THE POSITIVE GAME

Mark 11:23-24 NKJV For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.

I wonder if you remember the story of a little girl called Pollyanna who played the “Glad Game’, where she had to think of something to be glad about, even when things had gone wrong? As we were out walking yesterday, the thought popped in my head to make it the ‘Positive Game’, where we have to think of something positive that God has said or promised, and declare it over our lives. I realised I was needing to inject some lightheartedness into things and as I started speaking positively I began to feel brighter!😊

When circumstances look negative, or when things are not working out the way we thought, we have to start taking our faith out and polishing it up! On purpose we need to declare things over our lives that will lift our spirits, believing we can have what we say based on God’s word, just like Jesus said.

For instance we can say, ‘I declare that my future is bright because God promised not to harm me but to give me a future and a hope to bless me. I declare that my faith is going to make a difference to my decisions this week and expect the best not the worst case scenario! I declare that all things are going to work out for our good according to God’s promise. I declare God’s goodness and mercy are overtaking me, so it will be a good day. I declare I’m surrounded by the amazing favour of God wherever I go this week.”

I hope you’re entering into this.😊 Try bouncing off somebody with it. Challenge them to think of something positive to counteract the doom and glooms, to lift the atmosphere in order to deliberately put some lightness into it, so hope rises up again instead of defeat.😊

Jesus told us to cheer up because He has overcome the world and what is it that overcomes the world? - our faith, which is fired up by positive God inspired thoughts and words. Woohoo! Come on, stir it up!

As you begin this new week, I challenge you to think of something positive that makes you feel better, based on a promise of God, write it down, pin it up on the fridge if it helps, but speak it out to somebody, or text it! Go on - whether you’re by yourself or with someone - be a faith person! Don’t say anything negative for quarter of an hour (or longer if you can) but keep coming back to saying something positive, agree with God and see what happens!😊Amen.

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IT SHALL BE WELL WITH THEM

Isaiah 3:10 NIV Tell the righteous it will be well with them, for they will enjoy the fruit of their deeds.

If you’ve ever played the card game of ‘Patience’ (also known as Solitaire in America) you will know it sometimes works out well and sometimes it doesn’t! It tries our patience!😊

God is not like that because when He says things will work out well He’s looking at the long term picture, the end result and we’ve not to judge things by where we’re at just at this moment because He hasn’t finished unfolding our story.😊

So often we look at our circumstances and think, “This isn’t going well and it looks like it will get worse.” Those are the times we have to stand on God’s promises and trust His word will not fail us. We have to declare by faith, “All will be well for the righteous, and God has declared I am righteous in Christ so all is going to be well for me.” We’re not saying it through gritted teeth, we’re saying it because we know who holds our future, because He is faithful to His promises and we trust Him.

In Psalm 23 David wrote about going from green pastures to the valley of the shadow of death but ended up with his cup overflowing and eating from the Lord’s table even in his enemies’ presence! He didn’t go by where he was at the moment. He was sure God’s goodness and mercy would hunt him down and overtake him every day!

We can be the same way if we’ll focus on all Jesus has done for us and tell the doubts and fears to shut up! Hebrews 12:2 NKJV looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith…

Where are we looking? If we’re looking at situations that seem hopeless may I encourage us to look at God’s promises and know that as we speak them out we are declaring life over those things, and not death, we are releasing the goodness and favour of God into them. We are releasing the ‘All is well” into our circumstances.😊

Thank You Lord. Amen.

Have a blessed weekend.x😊

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TIME TO GET YOUR BUCKET!

Isaiah 12:2-3 NIV Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The Lord, the Lord himself, is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation.” With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.

As I was reading this verse I imagined lowering a bucket down into a deep well and then hauling it back up to appreciate the joy of tasting the sweet cool water. It occurred to me we wouldn’t go with a teaspoon or a mug to the well, we’d need a big bucket to draw out as much water as we could and on a hot day we’d want to pour some over our heads to cool down.

There are days when we need the cool refreshing water of the Word, of the Spirit of God Himself to pour into us and over us to refresh our weary souls. When life has knocked us about, when fears and doubts bother us, those are the times we need to go to our well of salvation and draw out whatever we have need of, to draw out His peace, His joy, His strength and let His love pour over us, to keep things in perspective.

