Happy Dance - spiritual_reflections

A Pearl

noreply@blogspirit.com () — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 13:59:00 +1300

Give It To God And Allow It To Become A Pearl

1 Peter 5:7

Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

I have found that very often it is not the crises that happen in my life that wear me down, but it is the continual little irritations of life that do the damage, or what I perceive to be damage.

Maybe if we were to see those irritations of life as something more positive then we could really reap the benefits of those experiences in our lives. We can learn some good lessons about irritations from the humble but beautiful oyster.

There is a story I read about the oyster and it goes like this...

There once was an oyster whose story I tell,

Who found that sand had got under his shell;

Just one little grain, but it gave him much pain,

Now, did he berate the working of Fate,

Which had led him to such a deplorable state?

Did he curse out the government, call for an election?

No; as he lay on the shelf, he said to himself;

“If I cannot remove it, I’ll try to improve it.”

So as the years rolled by as the years always do,

And he came to his ultimate destiny -- stew.

And this small grain of sand which had bothered him so,

Was a beautiful pearl, all richly aglow.

Now this tale has a moral -- for isn’t it grand

What an oyster can do with a morsel of sand?

What couldn’t we do if we’d only begin

With all of the things that get under our skin?”

How does an irritating grain of sand become a pearl?

The oyster changed its attitude about this annoying grain of sand and made a choice to allow this irritation to grow into something positive in its life.... A beautiful and precious pearl.

We can do that, with the irritations in our lives. We can allow them to annoy us and to fester into something unpleasant and drag us down and ultimately away from God, or we can make the choice to give it to God and allow Him to make it into a pearl in our lives...

We proberbly will not enjoy the irritation at the beginning, but as we allow God to work on it, we will one day enjoy the positive results in our lives...

Those pearls that make our live so meaningful.

Whatever irritation we have, be it a broken heart or a feeling of loneliness, or pain, whatever it is, no matter how big or how small, we can give it to HIM.

Remember the story in the Bible about the boy that gave Jesus his five loaves and two fishes, the disciples said.... “What good is that to feed such a large crowd“...? Look what Jesus did with that offering!

We underestimate our God so many times... Nothing is impossible to Him; He can take any negative thing in our lives and turn it into something beautiful.... Those irritations can become our precious pearls.

How often do we hold back thinking.... “What would God want with that problem, or that is not important enough for Him to be concerned about"....

However, we know that He is interested in every part of our lives, every irritation, wanting always to change that irritation into a pearl that will be something beautiful in our lives and will strengthen our walk with Him.

He will use whatever it is we offer to Him, He will use it for our good, and He will use it for His glory.

When we can learn to give all those things to Him, we also learn faith and trust in Him, it brings us to a place of truly recognising who He is....

And that blesses Him, and then we can offer that ‘blessing’ that pearl back to Him.

Blessings

Les

I Touched Him

noreply@blogspirit.com () — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 12:15:00 +1200

It has been many years now Lord since I chose to take Your hand held out to me, and walk with You.

I never thought it would be easy, for there was much of myself I needed to let go, so much of You I longed for.

I wanted so much to be close to You, to feel Your love, to feel Your peace, to know for sure that I was forgiven, and would live with You for eternity. I knew what Your Word said Lord, but surely not for someone like me.

How could I, as unworthy as I am, ever reach and touch the hands of my God?

I never really knew if I would make it Lord, if I would actually reach You and touch You, I hoped I would, but I never really knew.

There seemed to be so many obstacles in my way. Two steps forward and one-step back seemed to be how it was for me. I longed for the uncertainty to end. I longed for the assurance that I would one day reach You and touch You. To complete this journey that was a head of me.

I had a dream one night Lord, many years ago, was it a dream or was it real? I am not sure. I know I went to sleep in my bed and I woke in my bed. I also know I met with You. And You spoke to me so clearly that night.

You took me to this open space, a large field of grass and weeds; there were boulders all over the ground, amongst them, there were fallen trees and broken branches. There were thistles and all sorts of obstacles in that space.

My eyes were drawn to the far side of this field, to a light that shone and glowed, I gazed at it and there You were Lord, standing under two trees that formed an arch at the top, so beautiful You were. So tranquil in the trees.

You had Your arms and hands reached out to me, I ran, I climbed over boulders, trees. I was scratched with thistles, struggling and crying, I was so afraid You would leave before I could reach You.

