It's funny isn't, how we so often need to rely on God just to get through each day. One way I do, is in social interaction. Now, this is something I have had to explain to a few people lately, so I thought I would tell everybody on my blog, since I bet many others feel the same way, and although I do not have a solution, it can be at least very comforting to know that someone else has the same struggles as you do.

So this is very revealing. I have a social anxiety complex. In other words, I find it extremely difficult to make new friends because one of the hardest things for me to do, is be with others in a social setting where I don't know anyone, or only know one or two. The fear of this scenario is more than enough to keep me from going to social gatherings, parties, cell groups, even Church, for fear that I will look like Nigel-no-friends, and end up walking out and going home to read a book, simply because I am unable to just walk up to someone and start a conversation with someone I don't know.

For some of you, this would seem crazy. Just walk up to someone and introduce yourself, you might say. Well, if only it was that easy. For me, there's a strange paradox here. You see, I am gifted by God to communicate "Him" to a hurting world. I can stand up in front of any number of people, let it be 10 or 10,000 and speak about Him. When I do this, I am in my element. I am at home. I feel so comfortable talking about God, that I would give up anything to be able to do just that. I just love it. So there lies the paradox. How can I get up in front of hundreds and speak without even getting an adrenaline rush, and yet to be invited over to a gathering of 6-10 people strikes such incredible fear in my heart. Honestly, I don't know.

What I do know is that the fear is very real. What I also know is that others feel this same way. Ok, maybe God has not gifted you to speak in front of hundrds, but you still know what it's like to have this crazy fear of being around people you don't know. And it has this other side effect, some people will think you're just weird. Been there, done that, got the T-Shirt. Who is this Israel guy? Know one really knows him. He never seems to talk to anyone. Is he just here to perve on the girls? LOL. Hey, I might laugh, but it's my first-hand experience. I have been left out of things, purposefully not invited, seen as weird slash mysterious, all because of an inability to make new friends. Making friends is a powerful social skill that some of us just don't have. And those that can, just don't understand what it's like to not have such an ability. A Pastor I knew once would always say, if you don't have any friends, it's your own fault, just start being friendly. Sigh. Sometimes those without a pastor's heart end up being Pastors.

But wait, it gets worse. So someone spots Mr Nigel-no-friends and feels they should go talk to them. Hi, you're Israel right? Israel then launches into a breakdown of the Torah's sacrificial requirements of the Messiah and why the crucifixion had to happen the way it did and why the Jewish High Priests........ LOL... Yes, great way to make a new friend Israel. So I go from no conversation to an intensity that is sure to just freak out all but the most gifted Pastoral-hearted individuals :) Those of you that know me are probably grinning from ear to ear by now, if not rolling around on the floor laughing. Yep, that's our Israel :)

So if I can't give others that suffer from this, any solution, at least know that you're not alone! It's something I have struggled with my entire life. For me, there's little more challenging in life than making a new friend. I would rather chew on razor blades. Be my friend though, and watch someone who knows how to be truly loyal and keep absolute confidence. I generally find that the few friends I have are fiercely loyal to me once they have seen who I truly am.

If I don't have a solution to those that suffer from this, then allow me to give advice to those that do not. Keep an eye out for Nigel-no-friends. Walk up to him/her and introduce yourself. Smile. Make them feel welcome, comfortable, and most of all, un-judged. Don't be afraid of their intensity. Encourage them and let them know you want to get to know them better, and actually mean it, and do something practical about it. I try to do this to others as much as possible, that I spot, that are in the same boat as me. One tell-tale sign, is a person that only seems to hang around with older people, or their superiors. Go up to that person and invite them to join your group for lunch. Keep them by your side, and include them in your conversations. Make them feel part of the group.

I am very blessed that there's a couple of guys in my life right now that have befriended me, and are always inviting me to hang out with them, and they even come over just to hang out with me. That makes me feel very special, and is helping me come out of my shell. Thanks guys! I really appreciate it.

So if you're one that has no trouble making friends, look out for the Israels in this world who do. Not only might you radically change a life without much effort at all, you'll be doing this all to Jesus, who said clearly, that what you do to the very least of mine, you've done to me. Let's make sure Jesus is invited next time.

Shalom!

The sun setting behind our prayer chapel. Enjoy...

Click the photo to go through to the much larger version of it for your desktop.

Some of my passions in life. In no particular order.