It’s similar to the picture in Psalm 23 when David reminds us the Lord has spread a table before us and on that table is everything abundantly provided for our blessing and welfare. It’s the table where our cup is brimming over and overflowing with all God wants us to have, but we have to do something.😊

We need to come to the table by faith to receive God’s blessings, to take off the table the desires of our hearts, to experience the overflowing cup of blessing. We need to go the well of our salvation and make the effort to let down our bucket so we can draw out from it all the good things wrapped up in our salvation through Jesus.

We may all need some refreshing today (I know I do), so let me encourage you to sit with the Lord for a little while and with joy know you can draw out some refreshing water, and don’t go with a teaspoon or a mug, go with a big bucket and let Him fill it up.😊 In Jesus name. Amen.

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WHAT ARE WE HOARDING?

John 1:1-4 NLT In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him. The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone.

I read a Snoopy quote the other day and it said this, “I’m not a hoarder, I’m a ‘This Might Be Useful Later’ Specialist.” That made me chuckle because I am a bit of a hoarder, and when I do finally throw something away, I soon discover I should have kept it after all because I need it! I wonder if that happens to you too?😊

There is something though which we should be hoarding in our hearts, and that is the word of God. When we store it inside us the Holy Spirit can then bring it back to our minds when we need it, when we’re maybe in a tricky situation, or we need to encourage someone else.

God says in His word that His words are Spirit and life, that they are health to all our flesh, and that they direct our paths. The Holy Spirit goes on to say, 2 Timothy 3:16 NLT All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.

Scripture also reminds us that death and life are in the power of the tongue and that what is in our hearts will come out of our mouths, so if we have hoarded God’s word in our hearts guess what will come out? It’s like when you squeeze an orange, the juice squirts out.😊 If somebody squeezes you and me I wonder what comes out? If I’m honest it’s not always the right thing!

So this is to encourage us all to remember how important it is to hoard and store up the right things, good memories, good thoughts, good attitudes, but most importantly the Word of God itself because Jesus is The Word and the more Word we have, the more of Jesus we have. I like that, don’t you?😊 Amen.

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I AM A CHILD OF GOD

1 John 3:1 NIV See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.

I read this yesterday…

I am loved

I am known

I am precious

I am His

Sometimes it’s good to just stop and take a breath, to remember how much we are loved by God, that we are known by God and that we are so precious to God and all because we belong to Him. We are His child if Jesus is our Saviour. If we do that we will gain a different perspective on everything else because those statements are not only true but the enemy has no way of changing them!😊 

When the enemy maybe whispers that no one cares about you or loves you, you can tell Him God loved you to the Cross and back and His love will never fail you. 

On those days when you feel like you’re a nobody, that you’re invisible and the enemy tries to make you feel less than, just remind him that the Creator of the Universe, the Almighty God knows you by name and your name is engraved on the palm of His hand, and you can go to His throne for an audience at any moment!

The next time you feel a bit rubbish and the enemy tries to tell you you’re not worth bothering with, that you’re not worthy of anything good happening, or that you’ve made too many mistakes so you don’t deserve anything, just remind him you are God’s special treasure, that you are His masterpiece and that He says you are precious in His sight.

2 Corinthians 5:17 NKJV Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

You see what we believe about ourselves changes how we view the world, and God wants us to see ourselves as new creations in Christ, made in His image, made righteous and accepted in Christ, being transformed daily by His Holy Spirit to become more and more like Jesus Himself, because that’s how God sees us.

Put on your ‘Child of God’ spectacles today and view the world through them from now on and don’t ever take them off because you are who God says you are, you can have what He says you can have, and you can do all that He says you can do and all for the glory of God. Hallelujah!😊 Amen.

HOW IS YOUR HEART?

Proverbs 15:13 NLT A glad heart makes a happy face …

Proverbs 15:15 NLT For the despondent, every day brings trouble; for the happy heart, life is a continual feast.

So often the heart is depicted in the media as romantic emotion, or the medical profession major on keeping our hearts healthy by exercise etc. They’re all different aspects of thinking about the heart but scripture talks about our heart as being our inner selves, our inner spirit.

