Five Alive

For some reason when I thought of the title for today’s blog I was thinking about a fruit juice that I think was called the same name because it had five different fruits that contributed to the juice. I’m not sure if it’s still around or if it’s been taken off the market. It would be a pity if it has ... only for the purposes of this blog, not because I like it or anything. Those juice combinations didn’t always work out for the best and if my taste bud memory serves me faithfully that particular juice concoction wasn’t among me best.

All of which provides an insightful, though completely irrelevant set-up for today’s blog celebrating the fifth birthday of my firstborn child Deborah Dryden. I’m not sure if I’ve written that much about my experiences on being a father. I don’t think I have which is interesting when a significant part of my life and evident vocation is to be a father to my children. As me wife currently struggles and hobbles and waddles with our third child steadily developing in her tummy it is an apt time to reflect on the first one out of our relationship.

I didn’t prepare myself that much for marriage and even less for parenthood. I didn’t read up on it that voraciously. I didn’t do the usual sit down with the significant elders in my life who could pass on words of wisdom. Indeed the season before the firstborn’s appearance was a traumatic one for me and the marital relationship. So even if I did make the time to have those reads and chats I would not have had the emotional capacity to take it on. Such as it is then, at the most precious time in a man’s life when he beholds the miracle of childbirth I was not fully with it to appreciate it. No tears rolling down me eyes at the sight of this fluid covered baby.

Thankfully all that has changed significantly over those five years and whenever I look at Deborah now, I know the grace of God is real. Even whilst I was writing yesterday’s blog I was thinking about grace and how it works very much in the parental analogy. In a real way that child has done nothing to deserve the fuss made over her. She hasn’t worked for it, she hasn’t put in her hours, she hasn’t done anything and yet she is the beneficiary of being fed, clothed, catered for physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually by doting parents who evidently love to do it.

Therein is the rub – the bond is love. It’s not based on works done, it’s based on love. That is exactly how I often think it works with my relationship with my heavenly Father. He doesn’t love me for the things I do, He loves me because He is love and thus is the essence of loving out of His character. Thus to a large extent my actions and behaviour does not alter His character. Of course that doesn’t mean I then just stay in baby mode and just be a beneficiary taking it all in and only responding by crying when I’m hungry and belching when I’m finished with the food. The act of gratitude shows my active engagement in the grace exchange.

At five, though, Deborah has developed a number of attributes and characteristics that makes her quite a different being than the one that emerged from the womb of her mother all those years ago. Now she is a most verbose little girl quick to point out when something is not fair as well as give ongoing commentary on the many aspects of her busy life. Albeit a soft girl, she is very wily and knows what note to play at a given time. She is also a courteous girl, which delights me so. I do enjoy some of her verbal ramblings and her general conduct makes me pleased. Beyond that though, I still look at this now five year old girl and thank God for her. She is amazing and to know the circumstances in which she popped out and how that has not doused any sense of joy in her makes my heart glad. Seeing the creative developments flourishing in her and noting her God-given special characteristics makes it ever so exciting to be her dad.

So as five comes and goes today and as she milks being the centre of attention my heart’s desire is that she will still bear in mind that the real centre of attention is her heavenly Father who has given her so much good in her life. My prayer is likewise that her mother and father will also grow in being examples of that life of gratitude in the light of God’s grace, so that she will have an idea where to go as her own spiritual journey develops.

For His Name’s Sake

Shalom

dmcd

When I'm In A Funk In The Twilight Zone

As I’m appreciating all the more, life is not about what we want and desire at any given time. I am appreciating that it is about flexing around the needs of others and being sensitive to the responsibility that vocation brings about in your life. So even when you don’t have your own ICT equipment, the world does not stop turning, your pregnant wife does not stop requiring your love and devotion, your children do not stop needing your paternal attention and care, your workplace does not stop requiring your services for the people that live and work there. Life goes on.

Ideally, left up to me, I’d be at me own home this evening merrily typing away at some inspiration that I’d want to turn into something or other, whilst listening to quality music and also having the girls scampering around to the music. We don’t live in an ideal world and as people know at such a crazy period as moving, the interim period can be a bind. So I find myself in that crazy twilight zone of having moved to Salford already – the vast majority of the earthly possessions of Christopher Dryden are now there. Yet my time at work in Stoke has not yet ended. So mentally, emotionally and in every other way I’m already up there busy thinking about to sort things out for the next step. Physically though I’m still here. Tough life, but someone’s got to live it because the pregnant wife, the children, the workplace, etc. don’t stop even if I want to!

Something that provides encouragement and motivation in this limbo period is good company. I’m blessed to have a Saviour who doesn’t just save to fly away, but saves and then settles within and through the Comforter I am not alone in limbo. So He keeps me going with promptings of opening up things that I didn’t see before when I considered even the most basic scriptures. For example did you know that the end of Genesis 2 defies the most basic thing we learn in mathematics? The implications of that are greater than just a maths quandary. Not only things like that, but he also gives me an insight into the kind of fun things that are ahead even if it would be challenging.

Good company takes you out of the funk you maybe in and keeps your eyes on the prize – that prize is the high calling in Christ, that prize is eternity with Him – no more moving, thank God!

