Good Afternoon All,
I offered to step in to Alice’s shoes last week, as if you are anything like me, I miss not getting the prayer letter each week when she is not around. I can’t say my words will have the same impact, but I have prayfully considered what to write.
Nick and I meet often to discuss how we can support yourselves and other colleagues, bouncing ideas around. This last week we discussed creating a Surrey CPA Facebook page. This would be a way of communicating encouragements and celebrating events with one another. Lots of Churches and other groups have them these days. I don’t know if you use Facebook regularly and are comfortable with how it works, or you are like me, a bit of a technophobe who is often left standing there scratching what remains of my hair, and then has to ask the wife!, but we thought we would ask what your thoughts are. If we created a page, would you join it[yes) or not[no]? I have included voting buttons at the top of this email. Of course if it was agreed that this is something we should do, is there anyone out there who could assist with setting this up and managing it day to day? We would appreciate your thoughts in any case, so please vote….and at this point I will avoid any reference to the referendum next week!! 🙂
Anyway, back to the matter in hand, we have had a number of Prayer requests:-
- The first Prayer request is from Surrey and is for your continued prayer for a husband of one of our Staff who is seriously ill in hospital following major surgery. He has been allowed home but he is still unwell and in pain. His wife would really appreciate your Prayers for him.
- The second request is also for Surrey and is for Our Alice. 🙂 Alice is having a minor eye operation and I know would appreciate your prayers and support as she recovers at home with her daughter and grandchildren. ( I had an email from her grandson, Jack, this morning and apart from looking a bit black and blue she is now on the mend.)
- The third request is for a colleague in the London Christian Police Family and has not been able to get to work for a number of weeks. He is wondering about his Police future
- I have approached Nick Ephgrave given his recent appointment as Chief Constable and asked if there was anything we could pray for him for. He responded by saying, “I would ask that in my new role I am able to exercise good judgement and make sound decisions which benefit the public and our force.”
This week I wanted to encourage you with a number of different quotes. From the bible, 1 Corinthians 13:8, says, “Love never fails.” An excerpt from UCB’s Word For Today, said this, “‘Alexander, Caesar, Charlemagne, and I myself [Napoleon Bonaparte no less!] founded great empires: but upon what did the creations of our genius depend? Upon force. Jesus alone founded His empire upon love, and to this day millions would die for Him.’ That’s something to think about.
Last week in the lift lobby area a colleague, who knows I am a Christian, said to me that he had been to his sister-in-law’s funeral recently and had been given a reading to say from the bible. For a man who is accustomed to speaking in front of large audiences, this prospect actually worried him. He was anxious, trembling and had broken out in a sweat prior to going up, but before he did so he said a prayer. He said that after the prayer he then he went up and had no problems. He was feeling much better. He said to me there really is something out there! When I see him next I will be asking if he has said any other prayers! 🙂
We can impact people lives, not by what we say, but by who we are, and so my prayers for you this week come from the words of John Wesley, “Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can.” Be yourself and hold your colleagues up in prayer.
May you know God’s peace this week, and may you also know the Prince of Peace. God bless.
Simon
