Goals and Dreams

The Intention of Moving Forward in Life.

What do you wish today about your life? If you could have anything you wanted, what would it be? Maybe your dream is misty valleys and snow-capped peaks, with no-one around for miles. Perhaps it’s a beach shack on the water’s edge. Your dream might be a better paying, or more fulfilling job. You might think to have a few dollars in the bank, is your idea of security from which an idyllic life will flow. Dreams are different for everyone, but they’re all achievable, if only we know the steps that get us there.

Generally, in life we long to be more than we are and we do that through discontent. If you’re discontent with your lot in life, you’re in a great place, because that will catapult you forward. Then if you keep breathing and keep going, set goals and keep working towards them, you will move forward and see those goals eventuate.

In life we’re either moving forwards or backwards. There is no middle line. We’re making money or we’re spending money, living a joyous life, or not. We have good relationships or bad. There’s very little in between.

If we want to move forward in life, we have to be intentional about it. It doesn’t just come to us. We have to strive with diligence and discipline. Single minded determination. Some of us might get lucky, but most of us have to work towards what we want to see, if we wish to improve our lives. Aim to be the best in your field and never stop learning. 

If you want good health and wellbeing, what are you doing about it? We can’t help the body we’re born with, but we can work towards being the best version of ourselves. And it’s going to take effort.

It takes effort to eat healthily, rather than grab the next takeaway. It takes effort to exercise. It’s much easier to play on the computer, watch tv, or just sit and stare out the window. Anything worth having, you have to fight for, so fight for your health. Your body is the only one you have. Take care of it.

Relationships transform lives. Good or bad. People who aren’t good for you, will tear at the fabric of your soul. Don’t stand for it. You’re worth more. Hang out with people who make you feel good about who are, positive people, people who will lovingly (not nastily) push you to help you reach your dreams and aspirations.

Stand up for yourself (as long as it’s safe to do so. If it isn’t safe – leave!). Don’t waste your valuable time with someone who doesn’t respect who you are. If you’re dating a condescending, verbally or physically abusive person, it’s time to move on. It’s not going to get any better the longer you stay. If you’re married, try taking steps towards improving that marriage. You can go to a councillor, or read books on how to improve your marriage. It will take work on both sides, but if you start, perhaps your spouse will work with you.

I don’t advocate divorce. I’d prefer you to cover as much area as you can to making the marriage work, but if it’s unsafe, or you know it can’t work, maybe it’s time to think about separation. Relationships are not easy and I’m not going to tell you the best way to navigate them. You will have to sort that one out for yourself, because we’re all different and we all handle different situations in a myriad of ways and I can’t tell you what the right way for you is, particularly as I haven’t met you.

Value your time. The more time we waste, the less we enjoy our lives. You think sitting on the beach is idyllic and it is, for a day or two, or a week or two, then it gets boring. You need to value your time. Sure, have your holiday and enjoy it, but once back in your environment, make that environment count for something.

Your vocation, what you do for a living, shouldn’t make you feel unworthy. Nor should it be detrimental to your health. You’re going to spend a lot of time at work, make sure you’re doing something you love. That doesn’t mean quit your job today. Perhaps you can find what you love to do, take the necessary courses to get into the field of your dreams and then apply for that position. It will take effort to work and study on the side, but the reward of spending every day doing what you love, will be well worth it.

Time and money equals freedom or constraint. Without time and without money, we’re constrained in what we can do and accomplish. With time and money, we have freedom. Freedom to choose where we want to live, the kind of holidays we’d like to go on, the type of car we drive, how much time we spend at work and how much free time we have. And it all comes by taking control of our finances and our time.

Every time you save a wasted minute, is a minute you have to work towards your freedom. In working towards that freedom, try reading books on investing. It’s not as hard as you think, nor does it take as much money as you think. Then, when you have a savings plan up and running, you’ll know where to invest your money and you won’t be muddling around trying to work it out. And you do need a savings plan. There are plenty of books around, which will teach you how to save and how to budget. 

What would you like to see yourself doing? What are your dreams, your desires? What do you need to do, in order to see those dreams come to fruition? Break down what you need, into manageable steps. Take the necessary steps in the direction you wish to head and each day, you’ll make a little more progress towards freedom. Do a little every day and have a plan in place for the days you don’t feel like it, for the days you don’t have time, or just those times where procrastination takes hold. If you have your plans in place, nothing can stop you.

And if you happen to fail, don’t quit. Dust yourself off and have another go, for you see, failure isn’t the end. Failure is the step you take before success. So don’t ever quit. Keep working towards your dream, your desire, your goal and don’t stop until you reach it.

Learn how to manage the 7 F’s in life: Faith, family, finance, fun, fitness, future, friends and to that I would add one more - occupation. When you have all these balanced, your life will be much simpler and much more joyous. Isn’t that what we want at the end of the day? A joyous and simple life, full of good health, family, friends, fun and laughter.

If there was one more thing I could add here, it would be to get your spiritual life in order. You can have everything you desire in life, but what’s the point of gaining the whole world only to lose your spirit in the process. For me, that means Jesus and I can say without a doubt, Jesus has pulled me through more scrapes than I could have ever got through on my own. On the trying and difficult days, I’m glad I was able to pray to My Lord and Saviour. If you don’t know Jesus, maybe it’s time to get to know Him. Don’t be fooled by substitutes. There are many ways to enlightenment, but the way, the truth and the life only comes through Jesus.

 

About the author:

Alexandra Grose – An investigative photojournalist and author for over twenty years. Writing is her passion and her dream and helping others achieve their dreams, through her written work, is Alexandra's greatest aspiration.

 

 

#Integrity; truthfulness, honesty and reliability, in all things.

I believe one should....be truthful in everything you say and do. Keep all relationships open and honest. Be reliable, punctual and organised and if you say you'll do it - do it.

If you want to soar like an eagle, make an effort, not an excuse.

 

alexandragrose@amazon.com

 

 

 

 

Rainbow of Promise

How do we know if we are ‘the righteousness of God?’ A person is not righteous, simply because (s)he knows what’s right. Knowing the will of God does not make us righteous either, it merely increases our responsibility towards doing what’s right.

It’s not enough that the person be seen as outwardly reverent, but also that the inward, spiritual condition (authority) is reverent. Those who have the outward markings of spirituality but not the inward, are not the righteousness of Christ.

