And suddenly...December
It's cold outside - almost freezing and its becoming easier to imagine snow falling on Christmas Day. Where did the summer go? Where the autumn? How is it that without even a blink of an eye we are suddenly propelled into the celebrations - street lights, trees and tinsel; parties, presents and pastries?
The year has been full for me - praise and prayer events, regular classes, seminars, conferences, trips overseas to teach and to holiday and of course the plans, the endless plans to expand and to grow and to take the wonderful Word of God out - out and ever more out so that the people of God, the believers in the Lord Jesus would be strengthened and established and would be able to stand firm in the evil day.
It has taken energy and strength, grace, wisdom and discernment - all of which the Lord has provided as He promised He would - His grace sufficient, His surpassing great power ever present, His love overwhelming and His mercy abundant. How amazing is our Lord? How wonderful, how majestic, how faithful - that He would speak His Word to someone like me and keep his Word through all the thick and thin of my life.
We recorded a series of videos yesterday for the run up to Christmas which will go out on our facebook page and twitter and here on the website via youtube. I'm thankful for Josh who has come alongside us and helped with all of the technical stuff of ministry - stuff that threatened to overwhelm us but that he has now put in its proper place.
I'm thankful for the 'team' - those who have committed themselves to what often feels like full time work because they have heard the call of God through DT and have answered with a resounding 'yes'!
I am so so grateful for those who regularly commit to support us financially and prayerfully and in so many other ways ...... thankful for our new Prayer Coordinator who will help us to communicate the needs of the ministry with those who want to pray....on and on the list could go - the details of ministry, the nuts and bolts of the vehicle which God has raised up for 'such a time as this'.
But here at the beginning of December I am thankful beyond words to my Saviour - to the One who came and who died and rose again to make the way for me to come to my Father. I am thankful for His promise and His provision, for the abundant LIFE that I now experience and for the way that His Spirit leads me into all truth and more, enables me to actually experience that Truth - to know deep in my innermost being the wonder of a God who would know and care and then provide all that I would ever need.
I am thankful for LIFE, eternal life - for the grace of it and the mercy of it and the amazing reality of it in my everyday. I am thankful that He sees all and knows all yet covers me in the righteousness of Christ - thankful that I really am a new creation in Christ Jesus, that the old has gone and the new has come!
I am so thankful for brothers and sisters in Christ - for the 'fellowship of the burning heart'. Thankful that He has connected me with those who long for His appearing and who will be 'about our Fathers business' until He comes.
I am thankful that I know you - that you listen and read and still come back to share with me the greatest gift from the One who is the GIFT - to share with me the incomparable Word of God - the powerful, life giving, life sustaining Word that never fails and never disappoints and always lights our path.
We are holding our Christmas party next week - Friday 8th December and all are invited. We will talk together and share together and sing carols together - we will sip mulled wine and eat mince pies and we will find joy in the family of God as we proclaim the greatness of our God - who has called us out of darkness into His marvellous light.
Numbers 6:24-26 The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you. The Lord lift up His countenance on you and give you peace.
2 Corinthians 1:20 For all the promises of God are yes and amen in Christ Jesus - to Him be the glory......
