A Heart Untroubled

Last week on Easter Sunday, John (my husband) taught at church.  I always really enjoy listening to him speak and, like many times I hear him, something particular he said grabbed my interest. He spoke about Jesus being the first fruit. I've often heard about giving first fruits from your crops or even from your time or whatever and tithing, but John said something that I thought was good.  He said first fruits imply that more is yet to come !  They are not called last fruits, or 'maybe-there-won't-be-any-more' fruits! First fruits.  We create an expectation there is more! Giving to God is always about the fact that we trust him and know that however much we give, we can't out-give God.  I've heard people debate about whether or not they should tithe of the gross or net amount, or whether they should round up or down (really I have!!), and those people have ALL missed the point.  Giving is about recognizing that it's all God's anyway, and lettin

I like to imagine that first Easter weekend, and think about what the people that knew Jesus were feeling as the weekend progresses. The disciple, Peter, is a favourite of mine.  He screwed up so badly, but Jesus loved him and he went on to do great things, which is a proof that nothing can stop God using us, even when we get it super-wrong. Anyway, I was thinking about him today. I imagine that after the crucifixion and his passionate denial, he was feeling pretty bad. He told everyone " I'm off fishing !" (John 21:3) He basically was going back to doing what he had done before he met Jesus.  While he's out finishing, Jesus shows up at first nobody recognized hime but a short while later, though nobody says anything, they ALL know who it is. After a good breakfast, Jesus asks Peter a very leading question.  He says to Peter " Peter, do you love me more than these "... (I'm not sure if he was referring to the fish, or the other fishermen).  Pet

In the garden at my parent's home, visible from the sofa through the window is a plum tree.  It's been there as long as I can remember and a lot longer than that.  I don't think I've ever paid much attention to it, but having lived away and missed some of the UK's beautiful spring flowers and plants, I seem to have been more aware this year of the life in the gardens. Some weeks ago, I looked out and saw just a few blossoms on the tree.  It wasn't long before the tree was smothered with the white blooms. Not much after that, the blossom disappeared and green leaves cover the tree now.  It won't be long until the begins of fruit will show too. During this time, this tree which is about 80 years old, doesn't do much.  It doesn't toil and labour.  It just stands strong, no matter what the weather is doing and in due season it blossoms and the cycle continues, year after year. A tree just is what it is created to be.  It sends its roots down dee

John and I have travelled all over the place I have met lots of people who have formed a belief system over time that doesn't really line up with the Word.  These people are not evil or nasty, but their experience or lack of understanding, bring them to a place where the Word is not the final authority in their lives. Consider a man trying to impress his girlfriend by putting up a shelf in her cottage.  He gets out his spirit-level and duly puts up the shelf.  When the spirit-level looks totally flat, he steps back to proudly survey his work, and to his surprise, it looks completely wonky!! He realizes that actually the old fashioned cottage was not straight to start with.  The walls were wonky, the ceiling wasn't straight and the floor was off kilter.   He has two choices. He can leave is straight, though it doesn't look right or he could move the shelf so it looked straight, even though the spirit-level would show that it clearly wasn't. The Word is like the