Mozambique....a land with lots of sunshine but lots of darkness as well...

Today I visited a small church in a rural area of a large town.  What struck me was ther joy and how they turn to God when in trouble.  Yes, there is lots of pain, lots of spiritual darkness, but also a ray of sunlight where His children come together to worship our Father!

We have been here just over three weeks and have experienced so much!  Sickness, stress, adaption in difficult times, but through all of this it was as if the Lord was asking "What is in your heart?  What comes out if you are under all these stress?"  And yes, it wasn't good things that came out of my heart and it stopped me short - why am I here?   Do I really trust our Father?

Thank goodness that God is patient with us and allow us to grow closer to Him!  may He be our Guide and Everpresent Father!

It's been awhile, but I am online again!  Since I last wrote we have moved halfway down the earth from Portugal!  This time round we are in for 2 summers - much better than 2 winters!  :)

I have been thinking about joy lately.  Who is responsible for me to be joyful?  How does my circumstance influence my joy?  Am I characterized as a joyful person??  All good questions!

I have come to the conclusion that joy comes from within ME - I have to choose to have a joyful heart!  It is much easier to choose to be "unjoyful", actually that doesn't even require any choice, it just happens!

May I inspire today - firstly myself -  choose joy!! 

Wow, what a morning!  We did the death and resurrection of Jesus today!

To see the wonder in their eyes, to feel the wonder in my own heart - what can I say??

What a privilage to have the time to talk about God's living Word, to see it make an impact and bring LIFE!! 

We live in an old village, with the church on the highest hill.  As we live nearly directly under this hill, looking up it seems high and reached only with effort.

Sometimes that is how I view things - problems and challenges look like this high hill!  Especially when you stand close and look up!

The other day as we were travelling out of town I looked back and saw the "High Hill" from a different perspective.  As our village lies surrounded by higher mountains The Church Hill looked very small in comparison!

That day God showed me that when feeling overwhelmed by circumstances, surroundings, people, whatever - I need to gain perspective!  I need to step back and look at Him - He is bigger than all my difficuties.  I need to gain perspective!

Somedays it seems that everything goes wrong!  The long awaited cup of tea is finally poured only to realize I forgot to boil the kettle, mopping up another spilled sticky juice, three small voices all talking at once, another skinned knee............

It's these days when I am tempted to ask "Is it worth it" or "Am I doing the right thing" or  "........"  That I have to remember I am asking the wrong question!!  The question is rather "Where do I turn to in all of this?"

Like any job (although homeschooling and growing kids are hardly your tipical job!) there are good days and there are bad days!  But where do I turn to?  There is only One place and One Person - the Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace! 

Only by finding my strenght in Him and in His Word will I survive the not so wonderful moments! 

I need the Prince of Peace daily in my life - and house!

Admittingly, I don't have much experience in homeschooling - yet!  But I have found it a very interesting time so far.  When my children were smaller, I used to beg the Lord to use me - in my off times!  I thought, wrongly, that it's impossible to be of any service when surrounded by little ones!  Was I wrong!  Sadly it took me years to find this out and I never could understand why the Lord didn't send some needy person across my path when I was alone or walking through the mall.

Sometimes we really don't know what we ask for!

I have come to see that the Lord really wants to use me right now, with my young ones!  Also that it's not so much about what we DO, but what we ARE - and what we are because of Jesus making us right with God again.

When the Lord called me into full-time ministry He used a verse about being a light to the nations - being a light means to shine where it's dark, where it's dangerous, where they need a light.  It also means that I have to give up my dreams and ambitions and let the Lord use me as He intended!  I was kind of like a lighthouse keeper who wanted to live in the desert!  Not realizing I needed to be on the coast, on the rocks doing my job! 

I never dreamed that being a homeschooler would be my calling!!  I wanted to be out there where the action was in missions!  In the meantime the action was right here at home!!

What greater work - to have this kind of discipleship time with my boys.  To be a family who serve and love the Lord!  In short - to be a light and a "lighthouse keeper" for Him!

May we be lighthouse keepers so that when others look at us they shall see the Light and glorify our Father!

"Pingo do mel" - drop of honey in Portuguese - that is what I hope to leave here.

Honey is sweet and overall good for you - may it be so with my blog!

Three boys in three years has taught me much about myself!  Not so much my good points.......but the Lord is gracious and patient and I am blessed to be on this journey with Him!

Homeschooling has only just begun for us and what a privilege!  The verse that kind of sums up my "new" career is found in Zecharia 4:6 "Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the Lord Almighty!"  NIV

May I remember this on days when it seems that everything is hard as well as sunny easy days!  I need God every step!