Appointed?

Who am I, O Sovereign Lord, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far? And now, Sovereign Lord, in addition to everything else, you speak of giving me a lasting dynasty! Do you deal with everyone this way, O Sovereign Lord? What more can I say?
You know what I am like, Sovereign Lord. For the sake of your will, you have done these great things and have shown them to me.
How great you are Sovereign Lord! There is no one like you - there is no other God. We have never even heard of another god like you! What other nation on earth is like Israel? What other nation , O God, have you redeemed from slavery to be your people? You made a great name for yourself when you rescued your people from Egypt. You performed awesome miracles and drove out the nations and gods that stood in their way. You made Israel your people forever, and you, O Lord, became their God.
An now, O Lord God, do as you have promised concerning me and my family. Confirm it as a promise that will last forever. And may your name be honoured forever so that all the world will say, 'The Lord Almighty is God over Israel!' And may the dynasty of your servant be established in your presence.
O Lord Almighty, God of Israel, I have been bold enough to pray this prayer because you have revealed that you will build a house for me - an eternal dynasty! For you are God, O Sovereign Lord. Your words are truth, and you have promised these good things to me, your servant. An now, may it please you to bless me and my family so that our dynasty may continue forever before you. For when you grant a blessing to a servant, O Sovereign Lord, it is an eternal blessing!

2 Samuel 7 v18-29.

That is also my prayer.

Love in the shadows

I will praise the Lord at all times.
I will constantly speak his praises.
I will boast only in the Lord:
Let all who are discouraged take heart.
Come, let us tell of the Lord's greatness:
let us exalt his name together.

I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me,
freeing me from all my fears.
Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy:
no shadow of shame will darken their faces.
I cried out to the Lord in all my suffering,
and he heard me.
He set me free from all my fears.
For the angel of the Lord guards all who fear him,
and he rescues them.

Taste and see that the Lord is good.
Oh, the joys of those who trust in him!

Believe me when I say

I'm a hot head.

It's funny when you find yourself in a situation that you never thought you;d be in, but you;re in it and you have to find your way through it.
Basically I was on my way home last night on the bridge over the A3-and what a wonderful night it was too. A light but fresh breeze washed over my face and circulated round my propped up hood once every 15 or so seconds. If only the sound of waves was weaved into the equation every 7 seconds or so and the sand was stuck in my flip flops then I guess we'd have a summertime fairy tale.
But we all know that Guildford isn;t the land of sand and fairytales.
So. I'm crossing over the bridge and there are a group of youths (I use the term loosely...12-18ish yr olds. 3 girls 2 guys) and I get stopped and asked for a light, a spare cigarette - the usual stuff you ask a 20something male for at twenty past 11.
One of the chubby girls blazened with tacky gold jewellery comments on my lovely trucker cap which is courtesy of topman, the friary shopping centre. She likes it and wants it. But as you say to nippers who 'want' things from you...nope. Because it's mine and I said so. Respect that please.
I walk off intent on walking through my door, throwing (well not quite) my bass down and going to bed so I can get to work in the morning. But as I reach the end of the bridge, the chubby little gem that I mentioned comes after me with the 'thug' of the group who is still sporting his extinguished roll up ala block. And I guess you call it a proposition...says that this little darling wants something...she gets it so hand over yer hat.

Yer hat?

My hat?

Protest comes naturally...but my exit is blocked off by aforemention thug and cherub. So she reaches for my hat...takes it off my head i protest next thing I know there;s a fist in my face, I duck down and hide my face in my thankfully large, white GAP hoody.


There;s a blow to the back of my head from another fist and some scratches on my nose as one of them tries to bring me out of the hunch that's preventing successful blows to my face. They don;t know where to throw their hands at.

I move my way through them and into the pub, blood slowly moving down my face.

At this point I bet you want to run back and kick the little bastards right?

It;s no big deal. It's a natural reaction, we see injustice over a stupid, greasy hat and are unable to understand the rationale behind such a chain of events.

Those kids are our targets. They are the next gen church members? Am I right?
They are the ones - maybe not specifically...but the kids that wander our streets at night and prey on people walking alone are who are gonna be in church changing their schools and building the body of christ in their communities.

