Earth is crammed with heaven

Happy Christmas! Those who know us well, will be well aware that 2012 could easily be called our Annus Horribilis, And other rude words which I won't mention here. This Christmas we will be aware of those who are absent for the first time, Chris's Mum and Dad, Charles and Irene. My Grandad Fred. And my Dad, John. We miss, and will miss them dreadfully But we will remember them with love and thanks Not only for the people they were But for the way they loved us so well. So bearing all that in mind I asked Chris and the boys for one positive thing that had happened in 2012. Chris - West Ham got back into the Premiership and recently beat Chelsea. Ryan - His first lads' holiday in Malia Joel   - Grew 5 inches in 2 months Nathan - Got his grade 1 piano And me? I abseiled 70ft off Black Rock in Derbyshire. I know! We also had a good holiday in Tenerife. Wall-to-wall sunshine was just what the Dr ordered. And it gave us some much-needed rest and recuper...

I set out at the end of November with clenched teeth, and a face set towards my destination I was determined. I was going to find it, no matter what. It would be easy, after all I love this time of year. But decoration after decoration Christmas card after Christmas card Ornament after ornament Nativity scene after nativity scene Light after light Seemed to make no difference. I was in search of joy. But candle after candle still left me floundering in the darkness. Tears sprang to my eyes as I told one of my dearest friends, "I'm looking for joy. But I can't find it in any of the usual places." She held me close and said Maybe I just need to go with the flow. Stop trying so hard. Let God surprise you. So I did. And He has. Kind of..... I'm not rolling in the aisles but I have found blessings. In the two nights in the row where we've sat as a family and laughed and sang as we watched Christmas films. In the Carol Service at th...

Today I opened one of our Nativity Sets to discover that Joseph had lost his head. One of our other sets has a king with a repaired head. Our eldest son was a bit over-enthusiastic about helping me put it out when he was two.... When I mentioned my headless Joseph on facebook this afternoon, I discovered friends had a headless shepherd, and an earless donkey. Oh and an armless Jesus. Which brings me to a point that is very relevant to me at the moment. We come to God as people who long to be made whole. In our humanity we are broken. But that's ok because God loves broken things. Each individual involved in the Nativity was broken. Some were more aware of it than others. But God used them in their brokenness. This Advent season may be different to past ones. But God meets us in our brokenness. He loves us back to healing and wholeness. Grace is everything. Check out the song 'Broken Hallelujah' by Mandisa https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_d...

We've just got back from a friend's. We went there for lunch. Roast lamb with all the trimmings followed by sticky toffee pudding. It was hard to resist the invitation. She's a great cook. But more than that she's a great friend. You know the type of person who always makes you smile? When you spend time with them you know there'll be fun laughter debate more laughter. But for me, it goes deeper than that. She asks how I am and the tears spring to my eyes Because she knows.... She knows that life is tough. She knows the isolation I feel. She knows that in loving me, she is bringing a little bit of heaven to earth. In Luke 1, Mary finds out she's pregnant and goes straight to her cousin Elizabeth. Was it to escape the clamour? To make sense of it in her head? To get used to the idea? Or did she go because she knew that in Elizabeth she had A friend A confidante A kindred spirit? I like to think God led her to a place of safety whe...

I helped at Nathan's Christmas Fair yesterday. It was packed with excited children and exhausted parents, so pretty much business as usual. Do you ever want to scream STOP at this time of year? Enough. Too much already. Mum, my sister and I sorted out Dad's things on Tuesday. As we filled the car with bags for the charity shop it felt so final. A person's life contained in a car-load. STOP. Enough. Too much already. Today has been a better day. The sun has shone. The sky turned a brilliant blue after the snow showers. And I had a lovely coffee with Chris at the Garden Centre. As we were driving back I remembered the Advent challenge I gave our congregation a few years back. It came from the carol, 'It came upon the midnight clear', And the challenge was to 'Hush the noise, ye men (and women) of strife And hear the angels sing.' Or, STOP. Look for the reality of His presence in the madness of Christmas. Listen for Him. His ange...

It's been a Christmassy few days. Saturday night was the Golf Club Dinner and Dance. We go every year with a group of friends. It's always a good night. Yesterday we went to the Dickens Christmas Fayre in Rochester. And today we walked along the South Bank from London Bridge. It was lovely to see the sights and sounds of the Christmas Market Stalls. Our purchase from The Christmas Market! The trouble is it all feels different. In my mind I hear the words 'Nothing will be the same again.' Of course it won't. Our family looks very different this Christmas to last. But does different have to mean worse? Can we still know Christmas Joy in our grief? Graham Kendrick wrote about the birth of Jesus. 'And nothing will ever be the same again This night has changed everything.' The true light that enlightens everyone was coming into the world. John 1:9 Jesus' birth changed the world. He can change our darkness into light.