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~ Lean On God ~

My Dad had a stroke over 30 years ago and it left him Paralysed in his left arm and left leg.

He had physical therapy and through a Lot of Determination he regained some movement in his leg and was able to walk short distances around the house etc. His arm remained Paralysed apart from some very slight movement.

About 13 years ago he had a 4th heart attack. Whilst in hospital he was Advised to use a Electric Wheelchair as he's got Many other illnesses as well as the Stroke, and using a Wheelchair was more Helpful for him.
The Electric Wheelchair Really has been a Blessing and has Helped him move around a lot better.

He's almost 80 now and he has been a 'True Inspiration' over the past 30 years with his 'Never Give Up' Determination and his 'Positive Joyful Spirit'.

In recent years due to his illnesses, he's lost a Lot of the movement in his legs. It's become difficult for him to Stand Up from his Wheelchair to get in bed and to do other Daily tasks that most people take for Granted.
But he 'Never Gives Up'.

Over the years since he had the stroke, my Dad has had quite a lot of Falls, some of them causing bad injuries.

As his arm is Paralysed and he has Limited movement in his leg, when he Falls, it's Very Difficult for him to get back up by himself.

Thankfully I've been there many times to Help him get back up and into his Wheelchair.

I realised early on that it's Very Difficult to pick a person up off the floor when they're Paralysed on one side. 

 I've got a Lot of Respect for all the Carers and Medical people who Do that type of thing on a Regular basis to Help people all around the world. 

~ May God Bless them All with Something Special ~

~ ~ ~
If You Do this type of thing either as a job or simply out of Love & Care, 
then I would just like to say a Very Big Thank You to You. 
You are Very Much Appreciated by me, and most Importantly by God.
~ ~ ~

Whenever I've Helped to pick my Dad up, I Fully Admit that my Physical Strength is 'Not' Strong enough to pick my Dad up. So I Always ask God to Guide me and Strengthen me when I've needed to pick him up.

Each time I've picked him up, I've felt a 'Surge of Strength' come into my body as I lift him up. I'm 100% Certain it's 'Not' my own Strength. 
It's God's Mighty Powerful Strength.
“With God All Things Are Possible”. (Matthew 19:26). 

I'm Truly Grateful to God for Giving me 'His Strength', and I give All the Glory to God.

Thankfully over the past few years my Dad's not had any major Falls.

But a few days ago he had a bad Fall. 
Thankfully I was able to Help him.

He was getting into his Wheelchair and his leg must have slipped or gave way and he Fell backwards.

He managed to grab the Hand Rail as he was falling, but only with two fingers and wasn't able to steady himself, so he Fell backwards.

My Mum tried to Help him up but she has also now got Many illnesses that make it difficult for her to lift him up.

When I got to him, he was Stuck in between his Wheelchair and some furniture.

I 'Immediately' asked God to 'Guide' me what to Do, and to 'Strengthen' me to Help my Dad get up.

I give All 'Praise & Glory' to God because without me even Thinking, I 'Immediately' knew what to Do.

'God's Strength' then Surged through me to Help him up.

It Honestly felt as thought I hadn't used my own Strength. 
It Definitely came from God.

At that point my Dad was now Stood Up, and I was stood behind him with my arm around him to steady him.

He still needed to get into his Wheelchair which was slightly to the side of him.

For my Dad it's Not just as Simple as taking a step to the side and sitting down, as it's Difficult for him to move his left leg, and he can't put pressure on it.

I could tell that he was Very 'Shaken Up' by the Fall, so I just stood there a Short moment holding him while he Settled.

I could feel his legs shaking a bit, so I Calmly & Gently said to him,
“You're ok,  I've Got You,  Lean On me”. 

As he 'Leaned' on me, I felt him Relax with a sense of Reassurance.

He was then able to slowly move across into his Wheelchair and sit down.

He had quite a big cut on his left arm, so my Mum and my Wife cleaned it up, put some Tea Tree Oil (Natural Antiseptic) on it, and bandaged it up for him.

My Mum has been my Dad's Carer for the past 30 years, and my Mum and my Wife have had a Lot of experience over the years of dealing with cuts, bruises & injuries from all the Falls my Dad has had.

