Thankful Thursday No 4

I've been going through one of those reflective, melancholic periods. A time when I just want to tell God everything, to unburden myself. So much is going on in the world and I don't know about you but the anxiety is almost tangible. I understand how frustrated Solomon must have felt when you look at the way things are, some things just aren't fair - there are things I will definately want to ask the Lord about when I see Him, but until then I'll just trust Him. I heard today that someone who I must admit I didn't know very well but who was part of a wide circle of church friends growing up in the UK, died of cancer. She must be have been in her late thirties, my heart goes out to her husband and I feel sad. I am reminded of my own mortality and that everyday is not a right but a blessing.

On this Thankful Thursday I thank God for the blessing of life And I thank God that this life with all its problems and issues is not the be all and end all or else we would be men most miserable. Possibly this is what Solomon missed, But as it is written: "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him." 1Cor 2:9(NKJ)

I thank God for people who love me and go out of the way to show me, with a phone call or a gift, with a email forward.

Remember! Pray one for another. We need it

Thanks to Iris By Grace Alone for the Thankful Thursday Inspiration.

Call her Woman

Gen 2:18-23
18 Then the LORD God said, "It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him."
19 So out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to the man to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name.
20 The man gave names to all cattle, and to the birds of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for the man there was not found a helper fit for him.
21 So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh;
22 and the rib which the LORD God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man.
23 Then the man said, "This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man."
(RSV)

Like it or not this is God’s word. It wasn’t easy getting it to us, getting men to have the Sprit to hear it, then to write it, then to preserve it, no only God could have made that happened. This word has come through fire, war, heresy, just to get to us, right here, right now! It cost lives. So what was so important? What is God saying?

Call her Woman, is a paraphrase of the above ‘her name is Woman’. It’s easy to forget who you are, not your birth name but who you are, and whose you are. It easy because others forget who you are, they overlook you in promotion, they don’t introduce you at gatherings, they don’t recognise your talents and abilities, but God in this narrative wants to remind you you are ‘woman’. God himself took time to create and fashion you. Your make up is such that you are the only companion that is suitable for man. Yes, there are particular aspects that a dog or a cat can imitate, but as a woman you are the only one who is 100% spot on in everyway. You can’t be replaced, you can’t be substituted. Adam found that out in the garden. God presented Adam with every animal imaginable with all their qualities and abilities but both Adam and God knew none was acceptable for the task of being with man. Only you!

You are unique in all creation, specially brought into being for the qualities, abilities, persona and traits that you alone have. You’re a living, thinking soul who God wants to have relationship with.

Pray one for another. We need it

Thankful Thursday No 3

"This is the day the Lord has made..." Psalm 118:24

He made it and isn't it just a wonderful day! Yes it is. It's Thursday and I have had my exam and I feel a lot better about it than I felt this time last week.

So I am thankful to God for getting me through this exam without losing my senses.

I am thankful to God for my mum - she is well....... words are not enough - anyway she is seventy next birthday and had a physical and has no diabetes, no cholesterol, no blood pressure and she is enjoying life. She needs to lose some weight though so she's bought herself an exercise bike!!

She is a woman who believes in the ability of God to do all things and she has passed that on to me. She had to bring up five of us on her own and things weren't easy but she made it so that we were never aware of hard things were. She was and is faithful to her God and I believe that God rewards faithfulness in different ways and I believe her health is just one of those ways.

I am thankful for my husband who I love coming home to, sharing things with, laughing with and being with.

Thankful for my beautiful children, who bring real joy - and challenge - to my life. I learn so much from them. 'Just chill' is good advice sometimes.

I am thankful to God for His grace, for loving someone like me.

Thanks to Iris By Grace Alone for the Thankful Thursday Inspiration.



Pray one for another. We need it

Amazing Love!

As we begin to think about going to service and all the things that that means. Let us pray for those in,
Iran (have a look at this article about two Christians just freed from prison) Pakistan, China and many other places in the world for whom even speaking the name of Jesus could mean death. As these brothers and sisters meet together to worship and fellowship let's pray for their protection and for strength to continue despite the every day opposition. What amazing love!

Lets pray for men and women who have chosen to leave their countries of safety to share the great joy that they have found in Jesus with those who are unreached. Pray that God will provide for them, strengthen them and give them a smile. Pray that God will cause His face to shine on them and give them peace. They have amazing love.

And as we go to our various places of worship let us shout, sing, lift our hands, bow our heads, kneel, read, sing, quietly meditate, what ever we do, do it to show our love and gratefulness to God. Do it with all our heart, with all our mind and with all our soul.

I am so thankful today not only for the freedom I have in Christ but also the freedom to worship and talk about His goodness freely and to bask in His Amazing Love. Have a blessed Sunday.

Pray one for another. We need it

Thankful Thursday No.2

I did a Hebrew test and it did not go as well as it should for lots of reasons - one being that it was online and I just could read the script, the other my mind went blank. Have you ever had that you know you know it but its as if nothing's there.
I had some good advice last week that I have taken on 'just don't worry' . I give that advice so much and most of the time I don't stress but there are times when.... well you know. But in the scheme of things a lot of things aren't that big a deal, next week will come and there is another test - well an exam! It will be OK And so today I'm thankful because its going to be OK. Someone said 'today is the tomorrow we worried about yesterday, and all is well'. "Be thankful unto Him and bless is His Name" Psalm 100:4

Thanks to Iris By Grace Alone for the Thankful Thursday Inspiration.

Pray one for another. We need it.