God loves us, He's our superfriend!

This is from one of my favourite gospel songs: Superfriend by Mary Mary and David Banner.

They're here now but then they're gone.
Where they at? I don't know.
They hit the door,
That kind of friend I gotta let go.
A superfriend, a superfriend,
Yes sir I got me one of them,
A superfriend, a superfriend
I got me a superfriend

No sir, there's nothing half way about him
This world could never be made without him
No heart, no breath, no mind, no sun, no moon, no time
He's something like the best of them
He's nothing like the rest of them

He heard me before I made a sound
Caught me before I hit the ground
He knows everything I need
Before I tell him anything

Loves me without requirements
Can't see him but it's evident
He's something like the best of them
Said He's nothing like the rest of them

God loves us, He is better than life!

“Because your loving kindness is better than life, my lips shall praise you.” - Psalm 63:3.

God loves us, don't miss that message!

Craig Gross and Jason Harper have written: "The constant noise of contemporary life makes it easy to miss the most profound message the world has ever known: Jesus loves you... This simple truth is worth our undivided attention.

You can be forgotten, love finds.
You can be broken, love mends.
You can be outcast, love includes.
You can be… and love works."

Their new book "Jesus loves you, this I know" has recently come out. Check it out here: http://www.jesuslovesyou.net/

God loves us, and we are One in Christ

Ephesians 2: 11-22
One in Christ

Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called "uncircumcised" by those who call themselves "the circumcision" (that done in the body by the hands of men)— remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.

For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.

Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.

God loves us, He is our mother too!

Mother Julian of Norwich (c.1342-c.1413) was an early mystic, famous for her writings, particularly the Sixteen Revelations of Divine Love. She lived as a religious recluse outside the church of St Julian in Norwich.
Here are some of her famous sayings:

- Our Saviour is our true Mother in whom we are endlessly born.

- All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well.

- If there is anywhere on earth a lover of God who is always kept safe, I know nothing of it, for it was not shown to me. But this was shown: that in falling and rising again we are always kept in that same precious love.

- The greatest honour we can give Almighty God is to live gladly because of the knowledge of his love.

God loves us, Hallelujah!

This is a new song I made: a Christian version of Alexandra Burke's Hallelujah. I wrote the lyrics in about 10 minutes, so clearly divine inspiration! It's available here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ES6jm8KGnU0
God bless
xxxx

I heard there was a secret chord
That David played and it pleased the Lord,
But it's hard for me to find the words to praise You.
So I'll try like this the fourth, the fifth,
The minor fall and the major lift,
Or maybe I should just sing hallelujah.

My faith is strong, I've seen so much proof,
My heart is filled with a song of truth
But my hands can't seem to write anything worthy.
I'll speak of love and I'll speak of You,
And hope my voice can see it through
To pass along this one word hallelujah.

Well I know that there's a God above
My eyes have seen, my ears have heard
The wonders of this place we call Earth.
He sent His son to die for us
To bridge a gap that we had made.
And all that's left to say is hallelujah.

God loves us, and He will wipe away every tear!

Revelation 21
The New Jerusalem

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."

He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!" Then he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true."

He said to me: "It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life. He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son.

God loves us, and He is capable of great things!

This comes from 'Children's Letters to God' compiled by Eric Marshall and Stuart Hample, a book that is both funny and poignant and shows faith and curiosity about God through the eyes of children. Let's remember that what God was capable of thousands of years ago He is still capable of today! If we read the newspapers, we will see things happening, miracles, that science cannot explain away and that's where the hand of God is. Our God truly is amazing!

“Dear God,
My teacher read us the part where all the Jews went through where the water was and got away. Keep up the good work. I am Jewish.
Love,
Paula.”

Praised!!

I finally managed to arrange the harmonies of a track I've been working on for years!!
You can download it here:
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=NWPF11EN

or version 2 here:
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=3TB9RDN5

The words are:
PRAISED:
Go in peace to love and serve the Lord,
In the name of Jesus, Amen.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son,
As it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be,
World without end, Amen.
Praise ye the Lord,
The Lord's name be praised, Amen.

