Risk or Loss (2) How to make the tough calls.

In the last few days, I have been reflecting some more on the issue of taking risks and what it means as a leader. Whenever you are given that leaders position, you will inevitably upset someone or some people along the way. It is a normal state of being the one who has to make the tough calls. So how can you make those "calls" without harming yourself or the people you lead. I have learnt from my success's and failings in this area and want to share a few comments that may help you in making those "calls" in the future.

Is it personal?

When ever leading change you need to ask yourself is this change purely to suit me, make my life easier or is it for the long term gain of the organisation. This doesn't mean that you don't invest something of yourself in the change or that you take it personally but ultimately change can't be simple down to what the leader wants. In ever tough call you have to make, ask your self what will the effect be and who will it will effect and how. This may scare you but also help you in forward planning conversations, information and how you communicate. In a church setting a simple example of this is seen in the songs I choose may not always be the ones I like because I am not the only one singing them.

Does it really matter?

This may sound obvious but don't do it if it doesn't really matter! In some situations you may have bigger change on the horizon that will include the issue you are currently considering. Wait a while and do it all together. However if it needs to be done now then do it. The worst thing that you could do is leave it and the issue build up and then feel to big to change or address. Some things need to be challenged sooner rather than later.

Can you afford not too?

If you don't make the call, what will the impact be. Even if it doesn't work at least you can learn from it and make it better next time.

Matt

Risk or Loss

Tuesday afternoons are my designated “leadership time” when I spend the afternoon with some good coffee and find a place that isn’t the office or home to reflect on stuff that I am involved with currently. This week I got in to a brief conversation with a financial advisor regarding people’s perception of loss in the wake of the earth quake and Tsunami in Japan. He said this: “it is not the attitude of risk but the attitude of loss that people can’t get their heads around.”

Losing something is a painful experience and one that can take a great amount of time and effort to work through. It also means that we things/we will never be the same as a result; life will be different forever. It’s no wonder we don’t want to take risks, why would we put ourselves in a position to lose. If we risk nothing we lose nothing. Yet can we afford to live a live without taking risks? Can we walk in this world just taking the easy option? If we lose nothing will we ever learn anything new?

In these last few weeks I have been thinking a lot about how I seek to take risks both in my own life and in my role within the church. It would be easy to step back and just let things happen around me and keep things maintained well but at the same time not wanting to develop things that are unsustainable. Either of these elements does not reflect the creative and sustaining nature of God and responsibility he places on me as his follower and as a Salvation Army Officer.
Taking risks doesn’t mean doing stuff alone or that it has to be big stuff either.

One of the great joys in my life currently is watching Katherine leaning to walk and climb. There is no fear in her eyes when she sets of just hope and joy as she tries to get from the chair to her dolly. Learning to walk is a risk! Things can and will go wrong. In the same way as we are learning to walk with God and take risks things will go wrong but God never leaves us or change. When we take a risk we witness the sustaining nature of God and His love for His people.

Matt

Character

This quote is taken from Phil McNulty's article on the BBC website regarding the reinstatement of John Terry as England Captain:

Terry is a natural leader and still remains a serviceable, if more vulnerable, England defender, so Capello's desire to employ him in an influential role is understandable.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/philmcnulty/2011/03/capello_wrong_to_reinstate_ter.html

I love my football and admire what they can do with a ball at their feet (hands if they are Goal Keepers) but can't help think that they have been elevated or elevated themselves to a place that is out of step with the reality most of us live in. Phil McNulty's comments that Capello's decision to reinstate him as England Captain is because he is a good defender and a leader. I agree he is still good enough at the centre of England defense but not an appropriate leader for such a role. His conduct and attitude, from what we know, doesn't seem to warrant such honour as leading out the England team. He may get the job done and done well but to be a great leader you must also display your leadership in all aspects of your character. I have nothing against Terry and have a degree of sympathy for him regarding the media frenzy that sounds players like him. Yet in contrast, look at the example of Ryan Giggs who has conducted himself with a great deal of maturity even from a young age. Who would you follow? Who is the best leader?

