Hope For Today

Dear Friends, "We fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever." 1 Corinthians 4:18 Our daughter, Jess, never enjoyed school.  She found the work hard and she struggled. It wasn't until she was diagnosed with dyslexia towards the end of her schooling that we then realised, in part, the reason for why she found it difficult. However, she never gave up. She demonstrated perseverance, determination,  and endurance. I think she probably thought that her school days would never come to an end. However, they did and she was rewarded for her hard work and persistence with good GCSE exam results. These grades have given her a good foundation so that she can go on to study the course at college she is interested in. I believe the qualities she displayed are ones that God wants to develop in all of his children, and he often does this through trials and difficulties. At least, that...

Dear Friends, It's so good to be back after a few weeks break over the summer period. The following story is thanks to a friend of mine for bringing it to my attention. My friend recently posted a news clip on Facebook from BBC News with the title "US runner praised after stopping mid-race to help fallen rival".  The story is about two athletes who were competing in the qualifying heat for the 5,000 metres.  Hamblin, the New Zealand Athlete fell and as she did she also tripped up US athlete, D'Agostino.  Instead of getting up and running on D'Agostino helped Hamblin to her feet, encouraging her to finish the race. Later D'Agostino fell as she had been injured from the first fall and this time it was Hamblin's turn to help her up and encourage her to keep going.  They were both awarded the International Fair Play Committee Award Medal for their Olympic spirit. In the Bible the writer Paul uses the example of athletes and running a race as an illustra...

Dear Friends, I think the following verses are great for meditating on as we move in to a new year.   Philippians 3:12b-14 I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.   (NIV) Paul is sharing with his readers the principle he lives by: forgetting what is behind and straining towards what is ahead. Of course, some things are important to remember and are vital to the success of our race.   Such as God’s faithfulness in the past and the lessons we have learned along the way, his promises in his Word, and the example of men and women in the Bible.   It’s these kinds of things which encourage us to keep running our race, to keep persevering. Paul’s not talking about forgetting these t...

Dear Friends, Some of you will know that for nearly a year now I have been receiving help from the London Migraine Clinic.  I had another appointment with them last Thursday and came out of it feeling very down and discouraged.  I was reduced to tears and my initial emotional response was that after all these months I was back to where I'd started, still having regular migraines and being told that once again I needed a two month break from painkillers, apart from using a particular medicine which helps as a preventative and some pain relief, while I continue with the preventative medicine I've been taking for the last two months.  I didn't feel like I wanted to carry on with my life like this, it was just too hard and had got too much for me. But I thank God that Jason was with me, he took me to a nearby café for a hot drink, a chat and a chance to sit down and collect my thoughts.  Jason was happy to support me whatever I decided and we...