Jill Boyd

Held by Him

2012-01-09T02:33:00.000-08:00

I had the great privilege of speaking in church just before christmas on trust. Such a simple word that we all know and yet it's the foundation of our relationship with God. Trusting in His perfect love is where it all begins.

Children are the best examples when it comes to demonstrating trust. Jesus himself said that we need to become childlike to see Kingdom and all that it brings. It's being like a child and simply believing Him and taking Him at his word. Particularly young children don't tend to ask how things are going to happen - they just go with it. They take us as their parents at our word.

I had an incredible sense this week of being held by God. It got me thinking about what that actually means. A lot of lovely newborns have been added to our church family recently and of course everyone wants to hold them. No-one is going to drop them (well in theory) they're secure, at rest and aren't even wondering "I hope they're holding on tight." That thought doesn't even enter their little heads - they relax and enjoy the fact that someone has got them.

However something instinctively changes as we get a bit older. Even my girls who are not 4 & 6, when I'm holding them, you can be sure that they've got a fist on my clothes and are in turn holding for grim death onto me. I'm not going to drop them, but yet they instinctively hold on to me too.

I honestly felt challenged this week by God to let go of my grip on Him, He's not going anywhere. He has got me. Why is this a big challenge??

It's takes trust to let go and believe that he's holding onto to me and I can relax.

There is an incredible rest and freedom that comes from knowing that we are held and have the attention and affection of our creator. There's nothing we can do, but like a newborn, snuggle in, relax and know that we are indeed Held by Him.

KINGDOM

2011-02-27T12:50:00.000-08:00

So we started a new series in church today KINGDOM: Healer
Needless to say it started with a bang and was incredible.
I can't tell you how excited I am about this series. Our God is so incredible, faithful and true to his word.

I've realised how easy it can be to simply chase his benefits and yet somehow miss him. The idea of chasing the healer and not the healing was the line that stood out in today's sermon.
There is such a fine line between trying to muster up enough faith to get it to work - we all know there is an element of faith involved. But when our faith is not placed on His goodness, His faithfulness, His grace, His words - then it's not biblical faith.
It has nothing to do with us and everything to do about him.
We don't have to work or get our faith to a certain level - we simply need to trust him.

Faith is always involved: but recently I've been seeing faith more as trust as opposed to this abstract thing that I can't really seem to explain but know I need.
Trusting in the goodness of God, trusting that he is true to his word and believing that He will do what he says he will do - that's faith!

The teaching at Church in the last few weeks has been incredible. A great foundation for understanding Kingdom and kingdom living.

Let's not be people who just take things as they are, but lets be forceful men and women who expect to see the kingdom of God invade our broken world and change it.

GOD IS FAITHFUL

Isaiah 55
¹¹ so is my word that goes out from my mouth:
It will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

Psalm 103
² Praise the LORD, my soul,
and forget not all his benefits—
³ who forgives all your sins
and heals all your diseases,

Time to let go and let God :)

Visit www.exchangechurchbelfast.com and link this series

Exciting times...

2010-12-08T01:12:00.001-08:00

I am actually horrific at blogging these days.
My obsession with twitter and facebook status updates has taken over. I need help!!
It's probably best at times I limit what I say lol - this blog gets me in trouble.

Anyhow - there are times when a word count gets annoying and you can't get to say all you really want to.
This season is life is.... how shall I put it..... EPIC, AMAZING, WONDERFUL, GREAT! Yup - that pretty much sums it up.

I am so excited for 2011.
God has been so faithful and true to his word. I've always been excited about the bible - but something is different these days. I'm not even sure I can explain it with words.
But that 'little black book' or in my case 'PINK' - is God's word!!
Sometimes we can get caught up in what is God saying now - and that is important that we tune in to that - but how incredible to know that we have a reference, a point, pages that we can turn to and find everything we need to know about our God.

The truth is - He never changes. He's the same, yesterday, today and forever.
He's not going to say something 'out of character'.

Maybe we hear God the most when we understand His character.
It should never be "what's God going to do?" We have this incredible book - a consistent God - that points us in the right direction.

This recently has been my constant!

When life can get crazy - the one thing that remains true is the word of God.
May our experiences and circumstances never have us doubting the truth of God and His word.

Apparently 2011 marks the 500th year anniversary of the bible being translated in English. I feel the need to do something to mark it.... haven't a clue what. But my brain is ticking.
Suggestions welcome lol

Lets treasure this treasure!

The great love story...

2010-04-01T04:06:00.000-07:00

It’s the glorious time of year again that I just absolutely love. EASTER!
Nothing to do with chocolate, holidays or time of work, but because it’s all about Jesus: and not simply just about a person, but an ‘action’ that this person did that changed the course of the entire world.

What happened to Jesus on the cross was truly astounding. It’s not just a story, a gruesome story at that, but a plan that was set out from the beginning of the world in an attempt to restore creation back to it’s creator.
I love this rescue story.