They Do a 'Fantastic' job with it even though they're not doctors.
My Wife has often said, 
“It's God Living through me to Do it”. 

Once my Dad was back in his Wheelchair and his arm was cleaned and bandaged, we Advised him to Relax & Rest. 
As always he had been having a Laugh and a joke.

My Dad's had a Wonderful Saying ever since he had the heart attacks and bi-pass operations many, many years ago and he was put on a Lot of Medication. 
The Saying is,
“Laughter is Better than Any Medicine”. 

I've seen the Positive effect it's had on him by him having a 'Joyful Spirit', even in Very Difficult situations.

He took our Advise and Relaxed, and later my Mum checked him over. Thankfully it was only one cut and a few bruises.
Every time my Dad has had a Fall, my Mum and Dad Always say that, 
“God is certainly Looking After him”. 

They are Fully Aware that each time he's had a Fall, it Could have been a Lot worse.

They Always say a Sincere “Thank You” to God.

Later on I was also saying “Thank You” to God for Protecting my Dad and asking God to 'Comfort & Heal' him so that he's not in any pain.
(As I write this, it's now a few days after he Fell and he's Not had Any pain, which is Truly 'God's Blessing', as it was a Bad Fall).

I also said “Thank You” to God for Guiding & Strengthening me to Help my Dad get up.

I thought about when I was stood holding my Dad and I had said to him, “You're ok, I've Got You, Lean On me”. 

As I thought about it, I got a Very Strong sense, 'that's what God says to all of us in times of trouble',
“You're ok, I've Got You, Lean On Me”. 

It was a Very Powerful moment as I felt the Wonderful 'Love & Care' that God has for all of us. That includes 'You'.

So Always Remember, if 'You're Life' has taken a Fall, God will 'Pick You Up', and He will say to You,
“You're ok, I've Got You, Lean On Me”. 

If You've been 'Shaken Up' by a bad situation, then God wants to Help You Relax, and He Calmly & Gently says to You,
“You're ok, I've Got You, Lean On Me”. 

And if You need to Help someone else and You know You can't do it in 'Your Own Strength', then ask God to 'Guide & Strengthen' You. His 'Mighty Powerful Strength' will 'Surge' through You to Do whatever You need to Do.

God will Always Help You in whatever situation You're in. He Simply wants You to 'Trust' Him, 'Rely' on Him, and 'Lean' on Him.

God Loves You and Cares About You Very Much.

Whatever situation You face in 'Your Life', 
Always Remember God is Saying to You,

“You're ok, I've Got You, Lean On Me”.

~ The Beauty of God's Creation ~

As the Sun Rises and the darkness slips away,
A Cheerful Blackbird Joyfully Greets the Day.
His Song can be heard All around,
His Friends Join in the Joyful Sound.

Behold the Beauty of the Rising Sun,
Lighting up the Clouds One by One.
Beautiful Colours Delight our eyes,
Mesmerising Wonder in the Glorious Sky.

Dew Drops Glisten in All their Fullness,
They're Sparkling Drops of Watery Goodness.

Buzzing Bees and Wind in the Trees,
Look Closer there's More to See.
A Ladybird about to take her First Flight,
She Hatched under a Leaf out of Sight.

A Friendly Wasp Enjoys a Tasty Treat,
Nibbling a Delicious Berry all Juicy and Sweet.
A Butterfly Flutters in the Afternoon Sun,
Dancing from Flower to Flower it looks such Fun.

When you Guard your eyes from the Sun's Golden Beams, 
Things are Revealed previously Unseen.
Iridescent Clouds appear Close to the Sun, 
Mesmerising Colours All Merging as One.

A Delightful Rainbow Appears in the Sky,
As a Refreshing Shower Passes By.
A Sign of God's Love from Ages Past,
His Covenant with Creation that will Always Last.    

 Beautiful Flowers turn Towards the Sun's Light,
Absorbing its Goodness until the Day becomes Night.

When the Sun's Setting the Sky is Ablaze,
Clouds are Illuminated by the Sun's Rays.

