How Great is Our God

Using our abilities despite our circumstances

2012-01-18T16:55:00.000-08:00

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This video really struck a chord with me. My own baby boy is on the spectrum, and my hope and prayer is that his Daddy and I will be able to foster in him a love for God and a desire to serve Him, using his difficulties in life to encourage and reach other people.

There really is no excuse not to serve God is there? This little boy, 10 years old, autistic and blind stands up to use his gifts to sing the praises of a great God. The words he sings isn't "heal me" or "change my circumstances" but rather "Open my spiritual eyes, I want to see YOU."

MY PRAYER:
Dear Lord Jesus, open the eyes of my heart, reveal yourself to me. Help me to be You-focussed, and not me-focussed. Help me to seek you in my prayers and worship. Thank you for reminding me that NOTHING stops our ability to serve you except ourselves. Lord I love you more than anything.

Amen

Humble creativity

2012-01-02T02:12:00.000-08:00

My prayer yesterday was "God show me more about you." and he answered that prayer in a very familiar passage. I started to read Genesis 1, and the amazing story of Creation. My mouth dropped open at the fresh revelation of God's creativity and pure genius! But not only that he was really casual and humble about it.

"Let the land sprout forth vegetation"(Genesis 1:11). One sentence to encompass the whole creation of the plants. But it wouldn't have started there. God didn't just wave his hands, speak and it all just happened. He would have had to really think about how the plant was going to eat, drink, grow, reproduce, how it would benefit the earth, how the flower would smell, what color it would be, where the pollen would be etc etc. And not just for one plant, EVERY SINGLE ONE!! What about the stars? "Let lights appear in the sky", (Genesis 1:15) but not a single word about how he thought stars up, how he put them together, what gasses are on there, how far away from earth they are, how hot they are, how they make up the constellations etc. God didn't just wave his hand and there they were. Such depth of thought and creativity was displayed in such an amazing way, that every single day, we can look out into our world and see the beauty and cleverness of God's mind.

Can you imagine how long Genesis would be if it was documented how God created our world? To me, the simple words of "Let there be..." and "God saw it and it was very good." shows me that God is a humble God, not insisting that his creativity be elaborated on and gone over and over to show us just how amazing he is. His creation speaks for itself. God also took pride in his work. He looked at what he did and said "Hey, I did a pretty good job! I like it!"

I'm a very creative person, so reading about being made in God's image and seeing God's creativity in a new light has really spoken to me. When I create things for my family and friends, I can see God's creative attribute in me. My creativity is nothing compared to mountains and oceans and humans - more on the scale of quilts, photography and sewing - and I think it's pretty good. God has gifted me with these skills. I want to mirror God's own heart and be humble about my gifts. I can let my work speak for itself.

MY PRAYER

Thank you Father for showing me more about you and how I can be like you. When I look at your creation, I am in awe of you. Although you made so many things and have lots to think about and do, you care so much for me and what's important to me. Thank you that I'm like my Daddy, and creative and have such awesome skills. Help me to be like you, help me to have a humble heart.

Amen

God's positioning

2011-12-22T16:24:00.000-08:00

On the 21st of December was my birthday. I had a lovely day relaxing with my Mum, my kids, my husband. We didn't do anything real exciting, which was fine by me. I just enjoyed the simple enjoyment of the day, and being spoiled with gifts and love. That evening we headed out to look at Christmas lights, which is a tradition in our family.
We looked up on a website where all the good lights were. We were aware it is the longest day in the year, and so the only dark time we would get would be about 1 1/2 hours, before the lights would start getting turned off as the owners headed to bed for the evening. The light hunting was fun! My kids enjoyed it, I enjoyed it!
Towards the end of the evening, we dropped into a petrol station to get the kids an icecream. As I was getting out the car, I noticed the attendant RUNNING madly around the register and over to the door. As the kids piled out of the car, the attendant had locked the doors and put a sign up saying it was only fuel purchases only. I was annoyed. How rude! Little did I know that God was positioning us for something important.

We had to travel further north to get an icecream, and then head back to the route we were going to take to look at the rest of the lights and head home. That added 15 extra minutes to our outing. And those 15 minutes were going to count. We headed home, tired and happy - then as we were whizzing past homes towards our own home, I turned to look at all the dark homes, and saw flames engulfing one living room of one house. FIRE!! I alerted my husband, who promptly did a u-turn and we headed back. The house looked abandoned, as some of those house are, so my husband pulled out his phone and started to call emergency. "What number is it?" he asked, but my night vision is so terrible, I had to get out of the car and walk across the road to see the number on the mail-box. To my horror I could hear banging and screaming from the inside of the house. There were people stuck inside! All the windows were covered in security screens, locking the tennants in the house. I ran back to my husband and told him to tell 000 that there were people trapped inside, and then I ran back over trying to work out where the banging was coming from. God used my poor eyesight to enable me to hear those people. A man pulled up behind our car, noticing me running across the road franticly and seeing the flames jumped out of his car. I yelled out to him, "There are people trapped inside!!"

By now the whole living room was ablaze and the glass was popping and there were small explosions in the house. He worked out where they were, they were trapped in the adjacent garage, right next to the flames. He opened the door, and out came 3 children, their grandmother, a heavily pregnant mother and the father from a cloud of smoke. I lead the three children and the grandmother out and up to the footpath, the children sobbed and looked back at the flames with terror in their little faces. Something I cannot erase from my mind. The father followed and then collapsed on the ground, metres away from the exploding glass and the terrible heat. I went back for him grabbed his shoulders "Mate you can't stay here, it's too dangerous, you need to get up!" I was alone with him, no one to help me, "Common!! You have to move!" I said more urgently. The heat of the fire was burning my face and I was absolutely terrified! Somehow I managed to get him to hear me, hauled him up and lead him to the footpath where it was safer.

By then the roof had caught alight and I stood with the family as they watched their home burning before their eyes. The fireys arrived within 10 minutes and made quick work of the flames, that by now had taken over half the house. A medic arrived not long after that, and I was able to help him by staying with the father who was shaking uncontrollably with shock, while he assessed the others and treated the children for shock. My husband helped the fireys, relaying the information we had learned from the family, as the family stood by shocked and relatively incoherant. There is gas, but unsure where the mains are, there are pets inside.... I learned as I stood with the family, that it was deliberately lit, someone threw a flammable bomb into the living room, where the father was sleeping, surrounding him in flames. This was then passed on to the fireys who then taped off the whole area.

God really put us in that place at the exact right moment so that lives would be saved, and we could help. Not many cars were driving down the road at that time of night... and it's likely that if we didn't see the flames, no one would have seen it until too late. If we had gotten our ice creams from the first service station, it is likely we would have driven past this house that would still be sleeping and dark - with a fire just about to be lit.

I am so thankful to God to enable me to think clearly, and help these people, in this shocking situation. Even now I look back and think "HOW on earth did we do it?" But WE didn't do it, God did. Every action we did was God. Every word uttered was God. God used my husband and I to show his compassion and his grace to this family. When I comforted the family, it was God showing his comfort. My husband and I felt like HIS instruments that night, and what a very humbling and honoring thing that is.

Please keep this family in your prayers. Losing a large portion of your home right before Christmas is terrible. Please also pray for my children, who watched the whole thing from the car, and are really feeling the adverse affects of it.

And next time something inconvenient happens again, like that service station attendant did... I am not going to complain. God could be positioning me for something else... although I hope it's not as crazy as this last episode!!!

A small whisper.

2011-12-01T16:08:00.001-08:00

Last night I had a very unpleasant encounter with someone - which left me shaken up, angry, upset, hurting, and in a really bad way. I felt exposed, vulnerable, cornered and attacked. All I could do was cower in the corner and wait. I'm so thankful that these sorts of experiences don't happen very often because they are really dreadful.

As a result of this encounter I didn't sleep well last night. I struggled with "capturing my thoughts" (Corinthians 10:5) and making them submit to Christ. I could not pour energy into negative thinking, instead I cried out to God, and I worshipped him. Praised him, thanked him - trying to turn away from my anger, and instead adopting an attitude of thanksgiving to the God who created me and loves me. As my mind began to still as the hours crept on, I heard the Lord whisper into my heart, "rest in me". I got a picture of me, exhausted, battle weary, hungry, dirty, ready to collapse, and then I could see two arms reaching out for me, to cradle me and carry me. God continued to assure me of his strength and ability to care for me. "I am your refuge and strength (Psalm 46:1). I am you hiding place, your place of safety (Psalm 32:7)"

God's Word is what I needed to calm the turmoil within me. God was there for me when I needed him most, and was there to catch me as I stumbled. I am reminded of when my little one falls over and is hurt, I scoop her up into my arms and cuddle her and love her, stroking her hair and whispering words of comfort. I feel that is a place I am in right now. God has scooped this fragile creature up into his loving arms, and is now stroking my hair and comforting me while I cry.

So now I give praise to the Lord, who is my rock, loving ally, fortress, my tower of safety, my rescuer. He is my shield and I will take refuge in him. (Psalm 144:1-2)

An open vessel....

2011-11-11T21:04:00.001-08:00

I have just seen this clip on You-tube. It's a public competition, but this child has amazing gifting. Not only is he performing a beautiful song, but he is worshipping a mighty God. The presence of God was so real to me as I listened, I felt like I was surrounded in a cloud. Beautiful song.

Another beautiful song - a child sharing the Amazing Grace of our Father to many!

What an amazing opportunity he was given to sing and worship, sharing the Word of God to many open and receiving ears and hearts. This anointing is what many worship leaders don't have, but need!!

Thank you father for ministering to me today through this boy. Bless him!

Hello?? God?? Are you there??

2011-10-27T17:46:00.000-07:00

Do you ever get the feeling that God is a million miles away? Do you strain to hear his voice, and all you hear is the sound of your heart beating, the sound of your breathing? Do you ever feel like God has packed up and shifted camp?

I feel like that at this moment. I read the Bible, and all I get are words. I struggle to pray, because I feel like I am talking to a brick wall. My mind is foggy and my soul is weary. I would think that a time like this, God would be reassuring me and revealing himself to me in powerful ways. I feel abandoned, even though I know that he will never leave me or forsake me...(Hebrews 13:5). I don't like feeling alone like this.

So what do I do? Just shrug my shoulders and carry on? I don't believe so. I feel that times like this is not an excuse to withdraw from God, but to continue to seek his face. Today I opened my Bible, desiring to hear from God, to be uplifted and encouraged - and God offered me comfort and encouragement through Psalm 34.

Psalm 34

I will praise the Lord at all times. I will constantly speak his praises. I will boast only in the Lord;
let all who are helpless take heart. Come, let us tell of the Lord’s greatness; let us exalt his name together.
I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me. He freed me from all my fears. Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy; no shadow of shame will darken their faces. In my desperation I prayed, and the Lord listened; he saved me from all my troubles. For the angel of the Lord is a guard; he surrounds and defends all who fear him.

Taste and see that the Lord is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him! Fear the Lord, you his godly people,for those who fear him will have all they need. Even strong young lions sometimes go hungry, but those who trust in the Lord will lack no good thing.

Come, my children, and listen to me,and I will teach you to fear the Lord.Does anyone want to live a life that is long and prosperous? Then keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies! Turn away from evil and do good. Search for peace, and work to maintain it.

The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right; his ears are open to their cries for help. But the Lord turns his face against those who do evil; he will erase their memory from the earth. The Lord hears his people when they call to him for help. He rescues them from all their troubles. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed.

The righteous person faces many troubles, but the Lord comes to the rescue each time. For the Lord protects the bones of the righteous; not one of them is broken! Calamity will surely overtake the wicked, and those who hate the righteous will be punished. But the Lord will redeem those who serve him. No one who takes refuge in him will be condemned.

Sad news.

2011-10-20T21:37:00.000-07:00

Dear readers and believers,

Thank you for praying with me about James and his battle with cancer. The cancer was growing aggressively and quickly overtook his body. A few days ago, James passed away, surrounded by his family as he watched them laugh and play - and is now in a place of no more pain, no more suffering and no more tears.

Death in a child is so hard to understand. Why? Why did he die? Why couldn't it have been someone who "deserved" to die, or who was old and had lived their life? I can't answer that, but all I can do is believe in God's goodness and mercy. He had a plan for James and in his short 6 years, his plan was fulfilled. "For I know the plans I have for you," says the LORD. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. (Jeremiah 29:11) Even though we see death and cancer as a disaster, God sees the bigger picture and sees more than just the sadness and disease. Who knows what God had in mind?

Tomorrow is the funeral for James and instead of asking God why, when I will never possibly understand why, I am going to thank God that he took him home quickly, instead of drawing out the pain. I am going to thank God for the joy James bought those he left behind. I am going to pray for help in offering comfort and hope to the family who don't believe in God.

MY PRAYER

Dear Lord Jesus, Creator of all living things, Master of all, Saviour of all, and the Ultimate planner.
Fill my grieving heart with your peace. Turn my mourning into joy and assurance in you. Let me be your vessel when speaking to James' family. Help me to trust in you, your plans for us all, and your goodness.

Amen

He calls us "friend".

2011-10-13T17:23:00.000-07:00

"For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies... so how we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God" (Romans 5:10-11)

I love this passage. Because of Jesus we are God's friends - and he made us his friends before we even accept this fact. This is amazing! I must admit, this kind of friendship is the ultimate kind. There is no friendship I have on earth that would have be extending grace and friendship to the point of giving my son over to die for them. Bec is my best friend - I love her deeply and she is very special to me. But I don't love her enough that if she was going on to death row for her crimes, I would send my son instead of her.
If my friends were constantly hurting, abusing, and rejecting me, I would withdraw the friendship offer. I am a believer in boundaries and that if people deliberately abuse the relationship, it should be withdrawn. I would still love them, but not have much to do with them. I don't think Grace should turn us into doormats so that are downtrodden and deeply affected by other's actions. God is not a doormat, far from it. But he has this supernatural love and grace towards us all, that he is rejected and abused every day, yet he does not withdraw his love and offer of redemption from us.

"But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners" (Romans 5:8) We are restored and relationship is renewed! God made the first move in order to save us, the ones he loves! I love how God has done all this work in order to save us and be friends with us. Our salvation is not a spur of the moment thing, God has put a great deal of thought into it and action behind it. All we have to do is accept. Pretty easy on our part I think!! It reminds me of Christmas Day at my house. I spend months preparing and planning, ordering the food, baking, decorating, cooking, cleaning, etc. All my family have to do is just rock up and enjoy the benefits. We are already redeemed, saved, and God's friend, whether you have accepted Christ or not.

MY PRAYER
Lord Jesus, thank you for making me your friend, even before I accepted you as Lord. I'm glad that we are friends. Thank you Lord for rescuing me and sending along the right people to lead me to you. Thank you for your expression of love towards me, I don't deserve any of it - but that's what makes it Grace. Thank you for redeeming me and calling me friend.

Salvation comes by believing, not behaving.

2011-10-09T19:18:00.000-07:00

"We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believe, no matter who we are." Romans 3:22

I'm soooo glad that Salvation is not based on my behaviour - because it that was the case, I'm sure I wouldn't be saved. I am a sinner. As are you. We are all sinners. As it says in the following scripture :
"For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God's glorious standard." (Roman's 3:23) Isn't that kind of awesome though? That we aren't alone in our sin. Everyone has done it. Everyone is it. We are all sinners. God knew that we would be sinners, because he created us to have free choice, and he knew that our choices would not always be good. I'm not trying to downplay sin here, I'm just saying, that no one can escape it, and God knew that was the case.

What is so amazing about Grace, is that he didn't say "Righto, you stuffed up, you are so not spending eternity with me anymore." because if that was the case we would all be doomed. Instead he declared us to be righteous, through Jesus. He declared us to be guilty of sin, but acquitted from penalty because Jesus paid the price. That blows me away!! It doesn't matter how long I have been a Christian, I am still amazed at the love and sacrifice of God to free me from the consequences of my sin. Grace is a free gift, but it cost God so much! Our merciful God did not give us what we deserved, but instead showed Grace and gave us what we didn't deserve!

Jesus was a gift, and all we have to do is accept the gift of redemption and salvation. It's not hard to be righteous in God's eyes. "People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life.... and he declares sinners to be right in his sight when they believe in Jesus." (Romans 3:25-26) To be made righteous we have to believe. I don't have to prove myself worthy of this gift in any way. I don't have to do penance. I don't have to DO anything to receive Salvation, I just need to BELIEVE.

"Can we boast, then, that we have done anything to be accepted my God? No, because our acquittal is not based on obeying the law. It is based on faith." Romans 3:27

This is the ultimate expression of Grace. The only thing we have to do to receive is to believe, not behave. "I'm a good person, and I believe in God" is not enough. Good works and belief in God does not make us righteous. I mean even Satan believes in God!! And he is lost forever! It's belief in Jesus and his sacrifice that justifies us.

I pray you are blessed as you dwell on the great gift that God has given so freely and with love and grace.

MY PRAYER
Thank you Father that you gave me such an incredible gift, and thank you that someone shared that gift with me. I pray that no matter how old I get, and how long I have been your kid, that I will never ever cease to be amazed at how amazing your grace is!! Thank you for sending your Son so that I can be seen as righteous in your eyes. Thank you for such a precious gift!
Amen

Prayer request

2011-09-11T20:06:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,
I was wondering if you could believe with me and petition the merciful and gracious God we serve? My friend's son has been battling liver cancer for the last 8 months. He has had most of his liver removed and since then 7 more tumours have sprung up all over his body. Chemotherapy isn't working. Nothing is working. The doctors have told my friend that her son has 6 months to live. The little boy - James - is 6 years old and has barely begun his life.

Let's join together and pray for this little boy. Let's pray that God will intervene - and believe that he is bigger and more mightier than cancer. He is bigger and more powerful than a prognosis. James' family are non-christians and so do not have the hope and faith and reliance on God that we as believers do. Please believe with me for a miracle. Please believe with me that God will reveal himself in a real and mighty way to the family who are in shock, grieving and have no hope.

If you are able to, please share this prayer request with your church and prayer groups. Let's join together all over the world as believers in a miracle working God. Let's join together as a family and start interceding for James and his family. How GREAT is our God!

xx Skipper

2011-09-07T19:55:00.000-07:00

Ironic... but sadly can be true sometimes. How self-focussed our worship can become!!

In all things Give Thanks!

2011-09-03T19:09:00.000-07:00

I've just spent the last 45 minutes or so begging God to help me. I'm sick. Really sick. I'm in excruciating pain from this sickness - I'm miserable, I can't stand, I can't sit, I can't sleep, I can't do anything. This virus has hit me so hard and I've had enough. I've been begging God to take it away. I've claimed in faith every healing scripture I could think of. I have touched the offending parts of my body that are hurt or bugging me, and have claimed healing in Jesus name. I have not been healed miraculously like I would like to be. I'm still sick. Still miserable...

