TREASURES IN DARKNESS

God is on our side

2012-01-31T05:43:00.000-08:00

WELCOME TO MY BLOG!

"If God is for us, who can be against us? " Romans 8:31

(Photo belongs to: stephensizer.blogspot.com)

What a great promise to believe God for in 2012! The last year had its many successes and failures. But we are now on the threshold of a new year with new challenges, new opportunities and privileges. We must "... press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 3:14). And we need courage to do that.

Society uses courage to honor war-heroes, the bravery of those who save people from dangerous situation and other heroic acts that require extraordinary strength. But we also need courage in our day to day lives. We need courage and wisdom to live ordered lives; so we can give quality time to maintain good health, to praying and reading our Bibles. Our responsibilities to our families, church, employers, communities all need to be met and juggling the time to do these need good planning and we sometimes need the courage to say 'No'.

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Two women I met recently greatly inspired me with their courage. They were both 80 years old. The first woman told me she had spent most of her life caring for her late mother who had an incurable disease. Instead of pursuing a career and marriage with children, she sacrificed these to take care of her mother. She is now actively involved with voluntary work in the community. At 80 years old, she looked well and healthy. The second woman is the full time caregiver for her invalid husband. At an age when other women of her age were enjoying retirement years, her days are spent caring for her husband. These women had the joy of the Lord shining through them. I felt humbled and privileged to be in their presence and to pray for them.

It became clear to me that God used the meeting with those women to speak courage into my own life. Changes are coming and there will be challenges. God is our source of strength and courage. Praise Him! God prepares us through His Word. He told Joshua "As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you" (Joshua 1:5). "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever." (Hebrews 13:8)

(Photo belongs to: unseenwhispers.com)

PRAYER:

Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank you that you give strength to the weak and upholds those who might fall,
Give us courage to do what is right, for those that trust in you have no need to fear.
Make us brave to face any danger which may threaten us.
Give us the help that you have promised to those who ask for it,
that we may overcome our fears and go bravely forward.
Fill us with courage, that nothing which is our duty to do, may be too hard for me.
Let us put our trust in your power and goodness.

In Jesus Name, AMEN!

(Prayer adapted from Prayers For Courage )

I will praise Him

2011-12-30T04:33:00.000-08:00

Welcome to my Blog!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

Pohutukawa, New Zealand's native Christmas tree

(Photo borrowed from - flickr.com)

I cannot believe that Christmas has been and gone already!

I have spent most of this week in the quiet of my home. Reflecting, and pondering my journey of 2011. The passing away of my brother last week brought a sad closure to this year for our family.

And life, goes on. Even in the midst of times when you feel like everything should stop while you take time out. Grief is real, and so is our hope in God. My brother was a family man. He loved his family; his wife and his grandchildren very much. I remember thinking as we gathered at his funeral, that there was enough of us alive to keep my brother's love going for his wife, and children/grandchildren. We, who are living are responsible to care and support those whose loved ones have passed on. 

Crocus flower at the Manurewa Botanical Gardens -10/ 2011

God's word contains promises that we need for every situation in our lives. Earlier this year, I became familiar with the following scripture, "...and your strength will equal your days" (Deuteronomy 33:25). When our cups are empty, God promises to fill us. When we are weak, He promises to make us strong. God gives enough strength, that will be sufficient for what we have to do in a single day or for whatever situation we find ourselves in! What an amazing promise! "O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!" Romans 11:33 KJB.

'With a heart of thanksgiving, I will give praise to the Lord.' 
  

Protea flower - 10/2011
This is my last post for 2011. It's been a wonderful year and there is so much to thank God for. 

I thank God for my family, church, friends and co-workers in ministry and other professionals.
I thank God for my prayer-friends in New Zealand and other parts of the world.   
I thank God for the people he brought across my path - I count it a privilege to share His love with  them.
 I thank God for many, many, many more things...
God's Name be glorified!! 
Protea King flower - 10/2011

Please join me in this prayer:

"Thank you God, for being our Protector and Provider.

May your light and love surround us in the New Year

May your power and might protect us

May your Presence go with us

And, may our lives bring you glory!

In Jesus Name, Amen."

 
Thank you for visiting and for subscribing to my blog. Please feel free to leave your comments.

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!

Best wishes for a Happy and Prosperous 2012!
('Sunrise' pic. taken from my home - 12/2011)

Look after yourself

2011-11-30T02:58:00.000-08:00

WELCOME TO MY BLOG!

Beautiful bloom at the local botanical Gardens

It’s the last day of November and soon it will be Christmas!

The pansies flowers I planted last month are blooming beautifully! Such little flowers but they’ve been a source of joy to me. Someone told me once that plants grow when we talk to them. Although I didn’t really believe that, anyone who loves plants will know that plants respond well to good care.

God made us to thrive and live fulfilling lives. We are responsible to meet our own needs; and it is not selfish to look after ourselves. We must do the things we want to do, make those changes we want to make so we can enjoy what God has given us to do. No one is going to do it for us!

There is always a constant battle to keep good habits alive. Like missing breakfast or working through breaks due to the pressure of work. But it's up to us to take control of these thing. I've maintained a very good exercise routine going for walks at least three or four times in the week. I started off with fifteen minutes and now I have increased to twenty minutes. Small achievable steps are best.

We need to fight to keep those good habits alive! Sometimes, this may require you to say "No". We need to take the necessary rest our bodies require. How can we expect to empower and help people to take control of their lives when we are tired and running on empty?

Everyone need cheerleaders to urge them on. A little encouragement goes a long way. I'm reminded of the quote “Encouragement is oxygen to the soul” (unknown).

I love what David says in Psalm 139:17:

“How precious also are your thoughts unto me, O God!

how great is the sum of them!”

God is committed to us. He created us to thrive and live victorious lives. Hi Spirit dwells in us and He is with us in every challenge we go through. His thoughts towards us are precious!

Prayer:
Lord, help us to take good care of ourselves so
we can be more effective in helping others,
In Jesus Name, Amen.

Change yourself

2011-10-30T02:48:00.000-07:00

WELCOME TO MY BLOG!

Spring has come and it's great to feel the fresh winds of the spring season. Our silver birch tree has new life once again! Its really something to watch the fresh new leaves dancing on the branches that were once bare and dead during the winter. I have followed with interest the process which our deciduous tree (silver birch) goes through year after year. And it always reminds me of the scripture :

"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven." Eccl. 3:1

I'm experiencing a new season and I am actively making changes in order to respond to new challenges I am facing. I was reminded of a quote that I came across recently - "If we don't change, we don't grow. If we don't grow, we are not really living." (Gail Sheehy). Sometimes, we feel overwhelmed when it comes to starting positive life changes.

Several months ago, I made some decisions that included putting my studies on hold so I can pay attention to my health. I joined a healthy eating program and added some exercises to it. I was pleasantly surprised when I won the prize for the third biggest loser! While I didn't go into the challenge to win a prize, this was a bonus and boosted my confidence in achieving my goals.

Some of us will agree that good habits aren’t born overnight. They have to be cultivated through daily practice. The more I practice, the more familiar I am with my new habits.

In my line of work, I often meet people who are down in a rut. They tell me that their jobs are boring, they have no interests outside of their usual routine. They lack thoughts and feelings and have no taste for anything other than the old routine they are used to. I often think to myself, 'Lord, please send help, this person is really in a rut.'

God has called us to be change agents in this world. Prayer changes things around us and changes us. How we pray is important to God. I met a new friend recently in our drop in center at work. He's a young man who was born with a disability. He told me - "I live on prayers." I had lost contact with my previous prayer friend and my new friend came as an answered prayer. His disability does not affect his prayer life. His faith in God and the way he prays has inspired me in the way in which I approach praying.

Are you in a spiritual rut? Is your present routine causing you to lose your taste of the goodness of God? We all have our own struggles and these can either make or break us. Our prayers can change us. If we put our hopes into prayers, God is faithful to answer us. Remember, we have God. We have our Lord Jesus Christ. And we have the power of prayers!