For His Name’s Sake
Shalom
dmcd

Who Are You Not What Are You Good At

I finally got to watch The Wrestler recently. I saw a film that told a wonderful morality play along the lines of what happens when you invest your life into something at the cost of everything and you are defined by what you do rather than investing in who you are called to be as a character.

This is particularly poignant if we are particularly good at what we are doing – if it gets us acclaim, fame and that glimmer of glory that is like a whiff of something intoxicating, alluring and compulsively addictive. We are good at it, so we become one with it and no longer have the emotional or character skills to deal with life when we are no longer the best at what we do and there is nothing left to life for us.

Someone said that it was a film that dragged for her, but to me it travelled at a measured pace ticking all the journey marks of a good story – tell the basic areas of the character’s life, introduce the main character, let us know what the main theme of the brother’s life is, give us the crucial up and down points, lead us to the finish. It does this well, it takes us on an emotional rollercoaster but in no way at a stomach churning pace.

So I enjoyed watching the film and came away thanking God again that He has delivered us from any other preoccupation other than being His sons, so that I don’t find my identity in anything else than that – not what I do, or who knows me or how well I am known. I also left hoping others would likewise be set free from such a dangerous clinch on the world and the things of the world.

To be lonely is a very sad thing and there we don’t have true love that forgives, that puts relationships as a priority and that can allow us to find contentment in the simplicity of life and not be wracked by a need to be fulfilled by the temporary.

So I was reflecting on some of the lessons I learnt from The Wrestler and continued reading the book of the moment which is the autobiography of Eric Bristow I was walking home and as usual thinking. The Bristow book is definitely about a man who became obsessed with something he was good at to the cost of virtually everything else. Whilst taking all that in, I thought again about King David’s issue with Bathsheba (found in 2 Samuel 11 and 12).

There is a reading of the story that goes as follows. David took time off from doing what he’s always meant to be doing, i.e. leading the troops. Because he took that time off he was susceptible to being caught off guard and hence the whole mess and so the lesson to learn is to always be at our post doing what we’re meant to be doing so we don’t foul up as David did.

The problem with that reading is that it doesn’t actually address the fact that David’s actions with Bathsheba exposes the dark heart of what David is capable of to himself more than anyone. It exposes his spiritual bankruptcy and vulnerability to the many sins that plague a lot of men. To leave it down to the brother taking a break actually reinforces the sort of thinking that makes the Protestant Ethic such a popular thing for work-a-holics.

There is something to be said about being where you need to be, doing what need to be doing so as not to be caught out. In this case, however, there is more to it than that. It fits a better picture of our growing understanding of what the life of every faith-traveller reveals – after the initial encounter with God others follow like this that are not meant for someone’s elevation but again to bring the traveller to an appreciation of their utter dependency on God because of the deeper issues in life.

I trust that out identity will continually be tried by God so that all the dross is dealt with, in whatever season of life and we won’t be dependent on something we’re good at or something we desire of limited value. Rather our desire will again be determined by God telling us that we are His and He is ours.

For His Name's Sake

Shalom

dmcd

He Gets About

I was recently reflecting on just how God is in everything. Not in the deist sense of things where He is the trees, the river, the birds, etc. I mean it in the sense that if I have the eyes to see and the ears to hear I’ll experience Him in every situation I face in life. Whether it’s His commitment to joy seen in the playfulness of my girls, His character of compassion seen in the young people crying out for love at the YMCA, the call to patience and perseverance when I’m on a shopping trip with all the female members of the household and they’re being a pain of one sort or the other. He gets about. That He shows me glimpses of His character in these events reminds me of my responsibility to seek Him in all aspects of my life. It also reminds me of His incredible grace and mercy

For His Name's Sake

Shalom

dmcd

What's Really Important

Do you ever ask yourself what’s really important? Do you ever answer yourself by a changed life – not drastically, but noticeably? Do you catch up on yourself when you said you would do something, or be somewhere and then find that you’ve wandered far from that goal, despite still having a desire to achieve that goal?

It’s fine if you don’t ask those questions or engage in that sort of inner-monologue, we’re not all meant to be that reflective, for some people it’s too much to deal with. I am intrigued by how many people I know have an active life that keeps them busy so that they don’t ever stop to consider these things. They are irrepressible in their zeal to get the job done, whatever it is. Their energy makes them almost indefatigable in their conquest. Yet when life happens as it invariably does with those things that arrest us all of a sudden we’re not prepared to answer those issues, yet have to be forced to develop the capacity to do so or face a miserable time looking to avoid it.

Stuff happens in life that allows me to recognise how attached I am to material things. It is a bit like the songwriter suggests in the inimitable voice of Joni Mitchell – you don’t know what you’ve got til it’s gone. As you may note, I enjoy the pleasures of being able to write and save stuff and publish it online. I love that whole thing and have been tremendously blessed with the resources I’ve gained online whether it’s audio works or pdf files on interesting subjects.

I have thus invested a considerable amount of time on this here ICT equipment and a considerable amount of my creativity and energy. As with anything of this nature, that means the stuff becomes valuable because I’ve invested myself in it. Unsurprisingly hard-drives and computers have become very important to me. Yeah, take me telly. Take me Skybox, take some of my books and other than that there really is not many earthly materials that I have to my name. Touch my hard-drive, though and that becomes an issue. I’m making progress in this area.

