To my brothers and sisters

To my brothers and sisters in arms

Where would I be without you, my brothers-in-arms. I thank you my brothers and sisters. I walked through fields of fire and you did not desert me. As the battles raged around me, and my suffering increased, you stood next to me, unafraid and unashamed to call me brother.

I have fallen, and yet you have picked me up. You carried me when I was too weak. You prayed for me when I needed hope. When others turned away from me, you turned to me. When I sinned and was broken, you showed the way and spoke words that lifted me up. When I was alone, you gave me fellowship.

When I was slow to learn, you showed patience and tolerance. When others showed shallowness, you showed me the richness of life led with Jesus. You have no ego and no pride, but you have showed me the meaning of honour and respect.

When I was convicted you stood up for me. You love me as He does. You shouldered my burden when no one else cared. You cried with me when I failed and felt so small. You made me feel belonged, when others pushed me away. You spoke about the future when others just wanted to remind me of my past. You invited me into your home when others locked their doors to me.

You shed blood for me in battle, and showed me what happiness is all about. You always have time for me even if I have no time for anyone. You believed in me when no one trusted me. You always speak kindly to me, when others speak of my failings.

On this day, on all days, for these reasons I am proud to call you brother and sister. I give thanks to Jesus for you.

Thank you for reading and God Bless.


This story shall the good man teach his son;
And Crispin Crispian shall ne'er go by,
From this day to the ending of the world,
But we in it shall be remember'd;
We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he to-day that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother; be he ne'er so vile,
This day shall gentle his condition:
And gentlemen in England now a-bed
Shall think themselves accursed they were not here,
And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks
That fought with us upon Saint Crispin's day.

Shakespeare, Henry V, Act 4, Scene 3.

To Shake Hands With the Devil

To Shake Hands with the Devil

Recently I heard a sermon from a sensational minister. He talked about a book called “To Shake Hands with the Devil”. It was about the UN military commander in Rwanda during one of the greatest periods of genocide in our history: the murder of over 800,000 over a little more than three months in 1994. It would be immeasurable the number of lives affected by this dark time in our history. There is a lot to read online about the Rwandan genocide, but if you have seen the movie Hotel Rwanda then a visit to The Hotel Rwanda Rusesabagina Foundation website, founded by Paul Rusesabagina, is worth a visit.

One thing in life I have always believed is that sadly events such as these will be repeated. Those who commit such inhumanity to their fellow humans are not isolated to those who live in some third world nation or to a period of human history where an entire nation was swept up in the euphoria of a particular regime.

No. As Solomon writes in Ecclesiastes 7:20: “For there is not a just man on earth who does good and does not sin”.

But perhaps the next verse is more telling. It help explains where hatred starts.

“Also do not take to heart everything people say,
Lest you hear your servant cursing you,
For many times, also, your heart has known
That even you have cursed others”

But we do take things to heart when we should not. We all do. As that sensational preacher said on the first Sunday of 2010, if we tried to live like Jesus for just one day we would find it incredibly hard, not impossible as nothing is impossible with Jesus, but very difficult.

So we all battle with sin. Some lose that battle and find it easier to shake hands with the devil. The people who have committed the atrocities of recent times were not produced in some factory somewhere and sent into the world. No. They were people we might have called friends, neighbours, colleagues or even family.

People who one day found it easier to demean, dehumanise, degrade and disrespect their fellow humans than to do the opposite. As Proverbs 29:10 states: “The bloodthirsty hate the blameless, But the upright seek his well-being”.

The people they slaughtered were not indefensible. They were people who could not fight back because the thought of hurting another was not possible to them. They would rather die on their feet than live on their knees. Many missionaries have died exactly like this. Standing tall in front of our Heavenly Father as their life was taken from them.

When we do not seek after Jesus we start to turn to our own ways. And as Isaiah 53:6 states: “All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all”.

But it is hard to live for Him when wrong has been done to us and all we want is to right that wrong. No matter how long ago that all happened. When we are treated badly we want that wrong to be righted. But this is where we go wrong so quickly.

For we forget, or even worse just ignore, the words of Jesus in Matthew 22:37-40:

“Jesus said to him: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind”
This is the first and great commandment;
And the second is like to it: You shall love your neighbour as yourself”
On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets”

I have failed on this myself many times. But I try and try every single day to live better, to seek Him first and myself last. It is hard, but I will always try my best to serve God.

