Little by little....step by step...

Walking through the snow was so tough today! Felt like I wasn't getting anywhere, no matter how hard I worked at it. But the good news is that I made it to the bus and finally home!

 

 

 It made me think about life and how sometimes to get to our goals it's a hard slog. We are working our hardest to get there, but no matter how much energy we put into it, we seem to be getting nowhere.

The only thing, during the walking, that made me aware of any progress were the things around me...the fences, the traffic lights, the people. They were all evidence to my brain that I was indeed moving forward. So how do we know we're moving forward in life?

 It's the things around you....what's surrounding you that wasn't there before? Who's with you? Can they see any change?

 Good if you can learn from what others see, but lately I'm learning that writing things down helps as a landmark...whether it's in a diary, in your phone as a note or text to yourself, or maybe what I've tried, a letter to God...it really helped see where I was. Months later, I found that I no longer felt that way and had progressed into a new way of thinking, also God had answered my prayers!

Keep making those steps, no matter how small....I don't know what your goals are, but we tend to have a generic few...eating healthier, doing your essays earlier, brushing your teeth more often (ok, maybe that's just me!)...lol....

• "Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart." Psalm 37:4

•   "Without counsel, plans go awry (twisted), but in the multitude of counselors they are established." Proverbs 15:22

• "The steps of a good man are established by the Lord, and He delights in his way." Psalm 37:23

• "There are many plans in a man's heart, nevertheless the Lord's counsel--that will stand." Proverbs 19:21

A Delight...The Wonder of SNOW!

Clearly, you've probably seen and 'heard' enough snowiness on Facebook and Twitter to last 'til next Christmas, but it's pretty amazing what it does!

 The amount of people I have spoken to today who normally; on a less white, less fluffy and less chaotic time, I wouldn't even have look at, let alone talked to....well, it's quite phenomenal! 

The mom's at the school; who'd had their share of snow at eleven o'clock, and wanted to take their little poppets out early before it got worse,and the bod's sharing the valuable travel information, so I didn't wait in the shelter for that bus that wasn't coming! 

How precious and delicate the falling of snow is, yet it has the power to hold up cars in lines of traffic for hours (well mine was one and a half!). I saw how much I normally stick to paths, because as I walked from A to B it was habit to walk along what I knew to be the walkways. But because of the snow, I found myself cutting across the grass...it didn't matter because it was all snowy. It got me pondering about making our own paths and that God is limitless..."For with God nothing will be impossible." (Luke 1:37)

 I also got thinking about how we all had to slow down....regardless of how important our schedules, meetings or plans were. Thankfully mine were open to change, and I thank God I didn't get mardy, ya know how we get! Thank God for grace(favour)....actually a friend said the snow could be liken to God's grace...covering everything in a soft blanket of calm.

 I kinda agree....It wasn't a problem for me to cross the road as the cars were in slow motion, I managed to beat the bus to the next stop with two small children in tow....a bit of an adventure really, they enjoyed leaping through the fresh snow chanting "Hop, skip and a jump!" (...and it masks the, "my belly's hurting!" chant which does not help in any race!).

  I did have plans for tonight, today in fact, and I didn't do any of the majorly enjoyable ones which involved going out and about, but I got to rest....Do we rest enough? No really, 'cause sleeping doesn't always equal rest. It was easy to rest over the holidays, but where's the rest on a weekly basis. Is it just me who has to be busy all the time?! But it's not that I consciously think, 'um, I must fill my time! I must fill my time!'...it's just that there are so many things I want to do and need to do. So how do I get balance? Go to the One who knows me best...

• "The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in Him, and I am helped; therefore my heart greatly rejoices, and with my song I will praise Him." Psalm 28:7

• "Come to Me, all you who labour and are heavy laden (loaded), and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly (humble) in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." Matthew 11:28,29,30.

• "Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him..." Psalm 37:7

• "The Lord is my shepherd;

 I shall not want.

 He makes me to lie down in green pastures;

He leads me beside the still waters,

He restores my soul;

He leads me in the paths of righteousness

For His name's sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil;

For You are with me;

Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me

  in the presence of my enemies;

You anoint my head with oil;

My cup runs over.

Surely goodness and mercy

  shall follow me

All the days of my life;

And I will dwell in the house of the Lord

Forever."

 The whole of Psalm 23