Leadership demands that we are examples to others in all aspects of our lives. We will make mistakes but we must learn from them and develop the character that can admit mistakes, learn from them and be better because of it. I have made mistakes, made wrong decisions and maybe dealt with issues wrongly during my leadership but I am learning all the time that they only serve as a base for growth. I don't claim to be better than John Terry, I am only seeking to be better than I am currently as a person in leadership. It is tough being in the public eye constantly and that is why our character has to be challenged and developed constantly.

We maybe good at leading but is our conduct good enough when doing so?

Matt

Leaving a legacy

It light of the past week, I have spent a lot of time reflecting on the legacy that Verz (see previous blog) has had upon peoples lives. It is amazing to think that one man can impact, for the better, so many people's lives and leave a legacy that will continue to help the church share the good news of Jesus. As someone who got to share a lot of time with him, it's easy to see how. Apart form the odd Norwich fan, I can't think of anyone who would have a bad word to say about Verz, he had no enemies, only saw the best in people and was the most humble person I have ever met.

I have been challenged, as I am sure others have, as to the legacy that I will leave both in my current appointment but in all aspects of my life. Has my life been a force for good and left people with a positive experience of the God whom I seek to proclaim and follow. If I am to leave a true legacy it must be one that God has ordained and that I seek to fulfill in and through my obedience as a husband, father, friend and leader. It isn't my Officers commission that defines my ministry and life, it is found in the one whose commission I seek to carry out.

I don't think Verz truly realised the depth of the legacy that he has left and that will continue to impact our world. Knowing Verz, he would be embarrassed by all the attention and praise that has been on facebook, in conversations and that will undoubtedly come in the weeks and months to come. He deserves all the praise that comes his way but he would simple deflect that praise to one who called him in the first place.

The question is, what will my legacy be, what will your legacy be?

Matt

Faith First - Man of faith

Since my last blog, I received the devastating news that my best mate and life long golf buddy, Mark Versey died suddenly. I am finding it hard to talk about it, and am lost for words to express my sorrow and pain. He was a great man, who loved life, would do anything for anyone and was a brilliant friend. I have so much to be thankful for during the times we spent together and I know that so many others feel the same.

If ever you needed an example of what faith looks like in human flesh, then Verz was as good example of it as you would ever get. Ever since I have known him, I have been inspired and encouraged by his great faith. In fact it was Verz that suggested I apply to become a minister within the Salvation Army. This led to a journey that continues today. He was more than a friend, more than our best man, he was a brother in faith. When Lizzy and I had a miscarriage a couple of years ago, he was there on the other end of a computer via Skype, telling us he was committed to pray for us everyday until we conceived again. Katherine was born a year later.

In essence, Verz lived out what he believed. In 2003, he came into contact with Ambassadors in Sport and from that moment he sought to live out his faith through the medium of Football. Verz, right up to his passing, never lost sight of the power of a living Jesus and how that could be translated through football. I don't think anyone could comprehend the impact he has made on the lives of people in many parts of the world, the impact on the running of AIS, the legacy in South Africa as over 500 coaches were trained by AIS and his friendship to so many people. These few words do not do justice to legacy he leaves behind.

Verz was a true ambassador of hope and a man of great faith.

Well done my friend.

Matt

An Tribute from Ambassadors in Sport.

Faith first 4 (Dealing with doubt)

There have been many times in the past where despite my optimism and faith I have wondered whether I have done the right thing or if I have miss read God intentions for me and my leadership. It can seem a little irreverent to doubt God and His plan's but every time I doubt the more I discover about the God I am doubting. I don't think God is at all worried if we doubt in Him, His power and authority because we are acknowledging that he is involved with what is going on. In my experience, doubt usually leads to a reigniting faith.


