Bill, Bills, and more Bills

Its that time of the month again!! Trying to fit the money with the bills and realising that there are more bills than money. What's possibly comforting -I said possibly-is knowing that most people are in the same position. Listening to the news this week there doesn't seem to be a light at the end of the tunnel, the bailout isn't going to happen - at least not yet. It makes me think that this is why Jesus said 'Seek first the Kingdom', He is sooo clever! Change your focus. Put your efforts into those things that are eternal and unchanging. To my mind it doesn't mean we should just pretend that the economic situation isn't important. Too many people are being adverseley affected by it. But if we concentrate on it too much it will 'do your head in' - to use a Britsh phrase. The book of Judges tells of a time when Samson came across a lion and as lions do he roared - Samson was about to be dinner. Samson however kills the lion and days later finds honey in the carcass .... a carcass - something that was dead and depleted. The source was not the carcass but God. That same God will provide for us from things that are dead and depleted from the last place we would think of, because He can. Don't look at the circumstance look to the Source. He will provide.

Pray one for another. We need it

Thankful Thursday No.1

I am now officially starting 'Thankful Thursdays' at 'Call Her Woman'.  As you know this blog in essence gives God thanks for being who I am. If for nothing else ladies (and gentlemen) give God thanks for making you you.  Unique in everyway. I think the orginiator of this idea is a lady called Iris (Sting to my Heart)and I thank God for her, I hope I'm not misunderstanding her but she would really like to live somewhere else, but is finding reasons to praise God anyhow! There is an old song that says 'count your blessings, name them one by one and it will surprise you what the Lord has done' Maaaan, it can take an effort to name those blessings as it's much easier to count all the the things that are working against us.  I for one know that if it were not for the grace of my Father who loved me, well this blog would not be as it is.  I travelled from my home to Alexandria, Virginia a three hour journey, and I am still here, so I'm thankful.  I know I have things still to do, lives still to touch, things to say  so I am thankful for the opportunity.  "Thank you Lord for one more Thursday". Thank the Lord just for one thing right now.

Pray one for another. We need it

I am wonderfully made

Ps 139:14-17
14 Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! It is amazing to think about. Your workmanship is marvelous-- and how well I know it.15 You were there while I was being formed in utter seclusion!16 You saw me before I was born and scheduled each day of my life before I began to breathe. Every day was recorded in your book!17 How precious it is, Lord, to realize that you are thinking about me constantly! I can't even count how many times a day your thoughts turn toward me. And when I waken in the morning, you are still thinking of me! (The Living Bible)


I get annoyed when people abuse their bodies, and christians need to realise that this body is not only the carrier of great treasure but it is the only means by which the gospel is going to reach the rest of the world. We often forget what a work of creative genius we are. Science is the most powerful tool that we have for studying the natural world, including ourselves. But science has a huge failing (well at least one), it doesn't necessarily help us to understand God. In fact, rather than having a PhD in science all that we need is a tiniest amount of faith. Where science stops faith takes over. A case in point is the study of genes or genome. This aspect of science can tell us a lot about our biological nature, the ‘mechanical’ parts but what it can't tell us is why there is in almost every human being an inherent longing for God. DNA does not answer where we get our sense of right and wrong from, neither our urge to –for the most part anyway- do the right thing, even to the extent of risking our own life to save another. This is the exact opposite of evolution. Evolution advocates survival of the fittest, dog eat dog. It is these and other aspects of humanity that let us know that we are more than chemicals and DNA, there is a spiritual part to our nature.* The writer in the Genesis passage lets us know the source of this spiritual nature, it is the life of our Creator.





So as far as is possible lets look after ourselves because you and I are so wonderfully made.


Pray one for another. We need it!





*www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2001/October1/2.42

Enough is enough.

Have you got fed up enough of the state of things in your marriage, in your family, at your work place, in your body, in your community, even dare I say it in your church, to say "that's it, that's enough, this means war!" Have you found that as gifted and anointed as we are as Christians those things that we have tried to fix through good counsel, through medicine, through trying to be better those things "rather grow worse". You see what we're going through may not be physical! There's a war going on beyond Iraq, beyond Russia, it is the war for our personal peace. And when we get fed up enough we'll ask God for the whole armour so that we will be protected from those things that come to capture our peace and destroy us . The words of this song sung by CeCe Winans says 'anoint my hands anoint my feet' to do war to take back what the enemy has stolen from us.

Living with Differences

(the above picture is my friend who waited many years for this day)

21 years [and one day] I can't believe it. Looking back I didn't think too much about married life and definitely not 21 years of it. The first three years I think were hardest because both of us came to realize that we were so different. We shared the same interests, love for God, church , ministry, education, traveling, reading but you don't live in church, you aren't continually traveling or reading. The majority of the time it was us - together - a lot of the time. Our emphases and priorities were often dissimilar.We had to deal with our disparities .These of course were points of tension. It is precisely these points of tension that the enemy highlights in our minds, he plays them over and over - I don't know if it is the same for men, it would be interesting to find out. He did the same to Eve, he allowed her to concentrate on what she didn't have thereby losing focus on what she did. I know now that it was the grace of God that kept us together at those times. It was then and is now the enemy's desire to 'sift us like wheat' and if Jesus doesn't make intercession for us we wont make it, left to our own devices we will bite that apple and then be forced to live with the consequences.
That said making the dissimilar and the similar mould together until you can't see where the dissimilarities and the similarities are is a mystery - and an on going process. The creation of marriage is a Godly one, it's not mass produced by robots but one that involves not only the Creator but also the creation. I guess the best anology is not really clay but wood. A good carpenter can look at the grain and the markings on a piece of wood and know how to craft it in order to bring out its inner beauty but some quite harsh tools are used to bring about that final work.

