different at the moment - more time in the office and trying not to be distracting to those students who need to study but would prefer to have coffee.

The revision sessions in the library are something which I am all too familiar with. Something which has been new to me has been seeing the pressure that some of the fashion students are under as they prepare collections for this week - time in their studio can feel like being part of Project Runway (a new favourite - see right for Sarah measuring Kate's collar!) but can make you aware of the pressure there is to do well and the competition that surrounds them. What it also makes one aware of is the opportunities there are for these folks to be really sharing life together as they spend all the hours in the studio and the witness they have can be amazing.

Have had a really good weekend again, lots of rugby yesterday, playing touch and watching the ABs beat the meek English! Was my first International over here and it was brilliant. Quite different to a visit to Murrayfield. Mexican waves here involve not only raising your hands but everything else you've brought with you as well. Ended up covered in 'water' and showered with several, thankfully plastic, bottles. Not sure the genteel folk of Edinburgh could cope with that one. We were so close to the action! Good first half, game became a bit scrappy in the second half but was a really good first experience at Eden Park! Was also along at a fellow Scot's house for lunch today which was brilliant - so homely and welcoming to us.

So a slight change in pace over the past week but it has been good to have this time though as there are a few things upcoming to prepare for including a visit from teams from the Doulos OM ship which is now docked in Auckland and national conference happening in a few weeks. Will let you know how it all goes...

Becoming Home and Encountering Jesus

2008-05-26T11:10:00.005Z

I have not blogged for a while. Amazing how much guilt can be generated by this thing. It has been a busy wee while. I have really got into routine here, with the job and with living in Auckland. What a blessing this is. It is so good to feel like this is home, to feel comfortable and that things are normal here.

Routine is by no means boring though. In fact life has been anything but boring over the past few weeks. All the activites I have mentioned before are continuing - we are actually beginning to come to the end of some things for this semester, exams are now looming (still a wee while - students here seem to work a bit harder and keener than I remember!). Having shared before about the value of investing in individuals it has been amazing to see the fruit that comes from 1to1 meetings, from listening to people and sharing the Word with them.

OK, a quick rundown of what is going on with each group:

OCF
What a joy it has been to be part of the training of the impact group leaders in OCF. We had a review session this past week and sitting with the couple of leaders that came to the session on Wednesday it was just amazing to see the way in which God has used these leaders and grown their groups but most of all really grown these leaders in His word. They were talking of how it has helped them to read the Bible for themselves. We are praying this will continue next semester as we progress on with John in the groups. It has also been great to get to know some of the girls a bit better over coffee these past couple of weeks!

EU
Although still a small group they are growing in encouragement and confidence and it was great to see the first of their coffee and tea stalls, set up centrally on campus early morning on a Tuesday. It was brilliant to see people's reactions to this and to have some great conversations with students who stopped for a hot beverage! We have been progressing through the book of Isaiah on a Tuesday night which has been great, a challenge to me at times in preparing it (which is good!) and stretching in studying it together. We are hoping to continue with Isaiah 40 and following next semester.

AUTCF
So much is happening with AUTCF but a consolidation in leadership has been needed for a wee while and this has been great over the past few weeks. Seeing people really grow into their leadership roles and communicating well has been fantastic and it has also allowed some of those who have been very involved in the past to take off a bit of the responsibility. It has been a privilege over the past few weeks to be part of an investigative Bible study at AUT called Jesus on Trial. We have met weekly and spent time in Luke, encountering Jesus in his ministry. It has been amazing. So much has struck me for the first time in it as well as reminding me of stuff that I have seen before but have promptly forgotten. I think it is the encounters we see of Jesus with individuals - life changing encounters - that have struck me most. Last week we were studying Jesus healing the woman with bleeding and then Jairus' daughter in Luke 8. What an amazing privilege to sit with students encountering Jesus calling attention to the woman's faith, having healed her,in front of the crowd and telling her to go in peace. Jesus on Trial is going to continue on next semester and we are praying that we will see more people involved, particularly those who are wanting to encounter Jesus for the first time.

With regards to life with me - I am loving my time here. I feel like there are a lot of things that have been confirming God using me in this place over the past wee while. It has also been so great to just have a lot of fun over the past wee while. Particularly this past weekend - it was Queen's Birthday weekend (can't believe you have to come this far from home for it to be celebrated as a holiday!) and, as well as going to see BoyzIIMen on Saturday night - truly amazing, I managed to get away to the Coromandel for a night with Annabe. Again, what a beautiful country...

The Value of the Individual

2008-05-11T01:33:00.005Z

What a privilege I have doing the work that I do. The past week and half has been spent being encouraged, challenged, surprised, astounded by God in his word and the way He is working in and through the students I spend time with.

Loads has been happening: sports on Saturdays; giving out Milo on a Monday (Whisky Wednesdays are yet to be a feature - Jane's suggestion!); bible studies in Isaiah with EU; training up leaders in John with OCF; a ricie cake and predestination themed sleepover with Kate and Kelly (right); a great day away with AUTCF, playing (and winning) Balderdash, meeting new friends and encouraging one another (below); starting up a new investigative bible study with two girls from AU; Jesus on Trial studies in Luke and the pleasure of going over them with Sarah in advance; reading the Bible with Kate, beginning to read about grace with Annabe and hearing how Neo is applying her faith; a fantastic study lead by Sarah Kwok (that Andy elaborates on here) on the wedding at Cana; good food and good conversation with OCFers and John3 with Elliot.

So much has been going on but the thing that has struck me most this week has been how valuable time with individuals can be. I sat down on Wednesday morning to outline a document about those who I meet with regularly, purpose for meeting and strategy for the future. It sounds a bit dry but I spent most of the time just amazed at what God is doing in the lives of each of these people and what an amazing witness to Jesus they are now on campus and will be wherever he places them in the future. It is great to see the way there are people who have benefitted so much from investment throughout their time at uni and those who are just starting out and all the potential there is there.

And I am learning so much through it - what a privilege it is to study the bible with so many people. It has been amazing to study both Isaiah and John at the same time and I have grown so much through it - God's Word is living and active and it all points to Jesus. All glory and praise to him for all he is doing in me and on campuses in Auckland - so exciting!

Updating and Holidays!

2008-04-30T07:06:00.005Z

So, there wasn't much detail in my last post as to how things have been going. The past few weeks have been brilliant - busy but really encouraging.
This is pretty much the only picture I took at new staff training a couple of weeks ago - was learning too much to be taking pictures! It truly was such a helpful time to study and learn together. Am excited about putting all that I learned, particularly with regards to vision funding, into practice. It really is such a privilege to be serving on a team as gifted and Christ-centred as those I work alongside. I am so thankful for these times of challenge and encouragement with people taking time out to invest in us.

A little bit more on camp as well. It really was an amazing time. Having spoken with quite a few of the students about what they were learning and how they are growing it seemed that the theme of salt and light in Paul's last talk has had a really profound impact. OCF are planning a series now based on how to apply some of this teaching. It was also amazing to see all the gifting on display on the Saturday night - songs and dramas galore! The impact that camp made was amazing and it has really encouraged people into their bibles. I am praying that they continue to be rooted in God's word, that it is not just an excitement that exists for the duration of camp but that we see real transformation on our campuses as a result!

It was a busy week or and so I then got the opportunity to have a few days off. Claire has been in NZ for the past year or so and is heading back hom soon so I joined her down in Napier and we made our way up the East Coast of NZ. It is pretty much the most sparsely populated part of the country, certainly of the North Island. I made for a restful holiday on the beach in nice weather - just what I needed! It was also another reminder of the beautiful country we live in...

One last thing - I don't know if it was in the news back in the UK but while we were down in Wellington six students and a teacher from Elim Christian College in Auckland lost their lives on an school outdoor adventure trip. They got caught in the swell of the river as the weather turned. It is a tragedy that has really rocked the whole of Auckland, and the nation.
What has been obvious throughout the media reports has been the profound witness of the families and friends of the victims.
Many families around my church were affected by the events, some with children who were on the trip. One guy got up on Sunday and told the story of the young homestay they have staying with them. He is from Taiwan and was best friends with one of the guys who lost his life in the river. This guy, however, was saved. Through the witness of the survivors around him he has since come to faith. What an amazing joy to come out of such tragedy.

Training and NR Camp

2008-04-20T19:53:00.002Z

OK, back at home for a flying stop to simply get a proper night's sleep. Last week I had New Staff Training down in a lovely house on the beach in Raumati, just near Wellington. It was great to see everyone again, to catch up after our initial orientation, to share about the stuff that has been hard and the excitements we've seen. Highlights for me were Nigel talking on evangelism from 1Thes, Andy sharing his support presentation using examples of students I know and of course the pub quiz where, although not winning the girls saw off the boys! Lots of stuff to think over from that but I was straight on to....

Northern Regional Camp
This was the first student camp for the whole of Auckland (and Hamilton, technically), encompassing all the CFs from the region. It was down in Ngaruawahia (not nearly as cold as last time, although I was a bit more prepared with my thermals!) this weekend. What an amazing time it was. The staff were in the kitchen most of the time, an amazing job done by all but special mention to Jane who worked outstandingly to plan and create a weekend of food for 100 - job well done! The teaching was from Paul Windsor, principal of Carey Baptist College and was about making the connection from Jesus to students. It seemed to get people thinking and I had some brilliant conversations with the students who are really engaging with this stuff. So exciting...
Anyway there is much more to say but I have to run off to Napier to see Claire!

The Word Became Flesh

2008-04-08T10:20:00.002Z

Both AUT and OCF Impact Groups are studying John at the mo, both on John 1. I did six separate studies on it last week and I'm already on three this week! If there are any passages I could read that many times in a week it is John 1! There is so much in it and it has been an absolute joy to grapple with this stuff with the students. We have talked about what it means to be children of God, that from the fulness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another. The thing which hit me most was from v18 - "No-one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father's side, has made him known." The Word became flesh! That is absolutely amazing. The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. And it is through this that we can know God.

I have also been reading the account of Howard Guinness' missionary journeys in his 'Journey Among Students'. He was the guy who established the student movements here in NZ, as well as in Canada and Australia. It truly is amazing stuff. It is a really honest account of the God's triumphs he was part of, his own failings and temptations and his sense of purpose and mission in reaching students on campuses across the world.
He finished with a story about a time when he was to speak at a campus in NZ. He talks of feeling tired and drained sitting in the meeting waiting to speak, that he was struggling to feel the presence of God. He committed the meeting to the Lord and said that he believed that God what use it whatever his own feelings were. He then tells of a student leader who approached him after he had spoken:

' "Yesterday," he said, "when you came onto the platform prior to the address I saw that you possessed something I wanted. When you spoke I knew what it was. Now I am a Christian, thank God."
The Word had again become flesh.'

Milo Mondays, John and Isaiah

2008-04-01T09:52:00.004Z

The past few days have been really great! Some real encouragements. AUTCF run a regular outreach every Monday morning, handing out Milo (a bit like ovaltine) to those around campus. It was great to see campus at that time, to spend time serving with some of the CF folk and to have some interesting conversations with those we served. They really are a brilliant bunch, a great witness to Christ on campus. They are making their way through John at the moment which has been a challenge so far but lead to some great study and investigation into the Word!

I was also able to train the new Impact Group leaders for OCF today. It has all come together rather quickly and they are hoping the groups will start next week. It is their aim that these groups will be a great forum for getting into the Bible together, to see lives impacted. We'll be running two identical sessions of training every week to take them through the studies. All seemed to go well today with the first one!

We also had the first study in Isaiah today with EU. I did a bit of an overview - a bit of a challenge in a 66 chapter book - and it was great to see the girls engaging with the horizons of prophecy and the way that we see it fulfilled. I am excited about the next few weeks as we delve further into the book. It is good that they now seem excited rather than daunted as well!

It had been raining all day today, not cold but very wet. As we came to the end of the study in Isaiah the light outside just was amazing. As we emerged from the chapel the sky was stunning. This is the view over to the SkyTower as you come out of the Auckland Uni Chapel. What a beautiful place in which to be sharing Jesus!

H-Town and seeing the sites...

2008-03-23T05:46:00.007Z

Got back last night from a seriously good two days away with some students from around Auckland down in Hamilton. Don Carson was speaking at a conference down there - covering Nehemiah in six sessions over two days. It didn't feel nearly as epic as I thought it might. We took four cars, one of which made it to Hamilton and back with no clutch - incredible amounts of prayer happening at every red light. We had fun at the gardens and over frozen cokes. We met new people. God provided opportunites which resulted in the only other guy in our motel coming to hear one of Don's talks that evening. In fact it was an absolutely brilliant time, not only of teaching but of time with students having conversations about central things that matter and hearing them excited about God and his Word. Incredible stuff that impacted us all. Amazing journey home where folk were sharing what they will be looking to apply. What a great bunch of folks and what a hope for the future of the church.

