The Road to Royal Parade

Goodbyes again !!

2009-11-01T03:59:00.004-05:00

This morning we had our final Sunday at Altona as we finish the first year of our corps placement. It is really hard to say goodbye to people you have journeyed with and grown to love even in just a few (9) months.
I had the chance to preach this morning and encouraged the corps to keep focusing on the visions that God has given them and to keep patient. I truly believe that great things are already happening and even greater things are in store because this corps is focusing its attention on God and striving to make a difference in their community.
It is hard to beleive that Commiswsioning is only four weeks away and we will be half way through our training. God has continued to stretch us and move us out of our comfort zone, but through this we are growing closer to Him everyday and growing as Christians and hopefully leaders.

College Life

2009-03-17T05:45:00.002-05:00

Hello to everyone! Yes the long lost blogger has returned. I am sorry for the delay but things have been a little busy as we get used to our new surroundings here at 303Royal Parade. The family has settled in really well and the kids have all made some new friends.
It has been a time of great change for our family, not only have we moved house and town but Ethan has started Primary School this year and Amy-Lee has started High School, so there have been lots of new adventures and learning experiences. Of course it has been hard on Zara changing schools as well as she has just started grade 5. I am very biased but I can truly say that the three children have been absolutely fabulous through this whole process and I could not be prouder of any of them. They have made things so much easier for Susan and myself with their willingness to embrace change and new things.I really hope that these two years at College will be years that they will each grow in not just physical ways but that they would grow in their relationships with God.
It has been different the last few weeks being back in a classroom after such a long break, but I am really enjoying most of the classes and I am certainly being challenged and tested. Susan continues to amaze and inspire me, she has very little self confidence about her abilities but she is absolutely killing it here, and is leaving me for dead with her ability to time manage and plan out her responsibilities and due dates. I can honestly say I have never been more in love with my wife than I am now, although spending so much time with me she may not say the same!
We have been assigned to Altona/Williamstown for our first year corps placement and this has been very enjoyable, and I am sure as the year progresses that we will learn a lot from both the Soldiers and Officers of these corps. Hopefully we will be able to play a small part in the exciting things that are taking place with their Mainly Music Ministries and their bold plans for the future.
I had better get back to my book report which is due on Monday, but I just wanted to thank everyone for their prayer support for us as we have entered Training College, we have really felt wonderfully supported and loved. Through all the challenges we have already faced and with many more in front of us we have been continually reminded of how good our God is and the fact that He would not call us to a task He was not going to equip us for. May you each be aware of the Love of God and receive a fresh filling of The Holy Spirit today. God Bless.

Merry Christmas , Happy New Year & sorry for the gap

2009-01-04T05:27:00.003-05:00

Hi, I have to apologise that it has been so long between posts. Life has been a little hectic as we try to enjoy Christmas and the New Year, pack everything up, say goodbyes, finish assignments, deal with centrelink and get all the last minute things done for our move to College. I cant actually believe that it is now only 16 days until we move into Royal Parade.
How is everything going to get done, will I be able to cope with classes and the studies, will the family cope with living with so many other people in the one building, is God really calling me ... with all my failings and inadequacies ... no I must be mistaken, I must have heard wrong .... I cant possibly be His chosen representative to the people ... no I cant do this, what skills do I have for this task, and what about all the mistakes I have made ...
Through all these questions and doubts I keep being reassured by God that it is not by my strength or my power, but it is through the grace of God, that He indeed has called me and that He indeed will provide for me and my family. All we have to do is keep trusting and have the courage to do the things God asks of us.
I know life wont be easy and I am positive that College will stretch and test me, (actually I will be dissapointed if it doesnt !) but I am also very sure of Gods call on our lives and His promise that He will go before us and lead the way.
There have been countless times when we have really struggled to see how we could get some things done, or how we could raise the necessary funds, but time and again we have been amazed at the provisions of God and the generosity of our many friends. Some people have really gone above and beyond in their support of us both financially and spiritually. The prayers and support of these people have helped us to keep focussed and not let small distractions and discouragements move us off the course that God has planned for us. For that we are enormously grateful !
I have blogged before about encouragement but I just want to encourage everyone one more time to go out of your way to be an encourager, to speak positively into the lives of those around you, to be the loving neighbour that God wants us to be. It has been those that have encouraged me that have played a huge part in me being three weeks away from entering Training College.
So as we start the New Year I would encourage you to do three things : Encourage others, Trust God and instead of reading leadership manuals or how to guides look to Jesus for the best model of leadership the world has ever seen - Servant Leadership, and lastly find people you can talk to openly and will be honest with you and let them know what is happening in your life. It really helps to have people that can listen and advise.
God Bless and have a great New Year in 2009 - The year we finally get to Royal Parade.

Life's Tough ...... Allow God

2008-12-10T17:15:00.002-05:00

It is that crazy time of the year again, when every group you belong to in any way is having a Christmas break up, the Stores are having Midnight sales for the latest and greatest presents, people are getting frazzled and exhausted, and everyone seems to be having "a silly season". Is this what Christmas is really meant to be like ?

As I was doing my preparation for the final Singing Company and the devotions I would bring I started to think about what Christmas was like for Joseph and Mary. We all complain about our lives and how tough this is or that is, lets quickly look at their lives that very first Christmas. They had to leave all their family behind and travel by Donkey to Bethlehem, now I am not sure about you but if I was pregnant and just about to give birth a long donkey ride would not be high on my list of must do things! When they finally got to Bethlehem there were no rooms available, they ended up staying in a stable, not with a beautiful cot for Baby Jesus but an animals food trough lined with hay. Even think a few months earlier when Joseph was told that Mary was to have a baby, he knew it wasnt his and they werent even married ... I would suggest life wasnt great, things were tough !

But this is where the story of this first Christmas should give us encouragement and challenge, Mary and Joseph didnt run and hide because life was too tough, they had enough faith in God (a vision of an angel would have probably helped a bit !) to allow Him to use the situations they found themselves in. And through this the greatest Man to ever live on earth was born !! God took extremely tough circumstances and used them to change the world forever, what can he do with your life and mine.

You see for those of you that dont know me, God has already done some of this with me. My life was close to rock bottom, I didnt think things could get much worse. I was in trouble with the law, in huge debt, in mourning for my father, had broken the trust of all my closest family and friends, the list could go on ..... but then God took over my life. The day I started to have a real relationship with this very same baby Jesus my life changed forever !! Has life been easy since ... NO !! Have times been tough ... ABSOLUTELY !! Has God been able to use these times to develop me and to use me to help others ... YES !! This little baby born in Betlehem long ago has completely transformed my life, and He is wanting to do the same for you.

So this Christmas if life is tough or just doesnt make sense I pray that you will seek the baby Jesus and allow him to start to mould you into the person you were created to be. And remember that God never stops loving you and is desperate to welcome you home !! God Bless each of you and may Christmas be special to you for all the right reasons this year.

Friendship

2008-11-24T17:25:00.002-05:00

"A real friend is one who walks in when the rest of the world walks out. Don't walk in front of me, I may not follow. Don't walk behind me, I may not lead. Walk beside me and be my friend." - Charles Caleb Colton

Obviously with us making the move to College next year we have had to start saying good bye to people that we have built friendships with and spent time with here at Warrnambool, this is never an easy process because both Susan and I (especially Susan !) make strong bonds and build deep friendships. On the other side of the coin we have a number of strong friendships in Melbourne that are excited because we are moving back closer to them again, for every negative there is a positive.
This has made me sit and reflect on what it really means to be a friend, a true friend, a person you can trust no matter what is happening around. There have been a number of stages in my life when I have found out just who my really good friends are,the ones who still care and love you when all others are walking away. I am very fortunate to have some incredible people in my life who have supported and loved me through the good and bad, a great wife and extremely loving family but also some very strong friends.
You see anyone can be a fair weather friend but it takes courage, strength, commitment, faith and love to be a friend when things are not good, when the road is tough, when you might have to get hurt to help. The best part of these friends is I can rely on them not just to support me but also to hold me accountable and to tell me off when I have stepped out of line, I dont want my friends to all be yes people who are always telling me how good I am, I want them to love me enough to tell me the truth and then help me through the repairs needed.
Jesus called each of us to be friends to our neighbours, not just the ones who life is easy for but everyone. I want you to quickly think about something ... if life was falling apart for any of your friends would you be the person they turned to, would they be able to rely on you to support them and get them through that dark hour. On the flip side if your life was seemingly falling apart who would you call, have you developed friendships that would allow you to express your feelings to a friend and to be able to rely on them to help you ?
I would hope that my friends would know that I will always be there for them, that no matter what has happened they can rely on me to stay thick, and to see them through the storms.
I pray that if you dont have any strong friends or havent ever allowed yourself to be vulnerable in front of your friends that you find someone in life that you can depend on, that you can allow to see your inner pain, that will keep you accountable but in a loving,caring way, and that will be the loving neighbour that Jesus called us each to be.
Thankyou to all my friends for your support and love, and remember that I am always there for you no matter what time or what day.
God Bless.

Ambassadors of Holiness 2009

2008-10-30T18:06:00.002-05:00

We received confirmation this week that we have been accepted to enter Training College next year as part of the Ambassadors of Holiness session. This is great news for us and we are really looking forward to the challenges that now lie ahead of us. We have felt a very strong calling from God, and truly believe that Training College is where He wants us to be next year.
Obviously we are sad to be leaving a number of very close friends here at Warrnambool, and are very grateful for the opportunirties we have had here. There are a number of people here that will remain our close friends for the rest of our lives. However God calls us to leave our comfortable surroundings and step out in faith and trust Him, so that is what we will do.
We are excited but also slightly scared, intimidated, nervous, anxious etc. about what lies ahead of us, and if we will be able to cope. The good thing is that a number of times over the last six or so years we have really had to question Gods call on our lives, and each time we have been reminded again and encouraged to be faithful to that call. So with a sense of nervous anticipation we pray "Bring It On God, where you lead I will follow !"
We would like to thank our families and friends for their love and support, and would ask that you keep us in your prayers as we continue on this incredible journey with God. May God richly bless you each and I look forward to catching up with some of you in the not so distant future.

Global Leadership Summit 2008

2008-10-26T19:01:00.002-05:00

I had the real priviledge of attending the 2008 Willow Creek Global Leadership Summit at the Kardinia Christian Church this past Friday and Saturday, what a wonderful opportunity this was to listen to some of the worlds top speakers. It was a DVD cast ( so in other words we were watching the conference that was recorded at Willow Creek weeks before, shown in Geelong with a live Worship Band and a facilitator) this took a little bit of getting used to, but after a while you found yourself so focussed on the speakers you forgot about the fact it was prerecorded.

All the speakers were very good and impacted you in many different ways, but the two that really impacted me from a personal perspective were Craig Groeschel and the final session by Bill Hybels. Craig Groeschel spoke about IT and how we find IT and keep IT, now I can hear you asking what is IT.... in Craigs words DONT KNOW.... well how do you get IT.... DONT KNOW ..... how do you keep IT.... DONT KNOW. You see IT is that feeling, warmth, that thing you just sense some places have. IT makes you want to come back and find out more. IT makes you a person in society that people want to be around and want to know what IT is that is different about you. Craig has written a book by the title of "IT" and if you are interested I would recommend you read it. But the thing that stood out to me about what he had to say was when he stated that he had got to the stage where he was so busy doing everything expected of him that he had become a full time minister and a part time follower of God. He had lost IT by doing good , honorable things, by getting so busy that he didnt spend as much time with God and seeking Gods continual direction for his life.
The final session by Bill Hybels was about Mother Teresa and how she had received a very clear calling from God for her life, yet other people still stood in the way of her following that call. But Mother Teresa never lost sight of that call and kept pushing her superiors to allow her to follow it, and eventually they relented and allowed her to go where God had been calling her to. But things still werent easy for her and we can learn a lot from her level of faith and commitment. In her personal journal she wrote about not being able to feel Gods presence with her at that time and feeling alone and yet then wrote "I want to love you Lord more than anyone has ever loved you before". Even at a time when she couldnt feel the presence of God with her she was expressing a desire to love God more !
I pray that I will have that same strength of faith to stay true to the calling God has placed on my life and when times are hard and I am not as close to God as I could be that I would seek to love Him more than I ever have before. One final quote from the conference " Do you have the courage to pray Bring It On Lord ? " I hope that we all have that courage today and then have the courage to follow when God answers.

The Militant Church

2008-10-16T18:31:00.002-05:00

I have been having some discussions with friends recently about whether in todays society it is good to have a military style hierachal system for The Salvation Army, this has been a time of interesting debate but has made me take stock of what I believe about the future of The Salvation Army. I actually love the idea of us being a Militant Church, and I know some of you will disagree but let me give you details as to why I believe this.

We need to have a lot of things in common with the Military if we are going to win the War against Sin. Firstly just like the Military we need to have a single focus - we need to know what we are fighting against and what we are trying to win. This should be very easy but unfortunately gets blurred at times, we are fighting to change the world one life at a time so that God's will is done on earth as it is in Heaven. Part of this is we need to know how to use the weapons we have at our disposal - the spiritual weapons that God has given us, we each have differnet weapons and when used together this forms an array of weapons that make Satan shake in his boots.

We need to be keen to get on the Battlefield and fight the enemy, but we also need to have a clear battle plan and have done our homework. The best soldiers know exactly what their role is and where they fit into the overall structure, this is true of the church as well. A military would not survive without its medics, cooks, mechanics etc. likewise a church needs people doing the behind the scenes jobs.

Next we need to be able to adapt quickly to the circumstances we are in, and be persistent, if one plan fails dont dwell on it but keep moving forward looking to the next plan. Just like a good soldier a Salvationist must be never off duty but always ready for the call to battle at a moments notice. There is great camraderie in the military and everyone watches each others backs, what do you think we should be doing as a church ?

