When your Well is dry!

I don't know about you but if I hear sermons or read a devotional about the same passage then It makes me think God is trying to get my attention, I have been studying the story of the women at the well, then I have heard about three sermons one after the other on the same story!! Each time I keep thinking and asking the same question " what is it? what do you want me to get from this? I know the story!!! It was the worlds women day of prayer last Friday and once again it was based on you guessed it the women at the well! As the lady was speaking on this passage the verse hit me, The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.” (John 4:15 NIV) The women wanted a quick fix and once for all drink that would never let her get thirsty again, she would no longer have to keep coming to the well! I am like that women, I come to Jesus and get a fix then think that will do me for a while then when I am running on empty living in my own strength I think Oh I need to go back to Gods well!! God's well never runs dry but I do, if I am to keep giving out I need fresh supplies of living aster otherwise all I am giving is stagnent water not fresh! Have you ever drank from a bottle of water that has been in your room for too long it doesn't taste to good! when you clean the bottle out and pour fresh cold water in it the taste is refreshing. When we drink from gods well of life we become life to others. what's your well like??

Let God out of your box!!

I have been ignorant to believe that God could only speak in certain ways and in certain traditions or practises!

Oh I know that He can and does speak through creation, His word and through people but I still placed Him in a small box! How ignorant of me to think that my journey with God was the right way!!!

I have had the privilege this weekend to be away on a residential course with a group of wonderful Godly people who like me are exploring whether they should become spiritual directors.

I talked to and listened to catholic sisters, catholic priests, baptists, Church of England vicars etc!
I was overwhelmed by the richness of their journeys with God.
I felt accepted loved and part of an extended family, we laughed and cried together as we heard how God has been their constant, their solid foundation throughout their lives.

At the end of the weekend I wrote in my journal the following:
There is a richness in different  practices,baptist, catholic, etc.
God speaks in any and every which way, He cannot and does not stay on one practise,
He cannot be beholden to one,
He breaks through traditions rules and regulations to reach into the soul of His children.
As His children we need to be hospitable to one another, listen to each other hold each other's vulnerable souls and walk along side one another, not try to change the other to be like ourselves but always 'See Christ in the Other'
I never want to stop learning how big God is!!!!

Keep saying " Yes"

"Yes"
"I do"
"I agree"
" Amen"

I have been thinking about words and how powerful they can be!
A child asks his parent for something and they expect the answer to be "No" but instead they get a "Yes" their face lights up, they are amazed!
A man bends his knee and asks his sweetheart for her hand in marriage and his heart bursts when she squeals "Yes". Later on they share vows as they both say " I do! "

I say " Amen" to many of my own heart felt prayers and to other peoples prayers I agree in faith for them.

Saying " Yes " doesn't always mean a once for all 'Yes' it is a constant daily decision to say "Yes"

My own walk with God has to be a constant "Yes I choose to live for you God" " Yes I will have faith even when you are silent." " Yes I will continue to serve even when I don't feel like it!!

Brian D. Mclaren says it beautifully in his book 'Naked spirituality'
Whatever our tradition, we eventually realise that our yes must become, 
not simply an event, but a practise.
each of us must learn to open our yes to the spirit on a moment by moment basis.
Jesus used an image for this practise a branch abiding in a grapevine.
The branch can't bear fruit on its own, but if it abides in the vine it will naturally 
bear fruit season after season.
Yes pruning will come and pruning may be painful, but again, if the branch just abides, just stays
Just says ' yes' season after season, that pruning will result in ever more faithfulness .

Saying " Yes " can often be a sacrifice,in Parenthood, in marriage, in bad health I. Difficult work circumstances praying we all will rely and abide on the one who said " Yes" for us.
Praying God's best for you all in 2014
Keep saying Yes!

The storm will pass and once again the sun will shine

When you ask God if he wants to talk to you about anything, maybe it's not such a good idea to ask that before you go to sleep!!!
I had gone to bed thinking about how many of my loved ones are facing storms or are in a storm and wanting to tell them that the storm they are in or facing yes may bring destruction, heartache and pain but it does pass and the sun soon shines again.
I awoke at 2 am and did the customary trip to the bathroom!! Then laid in bed and the story came into my mind of the disciples in a boat and the storm was raging and where was Jesus? ASLEEP!!

Then it all came together in my mind,  when we are in a storm we feel alone.We may cry out to God but we feel that our prayers are bouncing of the ceiling and we feel that He maybe asleep so we shout a little louder but the storm gets harder! We are like the boat just drifting away being tossed around but then just like in the story the disciples get through to Jesus and He says

" Oh you of little faith why did you doubt, then He ordered the waves to be still and the the storm became calm" Matthew ch  8 v 26

If only it were that easy now right? If only we just cried out to God and He answered our prayers and they all got answered instantly and every storm of life was calmed.