You see, you can go to church every day, but if once you leave, you do all the wrong things, you won’t produce good fruit and the bible states: ‘We will know them by their fruit.’

Being a physical descendant of Jacob, does not guarantee the blessings of God. To guarantee the blessings of God, one needs to demonstrate the faith of Abraham. Only then shall you be entitled to the name Israel.

There are Israelites who have rejected Jesus and as such, are not considered members of His church. Israel, the triumphant of God, are not even considered His unless they can demonstrate the faith of Abraham.

The Jewish people came to Christ through centuries of cultivation, whereas the Gentiles came to Christ via a direct intervention from God. Both had a personal encounter which transformed their lives. 

Having no personal relationship with Christ and being at enmity with other professing Christians, means only a fraction of members can actually be called Christian’s, be they Gentiles or Israelites. And, just because you don’t obey the word of God, doesn’t mean the word of God to be of no effect. God’s word is always in effect, regardless of whether you believe it or not.

We need to be reading God’s word. We need to be making new converts. We should be able to show good fruit. Your personal fruit from your own efforts; good relationships, a strong financial position (not necessarily riches, but enough to be somewhat comfortable). You should have peace, joy, good health, contentment; these are all good fruits in life.

Some of us are born into poverty, some with a disability, or disease, but this shouldn’t stop us from living a fulfilled life. We are here to overcome the obstacles in life, the ones we are born with and the ones we create along the way.

Good fruit multiplies. You multiply when your seed produces fruit and that fruit produces more fruit and so on and that’s what we should be aiming to do; multiply.

Our heavenly book of remembrance, written about so long ago tends to be ignored. We can read how life was throughout the centuries, for early biblical nations. We can see what happened to those who followed God and those who didn’t. This is what the bible is for. It’s for you to read, to see outcomes and to follow the biblical guidelines. It is history; events backed up by truth and yet we neglect it.

So why is it so hard for us to believe in God and in His promises? It’s right there before us and yet our faith is weak. Mostly our lack of faith is because it’s a growth process and it takes as long as it takes. God has all eternity. There is no rush. For us though, it feels like time is limited and often we don’t take the time we need to study the word of God, especially when the results appear to be slow in coming.

We grow in faith, as we step out in faith and have good success. Whenever we don’t see that success, our faith weakens. To have success in our faith we need to fully understand just who we are in Christ. We only get that understanding, when we spend time with God (reading His word, talking to Him in prayer), otherwise it’s all hit and miss. Sometimes we have success, sometimes we don’t.

We need to build up our faith, to make ourselves strong in the Lord, to fully know we have all power and authority. If we don’t fully know the power and authority we hold, satan (Those of you who are use to my written work, know I refuse to capitalize this gnat’s name.) knows and when he sees we have no power, he’s not afraid of us. Therefor he doesn’t listen to us. We need to be strong in the Lord, if we’re going to undertake His commission and see good success.

What is His commission? To feed the hungry, heal the sick, cast out demons, raise the dead, make the lame walk, the deaf hear and the blind see. We are in a war and we’ve forgotten how to fight. We’ve forgotten who we are in Him. We’ve forgotten, because we’re not reading His word. We need to read his word, to take up the mantle of His office and to do the work He’s requiring of us, if we want to see good success.

The Kingdom works the same way now, as it did thousands of years ago. You can see it when you compare nations; those nations which follow Christ and those who don’t. The closer you get to God’s ways, the more He provides. The nations who struggle the most, financially, spiritually, relationally are the nations where Christianity is crushed, where the nations are ruled by dictators. And that’s what sets western religion apart.

No, not everyone from western nations are believer’s, but there’s enough of them to see the difference in God’s grace and mercy. Let the rainbow of God’s promises shine brightly in your life, for that is where the treasure of life is found. That’s where the abundance of God’s promises will bring forth the fruit you so desire.

 

About the author:

Alexandra Grose – An investigative photojournalist and author for over twenty years. Writing is her passion and her dream and helping others achieve their dreams, through her written work, is Alexandra's greatest aspiration.

 

 #Integrity; truthfulness, honesty and reliability, in all things.

I believe one should....be truthful in everything you say and do. Keep all relationships open and honest. Be reliable, punctual and organised and if you say you'll do it - do it.

If you want to soar like an eagle, make an effort, not an excuse.

 

alexandragrose@amazon.com

 

 

 

 

 

Why this representation of death?

Why this representation of death?

Do you ever wonder about Lot’s wife being turned into a pillar of salt? Why a pillar of salt? After all, as Christians we’re meant to be salt and light to the world. Not a pillar of salt, as a representation of death. There has to be something more to this passage, something I haven’t figured out yet. In Proverbs it says: It is to the glory of God to conceal a matter, but the glory of kings (that’s us) to search out a matter. I shall search out (ponder) on it.

And then, can you believe it…Guess what my bible study is about today? Meditate, percolate - ponder. This, right after I had that thought on pondering.

I love it when that happens. It’s as if God’s speaking directly to me.

And so, I continued to ponder as the day unfolded…

If you look at pictures of Sodom and Gomora in that particular region there is a salt pillar, which looks to be a weathered person standing as a sentry over the dry and barren landscape. A landscape that’s still devoid of life today. I wonder if it isn’t there to show ‘Truth’ to the people of the nations?

The retribution, so to speak, in the image of this story shows a visual representation of what happens when we don’t listen to God as Lot’s wife didn’t. A factual and visual reminder of what it is to be the salt and light of the world, where Lot survived as he listened to God and did as the Lord commanded and to the resulting death of Lot’s wife, who momentarily wistfully looked behind her, going against the word of God.

Maye our bible is the equivalent to the traditional stories of Aboriginal dream time and their elements of truth, sprinkled with enhanced storytelling. Explanations of long forgotten mythology and legend from centuries past. Reminders of our ancestors and their way of life. That’s not to say the word of God has been embellished, for His word is truth, every jot and tittle of it. The folklore there, for all the world to read about.

The legend in which Lot’s wife who didn’t follow the leading of the Lord, did actually turn into a pillar of salt and where ‘strangely enough,’ salt pillars are still a substance of the territory today and so the story is remembered and perpetuated; a folklore carried unto the end of time.

Coincidence? I think not.

