Family....

Oh my I haven't written a post in very long time but I guess that is Okies as I didn't really have anything to share

Over the last month, even the last few weeks, something has been made so clear to me. Something I was getting so wrong and I thank God that he doesn't just leave me to continue to get it wrong, instead he shows me in the most loving way that I am wrong and that this is really how it is meant to look like, act like or be like.

For the last nine months I have went to my church looking at its faults and problem and since the church is the people of God I've been looking at how we as people mess up. I’ve been looking at how my pastors lead our church, how the women of church do like a good little gossip and how the men are quite happy to sit and let the ladies lead. How maybe the teaching didn't quite fill me or how it all seemed a bit fake.(including myself)

So I started reading acts looking at what church was about, how I as a 20 something single girl can serve my church, love my church and most of all find out what church is REALLY about.

For many months I felt frustrated with church and reluctant to go. I was reading my bible and not really being able to put the pieces together, how did church look so different now than in the days of ACTs?
Even when the church in Acts fails and starts to fall apart and not function as it once did it still looked very different to the experience of church I was having.

So I continue to look at my church not with the judgemental eyes and hardened heart I had a few months before. This time I could see that everything was in place for my church to function like the church in acts except my church just had it in many different programs

We have shorts for the children in nursery to learn all about God
Which followed in to factory?
Then youth
Then core
Then women together, sates, full house, creative house
And finally for the older members of our church we had RAF (retired and free)
We also ran alpha courses, membership classes, new convert classes and even house groups
So really there is SOMETHING for EVERYONE

Despite all this I still felt hungry for more, even though I was serving in different areas and part of a house group I still wanted more from church I wanted it to be more than a list of option, more than a Sunday gig. So I carried on still unsure of what to make of my journey and still unsatisfied with church.

So its August and a lot is about to change in my life My best friends were getting married and moving to Cardiff, my house group was ending after four amazing years, my oldest friend Judith was moving to New Zealand for a Year, my good friend Sophie found out she was going to China for four months and many other friends where getting married or going back to uni
And for the first time in a very long time it was clear that things were changing and God was moving.
My core group of friends had been halved in a few weeks leaving only a few of us behind.
David my boyfriend (who is just great by the way) was very excited by this, for the new opportunities and plan that God had for us here in Bangor. I on the other hand was nervous scared and not really coping very well with the idea of having to grow up.

It was in this time that God softened my hardened heart and showed me the meaning of the church.
You see with all these people leaving church became alive again; people cared and showed their love for the people that were leaving. They prayed and offered support and this wasn’t down to the many programs this was the love and joy and peace and passion that god had given these people coming out and showing itself!

While reading acts I had forgotten what it was about ACTING OUT, showing the people round you the love and joy and kindness and mercy that God has shown you and this is church!
In Acts church was the place where people came back to after they were out on mission. They shared and built up and encouraged one another, they kept each other accountable and didn’t let people go it alone they went side by side supporting the widows and families not because they had to but because the love and mercy God had shown them was contagious they could not do it if they tried.
And when people seen this they wanted to know why and when they found out about God they wanted to know more about God.

Since this little revelation God has challenged me every time I am in church to make it personal realise that these people are my family and I not only have tell them I love them but I have to show them. So that means praying for the people beside even after they have gone up for prayer, eating together, encouraging the people around me who are serving, giving people a bit more of my time but most importantly getting intimate with God everyday because that is the only way I can show true love to these people to my church.

My God's not dead he is ALIVE so my church shall be ALIVE and that means I have to be DEAD to religion and alive for God, Alive and active in my church not Fake or pretending but real searching for truth and living each day for God, getting out of my comfort zone and into the God- zone which is never comfortable or easy but its where I would rather be.


