October 30, 2007 at 5:05 pm (Uncategorized)
Here I am again weary of the world but loving it too! With a blizzard of Christmas catalogues falling on my doormat I ogle them contendly and what satisfaction it brings, and Im so torn with creating a peaceful, joyful home and so painfully aware that everything I own, everything I treasure and I love will not make it to Heaven except the people I love. And yet without a thought I gather things tome that will perish, every single object will one day be no more. It is a good reminder to me that while cosy blankets and mugs of hot chocolate, and books by the fireside are all delicious “things” to have, it is people and how I treat them that will have a lasting effect, oh yes mugs of hot chocolate and fireside stories set the scene and are not bad in themself of course, but I think Im quite deceived if I think that is all it will take to create lasting loving relationships.
Having said all that I do think time effort and money is spent more on *things* than investing in those that will truly last – people. It is so striking in Ken Ham’s books when he uses the illustration of “which of these can you take with you”, under the caption are several items houses, cars, treasured items and a small boy. Of course the boy is the only one you can take, and yet it is usual to spend more time investing our abilities in the “things” and not the person. How backward our thinking is. I am particulary struck by the fact I see so many distractions and interuptions in *my day* in a negative way and yet think nothing of pondering over what color table cloth I should have for the Christmas Table. Oh if only I took so much effort to *be there* really there, not just physically replying with monotone voice, but be there investing in people, not just my children, but people in general. So Happy Christmas shopping but invest in the eternal.
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October 26, 2007 at 7:56 pm (Uncategorized)
What can be done when her heart is longing for God and yet she stumbles over a tiny grain of sand. Her eyes are looking upwards, her heart is longing for something better, she sees contentment, peace and joy are within her grasp and still tumbles to the floor at her first test. In a heap she sits, angry and frustrated, how can something so small, so uninportant cause so much strife. The grain of sand will pass away, one day it will be no more but while it is here, it sits on the floor barely visible to her eye but it may aswell be the rock of Gibralter for the trouble it brings, but it isn’t that big, it is a grain of sand.
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October 23, 2007 at 3:47 pm (Uncategorized)
I suppose that isn’t a very original title for this post but it sums up the view from my kitchen window. Looking out across the rooftops, passed the birds swooping and gliding, and up into the pale blue sky leaves me feeling quite small in this vast universe. How beautiful it is, my heart rises, longs and looks for higher things at such times, and all from peacefully looking out of the window up, up, up into the dazzling sky. My kitchen certainly isn’t peacful with houseful of children, but surely my soul can seek a moments rest by looking and taking it all in, soaking in every drop of God’s precious peace He gives me.
Walking through the delightful woods at the weekend had the same effect. Sitting on a quiet bench, with cyclists whizzing by, and children playing and laughing nearby, we all sat on a cozy wooden bench munching on crisps, breathing in the delicious fresh, crips air and I was full, full inwardly. Here besides God’s creation, lapping up all my eyes could take in ready to visit again in my minds eye.
It is a theme I seem to repeating lately, perhaps because I am surrounded by lots of “needs” with little time to recuperate and fill my souls cup, but it does the heart good to stop and take a minute and think of the bigger picture, of the world you are on and just how awesome God is.
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October 18, 2007 at 6:45 am (Home life)
I would have to say that the last weekend was incredibly uneventful. And yet it was been full to the brim and I am very glad it is at its close. The whole house has been screaming out for a long time with various requests of “clean me”, “put me in the bin”, “file me away” and a whole myriad of other appeals begging for my attention. Despite some of these mundane tasks having now been done and we can all breathe a little easier knowing there are not huge bags of broken toys ready for the skip cluttering the house, my initial feeling of having had an uneventful weekend and somewhat boring one too are perhaps not entirely true. If I bring to memory Jesus’ words “Do all things to the glory of God”, well I can wholeheartedly say it has definately been quite the opposite. The mundane has not been done to the glory of God, on the contrary there has been a good deal of mumbling, grouchy comments and laziness (and thats just me!). Perhaps Jesus did not mean for chores to be done to the glory of God, but alas I know Him too well on that account, for if I can not done simple chores without doing it for God’s glory (Im not saying I will enjoy the chores!) and behaving in a manner that pleases Him it is no wonder that I fail on what would be considered more weightier matters. Im convinced that this is down to a lack of realization that God is with me everywhere, as it is usually apparent that in various situations we manage to put on a good front as it were, either due to the fact that we are being watched by non-relatives or for some other pharasaical reason, then no sooner are we are out of those situations we can snap and be “normal” again. Why is that? Little things truly make up a bigger picture, I have heard it said that our Christian walk can often be tested with a thermometer by how we are in the little things, and certainly if I had stuck a thermometer into my “uneventful” weekend it would have shown a very unhealthy temperature!
