Queen’s Birthday

Sue’s Views
Today we are celebrating the Queen’s Birthday here in NZ. Whether you love or hate the Royals ….. I have a tremendous respect for Queen Elizabeth! She has shown some amazing leadership qualities throughout her reign. Through good times and some very difficult times ….. she has remained faithful to her calling. She has been a hard worker ….. faithful wife ….. and a symbol of hope and courage through wars ….. depressions ….. tragedies ….. and scandals! She has been open about her Christian faith which has carried her through. You may be in a situation you didn’t ask for or feel unprepared for. Put your hand in the hand of the King of Kings ….. and let Him teach you and guide you through.

The Rock

Sue’s Views

When your feet are firmly planted on the Rock ….. it doesn’t matter how big or small you are ….. or how weak or strong you are. It doesn’t matter how much you know ….. or what you’ve done in the past. The strength ….. wisdom and ability is all in the Rock! Jesus Christ is our Rock! He never fails ….. is always faithful ….. always present ….. always merciful. And He is always bigger than any problem you are going through. Don’t be tempted to fly away and find some other source of comfort. Hold fast to the Rock of Ages! He will never let you down! 

Brain Fog

Sue’s Views
There are many reasons why things may seem unclear ….. but before you rush off to Specsavers ….. take a step back. Our brains are constantly overloaded with information. This can cause sleeplessness ….. anxiety ….. inadequate diet ….. and health issues. So before you blame it on brain fog ….. baby brain ….. or senior moments ….. take a break! Go for a walk ….. play some restful music ….. or have a nap. Once the mist clears ….. it’s usually a beautiful day!

Perseverance

Sue’s Views
Our frangipani tree has proven once again that the potential from within is stronger than the elements outside. Being a tropical plant ….. it surprised us to see it flowering in June in the New Zealand winter! We usually take it to a warmer position as it gets colder ….. but this year it is getting too big to move so we left it. We can’t always protect ourselves or those we love from harsh circumstances ….. but we can trust that God has given us and them the strength and courage to go through them. It’s the testing of our faith that produces perseverance!

Winter

Sue’s Views
It’s officially the first day of winter. The trees are bare ….. the nights are cold ….. and it gets dark by 6pm. And yet winter is probably the most productive season of all. Where we see barrenness ….. God sees the potential for fruitfulness. In fact He chose women who were unable to conceive to be part of Jesus blood line! When we feel cold ….. He draws us closer to Himself and warms us with His love. When we see darkness ….. He reminds us that He is the Light of the World that dispels all darkness. If you find yourself in a season of barrenness ….. coldness ….. or darkness ….. put your trust in Him. When we come to the end of ourselves ….. God is just beginning!

Trust

Sue’s Views
This has been our church’s verse for the month of May. Why is it so hard to trust God? Because we rely so much on what we see. From our view point ….. things can look pretty messy! We process them through our limited knowledge ….. and our past experience. We therefore limit the possible outcome to what we can understand. But ….. at the same time ….. God is looking at the same situation from His perspective. He sees a complete and beautiful picture. When we let Him into our situation by acknowledging that His ways are higher than ours ….. He will lead us step by step to a place where we can see it too! We walk by faith ….. not by sight.

Potential

Sue’s Views
The past year has been tough! We’ve all been affected in some way. Things we’ve depended on are no longer dependable. Our freedom has been restricted. Things we thought we could control are now beyond our control. But the human spirit doesn’t rely on outward circumstances to thrive. It is able to connect with God’s Spirit and is capable of things beyond our imagination. We were never designed to do our own thing. We were designed for God’s purpose ….. and nothing can stop that but us! So instead of looking at the harsh situation you are in ….. look inside at the potential God has given you ….. and bloom where you are planted!

Perspective

Sue’s Views
Like many of you ….. we stood on our balcony late last night to watch the moon (so romantic)! It was too cold to stay there long but we didn’t want to miss a once in a lifetime experience. As amazing as it was ….. I couldn’t help being even more amazed at the God who put it all in motion! We know the moon has tremendous influence in our world ….. but we are just a dot in comparison to the universe. Sometimes it’s good to get some perspective. I can’t understand how people can think it all just happened by accident! As tiny and seemingly insignificant as we are ….. God chose us to be part of His family! And that makes me feel very special ….. and so are you!

Starting Over

Sue’s Views
This is what you call a bad day at the office! Fortunately no bones were broken ….. but he won’t be making that mistake again! The truth is ….. we learn from our mistakes. We’ve all done some dumb things ….. but they don’t define us. The picture reminds me of another Carpenter who allowed His hands to be pierced with nails so we could be forgiven for our wrong doing. That means we can start over! 

Rejection

Sue’s Views
Have you been rejected by someone you love? Rejection is one of the enemy’s tools to make us feel unworthy and unlovable. It’s roots go deep ….. and it’s effects can last long. The person rejected often feels they are at fault ….. and struggles with their identity. Jesus knew rejection ….. from his own family ….. from people He wanted to help ….. and finally from His Father. He understands and identifies with the rejected. If that’s you ….. talk to Him about it. He overcame rejection and exchanged it for His acceptance on the Cross. If God accepts us ….. who can reject us?