Hi there.
It's been another week, and hasn't it gone fast!!
And we had ANZAC day to shorten the week.
It might seem like I'm going around in circles today, and perhaps the blog posts seem a tad boring or same old same old.
However, and winter is coming on, and we might just feel a bit lacking in the inspiration department.
No matter how much we go to Church or read our bibles, no matter who we are listening to, we can become a bit dry.
And that's not a bad thing, it's in those moments that when we tell the truth we are free.
I pointed out in a previous post, that being a Child of God doesn't mean to go and do what we want, it doesn't mean to wrong other people just because of our ego, it doesn't mean we're above or below them when we help out our enemies.
And it's hard, because we can get caught up in ''punishing'' people just on how we treat them, but with God he says to turn the other cheek.
What happens if you hear insult after insult, to your face, what happens if enough is enough, and they don't see the pain, what if it's all a plan for them to help you survive in your work place.
They might try every trick under the sun, you might be worn down, by it, you might get to the final place that enough is enough, but you have come through more adverse times.
And it's in those times that other people see how you are treated, and other people see the truth.
The are more likely to believe in you than the other person who is nasty to you.
So how has the problem?
You can go home and forget about it, you can have friends that care and encourage you, but what if the other person has made such a trap for themselves that they can't get free?
Who's trapped?
This brings me to the post heading, because I want to encourage you, that no matter how much people want to manipulate you, or bend you, no matter if you're totally tired that you're vomiting in the toilet, it is important to keep on course.
Don't turn aside and join them, in conversations, always point out the truth, don't agree with gossip, and if you can't trust the person, you can always be trusted.
God is the author of relationships, you might, have heard the saying ''nothing said nothing gained'' but when it comes to real relationships, you can count on God that it is the right one to be in.
And you're not getting excited and you're not leading anyone down the wrong path.
So it's important to give God permission to be in control of your life, the more you listen to him the more he will rescue you out of things that are going to be harmful.
Peer pressure can also come under that, if you just look at the Bachelor program that is on TV at the moment, it's all about peer pressure.
Peer pressure to get or do the right thing, to say the right things at the right time it's not real and it's the complete opposite of things, that God wants for us.
How many times have I not listened to God, or to my parents, because at the moment I get told I'm free, I'm 28 years old, time to leave home to fly and to do the things I want to do.
How many times my parents have come, to my rescue, and to look out for me, when things have been risky.
When other people might have seen it, i haven't.
It might, seem like we're grasping at straws or won't make it.
But we will.
Because we have the spirit of God in us.
God is with us and not against us.
And when we listen to him nothing can go wrong.
It's when we think we're right that we go out with ''his blessing'' and we find out that it's not.
That's why we need to share these things openly and honestly, with good Christian friends to pray into areas that aren't easy to pray for, areas that in our own life are no go areas.
We can't come to God on our own faith, not even our parents and that's what I've learnt.
God calls us to do amazing things, when you get that every day talk and direction from God, not just on Sundays, that when we are listening to God, not to people.
Chloe
Saturday, April 30, 2016
Sunday, April 24, 2016
You are a child of God.
Hi there.
Today I want to talk to you about being a child of God.
Now when we were children, we were always taught that we are a child of God.
So what does it mean to be a child of God?
Does it mean we can do anything we want, and still be under God's plan?
Does it mean that we can have everything we want?
What happens if we're just waiting for the right thing to come up?
What happens if you or you know of someone that struggles with being called a child of God?
When perhaps we haven't had the best parents in the world or even loved by our parents.
These are tough questions, that many people struggle with.
Even if you have the best family in the world, you will struggle with being a child of God.
In the recent Word for today, Bob Gass said that calling isn't a job description, it goes well beyond that.
We are here on this earth to care for others, to show God's love, in ways means authenticates.
God isn't an award chart God, you don't have to earn gold stars to be noticed.
God is always noticing, even if it's the most mundane job, he notices even if you give a cup of water to someone. You don't have to be a super star to be a child of God.
It doesn't matter what church you attend, or where you are in your walk, all you need to know is that God is happy with you.
God is not abusive, nor is he punishing, nor does he force his way into things that you don't want to go, he always works out your life so you get the most out of it.
It might feel like a a replacement theorogly, or happy clappy gospel.