I remember not so long ago a friend of mine sought to help me out with some difficulties I was having with my hard-drive and subsequently went and got the thing irreparably damaged. It was like a death in the family. It was as though someone had ripped my heart out because all that time and effort that I had saved and deposited on that hard-drive was just gone. Now that to me was more valuable than money, than jewels, etc. it was me that was gone – or a large part of it.

Sadly that’s not the only time hard-drives have failed me for one reason or another. Yet with each time, it’s as though I’m given a reminder of that question I asked at the top – what is really important in life? What could I not live without?

My friends mean a lot to me, I so appreciate their company and companionship. I remember asking God for friends and now recalling the ones I get to engage with, I’m really grateful for them. Yet I could live without them (not that I’d want to but you get my drift). My daughters are incredibly precious to me, but one day soon as they get older I appreciate there will come a time when they will fly away and have families of their own. Even my wife, herself, the very heart-beat of our family and love of my life has a death contract on her – no it’s not a serious threat by the Mafia, it is the inevitability that we are all destined to die. So I’ve learnt and am learning, whenever I forget and get hung up on things, that the things that are important are the things that last forever. Values of love, peace, justice, hope and faith. More importantly relationships that last forever – the source of all that I enjoy and respect.

My friends and family are vitally important, I know however that when they fail and when hard-drives pass away, the love of Jesus lasts for ever. Now it’s the tricky thing of shaping and moulding my life around that conviction. God help me.

For His Name's Sake

Shalom

dmcd

Ruth Dryden - How Times Have Changed

So September is a big indicator that the end of the year is nigh. After this month we enter the last quarter of the year and things definitely start winding down in preparation for that much-loved hibernation season known as the winter. In the run up to that great time of year the Dryden family runs into a glut of birthdays, first is my Dad – but you know that already. In October my brother has a month all to himself for a birthday. In November I celebrate my love for life and the good things God has given me. I used to be the last Dryden with a birthday in the calendar. Then on 29^th December 2004 Deborah popped along to crock a snook at anyone thinking they could muscle in on things. Her birthday is ideally located between the excitement of the festivities and the excitement of the New Year activities.

A crucial birthday in among all that took place yesterday as my sister Ruth by the glorious grace of God made it to 33. Reflecting on her reaching this landmark allows me to reflect on just what an achievement it is and how far we’ve come. There are those who like to think that they have pretty much remained the same. No major change has taken place in their character even though they’ve experienced so much. I’m fairly confident in saying quite a lot has happened for both of us that have changed our characters.

Without going into detail the story of my sister’s life over the last five years or so would leave some people with their mouths agape at just how good God has been and how resilient and brave Ruth has been in it all. You cannot go through all of that experience and not have your character moulded somewhat. It would be easy for my sister to adapt a more cynical spirit in the light of some of the things she has endured and yet there burns within her a hope in God strengthened more than ever before.

On the one hand it would be fair to say that we’ve grown apart in those five years. Not to say we’re no longer in each other’s lives, on the contrary her place in the annals of the history of Christopher Dryden is already assured. She remains an incredibly strong and considered character. Her insight into things and capacity for equanimity is quite remarkable, she’s able to insist on something without being too imposing. Yet it is clear who the boss is in any given situation and I continue to pray for her husband in that regard!

You know the Bible talks about when you leave your mum and dad and cleave to your wife stating quite clearly that a separation takes place on marriage. There’s nothing said about the dynamic between brother and sister but I can say that there has been a definite shift in priorities where my wife is now the best friend and Ruth is focussed on her own issues. I’ve changed in that respect, but I still love having my sister around and being able to ask her for advice in given situations.

I see aspects of my sister’s character especially in my younger daughter Abigail – that clear minded thing about her that says it’s her way that will be the case and no one will say anything otherwise. Despite being the younger, Abigail has no problems being the bully when the mood takes her and I sometimes chuckle at what she can do to get her own way from the straightforward blunt approach to a more psychological factor. That’s Ruth all over, who now knows that she will get her way without saying a word. For all that though, Ruth is a tremendously loyal and caring woman. She takes it on board to be a conduit for all family manners and will keep in touch for all major personal milestones – anniversaries, birthdays, etc.

In so many ways Ruth and I have changed and yet there remains that huge admiration for all she is and all that she has overcome in my life. I pray that God will give her more grace to go on and achieve what God has in store for her.

For His Name's Sake

Shalom

dmcd

2 Fast 2 Curious

So in yesterday’s introduction to this brief series on fasting we discovered that although I was born in a Christian background, with believers who knew about fasting, and although the denomination to which I belong had fasting as a regular practice it took me the best part of 20 years before I even managed to begin addressing fasting for myself. I started it in the old fashioned church sense thanks to knocking around with a friend when I was in London in the summer of 1997.

Now before I continue you could be asking that important question – why are you talking about fasting, now? What’s the big deal? Well as you’ve gathered I am fairly keen on following Jesus Christ. I believe He is Lord. I believe He died on the cross for the sins of the world and miraculously rose from the dead. I believe Him more than I’ve believed anyone or anything else even if my behaviour sometimes suggests otherwise. Now fasting played a significant part in the life of Christ and those of His followers. Thankfully better writers than I have covered just how significant fasting really is in the life of a believer.

