Category Archives: Living Letters

13 Friday Oct 2017

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Dear daughters,

Please let me encourage you today to be devoted to all that God has placed in your heart to do. Every action, no matter how seemingly big or small, should be done as unto the Lord, and in your obedience you bring Him great glory.

Do not be afraid to let your light shine. God desires to put His glory on display through your life as you live in ways that honour Him. The fruit of your good works will be clearly seen by the world and will cause them to want to know more about the wonderful God we serve.

God has many surprises laid up for us each day, delighting our hearts in serving Him with gladness.

What are the top three things you need to do today? What is most important? It is possible to become very busy while completely missing what is important. Sometimes we can procrastinate in doing the will of the Lord by making the excuse that we are too busy.

What is your lifework? What is the dream God has laid upon your heart to do for His glory? Begin today by doing something, no matter how small, to move things forward. This will bring a sense of wellbeing and satisfaction into your life. Show up and live your best life.

Be blessed and highly favoured,

Sister B

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Not Everything God Supplies is for You

21 Monday Aug 2017

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Hi dear daughters,

God is so good! His provision is abundance and constantly flowing towards us. As He leads us in paths of righteousness, provision is laid up along those paths. His paths drip with abundance and He crowns the year with His goodness.

The principle is that God provides for our needs and gives an abundance for every good work. Even the smallest measure of provision can be multipied as we seek His ways of stewardship.

How much do we hoard instead of passing on the blessing to others? When we have more than we need for ourselves, we then have an opppotunity to bless others with our abundance, meeting their lack and perhaps even being an answer to their prayers!

Dear ones, whatever God provides for you today be thankful and receive it gracefully, as a gift. If there is some leftover once your needs have been met, ask the Lord who you can bless with these extra resources. Don’t stop the flow. Be generous and prosper yourself and others. Live large. Be generous like God.

Provision is all around us and even the smallest thing we sow can be of major benefit to others. Nothing is wasted in God’s economy. So before you throw something away, or store away items in a cupboard to be forgotten forever, consider who you might be able to give to. Remember, giving is about relationships. The blessing is always multiplied back to you, pressed down, shaken together and running over.

Join with God in the gift of being a generous giver. You will find opportunities everywhere you look if you are mindful and attentive.

Blessings to you today!

Accepting Yourself as You Are

14 Monday Aug 2017

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Dear sisters,

The Lord is speaking deeply to my heart to day about the need for us to accept ourselves.

Some of the things we reject about ourselves are, in fact, part of God’s grand design for us and when we reject them it is like a slap in the face to Him.

For many years I had deep insecurities about many things, my height, my weight, my looks my body, my capabilities and competences and my intellect. I did not understand my worth and value. Much of this can be related back to childhood messages I received.

But when God was wanting me to step out in faith to live the creative life, there was such an internal struggle. I could not believe it. What was wrong with me and why did I find it so difficult to obey God as he was leading? Why did I find it so hard to trust His grand design for my life?

One of the things that has been difficult for me to understand is that I do not have to earn love. I am not loved more by producing more and more, working harder and harder. My worth is not rooted in how much money I can make. It is rooted and grounded in the love of God and His generous and loving care for me. I am His child and he loves me an everlasting love that I cannot lose.

Much of my life has been spent trying to please other people and never seeming to succeed. When I came to Christ I went straight to work ministering to people, attending every meeting and event, working harder than ever. I experienced burnout on three occasions. It was not pleasant and it took a while to recover.

Over time God began to reveal to me that he is not a withholder of love or of any good thing. He cares for me, guides me and has made abundant provision for me. He loves and accepts me as I am. I am enough. I do not have to perform or jump through hoops to please Him. I simply need to learn to be a good receiver of every good thing He gives and to accept His invitation to co-work with Him.

Dear Lord, help me walk with You in simple faith, trusting you to meet every need that I have and causing me to be blessing wherever I go. Help me to give an encouraging word to each person I meet today, in Jesus’ Name, Amen

Become a Good Receiver of God’s Provision

09 Wednesday Aug 2017

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I believe God wants me to become a receiver and responder to His abundant provision in my life.

My husband and I have been experiencing financial lack recently and for the first time in many years I have been worrying about how we are going to make ends meet. When doing our budget it became apparent that there was a substantial shortfall between our income and expenses and that we had already pulled our belts in as tight as we could go. When I discussed this with my husband he felt discouraged because he felt his pay was too low, but at the same time we both agree that God has assigned him to his current workplace at this time because he is moving in the hearts of some of his co-workers and God’s favour and grace remains upon him. Therefore this leaves us in a position of needing to trust God to meet the shortfall and meet every other need that arises. Could it be that the Lord is stretching our faith?