Very excited about my FAMILY OF GOD
And I do love them very much
I pray God would continue to show me more about church and what it meant to look like
Oh and please pray for my firends mention who are continuing on their God Adventure else where int he world 

We are family joined together by the most precious & pure blood of all
no one can separate us from this love

Gossip

Once again I have found myself stuck in the dramatic and unnecessary circle of gossip
It seems that we cant just let stuff go
or talk to people anymore
we no longer search for truth
but instead we believe the what ever anyone has to say to us that is bad or deconstructive

The thing that really upsets me about Gossip is that it is so common among church.
In olden days they used to paint pictures on the walls to remind church goers about everyday sin we find ourselves in
one of those picture were of two people leaned in listening and sharing gossip with the devil rested on their shoulder.
So this is obviously not a new thing that people would gossip
but after so many years you think that someone would pass on
through the generations about the effect it has on people.
Gossip hurts people and ruins their lives by turning people against them or ending friendships
but the sad thing is most of the time it is not true.

I was searching through my bible looking to see what God has to say on this
and there are so many verses abut gossiping and its effects
God has alot to say on this
But one I love is found in proverbs 26 vs 20

When you run out of wood, the fire goes out; 
When the gossip ends, the quarrel dies down.

I love this because it describes gossip as fuel to a fire
Fires are passionate but they destroy things
friendships....
families.....
& even church!

After another week of gossip that I somehow got thrown into
I'm ready to tell people how pointless it all is
Lets not forget to pray about these things
Lets not forget to come to God with everything in prayer especially gossip
Lets not forget to love each other I mean really love each other
&
Let us not forget to worship God instead of worshipping ourselves

Because when we look at him and spend time with him alll the big important things in life instead look quite small next to the almighty God

Praise God!!

Let it Rain

 

Beautiful Bangor

I had to share some of these 

God is so incredibly Beautiful....

  

Sunset times in Bangor sooo Pretty 

Playing at the Swings

I Love Living by the Sea

Steps <3

Joel.........

OH!!
So I just read Joel and how Awesome is God!!!

Here is a little overview (but you have to read it yourself too!!)
So disaster has come,
people are sick & dying,
a nation is broken
Locusts have destroyed everything in hours
For these people God is punishing them....
disaster has come and they cant find God anywhere...
Joel in this time has to tell these people who God is and how he acts


Joel acknowledges the damage the Locusts have caused
but he calls the people to repent..."for the day of the Lord is near"vs15

He describes the Day of the Lord and
how this nation must return to the Lord

"Return to the Lord your God for he is gracious and merciful 
 slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love" (Amen to that!!)

Then (and here is the greatness of God)
"The Lord became jealous for his land
and had pity on his people"

Then the Lord come and does great things among the nation
Trees bear fruit,
the harvest is great and the people rejoice!

"You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied and praise the 
name of the Lord your God
who has dealt wondrously with you"

Then the Lord talks about how he will pour out his Spirit and of the glorious future of Judah


I Love reading the old testament and how the people of God forget time and time again the goodness and richness of God.
But I also love it because it helps me see how so often I pray and ask God for stuff and he answers and provides. Then when troubles come I forget about his faithfulness and when I think he is not listening I try and form my own silly human Plan B which has FAIL written all over it from the start.

I also love that God became Jealous, Who are we, man, that God would be mindful of us Jealous for us, would want relationship with us! Stupid and fickle humans who have nothing to offer him, yet he is jealous for us and has pity on us. Let us always thank God for his mercy!


There is so much I love about the book of Joel but one last thing I want to share is that God knew that these people needed him and so he gave them Joel, who he filled with his Spirit to go into the land and tell then about his goodness and faithfulness! God always has a way that we would know him, repent of our sin to him and rejoice with him.
He does all the work and we do Nothing  

Let us rejoice with Our God today!!

 

psalm 19

Prayer for Today

Let the words of my mouth

and 

The meditation of my heart
   be acceptable in your sight,
   O LORD,

My  Rock

and

My Redeemer.

Father of All

I have a part time job in the local shopping centre
Tonight a little girl was in shopping with her Mummy
shopping for school stuff.
She was the cute as a button and as she was picking her school bag and lunch box she kept asking her Mummy will Daddy like this?
Will Daddy think this cool?

My Dad tells me often that when I was younger he would come home from work, we would play a little then he would sit down to have his dinner. He said he used to buy these pizzas and they were so good you can't get them anymore but they tasted amazing! So amazing that Dad refused to share, even with Mum but every time he had this pizza I would come prancing over and just stand at his side and he would cave and give me a bite so I would go away and eat my little bit of pizza then as soon as I was finished I would prance over once again to see if I could sneak some more...and every time I got a bit. You see although my Dad loved this pizza he could help but share it with me every time I would come along.

