7 Questions with 7 Answers...

"Judge of a man by his questions, rather than by his answers." 

-Voltaire

It seems I've been included in a blogging game - I love games, so I shall play along, Ganeida!




1. What is the one moment in your life you would love to live over again and why?
I firmly believe that all experiences combine to shape me into who I am today, so I am content to let them be. Some careless and hurtful things I may have said - those I would not repeat if given the chance. However who said that the living over had to be to fix a mistake? In my mind I relive several pleasant memories, enjoying past laughs and moments with friends, so I suppose that is a living over again of sorts...


2. Which historical figure would you like to meet & what is the one thing you'd really like to ask them? 
This is such a Ganeida-like question! ;) Not being a major history buff myself, whenever people have asked me that I never really have an answer, however upon further reflection, I think I would like to meet Mary, the mother of Jesus. I'm not sure I could limit my question to one, however. I'd love to know how Mary felt when Gabriel appeared, many questions about Jesus' life and then as she had to loosen her hold and come to know him as Saviour and Lord, rather than simply her son - how that was for her, amongst other things...


3. What is your heart's desire?
My heart's desire is to please my Father, that at the end I would hear, "Well done, good and faithful servant"; to live a life fully with Him and for Him.


4. What is my most irrational fear?
My biggest fear would be that I marry the wrong person. I believe that a marriage covenant is binding and that divorce is not an option (unless abuse is involved); therefore if not matched well with someone who shares the same beliefs, with whom mutual trust, respect and love can be reached - that would be as a jail sentence. I do think that it is somewhat irrational as I know that as long as it is in God's hands, that He will lead me to a man of His choosing and I can be content with that, nevertheless it is still there in the back of my mind.


5. Cat person or dog lover?
As much as I do enjoy cats, in my heart I am first and foremost a dog lover. They are not termed 'man's best friend' for no reason. 


6. If you could be a tree, what would you be and why?
Well, Lobstar - I'd say that question has already been answered! To you others out there, I have become known as the alter-ego of A Rathdowney Tree, also known as Lobstar's significant other! That may sound wrong, trust me it's not - merely a little odd. If I could choose something else though, perhaps a Moreton Bay fig tree. Living in the beautiful habitat of a rainforest, it is the perfect climbing tree and if I lived in a park or somewhere easily accessible, then I could enjoy children climbing all over me and having a great time!


7. When you meet Jesus, what is the thing you really, really want to say to Him?
Upon reaching heaven, I think my natural inclination would be to simply worship with music. As for what to actually say to Jesus - well we can talk with Him here and now, He is not far from us. We shall see when the time comes... I only know that it is something I long for dearly. 

As for passing this along, I think most people I would have sent this on to have already received it from somebody else, however if someone feels like answering these questions for yourself, go ahead!

A Lesson in the Form of a Poem

When I was at school, I was known for many things, but NEVER for my poem-writing. "That's nice dear, but it's supposed to rhyme", one teacher told me, or "That really isn't

in iambic pentameter", another pointed out. Truth be told, I never really cared about writing in iambic pentameter - firstly learning how to spell it, then enjoying it in Shakespeare and finally finding situations in which I could say that delightful phrase were all I really cared about regarding poetry. In fact, having written the words 'iambic pentameter' three times in one paragraph has given me an odd satisfaction!

Imagine, then, my surprise when during creative worship tonight in my cell group God gave me a few lines underneath a drawing that turned into a poem. Once I became aware of what He was trying to do, I said to Him: "Now, really, Lord - you know I don't do well with p

oetry". "That's okay", He replied, "you're not writing this one, I am." I decided I would be wise to not argue with the Lord and thus came about this poem:

The height, the width, the depth, the breadth,

The good, the bad, the thick and thin

What was, what is, what is to come

By His death is all undone.

He lived, He breathed, He died for you

There's naught that you must do.

That's all you need to know, my friend.

That's all you need to know.

"Father, forgive them," Jesus said;

"For they know not what they are doing".

Even on that cross He was

Our loving, Holy King.

Said to His Father, "Take this cup"

"I want not what it contains".

But He bore it all, that truth you see

To this day still remains.

On the day that Jesus rose

The angels, they did sing.

All in heaven, with one voice proclaimed:

"Jesus Christ is KING!"

you're looking into my heart

When the music fades & all is stripped away
And I simply come longing just to bring
Something that's of worth, that will bless your heart.

I'll bring you more than a song,
for a song in itself is not what you have required.
You search much deeper within,
through the way things appear - you're looking into my heart.

I'm coming back to the heart of worship
and it's all about you, all about you Jesus.
I'm sorry Lord for the thing I've made it,
it's all about you Jesus, it's all about you.

King of endless worth,
no one could express how much you deserve.
Though I'm weak and small all I have is yours,
every single breath.

-Heart of Worship (Matt Redman).
---

With every step forward, there are more pitfalls to avoid. God has been teaching me and taking me further with Him through these past few months and I'm so grateful, it's been such a blessing! Yet I continually have to check myself for pride. It is such an ugly thing that the Lord detests, yet it is my biggest struggle... Just to be completely candid and honest with you all.

Proverbs 16:18-19 Pride goes before a fall. Better to be lowly in spirit and among the oppressed than to share plunder with the proud.

Proverbs 16:5 The Lord detests all the proud of heart. Be sure of this: they will not go unpunished.

Romans 12:16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.

1 Corinthians 13:4 Love... does not boast, it is not proud...



Whenever God pulls me up on this sin, it is such a kick in the rear and I fall back down to my knees - exactly where I should be. There He is able to teach me what is needed, yet as He moves me forward I stand back up. Why is it so hard to move forwards yet stay on my knees? I see a lifetime of surrendering everything and handing it back over to God time and time and time again... Is this one lesson I'll have to keep relearning for the rest of my life?

Creation Spills Forth His Glory

"The heavens declare the glory of God, the skies proclaim the work of His hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the end of the world." -Psalm 19:1-4.

"Your word, O Lord, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens". -Psalm 119:89.

It's wonderful how God can use anything to speak to us, if we’re only willing to listen. Watching the movie ‘Calendar Girls’ tonight, a speech was given on sunflowers as follows:

“I don’t think there’s anything on this planet that trumpets life more than the sunflower. For me, that’s because of the reason behind its name. Not because it looks like the sun but because it follows the sun. During the course of the day, the head tracks the journey of the sun across the sky; a satellite dish for sunshine. Wherever light is, no matter how weak, these flowers will find it.”
Isn’t that an apt description of Jesus’ disciples? We should follow the Son, tracking His journey and following in His ways. Wherever Jesus is in a situation, how He chooses to say or teach something, we should be on the lookout for Him and listening for his voice. So rather than sunflowers, we are Son-followers – also known as Christians.

Each and every time I go out at night in particular, I am reminded of how big our God is, that all the stars in the sky, everything under and above them was created by Him... I find it impossible to not worship a God who is capable of such beauty and wonder.

"Praise the LORD from the earth,

you great sea creatures and all ocean depths,

lightning and hail, snow and clouds,

stormy winds that do His bidding

you mountains and all hills,

fruit trees and all cedars,

wild animals and all catle,

small creatures and flying birds,

kings of the earth and all nations,

you princes and rulers on earth,

young men and maidens,

old men and children.

Let them praise the name of the LORD,

for His name alone is exalted;

His splendour is above the earth and the heavens.

-Psalm 148:7-13