November 6, 2013 
9 Comments
There are wounds of the spirit which never close and are intended in Godβs mercy to bring us nearer to Him, and to prevent us leaving Him by their very perpetuity. Such wounds then may almost be taken as a pledge, or at least as a ground for a humble trust, that God will give us the great gift of perseverance to the end. This is how I comfort myself in my own great bereavements.
John Henry Newman
November 5, 2013 12 Comments
My Thoughts πΒ
Not going to a firework display this year, so here are some photos from last year. Hope you enjoy!! π
November 5, 2013 5 Comments
Called to become
You are called to become a perfect creation.
No-one is called to become who you are called to be.
It does not matter how short or tall or thick set or slow you may be.
It does not matter whether you sparkle with life or are silent as a still pool,
Whether you sing your song aloud or weep alone in the darkness.
It does not matter whether you feel loved and admired or unloved and alone.
For you are called to become a perfect creation.
This becoming may be gentle or harsh, subtle or violent.
But it never ceases, never pauses or hesitates, only is –
Creative force – calling you.
Calling you to become a perfect creation
Edwina Gateley
Psalms of a Laywoman.
My Thoughts π
One of our ministers (Nik) just emailed me this amazing poem which was read out whilst on her retreat. Thought it would speak to some of you too! π
November 5, 2013 1 Comment
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November 3, 2013 2 Comments
Let us pray for the Church and for the world, and let us thank God for his goodness:
Almighty God, our heavenly Father, you promised through your Son Jesus Christ to hear us when we pray with faith.
We pray for your Church today, gathering all around the world in tiny churches and great cathedrals, to praise you, to hear your holy word, and to meet with you in bread and wine. Give us a sense of expectation as we come and inspiration as we go. Help us to put our differences behind us and to behind the great commission of Jesus to make disciples of all nations.
We pray for a world which struggles to live justly and in peace. We pray for those who have to search for daily food or walk long distances for clean water. We remember with sadness those whose live are cut short by preventable diseases and malnutrition, and those who have fled their homes for fear of violence. May Your kingdom come and Your will be done as it is in the heavenly places.
We thank you God for your forgiveness and for revealing that you are Love. Thank you for those people who sustain us by sharing this love to us. Thank you for the network of people with whom our lives are inextricably linked and who make up the fabric of our family and community life. Make us alert to each otherβs needs and quick to serve and encourage one another. May our gentleness with each other reflect your gentleness with us.
We pray for those who are laid low by suffering and those who are experiencing the outrageous assault of pain. We trust your love for us and for all people, and your deep desire for our well-being. As we name in our hearts those who are in the grip of suffering, help us so to pray and to act that they may know your comfort and healing, both now and in the coming days.
We thank you for those people who have tonight given us examples and models by which we try to live. We thank you for those who have lived and died in quiet holiness and whose prayers have helped to sustain the world. Help us to live in the light be which they lived, and to worship the source of that light, Jesus Christ our risen Lord.
Rejoicing in the fellowship of all people, we commend ourselves to your unfailing love. Merciful Father, accept these prayers through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
My Thoughts π
Tonight at our cafΓ© style evening service we were lead through this lovely prayer above. Thought you might want to join in with us. π
November 2, 2013 18 Comments
Β Letβs go out and capture black and white images that are EERIE.Β
β§ βThe Retreatβ Log cabin looking EERIE in Acle, Norfolk β§Β
Β β§ There was a definite EERIE feel around Castle Rising Castle β§
November 1, 2013 15 Comments
1 John 5:1-6Β The Voice
Itβs easy to say βI love God,β but genuine love reflects Godβs love. If we belong to God, then we will love each other regardless of how hard love is.
Everyone who trusts Jesus as the long-awaited Anointed One is a child of God, and everyone who loves the Father cannot help but love the child fathered by Him. Then how do we know if we truly love Godβs children? We love them if we love God and keep His commands. You see, to love God means that we keep His commands, and His commands donβt weigh us down. Everything that has been fathered by God overcomes the corrupt world. This is the victory that has conquered the world: our faith.
Who is the person conquering the world? It is the one who truly trusts that Jesus is the Son of God, that Jesus the Anointed is the One who came by water and bloodβnot by the water only, but by the water and the blood.
