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God invites us to come and BE STILL and rest in His presence, to find our hope and comfort in Him.
There is no part of our everyday, wash-and-rinse-and-repeat routine of kids and laundry and life and fights and work and worries and play dates and aching budgets and marriage and love and new life and bedtime marathons that Jesus doesn’t look deep into and say, “That is mine.” “In Him *all* things hold together.” Colossians 1:17. ~ Lisa Jo Baker (Gypsy Mama)
BE STILL – Bethel
Be still my heart and know
You are God alone
Stop thinking so much
And just let go
Be still my soul and rest
Humbly I confess
In my weakness
Your strength is perfect
For You alone are God
There will be no other
And You have won my heart
More than any other
So I will give it all
‘Cause You gave it all for me
Bless the Lord
Oh my soul cries out
All that is within me praise
Bless the Lord
Oh my soul cries out
All that is within me praise
worship reinforces what matters most,
reminds us of truths we forget
and renews our desire to live what we believe. Rick Warren
worship reinforces that what matters most is seen in the light of eternity, grace and love
that i am created to love God and be loved by Him
that i am a child of God, my life finding purpose in my relationship to Him, my Father
that He is greater
that He is good
that His heart is kind
that He is powerful, eternal, faithful, mighty
His Word will remain, His promises are unshakeable and unfailing
worship reminds me of the truth that i so easily forget
that He loves me
that His ways are good and great
that i can trust Him
that He holds the universe in His hands and that nothing is impossible for Him
that He is greater
that He is good
worship renews my desire to live to know Him and make Him known
i fall in love all over again
amazed and awed and His power and grace, His love and His kindness, His justice and might
it renews my desire that others also know Him
that they encounter Him for real
in worship i hope, i am free
i hear His voice
He guides me and leads me, restores my soul
some of my favourite worship songs that remind me how BIG and AWESOME God is are:
#FiveMinuteFriday free write time! <—click to tweet this!
Five Minute Friday is a feature over at Lisa-Jo Bakers TALES FROM A GYPSY MAMA blog. i first read about it on my friend Fee’s blog and thought it sounded fun!
1. Write for 5 minutes flat – no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking.
2. Link back here and invite others to join in.
3. And then absolutely, no ifs, ands or buts about it, you need to visit the person who linked up before you & encourage them in their comments. Seriously. That is, like, the rule. And the fun. And the heart of this community..
OK, are you ready?
i feel really small when a 6.6 earthquake hits the town where my parents live.
i feel really small when my daughter has a potentially life threatening allergy reaction.
i feel small sending my kids to school each day.
i feel small, often.
life is fragile.
this world is broken, groaning, crying out for restoration and renewal and for the return of The King.
but my God is big. bigger than i can even comprehend or define.
He is the one who breathed out the stars, spoke and there was light, who created the universe and holds all things in His hands.
By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth. Psalm 33:6
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. Colossians 1:14-16
He is the healer, the storm calmer, the life giver.
He knows my days, my hours, my minutes, my thoughts.
Before a word is on my tongue you, Lord, know it completely. You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me. Psalm 139:4-5
i am secure in His might and love.
i am safe in His grace and power.
i belong to Jesus.
i AM small. but He is amazing.
i put my trust in Him.
*** worship reinforces what matters most, reminds us of truths we forget and renews our desire to live what we believe. Rick Warren
some of my favourite worship songs that remind me how BIG and AWESOME God is are:
#FiveMinuteFriday free write time! <—click to tweet this!
Five Minute Friday is a feature over at Lisa-Jo Bakers TALES FROM A GYPSY MAMA blog. i first read about it on my friend Fee’s blog and thought it sounded fun!
1. Write for 5 minutes flat – no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking.
2. Link back here and invite others to join in.
3. And then absolutely, no ifs, ands or buts about it, you need to visit the person who linked up before you & encourage them in their comments. Seriously. That is, like, the rule. And the fun. And the heart of this community..
OK, are you ready?
lonely spaces can be lovely spaces.
Luke 5:16 But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.
yes i know its the semantics.
when we often think of the word lonely we think of aloneness, brokenness, lack, sorrow.
but what if it is our perception that defines whether a space is lonely or lovely in our lives.
what if we turned that time when we’re finding ourselves relationally into time when we draw closer to God?
just as Jesus did.
what if we viewed the season as a time of growth and an opportunity to pray and read and say yes to God?
