My never ending expedition.

When I write or even when I meet up with people for coffee and a chat I like to do it after the storm has passed. I like to have things figured out a little before talking or writing about it, to feel more comfortable, to feel in control, to feel safe. But obviously I know that I am ultimately not in control at all. God is. But my insecurities and weaknesses are so vast and deep that I fear showing all sides of me. I am pretty open about life and things that I go through in general. I love to chat, discuss and learn from others. However the fear of not being good enough or of being rejected can cause me to scurry back into my shell, my cocoon, my shelter. But God is calling me out. He call us deeper, calls us to live this journey, this life out in the open. To fall in public, to fall short, to mess up, to learn...and to start all over again and I am rest assured that He will be there all the way. Picking me up, cheering me on and always, always leading the way. So I am going to try...

 Life for me is safest lived day by day and step by step. I cant really do more than that. Naturally I stress really easily, I over think often, I dispair far to much. So day by day and step by step is the best medicine for me! The most wonderful thing is..thats how God leads us to live, day by day and step by step. I am very thankful for the year that has passed. Its another year of life lived, people I have had the pleasure to know and places I have been but most of all I am thankful for Gods grace in my life and in those lives around me. Life can be tough...but one thing remains the same ...this year, last year and the one to come...and that is Him . Thank you Jesus . I know at Christmas we are to celebrate Christ birth...but the New Year for me brings more celebration of Christ and His life than Christmas does. The New Year to me represents a new year to live in the grace that Christ has given..at a huge price for Him ...

I am doing a new thing.. So its been three years and three months since in my bedroom, (actually it was my brothers bedroom, mine was probably too messy to sleep in or something like that!!) I had my bible open and thanked God for all he had done for me and for loving me and forgiving me. So much has happened since then and this morning I am reminded of the phrase 'I am doing a new thing'. I read that in Isaiah43 a few weeks ago and I am reading through Revelation at the moment and Exodus and in both it is clear that in the future God will do a new thing...there will be a new heaven and a new earth. And in Exodus we see how he leads his poeple in new ways and to new places. A new thing. If I look back on the last three years I see lots of change but change mostly in my heart. The beauty of a living and active God is that a new thing can be as real for the Isralites in Exodus and as true for the times to come in Revelation but the awesome thing is that it isnt abou...

Its been a little while since I wrote last. When my writing stops or I go quiet, sometimes its because I am kinda standing still in my life in a way...this time it has been because of fear. The last two weeks have flown by...each day has been such a mix, with hopeless moments followed by encouragement from the Lord. His steadfast lovingkindness definetly sums up my last two weeks. College is a huge challenge for me. I am so thankful to know that I'm ment to be there. God has shown this to me clearly through His Word and opened the doors for me to go to college. It was given to me by Him and its a gift I am thankful for it. But boy is it a challenge!! The course I am doing doesnt have a whole lot of class hours, I havnt had that many exams so far and overall it shouldnt be that intimidating, but to me it is. I am 25, (26 next month...mini life crisis ahead!!:)) and I have never been good at dealing with academic stuff. I have always wanted to teach children. Always....

For me, as a Christian sometimes I doubt...I think what if I have got it wrong??..Could I really know the truth and so many not want it? This week in college it is 'Islam awareness week' and watching people filter in and out of the room that  they are set up in reminded me that there are so many religions out there. I asked God today what if I got it wrong?...What if what I believe and what I do isnt true to Him or the truth? I asked Him to reach me today and show me Him and His truth. And though my prayer was weak and quiet, He heard. As I went about the rest of my day God was placing in front of me reminders of where He has brought me from and to. As I cycled home from college, as I sat reading my favorite blogs, as I drew on my blackboard wall...He showed me through my simple life what He has done for me and the life He has given to me. All because of Christ love, death and ressurection for a girl who did not yet know Him. I do...

 February and Spring are in full swing here in Cork and I'm loving the change.   There are only 8 weeks left of lectures in college and the months ahead look packed with fun weekends and some challenges but with Spring comes new life and I know that whatever comes my way nothing is a surprise to God.    This weekend thanks to a dear friend who donated some left over paint I started to paint my bedroom. Over Christmas my sister and I changed rooms which has given me lots of room for creative fun. I have to be honest since I begun the 'be creative 2013' project I have been overwhelmed with ideas with things I can do to make my bedroom functional, colourful and pretty. Projects like these take time however and I'll have to do it all in bite size chunks. College, work and life have to go on too :) So this weekend I painted part of my room duck egg blue... I really love the colour. Its fresh and soft and ...

