So Blessed!

I haven’t blogged for a while and yet have had a myriad of ideas I haven’t had time to put to paper. And yet today I hurried home, not to complete the thoughts I previously have had, but to let you know about an experience that I had today.


We have been talking about prayer and my experience today has involved a lot of thankfulness, continual thankfulness in praise to Him.


It’s the end of the week and my little family is tired. We just could not get the normal routine into gear this morning and then my eldest reminds me that we have to be at his school early (8.30) as he has to practice drums for churchtime. Faith won’t get her shoes on and we need to get her to day-care FIRST!!. Will can’t even find his socks to get his shoes on and we need to take him to the bus-stop NEXT!! This leaves Jack and I exactly 6 minutes to make a 12 minute trip to school without any unnecessary speeding....ok, sure. Will’s bus is two minutes later than usual, which ordinarily wouldn’t make a difference....but today!!! Make that 4 minutes to get to school.....Arghhhhh!!! Cranky Mother alert!!!!


Praise God I opened his word today at an old Psalm, my favourite Psalm and yet one I haven’t read for a long time...convinced I already knew it so well.....but that is the great thing about God’s word....there is something new every time we are in it....that’s why we need to be continually in it.


Psalm 139....It begins like this.. “Oh Lord you have examined my heart and know everything about me. You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I‘m far away. You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do. You know what I am going to say even before I say it, Lord. You go before me and follow me.


And then I get to this bit..... “You place your hand of blessing on my head”
And then it goes on to say, “Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to understand.”


Why hadn’t that been obvious to me before??


Of course it is too hard for us to comprehend and yet it’s the truth...that knowing truly who we are he still wants to bless us, to place His hand of blessing on our heads...this is the God that we serve... that knows everything about us when we are out when we are at home(Being cranky trying to get everyone off to school) before we do it, or say it! Yet He still wants to bless us!! He wants the best for us!!


I was so humbled....I am so human and yet so loved....and so blessed....and because of this, I am so willing to not let condemnation hold me back, but to remember that in my weakness He is made strong. I just have to make the decision to keep handing myself, my humanness, back to Him and move on with my day...his day. He created this day. He blesses me for it.


Be in God’s word today and everyday and may it cause you to praise him continually today and every day, that he may be glorified through your life as you humble yourself before him.


We got to Jack’s school a little bit late...Jack played well and I was totally blessed by the ministry of our school at churchtime...so blessed!! Thank you Lord!

The diet's blown and that's a good thing...

That’s it!! Diet’s blown!! I am diving into the continual feast......of God’s word! It is quite fattening.....and oh so yummy!

I love those moments with God.....one minute you are folding your laundry and the next moment you are delving into his word....you realise somewhere along the way that you have been side tracked....and it’s all ok...try telling your husband that though when he can’t find his socks...lol!

Psalm 23:5 “You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies. You honour me by anointing my head with oil. My cup overflows with blessings.”

The more I feast on God’s word the more I realise the above passage to be so relevant to me. There is such a comfort in resting in God’s word. The more you get on the inside of you...the more strength and boldness will come out of you. You will know when...and how to stand when trials occur...You will know God’s promises and will for your life....there will be no frantic prayers...but strength to your prayers...as you quote God’s word in your prayer times, you will feel the battle already being won and a boldness and new confidence coming over you. You will be able to feast in the midst of your enemies...especially as God has prepared the feast for you.

...I began to quote scripture, well actually I was shouting it....

I had a time of anxiety in my life where I kept calling my mother for comfort. There came a time with Mum’s encouragement when I realised that God was the only one I could rely on for peace in my situation. I felt so foolish as I began to quote Scripture, well actually I was shouting it out in the small town house community we were living in at the time. The foolish feeling soon subsided as God’s presence overwhelmed me and I knew who I was again, A Daughter of the most high King!!

....what counted was knowing the one who answers....

You see at that time I realised that it was not just an answer to prayer that really counted....what counted was knowing the one who answers....and the way to know Him......through His word. He knows you...he knew you before you were formed in your mother’s womb. He has the feast prepared for you.....He sent his son for you...He just wants you to partake.

The trials in your life will diminish against the immense blessings of knowing where you stand in your relationship with the Father.

Is 55:1-2 “Is anyone thirsty? Come and drink – even if you have no money! Come, take your choice of wine or milk it’s all free! Why spend money on food that does not give you strength? Why pay for food that does you no good? Listen to me, and you will eat what is good. You will enjoy the finest food.”

I can’t say it enough....be found in God’s word.

Without change there'd be no Butterflies.