Meanwhile, after spending the last three years studying for a Bachelor of Theology fulltime, and now having completed my coursework, I seem to have hit the wall emotionally. I have been looking at job advertisements but nothing suits, and have been offered the potential opportunity in the future to work as a jobsearch trainer, but not sure if this is right. During this time I am dreaming about writing, speaking and teaching, enjoying sewing, cooking, gardening and wood working projects and being a blessing and encouragement to others.  What is God trying to teach me? Can I trust God and follow Him in the pursuits He has laid on my heart and trust Him to increase and prosper me financially through it?

An idea came to me this morning after the Lord convicted me on not tithing on some sales of household goods I have made recently. I immediately transfered the money to my church account and thanked God. Suddenly, the thought came to me that the Lord wanted to me to trust in Him as my provider as never before and he wants to deliver us from a scarcity mindset. After all, God has promised to meet all our needs according to His riches in glory. I believe that as we follow where God is leading us we will be led out of debt and into an abundant and delightful land. Thankyou Lord!

My greatest need was salvation and having provided that for me God will give me everything else I need beside.

Do I really trust Him fully? Or do I trust in the meager nest egg we have saved up, which has been slowly dwindling? Forgive me, Lord.

The Lord challenged me that I need to be a good receiver and that will also make me a better giver. God is pouring out His abundant provision upon us all each day but am I recognising and thanking Him for it at every opportunity. Gratitude produces joy and a sense of abundance.

One thing I need to recognise is that when God’s provision comes into my life, it is always in abundance of what I personally need. The overflow is so that I can be generous and share with others. What I have in abundance I can share with others who lack and vice versa. I do not need to hoard resources. I need to trust God and not stop the flow.

This does not mean that we should not have some savings or insurance against hard times, but simply means that I should be more open-handed and ready to share as God leads me, not fearing for my own future needs.

What do I have in my house that could be used to greatly bless others? What is currently flowing abundantly through my hands? Where am I stopping the flow?

God has promised that provision lays along the path as we walk in His will. Where God guides, He provides. He has put seed in my hands that I should be sowing. Do not be afraid to give in times when your circumstances say there isn’t enough. Walk by faith and not by sight.

Ask God for what you want and need. He will give you the desires of your heart when your ways please Him. He delights in your prosperity and success. It is okay for you to have abundance. But always hold it with an open hand.

 

 

Listening to the Voice of Conscience

07 Monday Aug 2017

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Sisters,

Why is it that we so often override the clear voice of conscience within? Why do we do the things we know beforehand are wrong? We know it’s going to end in disaster, yet we continue on anyway!

Each one of us has an internal guidance mechanism. The conscience. That place in our spirit that discerns right and wrong. Have you ever met someone who you instantly disliked and felt a sense of warning within to keep away from them? Ever felt the urge to not share information with someone, or go ahead with a business transaction, simply because something inside gave you a sense of foreboding? That is your inner discernment speaking.

This God-given guiding radar is never to be disobeyed. I repeat. Never. Always be true to your own heart and keep a clear conscience. This is one of the ways in which the Spirit guides, protects and keeps us from harm. God is aware of things laying ahead on our path that are not yet apparent to us. Following our inner guidance could save us from much heartache.

Keeping a clear conscience is essential to our peace. When we override the voice of conscience the immediate effect is an underlying sense of guilt and conviction.

The Bible teaches that if we continue to override and ignore our conscience then it is possible our conscience will become seared. The effects of this will be that we are unable to see trouble coming and effectively avoid it. More importantly, we have rejected the voice of God speaking to us through the mechanism of our conscience. A serious matter indeed!

Let us pray that our conscience would remain soft and sensitive and if we know we have failed come to the Lord for forgiveness and restoration. Let’s admit our wrong and go on in faith. Conscience is a gift God has given us to help us walk worthy of our most holy calling.

Let’s not ignore its wisdom.

Creativity and Your Relationship with God

31 Monday Jul 2017

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God is a creative God. he made the heavens and earth in six days and then pronounced it good. He has blessed all that He has made and crowned it with glory. Lessons are there for us to discover in His glorious creation. In His creation we see wisdom, beauty and order. He calls us to delight in His creation and within our hearts He has placed a desire to be creative, fruitful and multply, just like Him.

