One Life

I’m sitting in the middle of a rather amusing conversation. Pete is trying to work out how to use Twitter, and Tim, Onelife’s technology hero, is patiently showing him the ropes and we’re all trying not to laugh.

Learning new things is sometimes fun and sometimes frustrating. There are times when you just don’t get it and probably never will (like me and biology), or other times when you have to go slow and be patient (like Pete and Twitter), and still other times when you get it right away and won’t stop because you love the fact that you can do it (like when you learn how to pronounce an impressive word and try to use in every sentence).

We just have to be prepared for when learning something new isn’t really fun.  There have been a few moments this year where I’ve had to do something I’ve never done before and it wasn’t necessarily the most exciting thrill of my life.  An example? Event management.

I never expected to get it right away – organisation isn’t really a weakness of mine, but I would never call it a strength either. And while the event went okay (people actually came!) the whole day I was slightly stressed. I was learning how to do it, and I felt like I was wearing a big sign that said ‘Yes, I am a novice, please be nice to me.’ But I figure, I’m going to have to be able to organise events. So I had better just go for it.

If we want to keep moving forward, we have to learn new things. We can’t avoid it. Especially if we want to lead – because isn’t that leadership? Leading people into unknown territory, places they haven’t been before? If we can’t do it, we can’t ask them to.

So make the effort. Even if it’s a little embarrassing, like Pete’s attempts at Twitter, make the effort.

I’m just on my way back from Manchester after attending a conference run by the EA (not as in “EA Sports, it’s in the game”, but the Evangelical alliance). It was a great 24 hours talking with other organisations and Leaders from churches about how we can reach the 20-30’s age group more effectively. It was probably the best accommodation that I’ve stayed in for such a conference. I was quite excited about this when I saw the pictures on the Internet – and so I let the rest of the guys in the office know how nice it looked to. Yanah sent me a txt before I left and challenged me to write a blog entitled “ the delights of hotels” on my way back home. I love a challenge, so needless to say I have opened my laptop on this busy Virgin train amongst a colourful audience and have began writing something that I’m hoping might be of some use to someone out there.

I have many happy hotel memories growing up – mum and dad would every so often take us away to a nice hotel for a family weekend break. Me and my sister would excitedly get to our destination and begin all these novel activities of being all “grown up” and very sophisticated. I mean, you could make your own cups of tea in your room, fill in your breakfast requirements for the following morning and hang them on the outside of your door along with the “do not disturb” sign. You could explore the depths of the mini-bar, although it was foolish to consume any of its contents as that might cost Dad several weeks pocket money to pay for a small can of coke and a mars bar  (we always brought our own treats to stash away). Being one door down the corridor from mum and dad was, in-fact just like owning your own home. We would get dressed up for dinner and then go and knock on their door and ask if they would care to join us, merely a tactic to hurry them along from all this relaxing business. Not to mention the excitement of having “free” use the of the leisure facilities. We still always slept with a “nightlight” on though, just in case we woke up through the night in these very unfamiliar surroundings. Most grown ups use nightlights though, don’t they?!

As I have been recalling these fond memories, I am again reminded how important rest is. We all love to buy into the culture of “busyness” that surrounds us. When you ask people how they are or what they are up to you’ll often hear a phrase like “I’m pretty busy at the moment” resound in your ears. Why is it that we all love being busy? What’s so attractive about that? Don’t get me wrong, I think it’s great to be a hard worker and diligent with the responsibilities that we have. But on the other hand if we are constantly busy we become ineffective and eventually burn out. And that is no good to anyone. The antidote to the busy bug is remedy of rest; it’s not rocket science. Let’s take the time as leaders to book in our holidays, work hard and rest hard. God did it, we want to be like him, so let’s all find time to rest and let’s stop being so busy and be secure in who we are and enjoy a greater sense of balance when it comes to work and rest. A little less “doing” wouldn’t go a miss or decrease our productivity.

