Who we are (A check list)

I looked inside myself this morning.

Checking my life out.

I wrote down a list of the values that would mark out the person I would love to be.

It had things like reliable, calm, happy, positive, peaceful and constructive written on it.

I'm getting there slowly.

I know I've come a long way since the days when I was almost a completely different person,  lost in the storm of life not knowing where I was headed.

I have direction now.

Even in storms.

God has set a top notch compass inside of my mindset that helps me find the narrow way.

That compass is Jesus.

But sometimes the mad side of Gary surfaces and I get myself off course a little.

So I wrote another list.

On this list I wrote the things that I do that I don't want in my life.

It's really a good thing to draw up an honest list of the person you would want to be because that's really the person you are.

It's also good to write a list of the person you are right now and compare.

It gives us things to work on.

It gives us areas to bring before God and get a better perspective on the way to deal with those things we don't want to be.

Better still, and this is the purpose of this random blog post,  there are some great checklists in scripture that highlight the person God wants us to be.

And.

Here is one of the clearest and most amazing ones.

I leave this with you today,  whoever this is for today, to have a little ponder on this list and maybe check where our lives are right now.

And.

Write your lists.

And.

Keep Working hard to become the person we could be in relationship with Jesus,  the ultimate compass for our life's journey.

Here's the scripture. 

Romans 12:9-21 NIV

Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.   Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.   Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”    Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Blessings on your life today. 

Decisions lead to discovery

Life feels good.

The sun is beaming from a cloudless deep blue sky, it's ultra strong beams zooming like lasers through the bay window of our house on Boston Road in London. 

It's 9am.

Dawn and I decide to walk to Ealing Broadway, a round trip of about 5 miles from our house. 

Since we arrived in London we have stuck to the route that we know when we do this walk.

But.

Today?

We decided it was time to  discover a new route.

So we set off with the sun in our faces, me with some work to do in my plain back functional backpack, paper work that has to be done by Monday unfortunately,  and Dawn with whatever she carries in her ultra flowery backpack.

It was a great walk. 

The sun changes things. 

We took a few roads we don't normally go down and it's amazing what you discover. 

We walked past a park we didn't know was there, utterly gorgeous in its green finery. We walked past a group of Christians praying on the street and were able to exchange blessings with them. We discovered a road in Ealing that runs up to the old Ealing film studios where the original Ealing Comedies were shot. We discovered a manor house resplendent in its majestic architecture that probably once stood alone in vast grounds but today is swallowed up by the concrete jungle that has developed around it. All through the walk the birds were singing there scintillating songs. Kids were playing in the parks and on the street, people were washing their cars and sweeping there front paths, the first sounds of lawn mowers that I've heard were emanating from gardens that were long overdue a cut. 

All seems good. 

I get to Starbucks.

My extra office!

And get out my iPad ready to do some work.

But.

I feel like writing a blogpost instead. 

So I sack off the work. 

And think hard about my walk of new discovery. 

And lately.

I've really felt a desire in my life for change. 

For new discovery. 

For different things.

Like many  people, I guess I get sick of the same old route. 

In my everyday life and in my faith walk. 

When you are wrapped up in a denomination like the Salvation Army whose system does not really give a lot of room for discovery, which likes to stick to the same route in general, you can easily get swept along on the same old route if your not careful.   

But. 

That doesn't have to be the case. 

When we get hooked into the work/life  routine, whose systems easily directs you to the same old route in life, you can get swept up in that too.

But.

That doesn't have to be the case. 

If Dawn and I had carried on walking to Ealing Broadway via the same old route we wouldn't have discovered the new park, the Ealing film studios, the beautiful tree lined wide streets of  West London  flanked by beautiful period housing, we wouldn't have met those people who were praying on the street. It would have been same old same old. 

I crave for discovery.

I have the heart of an adventurer.

I always have had.

I find it really hard to stick to guidelines and rules. 

I find it really impossible to be boxed I to a certain way of life. 

