Category: Uncategorized

Categories
Uncategorized

Time to Defrost?

You have more Capacity than you may realise. Some of your capacity has been taken over, by something that Doesn’t Belong!
It’s time to Defrost!

Roughly speaking, that’s the thought I had, as I was trying to put away a frozen meal, into our freezer. Our freezer needs to be defrosted. If there wasn’t so much ice build up in the freezer, then the box would have fit, that much more easily.

Some may say, “You need to get a frost free freezer, then the ice build up won’t be a problem.” I say to that thought,
“That which is causing a problem, can be turned to good… In the form of a fun uplifting blog post!” … ??? 🙂

Back to the main theme.
It’s true, our freezer does have more capacity, when it’s defrosted. The box would have fit so much more easily, if the ice build up wasn’t there.

The ice build up, could be thought of, as rubbish from an enemy, who has been slowly building up the unwanted ice, over a period of time.
The build up, can be so slow, that you just don’t notice it, until one day, you just think, this should fit, it’s just that there is too much ice here.
Hence the need to defrost.

How much from the enemy, do we, just allow to build up, that we just don’t see forming, that ends up reducing our capacity?
How much of a defrost (declutter) do we need, so that we can then be operating at our full potential?

Repeating the start…
You have more Capacity than you may realise. Some of your capacity has been taken over, by something that Doesn’t Belong!
It’s time to Defrost!

Will we come to Our Heavenly Father, and seek His guidance for what we need to let go of?
Will we follow His prompting and leading for how we could do this?
If we seek Him, for His help and guidance, then He will be there, to help us.

Matthew 11:28-30
28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Categories
Uncategorized

Instead of Just Surviving, will we Start Thriving?

Surviving can be coming through something, that can then leave us bound, in some way.

In order to Thrive, do we have a need to be set free?
For the shackles to be removed and taken away?
To be truly free as we are meant to be, so that we can then Thrive!

Would you like to Thrive, instead of just survive?

Our Lord God Almighty IS The One, who can help ALL, to Thrive!

Would you like to have a connection to The One who can set you free, so that you can then Thrive?
If yes, then you could say the prayer below.

God, if you truly are real, then please be real to me.
I ask for you to come into my heart and life.
I ask for you to lead and guide me in the way that is better for me to go.
I ask that you would help me to place before you, all that causes me pain and upset.
I ask that you will help me to know where to go and what to do with it, so that instead of just surviving, that I could start thriving.
I say a Thank You, to You, in the Hope, that You will answer my prayer.
Amen.

If you have just said the above prayer for the first time, then I would like to say, “Welcome to Our Lord God’s family!
Our Lord God Is Able to lead and guide us all, in the way, that is better for us all to go.”

I would also recommend that you tell someone that you have asked for The Lord God Almighty, to be real to you, that you have asked for Him to come into your heart and life. (There can be a conformational power, as you do this.)

If you have come to this point through any kind of struggles, then,
I pray that Our Lord God Will meet your needs.
I pray that He will lead and guide you, in the way that you should go.
I pray that you will hear His voice, and have the confidence to follow His prompting.
Amen.

________________________

How do you pray when you feel that you just can’t do anything?

I see a Vessel – God is there to heal and make us stronger.

The Calling Abyss – We can say “NO” to the calling abyss

More Post about Struggles

Categories
Uncategorized

Do we give an Insect Bite, too much Attention?

Let’s face it, insect bites are annoying. But just how much attention do, or will we give to them?

If we ever do have an insect bite, then what needs to be done, needs to be done. If it needs to be cleaned, then clean it. If it needs some kind of insect cream, then apply it.
But, when all that needs to be done, is done, can we then sometimes, over do the attention?

Look at what’s happened to me and what I have to deal with?

Can we change our focus to, look at what we have overcome. ??
Or even, that’s so small, I won’t let it take up my time and energy, away from what really matters! ???

Some of our problems or issues in life, can they be like an insect bite?
Can we give them more attention than we ought to?

If we are directed to, by our Heavenly Father, then shouldn’t we try to change our focus?
To try to obtain a right perspective?
If something is just an insect bite, then can we view and treat it as such?

Someone shared a picture at church this week. It was…

Sometimes we can have a magnifying glass, but we can be focusing it on the wrong things.
We can end up magnifying our problems, so that we can then make them larger than they actually are.
Can we try to change the thing that we are focusing on?
Could we try to change our focus onto Our Lord God, instead of our problems?
If we can magnify Our Lord God, then will we gain a better perspective?
Will we then even start to see, a solution, as we focus on, Our Lord God Almighty?

