On the way…

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Focus On The Blessings!

Sue’s Views
Summer is almost over …..  but what a summer it has been! How will you remember the summer of 2025/26? There has certainly been plenty to complain about if we so choose. But the good news is that we do have a choice! Challenging times are always opportunities to reprioritise our lives. To focus on the blessings ….. to magnify the things we are thankful for. Some of the things on my list would be family ….. health ….. deepened friendships. But above all ….. I am so thankful to know my Heavenly Father ….. without whom none of these things would be possible. Because He is at the helm ….. I am excited about the future no matter how bleak it may look. 
‘Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.’ 1 Thessalonians 5:18
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Even though ….. yet I will rejoice!

Sue’s Views
Like many of us today ….. people in the Bible went through times of destruction and hopelessness ….. and they asked the same questions we do! ‘Where is God?’ ….. and ‘Why is this happening?’ Many have given up on believing God exists. Others believe that ….. if he does exist ….. He is like a Santa Claus character who always makes everything nice and happy! If that’s the case ….. He’s not doing a very good job! Many of the Bible characters cried out to God in anger and told Him what they really thought. Habbakuk was one such person. But God showed Him that what he and his people were going through was ultimately for their own good. He ended up understanding and writing the following words:
‘Even though the fig trees have no blossoms,
and there are no grapes on the vines;
even though the olive crop fails,
and the fields lie empty and barren;
even though the flocks die in the fields,
and the cattle barns are empty,
yet I will rejoice in the LORD!
I will be joyful in the God of my salvation!
The Sovereign LORD is my strength!
He makes me as surefooted as a deer,
able to tread upon the heights.’
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Love Is Not Boastful Or Proud!

Sue’s Views
‘Love is not boastful or proud.’ When we are single we all want to meet Mr or Miss ‘Right’ ….. but no one wants to be married to Mr or Mrs ‘I’m always right’! True love listens to another’s perspective and tries to view life through their eyes. I find the best way to get to know someone is to get them talking about themselves. For many of us ….. our favourite topic is ‘me’. This Valentine’s Day ….. let’s get over ourselves and think of others more highly than ourselves!
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Love Does Not Envy!

Sue’s Views
Love does not envy! Envy is a feeling of discontent and the longing for something someone else has. The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence! Love ….. on the other hand ….. rejoices when someone else gets a promotion ….. or a new house ….. or receives some kind of accolades. In a way ….. envy is accusing God of being unjust. It says ‘What you did for them ….. you should have done for me!’ Love says ‘My time will come but this is your time to shine!’ Challenging eh?
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Love Is Kind!

Sue’s Views
Today’s ‘love’ theme is kindness! ‘Love is kind’. Kindness is love in action. It’s no use feeling kind or having kind thoughts unless they are put into action. It may be an act of service ….. it may be an encouraging word ….. or a ‘thank you’ card. We so often think nice thoughts about someone ….. but kindness communicates them. Kindness needn’t cost you a lot of money ….. but it can make someone feel valued.
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Love Is Patient

Sue’s Views
1 Corinthians 13 is known as the Love Chapter in the Bible. The first thing it tells us about love is that ‘Love is patient’. Anyone ….. unless they live alone on a desert island ….. will have been challenged by this aspect of love. Other people don’t necessarily live by your timetable! I had to wait a long time to get this photo because the butterfly would not stay still long enough for me to capture it. We can be like that ….. flitting from one thing to another ….. while God waits patiently for us to stop and acknowledge Him. Maybe there’s someone in your life who frustrates you and tests your patience? Ask God for help and wisdom. He may want to teach you that the other person is more important than your timetable!
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Love Is In The Air

Sue’s Views
Love is in the air! In the lead up to Valentines Day ….. I’ve been thinking about love! What is love? Is it a sentimental feeling? Is it something you suddenly fall into ….. and therefore can just as easily fall out of? The Bible definition of love is very different. The word for God’s love is ‘Agape’ ….. and means seeing a need and meeting it. It’s practical. It’s action. It focuses on the highest good of others. It’s about giving! I’m going to be looking at different aspects of love over the next few days. Hope you’ll join me!
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God Defend New Zealand

Sue’s Views
God Defend New Zealand
God of Nations at Thy feet,
In the bonds of love we meet,
Hear our voices, we entreat,
God defend our free land.
Guard Pacific’s triple star
From the shafts of strife and war,
Make her praises heard afar,
God defend New Zealand.
Men of every creed and race,
Gather here before Thy face,
Asking Thee to bless this place,
God defend our free land.
From dissension, envy, hate,
And corruption guard our state,
Make our country good and great,
God defend New Zealand.
Peace, not war, shall be our boast,
But, should foes assail our coast,
Make us then a mighty host,
God defend our free land.
Lord of battles in Thy might,
Put our enemies to flight,
Let our cause be just and right,
God defend New Zealand.
Let our love for Thee increase,
May Thy blessings never cease,
Give us plenty, give us peace,
God defend our free land.
From dishonour and from shame,
Guard our country’s spotless name,
Crown her with immortal fame,
God defend New Zealand.
May our mountains ever be
Freedom’s ramparts on the sea,
Make us faithful unto Thee,
God defend our free land.
Guide her in the nations’ van,
Preaching love and truth to man,
Working out Thy glorious plan,
God defend New Zealand.
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God The Gardener!

Sue’s Views
God is an amazing gardener! He knows exactly what each plant needs ….. the best soil ….. the right amount of sun or shade ….. the right nutrients ….. in order to produce its finest. Once planted ….. it has the greatest chance of thriving! But imagine if the plant decided to uproot and transplant itself elsewhere! Maybe it didn’t like the other plants around it ….. or thought another spot looked better! Sometimes we are like that! But for your roots to be deep and strong ….. you’re better off staying where God has put you.
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Puzzling Your Way Through Life!

Sue’s Views
I finally finished this jigsaw after many weeks! It was one of the most challenging ones I’ve ever done! I started with the brighter coloured parts but there were so many dark areas in the picture. I could have easily given up and put all the pieces back in the box ….. but something in me refused to do that. The challenge was on! I would finish it no matter what! Some days I would only put a couple of pieces in place but I learned to celebrate the wins no matter how small. Then there were days when I’d find a piece that linked two other parts together. As the picture began to come together ….. I was encouraged to keep going. Life can be like that jigsaw. The darker days seem to overpower the brighter days ….. you feel like giving up ….. but something in you tells you to keep going! Life can sometimes feel like lots of pieces that don’t make sense ….. but as you do what you can ….. celebrate the small wins ….. and focus on the brighter bits ….. the picture will start to make sense.
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