Power of Love

When you're down and struggling with what life throws your way, turn to Jesus, he will surround you with His love. He will lift make you strong and help you through.

Rely on Jesus, rely on His love always.

Power of Your Love

Lord I come to You

Let my heart be changed, renewed

Flowing from the grace

That I've found in You

Lord I've come to know

The weakenesses I see in me

Will be stripped away

By the power of Your love

Hold me close

Let Your love surround me

Bring me near

Draw me to Your side

And as I wait

I'll rise up like the eagle

And I will soar with You

Your Spirit leads me on

By the power of Your love

Lord unveil my eyes

Let me see You face to face

The knowledge of Your love

As You live in me

Lord renew my mind

As Your will unfolds in my life

In living every day

By the power of Your love

Hold me close

Let Your love surround me

Bring me near

Draw me to Your side

And as I wait

I'll rise up like the eagle

And I will soar with You

Your Spirit leads me on

By the power of Your love

And I will soar with You

Your Spirit leads me on

By the power of Your love

Social Stigma

These days there's not the same stigma associate with children being born outside of marraige than there was in Jesus' day. So imagine how Mary felt when she was told she would conveive a baby by the Holy Spirit - fear, apprehension and well as the joy of kowing she would give birth to the Son of God. She need not have feared because Joseph, by God's instruction, married Mary.

Years later when Jesus was in his thirties, he still was the recipient of hateful and stigmatic comments about his origin. At one point Jesus was talking to some people about being God's true children, when they said to him, "We were not born out of wedlock! Our true Father is God himself" (John 8:41).

Through this we realise that Jesus can identify with, and understand social stigmas as he has been the subject of such himself. If you are suffering from social stigma, whether as a single parent or for some other reason, come to Jesus today. Do not hesitate in asking Him to help you, as He alone has promised to love everyone. He has had the experience of being stagmatized, and will be there for you.

It's The Same Air

Think about those people who are less fortunate than yourself...living in the same town or city as you...in far away lands...with little to call their own...in desperate need of help...in need of you and me!

But what can I do? What can you do?
There are many things we can do to help - first and foremost we can pray for these people and the circumstances that have led them to be in their current position; pray for their physical and emotional healing. There are also many practical ways we can help - why not donate some of your time and/or money to help people in your own area.

There no excuse why each of us can't do something to help others. we may think our small monetary donation or an hours work will make no difference, but what if we all do that! Wow, what a fantastic difference we can make in people's lives.

Take that step today, help someone in need - after all we all breathe the same air...God's air!

I've used the following song Breathe before (blog post on 12/5/2009 entitled Breathe), however I've using a different version of it this time. The video associated with this version of the song show the Salvation Army's international work in action and to me reinforces the message I've tried to pass to you today, that we all breathe the same air.

Visit the Salvation Army's UK website and make a donation today: http://www2.salvationarmy.org.uk/uki/www_uki.nsf

This is the air I breathe
This is the air I breathe
Your holy presence living in me

This is my daily bread
This is my daily bread
Your very word spoken to me

And I I'm desperate for you
And I I'm I'm lost without you

This is the air I breathe
This is the air I breathe
Your holy presence living in me

This is my daily bread
this is my daily bread
your very word spoken to me

And I'm, I'm desperate for you
And I'm, I'm lost without you

And I'm desperate for you
And I'm, I'm lost without you.

I'm lost without you.
I'm lost without you.
I'm desperate for you.

I'm desperate for you..

I'm lost, I'm lost, I'm lost without you..
I'm lost without you

I'm desperate for you

A Bad Day

Have you ever had a day when everything seems to conspire against you?

Well today's been one of those days for me. From the moment I got out of bed, everything just seemed to not go a smoothly as it could or should have. Here's just a few of today's "issues":

• before I started getting washed I dropped my towel in the bath...when the bath had water in it
• a button fell off my blouse - though fortunately that was before I left the house!
• kicked over the cat's water bowl and got water everywhere
  left the house to go to work, got to my car, no car key, so had to go back into house to get my car key

So that's just some of the things that happened before I go to work today. As for my day at work, it wasn't much better.

What really made my day really bad was the fact that I wasn't feeling very good either - I really just wanted away from work so I could find a nice wee quiet corner where I could curl up and release all the emotions that seemed to have built up inside me.