God is with us. Jesus is with us.
always.
i think when we draw into the loveliness of God’s presence and find our security in Him then He is able to sustain us and fill our lives.
time and time again it says in psalms – YOU are my portion. You fill me. You satisfy me. In YOU in find my security.
Psalm 16:5 Lord, you alone are my portion and my cup; you make my lot secure.
Psalm 73:26 My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever.
Psalm 145:16 You open Your hand And satisfy the desire of every living thing.
Psalm 142:5 I cried out to You, O Lord: I said, “You are my refuge, My portion in the land of the living.
and the good news is God’s promise : Psalm 68:6 God sets the lonely in families, he leads out the prisoners with singing; but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land.
lonely spaces can become lovely spaces
but not to dismiss lonely feelings and lonely situations – please hear my heart here – loneliness is one of the worst feelings in the world! when i was growing up we moved heaps, i was always the new girl. a new school, a new uniform, a new set of people to know. loneliness was my reality. loneliness eroded how i felt about myself. it ebbed away my sense of security. that loneliness that makes you feel unwanted and unseen – thats not lovely.
it wasnt until i became a christian that that lonely space was filled. and my experience of loneliness makes me step out to those that are new around me, to create friendships and intentional connections. i don’t want people to live lonely for any longer than they need to. it stretches my boarders to invite new people into my life. i learned from loneliness.
ps i thought this post was fabulous by lisa jo : when you wonder why everyone else seems to have friends
i believe that our lives tell a story.
they tell a story of a great hero, a rescuer, who loves with a great love and does amazing exploits to prove that, despite the circumstances and the obstacles, overcoming and courageous, determined and kind, wise and powerful.
our lives tell the story of Jesus.
my life tells His story.
in my ordinary life i am a demonstration of His reality and His power and His grace.
He is my greatest hero. my rescuer. my redeemer.
He loves me with a great love and died on the cross as the greatest exploit to save me.
despite the circumstances, the obstacles, my rebellion
He prevails.
He is the hero.
He uses my life to show His love, to show His reality, to show His grace.
that His love never fails.
that He makes all things beautiful.
that as far as the east is from the west He removes our sins from us.
that He makes us His.
that He loves us first.
my story has had some ups and downs. i have rebelled, strayed, cooled, disappointed. i have loved, served, being faithful.
but constantly, He is.
constantly, He will be.
i want my life to tell a good story. a story that reveals His greatness and goodness. a story that is raw and powerful and that compels others to live for Jesus. i want my story to engage with people and draw them in to hear HIs heart.
my life is being written now. i am writing my life. the pages of my past are written in pen but the pages of my future are yet unformed.
by my choices i am “picking my path” (loved those books as a child!)
by my choices i am choosing to follow with the hero, or to walk my own way.
but i am confident of this one thing, that i am loved. that i am called. that i am forgiven.
even if the red pen is used in my life story, His promise is that He will use all things for the good of those who love Him, for His glory, for His fame, for His story.
He is the hero. He is the main character.
Its all about Him.
#FiveMinuteFriday free write time! <—click to tweet this!
Five Minute Friday is a feature over at Lisa-Jo Bakers TALES FROM A GYPSY MAMA blog. i first read about it on my friend Fee’s blog and thought it sounded fun!
1. Write for 5 minutes flat – no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking.
2. Link back here and invite others to join in.
3. And then absolutely, no ifs, ands or buts about it, you need to visit the person who linked up before you & encourage them in their comments. Seriously. That is, like, the rule. And the fun. And the heart of this community..
OK, are you ready?
i wear a lot of hats.
wife.
mother.
daughter of God.
friend.
woman in ministry.
the best housegroup in the world leader.
mainly music leader.
mentor.
allergy chick. gluten free girl. mother of an allergy child.
daughter. sister. daughter in law. sister in law.
rugby mum. ballet mum. parent help. BOT wife.
blogger. social media “geek”.
in all of these roles i want to be giving all i am.
present.
not giving leftovers or getting to the end of the week on reserve tanks.
present.
in every role, with every hat, in every space of my life, i need Him. i need His grace, His hope, His wisdom, His love.
i need His guidance, to only say YES to the things He has called me to do.
present. purposeful.