As children we might look back on how we are raised, and we might have made some wrong descions, or had some unthinkable things done to us as kids, so by the time we commit to God, we might think that he makes things better ,or we might be afraid of him, because we have the every asking question of ''why'' always hanging over our heads.
Why God am I always lonenly, why is every day a battle, or why am I secretly suffering, with depression, when no really knows what it's like.
Why am i having these dark thoughts about death?
Yes, these are questions that I'm wanting to, you might be wondering if I'm a child of God why?
If I'm a Christian why do we struggle with the concept of being a child of God.
A closed door might seem like the end, but with God one door opens, it might be that you need to go back to the past, and get help, it might be that you, have come to the idea that you can't stay where you are, you have to make a move.
God doesn't leave you dangling, it might be that others have given up on you, it might be that others help haven't helped, it might just be that, you just need a friend and have a simple good time.
No conditions, no planned agenda, you don't need to be ready for God.
You don't need to be a scout to be prepared, it might be that something has happend out of the blue, and you haven't been prepared.
God knows, and God cares, when it seems like nothing really happening.
Let me tell you 2 short stories that won't be long.
The things I'm going through at the moment, is, i'm cleaning out my room.
I've collected all the things I've done as a child, even right down to the awards of primary school, right through to being a teen, and preparing, on moving away from home for the first time next year.
I know what course I'll be doing, but I know know where I'm going to live or what church I'll go to, or even down to the friend I will make.
I am prepared, for my course, but I'm not prepared for the things outside of my course, and it takes faith, it takes faith to make a move.
Don't live a life always looking back over your shoulder, yes learn to forgive people who probably won't ask for forgiveness, and that's hard.
Learn to love people who are different, learn to seek God's voice in every day, in life.
Learn to pray in the spirit of God, and learn to do the most basic of things, because it will be a stepping stone, for bigger things to come.
Learn not to be a know it all, just as weather changes quickly, learn to be pliable in circumstances, not being a bath mat for people, but also having a voice, know when to say you don't like it, because you are helping that person.
If God says, sharpen that person with encouragement, do it, if it means doing house work for the person who has been busy, do it.
If it means getting in touch with that long lost friend, do it.
Do it because you are a child of God, and that will of God is in you, you might think you've lost the will to fight, you might think you are climbing that mountain, and you have to fight for the rest of the day, when you can't see past the next 3 minutes, you can because you have the will of Christ, and that will of him doesn't give up that easily.
You might be the thing that person on the street needs or that friend silently suffering, and when you have come through it, that person will come to you, and might say, '' you know that time, when everyone deserted me, you didn't.'' and is simply being a child of God.
Letting others come to you, because they know you are reliable, they know no matter what comes you way, you are unshaken.
And you will succeed because you have come through the small things so that when bigger things come your way, you they will seem like walking through puddles, not like drowning in problems.
That's all I have for now.
Chloe
Today I want to talk to you about being a child of God.
Now when we were children, we were always taught that we are a child of God.
So what does it mean to be a child of God?
Does it mean we can do anything we want, and still be under God's plan?
Does it mean that we can have everything we want?
What happens if we're just waiting for the right thing to come up?
What happens if you or you know of someone that struggles with being called a child of God?
When perhaps we haven't had the best parents in the world or even loved by our parents.
These are tough questions, that many people struggle with.
Even if you have the best family in the world, you will struggle with being a child of God.
In the recent Word for today, Bob Gass said that calling isn't a job description, it goes well beyond that.
We are here on this earth to care for others, to show God's love, in ways means authenticates.
God isn't an award chart God, you don't have to earn gold stars to be noticed.
God is always noticing, even if it's the most mundane job, he notices even if you give a cup of water to someone. You don't have to be a super star to be a child of God.
It doesn't matter what church you attend, or where you are in your walk, all you need to know is that God is happy with you.
God is not abusive, nor is he punishing, nor does he force his way into things that you don't want to go, he always works out your life so you get the most out of it.
It might feel like a a replacement theorogly, or happy clappy gospel.
As children we might look back on how we are raised, and we might have made some wrong descions, or had some unthinkable things done to us as kids, so by the time we commit to God, we might think that he makes things better ,or we might be afraid of him, because we have the every asking question of ''why'' always hanging over our heads.
