Christmas orphans

It's the aftermath of a day of family & fun times. I woke up to breakfast in bed & Bing Crosby Christmas Carols creating a perfect post Christmas ambience. Finally a record player for Christmas....so we can listen to our big stack of records collected & pulled out of storage over the year.
This season is a time of reflection for me - of a year that has whizzed by in record speeds with milestones, highs, lows & significant moments. It was virually impossible to find quiet moments yesterday, but I did escape to our reading room with the Christmas tree, waded through the sea of torn wrapping paper & curled up in the lounge for some time out.
Yesterday I had just sat down to Christmas lunch and we had just cracked our bonbons when the phone rang. It was my friend who had organised a Christmas lunch for 'Christmas orphans' who didn't have family nearby. One such person I had met the week before in Church. We had a brief conversation & I asked her what she was doing for Christmas. She was a single mum & her two sons were going to two different places. She didn't have family & was 'planning' to spend Christmas alone in her big house.
We organised for her to come to my friends lunch, but the call I received was to say she hadn't turned up. Did I have her mobile? I said I would try to remember where I put it, said goodbye & went back to lunch.
It was hard to refocus knowing someone I knew was having a lonely Christmas. It was even harder when hubby tested his new bonbon whistle at great lengths right next to me and my dad's eardrums.
We had just prayed over lunch & read our jokes when I suddenly remembered where I had written her number - in an old notebook in my drawer. I raced to my room & called her. She was home alone as we thought - the only reason being that she was too shy to meet new people. I said it would be worse to sit at home alone then take the risk to meet someone new. She finally agreed & said she would go.
I received a text later to say she was enjoying Christmas lunch with a whole lot of new friends and having a great time!
Just a small moment in my day, but it's heart breaking to know that during our present laden Christmas celebrations that thousands of people in our nation are sitting alone with the sharp reality of family-less day bringing an ache that any gift from Santa could not ease.
This is the one day of the year where loss of loved ones is felt beyond words, that broken relationships and the estrangement of family members can be seen as a mistake.
This is the one day of the year that the love of God must be magnified brightly, and needs to wrap itself around the Christmas orphans - those who have for whatever reasons not been invited to celebrate with another, or had noone to invite to their own.
Let's think about next Christmas early, and make sure that everyone in our world feel's the love that only Jesus can bring.

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. (KJV)
Luke 2:14

Deer's feet

“He makes my feet like the feet of deer, and sets me on my high places.” Psalm 18:33

Have you ever seen how deer make their way up the mountainside? They have hooves that are shaped perfectly to fit in those tiny grooves so that they don’t slip, and this gives them the edge over other animals (ie bears).

I have never seen a bear skipping up the mountainside. There are days (unfortunately a lot) when I feel like I have bears feet, but then I have to remember that God has given me the ability to climb skillfully up to the high places where the view is clear, the sun is shining and the storm clouds are beneath me.

How amazing that he MAKES our feet like the feet of deer. I am fully equipped to skip in bounds and leap all the way to the majestic places He has prepared for me.
The best thing is we are not on our own in this. We not only have ‘hind’s feet’ - hand fashioned by the Creator of the universe - but He SETS us on our high places. We just have to trust that He knows His way up. He knows the secret paths that are hidden by foliage and rocks (all those bad things in life) which all need to be cleared away and revealed so we can see what was always there.

We are not only helped up the heights by God onto the hilltops, with our amazing deer-like feet, but we also are made to WALK on them! To move forward once we are there. It just keeps getting better! Whatever obstacles you have been facing, let this remind you that you have everything you need to climb up and rise above them.

Notice we all have our own hills. (It's MY high place - not yours!) That says to me that it is good not to live in comparison with eachother's high places. We have all been created for an individual climb that is as fantastic and challenging as the other.

Who truly knows how hard & rocky each journey to one's high place is?
Only God and you.
One thing I know is that the journey is almost impossible unless you have been blessed with hinds feet.

It would be weird if all God’s girls had hoofed feet, so thankfully we still have five beautiful toes to wiggle around, but God has given us everything we need to run our race in life towards our high hills.

