Learning...

The last few weeks have been interesting to say the least. Relationships have ended. Dynamics of relationships have changed. I've changed. I've held onto the people who accept me - crazy and all - for who I am. I've let go of others. I've become very thankful for the ones from afar who, while not here to see the real deal that is my life, choose to stay part of my life despite the ups and downs.

I've learnt a lot about myself, and I've learnt a lot about God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit.

I've learnt of the goodness of the Trinity. The ever present voice that guides me when I don't know where to turn. The comforting embrace of a Father who loves me with no end. My bridegroom Jesus who fills the void inside my heart that is left lacking. The man who died on the cross for me.

I've learnt to refuse to keep going over and over the same thing only to get the same result. I've learnt to let go. I've embraced what may never be (God only knows if it will, anyway!). I've accepted that I need to love God and myself more to truly be whole.

A lot of lessons learnt. A lot of tears cried. A lot of regrets. A lot of new aspects to accept. A lot to be grateful for.

Most importantly I've learnt that while humans let me down, God never will. I may stumble, fall and struggle to get back up, but He is there holding His hand out willing me to move forward and to become the woman He knows me to be.

Learning. It's good for the soul. And so is change.

God grant me the serenity

to accept the things I cannot change;

courage to change the things I can;

and wisdom to know the difference.

Living one day at a time;

Enjoying one moment at a time;

Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;

Taking, as He did, this sinful world

as it is, not as I would have it;

Trusting that He will make all things right

if I surrender to His Will;

That I may be reasonably happy in this life

and supremely happy with Him

Forever in the next.

Amen.

--Reinhold Niebuhr

Do You Like Change? I Do...



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Change, change, change. There is nothing like change to either totally disrupt, bless or adjust one’s life. I believe that changes are the breaks between the chapters in your life book. The change in direction. An end and a beginning.

There has been a lot of change in my life this year. In previous years change has brought about different sets of circumstances that have provided upheaval, growth or regression. This year, however, is about milestone changes. The type of change that sets me on a new course and challenges me to stop and ponder many aspects of my life.

What my activities are.

Who I associate with.

Where I spend my time and money.

What I value most in life.

Who I am to my near and dear, and who I am in Jesus.

Where I will go from here.

Throughout all of my ponderings the Holy Spirit has been a discernable influence. I have felt the Holy Spirit’s presence throughout every change that has been made. I feel the calming presence that the Holy Spirit provides when the change I’m making is the right one. That in itself is reason enough to accept the change and not look back.

I’ve discovered that change involves not looking back; putting up boundaries; being true to myself; ending some relationships; surrounding myself with positive people intent on living, not just striving to.

Change involves many things for me. I’m looking forward to what lies ahead. It’s been a long time since I’ve been able to say that. A new day has dawned for this old night owl who is now a lover of the morning. Yes, another change.

I’m thankful to God for His mercies, to Jesus for His contant companionship, and to the Holy Spirit for the discerning voice I hear and feel.

Life is good. God is good.

Forever I Am Changed...

I marvel at the change that has taken place within in over the last 18 months of my life. I've gone from a lost, confused and misled person to a woman who, while still dealing with stuff from the past, knows who I am in God and how He wants me to live life. It seems surreal when I stop and really think about it. But I am ever so thankful for the change because I dread to think where I would be now if He had not touched my heart the way, and when, He did.

The change from the person I was to the woman I am now was a painful process, but one that I knew I had to endure. To quote lyrics from Jesus Culture's Happy Day ...

"I'll never be the same,
Forever I am changed..."

This is the absolute truth, and one which I will be eternally grateful for! Thank you God for loving me, and thank you Jesus for saving me from my sinful, ignorant and foolish self.

"This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!" - 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NLT)

The Serenity Prayer...

God grant me the serenity

to accept the things I cannot change;

courage to change the things I can;

and wisdom to know the difference.