In leadership it is easy to doubt so much you do nothing or have no doubt and only do what you want to do. There needs to be a balance struck between faith and dealing with the doubt when it comes your way. By doubting our faith in God's plan we are more likely to ask the questions that will lead us and help lead others to a deeper understanding and more authentic experience of who God is and what he has in store. It would be easy to put our doubts down to personal weakness rather than an opportunity to see God work in and through us.

There are always going to be moments where we doubt first rather than have faith first but in these moments we are allowing God to be placed first. We maybe shaken but he will always be unshakable (Psalm 62:2).

Matt

Faith first 3 (Risk Assessent)

Don't worry I am not about to blog on the vital part that assessing the risk of activities plays in the life of a church ministry. They can be boring and laborious to undertake but are crucial to ensuring that we keep people as safe as possible whilst in our buildings, partaking in activities and involved in various mission projects. Yet I worry that this has had an untold impact on the life of the church. Not only have we assessed the physical risk but the spiritual ones too. There are two core elements to faith, they are risk and fear. We need these to bring in to focus our own faith and the faith of the church.

Over the past couple of weeks Katherine has discovered the wonderful world of stairs. This has brought a couple of bumps, a few tears but mainly great excitement and adventure. As her dad, I worry she will hurt herself but also rejoice that she is discovering all life has to offer for a one year old. The stairs probably fell like a mountain and provide much enjoyment despite the danger(which she seems to be oblivious too). It would be easy for us to put a stair gate on the bottom step and stop her even starting the climb.


Fear is emotion we experience in the presence of a potential risk. Once we begin to face the risk and work through it fear turns to other emotions such as excitement, joy or feeling scared. If we don't risk anything we will never fear and experience these and other such emotions. The church seems to have lost its appetite for risk in its ministry. If we as churches "play it safe" then how will we experience the protection and goodness of God. Didn't God risk everything by giving us His Son?

If we risk nothing we lack faith. I believe in a God who is faithful and is well worth risking everything for.

Matt

Faith first (2)

Whenever I have taken a spiritual gifts questionnaire I have always had the gift of faith in my top 3. And yet as a result, I have struggled with are the issues of pride and arrogance in my life and leadership. This is a danger that I have been (and still am) working on a lot over the past couple of years. I know that I can be over confident, which has meant being under prepared for meetings, worship, conversations and life in general. The danger is that these issues and character flaws can be detrimental to both my leadership and God's plan for my life and the church I lead.

However, I also have witnessed God use me in amazing ways because of my faith. I believe that God can do anything. I have prayer for people who have been healed, prayed for situations that seem impossible and yet have become reality. Faith in what God can do, must never never be underestimated but similarly never taken for granted or used to personal promotion. I have learnt a lot during my time at Aspley about ensuring that God gets the credit when he uses my faith.

My faith must be place in God first, then and only then will God honour my faith.



Matt

Open book

One of the great tensions as a leader is how much you give of your true self to the cause, how much you are yourself in public and how much you keep well hidden.

It is easy for a leader to reveal a fraction of themselves and be themselves to those they lead. A good example of this was when Gordon Brown, on his departure speech from office, revealed more about himself than in his entire premiership. As he spoke the words " I know go to do the most important job of all as a husband and as a father." Part of me was encouraged at his acknowledgement of the importance of family but was annoyed that it took a general election defeat to see that element of his character. I wonder what difference it would have made to his reign had he said that as he became the PM.

There is a need in leadership to be real, honest and as open as possible. This is difficult in many circumstance where there is a need for confidentiality for legal or personal reasons. However, I am always drawn to those leaders I know more about, regardless of what I know about them. In my experience, people will not like you any less if they know the truth about you. Being an open book does not mean you tell everyone everything but you are willing to be yourself in all situations and honest enough to admit your failings and flaws.

