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Supporting officers and staff to be the best that they can be

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Reflection January 2017

Good Evening all!

A Time for Everything

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens:  a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal,  a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.

Ecclesiastes 3 1-8

‘Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.’

A quote from a film- can anyone name it?

 

Life does indeed move quickly- It hardly seems possible that we are heading towards the end of January already- I am often asked where does the time go!

There has been quite and amount said over the last few months about what a terrible year 2016 was because of the amount of famous or well-known people who died- If we think of some of the names on that list this year it is clear to see why people think 2016 was such a bad year- Many of the names which is very long are names and faces that we will all recognise and many of us will have memories of their music or parts played on TV or on the Big screen! As we have moved into 2017 however we have seen that the loss of famous people has continued and the advent of the new year has not changed the reality that life moves on quickly and it can be over in an instant.

 

The truth is that life moves- it moves quickly and it moves on! We cannot escape that in each of our lives there will be days when life gives and when life takes away-  in this truth we can identify with the piece of scripture above that there are indeed seasons in each of our lives and that those seasons don’t last for ever!

When we consider how people have reacted to the loss of celebrities this year I always try and remember that however much we think we know someone famous we must remember that they have loved ones and families who know them…. Not just their public face- they are the ones who must truly feel the loss!!

 

When we think about those we have lost it can be very easy to dwell on their passing- I was chatting recently about my own Granddad who died ten years ago, at Christmas- Frank Jones is still missed by us all and his passing was a shock to us- his fun persona, his mischievous side and love for us are the things I remember as well as his completely useless sense of direction!

If we were to concentrate on just the death of Frank, then we could easily think that the past ten years have held nothing but the pain of loss in my life – but thankfully this couldn’t be further from the truth! The last ten years have not been defined by the loss of my granddad- there has been so much more- Natasha and I have just celebrated our tenth wedding anniversary (Yes, she has put up with me for that long!), we have been blessed with two beautiful daughters, as a family we have had numerous other new members of the family come along to bless us all, new friends, a new role in CPA, a new church and calling to serve!

Life moves on- life goes on! In each of our lives there will be days, weeks and seasons where we feel pain and loss- this is normal! But there will be days, weeks and seasons where we are overcome with joy and happiness- this is also normal!!

I would imagine there will be some reading this who are indeed in a season in their lives that is full of joy wonder and hope. There will also be those reading this who feel they are travelling through the storm, unsure of the future, mourning or in the midst of despair- to those of you in either season I want to tell you that whatever or where ever you are today you have a Father in Heaven who loves you dearly and who wants to bless you abundantly! There is a famous quote from Winston Churchill ‘If you’re going through hell, keep going’- Wise words indeed!

Through good or through bad we are called to Love- Love the Lord, Love one another, Love our neighbours and yes, our enemies……

In Romans 12 we read:

‘Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honour one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervour, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.’ 

Romans 12 9-16   

 

So today, this week, this month if you are in a season of abundance or joy then share it about- Look around you and try to bring that Joy and abundance to those you see every day- Pray for your friends, practice hospitality, be humble, rejoice and morn with people! But if you are in the middle of the storm and feel like you are going through hell-Firstly Keep Going! Be hopeful, be patient, and faithful, seek the Lord and through prayer give it all to him- You will get through the storm- there is a season for everything and it won’t last forever- Life moves pretty fast!

 

God Bless

Keith
 

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Refelection Christmas 2016

Dear all good afternoon!

25 things!

 

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called    Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end.

Isaiah 9 6-7.

In the words of the song ‘it’s the most wonderful time of the year!’ and as Christmas rapidly approaches our thoughts turn to all the things associated the Christmas season. Over the past few weeks every time someone has mentioned something ‘Christmas related’ I wrote it down until I had 25 things that we associate with Christmas and here they are:

Christmas tree, Christmas dinner, Father Christmas/ Santa, Presents, Cards, The Queen, Bond film, Decorations, Family, End of Term, Christmas jumper, Christmas party, Mince Pies, Christmas pudding, Carol Singing, Crackers, Pigs in Blankets, Turkey, Goose, ‘A Christmas Carol’, ‘It’s a wonderful life’, Reindeer, Letter to Father Christmas, Chocolate Advent calendar and The fairy tale of New York……. Oh and one more for luck….. Brussels (Sprouts!).

