2013 - looking forward

We're having a great time celebrating Christmas here with my family. I've not taken many photos as I'm just trying to enjoy the moments as they come and go.
I'm overwhelmed and so very grateful for a very generous family and friends. And I'm being very blessed by a husband who loves to cook amazing food!

In 3 days I'll turn 30...shock horror! I know most people think I'm older than that already so no-one is really that shocked! But it's one of those ages that prompts people to slow down a little and think about life and things. Having a birthday just before New Year always causes me to be a bit reflective and consider things as we move forward. And this year is no different.

Last year I started out being very ambitious. Just more evidence of my efforts to try and be all things, and have completely unrealistic expectations of myself. Let's just say...I learnt a lot last year, and having more realistic expectations was part of that! Now having three boys under the age of three also helps with this!

So this year I'm going to take my time to focus on just two things...


Eucharisteo
Eshet chayil

Two things that have been inspired by books I have read recently, and other things that have been stirring, speaking and calling to my heart.

I'll expand more over the next few weeks, but just a brief introduction of each...

Eucharisteo
Inspired by 'One Thousand Gifts' by Ann Voskamp
 - grace, thanksgiving, joy
I hope to grow in giving thanks for all that God has given, all of His gifts, in every part of my life.
I hope to spend time in the Word studying and learning about thanks and thanksgiving.
I hope to grow in my understanding of grace and joy.

Eshet chayil
Inspired by 'A Year of Biblical Womanhood' by Rachel Held Evans
- Woman of Valour
I hope to grow more in my understanding of who I am in God and my value in Him.
I hope to spend time building relationships and community with the women placed around me.
I hope to build up, encourage and cheer on women in my life.

So, Happy Boxing Day everyone and here's looking forward to 2013!
xxx

Maps of the Night

I've always loved maps and I've always loved images of the earth from space, so you can imagine how much I love these pictures of the earth at night taken by NASA.
A brilliant and beautiful combination of the world created by God and the world created by man.

Find them here.

Loving your story

So, I was totally gonna write a completely different post about twitter and prayer and stuff...

But then I watched this, and my thoughts strolled (actually I think they skipped) down a different path and I wanted to share.

As I have said before on this blog, I love Jasmine Star. I love her passion for people and her art. I love her humility and desire to share and teach those around her. And I love her story.
Whenever I have watched the videos she has produced (see her website for some more) I have found it hard not to love her story. I have found it hard not to love her.

As her latest film came to an end, I found myself thinking about how great her story is and how I would love to have a story like that. And look as glamorous in front of a camera like that! In other words, how I would love to have a life like that.

Then I stopped myself. I don't want to spend/waste my time loving someone else's life.
I want to love, enjoy, cherish, celebrate my own life.

So often, and so easily, I fall into the trap of comparison. Which only leads to envy, jealousy, coveting, bitterness, depression. I think it's something that women struggle with more than men and something that the modern, western, media-obsessed culture uses/exploits.

I am so blessed in so many ways, and I'm so excited about the potential and possibilities in my future. And I'm so glad that I can give God the control and allow the story he has already written for me come to be.

I love that we can love each others' stories and cheer and encourage each other on. I love that we can write our stories together, not alone.

I pray that today, and every day, I learn to love my story as it unfolds. Every second, every minute, every moment, every opportunity.
And I pray that I learn to uplift and encourage those around me as they live out their stories too.

Being with You

To my soul mate,

I just love being with you.

Thank you for everything.

Your ever grateful wife xxx

The Renewal

Ok, so recently I’ve been a little down on myself.
I am grateful for the work that God is doing in me and how He is revealing some of the stuff in my heart. It’s hard and pretty messy, but it’s also necessary.

God is taking the time to do a few things in me. To deconstruct the wrong thoughts, beliefs and ideas I have about myself. To heal the hurts and brokenness this wrong thinking has caused. And to reveal my true identity.

My character, personality and uniqueness. As He sees it…in His own words…

For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession.
Deuteronomy 7:6

I took you from the ends of the earth, from its farthest corners I called you. I said, 'You are my servant'; I have chosen you and have not rejected you.
Isaiah 41:9

It's in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. Long before we first heard of Christ and got our hopes up, he had his eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living, part of the overall purpose he is working out in everything and everyone.
Ephesians 1:11-12

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
1 Peter 2:9

He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me.
2 Samuel 22:20

The Lord delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love.
Psalm 147:11

For the Lord takes delight in his people; he crowns the humble with salvation.
Psalm 149:4

The king is enthralled by your beauty; honour him, for he is your lord.
Psalm 45:11

God told them, "I've never quit loving you and never will. Expect love, love, and more love!”
Jeremiah 31:3

For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Ephesians 2:10

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.
Psalm 139:14

Are there areas that God needs to work in you?
To deconstruct wrong beliefs?
To heal any hurts?
To reveal your true identity?

