Be Strong and Courageous

Can't believe how apt my bible notes are for today:

'THE LOCUSTS HAVE NO KING, YET GO THEY FORTH ALL OF THEM BY BANDS.' PROVERBS 30:27
The locusts have one more important lesson to teach us: Instead of following, lead the way! If you keep hoping someone will take you by the hand and tell you how it's all going to work out, you'll never get anywhere. 'The locusts have no king [leader], yet they go forth.' Note the word 'go.' Has it occurred to you that God may have called you to blaze the trail and set the pace? You've sat in church for years and heard all the sermons, now 'it's time to cross the Jordan and take possession of the land the Lord your God is giving you' (See Joshua 1:11). But you say, 'Nobody in my family has ever done anything like this before.' Good, then you'll be the first! Who are you going to listen to? The voices of your dysfunctional past or the God who is saying to you, 'Be strong and courageous...for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go' (Joshua 1:9 NIV). Having folks think your ideas are crazy is just part of every success story. When God moves, He doesn't commission a focus group or call for a vote. No, He looks for somebody like Isaiah to say, 'Here am I. Send me!' (Isaiah 6:8 NIV). Then He underwrites them, equips them and sends them out to be 'The head, and not the tail...above only, and...not...beneath' (Deuteronomy 28:13). Remember that the people God uses are people He can trust with success; people who say, 'My wings were too small to travel this far. It wasn't my flapping around that got me here, it was God.'

I've had such a good week and have been busy adapting to being a student again. The flexibility ensures that I can be around at important times of the day for the children. I've also managed to go to the gym twice and attend Rosie's harvest festival at school yesterday.

The dominating news of the week is the global financial crisis which is affecting so many people we know, and some good friends who work for an Icelandic Bank. We just pray that they will give the situation to God and trust that He will sustain them.'All things work together for good' ( Romans 8:28 ). I know it is easy for me to say that when I'm not in that situation and for a man to lose his job, not just the financial side of things must be absolutely terrible.

Graham has had a really busy week and has been away a couple of nights. He is home tonight. The children are happy and busy. Charlie is busy with his DT project and is playing rugby twice this weekend, once for school and for Bedford Blues on Sunday. Harry is playing in the band on Sunday. After school today I have to take him to church for baptismal prep. Rosie is going from one thing to the next without drawing breath! She has a hockey match after school tonight, then a ballet lesson and then the school disco. She wanted to go to a friend's for a sleepover tonight but I didn't think it was a good idea as she is having two friends over tomorrow night.

Have just seen the time. Must go and do some housework before going to a client's house ( Cornerstone) to help her sort out things to throw away in a skip social services are providing for her. This will be my last activity as a volunteer for a while. I have made the decision to relinquish Cornerstone for a while as I do not have the time anymore. I thought I would feel upset, but feel almost relieved. I will miss the clients, but realise it is time to move on.