Finally a good soldier is willing to give their all for the cause, to die to achieve the goal. Are you willing to lay your life on the line for God ?

I believe we should be a Militant Church existing for the sole purpose of rescuing people from the darkness in which they find themselves ! Are you willing to fight with me ? I've got your back will you watch mine ?

Zara is 10 !

2008-10-15T04:24:00.004-05:00

It is hard to believe but my gorgeous little princess Zara is 10. She had a great day yesterday as we celebrated her birthday, and it was great to see her laughing and enjoying everything. Zara has a really infectious personality and when she is happy she is an absolute delight to be in the company of.
I think of all the family Zara has been the one that the move to Warrnambool has caused the most stress and heartache too, she is a really good friend who develops really deep, strong friendships and I think she really struggled having to leave her friends and family and start again. Zara is a very affectionate daughter and has a really soft, wonderful heart and is a really caring, loving young girl.
As parents Susan and I could not be prouder of her and the way she is developing and we look forward to watching and sharing with her as she continues to grow into a beautiful young woman.
Zara I am so proud to call you my daughter and hope you have a great year ahead and all your dreams come true. Thanks for just being you, continue to laugh, love and dream. We will do everything in our powers to make sure you can live out those dreams.
As you grow physically may you also grow spiritually, rely on God He will always be there for you.
I Love you Zara and cant wait to see your development in the coming months.

Encouragement

2008-10-06T17:36:00.002-05:00

Lately I have been thinking a lot about how I treat others, do I show them respect, love, forgiveness, compassion, understanding... the list could go on, but one of the things that keeps being reminded to me is how important it is to encourage others. Wouldn't it be wonderful if just for one day we were able to sit back and look at the life of people around us and realise what was actually happening for them at that time. What was really happening not the facade that they want you to see so you believe they are OK. If we were able to do this we might realise how important it was to give them some positive encouragement, some people are so surrounded by negatives and doubts that they actually start to believe that they are worthless. We need to make sure we are not contributing to that feeling but supporting them and lifting them up and sharing the love of God with them, not when we choose but always. If we start to treat the people around us with grace, mercy ,and love we can actually help them to believe in themselves and ultimately believe in God.
We as Christians have to be the ones who show them and teach them about Gods forgiveness and encourage them to keep on believing ,keep on forgiving ,keep on loving ,keep on trusting, keep on trying... I get worried when people give up trying for fear of failing but if they are constantly being told they are failures who can blame them. We want people to be proactive and try new things yet we continually shoot them down and feed them negatives !
Just imagine what effect we could have if we simply encouraged each other, showed love and understanding to each other, and gave people the respect we expect from others. Maybe we need to start listening rather than judging, caring rather than criticising, and loving rather than disrespecting. Maybe then people would actually share their heartaches with us, maybe then they would trust us with the real cries of anguish in their lives. Maybe they would see the Love of Jesus in us !!! Please let it be so ! I pray that people would see me as a support, a friend, a listening ear... and importantly an encouragement along life's journey.
So today do everyone a favour encourage someone, anyone. And maybe someone will encourage you back, we could start a revolution this way.
May God Bless you each as you strive to encourage others.

Brownlow Medal

2008-09-22T18:36:00.003-05:00

In case you don't already know I love football, I love to watch games, I love to read the stats, and yes I am one of those silly few who love the Brownlow Medal. Last night I sat down again to watch hoping that Gary Ablett Junior or Jimmy Bartel would win "Charlie". Can I say I believe Adam Cooney is a very deserving winner but as I was watching last night I was continually amazed at the times when players like Ablett, Bartel and especially Brent Harvey from North Melbourne failed to receive votes in games when they had been rated the best player by every media outlet ! How could it be that the umpires could not see what everyone else had ?
In thinking about this I came to a couple of decisions. Firstly I think at times the umpires are too close to the action and struggle to see the overall value of a players performance. They don't always seem to judge everyone on the same level. For some of these "Stars" of the game they have to play at an extremely high level to get votes where as other players are judged on their so-called level and receive votes in games when they probably weren't in the best three. Secondly the umpires are human which means a couple of things; firstly they make mistakes and there will be times when they miss the outstanding player of that game, and secondly they have feelings and emotions so if someone has been giving them a hard time (maybe sledging or back chatting) human nature makes it hard to see past that.
I couldn't help thinking about real life, how often do we get upset with people when they judge us ? Are we quick to judge others ? The Bible is very clear that we shouldn't be judging others but that doesn't seem to slow us down at all.
So if someone seems to have been judging you should you get upset by it and let it alter your outlook on life and values ? The answer is No. Maybe the person judging you is too close to the situation to be able to see your real value to the team. Maybe you are being judged on a level that is above what should be expected. Maybe there is something personal in this judgement, maybe you have upset someone without knowing. Whatever it may be we should not let ourselves be overcome by other peoples judgement of us.
This is not too say that we shouldn't listen to people and take advise from people. We all need critical evaluation in our lives, but before you go and get too upset take time to look at who is delivering this advise and if it is valid and reasonable.
We all need to be very careful not to judge others, we don't know what is happening in peoples lives, we only see a very small percentage of a persons daily decisions. Next time before judging maybe step back and try and look at the positives as well as the negatives. People respond to positive feedback far better than constantly being given negatives.
Ultimately we all will have to face one day of judgement, and we should all be working hard to ensure that on that day we can stand before our Master and Lord and hear the words " Well done my good and faithful servant"

Ethan John Lamotte is 5

2008-09-11T19:05:00.003-05:00

My little man Ethan turns five today !! It seems like yesterday that we were celebrating his birth, and yet in other ways it seems like a different world that he was born into. So much has happened and our family situation is so different to when he was born.
I am truly blessed to have such a wonderful family, Susan is such a great Mother and wife and gets more beautiful everyday ! Amy-Lee is growing into a fine young lady (although a bit less attitude would be good at times), Zara is such a caring and fun girl and makes life very interesting (nothing is ever boring with Zara around) and then there is Ethan.
I could not be prouder of my son, he is energetic and playful without being hyper. He has an amazing imagination and loves to create and play different characters ( although at the moment it always seems to be Spiderman). He makes friends really well and has a softer side to him that not all young boys have. The other great thing about Ethan is his sense of humor, he loves to have a deep chuckle and to make people laugh, some of the dance moves in front of the TV are priceless !
I cannot be sure of what the future holds for Ethan but already I can see that he will be an intelligent, fun and friendly man. I pray that God would be a reality for him and that he would rely on God for the foundations of his life.
Happy Birthday my little man ! I am so proud of you and love you soooo much !!!

PS It is now only 13 years till he gets drafted by Geelong ! Go Cats !!!

Happy Fathers Day

2008-09-04T23:55:00.002-05:00

In the middle of doing my final preparations for the meeting I am doing on Sunday I started to prepare a childrens story. It is always fun to share the message of God with kids and I was trying to work out what to share with them, obviously here in Australia this Sunday is Fathers Day, but for some of these kids that is not necessarily someone they want to celebrate. This got me thinking just how fortunate I was to have such a wonderful relationship with my father.
Three things stood out as I started to prepare this message, the first of these was discipline. There were times that I did some things that I wasn't supposed to and at times my father had to discipline me. Now I was never disciplined too hard (and in case you are getting worried I certainly was not abused in any way) and I am glad that I had a father who loved me enough to discipline me when I needed it.
The second thing was Dad always had time for me and my pastimes, some fathers get too busy and never seem to have time to do things with their children. Dad took great delight in watching me play sport, and just spending time with me.The other part of this is neither Dad nor I were worried about showing our affection for each other and always greeted each other with a hug and kiss, Mum tells a story when we were all young of Dad saying "dont tell me you love me show me !" I am glad that I had a father who loved me enough to take the time to do things with me.
The third thing was that Dad taught me the principles of the Bible and showed by example what it was to be a Man of Faith. From a very young age I was taught the values of the Bible and Mum and Dad taught me about God's love and how Jesus died on the cross for my sins. I have made some pretty big mistakes along the path but the grounding that was placed in my life has eventually stood the test and God has nurtured me into a better person than I ever thought possible. I am glad that I had a father who loved me enough to teach me about God's love and more importantly to be a fine example of that love.
I thank God for my wonderful father and his example to me and pray that as my children grow they too will see the love of God their Heavenly Father through the life of their earthly father. Happy Fathers Day Dad !!

Just where is God ?

2008-08-13T18:18:00.003-05:00

No I have not lost my faith or suddenly become an atheist, but over the last couple of weeks it has been really easy to lose focus and to get so caught up in what has to be done that you forget why you are doing it.
Susan has been very ill and so I have had to do her jobs at work as well as mine. This has also meant that I have had to do some extra things at home (probably not as many as Susan would have liked !), we are in the process of moving home, our bosses have just gone on holidays for four weeks, I was at court last week with a young guy I have been working with, etc etc the list just goes on.
And then on Tuesday morning we received a call to say Susans Nanna had passed away in Mulwala. This was obviously a very emotional time as Susan was very close to Mama, and then the preparations began to get to the funeral on friday (A six hour drive away from us here at Warrnambool) Through all of this you get so busy doing what you can that at times you forget to seek Gods heart and try to do it all through your own strength.... Big Mistake !
It was at this stage late last week that I found myself losing my temper easily, and for someone who doesnt usually stress too much I was getting very stressed. Why hadnt we received this phone call, when were we going to find out, what was happening, when was Sue going to start to feel better, when were we going to be able to start packing ...... just writing this makes me stress again ! But it was at this time that I felt God ask me to "Be Still", we are singing a beautiful song by this name in songsters at the moment and the words came back to me at just the right time "Come rest your weary head upon my breast and listen to the heartbeat of God"

It is so easy to get so busy that we forget to seek God in everything, when really when times are like this we should be spending more time with God. I pray that the next time I find myself in this situation it will not take so long to seek the heartbeat of God.

Tess' Miracle - This is a true story

2008-08-11T01:33:00.000-05:00

Tess was a precocious eight year old when she heard her Mom and Dad talking about her little brother, Andrew. All she knew was that he was very sick and they were completely out of money. They were moving to an apartment complex next month because Daddy didn't have the money for the doctor's bills and our house. Only a very costly surgery could save him now and it was looking like there was no-one to loan them the money. She heard Daddy say to her tearful Mother with whispered desperation, "Only a miracle can save him now."
Tess went to her bedroom and pulled a glass jelly jar from its hiding place in the closet. She poured all the change out on the floor and counted it carefully. Three times, even. The total had to be exactly perfect. No chance here for mistakes. Carefully placing the coins back in the jar and twisting on the cap, she slipped out the back door and made her way 6 blocks to Rexall's Drug Store with the big red Indian Chief sign above the door. She waited patiently for the pharmacist to give her some attention but he was too busy at this moment. Tess twisted her feet to make a scuffing noise. Nothing. She cleared her throat with the most disgusting sound she could muster. No good. Finally she took a quarter from her jar and banged it on the glass counter. That did it! "And what do you want?" the pharmacist asked in an annoyed tone of voice. "I'm talking to my brother from Chicago whom I haven't seen in ages", he said without waiting for a reply to his question. "Well, I want to talk to you about my brother," Tess answered back in the same annoyed tone. "He's really, really sick... and I want to buy a miracle." "I beg your pardon?" said the pharmacist. "His name is Andrew and he has something bad growing inside his head and my Daddy says only a miracle can save him now. So how much does a miracle cost?" "We don't sell miracles here, little girl. "I'm sorry but I can't help you", the pharmacist said, softening a little. "Listen, I have the money to pay for it. If it isn't enough, I will get the rest. Just tell me how much it costs."

The pharmacist's brother was a well dressed man. He stooped down and asked the little girl, "What kind of a miracle does you brother need?" "I don't know," Tess replied with her eyes welling up. "I just know he's really sick and Mommy says he needs an operation. But my Daddy can't pay for it, so I want to use my money".

"How much do you have?" asked the man from Chicago.

"One dollar and eleven cents", Tess answered barely audibly. "And it's all the money I have, but I can get some more if I need to.

"Well, what a coincidence," smiled the man. "A dollar and eleven cents--the exact price of a miracle for little brothers." He took her money in one hand and with the other hand he grasped her mitten and said "Take me to where you live. I want to see your brother and meet your parents. Let's see if I have the kind of miracle you need." That well dressed man was Dr. Carlton Armstrong, a surgeon, specializing in neuro-surgery. The operation was completed without charge and it wasn't long until Andrew was home again and doing well.

Mom and Dad were happily talking about the chain of events that had led them to this place. "That surgery", her Mom whispered. "was a real miracle. I wonder how much it would have cost?" Tess smiled. She knew exactly how much a miracle cost... one dollar and eleven cents ...... plus the faith of a little child.

A miracle is not ALWAYS the suspension of natural law, but the operation of a higher law......

What is our focus ?

2008-07-20T23:18:00.003-05:00

I was looking at the famous picture from "In Darkest England" by William Booth and I couldnt help thinking about todays church. What is it we are actually doing ? What are we really about ?
“Dramatic changes in purpose, attitudes, behavior and lifestyle, characterized by actions of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control that reflect a commitment and obedience to Jesus Christ.”
I truly believe that the local Church is still a viable ministry vehicle. Unfortunately it seems like it normally functions like a rescue ship that is constantly recruiting passengers to become sailors who end up spending their time fixing the holes in the sails instead of rescuing people. We watch as sailors jump ship to find a better one somewhere else. It’s inadvertantly become a competition of who’s got the better ship just to keep people in it. Of course, there are those who just jump back in the water and start rescuing people.
The sailors who jump in to rescue people in the dark stormy waters are usually looked at as disobedient, undisciplined in the fine art of rescuing. The sailors looking for a different ship are too occupied to rescue the drowning people around them.
When the captain decides to jump in to rescue someone, more will join him in the water and use any means neccesary to rescue victims. The rest of the crew either stay on the ship, look for a new ship or look for a new captain. Why? It’s because the majority of sailors became highly skilled in caring for the ship and never learned how to swim.
Here it is. Are we discipling people to fix and build ships so we can build more ships, or are we rescuing people using any means neccesary to get them to shore as quickly as possible? The message is just as relevant today if not more so, yet we are busy fixing the sails. Are you willing to get wet to save someone ?

