The needs we don't always see...

December isn't a happy month of celebration for everyone.

There are those among us - neighbours, work associates, family and friends - whose lives will be shattered without warning in the midst of Christmas preparations. Others must face a first anniversary of loss, and even more will be confronted by yet another year of sorrowful reminders, relational estrangements and the anxiety of re-lived anguish. 

Would you pause with me today and pray for them, that they would feel the strength of Heavenly arms lifting them in loving comfort and drawing them close to God's heart? 

For He catches their every tear and He hears our every prayer, and though they must still walk through the valley of this difficult season, His protective shield of strength and comfort can carry them moment by moment.

Perhaps you are one of these dear souls whose heart is fragile and aching?

Dear heart, know that right now, all around the world, you are being lifted before God, before the very throne of grace from where all comfort flows. 

If I could reach through this screen and hug you I would, because I do understand loss and sorrow and continued grief over many years and how especially difficult it is when celebrations are upon us, but that's not possible so 'tis only these words I have from my heart to give you.

You will get through this. You will pass through this valley and you will see the clouds part and the sun shine through again. It may not be today, tomorrow or next month, but it will happen. 

The valleys do come and go over time, dark stormy seasons loom again and again, but they will always pass because Light dispels the darkness, even a flicker. 

This is what I always tell myself when I'm so lost in the darkness that there seems no way out - "Jenny, this too shall pass...ride this out like a wild storm on the sea...remember the calm and remember that it will come again...hold on to Jesus and trust He's right here with you even though you can't see Him or hear Him or feel Him...remember the Light...the dawn is coming again."

What helps me may or may not help you. 

You may need to speak to someone about your darkness and if it's swirling you into a place that's scary then please reach out, don't try and go it alone. 

You are so unique, individual and exclusive, and your experience is also unique to you alone because it is bound up in the experiences of your whole life, not a single instance. 

Pray, seek God...reach out if you need more. Don't be silent. Don't live in fear, or anxiety.

Father God,

You know every heart reading this today, intimately, inside and out, every moment of their life from sorrow to joy. 

Lord, we join together in prayer to ask that Your merciful love would fill and surround and comfort each hurting soul today and through December, that your Holy Spirit would strengthen them as they walk their valleys, that they would clearly see Your Light every step of the way so that they would not be frightened or anxious or overwhelmed. 

Fill them with peace that surpasses all understanding and grace beyond human measure. May kindness and thoughtfulness be shown to them each day, and if they have needs that cannot be expressed please send your servants to fill those needs. 

And Lord, teach all of us to be more like Jesus so that we can help those in need and not be so caught up in our own lives that we are blind to the suffering of others. 

In Christ we pray,

Amen.

hugs

It's that time of year when...

...our minds are scattered, we have much to do, the Christmas to-do list lengthens and the budget needs some serious attention. The radio, television and advertising flyers in our mailboxes 'scream'  for us to spend, spend, spend so we can have a 'happy' festive season and that hype drives too many into mental and financial meltdown.

December truly has become a retailer's heaven, but a consumer's nightmare. 

The birth of our Saviour, though in truth not even close to December 25th, was once a day to stop and consider the glorious wonder of God made flesh among us. It was a day revered and honoured, not for people or food or presents, but for Jesus and He alone. 

The gift giving side of Christmas was small in comparison to now, most children receiving one or two gifts and it was unheard of for families to go into debt for them. 

It saddens me that a generation have now grown up without the simple beauty and wonder of the Christmas from my own childhood, and I wonder at the next generation and what Christmas will become to them in another decade?

Last night as my husband and I drove through the city we commented on how busy it was. Traffic was congested, shops, restaurants, hotels...all were overflowing with people coming and going. The busyness was not usual, it was the December busyness and it will become more so over the next few weeks. 

This was heavy on my heart as I opened God's Word this morning, this seasonal busyness that once had the 'appearance' of being about the birth of Jesus, in reality has not much to do with Him at all. If anything it's robbing hearts and minds from spending time with Him because it's filling hours with the rushing and the planning and the buying and the list writing and the wrapping and the reveling that's associated with this season. There's a lot of 'doing for' Christmas, but not much of being with the Christ of Christmas.

