Living To Please God

My Antidote to Discouragement & UK Fellowship Friday

2012-02-24T06:00:00.001Z

A couple of weeks ago I realised that I was getting discouraged almost every day, which in turn made me feel even more down! The reason being that I kept failing to get done even half of what I wanted to do. I think the biggest discouraging thing to me is that the house seems to be in a permanent state of messiness and it's so hard to find the time to declutter!

During our time away in Holland I took the K.I.S.S. Guide to Organizing Your Life with me to read. There was a wonderful statement in there that has really helped me.

Working Smart: 'Say to yourself, "I cannot get it all done, but I can get the most important things done."'

That is so freeing to me, to realise I CAN'T get it all done, but I can get some of it done - the most important things. And really that is what matters.

Since my son turned 6 and I have started homeschooling in earnest I have been struggling with managing my time and fitting everything into my day, keeping the house more or less tidy, the laundry done, the meals cooked on time etc.

But what I've realised is that while it is good to have those goals, it's not that big a deal if the breakfast dishes don't get done till lunchtime, the laundry stays in the washing machine over night, and there is an obstacle course of toys on the floor when a visitor arrives. Because there may be more important things that need to be done at that time!

Elisabeth Elliot said that we might not be able to get everything done, but we can get God's will done each day. Sometimes when I'm feeling temperamental I think, "But how do you know what is God's will?"!

I think the first step to knowing that is to be grounded in the word of God and prayer, so that we know what God desires, and what is important to Him.

Then practically the thing that helps me the most (also from the K.I.S.S. book) is to write down a list of all the things I have to or want to do the next day and assign them priorities - A for very important, B for important, and C for not so important. Then go through the As and number them in order of priority, then the Bs and then the Cs, and try and work through them in more or less that order.

I never get them all done, but I get less sidetracked, and I can go to sleep confident that I got the most important things done :)

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UK Fellowship Friday Blog Hop

This blog hop is for Christians who live in the UK to link to a post you have recently written that might encourage other Christians.

If you join below, it would be great if you could link to this post on your blog so your readers can find the other posts in the blog hop.

Also there is an option to 'Get code' which means that if you paste the code into your own blog you can display the blog hop there. If you do this I would appreciate it if you could copy and paste the first sentence above that explains the blog hop, or just explain it yourself, so that your readers can know what it is about and whether to join in or not.

Blog Awards & UK Fellowship Friday

2012-02-09T23:00:00.001Z

Holiday Coming Up!

We are all going to the Netherlands to visit my grandma on Sunday, for a little over a week. So I will take a break from blogging. I might put the occasional one in there, but probably not!

Blog Awards

I was very blessed recently to get blog awards from two sweet bloggers. If you haven't come across these before, I think they are a bit like the e-mail chains, but a lot nicer :) I wasn't too sure what to do with it, but when I saw the encouragement it could be to others I thought I would pass it on!

Thank you Florence, from I am a Vessel of God for these lovely awards!

The original rules for accepting this award (though Florence has changed the rules to make it optional :)) are:

1. Add a picture of the award to this post.

2. Thank who nominated you.

3. Share 7 random facts about yourself.

4. Nominate 15 other Bloggers and inform those 15 they have been nominated.

And then I got this beautiful one:

Thank you Tracy, from My daily walk in His grace!

The rules for accepting this award are

1. Share 7 things about yourself

2. Pass the award to 10 other bloggers

So I'm going to combine them, and bend the rules a bit too so that you can accept the award and just do the other parts if you want to, no pressure!

7 random facts about me:

1. My favourite places in the world so far are the Welsh mountains, and the Lake District - they are so beautiful, quiet and wild!

2. I love playing the piano and singing, especially worship songs.

3. I have struggled with shyness for a long time, so although I enjoy blogging, and do it because I feel God wants me to share what He's teaching me, it is also a constant battle in my head to get past the feelings of nobody wanting or needing to hear what I have to say, and fear that I might say something foolish!

4. I was called 'Smiler' at school because I smiled so much :) I won't tell you the other names I was called!

5. I am a real bookworm. In fact I'd rather buy books than clothes, food or just about anything. I tend not to read many fiction books any more because they are too addictive and I get lost in them and shirk my responsibilities.

6. My favourite books to read are missionary biographies, devotional books (the good old meaty and very challenging kind) and books about practical Christian living.

7. I can't make myself go to a gym because I hate the thought of rowing in a fake boat when I could be out on a lake, cycling on an exercise bike when I could be feeling the wind in my hair, and running on a treadmill staring at a wall when I could be looking at beautiful scenery! Unfortunately I don't get to do many of those right now because of having to be at home for the kids, but maybe one day...

I'm passing the awards on to these great blogs

Please don't feel any pressure to go with the rules above if you don't want to, and since I have combined the two awards, you can pick whichever one you like best!

Along with recommending the two great blogs who gave me these awards, I want to pass them on to these ones. Many of them are from the UK because I think UK Christian bloggers need encouragement, and I also feel close to them since we are in the same muddy trenches! Please do pop over and encourage them with a comment if you can :)

1. Sally at I Take Joy - she will probably be far too busy to read this since she is a mother, wife, author and conference speaker, but I want to take this chance to recommend her blog. Sally writes some of the most spirit-filled close to God kind of writing that I have come across, and she is also very down to earth, gracious, wise and happy to give out practical advice.

2. Jessica at Our Family for His Glory - If you want to see some sweet children's faces to cheer your heart then her blog is the one you need :) Jessica's blog is the one I go to for ideas for bringing up my children for God, which is really my biggest goal for them.

3. Katie at Do Not Depart - Katie shares my heart for the Bible - memorising it, studying it, meditating on it and more! So I do love her blog which is so Bible centred! She is also the one that got me memorising Philippians again after many years, thanks to her tweeting about it :)

UK Bloggers

4. Anita at Dreaming Beneath the Spires - for being so thoughtful, real, helpful, inspiring and giving! She is also one of the few that I read every week because I enjoy her posts so much.

5. My mum at Jane's Threads and Treasures - OK so it's not a blog with a Christian theme which is what I usually recommend, but she is a lovely committed Christian, and I think she glorifies God with her beautiful quilting! Besides she is the sweetest person I know, so I have to give her the Irresistibly Sweet Blog Award :)

6. Shirley at Under an English Sky - Shirley is a great encourager and I also love to see what she does for homeschooling!

7. Jo at All in a Day - for her very down to earth posts about life as a Christian and the Bible!

8. Naomi at Talking Christian - for being very real and transparent online, and sharing about God in a culture that has forgotten Him.

9. Chris at All about Jesus - for encouraging me, and having a wonderful blog title!

10. Caroline at The Joyful Keeper - for being a ray of sunshine in the UK, with so many great Biblical thoughts :)

11. Alison at Home Education?! You have GOT to be kidding... - for making me laugh and feel less woebegone about my homeschooling and kids-round-the-house-all-day troubles, since there is someone else who has exactly the same kind of things going on!

There are many more who I like and follow too, but it would take me too long to list all of them!

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UK Fellowship Friday Blog Hop

I would love you to link up if you live in the UK and have recently written a post about your faith that might encourage other Christians. Please link to the specific post you've written, then it will help people to find it.

If you join below, it would be good (though not required) if you could link to this post on your blog so your readers can find the other posts in the blog hop.

I would be interested in your thoughts on a couple of things. I had removed the option to get the code for the blog hop to appear on your own blog, because the requirements for entries to be from the UK and Christian would get missed out. But then I realised that I could just ask that people copy and paste them.

Also I removed the 'like' option on entries because I didn't want people who got fewer likes to feel left out! However I am open to putting both of these things back, and am interested to know what you think, so please let me know!

Have You Surrendered?

2012-02-07T06:00:00.002Z

My husband has been preaching on Romans and finally on Sunday got to the 'THEREFORE' - what our response should be to the first 11 chapters.

