Tag: #ThankyouJesus

I Will Hold Your Hand and Lead You Through.

Have you ever had something you needed to do, but you just couldn’t? Have you ever started something that you knew would add value to your life, but felt as if every time you got started, obstacles got in your way? That happened to me and this is how God literally took me by my hand and walked me through my journey. 

As many of you know, we have a small farm that is in it’s infancy of breeding Gypsy Cob/Gypsy Vanner (they are the same) horses. I have three stallions on my property, Buzz an 9 year old who is experienced at live cover and two yearling stud colts. A big part of being a breeding farm is the ability to offer the sale of your stallion’s semen, either via fresh cooled or frozen to mares who aren’t close to you. This is especially important for me because my two yearling colts are the only two in North America with their particular bloodlines.

I started my journey by reaching out to friends and neighbours who breed their world champion Clydesdale stallion to find out how they collect him for shipping. They were extremely helpful and even let me come and watch them work. The next step was procuring an AV (artificial vagina). Unfortunately this was my big stumbling block. My vet couldn’t get me one, and when I finally found one online, it was back ordered to June. This was a HUGE problem, because my friends had a fertility expert coming down to collect and freeze their stallion and mine. I gave up. I told myself this wasn’t going to be the year. It just wasn’t in the cards. I was tired and I literally didn’t have the ability to push through this obstacle. This is the moment that God stepped in.

There is no other way I can describe what happened this weekend. I received a phone call on Friday night from my Clydesdale friend who told me the repro expert had an AV I could use and she was going to be calling me. She did, 5 minutes later. Now, here is where we start to really see the hand of God, because we didn’t just need my stallion and an AV, we also needed a mare in heat to “tease” him to do his job. For those of you who don’t know horses, mares cycles naturally from May to October. If you want to breed your mare in the winter months, you generally have to put them under lights, because it is hours of daylight that trigger their heat cycles. My ponies live outside, the days aren’t even 12 hours long yet, but thanks to God and his perfect timing, my 2 year old filly was in heat. A miracle!

This weekend went perfectly. My stallion, Buzz, was a perfect gentleman and my filly was such a good girl and we were able to train Buzz to be collected, not once, not twice, but three times! And not only that, we also got enough of a sample to freeze. God is so, so good. And this weekend, not only confirmed for me that I am walking the path God wants for me, but also, that when he wants something for you, even you can’t get in the way. Praise be to God.

Keep praying, keep taking your problems to God, keep making him a part of your life because you never know when he’ll take you by the hand and part the waters for you too.

God bless,

Meredith

Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

As 2023 comes to an end today’s Bible reading ended up feeling more like a blog post and something we could all take with us into the new year, so I’ve included it here as well. If you haven’t been reading the book of John with us, this is a great introductory chapter and if you have, I hope as we move through these next few chapters it will be easy for you to see why this is one of my favourite books of the Bible.

John 14

Jesus Comforts His Disciples

14 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God[a]; believe also in me. 2 My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. 4 You know the way to the place where I am going.”

Jesus the Way to the Father

5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?”

I think at this point, the disciples genuinely believe that he is going to some other land.  Even the ones closest to him, who had witnessed all of his miracles couldn’t conceptualize the truth of who and what Jesus really was.

6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you really know me, you will know[b] my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”

I love verse 7.  If you really know me, you will know my Father as well.  We have so much of Jesus’ teachings to look through and the one word I think even non-Christians would use to describe Jesus is love.  So if we really know Jesus is love, then our heavenly Father is love divine; not judgement, not condemnation, but love.  Yes, absolutely we should try to be our best selves, to try to live aware of our sinful natures – envy, pride, gluttony, covetousness, asking God always to give us the fruits of the spirit and not of the flesh.  (See Galatians 5:22-26) but in the end, in everything you do remember that GOD IS LOVE.

8 Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.”

9 Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. 11 Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves. 12 Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.

13 And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.

I have a fullness in my heart when I read verses 13 and 14.  Jesus promises to be there for us, to answer our prayers – there is only one catch – so that the Father may be glorified.  I wrote a blog post last month about God answering prayer – that I believe that he does with every fibre of my being, and that he has faithfully answered my prayers.  Sometimes our prayers aren’t always answered in the way in which we want, (we prayed for our lost kitty to come home – ultimately we did find him and he is home, buried under one of our trees.  Maybe not the answer we hoped for, but we were able to have the closure of giving him a burial, one last pet and the peace of not having to always wonder, to know he wasn’t suffering.)  Jesus promises to answer our prayers, but we must trust him to give us the answer we need, not the one we want.