And while the pillar of salt may have formed after a seismic event, such as an earthquake, a fissure opening up, or volcanic eruption with fire and brimstone, the result is the same in the region; desolation, death and destruction. Brought about by an act of God, the bible tells us.

The resulting end of the story shows us nothing has recovered. Thousands and thousands of years later the area is still arid, parched and lifeless with its salt sentry, a reminder to all the world of the wrath of God for generations to come.

 

Note: Image saved from free stock photos and used with permission.

 

About the author:

Alexandra Grose – An investigative photojournalist and author for over twenty years. Writing is her passion and her dream and helping others achieve their dreams, through her written work, is Alexandra's greatest aspiration.

 

 

#Integrity; truthfulness, honesty and reliability, in all things.

I believe one should....be truthful in everything you say and do. Keep all relationships open and honest. Be reliable, punctual and organised and if you say you'll do it - do it.

If you want to soar like an eagle, make an effort, not an excuse.

 

alexandragrose@amazon.com

 

 

 

The Truth Is In The Shadows

               The Truth Is In The Shadows,

           in the deep niches of our searching.

Before I start, I am going to assume you know about the biblical characters, Samson, the strong man, the warrior of Israel and Samuel the Hebrew Prophet. I’m not going to write their stories in this small work, but if you don’t know these two men, you might like to read about them before you begin.

The truth is in the shadows, in the deep niches of our searching. We don’t always see it. We don’t often hear it. But it is there, if only we’d dig into the unfathomable and yet profound word of God. For He will reveal the truth, if we search for Him with our whole heart.

I come to Samson and Samuel today. They are an allegory for life, a parable, if you will. Samson the strong man of God and Samuel a prophet of the Lord. Both men used by God, in their own distinct and individual way. In the same way we are distinct and individual and will be used by God, if we allow it.

Samson and Samuel; both men set aside for the Lord’s work and both with different stories to tell. One went astray and the other followed his divine path.

Although Samson’s mother was not named, the bible does introduce her as barren of children, and although Samson’s mother had not prayed for a child, still, an angel of the Lord appeared and told her she will have a son.

Samuel’s mother, Hannah, prayed for a son. She hadn’t been able to fall pregnant and so like Samson’s mother, was also barren until God answered her prayer. Hannah told the Lord, if He answered her prayer and gave her a son, when the time was right, she would give her son back to the Lord and she kept her word. Hanna took Samuel to the priests and gave him up to be raised by them. Thus, Samuel stayed in the house of the Lord, and there he learned to follow the ways of God.

One mother prayed for her child, the other didn’t. One dedicated the life of her child to the Lord, the other didn’t. Samson’s parents did ask how to raise the child well, but there was no talk of dedicating him to the Lord’s work.

Samson became worldly, giving in to temptation in many areas of life and he didn’t follow the advice of his parents. Instead, he went against his parent’s wishes, and headed down twisted and dead end paths, until he became a prisoner, blind and weak.

Samuel, raised in a church environment, didn’t leave it, nor did he go astray. He lived a holy life all his days.

One man went on to have many troubles. The other went on to do great things for God and although eventually Samson’s hair grew long again and he regained his strength, it was much later in life and only after a lot of hardship. It was only then that Samson was finally able to be used by God.

Eventually Samson remembered his teachings and his full power was returned to him. He ended up doing a great thing for God, in killing many Philistine’s, as he razed the temple pillars to the ground, upon not only the Philistine’s, but also upon himself, dying in his last act. The sad part is, he could have been like Samuel, had he not strayed. He could have been doing great things for God his whole life, instead of going through years of hardship.

Now while this is the story of many of us, those who stray and those who stay, it also shows us, it’s never too late to turn back and do a great work for God.

Satan can’t penetrate a heart that’s saturated by scripture and fortified by faith. It’s in the battles of life, where you realize whether or not you’ve nurtured or neglected your faith. Your faith is constantly under attack. Your faith can only sustain you, for as long as you feed it. If your faith becomes weak, it’s often because it hasn’t been properly fed. It’s prayer and scripture which strengthen faith. Spending time with God and in God’s word, never fails to increase our belief in our great and wonderful God.

Samson neglected his faith. He didn’t spend time in church. Instead, he spent his time labouring in worldly ways. He drank and womanised, spent time in poor company, while behaving badly. Samuel on the other hand, stayed the course, remained in God’s house, constantly going about God’s work. If we want a victorious life, we should never neglect this important aspect of the story; stray and wander out of place and into hardship, or stay and receive the many blessings of God.

Does this story guarantee you a trouble-free life? If you follow the Lord, will you get the end of your life’s journey unscathed? No. This is a fallen world and Jesus said; in this world you will have trouble. We don’t need help it along though, or make it any worse through poor thoughts, poor choices and poor actions.

And if you wish to raise righteous children, perhaps you might consider these things; to raise your children in the bosom of the Lord, to dedicate them to the Lord’s work, that they may not stray, but live a life of joyful servitude to the One True God. Perhaps that’s a noble pursuit.

God knows, in this day and age, we must try to keep our faith at all costs, for evil awaits in the darkness, for the one who is not vigilant. The times are evil my friends. Be counted as one who waits on the Lord. Raise your family in God’s house. Encourage your friends to come along, for although we know not when the time is come, we do know this; the time is short.

About the author:

Alexandra Grose – An investigative photojournalist and author for over twenty years. Writing is her passion and her dream and helping others achieve their dreams, through her written work, is Alexandra's greatest aspiration.

#Integrity; truthfulness, honesty and reliability, in all things.

I believe one should....be truthful in everything you say and do. Keep all relationships open and honest. Be reliable, punctual and organised and if you say you'll do it - do it.

If you want to soar like an eagle, make an effort, not an excuse.

alexandragrose@amazon.com

Revelation Of The Cross

There’s roughly 10 inches between the heart and the mind. If you align your heart with your mind and if you align your left brain and your right, what do you get? The Cross. What does The Cross bring to your life? Salvation and revelation. Why is that important? The Cross is the perfect alignment to life.

The full potential of our abilities is achieved when all parts interact (mind, body and spirit) and it's just as easy for me to state I’m right, as it is for you to state I’m wrong. Pride blinds the arrogant and until you have revelation and illumination, you're never going to see the light.

