Giving it away

After having 2 weekends away with the youth in the last few weeks and having so much fun, I find myself thinking (which comes as a surprise to me as much as I am sure it is to you)… is it greater to give than it is the receive?

The first weekend away was doing the children’s and youth for Wealdstone Baptist church. It was exhausting doing 7 1 hour session is 48 hours (including getting there and back which was a couple of hours in itself) but playing games and teaching on the story of Joseph was amazing. The children had a great time the team worked really hard.

The second weekend was the 1621 Christmas celebration which was great. We dressed up smart and had our pseudo Christmas dinner, played games and enjoyed getting away from the busyness of life in Reading.

So was it great to give or receive? Both were good and really different and maybe I am asking the wrong question because in both I was able to give and receive and so can’t compare them. I was able to give a lot on the first weekend and yet received a lot through thanks and satisfaction in seeing the team work together and the children learning and having fun.

The second weekend (although work) was a lot more relaxed and I was able to receive through playing games and chilling out. I did however find myself giving through making the weekend possible and organising others to see us all as a team making the whole weekend work.  

I think that I have learned that there is a lot to get out of receiving but to give and see your effort making a positive difference … well there is no great reward than that.

Acts 20:35 (MSG) '…You're far happier giving than getting.'

Special thanks to all those who made these great memories possible.

A fork in the road...

Why are there always forks in the road? Apparently (Although I have never counted) we make over 1000 decisions everyday - Some more important than other granted.

So I find myself there with the option to plateau or press in for more... more of what? Well it was an amazing summer and I saw God working in the life of our Church and youth in amazing ways and all of the back of praying and asking God for more of what he has for us. I find myself writing this now and realising that when it’s put like that there isn’t really much of a choice to it. To just plateau and see not much happens or pray and seek God knowing that there is more that he has for us exposes the fork for what it really is (which isn’t much at all). So I will pick up the fork, eat my dinner and pray for Tuesday Youth which starts back tonight and has built in the plan for the youth having fun, friendship and a safe space leaving the youth with a fork in the road that if they want more of God and what he has for them then they can join a discipleship group, and they and start tomorrow night.

So with some more planning and some more prayer I am quit excited to see what God will do this week with Wycliffe Youth.

 

“One day Alice came to a fork in the road and saw a Cheshire cat in a tree. Which road do I take? she asked. Where do you want to go? was his response. I don't know, Alice answered. Then, said the cat, it doesn't matter.”  Lewis Carroll.

Starting something new...

Starting something new is never going to be easy because it means you are in some way getting out of your comfort zone and you have no idea how it's going to turn out. 

So I'm starting a blog... no big deal and loads of people have done it before. What's the worst thing that could happen? Well… nobody reads it and I look stupid or worse loads of people read and think that what I wrote was stupid? But here I am having a go and well I think life it too short to worry about to many things anyway. Who ever got old and said they wish they had worried more anyway?

I was encouraged to start this as a way of letting you know a little more about me, what I get up too and what (if anyone can understand it) I think every now and then.

I hope you enjoy it…

 

Chris.