Lord you never let go.......................

And even when I’m caught in the middle

Of the storms of this life

I won’t turn back, I know You are near
And I will fear no evil

For my God is with me

And if my God is with me

Whom then shall I fear?

Whom then shall I fear?

Oh no, You never let go

Through the calm and through the storm

Oh no, You never let go

In every high and every low

Oh no, You never let go

Lord, You never let go of me

 MATT REDMAN - YOU NEVER LET GO

Thank you Lord today (day 194) for this Saturday, for your mighty hand of protection which was evident in a situation that could have been catastrophic.

This is my desire.........................

Building a relationship with God:

'Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord...' 2 Peter 3:18

First, Make up your mind. Spiritual growth doesn't happen by osmosis. You don't just wake up with it one morning, you have to set your heart on it and make it your highest priority.

Second, Break up your will. Until your will is surrendered to God and brought into alignment with His purposes, you will go in circles spiritually.

Third, Wake up your faith. Obey the leadings of God's Spirit. Don't be afraid, He will not let you down. Just make sure you don't let Him down. 'Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for He who comes to God must believe that He is...a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him' (Hebrews 11:6 NKJV).

Fourth, Take up your cross. '...If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it' (Matthew 16:24-25 NKJV).

I don't know about you, but this is certainly my desire, to build the most important relationship of all.  Thank you Lord today (day 193) for spelling it out so succinctly.

This is my desire you to honor you
Lord, with all my heart I worship you
All I have within me I give You praise
All that I adore is in you

Lord I give you my heart
I give you my soul
I live for you alone
Every breath that I take
Every moment I'm awake
Lord have Your way in me

I believe all other relationships we make in our life journey will have, underpinning them, our relationship with God.

Those who can't..................?

I faced a different kind of challenge today; Gracie has been studying the story of Pocahontas at school and tomorrow they have to dress up either as said character / Indian princess, you get my drift........  Well I have tried to purchase a costume for her, trying to source it from a variety of places, beg, borrow, but not steal comes to mind, but to no avail.  So most reluctantly I have attempted to make one for her.  Armed with a pillow case, I have already massacred a bed sheet and disposed of my sorry attempts I have made something!  Don't worry I will not take pictures of it until she wears it (it will look so much better), but guess what she is thrilled, full beam thrilled.  I am thrilled that she is thrilled, but there is no danger of me changing career direction.

What's that saying 'Those who can't teach.'

Thank you Lord today (day 192) for humouring and honouring my efforts!

The Benefits of Making Jesus 'Lord'

The Benefits of Making Jesus 'Lord' '...No one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit.' 1 Corinthians 12:3

Making Jesus 'Lord' of your life means that He must have the first and l ast word in all things which concern you. It means you are called to walk with Him, to prove yourself valuable to Him, to please Him and do what He wants, when He wants it, and in the way He wants it done. Here are three great benefits that come from putting Jesus behind the wheel and making Him 'Lord.' 1) When you don't know what to say, He will tell you. 'The Sovereign Lord has given me his words of wisdom, so that I may know how to comfort the weary. Morning by morning he wakens me and opens my understanding to his will. The Sovereign Lord has spoken to me, and I have listened. I have not rebelled or turned away' (Isaiah 50:4-5 NLT). 2) When you can't defend yourself, He will fight for you. '...The Lord is my fortress, protecting me from danger, so why should I tremble? When evil people come to devour me...they will stumble and fall. Though a mighty army surrounds me, my heart will not be afraid. Even if I am attacked, I will remain confident' (Psalm 27:1-3 NLT). 3) When the burden feels too heavy, He will carry it for you. 'Give your burdens to the Lord, and he will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall' (Psalm 55:22 NLT). And these three benefits are yours when you make Jesus 'Lord' over every area of your life. Word for Today July 4th This just ministered to me in a very big way, I was quite emotional when I had finished reading it.  What a powerful message.  I am so thankful today (day 191) for these three benefits without which the ladder of life would be so much harder to climb.  Meditate on this message as I did.  It will bless you.

