MY ETERNAL LEGACY

Thankyou for stopping by to read my BLOG this week.  I received an email from an unknown reader last week telling me she was one of 25 people she knew who read  this BLOG. I am not sure if this is was true, but if so I welcome you. I haven't been posting on this BLOG for a while concentrating on my rrrpsalm.blogspot.com; so I thought it was time I gave you all an update.  I hope you will be encouraged, as am learning more and more each day as I grow closer and closer to my Lord. Most if all I am discovering the freedom and joy that comes from knowing that GOD  LOVES ME.' Oh I've always known it.  Jesus has been my BEST FRIEND and SAVIOUR since I was 11 years old.  I read the story about the Prodigal Son and the Lost Sheep tonnes of time.  The images of my Father (God) running to meet when I let him down, embracing me in His arms.  The image of him leaving 99 good sheep to go after me when I go astray, and picking me up again in His arm...

Rushing a Bible Study is not the way to go.  It is important to have time set aside, which you specifically chose for study, which is not the same as a quiet time when you are praying and reading a devotion. This doesn't mean it has to be your only time for study. Personally, I have set aside Saturday mornings. My husband works night shift so he is in bed sleeping. I usually have no other plans for the day so I am not in `let's just get this done' mode. Also, for some reason Friday nights I seem extra tired, so I usually go to bed earlier, and wake nice and refreshed Saturday morning. During my quiet times, throughout the rest of the week, I often come across something that excites me, and I will jot this down in my notebook. I have also got into the habit of taking my IPAD and notebooks to every specialist appointment at the hospital, so I can again jot down observations.  On Saturday, I will then get out my `tools', looking a little deeper perhaps, and then begin ...

"One day a man asked me, `What is the best translation?' (He was referring, of course, to the best Bible version).   I answered, 'The best translation is when you translate the Word of God into your daily life'. He said, 'But I've got my Living Bible'.  (He still didn't get the picture). I replied, `You ought to BE a living bible! The word made flesh ought to be visible in your life."                                                                                Rick Warren. When beginning my recent study on the Psalms, I found myself doing these things: 1. Reading and observing - writing down a few facts and my own interpretations. 2. Asking questions and applying what I had read to my life.  3. Seeking the help of my favourite authors: Matt Lucado, Charle...

For the next few weeks, while I am in Sydney for the Hillsong Colour Conference and to spend some time with my son and his lovely wife, I will be spending my down time getting stuck into the WORD. I will be focusing my BLOGS on "Rick Warren's Bible Study Methods", with some of my own inspiration which comes from 51 years of listening to the Bible being read to me, and reading it myself. In my book `In the Palm of His Hand', I tell this little story - one of many my Dad told us as kids, as we sat on and around his knee each night.  Dad loved the Bible and he brought it to life by telling other stories, and introducing us to its wonders. "A little boy and his father were entering an old mining cave.  The little boy was excited as he put on his miner's hat - just like his Dad's. He held his Dad's hand tightly.  As they walked, he let go of his father's hand and ran ahead. Suddenly there was a crash, and the walls of the cave started falling down ...

Another interesting discussion I had over my holidays was with my niece, as she confided in me that as far as she was concerned, `Christians were all hypocrites'.  Why? Well in her eyes, they didn't practice what they preached, especially when it came to relationships. "Broken fellowship is a disgraceful testimony to other believers." Rick Warren Paul also found this a hard to take. "You should be ashamed of yourselves.  Don't you at least have one wise person who is able to settle disputes between believers." 1 Corinthians 6:5 Of course, it is unrealistic to expect everyone to agree about everything. But if relationships are of more value to you than always being `right', you are more likely to live in a loving community. Christians, like everyone else, will often have legitimate, honest, disagreements - but as children of God, we must also learn to be peacemakers; for whether we like it or not - at home, work and even at Church - we are bei...

When I do my family tree for people, they always tell me how interesting it is.  There is Dad, my two Mums, two sisters, 4 step sisters and 1 foster brother.  Of course they are all grown up now, with families of their own, and I now even have some great-nephews and nieces. I have been blessed, as unlike many step families, we haven't had any real problems, except maybe a little jealousy and hurt sometimes. At one stage in my life,  I really struggled with jealousy, as one of my step sisters loved to monopolize my step mother's time. As a child and even as a young woman, I too craved my mother's attention. My attempts to reconcile with my sister, many years later, led to a misunderstanding and a rift between my mother and myself. While on our recent holiday, we had a few little incidents with family that I have to say, because my husband and I are such sensitive people, were a little hurtful. We went down to Sydney to spend some quality time with our son and our ...

One of the mottoes that has kept me going over the years is: "ASSIGNMENTS FROM GOD ALWAYS INCLUDES ENABLEMENT".  I am not sure where I found it, but I have discovered that it is similar to Rick Warren's `SHAPE' teaching. "Whenever God gives you an assignment, He always equips us for what we need to accomplish it." *1 I am not sure what my assignment for 2013 is yet, but I do know that I have run out of excuses and it is time to except "His call", wherever that may be. "Abraham was OLD, Jacob was INSECURE, Leah was UNATTRACTIVE, Joseph was ABUSED, Moses STUTTERED, Gideon was POOR, Samson was CO-DEPENDENT, Rahab was IMMORAL, David had an affair, as well as other FAMILY PROBLEMS.  Elijah was SUICIDAL, Jeremiah was DEPRESSED, Jonah was RELUCTANT, Naomi was a WIDOW, John the Baptist was ECCENTRIC, Peter was IMPULSIVE and hot tempered, Martha WORRIED a lot, Zaccheaus was UNPOPULAR. Thomas had DOUBTS, Paul had POOR HEALTH and Timothy was TIMID....