My picture:His words - refining

Do you ever get the feeling that the Kingdom of Heaven is near?  Since moving here last summer I certainly do, this feels like a really thin place and that is wonderful for experiencing God and hearing from Him but it also seems to be that you are incredibly open to spiritual attack and efforts from the dark side to try and wear you down.

There are so many challenges about living here and I know that reading my everyday blog you would never know that as I always seem upbeat but the truth is I am upbeat, I'm really positive for the future and I believe that being here will have an amazing effect on me and my family as a whole.

This week the Lord has reminded me that He is the refiner and He will throw off my sinful ways and make me new and just how He wants me to be.  This is both exciting and scary at the same time.

At lunch this week a lovely new friend told em that a silversmith must sit and watch his silver as it is in the furnace refining for the only way he knows when it is just ready is when he can see his reflection in the metal.  Wow, how much that struck me, God watches us as He refines us and then when He sees Himself reflected back from us He knows His work is done!

And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness. Malachi 3:3

Fancy joining in?
As with other weeks if you would like to join me in using your picture and His words to share how God has spoken to you recently then do a post and leave me a link in the comments and I'll add it into the body of this post so you get some linky love and people can come visit.

 May our Lord be with you. Mich x

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Look at me and what do you see?

Hello, if you have stopped by to find Reasons to be Cheerful then you need to head over to Lakes Single Mum as Becky is hosting for the rest of November. I'm having a bit of a time out and sorting my own head out. I am of course still completely grateful! Have a blessed week, Mich x

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Look at me and what do you see?

Do you see the exterior, the too much white flesh,

the uneven smile and the baggy chest?

The 40 year old woman who has let herself go.

Or is it the 'front' you see, the confident blond,

the lady who can solve things with the wave of her invisible wand?

Or maybe you see superwoman with the beautiful clean home,

the stunning children and the husband who never moans?

Perhaps it is the successful blogger, rising up the charts,

making it look as if it is easy and takes no art?

Or do you look deeper and see a child of God, 

the little girl down on her knees, ready and willing to please?

The encourager who wants to build you up,

desperate to affirm you and fill your cup?

The teacher who wants to impart what she knows,

to gently lead you and guide you and help you with whatever life throws?

The prayer warrior who is silently holding you near,

the woman who cares and is available all year?

This deeper woman is me. 

I'm not just a shell and if you look properly you'll see.

Michelle Pannell 19.11.13

Hop over and see Vic and the others who are joining in with Prose for Thought this week.

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If you like what you have read and want to stay up-to-date then subscribe by email for free and receive blog posts directly to your in-box - just click the link Subscribe to Mummy From The Heart... by Email or perhaps you like to keep all your blog reading in one place, if that is the case you can follow me on BlogLovin too!

I can do all things...

It is a busy time for me at the moment, what with relocating, the children moving schools, dh and I both finishing our jobs, dh starting a new one, I'm starting a business and the normal day-to-day managing the lives of a family of five. Today I have been off work but I had a bit of mental to-do list, it got to about 4.30pm and I was sat in John Lewis enjoying tea and cake and many, many things were ticked off that list.  I feel good but I don't feel smug. I know that every time something goes right in my life I need to give thanks and praise to the Lord, for He is good.  It is Him who gives me the strength, skills and aptitude to get though all the little things that life throws at us.

Yesterday I have managed to make the beds, empty and load the dishwasher, put a wash on and make a lasagne before I took the kids to school at 8.30am. Once back I made a couple of movies for Fathers Day as gifts for dh and my Dad. Then it was an hour conference call with my new client that I am excited to start work with in July (more to be revealed soon). After that some general blog maintenance, emails and whooping for joy on Facebook, followed by lunch and a couple of phone calls. Work emails came next and then packing up my bedroom ready for the big movie. Ten boxes later and it was time to head out. Oh and don't forget I sorted out the dry washing and put it away before popping another load on before I left the house.