Grandma's 100

2008-07-07T20:56:00.002-05:00

Yes you did read that correctly this last week we got to share in a very special event my Grandma (Brigadier Elva Lamotte)turned 100. It was great to be able to share with family and think of the changes that Grandma would have seen in her life and to also give thanks for a life lived serving God. Grandma and I have not always seen eye to eye on everything but her love for family, commitment to God and The Salvation Army and her work ethic are things that you cant help but take notice of and give thanks for.
As part of her centenary Grandma received a number of letters from very important people; there was a letter from the Queen,one from the Governor General, another from the Premier of Victoria, one from the local member for Parliament Kirstie Marshall, as a retired officer there was also a letter from the current General, one from retired General Eva Burrows and also one from the Commissioners. These were all beautiful letters acknowledging Grandmas service to the community and thinking of the changes over the journey of Grandmas life. The Commissioner even wished Grandma well as she starts on the next one hundred years !
As lovely as these letters were it was the one Grandma received from the Prime Minister Mr Rudd that really stood out,now this is not a political statement and I know Mr Rudd would be extremely busy but every other letter expressed some thoughts and best wishes over a couple of paragraphs ( Kirstie Marshalls was on a hand written card ) the letter from Mr Rudd contained fourteen words. Fourteen words for a hundred years of life....why bother ? It stood out so poorly from every other note received that it actually became a laugh,now I dont for a minute think that Mr Rudd personally wrote this letter, but whoever did deserves a good kick. All that this letter showed was a lack of care and effort.
Now the reason I have written about this is not just to bag the Prime Minister but to remind us that everything we do people are taking notice of, and if we do things without the appropriate level of commitment and effort it is very easy to see. Now there would have been no problem if we didnt receive a letter from Mr Rudd, but once it was decided to send one it needed to be better than what was presented. We as people and certainly those of us that are Christians need to make sure that when we invest in peoples lives we do so fully and commit the time and effort demanded of such a task. It may take some extra effort on our part but it will be worth it in the long run.
Happy Birthday again Grandma, you always said you would get a letter from the Queen !

Envoys Retreat

2008-06-18T18:12:00.002-05:00

For those of you unaware last weekend Susan and I attended the Territorial Envoys Retreat at the Geelong Conference Centre, in the lead up to this weekend we were not sure what this weekend would hold but went with an open mind and open heart. It is amazing how often God speaks to you when you push through and attend things even though you could find valid reasons not too. This was a weekend full of questions, (sometimes answered, sometimes not), a weekend to renew some friendships, to make new friends, to experience new things (including a whole morning of silent retreat !!), and most importantly to allow God to talk to us and to spend time listening for His voice. Major Frank Daniels and Major Tracey English led the weekend for us and it was great to share with both of these fine people over this time.
The wider Cabinet of the Territory arrived late Saturday afternoon and shared Dinner with us and then we shared worship on Sunday morning, this was just an incredible time. Two of the Envoys Scott Cugley and Nicole Hetherington shared their testimonies magnificently, Captain Danielle Strickland and Envoy Sonia Jeffreys led Worship brilliantly and the Commissioner then delivered the message. I may sound silly saying this but for the most part of Commissioner Knaggs' message it felt like it was just Him and me in the room, it felt like he was speaking straight to me and sharing his vision and thoughts for my life. I have never experienced anything like this before during a message it was just awesome (Thank you God and thank you Commissioner) This was followed by a time of prayer with our Divisional Leaders Majors Peter and Jenny Walker which again was truly a time of standing on Holy Ground.
What is the result of this weekend for us you may ask ? It has confirmed the call of God on our lives, it has confirmed that we are called to serve in The Salvation Army, it has confirmed that we are valued and loved by God, and it has energised us to push on and do the tasks in front of us. Beyond this who knows exactly other than God, so we will trust Him for the future and continue to push forward with whatever He calls us to do.

The Barbarian Way

2008-06-09T19:15:00.004-05:00

The Barbarian Way is a book by Erwin Raphael McManus. I have been reading this book the last couple of days and I dont agree with everything in it, but it really does challenge you to look at the way you live and the way you share your faith with others.
To quote from his webpage "In The Barbarian Way, McManus calls you to return to the ancient,primal, and dangerous faith of Jesus and His early disciples. Let go of a sanitized Christianity and get back to the powerful, raw and ancient faith that chooses revolution over compromise, peril over safety, and passion over lukewarm and watered-down religion.

Christ’s passion drove Him to the cross; the cross of Christ drives you to His passion. Take up the challenge of the “barbarian way,” and your life will never be the same."

As I was thinking about this I had a visit from my local friendly JW's, two hours and a lot of discussion later they left annoyed that I could not see the truths they were showing me and myself determined to convert them. It was a very interesting two hours and a time I found very mentally stimulating and thought provoking. These people were so convinced that they were the only true church it blew me away. They had prepared arguments against all the major denominations of Christianity, and were equipped with verses from their Bible to support their views (even if some of these were taken way out of context).
As flawed as their teachings are and as much as I disagree with them,the level of courage,determination and commitment these people show is worth applauding. I dont necessarily agree with door to door selling but they are actively trying to spread the news. What are we doing ?
I pray that our conversation made them spend some time thinking about their beliefs and examining my counter arguments, and that through this God may move in their lives. As for me I pray God will continue to challenge me to shake conformity and seek His Will and His Way for my life.

Journalling

2008-06-02T18:38:00.002-05:00

I wonder how many of you reading this have ever had a spiritual journal, we as a leadership team here at Warrnambool have been given the challenge of using a life journal. Every day we have made a commitment to read chosen chapters from Gods word and then to journal our thoughts. The journal should be done using the S.O.A.P acronym. (Scripture,Observation,Application and Prayer).This is not something that I have ever done regularly so it is a challenge for me, and I have also decided to continue with my personal devotions as well as this.I have been challenged as to how much time I spend doing inconsequential things like watching TV,surfing the net,reading the paper etc and how little time I spend actually 100% focused on God. I have a very healthy prayer life, I usually spend time reading and in devotions daily but as a sum total of my day this is very small.I am also aware that most of the time that I do actually spend in devotions I am occupied, either by reading or praying, and I don't always allow myself to have quietness and allow God to speak to me, and reflect on His Word and Provisions.
We have only been doing this for two days so I will need to make sure in a months time I am still giving my journal the same priority but it has been a surprising blessing and a time of great encouragement to me. I pray that God will continue to challenge me and to speak to me as I come before Him in quietness and seek His face.

Red Shield Appeal

2008-05-26T23:21:00.002-05:00

That time of year has come again and is almost finished when we rattle the tins and knock on doors trying to fund the work of The Salvation Army for the next twelve months and beyond. It has really struck me this year how generous people are! at a time when inflation is causing pain, where the price of petrol is continually rising, where the cost of everyday shopping items is soaring, when we see so many people through our welfare, it is good to see that people still regard us highly enough to give very generously.
This has made me think about the people who have gone before us and the reputation that has been built over many years, we should be very grateful for their work. The other thing that has really stood out to me is the value of our uniform. Many people complain about it and look at ways of changing it, some choose not to wear it, others believe it is holding us back. Whatever your take on it is you cannot deny the power it has, I got to doors to find people waiting with money in hand because they had seen me coming and recognised the uniform. I went into shops and didn't need to ask for money as they would see you and say "Oh its the Salvos !". I would love to see the figures but I would be amazed if people in uniform didn't get significantly more than those in casual attire. I always used to be amazed at one of my previous corps when people who wore uniform all year round would suddenly turn up in jeans and a jumper for Red Shield Sunday because it was more comfortable. I might be wrong but I thought the whole idea of wearing a uniform was to witness to the fact that you were a follower of God in The Salvation Army. Why then are we witnessing to those who already know this in our Sunday meetings, surely if you are going to change for one Sunday it would be the opposite way; for most of these people this is the one day when they actually go out and are seen in their community and they choose not to wear the uniform. Makes me question why they are actually wearing it and who they are wearing it for ..... themselves, their friends, their fellow soldiers.... or GOD !
If you were involved in Red Shield thank you for your efforts and I pray that you realised how much the Salvation Army is held in high regard and what great opportunities we have to minister to our own communities.

Little Girl Lost

2008-05-21T18:26:00.004-05:00

We recently got the opportunity to share in a layered learning event over two days with the team from the Fist Baptist Church of Clovis. The Rev. Dr Tim Brown is the Senior Pastor of this church which has grown from around 40 to currently around 900 people attending. He is a great speaker and we learnt a lot from the time we spent together but I would like to share with you a story Tim told us.
" We love to go camping as a family, in case you dont know I am married with two young girls aged 9 and 5. This one time we went camping our youngest was about three. We set the tents up and I went to collect some wood to start the fire, my wife was setting up the sleeping bags and ensuring everything was solid for a cold night. When I returned I asked where the girls were, my wife said they were in their tent but when I went to look only our eldest daughter was there. We called out to Allison but there was no answer, we looked around the campsite feverishly but still no sign. We were on the side of a Mountain with a large stream not too far below us, we were starting to panic. We called the Park Ranger and he came with the local sherriff and started to organise a search party.
Now the sheriff said that before we could orgainse the search party we would need to set up a base for the operations so they started to erect this large marquee that they would work from. Then he said it was important that everyone was up to speed with the latest search techniques and protocols and so he handed out a manual and started to talk people through the book. They then decided it was getting dark and cold so they should build a bigger fire to keep them warm and comfortable.
While all this was going on I was yelling out my daughter is out there will someone start looking.
They then decided they needed to bring in beds for the searchers to sleep in when their shift had finished, so they started to erect this room with comfortable beds and cover for when the searchers returned. All the time the child was still lost.."

He went on with this for a bit longer but the real story was not about his lost daughter (in case you are worried this was not a real story !) this is what we as Churches and Christians do today we are so worried about making sure that we have every comfort available to us, that we have the latest sound equipment and the most comfortable chairs, that we forget what we are really called to do...... Go and find the lost ! Just as in the story above I am sure that at times God our father is watching us in frustration saying what are you doing my daughter is lost will someone just go and look for her !
When something of value is lost it becomes the focus of our attention, shouldnt we be investing in what matters most to God. God gets excited when lost people are found, shouldnt we be moved by what moves God. Jesus spent time with irreligious people because God is in the search and rescue business, so shouldnt we join God in this Search and Rescue Mission ?

This is the truth.

2008-05-16T01:08:00.000-05:00

Famous Last Words

2008-05-11T18:23:00.002-05:00

I got the opportunity to travel to Melbourne on the 1st May to hear the first in the series of lectures at the Salvation Army Training College entitled "Famous Last Words". This is a series featuring Retired Officers and giving them the opportunity to talk to Cadets and the wider Salvation Army and give what message they would give if it was their last chance to preach. Firstly let me say I think this is a sensational idea and we as a movement should use our Retired Officers and their experience more than we currently do. The reason I travelled from Warrnambool to Melbourne for this event was it was my Mum (Lieutenant Colonel Avis Lamotte) who was delivering the first in this series of lectures, and I wanted to support her and also hear Mum preach again. I am different to a lot of Officers kids in that my parents were not Corps Officers of mine after the age of three so I never really got to hear Mum preach very often. When my parents were the DC's if they visited my corps it was usually Dad who spoke, and even then I can count on one hand how many sermons I heard Dad deliver. So I was really looking forward to this chance; I was not disappointed ! Even if I am biased Mum was brilliant, she spoke of her childhood and then her path to Officership and the fact that God has been her constant companion through all of life's journeys.
If you know my Mum well you will be surprised to learn she was a very shy,quiet young girl. Her Dad used to say when I introduce you to someone for Heavens sake just say something...anything... just don't stand there. Now I should also say Mum's maiden name was Heaven, she was born Lorna Avis Heaven but has always been known as Avis. She used the theme of "For Heavens Sake" as the main theme of the night and flowed this through everything she spoke about.Mum spoke about getting out and doing things rather than setting up committees or bringing in consultants. I could bore you with everything Mum said but I wont, I do want to share with you her last few comments. Mum finished with this ... "I love this Army that God raised up; I long for it to be true to its name a Salvation Army totally mission based, and fulfilling that Mission. More geared to winning people than winning approval, more committed to making disciples than making dollars.I pray for an Army that will continue to challenge and encourage our beautiful young people to embrace Soldiership,Officership and Ministry; that our Senior Members would not feel discarded or that they have past their use by date.That we as an Army will understand that we are all in this together, One great Army, an army that builds on the past rather than dwells in the past, we have a wonderful heritage we should rightly salute thrilling achievements however lets not get lost in the what was, our challenge is the now.Being the army we ought to be now, fulfilling our mission now, Oh to catch a fresh vision of what we can be under the direction and empowerment of God The Holy Spirit, catch that vision and you and I will be filled with a glorious optimism that will motivate to overwhelming achievement."

I give thanks to God for the incredible woman that is my Mother, and also pray that these words will not just fall to the ground but they will be embraced by those that heard them. I Love You Mum, you are my inspiration and encouragement.