I felt as I drifted back to sleep that God was trying to use that illustration to encourage more faith in me for others and to encourage those in the eye of the storm not to give up , why because
The dark seems often darkest before the dawn breaks and God is faithful!

Be alert

I was often quoted this verse as I was growing up 1 peter ch 5 v 8 says Be self controlled and alert for your enemy prowls around seeking who he may devour! It always freaked me out feeling like the devil was always lurking around ready to pounce! Just recently though God dropped the words into my mind BE ALERT and LISTEN not alert to the devil and all that he could attempt to do but be alert as God has always something to tell me but I am not alert eneough to hear what he wants to say! I am so often busy trying to sort out a solution to a situation without first bringing it to God and asking him for His solution then waiting for His answer! The definition of alert is: To be fully aware and attentive, wide awake, keen. when we are alert to God He will show us things about ourselves, others and their needs and will speak right into our situations. I want to stay alert how about you?

Be kind to yourself!

One of the Ten Commandments says 'Love your neighbour as you love yourself' Matthew ch 22 v 39 I have read this many times and only today has something really hit home!!
 I thought I was good at loving myself! I feed and clothe myself I try and get some exercise
and the right amount of sleep! But what I read today in a great book I am reading
'Naked spirituality' by Brisn D. Mclaren I am not my own friend!! I am often my own enemy!!
 Brian Mclaren writes ' If my friend made a mistake, I would tell him that it was ok,
 that nobody is perfect. But when I make a mistake, I would Constantly beat myself up and mercilessly take myself to task,
 If a friend was working to hard, I would tell him to relax, To take a day off go fishing or play golf.But down inside me was a cruel task master who was never satisfied.
 If a friend had some weaknesses, I would be gracious and compassionate but not to myself..
 But God used a random quote from Abraham Lincoln
 'I desire to so conduct the affairs of this administration that if, at the end....
 I have lost every friend on earth,I shall have one friend left,
and that friend shall be down inside of me!'
' This quote made me realise that I need to take Jesus words seriously
loving others as I love myself which requires me first to be a friend to myself!!'
 So how do we become our own friends?? Brian Mclaren continues
'Learn to stand with God and see yourself as needy,weak,limited and imperfect, edgy stressed!frightened or troubled.
BUT you don't criticise, condemn! chide or or reject yourself,
rather you join God in God's desire for your own expansion and well being.
You join God in wanting the best for yourself,and in that light,
 you make your request to God for your friend yourself!!'


 God forgives us I need to forgive myself as quickly as I forgive others,
 God shows mercy and grace I need to show Grace and mercy to myself as I do to others!!
 Are you a good friend to yourself????

There is no I in TEAM!

I recently got to see an amazing team of people work in a surgery procedure!! It was surreal as they were working on me and I could see and hear most of what they were doing! So here is an intro to the team: Mr M- consultant radiologist Sue - theatre nurse Lorraine - theatre nurse and general supporter of the patient! Mr W - consultant radiologist who comes in half way through procedure Pat - radiographer who works the huge scanning machine! Saahee- registrar and observer The team welcome me in and make me comfortable, I ask Mr M if he would please talk to me as he does the procedure he assures me he will, I also like a big kid ask if I could have the filter in a tube to take home when it's removed! he agrees to this even though it's not hospital policy!! I like him already!! The procedures starts, I have an injection in my neck after I have been covered and kitted out with a paper hat!! Then Mr M cuts my neck and starts to feed a tube down into my abdomen and down into my leg to have a look at clotty!! Lorraine and I start to talk about my new job and I share how it's amazing that I am working at all and share with them how I have had lots of prayer and that my amazing church have provided me with an automatic car! Mr M says " wow that is amazing " I didn't realise he was listening!! The team are laughing and listening to each other at the same time doing there job, then suddenly Lorraine slips her hand under the green covering and squeezes mine I think she saw in my face discomfort as I didn't wince!! Next Mr M asks for a tube as it's time for the filter to be removed! Sue is on the side nearest to him and she passes him everything he needs! The filter is very hard to latch on to and I am sensing the team are all routing for Mr M, after 1 1/2 hours it will not come out! Mr W comes in and suggests other ways he could remove it, he tries everything he says, then the nurses suggest another way that another consultant has tried, Mr M suggest that they should get this consultant on the phone,unfortunately he couldn't be reached! the nurses and Mr W decide that they are going to work a different way and make up a different tube and instrument to get this out!! I spoke up then and said to DR M "it's a good job you don't have a big ego, as you are working so well together as a team and your listening to everyone's advice" he replied " When I start playing God then I will start making mistakes!" The procedure took another painful hour but the last few minutes the team held there breath as he pulled the filter out and they all applauded!! Not one person was more import than the other, they all had chance to express their opinions, all were valued in their important roles. Dr M could of easily sent Dr W out as it was his procedure. The nurses were never put down or told they had spoken out of turn! Whatever team you are on be a team player value each other listen to each other don't play God that's not your role!!thats Gods!! Rom 12v3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.