It reminds us that when our hearts are cheerful then it will show up on our faces. Have you ever caught your reflection in a shop window and realised you looked a bit glum, that your smile has disappeared? Scripture says that if we have a merry heart, a happy heart, life is a continual feast! We might not feel like that all the time but a heart resting in God can be that way because it’s feasting on all He has given us in Jesus.😊

Does the heart affect the way we speak? Proverbs 15:28 NLT The heart of the godly thinks carefully before speaking; ... Jesus said whatever is in our hearts will come out of our mouths, so we need to give our hearts a check up and see what’s in there so we can remove it if we don’t want it to come out at inappropriate moments!😊

What about the things we read or watch? Proverbs 15:14 NIV The discerning heart seeks knowledge, but the mouth of a fool feeds on folly. Another version says the fool feeds on trash! What is our heart feeding on, is it seeking knowledge or is it feeding on trash? 

Scripture says there’s a lot the heart tells us about ourselves and God wants our hearts to be seeking after Him. He wants our hearts to be full of His love and kindness so that what pops out of our mouths builds people up and doesn’t tear them down; to be full of His joy and peace so we can smile and not look miserable as we go about our day. In fact, just knowing God loves us does our hearts good, so we can smile!😊 Amen.

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TIME FOR AN UPLIFT

Philippians 4:8 NLT And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.

On the days when you look in the mirror and think you could do with a face lift why not turn your thoughts to something that gives you peace, that makes you smile and you’ll have an instant facelift.😊

I love positive input, those words and thoughts that lift our spirits and help us see things from a better perspective. It’s always good to counteract the things that pull us down with God’s thoughts because God is never depressed or scratching His head wondering how it will all turn out. We serve a God who knows the end from the beginning, who promises us a future and a hope when our trust is in Jesus.

So I thought I’d pass on some encouraging, uplifting thoughts:

It’s good to take it one day at a time. Jesus said not to worry about tomorrow because God knows what you need and promised to provide it.

You’re doing better than you think. God loves you. He says you are His masterpiece, so you are amazing.

Better days are coming because God knows the plans He has for you which are to prosper you and not to harm you.

Every small step forward brings you closer to all God has for you.You have come further than you realise.

You’ve survived 100% of your bad days with God’s help and He will make all things work together for good to those who love Him.

It’s ok to be yourself because God made you and He says you are His special treasure, you’re precious in His sight and you matter.

You are stronger than you think so keep going and God promises to hold you up and help you as He takes you into the next season because His heart is to bless you.

You are who God says you are, you can have all God says you can have, and you can do all God says you can do.

As we go into our new week I hope something in those God thoughts will lift us up to help us remember we are a wonderful work in progress and even on hard days we can still know the inner joy of God being with us no matter what comes, and that our faith in Jesus and all He’s done overcomes the world each day. Amen. 😊

DANCING STRAWBERRIES!

Isaiah 30:18 AMPC And therefore the Lord [earnestly] waits [expecting, looking, and longing] to be gracious to you; and therefore He lifts Himself up, that He may have mercy on you and show loving-kindness to you… Blessed…are all those who [earnestly] wait for Him, who expect and look and long for Him [for His victory, His favor, His love, His peace, His joy, and His matchless, unbroken companionship]!

While choosing which strawberries to buy the other day, as I turned the punnet upside down to check there were no bad ones underneath, suddenly the unexpected happened and the strawberries all started to fall out and dance across the supermarket floor! I hadn’t realised the cellophane lid wasn’t sealed properly and we had strawberry chaos on our hands! It was like a sketch from a comedy show as we dashed to capture them before they disappeared below the cabinets. Honestly, the things that happen!🤣

Things do happen unexpectedly though and they may be funny but embarrassing, like my strawberries, or they may be one of God’s blessed interventions when He steps in to surprise us in a lovely way. 

Our verse describes how God lifts Himself off His throne in order to bless us. He has surprises lined up for us we know nothing about. Those times when He puts us in the way of a big discount on a bill which happened to us last week, very unexpectedly! Or when we suddenly feel much better and we can’t explain why, or He connects us with someone who will be a blessing to us. They are unexpected wonderful God blessings and surprises.😊

It says God is expecting to do those good things for us, not because we deserve them, but just because that is His nature and He loves us. It’s like when someone gives you a surprise present. It shows they care, that they’ve been thinking about you, that they want to bless you.😊

Psalm 23:6 NET Surely your goodness and faithfulness will pursue me all my days,… 

God wants us to believe for that because it’s God’s heart for us today and every day, so be expectant - not for the strawberries to do a dance on the floor, but to be able to see the funny side of things, to expect people to be good to you because the favour of God surrounds you like a shield. 

