SPIN LIKE THE WIND-the blog of Nigel James.

HOME FOR CHRISTMAS.

After 3 weeks in the States on the Christmas tour, and before a hectic January schedule, I'm home for a family Christmas. It will include a session of marking papers for the Serious 4 Youth Ministry course, and some talk preparation for January, but basically I'll be chilling out for a couple of weeks. One important event is on New Year's Eve- Knocking on the Door of Heaven - a prayer vigil to launch Hope08 in Cardiff.

The angel said, “Don’t be afraid. I’m here to announce a great and joyful event that is meant for everybody, worldwide.
Luke 2.10 Message

THREE DAYS IN ATLANTA.

Highlights of three days off in Atlanta-
*2 nights at Mac Powell's home.
*Joining Mac for a min-Mac Christmas concert for his 2 youngest children and 30 other kids in their infant school. I read them a Christmas story in my best British accent.
*The Powell's Christmas Party- very elegant with lovely decorations, a piano player, caterers, carols around the piano, and plenty of photos from the official photographer ( you've guessed it- me again.)
*Borrowing Mark Lee's VW Beetle (Bug for the US readers) and visiting Scotty Wilbanks studio The Rockporium..
*Speaking one sentence on a new track for the DecembeRadio forthcoming album!
*Lunch with Scotty, his wife and son, and Josh from the aforementioned DecembeRadio at the legendary Williamson Bros. Barbecue
*Dinner with Mark Lee and the missions pastor from his church- plenty of talk about being Glocal (thinking globally and acting locally) and lots of stories about India.
*Beowulf in 3D - it blew Mark and I away!

NEW AUDIO SERMON ADDED-COME OVER HERE AND HELP US.

I've just uploaded a talk that I gave last week in Heartland Community Church, Fort Wayne, Indiana. Called 'Come Over Here and Help Us' it tells all about the ministry in India that I'm involved with from the perspective of the Apostle Paul receiving a call from Macedonia in Acts 16. You can find it in the Some of My Sermons List. I've also added the Powerpoint slides which will give you the pictures of some of the people and places we are working with in India.

A BLUE CHRISTMAS.

Third Day and Jars of Clay notched things up a level today by doing a great version of Elvis's Blue Christmas in the encore. We are in Eden Prairie, near Minneapolis, Minnesota, and the temperature in Centigrade has been minus 14! I've been speaking about Jars of Clay's Blood:Water Mission each night, and 2 families tonight each gave the complete cost of a well- $3,000.

DREAMING OF A WHITE CHRISTMAS.

After three days in Fort Wayne Indiana, with my friends Andy and Trisha Booth, I've rejoined Third Day for the next concert of the tour-in Hoffmann Estates just outside Chicago.
We are at LifeChangers International Church, and the four inches of snow that fell in Fort Wayne on Tuesday night is also in Chicago. Now this really feels like a Christmas tour! Whilst I was in Fort Wayne I got to speak for my friend Ben Gates at the IPFW campus ministry Leadership Academy (modelled on the Ignite Leadership Academy in Cardiff) and to Heartland Church youth group, as well catching up with Zach, Jenny, Jaimee, Matt and Jeff. Mostly though I spent plenty of quality time with Andy and Trish, their two sons Jake and Eli, and their newborn daughter Rhianna.

FOOD FOR THE BODY....AND FOOD FOR THE SOUL.

Of course I brought some bars of Cadbury's chocolate over for the Third Day guys! (See a comment about my last post). Although I'm documenting the Christmas Offerings Tour on my other blogsite, I will post on this site the Bible passages we have been studying together. They can be found in the God's Words list.

WHEN IN ROME...

I'm on the Third Day tour bus driving from Atlanta to Rome, Georgia for the first of the Christmas Tour concerts with Third Day and Jars of Clay.
I'll be updating Third Day fans on my Tour Pastor Blog with the latest devotional themes that I share with the band. Suffice to say it's been great to catch up with the guys and get a flavour of the process of recording their new album.

OUT AND ABOUT.

