Retro days and enjoying the moment

For those of you who haven't seen the 2 minute vlog I put together on the old Cassette tapes and the simple lesson we can learn from them, you are welcome to watch it here.

However, as it is written:

“What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard,and what no human mind has conceived” the things God has prepared for those who love him—these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God." - 1 Corinthians 2:8-10

God bless you and have a wonderful day.

Living in Grace

D3LM3

If for some reason you can't access the video then search "Delme Linscott - Enjoy this moment" on Youtube.  

Friendship

                                                        

Apparently the 30th July is marked as International Friendship Day. I wasn't aware of this - or perhaps I just forgot about it! Anway, I thought I would jump onto the bandwagon and share some lovely verses and quotes on friendship - may you be blessed by these and enjoy every friend God has given you. They are indeed treasures from above.

1 Samuel 20:42 - Jonathan said to David, “Go in peace, for we have sworn friendship with each other in the name of the Lord, saying, ‘The Lord is witness between you and me, and between your descendants and my descendants forever.’

Proverbs 17:17 - A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity.

John 15:15 - Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.

“A day without a friend is like a pot without a single drop of honey left inside.” – Winnie the Pooh

“Friendship marks a life even more deeply than love. Love risks degenerating into obsession, friendship is never anything but sharing.” – Ellie Weisel

Prayer: Thank you Jesus that you are truest friend a person could ever desire. May I respond to your gift of friendship by being a kind friend to those in need. Amen.

Living in Grace

D3LM3

Bound together during crisis

                                                

The one thing that Covid-19 has certainly done for us is to remind us that we are connected to each other in many ways. The fact that we are all experiencing some suffering and hardship during Lockdown makes us a little more sympathetic to our fellow human beings.

Reinhold Neibuhr wrote a beautiful prayer that captures our deep sense of community and how we should seek to deepen our understanding of one another. Enjoy this prayer:

"O God, who has bound us together in this bundle of life, give us grace to understand how our lives depend on the courage, the industry, the honesty, and integrity of our fellow men; that we may be mindful of their needs, grateful for their faithfulness, and faithful in our responsibilities to them; through Jesus Christ our Lord."

"Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it." - 1 Corinthians 12:27

Living in Grace

D3LM3

Pushing through the blah days

                                          

We all have them don't we? Those days where everything just feels blah! It is like a blue Monday that carries on until Tuesday or even Wednesday. I am sure you can all relate to these kind of days?

So, what do you do when this happens?

Well, the one thing that running has taught me is just to keep going? If runners had to wait for the "perfect feelings" to kick in before we put on our trainers, we would probably only run once a week! However, we have to learn to push through the 'blah' feelings and get onto the road.

I know it is a huge clique, but often putting one foot in front of the next is the simpliest solution to getting your training run done. And I feel this lesson is vital for us in our spiritual and emotional lives too. We may not feel up to the challenges of work or studies or retirement at the moment, but we need to ask God to help us push through the 'blah' barrier. We do this with a great degree of hope that tomorrow will be better and often it is.

God guides us through the dips in our lives, so that when we reach the mountain tops we can see how far God has carried us.

James 1:12 - "Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him."

Living in Grace

D3LM3

P.S. My post today is not meant to ignore the fact that some of us struggle with depression and so we should be encouraged to seek the right treatment for this. I must make it clear that there is a huge gulf between having a 'blue Monday' to struggling with depression. If you are having mental health struggles at this time please seek appropiate help. God bless.

Restoration

The theme of RESTORATION is carried through many places in the Bible and it is clearly one of great hope. In this reading from Nahum the prophet passes on a word of encouragement to the Israelites:

"The Lord will restore the splendor of Jacob
    like the splendor of Israel,
though destroyers have laid them waste
    and have ruined their vines." - Nahum 2:2

As I read these words I was wondering if there was a message for us in them? Could we interpret the 'destroyers' to be the Coronavirus? Could we argue that the 'ruined vines' are our places of work and financial resources during these harsh economic times?

If you find that there is a link to this, then we should surely hold onto the promise that God will restore our splendor.

Does this make sense for you or is it perhaps a little too far-fetched? I would love to know your thoughts.

Mark 8:25 - "Once more Jesus put his hands on the man’s eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly."

Living in Grace

D3LM3

His way is in the storm

"His way is in the whirlwind and the storm, and clouds are the dust of his feet." - Nahum 1:3

I love this verse so much. It reminds me that God's way may take us through the desert, storm and clouds, but God is in that WAY.

