Sunday, July 31, 2005

God’s sense of humour
We had our final pre-reach out event last night, and lets just say it was a learning experience for me, a lesson I’m somewhat slow to learn. The plan was a DVD night, namely The Incredibles, projected through a projector with the sound through an amp with speakers, giving the full on cinema effect. So I gathered together the equipment and cabling that I figured would make it happen, went down in the afternoon to set it up and test the sound, and came home having succeeded and feeling pretty good about myself that it would work.
The evening arrives, nearing 50 kids show up; we have hired out the DVD, sit them down and go to show it. Sounds booming out until the crucial point – when the characters speak, you see their mouth moving but there aren’t any words coming through. Nitemare, so I check a few cables, check a few setting’s on the DVD, still no words. Try plan B, play it through the laptop and hope for the best, still no joy. Only thing we can do as kids become more restless is go for the subtitles that worked for a while, but ultimately isn’t the same as sound. The digitally enhanced DVD needs a surround sound system to bring through the full range of sounds, and our two speakers through an amp didn’t match up.
So we had a swift change of plan, played some music while we fed them their pizza and hot-dogs, ran home for some karaoke dvd’s, and they sang their hearts out for the remainder of the night.God again taught me that it’s not in my strength that I do things for him, but through the strength and ability he gives me by his spirit. Because I had left God out of the equation, and let my quiet time’s with him falter over the past week, he used this incident to remind me that it’s Him that should have priority in my life. Its Him I’m serving with all my heart, it’s Him who gives me strength when I’m weary, and ultimately it’s Him I need to rely on for all I seek to do in His name.

Saturday, July 23, 2005

Have been working on creating a website this week for our youthgroups in church, something i've been intending to do for a while. Ignite offer a great service for setting a site up for youth groups : quick and easy design, 10MB storage space and a free mailing list service meaning those who sign up can get regular mailshots and upddates to the site.
Another thing i've finally got up and running is the ability to upload photo's to the blog here thanks to hello and picasa software. I'm also trying out Googles new desktop search software which i'm well impressed by, bloglines for reading RSS feeds of my favourite sites and ONSPEED to quicken up our dial-up connection (though broadband speeds would be more favourable)

Anyway it's been quite a profitable week, alot on in the incoming weeks in preperation for REACHOUT. Heading up to New Horizon today also, which is a first for me and something i'm looking forward to alot.

Tuesday, July 19, 2005


The scene as I looked out my bedroom window a night last week

Saturday, July 16, 2005

Re-connected
Well its been a while since I’ve been able to update the old journal, the reason being my laptop died. After over 6 week, after endless phone calls, store visits and much annoyance I’m now seated writing this entry on a replacement laptop. Long story that I’ll not dwell on now, but basically a lot of hassle, and only for Curry’s extended warranty package that we had taken out, otherwise I don’t know where I would stand.
Anyway enough of all that, what’s been going on in my life of note recently? It’s funny now that I sit here, having thought on countless occasions over the past months I must blog about that, but now I have the opportunity to blog again I can’t remember half the things I wanted to put down.
PRE Reach-Out events have been coming along nicely, had a great crowd down at a beach party when the schools broke up for the summer, and toady’s carnival was a success, if somewhat messy from reports. I wasn’t able to make it along to today’s event as I couldn’t get off work, which peeved me off bug time, but as with everything God had a lesson for me in it. He used today to remind me that it’s not about me, its all about him and what he can do through me if I’m willing. As the rain poured down last night, and I started to panic about how outdoor activities could happen with waterlogged facilities, especially if I wasn’t gonna be there, how would it all happen. Crazy thoughts as I look at it now, but God taught me valuable lessons. He reminded me that it’s Him that’s in control: of nature, of the reach-out activities, of my life ultimately. It’s what he’s doing through me by his Spirit that counts, and it’s what he has planned for the week that will prevail, all I have to do is draw close to him so that my plans are his plans.
Gracious God, thank you that you choose to use fallen sinners saved by grace to extend your kingdom here on earth. Thank you for reminding me that it’s your work that I’m a small part of, and it’s in your strength and according to your will that I can carry it out. God of creation, you alone are worthy of our praise, may I be a reflection of your love, grace and mercy during my days here on earth.