Over the years I have found this difficult and frustrating within the Salvation Army, whether as a member of the congregation or in a position of leadership. Trying to be yourself in an organisation that expects certain things creates a predicament that I have pondered about a lot. How can I be myself as well as fulfill the expectations as a Salvation Army Officer (minister) which sometimes I may have different views about? Yet

At the heart of a good leader should be a willingness to be open and honest in all situations. God created us as he desired, why would we want to hide who we are from him or anyone else?

Matt

Faith first.

Over the past few months in our church we have witnessed some incredible moments of joy, fun and hope. One of the great blessing of leading the church is that I have seen people step out in faith and trust that God knows what he is doing. Whether in the small conversations,willingness to be a leader or believe that God's plan will be worked out, people have stepped out in faith.

One example of this is seen in our churches willingness to take on an allotment as a way of connecting with our community. We have no idea what were doing but it was offered to us free and was to good an opportunity to turn down. We set about weeding, digging, removing baths, pulling down a couple of trees and avoiding wasps from a nest we found and in the new year we placed a shed (the size of a small house) on the plot. It was time to get planting but without someone with the expertise to co-ordinate it were would we start. However, God had a plan. Last week David had a conversation with an old work colleague that was looking for an allotment but was unable to find one. David invited him to come and have a look at ours on Saturday and he has agreed to help us out. He knows what he is doing, talking about and is already planning the crops. Thank you God!

Faith always comes first when we are seeking to follow God's plan for our lives. Our church had the faith to take on something it wasn't skilled for but God has provided us with the person who does have the skill. Our church's theme for this year is "preparing to grow" and now we have a place to do it, a person to help do it and a church willing to see it become a reality.

Faith cannot be taught it must be learnt and the church must always be willing to learn.

Matt

Busy Busy Busy (how to beat the busyness)

After raising the issue of being busy, I thought I would share some thoughts on how to deal with it. The reality for me has been that saying you'll make time for your family, be more organised and create more time for the tasks you don't like has and is still a difficult thing to work out. But I have improved the rhythm of my week to give appropriate/quality time for my family (not only on my day off), spending time in preparing my self for the coming week/month/year and managing my time efficiently so that I do what needs to be done. It is still a work in progress but here are some suggestions:


1: Put it in the diary - If you are going to have an afternoon off (on top of you day off), out it in the diary as an item, just like any other appointment. Put some time in you diary that is for an emergency. Obviously, the emergency will not happen at that point but you have space to catch up or benefit from. If you have an open diary system in an office then put it in code and stick to it! If an emergency crops up, reschedule your time immediately, don't say "I'll do it later."

2: Get a mentor - You need someone to hold you to account of your time. They can help you ensure that you are not in danger of either burning out or becoming lethargic and lazy. This must be someone you trust, respect and will listen to, even if it hurts.

3: Get active - No one can work productivity for long without an outlet. For me, I need to do something physical (running, football, digging at the allotment, walking to the office etc). It helps release stress, it keeps you body health and you get to meet people that you wouldn't necessary connect with. This is something I still need to work on and place higher on the agenda during my week.

4: Chill Out - You are allowed to stop and do nothing. Do not feel guilty about having you day off, taking all your holiday and making the most of quiet periods. These are God given moments when you can relax. Use your time to chill out as preparation before an event/busy period rather than recuperation after it because as soon as you feel you have caught up and feeling ready to go, you will be word out again. I have tried to think of my day off (usually Saturday) as preparing for Sunday and the week ahead rather than rest after a busy/long/pressured week.

The thing I am trying to do is be more silent (for those that know me this will probably make you smile) in my life. It is a lot easier to speak than to listen to God but how will I hear if I don't keep quiet.

