You are currently browsing the monthly archive for November 2009.
“Develop an attitude of gratitude, and give thanks for everything that happens to you, knowing that every step forward is a step toward achieving something bigger and better than your current situation.” -Brian Tracy
334. i am so priv to work with some of the most awesome young adults in our leadership team for our church’s young adults service – it was awesome to meet iwth them last night and pray and seek God and plan and dream.
335. some time to myself. oh it is much cherished!
336. hearing good things about my kids!
337. answered prayer
338. our God is our healer!
339. beautiful new people at our church – beautiful in the way they love God and their story of faith and hope
340. walking and praying
341. a surprize courier package from my sister – lots of lovely hair care products! not that i really use them all, but i can pass them on and bless other people!
342. anticipation of a great thursday night at our women’s ministry Pamper Night… hot chocolate, yummy supper, massage, makeup, girly things!
343. funny ads
344. cute things my evangeline, age 4 says. this morning when i went in to wake her up she was just delightful. it blesses my heart!
345. library books
346. barley and sunflower seed toast. seriously it is yum!
God dwells in eternity but time dwells in God. He has already lived all our tomorrows as He has lived all our yesterdays. AW Tozer
Proverbs 3:11 “my child don’t turn away or become bitter when the Lord corrects you. The Lord corrects everyone he loves, just as parents correct their children.”
Why do I correct my kids: so they…
Grow up safe
Grow up as contributors
Grow up into fulfillment and happiness
Grow up secure
Grow up and “fit in”
Grow up and make friends
Grow up and make a positive impression
Grow up with opportunities
Grow up to succeed
Correcting trains us into the right direction. It isn’t about punishment or things like that it is about training human beings. Correcting kids is about them managing their emotions and desires and wants and how they express themselves.
Likewise God corrects us because he loves us. He loves us even more than I love my kids.
Remember – God is good. loving. gracious. in my own life i have found His correction techniques to be good, loving, gracious and kind – not shameful and humiliating. He humbles us yes and correction is often painful as we may have to right wrongs and we have to deny ourselves and let go of our “rights” and make changes – He is our Heavenly Father.
God also sees the big picture. Just like a parent can look forward and see the consequences of their actions (the broken toy, the broken heart, etc etc) and imposes correction that protects the child – like teaching a toddler to NOT touch the fire because the fire burns… or forming property boundaries so the child doesnt get into danger by going onto the road etc… the child may think fire is pretty and that they just want to ride their bike, but the parent sees the big picture.
When God corrects us don’t turn away or reject him and his lessons and correction. Learn. Embrace. Experience. Be humble. Pray. Draw near to him. Seek him. Don’t become bitter – but better, as the saying goes. Grow as a human. Grow as a child of God. Be more faithful. Be more like Jesus. Draw near to God. Be soft and not hard. Yield, don’t resist. Be willing, not willful. Have hope. Be teachable.
“I am ready to burn out for God. I am ready to endure any hardship, if by any means I might save some. The longing of my heart is to make known my glorious Redeemer to those who have never heard.” William Burns
what will you give?
what will you do?
God has called each one of us to be ambassadors and witnesses – to shine His light into the world so that people will see God in the darkness. it is God who saves and draws people to Himself but He demonstrates His love and grace and lives out salvation in us.
God has qualified and empowered each one of us to do this momentous task. It should be done every day in every converstation in every opportunity. Its not something we turn off or turn on. We ARE witnesses. We ARE the light of the world, unhidden and shinning bright.
we may feel insignificant and unqualified – but remember – We are like clay jars in which this treasure is stored. The real power comes from God and not from us. 2 Corinthians 4:7 – the real power comes from God – we are the vessel and God is the light that shines – we are the life that expresses the power of God and message of God – as we humble ourselves and draw near to God and pray THEN we are usable. God delights to use His children to reach the lost. As we step out in faith His power enables us and gives us the right words.
Be used. Make the choice. Be close and in love with God, know Him and make Him known!
“Missions is the overflow of our delight in God because missions is the overflow of God’s delight in being God.” John Piper
“If sinners be damned, at least let them leap to hell over our bodies. And if they perish, let them perish with our arms about their knees, imploring them to stay. If hell must be filled, at least let it be filled in the teeth of our exertions, and let not one go there unwarned and unprayed for.” Charles H. Spurgeon
I remember to think about
the many things
you did
in years gone by.
