10 + things to do if you and your children are bored during the holidays

Why don't you...take the time to check who JESUS really was! Check out the truth of the gospels.  Take some steps of faith!

1.  Listen in to Jesus' Parables
2.   Begin a new life with God i.e. read this New Testament that you took back home (last hols in Devon)
3.    Ask a question i.e. find a vicar and ask him/her those questions about life that keep bothering you...
4.   Give to the homeless 
5. Pray for a friend
6. Light a light
7. Throw away a stone
8. Look at the cross
9.  Get with creation
10. Visit a church
11. Follow a prayer recipe What is praying? something complex? not at all
12. Don't worry Jesus himself gives us this advice!
13. Make a "why God ? " list
14. Join a local church course
15. Pray for an enemy
16. Give up something that matters 
17. Repent! I did and I felt so much better
18. Forgive someone and start anew 

Inspired by the rejesus website, click here and your life will be turned uspside down for the better! Don't forget to let us know how you got on! N.

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Who am I ?

Right, I was on twitter, mainly to read some comments on Matthew 11:28-30. However I got distracted so it gives me great pleasure to share with  you this video-clip. Powerful and to the point! Does it touch you too? Are you fed up of wanting to please others for instance? Are we defined by our successes or our failures? Let me know if you are enjoying it too! 

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A word of encouragement tonight

Galatians 6:9-10

9 And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.

10 So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.

Can we get tired of doing good? Paul must have thought so and he provides us with this encouragement. Relationships are so precious that you try not to fall out with anybody. However, at times, it is going to be difficult since our friends may not like what we say to them. So we must ask the Holy Spirit to help us, to guide us, and let him speak through us. 

When I used to live in the Isle of Man, I was out for a walk with a group of friends and  we all had our children with us. I remember that my friend (who happened to be the pastor's wife) noticed that my youngest daughter was ignoring me and not following any instructions I was saying. So she told me and added that I should be stricter with her. She was right of course but at the time it upset me. When I look back on those days before I knew Jesus, I thought that I was good even when all the evidence pointed at me being a 'fool' (as in the Proverbs)..I also was completely blind. Still the awesome reality was that the Lord loved me then and my friend was helping me. Now, Jesus loved us so much that he was obedient to his Father and died on the cross for us. He showed us the way so let us persevere and keep loving others no matter what even if it's hard at times (!) Have a blessed evening.

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Song of thanksgiving

Isaiah 12:3

Joyful Thanksgiving
…2"Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid; For the LORD GOD is my strength and song, And He has become my salvation." 3Therefore you will joyously draw water From the springs of salvation.4And in that day you will say, "Give thanks to the LORD, call on His name. Make known His deeds among the peoples; Make them remember that His name is exalted.

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Feeling exhausted? What should we do?

Isaiah 40:28-31

English Standard Version (ESV)

I am in the middle of an assignment and I feel like going on a roller coaster. At times, I am thinking that I' have got it right, everything clicks together, then an hour later, I feel rock bottom, confused.com! Maybe it's getting late too. I found this really encouraging passage, I'd read it before but as they say, you may hear it umpteen times before you realise that it is just what you needed to know. Help is at hand when you call on the powerful name of our Saviour Jesus-Christ! :) 

28 Have you not known? Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
    the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary;
    his understanding is unsearchable.
29 He gives power to the faint,
    and to him who has no might he increases strength.
30 Even youths shall faint and be weary,
    and young men shall fall exhausted;
31 but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength;
    they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
    they shall walk and not faint.

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A daily prayer.

Thanks be to you, our Lord Jesus Christ,

for all the benefits which you have given us,

for all the pains and insults which you have borne for us

O merciful Redeemer, Friend and Brother,

may I know thee (you) more clearly,

love thee (you) more clearly

and follow thee (you) more nearly, day by day. 

In Jesus' name. Amen

This prayer is attributed to Richard of Chichester. 

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Against child trafficking? support TEARFUND

No more child trafficking

SPIRITUAL PASSION

At TEARFUND, we’re Christians committed to following Jesus where the need is greatest. God has called us to serve those living in poverty, regardless of race, gender, nationality or religious belief.

We know the gospel has the power to transform lives and heal communities, we see this truth in our work every day. God isn’t giving up on the poor, neither are we.
Trafficking is the fastest growing crime in the world, ravaging the lives of 1.2 million children across the world every year. That number is set to rise, unless we stop it in its tracks. The good news is: we can.

