Jehovah Jireh

ok, so I havn't blogged in an extremely long time, but I really can't avoid doing a wee bit this morning as im sitting in work with absolutely nothing to do. Pretty sweet considering it is a Friday.

Ive had the words Jehovah Jireh ringing in my ears for the Last few weeks. I need a constant reminder these days that 'God is my Provider', for some reason I think i forgot it somewhere along the line. Thankfully, recently God in all his Fullness has been making it more clear to me.

Id like to tell a little story.......Don't ask me how but I managed to find myself working in an insurance company for 3 years, but I did. A job I hated, but just couldnt seem to escape. I wanted more than anything to do something more rewarding and interesting, despite many job interviews I just couldnt seem to get anything else. Its difficult to get into work with young people with a Law degree. Anyways, people kept telling me that God does things in His own time, unfortunately I really began to doubt. Then One Monday back in December I arrived into work and thought "this week I will find a job". I wasnt sure whether to embrace the thought, and believe that God was speaking to me, or if it was just false hope. Anyways, that very day I saw a perfect job advertised - A position in a children's charity, working with vunerable young people. I filled in the application that night and by the Friday I had an interview date.

I was so excited, because for the first in a long time I had heard God speak clearly, I realised that God did want the best for me and that His timing is perfect. I also believed that we have to be in the right season for things to happen. Following interview I was told that I was first on the reserve list. I started to doubt God as I really believed the job was for me and i was like what the flip, how come I didnt get it. A few days later it was confirmed that I had infact got the job.

t was amazing how quickly i went from, confidence in God, to doubting God, to confidence in God. God will do things in his own time and at the best and right time for you. Its difficult to wait,but it is worth it. So often as Christians we think life is all about sacrifice, but it is also very much about receiving from God. God will speak, He will Bless you and when he does live in the Joy of receiving His Blessings!!! Accept them!

If you think God is about to provide for you then be confident about it, this means taking a risk, getting out of your comfort zone but look at Abraham...His only son was on the altar about to be sacrificed, to a bystander it didnt look good, but Abraham Believed God would provide!

Im excited about what God wants to do in Ireland at the minute. I believe that He wants to Bless our country but that perhaps we have become a little complacent. The recent murders of a police man and soilders reminded me that we really need to rely on God. Maybe we got a little comfortable and forgot about the need to put our country in His hands every single day! It is awful that these innocent people have died, but a positive from that sad situation is that I have been reminded of my absolute need to rely on God and have him at the centre.

Lets get excited about life and live in the Joy that God wants us to live sacrificial lives but also very blessed lives. Jehovah Jireh/My Provider!

Shoes

Before you criticise a man, walk a mile in his shoes. Then, when you criticise him, you are a mile away and you have his shoes!

I have just started a new job, and I hoe to blog about it. This however is just a short post to share the above quote. I noticed it in the men's shoe section of river island whilst working there over christmas.

India Changed my Heart

ok, extremely cheesey title, but also very true. Im not exactly sure what I brought to India, but i guess in a selfish way I took a lot from it....and im not just talking about the 10 pairs of shoes i carried home in my suitcase.

since cominh home two weeks ago, ive had that knid of nervous sick feeling in my tummy (not because of the food) but because i feel that India really had an impact on me and i want to find what that impact is...and not simply leave it! Its affected me in two ways....

1, Ive got up everyday and thought about the three year old premature baby who lay on a hard floor and seemd to have received very little medical treatment. Unfortunately I can't say ive curtailed all my spending since I came back, but I have thought about how my money could help somewhere else.

2, Ive thought about the simple life, people who don't have lots of materialism, who don't have the pressures of making lots of money and working in a big city....but they have joy! it reminds me that 'joy is not in things, it is in us!'I have been more aware of how blessed I am- with friends, family and people who want to share their experiences with me and to hear about mine. .....that is what matters....that is community.

One of the days that we were on site in India, a man told us to go round to another house and help his neighbour move bricks, because his neighbour needed the help more than he did at that particular time.....isn't that how we should be living; sacrificial lives.

There were 11 people in the team, and we travelled to Bangalore to see another country and to make a difference. We have really brilliant times together, brilliant banter, briliant chats, we sang just about every song we know on site and we even had a wee mud bath one day...girls only! It was good to be able to listen to one another and to learn from each other. Whilst we had different views on Religion, I think that we were all united in the Belief of one GOD. Surrounded by Hindu Temples and people sacrificing what they had to idol gods.....how could we not have come away with a stronger faith in the God of the Bible, God the amazing creator.

One of the team said during devotions that just as the sun rises over India and Ireland, so does the same God look down upon us. Its amazing that each person we met in the rural tribal village in Bangalore, are know by God. I can't remember their names, I can't tell poeple about every person I met in India but God knows each of them as much as he knows me.

when Bono was speaking about women in Africa, he said "when it comes to the time to write the history of this, it will be their names that will be important, not mine"

I suppose thats what we gave to India, the same as what they gave back ...LOVE..Love that cares for others more than ones self. each person in our team had various views on various things, but i feel that we were united in the fact that we were in India to care more about others than we do about ourselves.