This just reminded me of my relationship with God, because he is a Father! The bible describes him as one and that is the relationship we have with him. It can be hard to understand but that is why we have our own earthy Fathers so we could see how this relationship works.

I know in my walk with God I want to please him, I wanted like the little girl for him to think I am cool. I want him to look at where I am serving and bless it and approve of it.
Just like my Dad I know that I can come to him and every time he will pour out his unceasing and all powerful love over me so that I can go out and tell others, love others and come back and do it all over again.

I'm still learning what it is like to know GOD not only as the King of the heavens but in the intimate relationship as father and child. .... I'm very excited about this part of my Adventure with God

"I and the Father are one" john 10:30

Sing to the Lord

 Sing songs to God, sing out!
      Sing to our King, sing praise!
   He's Lord over earth,
      so sing your best songs to God!


Psalm47



I can't stop singing!!

Hello, How are yoou?

 If only there were someone to mediate between us,
   someone to bring us together,  

someone to remove God’s rod from me,
   so that his terror would frighten me no more.

Job 9:33-34

I had a tea date today with the lovely Leah Glover and we were discussing the book of Job. So often it is written off as quite a dark book but there is so much glorious truth in there. So I decided to have a wee read and I came across Job9.

I've never really thought about my sin in its fullness, never have I thought I would be an enemy of God but in my persistent sinful state I have am the reason for the wrath of God. Because of my sinfulness I can not be in the presence of a Holy God. Instead I am guilty and totally deserving of his wrath.

When we fully understand what we deserve, which is Nothing more than the wrath of God we can no longer stand proud and tall instead we should be filled with fear and trembling knowing that even death would be a lighter punishment.

You see Job knows that who God is, is better than any earthly thing he could every want and need while also realising that he is totally sinful, and totally not in reach of the gloriously life that God offers. So he pleads for a mediator someone that could connect him to God together. Someone that could pay the debt of his sin because he will always be in debt to God for his sin is constant.

God in his mercy and grace provides a way, he sends a mediator in the form of a man, a man so unique that only he could pay the debt of sin. But this was no ordinary man this was the son of God, no sacrifice would cover the sin of the world greater than the blood of the son of the almighty.

Thank God that he sent a mediator in Jesus, that he heard the prayer of Job and that he is a gracious God

So when people ask how I am?
I will say Better than I deserve

Much Love

Ignoring Grace

I have just started reading “Living the Cross centred life” by C.J Mahaney. As I read the first few chapters I couldn’t take my mind off one of the points made In the Introduction

What is my life centred on or around?

 My Church? My Friends? My Relationship 

I knew that if I were to say Jesus It would be a lie

As I read on it talked about the possible reasons why we feel living a Cross centred life is so hard or not Important.

But out of all the points there was one that stood out:

“Being focused on our sin rather than on God’s grace”

I do this! I focus on myself all the time. I know I am a wretched sinner but do I believe God’s Grace Is bigger, stronger and more powerful than my sin? 

If I believed this I would not count my sin, I would not look at it as such a barrier to God. If I fully understood God’s Grace I would see that his love is not conditional not based on what I say or do and in some cases what I don’t say or do. 

Instead I would look at God’s grace as the beautiful gift that it is. I would learn that love was never meant to be conditional, life with God is not bound by my sin but because of my sin I can fully comprehend the enormity of this gift.

Instead of looking at my sin, instead of making it greater than God’s grace, I thank God my eyes have been opened that his grace bought with the precious blood of his son. Who is the centre of life and will continue to be the centre of my life.

In the words of John Scott

The cross is the blazing fire at which the flame of our love is kindled, but we have to get near enough for it sparks to fall on us

What a God we have!

What a God we have! And how fortunate we are to have him, this Father of our Master Jesus! Because Jesus was raised from the dead, we've been given a brand-new life and have everything to live for, including a future in heaven—and the future starts now!

1 Peter 1: 3&4

Waiting Room

I had such a strange experience today.

My mum had an appointment at the hospital, just a little check up nothing serious.

