Letting Go.. A Tad Bit Hard

How's your imagination - do you still have it?
Our imagination can be a friend and a foe!

It helps us to imagine all the great things of God! It allows us to paint pictures in our mind of what wonders await us in Heaven, and it takes us to a different place as we draw a deep breath, and enjoy the simplicity of creation while it momentarily eliminates our 'mundane - see it everyday' attitudes.

On the contrary - It also invokes in us the worst case scenario that could possibly happen and prevent us from full enjoyment in life - ESPECIALLY as parents!

I face this everyday and feel it is something I need to get a grip on.
As a Mother, my children are always asking me if they can go somewhere..with someone..to do something...
Today my 17 year old son asked me if he could go on a fishing trip with some mates after school finishes.
I instantly panicked - I saw him jumping off cliffs into the ocean and being forced up against rocks.. Then I saw him eaten by sharks.. or getting a rusty hook in his foot.. or falling in the camp fire with no help for miles.. Or eating food that makes him sick and his friends playing jokes on him that land him in hospital.. I saw the car they were in getting stuck in the tides or rolling on the sand dunes.. SAND DUNES! I saw the sand dunes falling on him and suffocating him.. and I tried to imagine how he would be able to get out of these troubles... OH NO! What if someone kidnaps him...

I simply replied 'I don't think that is a good idea"... Then came the argument lol!
I couldn't tell him all my fears because that's not the sort of man I want to raise...
How did my parents let me do so many things! I just don't understand - Has the access to media made us more aware?

I am now confronted with the following verses to bring me back to the Lord:
2 Tim 1:7 - God did not give me a spirit of fear or timidity but of power, love and self-discipline.
Prov 3:5-7 - Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding  but acknowledge Him in all your ways and He will make straight your paths.
2 Co 4:17 - For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outways them all.
Ps 121:3 - He will not let your foot slip, He who watches over you.
Matthew 6:25-34 - Jesus tells me not to worry about my life, what you will eat or drink or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the field, they do not sow or reap or store away and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable then they. Can any one of you by worrying, add a single day to your life.

The list goes on. I get the point.. My children are a gift from the Lord, they are His to take back should their predestination be complete. Only He knows the path ahead for them and I am not to worry.
I try with all my might to keep them safe but in the end they belong to the Lord - I need to trust Him and pray more for my children..

Again I sigh.. this parenting thing is so hard! I just wish I learnt this lesson with my almost 19yr old so I don't have to go through it with my other 5 children..
Do you find it hard as well? Are your children grown up - perhaps you could help me through this part of my navigation through the valley...

Be blessed today I pray - In the name of Jesus!

Oh dear.. not 'forgiveness' AGAIN!

Forgiveness... sigh.

The very word conjures up a fear of 'tackling the topic' and a resignation to the necessity of facing it.

I saw the topic heading last week and closed the book again with a sigh!

I decided I wouldn't do that until I was completely out of time, and then I could do it in a rush without having to put too much thought into it!! Haha - It doesn't really happen that way when you lead the study... Have you ever put something off because it seems too hard?

Today I stole a glance at the next lesson - now that is more like the study I WANT to do - 'Laying Aside Busyness and Running With Rest".. A timely topic after the heaviness of 'Forgiveness'.

I started it on Saturday, spending a couple of hours on the first two pages - what a challenge!

I did more on Sunday and finished it on Monday morning at 7am, just in time for our group fellowship.

We tackled:

                 The root of bitterness - And oh how deep those roots go! At times you don't even know that root is still there until your world is shaken a little  and BAM! There it is. J.B.Philips likens these roots to 'a poison that affects the lives of many others''. (Heb 12:15)

                 Putting off falsehood and speaking the truth to others, building them up  and getting rid of all bitterness, forgiving as Christ forgave us. (Eph 4:25-32)

                 Clothing ourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience and putting on love - to forgive all grievances as Christ forgave us.

I heard a visiting Paster say once that Forgiveness is allowing someone free passage through our mind without ill thought. I started to think about certain people and realised that when I consider them, I still have some speed bumps to deal with before I can allow them free passage...

Our study revealed (or highlighted should I say) a forgiveness that is nothing like what our human nature tries to do.

The forgiveness of Christ is instantaneous, second by second He is ready and willing to forgive us. He forgives and allows us free passage to the throne of the Father. Not only does He forgive freely, but He takes our shame and does not hold our crimes against us - because He cleaned us! 

On the contrary, we are offended and hold onto wrongs.. we share it with all our friends and when given the chance we tell people how wrong they were... (well I don't know about you, but I like to be real honest with my human nature). Holding on as opposed to letting go...dragging that behind me wherever I go - just to remind me how right I was and how wrong they are and and and....etc

Jesus, when falsely accused, remained silent, and for the joy set before Him endured the cross and took on it's shame. He did not throw slander back nor did He correct their false accusations, instead He prayed for 'His enemies' (though not really enemies). He did not hold on.. gone faster than how long it took to accuse..

I love the Lord and the example of His life for our living.

I had an 'Aha" moment when I realise that forgiveness is not about the other person, it is about me! Doing this free's me from holding onto pain and hurt.

Though a valuable lesson I have learnt just this week is that I do not own other people's wrestling.. if they have an issue with me then it is not always my fault and all I can do is pray for them. I/we are accountable for our own behaviour and wrong-doings, that we need to keep a clean slate between us and the Lord, AS DO OTHER PEOPLE, but they are none of our business and we are not to hold them accountable - we are to pray for them and put on love being kind and compassionate to them. If they would like to blame us for things, we should examine our heart before the Lord and be completely honest and open to the possibility that there may be some truth or no truth to the accusation, and move forward from there. 

Great lessons - I hope my 'rawness' encourages you to search your own heart.

I hope your cup is full to overflowing.. if not go deeper.

(For research for yourself - Eph 4:31-32; Heb 12:1-17; Lamentations 3; Eph 1:7-8; 1 Jn 1:9; Col 3:12-13; Lk 23:32-34)

Hold Unswervingly..

Unswervingly

Hebrews 10:23 'Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for HE who promised is faithful'.

(J.B.Philips Version says:

Further, since we have a great High Priest set over the household of God, let us draw near with true hearts and fullest confidence, knowing that our inmost souls have been purified by the sprinkling of His blood just as our bodies are cleansed by the washing of clean water. In this confidence let us hold on to the hope that we profess without the slightest hesitation—for He is utterly dependable—and let us think of one another and how we can encourage each other to love and do good deeds. And let us not hold aloof from our church meetings, as some do. Let us do all we can to help one another’s faith, and this the more earnestly as we see the final day drawing ever nearer. ⁾

Web definition: In a constant and steadfast manner.
Have you ever seen the Australian Malteser's advertisment? (I have put it at the bottom just incase.)

Whilst driving home from a Women's Conference, my dear friend just happened to have a bag of Malteser's and suggested we copy the ad. Of course I jumped in boots-and-all! As we were driving along a straight road we would swerve to make the Malteser's come to my side..We were laughing the whole time and IT WAS SO MUCH FUN!
However, later when we explained to our husbands how much fun we had (amidst our uncontrollable laughter), they reminded us of the dangers of swerving the car like that.