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. Rom 12:1

I loved it! I even took my son into créche earlier than I usually do and prayed that he would stay there and not cry so that I could hear the sermon!

Surrendering my life to God is the most exciting thing that has ever happened to me - and it still is. As my husband said, 'It is the blessed life'. It still has trials and suffering, and we have to die to ourselves.

But it has amazing joy and peace, and more real fulfillment than can be found in anything else, probably because we are growing in our love of God.

George Muller said this:

'There was a day when I died, utterly died, to George Muller and his opinions, preferences, tastes and will; died to the world, its approval or censure; died to the approval or blame of even my brethren and friends; and since then I have studied only to show myself approved unto God.'

And at the end of the day, or of life really, what could be more important than that?

I just want to encourage you, if you are holding back some of your life from God, to think of what He has done for you in sending His only Son to die for you. If we had a friend here on earth who gave that kind of sacrifice, we would forever be indebted to them. How much more then, should we want to live for God?!

Here is one of my favourite hymns, which always inspires me!

O Thou who camest from above,

the pure celestial fire to impart

kindle a flame of sacred love

upon the mean altar of my heart.

There let it for Thy glory burn

with inextinguishable blaze,

and trembling to its source return,

in humble prayer and fervent praise.

Jesus, confirm my heart's desire

to work and speak and think for Thee;

still let me guard the holy fire,

and still stir up Thy gift in me.

Ready for all Thy perfect will,

my acts of faith and love repeat,

till death Thy endless mercies seal,

and make my sacrifice complete.

Charles Wesley

Linking up with Soli Deo Gloria, Sharing His Beauty and On Your Heart Tuesdays

The Dangers of Questioning the Bible & UK Fellowship Friday

2012-02-02T23:17:00.004Z

I was referred to a post by a well-known Christian blogger this week, which was about how she felt that the slippery slope of questioning the Bible, though it led to more questions, was OK because her faith is more alive now.

While I'm not attacking her personally, I really have to challenge her conclusions. For a start she says she has a better faith now, but it doesn't follow that others will too. My mum went to a liberal Bible college and it shipwrecked her faith for many years. She ended up for a long time not even believing that Jesus was the son of God.

I am a thinking and analytical person and still accept the Bible as the word of God and inerrant, which means it does not affirm anything that is contrary to fact. I have had doubts about Christianity in general but came through them. I respect the countless Christians who have researched it, and I know that God is faithful so we can trust and hang on to his Word even though we don't necessarily understand everything.

I have also read about the evidence and reasons for the Bible and if you want to know more about it I recommend Brian Edwards’ book ‘Nothing but the Truth’, which explains the inspiration, authority and history of the Bible.

Here are some reasons why it’s dangerous to start questioning the Bible:

Where do you draw the line once you have started? How will you know what is really true and what isn't?
If we question parts of it we can start to wonder if we can really trust God in anything He says.
If we are deciding for ourselves what is right and what is wrong in the Bible we are making our own minds a higher standard of truth than God's word.
Life is not just a pick and mix - there is truth out there, and it is important that we find it because it matters for eternity.
We might start off doubting some of the details, but that can lead to doubting doctrines. Our whole foundation is then rocking.
If you depart from the word of God you replace it with something else - the wisdom of men. I know which I’d rather go with since God created us, has been there since everlasting and knows everything!
Feelings are not a reason to abandon truth – if we followed our feelings all the time we would be all over the place. A lot of the modern thought is 'do what feels right for you', but that doesn’t make it right.
If we pick and choose what we believe in then we are making a God in our own image. "You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them." Ex 20:4-5 My mum said that when she was experimenting with her faith she thought she had a relationship with the living God, but it was a God she had created herself.

Some of these points are taken from Wayne Grudem's Systematic Theology, which is an excellent and easy to read resource, and has several chapters about the Bible if you want to read more on this topic.

Linking up to Bragging on God Friday, Spiritual Sundays

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UK Fellowship Friday Blog Hop

If you join below, it would be good (though not required) if you could link to this post on your blog so your readers can find the other posts in the blog hop.

Why be Holy?

2012-02-01T16:32:00.001Z

I loved reading this the other day in Your God is Too Safe by Mark Buchanan:

'The goal of the disciplined life is love: to more and more live in and live out the two greatest commandments. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, strength, mind and soul, and love your neighbour as yourself.

The touchstone of whether you're rightly engaged with any discipline is to ask, "Is my love getting stronger, deeper, richer?" Something is wrong if you find that any discipline or habit you practise is making you arrogant, self-righteous, contemptuous, judgemental.'

It is easy to lose sight of the real goals of growing as a Christian: of becoming more like Christ, of living for God, of obeying the two greatest commandments to love God and others.

I think this is a great reminder to check our heart and motives, to aim for greater love, and to avoid pride.

Nothing Can Separate Us from God's Love... & UK Fellowship Friday

2012-01-27T06:00:00.004Z

When I was 19 years old I went to university for the first time. It was the University Of Dundee, in Scotland - 500 miles away from my parents. Once they had dropped me off with all my bags and finally said goodbye, I went for a walk along the beautiful estuary.

My beautiful view for walking in Dundee!

It suddenly occurred to me that I didn't know a soul in the whole of Dundee, or even Scotland! But very soon after that the thought came to me that it really didn't matter, because God was right there, and He loves me, so what else do I really need?!

The Bible says that nothing can separate us from the love of God, and as I was thinking about these verses today I realised that they are more deep than I had first thought.

For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Rom 8:38-39

God loves us affectionately

The word for love in the Greek here means affection. I am a mother and would love my children dearly whether they are in a submarine under the sea (depth), or on the moon (height), and even if the Queen told me not to (powers)! God also loves us despite whatever else gets in the way.

God loves us in action

'Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy...' 1 Cor 13:4

True love is not just a feeling, like we so often get from watching films. It is an action - resulting in patience, kindness and all these other things.

As a mother I might have difficulty expressing some of these action forms of love if my children were on the moon or under the sea, because I'm not actually with them. But God is always with us, so he doesn't have any problem with that and will love us in action, wherever we are!

God loves us through Christ

Did you notice that it says, 'Nothing...shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord'?

God’s love was shown to us in Him sending His only son to die on the cross for us. And the cross means that we can always go to Him for forgiveness and mercy, and sin’s power is forever broken.

Even if you're not a Christian, God still shows His love to you in this, since you can at any time repent of your sins and ask for forgiveness because of Jesus dying on the cross in your place.

What does it mean for our life?

Confidence - We don’t need to worry about what people think about us, because God loves us so it really doesn't matter that much!

Security - We don’t need to be afraid or feel lonely because someone who loves us is there with us and looking out for us: we can be secure in His love.

Boldness in prayer - We can be bold to ask whatever we want or need, because God loves to answer our requests.

Hope - We don’t need to be afraid of death because if we are saved we will go to be with the One who loves us. I loved this little story I read:

Mr. Hugh Kennedy, an eminent Christian of Ayr, in Scotland, when he was dying, called for a Bible; but, finding his sight gone, he said, “Turn me to the eight of the Romans, and set my finger at these words, I am persuaded that neither death nor life,” etc. “Now,” said he, “is my finger upon them?” And, when they told him it was, without speaking any more, he said, “Now, God be with you, my children; I have breakfasted with you, and shall sup with my Lord Jesus Christ this night;” and so departed.

Thankfulness – if everything else goes wrong we can still be thankful that God sent Jesus to die on the cross to save us, and that we can have eternal life in heaven.

Here is a really cool song which we learned from a video of Jana Alayra, a children's worship leader in the USA. I've copied the words below. By the way if you are looking for new children's songs, hers are great - simple, Biblical, deep, and fun!

Nothing! Nothing! Absolutely Nothing!

What can take your love away?

Nothing! Nothing! Absolutely Nothing!

What can make us separate?

Nothing! Nothing! Absolutely Nothing!

