The God Series

At some point in our life, we have been glued to the t.v. screen watching our favourite series. And oh, how we stress if we've missed an episode! We sit for at least an hour watching how people manipulate each other, love each other and we hate it when an episode ends on a such a cliffhanger that you are not sure how you are going to wait until next week for the conclusion. It sounds familiar, doesn't it?

But sit back and look around. Do you see what I see? You and I are in a series. We are in the most awesome, exciting, heart-wrenching series you can ever see. We are all in "The God Series", and you and I are playing major roles.

The God Series is the life we are living. God is our director, telling us what to do, where to go, how to feel and what to say and if we make a mistake..it's okay as He gives us many takes to keep trying to get better.

Yes, sure, we don't get the script beforehand but that is what makes it so exciting, every scene is new, unknown,intense. Every episode is a journey, an adventure.

The God Series has seasons of dance and laughter, seasons of love and hate, seasons of life and death and season for all occasions. In this series, everyone has a role to play. Everyone has a line, a scene, a motive. So, what's so unique of this series?

The uniqueness is there is only one person behind the scenes directing, writing, producing, editing and sharing it with the world. There are no pressures of lighting, cameras, microphones and groups of people wandering around aimlessly. God is our all in one film maker!

We don't have to act to get famous or rich. We don't have to study for hours trying to imagine how we should feel, what we should do or how to be. We were born with all these things in the God Series. The God Series is a great combination of script and reality. We were born famous in God's eyes, filled with His riches on earth and we walk the script He wrote before we knew it.

What more would you want in a t.v. series?!

In the end, we are left with the gift of looking back at how the God series played out and how important our role was. We shared weddings and funerals, births and adoptions, love and laughter, wrinkles and grey hairs. We shared real, true life. And some of the advantages of this series are we don't need to pay a t.v. license to watch it, we don't need to have cable t.v. to join in with others and we don't need to sit for hours catching up.

All we need is to embrace the episode God created for us, enjoy the season He is busy working in and love the fact that we are in the most important series we will ever know....The God Series.

 

My Judging Jabber

When did we become so judgemental? When did we start thinking freedom of speech meant the freedom to judge others?

In today's world, it seems we spend our time trying to be better than others by bringing them down and saying whatever we want whenever we want without thinking about how it might affect others beforehand. Are we so insecure as individuals that we feel the need to better our egos by destroying another person's ego?

Would God want us to do this? When He gave us free will, is this what He expects from us? I don't think so.

God says we should treat our neighbour as we wish to be treated and to love our family as well as our enemies. This means that we don't necessarily have to like the person but we do have to express Godly love towards them whether we want to or not. God encourages us to respect each other regardless of sins, personality, habits, etc.

No one on earth as the right to judge. Yes, we are allowed an opinion but the question is,  do we ask the person if they want our opinion and then respond accordingly or do we not even bother having manners to ask, and just blurt whatever we wish.

The only person who has the right to judge is God and even then, our opinion doesn't matter because God knows and sees all and when He judges He does knowing the WHOLE person and not snippets like we do.

When are we going to start seeing a person's heart before seeing the rest of the person?
It is interesting how we can forget the judgements we had once we get to really know the person behind them. If only, we could see the person before seeing the judgements.

I know it's not easy but don't stop trying. 

Don't judge other people, or you will be judged. 

You will be judged in the same way that you judge others,

and the amount you give to others will be given to you. 

Why do you notice the little piece of dust in your friend's eye, 

but you don't notice the big piece of wood in your own eye?

Matthew 7: 1-3 

Letter to a Little Girl

Dear Little Girl,

I didn't know you and had never met you before but last week, you came into my life. I was honoured with the request by someone who did know you to write a poem for you and your family at your funeral. All I knew about you was that you were 8 years old and died from heart failure, and that you were always smiling.

As I sat on my bed, my mind went blank as I thought, how was I going to write a meaningful poem about someone I didn't know. And then, I remembered God created you and took you so I turned to Him. I laid my pen down and asked God to give me the words to honour you but give your family some comfort with your passing.

