Now on wordpress

For various (and incredibly boring!) reasons, I've decided to shift my blog over to 'Wordpress'. It should look the same, and in terms of my posts will be the same kind of stuff (although hopefully more regular rather than once in a blue moon just before the shut down my account for inactivity).

So now you can see this blog on www.benpocock.wordpress.com. If you'd like to still follow my blog posts, then head to the new blog website, and click the button on the right that says 'follow'. Simple as that.

Cheers,
Ben 

A Better version of 'usual'.

On 29th April at 9am I set off with another 1000 runners on my 3rd Bracknell Half Marathon. I enjoy it as I know the area really well, and it's small enough to see plenty of people you know in the crowds without missing them as you run past which can happen in the larger races.


With about 4 miles to go, my left leg started hurting. Refusing to stop, I continued and finished the race very slowly, practically walked over the line (which was pretty embarrassing), but I was glad I finished. For the next 2 weeks I couldn't stand on my left leg, I had torn one of my calf muscles, so hobbled around on crutches for a short time.


Nearly 2 months later and I can walk fine now (with an occasional limp), and although it does have a dull ache continuously, I often forget about it and carry on as 'usual'. But 'usual' isn't usual at the moment, as I can't run. I sometimes try a little faster skipping style of running, until a couple of steps in and the pain comes in full-whack again. So, really, its not 'usual' at all. I'm living in a lesser version of 'usual', and often forget what I was able to do originally and just 'put up' with what I can do now.


It got me thinking. I wonder how many of us are living our lives with emotional, relational, spiritual wounds and injuries and are so used to them that we don't do anything about them. We just 'put up' with them. We carry on with life as 'usual' forgetting that we are hampered, held back from a much better version of 'usual' that God has in store for us, and promised us when he said that he came so we can have life in all it's fullness.


I keep going to the Physio at the moment, determined for it to get fully better, so I can run again soon. Keep calling to God and do all you can to see these injuries and wounds gone whatever they may be for you. Whether you need to build that relational bridge, refuse to be bitter about that person, don't allow anxiety become a way of life. These things are lesser forms of 'usual', God wants a far higher standard of 'usual' in your life.


Just for your pure amusement, thought I'd chuck in this dreadful photo of me finishing on 29th April. Ah well, at least its proof I did it!

Dream dreams

What is Your Dream?

I love asking people what their dream is.

It's a great help for conversation, taking those shallow 'how-are-you-I'm-fine-thanks-you-?' conversations to something a bit more substantial and just simply more interesting, but the more I ask people the question, the more I love asking it!

There are so many different responses I get. I love to hear the variations of dreams that exist in the world, the surprising dreams, the huge dreams, the 'impossible without God' dreams, they are great to listen to. When we think of our own dreams, we may get the feeling that everyone has the same dream as us, but more the more ask, the more I realise how individual, how specific and how unique each persons dream is. There are 3 main reasons I love asking the question:

1. A dream tells you a lot about a person.
It's not just fascinating to find out what these dreams are, but you can tell a lot about a person from the dream(s) they do or don't have.

You can begin to see their passions and what is often on their mind often. You get a glimpse into what makes people tick, you begin to see people's priorities; you can see what drives them, what steers them, what keeps them going during tough times. There is so much it can tell you about that person.

2. You may be the dream catalyst for them.
There is a conversation I have far too often for my own liking. This usually starts with me asking for what their dream is in life, and they respond with a shrug of the shoulders, or a 'I don't know'. Most of the time I can't help myself at this point and need to ask the question "well, if you could do ANYTHING in the world, or be ANY type of person you want - no limitations - who would you be?" I get keen to dig deeper, see what makes these people tick.

Sometimes these kinds of people take the bait, and we begin to see some eyes lighting up, some brains churning away revealing that little more about them. They may not know the ins and outs of what career path they want to take, or what they'd love to do, but they know what they like, and they may have an outlandish, unreal sounding idea of their future (no matter how vague it may be)... I love this. It's the beginning of dreaming.

A dream can begin from anywhere, and so many places. Sometimes people hear from God directly in an audible voice. Others get a strong sense that God is directing them. Others 'bump into' their dreams as they experience life, others follow their passions and loves. But some may begin to discover their dreams because you have asked them. You may stir thoughts, and may be the first person to ever ask them that question. Who knows what you may begin in their life through a simple question, you can be the catalyst for them realising their dream.

3. It gets you thinking about your own dream.

Not always- but sometimes after asking others about their dream you get asked the question back. Then the pressure is on. Do YOU have a dream? What is it? If you have a dream, are you able to communicate it well enough to others which should inevitably get yourself excited once again? These conversations cause us to think about our own dreams as well as others. As we speak out our dreams, it gives them something concrete to stand on, something real. It stops being an unrealistic, untouchable concept that is stuck in your mind, and lays it out to be put into action. This may be slightly scary at first, but it will take you from being a dreamer, to somebody of action.

That's why I ask the question, and that's why I reckon you should ask it too.

