HIGHWAY MAINTENANCE

 

I was travelling along a country lane this week and I found myself following a truck with the sign ‘Highway Maintenance’. There were two, tall, traffic signal lamps being carried as cargo, facing towards me; they were standing tall and it felt as if they were staring right at me!
Obviously, these traffic lights weren’t connected to a source, so they weren’t flashing green, red or amber. They were just blank; staring at me, with a blank expression.
Now, you and I know, these traffic signal lamps are inanimate. But, as I looked at them, I felt as if they were trying to tell me something!! No, I’m not losing my mind, but I knew there was an illustration here; I knew I was about to learn something; to receive a revelation somehow.

As I pondered on this, I realised, that when the traffic signals were connected to an electric source, they were always switched on. They never took a break. They would constantly be transmitting a light colour, whether it was RED, for STOP; GREEN, for GO, or AMBER, for GET READY.

But when they aren’t connected to a source, they are absolutely no use whatsoever!

It made me think about myself………about my walk with the Lord. It made me think about all the ‘Highway Maintenance’ I require on a regular basis!

When I’m connected to THE Source, God my Father, He always ensures my path. He is with me when I am making decisions about whether or not I should STOP or when to GET READY and, He is always, always the One right behind me, when I know I’m in a season of GO!
But there can be times in all of our lives, when we come to a standstill; possibly not knowing what to make of current situations or circumstances. We wonder ‘Do I GO with this idea?’ ‘Shall I STOP, take a break, wait for direction?’ and one of the most exciting periods, which I regularly find myself in lately, is knowing when the season is one of ‘GET READY’. Yes, I love knowing I have to GET READY! A season of preparation, prayer, anticipation and expectancy! To me, GETTING READY is as appealing and stimulating as GO!!

Considering all of this, I revert back to the two, tall, traffic signal lights and realise that we too, can find ourselves feeling blank, when we aren’t connected to OUR Source, God the Father!
This is where I want to encourage you. Despite seasons in our lives, where we really don’t feel connected to our Source, our Light-Giver, our Creator, He will always carry us. He will always ‘maintain’ us on our journey through this earthly lifetime. He will ALWAYS pick you up and prepare you for the next chapter on your own personal HIGHWAY. You may not always feel connected to the Source and this can be a wilderness experience, but even when you feel your lights can never flash again, that is the time that God wants to spend, pouring into and, onto you, His precious healing balm.

After your time of being ‘cargo’ for a while, you WILL return to STOP, GET READY and GO!!!!!

“Let your eyes look directly forward and your gaze be straight before you” Proverbs 4:25

Making new friends!

Meet my new friend, Patience…..
I’ve known of Patience for years but I never really got to know her. To be honest she can come across as a bit of a loner…..someone standing on the sidelines…..almost waiting for others to beckon her into their lives; their relationships……..but never forcing herself upon anyone……
She holds herself together with a certain poise and calmness and I used to imagine that if she were embraced as a significant presence in one’s life, her subtle serenity could easily be absorbed…….if only any of us would give her that time…….
So I did…….
It was quite accidental too! It wasn’t that I felt I particularly needed Patience in my life……..as at the time, I was in a daily place of utter peace……recovering from spine surgery and writing another book; so I was home most days and my routine was, for the first time in many years, extremely relaxed…….a time and place of rest…….in Him……  and a spiritual place of sweet acceptance of what had been…….and what may be next……knowing God had me and mine in the palm of His mighty hand!
But it was as I was writing and praying that God spoke to me…….and it was a morning of HUGE revelation! I love when God speaks……and you aren’t expecting it! There I was…..praying……AND NOT EXPECTING IT!! WHAT? Who am I kidding?! God always speaks……but that morning was so…….well, startling!! Because it was so obvious and I’m almost embarrassed by the fact that I had even questioned, albeit completely unawares, the beautiful sound of the subtlest and purest of revelations…….
“Ellie……….anything I give to My children is good…..nothing is ever bad……it can’t be…..because I AM all good…..The FRUIT of my Spirit is ALL GOOD………There isn’t ANY bad fruit………so ALL the fruits of My Spirit are good for you……And Ellie……I want you to get to know Patience…….because she is ALL GOOD…….and she is your friend…….Patience is your friend…….write about Patience……because I want ALL my children to really know her”
Now I didn’t mention this earlier, but that precise morning I had decided to make a cup of tea and go back to bed to read and pray………so after this revelation…….I had to jump up and down on my bed!! But bear in mind I’m still having to be very careful I don’t do anything to pressurise my spine and also…….my bed is under a slanted roof and skylight! It was DIFFICULT! But I needed to rejoice! AND GUESS WHAT?? I DID!!!!
It’s not just the revelation……..it’s the privilege of hearing from God……He LOVES to converse with us…….Praise His Mighty Name!
God only blesses us with good fruit………lets make sure WE don’t allow it to go bad…..
I want my fruit to ripen…..I want God to look at me and see MY fruit, plump, juicy and prime! I often get so engrossed in something in my Bible, that I want to eat it! I know, I know…….but I do! I could eat the words! And now, I want to eat ALL of that GOOD fruit that the Lord has given me……..
I will clasp the hand of my new friend, Patience. I will envelop her in love and talk to her; we’ll pray together; analyse together ( she may be able to change this need I have to analyse everything 🙂 )……
And if anybody ever articulates distaste whan I say to them ‘Pray for Patience’ I’ll invite them to get to know her…….
Because she is one GOOD friend……and I cherish our friendship!
Love Ellie 🙂
http://www.elliepalmacass.com

