His Love In Colour

01/09/2022

Today I woke up and felt filled to the brim with gratitude. The Spirit reminded me of Psalms 100:4-5:
"You can pass through His open gates with praise. Come right into His presence with thanksgiving... For Yahweh is ALWAYS GOOD and ready to receive you. He's so loving that it will amaze you - so kind that it will astound you!"
So I wanted to say thanks to YOU GUYS, my followers, my community, my fellow Christian mums. Without you this little ministry of mine wouldn't be here.
I love you lots, and God loves you more!
Tag a fellow mum who you're thankful for doing life with!
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30/08/2022

What's your biggest learning from this year so far? 🧐 Is there anything you'd do differently? 🤔
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28/08/2022

"They have it easy! I could never be like that..." It's so easy to think this when you see a photo on Instagram about someone's success with their kids, their house, their prayer life... But what you don't see is the behind-the-scenes that got them there. Every supposedly successful Instagram-mum has some kind of help and some kind of daily rhythms.
Who is your help? What are your daily rhythms?
MY HELP:
🤩 mentors at church who I look up to and who I can ask questions of...
👯‍♀️ life-long besties who I can talk to about anything...
🤓 even a Coach for Christian Leaders who asks me great questions to figure out my best next steps...
(I also have an amazing husband and a very generous family - but I know not everyone has these people in their lives, so hopefully the other people I've listed are those you can look to instead / as well)
MY RHYTHMS:
💪 getting up early to go to the gym - this not only provides time to move my body, but it also gives me time by myself in the car to pray and consider the day ahead...
📖 setting aside 30-60 minutes most evenings to read or listen - at the moment this aligns with getting my uni work done...
📅 using Friday's to reflect on the week that's been and look to the week ahead - this usually involves grocery shopping, cooking and cleaning so that our family Sabbath Saturday's are free!
If you'd like help determining who in your life could be your help, send me a DM - I'd love to chat! 🤗
If you'd like help setting up rhythms to help you focus on what's most important while keeping God at the centre, leave a comment and I'd love to share some helpful resources with you! 😘
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25/08/2022

We've all had those moments where a seemingly innocent question stops you in your tracks. The one that makes your stomach lurch, your chest tighten, your brain double take... "BUT WHY?" 🤯
My little boy is starting to ask this question... The first time this happened, I took the bait and spent the next 10 minutes trying to answer each consecutive "BUT WHY?" until there was no logical answer left to give! I quickly realised this is a trap, wrapped up in the package of a sweet little person who's desperately trying to understand the world around him... Instead, I now ask the question back to him: "Why do you think [insert topic]?" I love hearing his thoughts!
And it got me thinking: do you still ask this question of God, trying to learn more about Him and His world? Or perhaps you've stopped asking because you feel like it's a dead-end street? Or do you think it's inappropriate to ask the creator of the universe, "BUT WHY?"
In any case, I dare you to read the Psalms...! David wrote many of them when he was broken; and, in them, he poured out some painful and intimate questions:
>> "Why are the nations so angry? Why do they waste their time with futile plans?" (Psalm 2:1)
>> "What are mere mortals that you should think about them, human beings that you should care for them?" (Psalm 8:4)
>> "O Lord, why do you stand so far away? Why do you hide when I am in trouble?" (Psalm 10:1)
Sometimes David got answers. Sometimes he heard silence. But even when David’s questions weren’t answered, his faith in God was stronger than his need to know the answer. The fact the Psalms are in the Bible, I think, shows that our questions are important to God. He loves hearing us work through them with Him, just like I love hearing my 4-year-old's thoughts on the world. But most important is our trust in Him, no matter the answer.
"If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and He will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. But when you ask Him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind." (James 1:7-8)
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22/08/2022

Do you love or avoid risks? 🙈
I've always been a bit of a risk avoider and more of a detailed planner... The biggest risk I've ever taken was moving out of the area I grew up in - a 30min drive away, haha! 😂
I guess that's why I'm so drawn to sharing my love of planning and organising with you all, in a way that hopefully points you back to God who is the Ultimate Planner! Our plans can be good, but His plans are always best! 🙌
"But I am trusting you, O Lord, saying, "You are my God!" My future is in your hands." (Psalm 31:14-15)
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18/08/2022

Want a behind-the-scenes tour of my upcoming printable bundle? 🧐 Step this way and get a FREE sample of my 'Overwhelmed to Overjoyed' Christian life-planner bundle (coming soon!)! This sample includes a printable weekly planner, matching wall art, and a 5-day devotional... But the final bundle will include so much more! So keep your eyes peeled for its debut 😻
But for the time being... What are you waiting for?! Leave a comment and I'll send you a DM with the FREE sample bundle.
Be sure to tag a friend below so they can try it too! 👯
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17/08/2022

