Perry Noble's thoughts on Pastor's Pain

One of the Pastors I like to read on out there every now and agian in the wonderful world of the "world wide web" is Perry Noble. Perry's just put up a terrific post called “The Pastor’s Pain” in which he gives the inside scoop on what it’s like to be a pastor. Hmmm I don't like pain...

He talks about the “three pains” of a pastor:

1) The pain from loneliness

2) The pain from criticism

3) The pain from unrealistic expectations

Hey this is just something that I think is worth reading!

Read it and then go love on your pastor!

Hey... I'll accept all loving that's coming my way. Encouragement and fuel from others is great, we all need it, but above all I cherish the immeasurable love that God gives me in His Son Jesus!!!

Paul Peterson gives great advice to DAD's

Hey one of the guys I love to read on the Blogosphere is Paul Peterson. In this post Paul kicks it home with his post "strong fathers, strong daughters" and I reckon it's just the same with raising and leading little men (Hey Paul - I've got three boys, maybe we should talk!!)
Another piece of advice I've been give about raising strong men of God is this, "It's not what you protect your boys from that will make them men, it's the battles that you fight with them that shape their future."
Love that. Let's prayefully raise men (and women) who have the heart and passion of Jesus. Big call but its not easy to raise an army that can engage with and change the world.
Cheers Paul.

Perry Noble calls it as it is when it comes to dating

Hey I just wanted to share with you these posts from Perry Noble about the finer art of dating...
Hey I know that's a touchy topic when it comes to Aussie Men but as a oldest brother of four beautiful and deeply loved sisters I can relate, prospective boyfriends (Iknow who you are) will read between the lines...
Perry Nobles post on four things a single girl should know.
Perry Nobles post on five things a single guy should know.
Love the way Perry talks about the things that matter.

God demands RISK part 2

I donno, but I can't seem to get away from Genesis 12:1-4. Every where I turn it seems that God is putting this particular part of His word before me. And more than that He's challenging me to step up and be a man of God, a man of God who honors Jesus by the RISKS I'm willing to take for Him. Now the funny thing is I just don't have the foggiest idea what it is exactly that He's calling me to do or risk yet... but kinda like Abraham I feel God's call stronger than ever to live a life that honors Jesus every day. And that my friends is a faith filled daily risk, but it isn't really a risk because following Jesus brings eternal unfathomable rewards no matter what the cost for me today.

1 The LORD had said to Abram, "Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you.
2 "I will make you into a great nation
and I will bless you;
I will make your name great,
and you will be a blessing.

3 I will bless those who bless you,
and whoever curses you I will curse;
and all peoples on earth
will be blessed through you."

4 So Abram left, as the LORD had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Haran.

"A HUGE shout out to Alabaster Box!"

Hey there, I just want to put out a shameless plug for my Brother in laws band - Alabaster Box! Well it's not actually HIS band but he is in it...
Anyways, Nerida and I often think and pray for them as they serve Jesus and tell others about Him over in the USA.
Make sure you check out their Myspace page here, cause you can listen to their brand NEW song 'Bigger!!!'
Awesome!!

Look Back to Look Forward

Ever feel the pressure to solve a problem?
Hey we all do, more than we realise.
The challenge I've taken up is to take the time to look back and ask myself the question, "How have they solved this problem in the past?"
Bruce D. Johnson, puts it this way... "So as you look at your company or organization and your current problems or opportunities, what are some of the best ideas you had or that worked three or five or ten years ago that might create a possible solution today? Remember: sometimes the past can be the key to unlocking your future!"
Hey and King Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived affirms this approach to problem solving, he wrote : "What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun..." Ecclesiastes 1:9.
Hope that helps you next time you're trying to nut out a problem you're facing.

God demands RISK!

Today I've been pondering over something... what does God require of His leading men? Well His word gives heaps of straight up direct requirements - godliness, humility, patience, eyes only for your one wife, endurance, self controled and the list goes on (see 1 Timothy 3 & Titus 1 for specific qualifications).

But over and over again God demands that His leading men be RISK TAKERS.

Abraham - risked walking leaving his homeland into the unknown with God.
Moses - risked death at the hand of Pharaoh, and humiliation in the eyes of his people.
Esther - risked her life for God's will.
The Prophets - all risked their lives and bunch of them paid the price of standing up for the Word of God.
Peter and all the other disciples appart from John died as martyrs.

God demands we be risk takers, even willing to sacrifice everything for His name.