Finding joy in the everyday

Artist:  Jewel Buhay There are few people who are always happy and smiling.  Most of us, from time to time, find life a little tough going, we hit a road block and we struggle to find joy. Our mood goes from sunshine to grey clouds and its colours everything we do and say. For some people it may not last very long, for others it can be much more of a struggle to get out of the ditch.  This is when we start to snap at our love ones, struggle to do our work and just feel grumpy and sad.  Instead of letting your mood pull you down, here are somethings you can do to help life you out of your misery and back into the sunshine. 1. Get outside — sunshine on your face, breathing resh air and hearing the birds sing really does make a differences. It can clear the head and remove you from the problem. Find a seat (or sit on the grass) and spend sometime alone and your head will feel so much better. It is harder to feel grumpy with the sunshine beaming do...

According to David Alton (campaigner on religious freedom), “some assessments claim that as many as 200 million Christians in over 60 countries around the world face some degree of restriction, discrimination or outright persecution”. That is about one in 10 of the 2.2 billion Christians in the world. “Whatever the real figures the scale is enormous. From Syria, Iraq, Iran and Egypt to North Korea, China, Vietnam and Laos, from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka to Indonesia, Malaysia, Burma, from Cuba, Colombia and Mexico to Eritrea, Nigeria and Sudan, Christians face serious violations of religious freedom,” Alton said. Persecution ranged from murder, rape and torture to repressive laws, discrimination and social exclusion. Christians face harassment in 102 countries – more than any other religion. The 2014 report on religious freedom in the world by ACN said conditions had deteriorated in 55 countries, and significantly so in six countries: Iraq, Libya,...

E lisabeth Elliot has been an inspiration for many women around the world. She  passed away on the 15 th of June aged 88 and has gone home to be with her Father. In remembrance of her great work and her unfailing love for the Lord Jesus Christ, I thought I would gather up some of her quotes to share. She really was a woman that dedicated her life to the Lord and focused her energy in sharing that wonderful Message. “ Her legacy is in hundreds of thousands of women like me… She called us all to see the empty promises of the world's definition of womanhood and to accept the contentment of womanhood as God designed it to be experienced” (quote Dannah Gresh) Elizabeth Elliot uses her experiences as a daughter, wife, mother, widow, and missionary to bring the message of Christ to countless women and men around the world and even though she is gone, her books and messages live on and we can continue to benefit from her wisdom and love of the Lord Jesus Christ...

Guest writer: Bets Death at any time is difficult. My first experience of it was as a 10 year old when my mother was extremely ill in hospital and it was thought she would die. But she didn’t and so death was not really understood. When I was 12 my grandfather died, totally unexpectedly, seemingly healthy one day and gone 2 days later. It was a mystery to me at that time, and I often thought I caught sight of him in the streets over the next few months. During my many years as a nurse, I saw death in many. Mostly it came peacefully, but other times it came “unexpectedly”. It was still a mystery in many ways though. How one could be, and then not be. The real force of death came just a few weeks before my 28 th birthday, when the Lord called my mother home at 51 years of age. It had been an event anticipated, but the reality of it was crushing. Bewildering. Hard to escape – for months. My life just kept on, but seemingly without purpose. How could the...

There is nothing wrong with having a good cry.  I don't know a mother that hasn't shed many a tear for their children.  The bible has many example of crying (weeping) such as this one " A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance " (Ecclesiastes 3:4).  Weeping is perfectly normal and is something we will all do many many times in our lives.   Even Jesus wept .  Certainly over the last few months I have shed many tears and I can guarantee that I will shed many more in my lifetime  Crying does make you feel better, even though at the time it doesn't always feel like it.   Find somewhere quiet and have a cry. It doesn't solve the problems you have but the Lord is sitting beside you, arms wrapped around you and will comfort you. You are never not alone in His presences.  So don't be afraid of crying and don't be embarrassed with sitting with someone who is crying - they need your comfort. Reaching...

Love not the world, neither the things  that are  in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. (1 John 2:35) There is something I have been pondering of late and something all Christian think about - and that is, the difficult task of being a Christian who is living in this world but trying hard to remain  separate from this world .  And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.   (Romans 12:2) This is tough and certainly one that I have struggle with more times than I would like to admit. There is a fine line between mingling with this fallen world on a daily basis (as one does when they go off to work) and not getting caught up worldly activities that look very attracting and inviting but quickly drag you downwards away from Christ. The world is always calling (Satan is very co...

For the first time ever, the UK's biggest supermarkets are to stock a religious-themed Easter egg. For three years, customers have pestered stores and bishops written letters of endorsement to senior management. Now, for the first time, leading supermarkets Sainsbury's and Tesco will stock The Real Easter Egg, though stock levels will vary. Launched in 2010, The Real Easter Egg is backed by church leaders. All the supermarkets turned down the idea at first, so The Meaningful Chocolate Company, which manufactures The Real Easter Egg, sold more than 250,000 Real Easter Eggs through mail order. The leading supermarket turn-around is therefore a milestone. ( Source ) What do you think of this idea? Whilst I don't think Easter eggs have any place in Easter, I do think that if one person reads the message and wants to find out more, then perhaps it is a good thing.   Out of 80 million eggs on sale in the UK, The Real Easter Egg is the first and only one to expla...