Category: Sue’s Views

Sue’s Views

I’m sure we all have moments of irritability and annoyance! It often starts with little things that add up and snowball into a much bigger problem. We can’t avoid them ….. but we can choose how to react. When a grain of sand gets inside an oyster shell ….. the oyster secretes a substance called nacre that coats the irritant ….. and produces a beautiful pearl. He turns something abrasive and uncomfortable into a jewel! We too need to look for ways to turn the little things that annoy us into something valuable. I love Romans 8:28 that says:
‘And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.’

Look for the lesson to be learned ….. or the opportunity to come closer to Gods purpose.

Sue’s Views

I hope you have been able to enjoy some quality time with your family this summer. It won’t be long before the school year starts ….. and other commitments begin to fill the calendar. But it’s important to prioritise family times throughout the year. When our children were younger we had ‘Family Time’ after dinner every night. We would ask them to choose songs ….. share about their day ….. and join in the prayer time. It can be as long and creative as you like. Occasionally we would go out for ice cream! Make it fun ….. not something to be endured! The important thing is to connect and make memories. Of course ….. as they get older it’s not always practical. But if the foundation has been laid ….. they will hopefully want to continue the habit with their own families.

Sue’s Views

Our children are a gift from God. They belong to Him first ….. and He cares for them even more than we do. We all started out as an innocent child ….. simple ….. trusting ….. adventurous. Children have no sense of danger. A parent’s role is to protect while at the same time helping them to learn how to live in a world that is full of opportunities. The enemy is out to harm our children in all sorts of ways. Apart from being vigilant ….. the best way to protect our kids is to pray for them. Obviously we can’t be watching them every second ….. but God is! They are the ‘apple of His eye’. It’s the most sensitive part ….. and if something touches it ….. you know about it!

Sue’s Views

The Bible is the most relevant and up to date book you will ever read! ‘How can that be?’ ….. you may ask …..when it was written so long ago. Even though every person who wrote the various books is long gone ….. the actual author is very much alive. Every word is inspired by God who has no beginning and no end. It starts before our universe was created ….. and it ends after this world will be no more. Even the Old Testament reads like today’s newspaper! But it doesn’t just report the current events ….. it gives us answers. Our reporters can only write facts they see or hear ….. and even then they are distorted and sensationalised. God has all knowledge ….. and all power! Make sure you get your information from a reliable source! 

Sue’s Views

Facing a mountain? A situation that is so big it seems overwhelming? Abraham faced such a challenge when God told him to sacrifice his son Isaac. In obedience ….. he trudged up that mountain with only his faith in God’s ability and strength. What he didn’t know was that while God was calling him up the mountain ….. he was also calling a ram up the other side of the mountain. Of course Abraham couldn’t see it ….. but God arranged for them to meet at the top at exactly the right moment. It was a test of Abrahams faith! Maybe at the moment you can’t see anything but the mountain looming ahead of you. But God ….. who incidentally made the mountain ….. can see both sides! 

Trust Him to not only provide your ‘ram’ …… but also to provide you with an opportunity to know His faithfulness and love for you even more!

Sue’s Views

I love the way this fountain is designed. Each branch is set at just the right angle to be able to receive water from the branch above while ….. at the same time ….. passing water on to the branch below. That’s a great picture of our lives. We receive ….. and we give. In that way we never become stagnant. The blessings we receive are not for us ….. but for others.

Sue’s Views

What do you fear most? Disease ….. lack ….. rejection ….. loneliness? Fear is one of the enemy’s most powerful weapons. Once it takes hold ….. it cripples us and dictates the way we live. It makes us defensive in order to avoid what we fear. God understands our fears but He doesn’t want us to live that way. There are 366 ‘Fear nots’ in the Bible! Abraham was a man of great faith but he still had fears. God addressed them in a dream. First He told him ‘Fear not! I am your shield!’ God protects those who trust in Him from danger ….. attack ….. sickness ….. and whatever else the devil throws at us. Next He said ‘I am your great reward!’ Abraham had refused to take loot from his enemies which could have come in handy in the future ….. but God saw his sacrifice and promised to take care of him in every way. Probably his biggest fear was that he had no son or heir ….. but God assured him He would take care of that too! Whatever fear you may have ….. there’s a ‘fear not’ for you in the Bible!

Sue’s Views

Many find the Bible boring ….. especially the genealogies! Lists of names that are hard to pronounce ….. and what do they have to do with me? But those lists of names prove that they were real people ….. who lived in the real world. The fact that the Bible traces the bloodline all the way from Adam to Jesus proves it’s a book of fact ….. not fiction! It also becomes my bloodline as well ….. so it’s very relevant. So when I read the Bible ….. I’m reading my history and about my family. There are some characters in there I wouldn’t want to be associated with ….. but God works through all kinds of people! There are prostitutes ….. adulterers ….. murderers ….. thieves ….. as well as ordinary folk just trying to make the best of life. It’s really fascinating when you get into it and contains some of the most amazing stories you’ll ever read. The best thing about the Bible is that it is God’s way of speaking to us personally.

Sue’s Views

It’s easy to start a New Year with a list of things to do ….. or not to do. Before you jump on another treadmill ….. think of factoring in some of your favourite things. Whether it’s seeing ‘raindrops on roses’ ….. walks in a park ….. watching a sunset ….. or catching up with a friend for coffee. Whatever restores you! And remember to take it one day at a time!

Sue’s Views

Pride has two faces. It can make us feel superior so that we look down on others. But it can also make us feel so inferior that we pull others down to make us feel better. The Cross of Jesus Christ is the greatest leveller! No matter where you were born ….. how much money you have ….. what gender you are ….. how well educated you are ….. or how much you’ve achieved ….. we are all the same in Gods eyes. Sinners in need of a Saviour! Sin is the greatest pandemic the world has ever known because it affects every single one of us! But there is a cure ….. and it’s the Cross! Jesus paid our penalty by dying in our place and rising again. When we repent and put our trust in Him we are saved from our sins. There is no more need for comparison ….. no need to compete ….. we are all on the same page!