As the Sunlight Filters to the Forest Floor,
Look Closer and you'll see there's Much to Explore.
Beautiful Tree Trunks with Their Warm Golden Glow,
Covered in Intricate Lichen in Harmony they Grow.
As the Small Spider Weaves her Web,
She Leaves Silvery Threads on Mossy Beds.

As the Sun goes Down on a Glorious Day,
Night time Creatures begin to Play.
The Fox, the Badger and the Deer Too,
Let's Not Forget the Owl, Ter-wit, Ter-woo.
A Sleepy Hedgehog Emerges from her Nest,
A Shake and a Scratch then Time for a Rest.

Stars Appear when the Sunlight's Gone,
God Knows Their Names One by One.
We can't Count them even if we Try,
So Enjoy Their Wonder Twinkling in the Sky.

On a Cool Winter's Night when the Moon's Shining Bright,
Look Up to See a Glorious Sight.
A Moon Bow Appears in the Clouds Passing By,
Colours like a Rainbow but in the Night Sky.

The Northern Lights tell a Wonderful Story,
It's Heaven Declaring God's Majestic Glory.
Beautiful Colours Dancing in the Night,
Awe Inspiring Wonder, what a Magical Sight.

From Each Giant Tree to Every Grain of Sand,
All things are Created by God's Mighty Hand.

His Wonderful Creations are All Around,
Immerse yourself in their Beauty and Let Joy Abound.

Enjoy God's Creations with a Smile on your Face,
Being Wonderfully Inspired at Nature's Pace.

~ Press the Brakes ~

Imagine You're driving along a road and You can 'Clearly See' ahead of You that there's a big truck parked across the road, blocking the road completely.

If You carry on driving, You will 'Crash'. 

Which of the following would You Do ? 

(1) – Press the Brakes as Quickly as You can so that You 'Stop' before You 'Crash'. 
(2) – Say to Yourself, “I know I should Stop, but I'm too busy to Press the Brakes”. 
(3) – Complain about the truck being parked across the road, and start 		Grumbling about 'Other People' doing wrong things, whilst You 		Continue to drive towards the truck.
(4) – Say to Yourself, “What's wrong with Crashing anyway, other people do it”. 
(5) – Weigh up the Pro's & Con's of Stopping.
(6) – Say to Yourself, “It's not my fault if I Crash, the truck shouldn't be 		parked across the road”. 
(7) – Ask 'Other People' if You should Stop.
(8) – Doubt in Your Mind that You would be able to Stop, even if You tried, so You just keep driving.
(9) – Think to Yourself that “You'll Stop 'one day', but just not yet”. 
(10) – Research on google if the truck is 'Really' blocking the road.
(11) – Stubbornly Refuse to Stop, and say, “It's the truck drivers fault if I Crash”. 
(12) – Say to Yourself, “But this road is taking me where I want to go. If I Stop now I might not get there”. 
(13) – Blame God that You are on 'That road' at 'That time'. 

Pause for a moment and think Seriously which of the above 'You' would Do.

~ ~ ~
     
If You are being Honest, I Believe 'Everybody' would Do number (1) and Stop before You 'Crash'. 

~ Now Imagine You're driving on the same road, but You can't 'See' the truck ahead of You that's parked across the road.

As You drive, You get a Sense that God is Guiding You to 'Stop', but You don't know why.

Then You notice a 'Sign' saying “Stop, Danger Ahead”. 

Then a person is stood at the side of the road waving their hands and saying, “Stop, Stop, or You'll Crash”.  

Pause again and think Seriously which of the (1)–(13) You would now Do.

~ ~ ~

Again if You're being Honest, I Believe 'Everybody', (even the most Stubborn people) would still Do number (1) and 'Stop'. 

Obviously nobody wants to be involved in a car Crash, so Everybody would 'Press the Brakes and Stop'.

But when it comes to peoples 'Own Personal Lives', and the 'Way' that people 'Live Their Lives', Many people are heading towards a 'Crash'. 

There are things that people are Doing that they know they should 'Not' be Doing, but instead of 'Pressing the Brakes' and 'Stopping', they Choose one of the other options from (2)-(13). 

Even when people can 'See' that what they are Doing is Wrong, they make up 'Excuses' and Continue heading towards the 'Crash'. 

