Silver, It is precious. How great is our awareness? Silver is fabulous, A sheen of God’s glory, Reflective of light. And light is a symbol Of the love God has for us, Also highly prized And most precious. Silver Like all colour, Has a real purpose, To allow God To speak to us, To seek us Through our awareness. Let us then Look at this. Silver Carries a message Reflective of life, Life in its fullness God’s own love for us. No wonder then This colour is precious. Creator Lord, You speak to us through awareness. We see the precious metals You gift life with and this can start to make us think about all sorts of aspects of life. Then we need to pray to find answers! Please keep us seeking, praying and finding the countless ways in which You bless us that life is enriched. Thank You for doing this and for helping us to glimpse Your glory. Amen. 04.02.21 Sue O’Donnell

“If you have been a fool by being proud or plotting evil, cover your mouth with shame.” (Proverbs 30 v 32 NLT) Make time to pray Day by day. Who knows what blessings Will come your way? And if not, because the day Happens to be dreary, Well then you still are in A better place than formerly. For when you did not pray, Every day is slightly empty. Something, or more accurately I should say, someone is missing. Our Saviour Brother is more than willing To come to us any day. That is why He gifted us His real presence in the Eucharist. But unless we pray, He cannot appear, draw near. “ ‘I am the way, the truth and the life. No one can come to the Father except through Me.” (John 14 v 6) For faith is an adventure In trusting, asking for help, Responding to that help Offered by our loving Father, In the Person of His Son, Christ Jesus, the Holy One. Prayer ushers us into His presence. Prayer opens up opportunity Not there formerly, When we did not seek To speak with the Lord Jesus That He would bless us. His life offered to us, Is active and directive, Jesus is Lord is protective. Seek Him then today, Early on and pray. Otherwise the day may well, Go astray, sometimes badly! “The godly may trip seven times, but they will get up again. But one disaster is enough to overthrow the wicked.” (Proverbs 24 v 16 NLT) “Those who trust their own insight are foolish, but anyone who walks in wisdom is safe.” (Proverbs 28 v 26 NLT) Please may we pray, “Trusting in the LORD means safety.” (Proverbs 29 v 25 NLT) and we all need this. Please teach us to pray. “Every word of God proves true. He is a shield to all who come to Him for protection.” (Proverbs 30 v 5 NLT) Thank You, we have a lot to learn. Lord, by Your Spirit, please show us when our prayer of contemplation is to be turned into a prayer with action. We need to learn the art of discernment. We know what is important to us, but please show us what is important to You in any one day given over to Your authority and supremacy. You assure us of our Father’s promises holding true in You. Our Father tells us “The time will come when I will heal Jerusalem’s wounds and give it prosperity and true peace.” (Jeremiah 33 v 6 NLT) You were born for this purpose. You come to our Father. We have to pray to believe in this. Although Christmas is a season of joy and hope, neither of these elements will be able to keep life ongoing unless we pray to overcome the sickness and suffering caused by evil. Let us pray to say “Heal us Lord, and we shall be healed; save us and we shall be saved.” (based on Jeremiah 17 v 14) “ ‘If You wish to, You can heal me’.” (based on Mark 1 v 40) How reassuring it is to hear You say that of course You want to. When our spirit is crushed, dejected, forlorn, it is even more important to pray. Lord, hear the cry of the chronically ill, those with mental or emotional illness and those with a terminal condition. As we pray, please let us know the full measure of the hope, the peace and the certainty You offer us. “Give thanks to the LORD for He is good! His faithful love endures forever. Has the LORD redeemed You?” (Psalm 107 v 1 NLT) What an important question for us all to answer. We must make time to pray, day by day. “ ‘LORD, help! They cried in their trouble, and He saved them from their distress. He sent out His word and healed them, snatching them from the door of death.” (v 19, 20) Lord, we must then pray with appreciation. “Let them praise the LORD for His great love, and for the wonderful things He has done for them. Let them offer sacrifices of thanksgiving and sing joyfully about His glorious acts.” (v 21, 22) To be godly is to pray. To pray is to cause us to feel protected, provided for, helped, healed and thereby blessed. Thank You so much for the power of prayer. Let us ever love, bless and glorify Your name. “With joy you will drink deeply from the fountain of salvation. In that wonderful day you will sing: ‘Thank the LORD! Praise His name!” (Isaiah 12 v 3, 4) Your wonderful name made known to us, Lord Jesus. Only recently we celebrated the Epiphany, that time when You became known to others from foreign lands. May we like the Magi seek to find You, bow down and worship. “Tell the nations what He has done, let them know how mighty He is! Sing to the LORD, for He has done wonderful things. Make known His praise around the world.” (v 4, 5) Please would Your Spirit, ever working to graft us onto You, the living Vine of our Father’s love and mercy, teach us to pray in times of sorrow and pray in times of joy. “Let all the people of Jerusalem shout His praise with joy! For great is the Holy One of Israel who lives among you,” (v 6) among all believers. Again we give thanks and offer praise to the Holy Trinity, for the hope, the peace and the joy of the Christmas season and the Epiphany. We are being prayerfully guided into the way of peace. 09.01.21 Sue O’Donnell