Why God am I always lonenly, why is every day a battle, or why am I secretly suffering, with depression, when no really knows what it's like.
Why am i having these dark thoughts about death?
Yes, these are questions that I'm wanting to, you might be wondering if I'm a child of God why?
If I'm a Christian why do we struggle with the concept of being a child of God.
A closed door might seem like the end, but with God one door opens, it might be that you need to go back to the past, and get help, it might be that you, have come to the idea that you can't stay where you are, you have to make a move.
God doesn't leave you dangling, it might be that others have given up on you, it might be that others help haven't helped, it might just be that, you just need a friend and have a simple good time.
No conditions, no planned agenda, you don't need to be ready for God.
You don't need to be a scout to be prepared, it might be that something has happend out of the blue, and you haven't been prepared.
God knows, and God cares, when it seems like nothing really happening.
Let me tell you 2 short stories that won't be long.
The things I'm going through at the moment, is, i'm cleaning out my room.
I've collected all the things I've done as a child, even right down to the awards of primary school, right through to being a teen, and preparing, on moving away from home for the first time next year.
I know what course I'll be doing, but I know know where I'm going to live or what church I'll go to, or even down to the friend I will make.
I am prepared, for my course, but I'm not prepared for the things outside of my course, and it takes faith, it takes faith to make a move.
Don't live a life always looking back over your shoulder, yes learn to forgive people who probably won't ask for forgiveness, and that's hard.
Learn to love people who are different, learn to seek God's voice in every day, in life.
Learn to pray in the spirit of God, and learn to do the most basic of things, because it will be a stepping stone, for bigger things to come.
Learn not to be a know it all, just as weather changes quickly, learn to be pliable in circumstances, not being a bath mat for people, but also having a voice, know when to say you don't like it, because you are helping that person.
If God says, sharpen that person with encouragement, do it, if it means doing house work for the person who has been busy, do it.
If it means getting in touch with that long lost friend, do it.
Do it because you are a child of God, and that will of God is in you, you might think you've lost the will to fight, you might think you are climbing that mountain, and you have to fight for the rest of the day, when you can't see past the next 3 minutes, you can because you have the will of Christ, and that will of him doesn't give up that easily.
You might be the thing that person on the street needs or that friend silently suffering, and when you have come through it, that person will come to you, and might say, '' you know that time, when everyone deserted me, you didn't.'' and is simply being a child of God.
Letting others come to you, because they know you are reliable, they know no matter what comes you way, you are unshaken.
And you will succeed because you have come through the small things so that when bigger things come your way, you they will seem like walking through puddles, not like drowning in problems.
That's all I have for now.
Chloe
Thursday, April 7, 2016
Have you taken time out for yourself?
Hi there.
How's your day going?
I hope that you're having a nice day.
I was thinking today, about a lot of different things.
Mostly of relationships, and what happens when we stand up to wrong things.
I'm not out there to get at people, nor am i out there to agree with it.
I've had my own doubts and my own struggles, and I've come to the conclusion that God is the only one to rely on.
I'm going to come out with some very bold things, I've decided not to come with being on any one's sides. or being a victim of harassment.
God has given us voices, and I was thinking of David and his battle with King Saul. he was even related to the Saul, and yet Saul was bent on killing him.
Do we know why?
Simply because God departed and put an evil spirit in him.
Now, I'm going down that road, that everyone has a evil spirit in them, that's not my point at all.
When we don't care about God, we struggle why other people don't care about us.
No matter how much people want to influence us, we have to be careful of how we come across, in our manners, in our daily lives.
In the last week, I've really think I've grown up in this area.
I was praying on my day off, how I can be an influence by showing people what God looks like.
I look out for those people at work, who need God, or who need a bit of a smile in their day.
We are good like that in the kitchen, and it's a core of what we do, because if we don't care about our work, we don't care about the food we do.
And it comes out in how we present it.
Food is our friend not foe.
I was caring for our homesick worker, and I looking out for him, not in a romantic way, but i knew he was homesick, someone took that way too far, and started to harass us, to the point, where it was blown way out of proportion.
Now I'm not an egg shell person, I don't mind a bit of light teasing, but this went on for 3 weeks, and i put a stop to it last week, and the person that I was concerned about thanked me, because he too felt very bullied by this person.