And one very big thing hit me as I began to pray for my own heart to be drawn closer to Jesus this December. 

Self examination, confession and repentance.

How easy to forget this when life is too full?

So I pulled up my chair and prepared for a long time of self-examination with the Holy Spirit because one thing I know for sure - it's not easy to see my own sin. Just like I can see cream on my husband's cheek when he's been eating cake but cannot see it on my own unless he points it out to me, I need the Holy Spirit's help to point out the sin in my life that I am blind to see. 

This isn't a 5-minute fix, either. It takes time, it means letting go of my to-do list and my 'would rather be doing right now' list, and putting God first. It means realising that if I am going to walk in a right attitude with God and man, I need to have my heart corrected by the only One who can do it perfectly because He loves me perfectly.

More than ever, we need a time of self-examination, repentance, confession and FORGIVENESS when life is pulling us in too many directions and keeping us so busy that we forget to be like Mary and sit at the feet of Jesus.

This is my encouragement for you today.

Close the door, close your eyes, look at Jesus. 

Get right with Him because when you've done that, He'll get you through everything else.

be blessed,

Give Thanks...

hugs

Contentment...

The other day I read these words from my devotional and was quite challenged by them:

Many people view happiness as a future state, something to achieve later when a certain goal is reached. Have you ever reached that goal only to find the happiness short-lived?

Once you got what you thought you wanted, were you happy with it? 

Have you ever reached a goal only to find yourself already looking for something else to give you a sense of fulfillment?

(Quiet Moments for a Woman's Heart)

This challenged me because it was already what had been weaving its way through my thoughts for a few weeks. Not just on a spiritual level. but in my everyday doings. 

For example, on a small scale - coffee mugs. 

I own 40, probably more (and let's not talk about my tea cups) yet there are never any more than 6 or 7 people in my home at any one time. So why do I need so many?

Well I don't, but I go through moods of liking bright colours and then moods of wanting pastels, then I'll move on to roses, before deciding spots are wonderful - and all this is expressed in little things like coffee cups.

My husband groans when he opens the mug drawer and it's full, when he opens the top cupboards and he's greeted by even more, when he looks into a box downstairs in the laundry and still more empty-of-coffee vessels peer up at him. And he asks me, "why so many?' 

Truth?

I buy a few new mugs and it makes me happy. I take them home, move a few older ones to another drawer or cupboard, and for the next 6 weeks I get a little giddy inside every time I pour coffee into my cup. Then the glow dissipates and I take longer each morning to choose a mug for my first breakfast beverage. It's not long before I see a new mug or two which stop me in my tracks and after some mental bargaining with myself they are purchased, packed, and brought home where they're very quickly washed, given centre stage in my mug drawer and I'm giddy with anticipation of using them. The cycle begins again.

Now, this is just a small example of a 'short-lived' satisfaction in my life, and I do have other areas that are quite a bit more complex that need to be dealt with, but hopefully you get the point?

If I hadn't had an "aha" moment this week you wouldn't have been privy to my coffee mug confession, however, the Lord has been gracious and lifted the veil to shine light on a particular area of my life and I don't think I'll be shopping for coffee mugs anymore. 

When we find it difficult to be satisfied for any length of time with what we have - now that can be our hairstyle, furnishings, music, fabrics, clothing, friends, whatever YOU can think of that causes problems for you personally, things you keep changing or wanting to change - I believe it's often because we have some deep issues inside of us that haven't been settled, things that we're trying to cover with 'stuff', people or experiences which temporarily mask the sadness, pain, grief, hurt, shame, fear, insert your own word,  that we have not been able to deal with in our lives.

God has shone a very clear light upon a few areas in my life which cross over in many ways, and seeing them with clarity now I feel free to throw away most of those coffee mugs as well as plenty more things in my home.

