New Beginnings

It seems quite some time since I have blogged and so much has happened. God has a way of leading us back to where we should be and I have know for a while that God was leading me back to the Salvation Army. God will turn each of our weaknesses into his opportunities and a verse that has been with me through the rough and the smooth has been Romans 8:28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to his purpose There is a songster piece called "He leadeth me" and as I listened to these words the other sunday at the Corp in Gloucester I know that God is continually guiding and leading me. God Bless Sue

Confidence

At church this morning we were looking at Acts 8. The main word that came through to me was the word confidence. We need not fear because we can have confidence in God and God will give us all the confidence we need. We sang the song Before the Throne of God above at the end of the service.

Time goes by

Apologies for the serious lack of blogs over the past 6 months but I feel that it was important to step back and re-evaluate, at the beginning of the year I went through a major crisis - nothing was going right and although I couldn't see it at the time, God was carrying me through situation after situation.

I have moved house 3 times and now feel very settled in a detached bungalow within a very quiet road and I believe that THIS has been the right move for me.

One area of my life that seemed to take a major stumble was my faith and where I went to worship, I stepped back from the comfort of the Salvation Army and to this day I don't know why I did - the people there have been so supportive to me and if those people are reading this blog then you know who you are. I now attend a large evangelical church in portishead, as for what the future holds for me ..... I do not know - I do feel that through everything I have been through in the past year God has been with me and given me the strength to continue and I just want to praise God for his continued faithfulness.

God Bless each of you at this special time of Christmas

Sue x

Footprints

One night I had a dream. I dreamed I was walking along the beach with God, and across the sky flashed scenes from my life. For each scene I noticed two sets of footprints in the sand, one belonged to me and the other to God

When the last scene of my life flashed before me I looked back at the footprints in the sand. I noticed that at times along the path of life there was only one set of footprints. I also noticed that it happened at the very lowest and saddest times of my life.

This really bothered me and I questioned God about it. "God, you said that once I decided to follow you, you would walk with me all the way, but I noticed that during the most troublesome times in my life there is only one set of footprints. I don't understand why in times when I needed you most, you would leave me."

God replied, "My precious, precious child, I love you and I would never never leave you during your times of trials and suffering. When you see only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you.


** I feel that this is me at the moment and would ask that you would pray for me that I will know and feel God's presence around me whatever the situation I find myself in **

Mistakes

I find myself often making mistakes but its never the same mistakes. Recently I moved into a 1 bed house, soon after moving I knew that it wasn't right and that I needed to be living in Pill. Not knowing what to do I confided in a friend who said that she would pray for the situation. A 2bed apartment came available and God has been very faithful to me and I pray that I will be forever his loving child whom he loves very much. Thank you God for leading me

Moving forward

This week although still off sick I have been sorting out my new house and said goodbye to my old house in Pill - new beginnings. I have had time to think recently and someone from my church had this word that I was to keep pushing through the clouds to see the beautiful future that God has in store for me. I can't deny that life has been tough over the last couple of months but do believe that God has been with me giving me strength to deal with everything that I have had to deal with.

My thoughts returned to childrens work this week and felt that it was time to take on the responsibility of the childrens club and so after easter I will be the "Kids Alive" leader again.

Life can be hard at times but with God at my side I have absolutely nothing to fear.

Romans 8:28

Time

I have often thought about time - where is goes, the great big clock of life just ticks away continually. The other day I was chatting to a friend who felt that God had given her a picture which she felt was for me. She had a picture of big clouds but all I had to do was push through the clouds to wonderful and beautiful blue sky behind and all the wonderful things that God has ahead of me - I felt so blessed to hear this as am going through a tough patch, all around me seems pretty dark - I know that God is close to me. We serve a loving God who is there all the time and also when things are hard. Psalm 121 - I lift my eyes to the hills, where does my help come from, my help comes from the Lord, maker of heaven and earth

.....................

