Some words sound intriguing to me…
Take the word ‘fertilizer’, it just sounds a little weird doesn’t it?
When I sound out the word I think it is much more fun with an Irish accent (btw do not be offended if you are Irish, your accent is awesome!)
How about you say it with me...Fur—till—lies—errr
Make sure you roll your r’s really strong!
After what I wrote last week I found a piece in the Bible that is as intriguing as the word sounds.
It was one of the many stories that Jesus told…
6..."A man had a fig tree, planted in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it, but did not find any. 7So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, 'For three years now I've been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven't found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?'
8" 'Sir,' the man replied, 'leave it alone for one more year, and I'll dig around it and fertilize it.
Luke 13:6-8 niv
Jesus loves to see fruit from our lives.
Not just that we become monetarily rich and dish that out…but rich and fruitful in every area we can be.
Over time if we ignore a tree it stops being as fruitful as it has the potential to be. Our lives are the same.
If we ignore our spiritual, physical or emotional health for some time it will eventually look a little dead...and dead stuff tends not to make much fruit…
My encouragement to you this week is apply some fertilizer to your life.
That fertilizer can be many different things...
- Take some time to read the Bible or another good Christian book.
- Listen to some good music.
- Hang out with someone who can encourage you.
- Or even simply rest in his presence...
Chuck some fertilizer around your feet and see how big you can grow. Go on...give a try!
Something to think about…
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Yesterday I took the new owners of our Auckland house through on there pre settlement inspection…
It felt kind of weird to be honest.
I was happy to be nearly all sold up.
But I was sad to say goodbye to our home of 9 years.
As I showed them around and how things like the alarm and air system work, I found myself talking about the plum tree.
Of all the things I could miss about that home, the plum tree has to be way up there on my list.
I reckon that plum tree was the best plum tree I have ever had anything to do with!
It produces large red fleshed plums by the bag load.
You can’t get these plums in shops!
They are juicy and sweet…I will miss that tree!
I found myself talking about how to look after it.
When to prune, when to fertilise.
I knew that tree well, and how to get the best out of it.
Jesus also knows a lot about trees…
That is why he uses them as illustrations about our lives.
Jesus understands the similarities we have.
Have a read of what he says here…
44Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers. 45The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.
Luke 6:44-45 (New International Version)
Just like a tree, we need to make sure we prune ourselves and feed ourselves in the right way and at the right times and seasons. It makes sense to do just that so that good things come out of our lives.
People do recognize us by what we do and act more than any label we might try and take for ourselves.
Something to think about…
It felt kind of weird to be honest.
I was happy to be nearly all sold up.
But I was sad to say goodbye to our home of 9 years.
As I showed them around and how things like the alarm and air system work, I found myself talking about the plum tree.
Of all the things I could miss about that home, the plum tree has to be way up there on my list.
I reckon that plum tree was the best plum tree I have ever had anything to do with!
It produces large red fleshed plums by the bag load.
You can’t get these plums in shops!
They are juicy and sweet…I will miss that tree!
I found myself talking about how to look after it.
When to prune, when to fertilise.
I knew that tree well, and how to get the best out of it.
Jesus also knows a lot about trees…
That is why he uses them as illustrations about our lives.
Jesus understands the similarities we have.
Have a read of what he says here…
44Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers. 45The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.
Luke 6:44-45 (New International Version)
Just like a tree, we need to make sure we prune ourselves and feed ourselves in the right way and at the right times and seasons. It makes sense to do just that so that good things come out of our lives.
People do recognize us by what we do and act more than any label we might try and take for ourselves.
Something to think about…
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
I want to let you in on a secret…
I am not perfect!
Sorry about that…now that I have burst your bubble about me…
By the way, please know that I am joking about your bubble being burst?
Seriously though, I am not perfect.
I am the first to admit it.
I know that I have faults.
I know that I have limitations.
But to counter all that…I have God.
You see God picks me and you to be part of his kingdom, not because we are perfect, but because we aren’t.
Didn’t Jesus say he came not for the healthy but for the sick. (Mark 2:17)
I take so much encouragement (and you should to) from the example of a guy called Simon/Peter.
In the gospels it tells of him being impetuous, head strong and down-right stupid sometimes.
