HERE AND NOW

Psalm 18:24 NCV This is the day that the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad today!

I read this recently, “Don’t take now for granted” and it really struck me because we are all writing our ‘Here And Now Story Book’!😊

I wonder how often we spend our time looking forward to the weekend, or to a holiday, but forget to enjoy our now moments? Every day is full of ‘now’ moments that will never come back.The smell of dinner cooking, a walk in the sunshine, holding a hot cup of tea/coffee in the morning, or hearing the voice of our friend or family.

Just think, we can see where we’re going, we have arms to hug somebody, and we enjoy comforts we may take for granted, when we recall how during Covid we couldn’t buy toilet paper or hug people!😊

When children are testing our patience, let’s remember there will a time when they’re no longer around and we will wish they were, and appreciate them while we have them.

We may be tired, but let’s not be too tired to listen to our family members or friends, to our children, to our spouse. They are all a gift from God and they need us to be present in the moment. They need our thoughts, our input. They need our encouragement, they just might need a hug, for them to know you know they are there, and that you care!

Those memories we are making will one day be so precious, so let’s be present in our now and not be always wanting the next thing and wishing our lives away. Not dreading what may or may not happen, and missing what’s under our noses, not being so focused on what we’re doing that we miss what they’re trying to tell us or show us!😊

God wants us to remember He is in our now, engaged with whatever we’re doing, so let’s do the same for the people in our lives, and not give them half an ear, or half our attention. Let’s appreciate and enjoy the details of our daily lives, the people we rub shoulders with, and not take them for granted because this ‘now’ moment won’t come again. 😊 Amen.

Have a blessed weekend.x😊

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ACCORDING TO…

2 Corinthians 4:18 NKJV while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

Have you ever heard someone say, “Well, according to so and so, this is going to happen,” and they’ve believed them! Sometimes we hear ourselves saying, “According to the doctor I’ve got this and my prognosis is that.” Very often we go by how we feel at the time and think, “Well according to my symptoms and how I feel I must be pretty sick!”

But Jesus said in Matthew 9:29 “…According to your faith, be it done to you.”. Not according to your feelings, not according to your past experience, not even according to the doctor’s report, or the bank’s report, or the media’s report, but according to your faith in the mighty God to whom nothing is impossible!😊

Everything we can see is subject to change, it’s temporary, but the truth of God’s word does not change, it is eternal, and it is incorruptible. 

We may well have the facts in front of us, but God reminds us that those facts are all able to be changed, which is good news.😊

Jesus raised people from the dead, so no situation is too far gone if we’ll just get our mustard seed of faith out of its bag and plant it, by declaring what God says.  1Peter 2:24 By Jesus wounds we were healed. Isaiah 49:25 I will contend with those who contend with you, and your children I will save. Matthew 6:33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 

Faith doesn’t go by what it sees or feels, it believes what God says in the Word of God.

We’re called to walk by faith, not by our feelings because they go up and down like a yo-yo, and even though our faith is tiny, if we’ll plant it by speaking out what God says, our faith will grow and we shall see His promises manifest. 

So, how are we going to live the next 24 hours, this next week, this year? According to what we hear, see and feel, or according to the Word of God that cannot lie? 

I pray we put our armour on and hold our shield of faith up, stand on the word of God, resist the enemy, tell him to go, and live according to the power at work within each one of us!😊 In Jesus name. Amen.

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PEACE IN HIS PRESENCE

John 14:27 NIV Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

A lovely friend gave me a booklet called ‘Night-Time Peace’ because she knows I have some struggles with sleeping!😊 

As I was thinking about peace at night time I realised afresh that Jesus also gives us peace in the day time, peace when we’re upset, peace in the troubles, even peace in our mistakes when we hand them over to Him. He wants us to have His peace in every moment of our day and night, regardless of the circumstances or the time.

His presence is what brings His peace and even when we don’t ‘feel’ His presence, by faith we know He is there. We can thank Him He’s with us just because He has promised to be! He is actually there in that moment, and how loving and powerful He is. He never leaves us and as we acknowledge Him His peace will be released in a greater measure.😊

When things pile in on us and we’re distracted, He tells us it’s going to be all right because He’s with us in the difficulty regardless of what the outcome is. We can still be at peace knowing He is holding on to us, steadying us when we feel wobbly. He is the solid rock beneath us when we’re fearful, no matter what is trying to shake our faith. He is the All Sufficient One who will never let us down and will show us the way forward.