What I love even more about it, is that over the last few years I’ve really understood it. The ‘completed’ work of the cross. The ‘finished’ work of Jesus. The reality that everything I need in life flows from that great act of love, the great exchange of His life for mine and that completely blows my mind.
I don’t need to try and get, I don’t need ‘more faith’ before I receive – I simply need to believe in the last few words that my Jesus spoke on the cross ‘it is finished’.
I have no doubt today, that God is urging us to see that all was provided for us at the cross. Our salvation, our healing, dare I say prosperity (controversial) our freedom.
Label me a health and wealth gospel preacher all you like – I would rather believe that the victory of my Lord on that great day, defeating EVERYTHING that I struggle with is actually true according to HIS word, not mine.
There is power in the cross. I don’t need to do anything but receive what Jesus provided.

The enemy has done a fantastic job at convincing people that they need to add to the work of Jesus. There is nothing to add, it is complete.

This Easter chose to REST in all that Jesus has done for you.

“It is done, It is won
The battle is over now
It is done”

Amen and a big THANK YOU TO MY MAN JC :)

Life as Nemesis knows it.....

2009-05-26T13:44:00.000-07:00

A few weekends ago I went to Alton Towers with a few friends and I’d forgotten how much I love rollercoasters. Grant it, we ended up only getting on 2 as queueing for 70-80mins for a 30 second thrill really is a bit tedious.
But never the less those 30 secs where exhilarating.
There’s something exciting and scary about the unknown - I think that’s what makes rollercoasters so incredibly brilliant.

I’ve often heard life described as a rollercoaster - and in that respect I’ve definitely had my up/down moments. But recently I’ve been thinking about the future and all the possibilities that life has in store.
The last few months have been the most amazing yet most difficult of my entire life.
It feels as though I’ve stepped onto a rollercoaster - I’ve no idea what’s around the next corner, but the one think I’m confident about is that I’m supposed to be on it.
Whilst it’s turns and twists are surprising at times - it has been great.
Aaron and I have gone through some pretty big changes in life this year - it’s been refining and defining who we are and what we’re called to be.
This is definitely the beginning of an adventure. In some ways we’ve used a fast pass - and God has been so amazing and gracious and wonderful in placing key people around us and allowing that to happen.

I’m on this rollercoaster to the end. Others have jumped off already - and that’s cool. Other’s question what this rollercoaster is all about.
The one thing I’ve realised is that I can be so busy worrying about who is on, who is off, what people are saying, blah blah blah, that I actually miss the entire ride.
I don’t want to do that anymore.
I’m holding on for all it’s worth.....

We are standing on the edge of something much much bigger than us - and that’s the best thing about it.

Youth Pastor?

2009-04-04T02:49:00.000-07:00

There is No Shadow.....

2009-01-19T15:11:00.001-08:00

I had a moment of revelation this morning while I was listening to one of Griffsers songs! Sometimes you can sing away to a song and totally disconnect from the words - but I found myself this morning in my car having a light bulb switch on moment.
I've listened to this song 'Refuge' a lot recently and I totally love it. There are some songs that ring out great truths about God and this for me is one of them.

The refrain declares 'unchanging God, There is no shadow of turning with you' - another phrase from another hymn that I've sang a million times.

But I started to really meditate on that particular phrase this morning - and that simple truth that God is unchanging, to the point that he doesn't move or waiver on what he thinks - he remains the same. There literally is no movement in his shadow - he's the same.

I guess I've read a lot recently and it really has me concerned that there are some people who really believe that on one hand God is good, God is love, God is for us etc etc, yet on the other hand He's handing crap cards out to people in the form of sickness, poverty, and anything else negative in life.

I sometimes think that the majority of Christians/Churches have done a pretty poor job of teaching on suffering. There is no denying it - we do live in a fallen world, a world in which Satan is roaming about, where he is doing all he can to deceive and fool everyone. I think the biggest deception ever is this misconception that our good God can quite happily let bad things happen.

God's heart is 100% breaking when he looks at this suffering world. It's not what he planned at all!! Our God is not handing out sickness one day and healing the next, he's not providing for us one day and then taking it all back the next.
Bad things do happen, yet most Christians are quite happy to point the finger at God with not a second thought at accusing our real enemy.
Either God is good or He is not!!!
He does not put bad things into our lives to teach us a lesson or help us depend on him.
That is really bad parenting - and as a mum who isn't perfect in comparison to Him, I would never even dream of mistreating my kids to help them learn - that is sick.

God has the amazing ability to turn our struggles in this life around to His good purposes.

The Church needs to start answering those difficult questions that people have, instead of always turning horrible situations into a "well it was part of God's plan, He knows best, He is in control".
It breaks my heart when I talk to people who have walked through difficulties and they genuinely think God put that in their life to teach them something.