God knows that 'Sometimes' we can't 'See' the Thing, Person, or Problem etc that will cause the Crash. So He will Lovingly Guide You to Stop. He will give 'Signs' that Something is 'Not Right'. And He will Guide Loving & Caring people to Advise You to Stop.

But even then Many people 'Ignore' God and they Stubbornly Refuse to Listen, whilst heading Straight towards a 'Crash'. 

Before I started my Wonderful Journey with Jesus, I used to Do 'Wrong' things.

I can now Clearly See that at that time God was actually Guiding me to 'Stop'. There were 'Signs' that something was 'Not Right'. And Loving & Caring people were Advising me to 'Stop'. 

But I Stubbornly and Wrongly Ignored God's Help, and it led to Many 'Crashes' in my Life that I could have 'Avoided' if I had simply 'Pressed the Brakes' and 'Stopped'. 

I'm Truly Grateful that God 'Never Gave Up' on me, and I eventually Listened and Stopped.

I just wish I had 'Stopped' a Lot Sooner, and I could have saved myself and other people a Lot of Pain and Hassle.

My Life is 'Massively' Better now than it Ever was, and I've got a Lot more Freedom, Peace, and Joy in my Life.
~ But that has only been possible by me 'Stopping' Doing the 'Wrong' things.

If You are Doing something that You know is Wrong, and You shouldn't be Doing it, then I 'Seriously' Advise You to 'Press the Brakes', and 'Stop', as 'Quickly' as possible.

If You were driving towards a truck, You wouldn't 'Wait' to 'Stop'. You would 'Stop' Quickly.

You obviously wouldn't 'Continue Driving' and make up an Excuse.

The Truth is, there are 'No' Excuses that are a 'Valid' reason to 'Crash'. 

It's the same in Your 'Personal Life'. There are 'No' Valid Excuses to Do Wrong.

Stop,  and Stop Quickly. 

There might be things in Your Life that You don't actually realise will cause You to 'Crash', or You can't 'See' how it will lead to a 'Crash'. 

It could be a certain 'person'  in Your Life who is a 'Bad Influence' on You, (or worse still, Deceiving You without You realising). 
~ Please 'Beware', the devils 'followers' are sometimes 'Disguised' as Believers, and he is using them to 'Trick' people by leading them into a sense of 'False Security'. 
But It will lead to a 'Crash'.

It could be a certain 'Place' You go to, or a TV program or Music You listen to that is Corrupting You without You realising.

You can't always 'See' what will cause You to 'Crash'.
~ But God 'Sees' Everything that You can't See.
~ He 'Knows' Everything that You don't know.

God will Lovingly Guide You to 'Stop'. 
He will give You 'Signs' that something is 'Not Right'. 
And He will Guide Loving & Caring people to Advise You that what You are Doing will lead to a 'Crash'. 

Please Don't 'Ignore' it.

Far too many peoples Lives are 'Crashing' that could be Avoided.

There is a Wonderful Couple who I have got a Lot of Respect for. They're doing Truly Amazing things for God, and they are 'Full of Faith'. 

I 'Strongly' feel that God has been Guiding me that they are being 
'Seriously Corrupted' by a 'Worship Singer' who they said they met about 6 months ago. She used to be an Actress and she has a ministry with her husband.

I can 'Clearly' See Without 'Any Doubts' that she is one of the 'devils followers' in the Disguise of a Believer.

But unfortunately the Couple don't seem to 'See' it.

It's Horrible seeing such a Wonderful Couple being 'Misled' by her. 
It's Extremely Clear to me in a Powerful Way that they're heading for a 'Serious Crash'. 

What makes it worse is that they have a Lot of 'Influence' over Many, Many other people's Lives, and the Couple are 'Unintentionally & Unknowingly' Misleading a Lot of other people with the 'Corruption' that they have 'Caught' from the 'Worship Singer'. 

That's one of the devils 'Tactics' to 'Trick' people. If he can't get into Your 'Mind', he will use 'his followers' to 'Corrupt & Manipulate' You, without You even realising, and they're often Disguised as Believers.

But God 'Sees & Knows' Everything.

