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Merry Christmas all!!!

 

Happy Christmas and best wishes for 2010 everyone.

Something that happened the first weekend out on the streets in December sums up what Christmas is really about for me. I was out Street Pastoring with some of our new recruits and within 15 minutes of being out we met a guy that had recently been through a pretty tough time of loss. Confused and grief stricken, he was asking where was God in all of this. He then simply asked if we would pray for him then and there. And so we did?  It was a wonderful and powerful moment for us all. Grown men crying and hugging in the street, but we didn?t care.

It brought home the reality of Emmanuel, ?God with us??,and that?s amazing good news. God broke into a world of chaos, economic hardship and loss through Jesus. The world of Mary and Joseph was pretty tough. King Herod by all accounts was a paranoid megalomaniac who was ruthless with his people.  Caesar promoted a particular brand of peace and if you didn?t subscribe, you were sentenced to death?nice! Taxes were so high that most families had sold off their inheritance and had to move where the work was.(that?s possibly why Joseph wasn?t living in his Birth town of Bethlehem). Yet into all of this the Saviour of the world is born. Living hope! Peace incarnate! Light of the world! I pray that God continues to break into your world this Christmas what ever your situation.

Some recent highlights,  

Street Pastors conference ( London). We had a great time at our national conference in mid November, mixing with teams of SP?s from across the country. Catching up with the rest of the Scottish contingent and hearing from some interesting speakers. Boris Johnston the mayor of London spoke and totally surprised me. What an engaging guy! Despite being a little eccentric, he was very funny, and exceptionally supportive of the initiatives. It was also just great to spend some extended time with the Aberdeen SP crew.

It?s been a privilege to see our volunteers grow in faith and expectancy. God is working through our simple acts of kindness. My mate and fellow SP team leader Stevie Skinner sums things up well?

 ?Ordinary people doing ordinary but selfless things with extraordinary consequences.?

Towards the end of November, I spoke at a men?s weekend away at Teen ranch. The highlight wasn?t just the quad biking, the mud and the manly grrrrr, but one chap who wasn?t a Christian was deeply moved by the Holy Spirit. I had the opportunity to pray for him and his situation. God is good.

It?s great to be apart of a thriving and growing church. Victoria and I both love serving and being part of the City Church community. I really enjoy preaching on home turf and speaking into the lives of those we know well. They have tremendous grace in putting up with me, especially when I go off on tangents when speaking.

Anyway?

As we look to the New year I feel the Lord speaking to me about we what I should be putting our energy into. I want to see the Church empowered and connecting. This is happening in a fairly significant way through the Street Pastor initiative. Many of our team members are being more effective salt and light and some have had a paradigm shift in how they view themselves and how God works. So I think that in the New Year, I will be investing more of my time in seeing the initiative and the team members stretched and developed. (more to come in January on this front).

On the home front the girls and Tori are well and happy. India is enjoying school however she is getting a bit of extra help with her reading and spelling?things are improving and she is gaining in confidence, please pray that this continues. Xanthe is 4 and believes she is a Lion or a tiger a lot of the time! She?s a boisterous and agile wee thing, we are looking for ways to channel all that va va voom in a constructive way! (Wonder who she gets all that from?)  Both girls had their thespian debuts this year, as they were both given the chance to play the part of Mary in their respective nativity plays. India is such a lovey? we didn?t half laugh. We were however, both very proud! (Having only ever the part of the donkey and later as a cross dressing shepherd ( age 5) I was particularly delighted ! ? Tori

Tori ? For me, life?s been busy, but in a good way. I?m increasingly involved in the lives of my friends who are going through some tough relationship issues - divorce and separations.  I?m beginning to believe that this is an area of life that God may be calling me too. I?m not quite sure how this will develop, but I?m asking God for direction in the next steps.

My dad was recently in a pretty serious car accident. We are thankful that that he survived and no one else was seriously hurt. He?s back home recovering and on the mend. Thanks to all who have prayed for my parents through out the ordeal. Your comfort and support have been much appreciated.

James and I are leading a small group at Church. It?s been so exciting to be part of the spiritual awakening and growth of the group. We have experienced real community and have begun to grow in numbers too which is amazing. Its good fun for James and I to be working together. On the whole family life is pretty good and we?re enjoying this phase of our lives?thanks again to all of you we could not do any of it with out you!  

Merry Christmas everyone and have a great New Year!

James,Tori and the Girls!