Curious to know

(According to 'blog etiquette' what is polite frequency of blog entries?)

So that's me in the glasses, next to me is my husband I'll refer to him as The Big Fella, next to him is my fab friend, Boo. I thank God everyday, I am blessed to share life with them.

So there I am in person. Married, mother of one, friend to everyone, I like to dance but am completely un-co, (people are always so shocked cos I am dark - those people also assume that I play the guitar. I wish I did but I don't) I love to sing and give it my all for God!

Where Would I Be Without Your Grace? 
I'd Be Lost Without Your Grace 
How Could I Live Without Your Grace? 
The Life That I Have Is By Your Grace... 
I Am Free, I'm Forgiven 
By Your Work At Calvary 
You Gave Me A Life Worth Living 
Now The Chains Are Broken 
Chains Are Broken 
I Am Saved By Grace 
Love Abounding, Mercy Found Me 
I Am Saved By Grace 
And I Have Life And It's Only By Your Grace 

SAVED BY GRACE - ISRAEL HOUGHTON

Well I started this blog saying that "life has been fairly mundane to say the least. I have worked, mum'd, wife'd, church'd as per usually" However I realise now that that statement is incorrect.

Last weekend our Church celebrated 5 years planted in HB (!! we're here to see this region saved!!) and Services were 'off the hook' - True Story. I love it when God shows up in force - you know the kind, you're doing what you do, minding your own business and then God VISITS. And not just a call in to say hello visit but a shoes off, on the couch with a cuppa visitation. Phenomenal seems an underwhelming description. I was in awe.

We also enjoyed a lovely wedding. Ceremony was held in a gorgeous historically protected church, reception was at Mission Estate Winery, and (without exaggeration) the food was... lip smackingly delicious. I won't go into it, drool is not good for the keyboard! Many, many congratulations to the newlyweds -  Mr and Mrs Williams!!

Today, I am tired. And feeling poorly. And maybe even feeling a little sorry for myself. I have spent my afternoon doing.... nothing really. I have been sitting on the floor in the lounge, moving if I could feel my butt going to sleep. I have read things, and watched things, listened to things, ignored things (like the telephone) I have pondered, again, my Saviour. And life's direction and what determines it. I have pondered my immaturities and my lack of grace in the light of God's abundance of it. I have considered what revelation is to me. 

What it means for me and to me. 

And, with pins and needles in my leg, God revealed to me how 'thankfulness' is a choice. And He has poured His love on me. In my snubbing of friends, with my 'can't be bothered' attitude. 

I wept. I was embarrassed. I was sorry. So with humility, my evening's prayer is this:

I love You, Lord. 

Thank you for salvation.

Thank you for hope.

Thank you for vision.

Thank you for purpose.

Thank you for friendship.

Thank you for rest.

Thank you for joy.

Thank you for loving others as You would love us.

Thank you for honour, God.

I thank You that we can stand on the truth of your Word which declares that

...those who trust in the Lord will find new strength.
      They will soar high on wings like eagles.
   They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.

Amen.

Amazing Grace

Ha! I am so far behind the times - have tonight heard Chris Tomlin sing Amazing Grace and love the bridge which states:

"My chains are gone

I've been set free

My God, My Saviour 

has ransomed me

And like a flood

His mercy reigns

Unending love

Amazing Grace"

(sigh) it is always so good to be reminded of Gods grace and love.

I heard those words and just thought "YUSS! That is me."

Pretty cool, hey.

So today is day 16 of a 21 day Daniel Fast and at lunch I was asked

"So what has God been saying to you?"

My immediate response was "Nothing. I don't know." followed quickly by "I'm sure He's been saying stuff..."

It made me wonder, in all seriousness, how do I define how I hear God? How do any of us define how we hear God?

Roughly nine years ago, PB and I were sitting in a connect group with about 20 other people, we both turned to each other at the same time and said

"We need to get married." Without a doubt, that was God. We had a son together, had been on and off dating over a three year period, we were friends but not a couple at the time and yet exactly the same moment in chorus shared the same thought. We married three months later and we were BLESSED!! The church, the reception venue, the band, the cars, the photographer, everything fell into it's perfect place. God confirming His voice.

Happened again moving to Hawkes Bay. Though I have missed my family immensely, it has only highlighted that I am where God wants me to be.

So, today, 16 of 21 days of Daniel fasting and I am asking again,

"What have you for me , Lord?"

Well

Oh. Have a listen to this. Magic. Sara Bareilles

Well. So far so good Blog World.

I am enjoying it - an online journal of sorts. I don't do a regular journal actually, but I like that I have time to edit and I feel like I'm doing something at a keyboard, as opposed to sitting with a notebook, tapping my pen on the desk.

Anyway - will spend my evening reading what others have to say I think.

