Game on for God!

Catch up....

It has been a while since my last blog and a lot has happened.

Football firstly St. Andrew's need another 3 wins out of 3 to remain in the division they are in.  This is due to league restructuring!  We have a game tomorrow night against EK Claremont at Toryglen which I have to say is one if not the best facility we have played at for a while.  Recent results have been a 4 v 3 win against KCC and also a 4 v 1 win against KCC (we hadn't played them at all this season so this was the rearranged fixtures).  We still have Trinity Possil and Mure Memorial to play over the next 2 weeks.  No game Saturday as our opponents are in the cup semi final and I am at a friends daughters wedding.

Family are all well #1 daughter has her visa for America and leaves in 3 weeks.  #2 daughter is very excited as she gets her room while she is away.  #3 & #4 don't care and the boy well that is another story and one that will take a seperate blog.  The sun is out and trying to keep the son in is a nightmare and so far this week he has wrecked the barbecue and the wall in the garden, destroyed 2 plants and climbed the fence at least 5 times and that is in 2 days.  There is a lot to be said about rain.  The wife is doing well and has been asked to write some material  for the expositary times.  I am really proud of her she is awesome and a real b lessing to me and our children.

Work is going ok.  I am preaching on Sunday which I am looking forward to and then 2 weeks after that I am preaching again.  Exciting times are coming.  Anyway that is probably all I need to say just now?  Oh!  My dissertation is due in in 15 days time argh!!!  Better get on with it again.  St. Andrew's had another Praise night which went well and I am looking forward to the next one already.  Oh and I drove an Audi RS 4 amazing! fast,  awesome what else can I say 4.2 ltr engine 0 -60 in 5 secs.

Some you lose!

At last some time to blog.  I have been really busy over the last few weeks and so haven't had too many quieter moments.

Football, and both St. Andrew's and Manchester United have gone into meltdown.  St. Andrew's can't pull a consistent team together.  So far we have lost 21 goals in 3 games which includes a 6 v 5 loss to Mure Memorial, 8 v1 against Greenock Elim (we only had 9 players due to injuries and work commitments) and 5 nil against Burnside and with the last game they had 6 attacks and scored 5 goals - we hit the bar at least 3 times, the post and their keeper pulled off a few saves - we wouldn't have scored if we were still playing the game now argh!  So now I have had 2 bad weekends all my teams have lost and unfortunately everyone has to suffer as I am like a bear with a sore head.  As a Man U fan I hate all things Liverpool and Chelsea - sorry can't hide it.  It doesn't help that my step father is a Liverpool fan and so it is a struggle to bite my tongue.  Rugby and Wales have lost which is rubbish as well but I did go and watch Nick Cox play for Glasgow Hawks on Saturday and at least they won although first half it looked like they would get hammered but they played really well in the second half so well done Hawks it added a bit of light to my weekend.

I have been listening to some of my ALM CD's from previous conferences and Leon Fontane is the latest one and he talks about thinking big and how the church doesn't think big - to which I have to agree.  We seem to settle for second or even third best which is sad when we have so much to offer the world other than judgement.  I want to be a big thinker and get God out of the box that I keep him in.  I have been offered a number of opportunities recently to do some big things and I am really excited by them.  The other CD I listened to was Paul Scanlon's 'I am not my Father'.  It is a really encouraging message and I can relate my story to Paul Scanlon's story as they are very similar with regard to our fathers.  Not sure what to listen to next, maybe a Heroes CD (last years conference).  I am really looking forward to this years conference it looks really good.

I went to a Methodist conference in England a week ago, which was for Lay people.  The content wasn't that appealing but I took lots away from it and meeting people from anywhere and everywhere was great - I met some really good contacts and some very interesting people.  The family are all well and now the sun is out so is the boy and there is no keeping him in but at least he goes to  bed early problem being he gets up at 6.00 - 6.30 am most mornings now and wants to play.  #1 daughter is off to California for 10 weeks soon to do camp America, which she is excited about she actually leaves the day after she comes back from ALM's Cherish conference.  The other ladies in my life are all doing well, especially the wife.  I am hoping to have some time to blog more regularly now but as usual need to wait and see what develops.

