In it for the long haul

Recently, I was praying about quitting something, then to my amazement I look up from my passenger seat on the motorway to read the words on a lorry next to me....'In it for the long haul'.  I had to smile, as knew God was trying to tell me something.

We often say to ourselves, we want a new beginning, a new start at something where excitement and exhilaration can rule. Everything seems exiting to start with, however, what is God telling us to commit to in 2025? We are often drawn to doing new things, and there's nothing wrong with enjoying those, but there may be other pursuits where it is right that we keep moving forward in them for an extended period of time.  Some things we do are for seasons, other things are to be persisted in, so something can become established and deep rooted in our lives, and we need wisdom to know the difference. 

Some pursuits and commitments we carry out may take grit and determination to carry on with them, and we may need perseverance for the long road ahead.  The road ahead may have its ups and downs as well, it may not always be easy and we may want to give up but are we going to decide to persevere when the going gets tough?  It says in:

Romans 5 v 3, Because we know that suffering produces perseverance, perseverance character, and character, hope.  

We all want to possess character, but are we willing to commit to the perseverance that having character may take?  It takes a stronger person to commit to things for a long time. God wants us to develop character, hope and fruit that will last.  Jesus reminds us to invest in our lives for the eternal, not just the temporary. The only way we bear lasting fruit is by staying close to Jesus for the long haul. The journey of faith will surely have its ups and downs, but definitely won't be tedious with God directing your steps into greater purpose and meaning. It's an exhilarating and exciting road, leading us to self reflection, greater values and lasting peace.  

John 15, 16 - You didn't chose me, I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit, fruit that will last. 

Lv Caroline x 

 

A friend loves at all times

Proverbs 17 v 17 - A friend loves at all times.

Our friends are amazing people who are able to stick by us, no matter what problems and issues we are facing, they always seem to have time for us. They are precious treasures that have been given to us. I'm not talking about fake and shallow friends, but the ones that remain with us over a long period of time, the ones that really love us for who we are, the ones that do not judge us, but celebrate and encourage us through all aspects of our lives. 

You may not have many really close friends, but when you find one, the love these type of friends give us can be related to God's own love for us.  This love is robust - whether we do good or bad.  They may even correct us along the way when we've gone wrong because they want the best for us, they laugh with you and cry with you, they forgive, they talk through the hard things and celebrate you. It says in the bible:

Proverbs 18, 24 - God is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. 

Some friendships may go beyond family connections. This is a friend that sticks closer than a brother. They are dependable and make time for us to listen.  Just like God, he wants us to talk to him like you would a close friend, we don't need to use fancy words or eloquence, we just need to be ourselves and come to God with honesty and humility.  God wants you to come to him this way.  God is not a far off God but someone who wants to be closer to you than a brother.  We are deeply and unconditionally loved by God.

To start a close friendship, we must first be willing to open ourselves up to the person.  There needs to be some vulnerability to connect fully to someone.  We cannot be closed off all the time to build a healthy relationship, and this is no different with God.  He wants us to be fully open with him about all aspects of our lives and in doing so, we are able to build a relationship up with God as an intimate friend. Just to ponder on what God did for us on the cross; that he was willing to lay his life down for us, fills us with wonder! 

Through prayer we can build a true friendship with God and become more like him. By becoming more like him, we have a greater capacity to love others. To love others may mean loving someone that has very different beliefs, political opinions or lifestyle than you.  This isn't easy is it, as it's easier to love someone you relate to and have things in common with. Someone may not have your faith either and reject what you have to say about it.  However, God wants us to love all people as he does, and when you do love like God, think of all the lives you may be able to enrich!  As the saying goes, 'We don't need to be fixed, we just need to be loved'. A lot of problems may begin to dissipate, if people just felt loved. It also says in the bible: 

Mark 12, 31 - Love your neighbour as yourself

It may cost you time and resources to love the people in your world, but it is God's command to us.  It may mean we need to forgive and drop the negative narrative we might have about the people around us.  It is both a command and a choice as to whether we will follow through on it.  We need to accept God's unconditional love and understand that your ability to love others is an extension and demonstration of your relationship with God.  The more you love and know God (and his attributes), the more you are able to love like him. Wow, what a thought!  What is your love saying about your relationship with God? 

