No Eye has seen...

A bit of a rest from the New Year challenges (post of December 30th). 

Besides the fact that I have been away from my pc, I have spent the last few nights trying to remember all the questions so far and my answers so that it will not have been a fruitless or pointless task. I have committed to memory all the things I answered and can recite them back on request...slowly!

So today's post is prompted by this picture...

It is the Moon Tower, Dubai

I quizzed myself for a few seconds, 'How on EARTH did they do that?'

As yet, it is not a reality - just a plan in the making but as I first cast eyes on it, it made me gasp with wonder and a long 'WOWWwwwwww!' with its ambition and beauty.

As I gazed, I was suddenly struck by the thought that this construction, this wowness and innovation is nothing new to God. NOTHING is new to Him. Nothing takes Him by surprise. Nothing makes Him think, 'Aw shucks - I wish I had thought of that!'

He knew, when he made me, that making myself go cross-eyed would give me double vision and make me laugh. Maybe that's why He made me that way - He loves to hear me laugh. And even better, I reckon, if I laugh at something that is of His very own design. 

He knew that I would LOVE crunching my feet through dried Autumn leaves. Don't you know, that is why He made them that way - because He loves my delight? You all get to benefit too!

I was put in mind of the bible verse in 1 Corinthians 2:9, 

'However, as it is written; "What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived" the things that God has prepared for those that love Him'

Good - God has already made things and had plans to stun me. 

Better - He has more of each lined up for my future here on Earth - things to delight, amaze and excite me. 

Best - He has SO much lined up already in Heaven where we will be together for eternity. 

Jesus says He has gone ahead to prepare my rooms in the Big House. In Keith Green's song, 'I Can't wait to Heaven', he sings that, having created the Universe in 6 days, Jesus has been working on Heaven for 2000 years! My Room is gonna be the Bomb!!

I thank God for all His creation. I thank Him that He created His children with such imagination and creativity waiting to be birthed at the right time. He gave man minds to create and invent beyond our wildest dreams.

Just before I head for bed to have a mini dream, I leave you with this bit of fun......

And you never know, perhaps in our dreams tonight, God will show you or me the next big thing to invent. If He shows it to you, I claim dibs on a share in the profits and we will treat ourselves to a short break in the Moon Tower!!

It's time!

Now for the answer to the third question - the one I have most been dreading! (referring to my post of December 30th)

What habitual time waster will you eliminate?!'

Now the joker in me wants to say, 'My hubby' but that wouldn't be anywhere near the truth - not today anyway.

But why, I hear you ask, have I been dreading this question? 

Well...because I know my answer will work but it will be hard since I am easily ill-disciplined. HOWEVER, the benefits reaped will be great and I will list them at the end so that I will motivate myself.

Time Waster 1:  My computer and in particular reading my emails and posts on Facebook

Elimination Solution: I will check my emails only twice a day - first thing in the morning because I have my Bible in One Year come in there and to make sure there is nothing urgent come in overnight; and in the evening - before 10pm - so that I can sleep at night without wondering. I would like to get that down to just once a day but I don't know if that is realistic at the moment. 

Facebook really doesn't need to be checked throughout the day so I will commit to visit it just once a day in the early evening or whilst I am blogging.

Time Waster 2: Reading online newspaper...and I am going to shame myself and admit it is the DailyMail!!! - I like lots of pictures...however, I spend a stupid amount of time reading all sorts of rubbish on it. I can sit down and intend to have a quick 5 minute check of the headlines and still be there an hour later! (Confession is good for the soul but can make you feel like such a moron!!)

Elimination Solution: SO it is going completely! I am not going to click on that dreaded page. To get news I will either watch it on TV, listen to the radio or look at the BBCNews.

Time Waster 3: DoodleJump on my phone. 

Oh my gosh - this innocuous little game! With my old phone, I couldn't get this little app and could only play occasionally on Hub's phone. But I got a new phone before Christmas and one of the first things I did was 'see if I could get DoodleJump'. BIG mistake! Huge! So it beckoned me every time I opened the cover. Sometimes I could resist. Sometimes, I would opt for a 'quick' game. Whilst I was never on for an hour or even half an hour, it was still time wasted but as is the subtle way with these 'little' things, it ate away some of my precious time two or three times a day. Time that could never be redeemed. Time that did nothing to better my world. Time that could make a good difference somewhere else. but of course, there was a 'best score' to beat with 'just one more try'  Time wasted. 

