tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13462741919576911352024-02-08T12:34:02.815+11:00Apples of GoldJessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06543574650970283141noreply@blogger.comBlogger178125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1346274191957691135.post-27176205370381668762019-04-14T15:47:00.000+10:002019-04-14T15:47:02.850+10:00Can We Make a Difference in the World?<i>Hey friends! It's been a long time, and I'm not sure I can see regular blogging in sight. But I am excited to share what one of my amazing friends, Oasis, shared with me! I appreciate her honest approach and lighthearted way of writing, and she has such a good message:</i><br />
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One
of my favourite quotes is "Be the change you want to see in the world," typically associated with Mahatma Gandhi. According to Ranseth,
J (2015) Gandhi did not actually say that direct quote, however, the
principle of the quote is what Gandhi stood for. So, whether
Gandhi said it or not, whoever said it, it's still my favourite quote.</div>
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So,
back to the question, 'Can we make a difference in this world?' A lot
of people are overwhelmed by the question, 'If you could make the world a
better place, what would you do and why?'. When asked, they look around
and go, 'I don't know, I mean, there are so many things wrong with this
world'. </div>
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Well,
I can't blame them; there are a lot of negative things in this world
and we could so very easily just give up, be complacent and say, 'Well,
I'm not going to do anything because it's not like I'm going to make a
difference'. When people answer with such lack of passion, I feel like
pressing a buzzer and saying, 'Brrr, wrong answer'. Unfortunately, I've never
had a buzzer handy and have to just nod in agreement with a smile on my
face to cover up my disappointment. #Grin&BearIt</div>
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To
me, the reasoning to such a track of thought is absolutely ridiculous.
It's like saying to an environmentalist, 'Oh, don't tell me to put my
rubbish in the bin, everyone isn't bothering to do it, so, me doing it
isn't going to make a difference'. What has happened to care in this
world? Have people lost all hope and meaning in life?</div>
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From
my perspective, I see picking up rubbish as a movement to making the
world a better place. If one puts rubbish in the bin, it's an example
that has the potential to lead others to do the same. It may not, and
that doesn't mean there is no point in doing it; one less bottle cap in
the sea is one less for a turtle to choke on. </div>
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So, to make the world a better place, I would start where I am and
make my world better. I would do this by giving people I meet in my
life - stranger or friend, work colleague or family member, job provider
or employer - my time and encouragement. I would make the world a better
place by showing others that what they wear, what they own, what they
buy, does not bring them value. What makes them valuable is who they are
and what they bring to life.</div>
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Everyone
on this earth is valuable and each one of us can make a positive
difference to the world. This may sound whimsical, naive or cliche, but I
doubt saying, "A fraction of people on this earth are valuable and only
rich people in high places can make positive change" is going to
provide the positive, feel-good vibes I'm aiming for,
plus, I'd be lying.</div>
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Here's
another quote I'd like to share, by a woman who I'd never heard of
before, but I'd probably be friends with her because she seems pretty
cool. 'Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens
can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has' -
Margaret Mead. Her statement reminds me of Rosa Parks who started the
movement against segregation on buses; apparently she didn't mean to,
she just wanted a seat because her legs were tired, but it got the job
done! Sometimes, just being yourself and standing up makes
a difference!</div>
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In
conclusion, <b>yes!</b> we can make a difference to this messed up world, one
step at a time. It doesn't even mean we have to go out of our way to do so
either. Just by putting a bit more love into your work or adding a few
extra sprinkles on your baked cupcakes for someone's birthday or picking
up a piece of rubbish, could be the positive change that brings a smile
to someone's face and your own.<br />
<br />
<i>Thanks so much for your encouragement, Oasis! I really like the emphasis on doing the best with the opportunities we have. Changing the world doesn't have to complex and unattainable - it's the little things we do consistently that make the biggest difference. Never underestimate the impact you have! </i><br />
<br />
<i>How do you find yourself changing the world? Are you ever overwhelmed with all the darkness and hate that's present sometimes (me too!)? What's one way someone has lightened your life before? And what's been happening for you, seeing as it's been so long since I've posted? I think of you all often. xx </i> Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06543574650970283141noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1346274191957691135.post-78696408830341828882019-02-21T19:22:00.000+11:002019-02-21T19:22:38.478+11:00Reflections on New Beginnings<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’m sitting outside on the veranda. It’s gently raining,
calming the dust and wind of earlier, soothing the heat. The sound and smell of
falling rain reminds me of new beginnings. It’s kind of late to be talking
about new beginnings – ‘most everyone wrote those posts a month or two ago. But
this passing storm reminds me that there’s no wrong time to start over, begin
afresh, experience new inspiration. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We’ve had a lot of summer storms the past couple of weeks. I’m
not a fan of storms, generally speaking, but the rain, the change in
temperature, the freshness it brings to the earth – there’s nothing more refreshing
after a morning of dusty wind and humidity as the storm brewed. Maybe that’s
how it goes with life as well. There are parts of change, of new beginnings, I
dislike. It can be uncertain, uncomfortable. If I could see a clear transition
from ‘this’ to ‘that’ with both clearly defined, and the exact steps to move
forward, I might let go. But what happens when you feel like it’s a fresh
start, but you can’t quite see where you’re going, what it’s the beginning of?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
That’s how I’m feeling right now. I’m learning more of what
God has for me, but there’s still so much in the haze. I can see a couple of steps
forward, but I have no idea about the rest of it, or what the destination even
is. For so long this is what has kept me from beginning; I wanted the whole
picture so I could plan and organize – and procrastinate and freak out. I am a
pro at finding excuses and believing them until I can see no way forward. But
that’s all they are: excuses. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Imagine if the storm around me operated that way<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">. I don’t feel like raining today – who knows
if it will even reach the ground! Maybe nobody will notice it. All my effort
will be wasted! </i>Or <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I might have to go
through a wall of dust! That’s so hard and gross!</i> It’s ludicrous to think
about. God doesn’t make excuses – He says, He does. Nature carries His word
through, even though it’s been thousands of years since He spoke it into
action. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We were made to operate the same way, and deep inside we
know that. We feel disappointed when we don’t carry through with the dreams and
visions God has given us. This only leaves one option: excuses are from the
enemy. He sees the powerful difference for good we have if we follow through,
so he tries to stop us. Therefore, if we are facing a barrage of excuses, we
can be sure God is up to something good in us. They’re actual proof that
something profitable lies on the other side. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
That’s the new beginning I can feel in my bones – a time to
not let excuses win. To be like the rain, falling as God wills, come clouds,
dust, evaporation. Because with Him, nothing is a failure, nothing returns
without accomplishing what He has intended for it. May the same be said of me.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">For as the heavens are
higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts
than your thoughts. For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and
returneth no thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and
bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to th eater: so shall my
word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but
it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing
whereto I sent it. </i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Isaiah 55:9-11</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The rain has come down heavy now, the mist blowing in on my
face. It’s cool. It’s refreshing. It whispers the hope of new beginnings. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
***</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
It's been awhile again, lovely people - how are you going? What have you been learning recently? How do you feel about the new year?</div>
Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06543574650970283141noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1346274191957691135.post-50710208876781416632018-12-21T19:53:00.001+11:002018-12-21T19:53:53.703+11:00He is the Answer<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Kata Tjuta & King's Canyon, NT, Australia </span></div>
<br />
Sometimes there aren’t answers. Call it maturity, maybe, I’ve
been realizing there aren’t answers to every question. There are grey areas of
faith that have to be wrestled out personally, between us and God. Sometimes
there isn’t a ‘thou shalt’ or ‘thou shalt not.’<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
One of the biggest things about growing up is coming to your
own beliefs and understanding. We’ve all been brought up to see the world, God,
what we should and shouldn’t do, a certain way. And even if these things are
great and true, they are meaningless unless we claim them for our own. Now is
the time we take things on, alter some to fit our experience, and leave some
behind. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It’s healthy; it’s a necessary part of growing up and
becoming our own people. But it’s also hard. I look at my friends, and we’re
all going through the same thing. We’re changing. Some I now have less in
common with, and whether it’s right or wrong, it’s sad to lose that. Some I
have more in common with and it’s a blessing to connect more deeply with them. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’ve been wrestling with questions too. I see the choices
others make, I observe the world around, and I notice I’m changing too. I’m an
independent thinker, which I’m grateful for, but it leads me to want to know
everything. I want the answers to the dilemmas I have, I want solutions to
everyone’s problems, and I want to understand why people do what they do. Maybe
then, I’ll be able to form conclusions. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The verse in Matthew which says ‘seek and ye shall find’
came to mind when I was thinking about this. Didn’t Jesus promise answers? There
are answers I’ve been looking for years, and I can’t find them. So, I opened my
concordance to ‘seek,’ looking for a verse I thought I knew. But look what I
found instead:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">But if from thence
thou shalt <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">seek the Lord thy God</b>,
thou shalt find him, if thou <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">seek him</b>
with all thy heart and with all thy soul. </i><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Deut 4:29</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">And thou, Solomon my
son, know the God of thy Father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a
willing mind: for the Lord searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all
imaginations of the thoughts: if thou <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">seek
him</b>, he will be found of thee… </i><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span>1 Chron 28:9</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">And ye shall <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">seek me</b>, and find me, when ye shall <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">search for me</b> with all your heart. </i><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span>Jer
29:13</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The Bible is talking about something much deeper. God
doesn’t always give us all answers and knowledge. Interestingly, that’s what
Satan promised in the very first temptation. He zoned in on our idea that to
know everything would be like being God. But God is far more than knowledge and
information, a big Father Google. He is love, He is peace, He is joy – and
ultimately, isn’t that what we’re looking for? I don’t want the answers to my
questions as much as I want peace from restlessness. Knowing without rest would
only prompt another question. But knowing Jesus hits the root. Yes, I may not
know what I think I need to, but I can have rest and contentment anyway. I
might not understand why, but I can have peace and even joy. I may not have
endless information, but I can have Jesus. That’s the promise. Seek and you
will find God. Not necessarily explanations or logic, but God. It looks like
I’ve been searching for the wrong thing.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Isn’t it precious to think about? God could give answers –
He does give much wisdom and knowledge. He could satisfy our theoretical
wonderings and leave it there, but no, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">He
gives Himself.</i> He sees us seeking, searching, wondering, questioning, and
he comes to us Himself. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Here’s the challenge for me, and maybe for you too. If,
after all my searching, I find God, will that be enough? Will I allow His
presence and majesty to swallow the questions? Will I let His rest calm the
striving and desperation to know?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Some things haven’t changed since the Garden of Eden. I still
want to know good and evil, but God still wants to share His heart with us in
the cool of the evening too. I’m learning that is enough. Next time I get
discouraged after praying for answers, and all I feel is the whisper of His
voice telling me to draw closer, I want to see it for what it is: an invitation
for communion with the Master Creator and Lord of all, who is Himself the
answer. As C. S. Lewis said: </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I know no, Lord, why
you utter no answer. You are yourself the answer. Before your face questions
die away. What other answer would suffice?</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">~ </i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Have you struggled with unanswerable questions? What do you
think their purpose is? How have you found this growing-up stage of life? I
pray we can all receive our questions and doubts as an invitation to come and
know God more deeply. xx </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">P.s I listened to <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=js5JIF4WzQo">this song</a> again today, and I thought the second verse was especially relevant. Love is the answer. </span></div>
Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06543574650970283141noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1346274191957691135.post-77252659356846428652018-12-02T10:42:00.000+11:002018-12-02T10:42:21.349+11:00How is Your Soul?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtxwwrjY5beOW1BTqquoWc3Tyb_hO1cckxY_ujWBCz69aUHWDiO1Sbm81r5fSp2nBz9cM-0lXvrxJ2DHYivXwOvUPFy7DRbT4aWZjn0QjSSdr_XxXH5Lif1jbkkOYWFUBtpVHP9AFLKVA/s1600/daisies1.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="585" data-original-width="880" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtxwwrjY5beOW1BTqquoWc3Tyb_hO1cckxY_ujWBCz69aUHWDiO1Sbm81r5fSp2nBz9cM-0lXvrxJ2DHYivXwOvUPFy7DRbT4aWZjn0QjSSdr_XxXH5Lif1jbkkOYWFUBtpVHP9AFLKVA/s1600/daisies1.png" /></a></div>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>How is your soul?</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I asked myself this question one night through week, and the
answer surprised me. <i>Neglected.</i> I hadn’t been giving it much thought. Friends
asked how I was going, and I replied with ‘I’m well, thanks!’ Physically, I’m
feeling fine – a little more exercise and sleep would improve things, but I’m
well. Life has been good, I’ve been busy seeing people and doing housework and
scheming plans for the future (and planning surprises for <a href="http://memygodandmaverick.blogspot.com/">my sister’s</a> birthday
because she’s awesome). But the question of my soul came as a surprise. I
realized it was a little bit forgotten, lost in the hum of life. And I hadn’t noticed
enough to miss that deeper experience.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I sense I ought to define what I mean by soul. But I don’t have
a clear answer. I’m talking about deeper satisfaction; the things that make
your heart feel full. It might be moments shared with friends, a long
journaling session, music that touches somewhere deep, watching the waves at
the beach. It’s observing the sunrise or sunset, absorbing the beauty of
nature. It’s aha moments where the Bible comes alive, it’s conversations with
God. I guess what I’m talking about is communion with God, however, wherever, you
feel Him closest. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that life gets
busier. I can’t think of anyone, including older retired people, who have told
me they’re getting less busy, less committed, less hurried. So while I dream of
sometime in the future where life slows down and I have opportunity to really
live in the quiet spaces where God is closer, for most of us that isn’t going
to be reality. We can’t wait until some elusive future date to finally have
time for God, to finally devote attention to filling our souls. We’ve got to
find a way to do it in the busyness, throughout the hectic seasons, right there
in the middle of the madness. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We don’t know how long we have to live. We don’t know what
the future holds. We can’t guarantee that a more convenient season will come
for us. We can’t just keep putting God off. 2 Corinthians 6:2 says now is the best
time, now is the day of salvation. Now is all we have. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Whereas ye know not
what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that
appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.</i> <span style="font-size: x-small;">James 4:14</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">And that, knowing the
time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation
nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is a hand: let us
therefore cast off the works of darkenss, and let us put on the armour of
light.</i> <span style="font-size: x-small;">Romans 13:11-12</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Friends, we were made for more than an existence, a mad
scramble through life, always searching never finding, always empty never
filled. We were made to thrive. It’s not going to just happen, but we
absolutely can choose to walk in the fullness of life God has prepared for us. Jesus
says in John 10:10 He came so we could have life, and life more abundantly. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It hits me hard too. I don’t want to admit I glorify
busyness to excuse myself from taking time for God. I wish I didn’t have to
confess that good and meaningful pursuits have become idols in my life because they’ve
taken from quiet moments I need to spend with Him. I’d rather not say my soul’s
been a little forgotten amid the excitement of life. But that’s the truth.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I want to close with a challenge. It’s the beginning of a
new week, and it’s the beginning of a new month. We can start again. This busy
time of year is actually a reason to consciously carve out space for our souls.
