Testimony

29 Dec 2017 Leave a comment

by Minstrels wife in blessing, children, Christianity, generation, God, love, redemption, Testimony, Uncategorized

I was fascinated watching Doctor Who from the Christmas 2017 episode. It was a weepy for all who have followed the Doctor for the decades he has been time travelling and saving Earthlings from various alien invaders and Daleks. This episode was introducing the next in line of Doctors and adding a very PC, but brilliant choice of new traveller.

The ‘Testimony’, were from billions of years in the future and went through time collecting memories from everyone at the point of death, so that person lived on in the form of shape shifters, who could become anyone who had ever lived throughout space and time. The thinking was, that people’s memories were who they were, and were important enough to make the massive jumps through history to collect them before they disappeared with the person’s last breath.

It was a very good and thought provoking episode. They were basically talking about our souls, the essence of who we are as a person, as human beings on the giant plant in a giant solar system of other just as giant planets and moons. Our memories contain who we are, have been and who we ended up becoming. Our memories make us and keep us going forward. They show what we are saved from, who we loved and our personal memories of who we also have lost over our lives. Our memories keep others alive inside us, good or bad, pets we have loved, teachers we remember for the help they gave. Our memories are everything we have at the end, and the memories we make are so important not just to us, but those we live with or just meet on a day to day basis.

Some of us have extremely bad memories from childhoods we prefer not to have in the memory bank in our heads. They also make us who we are today, and can help us know what we do not want to become. We might want to be better parents than our own, become social workers,  teachers, doctors, anyone who was less than the best in a striving to help the next generation not go through something we ourselves went through. Yes, it was awful for us, but it won’t be for another child along the line, maybe even our own, we will make it better for someone out there. It’s then that I can see the gift of memories. They change people. They make better and better people and situations out of what has gone before.

This is what I see is Testimony. This is what we leave behind.

Prayer works?

06 Jun 2017 Leave a comment

by Minstrels wife in blessing, children, Christian Worship, Christianity, Church, Elijah, equality, God, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Kings, love, Prayer, prayerful, pride, provision, reflection, religion, remember, Restoration, sanctuary, soul, worship

What a chaotic and scary week our little Island has had over the last couple of weeks. We have seen terror strike and try to rob my beloved UK of her peace and love.

I love my country and very proud of my nation. I’m proud of my city and the street where I live. It is full of people who are filled with love and warmth. We are all created in the same image, and noone is better than anyone else. The UK needs lots of prayer, not just for today or even tomorrow, but for the next months and years. This country needs to be filled with prayer and covered with the wings of God.

But in our daily life, does prayer work, or are the smaller things of life too insignificant for us to bother God with? Our bills, lack of food, clothing? What about our banged up car going in for its MOT? Is that too small for God to see? A parking spot in the hospital car park when our child is unwell? What about funds to go to a conference that we know would help us to grow spiritually but is really expensive?

These can seem silly things to maybe pray about, and how many times do we leave prayer as a last resort? A tool to use only when we have exhausted every other avenue of help. I know I have done and still can do this at times. I wonder why?

In 1 Kings vs 2-6, we read of Elijah who has fled from the city into the wilderness when he received a death threat from Queen Jezabel. He had nothing with him, no clothing, no Prada suitcase with his belongings. No rucksack full of trail mix and Red Bull for energy for the journey. Nothing. Not a thing. Not even his favourite pillow.

God needed Elijah for further work for the Kingdom. He provided Elijah with ravens who brought him meat to eat and a stream nearby for fresh beautiful clear water to drink. Yes, it wasnt the most amazingly thought up meal, but it was exactly what he needed right at that moment to keep going, and it helped him not to be so down about his circumstances.

Its very easy to get down about the next huge bill to come through the post, the broken washing machine and all the things that can build up and cause us to lose sleep with stress or worry.

We see the power of prayer all over the world. Big things, like people being raised from the dead, healing from life threatening diseases, safety in the most horrible of places. We can see God working in the persecuted church and the blessings they are living in.

But what about me and my daily life? God still wants to work in the small things within us just as much as he wants to raise from the dead the other side of the world. Everything in our life and in us is important to God, and I want you to know how loved and worth everything you are. If it bothers you, it bothers God. If it hurts you, it hurts God. If it makes you happy in Him, it makes God happy. No prayer goes unheard. No prayer is more important than another. There is no hierarchy system in the Throne room. All prayer is described as lifting up to the Throne room as insence which God breathes in. Its a beautiful picture of how God listens to all prayers in the Book of Revelation.

Dont ever settle for mediocrity. You are not mediocre, so why accept it. We are all children of the King, and He is with us always and walks with us in our life. He sees what we do, and how we do it. He never gives up on any of us, and provides in ways we cant even imagine.

Genesis or science?

23 May 2017 3 Comments

by Minstrels wife in c reation, children, Christianity, Church, God, Jesus, religion, Uncategorized

Its so easy to listen to the media, social media, newspapers and everywhere we get our information and believe it with blind faith. They tell us something, we listen and take it as fact without using our own initiatives and checking out the things that make a difference to our belief systems and how we view the world and those who live in it with us.

Genesis has always been a touchy subject, splitting the world of science and religion. Have you took it as fact that the scientists have it right, faith in the actual words in the first book of the Bible without checking it out so you are fully informed?

