There Is Enough Time

I turned 36 on 7^th December and I would say I am still young. I certainly do not feel old and I do not like to be called old either. I think this stems from a panic that time is going so fast, why am I suddenly the adult in the situation?

I think I’ll always be young at heart, I notice my way of thinking can be quite childlike sometimes but there are times when I think, ‘Oh! I’m older now!’ For example, did you know that after the age of 35 if a woman gets pregnant it is called a geriatric pregnancy? At 36 I am hardly a geriatric, but I would be monitored more closely because of my age! What?!!

I am also four years away from my big 40^th Birthday! What?!

These are all things that might make me panic. What about my God given dreams? Is it too late to pursue them? Do I have enough time?

And the answer is yes.

When we walk in God’s will, each one of our days is designed for us, God wrote His will for our lives and he gives us ambitions to work towards, he has appointed each day for us to pursue those ambitions. And, through Him all things are possible.

Acts 17:26

And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place

God wrote the story of our lives, where we will live and the seasons of life we go through. He predetermined how long we will live too. We do not need to panic that time is running out, because when we follow His good and perfect will for our lives, God will give us the allotted time to fulfil them.

When we follow the Lord, we do not have to worry about doing everything we can to lead a full life here on this earth either, because our destiny is eternity with Him, where we will have all the time in the world.

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The Hope of Christ’s Return

I think it’s fun to talk about the end times! To think that one day soon, we will be caught up in the air with Jesus is beyond exciting! I have dreamt about it too, those dreams are so cool. In my dreams, we suddenly start to slowly float up into the sky.

I have always thought Jesus would return like a thief in the night, and that even believers would not know when, but when I was reading through 1 Thessalonians 5 this week, I see that believers are not in the dark about it.

“But you aren’t in the dark about these things, dear brothers and sisters, and you won’t be surprised when the day of the Lord comes like a thief.” 1 Thessalonians 5:4

We are children of the light, not darkness. We are to be sober minded and alert as we anticipate the coming of the Lord.

“So be on your guard, not asleep like the others. Stay alert and be clearheaded.” 1 Thessalonians 5:6

1 Thessalonians 5 is full of exhortation about how we are to act as we look towards the hope of Jesus returning. Let’s keep encouraging each other and building each other up. Honor those who are leaders with whole hearted love and show them great respect. Live at peace with each other. Always be joyful. Never stop praying and be thankful in all circumstances.

“Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again. God will make this happen, for he who calls you is faithful” 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24

Christ died for us so that whether we are dead or alive when He comes back, we can live with Him forever. What beautiful, beautiful hope!

A Wild Ride

What a wild ride. Got any thrill seekers here?

Recently, Jeremiah 29:13 showed up as a focal point in two different readings of mine on the same day.

“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” -Jeremiah 29:13

I mulled over this verse and asked myself, “Do I truly seek God with ALL of my heart?”

The promise here is if we do, we will find Him. Now doesn’t that sound amazing! Who doesn’t want to find the Creator of every living thing, The One whom all things hold together?

Buckle up and hold on tight, if you are ready to seek God with ALL of your heart. You will find there is no thrill as fulfilling as your pursuit towards Him and His towards you.

“Call to Me and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and mighty things, which you do not know.” -Jeremiah 33:3

Would you Foster?

On the 14th of December we will officially have been licensed foster parents for a whole year! It’s amazing how quickly time has passed since we started this journey. The early days of our first placement were hard for lots of reasons.  There was such uncertainty on how to navigate all of the emotions and I got such little sleep! On top of that, adjusting to the new normal of visits, getting house work done and trying to still homeschool my children were all challenges that we had to figure out.  It was a wild ride, but to be honest, I wouldn’t change a thing.  God showed up in such big ways and I learned so much about who I am in Him!

Today’s reality is so much more predictable.  The baby is scheduled and sleeps much better, homeschooling happens like it’s suppose to most days, and I’m able to keep up with my other responsibilities reasonably well.  Some days I even forget that we are fostering.  Loving this child as my own feels as natural as breathing air.  This is our life right now and I love it!

So, imagine my surprise when we got a phone call about another child in need of a home! We are only licensed for 1 child at the moment, so it completely threw my heart into a tailspin! It was so unexpected!! Immediately, my brain and heart went into over drive.  Can we make this work?! I was willing, but I won’t lie, there was some panic that set in too. And like a snap of a finger, I was reminded how broken this world is. There are babies, children, mama’s and daddy’s out there who’s worlds are falling down around them and we are called to step in and be Jesus to them.  We are asked to step into the broken.

