“Good, thanks!”

I’m back now 2 months from my trip in Peru and Colombia. I have found good support and encouragement about the children’s home project in Arequipa. Thank you for your interest. For some it’s still not clear what they are supporting....and in reality sometimes I don’t even know myself!

I have said that this blog will continue till I reach one of three options:

· Set up a children’s home myself.

· Or, join an existing home and take things from there.

· Or plan ‘C’......What ever that is?

In this post I want to inform you where this project is at, in the context of a few thoughts on “Good, thanks”.

Life is often presented as doing well at studies, getting a job and being happy, so that when people ask, “How’s life?” you just reply, “Good, thanks!”

However, what have I been doing? I have been to many small courses, from suicide prevention to youth ministry weekends where there’s seminar after seminar about youth and our role in their lives; I have had many conversations about the whole vision of a children’s home; I have asked questions to directors; I have been finding out everything about charities and children’s homes; I have drawn up a list of books to read........

Why am I not just thinking about “getting on with what my life has dealt me with so as to be able to say, Good, thanks”? Rather than thinking of where I’m going or what I’m doing.

Post-Modern culture has brought us up to think , “what ever”,, and , “have it our own way”.. we have an “if it feels good, go with it” attitude and in all this we are,, “good thanks” The world goes by and often we don’t stop to understand what it’s all about! We don’t take time to think what’s going on, why we do what we do, or whom we do it for....unless, one day, we find things are “not that that good”!

My thing is, don’t just “get on with living” - take a step back and think what it’s for. Whatever we do in the future will be determined by the stand point we take now.

· Think about what the Trinity is about and how this will impact how we live our lives.

· Think about the cross (Forgiveness of sins, Christos Victor, Reconciliation, Redemption) and how this will impact how we live our lives.

· Think about God Incarnate (God took on flesh) and how this impacts how we live.

· Think about a call to mission and how this impacts what we do with our lives.

· Think about empowerment by the Holy Sprit, the tasks of Word, prayer and spiritual direction. And how our lives could be with this?

· Think about our role in the Church and how this impacts our lives.

The relationship we have with these truths will guide our interaction with what we do. Let’s not just coast and keep saying, “Good, thanks”.

So this is what I’m doing at the moment...trying to:

Don Browning “action-reflection model”.

- Understand (what’s going on?),

- Reflect: (what am I doing?)

- Detect and Evaluate: ( putting down commitments in my life)

- Project: ( Strategies, on how I can live my life for GOD)

-

HOW CAN YOU BEST SUPPORT ME?

- Please pray: for the vision to set up a children’s home. May it be a God-inspired venture. Pray for God’s leading - I don’t have the answers and need to be lead forward.

- If you know of people who have gone thought setting up a charity, I would love to talk to them about what they think.

- Also if you know of any children’s home around the world, I would like to contact them.

- If you know a good book about youth or children at risk, even parenting, leadership books.. Subjects that can help me think about this project more and get more understanding.

- If you know any courses out there that are relevant to this work let me know.

- I want to start getting a list of people who will dedicate themselves to pray for this with me. So please if you want to be part of this, it would be an encouragement if you would let me know - even write your name on the comment box at the bottom. THANKS!

"who,what and then why"

This week I have been thinking very intensely about the concept of ‘a calling’ - something which God has set upon one’s heart in which to follow Him specifically.

Naturally as a human I have been asking myself many questions about this. I am constantly thinking about the future and how big and daunting it is. The danger is that it can be without God..

And that’s where you ask yourself again and again the fundamental questions that brought you to this point, to check that you are living for the right thing and not just a dream land or wayward feelings.

I have found some very good comments from the website of a children’s home which I will quote from below. (If you want to read more about what they say, please have a look as it really explains much more!)

After finding out ‘Who’ you are you may ask yourself ‘What’ you do or what you want to do. In my case I want to set up a children’s home. The next questions many be ‘Why we do it? Or, ‘Why would you really want to do it?’

I am speaking of course as a Christian to other Christians who understand ‘who they are’ and maybe know ‘what they want to do’. But we need also to think ‘Why?’ The answer to this question may help us in the approach of ‘How?’