The conversation progressed and we came to the point where we had a practical application for our faith.

Very simple:
It is dangerous to swerve off our path for temporary pleasures that do not last and will have you wanting more! When we walk with the Lord,  it is only safe when we stay the course, stay on the straight path - to fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith.
Romans 6:21 'But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death.'

There! I did it!!! A short post.... Bet you never thought I could :)
I hope your cup is full to overflowing.. if not drink in the word.

My House Fell On Me...

Mary and Martha lessons have been at the forefront of my life over the past 15 years (though I have been married for 20). I long to be a Mary but realise Martha chores are essential to keeping the house and family going.. and that is my role - However Jesus would have me do both! So finding the fine line has been the journey.

The day I started to understand the balance, I realised that my house had fallen on my shoulders and was preventing me from being thankful and enjoying life.

Are you house proud?
Does the cleanliness and tidiness consume you in ways that make you:
- an angry Mum/woman
- a 'too busy'/'too tired' wife..
- an 'absent friend' who doesn't notice the needs of her friends?
- a working woman who simply has too much to do and can't fit in time with other people...

My husband has had us renovating the last two homes (three if I include the house we built). Through this process I have always started out embarrassed and after a few years house proud. We always sell the house just when everything is finished. We make the children share rooms - at one stage we had two bunk beds and a cot in one room!
It brings a lot of work and frustration to our family. We seem to always be sacrificing our lives/enjoyments for something else to be done on 'the house'. Eventually it becomes a home and we are all happy, but then we realise the value and sell.. the goal was always to get ahead.. I am now asking the question "Ahead of what?" (but that's another blog..)

When I stopped chasing after the wind I started seeing that a house is just a roof with walls; it keeps you safe from the elements.. it does not keep you safe from life.
My furniture all came with a cost, not a financial cost but the price of my time and energy! It forced me to teach my children lessons through it - sometimes with me losing my self-control.. for example: My lounge is fabric, so no eating or colouring on it, and no shoes on it.. it needs to be spot cleaned and once a year professionally cleaned. Also my dining table is solid timber.. I needed to make sure the kids didn't draw on it or scratch it.. the walls are freshly painted so I tried to keep the kids from running toys up it..
ARRRRRGH! The intensity of watching 6 children all the time so they didn't damage or destroy these materialistic possessions drove me crazy, not to mention then when visitors brought their children over who would jump on my lounge and break things. I would then have a breakdown emotionally and take it out on my husband and children..
To be a Mary, which is encouraged by the Lord, is not as hard as we think.
We must see things in the eternal view, rather than in a wordly view.

2 Co 4:17-18 - 'For our present troubles are small and won't last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outways them and will last forever. So we don't look at the trouble we can see now; rather, we fix our eyes on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.'

Materialistic possessions.. we shouldn't hold on to them too tightly - they don't last anyway and they are not worth investing time. I only have one life to live and I want to live it for Jesus.. You don't know what you have until you meet someone who has nothing.. that's when we should see that our house is massive and full of 'things'. To love is what is important and to share the gospel is where our priority is!

Today, look past the things that are burdening you.. hand them over to Jesus (Mt 11:28-29). Your house work is temporary as we all know.. so don't let it steal from you the joys of sharing your life with your children, husband and friends. Fit in the housework and cooking when you can, but make sure you read the Bible.. for out of your relationship with Jesus and from reading the word, praying and fellowship in the body.. your cup will overflow and your priorities will be that of Mary even when you have to do that of Martha...

I hope you leave here with meat to chew on - so to speak :)

Why Am I Not Like That Other Person!...

Don't we just wish we could be like 'her'..

"Everything goes right for her.. after all I bet she never feels this way.."

Oh how wrong we are.
'She' is not exempt from that which is common to man (1 Co 10:13), and as a result she has all the same feelings as us - hurt, regret, guilt, occasional depression, anger, frustration with herself etc..

The truth is.. we need to get our heads right! Rom 12:2 'be transformed by the renewing of your mind...then you can test and approve what God's will is, His good and pleasing will..'
His good (good for you) and pleasing (will please you) plan for your life! But first you must be transformed in your mind.

Every time I sit to write a blog, I endeavour to keep it short but end up getting excited by what the Lord is revealing to me, and then it can drag on... for this I apologise. (I hope you still get something out of all my raving! lol)

Have a look at Philippians 3:13 - Paul says that he has not reached perfection yet but he presses on towards the goal.

Perhaps the reason we compare ourselves to others and wish we were different is because we don't see ourselves the way God sees us or the way God made us. Perhaps we have been told too many lies in our lives - born out of other peoples anger or frustration..criticisms. Paul is basically saying that he is good but he is not perfect. He is acknowledging that he can do some things, and that he is good at some things but he hasn't reached perfection yet, though he presses on.
Do you have a right estimate of yourself?
(J.B Philips - Romans 12:3-5 As your spiritual teacher I give this piece of advice to each one of you. Don’t cherish exaggerated ideas of yourself or your importance, but try to have a sane estimate of your capabilities by the light of the faith that God has given to you all.)

If you are good at something, I want you to tell yourself right now what it is. This is not pride, this is having a right estimate of yourself and the beginnings of being renewed by the transforming of your mind (free from the chains of opinion about yourself).
Seriously - stop now and state what you are good at.


When someone gives you a compliment, do you minimise what you have done, or do you accept the compliment? It is an important part of accepting who you have been MADE to be. From here you can start to understand that you have a RIGHT place and purpose just the way you are.... in the measure of faith that you have.... for this particular part of your journey. (1 Co 15:10 - I am what I am - by the grace of God).
Just as I wrote in my previous blog, as a member of the body - you have a joint, an ability and a function.. you also have limits, however when you do what you were created to do you will work perfectly through pressing on. 
Stop comparing yourself with your head and start accepting yourself with your heart. It is the truth that will set you free.

I am learning to accept who I am.. I am now 40. If God has not seen fit to make me a different person by now then I should start accepting that I may be this way my whole life and if that is the case, then perhaps I am exactly the way the Lord made me, so I had better stop focusing on that 'other person' that I would rather be like.

For now I will stop, but I really hope I have been able to help you accept the beauty created within you as you are in the image of your Father..

May your cup be full to overflowing.

The Valley Of Dry Bones...

Why always a valley.....?!

Does anyone else find it interesting how our biggest life challenges come when we are walking in a valley?  Shadows of death! Skeletons or dry bones! And not to mention where Samson met Delilah - his ultimate stumbling block (Judges 16:4). 

Let me share what I have learned through the prophet Ezekiel in chapter 37!

So basically our Father took Ezekiel for a walk through a valley (sound familiar), a valley filled with dry bones covering the whole valley floor, the Lord was showing Ezekiel mans desperation. There before him was a valley of hopelessness, no life could be found.

I really like verse 3 - God asks Ezekiel if these bones can become living people again, and I can almost hear Ezekiel's reply - "How am I supposed to know that.. only you know those sorts of things O Sovereign Lord.." lol, I am sure it wasn't that disrespectful, but here is where I see an open relationship happening between God and man, where man can talk back to God with an honest 'I dunno' sort of answer.

