A Heart Untroubled

Well! Here we are at the end of the year.  My last blog of 2018. It seems like life has been a whirlwind over the last 12 months. We've taken mission trips, ministered to over 100 students, preached in multiple churches in various cities, provinces and countries; we've been on the radio, worked with kids, led worship, moved home and country, changed jobs, bought a new car... Our changes have been good for us.  God has been gracious and some of the things coming up in 2019 are going to be quite different, but so exciting!  For others change can cause them to feel little lost or discouraged and wonder what God has next for them. Sometimes, change is of our own making and sometimes it is beyond our control.  The hard thing for us is our emotions can go all over the place, our faith can waiver or our hearts can get all bent out of shape. Growing up by the beach, my dad owned a small boat.   I LOVE being out on the water, and I've never, ever been sea sick.  When you g

So this week at work we were talking about some things that we all take for granted in the Nativity story, but, well to be frank, they aren't really in the bible. Now I don't want to ruin Christmas for anyone, so if you're sensitive about these sorts of things, I suggest you skip the next paragraph and your sacred cows will remain unscathed for this year. I'm not going to write about these things in great details, as well, actually they aren't the point, but the truth is that the donkey, the innkeeper and the stable (most likely) are non-existent in the gospels and the 3 Kings (who weren't kings at all) visiting Jesus as a baby didn't happen until much later.  it's not even noted that the angels were singing, it just says they were praising God.  That's just a few of the things that you're likely to see on Cards, or in Nativity plays or sing in carols!  (We won't even start with whatever i-o, i-o-i-o has got to do with anything! Now a

I've signed up for an advent devotional, and one of the articles reminded me of something the Lord spoke to me several years ago. As I was reading Genesis, I thought it was interesting how it says " And there was evening and morning were the first day" It seemed back to front - surely day (morning) comes first? As considered this I realized that Jewish Shabbat (sabbath) begins at sundown. The sabbath started in the evening, with rest from work! From God's point of view, He made us to rest!  He told us 6 days to work, then rest! Yes we are also created to do good works, but He wants us to rest; specifically to rest in him.   He never slumbers or sleeps - so we can! If we think about evening being first, then each of our days begins with rest, before we go about the busyness of life. In this advent season we are liable to run around like headless chickens; searching for gifts or last minute bits for Christmas lunch, but I challenge you to consider that

I went to the church where I work, an Anglican church, last weekend.  Sunday marked the first in Advent, and as the Vicar spoke, two of his words jumped out at at me. He spoke of advent as a time of 'active anticipation' in many ways. As I considered the words, I remembered the scripture from Isaiah 40:31 But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. The word WAIT here, talks about just an expectation; to look for, to hope for.  It's very active. Some times we think of 'waiting' as staying put until something comes or happens, but that's only half of the definition. The online dictionary says that it can also be defined as "to remain in readiness for a purpose".  I really like that.  It makes me think of a runner on the starting block.  They are waiting.. but it's certainly not passive.  Every muscle is ready

I was reading a scripture this week, and as often happens, something jumped out at me, despite the fact I've read this many times before. The verse is in Romans 15:13 and it says Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing , that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost. What really spoke to me this week was that joy and peace are directly linked to believing.    The dictionary definition of 'believe' is "to hold something as an opinion; think" Our peace and joy are totally depended on what we think/believe! In Proverbs 23:7, we are told that as a man thinks in his heart so is he!  If you are discouraged or fearful, it will always stem from what you think or believe.  Now you may say that's not true, but it is!   You may not be thinking "I wanna be sick" but you haven't been thinking "I am the healed of the Lord"... I guarantee  that if you consider what you have you been thinking o