For all that, though, I still get the impression that it is considered a useful option for the Christ-follower. In engaging people with faith in Christ, spiritual disciplines can tend to come across as rather onerous and difficult and with enough of those on the plate – bible study, prayer and the like – fasting is an occasional hazard that is avoided as often as possible or at least used as trivially and as ineffectively as possible. You should have gathered by now that this apathetic and indeed pathetic approach to fasting is something I am very familiar with – intimately familiar as it has been my experience.

Now I’ve not been converted into a zealous fast-evangelist who believes that if you do not fast you are no longer worthy of being called a Christian and grimaces at those who don’t do it three times a week. My journey is not one of a straight upwards tangent. The squiggles, ups and downs would resemble a work of art by my 4 year old daughter rather than the unreal good model of a Christian that just gets better. The bottom line for me remains; Jesus loved me so much that He died for a right relationship to be restored between me and the Father through Him.

He wants me to relate to Him by prayer. He wants me to be fruitful for Him by loving my church family and my enemies. In all this He wants me to value Him above everything and everyone else. He alone matters. Not my wife, not my siblings, not my parents, not my job, not the church, not my job, not my hobbies and interests and especially not me. These only have value in the light of the supreme value of Him. That’s not just rhetoric that has been my experience and most importantly that is the entire point of biblical narrative and relationship with God.

So a brilliant way that God helps us to keep this in mind is through fasting – it indeed can be used for medical/physical purposes, but spiritually speaking it is a powerful method of engaging with God with the depth of our being whilst subjecting our body to understand the number one priority of life.

This mapping of my journey into fasting is not a blame exercise it’s merely reflecting what happened to me so no indictment is meant to be implicit in what’s being said. Having said that one of the lessons I learn from the journey especially in the early days is how crucial it is to get help on even the basics of belief. It is not to force someone to fit your form of faith, but it is to help them establish disciplines with biblically based understanding of why they do what they do and how it is centred on Christ.

I think it was in 1998 or maybe 1999 when fasting took on a more serious bent towards specific activities. During this time, especially as 1999 rolled on and I finished university to settle in London, I got involved in activities where the praying and fasting were more focussed and a bit more information was given as to how to fast even if I had to be at work or whatsoever. I was also praying and fasting in preparation for things like the local evangelism initiative. This more purposeful approach to fasting would help considerably for the years that lay ahead. The real breakthrough in my appreciation for fasting took place at the end of 1999 …

And in the tradition of all good stories you’ll find out more about that in the next blog entry.

For His Name's Sake

Shalom

dmcd

And The Rest …

This week through many different encounters and experiences I’ve been reminded about how essential and difficult it is to follow Jesus and Jesus only. There are so many competing issues and factors that can demand so much of us. Some of them normal and understandable factors, others less so, but the similarity between them is that they often compete to take dominance in our lives to the cost of the Lordship of Christ. Realising that we are hid in Christ and when the Father considers us, He considers His Son has a dramatic effect on issues of identity.

My name is Dryden because my dad is Dryden. Many personal characteristics have been inherited from him and concepts of manhood have been heavily influenced by his manhood. I am my dad’s son and carry that with me wherever I go whether conscious of it or not. I am not a facsimile of my dad, but there can be no denying to whom I belong. Once I am reconciled to the heavenly Father my identity is like that of His Son’s – I am His and He is mine. I can refer to Him as Dad on the understanding that I have personal contact with Him as His son. His characteristics slowly become my own (sometimes too slowly, perhaps), His issues slowly become my own and I find my priorities being done in a manner to be pleasing to Him as my Dad.

Previously before connections with the heavenly Dad I was often conflicted on issues of identity. To be fair even after being hooked up again with God as Father I was still not getting who I am and what it meant to be a child of His. In the confusion I fell into pressure – pressure to live up to people’s expectations of me. What was I meant to do and be as a Christian? What does that look like? Whenever those questions are asked formality is easy to fall into – being a Christian is doing this, wearing this, saying this, acting like this. All nice instructions, but without Spirit and intent it can be lifeless forms of godliness with no power behind it. Worse still it can also lead to judgementality based on that image of Christianity.

In actuality the freedom that the Spirit offers is not one of conforming to such rigid formality, but being transformed by the renewing of the mind to actually fit God’s will for how I’m to be shaped by His Word. That’s why His Son was so controversial, because He never came to reinforce the common concepts of formal worship; rather He came to liberate people to engage with the Father in Spirit and truth. That makes the whole identity issue something that is not so rigid, formal and oppressing. It doesn’t relieve you of personal issues and challenges but all of a sudden where there were pressures and conflicts God genuinely offers peace.

I cannot tell you what a joy it is to approach Sabbath every week (although it’s not the first time I’ve spoken of it and it’s worth having a blast from the past with reading what I said all those years ago). I so long to enjoy the rest offered in it as a window of opportunity to embrace what Jesus invited me to when He called me to follow Him. I love the thought of bathing in my identity not being based on what I do, but what He has done and the promise to be fulfilled in the time to come when this corruptible will put on incorruptible.