In death or in life

What’s deep or what’s high

There’s one thing that stays the same

No power or King

Can do anything

To take your love away!

by Jana Alayra

Linking to Spiritual Sundays and The Beauty in His Grip

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UK Fellowship Friday Blog Hop

If you join below, it would be good if you could link to this post on your blog so your readers can find the other blogs in the blog hop.

Pure Pleasure

2012-01-25T15:16:00.001Z

We often have to fight problems that come with pleasure, like when we give them too much time so that they cut out more important things or dull our love for God. Or when we let them take too much of a hold on our lives, or when we indulge in pleasures that are bad for us.

But God also created everything that gives us pleasure, and there are many, many things which won't be harmful for us, if we use them well, which are a gift from God.

I loved this when I read it recently:

He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end. I know that nothing is better for them than to rejoice, and to do good in their lives, and also that every man should eat and drink and enjoy the good of all his labour - it is the gift of God. Ecclesiastes 3:11-13

There is so much that we can rejoice in, and so many blessings that God has given us, and we enjoy them better than ever after we have laboured and done our duties. Then we have the refreshing knowledge that we have worked hard, and can enjoy pleasure as a reward.

Some things can give us pure pleasure, like fresh flowers that smell and look beautiful, and wonderful mountain scenery with nothing to hear but the wind, and sheep bleating.

Along with the mountains, what has given me more real joy and pleasure than anything is music. I have always loved music and with the amount of times it is talked about in the Bible, God must love it too! I was listening to this song yesterday, and it really lifted up my soul.

The harmonies and melodies are amazing, but it is combined with words that worship God - so I think it is the best kind of music, glorifying God both in melody and in words.

I think when we enjoy these pleasures and remember that they are a gift from God, then we are also enjoying and therefore honouring God.

Make a joyful shout to the LORD, all you lands!

Serve the LORD with gladness;

Come before His presence with singing.

Know that the LORD, He is God;

It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;

We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,

And into His courts with praise.

Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.

For the LORD is good; His mercy is everlasting,

And His truth endures to all generations.

Ps 100:1-5

Linking up to Women Living Well, Women in the Word and Winsome Wednesday (their buttons are in the sidebar - if you want to read lots of great posts you can click on the links and find more!)

Choosing Our Response

2012-01-23T14:20:00.001Z

I think God is trying to show me right now that I can choose my response to what happens to me. In my head I know this, but my will and heart often need reminding. Like for instance when I grab the biscuits and eat 5 of them in a row, blaming tiredness for my lack of self-control!

I have been reading two books, and they have both been saying the same thing in different ways.

In 'One Thousand Gifts' Ann Voskamp describes when her son threw toast at his brother, and says something very deep:

'What compels me to name these moments upheavals and annoyances instead of grace and gift? Why deprive myself of joy's oxygen?...Isn't it because I think complaining, exasperation, resentment will pound me up into the full life I really want? When I choose - and it is a choice - to crush joy with bitterness, am I not purposefully choosing to take the way of the Prince of Darkness?'

We have a choice in how we respond to situations, to those little things that can make us so mad or upset. I remember once having a mini-revelation as I walked through the school playground feeling angry and resentful. I suddenly realised that if I wanted to, I could decide to cheer up.

It's just that I didn't want to, because I liked feeling sorry for myself. I finally persuaded myself to cheer up anyway, and did - just like that.

She goes on to say, 'In His presence is fullness of joy. He is in this moment. The well is always here. God is always here - precisely because He does care.'

We can choose our attitude, and as she beautifully points out we can find joy, because in God's presence is joy, and He is with us at all times if we are saved - 'I will never leave you nor forsake you'.

In the other book I've been reading, 'The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People', Stephen Covey says this:

'Anytime we think the problem is "out there," that thought is the problem. We empower what's out there to control us... It is so much easier to blame other people, conditioning, or conditions for our own stagnant situation. But we are responsible - "response-able" - to control our lives and to powerfully influence our circumstances by working on be, on what we are.'

So what I am taking from these thoughts is that what happens to us, or what we are going through, doesn't determine how we respond - we can choose how to respond.

It is definitely a lot harder, and takes effort, to choose joy, love and forgiveness (and in my case self-control!), rather than discouragement, bitterness and resentment. But we can do it, and we will be blessed when we do, because it is what God wants us to do.

We can also do what Stephen Covey says and be proactive to work on the problem. We might not be able to change someone else, but there are often things that we can do ourselves to help. I hope to write soon on how to figure out Biblical responses to situations, as that is not always that easy!

Linking up with A Holy Experience, Sharing His Beauty

Don't Look at the Clouds... & UK Fellowship Friday

2012-01-19T22:21:00.002Z

I was up in the night several times from 4am onwards with little ones. Just as I was thinking I might get a small amount of sleep, another one woke up crying! So I got up feeling tired, wanting to go back to bed, struggling to keep my eyes open.

I kept thinking, ‘How am I going to get through today?’. It was our first day back at school after the Christmas holidays. The kids were grumbling and my mind was complaining.

Then my mind went back to Ann Voskamp’s reminder about ‘doing the next thing’, where she refers to Elisabeth Elliot, whose missionary husband became a martyr when he was killed on the mission field. Elisabeth Elliot said this:

'Have you had the experience of feeling as if you've got far too many burdens to bear, far too many people to take care of, far too many things on your list to do? You just can't possibly do it, and you get in a panic and you just want to sit down and collapse in a pile and feel sorry for yourself.

Well, I've felt that way a good many times in my life, and I go back over and over again to an old Saxon legend, which I'm told is carved in an old English parson somewhere by the sea. I don't know where this is. But this is a poem which was written about that legend. The legend is "Do the next thing." And it's spelled in what I suppose is Saxon spelling. "D-O-E" for "do," "the," and then next, "N-E-X-T." "Thing"-"T-H-Y-N-G-E."

The poem says,

"Do it immediately, do it with prayer,

Do it reliantly, casting all care.

Do it with reverence, tracing His hand

Who placed it before thee with earnest command.

Stayed on omnipotence, safe 'neath His wing,

Leave all resultings, do the next thing."

That is a wonderfully saving truth. Just do the next thing.'

You can read the rest of her story about how it helped her at Back to the Bible, which is where I got this extract from.

So I tried to change my focus. Instead of wondering how I was going to get through the day, and whether I should just drop school for the day and try to rest, I thought, ‘Let’s just do the dishes right now and not think ahead more than that.’ I turned some worship music on – Hope’s choice since she already had said, ‘I’m not having a good day’! And just did the dishes.

It really did help an awful lot, and it reminded me of a verse I read recently which said,

‘He who regards the clouds will not reap’ Ecclesiastes 11:4

I think a lot of our troubles come from looking at the clouds. They might not actually be dropping rain on us, but we look at them and think ‘Rain is coming, is it worth starting if it’s going to rain? I might get wet, I might have to stop, maybe I just shouldn’t start…’

We focus on the negative thoughts, on what people think about us, on how bad we feel, whereas often we just need to forget the thoughts, feelings, discouragements and excuses and just do the next thing and get on with our responsibilities. Often when we do that we feel better as a result.

Matthew Henry says, ‘The discouragements we meet with in these duties are but as winds and clouds, which will do us no harm, and which those that put on a little courage and resolution will despise and easily break through.’

The outcome of the day was that by the time lunchtime came I felt an awful lot better, and we did manage to do school and everything else that was important. So it wasn't as bad as it seemed at the beginning of the day!

Linking up with Bragging on God Friday, Spiritual Sundays (button on the sidebar)

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UK Fellowship Friday Blog Hop

I would love you to link up if you have recently written a post about your faith that might encourage other Christians - for example a testimony, reflection or challenge. The only other requirement is that you live in the UK. Please link to the specific post you've written, then it will help people to find it.

If you join below, it would be good if you could link to this post in a text-link on your blog so your readers can find the other blogs in the blog hop. I am planning to try and make a button at some point, when I can find the time to figure it out!

Which Bible and Christian Book Would You Take to a Desert Island?