When we’re tempted to be in turmoil and lose our peace we need to remember that nothing is going to happen that together with God we can’t handle. He has promised His grace will be sufficient to  deal with it, His wisdom will be there to know what to do and how to pray, and if we don’t have peace about doing something, it’s the Holy Spirit telling us not to do it!

We are so privileged because we know and have the Prince of Peace in our lives, every single moment. Don’t let’s forget, but find peace in His presence each moment.😊 Amen.

OUT OF OUR MIND

Mark 3:21 NLT When his family heard what was happening, they tried to take him away. “He’s out of his mind,” they said.

Have you ever been so busy you didn’t have time to eat?  Well, Jesus and his disciples were in that situation because the crowds were so great, demanding to see Jesus. So much so that His family decided to take matters into their own hands and wanted to take Him out of there because they thought He was out of His mind!

Sometimes when we do the things God asks of us it will look like we’re out of our minds to those who haven’t heard God’s instruction to us. Proverbs 3:5 tells us not to lean on our own understanding and there are times when we have to step out in faith and do what God says rather than what worldly reasoning is telling us.😊

We have to get ‘out of our minds’ into God’s mind, into His way of doing things. God says to love those who hate us when our ‘mind’ wants to retaliate! He says overcome evil with good.

Are there some things in your mind at the minute that you need to get out of? Maybe the Lord is wanting you to get out of your mind and into His Word instead, to see what He is saying.

When your mind tells you that you can’t do something that He has told you to do, it’s time to get out of your mind and believe God’s declaration that you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you.

When your mind says you’re sick and you’ll always be that way, get out of your mind and declare, “God You said, You would restore health unto me, that with long life you would satisfy me, that as my days are so will my strength be.” It doesn’t say as my days are so will my weakness be!!😊

1 Corinthians 2:16 NLT For, “Who can know the Lord’s thoughts? Who knows enough to teach him?” But we understand these things, for we have the mind of Christ. 

Be encouraged today to know you have been given the mind of Christ who has been made wisdom for us so let’s seek His wisdom in all we do.😊 Amen.

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ONLY BELIEVE

Mark 5:36 NKJV As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, He said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not be afraid; only believe.”

When Jesus stopped to talk to the lady with the issue of blood it looked like he’d helped her at the expense of Jairus’s daughter who had died while Jesus delayed. Things looked bad but Jesus told him to not be afraid but to keep his faith working even though he’d had a bad report!

I wonder if we sometimes think someone else has had our blessing or our healing, or whatever we’re believing for, and so there’s none left for us, and our faith feels like it’s taken a bashing? When Jesus fed the 5,000 it taught us there is more than enough of whatever we’re believing for, for however many are in the crowd!😊

In the same way, God wants to remind us that whether there are delays along the way, whether it looks like someone else has had their healing and we still haven’t received ours, or someone else has had a blessing we’ve been waiting for, no matter what the enemy is whispering in our ears today, if we’ll not be afraid and just have a grain of faith, we will see God work out His best solution for our lives. 

Jesus is still in the restoring of health business, still in the providing all our needs business, and when we decide to not doubt His ability to turn things around, when we focus more on the promises and not on the problems, we release His power and His outcome.😊

This is to encourage us all that it’s never too late, no one and nothing is too far gone that God can’t turn it around. If your faith is a bit battered, listen to God’s words “Do not be afraid or discouraged… I will help you, strengthen you, uphold you.” If your healing has been delayed for some reason hear Jesus words, “Don’t be afraid. Only believe.” If your need is provision, “ My God will supply all your needs according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus …” 

Whatever your need, God says don’t be dismayed, don’t be afraid, and as your week unfolds stay in faith and keep believing.😊 Amen.

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UNEXPECTED BLESSINGS

Ephesians 3:20 NKJV Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,

A couple of years ago our pastor gave us all a list of 31 declarations to declare over our lives, one each day of the month, and I've been doing that ever since on most days. One of them says this, 

“I declare God is opening the windows of heaven over my life and I am experiencing the abundant life Jesus came to give me. Unexpected blessings are coming my way.”