Meetings and Mission

I have had one meeting today, which involved a couple of ministers from the local area.  It went well and we have more to talk about and set things up for the future.  We discussed sports ministry in detail and meeting people where they are at and not where we want them to be.  I have several meetings tomorrow - 10.00am, 2.00pm d then 7.15pm is the final one.  In all a very busy day ahead. 

I have been checking out the conference at ALC in November and who is involved.  The title of it is 'heroes'.  It promises to be very good and as there are a number of us going it should be a good chance to have some fellowship as brothers in Christ.  For a couple of the guys it is their first time but they are open minded and should enjoy it.  Rick Godwin has been down to ALC and I forgot as I was planning to go down to listen to him as I enjoy his preaching and the way he delivers it.

My wife blogged earlier with regard to the title of my blog from Saturday 'Friends, Football & Faith'.  She is right, we do think differently and that is probably why I ordered it and named it differently.  What is important to remember though is my faith cannot be separated from any of the above activities nor in anything in my life.  With my friends my faith grows, at the football on a Saturday morning my faith gets to be exercised more so than at any church I have been to and it also gets tested & challenged. 

As I don't work in a secular job my mission field has changed and so has the emphasis on how and what I share with people.  I don't miss my job as my new one has many challenges in it.  My plea to churches would be to recognise that the ordinary people in the seats are actually serving missionaries.  It may not be in Africa or some other far off place but it is a mission field that they serve in.  Next time churches are praying for there 'missionaries' perhaps they should start with those who work locally in those high flying jobs or even the dead end ones, where they share their faith and witness for Christ at the front line.  So please spare a thought and a prayer for people in your congregation who work in any kind of job - the worplace is a mission field.

Update

I think update sounds better than catch up!  With the busyness of life I haven't had time to update the blog apart from the sad news with regard to Ted the VP of ICC.  He was the man that taught me 800 years of Israelite history in a whirlwind 8 weeks and added at each lecture, 'If I am going too fast just stop me'!

Football - we didn't have a game this weekend.  St. Andrew's got to the second round without playing a game and I was away on holiday with the family.  The last game we played was against Trinity Possil which we won 6 v 2.  Wee John scored a hat trick and I-Mac played at centre half and did very well.  They all buzzed about like 'busy little bees' - only Russell will understand this as he made the comment - To give him the benefit of the doubt I, in his defense, will say he was having 'one of those days'.  This weekend we play Kilsyth COG at Castlemilk sports centre and so the game will definitely be on although finding a referee was a bit of a struggle but finally got one tonight.  Looking forward to the game it should be good.

Work is going really well although I have had to hone my diplomacy skills.  I am having a great time with work although it can be a challenge at times but they are great people that I am working with, and the minister I am associated with is brilliant - very wise and very spiritual.  There is a lot of work to be done but in the end it will be worth it.  I am now on note and hopefully within the next 3 months will go on trial.  The programme to preach at the methodist circuit is very complex and thorough.  They have a very good training programme set up.  I need to complete 18 modules to become a licenced preacher and I hope to use this as part of my independent study for my honours year along with another 4 modules.

College is very exciting although I expect it to be quite subdued next week when I actually go in for lectures with the passing of Ted.  I have plenty of reading to do but this can only be good for me!

Holiday was absolutely fantastic.  Never went near a mobile phone and only checked e mails once whilst away.  Spent loads of time with the kids swimming and bike riding.  Most importantly got real quality time to be with the wife, drinking coffee and the odd glass of wine.  Just walking about and reflecting on what we have achieved together over the past 20 years.  So I really enjoyed it we had fun and I actually ate healthily well, at least once.  I thoroughly recommend Centre Parcs to anyone who is looking for a holiday with a difference.

I am away again in 7 weeks off to Bradford for the weekend on my annual pilgrimage to Abundant Life Church and this year there are 8 of us going, 6 from the football team and two other friends so that should be a fun filled weekend.  The theme is 'Heroes'.  I will be able to get some refreshing in a year that ministry has at times been very painful but thankfully God has lead me through and shown me a new side of ministry.  Paul Scanlon will be doing a few sessions, which is always good and an American guy who on paper appears to be a good speaker.  I always find going to Bradford a refreshing and relaxing time.  I do tend to phone home to make sure everyone is doing ok and also to let them hear the great praise music that happens at ALC.  It's all good stuff! 

