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