My Prayer...

...for me, for my family, for our church...

Open our eyes
To see the things that make Your heart cry
To be the church that You would desire
Your light to be seen

Break down our pride
And all the walls we’ve built up inside
Our earthly crowns and all our desires
We lay at Your feet

Let hope rise
And darkness tremble
In Your holy light
That every eye will see
Jesus our God
Great and mighty to be praised

God of all days
Glorious in all of Your ways
Oh the majesty the wonder and grace
In the light of Your Name

With everything
With everything
We will shout for Your glory
With everything
With everythingWe will shout forth Your praise

Our hearts they cry
Be glorified
Be lifted high above all names
For You our King
With everything
We will shout forth Your praise

'With Everything - Hillsong'

This article made me stop and think...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/8299780.stm

Baby Pigeons

It hasn’t gone completely unnoticed by me that I have been writing on here a little less than usual. I just don’t quite know what to write. It’s like I’m going through a mini little phase of mental emptiness! If that even makes sense! And yes, I know I used mini and little. I’m hoping it will be a very short phase!

I’m not down or unhappy, in fact quite the opposite. But I’m just having a time of contentment and chilledness that doesn’t seem to encourage any deep or really interesting thoughts. Maybe my brain just needs a rest!!!

I haven’t even been taking any photos to share. I mean, I even let a whole weekend go by with a visit from a great friend, and the camera didn’t surface once. Probably because doing a jigsaw is not the most entertaining thing to document and share with photos…yes, we are that sad! But even so…my poor lonely camera!

Anyhow, just to say hi, and I’m still here and I’m just chillin’.
Maybe there’s some big thinking to do in the future that I’m saving my brain power for!?! Who knows?!

Our small group/house group (I never really know what we’re officially called!) is having a weekend away this coming weekend and I promise to take my camera along and take some photos. And maybe I’ll be inspired with some deep thoughts too…!

Until then, I do have one thought/question……why are there no baby pigeons around? I only ever see full size adult pigeons. Where are the baby ones? Or do they hatch full size?
See, I’m still trying to tackle the enigmas of the universe!!!

A little bit of blog lovin’

I’m moving house (flat) tomorrow!!!! Yay!!!
Which means that I’m likely to have very little access to the internet for a few days, and therefore likely to be doing very little blogging.

So, I thought I’d take this opportunity to share some blogs that I love…to keep you entertained while I’m away for a while!

Jasmine Star
I first came across Jasmine’s blog about 18 months ago, I think. Anyone that knows me will know that I love weddings, so it should come as no surprise that sometimes I still visit wedding websites and blogs! And it was through one of these websites that I found a link to Jasmine’s site. I also have a love of photography and so this site is a great combination of two of my loves.
But it’s not just the photography that keeps me returning to Jasmine’s blog. Her passion for life and genuine openness, as well as her beautiful writing makes this blog one of my daily reads. Alongside her beautiful photography, she shares her heart for God and her family which inspires and encourages me, as well as her determination to ‘keep it real’ and be true to herself. And her willingness to share her knowledge of photography and business has been a great help to me.
Whether you’re into photography or not, I think Jasmine’s blog is a great read.

In the name of LOVE
I was introduced to Bianca’s blog through Jasmine’s blog. And just in case you visit them both and think you’re seeing double…they’re twins!
Bianca teaches the word of God in a relevant and real way to women of all ages and walks of life. Along with Jasmine, her determination to ‘keep it real’ means that her words carry the message of God’s love powerfully as she doesn’t try to please people and hide behind nice words and fluffiness…she says it as it is…and its refreshing and genuine. Her blog is both an encouragement and a gentle kick up the backside just when it needs to be.
One of my dreams is to someday be able to teach the word of God in a real and relevant way and to be able to reach out to women and help them to draw closer to God, to learn about God and to get to know Him better. Bianca inspires me to keep my dream alive…God loves people and He wants to use us to show them His love.

Cakies
I can’t remember how I came across this lovely blog, but once I did I was hooked! Ruby Ellen is a mum to two girls with a third one on the way! She makes the most beautiful and cute craft items for children and grown ups…check out her shop.
I love her fun nature and the way she makes every occasion so special for her girls and the family. She makes adorable outfits for the girls and themes their birthday’s with lots of activities and creative ideas.
Ruby and her husband inspire me to seek out ways to turn every day into something special and memorable. And I love her creativeness and desire to make presents and gifts rather than just buying something from the high street.
I have had lots of creative ideas for Christmas presents (yes, I said Christmas already and its only August!) and things that I’m desperate to start making since finding this blog. I can’t wait to unpack my sewing stuff in the new flat!

