An Adventure in Ministry

As many of you will have noticed, over the past few weeks, shops have been filled with ghosts and ghouls, witches and monsters, and all manor of ‘scary’ things. On Monday, many people in our country will celebrate Halloween.  Now I am not a fan at all of Halloween and this time of year, for me, seems particularly dark.   The trailers at the cinemas are full of dark and scary horror films There are places people pay to visit with people dressed up in scary costumes and chase you around with knives and other weapons! Children are encouraged to go and do, one night of the year, something which they are told is incredibly dangerous the rest of the year… which is knock on a strangers door and then accept sweets from them!! The dark things in life are celebrated and revered and people even dress up to be like them! Not only all that… and that is certainly enough to give me nightmares! But there seems so much more darkness. Not only are the nights drawing...

A little while ago I wrote a very personal blog about my experience with infertility and some of the issues surrounding it (If you haven't read it, take a look here: Motherhood challenge ) I was absolutely blown away by the response to it. I received emails, texts and letters from people all over the world offering encouragement, sharing stories and asking advice. It was a very vulnerable place to be in, knowing everyone knew very personal details of my life and marriage, and it was definitely one of those 'shelter in the wings of God' moments, as, at times, it was very uncomfortable. However it highlighted to me that it was a topic often not spoken about, and over the past couple of days I have felt God calling me to share once again a few thoughts on this topic......So here it goes!  You are not abnormal! This is my biggest struggle as a christian woman tackling the minefield that is infertility.  So many times I am led to feel that I am half a woman, les...

I woke up this morning to the news of the terror attack in Nice in France with a very heavy heart. As I lay pondering the situation, I considered the recent stirring in my spirit about the things I see happening. You see, the attack in France was horrendous and with it comes the awakening of anger and sorrow But What about the other places where terroist attacks have happened? Not just to our Western ‘Friends’ but the absolute fear and devestation around the whole world. In those countries we may never even visit. Those incidents that the news doesn’t even bother to report! A very quick google search brought a worrying result… Sources told me that so far this MONTH, not including the recent terrorist attack in France. There have been nearly 80 ‘terrorist attacks’ in our world. (I’m not getting into the whole what is terrorism discussion, but you get the picture!) As I scrolled through this list that represents hundreds of lives and families, I was horrified to see ma...

Just over a year ago, after a lot of prompting from God, and a lot of support from my husband, I began writing a blog. I was coming into a new season, a season of ministry and I wanted to share my journey and experiences with those around me. In this time a song had been resounding in my heart. It was a song that had been with me through some pretty dark days, but now, as I faced a new calling, it took on a new meaning. I prayer this prayer with my whole heart, and over the past year Ephesians 3:20 has proven true God has led me to a place which is amazing, rewarding, blessed, scary and tough all at once! I have learnt so much; God has taken my passion for writing and has turned it into a ministry I never thought possible. God has taken my passion for creativity and taken me deeper and deeper into the word through it. God has taken my passion for people and put me into a place where I have the privilege of telling them about the life giving love of ...

As many of you know I write devotionals monthly for   www.herbinderproject.com   and www.quitewomen.com  and I recently wrote this devotional. I really felt this morning someone needed to read this x x x                                God’s word promises us that he will give us the desires of our hearts if we live a life sold out to him…but he doesn’t say when! I remember when all my friends started to find long term relationships and get married. It was a really difficult time. The desire of my heart was to be a wife and a mum, but I couldn’t see how God was going to do it! I blamed myself for the long wait…I thought I wasn’t good enough, pretty enough, funny enough! But then I came to a realisation, a God given realisation. God asked me what I was focusing on; my desires or God. You see, we have to be focused on the right things. We must choose to fix our eyes on Je...

I am in such a blessed position! My husband and I are the commanding officers (pastors) of a wonderful church and community outreach, and the people are gorgeous!! In our short year in leadership in this place we have seen God moving in a really powerful way; We have seen people coming to Christ, We have seen people touched with the Holy Spirit, We have seen people blossoming and flourishing before our eyes, We have seen prayers answered in a powerful way, We have seen God provide for our needs, We have seen more and more people who are lost and desperate come through our doors Yet I  WANT MORE! Recently at a conference I was challenged to dream big! To lay aside things that hold us back and press on to the goal. You see it is so easy to get bogged down in the day to day flow of life. It is easy for the little things to become the big things, and then the big things seem to fade away. The devil doesn't play fair! He always plays dirty.  BUT! ...

The English novelist Iris Murdoch once said “Prayer” is the most essential of all human activities” and I must say that this is so true. In the past few months I have really tried to focus on creating a regular rhythm of prayer in my life and I have seen just how essential prayer is to every moment of my day. Around 9 months ago I attended a spiritual day for Salvation Army officers and envoys in the North West, led by Majors Mel and Kath Jones. In the afternoon we had the opportunity to pray and reflect. One of the prayer stations was on the Stone Pillar of Jacob. It talked about Genesis 28 when Jacob sees the ladder to heaven. When he awakes he says: ‘Surely the Lord is in this place’ and calls is Bethel which means ‘The house of God.’ We were encouraged to consider where our own Bethel is. In our booklet there was also a quote from Henry Nouwen about finding a place of prayer which has been on my mind ever since it says: “As Jesus invites us, we need to find that private pl...

