Sex, Lust & Love

Youth Group tonight...

Topic- Sex Lust & Love

Key verse from what we learnt... Proverbs 4: 23

"Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life."

Prayer

Found this in an email...from a friend about 2 years ago! Gold!!!

"Poverty stricken as the church is today in many things, she is most stricken here, in the place of prayer. We have many organizers, but few agonizers; many players and payers, but few prayers; many singers but few lingerers; lots of pastors but few wrestlers; many fears, few tears; much fashion, but little passion; many interferers, but few intercessors; many writers, but few fighters. Failing here, we fail everywhere." 

- Leonard Ravenhill

Tomorrow awaits....

A new day in waiting....

I cannot wait! I have set the morning apart to have a date with God. To adventure with Him!

We're heading to the beaches (of course)...

I will Be Still, Be romanced, Be held accountable, Be challenged...maybe face some fears...maybe not....depends on the weather! But in everything I will delight in His presence!

I'll get a good run in...

Do some discipling...

Have our 1st girls group we've been wanting to do for ages @ Rivo....

I am excited!

I have great expectations for tomorrow- but pray that in everything I do, God would glorify Himself! That I would become less and that He would become more!

Tomorrow awaits...

Psalm 63

¹ O God, you are my God,
earnestly I seek you;
my soul thirsts for you,
my body longs for you,
in a dry and weary land
where there is no water.

² I have seen you in the sanctuary
and beheld your power and your glory.

³ Because your love is better than life,
my lips will glorify you.

⁴ I will praise you as long as I live,
and in your name I will lift up my hands.

⁵ My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods;
with singing lips my mouth will praise you.

⁶ On my bed I remember you;
I think of you through the watches of the night.

⁷ Because you are my help,
I sing in the shadow of your wings.

⁸ My soul clings to you;
your right hand upholds me.

It's all about Him...

Love it....

Anger, tears and a breaking heart

I’m not an angry person. In fact you have to work pretty hard to see me angry. However...this said, there are a few things that I’m beginning to realise keep me up at night and stir in my spirit.

I was at some (counseling type) training this week and saw a piece of paper where a little boy had written down things that made him angry and how he could change them. In his little hand writing it said “for mum to stop the sex”. There was another story about a girl who had been sexually abused by her brother, her mum soon after died, her father physically abused her, and she ended up running away with her other little brother who was also being abused....and she was only a young teenage girl.

I watched Slumdog Millionaire during the week as well, and was shocked with how I dealt with it. There were no tears like I was expecting, especially having recently coming back from India and falling in love with the kids over there.

Instead I sat with it awhile. It’s one of those movies that keeps creeping back into my head out of nowhere. I get scenes flashing in my head, I hear the voices of little kids yelling or whimpering, I see their eyes- so big...searching.

It breaks my heart. But more than that- it makes me angry. The deceit, the prostitution, the abuse, the greediness, the broken relationships, the unnecessary death that is saturating this world. There’s no words I can use to truly express how wrong it is. It seriously causes me tears...I hate it. I don’t really get angry nor do I hate. I hate hating. But this.....I hate with a passion!

How do I change the mindset of families stuck in the cycle of abuse. How do I provide hope to young people who just think that’s the way life is. How do I provide opportunity for those who have never had the chance. Personally I feel 100% inadequate and incapable to devote my life to those who are hurting and lost. However I am 100% sure of the fact that in surrendering my life to the creator of this universe, my Abba- our Heavenly Father who IS adequate and capable, He will work in and through me and provide me with the answers, knowledge, words and resources needed for whoever I come across....

Break my heart for what breaks yours

Open up my eyes to the things unseen

Show me how to love like you have loved me

I don’t want to do this alone....

I can’t!

Unbelief

Great night! Great worship! Great teaching!

Went to Powerhouse tonight and am just reflecting on the msg. Josh, pastor from CCC Oxford Falls, spoke about handing over our unbelief to God.

In Mark 9 Jesus is with a father and his boy who is in need of some serious healing.

The father says to Jesus, "If you can do anything, take pity on us and help us."

Key word= if

Jesus throws it backs in his court...." I can do anything IF you believe.."

The father says this, "I do believe, help me overcome my unbelief."

I was challenged with the unbelief in my own life.

What areas do I say I believe, but underneath have doubt.

I think of my sister and my mum and how much I long to see them know Jesus and be in love with Him. I believe that that day will come...but I think there's a whole lot of unbelief that accompanies it.

