MetCPA

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

Jeremiah 29

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He’s got your back!

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)

Firstly let me say that it is good to finally back in a place where I am able to concentrate enough to start writing again! I am back at work on reduced hours and restricted duties and have started to engage in CPA work which is already proving very positive! If you are passing Stevenage I am in the office and am allowed to make the tea- yes that is an invite!

It has been frankly the seven months from hell; but as Winston Churchill once said:
‘If you are going through hell- keep going!’

So where to begin! For those of you who are not fully up to speed on my situation I was diagnosed with Complex PTSD and have been really put through the mill, suffering with severe Anxiety issues, Panic attacks and a list of other symptoms that were not very pleasant!

I wanted to take this opportunity of writing a reflection to both share the good news of my return and to encourage those who are going through tough times! So I hear you ask how you can have been encouraged by being ill. Well obviously the illness hasn’t been the thing that has encouraged me- Gods Gracious provision for me has!
From day one of being ill looking back I have been able to see Gods provision for me in the midst of the worst possible time!
I believe that our Lord plays the ultimate ‘Long Game’ and without us knowing it moves people into our lives and creates situations that support us or provide for us when we really need it!
So where to start- I have been blessed with a strong support network- my wife Natasha and my two daughters who knew when to just listen or to give me that all important hug, my wider family who rang just at the right moment and good friends have been there for me; whether of Faith or not. Those around me who really know me have shown me so much love and kindness that I feel truly blessed; whether from down the road for a chat on the school run, from further afield across England and Scotland from Hertfordshire to Lincolnshire and north to Moray in Scotland you were there- Thank you and know I consider you a blessing!

On the day I became ill I returned to Stevenage Police station in floods of tears not knowing what to do or how to cope- the very first person I saw was my boss- a Christian who looked after me and has offered so much support that again I am truly blessed….. I believe God placed her in Inspectors role to be that positive Christian leader for our unit.

But the blessings didn’t stop there for me I am pleased to say! I managed to make it to the CVM Gathering despite some serious misgivings about going at all due to my illness and not dealing with noise or crowds very well. Whilst I was there representing the CPA I was able to have conversations with a number of men who had been through similar pain and was blown away by an ex-offender who prayed for me!
It was while I was there Carl Beech the UK Director of The Message Trust and the face of the Gathering stood on the stage and said words to the effect that ‘For you blokes out there who are going through tough times I want to tell you that God has got your back’.
I can say that those words have stuck with me from that day and I have had the absolute certainty that Beechy was right- So Carl God Bless you and thank you- The Gathering was one of the few high points for me in the past seven months- so much so I am booked in already for next year!
But the blessings didn’t stop there- shortly after returning from the Gathering I was contacted by a trauma specialist to arrange treatment for my illness. On meeting her it was clear from moment one that she was vastly experienced and extremely positive about the prospect of me making a full recovery given the correct treatment and time- and yes it was very quickly established that she like me is a Christian….. Gods perfect and timely provision once again!

God provides us with the people around us as we have already seen but he also provides us with situations and opportunities to ‘feel normal’- when we are given those situations I can tell you that it is so overpowering that it feels like God’s Grace and Love is spilling out of you. I was asked by two very good friends if I felt up to delivering the address at their wedding in August….
Well as a preacher and speaker I immediately said yes without hesitation…. Only to hang up the phone and think ‘I am ill; what have I done’! Well preparing for that day in August felt so normal and natural that I think I read my address every day for a couple of weeks before the big day- and on the day for that 15 minutes standing at the front I was me again- it was almost as if The Lord was saying to me- you will get better, this is the real you! So thank you Mr and Mrs Hicklin for the absolute blessing of being part of your day- it helped me more than I can ever say!

The truth is that God has a plan for us- it is a plan for us all to prosper- we may not see it when things seem dark and painful- but I can say absolutely that God has got your back. It may seem right now that you have more questions than answers and that nothing seems to be going right- be encouraged and don’t be afraid- God has got you back! In the midst of my illness I honestly couldn’t see a way forwards some days- but that is when God revealed himself to me in so many ways- some I have mentioned above and some that I haven’t.
A good friend from my church gave me the following scripture which I have as the screen saver on my phone-

‘For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.’
2 Timothy 1:7

God has got your back- he is there I promise- I know because I have had to rely on his blessings to get me through! So be encouraged, be blessed and know that if you are going through hell God is telling you to ‘keep going’ he is there and he will get you through because he has your back!
So as I am now back at work and back in the saddle when it comes to CPA I look forward to catching up with as many of you as I can! I would like to thank Andy Robinson for his support and keeping things on track in my absence- Well Done! We are off to the national leader’s conference next week with lots to discuss so please remember to pray for us and watch out for live updates on Twitter and Facebook!!

