Christmas to me is making happy memories with family and friends. The indulgence of unhealthy food goes without saying, as well as a stream of children's parties to attend, an endless pile of wrapping, silly Christmas songs to either sing-a-long to or endure, and not forgetting the Santa Claus that looks a little worse for wear; or he certainly needs to eat a few more mince pies to look the part! Joking aside, Christmas means two words to me - LOVE and HOPE.
When the glitter and the tinsel has disappeared and normal life resumes do we feel fulfilled, do we feel hopeful regarding our future? Life is a journey and every single one of us go through times of happiness, love and peace, but it's also only human to experience moments of struggle, hardship, doubt and worry.
I believe the Christmas story is significant for our whole lives not just at Christmas because when Jesus came, he came to bring the world HOPE and that means me and you too in our everyday moments. This HOPE & LOVE is much bigger than any human can give, people let us down but this love is constant and never failing.
Jesus came as a light to the world; a light to shine in the darkness. When we go through our dark moments and when we see the world in it's dark times, I believe it's time that we remembered again this amazing HOPE that God has given us. When we put Christ back into our Christmas we also put HOPE back into our lives!
Have a wonderful time celebrating and Merry Christmas!
Lv Caroline x
From John 1 - Eternal life is in him, and this life gives light to all mankind. His life is the light that shines through the darkness—and the darkness can never extinguish it. Later on, the one who is the true Light arrived to shine on everyone coming into the world. But although he made the world, the world didn’t recognize him when he came. Only a few would welcome and receive him. But to all who
received him, he gave the right to become children of God. All those who believe this are reborn!—not a physical rebirth resulting from human passion or plan—but from the will of God. And Christ became a human being and lived here on earth among us and was full of
loving forgiveness and truth. And some of us have seen his glory, the
glory of the only Son of the heavenly Father!
This is why Jesus came, from Isaiah 61 - The Spirit of God, is on me, because God anointed me. He sent me to preach good news to the poor, heal the heartbroken and set those oppressed free. God sent me to announce the year of his grace and to comfort all who mourn and give them beauty instead of ashes, messages of joy & hope instead of news of doom and a praising heart instead of a spirit of despair.
John 16v33 - In this world you may have trouble, but take heart, I have overcome the world.
It always amazes me how very unique and different we all are in personality, talents and aspirations. To me, this is what makes life so wonderful, inspiring and at times breathtaking. Our individuality is actually our gift to the world. We should never hide who we really are but enjoy the fact that we are made this way for a reason. Life is the exciting journey into finding out why we are here and what we can do with our lives.
Life is relatively short, some have longer lives than others, so we really need to value our lives and number our days. I am always asking myself the question, what am I doing with the time I have got, what am I doing with my talents, with my love and my resources, even my money? Am I pursuing my dreams and reaching for a healthy life purpose?
These are HUGE questions and it's not always clear what our goals should be. However, knowing what your gifts are is a good start to knowing your life's purposes, as well as your desires for life. What gifts & personalities do you hold in your hand, whether it be, in business, working with children, in encouragement of others, to give finances to charity, to adopt children, writing, music or art. Are you sporty, energetic, quiet or funny? I recently saw a post about a lady who adopted 29 children; this is not something for most people, but this was obviously what she felt purposed to do - may be for her, she felt it was part of her life's purpose.
Lets face it because of how short life is, we can't necessarily run after every opportunity that comes our way, so how can we be sure we are not wasting our lives. As a Christian myself, I believe we are all created different for a very good reason. God wants to unlock our dreams we have for life and then align them with His. He also wants us to grow in character and learn about ourselves and others. Our diversity is amazing and I believe when we fully trust God with all that we are, He can bring about amazing opportunity to live out our life's purpose step by step.
Our life is more often full of small steps, not always huge leaps, so we don't always see what the path is ahead of us, but as we pray about our dreams God is often working behind the scenes enabling us to to reach them! If our dreams align to the heart of God, which is always a force for good, then there is no stopping what can be achieved in our lives; we will be released to do more, to live more, to give more than we ever dreamt possible!
We are never too old or too young to set new dreams - life is for living at whatever age. It's an exciting ride, life, let's enjoy it more and more!
Lv Caroline x
Quotes from the Bible:
For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Eph 2 v 10
Therefore I remind you that you stir up the gift of God that is in you. 2 Tim 1 v 6
The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me. Psalm 138 v 8
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for
good, for those who are called according to his purpose. Rom 8 v 28
So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom. Psalm 90v12
Thinking on the World Wars, we all ponder, honour and remember to thank those that gave their lives for our freedom. What a great task to have to undertake, what a sacrifice they gave and what a great cost they paid!
