On a hot Summers day in 1998, we left the shores of the UK with a 6 and 7 year old – we were on a one way ticket to Tanzania. We had no clue what we were going in to. John and I had visited just once before for a fortnight back in 1997. There was a lot to handle in those long two weeks – and when we came back, we said we would NEVER return to Africa! Thank goodness God doesn’t listen to our emotions!!

We lived there, as a family for two and a half years, we didn’t see the UK for two! After a serious heart problem in John, a very dark time ensued for us as a family and we wondered how we would ever come out of it… Eventually we were told we would never be able to go back to Africa. This broke our hearts… We had grown to love it.  Thank goodness God doesn’t listen to man’s decisions!!

We have all been back to Africa dozens of times since we left – it never leaves you. 

Today, 28th January, a cold Winters day, 2014 we are going back to Tanzania to begin a new adventure! It’s not a one way ticket (thankfully) and we haven’t got a 6 & 7 year old in tow!

What we do have though is a dream – a massive dream and we have experience. The ‘school’ we have been in, both in the UK and in Africa, has been priceless…. of course it would have been nice to avoid some of the lessons we have learned …. because they were tough and it would have been a more pleasant journey to avoid the tears, pain and hurt, BUT, without the tears, pain and hurt, you don’t learn stuff! That’s life!

So… here we go! you can be a part of our dream – in fact, we’d love you to be a part of it! sign up to our mailing list: http://www.agapelife.co.uk

Follow us on Twitter – ‘choose agape’

Follow my blog

If you’re a pray-er, pray for us…. It’s going to be great, it’s going to be huge!

 

Thank you for all your thoughts and kind words – We know we’re not going alone. We know we have a big team behind us in you. People from all over the world who have been a part of our journey – far too many to name. But it’s a times like this when you realise just how many friends you’ve got! THANK YOU!

We fly in about an hour so we’ll see you on the other side!! WOOHOO!! 

I watched two programmes recently, one on homosexuality, a documentary by Stephen Fry and immediately after that (coincidence??) there was a programme on divorce from the kids’ point of view. I felt compelled to write a blog and here it is…

For some time now, probably years actually, I have longed to see more than I see in the church. I read the Bible, I see the miracles that Jesus, the disciples, the apostles did, I read that His DIVINE POWER has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness (2 Peter 1:3), I read that we can participate in the divine nature…. and then I look at the church. The two, generally speaking, don’t equate. The church in the UK, I believe, is so far away from what God intended, that there has to be some major changes if we are to be taken seriously in this ever changing world.

Stephen Fry went to interview a pastor in Uganda who believes that homosexuals should be hanged – Fry even showed a clip of this happening. How can this be right? He interviewed a young woman who had been raped at the age of 14 to ‘shake her out’ of her homosexual feelings, their belief was that if she had sex with a man, she would be ‘cured.’ She was broken.

The kids on the divorce programme were broken.

Here is the point I feel duty-bound to bring to the churches attention, we know what the Bible teaches about homosexuality, we know what the Bible teaches about divorce, we know what the Bible teaches about other religions and so on. We have become very good at shouting and disagreeing with our world, signing petitions against all these kinds of things and more, and, in some places, we have justified killing people who don’t live to our moral code, or burning other religion’s holy books. In fact, we are known for it – ‘Christians’ are labelled as homophobic, intolerant and out of touch with a changing society. Speaking for myself, I need to say that I don’t agree with the act of homosexuality because of my religious beliefs – surely that’s my right? However, neither do I hate homosexuals (Stephen perception). I simply believe the church has bigger fish to fry right now in our nation.

The world is not listening to our opinions – they are not interested in what we think, why? I believe that one reason is because, generally speaking, they see nothing or very little that attracts them to what we have got.

I think that we have to turn our attention away, at least for a while, from what we don’t agree with in our world, (let’s face it, all the above issues aren’t going away) and concentrate on becoming a strong church that is truly walking in the divine power of God and not in so-called miracles that wouldn’t pass the trades description act! I have seen genuine miracles and I know friends who have been healed from serious illnesses but, the truth is, I could probably count these on one hand. We have turned so much of church into a farce as if God needs defending and, from where I am looking from, it’s not working, by and large. Of course, God is still saving souls today and individual lives are being changed but I am talking on a larger scale. Where is our voice?

Can you imagine, for instance, if an army vet came home from Afghanistan with no arms or legs and was healed…..I think we would get the world’s attention? I think people would look on in amazement – there could be no argument with a miracle of that magnitude (I am praying for it to be so)

Can you imagine if Christians were known to not suffer depression, bi-polar, mental health issues? I think we would get the world’s attention?