Then suddenly I was over all those obstacles, and close to You. I reached out and touched Your hands, only a fleeting touch, for just a second. Then You were gone. However, not before the most incredible love and warmth soaked right through me, like nothing else I have ever known before.

It was the feeling of coming home, I knew then that I would reach You, and that You had given me all I needed to walk this walk, and climb all obstacles in my life from then on, until the day I would indeed live with You in eternity.

I knew that day; I already had eternal life with You Lord.

Some may say that was a dream. I know without doubt, that evening, I really heard and met with You... that was real.

That gift You gave me then Lord is just as precious, just as alive for me today, as it was 33 years ago. Lord, You knew my heart, You knew the grief and pain and loneliness I was living with at that time. You knew and waited for me. You never let me go. You gathered me up and carried me next to Your heart. You gave me the hope and assurance I needed.

Thank You Lord for letting me touch You.

……………..

Isa 40:10-11 Behold, the Lord GOD will come with might,
With His arm ruling for Him
Behold, His reward is with Him
And His recompense before Him.
Like a shepherd He will tend His flock,
In His arm He will gather the lambs
And carry them in His bosom;
He will gently lead the nursing ewes.

Isa 40:26 Lift up your eyes on high
And see who has created these stars,
The One who leads forth their host by number,
He calls them all by name;
Because of the greatness of His might and the strength of His power,
Not one of them is missing.

For I know the plans I have for you

noreply@blogspirit.com () — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 15:51:07 +1200

When I start to understand Your timing Lord,

I am better able to co operate with the plan You have for my life.

When I do not know how, then I must learn to wait with confidence on You, the one who does!

If I am to walk with You and enjoy my walk then let me start by ‘letting God be God’ in my life.

The problem I have is sometimes I attempt to take the lead role in my relationship with You. And it just does not work,

You give me the instructions and I follow and obey - even thought I do not always like or understand the way You direct me to go.

Timing is always perfect with You,

I am beginning to see why sometimes; you take so long to do things? And sometime no time at all. Because trust is required in unanswered questions.

When I do not know the answers, I then have to trust in You. That keeps my faith growing.

You Lord, have a plan and a time, and You are preparing me. You keep me growing strong. It is only as I reach a new level of maturity that You release a new level of blessing into my life.

I am learning to break the habit of trying to prepare myself -

You Lord, want to take care of me!

Lord, I know that You Love me and that Your plans and Your timing are perfect, so I trust and rejoice in You!

Jeremiah 29:11

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

The Silver Birch Tree

noreply@blogspirit.com () — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 21:20:00 +1200

I was walking in the park one day

Taking great delight in the trees and gardens all around me. How peaceful it is to,’ just be‘.

To just soak up the beauty and message He has put there for all to see.

It was autumn,

At the stage that most of the trees had lost their leaves.

I usually prefer to see the trees in full greenness,

Or in the most beautiful of autumn colours just before they drop their leaves.

Today was different; I saw a beauty in their nakedness.

They stood there exposed for all to see.

Some showed branches broken and twisted, having survived the battles of life. Some still supported a nest or two, once a refuge for a family of birds.

Maybe in the springtime once again would be, host to some birds and a nurturing tree.

Much like what our lives should be, exposed and open for all to see.

If we look around, we can always see a message in creation, for it is in His creation that we see Him.

There amongst all the trees this day were a couple of tall silver birch trees;

They were glowing white against the dark cloudy sky,

A spectacular sight to see.

They glowed in the dark light of the day, so clear for all to see

There was a message there for me, a challenge even,

To be like that silver birch tree.

Does my life shine out against the dark sky?

Do I show the light of His love for the world to see?

The trees in the park that day left a clear challenge to me.

Do I blend in with the world hardly visible at all, offering no hope, for the season to come?

Or am I to be like the ‘glowing Silver Birch tree, the ones that shone out against the darkness of the sky.

Branches held out in friendship and hope.

I want to be like the silver birch tree, to allow Jesus to shine out of me against the darkness of this world.

That I also might show there is hope for the season to come.

[Matthew 5:14-16]

"You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden;

nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.

"Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.

Blessings

Les

I Go To Prepare A Place For You

noreply@blogspirit.com () — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 19:10:04 +1200

My mother died three weeks ago in the hospital after two major surgeries and complications.