Father Christmas with sacks of fun An age old story blissfully runs on. This benevolent, bearded, red suited man, Signifies the Day of days has began. He comes to children everywhere, Riding through the night, not a moment to spare, Using perhaps tractor or bike, plus reindeer with sleigh Heavily loaded for Christmas Day. A person most kindly, happily cheerful, Always but always generous to people. Santa comes silently at dead of night, Even his image imagined is such a delight. Did he ever come by car or train? Probably not, age old customs remain. We know on Christmas Eve there is lots to do. Stockings are hung, often sacks are too. He has been busy for such a long while, For this season of joy has individual style. There is a long list to consult with many a name, Who like what in a cuddly toy or a game? Why oh why does Santa always do this? His kindly ways are based on Saint Nicholas. And where did Saint Nicholas get his gifting idea, So full of love, of Christmas cheer? Well this, although a story from history, Packed with magic and an air of mystery, Is in fact grounded safely and securely In another reality, an annual celebratory story. Love come from heaven to earth visibly, In the Son of God, a Child born to Mary. All that is sincerely loving, here on earth, Found its beginning in a Saviour’s birth. Christ Jesus is born to fulfil God’s promises It is hope, peace and joy arising from love He wishes. So Santa Claus must not be taken for granted. Cards’ loving messages should be mounted. For the underlying message of love at Christmas Is love personified in the Person of Jesus. Jesus, like Santa, has stood the test of time, His truth is yours, His truth is mine. What is this truth, we all need to learn? It is of a holy love in all power we must not spurn. For the excitement of this holy night Is God come to earth, a most wondrous sight. Angels singing, shepherds hurrying, wise men afar travelling, All seeking the good news the gospel does bring. Jesus, God’s Son is born to be King over us. A wondrous love, a miracle most marvellous, Such as happened that very first Christmas, And still happily millennia away true love is born on Christmas Day. Joy to the world in every century, Joy far and wide in town and country. Lord, the childhood custom of visiting Santa Claus is delightful, thank You. But may we not lose sight of the origins of gift giving, of loving kindness. For that is why the Lord Jesus is born to us. That is what motivated Saint Nicholas. May this memory live long, but always with the correct emphasis upon Christ Jesus born to us, as the meaning of Christmas. Amen. 19.12.20 Sue O’Donnell

“The eyes of the LORD search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him.” (2 Chronicles 16 v 9 NLT) How committed are we to be connected with the Almighty Trinity? Do we hand over the reigns of control to their authority? Do we even accept holy sovereign authority? How necessary do we think prayer is? What about the special seasons of the church year, Intended to draw us nearer to our Father, do we rely on these? Do we accept the Lord God is here for us? Have we discovered this personally in Christ Jesus’ friendship? And what about the impact and influence of the Holy Spirit? Do we communicate readily with the Trinity? Do we regard this as a time for recovery within society? Are we really aware of our slide into immorality? “When self-indulgence is at work the results are obvious: sexual vice, impurity and sensuality, the worship of false gods and sorcery; antagonisms and rivalry, jealousy, bad temper and quarrels, disagreements, factions and malice, drunkenness, orgies and all such things. And about these, I tell you now as I have told you in the past, that people who behave in these ways will not inherit the kingdom of God.” (Galatians 5 v 19, 20, 21 TNJB) Do we know this catastrophe within society caused Christ’s Passion at Gethsemane? Do we claim the victory in Jesus’ crucifixion at Calvary? Do we really claim Him, name Jesus as our forever Saviour? What difference does faith make to daily life? Do we fully appreciate the implication of salvation? Do we hear the call to be truly sorry for sin? Is daily praise offered to the glory of the Trinity? Life being abundantly bless, do we acknowledge this? How sorry are we for our