Believe in yourself

Just a quick post for today.
I've heard some people say, that as they look for the new year coming, they are looking for a new career. or that thing that you're wanting to do.
It might be that course, or that trip overseas, or some other things.
Sometimes we get a bit wary of doing the same thing over and over.
If that's you and you're not looking forward to the new year, why don't you get a journal and write some things down, and you start to plan where you are wanting to go.
Perhaps you've noticed a few patterns in your life, or of recent times.
My brother who spent a few days with me asked a very good question.
Why am I the expectation killer?
Now you might laugh, at that, but I am possibly the best expectation killer that is possibly in Dunedin.
I lay in bed wondering why, and asking God, why I am like that.
The truth is, I plan for the worst, and expect the best, but if our plans don't go well, we get in our minds to always expect the worst and that is what I was like.
Next year will be different because I haven't lived away from home, let alone a new town, but I'm looking forward to it, I'm glad that I have this opportunity.
I'm not expecting the worst, it's a small town with a good lot of people in it, and hey I won't get locked in any herb gardens, all Nana's will be safe drivers, and I won't get locked in a exe-loo again.
I'll be calm and I'll just bake on.
So believe in yourself that you can do possible things, because you know you can.
And not be the expectation slayer, be an expectation high acheiver
Chloe

When it all just gets a bit too much

Hi there.

I don't know about you, but as the end of year approaches your engery gets less and less.
Perhaps it's been a really good year for you, perhaps you've had some heart ache or something unexpected happen out of the blue.
Perhaps you're feeling a little bit sad, about what you wanted to do and it hasn't happened that way.
Perhaps you're just wanting for a change, but you don't know when that is.

Let me tell you, it's ok.. when somethings don't work out, we are getting now into the stage of things, that our lives have to be perfect, that present under the tree has to be such an amount of money that there's nothing to enjoy in the new year or the year ahead.

It's ok to have a good lonely cry, if somehow, you've just been hard done by, or something in someone's elses life is rising to the surface, perhaps you've played the Christmas game way to long, to keep it together for the kids, the grandparents, if you don't have a feast at Christmas time, will that important mother in law know all about it?
Will it get around that you didn't have enough to pay for it?
I  had that happen to me the other week, I had some money left to me, and I went and thought I'd be in my budget, but alas it was way over, what I thought, so something went back when I got to the check out.
I stood there, as nice things had to be taken out of the bag, and into a box ready to be put back on the shelves.
I walked out there proud because the check out person was so nice, about it, and made it within my budget.
Now you might be on the other side, saying, oh you should have known, use your smart phone to add it all up.
Or wouldn't some nice soul come in and buy them for you to save the day?
A lot of us, can go around completly burnt out, and not know, because we have the must save the day mentality.
We must save that person, we must help them feel better, or we must help them  by doing something nice for them, serving helping being Christ for them, always going to their rescue.
But what if God doesn't want us to be like that.
That was me, and that is now.
What if God this Christmas comes to me, and says '' you're over doing it''
What does Jesus require of us?
To walk humbly with God, not walking around with our chest out, with all the church badges pinned on our chests as long as our arms.
To go into a quiet room, to sit before God and telling him what you need.
And sometimes that need might just be space, it's ok, not to go to every office party, or to answer the door to everyone, to have a meal for everyone, who comes.
Perhaps you're cooking away today, wondering if it's all worth your while, perhaps you're wondering if anyone will notice that things are just a bit lower standard that usual.
My frined, if you need help, or rescuing, don't be afraid to accept someone loving and kind, this year, because you've been there for them.
And you know what, it's such a lovely feeling of rest when someone says' now what can I do for you?
 it might be a salad or buying meat for the bbq, dinner, it might just be a nice deep down to earth chat with a good friend.
And that could be God, it could be other people,  it might be recieving that lovely blessing back.
By a card in the mail, or linking up with someone on facebook, or renewing an old friendship.
God blessing never runs out or runs dry, it is always like an over flowing fountain, that just keeps going and going.
Perhaps you need that, a beautiful rest by a fountain, its ok not to go out and be with people when you don't feel like it, you don't have to answer the door when there's nothing in the tank.
Chloe

December Thoughts

Hi there.
Well it's nearly that time of year, when the new year is coming.
And I was thinking about, about things the other day.
i was on the net, and I came across this really cool story.
I don't know about you, but there seems to be a pattern going around, and it's really bad for our character.
I can't speak much, because I have done it this week.
Thats grumbling or gossiping.
We think by spreading it, or making it big, we will get people to our pity party.
We hold unforgivenes  and grudges, and we set a heart of hate in us.
We are only doing it to ourselves, because, it's hard to go against the flow.
I was having a grumble to my friend Guan, and she said something so wonderfully wise.
It made me feel heaps better about what I was going to confront.
She said when we trust and put our faith in Christ, he is our prince of peace, Jesus has heaps of names, but we think about that, he is our peace.
When everything is going mad crazy, when we don't get that break we need or a worker lets us down, or puts blame back on us, we are more than conquers. It's hard and tough, and it's really unpleasant at times.
But we are made stronger.
When we speak up, we are doing not only for us but for other people.
If you think about Nathan the prophet when he confronted David about Bathsheba, it wasn't for Nathan's gain, it was for David.
Confronting in a Godly and wise way, is hard, but when we pray or tell others to pray for us, for strength for people who listen, and take it on board.
Nathan was human he was going into a very personal thing, a very hard problem, telling David that his son will die due to the sin comitted.
Now I'm not saying that because of sin it will get worse, but when we speak up about treatment, we encourging people to raise the bar in themselves and in their work.
So next time when you're tempted to spread it,  take time, pause for 5 secs and get to know Jesus the prince of peace.
That's all that I have today, and if you're caught, up in a trap that you have to perform, and keep up with the appearances, you don't have to.
God has made us strong in our weakness.
Chloe

special needs

Hi there,
How's your week gone?
I hope that you're having a nice day.
It's sunny here in Dunedin, the roses are out, and it's nearly Christmas time.
The time when you think about Christ coming down to earth, and saving the world.
What sort of special need do you have today?
What makes you stop and think, to look up at the sky and say in your heart.
'Lord I need your help in my special need.''
Now I'm an 80s kid, and I have special needs, as you probably know who are my friends.
But today I was so angry, just about everything got my angry, I was waiting around to do something with someone, and it didn't happen, and no one got back to me.
I hadn't lost my temper, but if I had today all over again I wouldn't want to wait.
My friend what are you waiting for?
What's got you all upset, and it might be over something, realistic, or it might not.
And you might think that God is up in his big chair, and not doing a thing about it.
Or it might be due to the fact that you can't take a rest day.
Perhaps that is all that it takes, a rest day, to drive somewhere away and enjoy yourself.
When something or someone makes us angry, the thing to do is, and it's the most easy thing.
I know because I have a temper it comes with my disability, and when it shows I feel so annoyed and I betray myself.
Is to pray, not just once in a blue moon, but really do some good study on the word of God, about what makes us angry, perhaps it's going after the thing that God said to leave it to rest.
The horse might be dead along time ago, but we're still riding it.
Find out if things in your life are dead, and lifeless.
If they are, we need to come to the conclusion that a new thing is growing.
And to go after it, it might be a new direction or a friendship, a new job, that you wanted or are working towards.
You read in the magazines about people going after a new direction, well if you have special needs, or a special need, what about putting the things that God has told you are dead, and going after a new direction.
God is on the move  and he's on the move today, get your running shoes on and go after it.
Work not worry,
Live life instead of hating it.
Chloe

earthquakes and aftershocks,

Hi there,
I hope that you're having a nice day.
In New zealand we had a earthquake in the south island, just north of Christchurch.
And it got me thinking, not only for our nation and to pray for it, but for ourselves in our daily lives, when something happens in our lives, we have emotional earthquakes, and aftershocks.
Perhaps you've got the prophecny that we are believing in, that one day it will come true.
Are we just looking up to the sky or are we just waiting for it to come true in our lives without doing anything?
You know God says to move, and when he does, we need to act on it, we need pray into what was spoken in your life, and act on it, start to get excited, start to work on your creativity.
You might be too tired to do anything, but get someone to write it down, and then start to pray, for it.
God doesn't back down when it gets too hard, he makes sure we aren't alone.
We are never alone with God.
He comes into our lives like a bursting light, and it never dies down, it always guides us.
So if you have hit earthquakes in your own life, perhaps even you family don't know, or perhaps you're burnt out, just keep going ask God to carry you through these things.
And he'll be there,
If you have that promise on your life, not hide, get out there and do it.
Start to act on it, now, and get there.
Chloe
You are a vessel for God, and you are marked by God, to do amazing things, everyone and each single one of you.

How do you know?

I had a friend over for afternoon tea yesterday.
It was such a lovely chat.
We talked about so many different things, that was very uplifting.
Because alot of things, in this world aren't so uplifting.
So how do we keep in the world but not of it.
Is ok to take time out for yourself?
These are the questions I have asked myself, and how does that relate to our relationships?

