Why Writing My First Post Of The Year Has Been Hard

28th March 2020 Lynne 5 Comments

I always find writing my first post of the year a hard one. Most bloggers have done their first post and are onto a second…or third! And yet, I’m still contemplating on what to write for my first. Well, I say contemplating. I’m probably more procrastinating.

Truth is, I’m tired. Christmas was lovely, but the lead up to it was super hectic. It didn’t ease either once it was over. Life with twins has turned out to be absolutely wonderful on one hand, but completely crazy on the other.

Why the wait?

I’ve been thinking about direction since we started into the new year. Well, what else do you think of when you turn into a new year? You look back to where you have been over the past year, and then look forward to where you would like to go in the next year.

Not only do we reflect over the year this time though, we find ourselves looking back over the last decade as we come into 2020. How scary is it to think we have gone through another decade?

As each New Year comes and goes, I find myself wanting to draw closer to God more. I want to move forward in my faith with God. Whether I achieve that or not, I’m not quite sure. Maybe I get a little step closer as each year passes by? One thing’s for sure, I’m not where I use to be!

This year, the desire to want to draw closer feels stronger than ever. I don’t know why. I have this feeling God wants to do something great. He wants to use me in ways I would not have imagined.

For this to happen though, God needs to do a deep work in me. If only I let him.

Each year, for the past few years, I have focussed on a word instead of making any New Years resolutions. This year the word came quite clear to me. But ever since accepting it I have done anything but do it. The word?

Abide

For me to produce the fruit God wants me to, I need to be nourished in the right nutrients to make me grow. I liken myself to the plants I have in my home. I don’t have many. Not because I don’t like them. I think plants can look really pretty and make the home feel more colourful…if tended to and looked after.

I’m not exactly the green fingered type of person. It takes a lot of time and effort to cultivate a beautiful flowering plant. With all the distractions life throws at me, I forget I need to tend to my plants. Sooner or later I remember them, but by then it’s too late. They have withered and died.

I forget to give my plants their basic need to survive and flourish in this world. Water. Plants need water to soak deep into their roots to thrive. Without it, they wither, and then soon die.

I am like my plants. I forget what I need deep down. In order to flourish in this world, I need to abide in God. Without Him I will wither and die. I don’t die physically but spiritually I do.

In order to flourish in this world, I need to abide in God. Without Him I will wither and die. Share on X

How do I flourish?

I need to soak in the love of God deep down…right into my roots. Just like a plant needing water. This takes time and effort. Something of which I know I have not been doing lately. I have been trying to survive in this world by my own means and I’m neglecting what I truly need.

I know this is not going to be easy. But in order for me to grow into a beautiful flowering plant, I need to spend time with God in His Word. I need to abide in Him, and let Him abide in me.

Now, I can’t expect to dive straight into this by spending hours on end in prayer and reading my Bible. I need to start off with what best suits me in the season I am in. I need to start off small and with bite sized chunks. Just enough to keep me sustained.

Something to think about…

Can you help me? Yes, you can! If you are reading through this and find a Bible verse comes to mind, please share it with me. I know this is not going to be an easy journey. Especially in these early stages of growing and given what we are going through in the world right now. (Growing can be painful you know!) So, any Bible verses, prayers or words of encouragement you may have, please share them with me.

Prayer

Lord, I thank you that you would want to be close to me and spend time with me. Your Word says that if I abide in you then you will also abide in me. I want to abide in you. Please Lord, I ask that you put a seed in me that wants to abide in you above everything else. Help me to pray continuously throughout the day and to keep my eyes open for opportunities to dive deeper into your Word. Amen.

Faith, Five Minute Friday

Rushing Doesn’t Solve Anything

7th December 2019 Lynne 2 Comments

Today’s Five Minute Friday prompt is quite apt for me. Rush. This is what I always seem to be doing lately.

Rushing here…

Rushing there…

I’m rushing everywhere!

Getting into a new routine with five children and being back at work part time is taking a little longer than I anticipated. Ok, so maybe my goal of getting it right on the first day was a little overstretched.

A mother can dream though, hey?

This morning was just a prime example of everything coming together at once and having no time to sift through it all to see where I am.

The result?

I locked myself out of the house! I have NEVER done this before in my entire life. (First time for everything, hey?)