 

These are things that friends and family have spoken about in front of me this year- many of the things on the list you will probably have in your mind as being associated with Christmas in your own family or household-  there will be things that are not on this list that mean ‘Christmas to you’ for instance if you ask anyone in my extended family what they are looking forward to they will probably say ‘home made stuffing’ that is the highlight of Christmas dinner every year in the household Evans….. (Yummy!)

The truth is that every single household does Christmas differently, for some it is noisy (us) and hectic (again us) for others it is a quiet time that is spent peacefully. Some go away to warmer climes every year, some cook, some get cooked for, some look forward to Turkey others don’t! However you spend Christmas and whatever means Christmas to you is unique to you and your celebration….. some of you may even not like sprouts?

 

So what is the one thing we have in common at Christmas?? The answer as they say is in the question- the common theme is Christ! The connection that cuts through all the other stuff I listed above and all the things that make this time of year special to you is the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ so beautifully predicted around 700 years before his birth in Isaiah 9!  

Christmas is the celebration of the birth of our Lord and saviour and it is this that should be the first thing we think of at this time of year- with this in mind we have been running a social media campaign on Twitter and Facebook called the ’25 tweets of Christmas’ focusing on the real and beautiful reason for the season! There is still time for you to see all of the tweets and posts if you check out the details of our twitter/Facebook accounts below!

 

The birth of Jesus is truly something to be celebrated- when we think about that first Christmas night it was night of celebration excitement and wonder:

 

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favour rests.”

Luke 2 8-14.

 

That first Christmas, no mince pies, no tree, no home-made stuffing….. none of the 25 things above! Just the perfect gift given to each of us!

Christmas is a time for giving and sharing- I decided that this year my ‘Chocolate advent calendar’ at work was going to be just a small thing that I shared with others- I have given away every single chocolate to someone in my department this year- and when asked why I simply reply that I am sharing Christmas…. In a small way!

 

The real and true message of Christmas is Love- God loves us so much that at Christmas he gave us the ultimate gift- one that we didn’t deserve or earn but one that was given to us freely-

‘For God so Loved the world that he gave his one and only son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life’

John 3:16

Christmas truly starts with Christ and the message of Christ is that he loves us- this is something that we need to share with others at this ‘most wonderful time of the year’.

So this Christmas enjoy the 25 things above (26 including the sprouts) but don’t let them replace the one important thing-Jesus. It is important to remember the true reason for the season and share that reason with those around you if you can.

So from the Branch Leadership team and our families God Bless you all this Christmas and we look forward to continuing to serve you in 2017.

God Bless

Keith

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Reflection November 2016

Dear all good afternoon!

I can see clearly now the fog has gone….

Boasting About Tomorrow

Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil.  If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.

James 4 13-17

I think it is fair to say that over the past few days winter has most definitely arrived in the UK- not that we had much of a summer this year though! It seems that we are never prepared for bad weather in the UK for some reason; whether it be Sunshine, High Wind, Rain, Ice or Snow it always seems to catch us out in some way or another.

I had the great pleasure of travelling to Scotland this month to a family wedding – It was a fantastic time. But I can tell you now that when it is cold in Scotland it is really cold; there is a whole new meaning to cold ‘north of the border’ and when I say cold I mean -11 with a hard frost cold!!!

Weather is something that we Brits really understand- it forms part of a large number of conversations over the breakfast and dinner tables country wide as well around parade room tables in many Police stations!

When I woke this morning one of the first things I checked was the weather- it was described that last night would be the ‘coldest night of the year’. On looking outside this morning it was clear that the predictions of a cold one were very accurate as our garden and our cars were covered with a hard frost- the air was still and there was a thick layer of fog hanging in the air across the road.

Fog isn’t great is it- let’s be honest no one ever says ‘What a lovely thick layer of Fog out there this morning’ or ‘Thick Fog it is just what the garden needed’.

