Ancient Words
I use several different ways of daily Bible reading that I enter into at various times. For the most part I choose to study a book at a time, in depth, with the help of commentary and devotional reading. Last year I was really enjoyed studying the book of Hebrews, with the help of Andrew Murray. Sometimes it will take me a whole week to get through a chapter.
At other times I like to study a subject and trace a theme through the Bible, again with study helps and these days the internet.
But every few years of so I read the whole Bible in one year, using a NIV Bible that divides up the passages fro you into an OT reading, a NT reading and either a Psalm or some verses from Proverbs. Because it is so easy to get behind when I do this I rarely use commentaries to explain what the passages mean. It's not that I switch off my mind but this is a time when I just love it to immerse myself in the great Redemption story, let my heart be touched and allow God to speak to my Spirit.
And as I have done this again in this last year I have been really blessed by the way God has drawn my attention to certain verses and I believe the Spirit whispered to me, this is for you. Sometimes it has been an encouragement, sometimes good advice and sometimes it has simply been that I have identified with the writer and used his words to express my own feelings towards the Lord.
Anyway after all that preamble here are some of the verses that leapt from the pages during the last two weeks in Portugal.
Eccles 5:1-2 "Guard you steps when you go to the house of God. Go near to listen to him rather than offer the sacrifice of fools who do not know that they do wrong. God is in heaven and you are on earth so let your words be few."
Eccles 9:4 "Calmness can lay great errors to rest."
Song of Solomon 7:10 "I belong to my lover and his desire is for me."
Song of Solomon 8:6 Place a seal over your heart, like a seal on your arm for love is as strong as death."
Psalm 101:6 "My eyes will be on the faithful in the land that they may dwell with me, he whose walk is blameless will minister to me."
2 Chronicles 16:9 "For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those hearts that are fully committed to him."
1 Corinthians 15:10 "By the grace of God I am what I am and his grace to me was not without effect."
Ancient words ever true
Changing me and changing you
We have come with open hearts
O let the ancient words impart
Holy words of faith handed down to this age
Came to us through sacrifice
O heed the faithful words of Christ
Holy words long preserved
For our walk in this world
They resound with God's own heart
O let the ancient words impart
(by Lynn DeShazo)
God bless
Carol
Thursday, 28 August 2008
Wednesday, 27 August 2008
Lisbon 2008
Arrived back from a great holiday in Portugal on Monday. We stayed in Lisbon and did the whole tourist thing of lazy mornings, sight seeing and sunbathing on the beach. This in itself gave us the break we needed after a few tiring weeks. But the holiday gave us far more than that because we also experienced once again the special priviledge of being part of a world-wide Salvation Army family.Our good friends Alberto and Maria Jose Serem are the leaders of the Portugal Command and it was great to meet up with them and we were also taken out and about on a number of occasions by Major Mendes and Arlette who were just wonderful and so kind.
(Mendes and Alan in Sintra)In between going to tourist sites Mendes took us to the social service centres, corps halls, headquarters and to the final meeting of the first European Music Camp which was in the Algarve. I know that some of our colleague officers would think we were mad to go the Army so much on our holidays but we found it such an enriching experience to fellowship with people who are passionate for Christ and dedicated to the mission of the Army.
(The gospel choir from the Music Camp)Pray for the Salvation Army in Portugal. It is very small. There are only 5 Corps in the country plus a number of social service and community centres, with 17 officers leading it all. There are lots of challenges but also a lot of enthusiasm, dedication and a good spirit. Pray especially for the most recent corps plant in Evora.
More stuff about the stuff I read and Bible passages that spoke whilst away over the next few days.
God bless
Carol
Sunday, 10 August 2008
Yo ho me hearties!
We just had a great pirate-themed Churches Together holiday club headed up by Pill Corps. We had 40 children attending each day and they were amazing. Families all turned up for our evening celebration too. As well as a wonderful evangelistic opportunity to share the truth that Jesus Christ is the greatest treasure of all the fellowship and teamwork was the body of Christ at its best. Below are some photos from the week.
(L-R Captain Heave Ho, Admiral Alan and Captain Yoho (Abi Roach)
We just had a great pirate-themed Churches Together holiday club headed up by Pill Corps. We had 40 children attending each day and they were amazing. Families all turned up for our evening celebration too. As well as a wonderful evangelistic opportunity to share the truth that Jesus Christ is the greatest treasure of all the fellowship and teamwork was the body of Christ at its best. Below are some photos from the week.