But most importantly I sense a weight lifted, one that has kept me blind to what truly brings contentment. As simple as this sounds, I am getting to know who I am and what matters to me. I'm discovering why I seek certain colours or styles at certain times and why I no longer need to follow avenues that do not reflect my true self.

Like Saul when the 'scales' fell from his eyes, the Lord is giving me sight to see me as I really am and not as I imagined I was. This new/old Jenny who is quietly emerging is familiar in that "don't I know you?" kind of way and it's kind of beautiful to meet her.

This experience is just one more step in God's plan to make me whole, a plan that will take my whole life, but I am patient because He has been, and still is, more than patient with me.

If you have struggled with dissatisfaction and think you have underlying issues at the core of this problem, pray about it, seek the Lord, and don't be afraid to seek good and Godly counsel about it too.

Bless you,

PS: After some comments and emails I should assure you I don't 'throw' things away, that was just my expression. Excess is always lovingly gifted to those in need. xx

Choosing love...

When I first held baby Cully May the morning after she was born I didn't want to let her go. 

For an hour in Blossom's hospital room I cradled her in my arms and rocked her to and fro, crooning my love for this precious new life our family now beheld.

But the next day I was not crooning. I was groaning. 

My arms ached, my shoulders throbbed, and my back complained with every twist and turn. It had been two decades since my arms had held a baby for so long and my body was now reminding me of the sad state of my 'mama' muscles.

In the three months since her birth I've regularly cuddled and carried Cully May around in my arms and as she's grown into a chubby little munchkin, so too have the muscles in my arms and back grown and strengthened from the repetition of bearing her weight for those short periods of time. This means I no longer ache the next day and can enjoy her squirming and smiling in my arms.

I've found the same 'muscle growing' technique works when applied to LOVE, especially the kind of love that does not come easily.

I used to think this verse meant putting myself face to face with someone who had caused me harm and showing them love, but over time I've softened towards myself. 

Funny that, we're often kinder to others than ourselves - the compassionate advice I'd give to another is not always the loving advice I would have given myself. Thankfully the Lord changed my heart. 

Walking in love when someone has hurt you is not putting yourself in their path -  in fact, sometimes it may be putting yourself right out of their path. 

It's forgiving them, praying for them. It is asking God to change anything within you that needs to change, anything in you that isn't like Jesus. It's looking over your life at every bad thing you have ever done (and if you're like me that list will just go on and on and on and on, so after a while you stop 'cause you get the point) and acknowledging that Jesus took the punishment for EVERY single bad thing so that God could forgive you. 

He shed His blood, you shed tears.

You did bad, He took the punishment.

Someone hurt you, He took their punishment too.

He LOVES you. He LOVES them.

Let it go, walk in love, as Christ loves you.

The more you let go, the more you choose righteous love, the bigger your love muscle grows.

The bigger your love muscle grows, the more like Jesus you become.

The more like Jesus you become, the less people can hurt you.

The less people can hurt you, the more love you have to help others.

You know, God's ways aren't the world's ways. He does things completely different. 

Love your enemies? The world will tell you that's plain stupid.

But Jesus didn't kill His enemies.

He let His enemies kill Him.

And because of that He won back the keys to death and hell.

Because of that you and I need never be separated from Him, but shall spend eternity with Him in Heaven, if we have chosen Him as our Lord and Saviour.

Have you?

My Anchor...

I read this slowly,

taking in every word one at a time,

and I get goosebumps.

Something begins to bubble up inside me, from deep within.

Hope....that's what it is.

So I reach out and grab it close, 

hugging it tight, 

claiming it as that true and mighty anchor my soul has need of and I know my heart will never more drift to distant shores for the One I love has me anchored to Him forever.

Need refuge?

He has an anchor for you too.

hugs

The Master Craftsman...

Before threading my needle to begin stitching a new design I must first choose an array of threads, decide where to place their different hues along the traced lines, and hope there will be a beautiful marriage of colour and style at the end of my labour.