I then had a lovely time back in Auckland with the Lane family - MBCers visiting from Edinburgh. They came along to church, a bit depleted due to Easter Camp, but great to share in the reality of the resurrection together. We had some lunch together and then went up the Skytower in the centre of Auckland - this is literally the first proper siteseeing I've done and it was well worth it! Frightening to see just how many volcanoes we are living on in Auckland! There's going to be a new one in the next 50 years somewhere as well - how exciting! Also frightening to see just how far up it is. Hannah braved standing on the glass floor!
It was really good to spend time with people who understood me without having to repeat myself and could catch me up in person on Edinburgh/MBC developments. I wondered if it would make me feel a bit homesick but I have to say that I think it has been a really helpful confirmation of Auckland being where God has placed me right now. I was excited to show them it, to share with them some of what is going on in the unis and to involve them in life here.

So Auckland is where I am at the moment. Somewhere in here...I have been reminded this weekend though, home is yet to come and it is going to be good!

Happy Easter!

2008-03-20T10:58:00.004Z

Well, sorry for my silence - afraid this will only be a short one as well. Things have been good over the past few weeks since O-Week. It is unreal how early Easter is this year though - we are only just finishing week 3 back to uni!

Have had some great encouragements and good conversations. Was good to get to the end of a study of the first part of John 1 with AUT today - talking of the Word, Light in Darkness and being children of God through Christ. Amazing stuff but particularly encouraging to hear a bunch of students really engaging with it round the table. OCF had a film night tonight and a successful bbq last weekend and have a good lot of friends coming along regularly to events and meetings. Lots of prayer for EU as we look at the growth strategy of the group!

I'm off to Hamilton Friday and Saturday this weekend with some of the students around Auckland to hear Don Carson doing a series of six talks on Nehemiah. Should be a great opportuntity to both hear some great exposition and get to know some of the students a bit better. Am looking forward to a visit from one of the MBC families, the Lanes, on Easter Sunday. Hope to do a bit of siteseeing with them!

One other thing for you to be praying for over this weekend is the student conference in Papau New Guinea, their movement is also called TSCF. They are having a conference this weekend for over 3000 students. Nigel Pollock, Director of TSCF in NZ, is going to speak at it and Jeff Pelz is going along to get roped into things last minute! Nigel's blog gives a good picture of what they can expect!

So, shorter than normal, but hope to write more after the weekend! Have a wonderful Easter of celebrating the death of our Lord and Saviour, his resurrection and our new life in Him!

Finally, finally, finally...

2008-03-10T02:26:00.007Z

Last week was O-Week and it was pretty busy! I spent most of the week with EU - in the 'space' or lounge in the quad. It was a much busier week on campus then the week before and everyone was back to lectures etc. EU was trying to work out the best way to promote themselves without putting people off and making sure they distinguished themselves from the many other religious groups on campus. There were a few people that came up and took brochures throughout the week. We also got in contact with some contacts made at the OCF/EU table in preO-Week. There were no newbies at the first EU Tuesday meeting but we are praying that people will settle into uni and feel welcome to come along.

OCF had a stand just next door to EU - complete with flags from around the world and a challenge to move balls and marbles from one tub to the other with Korean chop-sticks. It was so hard! Korean chop-sticks are metal and rounded so there is no resistance at all - I managed a few though! Those who did well won an OCF t-shirt! The group who were manning the stall were able to have quite a few good conversations and had lots of folks signing up. They had their first main meeting on Friday and about three quarters of the room were new people. Jeff shared a great word on Daniel 1 and it was good just to meet people and get chatting.

I was also along with AUT as CF did a stand on Thursday in their quad. They too had quite a few people signing up and some of the members took part in a game of human foosball against ANZ, one of the big banks. Unfortunately they were pipped at the post 5-4, but held it right up to the last. It probably didn't help that most of our team were concentrating more on eating icelollies than winning! We had the first meeting for the planning of the first Northern Regional Camp on Friday as well - it was really exciting. It will hopefully see representation from all the Auckland and Hamilton groups and will be a great opportunity for equipping for the mission on campus.

Final two pieces of news:

My visa has finally come through! Had a bit of a false start last week when I was sent one to be able to work in Wellington! It was rectified today and I finally have a work permit in my passport to allow me to work in Auckland for the next year! I am so excited/relieved/encouraged/worn out from the whole process!
When I got out the lift from the immigration office I saw this written on the wall in front of me:

Reminds me that it is for God's glory that I have now got a visa! I hope to be used well here in NZ and bring him glory!

One final excitement - Scotland are again the proud possessors of the Calcutta Cup!

Signs

2008-03-02T04:39:00.005Z

There are many interesting signs around Auckland. Many of these I see as I am driving about and, given that I am still not used to the no indicating, just go for it sort of driving they go in for here, I didn't think that taking a photo while negotiating complex junctions was the best way to keep my car intact.

However, yesterday on the way home from the Warehouse (where everyone gets a bargain) I was stopped at lights for an inordinate amount of time - right beside a couple of very interesting signs...
Not only is there a pub named after something rather familiar, if you see in the background there is a black sign with white writing (you'll be able to see it better if you click on the photo). These are dotted all around Auckland, not sure who they are done by, but they are basically written as if God had said them. There is one on the way to campus saying, "I miss the way you used to talk to me when you were young". Some are funny like one about parking spaces. The one above says, "You can talk to me when you're not in trouble as well". If nothing else, they certainly make me think and I hope that they do promote discussion in the future.

We've now had pre-O week when some of the first years come to uni to hear introductory lectures, get tours around and sign up for courses. This is not as big a deal as Freshers Week in UK -that comes more next week when everyone is back for lectures, but there was still opportunity to make contact with a real diversity of students. One of the best bits was the number of people EU had through their coffee and chat in the chapel on the Tuesday - the day when the tours were operating. It was great that they were able to stand out as a bit different from the other clubs in the chapel by serving those around them and there were some individual conversations that were really helpful. Hopefully we'll see some people along at EU from contacts made.
Next week sees the start of actual O Week. Everyone will be back for the start of lectures and all the clubs will be doing their best sales pitch. The main things EU has doing are a 'space' in the main quad where people can sit and chat. They are also planning a picnic on the Wednesday lunchtime - the aim being to get people actually having conversations on campus and to form relationships.
OCF have some great opportunities with the events that the uni run and AUTCF are running a stall next Thursday - they've had some good interest already. So, we'll hopefully see another good group of students who are willing to stand for Jesus on campus in their time at uni...

The final sign I will leave you with is this one of the chapel at Auckland University. There are numbers like this on all the buildings around the university, showing their address. The chapel is where EU hold most of their events and where things are situated for orientation. Don't you think the chapel is for adults only though...? Made me laugh!

A Car and a House!

2008-02-24T06:38:00.003Z

Exciting news is that I've managed to acquire both a car and a room in a house...

It has been suggested that the car be called Waitangi as I bought it at auction on Waitangi Day (interesting to read up about this, goes back to the history of the signing of an agreement between Maori and Pakeha - quite controversial these days but is celebrated with a day off at the beginning of February). The car is doing very well trundling about Auckland - many, many u-turns at this stage as I manage to get lost anywhere and everywhere possible. And that is the house in the background!

Lots happenning this week with the 1st years arriving for orientation. Will hopefully be able to get stuck in with chatting with students and getting to know folks!

New Staff Orientation in Windy Welly!

2008-02-16T06:15:00.003Z

I got back yesterday afternoon from an absolutely brilliant time of orientation down in Wellington. We were based in the main TSCF office down there and were staying with various lovely people who were willing to put us up.

We did training on so much but all of it was so interesting! We did training on all sorts: immigration to NZ over history; the Treaty of Waitangi (with Val drawing a crowd and deserving some commission from Te Papa); Maori culture; Asians in NZ (Karen introducing us to a brilliant film 'Banana in a Nutshell', well worth checking out to understand something more of Asians living in the West); What it is to be a Kiwi today (with some really helpful stuff on cultural norms here); history of TSCF (amazing overview of the involvement of Howard Guinness, his account of the ministry back in the 1930s and how it has grown from there - what an encouragement as well as such a challenge); What it is to be a staffworker; administrative stuff; vision fundraising (a greatly encouraging session as we shared worries and excitements) and a session on what to expect from the first 8 weeks!

There was a lot when you look at it like that! It was great to also be able to meet up with all the new folk, get to know each other better, pray together, explore more of the book of Acts together, and through that be challenged to think on what persecution we may face and how the Holy Spirit will use us. So much went into organising it as well and it was great to feel part of the TSCF set-up in the office, as well as being welcomed into several of the lovely homes of TSCF staff around Wellington. We were also able to share some lovely Yum Char, you might know it as Dim Sum, for lunch on Tuesday. Included is a wee picture of Karen devouring a chicken foot... I even tried one! Tastes nice - not much meat on it though!

Anyway, a lot to take in. Basically it was such an exciting time to see the potential in the ministry in NZ. All I need is a Visa! Do keep praying...

Other Stuff...

2008-02-10T04:03:00.000Z

A few things you may well have read about on other blogs that I thought I'd put up just in case you hadn't!

UCCF have launched the new Theology Network website - a brilliant resource that is well worth a look at!

Also worth a wee watch is the winning entry in this year's Relay 2 Karaoke competition. Sadly after their winning turns in the past two years, Scotland were not able to pull off the hat-trick. This one was done by the South West Team. I was sent it by email and it is very funny! For all you Grudem fans out there...

Also just wanted to show this picture that was taken of all the TSCF team at Staff + Families Conference last week that I stole from Nigel's blog - a wee bit squinty but good to have everyone in it!

New People, Places, Things

2008-02-06T07:54:00.000Z

I am very much enjoying settling into life in New Zealand. I have been so well looked after by the lovely Pelz family - they really have been so good to me. I am so thankful for such a lovely welcome and a home to live in as I settle.

I've been up to quite a bit since the last update. Had a wee trip to some of the beaches around Auckland - Muriwai in the west coast with the Pelz family and then up to Goat Island and Orewa on the East coast with the Shudall Family. The sea here is a bit warmer than what I'm used to in the north.

We've also had Staff + Families Conference down in Nelson on the South
Island - was great to meet people in a relaxed context, to get to know them and just spend some time looking to planning for this year. We had lovely weather the whole week and so we were able to make the most of the lovely site - lake, slide, flying fox and all!

We were also able to begin the year's study in Acts. It was a great opportunity to get both a good overview of the book but also to spend some time, particularly in the first chapter, exploring things we have never discovered or have forgotten. Amazing to look at the focus on kingdom, the Spirit's work and the commissioning the disciples received.

I was also able to visit family friends down in Christchurch after the time in Nelson, before returning to Auckland at the beginning of the week. I'm now back into sorting flat stuff, tax numbers and visa. Would appreciate your prayer on that front if you are that way inclined - looking a bit difficult at the mo but we shall see - lots of prayer will see the right result!

I did, however, manage to purchase a car yesterday at the auction. I've been to three now and not managed to buy - panicking if I flinch a bit too much that I might have purchased some big BMW that I didn't want! Anyway, there was lots of interest in the car I was after yesterday but I managed to get it and it is lovely! Pictures will follow when I've had time to snap some...!

In New Zealand...

2008-01-22T23:54:00.000Z

I've made it! 5 flights, 2 hotel rooms, 6 airports, 3 delays later and I've made it to Auckland! Lots of answers to prayer along the way - thanks for all those who were praying! Thank you to all who have been supporting me along the way - the encouragement I received in my last few days around Edin has very much kept me going - thank you so much!

Am now trying to recover from jetlag and just missing whole nights of sleep! I have my first meeting of the Auckland team tomorrow so it will be good to meet everyone and get to know what is going on.

There is so much I want/need to write about but afraid I am still not functioning 100%! There is one little thing I wanted to show you. I was sitting next to two lovely sisters from Brisbane all the way from Dubai - they had been travelling through Europe. We got on to the topic of pavlovas and I brought up the controversial question of whether this was an Oz or and NZ invention. They seemed surprised by this, of course it is from Australia. I decided not to question it given that I had to remain sitting in close proximity to them for over 15 hours and would rather I hadn't offended their national pride for their local dish. Was then quite ironic to come across this advert for insurance as we watched TV last night... think it captures quite a bit of the NZ attitude:

Ready?

2008-01-07T10:01:00.000Z

Quite a lot has been and gone since I last updated this:

Christmas
My last winter one for a while and the last time I'll play my flute for a good few years I think. I generally have about one gig a year with it - the watchnight service! In fact, I got it out this year and it still had the tinsel from last year on it! We had a good one this year. It was good to have Andrew back with us and we had the addition of a couple of Kiwi friends. A lot of food, way too many quizzes, an intro to Flight of the Conchords, lots of trips to the German Market, meals with friends, games nights - all comprised to be a good Christmas time!

New Year
We went to the Night Afore again this year which was brilliant - although it was a bit scary being chased by massive blow-up creatures that occasionally ate people together with red-burning flares. I didn't feel very up for Hogmanay this year! But we went and saw the fireworks which were great - it is funny to think I could be bringing in 2009 somewhere over the other side of the world. And a bit warmer!