God loves us, and His love inspires selfless acts!

This is a song I wrote about a year ago about the many anonymous people who go about their lives doing good in our world with no thanks and no glory. They do it out of love, simply because it is the right thing to do and because God has filled them with love.

UNSUNG HERO
V1: It's the woman on every street corner,
Collecting for charity.
Biting wind, pouring rain, she doesn't complain,
Keeps a smile on her face.
It's the man saving people from buildings,
Focusing on his job,
Blazing fire, risking life, he doesn't mind,
He just stays positive.

Ch: They're the unsung heroes,
No one knows their names,
That's ok, they're not in it for the glory,
Just play their part, don't think about the fame,
Nobody knows their names.

V2: It's the child caring for her mother,
Who is wheelchair bound.
Exhausting days, no time for fun, she doesn't complain,
She's an angel.
It's the boy serving food to the homeless,
Every Saturday.
Non-stop rush, menial tasks, but it's alright,
Love rewards itself.

Ch

Hook: These days
We talk so much celebrity,
But when have they saved lives,
When have they cared?
So she looks pretty, dances and everything,
Why should she be a role model?
He's lived selfishly, spending loads of money,
Why do we look up to him,
And why do we know his name?
Why do we know his name?
What about the...
Ch

Ch2: If you're an unsung hero,
Shout and raise your voice,
Say “I don't care, I'm not in it for the glory,
Just play my part, don't think about the fame,
Nobody knows my name.”

Yeah, nobody knows, nobody knows,
Nobody knows your name.

God loves us, so count your blessings!

Keep a Record!
“Count your blessings one by one. Write them down; keep a record. You will be amazed to discover what the Lord has done.”
from God's Little Book of Calm by Richard Daly

“God can give you more blessings than you need.” - 2 Corinthians 9:8.

God loves us, and He loves the sparrows too!

Yesterday for my birthday my friend gave me this poem on beautiful handmade paper. It is based on the Bible passage Matthew 6 25-37 especially verse 26: “26Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?”

Worry
Each morning as I rise up
Worry starts my day
For there are many problems
That always come my way.

I worry through the nighttime
Until dawn's early light.
Why should I ever be surprised
I don't sleep well at night?

I've come to this conclusion
About all the things that worry me:
If God can help the sparrows
He can sure take care of me.

So if I give my worries
To the one who knows me best
At last I will stop counting sleep
And get a good night's rest!

- J Morse, 1996

God loves us, and His love inspires others!

Today is my birthday! Here is a story that always warms my heart:

JOHN 3:16
I don't understand it, but In the city of Chicago, one cold, dark night, a blizzard was setting in. A little boy was selling newspapers on the corner; the people were in and out of the cold.

The little boy was so cold that he wasn't trying to sell many papers. He walked up to a policeman and said, "Mister, you wouldn't happen to know where a poor boy could find a warm place to sleep tonight would you? You see, I sleep in a box up around the corner there and down the alley and it's awful cold in there, of a night. Sure would be nice to have a warm place to stay."

The policeman looked down at the little boy and said, "You go down the street to that big white house and you knock on the door. When they come out the door you just say John 3:16 and they will let you in."

Then he did; he walked up the steps to the door, and knocked on the door and a lady answered. He looked up and said, "John 3:16." The lady said "Come on in, Son." She took him in and she sat him down in a split bottom rocker in front of a great big old fireplace and she went off.

He sat there for awhile, and thought to himself "John 3:16. I don't understand it, but it sure makes a cold boy warm." Later she came back and asked him "Are you hungry?" He said, "Well, just a little. I haven't eaten in a couple of days and I guess I could stand a little bit of food." The lady took him in the kitchen and sat him down to a table full of wonderful food. He ate and ate until he couldn't eat anymore. Then he thought to himself "John 3:16 ... Boy, I sure don't understand it, but it sure makes a hungry boy full."