Repeat comment above about confession/moron and maybe add 'hypocrite' since I am mainly beyond understanding of how Candy Crush takes so much of folks' time!! *embarrassed eyebrow-raise*

Elimination Solution: I am not even going to indulge myself with recording my top score on DoodleJump but I have just got Gorgeous Daughter to uninstall that thing from my phone (I couldn't even suss out how to do it!) I am not going to play it again! Finito!

SO!! How much time do I reckon I will save each day? 

Difficult to say but I am going to suggest between 2 and 3 hours!

I KNOW!!! 

I can hardly believe it myself and if it is true, I feel shame!! but time adds up and those five minute 'Justs' accumulate. 

BUT, what will the benefits be? Here are a few to start me off and help motivate me.

• Books I have, begging to be read, will be read.
• Walks I keep intending to take will help fitten me up and smooth my outline!
• Me and God will get some quality time together.
• I will experience less frustration that tasks aren't getting done - because I will do ! The house will benefit from this also.

SO, my friends, please do feel free to check up or challenge me.

I'll let you know how I am getting on in about a month - I have set a reminder on my phone!

Plan A. Number One.

The second question posed in my blog of 30th December was, 

'What is the most important thing you plan to learn this year?'

This answer could well have made an entrance during my last blog post about things I am saying Yes to this year. The most important thing I plan to learn this year is how to keep God in the Number One spot in my life and how that affects my world around me and all that I do.

I listened to a talk by Bill Johnson late last year during my commute to School in Kent. In the message, I heard Bill challenge a belief I am sure many of us have or have had in our Christian lives.

I was discipled to believe that in life, my priorities in my walk with God should be: God at number one, then family at number two, followed by work at three and rounding off with other people/issues and myself. What Bill suggested was that as God fully takes the number one slot in our lives, there is then no need for numbers two, three or four etc. because all that will fall into its right place as we seek God and His priorities. Jesus didn't put aside His relationship with His Father in order to go and spend time with His disciples or give a sermon. He did those things BECAUSE of His relationship with His Father. WOW!

I am not exactly sure how that will work out in life day to day but I love the Amplified version of Galatians 5:16 which says, 'But I say walk and live habitually in the Holy Spirit; responsive to and controlled and guided by the Spirit then you will certainly not gratify the cravings and desires of the flesh, of human nature without God.'

Paul challenges us, implying it is wholly possible, to be alert to God every second of the day. This connection with the Father is how the man, Jesus, was able to live the life on earth He lived and to shock His disciples (and us) with the statement that they would not only do the same things that He did once He had left them but go on to do greater things!!

I know some reading this will think of that as an outlandish, maybe even arrogant presumption to make in the present day. I would have thought so myself several years ago. Feel free to ask how and why I have changed my thinking; 

I may have quoted this before but to me, this whole challenge is inspiringly summarised by a quote of Bill's in his book, 'When Heaven Invades Earth'. He says,

"I will spend the rest of my life exploring what could happen through the life of one who is willing to cultivate the God-given appetite ro see impossibilities bow to the name of Jesus. All my eggs are in one basket. There is no 'Plan B'."

He is not the first to adopt this stance to the glory of God....

I'd like to learn to be another 'that woman'

and that is is the most important thing I plan to learn this year?

As mother would say, 'God help me!'

Say 'No' or say 'Yes'?

SO, in looking back at my post of December 30th, I am going to answer the questions one by one over the next series of posts so that I can think about the answer carefully and take it all in slowly.

The first question was, "What are you going to say 'No' to this year?"

During our visit to Bethel Church in Redding California late last year, Kris Vallotton said that when we are trying to avoid doing something, the second we say 'no', it will be the first thing we think about doing or the hardest thing not to think about doing...you know, like me saying to you now...'DON'T think of an elephant!'

What Kris suggests is that we decide instead what we are going to say a big fat 'Yes' to. That way, we fill our minds and lives with positive things rather than negative and set ourselves up better for success rather than failure.

Therefore, I am going to turn the question round and ask myself, 'What am I going to say "Yes" to this year? So here goes. I am committing myself to black and white...well, black and purple!

1. I say YES to reading my Bible every day.

     

Even if it is only a verse. The Word of God is living and active. Holy Spirit can use the word in my life if it is planted in my mind in the first place. He sits with me as I read, testifying to my Spirit first, then to my mind and comes with me through the day to remind me of what God says. I can expect my life to change!

2. I say YES to eating healthily and YES to moving more.

This is often how I want to feel but don't. It's how I want to be able to move but can't...YET! My body is the temple of God. As I get older, I want to fulfil the urges I have to dance gracefully before God in my worship, to chase around after my grandchildren, to run out of exhilarating joy and to healthily encounter the great age that I have asked God to grant to me. At the moment, I am carrying extra weight equivalent to between 6-10 reams of paper (Yeahhhh - I am confessing!!) I say GOODBYE to it now - it is going because I say YES to right choices. 