So God Bless and I look forward to seeing you all very soon!
Keith

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Wednesday 3rd May 2017

Today’s Exhortation – My thoughts of you are beautiful

I was driving home from work one day and was complaining to God about my perceived inability to hear His voice. I eventually stopped complaining when I came to a stop at a traffic light. I had barely stopped to think when I heard in my head “MY THOUGHTS OF YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL.” It took me about 3 seconds to process what I had just heard. When I realised what had just happened I was speechless! I couldn’t stop smiling for the rest of my journey home. At that time, I was not be used to the fact that God truly loves us. I can’t express the joy that bubbled up on the inside of me. I had finally heard Him!! But, it wasn’t hearing Him that blew me away. It was what He said. My complaining turned into praise! I couldn’t help but praise Him!

There’s this misconception that God is always looking out to judge right or wrong. Nothing could be further from the truth. David in his many meditations wrote, “Many things, O Yahweh my God, You have done. Your wonderful deeds and Your thoughts toward us. There is none to compare with You. If I tried to proclaim and tell of them, they would be too numerous to count. (Psalm 40:5). The Lord Himself said, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jeremiah‬ ‭29:11‬). God loves you!

Francis Hans-Jorie

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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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Thursday 17th November 2016

Today’s exhortation – new beginnings

God says, ““Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart…”” (Jeremiah‬ ‭1:5‬). “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.” (Jeremiah 29:11). God has plans for our lives and seeks to bring them to pass but we have a choice in how it will go. One has likened God’s directions to our lives to a satellite navigation system because He says, “Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” Whenever you turn to the right hand Or whenever you turn to the left.”‭‭ (Isaiah‬ ‭30:21‬).

However, sometimes we don’t listen to the directions and choose to go our own way till we get stuck, but God in His great mercy re-routes our journey to take us to the destination He has for us. Again when we take a different route from that which was mapped out by the navigation system, it recalculates and gives us new routes to our destination. We may have made mistakes along the way and gone our own way, but God offers us new beginnings daily and today is one of them. Don’t let fear, worry or condemnation rob you of your new beginning. “This is what the Lord says— he who made you, who formed you in the womb, and who will help you: Do not be afraid…”‭‭(Isaiah‬ ‭44:2‬)

Francis Hans-Jorie

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Wednesday 26th October 2016

Today’s exhortation – enjoy each moment

I believe sometimes we worry so much or are so riddled with guilt and anxiety that we fail to see God’s grace and what He’s doing in our lives. If there’s anything we can take from Joseph’s story, it is that we must enjoy each moment as it comes because God has a divine plan for our lives and will work out everything together for our good. The worry, fear, guilt, anxiety etc rob us of today’s blessings and joy. For instance, Joseph gave his brothers money back to them and gave them extra food, but their fear and guilt robbed them of enjoying this wonderful gift. The bible says when they found the money in their bags, Their hearts sank and they turned to each other trembling and said, “What is this that God has done to us?”” ‭(Genesis‬ ‭42:28‬).

That’s us sometimes, we’re so afraid of what someone said or did that we miss out on the wonderful gifts of God. Let’s enjoy each moment as it comes because many would love to see today but don’t have this gift. As David said, “The LORD will perfect that which concerns me.” ‭‭(Psalms‬ ‭138:8‬). He’s the same God and will do the same for us. He will perfect that which concerns us. He Himself tells us expressly, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah‬ ‭29:11‬). Let’s relax, slow down and our weekend, God’s in control. Amen

Francis Hans-Jorie

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Count Your Blessings, name them 2 by 2!??

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:”??

Greetings to you in the wonderful name of our Lord & Saviour Jesus Christ. Today is the day that The Lord has made and I encourage you to rejoice and be glad in what He is doing in your life behind the scenes, without your knowledge- or permission even; what He is doing right in front of you and for what He is about to do for the future, in your life. His plans are good! Are righteous! Your life is ordained in Gods Masterplan, His Blueprint! Jesus is the Masterweaver and has already taken care of all our complexities & successes, at times we dwell to much on our problems and not praise for what God has allowed us to accomplish!