She took him upstairs to a bathroom to a huge bathtub filled with warm water and he sat there and soaked for awhile. As he soaked, he thought to himself, "John 3:16 ... I sure don't understand it, but it sure makes a dirty boy clean. You know, I've not had a bath, a real bath, in my whole life. The only bath I ever had was when I stood in front of that big old fire hydrant as they flushed it out."

The lady came in and got him, and took him to a room and tucked him into a big old feather bed and pulled the covers up around his neck and kissed him goodnight and turned out the lights. As he laid in the darkness and looked out the window at the snow coming down on that cold night he thought to himself, "John 3:16 ... I don't understand it, but it sure makes a tired boy rested."

The next morning she came back up and took him down again to that same big table full of food. After he ate she took him back to that same big old split bottom rocker in front of the fire place. She took a big old Bible and sat down in front of him and she looked up at and she asked, "Do you understand John 3:16?" He said, "No, Ma'am, I don't. The first time I ever heard it was last night when the policeman told me to use it." She opened the Bible to John 3:16, and she began to explain to him about Jesus. Right there in front of that big old fireplace he gave his heart and life to Jesus.

He sat there and thought, "John 3:16. I don't understand it, but it sure makes a lost boy feel safe."

You know, I have to confess I don't understand it either, how God would be willing to send His Son to die for me, and how Jesus would agree to do such a thing. I don't understand it either, but it sure does make life worth living.

Author Unknown

John 3:16 - For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

17. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

18. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

God loves us, no matter what we're going though!

C S Lewis, author of the Narnia Chronicles was also a strong Christian who wrote many essays about his faith. Here are some fantastic quotes of his showing both a sense of humour and a deep understanding of God's love:

"God will look to every soul like its first love because He is its first love."

“Though our feelings come and go, God’s love for us does not.”

“God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks to us in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: It is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world”

“God, who foresaw your tribulation, has specially armed you to go through it, not without pain but without stain”

God loves us, and He's always with us!

God is all around us, His miracles are evident in every day life. We just have to know how to listen and notice His presence. This passage, translated from the Spanish by me, comes from p.124 of the book 'La culpa es de la vaca'.

A child said: “God, talk to me.”
And so a lark from the field sang, but the child didn't hear it.

The child exclaimed, “God speak to me.”
And a clap of thunder rang out across the whole sky, but the child didn't hear it.

The child looked around him and said: “God, let me see you.”
And a radiant star shone out, but the child didn't notice it.

And again the child shouted: “God, show me a miracle.”
And from an egg came new life, but the child didn't notice it.

Weeping desperately, he said: “Touch me, God, so that I know you are with me.”
God bent down and touched the child. But he just brushed the butterfly away.


God is all around us, His miracles are evident in every day life. We just have to know how to listen and notice His presence.

God loves us, that's why He performs miracles!

This song- Believer by Mary Mary- gives two specific incidences in the band member's, Tina and Erica's, lives, in which God has saved their lives. People say miracles stopped happening a long time ago, but my experiences and the experiences of these lovely ladies proves otherwise!!

We got home late one night from service
Something wasn't right, momma was nervous
She said we're staying at your auntie's house tonight
'Cause something in my spirit ain't right
Just as soon as we all went to sleep
Momma got a call from the police saying "your house is on fire"
We were sad, but alive god spared our lives

On the highway, minding my business
Another car was trying to get by
So I put my foot on the brakes and
My car flipped upside down
I cried, "Lord have mercy on me
Take the car but save my life"
I walked away no scars, no pain, nothing broken
So now I testify

God loves us, the Bible tells us so!

My Child,

You may not know me, but I know everything about you. Psalm 139:1

I know when you sit down and when you rise up. Psalm 139:2

I am familiar with all your ways. Psalm 139:3

Even the very hairs on your head are numbered. Matthew 10:29-31

For you were made in my image. Genesis 1:27

In me you live and move and have your being. Acts 17:28

For you are my offspring. Acts 17:28

I knew you even before you were conceived. Jeremiah 1:4-5

I chose you when I planned creation. Ephesians 1:11-12

You were not a mistake, for all your days are written in my book. Psalm 139:15-16

