The Presents of God

Many years ago as a young woman, I had friends who had three beautiful little girls.They loved to draw and one of them gave me a drawing she had done. The picture was of a little girl with her hands raised in the air.Up above her were all these little beautifully wrapped presents. I asked her to tell me about her drawing and she replied "It's the presents of God."
That imagery has always stayed with me. It truly is a gift to be able to experience the Presence of God.
It is a gift to have a person give you their full attention and listen to you. It is wonderful to know that another is fully present and engaged with you.When a person zones out and becomes distracted while you are having a conversation,it makes you feel as though you are not valuable to them.
For God to fully give us His attention and grace us with His presence is too wonderful for me to comprehend and is beyond the scope of vocabulary to describe.
Now, I know He dwells within us and is always present and is with us wherever we go. However, there is His manifest Presence where the supernatural power of God comes into our midst and the weight of His Glory changes us. In that place in time  the Glory of Heaven shines through the portal right here on earth and into our lives and we are forever changed.
This is the Presence that changes addicts in one moment in time and sets them free instantaneously.This is where people who suffer debilitating diseases can be healed and given a new lease on life.
Sometimes people are healed miraculously and other times it is over a period of time as they continually encounter the healing Presence of Jesus.
This is the signs following power of the gospel. You can experience this at work , at home or at church.
You can then , in turn,  be graced to help people to be set free in  everyday life wherever you encounter those that need a helping hand or a healing touch.
This is the glory of God-the Light that shines in the darkness.
This is an exciting time in history. The Light has come and the Glory of the Lord is rising upon us and  His people are wanting to see more and more of the manifestations of this Glorious God to bring His Kingdom into our everyday lives .God's people are wanting the King to come and change their families and reconcile the members one with the other and also to God.We are longing for our communities to be changed and  for His will to be done in our nation.
This gospel is potent and life changing and is still delivering people from despair and grief and heartaches.The Kingdom of God is clearly being demonstrated in changed lives and God is still in the business of propelling people towards their destinies and into His Kingdom purposes.

Jesus my Refuge

Ever had a few days where the cares of this life wage war against your internal sense of balance?
You wake a little anxious running over the scenarios in your mind again and again.
Right there I made a choice!
 I need to take this to The Lord and seek Him for peace and rest.
I have put on the whole armour and having done all to stand- still standing.

 Yet, my mind is being bombarded. Time to renew the mind and start to focus on the Promise and not the  situation.
Now, I am not talking about denial but giving the situation less influence in my thoughts and focussing more on being in The Presence and letting Him quell my fears and change the neural pathways that are in a rut and needing to be re-routed!

Feeling peaceful and calm in my hiding place in Jesus, I can now remember what He has promised me in His Word and be definite about trusting Him and having faith in who  He is and His nature. 

He is unchanging. If He said it , He will do it.

 I can trust Him because over decades I have tasted and seen that He is good and He has delivered me from all my fears. Why would he stop doing that now?
Just one call to my King and He hears me and comes in His manifest Wrap-around Presence and my heart surrenders its  anxiety and ceases to strive and innately knows He is My Father and He will take care of things.
In His Presence , in my safe place, in the Secret cleft in the Rock,  I am secure and taken care of.
All through the day I go back and remind myself of these precious moments and I can soothe the troubled thoughts that try to come.
Brother Lawrence called it Practicing the Presence of Jesus in his iconic book of that title.
I call it  life changing. 

