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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!” “

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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?

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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.”

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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.

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It was a Miracle!!!

2 Kings 2:19-22 is a passage in the bible that I’ve read a few times in the past. As I’ve read it before, I’ve kind of thought, that’s a bit weird, and then not thought much more of it.
This time however, the thought, “It’s a Miracle”, just came to me.

With that thought in mind, shall we have a read of the passage in mind? (It’s not too long a read.)

2 Kings 2:19-22
Healing of the Water

19 The people of the city said to Elisha, “Look, our lord, this town is well situated, as you can see, but the water is bad and the land is unproductive.”

20 “Bring me a new bowl,” he said, “and put salt in it.” So they brought it to him.

21 Then he went out to the spring and threw the salt into it, saying, “This is what the Lord says: ‘I have healed this water. Never again will it cause death or make the land unproductive.’” 22 And the water has remained pure to this day, according to the word Elisha had spoken.

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It still looks a like a bit of a strange read to me, but it was also, a miracle!

As I dwelt on this passage, then further thoughts came to me. They go along the lines of, if we see the passage as an illustration of life, then how much more can we gain from it?

We can see from the start, that the land was unproductive. It was well situated, but the water was bad.
The people liked where they were, but, they were aware that all was not good.
Are there times where we can find ourselves in a similar situation?
We like where we are, but, we can know that things, just aren’t right?
That things could, or should be better?

In the bible passage, the people made the choice to bring the problem to God, by bringing it to Elisha.

19 The people of the city said to Elisha, “Look, our lord, this town is well situated, as you can see, but the water is bad and the land is unproductive.”

This looks to be a good choice, as it leads to a problem being overcome.
How do we deal with our problems that we have?
Will we bring them to, Our God, or will we try to solve them, all on our own?

Then Elisha, gave the people, some strange instructions.

20 “Bring me a new bowl,” he said, “and put salt in it.” So they brought it to him.

21 Then he went out to the spring and threw the salt into it, saying, “This is what the Lord says: ‘I have healed this water. Never again will it cause death or make the land unproductive.’”

There was a cost, to following, Elisha’s instructions.
A new bowl, with some salt, put into it, had a cost, that needed to be paid, by someone.
If we go to Our God, with our problems, and He then gives us instructions of what to do, will we then do them?
Even if they have a cost to them?
Even if they don’t make sense to us? (Salt being thrown into a water source, to make it clean???)

When we look at the location where Elisha went, we can see that he went to the source of the issue. Not to where the effects could be seen, but the source.
If we are given instructions for how to deal with the source of an issue, will we deal with it?
Or will we try to look at, and try to deal with the effects?

The end result of the people following Elisha’s instructions are…

22 And the water has remained pure to this day, according to the word Elisha had spoken.

As the title of this post first stated, “It was a Miracle!!!”
A land that was effectively barren, and filled with problems, became Good, and I dare say, Prosperous.

The benefits became a reality, because the people brought their problems to God (through Elisha). Then they followed the instructions that was given to them. As such, they saw a breakthrough, and then all the land benefited.

Will we be able to follow the lessons from this account, in the bible?

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Be Aware, of Those with Velvet Boxing Gloves

I do think that this title, has got to be the strangest one, that has come to me, so far.

It’s a picture of how things can be very wrong and confusing, and it can be difficult to understand why this is so???

If someone speaks to you, with polite words, that have an appearance of friendliness about them, but then their actions, end up causing you pain, that you just can’t quite put your finger on, that then causes you to question, “What is going on?”
It’s this very wrong scenario, that this picture is trying to shine a light, onto.

If someone is wearing velvet boxing gloves, then the technique they could use, could be, “see and feel the velvet of these gloves, isn’t it a beautiful thing to behold.” Then, when you are looking at one glove, they jab you, with the other one, whilst still telling, and showing you, the quality of the velvet boxing gloves.

If you are ever caught up in a situation, where it could be that, velvet boxing gloves, are be used against you, then that is a very serious situation, and not one to be laughed about.

How can we tell, if we are being caught out, by someone using, velvet boxing gloves?

Psalm 34:8
Taste and see that the Lord is good;
    blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.

From the above scripture, we can see that, if something is good, then it should have a good taste to it. (I have tasted and seen, that The Lord Our God, is indeed, Good!)
If we are being left with a bitter after taste with something, then, is it because, there is something wrong?

Another scripture is coming to my mind.

Matthew 7:15-17
15 “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. 16 By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.

The theme of this scripture is the very similar to the taste and see one. By their fruit, you will recognise them.

If we are ever caught in a situation where someone is using velvet boxing gloves against us, then the first step is going to be to recognise, that something is wrong.
If we can recognise it, then we can possibly have a better understanding about our situation, and then act in a better way.
We may even possibly need to seek help and advice from someone else, who is Outside of the situation?
Our Lord God, will always be my first port of call, for seeking help, for the best route to take. He is able to lead and guide all who ask for His help.

Lord God Almighty,
If anyone is caught up in a situation where they are facing velvet boxing gloves, then please, help them to see things, as they actually are.
Please, lead and guide them, for the actions that they should take.
Please, put into their mind, a person or an organisation that they can contact, that can be a help to them.
Lead them out of darkness, and into the light.
Amen.