Hebrews in establishing the supremacy of Christ above all things past, present and future, especially under pressure to conform to the status quo, highlights the hope we look forward to in the rest. I so love Jesus for reinforcing a time to rest in who He is and to do that in community with other brothers and sisters who share such a hope and joy. I so love Jesus for giving us a time to enjoy that rest in Him through the cessation of everyday work and just reflecting that in our engagement with our community and God’s creation. To me observing the Sabbath is not about legalism, but about liberation and I’m just grateful for it.

For His Name's Sake

Shalom

dmcd

The Not So Little Hobo Keeps Moving On

Memories of television programmes are a blessing and a curse. It’s a curse in the sense that surely I should be able to remember something that was worth something to someone. It’s a blessing in the sense that I’m able to remember something was worth something to me. I’ve got to find out whatever happened to Terry Bush. He’s the fella responsible for the classic theme tune to The Littlest Hobo. That theme along with the Lonely Man theme linked to television series The Incredible Hulk, has really bugged me for at least the ten years.

So anyway I had some days of vacation outstanding before the end of the year (April to March) so I was excited to take a couple of days last week and Wednesday, Thursday and Friday of the week just gone to spend some quality time getting things straight in my head about what I wanted to get done in life. Tragically the two days were spent overcoming illness and then these three days have been spend helping my wife get over illness as well as preparing for a move. So not at all as I’d hoped, but that’s typical dmcd – make a plan, get excited about plan, plan no work out, and get to learn new stuff about God whilst grumbling about plan not working in classic Muttley fashion.

I’ve talked about moving before, but just to reiterate I hate moving. I like being settled in one place for an extended period of time. I’m sure you could psychoanalyse it from the trauma of moving from the first home of Minerva Way to Albert Road and going from sun shining days at the back to grim days along Mill Road. Whatever you want to put it down to there’s a distinct element of ‘oh no I have to pack up all the stuff and lug them into a suitable transport and then unpack them’ syndrome. Although my Dad showed me the ‘just-in-case’ mentality that ensures I don’t leave the house without at least a notepad and pen or a book of some sort to keep me occupied, he also showed me the concept of travelling lightly. I’m sure when they were packing to resettle in Jamaica it would have taken my Mum a day or so and it would have taken Dad half an hour. With all the moving I’ve been doing in the last ten years I often wish that I could be in Dad’s position.

So what’s the reason for this the umpteenth move? First it’s worth reminding yourself of my feelings on moving which also gives a history of the travails of dmcd. So here I am settled in Stoke (the area called Stoke, not the city in general which is referred to as Stoke-on-Trent) for nearly two years. I haven’t resided in the same location for two years since leaving home, so it was looking to be a time of celebration, perhaps I had settled. Perhaps this was it. We were comfortable with where we were, it was convenient for Deborah’s school, the location provided outlets for community engagement and it was brisk stroll to wherever I needed to get to. It was almost ideal in every way and so I was looking forward to finally settling in a property to bring up children in a settled environment and set my roots in a place. If you’ve been keeping up with my life, though, you’ll know that just when you think it’s safe to settle up pops another issue. So up it popped and having popped the only response was to take advantage of the new opportunity that arose and that called for moving! So before April begins we’ll be resettled in the tenth move I’ve made since moving up to Stoke-on-Trent almost ten years ago.

Again it’s a great opportunity to swallow stuff and reaffirm that I am only ever settled in my relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Through all the changing issues of life, changes in relationships, changes in social circumstances, changes in style and weight, I am only ever content in knowing Christ and being known by Him.

I am as ever in desperate need of your prayers (or positive thoughts if you cannot stretch that far). This is a good move for us in a number of ways despite the sadness of leaving this locality. I’m trusting to carry across some of the lessons learnt from the 20 months we’ve spent here in the area. With every move there’s been improvement in community engagement and I want that to continue where we go next. I also want our family to settle well in the area and to be a beacon to our area of the ups and downs, joys and challenges of family life in Christ. You should get the impression that if it was left up to me we would be moving to stay for at least five years so we can try this thing called laying down roots as our children blossom and we look for some sort of stability. Yet in as much as that’s the desire of my heart I don’t want to allow that to cloud my judgement and desire to please God first and foremost.

Maybe tomorrow I’ll try to settle down, until tomorrow I’ll just keep moving on.

For His Name's Sake
Shalom
dmcd

Moving Swiftly On

My sleeping habits lately have left quite a lot to be desired and here I am again late night blogging as if I’ve got nothing better to do like get some grub and curl up next to my beautiful wife and catch some sleep. Yet here I am. I enjoy writing and I enjoy blogging and I want to keep the rhythm going.

The reason for the lateness of tonight’s blogging takes some historical context. Before leaving home for university in the Autumn of 1996 I had not done packing and moving before. Our family had moved once since I was born but thankfully I was around 6 or 7 at the time so I wasn’t really going to give a helping hand with lifting the double bed, the fridge and the large television! Getting the stuff to leave for university was a bit of a chore, but thankfully there wasn’t that much stuff to bring, mostly my clothes and books.

