• Mar. 6, 2008 - Little Bird In My Garden
A poem for my daughter on the eve of her 12th birthday February 23rd, 2008
Her feathers were a soft blue, the beak a play of grey She piped and squeaked and trilled all through the day. The tiny feet danced from branch to bush to splay. Little bird in my garden, how I hoped that you’d stay. Her voice rang out joyfully, as she trilled her song o’May, the melody filled the air, in the fountain did she play. Feet ran and little beak tweaked exploring every branch… all day. Little bird in my garden, how I longed for you to stay. In the sun she pranced, full delicate feathers fluttered, my heart was full, overflowing, her dance colours scattered. My sweet little patch awoke and was made alive today. Little bird in my garden, how I wished “Please stay”. Patterns rich and delicately bedecked, that never would fade, I saw the precious hand of her Maker, in every move she made. Vibrant and rich her tone, yet how gently did she play, Oh little bird in my garden, how I revelled you did stay. Every urn, every branch and leaf will never be the same, As little feet do pitter and patter, exploring since they came. Sweet joy and love have abundantly filled my life today. Oh little bird in my garden, how I rejoice you do stay. You sit in my hand gladly, beautiful eyes follow me always, I bask in the sunshine you bring, watching antics and plays. In the fountain you frolic and a hold on my heart you lay, Oh little bird in my garden, you are here to stay. Years will come, seasons will pass and time will too, but as I tend my garden, I always keep my eye on you. Every day, in every hour for you my heart does pray. Oh little bird in my garden, glad you’ve come to stay. |
Comments (0)
:: Post A
Comment! :: Permanent Link
|
• Sep. 12, 2007 - Muddling thorugh the Morass or Walking by the Word?
In my humble opinion, changing a mind-set (the way we think) takes a while; and requires a rigourous effort and we cannot let up on it if we want to see our hearts and minds changed, I have found it so for myself!
The best place to begin is in the Word, seeking His pattern for women, wives and mothers and THEN entering into prayer, seeking the Lord to show the areas where I have allowed the ways of the world to dictate who I am and what I long for. Then, confessing my sin and replacing the negative with what is Biblically sound, writing down a few non-negotiables down as "Rules of Conduct of Mind and Behaviour". Keeping this list simple, honest and visible (for my eyes alone, not the kids), praying first before even writing it and then bringing it to mind and into action every day prayerfully and as often as I need to each day.
I read many, many years ago, a book written by a wise older Christian lady, (Ann Ortlund - Disciplines of the Heart) she said-early on in her book (in Chpt 2)- "Your whole life - like mine, my friend - is determined by what happens between your ears." Those words of this seasoned and mature lady, left an indelible mark on my heart and I have since, with increased determination, over the years (though the progress has been slow!) and with passionate desire come back to that truth-over and over again-to reaffirm it's validity in my life, so much so, that after reading Martha Peace's book on becoming an excellent wife, I have become passionately determined that I WILL THINK ACCORDING TO GOD"S WORD, and not according to how I perceive (judge/think) life or feel life. A prayerful passion of course!
There are element of our lives that we need to fight (our sin and the meddling of the evil one) but things like, "When will my husband become what I know he can be/change", "when will we have a house of our own", "Will I ever be a woman that can stand tall and be a light to others around me, rather than always needing the help of others", "when will my life be like _____'s life". These are questions that are actually complaints against almighty God, because He alone knows whether such and such is to be or not to be for my life AND He alone has the power over those areas of my life that I have no power or control over. So simply put, I work on what I have authority and jurisdiction over i.e. my mind, my actions, my attitude, and leave ALL the rest in God's capable hands ... joyfully - not painfully wondering at God-when He is going to fix it all (according to my idea of fixed). When I do this consciously and deliberately, my sense of helplessness in the hands of my circumstances vanishes, I have purpose and peace, and then joy too will come-with time-as I deliberately, by the power of God choose to make this my resting place. I am working through a Bible Study on being an Excellent Wife by Martha Peace at the moment and am learning SO MUCH of this first-hand and first time round!