We change the world by changing ourselves.

May the Lord's blessings be upon you and make you fruitful in your season. God bless you!

If we don't change,

we don't grow.

If we don't grow,

we are not really living."

(Gail Sheehy)

God's love is beyond me!

2011-10-07T21:33:00.000-07:00

God's unfailing love is as vast as the heavens! Psalm 36:5-7

It was one of those days! Sunshine, fresh air, peace and time to think. I started walking, praying and headed for the nearby park. The daffodils greeted me and I stopped to take some pictures smiling back at them. I could have kissed them all one by one, they were so beautiful! Further along the path the magnolia tree was in full bloom. What a beautiful day! "Let everything that has breath praise the LORD" (Psalm 150:6). My heart was full of gratitude. For thirty minutes I was spoiled by the beauty that surrounded me. As I reflect on God's love. I share with the Psalmist:

"Your unfailing love, O LORD, is as vast as the heavens;

your faithfulness reaches beyond the clouds.

Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains,

justice like the ocean depths.

You care for people and animals alike, O LORD.

How precious is your unfailing love, O God!

All humanity finds shelter in the shadow of your wings. "

(Psalms 36:5-7) NLT

He restores my soul

2011-05-31T04:53:00.000-07:00

“God you are my God, early will I seek you, my soul thirst for you, my heart longs for you in a dry and thirsty land where there is no water” Psalm 63:1

The above verse has been in my mind for days, even weeks. It is true that the more we read our Bible, the more God puts scripture verses into our hearts and minds and they are there when we need them. Recently, I spent a week at home recovering from a nasty cold. It rained almost all of that week! After three days in bed, the state of being unwell was dragging me down and it felt like I was in a wilderness. But then, when we think we are at the end of our selves, that's when God is at his best!

We have a silver birch tree that grows in the front of our house. On this particular day, it got my attention. In its autumn season, the tree had only a few leaves left on it as the wind had blown most of the leaves off. The tree shelters and provide us with privacy from the passers by. I thought, ‘our privacy is gone... the poor tree was being exposed to the harshness of the winter months. The frost and the wind will have their way.' Then I realized that the scene of the tree was like a mirror reflecting back to me how I was feeling on the inside. The tree in winter is bare of leaves and shows it's shape. It's very much like us as we spend ourselves in our service to others. Work, ministry, family commitments can drain our strength. But these are the things we love doing. So, how do we get back up? How do we get back to being fruitful trees...?

There are seasons in life into which we do not walk willingly. They arrive without our permission. Unlike nature that has its timetable of seasons of spring, summer, autumn and winter, life seasons have no guarantees that they will end within a certain time. These can be times of refinement leaving us grateful for the change. After all, is it not in the valley that God restores us? Is He not the Good Shepherd who leads us beside the still waters where all our needs are met? Who restores our souls? God wants us to understand the seasons we're in.

Praise God for His promises! He knows our beginning to the end. God is in control of every season of our lives. And, He has the perfect plan! “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” Jeremiah 29:11.

If you are reading this, will you join me in prayer:

"Dear Lord,

Help us to understand the seasons of our lives.
Thank you that when we are down to nothing,
You restore us.

In Jesus Name, AMEN!""

The courage of love

2011-04-20T21:09:00.000-07:00

Against the dark background of much despair, the message of Easter, of the resurrection brings to us a bright light of hope. It is a message about the courage of love that sets the Christian faith apart from all other beliefs. It is about a loving God who relentlessly pursues us (Ezekiel 34:12) despite the sin in our lives.

During our reflection time at work this week – I was led to read the following scripture: Jesus said to [Martha] “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die" (John 11:25-16). Sometimes we don’t think much about the daily acts of courage as we live out our Christian values in our communities or workplace. It takes courage to stand in front of people (work colleagues) and speak the scriptures. I believe this is no time to be satisfied with the status quo in our lives. We should take every opportunity that come and turn them into times of sharing the good news of the gospel. There are risks we take and challenges - do come. But these are extraordinary times that stand out when courage enabled us to speak or act. But alas, for most of us, one of the biggest fears we have is of being rejected.

And speaking of courage, Jesus is our perfect example. Jesus trusted God at every corner he turned when faced with rejection. He had the courage to be rejected by those who claimed to have the greatest understanding of God. Look through the gospel of Mathew 8 and 9. He was so courageous in the face of so much opposition, but he never wavered!

God’s offer of the free gift of salvation still stands. "The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9). God is patient (Psalm 103:8) but His wrath will be released on those who reject the message of salvation (1 Thessalonians 5:9).

David says in Psalm 34:8 “Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him." I remember living this scripture out as a new born again Christian. I was filled with a desire to tell people about the born again experience. My lunch times became times of sharing my faith with friends. The more I shared, the bolder I got. Coupled with that was a hunger in me to know more about God’s word. Thank God for those moments for they built courage to continue to share and witness to friends and to unbelievers.

Will you pray this prayer with me:

"Heavenly Father, you have commanded us (Joshua 1:9) to be strong and of a good courage; not to be afraid neither be dismayed for you the Lord God is with us wherever we go, In Jesus Name, Amen."

God bless you this Easter time!

Thank you for visiting.

A new year - a "fresh start"

2011-01-11T22:31:00.000-08:00

The New Year is here! What a year it's been. And I'm really glad to be starting a New Year.

Looking back, 2010 was a busy year. I started a new job at the beginning of the year. Launched my blog (Treasures In Darkness) and started writing. I volunteer weekly as co-host for a radio prayer ministry to the Samoan community and the nations. The ministry celebrated it's first birthday last year. The month of April saw the start of an outreach ministry "Treasures of Hope" to local women in the community. Then in November/December, I attended the 50th Jubilee of Youth With A Mission in Kona, Hawaii. The year closed with the passing away of my father on Christmas day. That year is behind me now. It's time to look ahead!

One of the values I had learned from my late father's life was that of 'perseverance.' He believed in hard work ("if you don't work you don't eat... you become poor"). As a fisherman, he was well known for bringing big fish home. (please read my "Tribute... the skilled fisherman" on facebook http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#/profile.php?v=info&edit_info=all

To achieve, we must have hope. Hope is a choice. When I was saying goodbye to my mother in Samoa, she seemed so frail, so lost. Now that my father is gone, I sensed her grief; loneliness... But I talked about hope, about seeing her again, about a whole lot of positive things to keep her hopes alive.

It's time to stop listening to the stories of poor leadership, recession..., Don't let the behavior of our children set us back, nor the condition of our environment. We become defeated when these things hinder our progress. Make it a point to choose to be around those people who will support you to further your career, ministry etc. This year belongs to us. It is our time, our day, and it is passing.

"... The Sovereign Lord is my strength;

he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,

he enables me to go on the heights" (Habakkuk 3:17-19).

You can do it. So go for it!

Treasures Of Hope - update

2010-11-07T21:22:00.000-08:00

Greetings to you all!

I give praise and thanks to God for his guidance and for the many life-changing experiences he has brought us through.

It's seven months since Treasures of Hope started and I am seeing the hand of God bring divine appointments, aligning us with unique opportunities of ministry to women. God is faithful as we seek Him - He promises that he will not leave us nor forsake us.

God has called us to take the Gospel of good news to all the world. Treasures of Hope's vision is to reach the hurting and needy women in our local community. Some are Christians who do not belong to a church, while the others are not Christians yet. We believe God has called us to provide a safe place for women to gather; to receive healing, encouragement and be supported to seek God's direction for their lives.

"God sets the lonely in families, he leads forth the prisoners with singing" Psalm 68:6.

"He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds" Psalm 147:3.

Some highlights from recent meetings:

Three weeks ago, one woman gave her life to the Lord for the first time. It's always a privilege and a great joy to lead someone to the Lord! This woman came with many questions and in the end, she was willing and ready to receive the gift of salvation.

During our meeting last weekend, our home became a refuge to a woman who needed time out from her problematic marriage relationship. She has since restored her relationship with God. God is restoring hope and healing to many women.