So Please, Please 'Listen' when God Guides You to 'Press the Brakes' and 'Stop'. 
Be Alert to the 'Signs' that something is 'Not right'. Many people don't notice the Signs that God shows them simply because they don't want to Admit it's 'Wrong'. 
And Listen to the Advise of Loving & Caring people.

God Doesn't want 'Your Life' to Crash.
I Don't want 'Your Life' to Crash.
And I'm sure that You Don't want 'Your Life' to Crash.

So Don't make Any 'Excuses'.  No Excuses are 'Valid'. 

God Loves You, and He wants what's Best for 'Your Life'. 

Whatever You are Doing that's Wrong,
Whatever God Guides You that's Wrong,
'Press the Brakes' Quickly, and 'Stop'.

~ Restoring You ~

The word Restore basically means, 
'To Repair something back to it's Original Condition'.

People Restore different things such as, Restoring old cars, Restoring furniture & Restoring buildings etc. 

There's a place that's about a 30 min drive from where we live called Rivington Terraced Gardens. It was Designed and Built in the early 1900's for Lord Leverhulme who owned Lever Brothers Soap, now called Unilever.

The Terraced Gardens are 45 acres and built on a steep hillside so there's lots of pathways that zig zag up the hillside linking together different areas of the gardens. Lord Leverhulme had been inspired by Japanese Gardens and Italian Architecture in the Edwardian period that he lived and he incorporated this into the design of the Gardens.
He built a Japanese Garden with a Lake and natural flowing Waterfalls, surrounded by Japanese themed Buildings, Plants and Trees.

He built another Lake with Italian themed Designs and Architecture and he used to go for an Early Morning swim in the Lake to Refresh his body.

The majority of the buildings and walls were built using Stone, some of which had been quarried out of the hillside. 
It's Truly Amazing how they built it all back in the Edwardian period (over 100 years ago) without the use of modern machinery.

There are some Very Large Features built with the 'Dry Stone' building technique (no mortar to hold it together) and they are still standing and in Good Condition over 100 years later. 

There were also 7 summerhouses built out of Stone. They're nothing like summerhouses of today. They were designed in the Italian theme with Elaborate Stone Carving, Elegant pillars and Stone steps leading up to a Roof Platform for a Roof top Viewpoint overlooking the countryside. 

Within the Gardens there was also a Ravine with Beautiful Waterfalls cascading down into small Ponds, with Stone Built Bridges across the Flowing Water, giving Beautiful Views of the Waterfalls.

The Terraced Gardens where Originally Private Gardens for Lord Leverhulme, and he held many events to Entertain Guests where they could Leisurely Enjoy the Terraced Gardens.
He also Invited the public for Open Days and raised lots of money to Help different Charities.
At that time most people would never have seen anything like it before, so it would have been a Wonderful Experience for people.

When Lord Leverhulme died, the Gardens where sold a number of times over the years. They ended up being owned by a water company who didn't look after the Gardens & Buildings, and it became Very Run Down and Overgrown.

It was opened to the general public and over the years it got worse and worse. People used to go in the summerhouses and light camp fires and leave beer cans and Rubbish in them.
The Lakes became Dumping Grounds and generally Misused and Treated Badly.
What had started out as a Beautiful and Inspiring Place, had become Run Down, Overgrown and Mistreated.

The first time my Wife and I went there was probably about 20 years ago, and it was already Run Down when we saw it. Even though it was Run Down there was still something about it that Inspired us. 
As it was only a 30 min drive from where we live, and it's probably the only bit of open Countryside that's near us, we used to Regularly go there for walks. We also used to go Running there to keep fit as it's got lots of Stone Steps and Interesting Pathways to run on. 

We went there quite regularly for probably over 10 years, so we got to know the place very well.
As we walked around we would often try to Imagine what it would have been like when it was 'Originally' built. Even though it was in a bad state, we could still see Glimpses of its 'Original Beauty', and was still Very Inspiring.  

We often used to say how good it would be if it was Restored to its Original Design. People would then be able to Experience what it was Supposed to Be like, instead of only seeing its Fallen State.

My Wife and I continued going for walks and runs, but after a while it got even worse, and people started using it to do drugs and more Rubbish was dumped there. We stopped going there and hadn't been back for nearly 10 years.