Sometimes we can be going around with so much on our minds, that we get into managing our lives, then our relationships, and we don't see them as our friends.
My friend, yesterday pointed out, yesterday, that when it comes to relationships, how do we know that it will work?
I am guilty of this, I say something, or pray for something, but then I give up, because I think it's a bit far fetched.
Or I'll freak people out.
My friend pointed out, that as a young women, if we met the man what or how shall we act?
Just be ourselves, and always look out about how we can help that person.
My one fear, is, because I have a mental disability, how am I going to tell the true bloke, about me?
Because it's a head injury, and because it happened when I was being born, and I walk in completeness, how it that going to effect it?
I'm quite headstrong, but I feel emotions quite easily, I'm not an walk on egg shell person, but if there's someone in need I want to make them feel better. This is on my weakness, because sometimes if that person doesn't want to feel better, you can't always wave a magic wand over them because that too is humanly impossible.
I want a Friend who can understand that, we are called by God not to sit around being lazy, because we grow poor, so we should work in our strengths.
Jesus knows our heart, and he knows the ache of loneliness, and you know what?
He's just not in the clouds being busy up there, he's down here with this holy spirit working in us.
In everything we say and do, and we are called to stick together.
We aren't so disposable as we might think, the grass is never greener on the other side.
If you're wondering if you're ever going to get there, no matter where you're heading, you will get there.
That's all from me.
Chloe

Plans

Hi there,
Well it's another week, and we're one step closer to the end of the year.
The shops have got their Christmas things out already selling, some as early as September.
The adds are playing on the radio station to consider a Christmas gift to a poor country.
And we are thinking about what will happen next year.
For me Christmas is a time to remember Christ, and what he did.
As I was hanging out the wet washing in the garage, I listened to one of those adds about giving money or a goat to a poor person, and I thought yes, this year I will.
Because Christ didn't just come for the Christians.
In the bible when Jesus walked on the earth and around his place, he stopped and asked his disciples  because they were wondering who he was.
He asked them, ''who do you think I am?"
I want to pause there for a moment, take a short break, and think.
Who do you think Jesus is?
Someone we just pray to, and get answers back?
Or someone to hear our side of the story, and hope that it will change our outcome?
So no matter if you're making plans for today, if you're at a loose end, and you think what about me?
God doesn't have a one size fits all package, because if we were all walking down the same road, and doing the same plan, how would that make us effective in our faith?
So make plans, stretch out your ropes, strengthen your posts, and plan big for your tent.
It might just be a small yes to something, but it will grow.
Plants need water to make them strong, you can put a bulb in the ground, with some plant food, and hope for the best, but without water, it will die.
So without plan or vission, we will grow stagnant and not be effective in our walk with Christ.
So take sometime, go back to God, and ask him ''Lord who do you think I am'' and he'll tell you.
Chloe

Wrong turn

Hi there.
Well it's wet here in Dunedin.
And I'm at home managing, all by myself, ( who sang that song? Celine Dion?)
Anyway.
Have you done some bad driving, like really bad?
That happened to me this morning.
I was turning left at the bottom of a road in town, and all the traffic is coming up the hill, parked cars were blocking the view, so I just had to pray and excerlerate.
That was it, a car was turning up and gave way to me, which i'm sure that I had to give way to him.
But in my red car, i thought I had the excuse.
Anyway, sometimes in life it feels like you can't see where you're going because of the ''parked cars''  blocking your view.
Sometimes you've just got to go for it, and pray.
We sometimes read books by popular Christian authors, and get all the advice  in the world and live by that.
But tell me this, why is the bible the best seller in the world, but not that much read in the 1st world?
We need to get rid of the parked cars in our view, go back to seeing God clearly.
How do we do that?
By taking the time to talk to him, like a friend, and having a good chat with him.
If  you're finding things aren't working for you, go back to the drawing board and hear from God what to do.
Sometimes things seem right, but it's God who directs your steps.
And we need to thank him for brining us through the confusion.
And see each day as a blessing, and make the most of it.
So if you need to get rid for the parked cars, go ahead and run to God.
Chloe

priceless

Hi there,
How's your day going?
I hope that you're having a nice day.
As the year goes marching on, and we with it.
We are looking forward to the end of the year.
As spring turns to summer, perhaps you're left a bit worse for wear.
Perhaps you have been through some things this year that well wasn't planned.
Perhaps what seemed right to you, wasn't where God wanted you to be.
It's so easy isn't to confuse God's will to what we want.
How can we change the world?
By loving where people are at, how can we face disspointment and not hold onto it, life a friend.
We hand it over to God.
Handing things over isn't like a one day wonder, it takes time to see what things really are, what they look like, where we are going, and what hopes and dreams we have.
If we find ourselves in that place, it's ok to grieve for them, for a time.
I've been in a grieving place, for a while and it's hard, it's hard when you see a death of a dream die, it's hard to say goodbye to a friend, a family member who is going to be living so far away from you, it's hard work, no matter if you will see them again.
The mission field is hard, at the best of times, but God calls us to do everything for a cause. Even if it's a drink of cold water.
So in my grieving stage, when I looked at my life, as looking back on my posts, and  I've been a victim of lot of things.
Sometimes it's easyier to wear them rather to confess them, to hand them over to God.
I was talking to my friend at work who was able to help me see what things really are, and she said to pray for righteousness. in my situation
You can take all the advice in the world,  but all it takes is to be still, hear from that quiet voice, and pray to do the right thing.
You don't need to prove yourself to anyone, or anything.
Just pray to do the right thing, and all will fall into place.
Trust in God, as it says his light is a light for your feet.
You can't see where you are going in the dark, no matter where that dark place is, pray for God's light to light up your path today.
Chloe

uplift to the next level

Have you ever been in a place where all you hear is people really been nasty in a converastion about someone you know?

Gossip can be really mean, but when it gets past that, and gets nasty, it's really hard to stick up for that person.
We're not all perfect, we all have flaws, but when we don't see our weakness and see it in other people we can get really down about your situation.
Worse still if people turn a blind eye to it.
Ignore the elephant in the room.
So what can we do when our backs are against the wall?
What if we're wanting that perfect person coming in to ''save the day''?
What if everything is crumbling around us and everything is going down hill?
Perhaps you see it in your own life?
How can we turn that around?
First we make up our mind to be mindful of others, and keep short accounts, you might think'' oh that person know's I'm just having them on'' or ''I really love that person so he know's I'm just kidding''
Kidding and exagerating is a form of lying.

All it takes is someone to believe what we said and we start to believe it ourselves.

God knows that person and he knows the hurt it causes.
We can lift people up to the next level, we can acutally raise the bar.
It might be really hard to do that in your work, even in your own home, or people that you know.
We need to start somewhere.
Work places can be really tough, and hard, to make a difference in.
Trust me, it's hard to make your mark in places.
And going around pleasing people can be easy, but it can be hard for you.
So when we see someone doing a good job we need to tell them.
It's easy isn't to agree with wrong things if it's constantly said about.
But what stays in our heads the right or the wrong?
Abuse is crimpling I know, because I've been there.
However you can change it, you can speak up for yourself, or you can make a move to change it.
Once you see someone who needs encouragement it will seep into them like sunlight on a rainy day.
Or even a hello or something encouraging helps.
We don't need to be the hero that saves the day, we just need to be there for people.
Chloe

verge of a miricule

Hi there,
How's your day going?
I have to say that I'm enjoying the spring, it's lovely.
I was just thinking of my life when I was young, the  trees were big, and the blossom on the trees seemed to go on flowering forever and ever.
Perhaps you're looking back at your life, perhaps you have lost things in your life that seem not to heal, or you're just counting the things in your day that have just gone wrong, and want something to go right for a change.
Perhaps you know that something has changed in you, but you just don't know what.
Lately I've been overcome by anxiety, I find myself crying in bed for no reason, I've had people put things in my mind that shouldn't be in there, or people don't know how to ''handle'' me.
Each day is different, it's not like yesterday.
In this song, of Rich Mullins he sums it up just nicely.
You don't have to get it all right to be in God's presence.
You might have sleepiness nights, just hold onto Jesus, if you don't know if he can be trusted, he knows your hurt you have.
God is always there, for those times that you don't know what you're holding on to.
Jesus calms the fear inside of you, he makes sure that you're more thank OK, that you're doing more than alright, he makes the time, it's up to use to see how we use it.
He knows that we try our best, and he knows the pain of death, he knows the pain of what you have.
He knows the worry when people say not to worry.
God is there all the time, he knows that you're standing on a verge of a miracle.
He knows the heart that you have, he watches over your coming, you going out, you coming back home.
He knows the cost it has on your life.
You're on a verge of a miracle, when you pray, today, stand on that verge and believe for something good. tell your heart to believe again.
Nothing is a complete right off with God, nothing is completely wrong in him.
Don't beat yourself up, trust in God, he can be trusted no matter on how fragile it seems.
God is love.
Chloe

It's who you are

I don't know if you remember the tv show ''Who do you think you are?''
It was an english  geneology program.

Sometimes it's hard to get traction, and sometimes it takes a while to get to where you want to be.
This time it came to me late at night.
I just broke, all the things that I was thinking about over the years haven't really come of anything.
I don't know if i'm doing a good job at my new one, do I go back to the things I know how to do?
Do I completely go down a new road.
So when we find it hard to trust God, we find it hard just to see what we should do.
I've wanted to do so much, and forgive me if I'm complaning, but I'm finding as I get on in years, I feel more and emptier.
The excitment in life goes a bit.
So it's time to go back to why I  feel the way I do.
Now it's important not to rely on feelings,  because they are feeling.
But if you are feeling dry, because you haven't gone back to church, or perhaps you can't at the moment. Read the bible, drink it in.
And God always is there, and if he isn't presesnt in your life, pray for him to show you where he is.
We pray for God's will to happen, but what if we need to pray into that will?
Money can only buy so many things, but after that is all used up, what happens?
Pray for the things that matter to you, pray for God to be in your day, in the simple things, say it out loud, ''because my God lives, I can face tomorrow'' when right now you're probably, wondering what tomorrow will bring.
So that's my bit for today,  if your'e feeling shaky, just believe in today.
God is a good, good father.
You can trust him with everything.
CHLOE

what have you got in your hand?