So, I want to encourage you to pause right here, think about the things that
refresh your soul, and choose a couple to implement this week. Information and
head knowledge is great, but it’s useless if we don’t put implement it. I’ve
made a <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1t0FCD2Y4eWPmd_trH4q7Oc_x3YELTRkQ/view?usp=sharing">little journaling worksheet you can download for free</a>, to
help put it into action and consciously make a change. And I will be doing it
too, absolutely.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Although we have a responsibility to steward our time well, I’m
not trying to shame you into something or add more pressure to your life. This weighs
on me because I know each of us was made to thrive and we can’t afford to wait.
A better time will never come, and for each moment we intentionally make time
for our souls, God will repay us with peace and blessings that outweigh any
sacrifice. Let’s get back to the beauty that makes life worth living, the quiet
places where His still small voice can be heard, the refreshment our souls
need.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<i>
</i><div class="MsoNormal">
<i>What about you? How’s your soul been recently? How do you
combat the busyness of life? Will you be joining the challenge to create soul
space this week? And please do let me know if you use the worksheet and what
you think of it. Keep striving to stay close to Him, friends! You are so loved.
xx</i></div>
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<![endif]-->Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06543574650970283141noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1346274191957691135.post-26006691782549557772018-10-17T17:33:00.001+11:002018-10-17T17:33:59.606+11:00Name the Place
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’ve been reading the early Old Testament, and the stories
are coming alive in a way I’ve never experienced before. Maybe it’s the
transition from childhood imagination to having more of a grasp of the way life
works. Something I've noticed is the prolific amount and significance of
names given. People were named after their characteristics; it was their identity.
The Hebrew definition for name comes from a word that means ‘to put, place,
set, appoint, make, ordain, etc.’ Naming a child back then was literally
declaring a prophecy over them. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
To us the old Hebrew names sound strange and random, but to those
who understood the language, each name was full of meaning. Imagine introducing
yourself to someone and them having immediate insight into your character and
personality just by the name you have! It makes me want to learn the language
so I can enjoy the vividness of life portrayed in the Old Testament genealogies. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Then, there were names given to places. When one of the patriarchs
built an altar, dug a well, even came to a place in their travels, they named
it. They defined what it was to them, and, in most cases, the name stuck. I
think it’s beautiful, because it sets that moment in time apart. It wasn’t just
one of the times they were worshipping God, it was <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Jehovah-jirah</i>, the time God saw and provided. The well where God
met Hagar when she was sent away with Ishamel, was <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Beer-lahai-roi, </i>the place she realized God lived and cared for her.
<span style="font-size: small;">Maybe it was a way of preserving the moments to treasure; maybe it became a
catalogue of lessons learned and personal revelations from God. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
I was planning to lead into the significance of making sure
we find our identity in who God says we are, rather than what others call us,
or labels we cling to ourselves. I was going to talk about how God changed
people’s names to reflect their future (Abram became ‘father of a great
multitude’, and Jacob became ‘a prince of God’) and He can do the same for us;
our past isn’t who we are. We are what He calls us, nothing less. And He calls
us His own, loved, chosen, destined for good works.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA72eaOQcb45rT-5VcHMAbcJGDTq9g03gXHfIjwenfWCJfhMltzNBQzyVurETg7hSYyRUV7LqC-62Jw9mv6_7QUZwZCt32G1nXFoXlVjxpjZLB_spE5zjslgoGoSfdNGWZv-OYPgj4hfc/s1600/http___jessicalg97.blogspot.com%25286%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA72eaOQcb45rT-5VcHMAbcJGDTq9g03gXHfIjwenfWCJfhMltzNBQzyVurETg7hSYyRUV7LqC-62Jw9mv6_7QUZwZCt32G1nXFoXlVjxpjZLB_spE5zjslgoGoSfdNGWZv-OYPgj4hfc/s1600/http___jessicalg97.blogspot.com%25286%2529.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA72eaOQcb45rT-5VcHMAbcJGDTq9g03gXHfIjwenfWCJfhMltzNBQzyVurETg7hSYyRUV7LqC-62Jw9mv6_7QUZwZCt32G1nXFoXlVjxpjZLB_spE5zjslgoGoSfdNGWZv-OYPgj4hfc/s200/http___jessicalg97.blogspot.com%25286%2529.png" width="200" /></a>But this idea of naming our experiences comes back to me. It’s
a way we can preserve the little moments we learn and grow, we experienced life
and love and beauty. It’s a reminder to pause. Often, I have an idea of things
I’m learning and going through but it’s vague. I don’t define it, unless I have
to write it down or explain it to someone. There are a lot of parts of life I
never stop to process and appreciate, and it makes me question if that’s the
way God intended us to live. Life is often so fast paced we don’t take it in
and name the place. But what lessons and insights into God’s goodness might we
be missing? How might we feel if we took a breath and considered what we’re
experiencing, and these passing moments became etched into our memories?<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So, maybe that’s what God wants me to learn from this
observation of His word. He is who He says He is. I am who He says I am. And the
same power to attach meaning through choice of words is mine as well. He wants us
to take note of the life happening around, to us and through us, and truly
experience it. Name the place. Set it as a memento to look back and see how God
has been revealing Himself, changing us, and making this life everything it is
and will be.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
~ </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
What have you been learning recently? Do you have a
favourite Old Testament book or story? How do you think we can ‘name the place’
in our everyday lives? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Remember the time we went down the paddock at dusk and lit a
fire? I remember we loaded the trailer up with rose clippings and weeds from
the garden, and towed it behind the trusty mower to the place where the fire
was to be. You tried to start a fire, but it kept going out. Finally, it got
down to the last match; it had to get going this time. And it did. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
I rushed around taking photos; capturing the sunset through
the pine trees and the light of the flames on your faces. We added dead leaves
and pieces of bark, and the fire grew. We piled on the prunings from the
trailer and watched as they smoked, burst into flame, and sank as ashes. The
night grew darker, the fire grew larger, and I continued taking photos. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
But eventually, I put the camera down. We sat on our
haunches around the fire, poking sticks into it and watching them burn. We
laughed at each other’s antics; we chatted about superficial things and
progressed to deeper topics. We shared our thoughts, and we sat in
companionable silence. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Finally, the last of the rose prunings and weeds were on the
fire. We scraped in the edges, and felt the warmth one last time. Then we
hopped back into the trailer, and the mower chugged up the hill home. We looked
back at the glowing pile, and I believe we were feeling the same way: <b> </b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b>deeply
content</b>.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
~~~</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
I wrote those words a little over three years ago. Today
I found the photos I took that evening, and something about the memory still
speaks contentment in my soul. My siblings and I have changed; life has moved
on. We didn’t have any campfires this season, and I kind of missed it. But I
have the faces in the photos, though they are more grown up. I have the same place to call home. I still have the choice to be content, and
cosy memories like this one remind me that life is a beautiful gift and
sometimes its extravagance can only be seen in hindsight. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
What’s one of your favourite memories? Do you miss those
childhood days, or am I extra nostalgic? How do you choose contentment?</div>
Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06543574650970283141noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1346274191957691135.post-32858680488433175542018-09-30T18:44:00.002+10:002018-09-30T18:44:33.013+10:00Notes to Self<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgccZUQA-6eA3y5KXO90ABeqo_YwpU2UsFKivd8hP6dO3UtYhZgxCdylj4zsBkybYzrdVx0p_CpAVsxFvWzmmUEbX2ZhvVfNv-qa2p_gasmLMh9HpSmzgy0pOeE9Z1h3ur-tj4d7UaOToM/s1600/Untitled+design%25282%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="585" data-original-width="880" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgccZUQA-6eA3y5KXO90ABeqo_YwpU2UsFKivd8hP6dO3UtYhZgxCdylj4zsBkybYzrdVx0p_CpAVsxFvWzmmUEbX2ZhvVfNv-qa2p_gasmLMh9HpSmzgy0pOeE9Z1h3ur-tj4d7UaOToM/s1600/Untitled+design%25282%2529.png" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">ft. my still-developing artistic skills</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
1. <b>Let people into your process.</b> I’ve always been reluctant
to tell people my hopes and plans, because what if I don’t live up to my word?
It’s scary to share and not be one hundred percent sure I can carry them out.
Anyway, this week I had two specific instances where people I’d reluctantly let
into the process encouraged me and helped me see the way forward just by caring
and discussing it with me. It was overwhelming actually. It helped me realize
how much I need others. I pride myself on being strong, on not ‘burdening’
others, but I haven’t gotten this far alone, and I’m finally realizing I won’t
get the rest of the way alone either. It’s uncomfortable to open up, but
whenever I do (to trusted caring people) it turns out to be what I need. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
2. <b>Don’t give up on people.</b> There’s this idea that if someone’s
not serving us, pushing us toward our goals and dreams, we should move on. I
agree that toxic relationships aren’t good and we do well to leave them behind.
But I can’t agree to ridding our lives of people because they’re imperfect,
because they struggle too, because they’re taking more than they’re giving in
this moment. We’re called to love first, and love always. Perhaps it isn't best to be
close friends with someone who is negative, or sapping our energy, but I
believe love gives everyone another chance. Take time to hear the other person,
and what they’re going through. Conflicts <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">can</i>
be resolved; it’s possible to work through things and be stronger for it. Maybe
these people in our lives are actually gifts to develop us in ways that couldn’t
be possible otherwise. Don’t give up on people, because we need each other.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
3. <b>Take time to disconnect, sit outside, enjoy the sunshine,
and get off technology.</b> I sat in the sunshine this morning, and it was amazing
to feel the warmth. Spring is coming! Every week I have to wait a couple of
hours in town to pick up my sister from work. I drive to a park and read a book
or write usually. I sit in the car, which is justifiable through winter. But
when there’s warmth and sunshine, I still don’t want to get out of the car,
because it’s my comfort zone. It takes effort for me to sit and read in front
of whoever is at the park, even though I know they’re not paying attention to
me. But this week, I did it, and it was wonderful: the fresh air, the friendly
water birds, the creek right in front of me, and even the conversations
happening around me. I decided it’s worth stretching myself for. We’re made to breathe and enjoy the journey, and, wow, it feels good. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
What have you been learning this week, my friends? How do you think we should treat those who take more than they give? Why do you think we need other people? What do you like to do to make the most of spring? I hope you're all going well, and staying strong! xx</div>
Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06543574650970283141noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1346274191957691135.post-6212231849675620932018-09-22T09:17:00.000+10:002018-09-22T09:17:37.696+10:00What Does Purpose Look Like?<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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</xml><![endif]--><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Last week, <a href="http://jessicalg97.blogspot.com/2018/09/your-purpose-precedes-you.html?m=1">I shared my developing thoughts on purpose</a>, and the excitement in knowing that God’s purpose precedes our
existence. <b>I noticed many of you seemed to relate t</b></span></span><b style="font-family: inherit;">o the last paragraph</b><span style="font-family: inherit;">, where I addressed those who don’t know what their purpose or
calling looks like yet. Maybe you have an idea, but don’t know how to put it
into action. Maybe you know the direction or field you're passionate about,
but can’t pinpoint what the next step is. Maybe you don’t have any idea where
God could be calling you or what your life purpose might be. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I want you to know that not knowing where you
might be going in life, or what you’re called to, is nothing to be ashamed
about. <b>We are never promised to know everything about the future; we are simply
guaranteed God will be there.</b> He promises to be with us always. (Joshua 1:9)</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">My mum said something recently to the effect
that <b>our purpose doesn’t have to have a label, a name.</b> Our society is obsessed
with labels – whether it’s for different personalities, lifestyles, health
conditions, or groups of people in general, we’ve been trained to search for a
name for things, <b>as if that proves their existence.</b> I know I’ve applied that to
the search for a specific purpose too. We want to know <i>exactly </i>what we’re meant to be doing, down to the last detail. It’s
true some people have a specific vision for their future: a mental health
professional working with struggling youth of indigenous backgrounds; a nurse working
in a specific overseas mission field; an author writing inspiring true stories
for Christian young people. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Very
recently, I gained a clearer vision of my purpose, but I can't see all the details. And
for a long, long time, while everybody implied I ought to have my life sorted
out, I had no idea. There were directions I thought God might be leading me,
but nothing specific. I couldn’t name my purpose, so did it even exist? We
rarely consciously ask that, but it’s the way we’ve been taught to think, and it’s wrong.