Living Incarnationally

2008-05-08T01:31:00.002-05:00

I have been thinking really deeply lately about how we as a movement,church and me individually can connect deeper and more powerfully with the community in which we live. This is the age old question I suppose for the church "how can we link with the community, be in the world but not of the world". The answer that keeps coming back to me is we need to be Incarnational. I look at the successful things happening at Reservoir, Melbourne 614 and Urban Heart and they are all based on models of living incarnationally.

I read the following from an article by C.Michael Johnson " Everything has a unique design and purpose;individuals do, families do, organisations do, even whole communities carry the seeds of a divine destiny. Think of it this way; In God's design, people and things could be viewed as a vacancy for a purpose, a specific place that is designed for and waiting to be filled with God's purpose. God wants to incarnate himself and his perfect will through us into those vacancies, that like the stable in Bethlehem, await their fulfilling purpose."

For a mission to become incarnational the focus has to be on its redeeming purpose. So the question is what purpose are we trying to fulfill? It could be the God dreams of individuals, the destiny of a family or group, or God's purposes for a neighbourhood or culture. Just being active in ministry and mission is not sufficient. It's like just being out for a drive, which though it may be fun and kills time, is not good enough and may even be counter productive, when there's a destiny to be reached. And boy, do we have destinies !

It's also important to understand that community service alone is not incarnational. We cannot serve God without serving His specific purposes in people and communities, incarnational ministry pushes all the way through to empower purpose.

We give our heart to Jesus, but then we fail to live out of it. We should heed the advice of the old warrior in Braveheart, who told young Wallace, "Your heart is now free, have the courage to follow it." We don't have desire , we are desire ! Which ever way we choose to look at it the search for meaning,purpose,significance,and direction is an ever present driving force. It is also the strongest thing we have in common with our community, to know who we are,why we are here,and where we are going; and to know how to live out of our heart- that place where our dreams can become one with the dreams of God.

I could go on and on, but in reality I am searching for how best I can live Incarnationally in my community, and where I can have the greatest impact for God. I will continue to search for answers and hope that God will show me where and how this can best be done.

Integrity

2008-05-05T18:44:00.002-05:00

I looked up the dictionary for the word integrity and found this "Integrity is the basing of one's actions on an internally consistent framework of principles. Depth of principles and adherence of each level to the next are key factors. One is said to have integrity to the extent that everything one does is derived from the same core set of values. While those values may change, it is their consistency with each other and with the person's actions that determine the person's integrity."

I have been thinking about this word a lot lately and Dianne preached on this last Sunday. I have been trying to determine if my actions and my words are congruent, am I living out what I am talking. It is a great challenge and I admit that at times I have fallen well short of what I would and should be hoping for. The hardest part of this for me is the part about everything being derived from the same core set of values, this means totally, always, everytime, even when people arent looking. This includes my thoughts, my desires, my anger, my frustration, my tiredness .... the list goes on and on... but in each of these things I must work toward having the same set of values.

As a follower of Christ I should be living a life that is not only pleasing to myself but more importantly pleasing to God, and portaying Christs love to those that I encouinter along the way. This is a great challenge but also a must if I am to do what God is wanting me to.

I pray that as you go about your every day life that you would try to do everything with Integrity and allow God to use you in every situation. God Bless.

Catch Up

2008-04-17T22:59:00.002-05:00

Sorry I have been a bit slack posting lately it just seems that we have had so much on. We have just recently returned from two weeks furlough which was a good chance to catch up with family and friends. During this time our eldest daughter Amy-Lee turned 12 !!!! this is really scary, but she is growing into a wonderful young woman and I couldnt be prouder of her. She got two parties; the first a sleepover with her friends in Warrnambool and then a family one in Melbourne.
Then we were back to work and catching up on everything, we got to share in our first Cluster Group with six other officers which was a great time. We looked at some teaching from John Ortberg on the story of Esther(very beneficial... I will probably post about this later).
Then this week our daughter Zara went into hospital to have her Tonsils and Adnoids removed. She is feeling a bit sick and sorry for herself at the moment but the surgery went well, the surgeon is very happy and she will definitely be better off now that they are out.
During all of these events we have been reminded again just how wonderful God is, the last event I wanted to share with you was a decision night held at Singing Company last Monday night. This is a group of around 30 to 35 children that meet to sing songs every Monday night and they take part in the meeting a few times a year. The majority of this group come from Non Christian households and this is their only link to church. ( While I was writing this I did my sums in my head and I think there is only 8 that belong to corps families !). As I said last week we held a "decision Night" where we delved a bit deeper into what it meant to be a Christian and what it actually was to ask Jesus to come into your life. I deliberately tried to keep this night as unemotional as I could ( if you want to know why speak to me some time) and after talking things through and handing out a book to each child we offered the chance to come forward and pray with a leader to ask Jesus into their life. Amazingly we had well over ten youngsters come forward and a number more talk and discuss their thoughts on this and ask relevant questions that could lead to further decisions. God is so good and He rewards us when we step out in faith. The challenge now is to help these children to continue on the path they have started and nurture them in the Christian faith.
I would ask if you are a Christian that you would pray for these youngsters, and if you are not maybe you would consider what it actually means to ask Jesus to come into your life. I can gaurantee one thing life will never be the same again.
God Bless you each.

Facebook

2008-04-12T07:38:00.002-05:00

I seem to be always about two years behind the latest trends, and to prove my point I have joined Facebook this week. I was introduced by my sister in law as a way that Susan and I could catch up with some old friends we knew when we first got married, well I didnt realise how quickly you could find people you hadnt spoken to or seen for twenty years.
It has been great to catch up with some of these and find out what has been happening in their lives and let them know about what we are doing. It has been fun to shock a number of them with the fact we are now in full-time ministry. These people have remained as my friends even though we lost regular contact, and we were able to chat and laugh together as if we had never been seperated.
I cant help but relate this to God and the love He has for each of us, no matter if we stop communication with Him and get caught up in other things He is always waiting for us to make contact again, and wanting to embrace us and welcome us back to the family.

The Room

2008-04-08T18:28:00.000-05:00

In that place between wakefulness and dreams, I found myself in the room. There were no distinguishing features save for the one wall covered with small index card files. They were like the ones in libraries that list titles by author or subject in alphabetical order.
But these files, which stretched from floor to ceiling and seemingly endlessly in either direction, had very different headings.
As I grew near the wall of files, the first to catch my attention was one that read, “Girls I Have Liked”. I opened it and began flipping through the cards. I quickly shut it, shocked to realize that I recognized the names written on each one.
And then without being told, I knew exactly where I was. This lifeless room with its small files was a crude catalogue system for my life. Here was written the actions of my every moment, big and small, in a detail my memory couldn’t match.
A sense of wonder and curiosity, coupled with horror, stirred within me as I began randomly opening files and exploring their content. Some brought joy and sweet memories; others a sense of shame and regret so intense that I would look over my shoulder to see if anyone was watching. A file named “Friends” was next to one marked “Friends I Have Betrayed”.
The titles ranged from the mundane to the outright weird. “Books I Have Read”, “Lies I Have Told”, “Comfort I have Given”, “Jokes I Have Laughed At”. Some were almost hilarious in their exactness: “Things I’ve Yelled At My Brothers.” Others I couldn’t laugh at: “Things I have Done In My Anger”, “Things I Have Muttered Under My Breath At My Parents.”
I never ceased to be surprised by the contents. Often there were many more cards than I expected. Sometimes fewer than I hoped.
I was overwhelmed by the sheer volume of the life I had lived. Could it be possible that I had the time in my 20 years to write each of these thousands or even missions of cards? But each card confirmed this truth. Each was written in my own handwriting. Each signed with my signature.
When I pulled out the file marked “Songs I Have Listened To”, I realized the files grew to contain their contents. The cards were packed tightly, and yet after two or three yards, I hadn’t found the end of the file. I shut it, shamed, not so much by the quality of music, but more by the vast amount of time I knew that file represented.
When I came to a file marked “Lustful Thoughts”, I felt a chill run through my body. I pulled the file out only an inch, not willing to test its size, and drew out a card. I shuddered at its detailed content. I felt sick to think that such a moment had been recorded.
An almost animal rage broke on me. One thought dominated my mind. “No one must ever see these cards! No one must ever see this room! I have to destroy them!”
In an insane frenzy I yanked the file out. Its size didn’t matter now. I had to empty it and burn the cards.
But as I took it at one end and began pounding it on the floor, I could not dislodge a single card. I became desperate and pulled out a card, only to find it as strong as steel when I tried to tear it.
Defeated and utterly helpless, I returned the file to its slot. Leaning my forehead against the wall, I let out a long, self-pitying sigh. And then I saw it. The title bore “People I Have Shared The Gospel With”.
The handle was brighter than those around it, newer, almost unused. I pulled on its handle and a small box not more than three inches long fell into my hands. I could count the cards it contained on one hand.
And then the tears came. I began to weep. Sobs so deep that I fell to my knees and cried. I cried out of shame, from the overwhelming shame of it all. The rows of file shelves swirled in my tear-filled eyes. No one must ever, ever know of this room. I must lock it up and hide the key.
But then as I pushed away the tears, I saw Him. No, please not Him. Not here. Oh, anyone but Jesus. I watched helplessly as He began to open the files and read the cards.
I couldn’t bear to watch His response. And in the moments I could bring myself to look at His face, I saw a sorrow deeper than my own. He seemed to intuitively go to the worst boxes. Why did He have to read every one?
Finally He turned and looked at me from across the room. He looked at me with pity in His eyes. But this was a pity that didn’t anger me. I dropped my head, covered my face with my hands and began to cry again. He walked over and put His arms around me. He could have said so many things. But He didn’t say a word. He just cried with me.
Then He got up and walked back to the wall of files. Starting at one end of the room, He took out a file and, one by one, began to sign His name over mine on each card.
“No!” I shouted rushing to Him. All I could find to say was “No, no,” as I pulled the card from Him. His name shouldn’t be on these cards.
But there it was, written in red so rich, so dark, so alive. The name of Jesus covered mine. It was written with His blood.
He gently took the card back. He smiled a sad smile and began to sign the cards. I don’t think I’ll ever understand how He did it so quickly, but the next instant it seemed I heard Him close the last file and walk back to my side. He placed His hand on my shoulder and said, “It is finished.” (John 19:3)
I stood up, and He led me out of the room. There was no lock on its door. There were still cards to be written.
Author Unknown

Footy Fever

2008-04-04T20:10:00.002-05:00

Now if you know me well you will know that I love sport, all sports, any sports, give me pay TV and the sports channels and I am set for the week. I am especially a fan of AFL football and the Geelong Football Club, I will tell anyone about the cats and love spending time talking about the game and my club. I have been challenged a lot lately about why I am so passionate about a game but at times quite the opposite about my faith. If someone gives me the opportunity I will talk football with them for hours, I cant remember too many times where I have shared my faith in God with anyone for even half of that time.
It is not that I dont have a great love for God, it is not that I am worried about what to say, it is just I dont do it enough. Speaking to one of my very best friends last night Keith asked the question why so many people can unite in one voice on a Saturday or Sunday for a club and players they dont know, yet remain so unpassionate (I know this is not a real word) when it comes to the things of God. This is why people like Captain Stephen Court and Cadet Aaron Stobie (along with many others) stand out because they are always passionate. The man I heard preach last night was asking us all to 'Stir it Up' for God, when we were at the college recently the cadets were challenged to 'Stoke It Up' they both mean the same: lets get serious about this and start to share Gods word with everyone. I want people to look at me and see someone passionate for God and passionate about winning souls for the Kingdom.
So next time someone wants to talk football with me I might just turn the conversation to a far more important Love of mine ..... GOD !!!

Stand Out

2008-03-28T06:05:00.002-05:00

I attended the Called Young Adults Conference tonight hosted by the Gateway Church of Christ, it was an evening of great worship and very challenging speaking. The guest for the conference is Robert Albano and he delivered a message tonight about standing out and not blending in with society. At one stage he mentioned that if you have a cross on your back there are certain doors you cant fit through and that is the way it is meant to be ! We are called to be in the world but not of it. He emphasised three main things: Firstly when our life is over "it wont be the duration that counts but the donation" in other words it wont matter how long we have lived but what we have done with our lives.
Secondly we need to live for "thy Kingdom come not Thy thingdom come" in other words dont get caught up in material things but look to that which is of God.
And Thirdly he taught "it is not about being succesful but sacrificial." He told the story of a man who died three quarters of the way up Mt Everest because he ran out of oxygen in his tank, nothing special there you might say...... the thing that does stand out is that over forty mountain climbers walked past him before he died and continued up the Mountain not worrying about the dying man struggling for air, but solely focussed on achieving their goal of conquering Everest. You hear this and you think it is terrible but we as Christians do the same everyday, we spend so much time worrying about ourselves and our relationship with God but forget to tell the dying soul on the way and give him the oxygen mask he needs.
May you as you go about your day remember to share Gods amazing oxygen with those souls dying on the path. God Bless

Easter

2008-03-23T21:03:00.002-05:00

Wow what a time we had at Easter Camp, the kids were fantastic, the setting was great, the food was superb, generally a great time was had by all. It is amazing getting ready to go on this camp I was praying that the youth would receive great things through this weekend, and I am sure they did. What I didnt expect was to personally receive so much! If you get the chance to spend some time with Captains Stephen Court and Danielle Strickland grab it and I can assure you that your life will probably never be the same again. Their teaching and passion was inspirational but who they are and what they show through their everyday life and the way they relate to everyone is even more amazing. The Salvation Army is very fortunate to have them and I believe the enemy is quacking in his boots at the sight of this family( you should ask Zion to recite the Junior Soldiers pledge and he is only five !!!). I enjoyed many great and stimulating conversations with them over the course of the weekend and have a few extra challenges to consider and try and live out because of those times.
It was great to share also with Joel,Sarah,Ross and Heather. We were very fortunate to have such a great team, and the conversations around the fireplace late at night were priceless. Toshare laughter,prayer and worship with some of your best friends is such a priviledge. There were a number of times over the weekend where I got the chance to talk through some issues with some of the youth and it was encouraging that they felt comfortable to share with me.
I truly believe that great times lay ahead for The Salvation Army and the youth at this camp are one of the main reasons for this confidence, they can take us to the next generation and beyond. We finished the camp with a group prayer for Joel and the Division and this was a powerful experience.
I pray that your Easter was also a time of receiving from God, and remembering the greatest gift ever given.. The gift of eternal life !!! God Bless you each.