Just as we do not get to choose our biological brothers and sisters, we do not get to choose our spiritual brothers and sisters either. But what comes along with loving the Father is loving all His other childrenβeven the really annoying ones! While it might seem to be easier to go off and live in isolation rather than put up with those we are not naturally attracted to, there are responsibilities that come with living in a spiritual family. We reflect our worship of God by living in respect with our Christian brothers and sisters. How we treat the people around us on a daily basis is the real test of our love for God.
November 1, 2013 14 Comments
Photographers, artists, poets: show us DINNER!Β
β¦for tomorrow we die. The world is ending tomorrow! Tell us about your last dinner!
Β β§ Fillet Steaks β§Β
β§ Love heart potatoes β§ Β
β§ Doughnuts β§Β
β§ Elephantβs Foot β§ Β
Β β§ Hot Chocolate β§
My Thoughts πΒ
Lucky iβd be dead tomorrow, as i think iβd die anyway after eating all of this! π
November 1, 2013 2 Comments
It’s just gone 2am here in the UK and i’ve just saved Sarah from another nasty hypo (yay, i didn’t need to call the ambulance out!). This song was playing on the radio and helping me stay awake. I’ve never heard this song before so i thought i would share it with you now all is well! π
October 31, 2013 0 Comments
The Lordβs goodness surrounds us at every moment. I walk through it almost with difficulty, as through thick grass and flowers.
R. W. Barbour
October 31, 2013 7 Comments
Thanks to Spannerr for recommending this song to me!
October 31, 2013 9 Comments
James 2:1-7Β The Voice
My brothers and sisters, I know youβve heard this before, but stop playing favourites! Do not try to blend the genuine faith of our glorious Lord Jesus, the Anointed One, with your silly pretentiousness. If an affluent gentleman enters your gathering wearing the finest clothes and priceless jewelry, donβt trip over each other trying to welcome him. And if a penniless bum crawls in with his shabby clothes and a stench fills the room, donβt look away or pretend you didnβt noticeβoffer him a seat up front, next to you. If you tell the wealthy man, βCome sit by me; thereβs plenty of room,β but tell the vagrant, βOh, these seats are saved. Go over there,β then youβll be judging Godβs children out of evil motives.
My dear brothers and sisters, listen: God has picked the poor of this world to become unfathomably rich in faith and ultimately to inherit the Kingdom, which He has pledged to those who love Him. By favoring the rich, you have mocked the poor. And, correct me if Iβm wrong, but isnβt it the rich who step on you while climbing the ladder of success? And isnβt it the rich who take advantage of you and drag you into court? Arenβt they the ones mocking the noble name of our God, the One calling us?
We are often mesmerized by the rich, powerful, and beautiful people of the world. We dream of associating with them; but when we focus our attention on the fashionable people of this world, it is often at the expense of those who need it the most.
Ignoring the needy and favouring the wealthy is completely contrary to the example Jesus modeled for us while walking on earth. God often chooses those who are the poorest materially to be the richest spiritually. We should welcome everyone equally into Godβs kingdom, even if it means upsetting boundaries like class and race. The rule is simple: we should treat others in the same way we want to be treated. God does not play favorites, and neither should we.
October 31, 2013 3 Comments
Very often what God first helps us towards is not the virtue itself but just this power of always trying again.Β For however important chastity (or courage, or truthfulness, or any other virtue) may be, this process trains us in habits of the soul which are more important still.
C. S. Lewis
October 30, 2013 11 Comments
Iβve spent most of this week changing my email subscription status on the many blogs i follow. I didnβt know that after all this time, i wasnβt getting any posts through!! I thought that you didnβt post much. lol.Β
As i donβt use the βReaderβ to follow blogs (its just too clunky with how i use zoom and speech on my mac, so i read your post via Email) i wasnβt keeping up with you guys at all! So sorry if you thought i was being ignorant, but as from this week, Iβm back and you should see me around your blog soon! π
October 30, 2013 7 Comments
October 29, 2013 1 Comment
Psalm 139:23-24Β The Voice
Explore me, O God, and know the real me. Dig deeply and discover who I am.Β Put me to the test and watch how I handle the strain.Β Examine me to see if there is an evil bone in me,Β and guide me down Your path forever.
October 29, 2013 2 Comments
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October 27, 2013 10 Comments
2 Corinthians 4:1-12Β The Voice
Drawing from Exodus 32β34, Paul uses Moses as a model of one who has been transformed by Godβs glory, but in a limited way. Moses encountered God (the Lord) through the Spirit on that mountain, but the Spirit nowβas a fulfillment of the new covenantβdwells in the hearts of believers and continually transforms them. This transformation is based on a new way of understanding Godβs revelation: Jesus Himself, the One who reveals Godβs glory, is the very image of God. Through this Spirit-enabled encounter, believers experience a new way of living and therefore come to resemble the Anointed One as they reflect His glory.
