The Blame Game

I was thinking of the blame game!

It is as old as Adam and Eve themselves. We might even say it is part of human nature.

Why did you do it Adam? Oh, it was that woman’s fault – the woman You gave me – she made me do it.

Eve, why did you do it? It was the serpent – he said you were lying to me.

Dawn, who left the door open? I don’t know, it wasn’t me (it must have been someone else).

Man, where is your wife? Oh, I kicked her out. She was cheating on me – after everything I did for her. She couldn’t have wanted a better husband! But she’s done it now. It’s over!

My boy is struggling at school – the schools have failed him. They don’t help him or understand him. They are always complaining to me, cos they don’t now how to control the children!

The politicians? Shower of bandits!

We hear it all the time, in every area of life.

We blame partners, parents, children, schools, governments, even GOD.

I hear it coming from my own lips.

The problem is always… Them!

Of course that lets me off the hook, as I can do nothing about them.

If I blame you, I can be the victim, and not take any responsibility for my own actions.

If it is your fault, I can even justify my own bad behaviour by a) shifting the focus onto your bad behaviour, and b) excuse my behaviour by the stress you cause me. (If you had to put up with this, you would behave the same)

Do we ever hear, or say – My wife? I realise now that I’ve driven her away. I didn’t ever pay her any attention except to criticise her. I burdened her with chores and problems and I only ever complained. I am self-centred and have never thought about her needs. I can’t believe she put up with me all these years.

Have you heard anyone say that?

Me neither.

No, we judge others and blame them. We see the speck in their eyes, despite the plank in our own!

(Some people do some very bad things. I am not saying that this is okay. Please don’t think I am saying that it is your fault, or that we should take the blame for everything ourselves. If you have been wounded, I am not saying that it was your fault, nor that you ever deserved bad treatment from anybody. I am saying that we are told not to judge anyone in bitterness – even ourselves! When we judge in bitterness, we are inviting bitter consequences into our lives.)

One of the best lessons I am learning recently is the power of repentance – of seeing where I have judged them and repenting of my judgments; of forgiving them and blessing them.

image of 2 cartoon pets, both looking guilty and pointing the finger at the other.

Lord, let me see others as You see them.

Tonight we remember Jesus washing His disciples feet. Showing complete humility as an example of how we are to serve. Whose feet will I wash?

We remember Him breaking the bread and sharing the cup – as His body would soon be broken and His precious blood poured out for us – to forgive us our sins and bring us into relationship with Father GOD. What am I willing to sacrifice quietly?

We remember Him in the Garden of Gethsemane – in another garden where He reverses Adam’s curse, by choosing God’s way, rather than His own will. Nevertheless, not my will, but Yours be done. How often do I insist on it being done my way?

As they crucified Him, He didn’t defend His innocence and blame the centurions, He cried, ‘Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.’

Jesus went to the cross that my relationship with GOD could be restored. But He didn’t blame me for His agony.

He sacrificed His life to give me life, but He doesn’t guilt trip me when I mess up.

Jesus doesn’t tell me it was all my fault and make me pay.

No, He paid for me.

Let me own my own sin and blaming and excuses, and lay it all at the cross – let me exchange it for the abundant life of freedom and truth that His sacrifice and His resurrection have empowered.

Jesus is alive. Hallelujah.

Happy Easter to all of my wonderful blogging friends and readers.

I really appreciate you all for reading and commenting and for sharing your own writing with us too.

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 BLAME.

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

To read other FMF posts on this subject click BELOW

Join the link-up and read other posts here​

Holy Week

For this Holy Week, I’d like to share Elizabeth Adams Wright’s blog on Isaiah 53.

Do read it and reflect – it’s a refreshing translation too – one I’d not heard before.

Wishing you all a very blessed holy week. xx

Hosanna in the highest heavens. Blessed is He Who comes in the name of the Lord.

