Time for a Breather?

WOW! What a challenging weekend full of inspirational talks, challenges, an amazing time enjoying God's presence and a wonderful time of fellowship.

I did have a few wrong motivations for going, but having brought them before the Lord, I know that however many wrong motives I had at least I was honest enough to bring them to him. Either way, He blessed me with an amazing weekend and teaching that was "coincidentally" relevant! More likely Godincidental!

The teaching was done by Steve Tibbert, David Stroud and Terry Virgo...

Steve began the weekend by giving some background as to how life was before the freedom of the spirit became "acceptable" and how the generation before ours had different battles to face and how they affronted them.

David Stroud's main meeting preach inspired me to consider church planting, something I think I've always been interested in, but perhaps need to think more about in the future and need to pray into. Having seen both Ben and Jon in church plants, there is an appeal to it-having seen both sides of the fence as it were.

His student and twenties meeting was one of the major thought-provokers of the weekend asking that convicting question:

What race are you running and how are you running it?

He instantly suggested-to get a degree for the glory of God and I was instantly like "If anyone asks I'll steal that one!" But having thought more about it at the time and later on, I realised that I need to think harder as to what my race is and what I'm aiming for...eventually heaven but before death parts me-What am I heading for? There are I believe several races I need to run in order to reach that glorious finish line. Like stages in the Tour de France.

I do want to get a degree and then go on to inspire and motivate teenagers to make something of their lives, through teaching English. Where? I'd love the challenge of inner city London schools and then later church planting? A different nation? Africa? Marriage. Children-to pass wise words on (as well as good looks obviously!) and have those proud parental moments.

David Stroud was full of challenges this weekend that really cut to the heart and sent conviction rushing through my blood...

How do we achieve extraordinary things for Jesus?

Are you prepared to throw off the good to achieve the great?

this one particularly:

Are you prepared to be your own person/the person Jesus wants you to be?

Too often have I hidden and attempted to grow in the shadow of my family, and whilst parts of my identity are built within them, university is surely the perfect place in which to get into the sunshine and start to grow. You need courage to be yourself.

What it boils down to is this...what are we focusing on? We need to focus on God-because when we focus on the bad things that's all we see and it all feels too much.

When we focus on God everything else fits into its exact place, not like when we take over and try and jam a jigsaw piece in the right spot which is blatantly wrong.

Today's last meeting was Terry Virgo, a person that at a younger age I would have complained at having to sit through, but now older and more mature, I could see the anointing God has on his life and the wisdom he shared was excellent. His challenges made me tear up during the preach and feel this tug, that was prophesied before hand by Wendy. A tug that I need to be in Canterbury, that Sidcup and NCC is not my home for now, and that I may go back one day and return but for now, right now Canterbury needs to be my home.

The weekend helped put into perspective what my focus needs to be on, so much of the time it appears to be on the same old things, the same person I like and the same old issues of work and self-esteem. But if I just focus my eyes on God I will see nothing else-like looking into the sun directly.

So no, this is not the time to take a breather, I've had my chance, now is the time to take the plunge, the focus on that sea floor that I'm diving for. To look to God, to let all other things wash over me, to let God take control of work, love and life.