HOW FRUITY ARE YOU?!

I’m writing a new book at the moment. A 40 day devotional. It’s called ‘Feeling Fruity’.

I’m ALWAYS feeling fruity…….because I’m ALWAYS aiming to amplify each of the following Holy Spirit fruits……..”But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law” (Galatians 5:22-23)

So….the LOVE thing? It’s a walk around the block for me 🙂  I can love, love, love! I can love you even when I don’t particularly like you! I’ve mentioned in previous blogs, my heart is one big squishy mass of LOVE!

JOY? I feel it bubbling up…..pretty much all the time……It’s mainly because I find joy in the simplest of things…..and it’s also because over the years as a Christian I have, like Paul, learned that joy is to be activated in ourselves, whatever the circumstances!

FORBEARANCE? Uh-oh………here we go! AKA as ENDURANCE, PATIENCE, RESTRAINT, TOLERANCE………At this detail, I’d like to move on quickly…….but I’d be losing self-control! Let me be clear on this 🙂  Jesus has shown a MAGNITUDE of FORBEARANCE when it’s come to me! I am thankful beyond worship for the opportunities God has given me to learn about this particular, and very important, fruit! The lessons can be tough…..but the outcome is to be rejoiced over! How will we ever grow and become more Christ-like if we don’t go through the trials which make us better people……not just for ourselves, but for others to see. It’s only through situations and circumstances that affect us that we will ever learn about these fruits…….God knows what plans He has for you and these plans aren’t all about you! They’re all about Him and His glory! God wants others to see you stay the course so that they believe they can stay the course too! God didn’t choose any of us so that He could throw us to one side after we receive salvation…….No, there’s a huge plan……there’s LOTS to do……there’s a Kingdom to unite, a Kingdom to protect, a Kingdom to fight for!  YOU are like gold to God…..YOU are the apple of His eye! He has a plan to make you into the BEST you that YOU could possibly be!!  So…….pray for His strength and guidance and enjoy this fruit…..I promise you…..it can happen……be faithful…….If it couldn’t happen, our Mighty God wouldn’t have ‘spoken’ it to be!

KINDNESS……What do you see as kindness? I always feel that wherever kindness is, God is. I can almost see Him smiling as He moves amongst the kindness people show each other. I remember a car sticker I used to see that said ‘Commit Random Acts of Kindness’ and I got excited because I love to do that. An unexpected kindness shown to someone can make a huge difference to their day and I do believe that if we pray, God will also lead us to give a blessing of kindness to a person who is longing in their heart to receive one.

I absolutely love Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers! I’ve always loved Stevie Nicks (hence my beautiful daughter is called Rhiannon after a song written by her 🙂 ) and it was through Stevie Nicks partnering on some stuff with Tom Petty that I discovered him and first heard the song ‘Free Fallin’. I might just have to play it now! The first verse is “She’s a good girl, loves her mama, loves Jesus and America too; She’s a good girl, crazy ’bout Elvis, loves horses and her boyfriend too”. So…….this girl ‘loves’ and it seems that is what classes her as a GOOD girl! But is GOODNESS…….easy? Well, goodness is the opposite of ‘badness’, the opposite of ‘evil’ and I would always consider myself as a ‘good girl’! I feel that GOODNESS, in God’s eyes is also a willingness to do the right thing, not necessarily in a worldly way, but in the Biblical sense. We have choices to make…..…..to do good or to do bad.

