May thoughts.

Hello, my dear friends.
How are you?
I hope that you're having a nice thursday, nice to know that it's friday tomororw and that you have weekend.

I hope that you've got something nice planned for it.
Perhaps it's picking up something, that maybe you haven't done for a long time, or supporting a team at a sport, perhaps it's just getting the family together and just having those good talks.

Perhaps you're burning the mid night oil, morning oil, day time oil to get things such as assignmements done.

One thing I miss about tec is the study, you always feel so good after assignments are finished, completed, and you've done the best possible job, of them. I miss that.

I'm not studying at the moment, will be in July, I've made up my mind, not to stick around with too much time on my hands. because when you have heaps of spare time, in cold winter days with not a lot to do, all you want to think about is bed.

It's so easy isn't to think about yourself,  when you have heaps of time to kill.

It's not that it's a burden infact far from it, it's a blessing, you can do whatever you'd like to do.

infact winter is a good time to take stock, to see what is out there for the next year.

I was talking to my friend at work, recently, a very bright happy person, who makes me coffee, in a large cup.
 and I asked him what were his goals, cause at the time I didn't really have any.

and this young chap, said he'd like to get back into ecomonics,  and one day I hope that he will, as he has some really great business ideas for work.

He has put them on hold at the moment, because of an accident, which was no fault of his own, and at the moment he can't study for too long, or else he gets sick, because it's to much infomation to take in.

That got me thinking, not only as writer,  but as a christian, we are constantly under watch of others, in extremely divereve things, when the heat is really right up in your face, when the battle is really on, not like fighting with Lego pieces, but when you're in the middle of it all.

How do you respond, when stuff hits the fan?

Are you constantly trying to add up to measrue up to others around you?

or are you trying to go it alone?

Where do you get your strength from?

Self  belief?

Or self denial?

Time poor?

Or time conscience?

How we go about these things do matter to God, he's not up there in those  '' just incase we need them situations.''

he's there allt he time, when we need him, when we need strength, when we just need to know someone cares.

 and make friends that do care, you can be the most confident person, in the world and still be lonely.

In this searching mode, that I find myself in, I find that I can't be complacient, I can't just let life stop, it is always changing I have to change with it.

Set goals for yourself, durring the day, week, year,  that you want to do, you might not get through all of them, but you'll find a complete satisfaction in doing so.

ones that are for yourself, others for other people, you might even find yourself doing something so different for not any particular reason.

 just cause it's fun.

Well that's me, and my thoughts for May.
Chloe

Have you ever?

Good afternoon my friends.
How are you all going  there?

I hope that you're having a good day.

I've entitled this post, Have you ever, because I was recently challenged in my place of work.

The fact was, that there was a problem accruing, and to me it wasn't getting sorted out, so I wrote a letter, explaining how I saw the situation.

I was angry, with how it was going, everyone could see it, but nothing was done about it, so I thought I'd jump in, and just let it all out on the page.

I thought, that I was right, but in the end I was hurting more people in the process.

There is a party game called " have you ever'' and perhaps you've played it, perhaps not.

The human race is full of faults, and yes I am willing to put my hand up and addmit that what I did was wrong.

I was looking into the mirror of what others thought should happen, and not God's mirror, that reflected me on my judgment.

So we need to be really careful of how we go about things, and if we're getting worn down by others, go to God, leave it at his feet, and in his hands, rather than, ''going in with all guns blazing.'' which might be a short fix to the problem.

A friend, told me to do something recently, when I told him about what I did, and I did what he said to do, go to the mirror and really see me, for what I was.

I found out, that I looked tired, and unhappy.

see a mirror reflects the honesty in ourselves,  a mirror is honest, there is no falseness, or pretending that things are good, when they're not.

If they aren't then go back and really,  find out what really has been going on, perhaps it's ignoring the fact that things aren't good.
it is going to hurt, it's going to really be painful, and there will be scares  emotnally, perhaps phyically, but we know that we are made stronger, in our weaknesses.

Chloe

learning from mistakes

Recently, I went to watch an ice hockey game.
Thrilling fun it was too.
Why you might ask?
 just to do something a bit out of the norm, a bit different, and to enjoy the sport.

As I sat there, watching a team play, it was like my life, being played out, sometimes you're in the game, hard out, and you need your players to back you, or mark out depending on the sporting term.
 and we don't do it alone, because we have the team members.

Sometimes we do have to move ourselves and believe in ourselves, that we can acutally do somethings.

And that means using our voice, and speaking up. not in a hash way, but with love and respect.

What do we think about grace? or do we just ignore the fact that we need it, and that we should be nice to people, who need help?

do we need to take a step back, realize that things aren't working, and stop getting so up tight about what's going on?

What is going on in your life?

Have you get somethings that you've held on for way to long? are you always putting up, and putting in the hard yards while others are lazy?

have you meant well, but it's just come out in a huge big mess?

In a world that is so self relient on how our image is? or how we portray ourselves, we label ourselves in ways that we make ourselves?
 we market what we want to do, and how we are going to use it.

how is that helping our team players? or the people around us that think we are Christians but when they hear about what we say they guess our goodness?