But God just spoke into my heart a moment ago "Whatever happens, give thanks, because it is God's will in Christ Jesus that you do this." (Thesselonians 5:18). Oh really??? Common, I'm not really feeling very thankful. As I type I am coughing up a lung and a kidney I'm sure!!! What have I got to be thankful for??This has got me thinking....What can I be thankful for during a time where I don't feel like being very thankful.1. I am thankful that I am still breathing and living. My husband still has a wife - even though she is really useless at the moment - and my children still have their mother - even though she's crabby and tired.2. I am thankful that I have a bed to lay in, even though I'm not sleeping. I'm warm, comfortable and safe. God has provided for me a basic need.3. I am thankful that I have things to distract me from my pain. I can lay in bed with an iPod. I can sit at my computer and communicate. I am not THAT debillitated.4. I am thankful for modern science, that God has given skills to find cures and help for my sickness. So it's not working so well at the moment, but I have some relief for a small amount of time. That is better than no relief.5. I am thankful that I have a husband who cares for me and even though today is Father's Day and it's supposed to be all about him - he's helping me and compassionate towards me. He listens to me whine and whinge about my pain and sickness with patience and understanding. I am REALLY thankful for my husband today.I have lots of things to be thankful for. I just need to shift from an attitude of self centeredness and focussing on my pain to a heart of thankfulness to a God who is really really good, even though he doesn't do the miraculous immediate healing I want. God is good. I am thankful I serve this God, and thankful that he loves me and cherishes me, and listens to my whinging about my pain. I am thankful that this won't last forever, and that I will get better. I am thankful that I don't have cancer, like little James - who the doctors are struggling to treat, because it's coming back. I am thankful that I don't have leukemia like little Lishey, who bravely faces each new treatment, and struggles with the medications effecting his little body in such a significant way. So whatever happens, Skip - whether you are in pain for a while, or not, be thankful!! Praise the Lord and seek his face. Give him your worship instead of being so focussed on yourself!!!MY PRAYERThank you Father for reminding me that I should cast aside "stinkin thinkin'" and adopt an "attitude of gratitude". Help me to remember this as I recover from this illness. Help me rest in you and cast my burdens on you, and believe in your goodness and grace towards me. I still want you to heal me. I still want to recover quickly so I can get back into my life again, but most of all I want to remember your blessings and be thankful for them.Amen

Not even one!

2011-08-17T00:57:00.000-07:00

I've been reading Romans 3 - and I just can't get past the first part of the passage.

Romans 3:9 - Well then, are we to conclude that Jews are better than others? No not at all, for we have already shown that all people, whether Jew or Gentile are under the power of sin.

Swap the word Jew for Christian and see how it reads. Are Christians better than non-christians? Are Christians more righteous than non-Christians? Absolutely not!!! We are all under the power of sin! We are sinful creatures and we all sin, no matter what! We can TRY and be righteous and good, but we will fail. Romans 3:10 - No one is righteous, not even one

We must never be guilty of thinking that we are better than "all the other sinners" and smug in our knowledge that we are incredibly righteous and moral beings and everyone else are is dirty rotten sinners. Sometimes as Christians we can become guilty of segregating ourselves from the world, based on that we are oh so holy, and they aren't. Stand along side the sinner and show him the way to Jesus, don't judge him. You are no better than he is. Before taking the moral high-ground, remember where you have come from. Amazing Grace has saved you! Instead of judging and condemning the non-christian and sin, come along side them, love them and show them the way to Jesus. A non-christian deserves our compassion and not our judgement. They are prisoners to their sin but you have been set free and forgiven from yours.

MY PRAYER
Abba Father forgive me for my judgement of others. Help me to be a shining light in the darkness and show love and compassion to those who don't know you. Help me remember that no one is righteous and that I am not a better person because of the Grace that you have shown me. Thank you for sending your Son to die and pay for all of our sins. It's because of Jesus I have been made right before you, and don't let me forget it!!
Thank you for your never-ending patience with me. Amen

K.I.S.S. - Keep it simple sweetheart!

2011-08-08T00:58:00.000-07:00

Paul wrote an amazing letter to the Romans, and in the very first few lines he expressed a passion for sharing the "Good News" with everyone. He then went on to say what the good news was, in a nutshell. It didn't require a 40 minute sermon and an alter call afterwards. He said simply "The Good News is about his Son... and he was shown to be the Son of God when he was raised from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit." (Romans 1:3-4) He kept it simple. I think today we have a habit of complicating the gospel. Because we think in these complicated terms, we can feel reluctant to share it with others. I think Satan loves the complicated version, because then we can often feel inadequate to share it with others. He also loves it because he is the author of confusion and likes it when the Good News cannot be grasped by those who need it.

Grace is pretty simple. The concept is pretty simple, but it has been complicated by legalism and theological arguments. My daughter gave her life to Jesus when she was 6 years old. I doubt the other child who shared Jesus with her filled her head to the brim with religious jargon. Jesus got it right when he said: "Then he said, “I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven." (Matthew 18:3) The people we speak to about Jesus need to be child-like. Children can't grasp theological theory, all they can understand is the basics, and the simple version. Forget the technicalities. They are no help to you when you are sharing the gospel.

Not everyone understands the complicated version of the gospel and all the theological interpretations of Christ's sacrifice, but EVERYONE understands that someone loves them. We don't have to tell them everything all at once, they will find out all that later on as they attend church and read their bible. It's the simple Gospel of Jesus and his love, and his gift to us that wins souls, not the complicated, argumentative confusing to the listener Gospel.

Paul has made it so easy that anyone can do it. If a child can lead my child to Jesus, surely we can lead people to Jesus with the simple truth. So when the opportunity arises to share the gospel, don't shrink away because it's all to hard. Just keep it simple sweetheart!

MY PRAYER
Father, thank you for showing me the simpleness of something that has grown to be so complicated!! Even though I'm not much of an evangelist, please give me confidence to share, and the right words to say to the right people who come across my path. Help me remember what Paul said "Thought Christ, God has given us the privilege and authority to tell... everywhere what God has done for them..." Romans 1:5

Be teachable.

2011-08-05T01:29:00.000-07:00

Today I was praying and God really spoke deep into my soul. This is pretty much the essence of it -

"Skip, you must not let yourself become unteachable. You are so desperate to be used, but yet you aren't' establishing or developing the skills I gave you. The stuff you have already done was my confirmation to you that this is your gifting. It was not a launchpad into bigger and better things. Study my word, I have so many wonderful things to teach you. Learn more about me, so you can teach more about me. Unravel the mysteries. Hear from me. Let me teach you about me and reveal myself to you, so you can effectively tell others about me. You can't expect me to just give you knowledge about things in my Word - you have to help me out here! Study my ways. Learn more. Don't become unteachable. If you are unteachable, your gift will dry up like dust, unused and wasted. Your passion is great, but you need more substance than just passion. Get into my Word deeply. Be teachable. Be motivated to learn so then you have something worthwhile to teach. It's not about what YOU know... it's about what I teach and show you."

This is what I needed to hear. God hit the nail on the head.... as usual. LOL

Let someone else do it..

2011-08-03T16:37:00.000-07:00

"So David's fame spread throughout every land, and the LORD made all the nations fear him" (1 Chron 14:17).

My husband and I watch program on the ABC called "Gruen Transfer" which is basically critiquing television advertising and how effective it is, and how it works. Companies pay advertising people to come up with these ads to promote their businesses and make you feel or think a certain way about them. The ultimate goal is that based on their promotion, you will be moved to consider their product before anyone else. They wish to influence your decision on where you shop, what milk you buy, what takeaway you eat etc. They stoop to guilting you, tapping into your insecurities and use subtle subliminal messages to form your opinions.

They are very clever. But they are also self promoting. I don't know about you, but I am more willing to try a product when a friend says "Hey Skip, I tried this and it was so awesome. I reckon it might suit you." When someone on TV says "try this" I'm automatically distrusting.

The same goes for self-promotion. Are you willing to hear "good gossip" "That guy is so amazing and has a real annointing on his life" or "I'm so amazing, I have a real anointing on my life".

Promoting yourself can also be pretty risky, because it means you are not willing to wait for God and you want to move ahead. When you boast about yourself, your skills etc in order to gain promotion, you have gone too far. I am guilty of doing this. I've gone too far. In my frustration I have acted hastily.

King David was famous because he was fulfilling the calling he had on his life. David never once boasted about himself - "I killed a giant, I conquored many nations etc.." He honored the Lord in all he did and gave glory to him, not to himself.

"Let another praise you, and not your own mouth; someone else, and not your own lips (Prov 27:2).

MY PRAYER
Lord help me to remember to be patient for you. Help me stay within my boundaries and move forward when it's your will. In the meantime while I wait, teach me your ways and your heart. Reveal yourself to me through your word as I read it and light my path with it. I repent of all the times I have tried to promote myself. I repent of all the times I have tried to subtley drop "hints" in an effort to self-promote. I will wait upon you in future.
Amen

Trust and obey, there is no other way

2011-08-03T00:25:00.000-07:00

This song may be 130 years old, but the words are still powerful for today. There is no other way - for those who want a heart after the Father's. The phrase "What He says we will do, where He sends we will go; Never fear, only trust and obey." are life changing words. Do I really mean that? Will I go wherever God sends me in full obedience? Am I REALLY going to trust and obey? It's a very scary and vulnerable position, but we can trust in God's goodness and faithfulness as well as his will for our lives.

Trust and Obey
Words: John H. Sammis, 1887.

When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word,
What a glory He sheds on our way!
While we do His good will, He abides with us still,
And with all who will trust and obey.

Refrain

Trust and obey, for there’s no other way
To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

Not a shadow can rise, not a cloud in the skies,
But His smile quickly drives it away;
Not a doubt or a fear, not a sigh or a tear,
Can abide while we trust and obey.

Refrain

Not a burden we bear, not a sorrow we share,
But our toil He doth richly repay;
Not a grief or a loss, not a frown or a cross,
But is blessed if we trust and obey.

Refrain

But we never can prove the delights of His love
Until all on the altar we lay;
For the favor He shows, for the joy He bestows,
Are for them who will trust and obey.

Refrain

Then in fellowship sweet we will sit at His feet.
Or we’ll walk by His side in the way.
What He says we will do, where He sends we will go;
Never fear, only trust and obey.

Refrain

MY PRAYER
Lord, what you say I will do, where you send me I will go. I am placing myself in your hands, vulnerable, pliable and willing.

Handing over the last of it....

2011-08-01T18:51:00.000-07:00

In 1 King 17 we read of the story of the widow living in the time of severe drought. She had come to the end of her own resources, she had a handful of flour and a few drops of oil left to make a small amount of bread with. Then along comes Elijah, and asks her to give him her last meal. I don't know about you, but I would be very reluctant to hand over the bread that was going to feed my children. Elijah promised her that the Lord would look after her, and their would be provision for her. To accept that would be really difficult, because how did she know that her child was not going to be one step closer to death because she handed this man her meal? She didn't know at all, but her faith rested in the faithfulness of God. The woman shows this faith by preparing a meal with the last of her food for Elijah. Her faith in God was rewarded with continual provision for the remainder of the drought. God multiplied her resources and she would not go hungry.

God multiplies our resources in the same way when we hand it over to him. Ever single last bit of it. God took the only thing she had left and multiplied it. God has given us resources, sometimes untapped, but nonetheless we do not have nothing. We must be obedient and surrender the last of it to God in order to see his provision. God will multiply what you have and make it bigger and better than you ever could.

MY PRAYER
I believe in your faithfulness, My God. I believe that you can do amazing things with what I have. I want to give you the last of everything. All skills, whether it be small or large, I want you to use them and multiply them and allow them to be a blessing to those who need them. Thank you for making me a very capable and skilled person. I place all these gifts and skills in your hands, knowing that you are faithful and good and will use them well.
Help me to be like this widow, that sees the greater picture and believes in a the goodness and faithfulness of a Great God.
Amen

Remove the blinkers

2011-07-31T18:22:00.000-07:00

I've been praying for God to show me what to pray during this time of prayer and fasting. I want my heart to be in sync with his. Today he showed me.

All this time I've been focussing on my feet - looking at the path with blinkered vision, only seeing where I am walking and the tiny piece of the journey I am taking. What if my path is not a path? I feel like God has removed the blinkers from my eyes and I am seeing this wide, highway type road ahead. I've been convinced that God was going to use me in the church... but I have not seen the whole wide world that is around me. God is not limited to that small building with that group of people. God is able to do abundantly more than I had hoped or dreamed (Ephesians 3:20). I'm limiting myself if I think that I can serve only within the 4 walls of the church. I'm limiting God's Kingdom if I think that only the 400 people I see every single Sunday will benefit from my skills, talents and abilities.

So today I look further. God's kingdom is not just the church. If I want to do real kingdom living and serving, then it's time to take off the blinkers and start looking for places to serve and give all over. I can serve God anywhere, I can teach anywhere, I can share anywhere, I can be creative anywhere. I have limited myself and God.

MY PRAYER
Forgive me Father for being so blind and silly. Thank you for showing me this amazing truth! You are bigger than the church, you are bigger than a building, and I don't want to box you and define your abilities through my own ideas and biases. Father I am open to being used wherever you want me to. Show me ways I can minister to others and bless others with my gifts and talents. My steps are ordered by you, and I want to walk those steps. Inspire me and annoint me. You are such a big God with big ideas and big plans, and I want to be part of them.
Amen

A new prayer and fasting month

2011-07-24T18:06:00.000-07:00

August marks the beginning of our church's annual prayer and fasting month. The focus this month is on using our giftings in our world. I'm cool with that. :)

I pray and hope that this month as I seek God and put his will before mine, that I hear from him and get clear direction on where I am going and how I can best serve him. I want to surrender and fully place myself in his hands, and I sometimes struggle with God-timing and my own. Let's face it, I'm not the world's most patient person. I hope that this month will give me an even greater intimacy with the Father.

Update

2011-06-24T06:19:00.000-07:00

I'm not dead. I'm not buried under a mountain of text books... though I almost was!! It's been a really bad semester and I just thank God I got through it in one piece!

Not much really to report. I am just going with God and really making an effort to hear his voice and hear what he has to say. I'm not pushing, or fighting or tapping my foot impatiently. I'm just waiting on Him and meditating on his Word and his Promises.

I have finally gotten involved in something at my church. I'm a "Babes Host" - which means I pretty much look after new Mums who use the creche. I hold their screaming babies while they heat bottles up, or set themselves up to feed. I count it all joy to serve and encourage these women who are sleep deprived, worried about if they are doing the right thing or not and need someone to smile, and tell them they are doing an amazing job. I love this ministry. I love to be a friend and a helper in this capacity.

I have at last learned to serve God in the smaller things, and with joy and enthusiasm. I not only want to just serve but I want to do it so well. Thank you Lord for the amazing job you have given me in the church, to serve just amazing people.

The Place of Nothingness

2011-05-29T19:37:00.000-07:00

This devotional by Os Hillman spoke to me today and I wanted to share it.

The Place of Nothingness

by Os Hillman

Be still and know that I am God" (Psalm 46:10)

Do you find yourself in a place of nothingness? There is a time and place in our walk with God in which He sets us in a place of isolation and waiting. It is a place in which all past experiences are of no value. It is a time of such stillness that it can disturb the most faithful if we do not understand that He is the one who has brought us to this place for only a season. It is as if God has placed a wall around us. No new opportunities - simply inactivity.

During these times, God is calling us aside to fashion something new in us. It is a place of nothingness designed to call us to deeper roots of prayer and faith. It is not a comfortable place, especially for a task-driven workplace believer. Our nature cries out, "You must do something" while God is saying, "Be still and know that I am God." You know the signs that you have been brought into this place when He has removed many things from your life and you can't seem to change anything. Perhaps you are unemployed. Perhaps you are laid up with an illness.

Many people live a very planned and orchestrated life where they know almost everything that will happen. But for people in whom God is performing a deeper work, He brings them into a time of quietness that seems almost eerie. They cannot see what God is doing. They just know that He is doing a work that cannot be explained to themselves or to others.

Has God brought you to a place of nothingness? Be still and know that He really is God. When this happens, your nothingness will be turned into something you will value for the rest of your life.

How cool!

2011-04-05T21:12:00.000-07:00

I am sitting here, in excruciating pain. My legs are so bad, I'm tempted to go get my husband's jig saw and cut them off at the knee. Ow. Ow. OW! I have a condition called fybromyalgia and I admit that 99% of the time, I just suck it up and get on with life. I don't see the point in whinging and complaining about something that can't be helped and can't be eased.

So... in the midst of all this pain, I flicked my bible open, hoping that God will speak to me or show me something. I opened up to Matthew 8 - and find many stories of Jesus healing the sick. I find healing amazing!! Jesus only had to touch a man with leprosy and he was healed. He only had to speak and disease and sickness left the body. What a powerful Saviour we serve!

I like it. I like that my God can heal my pain. I like that my God can take it away. And even if he doesn't take it away, when I die, I am going to be pain free. I am going to be able to run, jump, skip, and I WILL be pain free. I'm not going to hold it against God if chooses not to heal me, and I can look forward to a time when no one is in pain, no one is sick, no one is diseased.

Yes my pain levels are high, yes it can be debilitating, but my God is more powerful than fybromyalgia - and it's in his strength that I continue to live and continue to serve Him. I am reminded of the scriptures I read a few posts back - 2 Corinthians 12:8 Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong."

MY PRAYER
Lord God, if you are willing, please take away this pain. If it's not your will, then use my weakness for your glory. Use my pain to reach out and touch someone else. Give me the strength to endure the journey I must walk. Help me encourage and uplift others who are suffering as well.
Amen

I have a new motto....

2011-04-02T00:56:00.000-07:00

As you can see my blog has changed it's look. I still have a road image in my blog title, because I still believe in the significance of my spiritual growth being a journey. When we travel, we don't stay in the same place. Last motto, I was in a place of almost limbo and uncertainty. God placed on my heart "walk by faith, and not by sight". I've moved on from that place now and I feel God is placing on my heart Hebrews 12:1-2.

I'm not sure what this leg of the journey will bring, but I'm just so thankful that I do not have to run it alone.

MY PRAYER

Father, I know you are proud of me. I know you love me and think I am absolutely amazing. Help me remember that when I feel like I'm tired and have had enough. I want to grow. I know I'm going to regret saying this, but grow me. Bring it on! Teach me your ways. Show me your plans. You are the potter, I am the clay - mould me and shape me. Paint me hot pink. :)

Amen.

2011-03-27T21:14:00.000-07:00

I read this and thought it was awesome!

"Our part is obedience. His part is outcome." - Os Hillman.

