Nothing stays the same

October 2011

 

Everything has a beginning and an end, every situation, every thought, every emotion, every day it begins, it may not stay for long or it can be with you for ages but it will eventually end and then it is replaced with another.

Where does it go?  “Nowhere really” it just becomes past and it is over and a new whatever has begun.

When it is something wonderful, we want it to stay, we relish and enjoy that moment ( but unfortunately it doesnt) and when we are going through something painful we want it over with, for it to hurry up and go away ( and it unfortunately doesnt)

Life is really about accepting that we are continually moving through yet another set of circumstances which will inturn be replaced with different ones, each containing a series of different emotional responses.

Our present moment is replaced with yet another present moment.

Raising Children is forever changing, with each year, each age it presents itself with unique blessings and hardships but it never stays the same, we move on a couple of months and another set of circumstances raises its head, change begins again.

Learning to take each moment and accepting it for what it is, experiencing all that , that time has for you and exploring yet agin a mixed emotional set of circumstances, knowing that it wont stay for long but will change.

Life is a constantly changing adventure, I think that once we can begin to see clearly that nothing stays the same, we can begin to practice a more positive outlook in even the most difficult times, changing our perspective from survival mode to trustng and thankfulness.

Move confidently in every circumstances with the assurance that “This too will pass”.

Our only stability, THE ONE THING THAT DOESNT CHANGE  is our rock and our stronghold  The Lord Jesus Christ.

It’s unbelief when you cant trust the Lord

It’s rebellion when you wont trust the Lord.

neighbours

September 2011

In the 21st century we are surrounded in this so called western society with peoples from all over the world, different cultures, religions, language and ideas.

Our neighbours sometimes look very different, sound different and express ideas and issues very strangely to us, yet they are so very loved by our Heavenly Father that He knew them before they were even thought of and has a purpose and plan for them.   Our Lord can pronounce their unpronounceable names and speak through us without words.

Sometimes the only Bible that other people may see is You.  Your neighbours , family and friends are watching how you react,  your kindness, love and joy, we are all witnesses to God and His abundant Love.

What dwells within truly does set us apart, and drawing strength from His word, listening to the guidence of the Holy Spirit can impact hugely not only ourselves but our neighbours and their opinion of God, it is something that the world does not understand.

At our church over the summer months we were encouraged to extend an invitation to build friendships and get to know our neighbours, the people that have lived on the same street unbeknownsed to us for years,  you dont know their names or even if they have children.

It is embarrasing that we have people living so close to us that we have never officially met, ( gosh some of us have a hard enough time at church to try and meet fellow believers).

So as a church we were encouraged to step out of our comfort zones and stretch forth a hand, a smile and a few words.

When we take that step it is funny that those fears that we have over the years built up concerning peoples of different cultures start to fade, deep down we are all mothers, brothers, sisters or fathers, we all struggle with marriages, children, work, really just life in general.

In my own experience I have learned alot about myself and pushed myself further in developing myself as a friend.

It is easy to be a friend to people that are similar to us, we connect , we have some common ground, but this summer I have found friendships with people very different to myself, different beliefs, different views just different in about everything, friendships that ordinarely I wouldnt have made because of my built up unfounded fears.

One perticular newly made friend is a beautiful muslim woman, she dresses all in black, her english is broken and we have both had many laughs as we try to communicate.  Having some Italian in me, I amusingly use my hands and body alot to try to relay my thoughts to her.

Our sons are of similar age, so I have sent many clothes and shoes over to her that I ordinarily would have placed in a goodwill bin, and she has sent up unusual and interesting foods for us to try.

There has been times when she has come to the door to ask for help, talk or even just have a cry.    I have told her that I pray for her and she has told me I am her only Canadian friend ( funny thing is I am Australian)

My son has spent this summer with many muslim children from the complex in which we live.  It is incredible to see a group of children from the Sudan, Iraq, Australia and Canada forming a band and singing together made up songs or walking around with their arms around each other shoulders yelling out ” We are brothers”.

The little boy from the Sudan said ‘Hey you know we are all the same colour on the bottom of our feet’

My son has quite often taken his Bible/devotional out and they all gather together to read from the devotions.   Between water fights, bubble blowing and lots of board games and matchbox cars it has been a very constructive summer and friendships have been made.