The poignant picture of the red sea of poppies around the Tower of London in 2014 was very moving and have seen many others take on this creative idea in schools, churches or memorials - a sea of red poppies, a powerful picture of those who shed their own blood for us in order that we can now enjoy the good, free life we lead today. Most of us have family history connected to the world wars, it's something that will live in our hearts forever.
Poppies & the Christian Faith
The red poppy reminds Christians of the blood shed by those fallen in wars but also Jesus' blood as he died on the cross. God sent his son Jesus into our world in order that ordinary people could know Him on a personal basis. Christianity is not a set of rules to follow but a relationship with God, it's a journey of love and hope. God loves everyone despite how bad they may feel about themselves. Jesus said, "I ask you to love one another as I have loved you". Jesus also said, "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me". The only way to know God is through Jesus himself. People often don't understand the meaning of Christian Communion, but there's nothing religious or complicated about it, simply the bread and the wine are just symbols of remembrance of what Jesus did on the cross and the love He holds for us.
John 3 v16 - For God so loved the world that he gave his only son that whoever believes on Him will not die, but have eternal life.
Christians remember and thank God for sending Jesus, who gave His life willingly for our spiritual freedom. Jesus' death gives us forgiveness, love and hope and the ultimate promise of heaven. We also remember and say thank you to those who fought for our country, for those who gave their lives willingly for our earthly freedom.
We will remember and we will not forget. xxx
They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow
old,
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning,
we will remember them. (Lawrence Binyon)
Christian Prayer: We pray for all the families who may have lost loved ones through war and pray you will comfort them today. We pray for peace around the world and that light will shine through the darkness. Help us to walk in goodness and light that the world will become a better place. Thank you for sending Jesus to die on the cross for my spiritual freedom and giving me your love. God I ask you will help me to know you more. Thank you. Amen.
When we pray we don't always get an answer straight away. If we're not careful, this can be a time when we question our faith, give up or walk away from God. However, if we are willing to hold on and see God follow through then we are in for some great rewards.
I prayed for 2 years about what job I should do once my daughter started school and 2 years is a long time to pray about something with no answer. However, I didn't worry about it and didn't give up on God. Just at the exact time when I needed it God came through for me, sure enough he found me the perfect job, which I absolutely love, and it transpired in a way that I could have never manufactured myself! My husband also prayed many years ago (prob at least 7-10 years ago) he would one day work at a certain IT company, he is now living that dream working for his dream company. Before he got there however, he went through 2 redundancies and 2 other jobs; when things get tough are we going to quit?
Sometimes we have to wait for answers, but it is what we do in the waiting period that really matters. Do we give up? I really hope not, because we need to keep holding on, keep pursuing prayer and trust God even when the answers don't seem to be coming. In fact, it is in these times when our faith and hope can grow much further and much deeper.
We live in a world of instant everything, therefore we want instant answers when it comes to our lives. We need to remember that things regarding our lives are not always instant and things can take time. God hears our prayers and we have to trust Him that behind the scenes He is working it all out for us.
We have to rest easy in the knowledge that some prayers can take a while and some are answered much quicker. I prayed only recently about a small family issue and it was answered during the same day!
I mentioned to a friend only recently that a prayer said in faith with a sincere heart, is always heard. I believe this to be true, when we pray about genuine concerns about our lives, God has heard and He will follow through if we are willing to keep holding on. It's a shame to know so many, who gave up before the answers came and therefore never met the fulfilment of that prayer!
Don't give up on God but wait for Him to follow through in your life - you will never be disappointed.
Bible Verses:
Keep constant in prayer and never give up - Luke 18 v1
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those called according to His purpose - 2 Cor v16
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances - 1 Thes 5 v16
Society is slightly obsessed with looking good. Beauty is all over
Hollywood, beauty is prized and highly esteemed and is something sought
after! It's the age of beauty creams promising you will look 10 years
younger in a few weeks time, the age of facelifts, bodywraps, tummy tucks,
botox - yes you can have it all!
So when you look in the mirror, what do you see? What do you see
in yourself? We often see our imperfections, the things we want to change
about ourselves. We are aiming for perfection but always fall
short...........outward beauty has it's place, however if the mirror were to show the inside of us, would it be a beautiful image staring back?
The bible talks about the potter and the clay; the clay is an analogy of us as people and the potter is God himself. God's not after our accomplishments or our outward beauty, God is looking for our hearts. God has formed the clay
but are we willing for Him to mould our hearts into something more beautiful than we ever could be in ourselves. It's a humbling thing to do, as it means letting go of
all we think we are and letting God do his transforming work.
All those
lumps and bumps in our character can be made smooth, all those scars from hurts
from the past and all those imperfections we dislike in ourselves can be made new. Change can be hard because it means letting go of our status quo, but God
can truly give us happiness when we let him into our lives and change us!