I heard that they all loved the poem and thought it was beautiful. As you looked down and listened with God, I pray you too felt their love for you.

And so, I realised I didn't need to know you to write for you because God knew you, loved you, created you and clearly needed you more in His house than here on earth.

Maybe one day we will meet and I hope you don't mind but I am sharing your poem with the world today.

Thank you Lord for giving me words that brought comfort to others. 

Here it goes....

Don’t cry too long for me

The sun won’t shine for me again,

Nor will I feel the drops of rain

But please don’t be sad and cry too long for me

My heart is finally healed and I am where I was created to be.

God has welcomed me into His place

God has kept me a Holy space

My heart now warms the clouds in the sky

And my smile spreads as the breeze blows by

Thank you for all you have done

Look for me in the sun

But please don’t be sad and cry too long for me

My heart is finally healed and I am where I was created to be.

The death of one that belongs to the Lord

is precious in his sight.

Psalm 116:15

 

More Slo-Mo, less Catch up

Life has caught up with me and I thought I had written at least one blog this month but as I realised I hadn't. Have you ever had moments where you feel like you are playing "catch up" because you have been so busy and/or focused on other things. Luckily for me, I've been doing things that I am passionate about which means a happier me.

I wonder if God ever plays catch up with us when directing us on the path He has laid out for us. I get an image of me racing along at a "fast-ish" jog on a path and behind is this aged yet vibrant man trying to catch up with me. I wonder what He would say if He does? Maybe something like..."Hey, slow down, take note, enjoy"
Would I stop? Would I listen? or think Weirdo and increase my speed (if I can!).

Every year at Easter, we are reminded to focus on the Passion of Christ. The sacrifice that was made for us. Easter week-end also tends to get very busy and filled with family gatherings, shopping and  a little bit like the Christmas rush.

This week-end, I urge you to stop being like a "DSTV Explora" playing catch up and be more like the "Slo-Mo" button and slow down, take note and enjoy the time for reflection on God's gift to us, creating lasting memories with family and friends.

Lastly, I wish you all a great Easter. May God keep you safe if you are traveling and most of all, God bless you all this "slow" week-end.

                                                    

Between Sundays

I have just finished reading "Between Sundays" by Karen Kingsbury and it really got me pondering on how important between Sundays are. I recommend everyone grab a copy and read this novel.

Each Sunday we sit in church, singing, nodding and smiling at everything our priest says and reads, acknowledging what God expects from us but how serious do we take it? Do we consciously make the effort to try or do we often use the excuse "I don't think this week's message was meant for me".

What happens after Sunday? This novel is about teaching a famous football player about the importance of having God in his life but also how important between Sundays are.

As believers, we think we are doing our best to be more like Jesus in the way we conduct ourselves, treat others and our general being but how important is it to us? Are we keeping it front of mind at all times? I don't think so.

Bottom line, as in the novel, the saying goes: What you do between Sundays is more important!

In other words, yes, it's great that we praise and visit with God every Sunday, learning and listening but it's what we do when we are not in church that really counts. It is how we conduct ourselves outside in front of others. That's what God really wants! He wants us to show others how great He truly is.

What's the point of smiling, singing and nodding on Sunday if we don't keep it going from Monday to Saturday as well? How do we expect others to believe in our God, find comfort in knowing Him if we aren't expressing our saving grace through our words, our actions, our morals and values.

Never forget that the smallest act could mean everything to someone. God didn't make us all preachers but He did give us what we need to make a difference in any size.

So, I urge you this Sunday, when you sit and pray in church to ask God to help you be more like Jesus where it counts.....BETWEEN SUNDAYS.

Sshh....it's a secret!

  Sssh....I can't tell you, it's a secret sin. 

This week, two words keep popping into my head. SECRET SIN.

Sin is all around us and as much as we try not to sin, we do. God is our Father and like all parents, He wants us to be perfect. But unfortunately, like our parents tell us, we can't always get what we want.

Do you have a secret sin?
I do. And no, I'm not telling.