Eleven and Twelve.

It's so annoying. I've succumbed to the internal self-created pressure to write a blog about New Year. I'm sure tumblr, blogger, wordpress and all the other blog websites are bursting at the seams with new blog authors, new blog posts, and dusted down blogs with a fresh look and a fresh post ready to show the rest of the world who are keen to read and keen to write there own. And here I am, like a lemming following everybody else to write something that everybody else has probably written already, just written in my own way. So, enjoy/endure.

On New Year's Eve my wonderful wife created a template of two lists for her, our friend Rosie and myself to fill in. They had 2 names. The first was 'Eleven Great Things from 2011', and the other 'Twelve Hopes for 2012'. It now is firmly stuck in my journal.

It was great fun writing down and chatting through our completed list of the great things from 2011. Sharing memories and moments from this year that quite frankly, rocked. My list included a few events I went to, some different countries I had the opportunity to visit, and of course my wedding was pretty high up the list. Often we spend so much time thinking about the newness of January and all it brings, without enjoying what has happened. So many great things happened in 2011, and I guarantee that no matter how awful your year may have seemed, there will have been some good things that took place too. Write them down, stick them in your journal, tell your friends. Celebrate the good stuff that happened.
The second list of our hopes for 2012 was also fun to write down and chat about. It comes with a challenge though (12 challenges to be exact), which seems like far too much stress and hassle for a New Year I think, but ah well that's what I get for having a futurist wife!

I'm somebody who is quite goal orientated. I like to get things done, and having a list to tick things off and say 'job done' fills me with satisfaction. So, the sheer thought of having a list with uncompleted, or failed tasks scares me. I know I would get deeply disappointed with myself if I don't complete them, but you want to put big thoughts and plans down in order to inspire you to action! It's a dangerous game to play. Whether they are new plans for this year, or changing of behaviours or attitudes, or developing or launching a new idea, use the lists you write now to stir you to action later in the year.

Anyone can write a resolution. Anyone can have an idea they'd like to do. Anyone can say how they'd like things to be different. It takes an activist to take steps to see them happen. It takes a patient person to wait until you begin to see real results and productivity. It takes perseverance to keep going through the months later on in the year that aren't as fresh and interesting as January. It takes guts, courage and determination, and of course a ton of prayer.

Writing resolutions and plans down for 2012 is a dangerous game to play. But play it. I dare you.

Make Every Bird Count

I realise I am years behind many, but I have recently got a new phone on which I am able to play this game that has consumed all phone-gamers..... Angry Birds.
The idea is simple, you catapult a load of birds toward some green pigs, attempting to knock them all and get a load of points. the early levels are simple: You are given plenty of birds and only need to hit 1 or 2 pigs in order to complete it. However, as the levels go on, it gets harder. There are less birds to fling, more pigs to eradicate and more obstacles to get the birds over or through. In these later levels, every bird counts. You need to use every bird in your arsenal in order to defeat every pig. What's more, each bird needs to be flung in the right way in order to smash down the obstacles, and take out every pig. It's really tough, and can be really annoying, but is always addictive, and of course is pretty mindless, but we've all got to relax some way!


However, recently a game of angry birds wasn't mindless for me. It got me thinking. In the same ways that in the later levels every bird counts, the same concept is applicable to us. Every Bird Counts.



We don't go around flinging birds at green pigs, but we have other obstacles to break down. We have other things in life to build up. Every bird to fling in Angry Bird can represent an opportunity we have in our lives. We have our character to build up. And if we want to get the most we can out of our 80 or so years on this earth, lets make every opportunity count, each day, each action, and each conversation. In Psalm 39:1 David declares that he will be careful that what he speaks about is holy and blameless. Lets do the same. Lets declare that with each conversation we are in, we make them count. Lets speak life into situations, speak encouragement, speak peace and joy into people's lives.



One moment where we get angry for no reason, where we put people down, where we slag somebody off can set us back, can prevent us from fully being who God has called us to be. I know I'm guilty of not making conversations count. Of wasting opportunitites to encourage somebody and instead being full of gossip or a 'moaning' attitude. But now I want to make every moment count, making every conversation I'm in count. For myself, and for others.



We're only going to get a certain amount of birds to fling in our lives, so

lets make every bird count.

Broken Bulbs

Two days after putting our first ever Christmas tree decorations up,we had a problem. There was a whole bunch of stuff that went up; including the tree, the hanging bits, the table decorations, the candles, and even some outside lights.

Now these lights aren't full on, they are not tacky or over the top, just one simple set of white berry lights above our porch. I thought it would be simple, how wrong I was. Two days after them being up and on display for or whole neighbourhood to see (as we are new to our road there is a higher pressure to make a good impression!), I noticed something. One evening on my way into the house I saw a dark patch. Not only had 1 light gone out, but the Nearby bulbs were out too. So annoying. I spent a half hour trying to figure out which was the duff bulb to no avail. 1 light has gone (I still haven't sorted it), and it's knocked some of the others out too.

