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, 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...

Dear Friends, This week follows on from last week so you may  find it helpful to read or re-read last week's post.  I wrote how we can know, even during our trials, that God loves us, cares about us and is with us in our pain.  You may remember that I shared about Jess' experience at the dentist, that it was painful to endure it, but that it was in her best interests that she did so. God, our loving heavenly Father, allows us to sometimes go through difficult and painful circumstances because they are ultimately for our good.  He uses these times to grow our faith in him, to deepen our trust, and to take us on in our Christian journey. For example, James says to his readers   " Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. 3  For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. 4  So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfec...