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!