Watch this film to find out how Christians are turning the tide of trafficking in one Lao village. There is a road that leads to Thailand. To the desperate girls in this small village in Laos it can look like a tempting prospect. The idea of a better life, just over the mountains, can seem like a dream come true. But for many, it’s the beginning of a nightmare.
Nang lives with her parents and three sisters in a small village in Laos on the border of Thailand. She’s 12 years old. She has one year of school left. Even though she enjoys school, life is hard. She wants to be a nurse when she grows up but the reality is that staying in education isn’t an option for her. Her parents can’t afford it. There are some things Nang doesn’t want. She says, ‘I don’t want to be poor. Now we are very poor. I just want to stop being poor and have many things.’

Asked what her hopes are for the future, she laughs. The interpreter tells us that’s a very hard question for Laos people. Here most people have so few prospects that the possibility of something else for their lives is beyond them. They have no real hope.

And this lack of hope puts girls like Nang in serious danger.

To support TEARFUND, click on this link TEARFUND, Have a blessed week-end. 

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The Lord's unfailing love

Psalm 33:18-19

But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him,

on those whose hope is in his unfailing love,

to deliver them from death

and keep them alive in famine.

Though our Lord is in charge of everything, he does care for us personally.. His “eyes” are on those who “fear Him” and upon those who “hope in His unfailing love”. This is such a comforting thought. The other day, a dear friend was telling me how she delights in reading the psalms. I do too. In this psalm, the Lord promises to save us and care for us...

One question: what does 'fearing the Lord' mean? In Proverbs 7:1, we read that "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. Fearing the Lord is about respecting what He tells us. If we love the Lord, then we do what is pleasing to Him and not what we want to do. It is not always easy..however if we think that Jesus died for us and conquered death for us to be reconciled with our Father in heaven, then we must carry on and persevere. Have a blessed week-end. N.

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Persevere in prayer

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Tolerance – the lowest common denominator

Tolerance – the lowest common denominator: p“Tolerance – it’s a catchall term that frequently comes to the aid of politicians, automatically distinguishing its user from those whose offensive views pose a threat to harmonious communal life. It means everything and nothing.”/p

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Frazzled? Don't despair!

Have you ever asked to the Lord something that you thought would be a bit of a miracle. Still you did not despair and keep asking and praying about it day after day. When things are moving unexpectedly, you are puzzled but keep asking. 

At the moment, after having experienced a period of trial, I was confused and running low for a time, even though I thought that everything was going fine (as we'd like to believe) As always, the Lord had mercy and poured his blessings on us and I am feeling more confident about the future. It's not that I did not before but I had days and nights where I was fraught and nothing seemed clear. 

Last week I had to admit that 'on my own' I cannot do anything! To be honest, I was deluded, thinking about future things, planning without 'the perfect architect, Jesus'!. Tonight, the reality is that I must wait for the Lord's guidance and help, His time not mine, His will not mine and above all be patient for everything is possible through the power of the Holy Spirit  in the name of Jesus!

Have a blessed evening.

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A good idea to show Christians just being normal...

She's dressed as a giant orange to illustrate Christingle, and danced in last year's wedding flashmob video that attracted more than 760,000 hits on YouTube.

But now Rev Kate Bottley and her husband Graham have joined the armchair critics of Gogglebox, the Bafta-nominated Channel 4 show, which follows a regular cast of everyday people as they watch – and comment on – the week's television.

Kate is the vicar of the churches of Blyth, Scrooby and Ranskill in North Nottinghamshire where she lives with her husband, two children and Buster the dog (who is so popular on Gogglebox that he even has his own Twitter account).

She tells Christian Today how she's hoping to help change the way the Church is perceived.

Why did you agree to do Gogglebox?

When they phoned up to ask whether we'd be interested, it just sounded like so much fun – that's our first reason. We're massive fans of the show – this is the third series and we've watched it since the beginning.

Secondly I thought it would be a good thing to show Christians just being normal – and I use that word very loosely – but I do think that most of the portrayals that we have of clergy especially, and Christians on TV, are fictional. To see a real one doing real things and not being interviewed on Newsnight or not in a soap opera, but just a real one being normal on the sofa, I thought it might help, that it might be a good witness.

I didn't say yes straight away because I'm not just sat there as me, I'm sat there as a vicar and a massive responsibility comes with that.When you put yourself up for something like this is it is a risk – it wouldn't be right for everybody. We made a list of all the pros and cons and talked it through with spiritual directors and archdeacons and diocesan media advisors and decided to go for it...

But generally the response has been overwhelmingly positive. I had a girl tweet me the other day – "I've seen you on the show," she said. "You're the only vicar I know, how do I get my baby baptised?" I'm the only vicar she knows! To me the show was worth doing just for that...
People do say to me "If my vicar was like you I'd go to church."
And my response is, "Your vicar might be like me, most vicars I know are lovely; go and meet your own vicar."
For me this is not about celebrity...we really think God asked us to do it, so we did it.