3. I say YES to Love.

 I want to choose to love people as Jesus would. One thing some difficult circumstances of this year have taught me is the biblical truth that love covers a multitude of sins. Loving people is HARD sometimes. In our family, we laugh at the saying, 'That person needs a high five..in the face...with a chair!!' as we refer to folk who have upset us or hurt us in some way. But Jesus asks us to love our enemies and pray for those that persecute us. I still struggle with it but God never says His commands are easy but He did say they would work.
Therefore, I say YES to making a conscious choice to treat people the way Jesus would and trust that He can help me handle any wrong attitudes and change them. I want to know His love through me.
Seth Dahl, also of Bethel church commented that 'Curiosity will keep you out of judgement.' If someone upsets me, instead of presuming they spoke/acted/dealt with me badly on purpose, I say yes to choosing to be curious to ask them what they meant to convey; choosing to seek the best outcome for our relationship and if they continue to treat me 'badly', to choose to show love and kindness to them and choose to set aside any desire to take revenge. I want the best for us. With God, nothing is impossible.

SO LET ME SAY...if any of you think I have acted badly in any way at all to you or others, if you feel my relationship with you isn't the best it can be, please be curious and check things out with me. Likewise, if I think you have something against me or if anything needs to change, I will check it out with you and trust that you will share truth back to me.
In saying YES to love, God gets the glory and people will benefit
Saying YES to Love will also influence what I do with my time, what I give my life to.

4. I say YES to seeing myself as God sees me.

God delights in me. I am His celebration. I bring a song to his heart. Today He is singing His love song over me. He sees me as His beloved girlie, clothed in righteousness, blameless, beautiful, blessed, powerful, talented, creative. He trusts me. He believes in me. He approves of me. He thinks about me all the time. He rejoices over me.
I want to be the best I can be for Him because I love Him and He loves me. I am His.

YES! YES! YES!

A quick comment......

I just posted this on my Facebook Page ... so thought I would mention/copy it here...

OK...as part of my review of the last year and plans for the coming year, I would like to make public my blog which I started a couple of years ago. Its original purpose was to leave a record for my Sweeties to see what God was up to in my life but...
a) I have been inconsistent
b) I thought that, because I only told the kids, it would be private. Late last year, I found out that if  someone is seeking to find out about something or someone and it is mentioned online somewhere [i.e. my blog] it doesn't necessarily remain private...so I may as well blow my own cover!
SO...in the hope that some will be encourages and that I will be a more faithful blogger...my blog is [here]

and an extra wee piccy to brighten up the post...

A new year approaches....

A BIG new field to consider.
2015 beckons.
New challenges. New thoughts.
Mike Pilavachi posted to his Facebook page today some great questions.

I am reproducing them here and then going to sleep, asking Holy Spirit to start prompting thoughts, dreams, questions and answers in readiness for the Big Day.

I wait expectantly. This will be the best year yet. 

Spitting

I do like to get people's attention!

I have told my children, my four Beauties, that when I am old, I am going to be like the lady in the poem, 'Warning' by Jenny Joseph, partly cos I fancy the naughty life and partly to give them a taste of what it was like to be in a public place with a misbehaving child.

So I have been thinking ahead as to what behaviours I have to learn. I thought I would start with spitting. Thus I duly took it upon myself one evening, in a private, easily cleanable and appropriate place - I am not telling where I was as one person's spitting place might not suit another and I am not going to open myself up to unnecessary telling off by 'well-wishers' -  to try to spit some good distance. Let me tell you, it's NOT a great idea. I just ended up with a wet chin and a soggy jumper! No distance at all!! SO I have relocated myself to the shower...not every night, but every so often and always followed by a scrubbie and Cif, to be on the safe (and hygenic) side.

Why am I telling this story?

First, I like the idea that my Beauties will read it and exclaim, 'OH MOM!!' in the privacy of their own homes and likely follow it up with a personal, face to face plea of, 'PLEASE don't ever do that when you are out with me!' I will respond with an innocent-looking, fingers-crossed reply of, 'OK Darling.'

Second, as I get older and as I contemplate the future, following various events of this year, I am considering the field of that future. What does it hold? What will be growing there?

In a conversation about futures with a leader at School last week, I commented that I didn't know what to do. Their reply has given me food for thought. They challenged my to ask myself two questions: 

1) What is my dream?  

2) Who do I want to be with?

WOW! Easy questions!?