It has nothing to do with whether we deserve it or not, it’s all to do with the wonderful grace of God who is lifting Himself up today to do unexpected lovely things in your life too. In Jesus name. Amen.😊

Have a blessed weekend.x😊

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KINDNESS IS FREE

Galations 5:22-23 NLT But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!

We all know kindness is a fruit of the Spirit and as I was reading a whole lot of sayings about kindness I thought I’d pass them on to remind us how lovely and important kindness can be whether we’re receiving it, or giving it to others.😊

Ephesians 4:32 NLT Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.

“Kindness: (noun) Loaning someone your strength instead of reminding them of their weakness.”

“Kindness doesn’t cost a thing, but its impact echoes forever. One smile, one gentle word, one moment of kindness can turn someone’s whole day around - including our own.”

“Kindness is more than deeds. It is an attitude, an expression, a look, a touch. It is anything that lifts another person.” (Plato)

“Every act of kindness is a piece of love we leave behind.” (Paul Williams).

“Your unassuming act of kindness might become someone’s memory of a lifetime.”

“No act of kindness is too small.”

“Everywhere you go leave a glitter trail of kindness behind you. Someone who needs it may just pick it up.”

“Little mouse asked Big Bear, “Why should we be kind?” Big Bear replied, “Because kindness is the one gift everyone can afford to give.”

I just thought they were some lovely thoughts about being kind to others that we can take into our day.😊

In the words of the Apostle Paul: Ephesians 4:29 NLT … Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.

Lord, we thank You for Your loving kindness and that You are reproducing it in us so we can pass it on to others wherever we go. Amen.

OUT OF THE FISH

Jonah 1:17 NLT Now the Lord had arranged for a great fish to swallow Jonah. And Jonah was inside the fish for three days and three nights.

We all know fish can be very smelly and when we cook them the smell permeates the whole house!😊 

Jonah was thrown into the sea and ended up in a big fish, but we can be so focused on the big ‘fish’ we pass over the fact that what he was actually in, was rebellion! That fish’s insides stank, he would have been swilling around with all kinds of mush, and rebellion is the same for us. It takes us lower and deeper than we want to go. It stinks in God’s nostrils and it makes us smell bad too!

When we don’t understand or when we don’t want to understand, when we think we know better, when we don’t trust God and question His integrity, then we can slip into rebellion without even realising it. But Jonah was outright, deliberately rebelling and he chose to run away.

He ended up nearly destroying the lives of those around him and that is what rebellion does. It’s a prideful attitude that wants to do what it wants to do regardless of how many lives might be messed up along the way. 1 Samuel 15:23 NLT Rebellion is as sinful as witchcraft, and stubbornness as bad as worshiping idols… That is a strong statement and I know I’ve been rebellious and stubborn sometimes!

When we rebel we’re just not realising God wants the best for us and for others. He has a plan He wants us to be part of, so we can be a blessing and be blessed and He knows the best way to go about it.

Jonah didn’t think the wicked people of Nineveh deserved forgiveness. He thought he knew better than God. Ever felt like that? Rebellion doesn’t bless God it upsets Him. Faith in Him is what pleases Him, when we trust He knows best because He knows the end from the beginning.

Are you rebelling about anything? Have you been inside the fish for a while, because we’ve probably all been there at some point?!😊 Has God asked you to do something, to go somewhere but you’ve stubbornly dug your heels in and for whatever reason you’ve found excuses, or said outright no, or you’re running away? 

If so, be encouraged because it’s time for you to get out of the fish where there is no future, where it stinks, and let God bring you into His glorious plan and purpose for your life. Turn around and call out to the Lord and He will rescue you, just like He did with Jonah, because He loves you.😊 Amen.

WALK, SIT, STAND

2 Corinthians 6:16 NIV …As God has said: “I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.”

What a promise to take with us into each day! The God who raises the dead, who flung stars into space, the majestic King of Heaven, our Abba Father who loves us, He is walking with us wherever we go! He’s watching over us, keeping us on the straight and narrow, when our eyes are on Him. 