(L-R Captain Heave Ho, Admiral Alan and Captain Yoho (Abi Roach)Pirate Pete aka CSM Peter Brewer!
Can't wait for next year but absolutely shattered! Off on holiday tomorrow for two weeks.
God bless
Carol
Tuesday, 29 July 2008
Up front and behind the scenes
One thing you cannot say about a Corps officers life is that it is boring. If blogs have been a bit thin on the ground lately its not that nothing is happening in my life to reflect upon but that there is so much.
Up front, these days have been full of activity. As well as the usual stuff, last week was the last week of the school term so it was the Annual Toddler Party, the Jam Club party and the Youth Drop in Pizza Night. I just about managed to avoid being buried under a mountain of sausage rolls!
Saturday was Lucy (our youth worker) and Dave's wedding conducted by Captain Andrew Clark, which was a lovely day. Everything went really well and it was great to meet up again with Dave's family, most of whom we have known since YP Band days in Bath. In between all this we have been going over to Bath as much as possible to visit Alan's Dad who is in hospital and causing concern at the moment.
But there is always a lot more going on than what can be seen up front. Also during last week there have been those moments when people have faced a crisis and come to me to pray with them. There has been news that lifts your spirits and news that stabs you in the heart. And of course there have been those things that irritate and annoy, an issue or two to sort out. I have also been exploring a new area of ministry and continuing to try to listen to what God is saying about the next season of ministry the Corps is moving into. And there have been those secret kindnesses that people do for you that are a real blessing.
Anyway this is a bit of a ramble but I am just so grateful that God has a handle on it all even if I only have a little glimpse of what is really going on in the world, in the people around me and even within myself.
One thing that is a constant for me is the word of God. These are just some of the verses that have reached my heart in these busy days.
Psalm 87:6 "The Lord will write in the register of the peoples,"this one was born in Zion."
Romans 6:14 "For you are not under law but under grace."
Psalm 88:13 "But I cry to you for help, O Lord. In the mornign my prayer comes before you."
Romans 22:35 "Who has ever given to God that God should repay him."
Psalm 89:35 "Once for all, I have sworn by my holiness."
God bless
Carol
One thing you cannot say about a Corps officers life is that it is boring. If blogs have been a bit thin on the ground lately its not that nothing is happening in my life to reflect upon but that there is so much.
Up front, these days have been full of activity. As well as the usual stuff, last week was the last week of the school term so it was the Annual Toddler Party, the Jam Club party and the Youth Drop in Pizza Night. I just about managed to avoid being buried under a mountain of sausage rolls!
Saturday was Lucy (our youth worker) and Dave's wedding conducted by Captain Andrew Clark, which was a lovely day. Everything went really well and it was great to meet up again with Dave's family, most of whom we have known since YP Band days in Bath. In between all this we have been going over to Bath as much as possible to visit Alan's Dad who is in hospital and causing concern at the moment.
But there is always a lot more going on than what can be seen up front. Also during last week there have been those moments when people have faced a crisis and come to me to pray with them. There has been news that lifts your spirits and news that stabs you in the heart. And of course there have been those things that irritate and annoy, an issue or two to sort out. I have also been exploring a new area of ministry and continuing to try to listen to what God is saying about the next season of ministry the Corps is moving into. And there have been those secret kindnesses that people do for you that are a real blessing.
Anyway this is a bit of a ramble but I am just so grateful that God has a handle on it all even if I only have a little glimpse of what is really going on in the world, in the people around me and even within myself.
One thing that is a constant for me is the word of God. These are just some of the verses that have reached my heart in these busy days.
Psalm 87:6 "The Lord will write in the register of the peoples,"this one was born in Zion."
Romans 6:14 "For you are not under law but under grace."
Psalm 88:13 "But I cry to you for help, O Lord. In the mornign my prayer comes before you."
Romans 22:35 "Who has ever given to God that God should repay him."
Psalm 89:35 "Once for all, I have sworn by my holiness."
God bless
Carol
Tuesday, 15 July 2008
In and Out
Moving from planting back to traditional Corps has not been as difficult as I imagined as there is a flexibility and openess here. We love our Corps and although it has taken us time to adjust to moving to a village from a town we do love Pill.
Even so I still rebel a bit about the fact that most of the mission stuff I do at the moment involves people coming to a programme in our building. We have a great building so we should use it and we do. It is an asset not only to us but to the village.
