Why We Remember

Today we remember the tragic events that so profoundly affected us this day ten years ago.  Today I share this video made by a friend who reminds us of the importance of remembrance from a Christian perspective.  As we remember, let us follow our reflections with our actions, taking the time to pray for our nation and our people, that God would bring healing and that we would know His peace.

Today I join the lovely folk at Spiritual Sundays

G.O.S.P.E.L.

I found this video earlier this week. Artistic and profound, I also thought it beautiful and inspiring. It is truth, the truth. Let us not take for granted the message of our faith.  Watch and enjoy.

Praying through Lent

We are a few weeks into Lent already.  Some people have set restrictions during this time to help them recognize the sacrifice that was made for us.  Others choose by themsleves something to give up, whether it be a bad behavior or just the daily cup of joe, for the same reason.  Looking through all my friends' Facebook statuses over the last few years, I have even seen some people actually pick up something new instead of dropping something in honor of the season.  These things are usually spiritually edifying things like daily Bible readings or acts of service for others.

Even now, mid-lenten season, I would challenge ye to consider doing both.  Sacrifice five minutes of your day and pick up prayer.  God loves it!  David sings in Psalm 141:2...

May my prayer be set before you like incense;
may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice. 

I've written about 24-7 Prayer before, having attended the yearly gathering that brings folk from all over Europe together to pray for our continent and countries.  The account from last year's event is here.  For this Lent, the lads from 24-7 have put together Prayer Spaces, daily video podcasts for the 40 days of Lent.

Walk through the life of Jesus with daily inspiration from Pete Greig, Carla Harding, Etienne Piek and others.  From Ash Wednesday through Easter morning, you will be sure to enjoy these moments with God.  Let's pray together, shall we?

The podcast is free and is available through iTunes, Facebook and YouTube.  

Each video is also available at the 24-7 Prayer website.

The Rest of the Story

I started this story at the turn of the New Year when I began a four month detox/dietary program that would help bring healing to a major health concern.  I wrote about it here when I knew I was beginning a new story in TRUST.  In the process it has also became a story of REST.

I had been warned that the first month of this journey toward healing would be the most difficult, with symptoms getting worse before getting better.  In fact, this was the reason I planned to start at the New Year, after the busy holiday season.  I am blessed to be a part of a leadership team that not only allowed me to take time from many regular activities, but actually encouraged it.  REST, it seemed, was an absolute necessity.   At times I felt like I was somehow slacking.  I wanted to work through it, but my body had other plans.  No matter how much I thought I could will myself to be involved, my body refused and I was forced to give in to REST.

By February, I was already starting to feel alive again.  I was able to participate in more than I had in months and I knew God was working His healing in my body.  Since I was still not 100%, I had to pick and choose only the activities I felt God was calling me to do.  The process had given me permission to REST without guilt and simply follow God with the strength gained.

Often times, we can be so determined to serve that we sacrifice rest, running ourselves ragged in areas that we beg God to bless.  God however has a plan that He has already blessed, and being in Him is where He would rather have us. Lately in our prayer times at DCF, God has been speaking to us about the River of Life and  finding REST in His current.  When we follow in His flow, it won't matter what rocks may lie ahead.  We don't need to flail and we aren't being tossed around, rather we are being carried, moving in REST as it were.    

REST is a place where we have let go of that control 

and are letting God take us through His way.  

Bonnie over at Faith Barista said it well when she said,

"Rest comes when we are free to get lost in the doing 

because we trust that God is producing fruit in our being."

I have just begun the third month of my four month health program.  I am doing very well and am amazed at how far God has carried me in what seems to be a short amount of time.  In this time of REST, I have been forced to listen to my body without the distraction of my will, meaning I can more quickly tell when and how to REST.  I think it is like that God too.   The more time we spend in His REST, the more easily we can hear Him.  We are not so busy doing our own things, as noble as they may be, that they would distract or filter out the sound of His gentle whisper. He calls us to REST for a reason.  Let us not neglect it.  But let us find it in Him, the only place where true rest can be found (Psalm 62). 

Expecting the Miraculous

Okay so this may be a bit of a stretch, but I am a product of the Star Wars generation and I couldn't resist.  Maybe someone used Jedi mind tricks on me...

So there's this little commercial that has been getting a lot of attention across the internet this week.  In case you haven't seen it yet, enjoy.



Cute, right? 

