Merry christmas!

"For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace." Isaiah 9.6

Merry christmas everyone,

from us.

God bless,

                                                     

One thing.

One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple.

Psalm 27:4

One thing.

ONE THING.

OnE   ThInG...

1 thing...

If I could ask just ONE thing, 

what would it be?

The psalmist echoes the cry of my heart at this moment.

I long to dwell in his house, his presence, 

his love, his glory...

more than anything else.

He showed me a picture of a key, a heart shaped key and written on it were two words.

HUNGER

&

THIRST.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Matthew 5:6

This key opened the door to his presence & his kingdom.

Jesus opened the door to heaven to us, He tore the veil, he removed any obstacle,

yet even as christians we stand at the door and see it as a no go area. A private garden. 

Jesus gave us the key...If we hunger and thirst for HIM,

we enter into heavenly realms and experience his presence.

Its so amazing.

There is peace there,

joy,

revelation,

direction,

and we can bring it back with us..

all we experience in those moments and experiences with him,

can be brought into the world we live in.

Bringing his kingdom ,

on earth,

as it is in heaven.

So why do we stand at the door and wait?

RUN,

MOVE

into his presence!

Its free,

its available.

Hes given you the keys of salvation.

You are his,

whats His is mine,

and what is mine is his!

 

The heart of the matter!

I was driving my children home the other day,

when a thought grew in my mind.

"What if, I woke one day, in a different time zone?"

Much like the 'back to the future' movies.

"What if, for some unknown reason, I woke to the same life,

same household home, same car, same duties, yet with different people surrounding me?"

Perhaps a different family, similar set up, 3 girls (a baby to care for in the day,

2 girls at school) a husband. People to meet at church, school run chatter with other mums..

Yet none of them at all familiar to me.

How would this make me feel?

I realised, perhaps a thought that had been met before, that even though we are surrounded by people,

unless we have relationships with them, we can be very lonely!

What makes life have any value, purpose, joy?

RELATIONSHIPS!

I KNOW my children, I am familiar with their characters and ways,

I have connections with mums at school because our children have relationships with one another and share moments together.

Sharing, engaging, familiar, connecting...

these are the very things that make life rich.

If I was to wake and have my home, my car, my duties, my school run, my church,

but the people that I loved were no longer there to share it with me,

then I would cease to enjoy or apply myself.

My initial thought if this were to be the case would be to make friends,

get to know the new people, build friendships and relationships once more.

I just found it interesting to really think about how important relationship is to us.

We are made like God,

in His image,

so is it not also of great importance to Him?

To have relationship with us?

To love us,

share life with us,

be familiar with us and us of Him?

Selah

Hello!!!!

Hello fellow bloggers!

I have been busy with James starting med school-a holiday to france and children back at school.

I plan to make time for a bit more blogging, but stay with me.

I am keen to catch up on all your news too,

inbetween the madness of life.

Things are going well.

Its a new season and I have lots to share,

but for now.

Hope you are all well,

blessed and growing in 

HIM.

xx

 

He KNOWS

I was reading this passage the other day,
a familiar scripture,
where John baptises Jesus.
John was a prophet who had been given the task of preparing the way for Jesus.

^{Matthew 3:6} After his baptism, as Jesus came up out of the water, the heavens were opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and settling on him. ¹⁷ And a voice from heaven said, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy.”

But it was this scripture that spoke to me.

Many years before...when both John and Jesus were still in their mothers wombs:

Mary Visits Elizabeth

 ³⁹ A few days later Mary hurried to the hill country of Judea, to the town ⁴⁰ where Zechariah lived. She entered the house and greeted Elizabeth. ⁴¹ At the sound of Mary’s greeting, Elizabeth’s child leaped within her, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.

 ⁴² Elizabeth gave a glad cry and exclaimed to Mary, “God has blessed you above all women, and your child is blessed. ⁴³ Why am I so honored, that the mother of my Lord should visit me? ⁴⁴ When I heard your greeting, the baby in my womb jumped for joy. ⁴⁵ You are blessed because you believed that the Lord would do what he said.”

God is a God who knows every detail of our lives,
we see it in scripture all the time,
He prepared the way through prophets on many occasions.
God knew the future before mankind.
He is the beginning and the end.
The first and the last.
He knows our beginning, our end and everything in between!
Does that not bring you comfort?


