Fruit of the Spirit

I've been going through the book "Stress Point" by Sarah Francis Martin and today's chapter was about using the fruit of the Spirit as a guideline for setting boundaries in our lives. 

Galations 5:22-23 - ^"But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!"

She mentions that "when we are doing anything in life that keeps us from living out the fruit of the Spirit, God is displeased."  

What does this look like in areas such as eating, drinking, working, exercising, shopping and in our conversations with our friends? 

For me, it was staying in a job role that I no longer had peace about, which resulted in a lack of joy. To leave something that I had become so familiar with and the people who became my family during my working life was very hard to let go initially. However, I am slowly learning that this loss is nothing in comparison to the greater plans that God has for me ahead. In order for me to move forward into something new, I needed to let go first. 

"God often waits for us to step out in faith - to begin moving without specific direction - before He provides the destination." - Tyler Braun

Guide Dogs Victoria

It has been almost a year since a group of my friends decided to chip into my co-sponsorship of the the N litter below for my birthday present. Amazingly, it was the exact amount that I needed to pay the yearly amount up front. Since then, Al and I have been to the N Litter's Graduation Day and the D Litter's Orientation Day. It was really good to be involved in the community by seeing these pups grow up, get trained and then help those who are visually impaired. Hearing the stories were very encouraging. Some of these pups have even gone overseas and hence they could not make it to their Graduation! Who knew that these pups would live such purposeful lives - ones that make a difference in an individual's life on a daily basis. 

The N Litter - Nala, Navada, Nadira, Nero, Nina, Nelson, Nola

N Litter's Graduation Day

D Litter - Puppies from another mother

Back to the Cross

"Living He loved me, dying He saved me

And buried He carried my sins far away

Rising He justified freely forever

One day He's coming, oh, glorious day, oh, glorious day"

♥ Glorious Day by Casting Crowns ♥


"What am I bringing? What are we bringing wherever we go? Do we show people God and His love and passion or something else?"
~ J.Conner ~

The Cross Should Affect You:

✝ In the way that you view yourself

✝ In the way that you treat other people

✝ In the way that you live your life

Persevering in Hard Times

Not too long ago, I was having troubles at work, which would leave me feeling quite frustrated. I didn't know what I had done wrong during the day to leave me with the outcome of an unbalanced cash drawer at the end of it. I wanted God to get me out of this job so I asked Him to give me a new job, one that was moulded more for me. However, my answer came in more rejection emails. This Bible passage was so applicable to what I was going through at the time. 

2 Corinthians 12:8-10 - "8Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. ⁹Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.¹⁰ That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong."

A couple of weeks later, one of the staff from the other branch came as a customer to the branch that I happened to be working at that day. She said, "Joanne, I didn't know that you are now working here. I've been wanting to tell you that we found the money deeper down in the cash drawer so it wasn't your fault." I was so relieved that I didn't have that hanging over me anymore. No doubt she was definitely God sent. 

In the footnotes of my Bible, I read the following quote. "If we turn to God, pray, remember His promises, and trust Him, we will find His grace sufficient for our needs. The Lord may not do what we ask, when we want it, but He will do what needs to be done and help us glorify His name."

From all of this, I've learnt that if I cover every shift in prayer, God is in the good and the bad but most of all that He's got it all covered no matter the outcome. I learnt that perseverance leads to seeing positive results. No matter how far our answers may seem, God doesn't work by our time. Weeks, months or years even is nothing in the context of eternity. Most of all, I've learnt that it's not about asking the question "When will I get out of this?" but "What can I learn from this?" 

For Such a Time as This

After listening to John Maxwell at the Hillsong Conference, I've been motivated and inspired to do some character studies as a part of my Bible reading plan. The first character whom I have just completed is Esther. 

The following verse caused a perspective mind shift on how I saw myself in various roles when I personalised the verse.              

                  

Esther 4:14 (NLT) - "Who knows if perhaps you were made queen for just such a time as this?" Instead of queen, I inserted service consultant, sister, friend, coach, mentor and thought, what were the implications of my roles? The thought of God specifically placing me in these roles for a reason and in some instances for a specific season just blew my mind. Meditating on this verse stops me from thinking about the ideals and helps me to focus on where He has placed me and to be faithful with what He has given me. It continues to give me fresh perspective when things get tough and encourages me to find renewed purpose and hope in what looks purposeless or hopeless. 

Furthermore, in the NKJV, it says this - "Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?" God has chosen each of us to be a part of His kingdom at this point in time, no earlier, no later. Everyone has a different story and has a special part to play. I can't imagine what God has in store for us in these exciting times ahead. Although the road may seem hazy, may God give us the spiritual eyes to see what He desires of us in the midst of Satan trying to make us lose focus through uncertainty, fear, doubt or insecurity. 

It's All God's

I am reminded that everything that I have belongs to God - my finances, time, giftings, possessions. I've been thinking about the implications of this reminder. If God requests for ten percent of my salary to go back into church, then it shall be done because that is what God desires for His finances. I know that in the past, when I haven't had much, ten percent felt like a huge chunk. But then again, how many times have I spent money on things that don't have eternal value or were just for temporary satisfaction? It's the same in regards to my time. What is the ratio that I spend on mindless activities compared to activities that last for eternity? I am actually borrowing what is God's in order for "His kingdom to come, His will to be done, on earth as it is in heaven." In this I am comforted that if I need something or if I lose something that is of importance, that God has already got it covered. I am also constantly encouraged by Luke 16:10 - “If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. But if you are dishonest in little things, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities."

God in Everyday Life

I love this space that God has given me. I've been actively seeking God on a day to day basis; in the events that happen, in the people that I meet, in my job, in life. When I was taking the train home on Thursday, an elderly man saw another passenger and said to him, "When I saw you, I knew that I was on the right train." I think that is how God works with many of us. Some people may get huge revelations about where they're heading in life. For others like myself, God is in the little things. He drops us hints, a sign or a thought to guide or affirm us in the direction that we're heading. However we have to look out for them, something that I often forget to do, especially when I'm worried or frustrated. Many times we ask and wait for God to give us in your face guidance about where we should go. But He's not like that. His Spirit is gentle and if we just quietened our own spirits, then maybe we'd just be able to hear or see Him a little clearer. I loved what Josiah Connor preached last Wednesday at Oxygen Live about how "the story that we see ourselves is what we live" and it's about us aligning with God's story and not about trying to get God to align with ours. I've also been inspired by Ken Duncan's story tonight at church. He showed us these amazing photos that he took. What stood out for me tonight was about how awesome and real God is, whose existence is evident in all of creation and how our hope should only be placed in Him. In this, our fears and worries will seem very small when we believe that our God is in complete control. By having that assurance, He will give us that perfect peace that only He can provide. A final challenging thought that Ken mentioned was about putting ourselves in a position where we need a miracle in order to see one and about how God doesn't work around our capacity but His. Here's one of my favourite Ken Duncan photographs!