Earth is crammed with heaven

Christmas Eve. A night of possibilities. Light. Life. Love. As the sun sets, and darkness covers the earth the world waits in hushed expectancy. Stars appear more radiant. Lights seem brighter, We wait... 'Today you will know that the Lord will come, and in the morning you will see His glory.' Exodus 16:6-7 Tonight we will know... And In the morning we will see... Glory to God in the highest heaven and on earth peace for you and me on whom his favour rests. Rest in his favour tonight. Feel His love. Know His presence. For His name shall be called Immanuel which means God With Us.

It bothers me every year. And I've already received several emails on 'the dangers of Halloween' from well-meaning individuals. Well my name's Karen and I don't mind it. I'm a Christian, and I've just carved my first pumpkin of the year. I lead a church and I've allowed my children to go 'trick or treating'. These are my reasons: Firstly I love pumpkins! Pumpkin cake, pumpkin soup, toasted pumpkin seeds if you're feeling virtuous, What's not to like? Carving them is hard work. I recommend a proper pumpkin carver, after the first year when I nearly lost my fingers using a carving knife. An ice-cream scoop is great for scooping out the flesh. I pull the stringy bits out by hand to rescue the pumpkin seeds. The difference with mine is I do one of two designs: Or The carvings speak for themselves. Jesus, the light of the world. Or Carve a heart for World Vision. The effect is beautiful. The message clear....

Chris and I went for a coffee this morning. It was a nice little cafe in a place we hadn't been before. We were pleased to see flat-whites on the menu. Described underneath as a double-shot espresso with frothy milk. Perfect. I ordered a skinny one... A token gesture... There was a young girl being trained, She was told it was a 'bald cappucino'  with no chocolate or biscuit. It sounded fairly accurate... "Except it's double-shot" I added helpfully. "Not here it's not. We do our own version." I kindly pointed out the menu. She stood corrected, never having noticed this phenomena before... When it arrived it was a very strong coffee with a teeny bit of milk and what looked like a teeny froth of skinny milk. I'm beginning to wonder if it was something else entirely You hear such stories of the practices of disgruntled waiters... Apparently their version doesn't include a frothy top. But we had a nice lunch I e...

I said goodbye today. Again. Seems like my life has been full of goodbyes in the last few months. Or rather "See you soon"'s as goodbye became too painful. And now we're in a new house. New church. New job. And the boys are at new schools and colleges. Anyway, back to today. I drove quite a few miles for a final meeting with someone who has shared my journey for the last 18 months. She has heard my story. Witnessed my tears. Laughed with me. Taken me tenderly forward to a place of discovery and growth. ` And you know It felt ok. It felt right to be saying goodbye. Part of the reason, I believe, was something I read earlier this morning. I was in my favourite coffee shop. That sells amazing bread. And the most perfect flat whites I've ever tasted. But I digress.... I asked God if there was anything I needed to know before I went to say goodbye. As I opened my journal, and looked down the page. I read this: You've always given me...

Everything changes they say. The only certainty in life is that nothing stays the same. In recent weeks our family has changed Location Home Work School Ministry Stress levels are surprisingly low. But we are tired. Our brains are fried from information overload. And in the thrill of meeting new people We shed the occasional, silent tear for those we miss. We are going to a funeral today. Saying farewell to a lady who loved life. She had a beautiful smile An infectious giggle. And a rather naughty sense of humour at times. (I love that in a person.) Life will never be the same for those who loved her. A guilty relief at less responsibility, which gives more time, feels bittersweet when we lose those we love. We long to see their smile... Hear their voice... Feel their touch... Just one more time. So I'm praying for those who mourn today. My arms are ready to embrace with a hug that says a thousand words when words fail. But I'm praying for ...

I walked up Reigate Hill last week. Nothing unusual there. But since Daisy joined our family I've been exploring. Taking different paths. Places she can run. Last week I stopped at Reigate Fort. It was used during the wars. Now it's a great place for children to play. Some of the old buildings are still there. And there's a big grassy area that's perfect for dogs to run. The sign said that it was a place where the troops would stop for a while. Just long enough for them to replenish their supplies. Weapons Clothing Food. A place for restoration Albeit brief. These days are days of change for many. So much to do and so little time. But I'm reminded that Father God is our fortress. Our refuge Our place of safety. Wherever we are Wherever we go He provides a place on our road. Our fortress. A place to breathe. Take a moment now to fill your lungs with life-giving oxygen. He is here. He provides. He loves. "I pray you'll be ...

I used to be a dancer. Not professionally you understand. But in worship. Mainly before pregnancy changed my body, And the way I viewed myself. But more intensely during my training years, culminating in a performance at The Royal Albert Hall, during our ordination and commissioning. I always think you should quit while you're ahead! And now I'm just a disco diva. Play some music. Dig out my heels. And I'll be there, on the dance floor, for most of the night. A few months ago I put a new worship CD in the car. I do quite a lot of driving in a normal week, so I like to have some options. There were words of a song that kept coming to me. Over and over. "Tears will dry Your heart will mend Your scars will heal You will dance again." My journey of tears, grief and broken-heartedness is well-documented on this blog. But scars? The scars of life and ministry? Of disappointments and betrayal? Of being misunderstood and misrepresented...