It reminded me about people. We are an easily influenced bunch. If 1 of our group is in a bad mood, everyone else in the group may get in a foul mood too. If one person begins to slag someone off, it's just so easy to fall in line and join in. Too many times have I seen whole groups of friends leave church and drift away from God because one of them decides to leave and the other follow behind them.

1 person going out can cause others to go out too.

Naturally, our relationship with God and our walks with God are all individual, and they are not based on other people's spiritual journeys. But we would be totally naive to think that we weren't influenced by other people. We can't control it, it's in our nature to be led by others, we cant stop being influenced by other people. But we can control who we are influenced by. Get the right people around you. People who aren't likely to be like bulbs that 'go out'. Be near LED people, who stay alight, who's lights shine brightly, consistently. Be influenced by those kinds of people, people who inspire and cause you to burn brighter. Then maybe we can avoid strings of people leaving churches, as we stick together, keeping our lights burning bright for Him...

Anyway, better get back to fixing these outside lights, any help greatly appreciated!

Hoovering Problems

I generally love living. I quite enjoy all the different things that make up life. Except Cleaning. Mondays are my cleaning day. Well to be honest, its more of a cleaning morning but half a day of cleaning is plenty for me.

Hoovering isn't actually too bad when it comes to cleaning jobs. Simply pushing the sucking-tube backwards and forwards over the carpet is simple, straightforward and you see instant results. In fact, most dry spillages are solved with a quick once over with a hoover. We've all been guilty of hoovering over anything and everything, particularly those things that are slightly too big, or not really made for a hoover. Those kind of things are annoying, but its so much easier to run the hoover over them instead of doing the slightly harder task of picking it up by hand. Well it's easier most of the time.

Except when that 'thing' won't fit up the hoover.

Sometimes we run the hoover over the same 'thing' on the floor again and again and again, determined not to pick it up by hand, but telling ourselves that the hoover will pick it up, even when we know that the poor Henry or Dyson doesn't stand a chance.

Problems arrive all the time. We learn to expect them, and deal with them when they arise. However, lets remember that not all problems can be solved the same way, the easy way. Some problems will just need a 'quick once over', other problems require something different, Sometimes issues may take harder work in order for them to be solved. Some issues may take longer to resolve. However, if we try to solve all different problems in the same way we won't get anywhere. Whether they be relational, practical, emotional, home-related or work related, different problems require different ways of dealing with them.

Maybe you would call yourself a 'people person', maybe a 'task focused person', maybe somebody who is heavily influenced by how your decisions will effect other people, and led by other people's opinions. Or maybe you base your decisions on logic, facts, or passed successes. Lets realise that we cannot live in one of these camps alone. There will be times when we need to use logic and facts based decisions to solve problems and issues, and other times when we need to hear out and base our decisions on other people, how it will effect them also. Why not try both?

Some problems will need a quick fix solution by just running the hoover over it. Other times we will need to bend down and do some harder work to pick up the problem with our hands. Lets not be afraid to get our hands dirty in order to solve problems, as not everything will fit up that hoover.

My Sister.

With my thoughts to blog more, I wanted to write this entry. I have read entries in other blogs where the author has shared how a close friend or family member are important to them, writing about the effect they have had in their life. Not only has that most likely been of amazing encouragement to the person being written about, but has also helped me feel encouraged, reading about the awesome types of people there are here on Earth. Here's a post about another one of these people, who is important to me.

You know those kind of stories and jokes that nobody else finds funny except for those couple of people who were initially involved in the joke or story? Please indulge me for this short moment as I discuss a few.

1. You may or may not have seen Bugsy Malone. I don't know what you think of that film, but I love it, especially this 3 second clip during the finale song where a group of the guys simply sing 'la la la la la la laaa' (it is 3:10 into this clip). My sister and I love nothing more than singing that little 3 second clip and laughing whilst others have no idea what we're going on about.

2. There are plenty of coasters and place mats at my parents house. The place mats have country pubs on, but there is one specific place mat that my sister and I spent probably days of our lives fighting over, carefully swapping them around on the dinner table so that we had the best one without the other seeing. Again, nobody else would care about this place mat but us, they would have no idea what we're doing.

3. 'Loads of moolar, loads of moolar, loads of moolar loads of moo'.....

OK. Private jokes finished now. Stay with me.

Sally is my sister. She has been for my whole life. That may seem a stupid, obvious thing to say, but to be honest, it isn't necessarily the standard practice families. Many people have distant, detached, or even non-existent relationships with their siblings. My experience is so far from that upsetting idea. She has been over and above what any sister should be like.
My sister is simply brilliant. Growing up with somebody who would always support, encourage, protect and direct me has been amazing. Sally has always been there for me and is always there for me. Despite the various things she goes through, she remains there for -not just me- but everyone around her too. I was never bullied when I was at school, but whenever I came under any trouble with anybody Sally would always tell me that she would stand up for me and protect me. I felt so loved and cared for. When she was a teenager and I was an annoying pre-teen, she still spent time with me, and we'd have so much fun together. Now she is a mother of three, she still has time for me, always up for a coffee and a chat, always available to go on mini-adventures, always available to cook tasty food, always available to make me warm and cool clothes and hats. And she is always available to do all the same for Heather.