Now honestly. Am I being over ambitious?
Is Nicky Cruz ambitious? or Davey Wilkerson?

God is love. We are called to take love to the nations right?

God uses for good everything that is intended to harm. So my prayer is that my heart, attitude and manner is changed through my experience.
Whaddya reckon?

Another just a thought.

You know...I was just thinkin...some people can choose what they get.

Others can only get what they;re given.

Question: If you go after what you want enough do you get it? Or does going after something push it further out of your grasp?

This is 22.

Just a thought

So as some of you know, I live in a christian bookshop.
so I guess I see a lot of things about christian culture that disturb me a little. But I;m not gonna crack on about that...
I guess I never understood alot of christian culture as a teenager because on the IoW, no-one is into it.
One of the things I;ve been discovering lately has been through the teaching of the conference I went to in Australia when I was out there - When Heaven Invades Earth. And it was this - God wants to hear the desires of our hearts. As christians we stand around waiting to hear from God giving us the next direction, but what God actually wants is to hear the desires of our hearts!
I was praying about this and it caught my attention that if not dealt with carefully, this concept could be quite a dangerous one because we can put all sorts of things down as desires of our hearts, pray them out and then possibly do some damage to ourselves by praying the wrong things...
Largely though, I agree!! God wants to hear what we as a generation want to see him do! There are so many things that we want to do that have to some degree already been carried out, so we need God;s wisdom and creativity to define what it is that we are about...you get me?
The desires of my heart?...you'll have to get to know me better before you squeeze that one out of me...

On another note...I really miss Australia!
Why? Because it's different? Because I had an awesome time there? Who knows...but I miss the lil city my sis is livin' in.I miss the town and the big plaza shopping mall place.I miss Kingswood station. I miss Penrith Library. I miss cheap Pizza's. I miss the salad bar and the girl who smiles at you when you walk past. I miss the intesity of the sun.I miss hearing the sea.
I guess I need to get some photos up here so the few that read this can see what I saw. So many things that words cannot describe.

Will get pics up when I can...

Dan

Welcome back

That's right.
After three weeks of sun, sand and God, I'm back.
And I've seen wonders, marvels, miracles...I've seen legs GROW. I've seen 150 people get healed of various ailments large or small over a 36 hour conference prd. I've seen grown men cry out in desperation to God, and women dance elegantly and worshipfully to the Father who smiles upon his daughter.

And through the time I've spent snorkeling, worshipping God, soaking in his presence you know what I got?

Check this:

God is worth getting excited about.

Everything that is God is worth getting wound up for.
Justice,
healing,
power,
life.

Let us stand. Let us get excited and take God from the inside pocket of our damp rain coat and present him upon our faces, our attitudes, our hearts...our sleeves (as emo as it sounds).

I want in on the revolution that God is stirring up through this world. I do not want God to bypass me because I was not open to a radical way of life.

If not radical then what is the point?

Dark side of the World

Here I am on the dark side of the world.
It's the side of the world that you don't see,
And we don;t hear much about...besides 1:40 and 5:35 on BBC1.

This is the side of the world where it's hot when we're cold and cold when we're hot.

I am VISITING Australia.

Currently habiting a seat in the local library of a 'city' quite similar to Guildford - Penrith.
It's just like living in Guildford and going into London...except you have toll booths on the way and you;re going into Sydney.
The towns a nice place - quite suburban America. There are very few 'big brand' places. That's how it's done out here. Quite personal, individually run businesses.

So it's Monday afternoon...I arrived at Sydney Airport Saturday night, after a rather eventful flight.
Upon arriving at Heathrow to check in, the desk clerk said 'do you have an visa for your trip?'
Arse.
I look around frantically. I'm scanning through my phone to see who I can phone...then I fork out 25 quid (THERE'S NO POUND SIGN ON THIS KEYBOARD!!) for my visa. All good. Bit annoyed that the people who I ordered my flight through didn't tell me anything bout it but then again I should;ve checked up. Rookie Mistake.
I got on the first flight I've ever been on, watched some movies several times, and gazed out of my window for hours on end.
I was incredably blessed to see the sun rise minutes before we landed in Singapore which was nothing short of amazing.
Quick stop and shower, then back on the plane with a refreshed sense of excitement that I was only 7 hours away from Australia. As we flew into Sydney, the sun set. The most colourful, vibrant setting of the sun I've seen.
Then through customs and immigration. I half panic as I get asked to open my suitcase for a couple of packs of percy pigs. Again quaking in my flip flops at the idea of having to pay a goodness knows how many dollars fine before I;ve even started.
Then home. Home is nice. It's air conditioned. It's noisy at night. Ignorant crickets and unnaturally loud miscillaneous insects keep you up at night next to the whirring of the fan that keeps you from passing out - even at night.
Sunday was lay in morning. Get up at 11 then out for a walk round a lake where I fed some ducks with my sis and spotted some procarious lizards that freaked me out in the long grass. The lake is in an area where there are brown snakes. They're dangerous.
I went to Hillsong last night which was cool. Great to be in church, but I was tired wearing heavy eyes and low shoulders.
I awoke at 5am this morning. The body clock still hasn;t adjusted and went for a 5k run round the olympic rowing and canoing park. Steve Redgrave won 5 gold medals there in 2000. A blast from the past.
And now I'm here in the library.

The next few days are just sleep recovery then I have a prayer appt. with a project thing called Isaiah 61 which is going to be the start of the spiritual journey of the 3 weeks.
I've got Lady Elliot Island and Hervy Bay towards the end of my time here which I feel will seal up the whole time here.
Thanks for prayers for safe journey. Was all good...
Will keep posted and updated.

Lots-a-love,
Dan

For You

I would wait until the end of time.
Just to catch a glimpse of your hand.

I'm sure that song has been written a thousand times. What has made each different from the other? The spelling?! Ha!
I have a history of making brash statements. Tarnishing many with a brush only deserved by few.
I led the worship at church today...and at 730pm I am tired. My eyes want to close and my head wants to rest upon my greasy pillow.
I'm 5 days away from being miles high in the sky and watching the water go the opposite direction down the sink, and sitting on that desert island I've so eagerly been anticipating. So with an empty suitcase and a rogue ladybug (pictures to follow)...and an empty house, I decided to update my blog somewhat.
Last few days n weeks?...been workin...and that seems to have been just about all of it...the odd gospel choir gig and night out inbetween...but that's about it!
As i mentioned, I led the worship at church today - which is always amazing.

The last thing I will say.

Go to Rachels blog and check out the video she put up - not the one about Jesus.
It's just like a snapshot of when you think about 'the ex'. You know what I mean.
Everyone has one that meant something more than any other. That hurt more than any other. That took more than any other.

God is good.

And I'm going to Australia.

Phat.

Love to all...will try n update somehow from down under!!

xxx

A cigar, box of matches, and the most surreal encounter you could ever believe.

I awoke this morning knowing what today was.

Today was the funeral of my Great Uncle Samuel John Potts.

Any funeral is a sombre occasion and I always manage to find the bright side with my Dad. We're a couple of jokers.
We roll up to the Lake Open Brethren hall with a plethura of cakes, sandwiches and usual lunchtime snacks.
The mourners begin to pack in at 1230 a small but steadily growing feeling makes itself known to me that with my I'm slowly falling back in time.
As I'm waiting outside with my Dad welcoming in faces my Dad knows, that know me but I have no apparent memory of, I'm asked if I want to be a pallbearer.
Suddenly this is real.
Before I get the chance to gather my thought and assess the situation I'm holding a coffin on my shoulder with my father infront of me shuffling at a speed that is hardly break-neck.

Then I'm in the counter-culture that I haven't known, but is so familiar to the rest of my family.
Open Brethren. An hour of hymns, 'words', and me standing up and reading a 4 page memorial piece that my father composed.
Spoken not musical.

But my point in all this being...I experience a christianity that most probably couldnt be any further removed from what I saw today. It felt as though I had taken a trip to the 1930's.
As I sat in the room I was just thinking...how can this particular form of christianity possibly reverberate with todays culture?. How can the approaches of a dated hymnbook and translation of the bible possibly grab the attention of those who really need it?
When you have nothing in the bank, your wife has just left with the kids, you don;t give a sh*t about who 'thined thoust on ther sabbatheth day..eth'.
Haha.

