Hard Times

Sometimes, life throws up some HARD times!
At these times, I have some deep considering to do as to how I will choose to go on.
As the saying goes, it can make me bitter or better.
As the Bible says, 'Though the righteous fall seven times, they will rise again' Proverbs 24:16

In hard times, I have to choose to believe God and all that He says. His word and promises, what my bible tells me about who He is, keeps me strong and gives me hope. HOW do people do life without God? With Him, I know that at rock-bottom, He is the Rock. 

I choose Him.

I choose joy. 

I trust His will and His purpose.

When my beloved children go through hard times, I know He loves them far more than I do and I can trust Him with their lives. It hurts me and my heart aches but it is not unto death and it is not forever. 

Lord, Be my Everything

As I fix my eyes on God, who He is, I KNOW he is big enough to hold and handle all that life puts my way. I have no fear. I hand all my anxieties to Him. This field considered is one I buy above all others.

I love you, Father

1Peter5:6-10

Waaah!

I am reading through 1 Kings in my quiet times at the moment.

In chapter 8, from verse 22, is Solomon's prayer of dedication where he praises God, reminds Him of His promise to Solomon's father, David, and his supplication that God would hear and respond to the prayers made by His people. Solomon recognises God's person, His goodness and how much he owes to and depends on God.

Solomon's sacrifice to God, in thanks for His abundant goodness is AMAZING and EXTRAVAGANT!

He sacrifices 22,000 cattle, 120,000 sheep and goats! Extravagant. Utterly extravagant. 

Back in 1 Kings 4:23 we read that Solomon's daily provision is 30 cattle and 100 sheep and goats. Over a year, this is 36,500 cattle and 10,950 sheep and goats. THAT'S some sacrifice way over and above. But also a tribute of thanks to God. This is Solomon's  recognition of God's abundant blessing to him. No HINT of hesitation. No questioning, 'How will we feed our people/replace these animals?' but with unspoken expectation that NOTHING they give to God is too much because they know He will always provide.

Do I hold God in that high esteem by my attitude to Him, by my expectations of Him in my prayers or by how loosely I hold all that He gives to me each day? Does the giving of my time, money and whole life reflect that I love and trust my God with my whole being? How can I dare not to tell people of this God who loves with an unsearchable love and whose richness in every way, would blow our minds completely if we even began to understand and grasp it?

Father God, I can never repay You. I can never outgive You. But You want me to know the exhilaration of the adventure of trying. Ohhhhhh - it's scary. 

As I wonder how it would be to consider THIS field, I have a picture of a parachutist jumping out of a plane. Down below the fields look so tiny. But the more he gets into the adventure, the nearer he gets to the ground, the field enlarges and enlarges until he is in it and being in it, standing right there in the middle, he can't even see the boundaries of that field.

Our God is an awesome God

The closer we get to Him, the more awesome and boundless He is

Gardener's Question Time

Yesterday, I didn't so much consider a field as dig one - well, sort of.

My friend, Ruth, mentioned that her garden was really overgrown and she couldn't get her garden furniture out or use the garden. Since she was on holiday from work and I had a couple of hours off, we agreed to meet up to make a go at starting a clearup.

It HAD got very overgrown...this picture isn't the garden itself, just a beautiful picture - though now I wish we had taken pics :)

Well, in this garden, some stuff was really easy to pull up and clear very swiftly; some required a good deal more effort, even tools occasionally! However, this simple act of clearing out weeds, cutting plants back, tying up others to train them in a different direction made a HUGE difference.

She can now put out her garden furniture, plant other flowers to fill the gaps and bring more colour, have people round and enjoy that extra aspect of fellowship that being in a garden brings and sit out enjoying the wonderful creation around. She has a bird table to set up amongst other things.

As I was clearing, I came across a shrub, a choisia that will now flourish, and produce the most beautifully fragranced flowers now that it is unobscured and can see the sun.

After 2 hours graft, I could stand back, and consider this 'was-jungle'. Our God is an alive and talking God and He had some lessons for me.

• Clear out unwanted 'growth' in my life. Some will be easy; some will take more effort
• Clearing this unwanted growth from my life will open up new possibilities and options
• Clearing the unwanted growth will allow hidden/forgotten beauty to shine through, which will bring JOY...delight to Jesus, Others, Yourself
• This clearing out will need maintaining but things are made a lot easier after the initial effort. I just need to keep the maintenance regular!
• Having help in clearing out, makes the job easier and gives extra fellowship encouragement, and the helping hand

John 15 talks about abiding in Jesus as the true Vine. Father God wants to grow me and see fruit in my life. My considering now can take me to think and ask Him what He wants to help me dig out; what He wants me to plant in and what He sees there already that can be free to grow and flourish now

Like Gardener's Question Time, I can ask the Expert what is the best course of action for my 'problem'. As He gives the answer and guidance for the best possible outcome, I can then go and do what He suggests or....well, is any other way worth considering?

Look for God in the Gaps

You never know, when you start considering a field, what it is going to turn up.

You can start with expectation, then God blows your mind.

