Real World

Well my holiday is now drawing to a close and as it does I am preparing to go back to the 'real world' of work and other routines.  Many years back a group named '4Him' had a hit song called 'Real Thing'.  The lyrics for the Chorus are quite awesome:

"...we're living in a real world with real hurt and real pain and all we really need is the real thing, when we look beyond our circumstance and face reality, we'll realize that all we really need is just to see Jesus in a real world."

What does it mean to see Jesus in a real world when we are facing real challenges?  Real crisis, real bills, real sickness, real death and real heart break.  Well I believe it means that we can ask for and expect the real presence of God to draw near to us in our time of difficulty. 

The anointed presence of God is not only available to ministers when sharing the gospel or praying for healing, it is available to us to be our strength, guidance and wisdom in all of life's challenges. 

If you need strength and wisdom ask the Holy Spirit to anoint you with the strength to work through these times and I know that you will see a real God, present in your real world, with real solutions!!

Just plan beat

Last night (Wednesday) I was just plain beat.  The long haul, working throughout December, not finishing everything that needed to be done, catching up and then trying to push through as much work as I can before Friday just crashed my system.  I did manage to get an early night but it didn't give me as much of a boost as I was looking for, but at least tomorrow (Friday) I'll be able to finish off and then head for my own holiday for two weeks. 

I'll be honest at a time like this it is so hard to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit because my body is too timed out to actually be receptive to the Spirit of God and that is why we all all need breaks from time to time. 

I know most people have just come back from leave and are rearing to go, so it sounds strange to hear someone else go away now, but if I don't take some much needed time out, all you'll get will be gibberish. 

So please bare with me over the next two weeks, I may not write that often but you will all be in my thoughts and prayers. 

Don't abort your dream

Today as I was leaving the office I was suddenly overcome with painful feelings of sadness and regrets about things that have happened in the past that have caused me emotional pain specifically linked to areas around family.

A few minutes into the moping though I caught my thoughts and realized that the devil was trying to attack my dream for adoption and that he wanted to destroy the seed that germinated before it could grow roots.  Realizing what was happening I quickly took control of those feelings and reminded the devil that those things are in the past and that I am looking forward to the future and that he was not going to steal my dream.  I know full well that this will be one of my biggest life challenges but I intend to plan it in detail.   

I have mentioned it many times before that 2 Corinthians 10:5 tells us that we need to caste down arguments that exalt themselves against the knowledge of God.  So what is the knowledge of God that I have in my life around this decision to adopt?  I know that it was a desire that God placed in my spirit when I was a young child and that this never left me and in my adult years the desire only grew stronger.  I probably would have wanted to adopt whether I was married or not, so being single changes nothing.

Don't allow the devil to abort your dreams.  Whatever your dream is, protect the seed that is in your spirit and nurture it.  God will bring all things into maturity within His time.

Help or hinder

This year I have decided that I am going to view people in two ways; those who help and those who hinder.  Those who help me in any way to achieve God's plan and purpose for my life I will embrace into my inner circle.  Those who hinder will be gently but firmly dealt with and where absolutely necessary be removed from my life.  

Does this sound harsh?  Maybe it is but my life is at a critical turning point and I need to be very focused if I am going to succeed at my plans.  

Did Jesus ever make decisions this way?  Oh yes He did and let me remind you of a few instances.  He fasted for 40 days in the desert and put the devil in his place when he tried to distract Him from His divine calling.  He threw out the traders from the temple with whips.  He told His disciples, "Get ye behind me Satan," when they tried to talk Him out of going to the cross.  

Yes, there are times in life when we need to be very decisive.  Don't be afraid to stand your ground for God and follow His plan!!

P.S.  In case you are wondering the trial was about 70% successful.  Still a few glitches but I'm sure in time I'll figure them out. 

Will it do the job?

I've been wanting to get a tablet PC for quite some time.  The main reason for this is that I wanted something that could make writing when I travel easier, so tonight is a dry run to see what works and what doesn't. 

Something similar happens in our relationship with God.  I'm not saying the relationship is trial and error, not at all.  What I am saying is that each of us will need to work out how we walk with God in our own unique way. 

Some people are able to connect with God deeply in the midst of a noisy mall or public area, while others need a quiet space to retreat to in order to hear God's voice.  Our walk with God is not a 'one size fits all' arrangement but rather a unique expression of our souls.

Don't feel bound to develop your relationship with God by other people's patterns.  Allow the Holy Spirit to guide you step by step to enjoying God in your own unique way.

1000

It has taken a little over four years to reach this wonderful milestone.  Today marks my 1000th blog entry and wow, what an amazing ride this has been!  Thinking back to where it started, my own journey of dealing with depression and the desire to help others find a more positive space in life, to a desire to share my faith in a practical and relatible way. 

At times it has been challenging to write through my own personal painful experiences but at other times it has been pure joy.  I cannot count the times when I have sat down and thought, "what on earth am I going to write about today?" and then to sit back and allow the Holy Spirit to guide my thoughts and my pen to write something beautiful and inspirational. 

I take this opportunity to first give honor and praise to God for His goodness in continuing to work through my writing.  To God be all the glory and the credit!

I want to say thank you to my friends and especially my family for your love, support and encouragement as you have kept me going along this journey.

