Dear child, Come to me with your weariness and heavy heart. I'll be your sanctuary from the noise of the world. Come sit and tell me what troubles you. Leave your burdens with me. Let me give you the peace your heart and mind need. Love from your Heavenly Father. Then Jesus said, "Come to me and all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28.

There is a voice When troubles come That speaks our name A voice that is serene. There is a voice When inner fears come By our side, helping us cope A voice full of love and hope. There is a voice Softly and tenderly it spoke So sincere and so wise A voice that comforts thee. There is a voice A voice we can believe All-powerful and true A voice that will never lie. There is a voice That speaks your name Who communes with thee In the midst of circumstance. Voic

As I walked through the forest this October and heard the leaves rustling and felt the cool wind blowing through the trees, as I saw the few remaining brambles on the bushes and felt the softness of the moss in my hands, I heard the Lord's invitation. “Will you let go of the last season, whether it was a good season or a bad season?” For me, I didn’t want the summer to end. Even though the summer wasn't particularly easy for me, with some health challenges, I didn't want the

Slip knot, chain stitch, double crochet, half double crochet. I have started to learn a new language. Years ago, I tried to learn crochet, but got so frustrated that I threatened to put the crochet hook up my sister's nose while she was trying so hard to teach me. After numerous attempts, I accepted that I couldn’t crochet. A few weeks ago, I changed my attitude and said, “I will try to learn again”. A patient friend sat and talked me through the basic steps. I felt the frust

Dear child, times are like seasons. They come, and then they go. The season you're in, this very moment, may feel like it's going on forever. Do not give up. Hope in me. This chapter will end and another will begin. Learn to sit in the uncomfortable, knowing I am sitting with you. Let me love you in this season that you are in. Hold on to me. Hold on to my love that never lets you go. Express every feeling to me. I have big shoulders. I can take it. The good and the bad. List

May I ask, friend, are you going through difficult times in your life? Does it feel like you have lost everything and no longer have the energy to fight? Would you describe yourself as close to burnout or actually burnt out? You are not alone; in fact, these things are common to all who believe in the Lord, because we have an enemy who wants to kill, steal and destroy us. This is not meant to frighten you, but to show the reality of the cost of following our Saviour, who has

Many of us in this season have weathered difficult storms, and some have suffered great loss. It takes a lot to process, and asking the big “Why” question isn't very productive; it can lead us down paths of introspection, even into self-pity. That is not to condemn, but it is our natural response to difficult situations. But did not the Gospel writer John say, These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of g

Dear child, thank you for trusting me in the storms of life. The swirling waves surround you, and you feel like the storm will never be still. I am the storm with you. I will never let you go under. Just as my hand lifted Peter up out of the storm, so I will lift you up. I've got you and all those who you love in my pocket, close to my heart. The storm will still keep holding on to me. I love you. Love from your heavenly Father. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and beg

I am glad when My children acknowledge Me as Father; it shows they are growing in their acceptance of this and in their understanding of My love for them. It is one of the hardest things for Me to see My children acting as servants, grovelling at My feet. I don't need servants, as I have all the angels of heaven to serve Me. I don't even want good works; that doesn't interest Me at all. But I do want sons. Every father wants sons, and I AM no different. It cost Me everything

Jesus, betrayed, arrested, flogged, Sentenced to a criminal's penalty, Within Him no guilt was found, Yet still the orders came - Crucify. A wooden cross held Him up, As the nails tore into His flesh. Crown of thorns sits on His head, 'King of the Jews' the sign read. In His final breath He said: "Eloi, Eloi lema sabachthani." Lowly He hung his head, Where He gave up His spirit. In the shadow of the cross, His body broken for each of us. No greater love there ever was, Than a