One of the single hardest things to do as a Christian is to forgive another for their actions before they have sought us to do the same. I have been privileged to meet and know many who live this way. I am proud if this is one of you. And I thank you for showing to me what it is and what it means to be a Christian.

For seeking after God is the only way that we can avoid meeting the devil and shaking his hand. Sadly, in our lifetime, we have all seen some horrific things. But this generation we see now as children I fear will see even worse. I do not want to shake hands with the devil. I want to stand in front of Jesus instead and feel His love for me. I want more and more to know Him, to feel Him, to seek him in greater abundance.

But there are those who feel greater fulfilment from hatred, negativity, bitterness, and their own need for vengeance. Nelson Mandela wrote on hatred: “No one is born hating another person because of the colour of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.”

Sadly many will take a long time to replace hatred with love. In 2010 there are still very few who have answered for the atrocities they have committed, either in a court of law, to those they hurt or even to themselves. The genocide committed in Cambodia where over a million lives were taken, largely ignored by the world until made famous by the movie The Killing Fields, has seen few answer for their crimes.

I will always say a prayer for those who are in this position, who are shaking hands with the devil and not even thinking twice about it, because Jesus loves all of us and wants all of us to know Him, to know what love is. My tears I feel rolling down my cheeks are for those I know who no longer know what love is, what His love is, and instead seek to hurt the innocent. To bring more hatred into the world when there should be only love.

If you don’t get along with someone then don’t hate them. Please. Don’t call them a name that removes their humanity and makes it easier to hate or feel nothing when harm befalls them. As a cyclist it is amazing to hear many people I know say cyclists don’t deserve to be on the roads. You are entitled to your view, but remember 'they' are not just ‘cyclists’ but people. People God loves.

I hope I never have to shake hands with the devil. Maybe I already have and was saved from any harm by the love of Jesus. I hope that by seeking God with more abundance that I get to stand in front of our God and enter into Heaven to be with Him for all eternity.

Thank you for reading and God Bless.

Wednesday Thoughts

"Our greatest happiness in life does not depend on the condition of life in which chance has placed us, but is always the result of good conscience, good health, occupation, and freedom in all just pursuits" - Thomas Jefferson

I saw this quote and wanted to share it with everyone. After all Jefferson was one of those who wrote that one of the fundamental rights of all people is the right to pursue happiness. Happiness, and the right to pursue it freely, to Jefferson was what distinguished a free society from one which was not.

One of my goals in life is to maximise my happiness every day. Every minute spent on being happy is one less minute spent on not being happy or content.

Sadly too many embrace being discontent or dissatisfied instead of finding out what makes them happy. What makes us happy is something only we know. But in our pursuit of happiness we should never ever tell another that they have no right to be happy or that their dreams are not worth pursuing.

Jesus was so right when He said to be first in His kingdom we need to be last in our lives. Does this mean we will never achieve happiness because we place others first? Not at all, in fact Jesus was telling us how to be happy and content. By learning and understanding Him we would learn and understand what makes us happy.

Just look at Philippians 4:8-9 for further proof:

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

9Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.

Surely finding peace is finding happiness. We can all start our pursuit of happiness anytime we want. We can start fulfilling a dream anytime we want. We will be faced with setbacks, doubters and words of negativity from ourselves and others but we know that with God anything is possible. The impossible just takes a little longer!

So don't wait for the New Year to start something new and joyful. Start that journey and may you one day really understand what Jesus, and Jefferson, knew all along.

God Bless

Wonder

Psalm 118:23-24

23This is the LORD's doing; it is marvellous in our eyes. 24This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.

Every day I learn more and more about how God is active in my life. Maybe it's one small thing, or something that wasn't meant to happen but did, or a feeling of love and strength that is powerful and extraordinary that comes from nowhere.

I can be a far better servant of God in so many ways. After all God sees everything we do, the good and the bad. I know that what makes being a Christian difficult is that it is difficult to work on many things at the same time. Especially as a bloke, we blokes are terrible at multi-tasking!!

But one thing for sure is that I will always be in wonder of what God does in life. He is my greatest teacher. The Word of God has so much knowledge in it that we shouldn't get things wrong. But alas we do.

And yet His grace, His faith, His hope, lifts us up in even the darkest of moments. Oh how I love Him!!!

