EP114 Speaking faith and life
Drawing closer to God with Wendy Robinson
When did you last do an audit of the words you speak? Are you speaking “faith and life” or “fear and death”? Late last year we were facing another challenging medical situation with our daughter, Victoria. I found myself going down that path of fear. I was spending time with God, a lot actually due to a broken wrist slowing me down! In these times I was primarily looking for reassurance and comfort. I was not speaking faith into Victoria’s situation. Something changed in the Be Still moment But then something changed. During one of those quiet times with God, I was sitting on a seat...
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EP113 Not enough time. I need help.
Drawing closer to God with Wendy Robinson
Have you ever said to yourself, “There is not enough time to do all this.”? I have and it's normally followed up with a huge sigh of exasperation! Then the Holy Spirit reminds me of something I heard a few years ago, “God will always give you enough time for what He wants you to do.” Press pause! Does that mean I am doing things that God doesn’t want me to do? Does that mean I am doing things differently from how He wants me to do them? Sounds like it is time to check in with God and find out. Getting direction from God Let's look at those...
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EP112 Providing the full protection
Drawing closer to God with Wendy Robinson
Saturday morning was damp and humid, perfect mosquito conditions. Sometimes walking in this place can feel like mosquito feeding time! However, this morning I realised no mosquito had come near me. My thoughts moved to the insect repellent I had put on before walking. I have two types of repellent I use, a spray from one brand, and a roll-on from a different brand. Today I applied the roll-on and it was definitely providing the full protection and I was grateful. God's protection Oh, my brain suddenly started going off, thinking about all the parallels between putting on the protection against...
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EP111 Need some encouragement to finish that project
Drawing closer to God with Wendy Robinson
Do you need some encouragement to finish that project? How many times in your life have you started a project and struggled to complete it? Perhaps you are in that situation right now! Where do you go to get the encouragement you need to finish a project? Striving to find a way So many times in my life I have been unable to find a way through. I strive to find the strategy, to find the key to moving forward. When I feel myself striving this way, I know there is only one action to take - Be Still. Yes, Psalm 46:10 again! I keep coming back to that very clear command...
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EP110 What brings colour into your life?
Drawing closer to God with Wendy Robinson
Christmas was over a month ago. We were a little late putting our tree up this year, 23 December, but we did get there. Perhaps we will leave it up until February as it adds so much colour to the room. When we take the tree down the room looks very bland. It’s a bit like the tree in our garden I shared about a couple of weeks ago, stunning hot pink flowers and fresh green leaves in the summer, and then in winter - just plain brown branches. That thought leads me to a question, what brings colour into your life? What brings joy into your life? What dulls the colour in your life? ...
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EP109 Is frustration taking over?
Drawing closer to God with Wendy Robinson
What's your 'go-to' when things aren't working out how you thought they would? Does frustration take over? For me, being a planner and organiser by nature, frustration is definitely my 'go-to' when things aren't working out as I'd planned. The broken wrist In early December I broke my wrist while renovating a room in our home. Standing on a kiddie step to sand a cornice, I stepped off awkwardly and fell. I screamed. My daughter came running and helped me get up off the floor. Immediately I started planning how I could continue the sanding. I attempted to pick up something with my...
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EP108 We will rejoice
Drawing closer to God with Wendy Robinson
What are the first words you say to yourself when you wake up? Over the last few months, I have been purposefully saying to myself these words from a childhood Sunday School song (actually Psalm 118:24), "This is the day the LORD has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it." (NKJV). It is a declaration to my soul. Me, telling myself that God is in control. He made this day (Psalm 118:24). He knows what is to come (Psalm 139:16). He will not leave me to do this day alone. (Deuteronomy 31:8). Speaking faith Essentially I am speaking faith into my day....
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EP107 Writing Season Again
Drawing closer to God with Wendy Robinson
In our garden we have a hot pink Crepe MyrtIe (I had to google to find out what type of tree it was!). It blooms in the height of summer, bringing a huge splash of colour to our garden. I love it, often exclaiming to the children as we drive in the driveway, “Look at the tree, look at the tree, it is so beautiful.” Of course in the winter it looks very different. Just a trunk and branches. No leaves. No hot pink flowers. Seasons God tells us in Ecclesiastes that there are seasons, “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the...