Un4saken

2008-03-16T17:55:00.003-05:00

This Thursday afternoon I head off for the Western Victoria Divisions Easter Camp, four days of fun,laughter,lack of sleep and hopefully life changing moments for the 30+ youth attending. We are really fortunate to have Captain Stephen Court and Captain Danielle Strickland as our leaders for this weekend along with Captain Joel Clifford our Divisional Youth and Candidates Secretary, it will be awesome to get the chance to learn from these great leaders and get a glimpse of the great passion they have for saving souls.
I think back to the days when I was running amok at Easter Camps and think of the irony that I am now going as a leader to one of these very same camps. It will be good just to watch the youth and how they relate to each other and the friendships that will be built, some of my best friendships were formed on camps like this.
But a camp like this is more than just fun and games this can be a life changing event for these kids, there are hundreds if not thousands of kids who have made decisions at Easter Camps and are now a strong cord in the Christian Family because of that decision they made. I believe that future leaders of the church will come out of this weekend, and that corps in our division will see great rewards for the seeds that are sown.This is a weekend for the Kingdom of God to be grown and strengthened please pray for us as leaders that we would have a positive impact on these kids and allow the Holy Spirit to move through us and this camp.

Encouragement

2008-03-13T00:19:00.002-05:00

Do you ever get that urge out of the blue to ring someone, or get the feeling you should send someone a card or note ? Do you believe these could be urgings from God for you to do these things ? It is amazing how often over the last five or so years when I have responded to one of these urges that it has had a really positive influence on people around me and also on ME ! Too often we think about these things and say I will do that later and never return to it. This monday sitting at home I just had the sudden urge to call some of our best friends in Melbourne, when I stated what I was about to do Sue said she had just had the same thought. So two minutes later we tried their number only to get message bank, Sue then decided to ring another very special family to us and to our surprise the couple we wanted to make contact with were there. So what you might say... well that friend of ours is pregnant and had just found out she was going to have a caeserean birth the next morning. So Sue and her were able to talk things through, encouragement was given,prayers were said and excitement shared between two very good friends.(by the way Chloe had a little girl Mum and Baby are both doing well).
This is no big deal I know but last year I was praying for someone in my personal quiet time and felt God urging me to send her a card and let her know I had been praying for her.I saw this lady a week or so later and when I did she started to cry and embraced me, (now I know I can have this affect on people but even for me this was a bit strange) she went on to tell me that she was going through a really hard time in life with a number of problems and she had been wondering whether anyone cared about her or loved her. She was feeling very down when she received the mail and my card and it gave her the spark she needed to continue. Things didnt magically get better immeadieately but they did in time, and through God she received the encouragement support and love she so desperately neede that day.
I look back with regret because of how many times I havent sent that card or made that phone call, what about you ? Maybe there is someone who needs your encouragemnt or support today, maybe you need that call or card. I dont know but if God is urging you to make contact with someone dont put it off till tomorrow, follow Gods calling today.
I have certainly found it is worth the effort !

Gods Answering Service

2008-03-10T02:41:00.003-05:00

I came across this the other day and found it quite humorous but also it reminded me of how fortunate we are that God is always available for us.

We have all learned to live with voice mail as a necessary part of modern life. But have you wondered, "What if God decided to install voice mail?"

Imagine praying and hearing this: "Thank you for calling My Father's House. Please select one of the following options:

Press 1 for requests
Press 2 for thanksgiving
Press 3 for complaints
Press 4 for all other inquiries
What if God used the familiar excuse, "I'm sorry, all of our angels are busy helping other sinners right now. However, your prayer is important to us and will be answered in the order it was received, so please stay on the line."

Can you imagine getting these kinds of responses as you call God in prayer:

"If you would like to speak to ...

Gabriel, Press 1
For Michael, Press 2
For a directory of other angels, Press 3
If you would like to hear King David sing a Psalm while you are holding please press 4.
To find out if a loved one has been assigned to Heaven, Press 5, enter his or her Tax File number, then press the pound key. (If you get a negative response, try area code 666)
"For reservations at My Father's House please enter J-O-H-N followed by 3-1-6"

"For answers to nagging questions about dinosaurs, the age of the earth and where Noah's ark is, please wait until you arrive here."

"Our computers show that you have already prayed once today. Please hang up and try again tomorrow."

"This office is closed for the weekend to observe a religious holiday. Please pray again Monday after 9:30 AM. If you need emergency assistance when this office is closed, contact your local pastor."

Thank God He doesn't have voice mail and he listens when we pray!

[Author Unknown]

May God Bless you as you go about your daily rituals and may you realise that He is always there to listen to you and is always wanting to communicate with you.

Envoy Darren Lamotte

2008-03-05T17:28:00.003-05:00

Envoy Darren Lamotte - it is a title I am still getting used to!. When we were told that the rank of Lieutenant was returning to a Commissioned Officers rank and we would be getting a new title my first thought was please dont be Envoy ! As I have said before I believe God has a great sense of humour. Having said that I am not really bothered too much by what title I have or haven't got, and I can see a time in the future and maybe not that distant future when we might have the rank of Cadet or maybe even Lieutenant again. Susan is far less impressed with the name than I am.

The one thing this has made me realise again is that God did not call me to be a Lieutenant or an Envoy or for that matter a Captain or Major, God called me to minister to people and to tell people of His Love and the amazing life changing powers of Jesus. That through the Cross our/your/their sins are forgiven and life can have meaning and purpose. This is what I am called to do and it doesn't matter what name I have or what trim I have on my uniform the aim is the same.

I want to grow closer to God everyday, and I want to share my love and passion for Him to everyone I meet.Do you know God ? Do you have a relationship with Him ? If not get in contact with me, I would love to tell you about Him.

God is good !

2008-03-02T22:28:00.002-05:00

We had the first youth group or TRASH night for the year on friday night and had 16 youth and four leaders there. It was a great night the youth all got involved and participated in the games, and the night went really well. We actually ran out of time which is far better than having to find ways to fill in time.
If you had been reading my previous posts you would be aware that we ran a competition to see if anyone could find what TRASH stood for. We had some great suggestions ( including The Really Awesome Salvos Hour & Too Right A Smack Hurts) but no-one guessed correctly that it meant The Real Answer Starts Here.
This weekend I also had the opportunity of leading and sharing Gods word at our Sunday morning meeting. This also went well, I received positive feedback ( although I am not too sure if people would tell me if it was really bad !)and felt a really positive feeling in the hall during and after the service.I love getting the opportunity to share Gods word with people and really get confirmation every time that I get the opportunity that this is what God is wanting me to do.
It has been a full on week but it has been really enjoyable, and I believe that God is about to bring great things to the community at Warrnambool. Bring on the flood !

On we march

2008-02-24T20:03:00.002-05:00

Influence

2008-02-24T19:08:00.003-05:00

I was thinking today about the influence that people have on our lives, and with that how important it is to realise the influence and impact you can have on the lives of those around you. During the last twelve months as we started on this journey of ministry there have been a number of people who have invested significantly in our lives including officers,family,friends, work colleagues, etc.. Each has had their own impact upon what we are doing and where we are headed.
We are truly blessed to have the leaders we have.On a Territorial Level Commissioners Knaggs are wonderful Christian Leaders who continue to inspire me with their leadership, and their willingness to spend time with you and develop a real relationship. Their loving,caring personalities shine through everything they do. Likewise on a Divisional level we are extremely fortunate to have such a wonderful team at Western Vic DHQ led by Majors Peter and Jenny Walker. These are caring people who have made us feel very much a part of the team and valued for what we are, and for that we thank them.
The corps at Warrnambool has embraced us as a family with open arms and we have made some wonderful friendships. Captains Main are great leaders and we are very fortunate to be able to work with and learn from them, Chris Philpot is an amazing young man who has far more potential and is far more valuable than I think he realises.The list could go on and on.
But it was a recent phone conversation with Captain Tracey English that really made me realise how much of an impact on others we can have just by being ourselves and being true to our calling as Gods children. It is easy to just go with the flow and allow life to roll on without really getting too deep with anyone. But if we are to be true to what God wants of us we need to spend time investing in people, listening to them, building relationships and showing an example of what Christian living is like.
As we start youth group this Friday I hope that we can build some real strong relationships with the youth , and that some of them may look back at these times and remember the people who had a positive influence on them and helped to make God real for them.

Listening

2008-02-18T22:30:00.002-05:00

I have had the priviledge of spending the last two weeks at the Training College for our intensive training. The subject we studied was called Lab 1 and is all about the skills associated with listening. Now I have always believed that I was a fairly good listener - WRONG !!! The skills we were shown and taught really emphasised the fact for me that I spent so much time thinking about my next comment and working out what the talker really wanted to tell me that half the time I wasnt listening at all. And I definitely was not reading the things that were being told beneath the surface of the words. This is quite a shock when you actually believe that you are good at something only to find out you are dreaming.
The good news is I now know that I have the skills to be a good listener, I am not afraid of the silence, I am OK with people getting emotional, I am listening for the subtle clues as to what is really being said, and most importantly I am comfortable just being there to listen to people without having to tell them my counter stories.
This was a great time and we enjoyed it all the more because we got to share a classroom with a number of friends who are either Cadets or Lieutenants, the fellowship was enjoyable and the bonds we have were deepened and developed. A fortnight like this does make you ask again just what it is that God is wanting to use you for , and how He can get the best out of you. I am praying that God will place the answer to that prayer in front of me and that I would have the courage and discernment to follow His call for my life.

TRASH

2008-01-31T22:19:00.002-05:00

We decided we needed a catchy name or acronym for our youth group so after lots of think music and a few very bad ideas I came up with TRASH. Now I can already hear some of you saying what ??? but as I said it was thought out as an acronym, the meaning of TRASH is "???". We are running a competition at Youth Group so I will post the name after next weeks event ! Now I hope none of you have ever heard of this name before as I would like it to be unique but even if it is not I think it is pretty darn good.
Our first night for the year is 29th February so I would appreciate your prayerful support as we set out to make God real to these kids.
I am not sure if I will be able to post another blog for a couple of weeks as we head off to Royal Parade( for those of you who may not know this is The Salvation Army's Officer Training College) for a two week intensive training.
If anyone has any comments or feedback on the name I would be interested to hear it.
I pray that God will be real to you in the environment that you find yourself in this week, and that you may have peace and faith as you go about your daily life.

Pastor or Leader

2008-01-27T01:00:00.000-05:00

Recently through a lot of the material we are reading and studying the concept has continually been surfacing are we as officers being called to be leaders or pastors/shepherds. I know a lot of what is being taught now points towards leadership and getting others to follow your vision, I am leaning to the fact that most of our people and I believe most of the community in which we live now are looking for someone to take time to care for them, to take an interest in them and to show them the true meaning of Christian Love. I believe if we do this people will follow so leadership takes care of itself.

We are so worried about putting process in place for this and that,and to make sure that we know what we should be doing and how we should be leading people that I think we have walked away from the most important principal, Jesus showed us an example of a Christian Shepherd. Jesus built friendships, he took time to get to know people on their level, he took time to teach and to listen. I don't think Jesus ever said I will let others do the caring I have to "be up the tree".

I don't know maybe I have got this wrong, if you think so let me know. I would be interested in others thoughts. In the meantime I am going to try and build relationships with people and lead the way I believe Jesus taught us to, by building relationships with people on their level and taking the time to care.

Priorities

2008-01-16T17:43:00.000-05:00

Now without sharing too much of my really personal stuff here the last couple of weeks have been really tough when it comes to money and getting by. It seems like everyday we have another bill to pay or another unexpected expense come our way. At times this all seems too much and it is hard to not get down and let these things affect our personality and our day to day relationships with each other. Sue will tell you the thing we argue about the most is money ( I am not saying we argue all the time by the way that is not true) it creates pressures and struggles that make Satan happy.
Through this time I am finding that it is important to set priorities. It is easy just to pay this and that to ease some pressure but that can then create more pressure because you should have been doing this first etc etc... Through the 24/7 prayer time we have had at the corps I have really been challenged to set priorities; to give to God first, and to trust God for the provisions to look after the rest. We are still better off than half the population of the world, we have a great house to sleep in, we have clothes to wear, we have food to eat, and most importantly we have each other and the love we share.
May you thank God today for His provisions and look at the valuable commodities you have in your life and give them the priority that they deserve.

Living Waters

2008-01-10T21:08:00.000-05:00

I have had the privilege of leading a time of study with the leaders from the Ignite group over the last couple of days. Now for those of you saying WHO ?? Ignite is a holiday program for high school kids run by Scripture Union which takes place for a week here in Warrnambool. It has been great to share with these guys and to get a feel for their passion and desire to share the message of God with the kids they encounter.

