Promise

This morning carried on its wings the promise of life. It was as though Spring had arrived after a long winter. It is not even that I felt physically that great. In fact, after only getting 5 hours sleep, I definitely don’t feel fantastic physically. And yet somehow today holds promise. It is a feeling, I expect, not dissimilar to what a bear feels after awakening from hibernation.
An expectation.
An awakening.
A new day.
I do not fully comprehend this, but I feel my spirit rejoicing as though somehow, somewhere a great battle was won. I am reminded of David Crowder’s song We Won!

We’re gonna shout loud, loud until the walls come down,
Shout loud, loud until the walls come down,
Loud until the walls come down.
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
Cause we’ve already won and you don’t have a chance
Yeah we’ve already won and no you don’t have a chance.
Cause it’s already done and you don’t have a chance
Because we’ve already won.
We have already won.
We have already won.

This song is something of a victory chant, one my soul is gladly declaring today.
I have no idea what brought this on, but I know it’s God. I know also that today somehow signifies a turning point in my life and potentially in other lives as well.

Who Don't You Think You Are?

Pastor Paul Scanlon and the Abundant Life Ministries Worship team were visiting us yesterday from Bradford. It felt like home to have the type of worship I am used to and the same preaching style as we used to have at Hills.

He spoke on identity, but he had a whole different take on it. He said what’s going to stop you from reaching your potential is not who you are, but who you DON’T THINK you are. What if who you don’t think you are is who God wants you to be? How will you achieve what God intends for you?

In Numbers 13 we see the 12 spies bringing report on the Promised Land. 2 of them, Joshua and Caleb, bring a good report, but 10 of them bring a negative report. They said that ‘We were as grasshoppers in their eyes.’. That was their identity in their own eyes. They were grasshoppers. They did not think that they were conquerors. So who they did not think they were stood in their way.

Here’s the thing though: do you really think that God would ask a grasshopper to do something beyond its capacity or potential? If God is asking you to do something great in your generation he knows you can do it.

Now THERE’S a thought!

Who are you?
Who don’t you think you are?
What if you’re wrong?

This is Me

Some things you may not know about me:

I love animation films. Especially ones like Brother Bear with crazy characters like Moose who make statements like ‘We even have Moosettes. That’s Lady Moose, hey. They put the ‘OO’ in Moose.’

I can do a fairly accurate impression of a British and Scottish accent. (And I sometimes enjoy practicing them in the mirror)

C.S. Lewis is one of my favourite authors. Screwtape Letters was possibly the best book he wrote.

Two weeks ago I made my first pair of dangly earrings. With a matching necklace. I now have 3 sets. (ooooooh…)

Books I am currently reading: Kissed the Girls and Made them Cry – Lisa Bevere ; The Harvest – Rick Joyner ; To Own a Dragon – Donald Miller ; Kiss of Heaven – Darlene Zschech.

I secretly used to harbour aspirations of being a pirate, or an adventurer in Medieval times. (I still do)

My favourite band is David Crowder Band. They are musical genii. Their albums A Collision and B Collision are two of the best albums ever produced. (I think so anyway)

I love looking at something to see past the first impression.

I used to completely addicted to coffee. I am now only slightly addicted.

I have a practically insatiable sweet-tooth.

I always wished I had the ability to paint what I saw and have it look like what I saw.

I sing in the shower. And everywhere else. Though I certainly will not quit my day job for it. ;)

Deep down inside me there is a drama queen waiting to burst out.

I actually MISS the London Underground.

See the Path

I just heard the most fascinating statement. From a Captain Morgan ad on TV no less. (Funny how that happens, right when you least expect it.)
They said that you don’t always have to see a path to know that it’s there.
It basically showed nomads in the dessert trekking through the most rugged terrain you can imagine. They do not go by road, they go by instinct. They travel by roads unseen, but nevertheless felt. The truth in that statement is biblical. In Psalm 77:19 Asaph spoke about God when he said:
Your road led through the sea, your pathway through the mighty waters- a pathway no-one knew was there!
The Israelites were faced with a sea. A huge expanse of water that blocked their way to freedom. There was no path for them to see, but God knew that there was a path- right through the water. Have you ever stood before an ocean of water, wondering how you could get to the other side of it? Me too. But the best part of that is that I know the path is there, even if I cannot see it because I know that God can open up the ocean and allow me to walk to the other side on dry ground.