Hi there,
It's wet here and sometimes it's hard to see  things on the bright side when it's spring.
And sometimes it's so easy just to close up shop and just hide.
However sometimes you get an idea about you could do with what is in your hand.
I heard on the radio, about a guy from hastings, Flaxmere who is a barber and offering free hair cuts to the homeless.
Not giving them money, or the next short termed thing, but something a bit bigger.
And I like that.
God sees us, not just as people, not just a small grain of sand on a beach, and sometimes it's hype, and sometimes when that hype dies down you can see the things that really are.
Sometimes it is lonely, out there and if you're lonely on the road, just look for someway of reaching out.
If you're tired, and you don't know, or where to start, just look up.
What was Jesus?
He wasn't just God's son, he was a teacher, a teacher to fishermen, he was a builder, a person who makes chair and tables.
And sometimes it's easy just to walk past and just carry onto the next thing.
Jesus took time in his every day to reach out to others, to those people in the staff room doing the puzzles in the paper, to the lonely person on the street, to the kids who don't have any shoes to wear to school.
We are all God's kids, and we have his seal on us, to go out and impact people for good.
Don't be so worried about what other people are doing, just see what's in your hand, and what you could do.
And do it, Gidoen  was the least in his family, but yet God raised him up to take on the biggest army in biblical times.
Hannah believed God for a child and had Samuel, who corrected Eli about his sons, so that they can turn back and take the better road.
My friend if you're wondering if you're too far down the beaten track, you can come home.
God never leaves us just out of reach.
If you're wondering if no one has noticed about what you do, or if anything else counts.
Just look up.
If you'r wonder if you're just another person doing a mundaine thing, just keep going.
If you're struggling with believing God, just think of this.
If he didn't believe you could do it, he wouldn't ask you to it.
So just keep working on that promise, that he's called you do the thing that only you could do.
God is love, and he is there.
Well that's all I have for today.
Chloe

Because they said I couldn't

Hi there,
How's your day going?
It's has been such a interesting time for me lately.
I've had yet another change in job, i'm now baking at a supermarket, which I enjoy.
Let alone all the things I buy and bring home.
So how do I sum up this year?
I've worked 3 different jobs, 2 are on going.
Sometimes it's like that, you plan your day or year, and you take it to God, and sometimes he changes course.
What you thought you were on the right page you find out that God is chapters ahead.
I have today off, so I got the mail, and will go into town soon.
But as I was reading the junk mail, a certian sport flyer came out, and on the top it had in big bold writing.
''Because they said I couldn't''
Now that might not make a whole world of sense for you today, you probably don't know in what context ''they'' is.
We need to be careful not just to hop to the next new thing out there, or the thing that is exciting and new.
You might feel like you've been held back by something, like water in a canal gate once you hit that barrier, you feel like a dinner.
Perhaps you keep hitting that thing that blocks you, perhaps you're not getting the help you need, or perhaps people aren't listening or helping you as much as you like them too.
Perhaps you've forgiven and forgiven, over and and over, and you've played your last card.
Perhaps they said you can't take that back, or maybe if people looked a bit deeper into things they would get to understand.
The thing is, we feel like we dont have time, we don't have time to review about good service, or encourage that person who is mean, or simply being thankful.
What if people just left us to our own devices, and not cared, what about the child next door or the homeless person, that if you heard their story, you couldn't beleive it.
It's all very well, to wear our Christian badge, or go to the home group, but we can't just book God into our day, and pray when we need him to come through for us.
My thing is, take the time to laugh to enjoy life, don't just think oh that's over and done with i'm on to the next thing to do on my list.
God is working in everything, he's working where you don't think any one or anything can change.
God is there, in the middle of the fight, when it gets ugly, in the times when you just to rest from it.
So if you're tired from the fight, if you're just lonely, in the battle.
If you're wondering why on earth you do it, you do it for God.
Not for man.
God's love is unconditonal, you can trust him in the middle of your brokeness, in the things that you thought were under control.
The more you talk to him the more he tells you what to do.
You are wanted by God, every part of you, you are wanted by God.
That's all I have to say, you are wanted by God he wants you on his team, you don't need to do anything else to get noticed, you don't need to have the  certificates to say you've passed church 1.0.1.
That's all I have for you today.
Chloe

Monday thoughts

Hi,
I was thinking about today, it's a nice spring day, and I will head out and have a walk.
I was with a girl friend yesterday.
She's brilliant, she's so funny, and out with it type of girl, which is amusing at times.
So I packed up the car, ( glenda) with a lemon honey drink, tea, and peanut butter and chocolate chip doughnuts.
First comment out. "Chloe we need to find you a boy.''
It was quite funny, I'm happy with the way I am.
So we went to the beach and had a drink, then we went to town, and had to fill in time for my friend to catch her ride back to where she lives.
I got home, and wondered why, on earth I bothered.
I missed seeing my extened family from Thai land, thankfully they were still there when i came back.
Then it got me thinking about God, and how much he really has worked everything for our good, we are loved not by conditional, love, we don't need to do any good deeds to be noticed by him.
It got me thinking about the big picture, things, the things that last.
Other people buy houses, the new phones, the new thing that's out.
I can't talk much because I've just got a new car.
I was thinking about the things that matter.
Am I making a difference in the things that matter?
In where I put my time, efforts and money?
I think about the people who have it alot harder, the ones where you don't know where the next pay check is going come in, or pay the rent, or let alone food.
Sometimes we get all focused on the problem, but we really need to seek God on this, because he makes the problem melt away.
Trusting in God where you're in a dry place is hard, all you hear is a slience, stillness, no big bold signs written in the sky.
My friend said recently, and  I agree, you're doing the right thing.
It doesn't matter either way, what you're doing, you don't need to go around doing that big thing that God's called you do, maybe it's just fine being you.
Once you get your eyes off the "thing " that you're facing with, and making that first step of putting it in God's hands it will work out  i mean it, more that you or i can fix it.
We can only fix the human things,  to a certian extent.
God takes it all and makes it all better, even better than the real thing, take what you have and put it in God's hands.
If you're wondering like what I was yesterday, wondering does it even matter what I do?
It does, because even in the small things it all works out for good.
no matter what you're going through, God is there, and he makes even the faintest heart to beat.
God is there making things work out for your good.
Don't doubt your goodness or your good name because it's better than fine perfume, nothing that wisdom, can buy, you can't buy the worlds best advice, it's in your heart.
Chloe

Things that i've learnt from Watching Evita

Hi there,
How's your morning going?
It's pretty jolly white here.
What's on your mind today?
Last night I watched Evita, and it got me thinking about how it important to keep in step with the holy spirit.
For those who don't know Evita, it's a story about about a young Eva Peron, who is hungry for the high life, but when it all falls apart in her health, she struggles to keep up the fame of being vice president to her husband Peron.
We all know all the songs from the musical Evita, like another suit case in another hall, and Don't cry for me Argentina.
I know that  it's just  a story, but it also made me think, of taking time out to see people and really care about them.
It might feel great on the mountain top but we also need to help people to get there.
Don't just leave them dangling off the edge of the hill.
Eva struggled with that, the only person on the mountain was her, and no one else.
Sir Ed, didn't just make the climb  to Everest by himself, he knew the perils if he went alone, he took a party of people to help him.
We need to get into the bible, not only just read the bible, but take time to drink the words in, so that we have Christ as our compass, and just keep him at the centre.
We also need to read good Christian books, to help us grow, if we're just going to church because it's warm, and we see our friends, and just keep God to ourselves what are we doing to ourselves?
We're not really growing, we're like a bonsai tree in a pot, looking pretty on top, but not much growth down in the roots, we're restricted.
And sometimes we like that, sometimes we like to know where we're going on top that is, but have no idea when it comes to growing and going forward.
We need to see how we adapt to change, we need to go together.
We have to work together, and lift each other up, in the words that we say, in how we come across and how we love others, not just be infatuated by our own small little world.
Timothy found that, Paul instructed him to be in the world but not of it.
A phrase perhaps just said to encourage ourselves.
But what does it mean?
To be in the world, well that's not really hard to get, we are born into this world, we have been made in God's likeness, and in his image not matter what.
Not of the world, means a lot of things.
Being always sure what we believe in, and why, not being meek and mild.
Like mild curry spice, you want to be red firey hot like hot chill powder. None of this weak luke warm diluted tea rubbish and being comfortable with it.
Too long we've been luke warm and not speaking out for causes that once upset us, now we just accept them.
That means that we're of the world people.
We are made for something more fiery, a bit more challenging in our Christian world.
We're not made to be like a classic second hand book shop, listening to classical music, or listening to it on our daily Christian drive through our lives.
Saying that it's a nice pasture outside.
In the world means taking time to see people and knowing if things aren't right and speaking up about it, or just looking out for them. we often look to people who are celebs or have a higher qualify in that area, or have a certificate to say that they can do the job and we just sit down and be nice.
But God demands us not to be like that.
He said take care of his sheep, sheep only rest when they know it's safe to do so, the are also stupid, that's why you need dogs to get them in the right direction.
We need direction and if can't get it if we like going in the wrong direction.
Often God has a way of getting us back where we need to get back on track.
So don't go out looking for that next highest qualification or thinking that it's impossible.
You know that it's possible because why has God planted that idea in your head, it might just start small, but that's how Oak trees grow, from small hard acorns, into massive big mighty trees that have their roots way way down in the soil, and White Oaks can live up to 500 years so be prepared for the long haul not a hitch hike ride.
Chloe

finding Traction

Hi there.
Well it's getting pretty cold down here in Dunedin.
The snow did come, but not really to us on the hill.
It does look nice over the city.
Today I want to talk to you about finding traction.
Because lets face it, it's quite hard to get going when something stops.
It's not like your a computer or an app you simply open up and boom, you find traction again.
Being currently unemployed at the moment is quite hard.
Because you fall into a trap of nothingness, and sometimes it's easier not doing anything.
At the moment I am a tulip bulb in the deep dark earth, lying dormant.
And we will always have those dormant stages, it's knowing how to not cope not even get by, but how to see the changes and change with it.