It has been really good to spend time with various friends over the past wee while, now that I am not working, and to begin to say goodbyes. It is making me realise that it is really quite soon that I am leaving - a week on Friday! Most people ask me if I'm ready to go, if I've got everything prepared.

My answer is usually no - I don't feel ready. There is no reason for this. I've been sorting through things that I'm leaving and things that I'm taking. I've not got that much to buy, as I can't take that much! I've got my tickets and visa stuff can't really happen till I get there. It has been a bit of a running joke that I've been going on about NZ for at least about 3 years now. There is no doubt that I've had quite a bit of notice about this! So why do I not feel prepared?

Basically it is very tempting to begin to feel that I am not good to enough to be part of a ministry like that in New Zealand. I get frustrated that I have not well used the time I have had to prepare myself better for my role in NZ. I just don't feel ready.

Many people are using their blogs to review this past year - well I think the book of the Bible that God has used most to refine, challenge and encourage me this year has been Philippians. I returned to this over the weekend. Paul knew what it was like to do ministry in every situation, to be called to things he couldn't do by himself. And yet he says:

"I can do everything through him who gives me strength." Phil 4:13

My situation is very different from this but God does not call me on the basis of me being completely ready to deal with all situations with my experience and skill. I am blessed to have had such great input from so many people and the opportunity to do a whole year of ministry training here. But God is not calling me on this basis. It is Him who is going to do it through me - I have been reminded that my part is to willing surrender to his renewing power and to minister His grace.

I was reading a link to this interview with the actor Denzel Washington from another blog earlier today. He talks of his faith and refers to a prayer his mother taught him:

"Heavenly Father, we come before thee, knee bent and body bowed, in the humblest way that we know how."

An early Christmas gift!

2007-12-21T12:00:00.000Z

Got a phone call late last night from James in NZ saying that we have got approval in principle for my post with TSCF! Ironically, all the conditions they have put on it about advertising etc have been waved because they took so long over it! God's ways! James also told me that I shouldn't apply for my bit until I get to NZ so that means I can completely forget about all that stuff over Christmas!

I wrapped all my presents this morning so, as the song goes, it's begin to look a lot like Christmas. Enjoy the time, remember our Saviour and celebrate all that means to us now 2000 years later - still transforming lives!

Enjoy this as well, think I might have shared it this time last year but it doesn't fail to make me laugh - especially the reindeer on the left...

http://www.thecompassgroup.biz/merryxmas.swf

Leaving on a jet plane...

2007-12-20T20:26:00.000Z

I'm so excited! I've just spent the past two days (feels that long - think it was just two separate visits) in the travel agent and I have booked my flights to New Zealand. I got the cheapest I could at this quite late stage, especially as it's quite a busy time, but they were so helpful to me and I've got it all sorted. I am in fact going exactly the same way as last time with Emirates, stopping at every airport between here and Auckland! Not quite... but I am having a stopover in Dubai!

It really has been such a confirming, encouraging week. I have spent so much of the last few months being slightly worried about what was going to happen, whether I would get all the money, what was going to happen with visas (hopefully an answer will come soon!), when I was going to go, book flights etc. But it has been a real lesson in waiting, in patience. And it has been amazing to see the way that God has been providing through people and preparing the way. The doors are opening!

Last night I went back to the housegroup who have adopted me for my time away. There's was the first group I went along to, to present about NZ and it was great to be back with them. It was just brilliant to be able to express something of my thanks to them and all they have done/prayed for/given over the past wee while and to be able to actually give them a bit of progress on the situation. I am so thankful for what God has done and is doing through them!

I shared with them the newer presentation I received from Andy. It begins with very familar verses from Matthew 28v18-20:

All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.

It was a helpful and timely reminder of why I am going to NZ - this is about obeying the command we are given as his people to go and make disciples. A command that is for everyone of us who are believers. I cannot wait to get stuck in and be part of the establishment of a new generation in NZ!

Before this happens there is a little thing called Christmas!! Need to get organised...

What with Andy drawing our attention to the wonder that is the NZ Togs/Undies advert Andrew has also drawn my attention to some hilarious ones including the brilliant L&P Stubbies ad.

My favourite is this one for Lift+... something of the humour I can expect!

Goodbye to the 9 to 5!

2007-12-11T10:10:00.000Z

I had my last day with Aspire on Friday. They were so lovely to me - a bottle of wine and flowers and cards and a wee party. It actually made me realise that I think I really will miss both the work and the people - although it was stressful, disorganised, frustrating, I was able to meet some amazing people, see some of what 'life' actually is for many people, have some great conversations. On reflection I am so glad that I was able to be part of this work for a short while. It has given me a wider perspective of the need in society today that will stay with me.

I now have some time to get ready for both Christmas but ultimately for New Zealand for two years! I've still to hear about a visa - that is a big prayer point as it is holding up the process of getting flights, accomodation organised. I'm also continuing to fundraise! It has been so encouraging to see how people are willing to support the work going on with students out in NZ and my part in it. It really is a learning curve and a growing process to be so reliant upon God and his people for provision. If anyone would like more info as to how to give or pray then do email me.

Grace is the Word

2007-12-03T22:45:00.000Z

I am currently aching all over. I spent the weekend up at Lendrick Muir, cooking at St Andrews CU Houseparty. I warned Kate, a.k.a. head chef extrordinaire, beforehand that cooking is not in fact one of my gifts but that I can follow orders. And follow orders I did! We were chopping and stirring and dishing up all weekend. And nothing makes you appreciate more the extent of work that goes on in a kitchen than cooking for 150 people for a weekend. Hats off to Kate for organising the kitchen! And she enjoys it!
So a great weekend seemed to be had by all - a Grease themed, Grace focused, Roger Carswell featuring, Galatians studying weekend!
It was really good to be able to serve in that way though, especially when I myself was served so well by folks in the past such that I could enjoy tasty meals as I progressed through the Houseparties of my time in CU. It was really great to see the work that is continuing in St Andrews. As much as I now feel removed from things of CU there, knowing fewer and fewer people and not being familiar with the events and excitements of the day, St A's still is a special place for me and I continue to pray for it and the ministry of the CU. It is in a really strategic position in the university and town of St Andrews to be impacting this country and world for the future - no little task but God is working!

I wrote a wee article for our church magazine this month as well. It includes (and copies!) much of the most recent info we've had from NZ which makes for quite remarkable reading...

Also, there is quite a lot of blogging going on about the future for final year students at the mo. I myself would love to recommend RELAY to any and all who are at that stage, as others have. It truly is an amazing year - just check out my archived posts to see the journey I went on - I truly am a different person through the grace I encountered while in His Word on Relay! Check out the brill video that came out recently as well! (some famous faces in it as well!)

Long time....

2007-11-13T23:37:00.000Z

no speak...! So much has happened since I last updated this - Scotland have not won the World Cup but South Africa have, with England getting much further then they should have; I have done a good few talks about New Zealand; I've been back to QMUCU to talk on Grace; Dad has retired; we've been to Portugal for a wee holiday...

It was great to get away for a few days with the family. It was so hot in Portugal and it is a really beautiful country...

was a bit of a shock to go from above 20 degrees in Portugal to below 4 in Bonnie Scotland! Was really good to just have a chance to relax a wee bit, read, watch some Spooks and sleep!

I've now done quite a bit for my NZ visa - waiting for the police check and have had both x-ray and medical so we're just waiting to hear about the in principle application for a visa, we've been promised an answer by the end of the week so we'll see... much prayer needed!

I hope to write more about NZ and what I'll be doing out there very soon!

I cannot believe it...

2007-10-10T20:17:00.000Z

Well, I am sure you were glued, as I was, to the events of RWC07 over the weekend.

I literally cannot believe New Zealand are out. I watched it back on video as I was out at the International Meal (which was brilliant) and I literally couldn't believe it was real. The All Blacks have been waiting 20 years to win another one - this was their year! I guess they'll have to wait till they're hosting it!

It seems Doug Howlett took it harder than most!

Slightly more believable were the events of Sunday. I don't know what it is because Scotland have all the components to win well: some brilliant players, a good coach etc - it just doesn't come together. Ah well, at least we got through to the Quarters.

Jammy England will no doubt get through to the final now...! That's unless the grass is too long for Jonny and he goes and strains his groin or something...!

No, I'd like to see the French win it, as hosts I think it'd be great. Argentina are definitely most deserving at the moment though, so we'll see if anyone can beat Habana and co.

Time to make a change...

2007-10-05T18:13:00.000Z

It is amazing what one can get used to as 'normal' very quickly in life. If I was thrust into situations I see every day now a couple of months ago I'm not sure I would have coped.

When I applied for my job it was advertised as a 'Property Assistant'. I duly applied as I had been interested in getting involved in property. It was the first job I interviewed for and I got it. I then found that it was in Midlothian and was not in property at all. For the last 3 months I have been working with a housing support and homeless prevention organisation. It seems like such a random mix of factors that caused me to fall into this job and yet I can totally see the things God has been opening my eyes to as I've been doing it.

Not 10 mins down the comfortable middle class road from me is real poverty, real broken lives, real hopelessness. I have now become a bit numbed to drug raids and murders and abuse because these are just such common occurences. My eyes have been opened to a life of homelessness and benefits and drugs and not remembering the last time your were sober.

It all sounds like quite a bleak picture, and does not come without its frustrations, but I have really enjoyed being part of it over the past three months. To be honest I am fairly removed, stuck in an office and hearing much of it second hand or down the phone. But you cannot miss the way that society is operating in these areas and it is inescapable that these folk need change.

It makes me wonder what we as the church can be doing to reach out to these folk. The church I am part of often talks of being relevant and I wonder how relevant much of what we do is to the people I work with and alongside. I'm not sure what difference a cafe will make to the single mum still on heroin or the family who have just lost their house.

There are clear physical, material, emotional needs here that need to be met. There are many different organisations that are doing amazing work in this way but the overriding need here is spiritual - it is only the Gospel that can ultimately change these situations. And it does make me wonder what our role as church is in this? Can we not be partnering with the local churches in these areas, supporting those that are there, resourcing them and reaching out? Is that how God's grace will bring change in these places?

Rugby Fever...

2007-09-10T16:37:00.000Z

Well, we're off and flying with RWC07! I have been so excited about it for a good while and it has not disappointed this first weekend. What with the shock first result with Argentina beating Les Bleues and Canada, USA and Namibia all playing out of their skins against their respective home nations it as been match by match excitement.

I spent much of the Scotland v. Portugal match on the edge of my seat - we gave them a bit too much room and made far too many mistakes. But we got the win and the bonus point so no worries! We'll see how we measure up against the All Blacks and the Azzuri!

It's pretty hard to see past the All Blacks at this stage. I had been predicting France as the only team who would be able to put up any kind of challenge to the All Blacks claim to their second victory but they didn't perform so well in their first match! I think it looks like it'll be a Southern Hemisphere final! We shall see...

The Enemy Within Kris Lundgaard

A quick recommendation of a book I read while I was doing Relay and rushed through it because it was so good! I read it while we were at Relay 3 and it fitted so well with the Proverbs teaching we had. It is an adaptation of John Owen's writings - making it a bit more comprehensible for us simple folk. I'm now reading it with a friend from church and we're getting properly stuck into the questions.

The book tackles head on issues about ongoing sin. As I have grown in my understanding of grace over the past year it can be frustrating to still see such evidence of sin in our lives. The book takes much of Romans 7 as the springboard - so much of which I resonate with - and helps us come to terms with the reality of sin but also of his grace, our hope!

A Weekend and a Half!

2007-08-28T21:22:00.000Z

It has been quite a wee while since I last updated this thing - but its been busy busy busy around these parts!

I'm still trying to recover from last weekend - Don't think I would recommend the attendance of 2 weddings in different parts of the UK on the same weekend as your brother returns from down under. It was such a lovely weekend though...

Stuart and Adrienne's Wedding was up in St Andrews on the Friday. I only managed to the ceremony but it was truly lovely. The journey up was made hilarious by Anna getting at least 3 different from phone calls from the BBC offering her work placements, wanting her to decide there and then - she's fighting them off with a stick - and us just about going to the wrong church (not really a problem in the 3 streets that comprise St Andy's) with me doing an emergency stop on South St when we saw the groom at Holy Trinity, not St Andrews St Andrews!

I then bombed it down the motorway during the rush hour to see Andrew off the plane from NZ! I was so excited to see him - he has grown a lot, a lot taller! I thought he'd be really jetlagged but he was amazingly awake! I has been so good to have him back. It was weird for like the first hour, the house felt a lot busier some how, but then it felt totally normal again! We celebrated his birthday with a gourmet cake that Anna and I spent all evening on... green icing and everything.

I think it'll take a wee while for Andrew to come to terms with all he has learned and been challenged on this past year. In many ways he is recuperating from a year of challenging ministry during which he has had very little rest. Still great to have him back though!!