I determined the exact time of your birth and where you would live. Acts 17:26

You are fearfully and wonderfully made. Psalm 139:14

I knit you together in your mother's womb. Psalm 139:13

And brought you forth on the day you were born. Psalm 71:6

I have been misrepresented by those who don't know me. John 8:41-44

I am not distant and angry, but am the complete expression of love. 1 John 4:16

And it is my desire to lavish my love on you. 1 John 3:1

Simply because you are my child and I am your Father. 1 John 3:1

I offer you more than your earthly father ever could. Matthew 7:11

For I am the perfect father. Matthew 5:48

Every good gift that you receive comes from my hand. James 1:17

For I am your provider and I meet all your needs. Matthew 6:31-33

My plan for your future has always been filled with hope. Jeremiah 29:11

Because I love you with an everlasting love. Jeremiah 31:3

My thoughts toward you are countless as the sand on the seashore. Psalms 139:17-18

And I rejoice over you with singing. Zephaniah 3:17

I will never stop doing good to you. Jeremiah 32:40

For you are my treasured possession. Exodus 19:5

I desire to establish you with all my heart and all my soul. Jeremiah 32:41

And I want to show you great and marvelous things. Jeremiah 33:3

If you seek me with all your heart, you will find me. Deuteronomy 4:29

Delight in me and I will give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:4

For it is I who gave you those desires. Philippians 2:13

I am able to do more for you than you could possibly imagine. Ephesians 3:20

For I am your greatest encourager. 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17

I am also the Father who comforts you in all your troubles. 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

When you are brokenhearted, I am close to you. Psalm 34:18

As a shepherd carries a lamb, I have carried you close to my heart. Isaiah 40:11

One day I will wipe away every tear from your eyes. Revelation 21:3-4

And I'll take away all the pain you have suffered on this earth. Revelation 21:3-4

I am your Father, and I love you even as I love my son, Jesus. John 17:23

For in Jesus, my love for you is revealed. John 17:26

He is the exact representation of my being. Hebrews 1:3

He came to demonstrate that I am for you, not against you. Romans 8:31

And to tell you that I am not counting your sins. 2 Corinthians 5:18-19

Jesus died so that you and I could be reconciled. 2 Corinthians 5:18-19

His death was the ultimate expression of my love for you. 1 John 4:10

I gave up everything I loved that I might gain your love. Romans 8:31-32

If you receive the gift of my son Jesus, you receive me. 1 John 2:23

And nothing will ever separate you from my love again. Romans 8:38-39

Come home and I'll throw the biggest party heaven has ever seen. Luke 15:7

I have always been Father, and will always be Father. Ephesians 3:14-15

My question is… Will you be my child? John 1:12-13

I am waiting for you. Luke 15:11-32

Love, Your Dad
Almighty God

from: www.fathersloveletter.com

God loves us, and he gives us His ALL!

This story needs no introduction- it is a metaphor of the way God's unrelentless and selfless love for us.

Giving Tree
  by: Shel Silverstein, Source Unknown

A long time ago, there was a huge apple tree. A little boy loved to come and play around it everyday. He climbed to the tree top, ate the apples, took a nap under the shadow. He loved the tree and the tree loved to play with him.

Time went by. The little boy had grown up and he no longer played around the tree everyday. One day, the boy came back to the tree and he looked sad.
"Come and play with me," the tree asked the boy.
"I am no longer a kid, I don't play around trees anymore." The boy replied, "I want toys. I need money to buy them."
"Sorry, but I don't have money. But you can pick all my apples and sell them. So, you will have money." The boy was so excited.
He grabbed all the apples on the tree and left happily.
The boy never came back after he picked the apples. The tree was sad.

One day, the boy returned and the tree was so excited. "Come and play with me" the tree said.
"I don't have time to play. I have to work for family. We need a house for shelter. Can you help me?"
"Sorry, but I don't have a house. But you can chop off my branches to build your house."
So the boy cut all the branches of the tree and left happily. The tree was glad to see him happy but the boy never came back since then. The tree was again lonely and sad.