John 15, 13 - Greater love has no one than this, that he lay his life down for his friends.

John 3, 16 - For God so loved YOU, that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believes in him will not perish but have everlasting life. 

Love Caroline x 

Unlimited

Have you ever wondered what it might feel like to be unlimited.  Unlimited in your gifts and talents, and in our potential and love.  What a thought!

Other words to describe unlimited; are absolute, boundless, endless. immeasurable, immense, incalculable, indefinite, infinite, limitless, unconditional, unfettered, universal, unrestrained, unrestricted, untold and vast!  I love reading all of these words, because in the confines of our humanity we can feel very limited and restricted, so these words speak to me of freedom and power.

The quest for power has been a desperate endeavour throughout the whole of history. Many leaders in our world have ravished our societies through war and pain for their own glorification. On the flip side, leaders we admire are those that were willing to lead us through darker seasons and change things for the better, such as Abraham Lincoln, Winston Churchill, Martin Luther King Jr, Mother Tereasa, Gandhi, Nelson Mandela to name a few. May be at the time, they didn't realise how significant their fortitude and leadership would impact the world.  What would you do if you were given leadership power? How would you use it; for yourself or for the betterment of others? 

The bible describes God's power as omnipotent, meaning that God can do anything he wants as his power and authority is unlimited.  God's power in also inherent and seen throughout the creation. If we believe God created everything, we only need to look at each other; how much we love; how we are so unique and look at how beautifully powerful the creation is, to realise how powerful God really is. 

So if God is absolute, boundless, endless. immeasurable, immense, incalculable, indefinite, infinite, limitless, unconditional, unfettered, universal, unrestrained, unrestricted, untold and vast, and if God is the creator of the universe, then what power are we talking of here?  Not only that, but the God who holds all this power actually wants to know us personally and have a relationship with us! Then surely as we pray and become more like God, we can also share in some of that potential. 

We receive the power of God at the baptism of the Holy Spirit. This happened to Jesus, as when he came up from the water in the lake when he was baptised, the Holy Spirit came down like a dove and filled Jesus.  From that moment Jesus was then empowered to do miracles, signs and wonders.  Just as Jesus, the Holy Spirit equips us for works of service, giving us a greater power for our giftings and love.  The power of the Holy Spirit, also known as the anointing, is a spiritual resource that's made available to fulfil our God given assignments and maximise our potential and giftings.  This power is God putting his extra on our ordinary.  Anyone can have a wonderful gift, but only God's power can remove burdens and chains from people's lives, so if we want to be fully empowered then we need the anointing on those gifts to make the difference.  With the Holy Spirit you can really soar in your full potential! 

If you were given leadership power but this time from God (the anointing), how would you use it?  Would you use it for the betterment of others or for your own ego?  The heart of God is always to restore people back to love. Are we willing to help people to see God's heart, are we going to help them recover from burdens and problems, are we going to lead them back to God?  We may not have God's unlimited power, but we can share in his immeasurable power and partner with him in helping others. This is so exciting for any new Christian or for those more seasoned in their faith journey.  We can all share in receiving God's power in our lives and soar!  Romans 8, 11, says that the same power that raised Jesus from the dead lives in you.....what a thought to ponder on!

Jer 10 v 12 - It is he who made the earth by this power, who established the world by this wisdom and by his understanding stretched out the heavens. 

Jer 32, v 17 - Ah, Sovereign Lord, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm.  Nothing is too hard for you. 

Matthew 19 v 26 - Jesus says, With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible. 

Isaiah 10 v 27 - And at the day shall his burden be taken away from off thy shoulder, and his yoke from off thy neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing. 

(This defines the anointing as the burden-removing, yoke-destroying power of God.  The anointing is what delivers God's people and sets captives free). 

When I feel non existent

There are times when we feel completely ignored by people, be it friends or family. Sometimes we feel like no-one understands us completely.  Our dreams, our needs and our hopes to be cared for become invisible.  It's almost like we could be standing screaming and no-one would bat an eyelid, we literally feel invisible and feel treated that way by others. How do we combat our negative thoughts?

No matter how we are feeling, every single person is deserving of love and is valuable. Without question, you are a wonder of God's creation and here for a reason. There's so much positivity to be found in and around you. 

