On the way…

Sue’s Views

The grandies found my ‘dress up’ box! Every Grandma should have one! Of course ….. the girls wanted to be princesses! The boys ….. well they just joined in the fun and made the best of what they could find! (Definitely need more ‘boy stuff’)  Mersade & Ezekiel opted for another avenue of creativity! Kids have great imaginations. Covid cannot limit those! The same God who gave us our ability to dream is also far above and in control of the world we live in. Don’t let anything stop you from dreaming big dreams!

Are you grieving the loss of someone or something? You will no doubt be familiar with some of the stages of grief. At first there is shock and denial ….. ‘This can’t be happening!’ There may be some anger ….. ‘Why did this have to happen?’ Then there is the struggle to find meaning ….. ‘If only I had done this or that’. There may be times when you feel overwhelmed and feel the need to withdraw. ‘It’s just too hard’. All these are perfectly normal responses. Eventually ….. a new day will dawn when you begin to accept what has happened and can begin to see a future. You begin to explore your options and make plans for the way ahead. Isaiah 53:3 tells us that Jesus was ‘a Man of Sorrows and acquainted with grief’. He understands where you are. Talk to Him about it! 

Sue’s Views

Are you struggling with temptation or wrong thinking? Take it to the Lord in prayer. The hardest part is often facing it and acknowledging it. Once you do ….. God will show you where the door was opened for the enemy to come in and do his damage. But He won’t leave you there! He will reveal to you His power and authority over the lies of the devil ….. and replace them with truth. He will lead you to repent of your wrong doing and forgive those who have hurt you. Then ….. instead of turning to things that temporarily numb the pain ….. He will give you a new way of thinking. Instead of the cycle you’ve been accustomed to ….. you will find yourself on a new pathway to freedom. It all starts with a decision to say ‘No’ to the devil ….. and ‘Yes’ to God!

Sue’s Views

Much of life is preparation for what is to come. Just like these rose gardens ….. we can feel like we’ve been stripped of all we’d achieved. It may seem like we are back to square one. But the pruning and removal of excess branches is getting us ready for a beautiful season to come. It actually strengthens what remains and makes us more hardy and resilient for the future!

Sue’s Views

The world has changed considerably in the last two years ….. and we find ourselves in unfamiliar territory. Not only threats of disease ….. but also cyber attacks ….. terrorist attacks ….. racist attacks to name a few. Government’s attempts to legislate only serve to control and take away our freedom to choose. That’s because we are dealing with problems in the heart ….. and heart issues cannot be changed through legislation. Laws can control outward behaviour to a certain extent ….. but they cannot deal with things like pride ….. greed ….. lust ….. hate etc. These can only be dealt with as we acknowledge them to be wrong ….. confess them ….. and put our trust in Jesus Christ ….. who paid the ultimate price for our redemption. There is no other way!

Sue’s Views

How are your relationships? We were not meant to be alone. Unless you live on a dessert island ….. your life touches others in some way. Some relationships are easy going ….. while others take a lot of work! We can’t always choose who we relate to ….. but we can choose to set boundaries. A toxic relationship is one that disrespects your boundaries. However ….. every relationship requires some give and take ….. and some ‘weeding’ at times. We often don’t appreciate people until they are no longer with us. So take some time to let them know you love them!

Sue’s Views

Harsh circumstances have the potential to destroy us ….. or to make us more beautiful! True beauty doesn’t come out of a bottle or a salon. And it doesn’t come from a life of ease and privilege. It comes from a life of daily walking with God and allowing His Spirit to guide you. We were never promised an easy road. Jesus said ‘In this world you will have trouble ….. but I have overcome the world!’ Some of the most beautiful people have lined faces that tell stories of hardship and sorrow but eyes that shine with love and joy. Don’t allow bitterness to set in. The frost on this grass has turned it into a work of art. You too are a masterpiece that God is working on!

We are officially half way through the year. Half time is always a time of reflection. What did we do well in the first half? What can we do better in the second? What changes do we need to make? No matter how bad the first half was ….. there is always hope that things can change in the second half. Don’t carry into tomorrow things like guilt ….. shame ….. regrets ….. resentment ….. or unforgiveness. They will only weigh you down! Leave them on the sidelines. Then you can be confident that you are on the winning team! 

Sue’s Views

I saw this yesterday and thought it was worth sharing. It certainly challenged me! How many times have I prayed a condescending prayer about a decision I’ve already made? How many times have I put words in God’s mouth ….. cut bits out of the Bible that I don’t like ….. or twisted the meaning to suit my plan? God made us in His image ….. but so often we try to make a ‘god’ in our image. The Bible calls it idolatry! It’s time we get back to letting God be God ….. live according to His ways ….. and stop doing the things He tells us not to do. How has that worked out for us so far?