We had our first team meeting for the short term mission trip to Lesotho. It was great to see over 70 people there from 5 different churches. Chatting about what, where and how got me very excited for where we are going with this year’s mission. There were four of us from LIFE church and it was great to be a part of something bigger, all the guys are amped and keen to make a difference for God. Going on a mission trip changes you, it makes you realise that your faith really can play out in everyday life. That God is with you always and there is nothing to hard for Him.

When you are so cold that everything shakes, all you want is to get warm. Our ride back from the Cedarberg on the bikes had spectacular moments, really beautiful spectacular moments, but the last four hours of the ride was in driving rain. And Ceres is cold, its not called the “koue” bokkeveld for nothing. That section seemed to last forever. I was so cold, hypothermia was starting to set in and I was shaking. It felt like I was doing an uncontrolled dance on the motorbike, all I could think about was being home, warm under wraps.

I was at a dinner last night and the topic of conversation turned to a trip I did to Lesotho last year. I was describing with great gusto how I rode on my motorbike and the different experiences I had. I was reminded of our trip down Gammaskloof often called “die hel” which turned out to be a lengthy descend into a kloof that is in a cul-de-sac. You ride for 50km the hair-raising, dusty gravel road and what you find at the end of the road is a piece of history. The kloof was once populated by a lost group of Dutch folk who never moved and wanted nothing to do with the world around them.

On Friday night I went to see a movie with my daughter. Beth is 7 turning 8 and is already stealing her dad’s heart. We had a great adventure, we went on the motorbike. Played arcade games, saw the movie and ordered the biggest milkshake afterwards. It was a fantastic time and I realised again that little girls really need their dads to be involved in their lives. The movie we saw was Shrek Forever, it definitely had its moments.

I was doing a wedding yesterday and during the speeches the father of the bride gave a blessing to the couple. He said I hope that like closed shopping mall doors that open when you approach, that in life the right doors will open when you approach. As I heard it I thought what a great way of wishing someone well. That statement made me realise a fresh that we truly do need God’s wisdom and guidance in everything. In life, doors are opening and closing all the time and one wrong door could send you down a difficult and arduous path.

I was reflecting on the Tour de France this week and was interested to see
that it’s the man with the overall best time that wins the three week race.
And in fact the winner never has to actually win a stage to be the man in
the yellow jersey. In life everyone is obsessed with winning and coming out
on top, but there is a lesson to be learnt from this cycle race. It’s the
person who consistently does well over the long haul that takes the prize.
In the same way we are told in 1 Thessalonians 4 that it is our daily lives

I find it amazing how we can listen to a negative report and allow it to define our mood and perspective on our world. There have been many very daft statements made by irresponsible politicians who don’t realise that there words strike fear in the heart of many. In my own journey as a Pastor I have often fallen prey to the negative comments of a few that I have allowed to shape my thinking. These words of destruction do just that, they destroy faith and belief in what God says about me.

I'm at a conference in Sandton, with all the Assembly of God ministers. As usual its like an extended family gathering, with all the fun of catching up and swapping stories. Some seem to have made huge progress, overs have struggled through difficulties but all have a sense that God is at work building his church. Last nights ministry was great, it reminded me of the attitudes that need to be in place in order to grow and establish God's kingdom here on earth. I think we get caught up in evaluating the church through the worlds eyes.

I could write about crocodiles, I could write about sharks or I could write about the beauty of our country. But I wont. What I will comment on from our holiday which was a much needed rest is the beauty of family. If your family is anything like ours, its hectic. We are so busy and have many meetings, even our weekends are frenetic. The kids are at school and busy with rugby, cricket, tennis, swimming, piano and hip hop.

I just finished Might J Fox’s: Always looking Up and I must say that I was struck by his passion and honesty. There is no doubt that he is giving all his energy to his foundation that does extension research on Parkinson’s disease which is his condition. His foundation has been in the centre of the stem cell research controversy, which conservative republicans in the States have been against. Despite the controversy he has maintained a level of integrity and authenticity which, while you might not agree with his stand point, you have to respect.