Such was my time of accumulating junk during my time at university that subsequent moves from halls of residence to a private rented landlord back to other halls of residence proved to be more and more inconvenient as more awkward moves were required. By the time I got back to Wellingborough and then moved to London the car was heaving under the weight of stuff I had to take with me, but that was alright because when I moved that would be it right? Oh, no I’d move at least twice in the six months in London, but that’s okay because it’s not as though I’ll be doing any moving right?

It really got crazy when I moved to Stoke-on-Trent in 2000. In eight years I moved almost the equivalent to once every year. Now by this time what had been clothes and a few books now includes furniture. That would have been bad enough but during the time in Stoke-on-Trent there was the ever present danger of helping others move from one crib to another and the joy of seeing how on earth did that couch that is in the living room get there when it can’t fit through the door and how are we going to unscrew this large wardrobe and put it back together again when we get to wherever we’re going?

I’d like to tell you that because of all those experiences I have got used to moving and have made my peace with it as inevitable in the life I live. I’d like to tell you that but in doing so I would be a liar. I hate moving. I’ve hated moving since the clothes and a few books and I hate moving when it’s an awkward wardrobe and even worse long sofa. Absolutely, positively possess an unrelenting hatred for moving. Indeed nothing helps me to appreciate simple living more than carrying around a whole heap of stuff into the umpteenth home that I have to live in. I’d love it if I literally could just my backpack, slap the laptop in there, a few pieces of clothing, some important books and that would be me.

David Banner didn’t have it all bad being able to move around America with just a satchel of ever conveniently stretchy jeans and a top that will be shredded before his next stop is over. At least he could travel simple. Me on the other hand – three children, one wife who happens to be a woman which means tons of stuff, no not as bad as other women, but bad enough. Who’s packing that up? Who’s shifting it in whatever transport is available? Who’ll unpack it and leave it to the self-same wife who is a woman to sort out? No siree Jim-Bob I do not have any love left for moving – if it can be avoided I would avoid it.

Your word of encouragement may fall in line with the sentiment that it cannot be avoided and like a journey involving a hill I should just get over it. Thanks for those sentiments, they are really appreciated in as much as anything that isn’t appreciated is appreciated. So you can guess what I’ve been up to that leaves me still writing this blog entry way past 2am. A dear sister of the church has been on the move and so as to support her in that move muggins has been hooked into helping the process that from 9pm would only take two hours, right? (You should get the drift of where this is going) Despite all that I plod on with the help without grumbling or complaining because what I’m doing I do out of a love for God and a special part of the family.

One of the things that makes moving bearable is the camaraderie with others. Doing these kind of things with friends is a glorious expression of what happens when brothers get together and work on something – indeed as Col. Hannibal Smith said I love it when a plan comes together. Just like life, it has its moments which are not always enjoyable but I get the impression that God doesn’t always want me to enjoy the process, but enjoy Him during the process, which is expressed in the context of loving relationships. I know that there are more moves ahead, but I hope that they are in the company of good friends to help get through them.

For His Name's Sake
Shalom
dmcd

What I Do When I Get A Break

It’s nearly 16:45 and I’m allowing myself a little break from activities.

It is a manic week with people pulling in all kinds of crazy shifts in the hope of being ready for a big event taking place tomorrow. The local fellowship to which I belong has taken on a two unit warehouse and converted it from a haulier/shipping location to a multi-purpose training and conference facility. Once the StokeCOG web-site is up and running I’ll link you in to the history of how it came to be. The facility is a first for the denomination to which the fellowship belongs. As a result the hope is that tomorrow will be a large turn-out to celebrate God’s goodness in this provision.

For all associated with and involved in StokeCOG it’s another monumental milestone in the history of the fellowship. Particularly for our leader, Hughie Lawrence (of whom I spoke of quite highly in this entry from September 2006), this is credit to what happens when people walk by faith.

It is by no means the end of the story; indeed, in many ways the real hard work begins now. The desire is to see the place packed with people, not just for business but also out of relationship and a desire for them to at least experience Christ for themselves, be open to the gospel message and prayerfully see people commit to Christ. Sure it’s got to be a money-spinner, which almost goes without typing, and in being diligent stewards over this then the prayer is that the income will flow even in these trying financial circumstances. The real deal, though, has never been about building made by human hands. It will always be about lives being changed and the church growing in depth, in love of God and each other and in number. On Wednesday we had the community launch for the facility which went fairly well.

All of this to say that a lot of work has gone into this, so it’s actually been God’s grace that has allowed me to find time to blog in the midst of all this. Once this coming week is over, there should be some time to shift gears so that although we’ll be moving it won’t be at such a manic pace. Especially for the sake of the family, I’m hoping there will be time for rest and recuperation for Authrine who always goes for it with all she’s got. As for me, I’m sure I’ll find my quiet time somewhere and be able to commit more quality into this blog writing business as well as other pressing pursuits.

I’m also getting near the end of the Chester and Guinness books which is a bit sad. It’s like having to say goodbye to good friends when you end a book and these two books have been treasures in my spiritual development as they point me more to Christ, His call and His power to change me from within and change us from without likewise. I’m looking forward to posting book reviews on these two. Also look out for the proper re-launch of Daily Thoughts – by e-mail and online! That should be up and happening all being well by Monday!