Redemption in Twelve Verses

What’s the hurry?

image of the mad hatter ‘I’m late, I’m late…’

16:00

Today I came home and into my office and suddenly had a brief moment of panic –

‘Argh! I’ve not done my FMF post AGAIN!’

Why is it so often the following Thursday before I write the Five Minute FRIDAY post?

I referred back to Kate’s email – prompt word ‘Hurry’! Lol.

‘What’s the hurry?’ came to mind – the thing I say often to myself when I allow little things like that to stress me unnecessarily.

Does it matter to anybody that I write this a post for this group? No.

Does it matter to me? Yes.

Why?

When I set myself a task, I tend to commit myself to it. I hate then to be late, or unprepared – or worse, to cancel or not deliver. It might not matter to anybody else, but if I have told myself I will do something, I do it.

So I can often find myself hurrying to do what I said I would do.

Not late, just rushing. Hurried.

I wear many hats and pursue many interests, so I have many commitments.

Today, despite being awake and up already for 80 minutes, I was somehow pedaling like fury up to the church where I help run a mums and toddlers’ group. I found myself hurrying to set up the room and urn, in time for the early birds.

Last night I was last minute emailing a card design to be printed for the group, so had to hurry this morning to write greetings in all of the cards.

During the group time, I could relax and be present with the adults and children…

Then at the end, I hurried to clear away and to set up for the group that uses the hall after us and then hurried to an appointment to meet a friend. I should have arranged the meeting for half an hour later really – then it would not have been a rush.

I was annoyed with myself for being 4 minutes late! She had been and gone again, as I was late, but did come back and we relaxed for a few hours together.

I certainly do know how to relax, but always find myself hurrying to be on time for schedules.

I don’t quite know what it is. If I’m traveling and relying on buses and trains, I will allow so much time, that I take a book for when I arrive even an hour early, but when it is me relying on feet or bicycle, I am always rushing at the last minute.

I’m sure there is a root of something in my past that trips me up and keeps me in that uncomfortable practice!

I think it is time that I challenge this and ask Holy Spirit to help me break this stronghold and learn to manage that aspect of time so I can be present and at ease.

Stop

It does fascinate me that as humans we can become so tangled up in relatively trivial issues – but these things can bind us and keep us stuck.

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.

One last thing about the FMF posts is that I will not read other posts on the prompt until I have written and published mine – otherwise, their ideas might influence what I think about. That means that I am always reading reading everyone else’s posts during the new week!

For you readers of mine who will click on the link below, bear in mind that we are coming nearly late to this very important mad-hatters party date!

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 HURRY.

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

To read other FMF posts on this subject click below.

Join the link-up and read other posts here​

Thanksgiving for Jan & Feb 2024

I wondered what scripture to use to begin this public thanksgiving for answered prayer and then this chorus came to mind and lifted my spirit –

Praise Him, Praise Him;

Praise Him in the morning,

Praise Him in the evening;

Praise Him, Praise Him;

Praise Him when the sun goes down.

image of snowdrops in a snowy ground – representing the hope of Spring and the hope of Jesus, who thaws our cold hearts and brings new life.

I thank my God for answering my prayers in the following ways during January:

For beginning the New Year with S and for restoring trust and closeness.

For courage to do the drive back from W. in the night and courage to learn and fix the problem with the expansion tank.

For finding a good pair of shoes for J.

For a wonderful holiday time of ?J being back at home with us.

That I got to see L this visit.

For a good first meet up with D.

For our first team meet up as leaders of small groups.

That I could finally return and upload to his computer all the digitalised slides I did for D.

For healing M.

For Your promise to our Home-Group – that You will ‘restore and more in 24’.

For fixing and restoring C’s car.

For an amazing, transformative, bonding first weekend of the new EH school.

For my precious group of wonderful individuals and for blessing me with grace to love and meet them where they are.

For all the bitter roots You continue to demolish from Suzie.

