First Sermon: The Promise and The Power of the Holy Spirit..

So this is the first time i preached in my church,

It's a bit of a big deal for me for two reasons

1. I have a small fear of public speaking that God is slowly breaking me of

2. I'm a woman and even if that seems silly in our day and age people still don't think it's my (women's) place to speak in church's.

It took me a lot of months to really settle with being able to preach

i just don't see myself as that person up the front, i struggle to stand in front of my youth group on a Friday night let alone a congregation of peers and older people i respect. 

In years to come i'm probably going to look back on it and think wow what a horrible job but for now im excited that God used me in that way and if you'd like to check it out just click the link below and you'll be directed right to it. 

http://youtu.be/qRzsdX10VTQ

Thanks for taking the time,

God Bless,

Bel xx

Forgiveness sometimes needs to start within you.

Today i prayed with two prayer warriors. 

I meet with them every few months and pray for youth ministry and my relationship with God. I recommend to anyone in leadership to be taking the time to meet with your prayer team and pray together.

Today when we met i knew i had to look at forgiveness, i felt like some people in my life had really rejected and mislead me and i was ready to hand that over to him and move on. I didnt want to leave any room for resentment in my walk or my leadership. 

What i actually had to do was realize that God wanted me to forgive myself and Him before i started to forgive others.
I had to not only forgive him but ask for forgiveness for pushing him back a step in the hurt

I was looking at all the things around me and I had to take a huge step back and remember ;no matter what i'm doing he's doing it right along side me.

He's opened up my heart to Forgiveness sometimes needs to begin inside me before i can start forgiving others and most importantly he's reminded me that my forgiveness is so easy because he died on the cross for it. 

Everything from the unworthiness i can feel to the outright rejection and the utter weakness means nothing;

Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Amen & God Bless xx

Loneliness, Gods Opportunity.

Loneliness comes over us sometimes as a sudden tide. It is one of the terms of our humanity, and in a sense incurable.
Yet I have found peace in my loneliest times not only through acceptance of the situation, but through making it an offering to God who can transfigure it into something for the good of others.

Looking at all of God, not just the fun bits.

This is just something I've been mulling over lately, a little bit of pondering;

We have been told that God is a loving, gracious, merciful, kind, compassionate, wonderful, and good sky fairy who runs a day care in the sky and has a bucket of suckers for everyone because we’re all good people. That is a lie… God looks down and says ‘I hate you, you are my enemy, and I will crush you,’ and we say 'that is deserved, right and just' and then God says ‘Because of Jesus I will love you and forgive you.’ This is a miracle.”

Jesus is our miracle, We live in His grace not in our goodness.

When you think about how forgiving god is remember he is only so because of Jesus and that grace is available to us at the cost of his blood on the cross.

That same blood that now heals us,
The cross that couldn't put to death a god but brought victory and saved us with grace.

Don't be fooled by fear, no sin is too great the victory is won.

Death is beaten

Jesus is Alive.

Tea Cups and Tales.: A timely reminder.

My Beautiful and Courageous friend Sarah DeHaan made this beautiful blog post, Please take the time to check it out, she's not only stunning inside out but inspirational in her faith and life. She's just a light for God, Enjoy the link below..

Tea Cups and Tales.: A timely reminder.: I'm writing this blog today not only to whoever is reading, but mostly to myself. I need to you to know something today. The God that I...

A Prayer

I'm so sorry. My mind has been a catastrophe as of late.

So instead of a post, i'm just going to pray, feel free to join me.

Lord God,

Thank you so much for your grace.

Thank you for your spirit. 

Thank you for the people you surround me with daily. 

Thank you for the many blessings i have in my life.

Thank you that when i feel lost, you always light up a way.

Thank you for perspective in my life when things get hard

Thank you that you saved me

Thank you that your love is enough

Thank you for your mercy

Thank you that when i confess you forgive

Thank you for loving me enought to come after me

Forgive me for being so selfish

Forgive me for not trusting you enough

Forgive me that for the fear that overwhelms me sometimes

Forgive me for not sharing you

Forgive me for the times i dont put you first

Help me know you more

Help me stop focusing on me, remind me more each day your sacrifice for me

Help the people in my life that are in pain and aungish

Let them feel your peace and joy in the sorrow

Grow my heart to not only know you but have the courage to share you

Make me fearless in you love

Let my story of your story be all about you

Let my life reflect more of you and less of me

Help me forgive others as you forgive me

Humble me

Help me know and understand your hope, grace and mercy more each day.

Give me warmth in you

Give me nourishment in your word

Please Fuel my hearts and show me how i can serve you

Envelop me with your spirit.

Guide my Path, Make it more clear to me

Fuel my heart for your world

Lord God please bless my enemies.

Lord God please wrap my Dad in Love, Lord God please show my Family your love, Lord please help me forgive those who have wronged me,

Lord God please change my heart anew in you.

Thank You that Your Love is Enough.

In these things, i pray in you glorious son's name Jesus Christ.
Amen

So you don't have to say sorry.. as much.

I spent a good amount of time thinking about how hard life can be if your Leaders/Team Members don't think ahead about what's going to happen. I know I'm guilty of the saying "it'll be alright we've got Jesus, he's in control". (Although I think Jesus wouldn't like to be the "reason" people  aren't prepared, I know i wouldn't.)

Now as a leader I know I've messed up and I'll continue to mess up but i can at least try and think ahead and work towards not being in that situation again, no matter what it is from anything to forgetting the decorations, time of an event, not doing a running sheet or turning up late without an apology to the team and let me tell you there will be many more things/times in life this could happen.

So here's 5 things to think about for the future so hopefully you won't have to worry about who you're going to be having to apologise to.. again:

#1 – When we get in a hurry as leaders we tend to not pay attention to how our decisions might impact others. If we are going to lead like Jesus we MUST be way more concerned about others than we are ourselves!

#2 – If a leader will take a little extra time and make sure the details are covered it makes it a lot easier for those who are following him/her.  A person who does not take a little time now will have to take a lot of time later repairing the damage from the mess.

#3 – Laziness as a leader will often result in unfortunate circumstances for those who follow.

#4 – When unfortunate circumstances take place, a good leader will always ask “what could I have done differently in that situation” instead of blaming someone else for the mess. 

#5 – Two of the MOST POWERFUL WORDS for a leader to say are, “I’m sorry” when they are confronted with a careless mistake that they made rather than trying to rationalize the situation.