God inspires us to create things that are beautiful and useful to others. He creates in love and to meet needs. He is our inspiration and He motivates and empowers us for action by His Spirit.

Having recently finished a three year degree in Theology, I found myself at a bit of a loose end. The logical thing to do seemed to be looking for job and my husband and I agreed that I should only look for part-time work. I began, and I continue to look in the local papers and online at the available jobs, I updated my resume.

Yet, what was I to do in the meanwhile? My day became unstructured and I felt empty, useless and depressed to the point that my husband became concerned about me. After we spoke and prayed about this situation, we began to wonder whether God actually wanted me to get a job at all, or did he have something else in mind?

Journalling has been a helpful way for me to sort out in my mind what God wants me to do, but more importantly, how he wants me to think.

I see now that I am a person whose creativity is blocked. I order to be creative it is necessary to be open, curious and playful. To allow yourself time and space to think without boundaries and rules. Taking time to think and write without feeling guilty and unproductive is an area that I need to find freedom in. I believe unlocking my creativity, especially in writing, is a gift God wants to give me.

I lack confidence and courage to create. And yet, this is God’s desire for me. To co-create with Him. I have an inkling that through this deliverance will come opportunities to generate income doing what I love in complete freedom.

I believe God has ANOINTED me to communicate BEAUTIFUL THOUGHTS THAT LIBERATE. I can do this through writing, speaking and teaching.

So, I sense the call to go with God on a journey as he liberates my creativity and provides for me abundantly along this journey. I will write about what I am learning and share with you. Perhaps you would like to join me along this journey and share some of your discoveries in the comments.

Creativity requires courage, everytime. I must resist the resistance to begin.

Each day I pray God will give me the grace to show up. Amen.

 

Ask for What You Want and Need

27 Thursday Jul 2017

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Dear daughters,

Never be afraid to make your requests be made known to God. He desires to bless you. He is not withholding anything good from you. He takes good care of His children. Money is never something God is wanting us to spend all day worrying about. He owns it all. He has millions and millions of ways to bring to you what you need. Trust in Him. Let go and let Him bring to you what you need. Delight in His abundance and be thankful.

Be faithful with what you have and walk in the wisdom He supplies regarding money, and he will ensure your needs are met according to His riches in glory. God gives wisdom to those who ask including how we should be earning, spending, saving and giving.

God owns everything and what he places in our hands is a stewardship for which we will give an account. Know when it is time to tighten your belt and when it is time to spend and give generously.

Ask God for the things you need, and even what you would like, then trust Him to provide for you in His time and in His way. Watch out for His provision everywhere you go. He may provide in unexpected ways, dropping bundles on purpose as He did for Ruth. Be a receiver and respond with love and thanksgiving. Always be ready to share.

He may provide by eliminating the need altogether. Circumstances are always changing and therefore some of the things we once needed we no longer require.

Not all that He provides is for you. He often provides in over-abundance. This is given to you for the purpose of meeting your own needs and beyond that to participate in being a generous giver to others in need. Perhaps you can be the answer to someone else’s prayers!

His paths drip with abundance, so never be afraid. He is your source of life and all things besides.

Go forth and shine!

Delighting in the Lord,

Sister B

What Does it Mean to be Spiritual?

16 Thursday Mar 2017

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Here is what it means to me to be spiritual. I think of it in terms of it being given a gift. It means to have a personal relationship with God through Christ. He loves me. He wants me. It pleases Him for me to accept His gift of salvation and all the benefits of being His child. I have deep gratitude for His mercy and goodness towards me. Here are some of the benefits I have received:

The GIFT of being reconciled to God.

I am so aware that it is my sin that separated me from God. It took some time before I realised I was a sinner. I had no concept of own sinfulness. In my mind I was a good person, of good moral character. I hadn’t killed anyone, committed adultery and I tried to help people where I could, treating others as I would wish to be treated. How wrong I was! In comparison to other people, perhaps I was doing okay, in comparison to God’s idea of perfect holiness, I fell far short. It was this realisation that initially made me see my need of a Saviour. Jesus was God become flesh and had died for me, in my place, taking my punishment. Why? Because He loved me. I was dead in my trespasses and sins, but He gave me life. To be spiritual is to be forgiven and restored into right relationship with God.

The GIFT of being in communion with my Maker.

