I've always been very erratic in my preparations for anything.
Sometimes I'll begin preparing and planning months in advance, whereas other times I'll be writing a programme on the morning of the event, or packing my case an hour before my flight.
That last minute craziness certainly doesn't bode well for everything running smoothly. I'm sure you know what I mean. When I plan everything down to the last minute detail then I can enjoy myself, relax into it even.
When I prepared to come to UK this summer I took time to plan a fun holiday for myself and Xavier. I wanted to take part in something lively and well organised where we could be together in a safe environment and I also wanted to go to a Christian festival or conference. After much research I found the ultimate solution in "People Without Limits", a Christian summer celebration with an amazing kids programme and an option to camp.
Wow, awesome.
I was so excited that I booked it without considering the fact that I had never organised a camping trip in my life.
Yes I'd been camping before, but it had always been organised for me, and now, here I was planning a week long camping trip with my three year old son. Help!
Arriving in UK I had no tent, no sleeping bags, no cooking equipment, no waterproofs, nothing at all pertaining to a camping trip. There was an interesting moment when my Mum passed comment that I hadn't thought about it at all and that I had made no preparations whatsoever.
I told her not to worry, I was sure that someone would lend me a tent and cooking stuff and I would buy a cheap airbed and sleeping bags. I knew that God would come up with something.
Happily, all of which came to fruition and now I feel like my preparations are almost complete, which is a relief seeing as I leave tomorrow. I even have solar lamps, torches, wind breaks, chairs, a rickety old table, an impressively huge tent which Xavi and I will get lost in. We have 10 ice packs, unbreakable plates, pots, pans, cups, glasses, plates, an assortment of drinks and easy cook foods plus I was able to find my old sailing weatherproof gear which would survive an arctic storm, woweeee!!
I think we are REAAADY!!
And all of this accomplished through prayer and love. But it wouldn't have done to have started this nightly operation yesterday. This was something that needed preparation! God came through with all of it but not without some personal effort and fast talking on my part.
God has given us brains to use. Yes He will help us but we also need to help ourselves.
Not once did I ever consider that I wouldn't be ready. I knew everything would come together because I trusted in God. That didn't mean I sat back and expected things to happen - I planned, I made preparations, I kept my sights on God, I stayed positive and I knew I would be ready with time to spare.
A few days ago I watched a video clip of Bill Johnson entitled "You reproduce what you behold" which encouraged me so much.
In the clip Bill Johnson refers to the story in Genesis 30:25-42 where Jacob asks to be released by his father-in-law so that he can attend to his own household. The only thing Jacob asked for was that Laban (his father-in-law) give him the sheep and goats that were spotted in colour, that way they would always be able to discern which livestock belonged to whom. This seemed like a pretty good deal to Laban as there weren't really many spotted animals in the flock.
But Jacob had a plan, and what a great plan.
He "took fresh-cut branches from poplar, almond and plane trees and made white stripes on them by peeling the bark and exposing the white inner wood of the branches. Then he placed the peeled branches in all the watering troughs, so that they would be directly in front of the flocks when they came to drink. When the flocks were in heat and came to drink, they mated in front of the branches. And they bore young that were streaked or speckled or spotted. Whenever the stronger females were in heat, Jacob would place the branches in the troughs in front of the animals so they would mate near the branches." Genesis 30:37-39,41
The result of this was that Jacob's flock increased greatly. Bill Johnson's message here was "you reproduce what you behold". Because the livestock were looking at speckled, striped and spotted carvings in the branches, they reproduced young that bore those markings. Therefore if we fix our eyes on the wonder and beauty of our lives with Christ then we will reproduce wonderful and beautiful fruit. If you continually look to the negative then this is what will be the fruit of your life.
What an inspiring message.
This wasn't the only message I got from this story though. For me this was also an example of exemplary planning and innovation on Jacob's part. Jacob had a vision in a dream where God promised to favour him but he didn't just sit back and expect God to sort everything out for him. He used his brain and came up with a plan. Of course, Jacob's plan would have been inspired by God, but the careful thought and preparations that went into this plan resulted in a wholly successful outcome.
And the final point that I noted was that Jacob never had any doubt that his plan would succeed.
Dear Lord,
We thank you that you have given us the mind of Christ, that when you created us you made us in your image so that we too would be innovators, creators, inventors of brilliance and that it is through our actions we show you our love.
We thank you that your ways are ingenious and your methods are sure and that you have promised that if we live according to our faith it will be done for us.
Lord Jesus we thank you that through your perfect sacrifice on the cross we have been made one with the Father and because you live in me and I in you then all things are possible.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen.
