Amy the Chainsaw

Amy has arrived. A bunch of us shingled the neighbour's cabin and he gave us some money for the job, which we all agreed under torture to put towards a new chainsaw. All except Amy Basilli, who being absent from the conversation agreed because we all decided for her and didn't want to have to torture her too.

Amy heard about the chainsaw decision and teased me a bit about not including her in the discussion of what to do with the money but said (sort of) that she might as well go along with the gang. I did offer her the option I offered everyone else, which was $50, but who is going to say Yes I want the $50 when I've obviously got the saw purchase as the leading option. Nobody is going to be the first to break ranks and go for the cash. We all want a saw, yes we do, thanks Dad for the opportunity to say Yes.

Amy, however, had that Amy twinkle and wry smile breaking out when I gave her the option and I thought, "This girl might just go for it and lead the rest of the group into the cash option, destroying my chance to buy a saw". So I quickly came up with a compromise, which was to name the saw after her. Before she could say she wanted the money I inserted the naming rights opportunity, which she simply smiled at and agreed to. She is such a lovely person.

So I went out and bought a nice, new Stihl 290 and it will be named Amy.

Amy the chainsaw. How sweet it is. Thanks everybody.

Pa

Marketplace Apostles

I've been thinking about this whole direction the church is taking up regarding business and think it's a good thing. In fact, maybe a great thing since the church (by which I mean the organizational church) for many years taught that the business realm was 'in the world' and surely tarnished by the things of the devil. To work 'in the church' was to be in the stream of God, to work 'in the world' you had to watch out.

Now the OGC (organizational church) has decided it is interested in the marketplace and has suddenly found all sorts of wisdom to share from its deep experience with that part of the world and has even named marketplace apostles to help business people find their way. Just take a look at all the business stuff springing up and all the self named leaders of the movement.

Sorry for my cynical outlook but I'm saying, Wait just a minute OGC before you get another one wrong. Real marketplace apostles already exist, they're called business people, men and women of God who have been sent to the marketplace to work out the mission of God. We don't need any self appointed ones from the OGC. If you like you can certainly walk this out with us and give us Godly counsel and wisdom, prophetic words and warnings, but don't try to take this thing over and make it part of the OGC.

The OGC is always trying to take a move of God that starts outside the church and drag it back into the church. Stop it. Let it happen outside the church where it is supposed to happen. Go out into the world for once in your life and leave the organization behind. If you want to have a Marketplace conference that's fine and good, but get as your keynote speakers business people who live on that mission field. Let them set the agenda. Let them lead. Pastor it. Speak into it. Build it up with prophetic words. Intercede for it. Go with it. But don't take it over. You're not the leader, sorry to tell you.

I think this whole modern day 'apostle' thing is goofy on one hand and seriously correct on another. I can name a few marketplace apostles for you and I think if we called them that they might see their destiny more clearly. They have most assuredly 'gone out' and most certainly 'seen Jesus' and worked with him on this mission field. They deserve the title (which is how you get one).

Currently, I am invloved as an intercessor for three businesses with Kayle at the helm leading the prayer teams. I think it's a good blueprint. The business people do the business, hear from God, dream the dreams and slog it out day to day in the place God has sent them. Kayle leads the prayer teams to listen to God for insight, encouragement and direction which is then submitted to the business people. They can take it or leave it but they at least have a Godly team walking with them in their mission. That works. That's the church in action, without trying to walk in and grab apostolic authority. The authority remain clearly with the business people.

I started this out by saying I thought it was good the OGC was involved in this marketplace movement. I'll stick by that, even if a few want to own it and drag it back inside the church. We'll get this thing right, even if we're messy up front with it. Self appointed apostles won't last long and, if anything, business people are going to get a shot of destiny and the encouragement of a church that cares about them and is finally willing to walk with them. Go out church, Go out. Go out into all the world.

Pa

Riding is over, new job is starting

Well, that's it for the riding and racing season. I rode 5,800 km and spent 180 hours in the saddle. No wonder my ass is sore. Now I switch to riding indoors on the rollers, outdoors on the mountain bike and working on core strength at the gym. None of this will interest you if you are a couch potato.

After a year of stirring and feeling a new job was coming I agreed to a new role yesterday in my company. It was neat to see it take place over a year, to find that I had it totally wrong for most of the time (thinking I was going to start my own business or leave my company), to have it happen at one of the lowest ebbs of job enthusiasm I have gone through and to really feel God's presence in it. It's sort of like I stepped into my destiny in the very place I thought it couldn't ever exist. But why couldn't it? It exists in Him, not in a job. If that makes sense.

In other news, I have a good cycling buddy who is finding God the hard way. Last week he was going to commit suicide (really) because his life was so bad and this week things got worse. I asked if I could stop by yesterday but he told me to stay away then sent me an email this morning about how God is angry with him and punishing him. I feel for the guy. I'm glad God isn't angry and punishing me because I know what happend to Jesus and I ain't ready for it. So I'm hiding in Jesus so he can't find me.

I guess I'll have to talk with my friend by email and hope God talks to him in person. That's probably a better idea anyway.

Pa

The Father honors the son

Ma and I went to Red Deer to Living Streams (or is it just Streams?) church for a prophetic training conference that Kayle was leading and I give the experience a 10 out of 10. Here's why:

• I was greatly impacted by the Lord once again, awakened and refreshed
• Revelation started to flow easily with dreams and words and visions and I realized how much that pipeline was clogged up
• I got into touch with my hunger for the things of God, how I want that pipeline wide open
• I felt God's love. Really felt it for the people God was giving me words and visions about, which tells me it was Him and he left his stamp on me (love)
• I was encouraged again to use prophecy in the workplace
• I realized I was called to my workplace, that it's my mission field. That was big for me.
• I got to connect spiritually with some people of God from Red Deer, including the people who head up the Healing Rooms
• Got to pray for a person with addictions and it was one of the sweetest prayer times I've had with a person as all I could feel was Daddy's love. Out of that love flowed revelation and ministry. I think we both could have gone on for hours

That's it in brief but I thank Yeshua for what he did in me, in the others at the conference and in Red Deer.

But here is what was really cool for me. I got to sit and watch my son teach the things of God as he led the conference. I honor him for his Godly wisdom, his zeal, his passion and his determination. He taught well and conducted himself well while at the same time letting the real Kayle out and making the whole time fun. I got a whole new vision of his ministry and his potential and got to see those years of training with Randy Clark and Redding bearing fruit. But he isn't just a knock off of those ministries, Kayle has his own 'edge' and you can't help but be challenged as he teaches. He's got his own poke in the ribs to deliver. I honor my son.

I also honor the church that brought him to Red Deer to teach. I love it when the church is prepared to invest in young people. May that house be blessed.

Pa