Day 18

A week has shot by and I haven't been here.  There is a reason they call this the silly season.  Not only all the school plays, parties, man-flu, poorly cats, office lunches/dinners, but also the present buying and wrapping, shopping etc.  STOP!!!! This should just not be what December is about.  This frantic pressure to get things perfect for Christmas day.  They already have been made perfect by the birth of Jesus. 
He was born in a stable, amongst animals.  Yes, it was crazy busy outside, people rushing to get their census completed, find accommodation, get meals, find lost family etc, but in that barn there must have been a haven of peace.
We work so hard to achieve the peace of Christmas and to have a lovely "relaxing" day.  We all wish each other peace and good will as we wrestle our way through the shops, shoving and cursing the crowds, hooting at other drivers with impatience and dreading all the driving to see friends and family.
I want to try and slow down, breathe the winter air and relish the peace this year.  Hopefully the rest of this week will make time for reflection  and enjoyment in preparation of celebrating Christ's birth.

Dec. 11

Luke 1: 39-45

Mary Visits Elizabeth

At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favoured, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfil his promises to her!”

Today at church I bumped into a friend I haven't seen for ages.  She was very pregnant, due today in fact.  I wept with joy when I saw this as I have been praying for this couple to have a baby for years.  They have been through the pain of fertility treatment, acceptance that they wouldn't have a baby and were well on the road to adopting a baby from Africa when she fell pregnant. While this isn't quite the same thing as this story, the joy was there.  A real gift from God, an answer to prayer. God has fulfilled his promise to them.
When Mary found out she was pregnant she went to visit Elizabeth. She seems to have run there without telling even Joseph she was leaving.  In those days, being pregnant out of marriage was dealt with by stoning. There was a strong possibility that Joseph would be stoned too. Maybe Mary fled to protect them both from shame and possible death, while she sorted her head out.

It could also be that Elizabeth needed her. Not only was she an elderly first time mum, but her husband was mute, possibly deaf, and Elizabeth would have welcomed all the help she could get.

While Elizabeth was older and therefore should be the superior of the two women, Elizabeth reverses this and showers greetings on Mary. The baby has leaped in her womb, he is filled with the Spirit before he is even born.

Elizabeth is also filled with the Holy Spirit. The Spirit helps her recognise that the baby in Mary's womb is her Lord and Elizabeth states her submission to Him and the unborn Jesus is raised to a position of honour above all .

Dec 10

Matthew 1: 22-26

All this took place to fulfil what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).
When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus. 

Naming a child is a tricky business - this is something they have to live with for the rest of their days. Here the angel is telling Joseph that not only does he have to be a father to a child that he had no involvement in, but also that he should call him Immanuel. God with us.  Calling him after his dad....
I have endless admiration for Joseph.  To me he is the unsung.  He is so obedient to God. He accepts his role in the life of Jesus and obeys all the commands he is given.

Dec 9

Mathew 1:18-21

Joseph Accepts Jesus as His Son

This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.

 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” 

Michael Card  wrote "Joseph's song" - it makes me cry every time I hear it - I love the sentiment and feeling behind it.  What a wonderful man Joseph must have been.  I imagine him as a big bear of a man who is gentle and loving. I hear this in my head whenever I read these verses or think about how Joseph must have felt.  He is a neglected part of Christ's story, but he played a major part of Jesus' childhood, as his father.
Listen to the song and see if you are moved too. This is my favourite Christmas song.
Joseph's song

How could it be this baby in my arms
Sleeping now, so peacefully
The Son of God, the angel said
How could it be
Lord I know He's not my own
Not of my flesh, not of my bone
Still Father let this baby be
The son of my love

Father show me where I fit into this plan of yours
How can a man be father to the Son of God
Lord for all my life I've been a simple carpenter
How can I raise a king, How can I raise a king
He looks so small, His face and hands so fair
And when He cries the sun just seems to disappear
But when He laughs it shines again
How could it be

Dec 8

Luke 1: 26-38

The Birth of Jesus Foretold

In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favoured! The Lord is with you.”

Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”

 “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”                     

The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. For no word from God will ever fail.”

  “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her. 

This is where the nativity scene starts for many - the angel appearing to Mary.  Immediately I have a picture of all the nativity plays I have ever been to, with a little (usually) blonde Mary with her mothers best blue pillow case tied around her head.

