The Start of Something New

The above will always remind me of the High School Musical song, but this is not a blog centred on the High School Musical franchise!

This blog is something new, something I am so excited to be starting. I first felt a prompting to create a blog about this time a year ago, and it wasn't until a few months ago that I felt that prompting once again. And this time I felt a theme begin to bubble up, and I feel like now is the time to action on the prompting, and to be obedient to what I feel like God's asking me to start. So here it is, welcome to my blog!

I feel a real passion to share. I get so excited to share what God is currently doing in my life, and also what He has done in the past that has formed pillars in my faith. The more frequently I share, the more frequently I meditate on God's goodness, His faithfulness, and His grace. It's just as it says in Acts 20:35 '"It is more blessed to give than to receive."' So yes, this takes vulnerability, it takes trusting that God's in this, but my goodness there's nothing I'd rather be doing than to be following God's leading and being part of what He's doing! What a privilege it is.

The title of this blog is 'Over and Over: Clothed in Peace, Drenched with Grace, Reminded of His Faithfulness.' About a month ago all I had to work with was to start a blog. I didn't know what to call it, what sorts of things I'd be sharing, it was just an idea. I was out walking Kobie, my furry canine housemate for these winter months praying through the blog idea, and to be honest I was a bit frustrated that a name for the blog wasn't coming straight to mind. Well actually I was noting down a whole list of possible names, but I didn't feel peace about any of them. So I'm out walking Kobie, and he seems to enjoy eating animal poop (kangaroo, wombat, duck poop) but he's obviously not meant to. So just after I'd been praying about the name, Kobie goes for some poop on the ground. I pull him up and again tell him 'no, you can't eat poop!' and felt frustrated that over and over I have to tell him, and he still doesn't listen! Instantly I felt convicted. How many times does God speak to me and I don't listen straight away? Or I have to be reminded over and over? But God in His grace persists. And in that moment I felt peace and clarity that this blog would be focused on just that, the way that God speaks to me over and over, and how through these words He clothes me in His peace, He drenches me with His grace, and He reminds me of His faithfulness.

The beautiful thing is this isn't just for me, but this is for all of us. God's peace, His grace, His faithfulness in our lives, if only we would open our hands to receive. To trust that He is good, and to believe His promise in Psalm 84:11 is for us: 'For the Lord God is a sun and shield; The Lord bestows grace and favour and honour; No good thing will be withhold from those who walk uprightly.' Thank you God!

So welcome to the blog. I pray that God will minister to your heart through these words, just as He is ministering to mine, and that this blog will be a place we'll all be spurred on and encouraged in our faith.