Since we are joined together in this ministry as a result of the mercy shown to all of us by God, we do not become discouraged. Instead, we have renounced all the things that hide in shame; we refuse to live deceptively or use trickery; we do not pollute Godβs Word with any other agenda. Instead, we aim to tell the truth plainly, appealing to the conscience of every person under Godβs watchful eye. Now if our gospel remains veiled, it is only veiled from those who are lost and dying, because the evil god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers. As a result the light of the good news, the radiant glory of the Anointedβwho is the very image of Godβcannot shine down on them. We do not preach about ourselves. The subject of all our sermons is Jesus, the Anointed One. He is Lord and Master of all. For Jesusβ sake we are here to serve you. The God who spoke light into existence, saying, βLet light shine from the darkness,β[a] is the very One who sets our hearts ablaze to shed light on the knowledge of Godβs glory revealed in the face of Jesus, the Anointed One.
But this beautiful treasure is contained in usβcracked pots made of earth and clayβso that the transcendent character of this power will be clearly seen as coming from God and not from us. We are cracked and chipped from our afflictions on all sides, but we are not crushed by them. We are bewildered at times, but we do not give in to despair. We are persecuted, but we have not been abandoned. We have been knocked down, but we are not destroyed. We always carry around in our bodies the reality of the brutal death and suffering of Jesus. As a result, His resurrection life rises and reveals its wondrous power in our bodies as well. For while we live, we are constantly handed over to death on account of Jesus so that His life may be revealed even in our mortal bodies of flesh. So death is constantly at work in us, but life is working in you.
Jesusβ death is the means to new life for others. Similarly when believers suffer for others as Jesus did, their suffering is an avenue for Godβs life to transform situations.
October 26, 2013 15 Comments
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October 25, 2013 19 Comments
In a new post specifically for this challenge, share a photo which means HORIZON to you!Β
October 25, 2013 4 Comments
When we understand that He is Lord of our time, we realize that interruptions are of His planning.Β They become opportunities to serve rather than plagues to keep us from functioning.
Karen Mains
October 25, 2013 0 Comments
βI am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs awayβand the wolf snatches them and scatters them. The hired hand runs away because a hired hand does not care for the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me. (John 10:11-14 NRSV)
βI am the good shepherd.β
Itβs an interesting concept and one which is ripe for misunderstanding when viewed through modern Western eyes.
In many places today sheep are herded by being driven from behind, often with the help of sheep dogs and farm vehicles. Itβs a benign practice but it conjures up completely the wrong image of Jesus as the good shepherd.
Instead, picture the shepherd as the one who spendsβ¦
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October 25, 2013 8 Comments
My Thoughts πΒ
After being back in my home town of Derby this weekend, i didnβt want to leave without having an βElephants Footβ from Birds. Other bakers around the country do similar styles of cakes, but never taste anything like one of these beautyβs, they simply canβt be beaten! My sister got me a box of 4 to take back home and Sarah & i canβt thank her enough! π
If you visit Derby or Derbyshire then i recommend that you try one! Please let me know what you think! π
October 25, 2013 3 Comments
Matthew 11:28-29Β ~Β The Voice
Come to Me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Put My yoke upon your shouldersβit might appear heavy at first, but it is perfectly fitted to your curves. Learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble of heart. When you are yoked to Me, your weary souls will find rest.
October 25, 2013 10 Comments
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October 24, 2013 0 Comments
Check this out!! π
A musical history lesson from the fabulous Pentatonix
October 24, 2013 4 Comments
It would seem, after having been a Christian for almost 80 years, that I would no longer do ugly things that need forgiving.Β Yet I am constantly doing things to others that cause me to have to go back and ask their forgiveness.Β Sometimes these are things I actually do- other times they are simply attitudes I let creep in which break the circle of Godβs perfect love.
Corrie ten Boom
October 24, 2013 8 Comments
Yesterday, a small group of women from my church started the bible study, βUngluedβ by Lysa TerKeurst.Β For those of you who either know me really well or even justΒ through this blog, you are aware of my ability to sometimes spew my emotions onto my family.Β My hopes are that through this study, I will learn to stop letting my feelings get the best of me in lifeβs tricky situations and use Godβs word to combat my raw emotions before I allow them to sabotage my most valuable relationships.
