Category Archives: Family

Heavenly Lights

Posted in Family, Holiday, My thoughts, Nations, Nature, Slovakia, Travel by

James 1 v 17 says

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change.

Brendan and I are staying with our son and family in Turin. We visited a place called Superga where there is a Cathedral and is famous with tourists. It the burial place for kings and queens who used to reign in Italy. Our son lives below on the hill leading up to Superga.

I checked my Facebook page these last few days. There are many pictures of colourful lights, a display of the Northern lights appearing over the nations.
Colours of the rainbow are filling the sky over Ireland, Slovakia and Canada. Pink, orange and green are main colours. Abraham sent a picture of lights he saw in New Zealand. There was a picture of lights in the sky taken over Superga last night.

Normally the Northern lights are seen over countries near the Arctic Circle, Norway and Sweden. Brendan and I visited Iceland hoping to see the Northern lights some years back but we were disappointed.

God created the sun, moon and stars. We are used to our daily routine and take for granted God’s provision. But He is speaking in these days to the nations as He displays lights in the sky. He is the Father of the heavenly lights.

When I tell people stories from the bible they don’t believe. They doubt that Moses passed through the Red Sea. They doubt He put the rainbow in the sky after rain.

I know God’s Word is true. The same God who is the Father of lights healed me of cancer. God is speaking to the nations through the lights in the sky. Many people do not attend Church, but God is speaking through creation. There is no excuse not to believe.

I said at the beginning. Every good and perfect gift comes from above. Acknowledge God as the only God and thank him.

Lights over Superga last night.

Our Daughter Mary goes To Malawi

Posted in Cancer, Family, Healing, Motherhood, My thoughts, Prayer, Travel by

Our daughter Mary has moved to Blantyre, Malawi. She is an Obstetrician and was working in Liverpool Woman’s Hospital until recently. She will be doing research to improve the care of mothers and babies in the third world.

It’s a wonderful privilege for her to get to work in another nation. It wasn’t an easy decision. Once she decided to take up the position she was busy giving up her accommodation in Liverpool. Furniture was given to friends. Clothes, books, ornaments, all bringing back memories had to be sorted.

We had an afternoon gathering of family relatives and friends at the Ivanhoe to say farewell. Andy Mc Clelland provided music. Mary loves dancing. There were no tears, only joy. She left the next day with three suitcases for her flight to Malawi.

Mary sent me this picture today . It was taken after I was healed of cancer in 2010. My girls in the picture are Hannah, Angela, myself and Mary. They and the rest of my family prayed and supported me through cancer.

Praise God I’m alive to see my daughter go to Malawi and celebrate with my husband, children and grandchildren. I’m not in the grave with my children coming to leave flowers on it.

Being a Parent

Posted in Family, My thoughts by

Being parents is a difficult calling.
The first couple Adam and Eve had two sons, Cain and Abel. They were happy cuddly babies, grew up and were nurtured with their mum and dad. They would have told their sons about their former life in the garden of Eden when they walked with God in the cool of the evening.

After being put out of the garden they had to work the land to live.

When Adam and Eve disobeyed God He covered their nakedness with animal skins. Cain worked the earth and Abel worked with the animals. God was pleased with Abel’s sacrifice of a lamb. Cain brought vegetables. Cain became jealous of Abel and killed him. God banished Cain to roam from place to place. Adam and Eve lost their two sons. What sorrow!

Have you often wondered how things haven’t worked out the way you planned for your children? How did a much loved child turn out to get trapped in trouble, addiction and bondage?

Let’s remember Adam and Eve in the garden. Satan came and tempted them, told them lies, deceived them. He said it will be good for you. Satan appealed to their flesh. They believed his lies and sinned. They had free will. God didn’t create them to be robots to obey him all the time. He gave them choices. He showed them his goodness.

As a result of their choice they were put out of the Garden of Eden. Their choice to believe Satan brought trouble on their children. Sin entered their children.
We are born into this world and trouble is sure to come to us.

We are born with sin in our hearts. You don’t have to teach a child to lie or fight. This is sin. Satan has power over mankind. He is still deceiving mankind.

God knows the pain of being a Father. He sent his son Jesus to us as a human being. He lived among us and showed us his father’s goodness. He forgave sinners, healed diseases and delivered people from demons. He did not sin. He was crucified for doing the works of God and came to destroy the works of the devil.

By believing in Jesus and obeying him you can become free from the bondage of sin. Your diseases can be healed. You can be set free from demons. Satan will not rule over you. Your children after you will be blessed. They too can be free from hatred and all sin.