Can you imagine if every Christian attended their church prayer meeting (Oh wait… if there was one!!) Is it even possible to change our world through prayer? Absolutely, but we have to do it. Muslims pray 5 times a day…

Can you imagine if every Christian read the word of God every day? (only 20% do)

Can you imagine if Christian men weren’t being bled from the church because of pornography?

Can you imagine if Christians didn’t carry unforgiveness and bitterness from one church to the next?

Can you imagine if pastors and their wives got the respect and honour they deserve for slogging it out on the front line year after year?

I could go on and on but I trust you get my point. We have so much to do. But here’s the biggest thing we have to do. Jesus told us, THE WORLD WILL KNOW THAT YOU BELONG TO ME THE LOVE YOU HAVE FOR ONE ANOTHER. What other religions teach me and what the Israelites teach me is that these groups had/have certain standards by which they live, which give them solidarity and unity that the church doesn’t have any more. The Israelites, as bad as they were, had certain things they had to do if they wanted to be holy and acceptable to God. Granted most of them didn’t do it, but they suffered for that choice!
By and large, there are no such standards for the Christian church today: go to church, or have church for one, have too much alcohol, don’t have too much alcohol, pray, don’t pray, read the Bible, don’t read the Bible and so on….
If we want to be heard in our nation, then we simply have to get our house in order first. The church is THE BEST IDEA God ever had and we could be a powerful force. I love the church which is why I am passionate about making a difference. We must raise our standards and then we can begin again to sign the petitions and make our protests heard but from a position of strength and not from a position of weakness.

What are you battling with at the moment? If anything! Maybe you’re living in a battle-free zone right now! Enjoy it while it lasts! I don’t want to be a profit of doom but, if you’re living the Chrisitan life and trying to obey God with your choices, then it stands to reason that you have an enemy on your back who will be trying to take you out!
I’ve been reading the book of Judges recently and I noted that when they were fighting, they were fighting hard but they also had years of rest and peace – there were periods of 40 years at a time and sometimes 80 years! I imagine the people that were alive during the times of peace were very grateful! They were fighting for land, the land that God had promised to Abraham back in Genesis. Although God promised them this land, they still had to fight for it! Land! What ‘land’ do you need to take in your life? Health, finances, relationships? Maybe you’ve been fighting for years and so you’ve given up and you’re hiding under your duvet! Maybe you’re pretending you’re in a time of peace but deep down you know you should still be fighting!

There are some things that we have to fight for on our own, some things that are our own personal back packs that we have to carry. No-one can go to the gym for you or make you eat healthy, no-one can do your essay or prepare your Sunday school class! These are our tasks and our responsibility but there are other loads at times that you need help with. You need friends around you to help you fight! When you’re grieving, when you’re broken or when you’re lost – At times like these you need others to fight with you. I hope you have friends you can call on in a time like this…..

So, whether you need pick up your back pack or get some help with your load – pick up your sword again and fight! I’ve said this before but it’s worth repeating: How long do I fight? Until I win!!

Take your ‘land!’

As a family, we are celebrating two big birthdays this weekend. My dad, Jim, is 70 and our daughter, Beth is 21! I am at a loss as to how Beth can be 21 by the way, when surely I am still only 21 myself but there we have it!

Milestone birthdays cause us to think and look back and I began to wonder a lot about ‘what ifs’ There are probably hundreds but I will only mention a few relating to my family…what if my dad hadn’t become a Christian when he was a young man, he would never have met my mum and I would never have been born. What if John, my husband, hadn’t given his life to Christ when he was 28 in a little church in Blackpool that my dad was pastoring? We would NEVER had met. Our lives and backgrounds were so completely different from each other that the chances of us even meeting let alone marrying were nil. If we’d never had met and married, then our amazing kids, Chris and Beth wouldn’t be on the planet and their great partners, Justine and Sam, would not be in our lives. And so on and so on….. We can all do the ‘what ifs’ about our own lives and, of course, some ‘what ifs’could be ‘if I hadn’t done that, my life would be better’Regrets and wrong choices are a part of all of our lives but the bigger point is this: If you’re reading this, you’re alive, you have a life, you were not an accident, you were not a mistake! God intended for you to be on earth and if anyone has ever told you any different, maybe a parent or a teacher, THEY WERE/ARE WRONG! It’s not how you were conceived but why you were conceived…

If you have ever seen the movie, ‘It’s a wonderful Life’ you’ll know that it portrays the life of George, a man whose life is good for a while but then begins to go wrong… One night, he wants to end it all because he thinks the world would be better off without him. His guardian angel, Clarence (and wouldn’t we all want one like him!) shows him exactly what the world would have been like if he hadn’t been born. His brother, whose life George saved, would have drowned. His boss who almost wrongly subscribed poison to one of his customers would have killed someone if George hadn’t seen it. His children wouldn’t have been born. George realises that his life does count and they all live happily ever after…It’s a beautiful portrayal of human life and the knock on effect that each life has.

