When you are looking

In church on Sunday our preacher spoke about worship. What stunned me is that he chose scriptures, that in my traditional mind, had nothing to do with worship or didn't even make me think of it, but by the time he was done with his sermon I saw it clearly.

Lately I have been bored with my normal reading of the Epistles so I thought I would scamper through some of the minor prophets and would you believe it???? There in the middle of all the “hell fire and brimstone” arguments were some of the most amazing scriptures that exalted God and brought the presence of God near.

Yes, when you are looking for it, worship can be seen everywhere in scriptures. In the good, in the bad, in the ups and in the downs of every story that is told, our majestic God is glorified. So too, God is glorified in every joy and every pain of our own lives. In the sadness, in the triumphs, in the failures and in the jubilation's of everyday life, God is glorified in them all.

But how is that possible, you may ask? Because God is not limited to happiness, success and joy! Scripture tells us in Hebrews that Jesus was acquainted with our pains and sufferings, with our temptations and our weaknesses, yet he still managed to die and rise again in majestic glory.....

How?

By the spirit of God......for it is not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit says the Lord!

Nothing instant about art

I have realized this weekend how many of my artistic endeavours take a very long time to finish. My garden has been a labour of love for many years and every year it changes little by little into the perfect garden I have desired. My recent endeavour to build small fairy and Gnome houses has surprised me as to how long it can take to stick some rocks on a pot. Each little house takes several days to build as the glue can only hold so many stones at a time before they slide off.

My other current project to make more polar fleece curtains is taking ages to do as I really am not very good yet at all and just cutting and pinning them this Saturday took hours. Then there is the painting that I haven't done anything of in recent weeks, that really takes weeks to finish when I do start. Being creative is not a quick business at all.

So why is it that we expect everything to be quick when it comes to our spiritual walk? Why do we ask God to create love, family, our careers, or anything else for that matter overnight? Are we not God's greatest masterpiece? No there is nothing quick about being artistic and that is why God is in no hurray to paint our lives in the brilliant colours that He sees when He looks at us.

So if you have been wondering why it is taking so long to see God at work in your life, know this....

God is working in your life, one stroke, one stitch, one piece at a time and He is patient with us. Let us learn to be patient with ourselves and with His processes working in our lives.

Chicken or beef

My choice to eliminate meat products as much as possible from my life was a choice of preference and not a rule that I enforce on others, I do however always appreciate it when I can stick to that as closely as possible. Unfortunately sometimes circumstances require compromise. Such was the case with my recent visit to Kimberly.

Mom made every effort to accommodate me and that was hugely appreciated, however when she felt like a quick meal of pies, I was happy to return the favour by accepting a chicken pie. It came time for lunch to be served and mom handed me mine. As I sliced it open my pie, I noticed the sauce looked a little different. I tasted it and it tasted like pepper and I was confused but I didn't want to seem ungrateful so I took a few bites, only to discover that it wasn't quite the chicken I thought it would be.

Nevertheless I kept quite and ate away. Lenn finished his pie too, only to pipe up afterwards with “June, where did you buy these pies?” Here came trouble...tee hee...Mom replied with the store name and he politely asked that she ask them next time what had happened to his pepper steak ...Lol! Busted!

Well an amusing fight ensued with mom denying that she had accidentally switched the pies, while she was mad that we didn't pipe up sooner about the mistake rather than eating each others pies. Oh my gosh what a laugh!

Well what pray tell would be the moral of this story.....?

When in doubt, ask. Ask for clarity, ask for more information, ask for help, ask for reassurance, ask for strength, ask for wisdom and above all else, ask for forgiveness, mercy and grace. When we ask God, we can trust God and expect the blessing of receiving that for which we have asked.........

…. and if you doubt this to be true..... Ask for Faith!

The usual blessing

I have come to get used to the pace of the short breakaway's that I get when I go to Kimberly. I truly have an amazing mother who loves to be a blessing and there is nothing ordinary about that. Kimberly is a dry and desolate place yet I have seen time and time again that when the residents water their gardens they flourish and produce great beauty and such it is with a mothers love. Love creates beauty within the soul.

It was wonderful to be able to spend mother's day with my mom and Lenn and be treated by him to a braai, which is something I haven't had in a while. One thing that I did notice clearly on this trip is that it was a clear switch over from autumn to winter and by the time I came home, some of the trees that had been holding onto their last leaves were now bare. Yes the cold of winter has arrived.

I came home to my beautiful kitties and I realize their love for me as Ginger immediately starts demanding walkies and even Topaz greeted me with with an unusually long and loving meow, she has now even come to show appreciation at my return home. I'm all too sure they are grateful to have me back as I have just tucked them into warm beds with warm blankies to cover them and keep them snug.

Oh the usual...we have come to see it as normal yet we so often forget how amazing the “usual” really is. Its a blessing to be alive, to be able to give and receive love and to know that normal can be extraordinary if we just have a grateful heart!

Sew what?

Another long weekend at home and the usual pottering around happens, but I also decided to get stuck into trying to make some knee blankets for work. Well did I get it all wrong! Mother was right, I needed a thicker foot or something, I struggled to find the right stitch and boy the finishing was horrible. I was annoyed because the pace at which I am trying new things isn't keeping pace with my skill set (I know that should read differently but wait!)..... then it dawned on me....

I am trying NEW things!

How many adults without kids, or with kids that matter, would teach themselves to make fairy houses to build a fairy garden? How many people my age are learning to sew again for the first time in 30 years? And more importantly, how many people are trying new ways to connect with God?

Trying new things is sometimes a bit scary but most times just frustrating because you never know how things are going to turn our......well try them anyway! You may just surprise yourself! My little fairy houses are looking delightful and I am enjoying making every one. So I might need to practice and then still not get it right with the fleecy curtains, but at least I am giving it a go and not sitting back to afraid to try.

Trying new things in your relationship with God is also scary and maybe you're coming to God for the first time as a mature adult and realizing that learning out about God is like a baby trying to figure out his toes. Do it anyway! If you are a mature Christian, trying to figure out how to connect with God in new ways is also just as difficult. Do it anyway!

Don't hold back in fear in life, just do it anyway!