Tag Archives: Sociedad Argentina de Horticultura

Amazing Lessons

youtube.com/watch?v=7aFIHF2row8 I Stand Amazed by Sinach

I stand amazed in your presence
There is nothing you cannot do
I stand amazed in your presence
There is joy peace and hope

There’s no one like you, Jesus
There’s no one like you, in all the earth
There’s no one like You, Jesus
There’s no one like you

You do mighty things
You do glorious things
You’re a faithful God
Awesome is your name

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Image Courtesy of Sociedad Argentina de Horticultura

Image Courtesy of Sociedad Argentina de Horticultura

This song speaks to me every time I hear it. Sometimes it has been in times of great celebration and other times in deep lows. There is such depth in this song that it resonates in all situations. This last week it has resonated through some really challenging times. There have been moments when things have weighed heavily on my heart and I have found great joy reminding myself of the greatness of the God who walks with me.

It was one of those days that started out amazing but the pressure of life stepped in to try and steal the joy of the day. I was working on an assignment that wound up being tougher than I anticipated and for a while I couldn’t wrap my mind around what I needed to do yet there was so much more course left to finish. I tried everything but it wasn’t working. For several moments my heart was heavy and down and I could not even begin to understand how I would get out of it. Then I recognised the thoughts working their way through my brain… thoughts of defeat and inability, thoughts of despair and desperation. Suddenly it hit me and I sat up straight…it was so funny because I was in a restaurant and I suddenly realised that the barrister was watching me with a shocked expression. I must have made a very strange and sudden movement.

My heart was heavy because this difficult assignment in the seemingly simple course had left me feeling inept and bordering on a failure. I was about to throw in the towel and do it later when I felt a check in my spirit. Suddenly I heard it loud and clear “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” I have a sound mind; I can do this; I will not give up. So I sat there for a couple of minutes and absorbed the clear reminder…Fear Has No Place in My Life; Now or Never. So why was my heart still beating with an uncertain rhythm? Why was I still feeling down? What must I do to deal with what I was feeling? There had to be a way out of here and a deeper connection to something new.

I picked my earphones connected them to my machine and found the above song. I listened to it on repeat a few times and slowly but surely the reality connected to the centre of my heart and I began to really hear. Yes, really hear…

I stand amazed in your presence
There is nothing you cannot do
I stand amazed in your presence
There is joy peace and hope

So even with all that is going on around me God is in control, in all, through all and above all. He cannot be discounted, changed or overcome. When things work differently from what I want it doesn’t mean that He is unaware or disinterested. The goodness of God is unfailing and unchanging and will never be the put on hold. He is there no matter what and I need to connect to Him to understand the way forward.

The reason I stand amazed is because God never fails even when life doesn’t make sense or I am not certain what lies ahead.  He is the unfailing source of hope and joy and He never changes. He doesn’t work in the way I want but in all things He works for my good and His glory. There is joy, peace and hope when I understand that His plan for me is perfect and I am secure in His arms of love. I am learning to understand He is there in the good and the hard…I can count on him no matter what.

Picture courtesy of www.frazerfamily.ca

Picture courtesy of www.frazerfamily.ca

There’s no one like you, Jesus
There’s no one like you, in all the earth
There’s no one like You, Jesus
There’s no one like you

I wanted to really understand and connect to the reality that God is one of a kind, I needed to know it for myself. So every day I ask God to open my eyes to really see and He does. It has been interesting since then. Every day I see things about Him that amaze me. It’s simple things…the breeze, a smile, a lively conversation between friends, a beautiful car, a motorbike ride, a song in the “matatu”, a train ride, a book…there are so many ways to see Him…yet there are deeper things in these simple things. Think of the genius behind the design of the Porsche, the strength in the steel bridge being built, the delicate weaving of cars on the highway, the beautiful meal at a restaurant…even in all this there is no one and nothing that surpasses the greatness of God.

You do mighty things
You do glorious things
You’re a faithful God
Awesome is your name

God is inexplicable, faithful, glorious, mighty, and awesome. Yet He is mighty more so because He is God and not because of what He does of gives to me. He is just mighty, awesome; glorious because He is…His Name is I AM.

