Will Star ships ever fly?

As a child of the 70's the dawn of space exploration ignited the hearts and imaginations of millions. Mankind's first steps on the moon birthed a belief that one day as human beings we would be able to explore God's magnificent creation......The Universe!

Science fiction television programs and films have left us in awe and I know I've certainly wondered many times if we will ever truly see Star ships like Star Trek's Voyager ever leave this planet for the outer regions of our galaxy.

Till now it has been all a dream, but recently new giant strides towards this goal seem to be re-igniting the fuel of space travel enthusiasts. Talks of aircraft’s being built to take ordinary citizens to the edge of our atmosphere are so exciting. More news that the colonization of Mars may well be possible within the next 10 to 15 years, already has many signed up willing to take on that adventure.

I believe there are no limits to what man can achieve. God has engineered us to be curious and creative and if we put our minds together then one day it all may be real......and who knows then what magnificent discoveries will be made?

Ready for love

Nothing warms my heart more than when my little fluffy ones come and they want to curl up in my arms or on my lap. It indicates to me that they are in the mood for love and affection and that they will be less likely to resist any hugs, cuddles or kisses I am willing to bestow on them.

Giving love should never be forced. God is a gentleman and He waits patiently for us to come to Him with signs that we are ready to receive love. When we do, He welcomes us with open arms and bestows His love on us with favour and blessing.

If you've been feeling a little down lately, why don't you reach up with open arms in worship and allow daddy God to shower His love on you.

Cell phone yoyo

I was back on the cell phone yoyo again. I had to drop my phone off at the repair center yet again and this time it's off to head office. I'm hoping they will come to their senses and give me a replacement, but I must admit, I don't have any confidence right now that it will help. I suppose I have to work through the process though and see where it leads.

There are so many areas in life where we can experience frustration and even anger but how do we get through them without loosing our sanity or faith? I suppose it boils down to learning what to use your emotions on wisely.

Anger isn't always a bad thing, it lets us know when our boundaries have been violated. If we always surpress anger without expressing it productively it can eventually destroy our emotional health. We need to learn to prioritize our issues and decide on a response instead of a reaction.

This kind of emotional growth does not come easily but we can and should ask the Holy Spirit to be our guide so that he can direct our actions so that we can achieve the best possible outcome. God is faithful and when we ask Him too, He will always be our source of wisdom.

Precious moments

After a long day at work we often arrive home and take little time connect with our personal space and the wonderful people in our lives. Children have homework, dinner must be made and all the while all we want to do is sit on a couch and vegetate to recuperate from the mental strain of the day.

Are we not perhaps putting the cart before the horse? Life is so precious and fragile, would it not be worth us taking half an hour to connect to family, children and most importantly God to find the strength we need to venture on and finish the day?

I believe it is and most of all I know that it is the short moments of play, a cup of tea or coffee with a spouse and maybe even a run in the garden with the dogs that make life so special. When next you are tempted to push aside your little one, thinking 'mommy's too tired to play,' take a deep breath and rather say yes. Those few short minutes could well revive your spirit for the rest of the day!

Oh the leaves of autumn

One thing I had not counted on when starting my herb garden round the back of the house was how much work dealing with autumn leaves would be.  The oak tree in my neighbour’s yard has made an awful mess of leaves and with all the tyres, slabs and stones it is really difficult to clean up. 

I can’t leave the leaves lying round either as I’m scared it may attract gogo’s to my herbs.  Hopefully it will just be another week or two until the bulk of the leaves are gone, then I can get stuck into the herb garden and work on that over winter as the gardening magazines say that herbs quite like the cold. 

The amazing thing about autumn and winter is that they expose the raw stumps of the trees which can look very stark and bare.  In our spiritual journey we face these seasons too when it seems that all life has been stripped from our bones and we are laid bare before God. 

It is at these times that the stark truth of our relationship with God is exposed and tested.  Although they are tough times, they are necessary and valuable.  If we will allow these times to do the work they need to we will learn the true essence of our faith.  Once proven we can look forward to the joy of fresh buds in spring.

The psychology of kitty

Cats amuse me no end, especially their habits. Sir Ginger prefers to only take meals in two locations, on top of the box his dinner gets served on; as well as upstairs in his/our bedroom. He seldom ventures to the other feeding station on top of the tumble dryer.

Don't we all get like that at some stage? Stuck in our ways and unwilling to change a habit or behaviour. I'm pretty sure we do the same in our behaviour towards God. The sad thing is that the only way to really grow in life is to venture past the known to the unknown. To take risks we normally would not take.

It has only been 9 months since my adventure trip to Parys, yet in the months since then my life has changed in ways I could not have imagined it would. I have grown immensely and been willing to take on challenges that would otherwise have paralysed me.

What adventure have you been putting off for another day? Freedom and growth lie on the other side of your boldness. Will you make that leap of faith?

Hello and Goodbye

Nope you didn't miss the rapture, I did drop off email rather suddenly and for that I apologise. Last weeks illness and other pressures left me rushed and exhausted and I didn't get a chance to drop a note to say I would be on leave for a few days.

In years gone by leaving home was easy, it was coming home that proved to be difficult. Now however leaving home has become more difficult thanks to my lovely cat babies whom I hate to leave behind. I knew though that on the other side of my trip awaited my anxious mom, eager to have her baby around for a few days.

While travelling I got to thinking about this more and it reminded me of our passing from this world through death. On this side our anxious family and friends feel the grief of saying goodbye, but on the other side God waits delighted to welcome us home.

There will always be sadness in death but thanks be to God who guarantees us a welcoming party we'll never forget!