Fog is worst when you are driving- when you are driving through thick fog you can usually barely see past the end of the car and you just don’t know what is up ahead until you a right on top of it- in the worst cases that we see this can end in serious accidents! It is clear that when we drive along roads we generally know where we are going and we have a pretty good idea of what will be up ahead- but in certain circumstances we just can’t be sure because of what is obscuring our view whether it be Fog or Heavy rain!

In life we can be pretty certain of what lies ahead due to our experiences or the plans that we make but sometimes our way ahead seems so unsure because of things that appear to obscure our view just like Fog on the road. It can be hard sometimes to think about what is on the other side of that obstacle or to carry on moving forwards as you don’t seem to be able to see your way forwards clearly.

The truth of our lives is that none of us can actually see what is up ahead- we can only in some way plan for our futures with the best of intentions and ask the Father in heaven to guide our steps. In some cases we have to take steps to plan for our lives- such as paying into our pensions or making some form of provision for the future- but we mustn’t be obsessed with worrying about what will happen tomorrow, next week, next month or next year! The simple truth is that we all must rely on trusting God to show us the way ahead- in Jeremiah 29 verse 11 we read:

‘I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.’

 

God has a plan for you- and for me even if right now we cannot see a way forwards! Sometimes we just have to trust in him and allow God to show us the way.

Sometimes clarity can come very quickly and other times we need to show patience for God to reveal his will to us- Gods timing is always perfect and the right answer will come your way when he is ready!

The weather this morning as I have said was cold with thick fog- but now looking out of the window there is a bright blue sky and the sun is shining brightly- I can see clearly now the fog has gone!

So be encouraged- if you are seeking the way forwards or are unsure about going into ministry, taking that job or- promotion the answer will come in Gods time! In the meantime give it to God and remember:

 

Do Not Worry

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?  Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?

“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labour or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendour was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

 

God Bless and have great month!

 

Keith

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Reflection October 2016

Why does it always rain on me?

God Saved Us from Sin

At one time you were dead because of your sins. You followed the sinful ways of the world and obeyed the leader of the power of darkness. He is the devil who is now working in the people who do not obey God. At one time all of us lived to please our old selves. We gave in to what our bodies and minds wanted. We were sinful from birth like all other people and would suffer from the anger of God.

But God had so much loving-kindness. He loved us with such a great love. Even when we were dead because of our sins, He made us alive by what Christ did for us. You have been saved from the punishment of sin by His loving-favour. God raised us up from death when He raised up Christ Jesus. He has given us a place with Christ in the heavens. He did this to show us through all the time to come the great riches of His loving-favour. He has shown us His kindness through Christ Jesus.

For by His loving-favour you have been saved from the punishment of sin through faith. It is not by anything you have done. It is a gift of God. It is not given to you because you worked for it. If you could work for it, you would be proud. We are His work. He has made us to belong to Christ Jesus so we can work for Him. He planned that we should do this. Ephesians 2 1-10

So why does it rain on me? Is it because I lied when I was seventeen- This is a line from a song by Travis from 1999- have you ever felt that it always seems to rain on you? How many of us associate rest days or weekends off with bad weather and working days with the two days of summer we get in the UK?

Sometimes it seems that we have to ‘pay for’ the good things that happen by experiencing the bad- It was hot and sunny on my last rest weekend so I should expect this one to be rainy’

It is very easy to get drawn into this thinking when we consider our own lives, the lives of our family or close friends when things happen to us or them. We can get drawn into the belief that in some way we have to pay for the good that God bestows on us by accepting a bit of bad as well- For example- you may think that God has made you ill because someone in your family is massively successful at work or in the sport that they take part in- you hear yourself thinking ‘Is God punishing me because of their success?’

It is almost like we think that there is a large cupboard in Heaven marked ‘Good things’ that has a finite amount of good for God to give out…. And when it is gone it is gone; and once it is gone we feel in some way God has to in some way restock it by taking back the gifts he has given to others. Or that in some way God has to ‘balance the books’ between good and bad by handing out some illness, loss or ill fortune to keep everything in order……

Well I firmly believe that this is not how our father in Heaven works at all! We shouldn’t try and measure God by our own understanding because simply put God doesn’t work the way we do- God is gracious and giving without measure and taking away the gifts we have been given out of spite or because ‘he can’ is not in that nature; in Psalm 103 we read:

“He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His love for those who fear Him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us. As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him” (Psalm 103:10-13)

When we think about loss or ‘bad fortune’ we often think about the bible story of Job.  In Job, we see a man who God allows to be directly attacked by Satan. He is an example of faithfulness as he loses everything important to him yet remains faithful to God. Its purpose is to illustrate God’s sovereignty and faithfulness during a time of great suffering.

