What To Do About Revenge....

You know that moment when someone has just done/said something awful and you just want to punch their lights out and get revenge immediately? Yeah.

Let’s get our honest faces on, because I sometimes don’t deal with those situations in the most respectful manner. I’ve heard it said that you should pray for your enemies, and I’ve always kind of thought that I don’t have enemies! But I think as humans, we do get angry with each other and we do form “enemies”.

If you get into one of the situations, my advice is….bite your tongue. It’ll save you a whole lot of embarrassing apologies and trouble in the long run. That’s easy said but hard done (or however that saying goes), huh? Here’s what the bible says about it:

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.

Do not repay evil for evil.

Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord.

Romans 12:14, 12:17 & 12:19.

Ouch. How do you bless someone that’s just wounded you? It’s H.A.R.D.

I have been lying awake at night, finding my mind going back to when someone did wrong to me that day. Before I begin to sketch out plans of revenge (involving tomatoes and a catapult) I remember these scriptures. And….here’s the secret…..

I pray for them.

You heard me right, I pray for my “enemies”! Well, an enemy sounds dramatic, but you get it.

And to make things even crazier, do GOOD for your enemies.

“If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”

Romans 12:20. Romans is full of some good stuff, eh?

Imagine this: next time someone does something wrong to you, instead of slapping them in the face like a 5 year old (we’ve all been there) let’s show kindness just like Jesus.

I kind of like the way Paul puts it in Romans 12:21……

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

X

(And a side note…don’t be the enemy! That’s another story, but keep it in mind. Thanks for joining. It’s been a pleasure!)

(You are) Precious

Hey you!

 
Yes, you, right there.

 
You’re precious.

 
Who are you precious to? I ask that question. On my down days, thinking thoughts like “do I actually matter? Does anyone value me?” (hands up if you’ve thought these thoughts too – ooh, I see a few in the back).

 
I wanna tell you right now, that you weren’t brought to read this for no reason. God values you a lot, and whether this is news or whether you’ve heard this a million times, I think you should hear it again.

 
How about we dig a little deeper (bring your spades and shovels – what’s that saying, the more hands the easier, or the easier with more hands? You know what I mean).

 
The definition of precious is below:

 
Of great value; not to be wasted or treated carelessly.

(Used as a term to address a beloved person.)

 
Hmm. Let’s make a pretty little analogy: do you have a belonging or person that you hold close to your heart that you value, protect and are very careful with? A family member, or a diamond ring maybe? Something that you would call precious?

 
How you see that thing/person is how God sees you. He’s looking down on you, smiling, and holding you close. He’s got you – you are precious in His sight. Don’t forget that.

 
See, told you we’d dig deep. And as I’m writing this I feel it’s touching my heart too. Read the definition of precious again, and this time read it like this:

 
You are of great value; not to be wasted or treated carelessly.

(Used as a term to address you. By God.)

 
That’s right, you. If I was having a coffee with you right now, I’d look you in the eye and share this bible verse (1 Corinthians 6:20):

 You were bought at a price.

 For some of you that have been reading my blog, I did just share that scripture a few posts ago. But hey, it doesn’t hurt to repeat it, right? It makes me smile every time I hear it, and I bet it makes your heart feel Gods love too. And remember, it’s not me telling you this – it’s GOD. He’s the Creator and Maker of all things….including you.

 
So go out there, sister, and live your life knowing just how valued you are. I’ll embark on this journey with you, I think.

 
x

Heart Cravings

Hello friend!

Are you craving anything right now? A warm fudgey piece of chocolate cake perhaps? Or maybe a warm package of hot chips…..the options are endless.

Oh, and I apologize if I just aroused those cravings that you were trying to banish. But let’s face it, sister, they ain’t ever gonna go (unless you become one of those health freaks who don’t even go near anything with the word carb in it – TORTURE!!!).

Believe it or not, I actually have a point for bringing food up. If you’ll be so kind, read below:

·         Our stomach has cravings (don’t try and deny this – we all know it’s true)

·         Just like our stomach, our heart has cravings too

And just how do we fill those cravings coming from our heart? No matter how much double caramel ice cream you devour, it won’t satisfy your heart. Nuh uh.

My heart longs for depth. Intimacy with Christ. LOVE.

What does your heart crave for? Deep, deep down, that longing, what is that?

“He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end” Eccles. 3:11

There’s always going to be that longing. That’s just how God has made us.

(I don’t completely understand. But I do know that God understands.)

It seems like we’re in a bit of a dark hole, but the good news is Papa God knew that we’d have those cravings when he created us. He hasn’t forgotten about you, he knows exactly what you need.

GOD can fill those cravings.

It’s different for every person – some people need to feel worthy, feel wanted, but something we all need is to feel loved.

I think that’s what’s at the heart of our heart – to love, and to be loved. Love is so important.

Boogie on down to 1 Corinthians (13:13):

So these three things continue forever: faith, hope, and love. And the greatest of these is love.

So love is important, huh? It’s mentioned again and again in the bible. And here’s some exciting news:

You are loved. A lot.

By who?

Papa God.

1 John (4:16) says this:

So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.

Here’s another gem (Romans 5:8):

But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

I’m touched. My heart’s cravings are satisfied. And what’s cool is we are called to love others as well. See John (13:34):

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.

Go back to your life. Spread the Word. Love, and remember in your heart that you’re loved.

x

(Thanks for reading by the way…..it’s really sweet. The fact that you and I had this special time makes me want to celebrate and crack open a tub of hokey pokey! [any excuse is valid])

Grandma's Apple and Rhubarb Crumble

Oooh, this is one of my personal favorites. The flavors are so delicious, and it’s hard to beat served with whipped cream. I’ve put off writing this up, because I know the instant I finish I’ll have this unstoppable need to go and make this recipe myself. You too might succumb to this once you have tasted it. I have warned you.

First of all, chop enough rhubarb and apple to fill your bowl in equal amounts. Then put the fruit into a pot filled halfway with water and leave to stew (you’ll know it’s done when the fruit is soft and tender).

To make the topping, mix 90gm of melted butter with

¾ cup flour

¾ cup rolled oats

¾ cup sugar

½ cup coconut

When the fruit is softened, allow to cool and then place in bowl with spread the topping evenly on the fruit.

Bake at 180o for 45 minutes.

Enjoy served with whipped cream.  

x