Then I lift my hands in prayer,
because my soul is a desert,
thirsty for water from you.
psalm 143:5-6
– REMEMBER – david often tells himself to REMEMBER God and His ways and His works. its more than just a post it note to remind ourselves but it is a remembering that stirrs up faith, that recalls who God is and the great things He does and has done. Remembering is encouraging ourselves – to rewrite the whiteboard of our mind and heart with the knowledge of who God is and all He can do. when we forget God our faith becomes dull and we doubt and forget and become burdened by fears and worries – forgetting to fix our eyes upon God and trusting Him.
– Remember – THEN – faith leads us to pray and worship and surrender and to have more faith and trust. when we have faith we are more ready to pray because we trust God to move and are expectant of His intervention.
– only God can satisfy a thirsty sou.
– in the barrenness and wilderness and desert of hard times, when life is pressing in on all sides, and we are tired and worn out in our heart – THIS is the time to remind ourselves of who God is and that He is the one who gives us rest and hope and who satisfies us and has all the answers. the answer may be to wait and to be transformed and to have hope even in the desert, but we can be assured that God is with us at all times and in all places and that He will bring the breakthrough.
You are my God. Show me what you want me to do, and let your gentle Spirit lead me in the right path. Psalm 143:10
Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, confusion into clarity…. It turns problems into gifts, failures into success, the unexpected into perfect timing, and mistakes into important events. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow. Melodie Beattie
316. that my son has a hunger to read The Word and copy The Word out. he is 7 and has begun with 3 John. i am praying this will be his new “it thing” for a while. i have been praying that he will have a hunger for The Word and its truth and all it reveals about who God is.
317. answered prayer!
318. the freedom to be myself – to serve God as myself – to love my family as myself – to live as myself.
319. putting the christmas tree up! fun family time!
320. our housegroup are beating the rush and having our christmas party this week – i love our housegroup and i love our christmas parties! desset, sharing, caring, laughing, mocking, presents.
321. unexpected encouragement.
322. psalm 143. beautiful.
323. homemade chicken burgers with bacon :o) yum
324. new friends and God connections
325. caleb had his photo in the local newspaper. he was involved in a special photography assignement and spent a day a month ago taking digital photos at a local historical park, which was turned into an exhibition at the local art gallery. for me it is a testimony of how God works in a life and a family and how we should pray and not give up and how God tempers a heart and gives confidence.
326. confidene – a life lived out with faith – quote from church sunday night
327. churches coming together – last week our church hosted a combined churches prayer meeting and then two of us combined on sunday night for our young adults service – we had their pastor preach in our pulpit and he brought some of his young adults and afterwards, as we usually do, most of us went out for dinner. good times. good connections made. just awesome though to get churches excited and together.
328. my new seedlings – i’m not a gardener at all, but last week brought some flower seedlings and some vege ones – my husband and kids are the gardeners…
329. the book of Hosea. beautiful. esp loved Hosea 2.
330. it may seem a silly thing, but cool that Sound of a Soft Breath devo page on facebook has 300 people in it – wow – that is just cool – 300 of us from all around the world, different ages and stages, being encouraged together to know God and hear his voice and love him!
331. finding the lost school uniform jumper!
332. that evangeline can write her name :o) and the awesome art work she is making at kindy :o)
333. good friends who walk close beside in life.
today – as you think about what you’re grateful for, share your gratefulness with those who have blessed you… it may be a friend – tell them how much you appreciate who they are and how they have blessed you – or a shopkeeper that helps you find the exact right christmas present – thank them and let gratefulness spill over…. today your gratefulness may be balm on a hurting heart and may demonstrate the love and grace of God…
“Lord I crawled across the barrenness to you with my empty cup uncertain in asking any small drop of refreshment. If only I had known you better I’d have come running with a bucket.” – Nancy Spiegelberg
what a powerful quote… what truth contained…
firstly lets start at the end… it also reminds us how lavish the love and grace of God is…. if i had known you better, i would have come running with a bucket… expect great things from God, His love is lavish and in Him we find rest and hope and grace and healing and restoration….
last night i read hosea 2. awesome chapter. powerful chapter. a chapter that makes you take a breath. i encourage you to read it. i have included it down the bottom of this post in the CEV version and will be quoting i am sure :o)
we read in hosea 2 about an unfaithful wife, a picture of Israel and Judah’s unfaithfulness to God. we can also look and see our own lives in there. there are times when we are unfaithful and we turn to our modern day idols, we make the choice to sin and rebel against God.
what was God’s response to Israel’s unfaithfulness?