It is an amazing blessing in my life to be wanted and loved by God. That He is with me. I am with Him. he lives in me and I in Him. I am ever grateful for the school mum who witnessed to me of Christ’s salvation. She helped me see my need of Him. I had been on a spiritual search for years, seeking love, acceptance, the way to live. I found it all in Christ. I was raised in a home with a violent father, a neglectful mother and I was an only child. I don’t remember feeling lonely but there was always a feeling of disconnection and fear. I married young to a man who became an alcoholic. There was a lot of strife in our household and much debt and lack of all things. I was desperate. Life was very hard by the time that school mum shared the gospel with me. But, oh, when I made the decision to give my life to Christ everything changed within. He was with me now! I felt Him so close and I worshipped Him constantly. I could not get enough of reading the Bible and other Christian books and I was at church every time the doors were open. My circumstances were still dire, but for the first time in my life I was not ALONE. To be spiritual is to be one with God.

The GIFT of being guided.

As I continued to grow in grace and knowledge of God’s ways, my life slowly started changing as my mind was being renewed in the Word of God. As I read the Scriptures, it seemed God would help me to apply it to my life and gave me guidance and direction to overcome some of the problems in my life. When I followed His guidance good things happened. When I disobeyed the guidance I would fall. But God would always pick me up again. I was learning how to walk closely with Him. I was learning how to let go of control, due to fear, and allow Him to take over, one area of life at a time. And now 20 years later, I am still a learner in the school of the Spirit, but now I have the opportunity to share some things I have learned with others through teaching, mentoring and leadership development. To be spiritual is to be connected to divine guidance and walk in His providence, participating in His work in the world.

The GIFT of being empowered by the Spirit.

Growing up I always struggled with gaining my father’s approval. He was, and is, a very intelligent and skilled man. He always let me know that he would have preferred a son. My mother always told me that I was an accident and she did not have any more children because of how nasty my dad was. I tried so hard in school to do well. I was a good student who obtained good grades, but no matter how good my grades were, they were not good enough for my dad. Over time I came to believe I wasn’t good enough. I struggled with fear and low self-confidence for most of my life. After I came to the Lord though, I began to identify various things I was especially gifted for. It seemed there were things I could do that came easily, almost without any effort at times. One big one was singing. Oh how I loved praising the Saviour! I soon joined the music team at my local church and now I am the Music Director and play keyboard and guitar as well. other areas of service are teaching, preaching, encouraging others and writing. to be spiritual means to be anointed be the Holy Spirit  to love and serve others with gladness and to have grace to overcome challenges and limitations.

The GIFT of being loved and accepted.

It was hard at first to receive and experience the fact that I was loved by God. As I was. Before I changed. Before I ever did anything for Him. He loved me for me. I am loved as I am on the way to where I am going. I had no problem understanding I loved Him. But Him love me? No way. I felt I had to change first. I tried to earn His love by being a ‘good girl’. Working hard in ministry. Doing my best. Nowadays when I catch myself in performance mode I am able to come aside with God, reflect and gain perspective from Him. Knowing I am loved and accepted and owning that truth means that I can do good works in His kingdom because I want to, because I get to, not because I have to. To be spiritual is to be connected to love. God is love.

The GIFT of knowing the truth and being made free.

God’s Word has been such a lifesaver for me. It’s timeless wisdom and comfort never gets old. God’s truth has brought stability into my life and my emotions. I never have to wonder what I should do in any situation for the Bible has wise instruction and godly counsel for me whenever I need it. I have developed a daily discipline of reading God’s Word and I attend bible studies and love to hear the Word preached with power and authority. I do believe that over time the truth of the Word has liberated me in many areas, helped me to be a better wife, mother homemaker, get out of debt and break out of many limiting beliefs including overcoming fear. I am a much bolder person since becoming a Christian. I still feel fear but I am much more confident in God to step out in faith. To be spiritual is to be a keeper and proclaimer of truth.

The GIFT of everlasting life.

Everyone wants to know the meaning of life and what happens when we die. I was no exception. I believed in Heaven and hell, but had no idea of how one came to be in these places. My main theory was that, on a scale of justice, when God judged us, he would place all my good deeds on one side and my bad on the other and as long as my good deeds outweighed the bad I presumed I was going to Heaven when I died. I don’t know where I picked up this idea, but I know it is a common assumption. When I first began to understand my sinfulness and God’s requirement for holiness I began to see I wasn’t as good as I thought I was. Certainly undeserving of a place in Heaven. But of course the good news is that Jesus Christ died for our sin and His blood cleanses us white as snow. More than this His righteousness is imputed to me. Great news. I now have an assurance that I have a place in Heaven, not on the basis of anything I have done, but due to everything Christ has done for me. How wonderful! To be spiritual is to know you abide in Christ and have an eternal hope of glory.

