Family of Love

Please watch the video below and listen closely to the words - It's another one of Twila Paris' songs which I often listen to when I'm struggling to cope with what life has thrown my way.

I hope and pray More Than Words can truly be more than just words to you, and that you are reassured of God's presence as He is our heavenly Father:

He loves you more than I can say
And He is always taking care of you
He loves you more than I can say
And more than I can say He hopes
That you will love Him too

A great video to go with a beautiful song, I hope you receive blessing from it.

More Than I Can Say by Twila Paris

The One who makes the children is watching from above

He placed you in a family so that you could know His love

A mother and a father to hold you here on earth

But he was with you long before the moment of your birth

And if you don't have a mother

He will sing you lullabies

And He'll be right beside you everyday

When you're all alone at night in bed

If you feel like crying it's okay

He will wipe your tears away

He loves you more than I can say

And He is always taking care of you

He loves you more than I can say

And more than I can say He hopes

That you will love Him too

The One who hears the children has known you from the start

He placed you in a family so that you can feel His heart

A mother and a father to keep you safe and warm

But he was with you long before the day that you were born

And if you don't have a daddy

He will be your father too

And He will always keep you in His sight

When it gets too dark to stay ahead

And you can't find your way it will be alright

He will be your guiding light

He loves you more than I can say

And He is always taking care of you

He loves you more than I can say

And more than I can say He hopes

That you will love Him too

Struggling At Christmas

I make no apology for share the above song with you today, as it although Christmas should be a time a great joy for Christians around the world, as we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, it is also a time when traditionally we spend time with our families. So please don't get so caught up in Christmas that you forget those struggling to pull themselves though each day of this Christmas period when all can seem so very bleak for some.

So today I'd ask that you take some time out from the build up to Christmas to think about and pray for those who might be finding Christmas difficult this year for family reasons:

• Those with no family;
• Those whose family are hundreds or thousands of miles away;
• Those who have loved ones in hospital;
• Those who have loved ones for whom this may be their last Christmas due to serious illness or age;
• Those who themselves are ill and unable to share with their family on Christmas.

For those in any of these situations, Christmas can be a very depressing time, a very lonely time, when it seems you are forgotten and alone. But these are times when we need to remember God is with us at all times and can make the darkest of times bright again.

Please pray for those struggling this Christmas and if you are one of those struggling, turn to God, He can give you the strength to face Christmas as without Him there wouldn't be any Christmas.

Can't Live Without You
You found me here
I'm barely breathing
You picked me up
But I'm still wanting more

You're the ocean deep
I'm in up to my knees
Wanting desperately to drown
You're the one bright part
Of my languid heart
You're the love I cannot live without
I cannot live without

Please hold me close
I can't stop shaking
It's not for fear
My walls are breaking down

You're the ocean deep
I'm in up to my knees
Wanting desperately to drown
You're the one bright part
Of my languid heart
You're the love I cannot live without
I can't live without

I can't live without you
I can't live without you
And I cannot live without you
Can you hold on, can you hold on
Can you hold on, because you hold everything

You're the ocean deep
I'm in up to my knees
Wanting desperately to drown
You're the one bright part
Of my languid heart
You're the love I cannot live without
I can't live without you
I can't live without you

Please checkout Bebo Norman's website: http://www.bebonorman.com/index.html

The Christ In Christmas

Everywhere we turn at the moment we're remind that it'll soon be Christmas - There's Christmas decorations going up in people's houses and in the street. Then there's all the pre-Christmas sales urging us to spend our money on "fantastic bargains" or "huge reductions".

Phew! It's exhausting just thinking about it all!

Well I've just spend today Christmas shopping with my Mum, buying the remainder of my presents. I quickly remembered when I got to the shops why Christmas is not my favourite time of year...I hate the shops being so busy and having to join endless queues to pay for one item. Bah Humbug I hear you say, but please be assured I like buying my family and friends presents, I simply dislike the commercialism that has overtaken all things Christmas.

Do you think the people in your community actually know and understand why we celebrate Christmas, and what it's really all about? I would be very surprised if many know what Christmas is really about. The standard answers would probably be "giving and receiving presents", "spending time with family" or "Santa". In other words they have taken Christ out of Christmas!

We as Christians have a great responsibility, particularly at this time of year, to make sure we tell the world about Jesus.

We must remind everyone that without Christ there would be no Christmas!

What Child Is This by Michael W Smith...