But what if you have suffered loss, like Job? He lost his health, his wealth, and his family. The temptation may be to blame God for your loss, as if God had a change of heart. But God is not fickle. He does not change like shifting shadows. He is an extraordinary giver who never takes back his gifts.

“God’s gifts and God’s call are under full warranty – never cancelled, never rescinded.” Romans 11:29, MSG

So if God is doing the giving, who is doing the taking?  Jesus provides the answer- The Enemy-

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” John 10:10

We ought not to be confused about these two different roles. One is a giver, the other is a taker. If you have been given something good, then give thanks to God. But if you’ve been robbed, don’t blame God. He’s not behind your loss.

Karma versus Grace

If you think that God gives and takes away, then you may have missed the point of Jesus. Jesus came to reveal a generous Father and to destroy the work of the Thief (1 John 3:8). Jesus came that we might have life to the full, not to the half.

If you think that God gives and takes away, then you have more faith in karma than grace. Karma says what goes around comes around. If you’re healthy now, you’ll likely be sick tomorrow. If you’re prospering now, poverty’s waiting just around the next corner. When disappointments and hardships come, you won’t be surprised. You’ll just throw in the towel and say, “I knew it was too good to last.”

The world works according to the principle of give and take, but God just gives. The only thing he’ll take off you – if you let him – is your sin, your shame, your sickness, your worries and your fears. He takes away those things that harm us and only gives us good things that bless us.

God Bless

Keith

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Reflection September 2016

Good afternoon! I hope you are all well. There has been a minor delay with this month’s reflection as I am writing it from my sick bed at home…..So read on and I will be back with you all sometime next week!

A person is a person- It doesn’t matter how small they are!

Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from him. Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are children born in one’s youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. They will not be put to shame when they contend with their opponents in court.
Psalm 127 3-5

Children- They are hard work! Let’s be honest most of us who have children didn’t really think that it would be as hard as it is did we; those of us who don’t have children don’t believe it can be that hard do you? And those of us with grown up children are probably thinking back on what raising children was like and chuckling!
I always used to laugh at my parents when they used to say towards the end of the summer holidays ‘We’ll be glad when you go back to school’…… I could never understand it because my brothers and I used to have a great time with my mum and dad!!! But now I have children of my own I can understand why the children going back to school is such a good thing- we get to have a rest!!! Having looked after Abigail and Holly during the summer there were days when I didn’t stop- with Abi wanting to ‘help’ and having to watch everything Holly is doing the hours seem to blur and my energy levels seemed to run out very quickly!
On the plus side I have managed to catch up with some quality film viewing whilst looking after them- I have watched Shrek, Shrek 2, Shrek the Third, Shrek forever after, Frozen and various other animated films of which I now know the scripts of…… My suggestion to Abi of watching something different was met with a raised eyebrow and Holly shouting ‘Shrek’ as only a two year old can!
Now that summer is over Abigail has started in year 4 at school- so now she has two pieces of homework a week instead of last year’s one- this in reality it means that ‘Daddy Man’ has two pieces of homework a week now- Which means I have learnt all about Celtic roundhouse, times tables and Roman armies so far…….. But honestly I can say that I wouldn’t want to be without Abi and Holly and watching them grow, change and develop is a real blessing for me as a Dad- even if it does mean watching Frozen…….
The reality is that whether your children are, two, eight or Forty two they are still your children and that making sacrifices for them is the business of parenting! My mum and dad stay in regular contact with my brothers and I and are always making sure that we are Ok! Our responsibility as parents never goes away- as we grow up and move out, make our own decisions and mistakes our parents are still our parents and I know in my case that my mum and dad are there if I need them (even if I don’t need them to help me with times tables or watch Frozen with me!)

As Christians we believe that we have a heavenly father who loves us totally- who sacrificed everything when he gave his son Jesus to die on the cross for the things we have done wrong- There is no better example of a parent making sacrifices than that one thing!

