Sums it up

This verse keeps coming to me & reminding me that our rewards are in heaven. Collecting our treasures on earth is pretty pointless.

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. (Matthew 6:19 NIV)

Esther xx

New beginnings

It has been a crazy long time since my last post & I keep putting it off as I don't have a clear subject to blog on but please stay with me! I think it's partly because my head is so full of stuff that I don't know where to start.

It's been an eventful summer with the highlight most definitely being our holiday to Florida. Family time in such an amazing location is just priceless. It was a jam packed 2 weeks of Disney, Universal studios, LOTS of food, beautiful sunshine, lots of laughter, swimming, shopping & quality time.

The time away gave us new perspective on life and we made some decisions to improve the quality of our life but we will need to make some sacrifices first.
Let me explain. We have decided to sell our house (that we love) to move to a different part of town which will almost wipe our mortgage enabling me to give up work as I'm getting down doing what I'm doing & take a load of pressure off my Husband who's business has been struggling for a while now.

I honestly don't think I would have thought to do this before I was saved & I can see clearly that it's Jesus working to give me the life he wants for me. The old me would've hung onto all those materialistic things regardless of whether it made me or my family happy. Letting go of those things is the most humbling spiritual feeling ever.

We've found a house we would love to buy but haven't had our offer accepted as we haven't sold. God is teaching me patience that's for sure & that I need to just hand it all over to Him.

So, I hope that made at least some sense. Will try to put together a more coherent post very soon!

Esther xx

I want it now society.

We live in such an incredibly fast world now. My children will never have to wait to save up money then wait until Saturday to go & buy the latest record (on vinyl) because they will just download it from the iTunes credit they already have from Christmas or birthdays etc. The gap from wanting it to owning it is virtually non existent. Where's the fun in that? Then we have the need for answers. Answers to almost anything you want to know are just a search engine away. No need for libraries or finding the peron you hope will know. Simply tap it into your computer, phone, or iPad & away you go. We don't even have to wait to fire up a computer anymore, listening to the whirs, clicks & singing of a dial-up connection. It got me thinking that this could be the root of why some people become disillusioned with God. When we go to God with a problem we are not going to get a list of possible answers to our prayer up. There's usually (although not always) a wait, sometimes years. But when the answer comes there will only be one & it will be the right one. Our options then only extend to whether we go with that answer or ignore it. Perhaps this is also why Christianity is on the up in less privilaged nations. They are not conditioned to having it all right now. Their lives are more focused on waiting as nothing comes to them easily. They don't even have the luxury of instant water out of a tap, even the bare necessities take patience to achieve. So it leads me to conclude that waiting leaves time for spiritual growth. When everything else is stripped back it leaves Him & all the 'stuff' represents The Enemy whispering in our ears telling us we won't be happy until we have a new car, bigger house, lose those extra pounds, go on that big holiday or whatever it may be. Let's be still, let's wait & try & ignore the urge to rush out & buy the next thing. Whilst we are still we may just hear God's voice telling us what we really need to hear. Then he said to them, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions." (Luke 12:15 NIV) Esther xx

The lost art of conversation

My Mum has often told me stories of what food shopping was like when she was a little girl. She said my Grandmother would give her a shopping list and the shopkeeper would get her items. This could obviously not take place in silence.

Clothes shops would have counters too & endless little wooden drawers crammed with items to sell but the assistant would know exactly which little drawer contained the item you asked for. Again,  lots of chatting would take place and you would need to engage with the assistant to get your items. Then would come payment, in cash no doubt and despite it not being worked out by the till the correct change would be given.

I know we're all in a hurry and believe you me I want to get out of Tesco (other supermarkets are available) as fast as humanly possible but at what price?  It's all super fast, pre-packaged & sterile. There are lots of supermarket checkout staff who like a bit of a chin wag and I'll gladly oblige, especially as I don't always see that many 'grown ups' on a day to day basis.

Now we also have self service check outs where you don't have to speak to a soul. I was self serving it the other day to buy a bottle of wine which needed to be authorised and the assistant came over and without so much as a side ways glance pressed the 'customer looks over 25' button.  Rude.  The quick assumption about my age I mean, not the silence.

My mission is to try to get everybody to say at least a couple of words during an everyday transaction, we don't need life stories but let's just re-connect with people.

Esther xx

Life after REAL

I can't believe it's already a week since the excitement of REAL but we should really see it as the beginning and not the end. First of all we can now listen to the podcasts giving us an opportunity to soak it all up again & maybe hear something we didnt quite take in the first time. We also now have an opportunity to put some positive things into action.

I really just wanted to quickly share what I got from REAL but I will no doubt add to the list once I've listened to the podcasts. So here goes....

Make more time to sit quietly & listen to God
Make important career changes (biggy)
Whilst making decisions of what to do think about what 'really fires me up'
Spend time with my kids on their level & not missing crucial opportunities to hear about their day.
Think about my close friendships & be brave enough to have some important conversations with those friends that continually fall short of what a friend should be.
It's ok to take time for me.

I'd love to know what everyone else got from REAl too.

Esther xx

End of term madness

At the REAL conference Shauna Niequest spoke about the crazy end of school year stuff that goes on. I want to just say that I feel her pain!

My inbox is full of emails to action, I have forms to fill in and consequently children's money boxes to raid in order to have the correct change (yes I do replace it!) for various activities & day trips. Fete duty rotas, bringing weekly donations for the fete & praying you've read the date right for non uniform days. Yes I have got it wrong before and it was not a pretty sight.

In addition to which I have a Son that's leaving primary school this year so we have the year 5/6 production, leavers assembley, year end assembley when year 6 get presented with a bible, leavers BBQ, induction day at new school & disco at new school.

I know that when the kids are grown up that I'll look back fondly at this time but for now I don't mind admitting that I'm a worn out Mummy that's finding it tricky to squeeze in her day job!

I do have to remember I'm not on my own, Jesus has told us to go to him at times just like this. I'm just not very good at it...yet.

Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, "Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest." (Mark 6:31 NIV)

Esther xx

Keeping it REAL

I haven't blogged much lately & if I'm honest I'm having one of those weeks where things get you down and that's not really what people want to read.

Luckily I have a very supportive Husand and family but what I'm also finding great, everyday of my life through the good and bad, is my church family.
In a church family you can be yourself completely. If you're a mum you won't find the usual tiring pretence that we've all got perfect children & husbands. We tell it how it is which is much more helpful & won't leave you feeling like a failure. Having someone to laugh & cry with without being judged is very special indeed & my friends are very important to me.

I'm so looking forward to our REAL women's conference this weekend and just know it's going to be just the kick up the backside I need right now. Spending time with friends & listening to wonderful, inspiring preaches & seeing what God has in store for us all.

I'll be praying for us all to meet with God in a powerful way this weekend.

Esther xx