Sometimes when we go for a walk and the path narrows we follow the person in front and walk in their footsteps. In the same way God walks with us, but He also goes ahead of us, so we can follow where He leads. Isn’t that reassuring? He leads us in paths of righteousness, beside still waters and He lets us rest and feed in green pastures. Thank You Lord.😊

Ephesians 2:6 NLT For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus.

Then Paul reminds us we’re no longer earth bound but citizens of heaven, taken out of the kingdom of darkness and put in the kingdom of light of God’s dear Son. We are sitting with Jesus,  at the right hand of God. Our bodies may be experiencing earth, but our inner spirit is joined with Jesus so we can experience heaven as well. In one sense we are already there! Lord give us deeper revelation of being seated with Christ in heavenly places, seated in a place of victory.

2 Corinthians 1:24 NIV Not that we lord it over your faith, but we work with you for your joy, because it is by faith you stand firm.

Now because God is walking with us, because He has sat us down beside His throne with Jesus in a place of all authority and power, we can stand by faith in all that God has done for us in Jesus. We can stand on His promises because not one of them has failed. We can stand in the victory Jesus has won for us, and having done all stand with our armour on knowing who we are and whose we are. Hallelujah. 

Just in case we forget, wherever we go and whatever we have to do today, God is reminding us we are walking, sitting and standing with God each day. What a thought!😊 Thank You Jesus. Amen.

JUST ENOUGH OR MORE THAN ENOUGH?

Ezekiel 34:26 NIV I will make them and the places surrounding my hill a blessing. I will send down showers in season; there will be showers of blessing.

Can I ask you something? Is your concept of God one that He gives us ‘just enough’ to get by? When someone asks how much milk you want in your drink and you show them your thumb and finger close together to say a little bit, just enough? Are we the same with God? Just enough money to pay the bills Lord, just enough health to get through the day? Lord, if you could just ….?

Or is your image of God one where His arms are thrown wide open and you know He is the God of ‘more than enough’ and that His heart is to shower you with His blessings, not because we deserve them but because of His great love for us. Ephesians 1:8-9 NIV says God lavished His grace and favour on us. Lavish is an over the top word because our God is actually an over the top God!😊

Our perception of God will determine how much we can receive from Him and if we think He’s holding back on us then we maybe haven’t quite believed this verse…

Romans 8:32 NLT Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else?

The enemy always tries to make us doubt God’s promises, to make us think they were for a different time, or for someone else, but if we belong to God then all His promises, ALL of them, are yes and Amen in Jesus.

God is wanting us to take the limits off Him, to believe His word where He says His heart is to prosper us and not to harm us, to prosper everything we set our hands to, to walk in the abundant life Jesus died to give us. 

In order to do that we have to have a sense of bible expectation, of  hope based on His word, of faith that sees the unseen, to know God has given us the ability to call forth what we’re believing for by faith, because of His promises. If we can see it already in front of us then we don’t need faith, but we do need it for the things we can only see with our spiritual eyes.😊

Jesus turned 120 gallons of water into wine, He gave thanks and a few fish and rolls fed 5,000 people with 12 big baskets of left overs. God split the sea for Moses, fed 2-3 million people for 40 years in a desert! So is it just possible we’ve been insulting God by only asking Him for ‘just enough’ health, just enough strength, just enough money, etc., instead of believing our God is the God of ‘more than enough” and it blesses Him when we ask for more than enough of the ‘everything’ He wants us to have!😊

Lord, open our eyes so that truth sinks right down into our spirits to see You as You really are - our wonderful God of more than enough who wants to pours out Your blessings on us if we’ll receive them. Amen.

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YOU CAN DO THIS!

Philippians 4:13 (Weymouth Translation) I have strength for anything through Him who gives me power.

Do you ever have days where things seem such an effort? It’s like when the insurance comes up for renewal and it’s a challenge to find the best deal! I have to remind myself, “I can do this!” The Holy Spirit is our Helper, the One who comes alongside, and that includes helping us with mundane tasks that have to be done.😊 

But what about the big things? Maybe you have a dream of being well, a big project that you know God is calling you to do, but it seems daunting or you can’t see how it can happen, or you’ve been waiting for it for so long you’ve become discouraged? Well I want to tell you with God’s help, “YOU CAN DO THIS”, whatever it is! You can believe and not give up!