My trip out included a charity shop drop, collection from the sorting office, sending my Dads fathers day gift, going to B&Q for an ariel, getting petrol and going through the car wash.  Then heading to town to get some money out, go to the jewellers, buy some teacher leaving presents, meet dh off the train and enjoy tea and cake in John Lewis (while doing a spot of blogging (this post).

When we got home there was tea to cook, serve up and clear away, the kids to shower and read with, certificates to be made for the work away-day I'm helping to run and a choice of 4 or 5 other tasks from the list.

As I type this Monday afternoon - I feel really good, I am enjoying this hour to myself and a time to blog and enjoy. I really can recommend John Lewis chocolate victoria sponge cake - divine!  But then at £3.50 a slice, you expect it to be... but this was my 'me time' for the day so I'll enjoy it and not be distracted and moan about the cost.

What I come back to at the end of each day is this -

Philippians 4:13
I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

To God be the glory.

This morning Liska tweeted me and said she was starting a new Tuesday linky called 'T'you'sDay' and it is all about us parents carving out some 'me time'. I tweeted her back and said I'd join in once I moved as I did not expect to get much 'me time' before that but then today sitting here in John Lewis I was reflecting that I have had a lot of 'me time' today.  The things I had to do were mainly things I wanted to do and were about me and my family.  I did not begrudge doing any of them.  Then the last hour sitting and blogging and then being joined by my husband was just perfect.

For me all I had to do was change my perspective and I had carved out some me time!

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But what will you do?

The view from my front door, I could just sit and stare at that for quite some time!

Do you know how many times I have heard this question in the last few weeks?  Dozens upon dozens, anyone that hears about our family's move to East Sussex congratulates me on the wonderful move and the job that dh has secured and then they look at me quite worried and say 'but what will you do?'.

To which I usually reply 'I don't know' and then they take this as me being a bit worried about what the future holds, but the truth is so far from that it is unreal. 'I don't know' means I will wait on God and see what He speaks to me. What does He wish for me to be doing? Where is my purpose for Him? Answers may come in moments or they might take years and that is OK, I am on an exploratory journey and I will wait and see.

Our family have made a very informed decision to change our lives and to do something which we feel God is calling us to do. I know very definitely there are times that I have heard from God and seen His truth realised. Years back he gave me a vision of 2 pregnancies and 3 babies and thus when my 6 week scan in 2006 showed I was pregnant with twins it was no surprise to me. I just felt secure and comfortable as I knew my babes were a gift from God.

Similarly for years I have known I would live at a Christian conference centre. I always thought I would be running it with dh, maybe this is the future or maybe my vision was slightly offline, I'm not sure but what is happening is close enough that I believe it to be of God. It is certainly not me that has been brave enough to say 'yes lets move 100 miles away, sell our house, leave all that we know, change our kids schools, reduce our income by two thirds and leave you jobless Michelle'. Oh no, that is God right there who has prepared dh and I over the years to know that He knows best and we must walk in faith and follow.

2006 was a very significant year in my Christian walk, in July I was struck with Bells Palsy and facial paralysis for quite a few weeks and from a number of sources I received the same message 'Michelle - stop doing and start being' and I feel that this move is part of that.  I am being released from the bondage of having to work and finding purpose in that work. I am a child of God and that is enough, my purpose is to 'be' and the good things I do should come from that sense of being and that confidence in Christ.

So going back to that original question - what will I do? I honestly don't know but that is OK.  I'll always be me - a wife, mother, friend, daughter, sister, blogger, foodie but most of all I am a child of God and I am fully available for the Lord to use me as He sees fit. 

What I will do is be ready and available. Ready for the next challenge and task that God decides to place with me and use me in. He has a plan and his plan is perfect, even when we don't understand it.

How is God using you right now?

Writing this post has made me think about this great song, have a listen. It talks a lot about waiting on the Lord and that is where I am at -

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If you like what you have read and want to stay up-to-date then subscribe by email for free and receive blog posts directly to your in-box - just click the link Subscribe to Mummy From The Heart... by Email or perhaps you like to keep all your blog reading in one place, if that is the case you can follow me on BlogLovin too!