Bible Reading

I don't know about you, but over the years I have found personal Bible reading hard. Not only to make the time, but what book of the Bible to read from. It saddens me that nobody older than us tends to encourage us very much in it either. Its like its become a lost art. 

This year it has defiantly become easier. 

Easier because I haven't looked at it as something I should do, but something I want to do. Seeing it as a letter from my amazing Savior to me.

At the beginning of the year I went away a lot, to spend time with friends and was blessed by having one friend who I stayed with who also read her Bible every night. Just to be together and share a verse or two that came up when we were reading was the best thing ever. To be encouraged by what the other read and to encourage them back.

 I have to say its one thing we don't do enough these days. We are all guilty of it.

Just the other day one of my other friends texted me a Bible verse. I got it just before I headed of to work. It was such an encouragement. That evening I sent on back to her. Since then it has become a daily thing we do. I look forward to her verse in the morning and I'm sure she looks forward to mine at night.

To be encouraged and to give encouragement through the use of Gods word is a blessing to all. It makes you want to read your Bible to find a verse for that friend. It makes you want to grab yours and read the verses round it when you get sent one.

So I encourage you today to send a friend a Bible verse, to encourage then to read Gods awe striking word and to read it daily for ones self.

Here's the verse my friend sent me this morning...which I loved to bits

Shout for joy, O heavens! And rejoice, o earth! Break forth into joyful shouting, O mountains! For the Lord has comforted His people and will have compassion on His afflicted

Isaiah 49:13

And another that I sent to her...

You are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read by all men; Clearly you are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart

2 Corinthians 3:2-3

...So show forth your epistle to those around you.

Thank you Lord

Thank you Lord for my life

The friends and Family

The Strength, joy and peace

You give to me each day

I couldn't live without You

My Saviour, King and Friend

I love you with the greatest love

My sinful heart can offer you

You saved me from the fiery furnace

Up from the pit you pulled me

When I cry you embrace me

When I sing you rejoice with me

You gave me life O my Saviour

The life I now live for you

Each heart beat is a song of praise

To thank you my dear friend

I pray O lord till death does come

My life will be a song

Reflecting all your ways O lord

To thank and praise thee

JH

This is one of my favorite poems I have written. It truly express what Christ has done for me. The feeling I feel within myself everyday that I know I wouldn't be here without him or the person I am today. 

There are so many days and hours when I look back on go...I never should be here in the peace that he gives, not after all that I did to him.

 I look back at the years were I didn't grasp what He came to earth to do, but somehow he placed faith in my heart.

 I know within myself that only a God like him can do such a thing. That He chose me, makes me want to live every step of my life for Him and him alone.

Psalm 116 

 I love the Lord, because He hears
My voice and my supplications.
2 Because He has inclined His ear to me,
Therefore I shall call upon Him as long as I live.
3 The cords of death encompassed me
And the terrors of Sheol came upon me;
I found distress and sorrow.
4 Then I called upon the name of the Lord:
“O Lord, I beseech You, save my life!”

5 Gracious is the Lord, and righteous;
Yes, our God is compassionate.
6 The Lord preserves the simple;
I was brought low, and He saved me.
7 Return to your rest, O my soul,
For the Lord has dealt bountifully with you.
8 For You have rescued my soul from death,
My eyes from tears,
My feet from stumbling.
9 I shall walk before the Lord
In the land of the living.
10 I believed when I said,
“I am greatly afflicted.”
11 I said in my alarm,
“All men are liars.”

12 What shall I render to the Lord
For all His benefits toward me?
13 I shall lift up the cup of salvation
And call upon the name of the Lord.
14 I shall pay my vows to the Lord,
Oh may it be in the presence of all His people.
15 Precious in the sight of the Lord
Is the death of His godly ones.
16 O Lord, surely I am Your servant,
I am Your servant, the son of Your handmaid,
You have loosed my bonds.
17 To You I shall offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving,
And call upon the name of the Lord.
18 I shall pay my vows to the Lord,
Oh may it be in the presence of all His people,
19 In the courts of the Lord’s house,
In the midst of you, O Jerusalem.
Praise the Lord!

Looking back and laughing

Do you ever get those days when you look back at something you did or wrote and just laugh? Well this is one of them.

So I came across this little letter I had to write for my bookwork. It got me in stitches for a whole pile of reasons...