He can do amazing work on our hearts, not abruptly, but gently and with care.
A lump of clay is not very pretty and not really useful, and even if you feel
broken, let God form you again into something beautiful, something usable and
something you never thought you could be!
Bible Reading: Jer 18 3-5 So I went down to the
potter’s house and saw him working with clay at the wheel. He was making a pot from clay. With his hands he shaped the pot the way he wanted it to be (something beautiful). Then this message from the Lord came to me you know that I can do the same thing with you. You are like the clay in the potters hand, and I am the potter.
Isaiah 64 v 8 - Yet you, LORD, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand.
We can often get into a habit of looking at other people and seeing their accomplishments as something amazing, but forget to value our own successes. I've seen many of my friends accomplish some great things but I've also seen the journey it took for them to get there! The journey was often hard, long and a lot smaller than where they are today.
Just because something
starts small doesn't mean it will stay small, but it often depends if someone
is willing to persevere through the hard, through the long and through
the small in order to reach the big.
We live in a world today where a lot of people want instant fame and fortune but without any effort. X-factor, for instance, promotes the instant ticket to fame without the long road of working hard for it. For some artists it's taken them years of commitment to become remotely famous.
Just like a tiny seed, small things need time to grow and develop. When I first started playing the piano it was honestly like pulling teeth. It was difficult, it was a very long process and it has taken many years of playing to get to where I am now (and I am no where near professional yet)! It's not something you can get instantly, but only by a constant perseverance. If I would have despised the day of my small, there's no way I would be where I am today. Think of a child learning to read, it takes time and patience; parents often need a lot of patience when it comes to their child's learning.
I just wanted to encourage those may be starting out on a venture, whether it be business, family, church, friends, music, not to despise the day of small beginnings, but as you grasp the reins with commitment, your small will grow and grow into something amazing!
Everyone wants to be part of the BIG and not the SMALL and everyone wants to associate with the SUCCESSFUL, but may I ask the most important question of all........will we be people that will pioneer through the small in order for others to enjoy the big? - Now that takes staying power and commitment!
As I was praying recently, I felt this may be a word of encouragement for someone.......As you look at your current situation, all you can see is a forest of trees. You are unable to see a way forward & it looks difficult. But God wants you to know that even though you can't see and your options seem small, there is something amazing beyond the trees. Keep moving forward and He will eventually lead you into a spacious place filled with good things.
Remember the smallest of seeds can eventually grow into the largest of trees!
Lv Caroline x
Bible Readings:
Zech 4v10 - Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin.
Psalm 18v19 - He brought me out into a spacious place.
No matter how you feel or what has happened in your life............never forget your life holds value and you are amazing!
Even if everything has gone wrong and you feel you have nothing.........I always revert to the quote "You are valuable because you exist not because of what you do or what you have done, simply because you are." This is so true, we are all valuable because we are, because we are unique and because you are just you! If we put our value in our jobs, professions, looks etc, what happens in life if one day we lose these things? How will we see our value?
I believe low self esteem and self loathing are the biggest killers of our perceived value. We often feel less valued because of our inner voice telling us we are useless, that no-one cares or that we are worthless. It's been proven that if we repeat saying something over and over again, we begin to believe it. Therefore if we keep reaffirming our negative thoughts, our situation will only go down into a negative spiral rather than an upward positive one. For every negative thought about yourself, it may help to combat it with one that is positive too. This makes me turn to another quote,
"The most important battles of life are the ones you fight in the silent
chambers of your soul", so true, sometimes we have a mental battle that we need to win.
The subject of life's value reminds me of the film 'This Wonderful Life'. The main character in the story realises that if he would have never been born then he wouldn't have been able to bless the people he had met in his life....even though he didn't believe it at the time, his life held terrific value!
My Christian belief helps me grasp that even when we are down to nothing, we are still loved by God. It doesn't matter how low we go or how awful we think we are. When the storms come and the rain is constantly falling.......keep holding onto hope. I honestly believe that God can turn our storms into a message; a message to one day help others who may be going through the same hardships.
From the tiniest baby to the oldest person around, every life holds much value. Keep going and never give up, fight for the positive over your life and gain renewed strength.
Lv Caroline x
Bible references:
Luke 12 6-9 “What’s
the price of two or three sparrows? Some loose change, right? But
God never overlooks a single one. And he pays even greater attention to
you, down to the last detail—even numbering the hairs on your head! You’re worth more than a
million sparrows.
Isaiah 40 30-31 -
Even young people become worn out and get tired. Even the best of
them trip and fall. But those who trust
in the Lord will receive new strength.
They will fly as high as eagles. They will run and not get tired. They
will walk and not grow weak.