  January has come and gone and I am definetly excited that Spring has come. I love the different seasons and the change that comes with them. It's such a blessing that with each season comes new sights & colours & this season brings fresh growth and the beginning of colour which is very welcome in my books. Thank you God for the changing seasons.   This January is what I would call a 'pic n mix'. Such a mix bag weather wise but also with college and motivation and also with my bible reading plan. There has been times of growth and progress and other cold, wintery days where all I wanted was early bed times and to avoid the work ahead but what has been a huge blessing is the 'be creative 2013' incentive and the bible reading plan. They have kept my month colourful and fresh. Thankfully.   This year I definetly have embraced the idea of goals. Long term and short term. They can be exciting and help keep...

 Psalm1 is a song about a man who is blessed. This blessed man is a man who delights in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. It is so good to read Gods Word and there definitly is a blessing in reading, studying and meditating upon it so for one of this weeks free creative project I put together this jar of verses. I had previously made up these cards with some encouraging verses on them. I typed them up, printed them off and glued them onto pieces of card I had left over. Then I washed a used jar and wrapped it in a bow with some pretty green ribbon I had already. Each morning I take a verse out for that day. Its fun and I am always looking forward to what tomorrows verse says. Its also a cool way of learning them off throughout the day by using them as a bookmark too.  Todays verses re...

Today here in Cork, it is definetly an umbrella day! Each day here in Ireland the weather can be so different. Yesterday we had snow and sun and today we have lots of rain. Each day we can have many thoughts, worries, wants and needs. Each day God is the same. Each day His Word remains the same. Each day His promises are true. In Matthew6:25 Jesus says: 'Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?'   Matthew6:34 Jesus says, 'Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.' Please note that I am not saying that these things arent important and I do not expect a package outside my door with an outfit picked out and a food basket next to it saying 'with love from God' each morning. Of course God provides ...

So its ALREADY coming to the end of January 2013..hard to believe I know. It has been a quick couple of weeks.  College is back in full swing with only 10 weeks of lectures left this semester, the plan to get my running mileage up is on the go and my read the bible in a year plan is well into Genesis and Matthew. Its been a good month so far! One thing however which is still not settled is my desire to find ways of being more creative this year! Last year was such a great year. I got to live in Germany, travel to Turkey and stay in China. And this was all before returning back to Ireland in July. Last year because of the grace of God I got to know who I am because of Jesus and what He did more and this included my likes and dislikes. He healed lots and brought so much light, life and joy into my heart. One of the things that I found more and more was this huge urge and desire to be more creative,...

God is gracious. Many times people said to me and Im sure it has been said to you too, that God has bigger and better plans than I could even think of for myself. And it is true. Gods grace in my life is so precious and I am so very thankful to Jesus for saying in the garden of gethsemane, "..nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will." For His sacrifice has paid it all. Growing up all I wanted to be was a teacher and to go to Africa and build an orphanage and teach there. Funnily enough that didnt really change much as time went by. When I finished secondary school here in Ireland I was 18 and had to decide whether to go back and tae my exams again in order to get what I needed to do teaching or to do something else. I was such a nervous wreck when it came to exams. so much fear in me that I would fail, no belief but fear and so over time thinking and many tears I decided to do something else. I can not tell you how hard it was to let go of teaching, inside of me ...

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.    -Proverbs3:5&6 Thank you Lord for bible studies and talking with others about you. Last night at our weekly bible study here in Cork we were looking at Hebrews 12 and God, who as Our Father chastens us. It was very thought provoking and enjoyable to talk about God who is so big and beyond our understanding but so enjoyable to get to know. The author of Hebrews in Hebrews12:5&6 quotes Proverbs3:11&12 which says, " My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, Nor detest His correction; For whom the Lord loves He corrects, Just as a father the son in whom he delights. I know myself I can get overwhelmed with one aspect of God, even within that one aspect one characteristic, ie the disciplining father. God is so big and I am not able to grasp the extravigance of His mighty brilliance but what I l...

The last few days have felt rough. It felt like there was a weight upon me and my weary arms could not lift it. I never have to lift it though, I just need to lean on Him but for those days I wasnt sure if I knew how or if I was or wasnt doing it. It was a struggle to open the Word, it was like my hands couldnt even open it but praise God for recorded teaching, pray and His love which He shows me through my dear dear parents and friends. He softens my heart to a baked potato! Today I can say He restores my soul. (psalm23) We all have hard days, days when things seem soo big, like there will not be an end to all the little problems..and you know what there may not be in this life..but our hope does not have to be focused on whats around us. On Sunday at church we read Hebrews11 about Moses, his life and his faith, and in verse27 the Word says 'for he endured as seeing him who is invisible.' Where do we find our hope? Though I may despair, or grow weary, or not ha...