Spend some time in quiet reflection today enjoying the goodness and fullness of what Christ has done for you. Be thankful and praise His Name. May God delight you with His love this day. Amen.

06 Monday Mar 2017

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Dear friends,

Blessings and peace to you in Jesus’ name! May the Lord delight your heart today with His glorious love and precious presence. His word is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path. Let us follow Him with joy.

Are you in a period of transition? At times like this we can feel disconnected and unsettled in our spirit. That in which we once found our confidence and identity is now uncertain. The old is being ripped away but the new is not yet established in our lives.

Dear friends, be patient in these times. God is working all things for your good. He has not forgotten you and you have not been placed on the shelf. You haven’t missed your calling. He is near and has simply brought you aside to be consecrated. Pray and listen in simplicity to Him. Express your trust in His love. Recommit yourself to His service in humility.

Follow faithfully whatever guidance He gives you at this time and be faithful in what are already your appointed tasks. He is your Strength and your Song. Let go of control and be at peace. Soon your breakthrough will come. Humble yourself under the mighty hand of God and He will lift you up.

What He has laid up for you will be worth the wait.

Persevere.

Blessings,

Sister B

03 Friday Mar 2017

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Dear sisters,

Hope you are well today.

Today I would like talk about waiting. Specifically, waiting on God. Sometimes waiting can be excruciatingly painful. We are hoping for something so badly we become almost desperate in our waiting. We want it to happen so bad we could burst! We cry out to God for relief but our breakthrough tarries.

Let me encourage you today. Stand strong and hold your position in God. Know who you are, and Who’s you are. God is working everything out for your good and His glory. Remain faithful in doing everything you can do while trusting God to do all the things you can’t. Nothing is impossible for Him.

Faithfully walk the path He has set out for you today and continue to praise Him and affirm your explicit trust in His goodness and grace.

Wait in patient expectancy and hope.

Very soon your breakthrough will come.

Blessings

Sister B

Our God is Greater

02 Thursday Mar 2017

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Dear sisters,

Are you experiencing strong opposition as you walk the path God has set for you? Do not fear. The Lord is with you and fighting your battles. He is your Defender and Shield.

It does not matter that the enemy appears stronger, more able, more equipped. This is just an illusion. A smokescreen set to discourage and scare you. God is far mightier and is in sovereign control of all things. He rules and reigns in your life. He is working things out for good, never doubt this.

When the pressure is greatest, do not quit. Keep moving. Keep trusting. Never take your eyes off God. Praise Him and thanks Him for your breakthrough which will surely and perhaps suddenly come . He will be glorified in this matter, whatever it is. He never leaves you or forsakes you. If God is for you who can be against you! Therefore, FEAR NOT!

Take heart, dear one. The Lord is your strength and your song.

You are more than a conqueror in Christ who loves you.

Trust.

Blessings,

Sister B

What are you facing that is causing you to fear defeat? Look to the Lord and wait on Him in patient confidence. He is certainly working it out for your good and His glory. Amen

You are Valuable

20 Monday Feb 2017

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Dear sister,

You have infinite value and worth. God values you highly. You are a complete original. No else like you. By God’s design you have been bestowed with various gifts, talents, skills and opportunities that perfectly fit with your personality and temperament.

There is no need to apologize for being a gifted person. Gifts are just that, gifts. We give all glory to God for what He has placed on our lives.

This is our time. The time God appointed us to live and work for His glory and pleasure.

Many of us hold back in fear because we are perfectionists, fearing we will make a mistake, get it wrong. God is not looking for perfect performance from us. It is not possible. But a perfect heart of devotion that desires to please Him and do His will at all times is. Despite, fear, insecurity and self-doubt, continue to move forward in His plan and purpose.

Let yourself create. Give yourself permission to speak, act and add to the conversation of life. Create a body of work that points to the Saviour. Don’t wait for someone else’s approval or for another to open doors for you. Stir up the gift God has given you and go for it! Take courage and walk worthy of His calling. God is with you.

B

Pregnant with Vision and Desire

06 Monday Feb 2017

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Dear Lord,

I love You and praise You. You are my desire. I want to please You. Help me to improve the clarity and quality of my writing and the amount that I write. Let the ideas flow from my heart, to the pen, to the hearts of others.