Often I hear people say to Sally 'you are like a sister to me', or 'you've been like a big sister to me'. Well guess what. I have the awesome privilege to actually call her my actual sister. We don't get to choose our family, and I know I wouldn't change mine ever. She is kind, thoughtful, caring, genuine, honest, Godly, normal (not 'boring' normal, but not 'weird'. Well, she is 'funny' weird, but- well- you know what mean). She is real, compassionate, incredibly creative, idea-filled and brings life into any situation and conversation she is involved in. I know that in previous years when she was part of Kerith she had a huge impact on so many teenage girls who are now growing into amazing women, and now she is at the Beacon church in Camberley, she is having a similar effect, blessing, training and leading many people to become wonderful men and women of God.

She has 3 quality children, and an awesome husband. Nobody can know the Ropers and not be blessed by them. It's the 'Roper-effect'.

One thing that would never be said of Sally is that she's a woman of few words (haha!), but she is a woman of wonderful words, and I love the way she can spend 1 hour with people and they can be taken up in their lift, feeling encouraged, valued, cared for and wanted. She makes people like they belong. She speaks life and love into people.

She is like a sister to many people, but I'm the only one who can say that she is my sister. I love her very much and I'm very proud of her.

Tomato Timers and Giveaway #1

Recently I've felt more challenged to write some more. I've finally began to write in my journal once again after a long spell of simply nothing being written down, and as well as that, I'm now stirred to write some more in this blog.

I received a delivery from Hong Kong yesterday that has now given me the idea to start something new on my blog that I've seen on other blogs (that's right, I'm stealing the idea) to give away things, and this is first thing to give away!

Quite a while ago now Simon Benham our Senior Pastor at Kerith Community Church preached on the importance of 'stopping' and finding Sabbath in your life (hear the message here). It was a great message that we all need to hear in our non-stop (or-feel-guilty-when-we-do-stop) lifestyles. Personally, my Myers Briggs type is an ENTJ, and a classic characteristic of an ENTJ is that I can rush from one thing to the next, not stopping or taking time to relax as I try to tick off everything on my 'To Do' list. I've even noticed that when I speak to people I can sometimes not stop to breathe, it's ridiculus!

So this idea of 'stopping' (or 'opping' - it could be a silent 'st') is so important for me, I need to remind myself of it regularly. On this weekend, a method called the 'Pomodoro Technique' was spoken of, in which you spend 35 minutes working, followed by 5 minutes of rest. This was classically kept track of by using one of those tomato timers. Well, way back when it was preached, I thought it would be a good idea to buy some of them to give to people if they are interested! So I now have 5 tomato timers all the way from Hong Kong to give away to anyone who wants them! If you want one, just leave a comment somewhere, either on this blog, or tweet to me, or somehow(!) tell me how it would be useful to you, and I'll choose who will get one! Or, (most likely to happen!), the first 5 to respond can have one.

By the way, they are hardly the most sophisticated, posh things, only paid a very small price for them, so cannot be held liable for how long or short their life spans are, but hey, everyone loves a freebie!

Teatowels & Toy Sheep

Annoyingly, when 'we in the West' think of shepherds, the first things that enter our minds are tea-towels wrapped around heads, and stuffed toy sheep being dragged by pieces of string by gormless 5 year old boys staring into space as they meander across their school stage. Sure, it's a cute picture, and for me there's not much funnier than watching pre-schoolers in school nativities (moments comedy gold & oscar worthy performances, trust me).

But in reality shepherds were so much more than that.

A shepherd's Job Description would not look too appealing to be honest. Staying up all night protecting their sheep. Leading flocks of (arguably) the most stupid animal around from place to place. Ushering them together. Keeping strict count of the hundreds they would be in charge of. Finding and rescuing the lost sheep.

A stressful, exhausting, and all-consuming job.

To be a shepherd was also considered hugely dangerous. Amidst the protecting of sheep, it was not unusual for a shepherd to have to fight off animals in order that the sheep would not be harmed. A shepherd would need to be courageous, strong and always alert. They would do anything for their flock.

I don't know about you, but sometimes when I read certain passages, verse, chapters of the Bible, I can get used to them, and become familiar with them. When we do this, sometimes we can mentally 'numb-down' the power of what we have read.

'The LORD is my Shepherd'

A classic example of a phrase that has been read and repeated for years, and often 'numbed' by many. But this is a powerful image. In John 10 Jesus talks about how we are not looked after by a 'hired hand', somebody who doesn't really care, who has no real interest or commitment. We are lead, and protected by Him who is a shepherd, the good Shepherd. He is deeply committed, more than we'll ever understand. He is deeply courageous, powerfully faithful and always with us.

