Hope For Today

Dear Friends, When you believe God has placed a desire in your heart or given you a dream, it can be really hard to wait patiently for his timing.  Then, when you sense that he is telling you now you can go ahead, it can be easy to get carried away with it.  At least, I can find that so and when God says "Yes" I just want to get on with it straight away so that it happens tomorrow at the earliest, not months ahead!  Jason has been with me on this journey and I was talking with him recently about what I felt God was telling me was the next stage.  Before I had got very far, he said one sentence which I interpreted as meaning that he didn't think now was the right time, and I thought he was being negative and unsupportive.  It's amazing how quickly your brain starts to process your thoughts, sift through them all and come up with a response almost before the sentence is out of the other person's mouth.  I was just about to either ...

Dear Friends, Over the past few months I've been having trouble with a frozen shoulder.  This has caused my movements to become more and more restricted.  I have difficulty doing simple things that I've always taken for granted, such as washing my hair. The pain at times has been unbearable. My Doctor has given me two steroid injections and some physiotherapy exercises which have to be done two to three times a day. Now, I know these exercises look strange - if I do them in front of my family I become a source of much amusement!  (I'm so glad I can bring some joy in to their lives.)  However, I don't find the exercises enjoyable, they are painful and tedious.  But I am determined to persevere in them because in the end it will be worth it.  My shoulder will be restored and I will be able to function normally once more with no pain.  The consequence of not persevering would mean more pain, muscle weakness and a...

Dear Friends, One evening last Summer my friend and I organised a women's evening, with the aim of strengthening and encouraging women in their friendships with other women.  As well as some fun activities we also shared a message on the qualities to look for in a friend. Each of us, whoever we are, whatever our characters or personalities, need good friends in our lives and there is something very special about same sex friendships.  We have examples of these in the Bible, such as David and Jonathan, and Ruth and Naomi. Using the acronym F.R.I.E.N.D.S and examples from the life of Ruth and Naomi I want to share with you what makes a good friend and how we can be a good friend too. F UN Laughter is important in life and we all need friends we can enjoy being with and have fun together.  " A time to cry and a time to laugh. A time to grieve and a time to dance."  Ecclesiastes 3:4 (NLT) Ruth and Naomi had some enjoyable times, times when they cou...

Dear Friends, Have you ever felt inadequate when it comes to speaking into the lives of those around you?  When they come to you for some words of comfort, support, advice, do you worry that you won't have the right things to say to them?  Do you believe that you're not the best person for them to be talking to?  Do you compare yourself with others and think they really should be speaking with so and so because they always know just what needs to be said and how to say it?  I admit that there have been plenty of times when I have felt just like that.  I have believed that I just don't have the wisdom to know what they need to hear and have thought that they would be better off speaking with someone else. I have found great encouragement in a particular verse from Isaiah: "The Sovereign Lord has given me his words of wisdom, so that I know how to comfort the weary.  Morning by morning he wakens me and opens my understanding to his will."  Isaiah...

Dear Friends, Last week I bought a present online for my Mum.  It was to be an early birthday present because I wanted her to have it when she went away on holiday.  I did leave it a bit late and the estimated dates of delivery went up to and included the day she was to leave.  I really hoped it would arrive before she left.  So when it came early, even before the dates given, I was so pleased.  I visited her feeing quite excited because I knew it was something she wanted.  However, when she tried it we disovered it was the wrong size.  I had been so sure I'd ordered the right one.  I was upset, frustrated, annoyed with myself and disappointed.  I'd bought a birthday present for Mum which was no good!  I was not in a good mood! Thankfully, Jason came to the rescue and was able to order the correct size and even managed to get it delivered in time for Mum's holiday.  I was so relieved and happy that she had ev...

Dear Friends, Last week we looked at how our words have the power to cause hurt and damage to others.  This week I want us to focus on how our words have the power to bring blessing to others.  "Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it curses those who have been made in the image of God. 10  And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right!" James 3:9-10 (NLT) The following verses tell us how there is power in our words - that words can bring life and hope, encouragement, support, comfort, wise advice, blessing, etc. "The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life and his words of wisdom are a source of blessing, but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence and evil." Proverbs 10:11 (AMP) "Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, sweet and delightful to the soul and healing to the body." Proverbs 16:24 (AMP) “In the past you have encouraged many people; you...

Dear Friends, I've been thinking recently about the power of our words. How many of you remember when you were at school saying this playground chant: "Sticks and stones may break my bones but names will never hurt me"? The truth is that whilst being physically hurt causes physical pain, it's not true that words don't hurt us. Words can and do cause us much pain, they bruise our hearts, they can leave deep scars and cause all kinds of damage. Words such as, "You're ugly...stupid...fat...no good...a failure...hopeless...etc"  cause so much harm, not only at the time, but also on in to the future if we don't do something about them.  So what can we do? Step 1. Let go of the words that have damaged us - reject them and leave them with God. Step 2. Ask God to heal us from the pain - he is our healer.  " He heals the brokenhearted and bandages their wounds."  Psalm 147:3 (NLT) Step 3. Fill our minds with the truth from God...