Chicago Day 2 - Happy to be alive in the morning, I went for another run, to explore pleasantville only to find out that being attacked by monstrous mosquitoes that left welt size itchy bits was not that desirable although my legs did enjoy the freedom after being cramped up on the plane.
Day 2 in Chicago was filled with adventure and many laughs as Alun, Gary and I headed downtown, to explore the sights of the city in our pimp mobile (a car that the Car hire company gave Gary after his initial cars AC was broken.
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Timezone Changes, KFC and Mosquito Invasion
So I have been in the US of A for just over a week and what an incredible week it has been. After setting sail from OR Tambo International airport (I still cant get over that its called that) I headed on an 11 hour flight to London Heathrow, a flight filled with many mixed emotions of leaving, coupled with the excitement of the adventure and the journey that I have now embarked on. Embarking upon your dreams is never easy, it always comes at a cost, whether you realise it or not. Leaving such amazing friends and family is never easy to do, but knowing that it for a time is only a somewhat subtle comfort. As I flew over Africa a realized that my life was going to change in many ways... O but what and adventure it is gonna be. One that I have dreamed about for many years.
Touch down in Chicago land, I had to catch a taxi to my host families house, as my international roaming did not work and therefore I could not get hold of Gary to get a lift a really rookie error when it comes to travelling in the modern world. Never the less things things alway work out.. sometimes at price, this time $50 for my taxi ride out into the surrounding suburbs. Back in the US for a 3rd time, I was quickly reminded of how everything here is big, so big, big roads, big trucks, big cars, big malls, big people... I certainly wasnt at home in my little part of Africa anymore.
I arrived at the house to be greeted by my host family, Sue (the mom) and 10 year old adopted daughter from Guatemala named Harley. After getting organized I went over to Gary's (Gary is the Senior Pastor at Gracepoint Church in Lonehill and a mentor of mine)hosts house Dan and Pam, to touch base and to plan what we would be doing over the next few days. After heading on a run to explore the surrounding suburbs (something I like to do when i arrive in a new place- I have taken after my parents in this respect) I sat down to a grand dinner of my favorite fast food - KFC with my host. Now any of you who know me, know that I absolutely hate KFC, so my first night in fast food land was undesirable to say the least. I painful sat through dinner, trying to pretend that I was grateful for food. Nevertheless a combination of KFC and my weak stomach, the story did not have a happy ending, I woke up in the middle of the night and promptly through is all up.
Touch down in Chicago land, I had to catch a taxi to my host families house, as my international roaming did not work and therefore I could not get hold of Gary to get a lift a really rookie error when it comes to travelling in the modern world. Never the less things things alway work out.. sometimes at price, this time $50 for my taxi ride out into the surrounding suburbs. Back in the US for a 3rd time, I was quickly reminded of how everything here is big, so big, big roads, big trucks, big cars, big malls, big people... I certainly wasnt at home in my little part of Africa anymore.
I arrived at the house to be greeted by my host family, Sue (the mom) and 10 year old adopted daughter from Guatemala named Harley. After getting organized I went over to Gary's (Gary is the Senior Pastor at Gracepoint Church in Lonehill and a mentor of mine)hosts house Dan and Pam, to touch base and to plan what we would be doing over the next few days. After heading on a run to explore the surrounding suburbs (something I like to do when i arrive in a new place- I have taken after my parents in this respect) I sat down to a grand dinner of my favorite fast food - KFC with my host. Now any of you who know me, know that I absolutely hate KFC, so my first night in fast food land was undesirable to say the least. I painful sat through dinner, trying to pretend that I was grateful for food. Nevertheless a combination of KFC and my weak stomach, the story did not have a happy ending, I woke up in the middle of the night and promptly through is all up.
New Beginnings
OK so I have really bad at blogging, I have intended to document some of my travels to whoever reads this and some of my thoughts, views, opinions on life and the world I am experiencing around me. It would encourage me, if you leave your comments questions, notes etc etc. I also love hearing from you. Not that Im sure that anybody reads this but if you do.
So from here on I am going to back track a few weeks to the beginning of my trip to the US of A. First stop Chicago Willow Creek Global Leadership Summit, then Washington DC and hopefully onward to Vancouver. I hope that you enjoy.