We are currently waiting for approval to offer support/ministry to women who are in refuge homes due to domestic violence. There is so much God can do through us when we are available. I read the following scripture today and I was so touched and encouraged about God's love and compassion for the lost. As the scripture is saying, God is calling us to the harvest now, not tomorrow or at any other time - but now!

Psalm 102:13
"You will arise and have compassion on Zion, for it is time to show favor to her; the appointed time has come."
Thank you to all our prayer partners and friends. Your prayers move the hand of God. We continue to covet your prayers so we can influence more lives and fulfill what God is calling us to do.

May God's blessings be upon you all, In Jesus Mighty Name, Amen!

It's a new day, God is with us

2010-10-06T21:09:00.000-07:00

My heart always leaps with joy at the sound of good news! And I would say, 'Thank you,' knowing God is there. Many times when listening to stories being told of broken lives, a sense of hopelessness comes across and I would ask, "God are you there?"

Earlier this year I asked for prayers for a 'Rapper' friend who wanted to record his song. He has since recorded his song and is now promoting himself through invitations to participate in local events. His confidence and faith is being built up, and I thank God because, 'He is there. ' Last night my grandchildren's mother returned from a brief trip overseas - and I thank God for his protection, his traveling mercies - 'God is with us.'

When one of my leaders stirs my faith up and put courage in me to do something, I thank God because 'He is there.' When I turn on the TV and the preacher is shouting in my ears, "There's more in you than what's on the outside..." I look up and say, "Thank you God that you are there." When I open the Word of God and the scriptures says, ", "See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?..." (Isaiah 43:19). And I say,"Thank you God, You are with me."

How many times have you said : "I can do it..." "I will get through it..." In Psalm 28:7, David says:

"The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song."

David's gift of worship became his strength. And strength is what we need to cry out, "God are you there?" David knew his God was always with him because he created God-moments of worship where God would come and meet with him. When we say the Lord is our strength and shield we are calling him into our life experiences.

God has placed good people in our lives to remind us that He is with us. Think of your pastors, your spiritual leaders, your friends. Those who counsel and encourage you, pray with you; working with you to bring God's will into your life situations.

The challenge therefore is : "What are you trusting in?" Sometimes the shields we hope would protect us can fail but that's a reminder of how limited our strength and shields are.

Here's a prayer for all of us: "Lord please stir in us a genuine desire for you, open our eyes as we pray and seek after you, In Jesus Name, Amen!

Have a great day!

God-moments in winter

2010-08-17T22:22:00.000-07:00

God-moments

Winter is a time when most people would rather not bother going anywhere. You hear so many people complaining about the weather when it’s wet, hot or cold. Sometime ago, I was convicted about my comments on the weather after I received understanding of the following scripture. “... All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” (Psalm 139:16. David goes on to say in verse 17, “How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!”

I took a few days leave from work recently and I offered to take my son’s car for maintenance so he didn't have to miss work. I was informed the repair work needed was going to take four hours so I had a choice to either pick up the car later or hang around at the workshop. I chose the latter, and it turned out to be one of those God-moments that only God would have planned for me.

The small waiting room was cold and unattractive. But I felt drawn to observe what was going on in the place. The small business is owned and run by a family (father, sons & daughter) and it’s been operating for a few years now. I was impressed with the manner in which the owner greeted his clients. He had great customer service ethics.

Then I was reminded that we've been praying on the radio and at church for God to prosper business in the communities. With that thought in my mind, I knew God had purposed for me to pray. I asked the owner if I could pray with him for his business. He was so thankful and appreciative. A young woman walked into the room and we introduced ourselves. It turned out the lady had started her own business from home as a translator. She was glad for the offer to pray for her business. I turned around and there were more people now in the room.

I could sense the presence of the Lord was moving in the place. I had completely forgotten how cold it had been in the room. A man came in with his son and we got talking. I shared with him about my church and its outreaches to the local area, through doing acts of kindness (‘servolution’) such as assisting families with lawn mowing, repair work in and outside the homes, giving out bread, and clothing, free pamper for women and other things. Two other women (Maori) had now joined us in the room.

When people respond positively, I believe it is time to take the conversation into another level. I talked to them about our Maori church members leading worship in the Maori language (Te Reo) the previous week. Our Pastor had made it a special occasion to celebrate the end of the Maori Language week with Maori worship. It was powerful worship! I wanted so much to express this because it was one of those significant times of our journey as a multicultural church in a community that is primarily occupied by Maori people.

While all this was happening, my hands were busy folding my leaflets for my women's ministry Group Meeting the coming week. I got the chance to promote this event and distributed my leaflets to everyone there.

My whole time was consumed with praying, sharing and meeting new people. By the time my car was ready, I had spent four hours of just doing what God had purposed for me so many years ago. As I write this, I'm thinking winter is almost gone; I can hear those birds singing as if saying, they are alive and have survived this cold winter. Someone has been looking after them. And soon, very soon, spring will come.

God makes everything beautiful in His time!

Prayer: Dear Lord, may we always find and appreciate
those God-moments you have ordained for us.

In Jesus Name, Amen.

Reflections - Treasures of Hope Meeting - 9/7/10

2010-07-14T04:37:00.000-07:00

Treasures of Hope welcomed a new group of new women to its meeting last week. It's been a blessing and joy to meet new women and to share in their life journey.

Devotional
Our devotional reading was taken from Proverbs 25:11, "A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver." Words are so powerful and sometimes they can either make us happy or make us angry or sad. Our verse talks about words that are "fitly spoken". There's another beautiful scripture in Luke 4:22, "All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his lips..."

Testimony
A brief testimony always helps to bring the message home. Sharing one's faith brings God into the picture.We must sow the seed of salvation with every opportunity God gives us. All we have is now!

Speak hope-filled words to each other
Nothing gets to my soul like well chosen words!
Time to build hope into one another through encouraging the use of positive words. The Book of Proverbs has a lot to say about words:

15:"23 "A man finds joy in giving an apt reply - and how good is a timely word!
12:25 "An anxious heart weighs a man down, but a kind word cheers him up."
16:24 "Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bone."
Luke 4:22, "All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his lips..."

There is always hope!
During the whole evening, we kept filling ourselves with hope. Here's what the women came up with when asked what 'hope' meant to them:

"HOPE is the last sparks of the moonlight sparks of the moonlight disappearing and welcoming the first rays of sunlight to a new day."
"HOPE is about survival..."
"HOPE gives us a reason to carry on..."
"HOPE is 'direction' ... to where I want to go..."
"HOPE is from God... hope, faith and love go together..."
"HOPE is - opening my eyes in the morning and I am alive."
"HOPE is seeing my family at the end of the day...
"HOPE is holding my grandchildren in my arms, praying for them..."
"HOPE can be seen ..."HOPE can be held..." "HOPE can speak..." "HOPE is a thought... an idea, a dream..."

"Jesus is HOPE..." The Lord - He is my HOPE..."

Prayer
It's always a privilege to commit the women to God in prayer. He is our hope, our deliverer, our rock and our fortress, in Him we entrust our lives and the lives of those He brings across our paths. To God be the glory!

Thanks
Thank you to all our prayer-partners in this ministry. God bless you richly!

Thank you for visiting and please visit us again!.

TREASURES OF HOPE - Reflections

2010-06-28T02:15:00.000-07:00

Treasures of Hope is a place where women can meet and make new friendships, share their stories, and receive encouragement from one another. It has been a privilege to meet the women and hear them share their stories from their their journey.

We had two new women at our last meeting and one of them came because of a chance text she received from a friend.
The theme and message of our evening was "hope." The women responded well during our group activity which facilitated some new learning for all of us.

I believe every woman that comes to treasures of hope is valuable to God. I thank God for their openness to the scriptures and prayer. Faith pleases God. Hebrews 11:6 "For without faith it is impossible to please God, for anyone that comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him." I pray the women will remember Jesus in their journey.