It's not uncommon for me to unpick sections of my work, changing a rich rose for a faded pink or a sea green for an olive shade. I may even pull out a line of backstitch and rework that section in chainstitch, my eyes surveying the overall effect as I go along and adjusting accordingly. 

Today's Scripture reminds me that God is the Master Craftsman of my life.

It is He who must unpick my worldly and selfish ways, and it is He who can be trusted to rework my less than righteous choices - but what He needs is my permission to do so. 

When I hold tight to the fabric of my life, closing Him off, even pushing Him out - well, gentleman that God is, He won't force His will on me. 

When I hold Him at arms length and declare, "No Lord, not Your will but MINE be done" then the stitches of my life are clumsy, the colours of my ideals clash and the final appearance of who I am to the world makes no sense at all. Jenny is a mess and everyone knows it.

BUT...hold out the cloth that is the background of who I could be and humbly offer it before Him, and now we're talking beauty for ashes.

My God makes every stitch count for His glory.

My God breathes life into each colour so that it shines with integrity and hope.

My God weaves a picture that no man could conceive possible in the life of one lost soul such as I. 

My God is The Master Craftsman and I desire that He keep stitching my life one lesson at a time, changing me from glory to glory until that blessed Resurrection Day when I meet Jesus returning on the clouds of Heaven! 

Oh Glory, I get goosebumps just thinking about that day! 

I pray I see you there, sweet friend.

In the meantime, who is stitching your life?

hugs

No other hope...

Mr E and I have spent three years 'waiting' on the Lord to open a door. 

I suppose at the very beginning we imagined He'd move quickly, but then a year passed and we figured the timing wasn't right or He needed us to stay put for a purpose we were not yet aware of.

Year two passed and our prayers continued. 

Hopes were raised and dashed many times.

Doors appeared but none opened, not even a crack. If they had we may well have jammed our foot in the doorway to keep that door ajar and attempt a forced move. 

But God loves us too much to let us push forward into pastures not our own, places not purposed for His plans in our lives.

Year three is drawing to a close and still we stand waiting for a door to open. 

Will it? We do not know, but we trust God's ways are higher than ours, that His plans are perfect and will flourish in ways we cannot imagine.

Psalm 130:5 speaks deep into my heart. 

"I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits..."

That's what it feels like, week after week, month after month, year after year - like every part of my body is alive with waiting, earnestly desiring His plan to unfold and a view from behind the closed door to become clear. 

So every day we pray, every day we bow before our God and accept His will, every day acknowledging His sovereignty and completeness.

Maybe the wait will end soon, perhaps it will continue for many years.

Yet though we desire to have a path revealed that leads us forward, we choose to find our peace in Him, and in His word we put our hope.

Never lose hope, never forget His ways are perfect and we can trust our lives into His care. 

When your heart is His, when you truly offer Him your life, the waiting is bearable.

I always end my prayer requests like this...

"Yet not my will but Yours be done, Lord"

...and it's that acknowledgement which assures me everything is happening according to His purpose and to His eternal glory.

We have no hope apart from Jesus, of this I am convinced.

So sweet friend, if you're in this earthly waiting room with us, looking for that door to swing wide and beckon you in, you're not alone. In fact, Jesus is right here with us, encouraging us to bloom where the Father has us today. After all, we are where we are for a heavenly reason.

hugs

The LOVE example...

Run don't walk...

Most seasons we take the stresses of life in our stride.

Then a season arrives where it seems that a bombardment of trials, griefs, challenges and attacks are coming at us from all sides. We feel unprotected, unarmed, and overwhelmed. 

These seasons often hit without warning, like an earthquake, so our 'world' shakes around us and we may lose our footing.

Other times we can see the tsunami of circumstances heading towards us and running to hide is the option we look for.

This past week I've received a number of emails from precious hearts who are struggling with earthquakes and tsunamis in their lives, circumstances that have challenged their present and their future, events that have sent them to the very heart of our Lord, Jesus Christ. 

