Writing It Randomly

Inspired by Krista Williams' 'God's Promise to Abram' on First5 , I want to share with you what I've learned today. God's promises are unchangeable and eternal, and through Jesus Christ, we've already been blessed to receive them. ['He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit. ' - Gal 3 :14] All we have to do is obey, wait, and (through unwavering trust in God) drive away the vultures of doubt, fear, and discouragement. This led me to look into what exactly His covenant blessings are and it's all good news, people! THE OLD COVENANT(S): 1. God's covenant with Noah [ ' 18  But I will establish my covenant with you, and you will enter the ark—you and your sons and your wife and your sons’ wives with you.  19 You are to bring into the ark two of all living creatures, male and female, to keep them alive wi...

May you live your purpose and may blessings abound. HAPPY NEW YEAR! PC: Facebook

Changing seasons is so refreshing, isn't it? If I were to say that I love change because I love a challenge, it may give you the impression that I love working hard in all areas of my life. That would be a lie. What I love is how it fires up my mind. Using my brain is always good fun, but struggling is not my cup of tea coffee. (Is it ever for anyone?) The last few months brought along unexpected obstacles. We are trying hard to navigate our way through this tough time, but it is difficult to stay positive when resources dwindle and plans become muddled. What remains constant, is the Word and how the  First5 community helps me stay connected it. I am grateful that I heeded the call years ago  ['No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them...' -  John 6 :44]  and that I am no longer stumbling along on my own. Grace and truth come through Jesus alone. [John 1:17] All we have to do is bring Him what we have (who we are). He is always e...

How Can A Step Back Take You Forward? The story of Noah, the Ark, and the Great Flood taught me how. I reread it alongside Wendy Blight's 'Obeying When It Seems Impossible' teaching on Genesis 7. At the end of it, she asks whether there are any seemingly impossible tasks in our lives, and what we can do to take a step closer to accomplishing them. My life so far had nothing as daunting as Noah's instructions from God, but I recalled advice my father once gave me. He said that I need to surrender control once I've asked/prayed for help. You see, my dad jokingly told everyone that my very first words were "Ek wil self" ('I want to do it myself'). Although this paints a clear picture of me as a toddler, I have since learnt that it is important to ask for help. The only part of this whole thing that I haven't mastered yet, is to allow enough time and opportunity for others to help me after I've asked them to. Rainbows are a sign tha...

Luke 1 & 2 tells us of divine interruptions in the lives of Zechariah & Elizabeth, Mary, and some shepherds out in a field. In fact, Luke is the only Gospel writer who gives us the details of the angel Gabriel appearing to Mary (refer More Moments in #First5 on 'Who I am doesn't feel good enough' by Lysa TerKeurst). Zechariah's interruption meant that Elizabeth was finally going to be a mother and give birth to his son. Something they thought would never happen.   ["But the angel said to him: 'Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John. He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth... And he will go on before the Lord...to turn the hearts...to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.' " - Luke 1:13-17] Mary's interruption meant that she was going to be the earthly mother of God's only Son. As a virgin, I don'...

Leah DiPascal made some valid points in  The Secret Things* . We don't know everything, because God keeps secrets from us. Now that I have learned more about God's character, I am sure that He does it for us.  ["The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law." - Deut. 29:29] There's been no one on this planet who knew it all (not since Jesus, that is). There are many who study, theorise, deduce, estimate, guess. Some have even been able to scientifically prove a multitude of facts & findings, but some answers continue to elude us. There is such joy in searching for answers! Think back to the last time you learned something new. Did it also leave you with a giddy sense of accomplishment? That joyous feeling is why I think He takes His time in revealing all His secrets to us. Maybe you think this elaborate tactic seems like overkill - a lot ...

God does not tempt. He tests. We should know this already because the Bible told us so. Centuries ago. ["Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the wilderness ... to humble and test you in order to know what was in your heart..." - Deut. 8:2] Now if you didn't know about this, or if you keep forgetting, don't feel guilty. Same here - if it wasn't for Lysa TerKeurst's First5 teaching on Deuteronomy 8 last year, I'd probably still be confused. In it, she asked, " Might God be using these humbling circumstances to get you to a place of deep and unshakable trust in Him? " What a #TruthBomb moment, right? Now before I chatter on, let's make a mental note NOT to confuse His spiritual tests with temptation, though. According to the main definitions on  Dictionary.com , there is a clear distinction between the two words: tempt /tɛmpt/ verb ~ to attempt to persuade or entice to do something, esp something morally wrong o...

