Whatever He Says

By Belinda Happiness is sitting, stomach full of a good supper; Mozart playing quietly on the CD player; candle flame flickering, dancing, and perfuming the room with the scent of cinnamon and cloves; a warm, soft yellow cotton throw, over my knees; the clock ticking, and in this abundance of comfort; the great luxury of time to think, read, pray and reflect. Tonight I had cause to reflect on the choice we have to give lavishly, generously and with abandonment when investing in God's Kingdom. To be honest I came to be "reflecting" as an improvement on "grouchily ruminating" over a decision made by my love, who has always known how to give recklessly but doesn't always tell me about what he has done until afterwards. But I have found that you can even grouchily ruminate over something and as long as you do it with a prayer in your heart, God will honour the prayer and show up with his light and shine in the darkness--and that's what he did as I sat in...

By Belinda It was really worship practice, but it felt more like Christmas. In the capacious, black leather overnight bag that doubles as a carryall for me, I had two books from my bookshelf to give to friends on the worship team. One friend has just taken on the leadership of the worship ministry in our church, and the other has just become a worship leader, a new role for her. Passing the books on to them gave me joy. I had only partially read one, and not the other. Giving them to Cheryl and Frances, said, "I believe in you. I want to invest in your leadership. I am for you!" They received the books with smiling eyes. But there was more! Frances, too, was rummaging in her purse, and out of its depths she triumphantly pulled a book, which she presented to me. I gasped in excitement, "Wow, I have always wanted to read a book by Warren Wiersbe ." Frances pointed to the title, God Isn’t in a Hurry: Learning to Slow Down and Live , and said how she knew it fit in p...

By Belinda Genesis 15:12-14 (New International Version) 12 As the sun was setting, Abram fell into a deep sleep, and a thick and dreadful darkness came over him. 13 Then the LORD said to him, "Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own, and they will be enslaved and mistreated four hundred years. 14 But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will come out with great possessions. I pondered this prophesy, given to Abraham, and fulfilled hundreds of years later, when the people of Israel were enslaved in Egypt. It brought home to me that there is a bigger story and we are all part of it. Writers learn that a really good story--one that rings true and captivates our interest--has twists and turns, ups and downs; conflict and tension and moments of high drama. When I understand my life as part of a bigger story, suddenly a lot of my perceptions shift. Once I grasp this, my importance diminishes in my own eyes. I am pa...

The sound of the front door opening and voices in the hallway heralded visitors. The voices were feminine and cheery and Paul's voice was welcoming as they drew closer to the room at the back of the house, where I was. To my surprise, there stood Jane and Barb, two friends from our cell group--but this was Tuesday, not Thursday and it looked as though they were on a mission. We chatted briefly and then Jane said, "We came with a purpose." "I thought so!" I said, greatly curious about what it might be. Jane was carrying a small zippered portfolio from which she was pulling something out. "I brought you a gift," she announced; her whole being radiating joy in giving. "It is one of a kind," and she handed me a letter sized laminated document and a smaller one the size of a recipe card. I looked at the emblems that were duplicated on the cards and Jane asked me what I thought. "I like the message," I said, feeling something, I didn'...

The guest worship leader came representing a well known ministry. He was gifted musically, playing the piano with casual ease but great skill, while talking, in between songs he'd written and recorded, about the children whose lives could be changed forever for the price of our North American coffee habit. His young wife ran the sound system at the back of the church, "Great with child," as he put it proudly; their first. They have been called to "live by faith," serving this ministry; he using his voice and talent to make a difference. But not on any pedestal, this young man. He talked of idols, of the constant personal temptation to be captivated by "stuff," or addictions; on-line shopping; this or that. I know how it goes. Nail one down addiction and the self life oozes out somewhere else. At the end, one of my younger friends met me at the back and said she'd sponsored a child. She said slightly nervously that she hoped she could manage it. In ...

Psalm 86:5 (New International Version) 5 You are forgiving and good, O Lord, abounding in love to all who call to you. Psalm 86:15 (New International Version) 15 But you, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness. I looked out one recent morning at the field of corn that is planted below the stand of maples on the hill. From the green leaves of thousands of young corn plants--wet from the rain that had come in the night, light was reflecting--silver. As I gazed on the shimmering field, it looked like a massed medieval army of soldiers with light reflecting from shields locked above their heads as they advanced into battle. To the side of the corn field lay the alder grove and there the trees waved their arms at the sky in the morning breeze, the leaves dancing opalescent--simply beautiful--not caring if anyone noticed or not, it seemed. I thought of how God made the world so beautiful, as if he loved to do it--as if he delighted in ...