2012-01-17T13:57:00.002Z

I like thinking about 'what ifs' sometimes, just for fun, and I thought it would be interesting to ask this:

If you were to be stranded alone on a desert island, and could have one Bible and one Christian book what would you choose to have with you?

What I would like to take:

Thompson Chain Reference Bible - I love this Bible because it has a massive index of topics in the back so you can find whatever you are interested in, and also lots of other ideas for study, Bible helps and great maps. I would take the New King James Version because it's my favourite!

Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible - for a long time I thought I would want Baxter's Christian Directory (by saying 'a long time' that shows I've been thinking about this for a while!!) because it has so much practical wisdom and advice. But then I realised that if I had Matthew Henry's Commentary it would help me understand the Bible better as well as helping me apply it, since he is very good at making it relevant for daily life.

It is very deep, and comments on scripture by using other scriptures. It is also very devotional - it inspires me to love God more, and it's big so it would keep me going for a long long time!

I feel quite spoilt asking which Bible you would take, as I know that in countries where there is persecution, it can be hard to even get hold of one Bible. We are blessed to have as many choices and Bible helps and notes as we do.

On a side note, you can download the entire Matthew Henry commentary for free if you download E-Sword, also free, which is a great resource. And there is Treasury of Scripture Knowledge on there which is wonderful for finding parallel passages, and Torrey's topics to find verses on different topics. So I guess if we could take a laptop to the desert island we'd be sorted!

What do you think? I would love to hear which Bible and Christian book you would like to have on a desert island, so please leave a comment if you would like to share!

Linking up with On Your Heart Tuesdays, Soli Deo Gloria, Winsome Wednesdays, Women Living Well (see sidebar for buttons)

Getting Back Up Again & UK Fellowship Friday

2012-01-12T22:01:00.001Z

Have you ever decided to do something in your life to obey or glorify God, and then failed miserably and got discouraged?

I used to do that a lot - fail, and then feel guilty and depressed. And the worst thing was that those feelings would keep me down. I would feel like I didn’t want to try again in case I repeated my failure. I would feel embarrassed and small at how stupid I was.

Then one day I read a verse in Proverbs, and it was a moment that changed my whole outlook on life!

‘For a righteous man may fall seven times and rise again, but the wicked shall fall by calamity.’ Prov 24:16

I realised that God knows that we fall, and He also knows that we will rise again. We should expect to fall in this life, and He's not up there condemning us. He knows it's just part of our growth, like when babies start learning to walk. The important thing is that we get back up again!

But how do we rise again?

Ask God for forgiveness

If we have sinned, then the way that God has given us to get back up again is coming to the cross in repentance. There we find God’s mercy and grace for us, and we can know that we are forgiven, and can have peace.

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1Jn 1:9

I love this song, which always reminds me of God’s mercy and grace at the cross:

‘I come to the cross seeking mercy and grace.
I come to the cross where you died in my place.
Out of my weakness and into your strength,
Humbly I come to the cross.
Your arms are open you call me by name.
You welcome this child that was lost.
You paid the price for my guilt and my shame.
Jesus I come to the cross.’
By Bill Batstone

Start again

We also have to remember to start again! We are often afraid to risk failing, but God is with us and is on our side, and has immeasurable mercy and grace for us. That is why I love that verse so much. It doesn’t just say ‘A righteous man may fall and rise again.’ But it says ‘A righteous man may fall seven times and rise again.’!

Go to God for help

God loves to help us when we ask, and He will strengthen us. Sometimes we fall into trials, or fall short of what we were hoping to accomplish. God has promised a way of escape, and if we pray He will guide us and help us to start again.

Use practical means

Sometimes as Christians we pray and that’s it. But the Bible also calls for diligence, and if we have already failed at something it makes sense practically to also look for what we can do differently. Maybe there are things we can do that will help, or friends that will give us accountability, or temptations to put far away so that we are less likely to fall.

The wonderful thing about understanding all this is that it then won’t bother us so much if we are convicted about something that we are doing wrong, or if we fail yet again in obeying God, or even just fail in our own goals.

We just need to remember that God has grace for us and knows that we fail, and all that we need to do is come to him and repent, and He will extend His mercy and forgiveness and help us rise again and get right back on our feet.

Linking up to Brag on God Friday

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UK Fellowship Friday Blog Hop

I would love you to link up if you have recently written a post about your faith that might encourage other Christians - for example a testimony, reflection or challenge. The only other requirement is that you live in the UK. If you could link to the specific post you've written, then it will help people to find it.

If you join below, please either link to this post in a text-link on your blog, or get the code at the bottom of the link up, so your readers can find the other blogs in the blog hop.

It's All About Him

2012-01-08T22:29:00.001Z

Do you ever find that it takes you a while to remember what worship is really about?

In church this morning it wasn’t until the last verse of the second song that I suddenly remembered I was supposed to be thinking about the words, and I was supposed to be focusing on and worshipping God!!

Last night I was up for about 2 hours in the night with my 2 year old, so I was a bit tired, and I am out of practice since I have missed church for three weeks running due to the same 2 year old being ill. But those are just excuses, and I was quite shocked that it took me so long to realise where my mind was.

So I tried to refocus my thoughts, from thinking about how good the band was, and how I liked that song, and whether I should sing harmony or melody, to how great God is!

And very appropriately for me, the next song was, ‘When the Music Fades’ which says, ‘I’m coming back to the heart of worship, and it’s all about You, it’s all about You, Jesus.’ I grinned inwardly as I rebuked myself and tried to take that message on board.

In thinking about those words as I sung, I also realise that the words could be applied to our life too. It’s all about You, Jesus.

‘For to me, to live is Christ’ Phil 1:21

Why are we here? To know God, bring glory to God, and bear fruit in His name. It’s all about Him.

It’s amazing how it simplifies everything to focus on God. Other worries and problems become insignificant when we remember why we are here.

It doesn’t matter what other people think of you, because what is really important is what God thinks.
It doesn’t matter so much if nobody loves you, because God does.
It doesn’t matter what things you gain or lose in this world, because at the end of the day ‘it’s all gonna burn’ and only what’s eternal will last.
It doesn’t matter how hard tomorrow might look like it’s going to be, because the great God who made heaven and earth is for you, and is on your side!
It doesn’t matter if you die tonight, because you will see Him who loves you more than anyone else, and will go to a place where there is no weeping or pain (assuming you are a Christian).

Now we just need to refocus our straying minds more often on what we are really here for: Him! Lord I pray that my life, my thoughts, and my ambitions would be all about You.

And He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again. 2 Cor 5:15

Linking up to Hear it on Sunday

Introducing UK Fellowship Friday Blog Hop

2012-01-06T07:33:00.000Z

Last year I was really struggling with feeling tired all the time. One thing that helped me more than anything was our weekly home fellowship. I was able to chat about the Bible (with no children to take up my thoughts!) and be inspired and encouraged by others.

The only problem was that during school holidays or times when something different was going on, and there were no home fellowships, I barely kept my head above water.

But there came a day when I wasn't counting down the days to my home fellowship anymore, and didn't need it quite so desperately... and that was when I started using Twitter!

Twitter introduced me to lots of Christian women (mainly in the USA) who are similar to me: stay at home mothers who homeschool. What was even better is that most of them had blogs.

I could read their blogs, and be encouraged, without even meeting them! That really demonstrates to me the value of fellowship via blogging, although of course we still need our home church fellowship as well.

Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing. 1 Thess 5:11

When I first started blogging, I searched for Christian bloggers in the UK and had difficulty finding them. Now I know of quite a few more, but many of them are not very widely known.

In contrast to that, the USA seems to have a gazillion Christian bloggers! Of course the country is a lot larger than ours, which might help with that too :)

When I come back to the UK from the USA I often get a feeling that there is a spiritual darkness over here. Many people seem depressed, and Christians find it difficult to live in victory.