After I received the congratulations of the Parliament members of becoming Prime Minister of New Zealand. I had to almost gasp for breath at the thought of being the Prime Minister of such a big place, living in a fancy house with servants (One of my childhood dreams come true.), being watched on TV, being greeted by thousands of people all over New Zealand. It felt like I was dreaming, I hadn’t expected to get in, at least not as Prime Minister. After regaining my posture, I walked up to a unprepared speech. I don’t know how I got through that next hour, but I did, with help from my Savior. I know that I will manage the rest of my time of Prime Minister with God’s help and Guidance also.

Jessica van der Zwaag

Prime Minister of

New Zealand

...The Prime Minister doesn't have servants. Only a house keeper called Margaret. Neither is it a very fancy place as I found out on a visit there last year.
(It used to be the dentist before it become the Prime Ministers dwelling) Though I did love the pink scalloped like curtains. I have now been on TV and though it is fun I don't know why I would want to be on it all the time. And I would always plan a speech, just in case it did happen.

So while it was funny what I wrote and what I think now.(Mainly because I know a few more facts) The one thing that struck me was the way I referred to the help of my Savior. Its something I still do in most of my writings. To think that is one theme that has stayed in my writings all these years. It amazes me. I can only say that it is God's doing!

Looking back at my 1st writings

On Monday I had a lot of fun. I spent half a day sorting out all my old school books. I came across my 1st bunch of writings. Most of them had me laughing as they were of very humorous nature. Some of them I remember writing and others I do not. 

Here's a few you may enjoy!

My funny little Monkey

Once come upon a donkey

He ask the donkey, clonkey

To be his only friend

And never once did they offend

JH 

I wish I had a crazy cat

To sleep all day on my dog mat

I wish I could eat doggy food

And maybe play with doggy toys

JH

:)

There was a frog from France

Who could never dance

Whenever he tried

He always cried

He ended up doing a prance

JH

I have to say I don't write such crazy things now days. I tend to stick more on there serious side of things. Its nice to look back at the things I wrote and see how much my style has changed. In poem writing anyway.

Feelings

O the many feelings

That pass through my mind

The joy of friends

The laughter they course

The joking around 

The teasing and battering

The ridiculous conversations

That they seam to course

Not only joy 

But worry they course

When you haven't heard

From them in a while

Are they alright

The mind goes

Are you hurting the heart cries

The smile that comes

With knowing that they

Are in God's hands

Never leaving His side

The uncertainty

Of a new adventure

Of stepping out

Into a world

So very unknown

The struggle to fit in

In this perverse world

But the peace of knowing

You my Savior

Are always in control

The thankfulness that comes

Through those long

Morning drives

Listening to music

And thanking you always

For being with me

Though long days and short

That each thought I think

Each word I say

Comes straight from your plan

Your plan ever perfect

When fear creeps in

The questions that come

I know that your answer

Is there for me

That my pass or my fail

Is for your own good

So as I go to sleep

After a long week

I pray to you now

That you give me strength

For whatever

your will

Is for me in the future

I love your plan

A plan never changing

So as my head lays down

The mind and heart will

Trust you always

For you know all things

JH

17-7-15

My life has changed greatly in the last week. I have just completed my 1st week of my PORSE nanny internship. Yes it was different and sometimes a struggle, I really enjoyed it and can't wait for next week. I love my 45min-1 hour long drive. Its a time to reflect and ponder life. To ask the Lord to give me guidance for the day. A time alone. I don't seem to get much of that these days. A time I am greatly thankful for.

Friends also have been on my mind this week. They are amazing, special and always encouraging to me. They make me, laugh, cry and go insane. Just giving me a brake from the every day life. There are days when I know that I could never go on without them.

A curve in the road

A very blind one

Travelling around at snails pace

Not on wheels

Not on legs

But on hands and knees

It feels 

With each movement forward

Trust is needed

Trust in the Lord Jesus Christ

To believe that each step

Is in His great hand

Protection is all around

Remember that He is always there

Each inch of the way

Guiding us on the road

A road to heaven

A long road it is

And this is just one curve

Of many

Very many

In the road

So trusting now

And trusting always

To believe that this one time

Is planed

Planed so trust my grow

Thank you Lord

For giving me

Another time

In my short life

To learn to trust

To trust you more

JH

I think at times dear reader that we all feel this way in life. As these times come, trust the Almighty God in it all. At times trusting Him may be hard, but as with all trust, it needs times to grow.