Pray one for another. We need it!

21 today, 21 today

Today I am celebrating my 21st wedding anniversary - yea I know life sentences are shorter :). No, it's not because I'm married to the perfect man (though he did give me a dozen roses and a card first thing this morning, that played 'How sweet it is to be loved by you'- no hatin' now) and it's not that I'm the perfect wife - [Even though after making us God said everything that was made was now very good...not perfect-close though :)].

There were many occasions when I felt I wanted out and I'm sure my husband felt the same way but we are still here and I am celebrating it, reflecting on the past years and thanking God for today - I don't take it for granted.

Question for you. Is deciding to part company the easy way out? (I'm not talking out of abusive relationships thats a no brainer!)



Pray one for another! We need it.

marriage
anniversary
divorce

Try Something New

I've just come from a 'Point of Grace' concert. I'm a gospel music lover, there I admit it. My mum owned a Mahalia Jackson vinyl record which I listened to over and over - oh and she did own a Charlie Pride record as well, I forgot about that. I learned every word and nuance of Mahalia's recording. I attended a 'black church' as a child which caused my love of gospel music grow even more.

About six years ago I bought a 3CD set of Darlene Zschech and I was smitten. My love of gospel didn't wane, it broadened. But I remember a time when I wouldn't have given that genre a hearing - to me gospel was the only music that moved you, it was music that could take you into 'His Presence' but now I wondered how much of this had I missed out on. Point of Grace sang 'On Gods Green Earth' and 'How You Live', fabulous songs! I kept thinking why had I not paid more attention to this group before I comforted myself with one of my well used adages 'nothing happens before the time' and its what I do now that matters. How many times do we close ourselves off to all things new, things that broaden our horizons, things that may possibly open a door that we should really walk through. We can miss out on so many opportunities because we are set in our ways. 'Can't teach an old dog new tricks' and all that... When my children were small they didn't like the taste of cream, and avacado and hummos but I kept letting them try it and as they got older their tastes developed and things that they once disliked now they enjoy - at least some of them. Is it time to try something different? To meet someone from outside of your 'everyday'? To learn a new skill? To develop that talent? Don't leave it one more day make a move. Pray one for another - we need it!

Point of Grace gospel music new beginnings

I need a word

I am doing a Biblical Hebrew course at the moment which is extremely intense. But one of the wonderful thing about doing a course like this is the way that God makes himself known. Every week we have to learn the meanings of and how to say 40 Hebrew words. It takes a lot of time and there always seem to be two words that won't stick in your mind. One of the words I learnt this week was "ne-um" which means revelation, utterance, announcement.

There are times we need a revelation, an announcement not from journatlists, politicians, life coaches or therapists, we just want one announcement from our Source. Something that will give us encouragement to take just one more step, to get through just one more day. It is comforting to know that He speaks through his word, but there are times we need the Holy Spirit to burn in our hearts. Like the disciples on the road to Emmaus we want to not only hear the word but to feel. As we share out desire with God ask that He will respond with an utterance. Pray one for another.

hearing from God

I Will Finish

We all need to keep fit, no matter what size we are. Hezekiah challenged God, he told him that the grave could not praise Him, in other words 'I'm no use to you dead God, so don't allow me to die right now.' The same goes for if we don't keep our bodies active. God can't use a body that just can't go. I know that there are some ailments and disabilites that are outside our control but there are some that are well in our control, you know I'm right. Walk 20 minutes a day - 10 minutes away from the house and 10 minutes back home. Over the days and weeks increase the pace and as you get more comfortable increase the time. It is also a time when the Holy Spirit can speak to you. I was on a walk which turned into a run and I was determined to run for twenty minutes, five minutes went by and I was out of breath I felt I couldn't go on. I told myself just another 5 minutes, still our of breath I continued and as the time passed I told my self 'you've only got ten minutes to go,just try to go another five minutes....' I ran for the full twenty minutes. I thought how many times the enemy makes us think we can't go a step further, its too much now, I can't take anymore rejection, I can't take one more dissappointment, no more bad news. At that moment it feels that we can't, but we can and we can because in our weakness our God shows how strong He is. He is strong enough to carry us through those dissapointments. And you know, there is an added bonus. When I was running I was increasing my endurance, so the next time I can may be able to run for 25 minutes. When we overcome we are stronger, wiser, better. You see how you start is not questioned it is not even how you finish but if you finish. Speak to yourself I will finish! Pray one for another......
Labels: pray, women