Broccoli and Cheese

'Be content with what you have; rejoice in the way things are. When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you.'

I am usually the best person to be around in the morning, I remember being at camp over this summer and my cabin in the final session would love me, but despise my eager beaverness to wake up and especially wake them up the second the bell went off...
I took that same character trait home with me, ever since I was small I loved the morning time, making pancakes with mum and packing a fruit cup in my lunch bag.....that was so great. But even knowing that in my heart, some days I can't stand having to wake up....or the worst is being awake and not being able to fall back to sleep and then falling asleep and hearing my alarm clock beep in my ear.
Well, that day was today. I was a rock in the morning, I slide off my bed and gathered myself, looked in the mirror and wanted nothing from this day, wishing it was still night. With these feelings in my heart I had a decision to make, to either live out my day as I did my morning or to start fresh and go from this with peace and an open-mind. I wanted to walk forward in the direction God was pulling me to, but it was so hard. And my poor family, they saw that I was having a bad morning. It got so ridiculous, I was getting frustrated with how long it took for my bread to toast! Then my dogs were barking and I had such anger, I wanted to scream at them....because they were barking at a squirrel? What?! Funny to think of it now. I knew this wasn't me, but for some reason I couldn't bring myself past this state of mind.
Finally I gathered my bags and my grandpa got in the car and we headed for the school. Now, my grandpa is NOT like many 83 year old grandfathers out there! He has a unique personality and a determined heart and spirit, and that can drive you crazy sometimes. Like now!!! He was telling me one of his many stories, but one that I have heard five times already this week. I chose to plug my ears with music from my ipod and ignore him. I knew that it wasn't right to do, I just didn't want to hear him, hear anyone....By now this must sound very awful and rude. It was! BUT, then as my songs switched over I heard him ask me what vegetable I wanted with dinner. I quickly said broccoli and he said,

''Okay, so I'll go over to the store after and pick up some cheese, because I know how much you love it on your broccoli.''

My heart sunk....that sourness within me broke and I just felt so loved by him. Not because he was going to 'get' me something, but that he showed that he cared about me and wanted to do this nice extra job in his day for me. It is the unexpected and sometimes weird acts of kindness that surface in your heart a new song. I new love for that person. I slowly unplugged from my music and asked him to tell me a story, any story, and I just looked at him look at the road, him so ecstatic to share with me another story that I had already known off by heart. I realised what a blessing my grandfather is to me. I was so glad that I had that bitterness, because I found another great person to be thankful for. He isn't just there as my chauffeur, someone I knew I loved but now I appreciate now too. So now I ask you, who buys the cheese for your broccoli?

Liquid Sunshine

Yesterday was so beautiful...
After a long, tedious trek through the hallways of my school, the last thing anyone thinks about is the weather outside. My mum had told me this morning that it was suppose to rain, but I never believe the weather reports because they use technology and predictions and then tell us what its kinda sorta going to do, up in those heavy clouds, but they can't make it rain. God can change His mind and present the sun right before the first raindrop falls.
Well God wanted the rain to come as planned and it was pouring outside during fourth period. I had a huge smile sweep across my face. I heard it bouncing off the windows and dancing on the roof. It was glorious. I knew that once I left this place, this building anything that had been hurting me or effecting me that the rain would shine down on me. My heart came alive and I danced in the rain, it didn't matter who saw, it only mattered that the One did, and He was rejoicing with me in that moment. I was so glad. It came in great waves of falling water, it looked like a curtain flowing in the breeze. A very dear friend of mine, shared with me a part of a powerful verse, it read;

'no condemnation exists now for those who are in Christ Jesus.'

I felt like Abba was all around me, that even though the rain was pelting down on everyone, I felt like it was shining on me. I was standing in His evident power and He brought me salvation. Right before I got into my Mum's car I heard, this too shall pass, Spring is coming. 

Anything I had been worried about or stressed about, just left me in that moment. He will give you your armour each day, and prepare your hands for battle. He is filled with such GREAT strength and I know that I couldn't get through one day without having His arms to run to. We are all so broken, but this rain that some people take as a hassle or pain, I take as a blessing. He is our provider, He cleanses us and shields us. I will shout 'AMEN' to that, in such awe at His wonder. When the skies are painted grey and the air feels thick, the rain is God's great release to show that we need not hold onto such heaviness and that we have Him for that. The rain is my liquid sunshine. I am always walking in Light!