faults and failings? Are we prayerfully kept secure from folly? Or is there something seriously amiss within us? “And so the Lord says, ‘These people say they are Mine. They honour Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me. And their worship of Me is nothing but man-made rules learned by rote’.” (Isaiah 29 v 13 NLT) “What sorrow awaits those who try to hide their plans from the LORD, who do their evil deeds in the dark!” (Isaiah 29 v 15 NLT) During Lent, we are called to self abasement through prayer and fasting taken as a willing penance. Do we undertake this willingly? Is it a truly penitential act? Or are we following man-made, church made rules only? We need to learn the obedience the Lord Jesus reveals to us. Our hearts and minds have strayed far from Him as the Saviour who releases us from all manner of evil. It was, it is for freedom that Christ Jesus has set us free. So many social problems of poverty and homelessness, of hunger and injustice arise out of our sinfulness, our refusal to act for the benefit of others and not serve ourselves. Please help us to realise dearest Father, that as You always want the best for us, we can rely upon Your mercy. We must trust in Your plans for us, the way of life You want us to live, no longer pre-occupied by ourselves. Your Spirit has shown us how we are made Your children by Christ Jesus our Saviour Brother. He teaches us to long for heaven, whilst we keep our feet firmly fixed within society, praying for all the help we need. May the Spirit teach us to surrender our life daily, completely to the truth, wisdom, goodness and holiness we discover in Christ Jesus, us in Him and He in us, according to the victory of the †. We must, must, must pray and work for spiritual renewal. Being sinful when we are a believer in Christ Jesus, His victory at the † of forgiveness, makes us sorrowful for having failed You, let You down, dearest Father. May we fear to do this for then we are enabled to shun sin more readily. When we do fail, may the merciful love You offer us in the Lord Jesus’ sacrificial death, call us back to full spiritual health readily, positively. May we not keep making the same mistakes time and time again. In Christ Jesus, by the Spirit, is our progress in maintaining a holy life, thank You. Blessings are ours because of our growing friendship with Your Son, our forever Saviour and the Holy Spirit, our Safekeeper being the Sanctifier. May we work and pray to live by the Spirit of holiness, all our efforts made towards the world seeing Your glory. We must make much, much better efforts to become holy, delighted to have been given the season of Lent for this very purpose as an ongoing process. “With someone who fasts for sin, and then goes and commits it again, who is going to hear that person’s prayer? What is the good of the self abasement?” (Ecclesiasticus 34 v 26 TNJB) Our answer is found in the exemplary life of the Lord Jesus, taken as our inspiration and instruction to try harder to live a more holy life. “To abandon wickedness is what pleases the Lord, to give up wrongdoing is an expiatory sacrifice.” (Ecclesiasticus 35 v 3 TNJB) We need the Holy Spirit’s impact and influence at all times, as one day we will meet face to face. “Do not appear empty handed in the Lord’s presence; for all these things (pertaining to holiness) are due under the commandment.” (v 4) “The offering of the upright graces the altar, and its savour rises before the Most High. The sacrifice of the upright is acceptable, its memorial will not be forgotten.” (v 6) For thankfully, we can make this through the One who gifts us right standing, the Lord Jesus, our forever Saviour. We must then pray, pray together with, through and to our forever Saviour, calling on the Holy Spirit of wisdom to help us to learn to live correctly, respectfully, reverently, obediently. The results will be very good indeed when we rely upon our Saviour, the Master. As the Holy Spirit impacts upon us to correct as well as inspire us, may the results make us more ready to receive the blessings we must share far and wide. Blessings abound where the King of Glory, the Lord Jesus our Saviour and Brother, reigns in love, with mercy. Our Lenten observances should help us please, to make this a time of serious dedication, preparing for the celebratory joy of Jesus’ resurrection at Easter, calling us to share in all the aspects of a new life, a fresh start. “As for God, His way is perfect, the word of the Lord is proven; He is a shield to all who trust in Him,” (Psalm 18 v 30) turning to the sovereign, all loving power in the Lord Jesus’ name, calling on the Holy Spirit to make us wise as to how to live to give glory to You, Father God. Thankfully, during Lent, we do not just dream of a change which is godly, made possible for society, we pray and call upon the agent of that change, the Saviour we call ‘Jesus’ because He comes as the Divine Healer to rescue us from sinfulness. We “Will be saved by the Lord, saved everlastingly, never be ashamed nor