Well I just wanted to testify to God’s faithfulness to His word because an unexpected blessing came my way this last week. I have been given a huge blessing of an amazing computer to replace my very out of date desktop. I was needing to go and buy a new one, but now God has given me this brilliant model to do what I need to do! 😊

It’s one of those ‘above and beyond all I could expect or imagine’ blessings, something I would never have gone out and bought for myself. It came at just the right moment, and yes, I’ll have to learn how to use it, and I admit it’s very challenging, but with God all things are possible!🤣

 I just wanted to encourage anyone reading this to not give up on God’s promises, to declare them over your life, day in and day out, to persevere and know that God is faithful to His word. Jesus said all things are possible to him who believes. Keep believing!😊

Can I ask what promises are you standing on and declaring over your own life? If you’ve let them slip, get those promises out again, declare them daily over your circumstances, believe what God says and trust Him to bring them to pass in your life. God is never late, His timing is always spot on!

2 Corinthians 1:20 NIV For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God.

As we go into our new week let me encourage you to speak this blessing over your own life, 

“ God is opening the windows of heaven over my life and I am experiencing the abundant life Jesus came to give me. Unexpected blessings are coming my way.”  

Believe it and receive it, and remember we walk by faith, and not by what we see at this moment!😊 In Jesus name. Amen. 

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GOD UNDERSTANDS US

                                                                      Isaiah 40:27-28 NLT 

O Jacob, how can you say 

the Lord does not see your troubles?

O Israel, how can you say 

God ignores your rights?

Have you never heard?

Have you never understood?

The Lord is the everlasting God,

the Creator of all the earth.

He never grows weak or weary.

No one can measure the depths of his understanding.

If ever you feel like God is looking the other way, and doesn’t understand,  just read these verses!😊 God knows exactly what’s going on with each one of us (Psalm 139). He is for us, and He wants you and me to understand that!

If we read the two verses before these we’ll discover that God has no equal, that He flung the stars into space and knows each one by name. How much more does He know us by name, His own sons and daughters, who His Son died for? (John 10:3 NKJV … and he calls his own sheep by name …)

What grabs me is the last line of our passage where it reminds us that absolutely nobody can measure how deep God’s understanding really is. He understands us completely. He knows what makes us tick, and what ticks us off! He understands when we feel weak, because Jesus knew what it was to feel weak as He walked to the cross. 

He understands when we’re let down or betrayed, when we’re disappointed or discouraged. He understands pain and sickness because He bore all of ours on the cross, so we don’t need to! In fact whatever we face, Jesus experienced in some form, and He is our great High Priest now because He understands us so well.

Hebrews 4:1 NIV For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.

I hope that reassures us today, to know we can come to the One who has no equal, and know He totally understands how we feel and where we’re coming from. But He goes way beyond that because He is also the God who comforts us, who restores us and who has great plans to bless us and give us a future.😊

Let’s come to Him today to worship, praise and thank Him for His understanding, for His patience, and for His great love He lavishes on each one of us each day. In Jesus name. Amen.

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UNDISCOVERED BLESSINGS

Proverbs 10:6 NKJV Blessings are on the head of the righteous, …

The other day, buried under our hedge, we discovered this pot of bulbs we’d put there last year when they had gone over, but we’d forgotten they were there! They were hidden from sight, merrily blooming while we weren’t looking, but we hadn’t realised! Now they’re in full view and we can enjoy their flowers.😊

It made me wonder how many other blessings we have in our lives that we might have either forgotten, like our bulbs, or just not recognised they were there?

Psalm 103:1-6 lists some of  the enormous blessings, God has already provided us with but have we forgotten them? Have we put them under the hedge and not realised they’re blooming, waiting for us to enjoy them? Why not have a read of them again?😊

As we acknowledge and thank God for all our blessings, whether they’re big or small, I do believe they’re multiplied to us.  So let’s thank God for things in the moment, as we experience them, and when we come to the end of our day have a think and see if a blessing has come our way that we missed.😊

Was someone kind to you in a shop this week, or you tried a new recipe, or have the blessing of a good digestion to enjoy your food? Maybe you had more energy than before or you’re thankful for hot showers and sanitation?