For keeping S focused on You during this tragedy and grief.

For a lovely sleepover weekend of 21/22nd Jan.

For the re-connections You inspired with family and friends.

That C is improving, healing and sober.

That R and I were able to go and retrieve all of his childhood memories from childhood home and that he coped well with it.

That C had a great week of exams – for the amazing progress and grace on him.

That J has begun to write his thesis and for the grace on his life and future too.

For the blessed opportunity to call and pray with S.

For opportunities to bless others.

For strengthening and growing S in her faith walk.

I thank my God for answering my prayers in the following ways during February:

For privilege of praying over and seeing You heal K’s hip.

For privilege of doing prayer ministry with H and S and for it making sense in joining the dots and axing some of those idols and bitter roots.

For inspiration to make calls and contacts.

For a good visit with C and family and for Your healing touch and hope.

For 2 successful house clearing days for R and us all; and for all the help to do it.

For a good few days with K as our guest.

For inspiration and favour to me to fix the floor under the shower.

For the blessings of friends.

For bringing D to church again and blessing her again.

For our group’s ministry to this month’s seekers – to the amazing transformations You do!

For another great sleepover with grandchildren.

That I succeeded in putting up some pictures at last.

That You organised transport for me to get the dresser home and for kind E, who helped me do what I couldn’t do alone.

That S was more productive and motivated since Your ministry.

For R and the people You bring into the shop for us to love and bless and for the privilege of seeing You move in their lives.

For the powerfully bonding 3 days of fasting in our church.

For a lovely evening with E and A and family.

Lord, as always I also thank You for answering all the daily prayers for protection and inspiration, wisdom and guidance and for all the blessings for which I may have neglected to give You full praise.

Psalm 32

When a great flood of trouble comes rushing in it will not reach them.

You are my hiding place; You will save me from trouble.

I sing aloud of Your salvation because You protect me.

You teach me, instruct and advise me

and protect me by Your constant love.

I shout for joy, am glad and rejoice.

I wonder if I should go back to writing these praise and thanksgiving reports on a monthly basis? What do you think, beloved reader friends?

National Poetry Writing Month

NaPoWriMo, or National Poetry Writing Month, is an annual project in which participating poets attempt to write a poem a day for the month of April.

I haven’t written poetry like this before, but I will take the challenge this month and try to write one poem each day. They may be short Haiku’s, or rambling pieces, or jitties – according to the mood and feel of the day.

I hope they will be worth reading and worth writing.

Please make a comment to encourage me, or tell me to put the pen away!

I’ve created a site page with this title and I plan to store these poems to that page too – in case you miss them, they’ll all be there.

If you would like to join the challenge too, https://www.napowrimo.net/

Let me know if you join and submit your site. Have fun.

I dedicate this to you.

I love the following book dedication:

‘My Dear Lucy,

I wrote this story for you, but when I began it I had not realized that girls grow quicker than books. As a result, you are already too old for fairy tales, and by the time it is printed and bound you will be older still. But some day you will be old enough to start reading fairy tales again. You can then take it down from some upper shelf, dust it, and tell me what you think of it. I shall probably be too deaf to hear, and too old to understand a word you say but I shall still be,

your affectionate Godfather,
C. S. Lewis’

dedication to Lucy, inscribed into The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe’, by C. S. Lewis.

This dedication in the opening pages of ‘The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe’ has struck me since the first time I read the Narnia tales, in my 20s. I realised the truth in those words of how, in our adolescence and teenage years, we think ourselves ‘too old for fairy tales’, until we become mature enough then to appreciate them afresh. In my 20s I was ‘old enough to start reading fairy tales again’ and became an avid collector of beautiful children’s picture books, which I loved, and still love to read aloud to eager children!!

C. S. Lewis dedicated this book to his dear God-daughter, Lucy Barfield, the daughter of his dear friend Owen Barfield, who is said to have been instrumental in Lewis’s ‘reluctant conversion’ to Christianity.