The Lord God is my Strength, my personal bravery, and my invincible army; He makes my feet like hinds' feet and will make me to walk [not to stand still in terror, but to walk] and make [spiritual] progress upon my high places [of trouble, suffering, or responsibility] Hab 3:19

Read this through a few times and you realise the vastness of this incredible promise from God.

He is my invincible army. One meaning of invincible I found is worth repeating.. incapable of being defeated; unconquerable. How cool! It doesn't matter what is thrown at us - in the end we are the victors. We win! I love that.

I love that He is involved in my walk, in my steps, and I am not alone. I may not have the strength to run a faith marathon just yet, and I can take little steps with my amazing deer feet, and He will see to it that I reach my destination and cross the finish line.

temporary vs permanent

“He who observes the wind (and wait for all conditions to be favourable) will not sow, and he who regards the clouds will not reap.” Ecclesiastes 11:4 AMP

This is one of my all time favourite verses in the Bible. Procrastination and lack of motivation (excuses?) can prevent us from sowing at the right time. We want to start a new project, or give of our time and talents, or mend a fractured relationship and so on…when it’s the exact right moment in time.

Sometimes the conditions won’t appear in the natural like the time to sow (ie too windy), but I believe God will honour us for stepping out and planting our seed of faith rather than holding onto it for months and years, waiting…waiting….for the conditions to be favourable. Sometimes you just have to do it afraid.

Fears, anxiety and focusing on the storm clouds to the point that they are larger than the reality of God’s promises for us will cause us to miss out on blessing and provision.

The clouds are there, you can’t dispute that, but you don’t have to accept them as a part of your life. When they finally move on and eventually dissipate, what is left? The shining sun and brilliant blue sky which is permanent and never changes.

It was always there.

When I first read this verse I had an instant picture of strong winds and dark storm clouds rolling in so that the bright sun and blue sky were completely hidden out of view. They were still there, but you just couldn’t see them.

The wind almost knocked you off balance, and the clouds were menacing, but in reality they were nothing but vapour and mist. They were temporary, like the fears and worries that threaten to steal our peace and joy.

The wind and storm clouds are temporary. The sun and blue sky is permanent.

My daughter knows this back to front, because if I can get it into her head that the storms of life are similar to wind and clouds, she will always have a hope and belief that they will move on, and picture the sun still brightly shining above them, even if it is temporarily out of view.

The worries and cares of this world are temporary. The Word of God and light of eternity is permanent.

“Truly the light is sweet, and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the sun”
Ecclesiastes 11:7 AMP

When you have been struggling under the weight of clouds and it is taking all of your faith just to get through each day and brave the storm, than the light of the sun is sweeter than ever before.

You always appreciate something that you haven’t had, or thought you had lost.

I actually remembered a verse in Proverbs today that wraps it all up. I love how you can weave through the word of God and find something new each day....

“But the path of the just is like the shining sun, that shines ever brighter unto the perfect day” Proverbs 4:18 NKJ

a thousand days

“For a day in your courts is better than a thousand (anywhere else)….”
Psalm 84:10 Amp

Sometimes life gets so hectic that it would be tempting to jump on a plane and head to the tropics, even for a day.

That happened to me once. I won a trip for two to Cairns just after Rick & I got married, so in no time we were literally off to the tropics. The only downside was that I had also won first class seats, but forgot. The airline also didn’t notice, and we travelled economy. Funny how you can hold the ticket to higher places, and the only reason you’re not there is because you didn’t check!! But that’s another topic….

So considering the chances of winning a trip (to anywhere!) are relatively slim, there are plenty of alternative ‘escapes’. Unwinding in a day spa perhaps, finally reading that book (from beginning to end of course), consuming all ranges of food and chocolate, shopping (not for groceries!)….the list of places to go and things to do is endless. A change is as good as a holiday, right?

Seeing we are using our imagination, imagine what you could do with a thousand days. If money was no option – where would you go? What would you do? The Colorado ski fields just flashed before my eyes, and the Venetian coast….you could spend all day dreaming of what you could do for a thousand!!