Happy Tuesdays, and Happy Blog Hopping!!! x

Sunset Boulevard...kinda!

Phil and I currently live by the waterfront in Edinburgh but are soon going to be moving to a different part of the city...where there's less water.
One of the major benefits of living where we currently do is the spectacular sunsets we get to see. So, to make the most of one of our last evenings here, and the rare rain-free evening, we took a stroll along the waterfront and out onto one of the breakwaters.

Here are some of the photos of our evening...































Happy Wednesday xxx

Praise for the past & hope for the future

Currently in our small group we’re studying the book of Exodus. Last week we looked at the song of Moses and Miriam right after the Israelites had crossed the Red Sea on dry ground and the Egyptians had been washed away.

One thing that came out through the study was the need for us to remember the good things that God has done for us and through us in our past, so that we can have faith and a hope for things in our future.

Right now this is something that is so real for me. I am sitting here waiting for someone else to make a decision that could initiate another change in my life, or put an end to a small dream. Ever since making the decision to relocate to Edinburgh, Phil and I have learnt to wait. We’ve learnt, sometimes the hard way, to have faith, and to trust in a God who has a hope and a future for us. No matter how long it takes, or who’s making the decision.

As I text family to ask for prays regarding our latest endeavour, I was reminded by my Nana of the waiting we’d done previously and the faithfulness that God had shown us. When we were first waiting for a decision about Phil’s new job, my Nana told us that good things are worth waiting for. She was right. When I updated her on Friday and asked for her prayers her response was this…
‘We should be used to this waiting – we’ve been here before. Will keep praying xxx’

In one small text I was reminded to take my eyes off the situation, off the circumstances and off myself. I was encouraged to look to God. The one who has provided for us before. The one who has cared for us before. The one who has made the right doors open before. The one who was with us when we waited before. His plans are perfect and His timing is perfect.

I know this because I have seen it in the things He has done in my past…so I can have faith and hope that He’s doing it in my present and in my future.

I just have to learn to calm myself down during the waiting!!!

While we're waiting

At least as important as the things we wait for is the work that God wants to do in us as we wait.
- Ben Patterson

Dreams Can Come True (Part 4)

Sometimes, you just gotta have patience…
...like a saint!
Can you imagine what Joseph must’ve been thinking when he was falsely accused and put in prison? I think I would seriously start to doubt my dreams, especially after everything else that had already happened!
We don’t know exactly how long it was from the time Joseph had his dreams and the time he was brought before Pharaoh but we know it was at least two years…

The chief cupbearer, however, did not remember Joseph; he forgot him.
When two full years had passed, Pharaoh had a dream.
Genesis 40:13 – 41:1 (NIV)

And given the circumstances he found himself in throughout that time, I’m sure it gave him plenty of opportunities to convince himself that his dreams would never happen, that God had forgotten him and that he was alone.

But God has a perfect time for everything…including the fulfilment of the dreams and desires he has placed in your heart. Sometimes we look at our circumstances and struggle to understand how our dreams can ever come about. We see ourselves at point a, and wonder how on earth are we ever going to get to the place of our dreams, at point b.
But remember that God works in the journeys and processes of our life. Sometimes the journey is part of the fulfilment of the dream!

Keep your focus on God…not the dream
Throughout Joseph’s life he focussed on God and sought to please him with his actions, behaviour and conduct. Not once did he do something to try and bring about his dream in his own strength. He had total faith in God and relied on Him to bring it to pass if that was His will.

The LORD was with Joseph and he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master. When his master saw that the LORD was with him and that the LORD gave him success in everything he did, Joseph found favor in his eyes and became his attendant. Potiphar put him in charge of his household, and he entrusted to his care everything he owned.
Genesis 39:2-4 (NIV)

Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labour in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain.
Psalm 127:1 (NIV)

Unless God is working in you to bring about your dreams you will only strive and struggle to do it in your own strength. And anything we struggle to accomplish will never be as full and fruitful as it would if God was in control. It will be hard work…for less rewards.

The purpose of our dream is ultimately to bring glory to God, not ourselves. When the dream itself becomes the focus and we loose the perspective of God we open ourselves to compromise and bargaining to achieve the dream. God wants us to have integrity and a good character like Joseph…not jump at the first opportunity to get ourselves ‘ahead’. Sometime we even try to bargain with God! Reminding Him of how long we have waited, or how bad our circumstances are, or how faithful we’ll be if He opens up doors for us.