I, the LORD, will build
a fence of thorns
to block her path.
I will make her barren
like a desert,
and she will die of thirst.
I’ll take back
my wool and my linen
that cover her body.
10Then I’ll strip her naked
in the sight of her lovers.
this is not an act of simple punishment but a removal of those things that she relied on and sought comfort in.
Israel, I, the LORD,
will lure you into the desert
and speak gently to you.
God is more interested in our faithfulness to Him than our happiness and our comfort. the call is to walk holy not happy. God refines and transforms and changes us and the process is often the fire of trial and testing.
but oh what beauty there is to know that God will not abandon us to our unfaithfulness and rebellion. that he lures us into the wilderness so we can return to him.
Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. 5Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. Revelation 2:4-5
let us be first love people. people who embrace the work of God in our lives, who are spoken gently too and who hear the voice of our Lord drawing us to himself. let us be people who abide in Christ who find our hope and rest and satisfaction in him and his love.
“There are four principles we need to maintain:
First, read the Word of God.
Second, consume the Word of God until it consumes you.
Third believe the Word of God.
Fourth, act on the Word.”
Smith Wigglesworth
only God can change a destiny. only God can change the direction of a life and the nature of our hearts.
Later, Gomer had a daughter, and the LORD said, ” Name her Lo-Ruhamah, because I will no longer have mercy and forgive Israel. 7But I am the LORD God of Judah, and I will have mercy and save Judah by my own power–not by wars and arrows or swords and cavalry.” 8After Gomer had stopped nursing Lo-Ruhamah, she had another son. 9Then the LORD said, ” Name him Lo-Ammi, because these people are not mine, and I am not their God.”
Hope for Israel
10Someday it will be impossible to count the people of Israel, because there will be as many of them as there are grains of sand along the seashore. They are now called ” Not My People,” but in the future they will be called ” Children of the Living God.” 11Israel and Judah will unite and choose one leader. Then they will take back their land, and this will be a great day for Jezreel. Hosea 1:6-11
1So let your brothers be called ” My People” and your sisters be called ” Shown Mercy.” Hosea 2:1
note:
Lo-Ruhamah = show no mercy
CHANGED to Shown Mercy
Lo-Ammi = not my people
CHANGED to My People
God can change a destiny.
God can draw a person to Himself and transform them from the inside out.
He calls that which is not as is.
God makes destiny!
tomorrow it will be 6 months since one of my housegroup boys was killed in a car accident.
i’m amazed that it is 6 months since he died, it is such a long time and a short time.
he left such a mark on our housegroup, and our lives, that it seems quieter without him.
but for me, as a hosuegroup leader, it wasnt really until about a month or so ago that i got to deal with my own personal sorrow at losing a friend. up till then i had been very much in the pastoral role, caring for his girlfriend who was very devastated by his death, naturally, and the news that he was preparing to propose in october just being. its been an up and down journey, okay, mostly down journey for her. but one we take a step each day with. in the initial week i was in fully organisation/pastor mode as our own pastor was overseas on mission and i was the connection to the church for the family and preparing for his funeral. i put aside my own grief and processes and was busy instead.
i’m also a very visual person so dealing with the mental images and nightmares was my intial priority to overcome.
its been a growing time. growing in wisdom and grace. there have been times when i havent known what to say to in particular his girlfriend, a strong christian from a christian home, about things. i have relied heavily upon the grace of God to speak to me and through me. you never as a leader expect to deal with the loss of one of your own. or at least i never did.
his death has defined this year.
bringing both sorrow and beauty.
its remarkable and a tsetimony to God that his sister has become a christian. i stand in awe of that and applaud God for working such good out.
it taught me not to take life for granted. you seriously never know.
you have to have real answers when stuff like this happens. answers also in light of the charges the driver faces and the needless loss of life caused by circumstances and terrible terrible decisions, or lack of decisions.
i miss my friend and wonder at what it would be like to ahve him alive around us now – how he would have grown as a christian (he was baptized and saved only about less than a year before his death) – all of that…
6 months…. sigh.
One Passion One Devotion 