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Another Debdoodle – evolution makes muckups
The wierd thing is I did the scribbles over time, and only realised this morning I was expressing the words above… You also get the ‘thort for the day’ which is something that effects too many of us – and also makes God mad!!
It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones. Luke 17:2 (KJV)
Altar window during winter
So nice to have a model that will sit still long enough to get a pic nearly right! 
Easter Gifting
I invite You Jesus to be the first person to come fully into my life
– no barriers of fear of my sinful self
– for you have dissolved them.
No barriers of false fear of You
– for your death has proved Your love for me
– and has proved terror of You to be a lie.
No unneeded barriers to others
– for You are protector, and strengthener.
And the effect of Your having no barriers toward me
meant that You took all of my hurt
and my hurting of others on Yourself
– and You left it at the Cross!
Does suffering for You mean this?
That we too can be prepared to let people hurt us,
and not hate them;
not shut them out of our lives forever (though keeping a sensible distance);
that we can forgive them with Your help;
praying for them, loving them with Your love, and blessing them,
desiring still to sort things out with them
now or in the forever after?…
Then I trust you do help me dear Lord…
Colossians 1:24; Matthew 5:44; Luke 6:28; Romans 12:14;
And this week’s sermon from Michael Watson
John 20:19 ‘when the doors were shut for fear’; John 14:27
That’s what I call a ‘God-incidence’!
combined colours
“Love will not be constrained by mastery; when mastery comes, the God of love at once beats his wings, and farewell — he is gone.” Chaucer. This was quoted at the Royal Wedding this week, and co-incidentally I’d been thinking deeply about the subject…
Here is more of the quote:
“Love will not be constrained by mastery; when mastery comes, the God of love at once beats his wings, and farewell — he is gone. Love is a thing as free as any spirit; women naturally desire liberty, and not to be constrained like slaves; and so do men, if I shall tell the truth.”
I’d been thinking about how you can’t have love, and control (mastery)…
Truth is, you can never truly contol others and it is stressful to try (sword of Damocles); it also means you have less energy to control yourself. And it will never give you what you really need, which is love.
Some more thoughts around this subject: love is not a cistern that if you give, your store goes down – but it is a river, the more you give out, the more room you have to receive love from others.
You can give out, but love is not something you can demand from someone in return. If they have a “cistern” idea, you can only keep giving – and one day they will flow over, the walls will breakdown, and you will have a river happening. In the meantime, do not fix all your focus on one person, this is unwise, unhealthy, unfulfilling. Do not obey someone who asks this, for they do not do it for love of you, and you should protect yourself from harm.
Marriage is about enjoyment, but even more, it is about sharing and caring, supporting and accepting each other – this is the kind of love that lasts, and it requires discipline, not feelings… They will come from a relationship where there is trust, acceptance and respect.
See ourselves as fluffy balls that will grab each other and shape to each other – when these things that join us work well. To short circuit this process for momentary enjoyment is detrimental to respect and self-control, and dangerous to our soul, because we don’t know that we will be wanting to tear away from that person, and if the hooks are in deep, this can be painfully damaging to us.
Relationships can grow deeper, and enjoyment increase if we take time and care, recognising that each wedding deserves huge celebration! And as we mature, we will have love to share with others, at work, at recreation, and into our children.
Children do not belong to us, but with us. They are not our slaves, nor are we theirs. Loving them means protecting, providing for, and training them. It means accepting them as they are, and respecting them as unique creations, with a purpose for their lives which we are priviledged to help them find.
The Journey to God
I start wondering if God may exist
I do some reading and talking to find out about God
I learn that Jesus Christ was God’s son and was sent to save me somehow
I discover that he was killed on a Roman cross though he deserved no punishment
I understand that his punishment was enough to pay for all the things people have done wrong
I understand that if I want to be right with God, I will have to believe that he did this to cover my sins
I admit that I do need this, that I have done wrong
I talk to God, and ask for forgiveness, for Jesus death to cover my wrongs
I receive forgiveness, and see how this affects me in my thoughts and feelings
I see that I am now God’s friend and am thankful, and I want to be with His other friends, and learn more about Him, I think about showing this by being baptised in water, as Jesus was.
I want to tell other people I know what has happened to me, and how it has made me feel, and that I believe God loves and cares for me, and all people. Sometimes they listen.
I grow in my faith and begin to read God’s book, and I notice that my desires change, I want to love God more, and others, and myself – and I do act more lovingly.
I discover that God wants to give me more power to do right, and help others, and ask to be filled with more of His Spirit.
I see that God has work for me to do specially, and begin to ask Him what He planned for me to do, and how I can get ready for this.
I become a disciple – and seek to live and act in the manner Jesus did, for God, and for others, as well as myself.
NO STRESS CHRISTIAN
Try and ‘be good’
our culture says
we can and should
be good – it says
To that aim we add
the obvious goal of Godliness
“Be ye perfect” the Bible says
and we strive with all our mightiness
But we fail and self-condemn
the world it mocks and blames
Nothing we show to hope in
for relief from guilt and shame
from fear and hate and harm
like them we play the game
we look to them the same
no faith is shown in Jesus’ Name!
Where did we get skewed?
“Be perfectly good” is not our goal
But love and be mature
Read and hear that’s what we’re told
mercy and grace is where we rest
to lean on Him and do our best
unafraid, we run to Him
When upset of sad or stressed
Yes Lord…
Learning new things on Photoshop!
South across the river
Living Jewel
“Why do you want me God? And fell asleep tired from the intensity of my thoughts and yearnings. As I awoke, a picture came into my mind – a figure – me? – bent over something in my hand – something that was sparkling with living light. I was taking it to give to God. I understood that it was love.
Today:
“God, why would you want me?!
In my sin and foolishness?
Because of love,
You and me and all of us”
John 3:16 “God so loved the world…”
“Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” 1 Cor. 2:9-12 NKJV
“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.” John 13:34 (NKJV)
+ John 15:12. 17; Romans 13:8; ! Thess. 4:9; 1 Peter 1:22; 1 John 3:11,23; 4:7, 11-12; 2 John 1:5