I totally believe that God is a good God, who doesn't change. He is the same yesterday, today and forever and His purpose has been the same since the beginning of time - to be in relationship with us and lavish us in His goodness and love.

It is Satan, the deceiver and Father of lies who is robbing us of this truth - God is For us!!

And this is the song that inspired this post!! A personal favourite these days, this guy is one to watch

REFUGE (Ryan Griffith - Griffsers lol)
God is our refuge and our strength
An ever present help
Therefore I shall not fear
Though the earth gives way
and mountains fall
though it's waters rise
and my world may shake

Our God is the shelter in the storm
Our God is the one who won't let go
Our God he remains the same
Yesterday Today Forever
He will never change

God of great wisdom and of love
My times are in your hands
You're the hope on which I stand
Though the earth gives way
and mountains fall
though it's waters rise
and my world may shake

Unchanging God
There is no shadow of turning with you

Do resolutions work???

2009-01-01T05:21:00.000-08:00

I've just revisited the blog I posted exactly a year ago. My goal for 2008 was to read through the entire bible cover to cover twice. 7 chapters a day!!! Did I do it??

Well before you laugh, and before I make up a terrible excuse as to why I failed miserably - I have to say that this little challenge without a doubt stirred up a new passion and hunger for more of the word of God. After a few months into it I realised that I had actually turned this into a chore. It became more about me ticking the boxes to say I'd done it - than actually enjoy it. I'm not making that the excuse for stopping - because in fact I probably read more than that some days. 2008 has definitely been the year of the word. I don't even think my words could justify the journey I've been on this year.

Some of you who read my blog and know me will understand more about that journey. Gods word has the most incredible way of shaking you up, making you fell uncomfortable and it challenges your life in the most gentle, loving way. It really is great - and for the first time in years, I experienced a true excitement as I picked up that book.

I'm almost certain that it was Peter Jordan who said this when he preached one night in CFC - he said that the hardest bits in the bible where in fact the bits that where really easy to understand. You know those bits - the parts that are totally black and white, there's no reading between lines or taking opinions or history into account - it's there, plain and simple!! Easy to understand - and it unsettles you to your very core because you know that your thinking is so far away from that.

I've learnt a lot this year from that book. I've realised that for a long time I've let my life dictate that book. I've let my life mould IT - and made it fit my life. When my experiences in life contradict what God's word actually say, I've chosen to believe what's in front of my nose because that appears more real. What I see has been my reality.

But thats not what it's about at all. Whenever you take God's word as fact - boy does it start messing with your cosy little world.
When you're walking through sickness and God's word clearly says that 'by his stripes you are healed'
When you walking through financial difficulty and God's word says that 'he's your provider - worry for nothing, like the lillies
When you feel ashamed, guilty and so far from God - yet his word says you are holy, righteous and have the very nature of Jesus on the inside of you.

This stuff totally messes things up - and this year I've been challenged as to what I actually believe. Do I believe in God in the middle of my mess - or do I focus on the mess so much that there's no room for God.

When you read the bible and read about the great men of faith (in that amazing chapter in Hebrews) you realise what it was that made them different from the people around them. They believed God's word in spite of the physical circumstance that was the opposite of what God said.
Abraham walked around childless for 40 years with a name that declared he was the father of many.
Noah trusted the word so much so that he built a boat, was mocked because it was a ridulous thing to do - yet he believed.
There's so many examples - but you get the point!

I think there is a great challenge in all of this. Because the truth is - God kept his promise to all these people. Because God is faithful, true to his word - and our part is to have faith in that word.

Whatever God has promised you (and that book lists them all - if you're a child of God) - keep holding on to it. He is faithful, he is good - don't let life tell you otherwise. Keep standing on the word, renew your mind and let it change your world. What's my resolution this year ?? To keep on pressing on

A big 3

2008-12-27T17:26:00.001-08:00

Haven't blogged in a while - I've got out of the sync of it and to be honest didn't know what to blog about. Life is crazy and has taken many turns, all of which I could write a book about - but that' for another time.

Today my Lily turned 3! I'm a bit of an old sop when it comes to milestones and looking back at those key moments in life that change you.
I've just come into our bedroom after my usual nighttime routine of checking all is well with the girls. Lily is wrapped up in her new princess duvet and sound asleep.
She really is my princess.
Minnie mouse is in her usual position - tucked tight under the arm with the label sticking out. Rebecca rabbit is the new addition bought today from build-a-bear - a whole 2 hour wait for the princess to get her birthday pressie.

But my big baby sleeps and I realise how 3 years have flown past my eyes. But I look back and realise how much I've grown up. I can remember my first night in hospital with this bundle beside me wondering how the flip I was ever going to manage. It freaked me out how this little life depended so much on me. And now it feels as thought I'm an old hat at it all.

I used to hear people say all the time how kids change you! The very core of my being is still the same of course, but I totally know that something in me has changed.
I've a new appreciation of time - that's for sure lol. It's amazing how much I can do in just 1 hour without the kids.

