An Unexpected Christmas Gift!

Hey guys....well the big day has come and nearly gone....and today was even better than I expected! I havent been "in the Christmas spirit" for a few years now, i think working in retail has done that to me, but this year at the last minute I found myself warming to the idea of spending time with my father in law and then on Saturday heading to Mum's for the weekend. But this morning we got a phonecall we didnt expect...Pa's friend Helen was very upset, she had been told by her daughter who she loves dearly NOT to come over for Christmas, and naturally this made Helen distraught somewhat specially since she loves her grandkids so...so Pa asked if he could bring her out. Of course I said come on round, which they did, and believe me having another woman to joke and laugh with over a bottle of champers was NOT a stretch in the least! LOL

I was struck as the afternoon went on how sad it all was....when she spoke of her grandkids she did so with such love, and with such hurt, and it made me think about all those years my mother didnt have her daughter for Christmas. Life is so short, and its times like today you remember...the times when you laughed, and joked, and smiled with eachother. The real joy of Christmas time is not in the presents but in the present you give of yourself to others.....and today I was able to give of myself in a very real way to a lady who would otherwise have been home alone on Christmas day! It was by far more of a blessing to us than it could have been to her, and it made the whole day even more enjoyable and special.

If you're reading this, take a few moments to thank God for the people in your life that love you....your fathers and mothers, mothers in laws and fathers in laws, sisters brothers grandkids etc.....treasure the time you have with them. Relish in it, and then thank God that you have a relationship with those people where you CAN spend time with them. Some people are not that fortunate......

Merry Christmas everyone!

Pam :D

In the beginning......

When I was a little girl, one of my favourite movies was "The Sound of Music"....and Julie Andrews was my hero! When she would start singing Doh Re Mi I would know every single word and intonation. There is a profound truth where at the beginning of the song she says "let's start at the very beginning...a very good place to start!" It's true, the beginning is where we should start with all things, and getting to know God is no exception.

The other day I started a new study guide, and the first lesson was on Genesis 1. It is incredible the amount of knowledge we can glean from the very first chapters of the bible. And the best part is everything we learn about God is as current now as it was at the beginning of the world, because God never changes! First of all we learn that God already existed before the world did. Its impossible for us to comprehend such an amazing fact, because we have brains that are finite. The bible warns us to "lean not on your own understanding" and states throughout that God's ways are above our ways. BUT, the good news is God has placed "eternity in our hearts" so that while we dont understand with our minds, we know instinctively within our hearts that it is true. The second thing we learn is that God is in control. Not just of us as people, but in control of every single element. He commands the light, the waters, the earth's rotation and orbit, every single thing so that He could create the universe exactly how He wanted it to be. That kind of power is truly mind boggling, and I know I stand in awe of that kind of ability! But there is also great comfort in knowing that God is all powerful. Our little woes and cares may seem HUGE in our own eyes, but in reality when you stack them up against the existence of the universe they're not so big! In fact, they're so temporary that in comparison with eternity they are NOTHING! God can handle ANYTHING we throw at Him and infinately more because He knows us INTIMATELY! He created us, and He knows our innermost workings.

Take a watchmaker as an example. A watch is a surprisingly complex piece of machinery that often we take for granted, but there is amazing workings going on inside. The watchmaker who made that watch knows each little individual part intimately.....how it works and what each piece is meant to do. So, when something goes wrong with the watch, the watchmaker can figure out which piece is not doing its part, and either replace or repair it back to working order again. So it is the same with God.....if there is something wrong with us, spiritually or physically, God knows what needs to happen. If we're struggling with something spiritual God knows how to either replace that part of our lives or repair it to working order, and if there's something wrong physically God knows how to get us help or give us strength to deal with the problem. In fact, there is noone more qualified to deal with our problems than the one who created everything! BUT, the catch is, just like the owner of the watch has to hand it over to the watchmaker for repair, so we must also hand our lives over to the creator of all things to make right.

If you haven't given ur problems to the maker of the world, perhaps now is the time?

Where are you going?

Hello everyone who could be bothered reading this! As someone who tries to see a little bit of God in everything around me, I thought I'd start documenting my observations.....perhaps I'll turn these into a series of communion messages one day :D I hope you enjoy, I will add to these as often as I feel inspired!

Today's post is titled Where are you going?

Before I quit my job at big w, I was at my checkout when a lady came through one day wearing a black t shirt that said "Im going nowhere". What a sad statement!!! I was so close to pulling this lady aside and asking if she really felt like that, because why else would someone make a statement like that on their t shirt for the world to see right??? I mean, I know, its just a t shirt, but its a message she's not just projecting to the world but to herself also. I learnt at university about things called "self fulfilling prophecies"....no their not a myth, its a psychological fact! As part of a psychology unit I did, we seriously were taught that as you think, so shall you act because our behaviours are manifested first in our thoughts. I wondered after seeing this lady's t shirt where her thought patterns really were! Why did she wear that t shirt? Did someone GIVE her the shirt or did she buy it for herself, and if someone else bought it for her do they really think that too???

The truth is, whether we like it or not we're all going somewhere. Our decisions in our lives are carving out a path for us and the results can be positive or negative. Even if you feel like you're moving backwards you're still moving. Even if you feel like your stuck in a meaningless existence time still ticks on and whether you know it or not you're headed into one of two results - heaven or hell. Jesus says "I am the way, the truth and the life. Noone comes to the Father except through me" John 14:6. So I guess my question becomes are you following Jesus' way? The bible says that the gate is narrow and few find it (Matthew 7:13)...will you be one of the few that keeps the faith? How do we know that we're walking with Jesus you may ask? in 1 John 2:3 we find the answers....

"Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments."


So.....where are you going today?