And whether we have to keep working on our characters……becoming more GENTLE, more FAITHFUL and yes (!) aspiring to have more SELF-CONTROL, we have to realise that every good gift that comes from God is for our pleasure, our abundance, our prosperity and advancement.

We surely cannot handle the GIFTS that come from God until we learn how to access and achieve every fruit from the Holy Spirit! But if you have an eagerness and hunger to live a life full of Holy Spirit fruit……well……you too are FEELING FRUITY!!!!

I want to pray for you right now as you’re reading this…………:-)

I pray that as you join your life to Christ’s, that you perceive His abundant love for you, that you learn to experience His love more and more, and that as you emulate the love of Christ, you are ‘seen’ by all that need to SEE His love and salvation. In Jesus’ precious Name!

Love Ellie

http://www.elliepalmacass.com

I SMILE!

“If you’re feeling down…….let me pray for you……I’ll be a rainbow in this storm

If you’re in a dark place…….let me pray for you…….I’ll be an evening beam that smiles those clouds away

If you’re sad today and dreading tomorrow……let me pray for you……and hopefully tint tomorrow with prophetic prayer”

“I LIKE SMILING!”

That was my response to somebody the other day, who said ‘Ellie, how come you’re always smiling?’

I should share further…….

The fact is I cannot help smiling! 🙂

I smile when I wake up……..because I WOKE UP! Praise God!

I smile when I taste my first cup of coffee…..Mmmm….. ( I’ll be fully awake any minute now 😉 )

I smile when my daughter gets up happily in the morning, without me having to become a Military Monster!!

I smile because I have a blessed life! Why shouldn’t I smile…..a lot! I forgive, I love, I pray I care, I do……..I SMILE 🙂

I can hear you now as you read this……’nobody can be that happy all the time’

But……..Who says?? And let me tell you…….If you’d been where I’ve been, you’d smile a lot too! Luke 7:47 ‘I tell you, her sins–and they are many–have been forgiven, so she has shown me much love. But a person who is forgiven little shows only little love’ (NLT)

At any rate, it isn’t necessarily about happiness. It isn’t about your mood or circumstance. Nope! It’s about THAT moment…..and whether or not you choose to be optimistic or pessimistic…….

I cannot help but naturally smile when I meet up with people, when I’m interacting with strangers, when I’m at traffic lights, with shopkeepers, wherever I am…….and this is the craziest……I smile when I answer the phone!

But my favourite time to smile is when I’m praying…..I’m communicating with my Father in heaven…..I just drink in all His love……and smile 🙂

There have been times in my life when smiling would seem impossible. But you know, even in the worse times of my life I would unintentionally invite favour into my life, because of my smile…… I was called ‘Smiler’ for years! ( You can read more about this in my book ‘Broken to Blooming’ available on Amazon, Lulu.com, Ingram, Barnes & Noble. Treat yourself! 🙂 )

Smiling can introduce a connection, an opening…….it’s a way of reaching people; a way of displaying you care too! A couple of years ago I was ministering about the love of Jesus to some destitute children in the gypsy villages of Transylvania, Romania. Some of the children depicted feelings of unworthiness and wouldn’t join in with others. They didn’t wear appropriate clothing for the freezing temperatures, or even footwear due to the poverty their families endured. It was heart-breaking and all I wanted to do was love them, involve them and hug them. I gave the children the biggest, warmest smile I could…..and they came to me. They accepted the love I was offering…..they responded to my smile. We couldn’t speak each other’s language….but that didn’t matter, did it? Because a smile is universal!

You can smile in any language! Every person in the world understands a smile!

Do you know!? If you’re feeling miserable, overwhelmed or downright heartbroken….I can guarantee if you look in a mirror and just smile, you will instantly alter your brain physically! Yes, you can trick yourself into feeling brighter by influencing your brain activity with a grin! And that affects your health and well-being…….your heart rate is now feeling chilled…….and your blood pressure reduces! (And let’s face it……if you’re smiling at yourself in the bathroom mirror, trying to improve your mood, you HAVE to laugh, never mind smile ;-D)

And, don’t you just love being around people who make YOU smile? It can be tough spending time with someone who seems intent on being as miserable as possible, or who seems to look on life as ‘a glass half empty’. We’re all made perfectly imperfectly and I’m thankful that God gave each of us such diverse personalities……but I love that God gave ME the personality to generate a smile, in others and myself!