What you thought has worked out hasn't for one reason or another, and you're left hanging.
It's hard not to get bitter, and it's hard to take '' one door closes, and another opens.'' type mentality.
You just don't know what sort of door that is.
So when the weather gets grey and it's hard to see black and white, what do you do?
Just sit and watch Pride and Prejudice and wait for Mr Darcy to pop off the screen and walk towards you?
It's important to have a plan, if not more now that ever.
Just get in touch with a friend, who has time to see you, and yes spend some time with them, and hey a cup of tea at a cafe is what $4?
So you can have that treat, and have a good catch up.
Then make a list, yes, my mum told me this, make a list of things to do the next day, even if you are interested in something and offering yourself for free, ring them up.
It will make you feel heaps better rather than just thinking of the ''should mentality''
Because I have done it, and  the ''should mentality'' doesn't do anything.
It only makes us complacent.
So what does the bible say about it?
It seems pretty common to go to the bible, but it does help find perspective.
I've been and have had mountain moments, and I've had valley moments, and I've had on the scale of 1 -10 how do you feel moments.
They don't really help let me tell you.
Because lets face it we aren't made to measure on scales.
We were when we were little kids, for the plunket nurse, but we're not kids anymore.
So getting back to my question, how do you find traction?
Lets go to the book of Timothy.
Because Paul saw what Timothy needed.
He needed traction, because there  was false teaching in the church.
Timothy also fought battles with sickness, and he was young, the youngest of anyone in the church.
So he had 3 battles on him.
Everyday we are called to read the bible and pray, pray for your situation, pray for your health, and read books about prayer and how to be effective.
It's not one way st.
You might not be in the habit, it might be for that car park, in that mall, it might just be getting through the day.
Paul saw this, and he wanted Timothy to know that there's more to life, than just church.
It' does feel like a lone battle at times, at time you might be left hanging,  and no one really cares.
They might want to, but don't know how to go about it.
Paul says to lift up our hands  our hands as holy hands, in prayer without anger or disputing.
That means just to be still and wait on God.
Sometimes we do that, and we lock him in, like a GPS until trusting him, where we should go, and what we should do with our lives, only to follow it, and lead us down the confusing path.
God isn't like GPS unit, in the old testament, we read that God changes his mind not only once but a lot of times.
The Israelites didn't change with the times, they got more embedded into their own sin.
God even said, ''if only if you were like a stork, or swallow that knows how to migrate.''
The problem was that they didn't know how to change.
So it's important to see how God moves in our lives, just to sit still and just to invite him in, in your situation, he's always got time for you.
See you weren't supposed to carry this beyond the cross.
It might feel like it's drowning you, you might feel like you can't see a way forward, but you can because you have the light of Christ in you.
Chloe

Life in the fast lane

Hi there,
I hope that you're having a nice day.
It's a great day here in Dunedin.
It is sunny, warm, and  I've got my coffee.
Today I want to talk to you about life in the fast lane.
I bumped into a friend, the other day in Kmart, and we were talking oh about a whole lot of things.
Cars was one of them.
I just brought a new car, which is great, it's red, and it's got all the things I need. plus I got a thousand dollars off the listed price, because the car dealer listed it wrong on his website it's 2009, and it's a jap import and Glenda has only done 33 thousand ks, so the right time to buy a new car came up.
I've called her Glenda, because if she was a lady, she would wear red lipstick and bright red nail polish.
So I'm selling my starlet.
My friend told me, who I saw in Kmart, told me this funny story, about a very wealthy Japanese man, who owned a really fast racing car, he only took it out on weekends.
So the makers in Italy got hold of him, and asked him to see if he would like a run around their track, that they test their racing cars on, in Italy.
They hired a rally car driver, to get in with the man and explained everything, and told him to go fast to give the makers of this particular car a good work out.
The hired man jumped out of the car and let the japanese man go around.
The man, put this racing car in 1st gear and went around the track.
This car could go faster than 1st gear.
He then went up to the japanese man, and asked him, why he went around in 1st gear, the japanese man, looked at him, and said ''that is how every japanese man drives in Japan.''
Sometimes it feels like we're not going fast enough in life.
Sometimes we feel like we're just in the slow lane, waiting for something to happen.
Or perhaps you know you've got something big on your hands but it feels like you're going around in 1st gear.
No matter what you're going through, God is there, there's no condemnation, there's no pointing finger, there's no guilt in Jesus.
Sometimes God makes us move, and sometimes we need to get off and make that move for ourselves.
We need to come to Christ ourselves, not through a count down of a pastor at church, to raise your hand on the count of 3.
Jesus is everywhere and he'll care for your needs, and we just need to cast our needs on him.
Casting is a fishing term.
When fishermen cast out, they nets, the mean business. They are eager to catch a catch, for them to sell the fish from their boats so that they can make money to live.
We all need to get perspective on things, and perhaps we need to do a bit of ''casting'' in our own lives.
Cut back when needed, go in the slow lane, when needed.
I hear you say you can't ''it's impossible'' I don't have the time, but my friends we do.
If we have 2 minutes in our cars, we can pray, we have 5 minutes to catch up on people that care, we have time and that's not impossible.
Don't be so afraid to say I can't.
Because when God's part of our lives we can.
So don't live so much in the fast lane, that you can't live.
Chloe

Whats your passion?

Hi there.
How's things?
I hope that all is going well for you.
Today I want to ask you what is your passion?
I was out having a coffee with some friends yesterday, and I came to a common thought, that they were going through the same things.
Both moved from different parts of the world, to Dunedin.
Both of them love working with their hands, and that's how God works.
However he does, require us to take a step up, and see what we can do.
Being not confident in ourselves in what we do, but also, in what God calls us to do.
We will bring Jesus to those who have walked away, or just struggle with daily life.
No matter how shaken we are, or if some decisions have been made for us, we can shake off the things that people say, and just keep our eyes on Christ.
Easy to type, and say, but how hard it is to believe sometimes.
We think of the words like Trust, Obey, and sin.
But what do those mean?
What is sin?

Sin is something that is against the law, and against God's law.
What does it mean by trust?
Humanly speaking, we trust people all the time, we aren't just facing things alone.
Trust isn't just a happy feeling, but also in the dark times, we know we'll get through it.
Sometimes we know people who we know extremely well, and they are fighting depression.
It's in those times, like a text, and email or a card in the mail or phone call just to touch base.
We need more people doing that, and no matter how empty it feels at times, it might just be that those words said on the phone, or text, might have just pulled someone through that day.
Our bosses, or our lectures trust us to show up for work or classes, if we're not they pick up pretty jolly well that there's something wrong.
So what about Obeying?
Obeying, is something, that I find hard to do, because it's hard, we are all human we make mistakes, sometimes it feels mundane, and a bit like a merry go round you're sitting on a horse and you just go around and around, seeing the same scenery.
If life feels like that, it's time for a change, perhaps it's time just to stop, and take one moment in the time, instead of just being a cheerleader on the side of the Christian game.
Obeying is taking the time to seek God, every day and in that we can face things that seem like mountains.
We can start to climb them.
Celeb in the bible saw big things, he saw mountains but he just didn't look at the base of them, he started to climb them.
Has God given you mountains, in your life, that seem simply to hard to face, well just with a prayer he'll be your climbing mentor, and will guide you up them so that you can see the view.
Things that once excited you will return.
Finding your passion, might be lonely, because perhaps you're looking in other areas, not in the talents God's has already given you.
If God has told you to dig deep, you ask him ''how deep Lord.'' and you just keep digging into his word, until you find the gold that is in your mountain, and in your heart, so that you know without a doubt you are his.
Chloe

Time for change?