Checkout Michael W Smith's website: http://www.michaelwsmith.com

P.S. I just about managed to finish all my Christmas shopping today, I hope your Christmas shopping expeditions are as successful.

War Child

Many families today, in many countries, are mourning the death of loved ones who have been serving their country in a foreign land. We've heard of soldiers being killed in active service abroad, nearly every day these days.

Today I'm going to spend time praying for those currently serving their country and for those who have sadly been killed or injury while carrying out their duties. The families of these soldier need our prayers too, so I will be particularly praying for them too.

I'd ask you today to spend time in prayer for our soldiers in active service, those injured and for the families of those killed in service.

Our soldiers and their families need our prayers.

Mark Schultz is one of my favourite singer/songwriters and his song Letters From War fits wonderfully with today's blog message. It tells the story of a mother left at home as her son is a soldier, fighting in a far away war. I hope you enjoy it as much I do - it reminds us not to ever give up hope no matter what faces us and we can apply that philosophy to all we do!

Letters From War (Mark Schultz)

She walked to the mailbox
On that bright summers day
Found a letter from her son
In a war far away

He spoke of the weather
And good friends that he'd made
Said I'd been thinking 'bout dad
And the life that he had
That's why I'm here today
And that the end he said
You are what I'm fighting for
It was the first of the letters from war

She started writing
You're good and you're brave
What a father that you'll be someday
make it home
make it safe

She wrote every night as she prayed

Late in December
A day she'll not forget
Oh her tears stained the paper
With every word that she read

It said "I was up on a hill
I was out there alone
When the shots all rang out
And bombs were exploding
And that's when I saw him
He came back for me
And though he was captured
A man set me free
And that man was your son
He asked me to write to you
I told him i would, oh I swore"
It was the last of the letters from war

And she prayed he was living
Kept on believing
And wrote every night just to say

You are good
And you're brave
what a father that you'll be someday
Make it home
Make it safe
Still she kept writing each day

Then two years later
Autumn leaves all around
A car pulled in the driveway
And she fell to the ground
And out stepped a captain
Where her boy used to stand

He said "mom I'm following orders
From all of your letters
And I've come home again",
He ran into hold her
And dropped all his bags on the floor
Holding all of her letters from war

Bring him home
Bring him home
Bring him home

Please checkout Mark Schultz' website: http://markschultzmusic.com/home/

Thank You God

Saying thank you is something we all get taught to say at a very early age. We're taught to say thank you whenever someone gives us something or does something for us. But how often do we stop and say thank you to God?

God knows that saying thank you doesn't always come easily or naturally to us. However he does command us to be thankful.

Psalm 100:4
Enter his gates with thanksgiving: go into his courts with praise.

1 Thessalonians 5:18
No matter what happens, always be thankful, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.

We often bring our sins and guilt offerings to God, but still forget to say thank you to Him. You might wonder, "what have I to thank God for?". Even when you feel you have nothing to thank God for, you must still try to be thankful, even if that just means thanking God for allowing us the ability to thank him!

Spend a few minutes thinking about the things you can thank God for today. here are a few suggestions:

• Thank him for knowing you and caring about you
• Thank him for your family
• Thank him for your friends

Remember to thank God regularly for all he does, no matter how you are feeling or what you're experiencing.

Thank you God.

Love of Family

August is month full of lots of family birthdays as well as our wedding anniversary (see yesterday's clog post called Love). So today was one of my cousin's 50th birthday!

So this afternoon I got a phone call at work to see whether Sandy and I wanted to go out for dinner with my cousin and all the rest of our family. Unfortunately Sandy did not feel up to going out tonight so I went along without him.

We all went for a lovely Chinese and a good old blether which was good as we don't see each other all that much. It also got to see my cousins grandchild for the first time too, so that was good.



All in all it was a good night with my family, even though Sandy wasn't with us.

Today I'd just like to say thank you to God once again for my family and the love they've all shown me over the years.

I pray too for those estranged from their family, and ask that reconciliation may be found so that they might all become one again. For those with no family, I pray they find someone special to them who they can share their lie with.

Thank you God for the love of family.


I've chosen the same song as yesterday to conclude, but make no apology for it as it is a song full of powerful words...The Power of Your Love, this time by Rebecca St James:

Last Day On Earth

Matthew 25:21 (NIV)

"His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'

If today was the last day you spent on this earth, would you be confident that when you come face to face with Jesus He will say "Well done"?