Thank God you kept your job when someone else has lost theirs, for the health you do have. Maybe you had someone visit you, or phone you, or they encouraged you? 

What about the blessings of God protecting us from accidents that we didn’t know about, or stopping us being scammed, or the blessing of knowing He will never abandon us and always care for us?

Psalms 150:6 NKJV Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord! 

Let’s look for the blessings, especially the hidden ones, and the ones we take for granted, and thank our generous God for every one of them today. Amen.😊

Have a “blessed” weekend! x😊

PUT THE BIN OUT

Psalm 51:10 NCV Create in me a pure heart, God, and make my spirit right again.

We have a sign on our cupboard door saying, “Bins Go Out Wednesday Night”. Every week we all need to remember to put our bins out to be collected if we want to be rid of our rubbish!😊

Our spiritual lives are the same! We all accumulate rubbish every day as we rub shoulders with the world, and some of their wrong thinking can stick to us if we’re not careful. When we hear the same wrong attitudes and opinions day in and out in the books we read, the programmes we see, or just in an advert on a bus, the world is rubbing off on us without realising it, and it often doesn’t agree with God’s Word!

God says to read and be washed by the Word, because His Word cleanses our spirits, but if we don’t wash we won’t get clean!😊 There’s a lot of wrong thinking out there and we have to keep going back to His Word to remind us of His truth, His instructions, His design for relationships between men and women, His thoughts on finances, on everything.

At the end of each day, maybe it would be good to take any thoughts, attitudes or ideas we’ve picked up, which we know the Holy Spirit didn’t like, and put them in the waste basket in our imagination, press the delete button! Let’s get rid of them and start each day afresh.

They might be thoughts of unforgiveness, or offence, or having seen or read something immoral, whether deliberately or unintentionally. Whatever has crept in, let’s not forget to put the bin out and get rid of it all every day so we wake up, and have made room, ready for the new download of mercy and blessings God has for us each morning.😊 

Hebrews 12:1 NLT  Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.

Lord, create in us a pure heart and make our spirit right again. In Jesus name. Amen.

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TREASURE WITHIN

2 Corinthians 4:7 NIV But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.

In stories, when we read about a treasure box, everyone wants to open it up to see what’s inside! Will it change the life of the person who found it forever because it’s worth so much?😊

Paul tells us here that when we belong to God He has placed inside each one of us the greatest treasure of all, the Lord Jesus Himself, in the person of the Holy Spirit. There is no greater treasure because in Jesus are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (Colossians 2:3). 

I read this the other day from Joseph Prince,“We are like earthen vessels carrying a treasure, the Lord Himself. And it’s this treasure that keeps us from crumbling under the weight of life’s pressures.” 

When we try to do life in our own strength we soon run out of steam and God never asked us to do that. He gave us Jesus, for us to draw on His grace for each day, to draw on His wisdom to know the things we should do, and those we should say no to. It’s OK to say ‘no’!😊

Some things are good and helpful but they may not be what God has asked us to do and then we go into overload. It’s so important for us to ask the Holy Spirit first what God has asked of us, not what man is wanting, so we don’t run out of strength.

I wonder sometimes if we’re too stubborn, thinking our way is the only way, when Jesus has something different to say that would help us be more balanced.😊

If it feels like we’re crumbling under the pressure of life let’s just take a breath for a minute and be like Mary, and not Martha, always bustling about. Sit at the Lord’s feet for a little while and let Him give us the treasure of His wisdom for our lives, be willing to change our minds, and actually do what He says!😊 Amen.

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JESUS OUR HEALER

Mark 2: 30-31 NLT Now Simon’s mother-in-law was sick in bed with a high fever. They told Jesus about her right away. So he went to her bedside, took her by the hand, and helped her sit up. Then the fever left her, and she prepared a meal for them.

When Peter’s mum in law fell sick they all knew what to do. They told Jesus about it immediately! They knew and believed Jesus could and would do something about it and so they had no hesitation in asking for His help. Jesus wants us to go to Him first as well, before we do anything else.😊

I love the confidence the disciples had in Jesus. They knew a big part of His ministry was to heal the sick and we only read of Him not doing miracles when they were so hard hearted that they refused to believe He could or would do it. (Mark 6:5-6) How sad!