One hot summer day, the boy returned and the tree was delighted. "Come and play with me!" the tree said.
The boy said, "I am sad and getting old. I want to go sailing to relax myself. Can you give me a boat?"
"Use my truck to build your boat. You can sail far away and be happy."
So the boy cut the tree truck to make a boat. He went sailing and never showed up for a long time.

Finally, the boy returned after he left for so many years. "Sorry, my boy. But I don't have anything for you anymore. No more apples for you." the tree said.
"I don't have teeth to bite" the boy replied.
"No more truck for you to climb on"
"I am too old for that now" the boy said.
"I really can't give you anything. The only thing left is my dying roots." the tree said with tears.
"I don't need much now, just a place to rest. I am tired after all these years." the boy replied.
"Good! Old tree roots is the best place to lean on and rest. Come, come sit down with me and rest."
The boy sat down and the tree was glad and smiled with tears.

God loves us, and He tells us what love is!

This famous Bible quote- often used at weddings- tells us the importance of love and what real love is.

1 Corinthians 13
Love

If I speak in the tongues[a] of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

God loves us and gives us love to spread!

Mother Teresa (1910-1997) was a 20th century nun born in India who founded orphanages and dedicated her life to caring for the sick and destitute of Calcutta and later in places as far-flung as Albania. Teresa founded The Order of Missionaries of Charity which now operates worldwide. She was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize and is in the process of becoming a saint.

Many of the incredible words of wisdom that she shared with the world were all about sharing God's love for us with others.

She says that:
1)God's love for us is perfect and is an example for us: "Intense love does not measure, it just gives."

2)Everyone needs Gods love: “Even the rich are hungry for love, for being cared for, for being wanted, for having someone to call their own.”

3)Loving others can be simple: “Every time you smile at someone, it is an action of love, a gift to that person, a beautiful thing.”

4)“I try to give to the poor people for love what the rich could get for money. No, I wouldn't touch a leper for a thousand pounds; yet I willingly cure him for the love of God.”

5)"Joy is a net of love by which you can catch souls."

6)And possibly her most famous quote of all: "If you can't feed a hundred people, then feed just one."

God loves us, and takes the wheel!

Ooh, what I wrote below just reminded me of this amazing song by Carrie Underwood:

Jesus Take the Wheel

She was driving last Friday on her way to Cincinnati
On a snow white Christmas Eve
Going home to see her Mama and her Daddy
With the baby in the backseat
Fifty miles to go and she was running low
On faith and gasoline
It'd been a long hard year
She had a lot on her mind
And she didn't pay attention
she was going way too fast
Before she knew it she was spinning
On a thin black sheet of glass
She saw both their lives flash before her eyes
She didn't even have time to cry
She was sooo scared
She threw her hands up in the air

Jesus take the wheel
Take it from my hands
Cause I can't do this on my own
I'm letting go
So give me one more chance
Save me from this road I'm on
Jesus take the wheel

It was still getting colder when she made it to the shoulder
And the car came to a stop
She cried when she saw that baby in the backseat
Sleeping like a rock
And for the first time in a long time
She bowed her head to pray
She said I'm sorry for the way
I've been living my life
I know I've got to change
So from now on tonight

Jesus take the wheel
Take it from my hands
Cause I can't do this on my own
I'm letting go
So give me one more chance
Save me from this road I'm on

Ooh, Jesus take the wheel
Ooh, I'm letting go
So give me one more chance
Save me from this road I'm on
From this road I'm on
Jesus take the wheel
Ooh, take it, take it from me

God loves us... and he helps us park!

Until yesterday, I hadn't driven for a whole year- and I'm not a very good or experienced driver as it is anyway. And parking... well you might as well forget about it! Especially parallel parking when the road was very narrow, the camber was like the back of an elephant and my car was full to bursting with stuff that I'd carried from home to my new flat for university next year and so my vision was a bit obstructed too. Oh, and my car has no power steering of course!

