It’s about finding faith in God, but still being afraid of the changes ahead – the unknown…. I remember feeling like this, back when I was just starting to get to know Him. It occurs to me that I will always be heading into the unknown, in one way or another… sometimes Egypt still flashes temptingly before me. I see what it lacks more clearly every day…. but I still have to be on the journey, facing the right way 😀
I don’t know this one as well, but it seemed a good sequel 😀
Here’s another one…
And now, Lord, for what do I wait? My hope is in You. – Psalm 39:7
…. now, I don’t mean to depress you, so disregard the “lie down and die” type sentiments… I’m more interested in the thread of hope for the future…
It’s been a bit of a year, hasn’t it?
For many people, it’s been a hard, painful year… a time of loss and grief and having to start again. I didn’t lose anything in the floods, but I did have other losses, changes, and new beginnings to contend with. We’ve had to strip back to basics and redefine what’s really important… a journey partly scary, partly exhilarating 😀 We’ve had to lean more heavily, and more closely, on God… even when reason was telling us something different….
… and we’ve found strong, faithful friends, who have shared their journeys with us, as we have shared with them…
This year has been hard, in a lot of ways. I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
So – what of the new year? I feel that this will be an amazing year – not just for us, but for our friends as well… there are all sorts of possibilities to come!
Here is my prayer for this year to come –
“I ask—ask the God of our Master, Jesus Christ, the God of glory—to make you (and me 😀 ) intelligent and discerning in knowing him personally, your eyes focused and clear, so that you can see exactly what it is he is calling you to do, grasp the immensity of this glorious way of life he has for his followers, oh, the utter extravagance of his work in us who trust him—endless energy, boundless strength!” – Ephesians 1:16-18
and a promise…
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” – Jeremiah 29:11
O Lord
Help me to see
From an “Eternity” perspective.
When the tinsel glitters
And the tree lights twinkle
Help me to see Past the superficial
To the Real Thing…
To remember that
All those years ago
You came down.
A helpless baby
In a hostile world.
When the busyness
Overwhelms
In this world
With its own hostilities
Help me to see
That you are still here
Precious One –
Prince of Peace,
Who came to die
To save my life.
Help me to see
The manger, long ago
Where God’s Master Plan
Resided
In a fragile child,
And hope prevailed.
You showed Your love –
Oh, how You love us!
In the bustle and the noise,
Help me to see
The Gift.
Hi, all! 😀 Sorry I haven’t been here in a while, and probably won’t be back for a little bit – will make up for lost time when internet is sorted 😀
On to main topic….
Our sweetest little bean was baptised this Sunday morning (27th November) He was a very excited little boy, and we were very pleased and proud Mummy and Daddy 😀 We were surprised when he decided that he wanted to do it (he wanted to “show everyone how much he loves Jesus!”) but it was obvious that he knew what he was doing and why…..Here are the pictures – sorry they’re blurred, and I couldn’t figure out the photo importing on this computer properly… in order, they are – Getting in, Happy boy, Testimony, Going down, Coming up! 😀
I’d hoped to post a clip of this, but can’t find one…
This is the song that’s been running through my head, probably since last night… it’s an old one, haven’t sung it for years! Here’s the lyrics –
Our Confidence Is In The Lord – (Noel Richards)
Our confidence is in the Lord
The source of our salvation
Rest is found in Him alone
The Author of creation
We will not fear the evil day
Because we have a refuge
In every circumstance we say
Our hope is built on Jesus
He is our fortress
We will never be shaken
He is our fortress
We will never be shaken
We will put our trust in God
We will put our trust in God
Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.
They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
I say to myself, “The LORD is my portion;
therefore I will wait for him.”
The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him,
to the one who seeks him;
it is good to wait quietly
for the salvation of the LORD….
..For no one is cast off
by the Lord forever.
Though he brings grief, he will show compassion,
so great is his unfailing love.
Lamentations 3:22-32
In the mid-80s, in the desert near Niland, California, a man called Leonard Knight decided to build a huge monument to proclaim that “God is Love”. 25 years later, this is what it looks like…
What I love about these types of stories is that they are of people who had big visions (even if they didn’t know where they were going at first) and they went ahead and did them… I’m sure there were moments of self doubt in there, the voices that questioned and mocked, but they did it anyway! Perhaps I need to remember their stories, when I feel stuck in mine….
a bit of creativity, a bit of eco consciousness, a bit of inspiration.... hopefully not a lot of pompousness and blathering :D
i'm not entirely sure what's going on here... let's travel along and see...