John lept within his mothers womb when he came into contact with Mary,
carrying Jesus.
His whole life was a witness to Jesus and proclaiming the coming Messiah.
How could he have known this as an un born child?
God had set his future within his frame,
even before he had been born.


Take comfort in this,
recline into your heavenly Fathers arms,
put worry aside and rest in the knowledge that God
has it all in hand.


Jeremiah 1:5
“I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb.Before you were born I set you apartand appointed you as my prophet to the nations.”

Fishing in the day

Today I was reading the passage below, 

it is the story of the disciples when they went fishing, all through the night, but had caught nothing. Then Jesus appeared at dawn, at the beginning of a new day, and he told them to cast their nets out to the right. They did so and their nets became full of fish, to the point of breaking their nets. I have been pondering over this story for about a month or two. God laid it on my heart in a time of prayer. I had the picture of this very story. I felt God was whispering to my heart, that we may be skilled at what we do, but trusting in our own strength is not going to work. These were skilled fishermen, anyone of them knew that you do not try and fish in the daytime. They would fish at night. Yet Jesus asked them to go against their own wisdom and their success was in their obedience. 

I knew God was asking me, and the church to do the same. Put aside our own great ideas of building church, bringing people to events, putting on well organised events etc.  He wants the multiples to come by his command, not mans good ideas. So what is God calling us to do? What ways of his spirit are we perhaps overlooking to do the job in our own way? 

 It also dawned on me, that Jesus was asking them to fish in the light of day. 

He himself claimed he was the LIGHT of the world, and that no one can go to the father except through him. Religion and the law was not enough. Before Christs death, there was no forgiveness or entrance into eternal life, so this story was a prophetic statement of that. Fishing in the dark was like pre-death fishing, in darkness and reliant on mans efforts to stick to the law, but after Jesus' death, things were done supernaturally in his light, His power and his command.

 Things have not changed, we are living after Jesus has died and been brought to life and as an added bonus that power lives within us! So why dont we ask the counsellor, the Holy spirit, for ways in which we should fish? It will surely go against our own man made ideas, for it will be supernatural! Yet, our nets may burst with people who need a touch from him...what are we waiting for?

John 21

Jesus Appears to Seven Disciples

 ¹ After this, Jesus appeared once more to his disciples at Lake Tiberias. This is how it happened.²Simon Peter, Thomas (called the Twin), Nathanael (the one from Cana in Galilee), the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples of Jesus were all together.^3 (A)Simon Peter said to the others,          I am going fishing.            We will come with you, they told him. So they went out in a boat, but all that night they did not catch a thing.⁴ As the sun was rising, Jesus stood at the water's edge, but the disciples did not know that it was Jesus.⁵ Then he asked them, 

         Young men, haven't you caught anything?

   

         Not a thing, they answered.

 ^6 (B)He said to them, 

         Throw your net out on the right side of the boat, and you will catch some. So they threw the net out and could not pull it back in, because they had caught so many fish.

 ⁷ The disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter,          It is the Lord! When Peter heard that it was the Lord, he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had taken his clothes off) and jumped into the water.⁸ The other disciples came to shore in the boat, pulling the net full of fish. They were not very far from land, about a hundred yards away.⁹ When they stepped ashore, they saw a charcoal fire there with fish on it and some bread.¹⁰ Then Jesus said to them, 

         Bring some of the fish you have just caught.

 ¹¹ Simon Peter went aboard and dragged the net ashore full of big fish, a hundred and fifty-three in all; even though there were so many, still the net did not tear.¹² Jesus said to them,          Come and eat. None of the disciples dared ask him, 

         Who are you? because they knew it was the Lord.¹³ So Jesus went over, took the bread, and gave it to them; he did the same with the fish.

 ¹⁴ This, then, was the third time Jesus appeared to the disciples after he was raised from death.

Daughters

Jessie-Jane, Ellie-Faith & Giorgia-Evie.

My daughters.

I LOVE being a mummy.

It comes with all sorts of trials and tough times, 

but its all I wanted to be when I was growing up myself.

I would have the realistic baby doll toy,

known as 'Peppo' and I would dress her,

feed her, carry her with me everywhere.