But as Joseph shows us, we have to demonstrate our faithfulness, our integrity, our servant heart whatever situations we find ourselves in…however long we are there for. God will not forgot us or our dreams…He’s just waiting for the perfect moment to release them when He knows that we’re ready too!

So, if you have a dream today, a desire rooted deep in your heart, then be encouraged. God knows about your dreams and wants to see them flourish too.

I mean, Wow! Sometimes I just get so excited about the potential of everyone living out their God given purposes and dreams! What a difference it could make. What a difference we could make!

So, go on…have faith, communicate, be patient, focus on God and dream BIG!

Dreams Can Come True (Part 3)

So, following on from yesterday’s post, let’s carry on looking at how we can make our dreams a reality…

You gotta communicate your dream…
Communicating your dreams and heart’s desire is important for a few reasons. Firstly, it confirms to yourself and to God that you believe in your dream. That it is more than just a passing thought. That it is of value and importance to you. Because that’s what you do when you have something that is important to you, you talk about it. It also confirms that you are willing to be open and available to God working this dream in and through you.

Secondly, it puts things into action. Once you speak your dreams out loud, things happen. It puts wheels into motion. It initiates things that you can’t do on your own. It allows people to support and assist in the dream.

Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him all the more.
"Here comes that dreamer!" they said to each other. "Come now, let's kill him and throw him into one of these cisterns and say that a ferocious animal devoured him. Then we'll see what comes of his dreams."
Genesis 37:5, 19-20 (NIV)

Ok, so when Joseph told his brothers about his dream they didn’t exactly respond in a supportive and encouraging way. But if they hadn’t sold him into slavery, he wouldn’t have ended up in Egypt, which is where God needed him to be. Joseph actually never had someone else come along side him to help him achieve his dream…but communicating his dream was still the catalyst and initiation of it becoming a reality!

Another thing that happens when we speak our dreams out loud is that the devil listens in and will try to do anything he can to squash and kill your dream. This is where our faith from the previous point kicks in, and we can look to God and not our circumstances and know that our dreams are still alive.

Have you spoken to anyone about the dreams God has placed in your heart? If not, why not?

What is it that you’re afraid of? That they’ll think you’re crazy? That they won’t understand or support you? That they’ll question your ability to achieve your dream? That’s the one that gets me! That’s often why I stay quiet about the things on my heart!

But we must remember that fear doesn’t care if it robs you of a small dream or your hearts biggest desire. Don’t let fear stop you from living out your dream. Maybe the response you’ll get from people won’t be what you expected. But maybe it’ll be more than you could’ve hoped for! Speaking your dream aloud, even if its just to God at first, confirms it in your spirit and puts things into action that cannot happen if dreams are left unspoken. God may be able to read our mind and know our heart, but other people can’t unless we tell them. And often the fulfilment of our dream relies on relationships, communication and community with others.

Maybe you’re reading this and thinking ‘well, that’s ok for you to say, but I don’t even have any dreams or desires on my heart’. If that’s you, then you still need to communicate. Ask God to place something or someone on your heart. Ask Him to reveal His plans and purposes for you. And get with someone who knows you well who can help you to distinguish your gifts, talents and passion. It’s often through talking to others that we learn something about ourselves.

So, who can you talk to about your dreams? Go on, have faith…speak it out…

Dreams Can Come True (Part 2)

I am a dreamer. I dream dreams.
And I believe that my dreams can come true.

Ok, so maybe not the one about playing a tennis match against Andy Murray (I still don’t know who won!) or the one about loosing my family on a spaceship (yes, I really do have some weird dreams!). See ‘Dreams can come true (part 1)'.

But, the dreams about making a difference to people, being a good role model, having an impact, changing a generation, bringing God’s restoration to people…I believe that I can see those things become a reality in my life.

I believe this because I have an awesome God. And I believe that my dreams are a gift from Him. A purpose, a hope and a future.

Your dreams don’t have to involve saving the world single-handedly or being a superhero in your community for them to be valid or valuable. Maybe you want to go to Uni and do well in your studies, maybe you want to have a great career, maybe you want to get married and have a family. All of these things are legitimate dreams…how the world longs for God’s love to be visible in these places too!

But there’s a big difference between having a dream in our heart and making it a reality. So how do we transform these dreams into actual, real, fruitful opportunities?

Taking a quick look at Joseph, a fellow dreamer, we can learn some things about living out our dreams.

You gotta have faith…
Do you actually believe that your dreams are from God? And that they can be a reality? If not, why not?