Yesterday after the study and a time of sharing we all separated for some personal quiet time. Now I am not always a visual type of guy but as I was leaning against a wall of the old Presbyterian Church looking out over the city of Warrnambool I was struck by something that I saw. I was looking at the beautiful blue water of the ocean just in front of me ( it looked like I could reach out and touch it) when I looked down and the ground I was standing on was barren,dry and had large cracks running through it. The water was so close yet was unable to reach the land that so desperately needs it.I started to think about the city in front of me and the people in the community who were searching for the real meaning of life, searching for a purpose, searching for friends, searching for a reason to live and I know that reason. I have a relationship with that God, I can show them a hope and a future, I can bring them the water they need. I began to pray that God would help me to be the water that quenches this dry community, that through me and our church that God would restore the grass to this dry land, that it may be prepared for a future harvest.

Please Lord let me bring water to the thirsty, friendship to the lonely, hope to the downcast, and You to this community.

New Years Resolutions

2008-01-06T17:48:00.000-05:00

Are you one of those people that make a New Years Resolution and then forget about it by February 1st (if not before !), I must admit in my life I have done this a few times. It seems every year I decide I must do something about my weight, but every year it grows and my hairline recedes. Sometimes we don't keep our resolutions because we set the bar too high; this year I am going to get debt free and save $5000, this year I am going to lose 25 kilos etc etc.

Maybe we need to set small realistic targets to meet regularly during the year , and then by the end we will see big results.

The reason for this discussion is we had our Corps Senior Leadership day apart on Saturday. This was a great time of laying out plans for the coming years, reporting on how our individual areas of management were going, working out where we wanted to focus in the coming year and setting goals. However I found myself thinking on Saturday night when doing my devotions that this was not like our loose New Years Resolutions, these were not things hatched in five minutes at midnight on the 31st. These were plans and directions that were based in prayer had been thought about, discussed, dissected, and then agreed upon as the way best for us to spend our energies and resources. I believe that these were Gods plans not the plans of man.

It is now our chief objective to make sure that we work diligently and to the best of our talents to achieve these plans we have put in place.

One of the keys to the success of this day was the prayer that went into this both before and during the day apart. I am excited about the coming weeks as we enter into 24/7 prayer this coming weekend, I believe that this will be a time of healing, a time of restoration, a time of challenge, a time when the seeds will be sown for prodigals to return and I believe the start of Revival. You can really sense the Spirit of God moving in and through the Warrnambool Corps and I believe and pray that this coming 24/7 prayer will only fan that flame and encourage our people to impact the community in which they live and work.

Have a great Christmas.

2007-12-23T19:25:00.001-05:00

What a year ! Twelve months ago we were living in Blackburn South, I was working as the National Operations Manager for a small Import/Export Company ( and hating it), we were soldiering at Rowville Salvos and we were aiming to get to college next year.
Twelve months on and we are living in beautiful Warrnambool, we are Lieutenants and have been full time Ministers for three months. God is moving here at the local corps, we are seeing some great things unfolding and there are even bigger and better things to come. You can never tell when life is going to take a twist, sometimes you just have to hold on and have faith that it will all work out. It has been a truly amazing year and we are very grateful to all our friends and family who have helped make this transition so smooth. The people at Warrnambool have made us feel so at home, it feels like we have known everyone for so long now. We are really excited that the kids have made some great new friends and fitted in really well to their new surrounds. I shouldn't be so surprised when I say that because we have always been certain that if God called us He called our whole family, and He would pave the way for the children as well as us. I try to tell them regularly but sometimes it is not always easy but I am very proud of our three children and the individuals they are growing into, they are each unique but they are the greatest gift we as a couple could ever have received. I will post some pictures of them each in the new year.
Susan continues to amaze me, she has this ability to make people feel comfortable with her immediately. The friendships and bonds she builds are truly a gift from God. I can honestly say my love for Susan grows with everyday, she is incredibly beautiful and a great Mother.
Once again thank you to everyone for the part you have played in where we are today. I pray that God will really bless you over this holiday period, and that you will all remain safe and secure.
I would like to leave you with a quote I read recently, God Bless and have a great Christmas !

The spirit of Christmas needs to superseded by the Spirit of Christ. The spirit of Christmas is annual; the Spirit of Christ is eternal. The spirit of Christmas is sentimental; the Spirit of Christ is supernatural. The spirit of Christmas is a human product; the Spirit of Christ is a divine person. That makes all the difference in the world.

- Stuart Briscoe

The Missing Piece

2007-12-19T19:10:00.000-05:00

I heard this story last Christmas and thought it was worth sharing

In a little German village there was an old experienced Toy Maker. At the start of December he placed a hand crafted Nativity Scene is his store window, immediately this drew peoples attention. The details were so intricate it must have taken him months to hand carve all the details on Mary and Josephs faces, the hairs on the donkey, the fleece on the sheep. The stable was incredible almost a perfect replica of what we all imagine that stable to look like.

The word quickly spread through the village and people started to gather at his window to look at this set. The local accountant came into the store and said he simply must buy this Nativity Set how much would it cost but the old toymaker said it was not for sale. Then the school principal came in and asked how much again to the same response it is not for sale. This continued over the coming weeks people flocking to see the display in the window, and people asking how much it would cost to buy. It seemed with every passing day the old toymaker got sadder and sadder, the locals couldn't work out was was upsetting him. People were crowding around his store window and browsing through his shop, but nothing could get him to smile.

The village was starting to close up for Christmas early on Christmas Eve when the toymaker heard someone enter his store, he moved to the front to see a young boy probably about seven standing at the front counter. The toymaker asked how he could help the youngster and the boy replied he didn't want anything but wanted to let the toymaker know he had made a big mistake. The toymaker lifted his head and enquired what the boy meant, the boy then stated "the Nativity Scene in your window is lovely but you have left out the most important part, the baby Jesus is missing." The old toymaker started to weep as he walked over to his workbench opened the top drawer and pulled out the hand carved baby Jesus. He explained to the boy that he was waiting for someone to notice but no-one had,and everyday he had felt more depressed about the fact that no-one had realised that Baby Jesus was missing. He then told the boy the Nativity Scene was his for free, and wrapped it and placed it in a bag for the boy to take home.

My prayer for you this Christmas is that as the season gets so busy and you get caught up in all the tinsel and presents that you would still remember to place the Baby Jesus at the centre of your celebrations, and remember the greatest present ever given for Christmas.

HELP !!!!!!

2007-12-12T17:30:00.000-05:00

The title of this blog is not actually a serious cry for help but more of a veiled Oh No what have I got myself into. Last Sunday night we had the first Youth Group meeting of the new Warrnambool Salvos Youth, what a night ! we had 22 in attendance. We played a number of games and then sat around ate some pizzas and discussed what we each wanted to achieve out of this group, and where/what we saw this group doing. We got great feedback from the kids and personally a very encouraging thing was that at the end of the night we asked them to give their details to Sue if they wanted to be followed up and informed about future events and all went and gave those details and expressed a desire to be a part of this group going forward.

As I say this was a great night, but I couldn't help thinking once or twice during the night how am I going to be able to bring the message of God to these kids. What am I a 38 year old bald fat man going to be able to do that will influence these children to seek the Kingdom of God. The great thing is as soon as I had those thoughts I also heard the voice of God saying "Just let me, you provide the environment I will take care of the rest". Not only did God reassure me of this but he also encouraged some of the youth to confirm this to me, I had one young girl of about 14 come up to me and say how great it was that Sue and myself took the time to care about her and how much fun we were to be around. Thank you God ! As always just when you need confirmation God sends it in the most unforeseen way.

The challenge is obviously now in front of us what can we do to keep kids entertained, to make them want to come back, to make them want to invite their friends, and most importantly to link them with the corps and to help them find God. Everything we do is about gaining Souls for the Kingdom of God, I don't know what environments these children come from, I have no control over that, but I can make sure that when we meet it is in an environment that is safe, friendly and filled with the Love of God.

May God richly bless you each in the environment that you work and minister, and may you allow God to use you to impact on someones life this Christmas.

If any of you have any ideas as to what I can do with this group I would be very interested to hear from you.

What is filling your life ?

2007-12-03T17:15:00.000-05:00

I had the absolute pleasure of doing devotions at the end of singing company last night, now for those of you who don't know Warrnambool Salvos we have a singing company meet on a Monday night mostly from the community. Last night we had 33 kids and only 7 of these regularly attend our church. This is an amazing outreach opportunity and to see the friendships and bonds that have been built between these kids is very inspiring. There were two young girls there last night who were struggling with the fact that it was the anniversary of their two year old brother dying, to see the way the rest of the group supported them and just looked after them was quite moving. These kids didn't want to know what was wrong or ask questions about why they were upset they just wanted to support and love their friends. I think there is a lesson there for us as adults to learn. By the way we are having a social night on Sunday to plan and inform the kids about youth group next year and ten of these 33 kids have asked to be picked up for this night. AWESOME ! Thankyou God.
As I said earlier I had the task of doing devotions ( if you can call the opportunity to speak into the lives of 33 kids a task !) and I did something I had seen many years ago. First I filled a container with Table Tennis balls until I could fit no more in, asking the kids if we could put any more in I got a resounding NO. Then I produced some small pebbles and dropped them in the cracks between the balls, again I asked the kids if we could fit anymore in. This time I get a less confident NO. I then produced Sand and poured it into the container and it filled the space between the pebbles and the balls, again I asked the kids if we could fit anymore in. This time most with a great deal of confidence shouted NO. I then produced a jug of water and poured it into the container the water seeped through the sand and filled up the last spots.
I then read from the Scriptures and explained that we can all fill our lives up with so many things, (for me it used to be sport) that we leave no room for God and family. If we had filled the container up with sand to start off with the only other thing we could fit in would have been water. The amazing thing is when we fill our lives with the right things to start off with we still have times for the others. God is now the primary focus of my life, followed very closely by my family. But even though the focus of my life has changed I still have time for my friends and for sport etc etc....
What are you filling your life up with ? Is it in the correct order ? or are you filling it with sand or water ?
I pray that you might sit back and think about your priorities in life and maybe rearrange the order to fit in what is truly important in life.

Connections 07

2007-11-26T00:48:00.000-05:00

WOW what a four days !
I went to Connections not quite sure what I was going to receive from this event and came away with my spirit uplifted, an acute awareness of Gods call on my life, a knowledge of the unbelievable support we have and a confirmation that the future is on the up for The Salvation Army.
You felt the moving of the Holy Spirit throughout this whole event. The Officers Councils were just breathtaking as for the first time I got to share with over 600 other officers and give worship to OUR GOD ! we prayed, we learnt, we shed tears, but most importantly we recommitted our lives to the Kingdom Of God and His people. This was all the more special for me as I sat with Mum Lamotte and Mum and Dad Grigsbey. How I would have loved to have been able to share an occasion like this with my father.
The Electives on the Friday and Saturday were full of information and great times of uniting people with similar callings and questions and allowing them to discuss these in an inviting environment. As for the worship on Friday Night I only need to say one thing WOW ! To see God moving in the lives of so many people was just awesome. As always the Commissioning and Ordination was a very moving and touching ceremony and we should be supporting all the new Captains in prayer.
The best times though for me where not found in any of the above (as much as I loved them) the best for me was getting the opportunity to catch up with friends,colleagues,and co-workers and find out how they are doing, what their needs are, what they long for and importantly to remind me of how many wonderful Christian people are regularly praying for us and our ministry at Warrnambool. I just pray now that as we put what we learnt into practise that we will not forget the Connections that we made over this amazing Weekend, and the God who made this all possible !.

Hospitality

2007-11-19T17:34:00.000-05:00

Hospitality is an ancient virtue; an expression of love involving an attitude of openness to others, a sharing of food, of home, of self - and being gracious in allowing others to share things with us.
Hospitality doesn't require a lot of money, a big house, perfect health, or even unlimited time. It does require consideration for others.
Hospitality is as close as a smile and as accepting as an embrace. It is sharing: a moment of time, a cup of tea - or a complete meal, a friendly smile, a hug or handshake, a place to rest, a welcoming word, an idea, a conversation.
Hospitality has a ripple effect. When we're hospitable… we build homes where children grow in self-confidence and learn to accept others, because they themselves feel welcome and accepted; we establish neighbourhoods where lives are enriched because people care for one another; we begin to create a world where individuals see others as brothers and sisters and not as strangers and adversaries.
To practice hospitality is to recognise that our possessions are gifts from God, meant to be shared. To practice hospitality is to do what God asks of us.

Women in ministry.

2007-11-11T23:48:00.000-05:00

I apologise that it has been so long since my last post, things are going really well and we are loving where God has placed us. I have been thinking over the last couple of weeks about the following topic and believe it is something we need to continually address.

In The Salvation Army we are committed to releasing every person into ministry. We truly believe that every Christ-follower is 'saved' (not just to go to heaven!) AND 'called' (to a special purpose here on earth - see 2 Tim.1:9). We believe that all ministry should be based on 'godliness and giftedness, not gender'.

Unfortunately, many churches restrict or limit women from ministry, and especially from leadership. I believe this is because of a misunderstanding of what the Bible says about women. As with any issue, we need to go back to the beginning - to God's original intentions. Before the Fall, men and women were both created in the image of God and they were both given the dominion and the reproduction mandate. They were called as 'partners' in life and ministry (see Gen.1:26-31). Only after sin entered was there hierarchy and a loss of the partnership model between men and women (see Gen.3:16).

Jesus came to bring us back to God's original intention - partnership. Paul tells us that in Christ there is 'neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male or female, for you are all one in Christ' (Gal.3:28). He is not saying that these distinctions cease to exist (racial, socio-economic and gender differences) but that they should now no longer be a cause for prejudice or discrimination.

Jesus and Paul valued women and released them into ministry. The Holy Spirit was poured out on men and women, and both prophesied (Acts 2). Spiritual gifts are given to men and women, and both will be held accountable for their use (1 Cor.12,14).

