The day with dianne Louise

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” ‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭3‬:‭5‬-‭6‬ ‭NIV‬‬ All usually means ‘all’, unless you’re used to calling the shots and have parked God in the side paddock. How difficult it is to submit all? I am an ex-nurse and think like one in regard to my health. I am also driven to overcome every obstacle in my path. Laying both of these down and asking for help is a challenge.   I knew last week I probably needed antibiotics but pressed on until I crashed on Sunday. I had to face the fact that I needed help.  The antibiotics are working and I am healing, slowly but surely. Even through I still have a bit of an annoying cough it is lessening and I know I will recover. Meanwhile I am resting,  reading and doing catch up study for college. I keep stopping and asking myself: ‘is there something I should be doing?’ Probably not! Rest will cure me. My flatmate...

“Give thanks to the Lord and proclaim his greatness. Let the whole world know what he has done.” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭105‬:‭1‬ ‭NLT‬‬ For the past week I have struggled with a headcold and it proceeded to become worse, so yesterday, I visited the doctor and received a script for antibiotics. One day later I am rapidly improving. How often do we continue to struggle with things in our lives believing we must fix them. Instead, we should take them to the Lord or to someone who can help? Some things we are not able to sort. Some things only God can sort and some things He wants us to take to another person for reasons only He knows. Often, here in Nepal, it is so we can bring light, connect with them in some way. At the doctor yesterday, my hearing was greatly affected and he was treating me badly. My Nepali friend stepped in a remonstrated. She told him I had been a nurse and that my hearing was temporarily affected. Straight away his manner improved. Who knows what lessons people may need? God kn...

“Are any of you suffering hardships? You should pray. Are any of you happy? You should sing praises. Are any of you sick? You should call for the elders of the church to come and pray over you, anointing you with oil in the name of the Lord. Such a prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will make you well. And if you have committed any sins, you will be forgiven.”  James‬ ‭5‬:‭13-15‬ ‭NLT‬‬ Usually when we suffer hardships we complain and when we are happy we sing songs, but when we are sick we go to the doctor we do not ask the elders to pray for us. Time for a change! Let us worship when we are suffering and ask for prayer when we are sick. In the psalms we read how, time and again, the Psalmist would worship God after revealing their suffering and complaint. Let’s destroy complaints! Amen! https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=f2oxGYpuLkw&si=zegrQQ1wcP35pZXc

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Genesis‬ ‭1‬:‭1‬ ‭NLT‬‬ I have astronomer friends who mock this statement and ai constantly pray that their eyes will be opened. To believe the universe came into being without divine intervention requires a lot of faith or blind foolishness the order and the laws that govern space cannot be random. When have we ever seen radom order be created out of nothing? And Yes it requires faith to believe in a God who created all things, but first you need a revelation of His love to understand. All things seen have been created, but the big WHY hangs. When we see the smallest of creatures perfectly formed and most beautiful of flowers how could they randomly come into being. If I wanted to bless my children and create a world they would constantly wonder at, I could do no better. Our God has done just that! We may not love Him, so why would He love us? The answer is, because He is love. The question is now, can ai believe such perfect, ...

“Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory. We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.” Romans‬ ‭5‬:‭1‬-‭5‬ ‭NLT‬‬ Today’s verse is just verse 1, but it does not stand alone, 2 and 3 must be added, and then 4 and 5 begged to be admitted. So here thay all are, in their glory! What power is presented to us! As I believe in the finished work of Jesus on the cross, I stand whole and complete in Him ...

““I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” John‬ ‭10‬:‭11‬ ‭NIV‬‬ In Australia the sheep farms are huge and the sheep are generally unprotected, apart from fences. Wild dogs, foxes and human predators are common. In the time of Jesus sheep herds were smaller and the shepherd was given charge over the sheep. Jesus spoke about hirelings who were employed to care for the sheep who did not care when wolves came. Whereas Jesus called himself the door. He lay in the opening to prevent the thieves and wolves from entering. How does that apply to me? I can be confident that Jesus is blocking the way from the enemy of my soul. Scripture tells me He sits at the right hand of the Father and gives intercession for me. He is not way off and aloof, but very present through His Holy Spirit that He has given me. The Holy Spirit comforts and guides me. He leads me to trust The word of God; to praise; to worship; to faith; to prayer. I am not alone! Psalm 23 tells me ...

“Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last; but a woman who fears the Lord will be greatly praised.” ‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭31‬:‭30‬ ‭NLT‬‬ I still have a photo of my debut as a 17 year old. The difference between then and now are marked. Whilst I was young and beautiful then, and old now the place of beauty has changed, the inner parts of me now carry the beauty of the Lord. I know this has to be true as so many say they see that beauty, whereas I look in the mirror and see age. A young woman who carried godly beauty is even better. I have a lovely friend who does just that. She is serene with His beauty. This young woman is about to be married to her first boyfriend, at 29. She is a virgin and has never dated until now. This I cherish for her. Our God is beautiful! Imagine the beauty that Jesus carried. He was sinless and stayed close to the Father. What an attractive mix.  The woman in the passage above was praised by her family. A woman who clings to the Lord is beautiful indeed. Amen...

“Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.” 1 Peter‬ ‭5‬:‭7‬ ‭NLT‬‬ Whist this thought applies to all Christians we must consider where this verse falls. From verse 5 Peter is addressing young men. He says: “In the same way, you who are younger must accept the authority of the elders. And all of you, dress yourselves in humility as you relate to one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor.” 1 Peter‬ ‭5‬:‭5‬-‭6‬ ‭NLT‬‬ The first four verses are addressed to elders: “And now, a word to you who are elders in the churches. I, too, am an elder and a witness to the sufferings of Christ. And I, too, will share in his glory when he is revealed to the whole world. As a fellow elder, I appeal to you: Care for the flock that God has entrusted to you. Watch over it willingly, not grudgingly—not for what you will get out of it, but because you are ...

“She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future. When she speaks, her words are wise, and she gives instructions with kindness.” Proverbs‬ ‭31‬:‭25‬-‭26‬ ‭NLT‬‬ I love this scripture. Strength and dignity are not found unless the Lord clothes us first. If He is the focus they are automatically present. Laughing without fear of the future are character traits of the daughter of a king. She is secure in the knowledge He reigns. Words of wisdom are found in the mouth of a student of the Lord. Knowing Him and His ways brings wisdom. Knowledge is found in the fear of the Lord. Giving instruction with kindness are traits of one who has been disciplined by the Lord and schooled in righteousness. Training others in His ways, is an act of love, neglect is an act of selfishness. When we are preoccupied with self, we neglect others. The lady in this passage is not a self-centred woman. On the contrary, further reading of the full passage reveals that her husba...

“Pray, too, that we will be rescued from wicked and evil people, for not everyone is a believer. But the Lord is faithful; he will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one.”  2 Thessalonians‬ ‭3‬:‭2‬-‭3‬ ‭NLT‬‬ These verses are interesting. First Paul asks for prayer and then promptly answers himself. It appears he is talking to the Thessalonians but in fact his statement answers his own request. Jesus taught us to pray, in the Lord’s Prayer He instructed us to ask the Father for deliverance from evil and temptation. It, therefore, is prudent that we pray thus. I often forget, and then when I remember I do. I am not so spiritual that I can avoid evil, I need the Lord’s help, we all do. Recently Bethel church in America wrote an apology letter for not publicly dealing with the sin of an associate. Pastor Bill mentioned that he is so reluctant to accuse a brother that it became a weakness for him. He has shown us that a strength can be used against us by our enemy. We can asses...

“So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.” ‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭4‬:‭18‬ ‭NLT‬‬ There are plenty of troubles to be found, if we are looking for trouble. If our mind is bent on ‘oh! Poor me! However, a heart of gratitude sees a different perspective. What can I be grateful for? What is God doing in my life? What is He asking me to be involved with, right here, right now? I have spent the last week doing not much at all, in a remote village in Sindhulpalchok, Nepal. I had a week off college and decided to visit friends and stay in a village to experience village life. It has been quiet, apart from an initial setting up of the flat I am staying in and sorting clothes for donation, daily I am the cook. I have one gas burner on which I cook daal, rice, vegetables, meat or eggs, and pickle. The amount I cook lasts all day and some leftovers. ...

“But when you give to someone in need, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.” ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭6‬:‭3‬ ‭NLT‬‬ What does this mean? Don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing? It means give when your heart prompts you without ruminating over the rightness of the gift. The Lord fills our heart with compassion and that compassion urges us to act. In reading the gospel of Matthew we see Jesus regularly moved with compassion for the sick, the hungry and the lost. He promptly reaches out and heals, feeds and comforts. When Jesus involves us, we are blessed. Jesus asked the disciples what did they have, twice, when confronted by large hungry crowds. They only had a few loaves of bread and a few fish. To them these were not enough, but to Jesus they were all that was required. Is the Lord prompting you to use what you consider small? I find that as I obey He stretches the small and creates enough for the task at hand. I am delighted by His ability to stretch t...

“Let me hear of your unfailing love each morning, for I am trusting you. Show me where to walk, for I give myself to you.” Psalms‬ ‭143‬:‭8‬ ‭NLT‬‬ I love the early mornings when I awake and spend time with the loving presence of the Lord. All I can do is worship! His favourite song is Worthy by Elevation Music, at present, as is mine. My heart burns for souls to hear the Good News. I want to shine His light in dark places. My prayers are for souls in lands where the Gospel being preached is forbidden. It is happening! Here in Nepal I pray that people see Jesus. The amazing thing is, He shines through me, I am possessed with His love for the lost. He is working! People here are not used to being loved by a god. However, my Jesus passionately loves them. I love them. May it show! Amen!