You can’t have a moral state, without a moral compass. A moral state without a moral compass, is just your own perception of morality. There are some incredibly evil people in the world, who believe their own world views are right. Take Stalin and Hitler, for example. Their moral compass was skewed. They thought their ideals were correct. Although Hitler considered becoming a priest at one point, he later rejected the notion and Stalin rebelled early on against religion. Both men thought their ideas correct. Both men used their own moral compass.

Do you think if these men knew to; “Love your neighbour as yourself,” they would have tortured and killed so many? In using their own moral compass, they’ve both gone down as two of the most despised men in written history.

The bible is the moral compass. When one abdicates the moral compass of the bible, there is no other compass, except that which we conclude is our own, with no ‘thing’ to back it up. It’s then just our own idea of what we believe to be morally right. Just as Stalin and Hitler were wrong, so too could our lack of moral compass lead us down a wrong path.

When using mind, body and spirit, intuition is brought forth. Intuition is behind the ability to perceive. At times, thinking requires an element of intuition to be accurate. You believe your own thoughts guide you to truth and you build that truth without any consideration to the real truth, the moral compass of the written word: The Bible. In essence, you lack the ability to see clearly because, you only see from your point of view.

Common agreement is often based on logic, not truth, however, using all your faculties (i.e.: mind, body and spirit) directs the brain to a faster solution, even if you've touched on truth with logic. That's why younger people are often more intuitive and less trapped by their beliefs, than older people. Young people are more open to learning new ideas. Their mind isn’t constrained by reason, but includes a great imagination. They aren’t stifled by the constraints of the norm and freely daydream about what can be.

Pursue understanding. Read what you don't know. Constantly seek new information and apply what you’ve learned and do what you already know. The combination of learning and applying will develop your perception and this is how you achieve anything you want in life.

When I first learnt share trading it was like reading a new language. It took hours and hours of study, before I understood the finer points of trading. It took just as many hours of searching the charts, until I found a share which fit the bill. Now I can look in a few minutes and see exactly what I’m looking for.

Initially learning is hard, but it gets easier and faster with practice - that's how you become good at something. You've reached a state of harmony, in whatever field you’ve chosen and automation has taken place.

Like learning to drive a car. At first, you’re clumsy in changing gears. And driving a straight line – forget it. When automation takes place, you’ll notice things have become smoother and without effort, or thinking. Once what you’re doing is less of a struggle to understand, then you'll have good success. Particularly if you use a moral compass that isn’t skewed by your own thoughts.

Most people are too afraid to step out and be different. Most like to follow the crowd, working the 9-5 and hating it, living far from God and the meaning of life and they won't even try to change. The revelation of The Cross will bring new life, if only we seek to discover it. Study, learn, seek, apply and you can change your life. I know, because I’ve done it.

 

About the author:

Alexandra Grose – An investigative photojournalist and author for over twenty years. Writing is her passion and her dream and helping others achieve their dreams, through her written work, is Alexandra's greatest aspiration.

 

#Integrity; truthfulness, honesty and reliability, in all things.

I believe one should....be truthful in everything you say and do. Keep all relationships open and honest. Be reliable, punctual and organised and if you say you'll do it - do it.

If you want to soar like an eagle, make an effort, not an excuse.

 

alexandragrose@amazon.com

 

 

 

 

Our Personal Pathway Through Cancer.

 

Our Personal Pathway Through Cancer.

While I’m still awaiting an answer for one particular prayer, I haven’t lost a battle yet, when I’ve taken it up in prayer. Some battles just take longer to win than others.

Some of you have heard this story. A couple of you were galivanting the globe, when I gave my testimony on my husband’s cancer. One of you is fighting cancer today and this is for you. I’m praying for you too. But also, for all of you who are praying for healing or breakthrough, this serves as a reminder of what God can do, to bring you hope and courage that God does answer prayer.

John had a tumour removed from his abdomen a number of years ago. Apparently, it was the size of a football. After removal, a 6-month check-up showed it hadn’t regrown, but nodules had appeared on John’s scans, in the area of his lungs. As a reformed smoker and someone who’d worked with asbestos, John wasn’t surprised to hear this.

At that time I said to John; “No! We’ve been through cancer and beat it. I’m not accepting this. I’ll pray they dissipate and disappear.”

6 months later and the next check-up showed these nodules hadn’t grown, but had remained the same. I said to John; “God’s good. They’re no worse, but I’m still praying they dissipate and disappear.”

6 months later and yet again another check-up and the doctor said; “These nodules appear to have shrunk” and 6 months after that, they were gone.

The check-ups went from 6-monthly to 2 yearly. 2 years later, no more cancer. 2 years after that, no more cancer. Just this past Monday, again 2 years on and the doctor says; “You’re all clear. I won’t need to see you again.”

Praise God! A journey of almost 11 years and now cancer free.

John’s an atheist. John wasn’t healed because of his faith in God. John was healed because of my faith in God. Because God hears the cry of His people. Because I know God’s name, when I call to Him, He will answer me. It says so, in Psalm 91.

There are many reasons for taking communion, but in taking of the bread and the blood, there is healing, strength and protection. It’s the reason why the Israelites, young and old, were all able bodied when they left Egypt. Their journey took 40 years.

It doesn’t matter how long the journey takes, if you’ve prayed for it, God will work behind the scenes and bring it forth. If it doesn’t come to pass, it’s because God has something even better in mind for you. So, pray, let go and let God. Dig deep and trust that He will work to deliver the best He has for you.

As we partake in communion, we’re reminding ourselves of that strength, protection and healing, which Jesus gave at such a great price. He told the disciples to eat of His body and drink of His blood, and do it often in His name, in remembrance of Him.

And so, let’s eat and drink today, remembering the sacrifice Jesus gave, with faith, thanksgiving and praise.

Just a small and deeply personal story of what God can do, if only we believe.

 

About the author:

Alexandra Grose – An investigative photojournalist and author for over twenty years. Writing is her passion and her dream and helping others achieve their dreams, through her written work, is Alexandra's greatest aspiration.

 

 

#Integrity; truthfulness, honesty and reliability, in all things.

I believe one should....be truthful in everything you say and do. Keep all relationships open and honest. Be reliable, punctual and organised and if you say you'll do it - do it.

If you want to soar like an eagle, make an effort, not an excuse.

