He's calling out to you...are you going to listen?

Everywhere we look and listen lately there seems to be another devastating event in our world. Earthquakes, bushfires, tsunamis, landslides, war, hurricanes...you name it, you are sure to have seen/heard it frequently in the last 12 months. Alot of people have been asking, what is going on? Why is this happening? These people deserve a break - when will 'Mother Nature' let go? Is it the end times?

I believe we have been in the 'end times' for quite some time now. But i dont believe it is something to be afraid about. These events are awful and each time a new one is broadcast, it sends shivers down our spines. It brings fear into our hearts as we wonder if our family and friends are safe and ok, and as we think about the poor people who have lost everything.

But why are these events happening? 

I believe someone is trying to get our attention. For years we have ignored Him, denied Him, and gone on living our lives as the Kings of our own little worlds. He has had enough....He wants us to return to Him and recognise that He is God of all  - He gave us life and He can take it away. He wants us to lean on Him and realise that we are here for a purpose, we arent to live meaningless lives anymore. He desires us, wholeheartedly, and wants us to submit to His plan and purpose for our lives. He wants us to fall into His loving arms and rely on Him, instead of what we think is right.

God doesnt want this devastation to continue, but how else is He to get our attention? People are not listening and He is crying out to us through these events saying, when will you return to me and acknowledge me as the God of all creation? When will you call out my name and worship me, instead of the gods you so mindlessly follow? I created this world and I can destroy it, when will you learn?

Our time on this Earth is short, but there is eternal life with Christ in Heaven if we believe He is the One, holy God...if we believe He is our Saviour. There is going to continue to be more devastation, more natural disasters, and more bloodshed - it is written in His Word and it will come to pass. We should not fear this but instead continue to fast and pray for those that dont know Him, that they might give their lives over to Him for He is the one who can provide us with comfort, love and compassion. He is gracious and provides our every need. We dont need to fear.

He wants to carry our cross for us....when will you hand yours over to Him and walk in the light?
He is calling out for you....what will it take for you to listen?

Much love

Revelation 3:19-20

Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent. Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.

I cannot believe how quickly time slips by...we are almost in March and it has been awhile since my last blog...tut tut!

Since my last post, a lot has happened for us! I mentioned how God was teaching us the importance of tithing and being obedient, and so last week we took the plunge and restarted our tithings. The second it was done, I felt a weight lift off my shoulders...God is so good!

Leading up to that day, one thing after the next had been going wrong. Money was tight, unexpected bills aka: speeding fines :( had been coming in, plans we had made werent working out...it just seemed everything was crashing down around us. I felt this was the last straw and God just pleading with us to hand it all over to Him...they arent our finances to control, so to speak.

We have managed to get a budget underway (praise GOD!) as budgeting has been something we have struggled with understanding in the past. It has finally made sense to us both now and we have some really good boundaries set in place!

Some of the things we cut out of our budget for the short-term (to get on top of things) were clothing and alcohol (eg. wine and beer)! A few days after we begun tithing again, we had a little surprise delivery from our next door neighbours...completely out of the blue. At our door in a bag they had left us 15 bottles of white wine, of all different sorts! They no longer wanted them as they drink beer instead of wine....so they thought we would appreciate them more! DO we ever!!! :)

I also went to visit 2 of my gorgeous friends on Saturday and 1 of them had a whole bag of clothes she was about to throw away. She asked me to go through them, if I wanted, to take anything that I might like! We are the same size and the clothes are lovely - and such a blessing!!

We have been blessed financially as well which will mean that with a bit of extra work we should be able to enjoy our trip to the UK in May!!

I just know that our God is looking out for us! It is amazing how much He cares for us and our interests...He simply calls us to be obedient to His word and trust in His perfect plan!

Matthew 6:33

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

Flat out...

This phrase just doesn’t even do justice to my past few weeks!

Uni has kicked back in, as of Monday! Its exciting, but right now is a lot on my plate! I am doing 2 units again this Semester, whilst working full-time in the City! BIG load...but I know ill be ok :) Work has also been flat out lately...a lot is going on in our little team which has been calling for me to work through my lunch breaks! Craziness...when I am usually so light on work! But, it is nice to have the day zoom by quickly in the office for a change!

