http://www.soulsurvivor.com/uk/give/thanks.html

The incarnation reveals a God who sees life as a whole, via Jesus, who takes the sacred into the market place. Jesus turns every situation , be it sitting at a well, to talking to a women, writing in the sand, a wedding feast or a journey from one town to another, into opportunities to bring glory to God and to reveal him to humankind.
Source. God’s Big Ideas

From D

A Mothers Love

I wrote this 6 months after my son died of cancer at the age of 37yrs and my emotions are still raw.

I still feel angry with the hospital for not trying to prolong his life a little longer and I find this hard to forgive. He saw all the Doctors he had to see and was told to wait for a phone call to be admitted which never came. Maybe it would not have made a difference but to lose a young life, my darling son, without trying to give him more time is hard to bear.

I love all my children and I am proud of them all but today I express my love for the son who I lost. He was a lovely boy growing up, not perfect and at times a pain in the neck. On one occasion he bought me some chocolates and secretly ate half blaming his brother and sister.

At the age of eighteen after a few words he left home and I did not see him for nearly a year. The Police could not reveal his whereabouts, only that he was alright.
Then one day he turned up unexpected with some news.

“Mum, I’m sorry for the grief I have caused but I have to tell you something. I’m Gay.” Emotions of anger, hurt and fear surfaced as I knew nothing about the Gay scene and I was especially afraid that he might be physically hurt which he did but thankfully not too seriously.

I had to adjust to this new situation but realised he was still the same person who would do anything for anyone and try and help if he could. I tried to find out what being Gay meant and I began listening to my son. There will always be a part of my son’s life I will never know about. His partner loved and cared about him and even now phones me regularly.

My son’s death is still painful. Parents are not supposed to outlive their children.
Sometimes you wish you could turn back the hands of time. When they are small you can protect them to a degree. I want to console my children but what do I say – I can say that he loved you all and that he was brave.

A further twist of emotional pain is that his death brings to the surface the memories of the deaths of my daughter, father and mother. Because life is busy those emotions become buried with time but the death of my son was like a straw breaking the camels back bringing almost unbearable pain to the surface. The pain and hurt is like insanity. I want to scream and smash everything in sight. You miss your loved ones so much that if there was a ladder long enough you would climb it and fetch them back. As much as you don’t want to take pills you need them to cope.

Having the grandchildren visit is a comfort. I wish his Dad would talk more but he has always been quiet with his emotions but he must be suffering too.

I love my son and my children & my grandchildren. Writing this is supposed to help me but I can’t see that or feel that. It is Sunday today; He passed away on a Sunday.
Some family members still cannot accept he has gone. Nobody talks about my son. I suppose they are fed up with me saying the same things but I have to talk about him because I am afraid I will forget things about him. And that is what I am afraid of most. Not remembering.

I miss him so much.

D

The flowers still blossom
The rain still falls
But you have closed the door

The sun still shines
The fires still burn
But you have closed the door

Morning comes
Night-time too
Your pain is gone now and so are you
You closed the door

Postscript
Since discovering God, He has helped me address my emotions and although there will always be some pain I feel now thanks to Him that I am in a better place.

Bishop McCulloch(on Radio 4) will say people of all ages and backgrounds have become “confused about the difference between right and wrong”.

“The result is a me-first, ultra-consumerist culture, in which the quest for possession of things overrides a caring concern for others, and the key commandments become don’t get caught and don’t grass.

“This week we’ve had an unpleasant glimpse of the default position to which society inevitably returns when its moral imperatives are forgotten.”

What do you say?

” I think there are three reasons why we need to pray. The first is, we pray because we care. If you don’t pray for someone, you probably don’t really care about them.

The second reason we pray is because we can. Its awesome that the God who created the universe wants to walk & talk with us. Why on earth wouldn’t we take up that invitation?

The third reason we need to pray is because we count. There are stories throughout scripture that suggest that God listens when we pray and may even change His purpose and His will as a result of prayer. Karl Barth said thay prayer does seem to have some bearing upon the purpose and will of God. The reason Jesus told us to pray,” your kingdom come, your will be done” is that its not automatic. We are in a battle and Gods will is often contested. If we don’t pray, there are things that wil not happen as a result. and if we do pray, there are things that will happen, because we prayed. So we have an awesome resposibilty to pray.

Source. Pete Greig (YFC council of Reference) YFC News Summer 2011

He is Father & creator. He encourages us when we pray to say “Our Father”.

 How does God father us?
– He carries us (Deut31)
– He disciplines (Heb 12)
– He forgives (1 John)
– He teaches
– He fellowships (John 14)
– He has compassion
– He rejoices over us Lk 15
– He rescues us

What is my relationship with the Father like?

Source Mark Jones

I gave up a well paid job as a chef to volunteer as a crewmember because in 2008 while in Kenya on my first mission trip, I sensed Gods calling to overseas mission.

The ship is not a cruise liner. It’s a place where God transforms your life. You will grow a lot deeper with God. You will have many challenges. The ship provides opportunities to do things you wouldn’t do back home. I have visited prisons & ministered to drug addicts. During dry dock, I spent two weeks with boys who have lost either one or both parents in Sri Lanka. In Liberia I spent a week working on a farm with HIV/AIDS patients. I don’t know of anywhere else in the world where you get such unique opportunities and where you are well trained before you go out.

Source. Ship to Shore UK edition 3rd Quater 2011 OM Ships International

http://www.soulsurvivor.com/uk/momentum/summer2011/index.html

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