The waiting time is very often the most difficult when we’re going from the seed of the idea being planted, to ‘There it is!’, when we’re standing in the full harvest of what we’ve believed for. God designed things to be on the principle of Seed Time, and Harvest, but the tricky bit is the bit in the middle, the long drawn out ‘Time’ bit where the enemy tempts us all to give up on the promise or the dream!

Can I tell you God never gives up on the dream He has given us; if He made a promise or told us to do  something then He will bring it to pass.😊

We often pray for God to change our circumstances but God will use our circumstances to change us in the waiting, and we don’t always want to hear that! It’s not that He is putting bad stuff on us but He will turn it round for our good. He’s teaching us to trust Him in the silence, in the delay, knowing His timing is always spot on.

God is encouraging each one of us, as we go through the new week, no matter what we’re needing to do, or wanting to do, no matter how small it is or how big it is, how impossible it looks, the Holy Spirit is reminding us today with His help, “YOU CAN DO THIS!”😊

Thank You Lord, ‘I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, who gives me the power to be an overcomer.” In Jesus name. Amen.

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FOR OUR ENJOYMENT

1 Timothy 6:17 NIV Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.

I wonder if you’ve stopped to smell the roses lately? When I walk into our village I pass a garden which is absolutely full of roses and I like to lean over their wall to smell them as they’re just too beautiful to ignore!😊

Earlier this week we were in Belper, Derbyshire and we took our own coffee and scones with home made jam, and sat in the sunshine in the park where we’d never sat before, and enjoyed a very yummy, happy moment or two.😊 

The park itself had big African marigolds so I rescued some of the dead seed heads and brought them home to hopefully plant for next year which will be a lovely reminder of a happy morning. Even on the way to the park we came across this beautiful display of clematis flowers which I photographed for you all to see, it was just so stunning.😊

So why am I telling you all that? It’s just a little reminder once again that there are blessings the Lord is constantly pouring out on us but we have to recognise them and take the time to enjoy them, to appreciate His goodness and kindness to us, to acknowledge they are all from Him, not just a coincidence. 

One day this week our daughter sent an odd text at 9 a.m. saying, “Can I have a piece of toast?” I texted back “Yes”, thinking she was joking, but she then texted, “I’m standing outside your front door!” What a lovely surprise! No warning, just a spur of the moment idea she’d had and it blessed me so much!😊

Why not give someone else a surprise moment, lift their spirits, send them a card or a text or leave a surprise parcel on their doorstep. Stop on your walk and just breathe in the joy of being able to walk anywhere, to look in someone’s garden and enjoy the fruit of their labours. Watch the little ladybirds when they appear and count their spots. Whatever the moment brings let’s practice enjoying and living in that moment, and give God all the glory!

Have a blessed weekend everybody, and I pray you find some moments to enjoy.x😊

PRESSING THE RIGHT BUTTONS

Deuteronomy 30:19 NLT Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live.

I have a pen which has 4 colours in it. If you press the red panel then you write in red, if you press the green panel you obviously write in green, etc. Whatever you press disables the other colours temporarily. 

As I was using it I had this thought - if we press the kindness button in our spirit, then kindness will flow out and the unkind feelings will be disabled. If we press the forgiveness button then all the unforgiveness, the offence and all that goes with it can’t come out. We get to choose which button we press. God has given us free choice and the ability to choose what we want to flow out of us, what we want to write in our book of life.😊

My question is, are we choosing to press the right buttons? Are we pressing the green button of jealousy and envy, or the green button of the green light which says move forward into green pastures? 

Are we pressing the red button of  worry, panic and fear, or the red button of the blood of Jesus which delivers us from all fear and condemnation, and the ultimate fear of death?

Are we pressing the blue button of depression, doom and gloom, or are we pressing the blue button of positive faith and favour, of blue skies and the windows of heaven opened over us so the blessings of God can pour out? 

Are we pressing the black button of confusion and darkness on our path? Or are we pressing the black button which writes God’s word in our hearts so His promises can light up our way so our path gets brighter and brighter as He promises?

Next time we choose what is being written in our book of life, let’s stop and think a minute and choose to press the right buttons.😊 In Jesus name. Amen.