Jesus Promises the Holy Spirit

15 “If you love me, keep my commands. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be[c] in you. 18 I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19 Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 20 On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. 21 Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.”

22 Then Judas (not Judas Iscariot) said, “But, Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?”

23 Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. 24 Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.

25 “All this I have spoken while still with you. 26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

READ THAT AGAIN!!!! Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid – bring all things to God, to Jesus and trust that he will care for you.  “Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”  Matthew 6:27. 

I was listening to my favourite radio station this morning K-Love and one of the DJ’s said this.  Worry asks “what if”, faith says “even if”.   Jeremiah 29:11 is my absolutely favorite verse in the Bible and one I have committed to my heart.  “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”  Cling to that phrase in all your life and live in freedom.  Know that even if you make a bad decision, God can turn all things for your good.   God is so good.

28 “You heard me say, ‘I am going away and I am coming back to you.’ If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. 29 I have told you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe. 30 I will not say much more to you, for the prince of this world is coming. He has no hold over me, 31 but he comes so that the world may learn that I love the Father and do exactly what my Father has commanded me.

“Come now; let us leave.

STOP RIGHT THERE!

In today’s Bible reading of John Chapter 6 we read what I think are some of the most profound words in the Bible, spoken by Jesus himself

We made the decision several years ago to send our youngest son to a private Christian school. He was struggling in the public system and we desperately hoped that the smaller class sizes and more opportunities for individual attention would help him be successful and it absolutely has, I wouldn’t change that decision for the world. But one of the things we had to do in order to get him into that school was go through an interview process. The idea of the interview was to confirm that we shared the moral values and ideal of the school community. Fair enough, they aren’t looking for boat rockers in a small, private school. But where the interview process when wrong was when one of the interviewers told Dave that, in his questioning of his faith, he wasn’t a true Christian.

I’m sure she felt well-intentioned, but her words and judgement about a personal journey were perhaps the most un-Christian I have ever heard. I also know that we have all come across those types of Christians in our lives. The ones that make us cringe at the thought of this religion. The ones that force their opinion upon us and try to “convert” us to their beliefs through bullying and fear. The ones that are completely misguided in believing that they are stacking up points in heaven by the number of converts they can wrack up on earth. Yuck!

Let’s look at those words I was referring to earlier on – the most profound words spoken by Jesus himself. John 6:44 “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them.” There you have it, an absolution of responsibility. It isn’t your job to make someone a Christian – that job belongs to God and God alone. Our role is share God’s love, to pray for people to come to know God, but it is God himself who has to place that desire in their heart. Maybe we are all born with that desire placed within us. That, I don’t know. It’s one of God’s mysteries. What I do know is that forcing someone to believe in something because of pressure or fear, simply to check a box in your own life isn’t really helping anyone. 

I have a list of people in my life for whom I pray daily. I pray for them to come to know God and his love and kindness. I try to be open about my faith and my relationship with God without being pushy. I want people to see this amazing thing I have, and want it for themselves, but ultimately only God can give them that desire. Jesus reiterates this again at the end of John 6:65  He went on to say, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled them.”

This is why we are called to be God’s light in the world, to draw those, in whom God has planted a seed, to us. Be the light and love of God in the darkness of this world.

God bless,

Meredith

KICK UP YOUR HEELS AND FEEL JOY!

“I’ve got that joy, joy, joy, joy, down in my heart – where? Down in my heart. Where? Down in my heart. I’ve got that joy, joy, joy, joy, down in my heart. Where? Down in my heart to stay.”I’ve got that joy, joy, joy, joy, down in my heart – where? Down in my heart. Where? Down in my heart. I’ve got that joy, joy, joy, joy, down in my heart. Where? Down in my heart to stay.”

Like many people, I have my good days and my bad. But there have been times in my life, when I feel more calm, when I have more patience, I’m more loving, more kind, more generous. I try to be all those things in my life all the time, but there are times when it just comes more easily and I’ve finally figured out why. It’s the times I’m reading my Bible on a daily basis. Now, I know that there are many people who will scoff at this and say that the Bible is a book, just like any other. And I know a lot of people who consider themselves Christians who don’t feel the need to read the Bible because they go to church or believe in God and “that’s good enough”. But hear me out, because I believe this with every fibre of my being – the Bible is a living document.