I know God has much wonder planned for me, but I also know that to enjoy that blessing there is some hard work ahead. But I also know when that time is over, it will be all worth it as I will be able to rejoice in the knowledge of how much wonder God has brought to my life.

Thanks for reading and God Bless.

Storm and Thunder

1 Corinthians 27-31:

27But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;

28And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:

29That no flesh should glory in his presence.

30But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:

31That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.

Storms are amazing things to look at. Thunder. Lightning. And then rain. Big rain drops that wash away all the dust.

I want a storm to wash away all the dust in my life. I want to be closer to God. To learn from Him. To learn not to sin as much as I do. To embrace His way. To seek Him first and all else second.

I want to soak up His word as a person soaks up the rain when the storm breaks on a hot day, to gulp down His words like a person with their mouths open when the storm hits.

Jesus is my provider. He is all that I need. He has blessed me so greatly and yet He is so patient with listening to my wants and needs when He probably knows that they are so close if I just reach out to Him closer. Stronger. Longer. Deeper.

And if I can do all this, survive the storm, then I know my paddock, my life, will be green!

Thank you Jesus for all that you do and all that you are.

Thanks for reading and God Bless.

Great Video

If you want to watch a great uni professor give an awesome lecture watch the last lecture by Dr Randy Pausch...awesome!!! Just click on the title above and away you go...

Some Words for the Weekend.

The good life, as I conceive it, is a happy life. I do not mean that if you are good you will be happy - I mean that if you are happy you will be good.

- Bertrand Russell

Now how true is that!

Thursday Reflection

Been listening a bit to this song since I heard it sung in Church a few weeks ago:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x4_lG-wSjxQ



As Nelson Mandela said: “There is no easy walk to freedom anywhere, and many of us will have to pass through the valley of the shadow of death again and again before we reach the mountaintop of our desires.”

It's nice to celebrate the freedom Jesus has given us and realise we are so amazingly blessed!

Time for some light.

Genesis 1:3-4

Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. 4 And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness.

How great are our lives for what God has done in them? That's right! Absolutely fantastic! And the thing is with God in our lives nothing is impossible. No mountain is too steep to climb, no darkness so great that His light can't penetrate through it and shine through and show His glory. Our glory of overcoming.

When the darkness starts to surround us, when it feels like we are walking through the deepest, darkest valley there is, all we need do is call out to Him, our Saviour, and He will be there to bring light into the darkness.

It doesn't mean that the darkness won't still be there, but it does mean we know which direction the light is coming from, and His light will show the path we need to follow to leave the darkness behind.

Easy? Not all the time. We may have to change. We may have to do things we never thought we would. We may have to struggle against those who seek to take us down another path. But we will not have to worry about tomorrow, Matthew 6:31-34:

31 “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

And those who seek to bring darkness should know that when we have God in our lives we are strengthened by the light only faith in Him provides. That others who have light in their lives will also help them overcome, be there for them and strengthen them in their struggle and lead them to victory and freedom!

Our God is so many things. To me, He showed me His light when all around was dark. He took me into the light and into the truth. I am no longer content to sit still though, and am ever seeking ways to make myself a better, stronger man. Although this has not been easy, it has been worth every sacrifice and change because I can feel the light growing stronger in me every day. Thank you, yes you, for helping me too!!!

Always remember that all you need do is call out to Him, talk to Him, and light will come where there is only darkness. It doesn't mean everything will be fixed or solved, we have to do our bit too, but it does mean we can embrace all the wonderful fruits of the spirit.

I will always thank God for bringing light into my life, for letting me fellowship with others who also love the light over the darkness and who want to keep the light shining brightly in their lives by embracing Him and the things that make Him love us. I want share this blessing with others, to help bring light where the darkness mistakenly thinks it reigns.

For there is only one King of Kings and Lord of Lords. And with Him in our lives we will always know that light will triumph over darkness.

Thanks for reading and God Bless.

Just a second...

James 4:13-15

13 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will[a] go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit”; 14 whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. 15 Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.”

In life time is one of the few commodities that God allows us to have some control over. Not much, but it is one of them.

So we can’t accuse or blame anyone else of wasting our time. It is we who allow our time to be wasted. As Lance Armstrong wrote in his book on cancer survival, every second counts.