Just because you or anyone looking on doesn’t know the details of your future,
does not mean that it isn’t purposed. We </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">know
</i><span style="font-family: inherit;">it is because God says so (Jeremiah 29:11, Ephesians 1:4) and He can’t lie.
That’s assurance. <b>Your purpose absolutely exists, even if you can’t see it yet. </b></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">And, the truth is, whether we have an idea of
our specific calling or not, <b>our day to day life will look exactly the same</b>. If
we’re living in response to the promptings of God’s spirit in our hearts, <i>it
doesn’t matter if we don’t know what’s next.</i> Following God is letting Him lead
our decisions and everyday choices, regardless of whether we know what specific
direction that’s going to take. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Maybe that’s what it means to live our
purpose. The Bible talks about knowing God’s will in past tense. <b>In a
broad sense, we already know what our purpose as children of God is.</b> We are to
reflect Him, be love to those around us, share the gospel, submit to the work
of His Holy Spirit in our lives, and other instructions given in the Bible. It
isn’t elusive or hard to understand; God’s word outlines it all for us. This is
our purpose. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The Bible talks about different gifts and roles
people have as part of the body of Christ – I’m not undermining that. It may
sound like it still comes back to the question <i>how do I know which one I’m called to?</i> But they’re gifts of the
Spirit. They’re <i>given </i>to us; they
aren’t ours. If we’re connected to God, obeying His promptings through the
Spirit, <i>we will automatically be walking
in our giftings!</i> <b>There’s no figuring out to be done on our behalf, we
simply follow.</b></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I’ve been reminded so many times, and I still
forget: <b>everything about the Christian life comes to a surrender of ourselves
to God</b>. That is our purpose, and as we follow, He will work out the details. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I know it’s hard to be in a state of
restlessness where the possibilities are overwhelming and the unknowns even
more so. I can only offer what I said in the previous post: <b>cling to God.</b> The
questions you have? He is the answer. The doubts you have? He is the truth. The
uncertainties, fear, overwhelm, pressure, and frustration? He is always,
always, going to be everything you need. Maybe not in ways we could label, but
in the quiet workings of His heart with ours as we abide in Him, and it becomes
His life we live. <b>You are chosen to be a child of God, first and foremost, and
there’s always a place by His side for you. That is your purpose. </b></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Much love,</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Jessica xx </span></span>Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06543574650970283141noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1346274191957691135.post-9491490732595080212018-09-14T14:14:00.000+10:002018-09-14T14:14:33.581+10:00Your Purpose Precedes You
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">It came as I was reading <i>The Journey of Desire</i>; the realization that purpose was a lot more
than I’d thought. I've always believed God has a purpose for each of us; a plan
to give us a future and a hope, you know. But subconsciously, I'd come to
imagine the scenario as more like God distributing random assorted purposes and
callings as we made our entrance into the world. That we came into existence
and <i>then</i> God gave us a purpose. I
still thought it was God given, but He designed it after my faults and
inadequacies and experiences became evident - almost like my purpose was based
on my worthiness. If I messed up too much, my purpose might have to be
modified.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">But it's all so untrue. As this book pointed
out, in a paragraph I can't find, the purpose precedes us. Our purpose wasn't
designed for us; we were designed for it. God had this purpose, this calling,
this need to be fulfilled, and He specifically hand designed us as the perfect
fit for it. Every experience and struggle we've had, God turns into a part of
fulfilling our purpose. The sins we struggle with help us encourage others
struggling in those areas, the losses we've faced help us grieve with others,
and the joys we have help us rejoice with others. Not one part of our calling
is accidental, and not one part of our experience is wasted.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">I was reading Psalm 139 this morning - it's a
beautiful psalm. Verses 14 to 18 say:</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZYbGfEmqqcaxEtbqEQ9Dh4HFw2xIE_ftoI4bo78Fz1brW-o578GExB4F_eeH8KLPxWmbpfZKqix0wfmF3s15Mlz4e2FxkinRYxT3OVJCO02gStNwNnRo-G2CjZK4CyIKCrEcn2zJO154/s1600/Not+one+part+of+our+calling+is+accidental%252C+and+not+one+part+of+our+experience+is+wasted..png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1102" data-original-width="735" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZYbGfEmqqcaxEtbqEQ9Dh4HFw2xIE_ftoI4bo78Fz1brW-o578GExB4F_eeH8KLPxWmbpfZKqix0wfmF3s15Mlz4e2FxkinRYxT3OVJCO02gStNwNnRo-G2CjZK4CyIKCrEcn2zJO154/s320/Not+one+part+of+our+calling+is+accidental%252C+and+not+one+part+of+our+experience+is+wasted..png" width="213" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">'I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and
wonderfully made: marvelous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right
well. My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and
curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Thine eyes did see my
substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written,
which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them. How
precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them! If
I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am
still with thee.'</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Another Bible version translates verse 16 as: </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">'Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your
book all my days were recorded, <i>even
those which were purposed before they had come into being.</i>' Our lives had a
purpose before we existed.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Friends, you have been hand designed - the
very workmanship of God - for a purpose only you can fulfil. You are not a
mistake, and the things you have been through are not a mistake. Pursue the
burden on your heart, the experience which makes you come alive, the calling
you feel you have!</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">I was deeply encouraged to realize this more,
but also convicted. I've put off following my purpose for many reasons, but
often because I couldn't see how it was going to come together. I’d figured out
what, and I knew why, but how was beyond my vision. Then I read <i>Priceless</i> again, and a fragment of one
conversation stood out to me. It's when Dale is having an unofficial mentoring
session with James, if you know the story:</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">‘Dale picked up a chipped-off fragment of the
rock they were sitting on and sent it skittering down the hill. “You know <i>what</i> to do. You’re just struggling with
the <i>how</i>.”</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">‘James stared at the stars, half-expecting
the wind to blow them around the way it – the way everything – was whipping him
around.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">‘“You know the direction to walk in,” Dale
said. “So you point your feet and start walking. The stuff in your path?” James
felt him shrug. “That’s not up to you.”’ <span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Priceless</i>,
page 228</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">So, I'm learning. I'm learning that walking
in our purpose is a lot about faith and trust. It’s about taking the next right
step, even when we don’t see the big picture, because God knows. It's already
there in His plan, and He will direct us. It’s what we were created for.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">I also want to encourage anyone who doesn't
know what their specific purpose or calling is yet. I've been there, and it's
confusing and isolating. But please know that God has a special plan for you
even if you can’t see it yet. He's shaping you for your purpose. And if you
aren't sure which direction to go for the next step to following your calling,
press closer to God. Ultimately, our purposes are all found in Him. xx</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">
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<![endif]-->Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06543574650970283141noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1346274191957691135.post-16507448039440787892018-09-07T14:54:00.000+10:002018-09-07T14:54:00.252+10:00Life Updates with Jess<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<![endif]--><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Blooms courtesy of sweet neighbours and friends. </i></span></div>
<br />
Hello beautiful people! It’s been a while again. I find it easy
to make excuses for not posting, and, while I still don’t feel I have much to
share, here’s what’s been happening.<br />
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- I turned twenty-one. It sounds so old; I honestly don’t
feel more than seventeen. I didn’t want a party or anything fancy, but at the
last minute I emailed family and friends to let them know they were welcome to
come over for a meal the day after my birthday. They all came. A few people couldn’t
make it, but I was so, so overwhelmed by the effort they made for <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">me. </i>I have such wonderful people in my
life, and I just want to shout thank you! If you have people in your life who
care about you, treasure them and let them know. It’s such a wonderful
privilege. </div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>- I’m taking a social
media break, namely from Instagram and Pinterest. It might not sound like much,
but I’m amazed at the impact it's had. I heard that the amount of time spent
on social media is directly linked to depression or anxiety, and I believe it.
I feel incredible freedom not ‘having’ to check my phone or keep up with
everything. I have more time. But there’s also so much more mental space. My
mind is not consumed with content I’ve seen, comparisons I’m making, and a
restlessness to experience more. It’s been fantastic, and I recommend it to
everyone. If you do decide to have a social media fast, my tips would be: make
a definite and specific commitment, and have something to replace it with – it’s
in the moments of boredom or stress that it’s most tempting to reach
for the phone again. </div>
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- Because of the social media fast, I’ve been reading a
lot. I read more in August than what was ‘normal’ for me to read in three months.
I used to read a lot, and I’m enjoying getting back to it again. Reading voraciously
does mean it’s hard to absorb and remember the books I’ve read, but a few which
I really wanted to digest I went back and summarised the main thoughts of the
chapters, and that helped to cement them in my mind. My sister and I are going
to a second-hand bookfair this weekend, and we’re so excited about it, haha. I’ve rediscovered the magic of reading, and it’s entirely wonderful.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcZN7MVCw1etv0TdlfObug039wZGIx7kvfzJYNk7fLUO7nvVRMhQqBKxFlXGZXrsk7veLiMOcAWJBbN1nG33_V_K4JyCg0jj5o2AlRTZsA0szFke22eyW-SBaTP_J_C1kWmEEKugJN-t0/s1600/CollageMaker_20180903_123909376.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcZN7MVCw1etv0TdlfObug039wZGIx7kvfzJYNk7fLUO7nvVRMhQqBKxFlXGZXrsk7veLiMOcAWJBbN1nG33_V_K4JyCg0jj5o2AlRTZsA0szFke22eyW-SBaTP_J_C1kWmEEKugJN-t0/s400/CollageMaker_20180903_123909376.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
</div>
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- As far as those life responsibilities we’re meant to
pursue as grownups, I finished my counseling studies mid this year, and I still have my job delivering mail. It’s good, though it seems no matter how old I get
or how organized I think my life is, I always arrive back at this place of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">what am I meant to be doing now? </i>At the
moment I’m looking for more work, contemplating more study, and wondering what
direction to take next.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
- I struggle so much with being open, but transparency is
something I need to cultivate, so here: I’ve been struggling with
fear and insecurity a lot recently. One of the things it’s targeting is this
area of career. I have a vision: I want to totally redo my blog, and use
it as my ministry to pour into people; broaden and deepen my online presence,
as God leads. That’s what I believe God wants for me. But I
have doubts, I have inadequacies, and I also have frustration when it comes to
the technicalities of website building. I’ve been stalling on it for months,
although I know it’s what I’m meant to be doing. Like I said above, I’m looking for more work and education, but it’s a half-hearted endeavour because
I know it would be temporary. I don’t know if that makes sense, but if you
would like to pray I find courage for this situation, I’d be so appreciative. </div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
- While that sounds depressing – and it is if I dwell on it
too long – there are lots of little things giving me joy in life. Spring is
coming, and I’m so excited for warmer weather and sunshine. Trees are starting
to bud and blossom, and it’s such a hopeful time of year. We’ve had a little
bit of rain, and it always makes things fresh and alive. Also, Ephesians is a wonderful
book, if you’re looking for where to read next in the Bible. (Thanks to <a href="http://www.abbiee.com/">Abbiee</a>
for <a href="http://www.abbiee.com/2018/08/11-interesting-facts-about-me/">recommending it the other day</a> – it’s been so good to reread!)</div>
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So, that’s a little bit of the happenings here. Let me know
if you have any book recommendations or tips on having courage. And do tell me
what’s been going on in your life, and how I can be praying for you! I
appreciate you al<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">l. xx</span></span></div>
Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06543574650970283141noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1346274191957691135.post-77639258025241258282018-08-08T17:08:00.000+10:002018-08-08T17:26:34.567+10:00Outpourings of Beloved Heart & Living in the Presence of God<div class="MsoNormal">
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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</xml><![endif]-->Hey friends! Recently I read <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Outpourings of a Beloved Heart</i> by Joan Embola, and I wanted to share because it was a blessing to me. I haven’t talked much about what I've read in
ages, and I kind of miss it. :)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYibhixFDIcvfyu06vofG8PP6_GkUwo903BXMkU4KPgreEIiknNqb7TTQilM_RnG5_KERXUwzS_6rK927_6T_8Y48SWN7JBint7vxp0WDasR_a5zz4U3JbDcC0hYB-JKZbazC5m06jPmc/s1600/71pTvDYq4EL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1001" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYibhixFDIcvfyu06vofG8PP6_GkUwo903BXMkU4KPgreEIiknNqb7TTQilM_RnG5_KERXUwzS_6rK927_6T_8Y48SWN7JBint7vxp0WDasR_a5zz4U3JbDcC0hYB-JKZbazC5m06jPmc/s320/71pTvDYq4EL.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Outpourings of a Beloved
Heart</i> is a 30 day devotional book with a poem, scripture reading, and reflection
in each chapter. It explores various aspects of the gospel and Christian experience, centering on God’s everlasting
love. It’s full of Bible verses, and for me <b>it was one of those books
where I came away feeling like I’d spent time with Jesus</b>, rather than exploring an
author’s ideas. It was also the whole gospel – not love and grace without
mentioning sin, nor law and sin without mentioning mercy. It’s something to be
read slowly and digested.</div>
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I really appreciated the genuineness and authenticity of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Outpourings of a Beloved Heart</i>. Joanny doesn’t shy away from speaking the truth,
but it’s done in love. This is written from the heart, and that’s what held
my attention. I don’t often read poetry, but the poems were raw, an honest and heartfelt portrayal of growing in Christ.</div>
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It was also cool to see how authentic Joanny’s writing style
is. I could literally imagine her speaking the words from hearing her voice in
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHEh7viUckbpsE53hbB7rQg/videos">her YouTube videos</a>. And there was one little sentence she wrote over and over
again, and it impacted me. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">He loves you</i>.