The girls have definitely brought a whole new meaning to 'love'.
It's definitely true that you experience a whole new side to love when you become a parent.
I had an epiphany of God's love whenever I had Lily, and I'm still overwhelmed at the author of love as I watch Him at work in my family.

No matter what - my girls will always be my girls. There's no changing that. Even though they have their grumpy days, sad days, and days when they spend more time on the naughty step - I love them to bits. It's unconditional!!
My thoughts towards my angels are still only a proportion of what God feels about us. And that is the coolest thing.

I know my love for Lily and Josie - is only a fraction of how much God loves them.

During the summer while on holiday in France, Lily had a bad cough. It was starting to move into her chest and once again I was living with this fear that she was going to get a chest infection and end up in hospital.
I can remember having a little moment with God at around 4am whilst everyone else was sound asleep. I had nipped into Lily's room and started to pray over her. The more I prayed, it seemed she coughed all the more, and the more she coughed the more I got frustrated. A moment came when I cried out to God in anger as I shouted my frustrations at Him. I would rather take that cough that have Lily have to bear it. And in that beautiful moment I heard Him say the same thing.
I can't tell you how much that moved me - to not only know that God would do that, but to know and believe that Jesus actually did it.

I totally get how I would do anything for my kids - literally anything.

And the greatest truth is - it's the same with God. He would do anything for us - in fact He's already done it. It is finished!!!

Grace and Faith

2008-10-11T07:53:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I blogged. Life is busy busy buys at the mo.

I've been studying Grace and Faith recently. My year so far has been a bit crazy, but brilliant all the same. I remember way back at the beginning of the year reading a book about Grace - and it blew my mind. That book really spoke to me, and I was gently reminded that my walk with God should not be based on performance. That he loves me for me - not because of what I do.
The middle of my year has lead to me studying Faith.
It almost seems that there is a bit of a conflict between these 2 things. With faith there is an element of 'us' having to do something.

My blog about belief/unbelief seemed to stir a few waters so to speak. I know some people where concerned that I was putting Lily's healing onto my own shoulders. But I really want to stress that is not what we are doing.

I guess in the church - it's either Grace or Faith at times. It seems that way anyway.

I was reminded when I read Ephesians this morning - "that it's by grace you have been saved through faith....."
Both go hand in hand - you can't have one without the other. It's incorrect to sway to either side.
It's not incorporating the whole truth when we do this.
Grace and Faith - should be a beautiful collision, as Dave Crowder put it.

We believe in the Grace of God, but we appropriate that Grace through Faith. The 2 go hand in hand.

I've more to say about this, but it's really late......

The joys of blogging so close to midnight lol

Jn316

2008-08-31T03:20:00.000-07:00

So some of you might know that when Boydo gets something into his head he pretty much does it, no matter how ridiculous it might be.
This has lead to random spontaneous decisions of 'I'm going to America next week' and the best of all his announcements 'I think I want to go to France - I've booked a flight for tomorrow'.
There's no stopping him really. I used to take his little comments with a pinch of salt, but now I proceed with caution.
I dread to think sometimes what he'll come up with next - we watched a movie last night all about vineyards. "Jill, would you kill me if I bought a vineyard?" So watch this space lol.

His most recent, and in fairness harmless mission involved him buying a map of the world. I get a phone call to work with an excited Aaron on the other end declaring he's found the best picture for our bedroom. Knowing that it's highly unlikely my opinion may matter in light of his excitement - we make the decision to go for it.
"It's a pretty big picture - is that cool?"
"Well how big is big?"
"Jill, it's going to look cool...."

So I arrive home from work to find Aaron building a frame that took up our entire living room floor.
This pretty big picture is now taking up the entire wall space on my side of the bed.
Geography was never my strong point - so it's been very educational.

I'm amazed though that at the size of the world. When the word Belfast is actually bigger on the map than Ireland is - you begin to grasp that it is a big place.
We've always talked about changing the world - but when you look at the size of it, it's pretty freaky. Where do you start?

I woke up this morning to Josie climbing on my face and Lily and her cold feet walking over my legs. But when I kicked them out of the room I stood staring at the map again.
John 3v16 came to mind - and I was blown away for a few minutes as I realised that this work of changing the world started years before.
And it started with love.

God loves the whole world.... every bit of it. The bits we don't like, the people who crack us up, the people who hate us, love us.... whatever! He loves it all.

I don't know about you, but I find it hard enough sometimes to love everyone in 'my little world' - so the truth about God's love, neverending, unchanging, unconditional means the world to a broken world.

I want with all my heart to love like that - but I know that that kind of love only comes from Love himself - God!!!

GOD IS LOVE

Unbelief

2008-05-24T15:44:00.000-07:00

I've had such a growth spurt in the last 2 months. It's taken a while but I've had a complete revelation on healing, Lily, life, faith, belief, gospel - my world and thoughts have dramatically changed.