I don't want to forget it, so I have it down. :)

Black Hole

2011-03-27T21:06:00.000-07:00

Last night I spat the dummy. I had offered to fill a need in the church, and it feels like I've been knocked back. In my fleshy fired up state I was thinking "what IS their problem???"

Today I was praying in the car on the way home from dropping off my little one to kindy. Just having a whinge really. Poor God got an earful today from a miserable, grumpy old bag of a woman. I just seem to be perpetually in a bad mood lately. Anyway I was belly aching about not being used.

And God's response?

My Grace is sufficient for you.

Shuddup. :)

How is God knows exactly what to say? :)

"...he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” ...For when I am weak, then I am strong." 2 Corinthians 12:9-10

His Grace IS sufficient... it's all I need at this moment. So I may not exactly be that thrilled with where I am at the moment - and that's ok. Because it will be this (weak, whinging, grumpy) little lady that Christ can work through and with.

MY PRAYER
Dear God, Thanks for teaching and growing me. I hate this place. I know you know that. Please help me grow some good fruit while I am in this place... because seriously it's got enough manure to sustain a plantation of bananas!! Help me to be gracious and patient. Help me remember that your grace is all I need at this moment.

I know my God is able.

2011-02-22T15:01:00.001-08:00

This is a song that is in my heart and on my lips at the moment. It is bringing so much peace into my soul.

Angry with God.

2011-02-20T01:09:00.000-08:00

This weekend we have been hit with more than our fair share. First of all a friend whom I am fairly tight with told me that her son, who is 5 years old, has a cancerous tumour on his liver. He starts chemo on wednesday. I was shocked and anxious. I prayed and begged God to intervene, and prayed for an awesome outcome. I prayed for the unsaved parents that God would reveal himself in a powerful way.

Then the big one came..... the very next day dear friends who are almost like family to us, told us some really devestating news. Their son.... 3 years old, my little girl's best friend, has leukaemia, and is starting chemo tomorrow. I was so angry, so upset, so hurt, so sad, so grieved, so devestated. Did I pray? No... I was completely and totally angry at God.

"WHAT ON EARTH ARE YOU DOING UP THERE????? He's three years old for goodness sake!! He's a cute loveable little man, what on earth could have possibly done to deserve this??" Yes I demanded answers. I was so so angry. How could God allow this to happen. Then as I quietened down, God gently said to me "Trust me. Don't rely on you own understanding of this." - then directed me to Proverbs 3..

Trust in the Lord with all your heart;do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom. Instead, fear the Lord and turn away from evil. Then you will have healing for your body
and strength for your bones.

I don't know anything apart from my own perspective and my own pain that my dear friend was going to have to watch her precious little boy go through this. I don't see the bigger picture. I was impressed with my own point of view and went off my nut at God. Thankfully he loves me so much and was gentle in his guidance. God is awesome!! I hope that the little boy has some strength in his bones too!!

This weekend I have spent most of it crying. I have spent it begging God to help the family, help the medical staff, help the little boy. Healing. Wholeness. This morning I was praying before church, I asked God to give me total peace. I needed assurance that God is in control of this whole situation. He said "I am able" and he gave me this:

Ephesians 3:14 When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.

Have you ever been really angry at God?
What was it that helped you overcome it?

If you can, please uphold this little boy in your prayers. I can't say his name, but God knows who you are talking about. Pray for his family who are naturally far more devastated than I am at this news and are trying to come to grips with it.

If you are going to do it, do it well!!

2011-02-03T19:13:00.000-08:00

Proverbs 22:29 - Do you see a man skilled in his work? He will serve before kings; he will not serve before obscure men. -

My attitude needs adjustment. I am skilled in certain areas, and I thank the Lord for that. He has made me to be MORE than my calling and I have been seeing myself serving Him ONLY in this area. I'm creative in many areas, I possess leadership skills, I am a people person, I am relational, I can do so much. I never thought about using ALL of these skills to serve God. In the past I've had the attitude of "Oh I suppose so..." with less enthusiasm than a blade of grass! Where is my joy in serving God with all of my skills and talents? Why am I stifling God and only looking to serve in certain areas? God can reveal himself and use my other skills for his glory in the meantime! I can tell you why I'm stifling God, because of pride. I am too proud to do something I believe is "beneath me" - but to be honest, it isn't beneath me! Jesus, the son of GOD came to earth as a humble servant and served with joy.

Colossians 3:23-24 - Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and that the Master you are serving is Christ.

MY PRAYER
Lord God, thank you for your grace and patience with me. I have so much to learn about you and your ways. The more I seek you the more I learn. The more I read your Word, the more you reveal a little more to me. The more I learn about you the more I realise that I don't know very much. As uncomfortable as it is and as confronting it is, thank you for showing me that my pride and my attitude needs some fixing. Yes, I know it's because you love me. Thank you Lord for loving me so much, that you take the time to correct me and guide me. Lord thank you for giving me the skills and talents that I have. I want to use them for your glory and for your work down her on earth. As opportunities arise, I WILL serve with joy and with thanksgiving, because I'm serving the King.
Amen.

Humilty before honor.

2011-01-30T20:28:00.000-08:00

I was just reading another devotional by Os Hillman - this really spoke to me.

Thirsting After God
....second, humility comes before honor. Elisha was known as the "servant of Elijah." How would you like to be known as "the servant of John"? Your name is not even mentioned. This was the preparation of Elisha. It has been the preparation of many men of God. Consider Joseph, the servant of Pharaoh. Consider David, the servant of Saul.

Today God Is First (TGIF) devotional message, Copyright by Os Hillman, Marketplace Leaders.

For a while now I've been complaining about being a nobody in my current church. I went from being a prominent member to a nobody. I'm known as Daz's wife. Whenever people introduce me to someone else "This is Daz and Daz's wife..." Daz's wife. I'm happy to be his wife for sure, but my goodness, I have a name people!!!!
Today God has addressed my pride once more.

Another thing - I have been gifted in photography and creativity. I get asked all the time to take photos and whatnot.... but never what I have been called to do. It has frustrated me, and my attitude has been "Oh well, I suppose I can.." rather than to serve joyfully. Not cool Skipper! NOT cool!
I am encouraged to see people like David, who started out as a shepherd and as the musician of Saul rise to become King - and a man after God's own Heart. What strikes me most is even though he had been anointed by Samuel to be king of Israel, he still served with humility until his time came.

I can serve with this same humility.

MY PRAYER
Forgive me Father for being full of pride and unwilling to serve you in the smaller areas. Thank you for the giftings you have given me and I pray I can use them best for your glory and service. I pray you will continue to speak into my heart and prepare me to serve you in more ways, with a glad and grateful heart. Amen.

I WILL rejoice in the Lord

2011-01-18T14:56:00.000-08:00

Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Saviour. The Sovereign LORD is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to tread on the heights. (Habakkuk 3:17-19)

Today I feel like rubbish. I am in pain, I don't feel well, mentally I feel drained, emotionally I feel void, I'm irritable, tired, and down right miserable. While I was doing my hair this morning I was thinking internally about how dreadful I feel and having a bit of a sook. Then "Yet will I rejoice in the Lord" popped into my head. Ok so I don't have to be happy with how I'm feeling and my physical state, but it does not effect the way I see my Lord, nor should it detract from my joy in Him. I WILL rejoice in the Lord. I WILL be joyful in God my Saviour. It's a choice that I am deciding to make today. And do you know what? After making that decision, I feel brighter - knowing that today God will be my strength! I will be joyful in God.

On your low days, remember this scripture. Even though it doesn't take the problems away, it certainly helps to get through it. Decide today to not dwell on your circumstances, and your pain, but dwell instead on the goodness of God, and be joyful in Him.

MY PRAYER

Lord God, my Saviour, my redeemer, my healer, my Daddy, you are so great! Thank you for reminding me of this scripture and showing me I have a choice to make. Thank you for revealing a part of yourself to me, showing me that you will be my strength and help me through the day. I choose to rejoice in you. I choose to be glad and joyful in you today.

Amen

Call to me.

2011-01-13T16:28:00.000-08:00

A scripture that really spoke to me today:

"Call to Me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know" (Jer. 33:3).

MY PRAYER
Thank you Lord for your promise. I'm so glad that you are only a breath away and I can call on you anytime, anyplace and I'm not restricted by place, phone coverage etc. I can't wait to find out the great things you have to tell me throughout my life. I am glad that when I pray to you, you answer me. I am not crying out to a god who ignores me or has no response for me. Thank you Lord that with you, it's about relationship. Amen

All are in God's Likeness

2011-01-05T20:08:00.000-08:00

I did my first study and bible reading with Chronological Bible Blog today. I'm a few days behind because of my late start, but I'll catch up. So today I learned about Creation and the fall of humanity. It was good to go over the story of how God created each and every thing, and especially how human beings were made in the image of God.

"So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them." Genesis 1:27 NLT

It's sometimes so hard to remember that, especially in today's day and age where we look in the mirror and can only see the flaws. God made ME in HIS image. I have qualities of God, and those are thing things I should be looking at. Not my hair, my skin, my hips.

Not only am I made in the image of God, but EVERYONE is! Even the people who are criminals, abusers, unkind, hurtful etc. Sometimes it's difficult to remember this when one is so aghast at their behaviour. Even though I don't like what they do and how they behave, they deserve my love and compassion, because they too are a child of God, and have inherited His qualities.

MY PRAYER
Lord God, Creator of all things, mastermind of the intricate details of all, the artist, the inventor - amazing God!! Lord as I read today's scriptures I was blown away by all you accomplished in Creation. Each living thing is complex and carefully and creatively designed. I appreciate and admire your creative abilities and I'm thankful that I too have inherited some creativity from you.

Lord I ask your forgiveness for the times I forget that each human being is made in your image. I pray that you will help me look beyond their behaviour and actions and enable me to see you in them. I pray that you will fill me with your compassion and your love so that I can give so much more to those around me who don't know you. Thank you for reminding me today that all of us were deliberately and creatively made by you.

Amen

Step 1

2011-01-04T17:42:00.000-08:00

Years ago, I felt God calling me to become a counsellor to be a Godly voice into the lives of the broken hearted, hurting and troubled. He has annointed me to speak goodness, love, and healing into people's hearts. I can't just expect to put a sign on my door saying "counsellor - annointed of God." - I have to study at university so I am qualified to counsel people. I believe God is urging me to think the same about the other callings I have on my life. So this year, in preparation, I am going to be participating in a Chronological Bible Read with Chronological Bible Blog

I have a few days to catch up, but I can't wait to get into this. I really hope that God reveals himself to me in a new way each day as I read his word and learn so much more about him.

2011 is going to be an amazing year!!!

Desert Preparation

2010-12-15T01:10:00.000-08:00

I know my posts have been far and few between, but as I was wrapping up my uni year, my Mum had a nervous breakdown and was diagnosed with depression. She has needed full time care for the last 8 weeks, so I haven't had time nor the energy to sit down and write and study for this blog. Keep my Mum and me in your prayers. :)

Today I opened up an email from Prime Time With God - and this really spoke to me today. I wanted to share it - perhaps this is something you can relate to?

TGIF Today God Is First Volume 1, by Os Hillman

Desert Preparation

Nor did I go up to Jerusalem to see those who were apostles before I was, but I went immediately into Arabia and later returned to Damascus. - Galatians 1:17

The apostle Paul tells us in the first chapter of Galatians some of the facts surrounding his own conversion. He tells us that he clearly understood the call Jesus placed on his life. He did not have to consult other men about this calling. But before he was released to begin his own mission, He went to Arabia for three years. Why did Paul have to go to Arabia for three years before he ever met another disciple of Jesus Christ?

The Scripture does not tell us plainly why Paul spent three years in Arabia. However, based upon many examples of God placing special calls on people's lives, we know it often requires a time of separation between the old life and the new life. No doubt, Paul had plenty of time to consider what had taken place in his life and time to develop an intimate knowledge and relationship with the newfound Savior. His life was about to change dramatically.

So often, when God places a call on one of His children, it requires a separation between the old life and the new life. There is a time of being away from the old in order to prepare the heart for what is coming. It can be a painful and difficult separation. Joseph was separated from his family. Jacob was sent to live with his uncle Laban. Moses was sent to the desert.

When God began a deeper work in my own life, it required a separation from all I had known before. He removed all that I had placed confidence in up to that point. It was very painful and very scary since I was in my mid-40's. In my mind, it was not the time to start life over. I had been making plans for early retirement. God had a different idea. He removed all my comforts and security in order to accomplish a much greater work than what I could see at the time. The picture is clear now. I understand why it was necessary, but I didn't at the time.

Perhaps God has placed you in your own desert period. Perhaps you cannot make sense of the situation in which you find yourself. If you press into God during this time, He will reveal the purposes He has for you. The key is pressing into Him. Seek Him with a whole heart and He will be found. God may have a special calling and message He is building in your life right now. Trust in His love for you that He will fully complete the work He has started in you.

Jonah like you have never heard it.

2010-12-06T00:31:00.001-08:00

The story of Jonah from Corinth Baptist Church on Vimeo.

M.I.U.W.

2010-10-17T17:42:00.001-07:00

Missing in Uni Work. :)

I'm still alive, I just have been bogged down with my university studies, and it's hard to squeeze in bible study when all I do is read text books. In a month it will all be over and I can resume back to normality... for the summer anyway. :)

Be a man!! Misinterpretation at it's best...

2010-08-25T05:15:00.000-07:00

I watched this as part of a course I am doing, and boy did I laugh! I thought I would share with you - and see if you can spot the dodgy teaching.

:)

God is... #6

2010-08-11T17:08:00.000-07:00

MY SECURITY

Psalms 94:22 But the Lord is my fortress...

You know, I don't get how people who don't know God get through life at times! When people say "Christianity is a crutch" - they have it one baby!! I need to lean on God to get me through the tough times. I need to lean on God when I'm sad, mad, hurt, grieving, depressed etc.

A fortress is such a strong and secure sounding word. It gives really good imagery.

When life is hurling weapons at me, and I feel like I'm being beaten, I can find refuge in God. It doesn't mean the arrows and boiling oil stops immediately, it means that I can bear it better, and withstand better, because I am with God. We would never grow if we didn't have to "do life" - having a fortress means we have extra strength - God's strength.

A fortress offers a certain level of security as well - you aren't out there alone, to be attacked and surrounded by enemy. You are surrounded by strong thick walls, sheltering you and more secure. When I see my life, surrounded by God, with his strength, his love, his care, his grace, his security, I know that I'm going to be ok. I am not invincible, but I'm going to be ok. Each step I take, each tough time I go through, I know that God is my fortress, the one I can trust to give me extra strength, and the one who won't abandon me. I'm glad I'm not alone.

MY PRAYER
Thank you Lord that you didn't create us, and then abandon us. You are with us, and you offer us strength and security. Thank you that you care enough about us to tell us that you are our fortress, a strength that we can surround ourselves with. Amen

Well I did it.... and got a big surprise on the other side.

2010-08-08T17:09:00.001-07:00

A few months ago I had a chat to our church's youth pastor (also a wonderful friend) about my desire to teach the Word of God. I know that God has placed a calling on my life, and given me the "gift of the gab". :) As always he had great advice and support in these dreams. I shared my frustrations of not knowing how to proceed - I didn't want to big-note myself, blow my own trumpet and brag about my abilities to all and sundry. I didn't want to assume anything and I wanted to be as humble as I could about it. Josh gave me some really good advice and told me how to go about it. I prayed about this advice, and then decided that I was going to go for it.

So yesterday, our Pastor was standing alone, sorting out something or other on his chair - so I leapt on the opportunity to speak with him. I strangely felt very calm and very confident as I approached him. I told him I believed that God had placed a calling on my life and given me gifts in preaching and teaching. I was willing to speak in any area, in any department, anywhere that he could use me, I would be willing to be used. I gave him a copy of the last message I did in my old church and then left it with him.

I felt very at peace with this way of self promoting and I now leave it in God's hands. I have done all I can do.

But something else happened yesterday.

8 years ago I had a vision. I saw myself speaking to a large group of people. I saw it from a side on view - I was standing on the right, and this group of people was on the left. The walls behind them were brown. I don't know why I remembered the color of the walls. They just struck me as odd. And 8 years ago - brown walls WERE odd! :) My visions burn deeply into my mind, I never forget them or forget how they look. They are so detailed and clear and when I recall them, it's almost like having the vision again. God's so creative isn't he??

A month or so ago, I was doing taking some photos of the baptism that was happening at church. I was on the far right of the church, near the font. At one point I turned to look for my husband - and I had a sense of De-ja-vu. I had seen this before. How the lighting fell on the congregation... where the speaker was.... it all looked familiar. I remembered my vision... and thought that it looked very similar. But I always thought the church walls were dark grey. I hadn't really looked closely in full light though. This month I that vision has been on my mind daily and I've been praying about it, trusting in his promises.

Yesterday, after I spoke to our Pastor, my husband's cousin showed up for church and we had her sitting with us. Our Pastor came and spoke to her afterwards, and she commented on the renovations. "Oh yes, this was all done in 2007" (5 years after my vision) This was news to me. But then again, I hadn't been in this church for 12 or so years before we started coming. Our Cousin then said "I like the brown walls". My head whipped around to the walls. THEY ARE BROWN!!! Not dark grey... but BROWN!!

I cannot tell you how odd it is to see your vision in real life. It's a bit scary but also just a teeny weeny bit exciting!! God showed me in detail what he had called me to do - which is preach and teach. And 8 years ago that was a joke. I didn't speak in public. I didn't even know HOW to preach. But today, it's not a joke, it's a passion and desire.

God showed me this vision in this way for a purpose. He showed me a side on view - because he knew that's how I would recognise it. If he showed me how it would look from my eyes, I wouldn't have recognised it, because standing on stage in front of the church, you are lucky to see the first 2 rows because the stage lights are very bright. I wouldn't have seen a thing in my vision if it was from my eyes.

God showed me in my vision the color of the walls - because he knew that's how I would recognise it. But he didn't reveal this to me until after 11 months of being at this church. 11 months at this church and I didn't see the color of the walls! Until yesterday. AFTER I spoke to our Pastor about my gifting.

Coincedence? I think not.

I believe in God. I believe in his purpose. I believe in his promises. I believe he keeps his promises. And I certainly believe that God is flippin' amazing!

MY PRAYER

God - I'm yours. All yours. Do your thing. :)

Thank you for opening my eyes yesterday. I'm stoked.

Amen

God is.... #5

2010-08-06T23:48:00.000-07:00

GOD IS GOD OF ALL GODS.

Deuteronomy 10:17 For the Lord your God is the God of gods and Lord of lords. He is the great God, the mighty and awesome God, who shows no partiality and cannot be bribed.

God is God of all gods.

That's awesome! So that means that I'm worshipping the great and mighty - the best, the strongest, the most awesome God there is. God is God of all. That is so good to hear. I would be kind of worried if God said "I'm God, but.... I'm not as good as Buddah."

