An Adventure in Ministry

This week I, along with many other ministers within The UK and Ireland territory of The Salvation Army met together for three days of worship and the word at our ‘Officer’s councils’. I have to admit that in the midst of an incredibly busy season, I was most looking forward to a couple of days away with my husband where I didn’t have to cook, clean or do the washing! However, as God often does, he completely surprised me and I had the most powerful time away.  The theme of the three days was ‘Lifting our eyes to the king’ and from the moment our time began I had a real sense that God was doing something. On the first afternoon, our Territorial Commander, shared with us about Peter walking on water and how we need to lift our eyes to the king, especially when we are in the waves and think we may be sinking. He shared with us some verses from Hebrews 12:1-3 and throughout the three days they kept playing through my mind. Five little words even kept me up in the middle of the night, a...

  Yesterday after a challenging, yet beautiful conversation with one of my friends, she prayed over me, and something she said hit a nerve. She prayed for the many hats I wear and I was reminded of this picture I took the other day while playing with my little girl.  As I pondered the prayer and the picture, this poem began to form: My Many Hats To some I am a mother, a wife, a sister, a friend; To others I am a minister in a list that never ends; I wear the hat of cleaner, of gardener and cook, I even wear the hat of the writer of a book.   I wear the hat of mentor, of a pastor and a mate, I also am a carer and the one who advocates; There’s the paperwork and letters the admin and finance, And I like to wear a creative hat if I ever get a Chance!   The list is overwhelming of the many hats I wear, Often it’s the greatest joy but sometimes I despair! The pile of hats can sometimes slip I fear that they will tumble, That’s when I usually turn t...

  This week I have been thinking about the kingdom principle of being faithful in the little things. On Sunday I am teaching on this and while preparing to preach I like to sit and permeate on the topic and what it means for me. I often find too that before I teach on a topic, I have to practically learn about it for myself. Paul and I often remark on how God first teaches us the lesson before we teach it to others…I’ll save what happened when Paul taught on healing until another day!!! Luke 16:10 says: "The one who faithfully manages the little he has been given will be promoted and trusted with greater responsibilities." A couple of weeks ago I had an instance where God called me to be faithful in something little and although it was only a ‘little; thing it took great boldness. Let me tell you about my experience… My phone contract was up for renewal and I had decided I wanted to leave the provider I have been with for nearly 20 years and go with a new one. However, as...

The past couple of months for us has been a little but hectic. In February Paul and I received our farewell orders (Salvation Army language for we were informed that we would be moving to a new church) to take up appointment of A Salvation Army in Scotland. Through lockdown there were many will we, wont we moments, but in July we moved up to temporary accommodation in Scotland and two weeks ago we moved into our new house.  It has been a very surreal time to move and it has been filled with its fair share of challenges, however we have been making the most of some nice weather and exploring the countryside around us.  Yesterday we took a short drive to explore a new place with our daughter and dogs in tow. The past week had been tough and seemed to be filled with many voices and not all positive. I also had people and things on my heart and I was trying to carry them and pray into it. When we got to the place there was a huge queue of cars waiting to enter the carpark and foll...

Mother’s Day is approaching. For some people it is a time full of joy and celebration, for others, however, it can be a horrendous time full of sorrow and pain. I fall into the second category. For the past few years, as we have been ttc it has got harder and harder.  For a while, as a single woman Mother’s Day was tough as it reminded me of a future I wasn’t sure that I would have. Then when I met Paul I suddenly became step-mother to three teenage girls and it brought a whole new dimension. Mother’s Day at church was filled with conflicted loyalty for the girls and a reminder that I wasn’t a real mum! I remember one year, one of the girls going to get me the obligatory ‘Mother’s Day gift’ whilst another having stern words with her that I shouldn’t receive a gift as I wasn’t really her mum and that their mum was at home expecting a gift. The whole while I felt terribly guilty that I had put everyone in such a position, happy that I was seen in some way as a mum and sad th...

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. ...

I am me! This week I had a revealation. I am me! Some of you may be thinking “duh, of course you are you!”  But this week it was something that really hit home. As part of our training and development as ministers in the Salvation Army Paul and I have just spent the last week at the William Booth Training college in London. It has been an interesting and challenging week in many ways! There was some great teaching, thought provoking worship and some fellowship with people walking on the same road of ministry as me. But for me, the greatest part of the week, was in the gentle call and affirmation that God seemed to breath over me as the days went by. There were a number of points over the week that God spoke to me and said “you are you and I made you that way. Stop worrying over the way you are, if you are wrong, I will tell you!” On Monday morning as I read my devotional I was struck by these Words As I meditated on these words I penned this prayer ...

It’s been a bit of a week! It was the first week back in full swing after Christmas which is always difficult. It’s one of those weeks that is spent trying to get back into the routine of things and getting up to date on all those little things. It has been busy to say the least! It has also been a week full of vision and dreaming, with meetings looking ahead and God laying heavy on me an urge to think big and to start walking in it! Our church is growing and God is miraculously providing. There have been moments that have felt like the ascent at the beginning of a fairground ride. The anticipation of what might be ahead that excitement mingled with nervousness and that little bit of dread that you cant make it on your own. It has also been a week of brokenness. There have been so many people through our doors this week screaming out for Jesus. There are people struggling with illness, grief and addiction. It really has been heartbreaking, but I am so grateful that we are able...

It has been an incredibly busy three months as Paul and I have stepped into full time ministry with the Salvation Army. It has been full of excitement and adventure along with trepidation and some fear. In coming months I plan to share some of the exciting things God has been talking to us about, but the past week I have been thinking about peace. Last week Paul and I went on Holiday to the borders of Scotland. On our way home we stopped in one of our favorite towns, Grasmere, and visited a beautiful place called Allan Bank. Whilst I was there God gave me these words: "Drop thy still dews of quietness,  till all our strivings cease, Take from our lives the strain and stress, And let our ordered lives confess  the beauty of thy peace " Today, peace looks like a battered old leather chair with plumped up cushions and a whippet curled up beside me, my husband reading a book and a steaming cup of early grey tea.  Peace looks like looking out of th...

Today it has been hot and sunny and I have heard many people talk about summer being here. Today we had the obligatory ice cream, purchased a paddling pool and had a bbq! Today I have been thinking about seasons The other week after one glorious day of sunshine followed by a day of rain, I heard people declare that summer is over! It made me think that some seasons tend to be much longer than others. Sometimes winter never seems to end and summer is so short loved. Some years we have a bumper crop of one plant and a shortage of another all because of the length of the seasons.  Seasons are very biblical and play an important part in God's economy. In our christian walk we go through seasons or times that are clearly distinct. In Ecclesiastes it talks about there being a season for everything and that is certainly the case, but I have been becoming increasingly aware that every season is a great opportunity for learning. It is an opportunity for wisdom, an opportunity f...