Fisgard. It sounds like something out of a Kim Wilkins novel, but it's actually the first lighthouse built on Canada's West Coast. PC:  Matt Hall "Built by the British in 1860, when Vancouver Island was not yet part of Canada, Fisgard's red brick house and white tower has stood faithfully at the entrance to Esquimalt harbour. Once a beacon for the British Royal Navy's Pacific Squadron, today Fisgard still marks home base for the Royal Canadian Navy." [- Fisgard  Website ] Binge-watching ' What's for Sale? With a View ' might be to blame, but I can't get over this one. Isn't it gorgeous? PC: Heather Jones via AmazingPlacesOnEarth.com It seriously looks good from every angle. PC: Dennis Crabtree PC: David Broad Happy Lighthouse Dreams,

Suffering from depression is like stumbling around in familiar territory. Just as you catch a glimpse of an exit, you take a wrong turn and 'round and 'round you go. In her teaching on Deuteronomy 2 'Turning North' Lysa TerKeurst highlighted that "He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear" [ 1 Cor 10:13] . I find enormous comfort in this revelation. After their exodus from Egypt, the Israelites found themselves wandering the desert for 40 years. They must've felt hopelessly lost most of the time, but God always gives you a way out. For them, it was Moses. For me, there are numerous healthier options. Dakhla Lighthouse, Western Sahara [PC: JB Dodane]

A truly magnificent structure. At 68 metres, Vittoria dwarfs Slangkop  (South Africa's tallest), and the copper version of Giovanni Mayer's  Winged Victory statue is just the cherry on top. PC:  Italy Magazine The fact that the lighthouse aides navigation on the seas at night comes as no surprise to me. What I do find notable is the fact that it was built to commemorate the Allies' fallen sailors of World War I. The construction project was completed on 24 May 1927 and the lighthouse is still being used today.

As I first read through Deuteronomy, it seemed a neverending list of laws. In reality, God was using Moses to show the Israelites how every choice they'd make would have a consequence. Krista Williams' teaching on Deuteronomy 27, Life Is Not A Coin Toss , brought this home for me. I realised that these lists of blessings and curses weren't just strict ultimatums. They were guiding God's people by showing them the consequences of each choice before them: Follow God's Word, or turn away from Him and go your own way, alone. You see, we always have a choice. In any and every situation, we have the freedom to make our own decisions on how to proceed. This freedom is a luxury gifted by God. Use it wisely.

The Cow and the Calf. As I ventured into the land of lighthouses, I quickly learned that lighthouses all have different looks. Some are  tall , some are  short , some are  bright , some are  stocky , some  aren't even round . PC:  Wight Way While some details were added as a result of the architectural trends during the years they were built, their sizes and locations all come down to visibility, which is also the reason why the tower of St Catherine's lighthouse is shorter than when it was originally built. In 1875 it was decided to reduce its height by 13 metres because the light at the top was frequently shrouded in mist. PC:  Visit Isle of Wight Notice the little tower to the left in the photo above? No. This is not a second lighthouse tower. This is what the locals refer to as the Calf - the location of the fog signal house until they stopped using it in 1987 (it was moved to this second little tower from the...

The Mykines Holm lighthouse was built in 1909, but it wasn't the Faroes' first. The first lighthouse was lit way over on the other side of the Faroe Islands in 1782, on the northern part of Nolsoy . Towards the end of the second industrial revolution (a few years before the first world war), it looks like the construction bug bit the Faroe people, because they built the first bridge over  Holmgjogv , as well as the first path from Mykines Bygd   (the  village ) to Mykines Holm (the lighthouse islet) in the same year that they constructed Mykines Holm Lighthouse. There have been twenty-one lighthouses on the islands to date (give or take a few that had to be rebuilt over the years). During World War II all three manned lighthouses - Akraberg, Mykines and Nolsoy, were attacked (bombed). After the war ended in 1945, it took three years to set things in order, rebuild, and clean up the islands. PC: KE Adventure Travel Did You Know? Apparently...