I always look at the dedications in books. I am one of those who read a book cover to cover, not wanting to miss anything that might shed light on or enhance my experience of the book.

My own published book, ‘Lost Down Memory Lane – Caring For Alzheimer’s’ I dedicated to carers, for whom the book was largely written. My inspiration and guide was God, first and foremost, and naturally, my mother, who was the one with Alzheimer’s and for whom I underwent this journey. They were thanked and acknowledged in the ‘Acknowledgments’. My dedication was not nearly as grand and memorable as that of C. S. Lewis.

The dedication inscription simply reads:

‘You carers are the heroes. I dedicate this book to you.’

If you have published, painted, created something, have you dedicated it? If so, to whom and why?

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 DEDICATE.

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

JOIN THE LINK-UP AND READ OTHER POSTS HERE​

Suffer The Little Children

17:35

The word ‘suffer’ brought the phrase ‘suffer the children to come unto me’ to my mind.

I wasn’t sure if it was a misquote, as it sounded archaic, like the King James versions that I haven’t read for many years, so it started me to look and wonder what the phrase actually meant.

But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein.

Matthew 19:14 (KJV)

A cartoon image of this scene in Matthew 19:14

The modern translations, rather than using the word ‘suffer’, say:

He said to them, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it. ‘ And he took the children in his arms, placed his hands on them and blessed them.”

So why would children have to be ‘suffered’?

As I thought about, I actually know several people, who are not particularly fond of children and who therefore, on occasions when young children are present, they have to tolerate, or suffer them.

The archaic use of the word – meaning to tolerate, endure, or put up with – possibly describes many adults around the presence of children.

How many of us have seen people tutting and muttering because a certain toddler is having a tantrum in the middle of a church service, or is screaming havoc on a busy bus?

Personally I mostly love the presence of children.

I was a teacher of young infants for over 15 years and I still run a ‘mums and toddlers’ group each week. I love interacting with and watching the little ones. And if I begin to talk about my darling grandchildren….

But there are some occasions when I too have had to tolerate the presence of certain children, especially in environments or circumstances that are not particularly child-friendly. Children demand a level of patience and understanding that I do not always want to give.

It seems that Jesus’ disciples also didn’t want Jesus to be ‘bothered ‘ by the little ones interrupting His important teaching and preaching.

Jesus had important things to do. The people wanted healing, they wanted to hear the Good News. The disciples wanted to make Jesus’ ministry more comfortable and they didn’t want Him to be bothered by mere children.

Children were not as important as the religious men.

But Jesus turned many things upside down.

He showed us that man’s ways are not like God’s ways. He showed us that God looks at the heart.

Man is interested in power, wealth, status, prestige.

Jesus showed special interest in those that society esteemed less favourably – the women, the poor, the children, the blind, lame and lowly – the beggars, the lepers, the misfits and cast offs in society; the sinners, prostitutes, tax-collectors; even the enemy: the Roman centurions, the pagans and gentiles.

Jesus showed us that God loves every person, whoever they are.

Jesus welcomed, accepted , served and loved those we consider unlovely. He not only tolerated, but He embraced and blessed them and held them up as an example of qualities to emulate.

He not only ‘suffered’ them, He welcomed them, chose them, enjoyed them and loved them.

This gives me great hope.

When I am unlovely and hard to put up with, He doesn’t stop loving me either.

But it also gives me a very important mandate – because Jesus asked me to love others as He has loved me.

That love has to begin with myself. Jesus loves me, so I have to love me and with His love I can love others.

Who are they that I feel I have to tolerate and suffer?

Can you ask yourself that question?

Thank God that in His strength, in His love, and in His grace, I CAN tolerate, accept, serve and love the unlovely that He graciously sends my way.

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 SUFFER

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

To read other FMF posts on this subject , see below.

HERE is the link to the link-up!​