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

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

You Time

When you've had a stressful few days, how do you relax?

He's an extract of a message I received recently:

Just reminding you not to forget about a very important person today, YOU! DO something 4 only you today : ) You deserve it!

Isn't that good advice? I certainly think it is. Sometimes when life has got on top of you things have been stressful and you've been struggling, put some time aside just for YOU, to pamper yourself, give yourself a treat, do something you enjoy, or simply relax and chill.

Most importantly though, to find complete rest we must take time to spend some "quiet time" in God's presence - He alone can give you true rest.

My Friend God

Made Me Glad

I will bless the Lord forever

And I will trust Him at all times

He has delivered me from all fear

And he has set my feet upon a rock

And I will not be moved

And I'll say of the Lord....

You are my shield

My strength

My portion

Deliverer

My shelter

Strong tower

My very present help in time of need

Whom have I in Heaven but you?

There's none I desire beside you

You have made me glad

And I'll say of the Lord....

You are my shield

My strength

My portion

Deliverer

My shelter

Strong tower

My very present help in time of need

You have me glad

And I'll say of the Lord....

You are my shield

My strength

My portion

Deliverer

My shelter

Strong tower

My very present help in time of need

In times of strggle and difficulty, who do you turn to? Your husband/wife, partner, parent, friend? What about if the person you usually turn to for support is not there, if your struggle is about situation that person finds themself in?


To me God is...
What more could I ask of a friend?

God is the best friend you can ever have. He's helped me through some difficult times, and continues to help me through some difficult times. He can do that for you too...all you need to do is trust God.

My shield
My strength
My portion
Deliverer
My shelter
Strong tower
My very present help in time of need

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

Watchtower

When your struggling through difficult times in your life, who do you turn to?

Within the bible we're told that Habakkuk had somewhere to go and someone to listen to him when he was perplexed. He went to his "watchtower", his place of prayer, where he was confident that God would meet him and give him some answers.

Habakkuk 2:1 NIV
What's God going to say to my questions? I'm braced for the worst. I'll climb to the lookout tower and scan the horizon. I'll wait to see what God says, how he'll answer my complaint.

We don't need to be a prophet like Habakkuk to have a watchtower. We can be a mother, a father, a wife, a husband, an executive, a homemaker, an MP or a homeless person...in fact it doesn't matter who we are, God has made a watchtower for each us us so that we can climb into it whenever we want. From that watchtower (place of prayer) we can begin to see what God sees and we can wait for Him to answer our questions.

God doesn't always answer us directly, He often sends us messengers in different forms. He may send us His message through the words of a friend, a minister, book, radio or TV.

When we believe in God we have somewhere to go and someone to listen to us, our watchtower or place of pray where we can wait on God to answer our questions and give us rest from our frustrations.

Sometimes all we need is someone to talk to. It may not change the direct our life is going in but may just remind us we're not going through it on our own.

The Answer to the Question by Tree63
I'm growing tired of a mouth shut tight
when all I want to do is tell the whole world
about the Man sitting at the right
hand of the One in Heaven
how could I sing about anything but Him

He is the answer to the question
He is the cure for the infection
He is all He says He is
He is the ultimate reflection
of holiness and true perfection
He is all He says He is

How can I not cry watching as the
world dies without a prayer
They look to their own construction
bound to the living God of Earth and Heaven
How could they sing about everything but Him, yeah, yeah

He is the answer to the question
He is the cure for the infection
He is all He says He is
He is the ultimate reflection
of holiness and true perfection
He is all He says He is

I'm so tired of a mouth shut tight
All I want to do is tell the whole world
about the man sitting at the right
hand of the One in Heaven
How could I sing about anything but Him

He is the answer to the question
He is the cure for the infection
He is all He says He is
He is the ultimate reflection
of holiness and true perfection
He is all He says He is

Checkout the Tree63 website: http://www.tree63.com/

Why?

How many times have you asked youself Why or "why do so many things go wrong for me"?, Why do bad things always seem to happen to good people?

