Remembering the old to press on in the future

Remembering the years gone by, the times where there was much joy in my life, helps me see my situation of sadness as something that, with God's love I can press on. Lately I have been working quite a lot at Coffee Club doing dishes and serving customers. I have also been emailing students for the next school making sure they have all the things that they need to come. This has all caused me to be quite tired, especially after last Sunday (Mother's Day) we were so busy that basically everyone that worked at Coffee Club was there working. It was a blast and lots of fun, and well organised. I'm so grateful to have a job, that God has blessed me with the skills to work in hospitality and make other peoples days better. But to be honest when I get tired my shield and strength starts to fail and negative thoughts come in and I feel like I don't have the strength to fight the lies that the devil throws at me, So some prayer would be lovely please.

I'm reading a book at the moment called 'A meal with Jesus' by Tim Chester. It's really amazing to read how God spoke things, he fulfilled them through Jesus and also showed in part what the Kingdom of Heaven will be like with its feasts. Did you know that the feeding of the 5000 is a foretaste into how God will prepare for us a banquet in Isaiah 25:6-7 God says "on this mountain the Lord  of hosts will make for all people a feast of rich food...." You may know this as the Messianic Banquet of the one that God will have when we get to the new age the new kingdom. It's true and God showed us a little bit of how it will work with the feeding of the 5000. Cool ae there is also an amazing quote by Simon Carey Holt "...Most of what you do as a community of hospitality will go unnoticed and unrecognised. At base, hospitality is about providing a space for God's spirit to move. Setting a table, cooking a meal, washing the dishes is the ministry of facilitation: providing a context in which people feel loved and welcome and where God's spirit can be at work in their lives. Hospitality is a very ordinary business, but in its ordinariness is its real worth." This makes me feel very privileged to be one who provides good hospitality, by inviting people and making them welcome and cooking for them. (even if I don't get to do it all the time) 

Anyway that's just a little up date on how I'm going and what I have been doing in the last couple weeks. I was reading my journal earlier today and came across something that I wanted to share with you. Back in February Hope Centre (the church I attend) held a conference and I got totally wreaked by the Holy Spirit, I loved it, God revealed to me a picture and the feeling of what it was like to be the prostitute caught in adultery.
 (John 8:1-11) She was thrown to the ground in front of Jesus with a crowd of abusers asking Jesus questions. I felt and saw Jesus just writing on the ground. I felt the insults, the threats, the discussion, the pain and intensity of shame. Oh I felt so vulnerable  so worthless. I had been caught in sin, and thrown at a man so worthy of condemning me. I dear not look up, but as my doubts started to fade in the moment, the fear lessoned as the voices disappeared. I looked up and heard a voice say "neither do I condemn you go now and leave your life of sin". Such hope and destiny were found in those words. A grace unconceivable by man, given only by one who could condemn but chose to love instead. WOW right, imagine yourself in that same position after you've done something wrong, no matter how bad, God forgives us he loves us so much that he forgives rather than condemns. Romans 8:1 says therefore there is now no condemnation. Praise God for this, that he came to give grace to lay down his life so that we might in his resurrection take up his life, to be with his father be with our father, our creator. It just blows my mind the intensity of God's love. There is hope for the hopeless, peace for the restless because of God's great love and mercy. I pray this encourages you to seek God even in your darkest moments.

In news about the internship I have applied for it and need to do auditions for it. I've already done it for singing which is good, but I'm praying about whether to do it for the guitar and the cello. I may just do both and see what they think. So would you please keep me in your prayers as I venture into a place of worship for 3 months, that God would meet me and encourage me and heal my broken heart.

I pray for you all that God would pour out blessings, and if I know of anything in particular that you need prayer for I will pray for that. If there is something in particular you want me to pray for you for please just email me and I will pray for you as you pray for me. 

God's abundant blessings be with you 

Much love 
Renee