Hatred entered Cain’s heart for his brother. His hatred ended in murder.
Remember what you do as a parent affects your children after you. Adam and Eve’s sin affected their children.

You have a choice? Choose this day whom you serve. As Dylan said in his song, you’ve got to serve somebody. It may be the devil, it may be the Lord but you got to serve somebody. Set yourself free.

Jesus offers forgiveness for your sins. Knowing his forgiveness then we have to extend his forgiveness to others. Don’t seek revenge like Cain. This is the difficult part in following Jesus. But he gives us the power to forgive.

A lone winter rose.

Choosing a Wife

Posted in Family, Family Friday, My thoughts, Nations, Nature by

Reprinted from a comment on Facebook.

Where does your wife fit. This is good advice for men. Often they want a traditional wife who cooks, cleans, looks after the house and children.

Life values change from country to country. This article doesn’t even address if you want children. Getting a wife is good but if you want children choose carefully.

  • When choosing a woman who works, you have to accept that she can’t handle the house.

*If you have chosen a housewife who can take care of you and manage your home completely, you must accept that she doesn’t earn money.

  • If you choose an obedient woman, you must accept that she depends on you and you must secure her life.

*If you decide to be with a strong woman, you have to accept that she is tough and has her own opinion..

  • If you choose a beautiful woman, you will have to accept great expenses.
  • If you decide to be with a successful woman, you must understand that she has character and has her own goals and ambitions.

Perfect doesn’t exist. Everyone has their own enigma, which makes us unique.

Jesus disciples were arguing among themselves who was the greatest. Jesus took a little child and said, however becomes like one of these will be greatest in the kingdom of God…

We need the Holy Spirit to guide one in the midst of the complexities of life.

His ways are not man’s ways.

Healing Is Thr Children’s Bread

Posted in Family, Healing, My thoughts, Prayer by

Healing is the Children’s Bread

Thank all of you who read my recent blog. I am reminded tonight of a question my father asked me about my children when they were young at home and going to school.

Why are your children not sick? Normally children when they go back to school pick up various germs and viruses which leaves them with a cold or flu. They have to take a few days off school to get better.
As the depth of winter arrives, the dark cold days can sap one’s strength. My children seldom missed school. They were healthy throughout the winter.

I told my dad that we believe that God will keep us in good health. If our children are sick we pray for them and that they get well.

So for anyone reading this who have children that come down with every infection that is going around. Don’t expect or accept sickness. Rebuke all disease in Jesus name, take some honey and lemon, a good night’s sleep and all will be well.

That is how I believed and received health in our family.

Caring for young

Posted in Birds, Family, My thoughts, Nature by

The gulls have reared their young and have gone fishing in the Irish Sea. They are doing what they were born to do.

There are threats from our neighbours. They want to cover over our chimney so the gulls won’t nest there next year. What excitement we would miss.

The behaviour of the mother gull to defend her young has spoken to me this summer. She stood watch over her young for hours, days and weeks until they were fully grown.

She dived down to anyone whom she thought was a threat. As parents do we fiercely attack anything or person that may attack our young? We have spent hours, days, nights, months and years caring for our young; keeping watch, feeding and helping them do what they were born to do.

In the my experience growing up in the country in Ireland, extended family and community helped each other. There were Godly values we adhered to.

Nowadays having a big family is frowned upon. The world offers pills and abortions to get rid of children you didn’t plan for. Doctors get paid extra to sterilise and remove wombs. The parents are left to rear their family themselves. Self control is needed to look after our young. One can’t be selfish. Is there anyone to help?

Children are for life not just as cuddly babies. They turn into rebellious teenagers who can’t wait to be adult and get away from the ones who reared them.
No wonder some parents are perplexed and in despair.

I take hope in the Word of God. It tells me your work will be rewarded. God who made the heavens and the earth said he would care for me.

Isaiah 45 v 12
I am the one who made the earth and created people to live in it. With my hand I stretched out the heavens. All the millions of stars are at my command.
46 v 3
I created you and cared for you before you were born. I will be your God throughout your lifetime until your hair is white with age.

It is so good to trust in the God who made the heavens and the earth . Even the birds of the air speak to us about him.

Is New Year in September

Posted in Family, Family Friday, Motherhood, My thoughts by

It’s the first of September today. The Jewish new year starts around this time. The tradition is to look back on the past year with thanks to God and reflection on what didn’t go well. They look forward to a new year with no regrets and learn from their failings. They leave their burdens with The Lord, and enter into the new year with hope.

I agree with this outlook. Often we are weighed down with guilt and despair with ongoing problems not changing. We go to a counsellor. Our problems are regurgitated, and poured out to someone who is paid to listen. The failings are stamped deeper in one’s brain. They will resurface again in times of loneliness of stress.

We live in an age when mental illness is rife. Waiting rooms in hospitals are filled with distressed people, physically and emotionally, waiting for hours to be seen by a doctor.

Why not spend thirty minutes to an hour in a Church. It will be more fruitful than ten hours in a hospital waiting room or weeks attending a counsellor.

God promises to be with His people. Where two or three are gathered He is present. You may meet someone there to share your problems with. It will not cost any money. When we tell our failings to God like the Jews God forgives and doesn’t remember them any more. The problem can be one doesn’t forgive oneself and chews over the situation.

Have this mentality. Release the ingrained thoughts of failures and remember them no more. God doesn’t remember them so why should you.

Happy New Year

All Hail The Lamb

Posted in Family, My thoughts by

All hail the Lamb
Enthroned on high
His praise shall be our battle cry
His name is Jesus

These words from a hymn remind me of Easter. What is the popular food eaten on Easter Sunday by people who don’t even know what Easter means? Roast Lamb.

The people of Israel ate roast lamb on the night before their deliverance from slavery in Egypt. They were set free to worship their God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The angel of death passed over their homes. All the first born in Egypt died.

Many years later Jesus died a cruel death on the cross, the very day of the Festval when the Jews celebrated their deliverance from Egypt. He was led like a lamb to the slaughter, although He was innocent of crime. He set us free from the power of Satan and took the keys of death and sin from him. By believing in Jesus we pass from death to life, freedom indeed.

All hail the Lamb.

Are you Hated?

Posted in Dreams, Family, My thoughts, Restoration by

Here is the story of a man who was misunderstood and suffered much rejection. Perhaps you can identify with him.

His name is Joseph. He came from a big family, thirteen in fact. He had dreams from God . His Father favoured him and made him a beautiful coat. He was about 18 when this happened. His brothers hated him and put him down a well intending to leave him there to die.
Instead they took him out of the well and sold him to passing traders who sold him as a slave in Egypt.

But God was with him and gave him favour with his master, Potiphar. Joseph was put in charge of Potiphar’s household. All his household affairs went smoothly and He didn’t have a thing to worry about.

Joseph was a handsome and well built young man. Potiphar wife desired him but He ran away and got blamed in the wrong and was put in prison.
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When he was put in prison God was with him there too and he was granted favor with the jailer. He had no more worries because Joseph took care of everything. The Lord was with him making everything run smoothly and successfully.

Despite being hated by his brothers and being far away from his father, who thought he was dead, God comforted him and blessed him whether in the palace or in jail,

Take heart anyone today who feels like Joseph, rejected and hated. Believe in Jesus. He promises to those who are open to his teaching more understanding and knowledge. Matt 12 v 12.

God is with you and will give you favor in whatever situation you are in; home, school, prison, or workplace. You will get promotion and you will prosper.

Freedom of Little Child

Posted in Birds, Family, Motherhood, My thoughts by

Hello this new morning.

Whether in the town or country I always hear a bird singing in the early morning while it is still dark.

It’s a new day and a new year. I learn from the little children they awake and expect they will get breakfast. They play and look for something they enjoy doing. Until mum calls them to get washed and dressed.

Isn’t it easier to start if we have something to ease us into the new day and the work ahead of us. For someone it is that hot cup of coffee and sitting by the heat to wake us up. Or listening to the radio, checking one’s Facebook or a chat to a friend.

Whether you are happy or sad there is someone who is with you whom you can’t see but He is there. His name is Jesus. He sticks closer than a brother. You have a guardian angel with you all the time. He watches over you. Take time to welcome Jesus presence. Just like that little bird singing outside, I can’t see him but I can hear him.

I was blessed this week by the little children. On New Year’s morning we went along to a friend’s gathering. There was a little girl there. She was about six years old. She skipped and danced the whole time. When the worship music started she twirled and did head springs. Her mum gave her a bag of sweets to share. She had no fear and approached everyone to offer him a sweet.

When I visit with my son’s family his daughter greets me and wants to show me how she can dance and pirroet. Next time I will pay more attention and share in her joy.

My son’s children are free like little birds that jump about near the mothers nest till they can fly. When we visit they run, leap and dive from the chair into the settee. I would have been correcting them in the past and wanting them to behave. But no. Let them be free.