Praise the Lord!

“Praise the Lord! Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.”

Over the last period of time it amazes me how we as a family have been blessed. Once again you realise that God is good and great and that His endless love and mercy endures forever for each one of us. We have been blessed abundantly over the now 1 year and 8 months we have been married and over our entire existences. We are blessed with

· Family that loves us

· friends that are firm in faith and that we are able to learn from, and that care for us

· a church that we can call home, where we can grow in our faith

· a cell group where we can share our faith

· a beautiful home, that we can open the doors to friends &families

· jobs that are our passions and are not just another work!

· being able to work with people to try and assist them improving there quality of life

· being blessed by being able to work with athletes that compete at all levels of sport right through to Olympic level

I read this verse from Psalm 106 verse 1 and it just made me realise how blessed we are and that I needed to share this with all.

May you all be blessed as we have been blessed, as we try and walk a closer road with God, as we try and become Gods Champions.

SB

Flames of Fire

Am I a flame of fire for God? Am I that warm powerful burning flame in the environment I am in? Am I that flame that is passed on to my surroundings. This image of the flame makes me think of the flame that burns at the Olympic games. Every four years a special ceremony commences in ancient Olympia (Greece) at Mount Olympus with the lighting of the ceremonial flame. This flame follow a journey around the world as a symbol of the upcoming games. Everyone knows about it and wants to be part of the race or at least see it coming through their country. Is this the same then for our flame that we should have for God? In Psalm 104 v 4 it reads “You make the winds your messengers, and the flames of fire your servants”. In another version it reads “… His ministers a flame of fire.”

This is such a powerful image. Fire is such a powerful phenomenon in nature. It has the ability to destroy, it has the ability to build up and it has the ability to be passed on! It can destroy much however when I think of the image of controlled fire burning the dead grass over the winter months ad the rejuvenation and new growth that follows it you realise how powerful it is to have a positive effect. Fire is ‘contagious’ it can be passed on but it is bright and cannot be ignored. Are we that fire for God?

As athletes / coaches do we have that capacity to be that fire. Yes we do and we have as servants been told to be those flames of fire. Flames that everyone can see, that hold a symbol to something, what we stand for and what God stands for. This is just the same as that Olympic flame that starts its journey at Mount Olympus and travels thousand of kilometres around the world to its final destination the host city of the Olympic games (and in this year being Beijing – a country where Christianity is not followed as is other religions), where it burns for the duration of the games as a symbol to all of what the games mean. Are we prepared to be that Olympic torch and are we prepared to shine brightly and burn with a heat and passion for our Lord. This is not only just for our Olympians this year but for all sportsmen whom travel their countries or the world to compete in their sports.

But to those Olympians for the upcoming games in Beijing, what is going to burn brighter? The Olympic flame or our flame of fire as a servant of God!

SB