If you have an image of a teatowel clad boy as a Shepherd, then change that image. God is your courageous, strong, alert protector, who will do ANYTHING for you. And ultimately, he has done EVERYTHING for you.

Leaders & Followers

Just a short entry that for some reason I just feel compelled to write. I felt that I needed to write this down before I forgot it. Who knows if this is a God-thing or not. But, if this is a timely and helpful entry for one person, then I know it's worth it.

This week the Elders of Kerith Community Church are spending 4 days together. They have spent 2 days hearing from Ministry Leaders at the 'ministry review days', and they will then spend 2 further days discussing, praying into and considering the next moves for us as a church.

I spent sometime with them yesterday speaking about the bits of ministry that I lead. It was a great time to hear their advice, thoughts, answer questions and generally remember and know that I am led by some excellent people of God.

Reflecting on that time today has made me continually realise the importance of leaders. It is often said that an organisation can rise or fall on leadership. Great leaders will take an organisation/community/church to great places. Bad leadership will take an organisation/community/church to bad places. We have a fantastic group of 6 guys who are leading us, who are great leaders because ultimately, they are servants, serving us as a church, and more importantly serving God.

So what about us as leaders and followers? Well, there's a simple rule.

If you want to be a great leader, you first need to be a great follower.

If you cannot be led, you will not end up being a great leader. Trust me. Jesus came to serve, not be served, and was the greatest leader that has ever lived. Being led is not always easy, but it is essential. Humble yourself, let yourself be led, corrected, directed, rebuked by your leaders. Pride can ruin us if we let awful attitudes towards leaders set in. Be a servant. Keep an eye on yourself regularly, and 'do a David' by asking God to search your heart for any attitudes that need to change.

So, as God searches your heart, what's He finding?

My Fiancée - Heather Bryan

It's been a busy couple of months, with all sorts of exciting things happening at church, our marriage and wedding preparations getting put onto a higher gear, as well as all the other bits and pieces that just end up taking space in our days and weeks. Now, suddenly I realise that it's been a good while since I've posted, and I think it's about time (well, its very over-due!), that I give a blog entry about my wonderful fiancee, Heather.

This August (in15 weeks!) I will be marrying the girl of my dreams. Since I was a teenager, I've been praying for her. I didn't know her then, I barely knew myself then. But I knew God knew her, and loved her and planned all our steps. I love how God put us together, as we awkwardly danced around a room together for an audition, not realising that in Aug 2011 we will be dancing our first dance together at our wedding. There's many things I love about her, here's just a few of them (in no particular order!)

1. She is wise. Yes, she's intelligent, but more than that. She reads people and situations. She knows what the Bible says about things, and then lives it. She gives me wisdom all the time. I love it. Inspiring.

2. She is Talented. Flippin' eck she is talented! She can paint, draw, create, sing, build, write, preach, cook, teach, listen, talk... Everything. And she's not just alright at them, she does these things (and so much more) to an incredible standard! I'm so inspired by her gifts, abilities, all the things she can do, and her total humility in it all.

3. She is funny. Not odd/weird-funny, she makes me laugh more than anyone, and she even humours me by laughing at my jokes too. I have so much fun with her. My best days are with her.

4. She is beautiful. Simple as that. She is the most beautiful person I have ever met. And outwardly she's pretty gorgeous too. If you know her, you'll know what I'm talking about. If you don't know her, get to know her... She's a good one.

There's so much more I could say about Heather. She makes me smile, she inspires me, challenges me, strengthens me, encourages me and even gives me amazing presents. God didn't just answer my prayer with Heather, but he exceeded any thoughts and dreams I could ever have.

She's pretty amazing. I'm sure you agree.

Saying Goodbye

Some people hate saying goodbye.

I remember the first time I visited my fiancee Heather at uni. I travelled on a 9hr coach journey to see her. We had an awesome weekend, had loads of fun, I met a load of her new uni friends, spent some quality time together and before I knew it, the time came for me to leave. As you can imagine, another 9hr coach journey was not high on my list of fun things to do(!), so I wasn't looking forward to it anyway. But the main reason for the gloom of this journey was that it would be a good 8 weeks or so before I saw her again. Saying goodbye was difficult, I even had a little cry once she was out of sight. However, I had to say goodbye. I couldn't have stayed, she had tons of uni work to do, I had my own life to lead also. It would have been ridiculous to stay forever (the university didn't like me parking in the car park for a day, let alone a year!). To stay would have limited her and limited me. As horrible as the goodbye was, it was necessary for both of us.

Some people avoid saying goodbye.

I'm sure we can all think of scenarios when we have held onto something for too long. When we know that something has come to an end, it has broken, or stopped functioning how it used to. Sometimes it can be difficult to throw away that phone that you've come so attached to, even though the back falls off, the battery only lasts for 30mins and the 'space' key doesn't work anymore. But what about relationally? What about those relationships that are doing you no good, or that job that you stick at because its 'safe', or that friendship group that leads you down paths you know you shouldn't take. What about those immature thought patterns you slip into, and even know you're aware of them, you're scared of how life will look without them?

