SIZE matters

To a fisherman, a cobbler and a boxer, this would be true! It matters to a child but not to God.  Does it matter to you? Most people’s desire is for more and more, bigger and bigger, faster and faster, stronger and stronger.  Entering the world with nothing, many forget that we will take nothing material with us.  It was the foolish man who tore down his barns to build bigger ones so he could enjoy life, for that very night was his last! The house, the car, the savings pot and every precious item collected over a lifetime will be left behind. Is it not then ironic that so much effort goes into gathering when all of it stays earth-bound until it also rots and decays?  The mantra for the modern self is, ‘I must increase, you must decrease’!  Yet John the Baptist who lived on the very minimum said to Jesus, ‘I must decrease, you must increase’!  Each candle casts its light no matter its size.  

  • ‘Look at how a single candle can both defy and define the darkness’ – Anne Frank

MENTAL HEALTH

Sometimes life can seem like a game of mental health snakes and ladders – people going up, people going down, people passing by, people going somewhere, people going nowhere.  You can be sure that this is everyone you meet, past, present and future in this stressful world.

  • ‘Mental health is a continuum, and people may fall anywhere on the spectrum.  You certainly can’t prevent all mental health problems – factors like genetics and traumatic life events certainly play a role. But everyone can take steps to improve their mental health and prevent further mental illness’ – Amy Morin

TEMPTATION

It is in the very nature of temptation that it is hard to resist and that it is common to every single person.  Temptation takes many forms and has many disguises but be in no doubt that the aim of the one who tempts is to rob you of joy in your walk with God and the ultimate goal is to ruin you. 

‘No one is above temptation. No one is above life in general’ – Kevin Jonas

And yet, every temptation is an opportunity either to bring glory to God through overcoming it or to bring pain to your soul through giving in.

Beautiful Grace

Grace has a beauty that is found in the most surprising places – especially in weakness and fragility.

'When we say yes to the grace of God, we are learning how to die' – Joni Eareckson Tada

If you are between a rock and a hard place, it’s there that the beauty of grace can flourish: ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness’ (2 Corinthian 12:9)