This verse made me think for a bit... God is definitely God of all - and reigns supreme. But does he reign supreme in our minds and hearts? There are so many things that we are exposed to and have in this world that we can "worship". Movie stars, musicians, sports, TV, books, study, friends.. These types of "gods" are things we put before God. Does God come before facebook? Does God come before my hobbies? If God is God of all "gods" in MY life??

I just love the next line - He is THE great God. THE mighty and awesome God. These are such words of worship. God you are so great, so amazing, you are mighty and awesome. How many songs are there out there that express the goodness of God? How great is our God. Great is the Lord. God is good. Lord your goodness and grace will follow me. How amazing is your love. Amazing grace. Amazing Love. Great and mighty is he. Our God, is an awesome God.... the list could go on. God loves to hear you proclaim who he is and what he is in your worship.

Then the next line makes me chuckle. I've already covered that God doesn't show favourites - but I want to touch on: God accepts no bribes. Were there people who actually tried this???? :)Actually there are people out there today who try to bribe God - and you may even be one of them. But before I explain, I want to properly define what a bribe is.

"...offering something such as money or a favour to influence a decision or an action"

Are you trying to bribe God?
"God if you help me out of this financial situation, I'll join the worship team and play the guitar for you for the rest of my life."
"If you don't answer this prayer, I'm not going to serve you anymore, because what is the point?"
"Well if you can't heal my body, I'm not going to church anymore."

And what about using faith as a bribing tool? Using it as currency to get what you want?
"I'm praying in faith.... see? Faith. God will answer my prayer because I'm praying with faith." Faith is not a currency or to be used to bribe God. God will answer your prayer according to his will - faith is believing that God will do just that. Not a bartering tool.

It's kinda cool in a way that God can't be bribed. It means it's fair for one and all. No one has greater benefits and opportunities because he is offering his gifts and his devotion and super-faith to God to bribe him. God cannot be bought. God acts with wisdom and with what is in our best interests - not what we think is wise and our best interests.

MY PRAYER
I'm so glad that I worship the Alpha-Omega God. You are all powerful and greater than any other god who was and is. And you chose me. You chose me to be part of your family and I'm so thankful for that. Thank you Lord for revealing another part of yourself to me in this scripture. Thank you for showing that you are indeed very fair and that I am no better than anyone else and no one else is no better than me. Thank you that even though you are top-God and are so great, powerful and mighty - you care about the little things that bother me. You care about my life, my pain, my troubles, my joys, my triumphs. Thank you that in your greatness, you share the life of this flawed, little person. This makes you top-God in my life.
Amen

God is.... #4

2010-08-04T16:50:00.000-07:00

Psalms 116:5 How kind the Lord is! How good he is!So merciful, this God of ours!

or as the NIV says: The LORD is gracious and righteous; our God is full of compassion.

Gracious, kind, righteous, good, compassionate, merciful - all such great personality traits!! Sometimes it's hard to remember God as this since we tend to view God through our own experiences. In the past, because of my upbringing and life experiences I have seen God as more like this....

But I'm thankful that God took the time to make sure we knew what he really is. God probably knew that a lot of us would think he was an ogre, or he could hear the preachers who preach hell, damnation and God's hatred onto the world...... like this dude...

Don't hate them... pity them. They do not know the God they "serve" and the God of grace, mercy and compassion. They only see the hatred, vengeance and anger of God (which I personally believe is misinterpreted and misused way too often!) But these guys aren't alone in not knowing who the real God is.... lots of Christians don't even realise that God is good, gracious, compassionate etc.

How are we going to tell them or show them that God is who he says he is?

By example.

And do you know who you can practice on?? The most annoying person you know. The most frustrating person you know. The nastiest, rudest, most obnoxious person you know. The person that hurt you, the person that belittles you and the person who nobody notices. The unpopular kids, the geeks, the gumbies, the people who are considered "nothing" in society. Don't pretend they don't exist, because they do.

MY PRAYER

Thank you God for revealing your goodness to me further. Thank you that we don't serve a angry, unpredictable God. These images cannot work with a compassionate, good and merciful God that you are. I'm glad that today you showed me more of the real you. Help me to show people your graciousness and goodness. I want to be a woman of grace and compassion. Help me do this. Amen

God is... #3

2010-08-03T19:53:00.000-07:00

Acts 10:34 Then Peter replied, “I see very clearly that God shows no favoritism."

God has no favourites. Awesome.

Thus ends this post....

I'm kidding!!

This just confirms what I believe, that in the human race, that not one person is better than another in the eyes of God. He sees us all the same, as the wonderful people that he created, that have been redeemed, and his desire is to be in relationship with us, and for us to accept his love and gift of sacrifice. Yep. All of us are the same.

This can be hard to swallow when you see some others getting more "gifts" and "blessings" than others. This has nothing to do with God loving them more or showing favouritism. I think all of us are gifted and blessed in unique ways - some people's gifts and blessings are more obvious than some. I think the trick here is to stop looking at other people's gifts and blessings in envy, but to thank God for them for that person. Then look at your own gifts and blessings, and do the same! Thank God for them. I am thankful that I have gifting on my life. I am thankful that I have a beautiful family and such an amazing husband. I am thankful that God has given me passion, boldness, abilities, and other great things which I know that God will use for his glory and for his purposes.

It says in the Bible that God's ways are not our ways, so we can't always understand how God works but we can be certain of one thing - God does not play favourites. That his love for you and I is the same love that he has for everyone, no matter how bad, good, ugly, beautiful, smart, less-smart etc.. It's deep, it's passionate, it desires us and is something I want to know and appreciate for the rest of my days. How about you?

MY PRAYER
Lord, God, King. You amaze me every single day. Thank you that I don't have to fear you loving someone else more than me - I know that you love me so much I will never fully understand it. Thank you God for the blessings you give me and the giftings you have given me. I know I don't always appreciate them, and I get frustrated and impatient with the lack of use sometimes. I pray you will forgive me for that and help me to settle petal. :P Thank you Father for being such an amazing God. Amen

God is.... #2

2010-08-02T23:20:00.000-07:00

GOD IS OUR REFUGE AND STRENGTH

Psalms 46:1-2 God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble. So we will not fear when earthquakes come and the mountains crumble into the sea.

Thank goodness I don't have to rely on my own strength to get through life. I don't think I could handle it! I really pity people who go through tough times and don't know God is there to lean on. It's a promise - that God is our refuge and strength. God promises refuge - which is defined as: safety: a safe place. We are promised safety. We are promised a safe place to cry, rant, rave, pray, beg, plead, mourn, etc. To me when I think of God's refuge, I think of his arms. I think of being scooped up into a big cuddle and given the freedom to express myself in safety.

Sometimes it's risky to express yourself to other people, because you can be rejected, scorned, mocked - or my ultimate peeve "You are a Christian, you can't feel like that". Some people can't handle extreme emotions and don't know how to respond to them. But God can handle it - and he knows exactly how to respond - he offers you his refuge and strength.

Note that it says always ready to help in times of trouble. ALWAYS. Repeat after me... ALWAYS. I like this. It means that God doesn't pick and choose when he helps you - he certainly picks out HOW he helps, but WHEN he helps is every single time. We don't have to fear going through the tough times alone. God is ready to help you. Just yell out! Even then sometimes you don't even have to yell out! There have been times in the treatment and therapy my son needs, I didn't even know what I needed, but God provided it with help and opening doors that normally wouldn't open without months on a waiting list. :) God will help you. You don't have to do life alone and in your own strength.

The last part of this verse to me symbolises life - rather than the literal earthquake and mountains crumbling into the sea. Has anyone ever seen a mountain crumble into the sea by chance? To me the earthquake and mountains crumbling symbolise life at times. Earthquakes can be very destructive. They shake the very core of the earth, creating havoc above. Not to mention the bi-products of earthquakes ie; tsunamis. Sometimes it feels like we are going through earthquakes in our lives, our very core gets shaken and our life begins to crumble. Terrible things happen, disaster strikes, our lives are never the same. After the quake our lives are unrecognisable (sometimes). But God promises us refuge and strength to get though these times. God promises to be there and to help you.

Life can deal out some hard stuff - but we don't have to fear it happening!!! We don't have to live our lives in fear of the harshness that comes with life. We don't have to fear the pain, the hurt, the confusion that comes with earthquakes in our lives. Because God is our refuge and strength. I'm glad of that! The energy that is spent in bracing yourself for the next rough patch in life can be spent on other things. We can completely rely on our God to be there for us, and to offer understanding, his help and his strength. Aren't you glad that you serve this amazing God?

MY PRAYER
Dear God, I'm so glad that you didn't create us and then leave us to our own devices. I'm so glad that you desire a relationship that encourages us to run to you when we go through the tough times. I'm so glad that you promise us your refuge, your strength and your help. You are such a great God and I am loving that you have revealed yourself just a bit more to me. The more I know about you, the more I love you. Amen.

30 Days of Who God is.

2010-08-01T19:01:00.000-07:00

For the month of August our church is doing a joint prayer and fasting and we are focussing on praying for the people that we know and love who are not yet believers.

I was thinking about this - if I had the opportunity to introduce someone to God and his love and grace.... what else would I be able to tell them about Him? When we introduce our friends to each other, we often give a little bit of history and something about the person. What they like, what they do, how you know them etc.

So if I was going to introduce God to someone, what would I say? I want to have as much knowledge about who God is, so when that opportunity arises, I can speak with confidence and speak biblical truth on who it is I actually serve and worship.

Also I believe that knowing more about the God I love and worship will take my worship to a whole new level. How much more I can love and appreciate and vocalise when I get to know him more intimately. I can't be limited by my understanding of who God is, but listen to Him through his Word as HE tells us who he is.

#1 GOD IS TRUSTWORTHY
Numbers 23:19 God is not a man, so he does not lie. He is not human, so he does not change his mind. Has he ever spoken and failed to act? Has he ever promised and not carried it through?

I'm going to resist the temptation of making a small tiny dig to all the men out there "God is not a man and doesn't lie." I must say I had a giggle... but the naughty thought passed. :)

..now back to what I really meant to say. This scripture really excites me, because I detest lying and detest being lied to. I can't stand it when I know I can't trust a person because they habitually lie. To me lying damages relationships right in the core. Distrust is not a firm foundation for relationships. But we can be confident in the fact that God does not lie to us. He is all honesty and goodness. We can build our relationship with God on a rock solid foundation of trust.

It says twice quite plainly that God is not human/man. He is not like us. Yes we are made in HIS image, not visa-versa. God does not inherit the traits of humans that make us less than desirable sometimes. God is God - pure, good and faithful. Sometimes it's easy to give God negative humanistic traits.... (I actually sound quite educated there don't I? :P) It's easy for the uninformed and ignorant to pass off God as someone quite cold, heartless and evil when something bad happens. I am thankful God is not human. If God was like me - who can be less than tolerant at times - the whole earth would have been wiped out before Noah I can tell you that much!! :) So let us rejoice in the fact that we do not serve another human, we serve an almighty and wonderful God who is GOOD!

The last part of this scripture is really comforting for me. God keeps his word. God keeps his promises. He won't change his mind. He won't withdraw his promise if I mess us, he doesn't change his mind - he is reliable and we can have faith that his word is GOOD! I'm incredibly happy that God has spoken to me, and this scripture cements my faith in him just a bit more. God has spoken therefore He WILL act. God has promised therefore his promises will come about.

There are not only the promises that God gives us personally, but the promises in His Word that we can dig up and trust that God will follow through. "He has given us His very great and precious promises..." 2 Peter 1:4

Now who feels like singing that old hymn, "Standing on the Promises of God"? :P

So in a nutshell, God is someone who can be trusted, who is reliable, who speaks truth at all time. So don't ask him if your butt looks big in those jeans, or if you are going bald. :P God can be trusted - and this can be hard to accept, especially if you have not been able to trust people before. Our experiences shape how we see God. So if you have been lied to or had your trust broken, over and over again, you have been given a precious promise - that God is trustworthy, faithful and true. You can trust in Him. He will never disappoint you.

MY PRAYER
Lord, I'm so thrilled that you can be trusted. I am so thrilled that I have a really good, kick-devil-butt scripture to use as a weapon for future attacks of lies that will be whispered into my soul. Thank you for revealing yourself to me further through your Word. I pray that you will open my eyes so I may see more of you and more of your glory. I pray that my spirit will be sensitive to your voice as you continue to teach me and show me more. I don't want to miss a thing! I'm so glad that you are not like humans, which makes me more desirous to be more like you! Amen

More...

2010-07-28T20:41:00.001-07:00

People of influence

2010-07-28T17:17:00.000-07:00

Last night I was watching "World's Strictest Parents" - and the promotions came on for next week's episode and to my delight a familiar face appeared!

15 years ago 2 very special people - Grace and Mark - were placed in my life by a God who loves me and wanted me for Himself. I consider these people to be the bravest and most influential people in my life. They met me when I was in a very bad place. They met me when I was spewing venom from my mouth, abusive, rude, nasty, vindictive, utterly horrible. My heart was so wounded it was infected and it affected every part of my life. I was hurting so much that I just wanted to die and later on I would seriously consider this option.

Grace and Mark did not back away from me when everyone else did. They never condemned me or told me what I should be doing or acting. They loved me and accepted me as I was, taking me into their home on school holidays and weekends. They let me be part of their family and let me run around their property having a wonderful time! "Work" at that place was really good fun to me! Chasing sheep around, rounding up goats, checking dam levels - because there was plenty of opportunity to play!

The best thing they ever did was share their love of God - whom, at that time, I hated and resented. They never backed away from me or put me in the "too hard basket", but stood by me and loved me. They showed me, through their love and acceptance of me, that God loved me, right where I was, just the way I was. Hurt, venom, anger and all! 8 months after meeting them they introduced me to Jesus.

They gave me an excellent foundation of my faith by teaching me how to read the Bible and how important it was to hear from God through His Word. They taught me how to worship, how to build a relationship with God. Nothing was too hard for them. They drove 860kms to Youth concerts (we all lived in the Aussie Bush) and conferences to expose me to so much more.

I made some pretty dodgy decisions at this time - I engaged myself to someone I barely knew. I was never told I was stupid, silly and such a immature girl (which I think was the case here!!) - they just tried their best to influence me in their lovely way. Grace once told me that she felt I was going to marry someone tall, dark and handsome. She was right you know!! The man I married is tall, dark and very handsome!! :)

Life was terrible at this point - I still had such a terrible hurt in my heart, and it was effecting every aspect of my life. I was desperate to live the life Jesus intended for me, but I couldn't with this big sceptic wound inside me. When I couldn't bear it anymore and seriously considered ending my life to put an end to my pain - God intervened - and I was back with Grace and Mark, in their home. I don't know if they know this, but it was during this time that God began a transformational work in me. I was given space to grieve, cry, and release all those tears I had held in all those years. They still loved me, and ministered to me while God ripped out the terrible pain that had taken possession of my heart.

They will be one of the families that take in some troubled teens on the program "World's Strictest Parents"T They are such godly and loving people, and I can tell you right now, they are more than qualified to help the teens that come to stay with them. I hope this program shows their good heart, their love towards all who come to them in need, and their love of a God that they have ultimate faith in.

World's Strictest Parents airs on Channel 7, 7:30pm - Australia.

Consume me from the inside out.....

2010-07-14T17:11:00.000-07:00

This morning my spirit has been crying out "consume me" - then God directed me to this music clip on you-tube which articulates MUCH better what my heart is desiring.

Love like that...

2010-07-11T17:26:00.000-07:00

Ephesians 5:1-2 Watch what God does, and then you do it, like children who learn proper behavior from their parents. Mostly what God does is love you. Keep company with him and learn a life of love. Observe how Christ loved us. His love was not cautious but extravagant. He didn't love in order to get something from us but to give everything of himself to us. Love like that. (Message Version)

In the past when I think of imitating God in this way - I go to the Bible and try and learn from there. But this is saying "Watch what God DOES". It's great to look back in the Bible - the inspired Word of God - and learn from there. But it's also good to look at what God is doing today and what he will do. God is not dead, his actions have not ceased and we are not limited to the Bible in imitating God. We have our whole lives to watch what God does and imitate it.

"Keep company with Him and learn a life of love". This has impacted me so much today - I've always known that "by their fruits you shall know them" - and the first fruit of the spirit is love. By keeping company with God - by staying close, by having a deep and meaningful relationship with Him, I will learn this life of love. Pure and true love is a product of our relationship with God. Love in us is a response of God's love toward us. I love because I have been loved. 1 John 4:19 We love each other[a] because he loved us first.

His love is unselfish - the most pure form of love. And we are called to love this way - extravagantly! When I look at myself, my first thought is "I can never love that greatly, I'm not capable, I am too flawed..." - but as I continue to walk in Him, I will learn. Each day my love for others will deepen and extend, because of God within me. My love for others is a product of the love I receive. My love for others indicates if I am keeping company with God and learning a life of love.

MY PRAYER
Lord, thank you for speaking your Word deep into my spirit. I want to grow from this. This has encouraged me to pursue you more and walk closer with you. I pray that you will keep revealing yourself and your love to me and I will develop a deeper knowledge of that love as I learn from you. I want to be more aware of what you are doing today so I can learn more and more about you. Thank you for your unselfish and beautiful love that is shown to me every single moment.
Amen.

He calls me Friend.

2010-07-05T23:25:00.000-07:00

Do you have a special friend? A best friend? A friend that you enjoy hanging with? A friend you enjoy chatting with? Friends are great! They are a beautiful reminder that we are created to relate to one another and love one another. When God created man, he recognized that it was not good for man to be alone. He knew we needed more than just Him. He knew we were created for companionship and a desire to be with people. Some people are geared more that way than others, but all of us need other people.

But not only can we appreciate and love the human friends around us, but we can embrace and enjoy the friendship that Jesus has to offer us.

John 15:9-17 “I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Remain in my love. When you obey my commandments, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow! This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you slaves, because a master doesn’t confide in his slaves. Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me. You didn’t choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name. This is my command: Love each other.

I love how The Message version puts the first part: "I've loved you the way my Father has loved me." Oh wow! OH WOW! It's so amazing to be reminded of just how much we are loved. There are no conditions placed on this love - we are given it freely - it is not with-held from us unless we bring 50 people to Jesus and give 10 grand to the church. It's given to us.

We are encouraged to remain in his love by obeying his commands - which was to love one another. Why is loving each other so important? I believer our love of each other is a response to the love that we receive from Christ. We love because we are loved. When we fully understand the love of Christ we can't help but love one another.