But such is life. People relate to what they are comfortable with.

If that is their comfort so be it.

My job is not to get everyone into my church and make them believe the way I believe, but to show them the works that God has done in my life since the acceptance and living out of the redemption granted by Jesus' death on the cross.

Frustrating...but c'est la vie

So this weekend was eventful.
It all kicked off a bit later than usual...8-9pm on Saturday night after a 90 or so minute train journey to bournemouth all one my own to meet some of my high school friends.
Got to the travelodge and had a few beers...went into town had a few beers...had a dance to some d&b and got a taste of FUN.
I turned 17 again and went to a house party where there was booze, coke, sex and pills.
Then 2 meatwagons and 8 police cares turned up to turf 150 drunken, image concious, gotta have a good time before I die students onto the streets.
A good night to be had for all I must say.

So.

I must admit I've been a bit concerned about my spiritual welfare the last couple of weeks. I've spent alot of time on my own labelling tubes and being in a foul mood about it.
I was in a place where I had a negative spin on everything...then I bought a copy of Battlefield of the Mind by Joyce Meyer...seriously...that book is groundbreaking. In the couple of days that I;ve had it, I've gone through the first few chapters and it's like a switch has flipped and the circuit is flowing the other way.
It is so easy to dwell on the negative and condemning thoughts of the world. But the choice has to be made to dwell not on matters of flesh, but on matters of the Holy Spirit.
So this morning I choose to pray through the day...even when labelling the tubes on my own.
If you struggle with matters of the mind...read that book.

[disclaimer - I am making generalised statements in the following section so please read with a pinch of salt.]

www.myspace.com/broomstiky

www.myspace.com/towriteloveonherarms

There are causes that the British church is disconnected from...and needs to be dealing with rather than just hoping that they won;t happen anymore.
On the Stiky myspace page, have a look at the video for Constance. That will blow your mind.
Midsets and the dirty things of the world are ignored. Let us stand up and tackle them in a way that is credible.
The thing that I love about what these various Christian movements from the States is that they are unashamedly tackling the disgraceful in a way that I am sure Jesus would (...I mean...who am I to say how Jesus would deal with our world...but there are examples in xxxchurch, towriteloveonherarms and invisible children...all worthy causes). It;s approaching these situations on the terms of the porn addicts, the girls who are sold for sex...

For years commercial christianity has had a dare I say it high and mighty nose stuck up arrogance that ignored the prostitutes. After all aren;t there just some things that you don;t deal with? NO. Jesus did not come to the Earth, die, conquer death, sin and carry all my shame and sin and shit on the cross on his terms did he? He came to the world on the worlds terms. In the form of a baby without sin as the perfect example for humanity.

So let us go to the gutter on the gutters terms with jesus on our sleeves meeting the needs of the gutter. Whatever that may be. Talk to the guy who never speaks in class and be his friend. Make the effort to engage with the work collegues who seem to be struggling with the wtasks at hand...I can;t explain how important it is that this generation bucks the trend of sticking a proverbial Christian nose up at need. Let us open the doors of our churches and build the city of refuge.

God does not say to us 'when you get your act together, we can talk'.

Now...how do I go about capturing this in song and picture?...I want to tak some photos of some street running...like the insane stuff jumping from building to building...there is a vision forming in my head and I;m excited...photography is a way of carrying those visions out...I want to try and capture freedom on canvas and write the exact words that the picture tells.

Let me know what you think...

and if you want in on this crazy journey.

So today I awoke with an abrupt start, stuck my head out of the window...and saw white. I am still such a little school kid.
If you live in the London/Surrey area you too would have awoken to 2 inches of snow lying on the ground. What a beautiful sight. But so quickly gone. It's 3 or so pm...the grass is green and the snow is dirty...you could even stretch to calling it filthy.

When you hear about things being washed as white as snow...its another cliche to add to the stupidly big pile. But when you see a field covered thick with brilliant, clean as clean can be snow...well I like to think that I got a bit more of a handle on the whole idea today even if I can;t portray it very well.

I bought some more dollar$ today for my lovely holiday coming up...I have like...$430...which is about £180...which sucks...But I'm really lookin forward to my first flight...and getting some chill God time.

The 3 weeks there are gonna be seeking God time. I'm expectant that God is gonna deliver...ya know? I want to be expectant of God...and so I shall.

Yup.

x

Today is the day

God has done so many things.
So many that I can;t count...God has done so much.
Can you not see?
Can you not see God in your life? How he has moved and changed and moved?

My heart is a burning ember...but it needs to be a great big bonfire.

Stoke the fire...build the fire.

Each day I think about whether I would be the same person today if I hadn't made the mistakes that I made...but you know what?

God glorifies us through grace. When we accept jesus into our lives, it is like placing a blood lense over ourselves so that when God looks at us, he see us clean. White as snow.
There's something so poetic about grace and the way by which we are redeemed.

Oh my God, how sweet is the sound. I once was blind.

But now?...y'all know the rest.

The sounds of a walk home

after of a day sitting on a stupidly low chair leaning over onto an even more stupidly low table.

- 'I'm sorry sir, you can;t walk down this road, it's closed.'

'Oh ok.......Is everything ok?'

'Yeah a buildings collapsed...'

'is that due to the weather?'

'I assume so yes...'

'Oh ok...well thanks.'

- The blatant tension of warming hands collectively gripping the steering wheel in rush hour traffic.

- The laughter in conversation as kids take a detour through town to plan what to spend their pocket money on this weekend.

- The scraping brakes of a train just hundreds of metres away that carries the businessmen home.

- The somewhat stifled excitement somewhere within my mind as I take note of a model railway exhibition advertised for January 30th...I'm half way to calling my Dad up for a day out.

- The chuckles of car drivers as the look at me walking in gale force winds.

- The satisfaction that I'll be home in 15 minutes when the people in cars will only be 317 metres down the road.

- If I were to to look at myself I would see a smile creep to the corners of my unusually weathered and worn facial expression as I survey the looming black cloud that promises so much. So much power and energy.

- Then, just for a moment, the smile breaks as I turn a corner to face the incoming cloud...I make a promise to myself as I do each time I see an iminent storm - 'this one I have to see'.

- The strangely natural and inviting smile of a policewoman whom I pass as she zips her underneath fleece jacket.

- Then the first drops begin to fall. Sparsely at first, but then more forcefully. One or two finding the right flight path into the hole on the side of my head that is my left ear...

See. Walking is so much more fun when you don;t have music blasting your head off.

Roast Beef

On my Thursday 4th January 06 I mean 07 (how many times have you done that so far this year?...) walk home from work, I began questioning and arrived at another place of dissatisfaction.
Did anyone else see the clear blue sky this morning? Absolutely beautiful with a nice crisp breeze that really wakes you up.
That was at about twenty past 8...at twenty past 3 this afternoon, the sky had turned grey.
What is it about the colour grey that is just so...digustingly dampening?

Here's where I link my musings with the twentysomethings christian existence...Why are Christians so in love with a GREY existence?

I've been listening to some podcasts by a guy in seattle US called Pastor Mark Driscoll. One of the questions I've heard that has been asked to him is 'How to I know if I;m really a Christian?'.
His answer is: 'If you truly love Christ, then you are a Christian. No doubt'.(ok...so that's paraphrased a bit). I lived a grey life. I would go to church and my faith was never black nor white. I was neither fully submitted to Christ and my heart never fully loved Christ.
Now?...I'm learning. I'm moving, I;m growing and progressing.

Where are you?

Merry Flamin' Christmas

Note: I am not depressed.

I am actually quite a bright little individual dazed and slightly confused by the bright lights of God in my small town naivety.

I ignored God when I was a kid. If I could change that I would. I would go and get into God. I would pray with freedom rather than rigidity, and sing when I wanted with all the heart that was in me.

This evening I went to the beach, turned my ipod up to full volume and praised God. Standing on the rocks embracing the bracing easterly wind, God was my audience.
I'm beginning to understand.
I'm beginning to get a grasp on the passion that has been placed within my heart.
Slowly awakening.
Slowly breaking out.

You see boys and girls...it is about Jesus. The basis of ALL of this is Jesus and what he was sent for. Just thinking about some of the things that I have been hearing about Jesus makes me want to go outside and sing again!!...but I won;t because it's 1130pm on Christmas Day.

