Amazing.

Oh wow what a brilliant time I had at church this morning, I continue to be in awe of the way God enriches my life, the Grace and Joy is limitless and I’m so very glad that I have Him walking beside me giving me all the things that strengthen me.

Neil was our speaker today, he was bringing part 2 of his message, I’d missed last week but was able to catch up easily enough. The thing about being there and listening to the speaker is that we will all probably take our own message from it and apply it to our own circumstances, we all live different lives and have our own challenges but I find it amazing that every time I listen I feel as though those words were meant especially for me. What I took from today was no matter where we are in life just now, if we stumble as we travel down the path then God will pick us up, dust us off and set us right back on the path, we just have to ask him into our life, live his word and believe that what we ask for will be given.

Sometimes things crop up that scare me or try to bring me down, I’m human and I sometimes forget to ask for the protection and Grace that I know I can have any time. I went back to studying recently and as my previous post explains I started to feel the old familiar anxieties of my school days when I struggled to achieve what was required, it was scary, until this morning that is when I was told ‘ask and believe and you will be given’ God picked me up, got me back on my feet and set me back on the path. I’m so totally full of optimism because I know I can do this now.

For ages we’ve all been praying for L, she’s gone out to Africa to work in a centre for disabled children, she went alone with no permanent accommodation and no friends to keep her company. My prayer for L has been:

‘Thank you Lord for making it possible for L to go out to Africa and help the children and their parents. Send her your strength, let her find accommodation and help her to make friends so that she isn’t lonely’

Her latest communication said she’d found a flat to rent, there were a number of people wanting to rent it but the landlord said he felt compelled to give it to her, she had no money to furnish it but prayed and put it into Gods hands. The next day the landlord said he’d decided to furnish it for her, completely, including extra little luxuries like cushions on the couch. Then the money ran out for the building of the centre and it was thought the whole thing might be held up, low and behold the money came and the centre will be finished in October. She has made lots and lots of friends and is overjoyed about how things are going out there. What a miracle. Praise God.

During the service Col’s guitar string broke so we were all told to chat among ourselves while he fixed it and as I was nattering a familiar face appeared in front of me. I can’t begin to describe how overcome with pure Joy I was to realise it was one of my childhood friends, not just anyone though, it was the third person in our ‘trio’ she’d been living abroad and had only recently moved back here. Wendy Chris and I were very close when we were growing up, we weren’t always our parent’s idea of model children and I never ever imagined we would be reunited in the way we have, but God did. Thank you Lord for all you’ve done and continue to do for me, I am so very Blessed.

Song for this week has to be.

Amazing grace
How sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me
I once was lost, but now I'm found
Was blind, but now I see
'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear
And grace my fears relieved
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed
My chains are gone
I've been set free
My God, my Saviour has ransomed me
And like a flood His mercy rains
Unending love, Amazing grace
The Lord has promised good to me
His word my hope secures
He will my shield and portion be
As long as life endures
The earth shall soon dissolve like snow
The sun forbear to shine
But God, Who called me here below
Will be forever mine
Will be forever mine
You are forever mine