Anticipate ~ anˈtisəˌpāt

November 2021

Really? November is here already? Where has the year gone? Just a few weeks ago we were half way through and now the busy season is upon us and in a handful of weeks we will be saying 'Happy New Year" all over again. Are you going to anticipate the fun and family and celebrations or dread the long list of 'yet to do' and who to do it for or with?

Anticipation can be positive or negative. It can bubble with excitement or weigh us down with dread. Overwhelm or inspiration. When the negative sets in that is the time to take a piece of paper and pen or maybe it is the tablet and make a list - maybe two or three of them.  On one of them be sure to write down those things that are looming as problems or impossible responsibilities. Identify all those relationship issues and budget limitations and past failures that threaten to bring a dampener to your anticipation.

Our mind is the nursery of our actions.  A mind that is shut off from hope and positive expectation will never initiate actions of joy and blessing, reaching out to the world around you.

When you have written your list or lists take out your Bible and turn to Philippians 4 verses 4 thru to 9 - here it is in The Message translation -

          Celebrate God all day, every day. I mean, revel in him! Make it as clear as you can to all you meet that you’re on their side, working with them and not against them. Help them see that the Master is about to arrive. He could show up any minute!  Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life. 

David and Cherie Rodway

If Not Now - When?

October 2021

We are born with hope but circumstances, our choices and the dealings of life can make hope an elusive imagination. The stains of life show in anger, jealousy, envy, violence, immorality and the like.  Stinking thinking and abused emotions cause our hope to evaporate.

Just like those unwanted plants in the garden, you cut them off at the base and they appear eradicated, but the next rain comes and back they come again, stronger than ever.

It is the same with your God ordained hope and future that hang like a coat in your soul. Hope will never go away.  There may be a possibility of a major change of career that takes you more towards that God birthed hope within. No matter what kind of training you pursued, there is a dream that keeps haunting you.  It is just like that coat in your soul; a beautiful garment but when am I going to put it on?

You know there is so much you have to offer though you don't say it out loud around other people.

Maybe your focus is on family right now  or other responsibilities have kept the dream in the background of your life but the time will be right and you will give your attention to that dream. Just don't let it wither and die in uncertainty.

You ask yourself, "How can I break out of the monotonous routine of my life?". This life that separates you from who you really are and how you want your life to show that gifted, released inner person, feels like a cocoon of repression.

Don't despair.  Dark spots in the soul are revealed in these quieter times of reflection and preparation. Living is about imagining a future worth pursuing.

It is about curiosity and continuous learning. To live our lives fully we must not only dream but we must also be ready and willing to continually adapt, so let the discovery begin!

Breathe - rest - trust God!

The Bible encourages us to "Be energetic in your life of salvation, reverent and sensitive before God. That energy is God’s energy, an energy deep within you, God himself willing and working at what will give him the most pleasure." (Philippians 2:13 The Message).

Trust God! He formed you in your mother's womb and he is determined to bring you to your best life. He has had it planned since the beginning of time and he hasn't changed his mind.

David and Cherie Rodway

Change is Not Always Welcome!

September 2021

September is here and no matter whether you live in the northern or southern hemisphere, you will be noticing changes in the weather. One is seeing spring flowers while the other is watching leaves turn to reds and golds before they drop to the ground providing work for the reluctant gardener. But there are some very good and beneficial changes that come in our lives as well. Naturally, the changes we experience from childhood through to old age are familiar to all of us, but there can be life interventions in any of those stages that can bring sadness or devastation rather than fulfillment.

The skill of bounce  back doesn't always come instinctively. Broken dreams and lives cut short leave deep scars;  and many times there is no logic in the event to guide the next step. We have all heard the mantra 'when all else fails - read the instructions' and when it comes to life, the instructions are most reliable when found in the words of the Creator.  God not only knows your beginning, but He also wants to guide you to the completeness of the destiny He designed for you and created you to achieve.

To make this even better, God has brought to us the Holy Spirit to be our teacher and guide.

When you find yourself in a twist in your road you wont do better than to find a quiet place and open your Bible and ask the Holy Spirit to speak to you through the words and make them a living conversation with God. You don't have to make an appointment, He is waiting on your call 24/7.

David and Cherie Rodway