When you hear something enough times it finally sinks in and becomes a part of
your subconscious beliefs. That’s my God. That’s your
God. </div>
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There was also another statement I’m still thinking about. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Everything you need is in the presence of
God. </i>p83</div>
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<b>If everything I need is in the presence
of God, then all I need is to be in the presence of God continually.</b> It’s the
essence of the Christian journey; drawing closer and closer to God. This is
where peace and rest and joy and love and hope are found. This is what Jesus
meant when He said <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">abide</i>. I’m still
trying to process what it looks like on a daily basis, but this is it.
This is the true Christian life. </div>
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So, I’d love to hear if you have any thoughts or experiences
on living in the presence of God, and what that looks like in everyday life! I
feel like I’ve lost any knack I had for writing book reviews, but <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Outpourings of a Beloved Heart</i> has been
a blessing to me, and I wanted to pass that on, especially because it's just been released! :) <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1976131650/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&psc=1">Here's the link for the paperback</a>. My friend Joanny has
put so much time and heart into this book, and it’s solid. I
hope it can be a blessing to you too! I've included the official description below:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>The name "beloved" refers to one who is dearly loved and deeply
treasured. God called Jesus His Beloved Son in whom He is well pleased
and because of Jesus, we have been accepted into God’s family and given
the right to be called His children. So we are deeply loved by our
Heavenly Father and He loves us as much as He loves Jesus. But do you
believe that with all your heart? What about when you are surrounded by
the worries and cares of life? Are you still sensitive to His love then?
Do you feel you are too imperfect to be loved by a perfect God? Do you
feel you carry so much garbage that His love can't possible take away?
Well, here's a chance to know more about the Father's love for you
through poetry and reflections. It is a chance to find peace, comfort
and joy in His presence. A chance to be reassured that His love for you
never fails even in the storm. These are the outpourings of a heart that
has found true solace in the arms of a loving God.</i> </div>
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What’s a book that’s impacted you recently? Have you checked
out Joanny’s <a href="http://imachoccakeaholic.blogspot.com/">blog</a> or <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHEh7viUckbpsE53hbB7rQg/featured">channel</a>? How do you think we can live in the presence of
God?</div>
Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06543574650970283141noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1346274191957691135.post-14619134671007335562018-08-01T20:42:00.000+10:002018-08-01T20:42:16.984+10:00The Best Thing<div class="MsoNormal">
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</div>
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWw5eLX-XBkHaJmqhqEdyNDYd3uudt3ihpaB2n_2qsbaTa2e903CuSgHX1gr79vRVEdVug3lUOkPcjxnYt0Mowv2iJsz22hjk_Gtpconck2syQgjAUOYr_9I58qqZVpFWi-k3NQV4nBtI/s1600/CollageMaker_20180801_195421426.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWw5eLX-XBkHaJmqhqEdyNDYd3uudt3ihpaB2n_2qsbaTa2e903CuSgHX1gr79vRVEdVug3lUOkPcjxnYt0Mowv2iJsz22hjk_Gtpconck2syQgjAUOYr_9I58qqZVpFWi-k3NQV4nBtI/s400/CollageMaker_20180801_195421426.jpg" width="300" /></a>My sister and I went to the city recently. We discovered new
op shops, we eavesdropped on interesting conversations. We admired old and
collectable books and breathed in the atmosphere of second-hand bookshops - it
was quiet, almost reverent; like the feeling of a library, only magnified. We
were amazed at how many books can fit into small shops, and realized how many
books we haven’t and won’t ever hear about. We traipsed around the shopping
area looking for a particular store with the not-always-helpful google maps. I
managed to thoroughly embarrass my sister by forgetting how to operate a lift
and which level we were supposed to get out on. We got honked at when I didn’t
see a car as I pulled out, and we saw two vehicles collide right next to us. We
had doughnuts, and ate them outside at the café table and chairs like normal
people. I played a street piano which happened to be more in tune than ours at
home. We walked, and talked, and laughed a lot. We joked about my parking
skills. We just really enjoyed life, and we got ice cream on the way home. We saw
so many people, but, as my sister said, everyone looked either sad or fake.
Everyone except the friends we made.<br />
<br />
When we finished exploring at our first stop, we noticed a
guy busking across the street. As I put my coins in his guitar case, he interrupted
his singing to say thank you, and added ‘you have beautiful hair.’ I said thank
you and he said ‘have a beautiful day.’ We wished him the same. And, you know,
that little interaction was somehow more rewarding than the impressive shelves
of books and all the racks of clothes we’d just looked through.<br />
</div>
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As we were looking for a place to park next (mostly because
I missed the obvious parking signs), I recognized a homeless man sitting near
the mall entrance.<a href="http://jessicalg97.blogspot.com/2017/06/change.html"> It was the same man I met about a year ago. </a>When we’d found
a park, I walked past to make sure it was him, and asked my sister if she had
any change. After we gave him the money, I asked if his name was Grant. He was
taken aback and asked how I knew that. I told him I’d met him almost a year
ago, and wanted to say hi after I saw him again. He seemed touched, and we got
talking about where we were from, as it was evident I don’t come to the city often.
It turns out he used to work on a property a few kilometres down the road from
where we live! You know, the world seemed to slow down in that moment. People
were rushing past, crossing the road and hurrying on, but here we were, leaning
against a pole, having a good old yarn to a man who could’ve been our
neighbour. My sister and I exchanged smiles afterwards and I knew she got it. </div>
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We finished in that area, and were walking back to the car
which was a couple of blocks away. Near the last entrance we had to go through
was another man experiencing homelessness. He was a young guy, and he was
holding a ginger striped kitten. We walked over, and as he saw our intentions he
called out ‘God bless you!’ I asked about his cat as my sister gave him the
coins, and he said its name was Eddy. ‘After Ed Sheeran,’ he added. He didn’t
have lots of stuff; he didn’t even have warm clothes on. But, you know, I think
he was the happiest person we saw. </div>
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My sister and I talked about our day as we drove home. It had
been full; we’d seen a lot of things, we’d had fun, we’d found stuff to buy and
bring home. But we agreed the best part was our experiences with the busker and
homeless guys. It was connection. That’s what we’ll remember. I’ll think of
Grant when I drive past that property now. I’ll think of the guy with his
orange kitty when I hear an Ed Sheeran song. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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So, you know, amidst a fun day out and the bustle of a city
experience, I think I discovered one more secret to this life: <b>the best thing
we can give to our fellow human brothers and sisters is the gift of connection.</b><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06543574650970283141noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1346274191957691135.post-2401000653123237012018-06-20T18:24:00.001+10:002018-06-20T18:24:19.349+10:00Joy is PossibleMaybe it hasn’t come through here, but <a href="https://www.instagram.com/applesofgold.97/">on Instagram</a> I’ve
been sharing often about joy. I feel like God has been teaching me a lot about
joy recently and it's seriously exciting! It’s become a theme in
my life. But I’ve been using the phrases ‘joy is possible’ and ‘choose joy’ a
lot, and I wanted to expand on them. <i>How is joy is possible? What does it mean
to choose joy?</i><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Joy seems absent in our world. I realize there are sad
and horrible things going on, and it is depressing. But joy is possible <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">despite </i>that. I see people looking down
and gloomy, like life is too overwhelming, and this is what I want to say: <b>joy
is possible, even here, even now.</b> Even ____ – whatever it is you’re going
through. I’ve come to believe joy is <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">always</i>
possible, and I want to shout it loud.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfKFvSFfujWIfkKk-vmhobt3J_pjo-zckKO5XVK6azO2yMA-tY3cdbfao0KEMv86FJ1kmTsC12S5PsnKhRbqUtRL_EUv4ChVOAQMF8XmtQuME9p9q-etinYL6VVWGX8i64Lp1SnSgyulw/s1600/JOYISPOSSIBLE%25282%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="397" data-original-width="560" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfKFvSFfujWIfkKk-vmhobt3J_pjo-zckKO5XVK6azO2yMA-tY3cdbfao0KEMv86FJ1kmTsC12S5PsnKhRbqUtRL_EUv4ChVOAQMF8XmtQuME9p9q-etinYL6VVWGX8i64Lp1SnSgyulw/s320/JOYISPOSSIBLE%25282%2529.png" width="320" /></a>And here’s why it’s possible: true, lasting, overflowing joy
comes from God. Galatians 5:22 says it’s a fruit of the Holy Spirit. There isn’t
a time God is out of reach; He’s not subject to the changeable things
around us. <b>God is always there, joy is part of God, and therefore joy is always
possible.</b> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">But we have to choose it.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
God doesn’t force us into being joyful, but every day, in
every situation, He gives us that choice. Even if I’m overwhelmed with
assignments and things to be done, or I’m discouraged with myself or the people
around me, I can still choose to look to God and be joyful. That's what I’ve
been learning, and it’s so, so cool. We get that choice! We can live above our circumstances!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
I remember the story of Paul and Silas, in Acts. They were
thrown into the highest security part of prison for preaching the gospel. They
were whipped, and they had their feet locked in stocks – it’s impossible for
them to have been without pain. And yet, it says ‘Paul and Silas prayed, and sang
praises to God.’ (Acts 16:25) <b>They chose joy despite their circumstances. </b><div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But joy doesn’t always look like fun and thrills, or what we
call happiness. Joy might not mean smiling every moment, or dancing throughout
the day because life is that good. Choosing joy doesn’t exempt us from
experiencing other emotions, but it does mean we have a quiet knowledge
that God is, and there’s hope we can rest and rejoice in. Sometimes it
feels a lot like peace, being still and knowing God.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For me, choosing joy has looked like pausing in the middle
of stressful thoughts to remember I have a choice. It’s reminding myself when unfair
situations come up I can be joyful anyway. It’s being tired, but thinking of things
I have to be happy about. It’s reading the Word with fresh eyes – <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">just look how awesome God is! </i>It’s also
been smiles and hugs with my sister and loud exclamations about some intricate
creation or fact. Little things thrill me, and it feels so good. It’s like a
mix of contentment and rest and hope, but brought alive. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>So to everyone, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">everyone, </i>no matter your situation or
how unattainable it sounds, this is my message: JOY IS POSSIBLE. I want you to
believe it, to choose it, and to experience it, because </b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><b>there’s nothing like it. </b></i></div>
Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06543574650970283141noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1346274191957691135.post-8513514030793163742018-06-13T11:38:00.001+10:002018-06-13T11:38:13.988+10:00Update and Tags!<div class="MsoNormal">
Hey friends! I wanted to say hello and share a quick update, seeing as I
have been sadly absent around here. Also, I got tagged by three
wonderful people recently, and I decided to pick a few of their questions each
to answer them. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxBQbDTz3eYoHhIh5EjZEitydaCx3hsu4HgdJK6ZXB19W_oxonCfbvV2PBRnZLDZq7JljBGLKCEYswa0liRfEUNB6JUfGzsyOn6I3mAfjOzs7nYhmWihlLH3bvy7uRNYe-M0WPZQDhvdk/s1600/DSC_0172.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="585" data-original-width="880" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxBQbDTz3eYoHhIh5EjZEitydaCx3hsu4HgdJK6ZXB19W_oxonCfbvV2PBRnZLDZq7JljBGLKCEYswa0liRfEUNB6JUfGzsyOn6I3mAfjOzs7nYhmWihlLH3bvy7uRNYe-M0WPZQDhvdk/s1600/DSC_0172.JPG" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
From <a href="http://forget-not-his-benefits.blogspot.com/">Bri at Forget Not His Benefits</a>:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Who is one person you
look up to?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I look up to my Grandad a lot. He’s humble, genuine, and has
strong family values. One thing I’ve been thinking about, as inspired
by him, is emulating the good we see in others.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>If you ask him where he got his sense of humour from, he will tell you a
story of the time he went riding horses through the snowy mountains with his
uncles, how they told yarns along the way, and he decided he wanted to develop
that trait too. If you ask him where he got his family values from, a sense of