Well, there’s still plenty to be done and I must not slacken the pace, so it’s back to work I go. Hope to update you on how things have been for an interesting weekend perhaps on Sunday could be Monday – you never know cos I never know! Don’t be surprised if you get the odd YouTube posting here and there in between. As soon as the proceedings of tomorrow are over I’m hoping to get back home and further map out what the presentation on Creation will be like for Church WOW. That will no doubt include research and bumping into stuff that could be worth my while to post.

In the meantime let me encourage you – God is faithful and true, He sticks by His Word and even in the darkest hour no one can extinguish the light of the truth of His love.

For His Name’s Sake
Shalom
dmcd

Life With Da Man CD September 2008

(By David.) With all my heart I praise the LORD, and with all that I am I praise his holy name! With all my heart I praise the LORD! I will never forget how kind he has been. The LORD forgives our sins, heals us when we are sick, and protects us from death. His kindness and love are a crown on our heads. Each day that we live, he provides for our needs and gives us the strength of a young eagle. (Psa 103:1-5 CEV)

It’s a rarity for me to be in this position. My wife has elected to share out her own dinner. Don’t get me wrong, she usually cooks her own food, it’s just that we have this weird practice where it doesn’t matter if I’ve been out slaving away for hours and then return home, she’ll still ask me to share out her food and make her a nice cuppa. Mug that I am I will do so with all diligence to please my beloved. Mug that I am. Mug that I am. See, I’ve just gone and made her a cup of tea! Mug – that – I – am.

Anyway the rare position I find myself in is being here on the laptop in the living room with the wife and we’re able to enjoy each other’s company not being hassled with a meeting either of us have been to in the evening. We’re here, conversing on life issues whilst also catching up on web-stuff. This also gives me a chance as she engages in infrequent phone ministry to give a fuller and frank update on what’s life like with da man cd.

I’m more than settled back into work after taking the last weeks of July off for holiday. I’ve been challenged at me workplace to take it up another level in terms of engaging with the young people. The phrase that springs to mind is widening the net. God has been faithful in this effort in allowing certain connections to fall place to do this. In reflecting earlier on today, the season in the YMCA works in the way that in the run up to Christmas if I’m faithful then we can get some of the punters attracted to conversations. Although this year there has been key contacts picked up at the beginning of the year which got to its heights in April/May. What I’m hoping for now though, especially with a new batch of punters, is to start afresh in reaching them, finding what they enjoy and looking for gospel connections as worked with comedy and relationships in the last season.

There have been a few things knocking on here at the YMCA that has made me reflect on how best to achieve those results, but again the grace of God is evident at the moment and I want to make the most of that with the opportunities developed. Now I really want to witness people’s lives transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit to see some make more definite steps of commitment in following Christ. I want to see the spectrum of people’s engagements with the things of Christ from the antagonistic and apathetic to those mildly interested and linked up to activities and then all the way through to serious discipleship decisions being made by some of the young people.

I am aware that the work is mostly seed-sowing work, yet I read a Word where the power of the Spirit was able to get Gentiles in foreign climes hearing the gospel and committing to this Christ and having the challenge of making community in His image afterwards. I’m sure that’s possible even for the young people with whom I serve. Work continues to be a source of great challenge and excitement and there’s enough to keep me busy and keeping centred on the things of Christ whilst looking for those gospel connections to link with people who couldn’t care less.

Church is an interesting scenario at the moment. I’ll let the StokeCog blog write for itself and here just offer my own personal input on what’s going. It’s been a very crazy year with me and church commitment, but I’m happy to say at the moment things are on the up and I’m enjoying church life and local church membership more than I’ve done in 2008. It is exciting times and God’s incredible grace still allows me to be knocking around with the developments and I’m excited to see how the different experiences and teachings that I’ve been digesting, musing and conversing on in the last year will have an effect on how I contribute to StokeCog’s development in the upcoming months.

I’m glad to belong to a church that is not comfortable being comfortable, but always looking to grow up in maturity, grow out in evangelism and discipleship, grow in by fellowship and pastoral and grow down in reinforcing our teaching in who God is in Spirit and Truth. As a young church we haven’t had any hard and fast traditions and cultural norms, but I’d be interested to see as we grow how that is something that enables spiritual development and sensitivity to God’s leading rather than the usual problems of older institutions.

Writing like this I remind myself that I’m still relatively young and idealistic. I’m at the age where I want to experiment and do things on a regular basis that makes the most of my skills, gifts and abilities whilst at the same time learning from others and submitting to them so that we can all grow together. As I read more of the Word and understand God’s call for Christ-like community, I don’t see divisions based on experts and those more spiritual than others, what I do see is an earnest effort to build everyone until we all attain to maturity in Christ – so everyone has something to offer and shouldn’t feel intimidated but encouraged to share what God has given them so we all benefit. That’s a long hard lesson in humility and edifying others, but it’s an enjoyable lesson especially when it works!

My respect and admiration for Hughie hits a high that hasn’t been experienced since 2003, which is something very positive. It is difficult being a pioneer and visionary, but the level of transparency he’s shown of late and, dare I say, vulnerability, has been refreshing and motivating for me. As we head for epic times in StokeCog’s development it’s good to know we’re being led by someone like Hughie.