God commands Ezekiel to speak life into the bones by prophesying over them, stating what will be..

When Ezekiel is told to prophesy, he is meant to speak God's quickening life into them - or simply put, speak into them. A Paster explained that this is just like praying 'life giving scripture' over death and hopeless situations.

Verse 7, Ezekiel does as he is commanded and sees death change to life before His very eyes! (Oh to be a fly on a rock there!)

There are so many lessons for us here, I feel I have only just touched the surface.

Lesson 1: These bones represent the people of Israel - the people of God, could this be true of us? 

Are we dry bones? 

With Gods power and Gods words, He brings structure. No-one wants a foot growing out the side of their head or a toe growing on their nose! 

Every bone has a joint to fit and a function. That is us! He has a RIGHT place for us. He purposed for us to exist and put us exactly where He wants us..WOW - we are where we are meant to be otherwise we would hear a rattling noise while He moves us to the next part of our journey (Verse 7).

 Lesson 2: When you look at situations in life, they may look like a mess, it may seem hopeless and irreparable. However, we shouldn't set our heart and thoughts on what we see, but believe in the unseen - what it could become with the power of God working in it.. then pray exactly the way Ezekiel prayed - with confidence, truth and action. Life is full of ups and downs. We need to pray over these hopeless situations - prophesy into our own lives and the lives of others. Don't give up, just trust in the power of the spoken word of God and the power of Christ.

Lesson 3: If an arm doesn't want to connect to the body, then the whole skeleton is affected and the process of life can stop. Best for us to encourage that arm to get connected any way we can. It is important that we all function the way God intended for us, otherwise the whole body suffers and no life force can be fed into that arm, essentially causing it to die. Only when we are connected to the body can we be strengthened and functional for the Lord. Ez 37:19 God joins us together with ligaments and sinew (ties that cannot be broken) and He strengthens us - He makes us 'one in His hand', and covers us in flesh to protect us (wrapped under His wing).. we are covered by our God.
Don't rebel against His will, it is a well thought out plan designed individually just for you. Sure, tell the Lord what you think about it, but come in under His Loving guidance and all will be well with your soul. Each person's journey is different, but the Lord saw our face before we were even born, He put together our life's path and set aside time to walk with us (In the cool of the evenings as in Genesis 3:8).

The world tries so hard to distort the plan put in place by God, they do it without even realising. The opinions, the criticisms, the well meaning advice from others.. really all we need is to cling to the word and be in constant fellowship with the Lord - from the minute we rise up in the morning, to when we lay our head on the pillow, be in fellowship with God walking through the valley just as Ezekiel did (and many others).

Lesson 4: A skeleton alone is not a body, God adds the substance. We need to allow God to add substance to us. When He made Adam he gave him mature organs, mature bones. Adam did not go through a process of growing. God created him for a relationship so He made him mature. Maturity is a process. Before any process comes an event. 

A wedding is an event, but the marriage is the process. 

A baby is an event, but raising a child is the process. 

Counselling is an event, but putting the advice into action is a process.

Salvation is an event, but living out our relationship with Christ is a process. God calls us to the event, but it is our responsibility to walk out the process and just to help He walks it with us, every step of the way (if we let Him).

I have really enjoyed looking at these passages, very applicable to our lives today. Know that you are very important to the Body.. He gifted you to carry out a function - you have a RIGHT place. The valley is a tough place to walk, but you are not alone.. there are many of us on this same path and He is holding our hand as we walk it. It could be in your family, in your job, with your friends.

May your cup be full to overflowing as you walk out your life in Christ.

Only the Lord knows the heart of man...

Life has some amazing lessons to learn if we are open enough to be affected by them.

I have been doing some interesting reading on three of the tribes of Israel - the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half tribe of Manasseh, in the book of Joshua (Ch 22)
Human nature has not changed so much in a few thousand years.. It is far too easy to judge what we perceive to be other peoples motivations and actions, I have been the brunt of this many times. But the truth is, we all do it, none of us are exempt from the sin of judgement, though all of us have the self-control within to stop ourselves.
Bare with me while I share the insights I am learning.

History - In the book of Numbers Ch32, The Reubenites and Gadites ask Moses if they can have the the land they currently inhabit for their livestock, instead of crossing the Jordan into the promised land. Moses holds them accountable and basically says it would not be fair for them to sit here in this land while the other tribes have to clear out the promise land. They then commit themselves to helping the other tribes (vs 17) to receive their inheritance.

The book of Joshua now..

Chapter 22 is very interesting. Talk about judging a book by it's cover.. The heads of the tribes of Israel  did just that.
Vs 1 - the Reubenites, Gadites & the half tribe of Manasseh are now released by Joshua (vs 4), thanked for their obedience and committment and told to return home to their wives and families. They are reminded to remember the Lord their God and to obey His commands (vs 5) and sent off with a parting blessing (vs 6).

As they came to the edge of the Jordan river, they built an imposing alter (vs 10).
The Israelites heard about this alter and gathered together to go to war against them! (vs 11)
So the Israelites sent the priests son, 10 chief men - heads of the 10 tribes of Israel. (vs 13-14)

Look at verse 16 - they have jumped to a conclusion and basically accused them of breaking their faith and turning away from their God.
Vs 19 and 20 they are accused of building an alter for themselves and bringing wrath on the community of Israel.
Reuban, Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh then spoke......

I see everyday humans here.. so very much like us! They did what they were committed to do, what the Lord asked them to. They gave up of themselves and were judged for their actions.
Vs 21 - "God Knows!!" Of course God knows, He knows our hearts and judges what men don't see.
Vs 24 to 29 - they defend their actions, they state that they only built the alter to be a reminder for generations that they are a part of the tribes and helped conquer the promise land. The alter was not just for the Israelites, but also for their children and their children's children.
Vs 30-31 - When the priests son and 10 chief men heard their reply they basically said "ok, now we know and it's all good.".....

How very much like us - we perceive something one way, yet when we are told the circumstances, we seem to do the same - something like "Ahhhh! Now I understand.."
It is not for us to know the heart of another, God knows!
I love the verse in Ps 131:1 'I do not concern myself with matters too great for me or in reaching impossible goals.
Basically, next time you think a person is thinking or doing something that is not right.. try asking them instead of judging them, or perhaps pray about it and ask God to help you mind your own business (Thessalonians 4:11 ).

I was judged by my own Paster because I gathered a group of my friends around and we did an awesome weekly women's Bible Study. She actually talked about me in the group that she leads. If she had just come to me I would have shared with her, but instead it took a sister in the Lord to tell her to ask me directly. It was not long after this that the Lord encouraged me to read the whole book of Joshua where I discovered this insight. I am still working through my own offence and trusting the Lord to do what he does best.. but it has been a challenge. It is the Lords place to work in our lives, and as He is the one who sees the heart of men it is best to let Him do His perfect work.
Draw on this lesson, learn to ask questions before making bold statements and reaching your own conclusions.
There is something to be said for a circle of friends who draw you back to the cross where all these judgements should be laid.
I really enjoyed reading this book from beginning to end - set aside some time and read an entire letter in the Bible.. absolutely recommend it.
I pray that your cup is full to overflowing in the joy of the Lord.

