Remember at Christmas

Christmas is almost here! There's an air of excitement, Christmas carols, events, parties, concerts, worship services, and preparations. However, this time of the year can also be quite lonely and even stressful for many.

Let us remember that our Lord Jesus Christ was not born in a fancy mansion or a private hospital. He wasn't gifted hundreds of clothes and toys. The Innkeeper didn't even have a spare room for Mary to rest in.  She ended up in an animal shelter and laid her newborn son in a manger (animal feeding trough).

Yet, the angels appeared to shepherds praising God and the shepherds went and saw the newborn Son of God. They spread the word about this baby and praised God for all the things they had heard and seen.

So Christmas is not about how many gifts are under the tree.  It is not about how much food the table can hold. It's not about how much money you spend.  

Christmas is about being thankful.  

Thankful firstly to God, who loved us so much, that He sent His Son to be our savior. 

Thankful that Mary was obedient to the angel's message from God.  

Thankful that the Bible is full of promises to us. 

Be thankful that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, chose to obey God and give his life for us. 

Thankful that we can celebrate with our families (however they may be made up). 

Let us be thankful that we have a future with God if we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour.

Perhaps you can be 'someone' who can share what you have with those who may not have much to celebrate or someone who is lonely, or doesn't have family around them?

Titus 3:4-5 tells us, "But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit".  

We are not saved by what we do - we cannot save ourselves by doing good things, good works, and being good people.  We are saved simply by accepting the amazing gift that is offered to us by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  

Over this Christmas period, why don't you check for yourself what the Bible says?

• Acts 4:12
• John 3;16-18
• John 14:6
• Matthew 7:21
• Matthew 19:25-26
• Ephesians 2:8-9
• Romans 3:23
• Acts 16:30-33

The Value of Praying Together

This is a 'what do you value' question.  Do you value opportunities to pray with fellow Christians?

We talk about prayer, and we say how important prayer is, or should be, in our lives.  But, and yes there is a BUT, how often do we engage in prayer with others? 

Chatting with a friend a couple of weeks ago, a comment was said, 'We should pray'.  How I valued my friend's wise discernment that, yes, after our wonderful time catching up, we were able to pray together as fellow Christians.

Prayer is not easy for many people. Most of us keep prayer as requests to the Lord, superficial, and often we have a list of petitions.  But real, honest prayer means being honest, vulnerable, and genuine. 

The value of praying together (some Scripture.  I encourage you to search for more scripture passages):

• Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. 1 Thessalonians 5:11
• How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity! Psalm 133:1
•  They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers. Acts 1:14
• They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Acts 2:42
• So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him. Acts 12:5 (read whole passage)
• I urge you, brothers and sisters, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me. Romans 15:30.

The value of praying together brings us closer to one another, we can encourage when life is good and when life crashes over us, like storm waves.  We can fellowship together.

“Fellowship is a relationship of inner unity among believers that expresses itself in outer co-participation with Christ and one another in accomplishing God’s will on earth.” Read more about The importance of Fellowship here.

We can study God's word together, and bring before the Lord, those who are undergoing difficult circumstances because of their faith or have health or other issues. We can intercede for our community and the society in which we live.

But most importantly, we can pray together to acknowledge and praise the Lord for his never-ending kindness and love towards us.  We can bring him honor, we can confess those areas in our lives which we struggle with, confess our sins, and seek forgiveness from God.

We build up each other (it's called edification) and strengthen our connection together as a family in the Lord.

Yes, we may be feeling vulnerable, but we can also learn from one another and lean on each other.

The value of prayer should never be underestimated.  The love that our Saviour, Jesus Christ, has for us, should never be diminished.  We need to value one another and value the privilege of the opportunity to pray together.

How are you tracking in 2023?

At the beginning of a new year, many people make resolutions.  The reasons to make a resolution/s vary from changing careers to losing weight or becoming healthier.

Interestingly, reading the article from finder.com.au   I noted that having or increasing their families isn't a resolution.  Buying a home is not in the top five activities. However, eating more healthily and saving more money are at the top of the list.

So how are you tracking in 2023?

Our resolutions often are made to improve our physical or financial needs.  But what about our spiritual needs? 

'It takes wisdom to build a house and understanding to set it on a firm foundation; It takes knowledge to furnish its rooms with fine furniture and beautiful draperies. It’s better to be wise than strong; intelligence outranks muscle any day. Strategic planning is the key to warfare; to win, you need a lot of good counsel.' Proverbs 24:3-5 (The Message)

Proverbs 21:2 says, 'A person may think their own ways are right, but the Lord weighs the heart.'

we need:

• The Lord in our lives.  That is a personal relationship with our Saviour, Jesus Christ. Find out more here.
• Wisdom - we find this by reading and obeying Scripture.
• Allowing the Lord to direct us by the Holy Spirit.
• Living out our faith each day (not just the day you go to meet with fellow believers).

So often, we make resolutions to change something about ourselves or our situations. However, change starts within our hearts and minds, and flows out in our actions.

Do you want to change a habit? There needs to be an action, not just a thought.  To make a change, real change in our lives means being consistent and practicing. Becoming consistent and practicing can be uncomfortable, even challenging. 