On the flip side, this week I've also received a few emails attacking me personally and professionally, each totally unrelated and on a different topic than the other. Sadly, each one was uncalled for and based on false facts, though nobody stopped to question me on those facts before aiming their weapon and firing.

 I was already overwhelmed by some personal and health issues needing to be faced this month, so these emails knocked me when I was already down. 

But this is life, you know. The unexpected will often catch us unawares, not waiting till we are in a good head space, healthy or spiritually strong.

This is why we need Jesus.

This is why we need the Father.

This is why we need the Holy Spirit.

Who's compassionate heart can understand our troubles and carry our prayers to God? Jesus.

Who can wrap us in arms of love and cradle us close to His heart? Father God.

Who can speak the words of healing and strength from God's Word and impress their truth upon our hearts and minds? The Holy Spirit.

Are you overwhelmed?

"Lead me to the Rock which is higher than I."

Run, don't walk.  Leap into the Father's arms and let His words of light shine into your darkness.

Be blessed,

Learning about selfless love...

A couple of weeks ago, on a cool and breezy morning, Blossom and I drove down to the waterfront for coffee. She needed time out of the house with her sweet baby girl, and I needed time away from my desk.

We chose an outdoor table with room for Cully May's pram to stand beside us, and gave our order to the waitress, all the while breathing in the fresh sea air and letting the wind swirl around us. 

It was wonderfully refreshing already, evidenced by our synchronised sighs of satisfaction and shoulders which softened and relaxed. Even though Blossom had barely slept the night before I could see her eyes lift and her lips widen to a satisfied smile. Time outside and away from housework and the business had been the perfect diversion we both needed.

The coffee arrived and between sips we chatted about the baby, life, God, and everything else. When you're tired and weary conversations tends to hold no straight path, but glide from topic to topic with seeming ease...and nobody minds. Such it was for us that morning.

Gathering little Cully May into her arms for a cuddle, we moved the pram behind us to allow an elderly lady and her husband to move past us to the table in front. The woman held tightly to a walking frame and shuffled uncomfortably as her sweet husband gently urged her forward. Her repeated response was 'where's my handbag?' and time after time he assured her it was safe. 

With grace and loving dignity, the dear husband assisted his wife from the frame to a seat. Speaking soft and assuring words to give her confidence in letting go of the frame and leaning instead on his own battle scarred arm while he took her weight and gently lowered her into the chair, he appeared to myself and Blossom as a hero. 

The man turned to us, and with a lovely smile and nod of his head, apologised for interrupting our chatter and for having to move the pram in order to seat his wife. We assured him it was fine, and with conversation now open he introduced himself and his wife as "Mary and Fred". 

His deep love and delight in Mary warmed our hearts. As he continued to settle her we learned that she had Alzhiemers, that he was her carer, and that when she was young she had a zest for life and they had travelled far and wide over many decades and many continents. They'd reared three children and Mary had gone into labour two weeks early with each child after mowing their vast lawn. She was energetic, vibrant, and fun. 

Fred still saw all this in his beloved wife, though without him painting that vibrant and fresh picture of Mary to us we would have been blind to it. We would only have seen a ravaged woman of 80, eyes darting everywhere as she continued to ask "where's my handbag?'.

Our little egnagement of conversation ran along for about half an hour. Fred cut Mary's piece of orange poppyseed cake into small pieces and handed them to her, including her always in our conversation though she seemed unaware of it. "I need to take her out each day, it helps. We couldn't go yesterday, so today it's even more important that she enjoy her outing", said he. 

Blossom asked Fred questions about himself, and that's when we saw even more of a hero in this lovely man. He's got cancer and is undergoing chemo, all the while caring for his wife. 

Standing up, Fred turned to us and asked if we'd watch Mary whilst he went and paid their bill. "She's apt to wandering away" came his explanation. 'Of course', said we, so as he stood in line at the counter inside the cafe we chatted to Mary about her life, her children, and what a wonderful thing to be loved so much, and how that means she was a wife who would be treasured always.

Mary watched us as we talked to her, and she smiled. 