Fragility of life and our beliefs.

You only have one chance to choose Heaven - albeit if you are blessed enough to wake up tomorrow you will get another chance...

2Peter 3:9 "The Lord isn't really being slow about His promise (to return), as some people think. No, He is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent." 

Rather than try to convince you that you need to be believe, I would like to just ask you to consider for a moment what you think about Jesus?

Do you know for sure that you are going to Heaven? You don't control whether it is real or not, you only get to choose if you are going there or not....

Children are trained to think a certain way depending on their parents. If the parent believes in Allah then the children are bought up that way. If the parents belief in the Easter bunny then the kids are bought up believing that too. What did your parents teach you?????

As we get older we have to start sorting out for ourselves what we believe, as the inevitable human nature is an impending force on all of us - death.

You have thought about it surely, perhaps you have been touched by it first hand. Death is not a nice part of our existence, and usually we don't think about our own death until we are confronted by someone elses. It tears at our hearts, causes us to be angry with 'a higher being' and forces us to see how fragile life is.

I am not a great scholar and I have only had a few people in my life pass, but I have come to terms with the fragility of life - here today, gone tomorrow. At 16 I was introduced to the concept that God existed and Jesus Christ was real. I had never heard about it before except through Sunday School which I didn't  pay attention to. My parents like most had a simple belief in God that was tainted by Churches and Catholic hypocrites. 'Jesus Christ' was a swear word only said in moments of anger or amazement. 

I met some of the nicest people I had ever met through some youth events, they shared the Bible with me and the history of Jesus. It took a further two years before I even understood, but then I started reading the New Testament myself and found a Christian Church. I made a decision to believe in Jesus Christ as my own personal Saviour. It really was not hard once I understood and it was the best decision I have ever made! It was like a fog lifted from my mind and my heart, It is now 20 years later and I still walk daily with Jesus.

Be encouraged - confront what is the norm in your life - don't settle for what everyone has told you about God. Pick up a Bible and do some of your own research. Start in the Book of John. John was a very close friend of Jesus, one of the disciples and an eye witness testimony to the happenings. We still have some of the original parchment from John. 

If I wrote my own eye witness testimony to an event and everyone said it was a lie, would you believe it, or would you believe the people calling it a lie?

We may all choose our own path in life, but birth and death are out of our control. There is a Heaven and Hell and that choice is yours - Choose Jesus...It is easy...

1 John 1:9 'If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness'.

This does not take away our consequences, but before the throne of God we can have no accusers. Jesus took our punishment for our wrong doings that prevent us from entering Heaven.

I pray your cup overflows with joy....and truth!

I don't have what it takes..

As a blogger, I don't have what it takes..

I am not a writer like other bloggers... I don't have fanciful creative posts like other bloggers....
I dont write on a regular basis like other bloggers.. I don't even know if I am being read :)

All I know is that sometimes I have a word placed on my heart and I want to share it with someone.. so I put it here in my blog with the hopes that one day, it may reach the heart of another and bring life and freedom in Christ.

I don't know all the rules - my posts may be too long, they probably don't have the comma's in the right spot.. perhaps they are not grammatically correct :( I don't think there are many spelling errors, though if there are is it simply a typo - I come from the generation where people could spell ;)

In the end though, if you get the gist of what I am trying to say.. then does it really matter?
I read some lovely blogs! You bloggers are very creative, interesting to read and encouraging to follow.
I don't fit this mould. My blog is more sporadic as it is only a tool I use to clarify my own thoughts. When I read it back to myself it certainly needs tweaking, however I am never discouraged, for I know that nothing happens by chance or coincidence and the very fact that my children will one day be interested in me, means I get to share with them some of the lessons the Lord has taught me over the years.

A Blog is just like an online journal to me! I am a little bit more careful about some of the details I include, but mostly it is my heart, my thoughts and my lessons.
If, in any way you are encouraged, then praise the Lord for His hand in your life.. because you do not know me, nor I, You. So it is by providence that we meet here online.

I pray your cup overflows - Bec

What price are you willing to pay???

1 Corinthians 10:13 'No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind, And God is  faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.'

What is common to man?

Or should I be asking - In your culture; in your family; in your circle what is it that is common to everyone around you that seems so right?

After a conversation with a dear friend, where we spoke about her desires to buy a house, it was our conclusion that this striving is common in our society. 

To own a house is splashed all over the billboards, the interest rate forges our social and economic structures. It is the goal from young to old, the difference between the have's and the have nots, and the misery of those who want but are told they need to save more, work more, have less children, etc..

We spoke about the cost..not just the financial burden of the cost but the cost on our time. It is one thing to be given a house or to simply own a house.. but it is a whole other world to be living by your mortgage. When you are on top of the mortgage you spend money on the house, when you are not on top of the mortgage you scrimp and save to get back there.

OK, so we need to live with a roof over our heads, true. However do we need to own that roof? At what cost am I willing to own that roof?

I have personally witnessed the cost on my husband and family while we strive to renovate and pay for our house.

I am blessed that I work from home as a web content editor, however the cost on us is extensive and is stealing from us our precious time! 

My husband spends most of his time outside his normal job, renovating. It seems that the work is simply never done. He put in the oven, cooktop and range hood, completing our kitchen then moved onto another job. Now 4 years later, one of the elements on the cooktop and the fan in the oven are broken. We painted the house 5 years ago and are noticing now that there are things that need to be sanded back and repainted. 

I do a little work from home, but it seems to spill over into my time with my family leaving me frustrated and angry when the children ask me questions while I am trying to concentrate on something that could crash a website - costing my employer money and customers, and perhaps costing me the job that helps us buy groceries.

We see all of our friends having holidays and have no idea how they do it! For us, we never have any money spare... never! With 6 children who do sport and music lessons, as well as paying our $450 a week for our $250 000 mortgage... it is hard work. The rates, the electricity, the maintenance.. 

Don't get me wrong, God has provided for every area of our life, we tithe and have compassion children and have never been starving, though we may not be able to buy groceries for 3-4 weeks.

The list goes on....

I have started asking myself if this was the life I wanted, or that the Lord wanted for me...

We can say that we have had two family holidays in 19 years... We do go and visit our parents a couple of times a year, but it is only ever one of us as the other stays home to work.

I can see our children growing so fast and our precious little time becoming less and less to create memories with our people. And now more than ever I want those memories! 

Everything comes at a cost my dear friend. Everything in our homes came with some form of cost - either monetary, or physical - do we need to clean, maintain, repair, replace, or give it attention? Is it a financial cost or do we give up some of our precious time? And Yes - time is very precious as we do not know when it will come to an end. When we are young and we have little children, time simply can't go fast enough.. little children and teenagers are hard work.. 

When our children start to leave home.. WOE! They leave home?

This is the stage we are at now in our early 40's. The first daughter leaves us on the 16th of October and the second child finishes school in 3 months.. then He is off.