Hello there.
Lately I've been thinking about change.
Because we are always changing all the time.
We are growing up and always changing, our bodies change all the time.
Our character changes, we either grow or we shrivel up, and close up like a closed up hermit crab living inside a shell.
Sometimes we just hide away, and just close up and look through blinds like Elvis looking through the world from the inside.
We can't live like that all the time,
First of all it's tiring, it's hard keeping up a face, and a good impression.
Nothing can prepare us for what's coming up around the corner.
We can only put our hope in Christ.
That is the only thing that brings me through.
God is always has the upper side, if you're on the down side, even if you loose your job, for no reason, if your employer says you don't have a job, for no reason, you can walk out that door, with a smile.
People will be standing back and wondering, why you're happy, because you know the best is yet to come and it's not over yet.
you might be rejected you might be at the tail end of everything, and over you is God and he's singing over you with love.
I met a girl at MacDonald's the other day, I was with a friend and she told me how she become a Christian, her mother was under aged, and to adopt her out, she was too young to remember what she looked like, she came to Christ because she knew she had to trust in something.
Town was so busy that the only 2 seats available was next to this lovely young Burmese girl.
You might be going through  mud, sweat and tears, you might have no reason why you're crying, you might just be burnt out, you might have no idea why things happen.
I'm not here to wave a magic wand over you and make it all better
But I'm here just to say I'm here and I understand
Even if you're heart thinks no one does.
So look for ''God appointments'' today, lighting up the way, so that your feet won't stumble on the path.
It says that God's love is a lamp until our feet.
So keep up with what you're doing, you'll be right, you're friends understand, and they look out for you.
Chloe

Things I've learnt from this week

Hi there
I hope all is going well with you.
You might be tired from all your comings and goings. you might not even know what day of the week it is.
I caught up with a friend the other day, it was great, it was really cool to catch up with her, we might do it a bit more often.
Town was crazy in Dunedin, there was a rugby game on, the uni had their science festival on, and it was cadbury week, add in that school holidays.
We managed to get a quick cup of coffee at Mc Cafe, and as we were looking for seats, we sat down, and started talking about our lives and how God has encouraged us this past few weeks.
My friend Becs, talked and shared about, a book she's been reading, and found it encouraging, and then we talked about Christ working in our lives.
We didn't know but sitting opposite a girl was listening in, and wanted to ask us about our stories, we all shared about God.
We all learnt things, in our lives that encourage us, something might not be pretty, it might be that it might have been to other people, it might be to what we do to ourselves.
But be encouraged you're never out of God plan.
It's ok to not be ok, if you're in that empty space right now, you might think that you're on the wrong course, you are not alone, there's someone else who's on that same path.
You might be busy but with the wrong things, you might be pulling out your hair, and God might be asking you if you need to do all those things.
It says in the bible to encourage yourself, in the word of God, and sing songs to him, if you're tired, if you're just plain tired, if you're just wanting it all to stop, you can call out to him, and get the peace that you are wanting.
In my own life, I wrote many suicide notes, I was angry, for many years I secretly sufferred from wanting to die, even when things were going well, there was something going wrong.
I went to God in my anger, I was wanting something more, I wanted this daily, weekly monthly thing to go away, and I prayed daily and looked to Christ, to help me.
And he did slowly but we got there.
God is always there when people let you down, or don't help.
And we are called to encourage ourselves in God, because he is the only thing that lasts.
If you find it hard reading the bible, or perhaps you've heard all the popular easy sermons to hear in your church.
The Lord, is fighting for you. and he never gives up on those who seek him.
To those who seek him with all their hearts.
That's all we need to do.
Dust off the past, and walking brightly into today, tomorrow, this week, because you know you are an overcomer, a fighter, and you've over come bigger things.
It's not over yet.
Chloe

Following your dreams

Hi there,
Just a short quick post today.
Today I want to talk to you about following your dreams.
I'm not a life coach, I can't tell you what you want to do in life or where you want to go.
Perhaps you've got a spark, just one, little spark that ignites your soul.
Perhaps you're thinking it's too late to do something.
Robbie Williams had a song come out in 2011 called ''sing when you're winning.''
And sometimes it's hard to actually see that you're winning, because it might seem like you're not.
It might be that all the fun has gone out of something you once had.
Sometimes you need to take a step back, to analise whats happening, and seek help.
Easy to say, hard to do.
I know that, I know that I know that.
I got told once to stop smiling, at my job, it was like being in hell, it was stiffling hot, people walked off their jobs, people didn't come back, if they came back, all the creativity left them.
It was like being under an iron hand.
Life shouldn't be like that, and it should never be like that, no one should wake up gasping like a fish out of water, thinking about hating their work.
Work is a blessing of God, and if you're in the right work, people are teachable.
People are understanding, people like having you there.
It is important to see the long term goal, and it's important not to let the iron hand rule hard down upon you.
You know that you're there for a reason, and you have what it takes, not go out like the prodigal son, going out for second when he could have had it 1st.
We all have to go through mud at times, and it is messy and hard, but keep on at the task at hand.
Keep plodding, like a horse ploughing up the felid, it will get done evenutally.
If you're a bully at your work, take time out and take it all in.
Chances are you probably weren't like that until the wheels fell off.
Take in what people are saying, and ask for forgiveness, take a few leads from other people, showing weakness is all about making a stronger team.
You don't always have to have it all together.
If you're just holding it onto yourself, who's benifiting from that?
Yourself no one else.
Well that's all that I have to say.
I've got to go to work now.
Chloe

Hello there,
Well it's another day.
Another day, in Dunedin, when I think there's snow in central Otago.
Good for my brother who's coming over from Melbourne to snow board.
What can I share with you today?
Well yesterday I shared with you about friends, and always be on the look out for the outsiders.
Today I want to talk to you about finishing a job you've started.
Because we are all taught to finish well, and not to pike out when things get hard.
Imagine if the Queen just woke up today, turned  Phillip, and just said, ''today dear I can't be bothered keeping all these public meetings i think I'll just stay home and not show up.''
Of course she wouldn't do that, she would always go and show apprication on what she's been shown.
We shouldn't just leave things to other people, to clean up.
If we just do a half done job, it's better not to do it at all, because you haven't put your heart in it.
It would be easyier just to do the job properly.
You might have an off day, but don't let that one bad day go into habit.
Money doesn't grow on trees, but gradually if you save up, it builds on things, and you can get the things you want.
It might not be a first home, it might just be going towards that holiday, or something like that.
Don't despise small beginings.
Don't say that God isn't in it.
He's even in the smallist beginigs, right to making a baby.
He made Eve and Adam, out of dust, small particules of dust.
Don't give people the easy way out, show them what they can raise the bar.
The word of God is also a sword, and sometimes we read it, we need it to go off like a God bomb, inside of us, to get us thinking about how we can help others.
And not hiding it to ourselves, because lets face it.
What fun is that?
We don't have to be all enthusastic, or strange, we just need to do a job, well and good.
To raise the bar, and to stand up for ourselves.
Sometimes we have to have a talk about what life is like.
But you'll be suprised about how many people you are in contact, saying ''I was praying for you the other day, or you're name just popped into my head.''
It might be just a simple email just to encourage people to keep walking towards the light.
Even if you think that you're finished.
It's not over yet.
Chloe

Are you to tired for friends?

Hi there.
I hope that you're well, and keeping warm.
As winter creeps in, we like to hide indoors and just drink our lattes and read.
I do that.
I was on a walk around my area with my brother, and I was dressed in my best skirt, boots and jacket.
I thought we'd go to town have some lunch and have a nice time.
Instead, we walked through farm land, through poo, and walking on sand.
My brother is down from Auckland, and so he saw it as an adventure.
I saw it, as ''oh lets stop at new world and stock up on the latest chocolate cake, or chocolate bar and go and get a coffee while we're at it.''
I was already on our walk, thinking about what to have for lunch.
Oh often do we go through, life looking for the next new thing?
Or the next new goal to achieve.
We are always on the next new hunt.
It got me thinking about the people who are closest to me.
I actually had a thought the other day, on things I've learnt, and things I can actually leave behind.
I can try my best at my job, I can do what I need to do, not just do a half job, but be a team leader.
sometimes we need to get a new mind, sometimes we need to get away and just see how life really is.
If things aren't making you excited ask God for what else he's got in store for you.
This isn't just stabbing in the dark, we're not just waiting around for a second wind.
We are called to go out there, and change what we can.
If you like looking out for the lonely people go and have a cup of tea with them.
If you think you can raise the bar at your work, raise it.
If you're wondering if it's too late to do something, it's never to late.
Live like there's no tomorrow.
Make friends along the way.
Continue with the friends you've got, and look out for others.
Get a healthy out look on life, get plenty of sleep, good food, and exercise, both your body and your faith.
It will be painful at the start, but you're building up friendships that people are looking for.
People will come to you and say, '' you're the only one that offered me......''
So not just close up shop, don't just say another day. '' I'' do it''
Start today.
Don't be too tired to see your friends.
Chloe

simple pleasures

Yesterday, my brother and I went for a walk.
It was, great.
We went to lovers leap, and the chasm.
Knowing me I wasn't really dressed for the occasion, best skirt on, and black boots.
And a wind breaker jacket, I decided to leave my ''hello kitty'' umbrella inside the car.
It was blustery, windy and muddy, but so glad that we got out on a nice day and embraced the elements.
Sometimes we need to put our big undies on and face up to things and enjoy the simple pleasures of taking the time to go for a walk and just enjoy the things that we do.
A friend asked me last night, a very interesting question.
If time, money and wants weren't an issue what would you be doing with your life?
And I want to ask you that same question.
What are you wanting to do, right now on this Dunedin still day, that if time wasn't an issue, or money, or wants. what would you be doing?
Would you try harder at your, job?
Would you take time to listen to the people you had time for?
What would you do?
Have a good think about it, and make a goal today, to write down what you want to do, and stick it up somewhere where you can see it every day and make one move towards that.
Well that's all I have time for today.
I''ll be back tomorrow.
Chloe

