Music in the morning

This morning I am listening to:

My good friend Dave mention this album to me months ago at which point I had every intention of purchasing it.  Then I promptly forgot all about it until his sister Becky (who I have never met, but we have a solid virtual friendship) mentioned it on her blog.  You will notice that Becky is another thief of the 'ramblings' name.  She is however a member of one of my favorite families in the whole wide world so I shall let her off.

So last night I took great delight in using some of my itunes vouchers that Mummy D put in my Christmas stocking to purchase this album - it is beautiful in every way.  If I was 'one with the words' I would describe it to you, but I'm really not and I honestly think any description I could give would take away from the gloriousness of this album.

Missed Opportunities....

I went to Bluewater today with one of my lovely Sarah friends.  We had a great time, there was coffee, lunch and wandering round the shops....probably the perfect way to spend a day off in my opinion.

I felt God speak to me in the car on the way home through two almost encounters that occured today.  

Almost encounter  no 1

This one happened in The Body Shop.  My friend was looking at cleansers (as you do in such an establishment!) and the lady who worked there saw my bag on my back (my Mac bag....had to change my mac because the camera wasn't working......I thought mac's didn't have problems?!!!) anyway...she started asking me all about the computer and how lovely they were etc etc. Somehow we started talking about where I worked, I boldly told her I worked for a Church.....and then.......we carried on chatting, and after another 5 minutes or so we said goodbye and left the shop.   I didn't really think anything of it at the time, other than she was a really nice lady.

Almost encounter no 2

This one happened in Boots (something about cosmetic shops?!).  I was buying some hair products and the lady serving me started talking to me about how she was about to become a grandmother any day now.  She literally started talking about this out of no-where.  I didn't ask any questions, I didn't have a baby with me, I didn't have anything that signified I might be in the least bit interested that she was about to become a grandmother....!  She was another lovely lady and we had a great chat about how excited she was, how she'd like to be called 'Nanny', how this was her first grandchild...the conversation continued for a bit and then I went on my merry little shopping way.....

Observations: (frustratedly made in the car on the way home)

Both shops were relatively quiet, The Body Shop was empty and there was no queue in Boots. There was plenty of space and time to pray.

I'd already told the lady in The Body Shop I worked for a church...how easy would it have been to say 'actually, the Church I work for really believe that prayer works...can I pray for you about anything?'

Again, I could have offered to pray for the new grandmother, that everything would go well in the birth, and that her family would be so blessed by the addition of the new baby.

I could have then asked God if he wanted to say anything specific to these ladies...and He probably would've, because He loves to make Himself known to those who don't know Him.

Conclusions:

What a negative blog!

But actually today left me feeling kind of positive.....after saying sorry to God for missing two pretty amazing opportunities I thanked Him that they came up in the first place.  I thanked Him that he gave me a chance to step out for Him.  The fact is I missed them both today, but I serve a God who is full of grace and will use me again.  I know there will be many more chances to step out, offer to pray, prophesy and bring the Kingdom on earth as it is in Heaven.  I hoping the lessons learnt today will enable to me be bolder in the future, spend more time listening for the still small voice of God and actively seek for opportunities to see His Kingdom come on this earth.

More blogging after 10pm

Since purchasing my new Mac I am excited to be back in the blogging world.  I don't actually have a lot to blog about tonight, everything is going well with my new job and I am enjoying life in Croydon.  

I popped to Ikea last night, just because I could!  I was amazed to see how busy it was even after 9pm, I probably queued for a good 10 minutes at the till (which isn't that long for Ikea I guess) and then was delighted to be offered an Ikea 'family card'.  At this point I could make some cheesy link about how being offered a family card in Ikea is like being offered the Gospel and you have to choose to accept it to get all the benefits....one of which being a free tea or coffee (that's a benefit of the Ikea card, not of the Kingdom!) 

Mostly this week i have been meeting people, trying to learn names, remembering routes to places and remembering what it's like to start from scratch.  It's been a varied week to say the least!

Anyway, enough of my ramblings, here are 3 things I hope to blog about over the next couple of months:

- More on the Theology of Youth Ministry

- Books I'm reading

- Women in leadership....what is that about?

Until next time, goodnight!

Standing on the Edge

Today I started properly thinking through what the youth work at CJC will look like in the future.  It's a little bit strange if I'm honest.  I basically have a blank canvas, on which to sketch out some ideas as to how the youth work will develop, grow and reach out.

I really enjoy this kind of thing, but it feels a little bit like I'm walking out into the unknown, or standing on the edge of something.  Currently, there is so much I don't know!  I can make decisions, plan sessions, organise events and dream for the future, but above all of that I'm praying that God will come.

It feels a little bit like this in my own life at the moment.  Over the past year my relationship with God has changed dramatically and I'm holding on to some awesome promises.  However, in all the change, moving and newness those things have gone on hold slightly.  I don't feel like that's a bad thing, because I know that God's not going to let me forget what he's spoken, it's like we've taken a slight detour, but still heading in the same direction.  I feel like I'm standing on the edge, waiting to see what happens next.  I'm living with great anticipation, expectation and excitement.  I want to press on, step up and live in a way that is outrageously different because of the grace of God on my life.