Fred returned and sat again to wait for Mary to finish her last piece of cake. Blossom settled Cully May in her pram and we gathered our bags to leave. Turning to Fred and Mary we said goodbye and wished them a lovely day.

Fred smiled and said, "Thank you for talking to us."

Walking back to the car Blossom's eyes filled with tears and a few slid down my cheek.

I knew that we were blessed more than they. I knew that a life lesson on compassion, care, hospitality and selfless love had just been ours to receive. 

Thank you Lord.

A lamp to my feet...

The Bible is my road map, my guide through the highways and byways of life.

I'd be lost without it, really lost. 

Left to my own inclinations you'd see no evidence of Jesus in my life, only a thoughtless woman who seeks after her own desires with little concern for others. That may sound harsh, but I know who I was before I met Jesus Christ, and I am still reaping a sour harvest of decisions made back then when I scarcely gave thought to God or eternity. 

But He is faithful. He is good. He is forgiving. 

And He called me to be His child many times, never giving up on my lukewarm indifference, but patiently calling until one day I heard and I listened.

On the night I accepted Christ as my Saviour my silent prayer at the altar was to have God give me a Bible of my very own. I so desperately wanted to know Him, to learn all about Jesus - not just the baby in the manger and the one who fed the five thousand, but the Son of God who believed I was worth dying for.

A woman was standing behind me, praying whilst I knelt broken and weeping on the concrete floor of the newly built church. 

I can still remember the soft jingle of tiny bells she wore on a bracelet. 

Unable to speak audibly, my heart did all the talking and I cried out to God for a Bible.

Getting up from the floor this lovely young woman grasped my arm, hugged me tight, and walked me back down the aisle. Just as we neared the foyer she stopped suddenly and said, "You want a Bible! God wants me to give you a Bible! Wait right here." 

Away she went, disappearing into the congregation, and I started crying all over again...but all the while I was crying my face was beaming with a smile so wide I thought people would think I was nuts. But I didn't care. 

I'd asked HIM for something, something that mattered deeply to me, and He'd heard.

A few minutes later Terasa returned, a white Bible in her hand. "This is yours, from Jesus."

Friends, I have never looked back. Twenty five years ago Jesus captured my heart and I've never had it broken, not by Him. 

His Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path - always, every day, never failing.

Want to know Him?

Ask God for a Bible. 

Bless you heaps,

 PS: That woman? Two years later she became my sister in law. I was extra blessed!

Are you ready?

A simple question.

Three little words, yet they carry eternal significance.

Are you ready?

If Christ came back tomorrow would your life reflect Him, would your heart be clean and your mind given over to Him? Could you say that you love Him with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, with all your strength? (Matthew 22:37, Deuteronomy 10:12)

Are you ready for His return?

My husband and I have this question on our hearts and it's given us much food for contemplation and prayer recently.

Are we ready? Are we truly ready? 

Do we love Jesus with all our heart, soul, mind and strength? 

Or do we love the things of this world more than Him? We hope not, but we're putting our lives under closer examination because it never hurts to make time for a truth/reality check so we can correct our life and spiritual course. (1 John 2:15-17)

Have you done this recently?

hugs

Who Is He?

He is Jesus.

He is God.

He is Emmanel; the Bright and Morning Star; Lord of Lords, Prince of Peace, Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, Bread of Life, MESSIAH, Light of the World.

And he is so much more.

He's our Redeemer, our Saviour, our Friend, our Hope.

Refresh your heart today by reading through this wonderful list of Bible verses, every one highlighting the truth of who our Jesus is.

be blessed,

Study the word...

Do you find the Bible difficult or confusing? 

Are you unsure about what's really in the Bible?

The only way we can know God's word is to read God's word.

Within the pages of our Bible, this "powerful and living" (Heb 4:12) word of God, we will find who we need most, Jesus. We will discover the depth of love God the Father has for us, a love so deep that He allowed His own beloved Son to die for you, to die for me. 

Why did He have to die?