But how we spend time is also a reflection of our priorities in life. One of my favourite sayings is never let the urgent stop the important but so often this happens to so many. I find it hard to prevent this from happening, but I do my best. If I make mistakes I want to make improvements, not excuses. To really make every second count.

For some work has become a priority that has no place other than no.1 in their lives. And those that don’t understand that are placed 2. And no one remembers who came second. So whilst these people are consumed by work and are consuming work everyone else who is just a second moves on.

Then one day the person who made work everything finds that work didn’t see it quite the same way, and then life changes. When they reach out to someone they find that they are no longer there because they got tired of being second. No one likes being just a second. And time is just too precious to spend being second.

There are so many ways we can spend time. As the US Declaration of Independence states, God has given us life, liberty and the ability to pursue happiness. Sadly we give God second best all too often. I do. And I want to do more, be better with what I give back to Jesus. To not place Him second. To make Him more than just a second.

For it is better to give than to receive. And this includes our time. It is better to give our time to Him, to loving others, to reaching out to others. The time we spend every second of every day is a reflection of how we feel about ourselves, our priorities and our motivation. To God we are not just a second.

But one day we will be accountable for all of our seconds. We already are but some have not realised this yet. Never be just a second. Never let God become just a second. As Romans 12:9-11 says:

9 Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. 10 Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honour giving preference to one another; 11 not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord;

As Psalm 100 says I serve God with gladness. I am gracious for the time He has given me. I am gracious that He has made me more than just a second. I want to make Him more than just a second. I want to bless others by telling them about how great God is, and why He should be first not second in our lives.

Thanks for reading and God Bless.

Hero of the Day

Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear - not absence of fear, Mark Twain.

There are so many people out there who are heroes to me. And they are not heroes of the day. Not that we should not have heroes of the day. But sometimes we place the heroes around us on a higher moral plane than others, and all of a sudden we find ourselves judging them harshly and being disappointed in them for their failings.

Sadly it is us who are at fault for being hypocritical and not realising that as people in the world as we are they too are sinners like us. Our heroes suffer as much as we do, and need help as much as we do with the issues in life.

My ultimate hero is Jesus. He endured more than I could ever imagine and not once did he run away. Some of my other heroes are some of my closest friends. And of late some of them have been buffeted by the strong winds of life. I have too. It is hard. Life is hard but sometimes it is only when we know how close we are to dying that we learn to fight for life, and in life. I want to become Superman strong in my faith, to bless others and help others, but don't worry I won't be wearing my undies on the outside anytime soon. It is growing strong but it still has so much further to go.

Stay strong my friends, my heroes, for you show not just courage but faith to many. Don't let circumstance or words break you. Reach out to our Hero of Life, Jesus. And love God and others with all your heart and soul and show them that Hero inside of you.

Quick post but I'll write more soon.

God Bless.

Fishing Trip

A couple of weeks back I had the pleasure of going on a fishing trip to the beautiful south coast of NSW. The exact location? Well I have just plum forgotten. But I know that when the time is right, i.e. the next fishing trip, my memory will recall the exact place and venue.

I was really looking forward to this trip as I had heard so much about it from so many. When the trip was first announced I didn't get in quick enough and missed the chance to go, but then at the last minute a spare spot came up and the legendary organiser Jason Cutting slotted me in.

Being a 5pm Friday finisher, and having an empty family car, I was pleased that I was able to have the company of Rob, Leon and AJ for the trip down the coast. What a trip it was!

No I didn't speed or put the car on two wheels to see if everyone now thought I could be a professional stunt driver. We just all had a good talk. About everything and anything. It was not just about sharing wisdom, but also knowledge and talking about some of the challenges we face as men.

For the women folk reading, seriously, these challenges included how we could all sew better, that folding the washing is a brilliant idea and the in-depth and rowdy conversation on what brand of rice steamer is the best. I suppose you just had to be in the car to really know what we talked about but I will say Rob's story of how he popped the question was great :D

It was nice though to know a little more about everyone, to just talk and share our love of God. Even better to do that over a seafood dinner at Bateman's Bay, yummy! I am just so proud of all of us men saying no to those chips! Well at least 1% of them anyway!

We shared some more stories before arriving safely at our destination. Amazing how many stars you can see in the sky away from the night lights of a city, and the smell of the salt air and the sound of waves gently crashing onto a beach made that moment just a bit more special.