We can be tired, weary and emotionally distraught, but after spending time alone with God, we find that He injects into our bodies energy, power and strength. ~ Charles Stanley
this is how i live my life. or at least i try to! i aspire to!
i can be present because of His presence.
But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’” Matthew 4:4
i can be present because of His presence. His words are life. His words are hope and strength. they give courage when i feel unsure. they inspire me to keep going when my heart fails me. they give me perspective and peace.
He gives power to the weak,
And to those who have no might He increases strength.
Even the youths shall faint and be weary,
And the young men shall utterly fall,
But those who wait on the Lord
Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:29-31
Five Minute Friday is a feature over at Lisa-Jo Bakers TALES FROM A GYPSY MAMA blog. i first read about it on my friend Fee’s blog (and her one on IN BETWEEN is really good this week!) and thought it sounded fun!
So, let’s do this thing. Let’s write.
Set your timer, clear your head, for five minutes of free writing without worrying about getting it right.
1. Write for 5 minutes flat – no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking.
2. Link back here and invite others to join in.
3. And then absolutely, no ifs, ands or buts about it, you need to visit the person who linked up before you & encourage them in their comments. Seriously. That is, like, the rule. And the fun. And the heart of this community..
OK, are you ready?
Listen… can you hear the whisper of love and grace over your life?
Listen… can you hear the love and joy sung over your life?
Listen… can you hear God inviting you to draw near?
Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know. Jeremiah 33:3
We are what we listen to? Whose voice is the loudest in our life?
Are we listening to the voice of hope and life? Versus the voice of doubt and discouragement?
Are we listening to the voice of the One who is creative and wise – who breathed out the stars and counts the hairs we have on our head, who knows the path of lightening and the volume of water in a raindrop?
Whose voice do we listen to? Whose voice do we let shape us? Whose voice defines us?
God is faithful.
Faithful to speak and guide and be personal and near. He is not far away, but close, interactive.
He is speaking hope and life, wisdom and peace.
Over and over again the Bible records interactions between God and His people.
Over and over again it talks about a God that talks to His friends, that is near, that is personal, that speaks love, that imparts wisdom, that shows the way.
He is the same today, as He will be tomorrow, as He was yesterday. From the beginning God has spoken to His children and desired real relationship with them. He walked in the garden with Adam and Eve and at the end of time Revelation 22:3-4 it says that we will worship God face to face!
Abraham was called a friend of God. Moses talked with God face to face in the tabernacle tent and upon Mt Sinai.
He wants to speak you you… and for you to LISTEN. We recognize God’s voice because we recognize Him, the better we get to know God the more clearly we will recognize His voice. He is faithful. He is speaking. Are we listening?
"My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me." John 10:27
Listen… when God says i love you.
Listen… when God says this is the way, walk in it.
Listen… when God says i know you, i have a plan, you belong to me.
Listen – let His words shape you, define you, give life to you.
from Oceans // Hillsong
Psalm 121:1 I lift up my eyes to the hills— where does my help come from?
Psalm 123:1 I lift up my eyes to you, to you whose throne is in heaven.
2 Corinthians 4:18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
Colossians 3:1 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.
there is just “something” about lifting our eyes, about looking with a different perspective and vantage point.
i will lift my eyes from my i cants, to God’s i can
i will lift my eyes from my limitations, to God’s nothing is impossible
i will lift my eyes from my flaws, to God’s gift of forgiveness and righteousness through Christ
i will lift my eyes from my loneliness, to God’s promise that He is with me
i will lift my eyes from my exhaustion, to God’s invitation to come
i will lift my eyes from my excuses, to God’s encouragement that i can do all things through Christ who strengthens me
Sometimes we may never know the WHY something happens. But we can always know the WHO. And we can be confident that God is always with us. Always.
He is our view. Let us fix our eyes upon Him, the author and perfector of our faith.
Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice!
Have mercy also upon me, and answer me.
When You said, “Seek My face,”
My heart said to You, “Your face, Lord, I will seek.” ~ Psalm 27:7-8
With so much instability and fear in the world today, we must cling to Jesus and fix our eyes on Him and view life through the eyes of trust and faith. God is always good. In every challenge and every circumstance, He is good. He can always be trusted. He is in the business of turning anything bad into everything good. He breaks open prison doors, He sends whales as coast guards, He tells the paralysed to get up and walk. And He raises the dead to life.
