THE TRAP AND THE PIVOT

Hi everyone,

I've just returned home from an amazing holiday with Jeff & Dad.  We did a tour of Southern Ireland and loved every minute of it.  One of the joys was seeing Dad have such a good time.  We flew out of the country on his 89th birthday, and it is a testament to his faith that he is so well.  

As good as it was, we are all happy to be home and looking forward to a settled routine, which for me will include a return to regular writing!

I revisited a recent journal entry this morning and was prompted to share it here, so here we go!

Have you ever found yourself discouraged because other people seem to be doing better than you?  We all know that comparison is a trap, and particularly when we feel like we deserve better!

 "For I envied the proud when I saw them prosper despite their wickedness" Psalm 73:3. Here is the trap.  Envy, and may I point out, a judgmental attitude to boot!

Anxiety and depression are guaranteed companions to envy.  Envy is the trap.  And judgment hardens our hearts and closes our minds.

So, what is the pivot?  How do we release ourselves from this trap?

Drop down to verses 16-17 of Psalm 73... "So I tried to understand why the wicked prosper. But what a difficult task it is! Then I went into your sanctuary, O God......"

17 The pivot point is getting ourselves into the Presence of God.  If envy and judgment bring anxiety and depression, the Presence of God brings peace.   The sanctuary of God is not limited to a Church gathering. It's that personal space where we meet with God on a regular basis.  The place where we
worship, where we cry, where we wait, where we pray.  

Let us avoid the trap of envy and judgment, and allow the Presence of God to wash over our weary souls.  Better still, make time in The Sanctuary of His Presence a regular part of our life; it might just help to keep us away from that nasty trap of envy!

Until next time,

Love, Lynda xx

PRESENT, BEHIND CLOSED DOORS

Hi everyone,

I hope you are well, and if you are in Queensland, high and dry, and have suffered no damage from Cyclone Alfred.

I have been home just over a week after a month in Thailand, helping out at a Bible College.  I have met the most amazing people, and from the first day, I was aware of the grace of God in my life.  

Thankful is to light a word to express for all that He has done for me.  This time last year, I was unwell and looking at a bleak future.  Twelve months on, God opened this door, and I couldn't have been in a more different place, both geographically and in my own well-being, if I tried.  

Some things only God can do!

On returning home to 'normal' I can find myself asking what my next big step of faith is.  "Where next, Lord, do you want to use me?"

This morning I was reading the following verses....

"You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.

17 My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise." Psalm 51:16-17

At the time this psalm was written the activity of bringing sacrifices and burnt offerings were a very public activity.  

I read somewhere this week that it is easier to serve God than to worship Him because in serving Him, we get to use our skills, but in worship, we get to open our hearts. Sometimes it is easier to be busy 'sacrificing for Him' than opening our hearts to Him.

In my personal 'debriefing' with The Holy Spirit, I needed to clean up some attitudes, repent for some words spoken, and not take off on another faith adventure!  

It is fine for me to enjoy the comforts of home, He is not asking me to 'step out' in faith anywhere.  He wants me to be fully present with Him in the Secret Place, so my heart can be cleaned up, renewed and readied for whatever He would have me do.

It takes humility to be fully and honestly present with God at home.  Going out and offering our lives as 'sacrifices' can look good, but what good is that if, in the sanctuary that is our heart, there is unfinished business?

I know there will be many more 'faith adventures', but right now, I'm free to be home, be rested, and be fully authentic in the Presence of my Saviour!

Can I encourage you to read Psalm 51 in its entirety?  It is such a beautiful, safe place in which to come to God.

Happily, back home,

With love,

Lynda xx

SAY IT SLOW .... K I N D N E S S

 SAY IT SLOW ..... K I N D N E S S

Anyone who knows me well knows I'm inclined to say to myself, "LYNDA, GET A GRIP!" I prefer Jane Austen's, "I will be calm, I will be mistress of myself". But I never remember that one as easily! (I dug it out of "Jane Austen's Little Book About Life" just now.)

This week, I have read two passages about kindness, gentleness, and patience. 

Matthew 12:7: "But if you had known what this means, 'I desire mercy and not sacrifice,' you would not have condemned the guiltless."

Matthew 12:20a "A bruised reed He will not break, And smoking flax He will not quench,..."

Proverbs 15:4 says, "Gentle words are a tree of life;..."

Have you ever thought that these are not just encouragements to be gentle and kind but words that express who God Himself is towards us?

He is kind, patient, gentle and faithful.

Our words and our natures are harsher than He is.

Our words and our natures are harsher to the people around us than He would be to them.

Our words and our natures are harsher towards ourselves than He is.

I want to be gentler and kinder than I'm inclined to be, just like Jesus. 

Not be quick to write people off, my words withering people's souls. But be so kind and patient that the bruises heal and the fire burns brightly again.

I should do the same for myself...

You should, as well.