This encounter with an angel is so different from yesterday's with Zachariah.  Although Mary is surprised and troubled, she isn't terrified.  She knows she hasn't done anything wrong but all the same she is alarmed at the encounter and probably a bit surprised that a strange man is talking to her. Not the done thing.
Her reaction is the same as Zachariah, but she doesn't get struck dumb but the angel.  I suppose this isn't an answer to prayer as it was with Elizabeth. She isn't challenging God's power.  She is just querying the logistics.  She is a virgin.  At least Elizabeth and Zachariah were sharing the marital bed.  She may be innocent, but I'm sure she knew that you didn't just fall pregnant at a random moment.
Gabriel explains it to her and then she accepts it.  Without hesitation, without whining about her reputation, without argument.  She graciously accepts her future.  How would I have done?  I guess Gabriel and I would still be arguing about it now!  Although he would have taken away my power of speech in desperation!  I am challenged by Mary's acceptance and obedience.  This was a big, BIG thing she was taking on, and she did it in humility.  I pray that I might accept God's future for me with such grace.

Dec 7

Luke 1: 18-25

Zechariah asked the angel, “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.”
The angel said to him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their appointed time.”
Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah and wondering why he stayed so long in the temple. When he came out, he could not speak to them. They realized he had seen a vision in the temple, for he kept making signs to them but remained unable to speak.
When his time of service was completed, he returned home. After this his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and for five months remained in seclusion. “The Lord has done this for me,” she said. “In these days he has shown his favour and taken away my disgrace among the people.” 

Having been terrified that he was about to be killed just a moment ago, Zachariah is now challenging the message the angel has brought him.  You can almost imagine the angel gaping at him in open mouthed surprise.  
I know that I have prayed for something to happen and when it has, I have been a bit taken aback.  Are you sure God?  This? But the answer has never been delivered to me via angel mail.  I hope I would be a little less challenging in that situation!
I think that Zachariah wasn't doubting that God had the power to give them a baby, but just didn't believe it could happen.  He feels he is too old.  I do laugh that he doesn't say Elizabeth is old, but just "getting along in years".  Tact and diplomacy, that man!
Because Zachariah doubted God and showed a lack of faith, he was punished.  He wasn't allowed to speak until the baby was born.
The people in the temple must have all been wondering what was going on - they might have thought that Zachariah had met his end in the temple, but then he came out. They recognised that something big had happened when he was unable to speak. And he managed to convey what had happened in the temple. I find it interesting that he still had to finish his "turn" as priest in the temple before going home.
Elizabeth conceived and then went into seclusion for 5 months. I wonder why - I would have thought she would be out there showing off her baby bump and happy to be able to put the gossipers in their places.  Maybe she had a really bad first trimester.
What I learn from this part of the nativity scene - never underestimate God's power and believe that He will answer your prayers.

Dec 6

Luke 1: 11-17

Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear. But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John. He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born. He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” 

Poor old Zachariah must have thought his time had come.  He was already expecting trouble and then an angel appears.  He must have been terrified. His worst nightmare - he was about to be struck dead - and he still didn't know why. What would I be thinking if I was suddenly faced by an angel of God.  Would I be able to stand there with my head held high or would I be more than a little terrified?  I know that we are able to approach God through the death and resurrection of Jesus, but I must admit, I still don't feel really bold about it.
The angel gives Zachariah the reassurance he needs but then blows him away with more news!! He is going to be a dad!  That must have been more than a bit of a shock. And his child comes with his future mapped out. A special child to be the messenger. He is given the child's name (saves all that angst of choosing a name for your baby I guess) and also told not to let him drink.  An odd promise to make for a child, but I guess this was a culture where alcohol was a natural way of life, part of every meal.  It would take some instruction to keep John from alcohol.
The responsibility of bringing up a child is bad enough, but having the responsibility of bringing up a child who is fulfilling part of scripture.  Wow.

Dec 5

Luke 1: 5-10

In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zachariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron. Both of them were righteous in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commands and decrees blamelessly. But they were childless because Elizabeth was not able to conceive, and they were both very old.

Once when Zachariah’s division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God, he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense.  And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside. 

In this passage we meet Zachariah and Elizabeth.  they are presented to us as a elderly couple, pillars of the community.  They come from a respected line and can trace their lineage through several generations back to Aaron. A respected priest and his wife, going about their every day business.  They weren't blessed with children, but they had been obedient to God. Israelites believed that if a woman was barren, it was because God was punishing the couple for sin committed by either the husband or the wife.

It may be that there was gossip and whisperings in the Jewish community that Zachariah and Elizabeth were maybe not as good and righteous as they seemed to be.

It was a great honour to burn incense in the temple. There were thousands of priests in Israel so it was likely that a priest was only given this honour once in his life, and many priests were never chosen at all. They were chosen by lots and this time the lot fell to Zachariah.  

When I have been chosen to do carry out a major task or been given an important role, I get really nervous, even if I am well prepared and perfectly capable of doing it.  There is always the fear that it will go wrong and I will be somehow shown up.   Zachariah must have felt something similar as he entered the Holy Place to burn the incense.  All priests naturally experienced the fear of the Lord as they entered. The were being faced by an Awesome and judgemental God and their very should would be open to Him. Zachariah was probably a little worried by the fact that his wife remained barren. If there was a sin which God was judging them for, and which Zachariah was unaware of, entering the Holy Place without having been cleansed of that sin would be a death sentence.