Perspective matters. Perspective changes death into life. Perspective changes hopelessness into hope. Fear into faith. Crisis into opportunities to grow and trust God.
Instead of letting difficulties draw you into worrying, try to view them as setting the scene for God’s glorious intervention.
Five Minute Friday is a feature over at Lisa-Jo Bakers TALES FROM A GYPSY MAMA blog. i first read about it on my friend Fee’s blog and thought it sounded fun!
So, let’s do this thing. Let’s write.
Set your timer, clear your head, for five minutes of free writing without worrying about getting it right.
1. Write for 5 minutes flat – no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking.
2. Link back here and invite others to join in.
3. And then absolutely, no ifs, ands or buts about it, you need to visit the person who linked up before you & encourage them in their comments. Seriously. That is, like, the rule. And the fun. And the heart of this community..
OK, are you ready?
#FiveMinuteFriday —>Click to Tweet that.
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. 2 Corinthians 1:3-4
on the day before we came home from our recent holiday, we arrived back at our holiday home, to find that it had being broken into. some precious things were gone and our things touched, our sanctuary away from home invaded.
once some of the formalities were done with, manager informed (message on the answerphone), police phoned
we began the process of comfort.
i made dinner. the kids favourite. we turned on tv (we became addicted to icarly and it was the final ever episode! yay for skytv)
we got blankets. we snuggled. we prayed. we thanked God for His angels who were keeping guard of us and keeping guard of our things. we asked Him to help us to sleep well and to protect us.
then once the kids were a bit more settled, i did what i do in times like this.
i went to the bedroom and i phoned my dad.
my mum and dad live in the South Island (of New Zealand) and we live in the North Island, so practically, there is nothing they could do. some advice yes. but there is just something about ringing my dad that does it for me.
about 5 years ago one of our housegroup guys died in a car accident. i had to ring round his church friends, my housegroup, to inform them. we all gravitated to church, where i began the process of helping to plan his funeral and liaison with his family as our pastor was away on a mission trip, due back in a few days. i had to make breakfast for my kids, pack lunches, take my son to school and then go to church, to be there, to talk, to find hope, to find comfort. before anyone arrived, i shut myself in an office and made that phone call. i phoned my dad.
when tony’s dad died, my dad was the first one i called.
and with each of these phone calls i make, i know its something more. i know its also a physical representation of how i find comfort, not only in my earthly dad, but in my Heavenly Father. the phone call is like the symbolic outworking of what i am doing on the inside. calling my Heavenly Dad. the God of all comfort. the Father of compassion. as i dial, i am really praying. as i dial, i am really turning my heart to God, finding hope in His hands.
just like i need to hear the voice of my earthly dad, in those moments, i need to hear the voice of my heavenly Father.
sometimes it comes in a bible verse, or a page of a book, a blog post, an email.
sometimes it comes in a song. or a timely hug from someone at church.
but i know He speaks. i know He is with me. He is the God of ALL comfort.
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.’ Matthew 11:28-29
The Lord is close to the broken-hearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. Psalm 34:18
Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. Psalm 23:4
Five Minute Friday is a feature over at Lisa-Jo Bakers TALES FROM A GYPSY MAMA blog. i first read about it on my friend Fee’s blog and thought it sounded fun!
So, let’s do this thing. Let’s write.
Set your timer, clear your head, for five minutes of free writing without worrying about getting it right.
1. Write for 5 minutes flat – no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking.
2. Link back here and invite others to join in.
3. And then absolutely, no ifs, ands or buts about it, you need to visit the person who linked up before you & encourage them in their comments. Seriously. That is, like, the rule. And the fun. And the heart of this community..
OK, are you ready?
#FiveMinuteFriday —>Click to Tweet that.
here i am.
today.
in my space.
in my world.
listening to my husband teach math with lego blocks with my daughter.
listening to my son commentate a rugby game in the hallway.
sitting.
writing.
in a moment of quiet creativity amidst the busyness that here is.
dinner cooks.
homework is completed.
cutlery clanks.
i am surrounded by those i love and that love me.
and most importantly, i am loved by God.
who has placed me
positioned me
purposed me
for here
today
now.
before i was born my here was before Him,
He knew me, loved me.
He called me wonderfully created, beautiful to Him.
At the cross, He rescued me, saved me, brought me peace.
my life is found here,
in this place,
with these people,
and my God.
One Passion One Devotion 