up for it

Another day that's been full to overflowing!

The children of P7 from the local school were along here this morning for what turned out to be more of a two-hour session than the scheduled 90 minutes. But the teachers were not in the least concerned!

We cover 'Christmas' with the children in a range of different inter-active ways. The children are great - really well-behaved and an absolute joy to be working with. Good fun, polite, interested - just really pleasant youngsters. And they make it great for everyone.

The feedback was good as well from the 'evaluation forms' we have to hand out and take in. Here are some of the comments from the teaching staff -

"The children thoroughly enjoyed the workshops."

"As always a fantastic morning of workshops for the children. .. Thanks again for a wonderful morning."

"The children were exhilerated."

Some of the team were probably exhausted by the end, but it was a great morning: and our prayer is simply that the children's enjoyment of Christmas should only be increased, byt being able to see what the whole thing is really about.

Jesus.

He brings peace. Wholeness. Fulness. Peace.

I was out seeing a person this afternoon who's not been enjoying such peace. I'll not go into the details at all, but suffice it to say it was striking to see how the Lord's pleased to work in and through our day by day lives.

I felt led to direct this person to a particular passage of Scripture. I talked it through and explained just what it was, it seemed to me, the Lord was calling the person to do. In terms of the Scripture passage.

How to enjoy the peace that Jesus brings. Philippians 4.

And then the person came back to declare that a very good friend who pastors her had also been giving her that same reading exactly. How wonderful the way the Lord works to make his point and to drive home his word to a person's heart in their need.

It's great being involved in all that the Lord is doing and watching the Master at work!

I was out at night as well. First at a leaders' meeting for those involved on a Sunday night with the senior pupils at school. And then to call by on a friend who's been led by the Lord to embark on a sort of Bible class at her place of work.

The Lord has laid this burden on her heart and now has opened up the way for this to happen.

Amazing!

And given her the framework for the thing as well. The whole thing excites me no end, the hand of the Lord is so clearly upon it all. The possibilities are endless when he's at the heart of it all.

So I was round to help her think through just how she should be going about it.

This is a person who's relatively new to the faith. Going with the flow of the Spirit of God, wherever he leads, whatever that leading involves. And up for it all.

What a thrill to see such steady, godly growth in a person who's come to faith. And to see the way the Lord himself equips and enables, emboldens and inspires such a person who's ready to respond to his call with obedience.

As the rap for the children declared -

check it out, huh, see what it's worth,

what you gonna do 'bout the miracle birth?

That's hardly going to challenge Shakespeare for literary brilliance. But it makes the point.

Something wonderful happened with the birth of the Son of God.

Mary, the mother of Jesus, is as good an example as any.

I'm up for it all, she declared.

And when the Lord finds folk today who are up for it all ... well, there's no end to what he will do.