BE A GOOD EGG AND SMILE

John 16:33 NKJV These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

You may be having a great week, or you may be having a challenging week, but what we could all probably do with is an infusion of joy.😊 Jesus warned us we would have difficulties but He never left us on a downer, He then went on to say, “But cheer up, I’ve overcome the world.” 

He was saying it’s ok to put a smile on our faces, regardless of what is going on, because He’s made us to be overcomers whether we feel like it or not. He was reminding us that His joy is our strength to face the day, to deal with the difficulties. 

A smile releases all good chemicals into our brains that lowers blood pressure, and reduces stress. Smiling is healthy! So smile by faith!😊 When we smile we use roughly 26 muscles, but when we frown we use about 52 muscles so don’t wear yourself out - smile!😊 Why can we smile? Because Jesus has already won the victory over the devil, over every principality and power and that includes the victory over the doom and glooms, over whatever the enemy is whispering in our ears.

Who are we choosing to listen to today? When we feel lost, when we don’t know which way to turn, can I encourage you to turn to the Word of God and let Him minister His joy to your heart. Google the joy scriptures, shift your focus to the fruit of joy that’s in your spirit, to remember God loves you, He’s for you and He’s with you.😊

Let’s listen to the words of Jesus in John 14:1 & 27, “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in me…Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” Jesus said twice to not let our hearts be troubled, because He was giving us His own peace which gives us joy. We have a lot going for us! 

God never asks us to do something we aren’t capable of doing, so let’s cheer up today. Let’s put a smile on our faces by faith, let’s not let our hearts be troubled but let’s remember who holds us in the palm of His powerful and loving hands - and cheer up.😊 

We’re on the winning side, there are glories to come we know nothing about, victories to be celebrated already written in our book. So keep smiling because we do have a lot to smile about in Jesus.😊 Amen.

P.S. Someone just sent me this, “I may be hanging by a thread right now, but that thread is attached to the hem of His garment. I’m gonna be all right.” And you are too.😊

Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

GRACE AND PEACE

2 Corinthians 1:2 NKJV Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Did you catch that? Grace and peace! Would you like some grace and peace that you can’t buy or earn today? God is offering it freely to each one of us for the taking and receiving, but if we don’t take it by faith we won’t walk in it.😊

It’s like if I give you a birthday present but if you don’t take it when I offer it to you, then you will never enjoy it. We read God’s words but tend to gloss over them sometimes, and they float over our heads and remain in the ether because we don’t mix them with faith and benefit from them.

God’s grace includes His enabling strength, His blessings and favour throughout our day in every situation that we walk into, whether it’s an opportunity for a bargain in a shop, a job interview, or a difficult conversation with someone. If we’ve received and thanked God for His grace and His favour, then we can enjoy it and expect it to open doors for us, to help us overcome tricky situations. God says His grace is more than enough for whatever comes each day. I think we’d all like some of that!😊

How about some heaven sent peace? Could you do with a dose of peace right now? Peace is knowing we’re right first of all with God Himself, that He accepts and approves us because we’re in Jesus, that’s the foundation for our peace. 

Peace is trusting God to work things out when we don’t know how, to trust He has a way where we can’t see one, to know He has our back and He’s watching over us. Peace is resting in the One who holds the stars in place, who brings the sun up each morning. Peace is knowing God is looking after us and He’s with us, no matter what! It’s knowing when our thoughts are in turmoil we can stop and receive yet more of His peace. Would you like some today? God is giving it to us all but we have to receive it.😊

Lord, we lift our hands out in faith to You to thank You for your grace and peace today. We receive them so gladly and we’re so grateful for them. In Jesus name. Amen.

Photo by Vitaly Gariev on Unsplash

WAKE UP!

Romans 13:11 NLT This is all the more urgent, for you know how late it is; time is running out. Wake up, for our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.

Wake up sleepy head! We all know how hard it can be to not just wake up but to actually get out of bed when the bed is warm and cozy but on Sunday I was reminded how important it is for us to wake up spiritually because God is on the move and He wants us to be part of it.😊

Jesus didn’t just come for you and me, He came for as many as would believe in Him and I was challenged as to what I’m doing to help that happen. God has opportunities and things for us to do that we may not have considered, which might be outside of our ‘box’ but if we’ll follow where He leads then He can flow through us to others to bring them to Himself.