Three guesses where I left my keys. Pretty much where I always leave them. The funny thing was (and I can laugh about it now…just) I looked there first! I could swear they weren’t in there before.

How many of us go through life rushing around and don’t see what is there right in front of us? We’re constantly seeking something to fulfil our lives and looking for quick fixes. I do this a lot, but then I miss out on a lot too.

This is a great reminder to me about the current season we are in.

Advent.

Advent is a time when we stop for a minute and think about the One who is coming. The One who will provide the answer to everything we are looking for. The One who we don’t have to search very far for. Because guess what? He is right here folks. He has been right here all along.

This morning I was rushing around and suffered the consequences. I didn’t even give myself two minutes to stop and pray for help. The result? A very frustrated mummy! I prayed when I got back and lo and behold I quickly found my keys.

With a little bit of time and a whole heap of slowing down, we may save a lot of time in the long run with not rushing around and missing the point. Don’t miss the point of this season with all the rushing taking place. Take time to think and reflect. You never know what time you would save later on.

I am trying to intentionally slow down this season, in the midst of my hectic life. I need to reflect on what is important. One of the ways I am taking stock is reading through a series by Shelly Miller.

Shelly has thought provokingly written a series for her Sabbath Society called Slow Christmas. She is providing some focus for keeping Christmas slow and intentional rather than rushed and busy.

If you feel you need a little help in slowing down this season so you don’t miss the point of it, I’d like to encourage you to join the Sabbath Society. You will then quietly receive an e-mail each Friday where Shelly shares how we can breath and exhale, creating a sense of calm and peace.

Now, who doesn’t need that in this busy season? Click on this link and it will take you to where you need to join.

Faith, God’s Love, Write 31 Days Challenge 2019

Day 20 in God’s Love – The Woman at the Well

9th November 2019 Lynne 2 Comments

One of my favourite stories in the Bible is the Samaritan woman at the well. I love how Jesus meets her there right where she is. He sees her with all the shame she is carrying and just loves her for who she is. It doesn’t matter what she has been through. He still loves her.

I often imagine the woman at the well is me. The one carrying all the shame. Jesus loving me just for who I am, no matter what I have been through. This is what I would imagine…

The Woman at the Well

It was the heat of the day. No-one is usually here at this time. It’s the only time when I feel safe to come out. I looked around just to make sure no-one else was about. But you were there.

You sat by Jacobs Well looking tired. Your feet were dusty and I could see the sweat on your brow.

I didn’t know what to do.

I contemplated on whether to come back another day, but I needed water. My jar was empty and I was thirsty. I am always thirsty.

For water.

Thirsty for love.

For life.

Hesitantly, I made my way to the well, constantly looking around to make sure no-one else was watching. As I approached the well I kept my head down so you couldn’t see my face.

I didn’t want you to look me in the eyes. Looking into someone’s eyes can reveal a whole story about themselves and I was too ashamed for you to see mine.

If only you knew the pain I had to bare. The shame I had to carry.

“Will you give me a drink?” You asked. I sharply looked up. You spoke to me.

Me.

A Samaritan woman. Surely you were speaking to someone else, but no-one else was around. Aren’t you ashamed to be speaking to me?

You could see the shock on my face. I was scared. No one ever speaks to me unless it was to show me how displeasing I was to them. I am so use to being rejected. No-one values me anymore.

But there was something about you that was different. You weren’t like the other Jews. You were gentle and kind and your eyes showed love towards me. A different kind of love to what I am use to. I have never seen this love before.

You then spoke to me with such tenderness in your voice and told me about a gift God has for me.

Living water.

Did you realise how ridiculous this sounded? Living water? Who can offer living water unless they were the Son of God? Surely not I thought. You had no bucket from which you could retrieve this water so I didn’t know if I could take you seriously.

I questioned how you could do this. I didn’t believe you, but then you said something which made my heart skip a beat.

“Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again. But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.”

Oh how I wanted this water. I wanted to be satisfied. Revitalised. Clean. Free. I needed this water so much. More than you would ever know. If only you knew the real me. Maybe you wouldn’t be giving away this “living water” so freely.

What you asked me next though made my heart sink. You wanted to see my husband. I felt so ashamed. You must have seen the awkwardness I had written all over my face.

