Who are you?

FMF: Have

15:40

You do not have because you do not ask God. James 4:3

Who are you?

If we were born into a loving, nurturing family, we naturally build a strong sense of identity, validated and encouraged by our parents, and out of that identity flow our talents, strengths and purpose.

Our destiny is encouraged by and flows out of a solid identity.

It flows from a secure, peaceful heart and a strong foundation.

When this does not happen, when we are not nurtured as children, and our needs are not validated and met, we fail to develop a strong sense of our God-given identity and so we try to please others and take on whatever shape we think that others around us demand or expect of us.

In this deficient scenario, when our sense of identity is weak, our destiny tends to become dependent on what others expect us to have or what they expect us to do.

We become a ‘human-doing’, or a ‘human-having’, instead of a human-being.

We rely on our having and doing to become our status, our esteem, the value by which we measure ourselves.

We measure our importance by how many possessions and latest gadgets we have, or measure by what we do for a living and how hard we work, or how ‘successful’ we are.

We become performance oriented, workaholics, or materialistic seekers of wealth and fortune.

If we did not get a secure foundation as children, we are not lost. There is always abundant hope. Our Father God, who designed us for a purpose, will still work in and through us if we let Him.

Ask Him.

He can and will heal our broken hearts, demolish the lies we have believed about ourselves and will transform our identity and our destiny. He will create in us a new heart – a heart of flesh – and dismantle our heart of stone.

We will learn to measure our value and true success by having a secure heart – a strong identity in who we are in Christ Jesus.

We are children of the living God and we belong to Him.

We are loved, protected, provided for and cherished by our heavenly Father.

When we spend time in the presence of Him who created and designed us, we become who we were created to be and we can nurture the gifts and talents He purposed for us since the beginning of time.

We can truly reach and be fulfilled in our God-given, purpose-made identity.

Who are you?

Who does God say you are?

Stop

Praise and thanks to God!!

Thanksgiving for Feb and March 2023

This has been too long since I publicly gave thanks for all the answered prayers and blessings in my life over the last 2 months. As I was away at end of Feb until some way into March, I decided to do two-in-one, yet even now April marches on.

Today, April 13^th, would be my Mammy’s earthly birthday, and I begin by giving thanks for her and for honouring who she was. I thank God that He has been showing me the blessings that came through my parents whilst He has been healing me of the wounding I carried.

Before I list His specific answers to prayer, I will share a psalm that He gave me when I questioned whether I should continue with the monthly public thanksgiving blog:

Psalm 33

All you that are righteous shout for joy for what the LORD has done;

praise Him, all you that obey Him.

Give thanks to the LORD with harps, sing to Him with stringed instruments.

Sing a new song to Him.

So I shout for joy and thanks for the following:

That my homework has been submitted on time for Feb and March.

For a successful birthday weekend with the grand-kids.

For the invitation and wonderful evening for Z’s birthday.

That S.’s test rig was a success and the time-sensitive PHD work signed off.

For opportunities to serve and support S throughout these months.

For blessing K and M as a couple.

For giving me the Ablaze lessons .

For directing my steps, opening my ears and giving me to courage to obey You.

For helping me to plan, prepare, pack and travel efficiently and stress-free.

For a very blessed and treasured time with J in Vienna and all the lovely people.

For a safe train-ride from Vienna to Sighisoara.

For the comfort and warm welcome with Metro-Ministries and for a blessed week with S in a beautiful town and country.

For the privilege of being among the children and families and workers in the ministry.

For the opportunity to visit Rupea, Brașov and Peleș.

That salvation has come to 3 families there in the mission village this spring.

That the pallet of furniture and the 2 new interns all arrived safely.

For the privilege of doing prayer ministry with S and S and for the healing from Jesus.

For the lady H I met at the airport.

That I was met and escorted from my arrival in each country.

For 8 years of sobriety!

For refreshing J with friends and visits to Bratislava.

For Feb and March EH weekends – especially the work You are doing among us!

For teaching me again to praise You when I go into battle. For you are my refuge and my hiding place. I renounce all my false refuges!

That K has been able to join our fellowship group.

That R has returned to You and to church.

That M and D have welcomed our group into their home temporarily.

That I could prepare and paint the bay masonry at Burton Road.

That the insulated plasterboard has all been put up.

That the carpet is ordered.

That I was able to sort and donate lots more stuff from the house.

For the NG4 church network service and re-dedication.

That You have many people in this city!

For the dream you gave me.

That S could fix my laptop and nothing was lost.

That You broke the power of all the generational curses operating in my family line and have broken the power of it over the subsequent generations, by the power of the cross of Jesus.

For giving me courage to enter the writing competition, even at the last minute.

Thank You that praise of You brings power, joy, victory and strength to the one praising, and all glory to You, who are worthy of the Kingdom, the power and the glory.

Remember always to give Him thanks, despite the circumstances, for He is with You in battle and in peace and He is always faithful to His word.

(I loved that – just looked at the time on my laptop – 13:13:13 on 13^th April 2023. )

Have a break?

‘have a break, have a kitkat’

FMF: BREAK

I’m a bit late in joining again this week and in case you think I’ve taken a break from the writing

group, I just wanted to make contact with my fellow writers and readers.

I really do appreciate you.

It has been a month already since my last actual break abroad – for my visits to Vienna and Sighisoara. What a wonderful break that was and so beautifully timed to refresh me for the challenging weeks I’ve had since!

In a sense I have had a break from writing, as firstly my laptop broke and was out of action for a few days, and then other challenges took a good deal of time and focus, leaving nothing for writing, reading or other relaxing pastimes.

And yes, I would love a break just now, but I do not resent any one of the interruptions in any way.

I have simply been too busy doing more extra-ordinary, unplanned activities.

Someone once advised for us to ‘expect the unexpected’. I think as Christians, we are to be open and flexible enough to allow God to interrupt our carefully planned schedules, in order to follow the flow of the Holy Spirit. When things don’t go quite as planned (as during the last couple of weeks), I like to check my attitude, thank God that He is still in charge and to entrust the outcome to Him.

Ultimately, I don’t want to have lived my life ‘my way’; I want to have lived as a follower of Jesus.

Every Friday, I join an online Christian writing community, Five Minute Friday. We are given a one-word prompt and write – unscripted, unedited, pure free-write – for 5 minutes. The prompt this week is

Actually, I do read through my script afterwards to correct my mistakes, underlined in red; to check scripture references and to find an appropriate image to illustrate the topic.

As Easter is upon us now in the full liturgy of Holy Week, I want to wish you all a very blessed and peaceful Easter, and full joy in the hope of all that the resurrection means for those who love Jesus.