Hope, Faith & Love

' The  Lord appeared to us in the past, saying: “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness. ' Jeremiah 31:3 https://my.bible.com/bible/111/JER.31.3 Reflecting over recent times and my own faith journey; I am not sure about you but I go through seasons where I am serious about my faith and then there are times where I would struggle to pray. I am not going to say everything is rosy and I am always on a high about faith. Seriously there are days, looking back in hindsight, that I deserve a good smack over the head. So how did I get to the place I am now, where a day without prayer just doesn't feel right. It is like going for a day without talking to your partner, it just hurts. Honesty I don't know but one thing I have realised. As people, we want to change people. We want to influence and get them to change their views or habits, for the good and otherwise. I like to say that the motive is always love or for their benefit, but ...

' A wise man will hear and increase in learning, And a man of understanding will acquire wise counsel, ' ~ Proverbs 1:5 ~ https://my.bible.com/bible/100/PRO.1.5 In the age where everyone has an opinion about everything - some speak from experience. Some speak from knowledge and then there are others who just speak.  Either way, the phenomenal growth of social media over the last decade has given voice to anyone who has a mobile phone or internet access. For myself, there is almost a weariness of social media; I long for proper face-to-face communication, sitting down with a friend and actually laugh instead of "LOL"! The art of listening to others, respecting what is being said, and reflecting on it seems to be a lost art. But people and communities are found on interaction and communication, without the need to be the loudest voice in the room. To be able to sit with someone to listen, talk, and gain understanding, not just knowledge. To be able to work and reflect...

As the deer pants for the water brooks, So my soul pants for You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God; When shall I come and appear before God? ~ Psalms 42:1-2 ~ As I grew and go through stages of life, if I am honest, I have always longed for something - a life partner, money, clothes, love, stability and the list goes on. I am not sure if there is a single person who does not longing for things. In recent times, that longing hasn't disappeared. No, I haven't become "super holy" at the point of enlightenment, those dreams and hopes are still there. Rather it is coming to the realisation what is it that I really value. For me, it is the completeness as a person. That can't be done by myself, but I need the presence of the One who calls me to being - God. There has been a deep longing, moaning for His Presence. A soul that desires to reach that relationship with His Majesty; walking in step with Him, to hear His Voice just as Peter did. For me, the c...

' “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace . I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” '  Matthew 11:28-30 https://my.bible.com/bible/97/MAT.11.28-30   Over the last 5 or 6 years has been some of the most difficult times in my life, but somehow I am still here. It has taken it's toll on the mental, physical and spiritual level and often found myself asking the question, "why?" Well, there weren't any answers to that. And just as many times, I have asked myself what I can do to find my way back into God's good grace again.  I tried everything - I mean everything and I am pretty sure somewhere in the midst of that I tried to blackmail God. You know, "if you don't show up God, I am going...