So the price of our sin would be paid in advance, so we would not have to face death, so we would have an open door between us and heaven, a path leading directly to God for all eternity. 

All you need do to access this blood-bought gift is acknowledge Christ Jesus as your Saviour, confess your sins in prayer to God, genuinely repent of them, and allow the Son of God to wash you clean and make you new.

("For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" Romans 3:23)

You will be born again and begin walking with Our Lord. 

("Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God" John 3:3)

Where do you start this walk?

In prayer. 

Read your Bible. 

Study the Gospels - Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Discover Jesus. Let everything He said and did change you from the inside out.

Read the book of Acts and see how brand new Christian lives were changed and how they grew to live out their faith.

You see, the Christian life is all about Jesus. Our perfect Lord, our Saviour and Redeemer. 

You will never know a love like His love for you. 

The Christian life is about following Jesus, through the hard times and through the good times, trusting your life to His care and believing He has only ever wanted the best for you, and that best is HIM. You'll never be alone again. When the world comes against you, His arms are your place to run towards. His mercy abounds and His love endures forever. 

Walking with Jesus will change you. 

He loves us so much that He will not let any of us stay the same. His ways are good, they are perfect. Allowing Him to smooth off our rough edges and clean us from the inside out is personal training at its most perfect. 

("For I know the thoughts that I think towards you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart." Jeremiah 29:11-13)

Only you can make the choice,

Your reward cost Him His life.

He believed you were worth it.

be blessed,

A prayer for each of us...

My husband and I have had to make some big decisions lately, and they weren't easy. In fact it feels like we're wandering in the dark without any clear direction, especially with regards to one very important issue.

There's no real right or wrong answer to our dilemma, but it could be life changing and that's why we want to be clear and sure on what path to choose.

Have you been challenged like this? 

I think choosing between something wrong and something right (through the eyes of Scripture) is much easier than choosing between two good paths. 

We desire to see further into the future to be certain our eventual choice will bring the best outcome, yet that's not what God is offering us. He seems silent. He is silent. 

Patience to wait upon the Lord is something I try to cultivate in my heart - so that it's natural, so I'm never expecting an immediate answer or miracle and probably so I'm not disappointed, but the silence in the midst of waiting is hard.

Years ago it occurred to me that if I don't know what's going on, and God stays silent, then my adversary the devil has no clue either. 

God's 'plan in motion' has been hidden to protect me and its important that I trust Him, have faith in what He's doing and await His perfect timing. I tell you truly, there was great peace in grasping this because I knew without doubt that God had not turned His back on me but was at work 'above and beyond' in ways I would never comprehend.

And it would all be for my good and for HIS glory.

This week's Scripture was a timely reminder for my husband and I that we need to put every hope in Christ, we need to trust Him, follow His lead, read the Word and let Him teach us through it. We can be sure that in His perfect timing He will show us the path to take, He'll point us in the right direction and we shall go forth.

When I saw Psalm 25:4-5 in the signature line of an email from a blog reader (thank you, Jacque) it was quite clearly a word in season, in fact it was prayer to pray every day.

I pray it brings peace and hopeful expectation to you as well.
In fact, I've made this into a free printable so we can frame it as reminder of hope during silent times. Download it here. 

be blessed,

Refuge...

So easy to forget.

Emotions cloud common sense, busyness carries us along a roller coaster ride of highs and lows and we're left struggling to catch our breath, situations we weren't prepared for confront us head on - and all we want to do is climb under the covers and wait for the storm to pass. 

God is my shelter, my breath, my safe harbour, my refuge. Never has He forsaken me or left me without hope. 

If you're under the covers right now because life is asking too much of you, call out to your Father in heaven. Run to Him.

He'll scoop you in to His arms and calm your storm, abate your fears, and give you refuge until you're strong enough to face the day. He'll speak perfect love into your heart and bind your wounds. 

He is your strong tower, an ever present Help in time of trouble. 

He is your refuge and your strength,

And why?

Because He loves you.

hugs

Rejoice...

Aways, always, and always.

hugs

Trust...