I know I haven't blogged in a while - I guess I just didn't know how to formulate into words what's racing round in my brain. But I'm going to give it a shot now.
Some of you might call me crazy - might even call the men in white coats - but hey - I'm living the dream.

I've been looking back over the last 2 years and trying to figure out this whole Lily and cystic fibrosis saga. I know now what my coping mechanism was. It was to ignore it. I didn't go crazy, I didn't get hysterical - I simply chose to ignore it. We prayed for healing - it didn't happen, and I know that I stopped asking. There was something in me that didn't want this affecting my view of who God was and is. He is our healer - but hadn't healed Lily. You can do a few things with that, throw the head up with God, crawl into a hole, be hysterical and overwhelmed - or just refuse to let anything bother you. If she's healed, great, if she's not great.
I stopped worrying about it - knowing that yes God was in control, but I didn't want the questions of 'why isn't this healing happening' getting in the way.

I've been so apathetic with this! My daughter with her life threatening condition - and I'd just accepted it. She looks good and to be honest we'd got so used to 'managing' it, that it was second nature.
Josies arrival has definitely made a difference. I've a completely healthy girl there - and if this did anything, it highlighted how much we actually have to do with Lily.
A few visits to CF websites had me totally scared that I would outlive my daughter and the harsh reality sunk in that this was serious. The drugs where masking it and doing a great job - but this needs to be dealt with. I don't want it anymore.

This has lead to me chasing after healing. I've been reading like there's no tomorrow and in many ways it's been sprinting after it.
The biggest revelation I guess I've had is that God did not make Lily sick. We're not a special couple who have been blessed with a sick child. God indirectly will teach us something because of this but did not cause it to teach us something - and the big part - God definitely wants Lily well.

I know this sounds really basic - but Jesus bore our sin and sickness on the cross. We have no doubt whatsoever in believing that our sins are gone, but our sickness??? Why do we find it so hard to believe.
The sin part is easy - or is it? We can't see if it's been dealt with. We have no way of proving it. But yet for many of us - we totally believe that Jesus has dealt with it. Our sickness on the other hand is a totally different story. This is the part that involves a physical sign.

Believe and you will receive..... what a simple phrase, but yet it's so flippin hard.

Lily's healing is totally dependent on us believing. God has already provided her healing. It's there - it's our for the taking. And the only thing that's stopping us from getting it is us. It's not God. He's is our healer!!! He just doesn't choose to heal some people depending on his mood. He's the same yesterday, today and forever. Jesus healed everyone - and in doing so demonstrated the will of God.
It is all about us believing.
That sits so much better with me than viewing God as someone who heals sometimes. I always knew that there had to be some formula for healing. I just didn't think it would be this simple - just believe!!

How profound - but yet crazy!

Healing is there - just grasp it!

What a journey - there is tons more to say, but my hand is sore typing lol plus it's dead late.

This is such a ramble, but there's way too much rattling round in here that I can't do it justice.

Your fame, Your renown

2008-02-20T01:10:00.000-08:00

"Your fame, your renown" has become a little catchphrase that's been rattling around my significant other ever since his return from the Passion regional in LA.

I've become fascinated recently with that movement and I find it so exciting to see something come out of people getting together and not just worshipping God, but serving as well. As far as I know at each regional event this year, they've collected towels and socks for to give out to........( mmm I don't actually know who), but they're giving them away to people who I guess need towels and socks.
These students have been giving their ever so precious pennies to help build wells in Africa.

I know the socks and towel thing is random, and I must actually find out what they did with them, but it's the whole fact that they're doing something.
Spending time in the presence of God should really birth mission of some size. Too often I think we all come together in our separate Christian bubbles - (heavens forbid we could all agree to be in the same bubble - but that's another rant for another time) - and do the lovely thing we call church and go home feeling good about ourselves.

I love seeing people just doing stuff for the kingdom. It's inspiring in every way.

We where talking in cell the other night about how we reach our communities. Of course all the right answers of serving, helping, praying etc all came out - but then Toogood threw the spanner that the greatest thing we can ever do for our neighbours is to tell them the good news of Jesus (as cheesy as that sounds). But he's right. Doing all the good acts of serving is great and it builds in relationship to tell people about God.
I'm thinking though that we are in danger of missing the purpose of the serving and chicken out of the telling....... kinda like show and tell..... we need to do both. We can serve and do good things all day long but all that makes us is good people. It's only when we bring God into it do we become good servants of the King and that's what makes the difference.

There's the 2 extremes I guess - the street preaching yelling the tell bit and then the being in the world lot of us who try to make Jesus known through our actions.
The 2 really need to go together. Well that's what I think anyway!!

Graceful Performance.....

2008-01-18T16:39:00.001-08:00

At age 18 GRACE became a word that totally revolutionized by life, and my relationship with God reached a whole other level.