Matthew 6:25-34
Do Not Worry

25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?

28 â€œAnd why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Categories
Uncategorized

Will we offer up our Greatest Defeat?

This post, in many ways follows on from a past post, Is your Greatest Trophy, just a Foundation Stone?

Quick summary of that post…
The thing where you think that you are the Best at. Will you take it out of the trophy cabinet, where pride could possibly be a snare to you?
Will you offer it up to Our Lord, and be willing to step onto it, in order to step into the new, that is waiting for you to take hold of?
For the full picture, please consider having a read of the post, Is your Greatest Trophy, just a Foundation Stone?

As well as our Greatest Trophy, my eyes have recently been opened up to our greatest defeat. The things that we would rather not look at. The things that we would rather hide away, and not have to deal with.

Sometimes, not looking at our greatest defeat, can be the right course of action to take, if we are lead to do so, by Our Lord God.
If He says to us, “This is not to be dealt with today, but perhaps another time.” Then we should listen to Him.
The enemy may want to pull us down by trying to make us dwell on the wrong things, but Our Lord, leads and guides us, to the things that will bring us a freedom, as we walk through them, at the right time, with Him.

But, if Our Lord God, brings up our greatest defeat, the thing that we would rather run and hide from, will we be willing to place it before, Our Lord God Almighty, and simply ask, “Please, Help me with this Lord! Help to know what to do and where to go with this!”

It maybe a difficult and painful thing to do, but Our Loving Heavenly Father is for us, and wants to see us set free, and made stronger, by working through our greatest defeat, with His help and guidance.
He longs to see us free from the pain and anguish, that Our greatest defeat would try to hold over us.

If we can place our greatest defeat before Our Loving Heavenly Father, will we then find ourselves in a place where we can exchange our shame for Joy?
Will He then change our mourning to dancing?
Will He take our Ugly Rock, and reshape it into an exquisite sculpture, that we will then want to show to all, declaring,
“Look at what The Lord has done for me, He has turned my mourning to dancing!
He has taken my shame away, and given me peace and joy, in it’s place.”

I know that this can be a reality, as I have gone through this process.
I was given a picture, and then I had to walk through the process of the picture. For me, this then lead to a mini series of posts (numbering 5), that I was very happy, that most people just wouldn’t see. (The doors maybe open, but not many people come in to read. 🙂 )
Time has gone on since then, and I can now talk to people about what happened. I can now even point you to the mini series of posts and say, have a read of them if you wish to.
I can now look at it, and say, “This is just something that happened, and it’s not my fault. It is just something that happened and is now just part of my past.”

The first in the series is:
Will you work with Our Lord, to shape, your Ugly Rock?

If you just want the big reveal, then chapter 4 is:
When the wheels fell off.

Our Lord God, IS in the business of setting captives free!
Of turning mourning into dancing!
Of exchanging shame for Joy!

So if Our Lord God asks for your greatest defeat, will you offer it up to Him?
Will you offer it up, to The One who Can set you free?

John 10:7-11
7 Therefore Jesus said again, â€œVery truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. 8 All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. 9 I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

11 â€œI am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

Categories
Uncategorized

Every Journey, starts with a First Step

Every journey, does indeed start with a first step, even if your not too sure, what that first step is.

I’ve had a recent experience of this thought. Something happened, but I was in denial about the upset, it had caused me. 😦

My go to place, when things go wrong, is to, Accept, Repent and Forgive. I was trying to do this, but, the upset remained. (Unbeknown to me.)

Forgiving was, in some ways, the easy part. What happened, was nobody’s fault. So, it was relatively easy to forgive, as there wasn’t any real fault, by anyone, myself included.

Repenting? Not too sure what I did with this, on this occasion, but it should be easy to want to do better next time. If I can do X,Y and Z, to stop it happening again, then I gladly would. I couldn’t even really go and have a rant at anyone, as no one was to blame for what happened. So, the Repent, was relatively easy.

How about Accepting?

Looking back, I can clearly see, that I was in Denial, about this one.

Denial, if it helps you to get through a situation, can actually be a good thing. If there is something that you need to do, but you are overwhelmed with ….. , then Denial can be helpful, if it allows you to do …… , instead of falling apart, or just stopping at the wrong time.

