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Recipe for Peace

Sue’s Views

Life gives us plenty of opportunities to be anxious. How do we stay in peace through such times? The Bible gives us a wonderful step by step recipe. Philippians 4: 6-8 says ‘Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything; tell God your needs, and don’t forget to thank him for his answers. If you do this, you will experience God’s peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will keep your thoughts and your hearts quiet and at rest as you trust in Christ Jesus.  Fix your thoughts on what is true and good and right. Think about things that are pure and lovely, and dwell on the fine, good things in others. Think about all you can praise God for and be glad about.’ Have a blessed and peace filled Friday everyone! 

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It’s Time to Return!

Sue’s Views
This is the view from my window this morning! It reminds me of the scripture in Isaiah 44:22 “I have swept away your sins like a cloud. I have scattered your offenses like the morning mist. Oh, return to me, for I have paid the price to set you free.” This is the plea of a Father to His wayward children. The price He paid was His Son’s life on a cross! There are many out there who are not even aware that their sins have been paid for. All they need to do is to return to their Heavenly Father ….. and receive His forgiveness. Do you have a prodigal son or daughter? Or maybe you are that prodigal child? Hear the cry of the Father! It’s time to return!
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Be Doers of the Word

Sue’s Views
When Jesus was teaching his followers ….. many times He said ‘He who has ears ….. let him hear!’ They all had ears ….. so what did he mean? Hearing and listening are two different things. We hear all sorts of voices every day. The media ….. ads selling stuff we don’t need ….. gossip. We often hear about people who have ‘selective hearing’ in a negative way ….. but we all need to be selective in what we listen to. We need to discern what is true and reject what is false. When Jesus speaks about hearing ….. He is looking for action. We must be doers of His words ….. not merely hearers!

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Favourite Things

Sue’s Views
In the ‘Sound of Music’ ….. Maria got the children to think of their favourite things when they were afraid. It got them from being scared of a thunderstorm to singing and dancing for joy! It was good advice ….. because it changed their focus. Whatever we focus on will be magnified. When we focus on how big our problems are ….. they get bigger. When we focus on hurts from the past ….. they go deeper. By focussing on things that bring us joy ….. the chemistry in our body changes! We create feel good chemicals like dopamine and serotonin. Make sure you have a list of things at your disposal that bring you joy.

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Seasons

Sue’s Views
A new month has begun and Autumn is well under way. Every season has its own beauty. The colours and crunchiness of the leaves ….. the crispness and warmth of the sunny days ….. make this one of my favourite times of year. Yes ….. the heaters and electric blankets are starting to come out ….. and the extra layers ….. but the changing seasons remind us of God’s faithfulness. He promised to be with us as long as the seasons continue. And that’s great news!

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Insomnia

Sue’s Views

Do you suffer from insomnia? The animal kingdom seems to be able to sleep anytime anywhere! But some of us humans struggle to get the hours of sleep our bodies need. Our minds are constantly on overload ….. we take on more than we can handle ….. we eat too close to bedtime ….. and we spend way too much time on screens that overstimulate our brains! Again ….. the Bible gives us the antidote. Wisdom and commonsense! It’s one thing to know what we should do but it’s another thing to do it! It also encourages us to ‘Cast all our cares upon the Lord ….. for He cares for us’. What’s the point of staying awake worrying about something that the God of the Universe is dealing with? (Note to self 😔) I find that things always look better in the morning anyway! Sweet Dreams 😴 

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Antidote for Depression

Sue’s Views

Depression and anxiety are modern day plagues ….. robbing us of our peace and joy. The enemy of our soul ….. Satan ….. wants to destroy us! He will find a weak spot ….. a past hurt ….. a negative word spoken ….. a disappointment ….. and reinforce it! If someone once told you you are worthless ….. he will remind you of that constantly. The more you dwell on it ….. the bigger and more real it seems. King David gives us an antidote to depression. He spoke to his soul! In other words ….. he gave himself a good talking to. ‘Why are you cast down, o my soul?’ He reminded himself of all the good things God had done in the past. Once he shifted the focus off his sadness and fear and onto God ….. he started to feel better. Hope and faith started to arise! It’s good to talk to a friend or counsellor who can help you distinguish the lies from the truth. But God is the best Counsellor! He not only knows you thoroughly ….. but He also knows the plans He has for you. Believe me ….. they are wonderful! 

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Unforgiveness

Sue’s Views

Doctors are discovering that many diseases are connected to our thoughts and emotions. When we are angry and resentful ….. our bodies produce adrenaline and other stress hormones. As these build up ….. they are toxic to the human body. Medications that are prescribed to lower these levels may help temporarily but the root cause remains. Each time we remember the event that made us angry ….. we relive the trauma. The best medication is forgiveness! Forgiveness doesn’t make the other person right ….. it releases you from the burden of holding them hostage. Before you grab those pills or pour that drink ….. ask yourself ‘Is there someone I need to forgive?’ 

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The Way Forward

Sue’s Views
Are you worried about the future? The last year has certainly changed our perspective. Watching the news is like watching a sci fi movie. For many of us ….. the realisation that we are not in control has produced fear and anxiety. We can become intimidated by the vastness of the situation. But I want to remind you that Someone is still in control. Someone much bigger and stronger than any of your fears. More powerful than Covid ….. or governments. Wiser than the most qualified doctors and scientists. Call upon Him today ….. and He will show you the way forward.

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Wisdom

Sue’s Views 
As we grow older ….. hopefully we grow wiser! Wisdom usually comes from lessons we learn along the way ….. and often from the mistakes we’ve made. But that doesn’t mean that the next generation has to learn wisdom the same way. The Bible says that ‘The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom’. The best thing we can do for our children and grandchildren is to teach them to fear God. The kind of fear this is talking about is not terror or dread ….. but honour and respect. When you respect someone ….. you want to please them. You fear the consequences of going against their will. You think things through to avoid hurting them. If you are a younger person ….. you would do well to listen to your elders. They know a thing ot two!