                                                        

And the members of the temple all gathered too and I'm sure some of them were waiting to see what would happen.  It would soon be obvious if Zachariah was as righteous and blameless as he appeared. God was going to provide the answer this day when Zachariah entered the Holy Place. (grace commentary)

We know how their lives are about to be changed beyond recognition in the next few verses.  But at this stage they are clueless. We always just accept this part of the nativity scene, but if you stop and think about it, this was a major event in the Jewish community. 

Dec 4

Jeremiah 33: 14-16

“‘The days are coming,’ declares the LORD, ‘when I will fulfil the good promise I made to the people of Israel and Judah.
“‘In those days and at that time I will make a righteous Branch sprout from David’s line; he will do what is just and right in the land.
In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will live in safety.
This is the name by which it will be called: The LORD Our Righteous Saviour.’

The promise of the coming king.  How exciting those words must have been to the Jews.  The promise of a saviour who would come to right the wrongs, and to bring prosperity and happiness to the people of Israel; to bring peace to the land.   
While the Jews are still anticipating the coming of the Messiah, we as Christians believe that this has happened through the birth of Jesus.  We believe this promise has been fulfilled and I am blown away by that thought!
Christmas should revive in us the excitement of the good news of the birth of Jesus.  We should be shouting the news from the roof-tops. 
A short thought, but it has started the shiver of excitement that bring Christmas into my December!  Yay!!

Dec 3

Isaiah 11: 1-10

A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.
The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him—
   the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
   the Spirit of counsel and of might,
   the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the LORD—
and he will delight in the fear of the LORD.

He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears; but with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth.
He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked.
Righteousness will be his belt  and faithfulness the sash around his waist.

The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them.
The cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox.
The infant will play near the cobra’s den, and the young child will put its hand into the viper’s nest.
They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.

In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to him, and his resting place will be glorious. 

What a wonderful picture these verses give us.  One of a world of harmony and peace, where no-one is afraid of anything or anyone, where there is no fear of danger behind every bush or down every dark animals.  Even the natural enemies in the animal kingdom will be at peace and not trying to eat each other.

The Spirit of the Lord with all its blessings will rest on Jesus and, as we accept Him, so will we be blessed with those same blessings.  

What a wonderful thought to be blessed with wisdom, counsel and knowledge from God.  To be able to approach the world and it's problems not only with God's wisdom but also with His delight.  

You know those gorgeous moments when we see the beauty of the world through the eyes of God and just delight in it? Or sometimes even despair in man's destruction of it? We will have that vision not only of the world but of people who live here with us. While it may not be our role to judge others, God provides us with compassion, discretion and discernment in the way we deal with them.  I pray that I might use that spirit of discernment with His wisdom.

Dec. 2

 Isaiah 9: 2-7

 The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned.
You have enlarged the nation and increased their joy; they rejoice before you as people rejoice at the harvest, as warriors rejoice when dividing the plunder.
For as in the day of Midian’s defeat, you have shattered the yoke that burdens them, the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor.
Every warrior’s boot used in battle and every garment rolled in blood will be destined for burning, will be fuel for the fire.
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end.
He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever.
The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this. 

One of my friends recently had a baby and I went round for the "new baby" cuddle.  He was so tiny and gorgeous and snuggled into my shoulder the way babies do.  I love that.  But looking at that tiny baby and then later at my (HUGE) 7 year old, I was struck by the fact that they have so much to live through, so many responsibilities to face, so much stuff to get through and they have no comprehension at all of the task of living that lies ahead of them.  I don't mean that to be negative, it is just awesome. My baby is going to be a grown up , a husband, a father, an employee, a tax payer. I find it difficult to grasp.

How much more was on the shoulders of the tiny Christ Child, lying as a new born in an animal trough and blinking out at the people coming to worship him.  He had a mighty task ahead of him.  He had REAL stuff in his future.  How helpless Mary must have felt through it all.
And yet God showed us His greatness, His power and His amazing love through that tiny baby. He knew what Jesus would go through and the huge impact that he would have.
How awesome! What an exciting way to anticipate Christmas, knowing that we are celebrating the "Zeal of the Lord Almighty".

Dec 1st - not the first day of Advent, but the first day of the Advent calenders....

John 1: 1-5

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was with God in the beginning.  Through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that has been made.  In Him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.  The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

In this crazy month, it is too easy to forget about what I am working so hard to celebrate.  I become obsessed with getting the presents bought, making the perfect Christmas for the boy, getting the house clean (as if!), trying to co-ordinate who is doing what for Christmas.  It is so totally not what December should be about.  Yes, those things are part of celebrating Christmas, but our focus should be on Christ and not on the mass of “things to be done” that can make us lose our focus.

