Tag Archives: Protestant

Appreciating my Parents after Rearing my own Children, DPchallenge

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I had two children of my own.  I was twenty four years old, and lived far away from immediate family.
My life experiences were living on a farm in a big family, going to an all girls school, and attending a new university in a small town in Northern Ireland.
 
Things were about to change.  There was turmoil in our country with bombings and shootings.  People were killed, buildings reduced to rubble.  The dark clouds gathered.  Even the weather portrayed the gloom and fear over the land.
 
I must have been affected by that fear in the atmosphere even though the town where we lived was a safe place.  I began to wonder how can I keep my two children safe?  What example can I give them?  Who is right in the middle of the war?  What values can I pass on to them.
 
I remembered back to my own upbringing by my parents.  Mum and Dad worked hard on a farm to raise  us ten children, eight girls and two boys.  They did not have much money.  They sacrificed their own comfort and luxuries to look after us.  Dad was a pioneer.  He educated all of us.  He believed girls should get the same opportunities as the boys.  They had quiet faith in God.  By their actions I know they were Christians, as the old chorus goes “They will know we are Christians by their love.”
 
I knew nothing about sectarianism and wondered why Catholics were fighting Protestants.  I began to seek God.  I began a journey of faith.
 
As my family and my faith in God grew I was able to appreciate the values my parents held and their willingness to lay down their lives to rear their children and overcome hard times, trials and disappointments.  Brendan and I did not want our children to grow up to be bitter and have hatred in their hearts for their neighbours.  We worship with and love Catholics and Protestants.  Our children have married into both groups.  
 
I did not appreciate my parents when I was growing up.  I did not thank them.  I did not honor them. I wanted to leave home and see what the world had to offer.  Now, as I have gone through the work of raising children I appreciate what my parents did for me.  I have a good heritage.  I honor them.
 
My mum died at sixty four.  She did not get to see all her grandchildren.  I could have died three years ago, but Praise God he healed me and I am alive to tell other mothers there is hope and life.  May you live to see your children’s children.
 
 
 

 

Do you have Good Teeth? One of the Gifts of God is to Enjoy your Food

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Psalm 21v 1&3
 
 
The king rejoices in your strength, Lord. How great is his joy in the victories you give!
You came to greet him with rich blessings and placed a crown of pure gold on his head. (Psalm 21:1, 3 NIV)
 
Twenty seven years ago I was expecting my eighth child, John.  I remember reading the Psalm mentioned above.  A mother needs to give special attention to her teeth when she is expecting a baby.  I was going to my dentist.  He discovered one of my molars needed a crown.  He said I can give you a gold crown for this tooth, free.  Dental care is free when one is pregnant.  I remembered the Psalm I had read, “I will put a gold crown upon your head.”
 
Within two weeks I had a shiny gold crown fitted on my tooth.  People are often surprised that my teeth are strong after having fourteen babies.  I had a good dentist and rather than take a tooth out when it was decayed, he preserved it and fitted a crown.  I have a mouth full of gold crowns!  I have been blessed by God. 
 
When I was in Dawson Creek back in November 2013 one of my gold crowns dislodged from a tooth.  I was anxious that my tooth would be sensitive and if I got to a dentist it would be expensive.  Our host got a dental appointment.  He checked it out and suggested I wait to see my own dentist back home.  Thankfully I was not in pain and the appointment was 50 dollars.
 
Two months on, today, I got a new gold crown fitted.  My tooth is restored to better than before.  God is a God of restoration.  I persevered two months with a jagged tooth in my mouth till today I have a strong smooth,gold crowned tooth.  One of the gifts of God is to enjoy your food.  I enjoyed my dinner when I got back home.
 
Have you had a promise that God gave you, fulfilled?  Tell me about it.

 

 

Speaking about The Power of God. Developing your blogging voice.

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Thanks to wordpress.com and the staff that are at hand to give advice, I have been given a Voice to write to the nations.
As I am just at the beginning of my development, age two years in the blog atmosphere, I can go at my own pace.  I am free to write when I am inspired, whether it is two blogs a day or have a gap of two or three weeks.
I have stories to tell about how God gave me his power to help me in my life;  how my husband and I raised fourteen children to third level education in this age when big families are frowned upon;  how God healed me from fourth stage cancer;  how God continues to bless me and my family as I look to him.
I am a Irish mother and housewife.  We raised our family during the years of Troubles in Northern Ireland and have survived.
I want my voice to tell about the wonders of our God who is real, who created the heavens and the earth, yet is interested in my life and shows me he cares.
I hope my stories will help others to find hope in life in this world and have hope of eternal life.
Angela

An Invitation for 2014

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I want to send you an invitation for 2014.

“Come.  Let the thirsty one come, anyone who wants to;  let him come and drink the Water of Life without charge.” 
The invitation is to come to “A river of pure Water of Life, clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and the Lamb.  On each side of the river grew Trees of Life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, with a fresh crop each month;  the leaves are to be used for the healing of the nations.    Rev v 1-2 and v 16.
No longer will there be a curse upon anything. For the throne of God and of the Lamb will be there, and his servants will worship him. (Revelation 22:3 NLT) 

The river speaks of the Holy Spirit.  God the Father sent the Holy Spirit after Jesus rose from the dead.  The Holy Spirit is symbolised by the river that flows from heaven to earth.  If one seeks to drink from this river one’s life will never be the same.
Isaiah 55 says “Come to the waters and you who have no money, come buy and eat.
Seek The Lord while he may be found, call on him while he is near.”

Jesus said “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples. (John 15:4, 7, 8 NKJV)

I started to put this word into practice sincerely twenty four years ago.  Abide means to obey, follow or agree to.   I wanted to bear fruit.  I began to read the Word of God for fifteen minutes each day and meditated on it.  I wanted to know more of the truth.  Jesus said “I am the way the truth and the life”in John 14 v 6

I prayed for fifteen minutes as well.  I prayed in my own language but also in the language the Holy Spirit gave me.  The fruit grew.
The Holy Spirit gave me the power to have my children, to rear them, to be healed of cancer and continue to live.  
2 Timothy 1 v 7 says God has not given us a spirit of fear but of power, love and a sound mind.

How precious is your constant love, O God.  All humanity takes refuge in the shadow of your wings.  You feed them with blessings from your own table and let them drink from your rivers of delight.

For you are the fountain of life. Never stop giving your blessings to those who long to do your will.
Psalm 36 v 7-9

Accept this invitation today.

Angela

 
 

 

 

REST

Posted in Holiday, My thoughts by

 

At seven in the morning it is dark here in my home town of Downpatrick, Co Down, Ireland.   As I look out my window I see the main road wind its way out into the distance.  During the week day mornings there is a constant flow of pairs of red lights, cars with people on their way to work in Belfast.  Later there is a flow  of buses and cars into town with school children.  Downpatrick is a hub for education.  We have great primary and grammar schools here, a good place to rear children.

The road is quiet this morning.  I hear the church bells ringing.  A call to prayer.  What a wonderful Christian  heritage we have here in Ireland.  Despite the war,  people still pray.  The bells were silent for a time recently.  I missed them.  I enquired and was reassured the bells would be ringing again.  The  bells ring down through the centuries.   Everyone hears the bells, whether one is Catholic, Protestant, Hindu, Muslem, Chinese, male, female, child or pensioner.  It  is a beautiful sound, memories of home,  neighbours and security.

All is at rest in this small town today.