I struggle to comprehend the pain and agony Christ must endured when he was crucified. I also struggle to comprehend how God must have felt as he watched his only son giving up His life, just so the world could be forgiven of every sin.
So for me, Easter is all about sacrifice, the sacrifice that Jesus made for each one of us on the cross when he bled and died, so we can all be forgiven of our sins. I am therefore forever in God’s debt because He gave up His only son to die on the cross, just for us.
So this Easter, as I again feel so inadequate and so unworthy of God’s love, I am still so thankful that God does love me unconditionally and is always by my side guiding me and supporting me through each minute of every day.
Easter is all about “The Cross” and the sacrifice God gave for you and for me – Is this what Easter means to you?
Sometimes when we try to spend some quality time with our friends or family, other events or circumstances have a way of disrupting our plans so that we end up not managing to spend the quality time we had wanted with those we love.
It can be the same in our Christian lives too, because when we try to spend quality time with God, that’s when satan will do his best to try to distract us, and keep us from focusing on God.
So stay focused on God, and stop all the things around you that may try to intrude on your time with Him, from distracting you from Him.
Yesterday in Recycling #1, I asked you to consider giving your unwanted items to a local organisation/charity that can make use of your unwanted items rather than just sending them to landfill.
I used a different translation of the John 6:12 yesterday, but we get the same message if we read those words in the NIV translation:
When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.”
Jesus instructed the disciples not to waste anything – In this scenario he was talking about food, but does the same apply to all things?
Not only must we not waste physical items such as food and furniture, neither should we waste our knowledge of God by keeping it to ourselves!
There are many people around us who are in need of God, so get out there and recycle your learning of God by telling the world about Him.
O Lord, open our lips, and our mouth will proclaim your praise.
It is good to praise the Lord and make music to your name, O Most High, to proclaim your love in the morning and your faithfulness at night.
Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song.
As musicians, when we play our instruments, we must do it to praise God, not to show off or tell others how great a musician we are.
Being able to play a musical instrument is a talent given to us from God, so make sure we give Him the honour and glory in all we do, because all we do must be with Him at the centre.
Yesterday in Director I featured the song He Sought Me, and this got me thinking about the word “sought” – It suggests a real effort has been put in, and that’s exactly what God has done, and continues to do, He puts in a huge effort to win you over, just because he loves each one of us.
It’s been a very sad day today as we said a final farewell to my Mum
Margaret Jackson Watson Johnson (nee Gilchrist)
27/09/1931 – 06/09/2015
I had hoped to write a tribute to my Mum today, but I’m afraid it’s just too soon for me to be able to write anything that would do my Mum justice, so I’ll save my thoughts for another day once we get back to some kind of normality (whatever that means!).
So today, I simply want to express my gratitude to everyone who has offered support and love to us during these very difficult days by phoning, visiting in person or by sending us cards or flowers. You will never know just how much your support has meant to us.
To those of you who have helped us get everything sorted out for the funeral today and helped with the funeral itself, a huge thank you.
To the many of you who shared with us today at Rutherglen Salvation Army and then at the cemetery before returning to Rutherglen Salvation Army for refreshments, thank you for taking the time to support us on this most difficult of days, we really did appreciate it.
Mum never liked making a fuss about anything, so I’m sure she would have been embarrassed by the number of people who came to say farewell to her today, as well as by all that was said about her. However, to me it simply shows how well-respected my Mum was and the huge impact and influence she had on many, none more so than on me!
Mum’s family have been a part of Rutherglen Salvation Army since the Salvation Army first started in Rutherglen, and Mum has been a soldier there for many years, so it was fitting we celebrated her life there before we laid her in her final resting place. Mum loved Salvation Army music abd she loved a “good old army march“, but as a member of the songsters (adult singing group) for many years she also loved singing. One of her favourite songs was Jesus Thou Art Everything To Meas it was also her testimony. So for you today Mum, here’s your testimony in song:
Mum you’re now at rest, and I believe you have been reunited with Dad. I miss you and Dad so much, and I will love and remember you both forever.
Sometimes when we try to spend some quality time with our friends or family, other events or circumstances have a way of disrupting our plans so that we end up not managing to spend the quality time we had wanted with those we love.
