steve

this week

Been really interesting this week so far. Started the week on the beach having a great long walk and pray on Dawlish Warren. Last night I met the nightchurch pioneer team for the first time altogether. This year we are going to be experimenting in creating church in Exeter Cathedral www.nightchurch.org.uk - a team full of creative and passionate folks, I am so privileged. Today been sorting and preparing. Tonight is the big Chelsea/Liverpool thing!! Tomorrow doing assemblies and all good stuff.

Change the World in 80 Days Project starts today!!

a new week begins - SUNRISE

SUNRISE I guess what is great about a life following Jesus is that each new week is literally completely fresh, yes we can learn from last week and I will. But actually I'm able to wake up tomorrow with complete freshness and new start-ness.

As I'm, getting older I'm realising each day needs to be lived to the full, full of loads of love for all the folks I meet.

A week pretty normal in terms of it's pattern but not normal in what will happen. My hopes for this week are ...

1. I am finding jogging really helps in loads of ways, so 3 jog sessions.
2. I want to start each day with some time just with the Lord in some way.
3. Keep loving everyone I meet.

Gnight

late at night

Had an amazing week full of the excitement of a roller coaster with God as the driver. I have not been bored for years, \But wanting a refreshing weeknd with the family, they need a piece of me right now. G'night, join the ride, there isn't a better one around.

Bono's preach - this is a mega speech, keep listening to the end

another sorting day

I should be perfect by the end of the week with all this time to "sort it". Sitting in the sun with my laptop "sufferingfor Jesus", pray for me in the midst of my pain!!????

Got given this free ebook the other day, interesting stuff if you wanna change the world

10pm Off for a late night jog with mr missiome - we're trying to get ready for the GT West Run but I'm not doing enough miles per week but still got 7 weeks so plenty of time. Hope you've had a great day, I didn't quite get done what I would have liked but some time tomorrow.

G'night

luv Steve

a whole day to sort it!

I've just got a massive back log of admin so today is the day to break it's back. I love playing around with this blog, I met a guy, Steve Addison, last week that really inspired me to use this blog to create some great conversations, his blog has sky rocketed with thousands of hits etc...

I want the day today also to be full of God's peace and love too, there was once a monk guy called Brother Laurence ( I think ) who wrote a book 'practicing the presence of God' and he spent much of his life washing dishes but turning that mundane into something beautiful, something transformational. TURNING THE MUNDANE INTO the MAGNIFICENT' ... like it...

Peace

Steve

2 great times

Had a great beer with an old mate on Wednesday, Ivan, head of RE at a local secondary school, a really interesting guy who used to be a Dave Tomlinson side-kick. He was so encouraging and we talked into the night. I love him and his dreams. God please make it happen for him.

Great conversation with Wes White from Glasgow Mosaic... he's a real thinker and they are trying some progressive and creative things in central Glasgow, where I used to live. God bless them all loads..

God's people are so amazing, bringing encouragement, bringing healing, bonding within seconds. Thnaks Father God for Your family

half term

The kids have a half term and I can spend some of it with them. Tonight it's movie night with popcorn, tomorrow football in the drippy weather. Been reading a friend of mine, John Allan's articles on social justice as evangelism among young people..here Young People want to change the world, The Trinity wants to change the world, let's get them together and see what happens.

Bloggin' on a bus

Always wanted to do this .. Bit trickey on the corners and bumps though. Been thinking and reading about experiential learning today and the use of story in communication ... More, more, more, storytelling, coaching, mentoring... The landscape of leadership is morphing and I want to speak the new language or is it new? It's just Jesus styles of leadership in management speak.

Been thinkin about death too, (what a sad geek I hear you say  - thomas a kempis said meditate on death daily, it sorts the priorities ). My next door neighbour was in the train crash at Reading.

I nearly died in an unconcerned crowd yesterday.

I nearly died in an unconcerned crowd yesterday.
I was jogging on a machine at my gym surrounded by 30 plus other
runners- all watching the multiple tv's with headphones on. I reached to
quench my thirst with water as I jogged. Don't try this at home because
the next minute I choked, spluttered water everywhere, gasping for
breath, collapsing in a pile on the floor. The words 'here I come Jesus
' were forming in my mind. 3 minutes of choking later and now recovered
I opened my eyes expecting at least a smile of understanding or a
sympathetic comment... Not even a turned head or nod, just 30 plus
other runners- all watching the multiple tv's with headphones on.
I nearly died in an unconcerned crowd yesterday.

Wonder-full Life ?

Normally I'm a fast frenetic kind of person, running from appointment to appointment, goal to objective, a journey is a waste of time, process pointless, product everything, achieving is what matters, task orientated to the hilt.
Thank God for Children. I still remember my first walk to the shops with one of my fledgeling toddlers - perhaps a quarter of a mile to get a loaf of bread - it took over an hour, the reason ? Not just the little legs struggling to keep up with dad but also stopping every 2 or 3 paces to gaze with open mouth at the latest discovery - a twig or a leaf. Staring with whispered "wow" flowing from gaping lips, the amazed wide eyes, the innocent and complete focus on something as basic as a leaf. It severely irritated and frustrated me at first, " Come on , hurry up, I'll buy you some sweets," and all the usual parental bribery proceeded but then I slowed, not just my pace but my whole perspective, and we spent some precious moments getting turned on by a dead leaf.
My child had a sense of "wow", a feeling of wonder, something I had long ago, dulled through years of time management strategies, things to do lists and performance-related pay. I'm learning now to slow, to stop, to flow, to wonder, to think deeply, to have "wow". Walking down busy Exeter streets passing towering office blocks in the ravine of speed, buzz and action, I'm now learning to gaze up briefly at the clouds; I'm enjoying the journey not just the destination, I'm learning to slow for special family rituals, the birthdays, the family night and the days out. Life is too short to be 'wonder-less' , make it 'wonder-full'.

13 ways to restore lost wonder and the sense of "wow".

• Put the word 'wonder' in a web search engine and see what comes out.
• Close the living room door, shut the curtains, turn on some 'big' music and dance ( particularly useful with small children around ).
• Pay £10 for a Big Issue.
• Listen to a gregorian chant CD whilst soaking in a hot tub.
• Chew slowly.
• Fast TV for a week.
• Cry at the birth of a child.
• Have a heart to heart with your Creator.
• If you are Radio 1 FM, try Classic FM for a day.
• If you are Classic FM try Gemini for as long as you can take it.
• If you are Radio 2 ..... no comment.
• Spontaneously and secretly give someone a very generous gift.
• Construct a tent in your front room and camp out the night with some kids.

Tomorrow i'm going to suffer for jesus again

Tomorrow i'm going to suffer for jesus again and have coffee at Exmouth beach and chat about exciting things happening in Devon. Another meeting, then home ,
My son asked me to take this photo, this is where Thunderbird two lan
ded in the movie.

Sunday's should be like this.

great church with an old mate, Simon thomas, ex-Ichthus, then just mad family time including full face painting, I didn't take a picture of me. Peaceful and rested I attack the world again tomorrow, this is how Sunday should be.

frustrated !

Don't you sometimes hate days that never seem to start...
meetings with no purpose, computers that break, ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh !
Perhaps Chelsea will win tonight !

feedback

I would really appreciate feedback about the look and feel of this site contact Cheers

Sitting waiting for tyres. Just

Sitting waiting for tyres. Just heard of more fresh expressions of church in exeter. I hear of more almost on a weekly basis... What is happening. Great to see an old friend of mine,steve clarke. God bless 'im and his family. Dear God, let there be more and more of these things,let it happen. Help us old duded father it into life. Steve