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Are you Driven by Love or Frustration??

Given the title of this weeks post, then hopefully most of us would answer, “We are driven by love.”
It is the better one to be driven by.

But if we are truly honest with ourselves, then would we be looking at a different answer???

Frustration can be a very powerful force that can (and almost certainly does) bring about change in our world. A lot of which is good.

If we see an injustice, and that turns into frustration that leads to an action that corrects the injustice…. then hasn’t that frustration turned out, to be for good???

I dare say that there are many occasions where this very scenario has occurred.
If a frustration leads to good, then hasn’t a loving action taken place?
So can being lead by some frustrations, actually be, being lead by love?
Where as, could some frustrations, simply be us, being annoyed by something, that we don’t fully understand?

Can we know the difference between the two???

If you are driven by frustration and God says “Yes, do this.” Then are you ultimately driven by love?

If you are driven by frustration but God says “No, do not do this.” Then are you ultimately driven by frustration alone?

It’s going to be better for us, if we are taking action under Our Lord God’s direction of saying “Yes, make a difference here.”

If we are taking an action and Our Lord God is saying to us, “No, do not do this.” Then would we ultimately be fighting against Our Lord God’s will?

Could we even see that something is wrong, and be right in seeing that it is wrong, but then still hear Our Lord God say something along the lines of, “Keep out of this, it’s not your problem!”

Oh what a frustrating place that can be.
To see that something is wrong, and to hear the words, “Leave it alone, it’s Somebody else’s problem.”

I feel that I have covered quite a lot of ground in this post, and that it could be useful to finish with some brief summery notes, of the post.

God is God and we are not.
He has the position and authority to say “Yes” and “No” to us at any time.
Will we hear His voice, for what we should be doing?
If we don’t, then are we letting “Frustration”, play a bigger part, than it should?

There is a bible passage that I would like to point to, for further possible insight into this subject matter. It is the letter to the church in Ephesus. I can only wonder, if the church in Ephesus, replaced Love, with Frustration, as their driving force???

Revelation 2:1-7

2 “To the angel of the church in Ephesus write:

These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands. 2 I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. 3 You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary.

4 Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. 5 Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. 6 But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.

7 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.

___________________________

Lost a First Love, or Forsaken the Love you had at First?

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Are we willing, to be Challenged, in Love?

The alternate title for this post could be, Are you willing to step Outside of your Comfort Zone?

I was at a prayer meeting once, when someone made a comment, something like, “You can bring a challenging word, at times.”

I’m hoping that it was a complement, and not the alternative of, “Are you for Real?” Or “And who do you think you are to bring such a word?” ??? 🙂

I do think, that to bring a challenge, can be a good thing to do, if it is from Our Lord God Almighty. But, sometimes, challenges, even if they are from Our Lord God Almighty, could possibly be considered as, … Unwanted! … ???

In order to try to keep this a balanced post, I’m going to acknowledge that some challenges, can be unwanted, because there is an error to them, in some way (in the challenge itself, or even, in just the timing), and that is what makes those challenges unwanted. For this post, I’ll be thinking about a correct challenge, that Our Lord God, is directing someone to bring.

I’m thinking that the best way to start looking at this idea, is to ask, “How would I respond, if I was the one, who was being challenged?”

So, if it was me, who was being correctly challenged, then how would I respond?

The first question would be, “Am I even going to consider the challenge, or just dismiss it out of hand, as complete nonsense?”

Just because a challenge is correct, it doesn’t mean that I’m going to “see” it as being “correct”, at the point of it being received. Will I be able to come to a point, where I’m able to see that a challenge, is valid, and as such, this means that, I, could be in error, in some way?

A correct challenge, from Our God, could very much so, be a challenge to us. Are we open, for our viewpoint, to being challenged, by Our Lord God?

Hopefully the answer to the above thought is a “Yes”. But then, the next part could be, what if we don’t know, “How”, to respond to the challenge, that is brought to us?

My first thought here is, if we don’t know “How” to respond, then we should ask Our Lord God for help and direction, for what to do next.

