Conducted a funeral last week for a man who committed suicide. It was a first for me, and I hope the last! Broke all our hearts, and reminded me of my all time favourite (extra-biblical) story, Acres of Diamonds:

A farmer lived in Africa, owned a nice big farm with a river running through the middle. One day a visitor, an expert in precious stones, told him how, all over Africa men were discovering diamonds. Bedazzled at the thought of making his millions, the farmer promptly sold his farm and headed for the diamond line. Sadly the months and then years passed and he found nothing. Wandering the length and breadth of the contintent he ended up poor and destitute, finally thowing himself into a river and drowning.

Meanwhile back on the farm he had sold, the new owner stumbled across an unusual looking stone by the river and placed it on his mantlepiece as a curio. The original visitor came calling again and, spotting the stone, asked to inspect it. Through his magnifying glass,beneath the dirt and grime, he realised he was holding the biggest diamond he had ever seen. The farmer soon discovered he was in fact sitting on acres of diamonds.

If the first farmer had only stayed and realised what he had right there, under his feet, things would have been so different. Do we appreciate the acres of diamonds we have right here right now? Relationships, beauty, life....above all the multifacted, pure, dazzling person of Jesus Christ. Do we stop and savour what we have?

Tragically our friend couldn't see what he had. God open our eyes to SEE.

Assurance leads to performance

It's amazing what a bit of assurance and security can do. Reminded of this in the cricket arena this week. Been to a couple of matches this year at The Rose Bowl, Southampton, Hampshire cricket's home ground. But last week got to see our heroes play against Durham at the intimate Mays Bounty ground, Basingstoke. A lot at stake. Durham aiming for a County Champsionship win, Hampshire trying to avoid relegation.

My boys got to play on the outfield as part of a juniors promotion on day 2. By the time we left that afternoon it looked like Durham had it in the bag, after Hampshire were out for 96 first innings. There was no way they were going to get 130 runs off the last 5 tail ender wickets on a wicket strewn pitch like this.

Ervine seals dramatic victory

Then up stepped Ervine. After two days of clatter, May's Bounty fell silent as Sean Ervine stood firm for more than three hours to steer Hampshire to an unlikely victory.
When Imran Tahir hit the winning runs to take Hampshire to the 240 target, Ervine was unbeaten on 94, easily his best championship score of the summer, having faced 169 balls and studiously seen off the continued threat of seamer Mark Davies.

The Zimbabwean all-rounder, who last week signed a two-year contract with Hampshire, said it was one of the best innings he had played: "I had to keep my nerve when wickets were falling all around me, so I was very pleased with my performance."

Here's the point - Talking to the Hampshire junior coach the day after, he commented that Ervine has just signed a new contract with Hampshire - "It's amazing how your performance improves when you feel secure" he said. WOW! Hit me between the eyes.

The Guardian Newspaper confirms - "Ervine, who put his innings down to a new bat and the confidence that came from signing a new two-year contract last week, survived some more playing and missing to win the day."

THAT's why I'm preaching through Ephesians - because if we can only know the assurance that we are chosen, adopted, redeemed, forgiven, loved, secure - HIS FOREVER.... Greater assurance leads to greater performance.

Contrivances to waste time

Here's my problem - I am an enthusiast! I love life, I like to say yes to things. Family life is full on, Church life increasingly so, oh and then there's my Governor duties at Mayhill Junior school, the list goes on. And now there's more opportunities coming my way...

Been reading about another enthusiast this summer - the new biography of John Newton by Jonathan Aitkin. Enthusiast back then was a religious term refering to the evangelical mob, Wesley, Whitfield etc. Today I came across a letter written by Newton to the young parlimentarian William Wilberforce. In advising Wilberforce on how to be productive as a Christian in his call, Newton encourages him to "avoid worldy amusements", meaning "contrivances to waste time and banish reflection" (whilst at the same time not becoming an austere and unsociable figure.) Seemed a bit harsh at first, but it struck a chord.

Later I starting reading "Visoneering" by Andy Stanley. "The average person has the right to dream his own dreams and develop his own picture of what his future could and should be. But at the cross those of us who swore allegience to the savior lost that right. After all,we are not our own. We have been bought with a price. Remember the rest? We are to glorify - or honour - God with our bodies (1 Cor. 6:19-20)".

Next page Stanley says "As Christians we do not have the right to take our talents, abilities, experiences, opportunities, and education and run off in any direction we please. We lost that right at calvary. But then why would we dream of such a thing? God has a vision for your life. What could possibly be more fulfilling than that?"

So back to my problem - there are so many opportunities in front of me. I think I'm going to have to say no to something! Paul prays for the Phillippians that "They may be able to discern what is best" (Phil. 1:10).

We need to discern the best over the good. We need to "throw off everything that hinders" (Hebrews 12:1), so that we can run the race that is marked out specifically for each of us. This may include legitimate activities, except that they might be for you "contrivances to waste time and banish refelction".

I hope my new blog is not such a contrivance, but rather an oppurtunity for reflection.

On the other hand I guess that's a no to the cricket coaching training course that I have been offered then?!