What kind of day have you had? I hope it's been better than mine!

Either way, how did you get through your day?

When you woke up this morning, did you pray that God would be with you in everything you did today? I did.

When things started going wrong for you, did you pray for God's guidance to see you through? I did.

When you felt the day couldn't get any worse and you felt at your lowest, did you pray that God would give you the strength to carry on? I did.

Just because we pray to God to help us, doesn't mean we'll never face any difficult day. It just means that if we put ourselves in God's hands during those difficult times, He will be by our side guiding us through those difficult times.

Be strong. Let God be your strength.

1 Chronicles 16:11 - Look to the Lord and his strength

Hold On

No matter what comes your way, don't give up...help is on the way!

People say that time will heal
But you know, they just don't feel what you feel
Times are hard but God is so good
He's never failed you, and He said He never would

He see's your tears
He fights your fears

Hold on, help is on the way
He said he'd never leave you or forsake you
Stay strong
Help is on the way
He'd said he'd help you
Just reach out and take his hand

He knows your heart, He lifts your head
He's always close enough to hear every word you said
When you're weak, He said He's so much more
His arm is long enough to reach you where you are

He see's your tears
He fights your fears

Hold on, help is on the way
He said he'd never leave you or forsake you
Stay strong
Help is on the way
He'd said he'd help you
Just reach out and take his hand

Help is on the way

Amen!

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

Only Trying to Help

Today I left my work quite sharp so I could get home in plenty of time to play "catch the cat"!

Those of you who have a cat or have had one in the past, probably know what's going on - it's that time of year when I have to take our cat to the vet for his annual checkup and inoculations!

Tigger doesn't like going to the vet, so as soon as he sees his carry case coming out the spare room, he goes into hiding and then plays a mixture of hide and seek and tag when we try to get him into his box! The daft thing is we're only trying to take him to the vet to make sure he stays well.

Isn't this just a bit like our relationship with God sometimes? God has a plan for our lives and when He tries to tells us and direct us, we do everything we can to avoid hearing Him, just because we don't want to do what he's requesting of us.

Just like my cat's aversion to going to the vet, we can often find ourselves scared of what God is wanting us to do. The daft thing is just like my cat, we have nothing to worry about, as God will help us to do whatever he wants us to do. So when we listen to God and accept his leading, we find (just like my cat going to the vet) we actually had nothing to fear in the first place!

Don't ignore God when He's speaking to you, He's wanting to help and guide you.

When All Hope Is Gone...

When all hope is gone, hold on to God's love...

I feel I do not need to add anything futher to the message given in this video, other than to say:

No matter how low you may be feeling and how bad life might seem, hold onto God and He will get you through

"Hold On" by Nicole Nordeman: http://www.nicholenordeman.com/

An Eventful Journey

What should have been a simple 20 minute journey home after work today ended up being one I'm not likely to forget for some time...

While driving along I suddenly realised that a few hundred yards ahead of me on the pavement a woman on her own had suddenly collapsed in a heap and did not get back up again. Although there were a few other cars about, there was only one other pedestrian on the other side of the road, so I stopped to see if I could help.

To be honest I didn't really think about what I was doing, I just went into auto pilot. By the time I'd stopped the car and got out, the guy that had been walking along the other side of the road had reaching the lady, who we discovered was unconscious. I called an ambulance and within a couple of minutes the police arrived followed a couple of minutes later by an ambulance and paramedic car!

The result of all that was by the time they got the lady into the ambulance she'd regained consciousness which hopefully was a good sign. They told us the lady had probably suffered a heart attack. I don't even know what the lady's name was, but I hope she is OK.

I pray God will be with this lady and her family and help her to make a full recovery.

Looking back on these events, what saddened me most was that although there was other drivers in the area who must have seen the lady collapse, I was the only one who stopped. Having said that, at last one person other than myself, came to help, the guy who was walking on the other side of the road. It's a sad reflection of the society we live in these days that people are not willing to help a strange in need.

Since returning home tonight, I've found myself thinking about The Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37). So even if you are familiar with this bible story, I invite you to read it again, but this time think about what you would do if faced with a similar situation.

Tonight, as well as praying for the lady who took ill, have spent time praying that our world might become a more loving and caring place once again. Where we are all more aware of those around us and are particularly conscious of their needs and more willing to help one another when we are in need.