I haven't even had time to think about updating my blog, and it has been a mission to sit down and actually spend some quiet time with Him, but I have managed to keep on top of that, which I am thankful for! Satan has been throwing everything possible in my direction to try and knock me off my feet and get me distracted and overwhelmed by everything, but I wont let him get a foothold of me anymore! Yesterday morning, I was doing really well with my time management. I was up, dressed and ready, dogs had been fed, kitchen cleaned and plants watered. It was 7:10am, and I usually leave by 7:30am, which meant I had 20 mins quiet time and I was off to work. I was just putting finishing touches on my hair when I spotted a spider, near my neck, under my dress! I flipped out! To make matters worse, the dress I had on was a button-up number with a little belt around it, making it very difficult to rip it off me in a quick manner! I stripped right down and was flailing my arms and legs everywhere - and thrashing my hair to make sure if that spider was still on me, it would have a difficult time hanging on! After checking that the spider was no longer on me, and wringing my clothes in my hands to make sure if it was still in there, it would be squished - the time was about 7:30am! The first thing that came to mind was, "I am not letting you take away my quiet time, just because of a spider...if that’s the worst you can do, try me!" Ha!

This verse gave me some strength to continue pushing through when times are tough and when I am running late and out of time for my quiet time! He always rewards me when I sit down and listen to Him, so I wont let Satan get ahead of me on this one!

Phillipians 3:12-14
Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Much love

Getting my attention...

Malachi 3

Will a mere mortal rob God? Yet you rob me.

“But you ask, ‘How are we robbing you?’

“In tithes and offerings. You are under a curse—your whole nation—because you are robbing me. Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the LORD Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it. I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not drop their fruit before it is ripe,” says the LORD Almighty.“Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land,” says the LORD Almighty.

Ever get the feeling God is trying to tell you something? Get something across to you...shouting out with a big sign saying "HELLO...OVER HERE!"

Yes, well...for me it has been about this. When God calls, we should obey and answer. I came across this verse in my quiet time last week, but it is not the first time a verse on tithing, or a word about tithing has come to me. We cut back on our tithing some time ago as we were struggling to keep on top of life's many bills that were getting thrown at us left, right and centre. We still are. I look back now and think it was silly of me to cut back on the one thing that is so important...giving back what was never mine in the first place. We can whine about how it will make our lives so much easier to not pay that 10%...but when a verse like this jumps out at you, how can you ignore the fact that God wants to bless you and we are robbing him by not being diligent with our tithes.

I know this can be a touchy subject for some, and that some may frown upon me for doing this, but I am just being honest and out there about a lesson I have learnt. I feel guilty for ignoring His voice, but I know that He is wanting to bless us, wanting to make things easier and 'open the floodgates' in our lives.

Have you ever had an experience like this? When you feel God is kind of tapping His foot at you, waiting for you to answer His call? What about tithing - have you been thoroughly blessed for being persistent in giving back what was always His?

Much love

Fight or Flight...

What do you do when you get a knock to your confidence? When you start doubting things you believe so strongly in?

Do you let those doubts take over your mind and start believing them? Or...do you work to fight back against them and stand strong for what you so strongly feel for?

Fight or flight....

Some days I feel like taking flight...just giving in and letting it all go. Returning to a "normal" life where the days just pass me by and I do nothing to better myself, and nothing for His glory...Sometimes, that is easier. But as I believe I have mentioned before.... I love a challenge!

I am choosing today to fight...to continue to pray and overcome, to continue to believe that I am on the right path and that my desires are His desires also.

1 Timothy 6:12

Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

Are you struggling with your thoughts lately? Is there something that you believe strongly about that is being challenged? What are you doing about it?

Much love

When our plan isn't His plan...

Life can be unfair sometimes. You can be so sure of yourself that you are doing the right thing, and that 'this' is where you are meant to be. All the dots can be joined up in your mind and you can say "yep, this feels right, it will all work out". But sometimes, God has other plans...

We have been learning this over the past few years and sometimes I think God must be sitting up there shaking His head saying..."when will they ever learn!!!" He is understanding, of course, and through it all, He is speaking to us. He gives us subtle hints of where He wants us and calls us forward, saying "Come to me...come on! Just a few more baby steps and then you're there!" But so often instead of keeping our eyes on Him and walking towards His plan, His purpose and His desire for our life, we can get sidetracked by things such as money, better prospects, and better offers which we can convince ourselves are what God wants for us.

Proverbs 3:5-6

Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight.

We have heard this verse many times before...it is a fantastic verse about trusting in God's plan for our lives...but sometimes, can be easier said than done. Where it says, "in all your ways submit to Him" I believe that means handing everything over to Him. Allowing Him to have control of your life, your dreams, your goals, your plans, your job, your finances...everything. He calls us to do this, and when we do, He will guide us and show us what He wants for us. It's almost as though He wants us to make Him the sole focus of our lives, instead of spending our time and effort and thoughts on planning out what we want for our life...and when we do focus on Him and delve into His word, it is then that He will reveal His good plan to us.