Most of us in the real world can’t just drop everything and disappear for that elusive day, or a multitude of them. Even when we do get away, whatever we left behind has to be faced again, usually right where we left it.

The reality of this verse is almost incomprehensible. How amazing that spending a day with Him, in His courts, in His presence, is better than a thousand basking in the tropics (like Fiji for instance).

Time with Jesus…..how can you match that with anything the world has to offer? You can’t.

Just as realistically, how do you avoid being distracted by the realities that come with parenting, marriage, friendships, family and the responsibilities of life? You can’t.

Solution?.....Grab the moments. Grab those minutes that come your way. If a day with Him is better than a thousand anywhere else, then a minute with Him must enrich the hours ahead.

The rewards seem to be worth all those moments in time that eventually will turn into a day in His courts. The verse that follows is one of my favourite promises in the Bible….a reward for turning our heart towards Him more and more each day.

“For the Lord God is a Sun and Shield; the Lord bestows (present) grace and favour and (future) glory (honour, splendour, and heavenly bliss)! No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly.”
Psalm 84:11 Amp

Interruptions

Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colours. So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.
James 1:2 TMB

My life is filled with interruptions.

In the frequent occasions that I sleep in (7.00am), my morning “what to do when I wake up” plans are constantly interrupted by three little boys squabbling over who gets to open the honey jar, who gets the first weetbix, and who gets the middle seat. There is usually a teenager hunting the house for a lost sock, and another still happily snoring in his bed (he needs to be interrupted!)

My devotional and bible are usually the first items I see when I finally open my eyes, but the minute it takes to sit quietly and start my day the way I know works best seems totally impossible when so much is happening that calls out for my attention. The distractions seem overwhelming and often it isn’t until I get home again and the morning commotion has died down that I finally take a minute out of my day, sometimes a few more, for some quality time (at last) with God.

Some days don’t go to plan at all. Or so it seems. I have my own agenda and plan, boxes to tick, people to call and errands to run. However, there are interruptions that seem to throw everything into disorder. I’ll bump into someone who I can tell has had a more challenging morning than me. She needs a hug and some encouragement. Or the school calls to say I have a child in sickbay. There goes an afternoon! Not to mention those wonderful dusk to dawn interruptions….

Then there’s the not-so-obvious, like someone I can’t get out of my mind. I know she needs a phone call, or some prayer, but do I have time today? I bump into someone at the shops who informs me her marriage is falling apart. I would love to be there for her if I wasn’t in such a rush… Someone sends me a text and asks for prayer. Yes, I reply immediately, I’ll pray. Well I intend to pray. I’ll put it on tomorrow’s to do list.

Am I the only one that gets interruptions like this? I used to think if I was just more organised I would be able to redirect the bulk of my interruptions, or learn how to avoid them properly… I envy all of you who are naturally organised. You are blessed!

But it was so freeing when my amazingly wise husband pointed out to me one day that Jesus’ life was filled with interruptions. His ministry was performed during those interruptions. He was on the way to a town when someone sick interrupted him wanting to be healed, or asked a question about eternity…
(Mark 10:17)

That was the best news I had heard for ages. Yay, I’m just like Jesus!! Well almost.

Jesus also slowed down (whoops!). He took time to wait on God. He followed a schedule, but not the way the world expected Him to, he had a higher calling and He knew why he was on the earth. He knew what was important and what was not. The multitudes were begging for Him to spend more time with Him, but instead he chose to spend time with his Father in the mountains. Then he was able to cope with interruptions without falling apart.

We were created in His image, and we are to follow in his footsteps, so we should aim to find that secret place (even in the midst of chaos) where we can hear His voice and do what we are meant to be doing each day. How wonderful to let our Yes’s be Yes and our No’s be No.

So the interruptions will happen, but often they are part of God’s plan for our day. We may have to change gears and head in a different direction for a little while. That’s ok. Just ask God what He wants you to do. Or if you are just treading water and it is taking all your energy just to survive the day, that’s ok. That’s what His grace is for.