humiliated for ever and ever… God, who shaped the earth and made it, who set it firm, did not create it to be chaos. He formed it to be lived in…I am the LORD (He tells us). I proclaim saving justice. I say what is true.” (Isaiah 45 v 17, 18, 19 TNJB) The perfect life and sacrificial death of the Lord Jesus, Lord of our holiness, He is this saving justice, freely gifted mankind when we turn to the Holy Spirit, fast and pray, seeking to live by generous acts of self-giving. “ ‘Look to Me and be saved, all you ends of the earth. For I am God and there is no other. I have sworn by Myself, the word has gone out of My mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, that to Me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall take an oath.” (Isaiah 45 v 22, 23 TNJB) When we confess our allegiance to the Lord Jesus, we rely upon the mercy of Your steadfast love towards us, dearest Father. All believers inherit Your promises made long ago to Israel, the chosen people who would see the truth of our Saviour, thank You. “The people will declare, ‘The LORD is the source of all my righteousness and strength.’ And all who were angry with Him will come to Him and be ashamed. In the LORD all the generations of Israel will be justified, and in Him they will boast,” (v 24, 25 NLT) as we do too. If this is not sovereign mercy and steadfast loving kindness, then I do not know what is! Our new life is bathed in the Light of love we discover in Christ Jesus, our forever Saviour. Let us prepare now for this new and blessed fullness of life, whereby we experience hope, peace and joy because we recognise and respond to the power of holy love. Jesus is life in all fullness as He promised. He is the fulfilment of all Your promises to us, dearest Father, merciful Deliverer. Truly we rejoice to know and follow the exemplary example of our Saviour, happy to, asking to, working to develop a closer likeness to His love. We love Him because He first loved us and accepted the †to gain our forgiveness for sin, setting us at liberty to begin again. And this not just once, but each and every time our love fails to reach the highest standard. It is love which connects us to the holiness the Lord Jesus offers to share with us so as to delight and honour You, dearest Father. To this end, He sends us the Spirit of love. Thank You for making us in receipt of the fullness of the Trinity. During Lent especially we seek spiritual renewal. When we focus fully on the victory of the †, we find we want to be holy and set about making extra efforts to accomplish this. May the Spirit ever help us reform through the power of holy love. We do not need to fear punishment – as Jesus has taken this upon Himself, so we need not fear correction. “I am sick at heart. How long, O LORD, until You restore me?” (Psalm 6 v 3 NLT) May the Spirit help us to be disciplined as often as is necessary that we be renewed in spirit. Lord, I pray not only for myself, but for those who as yet cannot pray for themselves. It is vital that we become re-connected with the life awaiting us in heaven, if we are ever to reach our appointed destination. Thank You that the Lord Jesus always accompanies us on this journey. “Have mercy on us, O God, because of Your unfailing love. Because of Your great compassion, blot out the stain of our sin. Wash us clean from our guilt…”, (Psalm 51 v 1, 2 the singular invocation changed to plural) so we can be better connected with the Lord Jesus. In Him, through Him, by means of the Holy Spirit, we work and pray for holiness to be the stamp of our Christianity. Holiness is true love put into action, a love which is patient at all times. Therefore, let us not lose heart at our own inadequacies and failures. Instead let us look upon these as stepping stones, learning points by which we can make better progress because we have become partakers in the life of Christ Jesus. One day, all will be well, that day when we reach heaven! O LORD, our Lord, how excellent is Your name in all the earth! (Psalm 8 v 9 NLT) Truly we rejoice to know You as Deliverer and rely upon You as our Protector. Thank You for gifting us Your Son and Your Spirit for this purpose. All glory be to the all loving Trinity. Amen. 20.02.21 Sue O’Donnell

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” (Psalm 46 v 1) God is with us in Christ Jesus. You can trust in this. God speaks to us in the sacred Scriptures. You can be sure of this. God comes to us in the Holy Eucharist. You can celebrate this. “The joy of the LORD is your strength.” (Nehemiah 8 v 10) God is faithful, history shows us. You can depend on this. God is wise, look at the evidence. You can discover this. God is faithful, see all His promises fulfilled. You can delight in this. “Blessed be God. Blessed be His holy name.” (From “The Divine Praises”) God answers prayers, try it and see. You can rely upon this. God is all goodness, find this for yourself. You can believe in this. God is mighty, nothing being impossible to Him. You can lean upon Him in this. “The