{"id":130,"date":"2016-12-31T10:00:21","date_gmt":"2016-12-31T10:00:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.prayerscapes.com\/blog\/?p=130"},"modified":"2016-10-21T09:59:34","modified_gmt":"2016-10-21T08:59:34","slug":"turn-this-boat-around","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.prayerscapes.com\/blog\/turn-this-boat-around\/","title":{"rendered":"Turn This Boat Around"},"content":{"rendered":"

At the beginning of a new year, many of us relish the possibility of change. For some it is the thrill of setting a new course, for others that of developing relationships in family life, for still others it is the hope for new patterns to emerge in work life. I imagine that our Heavenly Father, the one who is bursting with love and forgiveness, longs to help us to embrace all these things.<\/p>\n

I have so many things on my New Year list! Sometimes it feels as though even making a small change can take months of pondering and planning. Sometimes changing direction is like turning a really heavy boat around against the flow of the tide! All too often in early January I see some of these hopes fizzle out, drop off my agenda or become crushed by insecurity or doubt. It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.<\/a> When I lift my eyes to the skies I see the birds fly where they choose on the winds of the moment! This is a beautiful metaphor for the freedom intended for us all. Why is it that so often we feel like we are moving in slow motion or dragging ourselves through treacle? Sometimes it is the well trodden paths of history which pull heavily on our decisions. At times it is the internal doubts and insecurities that confine us. At other times it is the ties in life, the responsibilities we carry, that hold us back. Or perhaps it is the way we look at these things?<\/em> Could they be transformed into possibilities, joys and adventures? So let us stand, hand in hand with each other, and explore without fear! Share and laugh together. Take mini steps, moment by moment, day by day<\/a>. Here we can hold steady to a loving God, and stand on the bed of grace given to us by Jesus. He is alive! And we can be alive too. So hope and breathe anew!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

At the beginning of a new year, many of us relish the possibility of change. For some it is the thrill of setting a new course, for others that of developing relationships in family life, for still others it is the hope for new patterns to emerge in work life. I imagine that our Heavenly Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":131,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spay_email":"","footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true},"categories":[13],"tags":[18,14],"class_list":["post-130","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-reflections","tag-new-year","tag-reflection"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.prayerscapes.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/MG_sailing_boat_600.jpg?fit=600%2C338&ssl=1","jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7bKxI-26","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":690,"url":"https:\/\/www.prayerscapes.com\/blog\/how-to-receive-gods-peace\/","url_meta":{"origin":130,"position":0},"title":"How to Receive God’s Peace","date":"October 8, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"This week I\u2019m going to be looking at God\u2019s peace. What is it and how do we receive it? Peace is as a gift from God; we hear about peace in bible as the \u2018Peace that surpasses all understanding\u2019 and as a blessing exchanged by the early Christians as \u2018peace\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Films"","img":{"alt_text":"Small Boat on a wild sea","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.prayerscapes.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Little_Boat_600_Blog.jpg?fit=600%2C337&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":96,"url":"https:\/\/www.prayerscapes.com\/blog\/is-life-a-tower-or-a-picture\/","url_meta":{"origin":130,"position":1},"title":"Is Life a Tower or a Picture?","date":"July 15, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"We all prefer not to be the one in need, the one who is confused, or the one not managing well. When I need assistance, I feel the little tower of control topple beneath me. Sometimes it only takes a brick to be displaced and all my stability seems in\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Reflections"","img":{"alt_text":"Three pieces from a puzzle ona window","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.prayerscapes.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/MG_puzzle_600.jpg?fit=600%2C338&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":59,"url":"https:\/\/www.prayerscapes.com\/blog\/seek-to-serve-2\/","url_meta":{"origin":130,"position":2},"title":"Seek to Serve","date":"April 5, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Hi, somehow Neil and I have found ourselves in this place, a place where we seek to serve you! This is a blog for those who have stumbled over prayerscapes in some way and found our work to be helpful. Sometimes the world lifts artists, actors or directors above others.\u2026","rel":"","context":"With 3 comments","img":{"alt_text":"working on a laptop, seen from above.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.prayerscapes.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/dts_laptop_600.jpg?fit=600%2C338&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":673,"url":"https:\/\/www.prayerscapes.com\/blog\/how-to-pray-for-friends\/","url_meta":{"origin":130,"position":3},"title":"How to Pray for Friends","date":"September 24, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Hi, today we\u2019re going to be looking at different creative ways that we can pray for our friends and loved ones. If you know someone at the moment that is going through a difficult time you might find these tips especially useful. https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/playlist?list=PLIojy7PfSmO7aEzVZVGwnbrHlDLKawL09 Praying for friends or loved ones is\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Films"","img":{"alt_text":"Julie Palmer on Prayer","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.prayerscapes.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/Julie_Palmer_on_Prayer_800.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":424,"url":"https:\/\/www.prayerscapes.com\/blog\/dwell-at-christmas\/","url_meta":{"origin":130,"position":4},"title":"Dwell at Christmas","date":"December 12, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"In this season of giving, it is hard sometimes to cut through the commercial trappings, rise above the \u201cperfect Christmas\u201d expectations and truly connect with loved ones to give a gift that is really yearned for. 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