Category: Sue’s Views

Sue’s Views

We can learn so much from those who have gone before us. Their successes help us know what to do and how to live well. Their failures warn us what not to do to avoid living badly. We so often see the same cycles being repeated in families. If you recognise patterns of addiction ….. illness ….. violence ….. divorce ….. in your family lines ….. you can break the cycle. By acknowledging it ….. asking forgiveness ….. and making a u turn ….. with God’s help you can begin a new legacy of blessing that will affect the next thousand generations. Now that’s a life well lived!

Sue’s Views

You may feel small and insignificant but your life impacts others. Like the ripple effect on a lake ….. your realm of influence gets bigger and wider. You will never know how effective you’ve been ….. but God does! He sees every act of kindness ….. even those done in secret. He hears every prayer prayed behind closed doors. You may not receive thanks or recognition in this world but you are investing in Heaven where the interest will be amazing!

Sue’s Views

In the ‘Sound of Music’ ….. Maria got the children to think of their favourite things when they were afraid. It got them from being scared of a thunderstorm to singing and dancing for joy! It was good advice ….. because it changed their focus. Whatever we focus on will be magnified. When we focus on how big our problems are ….. they get bigger. When we focus on hurts from the past ….. they go deeper. By focussing on things that bring us joy ….. the chemistry in our body changes! We create feel good chemicals like dopamine and serotonin. Make sure you have a list of things at your disposal that bring you joy.

Sue’s Views

We can’t all be perfect! These carrots are branded ‘The Odd Bunch’ ….. and I guess that pretty much sums us up! We come in all shapes and sizes ….. and we are all a little quirky in one way or another. How do you measure perfection anyway? When is it good enough? There has only been one person who is perfect ….. and He changed places with me so that I can be perfectly acceptable to God. Isn’t that amazing?  I can assure you that these carrots taste just as good as ones that are ‘perfectly shaped’!

Sue’s Views

Just as this sun dial will only work if it is in the right position ….. so it is with our conscience. Right and wrong are not just a matter of opinion. When we line our thinking up with God’s Word ….. we can trust our conscience to let us know when we get off course. It’s up to us how we respond. True north will not change course just because we want to go in another direction!

Do you sometimes fear stepping out in case you get it wrong? God is like a Dad watching his child walk for the first time. He lets go of his hand ….. but He’s right there to catch him if he falls. When he inevitably enters a ‘no go zone’ ….. Dad turns him around to point him in the right direction. God will do the same for you! You can trust Him to guide you and to catch you if you fall!

Sue’s Views

We all have those grey days when everything looks hopeless. We can so easily become negative. We don’t like what we see in the mirror ….. on the scales ….. in the bank balance. We misread people’s expressions or words as being judgemental ….. and get defensive. These are not the times for making decisions! Know this ….. things are not always as they seem. Behind those grey clouds ….. the sun is shining and waiting to reveal a true reflection.

Sue’s Views

Doctors are discovering that many diseases are connected to our thoughts and emotions. When we are angry and resentful ….. our bodies produce adrenaline and other stress hormones. As these build up ….. they are toxic to the human body. Medications that are prescribed to lower these levels may help temporarily but the root cause remains. Each time we remember the event that made us angry ….. we relive the trauma. The best medication is forgiveness! Forgiveness doesn’t make the other person right ….. it releases you from the burden of holding them hostage. Before you grab those pills or pour that drink ….. ask yourself ‘Is there someone I need to forgive?’

Sue’s Views

If you want to build a strong family ….. you must look beyond your own lifetime. Life is not a 100 metre sprint ….. but rather a relay race. We each run our lap and pass on the baton to the next generation. The race is won or lost in that passing on phase. Our children will do what we do ….. not what we tell them to do. If we do well ….. we will leave a legacy that is far greater than we could imagine.

Sue’s Views 

As we grow older ….. hopefully we grow wiser! Wisdom usually comes from lessons we learn along the way ….. and often from the mistakes we’ve made. But that doesn’t mean that the next generation has to learn wisdom the same way. The Bible says that ‘The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom’. The best thing we can do for our children and grandchildren is to teach them to fear God. The kind of fear this is talking about is not terror or dread ….. but honour and respect. When you respect someone ….. you want to please them. You fear the consequences of going against their will. You think things through to avoid hurting them. If you are a younger person ….. you would do well to listen to your elders. They know a thing ot two! If you are an ‘elder’ ….. don’t be afraid to share your journey with the younger generation ….. mistakes and all!