Some other verses I came upon are below which I think capture this issue really well and provide comfort to those that are going through a similar thing. If you are struggling with something, or if there is something you have been praying for, or trying to attain and it just hasn’t come to pass, perhaps take a step back and spend some quiet time with God. Really listen to what He has to say to you and ask for the ears to hear His voice...perhaps He is trying to show you the path you are meant to be on, but you don’t even realise it!

Proverbs 16:9

In their hearts humans plan their course,
but the LORD establishes their steps.

Psalm 32:8

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.

Psalm 37:4-5,7

Take delight in the LORD,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Commit your way to the LORD;
trust in him and he will do this:
Be still before the LORD
and wait patiently for him;

Much love

A productive weekend...

I don't actually know where the time went this weekend...it seemed to be over before I knew it! But..that's quite alright with me...we got alot done in our little house! :)

On Friday evening, I went with a friend from work to visit one of the secretaries in hospital who had just given birth to a baby girl! I was hanging out for a cuddle, but I dont like to ask...I just wait to see if the mother offers! This time, I got a hold! I felt so blessed...and as it turns out, this was the first newborn baby I have ever held! Was such a special experience...something I will never forget!

Saturday saw hubby off to work for the day, so I set out to clean the house! I got most of it done, just didnt get a chance to mop the floors!!! I did, however, get distracted on Gumtree and had a look around and to my surprise found a GORGEOUS tree...for FREE...and still available! :) I spoke to hubby and he was happy to go and get it with me, if it is something i really wanted! BOY OH BOY was it! :) I have been looking for a big tree for the back garden for quite some time, but never found one cheap enough...let alone FREE!

It was advertised as a 4 metre Chinese Elm Tree..little did we know, it was more like 6 metres! Unfortunately, we dont have a car with a towball, so we had to borrow a car from our good friends...in exchange for some mangoe beer and my expert advice on gumtree ;) We then had to hire a trailer and then we were on our way! We set off at about 6:30pm to pick this up...a 40 minute drive away!

When we arrived, we were kind of overtaken by the sheer size of this thing! Luckily, it had already been pulled out of the ground! That's one of the hard parts out the way! The next, was getting the massive thing into a 8x5 caged trailer! The owner of the tree and his son were LOVELY! They helped hubby the whole time, whilst I stood watching, helpless! The whole process took about an hour...and my goodness it was lengthy hour. I was getting some awesome glares from hubby saying "you owe me big time!!!". They tried every possible means to get the mega tree into the trailer! The final success was using a ratchet system, hacking off a HECK of alot of the branches [*tear*] and using alot of manly muscle! [I do wish i had photos of this whole process, but it was a very 'testing' time in our relationship and had i used a camera during this process, i would most likely have been walking home by myself, treeless!!!!] hehe

 The trailer full of branches chopped off :(

We then had to manoeuvre this monstrous tree in the trailer, down the backstreets all the way home [trying to avoid getting pulled over by cops at the same time]! We both shot up some quick prayers that the tree wouldnt (a) fall off the trailer, as there would be no way to get it back on with just the both of us, and (b) that it wouldnt attract unwanted attention from cops wanting to charge us for an oversized load!!!

When we made it home, we then had to figure out how to get the tree off the trailer, onto our lawn so we could return the trailer and car! This is another story in itself, involving car alarms being set off, roads being blocked and little nissan pulsars attempting to pull the tree up our hill! We did it though....just me and my man, returned the trailer and the car and made it to bed about midnight....utterly exhausted! We didnt even want to think about how we were going to get the tree out the back to plant it...for now, sleep was all we cared about! [It was also a freezing night so my lips ended up CHAPPED as and i was frozen to a crisp, still wearing my shorts and tank top from earlier in the day...]

Sunday saw us move the tree to the backgarden and plant it! We enlisted help from 2 of our WONDERFUL neighbours to get it to the back! Hubby dug the mega hole all by himself, whilst i did grocery shopping and then we both put the tree in together! I HEART IT VERY MUCH and look forward to decorating my pretty little tree with lights and lanterns soon....stay tuned! :)

I managed to bake my first ever banana bread this afternoon too...courtesy of Retromummy's recipe! It turned out divine!! My sister and her partner dropped in to say hello and we helped them find a stand for their new fish tank....on gumtree of course! :)

I baked a yummy chicken, asparagus pasta bake off a taste.com recipe which was delicious!! And then, i created this Bus Roll...after being inspired by many a blog out there!

This took no time at all to make...i HEART it and the little key there I found today too!

PHEW! I am ready for next weekend already...just to recover!
 
How did you all spend your weekends?

Much love