Rich and Alix's was Wedding No.2, and this one was the next

day, over in Norn Iron. Getting to Northern Ireland swiftly, without much time is actually quite difficult, especially when Flybe decide to delay your flight for 4 and a half hours...! Honestly the whole thing was like a scene from 4weddings. We got up at like 4:30am and didn't take off till 12pm. The ceremony started at 1pm. In the middle of no where. I changed into my outfit in the toilet at the airport. Anna's was in her bag in the hold so she got changed in the car. We then went to the wrong church and turned up at the right church to hear the end of the address and sing one Psalm. But, all was good because we actually made it. In one piece, a little tired, but there! It was really sad that we missed most of the ceremony but the rest of the day was so brilliant. Hats off to the ushers who not only looked handsome in their suits but directed guests, pushed cars out of the mud and got them in the right fields. The reception was in the loveliest marquee in Alix's garden/field and it was so amazing.

It was then another short sleep until my flight back to Scotland in the morning and a quick dash to church. Very much a fun-filled weekend but a much needed day off of sleep on the Monday!

Other than that, life is good at the moment. I am enjoying having routine. Work is never dull with crisis a plenty and regular alarming events to keep it exciting! I have also recently started reading a couple of books with different people, doing some discipleship and hope to be involved with some of the student stuff that'll be going on before I go in January.

On that front, I now have my support leaflets and hope to be giving them out to those who are interested in being part of my support team over the next few weeks. I did my first support talk last week at one of our housegroups and they were so supportive and encouraging! Very exciting!

Relay 1 started today! Can't believe it was a year ago that I was sitting there!

I'm so excited...!

2007-08-08T14:51:00.001Z

I am so excited! This seems to be a slightly overused phrase at the moment for me. But there are a lot of things coming up things that I am supremely excited about!

The main thing I am excited about is the return of my wee brother, Andrew (although not so wee as I think he's grown a further five inches or so since he's been away!). Andrew has been in New Zealand for his gap year, working with Scripture Union, and when he comes back it will have been a year and a day since I last saw him. That's a long time!

We have spoken quite a bit on skype etc while he's been away and my parents went out to visit him back in about February - so we've had regular updates as to how he's going etc. He has some hilarious stories and amazing memories from his time there, but this doesn't seem to be the main thing he will take away from his time in New Zealand. In fact, he has hardly any photos, or momentos from the year. I think the main thing Andrew will take from his year is how much he has learned and experienced of God. Speaking to Andrew now I know that God has changed him over this year. He has a new understanding of the cross, of grace and of life's priorities as a result.

The thing that is amazing about this is the fact that this change has happened while Andrew has been serving in New Zealand. I have written before of my passion for and of the differences in culture and church there are in New Zealand. Andrew experienced these differences first hand. It was his first overseas mission experience really and it was a tough one. When I tell people that Andrew has grown a lot over the year I am quick to say that much of it is in spite of the situation he was surrounded with. That it has been the Spirit working in him. Andy Shudall has written a really interesting post, here, on the state of NZ culture and church recently that brought a lot back for me of what I experienced a tiny bit when I was there and of what Andrew has been immersed in over the past year. The situation in NZ is something I will wirte more on as I prepare to go myself in January.

I think what is also really exciting is that Andrew has grown in this way at the same time as I myself have had a year of real maturing in understanding of God's grace. There were conversations we had at points during this year when we had felt like there were very few around us that understood what on earth we were saying or had been learning but that actually we had been learning very similar lessons in very different contexts.

So, I can't wait to see Andrew again; to hear his hilarious stories and hopefully see some photos but mainly just to see for myself the way he has developed and changed. I can't wait to see how God will use him as he starts Uni in September...

That is why I'm excited! Well, that and the RWC!

2007-08-02T21:04:00.000Z

Just a wee mention to one of the best films I've ever seen... it is absolutely amazing, with the best music ever - a must see!

The Edinburgh Festival starts this week which is very exciting, although I'm a bit sad that I'm not working there!

I've been having some really interesting conversations at work recently as well - you can pray for these!

It's all over...

2007-07-25T08:57:00.000Z

I got the final Harry P on Friday. It was hilarious. I decided to go to Tesco, as I thought it might be a bit cheaper (indeed I was right as it turned out to be only £10) and maybe a bit less busy. It was so funny though - they'd tried to make a bit of an effort and they'd laid on an entertainer who was standing right at the front of the store, as you came in - with about four people listening to him as he did 'magic'. This was about 11:55 so I wasn't sure where we would be getting the books. I found quite a long queue at aisle 10 so thought I'd join that and sure enough it came over the tannoy:
"If you want your new Harry Potter just join the queue at checkout nine and three quarters!"
Hilarious. So I got my new copy from a guy dressed as Hagrid, sort of.
I only read a couple of chapters that night and it actually took me longer than I thought to get through it but I finished it on Monday night and it was so good. Don't worry I won't be giving away any plot details as I know Ruth and Andrew are both waiting to be at home to read it but I do think it is a great book. I was so sad when I finished it though. I can't actually believe that the whole Harry Potter saga is over. Its been like 12 years of my life! Ah well, good advice from Kay came... I'm off to ring Childline...

Don't Waste Your Life + Harry P!!

2007-07-19T20:47:00.001Z

I think this diagram fairly well sums up the way my desk at work operates at the mo (thanks go to Duncan for pointing me towards the cartoon). I spend much of my day sorting through the mess that is the office, shredding papers that will probably end up being of vital importance to someone but look like they have been lying in the corner of the office for a good decade, organising all the stationary, speaking to all the lovely clients and trying to wokr out where all the managers are and who keeps stealing all my pens (I loose about 6 pens an hour).
Anyway, all seems to be going well at work - I'm enjoying having a regular working day and just getting involved, meeting new people and having intentional conversations.

I'm reading about six books at the moment - just keep starting new ones! I've been reading John Piper's 'Don't Waste Your Life' over the past wee while, I keep reading bits over and over - it is just brilliant!

One thing that Piper talks about that I've been thinking about a lot recently is Risk Taking. He uses the example of Esther. She knew that if anyone approached the king without being called then they would be put to death, but she also knew that her people's lives were at stake. But Esther decides to go to the king to plead for her people. She does not know for sure what the outcome of her act will be but she makes her decision and hands the result over to God. I was so challenged by her response to Mordecai - "If I perish, I perish." I think I know that in theory I believe this but when it comes to living it, in making decisions, handing it so completely over to God and knowing that it could well mean my life, I'm not sure I would be so confident! What a challenge.

The safe, risk-free life is the wasted life. It is in risking our lives in this way - to the point that we may loose them - that we do not waste life. This risk taking will come from our childlike faith in the triumph of God's love. God will be holding us. We will be eternally satisfied in him and nothing will have been wasted.

One of the other books I'm franticaqlly re-reading at the moment is Harry Potter Bk6 in preparation for the momentous event that is Saturday - when the final book comes out!
We saw the film of bk5 on Saturday and it was great. There's loads that's not in it - understandable since it is a massive book - but I thought it was really good. So I thought I would have another read of the 6th book to be ready for the last one - I am SO excited! I just hope no one ruins it... I'm considering not leaving the house before I finish it!

New Word Alive

2007-07-08T20:25:00.000Z

The website has been all updated for New Word Alive... http://www.newwordalive.org/ and it looks brilliant. All the details are on there so have a look!

And you can start booking up for it from this Tuesday! Think I might fly back from NZ for it! Maybe a bit far...

Discipleship + Working!

2007-07-04T21:22:00.000Z

Discipleship Evening

We had the postponed evening about discipleship at church on Monday night. To be really honest I was tired - I'd just had my first day at work, it was raining, I wasn't greatly prepared and I thought there might be about 4 of us. However, when we got there so many people turned up and it was such a great opportunity to chat through the issues of what accountability should look like in MBC. Pam did a fantastic job of outlining why we were having the meeting and the things she had found out about mentoring in her reading. I think what really encouraged me was the diversity of age, personality and experience of all of those who had turned up to learn about how to disciple and be discipled. If we are going to see a church where we have a network of discipleship working such that all are both discipling and being discipled then we need folks of all ages, stages of experience and styles excited about getting alongside people, making disciples and through this investing in the kingdom.

I can get really excited about Discipleship - I got a bit carried away when I was speaking on Monday night. The simple reason for this is that my life has just been so massively impacted by the discipleship I have received over the past year or so. God has really used these relationships to grow me in his grace. I have also had the privilege of investing in some students over the past year and it has been amazing to see the way God has used these relationships. So I am very pro-discipleship! I think it is brilliant and that we should all be seeking to get into the Bible together and applying it to our lives together, holding one another accountable and allowing the Holy Spirit to work in and through us for the furtherance of his kingdom.

Last Christians @ Work

I had pretty much my last act as a Relay worker on Tuesday night when I had the last Christians @ Work session with the QM 4th year girls. They are so great and it has been really good to reflect and learn together on what it is to live for Christ in the workplace. It was really helpful to acknowledge the things that could and would be really hard in moving on from uni, to pray for one another and to work though how we should handle these things.

Work work work!
I have now had my first week at work. I spent the first day and a half hanging around like a spare part, not knowing at all what to do with myself. I soon realised that no one was going to tell me what to do and that I just needed to get on with it. The office hasn't had an administrator for a year so it is in need of a bit of organisation! So I'm finding my feet and trying to get some systems for things and a bit of order to the place.
I have also been able to see a bit of the work the organisation does with the community in Midlothian. It is amazing the extent of the need right on my doorstep. It really has been eye-opening the issues that some of these folks deal with on a day-to-day basis.
So this is hopefully where I'll be for the next 6 months or so - a big change from Relay and will take a bit of time to get used to but I am so thankful for the provision of a job so quickly! Let's see how is goes...

The end of RELAY!

2007-06-29T14:50:00.000Z

Well, this is it - the last day of Relay. Can't believe how quickly it has come. We had our last Edinburgh team meeting yesterday and Kay treated us to a lovely lunch. It's funny to think that only one out of four of us will be part of the Edin Team next year. Lots of fresh starts!
I can't believe I just about didn't do Relay. I have never had a year where I have learned, experienced or grown more in who God is. Thank you to all who have made this experience possible.

So, what next? Well I have a job! And it starts on Monday!
I'm going to be working with a Housing Support Organisation in Dalkeith for the next 6 months or so before NZ in January.
So stay tuned for how the 9-5 goes!

Relay 3, Final Team Days + NAWA!

2007-06-18T08:59:00.000Z

Well, it feels like everything is sort of coming to an end! There's been quite a lot going on so I haven't even written anything about Relay 3 yet! So I'll start with that...

Relay 3

We were away for a week at the beginning of June, back down to Quinta in Shropshire, where it all started back in August! It was quite different from the other Relay conferences we've had as all we had to prepare was a 3 minute review of our year, so we had three sessions of hearing from everyone about how their year has been. People were so honest, so helpfully open, so hilarious. It was just amazing to see the way that God's grace has touched and astounded every single one of us this year - whatever our experience of Relay has been.

The teaching over the week was from Proverbs which was amazing - I don't think I've heard teaching directly on Proverbs before and it was just amazing how relevant and timely it was: guarding our hearts, trusting in God, what is inside will come out, so much that I'm still trying to get my head around...

A brilliant week of openness with my lovely fellowship group, singing, camp fire, see what a morning, laughing, ceroc dancing, hilarious group therapy, sharing about the future - Homestart and all, thinking about 10 years time, and of course lots of goodbyes...

There are several things that will stay with me from my Relay year. I have come away with an understanding and realisation of God's grace that I have never had before. I think the thing that will stay with me primarily from the Relay conferences is the people. It has been such a privilege to serve alongside people who have modelled God's grace to me so amazingly, have encouraged and challenged me at the same time and have invested so much in me this year - I am aware of how fortunate I am to have had the opportunity to do a year like Relay and I am so thankful to all who have been involved. So, that was Relay 3! Finished!

Final Team Days

Last week we also had our final two team days as a Scotland Team. We spent the first day in Edinburgh, hearing about everyone's years and sharing and giving thanks for this. Wonderful hospitality by Kay, as per usual, and just a really good time together. We then had the afternoon as the Relays, praying for one another as we move on and looking a bit toward the future.

That evening was the leaving do for Stuart and Kay as they move on from UCCF. It was a good time for Stuart and Kay to be able to say thank you to the folks they have been serving alongside, and then for folks to be able to thank them. It was amazing in hearing the speeches about both Stuart and Kay the extent to which God has used them to shape the work of UCCF in Scotland over the past good few years - the extent to which they have had a massive influence on the lives of so many students , including myself. I had no idea that Stuart was the instigator of so much of what I think of as the wider vision of UCCF - the 4 year mission team at the heart of campus stuff, the mission arm of the local church - so much of which is central to my understanding of the work of UCCF. God has used Kay in my life and the lives of so many students over the years in such an influential way, in modelling grace and in developing and discipling leaders. She has a real gift. I think we must acknowledge the massive way in which God has used and changed the face of student work and in turn his church in Scotland and abroad because of their tireless and sacrificial work.

