This is our new daily bible study which will build up each day over a week to cover one passage from the bible. Each study lasts about 5 minutes and is short enough to share with someone else and chat about what God is saying from His word.
"Bless the Lord O my soul and forget not all His benefits"
Psalm 103 v 2
Last week was Mental Health Awareness Week. In recent times, emphasis has been placed on the importance of gardens and wide open spaces and their benefits, to our mental health. These ideas have been noted by writers and artists over the centuries, and are being revived in the light of rising mental health problems. While I realize, there are those who may consider gardening a chore to be done, I have always enjoyed it, and appreciate the benefits to body, mind and soul. A garden, and the changing seasons of the year, provide insight into the mind of God and the works of His creation. Each season has it's beauty.
In Springtime, gardens display the beauty of daffodils, tulips, primroses, primula and forget-me-not, which is known as Myosotis. It is a very tiny blue flower, but when clumped together in swathes produces a lovely show. It seeds itself and returns year after year, a welcome plant for ground cover. There is a romantic legend associated with it... Apparently, a German Knight was walking with his lady love by a river, when he spotted a little blue flower. He reached out to pick it for her, but fell into the fast flowing river the weight of his elaborate clothes pulled him down. As he was drowning, he managed to throw the flower to his lady love and shouted to her "forget-me-not". I am sure, no doubt, she would never forget the experience, and her gallant Knight.
The tale, be it true, or false, reminds us not to forget God and His many blessings and gifts. We are reminded in the Psalms, that in spite of all that God had done, for the children of Israel, in delivering them out of Egypt, they forgot Him.
Psalm 78 v 42 "They did not remember His power, and the day He redeemed them, from their oppressors"
Psalm 106 v 7 " They gave no thought to your miracles, they did not remember your many kindnesses"
David was constantly remembering God and praising him, as we read in the book of Psalms.
Jesus calls us to remember Him. The lovely Anenome, which blooms in a variety of colours, red, pink and purple, is known as the Pasque flower, because it blooms around Easter time. This name is from the Hebrew word for Passover, when a lamb was slain, for the Passover meal. Jesus is known as the Paschal Lamb. Before His crucifixion, the Passover meal took on a new meaning, when Jesus shared the bread and wine with His disciples, and said in Luke ch 22 v 14 - 20
" This is my body given for you, do this in remembrance of me"
This Spring, we have missed celebrating the Lord's Supper around the table of remembrance in Burnside. We look forward to the day when we can meet there again.
Wilma
Virtually Keswick Convention
Check out this great interview on BBC Radio Cumbria with James Robson, Ministry Director, about this summer's Virtually Keswick Convention! Tune in at 18:30 mins to hear the full conversation https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p08dnp83 |
The latest edition of our supporter magazine, Word at Work is here! You can download a copy by clicking here.
This issue has articles on a visit to the Holy Lands, our Draw My Own Bible Competition winners, Prayer at Work pages and a project in Zimbabwe! Also included are the BIBLE 2020 readings for June to September.
https://biblesocietyni.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/[email protected]
A prayer for Stormont and all MLAs as they prepare to debate and vote on a motion today rejecting abortion to birth for Down's syndrome and other non-fatal disabilities. To contact your MLAs about the vote, click here: https://buff.ly/2XBVOu9
Andrew gives his annual report about his work as an E3 worker on the North Coast, and tells us about some decisions that SUNI have made for the summer.
Annual Report
Times for yesterday
Jean 5:48
Frances 6:28
Derek 9:26
Just in case you were thinking that the beach looked very busy on Saturday & Sunday (see photo below) today’s Jigsaw is the a photo of the Strand from August 2015, now that is really busy.
Play the "Portstewart Strand 2015" puzzle!
https://www.jigsawplanet.com/?rc=play&pid=3c077f73a990
Yesterday the Where Is It? was the entrance to Portstewart Strand. This is the new shed/caravan/hut that the National Trust are using as their office to check cars as they enter. To access the Strand by car you have to pre-book. Even some of you who are not in Portstewart were able to guess the location.
On Saturday we went for a bike ride and I took a photograph of what seemed to be a beautiful seaside slipway. When I got home and looked at the photo it looks a little bit industrial. But Where Is It? (Remembering that it has to be somewhere I can cycle to (and get home from!)).