The trouble is we can become hard hearted or discouraged as well. We want Jesus to snap His fingers and make things go away immediately, but sometimes we have a faith fight on our hands and have to stand on His word despite what we see or feel, and put our faith into gear when doubts and cynicism are banging on our door.

As she lay there, Peter’s mum in law must have looked up into the loving eyes of Jesus and heard the kindness in His voice as He took hold of her hand and helped her sit up. She would have seen His compassion and known He loved her and felt His power flowing into her body, dispelling the sickness.😊

When we ask for healing, we probably all want a quick fix, but do we take the time to look into Jesus’ eyes to see His love for us, to spend time with him, to know He’s holding our hand and gently picking us up and releasing His power to heal us? 

Galations 5:6 says faith works through love. God has given us His love and His faith, so the next time we don’t feel well or need His healing in some area, let’s do what the disciples did and go to Jesus first. Invite Him into our room, take time to look into His eyes and see the love and compassion He has for us, and allow Him to help us trust Him more and receive the healing we need.😊 In Jesus name. Amen.

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WRINKLES OR SPOTS

Ephesians 5:25-27 NLT … He gave up his life for her to make her holy and clean, washed by the cleansing of God’s word. He did this to present her to himself as a glorious church without a spot or wrinkle or any other blemish. Instead, she will be holy and without fault.

When we’re younger, we often look in the mirror and see some spot has popped up out of nowhere. Then as we grow older and look in the mirror, we can see wrinkles! All of which are disturbing for a time, but God says if we’ll look in the mirror of His Word we will see a different picture altogether.😊

2 Corinthians 3:18 NLT So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image. 

He says the more we look in the Word we’ll see we’re being transformed into His likeness because it will reflect back to us who God says we are and how He now sees us. It doesn’t happen overnight, but we’re being cleansed by God’s word each time we read it. The secret is to read it and allow it to transform us!😊

As born again believers we’re all part of God’s worldwide church and we know we don’t always get it right, but praise God, we are all a work in progress being changed from one degree of glory to another. Even when we feel we have a long way to go, we can still see how far we’ve come, and God has made us this promise of being changed into His glorious image so we can rest in it and on it.

As Jesus said, “I will build my church and the gates of Hell will not prevail against it.” So we can be encouraged, because whether we have physical wrinkles and spots or not doesn’t really matter, because we are assured we are being changed into His likeness for His glory as we’re washed by the cleansing of His Word.😊 My question to myself is, am I allowing myself to be washed? How about you?

Thank You Lord. Amen.

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CLEAR THE ROAD

Mark 1:3 NLT He is a voice shouting in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord’s coming! Clear the road for him!’

When a famous person, or royalty come to visit the district, they sometimes make the decision to clear the road and everything and everybody out of the area as they prepare for his or her arrival.

I just felt the Lord was reminding us again of our need to clear the road for Him each day. To be prepared to put some other things aside so we can be ready for Him to speak into our day, and into our situations, not just for two minutes, squeezed in here or there, but to properly clear some time for Him.😊 

When life is pressing in on us, the ‘traffic’ of life can be very loud! It becomes so congested with the ‘stuff’ of life, that it makes it hard to hear His voice telling us of His love, or encouraging us on, or warning us of something to come. John the Baptist was chosen to clear the way for the Messiah and we are the one who has to clear the way, to make the time, for Jesus in our own lives. Nobody else can do it!😊

The wonderful truth is, Jesus went to the Cross so we could have a clear pathway to His Father and even if we blow it and repent, He is faithful and just to forgive us. In fact, praise God, He has done already! There is no blockage His end!😊

Jesus cleared the road for us to come, now He’s waiting for us to clear the road our end and do the coming. Let the Holy Spirit encourage us today, to put the traffic cones up, to clear the road, so the King of Glory can come in and spend some time with Him each day because He really wants to spend time with us. What a lovely thought to start the week.😊 Amen.

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GLORY TO GOD

Hebrews 13:20-21 NIV 

Now may the God of peace, 

who through the blood of the eternal covenant 

brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, 

that great Shepherd of the sheep, 

equip you with everything good 

for doing his will, 

and may he work in us 

what is pleasing to him, 

through Jesus Christ,

 to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

What a prayer! He focuses on, and starts off, with God being the Author, the source of our peace. If we just stop there we will have something to chew on! When we’ve lost our peace let’s go back to its source and receive His gift of peace that passes understanding, it’s so powerful.