Yes there has been some setbacks and plenty of opposition because we make a stand that we are followers of Jesus but making ourselves available to be used by God and show His love to bring Him Glory is high prority.

Wherever you are, in whatever situation, you have an opportunity and a responsibility to be all that God wants you to be right where you are, you dont have to travel to some far off land for the Lord to use you.

Whenever we go out, my children get the familiar speech of being on their best behaviour, remember their manners, be polite, I have started to include ‘remember who you represent’

Maybe we all need to remember who we represent.

Take the opportunity to smile, say a few word to your neighbours, reach out, you just may be surprised with the wonderful people you will meet, the opportunities to not only learn something new but be used by the Lord to share His love.  Be willing, Be open, Be ready…..

Overwhelmed

August 2011

Expectations that cannot be met.  High hopes dashed, hearts heavy with constant complications, trying to remain positive when I already thought I was.

When does speaking the truth collate with being positive, when the truth is anything but positive, trying to remain calm “Breath, just breath.

Looking like a long battle, longer thatn any battle I have undertaken before, requiring all of my left over strength, I am feeling weary.  It is a stretch just to get out of bed sometimes.

Feeling like the next stretch of this journey is going to take more than I am able to find in myself, constantly I have to seek strength from the one who is faithful in keeping His promises.  When I am weak then He is strong.

The last 3 years of my life has been a constant drawing of strength from the Lord.   In my own strength I dont know if I could have made it.

How do you speak positive words when it seems the truth is negative.  How do you be thankful for all the so called negatives that keep appearing in your life, so that God can make this mess into a message, this test into a testimony, a trial into a triumph,  a victim into a victory, God is good all the time.

Isnt it terrible that we sometimes focus so much on ourselves that we dont see the suffering of others, we become so obsessed and overwhelmed by the issues that we face, they seem bigger and scarier than they really are.

Focusing on what is most important is sometimes rediculously harder than it should be, everything seems to be put on the backburner, family, relationships, friendships, even time with the Lord.  It is a cunning ploy of the enemy to overwhelme us with difficulties that we focus on ourselves and forget the promiss and the faithfulness of God.

I have just finished reading a great book called ” Hind’s Feet On High Places”.  It gave me a renewed strength and opened my mind to see yet again that there is a bigger plan, a bigger reality than the one my eyes see.

God is a good God and He is tenderly, lovingly holding me in His arms, the path He has chosen for me is for His Glory and I am only to trust and obey, His heart is toward me and He knows what is best for me.

Philippians 1v6- being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ.

Apply it

July 2011

What a whirlwind of events.

This month, surgery for my husband, recovery slow and complications, financial difficulties, fears about the future, fears about the here and now.

How do you prepare for events like this?

Where do you go?  Who do you turn to?

You realize the friendships and the family you have, everything you perceived as reality is tested.

Drawing strength from places you never thought possible.

Worry and stress steal you away from so much.

Sleep deprived and trying to hold it together for my family.

Realities change, routines change and priorities change but you wake up and do it all over again.

I look back at this hump in the road of somewhat normalicy and realize that all the sleeplessness all the worry, stress and tears never changed the series of events that enfolded.

All the preparation, all the scriptures, everything I hold as important are useless unless I actually put them into practice.

Matthew 7:24-27

“So then, everyone who hears my words and puts them into practice is like a wise man.  He builds his house on the rock. 25. The rain comes down.  The water rises.  The winds blow and beat against that house.  But it does not fall.  It is built on the rock.  26. “But everyone who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man.  He builds his house on sand. 27. The rain comes down.  The water rises.  The wind blows and beat against that house.  And it falls with at loud crash.”

What struck me was that regardless of whether the house was built on a rock or the sand the storm still came.

In my mind I thought if you build and grow your faith and follow the Lord closely, it would prevent the storms from coming, following Gods perfect will and purpose would mean complete avoidence of any upheavels.

Little did I know that small bumps in the road go hand in hand in building your faith and regardless of your walk there are always going to be storms, depending on your relationship with our Lord will determine how you stand in the midst of trial and tribulation.

1 Corinthians 10:13 (the message)

No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face.  All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; he’ll never let you be pushed past your limit; he’ll always be there to help you come through it.

I find it hard to accept that God himself has directed my circumstances to accomplish His will in my life.  My choices on whether I will stand or sink are dependent on me taking God at His word and applying it.