You're not the first and I'm certain you will definitely not be the last person to ask those questions. The bible tells us in Habakkuk 1:2-4
The problem as God gave Habakkuk to see it: God, how long do I have to cry out for help before you listen? How many times do I have to yell, "Help! Murder! Police!" before you come to the rescue? Why do you force me to look at evil, stare trouble in the face day after day? Anarchy and violence break out, quarrels and fights all over the place. Law and order fall to pieces. Justice is a joke. The wicked have the righteous hamstrung and stand justice on its head.

Don't think that just because you've accepted God into your heart, that you will not experience things of sadness or depression or "dark times". Accepting God into your life simply means that when the dark times come in your life, you can confident that God will be by your side and will be your strength and comfort during these times.

So when your struggling with what life has thrown your way, rely and God, pray to Him to give you strength and direction to get your through. But always remember, just because you ask God for answers, He may not give you the answer that you wanted to hear, but don't despair, keep your eyes focused on God and He will help you find your way through the dark clouds that surround you.

Out of the Darkness by Tim Hughes
I could live a thousand years
Never earn a moment of your grace
Even in my darkest day
You shine on me
You shine on me

And out of the Darkness
You brought me into your glorious light
Saved from the death i was facing
Rejoicing in the future, a hope that is mine

The greatest of all gifts
From the greatest of all givers
Jesus there upon the cross
True love displayed for all to see

And your grace runs after me
Runs after me
Everyday of my life
And Your mercies they never fail
They never fail
Everyday of my life

Please checkout Tim Hughes website:

http://www.timhughesmusic.com/

Keep On Loving

Hebrews 6:11 (New Living Translation)
Our great desire is that you will keep right on loving others as long as life lasts, in order that to make certain that what you hope for will come true.

How do we keep on loving others as long as life lasts? It's a daunting task and one which seems impossible to achieve when we are caught up with our own corners and problems. It's difficult to find the emotional energy to "keep right on loving" at these times. It's equally as hard when some of those we love don't reciprocate or are unlovable.

Hebrews 6:10 (New Living Translation)
For God is not unfair. He will not forget how hard you have worked for him and how you have shown you love to him by caring other Christians, as you still do.

In the above verse from Hebrews, we find encouragement to keep on loving, when we're informed that God does recognise how hard we have worked to try and love everyone, even if we haven't succeeded.

But this still doesn't make it any easier to love as long as life lasts. So how do we achieve this? We do so by faith and patience, in the knowledge that this is the best way to show God how much we love Him - God likes when we tell Him we love Him, but likes it even more when we show Him by loving other Christians.

Whenever we call a friend in trouble and take time to listen to their struggles, or we look after a child to give their single parent a break, or when we pay a bill for someone whose struggling to make ends meet, or when we invite people to our house to eat knowing their struggling to be able to afford a decent meal for the whole family, or when we visit those in hospital who have no family to care about them, we show God how much we love Him!

We can sometimes find that other Christians are the hardest people to love but God can love them through us so don't give up trying to love them. The day we stop caring, loving and doing things for our brothers and sisters in Christ is the day we "become spiritually dull and indifferent" (Hebrews 6:12).

What do you do for other Christians? It's not enough just to pray for them and say we love them. God sees our heart and watches our life. He knows what we're doing and when he sees us love and care for His people, He will not forget to reward us!

As long as life lasts, keep on loving!

Rescue Me

When the future looks hopeless, and you're strugging to find a reason to continue, there is one person can gave you the strength to carry on. When you're in so much pain that you just want it to stop now, there's one person who can take all your physical and emotional pain away.

So who is that person? That person is God. God can rescue you from your darkest days and help give you a reason to carry on.

I have been through some very dark times myself and often felt I couldn't face another day physically or emotionally, but God kept telling me to hang on because he was there for me. It's several years on now and I still have some days when I find it difficult physically and emotionally, but I have no doubts that God is with me will rescue me from my darkest times. He can rescue you too, if you'll let Him.