I am musing today about the idea of goal-setting and vision. Before we can set a goal we first must have SEEN something. Something that has sparked our vision and desire to achieve it in us. It seems to me that You have seeded desires in our hearts for us to discover and delight in. The pursuit of vision must be infused with desire. Desire inspires and motivates to action.

We move towards our desired goals and as we align our action with our passion we bring into reality what we have seen in You.

Desire is something that is CONCEIVED. We become EXPECTANT and ANTICIPATE the arrival of what we desire. We PREPARE for its arrival. It is important that we do not share our vision before the time. For a time it is hidden, secret within our soul, between ourselves and You. But sure enough, as time goes by we start to SHOW. Others begin to see in us what was previously hidden.

A desire fulfilled is a tree of life. How glorious it is when what once began only as a distant dream, now becomes a living reality, a testimony of Your grace.

May everything we see, come to be.

Thankyou Lord for Your amazing goodness,

Sister B

 

Question to ponder: Have you conceived a heart desire? How are you preparing for its arrival in your life?

The Anatomy of Desire

01 Wednesday Feb 2017

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Dear sisters,

God guides and shapes you though your souls deepest desires. Desire is a powerful, energising force that runs deep within your heart. Allow yourself to discover and give voice to what you want and desire. Do not be scared to articulate the secret desire of your heart. make them your prayer and give thanks for them. Get in touch with your desires but always be willing to surrender them. Otherwise, desires become demands.

God draws us forth along our lifepath through the avenue of our desire. A desire fulfilled is a tree of life. What we desire has its own pull and we are motivated to action. We are inspired to seek what we desire. We enjoy the process towards its attainment and eagerly anticipate it fulfilment. Gratitude and thanksgiving well up in our hearts and out of its abundance we give praise to God for His goodness.

As we delight ourselves in the Lord, He will give us the desire of our hearts. Trust your desires, but be willing for God to shape them more fully by the Spirit. Give them your focused attention and live in delighted anticipation of their arrival. God is at work in you to will and to do for your good pleasure. Move towards your desire each day despite any resistance or opposition you may encounter. Do not draw back in fear. Our self-doubt causes us to question the validity of our desire at times. Do not be deterred or distracted. Become increasing clear about what you desire and continue reaching for it. God will send encouragement, comfort to you, and resources are waiting along the paths where he leads.

Take bold Acts of Courage in the direction of your dreams and in so doing glorify the Lord.

Blessings from Sister B

Questions to ponder: What do you deeply desire? Can you find just the right words to express it? Will you give yourself permission to pursue what you desire? Will you take courage in the face of fear?

 

 

 

 

Overcoming Fear of Being Yourself

26 Thursday Jan 2017

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Dear Lord,

I love You and I praise You. You are wonderful and amazing. You give me hope, light and truth.

B

Beloved daughter,

Your dream is what you hope for, what you love and what you are ALLOWED to have in your life. I designed and shaped the dream that will not go away. Do not fear, take courage and move towards it every day in the power of the Spirit. For you this means writing first thing every day and then having the courage to share with others. Take bold steps of faith. You are a conqueror. You are blessed in all you put your hand to.

Creativity involves being vulnerable. Taking those steps to bring forth YOUR truth requires great courage every day. Resistance meets you, trying to stop you from bringing forth the new. To share what we have created with others is to expose who we truly are and risk rejection. When you overcome fear you become courageous in other areas of life as well. Don’t be afraid to go after what you desire. To desire something to be brought forth in your life is not prideful, selfish or wrong. On the contrary, failing to pursue your calling is failing to give to the world the gift that you are.

To be obedient necessitates overcoming fear. You must examine your fears and see whether they have any basis in reality, or whether they are just an illusion. Where do they stem from? Who told us we could not follow what is our truth? Who told us we could not have what our heart was desiring? Who made us believe that it was prideful and selfish to even think such a thing?

You have a message. You are a message. The message your life reveals is one of overcoming fear and self-doubt in order to pursue the Kingdom of God. Your courage inspires others to take action in their own lives.

Therefore, Go forth and create.

God.

Question to ponder: What will you ‘bring forth’ today? Create the work. Bless it. Tell it to be fruitful and multiply.

Are You Scared to Live Your Truth?

25 Wednesday Jan 2017

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Dear Lord,

I love You and praise Your holy Name. I want to become who I am, for You glory. Thankyou for my place in the Kingdom. I have a function and assigned tasks within it.

