links!

Martyn: http://missiome.blogspot.com/
Tracy: http://no-power-of-hell-no-scheme-of-man.blogspot.com/
Pete: http://a-child-of-the-king.blogspot.com/
Dave: http://anghenfil.spaces.live.com/

Random....

Having been tagged by Martyn (sorry I don't know how to add the link so I'll copy it here and hope it comes out! )

My tag "Naboth the Godly man was put on trial and sentenced to death" from "Possessing the Gates of the enemy" by Cindy Jacobs.

OK, the rules: grab the book closest to you. Turn to page 161. Print the 5th complete sentence on your blog. Tag 5 others.

I'll have a go.... not sure if I know 5 others that haven't already been tagged:
Tracy
Carol
Pete
Dave

Thats it!

humility

I've referred to humility before.... to a definition I heard at Roots last year (by Captain Danielle Strickland). She said that humility was agreeing with God about who you are.

I've been thinking about this again - God has been teaching me some very hard lessons on the subject of humility and it is very unpleasant and very disturbing.... but also absolutely necessary as I realise I am far from being humble.

Recently I've had my home and family foundations shaken violently.... things that I thought were fairly sure, solid and secure aren't. Now its my need for status, recognition.... I don't know quite what it is but I still have this desire to be 'good at something'. Working in an academic culture and with no jobs being totally secure any more, even here, there is this constant striving for recognition, for qualifications, longer and longer hours, shorter breaks (if any)...... taking on more and more responsibility in the hope that my position is more secure, that I am valued to some extent..... that perhaps, if I wasn't here, I'd be missed.

I know that all of this is very very far from being humble in God's sight.... I see that I have pride rearing its ugly head and I don't like it. I've been looking at some stuff about humility that has helped. This is what I've found: The chief charactiristic of Christian humility is the acknowledgement of total and utter dependence upon God our creator and redeemer, the beginning and end of all life. Its a mature dependence however because this inner submission does not enslave us, but rather frees us to grow into the people we have it in us to be. Christian humility is about understanding our true place in the universe as part of God's creation. It is not about putting ourselves down - it is quite the opposite, not about focussing on ourselves at all but looking towards God and grounded in an understanding of his very nature. True humility frees us from obsession with success and failure and we are freed simply to be faithful. We are freed as Christians to celebrate our own strenghts and other's successes, as having their origin in the grace of God. Failure or weakness are not to be feared for they literally bring us 'down to earth' back to humility and our proper relationship of total and strangely liberating dependence upon God, whose strength is made perfect in our weakness. The God who can really start working through us only when we stop trying to do it all on our own.
Thanks for the above from a website of Holy Trinity Church, Stratford-on-Avon - part of a sermon by Revd Martin Gorick.

I'm looking forward to that freedom......... I am looking forward to God being able to really start working through me when I stop trying to do it all on my own!

I know who I am in Christ....... thanks to His Word and the Freedom in Christ material we are using in our Ward (Cell) groups. All of this just helps me to realise that I have a long way to go on this journey....... I have heaps and heaps to learn........ but most of all that I have a most wonderful, patient, and Faithful God as my friend and my Saviour.

I am a Soldier!

Have a look at Captain Stephen Court's blog at in response to people's response to the TC of Australia Southern Territory's blog where he commanded his soldiers to get holy and do something to honour God - its created quite a furore. My response is below.... as far as I'm aware its not taken from any SA 'thing' but my CO read it once on a Sunday, I have it printed out and stuck in the front of my song-book..... I need reminding often of who I am..... I'm sure I'm not the only one:

I am a soldier, a prayer warrior, of the army of my God.
The Lord Jesus Christ is my Commanding Officer.
The Holy Bible is my code of conduct.
Faith, prayer and the word are my weapons of warfare.

I have been taught by the Holy Spirit, and I am enlisted for eternity.
I will either retire in this army at the Rapture or die in this army;
But I will not get out, sell out, be talked out.

I am faithful, I am capable, and dependable.
If God needs me, I am there.

I am a soldier, a prayer warrior. I am not a baby.
I do no need to be pampered, petted, primed up, pumped up, picked up
or pepped up.

I am a soldier, a prayer warrior.
No one has to call me, remind me, write me, visit me, entice me or lure me.

I am a soldier, a prayer warrior. I am not a wimp.
I am in my place, saluting my King, obeying his orders, praising his name
And building his Kingdom.

I am a soldier, a prayer warrior.
No one has to send me flowers, gifts, food, cards, candy or give me handouts.
I do not need to be cuddled, cradled, cared for or catered to.

I am committed.
I cannot have my feelings hurt bad enough to turn me around.
I cannot be discouraged enough to turn me aside.
I cannot lose enough to cause me to quit

Very Sad

I live in a large(ish) village.... its not a town but has 3 supermarkets, various other shops, a few pubs (not as many as used to be) and a few churches... population not sure.... anyway, even though it is a large village, there is still that sense of 'community' - basically strangers are noticed... news/gossip spreads very quickly.... there are loads of people related to others in the village (particularly in the Salvation Army where I worship!!) BUT: yesterday I heard from another villager that a man was found dead in his house (age 55) recently - he had been dead in his house for 4 weeks! Apparently he was a bit of a troubled individual, had major problems when he was made redundant.... was a regular at one of the local pubs....... People often talk about 'community' particularly about the type of community that is found in the pubs and I've no doubt that is sometimes the case BUT - not this time. Did no-one notice he was missing from propping up the bar? Did none of his neighbours not notice something was amiss? Or is it that basically no-one cared. That is sad.