Think positively

Our thoughts are very powerful, as the saying goes 'we become what we think'. So what are you thinking about yourself today?  Our thoughts about ourselves can change how we act and how others may even react to us. Thinking positively about ourselves is important for our well being and mental health, it keeps us alive and strong for a new day.  It keeps us passionate to carry on doing the things that make a difference to the world. The world really does needs your positivity to make a difference today. Can you remember the last time your positive thoughts and actions made a difference in someone else's life?  Philippians 4, 8. 'Finally brothers and sisters, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy then meditate on these things'.

Look to people that love you who you can trust

When we are going through difficult emotions and seasons, sometimes it's a heavy burden to carry alone.  When we carry our burdens alone, it's easy to get tired and feel burnt out.  The weight of the burden can take is toll on us physically, emotionally and spiritually.  However, having even just one trusted friend, family member or confidant to talk to can allow the burden to be shared.  As the saying goes, 'a burden shared is a burden halved'.  Is there anyone in your world you could reach out to when the going gets tough? Don't try and carry things alone but reach out to others, you may find they have been through similar problems and can really help. 

Say a prayer

When things become overwhelming where do we go to for help? It says in Psalm 94, 19 - 'When anxiety became great within me, your consolation brought me joy'. When our worry and anxiety seems to be drowning us. God's comfort can bring us into a more peaceful place. We can rest in knowing that as we pray, God's guidance, help and protection will not leave us. His hand will guide us through every circumstance we may face and bring us through safely. When you feel completely alone, lost or ignored, a sincere prayer to God will not go unnoticed or unheard.  Psalm 66, 19 - 'The Lord has heard my prayer. Thanks to God who has not rejected my prayer or withheld his loving devotion'.

Be grateful

Being grateful for all the things we already have is a really powerful way to become more positive about our lives.  Scientists have now proven that when we express gratitude, our brain releases dopamine and serotonin, the two crucial neurotransmitters that are responsible for our emotions and they make us feel good. They enhance our mood immediately, making us feel happy inside.  This is certainly a power booster for feeling positive. 

Pick yourself back up again

Psalm 40, 2 - 'He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire and set my feet upon a rock'. Through a time of grieving and lost hope, there comes a time when we must decide to pick ourselves back up again. It may be time to start looking forward, rather the back.  It may be time to look at the possibilities and not the obstacles, it may be time to start growing rather than shrinking, to start thriving rather than surviving and start serving rather than receiving.  There's always something new around the corner when your perspective changes. With God's help we will discover our true value and it will lift us from the pit of despair and grief. 

Reach out and help others
Reaching out to help others will put you in a happy place!  Rather than dwelling on negative things about ourselves, when we focus on others, it takes the focus off ourselves. Science has proven helping others releases the chemical oxytocin in your brain which creates feelings of connection, satisfaction and well being. It also contributes to a sense of purpose, boosts self esteem and helps you feel connected to others.  No wonder the bible talks about reaching out to others such a lot, it's not just good for the receiver but for the giver! Wow. 

Put your trust in God

Finally, put your trust in God in whatever circumstance and whatever season you are in, in your life.  He has promised to never ever leave you alone. In Proverbs 18, 24, it says, God is a friend that sticks closer than a brother. God can be the closest friend you'll ever have, this verse specifically states that a true friend can be closer than a family member or sibling, implying that God's love and presence is always with you, even more so than a family member. Deuteronomy 31, 8, 'The Lord himself will go before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid or discouraged'.  

Love Caroline x

HIDDEN TREASURE WITHIN

HIDDEN TREASURE WITHIN

There is a lot of focus on our outward appearance and how we appear to others, but what is really going on inside of us?  The things going on inside us, is actually who we really are; our very souls. Our bodies are just carriers of what we hold inside of us.  We all know that because we are human, often our bodies fail us, however this doesn't change who we are inside. The way we think, feel, love and respond says a lot about who we are.  

There's so much in today's world that focuses our attention to the outside; get this lotion or potion and we will have the miracle of good looks, success and eternal beauty; most of which is marketing to ensure we invest our good earned cash on their transforming products.  Like it or not, our bodies are human and we all, no exception, will age, so how much value do we put on our our inward selves? 