As I sat in the waiting room, I couldn’t help but look around, everyone was so on edge  waiting on results and comforting their sick loved ones. For some the results where not good and their hard northern Irish front couldn’t hold it in and they just fell apart.

In the corner of the room there was this lady, she seemed so at peace. The longer I waited the more I seen her move round the room from couple to couple she chatted, made them laugh and made them feel more at ease. Nurses would come in and out and every time they would say hello to her and asking how had she been. They seemed to know her more than any other person in the waiting room. The closer she came to me I could see that she was not just there to comfort a loved one but she was a patient. I recognised those fake hairpieces, her lack of eyebrows and eyelashes. 

I couldn’t take my eyes off her and could help but listen to what she was saying. The closer she came, the more I was drawn to her, then I recognised what she was saying. The lady sick with cancer was spending her day telling people in that hospital waiting room about her saviour. When I started to put it together in my head, it occurred to me that this was not a one off this little lady came here often, often enough that the nurses knew her by name.

She worked her way around the room telling people about her wonderful father and her glorious saviour, she prayed with them and she loved them, she served them getting them tea, tissues and even bringing a chocolate cake.

I felt so encouraged and also guilty. This lady who was sick, was going through treatment herself, but she was in the waiting room of the cancer ward looking after people, telling them the truth and the greatest love story she knew.

It made me think of all opportunities I have had to share my faith, to love people and to serve people, but I don’t I sit back and wait for others to pick up the slack. 

So encouraged by this little lady today

Lord please increase my faith

Make me Bold and Strong

Much love

I Will Wait

I always find myself so out of time.

Always too busy with other things

Always managing to meet with other people

But so easily forgetting the most important part of who I am

I can spend two hours easy taking the time to get ready

Enough makeup to cover up what’s really going on.

Put on my Christian face and clothes

So that no one will question my motives

Ready to go out and play the Christian card

When I haven’t even spoke to my Christ

Saying what feels Right

Doing what looks good

When inside I am hurting

How I want to know you intimately

How I want to understand your ways

How I NEED to know your love.

But it’s just too much to ask that I would seek you every day.

Do you not know I’m busy?

With my plans, my time, my life

Your way and mine is that so crazy?

But now the speed of life has slowed down

I just don’t understand

There is no one here

Expect you holding my hand

It’s you and only you who is standing around

Because only you saved me from myself

I can see that everything else is dead

And it’s only you giving me life

So now I understand

Now I finally see

How could I be so stupid?

How could I not want to be so gloriously free?

So I will wait for you

Daily I will seek

For you alone can rescue

You alone can save

So I will wait here at the cross

I will wait here at the cross

I will wait here at the cross

Unending Love

For I do not understand my own actions.

For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.

Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good.

So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.

For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh.

For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out.

For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing.

Romans 7 -15-19

I Find myself in Paul’s position so often

I want to do good But I end up doing bad

I want to serve God with ALL I have

But I end up giving him what is left at the end of the day.

I want to serve with a pure heart but my mind wonders.

I feel recently God has been holding a up a looking glass and letting me watch myself as I go about my daily routine. How I start with Good intentions but I let me sinful self lead the way.  How the devil shows me my idea of love and how it actually hurts people. I am so easily lead by my sinful nature and the devil loves it. he give me a thought (never a loving encouraging thought) and as soon I think it he turns to me and says

 “HEY! Your meant to be a Christian you Can’t think that”

“You’re so sinful how could God love YOOU” –

this statement is true I am so sinful

but

God is there too and he is shouting in the hope I will just stop and listen to him

"Because of my Son, You are covered your sin is Gone! I love yoou!"

(Which is just Amazing)

A Good friend of mine posted on her blog recently about God’s love and our sin and it has encouraged me so much. She says that if we view our relationship with God like a set of weighing scales, on one side we have our sin, on the other side we have God’s Love.

Now in our humanness we sin daily millions of times, whether it be with our actions thoughts or words. We also have our original sin, the sin that cut us off from God at the beginning with Adam and Eve . So on the sin side of the scale there is a lot of weight. So God comes along and places his weight on the scale and there is no comparison his is so much heavier. So even though we continue sinning but his love never change. It never moves it always heavier bigger and stronger than our sin.

