quiet times - help!

Time to share some ideas and encouragements for quiet times!

When we chatted about regular Bible reading and prayer a few months ago, most of us said that holiday time is difficult and it's at this sort of time that our routine wobbles, wavers or goes out of the window entirely.

I know I'm finding it hard!

But September is coming, and along with it, the urge to buy new pens. It's a good time for a fresh start. So leave a comment with a recommendation of something worth reading or tell us what you're planning to read when September comes or share a tip for prayer. Any ideas and encouragements will be a real help!

In the morning, O LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation. (Psalm 5:3)

Longing for home

Recently I've had the task of arranging the service for my mum's funeral. Dad had said that one of mum's favourite hymns was "Guide Me O Thou Great Redeemer" (sometimes "Great Jehovah"), known to most people as the "Bread Of Heaven" song. Whilst looking up the lyrics online I came across one of two original verses which had since been omitted. The one which particularly struck me was this:

Musing on my habitation,
Musing on my heav’nly home,
Fills my soul with holy longings:
Come, my Jesus, quickly come;
Vanity is all I see;
Lord, I long to be with Thee!
Lord, I long to be with Thee!

What really gets me is that the hymn writer (called William Williams a Welshman, believe it or not!) brilliantly weighs up life here and life in heaven, and the result is a strong longing to be with Jesus. 

Over the past week I've been thinking a lot about John 14:1-6 (see below) for a talk I had to do. I've read those words loads of times over the years but after everything that mum's been through and all the grief we're going through, it's such a personal comfort and joy to know that she's now in the wonderful place prepared for her by Jesus. What's more I know these aren't empty promises about life after death from Jesus, but words spoken by the One who came from His Father's house to earth and who rose again from the dead. In other words, stuff from someone who knows what He's talking about when it comes to the afterlife.

And as I read these words of Jesus once again, I'm left like William Williams - longing to be there myself.

"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going." 

Thomas said to him, "Lord, we don't know where you are going, so how can we know the way?"  Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (John 14:1-6)

talking and walking

These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. (Deuteronomy 6:6-7)

I think this is the biggest and best part of teaching our children about Jesus.  It's a big challenge to those of us who are parents of young children. As fun and important as ‘Bible times’ are, there is nothing like just getting in the groove of chatting naturally with our kids about Jesus. I think that’s a big step for most of us: we often find it hard to talk about Jesus with our close Christian friends and it can feel even more strange and peculiar talking to a 2 year old about God!

When Mikey first moved in, I didn't feel like a ‘natural’ mum – you know, one of those women who just know what to do with babies because they’ve just got the maternal knack. I had to learn how to talk to a baby and I felt a bit self-conscious doing baby-talk and singing nursery rhymes when other people were around! I soon learned though!!

It’s a bit like that with chatting to them about Jesus – it’s something we often need to consciously learn rather than being something that just comes naturally. BUT I think it’s an essential. It’s too easy to slip in to the mentality that says, “my kids learn about Jesus at Sunday club”, or, “reading a Bible story before bed is enough”. We don’t do that with any other part of their education, so why do it with the most important and thrilling part?

For example: we don’t expect our kids to learn numbers because we count to 10 once a day – no, we count the steps as we walk up stairs, we sing number songs, we tell them ‘one more’ go on the slide, we count mouthfuls of food and count as we play hide and seek.

Numbers are handy to know, but Jesus? Essential!!

What opportunities could you take over the next few days to talk to your kids about Jesus? I’ve started posting some ideas and examples of what our family does on this blog. Why not share your ideas and experience - we could all do with a good bit of encouragement in this area!

Alice xx

Don't worry, be ... sleepy!

On Sunday, Mike preached on Psalm 3. If you know Psalms 1 and 2 to be true, you can begin to learn not to worry. As the Colin Buchanan goes, "The Lord is King, he's gonna look after everything." David, in a nightmare situation ... well, he doesn't have a nightmare. He can sleep sound. Because he knows the Lord is taking care of it all. Two lines stood out in the sermon for me. The first was that it's not about peace from trouble, but peace during trouble. God doesn't make life easy, but helps us through the difficulties. And second, there's nothing God likes more than to hear his children's prayers. The way God loves to work is in answer to our prayer for help. Not that no harm will ever come to us - but ultimately, he will deliver us.

Near the end of Paton!

We've nearly finished reading through John Paton's autobiography on Friday mornings! As I was reading it last night, I thought, "What are we going to talk about from the end of 'Part Second?'!" It's just a bunch of info about how he raised money for a new ship. But wow: (a) the way people gave to his work was seriously sacrificial - a real challenge to our attitudes to money; and (b) doing admin is not the enemy of Christian ministry - doing it well is very much a part of Christian ministry. They were the things I was really challenged about.

The blessing of birthdays

Someone asked me this morning, 'Is there a special birthday prayer in the Church of England's Book of Common Prayer?' I've had a look: there's a thanksgiving prayer 'For fair Weather', 'For restoring Publick Peace at Home', 'For Deliverance from the Plague, or other common Sickness' and 'For Rain' (a Lancashire special). But none for birthdays. Perhaps back in 1662 they didn't bother with birthdays. Maybe, like some rural African friends I've had, they didn't even know their birthday or how old they were!

I'm 37 today. As I think back over those years, I'm deeply grateful for the life on earth God has given me. For some (strange) reason, I never expected to live past my 20s; by rights, I never should have - road accidents, hernia, rheumatic fever, measles, malaria, snake bite ... and as I think of other near misses, I'm quite sobered. But here I am with the blessings of a wonderful wife and three children, a great church and exciting ministry, and so much more.

The headstones in the graveyard remind me that plenty have died before this age. I've conducted several funerals of younger people. A birthday is a great opportunity to thank the Lord. He may not give me another - but he has been extremely gracious to allow me what I've had. Nothing on earth is ours to keep. But while he gives us good to enjoy, we thank him.