But, Denial is only going to be helpful, if it is only in play, for the time that it is needed, to actually be helpful.

For me, I possibly kind of knew that I was in denial, on some level, but I had no way of, How to Deal with it? 😦

Thankfully, I was looking to my Heavenly Father, for His help. This was probably the first step of the journey.

I had a thought, to make a phone call, to an organisation, that might be able to offer some advice. I did follow up on this thought.

It was when I was speaking with a complete stranger, that I came face to face with my upset. Ok, I got a bit emotional. (Thankfully it was with a complete stranger, who I’ll probably never come into contact with again, who was sympathetic.)
For me, it was the start of a release, that I was needing. A need to Accept, that I was upset, by what had happened.
The phone call itself, was just a confirmation that the actions that I’d taken were the actions to take, and that nothing much more was needed to be done.
From the other person’s point of view, it may have been a bit of a nothing conversation. It was a kind of, you’ve done all you can, so there’s not much more to do.

But, for me, it was coming face to face with the denial, about the upset, that I was trying to push to the side.
Once I realised this, I could then start talking to my Heavenly Father about my upset, properly. The next step of the process. (Which then probably led to another, more fuller, round of … Accept, Repent, and Forgive.)

If you are struggling with anything, then my advice would be to take the first step of, take it to your Heavenly Father and ask for His guidance for what you should do next.
Then be willing to give the answer, that He gives to you, a go.

Sometimes, we may even think, “But I’ve done that already!”
Some first steps, are worth doing, time, and time….. and time, again. 🙂

Categories
Uncategorized

Please, Replace my Struggle, with something Better.

I was listening to people speaking out testimonies recently, and then I was reminded of something.

I was struggling with something that had too much pull on me.

I wanted to put it down and turn away from it, but it kept pulling me back.

I remember praying something along the lines of,

“Lord, please give me something better than the thing that I’m struggling with. Please give me a better option, so that I won’t even want to look at the thing that I’m struggling with. Please let the thing that I’m struggling with become so small, so that it just falls away.”

That was probably better than what I prayed, but it is the essence.

God has done it!

I struggle to remember what it was that I asked for, to be taken away, and I am thankfull for that. (And I do try to, not remember it!!) … (But I have been reminded of a previous post… Link Here.)

Part of the process has been doing the things that God was moving me to.

To not think that something is too small, to do.

To say Yes, to the things, that I would want to overlook.

If Our Lord is asking us to do something, then it is for our own good, and it is to our benefit if we follow where he leads us.

The idea of following, where we are being led to go, also connects with last week’s post of which kind of asks…

Will we take hold of the gruel that is being offered to us.

We may want steak, but gruel is offered.

To a starving person, gruel is life giving.

Will we turn our nose up at the gruel, just because it’s gruel?

That’s the short version. The full version can be read from the link below. (For those who want more… ?? 🙂 )

Who Wants more… Gruel.. ??

I think that I’ve now finished this post, but it doesn’t feel like an end???

Instead of just finishing here, I’ll repeat the prayer I said. If you need to, or are led to, you could dwell on it, with Our Heavenly Father.

“Lord, please give me something better than the thing that I’m struggling with. Please give me a better option, so that I won’t even want to look at the thing that I’m struggling with. Please let the thing that I’m struggling with become so small, so that it just falls away. Amen.

Categories
Uncategorized

Who wants More… Gruel..??

Oliver Twist did, when he asked, “Please, sir, may I have some more please?”

Oliver Twist was hungry for more, even though it was only gruel that was on the menu. He had, had his allotted portion, but he was still hungry for more.

The first thought for this post was along the lines of,
“Who will take the gruel, that is on offer?
Will you take it, or are you just waiting for the steak?
Will you die of hunger, as you wait for the Steak, whilst the gruel is readily available?”

That’s a bit too long for a post title, so I shortened it to,
“Who wants More… Gruel..??”

Gruel, could probably be described as one of the most unappetizing forms of food to eat. But, it can sustain you!

How many of us, refuse the gruel, that’s on offer, because we don’t like what it looks like?
How many of us, are starving, because we are waiting, for the Steak, to turn up? (If you don’t like Steak, then please replace Steak, with your favourite food. 🙂 )

If you truly ever were starving, then would you really ever say no to the gruel?
Gruel, to a starving person, is life giving. Something that will not be refused.