A lighthouse doesn't have to be real for me to love it. Take this week's lighthouse pick for example. It's obviously digital art and not a true photograph, but as I gaze at it, I can smell the salt on the foamy waves and feel the gusts of wind tugging on my hair. I imagine myself standing on the shore, staring at that light and letting the world fall away. There's something beautiful about letting nature do with you what it will. The Holy Spirit is my guiding light, and I will reach the final destination when my time has come. Until then He keeps me safe. Digital Artist Unknown By the way, I've searched everywhere I could think of, but I only found this 'lighthouse in a storm' picture on various wallpaper websites. Do any of you know who created it?

Construction started in 1887, but the lighthouse officially came to be used in September 1890, replacing three older lighthouses. It stands in the middle of Southwold (on the Suffolk Heritage Coast ) where it is still being used today, with tours available to visitors PC: Mark Stace

There are many weeks that I find myself on the brink of giving up on this whole weekly lighthouse post thing , but the moment I look at a new lighthouse photo, I fall in love all over again. This week's beauty is located near the City of Falmouth, Massachusetts: PC: Ed King PC: Enzo Figueres (left), Roupen Baker (right) PC: Alexey Sergeev

I've said it before  and I'll say it again: Deuteronomy is a very difficult part of the Bible to read. However, after going through it with First5 last year, I cannot help but think on it from time to time. It bothers me that I have trouble reconciling all the laws of bloodshed with Jesus' loving manner in the New Testament. Reading this helps a bit, but I'm not even going to attempt to explain all the sensitive issues that arise from this book as a whole. For that, I'm too ill equipped. What I'd like to do today, is to pause at 22:25-27 for a few minutes, if I may.  [" 25 But if out in the country a man happens to meet a young woman pledged to be married and rapes her, only the man who has done this shall die.  26 Do nothing to the woman; she has committed no sin deserving death. This case is like that of someone who attacks and murders a neighbor,  27 for the man found the young woman out in the country, and though the betrothed woman screamed, ther...

I guess it's safe to say that Deuteronomy is not one of the 'popular' books in the Bible. I also find it difficult to read. Maybe if I was a history buff, it wouldn't have become so monotonous to read about all those laws, rules and regulations...blah, blah, blah... What made it easier for me, was First5. For example, when I read Krista Williams' teaching 'A Do-Over' on Deuteronomy 1, I realised that Moses tried to warn the new generation against following in the old one's missteps. As a result, God provided them with a second chance. I was also struck by what I believe the Israelites' biggest mistake was - instead of following His instructions, they started complaining and talking amongst themselves. ['You grumbled in your tents and said, "The Lord hates us; so he brought us out of Egypt to deliver us into the hands of the Amorites to destroy us. Where can we go? Our brothers have made our hearts melt in fear...' - Deuteronomy 1:27...

Some First5 teachings make me feel like I just have to tell someone about what I've learnt. That is why I chose to start telling you about them one-by-one. One of the first few that I thought was enlightening, was Wendy Blight's teaching on Genesis 13, titled 'Choose Humility'. The chapter tells the story of Abraham & Lot. These two brothers, as well as their growing families, herdsman and surrounding tribes, all stayed on the same piece of land. As you can imagine, this crowded set-up eventually led to "in-house" fighting.   [' But the land could not support them while they stayed together, for their possessions were so great that they were not able to stay together. And quarreling arose between Abram's herders and Lot's.' - Gen 13 :16-17 NIV] Fortunately, Abraham (with God's guidance, I believe) realised that a peaceful compromise is always possible. He gave Lot first choice, and promised to go the opposite way, believing th...

They say that it's " THE APP THAT WILL TRANSFORM YOUR TIME WITH GOD ", but it turns out that it's the App that changed my life. I'm a '90s teen suicide and date rape survivor, and after my first failed engagement I was sure that the worst times were finally behind me, but my real run of "bad luck" actually barged in with full force five years ago. An inauguration into the Dead Dad's Club is never a welcoming experience. In fact, on Wednesday morning, 13 July 2011, I got sucker-punched into it. No, wait. It was more like I lost a Slap Bet . (It keeps hitting me right in the heart when I least expect it.) Since then I've lost a cousin to teen suicide, I almost lost my only sister to meningitis, my best friend finally stopped waiting for me to reconnect, and then my mother's stage four cancer diagnosis came at a time when my young marriage was suffering a slow death. I was so out of it. I felt nothing. I sat across my husband after...