193 - Constantly amazed by Nature

'For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made.' (Romans 1:20)

Isn't it amazing that the world we leave in is the same world, every day, and let there are still aspects of Nature that never fail to amaze us?

The other day, I was coming back from work. It was raining and the sun was setting. I was standing at the top of the hill we live on and see the sun's light against the rain clouds - the rays falling in beams across the horizon - the pinks and the golds. And it was beautiful.

I must have seen hundreds of sunsets in my lifetime. And I imagine I'll see many more.

And yet they never cease to amaze me with their beauty.

Why?

Maybe there's something a little different about each one. Or maybe its the was y God uses the objects He created to work in a way that reflects His glory.

Maybe its the appreciation of beauty that He put inside us. Or the recognition that Nature is a pale reflection of something better yet to come - Heaven itself. 

So admire the sun on morning dew. Stare up at the stars. And be thankful that God made a Creation that constantly amazes us!

192 - Size of the Universe

'When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?' (Psalm 8:3-4)

Apparently it's estimated that there are around 400 billion stars in our galaxy alone. Just our galaxy. 400 billion stars.

Estimates also say there are 350,000,000,000 galaxies. If all those galaxies, contain the same amount of stars as our galaxy, then that's...a lot of stars.

Planets, black holes, suns, nebula and more.

The Hubble Telescope has only captured a tiny portion of our universe.

And Earth is just a tiny blue planet among it all.

Have a look at the Pale Blue Dot picture. It says it better than I can.

So, why is the Universe so big? Why are we, as far as we know and as the Bible tells us, the only beings made in God's image in this massive space?

Maybe it was to remind us how big God is (big is putting it mildly).

Maybe it was to remind us how small we are (small is also putting it mildly)

If we ever need to put life into perspective, we can look at the Universe. 

It humbles us when we're getting too arrogant.

We can remind ourselves that the One who made this enormous and beautiful Universe is the One who also made us and loves us deeply.

It doesn't matter how small we are. The infinite God knows each of us. And He has a plan for each of us.

That's something to be very, very thankful for.

191 - Fostering

'Give justice to the weak and the fatherless; maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute. Rescue the weak and the needy;deliver them from the hand of the wicked.' (Psalm 82:3-4)

Written in tribute to my amazing sister and brother-in-law who have recently ended their time as foster parents, due to their choice to adopt the children in their care!

Foster carers are incredible people.

There are so many children out there in desperate need of safe homes and loving families. Children who have endured things no child should have to.

Foster carers see that need and do something about it.

They take children into their homes, families and lives, sometimes risking having a very troubled young person in the house.

They endure well-meant (but sometimes annoying) remarks.

Some single foster carers raise several children alone.

And they say goodbye, over and over, as the children they've protected and loved move on to new homes.

Were it not for fosters, there would be many more needy children in the world today.

Thank you God for the kindness, sacrifice and love of foster carers.

190 - Responding to Tragedy

' For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
(Matthew 25:31-46)

It sometimes feels these days like you wake up every morning and there's a new tragedy on the news.

The Manchester Bombing.

The two terrorist attacks in London.

The Grenfell tower fire.

We live in a broken world and we see evidence of that everyday.

But, we also see the incredible ways many respond to tragedy.

The supplies and donations contributed by thousands.

The celebrities who hold concerts and record songs to raise more money.

The fire-fighters and the NHS who saved so many lives.

For these people who respond to tragedy in the right way...For these people who reflect the compassion of Christ, whether they know it or not...For the God who is with us in tragedy...For the promised future when death and suffering will be no more...

For this, we can be very, very thankful.

189 - Working with a good team

'Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.' (Proverbs 27:17)

I've been in my current job for nearly a year now. During that time, I've seen my team change a lot. Some have left and some have joined.

And I realised recently that the team I work with at the moment - I am happy working with them. We chat easily. They make me laugh and I make them laugh. We help each other out.

It's a gift of God to have a good team to work with. I know in some jobs, there would be people who annoy you, or who you don't get on with.

A good team makes it easier to go to work.

A good team is easier to work with.

Thank you God for the times you give us pleasant colleagues in our jobs.

May we glorify You to them!

188 - A Cup of Tea

OK, so I know not everyone likes tea. I've only been drinking it for just over a year.

But writing personally, I am thankful for the invention of a nice cup of tea.

It warms you up on the inside and the outside. (And I get cold really easily so this is extra appreciated.)

It wakes you up when you're tired. (Especially good when you're on an early shift)

And yes - I dunk my biscuits!

Thank you God for the simple pleasures - like a cup of tea.

187 - The Bread of Life.

They said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.” Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst." (John 6:34-35)

I have to confess I am borrowing a lot of today's post of today's reading on the She Reads Truth website.

And the point I take from it is this -we can be thankful we have the Bread of Life that last forever and is all we need.

Andrea Lucado points out that just like the crowd in the Bible, we demand 'bread' from Jesus - temporary things that we think will satisfy us. To them, it's food. To us it's money, a job, relationships, possessions...

And we never stop to think that we're asking this from Jesus. Jesus. Who provides all our needs. Who loves us more than any other. Who died so we could live.

Earthly bread goes stale and mouldy. Our 'bread', our idols...they're spent. Lost. Ended. Broken. We get fired. Let down. Hurt. Disappointed.

Jesus will never do that. He will never die. He will never break His word. He will never, ever stop loving us.

Put all your needs and cares in His hands.

And be thankful that you have the most precious gift in the world - the Bread of Life!

186 - Peace

'Now the God of peace be with you all.' (Romans 15:33)

I haven't written in here for a loooong time.

As most of you reading this probably know, I recently lost my brother.

You can't imagine loss till you go through it. Even now, grief is hard to describe. The shock, the tears, the empty hollow feeling that stays with you day after day...

And yet..

Through it all, we can testify that God has shown His goodness to us in many ways.

One of those ways is peace and certainty.

Peace that He is in control.

That He knows best.

That we will see my brother again in Heaven.

That Death is not the end - because the Prince of Peace shed His blood for us.

Thank you God for peace in the storms.