LORD is gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger and great in mercy. The LORD is good to all and His tender mercies are over all His works...The LORD upholds all who fall and raises up all who are bowed down...You open Your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing. The Lord is righteous in all His ways...Near to all who call upon Him in truth. He will fulfil the desire of those who fear Him; He also will hear their cry and save them. The LORD preserves all who love Him.” (Psalm 145 v 8, 9, 14, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20) God is ever loving and always merciful. You can thrive because of this. God is wanting to send us His Spirit. You can learn all the above by this. Everything about the Lord God Almighty Is totally trustworthy and worth trying to discover. “It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man.” (Psalm 118 v 8) “God is the LORD, and He has given us light.” (Psalm 118 v 27) “Oh give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever, and He has sent us a Saviour whom we see according to the working of the Holy Spirit, who manifests the Lord God to us being one with Him.” (Psalm 118 v 29) “ ‘If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him’.” (John 14 v 7) Without the Lord Jesus and the sanctifying Spirit we would know nothing about our Father, but all His ways are tried and trusted. We discover this in the friendship of Jesus. “Everyone who accepts that Jesus is the Way can now receive God’s gift of righteousness, regardless of his or her race.” (Romans 10 v 4 The Truth) When animated by the Spirit we understand the call to holiness. “Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve Him in sincerity and in truth.” (Joshua 24 v 14) The Lord God is so good to us in His gracious gifting, please pray. “...that our hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, and attaining to all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the knowledge of the mystery of God, both of the Father and of Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” (Colossians 2 v 2,3) “The LORD is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth,” (Psalm 145 v 18) the Lord Jesus being that truth, as the Holy Spirit reveals to us. Yes, we must pray to the faith giving, life blessing Trinity. “Oh, that men would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness.” (Psalm 107 v 15) As we are “Kept by the power of God, through faith for salvation, ready to be revealed in the last time.” (1 Peter 1 v 5) All praise, all thanks, all glory ever, ever be, that as disciples of the Lord Jesus, being sanctified by the Spirit, we have “Boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is His flesh. (Hebrews 10 v 19, 20) “Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever. And say ‘Save us, O God of our salvation...’ ” (1 Chronicles 16 v 34, 35) We dare to ask this by claiming our friendship with the Lord Jesus, our Saviour. We delight in being made a new creation, no more in sin’s condemnation. “Old things have passed away; all things have become new.” (2 Corinthians 5 v 17) Our life is so well refreshed in our friendship with the Lord Jesus, being blessed by the Spirit, that we dare to approach You, Father of every mercy. I was wondering which biblical passages are the most significant for us to remember. I decided they are too many to count, but it is wonderful, thank You, how the Holy Spirit draws our attention to that which is of relevance to us. With a most serious family problem on my heart and mind, today my calendar says: “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you. Yes, I will help you,” (Isaiah 41 v 10) which is just what I needed to hear! You add “ ‘I will uphold you with My righteous right hand,” (Cont) which I believe refers to the rescue and help the Lord Jesus offers to each of us who believe in Him as Saviour. Thank You for allowing Your Son to do all that is necessary for our salvation; for He is truly Your living and abiding Word of truth, our vision of Your all loving mercy. How richly blessed we are to know the Lord Jesus in His many roles, the Spirit inviting us to love, honour and delight You, Father God, in our relationship with the Lord Jesus. May the world come to worship in this way for “The earth is Yours, Lord God and all its fullness, the world and those who dwell therein.” (based on Psalm 24 v 1) We are Your people, recipients of love’s grace. You are the Almighty, the all powerful, the all sufficient God who Fathers us eternally as Provider, Protector and Saviour, capable of being all that we need in life. We learn this through turning to the Lord Jesus, the One in whom all Your promises have been fulfilled. Mankind has been changed forever by having a Saviour! Your ways have been tried and we trust in You. “Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or even You had formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God,” (Psalm 90 v 1, 2) and we exalt You. “Teach us to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom,” (Psalm 