So, again, I ask the question, “Who is refusing the “spiritual” gruel, whilst you’re waiting for the “spiritual” steak to turn up, whilst you are “spiritually” starving?”

You may be asking, “What spiritual gruel, am I saying no to?”

You need to be seeking Our Heavenly Father, for His answers to that one. However, some possible answers could be…
Reading the bible?
Praying?
Meeting together?
Just doing …. ?

I have to admit, that it was the praying one, that started my thinking on this post. Would my title have been along the lines of, “I’m taking the gruel, while I’m waiting for the steak to turn up.” ?

That title sounds Great, and awful, all at the same time… ???
(Sometimes I get so confused??? 🙂 )

We all may want the “Steak” (or your favourite food) but how many of us just need to take hold of, that which is available to us now, even if that means, just taking hold of the “Gruel”?

Willingly going to a meeting, that you are being led to go to, to only find gruel available, is still being fed a meal, that sustains and strengthens you.

Who will take the gruel, that is on offer, whilst we wait, for the steak?

Have we been starving ourselves for so long, so that the steak is too much for us???

If we take hold of the gruel, that is on offer, will we then get ourselves into a position, where we are then ready for the Steak?
Is the Steak ready and waiting for us, but we’re not ready for it?

Lord, can we please have eyes to see what is good for us, even if it’s a bit unappetizing to our tastes.
Help us to follow Your prompting, for what we should do, and where we should go.
Amen.

Categories
Uncategorized

God’s Words, can be Challenging!

Have we been fed a lie, by thinking that God will only bring a pleasant, uplifting, friendly word?

What I’m trying to get to, is, can we sometimes dismiss a word from God, because we think that it doesn’t sound like an uplifting word, that we would expect to hear from Him?

Now, let’s be clear about one thing. If a word has genuinely come from God, then if it is heard, and followed, it will have a good effect or result. But will it be a pleasant experience, when the word is first received or even during the process?

If it doesn’t begin with a pleasant, pleasing experience, then are there some who might say, “This can’t be from God, as it doesn’t fit what I would expect to hear from God!” ?

It is this kind of wrong thinking, that I’m trying to shine a light on, with this post.

If we look to the bible, then we can find many words from God, which can appear to be a bit (or a lot) of a challenge, to the one/s who are recieving the word.
Have a read of the letters to the churches in Revelation, if you want to see a challenging word or two. 🙂

Revelation 3:16
16 So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.

But could we be tempted to think, “Jesus would be friendly to us in person, as he is a loving God.” ?
Would Peter ever agree with this thought, after his experience in…

Matthew 16:23
23 Jesus turned and said to Peter, â€œGet behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”

Ironically, Peter received this rebuke, shortly after he had received praise from Jesus, for speaking out a truth that God had revealed to him.

Matthew 16:16-17
16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”

17 Jesus replied, â€œBlessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven.

If there is a need for a change of direction, or a warning needs to be given, then a challenging word may be needed.
The question is, “Will we hear and follow, such a word?”
Or will we just dismiss it, because it doesn’t fit what we think it should be?

If we are receiving a challenging word from Our Lord God, then will we ask the simple questions of, “Is this really from you Lord?”
If the answer is a “Yes”, then will we seek Him further, with, “Can You please lead and guide me further, in the next step or steps that I should take.” ?

Our Heavenly Father, does indeed bring us many different words, to lead and guide us. To enable us to be the best version of ourselves that we can be.
Do we really want to hear all of His words to us?
Even the challenging ones?

Revelation 3:19
19 Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent.

Hebrews 12:11
11 No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.

Categories
Uncategorized

A Shaking Fist?

This is week’s post, could be considered a repeat of last week’s. But it’s more of a follow up.
The picture has been working it’s way through me, so, it just feels that there is a bit more to say. Apologies to those, if you feel that you are are re-reading, some of the same thing.

_______________________________

There is a vision of what should be, but then there can be a very different outcome, that can work it’s way out.

The vision is for a friendly hand, to be offered as a handshake. But a shaking fist, can end up being the outcome. 😦

How can this possibly be?

The friendly handshake is God’s vision for what should be, but our plans and thoughts, can kind of just get in the way, so that we then just end up with a slightly twisted version.

This next bit, you may even be able to act out.