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Drawing Closer to God with Wendy Robinson - Season 8 - Episode 11
Drawing closer to God with Wendy Robinson
In my lifegroup we are studying Romans. What a wonderful time we are having getting greater revelation of God's grace, learning more about why and how Jesus set us right with God. Every week we are reminded that it's all about God. Not us. It's all about Who He is, and what He says about us.
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Drawing closer to God with Wendy Robinson - Season 8 - Episode 10
Drawing closer to God with Wendy Robinson
What does worship mean to you? Recently I read this statement about worship. It reminded me that worship is not about us.
info_outlineIn our garden we have a hot pink Crepe MyrtIe (I had to google to find out what type of tree it was!). It blooms in the height of summer, bringing a huge splash of colour to our garden. I love it, often exclaiming to the children as we drive in the driveway, “Look at the tree, look at the tree, it is so beautiful.”
Of course in the winter it looks very different. Just a trunk and branches. No leaves. No hot pink flowers.
Seasons
God tells us in Ecclesiastes that there are seasons,
“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.” Ecclesiastes 3:1 NIV.
In September 2020 I felt that nudge from God that my season for writing this weekly blog had ended - Permanently or temporarily - I didn’t know, but I obediently stopped. A few weeks later in October 2020, we found out that Victoria would have to re-commence chemotherapy treatment for a year.
Is it time to start again?
Midway through 2022 I wondered, is it time to start again? But I didn’t get a clear “yes” from God so I just waited. And then in Oct 2022 we received the news Victoria was going to need brain surgery, so clearly not the right time to start writing again - there were other priorities!
Maybe now?
Then in May 2023, it seemed as though it may be the right time to write so I put together a plan for the first couple of months of blog posts, planning to start in July. However, that timing wasn’t right either, as some new health challenges appeared for Victoria in June of which she is still contending with.
Or maybe now?
But here we are today, the first Sunday in 2024. My husband has recently started as the Sunday morning announcer at a local Christian radio station. He is up and out of the house early so I have a quiet few hours to myself. Victoria’s health continues to be challenging, but God is giving us each the daily grace we need to do that journey well. So I am sensing that it seems as though my next season of writing is finally here!
Now, where to start?
So where to start? I have read over the blog post plan I wrote last year and it still seems relevant - thank you Jesus for going before me and making a way!
When I reflect on the past three years, particularly with the challenges of Victoria’s health, there are many questions one could ask, but how about this one … “How does one live a life of hope when we are faced with so many unknowns?” That word ‘unknowns’ means different things to each of us. For me, with the unknowns of life, I need something unchanging that I can rely on - a firm foundation.
A firm foundation
A firm foundation - a place that I can go, no matter what is going on in our lives, and it will give me strength and faith to get up the next day and keep moving forward. For me, that firm foundation is God’s word - the Bible. That is the place I go to, reading it daily, fully expecting that God will speak to me through it, giving me His wisdom; reminding me that He loves me and that He will never leave me; encouraging me that He works all things together for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose; reassuring me that because of Jesus Christ we can have eternal life.
The Bible - the word of God
So over the next few weeks, I’m going to write about some of my favourite scriptures and how God has used them in my life. Today I will leave you with this one …
He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” Psalm 46:10 NIV.
I encourage you today, to find a physical space, perhaps it is sitting under a beautiful blooming tree like our Crepe Myrtle, and take five minutes to be still and meditate on the truth that there is a God in heaven and He loves you.
PS: Don’t be surprised if tears come as you receive more of His love.
Needing some help to 'Be Still?'
Here are some beautiful worship songs that have helped me come to that place of 'Being Still' before God:
Be Still - Kari Jobe
Be Still - Live - Hillsong Worship
To find out more please visit https://drawingclosertogod.org