Psalm 139:16 says, "All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be." God ordained our beginning and our end. Recently, this scripture has made a lot of difference to me as I get up to begin my day and when I sleep at night. It spoke to me last week when I was running behind schedule with delivering the flyers to the letter boxes. I committed the need to God in prayer and praise God for answered prayers. He sent someone to deliver the flyers and the same person is now my helper and assistant! God knows our needs - and where He guides, he provides!

Here are some comments from the women:

'I loved tonight. It was a chance text that was sent to me by accident but I think I was meant to be here tonight. The friendship is awesome, just what I needed.' (Robin)

'What an awesome night, really enjoyed being back...' (Michelle)

'Thank you for the opportunity to be with friends who are lovely and kind... I did learn a lot. I loved one of the women's story and the strength she showed...also learning a lot about the other women. I feel like I've started off a lovely friendship... I'm definitely coming back'! (Patricia)

"Thank you again for having me... I always go away feeling really blessed...' (Fetu)

Prayer
Please continue to pray for the Lord to bless these women and their families. Please pray also for the Lord to draw more women to come to the meetings through the flyers and word of mouth. Our next meeting is on the 9th of July.

Thank you for your prayers and encouragement. God bless you all!

"Give me this water..." (Re-posting)

2010-05-31T04:08:00.000-07:00

"Give me this water..." John 4:4-26

The wet and windy weather didn't deter the women who came to our meeting last Friday night.We kicked off our time with worship, thanks to the women who brought their guitar and their beautiful singing voices. We made some noise, and our worship was heard in the neighborhood. My neighbors asked the following morning if we had a party at my home.

Devotional message

John 4:4-26

Verse 15: The woman said to him, "Sir, give me this water so that I won't get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water."

It has been a real joy to share from God's Word of the Lord to the women who have attended our fortnightly Friday nights meetings of Treasures of Hope. Last Friday night, I continued sharing from John 4 - focusing on the above verse "Sir, give me that water..."

We have got to be thirsty for God before we can really have a close relationship with Him. I saw that thirst on the faces of the women i shared with. As the Psalmist said - "As a deer longs for flowing streams, so my soul longs for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God." (Psalm 42:1-2). The Lord Jesus Christ is the one and only true source of satisfaction we will ever find in this life. Just like the Samaritan woman, most of us have been at that place in our lives when we realize we are sinners and need the water of forgiveness (salvation). Jesus provides us with living water. He gives us spiritual satisfaction. No where in this life can we find spiritual contentment but in our relationship with Jesus.

The Samaritan woman had so much going against her; possibly married and divorced five times; she was now in a relationship with a man whom Jesus said was not her husband. Think of how this woman must have felt. But this is a story of hope. This is the gospel of hope... that Jesus came to bring. And, the woman said "give me this water." In the end, the woman was willing to admit that she needs this water. She was ready for this kind of water and would gladly make this her last trip to the well.

The Lord is calling us:

to our personal relationship with Him
to be thirsty for God; to desire His presence
Jesus is the Well - to desire continuous fellowship with Him
to draw strength from the Well
to get to know His Word; love it, speak it, live it!
build each other up with "life-giving'" "faith-filled" words
build His kingdom - by "building up" each other.
Like the woman at the Well, be thirsty... cry out to Jesus (at times of spiritual dryness) "give me that water."

Are you thirsty for a victorious life...? Ask Jesus to fill you up...

Ministry time - was spent praying for one another and asked God to re-charge our spiritual passion for Him. We confessed we are tired of just going through the motions, and that we needed spiritual renewal.

"If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink." (John 7:37)

I stretch out my hands to you; my soul thirsts for you like a parched land." (Psalm 143:6)

Thank you for visiting - There's more to come!

TREASURES OF HOPE - Reflections

2010-05-14T23:26:00.000-07:00

We had our second meeting of Treasures of Hope Womens group last night. Here's some highlights of our wonderful time last night:!

Our devotion was from John 4: 1-26 "Come to the Well."

Why come to the well? Because Jesus is there waiting for us! When we come with a desire to seek His presence, we find Him. Oh, there is so much at the Well. I felt the Holy Spirit took over the words that spilled out from my mouth. What a place to be! It's at the Well we hear the longings of His heart. What a supernatural experience - a supernatural revelation of His love – deep, so deep. There was room made in our hearts for God to move. The Apostle Paul, in his letter to the Ephesians said: “…grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Chrit, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge – that we may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” That revelation can shape our innermost beings and wells up like a spring - and we just can’t help but pour it out onto others who are thirsty!

And the water from the well spilled out to the thirsty last night... we drank our fill and later shared our experiences with each other. There was just a few of us - and we felt the power of God's Word move in our midst.

Testimony time:

"Prayer“ connects us to the well
when thirsty, you cannot do without this water. it quenches your thirst, it satisfies
the well that brings fresh hope; the rainbow in the sky - God's promises that we can claim for ourselves.
the well of healing - more than what medication physicians prescribe.
the well that gives strength to the weak traveller...
the well that gives assurance of protection...
the Well that never runs dry..! (just to mention a few)

Ministry time - Prayed for one another. One of our women made a fresh re-commitment to walk with Jesus. God's Word quenches the thirsty, glory be to God!

Thank you for visiting, please visit again, we appreciate your prayers and feel free to leave comments.

There is more to come from Treasures of Hope"

Being diligent in your season...

2010-05-08T21:41:00.000-07:00

The ideal woman described in the Book of Proverbs 31 is a hard worker. I often wonder, how on earth can a woman do all those things that the Bible speaks about! The writer Stormie Omartian has some excellent thoughts about the woman in Proverbs 31. She buys and sells property (real estate agent). She plants a vineyard, makes clothing and sells it. She is a woman of strength, energy and vision who works hard into the night and knows that what she has to offer is good. Wow! is she for real Lord?

But what about mothers who find life can be a struggle...

The Word of God helps to straighten out our mind and soul and helps us think clearly about things. It leads us aways from self destructive thoughts and enables us to enjoy a sense of well-being. It gives us hope and keeps us on course. Hope! Yes, each of us is an individual, ever-growing, changing. None of us is a finished product. I believe God wants us to achieve the kind of success and satisfaction mentioned in Proverbs 31. But firstly, it doesn't happen without prayer. Prayer helps us not to wear ourselves out trying to do many things. Stormie Omartian says that "...Prayer helps us to find the balance between laziness and obsession, between gaining the whole world and losing our own soul."

And here's something else I discovered about the woman in Proverbs 31. She's definitely not a superwoman. This woman has gifts and abilities just like you and I. She uses her gifts and abilities wisely and in her season. What season are you in? Is it spring, summer or winter or is it autumn? No matter which season we are experiencing, with prayer and God's Word we can achieve our goals as we apply ourselves to the tasks. Prayer and knowing God's Word helps us to put things in perspective. Paul says in Philippians 4:13 "...that we can do all things through Christ who gives us strength..." We do it according to our needs and gifts and the energy we put into completing the tasks at hand. We are in process, making progress.

We must prayerfully define our roles as mothers, as home makers, as career women... and we must also accept the decisions that others make around us. Don't let the role expectations that others have for you threaten your confidence in the role you have prayerfully worked out for yourself. Your parents, friends, inlaws, pastors... may all hold completely different ideas of what is "right" for you. Listen to them and love them. Then, stick to what you believe unless the Lord shows you differently.

Will you join me in this prayer:

"Dear Lord, give us a "second wind" - a renewed strength and fresh hope

so that we might continue to powerfully serve You and bless others,

HAPPY MOTHERS' DAY!

Treasures of Hope - God seeks seekers

2010-05-01T05:27:00.000-07:00

Treasures Of Hope Women's Group met last night at my home. It was our first meeting since the ministry opened two weeks ago. The presence of the women who came enhanced the atmosphere of fellowship. I had never had that many candles lit up in my home before, but tonight there were candles everywhere. The light from the candles seemed to fill up every empty space in the home. We had a small group to start with but it felt like the place was filled with people.