Matt

Leading

Last week the Salvation Army (SA) elected a new General (World Leader). Linda Bond will take up her appointment on the 2nd April 2011, following Shaw Clifton who retires on the 1st April 2011. I must admit that I was intrigued by the process more than the outcome. The body that makes the decision (The High Council) is made up of leaders of a certain position within the SA world. In theory any SA Officer (minister) can become the General of the SA but must be nominated by at least 3 members of the HC. This has never happened. See following link for more details: http://www2.salvationarmy.org.uk/uki/www_uki.nsf/vw-search/0DA2C1DB392DE343802570EB0057542A?opendocument

It got me thinking about the process of leadership and how we raise new leaders within the SA at all levels. Does our position/appointment mean we are good leaders? Are the best leaders in the best places?

Of course, I have little say on the big issues regarding the Generals election process but I do have a opportunity to ensure that we are a movement that keeps raising leaders at local church level. In my experience, this is where leaders are born and should be develop and grown. The reality is if local leaders are not present, nothings grows. I am convinced that the local church should be like a chemistry lab where people are involved in experiments. It will mean that some work out well, some will make a mess, some discovering little, some discovering lots and some changing the way we think. This will allow people the freedom and opportunity to experiment in leadership and ultimately learn how to lead better.

I must add that being a leader doesn't mean having an official role or responsibility but the gift and ability to lead others in faith and vision. God doesn't have a standard mould that he uses to make leaders but he certainly can mould people in to leaders.

My hope is that as an Officer people look to me as a leader not because of my rank, status, or even experience but because I lead with integrity, honesty and a desire to release others to lead. If I get this wrong it will time for me to step aside!

Matt

Busy Busy Busy

Having been thinking a lot in the last few weeks and months about the whole issues of Busyness. It is a frequently used word in all walks of life but especially by church leaders/ministers. On the BBC website last week was this article about Nick Clegg finishing at 3pm because of his family.

"Nick Clegg denies reports he stops work at 3pm each day. Nick Clegg has laughed off "silly" reports he is finishing work early after reports that he did not want to get any government papers after 3pm. The deputy prime minister said he might have many flaws "but not working hard enough is not one of them". He told BBC Breakfast his team had set the mid-afternoon submission deadline for Whitehall departments so they could add advice on documents before he left." http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-12343136

My response to this was: "A father that wants to spend more time with his family, what a great example." In my experience, many church leaders do not spend enough time with their families. I know I have been guilty of it in the past. It is easy to think that as the leader we must be busy, all the time. This was highlighted to me this week when talking with a fellow SA officer, who said "We are both very busy, the reality is we don't see much of each other." That saddened my heart, what makes they feel they have to live in that vain. Why are leaders in the church made to feel that they have to work all the hours God sends. Even God rested on the 7th day, and so should we.

I recognise that there will be periods in ministry will be busy but these should only be after times of preparation. We can't keep going at full pace all the time. Something will have to give.

As leaders, we are the only ones can work out what needs to give and what, like family, must be a priority.

Matt

A lot to do!

In our church this year we have had an underlying theme of "mobilising for mission." At the beginning of the year I encouraged/challenged our church to get out more. It is easy for any church to become inward looking and isolated from the reality of what is going on around us. Not interacting and engaging with our communities is probably the greatest danger to the survival of the church in the UK. I am passionate about the church response, through mission, as to how we become a creditable partner in the places we seek to serve. A number of people have had to ask me over the past year " so where is the Salvation Army in Aspley?" Hoping people will come to us is not a viable solution to resolving the question.

A few weeks ago, whilst I was away, God presented us with an exciting mission opportunity. We were offered (and agreed to take on) an Allotment in our local area (only a ten min walk from the church). Its 600sq yards (very big) that has a small shack, concrete paths, a few trees, compost bin next to 94 other plots. It was over grown but the probation Pay Back team have been in to help begin clearing it up for us. It's a really exciting project for us to undertake and use as a way of expressing our faith and love for God to the local community. The Mustard Tree Allotment will be run as a community allotment where groups from the church (i.e Parents and Toddlers and After School Club) can use but also groups and individuals from the local area can get involved. The produce that we grow will be used in a variety of ways; used in our Drop In, given in food parcels and given to a local community market (Aspley's Miles Better).

