In the beginning

 I would just like to share how I came to the Lord, I don't think I have shared this on my blog before.

My conversion to Christianity had been dramatic. I had been very 'worldly' previous to my conversion, but had also experienced the supernatural presence of God through a healing when I was a child, and a near death experience during my adult life. My father had been a lovely person who often, when we his children had arguments and we would ask 'Dad, dad, who is right?', would often say 'Let's see what the Lord says', and would find a verse in his Bible that would always settle the argument and bring peace amongst us. He was quite a bit older than my mother, and died when I was eleven years of age. I was actually in the room at his passing. It left a great void in my life  

 'Father, where are you?' said the child in despair 

 'Father where are you?' she cried

 but in the darkened room there was nobody there

 for the father she loved had just died

Many years later, I became a Christian and was baptized in water and the baptism of the Holy Spirit followed, with the gift of speaking in tongues enabling me to pray according to the will of God.

'Father, where are You?' said the 'child' once again

'Father where are You?' she cried

but this time it was not as it had been then

for now God was the 'Father' on Whom she relied

It is difficult to say exactly where my testimony begins as, looking back in my life, I remember things that happened over the years which demonstrated God's power and love even when I did not know Him.  My natural father kept a Bible in the house and although I do not remember him attending churches, I do remember him taking me with him to other Christians' house meetings. My memories of him before his death when I was eleven years old are of a kind and gentle man who looked to God's word for guidance, and who seemed to be a doer of God's word and not just a hearer of it. We lived on the edge of a town close to a dockyard, and many mornings when I was a small child I would come down for breakfast to find my father giving a cup of tea and some food to a stranger who had come to the door, or filling a flask with tea for a caller.  I did not know who they were and accepted it as normal then.  My sister later told me they were 'tramps' who had come to know of my father's kindness.  

Once when I had been sent home from school sick, I was laying on the sofa with severe pain in my stomach.  I remember my father sitting beside me and praying.  As he spoke, everything in the room appeared to turn blue and a warm, almost anaesthetic feeling replaced the pain and I was made well.  I have told many people about this incident but it is only since I have discovered from the Bible that healing is one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit given to those that believe on Jesus, that I have fully understood why the pain went as a result of my father's prayer.

As a child I had always been fascinated by this person Jesus Who, as I read in Bible stories, 'went about doing good'.  I remember crying myself to sleep after reading a story about Him.  I still carry a picture in my mind from that children's book of Jesus standing with His hands outstretched to children, with doves perched on Him arms and shoulders.  I could not understand in my child's mind how anyone could kill such a kind and loving person.  The memory of this picture now makes me think of how God stretches out His hands to the world and offers Jesus.

I SEE THE SUN (SON)

arising on this world of confusion, it's rays reaching out to penetrate even the deepest forests and the darkest caves.  It seeks to take away the cold and the darkness that the night has caused, and to replace them with warmth and light.

I SEE RAYS

that are of such power that the very earth itself seems to rise up to meet them, as if it has been waiting for the dawning, eager to thrust off the terror of the night , which once seemed to have no end.

I SEE JESUS

'For Thou art my lamp O Lord' - and the Lord will lighten my darkness

If anyone who is in a bad, or sad, position is reading this post who has not come to Christ - I recommend that they call on His name.

Jesus is the Light. In John ch. 8 v.12 Jesus says 'I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.'

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Forever Grateful

Forever grateful Father 
that You gave Your precious Son

Who, knowing His awesome destiny said

'Not my will - but Your will be done'

Yet it pleased You to bruise Him Father

so that I might have peace and be healed

for through this one act of sacrifice

was Your gift of salvation revealed

Forever remembering Jesus

that You hung upon that tree

taking the pain and punishment

that was meant for a sinner like me

Yet You chose not to open Your mouth Lord

and call on the Heavenly host

to come to Your aid on that lonely day

No...You suffered and gave up the ghost

Forever Yours Holy Spirit

while You teach me and make all things clear

chastising me when I go astray

and wiping away each tear

Oh Father, I love and respect You

and Jesus - I want to obey

So guide me great Spirit and keep me

'til my Lord returns for me one day

'Thanks be to God for His unspeakable gift'

2 Corinthians ch.8 v.15

Prepare ye the way of the Lord {Introducing Jesus to the outside world}

We both heard it! My friend and I had gone into the cafeteria in the garden centre to have a drink.  As we walked through the area displaying the artificial flowers for sale we could hear a voice on the cafe radio saying 'Where is Jesus?' If my friend had not heard it too I would have doubted hearing correctly. However, when we got into the cafe there was nothing on the radio to indicate that anything to do with religion was being spoken about. It was hot and stuffy inside the there and my friend said ' Shall we sit outside?' There was an outside area designated for customers with chairs and tables, so we paid for out drinks and went and sat down at one of the tables. There was a lady sat at another table who had her leg in plaster, and beside our table was a large pond with lots of fish in it.

