..who daily bears us up..

"The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms." - Deut 33.27

"The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run into it and are safe." - Proverbs 18:10

"Because you are my help, i sing in the shadow of your wings. My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me." Psalm 63:7-8

"Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears us up" - Psalm 68:19

East of the City

I highly recommend the following blog, particularly for those with a heart of compassion for the young people of London - it covers sensitive issues and should only be read if you have a willingness for your heart to be broken - yet at the same time it offers a Godly and hopeful perspective to otherwise devastating situations. It is raw, honest and challenging - written from a heart that seems to be full of love: East of the City

For that cry is mercy

"Take us to the river, take us there in unity to sing, the song of your salvation, to win this generation for our King, the song of your forgiveness, for it is with grace that river flows, take us to the river in the city of our God.

Take us to your throne room, give us ears to hear the cry of heaven, for that cry is mercy, mercy to the fallen sons of men, mercy it has triumphed, triumphed over judgement by your blood, take us to the throne room in the city of our God.

Take us to the mountain, lift us in the shadow of your hand. Is this your mighty angel that stands astride the ocean and the land, for in his hands your mercy showers on a dry and barren place, take us to the mountain in the city of our God. "

(Robin Mark)

Contrasts

I am often struck with awe at the amazing diversity of life that God has created. The unique and fascinating people that cover this earth. Even in the midst of the mess we have made for ourselves, the rubbish around us which is only symbolic of the rubbish within us all... even in the midst of all that, there are glimmers of life, of purpose and hope, of softness and readiness to respond to God, of creativity and laughter. Glimmers of the grace God has sown.

I love these photos. The kids playing on the bike in front of an old building. And yes, it's an old crooked house with metal shutters on the front of it. But i like it. And who can tell what life goes on within it? 

The second photo is beautiful i think. I love the patterns. I love the contrasts - blue and white paint, black and white words. And the biggest contrast of all - the mother and child against such a wall. Love and tenderness juxtaposed where a muddle of words are scrawled. But it's real - a reflection of what are lives are like. Love came to us in the midst of our dirted world. A mother and child in a stable.......... that child as a man upon a cross. 

Tenderness so often seems to be pinned upon a bleak backdrop.

"Love suffers all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things." - 1 Corinthians 13.7 

(photos by Jake Dobkin)

Soon....

"Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city; on either side of the river, the tree of life with it's twelve kinds of fruit, yielding it's fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and His servants will worship Him. They will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads. And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever." - Revelation 22

(Photo by Jake Dobkin)

A little update.

It's not that often that i use this blog as a place of update, so i thought i'd have a change. I've decided to try and and carry on with my degree this year, which means i will have my first lecture in a fortnight. I shouldn't really be due to return until February time, but because they have re-arranged the course since i was last there i have to do one module this term as well. It will just be one two hour lecture a week to begin with and then full-time next term. I'm still going to live at home and just commute in every week. Sheffield is about an hour and a half away on the train, so it's a reasonable distance, but i know i'm not ready to move yet. To be honest, the course only just let me return because i don't have any placements this term, and it's not guaranteed that i'll even be able to carry on when it gets to February because i have placements then and they want my seizures to be "abolished" in order for me to do them! But still, at least it's a little step forward even if nothing much comes of it.

In other news, i've started on another new anti-convulsant recently, so i'm presently taking three different ones... the newest one is having some negative side-effects so i'll probably have to come off that soon. My seizures have improved so much these days though and i haven't actually had any for a good number of weeks now. That in itself is amazing. I'm so grateful to everyone who's prayed for me over the last few years. Really i am.

"Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God." - Psalm 20:7 

(photos of stencil graffiti taken in Sheffield)

"Father of the fatherless and protector of widows is God in His holy habitation.

God settles the solitary in a home; and leads out the prisoners to prosperity," - Psalm 68.5-6

(Photos by Gregory Smith who founded CARF, the Children at Risk Foundation which works to help the street children of Brazil.)

To Him who rides through the deserts

"Sing to God, sing praises to His name; 

lift up a song to Him who rides

 through the deserts;

His name is the Lord;

exult before Him!"

Psalm 68.4

.....to Him who rides through the deserts.....i love that expression, that truth... that He rides through the deserts... through the dry land, the places which are parched and hot and barren and so in need of a river to flow through them.... and it goes on to say that when He "marched through the wilderness... the heavens poured down rain" and brought restoration. Sing Praises to Him.

spoken or unspoken

"... I try to find something wise and hopeful to say to them, only little by little coming to understand that the most precious thing i have to give them is not whatever words i find to say, but simply whatever, spoken or unspoken, i have in me of Christ, which is also the most precious thing they have to give me."  - Frederick Buechner

the river

...He will keep me till the river rolls it's waters at my feet,

Then at last He'll bring me over, saved by grace and made complete.

Yes, I'll sing the wondrous story of the Christ who died for me,

Sing it with the saints in glory, gathered by the crystal sea...

- Robin Mark -

Good old Jubilee

I just discovered Jubilee's website via Deb's reawakened blog and realised they now have downloads of their talks available. So i've just enjoyed listening to part of a series on Hebrews 11, my favourite book of Hebrews. It was encouraging. Good old Jubilee hey...