Growth has to be Intentional

Gardening is therapeutic and full of lessons. Does that word "gardening" make you think of people kneeling on the earth, doing weeding? Or perhaps holding some electric shears and making shapes out of full bushes. Whatever your take on that word is, the same is true - there are lessons to be learned!

Take this pot of mint for instance. Together with a few other herbs, it was gifted by a friend, and came with instructions on the care needed. Needless to say, I have worked to ensure they are followed! Not being green fingered, I didn't want to report any deaths, so I was diligent. I even enlisted my husband in the care! As he is semi-retired, he ended up doing a much better job of making sure they thrive than I ever could. He is even able to cultivate and grow more shoots with the roots.

I am reminded Colossians 2:6,7 “As you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built and built up in Him, established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding with thanksgiving”. 

One has to be intentional in growing. And passing on the information. I think they use the fancy word "mentoring" now. 

Learning to Obey

I said “No” too quickly before, for another event. This time I agreed, albeit after some hesitation. The topic was one which, as I prepared, I got all excited about. 

On the same morning I was due to speak, I was woken just after dawn with a re-write etched clearly in my mind. Had to be God and not me! I got up, and got it all down on Keynotes as well as PowerPoint in less than an hour. 

I experienced such (unnatural) peace that I didn’t look at it again till it was time to go and upload it on the computer at the speaking venue. Never before!

As I spoke, changes and tweaks came. All I can say is, "God, You are amazing". 

When I ended, it seemed like I ended too early - there was too much time. With hindisght however, it actually turned out to be God-ordained time - the Good News could be shared in the small breakout groups. And such joy! One precious soul accepted the Lord in the small group. Hallelujah! 

Unconditional - Then and Now

Some years ago, at our first connect group meeting, we were given paper plates. One one side, we were asked to one thing we were before we knew Jesus. It was easy for me to write. I always felt this way as a child, and well into my teenage and young adult years.....

I had always felt that others were preferred instead of me. The sense of rejection was high and stayed with me even when I accomplished many things, and had much praise. When others were promoted, I took it personally that I wasnt. When others were blessed, I found it hard to rejoice for them. This lie of the enemy, that I was of little worth, that I was never good enoughm influenced many of my relationships and affected many of the things I did. My identity in Christ was stolen... 

That is, until the truth of what Christ has done for me, and how much He loves me began to dawn in me. My Hubby, with his patient and unconditional love, epitomised God's agape love for me. Who else would die for me even when I was so very unworthy? Thankfulness continues to flow as this truth sets me free....  

Indeed, that night, at the group meeting, when asked to write on the reverse of the plate what Jesus had done for me, I could thankfully and truthfully scribe this!

What joy when I wrote those two words down! I felt another level of freedom as I pressed the crayon down harder. Such love! Such liberty!

Ephesians 2:10 New Living Translation (NLT)

10 For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

And that truth applies till today. Praise God! 

Restoration!

"And we know that all things work together for good 

to those who love God, 

to those who are called according to His purpose" 

Romans 8:28

It's been some time now that I have not been able to enjoy the sound of my Ovation guitar without a dreadful rattle which didnt seem to be fixable.

I sent it for repairs and the rattle could still be heard. 

One day, my heart sank further when I picked it up and heard a dreadful clang - the entire sound control panel had fallen off! It fell right into the body of the guitar!

For months I let it be. I was too busy, and I was at a loss as to where I should send it. Was it worth fixing in the first case?? 

Then just before Christmas I decided I would do something about it. I felt I should pass it to someone I knew. His family owned a shop selling musical equipment but I sensed they could repair it. 

Initially my friend said he couldn't help. He would have to ask his father if he could do it. Dad was the sifu. 

So I waited.

And waited. 

Then I was told it could be fixed I was elated!

Then a setback - now that the panel could be mounted back on, the electronics was out. Sigh.

After another wait, I was told yes, they were able to fix everything! So I rushed over as soon as I could.

When I got there, I found there were a few things that still needed tidying up on. So I waited....  

Then, I played it.

It was better than before.

In fact, the rattle had disappeared!!

Another case of ALL things working out for good - the rattle had been caused by the loose bracket which eventually fell off. And now,  it was fixed back on, it was fine!

Praise God!

Wrong Turn Turned Out Right

Does this look like a strange photo to post? Permit me to tell you the story behind this.