She asked me so many times to take her home, and as much as I would loved to have been able to grant that request to her it just was not possible because of the level of care she needed.

The night she died I sat by her bed and held her hand and told her about this verse in Scripture..

I explained to her that our home on earth was only a temporary one and was destructible.. And that Jesus had gone to prepare a place especially for her, a permanent home where she would live in peace and comfort for eternity.

John 14:1-6

1 "Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me.
Be at peace mum, believe in God and believe in Jesus

2 "In My Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, Would I would have told you; that I go to prepare a place for you?
There are many rooms in our Fathers house mum, and He has gone to prepare a place especially for you.

3 "And when I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to Myself, that where I am, you may be also.
When He has prepared that place for you mum He will come to take you home with Him and then you will live there with Him forever.

4 "And you know the way where I am going."
You will know the way mum, He will take you.

5 Thomas said to Him, "Lord, we do not know where You are going, how can we know the way?"

6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but by Me.

Enjoy your new home mum and be at peace with Jesus who loves you so much.

I love you and miss you but one day will see you again..

Much love Lesley

The Candle

noreply@blogspirit.com () — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 21:42:15 +1300

I was thinking about us as Christians, being a light in this world, and that we are called to let our light shine in the darkness of this world.

And that we are to die to self. To melt away and destroy the flesh in our lives.

I looked at a candle and saw how it stands there looking real nice, but it is cold and of no use really unless it is lit.

Much like us as people, we can look good, but unless we are on fire by the Holy Spirit, we wont make a difference in this life.

In the lighting of the candle, we can see the flesh burn away and change the candle from a dead thing into a living .. warm light!

When I looked at the candle that was burning, all the flesh of the candle was melting away and being destroyed as the candle burnt away.

The wonderful thing was as the flesh was being destroyed and burnt, the light burned brightly and the glow was seen all over the room. As the flesh died its glow and light got more and more.

As Christians we are to let our flesh die and burn away...... Dead to self....but alive to HIM! Less of me Lord, and more of You!

Let my light shine for YOU!

Jesus The Light Of The World!

In His Love

Les

For Grasshopper...Being About The Lord's Business

noreply@blogspirit.com () — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 17:00:00 +1300

~ ~For my dear friend and sister in the Lord, Grasshopper~ ~

Nehemiah, the good, rose up from his weeping to do something about a vision God had laid on his heart. Under divine providence, he was soon transported from Shushan to his beloved city, Jerusalem, armed with authority and equipped with materials to rebuild the ruined city. . . .

The first device of the "enemy," upon hearing of the undertaking, was to heap ridicule on the whole plan. Sanballat, Tobiah and Geshem laughed Nehemiah and his helpers to scorn.

Undeterred, Nehemiah replied with firm assurance, "The God of heaven, he will prosper us." And the work went on according to plan.

After all other means had failed to hinder the reconstruction, the conspirators tried to arrange for a conference with Nehemiah. The man of God saw in this an evil purpose to do him mischief and divert him from his monumental work. His reply to the would-be mischief-makers is classic, and might well be adopted for the all-time stock reply to all such overtures:

"I am carrying on a great project and cannot go down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and go down to you?" (Nehemiah 6:3). The great task to which God had called Nehemiah was so important that every other consideration must be waived.

Would that we might have such an overpowering sense of being about our Father's business and be so impressed with the grandeur of our task that we would reject every suggestion of the evil one that would bid us take up some lesser pursuit.

Let us rout him with the words that date back to 445 B.C., and which cannot be improved upon:

"I am carrying on a great project and cannot go down."

Scripture … [ Nehemiah 6:3 ]

So I sent messengers to them with this reply: 'I am carrying on a great project and cannot go down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and go down to you?'

Thought For You Grasshopper

When we are certain of the Lord's will we may, with faith confidence pursue it, despite the obstacles and opposition.

Being about His business is our business.

In His Love

Les

The Teacup Story

noreply@blogspirit.com () — Sun, 21 Oct 2007 09:05:00 +1300

A couple used to go to England to shop in the beautiful stores. They both liked antiques, pottery, and especially teacups. This was their twenty-fifth wedding anniversary. One day in this beautiful shop, they saw a beautiful teacup. They said, "May we see that? We've never seen one quite so beautiful."