There is a lot to do but such is the opportunity and potential for our church to be involved in it's community, how can re resist. As one of our members prayer "Lord, help us to grasp this opportunity with both hands." This is just one way I believe we can use to engage in mission, with significant practical and spiritual impacts on our church and the community we are seeking to serve.

Matt

Lessons

Read this this week:

Life is a succession of lessons which must be lived to be understood. (Ralph Waldo Emerson)

I would say that life is pretty boring once you stop learning from it and church is no different. I can honesty say that I am currently learning a lot about myself, leadership, fatherhood and church. I can't say that I understand it or that I am any good at all of them but I know I am better than I was this time last year. For example; I am learning what the various cries Katherine makes and what they mean (i.e hungry, nappy change, sleep and just grumpy!).

I am discovering that to be a good leader, I must learn at every opportunity. When things go well, take the credit but don't forget to look at what could have been done better or differently. When things go badly, don't be afraid to hold up your hands and say "I could have done that differently." There is no weakness in admitting you got things wrong but there is danger in ignoring it. I have learnt that when you lead you have will always get things wrong but its how you respond and react that limits the impact of your mistakes.

I don't believe God asks for perfection but for a willingness that as we seek to live we seek to learn.

Matt

Is death the answer?

Whilst listening to 5 live on the way to church the other morning, I heard a disturbing comment made by a caller. The phone in was regarding what themes are people thinking about in the run up to the election. She made the point that prisons were to comfortable and that capital punishment should be brought back. People are in titled to their opinions and thoughts but I should tell you that at the beginning of her call she boldly told Nicky Campbell she was a christian.


For me this doesn't fit. No one deserves to have their life taken by another, even by law. The death penalty and my faith do not sit together in any way. When I was sharing this at band practice (on the Wednesday after Easter), Sam piped up with "Jesus died by execution, didn't he." Interesting observation. Jesus not only came as a baby, grew up as a teenage and learnt a trade but also was put to death by the most inhuman form of execution available to humanity.

People wonder about the sense in God's plan in sending Jesus as a human in to the world but then to be put to death by humanity as well.

Thank God this wasn't the end of the plan.

Matt

Living it out

Having failed to blog in a while, I have found a bit of time at the end of a brilliant Easter weekend. This Easter has been on of the best for a few years for a number of reasons. The whole week has been busy, so much to sort out at church, things to plan, meetings to attend and clearing out cupboards for good measure. Today has been a great day for our church, there was breakfast, an Easter egg hunt, messy worship, roast dinner, sung worship and then a service at a local resident home. It was a busy day but a day full of fun, laughter, and most of all life. This was the first of our Family and Community Sundays where we meet for family friendly worship and then seek to engage with our community in various ways. It was a great start and people entered into the spirit of the day.

If there is one thing I am discovering at the moment, it is that the church should be the ultimate expression of the creative life of God. God loves a resourceful church who are willing not only to think outside the box but live outside of it. The church must seek to be as creative as possible in order to take hope to its community. This is not about gimmicks but genuine interaction and mission.

In the experience of His resurrection we must seek to live our lives for Him and make sure that as many people are touch by our journey as possible. Today may have been Easter Sunday where we focus on the life giving resurrection but we live in the same power tomorrow. Faith is best lived out in the reality of life and can't be contained on one day of the week or certain time of year.

Go raised His son to bring us life so lets live it.

Matt

The kingdom or the church?

You may have gathered from my blogs that I have a passion for the church to be engaged in mission in a local context. Recently my thoughts on this subject have been more focused through personal experience, books and conversations on the subject. I have never and will never see the church as a means to keep Christians happy until heaven but as a agent of heaven on earth. As Dave Tomlinson puts it "The mission of God was not to invent Christianity but to spread life" (Re-enchanting Christianity, Tomlinson, 2008:132). This should be at the heart of every church.