I certainly want to carry on going forward in my walk with God and seeing Him continue changing me and my world through me. I have spent time with leaders and people who yearn and live to see God stretch the 'impossibilities' in life. Also with those who are content with the status quo

I read a quote by Mark Marx today 

'When limited by impossibility, wrap your mind around heaven until possibility becomes limitless.'

As I focus on who God is, what He holds in His hands, of COURSE impossibilities can be. What an exciting truth! I am off to give some thought to what my dream is. Watch this space!

In adversity

This post will not be definitive on the subject of adversity but I just tried to post a comment/response on a blog writing addressing adversity. In particular, the desperately sad plight of a lady and her family touched me. I accidentally wiped what I had written (grrrr to that) so I figured, rather than writing again there, I would write something here.

The situation of the lady is so sad. Undoubtedly, within that, God has used people to bring some comfort and blessing to her and her children but as I read what she had said, 

"God knew what He was doing when He gave me leprosy.." I exclaimed aloud, 'NOooooo!'

Why?

I cannot ever believe God GIVES people illness. Jesus never did that in His life on earth. He is the image of God. He never refused anyone who came to Him for healing, saying, 'No - actually I won't heal you because I want you to learn from this affliction.' He healed them.

We pray as Jesus taught us, 'Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.' There is no illness in heaven.

It is a dilemma in one way. Not everyone I have ever prayed for has been healed - two at the time of writing. But I will not stop praying for healing. 

Just as Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego said, '...the God we serve is able to deliver us from it and He will deliver us...but even if He does not....'

God is a good God. He is good all the time. I cannot change my mind about that truth just because circumstances don't appear to back it up.

I don't know why people don't always get healed when I/we pray for them. But I know God can. I know God will. BUT EVEN if He doesn't, I will not stop praying. The gates of hell will not prevail.

Robbie Dawkins said,

'To call ourselves Christ followers, to seek to do the things that Jesus did, means coming to terms with also walking in His power'

That may not be evidenced in my life yet but I have to pursue the truth of Jesus' statement in John14:12 - 'Very truly, I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing and they will do even greater things than these because I am going to the Father'

That 'whoever' is me. If you know Jesus as Saviour and Lord, it is you. 

Jesus chose to change the world with twelve men. He had no plan B. We are God's plan A in His world. Jesus died and rose to give us new life. Holy Spirit has come to be with us that we can walk in that new life and know the things of God. He has given us such amazing promises. It would be rude not to take hold of them. We have in us, He said, that same power that raised Christ from the dead. I am not giving up.

So I want to say to Suntali, your heavenly Father loves you beyond imagination. You are precious and treasured to Him. Thank You, Father for Your immense love for Suntali and her children. Jesus heals you, Suntali. In His powerful name and in His authority given, I command the cancer to be healed. I command the leprosy to be healed in Jesus' name. I speak life and full health to your body. I call out your mother's heart dreams, Suntali, that your children will grow up in the loving care of their birth mother and I speak those dreams into life, calling on God who gives life to the dead, and calling into being what is not, as if it were 

To whoever of you read this, pray also and to God be the glory!

Nothing of what I have written is meant as a condemnation but as a challenge to myself, to us all. God's natural life is the supernatural. Let's press in to live the life God intended for us to have.

And keep praying and pushing. Our God can. Our God will. But even if He does not.......

The Good Old Days.....

I know the Good Ol' Days will always be the Good Ol' Days, but coming across this today, I do think some aspects of the past are so sweet...

Yet, in considering the field of all that lies in the past, I realise that looking at the past can be a good thing to ponder from time to time but not to rest over-long in. Just long enough to learn lessons; bring a smile to your face, be thankful for and either lay down sadness or pick up rejoicing. As I shared a comment in the last post, God is always wanting us to change - from glory to glory. It is down to us whether we allow that into our lives or remain, stubbornly stuck in all that we are comfortable and familiar with.

As I consider our recent past...say the last few years, there is much to be sad about and mourn over, but much so more to marvel about and celebrate and...YAY...LOADS more to look forward to and anticipate. 

The stormy times of this year have sometimes made me yearn for the 'Led Zepplin' days - when life seemed exhilerating; when I couldn't sleep at night because I was so excited instead of not sleeping because I was sad, cross, bewildered or fretting. But 'God doesn't bring you to it if He's not going to bring you through it', as the saying goes.