It so happened that another family stepped up and took this little charge, but yesterday knocked me back into reality.  Maybe not now, but some day we may need to step into the broken once again for the sake of a little one.  The first time I had no idea what I was walking into.  Today, I’m very aware of how hard it is and how chaotic my life will become.

Friends, please pray that God would remind us all what it means to be like Jesus. Pray that He would open our eyes to not only our deep need for His love and mercy, but that we would be willing to step out of our comfort daily and walk in faith, even if it means walking into hard places.  And friends please pray for these little children who are hurting so much.  Pray that other brothers and sisters would step up and welcome these precious babes into their homes! It’s so needed! I can take one more, but I can’t take them all.  

Filled with Joy

I remember a specific time when I was young and in Sunday School that a light bulb went off in my head as I learnt about the account of Jesus praying to the Father before he was going to die for us:

Luke 22:44

And being in agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.

It was the first time I fully understood that Jesus was afraid, so afraid he sweated drops of blood, it truly showed that He was fully man and fully God. The sacrifice he was willing to make amazed me, he was willing even though he was so afraid.

The magnitude of what Jesus did for me on the cross became so real that I was in no doubt of the Father’s love for me. He sent His only son to die for me on the cross.

I felt like this was a new discovery, this knowledge actually made me understand having joy in my salvation. God loves me that much!! Jesus died for me on the cross? Me? I can live for eternity with Him because he paid the price.

With this hope, I was filled with joy! I was washed with abundant peace. I remember after church I was walking around our local supermarket beaming because I felt so much joy. God is good and He loves me! He has proven it in His sacrifice.

I was a child, but as an adult this moment in my life is still significant because I remember so vividly how I felt. I think that the Lord reminds me too.

The everyday weightiness of living in this World gets to us, but I do pray that we feel that child-like joy, the happiness in knowing that God loves us, He sent His son to die for us and we have an eternal hope in Him.

Give Me More

Oh the love/hate relationship with Facebook that can plague us! Recently, I have taken the swoop and given up on Facebook. There are a lot of reasons why I have, and maybe you have wrestled with Facebook too and understand the glob of reasons the love/hate Facebook relationship exists. Maybe you agree it is not the best place to spend time or maybe you just think I’m crazy. We all have to do what we think the Lord wants of us! I am not here to debate Facebook, but in my life, satan has used it for waste, so I am happy to boot it to the curb.

 “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10).

Jesus came so that we can have life and have it to the full. If there is something in my life that satan can use to cause waste, I need it out of there! What does it look like to have life to the full instead? It is being wrapped up, head over heels in love with Jesus, the lover of our soul. And as we grow in a deeper walk with Him, more life takes hold, more freedom abounds, more joy, more peace, more of His sweet truth… More of everything that overflows with His goodness, grace, and His love. It just keeps overflowing!

“For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away” (Matthew 13:12).

Life to the full sounds pretty amazing! Let’s not live for anything less! We can keep watch for Jesus in our day, abide in Him, search for God’s best, and bask in the precious overflow He intends for us to possess.

“You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore” (Psalm 16:11).

Show ME the Way

Driving to work in the early morning last week I could barely see the road. I live in an area of town that’s quite rural. I have a dirt road, no street lights and one of the paved roads does not have painted lines. Dark mornings with dense fog make driving nearly impossible.

This particular morning the fog was thick and I couldn’t see five feet in front of my vehicle. Even with slow driving, trying to avoid the neighbor’s field was difficult. I was relieved to arrive in the part of town where street lights were lit and the roads were painted.

What a difference it makes to have guidelines on where to turn when the way is hard to see!

In Psalm 119:105 the psalmist wrote of God,

Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

Sometimes, situations in my life arise that are hard to navigate through. This verse reminds me that I have lines and light available to guide me. I do not have to struggle in a fog wondering if the way I am going is right when I just can’t see clearly.

God has provided a way for me to receive direction. That way is the Bible. It is like a bright lamp on a dark narrow path.

Knowing and obeying God’s Word gives guidance and direction when the way to go is just plain hard to see. What a difference it’s guidance makes!