Pioneer Clubs

I have been asked to review the above.  It is a Christian ministry in North America that has also opened up in Belize.  It is for children and can be run by any church.  It has camps in the summer (21 of them).  They have resources to help train leaders including teleconferencing, DVD's and conferences.

Having e mailed the guy back saying I would review the website and blog about it here goes.  The whole idea is very well thought out and good, some of the positives for me were that in all they do they promote community which is the way it should be.  The website clearly explains what happens and how things are done and the successes they have had.  They have been doing children's ministry for 70 years now and are reaching out into many churches across North America.

A couple of things I wasn't sure about and will need to read some more on the ministry and the website to correct anything I say that I may not have picked up on the first time.  It seems to be what in Britain would be called a middle class thing especially the camps.    The church stuff is easy to use and so can be used and is being used by a lot of churches.  The memory verse thing is just a thing that bugs me personally but if it works and, it appears to be then great.  I have difficulty in it being non competetive but  understand why.  Unfortunately in the world we live in competing is a neccessity in order to achieve in most areas whether that be work, sport or life in general.  I think that this type of ministry should be teaching healthy competetiveness rather than not.  Children's ministries should be promoting healthy competition in a loving way.

The camps sound great not sure about the bird names and the end of day celebration sounds a little to 'kumbaya' to me.  In general I think it is a great idea and the fact that it works and kids come along is great.  I would like to know how they keep up to date with the kids that go to the camps in order to see how they grow in Christ.  What sort of follow up is done on the newcomers to the camps etc.

This is just my first reading of the stuff that they do and so I am going to blog on this subject again over the next week or so and my opinion may change although, I think it is a very good ministry reaching loads of kids.  Not sure if it would work in Britain?  Not sure if introducing Father and children weekends would be something to look at?  Will read some more and blog again.

This week's events

Welcome to my good friend Brian who has only just found my blog thanks to Lynne- now he's found it he is off traveling the world with OM so hopefully if he keeps dropping by then my world viewing will go up!!!

At the beginning of the week, all bar 1 of us came dowm with a 24 hour stomach bug but thankfully it has now passed.  We all blamed the boy for it as he was the first to be inflicted. 

I've had several meetings this week to do with my new job and met some really great people.  Tuesday I was in Shettleston and had a look round the church there while meeting some of the regulars to the lunch club.  On Wednesday it was across to Milton to meet some of the congregation, measure up my new office and get some decorating plans in place for when I start.  Wednesday night an attempt at a conference call, which worked out quite well and Thursday off to a church leader's lunch with a pastor from EK who I have known for a long time and respect very much.  It was great to meet so many men and women from the West of Scotland, to hear some of their stories and spend time in prayer together.   The next one is in September (just before I go on holiday, hooray!) so if you are keen to know more about it get in touch and I'll give you the details.

Football is well underway now and our actual league season kicks off on the 23rd August down in the lovely place called Irvine  The following week we are at home to Queen's Park and then we are away again, this time to Kilbirnie.  Oh how I love to travel to these places.  We have 5 new additions to the team this season, which will make up for the couple we have lost although we will get one back for next season - hopefully if he doesn't enjoy Prague too much!  Tomorrow night we are out to dinner with friends and I'm looking forward to catching up with them, then after a pre-season friendly on Saturday it's off on a boat on Loch Lomond to have something to eat and do the presentations for last season.  We thought we would have a different format this year and encourage family and friends to come along so hopefully it will be a success.

Church on Sunday and then the final preparations for everyone starting school on Monday!  No. 2 & No. 3 daughters are now all set for returning (I think they're a bit bored but also excited to get into the new gear for starting back and meeting new teachers and friends).  No. 1 daughter has had one job interview that she seems quite keen on so it may be a possibility for her.  No. 4 daughter is preparing to go to nursery.  She is really excited but the Wife isn't!  She misses the kids when they are away from her and gets concerned about them in case they need her but we've both had many years of practice at entrusting them to God.  As I am still off for another 2 weeks, the Wife and I will have time to spend with just the boy, which will be good.  We will also spend that time decorating so I have just been informed!