 

alexandragrose@amazon.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Overcoming The Attack Of The Devil

        Overcoming The Attack Of The Devil

My friend was mowing her lawn, trying to beat the diminishing evening light. Possibly we might all know the feeling of trying to beat the setting sun when gardening, or doing some other thing outdoors.  

The mower belt broke on the ride-on and my friend didn’t get to complete the task. How annoying is that, for the belt to break and not finish the job? It’s now become a blocked goal: You see, you wanted to mow and couldn’t. Sometimes blocked goals can make us angry. Sometimes we have to work on staying in peace. We should remain peaceful during the storms of life and not get upset. The reason being to resist the devil.

The devil, a coiled serpent waiting to strike the unwary, is like a battering ram, consistently coming at you to stop you from achieving your goals. He’s especially consistent when it comes to listening to great Christian speakers, or reading our bibles.

Another way the devil will stop you attaining your goals is, by keeping you distracted. Either way, we don’t finish what we started and at times we don’t even get started. During times such as this, we need to remember; satan (I refuse to capitalise his name) has power, but no authority, however we have all power and authority. That means we’re stronger than the devil, believe or not.

Sometimes, though, we get tired of the battering ram, striking and hammering and beating at us, time and time again and eventually this causes us to cave in. This allows the devil a foothold into our situation and every time we allow a foothold, the devil is strengthened in our lives.

The way to beat the devil at his own game is to over-ride our feelings and listen to the message anyway, to read our bible anyway. No matter what we have caved in to, we can beat the devil by over-riding our feelings and doing what’s right, before God.

There's no separation between God's power and God's word. If you want His power to work in your life, you have to be reading His word. We have to do what we know to be right, to be seen doing what we should be doing, if we want to overcome the devil.

There are voices in our head (so yeah, we can all appear a little crazy at times) and once we understand the other voices in our head (the one’s besides God, which speak to us), then we can know who’s doing the talking and it becomes easier to differentiate between our own voice, satan’s voice and the voice of our precious Lord God.  

Often, when it’s satan talking, I’ll tell him; “Go away, you gnat. You’re less than a flee and I’m not listening.” He’s pretty cowardly and easily put off. He almost always goes away immediately.

I heard someone say recently, that feelings are schizophrenic…all over the place. And it’s true. Feelings are fickle. One moment we feel great, the next, we’re in a heap on the floor. And the devil plays a big part in that. He doesn’t want us walking with God and will try every trick he can to stop us.

Demons don’t die. They’re always looking for a body to rest upon. They’re deceitful and lie to you all the time, about everything. And you’ll know it’s a demon, because a demon, who’s also known as the accuser, will accuse. Demons accuse you and tell you; you’re so stupid, you can’t do this, what an idiot you are. You can’t, you’re stupid, you’re an idiot. All the words satan and his demonic cohorts will use, to accuse you.

Your own voice will tell you; I’m so stupid, I can’t do this, what an idiot I am. You aren’t helping the situation, with this kind of self-talk.

God will tell you; come on, you got this My beloved and what you can’t do, I’ll do for you. God’s voice is a gentle whisper, a fleeting word in the deep recess of your mind, one you could almost ignore. The one you pretty well fob off on occasion, it’s so quiet and unobtrusive. It’s a voice of gentle reason and love, not harsh and condemning.

When you hear the ‘I can’t/you can’t,’ you can say; “Get lost hairy legs, you gnat. You’re smaller than a flea and I’m not listening.” Then go against your feelings and do what you know to be right. You’ll know what that is too, because the Holy Spirit will give you a nudge. That still small voice of God will lead you in the right direction.

When you die to self (i.e.: to your feelings), satan can’t work in you anymore. And that’s what Jesus wants from us, to die to self and follow Him. It’s in His power and His authority which He gave us, that all things are possible.

So, we give thanks today; for His sacrifice, for His blood, for His love, for His healing power, His courage, His strength, His comfort, His provision, His protection and we remember Him at this time, offering praise and thanksgiving. We do this also, while partaking of the Holy Communion. Eat. Drink. Praise God.

 

About the author:

Alexandra Grose – An investigative photojournalist and author for over twenty years. Writing is her passion and her dream and helping others achieve their dreams, through her written work, is Alexandra's greatest aspiration.

 

 

#Integrity; truthfulness, honesty and reliability, in all things.

I believe one should....be truthful in everything you say and do. Keep all relationships open and honest. Be reliable, punctual and organised and if you say you'll do it - do it.

If you want to soar like an eagle, make an effort, not an excuse.

 

alexandragrose@amazon.com

 

 

 

 

Back in the Day.

Back in the day, we went to visit the in-laws. Then it was a thirteen hour drive. Now, with improvements to the roads, it’s only about ten hours. At this time, I was a recently new believer.

For the well-seasoned Christion, you may remember when you first started going to church, every prayer seemed to get answered in a way you’d like to see it. I think that’s to encourage new believers that God’s real, that He hears you and that He does answer prayers. As you mature, you find you might have to wait, or you get a ‘no’ from God, but in those early days it seemed like everything I prayed for I received.

So, it was early days in my prayer life. We were heading back from my husband’s parents: John, myself and our two girls. I’d prayed for a safe trip. The roads weren’t as good then. Colossal trees touched almost right to the line of the bitumen, with no safe emergency stopping lanes and very few rest areas.

I remember an earlier period while in a Western Star truck, getting out of the semi. I had to exit from the driver’s side, because the trees were so close to the road, I couldn’t open the passenger side door.

It was still dark, 4 or 5 in the morning. My husband had spent the day unloading and re-loading the truck, then went straight into driving, heading back to Sydney, from Brisbane. Thankfully truck drivers aren’t allowed to work this way now, but that’s how it was in the 90’s. John was tired and needed a sleep, so he hopped in the bunk and the girls and I got out and went to the garage for an ice cream, just to give him half an hour.

There were two men across the road, waiting by the garage for a lift to work, I assumed. Wearing their reflective vests with lunch bags by their feet, they watched me get out of the driver’s side of a ‘big rig,’ lifting a baby in nappies and a toddler out of the truck as I went. The surprised look on their faces spoke volumes as to what they were thinking. I never enlightened them either, it wasn’t me driving, but I can just imagine the story they told at work that morning.