Click here to read more and do not miss the video entitled 'the dog kicked me! I must say thanks to David as I was reading his blog when I happened to see this post!

Our hols in Wales finished yesterday. Have a blessed week! N.

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The Gospel in 6 minutes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K48-Li7lIfA&feature=youtube_gdata_player

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Perseverance

By perseverance the snail reached the arch - Charles Spurgeon

This is so reassuring to hear this quote. I'm reading a very encouraging book by Janet Thompson. 

Have a blessed evening. N.

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Prayer vigil for the abducted Nigerian schoolgirls

There will be a Mass Prayer Vigil in support of the safe return of abducted Nigerian schoolgirls on Monday 19th May at 7pm- 9pm at Emmanuel Centre, 9-23 Marsham Street, Westminster, London SW1P 3DW

(nearest tube station Westminster - Jubilee line)

Organised by Nigerian Christian leaders in the UK, and

endorsed by The National Day of Prayer and Worship,

The Overseas Fellowship of Nigerian Christians, Christian

Concern and the International Strategic Alliance Committee

Father, we ask you that you look after our sisters and guide them, strengthen them and comfort them with your love. May your peace surround their families in this agonising wait. May you give wisdom to all the leaders involved so that they take efficient decisions. May our sisters be free speedily. We ask you in the powerful name of Jesus, our saviour and redeemer. Amen.

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The Lord is a stronghold in times of trouble!

 Psalm 9: 9-10. I find those verses beautiful because they are so encouraging. In times of trouble you can count on the Lord. He is the only one in fact you can rely on and trust entirely. Where are your friends in times of trouble? Are they there for you? Do they listen to you? Not being cynical, they may do for a few days, maybe weeks but after...the ones you are staying by your side, then you know that they are your true friends. It is a sobering fact: nobody likes going through trial and tribulations, right! However, confide in Jesus, who is Lord, he says to you : 28 ‘Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. (Matthew 11:28-30)

A prayer tonight.
Thank you Lord for Jesus for He is a Light in our times of tribulation. Thank you Jesus for guiding us and helping us today, thank you for providing us with food, drink, a roof over our heads, a job, a loving family, caring friends, a country where there is freedom. Thank you for dwelling in us through the Holy Spirit. Keep us safe, help us do your will not ours. We ask, in the name of Jesus, our Saviour and Redeemer. Amen.

Psalm 9
1 I will give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart;
I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.
2 I will be glad and rejoice in you;
I will sing the praises of your name, O Most High.
3 My enemies turn back;
they stumble and perish before you.
4 For you have upheld my right and my cause,
sitting enthroned as the righteous judge.
5 You have rebuked the nations and destroyed the wicked;
you have blotted out their name for ever and ever.
6 Endless ruin has overtaken my enemies,
you have uprooted their cities;
even the memory of them has perished.
7 The Lord reigns for ever;
he has established his throne for judgment.
8 He rules the world in righteousness
and judges the peoples with equity.
9 The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed,
a stronghold in times of trouble.
10 Those who know your name trust in you,
for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.
11 Sing the praises of the Lord, enthroned in Zion;
proclaim among the nations what he has done.
12 For he who avenges blood remembers;
he does not ignore the cries of the afflicted.
13 Lord, see how my enemies persecute me!
Have mercy and lift me up from the gates of death,
14 that I may declare your praises
in the gates of Daughter Zion,
and there rejoice in your salvation.
15 The nations have fallen into the pit they have dug;
their feet are caught in the net they have hidden.
16 The Lord is known by his acts of justice;
the wicked are ensnared by the work of their hands.[c]
17 The wicked go down to the realm of the dead,
all the nations that forget God.
18 But God will never forget the needy;
the hope of the afflicted will never perish.

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God's Not Dead | Official Full Movie Trailer

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A Christian Country? Justin Welby's answer.

A Christian Country? · Blog

History provides as many uncomfortable facts as science. Neither can be ignored if anyone is going to talk sense. Last week, the Prime Minister wrote rather movingly in the Church Times about his sense of this as a Christian country.

It followed up other comments from Cabinet Ministers saying similar things, and finished on Tuesday with a very measured intervention by the Attorney General, Dominic Grieve, whose own Christian faith is well known.

Judging by the reaction, anyone would think that the people concerned had at the same time suggested the return of the Inquisition (complete with comfy chairs for Monty Python fans), compulsory church going and universal tithes. More than 50 leading atheists wrote to the Telegraph in protest.