Family, study and work

In the midst of yet another busy week with lots of family stuff going on (including much reorganising and DIY that's been on the cards for a while) I finally get a chance to blog! 

Last week was a busy week between getting all the kids ready for school and nursery, which meant lots of shopping and reorganisng the kids bedrooms, and having my interview at ICC on Wednesday for entry to the BA Hons programme.  I received my letter of acceptance on Friday with my schedule for the year so it's great to be able to plan my weeks so well in advance.  I start on 23rd Sept then, after a wee weekend away with the family, lectures begin on 1st Oct.  I haven't decided what my major piece of research will be on as there are so many things I'd like to study but I'm thinking that I would like to link it with something relevant to my new post, which starts 1st Sept so that will give me several weeks to think it through and come up with some more solid ideas.  I already have loads of topic ideas so I need to slim them down a bit. 

My new post is based in a church not far from the college and I'll have an office there so I think it will work out very well.  I'm excited about starting and after meeting with my new colleague tomorrow hope to get some firm ideas and proposals on paper. 

We're trying to make sure the house and kids are organised and settled before schools starts next week and before I start my new job and college.  There's lots of changes going on but everyone is excited and keen to muck in and help. 

I'm going to a church leaders lunch in Glasgow on Thursday with another pastor friend while the wife meets a close friend for lunch - it's a hard life!  The wife is having some time off from work at the moment and we managed to spend most of yesterday just the two of us with the boy.  We took him to church in the evening and I wanted to hear my friend preach but even although our boy's singing was wonderful I had to take him out in case he got done for heckling the preacher after the music had stopped!  Oh well, I suppose I have more of that to look forward to.

No 1 daughter had a job interview today and No 2 daughter had the opticians so now that's all done it's back to building some new bedroom furniture for No 2 daughter and reorganising our bedroom (now he has moved into another room), which makes room for the wife and I to have matching desks!  I'm really looking forward to having more flexible time to spend with my wife and kids as well as studying and working. 

After a friendly match against Westwoodhill at Castlemilk on Saturday morning, the football team are having an afternoon boat trip and lunch on Loch Lomond.  Guests are also welcome as we'll present this year's cups for Top Goal Scorer, Players Player of the Season, Achievement Award and Top Man of the Match Award.  First game of the season is away to Irvine on 23rd Aug - oh how I love that journey but at least it gets it over with!!

Final day

My final day with the Wise Group has arrived and I have mixed emotions about it.  I have been here for 9 years 2 months and 21 days.  This feels like a long time to me but to some it won't be.  I have to say that I have enjoyed the majority of my time with the company although in recent years I have become restless and slightly under challenged.  I have met and worked with some great people and also some real characters.  I don't think I will miss working at the company but will miss the routine of going to work.  It's odd because I feel as though I've spent most of this year clearing out and getting rid of things, which is all part of the preparation for what I believe God wants to move me into.

I took cakes and croissants in to work for everyone this morning but it is strange because everyone else has to carry on with their work and I really have nothing to do except delete personal stuff off of my computer and just tidy up a few things ready to go.  I have emptied my desk etc. so not much else to do.  Not sure how I feel at the moment certainly not sad because it is only one chapter finishing with another one about to begin.  The other thing is, thanks to e-mail, I can stay in touch with the folk that I want to so I'll still be able to catch up with them!

Tomorrow, the wife, youngest daughter, the boy and I are all going swimming in the morning and then I don't know what we will do in the afternoon but I have a leaving night out to look forward to in the evening and then a celebratory dinner at friends on Saturday night.  Over the next couple of weeks I would like to get some golf in but now I have done my foot in this could prove to be difficult but I do have a month to play some golf.

Second last day

Managed to drive myself to work this morning and not needing to depend on the crutches to help me get about so much.  My foot is feeling much better but still sore.  I found out yesterday that I finish work tomorrow and not Friday as I'd previously been asked to work until then ... so bonus!  I seem to have been waiting for quite some time and now that my last day is tomorrow I can't quite believe it.  Feeling very excited about what's ahead and looking forward to spending a lot of time with the family over the next month.