I can’t fully write down all the strands of thoughts that will help you or me… but I will add what has helped me. And for the readers of this blog, please make it a prayer point for this stage in my life.

Many thanks J-D

This extract is from http://www.armsoflove.org/why_compassion.htm

Why We Do It: Compassion

In his recent book, "Where Soldiers Fear to Tread," journalist John Burnett writes about his time working as a relief worker for the United Nations in Somalia. John occasionally ruminates on the broader purpose of his mission, and the various reasons that the people he's working with are risking their lives to engage in the relief effort. He comes up with various reasons ... salary, egos, adventure, all kinds of personal issues, but rarely, in his opinion, compassion. John writes,

"If there are any heroes in this world, we are not among them. Who of us is in it for altruism? ... We each have our reasons. But I don't think compassion is what drives most relief workers. ... In the eyes of the mainstream, I suspect we all could be considered a bit mad, loonies pursuing some mythic quest. We have become too antsy and too deterred for a life of spiritless routine, too selfish for much compassion, and too human for heroism. All this for a lousy paycheck."

Now listen to the final paragraph of John's book:

"Day after day, it just goes on and on, one miserable event after another. As David said, God favors no one, not those who perish, not those who serve. The misery of the world will continue with or without our gallant efforts. Let others replace me; let others try to save the damn world."

John's autobiographical story is a compelling one, and these final words bring into sharp focus the ultimate question: Does any of our work really make a difference?

"Has anyone's life really made a difference?"

We read in Matt. 15:32: Jesus said to his disciples, "I feel compassion for the people, because they have remained with me now three days and have nothing to eat, and I do not want to send them away hungry."

And so with seven loaves and a few fish, Jesus fed the four thousand. Compassion was the motivating factor behind Jesus feeding the hungry.

"Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress …" James 1:27.

What is compassion? Compassion is not merely thinking, "I have an obligation to help that person." Compassion is a deep feeling that is aroused when we see someone crying, hungry, sick, or hurting, and it stirs us to act on that person's behalf. The distinction is critical.

The post on http://www.armsoflove.org/why_compassion.htm goes on to finish with this statement:

Sometimes we see so many needs around us, so much desperation in this world, that we become overwhelmed and desensitized, and our hearts become calloused. Whenever our hearts stop breaking when we see someone in need, we need to take our hearts before God and ask Him to break our hearts afresh and fill our hearts with His compassion. This is the starting point for carrying out Jesus' ministry. And it is the wellspring of hope and perseverance in the face of overwhelming need.

The ministry of Jesus requires a broken heart.

(Please read the other extract from http://www.armsoflove.org/why_justice.htm)

Why We Do It: Justice

This section concludes:.

By ministering to all of the needs of each and every child, our goal is to bring healing into every part of their lives. Our vision for them -- God's heart for them -is that the children will be made whole … and that God's justice will be manifested and accomplished in their lives and in the lives of future generations.

(Please read the 3ed extract from http://www.armsoflove.org/why_mercy.htm)

Why We Do It: Mercy

This section concludes:,

Jesus' last words to us were to "Go, and make disciples of all nations." Go, and bring the good news of the gospel to the poor! Go, and show my compassion to the lost! Go, and execute justice on behalf of the oppressed! Go, and show my mercy to those who have been thrown away! Go, and feed the hungry in my name! Go, and bring my glory to the nations!

So why do we spend so much of our lives just staying right where we're at? "Blooming where we're planted." We are not potted plants. God gave us hands, He gave us feet, and He told us to "Go!"

There's a prevalent notion that we're just called to be good Christians wherever we are at - at home, at work, at the grocery store. But what part of that philosophy involves going anywhere? If that is all we ever did, there are many people in our own community who would never hear the good news of Jesus and who would never have the gospel demonstrated to them - much less those in other parts of the world.

We have to find ways to go beyond our daily routine, to get outside our comfort zone, to connect with people outside our every day sphere of relationships, and minister to their needs in Jesus name. Moved by His compassion. Doing justice in His name. Showing His mercy. That's what it means to GO.

(All extracts were copied from www.armsoflove.org)