The cost of having a mortgage and debt has been that we don't have many family memories, we have one set of family photos because they too cost money.

 It is not that we love money, but that we have been striving to have no debt in this world. Now I have my house on the market so we can rent for a bit to take a break! Phew....!

Count the cost of what it is that you are striving for.. If it is stealing from you time then re-evaluate! Australian culture dictates what is common for us.. but is that what is common for the children of God? Jesus had no place to lay His head, though he lived on this Earth for 33 years (Mt 8:20).

Do not fear your prayerful decision to count the cost on your time.. God blesses those who sacrifice their lives for him - (Romans 12) A part of that sacrifice is not taking hold of that which is common to man.

RELEASE your self from the pressure to enter into the 'life game'. 

I hope I have been able to show you that life is more than just accumulating for yourself wealth on this Earth. As you will only pass it on or sell it in order to be looked after in your old age and then it goes to the next generation who will not value it as you did. Just read Solomon right through to get an idea of how Wealth amounts to nothing! 

Please go to the beach with your children and create some memories playing together... or a bush walk.. or camping, fishing, dining etc... A wise person learns from other people's mistakes.

I dearly love my children and sooo badly want to spend more time with them, my husband and I are not on the same page yet.. but through prayer maybe we can let go of the chasing after the wind together and spend more time enjoying the blessings we already have

I pray your cup overflows...

To be His hands and feet...

I am so proud of my eldest daughter... I thought I would share her decision with you!
She has decided to go to YWAM DTS - Youth With A Mission Discipleship Training School.

In her own words she stated that she would like to start her life the right way with God at the steering wheel.. We are so excited for her as we are fully aware of how rewarding it is to serve God with our whole self. It is very hard to share this excitement with most of our friends as their children are all young, however we could not be happier or more excited, I tear up just thinking about it!

I must admit I am just a little bit envious that she gets to GO and answer the call, while I still have to stay to meet the needs of my family - which is my current call, and I am sure she will have to face this 'stay at home Mum' one day.. but for now she gets to walk out her faith by learning and serving.

If you would like to know more about YWAM DTS... check it out on You Tube! She is doing the MAD program (Music, Art & Drama) at Brisbane QLD. Such an awesome opportunity for young Christians to find out who they are & who they are called to be - but mostly to get personal with The ONE who calls! Jesus...

I look forward to cheering her on as she walks in the valley :)

http://youtu.be/zwQq6Mfz6IM

If your life is stagnant... choose a different path!

Born With A Fatal Wound

As I placed my head on my pillow last night at 11:53pm.. this is what popped into my mind! I am learning to be ready with pen and paper to capture the things I want to remember.

I was born with a fatal wound and am now on the road to recovery.

Though it is inevitable I will die as a result of this wound, it is also plausible that I will 

live due to the nature of the recovery.

The wound is sin, in which I had no say or control over the contagion on my soul. 

It will inevitably kill me.

But the recovery is in the union I have with the Creator, and in the provision He made for cure.

It too, will only be made complete in the surety of my Earthly death. 

The only condition is that I accept it.

This, however, IS within my control.

If we are not tempted beyond that which is common for man (1 Co 10:13); then it is fair to say that the things we do on an everyday basis has the potential to be sin and us not know it.

I am not sure what the answer is in this except to pray and ask the Lord to open our eyes and reveal to us our own distance from His purity & Holiness. It may mean we look at the simple things we do each day and question if they fit with His original blue print for our path. 

Some examples of this would be watching TV and what we are viewing...Or what words we are saying when we sing songs. Perhaps how much food we eat or how we relate to the people whose paths we cross. 

When you have finished reading this small blog of mine - don't be like the man in James 1:23.

Chew on it a while.. and have your cup filled by His word. Bec

Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 

Perhaps the answer is in our actions....

²⁵ But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.

Will There Be Shadows In Heaven?

Driving along, stuck behind a slow car... My mind was blank as is quite often the case when I drive into town numerous times through the day, . I noticed the shadow on a guide post and asked 'why are all shadows black?"

Wow where did that come from... Why ARE all shadows black? I understand dark and light, and when the sun shines it casts a shadow, but why not colourful shadows based on the object being shone upon.

Have you ever seen a dog discover his own shadow? It is very funny to watch, they try to attack it!
Children are scared of their own shadows, and petrified of others.
Teenagers play with their shadows.
Adults never think about them again.

I wonder....

Could shadows be the oppression of the enemy in the world? In that we are all tainted by it in one way or another..and the shadow just gets darker the more the light shines on it. Perhaps when we stand directly in the light of God, there will be no shadow?  Could shadows be sin as in Peter Pan - where it is attached to us....and alive...perhaps like the sin we were born into?
My creative mind just kept going!!!

I don't really have any answers here.. it was just food for thought that I am still pondering. I just thought I would share it with you out of curiosity!

Ps 36:7 - Even God has a shadow - but in His we can hide.....

(Revelation 21:21b 'The great street of the city was of gold, as pure as transparent glass...' The walls and roads of heaven will be clear, transparent.. see through - perhaps to not hinder the Glory of the Lord shining onto everything? 
Anywaaaays...

Hope you are feeling full to overflowing. Bec

The Prodigal Me???

I love it when the Lord pops a message in my head, from out of the blue - BAM - in a split second a whole sermon!

So in the famous words of my previous Pastor Barry, I have 10 x 'R"s for you!

Recall the story of the Prodigal Son - Have you read it? If you need a refresher then please read Luke 15:11-32 before you go any further.....

Two Sons, one Father. 

One Son did what he wanted to do and Regretted it.

One Son did what everyone else wanted him to do - what was expected of him and he later Resented it.

The first Son did what he wanted to do. 

He wanted the world and all it had to offer. Perhaps he had heard all the stories, perhaps he looked at his family and their way of life and decided it wasn't for him. Maybe he was sick of being asked to contribute to the family and he just wanted to grow his wings and fly away - sounds like a Rebellious teenager don't you think?

He Realised (vs 17) how foolish he had been and Repented (vs 18), he Returned (vs 20) home where his father Rejoiced (vs 22) in him and Reconciled (vs 24) him back to himself and his family. This made him more grateful and wiser.

The second Son did what everyone else wanted him to do  - what was expected of him.
He wanted the world but was never game to push for it (vs 29).
He Resented (vs 28) his own obligated obedience and all the attention his brother was receiving. He Rebelled (vs 29) , threw a tantrum and Rebuked (vs 30) his Father. However, his Father pleaded with him to be a part of the celebrations and see the life in the son who returned (vs 31).

The Father, not only rejoiced in both his children, but he reconciled them to himself with sin and without sin, proving His love for His creation.
One Son had to ask for forgiveness and Received love, the other Son felt righteous and justified in his attitude and Rejected love.

When it all boils down - which Son are we? Which son are you?

Sometimes I feel righteously proud and justified in my opinions... I believe this steals from me the joy of accepting Gods love and forgiveness and hinders me being reconciled to Him. Other times, I realise how wrong I have been and turn from my ways which in turn helps me to accept the Love of my Father in Heaven and realise how much I need him.

