In the breeze

 2022 -  Obedience, authority and power.   When Jesus returns for His bride, it isn't going to be a rescue mission!  He's coming for a Bride whom He can be joined with - an equal yoking. A healthy, vibrant, righteous bride without spot, wrinkle or blemish.  The Bride is set apart, just as the Groom is. Holy, powerful, passionate, humble, obedient to the Father, standing in the authority given to her.  The church here in Wales, is kind, loving and welcoming. But she has allowed compromise to seep in, replacing holiness with conformity, power with achievement,  authority with complacency, obedience with reasoning and persecution with comfort.  The Holy Spirit is coming to breath new life in to the body of Christ. His holiness has already started stripping away and burning the rags that we've clothed ourselves in. Have you felt it? 2022 is a year of choosing. The Holy Spirit will no longer settle for visiting rights, a ten minute slot on a ...

  I love fireworks. The bangs, whistles, sparkles and surprise of trying to guess what's next fills me with awe and wonder. But it doesn't take long to switch that into worry about what effect its having on the environment. Where's the rubbish landing? Is it falling into our rivers and killing ducks and fish? Could the money be used more effectively elsewhere? It's the same with balloons and kite flying. Or the naff plastic stuff in party bags! As an adult I have to think about the consequences of the choices I'm making, for myself and for future generations. But as a spiritual being, I'm not an adult. I am a child of Father God. He protects me, provides for me, loves me, disciplines me, guides me. Jesus said we are to have faith like a child's.  A safe, loved child doesn't worry about whether they will get food. They're only interested in what it'll be and how soon they can get it. I pray that you will have a hunger for the bread of heaven. That...

 Here's a little teaser for you: Dogs have baby dogs that we call?  Cats have...?  Kangaroos have... ?  Chickens have... ?  God has... ?  While we know that a puppy is still a dog and a kitten is still a cat, surely God's children aren't gods?  Yet in John 5:18 When Jesus called God, "Father" that's exactly what the Pharisees understood Jesus to mean, and they were understandably shaken by the thought.  "For this reason they tried all the more to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God."  We know that Jesus, as God's only begotten Son, is and was God so of course that's accurate. But why, knowing the heretic nature of this comment did Jesus teach us to pray "Our Father, who art in heaven"? Why does the Holy Spirit make it known in our souls that we have been adopted into a new family, and we cry out "ABBA, Father!"? (Romans 8:15)  Every time ...

  I love to watch movies where good versus evil and like most viewers I'm rooting for good to triumph. But every now and then the writers add a twist. You spend the entire film cheering on the goodie only to find at the last minute there was information you didn't know which changes everything, and you'd been on the wrong side all along!  Throughout history there are those who were once considered rebels, that we now see as heroes. Rosa Parks, Martin Luther and... Jesus! The pharisees in the time of Jesus were strict observers of not only the written Law but also the many traditional oral laws passed down through the generations. They were determined to keep themselves set apart for God. That's a good thing right? Jesus on the other worked on the Sabbath (healing people) and allowed His disciples to also (picking and eating wheat) He spent time with tax collectors and prostitutes and taught women. These were not the actions of someone keeping the status quo. To add insu...

Having been married for the past 25 years, and being a mum to two daughters, I've learnt a little about the importance of compromise. The daily compromises we make like having a Chinese takeaway instead of the Indian you fancy and watching James Bond, Dora the explorer or a rom-com for the 20th time just to spend time cuddling on the sofa with your loved ones, all build strong bonds. Knowing someone loves you enough to lay down their desires so yours can be fulfilled is precious. Of course there are the not so fun filled compromises too! The debates and on going negotiations of what time is bedtime or maybe how many hours your partner is spending at work/the gym/ the pub. In healthy relationships, both parties share their point of view so the other can take it into consideration, weigh it up and see if they're willing to meet somewhere in the middle. We see Moses had ths kind of relationship with God. In Exodus 4:10-18 God chose Moses to speak to Pharaoh, Moses wanted Him to ch...

Pa mor gyflawn? Yn ein ty ni, ‘da ni yn hoff iawn o gwis “Pa gymeriad wyt ti?” Mae’n wirion i fod yn onest ond mae’n gymaint o hwyl, yn ateb cwestiynau damcaniaethol lle ‘da chi’n dewis o bedwar ateb sydd yn hollol wahanol i beth fyddai’n atebion go iawn ni a, “Ta-ra”, mae’r canlyniadau yn dweud mai ti yw Gandalf/Aslan/Ron Weasley/Captain America (nid fy atebion i gyda llaw!) Wedyn, mae cwestiynau sy’n fwy difrifol “Pa grwp wyt ti?” profion fel “enneagrams” lle ‘da chi yn dysgu am eich cryfderau a’ch gwendidau. Efallai eich bod wedi gweld y blogiau hyn felly. “Pa ran o’r corff wyt ti?” Efallai y bydd y rhai dwfn yn debyg i’r galon neu organ mewnol. Maent yn gryf a phwysig ond mae ‘nhw angen eu gwarchod. Byddai’r rhai sy’n dal ati yn draed ac yn coesau. Maent yn cerdded y llwybr hir sydd wedi ei orfodi arnyn nhw neu yn un y maent wedi ei ddewis er mwyn nerthu a chryfhau brawd mewn angen. Y rhai sy’n dangos uchder cariad Duw yw’r llygaid a’r clustiau, yn clywed ac yn gwrando beth sy’n di...

How whole? In our house we're big fans of the "Which character are you...?" kind of quiz. It's ridiculous but so much fun, answering hypothetical questions that need you to choose from four answers that are rarely what your real choice would be, then hey-presto the results show you're Gandalf/Aslan/Ron Wesley/Captain America (not my answers by the way!) Then there are the slightly more serious "Which group are you?" enneagram type of tests where you can learn your strengths and weaknesses.  It might seem like this series of blogs has been like that. A "Which part of the body are you?" Perhaps the deeps would be the heart and internal organs. They have great strength and importance but need protection. Those who endure would be feet and legs. They walk the long path, whether it's a journey forced upon them, or one they choose to pick up in order to help and strengthen a brother in need. Those who show the height of God's love are the eye...