You may think that your life is pointless, you may wonder why you’re on the planet. Just stop today and do the ‘what if’ ‘game’ and see where it takes you. If you regret some of your ‘what ifs’, I know someone who is just amazing at giving 2nd, 3rd, 4th to infinity of chances. He knows you better than you know yourself, he created you for a reason. You can get to know him if you don’t but if you do, come on! Realise who it is who lives inside you. And go for extra-ordinary things. You can start by asking the ‘what if’ I hadn’t become a Christian, the answer? You wouldn’t be going to heaven…….That’s enough to change your day…

We’ve all heard the question and maybe asked it, ‘Does my bum look big in this?’ Any man worth his salt would tell you the truth at this point but the problem is whether or not the truth is really wanted! When a question like that is asked, the question bearer has to seriously ask ‘do I want the truth or am I looking for a compliment even if it’s not the truth?’

The Bible says, ‘Speaking the truth in love, we will grow up in all things’ (Eph 4:15)
Having the truth told to you is no easy thing – no-one wants their weak points pointed out because it’s an intrusion into areas of life that can be sensitive. Body odour, bad breath, sharp tongue, lack of patience, to name just a few! Who wants to broach such subjects? You are likely to suffer backlash and you may even lose a friend either permanently or for a time…. Speaking the truth can be risky business! BUT if we want to grow up in ALL things, we need someone in our lives who will be bold enough to tell us the truth whatever the reaction. If we want to be the best we can be, then we have to realise that there are things in our lives called blind spots – things that everyone else can see, and we can’t, hence the reason they are called blind spots!

So, here is the question: Who tells you the truth? Have you got anyone? Or, did someone try it once but, because of your reaction, backed off and has never done it since! Have you got someone in your life who is ‘allowed’ to tell you stuff that may sting a little but, if they are right, and if you will listen and take it on board, then you take a step closer to being a better person.

It must be stressed that the person who tells you the truth must be a person who loves you and also wants the best for you. It CANNOT be a person who just wants to be mean and continually point out your faults! Who wants that?

Everyone needs a coach – their job is to help you get good things into your life and bad things out! If you haven’t got one, get one!

And, if you’re not sure you want the truth, think twice before you ask, ‘does my bum look big in this!’

Feel free to share! Until next time, D x

My relationship with Face book has been an on/off affair over the years… Sometimes I love it, other times, it drives me insane! I have often asked myself the question, what is it for? For some, it is the only way they get to communicate their emotions, for others, it gives them a moment of significance if someone ‘likes’ their status and for that fleeting moment, you may feel important and if no-one ‘likes’ it, then the opposite is true…’Oh no! no-one likes me!’I have found myself checking every few minutes to see if anyone has commented on my status and I know, so have you! I have sighed and been mad at some of the things I’ve seen and wished that I’d never seen them because if I hadn’t then I wouldn’t be thinking about it and I wouldn’t be mad! Facebook can be very emotionally driven and it is very easy to write something for the world to see which you regret afterwards, but it’s too late! It’s out there. You can’t take it back. It’s very easy to read into someones status something that is not true and before you know it, you’ve made an assumption and a judgement that isn’t what the person meant at all. Maybe you’ve been tempted to write a response to justify a situation – I know I have and I can type so I could do it quickly, press the ‘send’ button and live to regret it!

I have been off FB for about a month now…. What do I miss? I miss being in contact with friends from overseas,family members and friends that are not in my everyday life. What don’t I miss? Status’ that tell me how fed up someone is, or that tell me they went to the dentist today or invites to play ‘Farmville!’ Is that still a game?

I tried to go back on the other day and had the bright idea that I would just be friends with the people who I don’t see…. But when it came to deleting friends, I just couldn’t do it! It felt too ruthless…So, the question I’m left with is, do I stay away so as not to have my day interrupted by things that I just don’t want to know or see or do I put up with that and delete as I go those who tell me those things so that I can benefit from being in touch with friends and family that I never see?

So…Facebookers- a word of caution… especially if you’re a Christian, before you press that ‘send’ button, make sure what you’re about to announce to the world is positive. Even ask God to help you if you’re not sure, but my guess is, if you’re not sure, then don’t press send! There’s enough negative stuff in the world today so let’s use Facebook as a positive tool to influence for good… Think before you type!