It turned out that this person, has very low self esteem.
And I fear that other people didn't like it, because they just told him what they thought of him.
so it made him feel worse.
I decided to go down the honoring route, because if I just agreed with it, it wouldn't go away, it would just resurface.
It's important to take time out for yourself, because if we don't we can ruin our relationships, and what trust we have built over time, and the respect.
And if you care about yourself, you care about others, if you don't care about yourself, you slip into the ''woe is me'' type thinking and it's very hard to get out of that trap.
And I want to say here, that it's so important to get good friends around you to point out in tricky situations what to do in times that you've found yourself in.
Perhaps you want to agree with others, because that's easy, but if you actually point out what's wrong at the time, and say it wisely, not ''it's all your fault because'' that's just going to fuel the fire.
God is there, and he will give you the right words to say at the right time.
The reason why we struggle with respect, is because we don't really respect everyone, we disrespect things, we use people to gain our esteem, hoping that they won't know what's going on.
I knew what was going on, and I told them, that i knew, and man the whole kitchen stopped.
I'm not wanting an apology, I'm not really waiting for one either, some people just feel like that they can't say sorry, and that's fine. what I want is, to move forward, to learn from it, and to be a good chef, and shine God's word to come out of it.
If we are in that dark space, when we have flash backs of times that are dark, perhaps we haven't been brought up in a very encouraging place, that's OK, we can take it and learn from it.
It's when we come up with excuses why it won't work, why this oh it's this, oh my I'm tired, oh this is a pain, we go to God with it, and we hand it over to God.
Excuses can become our snuggle blanket, we go to it make our self feel safe.
The truth is hard to see, but it also sets us free, and we can be from from labels that people place on us, or things that we get told.
If we mess up, we can say sorry, and we can love that person, but being nice to that person, and aren't sorry, only makes that person wary, because the trust is broken.
So what happens now?
We've seen for ourselves what we're like, we know the things that aren't nice about it, we have flaws, when we see them for what they are, we take responsibility, we can take them we go to God with them, and we love them, then it starts to heal.
Suddenly, when you see that you're OK, and that you're not running to your safety blanket, you don't need it anymore.
You are a victor not a victim.
You've all ready triumphed over the biggest battle.
My encouragement for you today, is, what ever you find yourself in today, this week, this month, this year, even in the surprises, in the things that come at you as a shock.
God is with your in the storm, he is looking out for you, even if you're eyes aren't above the waves.
You will come out of it alive.
Chloe
How's your day going?
I hope that you're having a nice day.
I was thinking today, about a lot of different things.
Mostly of relationships, and what happens when we stand up to wrong things.
I'm not out there to get at people, nor am i out there to agree with it.
I've had my own doubts and my own struggles, and I've come to the conclusion that God is the only one to rely on.
I'm going to come out with some very bold things, I've decided not to come with being on any one's sides. or being a victim of harassment.
God has given us voices, and I was thinking of David and his battle with King Saul. he was even related to the Saul, and yet Saul was bent on killing him.
Do we know why?
Simply because God departed and put an evil spirit in him.
Now, I'm going down that road, that everyone has a evil spirit in them, that's not my point at all.
When we don't care about God, we struggle why other people don't care about us.
No matter how much people want to influence us, we have to be careful of how we come across, in our manners, in our daily lives.
In the last week, I've really think I've grown up in this area.
I was praying on my day off, how I can be an influence by showing people what God looks like.
I look out for those people at work, who need God, or who need a bit of a smile in their day.
We are good like that in the kitchen, and it's a core of what we do, because if we don't care about our work, we don't care about the food we do.
And it comes out in how we present it.
Food is our friend not foe.
I was caring for our homesick worker, and I looking out for him, not in a romantic way, but i knew he was homesick, someone took that way too far, and started to harass us, to the point, where it was blown way out of proportion.
Now I'm not an egg shell person, I don't mind a bit of light teasing, but this went on for 3 weeks, and i put a stop to it last week, and the person that I was concerned about thanked me, because he too felt very bullied by this person.
It turned out that this person, has very low self esteem.
And I fear that other people didn't like it, because they just told him what they thought of him.
so it made him feel worse.