We were navigating to a totally unknown area. None of the five passengers had been to this area. The electronic navigation wasn't clear. So at the very last minute, a decision was made to swing left instead of going ahead.

That left hand turn was a correct call! Phew!

Then, instead of turning right to get to the building we sought, we suddenly saw this - parking under a huge tree. It appeared to be free, and available. So we made our way over and voila! There was a parking space as if it was just waiting for us! 

We hopped out and made our way to the building concerned. There, we found a sale was going on! Just in time, for what we wanted. We had a short wait and then left with not only what we had gone for, but also a few smaller gifts.

It was a good example of how He makes all things work out for good. SO glad that none in the car were upset. SO glad for the seemingly wrong turn turning out right!

Humility

He is one of the leaders of an organization that represents the largest collection of churches. Membership to this organization requires a submission of statement of faith as well as references from other member churches.

He travels extensively, covering not just the churches and organizations in this land, but also in other places. Most times it is overnight stops that he makes.

One such stop was here, just recently. A busy man, he was constantly meeting with others. I did not want to presume that he would remember me. Nor did I want to impose on his time to greet him. He was a busy man, on a short visit. In any case, it was his wife I knew more.Hence it was most unexpected to turn around from packing my things at the end of the huge gathering to see him standing there, with his gentle smile saying, "I saw you earlier but couldn't get to speak with you."

Who am I that you should leave the crowd of leaders and peers to come over and greet me. I am humbled. I have much to learn from you.

Thank you.

Being Fit

I set it my heart and mind that despite not being fit, I would attempt to complete at 7K Charity Sunset Run. Not that I would run. But at least complete as close to the 77minutes target as possible.

This event was held yesterday. In aid of thalassaemia (see this for more information) it was the first time I had ever tried this.

This is the scene more than half way round the course.
I have to confess to being glad that I was not too far behind the bulk of finishers even though I had started right at the back! Even though I was just outside the 77minute mark by their timing, by my own reckoning, I might have just made it. Next time (did I say "Next time?") I will be more prepared!

At the end of the day, I must say I felt good to have completed it in the manner that I did. I was concerned that my health was not good enough.

But at the back of my mind has been this phrase, "You must be fit for revival" and I expect revival to come soon. First the spiritual, then the physical..... I consider this a prophetic act of sorts!

To be an Octopus

Received this in an email.
I promise you I didn't.

Although at one point, I did have a shofar in one hand and the tambourine going in another - that's a first for me!

At another point, I thought about how it would be if I were an octopus worshipping God.

Such then was the anointing this morning.

He KNOWS

I was not supposed to go into the office. It was my Day Off after all.

But I could not find the document and thought that I had perhaps accidentally left it in the office amongst my other files.

So I went in.

For what would seem as a fruitless search. I felt strangely at peace though....

Then came the phone call. On my day off. Should I answer?

I did. And chatted awhile. The caller needed some help.

Later it occurred to me that IF I had not gone into the office, IF I have chosen not to answer the phone, IF I had ignored the call, IF IF If,,,,,'So many "IF's"

At the end of the day it is a measure of God's love because HE knows she needed it!

By the way, later on I found the document where I had looked at three times previously! At home!

Onesimus

Spent more than two hours in worship and prayer.

Then it came.

I guess I knew it. But I didnt expect the form it would take.

I find that I am convicted. The Lord spoke.

I am convicted that I have been running away. Like Onesimus ran away.

But now I aspire to be the meaning of that name -

Onesimus
is the Latinized form of the Greek name Ονησιμος (Onesimos),
which means "beneficial, profitable".

Warms the Heart

Had lunch earlier with someone I knew from long time ago. He has certainly grown. Not just in size and age, but also in wisdom and stature. I listened to him as he espoused his plans, his hopes, his aspirations, and his wisdom for others.

It made me very thankful to the Lord that He led me to invest in people's lives in that season of my life. I dont look for it, but when it comes, it is heart warming indeed.

Now I wonder whether this will happen again. Will there be another season like that....

I don't know.

But thank You Lord for that little peek at the past, to look into the present and peer into the future.

This tale warms the heart indeed.

Miracle of woman, 69, pulled alive from rubble seven days after Haiti earthquake

A woman has been rescued after spending a week buried under a collapsed cathedral in quake-hit Haiti, giving aid workers renewed hope today that more people can be saved.

