Mark and Helen Smith

I had a short, but interesting encounter, yesterday, with the young lady who was on one of the tills in a local supermarket! She was maybe in her early 20s and she caught my eye immediately … she was exceptionally different from the number of other cashiers on duty. It struck me straight away how well she sat!!… Yes I did say sat!

Most cashiers (and probably most of us generally!) are quite slouched at a desk or till… but not her! She had a lovely straight posture and looked very elegant and, dare I say, almost out of place at this till!

I commented on how lovely she looked and what a beautiful straight back she had. She beamed at me and said, “Thank you… most people tease me for it!!”

I couldn’t believe she said that and when I asked her more, she replied that she had a slight curvature of the spine and she had practised toning her back muscles so that she sat, and stood, tall because it made her back stronger.

As serendipitous encounters usually get me thinking… that is what I found myself doing

How easy it is for us to slouch in life -as well as how we sit stand or walk! Our default is often to slouch and allow the loose sloppy ways to define us, rather than straightening up and living free, bold and confidently… which is our inheritance in Christ! Why should we be bent with worries when He has said “Come to Me all you who labour and are heavy laden”? Why should we continue to be bowed with fear when we are loved by Almighty God and “perfect love casts out all fear”! Why should we be timorous and shy when God as made us “more than conquerors though Him who loved us”?

May be we need to practice our spiritual back muscles to strengthen our life! Let us stand tall – and confident in the love of God for us, His peace, His Grace and His joy over our lives!

Have a “tall” week!!!

Have you ever found it so hard to wake up?    

I’m not a natural “morning person”… I do late nights much better! It’s when I think and become creative often!

So sometimes,  it really is a hard thing to wake up… I mean, not just open my eyes and get out of bed, although that’s hard enough, I mean really WAKE UP, be alert and focussed.

I so admire those people who, on waking, can be on the ball and ready for the day, filled with fun and optimism and, if I’m honest, a pain in the neck for the grumpy grouches of the morning!

Oh, I’m not usually grumpy in the morning… just not always really alert!!

Waking up to something of attitude, change in life, and knowing of the need to change something in my life can also be a bit like a morning.

I can be about my daily business, but not really awake to the important things of life… like the needs of others, like listening to the Voice of God.

How important is it to wake up to the needs and situations around us that we can actually do something about! I mean we can open our eyes and see “stuff” around us – but I wonder what will make us really “wake up” to why are here… in this time, place and with the people in our world?

I went for an eye test today… usual stuff – how  far down the chart can you see – without lenses, with lenses, then the light in my eyes to check my retina, look up, look down, left, right.

I’ve had itchy eyes for a wee while and wondered if it was my contacts, or what?… turns out I’m probably allergic to some seasonal thing in the air – few  eye drops and ease off on  how long I wear the contacts for each day – and it’s sorted.

As usual I pondered …on eye tests!

How we need them regularly… eyes change as you get older, lenses or glasses need to be tweeked and the amazing way the optical specialist is able to know how healthy you are by looking at your retina!  Amazing!!

I wonder how often we check our “life vision”?.. how we see others, how we view life, people, situations, … myself?

Have I grown blurred  in my outlook… maybe I need to refocus on what is important just now.

Has my outlook become cynical and hardened to people and their situations? How healthy is my personal, or spiritual retina… the part of me that receives images and is sensitive to light… am I able to receive truth and believe the right things about God, myself and my world?

I pray that I will always be quick to receive “lens modification” as it were – and keep a clear eye on what is valuable, and important in life.

What about you? How is your eyesight?

It’s good to know the time!

I took my youngest son to the train station today to return to London… we set out in plently time but encountered police        speed cameras  along the road… needless to say everything  toddled along at 40mph!…  We made it in time….just!!!

He leapt out of the car and ran to the train which was waiting on the platform while I waited outside to see that he had  actually got on before it left! I got a text from him saying “made it !”

Important to make it on time or it would have meant a long wait for the next train and a “nothing time” at a cold draughty station!

Isn’t life like that – a rush to make it here, a long wait – because the last one had “just gone”

I love the fact that the Psalmist recognised that his times were in the Hand of God (Psalm31 :14) and the fact is we can rest in His timings for us.. in all our life!… Its part of faith, it’s trusting His Way, His Times, His Grace and Love for us, His knowledge of the past, the present and the future!