It reminded me of Jesus, he came to earth as a man in bodily form and within him he carried everything of God!  He claimed that him and God were the same, everything that God was and is, was carried within Jesus; a human being.  Totally human, but totally divine.  On the outside he didn't look anything special, he looked the same as any other man, but inside of him were the real jewels, but not everyone could see the treasure he was carrying.

Jesus was often accused of blasphemy as some scholars of the time were expecting someone special as the Messiah. Unfortunately, they completely missed what was inside of Jesus, that he was the Son of God, the Saviour and the Messiah they were looking for. Because Jesus didn't come as someone magnificent, someone glorious in the world's eyes, but someone very ordinary, someone very humble and poor, it didn't fit their egotistic ideas that they had in their minds about their Messiah.  It says in Col 2, 9-10 - For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority.  Some may have even felt embarrassed that this Messiah they had been bragging about to everyone for so long, was not who they anticipated and how could they ever introduce such an ordinary man to people as their Messiah?  So instead of valuing the treasure Jesus held inside and worshiping him, they looked down on him, they misjudged him and despised Him. They perceived him as a liar and a nuisance and their hate eventually drove them to kill Jesus because they didn't recognise who is was. Who do you recognise Jesus as?

We have to be careful we don't look just at our outward selves for acclaim but notice the inward movements of our souls.  What does the inward you - say about you?   Sometimes we need to look deep within our souls to really see who we are.  Are we who we want to be starting from the inside?  Are we going to let Jesus renew our inward beauty day by day until we become more like him; more like our creator. 

The phrase 'Beauty is Only Skin Deep' holds a lesson; our physical stance is only an external attribute but beneath the skin we are all the same. Just as Jesus, where do you hold your treasure, on the outside or on the inside?  Do we recognise the beauty inside of others and do we value that beauty? Whatever age, young or old - we all hold this treasure within us. Ultimately who we are will last forever, our very souls are what we take with us - wow I hope I'm going to like the soul I'm taking with me into heaven!  I'll leave you with these bible verses to ponder on today? 

Lv Caroline 

2 Corin 9, 7-10  But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.  We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. 

v 16-18 Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Firm Foundations

WALKING ON STEADY GROUND

There's nothing worse than feeling unsteady under your feet.  I do like walking in the Lake District in the UK, in my opinion, it's one of the most beautiful places in Britain.  It's a walkers paradise where you can find many wonderful places to visit and hike or fell walk. My husband and I have done a few fell walks in our time and the views from the top can be absolutely breathtaking.  The photo below is from this year at the top of Haystacks, the lake you can see below is Lake Buttermere.  However, some paths can be quite traitorous, either they are requiring steep climbs or have large drops at the side, or they feel unsteady under your feet. If the path has too much loose shale underfoot you can easily slip, especially on the way down!  You therefore have to tread carefully so not to fall down and hurt yourself.  Unsteady ground and unsteady foundations are dangerous, accidents can easily happen so we need to ensure we find more solid ground to walk on. 

One verse in the bible stands out to me when we think on this topic in Matthew 7 24-2: 

 “Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock. But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.”

When we are up against it and things are going wrong, are we going to collapse or will we be able to endure and make it through?  With God's help, who is the solid rock we can stand on, yes we can!  When the storms on life hit we will have enough strength to carry on when the teachings of Jesus remain deep in our hearts and our minds; we can stand firm and not collapse! Another verse that comes to mind is from Ephesians 6 v 13 - Therefore, put on the complete armour of God, so that you will be able to successfully resist and stand your ground in the evil day of danger, and having done everything that the crisis demands, to stand firm in your place, fully prepared, immovable, victorious. 

Moving onto another place in the world Italy.  Have you ever wondered why the Leaning Tower of Pisa is tilted? The construction of the tower started in 1173 AD with a 3-meter-deep slab, and on top of it, they started building the walls, when it reached the 3rd floor, it was noticed that it was starting to lean. We are looking at a 14,500-ton tower built on a 3 meter-deep foundation resting on sand and silt soil! After detecting the slope, the engineers then built the walls of the remaining floors so that the floor height on the sinking side was greater than the height on the other side.  Unfortunately though, this caused the tower to lean even more due to the extra weight on the larger side of the tower, the foundations suffered greater subsidence. 