RB

ps - hours later now, I have loved what I have read (in between cleaning house) 

Wanted to thank you all for sharing.

I Hope I Never - Split Enz

I love this song. I can't fault it. 

It is beautifully written and composed and sung. Faultless. Even the re-recording with NZSO and Annie Crummer is incredibly done. Even seeing Tim Finn wearing eye shadow and lipstick doesn't put me off

Please allow me to share with you.

I fall apart when you're around
When you're here, I'm nowhere
I can't pretend that I'm not down
I show it I know it
I've been a fool - more than once, more than twice
I'm gonna move to a new town where the people are nice

I hope I never, I hope I never have to sigh again
I hope I never, I hope I never have to cry again
I still want to beam and smile
Happiness is back in style yeah
I hope I never, I hope I never have to see you again
Again, oh oh oh oh

It should be possible I know
To see you without stress
But I can see I'll have to go
I'm changing my address
My urge to cry I have failed to conceal
Life it's no fun when your haunted by things that you feel

I hope I never, I hope I never have to sigh again
I hope I never, I hope I never have to cry again
I'm for living while you can
I'm an optimistic man
I hope I never, I hope I never have to see you again
Again, oh oh oh oh...

I hope I never
I hope I never
I hope I never, never, never...

I hope I never, I hope I never have to see you again

Again.


I know. Lyrically it is a little bit of a downer, but I think it displays the writers heart every single time. There's none of the "...you hurt me so I'm gonna sleep with your best friend" tit for tat rubbish, it's just... sore...just heartache


Do you think sometimes we have forgotten what heartache is? Nowadays it seems about revenge.
Have we taken it too far with sayings such as "Build a bridge and get over it" or "Here's a teaspoon of cement so you can harden up"
Are we building generations of people "with baggage"?
Is it the foundation stone for the addictions so prevalent in our Youth?
Do they bury their hurt under alcohol? Under drugs? Do they try to scrub it away with promiscuity?


I wanna see a generation rise who KNOW who they are. Who know where they come from. A generation that lifts not just their peers but their elders, their communities.
A generation that causes change to happen. But from the inside.... out.

Today I break my fast.

So it is day six of twenty one of The Daniel Fast

(Dan 1:12-14 "Please test your servants for ten days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink. Then compare our appearance with that of the young men who eat the royal food, and treat your servants in accordance with what you see.") 

and I find myself at the kitchen bench making pavlova! This is not some random act by any means, but the results of my own pushiness!! I invited myself (I have a habit of this) to my workmates for dinner, insisting that he make BBQ Spare Ribs (care of BBQ Pit Boy) (drag to 5.18 for a close up) and I offered to make potato salad and pav. Little did I know we (as a Church) were about to be going into a Daniel Fast!! That'll teach me though. So, I break my fast today for the ribs I demanded, while my husband (quite happily actually) soldiers on. 


The Daniel Fast has been incredibly enlightening and a fantastic topic of discussion. I have loved hearing about all the food friends have enjoyed. I think it has been a blessing though many were anticipating significant struggle. Coffee seems to be the strongest habit people have fought to break. We have had some fun with a Vegan Cooking Class and again enjoyed some seriously good food! 


I sincerely Bless the Lord! It is a pleasure to see friends so happy while denying themselves!!

Distinction

2010 is for me.

Inspired by family who survive sickness, loss, struggle, battles... 


I recognise now that I come from a generation of Overcomers. A lineage of Conquerors. So I'll walk in it. Claiming it, I'm declaring it is MINE 
This is my year for Breakthrough, the year where nothing is held back.


Isaiah 45

 ¹ "This is what the LORD says to his anointed,
       to Cyrus, whose right hand I take hold of
       to subdue nations before him
       and to strip kings of their armor,
       to open doors before him
       so that gates will not be shut:
 ² I will go before you
       and will level the mountains ^[a] ;
       I will break down gates of bronze
       and cut through bars of iron.
 ³ I will give you the treasures of darkness,
       riches stored in secret places,
       so that you may know that I am the LORD,
       the God of Israel, who summons you by name.
 ⁴ For the sake of Jacob my servant,
       of Israel my chosen,
       I summon you by name
       and bestow on you a title of honor,
       though you do not acknowledge me.
 ⁵ I am the LORD, and there is no other;
       apart from me there is no God.
       I will strengthen you,
       though you have not acknowledged me,
 ⁶ so that from the rising of the sun
       to the place of its setting
       men may know there is none besides me.
       I am the LORD, and there is no other.
 ⁷ I form the light and create darkness,
       I bring prosperity and create disaster;
       I, the LORD, do all these things.


I'll pursue the Fathers heart, that my spoken word and unspoken thought would be pleasing in His sight.