I love the saying in this picture. It reminds me that life experiences can make me bitter or better. God's love for me keeps me strong. His love for me and for others is never changing It is constant;  and in remembering that, I can give Him my tendencies to choose bitterness and make life choices that express His love in me and through me. I don't want to live life running away from storms but I don't want to let them pass me by without learning. Storms destroy much. In recovering from them, one could retreat - find a safer place -  or rebuild, incorporating adaptations so that another storm is faced differently and feared less. How does that work out in life? Lots of ways but for me at the moment, it is learning that, however much I feel people have hurt me or let me down, what God wants is for me to pull out all the stops and love them. Alone I can't. But His word is true. God didn't say loving and forgiving were easy but He did say they would work. He gives grace in time of need. Pray for those that hurt you. Bless them. Live in peace.

David was a great psalmist and poured his guts into his writings - whether in praise or despair. God can take it. 'Trust in Him at all times...pour out your heart before Him' says Psalm 62:8

Well, Lord - sometimes my psalm would say,  'That person needs a high five...in the face...with a chair...' or plead for strength and grace...but in the end, God is the one who is worthy of praise. My spirit joins with Holy Spirit to touch the heart of God and know His love for me.

In tough times, I can look rosily on the past but my hope is only in God. Only in His presence can I know for sure that His future for me is the best future it can be.

That's what I want. No Compromise.

Doing a New Thing

One of the things I love about God is that He never stops changing us and blowing our minds. He is not beyond using any way He can to reach out to His children but He does it in ways we can understand even though we don't realise that we will understand at the time!!

God knew about computers and the internet even at the time of Moses but it wasn't time to use them then. WOW!! This picture proves God was right to hold off...Moses doesn't look anywhere near as authoritative with a pc as he does with stone tablets!!

When I first came across the internet, I wasn't bothered about this new technology and was very resistant to exploring it, especially email because I liked the old way of posting a letter (which I still like to do when I can). When Hubs sat me down and persuaded me to give it a go, I then started to use email and WISHED I had used it way before!

It took some mistakes during the whole learning experience to familiarize myself enough to feel confident on my own but then, exploration on my own of the internet opened up amazing new worlds to me.

When I first came across a new depth of understanding in the person and work of Holy Spirit, I resisted. It wasn't in my experience beyond a basic knowledge, to step out in these new ways with Holy Spirit and I knew God well enough for my needs, thank you very much! I didn't want to tread into 'wacky'.Raising my hands above my head in worship took me a LONG time and that was sufficient for me. As for flag-waving? PURLEES!! I had agreed with a friend who commented, 'Flag-waving? What's that about?'

Praying for healing? That gift wasn't mine....I tried it a couple of times but it never 'worked'. Nope! I was comfortable with God being who I knew Him to be. So when I got invited into new steps and experiences with God, Father, Son AND Holy Spirit through the ministry of our vicar, Nigel Di Castiglione and his wife, Annie, and let myself be persuaded to give it a go, particularly in helping Annie to lead the church student work with Hubs, I felt resistant and reluctant but said I would give it a year in order to support Hubs, who was keen. My plan was then to go back into the comfort of my familiar world! As you may have picked up from earlier posts, this time in the student group was not only transformational personally in our relationship with God, but opened other doors to growth and drove us to seek out other ways to grow in our faith...my latest step being the WAAAAAY-out-of-my-comfort-zone year in progress at ESSL

I read a quote today.

'The Christian's faith isn't a leap into the dark. It is a well-placed trust in the Light of the World, Jesus' 

Ravi Zacharias

I was speaking to a group of elderly folk, mainly ladies, at another church recently who are facing some BIG changes over, probably, the next twelve months. Their attitude was, 'Well, none of us like change but we have to go through it is we want to grow.'!

It was humbling to hear, especially as I reflected on my own past. It's one thing to say we want to change and see God at work in our lives. It's another to actually take the step when faced with that option in reality.

With God, there are no times of transition, says Eric Johnson of Bethel church. God is ALWAYS moving us forward, from one degree of glory to the next. 

My part in that is to be open and willing to move. Staying put is not an option I want to take - ever! When God wipes away my tears as He welcomes me into heaven, I don't want those tears to be there because I regret things I haven't done, because I didn't take the opportunity to take part in the works that God prepared in advance for me to do or grasp those opportunities that crossed my path where I could be His voice, His heart and His hands in a situation.

So, in the words of Hosea 6:3

Let us acknowledge the Lord; let us press on to acknowledge Him. As surely s the sun rises, He will appear; He will come to us like the winter rains, like the spring rains that water the earth.

YES!! Let's!!!

The meatballs have landed

For those of you who wonder what that title is about, you need to refer to my previous title and post.

It's almost two month's since I last wrote and I really need to keep up with it as so much is happening in life right now. I am going to try to catch up but in small chunks or I know I will get overwhelmed and not write anything! 

