Month: September 2022

Sue’s Views

One thing I love about FB is the memories that come up each day! This photo popped up this morning ….. and with it came a whole mixture of emotions! It was just a year ago ….. but seems like a world away. So much has happened since then. I remember the tension around the whole Covid thing ….. the anxiety about the future ….. and the decisions having to be made. But it also made me thankful for the wonderful people I’d worked with  ….. and met over the years. Also for the blessing of having employment. It can be hard leaving something so familiar and comfortable. I’ve discovered that retirement brings a whole new pathway of opportunities. There’s never a dull moment!

Sue’s Views 

Have you ever noticed how nothing in creation is perfectly symmetrical? No two petals are exactly the same ….. no two blades of grass ….. no two people! And yet ….. on creating a man and a woman ….. God said His creation was very good! To Him ….. it’s the differences that make us unique. And uniqueness makes us valuable. So celebrate those flaws that stand out so obviously to you. They make you who you are!

Sue’s Views

Some of the most successful and innovative people whom we admire ….. didn’t have a very good start in life. People like Albert Einstein who didn’t speak a word until he was 4 years old and was considered stupid by his teachers. Benjamin Franklin dropped out of elementary school because his parents couldn’t afford his education. Thomas Edison failed thousands of attempts to invent the light bulb and said,  “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” These and so many others refused to give up! They fought through the rejection and humiliation because they had a dream. Every God given dream will face opposition. Maybe you have one that seems impossible? Others may give up on you but God never will!

Sue’s Views

How’s your marriage? A strong and healthy marriage is not about romance and seeing eye to eye. It’s about two flawed people who choose to meet the needs and interests of the other. The vows we make are not just sentimental words. They speak of perseverance through the hard times ….. times of sickness ….. times of lack ….. times of regret. There’s a reason why it ends with ‘Till death do us part’. It will take a whole lifetime for two to become one! It has to be worked at. So many give up when things get a little tough. So hang in there! You are building a strong foundation for future generations!

Sue’s Views

Down through history ….. there have been many kings and queens. Some were good and some were bad! Those who lived by God’s Word were able to lift their nation out of poverty and hopelessness. Those who went against God’s ways led their people into destruction and exile. Having a leader who is God fearing is a blessing. To quote Queen Elizabeth II:

“To many of us, our beliefs are of fundamental importance. For me the teachings of Christ and my own personal accountability before God provide a framework in which I try to lead my life. I, like so many of you, have drawn great comfort in difficult times from Christ’s words and example.”

It was encouraging to hear her son ….. King Charles III ….. say he too shares his mother’s faith. Let’s pray for him to discover God in an even more personal way. ‘God save our King’!

Sue’s Views

Waking up to the news of Queen Elizabeth’s passing has been almost like losing a beloved grandma! Somehow ….. knowing she was there was comforting. I was conceived the same month as her coronation ….. so as far as I’m concerned ….. she has always been ‘on the throne’. I remember ‘trips to London to visit the Queen’ as a very young child. Of course I only saw her from a distance among thousands of others ….. but I always thought she was waving to me! She has appointed and met weekly with 15 prime ministers from Winston Churchill to Liz Truss just a few days ago. She has seen just about every political agenda ….. lived through more crises ….. and met more challenges in her family than most of us have ….. and yet still kept her faith in God. He was her strength and anchor. We will no doubt see some turbulent times ahead now ….. but I take heart in the fact that ….. no matter who is reigning at Buckingham Palace ….. God is still on the throne ….. and always will be! Thank you Queen Elizabeth for your faithfulness and steadfastness all these years. May you now Rest In Peace. ❤️

Sent from my iPad

Sue’s Views 

The journey through life is never a straight line. There are twists and turns ….. ups and downs along the way. The path you were on may have lead nowhere ….. but what seems to be a dead end might just be a learning curve! God is more interested in building our character than protecting us from disappointment. He wants us to finish well ….. but He’s never in a hurry. The lessons we learn along the way are worth far more than gold ….. because they are not only for us! They are to be shared with others!

Sue’s Views

Yesterday we had the privilege of attending the Forum on the Family run by Family First. What a banquet of information ….. testimonies ….. and helpful tips regarding the state of our nation and the world in general. One of the biggest ‘take aways’ for me was the vast numbers who are passionate about pushing back against the narrative and agendas we’ve been indoctrinated with. We can easily get the impression we are the minority ….. but that’s a lie! One of the biggest blockades is complacency! We know it’s wrong but we feel inadequate ….. or we buy into the lie of ’What can little old me do?’ Keep writing those submissions ….. apparently they are taken notice of. Keep having the conversations and ask people for their definition of terms like ‘homophobia’. There’s a big difference between ‘hate’ and ‘disagreement’. But the most effective thing we can do is to pray! We are not fighting against human beings but against spiritual forces of darkness! That’s a battle won only on our knees!

Sue’s Views

Time is flowing by so fast ….. and it can seem like we don’t have enough of it. But whenever I get flustered about getting things done ….. I’ve learned to stop and ask myself, “Is this on Gods ‘to do’ list or just mine?”  In Ecclesiastes 3:1 it says: “For everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven.” God gives us time to do what He has purposed. I wonder how much of what we take on is not part of His plan. Busyness is a major cause of stress ….. anxiety and family break downs. We need to get in flow with the Holy Spirit who is always at peace and always on time. Just some thoughts before things start to rev up between now and the end of the year!

Sue’s Views

 I hope all the Dads had a lovely Fathers Day yesterday. Your role is so important ….. and you are greatly valued and appreciated. You carry a legacy that goes beyond your own children. It continues down through the generations ….. but it also influences those around you. Some of you haven’t had great role models ….. but I encourage you to get to know the Father of all Fathers! He knows what it’s like to be rejected. He knows what it’s like to have rebellious kids. He knows what it’s like to be tempted to take the easy way out. But He continued to choose to love and to do what’s right in every situation. And He will help you if you let Him. While you carry your offspring ….. He carries you on His shoulders!

“Listen to me, O house of Jacob, all you who remain of the house of Israel, you whom I have upheld since you were conceived, and have carried since your birth.

Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you”

Isaiah 46: 3-4