Don't forget to brush your hair

I'll let you into a little secret, I don't brush my hair! I've had my hair cut once in the past 20 months and it has got so long. I like to get up and get out of the house, I don't have time for faffing and fussing, so I literally wash my hair, give it a shake, and go. I don't even use conditioner! Haha. 

Anyway, I remember as a child, my mum would always brush my hair after it had been washed, sometimes it hurt so much as she would try to brush the knots and tangles out. I would sit there squirming and squealing until that awful hair brushing procedure was over. But like a good girl, as I grew up, I followed the instruction that all good mothers give to their little girls, "make sure you brush your hair!" And I did, that is until the last few years.

Well, I had been getting along just fine with this no brushing my hair thing, it was so much easier to not brush it, and also when it dried it looked better without being brushed. Well, that's what I thought haha. So last week I was surprised to find a rather large knot of hair at the back of my head. I hadn't even noticed it, and to be honest I didn't know how long it had been there. I fiddled with it for a bit, hoping I could get the knots out with my fingers, I soon realised I couldn't. I showed a friend, who also tried to get it out, she couldn't either. So I ended up washing my hair and reaching for the Argon oil. That stuff was sure to help. Now, in my limited knowledge of hair styling, I did know that when using argon oil, one should only use a small amount. I began to massage the argon oil into the knot, which was actually a full on matt of hair! It wasn't working. I used a bit more and a bit more, until I had used two thirds of the bottle!! After lots of oil, a fair bit of pain and frustration, I finally managed to get the matt of hair out! Along with some big clumps of hair swirling down the plug hole! Ouch!

The thing is, if I had been taking care of my hair the way I should have, following Mamma's advice, I would not have been in the that situation. I wonder how often in life, we let things slip, we don't follow instruction, we say yes when we should say no (or vice versa), we don't take that piece of advice, we think we know best, we don't listen? And then, suddenly, we find a knot in our life. An issue, a problem, a stronghold, that really, if we had been given attention where attention was due, it would not be there.

I don't know what your issue is, or what your knot looks like. But I know that if I choose to be bold, and look beyond the long blonde wavy hair, I will find the root of the knot. See the thing is one of my goals in life is to live uncluttered, uncomplicated and to be the most low maintenance person I know. Well, in order for me to fulfil that goal, there are some things I need to put in place.

I want to live a life that honours God, everyday, not just on Sundays, or when I'm with my christian friends. I want to live a life that is pleasing to my God. And if I'm going to live that life, I must give careful attention to it. There are so many things I can do that give attention to the areas of my life that need care and a bit of work. But, I believe the most important thing is God and His Word. I recently just finished a bible reading plan where I read the bible front to back in 90 days. I don't say that to get an applause, I don't need one. I don't see it as an achievement, but rather an absolute necessity if I am going to live the life I dream of and the life that God has destined for me. See, I can't do life on my own, I need God's direction, wisdom, grace, forgiveness, truth, freedom, favour, protection and presence more than the food I eat and the air I breathe. I cannot live this life without Him, I need Him. If I choose to put Him on the back seat of my life, that is when knots start appearing, and they don't just appear at the back of my neck, but they have the potential to appear all over. I need Him. I choose to put Him first. Knots are painful to get out, they are awkward and ugly, and you end up loosing hair through it. The beautiful thing about God's word is that it brings conviction and guidance in the most powerful and loving way. God has good plans for us, but He can only lead us into those good plans if we put Him first, follow His word and allow Him to work in our lives for our good.

I think I need to get my hair brush back out! ;-) How about you? :-) xxx

A Poem

Life has it's way of surprising us,
There are many twists and turns.
Sometimes it's good, sometimes it's bad,
And sometimes there are things to be learnt.

The path we walk, the road we take,
Our future is often unknown.
Some days are dark, some full of light,
And sometimes we feel all alone.

Feelings come and feelings go,
Some emotions are too much to bear.
Our hearts get hurt, ripped out and abused,
And life isn't always fair.

I hear many stories, I've seen many things,
There is deception, abuse and betrayal.
But I won't forget who walks with me,
It's my God, and He will prevail.

