De-clutter!

What a mad 2/3 weeks packing up boxes and moving them over to the new house!

Once again I left it all to the last minute to get sorted, for 2 reasons:  Firstly, because it is what I ALWAYS do; and secondly, because the week before we moved the weather was gorgeous and I spent the time outside and enjoying the weather rather than inside packing up the boxes.

However, Thursday came, and the sudden realisation came that we were moving the next day, and we weren’t even half way through packing the stuff.  With Karen at work, and Emma at Nana’s, myself and Dave Cooper set out to pack up the boxes for the following day.

When packing, I suddenly realised two things:  1)  I had a lot more to pack than I thought I did; and 2)  I keep hold of a lot of rubbish and junk that cluttered up the house, and made the packing a lot harder and a lot longer.

Eventually, in order to move on with the packing and make the progress that was needed to get everything sorted out, we had to gather up all the rubbish and throw it out.  Everything that was cluttering up the room and slowing down the progress, had to be got rid off.  Then I found that once that was done, I was able to continue in packing up the things we needed, and moving forward with what needed to be done.

Hebrews 12:1-2 says “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles.  And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.”

Paul throughout the New Testament speaks of being involved in a race and persevering to the finish line.  It’s not a 100 metre sprint, it’s a marathon and something that we need to endure as the hardships come.  Yet so often, we can hinder ourselves and slow ourselves down with rubbish that is just cluttering us up and pulling us down.  And here in Hebrews it is written “throw off everything that hinders, and get rid of the sin that easily entangles.”

And then once we have de-cluttered ourselves of the hindrances and the sin that entangles, we can move forward and progress, running the race of perseverance, and ensure that at all times, we keep our eyes fixed on Jesus – the pioneer and perfecter of our faith!

 

Paul’s Letters

As I shared in my last post, I have been finding Lent useful as an opportunity to read more.  Me and Karen are now up to chapter 23 of Exodus, and I am just finishing a book called One Thing by Sam Storms, which has been an absolutely fantastic read!

I have also recently been reading through Paul’s letters in the New Testament.  Paul’s letters are full of amazing things, and yet I would say it is something fairly foundational that has really spoken to me, and challenged me!

In his letters, Paul is continually doing two things.  Firstly, he is giving thanks to the people he is writing to, and to God for them; and secondly, he continues to keep them in prayer.

I have to be honest, these are things that I have always known from Paul’s letters, but it is something that I am not too good at remembering to do myself, to gives thanks to others, and to God for them, and to keep people in prayer.

When Paul gave thanks, it wasn’t in order to bring pride to the people or to put them above where they were at.  I think what Paul was doing was encouraging them in the things they were doing so that they would continue in them, and building them up so that they would move forward in the things they were doing.  And he would continually give thanks to God for them, and keep the things they were doing in prayer.

I, more often than not see things being done by people and take it for granted.  I know people don’t do things for the recognition, but I think it is important that we take note of what Paul did in his letters and give thanks for each other and keep each other in prayer, not to boast or to bring pride, but so that we are building each other up and encouraging one another in the things that we are doing, and that in all things God is glorified.

So that is what I have been challenged with from Paul’s letters!  To give thanks and to pray.  But I don’t want to be challenged, I want to be changed.  So my prayer for myself is that I notice the things being done by others, and the way it serves the body, and to take the time to give thanks to them and for them and to pray for them.

Lent

Wednesday 22nd February meant two things for me… first of all it was my birthday.  And secondly it was Ash Wednesday and the start of Lent, and for the first time I decided to ‘give something up’.  To be honest I haven’t given anything up as such, more cut down the time I spend using it.

I have never really had much time for Lent.  My past attitude has been that of ‘if I need to stop doing something or cut down on the amount of time I spend doing something, then I need to be ready to do it whenever, not just for a 40 day period’.

However after reading another persons views on Lent, I was challenged to look at some of the things I do, and where I could invest my time more wisely.  I was amazed that when I actually took time to stop and look at the things I invest my time into, I spend a lot of time on rubbish!

So on Wednesday 22nd February, I made the decision to cut down my use of the laptop.  I have an appalling habit of keeping the laptop on far too late.  Perhaps on facebook, or watching programmes on the BBC iplayer or ITV player.  The decision was made that at 9pm… the laptop gets switched off!  Not as some ‘religious ritual’ but as an opportunity to use the time that I have more wisely.

So what happens at 9pm then?  Me and Karen decided that we would use the time to read through a book of the bible together, and merely based on the fact that Exodus has 40 chapters, that seemed like the book to go for!  Just one chapter a night and then discussing the chapter.