He calls us to remember His enormous power that it took to raise the Lord Jesus from the dead and to know it’s available for us to tap into inside ourselves through the power of the Holy Spirit. What a thought!

Then he says to know we have the Great Shepherd, the only One who was willing to sacrifice His own life in place of ours, as our own Shepherd. We’re not lost, we’re found, and we belong to the Good Shepherd who leads us beside still waters, and along paths of righteousness. How wonderful that is.😊

Notice we’re not being equipped with a few, inferior or used tools, but with everything good! God has a plan and purpose for each of our lives to do His will so He can work in us, through Jesus, whatever He has planned. He’s reminding us our goal is to please Him, just in case we’ve forgotten or been side tracked!😊

And who gets all the glory forever and ever? Jesus Christ, our Great Shepherd because He shed His blood to cut a new covenant for us with His Father so we could live and reign with Him forever.

The Holy Spirit has given us this amazing prayer to pray over ourselves, so let’s praise and thank our God today for it all. In Jesus name. Amen.

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SILLY MOMENTS

1 Timothy 6:17 NIV …but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.

Do you ever have ‘silly’ moments? I did the other day when I sat and bounced up and down on the bed like a kid because it just felt bouncy!🤣 There is no age limit on it! Or maybe find a pot of bubbles and blow them for the fun of it!

Sometimes it does us good to just be a bit silly because life can be so serious and intense and God gave us a sense of humour to lighten our moment!

God has given us permission to enjoy life, and for you, that will look different to me, but nevertheless God has given us all things to enjoy - so let’s not forget to enjoy it or feel guilty when we do!😊

When life is hard we have to remember the joy of the Lord is our strength. So let’s stir the joy up and sing in the shower at the tops of our voices, or just laugh at nothing at all because we’re still alive and Jesus loves us.

Today let’s look for the funny side of life, and have a sense of the ridiculous. Watch raindrops chasing each other down the window pane or enjoy the birds bathing in a puddle of water. We have several dishes in the garden which we fill with water and it’s funny watching the birds choose which one they will bathe in today. Some like it deep, some like it shallow and others fuss with each other waiting to have a go!😊

They are little joys which God gives us which make us smile if we recognise them. It’s even good to laugh at ourselves when we do something daft! So, how about you? Can you put a dish out for a bird bath or blow some bubbles, or maybe make and toss some pancakes in the air, or say ‘Boo’ to someone, or tell a joke and make them smile? 

Whatever you do, tap into the joy of the Lord today and find His joy in your everyday. If nothing else, you can laugh at me bouncing on the bed!😊

Have a blessed weekend.x😊

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JESUS NOTICES

Mark 3:1 NLT Jesus went into the synagogue again and noticed a man with a deformed hand.

Do you ever walk down the street and not notice one of your friends who you walked past? It wasn’t done deliberately, you just didn’t notice because your mind was preoccupied! There again many people are so focused on their phones these days that they don’t notice the things around them anymore. They miss the smile of the person who passes by, or the blossom in the trees.

But Jesus didn’t have a phone and even if He did have one He would still have noticed what was going on around Him!😊 We can take great heart from our verse today because when Jesus was in a crowded room in the synagogue He still noticed this man straight away. He focused in on him and picked him out of the crowd to meet his need, regardless of the critical Pharisees watching nearby.

The next time you’re in a crowded room and feel all alone, just know Jesus notices you and is right there with you.😊

We don’t ever need to feel insignificant, or not noticed by our God. He focuses in on us every moment, He thinks about us all the time, and He has set His purpose to meet our needs as well. The thing is, are we noticing Him? If that man with the deformed hand hadn’t noticed Jesus was calling to him he might have walked out the side door and missed his miracle! If the blind men hadn’t noticed Jesus was passing by and asked for mercy, they would have missed their miracle.

This is just an encouragement to us all, to know God notices everything about us, and He’s waiting for us to notice Him and respond to His instructions, whatever they might be - even if it means standing up front in a crowded room, like this man. 