Additionally, what blows my mind is that our Father in Heaven, our amazing God, smiles upon us! He looks at you and me……and He smiles! Doesn’t THAT make you want to beam from ear to ear?! 😀

Psalm 4:6 (NLT) “Many people say, “Who will show us better times?” Let your face smile on us, LORD.

Hey, I like smiling so much that the sequel to ‘Broken to Blooming’ is called ‘I Smile’ and is being written at this very time! 😀

Lord Byron wrote ‘Be thou the rainbow in the storms of life. The evening beam that smiles the clouds away, and tints tomorrow with prophetic ray’

If I can be anything to you in this blog today, I hope it’s the above…….

“If you’re feeling down…….let me pray for you……I’ll be a rainbow in this storm

If you’re in a dark place…….let me pray for you…….I’ll be an evening beam that smiles those clouds away

If you’re sad today and dreading tomorrow……let me pray for you……and hopefully tint tomorrow with prophetic prayer”

Leave your prayer request on http://www.elliepalmacass.com

LET’S PUT A SMILE ON YOUR FACE!

GET ‘BACK-UP’

At the very beginning, of the very beginning, of this year, I shared with many, a distinct Word I had received……..”GET BACK UP!”

At the time of praying, I’d heard those 3 words so clearly and presumed the Lord wanted me to stand, to rise, to not let the episode I had just spent in the hospital, hold me down or keep me down; for me to not lie down, or give in to the horrific spinal and nerve pain I was enduring. (Subsequently, that first time in the hospital, due to excruciating pain in my back and legs, would be the beginning of many hospital stays over the next few months).

So I did! I did GET BACK UP! Well, I certainly tried………….

But eventually, and after a 5th episode in hospital, which concluded in a major emergency surgery on my spine, and a theatre visit of 8 hours…….eventually……..I heard my Father in Heaven whisper “GET BACK UP” a second time……I heard it so very, very clearly, so very, very gently, and on this occasion……CORRECTLY!

“GET BACK UP” was a Word for me……to prepare! At the birth of this year….. when all was new…… the Lord Himself knew…….just what would be unfolding for me…….and He was going to use the coming period of physical pain as a time of growth for me; a time where I could rid myself of more pride. You see, unless I allow it, and its very rare and there are only a very few……I struggle to ‘let people in’. I seldom ask people for help………and I have almost always, when faced with dark or troubling times, trudged through, pretty much on my own.

But the Lord knew just what was coming; that I would be immobile, depressed, scared, and clinging on to any strip of hope by a thin, worn and tattered thread. He knew that I would not understand what was happening, would definitely struggle to tolerate my inability to feel so ‘stuck’, and that even for a few days, which felt like an eternity…….I couldn’t even see a light at the end of the tunnel…..not even a flicker…..and that was unnerving to say the least.

God knew that a spiritual battle was about to commence, not only for my physical health but for my mind also; a serious spine operation was about to take place, where I would have to ‘learn’ to walk again, where I would for a time, lose my dignity as well as my optimism; where I would actually ‘lose myself’ (!) And the Lord wanted me to prepare……to come through victoriously…..to GROW in Him, in strength, in belief, in love! Another step towards maturity in Him!

“GET ‘BACK-UP’!”

“GET THE TROOPS! ALLOW YOUR CHRISTIAN BROTHERS AND SISTERS TO HELP YOU, TO LOVE YOU! YOU’RE ABOUT TO SEE THAT RUNNING THE RACE DOESN’T HAVE TO BE A LONELY PLACE!”

When I re-read the blog I wrote in January, ‘Now, where did I put those hiking boots?’, about Mount Growth, I can clearly see the prophesying over my own life! I’m not ashamed to say the last few months have been really, really tough, not just for me but for my daughter also. However, it’s through the dedicated prayers of many and the love shown towards us in ways I cannot count, that I have learned the most positive way through any episode of physical and/or mental trauma is by walking it……..(even if with a Zimmer frame and back brace!!)…………step by step WITH others!