closeness and warmth, genuine care and appreciation, he will tell you about the
times he visited relatives when he was young, and they were close and caring
and he decided he wanted that for his family too. I think having humility to
learn from others, and cultivating those good characteristics is one of my
Grandad’s secrets of life.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Can you introduce us
to your family?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I have a younger brother, Luke, and a younger sister, Rachel
(<a href="http://memygodandmaverick.blogspot.com/">who blogs here, yay!</a>), and we live at home with our Mum. We have different
interests and personalities, and sometimes they clash, but I’m so thankful for
my family and the closeness we’re able to share. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">If what you say in
answer to this question was the only thing left when you died, what would you
say?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’ve always said I’d say ‘God is,’ because I feel like that
sums up everything. He exists, He is whatever we need, He makes up what we’re
lacking, He’s always there, He gives us strength and peace and courage and
rest, and a reason to hope and keep going. He gives us purpose, He gives life
purpose, and He even gives suffering purpose. God is - you can always hope -
joy is possible - keep holding on. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiemaAeV8WP941N6UFXmFbmjLsVVspVfUF7kFJymH6OBRLhpJldFvxpFZCxFqH2U5330ou7wFH8oXHW3USHVJWjuxqtpqepAX0DwYIVohj7woAeDjpinNRL1M-FKtXiIGIRJ1OwXDmFwgI/s1600/DSC_0186.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="585" data-original-width="880" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiemaAeV8WP941N6UFXmFbmjLsVVspVfUF7kFJymH6OBRLhpJldFvxpFZCxFqH2U5330ou7wFH8oXHW3USHVJWjuxqtpqepAX0DwYIVohj7woAeDjpinNRL1M-FKtXiIGIRJ1OwXDmFwgI/s1600/DSC_0186.JPG" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
From <a href="https://lakaysha.blogspot.com/">LaKaysha at Calico and Lace</a>:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">If you had a day you
could relive, what would you do with it?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I would probably spend it with family or friends if I could,
and I wish I had some way I could reach out as well. If I spent the day at
home, I would probably reply to emails, do some reading or writing – write
letters if I had some to reply to, make nice food, spend time with God, and
stay off social media or the internet altogether.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">What is your biggest
fault, according to you?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Right now, I consider it to be my laziness, which includes
procrastination, lack of motivation, too much time online, not reaching out to
people like I could, getting slack with blogging and communication, and plain
can’t-be-bothered-ness. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">You find a hidden
staircase in your Grandpa’s house, and when you enter, you find something
amazing. What is it?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It’s a room full of books, and a few keepsakes. I picked
this question, because I had a similar experience. My Grandpa took me into his
bedroom (I’d seen through the doorway, but I don’t remember going in there
before), and there was a bookshelf with all these old books, in great
condition, with their brightly coloured cloth covers and intriguing titles. It
was so cool. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQvXTOD1o3h1ogM8cwYRuJlVBZcF7ljRExliZjgl7RqB0laauNFyNZ3le2hklhL50I8oU36xbr2zFKEA_AzKC2VNWFpto6WY_BW5Js56KvgrYgimmdELGZ1ZE2JFJSGpDy7hqQu0hfMG0/s1600/DSC_0179.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="585" data-original-width="880" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQvXTOD1o3h1ogM8cwYRuJlVBZcF7ljRExliZjgl7RqB0laauNFyNZ3le2hklhL50I8oU36xbr2zFKEA_AzKC2VNWFpto6WY_BW5Js56KvgrYgimmdELGZ1ZE2JFJSGpDy7hqQu0hfMG0/s1600/DSC_0179.JPG" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And <a href="http://bensshowersofblessings.blogspot.com/">Brooklyne at Showers of Blessings</a> tagged me to share my
favourite things, so here are three of my favourites:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Words have always been one of my favourite things – and I
can say that because it encompasses so much: written words like the Bible,
books, stories, poems, letters, even encouraging notes written on city walls or
signs; spoken words like deep discussions, songs, podcasts and sermons,
whispers with my sister, or even overheard conversations. There are also words
in the heart: impressions from the Holy Spirit, thoughts that won’t go away,
single words that symbolize so much more. They fascinate me in every form, and
I’m sure I don’t understand the extent of their power.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Anything to do with the sky is my favourite, whether it’s
the clouds, or moon, or stars, or sunset colours, or sunrise freshness, or the
blue of an empty sky, or the way the sunlight comes through my window in the morning,
or the sparkling rain I saw today when the sun came out while it was
raining.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And, this is abstract, but hope is my favourite. I wish
there was a way to give it to everyone in the world. We all need it so much.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Thanks again for the questions, Bri, LaKaysha, and Brooklyne!
I’m sorry I didn’t answer all of them – they were good questions and it was
hard to pick just a few!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So, life has been good lately. I don’t have any excuses for
not posting here (see above entry about laziness), so I apologize for that. I’m
not making any promises for the future, but I have been bursting with ideas for
writing and blogging, and I have an exciting new development underway!
Hopefully soon I’ll be able to share it with you all. :) In the meantime, it
feels so good to write a post again and talk with you guys. I hope you’re
going well – tell me, how’s life? What’s one of your favourite things? Who do
you look up to?</div>
Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06543574650970283141noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1346274191957691135.post-56836682434171139302018-05-18T14:30:00.001+10:002018-05-18T14:30:26.106+10:00Dear Skeptic<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih1MEr00ZG2aP_Cwevd3GTnhUY3WxbFQU-8Ujq4uxpr5y6TJCW8Z0NYhmTeiofYr6KfuSxdMy6ptIYUfZ6Dodz5rEdrZTovc6D0_cVDCEjGLW7u-XWdc0Eo0xluqG1EJUkIy2Mp-NV4IQ/s1600/Dear+Skeptic.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="585" data-original-width="880" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih1MEr00ZG2aP_Cwevd3GTnhUY3WxbFQU-8Ujq4uxpr5y6TJCW8Z0NYhmTeiofYr6KfuSxdMy6ptIYUfZ6Dodz5rEdrZTovc6D0_cVDCEjGLW7u-XWdc0Eo0xluqG1EJUkIy2Mp-NV4IQ/s1600/Dear+Skeptic.png" /></a></div>
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<b>I met a man once.</b> I came to his door with some Christian
literature and we got chatting about our views, and mostly, how they differed.
He told me how he saw things, and I listened and tried to understand. He thought
the only kind of god there could be was an evil controlling being,
greedy of power and fame. I agreed that was a nasty picture, and
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He went on to say the only way the world would get better
was if we stopped looking out for ourselves, our power, our fame, our money,
our greatness, and how we could use other people to achieve that, and worked on
a system of self-sacrifice. If people did good for others, if they were kind and
honourable, if they all worked together to give everyone a decent life – even
if it meant denying fame and power. <b>That was the only system that would work,
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We discussed other ideas like what we thought of
angels, the afterlife, and where this world’s going. <b>But it kept coming back
his ideal.</b> I entirely agreed it would be only the only way to have peace and
happiness and equality. </div>
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To him, it was a dream; an impossibility, something that
would be revolutionary if only it existed. <b>To me, it is reality.</b> It’s not a
far-fetched ideal; it’s what I see in the life of Christ and His commission to
His followers. It’s what I claim as my mission. It’s what gives me hope this
world isn’t all there is, that my destiny is not left up to a controlling
monster in the sky. It’s what drives me to aspire to live a
life of service. I wanted to give him the hope I had, but he couldn’t
believe such a noble way of living would exist, or could exist. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>See, this skeptic and I were actually the
same. </b>We both saw the only way to have a sustainable life system was to be
based on the principle of love and selflessness. We both recognized that
happiness and peace came not through controlling and subduing others, but by
giving ourselves away. We both knew the current way of control and greed for
power, or past religious efforts to subdue dissenters, could never bring peace.
We both wished for a better place, where there was no suffering, and everything
was perfection.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The difference was: <b>I believed, and he didn’t. </b>I had the
hope of better things; he didn’t. I had the reason live boldy and make a
difference; he didn’t. I lived as though it was reality; he lived as though it
could never be more than a wistful longing. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So my heart for you, dear skeptic, is not scorn. It’s not to
push reams of science and facts and knowledge to somehow convince you. It’s not
one of evasion, or thinking you’re less than I for doubting. It’s simply a
question: <b>what do you have to lose by believing?</b></div>
Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06543574650970283141noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1346274191957691135.post-10414819368766419672018-05-03T21:33:00.002+10:002018-05-03T21:33:52.070+10:00You Are A Lighthouse<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1CrGoyrbks6nMRLHv1fwC5PVqtCjmZbJTWayg97CEC9bYjdNpP4XN9Qaej6gPQAB3K1wMgzucRDAN6x4KSFds02h9IJW40DFNF4seTrVCW2TTyBl9-Yrtnwr5heUwjht5k9hthIXkO-o/s1600/DSC_0155.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="585" data-original-width="880" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1CrGoyrbks6nMRLHv1fwC5PVqtCjmZbJTWayg97CEC9bYjdNpP4XN9Qaej6gPQAB3K1wMgzucRDAN6x4KSFds02h9IJW40DFNF4seTrVCW2TTyBl9-Yrtnwr5heUwjht5k9hthIXkO-o/s1600/DSC_0155.JPG" /></a></div>
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<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Sunrise, Murray River, with <a href="http://memygodandmaverick.blogspot.com.au/">this fave sunbeam</a></i></span></div>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
I saw a quote the other day: <b>you may be the lighthouse in
someone else’s storm.</b> It got me, because I’ve had people be a lighthouse for
me, but I never thought I would be one to someone. Then, these verses came to
mind:<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> Ye are the light of
the world… Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good
works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. </i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Matthew<span> </span>5:14 & 16</span> </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’ve always thought of them in a witnessing context. We’re
to be living a godly life, that will shine in the darkness of this world, and
people will think ‘Wow, what have they got?!’ and want it for themselves. That’s
true, but after thinking about it for a few days, I saw another message: we
need to let our lights shine because they may be the beacon of hope to someone
else who’s struggling. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There’s another quote which has also been in my thoughts:
<b>your playing small does not serve the world.</b> I want to play small; it’s much
easier. I want to be that man in one of Jesus’ parables who digs a nice sturdy
hole and puts his entrusted talent inside. <span style="font-size: x-small;">(Matthew 25:14-30)</span> But that servant
was useless to the master; he didn’t want him in his service any longer. The
other guys in the story used their talents, and the master promoted them
because he could trust them with more. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I guess what I’m trying to say is that sometimes it’s
easier - and even feels more Christian - to hide our talents and gifts; our light.
We don’t want to big-note ourselves, we worry about whether the timing is right
and what people will think. But it’s not actually about that: you have light
and you need to shine it because it <i>will </i>make a difference in
someone else’s life. God entrusted us with talents for the purpose of using
them.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sometimes I would like to find a shack in the bush and
become a hermit; I want to stay low and be ‘normal.’ But does that serve the
world? Does that bless anyone? Is hiding my light going to mean someone else
hits rocks I could’ve helped them avoid? <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">You
mean, it’s selfish for me to curl up and protect my lil gifts out of fear of
rejection or incapability?!</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Maybe you need the reassurance like I do: You are the
lighthouse in someone else’s storm. Your words or art or music or whatever it
is – a text to say I’m thinking of you, a hug, helping with the dishes – might brighten
someone else’s world. Playing small, toning down those talents and gifts and
thoughts, doesn’t serve anyone. Embrace the gifts God has given you, and let
that light shine! God made you on purpose, and as long as we try to bury that
purpose we’re doing a disservice to ourselves and to others who are influenced
by our lives.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In case you’re thinking ‘That’s great, but
no one would ever be looking to me as their lighthouse’ let me reassure you:
that’s <b>not</b> true. Every one of us has an influence, and we never know who’s
watching us, relying on our encouragement, staying afloat because of our lives.