Home is the real deal though. Authrine and I have been husband and wife for five years this year. In many ways it’s as though we’re still just beginning to know each other. In other ways though we have grown together and for all the outstanding issues to be resolved we’ve discovered a new core foundation of faith that keeps us together. At the moment I have a newfound devotion for my wife based on seeing her in the way Adam saw Eve initially and that thought that she is truly a part of him and the only one for him. This tunnel-vision approach to her and the truth that there is none better for me than her as God has willed has helped my mental approach to her a great deal.

Things are not perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but I feel closer to my wife than I have ever done before. That’s a good thing. As with the job I want to make the most of that and build stronger foundations with my love for my wife and exercise biblical instruction when it concerns how I am to relate to her, treat her, love her and build her in the holy faith. As with the church it’s really rock ‘n’ rolling times for Authrine and obviously it would be of huge importance for her to have as stable a home to come back to as possible. That’s down to me as a whole and I am doing me best in that area. It’s a slow job, but patience isn’t just a virtue it is part of the fruit of the Spirit and so is a great challenge for both Authrine and I to display those characteristics so as to be positive role models for the children that look on.

Speaking of which, parent-child relations as a whole is very positive. Kevaughn is 15 and as such it is perfectly reasonable to expect him to be not as pliable and subservient as he may have been years earlier. For all that though, at the moment he’s doing fairly well in approaching this crucial last year of his compulsory education. As a new member of the Christian club he’s facing the obvious challenges of linking this to life at school and that kind of jazz, but by the grace of God and with a bit more help from his UK-pops he should be fine … eventually.

Deborah started school recently and so there’s the glow of her mother and father seeing her all set in her uniform ready for school. She’s also very up on her uniform and happy to show off to anyone just how advanced she now is. She has a tremendous grasp of spoken English already and things are promising for her ongoing development. She’s getting herself an attitude already that should be fun if allowed to grow, but by God’s grace we hope it doesn’t. She is also a bundle of fun and joy and still a delight to the eyes of her father. She is my firstborn and sometimes that may come across in preferential treatment, but Deborah and I have an understanding and I don’t give her a clear advantage especially over her sister. It’s a fascinating dynamic of sibling interaction. I’m tremendously blessed to be their father.

Abigail is quite fine as an independent mover. She’s now on her own in nursery, but doesn’t kick up a fuss, which is an outstanding trait in Abigail. Very selective, very straightforward and doesn’t usually make a fuss. She makes me laugh with some of the ways she carries on with – looking you straight in the face whilst doing something you’ve told her not to do and only refraining when lips stop moving and hands do instead! There is nothing like hearing her laugh and that makes me happy so however I can make that happen I look to do so.

So that is my life. As you can tell I enjoy spending a lot of my time on the laptop typing notes, ideas and the like as well as searching what’s on the web-site and looking through the many fascinating articles online through God’s gift to me in 2008 – Google Reader. I haven’t finished a book in a long time, but I’m not too fussed about that. I’m sure that will come in time. I also do need to lose some weight. I really could do without the excess baggage round me gut, I am better than nut, so I feel a physical regime coming along which is as welcome as a most unwelcome thing, but surely necessary to be in better shape for the wife of my youth. As I mentioned before, things are going to get mega busy in the next month and so, I just pray for the right balanced approach to what’s going on, especially in taking time off to rest, recuperate, reflect and refocus. I intend to endure to the end and as long as I follow God’s instructions I know I can make it. (Easier said … but still better done.)

In terms of friends and the like the times they are a-changing and with them some of my good friends in the Stoke area have either moved on or will do so over the next few months. Like the new season at YMCA, it’s just a fresh opportunity to make more kingdom connections and build relationships appropriately seeking desperately for God to let me know what that looks like and with whom I should and should not bother investing my time and energies. Meanwhile I’ll always be grateful for the investment in my life of those who are moving on and with the wonders of modern technology hopefully it should be possible to maintain contact. I’m enjoying some of the connections I’m making online as well which is cool.

You’ll notice that ther blog entries are becoming a bit more consistent whether it’s on here, the Daily Thoughts blog, the StokeCog blog or particularly the Among Friends blog. I know I haven’t been blogging that much on DT, but there’s a really good reason for that as I’ll blog on in the upcoming days – just think about going up to the high places. By the way have I ever told you about Dark Knight?

Is all well in the world of da man cd? Well overall it is and that’s why I have to bless the Lord for the many things He’s done for me – hence the scripture quote at the top of this entry. In line with the principle of harvest, I take what I can from what the crop of life has brought up knowing full well that I’ll need to save some for the winter time where positive stuff may not be in as much abundance. Come what may, I trust in God to keep us on course. As you may have noticed, the theme over September has been on peace and in reading 2 Timothy 1:7 in the KJV and looking at what a sound mind, that to me is a mind at peace. Other versions use self-control and it reinforces the point to me. This is all about having a sure foundation in knowing who we are in God and not allowing circumstances to shift us from this knowledge and acting otherwise. A mind at peace – a sound mind necessitates appropriate response in every given situation. To hear that this is what God has given us as well as love and power is a wonderfully reassuring fact that I just need to connect with.

For His Name's Sake
Shalom
da man cd