WITH……..your BACK UP! 🙂

“For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.” Matt 18:20

“Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing” 1 Thess 5:11

If you need prayer for anything, please let me and my prayer team be there for you! Go to http://www.elliepalmacass.com and leave your request. May the Lord bless you and keep you!

Now, where did I put those hiking boots?!?!

‘The pull of the mountain, is like gravity for my soul’ (Heather Day Gilbert)

I’m not a flatlands kind of girl………I’m not inspired by wandering around an expanse of ‘sameness’, existing on a plateau of assurance, safety and sanctuary. Spiritually, My Lord has already confirmed my sanctuary in Him. It’s written. It’s a sealed deal!

But while I’m here on earth, I have so, so much to do! As a vessel for my Father in Heaven, there are so, so many souls to be saved! I haven’t got the time or the disposition to be wandering around where it’s safe, in the flatlands……..Because MY soul is saved! Granted, it’s nice to take a rest and recently I have been MORE than commanded by my Father to rest! “Rest in Me Ellie”, said He.

No one knows more than the Lord what is coming next! He knows YOU! And He knows ME!

He knows I’m a mountain climber. But I’m not sauntering along the easy path, gradually making my way up the ‘touristy’ route. You know; the classic, ready-made path with the odd tiny stone that might get stuck in your shoe. Kind of niggles at you, but you take off your shoe, shake it out and carry on meandering up the easy path.

No! I’m marching up the tougher terrain. There are always two ways to ascend a mountain. Any climber or fell runner knows that………and there are 2 ways down also! (This is not the blog for me to tell of the time I was on a very steep fell run, came across a bull and didn’t run back down…….No! I actually FLEW!! For real……..but that’s another blog!) Here, we’re talking about getting UP; NOT coming back down! 😉

I’m looking up at this beautiful mountain in front of me called GROWTH. Mount Growth! I’m evaluating the climb, my technique, my navigational skills…………. and the strength and tenacity I am going to have to gather to reach the summit. It’s here where you discover that your strength comes from The Lord! In the flatlands, you find happy, chilled-out individuals who don’t often need to lean on The Lord. They have no need because they like where they are. It’s comfortable and is most obviously a time of blessing and relaxation; a time of contemplation and reflection on where you have been and where you are now.

But none of us should hang around there for too long. The journey doesn’t end the minute all your so-called dreams come true and many of your desires have been fulfilled! It’s here, in the flatlands, where you should be praying and preparing for the next climb. You should be looking for your mountain!

When I saw Mount Growth, 🙂  I prayed. I asked for Wisdom to help me on the climb. I prayed about the parts of the mountain I couldn’t see. I said ‘Father God, My precious Father, in Whom I trust, please give me revelation’. It was then I saw crevices; I saw the jagged rocks that could cut me acutely; I saw possible splits in the path I had ascertained was the one I should take; dark areas that looked like an abyss; I couldn’t quite see everything clearly because when you look far up the highest of mountains, there is a blinding mist. However, I knew as part of climbing Mount Growth, that it was at these crosswalks where I would have to press in more; that the Lord would be my eyes, my ears and my guide.

“I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:14)

When you are working for the Kingdom, the Lord’s Kingdom, you WILL have mountains to climb. And even though it can be the toughest of times, you should also be praising Him. Praise Him for being with you every step of the way! Praise Him for ‘growth’. Praise Him because you truly are THAT important to Him. God wants to take you to the next level. Are you ready? Have you prayed? Do you want to be a warrior in the Kingdom and fight with the Lord’s army?

I DO!

And as I commit to that journey and I look up, I start to notice on the path I have chosen to take, little grassy areas, situated here and there; actually many of them…….soft and safe on the climb….. on the tough terrain where I can sit comfortably and wait on the Lord for His next instruction. It’s whilst I’m sitting there that the mountain actually doesn’t seem so huge. I can SEE the summit. Usually, as we climb we sense the summit becoming further and further away…………………but no!

I see the peaks, covered in snow, glistening, beckoning, ‘Ellie, come on, it’s beautiful up here. And wait until you see what’s on the other side!’

“She is not afraid of the snow for her household, for all her household are clothed in scarlet” (Proverbs 31:21)

The Blood of Christ covers me and mine as we climb to the summit.