I am sure there are many ways to look at the Prodigal Son, but I am thankful that the Lord chose to show me that there is always a decision.
One Son decided he was wrong, the other decided he was right.

Matthew 5:45 (NLT)

In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For He gives His sunlight to both the evil and the good, and He sends rain on the just and the unjust alike.

Joshua 24:15

But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD. Let me leave you with these words - Your choice..... Jeremiah 6:16

“Stand at the crossroads and look;
    ask for the ancient paths,
ask where the good way is, and walk in it,
    and you will find rest for your souls.
    But you said, ‘We will not walk in it.’

I hope you are feeling full! Bec

Don't Walk - Run!

I just finished doing a Bible study - Becoming A Woman Of Simplicity by author Cynthia Heald.

I have the next study right here beside me (Becoming a Woman Of Purpose); turning the first page to the Preface I start underlining all the things that stand out... most of the first page! 

WOW! 

I have been in a drought for the last two years. Our previous Pastor was so gifted at bringing the Word that I had something to chew on for a whole week. Then the change, and I discovered how empty my cup was without someone else's leading. 

Have you been there - your cup is not being refilled after giving all week?

BIG MISTAKE to rely on another to feed us spiritually. 

I have learnt so much, I hope my lessons can encourage you.

There is a season for everything.. I had a season of not being involved at Church. I went from extremely busy (Sunday School, Youth Group, Music team, Co-ordinator of certain events) to not being involved at all. I did not withdraw from my lovely friends, just from offering.

This season left me dry, I felt guilty, I felt like I had nothing to offer anymore. At first it felt like a break, then I began to ask the Lord for understanding and guidance.

We are to 'run the race set out before us'......Hebrews 12:1

1. To 'run' is to take action.

2. The 'race marked out for us'.

1. After two years, I took action - lead by the Holy Spirit of course - God obviously heard my prayers and decided my heart was fertile & ready to grow. Sitting at the computer and perusing the Koorong catalogue, I skimmed past the Cynthia Heald Study on Simplicity and that was it - it stood out, I had done most of her studies before but had never seen this one. I ordered it and it changed my life. 

I seem to go through waves of busyness and then take a break, I would have said that it was 'seasons' in my life, however, now I understand that I basically take on too much and make the decision to do it myself - I stamp it with God's approval and end up getting burned out due to reliance on my own strength. Then I withdraw for a period.

Answer: To have a simple and pure devotion to Christ, making it my ambition to lead a quite life and only ask the Lord for His direction and will. 

(2 Co 11:3; 1 Thess 4:11)

2. To run the race marked out for us - If you do not know the race track you will get lost - it's that simple.

The first Bible study has bought me back to searching the Word for myself based on my relationship with Christ Jesus and not dependant upon a Pastor. It has cleared the way for me to draw nearer to the Lord on a daily basis, and it has been exciting to get to know Him deeper by simplifying my days. 

Now, however, I am ready to know the race track - to learn of the proper path for me - this will be different for all of us of course, but knowing the path He set out for us has to make the race a little bit easier to run wouldn't you agree?

Becoming A Woman Of Purpose covers topics like God's Purpose, Our Purpose & My Purpose.

I am so looking forward to it.

Be encouraged that you have a path that has been set out for you by your Creator, who loves you and wished only the best for you. It is not an easy path to walk, there will be suffering along the way but there will also be blessings and victories. This is a path well worth walking but we will need the Lord's strength, and we will have to make sure we do not clutter our lives with so much 'stuff' that we cannot see clearly.

Through Prayer you too can simplify - Jeremiah 6:16..

 “Stand at the crossroads and look;

    ask for the ancient paths,
ask where the good way is, and walk in it,

    and you will find rest for your souls. 

Be encouraged! Bec

What's Milo got to do with God?

As we were sitting around the table discussing the Word, we came to 1 John 5:14-15.

We were told to make some notes on God's gifts.
We threw around some of our individual 'understandings' of what it meant, when suddenly a picture of a Milo tin formed in my mind followed by a whole message! I found myself sitting there smiling, thinking "Really Father? Milo? You really want me to share that?"..

So I proceeded to share the message I had received...

It was not about taking time to rest in God's peace whilst enjoying a warm cup of Milo; nor was it about the nutrients found in one sip as in one sip of the river that flows from His throne.... we can see parables  in almost anything.. but this just popped into my head out of the blue during a deep theological discussion.
Verse 15 'And since we know that He invariably gives his attention to our prayers, whatever they are, we can be quite sure that what we have asked for is already ours.'

It's like Milo.
As a parent I buy Milo when I am shopping, because I want to give it to my children as a treat.
I think ahead, I go down the isle and deliberately purchase it. I take it home and place it in my pantry for the perfect time to bless my children.
When my children came and ask me for Milo, I consider the time, the circumstances, the fairness between siblings, the child and whether or not it is right for them right now. Before they even ask, the Milo was set aside for them.

This taught me that it was always God's intention to bless me. He is ready and willing. In our relationship He wants to bless me (it took me a long time to not feel selfish/greedy saying this). He planned it and set about to make it happen.

I need to ask Him as he hears every request that is made in accord with His plan. I can have confidence that the blessings are there ready and waiting.

Though I ask in confidence, I still need to 'wait' for the answer, as my Father considers what is best for me. Waiting...is a completely different message!

I loved this analogy! It helped me to understand that He set aside blessings in advance for me. Perhaps this message was a word just for me, but I do believe that when we share the word we receive, it can then be clarified for us and/or a blessing to others.

Thanks for reading my blog and persevering with me while I navigate the path that is my life's journey. I hope that my lessons are in some way, a blessing to you.

Relinquishing Control.

Another wonderful message for me to understand how much I am loved - had to share this YouTube clip with you all.

God is the perfect creator isn't he? When you take a good hard look at yourself do you ask "Why did you make me like this?"

Does not the potter have the right to make out of the clay some pottery for special purposes and some for common use? In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for special purposes and some for common.

There may be times you do not like your life, however if you do exactly what you were called/created to do/to be, you will find perfect peace....

I could not say this any better than the following Skit Guys - They are AMAZINGLY gifted! Enjoy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AhfUzodLRvk

How best to spend my life??

Again and again I am confronted with the question of "is this the best use of my time on Earth.."
Last week I heard a saying - "Time is our coin - spend it wisely"
WOW! I had this picture in my mind of every time I said 'yes' to something, I handed over coins from my 'life purse'... If I knew how many coins I had left then would this be a good investment? After all, I am after gold, silver and bronze from my life.. not wood, hay and stubble!

It forced me to have a look at the things I am doing now and ask the Lord if it fits with His plan for me. Are you finding you are too busy as well?

There are so many 'SHOULD's' out there.. they come thick and fast from well meaning people, especially the people who love me the most and want me to succeed in all that I do.

Do you get:
'You should do this', 'you should do that', 'you should be'...
Why??? Is what I am doing right now not enough?
      And not enough for whom - you or me????
The world says to succeed, but God says you are a success if you love me.
The world says to take, but God says to give.
The world says you should be, but God says 'I made you what you already are'.
The world says do this, but God says 'I have a path for you that will prosper you and not harm you'.