As I stood worshipping in our Sunday service yesterday I had a vision from God. The building of the Salvation Army in Mold is very unique. We have a charity shop and coffee shop on the ground floor and our worship hall is on the first floor. Through the week we have various acts of worship in the coffee shop and our hall is used for Sunday worship As I sang ‘What a faithful God have I,’ God gave me a picture. It was a picture of the white walls in the worship hall. As we corporately worshipped together, it was like someone was pouring red paint over the walls. It started at the very top corner of the hall and seeped down the walls. The more we worshipped, the further the paint trickled down. It didn’t just stop at the floor of the worship hall but down to the walls of the shop and the coffee shop. The more we worship him, the further the blood of Jesus will spread into everything we are and everything we do. So let’s worship God today in spirit and in truth. 

Today is a good day! The sun is shining, the daffodils on the table I am sitting at are blooming and beautifully scented and as I watch the daily like of my corps go on, I feel so blessed! When I embarked on ministry, I knew it would be diverse, but some days it blows me away! Just this morning (and it's only 10am!) I have spent time soaking in his word, sent copious emails, written a bible study, picked up food donations to gift to a local church, sorted through some donations of clothes and had a sing song!  Ministry is a great orchestra full of diverse instruments, from a simple triangle to an exquisite cello and a kazoo thrown in too!  As I sit and observe the bustle going on around me, I see a member of staff give a lesson to a lad in his twenties on how to add up a bill as he simply cannot count. I watch my husband talk with one of the volunteers, just doing life together. I also see a family come in who are regulars in the coffee shop and have excitedly...

Over the past few days I have spent some time on retreat with some fellow ministers in the Salvation Army. It has been a great time of teaching, relaxing, laughing and worshiping. It has been good taking time out of my (VERY) busy schedule and just focusing on what is important. This morning in my War (prayer) room I was considering the testimony given at the end of the retreat. We heard great words about answered prayer, divine direction and a passion to see God moving more in our community.  One brilliant, Godly man stood up and told how God had healed him and taken him from a place with Cancer everywhere to one where they can't find any! He said if you ever want to know if prayer works, just look at me! AMEN! I had testified about taking Joy in the Lord. That fabulous verse in Nehemiah says 'The joy of the Lord is my strength!', and I told of how God had been bringing great Joy to me in my ministry and how I believed it was strengthening me. As I considered these ...

It’s been a tough couple of weeks. The challenges seem to be coming thick and fast and the devil has started to get a bit personal. But if you remember my word for this year is gratitude so I won’t bore you with any details! Instead let me share some of the great blessings the past few weeks have given me! Sometimes do forget, or maybe don’t appreciate the little messages God gives or those answers to prayers that we have been praying for a long while. Today however, I want to celebrate them! Not only to share with you some of the Awesome things God has done, but by remembering these blessing I am building myself up for the things that are ahead A couple of weeks ago as I was reading my daily devotional I was prompted to read Isaiah 54. When I got to verse 2 I read this. “Enlarge the place of your tent,      stretch your tent curtains wide,      do not hold back; lengthen your cords,      strengthen your stakes. ...

There are days when we feel like we could take on the world, and days when we feel we couldn’t fight our way out of a paper bag! This morning I feel useless! In fact, worse than useless! Don’t get me wrong, there are so many great things going on. I am seeing fruit in my ministry, my marriage and my family but I still feel like I want to pull the duvet over my head and never emerge. Maybe it’s tiredness, maybe it’s because I’m coming down with a cold or maybe I am letting the devil tell me what a failure I am (!)  but It all seems too much. This morning, as I read my daily devotionals (If you are a woman on fire for God and looking for a great daily devotional check out http://herbinderproject.com/ it is fabulous!!) God gave me a message. As I read Psalm 89v8 I felt in awe of his power and faithfulness. I then received a picture of a child hiding behind their father’s legs. I'm sure you have seen the scenario. The dad and child are out and the Dad has seen someone the...

Just under a year ago something happened that completely changed my relationship with God and shaped the way I live out my faith. Over lent I always try to take something on that will help others rather than giving up something, and I often participate in 40 acts. This is where you are challenged to do 40 different things and make an impact in your own community (Check it out at http://www.40acts.org.uk/ ) Last year, day 1 called me to buy a journal and make notes over the 40 days of lent. I bought a journal and started…. And I haven’t stopped! I have written all sorts in my journal; prayers, sermons, notes, doodles, artwork and anything and everything that God has prompted me to do. As I started spending time pouring my heart out to the Lord on the pages of my journal I found my faith was growing, I started really looking forward to spending time with God and was glad to get up a little earlier in order to spend time with him. Recently my expression of faith has been ext...

recently there has been a thing called the motherhood challenge going around on facebook, where you post up a number of pictures that you love of you as a mum and then tag a number of people who you think of as good mothers.  It all sounds very nice doesn't it?!? But for me it has proved a bit of a challenge...will if I'm honest each post has left me feeling lots of conflicting emotions; happiness - at seeing so many beautiful children sadness - that I am not a mother jealousy - what do they have that I do not?!? anger - why has God blessed these women and not me? insecurity - does God not think I'm good enough?  guilt - why can I just not be happy for them and scroll on?!? You see two years ago.  my husband Paul and I decided we wanted to try for a baby.  Paul already has three daughters from a previous marriage, they are all teens and absolutely beautiful inside and out. I love them very dearly and thank God for them every day, but I wa...