I am one who always craves adventure and change. 

Routine doesn't sit well with me.

And.

This morning I feel back to my sharpest after a few years of battle with depressive feelings, injustice of circumstance and a lot of soul searching about my future. 

And the Spirit of Adventure has returned to my heart. 

So thinking about this today it maybe good for you guys to reflect on this.

Is it the same old routine for you?

Are you craving for something different?

Are you asking the question, "Is there more to life than this?"

Are you longing for something that seems almost unreachable?

Is it time for a change?

Firstly my advice for what it is worth is stick with Jesus, he is an adventure. He will pull you on to the narrow way, a way full of surprise and discovery. There is no routine and drudgery on the narrow way. 

Secondly, think hard about the route you are taking in life. 

Is it time to simply change that route?

Is it time to make that decision you so battle with?

Are you feeling like life is a a bit dull?

Leaving decisions unmade leads you down a slippery slope to well, let's just say not a good place. 

A dull place. 

Really?

When you look at it?

It's up to us. 

We can change it. 

You can change it. 

But you have to make a decision and stick to it. 

Decision is one of the best life tools God has equipped us with.

It's powerful. 

So whoever this is for today?

Make that decision.

Decide on a new route

It will change everything.

There is much to discover. 

Blessings. 

Unexpected answers

Last night we had a prayer session.

Just a few people who have agreed to help pray for the project. Amazing friends. 

Praying for our project and certain aspects of it that we really needed to hear from God. 

It was special.

The building work is delayed at Ealing. 

But.

There are certain aspects of the vision to raise up a Prayer house in London that we could begin to implement without the building. 

In fact I'm not really bothered about the building work. 

So.

We needed to really hear from God on that.

We needed a green light for go from him. 

We spent a long time individually praying for this specific thing. 

As we were doing so there was a loud knocking at the door, which was really amazing because one of the girls brought the scripture that says behold I stand at the door and knock. Dawn opened the door and it was a guy. A really troubled guy who I had met on the street at Christmas and spent some time chatting to as he sat on the pavement on Ealing Broadway and ended up saying a little prayer for him. He asked if there was any chance of a cup of tea and something to eat. We brought him in and I sat with him in the prayer room. He was really dirty, I felt like I could have done with a gas mask of some description but managed to breathe through my mouth.  He said, and here are his exact words, "I'm so glad you were here tonight, I was feeling really lonely and couldn't stand sitting in my room." Then he said, "I need a place like this." We spent an hour with him loaded him up with cake and coffee, and I agreed to meet him this week to help him with a housing problem he has. 

We were all Gobsmacked! (For want of a better term!)

The atmosphere filled with the beautiful electricity that only they presence of a Saviour can bring. 

It was like we had received a visitation. 

We were all confident we had received a quick and direct answer to the prayer we were praying. 

And.

Once again.

The majesty of God displayed itself in unexpected ways. 

The awesome power of prayer, as if we needed reminding, was reiterated. 

I'm reflecting on this in Costa Coffee, I've stopped on the way to a lunchtime meeting at DHQ, and it still fills me with a sense of utter joy. 

So this morning the point of my post is this. 

Look out for the unexpected when you are praying. 

We so often miss Gods responses to our prayers. 

Remember when strangers come into our midst no matter how disheveled, that we may be entertaining angels. 

Remember not to focus on the answer that you think God should give to your prayers. Because in spending our energy looking for that answer we may just miss the real response God gives us.

Keep watch and learn for the unexpected answers to prayer. 

Blessings. 

 

Update on the West London Development Project

Many of you have asked for an update about our new project in West London. 

So here goes.

A quick update on the building at Ealing. A total overhaul including decorate, fixtures and fitting, media install and revamp of the kitchen and toilets are ready to start when it gets released out of the Army system. Hopefully very soon. The building is presently an empty shell with nothing in it. 