Priority

June 2011

In general everywhere you look, we can see people in despair, people acting irrationally and out of anger, pride or pain, people putting their whole existence into money and stuff.  To look better then the Jones’s, and everywhere the moral standards are blurred.

My Pastor preached last month about how even so called placid commercials have a way of making a play for the minds of our children, to obscure and set in place a tolerance towards moral and sexual abandonment.

When I was growing up, it doesnt feel like I was exposed to the sights that get thrust at not only our children but everyone.  The TV, radio, billboards and talk in general is very free with making any moral stand.

Trying to establish and reinforce good and pure thoughts in the hearts and minds of my own children within todays society is getting harder than it should be.

Not wanting to put my family in a bubble means that a stronger conviction to douse them in the word of God is seriously more impressed in my heart.

Its funny how even in my own hectic life, I seem to sometimes think that a quick devotion is  good enough every day.

Living for God is hard, everyday distractions means less time to think about how we should be living our lives, and even less time to be interested in other.

As troubles come our way which inevitably they will/do, we have isolated ourselves to such a degree that the excruciating pain of  loneliness and pride stops us from asking for the advise or wisdom from those we should go to for help.

Our minds are so full of these pressures and distractions we even think that God himself cannot have the answers or inclination to help us.

Isaiah 26:3- Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.

I love the passage in Matthew 22:34-40,  when the Pharisees asked Jesus  which  is the most important commandment in the Law?

37- Jesus replied, ” Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.  Love him with all your mind.   38-This is the first and most improtant commandment.  39- And the second is like it. Love your neighbor as you love yourself.  40- Everything that is written in the Law and the Prophets is based on these two commandments.

I know that in my own life I need to prioritize so that I can realize and understand that peace the surpasses all understanding.

The defination of True Joy

Jesus First

Others

Yourself last

I need thee

May 2011

Confusion in what God is doing, finding it hard to accept all the small changes constantly thrust upon me, needing a break from all the drama, wanting life to fast forward all the messy stuff, realizing that I have so much discontent in my heart in wanting to the escape the ‘NOW’ of my circumstances, throwing myself in the Psalms again to comfort my hurting heart, trying to draw strength.

I know my Lord and Saviour holds me in the palm of His hand and that He hids me in the cleft of His rock, He carries me in His bosom and sustains me with His grace, sets my feet on high places and He shelters me underneath His wings.  Even when I dont feel His presence ,  He promises to never leave me, His presence is close especially when my heart is in anguish.  He is there to catch me, uphold me, comfort me and strengthen me.  When you are hurting, life is lived in steps, small steps.

Lamentations 3:22-23  Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. 23-They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

God is enough, His grace is sufficent.  I am not alone, I may feel like I have been blindsided and ambushed only to trudge on in what seems senseless disappointment yet again.  Trying to find the strength to Thank God for the circumstances of my life,  I may not like it, I may not understand it,  but God is in control, I hold fast to the blessings of the past difficulties.

The world seems to decieve, the temptation is to improve your circumstances to match your desires in health, beauty, riches and power, rather than subduing your heart to match your circumstances, we cannot direct our life circumstances but we can control our heart and emotions concerning them, the perfect peace is felt when your mind is stayed on you Lord.  Gods grace adjusts our desires to match our circumstance so that they fall in line with His perfet plan.  God is deeply involved with your situation,  God’s love is endless and His desire is for His children regardless of you feeling His presence or not.  He will never leave you nor forsake you.  You are his beloved and He knows you by name, he has numbered the hairs on your head, he is intimately interested in you and your relationship with Him, even in the deepest hardship your relationship with God can be deeper and more sweeter than when everything is seemingly perfect, and a perfect life doesnt nessecarily indicate a perfect heart.

In your complex day to day maze of life remember the more you obey and the longer you persever the greater God’s glory and the more witness of His unfailing love , protection and provision.  God will never let you down  He will never let you be pushed past your limit and He will always be there to help you through it.

Psalm 27: 1  The Lord is my light and my salvation-  whom shall I fear?  The Lord is the stronghold of my life-  of whom shall I be afraid?

It may feel like God is asleep when life seems direr but He is not, no matter if it is by the skin of your teeth or you have yards to spare God helps His people.  At the appointed time God will deliver, sometimes for us it feels like the 11th hour, way to close for comfort, but to God, He is in control,  He is not surprised and it is close enough, when we are held by our sweet saviour, we are safe and secure.