And then, I see Him…… His smile…… His arms outstretched…… My beautiful Lord……waiting. And I see the snowy peaks. They are glistening………in the bright, intense, luminous Son; in the light of THE Son.

Now, where did I put those hiking boots?!?!

Identity…….real??

Recently when I check my facebook page, I’ve noticed more and more poster status’s on my newsfeed which read ‘A real man this’ and ‘A real woman that’. Apparently, if a man or a woman doesn’t ‘do’ a certain thing, or does ‘do’ a certain thing and it’s not to somebody else’s standard, it seems they’re not real! Hmmm, maybe they just didn’t get there yet……wherever ‘there’ is! Maybe they’re still at the ‘learning’ part of that particular chapter in their journey. But, we are ALL real, whether we get it right or wrong; every person on the planet is real!

We feel real emotions, real pain, real joy, real anger, real ecstasy; it’s all real!

And the more I read the content of these posts, I see the almost desperate need to fit in! With other people’s ideals??

But guess what?

When God ‘thought’ about your place on His planet, Earth, before even the foundations of the earth were formed, He already had a plan and a purpose for you! But it wasn’t to ‘fit in’ with any club, clique, group or opinions of men! He didn’t CALL you and CHOOSE you, for THEM! He called you and chose you for HIS purposes, all planned for you to undertake as His child; for HIS good, as well as your own 🙂

BE GLAD if you don’t fit in! You’re not particularly meant to!

Now, I’m not saying it’s not a beautiful thing to be part of a church or part of a ministry because we are definitely called to fellowship and to love one another as brothers and sisters. But don’t put your faith in people; put your faith in God! People can and will, let you down, because like you and me they are human! But your identity isn’t in people, it’s in Christ!

A few weeks ago, I had my handbag stolen 😦  I’m a woman! And my handbag was stolen! Everybody is well aware of the trauma of a woman suffering the loss of her handbag!!! But joking aside, I was very upset. Yes, there were cards, money, sunglasses and shopping lists but the thing that caused me the most fear and worry at the time was the loss of my driving licence. My whole identity was on my driving licence; my name, address, date of birth and even my photograph! I felt completely vulnerable and my concerns were that my identity would be stolen.

As I prayed that evening about the whole episode I felt such an immense peace. God said to me ‘Ellie, your identity is in Me and it can never be stolen. Not even the enemy himself can steal away your identity in Me’

Colossians 3:1-3

Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.

WOW!! The peace gave me the strength and wisdom to pray for the perpetrators; that somehow they would come to know Jesus and not be in a position ever again, where they needed to steal from another. I hoped that they would see the scriptures I had written that were in my purse and I prayed that they would have an encounter with Jesus. Would they? Would they see who I was because of the contents of my handbag? Would they see Jesus in me?

A couple of days later, I was walking down a corridor at the gym and a lady walked by me. She was real! After she had gone past me, I felt the need to turn around and unbelievably, as I did, so did she! We were now about 3 metres away from each other. I had never seen this woman before in my life. She simply said to me ‘You have Jesus in you’ (!!!!) Can you imagine?! Instantly, I smiled and said in a bewildered way, ‘I do!! Yes! I do have Jesus in me!’ I was almost expecting her to say ‘So do I’ but she just said ‘Can I hug you?’ And she got hold of me and held me really tightly. Again, she said ‘You are full of Jesus’ and then she carried on back down the corridor and I was standing there, probably looking slightly dumbstruck. You see, I know Jesus is in me; He saved me and He is my all but it struck me that I had only been having that conversation with God a couple of days before. I was wondering if the handbag thieves would see Jesus. And God Himself showed me that no matter where you are or who you encounter, if Jesus is to be seen, it will happen 🙂

I am a real woman and if you’re reading this, you are a real person too!

But the best thing to declare in this whole blog is this………

JESUS IS REAL and our identity is in HIM!

God bless your day!