“Come to me all you who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

Love like the waterfall

If you haven’t read ‘Hinds Feet on High Places” by Hannah Hurnard, then put it on your ‘to read’ list. Throughout the book there are many analogies and themes, and one that fascinated me was a waterfall which flowed from the mountain top. It was described as ‘singing’ and ‘laughing’ as it made its way down the sharp rocks and obstacles. The life giving water was descending lower and lower, in complete abandonment, to where it was needed most.

The waterfall was a symbol of true love.

Compare this to a huge display fountain which I pictured in the valley below. The water is artificially flung up to spectacular heights to then collapse down to the same place it originally began. This monument is man made and seems useless in comparison to the majestic waterfall. The same water is used over and over again – serving no real purpose except to delight the senses. It looks good, but it’s not breaking any droughts!

The fountain is a symbol of temporary, forced love.

When we have the love of God within us, it means we love with abandonment, giving without expecting anything in return. Our love is not given with our own agenda or for display like the fountain. It has a Source and power behind it to get us over the obstacles and down to the place where we can serve where we are needed most.

When we have a ‘spring of water’ within us, we can give out without fear of running dry. The more we give out the more we will have to give.

Sometimes our Christian walk can get so complicated. I love stories of God’s goodness despite the adversities. Don’t allow the rocks of fear, hurt, rejection, laziness (ouch), shyness, hardness, anger…..whatever….place a barrier between you and your destination.

I’m sure the view from the top of the waterfall would be amazing. Imagine if all the little droplets of water stayed up there for the view and didn’t want to take the plunge? Then the valley below would dry up, the beautiful flowers would wither, the crops would die and the scenery would be destroyed… we don’t even have to imagine that picture…

So many people climb all their life to the ‘top’ to find that is not where they were meant to stay. The view is wonderful and worth the visit, but they are needed back in the valley.

Is your love like the waterfall or the fountain?

“whoever takes a drink of the water that I will give him shall never be thirsty any more. But the water that I will give him shall become a spring of water welling up (flowing, bubbling) continually within him for eternal life." John 4:14

thoughts on being mum

Being a mum is one of the best ever things that has happened to me.
I have five beautiful children who I love SO much. I think every mum could say that but I am biased and think mine are so amazing. I have four boys and one girl. They range from six to seventeen. 100 years ago I would have been one of those mums with ten kids hiding under her billowing skirts.

My favourite place is home and believe it or not I love hanging out the washing! It's where I talk to God, talk to the chickens and myself! I love watching the clouds and the sky and there is something about the wind whipping wet clothes around that brings you back to the heart and soul of family.

I was one of those mums who were scared out of my head and didn't have a clue what to buy for or what to do with a baby. I had never changed a nappy in my life and when my son came home from hospital I would sit up and watch his little chest rise and fall to make sure he was still alive. My brain nearly exploded with worry at the responsibility of keeping this little person alive until he was ready to pack his bags and walk out the door to start his own life.

And now he is almost 18!

Child no 5 was not as stressed over and I have to say there were many forgotton milestones.
I was making the dinner one night when my five year old discovered my baby boy had two new teeth. Something I already should have known!
Needless to say his baby book is a little emptier than my first son...and yes I feel guilty, but I'm sure when he is of age he will very much know that he is loved & adored by us all.

So its late and my eyes are hanging out of my head.
And I love being a mum.

Friends

I have so many beautiful friends in all walks of life, in all situations from all corners of the globe. I have friends with lots of kids and friends with none, some with husbands, some not, some who I have known a week, some I have known a lifetime. There are some who know my heart and can tell when I'm sad, and some who hardly know me, but I still love them. I am so blessed to have friends who are so rich in beauty and kindness. I hope that I can give to them what they give to me.
One of my friends bought me two bunches of carnations out of the blue. They were pink and white. That was great, but what was more great was that I had given away a pink and white bunch the week before on Mothers day, one to a random single mum at the back of church, and one for my mum. (We had bought a heap of flowers for all the mums in the mums room) I looked at those flowers all week and felt so loved by my friend and God!
My husband is my friend. He bugs the heck out of me but I know he loves me more than anyone in the world. He would do anything for me at the drop of a hat. Words don't need to be said and we know what the other one is thinking. Thank God for him.
The older I get the more I realise how much my family mean to me, and how priceless true friendship is. Those people in your world who would go out of their way for you even at their own expense. They are the friends that money can't buy.
Imagine if our wealth was measured by our relationships & friendships - not just figures on a page.
I would be rich.

eternal word

He has made everything beautiful in its time. He also has planted eternity in men's hearts and minds [a divinely implanted sense of a purpose working through the ages which nothing under the sun but God alone can satisfy], yet so that men cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end. Ecclesiastes 3:11

What an amazing, eternal Word from God!