Sometimes I'll begin preparing and planning months in advance, whereas other times I'll be writing a programme on the morning of the event, or packing my case an hour before my flight.
That last minute craziness certainly doesn't bode well for everything running smoothly. I'm sure you know what I mean. When I plan everything down to the last minute detail then I can enjoy myself, relax into it even.
When I prepared to come to UK this summer I took time to plan a fun holiday for myself and Xavier. I wanted to take part in something lively and well organised where we could be together in a safe environment and I also wanted to go to a Christian festival or conference. After much research I found the ultimate solution in "People Without Limits", a Christian summer celebration with an amazing kids programme and an option to camp.
Wow, awesome.
I was so excited that I booked it without considering the fact that I had never organised a camping trip in my life.
Yes I'd been camping before, but it had always been organised for me, and now, here I was planning a week long camping trip with my three year old son. Help!
Arriving in UK I had no tent, no sleeping bags, no cooking equipment, no waterproofs, nothing at all pertaining to a camping trip. There was an interesting moment when my Mum passed comment that I hadn't thought about it at all and that I had made no preparations whatsoever.
I told her not to worry, I was sure that someone would lend me a tent and cooking stuff and I would buy a cheap airbed and sleeping bags. I knew that God would come up with something.
Happily, all of which came to fruition and now I feel like my preparations are almost complete, which is a relief seeing as I leave tomorrow. I even have solar lamps, torches, wind breaks, chairs, a rickety old table, an impressively huge tent which Xavi and I will get lost in. We have 10 ice packs, unbreakable plates, pots, pans, cups, glasses, plates, an assortment of drinks and easy cook foods plus I was able to find my old sailing weatherproof gear which would survive an arctic storm, woweeee!!
I think we are REAAADY!!
And all of this accomplished through prayer and love. But it wouldn't have done to have started this nightly operation yesterday. This was something that needed preparation! God came through with all of it but not without some personal effort and fast talking on my part.
God has given us brains to use. Yes He will help us but we also need to help ourselves.
Not once did I ever consider that I wouldn't be ready. I knew everything would come together because I trusted in God. That didn't mean I sat back and expected things to happen - I planned, I made preparations, I kept my sights on God, I stayed positive and I knew I would be ready with time to spare.
A few days ago I watched a video clip of Bill Johnson entitled "You reproduce what you behold" which encouraged me so much.
In the clip Bill Johnson refers to the story in Genesis 30:25-42 where Jacob asks to be released by his father-in-law so that he can attend to his own household. The only thing Jacob asked for was that Laban (his father-in-law) give him the sheep and goats that were spotted in colour, that way they would always be able to discern which livestock belonged to whom. This seemed like a pretty good deal to Laban as there weren't really many spotted animals in the flock.
But Jacob had a plan, and what a great plan.
He "took fresh-cut branches from poplar, almond and plane trees and made white stripes on them by peeling the bark and exposing the white inner wood of the branches. Then he placed the peeled branches in all the watering troughs, so that they would be directly in front of the flocks when they came to drink. When the flocks were in heat and came to drink, they mated in front of the branches. And they bore young that were streaked or speckled or spotted. Whenever the stronger females were in heat, Jacob would place the branches in the troughs in front of the animals so they would mate near the branches." Genesis 30:37-39,41
The result of this was that Jacob's flock increased greatly. Bill Johnson's message here was "you reproduce what you behold". Because the livestock were looking at speckled, striped and spotted carvings in the branches, they reproduced young that bore those markings. Therefore if we fix our eyes on the wonder and beauty of our lives with Christ then we will reproduce wonderful and beautiful fruit. If you continually look to the negative then this is what will be the fruit of your life.
What an inspiring message.
This wasn't the only message I got from this story though. For me this was also an example of exemplary planning and innovation on Jacob's part. Jacob had a vision in a dream where God promised to favour him but he didn't just sit back and expect God to sort everything out for him. He used his brain and came up with a plan. Of course, Jacob's plan would have been inspired by God, but the careful thought and preparations that went into this plan resulted in a wholly successful outcome.
And the final point that I noted was that Jacob never had any doubt that his plan would succeed.
Dear Lord,
We thank you that you have given us the mind of Christ, that when you created us you made us in your image so that we too would be innovators, creators, inventors of brilliance and that it is through our actions we show you our love.
We thank you that your ways are ingenious and your methods are sure and that you have promised that if we live according to our faith it will be done for us.
Lord Jesus we thank you that through your perfect sacrifice on the cross we have been made one with the Father and because you live in me and I in you then all things are possible.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen.
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