Prayer

The following is from Commissional Jim Knaggs, TC of Australia Southern Territory (I just wanted to say a very big AMEN!!!!!!):

Prayer is a great place to live. I wish we could simply appoint people to pray. It would be the most important appointment of every soldier and the most delightful. Even when we're praying through difficulties, there is the presence of God. There is the life-giving flow of love to the extreme. Hallelujah!

Come with me on a journey of prayer and dependence upon God, whose capacity is unlimited and whose concern is unconditional. He desires to be the focus of our hearts so that we would be fulfilled in glorifying Him. Yes!

Let us pray.

Ephesians 6:18 (NIV)
18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

Ascension day!

I didn't realise it and hadn't thought about it but in both my daily readings the focus was on Jesus Ascension - and, one of those daily readings is something that was written many years ago and is just a set yearly reading, so no link to today's date.... if you get my drift!!??

Anyway, this prompting continues to encourage me to do all that I can to lift Jesus high in everything I do and say through my day........ Things have been a bit difficult recently, with concern for Dick but God has given me clear indication yet again, of His Faithfulness....... and today, I recognise that I can continue to lift Jesus high by speaking about His faithfulness, when talking to people about Dick... yes, I may have worries (which I do my best to take captive to Jesus - and it does work, praise Him!) but I can speak about that natural human frailty in the context of the supernatural ability of the Holy Spirit to give me Peace in the midst of anxiety, His presence every step of the way, His love which never has failed me and never will, His provision...... ditto, etc., etc., etc....... So, as I testified over and over to so many people during Dick's emergency situation, I can and will still testify to God's keeping and faithfulness, and in so doing, to lift Jesus High - Yes He is ascended to His throne on high.... but we must continually endeavour to lift Him high in our lives, in our work places, in our homes, schools, colleges, street, village, town, church(!) - everywhere.... after all then we are promised that He will draw all men (women, boys and girls) to Himself!!

Missing for 64 days......

I am ashamed to say that I didn't know about the BBC's correspondent Alan Johnson, and the fact that he was abducted in Gaza 64 days ago. On the BBC News website people are asked to add the following button to their blogs, websites, etc., to publicise the situation..... and for some more prayers for Alan and his family - it must be a horrendous situation for them all. Anyway, to try and make up for my lack of knowledge about this I am pasting the web-speak stuff for the button below - hope it works! It goes without saying that I'm also adding Alan and his family to my prayer list....

Full head..... painful body!

Apologies in advance for the strange title - I couldn't think of anything else that would fit the bill for how I am feeling........ I just had the strangest thought pop into my head whilst in the ladies (apols again if too much detail!) anyway it went like this: "I honestly can't remember the last time I felt relaxed...... my head is full to bursting with all sorts of 'stuff' and my body feels like its been ten rounds with Mike Tyson!!! I then thought back to when I was going out with Dick (now husband), before we were married or had children, etc., etc., mortgage, bills, elderly parents, ill parents....... and we just enjoyed going out together, having fun, relaxing, getting to know each other...... we even had proper conversations, held hands, went on long walks, enjoyed long lunches in pretty pubs.......... dreamed of what our future would hold.......

Things are ok - but I realise now that one of my biggest problems is that I can't relax anymore, either in body or mind........ spiritually I recognise there should be no relaxation and I wonder if this is part of the problem - I'm trying to 'deal' with so much stuff, trying in my own inept way to 'sort' stuff out, that basically my body and my mind has had enough. I don't think I've ever been in so much consistent pain in my upper back, neck, shoulders and also a tightness in my chest which I recognise is stress - thing is, I'm not actually worried about anything in particular - not that I can identify at the moment anyway. I think that my body is reacting to my mind and has been reacting so much for such a concentrated amount of time that this is the result - a full head and a painful body.

I do unwind a bit on holiday........ but it takes a few days to do so. We've had some long weekends to enjoy but they've not really been relaxing - also they are too short. Its nearly 9 months since we had our 2 week holiday.... thats far too long. I've had time off work - over Christmas etc., but again, its enjoyable but I don't relax. These days when I do have some spare time I try and sleep..... or I just can't keep awake. Ok, its probably something to do with my age - and I know I am busy (too busy perhaps) and more involved with other things........ but I am feeling a bit desperate - we have Venice to look forward to (Dick and I as an early 25th wedding anniversary thingy) in June but thats only 3 nights - will be lovely but not relaxing. Dick and I never have any time to just be together.......... Our relationship I believe suffers from that - he might not think so of course! Sometimes I do hanker after those carefree days in the late 70's/early 80's - life seemed less complicated - maybe in some ways less fulfilled, certainly spiritually I am in a better place, thank God - but I wouldn't mind having less complication, less demands, less stress, less busyness, less duty (family-wise), less feeling that I have to strive for everything - when I know I don't have to. This is a moan I know - just needed to get it out - I am fed up of always looking forward to Friday evening and a sleep with no alarm to wake me - HOW SAD IS THAT! Something has to change................... but what?

"being about The Lord's business"

I just wanted to say that I've been 'being about The Lord's business' and it has been great - sooooooo many opportunities....... God is bringing them to me over and over again - and I am well blessed. It makes me feel very humble..... and for me, gobsmacked, which for anyone who knows me will know that is quite a thing!