Stretch letters Rest + Abandon + Delight

Issue 4: Delight

Wild flowers in bloom

by Danielle Farrell Goodfellow

C O N T

Diving with my Creator by Rebecca Russell

Stretch letters asked Tim Iveson how he delights in God.

E N

Delighting in God by Krystle Stylianou

T S

EDITORS NOTE
God wants to stretch us spiritually. He wants our lives to contain more. More of Him, more of His blessings, more of His love, more of His peace, more of His strength, more of His joy. He wants our lives to carry and hold more. He wants our lives to carry service, thanksgiving and a heart of worship and delight in Him. This issue Stretch letters delights in God and His goodness!

Grace & Peace Cassie Garrett Stretch letters Rest + Abandon + Delight

Wild flowers in bloom

By Danielle Farrell-Goodfellow

I will not be crushed. My spirit will not be crushed For you lead me out into wide-open spaces Youre breathing room for my soul Ive a love affair with you I love to get away with you Your beauty it always astounds me Your love wraps me up and I am beautiful Beautiful in your arms I am wanted here in your arms I am desired, I am longed for You miss me, you care for me You deliver my soul from all the mire that drags me down I will follow you... And sleep at some wayside inn Then rise early, listen to bird-song Lets look for wild flowers in bloom Where you lead me, Ill follow Lord And there Ill give myself to you My love to your love Dance in Paradise with you Father of Lights, You twirl me You sing me all your delights My soul cries, smiling, I have found my home.

Diving with my Creator

Words by Rebecca Russell The first dive of the day. I hadnt dived in two weeks, I was beginning to over heat from the long walk from the car to the southern side of Bare Island La Perouse. I was diving with three guys, two of them Id dived with before. We were going to explore the outer reef off the island and only one of us (he was leading) had dived this reef before. As we entered the water, I began to cool down, my breathing was accelerating due to the shock from being overly warm to entering the cold water. For some reason I was nervous and I didnt know why. I had done over a hundred dives? As we descended into about 8 metres of water, visibility was about three metres, my breathing was increasing and I thought to myself slow down - breathe slowly - so as not to turn into panic. I felt the urge to shoot to the surface. I pulled myself together, gave my dive buddy the ok and we all began to follow our mate who had dived this reef before. We followed him for 45mins, constantly swimming, no time to look around and explore.

Even though I was confident about this dive, before we entered the water I said under my breath, Lord, Please help me on this dive. I think God was waiting for me to realize I needed him that day. He decided to put on a show just to make me smile. My Creator showed me rare creatures that some professional divers have never seen, and placed a 6 ft angel shark covered in sand near my dive buddy to find so we could take photos of him after he shook off the sand. After I arrived home and unpacked all my gear I said to the Lord Thank you Jesus for an awesome dive! I shouldve just asked you for help on the first dive ! When will I ever learn that I should ask for his help in ALL things, not just when I cant do it on my own?

We saw a school of bait fish, but nothing very interesting, and most of the reef line was smooth baron boulders. At the end of this dive, we made it back to shore, and I thought to myself, I dont think I enjoyed that dive. I also wondered why I put so much trust in a diver I barely knew. I went back to my car, grabbed some lunch and put my camera rig together. I was excited to use my new camera. This second dive I was going with a diver I had often dived with who was also taking photos and along a reef I had been along many times before.

Psalm 27 msg Light, space, zest thats God! So with him on my side Im fearless, afraid of no one and nothing. When vandal hordes ride down ready to eat me alive, Those bullies and toughs fall flat on their faces. When besieged, Im calm as a baby. When all hell breaks loose, Im collected and cool. Im asking God for one thing: To live with him in his house my whole life long. Ill contemplate his beauty, Ill study at his feet. Thats the only quiet, secure place in a noisy world, The perfect getaway, far from the buzz of traffic. God holds me head and shoulders above all who try to pull me down. Im headed for his place to offer anthems that will raise the roof! Already Im singing God-songs; Im making music to God.

I place before you Life and Death, Blessing and Curse. Choose life so that you and your children will live. And love God, your God, listening obediently to him, firmly embracing him. Oh yes, he is life itself! Deuteronomy 30:20 msg

By entering through faith into what God has always wanted to do for us set us right with him, make us fit for him we have it all together with God because of our Master Jesus. And thats not all: We throw open our door to God and discover at the same moment that he has already thrown open his door to us. We find ourselves standing where we always hoped we might stand out in the wide open spaces of Gods grace and glory, standing tall and shouting our praise. Romans 5:1-2 msg

Stretch letters asks

Tim Iveson
how he delights in God.

GRACE! is the source of my greatest delight in God! I am so human it's not funny. Knowing that I can continually approach God and experience His love and presence, free from guilt or shame maintains my joy and keeps me seeking more of Him. When I know in my heart that I am forgiven, clean and that He is with me it makes me so happy that sometimes, when no-one is watching, I dance! By Gods grace, though I am a lanky white boy, I am able to move like James Brown crossed with Michael Jackson! Gods grace towards me is the most delightful part of my Christian walk.

Delighting in God
words by Krystle Stylianou I was asked to write about how I delight in God. I have been reflecting on this and thinking about what I could contribute to this thought. Today as I was driving, I simply asked the question out loud.. God how do I delight in you? His response was immediate How do I delight in you Krystle? I became aware that if I truly am a follower of Christ, that my life should reflect and imitate Christ. So, the question is.

If I am delighting in God, how much of Christs example of delighting in me, do I reflect back?

de light noun 1. a high degree of pleasure or enjoyment; joy; rapture: She takes great delight in her job. 2. something that gives great pleasure: The dance was a delight to see. verb to have great pleasure; take pleasure (followed by in or an infinitive): She delights in going for long walks in the country.

How does God delight in me?..........

He blesses me with the desires of my heart God promises that as we delight in him he will give us the desires of our heart (Psalm 37:4) My response: Give back to God the desires of our heart He has placed in us. He puts me first The greatest example of this is at the cross. Jesus freely gave of his life, for you (Matthew 26:39) My response: Put Christ in the center of my life (Romans 12:2); He acknowledges me in every area of my life Christ never forgets, overlooks, holds back (Matthew 6:25-23) My response: Do the same ( Matthew 25:31-39) He created beauty for me God created the earth for our pleasure. He loves to see us delight in the wonder and uniqueness of what he created ( Genesis 1:31) My response: Enjoy, appreciate, be thankful for all the world God created, has to offer. I love the paraphrased of 1 Timothy 2:8 I want to do something beautiful for God and become beautiful doing it His heart break for what breaks mine God delights in me because I know when I hurt, he hurts. When I am sad, he is sad. My God feels what I feel and never discounts what I am feeling, but allows me to feel pain and then bring his comfort, peace, strength to what I face. ( John 11:35) My response: Allow my heart to break for what breaks His Ask God what breaks his heart, ask God to move your heart to the things that move his heart. He delights in me, just because I love this. God delights in me just because. Just because he chooses to, he desires to, he longs to, he created me to My response: Delight in Christ just because. There is nothing that pleases God more than a willing and pure heart, that just loves him, desires him and longs for him. When is the last time you just hung out with God, with no intention of asking, getting, wanting. But just to be with Him. So as I continue to delight in Christ in my own unique, personal way. I can only aspire to delight in God as He first delighted in me.

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