I just think He does the coolest things, we just have to keep looking up. X dp

I know it’s been quite awhile since I last wrote anything here. Sorry. I have not meant to have been away for so long, but circumstances have taken over. Maybe I will write about all of them one day. I’m still trying to figure out the lessons I am meant to be learning.

But I wanted to share this with you…I was in Scotland last week, visiting my mum (country of my birth and homeland, my beloved bonnie…). I love running on the beach near my mum’s house. This photo (taken on my iphone, sorry if the quality is not great – tho I do love my iphone!!), was my last run. I shot the reflection of the clouds in the water. When I looked at the photo afterwards, I saw three faces. Can you see them too? It really touched me, whether a trick of light or what, I really felt that He was and is there, watching over me, in all circumstances and at all times.

I hope you will find it comforting too. God bless and much love dp x

This is my friend Richard Harris. He is one of my very closest friends (married to Ramona, who is my angel). Richard sent me this story of what happened to him one day, while he was out on the streets…it’s in his words, and I hope it’ll bless you and put a smile on your face and warm your heart, as it did mine. Love him very much.

A friend and I went out to pray together last week. Among the people that had approached us for prayer were a small group of Christians who were planning on telling people about Jesus on the street. I thought they were crazy to be doing something like that, but then, most would probably think my friend and I were crazy for being on the street to pray for people, so, I guess all things are relative.

Anyhow, this group of Christians had been telling us that they had not been having much success & that they were worried that they may be asked to move on by the police (which I thought was strange as we’d already been there for half an hour without any problems at all), they said that they had had a few complaints from the local residents and hoped that this week would go better for them.
We stayed and chatted to them, praying for anything that they asked us to, and then moved on a little further down the road to give them some space and find a new place to pray for passers by that asked us to.

I was surprised when probably only 20 minutes later some of the group came walking past us. Shortly after that, another two walked passed, but I only recognised one of them. I said hello and introduced myself to the young man I hadn’t seen before. After talking for a while it was clear to see that he was feeling slightly dejected and frustrated, when I asked him why, he told me that they had been moved on from where they had set up, and they were all heading home, I was about to ask him where he had travelled from, when I noticed he had a look that said, ‘I’ve come a long way to be here’ and I thought it better not to probe. Just then I felt God say to me ‘Give him your hat’. I looked up at his head, ‘He has a hat on’ I kind of responded in my head, ‘Yes’, I felt God say ‘give him yours’, I didn’t want to. I looked down at his face again and he smiled a defeated smile, I asked his name and he replied with mine, ‘we share the same name I thought’. I remembered from earlier that this must have been the young man that was doing most of the talking, he had a large fold back speaker that he was wheeling behind him, I thought it looked quite heavy. I looked up at his hat again ‘I don’t want that hat’ I said to God, trying to back out of taking away the little warmth my head was fortunate enough to be retaining at the time. It was bitterly cold and we’d been out on the road for over an hour already, ‘Don’t take anything from him, just give him your hat’, came the nudging again, ‘this is my favorite hat’ I was trying to encourage a little sympathy from God, but it didn’t work, all I heard next was ‘Isaiah 61′, and I knew that would be the last comment, now I just had to make a choice.

I remembered what I could of the verse and it started to play in my head like an old recording, “For the spirit of the sovereign lord is upon me to preach good news to the poor and freedom to the oppressed. Recovery of sight to the blind and release for all the captives. I will give them the oil of gladness instead of the spirit of despair”. I hadn’t remembered it right, but that didn’t matter, I reached up and touched my hat ‘I tell you what”, I said out loud thinking about how I would pull this off without taking anything from him, without taking his hat, wondering how cold my head would be for the rest of the evening, and how long we would have to stand there, my ears slowly loosing any feeling other than the biting cold. ‘You take this’ I said, trying to get my brain to keep up with what my hands were doing, I had removed his hat with the hand that was still free, and placed it on his friends head. The hand that was touching my hat, was now lifting it off my head, ‘and I’d like to give you this’ I said feeling a cold gush of wind. His eyes widened and the smile that had been a little forced became a beam, “Are you sure?” he said, I actually thought about it. ‘Yeah’ I said ‘it’s not a problem’. He stood in disbelief for a few minutes more, as I persisted in telling him that I really did want him to take the hat, and at no cost whatsoever. His dejectedness and frustration melted, and I was glad I’d done it. His smile was gorgeous, and I remembered again the verse, “They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor”.

They walked away and I reminded God that this was my favorite hat, ‘I know’ he said, ‘my head’s cold’ I replied, ‘Put your hood up’ He said tenderly. My hood wasn’t as warm as my hat.