What do I mean by that? I mean that the Bible is one of the ways God will actually speak to you. That you will get something different from it every time you read it, and that it has the power to change you. There were so many times during the building of our farm that I struggled with something, only to find the answer almost highlighted in bold for me in my daily Bible reading. Don’t get me wrong, it is so easy to push it into the “round-to-it” category. And I totally get that the Bible is a daunting book, so here’s what I propose…let’s read it together. I’ll show you how I do my devotions and I want to hear from you, the verses that speak to your heart. I have found the secret for me, is that I have to make it first – before I open up Facebook, or email, or answer my texts.

There is a voice in your head right now that says you don’t need to read the Bible. I want you to squash that voice. That voice is very real and that voice doesn’t want you to draw closer to God. That voice wants you to stay right where you are. For the next few days you are going to have to fight that voice so hard. Maybe for the next few weeks. So click on this link, put it in your Bookmark Toolbar and every morning, grab your cup of coffee and before you click Facebook, email, or even check the weather, click on it and spend 5 minutes with God. See if it doesn’t change your life too.

My Daily Bible Reading

My Whisper Pony

I want to start this by saying I have never owned a stallion before, nor have I restarted an eight year old stallion who was hardly ridden before, but life is an adventure. I’ve used the expression God only gives you what you can handle, but I’ve had occasion to rethink that saying recently – maybe sometimes God gives you more than you can handle – because that is where growth happens.

My stallion, Buzz and I have been, to quote a friend, “riding the struggle bus” recently. Unlike every single other gypsy I own, his natural inclination is to go fast, really, really fast. Canter – more like gallop. He is teaching me to use my seat and half-halts in a way that I never knew I could. But today, thanks to my incredible trainer, Sarah Durham, we had a ‘bring me to tears’ breakthrough; Buzz is a whisper pony.

What is a whisper pony you might ask. A whisper pony is one who is so sensitive, so tuned into their body and to you that they respond to the merest suggestion of pressure. When I ask most of my ponies for a leg-yield, I put on my leg and they move over. I couldn’t figure out why Buzz kept running away – today I figured it out. He needed me to whisper. The very slightest suggestion of my leg moved him over, smoothly, quietly, calmly.

How often in our lives do we get used to speaking in one tone. We get frustrated with those around us because they aren’t listening, because we aren’t being heard. But maybe sometimes the answer isn’t to get louder, maybe sometimes the answer lies in a whisper. Maybe the answer is less about what you do and more about what someone else needs.

Why did this moment bring me to tears? I am 50 years old. God gave me the gift of my heart’s dream over the last few years. I will never, ever get tired of learning how to listen to my horses, to do better and be better for them. But, I am incredibly thankful that He also surrounded me with people to bless me with their knowledge and expertise. He has blessed me with an opportunity to grow. I’m so grateful for my whisper pony; for the lesson he taught me today, for the lessons he will keep on teaching me. And, there are not words for how incredibly grateful I am for my amazing trainer, Sarah.

There are times when you truly feel God’s hand upon your life. Today was definitely one of those days. I can not live my life without God. He provides for me at all times and in all ways, even more than I can ask or imagine. The love of God overwhelmed me today. His care for me, for my life, and for the actualization of the dream he gave me oh so many, many years ago…I didn’t know I needed my whisper pony, but He certainly did.

Praise be to God.

Meredith.

I NEED MORE!

I have said it several times over the last few weeks, after the stress and anxiety of the last year, people just need Christmas. It’s the reason why lights went up right after Halloween in so many houses. Christmas is the time of year when people are just more; more kind, more generous, more patient. But Christmas can also be a time of year when we feel compelled to do more; more presents, more entertaining, more lights, more decorations, more food. There have been so many years when I have found myself caught up in that. With the way inflation has pushed people to the brink, there is a push for people to go back to a simpler Christmas, to go back to homemade gifts and more thoughtful gifts. But I’ll admit it, even though I would love to receive a homemade gift, I feel insecure about giving one, as if it isn’t enough.

At at the same time, the older I get, the more I crave a simpler holiday. I don’t want to spend days shopping for presents that will end up collecting dust or heading to the Goodwill in six months. I want to spend time with those I love. I just want peace. And at the same time, this year I do want my Christmas to be about more – more God. I want to truly feel the joy and miracle of what this season is really about – the birth of our saviour, the love of God, become man to save the world. What a truly special gift. I have had years when the Christmas season is the time I feel the farthest from God, because I’m so focused on what the world tells me Christmas is about. But one thing remains true, on Christmas Eve, when I stand in my church singing those hymns, I get choked up every time. I feel overwhelmed by God’s love for us; for me. This year I want to feel that throughout the holiday season.