90 v 12) as to the Holy Trinity of love and mercy. “Let Your work appear to Your servants and Your glory to their children.” (v 16) “And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us,” (Psalm 90 v 17) that we continue to trust in You by knowing the Lord Jesus as our Redeemer and the Holy Spirit as our Sanctifier, as all You Three, safeguard us from every evil. “Establish the work of our hands for us; yes, establish the work of our hands,” (Psalm 90 v 17 cont) in all that we set out to do, serving in the name of the Lord Jesus to spread the gospel world wide. “ ‘You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power. For You created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created’.” (Revelation 4 v 11) “Blessing and honour and glory and power be to You who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, forever and ever’,” (Revelation 5 v 13) together with the Holy Spirit. Our spiritual war against all that is evil does continue and we must be wise about this, armed ready to fight. But You have all under control in Your sovereign authority, keeping us safe. Then one day, according to Your appointed time, “The kingdoms of this word (will) have become the kingdoms of You, our Lord, and of Your Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!” (based on Revelation 11 v 15) How very richly blessed we are! Blessed and honoured by our becoming “...the temple of the living God.” (2 Corinthians 6 v 16) For then life is as You planned, intended and put into place through the Lord Jesus, as His and Your Holy Spirit give life to us. “ ‘I will dwell in them and walk among them. I will be their God and they shall be My people’,” (2 Corinthians 6 v 16) was Your promise. May this ever be fulfilled to Your praise, honour and glory. It will be for we “Preach Christ crucified” as an historical, life changing, eternal offering fact, our Brother being “Christ, Your power Lord God and Your wisdom,” (based on 1 Corinthian 1 v 23, 24) our highest blessing tried and found not failing at all. For You are so good to us, Your love knowing no limits, Your mercy being everlasting and Your truth enduring to all generations. “Blessed be the LORD God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting! And let all the people say ‘Amen’.” (Psalm 106 v 48) 25.09.20 Sue O’Donnell

Father, Source of all life, You spoke and it was done, well done All life is given new life That which we see in breathless awe. For our world is stunningly, amazingly beautiful. Beautiful in variety and complexity all the year through. Wondrous in the various seasons. Glorious in the summer sun, Yet for some is outdone in the beauty of spring, autumn or winter. July, the high point of summer, This is a magnificent month in time In all the full fullness of the season. Simply look at the glory of a well laid garden. Looking in faith you can see many a hint of God at work. “Oh, give thanks to His name, making His doings known among the peoples.” (1 Chronicles 16 v 8 WEB) This kingdom should not be overlooked, for God is supreme, The final, total, sovereign authority over all, Acting out of a love so strong for us, So powerful, so amazingly, stunningly beautiful, “Let us be thankful,” and grateful, “And so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe…” (Hebrews 12 v 28) Let us pray joyously, ever thankful. And fully grateful for all the glories of God we see. Yes, let us give thanks to the Lord, For all aspects of His loving kindness, And His various wonders evident to all of us. Surely we should be overflowing with thankfulness For each and every aspect of such unfailing love. Everything that God created is good, very good indeed. And nothing of His will and way is to be rejected. All God gifts is to be received with thanksgiving. Lord, “I will praise You, forever for what You have done; and I will hope in Your name, for it is good.” Your name as Creator Father, like the work itself is good, very good indeed. I give thanks to You for Your enduring love. (Psalm 52 v 9) “Therefore I will praise You, O Lord, among the nations, I will sing praises to Your name. We will give thanks to You, Lord God, the Almighty, the One who is and who always was….” and always will be, all powerfully loving and giving to us. Thank You so very much. Amen. (2 Samuel 22 v 50) 03.07.20 Sue O’Donnell