So there I was in my little Ford Fiesta (at least the size of the car was to my advantage!) going backwards and forwards, turning and turning the wheel to no avail. I just could NOT straighten the car! My spacial awareness is appalling which doesn't help in these situations. I just kept thinking I'd got it, so would turn off the engine, get out and realise I was in exactly the same position as before. Frustrated and arms aching from lugging boxes around all day and then turning and turning that wheel, I quickly prayed, “Dear Lord, help me park this car!!”

And just at that moment, this man walked up and said, “Do you need help parking that car?”
And I- thinking he meant that he'd talk me through it from the pavement which with my lack of skills probably wouldn't help so much- just said, “Oh sorry, I'm just really bad at parking and I haven't driven for a year” more out of embarrassment than anything else.
He then said, “Well get out and I'll park it for you” at which I replied, “Really?”
“Yes, don't worry, it's no problem.”
So I got out in wonderment at this kind stranger and the Lord who had just clicked His fingers as soon as I'd prayed and watched him quickly and effortlessly park the car. He told me that the clutch was a bit stiff which didn't help either.
“Thank you SO much,” I said as he smiled and walked off.

And I was left stunned at the power of prayer and the love of God. Even with things so seemingly insignificant such as parking a car, God is ALWAYS listening to our prayers and often steps in to- in this case quite literally- take the wheel!

God loves us, and wants us to see His love!

Christian Aid Collect by Bishop Patrick Kyaligonza of Uganda.

God of love, who is love,
Melt our indifferent hearts of stone.
Open our eyes to your children's suffering
And lift our heads to see your perfect love again.
Work a miracle in our lives
That through your Spiritually
And our softened hearts obedience
We might give our very selves to keep hope
And our partnerships alive,
And to be the change you require.
Amen.

God loves us, and God loves ugly!

This song follows on from Mary Mary's Little Girl- it is about God loving us despite our own opinion of our physical appearance and thus also of our own potential. It also tells us that through God's love we are able to better ourselves, become pleasing in His eyes and accepting of ourselves.

God Loves Ugly – Jordin Sparks
You said that I wasn't pretty
So I just believed you
And you said that I wasn't special
So I lived that way
With critical gazes and brutal amazement
And how my reflection could be so imperfect
With all of my blemishes, how could somebody want me?

[Chorus]
But God loves ugly
He doesn't see the way I see
Oh god takes ugly
And turns it into to something that is beautiful
Apparently I'm beautiful
Cause you love me
Whoa, oh

I tried to clean up the outside
All shiny and new
Worked over time to thin up and look right
But inside I knew
That deep in the bottom were secrets I thought I could try to ignore
Old ghosts in my corridors
Never get tired of haunting the past that's in me

[Chorus]
But God loves ugly
He doesn't see the way I see
Oh god takes ugly
And turns it into to something that is beautiful
Apparently I'm so beautiful
Cause you love me

Help me believe why you love me
When I know you see
You see everything
Help me believe why you love me
When I know you see
Inside and you still say I'm beautiful

You're telling me I'm beautiful
Your screaming out I'm so beautiful
And I'm finding out I'm beautiful
You're making me so beautiful
And I can see I'm beautiful
Cause you love me

God loves us, and He hears our prayers!

This passage, which inspired the famous hymn, lets us know that God ALWAYS answers prayer, not necessarily in the way we think He will answer, but in some way there will be an answer. It ties in with the saying 'God helps those who help themselves.'
Praise be to the Lord!

Matthew 7:7-11
Ask, Seek, Knock
"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.
"Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!

God loves us, that's why he created us!

This song that I wrote is about God the creator and the rational reasons why I believe that help me to believe also on a spiritual and emotional level. The song was inspired by someone who did once told me that science tells us how things work and religion tells us why. If God didn't love us, he would never have created us in the first place! Genesis 1:27 says that “God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.”And he goes far beyond just creating humans- he guides us, protects us and loves us throughout our whole lives and hopes that we will choose Him and choose eternal life with him.

CREATOR – Helen Catherine Pugh

V1: To me it makes sense to believe and have faith,
Just look at this world and its complexities,
A human eye is so intricate,
And that's just one tiny part of the universe.
How could it be made without a creator God?
How can it be just a fluke of luck?
Random number and a bit of chance.
Science makes sense with the hand of God.