Our heavenly father is ever present and we read in Isaiah 40: 28-31:

‘Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.’

Our Heavenly father never grows tired or weary- can you imagine never being tired as a parent???
As a parent I know that I am truly blessed with wonderful children- even when I am tired and they aren’t I love them totally and the small sacrifices I make for them are simply me putting that love into action! We are also blessed to have a heavenly father whose love for us is so strong that he sacrificed his son on the cross in the ultimate act of love to pay for our wrong doing- That is Love in action!
Love in action is what we are about as Christians- it isn’t simply about your own children or family but also about the others around us! We can see every day the work that is going on all around us in the Police service and wider community to try and make our communities better- whether it be the local food banks, street pastors or angels or a multitude of other work that is going on that if formal or not!
So this month whoever is around you whether it be children, parents, family, colleagues, friends or people you don’t know be the person who puts love into action and in whatever way you can show love in action for them……… even if you are tired and even if they do ask you to watch Frozen!
God Bless

Keith

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Reflection August 2016

Going for Gold!

The Need for Self-Discipline

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize

So it is fair to say that Team GB did very well in Rio isn’t it! A record haul of medals at an ‘away’ games- 27 Gold, 23 Silver and 17 Bronze (67 in total). A significant result when we consider our team was much smaller for Rio than it was at our home Olympics four years ago- (366 in Rio compared to 542 in London) and remember it isn’t over yet with the Paralympics due to start in September we can anticipate a further haul of medals of all shades.

I watch elite sports men and women across all sports not just Olympic events and am in awe of their ability- I took part in a lot of sport in my school days but could never measure up to the superb athletes and sports men that play and compete at the highest level. I once played cricket against a West Indian Fast bowler who was in the West Indies ‘A’ side (reserves) – I faced three deliveries from him- the first glanced off of my protective helmet, the second glance off of the edge of my bat for four runs and the third removed my off stump….. I knew I was out of my depth and so did he!

When we think about sport at any level we know that some players are better than others and we measure the success of teams by their position in the league or by the trophies that they have won- Some of us support better teams than others; some of us support our team because we always have and not because of outright success- (all the Watford supporters amongst us are nodding about now).

Everyone who competes in a sport you would hope does their very best to win and succeed- even those who were running against Usain Bolt gave it everything even though they knew he was much faster and more likely to win! When we think about our nations medal haul at the Olympics it is sobering to remember that out of our team of 366 over 300 of the team did not win medals- (remember some of our teams/athletes won more than one medal!) Even though the majority of our team did not win any medals they all competed, ran their race, gave it everything to do their best!

When we think about our lives we must be aware that we get ‘one go’ at it- Our lives are not a rehearsal! We have got to give it all we have got because if we don’t do it now we never will! When we think about our relationship with our Father in Heaven it is equally important for us to run our race with perseverance giving it everything! When you look at the training regimes of top athletes it is unbelievable to see that amount of time and commitment it takes to reach the very top level in their sport- commitment, sacrifice and hard work! As well as working hard we also have to train hard just like our elite athletes but train hard to do the tasks that God has set for us- We need to Study his word, spend time praying and waiting on Gods guidance, spreading the gospel, loving our neighbours, loving our enemies and praising him! When we do all these things we should do them gladly- it should be a joy to serve God and not a burden- In Colossians 3:17 we read:

And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

God calls us to work with a smile…. We all have days where smiling is the last thing on our mind- those are the days when we need to come closer to the Lord and get our smile back. When we learn to trust in God and try our hardest it becomes a habit! I remember when my brother was playing football at professional level- his coach used to say about his training ‘Good Habits Richard; Good habits’.  When we do something often enough it simply becomes second nature- if you keep doing it you will keep doing it- commitment, sacrifice and hard work!
Not all of us are going to win a Gold Medal at the Olympics- let’s be honest not many of us will ever have that chance- However each of us has the chance every day to serve God and run towards that ‘Gold Medal’ of eternity in Paradise paid for by the Death of the Lord on the cross!

So this month- Go for Gold; do it for the Lord and do it with a smile!

Blessings
Keith Evans