Instead of resolutions let God change us when He wants too.

So, Christmas has come, Christmas has gone, drinking too much, eating too much and laughing too much at my dad laughing at jokes he had downloaded from the internet doesn't seem like only a few days ago.

Even though Christmas is about spending time with family and a time of fun and relaxing, what were your thoughts for the new year?

New year is a time we start making new year resolutions but how many of us keep them? How many of us can change a certain habit or do more exercise or look out for others more?

It isn't easy to change instantly. It takes alot of perseverance and determination on your behalf if you are really serious about making changes in your life. 

We can think that next year we are going to do amazing things, but lets not forget God and lets not leave Him out of our plans, because we might get a shock when things don't turn out our way. He is a jealous God and we need to let Him make the changes in us and through our circumstances He will do that.

I haven't particularly got anything I specifically want to change next year but I am willing to let God to change me more and more and as I let Him be more in control of my destiny I know I can be secure when my plans don't go as they hoped too, because we can be confident in Him after all He is God!!!

God is there- even when you might be on your last legs.

Top photo

Intensive care June 1999.

Middle photo 

Me at age 5 the little girl with the heart condition....

Photo below 

Meeting Darlene Zscech a few weeks after I woke up from intensive care. July 1999.

 

Above photo

 Taken recently during God is near rehearsal Spring 2013

Last night at cell group I had the confidence to share about my heart operation I had 14 years ago. It is not easy to always talk about something like this because there was a lot of pain and I nearly died.

When I was 17 my health was deteriorating very quickly.  I had 'no' choice whether to have the operation looking back even though they said the counselling was to 'give' me a choice it was really a start of an action plan.

It made me realise when talking about this how many people do not have choices in life. I certainly did not have the choice whether I wanted to go to college or university the only education I was having was the education in 'life'.

It certainly was a learning curve staying in such a top hospital like Great Ormond Street hospital. I met many lovely people there when I was and conscious anyway!

Once I regained consciousness after somewhat 17 days, it became a shock to me that I had entered a 'new' life. I wondered what on earth God was doing because a few seconds of waking up I had severe pain and could not talk. My old life of singing at Church every Sunday was long gone. This was devastating for me I was not in control of my situation I had to rely on everyone to know or try and understand what I was asking them and what I needed. 

I always felt God was a long way way it's funny that when we are in situations we cannot control we feel God is not there or He is punishing us or He is far away.

None of these are true though it says in Psalm 139 that we cannot run away from God even in the depths of hell, and believe me I felt I was in hell sometimes when I was going through that difficult time in 1999. But through it all we have to stick to the scripture and believe it's truth we have to believe that things are going to work out for good and when we can't control our circumstances we need to say Lord I know it's hard but you are there and I am going to stand firm. And even when it's hard and we can't say that God still loves us with His whole heart. 

I encourage you today to look at Psalm 139. This was scripture given to me by Darlene Zschech when I met her at a conference during my poorly time in hospital - it is so relevant to this day and its good to know that God is with me even when I am facing the lowest of lows.

I have written a book about this and look forward to one day in the near future sharing with you in more depth the highs and lows of my time in Great Ormond Street. 

What's on your notice board? Is there too much clutter

This morning I have been sorting out a few bits and trying to get organised.

I looked at my notice board in the kitchen and thought it looked quite cluttered with lots of bits of paper.

I was astonished that I had not touched this noticed board since September last year. Instead of taking old pieces of paper and throwing them away, I had just been plastering more and more information on to it to the point that I could not see all the important information.

This got me thinking. Do we do this with our lives - do we constantly pressure ourselves to do lots and lots of things, do we clutter our lives with things that are not necessary because we don't feel we should say no or because we can't resist the offer?

As I uncovered all the old pieces of information I wondered how long do we keep things in our lives that we don't really need anymore or how long do we serve in a ministry when we are really needed somewhere else and someone else could be more useful/fruitful in the position we are in? 

It's funny isn't it how little things like this can get us thinking - what do you feel clutters up your life and how can you make life easier for yourself, do you need to search deeper into your heart and ask God what needs changing?.