Sunday, May 16, 2010
When Faith becomes a REALITY
So often in life I find that we all rely on our own security, we take control of our lives in such away that we try and work things out to the best of our knowledge and our understanding. When our circumstances change or things don't go the way we plan, we panic and worry, and are often filled anxiety that eats us up on the inside. We then think or over-think situations, before having in-trusted things and handed things over to the Lord.
More often than not we put our trust in our ‘own security’ or the security that ‘we’ have created or have been blessed with. In moments like this is is important to constantly acknowledge where the blessing of our security comes from, and understand that the so many things that we rely on, such as money food, shelter, family and relationships can be taken away in an instant. The kind of thinking that relies more on ‘our’ provisions than on God who ultimately provides them, is dangerous. It says in Romans 11:26 “ Everything comes from him and exists by his power and is intended for his glory.” This is just one of the many places in the bible that points to Jesus being the provider and sustainer of everything.
Firstly, wrong thinking on this matter, aids us to think that we are more in control of our lives than we really are, secondly it diminishes our reliance on our creator. Both of these things decrease how we see God and more often than not result in God become a dash-board god who we can call on only in times of crisis, desperation and need. Our mindset will typically be, what can God do for me? This reveals that we are making ourselves the centre of attention and we are only interesting in our own glory. God word gives us a very different picture through the life of Jesus, it shows us that Jesus came to serve and not to be served, he constantly relied on God the father to provide in every situation so that God my have the glory.
In Jesus prayer to his father before his crucifixion, echoed the words, ‘Father not my will but your will be done’. If you think about it, to declare these words, means that we are ultimately surrendering everything to the will of God. That might mean a number of things, from joy to sorrow, to persecution - after all, what that statement meant for Jesus, lead him he to endure the cross. However to truly profess this statement with our whole heart I believe that we become partakes in the divine which through the power of the Holy Spirit we are able to accomplish more that we could ever have imagined on our own. The Lords prayer as we are taught by Jesus, utters those same word... may your will BE DONE (surrender - not my will but your will Lord) may your kingdom come (part takers in the divine).
This ultimate surrender requires us to lay things down at the feet of Jesus and trust in his will, his good and pleasing will. I believe that this action leads us to begin to understand what faith is about and what it requires.
Last night after church I spoke to a young man from Zambia who had encountered God in such a powerful way that, he left everything, his home, his country, even his family to pursue his love for the Lord. His mother even wanted to disown him because of His proclamation of Jesus as the Lord of His life. He told me that he loved his mom, but loved Jesus more. He shared with me, this vision to be used by God and to fulfill his holy calling. He knows that God is going to give him a ministry to change nations, to raise people from the dead. It was a very humbling moment for me as he told me that having nothing, he left home to pursue the Lord, came to nothing, but the Lord has provided for everything. That is great faith that has come from ultimate surrender. Although his journey is not easy and he doesn't now where the next bit of income is coming from, he whole heartedly trusts the Lord to provide - that to me is faith becoming a reality. He is proceeding boldly to that which he is called because he has surrendered His will to that of the Lords.
More often than not we put our trust in our ‘own security’ or the security that ‘we’ have created or have been blessed with. In moments like this is is important to constantly acknowledge where the blessing of our security comes from, and understand that the so many things that we rely on, such as money food, shelter, family and relationships can be taken away in an instant. The kind of thinking that relies more on ‘our’ provisions than on God who ultimately provides them, is dangerous. It says in Romans 11:26 “ Everything comes from him and exists by his power and is intended for his glory.” This is just one of the many places in the bible that points to Jesus being the provider and sustainer of everything.
Firstly, wrong thinking on this matter, aids us to think that we are more in control of our lives than we really are, secondly it diminishes our reliance on our creator. Both of these things decrease how we see God and more often than not result in God become a dash-board god who we can call on only in times of crisis, desperation and need. Our mindset will typically be, what can God do for me? This reveals that we are making ourselves the centre of attention and we are only interesting in our own glory. God word gives us a very different picture through the life of Jesus, it shows us that Jesus came to serve and not to be served, he constantly relied on God the father to provide in every situation so that God my have the glory.
In Jesus prayer to his father before his crucifixion, echoed the words, ‘Father not my will but your will be done’. If you think about it, to declare these words, means that we are ultimately surrendering everything to the will of God. That might mean a number of things, from joy to sorrow, to persecution - after all, what that statement meant for Jesus, lead him he to endure the cross. However to truly profess this statement with our whole heart I believe that we become partakes in the divine which through the power of the Holy Spirit we are able to accomplish more that we could ever have imagined on our own. The Lords prayer as we are taught by Jesus, utters those same word... may your will BE DONE (surrender - not my will but your will Lord) may your kingdom come (part takers in the divine).