Because of being controlled by others in the past, I have a great deal of trouble in owning my own calling and giving myself permission to do all the things I would love to do and experience in my life. As a child and into my teenage years I was scared to live, scared to try new things and have fun. I was the girl with her nose in a book sitting on the sidelines observing everyone around doing fun things but never joining in, not even wanting to. Books were my safety, my secure place, my escape. I could retreat into the thought world of the authors and live vicariously through them.

Later in life I was the homemaker who subscribed to numerous homemaker and craft magazines, always making and never creating. Sometimes I would make something, or write something, but my motive was usually to please others or save money, not necessarily to simply enjoy the process of being creative for its own sake.

I have always loved learning. I now realise that reading, writing journals, studying and sharing with others is all a part of my teaching gift. One of my superpowers. I have always loved watching documentaries and biographies about others who have done amazing things with their lives. I love beauty, art, music.

This year I have set my intention to be beautiful, be creatively brave and to live my truth. I even created a poster and put it on the fridge door to remind myself of what is important to me this year. I want to live a beautiful life and cultivate a beautiful heart. I know I must be braver, stronger and be willing to share my story as part of my ministry. I need to create, make, do, share. Own my calling as a creative person. By Your grace, I can, I will, I am. Writing this blog is a part of this. Sharing from the heart as I open up to all You have for me in Kingdom life. My prayer is that as I open up and become more vulnerable, more honest in  sharing my attempts to step out in faith each day, that those who read may be encouraged and emboldened to do the same.

Fear, get behind me. Amen

B

Question to ponder: What would you be doing if you had no fear?

 

Writing as a Daily Victory

23 Monday Jan 2017

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Dear Lord,

Thankyou for Your unconditional, unfailing love. I am Your child and You have great things for me to experience, learn and do in life. Wonder and grace. Love and light. You are with me and in me. I simply need to abide in You and follow when and where You lead. I am leading a guided life, Your Spirit guides me into all truth. You are helping me to own my calling and to be brave. I place my confidence in You. Nothing is impossible.

I am seeing the importance of being creatively brave and having faith to write. I must create a body of work. My process is to write every morning, in my journal and to share each weekday on my blog. There is something about writing with paper and pen that allows thoughts, feelings and ideas to flow out of me. Writing unlocks me. Writing first thing before the day really gets going means I can conquer internal resistance and procrastination, allowing my own creativity to flow without the distraction of other voices which will surely come at me during the day.

Words may trickle, or words may flow, but success is in the showing up and showing out every day. To make my contribution, no matter how small, or seemingly insignificant. Writing is a superpower I possess, given to me by God for the good of the world. To write is my ‘good part’ and it will not be taken from me because I have chosen it. It is my daily act of bravery which will mount up into a body of work in the future. Inspirational data which will keep on giving, building up God’s holy kingdom.

Thankyou Lord, for this great gift.

B

Questions to ponder: What is your superpower? How will you put it to use?

Communicate Your Truth and Overcome Resistance

20 Friday Jan 2017

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Dear Lord,

I love You. You are awesome. Thankyou for all the good things You have given me in life. I desire to honour You in everything I do.

I believe I am called to communicate truth. My truth. And, in doing so, encourage others to do the same.

How will I express myself truthfully? So many ways. Writing, making my environment beautiful for the people I love. Being an encourager to friends and family. Serving those in need. Being a good listener.

I love listening to the stories of others. What is their personal truth? Values? Dreams and goals? Challenges? I love to encourage and impart hope.

My tools are words, concepts, ideas. Being able to express myself though writing causes me to switch on and become engaged. After I write I feel lit up and alive. When I share what I write with others I feel like I have conquered the fear and insecurity monster. In sharing my work I become vulnerable to other people’s opinions and judgment. I also become open to acceptance, growth, opportunity and useful service to others. I see that failure is assured if we never try. Each day we must conquer internal and external resistance and show up in the world to share our story.

For me this means conquering resistance early in the day. Therefore this year I am setting an intention rather than a resolution. My sound intention is to live beautifully, be creatively brave and tell my truth every day. This will build momentum in my life. My act of creative bravery is to put pen to paper every morning and write three journal pages and to share something of what I have written on the blog each weekday.

An ideal beautiful week for me would be to spend my mornings writing and sharing and to spend my afternoons involved in practical ministry and service to others, making sure to go offline during this time. Each Friday afternoon will be free for taking myself out to do and experiencing new things and open myself to new ideas. To fill my inspiration tank, in other words.

Lord help me to achieve my intention and walk in abounding grace this year. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

B

Question for reflection:

In what ways is God calling you to be brave this year?