Last Day on Earth - Steven Curtin Chapman

I pull over the side of the road and I
Watch the cars pass me by
The headlights and the black limousines tell me
Someone is saying goodbye
I bow my head and I whisper a prayer, "Father,
Comfort their broken hearts"
And as I drive away there's a thought that I
I cannot escape, no I, I cannot escape this thought
I can't get away

Oh, if this should be my last day on this earth
How then shall I live
Oh, if this should be the last day that I have
Before I breathe the air of Heaven
Let me live it with abandon to
The only thing that remains
After my last day here on earth

If this should be my last day here on earth
If this should be my last day here on earth
If this should be my last, last day here on earth

And if tomorrow comes to find me
Looking in the face of Jesus
Will I hear Him say the words "well done" ?

If this should be my last day here on earth
If this should be my last, my last day here on earth
'Cause this could be my last, this could be my last
This could be my last day

Live everyday as it it were your last day on earth. Don't put of until tomorrow what you could do today, as you may not have a tomorrow. A bit of a morbid thought I know, but like my post yesterday ("His Provision"), I just want you to consider your life, how you are leading your life and whether it is acceptable and pleasing to God.

If God is asking you to do something, say "Yes" today - If He didn't want you to do it until tomorrow He would have asked you today!

Treat everyone as if it's the last time you'll see/speak to them, tell your friends and family how much you love them, you may not get another chance.

James 4:14 (NIV)

Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.

I Will Be There

For my family and friends...when you need me, I will be there for you...

Love your family and friends, God gave them to you, so repay Him by loving them with all your heart. Rememeber that God is always with you, so that whenever you need Him he will be there for you.

Be there for your friends and family just as Jesus is there for you.

Checkout the Steven Curtis Chapman website: http://www.stevencurtischapman.com/

All I Want

If you only had one thing in this world, what would you want it to be?

Money, home, family, friends, possessions are all things we often thank God for, or wish we had more of. But do we ever really acknowledge that God is all we need? My own answer would probably have to be a no. What about you?

We should not ever take God's presence in our life for granted, not because He will ever leave us, but simply because we must never forget the amazing and wonderful things God has done and continues to do in our lives.

Today I acknowledge and thank God for being "all I need in this world". I urge you to do the same.

All I Want (Michael W Smith)

All I have in this world
Is fire from above
All I have in this world
Is you
And all the journeys I have walked
I know you've walked them too
All I want is to be faithful
All I want is you

All I have is a love
That set my world on fire
Let it fall, let it burn in me
And oh to be a friend of God is all that I desire
All I want is to be faithful
All I want is you

All I want is you
All I want is you
All I want is you
Is you

All I have in this world
Is fire from above
All I have in this world
Is you
And all the journeys I have walked
I know you've walked them too
All I want is to be faithful
All I want is you

All I want is you
All I want is you
Da...oh oh oh
All I want is you
Is you

Checkout Michael W Smith's website:

http://www.michaelwsmith.com/

Life...and Death

In the last couple of days the news headlines have been dominated by the deaths of two celebrities. First of all yesterday it was the Charlie's Angels star Farrah Fawcett and then of course last last night the news that music legend Michael Jackson had died, started to come through on the news and has subsequently dominated tv and radio stations for much of today.



Before I go any further I want to say at that I do not intend to say anymore about either of these celebrities in this blog, as there are there are countless other sites that contain information about these people lives, so if you're looking for information about them, this is not the site you want.

So onto what I do want to talk about...

Throughout the world this week, there are many people who have suffered bereavements. In fact, I personally know of a number of people who have been bereaved in this last week.

Death is one of life's certainties - we all know we will die at some time, some sooner that others. Even so, although we know death will come to us all, it does not make it any easier for family and friends to cope when their relative or friend passes away.


Many tears are often shed when someone dies. Tears of sadness that they will never see their loved one again, and sometimes even tears of happiness when they reminisce about past times spent with their loved one.

John 3:16
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have eternal life

Well known words, but words which mean the world to Christians worldwide - if we believe in God, we can live forever simply because God loves us, every single one of us, so much that he let his son die on a cross at Calvary. Wow! How amazing and wonderful is that!?

Death is not the end, it is simply the beginning of eternal life with God. For that we must rejoice. When our friends/love ones pass away, try to remember that they are at peace, their struggles on earth are at at end and they are now at rest with our heavenly Father.

Here is Michael W Smith's great song called Live Forever. Hope you enjoy it!