Every year, I fill our Christmas advent calendars with chocolates and hang them to tantalize us every morning.

This year, I have put a verse or picture behind every choccie in the hope of making us stop and think about what we are counting down towards.

I am going to try and have a thought every day for advent and share it on this blog – I hope I manage to work it through.  When I did the Lent blog, I got so much out of it.

I really pray that this year, my Christmas will totally focus on Jesus. After all, that’s what it’s all about.

Heaven vs Hell

Following my blog post a few days ago, about our place in Heaven and Jesus preparing our rooms for us, I have been thinking about heaven and hell.  I came across an article about near death experiences and not always good ones.  Some people talked of being taken into a dark, frightening place where they were deprived of light, love, hope and any emotion except terror.  Essentially, an absence of God.

When I worked in a cardiac intensive care unit in Cape Town, I received a patient back from theatre following his bypass surgery.  One of the things I enjoy about ITU is the unconcious patient!  No backchat, demands, tricky behaviours etc.  But we do eventually have to return them to conciousness and extubate them.  If they are tricky people, we can comfort ourselves with the thought that they are about to be shipped off to the ward soon.  LOL.  Usually, the patients are lovely, grateful their surgery is over and keen to recover.  They trust that we are looking after them and have their best interests at heat.  But this particular gentleman was a horror.  His timid wife was waiting for him to come out of surgery,  She looked like a typical tyrant's wife - mousey and down trodden.  He fought against his ventilator, struggled with his chest drains, pulled out his drips.  Everything.  And he wasn't confused.  He was just unpleasant.  When he was awake, he shouted abuse at us, shouted at his wife, was generally one of the most unpleasant humans I have met.

His children refused to visit him.  He was alone except for his wife, who didn't seem keen to be there either.

He had an arrest in the unit the next day and we spent a while trying to get him back.  We did.  He looked totally shaken, which is unsurprising considering, but he was very quiet.  He sat on his bed weeping.  He asked the curtains to be drawn around his bed while he talked to his wife.  She emerged a while later weeping too.  She made a call and her children arrived to see their father,  There was a lot of weeping, a lot of hugging and a lot of forgiveness.  I don't know the details, he wouldn't share them with anyone but his family, but he did say to me "I don't want to go back there."  Make of it what you will, but I believe that he had been to hell.  I can't say whether he became a christian, or what happened to him.  After he left the hospital, surrounded by his family and happier looking wife, I never saw or heard from him again.

I can't imagine a place without God.  He is so much part of my life.  It would be hell indeed without him.

I have been trying to spend time this week immersed in God.  Letting His love enfold me.  How much more wonderful will heaven be?  I have a lot of life to live still, but I am looking forward to heaven. 

Hide me under Your wing

The Picture

The Verse Psalm 17:8

Hide me in the shadow of your wings

The Thought

There is a song that based on this psalm by Reuben Morgan of The Hillside United band.  The words say all I could about it.  It is a gorgeous song - I have put in a link in the title of the song.  Listen to the song and enjoy it.  This is about just being still with God, remember?

I will be still and know You are God 

 Hide me now, under Your wings.
Cover me within Your mighty hand.
When the oceans rise
and thunders roar.
I will soar with You, above the storm
Father You are king over the flood,
I will be still and know You are God.

Find rest my soul in Christ alone,
Know his power, in quietness and trust.

When the oceans rise
and thunders roar.
I will soar with You, above the storm
Father You are king over the flood,
I will be still and know You are God.

Find rest my soul in Christ alone,
Know his power, in quietness and trust.

When the oceans rise
and thunders roar.
I will soar with You, above the storm
Father You are king over the flood,
I will be still and know You are God.

When the oceans rise
and thunders roar.
I will soar with You, above the storm
Father You are king over the flood,
I will be still and know You are God.

Be still

The Picture

The Verse Psalm 46: 10a

Be still and know that I am God

The Thought

Sometimes we race around trying to sort out work, life, children, school runs, swimming lessons, shopping, karate, church activities, ironing, meals, cleaning etc. (or is this just me? I don't think so).  The time we spend with God is allocated into 5, 10, 30 minutes slots in which we have to read the bible, pray and get the message and we are thinking of all the other things we need to do too.  We have our daily time with God, but it is forced and unnatural - like popping in to visit that elderly aunt out of duty, but looking at our watches to see if it is polite to leave having done our time.
This week away, I had lots of the "daily" activities taken away from me.  And no internet or distractions.  And there was time to be still and be with God.  And it was wonderful.
So often, the only time we are quiet with God is when we are in a remote or empty place.  But the challenge is being still with God in the middle of our busy lives.  Try using your bespoke quiet time this week just to BE before God.  Not trying to learn something profound or pray "meaningful" prayers, but just stopping and savouring His presence. Sometimes He speaks loudest in the quietest time.