His ultimate blunder is proclaiming he would never deny Jesus. History tells us he did just that.
He felt terrible and condemned.
But what does this Jesus do to him?
He makes him the head of the early church!
Not bad for a screwup…
My encouragement to you this week is to know that God loves you…even if you are not perfect.
He picks you not because of your looks and talents.
He picks you because he knows who you are and who you can be.
He sees your heart, the real you, not just the wrapping.
He looks at you through the eyes of Jesus. Eyes that see past ‘our stuff’ to who he created you to be.
I like that!
It takes the pressure off a bit…and maybe you needed to hear this today?
Something to think about…
I am not perfect!
Sorry about that…now that I have burst your bubble about me…
By the way, please know that I am joking about your bubble being burst?
Seriously though, I am not perfect.
I am the first to admit it.
I know that I have faults.
I know that I have limitations.
But to counter all that…I have God.
You see God picks me and you to be part of his kingdom, not because we are perfect, but because we aren’t.
Didn’t Jesus say he came not for the healthy but for the sick. (Mark 2:17)
I take so much encouragement (and you should to) from the example of a guy called Simon/Peter.
In the gospels it tells of him being impetuous, head strong and down-right stupid sometimes.
His ultimate blunder is proclaiming he would never deny Jesus. History tells us he did just that.
He felt terrible and condemned.
But what does this Jesus do to him?
He makes him the head of the early church!
Not bad for a screwup…
My encouragement to you this week is to know that God loves you…even if you are not perfect.
He picks you not because of your looks and talents.
He picks you because he knows who you are and who you can be.
He sees your heart, the real you, not just the wrapping.
He looks at you through the eyes of Jesus. Eyes that see past ‘our stuff’ to who he created you to be.
I like that!
It takes the pressure off a bit…and maybe you needed to hear this today?
Something to think about…
Thursday, August 06, 2009
Well we have moved…
Moved to our new little corner of the world in a place called Taupo.
With any house move you have to pack all the stuff your own and have collected into little boxes.
Side Note : I have bought 50 in the last week or so…
Anyway after 9 years in one house you certainly have an ‘interesting’ time packing.
On one hand you realize how much stuff you can accumulate over time.
On the other, you find things you never know you had, or that had been missing for a while.
Among the treasures I found were:
- Photos of things and events that I had been looking for.
- Some cash which looked very different, it was a memorial $10 note.
- Missing recordings from when my band recorded at York Street.
It is fun finding these treasures.
There is this mix of being planned to do something in particular and the random of finding treasure.
In fact, no one ever finds treasure by just sitting still. You have be at least a little proactive.
Sometimes we explain some of the truths or things that jump out from the Bible as treasures.
Those phrases that seem to speak directly to who you are.
Either challenging you or encouraging you.
Proverbs 2 (New International Version)
3 and if you call out for insight
and cry aloud for understanding,
4 and if you look for it as for silver
and search for it as for hidden treasure,
Can I encourage you this week to head back to your Bible.
Be intentional about it, and see what little surprises or treasures God might show you.
You have nothing to lose!
Something to think about…
Moved to our new little corner of the world in a place called Taupo.
With any house move you have to pack all the stuff your own and have collected into little boxes.
Side Note : I have bought 50 in the last week or so…
Anyway after 9 years in one house you certainly have an ‘interesting’ time packing.
On one hand you realize how much stuff you can accumulate over time.
On the other, you find things you never know you had, or that had been missing for a while.
Among the treasures I found were:
- Photos of things and events that I had been looking for.
- Some cash which looked very different, it was a memorial $10 note.
- Missing recordings from when my band recorded at York Street.
It is fun finding these treasures.
There is this mix of being planned to do something in particular and the random of finding treasure.
In fact, no one ever finds treasure by just sitting still. You have be at least a little proactive.
Sometimes we explain some of the truths or things that jump out from the Bible as treasures.
Those phrases that seem to speak directly to who you are.
Either challenging you or encouraging you.
Proverbs 2 (New International Version)
3 and if you call out for insight
and cry aloud for understanding,
4 and if you look for it as for silver
and search for it as for hidden treasure,
Can I encourage you this week to head back to your Bible.
Be intentional about it, and see what little surprises or treasures God might show you.
You have nothing to lose!
Something to think about…
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