Talking about birdies

Well it might be the next generation but the little birdie that likes to chirp outside my window from 4am is back........argh! Nobody gets to sleep peacefully any more! Just like birdies can disturb our sleep, there are people in life who will do everything to 'chirp' you out of your dream.

Develop a passion for anything and these little birdies will be chirping into your ear as to why it just won't work. The Christian world is no different. Throughout history there have been persecutors of the vision and mission of the church.

Paul was one such persecutor. He did everything he could to destroy the Church until that one day when he came face to face with the risen Christ! When Paul was confronted with the truth he had no option but to submit to the will of God and commit his life to the service of our risen Lord!

Hold fast to your truth! Hold fast to faith! Hold fast to your dreams, in God they will be fulfilled!

When song birds don't sing

Being from Welsh decent there has always been a musical thread in our family. For all of my childhood and growing years I had one thing that I knew separated me from my peers in a good way, that was a good singing voice. I was always a Soprano and must admit I got a kick out of being able to hit those high notes. I had a dream of becoming a great singer, but over the years I remember clearly a set of events, not all tied together but separate events that silenced my voice.

Suppressed opportunities, dis-empowerment by a leader, the stress and commitment of my studies but most painfully the suicide of a close friend. The song bird in me no longer had strength to sing and I let go of my dream.

For years now I have felt robbed of a dream but through writing my voice has found a new way to echo. It is no longer the sound of my voice but the heart in my words that brings music alive in me today. While my voice may never be what it once was I know I can reach many through words spoken in love.

Have you been through experiences that have stolen your dreams? If so, turn back quickly and fight for those dreams once more, for our muscle memory that enables us to reaching for a dream is strong and will sustain you once again. Never give up on your dreams, reach out and grab them and hold on to them tight and don't ever let go! God will be your source and your strength!

Looking for buds

I found myself peering very closely at my plants today. The air has started to warm, some Lilly's are beginning to blossom and I'm beginning to wonder if Spring is near. That being said, I think we would do well to remember a lesson from last year. The winter had not been particularly cold until the beginning of August.

It was a tad uncomfortable but a beautiful birthday surprise to get snow on my birthday on August 7^th. I'm not sure, but I think it might happen again, which would actually bring great cause for concern. Our climate seems to be changing a little faster all the time and I have to wonder if we will ever be able to do anything about it.

Back to my point though, right now I don't think it will be a good idea to move any plants or plant fresh seeds, but I do think it will be a very good time to start preparing the soil. In our spiritual life too the same is often true. We may sense changes lying ahead and we would do well to start preparing our hearts for the changes that lie ahead.

This may require digging up weeds and turning the soil and maybe even laying a fresh layer of compost or adding extra top soil. The good news is that the earlier we start to prepare for the changes that lie ahead, the earlier we can get a result.

Let's look forward to the changes that lie ahead and prepare our hearts for a spiritual awakening, I'm sure, is near.

Spots and specks

While browsing through social media last night I came across a link to newly published photo's from NASA obtained from a satellite just outside Saturn's rings as it had turned to photograph our amazing planet Earth and our moon.

This was a rare moment because for the most part our planet is usually lined up in a way that the our Sun blocks such an image with extreme glare. Seeing Earth and our moon as a mere dot and speck against the backdrop of space is such a mind blowing image.

We spend our days worrying about the way the world turns and our role in it, all the while loosing perspective on the bigger picture. This magnificent Universe we live in of which we have so little knowledge and understanding is the awesome creation of a powerful God.

Sure, we all have days when it feels like the weight of the world is on our shoulders but we should take heart in knowing that our omnipresent God is in control of this Universe. He holds the whole world in His hands and He has you and me tucked safely under His wing.

Not in the mood for ambling

I must admit I just don't get it. I'm just not one of those people that can go through life ambling along. There has to be something that drives my passion and if there isn't I'm just not happy. Life right now is all about the big push! There are so many goals to aim for and it really makes life fun!

Every moment of every day that Jesus lived on earth but especially His ministry years were filled with purpose and He knew the exact path that He needed to take to arrive at His most glorious destination.....the Cross!

What was Jesus passion all about? People. People were the focus of Jesus life. He sacrificed everything for the cause of reuniting us in relationship with our heavenly Father.

Have you found your passion? Do you know what drives you? If you haven't, maybe it is time to take some time out of your normal routine to spend some time alone in the presence of the Holy Spirit and ask Him to guide your thoughts. Make a list of the things in life you are passionate about and give it everything you've got. True passion will drive the momentum in your life but remember one thing, if the Saviour of the Universe could give His life for others, then we should consider helping others to be our passion too.

Team dynamics

Time and again in life we will be confronted with challenges that put our team work to the test. In 99% of cases it is a mindset among members of the team that creates the tension and drives the rift. My mind always goes back to the many youth camps I attended, with countless games teaching us the value of working as a cohesive unit.

Game after game taught us to see that when working together in unity, even a physically challenged team could achieve victory. Ironically this was even proven with our “down time” activities, like dare I mention it.....the shaving cream fights.

I'm sure I've told the story before but in one instance it took only a hand full of girls that I managed to rustle together as my possie, for us to raid the boys bungalow and disarm them completely leaving them with only rage as their weapon.

I definitely did not go home smelling like roses after that youth camp :-)

What team challenge are you facing right now? Do you have the courage to dare to challenge the thinking in your team to break free from conflict and see your team changed?

Dead Sea Discovery

Last week while meditating on the origin and strength of the integrity of our scriptures, my thoughts wondered to the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls and how significant they have been in confirming our knowledge today that the scriptures we read today are in fact copied with great accuracy.

Can you imagine back to a the time the young boy goat herd discovered the scrolls in the late 1940's? It is said that he was unruffled by the discovery. Having been a Christian myself it is hard to understand other people's hesitancy when coming into a relationship with God for the first time to believe in scripture but having read this story it makes a little more sense.

I suppose discovering a relationship with God is a strange experience and as it is unknown there might be a reluctance to take scripture seriously. Luckily though someone did take the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls seriously and they have confirmed the accuracy of our scriptures today in many ways.

If you are new to a relationship with God open your heart to the truth of God's word. The faith that we follow today is testified to in scriptures that date back thousands of years and our origins in God are ancient. We can confidently rely on the scriptures we read today as truth and as such we should take heed to consider them and their content seriously.