The thing about life is it's just so unknown,
We plan and advise and walk.
But some things happen that we did not expect,
And They leave us unable to talk.

In life's ups and downs, in the fire and flood,
We will go through valleys and lows.
But in the storm, we can lean on God,
His presence, His power, His love

So don't be afraid, do not despair,
There is someone who carries you.
He is far greater than all that you face,
And He will walk with you through.

Friends may have left, loved ones gone,
You may be facing abuse.
But Jesus is there, His arms outstretched,
He is you anchor, your hope, and truth.

Cling to Him and lift up your eyes,
He is your everything.
He paid a great price, laid down His life,
And He will cause you to sing.

Pain lasts for the night, it can hurt so bad,
It is ugly and tries to control.
But joy comes in, the morning, so bright.
And joy will enrich your soul.

There is a Saviour, there is a king,
There is a God who sits on the Throne.
He loves you with passion, He sees all your days,
And one day, He'll carry you Home.

It's time for some favour :-)

Last year I saw the power, presence and favour of God at work in my life in the most incredible way. I have so many testimonies of God being there for me, keeping me safe, providing for me, opening doors for me, healing me, restoring me, bringing incredible people across my path, and so so much more. 2014, for me, was definitely a year of experiencing the favour of God.

As I sat down last week, at the end of what has been an incredible year, I thanked God for His favour that has so evidently been all over my life, and I also asked Him for more of His favour this year. Don't get me wrong, I have a whole list of areas I want to grow in this year and have also set myself some pretty big goals of things I personally want to accomplish and achieve. But, for me to live the exceedingly, abundant and above life that He has called me to live, I need His favour. I need strength in my spirit, I need a healthy body and soul, I need finances, I need the right relationships, I need Him to enlarge my capacity, to daily renew my mind, I need to know Him more. I need His favour.

I woke up on the morning of January 1st 2015 and specifically thanked God for His favour over my life this year. I declared that this would be a year where I see His favour even more than last year. I began to ask God for something specific for that day. I told Him what His favour would look like in my life that day and as I talked to Him that morning, I said, "you know God, it would be really good if you could do this for me today, and in this way". I left my request with Him and went about my day, hoping He would do what I had asked, but knowing that I would still trust Him if He didn't. About four hours later, God had come through for me with my earlier request, not only had He miraculously answered my prayer that morning, but He answered it in an Ephesians 3:20 kind of way, the way that only He can! Not only did I receive what I asked of Him, but it was even better than my prayer! Obviously, I was super excited. It's always wonderful when God answers a prayer, but even more wonderful when it is above and beyond what we even asked Him for! I started thanking Him for His favour. And smiling I said, "Wow, God, I didn't know you were going to do that!" I felt His response in my heart, "Leah, My thoughts are higher than your thoughts, My ways higher than your ways. You might think you know what My favour on your life looks, but you haven't seen anything yet. What I want to do in you and through you is far greater than you can even imagine".

God is so good and He desires to do us good. It got me thinking that we often ask God for something, that we might think is pretty big, but actually, we can limit God with our prayers. When we pray we are not talking to a dead, distant or dormant God, we are talking to a King who sits on the throne, the God who is alive, to the God who has overcome the evil of this world and has conquered death a hell. We talk to a God who can heal, rescue, restore and redeem. A God who is for us and not against us. A God who wants to give us the desires of our hearts. A God who created the universe with His own hands. A God who is stronger than any force that tries to destroy us, bigger than any fear that tries to control us and more powerful than anything that comes against us. THIS is our God. Why are we surprised when He answers our prayers? Why do we only ask Him for small things when He is able, and willing, to do big things? 

My prayer is that we would dream big, and then dream even bigger. Expecting the best is good, but let's not just expect the best, why have the best when you can have the best of the best? Expect the impossible. Believe for the unattainable. Reach for the untouchable and believe for the supernatural. God wants to do wonders, in us and through us this year. The amount of wonders we see will be determined by our faith, our attitude, our persistence, our seeking, our trusting, our serving.