You can do anything,

I don't know about you.
But sometimes, when we young, we got told we can do anything.
Do you remember that?
Sometimes we can be sour pusses, sometimes we can just close up shop, and say show's over.
If something is hard to face or struggle with, when we have people that understand, we can draw closer to God.
If we hang around the wrong crowd, or say the wrong things, we can turn people off very quickly.
Sometimes in life, we go through as if God is a chef and has a special board, and we order from him. when it comes, we look at him as if to say this isn't what I ordered.
It might not be what we ordered, it might be the complete opposite, we need to trust him.
Now this isn't to beat you up, or slap on ''all you need is love or God.''
Sometimes we are too quick to write off someone who has a special talent.
If it's not picked up quickly that desire dies.
We can't afford to do anymore waiting, what ever you're doing today, perhaps you're waiting, for that 2nd wind, or that new vision to come, perhaps you're feeling like you need to go into the mission field, just to be noticed by God.
We might not be the most popular person, but we might be if, we encourage the weak, looking out for those people who are cast, or don't have hope.
God didn't just come to save us, he came to set us free, from anything we've been carrying around.
If you're wondering, if God is enough, are you wondering what is out there for you?
Scared of the unknown?
it says in his word, '' you will trample over the snake and the lion.''
We need to pray for protection, we need him every hour.
With God you can do anything.
Chloe

15 minutes of inconvenience

Hi there.
Well after yesterdays post,
I went out and had a walk around the garden, i always do that, when I feel a bit blue.
Sometimes life has it's highs and lows, and sometimes you can take on too much.
I felt a bit like that yesterday.
 I am a person that finds it hard to leave things, I have to process it, and I have to do better.
It doesn't help that I'm in a new job, and I have to give myself a chance.
And that comes with trusting yourself you can do the job, no matter what others think of you.
I recently came across, something in my own life, that I have to leave behind.
And that fixing. people.
Not really fixing people, but I have to let them make their own way in the world.
It's not because I have 2 successful brothers, one in business banking looking after 600 clients.
And one in broadcasting and journalism,
And here I am, all wondering what on earth is going on in myself.
I don't like the unknown, I like having a plan, I need to set appointments, and I need to be early for them, I like goals.
So why am I typing this? on a wet dunedin day with wet hair?
Simply because i need to be real with myself.
I need to say as Dad, says ''Put your big grandma undies on and face it.''
I need to face a few things, because i am nearly 30, I am saving up for a new volkswagen beetle. ( yes it did win the ladies car of the year.) I don't have a boyfriend.
I'm perfecly happy with my lot in life.
There's a war between guilt and grace, but Grace wins everytime.
 When you're in that broken space, when things just don't go your way.
When you feel like you're falling short.
Give God 15 minutes of inconvenience and see what he does.
He will come through for you.
So perhaps you need to  just take hold of the promises of God.
Don't just keep poking in the dark, wishing that you were like others.
Because you don't know how many people you're blessing.
They might just be thinking the same about you.
And work is work, people aren't asking you to be superstars, they're not wanting you to be mary Poppins.
If you're struggling with just life.
Put on some big girls undies, and be bold, be with people that don't see your way.
It doesn't mean to be a door mat, it doens't mean that you've got a weakness.
If you see a problem you have to be bold and point it out.
So you can do anything, because God has equiped you to do his work.
you don't have to stay there, but just for the time, until something else comes up.
See it as a stepping stone, to something that you really want to do.
God always, works to your best ability.
And he was the one to put that desire in your heart, and when it's there, it won't go away.
The thing is, not hold onto the wrong things and muse over them, learn to let go, don't take everything to heart, yes it can be easy, just to throw in the towel, sometimes people expect that.
But encourage your heart to beat again, encourage yourself to pick up that skill and do it, because God hasn't given that skill to any other person.
If you want to go overseas and work in orphanages, go and do it, you don't need a badge or quailifaction, to do his will.
The more you life for him the more you see that he has a plan, and that plan, might seem a bit flakey at the moment, it might seem that it's a mountain without a summit.
But God is there the key is to keep climbing, dispite the uncomfortableness.

Chloe

struggling to find peace?

Hi there,
How's it all going?
Are you finding it hard to stay in the fight?
Are you wondering if anything is going to change?
Have you slipped again?
My friend, if you are in that space and you're clutching to things that you can't give up.
And you just don't want to get up in the morning.
My friend, I feel for you, because you're probably fighting to find peace.
I'm not hear to say that everything is going to work out for the best.
I'm not going to put my spin on it, i'm not going to always check up on how you're getting on.
Because more often than not it doesn't help.
It can make maters worse, it can acutaly make you feel worse.
God doesn't expect us to, have it all together.
It's not about surrendering to him and doing his will, when everything around us might turn to custard, he understands.
When people pul the punches, and say things about us that are wrong, or your missing that good time, and now you're having not such a good time, or your missing the life you've once had.
God is there.
Other people, might want to get on your nerves, they might want to see you break, they might break your will.
My Dad always said if you're having a hard time think about someone who is going through a hard time. I really didn't want to hear that once. but it does help.
I think about all those people who have dissabilties, on the inside, not on the outside, and I wonder how they are getting on, I think about my friends who are different, and everyone thinking about them, they are normal people.
We can't always be perfect, we can't strive to fix the gaps in our own lives.
In my life I look back on the the times I've struggled to find peace, and it hasn't been that easy.
 There haven't been posts in my life, where I've seen God in person, but in the steady plod of daily life.
And if you're walking through the most hardest time of your life. perhaps you've discovered that you've got some test results, back from the doctor, perhaps you might get better, perhaps it's not the brightest outlook, perhaps you've been judged by your work, or how you might look.
Perhaps you haven't said the brightest of things but you've got, spirit, and you've got the will to fight and to find peace.
My friend if you're wondering if you're alone in the the world, and you're wondering why people judge you. They don't know the cost it has on your life, to get to where you are.
Don't look over your shoulder, wondering how you're getting on in their score books.
Just keep at the task at hand.
If God calls you to get the vunnerable off the streets, or go into the mission field, you know you can do it because you're God's calls you to act.
You can sing when you're winning, because you're on the winning team.
Chloe

Don't count the cost

Hi there.
How's things?
I've been away for 2 weeks, so I've been a bit amiss with things.
I've had a great time away, I've had a good break, and caught up with my family, which I haven't seen for the last 6 years so it was a nice time of catching up.
It was nice seeing my Nana in her 90th year, so it was nice just have time with her.
And driving her around in her 1986 Honda accord, it had character.
I had some really nice chats, and it encouraged me in the Lord.
I've come back with a good renewed mind, and spirit.
I did have one problem, in Wellington, because my Taxi got lost from the air port, to my friends flat.
 I kept watching his money monitor in the taxi, and being half Scottish I was thinking of the cost.
Then God came to me in that Taxi, with something, very crucial.
He asked me what my cost was to follow him.
Was I buying the blessings, and putting the amount of what I think he was worth  in the offering bag?
I was.
And I have to say, that sometimes, we go through life, when we don't have much money, then boom, we have a good job, and we have worked for it, when he asks of ourselves, we back away.
Why?
Because of the cost.
And it's so easy, isn't to bless others who are good to us, or who like us?
But how about the other side?
What happens if we find it hard to be kind to people who we can't ''fix''
God hasn't put us on earth to Fix people, or to wave a magic wand over them and make them all better, to turn a blind eye, to talk them up so that they feel better, that they can take on the world.
If we are doing this, we are tricking and lying to ourselves.
We lie every 10 minutes, hard to believe at times isn't?
And we lie out of fear, because we want to be rescued, by us or other people.
And it's so easy to lie.
Sometimes we need to see the truth for what it is, sometimes we need to get it out so that we can see clearly.
But it takes time to see it, it's not going to happen over night, we can be dictated by a feeling, because that person wants to control us, or to give us gold stars, just because we earn them.
We don't earn anything from  God, that's what is so amazing, about Grace.
Conflict, no one really wants it or enjoys it.
You know exactly, what's happened if you walk into a room where someone has argued.
It's not a room filled with joy.
God is there when it hurts, when quite frankly you've been so hurt in your life you don't even know if you can stand let alone walk, or enjoy things you've once enjoyed.
God isn't a one Hit wonder, he's not  a fleeting vapor.
When he talks to you, don't think about the cost,  do it because he knows that the cost is worth it.
When you cry out to God, with all you have, you get the most amazing clarity.
You're not controlled by a certain feeling, or oppression.
You're not under that law.
When you give out of God, you give unto him, he sees what you have done.
Those with the money should put it to where it should get used, other people abuse that, the people with the money has the power or the hindrance  of blessing.
God doesn't like corruption, he doesn't like it when people hold money back for their own uses.
Ananias and Sapphira's, is a good example of that.
So if you're an organization that says to people that every cent goes to that mission make sure that it does.
Because you are robbing people, and deceiving them and yourselves.
Don't hold things back that hinder God.
Do what is right, in God's sight, stick to your principles, stick in there, don't just drown in the storm, rise above it.
There's people out there to help you if you're feeling that oppressive nature, or holding funds back from people who need them.
They have faith in you, and miss-trust is worse than  death,  don't betray goodness.
Thank God for every good thing because it is good in his sight.
If you want to grow in Christ, don't count the cost.
love people when it seems like it's impossible.
Don't just sit in the pews, thinking about what God's plan is for your life.
Don't settle for 2nd best, be the 1st be the best.
That's all I have for you today.
Chloe

Thoughts.