God only wants the best for us, for the end result to not only bless us but bring Him glory so others will be brought to Him. Be encouraged, God notices you right now, wherever you happen to be. He knows how you feel, He knows the desires of your heart, He cares about it all and He has good plans for you to walk into. 😊

Thank You Lord for always noticing me. Please help me to always notice You. In Jesus name. Amen.

Photo by Maria Lupan on Unsplash

ALL BECAUSE OF JESUS

Matthew 20:32-34 MSG Jesus stopped and called over, “What do you want from me?” They said, “Master, we want our eyes opened. We want to see!” Deeply moved, Jesus touched their eyes. They had their sight back that very instant, and joined the procession.

These two blind beggars were shouting their heads off to get Jesus’ attention in the middle of a great crowd of people. People tried to shut them up, but those men knew what they wanted and were prepared to make a spectacle of themselves to get it! They wanted Jesus’ attention more than anything else!

Those men hadn’t earned Jesus’ mercy, had done nothing to deserve His attention, hadn’t done anything other than call out to Him for mercy and for His help.

I wonder if we sometimes make the mistake of coming to Jesus to ask for our healing based on our good works, thinking ‘Jesus you ought to heal me!’ I’ve heard people say “They’ve been such a faithful servant, such a good person, God ought to heal them, they deserve it!” Actually, none of us deserve it!😊

We forget that the only way to receive anything from God is by His grace through faith. If we feel we ‘deserve’ to be healed then we’re believing we’ve earned it! If we know we don’t deserve anything but are just asking because of God’s great mercy (like the blind men) and because of Jesus’ shed blood, then we’re remembering it’s all because of what Jesus has done in His finished work on the Cross. By Jesus wounds we are healed. (1 Peter 2:24) It’s always all because of Jesus, not us!😊

We know we received the forgiveness of our sins by believing what Jesus did for us, and we receive everything else in exactly the same way. So whatever it is we need today let’s ask for His mercy because it’s new every morning, and for His grace, believing we receive it, and that it’s on its way.

I hope that encourages us to remember it’s not depending on us, and we can receive all God has for us, purely because of Jesus and His grace.😊 Amen.

Photo by Miriam G on Unsplash

GETTING OVER IT

2 Samuel 22:29 NLT In your strength I can crush an army; with my God I can scale any wall.

We all have times when life feels like we’re trying to climb a wall to get over it, and if you’re trying to get over something, let David’s life inspire you.😊 

We know he’d been through more than the average heartache and cried till he could cry no more. He experienced the loss of two sons, known the anguish of his daughter being sexually abused. He had fought a lion, a bear and a giant but he praised God through it all. 

He’d pretended to be insane when Saul threatened his life, he’d lived in a cave and a palace, he’d looked after sheep and led a nation, and through it all he praised His God. His wife treated him with contempt, and gone off with somebody else. He’d given in to temptation, made huge mistakes and suffered the consequences, but he got over it and praised God through it all. We read he was a man after God’s own heart who had this ‘getting over it’ mentality. 

No matter what has happened, regardless of what is still to come, God wants us all to have a getting over it mentality not a victim mentality. He wants us to know that with His help, His strength, we can not only get through anything, but we can ‘get over it’. 

Even when walls of disappointment, rejection or discouragement have built up around us and tried to pen us in, God says we can scale that wall with His power within us, if we’ll just keep our eyes on Him.

David said, “With my God, I can…” That inspired me and I hope it does you too. With God, you and I can do whatever it takes and we can ‘get over’ whatever wall of difficulty we’re facing, or get over whatever has upset, hurt or harmed us! 😊

Let’s give God praise today, because with our God we can. In Jesus name. Amen.

Photo by Martin Wyall on Unsplash

TRIVIAL OR TRAUMATIC

Romans 8:37 NIV No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

“Nothing is going to happen to you today, that together you and God can’t handle.” That was the thought God put in my head to remind us of His ever present help. We none of us know what the day will bring but God does, and He assures us, and He wants us to be constantly aware of the fact, that He is by our side giving us the strength and wisdom we will need for each moment.😊

He is the Rock on which we stand. He is the One who holds us steady when we hear or see something we didn’t like, that tries to unsettle or hurt us. He wants us to have an immediate sense of turning to Him to receive His grace for whatever is going on, whether it’s at work, or in the world, in our homes, or if we’re out and about. 