Determine to make small, specific steps that build from nothing to something.  For example, you may want to read the whole Bible in one year, yet reading the long lists of names and laws becomes tedious.  You may choose to download an App and action a reading plan that has audio as well as a short devotional which takes 5-10 mins whilst you are having morning coffee to begin your day.

You may like to increase your savings so create a savings tracker, and an account where each week a small amount of money is deposited.  Being able to start an i-saver account in your online banking is so easy in today's world.  This is just one example for you to kick-start ideas.

As you reflect on where you began in January 2023 to now, make some notes and observations on your journey.  How will you adjust what you are doing to reach the resolution?

How are you tracking in your life, in your goals, and in your faith in 2023?

Who Am I?

 Recently, I posted on my social media pages a few thoughts about how often women are asked, "What do you do for a job?"

As I've reflected further on this issue, I am encouraged that as women, we have been given the ability by God to encourage, love, and nurture others, even under immense pressure and responsibility.

In a world that so often defines us by our accomplishments, looks, dress code, and what we own, we can forget that God created us. Scripture tells us, "For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."  Ephesians 2:10

What am I? When considering this question - the first part of the answer is that I am a child of God, saved and forgiven, a believer in Jesus Christ.

Secondly, my job description now encompasses financial director, executive housekeeper, event planner and coordinator, diary manager, and secretarial administrator.

Reading the stories of Esther and Ruth reminds us that these women did not have easy choices to make.  They endured and participated in making a difference for their community, and family. Their stories are written down for us to be encouraged.

Read:  Ruth and Esther

My quote for 2023 is "To be successful at anything, you must simply be what most people aren't: Consistent" Anon

So, our question is not What Are You? Not what is your job?

Instead, ask yourself - Who Am I? Now that's an interesting question to ponder!

For further reading you might like to undertake - click here 

To read more about Who I am in Christ - click here

To view the social media post - click here

Singing and Shouting

Looking through the Psalms, I've noticed numerous times when we're instructed to sing or shout to the Lord.

Psalm 96:1-2 (NIV) tells us, "Sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth. Sing to the Lord, praise his name, proclaim his salvation day after day."

Again, Psalm 98:1 (NIV) says, "Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things;"

Some so many talented artists write and record worship songs to tell of what the Lord is doing - marvelous things! There is no reason to not worship the Lord Jesus. We have no reason to grumble that we don't know what to sing!  If you cannot find a song to sing, then I encourage you to begin reading the Psalms.  Are you struggling to pray?  Read the Psalms aloud to the Lord as your prayer.

Out in the countryside by yourself?  Maybe shout out a Psalm to the Lord.  That will get the attention of the local animals 😉 However, you decide to pray - 'singing and shouting' are some ways to express worship.  David, who wrote many of the psalms sang and praised the Lord and wrote down his pieces.  He was a musical and poetical artist. Even today, we are the recipients of these recorded compilations.

After reading some Psalms, you could write a praise piece to the Lord to express your love for him.

Spending time in Scripture and reading (I suggest aloud) some Psalms, helps to reduce anxiety and worry.  Instead of focusing on ourselves, we focus on the One who loves us.

During trials and unexpected life happenings, we can find peace and joy through reading Scripture.  As you read the Psalms, you will find that those who wrote these words also had struggles, and they tell of deep pain, real love, and overcoming.

Something to think about.

Trusting God in the Process

My current phone wallpaper reminds me to "trust God in the process".  

The Bible reference is Ecclesiastes 3:11, which tells us, "Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end."

Ecclesiastes 3:11 NLT.

Life happens.  Change happens.  Unexpected moments happen.  To whom do we turn to? Who do we trust? People? Why? People hurt people, use people, and exploit situations to their benefit.

If you want to make a positive life change in you and your community (however you define community) then begin by understanding, we cannot know the beginning from the end.  We go one step at a time, having plans, which may change unexpectedly. Unlike God, we cannot see everything from beginning to end.   Life is an adventure; sometimes you scream, sing, and shout.  In all this, whether expected or not, we need to ask ourselves, what positive action can come out of this situation?

Trust God in the process, He won't fail you.

Be Intentional

What comes to mind when you hear the word ‘intentional’? 

Do you think, being purposeful, or taking a deliberate action that lines up with your beliefs, and values?

Many people have heard or read the verse from Proverbs 16:3, which states, “Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.”

One passage that has been important to me is from Philippians 4:6-7, which states, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

If we are not intentional then we simply flounder, make sub-standard decisions that cause distress to those around us, and make a mark against our character.

Being intentional, as stated in the dictionary, says “done with intention or on purpose”.

So, what does this mean for you and me? Are we intentional? Does what we do matter?  I believe that being intentional is important.  We should be intentional in our faith, friendships, relationships, workplaces, and aspects such as communication, kindness, work ethic, and mental and physical health.

Each moment being positively intentional adds up to create an affirmative outcome.  Do you commit your time wisely in undertaking your work, whether paid or voluntary, to achieve a productive outcome that benefits the business or organization? Do you use and plan well with available resources (staff, volunteers, products, equipment) to achieve the best result possible?

If we seek to be intentional, then first commit to becoming:

·        Wise in our planning,

·        Communicate with clarity and encouragement,

·        Meet deadlines and reporting timelines,

·        Be accountable,

·        Be kind.