Because of the hype, emotion, hope, expectation and expense associated with a 'dream' wedding these days, I often wonder about the bride and groom's long term plans - will they put as much attention and care into their marriage?

Many years ago Proverbs 31:11-12 became my goal as a wife, the compass I decided to use in order to maintain a right course through the journey of my own marriage.

It's wise to remember that marriage is not a wedding, just as a house is not a mortgage payment. It's one small part of something much bigger and grander, something far more challenging and yet astonishingly wonderful. When I look back on the day Mr E and I exchanged our vows the thing which stands out most is the commitment he made to me, standing at the altar before God, and the evidence today of his decision to live it out this last quarter century. In fact his commitment today is far greater than it was then.

Every day I thank God for my husband. Every day I feel unworthy of his faithful, joyful and forgiving love. Every day I look in the mirror and try to see past my aging smile into the blue eyes he wakes to each morning and wonder if they reflect the depth of love and respect and honour I have for him?

I know what I see when I look into his eyes.

Evidence that he loves Jesus. 

And because of that love there is boundless respect, delight, love, trust, commitment and care given to me.

We didn't have a big wedding, in fact I made my dress and our church family all brought a plate for the wedding meal. A friend from university had his brother bake our cake, another friend took the photos, and I borrowed the shoes, veil, gloves and bouquet. 

It was a simple event, a wondrous and happy event, a day we cherished. Promises were made and given before God, and people we loved were there to witness and celebrate our union, but we didn't fully appreciate that the wedding was nothing like the marriage would be.

Marriage is a page by page story you write from the heart, moment by moment decisions and choices that will build the union stronger or tear it apart until only shreds remain.

We didn't easily get to where we are in our relationship today. Many times over these past 25 years we've been pulling in opposite directions, not walking in our God given roles, seeking to be the one who was right and to have our own way. There are many tears, sorrows, losses and grief scattered along the highways and byways of this marriage, BUT...we stayed committed. 

We chose to forgive. 

We sought Jesus to show us a better way, and I read Proverbs 31:11-12 and took it to heart.

 Honestly, the teaching in those Scriptures changed me for the better more than anything else.

I love my man, and therefore I want his heart to safely trust me!

I want him to have no lack of gain.

I want to do him good and not evil all the days of my life. 

So I take one day at a time and praise God for the opportunity to be that wife, knowing there are days I'll fail and days I'll soar. The most important thing is that I keep this close to my heart and do my utmost to live it out. 

All glory to God,

As He loved us...

When I'm sick, in pain, under duress or simply exhausted from lack of sleep or overwork, I can become a snappy, irritable gal. It's not my intention during those times to react harshly to those I love, but sometimes I do.

I love this verse, walk in love.

As He loved us. 

So what needs to change for me to be that loving example of Jesus?

It's not my attitude because I believe wholeheartedly that I should walk in love as He loved me.

I guess then, that there's an underlying cause of my harsh responses which must be examined in order for there to be a change.

Sickness and sleep - sometimes there's nothing I can do to alter sickness, but keeping myself healthy with a fresh food diet and some gentle exercise every day, regular restful sleep patterns and time in the Word, will strengthen my immune system, bring wisdom to my state of mind, and build my spiritual muscle. The end result will be less illness, stronger immune system, and a calmer, more refreshed and caring Jenny.

Physical exhaustion - I push myself too hard with work at home and work in my business, forgetting to apply the brakes before I crash and burn out. Just because I can doesn't mean I should. Pacing my energy in the hours I have each day would be far wiser than running till I drop. 

Simplifying my home and work responsibilities is something I've been working on lately and already I see (and feel) an improvement in my breathing, sleep, and how I respond to important issues with the people around me. I expect an even greater improvement in the months ahead if I continue to make positive changes.

It's important to address our spirit and the sin within when we struggle to walk in love, but don't forget to assess your physical health as well because unless we have a caring and nurturing spirit/body balance, walking in love may continue to be a uphill climb.

Bless you heaps