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Baby loss awareness week - The loneliness of grief

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This week is baby loss awareness week. It is an opportunity for people to remember those babies that didn’t make it through pregnancy or died in the early days of life. It is also a time to bring awareness to the fact that baby loss is unfortunately common, and that the grief and loss that parents feel is real, valid and something to be spoken about. As someone who has walked through infertility for 11 years, while baby loss isn’t part of my story, as a redemptive thread God has woven as part of my story of grace, I have sat with many women who have lost a precious child. I have wept with them, longed with them, prayed with them and lamented with them. It has been easy to see what a horrendous thing baby loss is and how the grief can be very isolating.  Last night I had the great privilege of speaking at our local annual service of remembrance for parents who have experienced baby loss both recently and in the past, organised by Macclesfield maternity unit and hosted at the beautiful S
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Count your blessings - A lesson in thread journalling

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The Salvation Army has a brilliant song book that is packed full of poetry about life, faith, God and everything in between. One of my favourite songs and one which I still regularly refer to is the song called Count your blessings, written by Johnson Oatman jr in 1897 the words say: When upon life’s billows you are tempest-tossed, When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost, Count your many blessings, name them one by one, And it will surprise you what the Lord has done. Refrain: Count your blessings, name them one by one, Count your blessings, see what God has done! Count your blessings, name them one by one, And it will surprise you what the Lord has done. Are you ever burdened with a load of care? Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear? Count your many blessings, every doubt will fly, And you will keep singing as the days go by. So, amid the conflict whether great or small, Do not be discouraged, God is over all; Count your many blessings, angels will attend, Help and
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Love notes in nature

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  I have recently returned from a beautiful holiday in Norfolk. The last year has been so busy with working, studying, caring for a child with special needs, recovering from surgery and much much more, so I was in desperate need of a rest! As we prepared to go away I clung on to two scriptures to help me focus.  Be still and know that I am God: Psalm 46: 10  “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” One of the things I love to do on holiday is read. Over the last year I have read so many books, some of them taxing, some of them long and some of them pretty dry, so I decided that this holiday I was going to read something a little different and so I went armed with the chronicles of
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The Whisper of God in the big moments: Commissioning Weekend

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  Last weekend was a big weekend in my life and ministry. After studying at The Salvation Army’s William Booth training college for a year as a distance learning Territorial Envoy Cadet, I was commissioned and ordained as a minister with the rank of Lieutenant. On Sunday 14th July at The Salvation Army’s together 21 congress, I, along with 12 others who were in the ‘Defenders of Justice’ session were prayed over, affirmed, commissioned and sent out to spread the gospel. This day was a culmination of a time of preparation which included a retreat day, covenant day, reflections, learning the 11 doctrines of The Salvation Army and lots of rehearsals! The Sunday before we were commissioned, we went on a beautiful retreat day at The Royal foundation of St. Katherine, and at the end of the day we shared some of the things God had been speaking to us about. One of the cadets shared some verses from 1 Kings 19:11-12 The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord
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Still I will praise

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  Just over a month ago I attended an amazing women’s conference for women in The Salvation Army called Riverbank. It was a beautiful weekend of teaching, challenge, fun and friendship and there were so many highlights. Throughout the weekend there were a number of thread that God wove within it. It wove through the speakers and the worship, and was incredibly powerful.  One of these threads was the truth that we can still praise God in the midst of the darkest times. From the frist evening we heard testimony of how people were able to praise God in the midst of trauma and difficulty. This ran through the entire weekend with person after person talking about praising God in the difficult places and finding comfort, power and joy through it all. Each person declared "Still I will praise!"  One of the most powerful moments of the entire conference was on the Saturday morning when our amazing and anointed worship leader sang one of her songs. The song, ‘Still I will praise’ talk
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