Reflections of Proverbs 31

This week I’ve been looking at Proverbs 31 the Epilogue bit, and really trying to pray into it and reflect on it. So here are a few of my thoughts.

To begin with I had to take away my selfish attitude and realise this isn’t about me or what I can be as a noble wife in the future, but the example Jesus sets here to the church. Remember ALL of the Old Testament points to Jesus and tells us about His character and His mission, so this must also have the focus on Jesus.

Secondly the bible talks about the church being married to God so this could also be a reflection on the behaviour of the church as a whole in it’s service to the Lord. It’s strange picture language for the church as a whole but as you begin to break it down it has similarities to preparations and harvest which is the work Jesus sends us out to do really in the Great Commission.

Finally of course it applies when thinking personally about growth in my own personal character with the help of the Holy Spirit. If I’m striving to be Christ-like and this is pointing to Christ’s character then surely this is something that, with the Grace of God, I should be striving for also. Even in my role in church service and discipleship this is something also I should reflect on.

Now when I read Proverbs 31 I can say:

• Wow, Jesus is amazing 
• Oh man, I’m rubbish!
• Thankfully God is gracious and I can ask Him to help me to grow in this!

25 Things to be thankful for

I've decided to take note of all the great things God provided over summer this year by making a list, I love lists so that's my first thing to be thankful for!

1. My job
2. Keswick Convention
3. New Friends
4. Old Friends
5. Waterfalls
6. Coffee
7. God's Wisdom
8. Laughter
9. Answered Prayer
10. Snap-backs
11. Bullet Journalling
12. Psalm 107
13. Prosecco
14. Lake District
15. Martinis
16. More Coffee
17. New car!
18. Reunions
19. Camp
20. Crutches and Cocodomol
21. Family
22. Photographs
23. Sunshine
24. Washout
25. Talkin Tarn

So many great things happened and on reflection I am able to praise God for His continuous blessings and trust that He knows the plans set before me!

My Journey of Humility

Today whilst travelling on the train, I had to learn to be incredibly humble and ask for help.

Anyone who knows me would tell you that I like to be very independent and do it by myself and I allow my pride to get the better of me because I don’t want to appear “stupid”, I believe this is also a very British thing that we don’t speak to anyone but just get on with things.

Now the thing is, there was nothing stupid in what happened, I was waiting for a train at Appleby and wasn’t certain if the one that pulled in was the right one. After almost everyone else had got on I was still sat on the platform thinking this train was way too early.

A guy ,also going to Leeds, came over to me and asked where I was going and if he could wait with me. Great, my independence has someone other than me relying on it, time to learn to humility and take responsibility for the situation. Five minutes later the train is still at the station and I’m no longer sure if I should stay off this train.

So I stepped onto the train and prayed to the LORD asking that he would provide someone I could ask, and of course, he did and it was the train I needed to be on. The guy who was on the platform with me also got on the train in a slight panic but now, en route to Leeds station my journey continues but with much more humility.

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On the way back from Nottingham I was reminded how God never leaves us alone and we are always surrounded by other Christians. I boarded the train at Preston which was fairly empty, but my reserved seat was on a table with two guys probably about 19, and one had their bible on the table and must have been reading a particular passage. As I sat down next to the I felt a huge sense of relief, comfort and of being with family. We didn’t speak but just silently enjoyed Christian company. I thank the LORD for his lessons he has taught me on my travels that no matter how far away you may feel God is always bringing you back to His love.

What is the ideal Woman?

What do we think about when we think of image? 

What we should look like?

We’re comparing ourselves to this illusion of the ideal woman aren’t we. 

Well the average woman is 5’4” and weighs 10 stone. The average model is 5’11” and weighs 8 stone. 

That is a truly scary and unhealthy statistic. Only 2% of women are models. And we’re expected to aspire to that?! That’s ridiculous. It's a false standard. 

So here's what I think:

I think we need to forget what the media says to us and focus on the real women around us for a start! That is the reality, not some magazine. We can’t aspire to be like 2% of the population when we have been made to all be beautifully different.

Just pause and think

What are some of the issues that we struggle with when we think about our image?

Most of these things happen because we are comparing ourselves to someone. But why are we comparing ourselves? Well I think there are three underlying reasons which have come from Sophie De Witt's book, Compared to her:

• o Significance: making sure you’re worthwhile
• o    Satisfaction: making sure life is as good as it can be
• o    Security: making sure we have what we need

I’ve been reading this book and Sophie talks about something called Compulsive Comparison Syndrome or CCS for short, and I honestly believe we all suffer from it, I’ve struggled with it all my life I know that. But for me it all came to a head in my first year of university when I tried to change me and having the “ideal” body and being the most like this unrealistic expectation l I could be became the most important thing in the world. 

I found myself hating the body God had given me and trying to achieve the false ideal. Thankfully I kept going along to church and summer camps and God slapped me in the face with Psalm 139 in my face over and over again.

READ PSALM 139

God made us and knows everything about us. The creator of the whole universe made you and me exactly how we are supposed to be. We are made in the image of God, when we look in the mirror we see the image of God!

How does that make us feel?

How does that change how we view ourselves?

He has made us all differently however we look, it’s how he made us.

He has created a temple in us. 

Sufferings of Job

At the moment I'm preparing for Word Alive 2016 and I'm working through Job which I've found really exciting. Job loses everything, his money, his family, his health but not once does he complain to the Lord, in fact he delights in the Lord and worships Him both in Happiness and Hardships.

This for me has been really refreshing after a few weeks of struggling and my depression kicking off a little bit, the Lord has really placed this passage before me, and I am so thankful.

This week has been a tough week from me, two people I knew at uni passed away within four days of each other and it made me truly realise just how important it is that we spread the good news that we have!
It was also an eye opening time for me to realise that it's okay to lose the front we have that everything is okay, it's human to struggle with these things and actually you need to open up and pray with Christian friends and let them help you.
They can actually have some pretty good advice!

Realisation of the week: Let people help you, don't keep that barrier up, because that is all it is, a barrier.

SWAK: Betraying Jesus in our daily life

Sorry for the controversial heading but can you say I'm wrong?

I know I'm guilty of doing the same, not just saying we don't believe but maybe just not standing up for Jesus as we should.
Please stick with me as I work through a few challenging questions to strengthen my faith, and hopefully yours too.

Let's begin with what we know:

We are all sinners.

We can be forgiven if we ask.

BUT

Do we use this as an excuse for our sin?

Do now pay later?

Will we follow Jesus to the cross?

Will we be Peter, asking for forgiveness?

Or Judas?

So when we sin, do we feel crippled with guilt until we ask for forgiveness? Or do we just remember as we go to bed that out of habit we should ask for Jesus to forgive everything we've done wrong, the end. 

Remember that Judas betrayed Jesus, he handed Him over to the authorities, but it would seem he showed no remorse. However Peter also denied Jesus three times, but Peter asked for forgiveness, he accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior and went out to spread the Good News! 

We must decide when we sin, will we follow Jesus to the cross like Peter, or will we betray Him like Judas.

I hope that this Easter time like me, you can commit to being a Peter not a Judas and celebrate Jesus death and resurrection and spread the fantastic news that HE IS RISEN!