The Lord had been calling my attention to evangelism for some time. Shortly before I had gone on holiday to Lancashire a person I had not seen for a long time asked my friend and myself to visit a home for the elderly to sing the songs and read the poetry that we have been inspired to write since becoming Christians.  I had felt a little apprehensive the day before we went there because I had not sung or played my guitar in public for some time.

That morning I was reversing out of my drive thinking about this. The CD player had started automatically when the engine had been turned on, and the first song that began to play was 'Prepare ye the way of the Lord'. After the Lord had spoken several other things to me from the scriptures I had been able to go to the home the next day with far more confidence, believing that it was indeed the Lord's will that I should do so.  How true the scripture 'We can do all things in Christ Jesus Who strengthens us.'

Sitting there in the cafe garden, I suddenly had a revelation that God was continuing to speak to me about evangelising to the outside world and was confirming it through hearing 'Where is Jesus', then moving outside to the garden to have our drinks.  I felt the woman with the plaster on her leg represented the spiritually lame outside, and the fish represented the catch that would be had because the Lord had made us 'fishers of men'.  This is the scripture that has been impressed on my heart for many years.

On the three occasions I had seen my friend while I was on holiday there had been much discussed and prayed about concerning evangelism to the world, and I felt that our last day spent together that week ended in such a beautiful way in the garden centre, with the Lord reminding me of the importance of introducing Him to the outside world.

The Lord speaks to us in many different ways, and He continued to speak to me about my part in spreading the gospel to the outside world.  While I was in Lancashire, I sketched out on a stretched canvas two tigers at a waterhole.  When I returned home and started to paint it, I noticed that the picture I was painting it from was a leaflet for the WWF, {world wildlife fund} and written across the front of the leaflet was 'Your gift of a legacy could make all the difference in the world'.  That same morning I had noticed that, where I had been wearing my sandals on holiday, the sun had burned stripes on my feet between the straps and I thought 'Gosh, they remind me of the tiger.'  It suddenly fell into place why tigers had been cropping up in my life for some time.  I felt it was to bring my attention to the words on the leaflet, that the Lord was saying through it all that whatever gift He has given me is part of His legacy and must be used to make a difference in the world, the marks on my feet emphasizing the fact that my feet must be shod with the gospel of salvation.

When I arrived home there was a letter from my brother in Australia in my mail, and in it he mentioned a book which he had acquired written by an American evangelist called Rick Warren.  It is called 'What on Earth am I here for?' For me this says it all.

As the scriptures say 'Everyone who calls out to the Lord for help will be saved, but how can they call to Him for help if they have not believed?, and how can they believe if they have not heard the message? and how can they hear if the message is not proclaimed?'

Romans ch. 10 vs 13 and 14.

 

Harmony

 In these troubled times I just feel led to share three of my poems with you .

Freedom - the right to choose

How can it be called 'freedom'
having the right to choose
if when I have to have my own way
then others have to lose 
For who's to say that I am right
and all around are fools
not one can have perfection
while all have their own rules
No - freedom is not when things suit me
'Freedom'...is when there's harmony

The way to Your heart

Not by good looks or prettiness
are You influenced my Lord
neither colour nor creed, high position or fame
can cause You to change Your Word

You're not tempted by what's on the outside

to change justice or judgement or truth

and neither can Your Holy wisdom

be acquired through age or through youth

For the way to Your heart is through Jesus

He's the narrow road we must all take

the Lamb without blemish - our Saviour

Who was sacrificed for mankind's sake

He's not only our Mediator

He's a teacher and councillor too

He's the One used when You my dear Father

said 'Behold I make all things new'.

The Witness

He came like a sun in this darkened world

to bring knowledge of God and His ways

bringing light for man's blinded eyes to see

giving warmth to man's soul with His rays

When His time came to go - to return to His home

He did not leave the world without light

but established His church as a witness to be

like a moon shining bright in the night

Let us not be double minded

 'I haven't had chime'  My mouth was saying 'chime', a mix of the two words ' chance' and 'time' because there were two words in my mind. (The mind was responding to two instructions, causing confusion). Regarding healing, or walking in the way of the Lord, if the natural mind is saying what the world has taught it and the mind of Christ (the Spiritual) is saying another, surely the body will respond in the same way as my mouth did. We must be fully convinced in our minds regarding our actions, so therefore it must be the mind of Christ that we have to instruct us, not the natural mind when we are born again of God's Spirit. For the scriptures say that he who is double minded will not receive anything. ( James ch. 1 vs. 7 and 8 ). We can persistently ask God to increase our faith for whatever we ask of Him in Jesus's name until we get a positive response.