So I wanted to have a link-up for Christian bloggers in the UK to encourage each other and to find others that are doing the same thing, as well as helping readers to find more Christian blogs.

If you know other Christian bloggers in the UK who blog about their faith please consider sharing this with them! I'm planning on hosting this blog hop each Friday.

The Blog Hop

I would love you to link up if you have recently written a post about your faith that might encourage other Christians - it could be a testimony, reflection, or challenge. The only other requirement is that you live in the UK.

If you join below, please either link to this post in a text-link, or get the code at the bottom of the link up, so your readers can find the other blogs in the blog hop. One day I might find time to figure out how to make a button!!

Bible Reading Plans

2012-01-03T08:34:00.004Z

Since it is a new year, I thought it would be a good time to post a few Bible reading plans. I should really have done it earlier than this, but little Josiah has had vomiting and diarrhoea since Friday, so I have been overtaken with sleepless nights, cleaning messes, lots of laundry and a clingy toddler!

I think it is really important that Christians know their Bible. If you only do a short devotional each day with a Bible verse and an explanation, you won’t get to know your Bible very quickly, and you will only know certain bits of it.

It is then a lot easier to be misled by wrong doctrine, or make wrong decisions, because you don’t really understand God’s ways.

I believe that all Christians should aim to read through their Bible regularly – the whole thing. That means that you will understand more of the fear of the Lord (which I get from reading the Old Testament), how to be wise (from Proverbs), and how great God is (from Psalms and of course many other books too).

And just generally you will understand more of how God thinks, what is right and wrong, what to do when trouble comes, how to counsel others, how to live in victory, what pleases God and lots more.

So here are a few different plans that you could think about using if you want to try and read through your Bible on a regular basis:

For a new Christian

One chapter or more a day, going through John first, then you could do Ephesians and Philippians, then the rest of the New Testament picking different books as you like. 1 John is good if you are not sure if you are really saved or not, and my husband recommends you save Revelation till last!

My husband’s plan

Read one to any amount of chapters a day, going through whatever book of the Bible you choose. Tick off the books you have read in the front of the Bible until they are all read through. Then start again.

He doesn’t like a schedule so this is a good system for him, and you get variety because if you’ve just read a hard book you can then pick an easy one afterwards. He reads with a Bible highlighter in hand, to highlight passages that stand out to him. Sometimes he will read a whole book in one sitting; other times he will meditate in depth on one chapter.

My Dad’s plan

Read one to any amount of chapters each day depending on time, going through the Bible from beginning to end and reading the study notes as you go along. He likes getting new Bibles and reads each new one this way.

I have tried reading the Bible through like this before but usually end up giving up somewhere around Leviticus or Numbers, because they are hard to understand and read! My son read the whole Bible through this way, but got stuck in Isaiah for a month or two, then went back to it and finished eventually. We are all different, so this works better for some than for others.

M’Cheyne’s plan

Read through the Old Testament once and the New Testament and Psalms twice in a year. Each day has a set 4 chapters to read. You can find it here.

This is the plan I have been using for years now, and is a wonderful way of reading through the Bible every year. I think of it as a four course meal, with variety each day. Every so often I try other methods of reading the Bible, but so far have always come back to this!

If I have to skip a day I usually don’t catch up on the missed day unless I have time, because otherwise you just find yourself getting more and more behind, and get discouraged and give up. I think it is better to miss those few chapters and figure you will get them in next year than end up giving up completely!

A good all-rounder

Get three bookmarks, and put one at Genesis 1, one at Ezra 1, and one at Matthew 1. Then read a chapter a day from each place, or more if you feel like it. If you want to add an extra course to your meal you can stick a bookmark in Psalms too!

If you want an easy way to read through the Bible in a year but aren’t very good at sticking to schedules I think this would be a good plan for you. It also means you read from different places which I like for variety. If you skip a day then it doesn’t matter because you come back to the same place the next day.

The only real issue with this plan is that you might forget which was the last chapter you read, but hopefully that would motivate you to concentrate more next time!

Professor Grant Horner’s plan

Read 10 chapters a day, or modify the plan to suit you. Doing it as given will take you through the New Testament four times, Acts and Proverbs 12 times, Psalms 2-4 times depending if you read one or 2 a day, the books of Moses 2 times, and the rest of the Old Testament about 1 and a half times in a year. You can read how to do it here.

I wouldn't start this plan unless you have already been reading at least a chapter a day, and can devote half an hour to reading. This is the system I am using at the moment, but I have modified it to read through the whole Old Testament twice, Proverbs once a month, and the New Testament and Psalms four times in a year. That comes out at 9 chapters a day (with 2 psalms).

It takes me about 30 minutes, with reflection and writing, which really is nothing like as bad as I thought it would be! And I love how the chapters comment on and complement each other when I am reading from so many different places.

I once read somewhere that every Christian should read through their Bible once a year, and if you’re in ministry you should read through it four times a year. That has stuck in my head as something to try and do one day, which is why this system appealed to me, along with a means to get to know my Bible and God better.

More Bible reading plans

Justin Taylor has put together a list of different plans at his blog over here, and John Piper writes about reading the Bible in 2012 here. There is also the Bible in 90 days which I know many have tried, but I haven't listed it because it seems like a hard one to keep up with for more than a one off!

For more help on having a devotional time, you might like to read my 10 tips for devotional times, or what I have written about my devotional basket. And please remember, this is not something you should feel is a rule or a demand of the Christian life. Rather it is something you would want to do because it will help you to know God and His will better, and live in victory.

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper. Psalm 1:1-3

Please feel free to share what you have been doing or are planning to do with your Bible reading.

Linking up with:

and Women Living Well, Winsome Wednesday (button on sidebar)

Giveaway Winner and Favourite December Posts

2011-12-27T11:35:00.001Z

Since our 6 year old son, Caleb, recently read through the whole Bible in the New Living Translation, I thought it would be appropriate for him to pick out the winner of the giveaway, since it is a Bible study book! So I put the names on folded up papers in a pot and he picked one out.

Caleb reading his Bible

The winner is Talking Christian! Congratulations!

For those who didn't win, I would still encourage you to get the book if you can somehow - it's been the most helpful book I've read in the last year :)

I'm going to take a little blogging break for the rest of this week till after New Year. I hope you all had a lovely Christmas, and have a great New Year too!

Here are some of my favourite posts from other blogs (that I actually got around to clicking on!) from December:

Ten ways to bring the gospel home this Christmas - if you have family around who are not Christians, this post has excellent advice to help bring the gospel to them in a gentle and loving way.

Two great morning prayers - starting our day with an eternal mindset.

Everyone you know needs your grace everyday - this contains the reason I always remind myself of why not to judge people. Because we all sin and fall short, it's just that some do it in other ways!

"I am too busy for church!" - great reasons why you should keep on going to church.

When saying no means saying yes - reminding us that saying no to others can often be saying yes to our family - written especially for tired mothers!

Pastors, what you preach is already decided - a quote from Spurgeon that I think is good for bloggers too!

How not to look at children - a reminder to see children as a blessing.

God Sees and Rewards

2011-12-25T07:03:00.004Z

Happy Christmas!! I am running a giveaway this week, so please hop over to this post and leave a comment if you want to enter! I hope you have a wonderful and joy-filled day.

I read two stories in my Bible yesterday – both of women who did ordinary things. Yet through doing those ordinary things in a way that honoured God, they accomplished extraordinary things and were rewarded.

The Hebrew midwives in Egypt. They were just doing their job as midwives, a pretty normal thing to do. Then Pharaoh commanded them to kill the baby boys as they delivered them. ‘But the midwives feared God, and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the male children alive.’

They obeyed God who says, ‘do not kill’ rather than man, even though their lives might have been taken as a result.

Two things I noticed came from their fear of God. One was that many baby boys were saved from death, and families from heartache. The other is that God saw what they did and rewarded them.