It's all quite baffling and at the same time quite encouraging. Christian faith is much more vulnerable to comfortable indifference than to hatred and opposition. It's also a variation on the normal "Sword and Grail discovered" stuff that seems to be a feature of Easter week news.

Yet the Prime Minister and other members of the Government have not said anything very controversial. It is a historical fact (perhaps unwelcome to some, but true) that our main systems of ethics, the way we do law and justice, the values of society, how we decide what is fair, the protection of the poor, and most of the way we look at society . . .  All have been shaped by and founded on Christianity. Add to that the foundation of many hospitals, the system of universal schooling, the presence of chaplains in prisons, and one could go on a long time. Then there is the literature, visual art, music and culture that have formed our understandings of beauty and worth since Anglo Saxon days.

- See more at: http://www.archbishopofcanterbury.org/blog.php/20/a-christian-country#sthash.mUWxeFTi.dpuf

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David Cameron: my faith in the Church of England

My faith in the Church of England

LAST week I held my fourth annual Easter reception in Downing Street. Not for the first time, my comments about my faith and the importance of Christianity in our country were widely reported.

Some people feel that in this ever more secular age we shouldn't talk about these things. I completely disagree. I believe we should be more confident about our status as a Christian country, more ambitious about expanding the role of faith-based organisations, and, frankly, more evangelical about a faith that compels us to get out there and make a difference to people's lives.

First, being more confident about our status as a Christian country does not somehow involve doing down other faiths or passing judgement on those with no faith at all. Many people tell me it is easier to be Jewish or Muslim in Britain than in a secular country precisely because the tolerance that Christianity demands of our society provides greater space for other religious faiths, too.

Crucially, the Christian values of responsibility, hard work, charity, compassion, humility, and love are shared by people of every faith and none - and we should be confident in standing up to defend them.

People who, instead, advocate some sort of secular neutrality fail to grasp the consequences of that neutrality, or the role that faith can play in helping people to have a moral code. Of course, faith is neither necessary nor sufficient for morality.

Well, I know that some of you will be cynical and dismiss this talk as election stuff, call me naive, I can't remember any other politician being so open.. I may be wrong..Have a  blessed Sunday!

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Put your armor!

God reveals Himself as the divine Warrior who fights on behalf of or against the people who profess to bear His name, depending on their faithfulness to His covenant. While this truth was known under the old covenant (see, for example, Ex. 15:3; Dan. 10:10–14), now under the new covenant we have a clearer perspective on spiritual warfare, especially insofar as we are called to fight on the Lord’s side against the Enemy and his minions.

Paul explains how we are to equip ourselves for this spiritual warfare. In Ephesians 6: 10–12, he reminds us that our struggles with sin and with those people who hate the living God are not battles against flesh and blood but against the Evil One. Before we knew Christ, we were in Adam and enslaved to the powers of sin and death. Having been reconciled to God through Jesus, we no longer have the Devil as our captain but now serve in the army of the Lord (Rom. 5:12–21). Still, the influence of sin does not disappear at once, for the world, the flesh, and the Devil strive to make us forget whose side we are on as servants of the cross (7:7–25; 1 Peter 5:8–9).

The only effective way to keep us from going against the way of Jesus and acting as traitors to His cause is to continually put on the uniform that identifies us as His soldiers (Eph. 6:13–17). Paul uses the analogy of a soldier’s armor to describe the armor of faith. While it is possible to draw some inferences as to the reason why each particular piece of armor is linked to its specific spiritual characteristic, it is more important to see that the roots of Paul’s thinking go back to the Old Testament. In Isaiah 59:15b–17, the prophet speaks of God wearing the same kind of armor as we are to wear in battle against Satan. Putting on spiritual armor simply means that we continually clothe ourselves in the Lord, relying on His gifts and graces to resist temptation and to enable us to risk even our own well-being for the sake of the kingdom.

Continual prayer in the Spirit both for ourselves and for the needs of fellow believers is the means by which we wear this armor (Eph. 6:18–20). Praying in the Spirit is not a mystical experience but rather an alertness to pray, along with a quickness to pray, because, knowing the Holy Spirit intercedes with and for us as we pray, we recognize the power in acknowledging our dependence on God (Rom. 8:26–27).

Coram Deo

John Calvin comments on this passage, reminding us that we should not let the “injurious treatment” of others provoke us to revenge, for those who bother us are merely darts from Satan’s hand. “While we are employed in destroying those darts, we lay ourselves open to be wounded on all sides.” Instead, “we must go straight to the enemy, who attacks and wounds us from his concealment — who slays before he appears.”

Source : click here

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