Richard is in the photo above, wearing the hat that he gave away. dp x

Isaiah 61

The Year of the LORD’s Favor

1 The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me,
because the LORD has anointed me
to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim freedom for the captives
and release from darkness for the prisoners,
2 to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor
and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn,

3 and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty
instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness
instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
a planting of the LORD
for the display of his splendor.

4 They will rebuild the ancient ruins
and restore the places long devastated;
they will renew the ruined cities
that have been devastated for generations.

5 Aliens will shepherd your flocks;
foreigners will work your fields and vineyards.

6 And you will be called priests of the LORD,
you will be named ministers of our God.
You will feed on the wealth of nations,
and in their riches you will boast.

7 Instead of their shame
my people will receive a double portion,
and instead of disgrace
they will rejoice in their inheritance;
and so they will inherit a double portion in their land,
and everlasting joy will be theirs.

8 “For I, the LORD, love justice;
I hate robbery and iniquity.
In my faithfulness I will reward them
and make an everlasting covenant with them.

9 Their descendants will be known among the nations
and their offspring among the peoples.
All who see them will acknowledge
that they are a people the LORD has blessed.”

10 I delight greatly in the LORD;
my soul rejoices in my God.
For he has clothed me with garments of salvation
and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness,
as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest,
and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

11 For as the soil makes the sprout come up
and a garden causes seeds to grow,
so the Sovereign LORD will make righteousness and praise
spring up before all nations.



If you haven’t had an opportunity to watch this inspirational speech by Bono, can I encourage you to do so now? He is truly one
of my modern day hero’s – a Robin Hood for our time.
Let’s take his message to heart. It’s a call to action. Love is a verb.

An excerpt from “The Prophet” by Kahlil Gibran

Then said Almitra, Speak to us of Love.
And he raised his head and looked upon the people,
and there fell a stillness upon them.
And with a great voice he said:

When love beckons to you, follow him,
Though his ways are hard and steep.
And when his wings enfold you yield to him,
Though the sword hidden among his pinions may wound you.
And when he speaks to you believe in him,
Though his voice may shatter your dreams
as the north wind lays waste the garden.

For even as love crowns you so shall he crucify you.
Even as he is for your growth so is he for your pruning.
Even as he ascends to your height and caresses your tenderest
branches that quiver in the sun,
So shall he descend to your roots and shake them
in their clinging to the earth.
Like sheaves of corn he gathers you unto himself.
He threshes you to make you naked.
He sifts you to free you from your husks.
He grinds you to whiteness.
He kneads you until you are pliant:
And then he assigns you to his sacred fire,
that you may become sacred bread for God`s sacred feast.

All these things shall love do unto you
that you may know the secrets of your heart,
and in that knowledge become a fragment of Life`s heart.

But if in your fear you would seek only
love`s peace and love`s pleasure,
Then it is better for you
that you cover your nakedness and
pass out of love`s threshing floor,
Into the seasonless world where you
shall laugh, but not all of your laughter,
and weep, but not all of your tears.

Love gives naught but itself and takes naught but from itself,
Love possesses not nor would it be possessed:
For love is sufficient unto love.

When you love you should not say,
“God is in my heart,” but rather,
“I am in the heart of God.”
And think not you can direct the course
of love, for love, if it finds you worthy,
directs your course.

Love has no other desire but to fulfill itself.
But if you love and must needs have desires, let these be your desires:
To melt and be like a running brook that sings its melody to the night.
To know the pain of too much tenderness.
To be wounded by your own understanding of love;
And to bleed willingly and joyfully.
To wake at dawn with a winged heart
and give thanks for another day of loving:
To rest at the noon hour and meditate love`s ecstasy:
And then to sleep with a prayer for the beloved in you heart
and a song of praise upon you lips.

Kahlil Gibran’s book, published in 1923 is especially relevent and helpful
for these times and is a wonderful gift for yourself or a loved one.
“The Prophet”

Jamielish - Live Worship Album from London

Check these guys out at www.jamielish.com or you can listen in itunes by clicking here
My two favorite tracks are YOU ARE MY EVERYTHING and I LONG TO BE- check them out…
I love these two so much, they have done so much for me personally and for Isaiah and I am blessed to call them my friends.
dp

Back from Los Angeles to London town, full of excitment for i61 and all of our plans. LA was inspiring , great light, wonderful people who love what we are doing with i61. Can't wait to get stuck in, get the vehicle of change moving. Lots to think about and plan, photos to take, t shirts to design and people to meet!

The only downside of returning was a caved in bathroom roof...well life is full of surprises and challenges, eh?