As the woman handed it to them, suddenly the teacup spoke. "You don't understand," it said. "I haven't always been a teacup. There was a time when I was red and I was clay. My master took me and rolled me and patted me repeatedly and I yelled out, Let me alone“, but he only smiled, “Not yet.”

"Then I was placed on a spinning wheel," the teacup said, "and suddenly I was spun around and around and around. Stop it! I am getting dizzy! I screamed. However, the master only nodded and said, “Not yet."

"Then he put me in the oven. I never felt such heat. I wondered why he wanted to burn me, and I yelled and knocked at the door. I could see him through the opening and I could read his lips, as he shook his head, “not yet‘“.

"Finally the door opened, he put me on the shelf, and I began to cool.’ There, that is better', I said. In addition, he brushed and painted me all over. The fumes were horrible. I thought I would gag. 'Stop it, stop it!' I cried. He only nodded, 'Not yet.'"

"Then suddenly he put me back into the oven, not like the first one. This was twice as hot and I knew I would suffocate. I begged. I pleaded. I screamed. I cried. All the time I could see him through the opening nodding his head saying, 'Not yet.'"

Then I knew there was not any hope. I would never make it. I was ready to give up. However, the door opened and he took me out and placed me on the shelf. One hour later, he handed me a mirror and I could not believe it was I. 'It's beautiful. I'm beautiful.'"
"'I want you to remember, then,' he said, 'I know it hurts to be rolled and patted, but if I had left you alone, you would have dried up. I know it made you dizzy to spin around on the wheel, but if I had stopped, you would have crumbled.

I knew it hurt and was hot and disagreeable in the oven, but if I had not put you there, you would have cracked. I know the fumes were bad when I brushed and painted you all over, but if I had not done that, you never would have hardened; you would not have had any color in your life. In addition, if I had not put you back in that second oven, you would not survive for very long because the hardness would not have held. Now you are a finished product. You are what I had in mind when I first began with you.'"

When you are going through adversity, and searching for reasons and answers, remember that it may not be punishment, it may not be your fault or anyone's fault. Adversity is here for a reason; for it is only through struggles, pain and suffering that, we grow stronger and wiser.

Pruning For This Spring

noreply@blogspirit.com () — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 15:25:02 +1300

John 15: 1. I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.
2. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.

During the Autumn and Winter of our lives, God prunes us in order to cut away from us everything that would hinder our growth or which does not have any value for our lives.

God does this pruning because over time, we begin to show dead unfruitful branches in our lives.

Many times in my own life, I have held onto something that was not pleasing to my God, in fact it did me much harm and would have continued to do so, eventually those dead branches would have affected the rest of the body had God not pruned them away.

We do not see these things as God sees them, He see the full picture of our lives. God, in his love, identifies our weaknesses and those harmful areas in our lives that must be pruned out.

He sees the damage to our lives if they were allowed to take root and to continue growing in our lives. He knows much better than we do what is harmful to us. And it is these very things that God desires to "prune" or cut out of our lives altogether.

Being the Spring time of the year, and living in a town of mostly orchards, I thought on what it means to prune a tree properly.
Proper pruning requires a few things:
The right timing,

prune too early, and damage can occur to the tree and whatever growth and fruit the tree might produce next season.

Getting overzealous with the shears will cause just as much of a problem as not clearing out enough of that old growth.

The most beneficial growth will come when pruning is involved.
God know just the right time, and just the right amount, and just the right places to prune, so we bear much fruit for Him.

Thank You Lord that You are the pruner.

In His Love

Les

Take The Plank Out Of My Eye First

noreply@blogspirit.com () — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 15:10:00 +1300

When my tongue is tempted to carry unkind words or gossip, instead may I use it to bless others and occupy it in prayer.

When thoughts of doubt or unbelief take over my mind,
May I remember that God never lies and His Word is truth.

When I have feelings of anger and unforgivness in my life against another,
May I remember that these feelings are not of God and they undermine my life and my house not those I hold the anger and unforgivness towards.

When I ask my God for forgiveness of my sins that I have committed, may I also ask forgiveness of those that I choose not to remember.

When I get full of pride and my own importance, may I then learn the humility that my God would have me live.

When I learn to live a little by these words, I pray then I will show the love of God in my life.

Matthew 7: 1-5 Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.

In His Love

Les