Finding joy in the everyday

Mother's Day . . . a day that brings great joy to the first time mums and great grief to the woman who cannot conceive. Mother's Day is a tough, hard day for  all the women who so desperately want children but have not been blessed with any. It is so important to remember these women, not in pity but in love and care. These women have suffered a great deal and do not need to be quizzed by others (who may have many children) why they don't have any.  Some of these women may have lost their only babies via miscarriage and the pain may still be raw. Others may have never had the joy of ever carrying a baby. Only God understands why and we need to be respectful, gentle and understanding. We need to remember these women on Mother's Day and not just think of our own blessings.  And lets also remember all the mothers who have lost children (young or older) from accidents, cot death, suicide, from illness and also for all the mothers who's children have st...

I talk to myself far more than I would like to admit. Sometimes saying something out loud can turn a muddle into something coherent. It allows me to think through options that have been bouncing around my head or when I am feeling down about something.  Talking to yourself  allows you to debate both side of an augment, the pros and cons of a problem which isn't always possible with another person.  David did a lot of talking, in particular how he was feeling, his struggles and when he was discouraged. But his talking had a purpose and it was to encourage himself in the Lord and we too need to have the same conversations as David did.  As the deer pants for the water brooks, So pants my soul for You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God? My tears have been my food day and night, While they continually say to me, “Where is your God?” When I remember these things, I pour ...

Recently I watched the movie“Sully” about the Captain Chesley 'Sully' Sullenberger who successfully landed his plane on the Hudson River, saving the lives of 155 people. When the crash investigators examined the crash, they strongly believed that Sully could have turned the plane back and safely landed at LeGuardia airport. Sully told the investigation that it would have been impossible. In their attempt to prove him wrong they re-run the crash using computer simulations and sure enough, both the computer simulations and the simulations using pilots all said he could have returned to the airport.  However, when Sully watched the pilots reenacting the accident on the simulation he asked “how many times have they done this”, Sully was told the pilots had practiced 17 times before they did the “real-test” simulation. Sully replies: No one warned us. No one said "You're going to lose both engines at a lower altitude than any jet in history. But, be cool, just ...

Life can be wonderful — it is completely up to YOU . You can choose to be miserable. You can choose to be grumpy. You can choose to be unhappy. You can choose to be argumentative.  You can choose to be nasty. You can choose to be sad. You can choose to be unpleasant to others.  Or you can choose to be happy and joyful even if your life isn't that great.  It is entirely in your hands and no one else's.  You alone are responsible for your happiness. 

Jezebel   Jezebel is the classic example of a woman who exercised her influence to her husbands detriment. Jezebel was a religious woman, spreading her idolatry through Israel. She was powerful, cunning and arrogant, she actively opposed God and did evil openly without remorse.  She was willing to enhance her power at the expense of others.  In the thirty-eighth year of Asa king of Judah, Ahab the son of Omri became king over Israel; and Ahab the son of Omri reigned over Israel in Samaria twenty-two years. Now Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the Lord, more than all who were before him. And it came to pass, as though it had been a trivial thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, that he took as wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal, king of the Sidonians; and he went and served Baal and worshiped him. (1 Kings 16:29-31) Ahab, king of Israel was already inclined to do evil before he married Jezebel. In fact he was ...

Do all things without complaining and disputing (Philippians 2:14) “I remember meeting a young woman in one of my business seminars who I discovered was a Christian. We began to share a little about ourselves. She told me about her job and her church, but what I heard was a stream of complaining and condemnation.”   ( source ) There is nothing worse than meeting up with someone and all you hear is complaining. Sometimes it is about how they hate their job and wish they could retire, of problems with their marriage, the kids are playing up or how they are dreading the holidays because the children will be at home and what a mess they make and how demanding they are. I have worked with women like this, they never have a positive word to say about anyone — you walk away feeling down and depressed. They suck the joy out of you with their misery. But it is even worse when it is a Christian woman behaving in this manner. What is the message they are sending out to oth...

You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in You. Isaiah 26:3 Peace, perfect peace, in this dark world of sin? The blood of Jesus whispers peace within. Peace, perfect peace, by thronging duties pressed? To do the will of Jesus, this is rest. Peace, perfect peace, with sorrows surging round? On Jesus’ bosom naught but calm is found. Peace, perfect peace, with loved ones far away? In Jesus’ keeping we are safe, and they. Peace, perfect peace, our future all unknown? Jesus we know, and He is on the throne. Peace, perfect peace, death shadowing us and ours? Jesus has vanquished death and all its powers. It is enough: earth’s struggles soon shall cease, And Jesus call us to Heaven’s perfect peace. Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.  (John 14:27) Photos sourced: LINK