Remember

Remember, remember the 5th of November...

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.

(War Memorial Service in Cochrane Park)

...do this in remembrance of Me.

(The Holy Spirit) will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.

strings around my finger don't really work.
and post-it notes once crowded my computer screen.
as often as I remind myself to remember, I forget.

I forget to be different from moment to moment.
I forget who's I am
I forget how far gone into the depths I once was
I forget to say "thank you"
I forget I'm not the only one
I forget what I was gonna say...

God called us to Scotland.
We thought Edinburgh, but we found out when we got here that it was Alva.
to a dying-ish church, someone reminded me today.

A church-planter with no experience;
with heart and some mild success as part of a GREAT team.

• "What good comes from Nazareth?"
• "Please, Lord, how can I save Israel? Behold, my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house."
• But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise;
  God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong
  (Glad I could be of some assistance) :s

But the point seems to me to be that the Lord God of heaven and earth; the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; the Father of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ takes, people in process, to work healing THROUGH them, like percolating coffee.

I am grounds
I am grounded
I am useful in His hands

Remembrance day (Veterans' Day for UK) was a sombre occasion in a town where the men and women grew up without dads due to two world wars. There are men alive here who marched the beaches during the evacuation of Dunkirk.

Which is not to say that 8 year-olds don't LOVE a parade.


You ascended on high, leading a host of captives in your train...

Has your will been conquered?
Have you reckoned yourself dead?
How cool that it doesn't actually cost your life's breath.
Still it's pretty dearly priced.

So much of this Christian life is not depicted in the recruiting brochures!
Would you have signed up if you knew.

My identity, my confidence, by reputation, my options.
Gethsemane.

My wife has left (how much is my fault?), our church secretary has resigned (old school yielding a white-knuckled grip, making way for new vision?), one of the families I have poured most into has relocated (they are blessed and provided for) and I am sitting in this empty house writing to you. Is this worth it?

I asked God if I should quit. I think the answer was/is stand firm.
This is humiliating!

Aren't you inspired by my expertise and effective communication?

Sincerely, I see now that it has always been the Lord and I think we have lost sight of this over recent years. He is committed to our health and safety as we serve Him. Blessed be the name of the Lord.

I hope to still be standing next month,
Dave

PS Remember to pray for us.