If Our Lord God, clearly tells us, that what we are doing is so wrong, that we need to stop, and do an immediate U Turn, then do it!

If Our Lord God, tells us, that there is an exit or escape route ahead, that we should take, then hear His prompting, and take it.

Then there may even be a different time, when Our Lord God, could tell us, “You are in a challenging time, but for you, the correct route is to stay on course, but, keep a keen ear open, to hear the correct steps, to take, at the correct time.”

I’m thinking that this post is very much so going along the lines of, Hear, what Our Lord God, is speaking to us. Then, be willing to Follow, where He is leading us to go.

I’m also starting to think that this post could end being a never ending post, that just keeps circling back on itself. Instead of doing that, I’ll finish with one last thought, that I once heard.

Instead of relying on your brakes, use your steering wheel. The basic interpretation for that thought is, instead of going up to the limit of what’s OK, steer away, or steer clear of it.

John 10:27-28

27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand.

Romans 12:2

2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

______________________

Blinded by the Light

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Can We See what’s Not Broken, in a place that is, Broken?

I saw a room, where many things were broken. Not just little things, that could be overlooked, but also the big things, that couldn’t be overlooked.

To be in such a room, means that the broken things, will be noticed. It’s just unavoidable.

How would you feel in such a room?

Awkward?
Unhappy?
Having a desire to try to fix, the brokenness?
(Even if it appears to be an impossible task?)

Would we be able to have eyes, that could see, what isn’t broken, in such a place?

If we are faced with a situation, that is broken, in some way, then how many of us, will just want to try to fix it, in some way?
As a kids TV program would like to state, “Can we fix it? Yes, we can!

But, what happens, if we can’t?

Would we be able to remain in such a place of such brokeness, and still have a measure of peace and happiness?

Would we be able to have eyes, that could see, What’s not broken, when they have to be searched for, in order to find, and see them?

If we could, could it then give us, Moments of Joy, that could then become a source of strength, to us???

As the level of brokeness goes up, so does the difficulty, to see, what’s not broken.

A very simple song, has come to my mind…

Count your Blessings, count them one by one.

Could counting your Blessings, be part of, seeing, what’s good, that could then lead to a thankful heart, for the good things, that are also present?

If we are ever faced with such brokenness, then, could even reading or remembering a post like this one, be a challenge?

If Our Lord God, brings it to our minds, then will we rise up to the challenge, and see, what He wants us to see?
The bits that are not broken, and then be thankful for them?

Our Lord God Almighty,
Thank You, that You are for us.
Thank You, that You hold us together, even when we feel that we are falling apart.
Please, help us to get through, what we are facing.
Help us to Know, that You, Have Got This, and that we can Trust You, in it.
Our Lord God Almighty!
Our Loving Heavenly Father.
Amen

____________________________

I see a Vessel
When you are at your weakest, God is there to be the Glue, that Will Hold you together.

How Do You Pray when you feel you just can’t do anything?

More posts, for those who maybe struggling.

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The Garden

There was a garden. It was well cared for with weed free borders and a level lawn. At the end of the garden was a fence with a gate in it.

God had been, for a long time, asking the gardener to go through the gate and take hold of the country beyond.

The gardener wasn’t so keen on the idea though.

“There’s a lot of ground out there! Too much for me to handle.
Look, it’s full of weeds, brambles and stinging nettles and you know how much I don’t like them.
No, I think I’ll stay in my garden that you’ve given to me. I’ve got it just the way I like it now and the work is easy.
Out there in that wild land, it looks like it could be a whole lot more work than I can cope with.
I’ll stay right here, if that’s OK with you..??”

Well God wasn’t so pleased with that.
So he tore down the whole back fence with the gate in it and declared, “See the land that I want you to take hold of. I’m not going to force you to do it, but just look at it. I know it has real potential, and you could be part of the making of this land!
Will you step out of your comfortable garden and move into the new land. Just trust me, I know what you are capable of.”

The gardener was a bit annoyed with God for a while.
That fence served a good purpose.
It kept all that mess out of his garden and also hid the view of all that mess beyond.

