Back from cybersapce...

Fun looking back and seeing where God has been and where He has been taking me.

I'm in your hands....

They don't write prayers like they used to....

Most loving Father, whose will it is for us to give thanks for all things, to fear nothing but the loss of you, and to cast all our care on you who cares for us:

Preserve me from faithless fears and worldly anxieties, that no clouds of this mortal life may hide from me the light of that love which is immortal, and which you have manifested to us in your Son Jesus Christ our Lord;

Who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, and for ever. Amen.

IF

IF

If you can keep your head
While all about you
People are losing theirs and blaming you
If you can trust yourself
When everybody doubts you
And make allowance for their doubting too.

If you can wait
And not get tired of waiting
And when lied about
Stand tall
Don’t deal in lies
Don’t give in to hating back
Don’t need to look so good
Don’t need to talk too wise.

If you can dream
And not make dreams your monster
If you can think
And not make intellect your game
If you can meet
With triumph and disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same

If you can force your heart
And nerve and sinew
To serve you
After all of them are gone
And so hold on
When there is nothing in you
Nothing but the will
That’s telling you to hold on!
Hold on!

If you can bear to hear
The truth you’ve spoken
Twisted and misconstrued
By some smug fool
Or watch your life’s work
Torn apart and broken down
And still stoop to build again
With worn out tools.



If you can draw a crowd
And keep your virtue
Or walk with Kings
And keep the common touch
If neither enemies nor loving friends
Can hurt you
If everybody counts with you
But none too much.

If you can fill the journey
Of a minute
With sixty seconds worth of wonder and delight
Then
The Earth is yours
And Everything that’s in it
But more than that
I know
You’ll be alright
You’ll be alright.

Cause you’ve got the fight
You’ve got the insight
You’ve got the fight
You’ve got the insight

Boiling a frog in a kettle...

I shared this phrase with a friend yesterday, it was only the second time in his life he had heard, the first time was earlier in the day.

If you but a frog in a kettle and slowly boil the water it will acclimatize itself, adjust to its surrounding and be boiled/cooked. Slowly, imperceptibly, changed - in this cas for bad.

A commentary on the insidous influences around us in our world which take us captive, without us even being aware. Advertising, technology, peer pressure are only a few.

On the flip side, we can be changing slowly, and imperceptibly for the good, unaware of the positive changes because of God's grace, and his movement in our lives.

Two years ago icons, spiritual directors, prayer labyrinths, Jesus Prayer, Examen, Pilgrimage, centring prayer, silence, solitude were just ideas, words, or maybe even faddish concepts - as I look back, they are a part of my growing, humbling walk with Christ Jesus.

I am grateful, growing - the keeper of the garden of my heart, is redeeming desert places for the Lord I adore.

All myhope is in his mercy...

"If we feed ourselves with Jesus Christ and his words, we shall be like a vessel in full sail with a fair wind." Fenelon

How insidious the self is, pride is.

Loving God totally, not going a step farther without him, ceding control to him is the issue.

The longer I live, the more insidious I see self to be, and the more I marvel at God's grace and mercy.

All our hope is in his mercy, change our hearts set us free.

In the mystery of mercy, we become what we're to be.

What can save me, nothing but the blood of Jesus Christ.

God is endeavouring to have my love be more complete, I want to help him.

Is God good? Can I trust Him?

Two very good, basic, obvious? questions. I continue to be amazed by God's grace and mercy. Find myself in Texas with SA Youth Leaders from North America, and am hearing again, the greatest factor, impact on youth is my holiness.

I can only legitimately commend others to live, as I myself live. How we skim the surface of spiritual realities - O how God knows us and wishes us to trust him as we serve others.

Life is too short. Meeting some pilgrims in the way, who share a deep hunger for the deeper things. Learning to trust. I pray and ask God for guidance, blessing, and then I worry!?!?! Do I believe God is good? Can I trust Him? If so, and I thought I did, I must act in accordance with my belief.

A gracious couple have shared devotions at this conference. He has advanced Parkinson's but has so modeled grace, and love, along with his wife. They are modeling (not without struggle at times I'm sure) that they are trusting in a good God and I am blessed by their witness.

We press on, in hope and assurance of God's presence and promise.

Drop thy still dews of quietness....

I am so tired. It's been busy, and it won't let up for a little while. Off to Texas soon.

I've been fighting technology, new computer doesn't seem to react like the old one, or function or.....knowing when to walk away, and when to duke it out.

Why would we get upset with a piece of machinery.

Dear Lord and Father of mankind, forgive our foolish ways;
Reclothe us in our rightful mind; in purer lives thy service find,
In deeper reverence, praise.

Breathe through the heats of our desire thy coolness and thy balm;
Let sense be dumb, let flesh retire; speak through the earthquake, wind and fire,
The beauty of thy peace.