I’m steering a little away from our conversation on prayer today. The following is the notes from my communion message, from this morning, Easter Sunday. If you were or weren’t there, I wanted to give you the opportunity to not just hear it once, but meditate on it. It’s good. It’s God’s desire for you. So here it is......
I was looking for inspiration for communion this Sunday and of course where else would I find it, but at Gloria Jeans. Written on their black board was the following...
“If nothing ever changed, there’d be no butterflies.”
Matthew 26: 49 Jesus prays “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.”
We look upon his death with anguish, yet we know and he knew, that if He was not crucified for us, we would never be able to participate in what his rising again means for us.
Without his rising we would never understand the power that is available to us as believers today. Ephesians 1:19 -20 I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe in him. That same power that raised Him from the dead also seated him in a place of honour at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms.
Let’s not put to waste what he has done for us. The power he has available for us His followers. If someone walked into your house and said I’m taking what’s yours. Would you just nod and smile, or would you fight for what is yours? As Timothy says “Fight the good fight of Faith!!
It’s a fight!
I know the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. I know all about the flesh...those hot cross buns..lol
Make the choice to change and make it daily. Satan will try to stop you. Don’t give up!!
Daily Jussy?? Big call - Big GOD!!!
These are just some of the scriptures you need to surround yourselves, or cocoon yourselves with if you must, to make sure you emerge...not as butterflies Guys, well not necessarily, but victoriously: So let’s put that flesh through some suffering...
1 Peter 4:1-2 So then, since Christ suffered physical pain, you must arm yourselves with the same attitude he had, and be ready to suffer, too. For if you have suffered physically for Christ, you have finished with sin. You won’t spend the rest of you lives chasing your own desires, but you will be anxious to do the will of God.
Make the choice to change!!
Galatians 5:24-25 those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his Cross and crucified them there. Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.
Make the choice to change!!
Galatians 2:20 My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
If that’s the case make the choice to change!!
Romans 13:14 Instead clothe yourselves with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. And don’t let yourself think about ways to indulge your evil desires.
Make the choice to change!!
Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honourable, and right and pure, and lovely and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Philippians 4:8
Galatians 5:13 For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love.
Make the choice to change!
If Christ had not ascended into those heavenly realms, we would not have the benefit of the Holy Spirit who wills us to make the right choices and guides us along the path of righteousness.
It’s time to emerge Victoriously in honour of what Christ has done for us. It’s time to make that change!!

Asking to Receive

I talked previously about submitting our thoughts to God. And I hope that just reading it, has caused your subconscious to take hold of it and has aided you in refocusing your thoughts when you’ve realised they are not lining up with God’s intentions for your thought life. Submitting our thoughts to God, helps us to focus and be alert for what He would have us pray. Today I would like to talk about the times when it is necessary to be intentional in our prayers.

I wonder if there are a lot of you like me that have been caught out thinking we have communicated something to someone, when in reality we had only thought about telling them? We may have verbalised it to someone or many people, only to find out we never actually verbalised it to the person we intended to.

So often it’s the same when we intend to give our requests to God, especially in times of trial. A sure sign that we have not given our requests to God is that they are still a cause for concern. We are still talking with everyone we see about it. There is still an element of anxiety that is present and is usually also present in our speech. We are not at peace. In fact the peace which surpasses all understanding, we have allowed to simply pass us by.

“Be anxious for nothing but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving make your requests known to God and the peace that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7

We need to be intentional when it comes to our requests. We have not because we ask not. So when you make your requests, pray according to his word. If there is a promise in God’s word concerning your request (and there should be or maybe you shouldn’t be praying it), stand upon it. "Hold fast the confession of your hope without wavering for he who promised is faithful." Hebrew 10:23. Don’t just hope you’ll make it through, but make the decision to put your hope in Christ.

“We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith.” Hebrews 12:2a

I love this!! He not only initiates our faith He perfects it! He is our Champion!!! Be intentional in your prayers and let him be your champion today. Keep asking, seeking and knocking...you will receive what you have prayed for, you will find and the door will be opened to you. Luke 11:9

All Day Breakfast...

So I ate breakfast cereal twice today, as I do. The first bowl at breakfast time and the second at lunch time. It's just what I felt like. Sometimes I will even eat breakfast for dinner, especially when I don’t really feel like what’s on the menu.....Yes I do the cooking, so that doesn’t say much for my skills in the kitchen I know.....or as is sometimes the case, there is no menu. Thankfully my kids like cereal too.

If breakfast is the most important meal of the day then why not have it three times a day? It’s healthy, it’s light, it’s quick, and it’s easy. It even fits the budget. I know, you’re asking where are the vegies. However my point is:

I have been talking about prayer being the most important part of your day and a wonderful way to start your day, seeking first the kingdom of God; just as making sure your grocery list is written before you hit the shops always ensures a little less aimless wandering, so prayer shines light on that path ahead for the day. So as I was eating that lunch time bowl of cereal I was also thinking about the fact that prayer isn’t a once a day experience. It is continued communication with our heavenly Father as God’s word says:

“Never Stop Praying” 1Thessolonians 5:17

And it’s not just a constant line of requests, or being constantly on your knees, but a constant submitting of ourselves and our thoughts to God. We can’t always be on our knees, but our thoughts never stop.

Imagine submitting our thoughts to God!! We’d have to clean up our thought life a little....or a lot. But then his word does say:

"Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honourable, and right and pure, and lovely and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise." Philippians 4:8

So let’s continue in prayer to our Glorious creator. He is waiting to hear from us and loves it when we are able to clear our minds/thoughts enough to hear from Him too. Being in prayer constantly is key to our walk and relationship with Christ.

First Things First

Let’s start at the beginning.

As a women’s ministry we are focusing on seeking God first in our lives, knowing that he will be leading us and guiding us as we allow him to. Knowing that with his help, we can make so much more of our day. Seems simple and it is.

What if however you’re thinking, it seems easier said than done? What if you feel that there is a barrier stopping you from reaching God in prayer? What if it really feels to you like there is too big a chasm, between you and God?

Hebrews 4:16 says “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of Grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need."

It says come boldly because the grace is that Christ having died for you bridged the chasm that was between you and God. The grace is that when Christ died for you his blood cleansed you from any sin that might stand in the way of a relationship with your heavenly father. It is by this grace that you have been saved. (Ephesians2:5)

So come boldly into his presence and obtain that mercy and Grace that you need, that we all need every single day, and begin with us on the journey of seeking God first.