The sound of sheer silence

Sunny weather, fantastic friends, lovely family, gorgeous niece, awesome boyfriend, ever growing faith Life is good :) And so i leave you with these words... 'Trust steadily in God, hope unswervingly, love extravagantly' Amen Go in peace, for the Lord is with you, always and forever

I love this song, it really touches me everytime I hear it, and especially when I sing it. Nothing more is needed, it speaks for itself In Christ alone my hope is found, He is my light, my strength, my song; this Cornerstone, this solid Ground, firm through the fiercest drought and storm. What heights of love, what depths of peace, when fears are stilled, when strivings cease! My Comforter, my All in All, here in the love of Christ I stand. In Christ alone! who took on flesh Fulness of God in helpless babe! This gift of love and righteousness Scorned by the ones he came to save: Till on that cross as Jesus died, The wrath of God was satisfied - For every sin on Him was laid; Here in the death of Christ I live. There in the ground His body lay Light of the world by darkness slain: Then bursting forth in glorious Day Up from the grave he rose again! And as He stands in victory Sin's curse has lost its grip on me, For I am His and He is mine - Bought with the precious blood of Christ....

Happy easter everyone, I hope everyone is having a nice time and enjoying their chocolate, but more importantly, I hope everyone is remembering the real reason we celebrate Easter, the real meaning, the real message behind it all. In church this morning, I witnessed the confirmation of 2 very good friends, I witnessed God's love and glory shining through these people...and I cried, I cried for them, for me, for us as a human race, I cried with gratitude for all he has done for us, I cried for the immense love he has for us, even deeper than my love for them...I cried, because I remembered, and I felt guilty and grateful, sinful yet sacred, horrified, but humbled Too many people see Easter as the end of trail, the final stop along the journey, the destination aimed for..but this is not the case, for at that moment on the cross,the path was chosen, the story began, afresh, the journey continues, at that moment, things just began...Easter should be a time of praise, worship, joy and p...

A really good friend of mine showed me a 'skit' video of this song earlier, and i didn't really pick up on the lyrics till right near the end, so i looked them up and i fell in love, all over again. This song to me demonstrates how awesome God is, his unending love and hope, his forgiving grace and mercy, his selflessness, he accepted death on the cross, for me, for you, for us....and especially at Easter, we remember the amazing grace and love he showed, whilst hanging on that cross, many years ago... So here it is...'Everything' by Lifehouse-read the lyrics, listen to it, watch the skit on youtube...embrace it, let the love flow through you and the light shine beyond Find me here And speak to me I want to feel You I need to hear You You are the light That's leading me To the place Where I find peace again You are the strength That keeps me walking You are the hope That keeps me trusting You are the light To my soul You are my purpose You're everything And ...

People talk about being wise, about getting wiser the older you get, exclaim in surprise at unexpected wisdom from people of a young age...but what is it all really about, wisdom, what does it really mean?? According to wiki, wisdom is: 'A deep understanding and realizing of people, things, events or situations, resulting in the ability to choose or act to consistently produce the optimum results with a minimum of time and energy. It is the ability to optimally (effectively and efficiently) apply perceptions and knowledge and so produce the desired results. Wisdom is also the comprehension of what is true or right coupled with optimum judgment as to action. Synonyms include: sagacity, discernment, or insight. Wisdom often requires control of one's emotional reactions so that one's principles, reason and knowledge prevail to determine one's actions' I guess wisdom for me is the knowledge, the understanding gained, about life and the way it works, about feelings, reac...

“Only as high as I reach can I grow, only as far as I seek can I go, only as deep as I look can I see, only as much as I dream can I be.” Everytime i read this quote, im struck by how lazy, worthless, and rubbish I am, in terms of where I could be...I think about all the things God has planned for me, all the good I can do, all the change I can be...and I realise how badly i've let myself down, how badly i've let God down, its basically like me giving someone all these things, and them turning round and saying, thanks...but no thanks, il stick with this useless rubbish thing i've already got. I am a child of God, a sacred, blessed, loved, worthy person of God, and I need to embrace this, I need to live so his light shines in me, and through all that he has given me, I need to live my life through him, for him, in homage to his overwhelming grace... I need to kneel before him, in worship, in pray, just as I am, not as i wish to be, nor as I think I ought to be, but simply as...

There is no neutral ground in the universe: every square inch, every split second, is claimed by God and counterclaimed by Satan. -C.S. Lewis Water the seeds of faith, for they will bloom and outshine the weeds So light up the fire and let the flame burn, Open the door, let Jesus return I walk in the rain with a smile on my face, for i am being cleansed by Gods amazing grace The Lord will either calm your storm, or allow it to rage whilst he calms you ‎Awestruck we fall to our knees, as we humbly proclaim, you are amazing God When it appears God is drowning you in deep water, do not fear...for he is simply cleansing you, so that you may be refreshed I believe in Faith as I believe the sun has risen. Not because I see it, but because by it I see everything else -C.S. Lewis I shall boast in Jesus Christ, his death and ressurection Amen Go in peace, for the Lord is with you, always and forever

I spent yesterday listening to 'Forever' by Chris Tomlin, and i was really struck by how awesome Gods grace really is, how powerful he is, and i feel so humbled. 'And by the grace of God, we will carry on' It is with his unconditionally love that we live an breathe, that we are who we are, it is the power of his unconditionally love that gives us the strength to keep going, to strive for more, to carry on.....both in times of joy and in times of difficulty There are times in life, when things happen, or feelings occurs, and life doesn't go as planned, as expected, when sometimes, you just dont understand, I know that soemtimes, I sit and ask God, why this, why that, how is this happening???...because I feel so at a loss, I am unsure of what to do, of how to be, or perhaps I know the way I should go....yet am finding it difficult to do so...it's times like this when Gods never ending grace works in us, and through us, allowing us to put our faith and trust in him...