Jesus expressed his love for our enjoyment. He wanted us to be filled with joy over the fact that we are loved. I don't know about you, but when I remember all Christ has done for me. When I remember the goodness of God as I have been through the most difficult parts of my life. When I remember that Jesus loved me BEFORE I loved Him, even at my very worst, I can't help but be thrilled to bits. This love-fest makes me want to love everyone.

We didn't choose Jesus - he had already chosen us! This excites me! This really does! So even before I fell on my face before God, repenting, accepting Christ into my life, Jesus was already there, waiting for me. I wasn't the one waiting for Him! You were chosen by Christ! You were chosen to be his friend. :) TOTALLY COOL!

Now you are my friends....
I have a friend that I feel very at ease with. When I am in her home, I can go get myself a drink, give my kids something to drink, cook in her kitchen, borrow her kids clothes if my kids mess themselves, rummage around in her cupboards for whatever I need. I've often joked that one day I'll turn up at their house in my PJ's. They've responded with "We don't care. Come in your PJ's." Friends are people you can relax with, be comfortable with, share with, laugh with and enjoy. Jesus calls us his friends. So we can relax! Chill out! We don't need to come to him with pious sounding prayers and Christianese. We don't have to be stiff and uncomfortable in his presence - he's our friend! He's called you friend! He's called me friend!

What is your response to this?

MY PRAYER
Lord Jesus, friend and love! Thank you for your love! Thank you that I don't have to deserve it or earn it, I have it. Thank you for calling me your friend. You are my friend - the very best friend I have. I pray that your Word will speak into someone's life today - and help them realise just how treasured and wonderful they are in your eyes. Help me to love other's with the same love you gave, unselfish and sacrificing.

Amen.

Be still and know...

2010-06-30T18:56:00.000-07:00

It's been quiet around here. Quiet in my soul and spirit. Just quiet. Quiet is good.

Psalm 46 - the passage where "Be still and know that I am God" comes from, you see such imagery. It's loud, there are wars, rivers, earthquakes, storms, crumbling nations, God's voice is thundering, hills are melting - it's just chaos. Life can get like that for us, where our world around is screaming and loud and in your face. But in times of chaos, we are encouraged to be still. Let our spirits rest in the knowledge of a good, gracious and glorious God. Know that he is God. KNOW it.

In this stillness, we are able to center our spirits and minds on the one who created us, saved us and loves us so much. The one who is not chaotic like the world around us.

I'm struggling with words today - but I have in my mind a beautiful vision that God gave me, that may explain what I mean better.

Picture if you will a raging river, water rushing by, it's force is strong, it's loud, white foam, spray, the water tosses tree logs about as if they were twigs. Imagine you in that same river, being tossed about, swallowing water, having your body slammed against whatever you came across.

In the middle of that din, picture a rock, and you stand on that rock as the water rushes by. "Be still and know that I am God." You can only be still in that environment, when your feet are firmly planted on God and in God.

Be still - in these moments of stillness, is when we get a real perspective of God's glory and goodness. It's hard to focus on God's goodness when we are being tossed about like rag dolls. In that still place we can regroup, and recenter our lives.

MY PRAYER
Thankyou Lord for your goodness and your grace. Thank you Lord you love me and treasure me unconditionally and continually. Lord as I regroup and realign my life with you, I pray you will speak to me, guide me and show me your ways. Thank you that you provide a place of peace in this chaotic world. I want to use it more and make you my epi-center every single day. I pray that those who read this entry today will feel the tug into a place of peace and quiet to mediate on you and know that you are God - a good and glorious God!
Amen.

Placed on my heart.

2010-06-22T18:28:00.000-07:00

These scriptures have been placed on my heart recently

"My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,' says the Lord.'For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways,And My thoughts than your thoughts." Isaiah 55:8-9

Doesn't this verse excite you? God's thoughts are higher than your thoughts! How God sees you, is not how you see you! That can come as a relief to some! :P What we think we are capable of and what we think God has in store for us is only a glimpse of the reality. This means we have only glimpsed a small portion of what God is doing and will do in our lives and in the lives of other people!

This stirs my spirit with such an enthusiasm and a fresh awe of the glory and amazingness of God (Yes I know it's not a real word!)

To You, O Lord, I lift up my soul. O my God, I trust in You....Show me Your ways, O Lord; Teach me Your paths.
Lead me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation;
On You I wait all the day." Psalm 25:1-5

Is this your hearts cry? Teach me, show me, lead me, I wait on you... I desperately want God's leading in my life. I am desperate for him to teach me and prepare me for the things he has in store for me. Prepare me for witnessing to my friends, teach me what to say, show me where I can serve. If we go through our Christian walk without wanting to be taught and lead, we are going nowhere. We are called to some sort of ministry to God and the Church - every single one of us. God has given us gifts and talents - how are we using them and developing them to serve God with? Are we looking to God to show us how we can serve him, or are we blocking our ears and not listening?

Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.

Not sure what path you are taking? Not sure where you are going? Trust in the Lord... that is your road map. Faith in the Almighty - and seeking HIS will. The promise is that he will show you the paths he has mapped out for you.

I now have a button...

2010-06-16T18:15:00.000-07:00

:)

If my blog blesses you or you visit it often, please consider placing my blog button on your blog. If you do this, please leave a comment and a link to your blog, so I can check your blog out!

My hearts desire is not to big note myself or make myself huge in the Christian blogging community, I just want to share God's Word and bless others as they run the race that is set before them.

2010-06-02T00:01:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to share this. It's so good to remember that God delights in me. In a world full of approval seeking in various ways, it's good to know that God delights in me.... not because of what I do, what I say, how I do it etc... it's just because. :)

Those in Whom God Delights
TGIF Today God Is First Volume 1, by Os Hillman
06-02-2010
"His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse, nor His delight in the legs of a man; the Lord delights in those who fear Him, who put their hope in His unfailing love." - Psalm 147:10

Mammon and power are the ruling strongholds of the workplace. If you possess either of these, then you will be courted by those who serve the workplace in hopes of increasing market share. It is a competitive environment that often gives way to decisions and actions that are dictated by the financial bottom line. A recent newspaper article stated that employers are requiring workers to put more time into their jobs, often requiring weekend work in order to be more competitive. For the Christian worker, this brings pressures on the family and will result in "lost market share" in the spiritual realm.

The Lord has a different measuring stick. The Lord is not impressed with your ability or what you can do for Him. Only one thing delights Him-people who fear Him and put their hope in His unfailing love. What does it mean to fear God and place our hope in His love? It means we acknowledge that God is the source of all that we are. He is the one who gives us the ability to work, plan, and execute. He does not want us to look to our abilities, but to His abilities. Sometimes it is difficult to balance these two perspectives. However, if we ask God to show us how to maintain this balance, He will do it. Put your hope in His unfailing love today. Then you will know that your heavenly Father is looking on you as a proud Father.

Today God Is First (TGIF) devotional message, Copyright by Os Hillman, Marketplace Leaders.

I know the plan.

2010-05-23T19:14:00.000-07:00

Jeremiah 29:11
For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.

This scripture has really been rolling around in my mind and spirit lately. I don't know about you but it feels my heart with so much hope. Not only does it amaze me that God knows the plans... but he actually HAS plans!

I have plans for my kids. I have plans to help them achieve their dreams, help them become wonderful people and respected and loved members of society. I have plans for their education. I have plans because I love them and care about them and their lives. I have never ever plotted against them. I have never had evil plans for them. Evil and love do not go together. Evil actions do not match up with true love. Evil is evil, God is love.

God has plans for his kids. He has amazing things he wants for us, and he has it all planned out. Do you get a picture of a God who is so excited about his kids? Can you see him writing in his plans for each of his kids, sharing his thoughts and excitement with his Son and Spirit?
What also makes me so thrilled about this is that he KNOWS the plans. Every single detail has been thought out. The whens, wheres, whys and hows are all sorted, God has it all sorted. Which means that worrying about the whens, wheres etc is a pointless exercise. If it's God's plan, then he KNOWS the plan - and usually more indepth that we do!

God does not plan evil to come into our lives. He just doesn't. He doesn't sit up there and say "Hmm... now I am going to give this person a disease, then it will be used for my glory." God does not plan disasters FOR us... but because of this world and how it is, disasters still happen. But God does not plan for this to happen. This is such a relief to me, knowing that God did not cause the pain in my life and the trials that I live. It's not part of HIS plan. His plans are to give us a future and a hope. His plans are perfect and so amazing!

I am so blessed to know a few of God's plans for me. I know where God is leading - but I don't know the whole plan... just a snippet. It's wonderful to know that God has made these plans, not just so I can serve him, but because he loves me! The more I know about God, the more my passion and love for him is stirred within me.

God is such an amazing God!

MY PRAYER
Thank you Lord for showing me new truths from a scripture I know back to front. Thank you that you still speak afresh and new words to me. I love how it jumps out at me and strikes me deep in my heart, with new meaning and enabling me to grow and learn.

Psalm 119:160 The very essence of your words is truth;

John 1:1 In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God

Psalm 119:105 Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path

Romans 10:17 Everything in the Scriptures is God's Word. All of it is useful for teaching and helping people and for correcting them and showing them how to live.

Just a tad excited....

2010-05-07T06:29:00.000-07:00

... my 6 year old gave her life to Jesus!

:)

MY PRAYER

Help me Lord to be a good example and a spiritual guide where I can be to Mop. Help me encourage her in her relationship with you. Show me how. I pray you will give her teachers, her Sunday School teachers and anyone else who has spiritual input - that you will equip them to teach her and guide her. I pray that she will hunger after you and your word. I pray that her age won't deter her from developing her relationship with you and walking her faith journey.

Thankyou Lord that the seeds that have been sown were harvested!

Amen

It's stuck in my head and I love it!!

2010-05-02T07:11:00.000-07:00

It pays to listen when you pray!

2010-04-26T19:29:00.000-07:00

Last night I was praying as I was going to sleep about our car situation. We were really stuck - we couldn't repair it, we couldn't sell it until we paid what was owing on it. It was a right old shamozzle. The mechanic tried to find a motor and rang all over the country, looking for one. There was 1 available... and it was so expensive to buy, let alone get it put in our car. We would never be able to sell our car for what it would cost us in repairs. To cut a long story short - it was looking like we would have to come up with $16,000 to pay for the car and then start looking for a new one. That's right. SIXTEEN THOUSAND DOLLARS. To come up with that money, we would have to sell our caravan.

So that's the problem. We were reeling. What do we do?

"God what do I pray for? What do I ask for? I don't want to be the spoilt child that keeps getting bailed out. I don't want to treat you like a genie."

"What do you need?" was the reply.

"We need our car either fixed or replaced, that won't kill us financially. And I don't want to sell my caravan. I love that caravan!" I replied. I spent a few moments talking about the whole situation and I didn't know what to do.

"Call _____" and God gave me a name of a business.

"Eh??" I replied. That business name went straight into my heart.

"They will help you. You won't lose your caravan. Everything is going to be ok."

I listened to the deep breathing of my husband, who was sleeping beside me. Hmmm... I'm going to look like a real idiot if I wake him up and tell him to call this place. "Don't call. It wasn't God. Don't be so stupid." I heard the enemy whisper to me.

My husband stirred suddenly and whispered to me "Goodnight babe."

"Honey!" I spoke quickly and I told him about my prayer.

This morning my husband, obedient to God, made the call to the business.
"We can't help you. But we know who can, and this person is who we deal with." and they gave him a number. My husband called them... and low and behold, there was an engine for our car!! It would not cost us what we were quoted before to repair. To get it fitted it would cost us just over $4000. That's right FOUR THOUSAND. Now 4 grand is still a lot of money... but it's a LOT better than 16 grand!! Not only that, the engine has done 45,000 less kms than our old engine, so when it comes to resale - we will be able to get more for it! :)

God promised - and he came through, in 8 hours!

Jehovah Jireh!

My God provides. My God works miracles.

WOOOOOHOOOOOOO!!!

MY PRAYER
God. YOU ROCK!! Thanks so much for pulling us out of such a terrible situation. Thank you for speaking loud and clear and directing us to the right people. Thank you that you care about your kids and their problems.
Amen!

Oil of passion

2010-04-25T17:13:00.000-07:00

Yesterday it was if my Pastor was preaching just to me. He spoke about stretching your boundaries and stepping out and doing something that is different to what you are comfortable with. He said our inability to do it is not an excuse, because we have the ability to learn, and if it's God-inspired he will equip us and help us.

I've been really thinking and praying about this whole new calling on my life and this really spoke to me. "Ok Lord. Let's do it. You have to help me, because I am not sure what I need to do - but I am willing."
At that moment I got a vision. It was a big "bubble" of oil on the inside of me. It was getting bigger and bigger very rapidly. It was HUGE! God showed me that this was HIS passion for social injustice growing inside of me - filling me. Then the bubble exploded, and oil went everywhere. It didn't just sit on the surface though. It was quickly absorbed into me - it got into every little space, nook and cranny. It sank into me. God showed me that this will be part of me - this passion and compassion will permeate me and consume me.

Wow! What a word from God!
It's so good to get confirmation and clear direction on which path to walk. I know it's going to be a tough road ahead of me. But God will be with me and walk with me, showing me the best way to go about all this.

I meet with our Pastors this week and I will be talking to them about this and sharing with them what God is saying and doing in my life.

Angels of Mercy

2010-04-24T03:34:00.000-07:00

This month has been quite hard on myself and my family. Cutting a long story short, while we were on holiday our car (which is very reliable usually and well looked after) died in the middle of nowhere.

But what got me is that we were in a strange place and knew no-one - yet God bought people into our lives that would help us and show us kindness and favor. We first broke down in a small town - we could have broken down an hour before, or an hour later - or even in the middle of nowhere... No. We broke down IN the town. We were looked after by a mechanic who did his utmost to help us. He and his wife barely knew us at all, yet they offered us the use of their own car to drive 4 hours away to our destination. They would tow our dead car down and then tow their own car home again. Who does that? Who looks at a family and trusts them immediately and gives them their car to use - especially nowadays? How can their hearts be filled with such compassion and kindness to perfect strangers?

Because the car was dead, we had to abandon our caravan in the town. The same man and wife offered to tow the caravan to their home and let it stay in the driveway until we were in a position to come and pick it up again. The wife emptied out our fridge so it wouldn't smell. They went above and beyond what is expected from Roadside Assistance.

After the car was repaired... twice (don't ask!) , we headed back to the town to pick up our caravan. On the way we noticed that the air conditioning in the car stopped working. We groaned. What next??? This was seriously ridiculous!! We arrived at the town, the mechanic's wife ushered us into her beautiful home, served up chocolate biscuits for the kids and pulled out lovely toys for them to play with and the mechanic stuck his head under the bonnet of our car and repaired our air-conditioning problem. No charge.

We were so well taken care of and felt so incredibly blessed to run into these people. I have never experienced such kindness from strangers before. I felt humbled. Do I do this? Do I show love, care and compassion like this?

Cutting another long story short, we broke down again... for good this time. We were stuck in a small town outside Sydney while we waited for our car to be looked at again. The caravan was towed to a caravan park near the mechanics and I was left with the three children while my husband went to sort out the car. The two couples behind us came over immediately when they saw I was alone. "Can we help you? Can I set up your van for you? Can I put the roof up for you? (A very heavy job) Don't worry about the kids, this is a safe place. Do you need me to get you some groceries? If you ever need a ride somewhere, please let me know." The caravan park owners only charged minimum amount for the site, so we were financially blessed as well. While my husband was away, busy, my son was getting frustrated with his bike - the pedal kept falling off. The caravan park owner saw this and took it to his workshop and repaired it. My son idolised the man from then on. (Poor man! Had a little boy following him about asking him what he was doing every 5 minutes!)

Again perfect strangers coming to our aid. These people were not being kind for any other reason than they were kind people. They didn't want anything in return. They didn't expect anything in return. They showed us compassion, kindness and empathy - not because they wanted to shove something down our throat later. No reason. No motive. They were just beautiful people.

This humbles me. Truly it does! It was as if kindness was bottled up and handed to me. Not kind because they SHOULD be... but because they are.

Kindess is one of the fruits of the spirit, and I feel that sometimes I show kindness because I SHOULD... not because that is what is within me.

MY PRAYER
Father, thankyou for taking good care of us, through the most unexpected people. Thank you for each person who helped us and I pray you will bless them, bless their lives and that the kindness they showed us, will be rewarded abundantly. Help me to remember them often and help me follow their example in showing kindness where I can, fill me with your compassion and love to people I don't know. Thank you for this valuable lesson in such a tough time.
Amen.

PS: What ended up happening is we had to fly home and abandon our car and caravan and truck them both home later. We still owe money on the car - so have to pay that off before we can get rid of it and get another car. We are in no financial position to do that at this time. Please keep us in your prayers. We need a miracle here.

The Shack

2010-03-18T18:43:00.000-07:00

Has anyone else read this book?

I just put it down and I'm absolutely gobsmacked. It has changed me forever. It has changed how I relate with God forever - in a good way! I can't tell you what it's about, because it will ruin it for you, but if you like a good book, with simple truths, with amazing imagery and you are ready to have your conception of God blown out of the water - then this book is for you. I literally laughed and cried my way through this whole book. Not many people have the ability to do that to me with written words. I finished it in 3 days - which for me to finish a book in that time with three children and a very packed schedule is a miracle.

Read it. Be introduced to God as he really is, not how YOU think he is! You won't be sorry.

THE SHACK BOOK WEBSITE

God sent me an email.

2010-03-14T18:00:00.000-07:00

Ok Ok OK! I get the picture. God is certainly making it very clear. VERY clear.

I was going through my email account and going to delete a heap of emails that I subscribe to. I have stuff I need to do, I won't have time to read all these now. So I began to delete. I selected "THE FIRST REQUIREMENT OF MINISTRY" and was about to delete the lot when I felt in my spirit "HOLD IT!! Read that email. Read it." I tried to reason and argue but the nagging was strong. Read that email. The title didn't really appeal to me, it didn't speak to me... but that voice certainly did! So I opened it up and this is what I read.

The First Requirement of Ministry
(Taken from TGIF Today God Is First Volume 1, by Os Hillman 03-14-2010

"The priests are in mourning, those who minister before the Lord." - Joel 1:9b

The first requirement for being used by God in the life of others is to mourn on their behalf. We must identify with their pain and suffering. Each of us must be broken for others first.

In order to be fully used by God in the workplace, we need to understand what breaks God's heart. When we understand what breaks God's heart, we are able to mourn on behalf of a grieving person, or a nation we are called to serve. What breaks God's heart? When we begin to answer this question, we begin the first step to becoming instruments of change for those things that are important to God. Perhaps it is an overemphasis in our own talent and abilities, or lack of complete trust in Jesus. Perhaps it is the lack of respect for human life that leads to the killing of innocent babies. Perhaps it is the deceit and pride that often rule the workplace of commerce. Or perhaps it is the strife and divisions among His own Body that grieve Him most. When we begin to mourn over our own sins in these areas, God begins to use us as instruments of righteousness to affect these things. It was only when God let me see my own sins in the workplace and how they broke His heart that I began to be an instrument for His purposes.