Before weβd even left the church yesterday, I knew there was something from the guide that I would be sharing with you all today!Β Lysa gave us a list of βanimals,β asking which described us best when faced with an unglued kind of situation:
Wounded bear:Β I am hurt & unpredictable, so watch out!
Agitated skunk:Β I may or mayΒ not createβ¦
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October 24, 2013 16 Comments
Sarah & i were away visiting our families for the last 5 days. We stayed 2 nights in Doncaster to visit Sarahβs family. Then we stayed 2 nights in Derby to visit my family. It was lovely to see our families again as its been nearly 2 years since i last saw them.
We hardly took any photos, but still have a few for our memories. π
β§Β Sarah & her lovely Gran β§
β§ From Left ~ Me, my brother Paul & sister AmbberΒ β§
β§ From Left ~ Me, brother Paul, sister Ambber & SarahΒ β§
β§ From Left: Me, brother Paul, niece Chloe & sister AmbberΒ β§
October 23, 2013 0 Comments
Courage comes and goes.Β Hold on for the next supply.
Thomas Merton
October 20, 2013 0 Comments
Faith is a living, daring confidence in Godβs grace, so sure and certain that a man would stake his life on it a thousand times.
Martin Luther
October 19, 2013 8 Comments
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October 18, 2013 4 Comments
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October 17, 2013 11 Comments
Β “Photographers, artists, poets: show us COMMUNITY!“
My Thoughts πΒ
As soon as I read today’s daily prompt, I thought of this years easter “Walk of witness“. The walk happened in our little town and being part of the large community felt really special.
October 17, 2013 0 Comments
ο£Ώ App 4 2day! Β – Β “OnePlace.com – The Premiere Provider of Christian Audio Broadcasts & Sermons”
My Thoughts πΒ
IΒ stumbled over this FREE app whilst trying to listen to “Telling The Truth” (one of my fave broadcasts) on my iPhone, butΒ IΒ was having trouble syncing it with my Podcasts app soΒ IΒ went to their website and was prompted to download this app. It works with Voiceover andΒ IΒ can now listen to my fave daily devotional! And find new teaching thatΒ IΒ wouldn’t know about.
I wanted to share with you as you might find a show that interests you too! π
Description from the iTunes app store:
The OnePlace.com Streaming Christian Audio application for the iPhone and iPod Touch gives you free access to the most popular Christian broadcast ministries on radio. Download this application to begin listening to sermons and messages from your favorite pastors, speakers, and authors including;
Features:
– Listen to todayβs broadcast
– Discover new Christian ministry radio programs
Other Christian Apps:
October 16, 2013 2 Comments
October 16, 2013 2 Comments
Colossians 3:12-17Β (VOICE)
Paul tells them the key to remain unified is to show compassion and forgiveness toward one another.
Since you are all set apart by God, made holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with a holy way of life: compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Put up with one another. Forgive. Pardon any offenses against one another, as the Lord has pardoned you, because you should act in kind. But above all these, put on love! Love is the perfect tie to bind these together. Let your hearts fall under the rule of the Anointedβs peace (the peace you were called to as one body), and be thankful.
Let the word of the Anointed One richly inhabit your lives. With all wisdom teach, counsel, and instruct one another. Sing the psalms, compose hymns and songs inspired by the Spirit, and keep on singingβsing to God from hearts full and spilling over with thankfulness. Surely, no matter what you are doing (speaking, writing, or working), do it all in the name of Jesus our Master, sending thanks through Him to God our Father.
For Paul it isnβt enough just to believe the right things. Right belief always produces right living. The gift of salvation demands that we put into practice the character of our King. Just as we take off and throw away old, worn-out clothes, we must strip off certain attitudes and actions of our old selves. Since our lives have been made new in Him, things like sexual immorality, greed, anger, lies, and the rest must find no place in us. But it is not enough to strip off the old; we must put on the new. And that new creation has many qualities of Jesus: compassion, gentleness, and humility; putting up with each other, forgiving each other, and above all, loving each other. These are the ways of Jesus, so they must be our ways too.
iChristian 
Thinking Of You Mum
My Thoughts πΒ
Today wouldβve been my Mums 64th birthday. Some of you who have read My Testimony or my About page may remember that she died in the same month i was registered blind 13 years ago. My family & i miss her lots, so iβve added some of their facebook comments below,
Please Share: