October 3-4

 "Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything.  Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done.  Then you will experience God's peace which exceeds anything we can understand.  His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus" - Philippians 4:6,7 (NIV)

“I may travel the world in search of peace and happiness....but if it is not in my heart I shall fail to find it” - Thich Nhat Hanh

Every morning when we wake God gives us the gift of 24 precious hours of life. The capacity we have to live these hours with the right attitude, can bring peace, joy, and happiness to ourselves and others. It is said that we are all born with a 'God space' in our hearts – likewise peace, joy, and happiness. But the question is, are we in touch with these blessings, or have we lost touch with God? Have our tastes become so sophisticated with all that modern living offers for us to enjoy the simple pleasures of family, friends, and nature? or are we immersed in the problems that surround us? If we are unhappy here, at home, travel to other countries is unlikely to be the answer/ As Tich Nhat Hanh says, if peace is not in our hearts we shall fail to find it.

Do you recall the quote made by Dale Carnegie in his book 'How to Stop Worrying and Start Living? “Two men looked out from prison bars, one saw mud, the other saw the stars.”

We seem to be very good at preparing to live, but not so good at living. Have we lost touch with God? Or sadly, never been told about Him? We know how to sacrifice ten years to gain a diploma, then work hard to get a job, a car, or a house, but have difficulty in remembering that we have a limited number of years to live – that we are alive this moment, and once that moment has gone, it won't return.

Every breath we take, every step we make today, can be filled with peace, joy, and happiness....God is waiting for your call....rich, poor, homeless, or destitute. There is no mystery about prayer, it's for everyone who needs Someone to talk to. Did I hear someone say “But I don't know how to pray?” God is not an unreachable Being way up in the clouds – He's our Friend. Make a cup of tea, sit down, and imagine that Jesus is sitting on your sofa – talk to Him as you do to your other friends. He'll gladly listen to your worries and concerns....and if you listen carefully, you'll hear Him reply, as peace, joy, and happiness begins to come into your heart and life.

All you need is this present moment....please, don't wait. Make that cup of tea, settle down on the sofa, and put your hand and troubles into the hand of our Creator.

Be happy as you walk His path of peace.

The song Bryn has sent for today is Jeff, singing “Steal Away and Pray” - a real country sound. Click on the picture to listen

       

     Housekeeping details for you

     The point of this short blog will become clear if you decide to use this reading in the way we intend it. Netherfield Seventh-day Adventist Church believes in healthy churches. You can see what that means if you head to the relevant Healthy Churches page of the website. We also want other churches to be healthy. That means you can join in our campaign to create healthy churches, with healthy people serving the people in those churches.

     A healthy church is one where Jesus comes first. A healthy church is one where the people work together to put Jesus first. One thing we are doing is to join people together to spread that news. I would like you to look at our prayer partners page. This will explain how we want you to use this short devotional. Very basically we want you to find a like-minded Christian friend who you will join with to : choose to pray together every day, decide together on a way to serve other people together, to help them grow as Christians - and to invite the Holy Spirit into your life every day. This blog that you will receive every day simply gives a common spiritual purpose. If you are a newcomer and want to join the blog with this object in mind click here