“Oh, magnify the LORD with me and let us exalt His name together.” (Psalm 34 v 3) For He is our Saviour, A love which comes from the Divine Healer. “I sought the LORD” prayerfully in some desperation, “And He heard me” lovingly responding. “And delivered me from all my fears.” (Psalm 34 v 4) What love is this that casts out doubt and fear? The Lord God is the Father of Promise. “Every good gift and every perfect gift Is from above,” it is love. “And comes down from the Father of lights.” (James 1 v 17) Our insight is given through the Son, The One we call ‘Jesus’, the Christ, For love appointed and anointed Him, To come to earth to reveal our Father’s mercy. “Of His own will He brought us forth By the word of truth” (v 18) manifest in Jesus. Love never will lie, it is trustworthy. Esteem then this holy Trinity, Our Creator, Protector, Redeemer and Sanctifier, All this work done with love. Love lives to give for its own sake. “Everyone who loves is both of God and knows God.” (1 John 4 v 7) When we spoil this by our selfishness, It is love which sets the record straight again. “In this is love, not that we loved God, But that He loved us” (v 10) amazing as this is, Truly incredible when you think how worldly we can be. Yet the Father loves us intently, unconditionally “And sent His Son to be the propitiation of our sins.” (Cont). Our Brother, like our Father, is our Saviour. The Lord God offers us the perfect friendship, Out of love, with love, all for the sake of love. “Who is (s)he who overcomes the world, But (s)he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?” (1 John 5 v 5) Let us then call on the Spirit of Praise to enthral us. Clarify the holy love we are so blessed to receive As we come to believe in the world’s Saviour, And find in Him the perfect Saviour for each of us. Glorify love’s actions at the †of redemption. Magnify His name, the name above all names, The name of perfect love we depend upon, Shown by the holy Son, made known by the Holy Spirit. “For there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word and the Holy Spirit, and these three are one.” (1 John 5 v 7) “…this is the witness of God which He has testified of His Son. (S)he who believes in the Son of God has the witness in him (her)self. …(S)he who has the Son has life.” (1 John 5 v 10, 12) This life is a life of love, all praise, all thanks, all glory ever, ever be for this amazing, incredible, truly life changing love which dearest Father, You offer us in Christ Jesus as verified by the Holy Spirit. We rejoice to know You! “My flesh and my heart fail; but You; Lord God Father, Son and Holy Spirit, are the strength of my heart and my portion forever” (Psalm 73 v 26) for holy love is eternal. “Behold, what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God,” (1 John 3 v 1) and that is what we are, children of love. “And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies him (her) self, just as He is pure.” (v 3) Thank You that love is so upbuilding, encouraging and powerfully reforming, making sinners into saints, outcasts who separate themselves from Your company, because no sin can dwell with You, Father God, but the blood Jesus shed for us, cleanses us. “He was manifested to take away our sins” (v 5) holy love come into powerful action. Truly we praise and thank You for our creation, redemption at the †of Jesus, and re-creation by the Holy Spirit applying all the power of holy love. Whatever the difficulty, problem, pain, anxiety, it is love which wins the day. “The Lord is at hand. Be anxious for nothing…” (Philippians 4 v 5, 6) for there is no need. The power of holy love is most glorious. We who had fallen out of favour, became citizens bound for heaven. “If Lord God, You are for us, who can be against us?” (based Romans on 8 v 31) No one at all can eclipse or undo the redemptive power of Your cleansing, purifying, healing love as offered us by the Lord Jesus. “ ‘…believe the works, that you may know and believe that the Father is in Me, and I in Him’,” (John 10 v 38) the Lord Jesus says to us. Love proves its point readily as only Your love for us could rescue us from sin, satan and final separation. We have to praise You for the wonder of Your original plan, creating us as eternal beings. We must too, offer all praise with thanks that when we ruined Your intention through our errant, wilful, disobedience, Your love did not give up on us, for by salvation we can pursue re-creation, no longer under the condemnation of sin, the gulf that sin separated us by, closed by love. For all the times we have shunned the wondrous working of holy love, I ask Your forgiveness, cleansing and healing. Love acted powerfully when You sent Your Son into the world not to condemn us, but to save us. “For the wages of sin is death,” (Romans 6 v 23) but holy Father, so strong, intense, immense was Your love for us, You could not bear us being snatched away, whether by the world, the flesh or the devil. So You rectified this. Your gift of love results in our “…eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Cont.) Love is His message. Love is His means. Love is His purpose. Love is His life’s purpose and death’s offering made sacrificially, inviting us by this love, to make a personal response to all You have done for us, the favour won for us, Lord God. The power of love is utterly incredible. I think of the power of love between husband and wife, so strong it can create new life in their child. I think of the power of love between the Lord Jesus and us, so strong it can create new life in us. It is the law of the Spirit of love who, acting in the Lord Jesus, has freed us from “…the law of sin and death.” (Romans 89 v 2) We are