After a while though the gardener did step into the new land, just a little bit at a time though. But as time went on, he went further and further, trying to do the small amount he could. (Guided by the unseen hand of his Heavenly Father.)

One day, as he was working away in a certain direction he heard someone else working ahead of him.

As he continued to clear the weeds and brambles he came across a patch of land, cleared of weeds and looking rather tidy.

Another gardener ran to meet him, “Hello there friend, I’m so pleased to see you. My Heavenly Father has been telling me that He would be sending other gardeners along to help with straightening out this wild land. I think that you must be the first of them. Hopefully, together we can start to tame this wild land.”

If Our Lord God, directs us to head into a new …… , then, how will we respond to Him?
If we do follow Our Lord God’s leading, will we then find that His help and provision, will then just turn up, in line with, Our Lord God’s plan?
Might we even be, part of His plan and provision, if we are willing to follow, His leading?

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Cue The Music!

As I go to write this, there’s a bit of a reluctance in me, but, ….
Cue The Music!

Why the reluctance?
Part of me is thinking, “Really? Write this?
Isn’t this just a bit of silliness from me, that’s going to make me look a bit silly?” ….
But, the thought to write it, is still there, …. Sooo, ….

Cue The Music!

I woke up, one morning this week, and I just had a feeling, or impression that morphed into the thought of, “Cue The Music!”

It’s a saying, that I associate with films, or more specifically, to the Rocky films, and the moment when the music starts to play.

It starts to play, at the moment, when things just start to turn around.
It’s the point in the film, when Rocky gets serious, about doing, what he’s got to do, and fully commits to the cause.
It’s the point in the film, where the win begins, even before the fight has started.

When the music starts, it’s not at a point when all is good. Quite the opposite, in some ways. There’s a big fight, looming in the distance, that needs to be faced, and a serious preparation work that needs to be done. Which means heart and effort needs to be applied, in order to face the battle, with all that you’ve got, in order to see the victory, made into a reality.

When it comes to us, and our walk with Our Lord God Almighty, are we ready for the music to begin?
Are we ready, for the point, when it’s, our time to say, “Cue The Music!” ?

What music will we reach for?
Music that’s just a distraction?
Music that’s just a joke, and a bit of a laugh?
Or will we hear the Music that says, “Now is the time to get real, to Dig Deep, and Do, That, which needs to be done!” ?

When we face our moment that matters, will we face it, like one of the foolish virgin’s, who didn’t do the prep work, and as such, didn’t have the needed, extra oil for their lamps?
Or will we face it like one of the wise virgin’s, who did do the prep work, and as such, did have the needed extra oil, and was ready, for the situation that they were facing? (Matthew 25:1-13)

If we have a work to do, will we do it?
Or will we be distracted by a something else, that isn’t really that important?
(Such as a film, TV programme, a game of some sort, or any other kind of distraction.)

How will we respond to Our Lord God, if He says to us…

“Now, is time to, “Cue The Music!” “

_______________________

These Tickets are Non Transferable
A look at Matthew 25:1-13 (The foolish and wise virgins)

Too Plugged in to Hear!

Don’t Miss Your Joy!

Can you Hear the Beat of the Drums?

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Too Plugged in to Hear!

On a cycle to work, one morning, I had two people who I passed, which ended up, being two completely opposite experiences to each other.
(I was on a shared pedestrian cycle way.)

The first person walking in front of me, had their headphones on.
I tried ringing my bell, several times, but it wasn’t heard.
I then tried speaking out, “Hello!” But it, also wasn’t heard.
In the end, as a last resort, I shouted out, rather loudly, “Coming past, Please.”
They finally heard me at the last moment, and then ended up being a bit startled, as I went past them.
I then carried on, being a bit irked by the encounter, but thankful (on some level) that a startled look, was the worst thing that happened.

Then I come across a dog walker, up in the distance.
“Oh no, here we go again”, I think.
I ring my bell, when I think it’s way too early. I’m thinking that they won’t hear it, from this distance?? But, they do hear it!!! ???
The path is a bit on the narrow side, so they make the choice to direct their dog, off of the path, to make room for me.
As I go past, they smile and say “Good morning”, to which I reply likewise, “Good morning”, with a smile.