It's the 19th January 2008, I'm now 26 and I'm sitting in bed reading Grace: The Power of the Gospel by Andrew Wommack. Once again I sit totally in awe of this amazing free gift.
I've just realised how this one small word is the biggest part of my relationship with God. I'm now wondering what I've been doing in the last 8 years, because somewhere down the line I'd forgotten this.

Grace amazed me in my late teens and all I wanted to do was live for God who gave me this wonderful free gift. Serving Him was amazing. In the years of all the serving (and I only know this now looking back) I've slipped into my old thinking of trying to please God through my serving.
I know that it pleases Him, but it doesn't put me any more in rightstanding with Him. He loves me. God loves Jill Boyd. Jesus died for Jill Boyd. And the Holy Spirit living in Jill Boyd has gently showed me once again that Godly truth, that He loves me no matter what.

The performance doesn't matter to Him.
But it matters to me. A performance this time, not to earn any more approval (theres no more to earn). But a performance of sheer gratitude out of a heart that's bursting with joy, knowing that if she messes up the performance, it doesn't matter anyway.
The cross finished it.
Jesus paid it all.

Could someone pass the tissues???

2008-01-10T03:14:00.001-08:00

Ok - I've found the first book that's ever made me cry. It's an historical moment.

I know people recommend books all the time including me, but this book is a must read. It's so flippin amazing! This is the long awaited second book by Wendy Alec - so you have to read the first one as well, which is as equally amazing.

I love Jesus a whole lot more after reading 2 of the most amazing chapters last night in bed. He truly is amazing!

Read your bible, pray every day if you want to grow

2008-01-01T15:26:00.000-08:00

Every turn of the year I always try to make a goal for that year - I hate the term new years resolution. It reminds me of things that I've not achieved and given up on with the rest of the world. I know that changing the phrase doesn't do anything but I'm setting goals, not resolutions this year anyway.

But I always set out the 'goal' to read more. I love to read - but time just doesn't allow it these days. The one thing I'm eager to do is not to allow the ordinary books of life take the place of the best book ever - the bible in case you're wondering.
I know that definitely in my life - I've often replaced the reading of THE Holy book with books about the Holy book. How easy is that to do? (or am I the only one)

I can't remember who it was that told me there goal of reading the bible twice a year and the changing their translation ever 2 years. But I think it's a good goal to aim towards. I always say I'm going to read the word cover to cover in the year - but never do. Chronicles kills me lol.

I bought Paul Reids Life Jouranl (advertising lol) from church a few months back when it went on sale, but couldn't cope with starting the reading plan at the end of the year - poor excuse I know.
But I'm amazed to realise that you only need to read 3.25 chapters of the bible a day to do it in a year! I totally thought it was more than that. But it seems totally doable whenever I think about how many chapters of a good novel I read at night.

So I"m going to read 3 chapters of the NT daily and 4 chapters of the OT daily. You can ask me how that's going at any point - or better still join me.

This year is the year of more - more reading the Words of Life!

Us as elves lol

2007-12-19T14:58:00.000-08:00

So Toogood elfed his whole family and it made me laugh a lot lol. So just had to do it and disgrace the Boydos as well.

http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1583668197

Happy Christmas to all!

What are these people doing?

2007-12-17T04:14:00.000-08:00

I cannot for the life of me believe that these people did this. Surely they know that people are totally making fun of them. Seriously...... come on. Do they not having any friends or family who love them enough to stop them doing the most humiliating thing of their lives. lol

I am totally scundered watching it!

No Fear, No Envy, No Meaness

2007-11-23T15:02:00.000-08:00

Cannot for the life of me get this phrase out of my head.

A very wise old man (joking about the old) shared it a few nights back and I'm convinced it is the key to living a great and happy life.

If we fear someones talent, gift or anointing, we ultimately become envious and then start acting mean. It's a natural progression!

What a challenge to try and avoid this from happening. All too important in ministry - that we don't have a fear of those who may be bigger and better than us. Its all for the kingdom anyway and the glory goes up - or does it??

No Fear! No Envy! No Meaness!

Bad Googling.....

2007-11-17T07:06:00.001-08:00

I went online last night with the intentions of ordering some Christmas Cards from the Cystic Fibrosis Trust. Every little helps in the fight to find a cure!
I think I may have made the fatal error of having a wee nosey round their site. Something I haven't done in the 2 years of Lily being here and being diagnosed with that condition believe it or not. And it has totally freaked me out.

There's everything on there - including a 'star in the sky' memorial page, for families to assign a star to the person they've lost to CF. It's hard to close the page - so I found myself clicking on several stars just to see the faces of people who have lost their lives to this condition. The positive thing was that most of recent additions where adults - but all around 30. It does show that the survival age/rate has increased, but on the down side there still is no cure.