I know the last few weeks I have been thinking of doing what I am naturally good at and how I can serve God in that way. There is no point in forcing something that you are not going to be fruitful in it's just wasting your time and God's time.

 I am going to have to 'die to self'  in the next year even if it means giving up the things I love so that God can use me in other ways, it's going to be hard though!!!

 Only you though know where you are in life, why not sit and think the next week how you can think about the new year ahead how you can walk in the Spirit and be One with God in what He wants for your life, and declutter anything you don't think is being fruitful or being used for His Glory.

Here is a verse I thought was encouraging. 

“Then He said to them all, ‘If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me’” (Luke 9:23).¹

How easy is it to stay on the right path.

©Charlotte Deaves 2012 

I was on a walk and doing some photography with a friend today.

I love autumn, the change in the fallen leaves are amazing so many blends of colours, and striking colours in just one leaf, God has one amazing imagination!!

Trees have always stood out to me in some strange way when I am out doing photography or driving in the countryside. I find what is most interesting is how all trees are in line with each other and then you might get one on it's own but still stunning and beautiful.

It got me thinking about staying in line with God and what He wants for us. Are we following His line of direction. Are we staying on the right path or heading of in a totally different direction.

Life can become quite tough sometimes can't it, it's easy to feel like we are on lots of different path's in life but in reality even though our head's say 'do what we want' we need to do what God wants and stick on that path. 

If only life was like the picture above beautiful and simple, an easy route, an easy walk, but unfortunately life is life and we will always face trials and trouble, but it's up to us to make a choice if we want God to make us beautiful through our trials or we can listen to our heads and dwell on so many things that we can't change. When there are things we can.

It's taken me a long time to do that. And I suppose I can write about this and talk about what's on my mind and what stands out to me or what I think God is saying but when it comes down to it, I have to follow His lead, stay obedient and trust whatever life throws at me, easy to say!

Yet, He is still God, and whatever the situation I need to still honour Him and trust His will for my life.  I hope He can trust me with whatever might thrown at me next, and I hope that I can stay on the right path despite the circumstance. 

 ©Charlotte Deaves 2012

Facing uncertainty

In life, we are often thrown into the unknown.

We are thrown into what feels like trials and suffering and because of when we go through these things, we face the unknown and it makes us uncertain and we end up worrying about lots of things. It's sometimes difficult to step out in faith and trust God.

Today I have not been feeling my normal self. I find it upsetting on days like this because even though I want to trust God with my whole heart I am the one who has to live my life every day and its not easy when you go through many health issues. Even though I know I wouldn't want to be anyone else or do anything else it can become a vicious circle of thoughts sometimes.

I needed to feel reassured in someway that I do not have to worry about my life. I think as Chrsitians we tend to punish ourselves when we have a little doubt but the best way to deal with it is to find some relevant scripture and to try and apply it to our situation to help us feel reassured and feel peace.

I came across this verse today which helped me a great deal.

I hope it will apply to your situation today too. 

“Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes” (Matthew 6:34 ) 

(C)CED 2011

Looking for that ray of sunshine.

Living with health issues is not an easy thing to deal with. It can cause lack of confidence, issues with self worth and issues with lack of achievement because it takes over your life.

When one has to live with each day of suffering and it’s a hard job to stay positive and we have to take each day as it comes.

Sometimes you may wonder if you are able to even get to do the shopping or you may wonder if you are going to burst into tears at the bus stop or dropping your children at school because the pain is unbearable.

Over the years, I have had many complex issues to deal with, it isn’t easy not to worry about things and I am thankful that I found God and became a Christian at such a young age. Yet we are all human and it IS ok to sometimes worry.

As I am getting older, I am trying to become wiser in my age, but each day has it’s own struggles, sometimes it’s difficult trying to get out of my little bubble but I suppose living in my own world and being in my ‘own’ bubble is a source of protection for me in a world that is so negative.

Talking about negativity, I have heard it’s easier to have a happy mind and being positive is a good thing. I guess this is the right attitude to apply to life. I certainly am becoming more thankful for things for family and the people in my life that help make a difference and are a good influence and can calm me down. Being positive is something on the other hand that only happens on a good day and hope whoever comes across me on those days will just slightly see that tiny bit of sunshine….