Don’t put up the umbrella. The thought crashed into her brain, She stopped. “What?” She said in her head, “Don’t put up your umbrella.” She looked all around. Then the first big drop of rain Landed on her face. Then a second. Then a third. It became a trickle. Quickly, a full-blown downpour. But she stood there. Face raised. Eyes closed. The rain ran down her face, Her coat was soaked But And it was a big but She just laughed. It became a giggle. She almost put her hands over

Many once knew me as Blind Bartimaeus; my story is told in the most famous book. But I’ll tell you what happened after my sight was restored. How, from my perspective, it has been for me. When Jesus restored my sight, I moved immediately from physical darkness to vibrant clarity, looking first at Jesus' face. There was no slow adjustment period or blurry recovery. After years of relying on sound, touch, and smell on what is known as my corner (Barney's corner) in Jericho, c

One day, Lazarus fell ill. Martha could see how quickly her brother was deteriorating, and it broke her heart. Together, they had been through a lot in life, and many times they had almost given up, yet they held on to a hope that never died, even when it came close. The hardest time came when Martha got herself into trouble and was deceived into letting bad things into her life; before she knew it, she was enslaved to darkness and had almost lost it all. But along came this

There was nothing wrong with his hearing; that was for sure! He heard the farrier's hammer hit the anvil as he shaped the horseshoe. He heard the market sellers call out their deals of the day. He heard exhausted mothers reprimand their boisterous children, He heard the unpleasant sound of desperate rats scratching the dry, dusty ground, hoping for crumbs or scraps of food that people may drop. He was glad of his other senses t The smell of the fresh bread on the barrow that

It is a journey. A relationship A discovery. It is not a list of needs and wants. It is a moment of peace, A pain in your heart. It is love It is sorrow It is laughter It is hope It is desperation It is War Peace Pain Understanding It is emptiness Fulness Happiness Sadness Always available A moment in time, But most of all It is a conversation with You, Lord. Sometimes the words are spoken. Others, words poured out in pain. Then again, gratitude Then spontaneous joy. Praise p

She wandered down the beach. And perched on her favourite rock. She gazed out to sea, The sunlight bounced over the ripples on the water. It was blue, silver and twinkly. But out on the horizon She noted a storm brewing. She smiled. The day was warm. But as the afternoon moved on The temperature began to drop. Slowly, but she noticed it. The wind began to increase. Even the seagulls moved inland. The azure blue sky became darker Moodier. As grey, then black clouds Rushed clos

Running, running, running, like we're endlessly competing. Life just keeps on turning and giving - dedicated, from beginning to the end. You've got to show willingness, cannot be seen to be dilly-dallying. There's no time for contemplating, can't sit around procrastinating. There are always things to be done, there's simply no time to waste. A task that requires no praise, is completed in humble silence. But we're running, yes we're running; always here, there and eve

Prayer is like a kaleidoscope of colour. Each colour represents its many facets. Red- anger, rage, passion, power. Blue- peace, calm, but also deep pain Even sorrow. Yellow- sunshine, happiness, warmth. White- forgiveness, purity, innocence. Pink- warmth, safety, hope. Black- deep pain, hurt, humility. Brown- everyday normalness. Indigo- hurt, deep anguish of the soul. Green- growth, newness, energy. Just as there are a multitude of colours, hues, shades, tones. So, there are

Dear child, let my living water of love wash away your hurt. All the words that have wounded you, let my love wash them away. The worries that you consume you, let my peace wash them away. The fears that have grown so big, let me wash them away. Sit a while, breathe in my Holy Spirit. Let me love you. Let me flush away all that holds you back from the living and freedom of my love. Love from your heavenly father. Whoever believes in me, as scripture has said, rivers of living

I found myself in the back of an ambulance for the second time in the month. The pain was excruciating. As soon as they pushed liquid pain relief through my cannula, it started to ease. The paramedic knew what I needed to make me comfortable. He administered the drugs and sat with me till it started to take effect, then sat quietly. Presence matters. I was wheeled into a part of the A&E that I hadn’t been to before. I lay there so drugged but so aware of so many people millin