In the Old Testament, the nation of Israel were led out of slavery into freedom through some awesome miraculous acts of God. They saw it with their own eyes, yet they would often complain about their situation and want to return to slavery. They couldn't say goodbye to that old way of living. Despite the excellent future God had in store for them, they couldn't say goodbye to the mediocre. Sounds ridiculous, but so many of us do the same thing: rather than enjoying the awesome new life Christ has for us, by default we favour the 'old skool' way of living by not saying goodbye to it. It's a spiritually immature place to be in.

Let's not be immature by avoiding saying goodbye to things, relationships, circumstances, or thought patterns that hold us back, that slow us down, that limit and prevent us from seeing greater things that are ahead. Whether its a goodbye forever, or for the short term, let's have the courage to make those decisions, and see them through.

So I dare you, be brave. Say 'goodbye' to the mediocre and the old life, and see God propel you forward.

Season Spotting

We all go through seasons in life. Seasons where everything is rosey and splendid, and times when life just downright is terrible. Sometimes because of outside circumstance, and other times we only have ourselves to congratulate or blame.

That's life. Stuff happens.

Surprise surprise, the Bible is yet again awesome and relevant and talks about this(!), so read it.

The question 'how you doing with God?' has almost become a cliched joke with some as it's the 'standard Christian question', but lets get back to basics and ask ourselves: What season are you in now? How is life going? How is your relationship with God? How does life compare with last week? Last month? Last year? Are you closer to God than you were 2 weeks ago or further away?

Are those questions easy to answer honestly for yourself? Be aware of the season you are in, trust me, it will help you to either move on from that season or appreciate the season you are in.

I'm sure we all know those people that stay suffering or living under the same hassles, the same problems, the same scenarios for far too long. Whether they are plagued by an inability to forgive others, or maybe they just do not seem to move on from a bad experience or bad circumstances. Rather than taking steps to move onto the next season, they seem stuck in the rut of the same season, week in week out, month in month out, maybe year in year out, consumed by their own emotions and reactions to the circumstance.

Seasons are impossible to categorise. Some are long, some are short, some last weeks, months, years even decades sometimes. Lets be sensitive to others in their seasons. We cannot force anybody to 'get over it', (although a lot of the time I'd love to say that!). However, when people allow a season to engulf them, it can seriously prevent them from growing and moving forward in their life. In fact, it can shrink them. They can become weaker, emotionally, spiritually and at times physically too.

Don't let your seasons engulf or consume you. If we can not just experience seasons, but have an awareness of the season we are in, automatically we have a foothold to hold us strong throughout it. Please hear me right. There are a great deal of people I know who are just going through awful times, whether it is illness, relational problems, spiritual crossroads, financial difficulties, all sorts of things far greater that I have been through in my life. It is not easy or straight forward coping in these situations. We shouldn't have an attitude that says 'get over it and move on', but lets be sure of the hope that we have because of Jesus, and keep close to Him.

• In a season of great blessings? Enjoy the time, make the most of each moment, be thankful to God for it!
• In a season that is tough? Be aware of your emotions, don't let them rule. Now is the time for you to dig in, stay firm in Christ. Still be thankful to Him for what he has given you.

As we are aware of the season we are in, and aware of the emotions and feelings we have, it will help us ride the wave of that season, and come through it not surviving, but thriving.

Jesus was aware of his emotions. Just before he was arrested, he told his disciples that his soul was overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. He was aware of the emotions he was experiencing, which he shared with others, and helped him to take on the huge task of dying for you. That's what I call knowing what season your in!

End of 2010 thoughts

Some things you decide to do end up being completed. Others don't. Publishing regular blog posts still elude me, and my nails remain less than a millimetre long before they end up getting munched off.

However, a couple of years ago, I was led through an exercise with 50 people in writing goals, ideas, thoughts and dreams for my future. This included personal dreams, career ambitions, adventures to go on, as well as the contributions I want to make to the world. Alongside these goals (some of which ridiculously audacious), were a timeframe of when I wanted them to happen by. The times ranged from 40 years, to some goals being achievable from now. Then I wrote steps as to how these goals can be achieved. Heather and I have done the exercise together a few times since then, we call it our 'Owen Crane List'!

I found the original list a couple of days ago. Wonderfully, many of these audacious goals, dreams, ambitions, ideas now seem a lot closer, with some of them coming into reality already:

1. The opportunity to be able to work full-time at Kerith Community Church is one of those dreams that has come a reality for me, and the opportunities I've had to serve in areas that I love and enjoy, what a privilege! I'm so thankful to God who has always known that this is where I'd be right now.
2. The fact that in 8 months time I will be getting
   married to Heather is such an amazing gift from Him. I propsed in June, and know that we will be starting a great adventure together that will last the rest of our lives, so exciting! She is an amazing lady, I'm so grateful to God. I'm so thankful each day for all the joy, smiles, laughter, wisdom, guidance, support, help, fun and so much more that she brings into my life.
   