Ch: Creator, Creator God (x2)

V2: Someone once told me, I'll never forget,
Science it tells us how things occur,
Religion tells us how the reason why.
That's how the two sit so easily.
No need for conflict, no, not really.
Just praise the Lord for your time here on Earth.
Science makes sense with the hand of God.
Science makes sense with the hand of God.

Ch Creator, Creator God (x2)

You can't see him, but have faith.
The wind can't be seen but it's there.

Ch.Creator, Creator God (x4)

God loves us, and His love is great!

'Greater Love' is a song by Manchester-based girlband BlushUK. Recently disbanded to embark on other projects, the girls released two albums- Sunshine and Ear Candy with the Message Trust. Their modern song and brilliant lyrics made them really stand out for me as a Christian group.
This song is a true celebration of God's love for us and a new Christian suddenly feeling for the first time that incredible love and realising that God has been with them every moment of their life.

Greater Love - Blush UK

Inside I've never felt like this before
I fell the moment you walked through my door
You stuck with me in every single doubt
And now I'm not ashamed to shout it out

I feel it rush in every part of me
You bring the meaning back to ABC
My head is spinning now I know it's true
So much around but what I need is you.

You love is greater, greater, nothing better than this
I gotta get it to get it, no I don't wanna miss.
And I need it, I need it, sweeter than a first kiss.
Got my heart jumping, blooding pumping
How I need greater love

The beat inside me tells me I'm alive
Psychedelic kooky satisfied
And I never wanna never wanna
Never wanna run from your love no

Now I'm never gonna be the same
Your love has changed me every single way
Jeremiah on my mind, Zephaniah overtime
Everybody loves a rhyme.
You love is greater, greater, nothing better than this
I gotta get it to get it, no I don't wanna miss.
And I need it, I need it, sweeter than a first kiss.
Got my heart jumping, blooding pumping
How I need greater love

Never thought it could be like this, no.

God loves us, no matter what we have done!

Luke 19:1-10

Zacchaeus the Tax Collector
Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. He wanted to see who Jesus was, but being a short man he could not, because of the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.
When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, "Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today." So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.

All the people saw this and began to mutter, "He has gone to be the guest of a 'sinner.' "

But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, "Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount."

Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost."

God loves us, and carries us when we are weak!

The following poem is one of the most famous Christian poems of all time and I have a special connection with it: for a while, when I was going through difficulties, I used to carry it around with me, look at it on a regular basis and take strength from it. I had both an English and a Spanish version of the poem.

Its powerful message lies within the simplicity of the story- just when the hero or heroine believes themselves to be utter abandoned, it is then that they are least abandoned. Anyone can relate to the poem as there are no specifics- we don't know what troubles the writer is going through, and so we can put the poem into our own context or can read it just as a general reflection on life's ups and downs.
The poem also inspired the song 'Footprints in the sand' by Leona Lewis.



Footprints in the Sand

One night I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord.
Many scenes from my life flashed across the sky.

In each scene I noticed footprints in the sand.
Sometimes there were two sets of footprints,
other times there were one set of footprints.

This bothered me because I noticed
that during the low periods of my life,
when I was suffering from
anguish, sorrow or defeat,
I could see only one set of footprints.

So I said to the Lord,
"You promised me Lord,
that if I followed you,
you would walk with me always.

But I have noticed that during
the most trying periods of my life
there have only been one
set of footprints in the sand.

Why, when I needed you most,
you have not been there for me?"
The Lord replied, "The times when you have seen only one set of footprints,
is when I carried you."

- Mary Stevenson
Copyright © 1984 Mary Stevenson, from original 1936 text, All rights reserved

God loves us, no matter our gender!

I recently found this list of the ways in which Jesus displays His love for women in the Bible. It comes from my church in Chilcompton, Somerset. I don't remember who compiled it, but it certainly is extraordinary...

Jesus went to his death attended by a loyal following of women who had stood by him throughout his ministry.

It was a woman or women who...