With love,

Lynda xx

ADAPTABILITY

Well, here we are in a brand new year!  The last couple of weeks has been a whirl of happy chaos mixed with the simple pleasures of family life. 

Now as I have come out of that in between zone between Christmas & New Year where I'm not sure whether its last year or this year, it is clear to me that one thing is not working well.

For many years I have had a favourite spot for morning prayer. Some of you will have heard of our 'green room'! 🤣  But as our lives have changed so dramatically and Jeff is retired, this space is no longer working for my morning prayer because it is an open space.  Instead of telling Jeff to leave me alone which isn't good for a happy marriage, I have set up in our spare room.  

It doesn't have the same chair, nor the ambience of being close to our back garden, but it is private.

Now I realize that many of you may not have the luxury of spare rooms, but my point isn't that.  

My point is that sometimes we hold on to our favourite way of doing things way past their use-by date.

Is there a 'one thing' that you need to change as you embrace the new year?

With love,

Lynda xx

THE POWER OF HUMILITY

A while ago I was confronted with an 'ouch' moment in my soul when I found myself serving another leader in a process that I had initiated some time back.  I know... another embarrassing admission! 😳

I'm not into navel gazing, but when ugly attitudes springs unbidden from within, they can become powerful teaching/growth moments.

As I thought about this painful feeling, I was reminded of Jesus.  Have you ever thought about the fact that The One Who created everything and holds everything together, became a baby within that very creation.  Well yes Lynda, that's why we have Christmas!    

Have a thoughtful read of Colossians 1:15-17 - it's mind blowing!

As I contemplated this, I realized that the One who holds all creation together, willingly put Himself in a position where he needed to be held... and even by sinful humanity.

The One who created our body systems allowed himself the experience of being shown how his body works.  Think, toilet training, eating, walking, talking, reading, writing.  The Great Architect of it all allowed Himself the experience of having to be taught how his body should work.

The miracle of Christmas is not just, as I said last week, that The Eternal One entered time, but the All-Knowing, All-Powerful One allowed Himself the vulnerability of need, to be taught what he already knew!

I think the response to this mind-blowing truth should be first of all a heart of thanksgiving to God that He would do such a thing.... to walk in our shoes; but also embrace humility as a treasured value for ourselves.

Let Christ himself be your example as to what your attitude should be. For he, who had always been God by nature, did not cling to his prerogatives as God’s equal, but stripped himself of all privilege by consenting to be a slave by nature and being born as mortal man.  Phil 2:5-7 (JB Phillips)

If Jesus can yield to the humiliation of putting aside what He already knew, to enter into our humanity, I can happily and willingly take the position of being shown what maybe I already knew.. and as a side note, being shown a better way to do it!

Just imagine the effect on our relationships if we willingly adopt this beautiful characteristic of God Himself!

As this will be my last offering until after Christmas, may I wish you a beautiful Christmas season and fruitful 2025!

With love,

Lynda xx

A MIRACLE!

I hope this post finds you well and happy!  Today I want to share a journal entry made this week.  It has to do with the miracle of Christmas.

JESUS!

Micah 5:2 "But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to Me, The One to be Ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting."

Here out of Bethlehem, a little town, was born Jesus. We know it, we sing it. But this little baby from even before time is Ruler and is eternal.

He's been happening, moving, 'going forth' throughout all time and eternity! Amazing, all this packaged up in a new born baby. What a miracle and what a miracle of humility!  The One who holds all creation together, now being held by His mother.

Lord, two things...

1. May THIS be my point of contemplation and wonder this Christmas. Wow! think of Genesis. You were there right at the beginning of creation, you were there, passing through Abraham's sacrifice - alone!  You were there in the burning bush. You met with Joshua, and were seen walking about in the fire with Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego. You were there with Daniel in the Lion's Den, You kept 'showing up' and then in the ultimate act of humility - as a baby!

2.  Can you please 'come forth' and work in the situations I am praying for?

My prayer for you this Christmas season that you would, just as the wise men did, recognize this precious baby as King of Kings, and bow the knee to Him.  My prayer for you is also that He would show up in your world, your home, your family and in your own heart.   

Much love,

Lynda xx

HELD

Today I want to share something precious that I stumbled on earlier this week.  I wrote it two years ago and had completely forgotten it.  It was written at a time of huge turmoil and grief. And this week I read it from a position of restoration and joy.

May it encourage you no matter what you may be experiencing right now.

                        

                     HELD

Sometimes I feel like a leaf in the wind
Unable to determine my way
Tossed and blown
This way and that.

But I'm at peace,
because The One who holds
the wind in His hands
Holds me.

The One who rides on the wings of the wind
Holds me.

The One who speaks to the wind to be still
Holds me.

I'm safe in the wind...
Whichever way it blows,
Because I am held in the hands of God.

Lynda Hammond, April 2022

With love,

Lynda xx