Think about it….. He has planted eternity in our hearts and our minds. I love gardening, so my eyes lit up when I read this. A long time ago an eternal seed was planted deep inside us just waiting to be watered and nurtured, with eternity as its goal. So many people are walking around unaware of the treasure within them….small unseen seeds of light and truth waiting to be activated by the Father of eternity.

We are so blessed to have the gift of salvation and eternity in our lives.

"Nothing under the sun but God alone can satisfy..."

I used to struggle thinking that my menial, day to day tasks had no real value in the light of eternity, and unless I was finding people (out there somewhere) to get saved every day I wasn’t pleasing God. Then I thought about my children, and how their precious lives mattered to God, and I realised even more how valuable my role as wife, mother, friend, aunty, pastor (all those hats!!) really was to my family, friends and everyone in my world.

Living life well with an eternal mindset, valuing each of our relationships at all levels, and praying for the Word of God to permeate every day of our lives….that is what satisfies.

Jesus lived a life of interruptions, but He kept His mind fixed on eternity. One Word from His Father was enough to fix His course and help him resist the greatest of temptations, and all the unimaginable pain the world could throw at Him. The same goes for us. One Word from our Father is like a lifeline to eternity, helping us to keep our path set on course, and our mind set on what is right and true.

Some things we say and do will never be seen or measured until we step foot into eternity and realise their true value. What value can you place on an encouraging word, a timely card or email of encouragement, a heartfelt prayer, a big mum hug!?
What value can you place on one human life, one child saved from a life of misery, one mother saved from a future of hopelessness? Even if you have one person you are praying for and sowing into – you are sowing into eternity.

Spend some extra time in the Word this week, even if you take out a few minutes once the kids are off to school, and just thank God for what He has planned for you each day – from now right through to eternity.

The fruit of the [uncompromisingly] righteous is a tree of life, and he who is wise captures human lives [for God, as a fisher of men--he gathers and receives them for eternity]. Proverbs 11:30

Wisdom

“The beginning of Wisdom is: get Wisdom (skilful and godly Wisdom)! (For skilful and godly wisdom is the principle thing.) And with all you have gotten, get understanding (discernment, comprehension, and interpretation.) Prize wisdom highly and exalt her, and she will exalt and promote you; she will give you to honour when you embrace her.” Proverbs 4:7-8

I’m sure God has a sense of humour. It couldn’t be clearer. The beginning of Wisdom is…..GET WISDOM. Just get it!!!

The key to becoming motivated is to just begin doing what you have been putting off doing. The motivation will come as you build that elusive momentum. Just do it.

Our Creator has written us the ultimate instruction manual, and all we have to do is read it, and build a foundation of skilful wisdom into our lives. Then when the storms hit, our world will not come crashing down into sinking sands.

It still blows my mind after all these years as a Christian that the Word of God is alive (sharper than a double edged sword!) I have an old bible that Ric gave me when we were engaged (so it’s 20 years old!). It is falling apart and sits under my bed for those moments when I can’t find a verse anywhere else because all my favourite verses are coloured in yellow. It’s like a faithful old friend that never leaves me.

That’s like wisdom. When you have it, it will never leave you and will take you to places (of honour) you could not get to by yourself. When you treasure wisdom, you will see clearer, judge with discernment, walk with direction and speak with authority.

“And He thoroughly opened up their minds to understand the Scriptures” Luke 24:45

If you are attempting to learn a new language, you usually spend a long time immersing yourself in foreign words that don’t make sense, and all of a sudden it comes together (unfortunately this never happened to me in French class) and you become ‘one’ with the foreigners. Notice that ‘He’ opened up their minds. Another translation says that He ‘illuminated’ their minds to comprehend the Scriptures.