today is one of those days..my final visit day at placement, before i am teaching for 8 weeks after the easter holidays, so to start off with i overslept, woke up at half 7 which is the time im supposed to leave!! Then i couldn't find my car keys, did eventually, but by this point im already tired, stressed and got a headache...and its not even 8 o clock. Get to school after a slow drive due to mega water on the roads, rush to make a hot choc and my porridge for breakfast as i didn't have time at home, dont have time to eat my porridge, have a good morning with the kids, although i bit hectic and mismanaged as i hadn't found out what i was doing, because id been trying to have my breakfast....which i managed to eat, cold at breaktime. Then the rest of the day went ok, at the end of the day i should have stayed and tried to do some work or something, but i had a headache and all i could think about was getting back to the flat, so i could drive home :) Im now at the flat, ju...

I came across this, and it seemed fitting, take a few minutes out of your busy schedule, pause for a few moments, read and absorb....let the love grow, let the love flow, for God has granted us with such amazing opportunity, to lead a holy journey, a pilgramage of grace, and a sacred adventure in faith: Over the years, I have discovered life is a journey, a pilgrimage, a sacred adventure. Within everyone’s inner solitude, there is that bright and warm hearth where the spirit dwells waiting to be roused. There are many paths to enlightenment, their teachings rich and varied offering wisdom and “food for thought” and everything we need for our journey to awakening lies within us. In the beginning, spirituality appears like the bud on a bloom, opening gradually, tempting us with a glimpse of its splendor and unfathomable depths. It is here we create the blueprint of our collective existence. Each of us from time to time experience crises from different life changing events and transitions...

Its only April, but i feel like this has been one of the longest, most painful, yet most change inducing years I've had... That was a tough one. Come on in and stop for a second to shake your head, dust yourself off, and look back at how far you’ve come. Sure, it’s been a long year. Some crushing lows slapped you and smacked you around. There were times your heart dipped and you squinted back tears while your stomach squeezed so tightly you couldn’t sleep. There were moments you walked around in a glossy-eyeball daze — when loved ones hurt, friends didn’t stay, or someone dear to your heart slowly drifted away. Sleepless nights, stressful nights, with teething babies, slurring customers, bad bosses, bickering boyfriends, or blank computer screens. You were feeling and you were dealing and you were reeling and you were healing. But as you walked your hard path down your long and bumpy road some little drops of confidence dripped like coffee into your head and into your heart. As you...

An annoymous story, its been around for ages-everynow and then it resurfaces and I read it and am....lost for words, im angry at these people, im angry at myself, but more so, im in awe, in awe of my amazing God and all he has done and continues to do for me, for us, for everyone The Long Silence: At the end of time, billions of people were seated on a great plain before God's throne. Most shrank back from the brilliant light before them. But some groups near the front talked heatedly, not cringing with cringing shame - but with belligerence. "Can God judge us? How can He know about suffering?", snapped a pert young brunette. She ripped open a sleeve to reveal a tattooed number from a Nazi concentration camp. "We endured terror ... beatings ... torture ... death!" In another group a Negro boy lowered his collar. "What about this?" he demanded, showing an ugly rope burn. "Lynched, for no crime but being black !" In another crowd there was a pr...

1. You can’t change other people, and it’s rude to try. 2. It is a hundred times more difficult to burn calories than to refrain from consuming them in the first place. 3. If you’re talking to someone you don’t know well, you may be talking to someone who knows way more about whatever you’re talking about than you do.. 5. Everyone likes somebody who gets to the point quickly. 6. Bad moods will come and go your whole life, and trying to force them away makes them run deeper and last longer. 10. Whenever you’re worried about what others will think of you, you’re really just worried about what you’ll think of you. 11. Every problem you have is your responsibility, regardless of who caused it. 12. You never have to deal with more than one moment at a time. 13. If you never doubt your beliefs, then you’re wrong a lot. 14. Managing one’s wants is the most powerful skill a person can learn. 15. Nobody has it all figured out. 16. Cynicism is far too easy to be useful. 17. Every passing face on...

Lately my faith has really turned on its head, I've re found something I've been looking for, for at least 4 years now, and you know what? It's bigger, better and more beautiful than it ever was :) Life has been pretty darn difficult, but If it all lead me to this amazing point in my relationship with God, then im thankful, truly I am, I don't wish to experience it all again, but I can't regret when it produced something so wonderful, something so powerful, something so full of love, grace and mercy. A few weeks ago i went to see LZ7(a really good christian band), and they were AMAZING, more so than I could ever have hoped!! During the evening my brain whirred like a flipping washing machine, one thing that really jumped out at me was the line: 'Its difficult to make yourself when everyone is trying to make you someone else' This really hit home for me...as i think part of the reason why ive struggled at uni is because i tried to re invent myself to be someo...

I've had this written on a scrap of paper in my bible for ages, i can't remember where i heard it, and hurriedly copied it down, but if must have touched me at the time, for me to do so...and it touches me again, as i re read it, as i think of the Lord, in the depths of my soul, the depths of my very self, weaving his touch of flames, keeping me alight, igniting me a new...and i am awed: Lord of the high and lonely places, I worship you Lord of the intimate valleys and quiet places, I adore you I praise you, gracious Lord, for the times when i have known you in the secret sanctuary of my soul When the wind of change has buffeted my belief and when my faith has trembled as the earthquake of doubt has shaken it I am glad that you have been there, merciful Lord When the fire of your spirit has tempted my soul, I acknowledge that my spirituality has become stronger In the sound of sheer silence, when I stop my ceaseless noise and I listen for your voice, I rejoice that you speak So...