The Prayer
Father God, please let me make the effort to stop before you and just enjoy your presence.  Lord use my quiet times this week to speak to me and to refresh me.  Thank you for your love.  Thank you for your comfort,  Thank you for loving me.

He is Risen!

Happy Easter Everyone - sorry that the last few days of lent never materialised - we were on holiday in the Lake District and had no internet access - it was heavenly, but means I missed the last week.  
I plan to carry on with my postings, but it is likely to be sporadic.  I would love it if you kept an eye out though.
Have a wonderful day celebrating the resurrection of our Lord

Day 40: Just appreciating God. I can't get my phone to type the body of text and I ha ve no internet. watch this space...

Day 39: Plenty of room at the Inn!

Picture

Verse: John 14: 1-4

Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me.  My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.  You know the way to the place where I am going.

Thought

When Jesus spoke these words, he was talking to his disciples just before he was crucified.  They are confused and scared as their world seems to be tumbling down around them.  He is anticipating their pain and comforting them.  As Christians we know that Christ is alive and present.  We know him and talk to him,  Although we can't see him, we trust him.  The omniscience of God means that He is everywhere, so He is always there when we need him.  We just need to believe in him and trust him.

And Jesus also promises us a place in Heaven, in His Fathers house.  He says there are many rooms and he has gone to get our rooms ready for us.  (I always imagine I will get a basement room!).  And then he will come and fetch us to take us there.  I love this image.  Imagine going for a walk with a friend and you are exhausted so you sit down at the side of the road. Your friends pats you and says, "You look exhausted - just wait there.  I'll go and sort out somewhere for us to stay".  So you wait there and trust he will come back for you.  When he does come back (as you knew he would) he arrives with a posh car to drive your exhausted body to the most fantastic 5 star hotel in the world.  And you find he has organised things so they have laid on everything you could want.  And there is a room just for you.

That 5 star hotel is heaven.  And you know what? Jesus is just getting it ready for us. He says, "If it were not so I would have told you."And he is coming to fetch us to take us there, to take us home.  It is going to be wonderful.  And I love the idea that heaven is a house - not a country or city of lots of different dwelling places, but one house that we will all dwell in.

I trust Him.  I trust that He will take me to heaven, to his fathers house when I die.

 

Prayer

Father, thank you that there is a place for me in your presence and in Your Fathers house. Thank you for holding me in your arms and loving me. Thank you for caring for me and coming into my life. Thank you for daily reminding me of your father’s love for me.

Day 38: Speak wisely

Picture

Verse:  Proverbs 16 :22-24
Discretion is a life-giving fountain to those who possess it, but discipline is wasted on fools.
From a wise mind comes wise speech; the words of the wise are persuasive.
Kind words are like honey - sweet to the soul and healthy for the body.

Thought
We all wish we could find the fountain of youth.  You see people aspiring to retain their youth wherever you look.  But it is a myth, a dream.  But the life-giving  fountain of discretion or wisdom is real.  I have the choice of being encouraged by God-given wisdom or being brought down with a bump with my own foolish thoughts, words and behaviour.
The word for understanding in this verse is wisdom or insight.  Like a fountain of life, it is refreshing, life sustaining and inexhaustible.  A wise person is very careful about what they say because they do not want to hurt but instead help others. They doesn't just speak the first words that come to mind, but pause and consider the words they will say.   Sometimes you draw encouragement from others and they from you in equal measure.  You may start out by thinking you are providing the support only to find you draw as much, if not more encouragement from the encounter.   And kind, gentle and loving words can do more to boost you in your morale and energy levels than anything else.
So take time to consider the words you speak, the comfort you give, the advice you dole out, and make sure they are words from God, not just the first random thoughts that come from your brain.  Encourage where you can and boost people with the things you say.
Prayer  
 I need to make a list of things I can do to make others happy. One of these items needs to be that I will be careful to guard my tongue so I will not say things that hurt others.  Help me be thoughtful of the words that come from my mouth.

Day 37: How to chat to God

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Verse: Luke 11:1

One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.” 

Thought:

So many of us struggle to pray.  I know I do.  And it isn't just making time, it is how I pray that tangles me in knots.  There are various pro-forma methods of praying. We have the Lord's prayer, which Jesus taught his disciples in the verses that follow this verse.  Some people use the ACTS (adoration, confession, thanksgiving, supplication) method.  But it isn't just about the style of the prayer, but the content.  I know I shared on Sunday about nice prayer and being free to pray with emotion.  But I always feel a bit stilted when I pray.  God isn't a physical being and it can be hard to speak without instant feedback.

In the last couple of years I have developed a group of really good friends.  We all chat every day and share so much.  We have been through cancer, death, job uncertainties, operations, fears, insomnia and funerals.  We have also been through the joy of first smiles, wobbly teeth, robotic championships, having designs published, winning competitions, holidays,  skating championships, romance, weddings and lots of laughter.  And I have not met a single one of them in person.  Yet I consider them real  friends.  They are my digi-sisters and they are a wonderful bunch of ladies. My son calls them my lap friends (hence the photo!) and this is my usual way of communicating with them.