Listen to what others are saying, but never make decisions before consulting your Father in Heaven, He knows what is best for you. Before you answer those requests put on you, thank them and tell them you will think/pray about it and check your calendar. If you are a married woman (as I am) then you need to ask your husband his direction for you and your family to see if this fits, he is accountable for you. Basically, don't make decisions straight away. Allow yourself time to not get carried away but to make well thought out decisions so you don't waste the precious little time you have.

By doing this you should be able to eliminate the stress that makes you irritable with your kids and too tired for your partner, we all know that it is the ones that are the closest to us that suffer from our decisions.

Psalm 32:8 'I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you'.

Isaiah 48:17 'This is what the Lord says - your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: "I am the Lord your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go."

Today, take time (and I don't mean make time), I really do mean to take time back! Set it aside to nourish your relationship with your Saviour. It is not as hard as it seems.. No more -  "I will after I finish this...';  Romans 12:2 - Be transformed by the renewing of your mind!
Change your thinking process - God first.. worldly things second.. after all, the washing will still be there in half an hour.
Tune your ear in to the Holy Spirit and have your soul refreshed by His soothing voice.

May the Lord bless you today as you seek Him first in your life.

To search - has a beginning and an end.. have you even begun????

Do you ever 'Sit & Ponder' ?

As I sit and ponder, I wonder how many other people also 'sit and ponder'?
What do they think of if anything?

I marvel at the beauty all around me, the birds singing, the amazing hand carved rocks, a chiselled sky, the beaming rays of sunshine piercing the clouds and breaking forth to touch the Earth in all its strength and beauty.
I watch the lives that pass me by, not noticing this insignificant woman 'sitting and pondering'.
I find myself talking to my Heavenly Father and telling Him how incredible He is in designing such beauty and diversity.
In contrast to my busy life, 'sitting and pondering' affords me a restful peace...in His presence.

Can I encourage you to grab it - that moment, in that special place that makes you marvel?

I met a lady at the shopping centre food court, she too was taking a break from her shopping for a bite to eat. I started our conversation with a simple line "Amazing how peaceful a noisy place can be..."
From there I heard all about her life, and put into practice the challenge of making my conversations not about me".

This has happened many times before, I find the differences in people amazing.
I hit it off with a woman in a park over my nephew and her son, both toddlers and cute - I envied the future play dates my sister would get, that time had come and was almost gone for me.

Wow! Time goes fast. It is good to take time out to sit and ponder the 'now'... the past lessons, the future journey and where it may lead.
But mostly it is good to take time out to give thanks to the one who loves us and gives us our breath and all that life entails.

Ps 130:5 "I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in His word I put my hope".

What joy we can find in silence...
Make 5 minutes for you and Him... and don't put off for tomorrow what can be done today - people are what is important.....

Live in Unity

Psalm 133:1
How good and pleasant it is when God's people live together in unity....

It is important as Christian Brothers and Sisters that we build each other up. It pleases our heavenly Father.
But what's more, it is very important that we hold each other accountable to stay on the path that was set out for us. Not to tell each other what our 'opinion' is, but to remind each other of scripture and what the Lord says to us.
Hebrews 10:25 - "And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good works. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another - and all the more as you see the day approaching."

What happens when we don't like someone... Is that really an option for a Christian? After all, some people are just hard to love... aren't they??
Christ Jesus loved a prostitute, He loved a 'wee little man' - Zacheus (I imagine he was quite annoying), He loved the man with Leprosy (obvious disease), He loved the complaining Tax Collectors (greedy, snub and arrogant) and lets not forget the difficult to love people who never stopped whinging and complaining - the Israelites..
He calls us to be imitators of Himself, to love unconditionally.

There are only two commandments in the New Testament - Love the Lord Your God with all your heart, mind and soul and love your neighbour as you love yourself.

In fact, when Jesus was questioned by a teacher as to what is the Greatest commandments, He answered with -  
"‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’^[c] There is no commandment greater than these.”

So if Love is the greatest commandments, are we being obedient to the Lord?

We cannot love someone if we do not know how to love them. Everyone is different but some things don't change - all people need to feel special and genuinely loved for who they are. All it takes is a listening ear, an encouraging word and an act that is selfless towards another. Try to not talk about yourself sometimes...

Choose today to love another person without seeking any praise for yourself.

A challenge for myself that I now share with you.

A Mediocre Existence

Jesus came to give us life and life to the fullest... John 10:10
The thief comes only to steal, kill and Destroy...

Even for a Christian we can have a mediocre existance. Our choices to clutter our life with the things of the world and to hold on to our self-centred comforts steal from us the joy and riches that come when we spend time getting replenished by the word of God.

It is too easy for us to choose not to fellowship or read the word, usually it is because we "just don't feel like it at the moment".

I pulled out a Bible with a friend once and she rolled her eyes.. I just wanted her help to get motivated to get into a study I was doing, but she saw it as work and didn't want to get deep, reluctantly we started reading..
After the study she apologised for being so opposed to the word. She loved the conversation we had and we talked about it for weeks. The study was on finding our rest in the Lord.

Sometimes we don't want to be in the Bible, even though it should be our book of preference as a Christian. I know Christians who have this same attitude. They would rather not hang around after Church, they never invite people over to their house and if you do discuss the Word, they always make it into a joke so as not to look too much into their own sin.

A mediocre existence...
God's plan is to turn old thoughts that defeat us into new thoughts that encourage us.
2 Co 10:3-5 "take every thought Captive"
Prov 23:7 "For as he thinks inside himself, so he is.."
Phil 4:8 Think on these things and put them in practice...

Corrie Ten Boom wrote "I've learned that we must hold everything loosely, because when I grip it tightly, it hurts when the Father pries my fingers loose and takes it from me!"

There are some Christians you simply cannot put a bomb under, they are consumed with their own life, the comfort of their own four walls, they tell themselves that they are fine. They are convinced that they are living the life God called them too.. I believe when the Bible says there will be weeping, that we will see the life we could have lived if only we had listened to His voice calling us along the way.

Our choices steal from us.. unfortunately some of us choose to to exclude ourselves from the race, to disqualify ourselves because it is simply too hard to deal with 'myself'. I have seen the attitude "I am happy doing what I am doing and just wish people would leave me alone to keep doing it"...
Well Christian.. If that is you - all I can say is - YOU ARE DABBLING IN SIN! Christ came to give you life, but you are supposed to Love Him, Obey Him and love others as He has loved you..
If you are stuck in your own existence, within your own safe four walls because that is what makes you comfortable, then you have been defeated by the enemy who came to steal joy and life from you, who comes to kill your spirit, who came to destroy all the blessings that the Lord Jesus has for you.

When Paul says he is running the race, he says 'forgetting what is behind and straining towards what is ahead - Phil 3:13-14; he leaves the hurt behind, the lessons behind, he doesn't stumble then go back to the beginning again, he gets up and runs from that place.
                                             RUN THE RACE SET OUT BEFORE YOU!
So what if you have been hurt by someone at Church!
So what if you got caught in sin!
So what if you are tired!
So what if you just don't have those skills!
So what if you think differently to others!
So what if you don't have enough money or the nicest house!