It is quite possible that nobody else knew of their command to kill the boys at the time, because if they had known then they might not have used the midwives to deliver their babies. But God knew, and it says, ‘Therefore God dealt well with the midwives… and so it was, because the midwives feared God, that He provided households for them.’

The second story I read was also of a woman – Ruth. She was a very ordinary woman whose husband had died and who left her own country to stay and help her widowed mother-in-law. She was doing nothing particularly noticeable, and gleaned the leftovers of grain to support them.

I noticed the same two things though. She honoured God by loving and helping her mother-in-law, and God saw what she did and rewarded her. The man in charge of the fields helped protect her and made sure she got food and enough grain.

When she asked him why she had found favour in his eyes even though she was a stranger, he said, ‘It has been fully reported to me, all that you have done for your mother-in-law…’ And of course it wasn’t long before he married her – he a man of great wealth, marrying a poor stranger.

The extraordinary thing that happened as a result of her honouring God was that she was then brought into the family line that Jesus ended up coming from. So she joins all the other names in the genealogy of the Saviour of the world, whose birthday we are celebrating today.

My encouragement from this was that though I often feel insignificant because I am doing menial work which doesn’t seem to impact too many people other than my immediate family, God sees it. And God will reward us, if not in this life then the next. And who knows... maybe extraordinary things will come of it!

'But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly.' Matt 6:3,4

It is so easy to get caught up in the stress of interruptions, whining, crying and yet another spill to clean up. I can so easily get impatient and start snapping, or feeling discontent and wishing it would all go a bit faster and they would grow up more quickly!

But I want to honour God in what I do by being thankful for what He has given me right now, and for those sweet little faces and hearts, and do my best to show Christ to them in the way I speak and act.

After Hope's birth - tired but joyful with sweet blessings in my arms

Today is Christmas Day and I want to try and reflect what I have learned by focusing on God and the souls and hearts of my family and others, and not get too bothered by potatoes and messes, or discouraged by too many things to do and not enough time to do it in! Because as Elisabeth Elliot says, there is always enough time to do God's will in each day :)

Linking up with The Beauty in His Grip, please see sidebar for buttons.

Why Live to Please God?

2011-12-21T08:20:00.004Z

I am running a giveaway this week, so please hop over to this post and leave a comment if you want to enter!

I recently had a discussion with a friend about the title of my blog, 'Living to Please God', and afterwards realised that it may be more misunderstood than I think!

It is really who I am and what I live for - my aim in life for a long time now has been to please God and it is my heart's desire and simplifies everything. But it can seem like something that is legalistic or a duty that is called for, which is not where I am coming from at all.

God loves us as who we are - He loved us while we were still sinners, and He offers us the free gift of salvation with nothing we can do to earn it. We don't need to earn His favour, and He doesn't want us to feel like we HAVE to do anything.

I believe rather that He wants us to desire to live to please Him, not because we have to (we don't), but because we want to. And that is the reason why I have changed the description of this blog to this beautiful verse which I hope sums up why I live to please God:

For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again. 2 Cor 5:14,15

As my husband loves to say, 'My life is not my own, I was bought at a price'.

God sent His only Son for us, He loved us while we were still sinners, He has saved us from sin and death and a empty life without Him, He has blessed us immeasurably, and He is preparing us a place in heaven where there is no pain, no sorrow, no heartache.

This makes me want to live for Him and serve Him and please Him!

Last night I was reading the Evangelism Explosion book and I thought it had a great explanation of the whole reason why we would want to live a godly life:

'Why, then, should I try to live a good life? The reason for living a godly life is gratitude. I'm not trying to gain something I don't have by my efforts to be good; rather I'm saying "thank you" for the gift of eternal life Christ has given me.'

We get to show our thanks to God by living in a way that pleases Him!

Linking up to Women Living Well and Winsome Wednesdays, Thought Provoking Thursdays, please see sidebar for their buttons.

Christmas Giveaway and New Facebook Page

2011-12-20T09:35:00.002Z

I have finally got around to making a facebook page for my blog... and it didn't even take that long! When I first started reading blogs I used to think I'd never make a facebook page because they had fans, and it didn't sound very humble to have a fan page!!

Then I gradually realised that many people follow blogs through liking them on facebook, and some people ONLY follow blogs that way. I also would like to stop spamming my personal facebook account with blog posts and just let the friends who are interested in it get the spam :) So I have ended up creating one after all and eating my words!

Anyway, to celebrate Christmas and the launch of the facebook page all in one, I thought I would do my very first giveaway. I want to give away a brand new copy of a book that has transformed my Bible reading time. It has made me start keeping a journal in a way that is exciting, and makes what I read much more easily remembered and applied to every day life.

It is called 'How to Study the Bible for Yourself' by Tim la Haye (author of the Left Behind series). I have mentioned it before in a blog post on Bible study books. I picked this book because the Bible is so important for our spiritual growth, and I think this book would be helpful to most Christians.

If you are a newer Christian it breaks down how to read the Bible in a way that is helpful and easy to follow (15 minutes a day). If you want to go on to deeper things it shows you how to study the Bible in more depth, but in a way that is easy to understand and do.

What really helped me was when he talked about keeping a spiritual diary. The reasons he gives for keeping one are:

It provides a handy method for recording special daily insight from God's Word
It produces an attitude of expectancy
It provides a handy check on regularity
It provides a handy review
It provides an easy appraisal of spiritual growth

He then tells you to write out ahead of time the date, the passage, and then spaces for 'God's message to me today', 'a promise from God', 'a command to keep', 'a timeless principle', and 'how does this apply to my life?'.

Doing these things have got me so into the habit of recording as I write that I now don't even need to do that as I see things, record and apply them without thinking. But it took those first steps to get to that point.

There are many other really useful helps and hints in this book, so that you can get the most out of the amazing treasure of God's Word.

The Giveaway!

One person will win a brand new copy of 'How to Study the Bible for Yourself' by Tim la Haye

It is an international giveaway, so it is open to anyone from any country!

To Enter:

Leave a comment and an e-mail address if you don't have a blog (or e-mail me if you don't feel comfortable leaving a comment or putting your e-mail address out there in public!)

For Extra Entries:

Share this giveaway by blog, facebook and/or twitter and let me know that you have in your comment. Each count as one extra entry.

This giveaway will close on Monday, December 26th at 10pm GMT

If you want to follow this blog and get notified of new posts you can either 'like' the new Facebook page and make it look a little less lonely(!), follow me on Twitter, or subscribe by RSS feed or e-mail (at the top of the sidebar), though I have not added these as extra entries for the giveaway.

The Bible's Call to Action

2011-12-14T06:00:00.006Z

It warmed my heart to read this, in an old Puritan book called Precious Remedies against Satan’s Devices by Thomas Brooks:

If any should ask me, what is the first, the second, the third part of a Christian? I must answer, Action; as that man that reads that he may know, and that labours to know that he may do, will have two heavens – a heaven of joy, peace and comfort on earth, and a heaven of glory and happiness after death.

The Bible calls for action

I think we can sometimes be so overwhelmed with people saying that we need to rest and be still (which is also a good thing!) that we are scared off from putting in effort in the Christian life. But the Bible calls for it.

But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. Jas 1:22

It is a balance

It is interesting to me that it is John who talks about the importance of abiding in Christ, but it is also John who talks about how we show that we love God by keeping His commandments.

He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him." John 14:21

It is important to be still and spend time with God away from the busyness of life, and we need to pray and depend on God for His strength. But we also have our own role to play in growing as a Christian, and are called to put into action what we read. We are fighting a fight, and running a race!

Reading in order to do

I think the important message to take from all this is to read the Bible in order to know, and to do what it says. So we shouldn’t just read it and think, "That’s a lovely promise", but actually apply it to our lives personally.

"But why do you call Me 'Lord, Lord,' and not do the things which I say?" Luke 6:46

For a while now I have kept a journal to go along with my Bible. I try to write down at least one principle, promise and commandment from my reading every day, as well as anything else that strikes me. I then write down at least one application to my life, and try to pray through what I’ve written.

