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

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

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

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

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

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

Friendship

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

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

Ambassadors of Holiness 2009

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

Global Leadership Summit 2008

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

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

The Militant Church

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

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

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

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

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

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

Zara is 10 !

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

Encouragement

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

Brownlow Medal

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

Ethan John Lamotte is 5

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

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

Happy Fathers Day

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

Just where is God ?

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

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

Tess' Miracle - This is a true story

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

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


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


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

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

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


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

What is our focus ?

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

Grandma's 100

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

Envoys Retreat

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

The Barbarian Way

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

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

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

Journalling

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

Red Shield Appeal

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

Little Girl Lost

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

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

This is the truth.

Famous Last Words

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

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

Living Incarnationally

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

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

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

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

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

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

Integrity

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

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

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

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

Catch Up

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

Facebook

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

The Room

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

Footy Fever

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

Stand Out

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

Easter

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

Un4saken

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

Encouragement

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

Gods Answering Service

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

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

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

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

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

"If you would like to speak to ...

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

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

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

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

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

[Author Unknown]

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

Envoy Darren Lamotte

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

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

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

God is good !

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

On we march

Influence

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

Listening

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

TRASH

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

Pastor or Leader

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

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

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

Priorities

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

Living Waters

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

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

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

New Years Resolutions

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

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

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

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

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