I decided to go down the honoring route, because if I just agreed with it, it wouldn't go away, it would just resurface.
It's important to take time out for yourself, because if we don't we can ruin our relationships, and what trust we have built over time, and the respect.
And if you care about yourself, you care about others, if you don't care about yourself, you slip into the ''woe is me'' type thinking and it's very hard to get out of that trap.
And I want to say here, that it's so important to get good friends around you to point out in tricky situations what to do in times that you've found yourself in.
Perhaps you want to agree with others, because that's easy, but if you actually point out what's wrong at the time, and say it wisely, not ''it's all your fault because'' that's just going to fuel the fire.
God is there, and he will give you the right words to say at the right time.
The reason why we struggle with respect, is because we don't really respect everyone, we disrespect things, we use people to gain our esteem, hoping that they won't know what's going on.
I knew what was going on, and I told them, that i knew, and man the whole kitchen stopped.
I'm not wanting an apology, I'm not really waiting for one either, some people just feel like that they can't say sorry, and that's fine. what I want is, to move forward, to learn from it, and to be a good chef, and shine God's word to come out of it.
If we are in that dark space, when we have flash backs of times that are dark, perhaps we haven't been brought up in a very encouraging place, that's OK, we can take it and learn from it.
It's when we come up with excuses why it won't work, why this oh it's this, oh my I'm tired, oh this is a pain, we go to God with it, and we hand it over to God.
Excuses can become our snuggle blanket, we go to it make our self feel safe.
The truth is hard to see, but it also sets us free, and we can be from from labels that people place on us, or things that we get told.
If we mess up, we can say sorry, and we can love that person, but being nice to that person, and aren't sorry, only makes that person wary, because the trust is broken.
So what happens now?
We've seen for ourselves what we're like, we know the things that aren't nice about it, we have flaws, when we see them for what they are, we take responsibility, we can take them we go to God with them, and we love them, then it starts to heal.
Suddenly, when you see that you're OK, and that you're not running to your safety blanket, you don't need it anymore.
You are a victor not a victim.
You've all ready triumphed over the biggest battle.
My encouragement for you today, is, what ever you find yourself in today, this week, this month, this year, even in the surprises, in the things that come at you as a shock.
God is with your in the storm, he is looking out for you, even if you're eyes aren't above the waves.
You will come out of it alive.
Chloe
Sunday, April 3, 2016
Loving yourself
Hi there,
How's your week going?
This week, I want to talk to you about loving yourself.
There's a rise in today culture to take instant photos of yourself, and become instantly popular.
To do what others say, and to take it on board.
For those people out there, who when under peer pressure, do things, because.
A. you're a grown up now, it's time to do what you think you should be doing.
and
B. you don't need any other opinion, or any other person, you just need yourself.
You're wrong.
Both of this type of thinking is wrong.
Because, we never stop growing up, our brains don't fully develop until your in your late 20s.
The problem in today's culture, is that you get taught this, from school, from your parents, then from your friends.
It filters down, and then we make our own, values from what we've learns.
It's all important things, but we need to take care on who we listen to.
So how do we navigate our way through this ever wondering path?
We can't be boxed in, but we can't also let others dictate what we should do.
If we look to Christ, he in our perfecter of our lives, he also broke the religious rules of his time, he wasn't going to be dictated to, and he put up with no nonsense when his temple was made into a market place,
So how can we live like Christ, and yet love ourselves?
If you have been struggling and feel like you can't love yourself, and that you look around and everyone else is having fun, and yet you get warnings, or just get told that you can't do things.
It's hard to break the seal, of this, because it is ingrained in your mind, the risks and the dangers of things.
Loving ourselves, can be hard, if you haven't been loved by others, you come into the mentality, of ''everyone else is having a good time, but that good time isn't for me.''
You know, it says in the bible, that we shouldn't be jealous of wicked men, because their path leads down to things not good.
People may see you as weak, they may see you, as a project, or someone to work on.
You know that they can't change us, and the first thing to love is, seeing people the way they are, not wanting to influence them, or push them into things that they don't want to do.
Many people are full of talk, but when it comes down to being committed and actually carrying the task out, they find it impossible, because they haven't actually mastered the first task, they have told themselves and perhaps their co workers, that they can.
under the form of 'love'', but when they do it, they can't.
