Christmas Vlog

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ytyE7ThLquA&feature=youtu.be

Good evening all! Sorry this week's blog is a bit late but I had issues with technology. Please click on the link and have watch. Please give me feedback, if you enjoyed it or just found it funny. Please tell me! Sorry about the picture, I did video it on my phone.

Hope you have a wondeful Christmas!

God Bless

@peggo36
pegg.j@hotmail.co.uk

My friend, the King

Good evening. It's been so busy this week that if it wasn't for Sophie reminding me to do my blog tonight, I think it may have slipped my mind. But another good week has been had here in Eston.

The Salvation Army's work in the community at this time of year is very much heightened, even though we work just as hard all year round. But here in Eston the work in the community is so vital. This week I had the oppurtunity to walk around the estate around the back of the hall, leafleting the houses around there. I can certainly say it was an eye opener, some of these pockets of houses were in areas that were clearly run down. But I had this I overwhelming feeling of God working in this estate, He is still God of this town. He is God of all, the rich, the poor, those who know Him and those who don't. We can only love them and be the face of Christ to these people! I can only pray that this week as the Christmas present appeal comes to an end that we will have the opportunity to bring hope and show love to these people who we shall come in contact with.

The pinnacle of the week for me was the absolute privilege of being able to lead worship here at Eston on Sunday. It was such a good time and I really felt that God was praised and put in his rightful place as Lord of all! I focused the meeting upon Jesus and who is Jesus to us as individuals. I looked at who Jesus was to the Shepherds and the wisemen and the message I felt God was leading me to preach is that at this Christmas time we need to know who Christ is to us. We need to know this Baby Boy who was sent from Heaven to Earth to be our friend and to be our King. For those reading this I urge you to ask the yourselves the same question, who is Jesus Christ to you? Is he an afterthought once all the festivities of this time of year are over, or is he the most important thing in your life? The Shepherds came and worshipped Christ, they were marginalised, they were outcasts but Jesus was their all sufficient Friend. The wisemen came and worshipped the Baby Jesus and these prestigious, intelligent people saw Jesus as their Lord and King. But there were many people that night who didn't pay attention and never got to meet Jesus, he wasn't important to them. Is that more like us at this busy time? We are too preoccupied by Christmas shopping, meeting family members, being busy at work. We forget about Jesus and the peace and love He brings. Do you know Christ this Christmas? Who is He to you?

Well I have big news, I go home on Saturday but I shall still be posting my blog. But it will be in the form of a video... watch this space! Any questions or you'd like something/somebody to be prayed for then do get in touch!

God bless

@peggo36
pegg.j@hotmail.co.uk

"An Uncomfortable Idea"

Good evening once again. I said last week we are getting busier here at Eston... that was no sort of exaggeration. Love being busy, it means it's closer to Christmas! I am such a big kid.

It's been such a blessing the kindness of people in this community. The Salvation Army nationwide have a Christmas present appeal where we ask anybody who comes into the hall and those in the community to help those who will be referred to us by buying a present. These presents will be given to families who struggle to afford any presents for their children. This whole act of giving is just an enormous showing of unconditional love, strangers buying presents for strangers. It really is amazing the love that is shown and in particular how apparent it is this time of year. Thank you God for the love and kindness people have and continue to show.

It's quite incredible what God is doing in my life at the moment. The one thing that has really stood out to me this year is this whole idea of Grace. It's obvious that the Lord needed me to understand what it is and really experience Grace this year. I say this because this week the big news story is the passing of Nelson Mandela and it really struck me that Mandela's story was basically a story of Grace. He went from a convicted criminal, accused of terrorism to a man who would end up as president of South Africa. Not only that, he was a man who left prison not with anger or malice or revenge in his heart but a whole spirit of forgiveness and incredible Grace. To see the hardship and pain Black South Africans went through and yet not want any retaliation. Surely an embodiment of Grace? But I know this doesn't sit well with people this thing called Grace, how can we be graceful when everything about us is saying not to accept it but to condemn it. Our House Group, as previously said in other blogs, are going through Phillip Yancey's "What's so amazing about Grace?" and one chapter is called "Grace- an uncomfortable idea" and it is uncomfortable, being Graceful is not part of the human race's DNA, we would rather be angry and sometimes like to have revenge upon people. But this is the exact opposite of who Jesus is and what Jesus taught us, in fact some of His very last words before He was crucified was "Forgive them Father, for they know not what they do". As the song says; O to be more like Jesus. I so want to be more Graceful like him and I so want to understand more about this Grace but I think it is one of those mysteriously Godly things that I will never quite get a grasp of, however much I try.

I suppose I could write about Grace for the 20 blogs and we still wouldn't get anywhere in understanding more about it and although you may get bored, it is one of those things that will continue to fascinate me.

So there we are. Can I ask you who is reading to pray for Eston Corps at this time, we are very busy like many Salvation Army corps around the territory, we have some big and exciting events coming up soon such as Carols in the Car Park where the community is invited to come and share with the Salvation Army, last year the corps had 300 people turn up! We also have our distribution day for the Christmas present appeal. I hope you have a good week.

Get in touch:

@peggo36

pegg.j@hotmail.co.uk

 

Every Blessing!

A Powerful Silence

Good evening all. I'm back up in Eston after a week training, good to get back to my ministry here. Just had a team meeting this morning and it's fair to say that the next few weeks are going to be busy and then it'll be Christmas!

So as I said in my last blog, our training was at Aylesford Friary. Other than the training, the most significant time for me last week for me was when I was on my own at night where I could relax and spend time with God in the silence. Once all the sessions were out the way, I would wrap up warm and find a bench and sit and do nothing. I just listened and spent time in prayer. I'll try and describe the surroundings; I sat on a bench with a pond behind me and in front of me a garden with tree's around the perimeter, although it was cold, it was almost silent with an occasional noise made by the swans behind me. It was very peaceful and I think at times it was just what I needed. It was so powerful those moments, just thinking and quietly spending time in prayer with God. I almost came away from that bench refreshed and relaxed because it was that quiet, even if it was at times around 11pm at night. When I was thinking about me being silent before God, I suppose silence is key to the story of Jesus' birth. It implies that Mary was silent when the Angel Gabriel came to her and told her she will carry the Son of God. It was in the silence, on the hills when the shepherds again were told by the Angels that Jesus has been born in Jerusalem. How many times did God use the silence during sleep to speak to people through their dreams in the Christmas story? People being silent before God is key in the story of Jesus' birth and it is in the silence God spoke to people and told them what He wants them to do. I am not sure how I would have reacted if an Angel turned up while I was on that bench at Aylesford, probably very much like the shepherds.. utter fear. But what a hallowed moment that must have been, I hope that I will continue to get the oppurtunities to be silent because it is those moments God does speak. That doesn't mean that the Lord won't speak in the noise, God spoke to Elijah during the earthquake! But it was refreshing and I felt that I was on Holy ground.

I think I may keep my blogs nativity themed in the coming weeks. I love the Christmas story, it is full of so many "wow" moments and challenging words, every year I read the beginning of Jesus' life again just to see if anything new jumps out at me and every year I get a new meaning or something stands out that hasn't before. I want to get a new dimension of Jesus' birth and make the coming of Christ not just a story that happened 2000 years ago and gets pulled once year, but in fact a very real and relevant thing for my life. My saviour being born.

I hope you have a good week this week, still no sign of snow... long may it continue. If you have any questions or want to get in touch about anything then like always I will leave my contact details and feel free to get in touch

God Bless.

@peggo36
pegg.j@hotmail.co.uk