It’s been great.  Spending the time alone with Karen to read through the bible and have a discussion and a prayer time.  I have also had the opportunity to read a couple of books too.  I have just finished reading Amazing Peace in Troubled Times by George Foster, and now I have just started to read One Thing by Sam Storms.

There are also parts of Exodus that have really spoken to me in circumstances that me, Karen and Emma face as a family.

Yesterday (6th March), me and Karen went to sign the contracts for the new house and transfer the deposit over to the solicitors.  There is no denying that these are exciting times ahead, but there is also a part of me that is anxious about the move.

I was then drawn back to Exodus 3/4 where Moses was questioning God and wrestling with God about his abilities to go to Egypt and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt.

Moses had all sorts of concerns… Who am I? What if this happens? What if they don’t believe me? I am not eloquent in speech!  And finally, Moses pleads ‘Send someone else!’

Yet each time God comes to Moses with the reassurance of ‘I am with you’, ‘I will take care of you’, ‘I will restore you’ and ‘I will help you speak’.

So yes, there are nervous times ahead, and exciting times ahead, yet through it all our family can rest in the knowledge that God is with us, God will take care of us, and God will restore us!

So my views on Lent now… is it a religious date in the calendar that we needn’t bother with?  Yes… if used in the wrong manner and attitude.

Am I glad that I gave something up for Lent… Yes, because it has opened my eyes to see areas in my life that I could change and use my time more wisely, and something that shouldn’t just go on for 40 days, but continue on afterwards!

Exciting times in 2012!

Well if I thought 2011 passed by quickly, I would imagine 2012 will too!  We have some exciting times ahead, and as a family we cannot wait for what’s coming!

A couple of weeks ago we celebrated Emma’s 1st birthday.  Neither of us can believe how fast the time has flown by, and that our little girl is one years old already.

One thing that we have been really blessed by over the last year is the amount of help and support we have received, especially from our families and our family at Newbold.  Whether it’s having us round for a brew, giving us advice, passing on clothes, cooking us a meal or whatever, we are so blessed and so thankful to everyone, and this is something that we certainly don’t say often enough.  So thank you!!!

We also found out recently that in September 2012, we will be parents once again, and Emma is going to be a big sister.  We are absolutely delighted and cannot wait for our family to grow.  We have been for the first scan this morning, and it was amazing!  I could just sit and watch the screen all day!

To date the pregnancy has seemed strange.  I suppose it’s because it has been completely different to first time round.

Again, we will be going to St Marys Hospital in Manchester during the pregnancy.  As many will know, Karen has Limb Girdle Muscular Dystrophy (LGMD), and therefore they will be keeping an eye on Karen’s progress.  However, we stand firm in our faith that more importantly, God will have his hand of protection over Karen during the pregnancy, and come September the doctors and nurses will once again be amazed at just how smoothly the arrival of the baby was, just as they were with the arrival of Emma.

We would ask you all that during the pregnancy, you keep us (in particular Karen) in your prayers.

We are also moving into a new house, a family home!  We put an offer in for a house back in November, which was accepted.  At first things seemed to be moving at 200mph, but things have slowed down a bit since the New Year.  At present, we are waiting for the mortgage to be released.  The contracts are ready and waiting to be signed once the mortgage has been released, and then it will be all go from there!

The house that we are buying is at the back of the Newbold estate.  It was so important to us that any move that we made was into a property in the area, as we know that this is where God has called us to be as a family, and to be honest, there isn’t anywhere else that I would rather be.  I love living on the estate, and the friends that we have made in the area.

Just typing that, I think back to only 4 years ago when Karen first moved onto the estate and how I was so opposed to it!  How God changes our hearts!

So there you have it, the year ahead for us… a new house and a new arrival!

In my last blog, I spoke about the reminder that I received a couple of weeks back that the Lord is our helper.  In Hebrews 13:5-6 we are reminded that God will never leave us nor forsake us, and therefore we can say with confidence that the Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid.

With all that is coming up, there is no doubt that there are a lot of emotions involved.  Yet I pray that through it all, as a family, we will turn to God in all things, and be able to say with confidence ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid.’

God is my helper

A couple of weeks back, I was at church and stood in the foyer, welcoming people in for the evening service.  With me in the foyer was one  of the young children.  She was stood on the wooden cupboards in the foyer, and after getting my attention, would slowly step towards the edge of the cupboards, preparing to jump off.  Just before she jumped off, I would play along and pretend to be scared at the prospect of her jumping from the cupboards, covering my eyes and peering through, as she took the leap from the cupboards onto the floor.  Then she would get up, and I would act all relieved after seeing that she was still OK.