Love Ellie 🙂

Split Second Thoughts – Life Long Memories

This is a late blog!! Forgive me, but I’ve been caught up with work; writing my book; planning preaches for upcoming conferences and college lectures…..plus travelling. I may stop……for a lovely cup of tea 
Very recently, I was in New York, visiting my head office but also partaking in ministry work. The organisation I work for reaches 100,000 children every single week globally, with not only the Gospel of Christ, but with love, physical provision and basically whatever needs we are able to meet in the life of a child. One of our programmes is visitation. This is where we visit every single child that utilises the organisation; we are able to see if they’re ok that week, if they or their families are in need of anything. We invite them to the next Sidewalk Sunday School or Indoor Sunday School and generally spend what time we can with them, if allowed.
Because of the children we are trying to help, we visit some of the poorest areas of cities. On this last visit, I was in the projects of Harlem, a place I have visited before on occasion and where I actually feel my heart leads me. I want to point out, before I write of my personal experience, that I know some very special people living in the projects; parents who really love their children and want to do their best for their kids. In fact, I could go so far as to say, I am their friend. Because I love them.
But in other areas of the projects, I come across the depths of degradation. And when I knock on some doors, I am THANKFUL that God chose me to reach that child.
As I have been writing my book over the last few months, I have recalled some horrific incidents in my life; times I had locked away in the deepest recesses of my mind; but as my book is to be a testimony to as many as hopefully read it, I had to make a decision. Only the whole truth will do for God. Only the whole truth will show and prove that God has a plan for each and every life that is birthed on this earth.
By the blood
The thing about writing down your ‘story’ is not only do you remember the painfully significant memories but also many other memories. The times where you think ‘How on earth did I get there?’ Recollections of amazing times, hysterically funny times and times which were sweet AT THAT TIME but you’re a different person now…….One changes……with the seasons…….In fact, I believe, one should! In Harlem, I had a memory that made me rejoice at the fact that I was right where I wanted to be.
So, there I am, in Harlem, New York. I was on the 30th floor of a project building. I was NOT going in and out of the lift, or elevator as it’s called Stateside. You’re chancing losing a couple of hours of your life every time you go into one of those lifts as they constantly break down; it’s always hot (I mean roasting!) and I tend to find some form of bodily fluid each time I get in one. Either fresh blood, urine or more…..You can grasp what I’m saying, I’m sure? So, I like to run down the back stairwell. I can run……fast. I can fly, if I decide to, straight over the bannister rail……..I don’t know what or who I’m going to find in that stairwell, but I just prefer it. The stairwell……stinks! The usual bodily excrements are there also but I can ‘fly’ past them can’t I? There are lights broken so it can be pitch black. It’s likely I could run into an inebriated person possibly high on heroin……..Or someone waiting with a knife……or a rapist……Our staff have experienced these situations. But when you trust in the covering of the Lord, have you got the right or the time to worry? God needs someone to reach the children living in those buildings. He needs someone to tell them ‘I love you, I care about you and so does Jesus’. So, there I am, running swiftly down the stairwell, ready to the next floor or 2 flights down. AND I REMEMBERED!

It was a split second thought………….

Me! On the most exquisite of staircases, in the Hotel du Paris in Monte Carlo. I instantly, in that split second thought, encountered a memory that was much longer than a split second. But that’s the power of our minds! We can remember so much, in such a short time span!
Me! Whilst physically running down a dim stairwell in New York City, was mentally transported to Monte Carlo. I was sitting on the third step from the bottom of the most splendid staircase. The wood had the most elegant and polished of carvings, and the atmosphere was a feeling of being enveloped in the most potent and provocative way. I was wearing a beautiful black evening gown and the gentleman I was with was on one knee. Yes. He was proposing to me with a ring that we had looked at earlier in the week. Hey! Believe me when I say I was not planning on my window shopping being any more than that! We had just enjoyed a meal in the Louis XV restaurant, and I was feeling slightly heady with my intake of pink champagne. The man I had previously thought I had fallen in love with, was about to propose. He was a very wealthy man and at that time was applying for residency in Monte Carlo. He knew that I was trying to end our ‘friendship’ as his sworn declaration of love for me and for my God, were empty words and I had finally accepted I was worth more and that God had a plan for me and it wouldn’t be with this worldly man. Wealth, in a monetary fashion, means little to me, and to walk away was very easy. But I did hope that this man truly loved God. This whole episode taught me I can only commit and submit ever, to a man who puts God before anything.
But for a while, I had an option of choosing a life where I would have, in secular terms, the essence of all that matters. Monetary wealth and houses and diamonds and trips whenever I liked and a possible home in the Bahamas and yes, a penthouse on the apartment blocks being built over in Antigua; one of his businesses. It truly was what some would see as a fairytale.