#Renewed by Nature

I am continually struck by the beauty of creation and the glory of the fullness of God. As I sit at my desk and I need inspiration, I find myself looking at beautiful pictures, lively colours, simple things and quotes. I have begun to find deep peace and inspiration in the simple things that God created and the lovely people that He has given us to live with. I am astounded every day at how small things can inspire. There are scriptures that inspire me too and below is one of the greatest ones.

Picture courtesy of Sociedad Argentina de Horticultura

Picture courtesy of Sociedad Argentina de Horticultura

Psalm 24 (KJV)

1 The earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.

For he hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods.

Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? or who shall stand in his holy place?

He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.

He shall receive the blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of his salvation.

This is the generation of them that seek him, that seek thy face, O Jacob. Selah.

Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.

Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, theLord mighty in battle.

Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.

10 Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory.

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I walk more these days and the experience of the outdoors has opened up doors and ideas of things that I may never have found. In the outdoors I have experienced greater peace and calmness yet at the same time, the serenity has opened my heart and mind to face some deeply hidden parts of me. The parts and levels that I may never have reached because of the pressures of my life. In this place I came to realise that there is order and sense we need to make about this life that cannot be done if we are not truthful to ourselves and find places of stillness and peace.

“The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof, the world and they that dwell therein.” V1

Picture courtesy of Sociedad Argentina de Horticultura

Picture courtesy of Sociedad Argentina de Horticultura

This resonates with me because I realise that I am here on a very set and established timeline and for a set and established purpose. The purpose question stayed with me a lot. I realised that I could be looking for my purpose in big things and deep connections yet it was in small and seemingly insignificant things. Simple things came to me in different and amazing places. I realised that walking along the roadside and driving along in a car provides very different perspectives. Travelling in a public transport vehicle and riding on the back of a public service motorbike also gives astoundingly different perspectives.

The bigger question is how these perspectives affect how I live out my God given purpose.

I decided to let go of my previous perceptions and learn to seek new explanations and opportunities where I am. That is when I realised that I have met amazing people as I have walked some really long distances. The biting cold wind on the back of a motorbike gave me incredibly fresh thoughts (no pun intended). I discovered many things about me as I was sitting in the traffic listening to a radio station I naturally wouldn’t pick just because I was in a public vehicle. I have had personal and social conversations with travellers are we drove together in personal vehicles from A to B. I have walked along newly paved and lit roads at night that in the past were no go zones. The variety of these experiences has inspired me and created valuable and life changing experiences. I discovered things I didn’t know about myself that I now love.

Recently I took a motor bike to get to a meeting and I found myself leaning into the direction of the turn as the driver took corners and sitting upright behind the driver to avoid excess wind. I was suddenly aware that I had become comfortable with bikes (as long as they aren’t being driven at high speeds). My heart was no longer in my throat as we drove along. A few weeks before the motor bike experience, I was walking from one side of a suburb to another and the pace I was keeping caught the attention of a fellow walker. He was an older gentleman and we walked together for a long distance. He shared lots of insights and laughs that made the distance much shorter than it would have been if I was alone. I learnt so much from him and my spirits lifted. As we parted, a friend I needed to speak with called me and he was across the road from where I was and was headed in the direction I was heading. You can imagine my excitement when the day ended and I sat to think it through.

The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness there of… This fullness means that my life has meaning and purpose and every day has a purpose that must be fulfilled. I must therefore live in an ever present state of awareness that there are things to do, words to say, prayers to make and places to visit that will help me fulfil my purpose as well as help others fulfil theirs. In the book, Divine Inspiration; the key to extraordinary living; Dr. Albert Odulele says something I find totally profound…he says:

“There is ‘substantial creativity’ in you and many await it for the alleviation of their sufferings. When the things locked in you are

Picture courtesy of Sociedad Argentina de Horticultura

Picture courtesy of Sociedad Argentina de Horticultura

unveiled, joy, peace and an improved quality of life will be the direct by-product for all those who benefit from it.”

So the questions I ask myself every night…

  • Am I living the life I was sent here to live?
  • Am I having the impact that was designed for me?
  • Am I concerned about the insignificant or significant?
  • Has my day lived up to its full potential and impact?

Wow…let’s keep walking this faith walk