We can't be clean, on the inside and dirty on the outside, you have to make a concience effort, not to be like that.

because that is how the world sees you, and we are in the world but not of it.

Referring to the game of ice hockey, it's a pretty tactical sport, so we need to be tactual on how we live, we need to be intentionally  telling the truth, and be aware of the presence of God in our lives.

Whatever your doing, be intentional about it,  make friends intentional, talk intentionally always seasoned with salt, that is a challange for me.

use your time wisely. study well, and get the most out of God's life that he has for you.

And don't give even one whisker of doubt that you can't be on anyones team because you can.

Chloe

enquiring of the Lord.

Have you ever been in a place, that makes you think, and act in a way, that is compromising?

Each and every single day we're up against all sorts of things, things that shape our character, things that are good for us like good company, compassion, good things.
What about the things that you know that are in the back of your head, and you're wondering what to do about it?


I recently went to a career advisor, to see what I should be doing.
It was good. and perhaps your studying, perhaps your wanting to do something really big, or maybe God has told you to slow down a bit.

You don't have to go full force into things, trying to break the speed of sound.

I was lying in bed this morning, thinking about my day, thinking about my little sponcered boy, Antony, who is only 2 and wondering what sort of day he'll be having, praying that he will be playing safely at his home. I smile at how cute he really is, so smilely in the photograph so happy to be alive.

I was thinking about my work, and why people work them so hard, too hard sometimes, so that people don't get a day off.

I was thinking about attitudes and what mine is like, see if you have a good attidute you've won most of the war that is going inside.

People want to be near you, sure you don't have to put it on sure you're going to have down days, but put on a garment of praise, thank the Lord for what you have, than rather the things you don't have.

 and pray for the things that you don't have, and look out and be active to have them come your way.

Back in biblical times, kings would ask subjects to go and "enquire  of the Lord''  very readily,  if was going into battle or staying home, if something cropped up, they would go into a room and stay there and just ask the Lord.

Sometimes we need to do that, somethings are hard to understand, to grasp, and yes sometimes love does hurt, and sometimes, you can't always fix the other person, and as much as it hurts you, you have to seek the lord and let it go.

And that is a progress, that is a working thing in life, it's one of those things that  you breathe a sigh of relief, and think it's over, but no another form comes it's way to you.

GOd is making you couragous to stand up against the crowd and against the things of this world.

Where others may think you're weak, you know deep inside you've got grit and you've got what it takes to stand.

A lot of times, we just stay and we just keep doing the status quo, because that is what we've always done,  and we think safely, if we do this plan, then that plan won't fail, and if we do plan B, then plan C won't fail.

Do you get it?

You and I are simply just going around in circles.

like muddy tires on a 4wd drive truck, stuck in rivets.

Life isn't suposed to be like a sunday afternoon drive,  in a self driven Tesla.

Life isn't like a computer, or facebook, where you can live very safely, chatting to friends, because they are your friends, and you hardly go out, because well why bother because everything is on the net.

Joyce Meyer said once, if the horse has been dead for 10 years, why are we still riding it?

We all need change, change is good,  like a landscaper gardener, who works in the winter to design a garden for spring/ summer, does he put down his tools when it gets tough, cold and dark and dirty and heads inside gives up?

No, he goes about his job, because someone is paying him/ her to make a garden.

We need to be mindful of the habbits we have got ourselves into,  it could be sulkyness, it could be punishing the other person, it might even be the cold shoulder.

miss trust,  for whatever reasons reasons I don't need to know, it could be that you're working in an extremly toxic enviroment, and when you have that, you think everyone is against you. it's not until you get out of it, that that was or wasn't the case.

You are not designed to fail, you are designed to thrive.

So make good changes, in your life, good things that will make you grow, it might be a gradual thing, it might just be building the structure, putting down the things, that are foundations for now, and let others come and help you build  on that.

See a tree or shurb that is in wet clay stinky soil, can't do much. infact it will not produce, flowers or fruit.

Lift it up, transplant it, fertilize it, it will never look back.

Don't keep looking back over your shoulder, in fear, and miss trust, because you will miss the things to look forward to.

And there are many.

So my encouragment today, is go close yourself in a quiet place, put asside paper work, assignments and enquire of the lord.
do it daily and you will grow, and you will hear his voice, on what do, and once you have heard his voice, not just daily, not just when you feel like it, or when things get hard, tough, and you're in that 4wd drive truck stuck in rivets, not going anyway.


God is the jack, to lift you up, to come to your rescue and to be saved out of every situation.


Big, small, really tiny, or so big it takes all your mind up durring the day.


he will come, it's up to you if you trust him enough, to lift your " wheels'' and get you started out of that mess, and trust him.

Speaking hope.

Lately, I've been challanged in my own walk in life, that it is so easy to listen, and to be swayed by what others think, and what we should do.
SO much so, I was living my life on the lives of gossip, and I was really fretting on what my life is like.

The more, we look inward on ourselves, the bigger the pitty party that the Devil holds.