Taking the Plunge

'Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust Him and He will help you.' ---Psalm 37:5

 I was at school today and felt God compelling me to say something to this girl in my math class. I have never been good at confronting people that I don't really know, but I couldn't shake God. Say hello, tap her shoulder, prepared your lips, for I will speak through you. I remember one minute being in my seat, and the next I was moving across the classroom to her desk. I asked to sit next to her, she looked up, her eyes looked sad. I could see the tear stains on her cheek. Our eyes matched and without an answer I sat down.

word of the day...Trust

At first I asked her for help with the math problem, I knew what I was doing, actually, in my head I was correcting what she was telling me, she didn't really understand it, but I said that's the answer I got anyway. There was a long time when neither of us said anything, I looked through the worksheets and she looked blankly at her desk. Brace yourself dear one, trust in Me, for I will give you the words to say. Deep breath*
 I lifted my head from my textbook and asked her what she wanted to do after high school. She said she wanted to be involved with Ministry at her home church. She explained that it was something that she was never sure about, but that she is placing her TRUST in God. I was blown away! I wanted to hug this stranger, and that's exactly what I did. God is a safe place where we find comfort and strength, but sometimes He tells us to do something that we are terrified and uncomfortable with doing. Trust me child, I will go with you, follow My footsteps.

Like we put trust in Him, this bird placed trust with me. We find comfort in  God.

I told her that I felt God telling me to come over there, to say something, to tell her something, I didn't know what. I refused, but God was persistent and I lay my trust with Him. She started to sob, very slightly, very softly. I asked her why she was crying. Lay your hand on her hand. She said, "I was praying for a long time, for God to bring me a sign that He cared about me, that I was doing the right thing in following Him, being faithful and..." She wiped her eyes and pushed her hair from in front of her face. Tell her! 
I don't remember past this, just that I did let God come through me during that boring math lesson, He led me to another of His beautiful daughters. I am so thankful in this day that He gave me such a great opportunity, because even though I helped this child of His, I was blessed. I have been praying to bring Christ into the school. SUCCESS! It doesn't stop there, but if we all place trust in Jesus, He will speak through us and we will impact others. This is good.

Shedding the Cocoon

'This is the day the Lord has made, let us REJOICE and be glad in it.'  ---Psalm 118:24

I am starting this great expedition, another chapter. To get right down to all the splendor of Christ! It is truly wonderful to think of all the great news the Lord brings to us in a day. The blessings, He comforts us in prayer, our dreams show glimpses of His majesty, and our breath, such a provider He is. However, in order to see all of this, we must decide to get up, stretch out our arms and inhaled, bring feeling into the morning before you trek to school or work. Embrace the idea of Jesus showing you something new, teaching you of His ways and sharing this with others. I find such JOY in that fact, that God DOES show us this, He shows us beautiful things in this world. My friend was riding her bike home from school and she described taking her hands off the handlebars and just received God's love, "I want more of your love," she cried out. Then as her bike sped down, a tiny monarch was gliding beside her. It stayed with her for a while, then flew high into the sky, above the chaos of the busy streets, past the electric wires, and up, up, up it went. "Freedom, my child. You are free with me. Nothing holds you down. I have no boundaries. You are free. Come up here and see more of me." We need only to be still. I know it seems confusing after telling a story of someone riding their bike, but to be still with feeling, not actions! God doesn't want us to lay about everyday in wait mode, but to feel or have the desire to feel Him, the One who fills me with LIGHT. We can all bring this Light to our schools and to our jobs, we can allow people to see Christ through us. Without saying a verse of scripture, in times of silence and stillness we are able to take in so much of what Abba, our Father is trying to show us or tell us.
I know that I hate the feeling of not knowing what someone wants to say to me, if its in class or anywhere, my friend does this all the time...To prevent the teacher from hearing us, she whispers so softly, and you know it's about something inmportant, you can see their lips moving, but you can't quit make out the words, then you have to wait until after class, but that person has moved on and says never mind, and you feel left out. Now, Jesus on the other hand will never say 'never mind,' He will keep trying to reach you, in small ways or large ways, but He NEVER gives up. So we must never give up, never say, 'never mind,' we must be still in the cocoon and wait for the whispers of God and slowly break it's silk walls and feel the morning sun, spread our gorgeous wings and go tell the world of what God has done.
And this doesn't just happen once, but it continues, with everyday, every moment, it says in Jeremiah 33,

 'Call to me and I WILL answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.'

And when we find ourselves stuck in this cocoon that feels more like steal, then silk. Well, God comes through the walls and just holds you against His chest. I rest in Abba in those times. I find peace and calmness in that time spent in the cocoon. He lays next to me, waiting for the moment I decide to look up at His glorious face and be reborn out of that silk pod.