We then had a fairly windswept day in St Andrews as a team + families (felt like a creche at some points!) which was good fun, if a bit cold - but it didn't rain! So we had some Himalayas fun, some picnicing and jumping over stones in the Cathedral (always going to end in tragedy boys!). And that was our final team day!

Not A Weekend Away

Quick update on something I was involved in at church. Aften organised a weekend for the youth which involved them not going away but staying in Edinburgh at host homes from the church in groups. It was a brilliant opportunity to come round God's word together and to look a bit about what it is to live as wise, not as unwise in the world in three sessions and also a session on relationships. I was so encouraged as to where the folks in my groups were at - the way God is using them and will use them in the future. We did a bit of community work on the Saturday as well - involving for us a visit to a nursing home, which was hilarious ("did you enjoy that?", "No."!!) and some folks freezing while washing cars in the rain.

A good weekend had by all - all thanks to those who organised it, but a big thank you has to go to Aften, who gave up so much of her time to organising it!

A final mention has to go to the two guys who I have been supporting over the past few weeks and both came through in triumph - well done Lee and Simon!!

I just need to get my life back now that both ADWD and Apprentice have finished!

Lovely Mull + Elective Study!

2007-05-25T22:46:00.000Z

Calgary Bay, Mull

Last weekend I had the Monday holiday so Katie and I decided to go Mull, in a tent! I have been craving a bit of camping for so long so we decided to give it a go.On the road on Saturday morning the rain was absolutely torrential - we literally thought the weekend would have been a success if we survived, didn't get blown away or drowned...
A lot of prayer ensued, especially when we discovered our tent was seriously collapsing at one side, and that night was really quite windy and wet, but we survived. But the rest of the weekend was absolutely gorgeous... I even got sunburnt!

It truly was such a wonderful time of rest and encouragement, filled with chat, attempting to cook food, eating raw or charred food, eating slightly off food, reading, playing HSM uno, listening to Deacon Blue, studying Psalm 139, visiting castles and gardens, looking at lovely views, driving on vertical hairpin roads, being part of the tiny evangelical church in Tobermory, meeting locals, making friends with people and birds alike and glorying in God's wonderful creation!

Then this week has been a brilliant time of getting into my Elective Study. I have been learning so much interesting stuff about the Emerging Church but have disciplined myself later in the week to investigate a bit more of NZ history - and it has been so great to explore!

Particularly exciting has been to see the way Christianity first spread through Maori in NZ back in the 19th century, to see those first converts through those first missionaries. Wouldn't it be amazing to see this happen in such a way again? Fuel for our prayers...

A changed person, the Holy Spirit + NZ!!

2007-05-17T19:02:00.000Z

Last night at QM

I have been a bad blogger again. No excuses - am just a bit rubbish!

Just wanted to give you a quick update on stuff that's going on with me:

CUs are drawing to an end now. We had the last QMCU a couple of weeks ago, which was a great time of reflection and looking back as well as looking forward to fresher's week and new campus.

Then we had a meal on Tuesday night as Napier's last night which was great fun!

It has been such a privilege to get to know these guys, to see God's Spirit shape them and to see him moving in these campuses!

I just literally cannot believe this year is coming to an end. To be honest I still have like a month and a half left but with CUs finishing and having to fill out my end of year review it really does make you look back. I just can't get over how much I have changed since starting Relay back in September. I hope to post more on this in the future, but it amazing the extent to which I have become a more secure, confident person, aware of my identity in Christ and the abundance of his grace. Amazing.

Its been great to spend some time this month looking at the Holy Spirit in more depth. I came onto Relay being quite honest about the fact that I didn't know much about the Holy Spirit's role in the life of the believer, but was willing to learn - and learn I have! It has been great to get some clarity on issues of sanctification, the fruit and gifts of the Spirit and what happened at Pentecost. I look forward to finishing off our study series by looking at Jesus coming back - how exciting!

Also, I have heard from New Zealand!!

I got an email saying that they hope I'll be part of the Auckland team, on the North Island - working with 1 or 2 CUs up there. I kind of expeced to be on South Island so Auckland, as a big city, is quite a different prospect but I am really quite excited!

In order to go I'll need to raise about £18-20,000 per year and I've been asked to go for 2 so that is a lot of cash! Its quite daunting at this stage but I am learning that by trusting in God (who owns the cattle on a thousand hills!) he will provide if its in his will.

So I'd love you to be praying with me about this. I do think this is where I am being called to serve but it is only possible if I get the money and the visa so we'll see! Will update you with more in the future!

Finally, Pete led us in a great study today at our Edin Team Meeting. We looked at Jesus washing the disciples feet in John 13, at how Peter finds it hard to accept Jesus serving him, lowering himself to wash his feet and then thought about how we receive God's grace, how we accept it. We then reflected on Jesus' baptism in Mark1 and it was just amazing to remind ourselves that this is OUR IDENTITY in Christ Jesus:

At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. As Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: "You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased." [Mark1v9-11]

Under grace this is how God views us! Amazing.

Lots of Encouraging stuff...

2007-04-22T17:55:00.000Z

I'm trying to update my blog a bit more regularly than I have been so that I don't forgot stuff that's going on and so that they are not the mammoth posts of drivel for you to trawl through...

This week has been a busy but really exciting one - it started off with two team days and it was brilliant to see the team again after the break. We spent some time looking at 2Thes2, the stuff about the man of lawlessness, and it was really tough. Dan led it really well, he knows so much (I think brains might be stored in facial hair!) but it is just really difficult stuff. The main thing to cling to in looking at these things is in v2. We are not to become unsettled or alarmed over these issues, the context of it being the false reports the Thessalonian church have been receiving. I find it so important to remember this when considering the end times stuff - it is so important to study but so easy to get daunted or confused by. Let us remember that wonderful passage in Rev21 when he will make all things new:

"He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."

How exciting ay?

Anyway, we also had a really lovely day on Tuesday with all the Scottish Relays - a great opportunity to reflect a bit on what we've been learning and was amazing to see the way that Grace does come through in everyone's learning and experience of the year so far. I am continually amazed at the way it touches everything. This week also marked the end of my reading of 'God's Lavish Grace' with Kay - no book, other than the Bible, has influenced my understanding in the same way this one has. It was amazing that it took until this last chapter for Terry Virgo to mention how grace actually affects the way that life looks. Grace sets us free to live dangerously for the gospel without the short-term worries, the playing it safe, comfortable life that we so often aim for. We are free from condemnation now, we can spread the message of God's lavish grace to the world. Terry Virgo quotes the words of Charles Wesley's famous hymn:

Oh, that the world might taste and see

The riches of his grace!

The arms of love that compass me

Would all mankind embrace.

It is amazing the way that, amid all my questions of how we actually DO grace, this radical living and reordering of my priorities has been a natural consequence of my furthered understanding of grace in every moment.

Grace sets the church free to risk all for the praise of him who freely gave all for us!

Thursday was the most wonderful day - Morven's wedding over at Loch Lomond. When we left Edinburgh it was overcast and raining but when we arrived at Luss the sun was shining and the sky was blue. Morven looked absolutely stunning in the dress she designed herself and the whole Gow green/raspberry colour scheme just fitted her so well. At points I felt like I was in Neighbours with all the Australians about, but it was great to finally meet Josh and to see them so happy together.

The rest of the week was spent reading about Emerging Church (I have a really brilliant new book that is so helpful and am ploughing my way through Velvet Elvis) and then I had the privilege of joining the QM girls on their planning retreat. It was a lovely day and we went for a wee walk - was good to just spend some time with them. I was also able to be with them as they discussed the training that the CU need. It was great to just hear the way they were talking about it as a mission team, the equipping we need in order to reach the campus for Christ. It is a bit bizarre to think that none of their planned events and training will happen at Corstorphine or Leith but at their new campus over in Musselburgh. It is really difficult to picture it, although a virtual tour does help!

So its been such an encouraging week that makes me so excited about the last term that is to come, what God is going to do and how he will use me and His people in Edinburgh!

Word Alive+Holidays

2007-04-08T20:26:00.000Z

Been back a week or so now from good old Word Alive - it was absolutely brilliant!
Best bits: teaching by Charles Price on my fav-Philippians, being in Christ; "for this, I have Jesus"; the hilarious Graham Daniels on Faith - keep your eyes on Jesus; Richard Cunningham and focusing on the cross; success redefined by grace seminar; Starbooks, plus legendary theme toon provided by the legendary Stoney; HSM with the caravan buddies; getting loads of good books and not having to spend money; learning new songs, "I'll stand, with arms high and heart abandoned"; conversing with some quality folk; meeting up with all the Relays again; getting a wee glimpse of Heaven (not sure it will look like Butlins but the hundreds of people worshipping God alongside one another was a bit of a foretaste)!

There was a big focus on the centrality of the cross to our faith, especially in light of the penal substitution debates - a brilliant book to get is the new IVP title called 'Pierced for our Transgressions', a must-read for all!

I haven't got through it yet but there was a big push at Word Alive for folk to be reading it - we must not forget the centrality of the cross, of what Jesus did for us and what it means for us today. Will let you know how I get on with it.

And... next year there will be new Word Alive, a joint venture between UCCF and Keswick.
Confirmed speakers= Don Carson, Terry Virgo and John Piper (Amazing!)

It really is going to be great - I'm not sure if I'll be in the country then but if you are I couldn't recommend it highly enough. Even if it is happening in some unpronounceable town in Wales...

I've had a week off since then, most of which has consisted of procrastinating; helping Lia pack (including an hilarious trip to the self-storage place when I felt liked I actually walked into an episode of The Office) and seeing her off - the end of an era!; and many, many watchings of HSM! I also tried to get into 24 but it really isn't happening for me. I even started at the beginning. I don't think it helps that my telly doesn't show darkness very well and most of the first few episodes happen in pitch-black. Nevermind. Had a brilliant day up in sunny (v.sunny infact) Arbroath at Easter Camp as well. The most relaxed Camp I've ever been to, breakfast was at about 9:30am! It was great to be up there and alongside the kids and leaders.

Start back again tomorrow and have quite a lot on this week: a couple of team days, all the usual plus a wedding!! Will let you know how it all goes...

New Leaders, the Vine and the Wooden Spoon!

2007-03-25T20:20:00.000Z

I have had a really good couple of weeks. I am totally loving what I do. It is such a privilege to spend time with the girls I meet up with in 1-to-1s and I am learning so much through them. Being able to remind and be reminded of the wonderful truths in a book like Philippians is brilliant and seeing the way the students are growing and maturing in their faith is amazing. I am also learning so much more about how grace impacts my ministry - how I work with the students. I so often would get frustrated with strategy, how best to reach campus and getting it all done. I'm learning that the best way I can help is to invest in these girls' lives, to talk about the vision together and to convince them of grace in every moment. I am so privileged to be learning these lessons now, especially if God is taking me to NZ next year - we'll see!

We had New Leaders Training last weekend and it was fantastic - if not a bit shattering! It was so exciting to see all the new guys with their enthusiasm and passion for what God had called them to. I never fail to feel challenged, excited, empassioned and envisioned when I hear Stuart McPhail do the vision of UCCF talk and looking around the room and seeing these feelings shared by those God has raised up around me was brilliant. It was great to see the Edinburgh region all together and to get the tangible sense of partnership in the Gospel across the city, a real community with potential to make a real difference for the Kingdom over the next year and beyond.

I think the highlight for me was being able to pray with people after Karl's challenging message on the Saturday night from John 15 on the vine and the branches. We are called to remain in the vine, to stick close to Jesus and let the fruit grow from that - stop trying so hard to live the Christian life and let his grace do its job. An appropriate message for me at the time as I have a bit of an awakening about grace and one I was so glad was shared with these leaders as they start a year on committee - out relationship with God needs to come first in everything, all else will grow from this. Seeing people really moved and challenged by this message on the Saturday night of the weekend and being able to pray with them was a real privilege.

Also… we ended up with the flippin’ wooden spoon again this year in the old 6N’s. I think the positive signs are there – nothing like the demoralising Matt Williams era but would just be nice to win some games. I think we’re maybe just biding our time for the World Cup, lulling people into a false sense of security before we annihilate them all come September!

The main problem at the moment seems to be that the boys spend more time in Starbucks and Beanscene than on the training pitch! (I literally see them every time I meet one of the students!)

Shining Like Stars!

2007-02-28T20:33:00.000Z

First - an apology: It has been ages since I last updated this! Loads has been happening - lots to pray and give thanks for!

I'd like to recommend a book. If you read no other book this year (outside of your trusty Bible) then let it be this one!

This is the new book by Lindsay Brown, the head of IFES, about how the Gospel has spread throughout the world's universities. I've been reading it for the past few weeks for my elective study on mission. It is books like this that get me most excited about the gospel - that remind me clearly of its impact on individuals and the reason why I am so passionate about the purpose of UCCF and IFES, more globally - seeing the way it has impacted the world! Amazing!