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October 12, 2007 at 8:04 pm (Ramblings)
I have no idea if that accurately describes how I feel today, but it was the first thougt that came to mind. My mind is all a fizzle I thought to myself, all bubbling with various things. Managing a household, worrying about world events and feeling slightly down over news headlines. But, now as the day is closing and my head is slowly returning to a gentle simmer I surely have to let good godly wisdom soothe all of those harrased feelings of the day? But, why did I not let those words ease my mind sooner? The words of Jesus regarding worry and cares are so simple and yet never kick in to gear until after the event. I know Im not the first to marvel at that and no doubt I shan’t be the last.
It is so clear how right Jesus is (why do I doubt Him….He is and will always be right!) and of all my years though they are still few and of all the worries, which are many, those worries could have been put away and sealed tightly not to be dwelt on again, for I am here with rich blessings everywhere I turn and all without any help from worrying. Oh and how thankful I will be when standing in Heavens precious surroundings without any “fizzle” in my mind to trouble me.
Let us then be true and faithful, trusting, serving every day;
Just one glimpse of Him in glory will the toils of life repay.
When we all get to heaven, what a day of rejoicing that will be!
When we all see Jesus, we’ll sing and shout the victory.
Eliza Edmuds Hewitt 1851-1920
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October 10, 2007 at 9:22 pm (Uncategorized)
Im not too keen on spiders, but a spiders web can be quite beautiful on a misty morning when they are covered with dew. And watching one from a safe distance behind a window as they weave their traps can be fascinating. Perhaps not a daily miracle, but certainly more evidence that points us to our Creator.
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October 10, 2007 at 9:47 am (Uncategorized)
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October 8, 2007 at 4:12 pm (Mad world)
I had to read a lovely story today to my preschooler all about wanting to be somebody else, thinking that if only we were “so and so” then things would be better, but obviously in the tale I was reading the character found out that untill you are in the shoes of the other person you never really can know just what struggles they have. I am often too quick in my mind to sort other peoples problems out, and perhaps think “if only they did this instead of this” then that person would be happier.
But, despite my mental meddlings it is still fair to say that until you have truly been in someones shoes you can never really know how to sort their problems out. How easy it is to point the finger. I like the phrase “point your finger and their are three pointing back at you” and how true it is! Of course we can offer help and suggestions, and yet the condemning sort of help that we are so quick to dish out from our “oh so knowledgeable plate” would be better restrained and seasoned with compassion instead of condemnation. Admit it (im speaking to myself) put someone elses shoes on for two weeks and see how well you can walk in them, chances are you wouldn’t last long before you either tripped over or started to get sore feet.
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October 7, 2007 at 4:15 pm (Uncategorized)
Isn’t autumn lovely. Crisp air, the fresh scents of the garden as it goes to sleep for the winter, the hazy countryside with its golden hues against a grey afternoon sky. It is truly my very favourite season.
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October 7, 2007 at 9:10 am (Christian life)
My husband and I listened to a very encouraging sermon a few days ago, it was generally about suffering and pain …physical or spiritual. The pastor shared how in his office some birds had nested in the roof and had laid their eggs and how he endured the incessant tweeting of the baby chicks. He shared that much like those baby chicks our *body* is like the shell that the chick hatches out off, and that often during our life here we try and patch up our “shell” and can become quite depressed either due to illness or just plain geting old when wrinkles show and we can’t get around as we once used to. And although it is a simple story much like the caterpillar becoming a butterfly, I was encouraged how the Pastor reminded us that we do not push a little chick back in its shell and try and seal it back up again, no, the shell gets broken so that the chick can be free!
When understanding God’s bigger picture of things it amazes me daily at the love and mercy He showed in the garden when He banished Adam and Eve from the garden. How tragic it would be for them to be able to live eternally in their “shell”, never to be free.
These thoughts may seem quite morbid to some, but when considering that all will die one day, whether rich, poor, famous or infamous, happy or sad, the end is the same, you will die…it is inescapable, and with those thoughts in mind it is amazing that we do not ponder the fact more often……as it is a certainty in a world of uncertainties. Several people I know have died in the past year or two, but on thinking how some died suddenly and some from illness I have seen that yes their shell failed them and they were set free. This is a great comfort to me that those who were believers were set free…. FREE INDEED!
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