Why do we keep it a secret?
Deep down, we know we shouldn't and most times when we are aware of it we feel guilt, humiliation and shame in secret. Let's be honest, we also think that those around us can see our secret sin but they can't unless we tell them.

Should we keep it a secret?
NO. God wants us to turn to Him for help, forgiveness and the skills we need to to stop. If not God, then someone. In society today, we are told to be more open and honest with those around us, but how many times when we do this, do those around us judge us.

Personally, I say stick with talking to God. He knows it anyway and God loves talking to us behind a closed door, in silence. What parent doesn't like having a one-on-one with their child, especially when their child is being open and honest, desperate for help and guidance.

We shouldn't be ashamed of sin because we do sin. We should however keep trying to stop. Temptation strikes and as much as we try, the devil gets his way and we can't resist sometimes. Like my blog before, don't let the devil become a capital letter in your life. Let's God's angels wrap their wings around you to protect you from the devil's flames of hell.
 

The Holy Spirit whispers in our ear to tell us not to. We just need to believe in our willpower and strength received from the Holy Trinity to not even consider the thought of sinning in secret. I know it is easier said than done but with God it is easier done than said. 





 
 Sshh...it's a secret NO MORE!

Lord, I am in great trouble,

so I call out to you.

Lord, hear my voice;

listen to my prayer for help.

Lord, if you punished people for all their sins,

no one would be left, Lord.

But you forgive us,

so you are respected.

I wait for the Lord to help me,

and I trust His word. 

I wait for the Lord to help me more than night watchmen wait for the dawn,

more than night watchmen wait for the dawn.

People of Israel, put your hope in the Lord because He is loving and able to save.

He will save Israel from all their sins.

Psalm 130

Capital Letters

In the English language, we learn that any word that has a Capital Letter is naming something. And in many cases, that something is important and to be noted as it has a title, a name, belonging to something or someone.

My name, your name is important. Our names are written with a Capital Letter. When reading my Bible for my writing, I noticed something I found very interesting. I read the scripture when Jesus was tempted by the devil. When we write about the devil, we often give his name a Capital but in the Bible, his name is not written with a Capital “D”. So, what is that telling us?

Well, it is telling us that first of all, the devil doesn’t deserve having a capital letter in his name. It also tells us that he has no place in our life. His name is not as important as yours or mine. God gave us parents who named us with a Capital Letter. We are important, to be noted, to belong.

The devil clearly not having a capital tells us that even the people who wrote our scriptures don’t see him as important, be noted or belong anywhere in our life. God doesn’t see him as important anymore. The devil tempts us, urging us to sin and for whatever reason, we often allow his temptation to win us over.  But he doesn’t deserve our weakness and even our sin.

Who gave him a Capital in our life? Who made him important in our life? Who made me noticeable?  Who made him belong in our life? I did, you did, and we did. And he doesn’t deserve it!

But then you debate with me and say, “Okay, but the word “Satan” is written with a capital letter and I reply, ‘Yes, you are right’. And here is why. Because like I’ve mentioned before, Satan is important, should be noted and does belong.

Huh! Satan is importantly unimportant in our Christian life. Important because we need to remember that he is not important, is unnoticeably noticed and doesn’t belong anywhere in our life yet he seems to belong because he tempts us regularly. God wants us to know about Satan so we can be appear of how he can affect our life God has given us and how to not be tempted by the empty promises and lies.

Don’t allow the devil to gain a Capital Letter in your life! Don’t let the devil become important, noticeable! Don’t allow him to belong in your life!

There is only one person consisting of three people that has the right to have a Capital in our life. That one is God - the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit all have capital letters in the Bible which tells us they deserve capitals in our life too.

Allow God to be important in your life, allow Jesus to be noticeable in your life and allow the Holy Spirit to belong in your life.

We all get tempted in our life but remember like the devil, the word “temptation” doesn’t have a capital in the Bible either.

So give yourselves completely to God.

Stand against the devil, and the devil will run from you.

James 4:7