Things look better sometimes.

Nothing has changed.

But I have a far better outlook on things right now.

You know, sometimes things just build up and weigh you down.

And if you get your eyes off the Lord and onto the circumstances, then it can all get to be too much.

I remember my Pastor saying at one stage saying that when people say "I am alright under the circumstances", he thinks to himself "Well what are you doing under the circumstances?"

The thing is, we only really worry when we forget:
Rom_8:28  And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

The key here is that if we know and love God then He is control of all things of our life and WILL work those things for our best.

The problem is that what we think is best and what is actually best is not always the same thing.

An Illustration: when my second son was quite young, he wanted a chain saw - It was his opinion that the best thing for him would be a chain saw - it was my opinion that a chain saw would not be the best for him - I think with my greater knowledge of things chainsaw and things Jonathan, that maybe I knew best.

Sometimes we don;t know what is best for us, but God always does.

And sometimes what is actually best for us is not enjoyable for us now, but is for our best.

2Co_4:17  For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; 

I guess this is pretty heavy for a thoughts from a dumb bloke post, but sometimes my mind drifts to such things.......

Later.

How am I supposed to feel?????

Right now because of our peculiar situation, I am not earning enough money to give my family the things they need, nor am I allowed to do so.

And there are those who blame me for not providing for my family in the way that any decent man wants to be able to do.

But when a man is not able to provide for his family in even the basic things, how is that man supposed to feel?

Sometimes it is so hard to walk this path.....

Walk a while....

Decided to take a little walk today.

My second son is going on a missions trip to Vanuatu later this year, and so as part of the preparation I decided he should take a walk with me.
Only a little walk - about 12km.

He will walk much farther than that on his trip, and through bush and jungle.
We walked along paths and roadside dirt.

As we began our walk, he was saying things like "Oh yes, I understand it will be a long way" and other such things. I laughed gently to myself and thought "Yeah, his head understands it is a long walk, but I wonder what his feet will think of it in about two hours time.

I used to walk a fair bit - 5km to work and 5km back again, each day.
But it has been a while since I did much of that.
I do, however have some idea of walking with a backpack.

I will say that By about the three quarters mark we both were well and truly over the whole thing, but we were committed - some would say we should have been committed for trying it...

Anyway, we got there.
A few blisters on the feet, sore feet, aching legs, and my back, courtesy of the old injury, is not feeling 100% but we did it.

And he has a different appreciation of what he will be in for in a few months time.

We will walk some more - he needs it to prepare, and I could use the fitness.
But not this week. maybe not next week either - it might just wait until the memory has faded a little.

Sometimes I wake up grumpy

Sometimes I wake up grumpy.

Sometimes I don't wake up grumpy - but things conspire almost immediately I open my eyes to make the grump well up inside me.

And sometimes the grumpy simply grows through the day, waiting for the moment to be unleashed.

I know that I am in control of how I react to things, but sometimes it doesn't seem much like it.


Anyway, I am grumpy today - for one of the three reasons above (but I am not saying which), and hopefully by writing it down here, I can circumvent the grumpy escaping.............

Have a good day,

I'm not so far, but hopefully you can - whoever you are......

Skelli.

The occasional blogger

I feel like I am a bit of a "drive by blogger" at the moment - only occasionally get here to throw something together, and even then they don't all actually get up here.....

Lots of things going on right now that are keeping me busy and/or distracted from things like this.

And let's face it - in the big scheme of things, this doesn't rate very highly in importance.

Even when  was regularly posting here no one read it, so I am sure it having very little impact on anyone's life.

But that really wasn't the point anyway.

And of course, it is a bit circular in that - no one reads unless there is something at least vaguely interesting, and if I am posting only because people read then......

Well this particular post is yet another that has basically nothing of substance, but it is the thoughts that are running around this dumb bloke's head as I sit here.........


Have a good day,

Skelli

Valentine's Day

 I love my wife.

I probably don't tell her often enough, and I definitely don't show her often enough, but I do.

I love her.

We do not have the perfect marriage by a loooooong stretch, but we do a pretty good job of it.

The thing is, I watch other couples and I wonder how they manage to live with the obvious tension they have.
I wonder how they can survive with the constant fighting, the argumentative atmosphere.

Don't get me wrong - we have our "moments of intense fellowship" as I have heard it described, and there are times when we don't actually like each other much - I know that sounds shocking - but we never stop loving each other.

You see, true love is not a feeling, but a decision.

That probably sounds strange to some, but it is true.
True love is being there when she needs you, regardless of whether you feel like it or not.

True love is putting her first, and if she loves you, she will put you first.
That way you both end up caring more for each other than yourself, and you both look after each other.
That brings you closer.

We have been married for 25 years now, and I love her more now than I did the day we married.

And let me also say, with the decision to love regardless of feelings, the feelings only get stronger.
I don't love her because I feel in love with her, I feel in love with her because I choose to love her.

And I praise God that He brought us together, and I am thankful every day that she said yes - although I still don't understand why she did.

I put it down to temporary insanity on her part........

2014 is here

Day 2 of 2014 and the sun still rises in the east and sets in the west.
Yesterday we had a family day - didn't do anything overly exciting.
Played a few games and relaxed.
Had a BBQ for lunch in our back yard under the shade sail.
It was a nice time.

Today it is back to work - so off to church for some study and setting out a few things - getting ready for the first Sunday service of the year and hoping to give our people a real direction and purpose for the coming year.

I am excited about what the Lord has in store.