I shared the scriptures from the Book of Isaiah 61:1,3. It's a message of hope! There is hope for those who understand that the Lord's favor would come upon all who sincerely seek to love and obey Him. God knows what to do with grief. He wants to give beauty in exchange for the ashes of our lives. God loves to work with messed-up lives...

I shared a testimony of when I first met Jesus and how He changed my whole focus in life. This led the way for women to share something of their life journey. One thing was certain from the sharing - people are seeking for that something that is missing in their lives. Until that emptiness is filled, the search continues... At the end, prayers were offered up in response to what we shared.

God seeks seekers. 2 Chron.16:9 says: "For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward Him."

As I reflected more on our time with the women last night, I was also led to read and ponder the following scriptures:

Malachi 3:17: "And they shall be Mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels."

Zechariah 9:16 "And the Lord their God shall save them in that day as the flock of His people: for they shall be as the stones of a crown, lifted up as an emblem upon His land."

Those who find God as their Treasure will be a treasure unto Him.

Prayer: "Dear Lord, help us to minister your love to women who are seeking. May they find You and may they "sell all" for"a treasure in the heaven that faileth not..." Thank You Lord, In Jesus Name, Amen."

Treasures of Hope is launched

2010-04-23T08:25:00.000-07:00

Opening of Treasures of Hope Ministry

Everything starts with a seed; a thought, an idea, or a dream. "Treasures of Hope," a ministry to women in the local community opened last week. A small gathering led by my Pastors and friends came to celebrate the event. It was a beautiful evening, of warm fellowship. It beautifully set the scene - for what Treasures of Hope ministry will be all about in the days to come.

My brief sharing on the vision of Treasures Of Hope was a special moment for me. It was hard to contain the excitement inside of me. I have carried the seed in my heart for a long time and to finally see it materialise as Treasures Of Hope- gives me every reason to praise and thank God. First, for preserving the desire in my heart. Secondly, for the spiritual environment the seed has been exposed to. Without the latter, the seed would not have survived this far.

Our words - God-words are powerful
Talking about the vision of Treasures Of Hope was like a face-to-face confrontation with the giant - "fear." It was one of those moments, like when engaging in spiritual warfare-praying, you just have that strong sense of knowing, that there is something supernatural going on but you can't explain it. It felt like every word I said intensified the blow that slayed "fear" (the enemy) in the face. During those few moments, I felt a sense of victory. "Fear" lost it's power over me and I came out the victor, standing on the other side. When the words were all out, a spiritual battle was won. Something beautiful was birthed- "treasures of hope."

Words are powerful! When we surrender our will for God's will, our words and actions, have the power (of God) to slay giants (spiritual) that have been standing over us, hindering us from achieving our purpose in God! I was also reminded that evening, that we can walk through anything God asks us to, because he doesn't ask us to walk alone. I have a better understanding of how big God is and what He can do. That, if He's called me to do something, I have no reason to be afraid!

Treasures of Hope - The Ministry
A few years ago I came across the scripture - Isaiah 45:3-4:

"I will give you treasures of darkness, riches stored in secret places,

so that you know that I am the Lord, the God of Israel who summons you by name."

I continued to meditate on the scripture over the years and God has given me a deeper perspective. That treasures are not out in the open. Treasures are in dark places where no one would ever think to look. When going through past difficult times... surrounded with darkness I felt like I was drowing. God spoke to me about not focusing on the dark or I will miss the hidden treasure. Last year a preacher, also acknowledged as a prophet in the Body of Christ did a seminar at our church and he ministered and prayed for us. He prophesied that God was going to use me to "...save many women who are shipwrecked..." I believe it was only a matter of time before I was going to obey and step out in faith to fulfill God's call on my life. My blog "Treasures of Darkness" was launched late last year. The blog was an opportunity for me to begin to write about some of the things God was doing in my life. I began to see the bigger picture of my journey with God.

Hebrews 6:19 says "We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure..." The Psalmist in chapter 107:29-30 says "He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed... and he guided them to their desired haven." Jesus is the "Hope." He is our desired haven, our anchor, safe and secure.

Treasures of Hope's primary focus is on providing a place for women to gather; make new friends, to share and sow seeds of hope and encouragement to one another. Whatever the circumstances, women will be encouraged never to give up on life, family or their dreams. That with God, nothing is too hard. Every woman is a treasure of Hope!

Looking forward to introducing Jesus the Hope of the world, the desired haven for women who have been tossed about in the storms of life. Psalm 34:8 "O taste and see that the Lord is good..."

Group meetings
The Women's Group meets fortnightly on Fridays at my home, starting from the 30th of April.

Information leaflet
At the time of writing this, our information leaflets are ready to be hand-delivered to the homes on our street this weekend. The first part of our plan is to reach every home on our street with an information leaflet about Treasures of Hope.

Spiritual accountability
Accountable to my Pastors - Lui and Ane Ponifasio at LifeChurch Manurewa

Partner with us in Prayer
Nothing happens without prayer! While our church are praying, we would also appreciate your prayers for our ministry. We are dependent on the voice of God to guide and direct this ministry.

Acknowledgements
Special thanks to all our friends on facebook for your prayers. Thank you and may God bless you richly in return as you pray with us!

Thank you for visiting and we hope you will visit again. There's much more to come!

Easter, the miracle of forgiveness

2010-03-31T02:55:00.000-07:00

Easter is all about Jesus! It is about the miracle of a new beginning. The more I walk with Jesus, the more I find out how wonderful he is.

The season of Easter is an ideal time to reflect on the goodness of God, His mercy and grace, past and present. It’s a time to ponder, a time to consider the message behind Easter – of God coming in the flesh, in the person of His Son, Jesus Christ. He lived and walked with men, died a horrendous death and rose back to life on the third day. I remember seeing the movie “The Passions of Christ.” It was a terrible experience. I was shocked, shattered and felt saddened at the anger and hatred that the people had for Jesus. The prophet Isaiah in 53:4-5, says this about Jesus:

"Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows... But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed."

My conversion to becoming a born-again Christian happened almost twenty two years ago now. Without Christ's divine interventions, there was no way that I could meet God's perfect standards. Here’s a paraphrase version of something I read about forgiveness: ” …I stood before God in my sinful tattered clothes, with my heart tangled up with anger and rebellion, and my shoes worn out and muddy from all my past failures.” With where I was in life, that's exactly what I would have looked like, as I stood before God asking for forgiveness!

The reality of forgiveness started where I was on the day of my conversion, not where I wanted to be, or where I wished I was. The Golden Rule of the Bible is "...in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you" (Matthew 7:12). Forgiving others plays a big role in relationships. At conversion, my relationship with God was restored, but I had other relationships to be renewed too, and these included family, friends and indeed my enemies.

As Christians, we know that forgiving someone and being forgiven by someone may not automatically take away the hurt or deny the past injury. Neither does forgiveness ignore the possibility and need for repentance. There must be a willingness to take the initiative in dealing with any barriers, that are in the way of restoring the relationships as based on what Jesus has done. In my daily walk with God, I have to keep reminding myself to forgive others just as Jesus did for me. Admittedly, I do not find this easy so I have been working at it for as long as I've been a born again Christian.

A woman forgiven

My journey with Jesus has been a huge learning experience. The road wasn't always smooth. There were mountains of difficulties to overcome; dark valleys and storms to get through. I can say from experience, that no amount of counselling, no amount of therapy, and no amount of medicine, could give my circumstances a quick fix. I needed a whole lot more than what all these things can offer. The more I walk with Jesus, the more I know Him and the more I realize how much I need Him.

I quote the following scriptures as an expression of my praise, gratitude and thanksgiving to God!

“My soul doth magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour..." (Luke 1:46).

“You turned my wailing into dancing, you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy. That my heart will sing to you and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever” (Psalm 30:1-2).

Prayer:

"Dear Heavenly Father, I pray this Easter season be a time of new beginnings for everyone. May it resurrects new life, new meaning and new purpose into our lives. In Jesus Name, Amen"!