Isaiah 30:15  This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy one of Israel, says:  ‘In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength.

Take time to be still with God , wonderful things happen when you are alone with God, inner revelations, personal struggles and private moments of complete joy, waiting to be yours in His presence.  If you need a word of help, hope, guidence or comfort, set aside time to be alone with God and expect Him to speak to you.

“I need thee every hour’                                                                                                        

I need thee, O I need thee                                                                                                     

Every minute I need thee                                                                                                       

Oh, bless me now, my saviour                                                                                                     

I come to thee.

Shortcuts

Feb 2011

The world we live in is full of shortcuts, take-away and quick fixes, we become so accustomed to everything being so readily available and our lives are so full of many things we begin to  forget what it is to be still, to wait for something , learning to trust and be content with where you are and with what you have.

Patience is a lost art, even waiting in line at a bank becomes so inconvient, the frustration is evident on everyone’s faces, to spot someone with a smile on their face seemingly enjoying waiting, is very foriegn, even as Christians the pressure of being patient is in short supply.  God doesnt seem in a hurry, His ways are definately not ours and our growth in any of the fruits of the spirit is not the result of any one situation.  God views us from and for eternity.  What we consider important in our day to day lives may not to God.  God is interested in our Character and the strength of our faith and hope and love in and through Him.  We want to rush it and decieve ourselves in thinking we understand or are strong in that area of our lives until WAM!! we are tried or tested again only to come to the conclusion that it wasnt as established as we originally thought.

When I came to Christ, I honestly thought I had surrended my self to God, only to discover as time goes on that so much of my life I still had hedged up, unused and unavailable even to myself, hidden away I was unaware, surprising and shocking me when problems arise, battles emerge within and just when I think I have overcome,  SLAM!! it feels the tide upends me yet again and I battle on.

It’s funny writing this and realizing I continue to fight and struggle with yet another surprise, all that really is required is to surrender.  Not doubting that the one who has begun a good work in me will carry it on to completion.  Phil 1v6.  I am a work in progress, nothing is complete in me,  I will falter and fall but I will continue to not only follow Christ, honor and obey but to become more and more like Him in my day to day life in every and all situations.          1 Cor 3v18- I am being transformed into His likeness, reflecting God’s glory.  Desiring for different circumstances in your life, for more money, for a yearly holiday, for children like the Jones’ that seem to listen and obey.  Sometimes those desires can take over your heart, mind and emotions, leaving you dissatisfied and unhappy,  It’s hard when life just seems unfair, situations arise that seem to bounce around in your mind, time stealing wrong thoughts, and it seems the harder you fight to think, the more it is thrust in your face.  When I entertain thoughts of resentments and complaints  it doesn’t help me in any way, it drags me further away from experiencing any type of contentment or peace, it doesn’t make the situation I am facing smaller, actually by focusing on it in my mind it makes everything seem bigger and harder than what the actual problem might be, the situation can seem harder to solve.  Our focus needs to be on God for the way of escape and the grace and strength to bear up under the load, to change our focus, mind and heart on Him who can bring that peace, that contentment despite the circumstances.  11Cor 6v10- sorrowful, yet always rejoicing, poor, yet making many rich, having nothing, and yet possessing everything.