Doing this has transformed my Bible reading into an exciting and practical time, which transfers into my daily life, as I am taking away real challenges. It doesn’t take that long, and it is so exciting that I now really miss having my journal with me if it’s lost somewhere.

If you don’t do something like this already, please try it, and I think you will be encouraged by the results!

Linking up with Winsome Wednesdays, Women Living Well, Beholding Glory (their buttons are in the sidebar).

What the Bible Means to Me

2011-12-12T22:32:00.001Z

When I have seen people reviewing new books on their blogs I have often felt that I probably wouldn’t have time for it, since I am in a very busy season of life. I also would rather only write about books that I would recommend, and it would be difficult to know if it was good without reading it first!

Then a few weeks ago I found out about a new book that Christian Focus wanted bloggers to review, and when I saw it I jumped at the chance. It is called ‘What the Bible Means to Me’, edited by Catherine Mackenzie, and contains testimonies of how God’s word impacts lives.

I love the Bible and I also love biographies, so a combination of the two sounded like just the kind of thing I’d love to read. Testimonies are usually inspiring, and since I would like this blog to inspire and help people, hopefully some good quotes would achieve that purpose too :)

I wasn’t disappointed. The testimonies are written by different people with a wide variety of backgrounds, and they share a short personal story of what the Bible means to them. I found it interesting, exciting, encouraging and inspiring.

I underlined a lot of the book, but here are just a few of the things that stuck out to me from what was written:

The Wonder of the Bible

David Robertson says that the Bible is ‘an astonishing book – unlike any other. It is not an academic book yet it stretches my mind and makes me think unlike anything else I have ever read. It is not a self-help book yet it has been a greater help to me than everything I know. It is not a religious book and yet it has led me to God. It is not a political book and yet it has shown me why our world is in such a mess. It is not a book of morals and yet it has helped clarify for me right and wrong.'

What the Bible does

Peter Nicholas says that ‘God’s Word is active, it’s at work in me as I believe – comforting challenging, transforming, sustaining, refreshing me, and much more.’

Encouragement to read the Bible

Dr. Helen Roseveare says, ‘I cannot recommend too highly or too strongly the daily reading, learning, meditating in, feeding on and memorising of the Scriptures, the Living Word, the Bible. For me, they are the essential life-blood of Christian living. ‘For me to live is Christ!’ and He is the Living Word.’

Helpful tips for Bible reading

Bob Bond says, ‘As my mother told me, ‘Read it in, pray it down, and work it out.’

Rebecca Davis says, ‘A friend told me that too many Christians read it as if they’re looking for a Daily Vitamin Pill. When I began reading for actual understanding, I thought of it as my map from God, giving directions to Him. I thought of it as my greatest treasure.’

The Bible’s relevance for an unbeliever

Jim Cromarty says that ‘It was through my reading of the Scriptures that I came to see my sin, my coming judgement and my need of a Saviour.’

Also after every testimony there are facts given about the Bible, and these were very interesting to read, for example:

'6,900+ is the number of languages spoken in the world today. Almost 2,100 is the number of languages without any of the Bible.'

What I got from reading this book was a reminder of how powerful and amazing the Bible is, and also the encouragement that comes from knowing that there are others who feel the same way about it! I really liked the fact that quite a few of the testimonies were from people from the UK since that is where I live.

My only issue with the book was that the testimonies were so short that it was hard to transition from one to another. It felt like I was just getting into one person's story before they had stopped and another had started! But that also makes it a good book for picking up and putting down easily, since each section is only 2 or 3 pages long.

I think this book would be helpful to most Christians, and could also challenge those who are seeking the truth. For those who struggle with reading the Bible or who might wonder if it's really relevant, there are so many stories of how real and powerful it is that I think it would motivate them to read it.

I felt like I was meeting kindred spirits - others who love the Bible like I do, and I really enjoyed reading it.

Favourite Links from November

2011-12-07T21:50:00.000Z

I know I'm a bit late for November links, but my husband came down with pnuemonia the day I wrote my last post, so I've been a bit busy! These are some of the blog posts I came across last month that stuck out to me.

Four reasons to passionately pursue God - I love anything that will inspire or motivate me to love God and pursue Him more, I don't think anything on this earth is so exciting and rewarding.

Nine potential pitfalls of ministry - I think everyone in some kind of ministry should read this!

Violence in video games - does it really matter? - video games are so common in our age and culture that I think it is good for us to think through these concerns for our own sake and for our children.

In quietness and trust is your strength - this is close to my heart, as sometimes we really need quietness.

Seven misconceptions about submission - this is such a sticky topic, so I think these corrections of common misonceptions are important.

When you are in desperate need of hope - a story and challenge to make us think about what we are doing with our money.

The Power of Words

2011-11-30T07:11:00.003Z

The main reason I went to medical school to become a doctor was because I wanted to help people. When I played an online computer game before I realised how bad it was for me, I created the most useful characters I could think of, again because I wanted to help people.

Being a doctor in real life does help people’s health, although I can’t say much about the real good of helping people in an online game! One of the things that kept going through my mind even when I was doing it was that this is helping people with stuff that doesn’t even exist!!

How much better it would be to help people with their souls, which do exist and which last for eternity.

So in light of all that, this verse really stood out to me when I read it this week:

Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the bones. Pro 16:24

Our words, if they are pleasant, can help both the soul and the body! That’s amazing to me, after thinking I had to qualify as a doctor or a nurse in order to help people. Words are so much simpler.

Creating those words is not always so easy, but to know that words have such power is really exciting. If we work on what we say we could really help people.

The word ‘pleasant’ here means delightful, beautiful. Pleasant and delightful words will calm, soothe, encourage and help the soul, and in doing so will also help the body, since our physical health is often affected by our emotions and feelings like stress and anxiety.

Also if we compare other scriptures, both wisdom and the word of God are likened to a honeycomb, so these pleasant words probably refer to those as well. If we grow in wisdom and our knowledge of the word of God and are able to use it to talk to others then this should lead to more of the words which help the soul and body.

Matthew Henry says that these pleasant words mean: 'Words of seasonable advice, instruction, and comfort, words taken from God's word…the good word of God is a means of spiritual strength, curing the diseases that weaken us.'

Death and life are in the power of the tongue. Proverbs 18:21

Many of the Psalms are the words of one man written down, and are so helpful. Proverbs also are mainly the words of one man, and again are very helpful. So there are two examples of real life, very busy, men who have helped countless millions of people with their words.

And if they can do it, that inspires me to think that maybe we can too – at least in some small way anyway :)

I'm linking up with these lovely blogs, so if you want to read more posts you can click on the links:

Word Filled Wednesday

We are Blessed!

2011-11-25T22:34:00.000Z

It occurred to me today, not for the first time, that it can be really helpful for our contentment to think about how people live that are less well off.

We have been moving all the contents of the rooms around in our house, and it is so easy to be tempted to complain or think, ‘if only’ when things aren’t exactly as you would like them to be.

But when I start to think like that my mind quickly goes to a book I read recently of missions work in Hong Kong. There were families that only had one room between them, and shared one bed.

That would certainly make it less far to walk when the kids wake up at night, but I can think of a lot of reasons why I wouldn’t want it that way too!

So now I tell myself, ‘Well at least we’re not all in one room!’ That really puts the lid on any feelings of discontent that might come – because we are blessed! We’re blessed with so much that others don’t have, and we have no reason to complain.

And even if we had less than that, we still have food and clothing, which is all we really need.

‘Now godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content.’ 1 Tim 6:6-8

We also have God with us – the great and powerful loving God who made the universe!

‘Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." So we may boldly say: "The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?"’ Heb 13:5-6

One book that was really good for me was ‘Singing Through the Night’. It contains courageous stories of Christian women living in places where there is persecution. If you read a book like this, it will take your eyes off yourself and help you realise you are blessed.