We need to be careful, that we are honest, with people, if we struggle with relationships, we should bring them up, or if we've been living in a bubble we should be open and honest about it.
I'm not going to say, that God knows all these things, what does love look like when it comes to ourselves?
It means being open and honest about our relationship with him, and ask questions, ask the hard stuff, ask why, when, how what?
When God puts a seed in your soul it doesn't like dormant for ages and dies, he plants it there knowing that it's your desire to do his will.
He doesn't come in by force, he doesn't preach, he doesn't get crucial, of our plans, he doesn't put a red light on them, saying that's a no go area.
My friend summed it up very nicely, he said, we often see God on how we see our parents, and if we see them as crictal, we put that into God, we see him as crictial, and when we miss trust, or are abused, we think that God will abuse us.
There are some lovely things, that come out of brokenness, think of Mosaics broken crockery, that can be made into beautiful things, stained glass windows, were made out of broken glass, to make amazing things in churches.
It's time to take some time out, to grieve over the things that we've longed to wish for, to say enough is enough if we're someones ''project'' to be set free and start to live like there's no tomorrow.
To stop being critical, of people, and of things, to turn it around and see it as something special.
Chloe
How's your week going?
This week, I want to talk to you about loving yourself.
There's a rise in today culture to take instant photos of yourself, and become instantly popular.
To do what others say, and to take it on board.
For those people out there, who when under peer pressure, do things, because.
A. you're a grown up now, it's time to do what you think you should be doing.
and
B. you don't need any other opinion, or any other person, you just need yourself.
You're wrong.
Both of this type of thinking is wrong.
Because, we never stop growing up, our brains don't fully develop until your in your late 20s.
The problem in today's culture, is that you get taught this, from school, from your parents, then from your friends.
It filters down, and then we make our own, values from what we've learns.
It's all important things, but we need to take care on who we listen to.
So how do we navigate our way through this ever wondering path?
We can't be boxed in, but we can't also let others dictate what we should do.
If we look to Christ, he in our perfecter of our lives, he also broke the religious rules of his time, he wasn't going to be dictated to, and he put up with no nonsense when his temple was made into a market place,
So how can we live like Christ, and yet love ourselves?
If you have been struggling and feel like you can't love yourself, and that you look around and everyone else is having fun, and yet you get warnings, or just get told that you can't do things.
It's hard to break the seal, of this, because it is ingrained in your mind, the risks and the dangers of things.
Loving ourselves, can be hard, if you haven't been loved by others, you come into the mentality, of ''everyone else is having a good time, but that good time isn't for me.''
You know, it says in the bible, that we shouldn't be jealous of wicked men, because their path leads down to things not good.
People may see you as weak, they may see you, as a project, or someone to work on.
You know that they can't change us, and the first thing to love is, seeing people the way they are, not wanting to influence them, or push them into things that they don't want to do.
Many people are full of talk, but when it comes down to being committed and actually carrying the task out, they find it impossible, because they haven't actually mastered the first task, they have told themselves and perhaps their co workers, that they can.
under the form of 'love'', but when they do it, they can't.
We need to be careful, that we are honest, with people, if we struggle with relationships, we should bring them up, or if we've been living in a bubble we should be open and honest about it.
I'm not going to say, that God knows all these things, what does love look like when it comes to ourselves?
It means being open and honest about our relationship with him, and ask questions, ask the hard stuff, ask why, when, how what?
When God puts a seed in your soul it doesn't like dormant for ages and dies, he plants it there knowing that it's your desire to do his will.
He doesn't come in by force, he doesn't preach, he doesn't get crucial, of our plans, he doesn't put a red light on them, saying that's a no go area.
My friend summed it up very nicely, he said, we often see God on how we see our parents, and if we see them as crictal, we put that into God, we see him as crictial, and when we miss trust, or are abused, we think that God will abuse us.
There are some lovely things, that come out of brokenness, think of Mosaics broken crockery, that can be made into beautiful things, stained glass windows, were made out of broken glass, to make amazing things in churches.
It's time to take some time out, to grieve over the things that we've longed to wish for, to say enough is enough if we're someones ''project'' to be set free and start to live like there's no tomorrow.
To stop being critical, of people, and of things, to turn it around and see it as something special.
Chloe
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