I entered the world of blogging on August 16th, 2007. It's been quite a journey and I've enjoyed sharing a few thoughts on most days, as well as interacting with people's opinions on a variety of topics. Here are some statistics for your interest (as of Dec.25th, 2007): Total blog posts - 147 Total page … Continue reading Mark’s BLOG Update
Our Greatest Need
If our greatest need had been information, God would have sent an educator. If our greatest need had been technology, God would have sent us a scientist. If our greatest need had been money, God would have sent us an economist. But since our greatest need was forgiveness, God sent us a Savior. [By Max … Continue reading Our Greatest Need
Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas! Today, we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Although, his birth probably took place in October rather than December, we take this opportunity to honour and worship Him. Obviously, the Christmas story has accumulated a lot of extra trimmings over the years, with the addition of things like Santa … Continue reading Merry Christmas!
Peace on Earth
“Peace on Earth” - now there’s something I’m sure we’d all like to see more of, especially in an age of increasing conflict and tension. According to the Gospel of Luke that’s the message that the choir of angels gave when they announced the birth of Jesus Christ: “Glory to God in the highest, peace … Continue reading Peace on Earth
Christmas Humour
Little Johnny desperately wanted a bright red wagon for Christmas. His friends were writing letters to Santa Claus, but Johnny decided to go one better. "Dear Jesus", he wrote. "If I get a red wagon for Christmas, I won't fight with my brother Peter for a year." Then Johnny thought, "Oh, no, Peter is such … Continue reading Christmas Humour
An Amazing Oma
Nicole's mother, Renate Meyer (affectionately known as 'Oma', which is German for grandmother), passed away earlier this week, after an intense battle with cancer. Yesterday we held a thanksgiving service for her life. We sang a few of her favorite songs - What a Friend We Have in Jesus, Praise the Name of Jesus, and … Continue reading An Amazing Oma
Life Planning (Conclusion)
We've just spent the last 14 days doing some Life Planning exercises. Over this time we have looked at six steps for leading your own life. Each of these six simple steps can also be applied to your church, your ministry, your organisation or business, your family, as well as your career. You need to … Continue reading Life Planning (Conclusion)
Life Planning [Day 14]
Our final step in Life Planning is ... STEP 6 - Evaluate. Effective life leadership requires that we take time to evaluate our lives and our progress. Every Christian needs to periodically take a spiritual “stocktake”. We need to bring ourselves to account, to see how we are really doing. It is very easy to … Continue reading Life Planning [Day 14]
Life Planning [Day 13]
Let's move on to the next step in Life Planning ... STEP 5 - Do God's Will Paul’s instructions to the believers at Ephesus were action-orientated (Eph.5-6). He gave them things he wanted them to do. They were to take action, which meant to start doing things they weren’t already doing or to stop doing … Continue reading Life Planning [Day 13]
Life Planning [Day 12]
Let's now look at our next step ... STEP 4 - Organise Weekly To make the most of your time and to manage your life well means that you need to consider what you are doing with your time. That’s why a weekly planning appointment is so helpful. Use a calendar and schedule specific time … Continue reading Life Planning [Day 12]
Life Planning [Day 11]
Step 1 of Life Planning was Understand Your Mission. Step 2 was Identify Your Roles. Let's now move on to Step 3. STEP 3 - Establish Goals. As Paul identified each role, he gave some specific instructions or goals for the believers at the church of Ephesus to work on. Wives were to lovingly submit to … Continue reading Life Planning [Day 11]
Life Planning [Day 10]
STEP 1 in Life Planning is to Understand Your Mission. We have considered a number of things to help us get a better handle on our mission: a mission statement, core values, personal vision, prophetic directives, our unique SHAPE, a SWOT analysis, and some personal shifts. These all work together to show us different aspects … Continue reading Life Planning [Day 10]
Life Planning [Day 9]
In moving towards God's Mission for your life, there will be changes you need to make. God leads us day by day, step by step, level by level, and season by season. Another helpful analogy is shifting gears. There are times when God wants us to transition to a new gear, so we can move … Continue reading Life Planning [Day 9]
Life Planning [Day 8]
Another simple tool to help you as you continue to think through your Mission is a SWOT analysis. SWOT stands for: Strengths - what are you good at? When do you feel strong? Weaknesses - what do you find difficult? What drains you of energy? Opportunities - what are the greatest opportunities facing you right … Continue reading Life Planning [Day 8]
Life Planning [Day 7]
Another helpful thing to consider when reflecting on your Mission is your personal SHAPE. SHAPE is a concept developed by Rick Warren and it includes consideration of five things: Spiritual Gifts - what spiritual gifts has God given to you? Heart - what are your passions, interests, and motivations? Abilities - what are you good … Continue reading Life Planning [Day 7]