Have you always wanted to consistently and intentionally read the Bible? Does it feel like that dream is sitting on the shelf gathering dust? I get it. For years I would hear God saying to me, "If you really want to know Me better, you need to read My Word..." Then came the day I realised I HAD to take action:
"But don't just listen to God's word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. For if you listen to the word and don't live out the message you hear, it is like glancing at your face in the mirror. You perceive how God sees you in the mirror of the Word, but then you go out and forget your divine origin. But if you set your gaze deeply into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don't forget what you heard, then you will experience God's blessing in all that you do." (James 1:22-25)
So here's what I did:
(1) I designed some beautiful scripture wall art and planner printables that are centred around living life WITH God. (Luckily you don't have to do this - you can just grab them from my Etsy shop!)
(2) I printed them out and spent time organising my planner into a cute binder so that it made sense for MY life, right now; and I've framed and hung up the wall art in areas of my home where I would see them often and be encouraged by God's great love.
(3) I ACTUALLY USE MY PLANNER! No system of planners, devotionals or encouraging wall art is going to be helpful if you don't commit to utilising them to their full potential... I admit I don't do this perfectly, but I'm working towards creating a habit each Friday to reflect on the week that's been and update my planner for the week coming. This includes prioritising my time with God, just like I schedule in my time at work or time taking my son to speech therapy.
Your time with God has to become non-negotiable. It has to become just as locked-in as going to work - DON'T MISS IT! Because this time means that your work-life and mum-life are actually fruitful, enjoyable and peace-filled because you are consistently reminded that God is with you!
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15/08/2022

It's International Relaxation Day! 😌🌿
Tell me one thing you've learnt, are learning, or want to learn to let go of so that you can relax more into God's love and grace?
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12/08/2022

07/08/2021

>> SABBATH SUNDAY Jen from suggested no social media. I think this is a fantastic idea: to have at least one day a week that is a 'no-screens-day'! 📱⛔💻 Putting away phones and laptops and turning off tv's may be harder for some families than others. But if picking up your phone means that you'll check emails, get sucked into work-mode, or mindlessly scroll social media for hours, then perhaps it's worth trying...? It might seem like an impossible battle to have with your kids, but the discussion will at least help spark some new thoughts on how we all can use our time wisely!
2️⃣ READ >> So what are you going to do if all the screens are off?! 🤯 Perhaps you could read a book aloud as a family (anyone else picturing super silly Bible story re-enactments?); or start an afternoon quiet hour where each member of the family reads independently. Find some time to sharpen and refresh your mind with a book that brings our attention (our worship) to God.
3️⃣ PLAY >> This might cover point 2, too, if you go with my Bible story re-enactment idea 😏 But really I'm just saying to play with your kids for as long as they want to play. Take your eye off the time. Relax and enjoy doing it, thanking God for the miracle of life. Remember that you are a child of God too (John 1:12)!
I've got a few more ideas that I'll share in the coming weeks... If you've got any suggestions, share them with us below! 👇
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07/08/2021

>> GRATEFUL SATURDAY

05/08/2021

Some wise words from Christian speaker and author, Lysa TerKeurst , that she prays every morning to help her stay on track with seeking to experience God every day:
> God I want to see you
> God I want to hear you
> God I want to know you
> God I want to follow, hard, after you
> God I want to exchange my will for Thy will, because I'm so confident You will
> God you are good
> God you are good to me
> God you are good at being God
> God show me today someone to bless, someone to forgive, and some evidence of your presence and your faithfulness in my life
> And as I get up from my prayer today, I am going to promise you that I'm going to be a 'noticer'
> I realise that I'm inviting the God of the universe to do life with me, so now going to intentionally step into my day with a great expectation of experiencing you, God
> And the more I expect to experience you, the more I will
Comment "Amen 🙏" if you found this daily prayer, helpful!
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04/08/2021

