Hope For Today

Dear Friends, I’ve been thinking about pain quite a bit this past week, probably because I’m in the midst of it at the moment!   My close friends and family know that I have been to the National Migraine Clinic (NMC) in London.   Before they can treat the migraines I need to take a 12 week break from all my painkillers.   This is proving difficult as I also rely on painkillers most days to manage & tolerate the muscle pain caused by M.E.   The leg pain in particular has been almost unbearable, sitting, laying on the sofa, in bed, heat treatment, massage mat; none of these things have provided me with much relief. We all experience pain in our lives, the cause of it will be different, the intensity of it varies, but pain is still pain and it hurts!   I don’t enjoy pain and I don’t seek it out, however, God is teaching me that there is blessing in pain.   It’s my experience of this that I want to share with you today that you may be encourag...

Dear Friends, I came across The Story of a Cracked Pot a few weeks back and it greatly encouraged me.   Have a read: “A waterbearer in India had two large pots, one hung on each end of a pole, which she carried across her neck. One of the pots had a crack in it. While the other pot was perfect, and always delivered a full portion of water at the end of the long walk from the stream to the mistress's house, the cracked pot arrived only half full. Powered b For a full two years this went on daily, with the bearer delivering only one and a half pots full of water to her master's house. The perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments, perfect to the end for which it was made. But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable that it was able to accomplish only half of what it had been made to do. After two years of what it perceived to be a bitter failure, it spoke to the water bearer one day by the stream: "I am ashamed...

Dear Friends, I find so much encouragement in the following verses: Isaiah 41:9-10 “I took you from the ends of the earth from its farthest corners I called you.   I said, ‘You are my servant’; I have chosen you and have not rejected you. So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.   I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” God is calling each one of us into a relationship with him (v9).   More than anything he wants us to enjoy a relationship with him.   Not only does he call us to him, he also places a call on our lives – something he has created you for that only you can do.   I’ve known his call on my life for some years now and it brings me so much enjoyment and fulfilment.   Having said that, I don’t always find it easy and sometimes I get discouraged (v10a), sometimes I succumb to negative feelings and thoughts, I can begin to compare myself wi...

Dear Friends, In my Life Group this week we looked at the account of Hagar in Genesis 16.  Here was a woman completely broken by her circumstances.  As Sarah's servant she was told to sleep with Abraham so that she could conceive a child on  Sarah's behalf.  Then, when she's done as she's told she's mistreated and abused.  With no control over her situation, Hagar thinks her only option is to run away, rather than face it. At this point, the lowest point in her life so far, she has an encounter with the Living God.  At the time when she feels completely on her own, deserted by everyone, with no-one on her side, God makes his presence known.  He makes it clear to her that he has heard her distress and he cares about her. "And the angel also said, “You are now pregnant and will give birth to a son. You are to name him Ishmael (which means ‘God hears’), for the Lord has heard your cry of distress."  Genesis 16:11. (NLT) This will be a powe...

Dear Friends, My friend, Gill and I’ve been enjoying an alternative SPA experience for the past 10 days or so.   Perhaps I should explain this is Gwen Smith’s S ummer P salm A dventure – the idea is to spend time in God’s word, reading 5 Psalms a day, recording, reflecting and responding.   A few mornings back I was praying and talking over with God what I’m passionate about, my hopes and longings, those which have not yet been fulfilled in my life.   I was asking him that if these longings, or desires are really from him, as I believe they are, that he would fulfil them in my life.   I also prayed that he would help me to be patient for his timing, and asked him for the wisdom to know when I need to take action and when I need to just wait for him to open the way. Then later that morning during my SPA time one of the Psalms I was reading was Psalm 37 and the following verse particularly struck me: “Take delight in the Lord ,   ...

Dear Friends, There is much about praising God and celebrating in the Bible.   I believe he wants us to be a people who celebrate and rejoice.   Psalm 145 is a great Psalm about celebrating and praising God, v7 reads “ They celebrate your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of your righteousness.” (NIV) The month of June in our home is a great month for celebrating.   As I thought about writing this I considered all of the celebrations that happen for my family in June, and how it’s not just about enjoying the celebrations, but recognising that God has provided us with the reason to celebrate and therefore he is worthy of my praise and thanksgiving for all he has given me. Last weekend (16 th ) was Father’s Day – it was a day for my family to celebrate Jason as the father of our children.   God has created him to be a role model for our children, to show them what it means to be a man of God.   He is an example for Josh to copy and shows Jess...

Dear Friends, With Father’s Day this coming Sunday, I find that my thoughts are turning to God as my heavenly Father. I have been so blessed in growing up with a Dad who loved me unconditionally, instructed and guided me, who gave advice and disciplined me when needed.   He isn’t a perfect Dad, no man is, but under God, he is the best Dad he could be and he has provided me with a good example of what God as my heavenly Father is like.   I would not be the woman of faith today without my Dad. God loves us unconditionally and desires us to know him as our Father.   He is always there for us, he instructs, teaches and guides us and disciplines us too.   As our Father he wants the best for us and has a wonderful inheritance waiting for us to claim. “See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are!”   1 John 3:1 (NLT) Growing up, my Dad used a phrase on various occasions with my sister and m...