In Ecclesiastes 3:1 we read the words, “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens”.
As I embark on writing "My story so far”, I confess from the very beginning that I do so having no prior experience of doing anything like this before. Up until now I have dismissed the idea that I could do something like this but that belief or lack of belief changed this week, this may be my time to do this.
One of our Nazarene Pastors invited me to do a pulpit exchange with him, the idea came from our District Superintendent who suggested that it would be good for the Pastors to visit our other churches and meet with other people and tell them something of what our lives were like before we met Jesus and gave our lives to him. Then tell of what difference it made to our life when we became Christians and what God was doing in our lives now.
We exchanged pulpits on the 9th of February and it seems that both congregations experienced God’s presence and blessings. The next day as I was having my quiet time the Lord started to speak to me as I waited on him. My mind was receiving information slightly quicker than I could process it and I felt a little overwhelmed.
As I said at the beginning, up until now I had convinced myself that I was incapable of writing a book due to a number of reasons. The main reason was my personal belief that I was totally inadequate to do such a thing. One of the other reasons was that I was afraid that I would make a fool of myself in the public domain. Another way of saying it would be the fear of failure.
What the Lord was showing me was completely new to me that is why I could not process the thoughts quickly enough. I would not class myself as totally computer literate, without the help of my wife and daughters I would struggle much more than I currently do. It seemed to me that the Lord was showing me how to write a book without actually writing a book.
At this point you are probably thinking what I was thinking, “what”. How can you write a book without actually writing a book? The solution to the dilemma, write a blog. I would be lying if I said that I have never heard of a blog but that is as far as it goes, I have heard about it.
I am not exactly sure how face book or twitter works either. You are probably thinking that this man leads a dull life but I can tell you that as far as I know I am functioning ok without them. I know that they are used by millions of people to good effect, who knows one day I might enter into that adventure.
A good friend and my daughter have done all the technical stuff that will hopefully enable me to write my story as a blog. I take this opportunity to thank them. Blogging, if that is the correct term, will be a learning process and I am not going to put myself under any pressure. I will do my best to get things right and if it does not turn out right I will give myself detention in a good coffee shop.
I believe this blog is for me an act of obedience. Let me explain. After the Lord had spoken to me I was praying specifically that if this idea was His and not mine to somehow give me definite conformation and He did in a wonderful way. The Lord is very gracious in leading his people in the way that they should go, if they ask Him.
This is the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth. As I was praying for confirmation the phone rang, it was the Pastor who had exchanged the pulpit with me the day before. He phoned me to encourage me concerning what I had shared with his congregation from my life story. Due to time restriction I had fast forwarded quite a lot and his people wanted to know if I would come back and share some of the things that I had omitted.
He said other things to me as well that sealed in my heart that what God had shown me was not of self but of the Spirit of God. As I shared with him what had taken place just before he called at that precise moment of my prayer he said these words to me, “just do it”. With the help of God that is what I am going to endeavour to do.
The scripture that I read from the morning of the pulpit exchange was from John Ch 9. One of the key verses was part of verse 24. “Give glory to God by telling the truth”. Through this blog that is my only aim, to give my God all the glory, honour and praise for what He has done, is doing and by His grace will continue to do in my life.
I believe this is how the Lord would have me write my story. Some have described life as a journey; others have described it as a story that is continually being written with pages and chapters within it. I like the idea of both concepts but will lean towards the book analogy.
As far as I can tell all good stories have a beginning and an end, I will share with you my beginning and what I have experienced in life up until now, if the Lord tarries. Regarding the end of my story, it has not yet been written and if you are reading this neither has yours. It is late and I think that will do as an introduction.
As I embark on writing "My story so far”, I confess from the very beginning that I do so having no prior experience of doing anything like this before. Up until now I have dismissed the idea that I could do something like this but that belief or lack of belief changed this week, this may be my time to do this.
One of our Nazarene Pastors invited me to do a pulpit exchange with him, the idea came from our District Superintendent who suggested that it would be good for the Pastors to visit our other churches and meet with other people and tell them something of what our lives were like before we met Jesus and gave our lives to him. Then tell of what difference it made to our life when we became Christians and what God was doing in our lives now.
We exchanged pulpits on the 9th of February and it seems that both congregations experienced God’s presence and blessings. The next day as I was having my quiet time the Lord started to speak to me as I waited on him. My mind was receiving information slightly quicker than I could process it and I felt a little overwhelmed.
As I said at the beginning, up until now I had convinced myself that I was incapable of writing a book due to a number of reasons. The main reason was my personal belief that I was totally inadequate to do such a thing. One of the other reasons was that I was afraid that I would make a fool of myself in the public domain. Another way of saying it would be the fear of failure.
What the Lord was showing me was completely new to me that is why I could not process the thoughts quickly enough. I would not class myself as totally computer literate, without the help of my wife and daughters I would struggle much more than I currently do. It seemed to me that the Lord was showing me how to write a book without actually writing a book.
At this point you are probably thinking what I was thinking, “what”. How can you write a book without actually writing a book? The solution to the dilemma, write a blog. I would be lying if I said that I have never heard of a blog but that is as far as it goes, I have heard about it.
I am not exactly sure how face book or twitter works either. You are probably thinking that this man leads a dull life but I can tell you that as far as I know I am functioning ok without them. I know that they are used by millions of people to good effect, who knows one day I might enter into that adventure.
A good friend and my daughter have done all the technical stuff that will hopefully enable me to write my story as a blog. I take this opportunity to thank them. Blogging, if that is the correct term, will be a learning process and I am not going to put myself under any pressure. I will do my best to get things right and if it does not turn out right I will give myself detention in a good coffee shop.
I believe this blog is for me an act of obedience. Let me explain. After the Lord had spoken to me I was praying specifically that if this idea was His and not mine to somehow give me definite conformation and He did in a wonderful way. The Lord is very gracious in leading his people in the way that they should go, if they ask Him.
This is the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth. As I was praying for confirmation the phone rang, it was the Pastor who had exchanged the pulpit with me the day before. He phoned me to encourage me concerning what I had shared with his congregation from my life story. Due to time restriction I had fast forwarded quite a lot and his people wanted to know if I would come back and share some of the things that I had omitted.
He said other things to me as well that sealed in my heart that what God had shown me was not of self but of the Spirit of God. As I shared with him what had taken place just before he called at that precise moment of my prayer he said these words to me, “just do it”. With the help of God that is what I am going to endeavour to do.
The scripture that I read from the morning of the pulpit exchange was from John Ch 9. One of the key verses was part of verse 24. “Give glory to God by telling the truth”. Through this blog that is my only aim, to give my God all the glory, honour and praise for what He has done, is doing and by His grace will continue to do in my life.
I believe this is how the Lord would have me write my story. Some have described life as a journey; others have described it as a story that is continually being written with pages and chapters within it. I like the idea of both concepts but will lean towards the book analogy.
As far as I can tell all good stories have a beginning and an end, I will share with you my beginning and what I have experienced in life up until now, if the Lord tarries. Regarding the end of my story, it has not yet been written and if you are reading this neither has yours. It is late and I think that will do as an introduction.