We have a new Costa in the Village and I LOVE Costa so have decided to make it a haunt and a place of spiritual adventure. I have been 3 times now - aiming for once a week at least and each time asking God to meet folk there through me.

So today, I had a bible study meeting after lunch so decided to go to Costa to prepare it.

First thing happened as I was writing, I saw a couple of young women with their children come in and looking for a suitable table. At the time I was sitting at a 4-seater so offered them to sit there and I would move to a now-free 2-seater. Turned out one of the grateful gals was an old school friend of one of my daughters so it was nice to make the re-acquaintance.

Sitting at my new spot, a chap got up to leave but commented to me on his way out that it was lovely to see someone reading a bible.

One of the passages I had to look at was in 2Kings5 - the story of the servant girl and Naaman and one of my answers commented that I would probably not have had the courage of the servant girl to suggest God's healing for the King but would have chickened out of saying anything in case nothing happened.!

As I wrote that answer, I earwigged on the conversation of the lady next to me. She'd asked the barista a question about a picture on the wall. As he left, I asked her what his answer had been as I didn't hear it and was interested. Well, that started a chat between us. Her name was C.... and she was having a girlie day with her daughter who was starting school in September. During our chat, she mentioned that she'd used to go to the toddler group at St John's and also that she suffered from alopecia, tho I remarked that I would never have known that her hair was a wig! We had a very nice natter.

After, she was about to leave and my 'encounter' with Naaman and the servant girl was swimming around in my head...eek....drew breath, shot up a prayer and said to her that I went to St John's church and we prayed for healing for people - would she mind if I prayed a very quick prayer for her. She looked just slightly surprised but said yes, adding that she would probably cry. I replied that that was OK and prayed that God would bless her, let her know His love for her and heal her hair, that it would grow again. She DID cry but was OK. I mentioned that Church was on the High Street each fortnight praying for healings and invited her to come by and say hello any time.She reminded me of her name and checked mine as she waved goodbye and I just felt overcome by God's goodness. It brought tears to my eyes that He cared for her to bring her to that encounter. As I headed off to my bible study group, I felt elated. I felt it didn't matter in a way whether God healed her or not but that she had had an encounter with Him that had changed her day and I know He is faithful to continue that encounter with her in other ways.

Later that afternoon, on the way home, I saw a big bruiser of a guy at the bus stop. His face was almost wholly covered with a dark red haematoma. I have to confess, my initial thought was, 'No, Lord - you can't mean me to pray for that too!' I dived into a shop and pondered with prayer. Did I feel God was leading me to pray healing again? I can't say I got an absolute Yes but I felt reminded of something God said to me a few days previously about walking by faith, not by sight, knowing who He is, not focusing on outward circumstances.
I came out of the shop and started to walk over when I saw a lady I knew, standing next to the guy. That was my legitimate excuse to be there! We chatted for a short while when this guy suddenly asked her where her accent was from (she is Northern Irish) After she replied, I spoke to him. 

'I hope you don't mind me asking but is that a haematoma on your face?'

'How did you know that?' he exclaimed. 'No-one has ever known that before!'

I explained that I was a nurse and that actually, I go to a church up the road and we pray for people to be healed. Would he mind if I prayed for God to heal him? He looked hesitant. I said I didn't mind him saying no but could I pray for him anyway and he agreed. His name was S.... As I prayed, keeping my eyes open as I do, he kept interrupting me with remarks so at the end, I knew I had prayed healing in there somewhere - ( even thinking I could see things change on his face, tho I am not absolutely sure) and the blessing of God's love for him.

Mary commented after that 'That was really nice' and he added that he sometimes got beaten and bullied because of it. I told him about Healing on the Streets every couple of weeks, tho he said he was moving away from the area soon. 'Well, I hope we'll see you again, S....' I added as I said goodbye.

I did turn round as I heard him saying again to Mary, 'No-one has ever known what this is on my face'

I thought I might see a clear face...but not yet! 

Still, again I thought how God had blessed us all, there in the queue. It wouldn't have happened if I hadn't been out. I don't have to feel able. I just have to be available!

 I am reminded, as I write, about 'Looking for God in the gaps' [as of July 2014 this talk by vicar of St John's, Nigel DiCastiglione is temporarily unavailable whilst SJH are changing provider for their online sermons...Update March 2015 all Nigel's talks have been removed and the church has decided all talks since the 'change of provider' are not going to be re-loaded to the website]...knowing that each day, God walks with me and will use me if I am ready and willing. If I consider my field.

Faithful God

Thank Godness that He remains faithful when I don't ! :D

I haven't blogged for some months - don't know why because things have been going on.
WHAT an exciting God!
Today, I decided to follow a suggestion by Paul at church, to take part in 40 days of prayer and fasting in relation to what God is doing in our community.
I am going to fast from lunches and TV and spend more time praying and reading my bible - a bit of a field to consider !

Oh - I don't know how to rotate this...but this is what sparked Paul's call.

So, Father, I am looking forward to seeing what You are going to be up to.
I am excited already by what is coming in my next post (it's already happened today)

Let the Prayer and Fast begin for His glory.

Speak, Lord, Your servant is listening