I started this account because I believe deep in my heart that the Christian mum life doesn't have to feel so overwhelming and lonely.
I know you’re a genuine lover of God, running a busy household. You spend your days being teacher, cook, cleaner, nurse, counsellor, negotiator, referee, friend, taxi driver, hairdresser, event coordinator - all while also trying to do any number of the following: pursue a career, run a business, explore a hobby, keep in ‘shape’ (whatever that means), read the Bible… Well, you get the picture!
But with only so many hours in the day, you feel like your efforts are stretched way too thin - it seems like the days of feeling that sense of achievement are long gone - and there’s only so much time left in the day to do what you know is most important of all: spend intentional time with God.
If you’re really honest with yourself, it feels like you’re stuck on a hamster wheel and you know there’s got to be a better way.
I hear ya, mumma! And I believe that ‘better way’ is having God at the centre of our day-to-day lives, living out of His strength, because we clearly can’t do all that’s expected of us on our own (not for long, anyway).
This growing desire has led me to create beautiful printables designed to continually bring your focus back to God and His Word, despite the stresses of finding a genuine work-life balance!
Would you like to create intentional time with God and reignite your desire to read your Bible? Would you like to streamline your day-to-day life so that you can experience more joy, peace and patience?
Hands up if "YES" 🙋
Send me a DM or check out my Etsy store - I would *love* to chat and find some resources that I think might help you!
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02/08/2021

"Don't put your head in there!"⁠
"Where did your pants go?"⁠
"Why is your toothbrush in the toilet?!"⁠⁠
What's one thing you've said to your kids that you never thought you'd hear yourself say? 🤦 (as a mum, a teacher, a carer...)⁠⁠
I can't begin to imagine how God must feel, thinking, "Oh Gemma, my beloved daughter... How many times do I have to tell you?!"⁠⁠
BUT:⁠⁠
"The Lord is compassionate and merciful, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love." (Psalms 103:8)⁠⁠
Thank goodness for God's patience, love and mercy! Can I get an "amen" 🙌⁠
On that note, is today the day you get up and try again, knowing that God has given us grace upon grace?
>> Maybe today is the day to get organised again and re-establish your planner...
>> Or restart / continue that devotional you wanted to work through...
>> Or print out some beautiful scriptural artworks to hang up around your bedroom...
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02/08/2021

They say it takes a village to raise a child - and I believe the same goes for your Christian discipleship journey.
I've known about God my whole life and am blessed to have grown up in a loving Christian home; but I feel like I became a true follower of Jesus soon after my husband and I started going to the church we're at now (shout out to !) Over the last 10+ years I've been through some pretty big ups and downs, and every time - no matter how long it took me to reach out for encouragement or support (I can be pretty stubborn!) - I know now that I was only able to truely celebrate the ups and make it through the downs when I shared them with my Christian besties! 💕
I've learnt that I needed a godly community - a village - around me to support me throughout this Christian-life-journey and I'm so lucky to have some incredible women in my life (from my previous church (featured above!), and my current one), as well as my husband and my amazing family, who have all been there cheering me on every day and helping me stay on the narrow path! 🙌
"This makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other. If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honoured, all the parts are glad. All of you together are Christ's body, and each of you is a part of it." (1 Corinthians 12:15-16)
Tag your Christian besties, below! 👯‍♀️
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31/07/2021

>> SABBATH SUNDAY The point of Sabbath is to redirect our focus towards God, to find ways to connect with Him, to hear from Him, to refresh our souls... So, rather than allocating that time to only one hour on the Sabbath (or on any given day, for that matter), what would it look like to find 3-4 or more moments **throughout the day** to talk to Him and to worship Him? 🙌
2️⃣ EAT WITH PURPOSE >> Imagine the first Sabbath: Adam in the Garden, hanging out and enjoying a meal with God. Now, if you're like me, you may have a toddler at home who only eats food smothered in tomato sauce or cut in the shape of animals 🤦‍♀️ but that doesn’t mean you can’t find creative ways to enjoy a meal: picnics in the living room, dining outdoors, serving a themed dinner... Even if 6 out of 7 days you're focused on just getting through feeding time 🙋‍♀️ then maybe on Sabbath your family can focus on slowly enjoying the meal together and with God?
3️⃣ GO OUTSIDE >> Ok, this might not sound so appeal for many living in Sydney right now (I'm in an area where I can't go further than 5km from my home and I have to wear a mask at all times - even exercising!) BUT this is still one of the quickest ways to reset our minds and souls because being out in nature gets us closer to the Creator Himself ☀️ Pick your favourite way to get outdoors, fill your lungs with fresh air, and watch your energy and happiness peak knowing that God created this your your enjoyment!😎⁠
I've got a few more ideas that I'll share in the coming weeks... If you've got any suggestions, share them with us below! 👇
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31/07/2021

>> GRATEFUL SATURDAY

30/07/2021

Weekend, is that you?! So close I can almost taste it! 😋
It's been a challenging week with the end of this lockdown nowhere in sight... I'm looking forward to going for a walk, and then sitting in my favourite chair with my beautiful Bible and spending time with my loving Heavenly Father - while my son gets to spend time with *his* loving father!
What are your plans for this weekend?
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