Wednesday 31 October 2012

Chasing your dreams

There's a very important place in our hearts where we store our dreams. Without a dream there's nothing to accomplish, nothing to have focus on.  Over the past year I've been trying to find what my dreams are, what they were, and I had come to the conclusion that I'd never really allowed myself to have dreams. It had never been something I was encouraged to do, so I had been cruising along stealing other peoples dreams.  I never really really wanted to be a hairdresser but I was told I was good at it and I knew it was what my Mum really wanted to do so for 16 years I fulfilled her dream.  When you hold a passion in your heart to do something amazing or be someone extraordinary you are able to focus on what you want and go for it.  There will always be loads of opportunities that get thrown your way and without a focus you could find yourself grabbing at each one and thinking "oh that was sooo from God" when really its just life.  When you have focus you only take the opportunities that support your passion. You pass on the things that don't, and in doing so, allow the person next to you to take hold of what may move them along on their journey. A couple of weeks ago I was blogging about reading bible stories to children in the park. It didn't stop there.  The more I thought about it the more God revealed to me the hidden dreams from my childhood.  I now remember instead of wanting to be a doctor or nurse or vet like everyone else I wanted to be a news reader.  Thats right I liked the idea of getting all dressed up, sitting behind a desk on tv and reading the news. Much like my idea of reading to children, just with a kinder audience.  I also thought about how I always wanted to write books... hmmm... Is this an untangling of hidden dreams coming to life? I felt prompted in my spirit of a beautiful genre to write about and for the first time in a long time I am chasing a dream and it feels great! Writing my own books and reading them to children.  When you allow yourself to have a dream you start living the dream.  I'm going to sleep thinking about these books, I'm daydreaming about reading them to children. I've even started writing the first one. To do great things you really need to know what it is you want to do and then live, eat, sleep, dream and breathe it.  Do you have a dream? Are you on the right road, taking the right steps? Share your dreams with Daddy God, he loves to hear them. He wants to co-exist with you.  He doesn't demand that we follow his dreams, that why he gives us the ability to dream. It's what you want to do, he knows your gifts and talents, he gave them to you. Search your heart, ask God to help you find your dreams and then tell him about them. As a Dad he's over excited to help you.  I pray that God will reveal to you the dreams of your heart, that he will birth a passion inside of you that extends the gifts and talents that are already there waiting.  I also pray that great opportunities will be brought into your pathway. I pray for focus, determination and perseverance. Amen! God bless you as you find and follow you dreams

Tuesday 23 October 2012

Be prepared for revival.... and feijoas

I love the fruit feijoa. It's my absolute favourite, and living in Australia its very hard to come by and if you do find it you pay an incredible price, in comparison to NZ, where you walk down most streets and in season will be dodging them lying on the pavement. Anyway, I found two young feijoa trees (more like sticks with a few leaves on) and I purchased them and planted them down the bottom of my property.  They have been there for 5 months now and haven't done a lot, actually, I can see why they are the price they are over here.. its just not wet enough through winter.  Yesterday, I was standing on my deck looking down at these trees and I thought "they really need a water".  The thing is, its a mission to get the water down to them, and there had been talk of a storm coming in the evening. So, did I make the effort or just wait for the storm to come? Can you see where I'm going with this? I decided to bucket some water down to them and as I did I saw the task as more spiritual than I first believed.  You see if you have much to do with the church at the moment, you would've heard about the prophesies of a spiritual revival coming.  Much like the word of a storm coming.  If you're like me and want to see more of heaven on earth, then the thought of a revival where heavenly signs and wonders become the 'norm' will get you pretty excited. Much like my tree producing fruit.  I can't wait around for rain to come I need water now! The storm didn't come, we had crazy winds and fires breaking out instead.  I'm sure the storm will come eventually but for now, I'm glad I made the effort to water my tree, it will be that much closer to bearing fruit in due season.  Likewise for spiritual growth, don't wait for revival to come, be prepared already. God fill our hearts with holy fire,  flood us with your spiritual rain.  I want to bring you glory in everything I do, right here, right now, Amen.

Tuesday 16 October 2012

Church in the park????

Ever thought about doing something out of the box that may offend some but could save others? Well, I had this busting thought come over me and it has consumed my days since friday night.  What if I took church to the park? I have no idea on the legality of sitting under a tree on a sunday morning, reading children's bible stories with a large voice, but I think it could be an approach to a world that clearly needs its younger generation to be taught some healthy bible principles.  Most of my generation and older grew up with some sort of church input and it developed an interest and then a hunger to know God.  The bible says in proverbs 22 v 6 'teach a child in the way he shall go and when he is old he shall not depart from it.' I can't sit back and wait for someone else to hopefully mingle in with the children at parks on a Sunday morning, that are potentially missing out on a faith that will see them through the hard times and bring them to new hope.  I want to do something different, I want to be that someone that cares enough to make a difference. Could we turn this into something that takes off around the world? I think so. Any ideas, I'd love to hear them.  Do you know of anyone who already does this, I'd love to meet them. I'm sure there has to be some sort of red tape that has to be cut, there always is. The best part is, if God has anything to do with putting this idea in my heart.... he'll make it happen. Well, now that I've shared this with you I'm accountable and have to actually do more than just look into it.  Eeeeek how exciting!! I'll keep you up to date with my progress.....
psalm 131 v 12  If your children will keep My covenant and My testimony that I shall teach them, their children also shall sit upon the throne forever.

Saturday 6 October 2012

Blood is thicker than water

I've been very blessed this last week with my Aunty and Uncle over from NZ on holidays.  Being overseas from most of our family means we miss out on whats going on and our parties are always a little smaller without the family fill ins:) There's something extra special about family that no one else can come close to.  They deserve the most forgiveness, hold the most respect, you could even say its a different kind of love when it comes to family.  It can be years between visits but somehow its like you've always been together.  Cousins are amazing gifts. You get to grow up together, know all about the 'family secrets' and laugh at the Aunties and Uncles in a way that only cousins understand.  I'm blessed to have such a large family and I'd like to take this opportunity to let them all know how much I love them.  That includes the crazy ones willing to marry my cousins and join in this wild bunch.  I'd also like to raise my glass to my Nana who without her continuing prayer for us all I'm sure we would have fallen apart.  She is the umbrella of Gods love that shelters us and covers us with Gods protection. I never really understood the concept of 'blood is thicker than water' but over the past year with connection through facebook and my cousins moving around the corner I can see how important it is.  So in saying all that how much more connected must we be to the father of all fathers?  God created us in his likeness to be fruitful on this earth.  He calls us his sons and daughters.  His wish is to bless us like a father gives to his child.  He says we are all brothers and sisters through christ.  Can we be as loving to our friends as we are to our family? Friends come and go but family is always there.  Can I encourage you to think of your family and how important they are to you.  They are Gods precious gift of support and no matter how many times they may have hurt you, said the wrong thing, gone out with the wrong person etc you have to forgive them and don't waste time holding bitterness. Reach out and let them know they are precious to you.  Its what Gods wants, for us all to love one another. Be merciful and graceful. And then take a good look at your friends, they may not have family, you could be it and not even know it.  Reach out to your friends in love, they will be your brothers and sisters in heaven!