James 5 discusses how as believers we should pray, doing so with expectancy.  This is not a new concept for believers, so we press forward, believing for the impossible.  How easily though does our faith collapse when things don't happen as we believed?  In the process, many can put the blame either on the faith of the person or on God Himself, letting our unbelief change into a doctrine that denies the miracle-working ways of God.  Yet all this only causes us as believers to stop believing, and in turn stop praying, which is directly the opposite of what He commands in James.

I love how little Darth never gives up faith in the force, no matter how many times there has been no result.  It's frustrating for sure, but Lil' D keeps persevering.  When the impossible happens, there is shock and surprise, which is how we can be.  Kid Vader was shocked because he believed he did it out of his own will, which was afterall, unbelievable.  We however know that it is the father who does these great things.  Should we be so shocked that our Father could and would do the miraculous because of His love for us, when we know it is His nature?

Your ways, God, are holy.
   What god is as great as our God?
 

You are the God who performs miracles;
   you display your power among the peoples.
 

With your mighty arm you redeemed your people,
   the descendants of Jacob and Joseph. 

Psalm 77:13-15

Since we know it is God who does the miraculous, let us persevere in prayer.  Let us believe for miracles according to His will.  This is what Elijah did, and as James says, he was a man just like us  (5:17-18).  He prayed and believed and God did a miracle.  God has not changed.  May we not give up in our faith.  Maybe we won't always get the answers we want, but unlike Kid Vader, it isn't because our father isn't around.  His word says God is with us always (Matt 28) and we can trust that, letting it encourage us in our obedience.  Who knows, God just might surprise us all with a miracle that causes us to jump back in amazement. 

This post is linked with the lovely folk at

Jesus is...

Oh the power in simply declaring who He is...

                                                                                                              He is Lord!

linking today with the lovely folk at

Revisiting Poland

I'm currently needing a bit of rest.  But I have loved joining everyone on Spiritual Sundays with Charlotte and Ginger, so I decided to link you to a post written just over a year ago.  I think ye will enjoy it.  Let me know what ye think in the comments here or there.  God bless!

I didn`t think the stairs were ever going to stop.  In short sets of ten and spiraling down anticlockwise, the steps had me dizzy.  By the time we reached the bottom, at least the first level of the depths, my legs had turned to jelly.

Read More...

A Place to Begin

Happy New Year!

As we begin this new year, let us remember that while we do not always know what lies ahead, God does.  I am so excited to see what great and wondrous things He will do in this New Year!  I pray that we will continue to dive deeper into our relationships with Him, that we would continue to seek His purposes above our own, and that we would honestly live the revelation of His love in our world.

Yet I am always with you;
   you hold me by my right hand.
 

You guide me with your counsel,
   and afterward you will take me into glory.
 

Whom have I in heaven but you?
   And earth has nothing I desire besides you.
 

My flesh and my heart may fail,
   but God is the strength of my heart
   and my portion forever. 

-Psalm 73: 23-26

Thanks to Ginger and Charlotte for a wonderful year of Spiritual Sundays.

This post is linked with them here.

Happy Christmas 2010

The greatest gift man will ever know was Jesus, the Christ, God with us.

We celebrate Him today.

May we live everyday proclaiming the good news of the King!

Happy Christmas!

This post is linked with the lovely folk at

Gifts from the Father

It was a gift from my father when I went off to college, my grandpa's guitar.  He got it when my grandfather died and had since stopped playing it himself.  I loved the history, the mellow sound and the musty smell of the instrument, but struggled with my own deficiencies as I taught myself.  These deficiencies, of course, were a natural result of lack of practice and diligence.  Despite this, I have always enjoyed playing and have tried to keep it up to a certain degree, but have never become as proficient as I felt a guitar of this quality deserved.  So the sound has remained muffled, shared only with close friends or with such a quiet strum that only I could hear as a result of the lack of confidence.  My precious gift too often collected dust.

Since becoming worship leader at DCF almost two years ago, I have led vocally.  At times we have had a full worship team and other times just one on the guitar (def not me!).  I have even led a few times a capella when we haven't had any musicians.  Worship comes from the heart, not the expression.  We worship in spirit and in truth and God is glorified.  This is why when the couple who play guitar and drum left for holiday in the States, I didn't worry... until I realized what could potentially be done. 

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.

