The day with dianne Louise

“For God is not unjust. He will not forget how hard you have worked for him and how you have shown your love to him by caring for other believers, as you still do. Our great desire is that you will keep on loving others as long as life lasts, in order to make certain that what you hope for will come true. Then you will not become spiritually dull and indifferent. Instead, you will follow the example of those who are going to inherit God’s promises because of their faith and endurance.”  Hebrews‬ ‭6‬:‭10‬-‭12‬ ‭NLT‬‬ A few months ago I saw a little man out the front of my flat with a bicycle wheel and pedals with which he use to create a sharpening tool for knives and scissors. My landlady was there getting knives sharpened. I rejoiced as my best knife was becoming blunt. For 50R it was transformed. I was very grateful and thanked the man. His face lit up with the best smile. This reminds me that I must stay sharp as a Christian. I do so by seeing others as a Jesus sees them and car...

“Love does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out.” 1 Corinthians‬ ‭13‬:‭6‬ ‭NLT‬‬ This is a test of love. Do we rejoice when someone is jailed, chastened or vilified unjustly? If we do we have a forgiveness problem. If that person has been rough on us and then is treated unjustly we still have no grounds to rejoice. Paul tells us the attributes of true love, God’s love are:  “Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.”  1 Corinthians‬ ‭13‬:‭4‬-‭5‬, ‭7‬ ‭NLT‬‬ Loves continues to pray for people who hurt us. Love seeks the best for all people. When Jesus hung on the cross He said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do!” He welcomed the repentant thief into paradise with Him that very day. We tend to think about...

“Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens. Our God is a God who saves; from the Sovereign LORD comes escape from death.”  Psalms‬ ‭68‬:‭19‬-‭20‬ ‭NIV‬‬ I just awoke from a dream in which my mother and aunts and many others were in a small buss stopped by the side of the road on a mountain. Opposite us was a truck stopped on the road. I was outside the bus and heard a large truck powering up the hill at speed. I knew we were in danger and pressed myself against the side of the mountain and prayed. The on-coming truck slowed a little but pushed and pushed until it could get past, pushing the stopped truck onto our bus. Without thinking I pushed against it to get it off our bus and it moved. I checked everyone inside and all was well. I then ran off to collect my sister’s cats who had escaped in the first place and brought them back. I felt full of energy and excited that I had saved us from the truck. Not realistic! I could not save us, my prayers to the ...

“And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” ‭‭Romans‬ ‭8‬:‭28‬ ‭NLT‬‬ We are not always in the right place at the right time, however, God is able to use everything. Tonight I went with my flatmates to a craft evening and realised I did not fit. I sensed my awkwardness and the hosts preference. I sat quietly and rolled wool and talked minimally. I did try to help one young woman with crocheting but was unsuccessful.  My flatmates had insisted I go along and in evenings past I had refused. However, I connected with two young women I knew. They were delighted to see me. I had been to their hometown way north west of Nepal and that had made a memorable connection. As well, I had celebrated one girls birthday by making her a birthday cake earlier in the year. Although I felt awkward being where I did not belong, I am grateful for that connection. I now know their mother is unwell and will...

“Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.”  John‬ ‭6‬:‭35‬ ‭NLT‬‬ Jesus said these words to the Jews who were following him because He fed them bread and fish when they were hungry. He told them they were only following Him because He fed them. He was looking for those the Father had given Him who would believe in Him. Here in this verse He is responding to the request for bread from heaven so that the crowd would never be hungry again. They were thinking natural provision He was speaking spiritual provision. Each of us has a hunger for a connection with God. We fill it with all manner of things, we create our own gods but the hunger never leaves us. The only solution is Jesus. He is the answer. We cannot make ourselves right by our own actions. We need a pure and perfect sacrifice and that sacrifice is Jesus. He gave Himself to pay for our debts, our sins. Jesus is the only God motivated b...

“Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.” ‭‭Colossians‬ ‭3‬:‭13‬ ‭NLT‬‬ This calls for a generous heart. We cannot afford to be petty. Mean spirits are selfish and will destroy those who get in our way. Jesus taught forgiveness. When asked how many times should a person forgive a brother who sins against them, thinking seven was generous, Jesus replied, “70 times seven!” The listeners were gobsmacked. 70 times 7 was a way of saying ‘forever!’ Finding fault gives us an excuse to dismiss a person. If we do not want them around it is how we dismiss, we accumulate faults against them. In Nepal foreigners are losing favour. Finding fault against them is the way to dismiss and deport them. It does not matter that foreigners are some of the best supporters and donators to Nepal, because many foreigners are Christians they are unwanted. As a Christian that loves Nepal and her people I am sad. Nepal ...