I returned home this evening from, I think, our 11th week of ESSL. One thing I have unusually appreciated, is that I leave home in the dark at 5am on a Thursday morning, having had the University Student group on a Wednesday night. (Late night this week) and return in the dark on a Friday evening.

I have loved having such a quiet time to myself and God. I pray, sing, listen to a bit of radio or talks on the cd player. I shout to the cars and places I pass,  proclaiming, 

'Jesus is Lord! Come to Jesus!' whenever the thought takes me. 

Just me and Daddy.

I  have a lot to think about too. Hubs and I came home last week from three weeks away in the States - visiting his sister and hubby but taking in a Leaders' Advance Conference in the middle at Bethel Church, Redding, California.

During that time the talks, the conversations, a prophetic appointment and a Sozo session all came together to land a few chunks of spiritual meat at our feet and started us on a journey, a process of chewing them over between ourselves and God. A decision we had made before leaving the UK seemed confirmed and other decisions we face gained clarity.

But it is currently 4am - I am not sure whether my random sleeping pattern is left over from transatlantic travel or just my thought processes trying to hurry me along! SO...I will fill in the blanks over the next weeks as we reflect then shift or consume the 'meatballs'

God is exciting but His paths, whilst ALWAYS known by Him, sometimes look a bit too challenging to me. BUT I am not looking to stagnate but  

TO FLOURISH AND GROW

Cloudy with a chance of meatballs

Strange title to this post you may think. Me too!!

It speaks to me of the unusual - the unexpected - even the totally unexpected.

That said, I am kind of expecting the unexpected but as yet, am unaware of what form that may take or when it will appear...I guess that qualifies 'it' as the unexpected!

And why am I expecting it?

Well...sometimes, I do think God gives you a sneaky heads up when He is up to something - the trick is, am I alert?

These last few weeks at ESSL - third week just over - I have caught myself suddenly feeling tearful for no apparent reason. It will just bubble up out of nowhere or for a reason that seems too unemotional to elicit such a response. A couple of times, I have felt like actually leaving the room to have a blub!

This week, I asked God what it was all about. I had a sense of some deep yearning welling up inside me and I know it sounds stupid, but it was like I needed someone to put their arm right down my throat, grab my insides and pull me inside out! So oooooohhh! Waiting to see what the result will be!

I came across this quote this week...

'If you are walking with Jesus in the Spirit, you need not fear going too far. no believer has gone as far as God wants him to go'  

A.A.Allen

And just now, Mike Bickle has posted this on his Facebook Page...

In eternity, when we see how much Jesus really does love us, then we will wish we had loved and trusted Him more!

I am sure this is true. I have been spending time growing in knowing the deep, deep love that the Father has for me. It is changing me as my realisation of it grows; as my heart draws near to His. SO...following on from last post about watering the grass, after this week, I am anticipating that maybe my field will need a degree of ploughing and reseeding, at least in patches (not too much, Lord, please!! But Your will be done not mine) and over some time. Whilst it is a bit scary, I am up for it. I don't want any less than the 'Always More' that Jesus has for me.

It's been exciting through School to re-read Bill Johnson's book, 'When Heaven Invades Earth'. 

When I first read it nearly four years ago, I could hardly believe that God could be at work in and through me and my life in the ways that Bill Johnson wrote about. I pencilled all over the pages - exclamations of, 'Is this true?... Is this in the Bible?...REALLY???? and added comments that ranged from totally sceptical to hopeful because it sounded exciting but too good to be true, this life of miracles; this depth of encounter with God. Now I have read it again, I am amazed at how much I have learned - not from reading the book but from experience of God working in my life, stepping out in faith and carefully looking at what the scriptures ACTUALLY say.

Wendy Backlund said of Jesus, 'When we begin to think like He does, we will be able to do as He does.' 

In one way, this sounds outrageous until you see it backed up by Jesus Himself in John 14:12 

I am in Him and He is in me...He says so.

No time is wasted time when, like Mary, I sit at Jesus' feet, in His presence. I grow  in love for Him. I experience afresh of His love for me. I believe what He says because I learn deeper trust. 

I have recently enjoyed times of just being quiet in His presence, lying peacefully - soaking - and listening to music and/or watching videos of creation. This song from Kimberly Rivera, has both. Watching full screen leaves me in awe of the creative power and freedom of my loving, mighty Father

The outworking of the changes and growth vary. How they look and feel will be different from each other - sometimes like grass growing, sometimes like being ploughed up and sometimes like it being cloudy with a chance of meatballs. But if Jesus says, 'Come on in.' then I wanna go!