The next day was awesome - from the very first second to the very last before I left the camp early so I could get back home to usher the next day. It was great to wake up and smell the salt air linger in the air and then to see the magnificent blue of the ocean. Most of us had got up early to pray or to go fishing or to just catch up with other men, to talk and share some fellowship time.

It was great walking around the camp, seeing why it was just such a special place, and to go into a cabin and just relax and do whatever. The BBQ lunch was fantastic, nothing like a BBQ to make everyone feel that bit more relaxed.

That afternoon I walked down to the beach with several others. Some went fishing, some went swimming, some played games and some did it all! Yeah! Me? I walked down to the waters edge and just stood and looked out at the ocean. The first week I was born again I felt like I had just through a door and walked out onto a beach that looked out onto a massive blue ocean.

That ocean represented everything I was still to learn about God, and life. But it also represented the beginning of that journey, of walking with God. So standing on that beach was a time of reflection for me. Of what I had learnt, about my relationship with God, and my relationship with others, and, as my Dad says, there are only opportunities ahead for me, not problems.

That moment was perfect, a beautiful sunny day that was neither hot nor cold and very few clouds in the sky. Just awesome. I will put some photos up of that day, but it just doesn't do it justice. That moment was thanks to Jesus. He made it all possible. And perfect.

I spent the rest of the afternoon just enjoying the breeze and watching the sea eagle fly overhead on the currents of warm air rising off the steep hill that the camp was on. And of course having some great moments of fellowship.

All too soon the day was over and it was time to return home. I was blessed enough to have AJ, and following behind in his car Jono, for the journey home. An amazing trip for the fact just outside Batemans Bay we drove through a massive thunderstorm, but without the hail. Thank you Lord!

I can now see why so many men love going on the fishing trip. There were heaps of fish caught, Raul and Aaron caught bucket loads of everything from salmon to shark, but the chance to have some fellowship, to provide each other with strength and guidance on the issues that face men, well that was what the trip was really all about.

I think Ecclesiates 4:9-12 is not too bad when it comes to understanding the importance of the trip:

9: Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour.
10: For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up.
11: Again, if two lie together, then they have heat: but how can one be warm alone?
12: And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

Thanks to everyone who helped organise the trip, especially Craig and Jason. I can't wait till next year.

God Bless.

A Beautiful Poem...

Many, many years ago I read a poem that touched me quite deeply. For it's words, simplicity and emotion. I loved it so much that I laminated the poem (it was about the size of a large business card) and used to carry it in my wallet for motivation.

Tonight when I was cleaning up my old things from those times I found it. I googled the author and found that it was written by Nancye Sims, a great Christian poet. Tonight the poem is back in my wallet but I thought I'd share that poem with you as I think it is just fantastic.

So here it is:

Winners Are People Like You



Winners take chances.

Like everyone else, they fear failing,

But they refuse to let fear control them.

Winners don’t give up.

When life gets rough, they hang in

Until the going gets better.

Winners are flexible.

They realize there is more than one way

And are willing to try others.

Winners know they are not perfect.

They respect their weaknesses

While making the most of their strengths.

Winners fall, but they don’t stay down.

They stubbornly refuse to let a fall

Keep them from climbing.

Winners don’t blame

Fate for their failures

Nor luck for their successes.

Winners accept responsibility

For their lives.

Winners are positive thinkers

Who see good in all things.

From the ordinary

They make the extraordinary.

Winners believe in the path

They have chosen

Even when it’s hard,

Even when others can’t see

Where they are going.

Winners are patient.

They know a goal is only as worthy

As the effort that’s required to achieve it.

Winners are people like you.

They make this world

a better place to be……





Isn't that great?!

Till next time,

God Bless.

My Examples

Romans 12: 1-2 (KJV):

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

2And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Of late I have been doing lots of reflecting on the word of God. After Conference I felt like I had reached a new level in my relationship with God. It is a stronger relationship but also one where God exposes me to more knowledge and revelation that He knows I can now handle.

One aspect of this relationship has been to understand how beautiful God has been to me by surrounding me with so many examples of what it means to be Christian. People who show me what it is to really know God. No, to really, really know God. To be a close friend of His. To love Him. And I do love Him. I have loved Him since I was born again. I see many though who have loved Him for far longer than I, who have had far more thrown at them in life than I. And these people are my examples of what it means to be a Christian in the world of 2009.