Anyway, back to my story: I was driving home. We were in the car this time. It was 2 in the morning and pitch black. No moon, or stars. I was doing the speed limit, which was 100k’s, when both headlights blew in the car at the same time. Headlights aren’t supposed to ‘blow’ together. They’re on two separate relays so that doesn’t happen, or so I’ve been told.

Thanks to those trees, right up to the road, there was nowhere to get off the road. I’m doing 100k’s and suddenly, I can’t see a thing. With John’s quick thinking and experience, he hit the four-way button, which gave me a little light, as I pulled up to a stop in the middle of the road.

There’s a semi coming towards us. I don’t know what the driver thought. He slowed a little, but he didn’t stop. God’s so good. As soon as the truck had gone passed, I looked to my right and there was a parking bay, right there where I’d stopped, out of all the places on that long stretch of mostly deserted road.

We turned into the bay, John replaced fuses and away we went. At that time, I remember asking God why both headlights blew, when I’d prayed for a safe trip. He showed me a vision (it was one of the first times I’d ever had a vision), of a truck coming around a bend on the wrong side of the road and I understood God was showing me, because both the headlights blew, we weren’t in the path of this truck and therefor missed a head on collision.

Praise God! I knew then, God will always keep me safe. That’s why, if we get turned around or delayed on a road trip, I don’t ever complain. You just never know what it’s saving you from.

 

About the author:

Alexandra Grose – An investigative photojournalist and author for over twenty years. Writing is her passion and her dream and helping others achieve their dreams, through her written work, is Alexandra's greatest aspiration.

 

 

#Integrity; truthfulness, honesty and reliability, in all things.

I believe one should....be truthful in everything you say and do. Keep all relationships open and honest. Be reliable, punctual and organised and if you say you'll do it - do it.

If you want to soar like an eagle, make an effort, not an excuse.

 

alexandragrose@amazon.com

 

 

 

Healing from Trauma

Healing from Trauma

Trauma is something negative which happens to us, that’s beyond our control. There are many and varied types of trauma. A traumatic experience can be felt as having happened just yesterday, although years may have passed. Even though many years may have passed, memories of a trauma can still bring tears to your eyes today.

Trauma comes in all types and sizes. Some are big, some small, some through physical trauma, some emotional. Some trauma comes through loved ones, some through loss. There is a myriad of ways for a person to feel the effects of trauma and each situation is unique to each person.

As a Christian, we can pray to release and remove trauma, not only from our own lives, but the lives of others also. We don’t have to be near the person, either. We can pray from wherever we are, even if we’re at a distance. We pray for the trauma to be removed, the shock to be removed and the Lord to come and heal the person.

There’s no time frame. Whether the trauma happened yesterday or thirty years ago, we can still pray for healing right at this moment.

For those of us who are old enough to remember 9/11 and the consistent barrage on the tv, over and over again from our living room, it’s still a vivid memory, even today. We all remember exactly where we were when that event took place and we remember it like it’s yesterday, even though it’s been over 20 years.

Children see death in their living rooms and in their bedrooms, as they connect to the internet. Some say we are desensitized to the trauma of death, but it’s still there, lingering and hidden in the dark recesses of our mind.

Demonic activity is very real to a child and very traumatic, as they dream dreams. Demonic activity can halt the child from pursuing the prophetic, as the fear they feel stops them from taking steps to develop in that area.

Even in the womb, a child may register trauma after another event, in which the trauma entered earlier in the piece, even before the child was conceived. For there is power, not only in the blood of Jesus, but also in our own DNA. Our genes carry trauma and it’s passed on to the baby within.

God said to Cain, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood cries out to Me from the ground.” (Genesis 4:9) Blood speaks. The land cries out, after a traumatic battle, where people have been injured and killed. All creation is groaning, as it waits for us to walk in the dominion mandate that God’s called us to.

Often, we feel like a victim and we need to lose that victim mentality. We are to ‘loose’ certain things in our lives (... and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven Matt 18:18). Put on the armour of God and walk in victory. Is it easy? Not always. We all have trauma. And what’s easy for one person to get over, isn’t necessarily easy for the person standing beside them.

We grow in our difficulties. Difficulties aren’t always a bad thing, though none of us would wish for them. We grow through our difficulties, become more compassionate towards others and then we help others to grow through their difficulties.

Difficulties are a part of this fallen world and we all endure them, at some point in our lives. We learn to manage our difficulties and just as a child will fall many times when learning to walk, a fall doesn’t stop them trying. We too, have to keep trying to overcome our difficulties and not let them beat us.

If you’re unsure about a previous trauma, if you can’t quite remember where it came from, you can pray for clarity on the issue and pray for the trauma to be removed. You can speak to the body, that the body only receives that which will help.

Speak peace, not rejection, particularly when new organs and replacements parts have been introduced, through operations. The body has been through a trauma after having an operation, no matter how small the operation appears to be.

Illness is the same. It’s a trauma, an affront to the senses. If a heart attack has happened, you can pray to remove the trauma around that heart attack and around the body, after the heart attack.

If you’ve been betrayed, you can pray for removal of the trauma associated with the betrayal.

Also, whenever you grieve, allow yourself that time. God never said not to grieve, after all, Jesus wept when Lazarus died. Tears help release trauma and stop the build-up of toxins, which happen due to unresolved trauma. Allow yourself whatever time it takes to heal and don’t let anyone tell you, it’s time to get over it. We all grieve for different lengths of time and it’s not up to other people, to tell us how long we ‘should’ grieve.

Sometimes we make inner vows. You know the ones, the one’s where you say: "I’ll never do that,” or “I’ll never allow that to happen in my family.” These inner vows can at times be deeply rooted in culture, community and nation. If you find you can’t keep that inner vow, release yourself from it and the grief associated with it. Allow God to minister to your heart.

Criticism can be another area of trauma and it isn’t going to help the situation to criticize self or others. Don’t fall into criticism. Criticism is what’s known as ‘bad fruit.’ As Christians, we’re meant to display good fruit. Criticism isn’t one of these. Instead of falling into criticism, try to do the opposite. Show praise and love and watch where that takes you. Your own self talk, can help or hinder your situation.

If you’re feeling guilt and shame, release the guilt and the shame, and ask forgiveness. If you’ve done wrong, ask for forgiveness and accept that Jesus forgives us. We’re not to move into condemnation, for there is no condemnation in Christ (Romans 8:1), but to ask forgiveness, repent and let the offence go.