Dust-covered Anna Zizi was singing as she was pulled free yesterday by Mexican firefighters from the wreckage of the Roman Catholic cathedral in the capital Port-au-Prince.

Christian Aid charity worker Sarah Wilson, who watched the rescue, said: 'It was an amazing thing to witness, no-one could believe she was still alive.

Covered in dust, her arms outstreched, Anna Zizi is gently taken away from the rubble by rescuers

Water of life: Anna takes her first sips of water after being pulled free as Mexican rescuer Oscar Olivia cries with joy and embraces a colleague

The Haitian pensioner was pulled from the city's cathedral a week after the quake struck

'She was singing when she emerged. Everyone clapped and cheered.'

Zizi, aged 69, was put on a drip and taken to hospital on the back of a truck.

Her son, Maxime Janvier, told broadcaster CNN that he never gave up hope that she would be found.
'We were praying a lot for that to happen,' he said.

Project 365

Someone started this project - called Project 365, which involves taking a photo each day for the year. Novel, I thought. It becomes like a Pictodiary.

So I decided I would do likewise. However I am not sharing it with everyone. Just amongst friends.

I thought it would be good to keep track of things that happen. And note where the Lord has been at work... much to thank Him for!

If you want to have a sneak peek, drop me a line....

Yup! The Key to Finding Keys Indeed!

We have been missing this key with a remote attached to it. It had been over two weeks. Try as they might, the children were unable to locate it. No one could recall where it had last been seen.

Then, inspired by the event in my earlier post, I decided to ask God again.

Before I continue, let me first explain something else.

You see, the last few weeks have been rather hectic. Year end, Christmas, and looking into the New Year, visitors, work, and so forth. At one point, I wondered if I was even hearing God anymore. Do you ever get like that? Perhaps not.

Anyway, I was just thinking about how my mind seemed to be so crowded with so many matters. I really needed to take time out. I even posted that in my Facebook!

(Whilst doing a lot of driving lately, I decided to focus on HIM while the rest of the car slept. I had a glorious hour and half to do that, singing, praying, and just enjoying the privacy and relationship. I needed and enjoyed that!)

So back now to the missing key with remote....

I asked the Lord about where the key was. I had a sense that it was in the front garden. But where. So I waited.

Again, just one word came to mind - BACKWASH.

We have a water filter in the front garden. It needs backwashing to be serviced. We had asked the older ones to do some backwashing a few weeks ago.

So I walked towards the filter, looking in the grass at my feet.

Then my head jerked up and I looked at the table in my garden instead.... and there it was.

I know, I had to laugh. I should go into business with the Holy Spirit on this dont you think?

Hmmm posting this reminds me - the filter is due for backwashing this week!

The Key to Finding Keys?

Sorry for the silence. Have been away for a bit....

But an interesting thing happened earlier tonight.

After a meeting, I somehow got involved in a conversation which I initiated. Or thought I did.

It was not a topic I would normally be interested in and most times I would not have the audacity to bring up something so sensitive. But talk about it I did. Even to my Hubby's surprise.

But that's not the topic of my post.

Towards the end of the conversation, I noticed a young man walking around, as if looking for something, as indeed he was. Only a handful of people were left and I wanted to lock up. So I asked what it was he was searching for.

"My keys," he replied, "My car keys."

Needless to say I stopped conversing and started to help look!

After a few minutes of futile searching (the place is rather big), asking the young man some questions and moving around with little hope, I asked the Lord where the keys were. Should have done that in the first place, right?

It seemed that the keys are linked to the young man going to the washroom earlier. Well, to be more precise, the word that came to mind was "Toilet". Not the sort of thing you'd expect the Lord to say!

So I told the young man to retrace his steps back to the toilet!

After an initial hesitation, a few more probes and pokes around, he did just that.

Within a few moments, I heard him shout out, "I found them!"

Isn't God good? The young man had stopped to take a call and placed them on a table on the way to the toilet..... Now what if I hadnt started on this conversation... or was it the Lord who initiated it after all...

Setting the Example

So here I am coughing away. It's tiring business, this coughing is.

What does one do when faced with illness? It's a minor one of course. But our attitude towards it counts.