Names are not important. Many are my friends, the sort of friends Heather wrote about on her post, but some I just know. After all Jesus did not choose his Disciples based solely on their names or how well he knew them, but who they were as people. For example, my namesake, Andrew, is rarely discussed in the Bible but yet he was one of the 12 Disciples. But isn’t that how it should be? Shouldn’t we be quiet achievers? And after all aren’t we all His Disciples? Shouldn’t we be?

I know that my examples are quiet about their achievements, as was Jesus about His. You wouldn’t know by talking to many of them about the Everest’s they have faced and conquered but to me their stories are inspirational not only because of who they are but also because their lives are a testimony and witness of the glory and grace of who they love: Jesus. Wow, you can just look at some of my examples and see how much Jesus loves them and how much they love Jesus.

Some of my examples bless me by reading my posts. Yes they bless me for I know that for many their time is precious. Very precious. Some share with me their love of God, and this is done both in action and word, sometimes it is one, sometimes both. And when I see this happen I also see the power, majesty and beauty that is God. God knows my mind and my thoughts so he doesn’t need to read my posts to know what I have written.

I also know from my examples that they never ever take anything for granted in life for they know that none of us are guaranteed anything in life other than what God gives us every day. We can pray and ask God for blessings or healing, but we must also be patient. We must surrender our lives to Him, make ourselves available to Him. Even when the Devil whispers in our ears that God has forsaken us, left us and ignores our prayers we must be faithful because God has never ever stopped loving us.

I know all of this because my examples have been through testing and trying times and emerged with their faith and love for God even stronger than what it was before. They are transformed by God and their minds are renewed and strengthened by God.

I didn’t want this to be a long blog post. Just one where I could thank God for putting so many wonderful people in my life who are my examples I can look to as I start my walk with God. At times I feel like I should be in Sunday School. But 20-30 years from now I know I will feel exactly the same because my examples have also shown me that you never ever stop learning from God. Ever.

The scripture at the top really spoke to me when I first read it a few nights ago. It just lept out at me. That has been happening a lot of late. Danielle wrote about a similar feeling in one of her posts. A few pieces of scripture have been reinforced and repeated. I know from my examples that when this happens that God is speaking to me. His living word is reaching out to me. And that’s why I know from my examples why reading His word is just so important.

So I will end my post here. I could write lots, lots more. For my examples are my inspirations. But I know that their own best example and inspiration is also the one I turn to everyday for an example and inspiration: Jesus.

God Bless.

Mountains and Inches

I recently watched a movie about the 1996 Everest tragedy where a climber who survived said that you don't need to go to Mt Everest to climb mountains. So true I thought. Most of the biggest mountains we face are inside us. Some appear out of no where.

In life though mountains are climbed every single day by each of us. Sometimes they are little mountains other times they are massive mountains, Everests as it were. But all mountians regardless of the size are climbed by inches.

I love hearing the testimony of people about the power of God in their lives because often they talk about how God made it possible for them to overcome their mountains, inch by inch. I am sure many of you reading this know Luke 1:37 off by heart: "For with God nothing will be impossible".

It doesn't say though that things will be easy, that we will be able to fly up and over mountains. No, we must climb these mountains inch by inch. It is one lesson that I am learning. Because the journey up the mountain helps make us understand His suffering better. He carried a cross for us, inch by inch, up to the top of Calvary. He set an example that no matter how great we think the pain is, how terrible the journey, how hard it feels, we can make it to the top of the mountain. Every inch matters in the journey.

But we know we are not alone when we climb our mountains. Jesus told His disciples in Matthew 19:26: "But Jesus looked at them and said to them, "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible". When we climb our mountains with God beside us, not only do the inches become easier, but we are also less likely to lose any that we have gained for we have His strength and spirit to make us fight for those inches.

God also puts others in our life who we can look into the eyes of and know that they too will help us fight for those inches. I know that the mountains I have climbed since finding God have been made easier by the help, support and encouragement of many of you. And inspiration? I never have to look far to find examples of many who have climbed mountains far bigger and harder than mine, and who now reach out to others to show them how they can climb their own mountains with the help and love of Jesus.

