On the way…

Sue’s Views 

Two of the most precious gifts God offers us are mercy and grace. Mercy means that we don’t get the punishment we deserve because Jesus paid our debt for us. When we repent and receive His forgiveness ….. our slate is wiped clean! Grace means we get more than we deserve. More love ….. more  help ….. more miracles ….. more guidance. It’s interesting that both words are connected to thanksgiving ….. eg ‘Merci’ is French for ‘thank you’ ….. and ‘Grazie’ is Italian for ‘thank you’. Next time you receive mercy or grace ….. don’t forget to thank God! His grace and mercy never run out. They are new every morning!

Sue’s Views

There’s a light at the end of the tunnel! No matter what ‘tunnel’ you are going through ….. there is an end to it. The worse part is the darkness ….. the monotony ….. and not knowing when it will end. The best part is that it’s taking you through something that would otherwise be insurmountable. Whether your tunnel experience is physical ….. emotional ….. financial ….. relational ….. remember God is the greatest Civil Engineer! He not only built the tunnel ….. He knows every square inch of it ….. and will be with you every step of the way. 

 “Weeping may endure for a night, But joy comes in the morning.”  

Sue’s Views 

Aren’t you glad we’re all different? While some are born for a life of ease and luxury ….. others are more at home on a rock face! These are the kind who don’t need much to survive. They draw their nourishment from whatever is available ….. and always have room to share with others. They love a challenge ….. and don’t have high expectations. If you know someone like that ….. let them know how much you appreciate them!

Sue’s Views

Do you struggle with anger? We all do at times ….. but we also all know that nothing good comes from it. It leads us to say and do things we wouldn’t normally say or do. It leads to regret and can do a lot of damage. There is some very good advice in Psalm 4:4-5

 “Don’t sin by letting anger control you.

    Think about it overnight and remain silent. 

Offer sacrifices in the right spirit,

    and trust the Lord.”

Anger doesn’t have to lead to sin if we deal with it in the right way. ‘Sleep on it’ is always a good thing to do ….. or at least go and find a quiet place to cool down. Talk to God about it. Tell Him you are sorry and ask Him to help you get to the root of your anger. Was it something that sparked an old painful memory? Trust Him to help you pull that root out and replace it with truth. ‘Ferdinand the Bull knows how to cool off!

There’s an old Indian proverb that says, “Great Spirit, help me never to judge a man until I have walked a mile in his moccasins!” One thing I’ve learned ….. is that ‘hurt people’ hurt people. There is usually a reason why people get ugly ….. and it’s usually because they believe lies! If we can help them know the truth ….. we can help set them free! Don’t judge what you see on the outside ….. look deeper at what’s in the heart!

A huge Happy Birthday to my beloved! You are a legend! And what a legacy you are leaving behind you. One of faithfulness ….. responsibility ….. and most of all ….. faith in God. Thanks for all the prayers and wisdom you share. Some of your grandies wanted to say Happy Birthday!

Sue’s Views

Do you know that Almighty God ….. the Creator of the Universe ….. sees you? There is nowhere you can go to escape His gaze! Now that can be comforting ….. or alarming ….. depending on where you stand with Him. If you are one of His children ….. that is wonderful news. It means you never have to be afraid of danger ….. or worry about provision ….. or be anxious about your future. It means knowing who you are and whose you are. Above all ….. it means knowing you are forgiven from all your wrongdoing ….. and have God’s Spirit within you to guide you through life. However ….. if you don’t know God as your Father ….. you are missing out on the life He intended for you. There is only one way to change that and it’s through His Son, Jesus. In His words ‘I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’

Sue’s Views

After a long winter ….. it finally feels like summer is on the way! With that comes a desire to get outside and deal with those weeds and overgrown shrubs in the garden. It’s also a great time to look at some of the ‘weeds’ growing inside of us! Things like negativity ….. self indulgence ….. resentment ….. and other nasties that choke the good stuff! One thing I know about weeds is that you have to pull them out by the roots ….. otherwise they will come back even stronger. Don’t just try to do better ….. look for the root lies that have given life and power to the weeds! Pull that thing out and put it on the rubbish heap. Then replace it with a plant of truth!

Sue’s Views

We all have a story! Some are more dramatic than others ….. but they are each unique and powerful in their own way. Your journey may have been difficult ….. but there are people out there who need to hear it. It becomes your testimony. It can be an encouragement to ones who are on a similar journey. It can be a warning to those who are heading the wrong way. But most of all it can prove to them how amazing God is ….. and how He can make something beautiful out of an ugly situation. If a butterfly could talk ….. it would have an amazing story to tell!

Sue’s Views

The most valuable treasures are never on the surface. Gold ….. precious stones ….. minerals are hidden underground.  They have to be dug for! The same can be said for people. We have to dig down deep sometimes to find the true character and beauty that is hidden there. But we can help them discover it by getting to know them and taking am interest in them. The most valuable treasures though are found in the pages of the Bible. Again ….. we have to dig for them. We do that by reading ….. asking questions like ‘who’ ‘when’ ‘where’ and ‘why’? ….. applying it to our situation ….. and by chewing it over several times. Like a cow chewing the grass ….. it takes time to make it become part of us. But once it does ….. we will be changed forever!