Should one hibernate and snuggle under the blankets?

Should one hide away and let the world go by?

Personally I dont think that's the right attitude.

Hence laughter comes in. I remind myself and those around me how laughter is good medicine. A merry heart is good medicine. God's joy is our strength! And so forth. I am sure you know even more verses.

Then I have to LIVE IT OUT. Smile, laugh, even though it might bring on another coughing bout. Praise God unceasingly. Pray unceasingly. Meditate on His Word and His Way.

And then I went swimming. Hahahaha! Yes, against the usual old wives tale, I went swimming. Swam 3o laps of a 25 metre pool - did you do your maths fast enough? That makes 750m - a little short of my norm, but I was pressed for time.

The aerobic exercise did me a world of God.

But more importantly, it set an example for the others to see and emulate. After all, these illnesses are small matters and should not hinder us from Him, His joy, His Word and His Way.

Leaving a Legacy

She was the top in her field. Till today, she remains unmatched, unsurpassed.

Yet, she is full of humility, and instead of serving in the court, she now serves the Lord.

I refer to the one and only Margaret Court. The press have been excited over her. The phrase used is "legend".

But her main priority remains to be here for the work and ministry of the Lord first and foremost.

We have been blessed by this messenger of the Lord.

Pleased

She was a visitor to the church. The Lord had worked mightily and lovingly in the lives of herself and her family, pulling them through extremely difficult and dire times repeatedly. So she shared with the church of His goodness.

There was many a dry eye as she shared.

As she finished, I felt I ought to text her, to encourage her. Actually I wanted to hug her, but she was seated too far in front - it would have been too obvious. So a text would have been the best.

I started the text and deleted what I had started and just wrote, "HE is pleased with you".

Now I don't lnow about you, but to me, that is such a strange thing to say. Or rather, I could think of something else that might have been better.....

But guess what - it was EXACTLY what God wanted her to hear!

That same morning, as she lay in bed, those same words came to mind. She almost dismissed these thoughts, telling them the Lord that if it was Him, then let Him confirm it....

Which is what that text was about!

It was hair-raising moment when she read the text!

God is fun! And yes, He was pleased.

Uncomfortable Leadership

So many have already written so much about this. If anything, too many and too much!

So why am I embarking on this too?

Because, as the title says, sometimes when in this position, I am uncomfortable.

In a way I guess it is good to be a little uncomfortable. Makes me lean on the Lord more. I find myself keep asking Him, "What do I do now?" Or "Am I missing something here?" Also "What's next Lord?"

It doesn't make me immune to trouble. But it is assuring to know that I can always call upon Him. Phew.....

Feedback

Wondering how it went last night?

I have always said that when one preaches, or does something upfront and visible for God, one must always try to keep the perspective of "the Audience of One".

So I tried to last night. Before I left, one of the ladies told me that she had seen one of the members respond in a very receptive way. "Who knows", I thought to myself. "Leave it to the Holy Spirit."

Apart from that, when it was all over, I felt almost empty. As if something was "out of sync".

Later I found out that someone I had been praying for had taken a critical turn for the worse. The battle was on for his life even as I journeyed home. Perhaps that was what I picked up? I didn't sense anything from the Lord. But I felt a sore throat coming on and decided to have an early night after supper with Hubby.

I woke up this morning feeling pretty rotten - sore throat got worse. Slept in a bit more and ate little for breakfast. Had pure lemon juice instead, before going to work.

At work, I had episodes of feeling cold - sure sign of a fever onset. Pressed on and felt better when I had a soupy meal for lunch. Then had an afternoon nap. Felt worse when I got up. Fever still present. Prayed.

Dinner was with the family.

Then I had feedback. The person we had been praying for has taken a turn for the better. Praise God!

Then my children shared. Their friends had spoked and shared with one another about the message last night. Some asked questions. Some used the phrase I felt the Lord had given - Metamorphosis - amongst themselves. One particularly passed a message to me via my Arrow #3. They had felt ministered to and challenged.

Praise God.

So even though I didn't hear immediate from my Audience of One, (He was more intent on getting me to pray, than to commend me or anything else!) I know that in the end, His message got through.

So folks, thanks again for praying. I really appreciated it. Now I need to sleep. It's almost midnight and I need to rest to let the Lord deal with the fever and sore throat. Bless you!