Oysters. Let me be more specific. South Pacific Rock Oysters or the famous and best-in-the-world Bluff Oyster from New Zealand. YUM!
Technology. The Apple iPhone has got to be the most incredible thing ever invented. It's hard to believe such a device exists in 2007.
The Word of God. The Holy Scriptures preserved through the centuries. The wisdom and revelation of God within the words of this collection of ancient writings can only be described as miraculous and Divine.
Marriage. The covenant that God gave to us, foundational to everything else in society. Marriage is a revelation of our relationship to our Creator. I am convinced that in marriage we learn more about God than any other way.
Raising Kids. Only in the last few years has this passion simply erupted within me. I have structured my life so that I can be a full time father to my kids. So looking forward to it. Anyone care to help me out with this one and the previous one? :)
Egg yolks. Raw. Crack an egg, separate the white from the yolk, and drop down the yolk. Oh man, that was good.
Red wine. People that get drunk on wine are horrible people :) How could you devalue something so precious. Red wine has so many Kingdom connections too. Australian Cabernet Sauvignon is the best. Penfolds 407! Oh my!
Animals. From sheep to Cockatoos and everything in between. I'm the one that dogs come to after their owner says they don't ever come to a stranger. I love them, they love me. Ohhh..... :)
Rain. So refreshing. I love the smell of rain. I love to sleep all day when it's raining outside. Leaves me feeling so charged up.
Coffee. Genuine Italian espresso made with fresh beans, pure water and lots of attention to detail.
Music. Genre is not as important as the spirit that comes through the sounds.
Worship. To abandon one's self to the care of the Father and just let go and worship with everything within. To glorify God and enjoy Him forever.
Flight. Whether as a pilot or a passenger, I simply never tire of the thrill of taking off and being airborne. Love it.
Sand. Pure golden blonde sand squishing between your toes. Australia's Bondi Beach is amazing.
Bundaberg Ginger Beer. It's not alcoholic, but it is genuinely brewed from stem Ginger and is not filtered, so it's cloudy.
The Gospel. The good news that Jesus came to turn this world around and point us back towards the Garden and give us eternal life. Thank you.
Sunsets. Recently I have stopped shooting them, so I can just enjoy them.

It has been progressively eating away at my conscious lately. That is, my apathy towards the poor. Now I am no rich dude, but I have a lot more than a lot of people. And perhaps it's not just money these people need, but friendship, love, acceptance. I am curious to learn how my readers respond to this too. Will you share the ways you reach out to the poor and less fortunate. It's time for me to do something, I just don't know what. Start throwing some ideas at me.

New video blog. I will display it here for a few days, but its home is over in the video blog section.

It is much better to watch it in iTunes, the video is much better, and the audio is not out of sync. Just click here to add it, for free.

Sometimes knowing God's plan for our lives can be confusing. Perhaps looking at it like this will help.

On Tuesday this week, our Food for Lambs podcast subscribers just completed the entire Bible in one year. Listening for 20 minutes Monday through Friday each week, we have gone through the Old Testament once and the New Testament TWICE! Wow!

Well, we're not stopping here, we're doing it again! Subscribe for free right now and join us on Monday as we start again from Genesis and Matthew as we journey another year through the complete Word of God. Go to God's iPod and subscribe.

Please pray that God would continue to bless this little ministry and that many more would grow closer to God through hearing the Word.

It was a regular feature on my website many moons ago, and thanks to much encouragement from my friends, I have decided it's time to do more with photography. I am a good photographer. Not trying to boast, I'm just good at it. So I am going to start adding photos here to my blog, and a place where you can download them in hi-quality for free. They are still copyrighted, so you may not use them for any purpose other than as wallpaper on your computer. Some I will write a scripture verse on, others will be just left to speak for themselves. I hope you will enjoy them. If you want to use them for any other purpose, just ask.

Oh, and if you want to bless me with a good digital SLR, don't let me stop you :) Right now all I have is a little point and shoot that has no manual control at all :(



So here is the first photo. I took this just this morning. This is on our base here at YWAM. The light was just perfect. Click here to download a hi-quality version for your desktop picture/wallpaper. Mac or PC.

Enjoy. And send me your thoughts too.

I am first and foremost a sceptic when it comes to anything miraculous, not because I don't believe in the miraculous, I do indeed, in fact I have watch a woman's leg grow 1 1/2 inches right in front of my eyes when prayed for, but simply because so many "miracles" are embellished to the point of being simply untrue.

The following story though appears to be bona-fide. A woman fell into water, drowned. Her body was later found by fishermen returning from, well, fishing. They dragged the woman into the boat and started praying and giving CPR. The woman came back to life! She was apparently dead for at least half an hour.

My friends, the resurrection power of God is real. As believers, we need to "reclaim" the power the Lord left us. When we see the sick, even the dead, let's step out in faith and pray for the Divine to intervene and bring life. It's not hokus pokus, it's the legitimate privilege of the saints to move in this power, and it doesn't matter how old you are, how long you've been walking with the Lord, just pray, believing. Miracles are real. Just do it.

This story can be sourced from CBS here.

We were both 13. Her name was Angela (The same Angie that sometimes posts comments on my blog), my high school crush and during a conversation at the school bus stop I asked her what she was doing on the weekend. Going to Church? Hmm... I had been to Church on many occasions, but it never had any meaning. That was all about to change. I was late, traveling by bus is not an exact science in Auckland, something that's true to this day. I got a shock as I approached the building. "Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints". Oh, oh, my experiences with them were not pleasant. It turned out that this Church simply used an old Mormon publishing warehouse for their premises.

The name of the Church was North Shore Faith Centre, a non-denominational church on the North Shore of Auckland. I was too intimidated to enter the front doors, so finding a rear entrance, I entered. I remember what happened next like it just happened. Approaching plain white doors, wedged open, I took a step into the main auditorium and my world changed forever. I stopped. It was as if I was suddenly in a trance. My eyes swept over the crowds an then to the speaker on the stage, Pastor John Steele, when a voice within spoke to me as clear as anything I could have hear with my natural ears and spoke, "Israel, I will have you doing this for me one day".

I am not even sure if I made a decision to follow this previously unknown God that had just called me, but within weeks I was baptised, listening to Petra :) and being discipled by Mark ???? from the Church, and sharing his house with Dean Rush, now the Pastor of Christian City Church, Auckland. Mark ????, if you ever read this, please contact me, I've been looking for you for a long time.

Just some old stuff. Go to My Right Eye to see them.