Nine tenths of education is encouragement.-Anatole France

Encouragement is a soothing,healing,beautifully nurturing word. It is a praise word and I just love it.
It is a noun that means "the action of giving someone support, confidence or hope.
What a word so pregnant with meaning and rich with possibilities.It is   able to lift a person out of the doldrums and give their day a different outcome.
Everyone can encourage someone else.They can be a family member, a person at work, a next door neighbour,a shopkeeper you see once a week or it can be someone you have never met that you sense may need  a little love. A kind gesture can leave the recipient with the sense that the world is not such a bad place after all.
For some,a smile can make a person's day.We have so many and it costs nothing to give one away.
I am loving the idea of suspended coffees that is becoming popular. You buy your coffee and pay for another in advance. You pay it forward.
The list of ways to encourage is endless. It is as limited as your imagination.
I enjoy dashing off little Facebook posts or text messages to people to give them a boost.It lets them know someone is thinking of them at least and maybe even praying for them and just plain standing with them in solidarity through the darkness of their situation.
There is a beautiful saying that says  " Everyone is fighting a battle you know nothing about. Be kind."
I try to remember that saying when people are mean,grumpy or thoughtless. Shake it off and refuse to let it shape your day. Instead, purpose to love that person anyway and pray for their day to get brighter.
I can look back over decades of my life and remember times that I was in need of cheering up and other times I was in plain emotional dire straits and always there was someone sent to me as a gift to give me hope, support and confidence that tomorrow would dawn a new day and I would not always feel this way.
Sometimes the encouragement came in a letter, text, email,card or a phone call out of the blue, random flowers or a gift or a visit from someone.
One of my favourite parts of scripture (out of context) is-" And it came to pass."
I visualise the situation continuing on its merry way as it is not welcome to stay because it's only passing through.
Every person has a role to play in the lives of others.Even in the most challenging of times for us , individually, we can have such a sense of wellbeing when we look out of our situation and become centred on others.To give someone support and love , in the midst of your own trials is precious. It is virtuous and helps us to gain perspective.Navel gazing is counter productive to our equilibrium.To turn our thoughts to others changes our focus and gets us back engaged in life.
I remember important times in my life when a teacher, mentor or friend gave me the encouragement to reach out for more and it helped me to discover the road less travelled. The narrow road that has led me to this beautiful life.
I had a lovely visit today from a friend.We had a cuppa and talked of life and hopes of future things.It was encouraging.
It was unexpected.
It was unscripted and totally organic.
It made my day.
I would have to write a whole week of blogs to cover the amount of kindnesses and love shown to me by people who expect nothing in return.You know who you are and I am grateful for your persistence to love me and support me and give me hope.You remind me of the words of this quote " A friend is someone who knows the song in your heart and can sing it back to you when you have forgotten the words."

Subcontinental remembrances

How do you paint a word picture of India?
It is a feast for the senses.It is such a place of sensory overload.The palette of colours is across the spectrum.Everywhere is a sea of silks and sarees in every vibrant hue imaginable.Everywhere you look the sights are like a carnival of colour.
What always amazes me is that even in a very large group or gathering there is rarely anyone wearing the same shade. Such diversity brings sheer exhilaration and the joy of living is  magnified in this setting.
Even the light is different in India.The dawns are luminous  and the sunsets can be magnificently breathtaking. The beginnings and endings of days are spectacular.
The cacophony of sounds never completely dies down but it does slow down in the night compared to the daytime.
Early morning brings the normal sounds of heavy traffic, upon waking.
Depending  where you are , you will also hear animals bleating, people outside doing their ablutions, washing,cooking, shouting joyfully and preparing for another day.
There is something very comforting and communal in these sounds that are the part and parcel of everyday existence for many.
Of course you will be assaulted by the many scents of India .I love the fragrance of sandalwood and patchouli and the enticing aromas of curries with the wonderful smells of cumin, coriander, turmeric, cardamom and ginger and garlic and chili.
There is nothing more beautiful than waking to the scent of spices cooking in oil! There are so many regional ways of cooking curry and each province has its own specialty dishes and ingredients.
I love the piquant flavours  of curry.That is fortuitous as I was more than happy to eat it three times a day.I love the sambar and idli we had for breakfast.So many new things to taste. There is such a wide range of dishes to be tasted and savoured.
India lends itself towards wanting to try new tasty morsels and experiencing what people there have enjoyed for centuries.I love the way people there call curds or yoghurt "fire insurance". Raita is mixed with the food to tone down the chili effects.

The sense of humour was something that leant itself to bonding and camaraderie and I know I have made some very good friends there.
For me the sense of family and the importance of family was genuine and encompassing. 

I enjoyed my stay and felt privileged to experience so many different things and meet so many people from all walks of life.I hold you all in my heart, as I do your nation.

Sunsets, Camels and South Sea Pearls

Broome captured a piece of my heart.The sheer beauty of the landscape was enough to bring tears of joy to my eyes as I gazed upon the loveliness of this jewel in the crown of the Kimberleys.
Contrast the dramatic red colour of the shoreline and the cliffs as they framed the turquoise and aqua colours of the sea. Creation at its most pristine and piercingly beautiful.
The magnificence of the different hues of a sunset on the pure white sand of Cable Beach was breathtaking from the back of a camel.

I have a passion for pearls, especially South Sea pearls but they are all lovely.We loved the tour of Willie Creek pearl farm where we took in an actual lesson on how they seed the oyster and how the nacre covers it to stop the irritation and how this forms the pearl.Of course it is a lot more in-depth than that but that is the gist of it.
I love pearls because they are formed from an irritant getting into the oyster. Isn't our life like that? So many things irritate us and get under our skin.The calamities of life can be a permanent irritant- a reminder that we are now living in a new kind of normal.However, like the oyster we can release the nacre, or coating that covers the injury until out of pain and suffering comes a pearl of exquisite beauty.
Right there, we have a choice.We can allow life to shape us into something of compassion and mercy and grace or we can allow it to make us bitter and cynical. I like to think of God's grace as the nacre that coats our wounded hearts and makes us into a person that is made in Jesus image.
Of course, then, I also love pearls because Jesus , Himself was the Pearl of Great Price. He talked about the Kingdom of God being like a pearl merchant who had searched all of his life for a flawless pearl. Upon finding that one, rare pearl, he sold all that he had and went and purchased it.
In those days sea pearls were very rare, because they had to dive deep to find them and they did not have equipment to dive deep, nor did they have farms for pearls. They were unique and much sought after.
Once you have seen the beauty of Jesus, the Pearl of great price, it is not hard to want to live your whole life for Him.To want to be in the kingdom of God and see others come to know the reality of this becomes a driving passion.
Also, in the parable you and I are the pearl of great price.The Father sent Jesus to pay the ultimate price to redeem our innocence and His likeness in us.He gave all that he had to purchase the field in which we are the pearl.
I love pearls for a whole lot of reasons, not the least of which, is the fact that they make me happy to look at and I love wearing them.  Also, wisdom is like that much sought after pearl. It can only be had as we learn how to face our life's trials with dignity , purpose and grace.

Vernal Musings

Well Spring is finally here! What a long, cold , winter it has been, on so many levels.
Time to give the house a fresh spruce up.Put spring linen on the beds- air the house out.
The birds are chirping more it seems, the blossoms are out on the trees and the days are getting warmer and longer.
We are in a season of transition between winter and summer.
In our lives a winter season, can be bare , stark and desolate.The leaves have all gone from the tree and the cruel ,winter winds whistle through the empty branches.A stark lonely figure on a winter landscape.Winter seasons are where our roots go down deep and hang on for dear life. On the surface not much is happening.In fact it looks like we are dying.
One thing I have learned in more than 50 winters- Spring will always come.We may feel as though our emotions are buried under three feet of snow but that is the time to hang on to what we know. That is the fact that God is faithful and He will see you through.The Sun will come out again and thaw the snow and ice and allow the spring bulbs to shoot through and bloom again.
We need to embrace the different seasons in our lives and learn to discern them properly.This life is a gift and we have no guarantees beyond the fact that He says He will never leave us or forsake us.He will hold our hand through all of life's seasons.There is beauty in each season.Embrace the season you are in.Hold your loved ones close today and rejoice in the sheer joy of living.

Cyclones, bicycles and life lessons.

I remember battening down the hatches in Townsville in March of 1988. I had only been in  town for two months.There had been  a long drought of many years.The next thing you know we are hearing these ear piercing cyclone siren warnings on TV and radio introducing Cyclone Charlie.

Community announcements advised about making the outside yard area safe and taping up windows and after all was done we had to wait for the inevitable.

Now, as Southerners, and having no frame of reference, we looked outside and saw how sunny and calm the weather was and got onto our bicycles and rode up to the shop to get some milk- as you do. The shop assistant was very curt with us and questioned our intelligence quotients.We were doing tertiary study after all, how dare they? Well, actually, it turned out that in our naivete we had cycled out into the eye of the cyclone and had put ourselves into a dangerous position.We made it home that day, chastened and educated forever about the nature of cyclones.

With the storms of life, as with cyclones, they often have a sudden onset, although if you look carefully enough you can read the signs of them brewing for a time beforehand.

We need to prepare for the full force of the storm and its aftermath. We need to keep ourselves in the love of God, keeping our hearts right and maintaining short accounts with family, friends and associates.Having done all to stand, now is the time for standing.

Beware, when it seems as though the pressure has lifted and everything is sunny again.The storm is not over yet.This is the middle of the storm.It is not the time for making foolhardy decisions.It is a time for gathering family, and prayer and waiting in peace.This is the time to dig into God and allow His peace to keep you from the fear of the unknown.This is the time to trust Him and His character.This is a leadership moment, when you can model to your your children what to do to weather the storms of life.

In the aftermath of the storm, this is the time of assessing the damage and staying calm and in faith leading the way to rebuild that which the storm damaged.

Storms are inevitable but if we allow Jesus into our boat, He can keep us in peace and show us the way to weather it with dignity and strength.

No matter what we face in life, God will make a way where there seems to be no way. In all things, He works together for good.He is a good God and we can trust Him.