So let us stand strong in the Lord friends..., not in what He has done for us, (though that is a praise point) or is going to do for us (though that is a prayer point), BUT instead stand strong in who He IS. His Word reminds us of this eternal truth, that He is to be our greastest treasure, not what He is DOING or has DONE for us, "After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.(Genesis 15:1) We have the choice of being confident in HIM and letting our lives follow HIS leading, HIS Word, HIS commands, HIS patterns and let HIM take care of how it all looks, whether my life is going pear-shaped or whether it seems like it is stuck in a rut. I must stop judging it all in comparison to someone else's life/fruitfulness or against my idea of success/fulfilment! Whenever I have done that (compared/judged) I have come away anxious and discouraged. Paul reminds us of this truth in 1 Corinthians 4:3-4 , "But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man's judgment: yea, I judge not mine own self. For I know nothing by myself; yet am I not hereby justified: but he that judgeth me is the Lord." What a lesson his life is, quite messy and yet totally consecrated to God and HIS judgement, His standard. I am trying to learn these big things myself and as I chat with you, I am talking to myself too. :-)
Regardless of the man your or my husband is:as husband and father, O wife, - you and I can be a Biblically-led and God empowered women of God, nobody can stop me from being that, except myself... and if I follow God's pattern for my behavior and thought process, God will be glorified in my life no matter what anybody else does or thinks of me. After all... THAT IS ALL THAT MATTERS ultimately isn' it! Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.Revelation 4:11 |
Comments (0)
:: Post A
Comment! :: Permanent Link
|
• Aug. 25, 2007 - To the man of my life
As a soft breeze that blows sweet and fresh
Is my loved one's smile and caress,
When he speaks, love flows, wisdom is alive,
In his presence, my wings flourish, I thrive.
His is a heart strong as the ocean
Eager to give, to nurture, a heart open
Gentle as summer rain, he leads with kind courage
More gracious You make him Lord, every season and age.
My love is more precious than any earthly treasure
The Lord's great gift, to me His unmerited favour.
He loves with arms that are ever tender
With a heart of compassion and mercy, my defender.
Praise be to God for this love that is mine,
A man with a heart of gold, so fine.
His soul given over to his glorious Lord
A will that is tied to his Father's accord.
A man with the mighty patience of a mountain,
With a generous heart, a lavish and deep fountain.
By his side through this life, I soar, I fly
In his tender care, his love, I rest, I lie.
My hero, my shining knight on steed
The one who stands by what is right indeed.
Oh Lord I pray, that he would grow evermore
Always into the likeness of Jesus, the one we adore.
Thank you God, for my husband, my lover, my friend
Grant that upon his arm I fly, to the very end.
May I have Oh Lord, his love, his companionship
Until the day, on that heavenly shore, I land my ship. |
Comments (2)
:: Post A
Comment! :: Permanent Link
|
• Nov. 16, 2006 - Fleeting, Floating Feelings!
Like fleeting winds; dreams lost in the light of day, feelings come to haunt.
Flitting and uncontrolled they rise; woe is me in the morass of emotion,
So much my heart finds that discourages, if my eyes stray from my fount!
His certain love to me in Christ, bigger than the great seas is unending.
No height no depth, no passion that consumes, no sweetness can compare
My Father’s love, from ever-past to ever-more is relentless and unchanging.
What He says and has said, is the breath of life, His Word holds forever true.
Come what emotion, confusion or thought, whatever I feel in my fallen self,
He is the same forever, irresolute in His sovereignty and purpose, be I happy or blue.
There is no earthly peace, joy or rest, my timorous heart holds steady in HIS fold alone.
If I seek high or low, no pleasure, no comfort no wisdom of the fading world compares
To the one true God alone… His peace, joy and rest I find, at His bounteous throne!
He is the Alpha and the Omega, the great “I Am” who calms my feeble heart.
My maker, my sustainer, my Father of Lights, the lover of my soul is He
When I turn to Him in surrender, in confidence I ponder these truths, fears depart.
Leaving behind mountaintop sights, I often walk through valleys of darkness.