The Grass is always greener...

Ahhhh - how many got caught out by the title of this? Hahaha. I am a bit of a gardener so I know the truth of the greener grass. Great quote. Great truth that has helped me often over the years.

But I was reminded of it these last days, partly when thinking over some 'fields' I am considering at the moment and also when coming across a quote that stopped me in my tracks, by John Piper - a great man of God

Completing my second week at the European School of Supernatural Life has been great and caused some thoughts I have been challenged by in the past to resurface for further thought.

It would be so easy to live a  nice, comfortable Christian life. Often I do. 

It's easy to love my neighbour...as long as they are nice to me, don't make life uncomfortable or ask me for things I don't want to give them such as time, possessions emotions and are my type of people.

It's easy to love and respect my husband...as long as he has done the same back to me and completed the list of things I left him to do.

Yes, God can have my money ....as long as I have paid my tax, bills and other stuff first, just to be sure I have enough. 

The list can go on but so can the 'as long as's

A talk by Bill Johnson that I listened to earlier, added this quote to the challenge - 

'Some folk have protected their comfort zone with unbelief''

WOW!

I can so often kid myself that I don't really need to obey this or that bit of God's word and have a great portfolio of excuses to support those assumptions. Actually, God still loves and values me whether I am all out for Him or not. I have no more or less favour with Him or love from Him if I sit at home all day and watch TV, maybe venturing out every now and them to church or to do some other 'christian duty'.  

But I don't want to get to the end of my life, standing before God, for Him to tell me I missed out on a bunch of adventures He had lined up for me.

The Arsenal/Tottenham match is on in the background at this moment ('someone' else is watching it) These guys are totally sold out for their game. Fully committed. Buzzed

I have had days like that with God. I want more. I want loads more. I want others to have more. If I take God at His word, I can. It's there in black and white! 

But I can easily chicken out because things are outside my comfort zone. 

'When Jesus says I will do even greater things than Him, did He mean EXACTLY that? I have made excuses to avoid fully believing it but actually, the faith adventure means I believe what it says! And there is more...So much more. I can take God at His word. Be a bold adventurer. 

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego had the right idea in the book of Daniel...that God is able and will deliver - But even if He doesn't......Daniel 3:16-18

I want to water this field of faith and see the grass grow and if life feels wasted at the end, it won't be for want of trying. My comfort zone will be protected...by belief in God but we intend, He and I, that that comfort zone will keep growing out beyond its boundaries

God, I look to You!

Far from... but not yet

Now kids, technology is an amazing thing so.... hello to new readers and welcome to 'Momma's blog'
I hope you'll be inspired and encouraged.

Well, here it is as promised - what a summer!
Hub and I seemed to have been away all through it in various parts of the country.
Our summer was characterised, I would say by this fabulous quote - oh come on! You know me and quotes....

After the Harrogate conference (see below) we dropped in to Revival Fires in Dudley for a 3 day Healing Conference with a guy called Bill Prankard. Fabulous biblical teaching and encouragement from this tireless man who has seen God move in amazing ways. For me, knew I had already come far from...and was spurred on to believe for and expect the 'not yet...'.

Following this, we both went to a 3 day Worship School at All Nations Church in Leicester run by the wonderful worshipping whirlwind that is Dave Hadden. You can't help but love him. We met some fabulous people from all round the country, shared risks, grew in expectation of seeing God enjoy us and were thrilled by the time spent together. SO many highlights. It was a great, safe place to push our boundaries as worshippers..so far from...but not yet...!

I had a wee breather - not - helping out again with Prime Time at church. This is a 3 day (so many 3days) holiday club for the over 70s. Oh my gosh - though it always leaves you tired, it is the best sort of tired...to pour out fun, service and love on a group of over 40 elderly folk.

And almost finally - I fitted in a 4(!!) day visit to my Manchester girlie before heading off with friends to David's Tent, a 3 (phew!!) day non-stop worship event. Oh my goodness - what an elating experience that was. I opted to camp (one reason why Hub didn't accompany me) though, whilst generously being offered a pod in a friend's tent, I didn't sleep much as the worship was literally non-stop...for 72 hours...in a BIG tent. If I grabbed 15 hours of sleep, that was it. Here is a flyer...

I confess, I had thought the big name guys would be a bit full of themselves. I repent of that thought ever entering my head. The heart of God flowed out in abundance from these guys. They led you to know God's love for you, for your community and for the world. Awesome is a word so oft used now it has somewhat lost it's meaning but they WERE awesome. GOD is mega-awesome and the world shifted in those hours of worship.