3. I'm also so thankful to be healthy, to have great friends and family around me.

God is a great God who answers prayers, who hears our cries, who knows our dreams, goals and ambitions. We know God is in charge. He has a greater plan for our lives than we will ever know and want.

Lets make goals though, lets have big dreams, lets be ambitious , lets plan to take steps to see our dreams come reality. I don't like the thought of New Years Resolutions - as if we have one time each year to make a new start, to make a change in our lives. We have this opportunity daily, so lets take it.

2011 is going to rock, can't wait.

*WARNING* This Blog Entry may appear like a Rant!

There are some things that I no longer care for/enjoy/partake in:

• Sticky Floored Bars
• Clubs with women who are in desperate need of love and attention wearing awful clothes that reveal far too much of mostly fatty flesh. It's a shame
  
• Clubs containing men looking "cool" (apparently), leaning on bannisters generally staring at women whilst drinking a so-called manly alcoholic drink. They are generally deeply insecure yet so afraid to reveal it to anybody. I feel incredibly sorry for them.
• Club Toilets that have not been cleaned in months, and you know 100% that there won't be toilet paper. That's just a general dislike of mine!
  
• Trying to impress these men dressed in black outside clubs in order to get inside the place just a few minutes earlier, as they let you know your social status purely by the way they look at you.
  

Don't get me wrong, I don't think clubs are 'wrong'. I just think there are very few things that I enjoy about them!

I'm not sure whether it is the fact that I am considered old by most clubbers now, or whether my relationship with God is better now and so I am more away of the 'not so holy' aspects of clubs, or whether I am more secure in myself now so will more readily give my opinion on these things. I don't know, probably a mixture of all of these things.

One thing I do know. We are not called to be of this world. Called has called us out of this world (John 15:19) to a life that is much more exciting, fulfilling, satisfying, challenging, adventurous and thrilling. This doesn't mean that we should be some odd creatures that don't relate to anybody here. It means that we should not feel bound and stuck to the mundane rubbish that others seems to be sucked into. Please hear me right, I don't think clubbing itself is wrong or bad. But I do think there are far better things to do on this awesome planet we live on.

Also, far too many times in my life I see people waste a good 3 or 4 years of their life in clubs. Their weeks revolve around that one epic night each week where they go to their favourite cattle market, spend the majority of their wages and spend the rest of the week recovering and reliving the same stories week in week out to the same people again and again. Which, to be honest, gets boring.

God has a much better idea for our lives. He has a plan that is exciting, that is adventurous, that is prosperous, that is challenging, yet so satisfying. Lets stop settling for this 'living for the weekend' mentality, and embrace what God has in store for us.

Learning New Things

Well it’s been roughly a month since the last entry, so thought it’s about time for another, and a bit of a catch up. September has truly kicked in now and I’ve started a new job at my church.

My new role at church includes running the Kerith Academy (our Year long training programme), as well as being the PA to Ben Davies , the previous Senior Pastor of my church and now the Ambassador for Kerith. He now spends a lot of time training other church leaders around the World, and training leaders of our own church. I love it already. I have felt called to full-time ministry in church for a while, yet I did not think it would come so soon, I was ready for the wait, but God had other plans clearly, and I am so grateful!

A lot of my time and focus is beginning to be leading others; Leading small groups, leading serving teams, leading sessions at the Kerith Academy , leading the Young Adults Ministry. As time goes on I realise the huge responsibility that means, but also, the huge privilege it is. I’d love to continue to use this blog as a place to share what I am learning along the way, through study, through experience and through hearing from God.

It's so important to continually be a learner. No matter what 'position' or 'status' you have, always remain a learner. No matter how old you are, what grades you have achieved, ALWAYS remain a learner. I heard somewhere that as a leader, it is great practice to always be ready to learn something and write it down, and be ready to take inspiration from all sorts of places and situations. I’ve been trying it out, and it’s working. I’m finding that as I watch one of my nephews/niece play, or see how people interact in the shopping centre, or experience situations and circumstances in my own life; I am finding that I can learn from it. Lessons can be learned from many places and situations if you have tune your eyes and ears to it. I’m being reminded of teaching from the Bible as I see scenarios play out in my life, and I’m learning from them.

For me my Blackberry Memo Pad works a treat, it’s always on me, ready to have stuff written down on it. What would work for you? A mini notepad? A day-planner? Dictaphone? Whatever would work for you, get some kind of note taking device. Lets not trust ourselves to remember moments of inspiration, because -if you’re anything like me- 30mins later we won’t!

Boring things to do with your Friday night...

Yesterday I declared to Heather that there is a blog entry sitting in my head. She asked 'what about?', I said 'I don't know'. I sat in front of the computer and began to think and type a little, and then finished this entry this morning. I was trying to think of specific things that God has said to me or taught me recently. The truth is, I wouldn't say there has been anything so profound that I have been stopped in my tracks, the light bulb above my head hasn't lit up, and I haven't declared "THIS IS IT! Time for a awe-inspiring blog entry!". But we do love it when God speaks to us like that, clear, precise, obvious, challenging, thought-provoking, deep and meaningful, and all wrapped up in a one-liner for us to write as a status update and make some wall art for it, before slipping it into conversations with friends.