Please pray today for those who have suffered bereavements in this last week. I'd ask you to pray particularly for their family and friends - that they may understand and accept that their loved one/friend is now at peace, and is peace in God's presence.

Finally I'd like to leave some other well known words of scripture with you - but maybe a slightly different version from you're used to hearing

Psalm 23 (Contemporary English Version)
You, LORD, are my shepherd.
I will never be in need.
You let me rest in fields of green grass.
You lead me to streams of peaceful water, and you refresh my life.
You are true to your name, and you lead me along the right paths.
I may walk through valleys as dark as death, but I won't be afraid.
You are with me, and your shepherd's rod [a] makes me feel safe.
You treat me to a feast, while my enemies watch.
You honor me as your guest, and you fill my cup until it overflows.
Your kindness and love will always be with me each day of my life, and I will live forever in your house, LORD

Quality Time

What a beautiful day it's been, the sun has been shining, there's hardly been a cloud in the sky and it's been really really warm. Let's hope it lasts for a while!

So for those of you who have been at work this week, you'll be delighted that it's now officailly the end of the working week - yes I know it may not be where you are, but here in the UK it's after 5pm on Friday, so for the majority of folk it's now considered to be the weekend! Let's hope the wonderful weather today continues over the weekend at the very least!

Well this week, we've been on holiday from work. Unfortunately though we've still not been able to get away anywhere, but even so, it's still been a fantastic week.

These days we all find ourselves rushing about from place to place trying to fit in loads of different tasks into every minute of our day. So this week it's been great to get away from all that as well as all the stress that work and everyday life puts on us. It's been good to be able to just relax and chill out and actually just spend some quality time together for the first time in a while.

How often to you get a chance to spent quality time with your family and friends?

Given the fast pace at which we all have to live our lifes at these days, you may well find your answer is "not very often". If that is the case, take the time now to arrange with family and friends, a time for you to spend quality time together - I promise you your relationships with your family and friends will benefit greatly from it.

It is important to look after all our relationships: that means our relationships with our family and friends, as well as our relationship with God.

Look after them all.

Real Love

To many, friendsand familyare the most important things in their lives. Sadly, not everyone is that fortunate. There are many people in this world who feel they are very alone having been rejected by/rejecting their family and friends.

As Christians we are challenged to love everyone, no matter how they treat us.

1 John 3:11-11 (The Message):
11 For this is the original message we heard: We should love each other.

12-13 We must not be like Cain, who joined the Evil One and then killed his brother. And why did he kill him? Because he was deep in the practice of evil, while the acts of his brother were righteous. So don't be surprised, friends, when the world hates you. This has been going on a long time.

14-15 The way we know we've been transferred from death to life is that we love our brothers and sisters. Anyone who doesn't love is as good as dead. Anyone who hates a brother or sister is a murderer, and you know very well that eternal life and murder don't go together.

16-17 This is how we've come to understand and experience love: Christ sacrificed his life for us. This is why we ought to live sacrificially for our fellow believers, and not just be out for ourselves. If you see some brother or sister in need and have the means to do something about it but turn a cold shoulder and do nothing, what happens to God's love? It disappears. And you made it disappear.

I'm sure we all know of those (maybe even ourselves) where relationship between family or friends have broken down, do not give up because God can help repair those relationships, no matter how damaged that relationship may be.

Pray for those experiencing difficulties in their relationships with family or friends, and also for those who feel they have no-one and feel alone. Each of them very special people in God's eyes (as are you).

You may be interested in the Salvation Army's Family Tracing Service which can help reunite families that have been separated for many years and/or many miles.


God can answer prayer. He can help everyone no-matter their circumstances, so don't give up praying!

1 John 3:11-11 (The Message):
When We Practice Real Love
18-20 My dear children, let's not just talk about love; let's practice real love. This is the only way we'll know we're living truly, living in God's reality. It's also the way to shut down debilitating self-criticism, even when there is something to it. For God is greater than our worried hearts and knows more about us than we do ourselves.

21-24 And friends, once that's taken care of and we're no longer accusing or condemning ourselves, we're bold and free before God! We're able to stretch our hands out and receive what we asked for because we're doing what he said, doing what pleases him. Again, this is God's command: to believe in his personally named Son, Jesus Christ. He told us to love each other, in line with the original command. As we keep his commands, we live deeply and surely in him, and he lives in us. And this is how we experience his deep and abiding presence in us: by the Spirit he gave us.

Keep practicing real love!