Most of all, I want to give thanks to each and every one of you who take the time to read my blogs.  I know that your time is precious and there are probably many other things you could do with those precious minutes.  You have also been my drive and my motivation because I know that even though I know so few of you personally, these messages are going around the world from my humble home in Gauteng, South Africa.  I remind myself each day that if what I have written for that day blesses only one person, I will have completed Gods commandments for my life for that day. 

This journey of writing has come to mean more to me than anybody could understand and I am so grateful for every precious moment of joy that it brings me. 

To all of you, thank you, thank you, thank you!  Here's looking forward to the next 1000, I hope you will take that journey with me and more so, that you will bring your friends with you. 

Growing like wild fire

I can hardly believe it!  At the beginning of the new gardening season I seriously trimmed back all the pathway plants and herbs and it was looking great.  It still looks good but oh my goodness, a little bit junglish...tee hee! 

This does raise some serious questions for me as to whether or not I have the right mix of plants in there as I would like the garden to be a little more manageable in the future so that it requires less time to maintain, hence the front garden remodelling project.  I know my priorities will need to shift in the next year or so, so I need to prepare every area of my life for the changes that lie ahead. 

This does make me wonder if there are any other areas in our lives that while looking good could actually be distracting us from the plans that God has for us?  Maybe a hobby that is actually taking up too much of our time, or maybe it is too much inactivity and being stuck behind a TV or computer (ouch)!

In the same way that I am going to have to consider thinning out some vegetation maybe we should take time to take stock of what needs to be cleared out to make time for the things God desires for us to do.  I know I am sure challenged to look at things differently. 

Why bother?

This time of the month I find it really hard to write.  Work pressure leaves one tired and I just have no energy.  So why bother? 

Well I bother because sometimes you have to do things (even things that normally come easily from the heart) with a little endurance and tenacity.  There are times when grief, sadness, loneliness or depression can leave one with absolutely no desire to do anything good let alone do something that honors and worships God. 

Jeremiah 17:26 as Jeremiah 33:11 both talk about bringing a sacrifice of praise into the house of the Lord.  Doesn't he mean a burnt offering?  No, sacrifice of praise is correct, because we need to be able to praise God for His glorious attributes no matter how painful it may be for us to do so. 

I want to encourage you to bring your brokenness before God.  Bring him your heart ache, your sadness, your down caste spirit and give him praise, even through the tears.  When you do God will inhabit the praises of you, His people and He will lift you up!

No sweet chili sauce??? Noooooooo!

So just as I was about to start making dinner last night, the power went out. By the time it came back, I had to tootle off to church so I figured I would just get a bite to eat at our local Sunninghill sandwich shop. I had all my usual fillings but with one exception...they had run out of my favourite sweet chili sauce.

I didn't think it would matter because after all the rest of the goodies were the same, but boy was I disappointed! It just did not hit the kisser the way it usually would! [Lol! Now I can hear my old man talking.]

In life we may choose our fillings and these may vary, but it is our choice of sauces that makes our meals interesting. So lets pretend reading your bible is the filling. What would the sauce be? Your own unique application of that scripture into your life. The words and meaning don't change, no, a lettuce will always be a lettuce. How you allow that word to impact your life and the degree to which you allow it to emanate through you is the mustard or sweet chili option. For some people certain scriptures have little personal meaning, but to others that same verse would be the very epicentre of their existence.

What sauce are you going to choose with your scripture meal today?

A once in a while breakie

I'm sure we all have friends whom we see only once in a while?  They are not in our every day circle but boy the friendship is real and every moment spent together is precious and rare.  The conversation is always stimulating because these are the people who's mindsets and thought processes challenge us in a positive way.  Well I had breakfast with such a friend on Saturday.

Do you know that God enjoys it when we find special moments to do once in a while break away with Him?  Maybe it means going some place a little further away from home than you would normally go?  It doesn't have to be out of town it could just be in a different suburb.  The amazing thing is that we don't even have to be talking out loud to God.  We can just have a quiet cup of coffee and allow our thoughts to turn to Him and communicate with Him in a silent manner. 

When last did you break away from your normal routine just to spend some special time with God?  I know it has been a short while for me so I know I must do it soon and this weekends breakfast was a good reminder to me of how special that can be. 

Hip hip hooraay!

The New Year is here and it with it comes fresh hope.  Hope that we will have learned from the successes and failures of the past and that the year ahead will be filled with many blessings!  Well that at least is my prayer! Along with that looking back some may be saying, "I never want to see 2014 again," and in honesty, yes, I never want to have to go through some of the things I went through last year again.

 Some people may become afraid at this time of year and want some assurance that the year ahead will be good and in doing so they may seek wisdom in the wrong place.  So where should we seek the wisdom and direction we desire for the year ahead?  Seek wisdom in the word of God and in your own personal relationship with God.  When we walk close to God and His Word then we can be assured of great things in the year ahead. 

Whatever your goals and dreams are for the year ahead, submit those plans to God and ask Him to guide and lead you throughout this year.  Will you say this prayer with me? 

Father God, I come to you at the start of this wonderful New Year 2015 and I submit my dreams, my hopes and my goals to you.  I ask you to guide me and lead my by your Holy Spirit and bring me into a closer relationship with you day by day!  I trust you with my life and love.  Amen!