Yes, there are a number of places in the New Testament writings that seem to limit the activity of women in the church, but these are always in dysfunctional environments (e.g. at Corinth and in Ephesus, where there was false teaching spreading amongst the women). In healthy environments, women were encouraged to minister and were also involved in significant leadership roles, including leading entire house churches.

It has been terrific to see the focus on racial reconciliation in the broader church world of late. People today would never think of withholding ministry from someone based on their race. I believe we also need to see reconciliation and release of women into the full rights and opportunities of ministry and leadership within the church. It is part of God's plan and I believe it is a key to the church being all that God has called it to be in our generation.

Men, I believe it's up to us to create an environment where women feel valued, appreciated and empowered. The Salvation Army is better off because of the contribution made by so many wonderful women. Let's not forget to Praise God for these women, and to empower the next generation to continue that great work.

Tandem Travelling

2007-10-11T18:54:00.000-05:00

I first saw Christ as my observer, my judge, keeping track of the things I did wrong, so as to know whether I merited heaven or hell when I die. He was out there, sort of like a president. I recognised his picture when I saw it, but I didn't really know him.
But later on, when I met Christ, it seemed as though life were rather like a bike ride. But it was a tandem bike, and I noticed that Christ was on the back helping me pedal. I don't know when it was that he suggested that we change places, but life has not been the same since.
Christ makes life exciting, when I had control, I knew the way. It was rather boring and predictable. It was the shortest distance between two points.
But when he took the lead, he knew delightful long cuts, up mountains and through rocky passages at break neck speeds. It was all I could do to hold on. Even though it looked like madness, he said, "Pedal!"
I worried, and was anxious and asked, 'where are you taking me?' he laughed and didn't answer, and I started to learn trust.
I forgot my boring life and entered into the adventure. And when I'd say, 'I'm scared', he'd lean back and touch my hand.
He took me to people who had gifts that I needed, gifts of forgiveness,healing, acceptance and joy. They gave me their gifts to take on my journey, our journey, my Lord and mine.
And we were off again. He said, 'give the gifts away; they're extra weight'. So I did, to the people we met, and found in giving I received, and still our burden was light.
I did not trust him, at first, in control of my life. I thought he'd wreck it. But he knows a bike's secrets, how to make it take sharp corners, jump to clear high rocks, fly to shorten scary passages.
And I'm learning to relax and pedal in the strangest places and I'm beginning to enjoy the cool breeze on my face with my constant companion Christ.
And just when I'm sure I can't do any more, he just smiles and says, "Pedal."

People vs Program

2007-10-09T18:59:00.000-05:00

Don't be put off by this heading but over the last couple of weeks I have been thinking about what is the most important issue for us today as far as evangelism and getting the word of God out to people, and I have come to the point where I am thinking it is not so much about what programs we run or what format we take but it is actually about who we are. Now I am not suggesting that we don't run programs or that we ignore the call to take the message to the world, I am just saying that we have to make sure that we have everything in order in our personal lives and that our lives portray the love of God to others before anything we run will be effective.
We need to ensure that we don't get so busy running around trying to please God and people that we forget to spend time with God and get (for want of a better term) plugged into God. We need to ensure we spend time in prayer, and seek Gods desire in what we are doing.
Capt. Dianne Main preached last Sunday on three vital ingredients to an effective church: Passionate People, Prayer as the foundation and building strong working relationships. We should be constantly working on these things, we need to be Passionate about Jesus, we need to make evangelism our top Priority,we must pray continuously!! (if we are not speaking to God how can we possibly know what His will is). Be Persistent,have patience!, commit to the long term (it is not just introducing people to God, but its travelling with them until they are ready to follow Jesus!) Everything must be based on the teachings of the Bible.
I am so grateful for the strong Christian influences in my life and the part they have played in shaping me, I hope that by ensuring that everything is in order between God and myself that I might be able to be a positive Christian example to others, and maybe the seed that I sow may grow into a great tree for the Kingdom Of God. After all this is what this is all about the Kingdom of God !

Struggles

2007-09-25T21:05:00.000-05:00

As I was doing some research today I came across the following reflection that I thought was worth posting.

The Cocoon
One day a man found a cocoon of a butterfly. When a small opening appeared, he sat and watched the butterfly for several hours as it struggled to force its body through the tiny hole.
Then it seemed to stop making progress. It had gotten as far as it could and could go no farther.
So the man decided to help the butterfly. He took a pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining bit of the cocoon. The butterfly now emerged easily. But it had a swollen body and small, shriveled wings.
The man continued to watch the butterfly because he expected that, at any moment, the wings would enlarge and expand, to be able to support the body, which would contract in time.
Neither happened!
In fact, the butterfly spent the rest of its life crawling around with a swollen body and shriveled wings. It never was able to fly.
What the man, in his kindness and haste, did not understand was, that the restricting cocoon, and the struggle required for the butterfly to get through the tiny opening, were nature's way of forcing fluid from the body of the butterfly into its wings, so that it would be ready for flight once it achieved freedom from the cocoon.
Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our life. If we were allowed to go through our life without any obstacles, it would cripple us. We would not be as strong as we could have been. And we would never be able to fly….
Author Unknown

We all go through struggles and hard times and it is easy to get down and feel like everything is against us, but if we allow God to help us through these times we can truly come out the other end a stronger person and through God we can truly 'fly'

God Bless

Darren Lamotte

Its Official

2007-09-23T07:06:00.000-05:00

Today we were installed as the Assistant Officers at Warrnambool Corps, the installation was conducted by the Divisional Commander Major Peter Walker. It was a lovely ceremony and you could feel the presence of the Holy Spirit as we were installed and then Lindsay and Karyn Stow sang an absolutely beautiful blessing over us. It was also lovely that the people who had travelled down from Rowville and our families were each given a special mention and thanked for the parts they have played in us reaching this point today.
We were welcomed to the corps by Chris Philpot and the children were welcomed by Tiah Drake, this was a lovely touch and the children each received a welcoming gift from the corps. Warrnambool has really gone out of its way to welcome our children and make them feel at home.We truly believe that this is where God has placed us and we look forward to starting the job and seeing what God can achieve through us.
As today marks the start of our "official Ministry" I would like to acknowledge the contributions that both sets of parents have made to our lives, and I just pray that we would do justice to the reputation and respect that both families have due to the ministries that they have served in. If I can be half the officer that our parents have been I will be very happy and the Kingdom of God will be better for our service.
As we start the work that God has called us to I once again commit my life to Him and say 'Here am I My Lord send me and use me as you see fit'. May God continue to bless you each.

A New Beginning

2007-09-18T20:18:00.000-05:00

Well we have survived our first few days in Warrnambool, it is a great place and we are really enjoying the sunshine and clean fresh air. Susan is still getting used to looking out the Kitchen window at cows and horses. It is hard not to stand and look in awe at Gods creation.
Unfortunately the trip here didn't go according to plans, we left Melbourne at 9.10 am after saying goodbye to Susan's Mum and Dad and my Mum. We coasted along and had just come out of Geelong at about 11.00 when a huge puff of white smoke appeared from our new car. A number of phone calls and about two hours later we were sitting in a tow truck heading back to Geelong.
As much as I love Geelong (especially the football club !) this wasn't what we were hoping for.
We sat at the Holden dealer in Geelong for a couple of hours and then they dropped us into the heart of Geelong so we could walk around the shops to entertain the kids. Finally about 5.00 pm we received the call to say the car was ready to go again and so we headed back on our trip to Warrnambool finally arriving well after 7.00 pm. As much as this was frustrating and especially hard on the children it reminded me that this journey we are starting on will not always go according to plan, and definitely wont be easy, but if we keep focused we will reach the goal.

Part 2

2007-09-10T06:46:00.000-05:00

I'm Back. I think I have heard that phrase somewhere before.... anyway getting back to where I was, we feel very blessed to have the people around us that support us, and we are very aware that there are a lot of people that will be upholding us in prayer as we begin our lifelong journey in Officership. How Awesome is that, that people will be speaking to God for Me!
Our three year old son Ethan at church the other Sunday was asked as part of the primary lesson where you would go to find out more about God (the teacher was expecting him to say the Bible of course) he shot his hand straight up and without any hesitation proclaimed that you would go to Warrnambool !! We pray that this will ring true for him and also for the other children that we encounter in our ministry there, may they see the light of God shining through this town and may it be an example to other places around of what it is like to live according to the Bible. ( We don't set ourselves easy challenges do we)
Lets get started and see what God can achieve through the very little we have to offer. Bring it on !!

Look out Warrnambool

2007-09-10T04:08:00.000-05:00

Look out Warrnambool here comes the Lamottes. I apologise it has been so long since I last posted but it has been a crazy last month. If you hadn't already realised by the heading Susan and myself have been accepted as Lieutenants and have been appointed as Assistant Corps Officers at Warrnambool Corps commencing on the 23rd September. This has obviously brought a great sense of excitement to us and we cant wait to start our ministry in this great town.
However as with any move it comes at a cost and the last couple of weeks have been full of last times we do things. There has been the kids last day at school, their last netball game, our last Sunday at Rowville, lots of goodbyes to family and friends, packing up the house and arranging disconnection of all the utilities etc etc the list could go on and on. Each of these events have been tinged with sadness but at the same time everyone has been excited for us and the steps we are taking. We have been truly blessed by the reaction of people to the news and it is at times like this that you realise how many people take an interest in you and how many friends you actually have.
I will continue this post later on as my daughter is not well and my wife is telling me off so I had better get back to work. Thanks again to you all for your love and support and we look forward to seeing you at Warrnambool if not before. God Bless !

Others

2007-07-23T03:57:00.000-05:00

To start off with today here is just a bit of an update for you all on the Lamotte family and the road we are currently on. We are currently working towards and waiting on boards for approval to go as Lieutenants to Warrnambool working under Captains Gordon & Dianne Main. We have done most of the necessary paperwork and now need to pass both the Divisional Board & Territorial Board before we can head down there. This is a very nervous time for us but having said that we have a real sense of peace that things will work out according to Gods plan and we just have to stay strong to His calling.
We had an amazing weekend this past one as we travelled to Geelong AGAIN for a Growing Healthy Corps Cluster training with four corps from the Western Victoria Division. This was a great opportunity for us to catch a glimpse of this and also to meet eight of Warrnambool's senior leaders and catch some of their passion and commitment. We are very excited about the opportunities that are available to us there in the future, and believe that Gods fingerprints are all over what is happening there.
Then I had the incredible privilege of sharing the word of God at Rowville on Sunday morning. As much as I was very nervous before hand I believe that God spoke to peoples hearts through me, How awesome is that !
On the Friday night Major Kelvin Merrett gave us some of the Salvation Army's history and one of the things he said has really stuck in my head these last couple of days it was a telegram that William Booth sent out to some of his key leaders with nothing more than one word "OTHERS!" I think some times we lose focus on the fact that we are called to spread the message of God to everyone and our main focus still has to be saving souls, and to do that our focus must be on others not on making ourselves comfortable or looking at how great we are doing.
To be saved, it costs NOTHING To be a disciple, it costs EVERYTHING. This is not about me it is about GOD!

God's Call

2007-07-16T00:28:00.000-05:00

WOW ! How awesome is it that God has called Me ! Me, this very weak,failed attempt at a man, me the one who has let Him down so many times, ME! There are times I am blown away by the fact that Christ sees me as worthy of His call. There is just no way that I can do the things that He is asking me to do; by myself ! but that is what is so amazing about God, He doesn't ask us to do anything by ourselves, it is through His power.
This past weekend we have shared a great time at the Territorial Candidates Weekend. I never knew you could develop such great friendships in two days, we have had the privilege of attending these weekends before and I continue to be challenged and uplifted by the willingness of people to give their lives over to God, and say hear am I my Lord send me! It was a great weekend at times we laughed, at times we cried (thanks Cadet Darren!), at times we just sat and listened to the voice of God, at times we sang loud praises to God and through the whole weekend we were privileged to have great teaching. Despite all of these great times it was the chance to sit and talk with these new made friends that stood out to me over the weekend, to hear the call that God has placed on their lives, and the courage they have shown in being open to that Call, I thank them each for the way they touched our hearts and encouraged us to keep striving for what God desires of us.(Susan is standing behind me making me change everything from singular to plural, where would we be without the J's in this world! I think she is making a list of things I should change)
We are privileged to be on this journey and thank God for the fact that He chose us to be the Salt and the light for him, even if we don't believe we can do it. To quote the Territorial Candidates department " Give up your small ambitions and come,change the world!" Mark 8:34-35.
For those of you that I just met this past weekend or those that I had the chance to share with again I say thank you and would encourage you to stay strong to your call! For the rest of my friends reading this I hope this might challenge you to think of what God might be asking you to do, He is calling people are you listening. God Bless you each I promise I will try and post a new blog in the next couple of days.

