Scrambled eggs!

I know it's been a few days since my last entry, but for some reason I've kept putting off updating my blog. I can't quite put my finger on the reason why, maybe I just haven't been in the right frame of mind till now. It's been an eventful past week and I remember saying to Fenella that on Saturday I was glad to have my head back to myself and don't have to be focused on a lesson and constantly have my head in books and study. I know that sounds pretty negative, but These past days I have struggled to find some freedom from lesson preparation. Since we moved the teens class from a Thursday to Friday night I have challenged myself to make the lessons as real and connective as I can. The results have been obvious and the teens are responding to the challenge from the lessons. However, I do feel a huge weight and at times almost obsessively focused on the next class presentation. I know it's healthy to respect the Word and right to make the most of the opportunity, but I worry sometimes if I don't get the balance right and that there is too much of ME and not enough of GOD in my preparation. My desire is for the teens to be brought into the spiritual realm and challenged to consider who Jesus is, and why He is so important to mankind in completing God's plan for our salvation. Our class on Friday we looked at who Jesus was and talked about the fact that it is not enough to think of Jesus as a great Man or Teacher, in fact, to think of Jesus in this way is to totally miss the point of His life and death. I used CS Lewis point that rather see Jesus as a fool or a demon or in fact Lord, but don't see Him as simply a great Man! I wish I could see into the hearts of the teens to see what they are doing with the seed! I know I need to chill out a bit and stop taking things so seriously, and have faith that God IS active and will bring the increase - IN HIS TIME.
Well, that's my heart laid bare. I know God is active amongst us and I am confident that He has hearts that are seeking Him. I pray that the harvest will come soon!

Let me change the tone from me to my family! This past week has given Fenella and I so much reason to be proud of our girls. Beth has been the talk of the high school as a result of her honesty. She found £15 at the school, handed it in and thought nothing of it. She came home at lunch time and told us what she had done and we took it for granted, thinking that was good and having a quiet sense of pride that our daughter did the right thing. However, the next day she was called out of class to meet a young girl who had been distraught at loosing the money and having to explain to her parents what she had done. The young girl was so thrilled that Beth not only had found the money, but had handed it in to be returned to her. She thanked Beth for what she had done. Later that week Fenella and I got a letter from the school expressing their delight at Beth's exemplary honesty and the sentiments of the letter was telling us that Beth had restored their faith that there is good in human nature. Beth is still wondering what all the fuss is about and says it's just "normal," but I suppose the truth is that this now considered out of the norm behaviour. The school were going to use this to promote honesty within the student body at the high school - Go Beth!!!

Amy was asked to sing at a funeral. A good man in our community died and his favorite song was "A Gaelic Blessing," a beautiful song! Amy was asked to learn and perform the song in the space of a few days. Fenella and I went to the funeral and gripped each others arms as it came time for Amy to sing. We, along with over 600 people sat there totally captivated by the beauty and blessing that was Amy's voice. Amy was most certainly a channel of blessing to us all and a very fitting tribute to Sam, who's life was exemplary!

Well, that's a cupful from the barrel that was the last week in our life and ministry.

One last thing - Please keep Billy Campbell in your prayers. Billy is John's dad and he is in pretty bad shape at the moment. He had a tumour removed from his bowel and it was later discovered that after surgery there was a part of the bowel that was not properly closed and the result was that leakage has spread throughout his body, leaving him fighting for his life. Billy is a good man and John & Michelle are struggling to get through this, so please lift them up to the Father - Thanks!

God bless!