Today, ask God to show you what things in your world are breaking His heart. Then see how He might want you to be the priest to affect for Him. The first step is identification with what breaks God's heart.

Today - God sent me an email. :)

MY PRAYER

Break my heart for what breaks yours.
Show me how to love like you have loved me.
Everything I am for your Kingdom's cause.

Keep revealing to me the things that are hurting you. That are breaking your heart. Make me cry for the things that make you cry. I want to feel your heart. I want to feel what you feel when you look at your beloved creation.

New direction.

2010-03-14T14:58:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, I felt a shift in my thinking and in my spirit. While having home group, we were brain storming about what we would like to see in the church. I suggested community action - actually leaving the church pews to go and make a difference in the community. Its all well and good to say we need to, but someone needs to actually make it happen! I was surprised at the passionate words that roared from my spirit. Not long afterwards, I became aware of some gross social injustice that made me sick. Me lecturer made some reference to the exploited children in the cocoa trade. My spirit lurched - so I immediately fired up Google and began to read and research.

What is the cost of real chocolate?

I felt considerable compassion for the poor children who are worked and worked, starved, beaten and exploited. I mourned for their lack of freedom and education. I thanked God my own children were safe and free with me and protected from monstrosities like that. After considerable discussion and research with my husband, we made the decision that we were not going to support the companies that purchased cocoa beans from non-fairtrade farms or other ethically run cocoa farms. I thought that my spirit would rest after that, we are doing all we can, we are only 5 people but we are going to make a difference... however small.

But no. God didn't allow me to get away with that. Over the last few weeks he has injected my spirit with a fire and a passion for the social injustice in this world. Not just overseas but in my own country. My spirit is stirring like a whirlpool. My husband said: "The church needs education about these gross injustices. What they need is someone with good strong leadership skills, and the ability to teach to raise awareness. Someone like you maybe?"
I was stunned - but something resonated in my spirit.
I then spoke to my Mum about this chocolate issue, and she stood with me and is refusing to support the companies that turn a blind eye to the children that are being exploited. She said to me: "You should be making this known to the church, God has given you the ability to speak and boldness..."
Hmmm... so I prayed. "God if this is the direction you want me to take, you need to tell me, because this is not something I know a great deal about."

That Sunday the sermon was about being an influence. God spoke loud and clear. It is not enough for me to merely stop supporting non-fair trade companies. It's not enough to stand on my soap box and tutt and say, "that's terrible." God wants me to take it further. The Pastor made reference to Matthew 25:35-40 Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Enter, you who are blessed by my Father! Take what's coming to you in this kingdom. It's been ready for you since the world's foundation. And here's why: I was hungry and you fed me, I was thirsty and you gave me a drink, I was homeless and you gave me a room, I was shivering and you gave me clothes, I was sick and you stopped to visit, I was in prison and you came to me.'

"Then those 'sheep' are going to say, 'Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry and feed you, thirsty and give you a drink? And when did we ever see you sick or in prison and come to you?' Then the King will say, 'I'm telling the solemn truth: Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me—you did it to me.'

I heard a whisper in my spirit: "Who is going to speak for me?"

God plainly said, it's not enough - YOU are the church. If 300 people hear what you have to say, and 300 people write letters and fire off emails to the companies who are at fault and start making a roar about it, they are going to listen. But what if those 300 people told 5 people each? Told 5 other people that this is going on in this world, and it's not acceptable. What if those other 5 people began emailing and writing letters to the company? 1500 emails/letters. 1500 voices crying out on behalf on the many children will make it known to the company and share holders are going to hear. That is 1500 voices from 1 church - what if you spoke to 10 churches.
It's time for the church to stop spectating - it's time for them to rise and make their voices heard and known. They need to stop leaving it to the Christian political groups and the crazy religious fanatics.

Joshua did not yell by himself when he was at Jericho. One little voice would sound so piddly and so useless - I bet the army tucked away inside Jericho wouldn't have even heard him. But they sure did hear when the entire army let out a roar. The unethical companies WILL hear if we are persistant and loud enough. They need to hear the voices of the godly to help them make godly discisions. We cannot influence our world by keeping our salt in the salt shaker - we need to sprinkle it in all the areas we need to influence.

God has equipped me with the gift of teaching. God has equipped me with motivational skills. God has equipped me with boldness and I will not skirt around the issues delicately. God wants me to speak for those who can't speak for themselves. God wants me to bring the issues that are in the world into the church so instead of thinking about possibly making a difference in their world, they have to the opportunity to rise and do it!

MY PRAYER
I'm ready God. I'll do anything you say and go anywhere you lead. Please show me how to do this, and show me who to talk to and what to say. Fill me with your spirit - annoint my words and lips. I'm scared at this new calling, but I know you are with me. Help me. Help!!!!
Keep this fire burning in my spirit, fuel it, flame it so that your people will know that I am your ambassador. Please start opening doors for me as well as equipping me to go forward from here.
Amen.

Unfailing love

2010-02-23T16:59:00.000-08:00

MY PRAYER
Thank you Father that even though you are so great, so amazing, so powerful, so big - you hold me in the palm of you hand, you love me, you are interested in me and want me. Thank you for the precious gift of your Son, and through Him, I am justified and set free. Thank you for loving me so much and seeing me as valuable and incredibly precious.

Thank you Lord for talented, creative people who write songs, and make the words that I can't seem to form. Thank you that through others I can express what is in my heart.

Amen

A word in season

2010-02-20T22:20:00.000-08:00

Today in church, I was enjoying our time of corporate worship and just spending time in God's presence. I worshiped, I praised, I welcomed such a wonderful sense of God's presence in the place. Then I was still. I just sat at the feet of Christ, in a sense, and just listened and allowed my spirit to hear Him.

I felt that familiar niggle - what if you are destined to be a nobody? What if you have had your day and you will do nothing for God ever again? You have tickets on yourself thinking that you could do ANYTHING for God. Bah... Satan. You think I don't know you? You think I don't recognize a jab from the enemy? Well listen here - I have faith in my God. God is handling it - so you can toddle off and annoy someone else.

My heart whispered... "when God? I know you are taking me through fire, to refine me and to prepare me. I'm at peace with that.... but I keep remembering the promise. I can't forget this. I can't let it go. It keeps coming into my thoughts. When?"

As I poured my heart out to God... I heard God start to impart and start to speak to me.

"Write this down."

So I sat down, in the darkened auditorium, and began to write.

Peace Skipper. Peace. Be at peace in every area of your life. Do not be afraid. I am with you. I am leading you. I hear your heart's cry. I hear you. I know you. I am leading. Have peace my daughter. Be at peace. Those dreams I have planted will happen. Peace. Do not worry. I haven't forgotten you. Everything will come to pass. Let your heart rest in me. Fully. Not just in certain areas. Every area. Trust me. Trust IN me. And be at peace.

MY PRAYER
Thank you Father for speaking to me. Thank you for your continuing comfort and reassurance that it's all ok and I'm walking this journey with you. Thank you for not leaving me to flounder - that your hand is there holding me, and leading me, and giving me a good shove in the right direction when need be. Thank you for being so patient with me.
Amen

New layout for new part of my journey

2010-02-19T04:54:00.001-08:00

I know I have been rather quiet here lately - but the way my life is at the moment is all consuming.

I decided to change my blog layout - because a change is always good - but also to reflect where I am at in my journey with God. At the moment every single step I take - I am doing it with such faith that God knows exactly what he is doing and where we are going - because frankly I have no clue. But I'm not worried - because where he leads I know it's a good place. I know that God has a greater purpose and plan and I am just resting, waiting for it to be made known. I know that God will be glorified in every single area of my life - that has been the cry of my heart - and God has honored that. God is going to use this time to extend his kingdom, to allow me to minister to more people and share the goodness of God.

The peace I feel in my heart astounds me. But I rest easily and quietly in the hands of our loving God, truly believing that all things work together for good...

... because I walk by faith and not by sight.

It's what you say behind their back

2010-01-28T13:49:00.000-08:00

Romans 12:9-10 Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves

I read this a few days ago and I have been really meditating on it. Love must be sincere. It must be real. When we are called to love one another - it means REALLY love one another. I hate knowing that someone is "loving" me to my face, but on the inside are thinking otherwise. It's not a sincere love. The fake smile, the fake cheerful voice, the fake care about how you are doing.... fake. Fake. Fake. But our love is supposed to be real.

One way that we can show our love for one another - and it's a love language as well - words of affirmation. Honor each other. It's amazing how much your attitude towards someone can change when you start to think about their positive attributes. You may not get along with them. They may irritate you. They may abuse you. They may hurt you. But we aren't called to love JUST the people who deserve it... because in the end, no one would be loved. We are called to just love.

Genuine and sincere love does not just honor people when they are present - in fact that can often give the impression of insincerity. Our love for one another is revealed by what we say behind their back. Is it gossip? Is it nasty? Is it rude? Does it build them up? Does it tear them down? Does it promote harmony? Would they be hurt by what we say? We can also show our love for our brothers and sisters in Christ by speaking about them behind their back.
"Oh that Jenny... have you heard her sing? Amazing voice!!"
"Naomi has such a passion for kids ministry. I really admire that about her."
"Phil has such a good heart."

In Romans 14:9 it says "So then, let us aim for harmony in the church and try to build each other up."

We build each other up with our words and our deeds. We can destroy people just as easily. If our love is sincere we will build them up by honoring them. If your love is insincere - you won't acheive anything of the kind.

Loving one another does not mean you have to be best friends with them. It doesn't mean you even have to have a relationship with them. Some people it's unwise to be friends with - especially those who abuse, use and hurt on a regular basis. But that doesn't mean you have to stop loving them and honoring them.

So try it... go on! I dare you. Show your committment to loving one another with sincerity by vocalising sincere honor. Love one another and speak about them behind their back.. in a good way.

God is gracious

2010-01-26T20:32:00.000-08:00

Numbers 6:24-26 ‘May the Lord bless you and protect you. May the Lord smile on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord show you his favor and give you his peace.’

What an amazing piece of God's Word this is - full of blessing, promise and covering. I was reminded of it today as I experienced God's blessing and favour. I never asked for it. I never said "God go before me - and provide for me in this area." because I have no idea what it is I need and what I should be asking God for. But this just shows me that God is going before me, even though I never asked, showing me his grace, showing me his favour and giving me peace of mind - before I even start worrying about it!!

I don't know if you remember, but my son has special needs - and needs quite a bit of therapy. This week this therapy has increased and we have been seeing 3 professionals. Each of them have shown me that God has his hand on my son and is showing so much grace and favour to us. I have no way of knowing what my son will need in the future, I am taking it one week at a time, one day at a time. But the professionals that are working with him are opening up opportunities and resources that I had no idea existed!! They are tapping into funding for me and are making it possible for me to get financial help from the government to help pay for his therapies.

God has gone before me, seen what my son needed, and started making it all possible for me. 9 month waiting lists are shrinking to 2 months. 6 month waiting lists are not bothering me, because I know that one of his therapists are trying so hard to make it happen faster. Testing, assesments, etc are all falling into place and happening alot faster. God is providing for our every need.

Today this scripture really spoke to me when one of my son's therapists said to me. "You think about what E needs - before he even needs it, and set it up so it's not a problem for him when he comes to that place." God has done the exact same thing. He's thought about what we need before we even need it and has set it up to happen so when we do come to the place of need - it's already there. But not only has he given us our needs, but has gone over and above what we need. We are being offered resources and more experts than we "need" - these are all just bonuses!! God has smiled down on us, and because he loves me and my son - he has blessed us, shown us his favour and given me peace. All of this is in the Lord's hands - and I have no need to worry. God is going before me and paving the way. He's smiling down on us!

Isn't that an awesome image? God smiling down on us?

MY PRAYER
Dear Lord, thank you for the blessing that you are pouring into our lives in abundance. Thank you for recognising that I haven't the foggiest idea what I am doing - and thank you for assuring me in practical ways that you DO know what you are doing. Thank you for the priveledge of being Mother to my son. Thank you for making this whole process a lot easier than it could have been. I see so many other special needs kids struggling to get the help they need and I am just so incredibly greatful that you are giving us the very best of the best. I pray your blessing over the team of professionals who care for him - I pray you give them wisdom and bless them abundantly.
Amen

MIA

2010-01-21T16:09:00.000-08:00

I'm sorry, I've been MIA. Missing in action. There is so much going on in our lives right now so I haven't been able to study the Word much - not to worry - I'm still mulling over Moses. :)

I'm encouraged though - not cast down with guilt because in Psalm 1 it says
But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night.
They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither,and they prosper in all they do.

I can live, grow and learn from scripture I read last week. I can dwell on it, think about it and pray about it. I love that there is life in the Word - and part of meditating on God's word is to get as much of the goodness out of it as possible. I love that God can speak to me at any time through his Word - and I'm not condemned and made to feel guilty for not reading the Bible today.

Don't get me wrong, it's good to read the Bible - but God isn't sitting up in heaven with a huge stick, ready to strike those bad Christians who aren't doing a three hour Bible study every day. But try to meditate on God's word - "Day and night" and get as much out of it as you possibly can.

Hopefully soon I'll be back once things slow down over here.

An Award

2010-01-19T15:38:00.000-08:00

Daphi-dills has awarded me and my blog this:

Awww thankyou Daph! :)
It's nice to know that this blog is appreciated and a blessing to at least one person.

xxx Skipper

The Lord Reigns, let the earth rejoice!

2010-01-07T15:04:00.000-08:00

Last night as I nestled into bed, with my Bible, ready to start my study - when I felt my spirit say "I feel like a Psalm." Just before I start flipping the pages to the middle of the Bible, I felt Psalm 97 drop into my heart.

1 The Lord is king!
Let the earth rejoice!
Let the farthest coastlands be glad.
2 Dark clouds surround him.
Righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.

............

11 Light shines on the godly,
and joy on those whose hearts are right.
12 May all who are godly rejoice in the Lord
and praise his holy name!

God spoke to me through these words. He is king over all. He is Lord of all. He is king when we are in pain. He is Lord during our circumstances in life. He reigns when you are the depths of despair. He is Lord, king and ruler over all!
There are things that I am not going to always completely understand - there are mysteries that I am not to know the answers to yet - but I do know that righteousness and justice is the foundation of his throne. That's all I need to know for now.
Because God reigns, this is a cause for rejoicing! This is a cause for joy! The Lord reigns - he's got it all under control. When things spiral out of control in our lives, it's out of OUR control - but not God's!
I love the last verse - it's a call to worship our Lord. I love calls to worship - it makes my spirit soar!

MY PRAYER
Thankyou Lord that you are King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Thankyou that you reign over all - that nothing is exempt from this. Lord I accept your kingship over my life. You reign and I will worship you all of my days. Thankyou for showing me that there is not one area on this earth or in my life that you are not King over. That not one thing will happen without your knowledge. I pray that you will give me more understanding of you as I continue to read your Word. Amen

Attitude during the tough times.

2010-01-05T15:34:00.000-08:00

Exodus 17:1 - 2 - At the Lord’s command, the whole community of Israel left the wilderness of Sin and moved from place to place. Eventually they camped at Rephidim, but there was no water there for the people to drink. So once more the people complained against Moses. “Give us water to drink!” they demanded.

God sometimes leads us into difficult places. If Christianity shielded us from bad times, how would we grow? How would our faith in God increase? What would be the use of praying for God to supply our needs, because God was already doing it? If God shielded us from tough times and from trials in our lives, if God did everything we wanted and gave us what we wanted WHEN we wanted it - can you imagine how spoilt we would become?

God lead the Israelites into a waterless desert. It was for a purpose. God doesn't do anything willy-nilly. His attitude is "How can I torture my people today? I know! I'll make them thirst for a while!" We don't know what the purpose was - it didn't say. It just said "At the Lord's command..."

These deserts we encounter in life are there to grow us.... or not. We alone decide. It's our attitude during these times that will decide if we grow or not. Do we blame God or do we accept the challenges that come our way? Do we behave with grace and continue to have faith in our Almighty Father that there is a great purpose in this? Do we whinge? Whine? Why me? Why is this happening to me? What kind of God does this to his people?

Oh. WOW!
As I typed that last statement - God spoke to me.
As you may know, I am a rape child. I have never ever figured out WHY God would allow something so terrible like that to happen to my Mum. WHY did I have to be born that way? What kind of God allows this sort of thing to happen to his kid? I often think "God you have ALOT of explaining to do when we get face to face. I have questions that I feel are unanswered." I knew that God had a greater purpose, but I never thought that my attitude could be hindering what God has in store. I think God has just answered my question.

I can't think like an Israelite slave. I can't behave like a whinging, whining, questioning slave. I'm not a slave - I'm a child of God, set free from bondage and with a mission to serve our Mighty God! How I respond to the deserts I encounter will decide if I grow or if I don't. It's time to shake the slave mentality off and allow God to lead me where he wants to lead me. I can't surrender to God fully if I have a slave mentality.

I just had a water from the rock moment.

MY PRAYER
Dear Lord.
I'm sorry. I am so incredibly sorry that I have had a slave mentality all these years. I want to accept the circumstances to how I was conceived as something you ordained with a greater purpose. It's not because you hated me or my Mum and wanted to punish us. I want to accept your will and purpose for my life and not demand an explanation and threaten you with confrontation later on. I want to accept the circumstances of my conception with grace and have complete faith in you that whatever you have in store for me is going to be so amazing. I believe that there is a Promised Land for me in my future, and it's going to be far greater than we can ever think of.

Ephesians 3:20 Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.

Lord as I go through my life, I want each day, either good or bad, to be lived for your glory. I want to learn and grow each day. Help me remember that my attitude will decide this.

Thankyou for your grace, your mercy and your love.
Amen

It is well with my Soul

2010-01-04T17:16:00.000-08:00

I hope you are blessed as you watch the amazing story of the man who wrote this hymn. This hymn really portrays such a wonderful attitude to have as we go through life's journey. Good and bad - it is well with my soul. No matter what, we can never lose the love the Father has for his beloved children.

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
when sorrows like sea billows roll;
whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say,
It is well, it is well with my soul.

It is well with my soul,
it is well, it is well with my soul.

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
let this blest assurance control,
that Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
and hath shed his own blood for my soul.

My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

And, Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
the clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
the trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
even so, it is well with my soul.
(Refrain)

Welcome 2010

2009-12-31T20:04:00.000-08:00

There are no ifs or buts about it. I am glad to see the back of 2009.