I was at a time, in my life recently, that somewhere,  along the lines. I was lost in it. I wasn't depressed, I was really unhappy with how things were.

Things weren't lining up, work got even more stressful, I just wanted to through it all in and run away, very humanly.
I looked at the roster, at work, and that was it, I wanted out.
I was looking at my own, strength, and I was thinking, I have to keep this up.
gradually, my sprituial walls were down, and I was like a  life raft in a raging storm, floating out to sea.

I wanted something more to life, tear fund, was my answer.
My dad, always said, think of others, and I just did that.

I read through, the news letter, and there was a little boy of 2 years old, waiting to be sponsored.
I picked him up,  and he arrived today.
Whatever you may think, your plan C might be God's plan A.

Look around, you and ask yourself, within your work place, how can you improve it?

How can you raise up to the challange, to learn and to extend yourself, so that others, can see your light that you're shining.

Other people might like it "Play it safe.'' you might think, that '' that person might deserves it.''

Not neccersarly.

Don't go after man's wisdom go after Jesus, capture him, take him, into your heart, and mind.
Ask him, in everything that you're doing now, how can I benefit others in what I do.

Be couragous, be his, be the truth, because lets face it.

It might be the only chance they get.

Do they want to hear it, it's up to them, and it's up to God, but at the right time, you will grow.

Think of bulbs, they have to be asleep in the ground cold and damp, for all of winter, and when the weather warms up. up they pop.
Never ever, through away, your tallent, don't say that you're not good enough.
You are on God's team.
God has chosen you to be his.
And nothing will ever pluck you out of his palm, his hand is large enough he is big enough to take all the things that you are going through right  now, and he'll take them, and make them work.

You don't need to keep striving.

Chloe

Trusting God, no 2.

Have you ever been in a space, where all of sudden, things  just get on top of you?

There aren't enough hours in the day, to do things.

You're working all the time, and if you're not at work, you take work home with you and do it. Then you have the obligations, to do extra work.
Eventually, it becomes a cycle, like your on some sort of mouse excersice ring, and you are spinning around and around, and you can't get off.

Until it spins out of control and you'll be off the wheel before you know it.

You close yourself off because it's like the work that you do, is talking to you. " you're suposed to be with me.''

I'm not saying that you should do work, it's a good thing to do. because you're adding to yourself, your abilites. your goals, and the Lord loves that.
Sometimes we put our work, in boxes, soemtimes we don't believe that our work counts.

It all counts.

If we didn't have jobs, there wouldn't be anything to do.

We'd be walking around like bored zombies.

And sometimes, very much we think and we dream up all these things, like if I had more money, or if all of sudden I'd go to the mail box, and there would be a cheque in there from a wealthy person, and I'd be set up for life.

Stats tell us, the people who won the most amount of money, in lotto, go bankcrupt within a year.

You might think, " I'd keep working part time, and put it in the bank or spread it around so it would grow slowly.'' good thinking, but that can only get so far, and it won't get you good friends, or good advice.

We all will come to a point in our lives, where we are asking ourselves, "What next.'' will a new job, make us happy, will retraining, or going onto further training, within our field of work, make us more successful?

That is only up to you and God, I can't answer that question.

The more we use social media, the more we get so engrossed in our unhappiness.

We can start to live our lives, through facebook, or social media.
because we have to see who "liked'' or commented, or shared our post, even the little smiley face can be enough to release endorphins in our brains and make our day.

We need to start using our heads creatively, to lessen our time, on face book.

So if you're a bit lost, with what to do,  go get your bible, and get down on your knees and ask God for his plan for your life.

hope and trust

Recently I talked about a recent thing I was going through.
It wasn't a health issue, perhaps not even that hard.
And I had another phone call, from the person, who couldn't understand why.
I had no real idea what to do, perhaps I lead him along, perhaps it was my fault.
I ran to my room, and just cried on my knees, and asked to be released from this.
Now for every guy out there, this wasn't love, but clearing someone was in love with me.

My prayer was, simply this.

"Dear Jesus, you're a man, and I hope that I haven't told you where to go, or what to do, I'm really sorry if I did, I don't want this, it's scary, and I don't want to always tell guys off.'' -Amen.

A friend, gave me a Christmas decoration, it's got "hope"  on it.

Now for whatever matter, you need to know, that there's hope, perhaps it's for a situation, you've found yourself in, perhaps you didn't know what sort of situation. perhaps someone got the wrong end of the stick.

You are not limited by your chains that you wear, earth has no sorrow that heaven can cure.

weather, it's letting go and letting God, perhaps you've been tired of all the other things that have been happening in your life, and it's left you pretty ragged.
I don't know, but I know this.

If you're in a struggle, and you're looking for hope, look to Him come to him, with everything open, trust him, to pick up the pieces, and just take them and let him make something new out of your brokeness.

You're going to be alright.
More than alright, come to the father, who has died, given his body for your brokeness.

Love is messy, and yes even bloody, because when Jesus died, he died unreconisable.

Lay asside every plan, every back up plan, and come and aline his plan with your plan.

Chloe