As I write this blog its the early hours of the morning - after another restless night I decided to get up and do something useful. These last few weeks have been very stressful and if I wasn't a christian with God right at my side helping me I'd be in a terrible state. On sunday someone at the corp gave me a verse from Job8:7....as I sat down to read this later in the day I soon realised that God has something better for me and there are times when we have to put things down - that is difficult in itself but I know with Gods strength all things are possible.

An opportunity came my way last evening to work the under 5's on a sunday morning at the Corp and this week we are going to look at the feeding of the 5000 and how Jesus blesses the bread and the fish. The little boy only had 5 loaves and 2 fish but he gave what he had to Jesus to use.......................it got me thinking "What do we have that we can also give to Jesus"
So please pray for "The Sparklers" that God will work through me to show His love to the little children.

God Bless

Time

I've been thinking a lot about time recently and wonder just where it goes - the weeks seem to go into one and it doesn't seem 5 minutes ago that I was thinking about christmas 2008 and now next week is the carol service for the kids club so where does time go.

Sorry I haven't blogged for such a while but going through a bit of a crisis at mo what with one thing and another and just do not know what to do for the best however one thing I am sure of this that God is my Strength, my Shield and He will protect me whatever happens.

Things that I need some prayer about is my job situation - I am set to lose £200 a month as from 04.01.10 and that has a bit problem re where I live so having to look for somewhere else to live - stress. My health is causing me concern - I just don't seem to feel well and haven't done for months and finally my future - is it to be an ending to my relationship with my partner of 7 years or will he have the courage to commit - I just don't know.

Please pray for me and pray that God will continue to give me His Strength

Thank you

Prayer Patrols

After going to the Northern Congress of the Salvation Army in September I got chatting to someone re prayer patrols in the Newcastle Area - after a long chat I said to the volunteer that I would pray for them and for more recruits to come along.

Since I have been ill I have been doing a lot of thinking and this is something that I feel that I could be involved with in my local area. Please pray about this and whether its what God would have me do

Thank you

I haven't been able to blog for a while partly due to just being so busy with one thing and another - but over recent days I have been unwell with a cold/flu bug which has caused me to STOP, and although I dislike being unwell and unable to get out of the house I have time to relax.

On wednesday morning I felt prompted to go to a Praise and Worship Meeting in Staple Hill - I wasn't going to go as really wanted to get the house cleaned however God had other ideas and I thought that if there was room in a car for me then I would go and gosh was I blessed and challenged - God is so powerful and mighty and moves me so much that I know that God has planned what I will do before I even know what it is. I am attending a "Design For Life" course at Sunbury Court this next weekend and it is my prayer that God will direct and guide my life. Sometimes I do not feel that my occupation is going right and keep having doors shut in my face but I do pray that at somepoint soon the door will open and not shut but its only through God's guidance that this is going to happen.

I was listening to a track of a new CD and it has these words:-

Speak O Lord, as we come to You

To recieve the food of Your Holy Word.

Take your truth,; plant it deep in us;

Shape and fashion us in Your likeness,

That the light of Christ might be seen today

In our acts of love and our deeds of faith.

Speak O Lord, and fulfil in us

All Your purposes for Your glory

Holiday Club 2009

Its quite a while since I've put on a blog so thought that today was a good day. This morning we had the family service for the holiday club and Carol spoke about Joseph and assisted by Alan who was fantastic with all his different kinds of hats - God has a plan for each of us.

Last week it was the holiday club - the evening before I felt so nervous that I didn't sleep but knew that God was in control and He was going to bless everything that happened. Praise God we had roughly 50 children a day, we were looking at the Scripture Union Material called Showstoppers and it tells us that God has a plan. On the last day we were looking at the Death and Resurrection of Jesus and we watched part of the miracle maker - the children were watching the film so much that you could hear a pin drop. Its my prayer that the children would have learn't something about Jesus in the week and that He loves each of them very much.