I feel 2010 is going to be my year. I don't know what exactly, but I sense in my spirit that God is going to hurl me into something amazing. Last year was like the little engine that could. "I think I can, I think I can." Strain. Stress. Hard yakka. Preparation for the road ahead. Strengthened spirit - strengthened relationship with God - and we are going to do amazing things this year.

So...

Every single year I made New Year's resolutions. I keep most of them. So here are my goals for this year in my Spiritual life:

1. This year I am going to continue on in studying the Bible and read a good portion of it. If I am going to be using my gift of teaching, then I better know alot more to actually teach!!

2. Every single month I am going to prepare a rip-snorter sermon. So by December 2010 I should have 12 of them, on file - ready to speak when I am asked.

3. I am going to spend less time on Facebook as part of a personal resolution, but I think this will benefit my spiritual life. I will have more time to do more productive things in my life. Spending time of facebook acheives absolutely nothing - but spending time praying, reading the Word, worshipping, reading studies, and meditating on the scriptures will grow me and prepare me.

So that's it for this year. Today is the first day of an amazing year. I look forward to it!

MY PRAYER
Lord, thankyou for bringing me through such a tough year. Thankyou that you have clearly been at work in my life and showing me the way and walking every step of the way with me. Lord I commit 2010 to you - have your way in my life. I give my talents, skills and abilities to you for your use for your purposes. Help me encourage and bless the people who visit this blog. Use the words I write to speak into the lives of these precious people.
2010 belongs to you. It's your year, to do your thing, in your world with your Skipper.
Amen.

Have a blessed Christmas!

2009-12-21T16:18:00.000-08:00

To my readers,
May the splendor of the season remind you of Him who is worthy of all our praise!

And even though we don't "do" Santa in this house, I couldn't resist this very Aussie picture:

With love from Skipper

Detour signs.

2009-12-17T17:03:00.000-08:00

Exodus 13:17, 21-22 When Pharaoh finally let the people go, God did not lead them along the main road that runs through Philistine territory, even though that was the shortest route to the Promised Land..... The Lord went ahead of them. He guided them during the day with a pillar of cloud, and he provided light at night with a pillar of fire. This allowed them to travel by day or by night. And the Lord did not remove the pillar of cloud or pillar of fire from its place in front of the people.

The journey to God's promises are not always direct. Sometimes we are lead on detoured routes. And do you know what? That's ok with me - because:

1. It's planned!
God has a purpose and a reason for leading us on indirect routes. The Israelites were lead on a longer route for a purpose. If you read the scripture in it's entirety, God states his thinking and reasoning. Now I know it would be nice to know WHY God does what he does - sometimes we just don't know. But we have to have faith in God's purpose and believe that God has a greater plan.
God is not surprised by anything. He isn't sitting up there thinking "Oh wow! Well, I didn't expect THAT to happen... oh dear, now what?" He didn't lead the Israelites into Philistine territory, because he KNEW what would happen. He knows what we are going through, where we are at on our journey and he knows what we need to get through each stage in our life.

2. We are not lost!
Sometimes I feel like I am wandering around aimlessly - where am I going? What am I doing?? But God has the map. He's the one who directs us and leads us - and I just have to believe in his direction. Psalm 23:3 He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name. He's guiding me. He's guiding you. We are not lost - we are not going to have to backtrack, we are not wasting our time. All is good. All is for a reason and a purpose.

3. My faith will increase.
2 Corinthians 5:7 For we live by believing and not by seeing.
I need to believe his promises, believe in his abilities, believe that he is doing everything for a greater purpose, and bring glory to God as I go. Going on detours is an exercise in my faith.

Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.

MY PRAYER
I believe in you Lord. I believe in your abilities, your will and your purposes. I want to be lead completely by you. Like you lead the Israelites by fire and a cloud - I want to be lead by your Holy Spirit and your Word. Help me go through my detours, equipping me as I go, and help me stay patient and see it as a faith builder. Lord I know you have great things in store for me - I want to bring glory to you as I take the journey to actually get there. Thank you for speaking to me through your Word. I pray that you will speak to every single reader, impact them, encourage them and surround them with your love. Amen

Leadership Boot Camp.

2009-12-15T16:43:00.000-08:00

I've been reading and studying Moses' life with interest. I was especially interested that Moses was demoted from prince of Egypt, with power and influence, to a shepherd. Now I've worked with sheep, and seriously it's not a glamorous job at all. Especially in Australia, where you are trying to work with them in the dust, flies and heat. When I see pictures of a Bible-days shepherd boy, holding this lilly white lamb, it all looks peaceful and green and lush... To me that seems unrealistic. I think Moses, working out near Mount Sinai, would have had a similar environment to an Aussie "Shepherd".

When I was working with sheep, the boss would have to help his sheep find water, food, keep them penned in their paddocks, treat their wool yearly, dag them (which means shear off the wool around their backsides) and shear them. Getting them from one paddock to another was ridiculous. Seriously sheep are STUPID. Once I was ushering sheep from one pen to another so they could be counted, and one fell over. It lay there for AGES... and the boss had to go and pick it up. It wouldn't get up on it's own. Mustering them is so funny - because they are just so stupid. If they went in the direction they were supposed to, then it would be over alot faster.

If Moses was going to lead a nation out of Egypt, he had to go to Leadership Boot Camp. Working with stubborn, stupid sheep would give him excellent leadership skills to lead a whinging, whining, stubborn, disobedient nation into freedom. What Moses may have seen as a "demotion" and a mundane living was actually training him to be the "deliverer".

Situations in life are not wasted, God will use them to grow us, develop us, equip us and then when the time is right, send us out and use us. Praise God that the rubbish times in life, the times where we feel like we are not accomplishing anything for his Kingdom, is Boot Camp!

MY PRAYER
Thankyou Father that the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord - that all seasons are ordained by you. Lord help me get the very most growth out of "Boot camp" times so I can be the most effective in ministry. Thankyou that it's not by might, not my power, but by your Spirit - I don't do anything in my own strength - it's all you. I give full glory and honour to you. Amen

Looking back over the last year.

2009-12-13T22:23:00.001-08:00

I started this blog a year ago. Roughly.

It's been 1 year since I starting blogging about my journey and what I have learned. It's funny, but it feels like MUCH longer.

So in honor of it being a Blogiversary, I went back and started reading over my words, readings and learnings. Do you know what?? I'm excited!! It's good to go back and look at the steps I have walked from December 2008 - December 2009. This year has been a hard slog for me, but do you know what, God has walked every single step of the way with me. My personal life may be hard, but God has spoken life and love into my spirit, giving me the strength to face my troubles and worries and get on with it.

How GREAT is our God???

So here is to 2010! May God bless it, and keep guiding me so I can run with perserverance the race that is set before me!

Put in a good word...

2009-12-11T04:01:00.000-08:00

Genesis 40:14 And please remember me and do me a favor when things go well for you. Mention me to Pharaoh, so he might let me out of this place.

I totally get where Joseph is coming from. He is starting to get impatient. He is starting to wonder whether he should have the "God helps those who help themselves" attitude. He is starting to self promote. He put his faith in a human being to get him out of prison and to start fulfilling his vision and dream. He asked the cup bearer to "do him a favour" and "talk to Pharoah for me". I get it. Everything within me is screaming out to do the same. Promote yourself Skip. Advertise. Start talking to the "right people" about your dreams, visions and abilities. Get people in power to liase on your behalf. DO SOMETHING WOMAN!! I can see why Joseph asked for a favour.

For a moment there, Joseph's focus shifted. He thought a mere human would be able to do what God should have already done, as far as he was concerned. As it turns out, the cup-bearer forgot Joseph for 2 years!! Didn't even give him a second thought! Relying on humans to fulfill what God has promised is fruitless and will just disappoint.

But this time of waiting for God's timing was the time that Joseph was developed. His faith had to be unwavering. He was given leadership opportunities. He had to go through this time to be the great man that he was. This time of waiting will not go wasted for myself or for anyone else who is waiting for God to do His thing.

Psalm 146:3-6 Don’t put your confidence in powerful people; there is no help for you there. When they breathe their last, they return to the earth, and all their plans die with them. But joyful are those who have the God of Israel as their helper,
whose hope is in the Lord their God. He made heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them. He keeps every promise forever.

MY PRAYER
Lord I will trust in you and only you to do what you have promised. Your Word says that you keep EVERY promise. You will never dissapoint me. God I want to have faith in you and only you. My human nature wants to self promote - and I know that is not your will. Keep reminding me that it's all in your timing. Your purposes will come about when YOU decide it's time. Not my timing.

Tough times = preparing the groundwork

2009-12-08T14:28:00.000-08:00

In Genesis 39 we read of Joseph's life and how he must have thought "What on earth is going on?? I've had this dream, you showed me, and now I am in prison unjustly."

But God was preparing the groundwork. Going through tough times develops us in our character to prepare us for the work God has in store for us. God really impressed on me that this time in my life is just a season - it's preparation for fulfillment of dreams and promises. Something that really spoke to me was: if Joseph stayed where he was, with his father, being the favourite son, living that cushy life - he wouldn't have developed into that strong and powerful man that he became. Joseph was sold into slavery by his own brothers - he was a young man in a good place, and quickly became a nobody.

During tough times in our lives, it enables us to wait on God and wait on his timing. This is faith building time, hanging onto the promises God has made, remembering those dreams, and waiting for God to fulfill them. I read in my study bible that God's DELAYS are not DENIALS.

I'm so glad that God has shown me these passages, and given me new meaning. I can go through these uncertain and difficult times with the confidence that this is a time of refinement and God is preparing the groundwork for greater things.

MY PRAYER
Lord God, thank you for speaking to me clearly through your word. I love how it all comes to me in perfect timing. Help me to be a woman of integrity as I continue this season in my life. It's not easy, but I know I can rely on you for strength and guidance. Amen

Flying under the radar? I don't think so!

2009-12-06T13:51:00.000-08:00

Genesis 39:2-6 The Lord was with Joseph, so he succeeded in everything he did as he served in the home of his Egyptian master. Potiphar noticed this and realized that the Lord was with Joseph, giving him success in everything he did. This pleased Potiphar, so he soon made Joseph his personal attendant. He put him in charge of his entire household and everything he owned. From the day Joseph was put in charge of his master’s household and property, the Lord began to bless Potiphar’s household for Joseph’s sake. All his household affairs ran smoothly, and his crops and livestock flourished. So Potiphar gave Joseph complete administrative responsibility over everything he owned

God had called Joseph to great things. He had given him 2 dreams, showing him his future, that he would be a man of influence and power. Amazing dreams for a young man. But things weren't appearing to go to plan - Joseph had been sold into slavery and then made a servant in Potiphar's house. Going from a rich man's favourite son, with position - to a servant, a slave - a nobody!

But when God's annointing is on your life, it doesn't go unnoticed. Potiphar - who was probably a man who worshipped pagan gods, noticed that God was with Joseph and helping him succeed in his role as a slave. There is no way Joseph could have flown under the radar because God's annointing was apparent. His owner recognised that there was something special about him and elevated him to manager of his home.

When you are in a God ordained place, we succeed - but if we are in a self ordained place, trying to make ourselves great and climb the ministry "corporate ladder" we will not experience the kind of success that God will give us.

God really spoke to me while I was reading this passage - it was a gentle promise that it will be apparent that God's annointing is on my life. Like Joseph - I used to have status (in ministry) but now I am back to nothing. But I will not fly under the radar, because I have God's annointing on my life. The good thing about this is that Joseph was a rich man's favourite son, when he reached his potential - when his dreams came to pass, he was a prime minister of a nation!

MY PRAYER
Lord, I believe in you and your abilities. Though I don't understand what is going on and where I am going, I believe in you and your promises.

Obedience at all cost

2009-11-29T22:16:00.000-08:00

God is really speaking to me as I slowly plod my way through the Bible.

In Genesis 22, we read about the story of Abraham's test of faith. God gave Isaac to Abraham, his long awaited and much beloved son. Abraham proved himself by obeying God no matter what the cost. He loved his son, he had waited for his son - but his attitude was that God had it all under control. Abraham was named as a great man of faith. Seriously, he deserves that title!!

What spoke to me is that Abraham showed God, that he had access to ALL areas of his life. Whatever God wanted, Abraham would obey. Even when God wanted his son, Abraham obeyed - and at the last moment God stopped him. Talk about a breath holding moment!!! Nothing Abraham had was withheld from God - nothing.

I believe that in this season of my life, God is preparing for the next phase in my ministry. This is a lesson for me - am I withholding from God? Is there an area in my life that is off-limits to God? Is it all or nothing, or just bits and pieces?

MY PRAYER
Lord I want to be an all or nothing Christian. I want my whole life to be in complete surrender to you. I don't want to hold anything back from you - no matter how precious it is to me.
Please show me areas of my life that I need to surrender. Help be have the strength and courage to face it, and hand it over - completely trusting in you.

Thankyou Lord for speaking to me and showing me the way.

Waiting for Isaac

2009-11-28T15:38:00.000-08:00

Genesis 21:1-5 1 The Lord kept his word and did for Sarah exactly what he had promised. 2 She became pregnant, and she gave birth to a son for Abraham in his old age. This happened at just the time God had said it would. 3 And Abraham named their son Isaac. 4 Eight days after Isaac was born, Abraham circumcised him as God had commanded. 5 Abraham was 100 years old when Isaac was born.

Isaac was God's promise to Abraham. He promised Abraham that He would make him a great nation. His descendents would be so numerous you couldn't count them. Abraham was 100 years old before Isaac arrived. Now I don't know about you, but 100 years old, is OLD! I don't see many 100 year old people able to have children. Sarah would have gone through menopause, their libido would have diminished somewhat - and at that age, if they did have sexual relations, wouldn't "Gee I hope I don't break a hip!" be forefront in their minds. She said herself, her child bearing years are over.

Genesis 18:11-12 Abraham and Sarah were both very old by this time, and Sarah was long past the age of having children. 12 So she laughed silently to herself and said, “How could a worn-out woman like me enjoy such pleasure, especially when my master—my husband—is also so old?”

Sarah thought it was impossible.
Abraham believed God, but must have been too, wondering how it was going to happen.
God waited until it was absolutely humanly impossible to conceive a child, and then acted. Isaac was a complete revelation of God's amazing power. There is no way anyone could say "That was a fluke, a very rare occurence" - because a 90 year old woman and a 100 year old man cannot bear children.

I can't really complain - at 30 years old, God is not fulfilling his promises to me. God has not given me my Isaac. When it comes to fulfilling God's purposes, I want it to be GOD who does it - when it's humanly impossible for me to do anything, God will move. I don't want an Ishmael - which was the son that Abraham had when he tried to move the hand of God.

So however long it takes, whatever God's will and purpose is in regards to the promises he has made, I am willing to wait for my Isaac.

MY PRAYER
Lord God, you are in control of everything. Thankyou that your purposes and promises will come into being in their due season. Lord when I see that things don't look possible to me, I can rejoice because with you - NOTHING is impossible.
Amen

Faith in God, no matter what.

2009-11-18T19:04:00.000-08:00

Genesis 12:1-4
The Lord had said to Abram, “Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land that I will show you.
I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others.
I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through you.”
So Abram departed as the Lord had instructed....Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Haran

When I read this passage, I was amazed at the level of faith that it took Abram to pack up everything he owned, and leave his family, his heritage, his land and go off to some unknown place. God said it and he did it. Not only did he just up and leave and go on a huge walkabout through strange lands, he did this when he was 75 years old!! 75 is OLD!! 75 is past retirement age here. He was a white haired nomad. And he up and left, in anticipation of the promises that God made. I am especially glad God kept the promise that "all families on earth will be blessed through you" We are certainly blessed because Abram acted in faith. 2000 years a go that blessing came to earth to offer us salvation and relationship with God.

Abram had to make a painful decision to leave his family, leave everything he had ever known, leave his friends and all that was comfortable and head off to literally God knows where. God promised him that he would make him a great nation - even though at 75, he had no children. His wife was past child-bearing age. In the natural, this was an impossible promise to keep. But God did it - 25 years later, God gave Abram a son - Isaac. God kept every single promise he made to Abram because he acted in faith and did what God asked of him.

MY PRAYER
Lord I want to obey your every word. Help me be like Abram, who didn't question you but obeyed and in return received so much blessing. Abram's faith is a faith I want to emulate. Lord I believe in the promises you have made me, what you have said you are going to do, how you are going to use me. I will do anything and go anywhere you tell me to, so these can come to pass. You are worthy of all the praise, and all the glory, all the honor. Amen.

I've been quiet

2009-11-11T15:00:00.000-08:00

Sorry everyone. I've had some crazy times over here. I've just wrapped up my university year with a big research assignment. It's been consuming my thoughts and time. I've not had the mental capacity to write something meaningful in here.

But even when I am crazy busy and when I am consumed by stress and assignments and journals. When I feel like I'm in the middle of a snowball effect, I know that God is my epi-centre. I know that God is my peace in my whirlwind moments.

1 Corinthians 14:33 - For God is not a God of disorder but of peace. During times of craziness, this verse comforts me. I have a confession to make, I have control freak tendencies. I like my world to be ordered. Everything has it's place, everything has to be catergorised and put into it's little box. When things are out of order in my life I tend to spin out and feel like I am losing it! It's just the way I am. My Mum is like it. My Aunt is like it. This doesn't control me, because there are just some things that I can't control, and this where I have to hand it over to God. But know that God is a God of order - and knowing this makes me feel a heap better about life's crazies.

MY PRAYER
Thankyou Lord for the strength to get through these last few weeks. Thankyou that you are with me and giving the peace that passes all understanding. Thankyou that you never change, and I can rely on you at all times. Amen

I am desperate for you my God

2009-11-01T14:16:00.000-08:00

MY PRAYER
Beautiful Saviour. Mighty and great God! Lord and Father - hear my heart's cry, hear my prayer, hear my spirit yearn for you. I am desperate for you. Fill me completely. I am nothing without you - I am dust on legs without you. Everything I am, everything I do - it's for you. Every skill I have, every talent I have - it's for you. For your glory, for the benefit of extending your kingdom.
Lord my spirit yearns for so much more. I want more of you. I want more of what you have in store for me. I want more. I want to know you more.
Lord in these times of I am unsure of what is going to happen, I want to rest peacefully, knowing that you have it under control. And while I wait for your purpose and plan to come into being, I will worship you. I will praise you. My heart will sing How great is our God! Let this season of waiting be a season of waiting with you, growing closer and more intimate with you. Let this time not be wasted in just waiting, but a time of knowing you so much more.

I will walk in freedom.

2009-10-31T15:59:00.000-07:00

Psalm 119:45 I will walk in freedom, for I have devoted myself to your commandments.

