Shoutlouder

hijacked?

// July 15th, 2009 // No Comments » // Inspiration, Thoughts

So I’m just coming to the end of a day off a long day working on my cellar renovations (trying to create some office and ‘cave’ space for me in the house) when I get a call to say someone’s broken into our Leeds Megacentre. So off I trudge down to Mega in my dust covered clothes with bits of plaster still hanging out my hair to discover that someone’s broken in and nicked a TV off Reception. Three hours later I’m heading home to find an email notifying me of a difficult pastoral situation that needs my attention. So after some prayer and a much needed cup of tea – I finally hit the sack just before 1am to rise at the crack of dawn to another message to say the burglars have been back for the other 2 TVs… so off I head once more to Mega – with much need for a coffee – to await a team from CSI:Yorkshire and spend the day liasing with builders and security firms trying to sort out the gaping hole that needs filling….

(whew)

There are sometimes days in our lives when everything that happens is completely beyond our control. It’s impossible to predict when Mr Thrifty will visit your place next… or when other people’s lives spiral out of control because of unforseen or consequential circumstances… or when disease or ill health will strike…

But I’ve learnt there are always things that you can control whatever comes your way and that is your mind, your heart, your focus, your spirit, your relationship with God… . I could have got stressed out and got frustrated so many times over the last 24 hours – but I chose to see most of it for what it is – skirmishes – and realise that God is still very much in control!

See it’s no coincidence that over the last few weeks we’ve launched a schools project, a food hamper project and we’re in the middle of launching a huge family support project that has God’s favour written all over it! We’ve also seen some great fruit in church and I believe we’re heading towards one of the most exciting and fruitful seasons ever in Hope City Church.

So – guess what – someone doesn’t like that! There’s a prowling lion who is circling and waiting to pick off and exploit any weakness that he might find to stop us from fulfilling what God has called us to. What’s important to remember is – as long as you stay in the heart of God and seek to do His will and follow His call – that lion will remain toothless. The most that he can hope to do is pick off a few LCD TVs….

As for me and my house – we’re serving God and getting ready – cause all the signs are pointing towards an amazing season of God’s growth and increase!

the perfect curry night out

// August 15th, 2008 // No Comments » // Book Review, Inspiration

So I’m feeling almost as happy as Team Sprint GB thanks to blogging friend Scott Rodgers who decided that my bribe to take him out on the ‘perfect curry night out in Leeds’ was worthy of the Gold Medal – or in his case a copy if ‘IT‘ which I will duly read and review for all of you who have no idea what I am talking about!

I love his comment on the blog though saying that he has ‘no idea what a perfect curry night out means’ so he’ll have to give it a try – which made me realise HOW FORTUNATE I am to live in the amazing Great Britain!

Our athletes right now are competing in probably their best games for as long as I can remember. There’s a sense of victory in the air that seems to be compelling the athletes on. I’ve found myself watching snippets of the olympics this week and seeing a country that seems to have lost its boring quiet optimism and graceful sportsmanship and instead got back a Lion’s roar – and it shows – we’ve started winning things!

I love the fact they were interviewing the Cycling guys this morning and it wasn’t “Well, let’s hope for the best…” instead it was “We can do this – we’ve never been better, never been more on form…”

It took us 7 days in the Athens Games to get our first Medal – after 7 days in Beijing we have EIGHT and we still have one of our best weekends for winning medals to come with more cycling, rowing and athletics to come.

Brits for years have been known as ‘plucky’ – the underdogs who seem to keep on coming back and trying and trying again. And yet our heritage is that we are a nation that conquered and led most of the known world.

I guess its time for the Lion to start roaring again.

You were never born to be ‘plucky’ – you were born to be a Kingdom builder, more than a conqueror – you were born a winner from the very first moment that you won the race to the egg!

Which randomly brings me back to the best curry night out in Leeds – because that’s something else we can be proud of. After all – the Brits invented curry – it’s true (in a way) – and if you’ve never been out late on a Friday night in the middle of leeds and took in a late night Tikka Makhani at my favourite Akbars Restaurant then you’ve missed out on something. You can guarantee that most of Team GB will be sitting around supping their energy drinks and chomping on a protein bar with dreams of Olympic glory interupted every now and then as their minds wander back to the first thing they’ll do when they get home to a much greater Great Britain… go out for a curry!