This morning (Sat 18.07.09) as part of working with children with the salvation army I had to attend a child protection course entitled "Safe and Sound" which (thank you Pete) was good and so important that anyone working with children should attend, anyway at the end of the course Pete read a few verses from Mark. It so happened that these verses are the same verses that I have used at every meeting with the Holiday Club leaders so felt that it was very much God leading me and guiding my thoughts.

God has been talking to me big time of late and telling me that I should be working with childrens ministries on a full time basis and the other week He gave me to opportunity to speak with Carol about where I thought God was leading me. I am going on a Design for Life course in October and I pray that God will reveal exactly what I am to do and what age group.

At the end of a very busy week at work and also in the preparation of Showstoppers (holiday club) I feel exhausted but some words have just come to me

Be still for the presence of the Lord the holy one is here

and I need to rest and be still so that I am recharged for tomorrow

Sue

Catch up time!

I haven't been able to get round to doing a blog recently. A couple of weeks ago I found out that I was to return to my substantive role within Avon and Somerset Constabulary - this totally knocked me and with the thought of losing around £200 a month I felt that I was sinking into a state of despair but God has been so faithful and I have had such a lot of good friends supporting me (you know who you are). While I was away visiting James last weekend I really felt that God was speaking to me during the morning service at church that I was to do christian work full time as a Childrens Ministry Worker. Upon speaking to Carol last evening I am more convinced that this is where God wants me to be - I am very open to his leading and its my prayer that He will direct my path.

Do prayer for my mum as she goes into hospital for an operation on the 02.07.09 - thanks

A childrens chorus called I'm Special was quoted to me on the phone last evening and its true each one of us is special to God.

My work this last week

I have been somewhat frustrated in the last week with the way the constabulary look after or rather do not look after their staff. After working in one department for almost a year on a development opportunity and enjoying myself I was given the bombshell last week that I would have to return to my previous job with a loss of over £170 per month - My first reaction was God is with me and He will help me with this - my second was - thats not fair when we are so busy and the other department hasn't a lot to do. I do know that with God's help that He will bring me through this working situation and I know that God has something better lined up for me.

A song that springs to mind is "Jesus is all I need, Jesus is all I need, I'll follow where he leads, Jesus is all I need

I am the Gate

Jesus said "I am the gate", I was very challenged by this morning's service and really felt God's presence throughout the whole service. Satan wants to come and destroy but Jesus is stronger and as we sang "Nothing can seperate us from the love of God" I knew how true that is. The door is there is be opened to each and everyone of us - all we have to do is step through it.

I was planning the Jam programme for the next term the other day and thought about using the "I am" sayings of Jesus - really feel that it is right to use that theme and that has been confirmed as Alan and Carol have been using that for the morning meetings as well - I know that God will bless each child and each leader.

God is good and feel that He is moving within Pill Corps and doors are opening all over the place - May we glorify God in everything we do.

17 May 2009

Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in his wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim by the light of his glorious face.

This is a chorus that we sang at the army this morning and although I was distracted by someone during the service I was there to worship God and to concentrate on what was being said. Alan spoke on Jesus being the Light of the World and that we need to walk in the light instead of walking in the darkness - I was very moved by what was said - it was when it was suggested that we close our eyes and concentrate on Jesus and what was Jesus asking you to do so that you can walk in the light instead of the dark.

God is good and I know that I need to spend more time with God....................he has a plan for my life - I know it and I feel it.

Moving in the power of God

After going to the army this morning I came away with the feeling that we need to allow God to move within us for us to be effective for him and I thank God for the way in which he moves in my life. A song has become very special to me and has the following words:-

You are my strength when I am weak

You are the treasure that I seek

You are my all in all

And its in my weakness that God is there carrying me through situations just like in the footprints poem.

this week

This week has been a bit busy with trying to get organised for moving house - albeit its only around the corner and now have gone down with a flu type bug.
We had our cell group last evening and we have been looking at Altars - I believe that God is really doing a work in me and challenging me in lots of ways