I am beginning to uncover the sticking point to this thought. I have long known and acknowledge that we should be a people of the Kingdom but never fully grasped and convinced myself about as to how and why. What is beginning to emerge for me is a picture of what the church would be like without the Kingdom as its focus. One dimensional, inward looking, a place on maintenance, safe and comfortable. The kingdom is none of these things that I have listed. The kingdom is a scarily unsafe place to live out faith, it is a place where anything is possible and anyone can be involved. It is about always being aware of your surroundings and seeing the creator in them and how God is calling us to engage with them. Often the church has taken the priority over the kingdom. Surely, God has ordained the church as a tool to represent the values and image of the Kingdom.

Our mission, if we chose to except it, is to be people of the Kingdom rather than members of churches.

Matt

Church is for girls!

From time to time I get an extract of a news paper sent to me from our regional headquarters. This week I got a copy of an article that claimed that "real men find church too girly. Here is the first paragraph.

Real men don't like going to church because they don't want to "sing love songs to a man", because the "vicar wears a dress", because they feel like "mongrels on parade at Crufts" and because they want to be waited on by women rather than queue for coffee after the service.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/faith/article7004861.ece

On first reading I thought how helpful this might be as I lead worship in our church but the more I thought about it the more stupid it all sounded. Apparently men would come to church if there were less flowers and more swords, more manly words and less wishy washy words in the songs that are sung. For what ever reason, women become part of a church a lot easier than men, women find it less embarrassing singing and praying and being sensitive to God. This article would suggest that men don't come to church because it isn't cool enough or that men feel stupid about saying they go to a girly church.

On reading through this again I found it strange that the church needs to be more man friendly. I would suggest it is the examples that males see that puts them off church. As I look back over my life I can tell you that it is the example of other people that has drawn me to faith and encouraged me to be a part of a church. There are a significant number of blokes that have shown me what faith looks like and it its to those that I acknowledge as the reason I find myself as an SA officer.

I don't think men want swords, HD TV's, sports related sermons and a vicar who drives a sports car. I think men need to see christian men living out faith in a normal everyday fashion before they even contemplate being part of a church. Maybe it is men who have the issue not the church?

Matt

Falling down.

Having reached the eight mile mark in my Marathon training I am fear my long run on Friday to take me over the ten mile mark. But it has to be done if I am to achieve my goal. I can't simply turn up on the day and think I can do eight miles how hard can the rest be! I have to build my stamina, experience and understanding of how my body reacts as I get further into the race. I know it is going to be hard and it will hurt but if I am to get the medal and finish the race I must be determined in my training and stick with it.

Whilst in school this week doing a lesson I caught sight of a Japanese Proverb that said, "Fall down seven times get up eight times". Our Faith is not determined by many times we fall but whether we allow God to raise us up once more. For most of us we will fall far more than seven time but God will stick with us and keep picking us up. I have faith that God will keep me going in all situations, especially when I get to the point where there is still half the Marathon to go.

There is a song that has come to our worship groups attention in the last few weeks which has been so helpful to me in sticking in there with my faith. Its called "Give us your courage" by Tim Hughes and here are the lyrics:

I’m not backing down
I will stand my ground
Lifting high the name of Jesus
Holding out Your light
To a world in need
Living out the love of Jesus
And though the battles rage
Your blessing still will come

To the ends of the earth we will go
To the ends of the earth we will go
Fill us with power
Fill us with power
For the truth of Your Word we will stand
For the truth of Your Word we will stand
Give us Your courage
Give us Your courage

Be our strength and song
Till the battles won
Cause Your face to shine upon us
Stretch Your hand to save
Our God never fails
Nothing is impossible for You

Would You breathe on us
http://www.worshipcentral.org/audio/give-us-your-courage

I may fall but I pray my faith will help me up one more time.

Matt