What a difference the two interactions were!

The first one was a bit fraught, where as the second one was calm, easy and pleasant. Both smiling at each other, and even passing on a greeting.
By ringing my bell, when I thought it was way too early, it gave the dog walker, plenty of time to prepare for letting me go past, in a safe and pleasant way.

It left me, kind of thinking, if Our Lord God, is trying to speak a word to us, then are we able to hear Him?
Or are we too plugged into something else, so that we just don’t hear Him?
Can we end up having a startled look about us, because we missed a word of warning or preparation that He is trying to speak to us, because we aren’t open to hearing, His words, that He is trying to speak to us?
Can we unplug ourselves from the things that don’t matter, so that we can then hear, The One who does matter?
Our Lord God Almighty.

John 10:27-28
27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand.

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It’s a Choice to Rejoice, when it Hurts.

I don’t like writing these posts. I’d much rather write about how good times are, and how the Lord has blessed me abundantly.
But, at the moment, it hurts. So I’m left with needing to make the Choice, to Rejoice.

I’d rather go off down a wrong road, and seek out a temporary relief, a temporary gratification of some kind… 😦
I may have even tried a half hearted attempt to do just that. 😦
But, I know the answer to that route. A temporary distraction, which brings on more pain later.
Perhaps, that’s why I was only half hearted in my attempt, and thankful, that I came back to a better mindset, before I’d gone to far, down the wrong route.

As I’m writing this, I’ve just put some praise music on. Playing now is, “The Joy of the Lord is my strength”.
Now I just need for it to seep into me.
It’s a choice to just have the music playing. Can the words now be a reality to me?

The words of Habakkuk keep coming back to me at times like these.

Habakkuk 3:17-19

17 Though the fig tree does not bud
    and there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crop fails
    and the fields produce no food,
though there are no sheep in the pen
    and no cattle in the stalls,
18 yet I will rejoice in the Lord,
    I will be joyful in God my Savior.

19 The Sovereign Lord is my strength;
    he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,
    he enables me to tread on the heights.

Just need for this to be a reality to me.

My thoughts also keep going to a fellow blogger’s site name, “Rejoicing Bones”, and how his bones Will Rejoice.
I get the feeling, that he already knows about this, “Choice to Rejoice”.
I pray that he will continue to make the choice to rejoice, in good times and not so good times.

Hopefully, playing the praise music, and writing this, will be a turning to the right direction, that leads to a Joy, that will keep me going. I do it, hoping that it will be a working out of last week post of…

“Don’t Miss your Joy!!!“

I’m going to sign off here now, but I need to end this post on a Better note. So I’ll finish with a phrase that me and my wife sometimes say to each other.

God IS Good, all the time!
And.
All the time… God IS Good!

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Don’t Miss Your Joy!!!

The title of this post, is the shortened version of a thought.
The full thought is…

Don’t allow the upset of your experience, rob you, of the Joy, that you should have, from doing, what you’re meant to be doing.

If all you read, is the above thought, and dwell on it, with Our Lord God, then, that might be the best thing to do.

I’ll carry on with some of my thoughts, about this, but Our Lord God’s thoughts, will be so much better for you.

If we are upset, then it can be all to easy to just stop, and just allow the upset to take over.
To do nothing more, other than dwell in the thing that upsets us.

Don’t allow the upset of your experience, rob you, of the Joy, that you should have, from doing, what you’re meant to be doing.

There is a Joy, that we should be experiencing.
But if we stop doing, what we are meant to be doing, then will we experience it?

Don’t allow the upset of your experience, rob you, of the Joy, that you should have, from doing, what you’re meant to be doing.

Do you know, what it is, that you are meant to be doing?
A famous quote keeps coming back to me. It goes something like…
The two most important days in a person’s life are, when you were born, and when you realise, what you were born for.

Do you know what you were born to do?
Are you doing it?
Or are you allowing your upset, to stop you, from doing it?

