The day with dianne Louise

I waited patiently for the Lord to help me, and he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire. He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along. Psalms 40:1‭-‬2 NLT Out of the mud! Have you ever been caught in thick mud? It tends to suck you down. It is a frightening experience. Our enemy attempts to isolate us, making us think we are left behind. This brings a feeling of helplessness, and causes us to doubt the Lord's promises.  It is exactly times like these when we need to be loud in our praise and thanks to the Lord for His salvation.  I am watching the Ukrainian president call on governments of the world for aid. He uses reminders of their past to inspire them of his need. It is very disheartening to see these governments,  again and again,  turn a deaf ear to his desperate need for 'no fly zones'. History is repeating itself. The same thing happened before WW2. Having just come out of WW1 t...

I waited patiently for the Lord to help me, and he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire. He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along. Psalms 40:1‭-‬2 NLT There are times  when we are caught in a pit. Joseph was thrown into a pit by jealous brothers. Sometimes our pit is caused by others, but sometimes it is of our own making. Joseph's boasting about his dreams caused the ill feeling his brothers had towards him. Whatever or whoever the cause, God is waiting to be asked for help. I am sure Joseph was praying for God's help. His brothers planned to kill him, all except Reuben. Reuben had planned to rescue his brother. Being the eldest he probably felt responsible. However, Joseph's rescue was not what he expected. He was sold to slave traders by his brothers and then onsold in Egypt to a man called Potiphar. God blessed Joseph but worse was in store. Potiphar's wife wanted to have sex with ...

Father to the fatherless, defender of widows— this is God, whose dwelling is holy. Psalms 68:5 NLT The first Christian leader I met, who was a good fatherly figure, would have been pastor Bill Beard of the Wollongong Lighthouse Christian Centre. Bill was built like a fighter, was able to muster that 'look' that frightened villians, but we saw the soft, sweet side of him, and loved him for it. Bill had 3 daughters and a son. His wife was lovely and gracious. PB, as we knew him, was my benchmark. My paternal father was not like PB, he was more of a grump, and had difficulty showing his love. Therefore PB was the man. All the young people met in the downstairs of his home and we knew we were safe. We saw PB front some bikers who wanted trouble, he sorted them. He was not afraid of evil. He knew his God. Our God is a magnified version of PB. He is safe to be around, worthy of trust,  love and committment. We are secure with Him. Amen!

Father to the fatherless, defender of widows— this is God, whose dwelling is holy. Psalms 68:5 NLT I have a friend who has adopted a family of 3 in Kenya. These 3 lost both parents and had been raised in an orphanage. My friend was contacted by the oldest brother when he had to leave to find work, asking for help. This friend has never married or had natural children, and so this was a gift to him. He relishes the relationship and cares deeply for this family. Imagine how much more our heavenly Father cares for those who are orphans and widows. He just needs people like my friend to step into the fray with boldness and willingness. There are many good organisations that people can partner with. Our church supports Compassion. Compassion finds orphaned children and supports them in their education, villages in water supply and animals for families to raise for food. Another organisation I have had the privilege to partner with at times is United Vision Nepal. This group is made up of Ne...

Commit your actions to the Lord and you plans will succeed. Proverbs 16:3 NLT Do you find the wait frustrating? I do, at times, especially when it is quiet, and I know something is coming. The wait can be trying, but then it exists for that very reason. Our patience is tested, our trust in the Lord is tested, and our willingness to leave the matter in the Lord's hands is being tested. Why the test? A few reasons: we need to know the state of our heart, God already knows it. We are learning insight and understanding. We are learning patience so that in time we can be patient with others. Others need our patience and the goodness of God that is built in this time of waiting. The fruits of the Spirit are evidence that God is at work. If they are absent then all will know that it is us that is at work, or, our flesh. A fleshly smell usually accompanies them. King David was annointed king many years before he actually sat on the throne. Joseph received two prophetic dreams years befo...

Commit your actions to the Lord, and your plans will succeed. Proverbs 16:3 NLT We also know there is another proverb; man makes his plans but God directs his steps(16:9). Plans are good, they give God and us an action to execute.  God knows how He has made us, and what His purposes for us are. He will shepherd us to the right path. We see dimly but He sees clearly. I am grateful there are certain things I know that I know I should complete. There are others, I don't have such assurance about. It is these things I must let God master. Even the things I have assurance about, uni for example, the choices of available units are in His hands. They are always a blessing to me. Whether I go to QLD for Easter, that is debatable and in His hands. I can trust Him He has the best plan for my life. Amen!

Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. Proverbs 3:5‭-‬6 NLT I understand! Is a comment we would make when given a directive. Or perhaps we may claim to understand mathematical or scientific tifjc equations,or even the opposite sex. However,  we might believe we understand,but in fact miss vital information. These are all good reasons to instead rely on a mind outside of our reality. We see better from a distance for others, but are caught in the thick of the tangles of our emotions and thoughts. Our God is higher and far above our reality. He knew us are beginning of time. Now, that is some foresight. We can trust our God's perspective. When He says: my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are my ways you ways, we had better believe Him. So, with all this information are you going to Insist on ruling the roost? If you are it is foolishness at best. Try trusting! Amen