The Washing Machine with Attitude

Each year in my business career I was called in for a performance review.   

So I got to thinking about my own Spiritual performance, how to check my progress on :-

LOVE - JOY - PEACE - PATIENCE - KINDNESS - GOODNESS - FAITHFULNESS -GENTLENESS - SELF CONTROL. 

My head started to spin like a washing machine. 

Where do I start ? So many things going round in my head.

 I decided to take them one by one and dissect them, break them down, and let God's Spirit speak to me. Immediately one word came into my psyche:   ATTITUDE !!  

What was my attitude to the Apostle Paul who compiled the list for discipleship. 

 Discipleship is about learning how we can have the correct mindset. 

Where do I begin ?  Back to basics.  

This is where our Cell groups are vital in taking us back to basics, making sure we grasp the fundamentals and living them out daily.

John Stott in his book "The Living church" states  :  "I do not think it is an exaggeration to say,therefore that small groups, Christian family or fellowship groups are indispensable  for our growth into spiritual maturity"

No matter what we think about groups they build upon our attitudes to how we live our lives.

"The greatest discovery of my generation is that a human being can alter his life by altering his attitude"

( William James   Psychologist/Philosopher)

The hungry eagle that needed more !!!

 Parts of Alaska's ice was  thawing. large chunks of ice flowed on the river toward a large waterfall.

Above a Bald eagle was encircling. Its sharp eyesight spied a dead carrion on a block of ice. 

Down it swept an sunk it's powerful talons( ten times greater than humans) into the prey and began to satisfy it's hunger. 

With the waterfall near, the freezing spray increased to shower the eagle, it continued to enjoy the food. With one eye on the food and one on the approaching edge it spread it's large powerful wings to take off to freedom.......but it discovered that the spray had covered it's talons and frozen them to the ice. 

"More is not always the best" 

I suggest that we are living in one of the most dissatisfied cultures on record. It's not that having lots of things is bad or harmful, it's that our desire to have more is or can be insatiable. 

As  long as we think more will be better, we will never be satisfied.

This crushes our appreciation for life and for our many blessings.

Develop a new appreciation for the blessings you already enjoy.You can spend your life wanting more, always chasing happiness.

"Count your blessings,name them one by one and it will surprise you what the Lord has done"

Lonesome Pine

When I looked at this picture it reflected the way I feel occasionally, as many of us do.
 Alone, looking too far ahead, folks like rocks not understanding.
There are times I feel lonely in a crowd.
Being introspective can harm in many ways.
 Feeling sorry for ourselves: the "poor me syndrome" leading to a depressive state of mind.
The remarkable thing is that this tree in the picture is standing alone, surviving all that weather throws at it. 
Its roots are deep and strong to enable it to stand. Too me it is a modern day parable.

All of us have to cope with different challenges in life at one time or another. What helps us to stand?

Many turn to eastern mysticism,  to fortune tellers, daily horoscope's  or worse still they just don't know where to turn.

 Jesus, He whom our mothers sang and spoke of when we were on her knee, still is a living friend.
He says "I will never leave you or forsake you"
I have been trying to learn more of His offers to put down roots which will withstand the storms of life, and know what, it is working!!
I know we have heard all before you say,  but I have found it is all about Jesus. 

                                                Turn your eyes upon Jesus 
                                                 Look in His wonderful face
                                                 and the things of earth
                                                 will grow strangely dim
                                                  In the light of His glory 
                                                  and Grace.


I know I am writing this off the wall, if you feel I am tell me,  I won't mind.