liberated from the dominion of sin, all thanks ever be. Thank You for our new status as the Lord Jesus’ works in progress, spiritually preparing us for our citizenship in heaven. “Now may You Father, as the God of hope, fill us with all joy and peace in believing that we may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (based on Romans 15 v 13) May we then live thoughtfully, truthfully, trustingly, assured of the love we have received, that this equips us for charitable works of holiness, as led by the inspiring Spirit ever giving us fresh ideas for general wellbeing, acting in the love of the Lord Jesus, simply for love’s sake. Thank You dearest Father, for making Your Son gentle and loving of heart, so His presence does not overwhelm us, does not make us feel this is something so adventurous or significant, we cannot do our part. Let love enable us to trust in Your way as shown by the Lord Jesus, Lord of every life that is being made holy. Lord God, by Your Spirit of love, please “Grant us to speak as You would wish and to conceive thoughts worthy of the gifts we have received.” (based on Wisdom 7 v 15 TNJB) Lord, I thank, praise, glorify and magnify Your name as the Trinity of love and mercy, so sovereignly powerful in love, so compassionate, kindly and merciful, all Your almighty, all loving purposes will be accomplished, for You hold the most powerful force on earth and nobly we are blessed thereby. “I will praise You, my God, O King; and I will bless Your name forever and ever,” (Psalm 145 v 1) Your name as a Trinity, our Creator, Provider, Saviour, Redeemer, Re-Creator, Sanctifier, majestic and merciful, ever loving and bountiful. “Every day I will bless You, and I will praise You forever and ever. (v 2) For You are great LORD and greatly to be praised as this greatness of Your love is not fully searchable,” (based on v 3) it is so wide ranging, far reaching. “One generation shall praise Your works to another, and shall declare Your mighty acts.” (V 4) “Let all those who seek You rejoice and be glad in You” (Psalm 70 v 4) for they come beneath the life enhancing power of Your holy love, rescued from adversity in so many different ways. “Let those who love Your salvation say continually, ‘Let God be magnified’,” (Cont.) glorified, honoured, adored, thanked, praised, venerated, as we “Declare Your greatness,” (Psalm 145 v 6) as One God in Three Persons, all given over completely to love. We “Shall utter the memory of Your great goodness” (v 7)according to how this has touched us personally. For me, the rescue from one illness impairing life’s quality and two occasions of illness life threatening, where You snatched me from the jaws of death. “Lord, You are gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger and great in mercy,” (v 8) quick to forgive and forget all our faults and failings. For the sake of love, with love in mind You are “Good to all and Your tender mercies are over all Your works.” (v 9) “All Your work shall praise You, O LORD. Let us ever exalt and extol Your name as Savour,” (v 10) all speak praise of You “And all flesh shall bless Your holy name forever and ever,” (based on v 21) for put simply, this name means love. Thank You for all Your amazing, astounding, truly astonishing works of love. Amen. 21.06.20 Sue O’Donnell

My lips will exalt You, By those words I say. My voice will praise You, Each and every day. My heart will worship You, Come as what may. My mind will seek You, Respect, honour to pay. My intent will serve you, Heaven’s commands to obey. My trust will implore You, Heart’s fears to lay. My deeds will honour You, All joy to outweigh. You are my everything. My life will seek You. To be together, always. Sue O’Donnell

April showers bring about A bounty of flowers, Notably the early blossom of spring. It is as if our Creator Father Did bring a touch of heaven to earth In giving birth to growth, Through an outstanding beauty. Blossom in white and pink, Frilly, dainty, delicate and very pretty. Who could look at a tree in full blossom, And fail to see or maybe feel The hand of love upon us? Surely this is an impossibility! Blossom in the garden, All too easily blown far away Having enjoyed its day of glory, Blossom is a heavenly offering, A covering for mankind to fully enjoy. Is this not a taste of God’s company Whereby we feel overwhelmingly happy? I think it must be As I see so many a tree Flouncing in her frilly dress. For does this not cause us to wonder And ponder as to the source of Such a bounty of beauty? God, our Father Creator, He who stands Behind and beyond all life itself, Anointing nature with the wealth Of His almighty, most wondrous love. A love meant to be seen by many, Any who open their eyes sufficiently wide To behold the supreme presence of love. Love God gifted, our spirits joyously lifted. Lord, the glory of April blossom is absolutely outstanding. Thank You for this gift, beautiful in itself and carrying the promise of late fruit. Ever Your love is so generous. Amen. 15.04.19 Sue O’Donnell