Came To My Rescue by Hillsong United


Came to My Rescue
Falling on my knees in worship
Giving all I am to seek Your face
Lord all I am is is Yours

My whole life
I place in Your hands
God of mercy
Humbled I bow down
In your presence at Your throne

I called You answered
And You came to my rescue and I
I wanna be where You are

In my life be lifted high
In our world be lifted high
In our love be lifted high

Never Let Go

We have times in our life when we face difficult situations or have to make difficult choices. It's at times like these we find out who our real friends are. You may have many people in your life that you consider to be good friends, however when you're struggling with what life has thrown your way, you may find some of these "friends" are no where to be found!

So when you are struggling who do you turn to?

I hope it is Jesus you turn to, after all he is the only one you can always rely on. Jesus has promised never to leave us, but always stay by our side to help and support us through thick and thin.

Trust Jesus no matter what you face, He will never let you down.

You Never Let Go by Matt Redman
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death
Your perfect love is casting out fear
And even when I’m caught in the middle of the storms of this life
I won’t turn back
I know You are near

And I will fear no evil
For my God is with me
And if my God is with me
Whom then shall I fear?
Whom then shall I fear?

Oh no, You never let go
Through the calm and through the storm
Oh no, You never let go
In every high and every low
Oh no, You never let go
Lord, You never let go of me

And I can see a light that is coming for the heart that holds on
A glorious light beyond all compare
And there will be an end to these troubles
But until that day comes
We’ll live to know You here on the earth

Oh no, You never let go
Through the calm and through the storm
Oh no, You never let go
In every high and every low
Oh no, You never let go
Lord, You never let go of me

Yes, I can see a light that is coming for the heart that holds on
And there will be an end to these troubles
But until that day comes
Still I will praise You, still I will praise You

Oh no, You never let go
Through the calm and through the storm
Oh no, You never let go
In every high and every low
Oh no, You never let go
Lord, You never let go of me



Visit Matt Redman's website: http://www.mattredman.com/

Still There

Something to remember when you're struggling...Jesus will still be there! Don't try and make it on your own, lean on God, He's always there with you and will help you through.

Point Of Grace perform the song Jesus With Still Be There which reassures us of God's presence with us at all times. Listen closely to the words and listen to God speaking to you through them.

Jesus Will Still Be There
Words by robert sterling/music by john mandeville

Things change, plans fail
You look for love on a grander scale
Storms rise, hopes fade
And you place your bets on another day
When the going gets tough
When the rides too rough
When youre just not sure enough

Jesus will still be there
His love will never change
Sure as the steady rain
Jesus will still be there
When no one else is true
Hell still be loving you
When it looks like youve lost it all
And you havent got a prayer
Jesus will still be there

Time flies, hearts turn
A little bit wiser from lessons learned
But sometimes, weakness wins
And you lose your foothold once again
When the going gets tough
When the rides too rough
When youre just not sure enough

Jesus will still be there
His love will never change
Sure as the steady rain
Jesus will still be there
When no one else is true
Hell still be loving you
When it looks like youve lost it all
And you havent got a prayer
Jesus will still be there

When it looks like youve lost it all
And you havent got a prayer
Jesus will still be there

Checkout the Point of Grace website: http://www.pointofgrace.net/index.php

Carried

We all have times in our lives when we need to be carried - maybe not physically but emotionally. We might find ourselves struggling to cope with life, or find ourselves in great danger or find ourselves in an unfamiliar environment where we feel lost.

In these times we must rely on God to carry us, just as he's promised to do. There is however a cost to God carrying us - In order to carry the burden of our sins, Jesus had to carry his cross. Jesus carried His cross for us!

Although God has promised to carry us, we as Christians must also help carry people in their time of need. Perhaps you can help carry someone today.
God has instructed us to share each other's troubles and problems:

Galatians 6:2
Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.

If a friend is in need, carry them, even if you are struggling yourself. All you need to do is place it all in God's hands and ask Him to carry you. He will give you the strength to get through and the strength to carry your friend as well.

In God's strength we can do all things!

God Knows

Phillipians 4:6-7 (The Message)
Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.

When we pray, we invite God to enter into our heart and guide us through each day. Prayer is our way of connecting with God, of talking directly to Him.