God's love never dies, God's love goes on

2010-03-05T16:11:00.000-08:00

In this post, I would like to share a chapter of my life journey with you. I don't know where you are living but my world is far from perfect. I regularly have doubts, fears and disappointments in my life. During those times, we all need stabs of inspiration to reinforce, encourage and motivate us. The title of this post was birthed in my heart way back in 1987 while living on the beautiful island of Rarotonga.
"God's love never dies, God's love goes on." Those were the words from the Pastor who officiated the burial ceremony of my late husband and the father of my two boys. The month was October, in the year 1987. The words jolted me back to reality. We were at the graveside and the service was about to end. Our eyes were focused on the coffin as it was being lowered into the grave. The pastor's words were ringing in my ears. I remember holding on to my two children aged nine and three years at the time. I looked up to the sky thinking, how could a loving God take away the father of two boys who were so young! Nevertheless, the coffin soon disappeared into its resting place and then he was gone! The Pastor was talking about a love that doesn't end. The words sounded ridiculous, and didn't make any sense, as the love of our lives was now buried and gone!

Our move to live in the Cook Islands, took seven years to materialise. We had sold our house and in May 1987, we made the move. The plan was to start a new life; have our own business and raise our children in the islands. But, like a thief in the night, death came and smashed our hopes and dreams that year. Why us Lord? And what did the Pastor mean by those words?

Anyone who has experienced the loss of loved ones will identify with some of the feelings and emotions that I went through. I was angry with God, angry with the children's father, angry with myself for agreeing to the move. How could he? How dare (I thought) he took us there and then died on us. I had given up a good job with a reputable carpet manufacturer in Auckland and had begun studies towards a qualification in business management. I was on my way to building a career in sales. In the story of Ruth, the Bible talks about Naomi losing her husband and her two sons while living in the land of Moab (Book of Ruth). Naomi must have dreaded returning to her homeland of Bethlehem. The 'milk and honey' in Moab had run out, and Naomi didn't want to face people back home and be seen as a failure. That's exactly how I felt. We were new arrivals in Rarotonga and we were practically still strangers to most people. I was overcome with fear; fear of the future, fear of raising my children on my own... The future looked bleak. Still, in the back of my mind were the Pastors' words, "God's love never dies, God's love goes on."

Rarotonga, the capital of the Cook Islands is a beautiful place. We soon got to know our new neighbors and the many relatives of my late husband who lived on the island. Fruits and vegetables were plentiful and we lacked nothing in the way of food. We were surrounded by family land yielding an abundance of pawpaws, kumaras, oranges, pineapples, bananas etc. In the early days, people would just leave food items outside our doorsteps, and we never really got to find out who some of them were. Looking back, it really didn't matter who they were. The angels were busy in that part of Rarotonga, blessing a widow and her sons. Also living on the island was an ex-college friend and his family, who were missionaries with Youth With A Mission (YWAM). Their home became our home and many of our happiest memories on the island were spent with them on that YWAM base. I continued to ponder on those words from the Pastor, "God's love never dies, God's love goes on."

In the following year, my sons and I accepted Jesus as our Lord and Saviour. What does God do with a desperate, insecure woman and two fatherless children? I believe He smiles as He lifts them up to His presence. I love that scripture in Zephanaiah, "The Lord your God is with you, He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing" (Zephaniah 3:17). It felt like that as we were accepted into our new church who welcomed us with open arms. As love was extended to us, love also grew in our hearts for our new found family. We never missed church on a Sunday or any of the church activities like Bible studies/home groups, camps, outreaches... The Papa's and Mama's (older men & women) taught me to pray. I loved listening to those 'fired up' Christians praying. I had no understanding that you can cry and talk to God like that. It inspired me in the area of prayer and I believe I was hooked on praying and talking to God way back then. The Bible studies in the homes gave much joy and something to look forward to. It was in Rarotonga that my love to study God's Word was nurtured.

Something else was happening too. My faith and understanding of God's love grew and the Pastor's words on the day of the funeral started to make sense. I came to appreciate God's love and kindess through other people. Prior to becoming a Christian, I lived a very materialistic life. Success to me, was measured by material possessions and God knows we had more than what we needed. In Rarotonga, God met our needs in many ways. Through our churh family our need for belonging was met. I had a good job and God gave us many friends in, and outside of the church. Their love and kindness helped to heal our loss. I'm deeply thankful to God for our Rarotongan families and friends.

In keeping my testimony real and balanced, I also want to say that there were many times of loneliness too. We still missed the physical presence of my children's father. His chair at the dining table was always empty. We drew on memories of our eleven-year marriage. We shared memories and I reinforced memories that the boys could remember of them doing things with their father. God also used nature to minister His healing to us. Our house was only a couple of minutes from the beach - which was like a magnet to the boys. Many happy family times were spent there. We watched numerous sunsets, so gloriously beautiful that I referred to them as the colours of God's love. Evening would come, and we would have our devotions and prayer times there. Then the stars would come out one by one in the evening transforming the sky. My nine-year-old son taught me some of the names to the stars and the galaxies as they appeared in the sky. We so appreciated the beauty of God's creation around us and we filled our minds with pictures of it. We loved those times as a family! I selfishly wished that my children would never grow out of that stage of their lives.

I don't know what your experience with death was like, but ours was painful and lonely at the beginning. Thank God for my sons. I remember our first flat tyre and my son changed it. In God's timing, my sons will add their version of our story. For me, I felt a tremendous sense of loss and of being abandoned. As I was always dependent on my husband for many things, his death left me with many insecurities. I was fearful of the future. But, things started to change when I gave my life to Jesus and He became the Lord of my life. My way of thinking changed. It was like having a new set of glasses to see life through. Just as the stars (God's love) lit up our grey skies, the darkness (grief, doubts, fears), lifted as God's light shone into our grieving hearts. I began to see the practical side of God's love. Most of us are familiar with the saying - "time is a great healer." And, what about the pastors words that - God's love never dies, that God's love goes on?

As my faith in God grew, so did my understanding of His Word. Our church family and the loving nurturing environment gave us a home and place to belong. Looking back, God was at His best as He expressed His love through our church family and friends. His love never left us. He continued to love us through others. Day by day, God met our physical, emotional and spiritual needs. He is still doing that today as our journey continues with Him. In Psalms 68, David says this of God: "A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows..." "God sets the lonely in families." As God promised, He also fulfilled.

"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart" (Jeremiah 29:11-13).

Prayer: May the Lord bless you and heal your grief and sorrow. May the Almighty God restore your loss and give you fresh hope for the future, In Jesus' Name, AMEN!

A bruised reed He will not break...

2010-02-20T03:00:00.000-08:00

"A bruised reed He will not break, and a smouldering wick He will not snuff out" Matthew 12:20.

Jesus does not give up on anyone. No matter how too far gone you may feel, you are not beyond the reach of God. I believe there are many people in our society who need to hear this. What do all these people have in common?

A man who had done his spouse wrong and is desperately wanting to make right the wrong.
A woman who mistreated her child and wants to be forgiven.
A father who walked out of his children at a young age and is now begging to reconcile with them.
A homeless woman who doesn't know who her family are.
A woman who works on the street because it's the only way she can make a living.

What about the friend who once had it all, was a tower of strength to others but was bruised by hurtful words, betrayed by someone very close. Or someone who once was so strong in their faith until bruised by criticism and snuffed out in the darkness. I remember growing up in the islands before the time of electricity. Our only means of light were the old kerosene lamps with wicks. Once the kerosene was gone, the wick would just burn low and then extinguished and replaced. All these people referred to above are 'bruised reeds' and 'smouldering wicks.' Most of them are lost and need hope and direction. Christians have a powerful message that can breathe life and healing into the lives of those who have been snuffed out and bruised.

The most visible part of my work as a community social worker, is advocacy; for a food parcel, a support letter on behalf of clients for housing or for the social welfare etc. But I believe the people need more. I believe they need to be given the truth - the message of the Gospel. And that is how I have found praying for, and with people, is an effective way to introduce them to the Gospel. God has equipped all of us with gifts and skills so we can be effective Christians. Dialogue and prayer makes a difference! When we're confronted with the poverty mindedness of people, we have to challenge their thinking and direct them to the opportunities and the resources available. Above all, we can point them to their greatest need for a Saviour. When someone calls you back to say thank you for the prayer of reconciliation, you praise God that He answered that prayer! Thank God that through Jesus, "...He gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation" (2Corinthians 5:19).