The smallest thing you do out of habit could mean the world to someone else. You
were all bright lights of encouragement to me on my previous post, and it meant
so much (thank you!). Keep shining, my friends! You were given your beautiful
light for a reason. xx </div>
Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06543574650970283141noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1346274191957691135.post-26572792540068010462018-04-24T17:32:00.000+10:002018-04-25T07:01:46.191+10:00bye for now<div align="left">
<div dir="ltr">
Yesterday my brother got a call to let him know his friend and boss had passed away. We knew it was going to happen at some stage, but it's still a shock. Is death ever something you get used to? </div>
<div dir="ltr">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div dir="ltr">
</div>
<div align="left">
<div dir="ltr">
I didn't know the man very well - just met him a couple of times, and made small talk if I answered the phone when he rang. But my brother talked about him. He was a good man, he had a good heart. He cared for my brother, for us.</div>
</div>
<div dir="ltr">
<br /></div>
<div align="left">
<div dir="ltr">
Maybe it doesn't affect everyone this way, but when I hear of death, my mind goes back to the people I have lost to death, and the possibility I could lose others as well. It's something I have no control over, and that scares me.</div>
</div>
<div dir="ltr">
<br /></div>
<div align="left">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxuJVwc1OOY_HqjmyEItNHkZOkmXpmjOiHrAX6S2XF08WWwcc4WOwp5DRcfAB6xMXpwNPFLN2ct-Ga3AsKCV8N8REi7Z_0k_hmbBpp-hoK54uPpD9lt7A5jRcppTalBM6SHtEuD_x93GQ/s1600/20180424_104845_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxuJVwc1OOY_HqjmyEItNHkZOkmXpmjOiHrAX6S2XF08WWwcc4WOwp5DRcfAB6xMXpwNPFLN2ct-Ga3AsKCV8N8REi7Z_0k_hmbBpp-hoK54uPpD9lt7A5jRcppTalBM6SHtEuD_x93GQ/s200/20180424_104845_HDR.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>
<div dir="ltr">
I was scrolling through my gallery, and I saw a photo of words my sister and I put on the letterboard last week. It's a combination of <a href="https://www.willowcitymusic.com/">Willow City's</a> song 'Everybody Falls' which has been our unofficial theme song for the past few weeks, and Micah 7:8. "Everybody falls sometimes; but when I fall, I am going to a r i s e again."</div>
<div dir="ltr">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div dir="ltr">
</div>
<div align="left">
<div dir="ltr">
How did God know I was going to need those words? Everybody falls. Things happen beyond our control. We don't have the answers we wish for. The question is, am I going to do what I said I would, what God promised I could? Am I going to get up again? </div>
<div dir="ltr">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div dir="ltr">
</div>
<div align="left">
<div dir="ltr">
I know I'm not alone in this experience. You fall too. But together we can arise.</div>
<div dir="ltr">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div dir="ltr">
</div>
<br />
<div align="left">
<div dir="ltr">
"Therefore I will look unto the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation: my God will hear me. Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the LORD shall be a light unto me." Micah 7:7-8</div>
<div dir="ltr">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: center;">
××</div>
<div dir="ltr">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr">
Also, I never - like once in my life kind of never - write free verse poetry. In fact, I never used to read it either, until Julia converted me with her soul filled words. (Which you ought to <a href="http://twilighttodawn.blogspot.com/">check out here</a>. <a href="http://imchasingmoonlight.blogspot.com/">Elizabeth's are also beautiful</a> and <a href="http://apurposeandapromise.blogspot.com.au/">Emily's get me every time</a>.) Back to the point: I wrote a poem last night, and it really is the only way I can tell the story.</div>
<div dir="ltr">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<br /></div>
<div align="left">
<div dir="ltr">
'bye for now' </div>
</div>
<div align="left">
<div dir="ltr">
my sister laughed as we copied the phrase from the dear old lady</div>
</div>
<div align="left">
<div dir="ltr">
it sounded funny rolling off our tongues </div>
<div dir="ltr">
but it had an old fashioned sweetness and it stuck</div>
</div>
<div dir="ltr">
<br /></div>
<div align="left">
<div dir="ltr">
we used it regularly</div>
<div dir="ltr">
when we meant it</div>
<div dir="ltr">
when we were having fun</div>
</div>
<div dir="ltr">
'bye for now'</div>
<div dir="ltr">
<br /></div>
<div align="left">
<div dir="ltr">
then something happened</div>
</div>
<div dir="ltr">
it didn't make sense</div>
<div align="left">
<div dir="ltr">
does death ever make sense?</div>
</div>
<div align="left">
<div dir="ltr">
i fought it in my head</div>
</div>
<div align="left">
<div dir="ltr">
tried to understand </div>
</div>
<div align="left">
<div dir="ltr">
to justify or soften the blow</div>
</div>
<div align="left">
<div dir="ltr">
but a person is a person, and a life is a life, and there's no rationializing that</div>
</div>
<div align="left">
<div dir="ltr">
i tried to silence it by sleep</div>
</div>
<div dir="ltr">
<br /></div>
<div align="left">
<div dir="ltr">
but before I rolled over i whispered a good night phrase to my sister</div>
</div>
<div align="left">
<div dir="ltr">
and somehow the swirl in my brain slowed as reality sunk in</div>
</div>
<div dir="ltr">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr">
</div>
<div align="left">
<div dir="ltr">
'bye for now'</div>
<div dir="ltr">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<i>Thanks so much for listening to my unpolished thoughts, guys. I appreciate you more than I can put into words. I hope you're living in the assurance that in Him goodbyes aren't forever. If fear of death and loss is something you struggle with too, please know you're not alone, and I'd love to be there if you want to talk. Hold on to hope. xx</i></div>
</div>
</div>
Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06543574650970283141noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1346274191957691135.post-5455472268942713492018-04-21T08:38:00.000+10:002018-04-21T08:38:31.066+10:00Why is Faith Important?<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<![endif]-->Probably everyone knows something <i>about</i> faith - Christians, non-believers, agnostics, new agers, Buddhists, and everyone in between. But how is faith more than a
theological concept? What difference does it make?
It’s an idea that’s so common we’ve forgotten what it really is. Or, at
least I had. But I’ve been learning <a href="http://jessicalg97.blogspot.com.au/2018/03/you-dont-have-to-understand-to-believe.html?m=1">you don’t have to understand to believe</a>,
and realizing from the lives of Bible heroes more of
what faith is.<br />
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<br /></div>
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<b>Faith gives reason to obedience</b> – if we base our belief on only what can be tangibly proven, we don’t have a reason to obey. I can’t show
evidence that God told me to do something, so why should I do it? I can’t prove
He had me in mind when He wrote the Bible thousands of years ago, why should I
obey? Faith is taking that knowledge and making it our own, believing that when
God spoke, he had us in mind, and knowing that even if no one else heard the
whisper, God can speak to us in our heart. Romans 4:21 defines Abraham's faith
as “being absolutely convinced that God would do what he had promised.”</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>Faith in the anchor during life’s fluctuations</b> – feelings go
up and down, circumstances change. I think all Christians go through times
of spiritual barrenness, and times of great flourishing in the Lord. But the constant which sustains through both those times is faith. It’s
what kept the men of faith in the Bible going - Abraham, Moses, Noah, and others. It’s what gave Jesus reassurance when
He couldn’t see through the tomb. When we’re down and discouraged, it’s faith
that gets us back up again. It brings heaven to earth, and
gives us confidence <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">no
matter what.</i> As Romans 1:17 says, “The just shall <i>live</i> by faith.”</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>Faith gives life to believing </b>– we can believe facts about
God and the Bible, but if they remain mere facts and don’t change our lives,
they’re useless. James says the devils believe in God. (James 2:19) They know
more about Him than we do! But faith makes God’s word come alive. We believe
He’s actually there, He is for us, and He desires a personal
relationship with us. It’s that by-faith-relationship that separates knowledge from experience.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi75YcGV3CDmNI_MGvWo-0f0kIFGTmqeSsQVaVikRKbj3XXutDonWexoazGLQyyscusmI2c3lLzQAmxo7gMPDoh_tF8bP-1w45Tt2LXz9JvNcbI9Ur8Oj7AMGbaG8x5eCsRhk8NPXGweqY/s1600/Faith+is+a+Choice.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="315" data-original-width="560" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi75YcGV3CDmNI_MGvWo-0f0kIFGTmqeSsQVaVikRKbj3XXutDonWexoazGLQyyscusmI2c3lLzQAmxo7gMPDoh_tF8bP-1w45Tt2LXz9JvNcbI9Ur8Oj7AMGbaG8x5eCsRhk8NPXGweqY/s320/Faith+is+a+Choice.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br />
The Bible says everyone is given a measure of faith. (Romans
12:2) We already have it; <b>we’ve just got to use it</b>. When we take God at His
word, claim the Bible and its promises and instructions as our own, it
strengthens our faith. Trying circumstances and tests can also provide opportunity for faith to grow. I read that faith is like a muscle; <b>the more
we use it, the stronger it becomes.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’m going to make a bold statement, but I believe it’s true.
<b>Faith is a choice.</b> We have to choose to believe and live like it, choose to
take God at His word. There is evidence, there is experience, but in the end,
the thing that sets apart believers and non-believers is simply what the terms
suggest: <b>do we believe or not?</b></div>
Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06543574650970283141noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1346274191957691135.post-82708857091375393522018-04-13T12:57:00.001+10:002018-04-13T13:14:22.457+10:00My Favourite Things - A Tag<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<i style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Sunrise, Berri, South Australia</span></i><br />
<span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span>
<span style="text-align: left;">I haven’t done a tag in ages, but </span><a href="http://memygodandmaverick.blogspot.com.au/" style="text-align: left;">a favourite person of mine</a><span style="text-align: left;"> tagged me last month, and I thought something out of the ordinary might be
refreshing. :) So, here are her lovely questions:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
1. Favourite pajamas?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This is an excellent question; pyjamas are basically my
favourite clothes. :) My all-time favourites would be a pair I had when I was
maybe twelve which had Little Miss Sunshine on them. She’s one of my heroes. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
2. Favourite Bible story and why?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
At the moment it’s the story of Noah, partially inspired by
my recent read: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Heart of A Lion. </i>Noah
isn’t talked about a lot in the Bible, and his story has become common, but he
was an incredible man of faith, and that’s been inspiring me recently. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
3. Favourite room of the house?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’ll say our spare bedroom which has my desk, most of my
books, and other bits and pieces I’ve collected. I seem to have more mental
space, and fewer distractions there, so if I want to focus or relax at the end
of the day, I like to sit there. But, if you’ve lived in our house, you’ll know
the real answer to this question. ;)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
4. Favourite hair style?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My hair is most commonly in a ponytail or some messy bun.