Bur don't ever forget, that we don't have to pray to let God know how we are feeling or what we need, because God knows what's in our heart. God made each of us with His own hands, so He already knows everything about us, He knows our every thought and our every feeling, even before we know them ourselves!

When we are struggling or facing difficult times, that's when we often plead with God to listen to our prayers. Why do we plead with God? Is it because we think He isn't listening to us, or doesn't care about it? Far from it, as I said earlier, God knows what we are needing before we even ask Him, so He's not forgotten us. God cares about us more than anyone else, so He would not desert us in our hour of need.

God knows everything about you - He knows your every fear and your every need.

A Child's Prayer...

God-Focused

Even if we try not to overload ourselves, chances are we still end up carrying a heavy load. Troubles, burdens and stresses are after all, part of everyday life these days.

When you are feeling overloaded and struggling to cope with the pressures of life, how do you cope?

Well for many of us, we try to withdraw to a private place, a place of quietness, where we can be alone with our thoughts. But how would you feel if you tried to have some "alone" time, but someone interrupted your plans, seeking your help?

Well this is exactly what happened to Jesus after He received the news of John the Baptist's murder (Matthew 14:1-12).

Matthew 14:13-14 - The Message
When Jesus got the news, he slipped away by boat to an out-of-the-way place by himself. But unsuccessfully—someone saw him and the word got around. Soon a lot of people from the nearby villages walked around the lake to where he was. When he saw them coming, he was overcome with pity and healed their sick.

Jesus was certainly God-focused during this time when He really wanted to have some time by himself. He could so easily have focused purely on himself, but He didn't, He was selfless. That must have been so difficult for Jesus to find the strength and motivation to help others rather than focus on himself.

Jesus accomplished this simply by turning to God for His strength and motivation, as He knew God would give Him the power to do all He needed him to do.

Take heart from this, allow you daily stresses and strains to make you more like Jesus: God-focused. This is how Jesus coped, so if it worked for Him it will definitely work for you and me!

God will help you get through, even when things seem impossible!

God Help Me by Rebecca St James

Be Like Jesus

How many people have you spoken to today?

How many of them are struggling with something in their life just now?

...probably most of them in some way or another.

How many people that you don't know at all, have you seen today?

How many of them do you think are struggling with something in their life just now?

...again, the answer is probably most of time!

Many of those you come across on a daily basis will be struggling with somehing. You would probably be surprised by some of those fall into this category, as many will not have shared their problems with anyone, and will have shown no outward signs that they are having to cope with problems of some kind.

Leviticus 19:18 (New International version)
Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD.

Be kind to everyone you come across, as you don't know what might be going on in their personal life. Your kindness could be the thing that hlps them get through another day. So treat everyone you encounter as Jesus would treat them, with love, compassion, and understanding.

Please listen to the following song entitled Love Them Like Jesus. This is a beautiful song with a powerful message by Casting Crowns. I also found the images included in this video to be particularly helpful - I hope you do too.

The love of her life is drifting away
They're losing the fight for another day
The life that she's known is falling apart
A fatherless home, a child's broken heart

You're holding her hand, you're straining for words
You trying to make - sense of it all
She's desperate for hope, darkness clouding her view
She's looking to you

Just love her like Jesus, carry her to Him
His yoke is easy, His burden is light
You don't need the answers to all of life's questions
Just know that He loves her and stay by her side
Love her like Jesus
Love her like Jesus

The gifts lie in wait, in a room painted blue
Little blessing from Heaven would be there soon
Hope fades in the night, blue skies turn to gray
As the little one slips away

You're holding her hand, you're straining for words
You're trying to make sense of it all
They're desperate for hope, darkness clouding their view
They're looking to you

Just love them like Jesus, carry them to Him
His yoke is easy, His burden is light
You don't need the answers to all of life's questions
Just know that He loves them and stay by their side
Love them like Jesus

Lord of all creation holds our lives in His hands
The God of all the nations holds our lives in His hands
The Rock of our salvation holds our lives in His hands
He cares for them just as He cares for you

So love them like Jesus, love them like Jesus
You don't need the answers to all of life's questions
Just know that He loves them and stay by their side
Love them like Jesus
Love them like Jesus