To be ME

Jan 2011

Are you there?  Are you really living?  Are you truly living your life, the life God designed for you or are you just making a daily appearance and then hiding yourself behind a barricade of the mundane.
Sometimes in life’s journey nothing ever seems to change, day after day, ritual boringness, nothing to shake you up, no surprises, not even recognizing the blessings above your own feelings, mind numbing, rut encased life or maybe for you, you feel like your body is moving, rushing through the day with really no consent from you, busy and full of stuff that just must be attended to, to busy to notice your lack of joy, emotionless, cold and uncaring, feeling numb but having no time for relationships other than quick superficial falseness that you hate having to hide behind but unable to stop this rollercoaster of complete business, or perhaps you flip from one to another.
It struck me hard, when my seven year old came up to me the other day, feeling affectionate and cuddly, planting himself on my lap hugging and squeezing me, he looked up at me with those puppy dog eyes, tinted with a little sadness and said.  “I have missed you”  I looked at him perplexed, ‘how is this possible’ I said ‘I am with you all the time, we have been schooling all morning, we have even sat down together on the couch and done our reading.’  “Yeah” he says   “ Your body was here, but your weren’t”.    I was shocked, I thought I had been here, my goodness I am  always here.   It hits hard that really what my son is telling me, but facing the reality that my mind truly had been elsewhere all day, that my body was doing the motions, it shakes me.  I thought i had covered it well, my routine was pretty normal, I didnt think my kids would notice it or feel so abandoned with me being in the same room.
How often do I do this, I wonder to myself, I didnt even realize i was doing this, living this way.  How often have I been a nominal person with my husband, children, my friends and people in the church.  WOW!!  I homeschool my children for a lot of reasons and being there for them is one of them.  How often do I fail them like this and not realize it,  I am not only cheating my family and the people around me, but I am cheating myself of real relationships, not truly reflecting God by hiding away in my own safe little world, in my imagination, worry and fears.
My children, my husband, friends and family and especially God need me to be ME.  To be real even if my real isn’t always pretty, I have found my selfishness in sharing myself by being real
hinders growth, relationships, its a trait that if not dealt with will get past down.  I recognize the destructiveness of this and don’t want it to continue being this way,  I suppose it is one of the reasons I enjoy being with people that are abit in your face, actually I get a little jealous, to be able to feel free to express how I feel and not be constantly racked with guilt in case I have offended someone, sounds like a freedom to me,  I suppose as with everything there is a balance.  I don’t want us to be a family of strangers, so addressing this trait has to become a priority.
Sometimes life can be so hard, and whatever period of your life it demands different challenges.  Regardless of my failures and in-securities, God sees the real me and loves me in-spite.  If I were to be honest with myself, I truly appreciate people to be real with me and I feel a connection to them when the share openly.  I want to be a person that listens intently to others without judgment, accepting and loving regardless of their failings so that I can build relationships and be able to express myself in a deeper way by being real, open and honest.  Tearing walls down and becoming with others what God intended a family to be, with my brothers and sisters in the Lord and with my own family.  Never again do I want to be guilty of not totally being there for my kids, husband or anyone, that means a sacrifice of laying my own worries, confusions and troubles at the feet of the one who can strengthen me in my weakness to be everything He wants me to be, and that is to be real and to be ME.

