..Sinking..

Guys, I've got a confession. I'm sinking. You know the image of the duck looking cool as a cucumber above water and feet paddling rapidly under water. Well, that's not me. My head is underwater... as I am sinking...

Today at church we were singing the Hillsong worship song, Oceans and the line 'take me deeper than my feet could ever wander and my faith would be made stronger in the presence of my Saviour' resonated within me.

This song always reminds me of when Peter walked on water. All the disciples are out on their boats, when in the distance they see a misty figure above the water. Thinking they see a ghost, they begin to grasp their oars and the sides of their boats. As the silhouette gets closer, they realise its Jesus, walking on the water towards them! Peter immediately cries out, 'Lord if it is you, tell me to come!' Then there's a moment of silence before a voice replies, 'Come.'

'He's mad,' someone whispers. Peter grabs the side of the boat and lifts his leg over the side. Keeping his eyes on Jesus, he brings his other leg over the side until he's standing on the water! His first step is shaky but by time he gets to his fifth step, his steps are sure and secure. Suddenly, the wind blows and catches him off guard. His feet suddenly plunge through the water and he becomes fully submerged! A hand shoots into the water after him and grabs Peter, pulling him to safety.

Peter stepped out, but soon found himself sinking. Did he make a mistake? Should he have just stayed where he was? Didn't he know this was beyond his capabilities? Well... no, no and yes. Peter didn't make a mistake, it was good he stepped out and this was beyond his capabilities.

But imagine the conversations he can have now. 'Well, Jesus told me to come and I began to walk on water'. He did something that he had never done before and although he began to sink, his faith was stronger.

Think about when you go to the gym, you don't train with light weights. You train with heavier weights to make you stronger. When we step out, beyond where we are, our faith is being made stronger.

Some years ago now, my husband and I were trying to buy a house. We were on a tight time schedule as we were both living with our parents and needed a place to live in after we got married. It came with many obstacles, and many times I found myself sinking. But a hand always came into the water after me. Nine months after our house buying journey began, we had bought a house. It was ready for us to move into right after our wedding! I know in that situation my faith was made stronger. Now when I'm facing situations, I face them with more confidence.

So now, I'm sinking. I've stepped out and suddenly found myself fully submerged under water. But I know His hand will save me. I also know that in this, my faith is being strengthened and the next time I step out and walk on water, I will walk further. And at some point I'll sink... and then walk again. So step out, walk, sink and walk again!!

New Year, New Me?

Today is the 1st January 2017. Happy New Year!! The first day of the year for me is always filled with hopes, dreams and goals. I'm like a hiker at the bottom of Mount Everest looking up in awe and wonder, amazed at the adventure that awaits. But not this year... no not this year. This year, I've set no new goals, woke with no new dreams and my heart holds no new hopes. Mainly because I stood at the bottom of Mount Everest, this time last year...and I'm still there now. Granted I have made progress, pitched my tent a few miles into the ascent, but I would have loved for 2017 to hold a new adventure. Not the same one from last year. But the truth is, last year I was scared. The climb of 2016 required more of me, than I thought I could offer so I settled in my tent, where the terrain was flat and the weather manageable. But I have missed out on the great adventure of Everest. I had all my plans and equipment ready...but I wasn't.

So this year isn't new year, new me because so many of us say that, sign up at the gym in January and come July are cursing at the amount of money we've put into the exercise industry and have not reaped the benefits. This is a new year, but I'm going to discover me. I don't change overnight- but I begin this wonderful journey and discover all I have to offer.

This year is about me not being afraid and not being complacent - perfecting any skills I do have and not just sitting on them but developing them. This year is about me finding the courage to start and finish the journey I intended to make. This is not a year for us to make excuses and procrastinate, but this year will be a year of expectancy and adventure! But in order for that to happen... I have to begin to climb. Where are you climbing and have you started? If so, I'll see you at the summit  :)

Decide to Decide

I love going to dinner with my family, but the ordering process can be tedious! Especially when it comes to my sister's turn. After being in the restaurant for what sometimes feels likes forever, when the waiter comes to take the order, she still doesn't know what she wants! When in my head, I'm thinking - make a decision. The funny thing is, I go through the same thing. I struggle to make a decision, because what if I make the wrong one? What if I order something I don't like? What if I order something that's not enough?

 

There's a story that I love about four lepers. They were living in a war torn country with fighting surrounding them on all sides. They found themselves in a place where they were unsure of what to do and where to go. Finally, one of them spoke up and said, "Why sit we here until we die? If we say, we will enter into the city, then the famine is in the city, and we shall die there: and if we sit still here, we die also. Now therefore come, and let us fall unto the host of the Syrians: if they save us alive, we shall live; and if they kill us, we shall but die." What they needed to do was make a decision. The decision was made to walk into the city, and when they entered the city, they discovered that all of the soldiers had fled their camp and left their horses, tents and other treasures. They made a decision.

Some of us have decisions to make in life, but are never proactive in making them. We wait for a sign, or wait for someone to make the decision for us. Don't get me wrong, good counsel is, well, good! But when we procrastinate in making important decisions, we find ourselves sitting uncomfortably on the fence!