You'll read stories about people like Derek Mutungu from Zambia who became a Christian as a student in Bath and, on his return to Zambia, established a student ministry at the University of Lusaka - becoming its first staffworker, supported by IFES. It grew and grew and after a while as many as a tenth of all the university students in the country were Christians. News spread to the President who invited him to the palace, allowing Derek to spread the message to him and then the whole Zambian cabinet. All this from a student being invited to church and into a family home, people who were willing to share not only the Gospel of God, but their lives as well!! How exciting!

I feel like I've made such a breakthrough over these past few weeks with regards to my understanding of grace in every moment. I think 'grace in every moment' will end up being my catchphrase for this year! I literally can't read or discuss or study anything without seeing it in the context of the grace God gives us in every moment.

"The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it." (1 Thes 5v24)

This verse has become such a reality in my life over the past wee while. After giving a bunch of exhortations to the Thessalonian church Paul then states that it is God that will do it. I always used to struggle with this - HOW does God do it? I didn't want to be doing it all in my power but I didn't know what the alternative actually looked like. I think it took me a while for the whole grace thing to sink in. Indeed it took me to really hit quite a low for it to take effect in every part of my life - now that I'm totally reliant upon Him, on his grace, in everything that I do, day-to-day, I'm not doing it in my power at all - its all in his grace, that keeps me going moment by moment. Grace IS amazing!

God's grace is what saved me, helps me and energises me.

All is going well with the CUs at the moment - the new committees are just taking over and it is so exciting to see the way that God is going to use them in the CUs over the next year.

We have New Leaders Training this weekend - would really appreciate your prayer: for all the logistics and practicalities, for God to be speaking through Karl as he brings a real message of grace, and for the new leaders to be really convicted, challenged and encouraged in this.

The less said about the rugby at the moment the better...!

Mission Week and a Win!

2007-02-14T12:38:00.000Z

A very quick announcement to say that I now am working alongside Queen Margaret University not University College - exciting ay? Yep, QM changed to a uni over the Christmas holidays! Main thing it means is that its a bit quicker and easier to say QMUCU not QMUCCU - always was a bit of a mouthful!

So, this past week has been so exciting! It was Events Week last week at Queen Margaret and I was unsure of what to expect of a mission week in a place that isn't St Andrews - where you can plaster the town with flyers in about 10 mins!

It was so good though. I think one of the most encouraging and exciting things to see was the way the CU folk really stepped up to the plate in inviting their friends, mucking in and getting their hands dirty and really putting themselves out there when they were often scared and unsure of what to say. It just felt like a real team effort and that God really worked through and challenged us all.

The highlights of the events were definitely the lunchtime talks for me, one on each campus. As much as they, particularly the Leith one, didn't go totally smoothly logistics-wise, it was amazing to see the way God used them. I was praying with one of the girls on the events team this morning and she was saying how much she was struck throughout the week with God's sovereignty, the way he is in control of it all. We need to surrender it all to Him - he will do it! We saw that so much throughout the week - we couldn't get the data projector working for one of the lunchtime talks and so the speaker just kept talking - they got about three gospel talks and a testimony! I thought that would really put them off but it was just amazing to see so many stay behind, ask questions, get into really good conversations. So exciting. We also had an acoustic night in a cafe bar in town where we were supposed to be showing some film clips and doing some wee talks and it turned out on the night that the manager had changed his mind and didn't want us to do that - but we could trust that God would still use the venue and the conversations.

So you can pray for the folks who heard the Gospel for the first time this past week, for the friends of Christians on campus and for their witness to them.

Rugby

The other important thing that must be acknowledged is the victory for the Scots on Saturday. You'll have noticed the silence on the heartbreaking defeat the week before at the hands of a certain J. Wilko as it was just too painful for words. This past Saturday's victory is one indeed that must be celebrated! The boys did so well - I can't believe some people are saying it wasn't a good match, I thought both sides played amazingly, especially in defence - I know there were no tries but think that illustrates amazing defence not a lack of ability in the old offensive line.

Much commendation must go to the lovely Simon Taylor on his 50th cap and Man of the Match honour. Some great breaks and ball-carrying and good tackling as per usual. Chris Paterson was on reliably good form with the kicks and both were highlights amid an increasingly dangerous team! All the way to the World Cup boys!

2007-01-30T20:16:00.000Z

OK, so much has happened since I last updated this, and not only that but I can hardly contain in my head all the stuff that I have been learning, been encouraged by and been challenged by over the past few weeks. I'm going to try and sum up some of this stuff in this post!

Study and Prep Weeks

It was a wee bit weird to start back after Christmas with a study week. I have been so used to being at home for Christmas and then going back to St A's that it was funny staying around after all the festivities were over and just study. But it was such a blessing and a privilege. We were doing a variety of looking at a chapter of our Grudem theology books, studying Colossians, with particular reference to the Incarnation, a study response on this and then quite a lot of elective study. I absolutely loved getting into Colossians. My study response was hilarious though - such a lack of clairified thought - I think one of the only things my degree has taught me how to do is waffle! My elective is going well although I sometimes feel that I'm drowning a bit in emerging church and new zealand etc etc - think my eyes are bigger than my speed at reading or ability to take it all in at times! I think just the nature of the emerging church is that it doesn't really have a solid definition and is a fairly broad-ranging, fluid concept as it is - doesn't aid things in the clarification of study!

We also had some time to prepare stuff for Relay2, our second Relay conference (fairly explicit this in the name actually). For this we had to prepare a bible study on a specific bit of Zephaniah and then an issue based evangelistic talk. I was on Zeph 3:1-10 and 'What's life all about anyway?' Neither of these did I find easy. Zephaniah I found a real challenge actually, but it was such a good chance to have a good crack at both of these!

Relay 2

It has been over a week since I got back from Relay2 now and I feel that I am still trying to digest all that I learned and experienced at the conference. I'm going to attempt to put down some of the most important things I've come away with:

God is bigger than we think he is

Only God can change us by His promises

Joy comes from accepting his goodness to us

To those who have been entrusted with much, much will be demanded. We need to take seriously the rich resources we have been given and the responsibility we have been charged with

We need to be ready for Jesus' return

Other things that were just amazing: conversations with Roseanne and her amazingly accurate portrayal of Eric Liddell, "God did make me for China, Jenny, but he also made me fast and when I run I feel his pleasure...!" (gives me tingles); time in the best fellowship group going - Fellowship Group 3, who encouraged and challenged me throughout the week; the amazingly honest, vulnerable and helpful girls seminar - I am so thankful to Kath and Steph; the outlining of Godly leadership, how different folk operate and lead and how best to serve committees in Pete and Cath's new leaders seminar; a great conversation with Alan Hewerdine about financial stuff, particularly regarding stuff for NZ; lots of different accents - love them; glorious sunrises every morning that we saw as we had to get up at the crack of dawn for a shower!; singing 'See What a Morning' and 'You are Holy'; laughing a lot; hearing about how Steph became a Christian through God working through Anna M back at uni; a whole lunchtime's conversation topic being Kylie Minogue

I also made a decision about New Zealand next year. If you've talked to me at all in the past couple of months you will know this has been a fairly up and down affair - as per usual with me a decisions! Kay gave me til the end of Relay2 to decide and it became so clear to me that it is right to pursue application for a Visa and start to try and raise the sum required and that if both of these happen and TSCF want me I will be able to go and serve out there for a year or two. I have never lost the sense that there is such a need in NZ for people who love Jesus and are willing to live and speak for him and teach others to do so too! It is just so amazing the way that God confirmed this decision for me straightaway. I had just spoken to Maurice and confirmed I was going to further my application when two separate people came up, not knowing I'd decided in the positive and said they wanted to support me financially next year - amazing and so exciting. I am so thankful for the clarity of thought and mind I have about this decision.

Grace I have learnt so much through this book - it has transformed my life! The thing that I wanted to share with you is that not only to we rejoice in past grace, the grace demonstrated on the cross that first saved me but also in grace in every moment, grace now and grace in the future. It is grace that sustains us in all that we do. I have always struggled a bit with the concept of not doing it in my own power but in his, like when Paul says in Colossians that he struggles to present everyone perfect in Christ and makes it clear that this is done in Christ's energy, not his own. But how is this, what does this look like? I think I have discovered what this looks like after this first half of Relay and particularly through Terry Virgo's book. It is simply about ministering grace to one another - that is all we can do. We just have to be aware of our failings, and our sins as forgiven and then simply be open to his grace flowing through us, touching others - nothing more. It is so liberating!

Queen Margaret I have been so encouraged by these guys since coming back after Christmas - they have just been brilliant. They were the first, and pretty much only, student contact I had before I went to Relay2 and that CU meeting was just brilliant, with the girl who was leading starting the whole thing by welcoming back our mission team, all refreshed and ready for the mission field that is QM's split campuses! There was just such a tangible sense of togetherness, and unity of purpose. It was great. I have also set up some good 1to1s that so far I think might have encouraged me more than them at the minute but we'll see. This week is QM's Mission Week as well (along with all the other Edin CUs apart from my other CU - Napier!) and they have some exciting events planned. It would be great if you could pray for the witness these girls have on campus, in flats and in classes. It would be so great to see folk coming to know Jesus for the first time this week and growing to be disciples of Him. So, yep - those girls are brilliant. They're hilarious - where else do you go where you go to do questionnaires and the whole uni grinds to a halt at 1:40pm to watch neighbours. Actually that's probably quite a common one!

Last CU Leaders Training Day It was indeed the last CU leaders training day for those coming off committee this year. As I look back on my own journey through committees etc, this was the day that has probably had most impact on my Christian walk and understanding. It is such an opportunity to reflect on what has been, how God has used and grown us over the past year, as individuals and as CUs. Kay lead a brilliant bit of teaching on Psalm 103 which shows how right it is to look back, reflect and give God the thanks and praise for all he has done. It was also so good to be part of the seminar for those staying on committee and to be able to share some of my experience with them. Just hearing their excitement about the past year and their willingness to be used by God over the next year, to learn and experience and to live and speak for Him where they have been placed was brilliant. I pray that they will take the practical measures we discussed and put them into place such that this will be a year in which they don't just survive but thrive for Him.

There is much more to say but you can look forward to that over the next few weeks!

Victory for the Scots!

2007-01-28T23:57:00.000Z

I just got back from Relay2 and there is so much to say about how brilliant it was, how much I learned, the extent to which I was encouraged, challenged and privileged in being part of all we did.

I will therefore be writing much more than this but I felt that there is a single piece of news that could not wait any longer to be made public.

The Scotland Team were victorious in the mighty karaoke competition! That's right - we 7 beat off the stiff competition to defend the title that Scotland won last year, with a rousing rendition of 'The Scotland Team'!

Thanks must go to: S Club 7, Arlington and his samba (must be a more regular occurence), the patience of all the Relays as we wrote the words, all the fellowship groups for voting for us, Sarah for choreography, Jason for exposing himself, David I for staring folk out, All the Scotland Team for all the enunciation and enthusiasm - we did it!!

How Great Thou Art

2007-01-16T01:06:00.000Z

Wanted to do another wee post on the wonder that is New Zealand and to tie it in with another of the old hymns I've been listening to a lot recently.

As you may know my brother is spending the year in New Zealand for Scripture Union. I was getting on at him for ages to send us photos and eventually he came through big style for us in sending a whole powerpoint of photos for our Christmas. He looks really well and we were able to see some of the area aroung which he is living, his church and some of his friends etc.

However, Andrew's pictures also reminded me of how achingly beautiful New Zealand is - hard to forget I admit. He had some absolutely amazing pictures of his Christmas jaunt to the South Island where our family live - all open spaces, massive skies, soaring, jagged, snow-topped mountains, deep bluey-greeney pools and rivers of crystal clear water. Just beautiful.

During my time out in NZ, early on in the trip, we looked at Psalm8 together:

O LORD, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory
above the heavens.
From the lips of children and infants
you have ordained praise
because of your enemies,
to silence the foe and the avenger.
When I consider your heavens,
the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
which you have set in place,
what is man that you are mindful of him,
the son of man that you care for him?
You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings
and crowned him with glory and honor.
You made him ruler over the works of your hands;
you put everything under his feet:
all flocks and herds,
and the beasts of the field,
the birds of the air,
and the fish of the sea,
all that swim the paths of the seas.
O LORD, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!

When I looked around at the wonder of the scenery in NZ, these amazing places that God created, that he made - it makes one realise his glory and our insignificance in the big scheme of things. And yet he does care for us in such an intimate way - God who has the power to create this magnificent world.

I think my thoughts on all of this can, as I have said before, sometimes be hard to express. This is why I have so often turned to the words of a hymn we sung a lot while in NZ and that I regularly use in my quiet times as worship to Him.