Don’t allow the upset of your experience, rob you, of the Joy, that you should have, from doing, what you’re meant to be doing.

Lord God Almighty,
Upsetting things, can be really upsetting,
Please help us with our upsets.
Help us to not be consumed by them.
Help us to hand them over to You.
Lead and guide us, in how we should go forward.
Help us to know, what it is, that we should be doing. (Even if it means, no change to what we are currently doing.)
Help us to keep in step with You, so that we can keep doing, what we are meant to be doing.
Please, give us Your Joy, as we keep in step with You.
Our Loving Heavenly Father.
Amen.

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The Task to be Completed

There was a task to be completed, which God had set to be done and two men wanted to have a go to complete it.

The first man was rather awkward and backhanded with how he went about it.
He stumbled and fell, but carried on all the same. Trying to do what he thought was best.

The second man on the other hand knew exactly what to do, and knew how to go about it.
He made his plan and made good progress.

Which man do you think would have pleased God the most?

We may all think that it was the second man for he got the results.
But, is this what really pleases God???

What if the second man only did what he did because he saw that he could personally gain from what he was doing, and knew that it would make him look good and impressive to others?

Where as the first man, just simply saw a need and wanted to fill that need.
Even though he didn’t know quite what to do, and in spite of the knowledge that he knew he was looking like someone who didn’t know what he was doing, yet he still carried on trying all the same, just to fill the need.

So often we look at the results of an action and not the heart behind it.
It’s just easier to see the results, for us.

What’s more important to God though?

Who would God have been pleased with?
The second man, who saw an opportunity for personal gain?
Or the first man who had a right heart?

_________________________________

1 Samuel 16:6-7
6 When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and thought, “Surely the Lord’s anointed stands here before the Lord.”

7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

_________________________________

Jeremiah 17:7-10
7 “But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord,
    whose confidence is in him.
8 They will be like a tree planted by the water
    that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes;
    its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought
    and never fails to bear fruit.”

9 The heart is deceitful above all things
    and beyond cure.
    Who can understand it?

10 “I the Lord search the heart
    and examine the mind,
to reward each person according to their conduct,
    according to what their deeds deserve.”

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Such a Small thing, causing So Much …

We have one of those small refillable water sprayers in our house.
It normally works, perfectly ok, until it doesn’t. 😦

Not knowing why it’s no longer working, can be so frustrating!
“You worked Yesterday, so WHY aren’t you working Today???” Could be a place, that I could end up going to. If I’m having a really bad day, then could I possibly end up going to a cartoon scene of me Strangling the poor little water sprayer, and screaming, “Just Work, you little Thing!!!” ???
Hopefully I won’t ever reach the point of finding a tree branch, to then beat it with, screaming out, “Just work, won’t you.” 🙂

OK, I’m possibly/almost certainly, going a bit over the top now. 🙂
But sometimes, if things go wrong, then can it just get to us?

In the past, it’s been the little hole in the cap that unscrews that’s been the problem. The little hole, just gets clogged up, and it’s been a real difficulty to unblock it.
Which can lead to the cartoon scene of … , well, hopefully you get the idea.

This time, before I reached any cartoon scenes, I quickly realised what the issue was, but I was still perplexed as to how I was going to clear the clogged hole. Then out of the corner of my eye, I just happened to see, our toothpicks out on the side.
The short version, one of the plastic toothpicks, turned out to be just the thing to clear out the clogged hole. So, this time, the issue was dealt with, without any theatrics, and no cartoon scenes of …

How much better it is to see a solution to a problem, and to then do it, and succeed, than to get all worked up over something, that then leads to, a boat load of grief and aggravation, that nobody wants. (Which I might have done, in the past, over such a tiny little clogged up hole… ???)

How much better will it be for us, if we can just see the answer to our problems, that are right in front of us?
Rather than to just seemingly miss them, for whatever reason?

How much better will it be for us, if we can just hear that small little voice, that has the correct solution?
If we could only hear, and follow, it’s prompting?

John 10:27
27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.