One of the radio stations I listened to suggested reading the book of Luke for the advent season – 24 chapters for 24 days. 24 days spent with Jesus. I can’t think of a better way to have more this holiday season. We all need Christmas so very much this year, with it’s message of love and light in a world filled with darkness. Let the “more” you chase this year be the “more” of being filled with God’s love and grace and a peace that passes all understanding.

God bless,

Meredith

What does it really mean to forgive?

Have you ever had a situation happen in your life that you just couldn’t get past? I’ll admit to struggling with that at times. You don’t necessarily feel angry, I would say rather that you feel hurt by the actions of another person; that you feel unheard. Perhaps, like me, you have felt there was a wall in your way, in your heart, preventing you from allowing them back in.

As a Christian this situation, this lack of forgiveness troubles me. Why am I not being forgiving? Mark 11:25 says “And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.” And in Matthew 18:21-22 “Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, ‘Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?’ Jesus answered, ‘I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.’ “ Forgiveness is given to us freely by God, but it is also required of us to have a relationship with him. Mark 11:25 “And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.”

So I did a deep dive into the internet and the answer that I found helped me out the most came from a Youtube video by Father Mike Schmitz. In essence he states that when you need to forgive someone it’s because they took something from you and you need justice. I have never thought of forgiveness in that way before, but it makes a lot of sense. He goes on to say that there is a difference between forgiveness and reconciliation. Forgiveness means that I wipe the ledger clean. I allow myself to let go of the hurt caused by this person. I forgive them their debt to me. Forgiveness comes from one party – it is entirely within my control. I can choose to forgive or to hold on to bitterness and resentment. Forgiving someone for the hurt they have caused you does not require that they acknowledge that hurt, the trust broken.

I think that many of us get confused and believe that forgiveness means that you have to go back to the status quo of a relationship. It helped me to know that wasn’t the case. It gave me freedom to be okay with my feelings. Sometimes it’s okay to say good bye both to the debt a person owes us, as well as that person. That being said, none of us are perfect and I own that in myself. So when I had a situation in which I struggled with forgiveness I did what I always do, I brought it before God. I asked him to take this burden and anger from my heart. I acknowledged that he can always do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine and in the end, he restored my relationship in the way only he can. They say time heals all wounds, but in God truly all things are possible. Reach out and allow him to give you the freedom and peace true forgiveness brings.

God bless,
Meredith

I Am A Terrible Person!

Have you ever had a day when you were just convinced that you were the worst person in the world?  I think it would be fair to say that I am not exactly an even-keeled person.  I definitely have days that are great and I definitely have days that are on the opposite end of that spectrum.  Yesterday I was sick; just sick and grumpy and miserable.  You know those days, the ones when you can’t even remember what it feels like to be happy?  To laugh?

But what about when your struggles are in your head?  It can be so incredibly hard to reach out to anyone past the walls we build up around ourselves.  In our darkest hours it can be hard to take the hand that others reach out for us. Sometimes, we find ourselves so far down in the pit, it can feel like there is no way out.  But in those darkest of times, I want you to remember 2 Corinthians 12:9. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

“For my power is made perfect in weakness.”  In times past I have wallowed in my misery and depression.  I have told myself that I was a terrible person and not good enough.  I have hated my weaknesses.  But it is those exact weaknesses that Jesus uses to deepen our relationship, to crack us open so that all we see, all we need is him.  The fantasy of the “perfect Christian” is exactly that, a fantasy.  The amazing preacher Billy Graham would have been the first person to tell you how far he was from perfect.  God wants all of our perfectly imperfect selves because the truth is that our life’s journey isn’t about becoming perfect, it’s about becoming perfectly close to God.

God never promised that we wouldn’t have tough times.  He did promise to walk through those tough times with us. So when you are at the bottom of the pit and it feels like there is no way out you don’t need to come up with some deep meaningful, beautiful prayer, you only need three words. Help me, Lord.  God is ALWAYS there, he will always be there waiting for YOU, wanting a relationship with YOU!  Yes, I am a terrible person.  I let my mouth run away with me more times than I would like and sometimes I’m too quick to anger, but God still loves me.  He will always love me and he will never, ever leave me.  His grace, has been and always will be sufficient.