On one day, I went along to one of the stands, curious to know what God might say to me (or indeed, if He would say anything) through a prophetic drawing. I picked my artist because, not only was her name the same as one of my girlies, but it was spelt the same unusual way. We rested a minute or two whilst she asked the Holy Spirit to speak...then drew...then spoke. How exciting! Part of what she shared spoke of sailing into uncharted waters but not into a sunset but a sunrise which, at my age now, is exhilerating on the one hand but has the 'Eek' factor to it. I am so aware that I am far from... but here was a beautiful lady, drawing before me and declaring my 'not yet....' Scary?

However, one of the songs that impacted me over the next day had the words...

'Spirit, lead me where my trust is without borders. Let me walk upon the waters wherever You may call me, Take me deeper than my feet would ever wander, where my faith will be made stronger in the presence of my Saviour'

It's only in trusting in HIM, that I can navigate the waters, with Him at the tiller. So I say, 'Spirit, lead me...'

And now, a new chapter has begun.
I embarked this week on my adventure at the European School of Supernatural Life which takes place at the North Kent Community Church where I have joined with 28 other explorers, eager to put ourselves in the way of whatever God wants to get up in in us and through us. For the next year, I will be heading there most Thursdays and Fridays with a couple of weekend mission trips thrown in. More on this in later posts but for now, a mixture of excitement and bewilderment would characterize emotions of the first two days. 

But, as a song says, 'You make me brave. You take me out beyond the shore into the waves' 

I have just managed to complete my first assignment - to write my own Psalm of praise and thanksgiving inspired by Ephesians 1:3-14

Have a read...

How blessed I am!
My Saviour's Daddy is my Daddy too!
I can't say enough about Him. You're amazing, Daddy.
You have utterly exhausted the pick of Heaven's blessings You could choose, no limit, and have piled them up ready to shower over my life.
Before You even breathed Your creative breath, You held a thought.
It was me.
In Jesus.
In me.
'Hey you!' You said. 'Get ready. I have an adventure for you!'
You bit your lip, smiling, hugging Yourself with excited expectation, waiting for me to be born because You knew I'd be Yours. Your girlie.
Didn't You punch the air when I took Jesus' hand to come to You?
How can I do anything but shout and share this amazing kindness given to me without strings attached, brought by Jesus?
I'd wondered how I could live up to that holy child You saw.
How could I stand before You without lowering my head in shame?
But You already had the answer.
You'd already prepared the gifts.
The shower was released.
I was drenched in forgiveness, cleansed by Your love, blessed by Your goodness and it doesn't stop.
No half measures.
The adventure is on.
I am ready - You knew I would be.
You clothe me in Jesus.
You adorn me with the message of salvation. 
You hallmark me with the precious Holy Spirit. 
My prize is to be Your prize and having held me up to shine You right into the world, You will keep me forever.

New Field?

Oh...Hubs and I have just had a very exciting couple of weeks - first, two days at a church down south having a conference with Bill Johnson speaking, seeing both my sisters either side of that and then back home for a wonderful wedding of lovely friends.

THEN up to Harrogate for the European Leaders' Advance conference with Bill, KrisVallotton and Danny Silk speaking - how spoiled is that!!!

It was wonderfully inspiring in so many ways and Harrogate is a beautiful town.

I was amazed that this massive conference of over 2000 people was put on and organised by Harrogate New Life Church - a church of about 130 members of which 120 people were volunteers at the event - AMAZING. That is what I call heart in a church.

One of the things both Hubs and I felt during this period was that God is releasing us to move on from our current church - even as I am writing, the worship singer I have on in the background is singing, 'You have not in any way failed.'!!

We have 'considered this field' for some months now. Our church has gone through great heartache, great changes - which we have been saddened by and don't agree with, always believing that no situation is beyond God being able to repair and restore. We have sought to seek truth, challenge folk, pray, understand and pursue what we believe is God's way but now fear, that part of our journey is over. 

Leaving church this morning, as so many Sundays since March, has left us with heavy, grieving hearts and we feel now, that it is time to seek to move on and find the place where we can continue to wholeheartedly pursue more of God and the growth that has excited us so passionately in the last years under the inspiring leadership of Nigel Di Castiglione. 

For now, we will continue to lead our wonderful student group unless God clearly directs otherwise. My challenge whilst we remain is to continue to bless the church, honour and love the people there and leave well with doors still wide open in relationships, sharing kindness and being the greatest encouragement I can be to those whose lives I touch there.

God didn't say love and forgiveness would be easy but He did say it would work!