Showing posts with label love. Show all posts
Showing posts with label love. Show all posts
Rach J
Today I had my penultimate final...I have been pretty stressed about this exam the past couple of weeks because the topics were pretty difficult and our lecturer hadn't given us great exam pointers.

Anyways, I choose 2 topics...studied hard and prayed hard that both of them would appear...I opened up the exam paper and my smile grew large (which is a pretty big deal in an exam) and both of my topics were there that I had studied for.

I literally said 'Praise God'

I started planning my answers and God really answered my prayer in that I remembered a lot more information than I thought I would.

I am very thankful.

It reminded me that God really does care about every minute detail of my life.

As I prepared for this exam there were times where I wanted desperately to give up, but all of a sudden I would feel my body grow stronger and the pressure around my head would lift...I know this was the power of prayer from many people who have been faithful in covering me in prayer.

My heart is so grateful to all of you who have specifically remembered me throughout the preparations and this week as I sit exams.

I would have given up a long time ago if it were not for you!

I have been so blessed by my family this week too. When I woke up this morning my mum had left me a note and it was as if it was penned by God Himself. Her words inspired, encouraged and gave me confidence to memorise facts and knowledge this morning before I took the exam. Thank you mum!



Also on the journey to the exam my big brother called me to wish me luck...luck? huh? I did tell him I don't believe in luck...but at that point I would take anything! haha. (just kidding, still don't believe in luck) But it was very sweet of him to not only think of me but to take the time to call me before and then he called me after to check how it went. Thank you bro!

I am exhausted. But I know I will feel ready in the morning to study...one.last.time. It feels great to write those words!

Please continue to pray for me, I am truly and deeply grateful!

.
Rach J
A quote to live by.


“Nothing is more practical than finding God, 
that is, than falling in a love in a quite absolute, final way. 
What you are in love with, 
what seizes your imagination will affect everything.
It will decide what will get you out of bed in the mornings,
what you will do with your evenings, 
how you spend your weekends, 
what you read
who you know,
what breaks your heart
and what amazes you with joy and gratitude
Fall in love, stay in love, and it will decide everything.
Rach J
If you know me pretty well I'm sure over the past month or so you have heard me say in an excited voice 'I love this time of year...I love autumn...I love leaves...I love the changing colours' Or something a long those lines.

Why do I love Autumn so much?

Autumn makes me fall in love with Jesus all over again.

Don't get me wrong I do like every season for different reasons but I love Autumn.

I adore watching the leaves gently fall from the trees landing delicately onto the ground. I love walking down streets lined with orange, brown, auburn and yellow crunchy leaves. I love the contrast of colours between rich green fields and burnt orange trees. I also love getting to wrap up warm in cosy jumpers, coats, scarves and gloves as the winter chill winds through the almost bare trees.

All of this reminds me of what a creative God I live for.

One day I was driving in my car and I was watching the leaves fall and it lead me to think...God knew exactly when that leaf was going to fall off the tree. He knew exactly when it would change colour, what colour it would change to and when it would land on the ground. He knew every intricate detail about that leaf. (Some of you may be thinking wow that's a lot to get out of a stupid leaf.) But the mystery and divine control displayed in this season is deeply profound to me.

Autumn reminds me that God is in control.

Even when everything around changes, He stays the same.

If God is so concerned about how and when the leaves fall then how much more is He concerned about ...my failings, my mistakes, my struggles, my fears, my life. (Matthew 6:25-34)

I cannot wait for the day when I can experience Autumn in another country (such as America, I've seen the photos and it looks incredible)

I have managed to get a couple of shots from this beautiful time of year (most of the time here in Ireland you can only find one tree that displays autumn rather than a whole forest!) Some are my own shots and others are ones that I've found and adore.










Sheer joy.

Winter is definitely arriving and I'm sad to wave Autumn goodbye but I'm thankful for the lessons I've learnt from this wonderful season!
Rach J
The theme of my thoughts recently has been community. Community is when a group of people live together in a culture of shared beliefs, values and goals. The concept of Community is laced throughout Scripture from the beginning in Genesis to Revelation. Genesis 1:26 reveals God in community with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit infused as One to create human beings in His likeness to be in community with Him and each other.
Human beings were created by a God of community for community.

God created us to live together and be connected to one another in relationships.

That makes my heart skip a beat.

We get to make relationships with one another and we get to be a part of each others lives.

Because that is how God created us to function.

I love that.

This theme of community is carried throughout the Old Testament, when God gave the Israelites the 10 commandments they are mostly based on relationships...'have no other gods before me', 'do not bear false witness against your neighbour' etc. These rules are to ensure true and authentic community can grow. Then in the New Testament we see Jesus who is born and raised in community and who was surrounded by twelve close friends. Jesus' ministry is marked by relationships and sharing the gospel with communities.We then learn about the Acts of the Apostles of the community of believers who shared their possessions and all aspects of their lives with one another. I find these verses beautiful. They lived and breathed together, bearing one another's faults openly and endeavoured to support one another in anyway they possibly could. Although these verses are beautiful we are not experiencing community the way God originally intended. Humanity is still fallen but we have the unfailing hope (shown in Revelation) that God is outworking His plan to bring all people into community with Him and with each other that will break down all barriers, end all wars, end all suffering, end all loneliness.

That will be a beautiful beautiful community.

But until then God desires that we continue to live as a community of believers bearing one anothers failures, encouraging and loving one another and keeping Him at the center.

This past weekend I feel I have been able to experience living in true, authentic community, just like the community I described above. Three precious girls in my life celebrated their birthdays: Rose, Erin and Petra. We got to spend a lot of time together which was a lot of fun and such a blessing to my soul. I had the overwhelming feeling of love and encouragement. This was community. Even though there are tensions of life not being all that it's supposed to be, this weekend I found myself catching a glimpse of what it will be when God comes or calls. We could rest in each others prescence, we want what is best for each other and we lift one another up in prayer. I think these are beautiful charateristics of true community. It is exciting to belong to a community like this and I am thankful for everyone in First Saintfield Church and at BBC who I have experienced community with. I am so thankful for the relatioships God has blessed me with...the Czech team, the youth group, leaders, elders and dear friends. There are incredible people in this community who I know stand by me in prayer and would do anything to help me.

I am thankful to God that I get to live this life and I get to have relationships with amazing people.







"We're one, but we're not the same we get to carry each other..." ~Bono