Can I say Yes to you?

It’s not always easy to see ourselves as God sees us. It’s even harder to be truly ourselves and yet God calls us to be true to ourselves and to who He has called and made us to be. I’ve been reflecting on this for quite sometime as I’ve unravelled who I am in Christ, and began to accept who he has made me to be. When you were formed in your mother’s womb there was no mistake. (Psalm 139.) God spoke life over you and called you by name from that moment. It just takes us a while to hear it, and even longer to accept it. Perhaps you have still not accepted who you are? As you gaze in the mirror and look upon your beauty, (yes there is beauty there!) know that you are loved and held by God. Maybe it’s time to say yes to him and be more accepting of yourself? 

Can I say Yes to you?

Can I really say Yes to you Lord? 

From the depths of my soul,

My inner most being?

My mind and my will?

My thoughts and desires?

Can I really say yes to you? 

Can I truly be all that you’ve made me to be? 

Using my gifts those well worn and the new?

Those deep inside of me?

And those plain to see? 

Can I really say yes to you? 

What will it look like to serve you as me? 

And truly be me?

How you have created me to be?

Am I willing? 

Am I prepared?

Am I going to do this? 

Well we’ll best wait and see… 

When it’s only you and me it’s easy to be. 

What will the world think? 

Will they truly accept me? 

Can I really be me?

And say yes to the you in me? 

©️Revdjo 4/8/24

The battlefield of the mind

Some people just leave impressions on your life, even when you don’t know them on a deep level. Today my husband and I attended a military funeral for Lieutenant Colonel (Retd.) Richard ‘Skid’ Dorney MBE at Salisbury Cathedral. Skid came up through the ranks of the Grenadier Guards. A true leader who was compassionate and always had time for people. On retirement from the guards he continued his work in supporting those with mental health issues, particularly those effected by trauma and PTSD. Setting up a company called Strong Mind Resilience  https://strongmindresilience.co.uk/ delivering courses on mental health first aid, suicide awareness, and much more. 

In the eulogy we were reminded that Skid would say, ‘there are no atheists on the battlefield.’ When we are facing death in the face then you have to be a brave man or woman to deny God’s existence. 

So are you strong minded? Do you know what you want and are clear in what you believe in? How is your resilience to life? Are you battling alone and failing miserably? We all need help once in a while and there is no shame in asking for that help, quite the opposite. Courses and training can help in overcome and living with many things. Talking and therapy can help to but so can prayer. Whatever you are feeling or thinking or worrying about right now why not talk to God about it? Prayers don’t need to be elegant and you don’t have to hold anything back. If you are angry, even angry at God tell him. Get it out your system. If you are confused and don’t know where to start God even listens to and understands our groans. Actually, he already knows how we feel and is aware of all that goes on in our lives but we still have to do our bit and come to him. We have free choice. God honours that. So what do you choose? 

Look up, instead of inward. Know that God loves you. Yes, even you. No matter what you have done, or how long you have denied him and pushed him away. He awaits you on that battlefield and when that last post sounds. 

Lent 2014 - 12th April: finding voice

Today's simple pleasure is that of 'finding voice'. Maybe finding our own voice isn't that simple? I think it takes time to find out who you are enough to voice your thoughts and feeling but it shouldn't. It seems we are brought up to conform and do as everyone else does. We are taught to sit quietly with the rest of the class and to learn from the teacher at the front. If we speak out we are told off and learn not to do so. Learning to behave is good but what if that learning to behave means that we loose our uniqueness in the process? I don't really have all the answers and this ramble is, as always, me speaking and thinking out loud. Blogging for me is the simple pleasure in which I am learning to find my own voice. 

Finding voice comes in many forms of self expression. It could be art, or drama, or preaching, or singing, or simply speaking up for ourselves. Finding voice is as much about speaking out for others as it is for speaking out for ourselves. I think most people find the former easier, I know I do. Standing up and speaking out  in whatever form takes courage. It should be much simpler but society, learnt behaviour, and childhood hang-ups get in the way. 

Tonight I watched Britain's Got Tallent (yes it's back). There was a young lady performing who had fought through the pain of being bullied and found helself through singing, in this case Opera. She had a magical voice which projected the emotion of what she was singing. She had found her voice and it was a lovely thing to watch as well as hear.

Finding voice is a simple pleasure but we need to step out in faith, take one step at a time, and get beyond the pain barrier to find it. Have you found your voice yet? I encourage you to do so and promise that it will eventually bring you a simple pleasure.

Lent 2014 - 24th March: Prayer

Today's simple pleasure is prayer. Some people get hung up on what words to use to pray, many dislike praying out loud. Prayer is simply talking to God. He doesn't expect us to use fancy long words only to be honest with how we are feeling. I have times when I stop and pray, such as before I go to sleep at night, but most of my prayer is on the go. Something comes into my mind and I have a conversation with God about it. If I'm annoyed, or angry, or sad, or happy I pray, wherever I am. Prayer is one of the simple pleasures of my faith.

Is there something you need to pray about? 

I've Got to Have Faith

I have been preaching on the subject of 'faith' over the last few weeks. I opened one such service with: George Michael once sang. 'Because I've got to have faith.' The song is a classic 1980s track and I couldn't resist singing it a little. It is a song of my youth in many ways. I could say miss-spent youth but that's another story. He is talking about relationships and that you have to trust and have faith in someone for a relationship to work. Being a Christian means having a personal relationship with Jesus - accepting him as Lord and Saviour and seeking to follow him. Being a Christian means putting our trust and faith in God. When everything in life is going well faith can either be strong or neglected. Why would we want to open our Bibles and search for God's heart and a word into our situation when life is so great? When life gets tough again we can go either way we can wallow in our own self pity and focus on the storms of life or we can seek God's face. I wonder if God gives us trials in life to focus our attention on him? People seem to be more likely to pray when the proverbial hits the fan.

Today we had a theatre company come to entertain us at church this afternoon. Burton Inclusive Performing Arts (BIPA) is an inclusive group who love to entertain, many of the group have learning difficulties and special needs, none are professional singers all had a smile on their faces and a song in their heart to share today. I felt so blessed by their presence. Having promoted the event as much as I could I woke up this morning with a stinking cold and in panic mode. Will anyone come? Will it just be me and a couple I send up one of those arrow prayer - help! At 2.39pm people I've never seen before started to come in through the doors and they kept coming inthrough the   doors. God is good! I went home with a smile on my face. As I drove into my road George Michael's voice came on the radio, 'I've got to have faith...' God's humour is never lost on me. As I write this I hit the Sky Plus planner button to watch Mount Pleasant that I recorded the other evening and in the opening scene they are listening to the radio and 'Jitter bug, Jitter bug, Jitter bug, Jitter bug you but the boom boom into my heart...' God has hit me with a Wham! - HAVE FAITH.

What is this mystery you keep?

I've taken lots of photos 

As I gazed upon your beauty.

I've wondered at your elegance

And tried to understand

Why you're so cold 

When its warm outside.

How you're so silent

When your bells are tolled.

What is this mystery you keep?

Sealed in a book that's centuries old.

Your perfume it haunts me

And follows me home.

What is it you desire of me?

As you beckon

And annoy.

You call my name 

I'll not be shamed.

I won't ignore.

I will explore.

New day.

New start.

New open door. 

I'm here again once more.

©Revdjo 12/7/13

Rev 3:20 'Here I am! Behold I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person and they with me.

Sometimes things are difficult to work out exactly what they are until you step back to see it really is the obvious.