May God shine his light and love on you in your darkest hours.

God bless,

Meredith

He Answers Prayers

What would you say if I told you that I knew the secret to having your prayers answered?

How many times have you prayed and then felt as if God didn’t hear you or answer you? Eighteen years ago I was there. I asked God to heal my son, I asked God to save my marriage. And I absolutely felt as if I had prayed in vain. My marriage fell apart and I was a divorced mother of two small children, one of whom with very significant special needs. Clearly God didn’t exist, or if he did, he wasn’t in the business of answering my prayers.

Fast forward to today. I can’t think of a single prayer I have prayed that I haven’t known God to answer – so what is the difference? Does he love me more now?

Don’t ever for a single moment think that God doesn’t hear your prayers or that they won’t be answered, but the secret isn’t giving God a wish list of things you think you want or need, it’s praying for him to help you through a situation and at all times acknowledging that his will be done. Sometimes what we are praying for isn’t actually what we need. If God had saved my marriage I wouldn’t be living my best life right now. I wouldn’t have found the love of my life, my soul mate, I wouldn’t have my Dave. And if God had healed my son, he wouldn’t have touched so many lives and again, I absolutely would not be where I am today. God had a plan for my life and it was infinitely more than I could have asked or imagined 20 odd years ago.

Yes, it’s true, God doesn’t always heal the sick and the dying when we pray – we don’t always get a “lame shall walk” miracle. I have lost those I cared for deeply to tragic accidents. God doesn’t promise us a pain-free existence, but he does promise to walk through the valleys with us. You can’t know joy without experiencing sorrow. You can’t appreciate health, without knowing sickness, and although we might not see it at the time, God can always turn things for our good.

I’d like to end with a story of our weekend miracle – our weekend answered prayer. Last Sunday my sister’s cat went missing. They searched everywhere for him to no avail. We have of course offered up prayers for Rocky’s safe return. This Sunday morning, while we were in church, praying for his return, Rocky came home. God loves his children and wants to give us every good thing and in this case our answered prayer was a filthy, smelly, much beloved kitty. Thank you, Lord.

If only you would hear his voice.

Every once in a while I am reminded that once upon a time I had a blog about my faith journey. Last night was one of those time. People still find it, and people still comment, thanking me for what I’ve posted. Last night was one of those times. My last blog post, prior to today, was April of 2022. I knew I had blogged for a while, but I when I looked back… my first blog post was September of 2018, and I blogged a lot back then; almost daily.

There are times in our spiritual journey when we are called to be the lighthouse, to shine the light of our faith outwards for others to see; to light their way. There are times in our faith journey when others light the way for us. As many of you know, we have spent the last three years building our farm. We took an empty soy bean field and we filled it; with a house, a barn, fields of hay, pastures for grazing and of course ponies for riding and loving. All of my physical and mental energy has been focused on filling that field and I have emptied myself. I have found myself too weary to read, to write, to even think at times. I have worried that God is disappointed in me because I haven’t been to church as often, because I don’t read my Bible as often, because I don’t sit down and devote time to him as often. That isn’t to say that I don’t always say little prayers throughout my day – “Please help me, Father” or that I don’t recognize and give thanks for the all of the small miracles he sends my way and the many, many blessings. But it does mean that I have felt guilt for not doing enough, and at times I have felt as though I wasn’t enough.

This weekend God again reminded me that I can always come to him, just as I am and He knows exactly what I can and can’t do. Do not allow the world, do not allow others to put parameters on your relationship with God. Your relationship with God, isn’t defined by how often you go to church and sit in a pew, your relationship with God isn’t defined by how often you open your Bible – it’s defined by how much you depend upon him to get you through your daily life. I can’t get through a day without him. My first instinct is to go to him; with my joys and my sorrows, with my worries and my delights. Absolutely, attending church and reading your Bible are important – they are how you deepen your understanding of your heavenly Father – how He speaks to you, and how you can learn and understand his truths for yourself. But please don’t allow yourself to believe that, if you aren’t doing those things, he loves you any less. He is calling to us every single day, reaching out to us, wanting to draw us closer to him, wanting to show us how much he truly loves us – if only you would hear his voice.

I hear God’s voice calling out to me. Telling me that this part of my journey, this phase of exhaustion is coming to an end, and it might be time to turn my light on once again.