stuff

We have been in our new place for 2 1/2 weeks and so far I am loving it, I am loving having a bit more space, I am loving painting canvas' for our new walls, I am loving knowing this will be home for a long time and I am loving having people over to dinner.

We had SPs parents staying with us from last Thurs until Sunday as we had SPs grandparents 60th Wedding Anniversary = yeah you heard me 60 years!!!! SP and I thought it through and it is likely we will be dead by the time we get to 60 years - but you never know and then we decided that we should just think about getting to our 1st anniversary first - It has been almost 8 months already and I can hardly believe it!

SP is doing well with his leg, he is coming of the heel raises this week and so will be able to walk with normal shoes, this should help with getting the movement back but he is recovering really really well.

Please pray as ever since we have been married we haven't really been exercising and I really miss it but I am lacking the discipline to get out of bed to go for a run, please pray we might both be mor disciplined and encouraging of each other to work out. I don't know why it is so hard, I used to always do it :(

Still no word from the visa - grrr it is starting to drive me nuts. I really hope that I find out soon, and I do hope it is like the saying "no news is good news" I guess we will see. We have never really thought through the possibility of it not being accepted, given that our relationship it genuine and all.....

I am off to see "The Devil Wears Prada" tonight, I have wanted to see it for a while but SP wasn't so keen BUT he surprised me by telling me we are going tonight - how cool is my husband?? So looking forward to it.

Anyhoo, these are just a few little life insights for the Nixter this week..

I just heard a story about my friends old next door neighbour who had an accident recently and is now a quadriplegic, she is 35 and has 3 children, please pray for her and her family at this time. especially that she might come to know the Lord. It made me think through what life would now mean to this young women and how thankful we need to be for the gift of life and the ability to use all our limbs and body with ease. I very rarely thank God for the breath he gives, for the arms I have, for the legs I have or for the body I have that works well, he daily provides me with all I need to get by without any problems. This might not always be the case but for now it is and I want to be thankful for those things that I might take for granted but are the things I need daily to live my life. I might not always think on these things but that are instrumental in all that I do..

Happy Tuesday Everyone!

note: the picture is of my first ever painting on canvas - I am no 'artiste' but I do love it - it's fun!

100 bucks if you don't laugh

I am not going to give you a 100 bucks - that's just the name of the video!

a few more verses on temptation

Last night SP read out a little of Hebrews to me and this verse came up:

'Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death — that is, the devil — and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham's descendants. For this reason he had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.' Hebrews 2:14-25

After my thinking and post yesterday is was good to read these verses and to know that when Jesus talks about temptation it isn't an abstract thing, he himself was tempted, he himself was sent to this earth to share in our flesh, blood, humanity and to die so that he might have victory over the devil.

I do wonder what it means, 'to free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death'. I get that death no longer had a hold on us but I am not entirely sure what this verse means by 'their fear of death.' Any thoughts?

What an encouragement to know that the Lord Jesus himself went through being tempted (but DID NOT give in to the temptation as he is sinless) so that he is able to help those being tempted. We are not alone, we have a helper and we have the spirit of God working in us so that we might be able to stand when we are faced with trials and temptation - I pray that I might cling to these verses when in those times...

trials and temptation

We were reading James 1 at work this morning which got us talking about Trials and Temptations. So here are some of my thoughts:

Firstly, in James 1 it says that 'When tempted no one should say that "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; sin when it is full-grown, give birth to death' James 1:13-15

In the bible the words tempt, tempting and temptation are only mentioned approximately 13 times and all but about 6 of those times are in the gospels. I so did not know this and neither did the girls in the office, we were quite surprised. So I looked at the times when the words are mentioned:

Satan tempts Jesus for 40 days in Matthew 4:1-11, Mark 1:12-13 and Luke 4:1-13

It talks about people who want to get rich falling into temptation in 1 Timothy 6:6-10

As husband and wife it says 'Do not deprive each other except by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.' 1 Corinthians 7:5

When the disciples and Jesus are in the garden of Gethsemane he tells his disciples to 'watch and pray' so they don't fall into temptation in Matthew 26:41, Mark 14:38 and Luke 22:46

1 Corinthians 10:13 says that 'No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.'

What a comfort it is to know that our God will never let us be tempted beyond what we can bear. He will not tempt us BUT he may allow us to go through trials and suffering which we are called to 'consider pure joy' James 1:2, as these trials develops perseverance and 'perseverance must finish it's work so they we can be complete, not lacking anything' James 1:3-4

I don't know about you but I often find it hard to 'consider it pure joy' when I am facing trials but that is what I am called to do whether it is hard or not. God wants us to 'not lack anything', he always wants what is best for us and more often than not I think I know what is best for me but actually it is God who knows me better than I know myself - he does know what is best!

Romans 5:1-9 also talks about suffering and how we are too 'rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.'

Today I was also reading part of Chosen by God (again!) RC Sproul discusses Calvinism and Hyper Calvinism (or as RC Sproul says) "anti-Calvinism" he presents the two views:

"The Reformed view teaches that God positively or actively intervenes in the lives of the elect to insure their salvation. The rest of mankind God leaves to themselves. He does not create disbelief in their hearts. That unbelief is already there. He does not coerce them to sin. They sin by their own choices."

