Have a great Christmas.

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The spirit of Christmas needs to superseded by the Spirit of Christ.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

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 !!!!!!

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 ?

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 !

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 !

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.