Have you every read Isaiah 61? I love that portion of scripture and it has been close to my heart since I was young. It has always challenged, inspired and encouraged me whenever I've read it. I was once in a performing arts group called "Isaiah 61", we would share the Gospel through song and dance, it was a lot of fun! ;-) 

"The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is upon me, for the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted and to proclaim that captives will be released and prisoners will be freed. He has sent me to tell those who mourn that THE TIME OF THE LORD'S FAVOUR HAS COME..." (Isaiah 61:1-2 NLT)

The thing is, His favour, which He wants us to experience, is not just for us, but rather to flow through us and touch those we meet. The whole point of us experiencing the favour of God, redemption, and restoration, is to enable us to live lives where His love and grace freely flow from us to impact the lives of those around us. When I think of God's favour on me this coming year, I get excited. But, when I take that a step further and think of His favour on my life spilling out to impact others, well that makes me want to jump for joy. Which is why this year I am asking God for MORE of His favour. I am not on this planet to live a boring, play it safe, mediocre kind of life. I am here to live big, to live full, to live right, to live free and to proclaim to those who don't yet know, "THIS IS THE YEAR OF THE FAVOUR OF GOD", and so are you! :-)

Be Still

[Early winters morning Southsea Beach]

This morning I was driving down the beach really early and I had to stop for a moment because the view was absolutely breathtaking! I actually can't believe how blessed I am to live in such a beautiful city, right on the sea. And this is full blown winter, but it looks absolutely gorgeous.

I love everything about this photo. But, one of the things I love most about it is how big and powerful the ocean is, yet how calm and still it is. Only a Great and Mighty God can do that. And it reminded me that through all the seasons of life, the good the bad, the busy, the mundane, the dreams, God is big and powerful and we need to be still IN HIM. I don't necessarily mean literally sitting still and doing nothing [although sometimes that is needed as we often get too busy to think]. But having a heart after His, being at peace in the core of our being and just trusting Him. God is the One who fulfills our dreams, it's not about people giving us opportunity, or trying to make stuff happen ourselves, but as we live out our daily activities with a heart that is STILL and surrendered to His,  He will lead us and guide us into His perfect and good plan. As we rest and trust in Him and not in what we can do for Him, or what we can do to serve others, not that we shouldn't serve, serving is part of living the abundant life that God has for us. But our trust and confidence should be in WHOSE we are and not what we do. We need to know WHO HE IS. When we fully KNOW that, being still should come naturally.

"...BE STILL, and know (recognize and understand) that I am God..." [Psalm 46:10 AMP]. Love this verse! 

I'm so glad I stopped the car this morning and breathed in the beauty of that moment, I could have carried on and then I would have missed it.

Be still, there's things in our day that are there to bless us, but we are often so busy looking for them that we actually miss them.

To add an extra blessing to my day, I received a beautiful necklace in the mail that says "Be Still". I think God may be trying to tell me something :)

Be FREE!

"You can't set others free while you are still captive." Chris Caine

I recently read this quote by Christine Caine and loved it. It got me thinking about being free. I've always loved the fact that when we truly know God and live surrendered lives to His word, we can walk in complete freedom. But so often in life we go through seasons, we go through storms, abuse, betrayal, crisis, and stuff happens. Sometimes the things that happen to us can leave wounds so deep that we wonder if they will ever heal. But the truth is that Jesus wants us healed and whole, He doesn't want us walking around broken and defeated. His sacrifice on the cross paid for that. 

So why is it that when we know we are saved, and we believe the finished work of the cross, we walk around bound and defeated? We say we have a passion to see others receive freedom yet we are still messed up ourselves.

The bible tells us that "He was pierced for our transgressions, bruised for our iniquities...and by His stripes we ARE healed."

So why do we still carry so much pain, heart ache, confusion and condemnation when He so freely took it all upon Himself, for us, at calvary?

Maybe it is because we have become comfortable in our pain? If we are not careful, we can let what has happened to us, define us. Sometimes when we experience a storm, a trauma, a crisis, a life defining time, we can be surrounded by grief, sorrow, and, sadness. The storm can overwhelm us and it is easy for us to become self focused, self absorbed and to build up a negative attitude towards others and the world around us.