The construction lasted 199 years and due to clay soil the tower, although leaning, as we know, did not ever collapse. However the tower did close in 1990 for repairs to the foundations where 361 holes were dug, that were 40 meters deep and they injected 90 tons of concrete into the soil through these holes, as it was calculated by modern engineers that left untouched the tower would have eventually collapsed, if it reached an inclination more than 5.44 degrees. They could have made the tower vertical but they didn't want it to lose its fame. 

The leaning tower had a fault in it's foundation, the foundation did not go deep enough into the solid earth to ensure it would stand perfectly straight and safe!  The engineers of the day tried to make up for the error but the building then tilted.  It reminds me of our own lives, we can often feel slightly off balance, we can feel shaken by circumstances.  What are we going to build of lives upon? What core values are we going to cling to? How will we have a sure footing and a firm place to feel secure?  God can give us all these things when we look to him to help us.  When we look to the bible and see the values of our creator.  We can know that they are good and secure to always stand on.  We can feel certainty and feel secure in a God that loves us, because he is the God that created us and knows us best. 

Lv Caroline x 

A Call to Greatness

 A CALL TO GREATNESS

Let's face it - we all want to be great!  We all like to be the best. Who remembers sports day at school. You always wanted to be in the team that won didn't you. I recall being in the Blue team but for some reason Reds seem to win every year which, as you can imagine, I wasn't too happy about. The Blue's didn't like to think all the children in the Red team were better!  Did you ever win the individual race you were picked to run?  I did all sorts of races; egg and spoon, bean bag on the head, 3-legged race to name a few, but I don't recall winning many of them, there was always someone on my heels better than I was. At school, I do recall winning a Netball Tournament, I played Centre which was the position where you did the most running (typical!), we were ecstatic that we had won all the other schools in the area!  It was exhilarating to be the best! 

We all want to be the best, we all want to be celebrated, we want to be centre of attention, we want to have high position and high power. However, it says in the bible something quite profound, Matt 20, 26-28 - If anyone who wants to be great among you, you must first become a servant. Just as the Son of Man didn't come into the world to be served but to serve, to give His life as a ransom for many.  Wow, that's a powerful statement isn't it in today's world, that is always talking about finding our own power.

God says the only way to be great is to first help others.  We are great by the way we treat others and make others feel when they greet us. We are great when we love our neighbours and friends as ourselves, we are great when we go out of our way for someone rather than serving ourselves. We are great when we give generously to those in need, we are great when we help the lonely, we are great when we seek peace and not hostility toward our fellow man. We are great when we help others reach their goals and not just our own. 

Greatness flows from our hearts and it means sometimes stepping aside allowing others to be first whilst we take second place. God may ask us to do this along our life's journey, would we be willing? Rom 12, 9, "Good friends who love deeply, practice taking second fiddle". It means we will honour those people around us and sometimes, if required take a lowly position. The person we are helping may be very different to us - should that stop us?  Just like Jesus who came from the spender of Heaven as the King of Kings, to take a lowly position as a man here on earth, to lead the way in love and compassion, then so must we. 

We have all watched the scene in athletics, where whilst running a race someone has fallen over and their chances of now winning have been completely destroyed.  To our amazement, from no-where, a rival runner picks the person up and staggers with them, giving up their chances of finishing in a better position!  What a thing to do, to help another person finish, and finish well. US runner Abbey D'Agostino encouraged New Zealand's Nikki Hamblin, in the Rio Olympics - 2016, as she lay dazed on the track after the two entangled and fell. "Get up," she told her. "We have to finish this. "Then Hamblin herself hung back to encourage the American.  D'Agostino eventually hobbled over the line in last place. The two women embraced before D'Agostino left in a wheelchair with a hurt ankle.

There's nothing wrong in being successful, there's nothing wrong in having our own goals and ambitions, absolutely it's healthy for us. But among our own ambitions and goals, who is going to help our fellow man when they are flagging, when they're about to give up?  It's not always easy for us, but only through humility and love can we really acquire greatness. I will leave you to ponder on this wonderful verse from Philippians.  

Phil 2, 3-8

Do nothing from selfish ambition, or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you, not just look to his own interests but also to the interests of others. 

James 4, 10

Humble yourself in the Lord's presence and he will give you a high position. 

Lv Caroline x