This went on for a few minutes, and then all of a sudden just as she was about to jump again, and I was continuing to act scared and concerned, the young girl stopped, turned to me and said “Richard, if you are frightened then all you need to do is ask God to help you, and he will look after you and help you not to be frightened.”

Psalm 54:4 says ‘Surely God is my help; the Lord is the one who sustains me.’  And Hebrews 13:5-6 says “God has said ‘Never will I leave you nor forsake you.’  So we say with confidence, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid.  What can mere mortals do to me?’”

If we are Born Again, God has promised that he will never leave us or forsake us.  Therefore we can say with confidence that the Lord is our helper, and we do not need to be afraid of anything.

What a fantastic reminder I got that evening, that in times of difficulties and trouble, I need to seek God and turn to him, and only him, as my helper, the one who sustains me!

Looking back

On Monday, I spent part of my morning in the cafe at St. Mary’s Hospital in Manchester.  It was almost 12 months ago that I was last there, following the arrival of Emma, and being back there on Monday morning gave me an opportunity to have some time alone and reflect over the last year, and in particular how God’s hand was over Emma’s arrival.  As a family, we have been so blessed.

When Karen was pregnant with Emma, she was referred to St Mary’s Hospital as she has Limb-Girdle Muscular Dystrophy (LGMD).  It was arranged that Karen would have a caesarean section, and as the date got closer, doctors raised concerns over the problems Karen would face both during and immediately after the caesarean section.

Karen was given equipment to assist her with her breathing, and a bed was booked on the High Dependency Unit (HDU) for more than likely a 5-day recovery period following the birth of Emma.  It was expected that Karen would have the breathing apparatus on during the caesarean section, and for a few hours after to recover.

During the caesarean, all I can remember is being sat at Karen’s head and being so proud of her, and being in admiration of just how brave she is.  Then I remember hearing a cry, and the midwife holding a baby girl up to me for the first time.  I was overcome with joy.

The doctors were amazed at just how smoothly and at how well the caesarean had gone, it was almost as if Karen didn’t have LGMD.  There was no need for her to have the breathing equipment on following Emma’s arrival, and there was no need for Karen to have to go up onto the HDU.  The Doctors were amazed.  Three days later (on Karen’s birthday) we were able to come home.

Almost 12 months on, and we have an amazing, healthy daughter.  And we can look back and see just how amazing God is and how much his hand was on Karen and the birth of Emma.

 

 

New Beginnings

This time tomorrow, we will be saying goodbye to 2011 and seeing in 2012.

It’s also that time of the year where we all sit down and closely evaluate the areas in our lives that need to change.  It could be absolutely anything, from losing weight, cutting down on cigarettes, or perhaps just not eating as much chocolate as we usually do (this certainly would be in my case!)

Once we have recognised the things within our lives that need to change, we gather around and make a New Years Resolution, a promise that we will stop those things that are holding us back, that are not good for us.  You might say it’s a new beginning.  However most of us last a short amount of time before we give in and turn back to the chocolate (I am speaking from experience!)

Recently I have been reading the passage in Exodus 14, where God leads the Israelites out of Egypt, being led by Moses across Sea, and being delivered from the hands of the Egyptians.  A NEW BEGINNING!

In Exodus 14:10, Pharaoh and the Egyptians start to make ground on the Israelites, and naturally the Israelites become fearful, crying out to the Lord, and questioning Moses with fear.  Yet Moses says bluntly to them in verse 13-14 “Do not be afraid.  Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today.  The Egyptians you see today, you will never see again.  The LORD will fight for you; you need only be still.”

Two things here stood out:  1)  STAND FIRM, and 2)  BE STILL

1)  In times of facing difficulties we need to stand firm in the cross; the victory has been won, Jesus did it all!  We have that living hope through the resurrection, so in times of difficulty, STAND FIRM!  It’s never easy, but the best promise of all is that Jesus will never leave us nor forsake us, and if we trust in him, we will be saved, just as God saved the Israelites from the hands of the Egyptians.

2)  We need to remain still.  It’s a fact that if a sheep goes to drink from water, and the waters are noisy and rushing, then the sheep will choke on the water and even possibly drown.  Therefore, it is important that the Shepherd goes before the sheep, to still the waters, and make it drinkable for the sheep, without a danger of harm.

David in Psalm 23 writes “The Lord is my Shepherd, I lack nothing.  He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters.”

If we are going to make a new start for 2012, let this be it:  That we stand firm in the cross, and in the Word of God, and that we allow Jesus to go before us in all things that we do, and allow him to calm the waters before we take a drink.