MY PRAYER
Lord, I want you desperately. I want to know you deeply. I want to be so close to you. I want to walk in complete freedom, the way that you have intended for me. As I devote myself to reading and studying your Word, I pray that you will reveal yourself to me and that each word I read will impact my life. I don't want to read the Bible like a novel, or a newspaper, I want these words to be life changing and world shaking. I look forward to this liberating life and I thankyou for it Lord. I love you Lord, and I worship you. You are all that I want. In your freedom I will live. I offer devotion.

Psalm 34

2009-10-27T15:23:00.000-07:00

Today as I was seeking God - just relaxing in his presence, the verse "Taste and see that the Lord is good" came to mind. I looked it up and read the entire Psalm. These words really spoke into my spirit. One phrase sums it up... HOW GREAT IS OUR GOD???

1 I will praise the Lord at all times.
I will constantly speak his praises.
2 I will boast only in the Lord;
let all who are helpless take heart.
3 Come, let us tell of the Lord’s greatness;
let us exalt his name together.
4 I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me.
He freed me from all my fears.
5 Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy;
no shadow of shame will darken their faces.
6 In my desperation I prayed, and the Lord listened;
he saved me from all my troubles.
7 For the angel of the Lord is a guard;
he surrounds and defends all who fear him.

8 Taste and see that the Lord is good.
Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him!

MY PRAYER
Thankyou Father for this timely message from heaven. I want to be joyful in the knowledge that you are handling everything. Thankyou for the blessings you give your people. Thankyou that you alone are the source of joy and confidence.
You are amazing! How great is our God!
Amen.

With all I am.

2009-10-24T22:30:00.000-07:00

I have sung this song so many times - but today it took on a new meaning for me. I've always known it was about complete surrender, but today it was my heart's cry. In this time in my life, this song really spoke to me. I hope it blesses you today as you worship a great and mighty God.

MY PRAYER
Thankyou Lord that we can abandon ourselves and give ourselves to you into your trustworthy and capable hands. I give everything to you - I trust in you, I believe in you. As I take my first steps into the unknown, I do it holding your hand, and knowing that you are with me. I love you Lord.
Amen.

Christ-like Leadership part 2

2009-10-16T23:48:00.000-07:00

Continuing on with the study I am reading.

This study was written by Joel McClure. He gave 5 metaphors to describe the aspects of Christ-like leadership - and the second one was The Shepherd: the Leader as Nurturer.

Nurtering comes naturally to me. I am a Mother of three children. I have to younger brothers, one who I particularly nurtured.
Nurture defined is: foster: help develop, help grow.

In leadership, their is nothing more satisfying than watching the people you lead develop and grow! I love the training, the mentoring, the encouragement, the challenging - all aspects of helping someone grow into a role or as a person.

I believe nurturing to be vitally important in team building. Especially developing their spiritual lives. It's human response to arc up about this, and reject the very idea that they will have to be accountable. But how can a leader not be a shepherd to the people that they lead? Jesus shepherded his disciples. Sure, he hung out with crowds of people, but he spent a good deal of time, growing, training and developing his 12 disciples.

What would happen to a group of people when they aren't nurtured? I wonder if it's the same as when a child is not nurtured. When a child is not nurtured, he or she becomes stunted in it's emotional and develepmental growth. The people of God cannot be effective if they are stunted in their spiritual and developmental growth. This is not what God wants for his kids.

MY PRAYER
Lord thankyou for showing me the importance of nurturing in a leadership role. Thankyou that you shepherded your disciples so that they were fully equipped to go out and preach the gospel. Thankyou that because of this nurturing we can all know you in a real way.
Amen.

Christ-like Leadership Part 1.

2009-10-14T21:59:00.000-07:00

I am reading an interesting study on Christ-Like Leadership - so I want to jot my thoughts and impressions down here as I do it.

As some of you know I am in leadership in the church I am in - I soon will be out of leadership for a while - but the skills I have are still there. So I want to learn more about doing leadership in the best way possible.

Alot of ministries curl up and die, because of lack of good Christ-like leadership. Departments are run like small armies, with control as their primary focus rather than the people they are serving, the God that they are serving etc. I want to be sure that any leadership roles I take on from now on, I do it in the manner of Christ.

This study was written by Joel McClure. He gave 5 metaphors to describe the aspects of Christ-like leadership - and the first one was The Foot Washer: the Leader as Servant

In John 13:1-17 it details a beautiful image of Jesus as a servant, washing the feet of his disciples. Jesus showed through his actions that the most important part of being a leader is being a servant. Be willing to do the unimportant little jobs.

I remember before I became a leader, that I had to be faithful in the small areas. I had to be willing to do little "unimportant" jobs before I could be faithful in the more "important" jobs. Though really... all jobs are important. All jobs are worthy. But for those dreaming of leadership, dreaming of running departments, leading teams, leading the church etc - be willing and be happy with doing the little things before trying to grab the more "glamourous" position of leadership.

As I go into my new church, this is one area I need to be aware of - I can't just step into another leadership role - I need to serve in the little areas, in the areas I may not necessarily have a calling in so that I can prove myself to be faithful for the bigger things. This is going to be a very humbling experience for me - once a worship director - now what?? This will certainly be dealing with my spirit of pride that sometimes rises up in me. But I will serve God, and will serve Him joyfully. I will do whatever task is asked of me, and I will fill a need where I can, because I am serving God - and every thing I do for God is an honor and a priveledge.

Mark 10:43 - 44 But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of everyone else.

Word of God - Speak.

2009-10-13T16:01:00.000-07:00

A song that is mirroring my hearts cry.

Word of God Speak by Mercy Me

2009-10-11T21:34:00.000-07:00

Proverbs 3: 5-6 Trust God from the bottom of your heart;
don't try to figure out everything on your own.
Listen for God's voice in everything you do, everywhere you go;
he's the one who will keep you on track.

I just love this scripture. I remember singing a song about this as a child in school. It really has stuck with me.

Trust in God. Trust God. Trust in the Lord. Trust. Trust. Trust.

I remember playing a game with my brother - who was 4 years my junior called "Trust me?" - I had to turn around so my back was facing him, and then fall into his arms and he would have to catch me. If you stepped backward, trying to catch yourself, you didn't trust the person. It was a little terrifying. So... We would play. One day I did a human "timber!" and started falling... and falling... I felt the terrifying feeling of falling harder and faster... I was getting close to the ground... and about 2 inches before I hit the ground, I felt my brothers arms and hands on my back. He had squatted down so that I would have to fall a long way before he caught me. But I had to trust that he would catch me, otherwise I would have been crusin for a brusin on my noggin! :)

On a youth camp I went on we went rock climbing. (back in the days when safety equipment was optional and we were all rather adventurous and crazy anyway) We had to get into teams of two, one person was blindfolded and the other had sight. I was blindfolded... and I had to climb this cliff with my partner directing my hands and feet. We made it, and boy was it hard to focus on her voice and focus on the fact that she wasn't going to do something stupid - especially as she was directly behind me and would be taken down with me!!

Trust is hard for humans at times. Human beings let other human beings down, but God is the only one who never will. He will be there for us at every moment of every day, through every trial, through ever happy moment. God is with us. We can trust that he has our best interests at heart - even though we don't always understand why and what on earth is going on.

Psalm 46:1 God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble.

Psalm 46: 10 Be still, and know that I am God!

I love how the Message translates this verse: "Step out of the traffic! Take a long, loving look at me, your High God.... above everything."

Know that I am God. KNOW that I am God. KNOW IT.

I don't have to figure it all out and have all the answers, I just have to know that God is God. I just have to be still, chill, take a moment and remember that God is God. I can trust him.

Well it's done...

2009-10-11T03:29:00.000-07:00

Just an update from our resignation from our Church. The announcement was made today in Church and so far the reaction has been pretty good. We have 2 more weeks there and then that will be it for us.

I'm believing that God has his hand on this whole thing - especially as I was sitting here just listening in my Spirit - and God dropped this line... "command the blessing". Not sure what that was.... But Google is my friend. :)

"The LORD will command the blessing upon you in your barns and in (A)all that you put your hand to, and He will bless you in the land which the LORD your God gives you." Deuteronomy 28:8

My confidence, my hope, my trust and my entire being rests in God.

In regards to comments...

2009-10-11T03:06:00.000-07:00

Just a quick note: I am no longer going to publish comments from Annonymous. I feel very uneasy that they cannot put their usernames to their comments. I think if you have a comment or an opinion, then you should not be afraid to stand by this. Annonymous to me is hiding, cowardly and totally unnecessary.

Why hide? Be proud of your opinions on what I say. Nothing wrong in that at all. As I have said before, unless your opinion is doctrinally wrong, then it will be published.

Anonymous freaks me out... it makes it impossible to check out THEIR blogs and see who they are etc. How can I be an effective stalker if there is no name??? :)

I'm glad I don't have to be alone!

2009-10-10T01:20:00.000-07:00

Psalm 23

A psalm by David. The LORD is my shepherd. I am never in need.
He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside peaceful waters.
He renews my soul. He guides me along the paths of righteousness for the sake of his name.
Even though I walk through the dark valley of death, because you are with me, I fear no harm. Your rod and your staff give me courage.
You prepare a banquet for me while my enemies watch. You anoint my head with oil. My cup overflows.
Certainly, goodness and mercy will stay close to me all the days of my life, and I will remain in the LORD'S house for days without end.

Hands up who thinks being a Christian is easy?? As soon as you made Jesus your Lord and Saviour, every single waking minute has been a piece of cake!!

Anyone?

Ok hands up who thinks being a non-christian is any easier?

I personally don't think either way is easy. LIFE isn't easy. Did anyone find it hard to make a career choice? Whether or not to have a baby? Should I marry this person? Should I buy this house? Should I sell this car? Should I... will I... can I... but what if???

Death still happens, unexpected tragedy still happens, rape, murder, theft, torture, bullying, abuse, your house burning down, war, famine etc happens - whether you are Christian or not. We are not shielded from sin, because we live in a sinful world.

So if life is not going to be easier as a Christian, why bother?

Because as a Child of God - you have company. You don't have to do it alone. You have the love and guidance of a Heavenly Father. I love in Psalm 23, even as we die, God is with us. He will never leave us to face "life" alone. He's right there in every situation - every decision - every tragedy - every moment, guiding us if we feel lost, teaching us when we don't know what to do, loving us at every moment - even when we feel unloveable, comforting us in times of sadness, providing us rest when we need it and then sending us back on our way when it's time.

If I didn't have God, I don't think I could have done life. God poured his strength, his love and his healing power into me, so I could live a life of freedom and purpose - the life he intended for me.

I love that God is with me at every moment. I can have the mentality that my life is a team effort. I don't have to do all the hard stuff alone. Imagine the life of people who DO do it alone.

I pray that today you have a fresh realisation of God and his incredible presence. I pray that today, you have a renewed sense of security in your Creator and Father.

MY PRAYER
Father, Thankyou for being with me. Thankyou that I don't have to walk this journey alone. Thankyou for this reminder that you are my rock, my salvation, my shield, my shepherd and many more things. Thankyou for never giving up on me and loving me all the time. Help me teach this to my children as they grow up, and start living their own life. Help me show them that they don't have to be alone.
Amen

This will blow your mind!

2009-10-09T00:55:00.000-07:00

1 Corinthians 2:9
“No eye has seen, no ear has heard,
and no mind has imagined
what God has prepared
for those who love him.”

It's the beginning of October, and because I am a true Christmas crazy woman, I have started preparing. I've started making some gifts, I've started creating table decorations, I've started planning and looking at recipes. I've got most of my kids Christmas presents, I have everything all sorted about who is getting what, etc. I'm seriously deranged when it comes to Christmas. I love this time of year!!

When I host Christmas, I always try to make it as special as possible. I set the table beautifully, matching dinnerware, the crystal, and on each plate there will be in silver boxes, filled with all sorts of little things - special personal gifts for each person who shares my Christmas table. This year I will be including some homemade rocky road, handmade Christmas decorations and other trinkets that will be special to each individual.

Why do I go to all this bother? Because I love my family. This year I will have my parents and my grandparents sharing our family table. It will be such a priveledge to celebrate the birth of our Saviour and to watch our kids go absolutely beserk with excitement. I love these people and I it's no bother to me to plan and organise for months, to make this occasion as special as possible.

Now in my mind, my amazing food, my amazing gifts, my amazing table decor will bless my family and make their Christmas just that bit more special.

God has made preparations for those who love Him. And I can tell you right now, it's going to be flippin-fantastic!! God's standards will make my Christmas plans look like rubbish! No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has in store for us.

First of all.. I'm so glad that God has a plan. He's prepared. This eases my pedantic little mind who has to have everything in order and in it's little box or else I feel like I am losing it! God is a God of order - he has prepared something. But not only something, it's something I can't imagine! It's far beyond my own expectations!

Doesn't that just blow your mind a little bit? God has much more prepared for us than we can come up with in our own minds. I am so happy to be serving such a God who loves us so much, that he has plans for us. We are his kids, and he wants us to have the very very best. It rocks to be a child of God!

It's not about me...

2009-10-07T17:47:00.000-07:00

I heard a really good analogy last night that really spoke to me - and I want to share it with you.

The analogy was of a spotlight. When the spotlight is directly shining in our faces or ON us, we struggle to see clearly. If I shone a spotlight in your face and then called you to me, you wouldn't be able to see your path. When you are in the spotlight you aren't confident in your journey or in yourself, because the attention is on you. But if you use the spotlight to light the way, to show you your path - then you can walk towards your goal with confidence and with clarity.

As you know, I'm really struggling. I struggle with sudden change, and this whole changing churches thing, my son's condition, the life changes we have had to make, my own plans that I had mapped out being totally destroyed has really knocked me for six! My path has shifted - I feel like a rug has been ripped out underneath me. I'm struggling to find my footing, trying to work out where I am going, what I will do, what will God do etc etc. The spotlight is on me. It's all about me. My feelings. My anxiety. My worry. My panic. My constant wondering. But it's not about me. If I take the spotlight off myself for a moment and use it to look around me, then my path will be clearer.

I need to keep focus on what God has told me, instead of being so introspective. It's not about me. It's NOT about me. It's not about ME.

I can almost hear God saying that cliche phrase "It's not you, it's me."

Jeremiah 29:11
For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.

and of course I have to give you the crystal clear Message version:
I know what I'm doing. I have it all planned out—plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for.

Pray for me. I have to keep telling myself all this stuff over and over, to get it into my spirit. So I can face this new direction with peace in my heart and confidence that my steps are ordered by the Lord and my race has been set before me. Hopefully soon all this will bypass my head, destroy the anxiety and settle straight into my heart.

MY PRAYER
Lord, the best thing about you is that you see where I am at, I don't have to pretend to have it all together with you. I pray that you will help me conquor this worry and this feeling of imbalance. I pray you will steady me as I trust in you to continue on in this. Thankyou for your Word. I pray that it will be a lethal blow - as a sword is, to this barrage of panic that keeps rising in me. I want to trust in you. I do trust you - it's just that my head forgets sometimes. I want to believe that your plans are better than my plans. You won't abandon me and you are still going to give me the desires of my heart - and fulfill your promises to me.
I pray you give me the strength and the courage to face and deal with my son's issues, and help me be the very best mother I can be to him. Help me show him love, compassion and patience.
Thankyou Lord for continuing to love me and being patient with me as I try to process this all.
Amen

A response to Psalm 139

2009-10-04T22:55:00.000-07:00

Psalm 139 (The Message)
1-6 God, investigate my life; get all the facts firsthand. I'm an open book to you; even from a distance, you know what I'm thinking. You know when I leave and when I get back; I'm never out of your sight. You know everything I'm going to say before I start the first sentence. I look behind me and you're there, then up ahead and you're there, too— your reassuring presence, coming and going. This is too much, too wonderful— I can't take it all in!

Thankyou Lord that you are always watching over me. That where I go, whatever part of the journey I am on, whatever happens to me - that you are right there. Thankyou that I can look back at parts of my life and see you there, I can look forward and KNOW you are there. Thankyou that your presence is permeated in my life.

7-12 Is there anyplace I can go to avoid your Spirit? to be out of your sight? If I climb to the sky, you're there! If I go underground, you're there! If I flew on morning's wings to the far western horizon, You'd find me in a minute— you're already there waiting! Then I said to myself, "Oh, he even sees me in the dark! At night I'm immersed in the light!" It's a fact: darkness isn't dark to you; night and day, darkness and light, they're all the same to you.

Thankyou that nothing can seperate me from your love, from your care and from your Spirit. Thankyou that you will see me through the good times and the bad times. I love that you are a constant in my life - even when life isn't so constant.

13-16 Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out; you formed me in my mother's womb. I thank you, High God—you're breathtaking! Body and soul, I am marvelously made! I worship in adoration—what a creation! You know me inside and out, you know every bone in my body; You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit, how I was sculpted from nothing into something. Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth; all the stages of my life were spread out before you, The days of my life all prepared before I'd even lived one day.

Thankyou Lord that I am not a mistake. Even though I don't always understand the hows and whys, I know that I am created in your image, for you and by you. I love that you know me inside out, you know of every single cell that makes my physical being, you know my deepest thoughts and dreams - and you knew all this before I was even born!

Lord I love you. You are such a good and gracious God. Thankyou for encouraging me and growing me and walking with me. Thankyou that you never abandon me and I can always turn to you when the road gets rocky. Thankyou that you have made the effort for me.

Amen

Barriers are man made, not God made!

2009-09-29T22:39:00.000-07:00

Today I listened to a lecture about Jesus and his actions in the temple. It was very interesting. The temple was a series of barriers to God's presence. The first barrier was to the Gentiles and "unclean", then the next barrier was to the women, then the next was the men.... and so forth. I'm not here to talk about the ins and outs of the temple - but the fact that men put in place exclusions to God's presence. They had made God's presence - his Holy of Holies - unavailable to certain people.

When Jesus died on the cross, the curtain seperating the Holy of Holies - the place where God resided - where his presence was - was torn in two. This barrier was destroyed - God's presence was now for everyone.

Here we are, some 2000 years later - and we still have barriers in place. Either we make them for ourselves, or make them for others.

We have to be careful that we are not guilty of behaving like the temple priests, but putting people in a place where they don't feel they can access God freely. We can do this by our actions - our condemnation of others, hypocrisy religious oppression, social oppression etc etc. It's our job, as people who are priveledged enough to access God whenever we feel like it, to make others feel they can too, if they want to. It doesn't matter what they look like, what their lifestyle, their choices in life, their personal hygiene, their race, their sexual preference etc. God is not off limits to anyone. We have no right to create road blocks and exclude others.

Jesus died that horrible death for ALL. None of us are worthy in any way, shape or form. But he died, to save you, to save me, to save everyone. Exclusion ended 2000 years ago when Jesus said ".. it is finished."

And it is finished! Thankyou Lord that there is not one single person on this earth that is not able to come to you. Thankyou that you died for every single person, whether they asked for it or not. Thankyou that everyone can be in relationship with you, no matter what.