Where fleshly hope from within fails me, the fallen self like a catacomb, is empty
Then… His words of promise and succour, on the wings of prayers arrive to caress. |
Comments (1)
:: Post A
Comment! :: Permanent Link
|
• Nov. 16, 2006 - There's no such thing as the "potter", says the pot!
| About a fortnight ago I got a 5-page letter from a sweet and kindly neighbor. A scientist and philanthropist, considering how gracious she has been to our family since we moved to this neighborhood. Well many months ago, after hearing her state that she was an evolutionist, I had handed her the "TJ" magazine from "Answers in Genesis" as I did not have the words to elloquently articulate what I believed. This was her response (many months later) to reading and contemplating the magazines. By God's grace and now under His hand I stand to give a reason for the hope that is in me with meekness and fear. I feel quite inadequate yet encouraged by the confidence of His leading hand in all such encounters. I hope that I will be able to respond so that God is glorified. If any of you reading this are eager to help, drop me a comment and I will forward to you privately one of the many points she has raised, so you could try your hand at some real life Apologetics. Interestingly, her last paragraph on the letter attacks "Homeschooling" ... I am sure that none of you are surprised! She said something to this effect, "Your daughter may not turn out the way you want her to, but she will be a good person, you can't live her life for her!". I asked my daughter (10-year-old) to read it and she said, "Mum, does Mrs. ... think I am not going to be a Christian when I grow up, OF COURSE I am going to be a Christian when I grow up!", I was smiling, but then she went on to say, "I can answer many of the questions that Mrs. ... has posed here, do you want me to help answer this letter?", I was smiling very broadly, and when I said, "What a great idea." She beamed and replied, "Mrs. ... doesn't realize that she has just created a homschool Science Project for me, while she doesn't think homeschooling is such a good idea." I laughed out loud then. It was an amazing moment of realizing how God's hand is holding us steady in our homeschooling journey. There are no coincidences. If this is my(our) chance to speak the truth of God into this lady's heart, that her eyes may be opened, what a glorious place to be and if she is never going to respond, well the training to hone our apologetics is here, with a life-sized, real-as-real-can-be opportunity. I mean I think of it like this, I could have said to my daughter, "Okay, I want you to imagine we have received a letter from an Evoutionist and for the next three weeks I want you to prepare me a Creation Response to this letter and here are some of the points this scientist has brought up." !!! But instead here I had a life-sized opportunity in my lap with no clever ideas of my own, truly our children are taught by the Lord and He is always in-charge, over every detail! |
Comments (0)
:: Post A
Comment! :: Permanent Link
|
• May. 31, 2006 - A Fallen Friend
A friend wrote me how I had hurt her, through my firm stand on a personal matter and pointed out to me that I was no better than anyone else and that this incident showed her, that I was not as “good” as she had thought me to be. Her words, while they hurt lead me also to thinking and pondering on God’s goodness to me, a sinner still, and also to how much or how little I stood on my own merit, in my day-to-day life.
You are absolutely right, (I wrote her) ... I am far from perfect and God forbid that I would even imagine that I am, even in the deepest part of my heart. To think that I am BETTER than anyone, be they saved or unregenerate, is going down the road of destruction. I only come to God as His child, by the blood of Jesus Christ, if I stood before Him on my own merit, I would be standing on sinking sand and wearing filthy rags. Only Christ is good AND if ever something good rises out of me, He is the only good in me. At times He has that room in me, but when my flesh is strong I do not even have that joy.
That is the story of all of us, it is the only story worth having. If I have any story of personal success or merit that I stand on, even today on this earth and not just Judgment Day, then truly WHAT A FOOL I AM, because surely I will perish along with that heap of rubble I stand on. I will perish when Jesus returns for His bride, surely as the Scriptures tell us, but also if I stand before you or any other of my fellow humans on the pedestal of self-worth then... I am on the path of DEATH and NOT LIFE. Because Jesus says I am the TRUTH, the WAY and the LIFE, so if I want life eternal and life temporal, it must be in Christ alone. I have no worth in me aside from the worth that God has placed on me. I, a worthless sinner have worth and meaning now that I have been redeemed by the blood of Christ, and so the life I have, that is of any worth, is the life that is in Christ, under His authority and I belong to Christ, that is what gives me worth, that is what gives my LIFE meaning.