I believe by stepping out of my comfort zone, surrendering myself to the Spirit- God could use me to lead incredible worship. However- if I believed this 100%...why haven't I said yes yet?!

I believe that God does have someone incredible picked out for me and that my time will come, but I still get upset and struggle at times when everything around me is about boys, weddings and love- all great things, however I find myself continually joking that i'll be that old single crazy cat lady that lives down the street.

For years it's been on my heart that "God has set me apart to be something special" (quoted from my mirror) which I totally believe, yet there's in my head... insecurities, imperfections, past failures, lack of experience, knowledge and wisdom that cause too much of an obstacle for me to REALLY believe in God's power and faithfulness.

These areas of unbelief limit the potential of what I am allowing God to do in my life. He is willing....I am the one who believes He is incapable or unwilling.

He is willing= Fact

He is capable= Fact

God- more than ever I want to believe with every part of me that you are willing and capable in all these areas and everything else I bring before you. I'm sorry when I limit you in my own life because I place human limitations on ...you- a Holy indescribable being. Help me in my unbelief! Please...

Running

So I set out on my run today, in my new shoes, down towards my bush track.

Step by step my mind began to clear of everything petty and focused on what was important.

As I ran alongside the creek (which looked like something off LOTR mind you) I began to ponder how my running was quite similar to my journey with God.

Bare with me...

1st- you have to want it.

Have you noticed how far you will go with something if your heart’s not in it. If I’m out running and I really don’t want to be there...I won’t last that long. In order for me to move forward and closer to God- I need to want it, even when it’s hard and I feel discouraged it’s about persevering because in the long run...I know it’s worth it.

2nd- You need support/ Equip yourself

If you're serious about running you don't just chuck on anything and go for a run barefoot. No- you wear the appropriate clothing, you need proper supportive running shoes in order to protect you from getting hurt (hopefully). Just as your relationship with God, if you're serious you will do whatever it takes to support and protect yourself in your journey with Him. In Ephesians 6 it talks about protecting yourself with Armor of God! This is something that we should take up and put on daily!!!

3rd- Water/ Food

Speaks for itself really- I went for a run the other day on a completely empty stomach- not cool. Or when I go without sufficient water it feels like my brain is thumping against the sides of my head- I have to stop, it’s unbareable and so bad on the body. If we try and keep journeying forward with God without actually investing time with Him, learning from Him, growing in Him- we become stale...stagnant. We have nothing fresh to continue with. Our words become lifeless and we become less creative, passionate, loving, spirit-led....well maybe I am just speaking for myself. But I become more and more distant from Him and become more like the world. If I don't feed off His word and His love, it's only natural that I become hungry- the only problem is where I go to satisfy this hunger? 

4th- One eye on the now, One eye looking ahead!

Especially on bush runs, a wrongly placed foot can quickly become disaster. And when you're in the middle of bush with no phone and no-one knowing where you are....it's not really an ideal situation. Today I noticed how important it was for me to focus on each one of my steps as well as keeping an eye on my direction and upcoming branches and obstacles...not to mention spider webs (ahhh).

It really hit me how I need to do this in life as well. I have a tendency to charge through the day in order to experience the next day, without REALLY experiencing the present day! The amount of things I must miss God doing because I mind is focused on another day...with this in mind you need to keep a healthy balance of looking ahead....especially in regards to eternity!

5th- What voice will you listen to?

I get to this stage in my run where no matter how loud my music is, this voice pierces through all of it. "Just make it to the next corner and that will do! The hill's too steep I can't do that, Everything hurts I can't go on, I can just stop for a bit- I won't be long!" Most of the time...I then I grit my teeth and run even faster and harder with more passion and determination..however there is the odd ocassion I give in!

Unfortunately we allow this to happen far too often in our life. We get soo surrounded in "life" we can no longer hear the voice of God, or sometimes we are at a really good place with God yet that other voice still penetrates through. The devil himself, or by using other people, speaks into our lives criticizing us, insulting us, questioning us- and the sad thing is...we listen! As we listen to their voices sometimes we actually start to believe what they are saying- "we can't do this, it is impossible, I am too weak". Our journey is hindered...sometimes even stopped completely.

Is this the voice of the Almighty God- I don't think so! In fact i know so! We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. He promises to be by our side and to never let us go! We can run that hill in our lives! We can persevere even when it hurts! We can't afford to stop and listen in the wrong direction- there's too much at stake! 

I will keep running- even when it hurts! Because despite what I hear and sometimes feel, my God is soo worth it and I only want to be taking steps that GLORIFY Him, that HONOUR Him, that LOVE Him, that SERVE Him and that bring me and most importantly OTHERS into a closer relationship with Him!

