Living the Dream 1 – Liveblog from TSCF mid-year conference 2009

OK, so having found out that there is no internet at the conference centre it may be a short while before this ‘live’ blog hits the actual blog – but I’ll write along ‘as though live blogging’

How will you live? What is your dream? Are our dreams framed by what God has made known of Himself in Jesus?  Are our aspirations and desires formed by our hope in Jesus?

Val Goold led the first session of the conference presenting the challenge of God’s perspective as the touchstone which transforms our perspective on life.  The book of Daniel will be the framework within which we will be challenged, where we will hear God speak and reflect on what we are to learn from the people we encounter in Daniel’s narrative.

Though, at a surface level, we may look just like those around us how do we live out the things which set us apart?  How do we live in a way that does not just conform to the world around us?  How do we live in a way which points to the hope we have: the dream we are living?

That’s the reason for this week – to take time to reflect, to pray, to learn about what it is to live out our faith and hope in Jesus in a way that is distinct in today’s world.  We look to the past, to the stories that God has recorded in His Word about Daniel, his friends and enemies, in order to know how to live today and toward the future.

I’m under STRICT orders from my Occupation Therapist, Karen, to be very sensible while I’m here at conference.  This will be a real test of how deep my recovery has been thus far.  I’m back at 25 hours work per week but as meeting/chatting around meal tables is probably the thing which will zap my energy most that’s 2.5 hours per day already taken out of the work time I have to give.  I’m leading a seminar for guys on Tue & Thu, a quiz on Tue night and the final reflection on what we’ve learned at conference.

Please do be praying that I will go well during this week and that for all of us here the challenges of God’s Word will get into our hearts and minds and bear the fruit of transformation in our lives.