Author: Sue Wilson

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Red Flags

Sue’s Views
The majority of life’s lessons are learned the hard way! We learn by our mistakes. Last night ….. as my FB friends will know ….. my FB account was used to send an ‘unsavoury’ picture to all my friends. One small click caused much unnecessary angst for me and discomfort for many others. Of course I had no idea what the picture contained ….. but there were some red flags which I foolishly ignored. The lesson here is that the Devil wants to rob us of our reputation. He is the ‘accuser of the brethren’. He wants to load us with guilt and shame so we go through life with our heads down and feeling worthless. Unfortunately there are people who are only too willing to help him with his filthy schemes. We need discernment to avoid the traps ….. but we also need to receive God’s forgiveness and grace.

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Circles

Sue’s Views
Does it feel like you are going round in circles? Are you facing the same challenges ….. and making the same mistakes ….. over and over again? It’s time for a change! The definition of insanity is to keep doing the same thing and expecting a different outcome! The Israelites spent 40 years on a 12 day journey because they were afraid of giants in the Promised Land. What ‘giants’ are you afraid of? God has a  new path for you that will take you out of the rut you are in ….. but you have to look for it and trust Him. Don’t allow fear ….. complacency ….. or habit keep you from God’s promises!
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Forgiveness

Are you living with regret for mistakes you’ve made in the past? If only life had a ‘delete’ button ….. or a ‘rewind’! Most of us would be going backwards more than forwards! The truth is ….. we have all done things that haunt us. That’s why Jesus came! There’s no way we can erase the past ….. but through the Cross we are forgiven. God’s grace and mercy are the greatest gifts because we can’t earn them and we certainly don’t deserve them. Now ….. if God says we are forgiven ….. who are we to dispute that fact? He has ‘blotted out our transgressions like a cloud’ ….. and we can move on to see His promises fulfilled!

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Communication

Sue’s Views
Communication is becoming a lost art. Texting ….. Messaging ….. Snapchatting ….. are convenient for some things. Sometimes a ‘yup’ or a ‘K’ is enough. But true communication still requires face to face time. It’s not only our words that express our thoughts and feelings. It’s also our tone and our facial expressions. It’s about listening and being heard. It’s not easy in our fast paced lifestyle ….. but it’s essential to healthy relationships. Who are you going to practice on this week?

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Hope

Sue’s Views
No matter what you are going through right now ….. one thing you can hold onto is hope! Hope is not wishful thinking ….. ‘I hope things will change’. Hope is a blessed assurance that God already knows the future ….. and has your very best interests at heart. He is the One who made a dry path through the Red Sea ….. made streams flow in the desert ….. fed 5000 people with 2 loaves of bread and 5 fish ….. and countless other miracles. Put your trust in Him! He will change your outlook from bleak to sunny!
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Magnificent Magnolia

Sue’s Views
I love the magnolia season! When most trees are bare and appear lifeless ….. it’s time for these beauties to shine! And shine they do! Out of a small furry bud comes these huge and magnificent blooms. Do you know that you too were designed for greatness? You may look in the mirror and see nothing amazing ….. but on the inside of you is the potential to bring joy to someone’s darkest day. Don’t allow the devil’s lies to contain and limit you. You have a purpose and a place that no one else can fulfill!

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Life’s Journey

Sue’s Views
Life has its ups and downs! I was just reading through my journal for this year ….. and what a roller coaster ride it has been. We often remember the highs and the lows ….. but the bits in between become a blur in our memory. The truth is ….. as we look back ….. it’s in the valleys that we grow the most. Without those times of loneliness ….. despair ….. anxiety ….. and need ….. we wouldn’t appreciate the times of elation ….. joy and celebration. Make the most of every step of the journey! None of them are wasted!

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Winter Blues

Sue’s Views

It’s midwinter here in New Zealand ….. and for some ….. the winter blues may have settled in. The winter season is not always welcome but it is a necessary and productive season. It strips us of the old and prepares us for the new. It also exposes who we really are. It’s a time of adjustment maybe ….. or just a time of acceptance. When asked which of the Commandments is the greatest ….. Jesus replied ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. And you shall love your neighbour as yourself.’ We can only love others as much as we love ourselves. Soon this weeping cherry will be covered in the most beautiful blossoms you can imagine. And your season will come too. But I encourage you to use this time to really get to know your ‘inner’ self.

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Faith and Works

Sue’s Views
One of the hardest things to understand about Christianity is that we are saved by faith ….. not by works. We are so used to earning our way through life that the idea of receiving something free doesn’t sit right with us. On the other hand ….. there are some who accept the gift of salvation ….. but think they can live as they please. The balance is explained in this illustration. If the rower uses only one oar ….. he goes round in circles! If he uses both oars ….. he will get across the lake to his destination! ‘Faith without works is dead’. The works ….. or good things we do prove our faith. We don’t do them to earn our salvation ….. we do them out of gratitude for it.
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Don’t be anxious!

Sue’s Views
Let’s face it! The world is in serious trouble! There is much to be concerned about. The media keeps us up to date on the latest disasters ….. crimes ….. and injustices ….. and the outlook is bleak to say the least. But nothing is new under the sun! In Jesus day ….. people were facing a tyrannical government ….. poverty ….. sickness and social injustice. That’s why He so often told them ‘Do not be anxious about your life. Look at the lillies of the field! They don’t have to worry. Their Heavenly Father takes care of them.’ And He will take care of you too! This is a time to trust Him.

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