Some Twitter links

Besides the Joyce Meyer mentioned in my last post from yesterday, here's some other good Twitter feeds:

RELEVANT Magazine really useful links to their articles! Always realise what they publish through this Twitter site.

24-7 Prayer  Really one of the best besides Joyce and Relevant Magazine!

  

24-7 Prayer Alerts: Urgent calls to prayer from around the world. As news stories hit the headlines we get on our knees and pray grace, mercy, peace, justice and love. 

Pete Greig  International Prayer Champion. Founder and leader of 24-7 Prayer

Christine Caine  passionate advocate of truth, justice & peace.

Brian Heasley Has been changing lives and working miracles, praying for thousands of people with his team (and with his  family) in Ibiza, and driving people to their hotel or if needed hospital in what they call the "Vomit Van". All I can say is respect! Brian and his family are returning to the UK this summer. 

HTB Prayer 

 

 C.S Lewis (yes he tweets! ;))

 A W Tozer ( also still tweets! beyond the grave ya know!)

Bill Johnson

Worship Central 

So there's some for you! I recommend you get acquainted with Twitter. Facebook is so last decade! ;-) If you'd like to follow me/know my Twitter account drop me a message in the comment box.

Trust your gut

Another very much  read-worthy post from Kathy Escobar.

"really, it’s usually not about divisiveness; it’s about control. unhealthy systems will not tolerate any kind of pushback or challenge or questions.  healthy systems will."

I'm so allergic to these these days... Any community where I'm not allowed to ask questions or challenge. And it's not only problem with religious communities.. work places also. Or any communities. Joyce Meyer just posted this on Twitter yesterday:

"Just because people reject your opinions doesn’t mean they are rejecting you."

Just bcos I don't agree with your every opinion doesn't mean I'm not agreeing with your worth and value. (Ohh, to have people with healthy self-esteem..)


pushing parts of us down to stay part of the systems we are in is harmful. (*been there, done that*) hiding because our real selves, our real questions, will not be tolerated damages our soul. splitting off and pretending will drain us of hope over time."

our passions & gifts will continue to be squelched.  we will continue to give time & money to systems that don’t really care about us.   we will live with a subtle and sometimes overt shame that who we are is either too much or not enough. 


we can’t be free in a place that tells us we are less than because of our gender.  we can’t be free in a place that won’t tolerate our questions or doubts or pain or struggles.  we can’t be free in a place that only loves us when we are towing the line and following the rules.  we can’t be free in an environment that won’t engage in healthy conflict. we can’t be free when we are being controlled.

Healthy conflict people!! It's important!

when it comes to issues of oppression & unhealthy systems of power, we need to listen more to our gut.  we need to tune into our hearts and be more honest about what we are feeling.  we need to open our eyes to reality.


Been trying to learn to listen to my gut. 

Do read Kathy's whole post if it hits home with you at all. Joyce's Twitter feeds I find always encouraging! They're nice on my Twitter feed.

This is from another post by Kathy:

Instead, change in the church will come from not-so-well-behaved women who are willing to risk their pride, reputations, and “being liked” to stand for what God is stirring up in their hearts.

Change in the church will come when women who are called to lead, lead, even when others don’t think they can or should.

Change in the church will come when women refuse to squelch their gifts and begin to unleash them without asking for permission first.

Change in the church will come when women passionately follow Jesus, not systems-made-in-his-name-that-do-not-reflect-his-image.

Change in the church will come when women bravely use their voices, power, and any influence they have to inspire others to be brave, too.


But the Kingdom of God was never about easy. It was never about comfort. It was never about maintaining the status-quo. It was never about playing nice.

"Non of my life has gone the way I planned it"

This is awesome, do watch it.



"Shoeey didn't do anything to be in your family. She didn't  she didn't have a name, she didn't have any hope, but now she's yours and she has Your name, she has Your Inheritance, she has Hope. It's the same thing I've done for you by sending Jesus."

From marybethchapman.com

I'm ordering the book!!

Choosing to See.

Mother's day: getting personal

It is mother's day today. I read this and this post, and thought I'd post a few thoughts. First of all just a few things I am thankful for to my own mum.

1) I think I was read a bed time story every night until I went to school (at seven years in Finland) - maybe even after that. I treasure these times and they are part of my favourite childhood memories. (Also times at my grandparents house in the country and all those times playing in the woods..) I remember a lot of story telling. I preferred mum reading - she was better at it than my dad. Maybe she was present more, and more into the whole story-telling. But my love for books, reading and stories probably come from here. And I also remember hearing of some research that accounts development of intellect and doing well at school for bed times stories (or reading to kids). I totally think my doing well at school owes a lot to all the stories and reading! :D It was my favourite part of the day, and I think that is why I also still treasure bed times with kids - it is special and important to me. I feel I can give so much to a child at that moment, and it's a quiet quality time together. I've taken this tradition on. Most especially I did so with my little sister ( who is 12 years my junior) - and all the children I have looked after.

I think it is important every day to be present for a moment to/with your child.  Be present.

2) Big family. We spent Christmas together with all my mum's siblings, that is my aunts and uncles, and their respective families (I have 13 cousins) until I was 13 or 14. We were like one big family. I still feel from some of my cousins as if they were my siblings. And I feel like an auntie to their kids. They feel close to me, even if it has been awhile.


3) I got to be a princess when I was little. My mum valued (and still does) all things feminine and beautiful. So I've never had to deny this from myself. We always dressed up for parties. My mum usually had a party dress made for herself, and I often got the same one just smaller in size. I especially remember this yellow skirt and "blazer" of sorts that I had a mini-version off... You'd call that yellow fabric curtains these days.. hehe... But yes, we dressed up, looking nice was allowed. I learned that I was allowed to look beautiful and nice. Wear make-up if I wanted. I got to be a girl and a woman. I don't feel like I missed out on anything here (some friends have).

4) Friends are important. My mum has always had (girl) friends! And kept in touch with them. And also with our big family. Keeping in touch with people is important, outside your own family too.

5) I was encouraged to study and when I wanted to do so myself, go abroad. My mum never tried to make me stay in our small home town. Or to keep me there. I was allowed to leave.

Just a few things here...

I'm 31, and I don't have children of my own. But I don't feel like I have been left out on this motherhood thing at all. There has been plenty of mothering that I have gotten to do in my life. I'm thankful for that. I am so so glad I don't feel left out here! I have friends who have felt left out until they had their own kids. Thankful for the ways God has lead my life here. Partly I had to grow up early - but it's been all worth it, or well, just the way my life has been. I cannot imagine it any other way now. Or how I would have been without.

A few years ago one of my cousin's kids brought me a bouquest of flowers he had picked on mother's day. It was SO sweet. Broke my heart, in a good way :) I'll always remember, and treasure it. This same boy, when he was three (back in 2005), took me by the hand as we were going to a relative's wedding party, and said "I'm hungry" - then we searched for food :) we weren't that close then, and his parents were amazed that he trusted me like that, as he wasn't usually like that with people :)

God is Good and He loves us. 

PS. Also this mother's day, we went to visit my my grandmother's grave (mum wanted to). Always when I go there, I go and visit my brother's grave as well... how I still miss him. It is weird, nearly five years, and the missing is a tangible feeling. Still wishing he was here. Will this ever go away?