Thankyou Lord for your Never Changing Love

Does Anybody Know You're a Christian....?

I have been thinking about this topic for a couple of days

It has become too easy for us to hide that Christ is our own and personal savior

We hide behind our Christian quotes and catchy phrases

We hide behind our Church programs and Worship songs But do people outside of church know that we are children of God, do they see God in us…

Not by what we say but by what we do!

This poem has challenged me a lot today, It’s by a group of Christians in America who share the gospel in poetry.. Its pretty awesome

Does anybody even know that you're a Christian... ?

Does anybody even know that you're a Christian?

When you go to your school and your job can anybody tell by your actions that you believe in God? Or can they not tell the difference between what you believe and how you act?

Because you're always at the club with a drink or talking about somebody else behind their back and then when they finally figure out you're a Christian they're talking behind yours

and you wonder why when people look at you, they can't even respect the fact that you're a Christian anymore...

You may be the only example they have. And if they can't tell the difference between your walk, and their walk, then they're not gonna follow God's Path. Does ANYBODY, even know that you're a Christian?

Do people even know that the God in you is there? When somebody who doesn't believe in God loses somebody their family, do they even think to go to you in prayer, because they don't know where else to go?

And if not, then since when did Christ become you're own personal secret for no one else to know?

Are you serious???

Jesus Christ didn't get stretched out on the cross for no testimony to be mysterious because, solid testimonies have never saved souls?

Yet our testimonies lay low, and we wondering why the world is raising hell?

Alot of Christians are too worried about other people's opinions, and too busy try to save ourselves.

I don't know what's worse. Nobody knowing I'm a Christian, or the only people knowing that I'm a Christian are the people in my church

Does anybody know that you are a Christian?

Are you letting his life shine through?

And if not, then how many times will you continue to deny Jesus, before he DENIES YOU!

K. Turner

Find out more

www.p4cm.com



Have a little watch

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZnB02zrhcXk&feature=player_profilepage

Psalm 63

O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you , my soul thirsts for you
my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.

So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding your power and glory.

Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you.

So I will bless you as long as I live ,in your name I will lift up my hands.

Psalm63:1-4


                 :: I <3 This sooo much !! ::

                        :: His LOVE is ::
                        :: BETTER than LIFE ::


                      ::: Thankyou!! :::

Judgment & Forgiveness

"Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." Luke 23: 34

Some of the Last words that Jesus said and I can’t get them out of my head. All week when I have become angry and frustrated with certain things, which often happens and usually never has anything to do with me, these words have been ringing in my hears.

As Jesus is on the cross beaten, bruised and dying he says this prayer for the people that have done this too him. As they continue to mock him he say “father forgive them”.

How many times has Jesus had to say that on my behalf as I judge, as I gossip, as I hurt people? For some reason I think that if I am being honest and open that this is me loving people but it isn’t because my nature is sinful. It does not naturally want to love, encourage and build up. It wants to find fault, it points out that I am better than my brothers and sisters, that there are people far worse than me out there. I listen to my own lies that I am a good person, that people should live the way i live. In the presence of God I see the real me.

The more I let the spirit lead instead of me, the more I see that I am a bad person, sinful to the core, totally unworthy to know God, to be saved by his grace and to be covered with the blood of his son.

And when I see who I really am I have no other option but rest in his grace.

Who am I to judge those around me?

Why does it take me so long to forgive for even the littlest thing?

God has definitely shown me how wrong I am in my idea of love but instead of showing me the wrath I deserve he comes along side me and he LOVES me, with real love. A love I don’t even understand but it completely covers me.

So instead of judge I will Love

Instead of gossip I will Pray

Instead of it being about me let it everyday be about Jesus

Instead of Loving God for what he has done for me I will Love God for WHO he is!

Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide  never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother  Romans 14:13

Much love

Daily Devotion

For the next thirty days I have decided to do a daily devotion .

So often we talk about our friends, our family , the many nights we have laughed until the early hours of the morning and the plans we have for the future  but we never talk about the adventure that God takes us on.

So this is a little glimpse into my God adventure

Much love 

K