Every time I hear someone talking about getting a ‘revelation’ I think of this verse. ‘The light comes on’ or ‘the penny drops’…the getting of wisdom.

So pray for and embrace Wisdom and understanding above all things, and you will be rewarded magnificently.

“She (Wisdom) shall give to your head a wreath of gracefulness; a crown of beauty and glory she will deliver to you.” Proverbs 4:9

Look up

“My voice you shall hear in the morning, O Jehovah; in the morning I will direct my prayer to You, and I will look up.” Psalm 5:3

If you wanted to take some sensational photos, you wouldn’t point your camera at the ground all day and attempt to capture every shade of grass in the lawn. Your kids won’t be asking ‘can I see?’ that’s for sure.

Imagine if you always walked everywhere with your head down, your perspective would be completely different to walking with your head up. Sounds simple, but its true!

When I first read this verse it hit me like a brick. Has that ever happened to you? You are minding your own business reading your chapter for the day (or week?), when suddenly your life is transformed by an innocent looking verse that appeared out of nowhere. This is one of those verses for me.

I read this verse when I was going through a turbulent season of my life. Dark storm clouds appeared overhead, and I believed they were there to stay (and no I didn’t see the sun, or even imagine it). I read this verse and it hit me that I had been looking down for an entire year of my life. From my negative thought life and attitudes to my deteriorating physical state and health, I was walking with my focus on what was directly in front of me.

It took a long while to realign my thinking, but I started to read the word more and more about what I should be meditating on, and started to focus on the bigger picture.

I also bought a devotional and started a simple routine of just spending a few minutes or more alone with a cup of tea and my bible in the morning. It’s amazing how that time with Him can affect the outcome of your day. It was hard as I have always been a night owl, but it was worth the effort to set my alarm and wake up earlier just to readjust my focus, and allow Him to show me where I needed to change.

Every so often the Holy Spirit will gently remind me about the verse that captured my heart. When I am dragging my feet throughout the day and starting to whine and complain, I am reminded that there is a bigger picture, and that I have a lot.

I have the incredible gift of salvation and eternal life, an amazing family and beautiful friends who love me. I am part of an impacting church that is reaching thousands. I have food, clothing and a roof over my head…. Maybe write a list in your journal this week about all the things you do have. You might be surprised.

So look up as much as you can, maybe not in the natural, but in where you are directing your focus. Ask God to reveal to you when you are looking down when you should be looking up. And if you are having trouble lifting up your head, you’re not on your own.

“But you, O Lord, are a shield for me, my glory, and the lifter of my head.” Psalm 3:3

why salt?

Food without flavour is bland, boring and tasteless.

The same goes with life.

It's been a probing thought over the years that life without zest, reality & truth is a parallel to chicken chop suey without the soy or a hot dog without the sauce. It just goes with the main thing. Our main thing is life, and salt is the essence of it. It is the meaning of things. It is why we are here.

These are thoughts I would think as I lay awake for hours upon hours when I was in the prime of my youth & had hours to spare. I would think about life & its meanings. I would question the heavens for a glimpse of eternity and the origins of who I am.

Years upon years soon chip away at the meaningful questions about life & its seasons. Too soon the responsibilities of becoming an adult and being mature create a fast paced illusion, and hours of thoughts and questions are too soon shoved aside for a banquet of commodities and material dreams.

The spice of life becomes bland, yet we feast on the day with hunger that is never satisfied.

What we need is salt in its truest form. We need truth, like pure water and air.

So salt is my theme. It is raw, pure and adds true flavour. Once it is added it can't be taken out. It makes a difference. It lasts. It is real.

I hope that what I write has a similar effect. I hope that the questions of my youth return as I search my soul for reality and those things that really mean something.

I hope it is an experience. Like eating buttered, salty popcorn...

"Bread that this house may never know hunger, salt that life may always have flavor. "
~It's A Wonderful Life,(movie)1946