Get off your backside!!!!! Nicodemas, come down from that tree and stop observing other people's lives! Be involved! Serve! Offer your body as a living sacrifice, set aside for Him and acceptable by Him! Get off your backside!!! Get over yourself and get back on the right path...

I get so sad for Christians who choose to do their own thing, to stay home and watch tv, who would prefer to leave Church early so they don't have to fellowship.
If following Christ Jesus is to love Him, know Him, serve Him, share Him, walk as He walked....
How on earth can a person call themselves a Christian if they are not doing that??? Simply put, they are no different to an unsaved really nice person.
WAKE UP!!!

As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord!!!!! And the Joy of the Lord will be my strength to do all things....

Please brother or sister.....PLEASE choose to walk with Him today, start by reading the book of James over the next week.. for God is good and he loves you, so draw near to Him and watch him draw near to YOU.
I realise I am being really forceful and in your face, I make no apology, if you are my sister or brother in the Lord, and this is the life you have chosen to live, then you need to take a different direction, it is not as hard as your mind is telling you, that is the voice of the enemy building a brick wall in your mind. Tap into the power of the Holy Spirit by asking for forgiveness and healing of your heart.. then run the race towards the goal for which you have been called by the Lord Jesus, you answered Him once, now do it again but with conviction.

May your ears be opened to His still small voice that calls you out of the wilderness....

Lost? Who is the real you?

"I hate being me!" my girlfriend said as she spoke about how her life was going quickly and she still didn't think she was good at anything..

The words rattled through my mind, the sound of them was so familiar.. it was not long ago I had thought that very same thing about myself...

Is this you?

Christ healed me! He healed my inner self. He showed me who I was in Him, not in the world. I had always compared myself to others: they are nicer, they have more to offer, they have a better memory, they are more skilled, they seem to have direction, they succeed at their plans, they are financial, they are attractive, they are thinner etc.

By comparing, I just couldn't stand looking at myself for who I was because I always felt lost and out of place.

When I started searching for my purpose in life, I was drawn to the creator, and when I saw myself in Him, I saw that I was designed...
Ps 139:13 "For you created my inmost being, you knit me together in my Mother's womb"
Designed????
This didn't happen straight away when I became a Christian, It was when I was in my 30's that I realised that it is ok to accept the love on offer.
It meant accepting that every stitch of my life was deliberate, that my life is a beautiful creation... a master piece that will never be duplicated.

Luke 19:10 "The Son of man came to find the lost people and save them."

What is it to be lost?
Basically, you don't know who you are or what you are put on earth to do. You are not happy with yourself but have no idea of how to be happy in yourself so you look to others. You do not like your own choices and wish someone would just fix it. You look for answers in others, but only see that you fall short of your own expectations. In a room full of people you find yourself wanting to sit in the corner and not make eye contact with people just incase they talk to you.

Hopefully I can help you... Instead of looking at what you would like to be.. why not look at what you were created to be, drop the grand notions that life would be better if....
YOU have been created to have that specific temperament , that specific personality, however, your life  is stunted by your own fear of your own failures.

Your personality is moulded from a young age, your values were passed on to you, your choices in life have been within what you think you are able to do and what you think of yourself has been founded in what you were told you were like by so many.

I want to encourage you to drop all of that off at the foot of the Cross and walk into the truth, the truth is freeing.

The first truth is that you were created just the way you are in your heart (not the persona you put on for the world to see).
The second truth is that you are a sinner, someone who falls short of what a Holy God created you to be, you have not made choices that God would approve of and this makes you unclean which prevents you from understanding Christianity in it's entirety. Your worldly thought processes (which were forced on you by the world) is what makes you fight God's plan, and ruins the relationship you could have with him. What I am trying to say in it's simplest form is that your sin keeps you from having the relationship with God that you were created to have.

The third truth is that this relationship has been fixed, you just don't know it yet. The world is a very noisy place, almost like static on the radio when you are trying to listen to something important. If I were to tell you that you needed to be a Christian to find yourself, your mind instantly draws on all the things you think you know about Christianity based on your own wisdom and all the sarcasm and criticism that has been planted in you, and you instantly laugh and mock it. You are carrying other peoples fears and they are holding you back from finding true inner peace. You have a notion of what you think Christianity looks like but without ever having picked up a Bible yourself or researched evidence ... Have you questioned your trust in the people around you that have encouraged you to not believe (even influenced you to stay far away from it based on their unbelief - like parents, friends) based on their own wisdom and experience? Do you know for sure that they have read the Bible and understand it and are right enough for you to base your own eternal life on it??????

The fourth truth is simple - Jesus promises to heal the broken hearted, to find the lost, to forgive the sinner, to never leave us, to make us strong when we are weak, to bless us, to love us. He speaks the truth to us, that is why he had such a strong following that has been growing since His walking on Earth, as people realise they cannot do 'life' by themselves, they search for the truth which can lead them to another lie because they fear love.
The world hates the truth... no-one wants to see themselves as a sinner.. we innately see ourselves as good. There is good in all of us, however, it is not good enough to be near a Holy God.
1 John 1:19 "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness".

The fifth truth is this: You can be free from all the junk and live a rich full life. In your own quiet time, tell God that you have been living a sinful life but you just want to be made right in Him and ask Him to forgive you. Then invite Him into your heart and ask Him to change your life. Then believe and you will be free. It will not take the reality out of your life, but you will start to notice God's hand in different things. Your conscience will be pricked and you will notice small changes. Read the book of John in the Bible and start thinking on it.

Only after doing this can you truly find the real you, the one you were created to be, because you need to see yourself in light of the way God sees you. He loves you. He loves you. He loves you!!! All He wants to do is have a relationship with you, talking to Him is called prayer - no fancy words, just a normal conversation.

Ditch all the lies that were ever told to you by another, your parents, your friends, your teachers, YOURSELF!
You are a precious person. Stop holding yourself back, take a step to finding the peace that Jesus promised to leave you - John 14:27. See yourself as created to be this way and don't let anyone or anything tell you otherwise!

Lastly, do something for yourself that you have never done before, something that you would like to do  but do not think it possible.. a painting class, a short course at Tafe, join a walking group, get your truck licence, or a motor bike licence. Go pay for someone to teach you to play golf.
Make yourself do something with your life that will give you funny memories and interesting experiences. And do something for another person - volunteer for Meals on Wheels, or volunteer to go to a Nursing home and do the feeding for a lunch.

It took me 18 years of being a Christian before I finally realised that I AM special, now I enjoy a blessed life, not without troubles and struggles, that is par for the course being married with 6 children...but my trust and peace when those troubles come, help me to ride it out prayerfully and confidently that I will be ok.

I really hope I have helped you. if you don't like it then i suppose it will feel like 5 minutes that you will never get back....lol
But this is how I choose to live my life - believing in a God who proved Himself by sending His only Son to die on a cross for us, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life and have it to the fullest. John 3:15

May God Bless you with all His goodness and Love, so much that you cannot contain it.
On a final note, this is the God who loves you and wants JUST YOU!