Journal Entries

12.05.06

'Do not try to call them back to where they were, and do not try to call them to where you are, beautiful as that place may seem to you. You must have the courage to go with them to a place that neither you nor they have been before.' - Vincent Donovan

12.05.07

It's about time I let some of me out and let more of you in!

28.05.07

It is time...the time is now...

- Time to live a life of LOVE

- Time to live a life of HOPE

- Time to live a life of PURPOSE

- Time to live a life of REPENTENCE

- Time to live a life of PURITY

- Time to live a life of JOY

- Time to live a life of BLESSING

- Time to live a life of ENCOURAGEMENT

- Time to live a life SPIRIT-LED

- Time to live a life SET APART

- Time to live a life MAKING HISTORY

For His Glory!

Loving this song at the moment. Loving Tim Hughes really...

My actions, thoughts and purpose for each day totally change when I re-focus myself on doing it all for the glory of God. Not for myself...but for Him. Not only does He then have access to use me more freely each day, but I am always more aware and alert of the ways He does work in and through me! He's just soo good! I wish I could explain it more but I can't. How can you use words to describe the glory and power, yet love and gentleness that we find in our God!

Living for your glory - Tim Hughes

What good is it to gain the whole world

But lose your soul?

What good is it to make a sweet sound

But remain proud?

In view of God's mercy, I offer my all

And take my life, let it be everything, all of me

Here I am, use me for Your glory

In everything I say and do, let my life honour You

Here I am living for Your glory

The road I'm on that leads nowhere without You

And the life that I live that finds meaning and surrender

In view of God's mercy, I offer my all

Seeking first the Kingdom

Of my Lord

Amen x

Words

The smallest word can be soo powerful! So beautiful! Soo releasing!

As i reflect on some words, so much life springs from them. As i wrote last week on Psalm 46:10 each word in that verse reveals and says soo much- incredible.

I looked up the meaning of a few words I'm loving at the moment... 

captivate |ˈkaptəˌvāt|

verb [ trans. ]

attract and hold the interest and attention of; charm : he was captivated by her beauty | [as adj. ] ( captivating)

arise |əˈrīz|

verb ( past arose |əˈrōz|; past part. arisen |əˈrizən|) [ intrans. ]

1 (of a problem, opportunity, or situation) emerge; become apparent

• come into being; originate

• ( arise from/out of) occur as a result of

2 formal or poetic/literary get or stand up

surrender |səˈrendər|

verb [ intrans. ]

cease resistance to an enemy or opponent and submit to their authority 

• [ trans. ] give up or hand over (a person, right, or possession), typically on compulsion or demand 

• [ trans. ] (in a sports contest) lose (a point, game, or advantage) 

• ( surrender to) abandon oneself entirely to (a powerful emotion or influence); give in to 

Abba |ˈäbä; ˈabä|

noun

(in the New Testament) an intimate term for God as father.

• (in the Syrian Orthodox and Coptic churches) a title given to bishops and patriarchs.

ORIGIN via Greek from Aramaic ‛abbā ‘daddy.’

brew |broō|

verb [ trans. ]

1 make by soaking, boiling, and fermentation.

2 make (tea or coffee) by mixing it with hot water 

3 [ intrans. ] (of an unwelcome event or situation) begin to develop

= I will explain brew in other blog, there is reason for this.

But just for a giggle....

moist |moist|

adjective

slightly wet; damp or humid : the air was moist and heavy.

• (of the eyes) wet with tears : her brother's eyes became moist.

• (of a climate) rainy.

• Medicine marked by a fluid discharge.

DERIVATIVES

moistly |ˈmɔɪstli| adverb

moistness |ˈmɔɪs(t)n1s| noun

ORIGIN late Middle English : from Old French moiste, based on Latin mucidus ‘moldy’ (influenced by musteus ‘fresh,’ from mustum: see must ² ).

Apart from this last one- I think these words speak for themselves in what God is speaking to me at the moment!

My Abba! In you, through you and for you I breathe and live each day!

Everything I possibly try to write falls soo short in bringing you the glory in which you soo clearly deserve! But I am learning to devote each day, each opportunity, each moment to make it count and bring you a smile! I have soo much to learn...but I am willing! Adjust and position my heart closer and closer ...and even closer to you. Cause God if you are not in it- then I want none of it!  Abba you hear my cry- you are my cry!

I love you in a capacity I never knew I could!

 x o x