I’ve never put a lot of effort into my hair, so I don’t really have a favourite
hair style: the easier it is, the more likely I am to do it! I like braids when
I’m feeling fancy, and I wish I knew how to do beach-style waves in my hair.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
5. Favourite farm animal?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sheep are my favourite. :) Pet lambs are so cute, and
because I’ve bottle-raised a few I like them most. They have such distinct
personalities and habits, and they’re good company. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
6. Favourite character trait?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It’s funny because I’ve never been one to have favourites of
anything – colours, songs, etc. I never want to commit to anything, because I
know it will change. But honesty and humility have always been my favourite
character traits. They’re what I admire most in others, and what I’d like to be
myself.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
7. Favourite place outside?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My favourite times to be outside are at sunrise, sunset, or at night under the moon or lots of stars, but I can’t really think of one specific place
outside that’s my favourite. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
8. Favourite post on your blog (most viewed)?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://jessicalg97.blogspot.com.au/2016/09/31-hugs-ideas.html?m=1">31 Hugs – Ideas</a> is my most viewed post, closely followed by
<a href="http://jessicalg97.blogspot.com.au/2016/11/on-vulnerability.html?m=1">On Vulnerability</a>. I wonder what makes them so interesting to people, especially
considering they’re very different to each other. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
9. Favourite quote?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’m liking lots of words from Tozer’s book <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Pursuit of God</i>, in particularly a
thought that links in with my <a href="http://jessicalg97.blogspot.com.au/2018/03/you-dont-have-to-understand-to-believe.html?m=1">current focus on faith</a>: “Faith is the
gaze of the soul upon a saving God.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
10. Favourite recent photo?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Probably one <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bg46UIVBXC0/">I posted on Instagram</a> recently: it has the
sunset colour and the moon in the one photo, and those are two of my favourite
things. It’s a happy photo. :)<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
11. Favourite thing about your Mum?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I like how she can do anything she puts her hand to, whether
that’s sewing, knitting, gardening, grafting trees, teaching, cooking, fixing
the plumbing, writing a bible study, or building an extension on the house. She
pays attention to detail, she’s strong, and I really admire her, and all the
effort she’s put into nurturing us in Christ.</div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
~</div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So, there are some random facts! What are some of your
current favourites? Do you have a favourite character trait? What’s your favourite of my posts? Do you like to stay in
pyjamas as long as socially acceptable, or get out of them as soon as possible?</div>
Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06543574650970283141noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1346274191957691135.post-17616795605324127252018-04-06T20:53:00.000+10:002018-04-06T20:53:27.020+10:00It's Okay to Say I Don't Know<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-ZusvLRwrZFlB3binM5j5SptAtCapZv7w7M_h71sHo__oXwOVP46WfsfTwPHY-pGK2QqZSfIat3mQQTG7LN1z-vYY8fBNTaHMaIzW2sPhOOhYTQhKa79QWGhwr2XWgf7Ej-fazBqFQlM/s1600/5DSC_0256.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="585" data-original-width="880" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-ZusvLRwrZFlB3binM5j5SptAtCapZv7w7M_h71sHo__oXwOVP46WfsfTwPHY-pGK2QqZSfIat3mQQTG7LN1z-vYY8fBNTaHMaIzW2sPhOOhYTQhKa79QWGhwr2XWgf7Ej-fazBqFQlM/s1600/5DSC_0256.JPG" /></a><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Murray River, Berri, South Australia</i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sometimes it’s good to sit and people watch. I’m at a park,
and I’ve been observing a couple and their dog. I could write a lot about the
people I see, about this couple in front of me. I could say she was wearing a
pink shirt and her hair was shoulder length, and he wore glasses and jeans, and
I would be exactly right. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But I can’t tell a single thing about their personalities, their past, their hopes and dreams and talents, likes and
dislikes. I could guess she likes pink, but maybe that’s the only pinks shirt
she owns. I could guess they like dogs, but maybe the dog I see is a friend’s.
I could guess they’re wealthy, I could assume they’re traveling through from
the coast; I could presume they’re husband and wife. <b>But I don’t know.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I would like to know things. I would like to have all the
answers. I would like to never be awkward when someone asks me a question and I’m
not sure what to say. I would like to have inside information on the latest
happenings. I would like to be able to discern what people are like and why
they do what they do. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I think it’s human to want to know. It gives a sense of
power when someone has a question and we have an answer. They have a need and
we have a solution. Sometimes we like to think we <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">are </i>a solution. It’s healthy: it gives us drive to
research and learn, to give and help others in need, to have compassion and
empathy. But it’s something the enemy likes to zone in on and attach worth to. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">If you have the answers people will always
need you. If you have witty comebacks, you’ll be popular. If you have the
information someone needs you have power. </i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We fall into attaching our worth to our knowledge or
ability. If I never have anything juicy to add to the conversation, I must be a
boring person. If I don’t know what to say, I must be dumb. If I’m not up on
the latest news, I must be inferior to everyone else. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Or, we make up or exaggerate information to get the self-esteem
boost we crave. It feels good to be able to add a tidbit to the conversation,
to say something that gets everybody listening for more. There’s a sense of
power in knowing something no one else does, and choosing when to release it in
order to get the best reaction. It becomes a habit to glean and put information
together, stretch it here, presume there, and have a good story to tell. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But I want to zoom out. <b>We are so much more than what we
know or how much we have to contribute. </b>We can’t judge ourselves on one
isolated event. Often, the juicy information we love isn’t about things or
places, it’s about people. And people have hearts and feelings, and just like
the people I saw this morning, <b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">we know
very little about them</i>. </b>There are many thoughts and feelings each of us
never share; we can very rarely be one hundred percent sure when we talk about
others. We can’t give the context; we can’t know how they feel or how it meshes
in with their past or dreams for the future. <b>That’s the point. </b>We don’t know.
<b>And that’s okay.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So, don’t feel like you have to amass knowledge in order to
have worth or fit in. Don’t feel like you can never be somebody unless you know
something. Don’t feel like you have to earn people’s favour by gossiping. <b>Our
worth and value isn’t up to us to decide. It’s already been shown when ultimate
love and perfection decided to trade places with us. </b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And please, don’t forget we’re all people, <b>and it’s really,
really, okay to say ‘I don’t know.’ </b></div>
Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06543574650970283141noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1346274191957691135.post-38231908360399270902018-03-30T20:55:00.000+11:002018-03-30T20:55:56.686+11:00You Don't Have to Understand to Believe<div class="MsoNormal">
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<![endif]--><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Cm3QhhLTz-str5g6KfHf9zgG7SCIKd7beHIK99NzsWkZDlDBR0UQup4gllXGfygwzN58irj2gXh9sXq6WjS1DyNdDo2IpvzFFmSEa7rWL6WTDiANZcXU2_ITUynRXtU0jIpfM5shrKw/s1600/_You+don%2527t+have+to+understand+to+believe._.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Cm3QhhLTz-str5g6KfHf9zgG7SCIKd7beHIK99NzsWkZDlDBR0UQup4gllXGfygwzN58irj2gXh9sXq6WjS1DyNdDo2IpvzFFmSEa7rWL6WTDiANZcXU2_ITUynRXtU0jIpfM5shrKw/s320/_You+don%2527t+have+to+understand+to+believe._.png" width="320" /></a>A few weeks ago I was reading in Jeremiah, and it didn’t
make sense at all. I wanted to know why God did what He did, and how that fit
with His character of love and mercy. I was frustrated because I didn’t have
answers.</div>
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I’d been thinking about Job and how he said he’d trust God,
even if God destroyed Him. <span style="font-size: x-small;">(Job 13:15)</span> Job didn’t know why everything was taken
away from him, or that it would all be restored in the end. Through the whole experience, the Bible says he did not sin. <span style="font-size: x-small;">(Job 1:22)</span> But later in the
book, God rebukes Job for thinking to understand Him, the Most High. It seems Job was doing his best, and God comes along and humbles him in the
dust. It's always mystified me.</div>
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<br /></div>
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I was also reading a fictionalized account of
the story of Noah. What impressed me throughout the story was Noah’s obedience
to God despite the fact that he didn’t understand. The story of the flood is familiar
to us, but it didn't make sense to Noah. He hadn’t seen rain before. He didn’t know how it was logistically possible
to live with all the animals on a boat. And, he had a hundred years of building
in faith before he saw any evidence. But he did it anyway. </div>
<br />
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<br /></div>
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One of my favourite passages in the book said:</div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">‘It’s always hard to
follow the Ancient One. He doesn’t offer an easy path. I think He tests us.’</i></div>
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<br /></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">‘What do you mean?’</i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">‘I mean anyone would
follow a god who is always good to him, who is always there. But the Ancient
One wants men and women who will serve Him when they feel dry as dust in their
hearts, when they’ve cried out, yet the heavens are silent. Those who feel as
alone as is possible for a human being to feel, but after all of that, still
love God – they are the followers the Ancient One seeks. </i>- <span style="font-size: x-small;">Heart of a Lion, p88-89</span></div>
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Somehow all those moments came together, and I realized it
was a rebuke for me. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to understand God or
the Bible, but I was placing my belief on it. I was trying to understand God <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">so that </i>I could believe He was there. I
was trying to learn facts about the Bible and history and science so I could <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">prove</i> to others God is real. <b>I was
trying to reduce God to an explanation. </b></div>
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<br /></div>
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But the truth is if I could understand and explain God, He
wouldn’t be, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">couldn’t be</i>, God.</div>
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<br /></div>
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It’s not a prop for ignorance. It’s good to be able to defend
what we believe. There’s point in learning and trying to understand the Bible,
even complex parts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I felt God
rebuke me. <b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">You don’t have to understand
to believe.</i></b> Job didn’t understand, but he believed. Noah didn’t understand,
but He obeyed. Abraham, Mary, Peter – they didn’t understand, but they believed
and obeyed in faith. </div>
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Since then, I’m seeing or hearing about faith everywhere. It
was faith that held these men of the Bible in obedience even when it didn’t
make any sense. It was faith that kept them hoping and believing. Faith is our
evidence; the proof we have. Even if it’s dark in every direction, faith gives
us the confidence to say, </div>
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<br /></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I don’t know what You’re
doing, but I know Who You are. - </i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Who You Are, JJ Heller</span></div>
Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06543574650970283141noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1346274191957691135.post-65179887460484147452018-03-19T11:32:00.000+11:002018-03-19T11:32:03.174+11:00God is Always There & Hello!<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUGl7ff7Ff9rTTNbCZicM8wRsKrvNr8xNSmvTzlWVKWVvwrs8foZDyEuGbKLhGROxJKmBPLSvB-6cjar4-8cGAksPpx8CepB8hozaa3j4h9cTQiSwX77lbUxCnTsO2CBeLx_t5i9aOXQM/s1600/DSC_0184+-+2.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="585" data-original-width="880" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUGl7ff7Ff9rTTNbCZicM8wRsKrvNr8xNSmvTzlWVKWVvwrs8foZDyEuGbKLhGROxJKmBPLSvB-6cjar4-8cGAksPpx8CepB8hozaa3j4h9cTQiSwX77lbUxCnTsO2CBeLx_t5i9aOXQM/s320/DSC_0184+-+2.png" width="320" /></a> </div>
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Sometimes your hair is dirty, and your eyes squinty, and the
sunset faded before you could get out there with a camera, and you’re actually
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there in the little everyday things. He created smiles and sunsets and shirts
that make you feel happy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIA96EwrFnVHwtjBoONrwj7M2bLjYSu_KjDrwOAhsq40-lrw6R33c4iAj7qr5z9QDuW6z6h-q5gS6twJ1NW349j4sqxZKd02XKjImgV5XZl3waNgHZi0RNO9fvc0-h28YACW1Guta6h-4/s1600/DSC_0193.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1064" data-original-width="1600" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIA96EwrFnVHwtjBoONrwj7M2bLjYSu_KjDrwOAhsq40-lrw6R33c4iAj7qr5z9QDuW6z6h-q5gS6twJ1NW349j4sqxZKd02XKjImgV5XZl3waNgHZi0RNO9fvc0-h28YACW1Guta6h-4/s320/DSC_0193.JPG" width="320" /></a>Sometimes you feel down, and life seems overwhelming, and
even things that are considered normal stress you out, and you feel like you’re
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won’t last, and goodness and mercy for every day of your life.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbhArP7KMzqCmRB2DhiMosNjnIDgV_gSekKNppVa_GSd7Ylux_QanuBxkZ6LGt-U6i2C8RDHZ5qRGqoAuJJ5NtETohVvYLf51jb7qVP13cSnqiSXIiZJTRqYyXI-6bQo7i2hPI0kpfcoo/s1600/DSC_0175.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1064" data-original-width="1600" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbhArP7KMzqCmRB2DhiMosNjnIDgV_gSekKNppVa_GSd7Ylux_QanuBxkZ6LGt-U6i2C8RDHZ5qRGqoAuJJ5NtETohVvYLf51jb7qVP13cSnqiSXIiZJTRqYyXI-6bQo7i2hPI0kpfcoo/s320/DSC_0175.JPG" width="320" /></a>Sometimes you feel ordinary, and everyone seems to be able
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Jesus more.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But you share anyway because
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<br /></div>
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Sometimes life is good, and sometimes it feels terrible. But you keep going anyway because God is there during
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<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
++++++++++++++++</div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Hello people! It’s been a while since I appeared here,
and I’ve been missing it. I guess the above paragraphs are a brief summary of
my life lately: I was down and too focused on myself to think about blogging; I
was caught in the trap of thinking I had nothing valuable to share. But God was
there, and life is good. He still is there, and I’m learning to laugh. I feel
like a big lesson God’s been bringing to my attention during this time is faith
– the importance of faith, the relevance of faith, what faith even is. I’m
planning to share about that next!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Seriously though, tell me how your life is going! Anything
new or exciting happening? And if you’ve been feeling down or alone too, please
know that God is there and you are so loved. Feel free to share (<a href="mailto:blog.applesofgold@gmail.com">blog.applesofgold@gmail.com</a>) too,
because I’d love to support you in whatever way I can. Stay strong, friends. I
pray for you all! </div>
Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06543574650970283141noreply@blogger.com31tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1346274191957691135.post-57970774898178405492018-02-19T20:21:00.000+11:002018-02-19T20:21:01.395+11:00Asking for Others<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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While I was away canvassing, one of my friends shared
some powerful thoughts. She explored the context of Luke
11:9, a familiar verse: “Ask and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall
find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.” (Luke 11:9) </div>
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<br /></div>
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From the beginning of the chapter, Jesus is teaching His
disciples how to pray. He presents the Lord’s Prayer, and then tells a story
to illustrate. There was a man who had a guest arrive at midnight one night.
