175 - God took the initiative.

'...but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.' (Romans 5:8)

I previously wrote a blog post on God choosing us (107, if you're interested). 

But...do we stop and think about the fact He chose us first? 

How does Spurgeon (whose words are better than mine) put it...

'...not only is the mercy which you and I have received undeserved, but it was unasked. It is true you sought for mercy but not till mercy first sought you...You would have been still today hardened in heart, without God, and without Christ, had not free grace saved you. Can you be proud then?-proud of mercy which, if I may use the term, has been forced upon you?-proud of grace, which has been give you against your will, until your will was changed by sovereign grace?...all the mercy you have you once refused...Is your name written in his book? Ah! there was a time when, if it had been in your power, you would have erased the sacred lines that contained your own salvation...' 
(Sermon no. 233)


Thought-provoking, hmm? 

The song All I Have is Christ (Sovereign Grace Music) puts it another way. 

'...if you had not loved me first, I would have refused you still.' 

There was nothing about us that explains why God chose to sacrifice His own Son for us. It's not free grace. It's grace at a massive cost to our King. 

Why pay that price for people who hated Him? 

Well...it's because it's not about us. 

He took the initiative to save us...because He is good. He is loving. 

And we thank Him for that!

174 - Finding new recipes

'And God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food.' (Genesis 1:29)

I love to cook, but sometimes the same old recipes can get a bit dull. 

So, now and then, I search for new ideas (mostly on Pintrest, heh heh) and try them out - mostly on my family. (Poor things ;) ) 

Sometimes it doesn't go well - I had a batch of cookies turn into a gooey mess once. 

But other times, it does work out. And I can enjoy the fun of following a recipe to create something delicious. I can enjoy feeding my family with a dinner they will like, one they might ask for again. 

Thank you God, for giving some the desire to cook. For giving the knowledge with which to understand ingredients and amounts and how to combine them to create something edible. For giving us the ability to keep ourselves alive!

Thank you for the huge variety of food you have provided, that we can keep finding new recipes! 

173 - When we know the time is right.

'For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven' (Ecclesiastes 3:1)

Most things in life have to end at some point. 

Sometimes, it's hard. We wish it could have gone on longer. We struggle to see why it had to end. 

But other times, we know it's right. God gives us peace. 

For example, I spent a good part of my uni years dreading graduation, with no clue as to what I would do after. When the time actually came though...I was glad. I was ready to move on from education...I wanted to work in a proper job. I knew the time was right. 

Today, I finally left the charity shop I've been volunteering at for the past four years. I stayed so long because I got on well with the women there. However, it was still kind of a relief to move on to look for something new. The time was right. 

The ironic thing is, with our sovereign God in control, the time is actually always right. He has a plan and He knows when it is best for things to happen.

But we can be thankful for the times when we can understand and agree with His timing. 

172 - Motivation

'I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.' (Philippians 3:14) 

It's hard to make a habit of something. But it helps if you have motivation. 

For example, we were able to exercise regularly when we were training for a 5k run. 

I was able to write regularly when I was taking part in the National Novel Writing Month (I didn't reach the 50,000 goal, but it got me writing more than I normally did.) 

But Christians have an even bigger motivation in life. 

They are Christ's. And Heaven awaits. 

S0 don't give up. Keep going, even when things are tough. Keep on into 2016 and 2017 and so on...

Thank you God for the motivation Christ gave us! 

171 - Flying

'...they shall mount up with wings like eagles...' (Isaiah 40:31)

I hope we can fly in Heaven. 

Until then...aeroplanes will have to do. 

Recently, I flew for the second time in my life...and I'd forgotten how much I love it. 

The slow trundle of the plane down the runway - then the WOOOSH as it accelerates and takes off. 

The sight of a city dropping away beneath you - spread out like a map, with familiar sights suddenly so tiny. 

Mum would call me crazy, but I even quite like the rocking of the plane in the wind. It's a reminder that yes, flying can be sometimes be dangerous, but we trust in a God who holds the plane safe in His hands. 

And then, finally, there's the speedy descent and landing. 

And the friends or family waiting at the airport. 

Thank you God for flying! 

170 - Christian films

“The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!" (Matthew 6:22-23)

Ahh, I've neglected this blog. Again. Various reasons, involving the North, work experience and trying to write a novel...

But it doesn't matter to me if no-one reads this blog. If writing it makes one person a little bit more thankful to God, then its done its job - even if that one person is only me. 

Anyway...

Watched a Christian film called 'Grace Unplugged' recently. Some Christian films can be super cheesy. This one had its cheesy moments. But...it was also powerful. Relatable. 

It left me thinking of God and how merciful He is to us. 

It was a reminder that He can bring the prodigals home! 

Thank you God for films that glorify you! 

169 - Washing Machines

'The one to be cleansed shall then wash his clothes...' (Leviticus 14:8)

Mum was telling me the other day about how they used to wash clothes before the washing machine came in. It was a lot more complicated back then!

How easily we can take for granted our ability to just toss our dirty clothes into our washing machines. put in some powder, press a few buttons and have clean clothes again.

Some people don't have washing machines.

In other countries, they only have water from the river in which to wash.

We have electricity - and we have washing machines available.

May I remember that the next time I'm tempted to moan about having to put a wash in - and instead be thankful!