“This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua‬ ‭1‬:‭9‬ ‭NLT‬‬ Last night I heard the testimony of a young woman born into an Iranian family who were close to the Ayatollah Khamenei, the previous leader of Iran. She came to know Jesus in 2024, as did her sister. Living in such a family was dangerous and when discovered her family turned against her, her grandmother wanted her killed. Fortunately one of her brothers gave her a phone with a number to call. That call brought her deliverance from certain death and Iran. Becoming a Christian in many countries where Islam dominates mean death. Today, many suffer because of Christ in China, North Korea, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and more. In Nepal, in some areas of the east it is so. Proselytising is a crime. Foreigners are investigated for why they are here, I have been. Why are the enemies of Christ persecuting those who choose to follow Him? He is...

“Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good.” Romans‬ ‭12‬:‭21‬ ‭NLT‬‬ Evil is all around us, tempting us, attacking us. What do we do? We recognise how it is interacting with us and respond appropriately. If I am being tempted I use scripture, just as Jesus did, to fight off the enemy. If I am being attacked I pray, diligently and strongly for the souls of those attacking me. I bind the spirits driving their attacks and rebuff the spirits. The last part of the above scripture says: ‘by doing good’. What good can I do? I must recognise my own flesh and subdue it, I can recognise the flesh of others and confront it, I can go outside of both of these and find people who need good doing to them. I am in Silnhulpalchowk helping set up a flat there. My bed is almost as hard as concrete and my back is rebelling. The food is plain dhal bhaat twice a day. If I want to avoid ‘piro’ (chilly, very hot chilly) my fare is white rice and cooked lentils. The alternative is junk food i...

“The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.” 2 Peter‬ ‭3‬:‭9‬ ‭NLT‬‬ I just read a report that The Iranian leadership had been pretty much destroyed in the first few minutes of the Israel:US strike against them. This strike had been weeks in the making and it seems as if the US were dragging their feet. However, they gave diplomacy the best chance and then when it failed they acted. In the waiting many Iranian people were killed by their own leaders.  More so our God waits for souls to repent and come to Him. Many dear saints, meanwhile, are slaughtered  or imprisoned amd cry out for justice. In the Book of Revelation we see a scene where the saints before the altar are crying out, “How long Lord?” God replies, “until the full number have come”. He knows how long and how many, not us. Then He will act. Amen!

“There are “friends” who destroy each other, but a real friend sticks closer than a brother.” Proverbs‬ ‭18‬:‭24‬ ‭NLT‬‬ A test of friendship is sudden prosperity. We can be used to a friend being ever in need of finance and support,  and when suddenly amazing things happen for them and they are promoted, what do we do? I have such a friend. She was a long term missionary here in Nepal and then was suddenly sent back to America for 12 months. She did not know what her outcome would be. She stayed in a motel at first and had no money, then she stayed with a friend who was rich and she had everything she needed, then she was moved to another unknown situation, finally a large church came to her aid me gave her a home for a few months and money for a car. We here in Nepal watched in amazement. Her financial woes are over as she now receives a government pension, has a home and a car. At first I wrote regularly as she needed hope and friendship. Now, she seems to not need close contact...

“Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children.” Ephesians‬ ‭5‬:‭1‬ ‭NLT‬‬ There was a time when people wore armbands with WWJD on them.! This basically said, ‘What Would Jesus Do?’ They were a good idea but without conviction useless. Praying without engaging our hearts is also useless.! Intentionality was a buzz word, a few years ago. Even though it has also fallen out of favour it is still important. I must engage heart and mind when praying and acting. Intentionality is not reacting! We are prone to live out of reaction. This is usually fleshly. We cannot trust our reactions to be godly unless they are pruned by righteousness, and even then we need to pray. Last week I got involved it what seemed to be a fruitless argument with a friend texting about a matter. I called a halt and suggested we meet face to face, which we did and there was no problem. We had time, on the way to our meeting to cool and pray. Worse still is entering into someone else’s...

“Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desires.” Psalms‬ ‭37‬:‭4‬ ‭NLT‬‬ What does taking delight mean to us? I thought of a small child, or a baby. I remember having my children and how just looking at them caused my heart to blossom. I loved them deeply. If I transfer that delight to the Lord I can understand. Is my relationship one of obligation? One I endure to twist a divine hand? No! My God’s presence is the best! Do I delight in Him jist to receive? No! I delight in Him because He is good! His presence is better than houses and cars, vacations or jewels. https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=ovkdzcDjxQo&si=03YunZNZQFrnYful

“O Lord, I will honor and praise your name, for you are my God. You do such wonderful things! You planned them long ago, and now you have accomplished them.” Isaiah‬ ‭25‬:‭1‬ ‭NLT‬‬ The Lord is not haphazard, although He may be accused of such. Those who accuse do not know Him or His ways. Recently I was accused of being haphazard and I replied, “no! you say this because you do not know me, you need to ask my flatmate and she would say I am orderly”. I then went home and asked her what she thought, just to be sure. She replied “you are orderly but flexible , if you need to make a change you do it”. Well, that is better than haphazard! The Lord plans long before the event, looong before! He knows what will happen, we are predictable. He knows who will be ruled by their flesh and who will walk in the spirit. He knows when we will do things. He is not surprised. Jesus was surprised by faith in those not of the Jewish race but not of His own people, but then He was surprised as a man. God ...