So instead of closing the page I went on another search to see what I could find. And I found blogs, bebo pages all dedicated to spreading the awareness of the condition.

Like it or not, this condition affects us. I don't want to outlive my daughter - who does? That's not the way it should be.
If anything it's made even more anxious about her healing. I believe God is protecting her, but to see her healing manifest itself is really what I long for.

I guess when I look at Lily I don't see someone who is sick - anything but. Facts tell me though that as she gets older the disease in theory should present itself more clearly. She'll be admitted to hospital for most of her life - till she eventually might struggle breathing.

So what do we do in moments like this?

Do I choose to believe the facts - expecting this chain of events to occur in Lilys life? Do I accept that, because someone or a website tells me that it's going to happen?

How easy it is to believe doctors. But as intelligent as they are - they don't have the last word. There's a name bigger than cystic fibrosis, in fact bigger than any disease or illness. It's not as in your face believable as the so-called 'facts' so it's not as easy to accept the chain of events that can take place through faith in this name.

But the truth is as a Christian - I should have more trouble believing the facts and the natural than believing the spiritual because the spiritual should be the reality in my life. The spiritual declares health, healing and wholeness - and that needs to be reality. That needs to be fact.

I guess this is what is known as living by faith and not by sight.

So I'm choosing faith - and refuse to accept this so called chain of events for Lily.

Josie Rafya Boyd

2007-11-09T14:13:00.000-08:00

5 days over but she finally got here and made her glorious arrival on Thursday 25th October.
I had all the girlies from my cell group pray for me a week or so before the birth and shared with them all the things running through my mind like the pain, the speed, the timing and the health of me and baby.
I can honestly say that every single prayer was answered and I don't think I could've asked for a more perfect birth. It was brilliant.
Missed rush hour traffic, was seen straight away, got all the pain relief I needed - and even had a moment this time round to pray in the middle of it all lol.

Aaron and I played Dave Crowders Remedy album over and over again. It's amazing how random things can sound when you're on the old gas and air. Love that stuff - as does Aaron who managed to have some himself in between my usage. He really has to be every midwifes worst nightmare.

So the perfect birth, topped off with the results that Josie doesn't have Cystic Fibrosis. So Rafya (meaning God heals) is her middle name. A truth for her and a prophetic statement for Lily. God does heal.

The Boydos have extended to 4 - apparently we're having 5 kids, but we'll see. lol

Rage v Grace

2007-10-24T10:02:00.000-07:00

So on Saturday night past, we had the joys of someone walking into our house in the middle of the night and helping themselves to our beautiful macbook, Aaron's new mobile, our house phone, my purse and camera.
Yeah you got me - they just walked in!!

In the hype of contractions (that didn't come to anything in the end) we ended up forgetting to lock our front door. And so made it very accessible for someonw to just come on in.
Obviously we've had lots of comments "oh you should always lock your door". Duh - bit of an obvious one really, and a lesson/mistake that we've learned from.

It seems in moments like this that people tend to pass blame onto us for not locking our door and almost come at us with this attitude of "it serves you right".

Yes we made a fatal mistake - but surely the issue is about people thinking they have the right to walk into our house and help themselves to our property without our permission.

Yeah we're raging our stuff was stolen - who wouldn't be. We're even hearing rumours that people know who did it and where this person lives. We've even driven past the said house.

I've been reading Shane Claibournes book 'An irristable Revolution' and it's stirred my thinking of how ordinary people in ordinary moments can be radicals in their response to things.
We dedided the other day to give some money away after our walk in (cos I can't call it a break in).
Well to be honest - Aaron gave it away to someone before we confirmed who we'd give it to. But I had thoughts of dropping it through the door of this house where apparently our little theif lives. He's obviously in need of something if he feels the need to steal. How different - instead of blessing nice people who deserve it, we bless the people who annoy us and in a way don't deserve it. What a true example of extended Grace!
Being an ordinary Radical! Well we've no money left to give, cos we went down the nice people route - but I'm regretting not giving it our little friend the theif.
Who knows what Acts of Random Kindness (stolen from Evan Almighty) can do to a persons soul.
It's funny cos there's nothing but christian music on the itunes on the laptop, accompanied by sermon notes and videos. Maybe he'll read something, maybe he'll change, or maybe he won't. Who knows?

But Grace wins everytime.

He might get some grace yet!

3 years

2007-10-14T06:36:00.000-07:00

So it's been a whole 3 years of marriage for me and the lovely Aaron as of Tuesday 9th October. Friday marked another milestone of being together for 8 years and I can't believe it at all.
We seemed to have come so far.
I'm still totally in love with the love of my life - and it really has been an amazing 3 years of marriage.

People always seem so negative when you start saying that you're getting married. I can remember when we got engaged - and hearing lots of comments "oh that's you now". Then you have the good old insights of people who struggled when they got married - "oh the first year's the worst". And then when you announce you're pregnant - "oh that's really you now, sleepless nights, social life is no more."