I just miss the extra opporutnity that doing outreach in a secular environment had. The difference is this. If we hold an activity for 5-11 years olds in our hall, that is who comes, athough there is also a limited number of parents and carers with whom we can engage when they pick up their kids. However I am used to going to the local infant school three times a week, sometimes to do our own programmes and sometimes just to support a school project. Even if only a small number of parents and kids turned up to our actual programme, there was always an opportunity to talk to the children who did not come as they wandered through the hall, opportunity to chat with parents as they waited at the school gate or those moments to listen to a member of staff off load. I also spent as much time doing pastoral care and home visits with people who never "went to Church" as I did with the people who came to our meetings on Sunday.
If I went to do Chaplaincy duties at the Prison I met the lads who needed me that day but also worked alongside the staff. This continued outside of the prison as a lot of staff lived locally and we would meet them in shops and cafes around town.
Now of course the ideal is to be able to do both. Use our hall wisely and well but also get out and get into secular establishments. To do that we have to have a holy and mobilised congregation, well functioning pastoral care for the saints, a good discipleship programme and most of all the anointing of the Holy Spirit.
We are not there yet but thank you Lord you are on the move.
God bless
Carol
Moving from planting back to traditional Corps has not been as difficult as I imagined as there is a flexibility and openess here. We love our Corps and although it has taken us time to adjust to moving to a village from a town we do love Pill.
Even so I still rebel a bit about the fact that most of the mission stuff I do at the moment involves people coming to a programme in our building. We have a great building so we should use it and we do. It is an asset not only to us but to the village.
I just miss the extra opporutnity that doing outreach in a secular environment had. The difference is this. If we hold an activity for 5-11 years olds in our hall, that is who comes, athough there is also a limited number of parents and carers with whom we can engage when they pick up their kids. However I am used to going to the local infant school three times a week, sometimes to do our own programmes and sometimes just to support a school project. Even if only a small number of parents and kids turned up to our actual programme, there was always an opportunity to talk to the children who did not come as they wandered through the hall, opportunity to chat with parents as they waited at the school gate or those moments to listen to a member of staff off load. I also spent as much time doing pastoral care and home visits with people who never "went to Church" as I did with the people who came to our meetings on Sunday.
If I went to do Chaplaincy duties at the Prison I met the lads who needed me that day but also worked alongside the staff. This continued outside of the prison as a lot of staff lived locally and we would meet them in shops and cafes around town.
Now of course the ideal is to be able to do both. Use our hall wisely and well but also get out and get into secular establishments. To do that we have to have a holy and mobilised congregation, well functioning pastoral care for the saints, a good discipleship programme and most of all the anointing of the Holy Spirit.
We are not there yet but thank you Lord you are on the move.
God bless
Carol
Thursday, 3 July 2008
Wednesday, 2 July 2008
Refuge
I visit a women's refuge from time to time. Yesterday it was great to meet up with a girl whom had joined in really enthusiastically at the Carol Service we held there. She is expecting a baby in a couple of months and I had been given a cot and other stuff for her. She is a lovely kid, full of fun and grateful for the help. It was great to see her and to be greeted so warmly. I just pray that she gets all the help she needs once she leaves the refuge and has to cope with a baby. She looks far too young and vulnerable.
However the visit was also a sad one as I learned that another lady, an alcoholic who had been off the drink for 6 months had started drinking agains and tragically had committed suicide. If only she had found a refuge in a real faith in Christ. Things could have been so different.
Yesterday was just another confirmation of the need to be more urgent witht he gospel and that I must follow up my decision to reach out to women trapped in addictive lifestyles and the sex trade.
God bless
Carol
I visit a women's refuge from time to time. Yesterday it was great to meet up with a girl whom had joined in really enthusiastically at the Carol Service we held there. She is expecting a baby in a couple of months and I had been given a cot and other stuff for her. She is a lovely kid, full of fun and grateful for the help. It was great to see her and to be greeted so warmly. I just pray that she gets all the help she needs once she leaves the refuge and has to cope with a baby. She looks far too young and vulnerable.
However the visit was also a sad one as I learned that another lady, an alcoholic who had been off the drink for 6 months had started drinking agains and tragically had committed suicide. If only she had found a refuge in a real faith in Christ. Things could have been so different.
Yesterday was just another confirmation of the need to be more urgent witht he gospel and that I must follow up my decision to reach out to women trapped in addictive lifestyles and the sex trade.
God bless
Carol
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