How Great Thou Art:

O Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder,Consider all the worlds Thy hands have made,I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,Thy power throughout the universe displayed!
Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee;How great Thou art, how great Thou art.Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee;How great Thou art, how great Thou art!

What powerfully wonderful words that hymn proclaims - I pray that I will look to it as a rememberance that in all I see of his creation it is a display of his power, it brings glory to Him and that my soul would sing of this all my days.

It is well with my soul

2007-01-08T23:19:00.000Z

Thought I'd do a few posts on the hymns that I've been listening to a lot recently.
A couple of months ago I was finding it hard to get into the Bible myself in my quiet times and to concentrate and respond in prayer. I began to listen to worship music during my quiet times and it was helpful. There are times when I really can't even put into the words my emotions, my response to what Jesus has done for me, my identity in Him, how much he loves me. To try and convey frustrations, doubts or questions sometimes can be really hard or just describing the depth of awe one feels at his greatness. That's why it can be so brilliant to just be able to listen or sing a song and let that be your response, to be able to just say, "me too, Lord!".

I'm sure you will know all these hymns very well but sometimes it is good to just relisten to them, look at them with fresh eyes.

First I want to tell you the story of the first hymn I'll share with you, to put it in context.
Horatio Spafford was born in 1828 in New York. He married, had a family and worked as a lawyer in Chicago, and he was a friend of the famour preacher D.L. Moody. He lost almost everything he owned in 1871 in the Great Chicago fire. In 1873, Spafford decided his family should take a holiday in Europe, and knowing that Moody would preach in England that autumn, he decided to take his family there. However, he was delayed because of business, so he sent his family on ahead of him: his wife Anna, and his four daughters Tanetta, Maggie, Annie and Bessie.
On 21st November 1873, while crossing the Atlantic on the S.S. Ville Du Havre, the ship was struck by an iron sailing vessel and two hundred and twenty six people lost their lives, including all four of Spafford's daughters. Somehow his wife, Anna, survived. On arriving in England, she sent a telegram to Horatio with the words "Saved alone".
Spafford then himself took a ship to England. Going past the place where his daughters had died in the mid-Atlantic, he wrote this hymn:

It Is Well with My Soul

When peace, like a river,
attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot,
Thou hast taught me to know,
“It is well, it is well with my soul”

It is well (it is well)
with my soul (with my soul)
It is well, it is well with my soul

Though Satan should buffet,
though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ hath regarded
my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.

It is well (it is well)
with my soul (with my soul)
It is well, it is well with my soul

My sin, oh the bliss
of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to His cross,
and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

It is well (it is well)
with my soul (with my soul)
It is well, it is well with my soul

And Lord haste the day
when the faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound,
and the Lord shall descend,
Even so, it is well with my soul.

It is well (it is well)
with my soul (with my soul)
It is well, it is well with my soul

What an example of such trust in the Sovereignty in our Great God to be able to say these words in the face of such loss.

I found out last week that one of the guys I went to school with passed away from leukemia just before Christmas. Stevie was a great guy - always had time for folk, I always picture him with a smile on his face. I don't know where he stood with God, I'm really praying for his family that they are able to have this peace, this trust in God.

It has made me realise that even though we are young, we are not untouchable - death is a reality for all of us. That's why we need to keep in focus the hope which will never disappoint us.

Hogmanay 2007!!

2007-01-04T10:45:00.000Z

The festive season now feels well and truly over and finished in quite a social whirl. Christmas was pretty quiet, and lovely - very relaxed. And we got to speak to Andrew quite a lot over in NZ - he seemed to have a good one as well. He sent us a really good set of pictures of his past few months.

We then went back into full hostel mode with quite a few people staying. My friend Karen came up from Dorset to stay for a long weekend over Hogmanay and we had such a good one. On the Saturday night we went to George St where there was a big ceilidh with the largest Orcadian strip the willow in the world, a German show involving moving contraptions, smoke, men shouting in 'English' and getting a little bit crushed. But the highlight was Karen getting her hair done by these street performers - it was brilliant. Of course it meant that she had to sit on the floor of the taxi as we travelled home but it was worth the laugh!

Anyway, 2006 was quite a eventful year - I finished on CU committee, graduated and started Relay. I am very excited about what God has in store for me over the next year.
Happy New Year!

Genius...

2006-12-23T23:50:00.000Z

This is genius - not sure if this is on telly outside Scotland...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZT1cwBGJNE

Merry Christmas!

2006-12-22T02:05:00.000Z

Scottish Relays 2006-07

Well, am feeling very Christmassy now - its getting closer!

Wanted to start by saying how wonderful it was to spend last weekend with both John and Rich, two good friends who I don't see nearly enough - hadn't seen John since May and yet it was so good to just be able to pick up where we left off. Much love.

I am now on holiday but this first term of Relay finished with a great couple of team days which made me feel all warm and Christmassy.

We started out on Monday at my house for a Relay day which I led - those days are a good opportunity to share with each other what we've been learning, been challenged on, are struggling with, are excited about and pray for one another. We were also able to take some time to do a questionnaire on our Spiritual gifts together (one that Kay has been using with me over past few weeks - has been so helpful in identifying my strengths and in so doing, my weaknesses), and work out some of the ways that we can use these as we proceed with Relay. We also had time to go for a walk in the winter sun, to exchange Secret Santa presents (1001 uses for vinegar), eat a lot of food and to play the After8 game! We also spent quite a bit of time rewriting our entry for Relay2 karaoke!

Then on the Tuesday we had a whole Scotland team day - much fun being had by all. We did our bible study in morning (Karen powering through with her lack of voice) on 1Thes 3 and it was brilliant. What a chapter of encouragement - we discussed that 'encouragemnet' and 'challenge' are two of our most overused words but if they can't go to explaining something of what I took from that session then I'm at a loss for words!

The rest of the day consisted of a variety of creative reviews of the term by each member of the team including Arlington in reindeer antlers, Cully in full kilt and jacket outfit telling us about clouds, a live-link to Dan in trans-Atlantic airplane and even Stanton rapping. Absolutely hilarious. We also had a triumph of a complete Christmas dinner cooked ably and in a completely stress-free manner by Kay 'Nigella' Cathcart. A great day.

So, all that remains is to wish you all a wonderful Christmas time.

Have a wee look at this, it makes me laugh a lot: www.thecompassgroup.biz/merrychristmas.swf

Merry Christmas to one and all!

'...Born that man no more may die

Born to raise the sons of earth

Born to give them second birth

Hark! The herald angels sing

"Glory to the newborn King!"'

Taller than I thought!

2006-12-15T20:06:00.000Z

Guess what? I have always thought I was 5ft10 and a half but we measured ourselves after dinner and apparently I'm 5ft11 and a quarter! How exciting!

Christmas is just around the corner...!

2006-12-15T17:58:00.000Z

I'm finally beginning to get excited about Christmas! Today I managed to finish doing my Christmas shopping - always find that bit fairly stressful but because I was working on such a budget I had to be organised and very much only get the vitals!

Anyway... there are so many things about Christmas that I find just hilarious. Don't you reckon its funny how we all must spend thousands on Christmas cards every year and just sign it and send one to everyone we've met ever in our lives. My friend was saying yesterday that she thinks that is a Christmas tradition that will not carry on through our generation, and I think she is right - is that because we are more lazy, not good with communication or will Christmas maybe become a bit more simple? One of my favourite things about this time of year though is the Christmas letter - they are so funny. Why is it that we write them in 3rd person, as if there is some invisible, imagined narrator commenting on all the holidays, birthdays, graduations, illnesses, weddings and babies we've had in the year. I love it.

I also love Christmas lights and particularly those houses you can see from space with the amount of luminous paraphernalia - or 'house bling' if you will. Apparently this makes me a 'house bling spotter'!

I think this house in Liverpool has the right idea...
It won an award last year for its bling!

Not so sure about the one on the left though. Do you think you'd ever be able to sleep? And imagine how much electricity you must use up.

I don't know about you but I think we'll be sticking to a plain old tree this year. Last year Inga found a verse to defend her argument that Christmas trees are Biblical: check out Isaiah 14:8. Maybe a bit tenuous but they certainly do brighten up the living room on these dark December nights!

QM (violent) Christmas Party!

2006-12-13T21:50:00.000Z

I'm sorry it's been a while since I updated you but I'm afraid it has taken me this long to come to terms with the traumatic happenings of last week...

I turned up at QM as usual for our last In@theDeepend session, followed by what I thought would be a lovely Christmassy gathering of the whole CU - a final chance to see each other before exams! However, I'm afraid what followed was far from the polite, quiet gathering I had invisaged.

What ensued was an aggressive session of competitive games involving people as newspaper Christmas trees, humiliating carols in pass the parcel and an awful lot of violence, which - I happily inform you - resulted in a glorious win for the monkeys/horses!!

It also involved a revealing insight into the character of my super-competitive Staffworker. I've just about nursed my wounds now but my pride, after the claims of corruption on my part, will take a bit longer to heal. See the evidence for yourself on the right...

We all made up in the end though and posed for a lovely photo at the end. Aren't they a lovely bunch - a good representation from the boys at QM ay?

Biblical Evangelism Conference

2006-12-04T20:20:00.000Z

Last night I just got back from UCCF's Biblical Evangelism Conference away down in Herefordshire. Before you go you have to prepare an evangelistic talk on a given passage, ready to share it with your group. The passage I was given was John 20:24-31, about doubting Thomas. So we trundled down in the car (7 hour epic journey both ways) and arrived at the lovely farm with some mixed feeling of fear, excitement and distinct tiredness!

Over the weekend we received some teaching and training from the front in a big group and then had the opportunity to break into small workshop groups and it was in these that did our talks and received advice and criticism. I was in a group with all those who are signed up for doing Homestart, the year overseas next year. It really was a great opportunity to not only look at God's word together but to properly analyse the ways we should be using and teaching it.

It is so tempting to see a passage and then look for the ways that we can teach the Gospel through it. Although there is nothing wrong with this we do need to make sure and have the trust in God to let His Word speak for itself, to stay faithful to what it says in the text.

So, where I finished my talk with a choice to the listeners of whether to believe or not, it would have been much more close to the text and indeed provocative for the audience to simply say that Jesus asks us to believe in Him and we have enough evidence to do so.

I learned a lot of practical skills over the weekend. It was also great to see some of the old Relay faces and to spend some time getting to know new people, students and staff. I particularly appreciated the time talking with the Welshie Relays in our room - to be encouraged and challenged with where they are at.

And you'll be glad to know we survived the journey back amid monsoon rain and wind and we even saw Jenny Powell of Wheel of Fortune fame at a Service Station somewhere on the M6!

Bond, James Bond

2006-11-27T13:35:00.000Z

I went to go and see James Bond over the weekend and it was absolutely brilliant. It was made hilarious by Lia whispering just before it started that it was her first Bond film and so me frantically explaining in hushed tones during the credits the extent to which it is a British institution, one character, different actors, shaken not stirred etc. Complicated I'll tell you.
It did make me realise how much these sort of films are just part of our culture. But this one is so much grittier, more real - not remotely realistic but just edgier! Very exciting and well worth a watch.

2006-11-27T13:07:00.000Z

Not much time to take photos - some sample costumes!

Joint HouseParty

2006-11-27T10:29:00.000Z

Its been over a week since we got back from HouseParty so I have finally recovered and should probably tell you something of how it went!

It was really brilliant. I wasn't sure what to expect because it was a joint HouseParty - Heriot-Watt, Queen Margaret, Napier and ECA. I thought it might be a bit separate, that people might stick with those from their uni but it wasn't like this at all - it was so cool because people just got on with it, totally mixed up. It also means that the jobs were all delgated out among the unis, so there were loads of folks with responsibility and no one person that had too much stress (except for Kay maybe!!).

The CUs have grown so much this year that we had to have some people camping - felt so sorry for them when they arrived in the freezing rain, but I think most of them subtly slept inside certainly the second night after a bit of a tent collapse during the first night!

The highlight of the Saturday night was of course the superhero themed ceilidh - some brilliant costumes and well done to Ghostbusters for your overall victory, such ingeniuity! Word of advice - don't use a foil hypothermia blanket as a cape unless you want to dehydrate within half-an-hour!

Over the weekend we were looking at 1 Peter, with Karl Martin and Jeremy Balfour from my church, and it was truly amazing to see the way God spoke through His Word directly to so many of the people there. It was such a privilege to pray and talk with people and hear the way that God had touched them. God is definitely using 1 Peter at the moment up here in Edinburgh - particularly helpful at this time of uncertainty!

We did also get the opportunity to pray together about the stuff that is going on at both Edinburgh and Heriot-Watt unis (as well as Exeter and Birmingham down south) and came out in the press while we were away. It would be good to pray for the CU leaders as they deal with these issues, at the same time as juggling with work and exams and for our staffworkers - that they'll have wisdom and discernment as to how to advise the students and in dealing with the media.

So lots going on in Edinburgh at the moment!