There is a sense of going into a new season for many of us and God wants us to make the most of the season we’re going into, not to minimise it or find excuses why we can’t do things. Rather He wants us to lean into Him for His strength and empowering to see what He will do in and through us, to have a sense of expectation.😊

Too often we see the risk, the difficulty, we see the giant in the land instead of remembering that because God is for us, then who can be against us? No one! Our God is mighty and He has given us spiritual weapons of warfare to pull down those strongholds of unbelief, of inadequacy, of lack of confidence and declare we are chosen, called, equipped and anointed by God to do whatever He asks of us.

We need a faith response! We don’t need a doubt or an unbelief response! God is with us! His resources are for us! He has given us His authority and remember God loves to surprise us so if things unfold in a ‘different’ way to what we imagined then that’s good too! 

Don’t let’s try to keep God in our little box but let Him take us out of our box into His land of endless possibilities, of opportunities, of His favour and every good thing He has planned for us.😊 In Jesus name let it be so! Amen.

Photo by Drazen Nesic on Unsplash

LIFE CHANGING

2 Corinthians 3:18 ESV And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another.

We sometimes hear of people who have life changing experiences where they maybe had an accident, or an illness occurred, and their lives changed. But when we read the gospels we meet Jesus who changed peoples’ lives wherever He went, for the better.😊

The people who came to Him and the ones He sought out, the ones who were sceptical at first, and those who fell in worship at His feet, once they encountered Jesus one on one, their lives were never the same again. It’s the same for us today, knowing Jesus changes our past, our present and our destiny.

He is the central figure in all of history and if we have given our lives to Jesus, if we’re spending time with Him, remembering His goodness, His faithfulness, lifting our eyes off your circumstances and looking at how great our God is, we will be changing all the time, from one degree of glory to another, to become more like Him.😊 

God wants us to have an encounter with Him on a daily moment by moment basis because of His great love for us. His plan hasn’t changed. He wants us to know Him intimately, to have ongoing revelation of who He is, how He thinks and what He wants to do for us and in us, so we can be changed for the better and reach others with His love, so we can experience the plans He has for us.

Hebrews tells us God rewards those who diligently seek Him, whose hearts are turned towards Him and He is inviting us to stop and seek Him today and allow His love to flow into us and receive His mercy and grace to change our lives for the better throughout each day, moment by moment, as we navigate our new week.😊 Amen.

ASKING FOR MORE

James 4:2 NKJV …Yet you do not have because you do not ask.

There is a famous quote from Charles Dickens’ novel, where the boy Oliver asks for more and as I sat the other morning I felt the Lord say, “You can always ask for more!” I’m already asking for a lot but He said ask for more!😊 Whatever it is you need, whether it’s more grace, more strength, family to be saved, more money, a better job, more wisdom, more health, for your marriage to be sweeter, for a spouse, whatever you need, God says we can ask for more!

I hope that encourages you to get your faith out today, to brush it off and look at what you’ve been asking God for so far. The bible tells us repeatedly to ask God for things, so He means what He says and wants to grab our attention! 

How is your asking lately? Have you been asking for anything at all or has your asking been too small? What vision/dream have you written down for your life? Remember, where there is no vision the people perish!😊

God wants our ‘ask’ to grow with our faith, to believe He can do the impossible. To not just ask for the possible but to stretch our faith and ask for the impossible.😊 Stretch our faith to see ourselves doing whatever is in our heart, no matter how far out of reach it is at the minute. Stretch our faith to see ourselves going to the places God has given us a desire to go, to see ourselves growing in our relationship with God where we know Him more deeply.

God is not fazed by how big our ‘Ask’ is!  The command is to ask, and God said to David at one point, ‘I would have given you more if you had asked!’ Are we asking? See it in your mind and ask for it!

God wants us to know Him, to trust Him and to believe Him for great things. We may be praying for a family member to be saved, God says He will give us nations! You may be praying for money to pay the rent or the monthly mortgage. God says to ask for it to be paid off in full! God wants us to expand our thinking, expand our asking, but also to expand our receiving.

We may have a choke hold on so that it’s hard to receive because we don’t feel we deserve it, or we have false humility, or small thinking. God says to take the choke hold off!

Let His Spirit do what He wants to do for you, and in you, and simply ‘Ask for more!”, ask for something that only He can do, that let’s others see our God is awesome!😊 In Jesus name. Amen.

Have a blessed weekend.x😊