Thanksgiving

My friend Clovergirl was inspired by Thanksgiving on Thursday to make a list of things in her life she is most thankful for. I was challenged to do the same.
So, here goes:

· A God who knows the path, even when we do not.
· Friends who know me and love me because of (and in spite of) who I am.
· My family (even if we are slightly dysfunctional sometimes)
· Waking up every morning and seeing mountains outside my front door.
· Chocolate (and every other beautiful sweet ever invented)
· My beautiful iBook and iPod which make life so easy.
· Mom’s cooking
· An amazing church
· My blogosphere friends who appreciate my random thoughts
· The fact that I’m going to be in Sydney 6 months from now and that I’ll be living in the same city as some of my best friends again!
· Pixar and Disney animation films

Life...Or Something Like It

Firstly, yes, I do realize that it has been some time since I tormented all of you with my random ponderings on life and all things like it :) Rest assured this silence has in no way been a bad silence, it was much more a reflective, comfortable silence… such as the type you experience when much has been said that deserves some good chewing on internally. This chewing, meditating state has, for the last few weeks, been my constant mindset. It seems there is an endless source of subjects worth pondering all of a sudden.

My Hillsong College application has been deferred so that my enrollment date is now July 2007, not January. This was a tough decision to make, but much prayer and deliberation has confirmed that it was the right one. The moment I set foot back on South African soil God started working on my heart about all sorts of things, from my perspective about my family right through to my heart towards him. I know that this work is far from finished. Leaving in January would have left this foundation half-laid, and that is no way to start a new season in a new country. But as Paul said in his letter to the Philipians: And I am sure that God, who began the good work in you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus comes back again. (Phil1:6) I am hoping it won’t take quite as long as waiting until the day Christ returns…but hey! :)

Psalm 119:25-32

I lie in the dust, completely discouraged;
Revive me by your word.
I told you my plans, and you answered.
Now teach me your principles.
Help me understand the meaning of your commandments,
and I will meditate on your wonderful miracles.
I weep with grief;
Encourage me by your word.
Keep me from lying to myself;
Give me the privilege of knowing your law.
I have chosen to be faithful;
I have determined to live by your laws.
I cling to your decrees.
Lord, don’t let me be put to shame!
If you will help me,
I will run to follow your commands.

I love these few verses! They have been my prayer for the last 2 weeks. My favourite part is the fact that the Psalmist says I HAVE CHOSEN to be faithful. I HAVE DETERMINED to live by your laws. It is not something he leaves to chance, or even to his emotional state. He has already made the decision to do so. Even though he is downtrodden, discouraged and weeping, he knows that the only thing that can revive him is the word of God. His trust is completely in God.

I heard a very interesting statement about trust in God. Ps 119:105 says that ‘Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light for my path.’ Notice that the Word is a lamp, not a spotlight. God does not light up the entire way ahead of us. Just enough for us to not hit our foot against a rock. You see, if we could see the whole path we would not need to turn to God to ask for directions. This way, we are forced to make a choice- I can run in the direction I think I should go and run the risk of falling off a cliff, or I could learn to trust that God will direct my footsteps as he promises. When God told Abraham to move he did not say ‘Pack up your life and go due east for 60km, then turn to the north and go on for 2 days….’ No, he said ‘Go to the land which I will show you.’

I guess for the most part, my thoughts have been turning around the faithfulness of God. About how every aspect of who he is, is in response to our seeking him and how every part of his personality is a blessing to us. He is Yahweh Rapha- God who heals. Yahweh Yireh- God who provides. Yahweh Nissi- The Lord my banner. Yahweh Bore- The Lord Creator. Yahweh Shalom- The Lord is Peace. On top of all this, he is the Lord who ANSWERS. He is the answer. But he cannot be the answer until we ask the question, so His Spirit will prompt the question in us. The Psalms speak of this often- I cried out to God, and He answered me, but the best description of it I found in a song:

I called, you answered.
Lord you came to my rescue
and I want to be where you are.

That’s it. Plain and simple. I called and He answered. May He do the same for you.