Hyper-Calvinism states that God is involved in the coercing people into sin. and this does radical violence to the integrity of God's character."

The biggest example of this might be Pharaoh. Exodus 7:2-5

"Active hardening would involve God's direct intervention within the inner chambers of Pharaoh's heart. God would intrude into Pharaoh's heart and create fresh evil in it. This would certainly insure that Pharaoh would bring forth the result that God was looking for. It would also insure that God is the author of sin.
Passive hardening is a totally different story. Passive hardening involves a diving judgement upon sin that is already present. All that God needs to do to harden the heart of a person whose heart is already desperately wicked is to "give him over to his sin."

So here I would agree that God passively hardens hearts. God did not actively make Pharaoh sin he just allowed him to continue and act according to his natural inclination, which is to sin. I find it astonishing that even though I am actually no better than Pharaoh God has chosen to bestow his mercy on me, not because I am better and not because of anything I have done or will do but because God is a God of grace and he has graciously sent his son to die for me.

I want to rejoice knowing that God loves us, wants the best for us and has shown his mercy upon us remembering that when we face trials and suffering he is still in control, he is still God and he is allowing us to go through these times so that we might not be lacking in anything!

Note: I also know that Job went through severe suffering but I was specifically looking at where the words 'temptation' come up in scripture, I am sure I could have spent a whole post on Job and his suffering.
I have not looked at temptation, suffering or trials in it's entirety these are just a few thoughts that I have had today :)

yoda

I was emailing my friend the other day and she returned my email claiming that what I had typed sounded like 'Yoda' talk. I do think sometimes I type emails and blog comments with words missing because it is quicker rather than it writing the whole thing out. My husband confirmed this 'Yoda' emailing style that I have.. hmmm.

Anyhoo, in terms of movie, TV and cartoon characters I am actually more like 'Dory' from Nemo, a bit dizzy at times, get excited easily, I have been know to forget what I am talking about in mid-sentence and I guess I am a well-meaning type of girl.

So this leads me to ask what movie, TV or cartoon character are you most like and why?

May the force be with you!

ENFP - this is me!

At work today we did one of these tests I would say that it was pretty accurate of my personality, I came out as an Extravert, Intuitive, Feelings and Perceptive type, these were my results:

Common Qualities of Extraverts:
Attracted to many different things
Like to talk, sometimes without thinking
Like to get involved, make it happen
Keyword: Outgoing

Common Qualities of Intuitives:
Notice the whole picture
Theoretical - interested in WHY things work
Creative - like to experiment
Keyword: Imaginative

Common Qualities of Feelers:
Appreciate sensitivity
Quick to give support
Merciful - individual circumstances noted
Keyword: Compassionate

Common Qualities of Perceptives:
Are comfortable with "winging it"
Like to have an open-ended approach
Postpone decisions - sometimes procrastinate
Keyword: Flexible

General Description:
ENFPs are friendly and creative. ENFPs are curious, wanting to know what else besides the routine approach might work and they are flexible, always willing to try something new. They loathe regular routine and find themselves constantly pulled to new adventures before they have completed their old ones. ENFPs can be persuasive speakers, able to express a vision more easily than others and often make dynamic leaders.

Career Insights:
Being sensitive to people and interested in their welfare, ENFPs develop good people skills in such areas as communication, conflict resolution, listening, problem solving and mediation. The best careers for ENFPs will respect their desire to help others in imaginative ways, and where the work setting is free from bureaucratic rules. Careers that honour an ENFPs strengths include counselling, teaching (art, music, drama), psychology, acting and entertainment, clergy and public relations.

What are you?

where have Nixter's posts gone?

If you were wondering where all my posts have gone then wonder no longer, I have changed over to Beta Blogger with the help of a few friends ;) To see my all of my 'October 2006' posts click on the link on the left under 'before beta blogger' and you can see all my old posts.

WOO HOOT! Looking forward to using the beta version...

Once upon a time....

Once upon a time* in a land far far away there was a place, a lovely little place called 'The Dale'. Now in 'the Dale' there lived many a folk. These folks (let's call them 'Dalettes') loved coffee, Mondo's and a little pub just over the road from a church. Now many of the 'Dalettes' attended this little church, long long ago this little church was full of a few little old women but it had been growing and growing and growing - it was getting so big that the 'big boss' decided we needed a bigger building. Now in this church there were lots of little children and they needed somewhere to learn about God. So on Thursday afternoons a little club was set up so the little ones could come and hear about God and Jesus - this little club was called 'Adventure Club'. Now it wasn't just the children of 'the Dalettes' that came but people from other far off lands, the 'Leichettes' and the 'Stanmorenes' and even some lands I don't even know the names of. So every Thursday at 3.30pm these little children would come and several of the big children would dress up, play games and tell stories to the little children. Just between you and me I think the big children loved Adventure Club just as much as the little ones. So if you are ever wondering what all the noise is in 'the Dale' from 3.30pm to 5pm then it is probably all the little and big children at Adventure Club having a really wonderful time playing games, singing and most importantly learning about God.

*the theme for this terms Adventure Club is Once upon a time.....