1 Thessalonians 5:24
"The one who calls you is faithful and He will do it."

Weekend Travellers

2007-07-10T06:09:00.000-05:00

It is going to be an amazing few weekends for the Lamotte family as we head towards full time ministry. This coming weekend we get to go to Geelong and participate in the Candidates Weekend, we are really looking forward to this opportunity of sharing with like minded people and just reflecting on Gods call on our lives, and what exactly He has planned for our immediate future. We are so lucky to be able to enjoy this time under the leadership of Majors Len and Marney Turner, and we are excited to get the chance to Worship with and learn from Commissioner Knaggs on the Sunday morning. The Salvation Army is truly lucky to have the Knaggs as the TC's, and we are looking forward to the opportunity of meeting them face to face and sharing some of our dreams with them and picking their brains.(If they will let us)
The following weekend we are going back to the Geelong Conference Centre to participate in lay leadership training as part of the growing healthy corps program(Paul Borden) with some of the leaders from the Western Vic. Cluster and a number of the leaders from Warrnambool. This will be a great time for us to learn, and also to meet some of the key leaders we hope to be working with shortly. This goes from Friday night until Saturday afternoon and then I am preaching at Rowville on that Sunday morning.
The next weekend the final weekend in July we are travelling to Warrnambool with the family to have a look at the facilities, meet the corps folk, and generally get a feel for the community that we could be living in shortly.This is such an exciting time and we pray that through this period God with have His hand firmly on us, and will guide the decisions that are being made.
As I have started doing my preparation for my sermon on the 22nd I have been reminded again that although we may fail many times God is a God of Love and forgiveness, and He has always got time to listen to us and support us even if we have turned our back on Him many times before.
My prayer for you all over these coming weeks is that you would experience the Love of God, and would have the courage to listen to His call on your lives; we have and I can assure you that I have never felt such an absolute peace in my heart as I do now. God Bless you each and I hope to catch up with you soon.

Boom Gates

2007-06-19T08:34:00.000-05:00

Do you ever get the feeling your life is sitting at Boom gates just waiting for the train to pass so you can continue on your journey?That is a little how we feel at the moment just waiting for someone to lift that last piece of wood and let us continue down the road.
But having said that I have been truly blessed by the moving of the Holy Spirit in the people around us and at Rowville Salvation Army in the past few weeks. I strongly believe that know more than ever the community is crying out for something may we allow God to use us to answer that call and to tell people about the love of God. I praise God that not only does He continue to talk to people today, but that His people listen and obey the words He places on their hearts. God is truly awesome and we should never take for granted everything that He provides for us and His amazing creation.
I hope the TC doesn't mind but I have copied a section of his recent post that describes aptly what I am feeling here "I don't ever want to forget what Jesus has done for us and carry His proven love with me daily. He is precisely the source of our hope that allows us to value the freshness of each day.Start again with me in the morning and look at the day with fresh hope and excitement, no matter what stains or memories that challenge such perspectives and constructive anticipation. Let your schedule, your relationships, your commitments, all your endeavors be exposed to the light of God."
May you continue to allow the light of God to shine through you as you go about your daily life, and may you make sure that your car is in gear and ready to roll when God lifts that Boom gate!
God Bless you each.

Future here we come !

2007-05-30T04:08:00.000-05:00

It is an exciting time in our lives at the moment, things are starting to move and there is a possibility that we could be in active service within the next couple of months. This has been a long process to come to this point but we thank God for the people He has placed in our lives all the way through this journey. We have learnt an incredible amount through this time and we look forward to what God has planned for us now. We are aware that we now place our future in the hands of boards and we pray for the people that have been entrusted with making some of the decisions about us in the next few weeks and just ask that through this whole process that it will be God's will that is the determining factor, and that they would make the correct decision for them, us and for The Salvation Army whatever that would be.
We have an absolute belief that we have been called to serve in ministry and we look forward to the chance to put that call into practice. However we are also aware that the world needs to hear the message of the gospel immediately and so we need to be looking for every chance to do that in our current environment, we can't sit back and wait for whatever will come in the future; we need to stay proactive!
May God bless you each this week and I would ask that you keep us and the people making decisions about us in your prayers. Oh and don't forget to seek God's will on your lives, you might be amazed at what He is calling you to do.

My circle of control

2007-05-22T02:24:00.000-05:00

I had the pleasure of attending the Redline Men's conference at Citylife church this past weekend. It was a time of great enjoyment and nourishment as I listened to the speakers Brian Houston and Mark Conner.
I got an enormous amount out of Mark's message on Saturday morning, he was speaking about moving from Boys to Men and our circle of control. The only things that we have total control over are our own actions. We are responsible to people but not for people,what you can control you have total responsibility for. Our minds, our will, our emotions all have to be kept in control. We should never lose the childlike joy of adventure and curiosity but we also have to realise that we are responsible for our own lives.
The other point from the weekend that was very helpful to me was that we cant let moments define the years,years should define the moments. We all have done things that we regret but we need to move on and keep focused on God. Moments are full of opportunities and decisions, we need to ensure we make Godly decisions.
Brian left me with one quote ringing in my head "Live life with passion,courage and strength. Be the man God called you to be." We should never allow our days to be clouded by our thinking and attitudes, we need to be proactive rather than reactive.
God bless you each and remember to have some fun today.

Exciting times for us and the Salvation Army

2007-05-15T01:50:00.000-05:00

It is with a real sense of excitement that I am writing this blog today, I really believe that we are on the brink of some very exciting times both for us as a family and for The Salvation Army as a movement. I can really feel the movement of The Holy Spirit and have been inspired when I listen to the dreams and desires of some of the leaders I have had a chance to chat with.
We need to be continually looking for ways to spread the word of God and help out the suffering in our society. Everyday there are people dying who don't know what it is like to have a relationship with the only true God, this is upsetting and we need to do everything we can to make sure that this is not the case with the people that we have come into contact with.
Through our love,compassion and Christian example may we provide them with the seed that is needed to harvest a fruit for the Kingdom. Seven years ago someone took the time to plant that seed with me, and I thank God daily for them and their influence on my life.
May you be blessed as you go about your daily routines, and may you remember that God wants you to take His message to the world, one person at a time !!

To be like Jesus

2007-05-12T03:16:00.000-05:00

It has been very frustrating for me over recent times to have what seems to be continual roadblocks placed in the way of Susan and myself as we strive to live out the calling that God has placed on our lives, but it has also reminded me that we have to be aware that our actions, comments and behaviour are things that people are watching and seeing if we live out the words we speak. It is not always easy to forgive others and to love everyone as Jesus did but this has to be our daily aim. To live everyday closer to the way that Jesus did, to be more in step with Him, to be an example of Christian Servant hood for others to see. This is enormously hard but also a great challenge. I have to be aware that because others have wronged me or done/said things I feel slighted by that I have to look to Jesus and the example He set of forgiveness and love.
I can remember singing a beautiful chorus when I was younger and the words ring very true today as I sit here and type this message
"To be like Jesus
This hope possesses me
In every thought and deed
This is my aim, my creed
To be like Jesus
This hope possesses me
His spirit helping me
Like Him I'll be."

Thankyou

2007-05-03T01:00:00.000-05:00

I would just like to say thank you to everyone for their support of "Bangers and Cash" day last Saturday. Mum and Dad Grigsbey opened up their house and did an enormous amount of preparation to ensure that the day was a great success. At this stage we have raised just over $1300 way up on the $580 or so we raised last year.
As I am writing this post there are some mixed emotions running through my head, we are not quite sure what form the next step in our path to College is going to take. Nor are we sure of how we are going to get through some of the little battles we are encountering at the moment, but we are very sure of what our long term future holds and very sure on the call that God has on our lives. So I suppose we just have to sit back in faith and trust God's awesome provisions to get us through.

Beautiful Georgia

2007-04-26T21:55:00.000-05:00

We are in preparation mode today for tomorrows fundraising "Bangers and Cash day", a day we do our tiny little bit to raise money for Cystic Fibrosis to aid the families and research. Cystic Fibrosis is the most common life-threatening, genetic disorder amongst Australians, as it is a recessive genetic disorder affecting the exocrine glands which produce body secretions such as sweat,mucus and enzymes. It primarily affects the respiratory system(lungs),digestive system(pancreas and sometimes liver) and reproductive system. Cystic Fibrosis causes a build up of mucus in the lungs, which may lead to repeated chest infections. Lung damage may result, reducing lung function. There is currently no cure.
As you may be aware our nine year old niece Georgia is a Cystic Fibrosis girl and we thank God that her present well being is good.We are constantly amazed at Georgia's strength of character and beautiful personality as she daily deals with the difference that Cystic Fibrosis makes to her everyday life. She is an absolutely delightful young girl with a zest for life, and a great love for her family and friends. We are lucky to be her Auntie and Uncle !
I am regularly praying that Georgia will be kept well and that a cure will be found.
As I have made a number of phone calls in the last couple of weeks I have been amazed by the generosity of people donating sausages, bread and other items needed for the day. I pray that the day will be a success and that the money we raise will ultimately lead to a cure to this condition.
God Bless you each and Georgia Uncle Darren is very proud of you and Loves you dearly!

300

2007-04-11T17:59:00.000-05:00

I had the pleasure( if that is the correct word) of going with four mates from Rowville Salvos to the movie 300 on Tuesday night, not really my sort of movie lots of blood and gore, but it was based around the Spartans and there absolute determination and teamwork in battle. It certainly highlighted what can be achieved when we work together and each look after each others back. This is what we as a church should (and I believe are) doing, it was at a tough time for David that he went to Nob the city of priests and was provided with both bread and a sword. Even though this was probably the lowest point that David reached, he turned to the place of great strength the Church and then returned his focus to God. It is so easy when things aren't going so well to hide from everything or run away, or try to do it on our own; but God is there to share our burdens and to show us the way out of these dark times, it is amazing the provisions He provides.
May you as you go about your weekly routines ensure that God is given time in your lives and that troubles are placed at His feet and left there for Him to deal with. And like David if things are getting out of control may you remember that the church is a place of support and nourishment.
God Bless you each.

Good Friday

2007-04-06T06:40:00.000-05:00

I have sat back and watched the past few days as our local community along with probably the rest of Australia has got caught up in the very commercialised view of Easter. Chocolate Eggs get sold at record paces, Hot Cross Buns have been sold since it seems the week after Christmas, and everyone has been looking forward to the extra long weekend; but I cant help wondering how many have no idea as to the true meaning of Easter. Is it a holiday provided so we can raise money for the Children's Hospital, or is it in recognition of good old Mr Easter who pioneered who knows what ??? The true meaning to Easter is absorbed in the rush to provide a fun time for our kids and grandkids, maybe the Christian Church isn't proactive enough in announcing the real reason for this celebration.
Easter is about the greatest gift ever given by anyone in the history of mankind, the gift of Jesus Christ. The gift of everlasting life,the gift of forgiveness, the ultimate gift of Love. What more could we ask of anyone but to give their lives so that we would be forgiven.
May you realise this Easter that Jesus died for you, even though you had done nothing to deserve it !!
God Bless & Keep Safe.

Amy-Lee's Birthday

2007-04-03T03:07:00.000-05:00

Today is a day of great celebration, my oldest child Amy-Lee turns eleven today. It is so hard to believe that it was eleven years ago that I became a father for the first time, time has gone so quickly! At the same time when you look back on our lives eleven years ago so much has changed. If you had said to me back then that I would have been preparing to enter officership I would have had you put away. The Lord has surely moved in some mysterious ways but when you look back the strengths and assurances we have today have been developed and nurtured through these times.
As I sit and look at Amy-Lee today I see a beautiful young lady, with a very strong will (just like her Mum) and I thank God for entrusting Susan and I with the huge task of showing her by example the way to live a Christian Life. It is a huge challenge but we are gradually learning to do it. Susan is such a great Mother and wife and an absolute tower of strength, the things that Susan has dealt with in her life and the beautiful caring and nurturing nature she has is a credit to her and her parents. I am a very lucky man.
As the Easter period approaches we are in a strange position of not quite knowing what the immediate future holds but also having a very strong sense of purpose and calling on our lives and future, so being very comfortable in where we are heading.
May God bless you each this Easter and may you again realise that Jesus died for each of us, and there can be no greater Love. But more importantly He rose again and defeated death for each of us! Take time to thank the living God for the ultimate Easter present, and the present of an amazing daughter Amy-Lee.

Hebrews 10:23

2007-03-29T08:47:00.000-05:00

Hi again Friends,

As those of you who know us well will be aware the last few days have been very trying, but at the same time they have also been very confirming of the will of God on our lives. We have been truly touched and blessed by the support of dear friends as we deal with the issues in front of us.
Majors Len and Marney Turner have as always been inspirational through this, and it was Marney who this morning at the end of a long and challenging conversation left me with the verse from Hebrews 10:23 "Let us hold on firmly to the hope we profess, because we can trust God to keep his promise." ( GNV )
We have been challenged again today to keep our focus on God and not let individuals or personalities get in the way of what God is calling us to be. It is truly amazing the people that God sends into your life at just the right times, and we are extremely grateful for the faith and strength of courage of these people to obey Gods call.
I don't know just what door God will open for me next, but I do know that I will be ready to walk through it when that opening arises. Gods call is irrevocable and He doesn't change His mind !

God bless you each today, may you strive to walk in tune with His footsteps.

Moving Day

2007-03-22T17:46:00.000-05:00

Today is a day of mixed emotions for me, I finish my job and start looking for a new one for eight months. This is a mixture of excitement,nerves,worries,opportunity and of course self evaluation. What exactly do I want to do? What are my strengths and weaknesses? What is the best course of action for me to take to help us get to Training College? These and many more questions are running through my head. The one thing I am sure about is that whatever happens over the next couple of weeks that if we stay focused on God that the correct path for me will be made clear.
It is at times like this that you realise how lucky you are to be surrounded by a loving family and good friends, precious commodities that no amount of money can buy!

God bless and I look forward to catching up with you soon.

Time to get serious !

2007-03-19T18:43:00.000-05:00

The last few weeks have really caused us to take a long hard look at where we are heading and what it is we are wanting to achieve, and to question just what it is that God is calling us to do.
The answer came back very quickly and very clearly " I want you to take up your cross and follow Me !"
So that is what we are going to do, place our faith in God to provide our needs and trust that His call and plan for us is clear. We know there will be hurdles and potholes along the way, but if we keep our eyes focussed on God we will achieve far more than we could ever imagine.

I hope you will journey with us as we go on this exciting road to Training College.