2 Corinthians 12:9-11

As a church family, we didn't need a guitar to bring God praise, but I knew there was a gift God had given that was going unused.  As a leader, I want to encourage others to use the gifts God gave them so that we as a body will bear fruit.  I began to practice the guitar.  How many times do we forsake the things God has given us because of fear and insecurities?  True worship however means taking the focus off ourselves and putting it on Christ where it belongs.  For me, this was about sacrificing perfectionism in order to bring the sacrifice of praise.  In that vulnerability, Christ revealed His strength and we worshiped.

My prayer is that ye will be encouraged to dust off the gifts He gave you for His glory.  May ye put aside fears and insecurities and allow God to work in those weaknesses.  Today, when my fingers stumbled across the strings, I kept going back to the words resonating from my own mouth and became overcome with joy to praise Him.  "You are my strength when I am weak... You are my all in all."  It was a spiritual stretching for me for sure, but a sweet stretching.   His grace really is sufficient.

This post is linked up with the lovely folk at

A Rare Treat

Today's view of An Rinn from Lookout Park                                            photo by Kathleen Keegan

He spreads the snow like wool
   and scatters the frost like ashes.

Psalm 147:16 

I awoke today to a flurry filled sight, a rarity for us on this southeast coast of Ireland.  It was so beautiful, and even though it was a small amount, I was breathless for a moment.

The first thing I saw this morning, snowy rooftops.

 After taking this picture barefooted on my balcony, I was really breathless - from the cold!  While it may not compare to such extremes elsewhere, this is dramatic here and when you mix freezing temps with the wind blowing in off the sea it is FIERCE!

I immediately texted my friend Katie to see if she wanted to step out an enjoy the beauty.  We stood at the harbour on which my small town sits, took a few snaps and went for a Saturday lunch out.  We talked about things God is doing in our lives.  Then we went for a short drive to the hills and we took more pictures.  We finished our adventure back in town with mugs of hot chocolate, with plenty of marshmallows of course.

On the hill with my town and the sea behind me.

I have spoken a bit about God's provision and faithfulness in recent posts and it is a motif often repeated in the Bible as well.  God is ever showing us His nature in the nature around us, in the relationships we have formed and especially through His Word.  He is the Creator, the Redeemer, and the Mighty One.  Psalm 147 gives a whole list of things that express the greatness of God.  Let us begin this new week the way David began this Psalm.  Let us praise Him!

Praise the LORD.

   How good it is to sing praises to our God,
   how pleasant and fitting to praise him!

 Psalm 147:1

This post is linked with the lovely folk at 

A Reason

Kevin just wanted to know why.  Why would we give tea and coffee for free to people at these odd hours of the night, why we wouldn't discriminate amongst the rowdy crowd from the club, and why we were so patient with folk who maybe had a little more to drink than maybe they had intended.  It was a thought so unbelievable that it kept him in deep conversation with me for hours while we talked and served.  People can't seem to get past the answer, that it is about love, pure and simple.  People assume there must be some catch.  My athiest friend who has been helping serve each week chimes in, "I've been with them for months and still haven't figured it out.  Trust them, it is that simple."

So now it is 5:30 am on Saturday morning and I am just getting into bed, after writing this of course.  My legs feel like the cold is coming from within and radiating out, which makes my blankets feel useless, but they will help block out the light soon enough which makes them important.  My body is aching and my brain is struggling to figure out how few words I can say this all in so I can go on and get to sleep.

Why do I do this?

Because He first loved me.  (I John 4)

It really is that simple.

The truth is that we don't need tea and coffee for this.  Just imagine how much our communities would change if we all started living our faith publicly by simply showing God's love indiscriminately.  We are talking about the transforming power of Christ here.  Just see what He can do through our willing and surrendered hearts.  I dare us all.

This post is linked with the lovely folk at 

A Story About a Dress and a Divine Appointment

"For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life."

2 Corinthians 2:15-16 

I was desperately looking for a dress for an upcoming event.  With only two weeks remaining, I had searched my small town and even spent a few hours going to all the shops in Waterford City.  Those who know me well know that this is some kind of torture.  I am definitely not a shopper.  My mom finds great humor in the fact that my flat is actually located on the top floor of our town's mall.  In recent years I have become more adept and can actually count a few times where I enjoyed the experience.  This has not been one of those times.  The main challenges have been time, budget, and difficult sizing.

So this week, when my Friday obligations were suddenly removed I decided to go to a mall in Cork.  Since the drive is one hour each way and I didn't come up with the plan until three in the afternoon, I knew time would be tight.  But upon walking into the centre, I felt the Lord say I would leave with my dress.  