Since the last time I have wrote I have been to China, back again to Germany and now I am at home in Ireland once again. I have gone to write a number of times before this but so much has happened I have no idea where to start. What I can say for sure is how I have seen Gods mercy so much in my life and around the world and how He wants and will give the desires of our heart as we diligently seek Him. That is key: Diligence in seeking Him. Jesus said seek first the kingdom of God...this is His will for our lives. To seek Him and His ways, to love Him first, always. And all else will follow. Though it may seem that I follow Him, and live my life for Him and yes He is so gracious and brings me to many wonderful places and meet many awesome people I still fail at this command time and time again. Praise God for His grace <3 Seek Him first...so often I think if I have this, or if my life looked like that then all will be good and all will...

My psalm of the day says in its final verses: But I will sing of Your power; Yes, I will sing aloud of Your mercy in the morning; For you have been my defense and refuge in the day of my trouble. To You, O my Strength, I will sing praises; For God is my defense, My God of mercy.                                       -Psalm59:16-17 This morning this was a spring of fresh water to my thirst soul. Sometimes because of fear of people, upsetting people or not wanting to cause trouble or problems I slow down and alter myself to be..whatever is "better" or "easier" for whatever reason. Sometimes its out of my own laziness, other times its because I am being selfish, it can be out of fear of doing something wrong or saying somthing wrong and sometimes I just let what is aroun...

It will be two years this June, that I asked God to forgive me of my sins and wash me white as snow. I knew that I wanted to do this and mean it in my heart before this time, but I did not think I deserved His love and forgiveness and holding onto things of the world which I did not want to let go of...but as I looked for Him more and more as He called out to me and stretched forth His hand, at last I leaped into His hands. Since then, things have changed. Oh how I wish for those who do not believe or who have seen my life since, that I could give them a taste or an insight to life with Christ. I know it must be a little scary for those who love me or who know me at all to watch my life as it moves forward with Him. It is a different life. I watched the video of my baptism last night, it was in January of last year. It was such a great day in my life. Sometimes as things change around us and when we feel like things are out of our control, or we do not understand them, or maybe e...

The testing of our faith, the trials...to persever, to grow weary...finding our strength in Him. For the past four days I have been wrestling with my own heart. Battling with my flesh, pressing forward even though much of me just wants to stand still but I dont like to stand still, if there is one thing I dont like the most of all is not getting to know the Lord new each day and just giving into self-pity and this want to put a hault on time. Yes, life is ever changing and moves happen, new people come, others go! Yes, family are missed and friends too, and of course I dont have answers for people when I am asked where?... what?.. when? and Why?...but none of that is anything big when my vision is set on Christ. This morning I continued to read in Psalm, amidst Psalm44 there is a gem, in verse 8 it says:  In God we boast all day long, And praise Your name forever. No matter what is going on around us, or how we think we feel, we must be open for ...

Good morning dear friends, today is graduation at the bible college here in Siegen. Three wonderful students are graduating after four semesters. They have been such a blessing to us all and I know God longs to and will blow them away with His plan for them as they diligently seek Him. Keep them in your prayers as they follow after Him this summer. For every other student graduating today, we all are going different routes, some back home to waiting family and friends, some staying on to help at the conference, others visiting my homeland Ireland, and for me in a few weeks I take my longest flight yet! One thing I have seen this semester, is that Gods hand is mighty and powerful. Flick open your bible to Psalm29, if you dont have one its all good cause you can google search it! I read this a month or so ago and was thinking over and over about David's words, look at verse 4 : The voice of the Lord is powerful; The voice of the Lord is full of majesty. ...

Another morning... oh how I love them!   This morning I read Psalm 40 ,                                                    I waited patiently for the Lord,                                                   And He inclined to me,                                           ...

Stepping forward in faith, knowing the promises of Our Lord to be true, everlasting and will come to pass. Daily life with the Lord leads to many wonders and beautiful things for our eyes to see and our ears to hear. Each morning we can have a fresh time with the Lord, asking Him to lead our day, forgive us our sins and to cleanse us and fill us a new. What a refreshing God He is. Always faithful to give us what we need. This morning I am reminded that Gods ways are higher than ours and that we must seek the Lord while He may be found and call upon Him while He is near. Isaiah55 When God leads our steps, they can be so natural, then sometimes a step or even a leap of faith may have to take place. One day things may seem 'easy' as such and the next the same things seem crazy and not possible. However God remains the same on all days. He does not change and His ability to WOW us is new every minute of every day. The key is to seek Him while He may be found and ...