Month: August 2021

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Sing

Sue’s Views
I’ve been woken up for the last couple of weeks by a very chirpy bird who seems to have taken up residence in our garden! As far as he’s concerned ….. it’s morning ….. and time to sing! I don’t always feel like singing so early ….. but it’s a good time to prepare for the day ahead! It’s a great time to commit your day to the Lord who already knows what it holds. To set your mind on Him and His Word ….. and to bring your burdens to the One who cares the most. You can then go about your day in confidence and assurance ….. knowing it is in His hands! Now that is something to sing about!

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The Value Within

Sue’s Views

I learned last night that saffron ….. a very valuable spice ….. is made from the stigma of these beautiful crocus flowers. I’ve always loved these flowers which break out in spring and because they are purple ….. my favourite colour. But I had no idea of the value that lies within! One freshly picked crocus flower yields on average 30 mg of fresh saffron or 7 mg dried; roughly 150 flowers yield 1 g  of dry saffron threads; to produce 12 g  of dried saffron, 450 g of flowers are needed; the yield of dried spice from fresh saffron is only 13 g/kg. We tend to look at the outward appearance but God looks at the heart. You never know the value that lies within! 

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Cabbage

Sue’s Views
I saw this ‘cabbage patch’ the other day and it took me back to my childhood. I hated cabbage! It was always pale green and slimy and I sat at the table for what seemed like hours refusing to eat it. Cabbage has come a long way! This beautiful variety of colourful edibles looks much more appetising. The way things are presented makes all the difference. It’s the same with our words. A bit of thought before we speak can be as effective as the difference between slimy cabbage and a crisp tasty and colourful slaw!

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See the forest ….. not just the trees!

Sue’s Views
There’s a saying ‘You can’t see the forest for the trees!’ It means being so caught up in the details that you lose sight of the bigger picture. When we focus on someone’s failings or negative traits we can no longer see their positives. Whatever you focus on gets bigger! This is common in marriage or any other relationship. A good practice is to make a list of all the good things you can see and start thanking God for them. Also make a point of telling the person what you are grateful for. As you focus on the positives ….. you will see them more clearly!

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Be Still

Sue’s Views
This photo was difficult to get because the fantail is hardly ever still! It flits about from branch to the ground ….. always looking for food while keeping an eye out for predators. Can you relate? In the times we are living in ….. we can sometimes forget that we have a Heavenly Father who cares for us. If ‘His eye is on the sparrow’ ….. you can be sure His eye is on you too! He has promised to provide for you and to protect you from predators. He says ‘Be still and know that I am God’.

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Praise the Lord!

Sue’s Views

Everyone enjoys praise! We’ve praised our athletes for their amazing performances and hard work. We praise musicians ….. actors ….. chefs ….. artists ….. etc. But the one who deserves our praise the most is God! He created the universe ….. He chose us to live on planet earth ….. He provides everything we need ….. He is our Healer and Protector ….. He gives us gifts and talents! We should praise Him from sunrise to sunset ….. in fact the Bible says we are to praise Him continually! That just means that we are always aware of Him and thankful for all He has done. You will never run out of things to praise Him for!

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One Step at a Time

Sue’s Views
Not sure what lies ahead? Take one step at a time! If the path seems  unfamiliar and a little scary ….. it takes faith to go forward. But it’s faith in Someone who knows the path and sees where it leads. It may be one of those legs of the journey that you will look back on one day ….. and it will all make perfect sense.  Hold onto the hand that is guiding you.

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Every Knee Shall Bow

Sue’s Views
As we’ve seen in the America’s Cup and the Olympic boat races ….. they very much rely on the weather. Too much wind ….. or not enough breeze can postpone the event. A true sailor learns to read the weather patterns ….. but he can do nothing to change them. So it is in life! The most adventurous ….. the wealthiest ….. the smartest ….. all have to succumb to a higher authority. The hardest heart knows deep down that there is a God. It may fight and rebel against Him. It may deny Him. But ….. at the end of the day ….. ‘every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord!’ It’s not until you have been through a storm and survived that you realise God was with you!

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Love Your Enemies

Sue’s Views

Have you been let down by someone you love? Has your trust been broken? Feelings of betrayal and disappointment can leave us very vulnerable. By all means ….. take some time to process and heal. But there’s a tendency to become self focussed and that’s when your mind can lead you down a slippery pathway. It may tell you that you are entitled to get even ….. that you deserve to hurt them back. And you can be sure that there will be well meaning friends who will encourage you along that path. But right now ….. your best friend is Jesus! And He said we are to love our enemies and do them good. Ouch! The point is ….. don’t allow their bad behaviour influence you to also behave badly. You ….. dear one who is hurting so badly ….. are In a better place than the one who did the hurting. 

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River of Life

Sue’s Views

We have begun a new series at Church on ‘The River of Life’. A river starts with a trickle of water ….. which forms a pool ….. that becomes a stream ….. which turns into a mighty river ….. that flows into the sea! You might not think you have much to give ….. you may not feel very influential ….. but when we give our talents or resources to God ….. He can multiply and use them to bring life to many. Your ‘trickle’ can refresh ….. enliven ….. and empower others!