I said I had no husband. I wasn’t lying. It’s just that I didn’t want you to judge me. There’s this man that lives with me, but we’re not married.

You said you knew. How? Did you speak to someone before you saw me? I know they all talk about me behind my back. That wasn’t all you knew either.

“You don’t have a husband” you exclaimed, “for you have had five husbands, and you aren’t even married to the man you’re living with now. You certainly spoke the truth!”

I could feel my face going red, and it wasn’t with the midday sun. There was only one way you would have known this. You must have been a prophet. What you revealed to me next just blew my mind.

You are the Messiah.

You are the chosen one and you spoke to me. Me, a broken, shame-filled, unclean woman. Do you have any idea how that made me feel? For once in my life I no longer felt rejected. You released the shame I had carried inside me every day of my life. I felt so dirty, but you washed me clean with your love.

I felt free! For so many years I was an outcast and felt alone. You changed this and accepted me for who I was. I didn’t have to change myself either to be welcomed by you. You loved with open arms.

I couldn’t keep this feeling inside me, so I ran as fast as I could back to the village. I no longer felt the need to hide from anyone anymore. Everyone had to hear what you told me. And they listened. For the first time in my life people listened to me.

Because of you, I was no longer rejected by my people. Because of you, my life has been turned around. I have been set free from everything that kept me in chains. You have provided me with a hope and a future. I will be forever in your debt.

Thank you!

Something to think about…

Can you imagine yourself being the woman at the well? Is there something in your life which you feel has tainted you? Jesus can provide you with a way of being released. You no longer need to feel shame for what you have been through. He loves you for who you are, just as you are.

Prayer

Lord, thank you so much that you meet us where we are in our circumstances. Nothing in the world will deter you from loving us. Thank you for accepting who we are. Help us to lift our eyes to you so we can see how much you love us. Amen.

Faith, God’s Love, Write 31 Days Challenge 2019

Day 19 in God’s Love- He Has A Plan

30th October 2019 Lynne 4 Comments

This post was originally written a few years ago, but I have adapted it for the 31 days in God’s Love series. God loves us and has a plan for each of us to enable His work to be carried out.

I think it’s safe to say most of us, if not all of us, had a dream of what we would be when we were older. A nurse? A firefighter? A princess? A footballer?

My dream was to be a teacher. I use to sit in my room and pretend I was teaching my teddies, and sometimes I even roped my brother into playing!

For years I had this longing I wanted to help other children to fulfill their potential. I completed pre-teaching courses at college and did a number of work experiences at local schools. I enjoyed every minute of it and I passed with flying colours.

When the dream doesn’t happen

My dream didn’t quite turn out as I had planned. I only just got through college with my A-Levels and I never went to University. The government changed the way University fees were to be paid and it was just too much for me to even consider.

So, yes, I wasn’t even going to get a degree! Trying to sort out what I was going to do with my life was hard, especially when I didn’t have a degree. I found the options open to me very limiting.

I decided to take a year out to do some voluntary work to try and get some idea of what I wanted to do with my life. It was only by chance I ended up working with the Church Army in one of their Volunteer programmes and I moved to London. Now, 19 years later, I have a lovely family with a wonderful husband and five gorgeous children.

What about the dream?

Maybe, some of us still have that dream though? What do we do? Do we give up?

I think there are a few options we can do. Firstly, we can do something about it by planning how we can live our dream and go for it. Or secondly, we can sit here and accept what has happened.

Well, I have planned out what I wanted to do…and started it…but it’s just not going anywhere. I’m not the type of person either to sit around and accept things.

So, maybe there is a third option?

Maybe, it’s not my dream that I should be following. Maybe, this is God’s dream and God’s plan.

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. Isaiah 55:8

What God wants with me and what He wants me to achieve is probably, and most likely, different to what I would like to do.

Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand. Proverbs 19:21

It’s hard to keep this in mind as a positive perspective though when situations don’t go as well. Especially when family and friends are gone, homes are lost, dreams are shattered…the list goes on.

How do you keep going in the work you are doing then?

I keep this in my mind…

Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus Philippians 1:6

God has started something in our lives, and He’s not about to stop now. Our life is not over until He says it’s over, despite how we may feel and no matter what we are going through. Our best days are not what has happened in the past. With God, our greatest days are yet to come!