We all make mistakes in life. None of us are immune to them. There’s a difference between guilt and shame. Guilt acknowledges I made a mistake. Shame states; ‘I am a mistake.’

God never makes a mistake. You’re here because He chose you. If you’ve made a mistake, repent and ask His forgiveness. If you feel you are a mistake, read passages in the bible about how much He loves you, for He loves you enormously. He knows your faults and He loves you anyway. He also knows you want to be free of your faults and He will work with you on the matter.

We brand ourselves, often saying I’m too…… (weak, stupid, scared, poor, a failure, whatever it might be) and we need to remove those brands. If we can remember Jesus is our brand and through Jesus, anything is possible, we can let go of our pain.

Whenever you or anyone you know is in trauma, we as Christians can minister to people in a way the world can’t, because we have Jesus. If you don’t know what to do, or what to say to someone, refer them to someone who does. Don’t leave them standing alone in their pain. Bring them alongside someone who knows what to do.

Begin to look at life through the eyes of Jesus. He doesn’t see us as a failure, or weak, or in any way as negative. He sees us as loved, protected, valued, nurtured, cared for. He sees us as His victorious sons and daughters. If we keep our eyes on Jesus, if we remember we are His and through Him anything is possible, it gives us hope for a brighter future. As long as we keep working towards that future, we’ll see it come to pass.

God’s looking for people who say: “It stops with me,” particularly if the issue is generational. One thing the devil hates, is when we believe Jesus and come to the conclusion; we are not victims. We might have been once, but no more, because it stops here. We’ve been through the worst and survived. What happened in the past can’t hurt us any further. Not now, not ever. Allowed God to heal the trauma and become whole again.

God used broken people in the bible. He didn’t wait for the men and women of the bible to have it all together. Gideon was afraid. Moses had a speech problem. Elijah was suicidal. Samson, a flawed man, a man full of pride. Peter too, with his impetuous, quick temper. Rahab was a prostitute. Paul, a Christian killer and yet God used him mightily. Don’t think because you’re a broken person, you can’t help others. It starts with you, casting away the victim mentality and taking on the victorious nature of Christ.

Pray for yourself. Pray for others. Pray for resilience and restoration, for coping skills and clarity, for peace and not rejection. Pray for release and forgiveness, for no condemnation, for healing, cleansing and knowledge. Trust God in the process.

God can step through the window of healing at any time and heal past and present trauma. That’s what I love about God. You don’t have to wait until He’s free. You don’t have to make an appointment. Just pray. Invite Him into your pain. He won’t force His way. Invite God to come and set you free from the pain and trauma you’re feeling.

If you are praying for others, remember memories gather and congeal over time. Perhaps we should think about ministering to ourselves, after helping another through their trauma. If you feel you need it, talk to a close and trustworthy friend, or minister. Ask them to pray with you and for you, if you feel in any way, you can’t do this on your own. That’s what church is all about. Church is full of broken people, at various stages of mending and we all help one another. So get in that prayer line, if you think it will benefit. In fact, get in that prayer line anyway. You might just be surprised at what it can do for you.

*Biblical quotes from Holy Bible NJKV

 

About the author:

Alexandra Grose – An investigative photojournalist and author for over twenty years. Writing is her passion and her dream and helping others achieve their dreams, through her written work, is Alexandra's greatest aspiration.

 

 

#Integrity; truthfulness, honesty and reliability, in all things.

I believe one should....be truthful in everything you say and do. Keep all relationships open and honest. Be reliable, punctual and organised and if you say you'll do it - do it.

If you want to soar like an eagle, make an effort, not an excuse.

 

alexandragrose@amazon.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

Adversity: Bringing beauty from the ashes.

                                Adversity:

           Bringing beauty from the ashes.

Just as the waratah blooms more profusely after the adversity of fire, so too do our lives blossom, after going through the adversity of heartache and tragedy.

God gives us hope, help, peace, healing and freedom. He gives this to His precious and righteous people.

Some see God as a controllable God – if I do this, God will do that, until one realises, we can’t be good enough, can’t be careful enough. Until we realise, we need someone to arbitrate on our behalf.

WAIF: witness, advocate, intercessor, friend. This is the One who arbitrates for us.

We go from cognitive (understanding in our head), to obedience (even if we don’t see the results straight away), to knowledge of God (rooted deeply into our heart), but only if we stick it out in the hard times and not quit.

Calamity is not His plan for us, but because we live in a broken world, we will experience it and this is what brings the ashes into our lives.

Water mixed with ashes, becomes toxic (scientific fact – it causes a chemical reaction called lye, which is caustic). This is why we can’t sit in our ashes and cry. It’s detrimental to our health. God gives us the choice. He won’t over-ride our will to choose. We however, need to choose wisely for our own health, to reduce or remove the toxicity in our lives.

We can choose to sit in the ashes of our life, or we can choose to raise ourselves up and out of those ashes.

Those ashes cause us to be more compassionate. They teach us to forgive ourselves and others, to love ourselves and others. We grow through moments of unease and discouragement, as we learn to better deal with adversity. Ashes are important, in making us who we are, but we aren’t to stay in them.

In our woundedness we hurt others. We pursue healing, so we can heal and once we’ve healed, we can help others heal also.

Suffering is a necessary calling which helps develop in us, who we are destined to be. To move past our suffering, we need to invite Jesus into our pain and sorrow and proclaim the favour of God.

Precious is the man who perseveres during his trial, but sometimes there are parts of our heart that are closed to Jesus. This is why the bible says in Rev 3:20 “Behold I stand at the door and knock.” This is for the believer, so we can open the closed doors in our heart.

Allow God to administer to the jagged edges of the trauma and He will take those jagged edges and smooth them out, easing the pain and hurt in our life.

About the author:

Alexandra Grose – An investigative photojournalist and author for over twenty years. Writing is her passion and her dream and helping others achieve their dreams, through her written work, is Alexandra's greatest aspiration.

#Integrity; truthfulness, honesty and reliability, in all things.

I believe one should....be truthful in everything you say and do. Keep all relationships open and honest. Be reliable, punctual and organised and if you say you'll do it - do it.

If you want to soar like an eagle, make an effort, not an excuse.

alexandragrose@amazon.com

Hang In There, Until You Achieve The Dream.