But there are no such things as real life fairytales and even though these situations can seem remarkably appealing, I can only ‘settle’ for anything marked by God

I am, in God, one of the richest women in the world!

And it was in that split second, in the Harlem stairwell, that I realised I wouldn’t have wanted to be anywhere else in all the world…….

I knocked on a burgundy red door and shouted out ‘It’s Yogi Bear’. That’s how the folks know it’s a Metro World Child worker in New York boroughs. A man answered in his vest and poked his head around the door. A strong stench came through. I could hear a woman screeching and a television was blaring out so loud. A child was screaming and crying. A baby was naked and crawling and tried to push through to see who it was. I gave the man the Sidewalk Sunday School leaflet and tried to chat with him and I knelt down to the baby and smiled.
I said ‘Hello precious, I LOVE YOU’

Then I ran back to the stairwell. In Harlem.

Give me Harlem over Monte Carlo. Any day.

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Did you check the oil and water??

That was my response to a friend who rang me the other day and said ‘I really need to buy a new car; mine is smoking!!’
I knew she didn’t mean smoking hot, as she’s been referring to the demise of this vehicle for months!
‘Well, did you? Check the oil and water? Fill her up! It always works for me!’

Now any mechanics, or even men in general who know a thing or two about cars, are now thinking ‘Women!’ And, I have to nosedive straight into your rationalisation and say…………’I know what you mean!’ It’s true! Typical woman! Just keep the oil and water topped up and the car will be fine??? That’s not right! There’s more to car maintenance than checking the oil and water…….

But seriously, it HAS always worked for me!

Mechanically AND spiritually 

I have, over the years, owned many cars. I’ve owned some top of the range cars; received mediocre vehicles; acquired transit vans; enjoyed 2 high-powered sports cars; steered 7 ton lorries; relished a soft-top Jeep and utilised an SUV. I should really be given the opportunity to present an episode of Top Gear; not only one of my top 5 television programmes, but also a dream that I plan on becoming reality……How? I’m not sure right now, but whenever I commit a dream to God He always comes through……..because it’s not just that I believe in Him…….He believes in me too!!!!

I religiously, (got to love that word), check the oil and water in my car and pretty much always have done. My grandfather taught me this. He was a driving instructor and always maintained his cars to the utmost level. However, I only really observed the checking of oil and water and anticipated this to be the way forward. I thought ‘checking the oil and water’ was the answer to all matters regarding the smooth functioning of a vehicle!

Here’s my 23 year old standard checklist

1. Check the oil and water monthly
2. If there’s a noise in the car, add oil, add water
3. If there’s a smell, add oil, add water
4. If there’s a ticking, add oil, add water
5. If you swerve round a corner, add oil, add water, maybe check the tyres



🙂

I firmly believe that if my friend Stella had just replenished the oil and water, she wouldn’t have had to invest in a new vehicle. In fact, when I initially questioned her regarding oil and water, she admitted the following, ‘Oh, I never put oil and water in my car’ (!!)

If you don’t check or change the oil in your car, it WILL eventually affect your engine!
If you don’t check the water level in the radiator, it WILL eventually affect your engine!

AND IT’S THE SAME WITH US!

What are the levels of Living Water like in your vehicle? In your Body? In your Heart? The Living Water of Jesus…….
We need to keep our levels high. You know why? Because you never know when you’re going to need to draw from that well of Living Water. If there isn’t much of the Word inside you; if there isn’t much of Jesus inside you; if the Living Waters are rapidly dissipating and you’re not filling up on MORE of God’s Word, more of the precious Living Water, then you’re going to affect your engine. And once your engine is affected, other parts of your body; your vehicle, are going to be impaired also!

“Jesus replied, “If you only knew the gift God has for you and who you are speaking to, you would ask me, and I would give you living water.” John 4:10

And how is your relationship with the Holy Spirit? Have you spoken to Him lately? Have you asked for a fresh and new anointing? Are you drenched in the Oil of Joy? Can people see the Oil poured out upon you?

Let’s all press into God and preserve our engine with the right oil and the right water. The Holy Spirit. Jesus. Our Father.

Check the spiritual levels of oil and water in your life daily.

Check the number of a local garage.

DON’T use my check list.

I’m saving up for a new car 😉

May God ever bless you!

If you could pour out some love on a desperate child in this world please click on the link http://www.metroworldchild.co.uk/sponsor-a-child and see if you can partner with us!