The vision is for a hand to be outstretched, in offer of a friendly handshake.
But because of our thoughts and agenda, the vision becomes slightly distorted. Hence, the hand is twisted so that the palm of the hand, is facing upwards. During this action, the fingers, instead of pointing outward, start to curl inwards. It is somehow known that something isn’t quite right, so we then hold onto our thoughts and agenda, that much more intently. Hence the fingers close into a fist. Because of all the tension, this fist then shakes, ever so slightly.

Thus, we finish with a vision, of a friendly handshake being offered, but end up with, a shaking fist.

It’s only a slight misalignment in the action, but there is a massive difference in the final message that is sent!
A friendly handshake, or a shaking fist.

We all, most certainly want to be offering a friendly handshake, but how many of us are just shaking our fists?

We may all mean to offer the friendly handshake, but how many of us, have got a slight misadjustment going on, which we respond to, by holding tightly onto our plans and our thoughts, which leads to the other, unfriendly version?

Do we need to release our grip on our thoughts and plans?
Do we need to realign our thinking, so that it is in line with Our Lord God’s thinking?

Are we willing to ask Our Lord God, “Am I getting something wrong, in some way, here?”
Will we be willing to hear, His answers to us, even it it means that we need to change our thoughts and actions, so that we are aligned with His thoughts?

Ultimately, do we want to approach Our Lord God, with a shaking fist, or an open hand, in the form of a handshake?

Our Lord God does know what is Best, and will lead us in the Best way to go, if we will follow His thoughts and His leading.

Jeremiah 29:11
11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

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.

Categories
Uncategorized

What Drives You?

I’ve re-read this a couple of times, since I’ve written it. Part of me is asking, “Am I becoming a merchant for doom and gloom? The site is called Wannabe Christian Doorman. It’s meant to be about drawing people closer to God. Does this post do that?”

Ultimately, I do think that the answer to that one is “Yes”, if it is understood. This is one of those posts, where I write it, then post it, and then leave it in Our Lords hands, for Him to do, whatever He wants to do with it.

________________________________

A picture came to me, as I was pondering on something. This is going to be my attempt to write it down.

The thought started with, targets set in the work place.

Upper management can have a vision of what they want to achieve.
They then set targets, to be achieved, which they then present to the middle management, so that the vision will be achieved.

The middle management take these targets into their core, and then try to do their best, to achieve the targets set from above, in order to please their bosses. The middle management may or may not know about the vision, but it is the targets that they are set, that then becomes their driving force.
Then the vision, just somehow gets pushed to the side. It’s as if the middle management, look for the literal translation of what the target is, without considering the vision.
It’s like the question of, “What must we do, to meet this target?” becomes the vision, for the middle management.

Is it this slight misalignment that can then cause so many problems?

It can be like, the vision is to offer a friendly handshake out to all, in order to invite others in. But, a shaking fist, somehow ends up being the result???

How can this be so????

Is it because the targets get ever so slightly misunderstood, so that they then bring about a twisted vision, in place of the actual vision?

You may even be able to act out the next part of this post?

A hand is outstretched, in offer of a hand shake.
But because of the slightly twisted targets, the hand is twisted so that the palm of the hand, is facing upwards. During this action, the fingers, instead of pointing outward, start to curl inwards.
It is somehow known that something isn’t quite right, so the targets are then held onto that much more intently. Hence the fingers close into a fist.
Because of all the tension, this fist then shakes, ever so slightly.

So we end up with, a vision of an outstretched friendly handshake, but end up with… a shaking fist. 😦

So far, this post may have been a bit of a fun read???
How many of us can see this picture kind of happening in certain areas of our lives?
But, is it happening in our own lives???

Do we hold onto targets, so tightly, in place of the core vision?
Do we put our own thoughts and desires, above Our Lord God’s?

Are we at peace, with how we conduct ourselves, or is there a shaking fist, at work within us?

Will we seriously seek Our Heavenly Father for His answers to this question?

2 Timothy 3:1-9
3 But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. 2 People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, 4 treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.

6 They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over gullible women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, 7 always learning but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth. 8 Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so also these teachers oppose the truth. They are men of depraved minds, who, as far as the faith is concerned, are rejected. 9 But they will not get very far because, as in the case of those men, their folly will be clear to everyone.

________________________________

Excelence is Wanted, but who will Be Excellent?

Denial, can be a Tricky thing.

Are we be like the Church at Laodicea?