It is a timely reminder that God is with us through everything that we go through. Hold onto that promise today.

"The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble.
He cares for those who trust in him." - Nahum 1:7

Living in Grace

D3LM3

Man on the moon - Experiment

I experimented the other day with doing a video blog (which is now called a vlog) just to see how it turned out. If you haven't seen it then please follow this link and have a look at it. The theme was around Legacy, asking the question "what legacy are we leaving behind?"

The day I filmed it was the anniversary of Neil Armstrongs moon landing, which will forever be associated with these words:

"One small step for man; one giant leap for mankind!"

Jesus has also left us an incredible legacy - the legacy of his love and mercy. The challenge is for us to follow in his footsteps and to leave a legacy of grace.

What do you think about legacy?

Living in Grace

D3LM3

P.S. - If you have 2 minutes to give me some feedback on the vlog please let me know your thoughts. Thanks.

Calming presence - part 2

                                            

As we follow on from yesterday's post, which included an insightful devotion from Howard Thurman (Meditations of the Heart), let us take note of his insight into anxiety and how it impacts upon our relationship with God.

"One thing I know concerning my anxieties: they are real to me.

Sometimes they seem more real than the presence of God.

When this happens, they dominate my mood and possess my thoughts.

The presence of God does not always deliver me from anxiety but it always delivers me from anxieties. Little by little, I am beginning to understand that deliverance from anxiety

means fundamental growth in spiritual character and awareness.

It becomes a quality of being, emerging from deep within,

giving to all the dimensions of experience a vast immunity against being anxious.

A ground of calm underlies experiences whatever may be the tempestuous character of events.

This calm is the manifestation in life of the active,

dynamic Presence of God. God is present with me this day." - Howard Thurman

Again the words in bold are my 'take home' from his devotion. As you read his words, coupled with the life-giving gift of the Scriptures, may God's Spirit fill you with peace.

Mark 4:39 - "He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm."

Jeremiah 17:7-8 - “But blessed is the man who trusts me, God, the woman who sticks with God. They’re like trees replanted in Eden, putting down roots near the rivers— Never a worry through the hottest of summers, never dropping a leaf, Serene and calm through droughts, bearing fresh fruit every season."

Living in Grace

D3LM3

God is present - part 1

Howard Thurman wrote a delightful piece on the presence of God during times of difficulty. What I love about this short devotion is that it is so real and honest - I can relate to so much of what he says. His thoughts are not just a theory, but things he has grappled with and lived through himself.

As you read these words today, may you feel the presence of God with you.

(I am going to post his thoughts over 2 days as they are really good and I feel that we may lose the greater impact in trying to squeeze a long paragraph into one days worth of devotion. The line that stands out for me today is highlighted in bold. Which line is your 'take away' line?

"God is present with me this day.

God is present with me in the midst of my anxieties.

I affirm in my own heart and mind the reality of His presence.

He makes immediately available to me the strength of His goodness,

the reassurance of His wisdom and the heartiness of His courage.

My anxieties are real; they are the result of a wide variety of experiences,

some of which I understand, some of which I do not understand."

Psalm 46:1 - "God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble."

Psalm 14:5 - "But there they are, overwhelmed with dread, for God is present in the company of the righteous."

Living in Grace

D3LM3

Do you know God?

Knowing the true character of a person will tell you a lot about their actions. And so if you hear a rumour that a friend or loved one has supposedly acted in a certain way, because you know them well, you would probably second-guess that gossip. In a sense, this is what Jesus is saying to us:

"People who don’t know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don’t worry about missing out. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met." - Matthew 6:34-36 (Eugene Peterson)

The question for us is this: do we know God and how he works?

And if the answer is yes, then we are invited to steep our lives in God-reality, God-initiative and God-provisions.

Living in Grace

D3LM3

Wildflowers

As you drive along the many beautiful roads in our Country you will notice that the wildflowers are slowly starting to appear. It may be a little early for Spring, but some of these flowers are showing off their splendour already. This reminded me of the reading from Sunday, where Jesus reminded his followers that God will take care of their needs.

“If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers—most of which are never even seen—don’t you think he’ll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you? What I’m trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God’s giving." - Matthew 6:30-33 (Message)

As you read these words today remember that God promises us these 3 gifts:

1. He will attend to us

2. He will take pride in us

3. He will do his best for us

Come, let us learn the art of 'relaxing' in the presence of Christ and trusting in his generous love.

Living in Grace

D3LM3