I'm not by any means making light of what you have been through, I have had my own share of trauma and grief, I know what it is to be abused, to feel like the darkness of the world is suffocating me, to have people falsely accuse me and stab me in the back, I've been through sickness and pain, but, if we are to move on to fullness of life, and freedom, that Jesus offers us, we have to allow Him to lift us up out of our pain, to heal us, to set us free, completely. Personally, I think it is an insult to My Lord when I don't truly walk in the freedom and victory that He so freely, lovingly and graciously offers me.

Sometimes, without realizing it, we can try to hold on to our pain. It almost becomes a safety net, a comfort blanket. But, There comes a time when we need to let it go. And face the world again. And move on. We are stronger and better and wiser when we do.

I'm not saying to get 'just get over it'. There is a process to our pain and we have to go through that process and let our heart mend. But, what I am saying, is let's not give the rubbish that has happened to us, power over us. What God has done FOR us is way greater, powerful and stronger than what anyone has ever done TO us.

There is a time to weep and a time to laugh. Weeping may endure for the night (and the nights can feel so long, I've been there), BUT (don't you just love it when there's a but in the bible?) JOY, comes in the morning. Oh yes, joy DEFINATELY comes. And, it comes with more power than we've ever experienced before. The joy, after coming through the storm, is wonderful. When we look back and see what we've come through and how God proved Himself strong in us and around us, and through us. And how we are now safe and whole and free, the joy that brings is so liberating and fulfilling.

There are so many people in this world who need to know true freedom and victory in their lives. And I believe that God is raising up a company of people who refuse to live in defeat, who refuse to be victims, but who choose strength, who choose courage, who choose victory, who choose wholeness, who choose life. The world needs you, and me, to show them the finished work of the cross of Calvary through our lives. Lets be brave enough to let go of the lain, to face the future with excitement and expectancy, to see God turn every situation around for our good. 

My prayer for my own life is that I would be so free, whole and victorious, that I can truly help those who are captives. Christine Caine is right, "You can't set others free while you are still captive." 

....BUT Jesus!! :-)

I was abandoned BUT He stayed with me,

I was betrayed BUT He never forsook me

I was abused BUT He cared for me

I was rejected BUT He accepted me

I was falsely accused BUT He vindicated me

I was destroyed BUT He redeemed me 

I was destitute BUT He provided for me

I was mocked BUT He sang over me

I was despised BUT He chose me

I was hated BUT He loved me

I was tormented BUT He rescued me

I was broken BUT He healed me

I was lost BUT He found me

I was beaten down BUT He set my feet upon a rock

I was bound BUT He freed me

I was distraught BUT He gave me peace

I was trodden on BUT He made me victorious 

I was alone BUT He was with me

I was isolated BUT He stood beside me

I was at rock bottom BUT He lifted me up

I was disgraced BUT He honoured me

I was helpless BUT He helped me

I was attacked BUT He surrounded me

I was shamed BUT He did not put me to shame

I was wounded BUT He fought for me

I was humiliated BUT He held me

I was wronged BUT He defended me

I was ridiculed BUT He covered me

I was fearful BUT He gave me faith

I was in trouble BUT He was my fortress

I was stolen from BUT He restored me

I was heart broken BUT He made me whole

I was devastated BUT He caused me to triumph

I was crushed BUT He saved me

I was scared BUT He protected me

I was stabbed in the back BUT He always had my back

 

No power of hell or scheme of man can EVER pluck me from His hand. The devil is defeated, he is a liar. My God is not dead, He is alive, He's roaring like a lion and living on the inside of me. He has conquered the grave. I can sing, dance and smile because my God is bigger than any trial I face, He is greater than any pain I endure, He is stronger than any man who tries to harm me, He is for me when others seek to destroy me. He is the God of justice, freedom, mercy and grace. He has rescued me from the dangerous wiles of the enemy. He has resurrected the dead places in my life, restored and redeemed me. He is alive. He is with me and I can live life to the absolute fullest because He loves me, He came, He died and He rose again. I am an overcomer in Him. And my eternal destiny is secured. May my life bring Him Glory, always!

