Hope For Today

Dear Friends,  This Is Me A few weeks ago Jason took me to the cinema to see "The Greatest Showman". We don't often get to the cinema, but I was so glad we got to see this film which in my opinion is so good. The film is inspired by the story of PT Barnum and how he rose to fame, as he built his circus which featured various star attractions.  Many of the performers had known rejection and prejudice in the past because they were 'different' to those around them.  One member of the group is the bearded lady (played by Keala Settle) who learns through Barnum what it means to be loved and accepted for who she is. She sings my favourite song from the film, "This Is Me". The lyrics are powerful and so moving. In the past , she had hidden  away because of the hurtful words spoken by others which had left her feeling cut and bruised. But now that she has become part of the circus family, and learned what it means to be loved and accepted, she is a...

Dear Friends, Jason and I have a niece who is 19 months old.  One word that she can say very clearly is "No!"  It's a word that toddlers soon learn.  Yet, for many of us, something happens in our growing up years which makes saying "No" very hard.  At least, it has been for me. Some would say that "Sorry" is the hardest word, but I have actually found the word "No" much harder! It has only been in recent years that I've been able to say "No" more.  This was once I understood why I had such difficulty with the word. I have grown up within a strong church culture where there was an emphasis on serving others.  The acronym 'J-O-Y' was often referred to when I was growing up - at least I felt that it was -  it was a constant reminder that J esus came first in my life, then O thers , and finally Y ourself .  But I was so caught up in making sure that others came before me that I actually didn't have t...