In the same way, although I have never met God, my relationship with him should be growing stronger each day.  I should be chatting and sharing things with him.  I found that doing this blog is a way of praying.  My thoughts are centered on relating daily things to my relationship with God.  I kept a written prayer diary for a while and it saw me through a really rough patch in my life.  I would often find myself writing reams every day.  I was far more honest and open than if I was formally praying.

I think it is time for me to start writing again - it works for me.  Find the prayer method that works best and talk to God in this way.  Like any relationship, it grows stronger the more you talk.

Prayer

 Lord, it is such a privilege to be in a relationship with you.  Please help me to speak to You as I would to any friends. Let me be open and honest with you and open to the answers you give me too.

Day 36: Are you an ant?

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Verse: Proverbs 12:11

The one who stays on the job has food on the table; the witless chase whims and fancies.

Thought

Hmmmm.  I start a new job next month, working on one day a week on Fridays.  I work 3 days at the moment and will now be working 4 (easy life, I know).  This was one of my 'Free' days to catch up on house-work, shopping, friends etc and now I will be working.  And through the summer!!  I guess I will have 'food on the table' but a part of me is yearning for the loss of chasing my 'whims and fancies'!

If you read this verse you may recognise Aesop's story of the grasshopper and the ant. While the ant slaved away and worked very hard all summer, the grasshopper mucked about in the sunshine and wiled away the hours, playing and having fun.  But when the winter came, the ant had plenty of provisions laid up for his family, and the grasshopper had nothing but vague memories of sunshine.  

We have God-given abilities and I believe we are expected to work hard for what we have.  And we can earn wealth and 'things', but we shouldn't have the expectation that these things will just be given to us.  God rewards us for working hard, in life and in our faith, and the end result will be a table laden with His blessing.   

Prayer

Lord God, thank you for the abilities you have given me.  Thank you for my job.  Lord I pray that I may give my best to this job and enjoy the challenges ahead of me.

Day 35: Bringing up children

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Verse:  Proverbs 22:6

Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.

Thought

I think that new parents may look at this verse with a light heart and think that if they provide the good Christian home, all will be well and they will have perfect children from babyhood, through the tweens and teens and into adulthood.  I don’t think so!  I have too many nieces and nephews to believe that!  I am aware of what is coming with my way with my gorgeous but stubborn and determined boy!  I am more than nervous!       

But I do think you can instil basic core behaviours that will stand them in good stead.  Of course teenagers rebel and become foul beasts, but as they grow older they become “normal” again and those basic mores that you taught them are hopefully intrinsically part of their being.  The temporary `boys will be boys' pattern that they are following now will soon be changed for a `faith of the Fathers' blueprint for the rest of their lives. But I am not so unrealistic to think that this is a definite outcome.  I know of children from loving Christian families who seem hell-bent on self-destruction.  They wilfully turn against God and become atheists. 

So what is the answer?  We can only do our best as parents.  We need to help our children develop their natural talents and we need to give them the help and direction in order to do this  We can only hope that if we  keep them in line with their abilities, they will reach their full potential as adults and fulfil the destiny God has for them.       

The comfort from Proverbs 22:6,  is that there is a promise of sorts for parents.  While there is no guarantee of every child becoming a child of God, there is a general promise of salvation.  Hopefully, our efforts are going to be rewarded with the salvation and spiritual well-being of our children. We can try to ensure we give our children every opportunity and the rest is between them and God.          

Prayer   

Oh Lord, it is such a big responsibility being a parent and I do pray that you would guide David and I as we raise Joseph.  Give us the wisdom we need and the strength of conviction to instil Your values into him.  We pray for your protection  over him and that he would grow up knowing and loving you.

Day 34: Watch yourself

Quote - ? Frank Outlaw

Watch your thoughts; they become words. Watch your words; they become actions. Watch your actions; they become habits. Watch your habits they become character; Watch your character; it becomes your destiny.

Thought 

This quote has popped up in my life in several places over the last few weeks. On facebook, e-mails and a card someone sent me. While it is not biblical, it is still a good quote and it makes you stop and think about what forms our character. Our thoughts, words and actions are mirrors of who we are, and they can help form our destiny. There is a lot of Christian wisdom to be gained from following the advice given.  By watching what we think, carefully choosing the words we speak and ensuring that our actions are fair and right with God, we can behave as He would want us to.  The devil can so easily slip into our thoughts and lead us to say or do things we wouldn't usually do.  Another way of being watchful is by praying and keeping our hearts still to observe the words of God.