- Nurtured him as he grew up. Luke 2:51
- Travelled with him and helped finance his ministry. Luke 8:1-3
- Were featured in his parables. Matthew 13:33; 24:41
- Shared the good news that he was the Messiah. John 4:28-30
- Offered hospitality to him and his companions. Mark 1:29-31
- Were treated by him with respect and compassion. John 4:5-27; 11:32-33
- Were healed by him. Matthew 9:20-22, Luke 13:10-17
- Were praised by him for their faith. Mark 7:24-30
- Were commended for their generosity. Mark 12:41-44
- Worshipped him and prepared his body for burial before his crucifixion. Matthew - 26:6-13
- Stood by him at the cross. Matthew 27:55, John 19:25
- Assisted in his burial. Mark 16:1, Luke 23:55-24:1.
- First saw him resurrected. John 20:16
- Went to tell the rest of his followers that he was risen from the dead. John 20:18
- Were considered worthy of hearing his message and learning from his teaching. Luke 10:38-42 *
- Were forgiven by Jesus sins that no one else would forgive them for. John 4:1-26 *
- Were thought of by Jesus in his last dying breaths. John 19:25-27 *

*my own contribution

God loves us, and blesses us quietly!

Jacqui Abreu, from Les Peres in the Dominican Republic, wrote this after her life had been changed by the work of Christian Aid. Her words were included in the Christian Aid Week 2004 Order of Service in the section 'Stories of inspiring people from around the world'.

“We usually only hear the bad news. We have to learn to look for the good work that's going on quietly without any ceremony. We must learn to see God in the person in front of us.”

God sometimes uses others as instruments in order to bless us. We have to recognise that our blessings are a direct result of His love for us, and are not just down to chance or opportunity.

God loves us, and gives us peace!

When I was sixteen, I went to Lourdes in Southern France. In the 1850s, lived a fourteen-year-old French girl called Bernadette who was very poor. Her family had run a mill, but refused to be dishonest and cheat people and so had lost a lot of money. One day, in a cave near her house, Bernadette saw a vision of the Virgin Mary who told her to build a church there and tell people to go on pilgrimage to the place. This was the first of many such visions. Bernadette saw Mary many more times and eventually managed to get the church built. Nowadays, millions of people visit ever year and it is an important place for Catholics. Though I am Anglican and not Catholic, I was deeply moved by the place. Many believe that the water there has healing properties, and so a hospice that takes very good care of its patients both physically and spiritually, has been established there.

The most incredible part of my experience was one night when a friend and I were queueing up to see the grotto. A mass in the esplanade was just ending as we queued and at the end they did the peace. The queue consisted of people from all over the globe, who spoke different languages, had different traditions, different skin tones, different clothes, different beliefs, and all these people suddenly turned to each other and shook each other's hands saying “Pace” (Italian for peace). These people from Europe, Asia, Africa, America and Oceania were all united by one word: Pace. Just two syllables of goodwill.
I will never forget that moment.

God loves us, no matter how little we love ourselves!

Not only does this song tell us that, it also tells us that everyone is unique and different and exactly as God intended them to be. We're not meant to all look like carbon copies of each other like the way some celebs try just to look like Barbie girls instead of embracing their own originality. We are born with different physical and emotional qualities for a reason- to make us unique and loved in God's eyes. God loves us just the way we are physically, not the way we want to be. We should focus on making our hearts purer and leave our bodies as they are.


"Little Girl", Mary Mary

She was just 13 and I just don't think
That she ever seen her own beauty
And she didn't think she'd be anything
And that little girl she used to be me

[Chorus:]
Little girl, little girl
Wonder are you listening
Little girl, little girl
Struggling with your confidence
Little girl, little girl
God made you so beautiful
Little girl, little girl
I just thought that you should know

Sometimes you feel like you don't fit in
'cause you don't look like
all your other friends
Got your own thing going on
Girl you are so unique you are just
That way that
God intended for you to be

[Chorus]

Tell you what you should do
When you get up
In the morning look yourself in the
Mirror and say
I love me
Even with all of your flaws and all of your downfalls
Just be your best 'cause to him you
Already are

[Chorus]