So if you are facing a mountain, or maybe know someone else who is, help them fight for those inches, tell them to reach out to God for he will run towards them and embrace them and be beside them as those inches are climbed and those mountains overcome.

As Psalm 27:1 says: "The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?"

In 2009 we will all climb mountains. Some will be tough and hard, at times exasperating. But with God beside us none of them will be impossible.

God Bless.

08 & 09; with Thanks :D

2008 was a massive year for me. So much happened that I could be writing this post all afternoon and you would be reading it all evening. The single biggest and best thing to happen in 08, in fact ever, was to be saved by Jesus and be born again.

Jesus led me out of the darkness in May, showed me the Light, cleaned me and filled me with His Holy Spirit. Thank you Jesus!!!!!

Psalm 27:1 is one verse I want to learn off by heart because of how much it means to me in relation to that wonderful day: The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

After that day in May everything changed. And everything started to make sense. Every thing. And did I ever feel bubbly in so many ways!!! Still do, will always do :D

Since then my relationship with God grows stronger every day but I feel at times like a new born babe. Some days are a challenge and I pray many times in these days for His grace and strength to help me through them. Every time my prayers have been answered.

I have experienced so many blessings since being born again and I realised too that He had already blessed me by giving me a talent that allows me to do my job well every single day. A job where I can reach out to those who are lost in the darkness but who are reaching out for the Light.

Another big blessing in 08 that I received, that I know will be there in 09, is the support of so many in my walk with God. That's you. Yes you, the people who read this, who I share my love with God with, to share the love of the life He has created for me and allowed me to live. You. You, a person filled with His gracious spirit, who have shown me things I never knew existed, allowed me to have experiences and memories that I will have forever and who have laughed as I stumble with my memory verses.

To you, each of you, I say thank you.

Danielle thank you especially. You are one amazing person and I thank you for everything that you did for me in 2008. You are an inspiration to me in so many ways.

In 2009 I have one simple prayer. To grow closer to God. Because by growing closer to God I know everything I was blessed with in 08 will be there in 09. I will love and nurture family, faith and friends.

Phillipians 4:8 sums up best all that I will work for in 09: Finally, brethern, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report, if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

To all of you, I hope that God blesses you richly in 2009 and beyond.

God Bless.

Why loving to KISS ensures things don't get too WIIFY

Of late I've been learning how to KISS again. KISS = Keep It Simple Stupid. Life is hard enough already without making it more complex. And I really needed to learn that again. At this time of year many people make life complicated when it does not need to be. And if we learn to KISS then we won't be asking ourselves if we are becoming too WIIFY.

WIIFY = What's In It For You. So much of society in 2008 lives by the WIIFY principle. There will be sadly a great many people who will unwrap a present on December 25 and be disappointed because they didn't get something they wanted. Now that to me is WIIFY. I'm just happy to be alive, healthy, Australian and rejoice in the love of God. That is a present I receive every second of every day.

But think about Jesus. He lived simply. Very simply. And WIIFY? He never did anything for the WIIFY theory. Thank you Jesus!!! If He had done things for the WIIFY principle where would all of us be? What better example do we have than Jesus?

By embracing a simple life He had happiness every single day. We can too. Happiness should not just be about a date on a calendar. After all every single day is the same. December 25 has the same number of hours in it as every other day in the year. And every day is an opportunity for happiness. Every day can be a challenge too but we should make that an opportunity to become closer to Him, and of course ultimate happiness.

1 Peter 3:8-9 has a great verse on this:

"Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous; not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing."

So every day, not just December 25, if we KISS we won't come across as too WIIFY to others. And isn't that a blessing worth having.

God Bless.

JOY =

Jesus. Others. Yourself. That is what joy equals to me. I read that in an email sent last week by Aaron. It makes perfect sense to me. It's perfect in every way in fact.

If we have a strong relationship with Jesus we will be happy and blessed. This is none better seen than in the fruits of the spirit. As Galatians 5:22-23 states "But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law".

And if these are the fruits of being blessed with being filled with His Spirit then it is no wonder that our relationship with others should also be one of joy.

Yourself? Last of course. Sadly in our consumerist society companies are marketing products at us from the moment we take our first breath we are told to be selfish and have more, more, more of everything.

Well I am selfish. I want more, more, more of Jesus!!!! I know what JOY means and I know what joy equals. And I know I will believe in joy forever.