On the final day we had a service with the whole community. We had worked with 3 different families and each family took it in turn to thank us. One man, who we called George, got up in front of the crowd. He was so grateful but he didnt use big flowery words, he quietly said thankyou and his eyes said it all. George was the father of the premature baby, he was a hard worker, and whilst he hadnt worked on his new house in 5 months, habitat gave him the encouragement to get back into it. On the morning of the commissioning service George was working away at his house, he put a clean shirt over his dirty t-shirt to say his thanks to us, but it wasnt long before he was back to the dirty t-shirt and getting on with his house. On that final day we arrived on site in our good clothes, nice and clean for the farewell service, but i hope that my desire will always be to get my hands dirty, put on my old clothes and help others out.
As part of that service a few of the girls danced for us, one of them had the word "Love" on her t-shirt...Jonny the team leader finished by reading from 1 Corinthians 13

Love is Patient, Love is Kind, It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes always perseveres.

Love never fails!

God Sees, God hears, God Knows, He is The 'I am' The beginning and end......He's my everything

The past few weeks have been quite hectic. However, In the midst of it all Ive began reading 'God on Mute' by Pete Greig. The book has encouraged me to look at prayer, in a whole new way. Coinciding nicely with that ive also just started a module at Belfast Bible college on 'The Lords Prayer' . You may have noticed my fustration in the posting below, but I am determined to take my questions on prayer further....As I read about Prayer I am beginning to be reminded about why I love God, He draws me even when I don't want to be drawn. I praise God for being so interested in my life.
I want to leave you with this short section from 'The Magician's Nephew' C.S Lewis Chronicles of Narnia(and brought to my attention by Pete Greig)t
Digory's mother is dying and he dares to ask Aslan, The lion for help. When Digory first asks the Lion for help the Lion appears to ignore him. Then Digory plucks up the courage to ask again.

"But please, please, won't you, can't you give me something that will cure my mother?"Up till then he had been looking at the Lion's great feet and the huge claws on them, now in despair he looked up at its face. What he saw surprised him more than anything in his whole life. For the tawny face was bent down near his own and Great shinning tears stood in the lion's eyes'

His prayer's remained on answered but he knew that the great Lion cared (pete greig)

Rooted deep within my being I know that God cares, I know that He is hurting too, I know that He suffered the ultimate Pain, and He knows what it means to suffer........For some reason in the midst of unanswered prayer I believe in God, I am strengthened in my desire to pray more...and finally I pray that we as a community of Christians will be strengthened in our Belief
'I believe, but please Lord help my unbelief'

Hurricane Ivan

This is a short post. Ive been on a three day long hen weekend, im tired and I need to go to bed! Im simply posting a thought ive been having recently and hoping that I will expand on it.

When God answers our prayers we praise Him and give thanks for His faithfulness, but what about when we don't seem to see answers to our prayers. Theres the day's that go brilliantly and on the tip of our tongue all day long is'praise the Lord' - but what about the days that dont go so well? to what extent is God in controll of what I do each day and to what extent am I in controll? I will probably not be able to provide the answers for you on blogger.com but we all need to think about these questions.

I read an interesting wee article on the hurricane that was heading for Jamacia. Did God decide to save Jamacia? Where the prayers of Jamacia answered when the prayers of other countries have not been? I think of the children's song 'God controls the wind and stars and rain and snow' (ive got the words wrong, but its along those lines!

this is the link http://www.golocaljamaica.com/readarticle.php?ArticleID=3458

Coming of the Holy Spirit 'Pentecost'

I often forget about Pentecost...... Then I read Acts this morning and was blown away

I spent last week at Castlewellan Holiday Week. It is a week for families who want to spend time with other christians and who also like to wear welly boots and parade around in mud...sounds attractive I know...

I spent the week working with 15 year olds and was totally amazed by their desire to connect with God and grow deeper in their relationship. God is good, He is doing an absolutely amazing work among these young people.

We spent the week teaching the youth how to connect with God through worship, 'destination worship' I found that as I made myself worship, in order to set an example to the kids, God shocked me once again and with revelations of His Spirit in my own life.

We got up early (from our 5* Hotel..a la tent) and spent time time sitting by the lake taking in God's awesome creation. As I looked out on the lake I was reminded that God has given us His Holy Spirit to give us the strength to face any situation. Like a might Eagle soaring across the lake ..that is the power that is within us. I also realised the importance of daily renewal of God's Spirit...

On one occasion during the week the speaker(Andy Frost) asked a boy to take off his shoes so that he could demonstrate the story where Jesus washes the disciple's feet.

Andy covered the boy's feet in dirt, when asked how it felt, the boy answered "weird"

Andy washed the boys feet, when asked how it felt, the boy answered "weird"

Andy asked the boy, how he thought the diciples would have felt when they had their feet washed, the boy answered "weird"........at the time I thought deflated story...does this child know no other word than weird..

I have thought about that word since and that one word has spoke to me a lot.... being a christian is weird! God wants to fill us with His spirit, He wants to enable us to do incredible things beyond our own imagine...He wants us to accept His Spirit freely, receiving God's spirit is a little bit weird...but it is what strengthens us, what helps us connect with Him, it is what enables us to live in a world of Sin.

I have learnt that I need to take time out to let God's spirit fill the void in my life. Now and again is not enough, God wants to fill us up daily, and if we let Him, Just imagine what can be achieved.

Community continued...

A reflexion of the Newtownards Rd community on the 11th July.

The bonfire certainly brought a lot of people together...its just a pitty it wasnt a celebration of love for our neighbours across the interface