Some Picture Fun In Black and White....

Got the opportunity to have my brother's camera in my possession so taking pictures and tweaking them a bit has become my new hobby....

Vessel......

So today was like any other Friday but little did I know this day would end up with me here on my laptop connecting the dots and sharing with you guys here on my blog. So woke up today and it was another ordinary Friday for me, took a shower like always, changed and headed out with an acoustic guitar on my back (had performed the night before at an awards dinner... #funtimes). So I walk out of my building heading to a mates flat to return his acoustic and this guy runs up to me from behind (living in Joburg makes you vigilant so my adrenaline was already pumping as his thudding steps drew closer), he stops me and says hi. So this guy is a Christian (boy was I relieved) and he had been praying to God asking him what route He need to take to serve God better. And he felt he was going to serve God through music and was looking for an acoustic guitarist. So when he saw me he felt I was the dude. So ya a random occurrence but a good one, just that God led this guy to speak to me, this guy didn't know my name or whether I was a Christ follower (takes guts hey). For all he knew I could have been a weed smoking, atheist who could play guitar..i digress... Anyway it just showed me how specific and personal God is.

So I get through my day and my lectures were as ordinary as can be. I get to my MMUF (Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship) program workshop and have a couple of discussions with the cohorts and fellows from last year. Before we leave though we get this nearly 400page book on the life of Benjamin E. Mays called Born to Rebel. I found that title caught me as I entered my room this evening, what a catchy title. So tonight I went to a concert by Martin Smith (lead singer of Delirious-christian band from England) and it was such an awesome night. The lighting, sound, instrumentalists, all my technos out there you know what it feels like when everything just works well together. So he sings a couple of famous tracks like 'My Glorious', 'Majesty',  'History Maker', so it was really good to hear tracks I have been listening to for as long as I remember being sung live. So he starts talking about when as a band they decided to split to raise their families and spend more time with them. How he desired an amazing more intimate relationship with his wife, and how he felt God say to him the thing he desired with his wife God desired with him. It was just good to hear some of the stories behind the songs that he sang. and how God was using him in amazing ways.

After such a day of God speaking to me and me only connecting the dots right at the end I feel what he is saying tonight is "Are you the vessel or are you the potter?" Just with the guy I met in the morning he asked me to be his acoustic player, thinking back now how many times have I made worship about me. Have i made leading worship about what I can and cannot do, but God was just coming to me in the middle of my street and saying I need you to be an acoustic player. Funny thing is that God chose me not because I am gifted but because when He asked me I was willing to be used. so now why has it become about gifting, Why does it always seem that when we start off serving God we are vessels but slowly as we get better at what we do we turn into potters. Found it such a challenge today and really felt God really wants me to be a vessel qha(as the Xhosa's would say). So tonight I am humbled, I am in awe and most of all I am at peace. Because the God of the universe chose me, desires me and is with me every step of the way. I pray that when you feel you can't see what's ahead anymore you can sing these words:

God is bigger than the air I breathe

The world we'll leave

And God will save the day

And all will sing my glorious

My glorious

love, peace and happiness

Tau

What you looking at?

Its a little after 4.30pm now and just got back to the flat. There is a slight drizzle outside which aint enough to get you wet but just enough to give you a cold. So for me am staying indoors, got my fleece on no colds for me this time around. Just been mulling over the some of the things I heard yesterday and felt I should share with you all.

I've always loved swimming all my life, was once quite a good swimmer when I was in junior school. I was best at the breast stroke (or the frog as we used to call it ), and my dad used to come to most of my swimming meets and spur me on and encourage me. There was this other mate of mine who always used to wonder why it was that I beat him. If it came to him swimming on his own he always used to have the best time, but when it came to competitions he always used to come in second best (to me..... :o) ). So being the good mate I am I asked my dad to look out for my friend and see what he was doing wrong in competition that he got right in practice. So my dad called this guy after our competition (he came second again....), and he says to him 'Everytime he takes a breath out of the water he looks at the other competitors and hence loses ground'.

Isn't that so true with our race as people who love God? Was thinking of it today as a worship leader how that's even more true. When you leading a one of the bands at your church and you guys don't have the musical prowess, or just gel as much as the other band, the need to perform sets in. Or maybe you are an amazing sound person and you've done the job well each time you've been there and some young hot shot props up who can do better than you. Doesn't the need to perform and outdo the other guy just set in? It's so easy to take our eyes from the end point, where our race as Christ followers becomes more about us than the person we are meant to be following.... Jesus. So I ask you today, 'What you looking at?'

Was just so helpful yesterday listening to Dave Holden (one of the leaders from church in London who is part of New Frontiers). He was just encouraging us from Hebrews 12:1-2

  "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, ² fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. ³ Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart." 

Its so interesting that a verse you have heard so many times can have fresh meaning in life, just goes to show how God's word is eternal. I digress, so anyway back to races, verse " really caught my attention and the first part of it simply says lets "Fix our eyes on Jesus". Fixing our eyes on Jesus is so important because he is our prize, he is our motivation, he is only thing we can fix our eyes on that will not corrupt us. Sad thing is today a lot of us lose sight of Jesus and inadvertently fix our eyes on something else. It may be things that are bad for us, like drugs, or a pop idol but most of the time its the things we never think of the good things, like relationships, academics (for all my fellow students), career, family, children, even 'serving God'. It's funny how our lives become so entwined by these thats we make God small. By failing to magnify Him we magnify everything else (never thought of it that way...). Let's not become too busy for God, I have become so aware of it in recent weeks, I am able to lead worship, go to church, do my work, but never spend time worshiping God for who He is.Isn't that what most of our lives have boiled down to, doing God's work and forgetting to see God. It's like a spouse who provides everything for his/her significant other, be it providing financially or making sure clothing is ironed and food is ready everyday but that person is never there. Never has time to watch telly with you, or sit at the table and talk, wow what a sad marriage that would be. Don't you think we doing the same thing with God, having time to sing songs on a Sunday, or help out as an usher but never having time for worshiping Him for who He is.

This was such a timely message for me as I move into the next two weeks where I need high grades and 30hours in a day. But feeling God's saying to me and to you, I'm the only audience you are playing for, swim in that water like there's noone around.

love, peace and happiness

Tau