He wants us to have an overcoming mindset, a ‘more than conqueror’ mindset, not a hopeless, poor old me, mindset! Those moments when the washing machine breaks, when we have traumatic or disturbing news, when someone is unkind or rude, or the family are playing up, or we’re in a traffic jam!

Whether it seems trivial or traumatic God wants us to turn to Him throughout our day and know He is ever present to lift us up above, and to call on His patience, His courage, His everything, to meet the need, the challenge of our moment. 😊

He wants to help us think straight and not listen to the lies of the enemy, but to remember The Lord is our refuge and our Rock, our strong tower of strength, our shelter, our Mighty Warrior who fights our battles for us. What a wonderful God we have!

So be assured, that throughout your day nothing is going to happen, that together with your God, you can’t handle, because He has made you to be an Overcomer.😊 In Jesus name. Amen.

Isaiah 26:4 AMPC So trust in the Lord (commit yourself to Him, lean on Him, hope confidently in Him) forever; for the Lord God is an everlasting Rock [the Rock of Ages].

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ACCEPTED AND VALIDATED BY GOD

Mark 1:11 NKJV Then a voice came from heaven, “You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

I don’t know if you’ve ever tried to wrap your arms around, or hugged a tree, but it’s a bit hard!😊

As I was reading that chapter it occurred to me that before Jesus went into His 40 days of being tempted in the wilderness, God spoke to Him first to make sure Jesus knew beforehand that God was well pleased with Him and that He loved Him. God called Him His dearly beloved Son. What security there is in that! It was a bit like His Father was wrapping His arms around Him and giving Him the biggest hug.😊

God the Father was validating Jesus, letting Him know He was valued and appreciated and approved by His Father, not because of anything He had done, because His ministry hadn’t even started, but because He was His beloved Son.

We realise how important it is to be listening for the voice of God, to know He is validating us as well because we are ‘in’ Jesus. God the Father accepts and approves of us, He is pleased with us and loves us because He has placed us in His beloved Son and given us His righteousness, not because of anything we have done for Him.

When we know that, hear that, believe that then, when the temptations come in our own lives, we will be secure in His love, and be able to remain strong against them because we know God is backing us up. When we lose sight of that, or we haven’t spent some time in our Father’s presence to hear His love, we will probably find it harder to withstand the enemy’s attacks.

So hear God’s voice speaking to you today. When you asked Jesus into your heart you became His beloved son or daughter. He loves you, accepts you, validates you and has given you His approval because you are in Jesus.😊

Isn’t that a wonderful thought to go into every day of our coming week? I hope it has given you confidence and put a smile on your face today.😊 Amen.

Photo: Polina Petrishyna on Unsplash

GOD IN YOUR MIDST

Zephaniah 3:17 NKJV 

The Lord your God in your midst,

The Mighty One, will save;

He will rejoice over you with gladness,

He will quiet you with His love,

He will rejoice over you with singing.”

Did you notice the first line of our verse? ‘The Lord your God in your midst.’ How reassuring that is!  Our God isn’t off on holiday, thinking about something else. He is right there with you and right here with me, in the middle of our lives, in the middle of the happy moments, or the mess or the upset. He knows all about us! Doesn’t that make you glad? We’re known and loved by Almighty God. We can wrap that thought around us like a blanket regardless of whatever is happening in our world!😊 

Next time you feel alone get this verse out and say it aloud to yourself, feel it soak into your spirit and allow the Lord to minister His great love to your heart. You’re never alone, never without His help, never without hope.

And notice God doesn’t sing sad songs, He is singing rejoicing songs and He’s singing them over those who are trusting in Jesus as their Saviour. He’s glad you belong to Him and He knows when you’re in turmoil, when somebody or something has cut up your peace, but listen to what He says. “I will quiet you with My love.” How wonderful that thought is! His love is perfect and it casts out all fear.😊

Whatever else is going on, let Him quiet you with His love, remember He is right now in your midst, that He is the  Mighty One and He’s saving you on a daily basis, that He is actually rejoicing and singing over you.😊

Just stop and let His words sink in, and give Him all our praise and thanks today. In Jesus name. Amen.

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