Holding Giorgia and nursing her reminds me of those childhood days,

dreaming, pretending to be a mummy.

I watch my daughters now, doing the same.

Practicing to be a mumma.

Both with baby dolls and their little sister Giorgia.

Jessie confidently carries her around our home on her hip, rocks her to sleep,

helps feed and change.

I see the joy in their eyes as they greet her in the morning.

Ellies big squeeze hugs that practically squash Giorgia!

"I loooooove her!' 

Its so lovely.

I read a devotion today.

"May our sons flourish in their youth like well-nurtured plants. May our daughters be like graceful pillars, carved to beautify a palace." Psalm 144:12 (NLT)

May God grant me the wisdom and grace to mother my beautiful girls to know him and know who they are IN him. 


be blessed!

Hungry

Do you ever feel like no one is listening?

Do you ever feel like your words fall to the ground and are walked over.

precious words.

words that count as much.

words from your heart?

Words that ultimately come from Him.

within your core..

I sometimes feel this way.

I know that there is a time, a season for all things,

and that sometimes,

I have to have patience to wait on God,

to see the fulfilment of those words,

yet it strikes deep inside me.

I am hungry for more of God...

Yesterday I had such a nagging hunger-It seemed that no matter how much I ate,

I still felt hungry.

Anyone that knows me, will know I am not a big eater.

Yet yesterday, I felt like all I did was eat!

But nothing satisfied...

nothing filled me up!

I feel a bit that way spiritually at the moment..

I'm hungry,

I'm craving God, His presence,

His words, his whisper..

Yet I cant seem to find enough to satisfy.

I'm hungry,

for more of Him.

I take comfort in the fact that He listens.

He hears my cries,

my desires,

my ambitions,

my dreams,

my desires,

for He placed them within me!

God! Satisfy my hungry soul with more of yourself...

Genesis 16:11
And the angel also said, “You are now pregnant and will give birth to a son. You are to name him Ishmael (which means ‘God hears’), for the Lord has heard your cry of distress.

Psalm 34:17
The Lord hears his people when they call to him for help.He rescues them from all their troubles.

Psalm 116:1
I love the Lord because he hears my voice and my prayer for mercy.

1 John 5:15
And since we know he hears us when we make our requests, we also know that he will give us what we ask for.

Revelation 22:17
The Spirit and the bride say, “Come.” Let anyone who hears this say, “Come.” Let anyone who is thirsty come. Let anyone who desires drink freely from the water of life.

 

From infancy

From infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus  2 Timothy 3:15 

This morning in the car to school we spoke about the fear of God being the beginning of wisdom.

I explained that respecting God will make us wise in our life choices,

we had a few examples.

Then my readings this morning were surrounding being a parent,

being able to teach our children from infancy to love God.

"From infancy! If you had a godly mom that brought you into the world surrounded by faith in Jesus, stories from the Bible, and lullabies of faith, then praise God and thank her. If you didn't, then make a commitment that your children and your grandchildren will be given this head start in life. Yes, personal faith will be won in adolescence or adulthood, but beginning in infancy is such a blessing. To fill a child's world with love and hope and promise because of Jesus is the greatest gift a parent can give!

My Prayer...

Holy and attentive Father, I thank you for the incredible gift of believing parents. I pray that more of us who do believe will be active in sharing our faith with our children. Please make my family and my life a place where children and grandchildren can find it easy to believe and safe to rejoice in Jesus. In his precious name I praise and thank you. Amen."

 

God speaks

Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.

Proverbs 22:6 

This morning, in the car to school,

we tried something different.

I am trying to encourage my children to listen and recognise Gods voice to them.

We always pray on our way to school and today

I asked the girls to close their eyes,

ask God to speak to them,

give them some words 

or a picture.

They each had a moment to ask and think..

Then I said,

"What did you see or hear?"

Ellie, my middle daughter had a picture of our neighbours,

they go to the same school as us and have just moved around the corner.

She saw our family and theirs.

Jessie, my eldest saw a bunch of flowers.

Later that day,

this new neighbour turned up at our door,

with a bunch of flowers for me as we had helped them out.

It wasnt until I was unwrapping them to put in a vase that jessie exclaimed,

"Mummy!! Flowers!...from the people Ellie saw in her picture!"