Prayer

Lord help me recognise that  I must guard my thoughts and not give in to the temptations before me.  But at the same time recognise that my thoughts and actions get me into whatever situation I am in.  If I trust You, God, I can know I will be where You want me to be.

 

Day 33: Start yelling!

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Quote by Eugene Peterson

"The enemy of real prayer is 'nice' prayer

Thought

 We had a sermon from the book of Job today at church.  Our minister, Paul, used this quote in his sermon and it struck a chord with me.  At the moment, so many of my friends are facing real crisis and bad patches in their lives.  We pray for each other and ourselves in an almost apologetic way, saying "Your will be done" and "This is part of Your plan" when every fibre of our being wants to scream and rage at God.  And why don't we?  If one of our friends or partners has hurt us, we soon let them know.  Plenty of yelling or arguing!  And it doesn't diminish our relationship or stop us loving them; it clears the air and makes us feel better for having expressed our grievance.  So it should be with God.  We don't have to sit and meekly agree with all that is bad with the world.  He wants us to be honest with Him and to share our unhappiness, grief and growls.

When I lost my first baby, I can remember the comforting prayers of others, and I appreciated them.  But the thing I remember most is sitting with my mother and wailing and raging and her crying and wailing with me.  It was a true expression of the disconsolate pain I felt.  And that expression of grief was the most helpful to me and was a form of release for me.

Paul spoke of the wailing and lamenting the women from Eastern countries do, the ululation of grief or joy.  Very un-British!!!  But we should express ourselves with such passion, we should share our grief with God.  He will hold and comfort us as my mother did me.  He wants us to share our disappointments with him.  If we sit there and soppily say, ‘It is all OK’ how can he share our grief?

Prayer

Help me be honest with you God.  Let me feel able to express my true emotions and feeling to you, to pray without holding back.  I want my relationship with you to be open and honest.

Day 32: Love your neighbour

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Verse: Mark 12: 30-31

'And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’  The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

Thought

It is quite a call this.  To love God with every fibre of your being.  When you fall in love with a person, they totally engulf your life.  You think of them all the time and glow with the thought of them.  When I first became a Christian, that was true of my faith too.  But as the years pass in your marriage, frequently thoughts of your spouse are edged with "I hope he remembered....", "Why didn't he...." and it is easy to forget that early 'buzz' of love with the mundane everyday issues of life.  I think this happens with Christianity too.  We forget that early buzz and settle into routine.  But God is asking us to love Him with every fibre of our being, all the time.  
I live in a cul-de-sac of 7 houses and am lucky to really like all of my neighbours.  But I am a bit of a snob!  Move me a mile down the road and plonk me in the middle of the council estate and I may be less happy.  But it is those neighbours Jesus is talking about.  The people you don't really like and tend to avoid. The ones you don't really mix with and sometimes tend to avoid.   God is telling you to love them as yourself.  This means ensuring they are safe, warm, fed and generally OK. Every one wants to feel loved, to feel accepted and to feel they are part of a greater community, and it is our job to ensure they do.


Prayer
Farther God, help me to love you with every fibre of my being.  To wake in the morning excited about what the day will bring.  Let me share Your love with those around me, that I may be a good 'neighbour' and let others really feel Your warmth and love.

Day 31: A peaceful heart

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Verse:Proverbs 14:30 

A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones.

Thought

I love picking through proverbs and this was one that caught my eye.  When I am feeling low because things aren't as I feel they should be, I do think that I am more susceptible to picking up minor illnesses. I don't know whether it is just less easy to shrug off feeling a bit snuffly when I am down or whether I am actually worse.   Matthew Henry suggested that our health is dependent on our attitudes to life.  And I think this is true.  When you are fit and well, life's little foibles and minor illnesses just don't seem that big a deal, but equally, when you are poorly you can feel low, and vice versa .  But a bit of illness and unhappiness: - it all seems to spiral downwards, until you are just an unhappy little blob of misery.
I deal with a lot of stresses people (I may have mentioned this before) and there are always physical side effects  - headaches, stomach ulcers sometimes even cardiac events.  But anger, envy, stress, bitterness etc often seem punishment enough, leading to depression and unhappiness.

This proverbs is suggesting that a spiritually healthy spirit and a heart free of unwholesome attitudes promotes a physically healthy body.  Of course this doesn't mean Christians don't get sick or stressed, but it how we deal with it and maintain a relationship with God that is crucial.

Being submissive to God is to be in good spiritual health, whatever the condition of the body may be. 

Prayer

Help me always try to maintain a healthy heart for you God.  Let me be free from envy and unhappiness, and focused on you.

Day 30: The workers are few

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Verse: Matthew 9:35-38

Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”

Thought 

It is very easy to go to church and applaud all the good works done by the church, the leaflets we distribute and  the guest services we hold.  Because they are written and delivered by "clever" people who know how to write and preach.  We assure ourselves that this is their gift and we are blessed with the gift of hospitality or cake making - which is nice and safe and within our control.  But think of the disasters happening around the world.  Japan have just had a second huge earthquake and we don't know the effects of that yet.  