Jesus ( the Word of God ) is always the same, Yesterday, today and forever. He never moves from one mind to another, but we can. He speaks to many kinds of people - His disciples, the Pharisees, and the outsiders. He regards no man in the flesh, He is Spirit, as is God, and we must worship Him in Spirit and in truth. He regards us how we are and who we are Spiritually when we are born again of His Spirit.  We can be anyone and likened to anyone written about in the Bible Spiritually. Just as John the Baptist went in the Spirit of Elijah ( His mission was the same as Elijah's, warning the people that they were disobedient to God ), so we too can, and will, live our lives according to the Spirit that is in us.  

After a flower has been picked, if it is kept and pressed in a book it will keep it's colour. This reminds me of when we are born again, being kept by the Word of God and the pressure of that Word giving us eternal life, even though we have been cut off from our worldly source of life.

 These are some flowers  and leaves that I dried in a book to add to the very relevant scripture in the picture.

My praise for my beautiful Saviour as I celebrate CHRISTmas this year

I just want to share two songs I have written, that I may have shared before, but which speak of Jesus and my experience of His love and sacrifice.

JESUS WENT TO THE STABLE FOR ME

Jesus went to the stable for me 

born in a human likeness was He

a babe in a manger He was to be 

 just as the Father told Him

There He lay with the cattle and sheep 

placed on a bed of straw to sleep

every word in His heart to keep  

just as the Father told Him 

'You shall have everything you see'

 Satan said 'if you worship me'

'To God alone will I bow' said He

 Just as the Father told Him

Jesus went to the mountain for me 

spoke with Elijah and Moses did He

There He was given all authority  

just as the Father told Him

Jesus came in the Spirit for me
comforter, counsellor, healer is He
and from the curse I have been set free
just as the Father tells me
Now my heart and my mind are stirred
I must act on what I have heard
and I shall live by God’s every word
just as the Father tells me

HE HAS RISEN

He has risen with healing in His wings

He has risen with power in His hands

and the river of the Spirit has gone forth

for the healing of the lands

He has risen as the Saviour of the world

sent from God to set men free

and His voice is calling to the people

saying ‘ Come and follow me’

So hear the Master calling

He’ll take your pain and strife

Yes Jesus will lead you back to God

and everlasting life

God bless all who visit, and have a lovely time at Christmas

.......... but God causes the growth.

 I just wanted to repost this post that I wrote in 2015 when we lived in Wales, as a blogger friend wanted to see pictures of plants I had grown from pips and I couldn't manage to get them up :-} 

 

Years ago I planted four separate

things in pots of soil.

Two were acorns.  They eventually

grew into two small oak trees,

which I brought with us when we
moved here over five years ago,
and have in tubs in my back garden.

 

I have always loved growing things,

and get quite excited when I see the

first signs of the plants emerging

from the soil.

Another thing I  planted was a fig, that too in a pot of soil, and which gradually grew into a small fig tree.   I  also brought this small tree with us to this house.  I put it into the ground and it has now grown to about three feet high. 

 

The amazing thing is that it has actually produced three figs this year for the first time.

My husband loves figs so I am hoping that these will eventually ripen enough for him to be able to eat them.

 

The fourth thing that I planted was a grape seed.  This plant had always been in a pot outside all through the year, until we came to live here.  Then I put it into the front porch which is like a greenhouse when the sun is out.  

 

About a month ago I put it back outside and I have to say that it appears to be thriving better there than it did indoors. 

Perhaps one day I will get a greenhouse and see how it does in there.

There is something in all of this which really speaks spiritually to me about having humility in the Lord.

 

Although I have thoroughly enjoyed watching these plants grow,  there is no way that I could take any credit regarding the actual growth of the plants.  I know how to place the original seed in the ground, and I can encourage it to grow by watering it, but that is all that I can do.  All credit regarding the growth goes to God.

The same applies to my calling in the church, which I believe is evangelism and, strangely enough, I have to say that just like my grapevine  thrives when outdoors I too love being outside sharing the gospel.  However, I may plant, I may water, but it is God who causes the growth, and all credit and glory can only go to Him.

 

This is emphasized in 1 Corinthians ch. 3 v. 6 and 7  where the apostle Paul says 'I planted, Apollos watered, but God caused it to grow.  So neither the one who plants counts for anything, nor the one who waters, but God who causes the growth. '

 

 

 

 'Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.'

 

Ephesians ch. 3 v. 20