I've wondered why o why am I not passionate about God? Why does it seem as though my prayers are not from my heart?

Once you grab a firm hold of the cross and the Christ that died on that cross and rose again to make me and you and everyone as white as snow...then life gets meaning.
That is the meaning of life. Ultimately that's the meaning of Christmas...

I could go on forever...

One day God will put words and songs in my mouth...well...actually they're there.
Now I pray that God will help me find a way to get these things out.

Amen.
Happy New Year. x x x

Buying someones heart...

...can't be done...I mean...if you could, would it be a heart worth keeping and knowing as it was bought?...what price have you placed upon your heart?

Words steer a conversation. Our every word determines the course and tone of what could well be described as a conversational journey.
Scripts never work. You can build an 'idea' of what you want to say to someone. But until you see and meet that person you never know just how your heart feels.

Time allows a person to raise and hype situations.

Peace.

I want to stand at the top of the Spinnaker tower for an hour and just pray.

From whom am I hiding?
Is it God?
I hide from confrontation. And the transgressions of my past. Yet still they haunt. Still they jaunt. Still the visit in the hour which I least suspect.

Hammers and nails do little to aid the process.
Turn it up. Maybe that'll get rid of it...
But the days go on. Shorter then longer then shorter.

This is 21.

Keep Going.

Not having the internet at home sucks. It means I cheat work out of their internet when on lunch and I never remember anything that I wanted to say. Most of my genius occurs when I'm out and about walking or coincidentally at home on my computer.
I'm struck with a sense of frustration but at the same time a sense of ease.
So I'm 21, In full time work, and living life. I live in a lovely house which I still havent completely moved into yet... but I'm on the way.
But it's the feeling of being on the way that is both comforting yet frustrating beyond belief.
Nothings changed. Besides the fact that I am comfortable with the fact that I'm 21, single, about to get the travelling bug, earning and playing music.
What more do you need?
What does the world tell you that you need?
What does God tell you that you need?
Who do we listen to more?
When did it become ok to be comfortable with faith and christianity?

Selected for...

So I'm sitting in my office at work...trying to hastily update my blog with whats going on in the world...and provide a suitably individual perspective on it all.
First off I led worship at church on sunday which was an awesome experience. It's amazing what you can do when god anoints you and you obey. Leading again in January.
Woo
Then my cheques cleard today...and I spent 730 quid...on a flight. You know the flight that I never though would happen. The flight that I thought would bring a completely new perspective on God and bring me to a different place with life?...Yep I booked it. This morning. 2nd March I'm off. For 3 weeks. Sun sand and God. Do you need anything else?
Christmas is coming scarily soon.
So's my 22nd birthday. Which happens to be on the same date as my degree celebration. So that will mean being at the union with degree mates celebrating getting old. Awesome.
I also got a desk in my room now...slowly but surely it's beginning to feel more like a home and a place where I can spend some time. All I need is a bookshelf and a cd rack. Argos.com.
I watched Lucky Number Slevin last night...interesting. Quite pulp fictiony in the way it was put together. Need to watch again...ooh and am FINALLY finishing off series 4 of 24.
Now all I need to do is grow up. Get some bible commentaries on my book shelf and buy a boe tie...and dinner jacket.
I want to stay young...but I realised that through always working on a saturday and not ever going out on a friday officially SUCKS. If I ever go out I just feel funny...like I worry about getting up the next day...I need 6 months of Saturdays off.
OOH I also got my uni staff card...it looks so weird.
Hope you are all well.
Dan xx

73

I really want to say something worthwhile in this post. I want to make this one count.
Chances are that I'll end up deleting it becase I don;t think that it runs with the profound tone of the other entries of my blog.
I decided ot start taking pictures again.
I went to Wisley garden centre with my parents on Saturday and decided that I wanted to go again at some point this week with my camera...and probably some enjoyable company...if not then I;m quite happy to go on my own.
But I want to start creating. Taking photos.
Looking for those opportune moments.
Trying to capture the beauty of the world around.
Finding inspiration.
Have you ever looked at a photo?...like really looked and cosidered the before and after-moments?...and also what that photo is implying purely in itself?
Art.
Thus begins.