Don't let your past experiences break you off and snuff you out. Come to God, for - "A bruised reed He will not break, and a smouldering wick He will not snuff out."

Our response to unanswered prayers

2010-02-05T19:00:00.000-08:00

"Sing O barren, you who never bore a child, burst into song, shout for joy, you who were never in labor, because more are the children of the desolate woman than of her who has a husband; says the Lord" (Isaiah 54:1).

Have you ever experienced times when you are praying fervently from your whole heart and yet it seems that God is silent? Do you ever wonder if God has even heard your prayers? If so, you are not alone. We've all felt like that many times. I have many "number one" prayers that remains unanswered.

Recently, I caught up with missionary friends I hadn't seen for a long time. Just like old times, we had a great time of sharing and of exchanging stories. The topic of prayer came up. My friends had spent many years in missions and had raised their children up to young adult age on the mission field. Their testimonies of God's faithfulness in prayers have always inspired and motivated me to pray. I shared about my 'number one prayers' that continue to remain unanswered, and they shared theirs also. It was so liberating, to share with one another and before God our deepest heart-felt prayer needs.

In the above Scripture, the prophet Isaiah is foretelling Jerusalem's coming restoration and likened it's condition to a barren woman. At that time, Israel was unfruitful like a childless woman and the prophet Isaiah told them to sing in the face of it. How many of us can heed that advice from Isaiah - to sing in the face of unanswered prayer? If you are in a similar situation, be assured that you are not alone. Silence does not mean that God has not heard or He has forgotten our request. Isaiah encourages us - that this is exactly how we should respond to unanswered prayers or to those barren or unfruitful situations in our own lives.

Timing is everything with God and His timing is perfect. There is great freedom in simply laying our concerns and desires before God and then trusting him for the outcome. Ecclesiastes 3:1 tells us, "There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heaven." God's timing is not the same as ours. His ways are not our ways. We live our lives with a sense of earthly time. God sees things from an eternal perspective. God has our best interest at heart. He will make everything in our lives beautiful in his perfect time. Our God is a covenant-keeping God and what He has promised, He will perform!

(Adapted from Stormie Omartian - "Responding to Unanswered Prayers," The Praying Woman's Bible)

Thirsting After God

2010-01-28T04:51:00.000-08:00

"O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water" (Psalm 63:1).

In attempting to set some goals for this year, I found that every goal I set intensifies my need for God. I have therefore adopted the above portion of scripture as my personal prayer for 2010. It is the key to achieving my goals for this year. Without God, I am absolutely destitute and starving. It is of utmost priority therefore that I am serious about seeking God in prayer, reading and studying His Word.

What is it like to be thirsty and hungry after God? Unless I was lost in a desert (like David was), I wouldn't know what it would be really like to go for days without anything to eat or drink. I know I would do everything that I could to look for food and water. And, if I found it, I would be so hungry and thirsty that I wouldn't care if the food and water didn't taste good, or if it wasn't good for me. I would eat it because I want to survive. But God, has so much more for us than just survival.

In Psalm 42:1-2, King David hungered and thirsted for the Lord and said, "As the deer panteth for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. Where can I go and meet with God?" King David wanted the Lord more than anything else. God's presence was food and water to him.

From past personal experiences, I know what it was like to wander in the desert of my own desires, lost, confused, when everything seemed hopeless. What the world offers leaves us empty. Friends you once depended on for help soon leave your life. A broken marriage leaves you painful and empty. Broken friendships like broken promises leave us with emptiness. Some of us still live with memories of past failures. King David experienced that same sense of loss and emptiness and he cried out to God. Who do we cry out to in our time of need?

Jesus said in John 7:37-38: "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him." Jesus was quoting from the same scripture in Isaiah 55: 1: "Come all who are thirsty, come to the waters...". Only in the Lord Jesus can we quench our spiritual thirst. His Spirit will flow through us, and streams of living water will flow from us.

God is the Source. He draws us to drink deeply from all that He has for us in His Word, in His presence and in prayer and praise. He promises we will never be thirsty again!

Prayer: Dear Lord, my need for fellowship with You is greater than any other need that I have..., In Jesus Name, Amen!

(Contains paraphrases from Stormie Omartian's notes: "Thirsting After God" Psalm 63:1-11, The Praying Woman's Bible).

The Spirit of Christmas

2009-12-25T14:14:00.000-08:00

There is something about Christmas that causes you to forget differences and to embrace those you love and even those you don't. My previous job messed up with my final pay that did not come on the day it should have, due to some oversight with payroll requirements. My family missed out on the extras that my pay could have provided. Disappointed? Yes I was, but not anymore. Forgiveness (personally given) is a great feeling and I feel so much better about it. It was an opportune time to forgive and to pray that Jesus will draw people to Himself. Jesus said: "And when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself" (John 12:32). Lift Jesus. Lift the spirit of love and hope... As we reach out to others, may God touch them and may they remember Jesus in their journey.

It is the spirit of Christmas that challenges us to give until we can't give anymore. There is a joy in us to give. I find that I buy more than I intend to. I just can't help myself. Perhaps some people think that the spirit of joy and giving that they are sensing is just a coincidence - that it's typical of this time of the year. But it is a heart thing. It's a response to what you are sensing in your heart. It's that special something - some call it - the magic of Christmas. I call it the supernatural power of God. Lord Jesus, may those gifts we give draw someone closer to You!

This Christmas, I've asked myself why I have to wait until Christmas to say thank you. I think it's more personal and responsive if I just grab the moment and thank them because it's more appropriate to do it then. The reality is, there are so many people we appreciate and want to thank. My point here is, when you sense that feeling to thank and appreciate someone, don't brush aside the feeling to do it. Act on it. I wonder what I've missed out on just because I didn't... For me personally, this is something to work towards improving between now and the next year.

Yesterday was Christmas day. As we sat as a family around our Christmas tree, the most special thing for me was my grandaughter praying before and after we opened our gifts. That's a beautiful memory that will be forever etched in my heart as a grandmother. I hugged her and thanked God for the simple faith of children. She is 22 months old and her speech is still developing. I just love children's prayer language! Grandchildren, there is so much of the spirit of Christmas in them. What treasures from God, to have and enjoy in our homes!

The best gifts I receive have no monetary value. These are the ones with special value. I call them 'memento value':

the Christmas card from a friend that says : "you are a pillar... friends like you help to run the race and focus on Jesus..."
the scriptures from friends who point me to the Word of God and His will for my life.
the little plaque from a loved one that says : "For You Mum with love "...your kindness makes a difference..."
the thoughtfulness and insight of a loved one, who changed his gift to suit my financial situation.
and there are many more...

I'm on cloud nine when I receive those kinds of gifts. That's what I mean about the spirit of Christmas, it is so unique. It's that supernatural power of God that influences us to do what we do; To give what we give. To say what we say... It is not a coincidence, it is the spirit of the One who came down to earth, to bring the message of hope..., not for just you and I, but, for the whole wide world!! Love divine... Amen! it's God-Amazing!

I like this quote from Helen Keller:
"The only real blind person at Christmas time
is he who has not Christmas in his heart."

May your homes
be filled with the
spirit of Christmas
this season!

Seasons in God

2009-12-09T12:00:00.000-08:00

My last day as a social worker - mainstream. The job has taught me many things through working with children and their families. I know what it's like to work with disappointment. I understand & know the pain of being let down. I've seen the agony of smashed desire, the sorrow of those who've lost precious ones. I've seen the humiliation of reputation tarnished. I know full well what it's like to be completely overwhelmed by circumstances. Working with people at that level requires gut level prayers! You need to pray authentic prayers. Prayers to God have been full of dirt & mud. Only God can work with that kind of dirt and mud and make something out of it!

God is fully involved in the seasons of our lives. He created seasons in the beginning of time. He ordained the beginning and end of seasons. I know God is moving me on. He's slowing me down. "Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles, they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint" Isa.40:30-31).

God has new things for us. He moves us from one pasture to another. There are wonderful things to learn when we walk with God. It's about taking our time, resting, sitting for a while. The Lord of the harvest is patient to cultivate. Like Jesus says: "I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener" (John 15:1). He plants, prunes, feeds and water, until He has nurtured from that soil what is beautiful and pleasing to Him. We are not to grow weary, for the I AM who started this work in us, will carry it to completion (Phil.1:6).

God is no way finished with me. I'm moving to a post in the community. There are, waiting for me, new risks to take, and, that I know. I'm choosing to hope wildly in Him, to have reckless expectancy, to go with the mountaintop singing spirit, and to expect God to do wonderful things in my life in the next season that I'm moving to.

To God be the glory, let people remember God in their journey!!

God, My Strength

2009-12-07T02:15:00.001-08:00

"Let us not grow weary in doing good, for at the proper time,
we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." Galatians 6:9

This year is coming to a close. Christmas is only two weeks away. The New Year, 2010 is upon us. I have been reflecting on my journey with God in 2009.

Only God knows when the time is ready for the harvest, when the fruit He is producing in us is fully complete and ripe. He makes all things beautiful in His time."

I've worked as a front line social worker for just over seven years now. It's a highly emotive job. It is demanding. You work with some of the most neediest people in the community. Outside of my work, I also assist people in our community in finding solutions to their problems. It is a natural impulse to run toward the needs. Paul says in (Ephesians. 3:20) that "...it is God who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine."

I know what it's like to crash and burn. Physically, emotionally and spiritually, I have had to "lie down" take time out to look after myself. Through prayer and study of God's Word, I have gained the much-needed strength.

As follows, I have also identified how desperate I am for God:

To run to the Source of my strength.
To pour myself out at His feet - humbly.
Pour out everything I treasure - pride, gifts, talents, ambitions, ministry.
Recognize - Jesus is the Living Water, not me.
I don't have to worry about running dry, because He said, "Whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up into eternal life" (John 4:14).
Drink until you become the spring.
"Spring up O well! (Numbers 21:17)
Drink in His presence until you overflow.
"I lift up my eyes unto the hills-where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of Heaven and earth" (Psalm 121:1-2).
He is Emmanuel, God with us.
Jesus promised: "I am with you always" (Matthew 28:20).

Praise God! Our Covenant-keeping-God. He is the same yesterday, today and forever...

Love letters from God

2009-12-07T01:50:00.000-08:00

God's love never fails. His love keeps me going. His love runs to me even when I am unlovely. His love comes to find me when I'm hiding. God's love will not let me go. God's love pursues me. God's love has kept me in one piece this far. Just look at the following words of scriptures:

"He brought me to the banqueting house
and his banner over me is love"
(Song of Songs 2:4).

"For love is as strong as death ,
It's jealousy unyielding as the grave.

It burns like blazing fire,
like a mighty flame.
Many waters cannot quench love;
rivers cannot wash it away"
(Song of Songs:6-7).
"Though the mountains be shaken
and the hills be removed
yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken
nor my covenant of peace be removed,"
says the Lord who has compassion on you.

(Isaiah 54:10)

"What a man desires is
unfailing love..." (Proverbs 19:22)

Don't let God's 'Gift' gather dust

2009-12-04T21:03:00.000-08:00

'...Fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you...for God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love and self-discipline'. 2 Tim.1:6,7.

God gave us spiritual gifts, and the devil has done his best to stop Christians from using them. Some gifts, because of criticism have gathered dust and are unused. Some gifts have been lost because of hurtful insensitive remarks made by fellow believers. I believe with prayer and encouragement we can restore these gifts back to the Body of Christ.

God gives us marvellous opportunities to apply and practice our gifts. Like the children and their families I work with. I believe God's heart is burdened over the abuse and neglect of children. Last weekend, during after hour duties, I was called to help teenagers who had run away from their homes/caregivers. While transporting them, you get the opportunity to speak into their lives. The two teenagers I met were quite open and accepting. Lord Jesus, I pray they will remember You in their journey.

I also met the mother to one of the teenagers. I was saddened and concerned at how mother and daughter talked to each other. As they shouted abusive language to each other, it was hard to tell the mother from the child! I thought - Hey,who is the parent here? But praise God, He intervened. The anger was gone, the child apologised and asked for forgiveness. Mother did the same also. They reconciled and the child went home with her mother - home to where she belongs. O Lord, I pray that you will preserve this relationship!

It was Sunday, I had preached three sermons today, 2 to the teenage girls, and one to the mother. Lord may they find the treasures hidden in darkness...

"Give and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full -
pressed down, shaken together to make room for more,
running over, and poured into you lap. The amount you give
will determine the amount you get back" (Luke 6:38).

Praise be to the Gift-Giver, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ!

God my hope and my delight

2009-12-04T04:22:00.000-08:00

'The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for the Lord has anointed me, to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to comfort the broken hearted, and to proclaim that captives will be released, and prisoners will be freed...'. Isa. 61:1-4

In my line of work, I meet people who are in difficult relationship/s. Sometimes, you are caught between parents and teenage children involved in very hurtful disagreement which brings to the surface some old wounds. One of two women I met with today was going through a difficult time of trying to reconcile her relationship with her daughter. I had spent some time talking with her daughter the day before. At the close of our meeting, I prayed for healing, peace & reconciliation. Praise God that the Holy Spirit is with us in our workplace and His power and His gifts are always ready to operate anytime!

Thank You Lord, we are incredibly grateful to You, In Jesus Name, Amen!

Launch of Blog - "Treasures in Darkness"

2009-12-02T22:54:00.002-08:00

Today, I am launching my new blog - 'Treasures in Darkness." Praise God for technology! God gives us the desires of our hearts. The blog is an open door of opportunities towards making a dream come true. Blogging is an opportunity to start writing! I feel like I own a million dollars. God is exceedingly good!

"And I will give you treasures hidden in the darkness - secret riches. I will do this so you may know that I am the Lord God of Israel, the God who calls you by name'" (Isaiah 45:3).

The world is full of treasures that are buried or hidden until it is discovered! When we face loss, pain and disappointment, God desires that we find the valuable lessons hidden in our times of affliction. It is all very well when our days are full of sunshine and the blessings of God are so evident. But the treasures in times of affliction are not easy to see. Our hearts must have eyes to seek Him in the darkness of our suffering - and trust that He will get us through. And the lessons that we learn reveals the true nature of God - and these are the treasures God had hidden for us in the difficult season he allowed us to walk through. God desires that we share these treasures,or make them visible for others to see. Like today -

'Treasure-moment' Today, I prayed with a Grandmother who is the fulltime caregiver of her three grandchildren. The children's mother is unwell and unable to look after the children. Now, that's a huge responsibility for Grandmother, considering she is approaching retirement age. She told me she was feeling stressed out, angry, anxious, guilty and inadequate. She also told me she had given up a job she had for years to be a fulltime caregiver.

When it's God's timing, He gives just the right words to say! My testimony was brief - of my experiences with 'hope', 'faith' and 'love'. As I prayed, she cried, and cried as though she was in a lot of pain. She acknowledged her need for God and admitted she had been living away from God for some time. Thinking back to that exact moment as I prayed for her, it was like - light entered into the darkness and found where her grief was. She renewed her relationship with God! Her face lit up with a beautiful smile that transformed her face. She shared a bit of her childhood... of an unhappy first marriage, of family values lost somewhere through the years. She talked of the love she had for her grandchildren.

When we respond to the needs of others who are walking through similar paths we've come through, we can draw others to Christ by spreading the sweet aroma of his love, mercy and forgiveness through our own stories and experiences.

PRAISE GOD - our Treasure in Darkness, our hope for all eternity!


Protea flower - 10/2011