31 Days of Love Day 1 A Lover, not a Fighter

Last night at church, a visiting preacher reminded us of the need to reclaim our 'first love' with Christ. When you  have been a Christian for a long time, you can start to fall into the pattern of being all about the work of Christ - to the point of fighting for 'Christ' just to get your own way... The preacher used a really helpful example. In war-torn countries who live for decades,even centuries under tyrannical rule, there is often a pattern that occurs when freedom finally comes. Once the chains of tyranny are lifted, its as though people forget to switch off their 'fight mode' and instead begin to fight amongst themselves! Factions form and suddenly its all about who is in charge, who rules, who gets their way.

Ever been to a church committee meeting?

It can be hard to switch off the Fighter, and become the Lover that you once were. Sometimes we need a reminder of the love we once knew.

On Friday night, after visiting Awesome's family for dinner, we were driving along the main road he grew up on. I suddenly remembered that when we were dating, I would drop him home late at night, and would need to drive up to the next intersection and turn around before driving home. Often as I doubled back, there would be Awesome, just standing in the middle of the road (on the median strip of course!), on a 3-lane highway, waving goodbye. It seems kind of razy now, so I asked him why he used to do that.

"Because I loved you, and I knew you liked that."

Raining, freezing, 3am, whatever. Standing in the middle of the road. We need to reclaim our first love for Jesus, the do-anything, even if it doesn't make sense feeling we used to know. That's real love.

This month I am joining the Time-Warp Wife in a 31 Day Challenge - 31 Days of Love.

Today's Challenge (well, Friday's really, but I'm catching up!) was to read and reflect on 1 Corinthians 13. 

• What is God's definition of love?
  Unceasing, forgiving, selfless passion (passion being the very moving of your soul for the other's plight) for the other. The kind that puts the self behind the other.  
• What are the characteristics of love?
  Patience, kindness, comfort, confidence, contentedness, giving, agreeable, founded in truth.
• In what areas of "loving" do I stumble the most?
  Bearing with all things... being content and agreeable. Its easy for me to talk positively and be friendly (except when I'm tired!) and to later be grumbly and frustrated about the person I was just talking to.  I'm like this with God too. I pray nice, say nice, stay nice, but inside can be resentful and discontent with my situation, His provisions or the disparity between what I would like and what I have.  
• What are a few of the steps I can take toward change?
  Prayer for the inner heart to match the outer smile. For courage and conviction to see my own messiness and not pretend to have it all together. By reconnecting with the Word each day, get in touch with my first love for God, to go back and look up all those passages I first loved and memorised, to recall the excitement I once felt. 

Cathie Heard says: "We are never worthy enough for God." It's not about how we feel. We are as close as we can get to God this side of Heaven, because we are already in Jesus. 

Completing Him Challenge Week 7

I am really enjoying this series on Completing Him from Women Living Well. It has helped me to take intentional time each week to focus on the little things that help improve our marriage and has reminded me to spend more time focused on discovering what God wants for me as a wife and a woman!


Here's this week's challenge:Support his vision. Discuss his vision for your family. Where does he see your family in 1 year, 5 years, and 10 years. Share with us how you let your husband lead.


We had a quiet conversation about this during the week.  It surprised me how quickly and easily Awesome was able to articulate his vision for us. Some of the things that he mentioned included:


- Taking time each week to be intentional in hanging out together
- Save money so as to be able to pay off a large chunk of our mortgage when our fixed period is over
- Spend time now becoming healthy and waiting on God's plan for our family
- Use the jobs and time we have now to help us prepare for whatever God has next, be it Bible college, mission work, studying in our current fields or continuing in our current jobs


It's nice to know that even when I get busy or worried about what the future has in store for us, that God has chosen this man to lead me, who has such confidence that God will keep things together. 

Thanksgiving Tuesday: The Lists

Counting One Thousand Blessings...

For inspiration and information on the Gratitude Community, please click here.

• One to Twenty
• Twenty one to Fifty 
• Fifty one to Ninety
• Ninety one to One Hundred and Twenty
• One Hundred and Twenty One to One Hundred and Fifty Three
• One Hundred and Fifty Four to One Hundred and Eighty Four

Welcome Visitors

In the middle of 3 weeks of almost solid rain (a rarity in our drought-stricken country in recent years), Stu and I had a visit from some very unexpected visitors.

On the veranda railing I heard a bird and saw a beautiful Rainbow Lorikeet - seconds later it hopped on to our security door - and stayed there. 


Years ago when I was little I remember visiting a family friend who hand fed lorikeets with bread soaked in warm water and a little honey, so I quietly slipped into the kitchen and made some while Stu not so quietly reminded me that he DOES NOT like birds and that we would not be letting it in the house under any circumstances. 


The Lorikeet stayed on the door as I quietly slid it open, and took the plate out, then it flitted down to see what I had brought, while I grabbed the camera. Then it excitedly called its mate and together they shared their meal out of the rain. 

²⁶Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?


Wishing you a wonderful weekend 

New-Found Stillness

I am learning during a very busy first year of marriage, that there is really no rush. No sense in being busy. It helps no one to be short tempered, stressed and worried. And I forget too many things when I am doing everything at once. Especially at work.

So, I am trying to go a little slower, wake a little earlier, pray, read, think, breathe.

If I'm eating, I'm eating. Walking, I'm walking. Talking on the telephone, without doing anything else. Trying to be less distracted.

And I've noticed its working. I am finishing things, returning phone calls, remembering details, passing them on. Not all the time, but more often.

I have made a quiet time box. I want to be intentional in the time I spend with God and not spend 20 minutes looking for what I need. An old shoe box now contains;
-My Bible
-A notebook for recording things I'm grateful for
-The Power of Praying Through The Bible by Stormie Omartin

-A Woman After God's Own Heart by Elizabeth George

-A small photo album containing photographs of each of the family and friends I pray for each day of the week

-A prayer journal

-The Power of A Praying Wife by Stormie Omartin

-Pens, paper and bookmarks

-A Woman's Book of Prayers

The box is the perfect size and completely portable, depending on when and where I have my quiet time each day. I am aiming to move towards more consistent times each morning, but shift work makes it tricky.

I am amazed how much I can see God changing my heart already, and I think my countenance at work has improved too!

Looking forward to more times with God in the coming weeks and months.

What helps you with your quiet times?

The start of the change

I just recieved a message from my husband which has caused me chills. His boss was made redundant this morning.

We know the department has been in trouble, we know that the industry has been in trouble. That there are too many over qualified and underpaid people working in a break even number of jobs. We know that there have been meetings and discussions about the future of the team. Things don't look too good.

But we are thankful to God that he still has a job for now and that my current income and our savings can keep us out of trouble for a little while. There are options if things take a turn for the worse.

God will provide, this we know.