God has started something in our lives, and He's not about to stop now. Share on X Our best days are not what has happened in the past. With God, our greatest days are yet to come! Share on X

Wherever God leads us, He will provide for us, and He will meet our needs. We just need to remember it’s not the things that matter — our job, our house, or what we achieve.

We are God’s product, and we are made up of the moments that make an impact for God’s Kingdom – the moments are the situations we are going through now! Hang in there. Your work you are doing now is in God’s mighty plan.

Something to think about…

Are you in a place where you feel you shouldn’t be? Try and keep in your mind that it may not be for our benefit why we are there. It may be we are impacting someone else’s lives without realising, and it will be for a greater good…God’s amazing plan!

Prayer

Lord, I have no idea what you have planned for my life right now and what work you want me to do to fulfill your bigger picture. I ask that you send your Holy Spirit to fill me with strength to help me through the times when I find it hard to see what your plan may be. Help me to realise that whatever is happening, it is for your greater good. Amen

Faith, God’s Love, Write 31 Days Challenge 2019

Day 18 in God’s Love – Believing Our Worth

30th October 2019 Lynne 2 Comments

Apparently, God made us in the image of Him. Did you know that? Also, there is not one person on this earth that is exactly like you? I guess that makes us a little unique then.

Me? Created in God’s image though? Seriously? With everything I have been through it must have been some image! And it’s a pretty good job that there is no-one else like me…I mean, can you imagine having two of me?

Is this what some of you are thinking when you read that you are made in God’s image, or that you are unique? I want to tell you something though, and I want you to listen very carefully. Come in closer.

You are worth it.

Have I got your attention, or are you just shrugging your shoulders? I’ll let you in on a little secret…I use to shrug my shoulders too when someone would tell me that I am worth it.

Ok…I still do…a little.

Ok…hands up…maybe a lot!

This is a journey, right? And you don’t arrive at your destination at the click of your fingers. Although that would be nice so that we can skip out all the bumpy rides. Life isn’t like that though, is it?

Don’t worry, this isn’t going to be one of those “hey you, listen up” moments and I’m going to tell you how amazing you are…and then expect you to believe me…and change the way you think about yourself. I’m not going to expect you to do that as I don’t do it myself.

Do you know what made me realise that I was worth it? It was hearing the story of Jesus giving His life on the cross. Yeah, I know, it’s the same old story…it never changes each year I hear it. But one year was different and it changed me.

The truth hit me about God. He really does love me. It didn’t matter to Him what I had been through in my past. He wasn’t concerned with how imperfect I was and still am.

He. Loved. Me.

He loves me just the way that I am, even with my broken pieces. And guess what? He loves you too…just the way you are…warts an’ all!

Changing the way you think takes time. Knowing that truth in your head is one thing, but believing it in your heart is another. Funnily enough, there isn’t a switch inside your heart that you can flick when you truly want to believe something.

I knew the story inside out about how Jesus came to this Earth to save us all from our sins. Knowing the story and truly believing it with all your heart are two different concepts though.

Isaiah 43:4 Because you are precious in my eyes, and honoured, and I love you, I give men in return for you, peoples in exchange for your life.
Isaiah 43:4

I have no firm answers, or a step by step plan to offer on how to believe that you are worth it. All I know is that we need to keep an open heart. The more your heart is open, the more it can be filled with the truth…The truth that you are loved…you are precious…you are valued…you are worth your weight in gold.

The more your heart is open, the more it can be filled with the truth…you are worth your weight in gold. Share on X

Something to think about…

If you are struggling at the moment at knowing how worthy you are, get a post-it note or a piece of paper and write down your qualities. It maybe that you are kind and generous, or that you are compassionate and caring. Whatever it is, write it down.

Everyone has worthy qualities. Ask a close friend if you are really struggling. Keep that note with you or pinned up somewhere you can see it. Next time you feel you are in a situation where you feel unworthy, look at it and remind yourself that you have worthy qualities.

Prayer

Lord, help me to have an open heart that can be filled with your Truth today. Help me to believe that I am loved. I am precious. I am valuable. And I am worth my weight in gold. Amen

Beautifully Broke

Why Writing My First Post Of The Year Has Been Hard

Why the wait?

Abide

How do I flourish?

Something to think about…

Prayer

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