Carotty Wood

That's me kicking butt!

Hey all,

I have just come off a youth club camp and realised that I still love them, even if the little nippers try and prank me day and night, lol. Last year a couple of them got together and stole all my clothes on the first night from my room and put them in the showers and drenched them. So this year I wised up to it, took them from my tent, and locked them in my car each morning and evening.

But then of course I HAD to remember where I put my keys the whole time. And yes the one time I gave them to someone to look after he got bribed (shall remain nameless, but s.a.s I owe you!) and low and behold it all went.

I will get them back of course, but I'm biding my time.

What I love most about these camps is that God seems to love them too, and he turns up without fail everytime. I have come to the conclusion that there is some amazing prayer person out there somewhere who loves praying for youth camps all over the world, and he gets his prayers answered left right and centre! Good on you whoever you are...

It hasn't taken me long to realise that I'm lazy when it comes to blogging!

Talk about hard work, Joyce (in the office - the real worker) has just told me to update my blog coz I haven't been on here for ages!

I'm realising, slowly but surely that when it comes to blogging it is hard work, and funnily enough they don't write themselves, also have I really got that much to say about anything...

What I do know is that I have been stuck up a ladder painting the church office the last couple of days with Josh - no, not both of us up the ladder! (Josh is a mate who is doing a year out for the Church) We have been singing our little hearts out, listening to some classics on the radio and not really caring what we sound like. I must record it next time and put it on here - we could make ourselves millions! lol.

See that is the sort of thing I need to start thinking about if these blogs are going to be any good. I'm sure there would be nothing you would love more than listening to us singing 80's love songs...!

That by the way is the logo for Christchurch School in Ahford, Kent. And I'm part of a bereavement support team that is now going in on Fridays and listening to students open up about losing loved ones. What a privilage, and they are opening up - it's amazing! Tears galore, and that's just me. 3 of us meet up with students from all walks of life who book in during the week for a session and then they come and tell us all about what is going on - just them and us.

We are just 3 complete strangers to them, but it works! I'm going in today and am really looking forward to it. We are recording a DVD for their assembly time to promote the service, and are showing a clip from Save The Last Dance (Yes, what a boring girly movie, but I'm sure they will love it!) Anyhow I'm nattering on and I should be getting ready - I should be leaving in 15 minutes and I'm not even dressed - pants!

South Kent Community Church. Audio Library

South Kent Community Church. Audio Library

Hey I preached on doubt on Sunday - and this is some of what I spoke about. Obviously it was much better than this with amazing life stories and Video clips etc. (yeah yeah Gary - yawn yawn)

Hope it helps

Doubt, a status between belief and disbelief, (how enlightening is that statement by the way! Simple me always thought that doubt was unbelief, urm maybe not)

But doubt indulged soon becomes doubt realized. --Francis R. Havergal

Mark 9:22-24

24Immediately the boy's father exclaimed, "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!" (NIV)
Doubt is a battle, but let us at least admit that it is.

Hebrews 11

By Faith
1Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.
When you read the gospels as a whole – you pick up how much doubt is there in the life of the disciples especially when Jesus wasn’t in their company or he was at a distance, and if I were to go through each incident we would be here all morning. You will know loads.

These were a group of 12 people who were with Jesus pretty much day in, day out for 3 years! And saw some pretty extraordinary things.

John 20:11-29

1st Thing that I have noticed about Jesus when it comes to doubt is something that surprised me. I don’t know why, it shouldn’t do really, but it is so nice to know – he shows up in the midst of our doubt. The story of doubting Thomas is so powerful. Jesus walks through a locked door, and all of a sudden he is there right with Thomas, I mean right there. There you go Thomas – I’m here, and here is what you asked for.

Remember Peter and the getting out of the boat, he starts to sink, he doubts, and there comes the hand of Jesus – right there. He shows up

Jeremiah 17:7 (New International Version)
7 "But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him.

Matthew 28:16-20 (New International Version)

The Great Commission
16Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in[a] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
Honest doubt is better than dishonest faith.

2nd thing is that Jesus believes in us – do you realise how amazing this story is – again I have always missed it. In the midst of doubt the great commission comes. What is Jesus saying, he is saying go do it anyway! He knew the disciples doubted: he walked with them. But still he commissions them. More than one by the way.
Check this out Acts 1:3. He kept coming back. Showing up proving himself and believing in them, that is my Jesus.

How about another one!

Oh yes the prayer room photo - you can tell that I don't know what I'm doing - this should have been with the other blog post - oh well I'm learning!

Hey all,

I'm new to all this stuff, and not much of an internet boff. But my mate Luke has just built me a website plugging the book - and apparently the done thing is to keep an ongoing blog. So why not - lets do this thing!

So you are probably wondering what an earth I'm doing now - coz it's been 3 years since the walk - man that has gone pretty quick. Well at the moment my Church (SKCC) are paying me full-time to pray - and no I don't get commission for answered prayers (luckily...) There is a bit more to it than praying 8 hours a day (who can do that by the way!). The idea is to look at getting prayer outside the 4 walls of Church, by being creative. So.... We have set up a prayer room, check out the photos, which has been harder work than I thought it would in terms of getting people to pray.

Also I go out prayerwalking in the area especially in Seabrook which I have a heart for - and maybe see myself planting a Church there someday. Prayer visits. An 18-30s cell. A bit of discipleship. And the latest adventure has seen me become a volunteer chaplain at a mental health hospital - and I'm in there as much as I can be, it is amazing! I get a chance to pray for patients - how cool is that! More on that another time.

Anyway that seems long enough for a 1st blog - after all how long are they supposed to be??