After a busy couple of weeks speaking, travelling and meetings, I'm gearing up to join up with Third Day for their Christmas tour- 12 cities in 4 concert blocks over the next 3 weekends. I'm aiming to focus my devotions on the Messianic prophecies in the book of Isaiah, which should be significant leading up to Christmas!
Here's some recent highlights-
* Lecturing to the Serious4Youth Ministry students, especially the 6 level 2 students who I also lectured last year.
* 2 hours with the level 2 students on Secondary Schools ministry- they seemed to be inspired.
* 8 Sessions with Masters students in Cardiff on 'The Kingdom of God and the Language of the Power Encounter' - 200 pages of notes!
* Launching Ignite in the Welsh town of Carmarthen, partnering with Mark Bennett who is the leader of Towy Community Church.
* Meeting with Peter Opolo from Nairobi, Kenya who heads up a youth ministry called Aflame. Ignite will be partnering with Aflame in the future, and helping them disciple student-age Christians in Kenya's capital city.
* 2 Sessions on 'Developing your Inner Walk with God' at the City Temple Kingdom Academy- Meditation, Prayer, Study, Fasting.
* A catch-up meeting with my old mate Carl Brettle- especially about the work our ministries are both involved with in India.
* Lunch with Lyndon Bowring in London, chatting over a few 'inner walk' areas of my own. He heads up CARE and is a wise friend.

GRAV.

I'm at home preparing for a day lecturing on Saturday, and I've just been completely overcome with emotion watching the funeral service of Ray Gravell-a Welsh legend-Llanelli hero and current Lllanelli Scarlets president, international rugby player, broadcaster, actor.
Ray died in his mid-fifties and the principality of Wales has been in mourning. I hadn't realised the funeral was today and switched the TV on briefly at lunchtime to see that the service was being covered by BBC 2 Wales and S4C the Welsh language channel. Gerald Davies, a Wales team mate of Grav, delivered in Welsh and English, one of the most eloquent, poignant and heartfelt tributes I have ever heard, and said this:

We tend to remember men for their deeds and accomplishments, and Grav had many, but what we should do is remember them for their spirit, and Grav's was immense. What was remarkable about him was his humanity.

I don't mind admitting that when the crowd at Stradey Park, the rugby ground that was so important to Grav, started singing the hymn Cwm Rhondda and the pall bearers, including current Welsh rugby players and the recent Welsh coach, collected the coffin, I shed a few tears.

TALK TALK.

Sunday nights after church are proving a good time to write a blog entry and to look back on a previous week and on towards the new week. I'm in the middle of one of the busiest periods of speaking I've had for a long while- all with the cough which has now been around for so long it feels like one of the family!

Last week's highlights-

*Commencing Level 2 lectures on Communication in a Youth Setting- 11 Students at the Elim College
*My Mum and Dad coming down to stay for a few days
* Kingdom Academy lecturing at City Temple on Developing the Inner Walk with God
*Ignite in Abergavenny-took Abi and Mark from Ignite with me, and we were all ready to build up young believers when most of the young people who turned up were unchurched. We swopped to an evangelistic approach and had a fun night!
*Watching our daughter Bethan take the female lead in her school musical SUMMER HOLIDAY-all those old Cliff Richard hits!
*Long chat on the phone with Andy Booth from Heartland Church Fort Wayne- I'll be catching up with Andy and his family (plus new daughter Rianna) in a few weeks
* Church fireworks and late night coffee with Richard Stanton (he's been to India with me each of the last 2 mission trips)
* Preaching this morning on KINGDOM PARABLES as part of the STORIES JESUS TOLD series. I preached on mustard seed, treasure in a field, and pearl of great price from Matthew 13
*Watching Cardiff Blues beat Bristol Rugby 34-18 in the European Cup. We were 3-13 down at one stage!

Next weeks highlights-

Another double shot of lecturing at the Elim College
Kingdom Academy part 2
Second visit to Abergavenny- this time with Lydia Lewis, daughter of our friends Debbie and Elliot
Ignite in Carmarthen- lunchtime school visit and evening youth meeting
All day Saturday lecturing on Together in Ministry, Missional Leadership course on KINGDOM OF GOD AND THE POWER ENCOUNTER. I have 200 pages of notes and 130 Powerpoint slides to review and condense and put into 8 45 minute lectures. I may have bitten off more than I can chew with this one!