Hi there.
How's things?
I hope that your'e having a nice day.
It's really wet here, I was awake this morning, and we had more heavy rain.
We haven't had sunshine for a week, and I was telling God all about it.
Our wheelbarrow at the door is completly full of water.
And sometimes life is like that isn't?
You feel like you're treading water, and you're up to your neck.
Winter can bring rain, and storms, and we get a bit sad with all the water.
But water is vital for us, it makes things grow, and it makes us drink pure clean water, so that we can live.
All that we need to do, is go to the tap and turn it on, and out comes pure cold water.
I can't help think about how much more God loves us, and provides us with every need.
Sometimes we feel a bit useless, when it comes to helping others.
What can we do to make things better for that single mother, with 4 children trying to live?
Or that person who has a one in a million sickness, that no one has heard about it.
So how do we help these people?
Are the problems that we are facing so big we just want to run and hide?
Are things really getting out of hand?
We might have a great laugh,and we might laugh for the days to come, but inside we have crushing pain.
Does Jesus want us to be like that?
Sometimes we might be wearing this mask so long, that it takes along time for us to see that it was acutally apart of us.
Loving friends stand with us right to the end.
So how do we cope with this?
If we are wearing a mask that other know we're wearing but we are blind and can't see it.
Well we cover it up even more.
Sometimes we need to cover things up, like spring bulbs in the damp, dank soil, in order to suck up all the goodness of the soil so that they can put on the most amazing, display in the spring.
The bulbs are hidden in the soil to get the food that they need to grow.
We need to hidden the soul of God, so that we can bring the joy, the hope and peace of God to the people we meet.
If you're waiting around for a day to come, so that you can grow in God, or that dream that is God inspired,  and you don't want it to go stale, talk to someone who will make that dream of yours grow wings and fly.
So don't shake your head,and say oh well that worked.
Rather, say to God, ''Lord whatever is in my hands, and what ever is your hands, lead me on.''
Chloe

smoke alarms

Hi there.
How's everything going?
I hope that you're having a nice day, whatever you've been up to.
Last night, I couldn't sleep, not only have I got cooking trial at the latest hotel today.
The jolly smoke alarm went off, not the beep that happens when you burn your toast.
But that cold weather, beep, flat battery beep, the beep that you don't know what one it is beep because you have 8 upstairs, and it could be one of them.
It got me thinking about something.
And that is ignoring the person, or thing.
You see if we just ignore the beep, and try to go back to bed the next beep would go off, and we simply can't ignore the smoke alarm.
If someone asks for help, we have to help them out.
And like wise if we need help someone will come.
We have forgotten this in life, we're simply to busy, juggling all different things, and all matter of things, we try not to get to involved because it might be emotionally draining.
We are on this earth so that we can be light, not the light of the party, but the light and help, that person needs.
We have a crisis in Dunedin, and that is, that to many at risk people, can't afford a place to sleep, so they sell themselves to prostitution.
That is sad, first of all they are at risk, anyone, can be at risk, but we have such a bed shortage that these people feel forced to sell themselves.
What's happened to the safe houses we used to have for these people?
After all there, used to be a lot, and it's happening more and more, that people can't live in the places they used to life.
We go to church, we sing to God, we do all these things, and we wear the Christian badge, but we have a much needed more need in our city, for people crying out for a place to sleep, and if they are wanting a place to sleep what else is there lying under the surface?
If we just put as side our own wants and needs, and to ask God to open our lives, to ask what has society done, to these people.
It's time to stop ignoring the smoke alarms and do something about the beep.
It might just be working with the council so that we can get these people off the streets, working with the government, so that prostitution will stop.
And for one be the light of the world, in this incredibly dark place.
Chloe

Have you lost your marbles?

Hi there.
Recently I've been thinking about life.
I think a lot about life.
In fact when someone, rang me up, i was just about to enlist my skills in the army as a chef.
Isn't it funny how your life thinks like that?
All of sudden you're wondering where your life is going, and so you want something bigger, and more exciting.
I just love it.
The thing with me is, that I get a bit like a house bound border collie.
If you know what that is like, think of an intelligent dog, that is bored.
It has to think of something to do.
And us humans don't like being patient, so we try to jump God's plans for our lives.
And this was me, it wasn't a test, I just wanted to be up and go.
And it's such the case, when we're looking at what God has for our lives.
We are impatient just because everything else is sparkling, and seems greener on the other side.
I'm nearing 30, and i am wondering if I have completely lost my marbles, is there anyone out there to, hear my prayer as Abba sings in one of their songs.
We often look for heroes, we often look for quick fixes, the Fear Of Missing Out syndrome hits us.
We have to have it now, we have to get that dress for the formal now, we have to find that other half right now, there might not be anyone left, I need to get engaged now, I have to be on my best behaviour now, it has to simply be like that.
You might think.
Well sometimes, what happens if that dissolves?
Are we the same person today as we were Yesterday?
Do we have to be tough dog all the time?
Well at the moment it might sound like I've lost my marbles, and maybe i have, but I know the more I wait, the better the outcome.
God knows, the best path for me to take, and it's in his care, because he works for the very best.
It might seem greener on the other side, but often it's not.
It's just that we have grown accustomed to the Fear of Missing out.
And that is what happens.
Well that's all I have for now.
Chloe

Is it a test?

Hi there.
how's your morning going?
I hope that it's going well.
At church yesterday, it was encouraging to hear about the interserve president, talking about is everything worth while?
He spoke from the bible passage, about Cornelius, and Peter.
It comes from 1st Acts chapter 10.

It's a small piece of the bible,  it doesn't take long to read it.
If you're on your own, or need encouragement, you need to read this.
Because we can learn a lot from this passage.
Cornelius wasn't a Jew, he was from the Italian  regiment, and he believe that he was on this earth for a mission.
He prayed,  to God regularly, and he helped people in need.
The more he prayed he he heard where he should be.
He didn't pray out of guilt, he didn't give out of guilt, he did everything to the Lord.
He sent gifts to the people who believed in God.
He held nothing back, and when he had this vision he didn't doubt that it was God.
Sometimes we can live our lives through, church, we can lean on other prayers, we can think that we can tithe in appreciation of God coming through for us.
I've done it and thought it.
When God calls you, he knows that he has equipped you for the work he's told you do.
And when you're on that course, of work there's nothing else for you, but to be in the flow of that power of God  to carry out the work.
You don't need to keep up with the Jones, or the people next door, or even in the pew in church.
We aren't up against things that causes us to clash, because in Christ there is no fighting, there's nothing stopping me and you coming to God, if you're at rock bottom.
Cornelius knew this, he wondered if he believed in God and he wondered if his good works were received by God and to Peter.
We can all do good works but Cornelius prayed and he knew by God's vision was correct.
God never discourages us by putting things on the back burner.
Jesus broke the mould, and his disciples were never the same when they were with him.
You might think you've missed that first time calling on your life.
You might have friends engaged, you might think that God isn't on your case, that no one is, that promises are broken, and people fail.
Yes, raises us up, for us to walk on stormy seas, and we are strong when we are on God's shoulders.
And on those shoulders is the cross, splatted with blood, he took up your cause, he is fighting for you, if you've lost hope.
Keep praying, Cornelius did, and he did it regularly and he loved God, the more he  knew him the more things he told God the thing he came through.
Peter came to him and the Jewish church, discouraged him because Cornelius wasn't a Jew.
If you're struggling in the fight, believe that others have that, and good friends know, and pray for you and believe and will carry you in their mind, and pray for the outcome.
God blesses that broken road that you're on.
Chloe

Are you a goose or Gull?

I was really annoyed with myself last night.
It wasn't going away, and I was so frustrated that others were succeeding.
And. it all started with being insecure, in what I thought was everything.
I was sulking, and was just thinking about my friends success.
God tells us in his word that he's there, and in Lamentations, 3:25 says.
"The Lord, is good for those whose hope is in him to the one who seeks him.''
Lamentations, is a book about lamenting, about how life really is like for the Israelites.
Seeking God, is laying down all the walls that we've built.
Personally, it's laying down the walls of my pride, of all the things I've kept tabs on.
All the things about work, and why it's not coming to me.
However, we can get all caught up about success that sometimes we miss the point.
I was angry, because my Dad said last night, ''well just enjoy, having nothing to do.''
Bless him, I wasn't I already made up my mind not to enjoy my time, I was born to fight, to get the most out of everything.
And I'm going to get it.
So I went to bed, angry, frustrated, and annoyed that God hadn't come though for me yesterday.
Then i heard on the radio Chuck Swindol. who spoke about sea gulls, and geese.
He spoke about a story, that goes like this.
 It's for those people who seem like they're flying alone.
His friend was in a car, watching sea gulls, as he was watching, one sea gull was above his car, swooping up and down with the wind, and his friend thought.
''Wow, how great is that, that gull is flying alone with out a care in the world.'' then the gull swooped down, onto his mates that had a piece of meat, all off sudden that gull pecked and pecked until that gull had died, and the gull that was flying alone had the meat, then the other gulls came along trying to it it off him.
Then he saw a flock of geese flying.
They were flying in formation, that scientists, have done some research on them.
In flying in formation, they fly for longer periods, and go the distance, they all have turns flying in front, it one goes down, for a rest on the ground, 3-4 geese fly down, to cheer it on, and have a break.
Even their hooking scientists think that by their communication, it spurs them on, to where they are going.
Each flock of geese, have short frequent breaks.
Do you see it my friends?
The gulls don't really care, they are just after a quick fix.
The geese on the other hand see the long distance plan.
If you want to fly by yourself, and want to be free to do your own thing,  try it, but you won't get very far.
I'm not saying you have to be under the iron rod of God, or under some sort of revolution rule.
You need to seek him, and by seeking him you have to go into Lamenting stage, when you come out of that, you'll see how good God is.
Even if you think you're flying alone or think you're free God is there with you.
God never comes in by force, he never jams anything down your throat.
He does want people to be productive where, he wants people to work in.
If you've got work, good, work with all your heart.
If you're waiting, keep waiting, good things come to those who wait, and are pure, in heart.
If you're coming out of your cocoon, this is exciting, because God knows your ready for the next thing.
My advice, is enjoy what you're doing, enjoy your time.
And fly like a goose, looking out for the weaker ones in your flock, not like the sea gull that keeps peeking, at things just for short term fixes.
Chloe

It's not complicated and you don't have to be fully trained.