When the boxing day Tsunami hit in 2010, there was a young school girl, Tilly Smith, on the beach.  She recognised the signs signs of the impending tsunami from a geography lesson and ran down the beach shouting about what was coming.  Some people listened to her and ran for the hotels and were saved.  Some people ignored her or went to the beach for a closer look.  She knew what was coming and the need for people to be saved.  She wasn't a scientist or an expert of any sort.  She was just an 11 year old school girl who had heard the lesson at school.  We should be like that little girl.  We should be running down the beach shouting the warnings.  I don't mean the world is about to end, but life is finite and we, as Christians, need to try and get the message of Christianity out there.  We don't need to be scholars or theologians.  We need to share our own experiences and let God work through us.
We need to be prepared to be the workers, not rely on others who we think are more qualified.

Prayer
Father God, please let me be brave enough to speak out about my faith, to get out of my comfort zone and shout your message.  Help me be confident that You will use my words to reach others, that they may be saved.

Day 29: God's gift of contentment

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Verse Philippians 4: 12-13

I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.  I can do all this through him who gives me strength.

Thought

God gives us the strength we need to face the day.  We are happy to take from him, but it can be very difficult to give.  There is always something we don't want to share.  I love giving people presents.  I love sharing my home with others. My resistance to sharing is my "Debbie" time.  It is a valuable commodity in a busy world.  I always have a list of jobs that need doing and when I do sit down, I feel a little guilty.  But the reality is that all my time is "Debbie" time and I should enjoy it and get the most out of whatever I am doing.  The truth is that when I do sit down for me, I usually squander that time in any case.  It is about being content with what you have.
The speaker at our ladies church weekend gave an analogy which basically pointed out that the strongest weapon the devil has is disappointment.  And this is so true for me.  Usually when I am unhappy about something, the root is disappointment
A friend of mine recently pointed me to a web page which  shared these definitions and I thought they were excellent for this passage.  The definitions demonstrate a progression of our heart's as we strive towards having a heart of God.

Pride: I think you want what I have.
Envy: I want what you have.
Contentment: I’m OK with what I have, and I’m OK with you having what you have
Blessing: I want you to have what I have

We should move our hearts along this route too.  From looking at what is precious to us  and progress from hard-heartedness to God-heartedness.  God wants to root out pride and envy in our hearts and move us to contentment and blessing.

Prayer

Father God - help me strive towards having a contented heart.  Not looking for other things, but happy with what I have with You and with my life at present.

Day 28: Blessed are the persecuted

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Verse:  Matthew 5:10-12 

Blessed are those who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  Blessed are you when people insult you, and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against because of Me.  Rejoice, and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Thought

Well these verses always alarm me somewhat!  I don't want to be persecuted!  Luckily we in the western world don't have to face the persecution that Christians in some counties face.  There are Christians around the world meeting in secret, forced to hide their faith for fear of death for them and their families.  You hear of people being punished and tortured in such dreadful ways for following Christ.  

Over that last couple of days, looking at the Beatitudes, Jesus has shown us the picture of the "ideal" believer. God expects this behaviour from us and of course we can't deliver it.  Thankfully we have Christ to shine his perfection on us.  But the world finds it difficult to accept the characteristics that Jesus asks us to display.  The Beatitudes go against the grain of most of the world.  In a world of self-promotion and pride, the poor in spirit aren't appreciated.  Hedonism doesn't lead to mourning over sin or meekness.  The poor are not honoured and it is all about getting rich!  Generally there is little appreciation of mercy, purity and peace isn't making the news on a daily basis.   The "Persecuted" have clearly made the important decisions about the world to come. They have chosen to value what the King treasures rather than those things that man is attracted to by his eye and ear. Finding meaning in life not in pleasant treatment but in obedience to the King.

So are we persecuted?  Not in a being chased and tortured type of way, but how open are you about your faith.  does everyone at work know you are a Christian?  Do you make your faith public knowledge?  If not why not?  There is a perception that everyone is watching you, waiting for you to trip up if they know you are a Christian.  This is a fear of persecution that we have to contend with.   If you live a Christlike life, you will provoke the same reactions in the world that Jesus provoked during his life.  Some will respond to your love and will be led to a relationship with Him.  But Jesus met a lot of resistance and created antagonism when he confronted unrighteousness.

If you aren't experiencing persecution it's probably because people don't know you are a Christian or because the way you live isn't different enough to be noticeable.  Is it time to stir the water?

Prayer

Lord God, let me welcome challenges to my faith and the be proud to stand and be counted as one of your children.  Give me courage to stand up to the strength of my convictions, and not be afraid of the consequences. Help me to live out the characteristics you ask for in the Beatitudes.