Joseph believed the dreams and visions he had were from God and that with God he would see those things come to pass. Throughout everything Joseph went through, he had faith in God to protect him and provide for him.

And don’t worry…you only need a small amount of faith to start…
But the Master said, "You don't need more faith. There is no 'more' or 'less' in faith. If you have a bare kernel of faith, say the size of a poppy seed, you could say to this sycamore tree, 'Go jump in the lake,' and it would do it.
Luke 17:6 (New International Version)

So what is faith?
Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see.
Hebrews 11:1 (New Living Translation)

Remember that God works in us continually and although our circumstances may suggest something different, we can have a hope in God that His promises are true and He is faithful…even when we are faithless.

And why is it so important?
It's impossible to please God apart from faith. And why? Because anyone who wants to approach God must believe both that he exists and that he cares enough to respond to those who seek him.
Hebrews 11:6 (The Message)

So, do you have faith? Even if it’s only the size of a poppy seed. Do you believe that your dreams are from God and they can be real?

Dreams Can Come True (Part 1)

I go through phases where I’ll have vivid dreams for a few nights in a row, and then I won’t have a dream for quite a while. Well, none that I remember.

Last weekend was one of those dream filled phases, and I was continually waking up completely bewildered by the things I was dreaming about.

For example:
Random dream #1 – involving a tennis match against Andy Murray. I don’t even play tennis…which was affirmed in the dream because I got blisters on my hands from the tennis racket which meant that I had to do a last minute run to a chemist to get blister plasters so I could still play the match. Only to then get stuck in traffic…because everyone was trying to get to the match…and then get there just in time for the start…when I wake up! Like I said, random!

Random dream #2 – involving a space ship, my family, getting separated from my family and subsequently very lost, fearing that my family had been ‘extracted’ from the space ship and left to float around in deep space and then getting more lost on the two most random of all space ship decks I’ve ever seen – a race course deck (complete with horses) and a massive children’s play area deck. Usually I would’ve enjoyed such an inviting play area but I still needed to find my family…when I woke up!

Now, I’m sure there are people out there who would love to tell me all sorts of interesting facts about my dreams and what they say about me and my unconscious mind. But to be honest, I probably just need to stop eating cheese before I go to bed!

I’m quite grateful sometimes that when I wake up the dream is over and it was just that, a dream. The thought of any of these dreams becoming a reality is, quite frankly, not always welcome and most certainly belongs in Steven Spielberg’s department more than it does in mine.

But I do have dreams that I long to see becoming a reality in my life. They’re not the kind of dreams that occur whilst you sleep, but rather the dreams that are stirred up whilst you are awake. The ideas and hopes that God plants in your heart that gradually grow and develop. These dreams are more than just vivid pictures, random scenes and unusual happenings. These dreams can be a matter of life and death.

I hope to expand on my thoughts on dreams and identify four things which I think play an important part in making our dreams more than just dreams but actual reality. And I hope to encourage you to dream BIG, because we can…because God is BIG.

God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us.
Ephesians 3:20-21 (The Message)

Biege Eyes and Having Fun!

After reading Bianca's post about making decisions and the will of God, I starting thinking about something that I realised had gone from my life. I realised that I very rarely worry about wearing the wrong eyeshadow colour. (Ok, so not quite as important as following God's will but I do think about that a lot too!) I rarely worry about what colour eyeshadow to wear because I have become the queen of biege/neutral/boring eyeshadow!

Ok, so I have neutral matt finish, neutral shimmer finish and neutral with added sparkle...but I haven't past my eyeshadow brush over the non-biege shades in my make up bag for quite a while. My grown-up-ness and sensibleness had started to become boring-ness and I decided that I didn't want any more of it! So while it might not be appropriate to wear coloured eyeshadow for work (I'm not sure how a bunch of engineers would react to eyeshadow!) I didn't see any reason why my weekend eyes had to be biege/neutral/boring too.

So yesterday my eyes looked like this...




Ok, so the colour might not be overwhelmingly bright but its a step in the right direction. And it appears the coloured eyeshadow inspired a few other moments of fun filled craziness...including taking photos of myself doing cartwheels!!!
This is my 'woman walking with a purpose'!!!


Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee






Hope you had a fun filled, brightly coloured weekend too x

The Shack

I'm reading this book as recommended by many of my family, and I have to say it's great.

I couldn't possibly begin to summarise it or do it any justice with my words...other than to say...go buy it...or borrow it.

There are so many great and challenging words in it that have caused me to stop and reassess the way I think and feel about things. I'm sure that I will expand on some of these thoughts here over the next few days and weeks.