And guess what - number 2 is nearly here and "having 2 is a whole new league, it really ties you down."

It seems as though everyone is really keen to place their own experiences automatically onto you. Aaron and I got really annoyed at this when the first round of comments came flying in when we got engaged. We rebuked every negative word that was spoken over us time and time again.

And here we are - either we're still living in that honeymoon period (though I'm pretty sure we're not), or we're just simply living our life our own way - blessed by God.
Life with Lily is truly amazing. And guess what - she is like the most amazing sleeper ever, and if anything we are still as busy if not busier. She comes too.
And apparently "you never get 2 the same". Well we've rebuked that as well..... so we'll see.

Rant officially over lol!

Greater Things....

2007-09-30T09:06:00.000-07:00

I finally got my hands on Bluetrees' Greater Things album today. Even though it's been out for a week, I only managed to physically get one today - looks like being married to a band member counts for nothing these days!!

If you read this you'll automatically think I'm bias towards the boys, which I probably am - but this album is truly amazing. I can't believe that after the journey we've all been on together - that this album is finally here, and it really is up there.

God has moved so much through the most random people to get this produced and into physical existence. It's fresh, exciting and is really easy listening. I've heard all the songs a million times over anyway, but this really does send shivers down my spine at how quality it is.

Greater things have yet to come....... if this is the only the start of the Bluetree journey, I can't even imagine what the end will be.

The boys have made me proud!

How do you pray?

2007-09-15T02:22:00.000-07:00

Over the last month or so I've been looking into the whole topic of prayer. When you're praying for something continuously and not really seeing it answered - you have to start wondering if you're approaching it wrong.
So I started reading every verse in the bible about prayer and just thinking about what God's word says about it.
There's a dolly mixture of verses in there that say really different things - from being persistent, to simply asking at it yours... so I did end up getting a bit consused to be honsest.

I'm a big fan of Andrew Wommack and didn't realise that he has written a book called A Better Way to Pray - the audio teaching is online as well. I don't know about anyone else, but I totallly don't get to read as much as I used to, so Amen to listening to sermons. It's great!

In the last week I've been simply listening to this teaching and delving into the book now and then to remind myself what I've heard, and I've been totally blessed simply hearing and understanding what prayer is all about.

I've found a great freedom, understanding that I don't have to spend an hour a day (or whatever length of time) in prayer to God. Sometimes we can spend all day thinking we haven't spent anytime with God at all - but the truth is we have. He can be in everything we do. Andrew Wommack talks about spending time with your partner. You can be in their presence all day long, yet not have any intimate time with them and it doen's mean you love them any less or they love you any less. It's about just enjoying the company of each other. But intimate times are still important for any relationship. You still need to have alone time - you still need to do something as couple.
And we need to apply this is our relationship with God. We need to learn to enjoy His company - whether that's playing with the kids, meeting friends or work. God is still there and we can involve Him is everything. It's about keeping short accounts throughout the day. But intimate times alone with Him is still required at some point.

I seriously recommend reading this book or listening to the teaching.

Seriously....

2007-09-03T07:09:00.000-07:00

So I'm here, ready to join the blogging world. Totally surprised at how easy it is to do - so now there's no excuse really.
I'm totally bewildered at the fact I have no recent/decent photos of me in the last year, so the pic is a from a few years ago, so I must get clicking to get a more recent one.

So I've 7 weeks or so to go before the grand (and by that I mean painful) arrival of baby number 2. I still can't believe it sometimes that I'm a mum already let alone nearly a mum of 2.
I'm excited, way more scared this time cos I know what it involves, but totally waiting in expectation to see what appears at the end of October.

I guess the big thing for us is the anticipation and hope that this baby won't have cystic fibrosis. I'm not exactly sure what I honestly feel about this yet - haven't thought about it too much to be perfectly honest, because I know that it's out of my control.
In my heart of hearts though, deep down, my instinct (or spirit) is telling me that it's completely healthy.
2 days before finding out that I was pregnant, I was getting ready and felt God prompting me to pray for our next baby - and to pray specifically for chromosome number 7.

To be perfectly honest I felt a bit stupid as I sat there with my hand on my tummy and spoke health and perfection into something that I thought wasn't there. Little did I know - God was already knitting this new baby together and 2 days later we found out we where pregnant.

I haven't really shared this with anyone - I guess part of me doesn't want my instinct to be wrong. There's something scary about being bold enough to make such statements in fear that the outcome will be different.

I was reading the book of Daniel recently - where Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego where placed into the fiery furnace. Before the door is closed they say - "our God will save us, but even if he doesn't we want you to know that we will never serve you."
God's sovereignty is never in question!! God is always good no matter what. God will heal, but even if He doesn't He'll still be Lord.

So that's my thoughts for the day lol - and it's heart on my sleeve where I'm at.