I guess the challenge to all of us is to continue pressing in for more, to allow God to mould, shape and discipline us, to appreciate the time when we can stand on the edge, admire the view and take a breath, and then to be prepared to risk everything and leap into all that God has for us.

A stolen story from Jaz!

I went with Jaz to Tooting this evening, really this is Jaz's story, but seeing as she doesn't blog I thought I'd do it for her!

Jaz had to get some jobs done for a trip to India, one of which was picking up a Saree blouse she was having made.  As Jaz is trying the blouse on, the young woman who is helping us makes a phone call and starts chatting away in Hindi (which I clearly couldn't understand).

Jaz on the other hand could understand what was going on and when she'd finished trying on the top asked 'is everything OK with your house' the young woman realised Jaz spoke a bit of Hindi and they start chatting away, (I'm still none the wiser)!  Finally the conversation returns to English (so now I'm beginning to understand...!!) and it turns out this young woman has been living with her aunt for 2 years and was going to visit a house for rent that she could move into.  As we're leaving Jaz explains that she's a Christian and offers to pray that this young woman would find the right house.  

Then an amazing thing happened, there we are standing in a Muslim shop in Tooting, with Muslim signs everywhere, speaking to a Muslim woman, who then says 'oh yes, please pray for me, I need all the prayer I can get for this house' so Jaz prays in the name of Jesus that this young woman would find just the right house for her and her family.......

The young woman was so thankful and clearly emotionally touched that Jaz had taken the time to show she cared and then pray.  

What an awesome God we serve that Jaz could be in the shop at the right time, and speak the right language....and we didn't even have a treasure map!!!

Change

It's been a while since I last blogeed, that is mostly due to the incredible amount of change I've been experiencing.

In the past couple of months I've been made redundant, got a new job, left my old job, left my old church (which kinda was my old job!) moved out of my home, moved to a new home, joined a new church, started a new job and today I made one final change from PC over to Mac.  

In all of that I've come to one major conclusion about change: it manages to cause you to feel almost every emotion going.  Sadness, shock, excitement, regret, anxiousness, fear, anticipation, worry...the list goes on and on and on....

During all this change many people have asked me how I've been 'feeling' and it's not been an easy question to answer.  You see, although all of those emotions have flown through my head at one time or another, and on occasions I've allowed one or two of the more negative emotions to sit in my head longer than perhaps I should, I know for me the overwhelming thing that I've 'felt' has been peace.

Peace comes from the one who holds everything together in His hands.  Peace comes from the one who knows the end from the beginning.  Peace comes from the one who knows when I rise and when I sit and who knows every word on my lips before I speak them out.  

In all this change I've been able to rest in the arms of the one who created the heavens and the earth, because I could worry and fret, I could stress and strain, but in the end it is He who works all things together for good, it is He who knows the days ordained for me and it is He who knows the plans He has for me.  I feel like I've been on a roller coaster, but I've been sleeping like a baby!

I want to encourage you if you're about to face some change, or going through some change at the moment.  Trust in the one who is faithful.  Trust in the one who knows you completely.  Trust in the one who says he will never leave you or forsake you.  Trust in the one who is the good Shepherd.  My testimony is that he is 100% trustworthy in every situation.

5 things: 2008 review.

Here in random lists of 5 (in no order at all) is a Sarah D review of 2008!

5 albums purchased:
Not guilty anymore - Aaron Keyes
The sound of Girls Alould - Girls Aloud (£3 HMV - bargin!!)
Albertine - Brooke Fraser
Not Without Love - Jimmy Needham
Pop Party 6 - Various

5 Songs in my itunes 'top 25 most played' playlist:
Promised Land - Lou Fellingham
A Little Longer - Brian and Jenn Johnson
'Intro' - Newton Faulkner
Twenty Six Summers - Vicky Beeching
Clinging to the Cross - Tim Hughes and Brooke Fraser

5 books read:
Healing Today - Marc Du Pont and Mark Stibbe
The Ultimate Treasure Hunt - Kevin Dedmon
The Supremacy of Christ in a Postmodern World - various
Great Revivals - David Whittaker
The Supernatural Power of a Transformed Mind - Bill Johnson

5 new films seen:
Step up 2 the Streets
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
Mamma Mia
Enchanted
Juno

5 new places visited:
Bedford
Valencia
Lutterworth
Jimmy's Farm
Folkestone

5 top memories of 2008:
Newday
Newday Global
Summer Road tripping Holiday
26th Birthday meal
Brighton Conference

5 new people met:
Ben Dickenson
Bethan Waters
Wendy Mann
Cat Evans
Fiona Smith

5 things I've learnt more about this year:
Friendship
God's Faithfulness
Cooking
Budgeting
God's Kingdom coming on Earth as it is in Heaven

5 Yummy new drinks:
Pear Cider (introduced by Katie)
Hot Chocolate Orange (Costa)
Dark Cherry Mocha (Starbucks)
Hot milk and Baileys (SD creation)
Pepemint and Liquorice tea (although only a sip!)

The lists could go on, but that's probably enough.
2008 has been a mixed year (aren't they always) but mostly I look back with amazement and thankfulness. What an incredible journey I'm on and I can't wait to see what 2009 brings!