Could it be that when we commit to being authentic, we experience more tension than we would if we hadn’t made such a commitment? Rather than seeking to be the impressive idea of what we think others think we should be, we represent what we are, which is something that might often fall short of what we *should* be? It’s less neat. Less perfect. It makes mistakes. Says the wrong things. Wobbles lots. Is selfish […]
“If you want to be made holy by fulfilling the obligations of the law, you have cut off more than your flesh—you have cut yourselves off from the Anointed One and have fallen away from the revelation of grace!” Gal 5:4 (TPT)……“….You were running the race so well. Who has held you back from following the truth?” Gal 5:7 (NLT) I used to really not like being wrong. But instead of fighting forwards a ‘right’ […]
“You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colours. So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.” James 1:2-3 (MSG) When I read this verse, I see a picture of something being cracked open and broken – exposing all the colours and life once hidden beneath its shell – revealing […]
Painted a bit of a heart-warming mess of tones and textures this afternoon. For me, these tones reflect the sweet moment of finally sensing the warmth of hope in the midst of seasons that have, at times, been somewhat grey and gloomy. Hope always arrives; if she hasn’t yet, do not fear, for she is most certainly on her way. The thing about the nature of hope is that she does not, and will not […]
“Answer this question: Does the God who lavishly provides you with his own presence, his Holy Spirit, working things in your lives you could never do for yourselves, does he do these things because of your strenuous moral striving or because you trust him to do them in you?” Gal 3: 5-6 MSG. // Freedom is found in letting go of how right or wrong we think we are, and by setting our sights in […]
“Since Jesus went through everything you’re going through and more, learn to think like him. Think of your sufferings as a weaning from that old sinful habit of always expecting to get your own way. ” 1 Peter 1:2-4 MSG // Could this be about control? Control aims to keep it all turning out as we imagined and hoped; stress and trouble free. But the trouble with holding on tight to this, is that when […]
“Is there anyplace I can go to avoid your Spirit? to be out of your sight? If I climb to the sky, you’re there! If I go to the underground, you’re there!” Psalm 139:7-8 MSG // Earlier in this Psalm it talks about being an open book to God; that in the stories of our lives – he has left no page unturned. He sees the good I know about me, but he sees what […]
“..but God stuck by me. He stood me up on a wide-open field; I stood there saved—surprised to be loved!” Psalm 18. // Have you ever been offered something you felt guilty about receiving? ‘If the giver knew your whole story, maybe they wouldn’t be giving this, or choosing me, or spending time with me’ type thing? Ever fallen into the whole ‘I’m not good enough’ for it or her or him or this thing? […]
I think we’re meant to hold on to hope so that we keep living. To let go of hope means to let go of living. Moving. To let go of hope, I think, means to grab hold of something else, something that is the opposite of life offering. We don’t hold on to hope because theres always certainty in whatever it is we want to happen, happening, rather we hold on to hope BECAUSE things […]
This week I was a little bit struck by one simple piece of the Sunday evening message; Encouragement as simply a passing on of courage to another human. For me, the little hugs and the ‘you can do its’ spoken in the thick of my anxious or doubtful moments always seem so small and insignificant because I’m often fixed on how these could never take the fear or sadness or the struggle away. But I […]
anne-marie elizabeth 