The day with dianne Louise

“Discover creative ways to encourage others and to motivate them toward acts of compassion, doing beautiful works as expressions of love.” Hebrews‬ ‭10‬:‭24‬ ‭TPT‬‬ We can be caught up in ‘big things’. These can obfuscate the simple truths in ordinary people’s live. We become hardened to the small people and lack love and compassion. This is the danger of bigness and success. As I plan the work in Sindhulpalchok and encourage the team who will do the communication, I cannot lose God’s compassion for the girls who have been, are being and will be trafficked or sexually abused. I have experienced big organisations in churches. The leaders become overtaken with the forward vision and maintaining the movement. This removes them from the small people, the hurting and the needy. Jesus kept  the focus. He stayed connected. His eyes were on the sheep not the pen. He held together the need to train his people, manage his people, face His own crisis, His need to die on a cross, and still He ...

“But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.” James‬ ‭1‬:‭22‬ ‭NLT‬‬ James is right! We fool ourselves if we fail to apply what we read. It is so easy to read and forget. If our hearts are hard the words bounce right off. I remember being in a service where the preacher was speaking about faith and hope,  and I could see that he was failing to make an impact. What he said was right but the hardness of the people’s hearts made a thudding sound. They looked at him blankly. It our job to ensure that our hearts are soft to God’s word. James tells us our hearts are hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. Jesus told a parable about the different types of receptivity of hearts by likening them to types of soil. Truely hard hearts had souls that was trampled upon like a path. What do we allow to trample upon our hearts? Sinful thoughts and ways. In other words fleshly behaviours. The next two types of soils were rocky soil and th...

“Then Hannah prayed: “My heart rejoices in the Lord! The Lord has made me strong. Now I have an answer for my enemies; I rejoice because you rescued me. No one is holy like the Lord! There is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God.” 1 Samuel‬ ‭2‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭NLT‬‬ Hannah believed God and was blessed with a son, Samuel. Samuel was raised at the temple of the Lord and became a great prophet in Israel. Hannah had been childless. Her husband’s other wife bore many children and mocked her continually. This grieved Hannah. Therefore, she went to the temple and implored the Lord for a son, saying “I will return him to you if you give him to me!” This was a big thing to do. Not having children and then promising to hand her first son over to the Lord was huge. However, she went on to have other children. Her enemy was her husbands other wife. We can have very close enemies. Only God can intervene. He did for Hannah! What are you seeking Him for today? Our God is faithful and true and w...

“Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.” Philippians‬ ‭4‬:‭6‬-‭7‬ ‭MSG‬‬ Paul wrote these words from prison. He had an earthly reason to worry, yet, he chose to pray and worship. Last night I received word that a fellow student was having difficulty in obtaining her student visa. It has prompted me to go early to apply for my visa. It was not due until Monday. My friend told me that immigration told her there would be a one week delay and that they were doing a home visit to ensure she was not compromising her study visa. I may also face such scrutinity. I have not worked, hiwever, was planning on doing some social work, voluntarily. I must leave this in the Lord’s hands. If He wants me to r...

“Teach me to do your will, for you are my God. May your gracious Spirit lead me forward on a firm footing.” Psalms‬ ‭143‬:‭10‬ ‭NLT‬‬ Here in Nepal there are many obstacles to foot traffic. The roads and paths are constantly being dug up. Just when. New road has been laid and confidence is being given that same place will be overturned, uneven and dangerous. Needing s firm footing in God inportant to me. I am a creative person and can come up with some wild schemes. Not all are God inspired. Currently, I am making curtains for our puppet stage. The puppet stage is made of plumbing pipes so it can be dismantled and transported easily. Did I say easily? I bought bags for the puppets and the stage. The stage is heavy. Too heavy for me and will be a challenge to transport in public transport. I had been  advised that this was how puppeteers locally staged a puppet show.  I am developing a team to work the puppets and they can help in the transport. I am aware that in the area we a...

“When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers— the moon and the stars you set in place— what are mere mortals that you should think about them, human beings that you should care for them?” Psalms‬ ‭8‬:‭3‬-‭4‬ ‭NLT‬‬ David loved the night sky. I am sure there were many, who like him, enjoyed gazing into the night sky. Way before television I was one such person as a child. It filled me with wonder. As an astronomer the invention of modern telescopes has done nothing to diminish my wonder. Currently, no human will ever leave our galaxy. With current technology it would take millions of years. However, even more amazing is that there are millions such galaxies in the universe. Why did God choose one small blue planet? Why did He give us such a gift? Why did He choose a man and a woman to be in charge of His earthly creation? Why does this Psalm go on to say:  “Yet you made them only a little lower than God and crowned them with glory and honor. You gave them charge of...

“All who declare that Jesus is the Son of God have God living in them, and they live in God.” ‭‭1 John‬ ‭4‬:‭15‬ ‭NLT‬‬ This chapter deals with false prophets and antichrists, the test to know if a person is really of God and loving. The good news is for us who declare Jesus is the Son of God, we have God living in us. It is amazing to read that John writes even in his day there were many false prophets and antichrists. How much more is there today? Many! We also have many preachers accusing other men of God to be false prophets. However, this chapter gives us the means to test what manner of spirit is in a person. We cannot foolishly accept every voice as from God.  The flesh of man craves attention and modern technology gives us the means to promote. The important thing is, not how many people come to hear a preacher, but how many lives are changed. Are the listeners convicted of sin and a need to live better lives? Are they merely listeners and consumers or are they genuine disc...