I’m not here to say what you should or should not believe, noone has the right to do that. I have spent a few years making sure that what I believe about scripture and the world CAN be backed both with science and the Word. It then isnt just a blind faith in what I am told, but it means I can make more sense of it in my head.

I was brought up in a brethren church, so as a young girl was discouraged from asking questions within a church setting which was very frustrating. This meant that as an adult I find things out for myself and prefer to make my own views and own research. With the internet, we have it all available so easy, and all the answers are there to be found. I encourage my own children to do the same, even if it is different to my end answer. Thats what makes us human and gives us the free will to believe what we want to. I just want to make sure that what they believe has been fully researched and they are completely informed in those choices. Thats one of the best things I can do for my boys as they grow up into men. Informed and completely understanding their belief and faith in the world and God.

Looking at the research, science and Genesis can be allies and I dont believe that when it comes down to it that one disproves the other. But thats just me.

All equal?

18 May 2017 Leave a comment

by Minstrels wife in action, children, Christian Worship, Christianity, Church, equality, God, Jesus, love, Prayer, reflection, religion, Restoration, sanctuary

I’m sure we would all gasp in horror at the thought that our churches may not be as equal as we would like or hope them to be. We all know our vision statements and think our places of worship and fellowship are welcoming to all who cross our doorsteps. But are we? Is everyone who comes made to feel wantd and accepted for who they are right at that moment in their life?

Maybe, maybe not.

I’m a mother of 2 ASD boys, so I know first hand that there is an inequality surrounding churches and who is accepted and who isnt. Unwelcome comments, snide remarks on dress, lack of understanding to conditions we have no control over are present every week across the country. I myself am disabled, but dont have a single person in my church family who understands or I feel I can talk to. How bad is this and how prevelant is it?

I think the biggest word surrounding equality, is Understanding.

Respect and understanding are all pretty much everyone would ask for and I feel it is an expected part of church life whether it is available or not.

 

Sorry…….. got distracted at the door by 2 lovely gentlemen from the local JW felllowship. Lovely talk with them.

 

Right.

So if I talk about some of the most noticable disabilities. If some one is in a wheelchair, can the even enter your church? Is there wheelchair access? Is there disabled toilet access for them?

Do you have bibles in braille?

Do you have trained sign language people available?

Do you have translaters available for those who dont speak much English?

Are there trained teachers within the Kids Church to be able to allow those children with both learning/behavioural difficulties and those with more severe disabilities be a part of the work that is done with the youth?

What about those with tourettes? ASD or ADHD disorders? Those who cant speak? Mental health problems?

Are we there for all or just the ones we “feel” we can cope with?

Its a big question, but a very real one. Churches are there for all, the Gospel is for all, and we need to be ready for absolutely anyone who crosses our doors. For some, its took a big amount of bravery to even be there, so we need to make sure they are accepted, loved and welcomed for who they are. A lot of those struggling with disabilities are very isolated and some are housebound. I myself am mostly isolated and can be housebound some weeks, and noone even know or understand at all. My husband is amazing as is my youngest boy who is such an amazing child and is becoming a strong man of God. They both see the bad times, the worst of it all, and like me, there are millions out there in our own country who feel the same as me more and more, day after long depressing day.

So where are we? Are we filling pews and not caring? Are we out there involved with social action? Are we part of urban mission reaching the most lost of society?

We are not called to speak and act like a church, but to be the church. The church in the time of Acts right up to maybe 100 years ago was the benefits system looking after the homeless, the impoverished, the orphans, the unloved and unwanted. There are many out there working for them still, and they do it tirelessly and whether they feel like it or not. That army of love cant slow down or stop, it need to grow and grow so that we can reach all with the love of Christ and the hope they so desperately need.

So, what are we going to do about it?

Time Flies!

05 May 2017 Leave a comment

by Minstrels wife in children, Christianity, Church, God, Holy Spirit, love, meditation, Prayer, reflection, religion, Restoration

How can it be May already?!?

I’m not sure if its because I am looking down the road of the big 40 at the end of next year, but time really does seem to fly. The minutes and hours appear to be moving at a fast forward rate and it always seems to be Christmas! I know it only May, but thats how fast it all seems to be going!

Where in such a fast moving life and time do I sit and be restful and able to meditate on my Lord and what He has written for me to take in and digest? Is this the time to slow down on feeling the need to read 20 chapters at a time and go back to learning memory verses and contemplate them one at a time? Maybe notes in strategic places around the house and car with verses on to think about at those times? I dont know, but what I’m doing right now isnt working, and probably hasnt for an number of months.

I think the only thing I’m a bit disappointed about is that it took me this long to figure it out. Am I that closed to His voice or was this one of those times that He let me figure it out on my own to see if it would grate on my spirit that something was not right? At least I’m there now.

Children learn by all that is around them. My husband calls it 24 hour learning. My son does it a lot whether he is with us or on his own. If I surround myself with less distractions and more Godliness, then maybe I can refill my spirit with a 24 hour experience of God and His people and Word. I can call it a full life full of the learning and filling of God and all that He has put around me and those people who are around me with encouragement and love, and not all are from a church or even believe the same as me but are likeminded in so many other ways. As long as I stay within His loving arms then nothing can pull me away, even by my own actions.