Christmas Lights

Christmas Lights

Wednesday 15th December 2010

Tonight my husband surprises us all in declaring we are all heading out to look at the Christmas Lights in Victoria Park, we had heard so much and had wanted to see it for the last two Christmas’s we have been here, excitement fills the room, and then excitement turns to utter bedlam.  ‘Where is my boots? Where did I put my coat?,  Will mitts be ok or are we gonna play in the snow?,  Where is the camera?, gosh the batteries are nearly flat,  Where are the new batteries?, On the fridge, where you put them’  AAAAaarrrrgggg, seriously just like a Sunday morning church run.  You would think that after all these years I would get myself organized to handle Jeff’s last minute spontaneous outbursts but no,  ‘Hey’ I think to myself ‘MORE CRAZY MEMORIES’
The snow is high from the latest snow squalls that have plummeted us for the last 2 weeks, but at least the night is clear, very very cold but clear, the roads are pretty rough so everything is moving slow, finding a car park seemed impossible, we drove around for quite a bit before spotting a church car-park on the opposite side of the road, if there was a sign saying we weren’t
allowed to park, we couldnt see it for the huge snow hills on each side of the road, as we pulled into the church car-park.  I noticed people coming out turning off the lights and closing the solid wooden doors of the church and making their way quickly to their cars pulling their coats tightly around themselves, off in the corner of the building I noticed a couple huddled together not sure as to whether they were waiting for someone, honestly not really paying much attention.
The lights spread throughout the park, the snow just making even the ground irredescent.  The snow lay thick so we walked following thin paths that weaved there way in and out of the park made exclusively from the other on-lookers, we wandered past the ice skating pond to where obviously many flock for much in the way of winter/ Christmas memories.
Laughter, shouting, echoed excitement raced through not only my body but it obviously seemed everyone there, we explored the Christmas decorations of metal snowmen, a Santa’s sleigh and a stable with a nativity, sort of visibly pushing through the snow.  Jeff’s sole from his shoe dropped out so his shoe was filling up with snow, but the excitement of the lights and the joy in the little ones faces spurred him to continue, despite his plight.
The night was bitter cold, steam gushed out of our mouths, cheeks were burning pink and we all breathed heavily,  What a wonderful adventure, what a wonderful surprise, what amazing memories.  Slowly we made our way back to the car, slippery and slushy, trying to get the kids to just walk was a job in itself.  I don’t think anyone of us really wanted to go , well maybe Jeff,  I am sure his foot was pretty much frozen by the time we got back to the car.
As we crossed the road, I noticed the young couple had moved and was sitting in front of the doors of the church, not really paying attention but just generally noticing that they had sat in this bitter cold for quite some time.  As we got the last seat buckled, the young man came and surprised us by knocking on the drivers window, we were puzzled and a little startled.  ‘Excuse me, the young man started.  ‘My girlfriend and I are homeless, we have been living in a tent and we are hoping for some emergency housing by the end of the week,  we were wondering if you had any food or any spare cash.  My girlfriend is 7 months pregnant and I don’t normally do this, it is not for drugs or anything, but we do need help’.  Jeff and Emily immediately past money out of the window for the guy and I looked over at the young woman with her sad countance and said a quiet prayer under my breath for her protection.  She couldn’t have been much older than our eldest daughter,  I cant imagine her fears and turmoil, all I could think was. How could we fit them in the van.
There was no way obviously, but as we drove away, I looked in my side mirror and watched as they quickly walked down the road, the woman was following slower but our hope was that they were able to get warmed and fed for at least this evening.
It’s funny it doesn’t matter where we go, if ever there is someone sitting or walking holding a sign asking, pleading for help of some sort.  Jeff will drive down the block again just to make sure they have a little something, even when we were living in the church and really had very minimal.  I remember Jeff handing a sorrowful old woman begging on the side of the road a couple of 2 dollar coins, all he had in his wallet.  I love that about my husband, his generous heart and we always look at each other and say.  ‘But by the grace of God go I’.  We came so close to being there on the streets, I hate to imagine but I am so thankful, many a time when we were actually living in the church, i would watch as Jeff would put our last $5 dollar note in the plate on a Sunday morning, and with much bitterness i would sit there, anger welling up in my heart toward my husband.  How could he, how were we going to get through this week with no more milk and bread.  I even remember the pastors wife leaning over and tapping Jeff on the shoulder and saying, ‘You dont have to do that’,  my eyes burning hot into the back of my husbands head as he simply shook his head.
One thing that always amazed me was that God would always have a little money in our church mailbox by the end of service or someone would have left bread and milk or food in general for us anonymously.  You truly cannot out-give God.
Driving away I was hit with the irony of this evening just before Christmas, a young couple trying to find shelter, pregnant and desperate for somewhere to lay their head, and no where to go.  The cold huge wooden doors of the church sealed tightly, lights off and no open arms to welcome, there was also no room for them in our van, it seemed there was nowhere for these two.
I reminisced about the fact that God had us in His hands and delivered us into a warm, welcoming church, with open doors, open hearts, friendly faces and generous souls.
Why couldnt all the churches be open for helping those who cannot help themselves,  I realize that maybe we were nieve in thinking that the money we gave them was used for something other than what we gave it for, but in my mind we truly did give as unto the Lord, our hearts were thinking only the best.  I hope our children in seeing all that took place and as we prayed in the van on the way home for this couple, that truly God can use what little we have to bless and that we have so much to be thankful for.To endure whatever with greatful hearts and to give God the glory in every blessing however small.
In our lives we always tend to think the worst of people, we actually sometimes find sadistic pleasure in hearing how others have been undone, with marriages, children and jobs, we fill our ears with whispers of someone’s faults and eagerly echo those thoughts to the next available person with a pious attitude of sharing this so called truth so others can pray for those poor unfortunate souls.  Relishing in gossiping, gosh excitement of hearing about someone’s downfall so my life doesn’t seem so bad,  don’t fool yourself, we all do it….  When someone else is suffering not often do we come alongside without judgement, without a better than you attitude, but with tender, forgiving, understanding loving hearts.  Sometimes it would be better to have no words and the right heart in dealing with others, than have false superficial word of comfort and no real desire to be a true friend through the difficult days.
In Isaiah it says that he makes our paths before us smooth and i was hit with the thought that regardless of the apparent turmoil that we see before us, however rough the waters seem in our earthly eyes.  If we truly did believe that God was right there, fully knowing the journey before us seeing all the difficulties and already have planned the way out.  Then we could honestly hold his hand as we travel through this dark room like a little child fully trusting in his protection, comfort and deliverance, then the road would seem to be smooth before us.
Our lives dont have to feel like a hit or miss type of exitance, a chaotic jumbled mess that just seems to be delving in deeper more scarier places.
When we can look to God and know He holds the future, Nothing to Him is a surprise and this life we live is part of His big picture we can rest in Him, even in the darkness.
I love the analogy of a tapestry and our lives.  I read this once and I cant even remember the book, but it gave me such excitement and comfort.  When someone is doing a tapestry everything is usually mapped out with faint blue lines and as each thread is skillfully woven in, it starts to show forth a beautiful picture, an incredible sky, trees with such intricate leaves and flowers scattered throughout, the green grass, a pond or river that is full of reflective colour and life……BUT if you were to turn that tapestry over, what do you see?  A mess, a chaotic bunch of threads, jutting in and out of other bundles of colour, knots and crossed threads all over, its not pretty in retrospect it is so unordered and messy, it can look quite unsightly.
Our lives from this angle of the tapestry seems unproductive, disorderly, just plain wrong and messy, but every thread, every knot, every cross, works in part to create that bigger picture to which the creator is making, we may not ever see the other side of the picture until we go to be with our Lord, sometimes we may get a glimmer, but if we knew how important our little part was on this earth in performing this glorious design, we would thankfully and trustingly hold tighter to our heavenly fathers strong and comforting hand.
In whatever you are facing today, honestly and with an open heart seek His will, rest in His paths however rocky it may look and start to feel that excitement over watching God take you through.  Look Back and Remember His Faithfulness in the past….