I would just like to encourage you, when you start thinking discontented thoughts of, ‘if only…things were different', to turn your thoughts to people who are a lot worse off.

It has helped me to grow in contentment, and also to give thanks to God for what he has blessed us with. We have so much to be thankful for!

Steps to Forgiveness

2011-11-23T13:55:00.001Z

Forgiving can be very tough. Sometimes there are really big wrongs that are hard to forgive. Other times it is all the little aggravations which can be hard to forgive and build up to resentment, and I think this is especially true in close relationships like marriage and family.

And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you. Eph 4:32

As Christians we are called to forgive. Though I still struggle with this at times, I have grown a lot and want to share some of the things that I have learned which help me:

Realise God works all things for good

I once really struggled with forgiving someone but as I read through the Bible I was convicted. It was the story of Joseph that really got to me - where he forgave his brothers and said that 'you meant it for evil but God meant it for good'.

I realised that God has a plan anyway, and I need to trust Him, and also that I shouldn't hold things against people even if they meant it for evil.

Cover over as much as you can

I always remind myself of 'love will cover a multitude of sins' and try to cover over things and forgive them quickly. It helps to remember that we are all sinners in one way or another!

Communicate if necessary

I think God wants us to cover over as much as we can, but in the cases where it is causing a problem in how we view the other person or it is coming between us then we may need to talk to them.

"Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. Matt 18:15

It is important that if we do this, we plan and pray about what to say, and find a good time to talk so that it is more likely that it will go well.

If there is something between my husband and I which I am really struggling to let go of then I will talk to him about it at a time when the kids are in bed and we are both sitting down. I also tell him in advance that I need to talk to him so he knows something is coming up.

Don’t let the sun go down on your anger

With my husband especially I always keep in mind the verse about not letting the sun go down on your anger. So I try and always make up before the end of the day, however hard it may be!

Say sorry

When I want to heal a breach in a relationship I try and think of something to apologise for even if I feel it is not my fault! There usually is something you can say sorry for, as there is often some kind of speck or plank in your own eye as well as theirs. It is a great way of starting a conversation when you are both mad at each other, and helps keep you humble.

Try to see things from their perspective

Sometimes I have been really upset with someone, but when I put my mind to it to try and figure out why they did what they did I was able to understand and have more sympathy for them. Then it becomes a lot easier to forgive.

Many relational problems arise from misunderstandings, so it helps if we can work towards understanding their perspective.

Pray for them

Sometimes I struggle with seeing the other person lovingly. When that happens I have to pray that God would help them, and also pray FOR them.

Heap burning coals on their head

Sometimes if I am mad at someone this passage is a great help:

Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay," says the Lord. Therefore "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head." Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. Rom 12:19-21

I remember once when we were dating I was really mad at my husband about something, and I decided to heap burning coals of fire on his head and make him a really nice big chef salad (which he loves).

It was amazing that doing that for him changed my heart and also healed the resentment between us. Sometimes I give him a shoulder rub even though inside I am still fuming, and by the end of it I'm not anymore!

Don’t bring it up again

The word ‘forgive’ in the Bible means to forsake, lay aside, leave. If you forgive someone you should try not to bring it up again either in your mind or in conversation. So when my husband and I have an argument and I forgive him, I also try to forget about it, and not keep thinking about it. It wouldn’t help me anyway!

Over time I have got a lot better at forgetting things, to the point that sometimes he will say sorry for something and I can't even remember what it was!

If you want to read more on this topic, there is a great book called ‘The Peacemaker’ by Ken Sande. It gives lots of practical and Biblical advice on how to resolve conflict.

Linking up with:

Winsome Wednesdays

When Tasks Overwhelm

2011-11-20T17:30:00.000Z

We can be so busy, and have so much to do, that we can get discouraged when we see that what we do isn't as perfect as we want it to be, or as others might expect it to be.

I often feel discouraged because I wonder how I can get everything done, and feel like giving up before I've even started! I was reading a post on perfectionism and overwhelming to do lists by Ann Voskamp yesterday that made me think. She said,

'I don’t open my eyes…. To my dust and my smudges and my grime and my love-smeared mess. Why can’t I remember: the state of my space doesn’t reflect the state of my soul.'

I found an online definition of perfectionism that said it is: 'a disposition to regard anything short of perfection as unacceptable.' I guess that I am quite susceptible to this, although I think I would be content with 80/90% of perfection!!

I would really like to get EVERYTHING done every day that I wanted to. I would like to have a moderately clean and tidy house every day. And when I don't, or when it looks like I won't, I get discouraged.

And in thinking about it I realised a few things that may help when all the things we have to do look like they are going to overwhelm us:

God wants perfect character more than perfect work

Though we are told to work with all our heart at whatever we do, I can't think of anywhere where God tells us to make sure our work is perfect! On the other hand I can think of plenty of places where we are encouraged to grow towards perfection of character (although of course we will never get there completely until heaven).

Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. 2 Cor 7:1

So I think as far as our work goes we need to 'do our best and commit the rest' and remember that our character and seeking after the righteousness of Christ is what God values. So while hopefully that will mean a good standard of work, at times it just isn't possible - and then it shouldn't get us down.

Look up instead of around you

Elisabeth Elliot's second husband died a slow and agonizing death, and she says: 'even when he was at his worst and I was barely able to get through a day, the work was there, and by the grace of God I did it. When I remembered to look up instead of around me and to offer the work to the Lord, it was much easier and more pleasant.'

That is often my problem - that I look at all the laundry and dishes and tidying waiting to be done, and look at the very little energy I have to do it, and wonder how? But I need to I look up instead: look at God, ask for help, look at it in light of eternity and the glory of God and as Ann says, turn the problems to praise.

If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. Col 3:1,2

Focus on your calling, not your to do list

It makes such a difference when I take 5 minutes to write down the important things I have to do that day and then pray and write down the order of priority. Otherwise it is so easy to get distracted by things that call out to me, but in reality can wait and are not as important as others.

However if all we think about is our list then we are bound for despair, as even the best time managers in the world say that we will never get everything done that is on our list! If we focus on what God has called us to, then it helps us to weed out the things that are less necessary or can wait, and concentrate on the things that are more important in God's eyes.

Another quote from Elisabeth Elliot (all these are from her book, 'Discipline - The Glad Surrender' which is really good!): 'There is always enough time to do the will of God.' which she gets from the fact that Jesus was able to say, "I have finished the work You gave me to do."

Don't worry, but seek God

This week I have been thinking a lot about this worry passage :)

"Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. Matt 6:31-34

I realised that I'm not worrying about clothes and food, but I am worrying about what to do with my time, and how to get everything done! And it's still worrying!

So instead I need to seek God's kingdom and His righteousness, and not worry so much about how to spend my time, just follow my schedule the best I can, and when I can't then follow what it appears would most please God.

Everything gets so much easier in my mind when I simply narrow it down to pleasing God as my only aim.

Don't be too busy to sit at Jesus' feet

In the Bible, Martha was worried and troubled about serving, just as we can get that way when we are trying to think of how to get everything done on time and well. But Jesus said that Mary had the better part, and she was sitting at His feet.

But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, "Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me." And Jesus answered and said to her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her." Luke 10:40-42

I think we can get so caught up in being busy for good things that we actually forget to sit at Jesus' feet. Also if we do take time to sit at Jesus' feet, then we will be able to ask Him for strength and help, and be able to ask for guidance and wisdom to keep us on track with what God has called us to do.

Now I probably need to print this off and stick it somewhere to remind me when I start mumbling in my mind like Ann says she does in her post:

'I eat breakfast in silence and I don’t know how I am going to get dressed for church, rustle up a meal for 10 when we get home from church, make it through Latin and spelling and the early Renaissance and piano scales and fractions and the three meals a day for eight people this week and the 4 loads of laundry a day and all the prayers between now and church again next Sunday.'

Well at least I can thank God that I only have 2 loads of laundry a day, and 6 people to feed!