Our project in Hayes, which is a massive part of the project is progressing along nicely. The building in Hayes is awaiting the arrival of the new officer appointment to our team, Sylvia Overton, a cadet about to be commissioned as an officer in the summer, who will bring a dimension to the vision for the project due to her experience in Canada with the War college and later at Edmonton Crossroads working particularly with girls on the street in Downtown Edmonton. Hayes is a massively needy area close to  Heathrow Airport, with very specific needs. Hayes will have the elements of the project base at Ealing but will also have specific ministries that Sylvia will develop and pioneer. 

Ealing Charity shop which has been closed for a short period to realign staff and mission currently is being redecorated and reorganized. A new manager will be appointed in the very near future which we are excited about. Working alongside Chris Scott (community director DHQ) we have reset the mission of the shop to be in line with the prayer centre at Ealing and Hayes and a really exciting vision has surfaced and will be implemented when it reopened in the coming months.  

Ealing is a very needy area too. Massively populated and one of the London boroughs, it has deep needs including homelessness, gang warfare and many other needs all mixed in with major regeneration and wealth, much like most areas of London. There is lots of prayer work to be done. Ealing prayer centre is now positioned for lift off, following months of research, prayer reconnaissance and drastic realignment of mission priorities. It will launch in the coming months as a major prayer centre. It will have a plethora of prayer rooms, including a prayer mission nerve centre, a creative prayer room, a number of quiet cells for personal reflection, a large prayer room for larger prayer groups, a gathering hall and a mission store, a top class hospitality facility, a prayer hatch out on to the Main Street and an administration area housed on the mezzanine floor. There will be four teams people can be mobilized into, intercession team, street prayer team, hospitality team, prayer ministry team. Dawn and I believe strongly in mobilizing everyone who comes on board and it's so exciting to have a list developing of people who want to come on board with us. 

We will be shortly setting up our new Facebook page and Twitter update facility so please watch this space and friend us for further updates including launch dates. 

This is a very brief and understated update there are so many exciting things developing and surfacing as God works his wonders. So I want to finish with a story that describes the simple hope of our prayer centre. 

Attached to the Ealing Corps that was housed in Ealing hall before we had the necessary passing of the Old corps to usher in the new era, is a lady called Ruth. She is Indian and came to London in 1971, to work as a Carer. She is the daughter of former Salvation Army Officers in India. She's 80 but looks about 45! I'm not sure I've ever met a more passionate Jesus follower in my life. Her little flat in Ealing is like a prayer centre in itself. Every area of wall in her flat is covered in stuff dedicated to Jesus including a massive handwritten sign in the living room saying "God is in control!" Her whole life is dedicated to following Jesus, she prays like no one I've met, she speaks about Jesus to everyone she meets, no one is safe!!! But the overriding thing about Ruth is that she has the look of Jesus. She has his countenance. Her soft spirit draws you close to God as she speaks and engages with you. She shows his love in amazing practical ways. Especially to me. Since arriving in Ealing she has shown extreme kindness to Dawn and I. She heard that I like curry. So every couple of weeks she makes me a curry. Boxes it up and gets it to me somehow. She always writes in big letters across the top of the box "Captain Gary's Curry." I also have never tasted curry like it. It's fantastic to be honest. It's also a massive blessing on my life. Her kindness and love has sustained Dawn and I during a very difficult couple of months as you can imagine as we ended the corps as it was forever in readiness to raise up the new in Ealing. 

And that love and kindness?

Is the essence of the mission. 

Without that love?

Which is a direct reflection of the love of Jesus. 

We are nothing.

This project will be nothing.

We can create the right structure for success of this project, we can build a nice environment, we can put an elaborate looking mission strategy down on paper. 

But without love?

It will be nothing.  

And that is the real essence of the work we are undertaking right now. The real hard work is prayer, love. Acceptance of anyone and compassion. 

We are excited and positioned well now. 

We ask if you could pray for this project. It has been put in place because nine Corps have closed in West London.

And.

It goes without saying.

God hasn't finished and will never finish his amazing work in this world.

His mission.

His love for us.