Exciting times...

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...

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.....

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?

There is No Shadow.....

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???

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

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!!!