Hope For Today

Dear Friends, It can be so easy to get caught up in the busyness of life, can't it.  We rush from one task to the next, whether it's collecting our children from an after school club, running an errand for our husband, washing dirty clothes, meeting work deadlines, serving at church or going from one meeting to the next.   Have you ever felt like the rabbit from the book "Alice in Wonderland" who is running along muttering to himself "Oh my fur and whiskers!  I'm late, I'm late, I'm late!"  I don't know about you but I can often feel that I have too much to do and no time to do it in.  And I can run around in a frenzy trying to keep on top of my tasks for the day. This busyness can stop me from pausing to ponder and reflect on life. It can hinder my thinking process, because rushing around makes me just too busy to think.  I believe Mary, Jesus' mother developed the habit of reflection.  She would take the time to pause and ponder....

Dear Friends, At the beginning of a new year I find it helpful to reflect on the previous year, to remember what God has done in me, for me and through me over the past year. The Psalmist says in Psalms 143:5 " I remember the days of old.   I ponder all your great works and think about what you have done." (NLT)  As I reflect, I consider the lessons I have learnt, begin to understand what changes need to be made, see the progress I've made, recognise achievements and learn from my mistakes, all with the aim of preparing me for the year ahead. It's vital that I spend this time of reflection with God beside me, so that I don't focus too much on mistakes and where I may have gone wrong, which can lead me to become negative in my outlook and feel a complete failure who's let God and everyone else down, but neither do I want to look at any successes and strengths that are revealed and become convinced that it's all about me and what I can do, and...