As my son caught his train – I was thankful that he made it on time – but also aware that any fretting and worrying if we would make it, was totally pointless – as it couldn’t change the timing!

It’s worth pondering on! … and then trusting Him to bring His Word to pass.. in His time!

⁸ O my people, trust in him at all times.
Pour out your heart to him,
for God is our refuge.

Selah?… Selah!!

Cheese and change!

A few years ago, I read an amazing little book called “Who Moved My Cheese”*… I found it to be very helpful as we navigated some pretty big changes in our life, work and even family environment!

I have recently come upon it again and found it to be relevant, yet again, whether the changes are huge, or relatively small!

My (relatively) small change has been the death of my dear laptop! It was an amazing friend and resource to me and I found I had become very dependent on it… more than I really cared to admit. SO for the last 6-8 weeks I have had to do without the stores of files I had on it… note, contacts, thoughts, blogs etc!! – I realised, too how much I used the on-line Bible too!  My very gracious husband has let me use his laptop (which he uses way more than I used mine, I have to say!)…when I could get my hands on it! He valiantly tried to repair my old friend but after hours and hours (weeks?!) of trying he gave in and decided I had to have a new one!

It arrived two days ago and I am back in action… re-blogging, re-connecting and re-writing!

But  you know, I had to change… adapt to a new keyboard, new images, new “stuff” that I don’t fully understand… and I realised that I had had to put into practice the lessons of change, on a smaller scale (although it was quite huge for me!).

So I give you the lessons summary of “Who Moved My Cheese”* and give thanks for this little book and its wisdom.

Happy Changes!

“Change Happens

They Keep Moving the Cheese

Anticipate Change

Get Ready For the Cheese To Move

Monitor Change

Smell the Cheese Often So You Know When It Is Getting Old

Adapt To Change Quickly

The Quicker You Let Go Of Old Cheese, the Sooner You Can Enjoy New Cheese

Change

Move With The Cheese

Enjoy Change!

Savour The Adventure And Enjoy The Taste Of New Cheese!

Be Ready To Change Quickly And Enjoy It Again

They Keep Moving the Cheese.”

*Who Moved My Cheese? An Amazing Way to Deal with Change in Your Work and in Your Life. Dr. Spencer Johnson

Over the past few days I have had people ask me questions about a variety of “life issue” topics, ranging from some of the biggies , “Why doesn’t God do something?”, to “What colour is Heaven?”

Some I have been able to answer satisfactorily for the questioner and maybe give them book suggestions or internet sources to help with their queries. But to other questions … I have to say sometimes – “I don’t know!” Because I don’t!

For some, they seem content that my faith in God stands intact and growing; despite the fact that I don’t know and they have gone away knowing that it is not a competition between “faith” and knowledge, or “proof”.

I wonder why we have to know everything, or have answers to those timeless questions, that if we are honest, only God knows!

Don’t get me wrong –I think we should ask questions, wonder why and explore the reasons for faith. But I also think that, even in the frustrations of not always having an answer, there comes a point where we need to let God be God, and leave off trying to fathom the unsearchables and unanswerables.  Surely the fact that God is God, means He will know more, see more, understand the  beginning and the end, and all in between in a much more  Omnipotent and Omniscient way!

Sometimes I think we are too proud to admit that God might just be a bit more All – Knowing, and in charge than we are, and He will still be God, even in the midst of our many doubts and wonderings. Surely Faith is all about trusting some of these issues into the hands of One Who, by nature of being God, is more knowledgeable than even the wisest, cleverest person ever. Knowledge and lack of understanding of “stuff” shouldn’t drive us from God, but to Him – for a path ahead in a very confusing world!

Don’t be discouraged over your faith today, but know that doubting drove Thomas into the very hands and side of Jesus, and didn’t dismiss his questions, but gave an answer for his heart!

Keep questioning, keep asking, and keep the faith, for in Him we find Life and the knowledge that even not knowing fully – we are loved, and can find our source of strength and inspiration to walk with God … by faith!