A Conversation About Desire

19 Thursday Jan 2017

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Dear Lord,

I love You so much. I adore You. I submit my will to Yours. I surrender to Your will. Your will be done in my life. Let this be the focus of my life. Continually. Every day of my life.

B

Be drawn forth by your most holy desires. Be guided by faith and conscience. Don’t be afraid of making mistakes or taking wrong turns on your journey. You will. Trust your conscience to lovingly course correct you along the way. You are living a guided life. Your life is not your own. Walk worthy of your calling. Bundles of provision are set along the journey of life to sustain you in your walk. Be drawn by desire. Get in touch with what you want deep in your soul. What do you want to know and learn? What are you hungry for? It is also important to know what you do not want. In other words, know yourself and own who you really are. I am at work within you to will and to do for My good pleasure. I brings joy to Me when you walk worthy of your calling.

It is important for you to act out of your own deepest desires rather than what other people decide for your life. Act out of those deepest desires and trust your own inner compass. Even in the smallest ways. Honour your desires. I am shaping and forming you through them. What do you desire? What do you want? Knowing this is very important. Extremely important, so that your actions can be based on this truth and you will experience a sense of congruency, soul satisfaction.

Godly desires are characterised by love, truth and passion for Christ. They bring about great glory to My name and attract others into the Kingdom. They bring joy and peace even in the midst of trial and suffering. Trust your desires and allow them room to become reality. Follow where they lead. They call you onwards and draw to deeper. They shape your life’s work. They signal the right paths to walk along.

Be brave by:

Getting in touch with your deepest desires. Following where they lead. Trusting in My provision and not letting fear delay or distract you.

Don’t be ashamed to desire. You are allowed to desire. Desire powerfully inspires and motivates you. Let desire propel you. Following your desires is not selfish or prideful if you have loving intent. Delight yourself in Me and I will give you the desire of you heart. I delight in the prosperity of My servants.

God

 

 

O Lord, Clarify Our Calling To Ministry

17 Tuesday Jan 2017

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Dear Lord,

I love You with my whole heart. You are so good. Your love is so rich and real in our lives. Draw us closer to Yourself.

I sense in my heart a desire to clarify more clearly what form our ministry will take, especially in the light of fact that I have only one more semester to complete before completing my Bachelor of Theology. What will my life and ministry look like from then on? What form will it take? How will my days unfold for Your glory?

Our pastor discussed with us the need to explore our calling and vocation during our internship and to develop a profile of who we are and what we have to offer. So I am prayerfully considering what we have to offer the body of Christ and the world? Both individually and as a couple?

Let’s start with the values and desires You have placed in our hearts. D and I desire to encourage others and empower them to break free from limiting factors in their lives that prevents them from serving You wholeheartedly. We deeply value Love, Freedom , Acceptance and Trust. We want to live our lives serving and blessing others. One avenue we both believe we can do this is through hospitality, opening our home to others, building friendships and relationships around food. We have been organising for this in practical ways such as D clearing out verandah area and cleaning the barbecue, fixing the outdoor charcoal stove and stockpiling food and drinks for when people visit. We have had a number of friends and family come but we also would like to invite those in need as well.

D has practical building skills and has used these to renovate our house and our church building. He has helped others when a handyman was needed and has occasionally earned side income from this type of work. D also has a caring, compassionate heart for others and comes alongside others to listen and encourage their faith. He is patient and kind and has favour upon his life. He is developing great discernment too.

My own giftedness seems to lie around encouragement and exhortation. I love to build others up. I love to write, teach, speak and sing. I love to speak a ‘now’ word in due season to those who are discouraged, frustrated or anxious. I sometimes has clear prophetic insight or discernment about a person or situation. To help people discern what God is doing in their life. I desire to help people discern who they are in You and to follow the desires You have placed in their hearts. I sometimes can discern what is hindering people from moving forward such as limiting beliefs or fears, entanglements with sin, lies they are believing and demonic activity. I pray strategically about these things when I am ministering to someone and teaching biblical principles to overcome and produce breakthrough. I desire to help people live in the freedom Christ purchased for us and to live the abundant life he offers.

I also have skills in music, sewing and household management.

We desire to bless people through strategic giving and we believe travel will be a big part of our future, both locally and overseas. These things are what we know in our hearts so far, as being Your calling for us.

Lord, I pray for further clarity regarding the form and scope of our ministry as husband and wife and that doors of opportunity will open to us for service. Bless the work of our heart and our hands, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.