Tag Archives: religion

Seeing & Feeling / Head to Heart

Posted on April 23, 2018 by florencejoy

“Here we are, spring is literally springing up all around us. Blossom graces our trees, previously bare through winter’s seeming sleep. Fresh shoots continue to appear and many are now bringing forth colour and shape, texture and contrast. There are signs of life appearing all around: it cannot be denied; it is there for all to see; it is obvious and real and true….

….And yet my heart does not yet sing with the reality I see before me. I feel, as yet, unable to fully embrace the life that I see, the life that I know, the life that I cannot deny. The connection is not yet there. There still remains a numbness; the ground of my heart and soul still thawing after winter’s frost.

My faith feels thin. And yet I know what I know.” Continue reading →

Posted in Ramblings | Tagged abundance, belief, Christianity, death, depression, faith, future, grief, hope, life, life after death, new life, numb, pain, religion, Resurrection, seasons, spring, struggle, substantial faith, thin faith | Leave a comment

Making Space For Grace…

Posted on April 17, 2018 by florencejoy

“But I know that recovery is possible, restoration is possible, renewal is possible, redemption is possible, resurrection is possible.

I know I can be found again. Not by any wishful thinking that any of our past can be undone. It can’t. We must grieve our pasts and move on.

But we can be found again at the cross of Christ. We can be found again as sons and daughters of God, our Father. We can be found again because of what God made possible: when He came to earth as man, to walk with us and suffer with us, and suffer for us, paying the penalty of our sin and not-good-enough-ness and making a way through death and back to life again.

I will not find myself by pining for a person I may feel I once was. But I can be made new in Christ by facing up to myself – all the ugly bits, all the rotten bits, all the sinful, shameful bits, all the bits that have tried and failed and fallen short, all the bits that wished they weren’t, all the painful bits – the bits that really hurt – all the hidden and buried and dark and locked away bits. If I can see myself as I truly am and if I can truly face up to my own fears, failures, neediness, inadequacy and dependence – and relinquish control, relinquish independence – then I may be able to enter in to all that God has for me. Then I may be able to make space for His grace.”

“It is time. It is time for life. It is time for freedom. It is time for healing, for grace, for resurrection power. It is time for acknowledging my need of Jesus. It is time for laying down my foolish pride. It is time for repentance. It is time to stop hiding. It is time for fear to flee. It is time to let God in, to let Jesus in, to let His life-giving, death-overcoming, freedom-bringing, power-releasing Spirit in.” Continue reading →

Posted in Ramblings | Tagged abundance, barren, battered, Beauty from ashes, beauty in the broken, being silenced, breaking the silence, breathless, brokenness, children of God, Christianity, control, controlling relationship, death, depression, desert, desert place, desperation, expression, faith, Father God, fear, finding my voice, finding peace, forgiveness, freedom, frozen, future, God, God as Father, God's love, grace, grace of God, healing, hope, hopelessness, hurts, identity, intimacy, Jesus, joy, life, loss, loss of self, made new, neediness, new life, numb, pain, past, past wounds, present, present hope, pride, redemption, relationships, religion, renewal, restoration, Resurrection, strength, suffocating, survival, survival mode, the cross, trapped, truth, Vulnerability, wake up o sleeper, weakness, wholeness, wounded | Leave a comment

Our Heavenly Father’s legacy to us: Freedom!

Posted on November 12, 2015 by florencejoy

The following came to me as a word of encouragement & exhortation to someone I know & care about. I share it here in the hope that it may speak to someone else reading this, too. I think we could … Continue reading →

Posted in Ramblings | Tagged adventure, breathing difficulties, Christianity, direction, eternity, faith, freedom, God's presence, guidance, Heavenly Father, illumination, Jesus, legacy, life, light, perspective, religion, risk, space, Spirit, spirituality, truth, vision, Way | Leave a comment

Participants in Victory…

Posted on November 19, 2014 by florencejoy

“Mum, how do you define sin?” “Son, whatever weakens your reasoning, impairs the tenderness of your conscience, obscures your sense of God, what takes away your relish for spiritual things, in short if anything exceeds the authority and the power … Continue reading →

Posted in Ramblings | Tagged Christianity, faith, reconciliation, redemption, refinement, religion, restoration, sanctification, sin, sinfulness, truth, victory | Leave a comment

Fact 19/30 – I read Theology at university…

Posted on November 4, 2014 by florencejoy

January 4th 2014 Fact 19/30 I read Theology at university… I had ummed and arred for a while about studying Social Anthropology or something like that – or perhaps doing a BA in Education – but it didn’t take too … Continue reading →

Posted in #30til30 | Tagged Christianity, creativity, degree, Exeter University, faith, God, mystery, relationship with Jesus, religion, Theology, university | Leave a comment

9 April 2014 – ‘get up & go’

Posted on October 26, 2014 by florencejoy

I’ll tell you what, I’ve been really struggling to find joy and every day ‘get up & go’ recently. Some days are okay but for the most part I’ve felt stressed and low – & have been aware of a … Continue reading →

Posted in Toby | Tagged beauty in nature, cherry tree blossom, children's health, depression, faith, God, gratitude, joy, parenting, quiets me with His love, religion, spirituality, stillness of His presence, thankfulness | Leave a comment

19 October 2013 – Encouragement…

Posted on August 13, 2014 by florencejoy

Compassionate God, as you know each star you have created, so you know the secrets of every heart; in your loving mercy bring to your table all who are fearful and broken, all who are wounded and needy, that our … Continue reading →

Posted in Toby | Tagged broken, Christ, Common Worship, Compassionate, Daily Prayer, encouragement, faith, fearful, God, loving, merciful, needy, peace, prayer, religion, satisfied, wounded | Leave a comment

18 October 2013 – How God speaks…

Posted on August 13, 2014 by florencejoy

Went to talk and pray with our pastors, David and Caroline yesterday. Couldn’t have come at a better time, as both Eddie and I were battling with feeling low, like everything was getting ‘on top’. After we’d caught up we … Continue reading →

Posted in Toby | Tagged Christianity, church, community, encouragement, faith, feeling low, fellowship, friendship, God encouraging, God speaking, God's presence, how does God speak?, interested God, involved God, Isaiah 40, Isaiah 40:31, love, loving God, pastors, personal God, prayer, relationship, religion, struggling, support, truth | Leave a comment

Him Alone

Posted on July 17, 2012 by florencejoy

For some time my eyes had been shut. I pursued a blinkered path And put out the Light of His Love. My heart, consumed by earthly passions, had frozen. Stunned into solitary silence, the river of Life that had once … Continue reading →