This ultimate surrender requires us to lay things down at the feet of Jesus and trust in his will, his good and pleasing will. I believe that this action leads us to begin to understand what faith is about and what it requires.
Last night after church I spoke to a young man from Zambia who had encountered God in such a powerful way that, he left everything, his home, his country, even his family to pursue his love for the Lord. His mother even wanted to disown him because of His proclamation of Jesus as the Lord of His life. He told me that he loved his mom, but loved Jesus more. He shared with me, this vision to be used by God and to fulfill his holy calling. He knows that God is going to give him a ministry to change nations, to raise people from the dead. It was a very humbling moment for me as he told me that having nothing, he left home to pursue the Lord, came to nothing, but the Lord has provided for everything. That is great faith that has come from ultimate surrender. Although his journey is not easy and he doesn't now where the next bit of income is coming from, he whole heartedly trusts the Lord to provide - that to me is faith becoming a reality. He is proceeding boldly to that which he is called because he has surrendered His will to that of the Lords.
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Every seed dies before it grows
Ok so i haven't blogged in ages.. its time to get this thing up and rolling again, now that i have a bit more time on my hands for the things that i want to do. So the days have been rolling by in the city of Jozi... lots of change happening and lots of change up ahead. Exciting times, what and adventure this life is sometimes.
Just got back from a service at Godfirst church.... a very inspiring preach by PJ on.. What would God say to BONO? Its part of the celebrity series that the church is doing. It was very thought provoking and challenging. Bono is someone who challenges our box and dualistic ways of thinking about the church, about faith and about life. The part that really challenges me was the fact the VIBE we give off to non believers or as he termed the, inquiries, is a reflection of our hearts. Not to say that our words don't mean anythings, but if our word are different to our heart, then our vibe will be our heart. Im not sure if this is making sense to anyone else but me... anyway, what im trying to say in another way is that, if we dont get our hearts right with regards to the way we view faith and believers and non believers, our gospel proclamation and provocation could become seriously ineffective (has it not been ineffective in so many ways already). I sometimes feel that so much time and energy is wasted, and structure and open handed doctrinal issues in the church, that we lose our focus on looking outward because we are so busy looking inward.
So my challenge to myself this week is to surrender those religious parts of me, that give off a religious or negative VIBE to no believers. My prayer is to let that part of me die, so that a new part may grow. God let your GRACE abiding in me!
Just got back from a service at Godfirst church.... a very inspiring preach by PJ on.. What would God say to BONO? Its part of the celebrity series that the church is doing. It was very thought provoking and challenging. Bono is someone who challenges our box and dualistic ways of thinking about the church, about faith and about life. The part that really challenges me was the fact the VIBE we give off to non believers or as he termed the, inquiries, is a reflection of our hearts. Not to say that our words don't mean anythings, but if our word are different to our heart, then our vibe will be our heart. Im not sure if this is making sense to anyone else but me... anyway, what im trying to say in another way is that, if we dont get our hearts right with regards to the way we view faith and believers and non believers, our gospel proclamation and provocation could become seriously ineffective (has it not been ineffective in so many ways already). I sometimes feel that so much time and energy is wasted, and structure and open handed doctrinal issues in the church, that we lose our focus on looking outward because we are so busy looking inward.
So my challenge to myself this week is to surrender those religious parts of me, that give off a religious or negative VIBE to no believers. My prayer is to let that part of me die, so that a new part may grow. God let your GRACE abiding in me!
Friday, November 13, 2009
Monday, November 9, 2009
My Life
Today is a reason for living... i have been reminding this past week that we really have been giving life to LIVE, i mean fully LIVE, I have found myself in this place lately where my living has been squeezed out of me, by the tamming of life by society and the jobs that we do. Im restling through these things at the moment, but i really do believe that we were created to have wild spirits, like our creator. Here is an awesome and moving clip from the passion movement - how thought provoking and inspiring. i believe that god can take our life, wherever we are at, despite what we have done and turn it into somethings glorious as apart of His -story for His Kingdom and His glory. enjoy
http://www.268generation.com/passion2010/video/1/
http://www.268generation.com/passion2010/video/1/
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