Hang in there, until you achieve the dream.

Some of us have never been taught goal setting, or positive thinking. We just muddle along, hoping, one day things will fall into place. We don’t know to set our intention, or how to work towards that intention. But that’s about to change, because I’m here to tell you…

People who set goals and write them down are much more likely to accomplish those goals, than people who don’t. Also, you don’t have to know everything before your start, you just need to start and a poor plan is still better than no plan. As you gain knowledge and experience, you can modify your plan. We all struggle and stumble along, until we learn what we need to know. Only then do we move another step closer to our desires.

We want to capture all the colours of life and we can only do that, as we live the life of our dreams. Life shouldn’t be about long hours at a job we dislike, coming home to more work, as we try to maintain our home. There has to be some fun along the way.

It’s important to realise, we all have something we’re good at, although some of us haven’t discovered their gift yet. Just because you haven’t worked out what it is, doesn’t mean you don’t have a gift. Think about what you enjoy, what you’d do, even if you didn’t get paid for it. If you don’t know what your gifting is, that’s a place to start.

If you’re not great at what it is you love to do, give it some time. We all improve over time, if we work at it. Learn, and keep learning, until you become the best in your field, at your chosen goal.

Speaking of work, don’t work so hard, you forget who’s important in your life. Don’t be so driven you neglect the people who helped and supported you at the start. It’s so easy to get caught up in the busyness of it all. Take time to enjoy those who matter, as you work towards your dream.

Yes, there’s a chance that you might fail and when you do, you’ll think you’re the only one. Know this – you are not the only one who’s failed and fallen. Don’t let discouragement stop you from trying again. And don’t think, once you’re down, you’ll never get back on top. Dust yourself off and have another crack at it. We all learn. We all make mistakes. Grow through them and next time, you’ll be better prepared.

One day, when you finally make it, you’ll realise how strong you are. You continued, in spite of the obstacles which got in your way. You continued in spite of the setbacks that came along. It may have taken months, it may have taken years, but you didn’t quit…and that makes you a winner.

About the author:

Alexandra Grose – An investigative photojournalist and author for over twenty years. Writing is her passion and her dream and helping others achieve their dreams, through her written work, is Alexandra's greatest aspiration.

#Integrity; truthfulness, honesty and reliability, in all things.

I believe one should....be truthful in everything you say and do. Keep all relationships open and honest. Be reliable, punctual and organised and if you say you'll do it - do it.

If you want to soar like an eagle, make an effort, not an excuse.

alexandragrose@amazon.com

Believe in Yourself.

It’s imperative that we believe in ourselves.

One of the most important things in life, which you can do for yourself, is to believe in yourself. If you don’t believe in you, who will? If you don’t believe in you, how can you use your God given gifts to succeed? If you don’t believe you can succeed, chances are, you won’t.

How do you develop a belief in yourself, when that belief is just not there? Learn! Learn to be the best at what you do and you will become the best. Practice and keep practising. Get yourself a mentor, who will guide you, and push you if needs be and one day, you’ll be proud of your efforts.

Most of us don’t utilise our time wisely and we believe we don’t have the time to spend developing ourselves to be the best we can be. But I’ve got news for you: You can find the time.

My challenge to you is; what can you change, cut out, or increase, to develop your skills? I’m sure if you think about it, you’ll find areas you can improve on. You see, we can all do better. Even if we’re doing well, we can still do better.

If you think about it, you could get up earlier, go to bed later, watch less T.V., spend less time on chat sites, Twitter and Facebook and the like. You can plan your shopping and menus so you’re more organised, going into town less frequently. You can write lists of things that need doing, so you don’t make excuses for not getting them done. Stop that procrastination.

You see, for every minute you save, you have a minute more to work on being the best you can be, a minute more for working towards the life you dream about.

If you don’t have money to pursue your dream, what can you do to earn more? What areas can you save money on, to help you in this? There are plenty of books on the topic, so go for it. This isn’t to say it will be easy. Anything worthwhile, if it’s big enough, is never easy. But if you don’t even start, how are you going to get where you want to be?

I love to write. For a long time, I raised my family and wrote when I could. I worked and wrote when I could. I studied writing, continually improving my craft over the years. I read how others succeeded at writing. I set a word count and wrote to that count, almost every day and still do.

Writing is what I love to do and I had to make it a priority to write, even as I raised children and worked. Even as I ran a household and cooked meals and exercised and did my bible study and went to church and helped others achieve their dreams (for it’s important to bring others with you). Even as I did all this, I still made sure to fill my daily word count quota. With all the study I did, on how others became successful writers, I knew, if I wanted to realise my dream, I had to write. If you want it badly enough, you’ll find the time to make it happen.

Maybe you love singing, or horse riding, or playing cricket. Whatever it is, make it a priority and you will learn, gain experience and grow and in time, you too can be the best at what you do.

I started with no belief in myself. I was broke, overweight, and unhealthy. I didn’t enjoy my job. I cleaned motels for a living. (Some people really enjoy that job, however, I didn’t.) I had so little confidence in myself, so little belief that I could do anything, I never ventured to try anything new.

One day, as a severe depression had long since taken hold, I was given a little book called: Feel the Fear and do it Anyway, by Susan Jeffers and that little book sparked a small ember of hope within me. To date I’ve read well and truly over two hundred books on achieving my dreams and now, I’m an investigative photojournalist and author, who trades currency and commodities on the global stock exchange.

I’ve come a long way and I continue to hone my craft. Now, I love to try new things. I love to stretch myself into areas I never thought I could, or would do and life is so much better, so much more fun, with so much less anxiety and worry.

Give it a go. Set yourself some new and exciting goals and if you have to start small, start small. Build and grow and in time, your dream will become your reality. And remember, you’re never too old and it’s never too late.

About the author:

Alexandra Grose – An investigative photojournalist and author for over twenty years. Writing is her passion and her dream and helping others achieve their dreams, through her written work, is Alexandra's greatest aspiration.

#Integrity; truthfulness, honesty and reliability, in all things.

I believe one should....be truthful in everything you say and do. Keep all relationships open and honest. Be reliable, punctual and organised and if you say you'll do it - do it.

If you want to soar like an eagle, make an effort, not an excuse.

alexandragrose@amazon.com