:-) xxx

Lighthouses and stormy seas

It's funny because in England, everyone talks about the weather! It's the perfect conversation opener. They say, if you don't know what to say, talk about the weather. There's a lady in my neighbourhood that I walk past regularly, I don't really know her, we just say hello because we always walk down the same road, and most times we see each other, we say, "lovely day isn't it?" Or, "what a blustery day". Haha, it's kind of funny I guess. I began to wonder, why is it that we talk about the weather so much? Then I figured out why, it was a couple of weeks back when the sun was shining ever so beautifully, the sky was blue and it was a perfect day to put the washing on the line. Then, all of a sudden, out of the blue, the sky turned black, the clouds rolled in, the winds got up, and yes, the heavens opened and my nicely hung washing was now being saturated by the biggest rain drops! In England, the weather changes so much, and quite often when you are least expecting it. Sunshine days turn to stormy days in a matter of minutes, storms come out of the blue.

The changing weather in England is a bit like life really. You see, life isn't always easy is it? Things happen 'out of the blue'. Plans change, people change, life can be hard, and we face storms. We face things we didn't expect to go through, and things we didn't want to go through. We may be experiencing a sunshiny day and then boom, the storm hits and you are left being drenched by the raindrops that you just didn't see coming. Like a person frantically trying to get the washing in off the line, we can feel tossed too and fro, not knowing what's going on and not knowing how we will get out of this mess, or recover from this trauma.

There is a verse in Malachi 3:6, which says, "I am The Lord, I do NOT change". That is a promise for our lives. In a world that is so uncertain, season change, storms come, things change. We can have the rock solid assurance, that the God who holds the entire universe in His hands, HE DOES NOT CHANGE! :-)) He is constant. He is faithful. His love for us does not change.

Lighthouses are often seen on our coastline in England. They are there to guide ships in dangerous areas and to lead the, safely to shore. I wonder if you have ever felt like a ship in a dangerous are, hoping that someone will lead you safely to shore? I know I've been there before. Nd, when I was there, when I was tossed too and fro in troubled seas, feeling helpless and hopeless, God was my anchor, He was my lighthouse. Lighthouses are bright and they shine the way, they are safe and they are constant. Just like a Captain of a ship stuck out at sea can look to the lighthouse for safety and guidance, we too, can look to Jesus, our lighthouse, knowing that He will lead is safely to shore. We all go through seasons of storms, troubles and sorrows, and we can count on Jesus to be that light that guides us to safety. I know that God has done more than guide me to safety, He has rescued me and kept me from drowning.

Storms may be raging around us, but God can calm the storm IN us! I love that. You can be in a storm and it not affect you because of the power and presence of God living on the inside of you. The Bible tells us that "The One who is IN YOU is greater than the one who is in the world" 1 John 4:4.

He is constant. He is our rock. He is our strength. He is steadfast. He does not change. His love does not change. He is our preface in troubled seas.

No matter what we go through, we can know that God is not going to let us drown in the circumstances. He won't walk out on us.

Like us, the disciples of Jesus, in the Bible, often got into storms

"Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone, and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it. Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear. But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” “Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?” And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”" (Matthew 14:22-33 NIV).

When we are lost and don't know where we are going, what direction our life is taking, we can trust that no matter where we are or what's going on, God WILL lead is safe to shore, if we cling to Him. We are going to get to the harbour and to the land. The waves will not overtake us. 

God wants us to see Him walking towards us on the water, He wants us to join Him. Like Peter, Jesus is telling us to "Come" to Him, and not to be afraid.

So whatever waves may be around you today, I encourage you to keep looking up, take your eyes off the storm and fix them in Jesus and you will see Him raise you up through something that you thought would take you under.

He is the God of the harbour, and the God of the storm, and He holds you through it all. Trust Him today, He will lead you to a safe and spacious and very beautiful place :-)

The best is yet to come, don't give up :-) xoxo