Rare

What is significant is rarely spectacular....

Joshua

I am just loving journeying through Joshua at the moment and as I've been scribbling down notes and verses, it has really struck me again how 'constant' the dialogue between Joshua and the Lord is and also just how many times God has to remind Joshua to be strong and courageous - to not be afraid - and how this works alongside discipline, obedience and keeping the Law.

As I grapple with the parenting of my teenagers - and getting alongside some of their friends - these scriptures have been such a timely reminder. God's love is so intense, so fierce, so wonderful. My love for my kids also has instensity and ferociousness. What a perfect role model I have in my heavenly Father as I guide, lead, discipline and generally be a parent. We shouldn't be afraid of discipline - they need parents, not more 'mates'. In fact we all do.

Thank you Lord that you are my Father - my Salvation - my Rock - my Guide - my Peace.

Be very careful to keep the commandment and the law that Moses the servant of the Lord gave you: To love the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways, to obey His commands, to hold fast to Him and to serve Him with all your heart and all your soul.

A guide for life

'The Bible is the road map for life, and while your pastor can highlight the best route to take, you learn how to navigate life's twists and turns for yourself.'
Billy Graham on reading the Bible

Learning = Growth

"For a lifetime of growth, continual learning is an essential. Experience alone will not guarantee learning. It's what you learn from your experiences that will transform your future. Your future is not comprised of the sum total of all your experiences - it will consist of how you have defined them."

5%

.....about 80% of all you do anyone can do (going to work, attending meetings, checking emails, answering phones......) Additionally, about 15% of all you do, someone with a measure of training could do in your place (selling a product, running a programme, teaching a class......)...education and training is available for someone else to do what you do.
But at least 5% of what you do, only you can do. No one else can do it for you.
Wayne Cordeiro - The Divine Mentor

In reality, what this means for me personally, is that only I can be wife to Paul, mum to Jess & Ells. Only I can keep my body healthy and only I can grow spiritually. No one else can do that for me. What it also means is that I can't blame anyone else and put the responsibility on anyone else for certain steps I take and decisions I make. I alone am responsible for growing my relationship with my Heavenly Father and growing closer to Him - there is no teacher, preacher or pastor in the land who can do this for me.
And as I wait on Him as a new 'season' in my life starts to open up, I am suddenly released and empowered by the Holy Spirit to put one foot in front of the other......

Anticipation....

Everybody's welcome
No-one is perfect
Anything is possible

Am so encouraged by these words and am looking forward, with eager anticipation, to seeing all of these things come to full and complete fruition.......