They say when we drive; many accidents are caused by hesitations...because decisions weren't made. Sometimes it's better to make a decision and be wrong, rather than not make a decision and not move. I often don't make decisions in fear of making the wrong one. The wrong decision would mean and could lead to mistakes. But if mistakes aren't made, how do we learn? So don't be afraid of making decisions, because even in the midst of mistakes, success can be found. Thomas Edison decided to invent the light

bulb. The first thousand tries could have indicated that he made the wrong decision. But through his mistakes, the light bulb was invented. Don't let fear cause you to hesitate. What decision do you need to make?

#blessed?

Life can sometimes be synonymous with stress - especially this time of year! From home to work, we experience different stressors. But in the midst of the kerfuffle (I had to look up how to spell it!) we don't realise that we're blessed! We don't realise that we're blessed, if in and around us we see lack. We miss what we do have and become ungrateful, however when we see the good things around us, the irony is that it opens our eyes to other things. It's about the position of the heart.

#blessed is about realising that amongst the 'stressings' there are blessings. It's realising that life is actually synonymous with blessing. There are new opportunities and new great experiences to walk into. 

See the Y

This week, I have an eye test. Not something I'm nervous about, but just a reminder that my eyesight is poor! It reminds me of all the times that I've been rebellious and not worn my glasses or contacts. The amount of times I've greeted friends from afar, only to realise close up that they are strangers! (Should have gone to Specsavers) We underestimate the importance of vision -> not just eyesight but the value of seeing.

Seeing provides us with direction - helps us to see where we are and see where we're going. I don't know about you, but if I can't see, it frustrates me. Seeing provides us with understanding. ("I see," said the blind man.) If I can't see, it means I am in a place of confusion, misunderstanding ... and I just don't like it.

So at this moment in my life, I can't see the Y. I'm in the optician's chair squinting at all the letters, but I can't see the Y. I'm doing everything I'm supposed to do, but I'm stuck in the routines of life. I wake up, go to work, work, go home, work some more, cook, eat, watch TV, think about going to the gym, read a book, then go to bed. And this pattern continues - and I lose sight of the Y.


I've come to realise the importance of Y. There is a reason for everything, even if we don't know it, there's a reason. And some of us can't see the reason for why we do things and so we're stuck - even thinking that we're doing what we're doing in vain. But all we need to do is see the Y. Once we adjust our eyesight and see the Y, it will have an impact on how we do everything. Purpose, direction and understanding will be found. These wise words sum it up nicely - 'Without a vision, the people perish'. Let me say it another way, 'Without a why, the people perish.' So I ask you, can you see the Y?

Stronger than you think?

She was devastated. Not only had she lost her husband, but she had lost her livelihood, her source of income. And now she was going to lose her two sons. Desperate, she emptied the little bag that would have normally held their finances. Dust and sand was all that was left! Dust and sand! Suddenly, she remembered that Elisha, the Prophet was around. When she approached him, she told him all her woes. After hearing her out, he asked her what she had in her house. "Nothing," she whispered, "but a small jar of olive oil". Elisha took a moment to think and then gave her a list of instructions. The widow went home and asked all her neighbours for empty jars. The widow and her sons then poured the oil into these empty jars. As the jars kept coming and coming, the oil kept flowing and flowing. Until there were no more jars left. She could now sell the oil and not only survive, but thrive!

Our message at church has been about 'Miracle Space'. God works in the lack that we give Him like the story outlined above. Having taken up a new position at work, I have felt out of my depth - inadequate - insufficient. The lack in me seems to be a bit more than usual. For a time I was distressed about my lack, repeating to myself that I can't do this, until I realised that this wasn't lack but this was space. The widow took her lack and used it to create Miracle Space. I needed to take my lack and turn it into Miracle Space.

In 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 Paul eloquently describes how when he is weak, he is in fact strong for God's grace empowers Him. In fact, Paul says he delights in hard times because when he is weak, he is actually strong! He rejoices in hard times! Why? Because his lack was actually Miracle Space - space for God to move and do something greater than we could even think or imagine! 

That changes everything for us. In the difficult times, rejoice knowing God will step into your lack and make something great!

Check out the Miracle Space sermon by clicking on the link below :)

original Miracle Space sermon

"I'll title this blog some other time" Procrastination Joys

My greatest gadget right now is my phone. Not because it allows me to communicate better or keep up to date with what's happening on social media. But because it has the maps app. What's so special about that? I hear you ask. Well, I can get impatient as a driver and traffic is not my friend! So the moment I see brake lights, I'm looking for the nearest shortcut, the quickest route to get to my destination.

That's what we can be like in life in general. Looking for the nearest shortcut, the quickest way to get things done. But for me, I've found the quickest way to get things done, is to get things done. Sounds obvious, but hear me out.

This week, I had a day at work to finish displays in my classroom - laminating, cutting letters out, sticking up work! LONG! All I could think was that it was going to take ages! So then enters procrastination 😁 As I begin to think about how to complete this job quicker, I get distracted and begin to play on my phone! A job that I wanted to be finished asap, was now going to take me longer to finish.  Eventually I came to my senses and realised that the quickest way to get this job done, is to get the job done.

Sometimes we can befriend procrastination or chase after short cuts, only to find that the journey is going to take longer!

Shortcuts have their place, but the quickest way to get something done, is to get something done.