Funny Felines

This is a photo of Lestat, one of my four fabulous felines. When I saw him sitting like this I couldn't stop laughing so I just had to share.

Laughter is good for the soul and smiling causes less wrinkles than frowning! May your days be filled with joy!

Between a Rock and a Dry Place

^"4 So Joshua called together the twelve men he had appointed from the Israelites, one from each tribe, ⁵ and said to them, “Go over before the ark of the Lord your God into the middle of the Jordan. Each of you is to take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites, ⁶ to serve as a sign among you. In the future, when your children ask you, ‘What do these stones mean?’ ⁷ tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord. When it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. These stones are to be a memorial to the people of Israel forever.”  Joshua 4:4-7

Have you ever noticed that when you’re in over your head the depth of the water doesn’t really matter any more; or felt the troubles of life come gushing along like the Jordan River at flood stage when the snow on Hermon begins to melt? When faced with the surging waters of life we need something to anchor our faith, something other than the rising water to fix our eyes on.  That’s why God instructed Joshua to select twelve men to collect stones from the dry river-bed; not because God needed a memorial, but because his people needed a reminder; we still do. So many times throughout the history of the ancient Israelites the Lord intervened powerfully on their behalf, time and time again he proved faithful.Yet time and time again the Israelites were quick to forget all that the Lord had done for them. Is this beginning to sound familiar? God knew that the Israelites would forget again; he knew that they needed something to look back on; something tangible, something solid; something that every time they looked at it their faith would be renewed and strengthened. He wanted to ensure that the generations to come would hear of his faithfulness and love for his people.The ancient Israelites knew how important it was to instruct their children about that which they were most passionate; God. It’s easy to forget what God has done when the worries of life are at low-tide. Can I ask you a personal question - I promise it’s just between you and me - how often has God rescued you from deep water only to have you forget as soon as your feet were back on dry land? Can I have a show of hands please? I’ve got my hand up, how about you?

A few years ago after reading this passage of scripture I decided it was about time I started piling up some stones of my own; so I got myself a journal and I started filling it up with stones from the river-bed, some small, others large, dry stones from dry ground; reminders to myself and to my children of the many times that God has intervened in the Jordan River circumstances of my life; a memorial to my God; and a powerful reminder to myself of all that God has done; a memorial to the fact that no matter how impossible the situation may appear, God can and still does intervene.

So now when I feel the waters beginning to swirl around my ankles and creep slowly up to my knees; when the situation I’m facing appears impossible, I can simply flip open my journal, look at the “memorials,” and be reminded of the many times that God has rescued me; has stopped up the water long enough for me to cross my own Jordan River on dry ground.





But Wait! There's More!

“In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33 (TNIV)

You will have trouble. Hmm, we don’t really like to read that do we? I don’t know for sure but I imagine that the disciples wouldn’t have been that thrilled to hear it either. Have you noticed that trouble strikes when you least expect it? You know what it’s like, life is going smoothly and then along comes trouble in it’s many forms; the unexpected late-night knock on the door; the words that you never expected your partner to say; the doctor with the kind smile and the negative report; the child you said the hurried goodbye to as they rushed out the door, never dreaming that it would be for the last time. Trouble, trouble that you never saw coming; that’s the way it was for the disciples, they didn’t see it coming either. They’d spent three years with Jesus; they’d seen prophecies fulfilled and miracles performed, and then he tells them to expect trouble. As followers of Jesus we’d like to think we can live happy, long and trouble-free lives, safe from the trials and tribulations of the world in which we live, but are not a part of. While the disciples didn’t see it coming Jesus did; in John’s Gospel Jesus farewell was spoken as if the resurrection had already taken place, and as we reflect on Jesus words we can be comforted by the fact that the Holy Spirit is not bound by time, the words of comfort spoken to the disciples then are just as relevant today.

Take heart, how do we take heart? How were the disciples able to endure the suffering and persecution that eventually came their way; troubles different to those we encounter but troubles just the same, how did they take heart? Jesus. They had encountered Jesus, the one who would suffer once and for all of humanity; following the resurrection a group of scattered frightened people became fearless; when trouble came they chose to see the world from the victory of Sunday rather than the pain, suffering and defeat of Friday. He died for them and he died for you. So the next time life blindsides you, take heart, the peace the world has to offer is nothing compared with the peace Jesus offers. In this world you will have trouble, but take heart, this world is not all there is.

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Sticks and Stones...

Sticks and Stones...

Unless you’ve been living on another planet you would no doubt have heard about, or watched “The Voice;” a phenomenon that has taken Australia by storm and has left its competitors floundering in its wake. The first thing that struck me when I watched The Voice was not the incredibly talented singers, but the words spoken by the judges; words of encouragement, affirmation, support and honesty; words intended to build up, not to tear down; constructive criticism meant to lift someone in order to bring out their best. I’ve heard many people remark that they are tired of hearing people being put down, ridiculed and mocked, all in the name of entertainment, and I suspect this is one reason for the shows success.

Anyway, it got me thinking, have you ever noticed that you can remember what someone has said, long after you’ve forgotten something they’ve done?

Words are powerful, and yet often we can release them into the atmosphere with little thought and even less care. How easy it is in the heat of an argument to pull out a sharp word and plunge it into someone else’s soul; how tempting to pass on a juicy bit of gossip rather than forget you ever heard it.

How many of us have been a victim of ill-chosen, careless words?

How many still smart from hurtful words spoken by a teacher or a parent? The old saying “sticks and stones will break my bones but names will never hurt me,” is rubbish; names hurt. Many years ago I encountered a young woman who was the victim of verbal abuse; she told me there were times when she wished her husband would just hit her, because physical pain was something she could tolerate.

Whilst opinions vary research has shown that we speak around 16,000 words per day.

That’s a lot of words and a lot of responsibility. I have to ask myself, how will I use my words? How are you going to use your words? Will you use them to build someone up or tear someone down? Will you use them to encourage people to reach their goals or will you use them to snatch away their dreams? The bible tells us that the power of life and death is in the words that we speak; now there’s a daunting thought. So this week as you journey through life be conscious of the power of your words; choose them wisely and use them wisely.

Kind words heal and help; cutting words wound and maim. Proverbs 15:4 (The Message)