Meal times ...........don't let them slip away

When my husband is working far away like he was today I don't expect him to be home early as the drive home is usually a lengthy one, but today I got a lovely surprise, he arrived home earlier than expected.  For Grace and Aaron it meant they would see him before they go to bed and he would be able to join our natter after dinner which tonight was about habits, specifically food habits.  Don't ask me how we got on to that particular or should I say peculiar subject and boy did we chuckle.  We established that Grace's food habits replicate that of her Dad and that I get somewhat cranky when I am very hungry!

Meal times are one of my favourite times because we can be there for a long time and no one minds.  In fact it is a struggle to leave the table.  It gives us all an opportunity to share, encourage, laugh, remember, look ahead, discuss the things we are thankful for, bring forth things we are concerned about.  Meal times are not like any other times and really must be treasured and made a priority of family life as much as is possible.

Today (day 190) I am thankful for the gift of being able to share and partake of such an immensely special time with my precious dinner guests.

A cup full of life's tonic!

As the academic session begins to draw to a close so too are the extra curricular activities that my younger two enjoy.  Often to mark the occasion parents are allowed to watch a special performance of the dance classes and today was my opportunity to look inside, beyond the blacked out door and see what she has been doing.  What a treat it was too; it was her modern jazz class and they were showing us the routine they will perform for an exam in the autumn and my jaw ached from smiling, not just for her wonderful delivery, but from the beam that was on her face from start to finish.  She loves to dance and seeing her today made all the mad dashes after school and juggling of finances to make it possible all the more worthwhile (she has asked and expressed a desire to add tap dancing to her repertoire)!    On Wednesday I will get to repeat the process again when I sneak a peak at her ballet class.

Simple things like this lift my spirit no end, and are a body, mind and soul tonic if ever there was one and today (day 189) I humbly give gratitude.

No need to run on empty..................

I just can't get enough of the encouraging messages from the 'Word for Today.'  It is part of my five a day ...... just add my husband and kiddies and my daily ration is complete!  It always hits the right spot although it is no substitute for the Book itself.  Well today my words of encouragment came from another precious source my sis Comfort who also always hits the right spot when it comes to uplifting words and prayers of affirmation.  Today's message was about surrounding yourself with people who build you up and lift your spirits when you feel emotionally drained and I feel I have most certainly experienced that this week.  In fact let me share the whole message with you.


When you're emotionally drained and under pressure, you're vulnerable to making serious mistakes. Samson did. Notice how Delilah brought him down: 'She prodded him day after day until he was tired to death. So he told her everything...' (vv. 16-17 NIV). You can attend church every week and read your Bible from cover to cover, but it will do you little good if you're running around physically and spiritually depleted. Furthermore, it's hard to live with such a person, and almost impossible to help them because their mind is in the grip of a negative force. You say, 'What's the answer?' 1) Examine the company you're keeping. When you need rest and relief go to the right people; when you're feeling down, reach for those who can lift you up. The Psalmist said, 'I am a friend to all...who follow your precepts' (Psalm 119:63 NIV). 2) Check your fuel gauge. Samson wore himself out in a good cause because he failed to replenish his soul. Are you doing that? One New Year's Day during the Tournament of Roses parade in California, a beautiful float suddenly sputtered and quit-out of petrol. The whole parade was held up until someone found a petrol can. The funny thing is, this float represented the Standard Oil Company. The Bible says, 'He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak' (Isaiah 40:29 NIV). As you spend time with God in prayer and the Scriptures, He will strengthen you and give you back your peace and stability. It's the ultimate therapy. It's also the ultimate protection!
UCB Word for Today

It is so important to remember that God does not expect us to be an island, carrying the load alone.  Instead he wants us to seek strength from the like minded and it has certainly made a difference to my frame of mind so I encourage you to do the same when you find yourself in a similar situation.  God's grace is sufficient for me and you and comes to us when we most need it, when our fuel guage is running on empty and I am thankful today (day 188).