The first shop I went into had some gorgeous high quality options, but they all cost up to two times more than my budget.  I asked a saleslady there which shops she would recommend considering this.  After an hour, I had been in every shop with no success.  I decided that if I were to spend more than planned it should at least be high quality so I began to head back to the first shop.  But the conflict about the prices came in my head and I turned to leave altogether.  Finally reminded by the the feeling of the Lord on my way in, I turned back around to the shop again.  Anybody watching me would have for sure wondered what this crazy girl was doing!

I saw the lady who had helped me before back by the fitting rooms so I told her about my shopping frustrations. She took me around the floor pulling dress after dress that might work before going with e to try them on.  It was then that I learned she had already clocked out.  She stayed and chimed in on each dress until I had found the perfect dress.  The ladies on shift stepped away for a moment and she came up to me, whispering.  "The ladies think we are friends so I can give you my employee discount of 25%." 

I was taken back and refused saying I couldn't possibly.  She looked to see if the girls were still out of ear shot.  This time she reached out and touched my arm.  She was trembling.  She said, "You're a Christian, right?"  I said yes.  She replied, "I have to do this.  Let me do this."     

I had not mentioned anything about God so I was a bit surprised.  Knowing many of the churches in Cork I quietly asked her which she attended, but she shook her head, hand still trembling said, "None.  I am a failed Christian." 

In my heart I begged God for the right words, none came so I didn't speak.  The other workers came back.  We bought the dress together, me using her discount.  I wrote my name and church on a paper with a pastor friend's church in Cork on the back.  She almost started to cry.  "That's where my ex-husband goes."  I mentioned some other churches, which she acknowledged as knowing personally, hands still trembling.  We walked out together.

I tried to thank her again and again, but she wouldn't have it.  I told her how she'd saved my life, but she acted like it was the other way around.  With nothing left to say we each turned to go our own ways.  She continued to tremble and then paused just before leaving to say.  "Wait, the final price almost even managed to fit your budget didn't it?"  Actually it had come two quid under budget.  

The scripture in Corinthians reminds us that no matter where we are or what we are doing, people will notice us.  Sometimes God just wants us to be there, living the life.  We carry the presence of God in us by the power of the Holy Spirit, this aroma of Christ that speaks to those in need.  Let us remember this, and move forward with the full confidence of Christ in us.  It is He who transforms lives.  We trust and obey.

This post is linked with the lovely folk at 

A Little Love Goes a Long Way

Today we stood in the middle of the shopping centre encouraging folk to participate in the Christmas shoeboxes with Team Hope.  We had pre-wrapped empty boxes to help make it even more convenient for those in these last days of the appeal to participate.  It was so touching to see people ask if they could actually have the bigger boxes since they wanted to pack more!  The thing is that every box represents one child who will have a Christmas gift who otherwise wouldn't.  Each box represents one child who will experience a moment of love.

Can you imagine these precious children in that moment, with a bold revelation of love?  To be in such a place of squalor and have someone stretching across continental borders, giving a piece of themselves just to say, "You are worthwhile and I love you."  The stories that come out of these moments tell of the transforming power of love.

Now imagine yourself.  He stretched across heavenly borders, giving all of Himself just to say "You are worthwhile and loved."  Does time slows a little?  "You are worthwhile and loved."  Can you see hope push out despair?  "You are worthwhile and loved."  It's overwhelming, isn't it?  "You are worthwhile and loved."  We are left transformed.

We can but bow in humble adoration for the One who is love itself.

Oh how He loves us!

This post is linked with the lovely folk at 

A Song for Sunday

I was at a conference recently where we sang this.  It had been so long since I'd heard it yet I instantly remembered it.  It is simple yet so powerful.  The melody was stuck in my head for weeks.  When it was sung at a meeting I attended last night, I knew I wanted to post it.  I love it and hope you do too.

This post is linked with the lovely folk at Spiritual Sundays!  God bless.

A Double Portion

The weeks that rest at the change from August to September here in Ireland are stained purple from the wealth of wild blackberries.  I was overjoyed to not miss the picking as I detailed here in a previous post.  Now, at the end of October those days are gone.  All that remains of the wild hedges are the dried nubs of a bounty spent, with just the odd berry remaining as a reminder such as I encountered on this day.  This is just the way nature works, and yet God surprises.

Saviour of the World

"So we lift up a shout for his fame and renown
Praise the Lord, Praise the Lord
Jesus, Saviour of the world..."