My little rant is over and I have accomplished my task. I’m feeling a little sick because I’m facing backwards on this fast moving, horizon changing train that glides along at the most peculiar angles. So I think I better leave it there, shut my laptop and try and focus on the horizon!!  Until next time… Macca

Have you ever seen one of those recipe books where all the pictures look incredible? You flip through and gasp at warm chocolate brownies with chunks of chocolate cookie and vanilla and caramel ice cream gently melting...you sit there, in awe and wonder, thinking ‘I want one of those RIGHT NOW.’

But that’s not the aim of the recipe book. It’s not just there to convince you that brownies are a good thing (that hardly needs doing), it’s there so you can have brownies.

I’m reading a book at the moment that is, quite simply, remarkable. It’s called ‘The Pursuit of God,’ by a guy called A. W. Tozer, who writes beautiful, almost unbelievable things about God and the life He intended for us. I'm inspired every morning when I pick the book up. And I can get my highlighter out and underline stuff as much as I like, but I’ve realised that’s just like looking at the picture of the brownie and being satisfied. Tozer doesn’t just want me to want God, that’s only the beginning: he wants me to have God.

Now, I understand that some people aren’t as into books as me. I am a bookworm of the first order, and not ashamed of it. Books are amazing. Okay, not all of them – but some of them are incredible, considering they are only paper and funny black shapes. They can move you, teach you, inspire you, change you – if you let them.

I don’t know what you’re reading right now. If it’s not good, throw it away. If it is good, don’t be easily satisfied. Eat the brownies.

P.S. If you want some ideas for good books, find us on Facebook and ask! ‘Leaders are readers,’ as they say...

Sometimes being at church doesn’t automatically make you feel great. Some Sundays you just don’t care. Or you feel miserable. Isn’t it true? The music does nothing for your poor, mangled, angry soul, and the fact that everyone else is clapping away just makes everything worse.

I speak from experience. Okay, this Sunday.

Something that God was asking me to do I just couldn’t do. I sat in frustration and fear because I couldn’t do it. Oh how miserable am I! And how flippin’ mean is God! I can’t do it – I just can’t. I don’t care how nice the songs are, or how many nice promises are in the Bible, I’ve tried them all, but I still can’t do it. Woe is me.

And then it’s like God flips a switch.

Of course I can’t do it. Why should this be a surprise to me, or a source of despair? I seem to forget, too easily, that I could never do it. He doesn’t expect me to do it on my own, and He doesn’t want me to. The whole thing is supposed to be an exercise in walking and working more closely with Him, not drowning in misery all by my lonely self.

I have a suspicion that much of my leadership career will look like this. Leaders must do things that most people cannot do. But the truth is we can’t either. But He can – and He’s the only one who can. This is why He leads us. Please, please, remember you can’t do it! It’s much better to know from the start than to crash and burn in the middle. He is, and will forever be, the Only One Who Can.

I wonder what you’re wearing this morning.

I don’t mean your top, or even those nice shoes, I mean on your face.

On Saturday I had tea and cakes with a bunch of quality girls in Guildford, and our conversation turned, perhaps predictably, to clothes...but not the physical kind. You see, we’d discovered that there are quite a few bits of the Bible that talk about what we should wear: Proverbs says strength and dignity, Isaiah says a crown of beauty and a garment of praise, Colossians says compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. And we were musing on the fact that we worry so much about the contents of our wardrobes, but much less about the clothes that matter.

Because what we wear on our faces does matter. On my way to Guildford on the train, I had a wait at Waterloo, and for twenty minutes I just sat and watched people. And most people were just plain miserable. It’s incredibly obvious. When someone is smiling, you’re immediately curious or on your guard because it’s so unexpected. As easy as it is to make assumptions about people based on their clothes – and we all do it – it’s just as easy to read people’s attitudes sometimes.

Imagine if you wore something different on your face – if the goodness and kindness of God was written all over you, as obvious as the hoodie you’re wearing. What would it be like to walk down the high street dressed in the beauty and dignity of the King? I mean having it in your eyes, in your smile, in the tips of your fingers. You would be an incredible influence, even in the post office.

We have as much of a choice in what we wear on our faces as what we wear on our bodies. You can decide what to wear. So this morning, what are you wearing?

And what will you wear tomorrow?