On the way…

Posted on

Summer Is Here!

Sue’s Views
Summer is here! It’s a season of school break ups ….. work dos ….. and shopping! But we don’t have to be stressed out. Jesus was born at a busy time ….. that’s why there was no room at the inn. But He was the Prince of Peace ….. and still is! We can be so busy that we don’t even know He’s among us. Keep Him at the centre of all you do ….. and have a safe and blessed summer!
Image.png

Posted on

Contentment

Sue’s Views
Life has many challenges ….. not the least of which is other people’s expectations. Especially at this time of year ….. trying to please everyone will add to our stress. Not everyone is going to be pleased with us ….. we have to learn to live with that fact! We too must be careful not to put excessive expectations on others. Like the Apostle Paul said ….. ‘I have learned to be content ….. whether with much or with little’.
image

Posted on

Choices

Sue’s Views
Each day when we wake up ….. we have a choice whether to be negative or positive. The way we start the day often determines how that day progresses. Instead of replaying past hurts in your head over and over ….. start by thanking God for all He has done ….. every blessing He has bestowed on you ….. focussing on the good things about that person or situation that makes you angry ….. and  committing your day to the Lord. I love this prayer from Joyce Meyer that goes something like ‘Dear Lord, I thank you for helping me through this day. So far I haven’t yelled at anyone ….. thought any bad thoughts ….. or messed up in any way ….. but in a moment I have to get out of bed ….. and that’s when I’m really going to need your help!’ Daily life presents us with many opportunities to be negative ….. but we can choose not to go there!
image

Posted on

Entitlement Or Mercy?


Sue’s Views
One of the plagues of today’s society is a spirit of entitlement. A belief that we have rights ….. that we deserve certain privileges ….. a ‘they owe me’ attitude. The truth is that each new day is a mercy ….. something we are given that we don’t deserve. When we realise that the ability to breathe ….. our health ….. our job ….. and everything we have in this life is a gift that we haven’t earned ….. our hearts will be filled with thanksgiving. ‘Morning by morning new mercies I see!’ 
image

Posted on

Look For The Silver Lining

Sue’s Views
It’s said that ‘every cloud has a silver lining’! It just depends on how you look at it. If you’ve flown above the clouds ….. you know that the sun is always shining up there. The same clouds that appear dark and gloomy from beneath gleam brightly from above. Every situation we face can be viewed from 2 aspects ….. positive or negative. It’s up to us to look for the positive. It’s there!
image

Posted on

Prodigals

Sue’s Views
There’s one in every family! That one child that always pushes the boundary! You provide a safe and healthy environment for them ….. but they have to find out what’s on the other side of the fence! They often have to find out for themselves. Like the Prodigal Son ….. his father had to let him go knowing full well he would be in for a difficult journey. But he never stopped praying that one day his son would return. In fact he expected it to happen and watched out for his son’s return. So if you have a prodigal son or daughter ….. don’t despair! Praying God’s covering over them is the best way to keep them safe ….. and He knows exactly how and when to bring them home! After lessons are learned ….. you will have a new child!
image

Posted on

Thanksgiving

Sue’s Views

Today is Thanksgiving Day in the US. We don’t celebrate it here in NZ ….. but I think it would be a good idea! We might have different reasons to celebrate than the Americans ….. but we certainly have a lot to be thankful for. We live in one of the most beautiful and safest countries in the world. Of course we can find plenty to gripe about ….. but the whole point of being thankful is to look for the positives ….. and they far outweigh the negatives. In fact ….. everyday should be Thanksgiving Day!


Image.png

Posted on

Hope Beyond Hope

Sue’s Views
One of the most encouraging scriptures is in Romans 4:18
‘Even when there was no reason for hope, Abraham kept hoping—believing that he would become the father of many nations. For God had said to him, “That’s how many descendants you will have! And Abraham’s faith did not weaken, even though, at about 100 years of age, he figured his body was as good as dead—and so was Sarah’s womb.’ 
Has God given you a promise? Does it seem impossible right now? Then you are in for a miracle! If God said it ….. He will do it! His promises are ‘yes and amen’. There may seem to be no reason for hope ….. others may tell you to give it up ….. but keep hoping! Through this journey ….. God is producing something far greater than you ever imagined!
image

Posted on

Trust In The Lord

Sue’s Views
If you’re anything like me ….. when you’re going through a challenging time ….. you probably try to imagine all the possible outcomes! However ….. I’m learning that the final outcome is very different to any of my imaginations! My knowledge and understanding of the situation is so limited. When I give it all to God ….. I’m left dumbfounded by His ways and thoughts that are so much higher than mine. 
Proverbs 3:5-6
‘Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.
Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.’
image

Posted on

Pruning

Sue’s Views

The Rose Garden is starting to look beautiful thanks to the much preparation that has been done over the winter months. Pruning is vital to roses. You have to know just where to cut in order to produce the best flowers. We need pruning too! Left ‘unpruned’ ….. we would take on far too much ….. or indulge ourselves in things that would harm us. A good gardener will sacrifice ‘good’ branches to produce the best! So if you are experiencing a bit of pruning in your life ….. don’t despair! The best is yet to come! Image.png