Back in St Ands!

2006-11-17T10:30:00.000Z

Last weekend I made the short trip back up to Old St Andy's. It was the first time I had been back there since I graduated in June. Think it was a good weekend to go up because it was the second weekend of reading week was not, as usual, completely saturated with students. Think it might of been quite intense if it had been the usual see everyone you've ever met in you life just when you walk out the door!

So I got to see lots of the oldies and check how they're all doing. There are some disconcerting changes though - a new 'house' restaurant, 'The Glass House' on North St, a nice new Italian Deli on Bell St and most amazingly St Andrews now has a record shop! - Fopp has come to Market St!

Going up there really made me aware of how blessed I was to spend my time at uni in such a beautiful place but also made me realise how much I appreciate coming back to a slightly bigger place like Edinburgh! I love Edinburgh!

It also reminded me of the differences in the CU in St A's and those that I am working with at the moment - God is working in all of them, and is using people but in really different ways!

Its Raisin Weekend this weekend up there - a truly amazing custom that has to be seen to be believed!

Return to GWC!

2006-11-02T23:25:00.000Z

I was back at my old stomping ground on Tuesday - the illustrious institution of George Watson's College! I did a talk at lunchtime as part of their Alpha course on 'Why did Jesus die?'
It was really weird being back. I think that is the first I've been back since I actually left, so in about 4 and a bit years! I was there for 13 years of my life so it was quite a thing to revisit!
I went into the reception and straight-away the receptionist, who I vaguely recognised, greeted me by name. Everyone was so lovely and it was so nice to see them again and catch up with some of my old teachers. I went to try and visit my tutor, Mrs O'Donnell but she wasn't about and I didn't get to see some of the others so I might need to head back some time soon!
The actual talk went fine, apart from me being full of the cold. The group seemed to be mainly Christians which I hadn't really planned for but it was good to get back and see for myself what's going on and how we can be praying for the school and the witness of some of the teachers and pupils. It also made me see how difficult an environment it is to be a Christian as well though - will be praying for them.
Anyway, for anyone who is not an old Watsonian this is an extremely boring post but is something that is close to my heart so thought I'd share!!

Cooking up a storm!

2006-10-31T09:23:00.000Z

I've just got back form Edinburgh Uni CU's HouseParty! Our responsibilites for the weekend were the cooking duties. Much as they had been warned that I cannot cook, they were keen to sample the delights of our handiwork!
It was down at Whithaugh Park and I wasn't sure my poor wee car laden with 3 people, potatoes, veg, fruit and meat for 150 people would actually make it. As we went over the first speed bump coming out of Edinburgh I actually thought we'd lost the exhaust! I had to negociate a way out of the city that did not involve going over any more speed bumps! So, after going the wrong way, getting a little bit lost, not being able to see the road due to fog and just about leaving half the car behind at every bump and corner, we arrived!
All seemed to go well, although we hardly left the kitchen - it began to feel very like home. It was good to chat to some of the students that were in our dining room, to get to knwo them and hear what they'd been learning from the sessions.
The cooking was, as you would expect, top notch. We had chicken on Sunday and I've yet to hear of anyone suffering from salmonella so I think we can call it a success!

God's Lavish Grace

2006-10-30T16:55:00.000Z

I am currently reading 'God's Lavish Grace' by Terry Virgo and it is just amazing. Terry spoke at Forum (CU Leaders Conference) last year on Romans and the book is very similar to much of what he said. It is so worth a read - just brilliant stuff about God's wrath, properly understanding our sin and then grace and identity.

The thing I've been thinking about most from it recently is about the way that we, as Christians, are very good at hiding our sin. We are not, generally, very open about the stuff that we struggle with or do wrong. It can be really hard when we are struggling to think that everyone around us has it sorted. I'm not advocating a notion of empathy - "it's ok I've done that dozens of times" so that we feel better, but a sense in which we must embrace our sin as forgiven as it is only through this that we can fully understand grace. We are sinful people, and we can be upfront with one another about that as it is forgiven, covered and forgotten by God's grace!

What do you think?

2006-10-17T11:30:00.000Z

Jesus was born in a borrowed manger.
He preached from a borrowed boat.
He entered Jerusalem on a borrowed donkey.
He ate the Last Supper in a borrowed upper room.
He was buried in a borrowed tomb.
Now he asks to borrow the lives of Christians to reach the rest of the world.
If we do not speak, then he is dumb and silent.

Dr Leighton Ford

... I found it rather interesting.

Spooks!!!

2006-10-17T11:01:00.000Z

I love Spooks.

Lots of lovely Spooks for my Birthday!
I watched series3 way back in like August and have been waiting on the edge of my seat for series4 on DVD - the fact I haven't watched that means I can't watch the ones on telly now. So mysteries will be revealed etc. Very exciting.

Spooks used to make me want to be in MI5, all seems very glamourous and mysterious. However, even by just watching a few episodes one sees how very immoral some of the stuff they are asked to do is. There seems to be a running theme of ethical action and identity. Surviving as someone who is not really known by anyone seems to make them all go a bit crazy after a while - quite telling.

God is good!

2006-10-15T21:35:00.000Z

Right, I just deleted a big post all about how much God has been teaching me about himself over the past, completely packed, week. However, I began to bore even myself and this does not capture the excitement I am feeling about how much I'm learning and experiencing, and how much God is teaching me. Everything I have been doing seems to be centralised on this passage over the past wee while:

'Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment—to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ.' Ephesians 1v3-10

Think that maybe says it all. Apart from:

This also brightens my days - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2TxiEFTq1Sc classic.

Study

2006-10-09T12:06:00.000Z

Part of Relay is doing a certain amount of study every week: some Core Study and some Elective Study. My Elective Study follows the homestart modules on mission etc as I'm looking into the possibility of doing a year in New Zealand after this year doing Relay. Anyway, before all my mission stuff came Andy Shudall gave me a list of useful films to watch and comment on and suggester investigating the emerging church, both pro and anti points of view. So over the past few weeks I've been watching some of the New Zealand films Andy suggested. They're pretty heavy going - none of them are happy films. The films I've watched so far are Heavenly Creatures, The Piano, Once Were Warriors and Goodbye Pork Pie. It is amazing how a culture so famous for it's happy-go-lucky nature produces such dark films. It is quite an insight into society - not a cheery one though!

Muy Bien!

2006-09-25T22:44:00.000Z

Hola! Tonight I went to my first Spanish class. I knew absolutely not one word of Spanish before I went, but I thought it would be a great opportunity to meet some other folk around Edinburgh, do something that's a bit different and learn a new exciting language.

So we'll see how much I learn. To be honest I don't think I'm completely a language natural but Spanish is the 3rd most widely language spoken in the world and I would like to get to Latin America at some point so thought it might be good to be able to converse a wee bit if that ever happens! So, have met some lovely people and have learnt a few words so I think it was an evening well spent!

Scotland Team and Napier

2006-09-25T22:13:00.000Z

Scotland Team

(l-r) Stanton, Karen, Me, Sarah, David aka Oscar, Kay,

Arlington, Cully, Jason, David, Stuart, Matt, Clive and Dan

We had our first Scotland Team Day last Wednesday and it was really good to see everyone again. The fact that the Edin folk spent about 4 hours in the car, there and back and that the Aberdeen guys got up at 4am didn't seem to detract from the great opportunity it was to meet together, catch up on how weeks have gone, pray, sing and receive our introductory teaching on 1+2 Thessalonians. It was good to be able to share and find out that I'm not the only one who struggles a bit with guilt about use of time - it can sometimes feels like I'm not sure what I'm supposed to be doing and I'm trying to fill my time for the sake of it. It is really freeing to know the focus is on who God is making me to be not all the stuff I do this year. Also, while we were there Sarah found out she has somewhere to live this year - a much needed answer to prayer!

Also, would be great if you could pray for Napier CU. I've yet to properly meet any of them but it is their Fresher's Week this week and they do some events in their first week of classes as well. I understand it can be really quite difficult to organise events for societies in Napier, they are spread over so many campuses and have so many students who are from Edinburgh that it is really hard to get folk together or to have any sense of unity. So pray for the leadership, the Freshers who will be coming along and all those who don't yet know Jesus. Also pray for me as I meet them that I will have the discernment to know how best to serve them.

Anyway, am perfecting the art of making a drink last for about 3 coffee dates, attempting to get to grips with Microsoft Excel and am very much enjoying ploughing through Wayne Grudem's 'Systematic Theology' - life lessons being learned!

Ah well...

2006-09-19T21:49:00.000Z

Pub quiz update: We came joint first (with two other teams) on Sunday. Thus ensued a completely irrelevant and thoroughly humiliating dancing competition, followed by an unnecessarily unfair game of rock, paper, scissors. We lost. I am not happy.

Answered Prayer!

2006-09-19T21:38:00.000Z

Just a quick post to share with you some really evident answered prayer over the last few days.
The main thing that I was really excited about happened on Sunday. Karl, our minister, asked me to say a few words on Relay and I started spraffing a bit, rambling a lot but managed to get the key stuff out I think. Anyway, what was really cool was that afterwards two girls came up to me saying that they were just about to start at Napier. That is TWO GIRLS coming to NAPIER! I have been really praying that I'll meet some girls from Napier, because I only know guys who go there - so it is really exciting and it seems like they'll be around MBC!!! Anyway, I wasn't able to tell them anything about Fresher's Week, because I don't actually know anything, but got one of their numbers and will hopefully see the other. Anyway, v.exciting!
I also had a wonderful coffee with Joanne today who used to be President at Queen Margaret (QM) and we had a great chat about the CU, where we are each at personally - how it can be difficult doing so much and then stopping so quickly and about getting into His Word!
Anyway, Scottish Team Day tomorrow so I'm very excited to see everyone again.

Relay1 and Forum

2006-09-14T13:09:00.000Z

Well its about time that I told you a bit about my first Relay training conference. Relay1 was down at the Quinta centre near Oswestry in Shropshire (v. near Wales!) and was a great opportunity to meet all the other Relay workers who will be spread around the country. There are 64 of us in total (I think), working in different unis throughout the UK. It was so great to meet and get to know everyone. Believe me, by the end of Forum they felt like my family!
The teaching was fantastic, focusing on Grace, the Bible, the cross and looking a bit at 2 Timothy. The verse for this Relay year is :

"You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men..." [ 2 Tim 2v1-2 ]

It was also brilliant to meet my fellowship group for the year and to take a look at Philippians together. I have studied Philippians a lot but am amazed at the amount I learnt over those few days. To live is Christ, to die is gain - brilliant.

Forum happened straight after Relay1 and is the main training conference for all the CU leaders across the UK. So there were about 600 folk there and we received teaching on Daniel in the mornings from Graham Daniels (head of CIS) and then Evang training from Rico Tice in the evenings. This was the third time I've been at Forum and it never fails to encourage and strengthen my faith in God. As Relay workers we had to lead small groups of students, which was brilliant. My group were just so willing to talk and share what they'd been learning in Daniel.

So we had some days off after we got back (much needed rest!) and I had my first proper day yesterday - it was a wee bit scary as I didn't really know what I was supposed to do! It soon became clear and I think I won't be stuck in the future. It was also great to meet up with all the other ministries in Edinburgh last night and be able to pray with them.
I have my first CU tonight - over at Queen Margaret, am a wee bit scared but very excited!!

Always the bridesmaid never the bride.

2006-09-12T19:40:00.000Z

This is the only way to explain our team's performance in the pub quiz. 2nd again. And we did reasonably well. Kate Bush and Sausage Sandwiches will haunt me for many weeks to come I'm sure though.

A year in the Land of the Long White Cloud!

2006-08-18T01:45:00.000Z

This afternoon my brother, Andrew, left for his gap year to New Zealand. He'll be away for 12 months and is staying in Hamilton on the North Island. He'll be working with Scripture Union, and will be involved in schools and church work as well as helping out with camps. It is such a great opportunity for him to learn and mature in his understanding of the nature of our Heavenly Father and to be a great witness to those out there, both those who already have a relationship with God and those who have yet to hear about Jesus Christ. Please pray for Andrew, firstly that his flights will go ok, especially with the added security measures, but also that he will swiftly get over jetlag, will have the energy to meet all the new people and that he will be filled with the Holy Spirit over these next weeks and months, such that he is doing it in God's power and not his own. I am really jealous, a feeling I will need to deal with. As many will know I spent some of my summer last year out in NZ on mission with UCCF and I fell in love with the country. I do have a real heart for NZ and its people. It is a country, like many others, that is in dire need of the Gospel. It was once the greatest sending nation of oversees missionaries in the Western world. However, it is now one of the most secular. We need to pray for this country and God's people in it, that he will be at work through them. I will at some point return to NZ - I'm hoping I'll spend time there the year after Relay. It is the most stunning country with great people and I know Andrew will have a fabulous time. If you want to follow Andrew's exploits then he has set up a blog that you can look at. You could also email me and I can send you his monthly prayer letter/email!