Hope For Today

Dear Friends, I guess at one point or another in your life, things did not go as you had planned, dreamed or hoped for.  I've certainly experienced that and it took a long time for me to come to terms with this. I grew up in a Christian home where I was taught how to have a personal relationship with God and how to seek his will and direction in all I did. Believing that God wanted me to be a Primary School Teacher I applied to University and with God's guidance I chose the one that was right for me.  Those four years at university were tough and more than once I wanted to give up and go home.  But believing I was where God wanted me to be, gave me the endurance I needed to keep going.  At the time my plan for my life was to become a teacher and I firmly believed that was God's plan for me too. In my prayers I asked God to direct me to the teaching post he had for me.  I never doubted that I wouldn't get a job as a teacher.  When no job was offered...

Dear Friends, If you were to ask me "Do I trust God with everything?"  Then my answer would be "Yes, of course" and I would mean it with all sincerity.  Yet sometimes experiences have revealed that I don't always trust God completely.   The Bible teaches us to " Commit your way to the Lord ; trust in him, and he will act."  Psalm 37:5 (ESV)  We are to trust him with everything - our self, our possessions, our finance, our relationships, our health, our work, everything. Nearly two years ago, my daughter, Jess had to choose her GCSE options at school.  One of the subjects she really wanted to take was Childcare.  She submitted her choices and I prayed God would overrule so that she would be given the right subjects for her.  When I say I prayed God would overrule, I mean I prayed knowing that of course she would be given her choice of Childcare.  I knew it was right for her and God must know it was best for her too, right...

Dear Friends, (Today I want to share with you a summary of a message I recently gave at my church.  As it's a bit longer than usual you may like to split it into two readings or make yourself a cup of tea and take the time to sit, relax and read.) Towards the end of last year I was not in a good place, emotionally or mentally and so I was advised by my G.P to attend a Stress Control Course.  T he course gave me some useful, practical information and in the last session we looked at 7 key things which help to boost our wellbeing so that we can move from languishing to flourishing. Now, while it was good, it was missing one key element – the presence of God and our relationship with him.   When he is included then there is a significant increase in my sense of wellbeing, and I can experience a life that is worth living. I’ve tweaked these 7 things so that I can share them from a biblical perspective. 1.      ...

Dear Friends, As we are coming to the end of the year, I find my thoughts going to the new year which will soon be upon us.  Over the last week or so I began to think about  "What do I want for 2014?" What are my hopes, my dreams, my goals for the coming year? That is, until God showed me that was the wrong question to be asking.  You see, it's not about me and what I want, instead it's all about God and what he wants for me in 2014.  What does God want for me, for you, in 2014? It's all very well looking ahead considering what goals and aims I may have for 2014, but if I ignore God in my deliberations then my goals and aims will come to nothing.  Proverbs 19:21 tells us " Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord ’s purpose that prevails." (NIV) and in Proverbs 16:9 " We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps."  (NLT) When we allow God to determine the direction we take then we will have success. So, I...