The Door

“Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger

or discipline me in your wrath.

Have mercy on me, Lord, for I am faint;

heal me, Lord, for my bones are in agony.

My soul is in deep anguish.

How long, Lord, how long?

 Turn, Lord, and deliver me;

save me because of your unfailing love.

 Among the dead no one proclaims your name.

Who praises you from the grave?

 I am worn out from my groaning.

All night long I flood my bed with weeping

and drench my couch with tears.

 My eyes grow weak with sorrow;

they fail because of all my foes.

 Away from me, all you who do evil,

for the Lord, has heard my weeping.

 The Lord has heard my cry for mercy;

the Lord accepts my prayer.

 All my enemies will be overwhelmed with shame and anguish;

they will turn back and suddenly be put to shame.”

Psalm 6

David was a man in anguish. When he was in the pit of despair he reached out to God.

He trusted his Heavenly Father.

We can too.

Our foes are our temptations to follow our selfish desires.

To let the devil, take over and torment us.

So…

“Put on the full Armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.  For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore, put on the full Armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.  In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. Be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.”

Ephesians 6:10-18

Our God is always there, standing by us in our torment.

Sometimes we don’t see that he cares.

We forget that he sent his son to die for us.

That he to, has endured great suffering.

Every time his children turn away, ignore him, and slam the door in his face.

Jesus is one who can open this door. God sent him.

To make a way for us to come back to him.

Into his arms, accepting his offer of grace.

Jesus said;

“I tell you the truth; anyone who will not receive the

kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” Mark 10:15

When we come to God as his children we relinquish control of our lives.

“We know that all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28

Let him in. You will see.

He does care.

Suffering...

SUFFERING

“They will go around in great pain and will become so hungry that they will try to find help on Earth and in Heaven.   They will find only trouble and darkness, terrible trouble and deepest darkness”, said the Lord to Isaiah.

Isaiah 8: 21-22

When contemplating suffering

              That dreaded thing that

Haunts our dreams,

Cloaks our world with despair,

And can occupy our every thought;

When contemplating suffering

Our hearts throb with fatigue,
Our heads spin uncontrollably,

Our fight or flight instincts take hold of us;

When contemplating suffering

I, like Paul the scholar,

And like Isaiah the prophet,

Have hope of a day when it will end.

Suffering will continue to exist in the broken world.

BUT

God has a plan to end it.

His plan is fail safe,

Perfect and made with immense love.

God planned Jesus His only Son to come
To save us from sin and darkness.

Jesus came, died and rose again,

Jesus our Lord, Saviour and God’s beloved Son.

And one day he will come again to finish what he started,

Restoring this broken world, our relationship with God,

And ending suffering forever.

But those who have suffered will no longer be in pain. Those who have walked in the dark have seen a great light.    And it shines upon everyone who lives in the land of the shadow of death.  Our Lord, you have made our nation stronger.  Because of you, its people are glad and celebrate!  .  .  .  You have broken the power of those who abused and enslaved your people.  You have rescued them.

Isaiah 9: 1-4

Jen

“Everything that was a gain for me
I considered to be a loss because of Christ.
More than that, I also consider everything to be loss
in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.
Because of Him I have suffered the loss of all things
and consider them filth,
so that I may gain Christ.”
Philippians 3: 7 and 8.

There once was a girl.
Kind, brave and generous.
For her heart belonged to God.

As she grew she taught others she knew,
From the small and weak to the tall and strong.
She did so consciously and unconsciously,
Because her heart belonged to God.

She continues to develop in skill, and in strength,
And with this, ventures into the unknown.
Without her large family and her many friends.
But go she will, for her heart belongs to God.

Why she goes, heaven knows!
She trusts in the one who sends her.
Her heart belongs to God.

So now, we must bow to the one who made us,
Praying that he will look after her;
blessing her and keeping her safe.
And so will she pray, for her heart belongs to God.

Jennifer Adams obeys her heavenly Father.
She knows him. She trusts him. We know she is wise.
Her heart belongs to God.

Our loving Father, bless Jen in all she does.
Introduce her to her siblings in the country,
to her new work, and her new life.
Help us all to remember and emulate this courageous,
compassionate, and selfless women.
With love we commend our wonderful sister into your care.
Our sister, who is, well and truly, your daughter.
This we pray in Jesus name, Amen.

Choo

Dedication: To Choo, who we remember with much fondness. 

Choo was a rescue dog, we are still not sure who rescued who.
Choo was a gorgeous, daggy dog.
Choo was always a very dear, very intelligent, selfless, and protective animal.
Choo was a family dog, sure to make the saddest heart smile.

She had the goofiest grin.
She made an effort to be with her people, even if moving hurt her.
She was most contented when she was with those she loved, chicken or not.

Choo taught me to relax, take it slow and treasure each moment.
Choo made everyone's days brighter and better.
Choo would dance when we came home.
Choo would sleep by your side, twitching and groaning with content if the mood took her.

She was the best of companions.
She didn't ask questions, or pester you for attention, knowing that you where there was enough.
She was there for us all, from first to last.

R.I.P you wonderful and beautiful hound. Best of friends.

A Lightened Load 

'Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others'
Philippians 2:4

I have been guilty of the former, particularly of recent date.
I got so wrapped up in my wants, my needs, and my pain that I could not emerge from them.
Absorbed by my own interests, I could no longer look to those of others,
feeling and showing concern for them.

Now, once again, I awoke deeply concerned, and tried to untangle myself.
Yet I could not do this.
So I turned to my saviour and my God.
I pleaded with him to free me from my apathy.
He showed me grace and taught me to trust him, and to feel again.

A weight fell off me and I was reminded of the story of Eustace from 'The Chronicles of Narnia'.
Of when he needed  Aslan to remove the scales from him
to become human again, for he could not do this for himself.
As each layer came off I felt my muscles relax, and my breathing return to normal.

I thank you, my Father, for freeing me from my sin, and keeping me safe.
I will rejoice in you -
Always.

After returning from a three week trip to London I wrote this poem...

London

Crowds, smoke, historic buildings.

This is London.

People, places,  picturesque parks.

This is London

Dull- coloured buildings, 

bright flowers and greenery.  

This is London.

Echoes from long- ago, calling

from elderly books in their cozy shops,

and antiquities in Museums. 

This is London.

Sharing and experiencing new things;

old pubs, markets, and parks.

And doing this with those you love.

This is London.

Flying home, the world below.

Touching down, see the world around.

Gum trees, friends and family, long walks,

sunsets, work, and clear air.

Hello Sydney.

A Daughter of God

I was born into a dim place.

I didn't know where I fitted.

I looked to others to show me how to live.

When I was a teenageer I found a reason to live.

I stopped living my own way.

I started loving God and began to look to him for guidance.

I was reborn and accepted into a bright community. 

A family with the same father who teachers us how to love one another.

Today life makes sense. 

I am a child of God, and he teaches me to learn and grow and love as his daughter.

1 Peter 1:23

For you have been born again, but not to a life that will quickly end. Your new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal, living word of God.