Living one day at a time;

Enjoying one moment at a time;

Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;

Taking, as He did, this sinful world

as it is, not as I would have it;

Trusting that He will make all things right

if I surrender to His Will;

That I may be reasonably happy in this life

and supremely happy with Him

Forever in the next.

Amen.

- Reinhold Niebuhr

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;

in all your ways acknowledge him,and he will direct your paths.
- Proverbs 3: 5-6

(Taken from Prayer in Particular Circumstances - The Serenity Prayer)

Change Through Knowledge...

I've started the day right with Joyce Meyer this morning (Starting Your Day Right Devotions for Each Morning of the Year) and have continued on my lesson for the week, it seems, on what I can learn from the Bible. This is the main verse for the day -

"Commit your way to the Lord [roll and repose each care of your load on Him]; trust (lean on, rely on, and be confident) also in Him and He will bring it to pass," - Psalm 37:5 AMP

Joyce then writes -

"We are all eager for our situations and relationships to change, but nothing will change in our lives without knowledge of God's Word. In Hosea 4:6 God says, "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.""

Joyce then goes on to say how change comes through prayer, and how we then must wait patiently on God, and not complain whilst doing so! She tells how God wants us to trust Him, and not put our trust in people who may be involved in the situation. In closing Joyce writes -

"...He is asking us to trust Him. There is a difference. He is faithful to rescue us from all our troubles."

One of the lessons here is that we can choose to live man's way, or we can choose to live God's way. I've done both, and I know for a fact that the latter is the way to go. I've learnt many valuable lessons over the last few years about life, human relationships, myself and God. From a human perspective I could complain and say that life is unfair, humans can be cruel, I am a failure and God has deserted me. But, as a Christian, I know that life is filled with an abundance of blessings, helping other humans is why we exist, I am exactly where I am meant to be right now, and that God is great and loves me more than anyone else ever has! And He never, not once, ever, deserted me!

Another lesson is that God gives us all the tools we need to build a wonderful life, to develop fulfilling human relationships, to gain a real view and appreciation of self, and to build a deep love of Him. These tools come in the form of His Word. My previous post touched on learning the simple, yet valuable lessons we need to live life from the Bible, and I feel that today's scripture reminds me of that message.

My friend Lelia, from Write from the Heart, talks about the Bible in her post on 'Worn Boots'. Please pop over and have a read. You will be glad you did, as you will gain a new found appreciation for the signifigance of the Bible. Lelia, who writes so wonderfully when conveying the message of our Lord, writes, "The Bible is God's way of teaching His children things only a Father can teach." Amen!

So, back to Joyce and her message and how it all ties in. We are humans who have been given the opportunity - the immeasurable blessing - of walking life alongside the best. What we do with that opportunity is up to us. We can blow it and return to being a mere mortal, or we can continue to learn and grow, and change, through knowledge that we gain from His Word - His gift of life - to us. The Bible is right at our fingertips, yet sometimes we forget the importance of it. It's our handbook, our instruction manual, our encyclopedia, our '66 step program'. All the self-help books in the world will never give us what God has in His Word.

If we want to succeed in our walk with God, we must use what He has given us. We must develop a strong bond and knowledgeable understanding of the Bible and what it holds inside for us. If we want change, if we want progress, if we want peace, and if we want to help others, then Joyce's message today is a valuable lesson on how we can gain the tools to build on all these things.

Dear Lord, thank you for the wonderful gift of your Word. I pray that I grow in the knowledge that You have provided within it's covers, and that I continue to change to be the person you intend for me to be. In Jesus' Wonderful Name, Amen.

Serenity...

God, grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change,
Courage to change the things I can,
and the wisdom to know the difference.

Living one day at a time;
Enjoying one moment at a time;
Accepting hardship as the pathway to peace.

Taking, as He did, this sinful world
as it is, not as I would have it.
Trusting that He will make all things right
if I surrender to His will;
That I may be reasonably happy in this life,
and supremely happy with Him forever in the next.

Amen

- Reinhold Neibhur, 1926