[Kid Inspiration]

One of the many great things about keeping a God Book (which is just a cooler way of saying prayer journal), is that you can look back and be reminded of the trials, the blessing, the tough times, the miracles, the dry and so many other things that happened in your life that are so easily forgotten. They stand as a memorial to your story, like the lasting symbol of God’s provision for the Israelites when they crossed the Jordan River into the Promised Land (Joshua 4), your 12 stones are written down and remembered.

Life is a script ready to be written, we don’t always control the circumstance, but we always control the response. So write down your responses and you will learn from them.

This last year I have used the SOAP style of spending time in the word. Scripture, Observation, Application and Prayer – which comes from Wayne Cordeiro.

It’s a simple and great method that had been working for me big time.

Here is the best part about it, I sat and read through all of the Applications of the Scripture that I have written down and you have a running list of what I believe God has spoken to me over a year. So here are a bunch of thoughts and/or questions from my God Book that sum up the year!

• When I correct somebody, it’s because I want the best for them. Why can’t I see that when it happens to me?
• Am I about the fathers business?
• Believe in the power of God beyond your experience.
• I want the testimony of my life to be this: that I was not moved, that I was not shaken!
• My growth is found through patience.
• Do signs follow me? (Mark 16:20)
• I need to lead with the mind of Christ. Follow His lead.
• The most important moments in life can be missed if we are not tuned into God.
• Every weekend my job is to bless children. We have been given authority from God to do this.
• Keep my faith simple, keep my message simple. Almost no ones life message is about quantum physics.
• Look at the heart as you lead. That is what matters most.
• Is the word really producing fruit in my life?
• God responds to desperation no matter who it is.
• Chill out – relax – don’t be so picky Dave. (This revelation had something to do with the sabbath and pharisees)
• Seek first the kingdom of God. So may things pull at my heart, but I really just want to do what is right by God.
• Have a go. Jesus did not reprimand His disciples for trying.

Soupy twist.

Dave.

Seminary?

Bible College?

Leadership College?

Whatever you call it – check out Hillsong International Leadership College.

We have a Children’s Pathway, which is a fancy way of saying you can study to do pastoral ministry with a focus on working with Children! And you will get to do it with the best Children’s Ministry staff in the world (in my humble opinion).

Here is what our students this year experienced:

Go to: hillsongcollege.com

I am excited!

And not just because it’s Fri and a full weekend in Church is ahead of me with loads of opportunities to be a blessing.

Not just because I’m sitting here at home on my computer looking out at a beautiful afternoon listening to my son play Wii Fit.

But because there are new things on the horizon.

I’m excited to see new projects coming, to see new initiatives and new seasons.

It gives me a hope for the future.

I’ll bet that it’s the same for you.

And if you and I feel the same then why should it be any different for those we lead.

So next year for your teams and leaders, even if they are staying in the same role and serving with the same kids give them fresh vision that gives the expectation of a new season ahead. Because it IS a new season. In my experience God elevates and promotes in a moment and you can’t plan for it, but you can prepare!

Prepare your people.

It’s what leaders do.

And when opportunity arises, in the fullness of time… there will be people around you ready to rebuild the wall. (So we built the wall…for the people had a mind to work. Neh 4:6)

So I spoke at the Kidshaper conference last week about keeping perspective in our lives… here are some great quotes about perspective and a summary:

• In order to keep a true perspective of one’s importance, everyone should have a dog that will worship him and a cat that will ignore him.
• Not everything that counts can be counted, and not everything that can be counted counts. Albert Einstein
• Every generalization is dangerous, especially this one. Mark Twain
• I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life and that is why I succeed. Michael Jordan
• Won’t you come into the garden? I would like my roses to see you. Richard Brinsley Sheridan
• A penny will hide the biggest star in the Universe if you hold it close enough to your eye. Samuel Grafton
• When a man sits with a pretty girl for an hour, it seems like a minute. But let him sit on a hot stove for a minute – and it’s longer than any hour. That’s relativity. Albert Einstein
• There is no burnt rice to a hungry person. Philippine Proverb

GIDEON: Judges 7:1-8

• God bought about a victory from an army too small (Midianites 135,000 = 450 to 1)
• With weapons that were completely inadequate (empty clay jar, a torch, a trumpet)
• And a leader who was determined but felt completely insignificant (Judges 6:11)

Love this post from Wayne Stocks brilliant random thoughts blog, which is what you call your blog before you realise there are approx. 18.7 million with the same title.
(Man, I really know how to build up and tear down in one sentence)

Anyway read it today!

8 Reasons to Get Involved in Children’s Ministry from Psalm 78

More than anything else, I want to finish well. So many times when asking a young person the vision they have for their life, what they would love to do they talk about the task, the job, the mission they can see themselves doing. I just want to finish my ‘race’ with a wife and family that loves me, knowing that to the best of ability I lived with faith, hope and love (1 Cor 13:13). What I ‘Do’ accomplishing this goal is up to God.