The man was ashamed to find he had no food to feed the traveler, so he went to
His neighbour and asked to borrow three loaves of bread. The neighbour wasn’t
impressed, and made excuses: <i>It's late! I’m in bed! </i>But, Jesus said, because of
the man’s persistence the neighbour got up and gave him the bread, and he was
able to feed his visitor. It’s then Jesus says ask, seek, and knock. Because,
He concludes, if we’re willing to give each other good gifts, how much more
will God give the Holy Spirit to those who ask.</div>
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<br /></div>
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I’ve always seen that story as a lesson in persistent prayer – which
it is – but my friend brought out something else: the man in Jesus’ example
wasn’t asking for himself. He was begging for sustenance, but it was so He
could give it away. </div>
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<br /></div>
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I decided to try it out this principle of prayer. When
I’m canvassing, I pray for others, but I mostly pray for myself.
I pray God will give me opportunities, and that I’ll have wisdom, discernment, courage, and
what it takes to represent Him. There’s nothing wrong with that, but I
decided to go one day not praying for myself at all. I made it my mission to plead for one of
my friends who was also canvassing. Every time I
wanted to pray for myself, I sent up a prayer for her instead.</div>
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<br /></div>
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At the end of day, my friend told me it was one of her best days!
She had some great experiences, and was able to share with lots of people. It
was so exciting, because God answered my prayers, and worked mightily for her.</div>
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<br /></div>
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But what surprised me about the whole ‘experiment’ was how I
felt. God gave me everything I would’ve asked Him for, and more, because I was
able to share more any other day. The best part, though, was my attitude. I
didn’t have time to dwell on my inadequacies, even in prayer, because I was
asking for someone else. I was enthusiastic the whole day, because I didn’t
have thought space to get discouraged. If a negative feeling came into my mind,
my response was to pray about it – but then because I wasn’t praying for
myself, it turned into prayer for my friend, and the thought left my mind.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Other places in the Bible counsel us to pray for ourselves
(James 1:5), and there are examples of spiritually great people who prayed for
themselves in a God-centred way. But there’s something so powerful about
pouring your heart out for someone else, and then watching God work. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’m thinking it might be the antidote for the self-centredness
I’ve been struggling with. Since I’ve gotten more commitments – things I have to
remember and get done by certain times – I’ve become primarily focused on
myself. My mind is full of things I have to do, and how I feel about doing
them. Even when I’m with people, I’m still thinking about my own stuff. But
there’s something blessed about self-forgetfulness, and I think I'm going to try making this a habit. Next time I feel overwhelmed with my commitments, I’m going to pick someone and pray for them. Every time a
selfish thought, or a lie about who I am, tries to get me discouraged, I’m going
to pray for someone else. Maybe it's in asking for others, we find for ourselves.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So, that’s something I’ve been learning! What about you? Have you ever experienced praying for
someone else to the point of self-forgetfulness? Am I the only one who hadn’t
noticed that aspect of Jesus’ parable?</div>
Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06543574650970283141noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1346274191957691135.post-44910173473121150712018-02-13T17:33:00.001+11:002018-02-13T17:33:06.783+11:00How to Make Prayer a Part of Life<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg96yeiO6s419AJ0oauSXaNW9OLORHv0kqQkZYTT0pnqUdp4WFXthT2jgrzKJ29Nd1uMntifS2PUBH40Tla-gsH698a6hU3DkcDXB8SBTBQcJNaHC_4zsuPzObHrhxLUl-ohQBZrz9tTWM/s1600/jessicalg97.blogspot.com%25282%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="585" data-original-width="880" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg96yeiO6s419AJ0oauSXaNW9OLORHv0kqQkZYTT0pnqUdp4WFXthT2jgrzKJ29Nd1uMntifS2PUBH40Tla-gsH698a6hU3DkcDXB8SBTBQcJNaHC_4zsuPzObHrhxLUl-ohQBZrz9tTWM/s1600/jessicalg97.blogspot.com%25282%2529.png" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It’s common Christian knowledge that prayer is
important, prayer is the lifeblood of the soul, prayer is how we communicate
with God. We discuss how to pray, look at Jesus' example, and study thanksgiving, confession, intercession, praise. But the hardest part for me is <b>making prayer a part of my life</b>. I know it’s important, I know how to pray, but I don’t pray a lot; sometimes I don’t pray every day. Sometimes I pray
snippets throughout the day, but never pour my heart out to God. So firstly, if this is you too: <b>don’t be ashamed.</b> It’s tempting to hide, thinking <i>what kind of Christian
doesn’t pray?!</i> but Jesus doesn't shame us about our choices. <b>He simply offers something better. </b><br />
<br />
Our world is geared to squeeze prayer out of our lives, but we have the all-powerful God on our side, and <b>with Him everything’s
possible.</b> Here are a few things which practically help me make prayer a part of
my life:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Going for a walk</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I talk to God more easily when I'm in
His creation. I talk out loud, and that helps me stay focused and not get
distracted by other thoughts. There are so many things in nature to praise God for too, and beginning with gratitude is a great springboard to prayer.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Journaling in nature</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I feel God closer when I’m outside, and, if I’m
facing a problem or decision, journaling about it while talking to Him makes
things much clearer. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Using a prayer journal</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This is something I’ve recently started doing, and it's been helpful to keep focused, especially if I can't go outside. I’m also excited about building tangible
proof of answered prayer. Mine is slightly different, but I got the inspiration
and layout out from these Coffee and Bible Time videos: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XdCWj9dfGio">My Prayer Journal Walk Through</a>, and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yeFSg4TY8hc">How to Make a DIY Prayer Journal.</a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Writing lists/writing down prayers</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This is part of prayer journaling, but I do it in other journals and notebooks too. I like to write
lists of things I’m grateful to God for, ways He’s blessed me, aspects of God's character, prayer requests, answered prayers, etc.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Talking to God as I study and read the Bible</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This is one of my favourite ways to pray. As
I’m reading through a Bible passage, I take a moment to ask God to
apply it to me. For example, if I’m reading Psalm 16, verse 1 says,
‘Preserve me, O God: for in thee do I put my trust.’ I then pray, ‘God, please help me to trust you more, to trust you will preserve me, whatever happens.' I might apply to a specific situation too: 'Please help me to trust you regarding this decision I have to make.' It makes
the Bible personal and relevant. Sometimes I'll also write out a paraphrase of a passage, applying it personally and making it my own prayer.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Praying as soon as I’m asked to, or a thought comes to mind</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When someone asks for prayer, I’ll say a prayer for them right
away (or while the thought’s still in my mind if they’re asking in person). I can't remember where I heard this suggestion, but it's been helpful, because I forget easily. I also apply this to my thoughts; if I’m thinking
about what I should be doing next week, I try to remember to say a prayer about
it right then. It doesn’t have to be long; just making prayer a part of my
thought life.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Praying with friends</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Praying audibly with a friend or in a small group, and having people pray for you, is so, so powerful. It’s one of the most encouraging things to me; the
most beautiful type of community. It also good for accountability.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I hope these suggestions might aid your prayer life
too! We’re in a war
between good and evil, and the enemy wants us to forget about prayer or think
it’s too hard, <b>because <i>it’s one of our greatest weapons against him.</i></b> Let's use it, friends, and in God’s
strength overcome! xx </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
What do you find helpful in making prayer a part of your
life? What could I add to the list? Is prayer something that comes naturally to
you? </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">If prayer seems to you
a diversion from productivity, remember God does more in five seconds than we
can in five hours. </i><span style="font-size: x-small;">John Piper</span></div>
Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06543574650970283141noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1346274191957691135.post-60663707978050109692018-02-05T21:44:00.000+11:002018-02-05T21:44:20.219+11:00Why God is Real to Me – My Testimony<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5egKPoFJKjwOkEUsFsJEPptzbqaNP7KiquyGXwvGdyNTHGcJWmpzj-BHIWZJWjsRfpJQ-4CfTviR9O22tO2TU8nWT-DY8L4GOgTRzJTCsVF4DnUnRksL5OzBpn-g8rSl59kUF-sWQcsQ/s1600/Why+God+is+Real+to+Me.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="585" data-original-width="880" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5egKPoFJKjwOkEUsFsJEPptzbqaNP7KiquyGXwvGdyNTHGcJWmpzj-BHIWZJWjsRfpJQ-4CfTviR9O22tO2TU8nWT-DY8L4GOgTRzJTCsVF4DnUnRksL5OzBpn-g8rSl59kUF-sWQcsQ/s1600/Why+God+is+Real+to+Me.png" /></a></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
I’ve often felt like I don’t have a testimony. I was raised
in a loving Christian home, I’ve always known about God, and I can’t isolate a
moment to call ‘my conversion.’ It seems boring. </div>
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<br /></div>
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But I was praying about how to share, and I felt God say, “Tell
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">my </i>story.” My previous efforts to share
my testimony (this isn’t the first time I’ve tried to write this post) failed
because I made it about me. It’s not my story. It’s His. And does God ever do
anything less than amazing? </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I don’t remember the beginning. My parents were committed Christians,
and they brought my siblings and I up, not only to have a knowledge of the
Bible, but to cultivate a personal relationship with God. God was real to me. I
remember praying in bed each night for my family members, our animals; the things
that were important to me. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When I was seven, something else became real to me:
death. My father died from cancer. I was too young to fully comprehend it, but it
sent down anchors of fear in my heart – fear of loss, fear of anything
permanent. But God is faithful, and He kept us through that trial. My family
have never lacked anything we’ve needed. God was all we had, and although it was
hard – it still is sometimes – He proved He was all we needed.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I outgrew my childlike faith, I guess, leading up to and
during my early teen years. I didn’t think life was fair, and there were things
happening in my circumstances at the time I didn’t like. I fought a lot of
internal battles. I was angry at people, and I was angry at God. I was waiting
for a big enough excuse to justify turning away from Him. I felt nobody understood
me, so I journaled a lot. Reading through my old journals I see God being there
for me even though I doubted, and drawing me closer to Himself. It was a
process of me finding God for myself. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There was no moment of conversion when my life changed
instantly, but God gradually softened me, and proved Himself to me, until I was
ready to give Him everything I was and am and will be. The craziest thing is, I
didn’t even recognise it – it’s only by reading my old journals and thinking, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">wow, I actually wrote that?! </i>I’ve
realised what God’s been doing in my life. He’s taken away the anger and
replaced it with love and compassion for others. He’s working on the fear and
selfishness. I found this quote from a powerful book called <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Steps to Christ, </i>and it sums up my
experience:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">A person may not be
able to tell the exact time or place, or trace all the chain of circumstances
in the process of conversion; but this does not prove him to be unconverted.
Christ said to Nicodemus, “The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest
the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth:
so is everyone that is born of the Spirit.” John 3:8 Like the wind, which is
invisible, yet the effects of which are plainly seen and felt, is the Spirit of
God in its work upon the human heart. That regenerating power, which no human
eye can see, begets a new life in the soul; it creates a new being in the image
of God. While the work of the Spirit is silent and imperceptible, its effects
are manifest. If the heart has been renewed by the Spirit of God, the life will
bear witness to the fact.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The Christian life isn’t like <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">boom! </i>Saved and living in hassle-free holiness. Every day I have to
give myself to God, I have to choose to say no to fleshly desires in preference
to closer communion with Him. It’s hard, I fall, and there are days and weeks
when I feel distant from God or hold onto things that keep me from Him. <b>But
every time, God is still there.</b> There’s a promise in Jeremiah 29:13 which I really
like because I <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">know </i>it’s true: “And
ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.” </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It’s because I’ve seen God working I believe – not because I
was brought up this way. I’ve seen Him change my own character, I’ve seen Him
change other people, and I’ve seen Him answering my prayers, providing
direction in life, and being true to what He says in the Bible. I have doubted,
but <b>every time He proves Himself to me again.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Knowing God gives me purpose, reason to live, and a way to
make sense of life and this world. But more than that – Jesus is not an idea
Christians cling to for comfort or perceived hope. Jesus is <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">alive. </i>God is not an idea or philosophy
or even belief to me; <b>He’s real.</b> He’s a friend I can talk to and learn from, a
father Who can counsel and direct me, and an almighty being who exists to
provide what is best for me. <b>I’ve experienced Him</b>, and that’s why I believe.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I want to say so much more –it’s hard to condense the story!
– but please know this: <b>God is there.</b> He’s looking to reveal Himself to you in
a personal way too. He promises He will be found of us, and, yes, it takes
searching for Him with everything we’ve are, <b>but <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">it’s worth every bit of it.</i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
P.s Tell me your stories too! I’m eager to hear how you’ve
gotten to the place you are, and what the journey’s been like. And feel free to ask if you have any specific questions about my testimony. Thanks so much
for reading, beautiful souls. <b>You are loved!</b> xx</div>
Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06543574650970283141noreply@blogger.com20