The solution for a good and purposeful life, we just have to love God, worship & adore Him, talk to Him in prayer, rejoice & trust Him first, always. As easy as that we say? YES, just like that (Tommy Cooper style?!?)

Though we may experience many trials in our lives, The Word of God tells us in Jeremiah 29:11

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future”??

The book of James chapter 1:17 echoes this fact when he states empathically

“Everygood gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning??

As this day goes on and dusk draws it to a close, why don’t you think of the blessings you have received in this day alone. You will never see this day again but you can record the blessings as a memorial & in honour to glorify God.  Too many blessings?Can’t think of any, you say?  Well How about:- ‘I am alive!’; ‘I am breathing!’; ‘I can see!’; ‘I can hear no matter by what medium)’I didn’t know how I could get through this day but look, I’m here!’

Today on reflection of my blessings they are; I didn’t know how I would get through the day with the problem that was unexpectedly dropped in my lap; assignment from the enemy we may say, but the blessings are that God defending me by giving me the wisdom in how to respond wisely and peacefully. Another blessing; I did not know how I could manage with this heightened level of pain I was in, literally, in my neck, running down my spine & my leg but God carried me! Another; listening to my daughter play her saxophone & clarinet & hearing her brother ask her to go elsewhere because he’s watching football!! Squabbles & causing me to intervene BUT the blessings in this situation are manifold; they are alive, strong & with healthy lungs(!!) – my two treasures from God above! I have ears (help me Lord!) to hear them interact with each other & to hear the sweet music being played whilst Ellisse practises (even with the mistakes). I am blessed with eyes to see as I watch her jubilation when she eventually, succeeds in playing each piece, error free & the blessing of glorifying God and giving Him thanks for the amazing talent He has blessed her with. She has real musicality, a gift truly Heaven sent. After a very arduous day, I thank God for my husband who comes home from an equally taxing day at YR but gets stuck in with family life, so I can rest my neck & back. The blessings- he asked me how I “really” am.

Watching the birds on the cricket field opposite my house dance & play amongst the Autumn leaves and the beautiful sun going down, almost postcard-esq! filled my such joy that my issues & the thoughts of them disappeared. God, you are so truly wonderful to me! I began counting my blessings then my words became worship & I began to just adore Jesus, my Father & The Lover of my soul. The songs ‘Amazing Love’ (Graham Kendrick); ‘Oh how He loves us’ David Crowder*Band & ‘Oh Lord You’re Beautiful’ (Keith Green) bless my soul so sweetly in the background, courtesy of UCBIRELAND Radio (@ucbirelandradio). Before I know it I’m not counting my blessings not one by one BUT many by many, a plethora of blessings bestowed on me from above, flood my mind & heart & I realise that words are not enough, neither are my tears. It is the fullness of Gods’ joy and supernatural peace that flooded my worship and fills the atmosphere I am in, The Holy Spirit!

Today, begin to count your blessings & magnify God, instead of glorifying the problems, something that we all, so habitually, find ourselves doing. Give back to Jesus what is rightfully His, our love, thanksgiving & adoration. Do you know that both the enemy and the Angels are watching to see how we react in the storm and equally how we remember to thank God in the good times! Psalms chp8:4 What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?5 For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour.6 Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet:??We have authority and favour bequeathed to us from God above & dominon over our enemies  the victory and blessings are already ordained for us, this is why the enemy targets us because He fears who OUR Father is,JESUS CHRIST. He actually trembles! So what have we to worry about when Emmanuel-God is with us, holds our lives in His hands?

There are blessings even in our valleys. Even in our sickness; even in financial hardship; even when we struggle with life in general, please look for them, begin to count AND name the blessings we are already, freely, receiving.  Write them down as a memorial of thanksgiving to Jesus. For certain, you will begin to rejoice & your outlook and position WILL change! He will draw us into “heavenly places in Christ..”This is the promised word of God.

God makes everything glorious, always remember this! Please continue to pray for me as I do you.Be blessed in the awesome name of Jesus Christ, King of Kings & Lord of Lords?

Samantha?