We then heard that there had been some Restoration work being done, so last week we went there for a walk.

It has been Transformed into a Wonderful Place again. A group of people had set up an organisation to Restore parts of it. 
Many Wonderful Volunteers have helped 'Clear Away' the Rubbish, 'Prune' the Overgrown bits, and give it all a Good 'Clean'. 

The Lakes have had all the 'Rubbish Removed' from them, and over 800 cubic metres of 'Sludge' was drained out, that had built up over the years.
They Discovered a Hidden Cave behind a Large Rock Feature at the edge of the Lake. It was Originally Designed to have a small boat inside it, and Lord Leverhulme would WOW his Guests by suddenly appearing in a boat from behind the Rock Feature.

Some of the Summerhouses have been Restored. They've been Cleared of Rubbish, the Stone work has been 'Cleaned' of all the 'Dirt and Grime' that had built up, and the Rooftop Viewpoints have been re-opened so people can Experience its 'Original Purpose'. 

When my Wife and I were walking around, it was Truly Wonderful to see the Transformation. We could see the Original shapes of the Lakes Designs and many of the Beautiful Stone Features that had been Covered Up for so long.

When we saw the Summerhouses, it was Very Inspiring.
My Wife said “If somebody sees these for the first time and they had never seen them when they were Run Down, they would think they were New Buildings”.

The team of Restorers Really have done a Great job.

After 'Experiencing' the Terraced Gardens in their 'Restored' state, my Wife and I came away feeling Very Inspired, Uplifted and Full of Joy.     

Something that had Originally been Created so Wonderfully with a 'Special Purpose', yet it had been 'Mistreated' for so long and allowed to fall into a Run Down state, had now been 'Restored' back to how it was 'Originally' Supposed to Be. 
And people can once again Enjoy and Experience the Beauty, Wonder and Creativity of its Original Design.

In a Similar Way, that's what Gods Plan is for People.

When God Originally Designed and Created people, He Wonderfully Made Us, with a Special Purpose. 
That includes 'You'. God Designed You, and He Personally 'Created' You in a 'Truly Wonderful Way'. He has a Very 'Special Purpose' for Your Life. 
The Bible says, 
'We are His Workmanship, Created in Christ Jesus for Good Works'. 
(Ephesians 2:10). 

Your Life has Meaning and Purpose. 

Many people (including myself) were Misled about the 'Meaning of Life', and went down the Wrong Path, (the 'worlds' path). 
Peoples Lives become 'Run Down' and 'Overgrown' by the 'worlds' Wicked and Deceitful Ways of Living.
People are 'Mistreated' and the 'worlds' Rubbish is Dumped on them.

The Wonderful Life that God Created, becomes Corrupted, Overgrown and Run Down, so that it No Longer Functions how God Originally Intended.

This is all the devils plan to Prevent People Being Who God Created them to Be.

But God has a Plan. 

God's Word says in (2 Corinthians 13:11), 
“Strive for Full Restoration”. 

Some translations say 'Be Made Complete', (Be what You Should Be).  

How do you 'Strive for Full Restoration' ?

~ 'Prune' the parts of Your Life that have become 'Overgrown'.
~ 'Drain Away' the 'Sludge' that's built up in Your Life over the years.
~ 'Clear Away' the 'Rubbish' that's been Dumped on You by' Other People',  Throw It Away.
~ Ask God to Guide You what 'His Original Purpose' is for 'Your Life', and be 'Open' to God's Answer. 
~ Then be Willing to 'Be All that God Created You to Be'.

You might Discover some Hidden things about Yourself, that will have a WOW effect.
When 'You are Restored' to how God Originally Created You, You will be an Inspiration to others, You will Lift peoples Spirits, and Fill them with Joy.

And most Importantly, You will make Your Creator God 'Very, Very Happy'. 
You will be a Blessing to God.

'Strive for Full Restoration'. 
And God Will 'Be With You' and 'Strengthen You'
 in Every area of the Restoration.

“He Restores my Soul, 
He Leads me in the Paths of Righteousness”. 
(Psalm 23:3). 

The Greatest Restoration project You can ever be part of, is 
'Restoring You'.