But sometimes that doesn't happen. Sometimes we feel ignored by God. Sometimes one-liners from epic War Films seem to challenge us more than what God is saying. That doesn't mean that there aren't other avenues to hear from Him. For many Christians, the term 'read your Bible' was over-used in Sunday School and now it is an empty phrase that has no meaning, rarely done and is probably widely considered in the Top Ten of 'Boring Things To Do With Your Friday Night'.

Please get out of that mentality asap.

Why do we think like this? I know it is not the Bible itself that causes us to think like this, it's the way we read it. It is so much more than a book. It is life-giving, thought-provoking, pattern-changing, direction-altering. Read it with an open heart, wanting to be challenged, ready to learn, prepared to hear from God. Too many of us want the divine audible voice of God, but aren't willing to simply pick up and read the divine words of God written down first!

If we are not hearing from God, pick up your Bible and get reading. Think about what you're reading, pray about what you're reading. Then listen to what He says.

God's goodness in the middle of tragedy.

I couldn't possibly start to write a blog about Angharad Clague. Since her awful and tragic death on Wednesday 14th July, hundreds (and probably thousands) have been praying for her family and others involved in the crash, mourning the loss of an amazing friend, daughter, woman of God, children's worker, youth worker, leader and so much more to so many people. To me she was a good friend who I admired so much. She was so positive yet genuine, fun, happy, a laugh (her banter was better than most guy's banter, and that means a lot!), and she will be deeply missed.

I have read so many fantastic blogs and comments all over the internet the last couple of weeks and realised that anything I write, could simply not express to the quality of person Annie was, to the quality of writing she deserves. The other night, Heather and I noticed how high Annie was on our probable wedding guest list, and although she was a great friend to us, some of her best friends (and better writers than I) have written some amazing words, so I'll direct you to them: Laura Webber-Gant, Ellie Jackson, Sophie Harris. There are others who have also written about her (feel free to comment them and I may stick them here too).

One thing I have been blown away by throughout this whole time is church. Church was God's idea, has always been on his agenda and Bill Hybels famously says that "the local church is the hope of the world". My church, Kerith Community Church definately fits into that description. From the moment Annie died, the church have gone into a high gear, supporting, helping, comforting, strengthening, providing, mourning, guiding, serving and focussing all of our attention on the hope we have. Thursday evening, our church held a prayer meeting. The room was packed full of people, who began the evening with a tearful sense of despair, but ended with a united feeling of hope and a positive spirit. Friday evening saw many young people praying for each other, comforting one another, and worshipping God belting out lines declaring that amidst the mourning and sadness, 'The Lord is my Rock'. Sunday saw our Senior Pastor Simon Benham give a great preach to church into the situation, encouraging us all and reminding us of the hope we have through Jesus.

This Monday coming sees the Thanksgiving service for Annie, and I'm sure once again the church will come together to remember Annie, and thank God for all she did, and for who she was.

Throughout this awful tragic time, God's beautiful church has shined through, and at the same time as mourning, I can't help but look up in awe to see how good God is

This time last year...

I'm currently reading a book called 'One Day'. For the first time in ages I'm reading a fiction book.It has no Christian undertones, no profound purpose (although I'm sure the author would love to disagree), and even has swearing in it(!) (shock horror!). The annoying Christians are now pounding their fists and declaring their disgust at this. If you are one of these Christians, get over it and get out of your house more. Phew, rant over!

The book follows the lives of the two main characters. Each chapter takes place on the 15th July on consecutive years, starting 1989 as they both graduate from university, and finishing in 2006. It's a good book, read half of it so far in a couple of days, will read some more once I've finished this blog entry.

As the book shows this whistle-stop tour of their lives, I can't help but think about how quick their lives are going by. Years come and go, they have ups and downs, hoping that they would grow, learn from their mistakes and make the most of their lives. Then, I naturally think of my own life, but past the usual 'doesn't time fly!' thinking, and onto truly challenging myself. Somebody once said to me 'make sure with each year of your life, you are growing and developing', and this has stuck with me. This plan to continually grow, develop, be challenged, be stirred, be envisioned, be determined,be motivated,be daring, be adventurous always sticks in my mind.

So today, I had a think of what I was doing one year ago on this very day, 2nd June 2009,and how have I changed since then? Have I grown spiritually? Have I developed my skills,talents and giftings? Have I been challenged this year to take risks? Have I been daring enough to try new things? Have I been adventurous in our lives? If we want to see dreams,visions and plans come to fruition in our lives, we need to be focused on growing now, we need to be thinking what we can do now to ensure we are doing all we can to get there in the future.

Shock horror! We can learn from books that aren't 'Christian'