Emotions, A Blessing

The other morning I saw a couple of things that really stirred my emotions.  One was a very inspirational message from a friend and the others were photos.  The one was about a dachshund that adopted a little piglet due to the fact that she was orphaned.  I think an accurate description of what I was feeling would be “all mushy inside”.

These were all good emotions.   Believe me getting in touch with your emotions can be exhausting sometimes (both the good and the not so pleasant ones), but can you imagine what life would be like not experiencing any of these feelings at all?  Compassion, empathy, and love to name but a few.  It is just such a wonderful gift from God.

We should guard our hearts from hardening in life because of things that happens to us. Some people (especially men) are taught not to show emotions because you are supposed to be strong, tough.  That is so wrong, an injustice!!!!  We need to experience all of this.  It is how God intended it.  Emotions lost could mean a life lost.

I wish all of you loads and loads of mushiness today and always

Expanding Your Horizon

Learning and exploring new things can make such a difference in your life.  Sure it can be scary sometimes but boy is it exciting and a thrill ride!!

Apparently we are afraid of things because we are not familiar with them. 

So why not try out a few new things in life?  Things that you might have been curious about but never took the time to do.  Maybe you haven’t had the courage yet? You might even think you are not able to do it.  Who knows, you might surprise yourself J.

I am not sure which of you have seen the movie “Bucket List”.  It is a drama/comedy.  In short it is about a guy who compiles a list of things that he wants to do when he finds out that he is terminally ill and in in the process has a lot of fun. 

We can have fun if we choose to. 

Compile your “bucket list” not because you have a time limit, but just because you feel like experiencing something new.  Expand your horizon.  It is things like this that makes life interesting, keeps your spirit alive and helps you grow as a person.  Enjoy the ride!!!

Let’s not follow one of Garfield’s favourite quotes: ”Don’t do today what you can put off until tomorrow”.

Getting Up

How many times are we going to fall down in life?  How many times do we need to get up?

Sure we’ve all had the above questions before.

No one of us knows how many times we are going to stumble in life.  How many obstacles and challenges we might face.  Sometimes we really mess up and don’t pass the test. Sometimes a few curve balls come our way.  That doesn’t mean we should give up on life or ourselves.  God will never forsake us. He simply loves us too much.  The enemy will do everything in his power to pull us in, try to break us down and then destroy us. 

It doesn’t matter how many times you fall down in life.  What is important is how many times you get up. Carry on. 

In one of Bobby van Jaarsveld’s songs he says that he is tired of crawling but will keep on getting up.

Isa 40:31 

But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. (NLV)

Seasons In Life

Everything in life has seasons.

Nature.  Spring, summer, autumn, winter.  Each with it’s own beauty.

Love.  When two people meet they fall in love, become friends and then it grows into a deeper love as the relationship grows and strengthens.

Life.  We are born, grow into infants, become teens, adults etc.

Relationship with God.  We become aware of wanting God to be part of our life’s because of something that attracts us.  We make the decision of inviting Him in.  We get to know Him better and the personal relationship we have with Him grows.

Today I would like to focus on people God sends over your path.  Each person is there for a reason. Whether it is because God wants them to do something in your life,  or for you to be there for them when God believe there is a need.  To lend an ear, give love and support, spiritual guidance, being a friend or simply just be there.  These people are all sent for a season.  It could be a short period of time.  It could be long term.  It depends on what God has planned at that time in your life.    It can’t always be explained and doesn’t always make sense if you try and figure out why.  God looks out for us and knows what’s best. 

Accept that you are God’s child and that He loves you dearly.  He wants to use us as instruments in life.  To be a blessing, or be blessed.  We just need to be available. 

Allow God to use other people to make a difference in your life when they come around.  Whether for a season or a lifetime. 

Be Who You Are

God created each one of us to be unique and He loves us dearly. Just as we are. Unconditionally. 

 

Shouldn't we as children of God learn to do the same?  Look at people through God’s eyes.  Try understanding them instead of judging them.  Loving someone is so much easier than having negative feelings towards them.  Focussing on someone’s strength’s (which we all have plenty of) helps them to focus on it too.  You might just be there to give that person a nudge in the direction they need to go in. 

A book I am busy reading quoted the following phrase “Don't take the unloving or inconsiderate things people say to you too seriously”.  I am sure this statement is easier said than done, but it is something that we should maybe learn to take to heart a bit more often. 

There will always be people in life who don't like you or with whom you don’t always get along. But why beat yourself up about?  Why let it get you down? Be who you are and don't be the person other people expect you to be. Change comes from within.   If there are areas in your life that might need changing then ask God to help you with it.  If you are not sure then ask God to help you figure it out.  This serenity prayer might be a good starting point. 

“God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference”

If we try to change every time someone around us think we should then we are going to get totally lost in the process.  Lose who we are.  Is that really a risk you are willing to take?

What's In Your Heart

Having experience in life, knowledge about the word of God and life in general are all good things to have.

But is it the most important thing that we should be focussing our attention on? 

What is the basic thing that God sees as fundamental in His word? 

I think we all know the answer to the question.

1 Corinthians 13 (NIV)

 ¹ If I speak in the tongues^[a] of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. ² If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. ³ If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast,^[b] but do not have love, I gain nothing.

 ⁴ Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵ It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶ Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷ It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

 ⁸ Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. ⁹ For we know in part and we prophesy in part, ¹⁰ but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. ¹¹ When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. ¹² For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

 ¹³ And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

Until we learn to apply love in our lives all we know means nothing.  It cannot be used to further the kingdom of God.  Our hearts need to be in the right place, we need to share how and what we feel about God and His word.  How His love affects us and guides us. What good is theory if we don’t learn how to use it in a practical way?  Imagine getting a new microwave oven.  You read the manual and know it back to front but you never use it.  Is there any point to it then? 

It is important never to forget what God and His kingdom is all about.

Doubt versus Faith

When we look at “doubt” and “not having faith” it seems like they go hand in hand right?  Quite close knit?

Because of recent events I am not so sure about that anymore.  It totally changed my perspective on this.

Think about the following.  You are going through a tough time for whatever reason.  You think “How on earth am I going to get through this?” not “Am I going to get through this?” The difference?  You don’t know (doubt) how things are going to take place, the process you are going to go through not if you are going to get through it (not having faith). We know God will take care of us we just don’t always know how He is going to do it.

So, it is quite natural to wonder about that sometimes even be a little scared.  We should just never lose faith. 

Faith and doubt both are needed, not as antagonists, but working side by side to take us around the unknown curve - Lillian Smith.

Faith and doubt both are needed, not as antagonists, but working side by