Hi there.
Last night I went out to a church meeting.
And the person who spoke spoke about God's will.
I know alot of people are worried about what tomorrow brings, because we are humans.
Do we have enough money to pay the bills, to give to churches.
When it comes to ministry, a lot of panic, because it seems rather complicated, and we have to do courses in being fully trained, to go out and do God's will.
We think we have to join some sort of church to be part of, when we find that box, we tick it off.
When we find a small group, we tick that one off.
And when we go to a particular seminar, we tick that off.
When we sing in the worship team we tick that off, or volunteer in some other way.
A lot of it can be religion.
We are supposed to be in the world but not of it.
When we put away or put aside our religions ideas and get to where and who God is, by laying aside our wants and ambitions.
God doesn't call in huge big voices, he doesn't go around with visible signs for us to look at, he doesn't google answers, or earth to know where he's going, he made the earth and everything in it.
We put so much time and effort into courses, and being productive with our time.
i'm not against what you're studying, God calls us to be productive in what he's given you to do, and it's very good.
Perhaps God has given you something to do, and you feel like you've got to make it complicated, or you have to be fully trained, the thing about what God calls you do, is.
That he takes on people who aren't fully trained, who don't often have the PHD or the Dr's, ahead of their name.
When Jesus called Peter out of the boat, he called him because he knew the next conversation, that he was going to have with him.
It was an easy thing to hear, feed his sheep, but how hard was the to do?
Ver hard, it costed Peters life, and his eyes, because they pulled them out.
The call of God on your life is amazing, it's like a magnetic force once you have it, it's there for life.
Alot of us, make things complicated,  and how often do we make things make it complicated so that we have power over a circumstances, or people who are weaker than us, to make ourselves better?
I've done it, but it's false and it's pride.
And it's not where God wants us to be.
God is with us, for things, that don't make sense, but it does.
My encouragement to you, is to keep going, you don't have to be fully trained to do what God has called you do to.
Why don't take time out, and sit back drink in God's word, and asking him where you need to be.
And go with God.
Chloe

It's the little drips

Hi there.
It's another day again, and I hope that you're having a nice day.
I want to, talk to you about the little drips.
We've just had part of our roof fixed after having a leak.
and it got me thinking about our own lives.
Do we have leaks that we haven't fixed.
And I found this story online, about a mother who adopted this terminally ill girl, she had cerebral palsy, just like me, she couldn't talk, walk or eat without assistance.
And this mother murder her daughter who was the same age as me, 28 years old.
My heart went out to both people, because the mother had cancer, but didn't want to have her daughter live in an American, institution.
But she gave her daughter a cocktail  of drugs, that both of them took, the daughter died, but not the mother.
And this made me cry so much i went to bed early and cried myself to sleep.

It got me thinking, about, life down here, what do we do with people who are literally at the end of their rope.
Now in New Zealand, we have the government to help us, but not over there.
How often does this happen?
We might not have the same thing as that American mother, but we have children dying, because of child abuse.
What is the cause of this?
We often feel helpless, or uncaring or thinking that the call of God is simply too large for us to do.
But what happens if we just break it down little by little?
Look at that question mark ??? it means what.
What has God given you?
It might be the networking of friends, it might be a cooking ability, it might be the church, it might just mean you have enough money to do the thing you want to do.
Putting it off, will only  make it go stagnant.
So my question is, what do you have that others are wanting?
How can we work together, as a team so that we can get the most out of life?
That is my question to you.
Take care and God bless.
Chloe

Do you have time?

Today I want to talk to you about hope, and time.

Because I am aware of my own time, and my own hope.

Now, sometimes, we put hope in a lot of things.

I remember cleaning up my draws and  some times I come across some old letters from friends.

And it got me thinking, about hope, because these cards, were of encouragement, of happy birthdays, of things that cheered me on.
And it got me thinking about hope, because in some of these cards, I used to write, ''I hope that you like your present.'' looking back now i was childish. but it was a feeling, that I didn't want people to be disapointed with what was given to them.

My brother has me on sometimes that, my invites, out to coffee and other things, is really for me, which it's not, but sometimes I get lonely.

I can't go to the movies by myself, because well it's not much fun afterwards, because you can't go out for coffee afterwards and talk about the movie, or after church and talk about the sermon.
 If I start that, I might have a few queer looks, and rightly so.

So today I want to talk to you about time.

Do you think about spending your time wisely?
I have a lot of time now, that my job is seasonal, so I'm not working during the week, only the occasional weekend.
So, I am not spending my time very wisely, at the moment, because I am just helping others,  and feeling not really fulfilling my time wisely.
So what or where do I get my inspiration?
The gardeners at work, why?
They are always planning a new new bit of garden, or wedding or potting up next plants to plant out in spring.
Sometimes we get stagnant, in our work, especaily in winter, we want summer or spring back so that we feel happy or fulfilled.
But now, with time and hope on my hands, what or where am I going to go?
I want to plan things, I've got all this time on my hands, and I am not really spending it wisely.
So perhaps I need to be like the gardners, planning and potting up ideas, and using them.
Not putting them in the draw in the back of my mind for those 'hope'' days.
If it's time to act on them, act of it, if it's getting in touch with an old friend, do that.
Spend your time wisely, like there's no tomorrow.
How can I challange myself?
Help on person out during the day, it might be my parents, it might be a friend, it might be some stranger, do something to someone every day this week.
When winter comes around, and everything seems dark, drab and grey.
Remember up at in the clouds, far beyond the clouds, the sun is shining, and it will come out again.
Winter won't drag on, you won't be without a job, or seasonal job, or even if you're down to the last dollar, or whatever you have.
God will provide for you, even in your needyest of need.
Even if you think it can't go on, or what ever you need from God today.
Spend you time wisely, like it borrowed.

Chloe

lessons we can learn from Elisha.

I thought it was high time we had a bit of bible study.

The book of 2nd Kings sees a lot of rising and falling of different kingdoms.

There are a lot of women in this bible,  and this is important, because I believe in this part of the bible, nothing is over looked.

From what seems small beginnings,  God multiplied it.

These woman didn't just brush over things that Elijah, told them because they knew it was coming from God.

Moab rebelled and went back to their old ways, the Lord judgment comes to Ahaziah.
Ahaziah, fell through a window, and he asked his prophets to go and inquire of what happened.

However God knew what happened, and he came to Elijah, it's because there's no God in Israel.

I'm wondering if you saw the two ways, one person wanted to get mans advise and answers from evil.
God went straight to Elijah, and told him.

The thing that I find most interesting, is the king knew Elijah, and sent his men up.

Elijah, looked out and called down fire from heaven, to destroy them, because they wanted to capture him.
But God destroyed them,  sometimes it takes a little while to see what God was really doing.

Do I believe that fire comes down from Heaven, to destroy things?
Sometimes we forget the Awesome power of God, that he can do somethings that are amazing.
Sometimes we hear that God is Meek and mild, but he has authority to do more powerful things.
Elisha and Elijah, are walking along the way,  and Elijah, said to his friend, God has called me to Jericho. He said this 3 times, but Elisha was smart and said, "no, I'll go with you."
Elisha, doesn't settle for second best, he has a high standard, he doesn't walk away, and think ''Well that's that God.''  I tried that.

God doesn't look at our failings, he looks at our successes.


When Elijah went, he imparted 3 things onto Elisha.

1. Belief in God, with out taking God at his word and work, and with out Elisha, believing and going on what was beyond him, Elisha never gave up.

2. Learning not to give up or let go, until it was time to.
Sometimes our problem is that we give up just before we get our break through, sometimes we need to be careful how we hear God's voice and how we go about it.
Not shying away from what he's called us to do, but going to make the change in our lives.

3. Taking things on board and using them.

You might have a few, ''I should be doing that, but oh it can wait for another day.'' Elisha, looked around and used what Elisha prayed for him, and having that triple blessing implanted from Elisha, onto him, he didn't sulk or pull away, he used it to God advantage.

I've learnt a lot about how to take advice, and a lot of it isn't always from one person.
It's from several different people.

Look at surfers at a beach, look at where they are positioned.

The tides, where the waves break, they position themselves to catch the best wave possible.

Some move closer to the wind, some move closer to the shore, some just wait on their boards, and look at the waves coming, they might not catch every wave, the are in tune with the sea, and tides.

Sometimes we need to just wait on God, like a surfer waiting on their boards.
Sometimes we need to position ourselves to where God wants us to be, so that we can catch that wave.
And sometimes we need to go further out, so that we can catch the waves.
Elisha was like that, he was patient, he was learning from Elijah, and when Elijah, went Elisha was already trained up in everything that he was going to do.

Have a think  about what you're doing?
Are you effective in your work?
Do you have all these ''should be doing that'' moments but have no idea who to talk to.
Are you afraid of going out in the water, and ''surfiing '' God's given desire for your life?
Don't hide or put them away in the back of your mind, they will never be achieved.
Put them at the front of your mind, look out for different ways, on how to be a leader, you might not get a badge, but it starts with caring.
If you care about others, about that disappointment about that friend that didn't get the job, you're a born leader.
You already have the board, go out there and catch the waves of God, but don't just use it for your, own good, God made us to go out and share what ever your good at.
Chloe