Our Lord has a mighty work to do in us, He has justified us by the blood of Christ, and now through His Holy Spirit, He is working out our sanctification, which is a lifelong process, but He is so patient and He is ABLE, He WILL take it all to completion. What a confidence that brings, not a confidence that one day I will be perfect, because that hope would be grounded on a lie, as the Scriptures say clearly that we are all sinners (every one of us, always, till we die), but instead, my hope is that… in every way, each day, He is making me more like His son Jesus, and drawing my heart closer to His. That is my prayer for all my Christian friends and myself- that we would know God more and have a deeper hunger for Him. That we would love Him more eagerly, want Him more passionately and seek Him more earnestly. We are ALL so far from Him, yet we don't have to perform this gargantuan climb, to the heights that God has laid out for us, in our own strength. He has given us the Holy Spirit of Power, so we can ask for SUCH a heart and He WILL do it for us, that is my confidence. I hope to keep coming back to it, even when I fail others or myself. |
Comments (0)
:: Post A
Comment! :: Permanent Link
|
• May. 29, 2006 - Teach me Lord, to rest in Your sovereignty!
Oh, how easy it is to fall into the trap of comparison, while we know that iron sharpens iron, yet how frequently do we allow the iron to become a rod on our backs, as we belittle our own circumstances; looking longingly into someone else’s life, even in the godly patterns that they might seem to have in place.
As Christian women we so desire to see our homes established on Biblical patterns; yet that very same desire, which is a godly seed, we plant into the soil of ambition or selfishness. I find this applies especially to how I am as a wife. It is so easy to find fault with my husband’s leadership and to focus on the lacks, that I perceive, in his ability to husband his family. Rather I must be about the business of seeking to find strength from God to support him, that he would be strengthened and helped in his calling as husband and father; rather I must learn to rest in the confidence of God’s sovereignty, in spite of where I think I see that my husband is falling short. Rather, I must search my heart, as Psalm 139, points us all to do, and look at myself through His Word and fall down to my knee in a passionate plea to my loving heavenly Father entreating Him for the power of the Holy Spirit that I would become enabled to respond in all circumstances with Christ-likeness. Instead, I respond and react out of fear, worry for the future, frustration at imperfection and out of selfishness.
My prayer is that, the God who has made me and knows my every weakness and foibles would empower me with His Spirit to walk in the calm assurance of His unending love, His mighty power and inerrant sovereignty. Confident in Him, that even though all things do not go as I would see they should, yet the fact that He is on His throne, I choose to rejoice and walk free of the burdens that God has not intended for me. |
Comments (0)
:: Post A
Comment! :: Permanent Link
|
• Apr. 9, 2006 - Waves
| The Waves Tossing and tumbling, rising and rolling, the waves are wonderful and enthralling! In the lap of the sea; gurgling with glee, from the far horizon they flee. Each one is a star, while I don't see it from afar, with gallomping glee it lands on the sand bar. Exciting both birds and men, they bring a smile to Josie, Brenda and Ben, their exuberance even makes eager my pen. They come cavorting to shore bringing the curious rocks a lore, from distant lands about adventures galore. I wonder what they say when they crash into the bay in such a joyful disarray! They are a mysterious friend, to distant lands they send all those who come to sit, listen and at tend. I like to listen as they whistle, while on the rocks they chisel tales that..with adventure bristle! 20th April' 2004 I wrote this poem two years ago and what a lot of waves have come and gradually changed the face of the coast-line. We have moved from Sydney, Australia to Windsor, England. Homeschooling has been rich and yet with many ups and downs. I have found myself riding many waves and by God's grace I sense more discernment now than before. Which ones to ride, which ones are best left alone, as all they will do is dump me on the beach! I have found in this time, what my "style" is with regards to homeschooling, but, somehow, now, there seems to be a new redefining coming. God is so gracious with us that He patiently works on our weak areas sanctifying us through the work of the Holy Spirit and bringing new revelation as we grow in Him, to receive it. We truly are His workmanship and more so than we recognize, or should I say understand! |
Comments (1)
:: Post A
Comment! :: Permanent Link
|
|
|
|
Page
1 of 1
Last Page | Next Page
|
|