God is good.

Love Him and how he can speak even to the little children.

The potters hardest project.

The great potter fashions his own son.

The rugged hands held the lump of clay tenderly.  Sadness filled the potters eyes. He paused before He began His work today.

His thumb dug deep into the pliable shape.  He let out a deep sigh, almost a groan and then He began.  “He will grow up before them like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground.”

His words began to bring focus to his work. “He will have no beauty or majesty to attract them to him,” he continued, reaching out for a rough piece of twig to dig into the clay and create the contours of a man’s face.

“Nothing in his appearance that they should desire him.” He paused. Grief filled His eyes as he looked down at his work. A gentle nod of satisfaction followed before He continued,  “He will be despised and rejected by mankind” As these words escaped His lips He turned and looked over his shoulder. Not far off, there stood Jesus, full of kindness and gentleness, full of compassion and love for the world. He was perfect in every way and yet He would soon take on this rugged form and join with them, in the darkness, the sin and the stench.

The potter returned his sights to the clay face before Him. He opened his mouth to speak more words. The pain in His voice was tangible. The words fell from His tongue, strained, bitten and painful to speak. “He will be a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. 
Like one from whom people hide their faces, 
He will be despised, and they will hold him in low esteem.” His eyes trailed off the clay and a tear ran down his cheek. The salty taste reached his lip and he wiped His brow. “ My Son.. Surely You will take up their pain and bare their suffering, You will be pierced for their transgressions, You will be  crushed for their iniquities; the punishment that will bring them peace will be upon You.”

The potter pulled away from the clay, the pain in His own heart was too much. It gripped him. He saw the images before Him of Jesus being brutally beaten and mocked. He saw the hatred in their eyes as they kicked Him and placed a crown of piercing thorns on his head. “ My Son.” He bit his lip in an attempt to compose Himself as a gentle hand reached for His shoulder and held it. “Father.”

The potter turned,  Jesus was standing behind him, with his gaze so bright, he was shining brighter than the sun, He radiated warmth and love. He was majestic and beautiful and the potter was overwhelmed. “Father, this is your will. Let it be done, for by my wounds, they will be healed. For they are like sheep, gone astray, they have turned to their own ways. You will lay their iniquity upon me. Yes, I will be oppressed and afflicted, yet I will not open my mouth; 
I will be led like a lamb to the slaughter, 
and as a sheep before its shearers I will be silent.
”

Jesus’ eyes brought reassurance back to his Father, “My Son, Greater love has no one than this, than to be willing to give up their life, so save another.” He smiled.

“Father,” Jesus continued, “ this is the only way. I will bear their iniquities. I will pour out my life unto death, and will be numbered with their transgressions. 
I will carry the sin of many, and make intercession for the transgressors. I will be the bridge that carries them back into our presence. Let your will be done.”

 

The Potter gazed at Jesus; thoughts of wonder and grace filled him.

“My will be done.” He nodded, they smiled at one another and the potter continued fashioning the clay before Him, the form of man, the form of flesh, vulnerable, fragile, easily bruised, easily damaged. His thoughts turned to the lost & the broken, the people below who lived in a darkened world that had no concept of heaven and Gods perfect love. A perfect love that has the power to drive away the darkest fear. “ I must reach them.” The potter whispered, “ I must bring them home, I must bring them back to me.”

By R.Knight for Easter 20011

Taken from Isaiah 53.

Blessings continue..

This week we have been blessed so much!

My husband has been accepted recently to become a medical Doctor.

He starts his studies in September.

We need a new car,

a motorcycle for him to ride to University,

fees for the entry,

and a few other things.

We did not have the money to do this..

We trusted that God would provide for all our needs and prayed it through.

Yesterday I received news that we had been left some money from an Uncle recently passed.

It covered the cost of all the above,

with a possible bit left over for a family holiday?

Thank-you Father..

and because of his faithfulness,

I know he will answer my questions regarding the paths and choices I have before me...

My mind is busy,

thoughts race around.

too and fro..

questions, longings,

The paths before me,

which should I choose?

Left or right,

I need your staff.

Holy shepherd,

lead me on,

to greener pastures,

quiet waters,

where I find purpose and your peace.

Lead me on loving shepherd.