Never changing

November 2010
In Ecclesiastes 3v1 it says,’ there is a time for everything and a season for every
activity under heaven’ continuing on in that chapter we find in verse 11, ‘ God has
made everything beautiful its time. He has also set eternity in the heart of people, yet
they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end’
In Esther 4v14b we read ‘And Who knows but that you have come to royal position for
such a time as this’. In Daniel 2v20,21 we read of Daniel praising the God of heaven
and saying ‘Praise be to the name of God forever and ever, wisdom and power are
His. He changes times and seasons, He sets up Kings and deposes them, He gives
wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning’.
Life is non-stop, filled with experiences, changes and surprises, from early childhood
to adolescence a continual barricade of change upon change, from adulthood to old
age further the notion that nothing stays the same, that life moves on even when we
don’t understand and nothing is clear, our direction is confusing in where God is calling
or opening doors, our life continues in cycles very similar to seasons. For some there
are such uncertainty as we wander aimlessly through ill health, circumstances or
disappointment in disillusion as to what God is asking of us according to His purposes
in our lives. As we travel through another day, another month, another year there are
times as King Solomon said, times of delight and times of sadness. There are times to
build and times to tear down, That it seems is the way in which God has prepared for
us to live. Remembering that any given time changes circumstances.
Whatever you are facing today can and will change in just a matter of time, we
continually notice changes in our own understanding of things and subsequent actions
in response. I remember my parents used to say, ‘ If you aren’t moving forward then
you are falling behind and that in each situation that is before us is either a stepping
stone or a stumbling block’.
God is never changing, He is the same yesterday, today and forever, (Hebrews 13v8).
We can trust that His character is the only thing that isn’t influenced. Therefore in our
own lives as with many many other throughout the Bible we need to trust totally and
always on God Himself. Whatever happens in our lives or to those around you, we
must trust that Gods way is perfect. His complete purposes are being worked out in
our lives whether we understand, approve or agree with what is taking place, whether
here on earth or in eternity, trusting and obeying that God doesn’t and never has made
a mistake and His glory will be made manifest. In hindsight we can see Gods leading
and in our personal lives we can see the way in which God has lead us and taught us
and blessed us even when we don’t understand we can know for sure that His will is
perfect and He does not allow anything contrary to His will, in our minds we are open
to misunderstanding, misinterpretation, failure and weakness. Life is full of changes
and what ever season of life you are dealing with this day, remember and appreciate
that you are important to God and in some small part you are apart of His infinite plan
and purposes. In Christ we have a glorious hope, the hope of Glory. We can trust,
obey live and serve others in His name as we go about our earthly lives.