Silence isn't Golden!

The photo's are of a basket that Holly and Hannah made for their sister. We had fun making it and Amy loves it!

These past couple of weeks have been tough! We got Amy down to Edinburgh and had to say goodbye, knowing that this goodbye was all together different. Fenella helped Amy get her room fixed up and put the "car LOAD" of things away. Meanwhile I was sent out to get pots and pans, cups, plates and cutlery! We assumed that the halls would have provided all the essentials, but that was not the case. So, here I am wondering the streets of Edinburgh at 8.00pm trying to find a shop that sell this kind of stuff. A while later I returned triumphant from the quest! We then went for something to eat and after having made sure everything was well with Amy, we set out for home. I am writing this over a week since we left Amy and it is now that we are truly feeling the effects and size of what has just happened. No longer do we have to close the dining room door to dampen the volume of Amy's voice when she would sit at the piano and practice. The house is a lot quieter and the sound of music is not as evident. Anyway, we can't stop time and the truth is that Amy was ready for this stage of her life. She is doing a fine job of getting settled and finding new friends and new opportunities to use her gift of song. Hyvots Bank have become her new church family and we are thankful!

This morning is the first chance I have had to sit and really think about what's going on. Last week was a blur and I remember constantly praying the same prayer before having to teach or work with a group. I would pray that God find something useful from the chaos in my heart. This past week has been one of the fullest I can remember. I had the joy of teaching 6 school assemblies and having 4 after school activities as well as the classes at church and spending some time one one one with some of our young Christians. The amazing thing is that the strength was always there to keep going. I am not saying this for you to be impressed with my work rate, but to recognise the truth that we must rely on God's strength and in His mighty power. For me, this week I got a glimpse of what can be done when we allow God the room to provide from His mighty power. Let me quickly add that this is not the "norm" in my life, but I want it to be!

I want to finish up wit a couple of quick comments about Friday and Sunday night. Friday night we had an amazing class with the teens. Alex and I were blessed with 16 teens who were there to listen and participate. We talked about Romans 1:25 about "Exchanging the truth of God for a lie." We asked the question, "What are some of the lies this world has put in the place of God?" All three discussion groups had excellent points and the sharing at the end was inspirational. We were honest and talked about the danger of replacing God with the pleasure and addiction that comes from sex, drink, drugs, and money. There were also concerns about the role of scientific thinking, especially in light of our TV's being full of the corruption and foolishness coming from the likes of Stephen Hawkins and Richard Dawkins. In all 10.00pm came too quickly. The class was good! On Sunday night Alex and I shared our 3rd Sunday. We wanted to tie in the "Hands" that we have been putting all round the Fellowship hall. We decided to use an old acronym I had from a class with Dan Stockstill, Hugs Affirmation Need Develop. Alex did a great job with the first two and I took the last two. At the beginning we got many of the older Christians to get their hands covered in paint and add to the number of hands on the wall. The atmosphere was really good and the message we were able to share was powerful, again stressing the previous point of God's power.

I am away to meet up with Alex and Shaun Main for coffee to talk about what we will do with tonight's class.

"Finally, brothers, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power."

Taking the Time to Notice!

Thought I would make a few comments about this weekend. You just never know what opportunities you will encounter! For some reason it hit me this weekend the variety and depth of opportunity God places in our paths. I have been humbled, frustrated, proud, delighted, disappointed and useful all in the space of a weekend.

I was humbled on Sunday as Fenella the girls and I went to visit Ian and Avril Bowie from Cullen. We found out that Ian's health was in bad shape. We were able to spend a wee while in their home and find out that Ian has cancer in his bowel. His state of mind was exemplary and his outlook is very positive. It is humbling to not have the answers. Ian and Avril have been a refuge and safe haven for many in times of deep despair. Here again they are facing challenging times. It was good to listen to Ian share his confidence that God is his reason to face this cancer with hope. We were able to share a time in prayer and eventually tear ourselves away. I wish there had been more time to visit! We left at 5.30 and had to rush to get ready for church in Buckie at 6.00.

It is frustrating at times to see teenagers make bad choices in the past that are now affecting their future. I have had the joy of sharing some advice and council to a struggling teen. I can't help thinking how hard it is to go through those awkward years with a less than adequate tool box. I am prayerful, that in spite of some obvious struggles, the Spirit will guide and bring about something of value and purpose. I am very aware that this is always the case when the Spirit is involved, my prayer is for the will to engage and for fear to be overcome.

I am delighted with our Friday night bunch! This past Friday we had our first class of the term. We had to delay the start because of the Aberdeen Youth Weekend. It was a good beginning! We had Lewis and Robert "Graduate" from the Monday night Class now that they are in the Academy. I am so happy that they are now a part of Friday nights! We had two new faces in Jordan and Ryan. Jordan Sutherland used to come a few years back and after some invites he made up his mind to come and to bring his friend with him - fantastic! We added a few more "Hands" to our wall. I taught a lesson based on a fundamental difference between God and Satan, "God waits to be INVITED into your life, but Satan will INVADE any chance he gets!" We had a good crowd there and the atmosphere has certainly rolled over from last term. I am very hopeful and excited to see God continue the good work in this arena of young souls!

I have reason to be disappointed with myself. I have felt a bit flat and know I should be doing a better job in certain aspects of my life. I am reminded of the lesson I challenged the teens with last week and need to put it into practice in my own life. Satan, "The Accuser" will devour you if you let him! I need to spend some time getting back under, "The Mighty Hand of God!" After this weekend I know thing are getting back on track, but I am always conscious of my humanity.

I am not saying this to lift myself up, but to show how great God is and how we are useful in His service. On Sunday Fenella, Beth, Holly, Hannah and I had the joy of spending the day with the Buckie Church. On the journey up I prayed constantly that God use me to bless the church. I am confident that God used my family to encourage the Christians there. I preached two lessons and I pray that I allowed God to use my heart in delivering His message. We had lunch at Elaine Pirrie's and were spoiled big time! We watched a DVD of Elaine and Hunter's 25th anniversary, where they renewed their vows. It was beautiful and there were tissues, lots of them! It was good to spend time with Grace and Alan Johnstone. From a young age Alan, Grace and their family have impacted my faith.

I am proud of Amy and Beth! I see their roots of maturity in their desire to learn and choose a meaningful path for their future. I make these observations with an element of fear, because you never know what trials and challenges their lives will encounter and who they will turn too for advice. Fenella and I take comfort from the fact that they know God and that there is evidence in their young lives that their faith is their own. We don't know what tomorrow will bring, but we thank God for what his instruction and teaching has created through imperfect people.

Well, wasn't expecting to use this as a sounding board, but it is what it is! Please seize the opportunity to pray for many of the joy's and pain's I have shared in this entry - God Bless!