Seeing this tranquil picture and feeling the season around us just makes me think of Spring. Being in the park, and using what we have to hand to enjoy the day. By deduction, paper boats mean there are children nearby. On closer inspection though, we see a couple of the boats contain autumn leaves, which…
‘Have you got your coat?’
The Armour of God
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armour of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armour of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
Ephesians 6:10-17 (NIV)
‘Have you got your coat?’- A question asked by parents all over the UK and wider world to I suspect most of their children; and if you are really fortunate sometimes your children will actually answer!
I think I ask my daughter Abigail this question every day before school- and every day there seems to be a different reason as to why she doesn’t need to wear it- ‘I’m not cold’, ‘It isn’t raining’, ‘I don’t like the colour’…… and so on!
The truth is however that some days you just need your coat, or your hat, or your umbrella…. Especially this week when the ‘Beast from the East’ has arrived!
It was at the beginning of this week that Abigail declared to me when I picked her up from school after a netball match that she was ‘hot’ and that she didn’t need her coat on….. as we walked away from the school I think we got about 50 metres before she changed her mind and rapidly applied her coat!
There is a famous quote – “There is no bad weather, only inappropriate clothing.” (Ranulph Fiennes).
Whilst I don’t all together agree with that quote it does highlight that we sometimes have to think about what we are wearing- for example this week my uniform has been augmented by a walking ‘base layer’ (Long Johns in old money) an extra t-shirt, slightly thicker fleece, my big boots and my ‘big traffic jacket’- (that only comes out in weather like this week!), woolly hat, scarf and gloves!
My uniform choices reflect the fact that it is currently -4 with snow falling as I look out of the window of my office! It would however be foolish of me to wear that amount of uniform in the middle of a heat wave in August as I might overheat a bit….. (you see I am hopeful of a hot summer!)
As a motorcyclist I also recognise the value of protective equipment- the law says I have to wear a motorcycle helmet, but as for the rest of the protective equipment- it is a choice for you how much you wear. We have all seen the person riding in a crash helmet, shorts, t-shirt and flip flops haven’t we?! I again make a choice when I ride my bike to wear motorcycle clothing with armour in various places, motorcycle boots that are designed to protect my feet and lower legs and sturdy motorcycle gloves to protect my hands- it seems to me as a motorcyclist and as a Roads Policing officer to make perfect sense. As Police officers we often are sent into situations where we may be at risk- how many of us have been given a ‘PPE’ (personal protective equipment) warning!?
When we think about our walk as a Christians God provides us with a list of ‘protective clothing’ to wear to help us through the struggles of life-
‘Therefore put on the full armour of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take shield of faith and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.’
For us all we have to make a choice to put on the things that the father gives us to help and protect us- we can choose to be truthful or lie, to righteous or sinful, be ready to share the gospel or choose not to, we can be faithful and rely on the Lord to protect and shield us or turn to other things to try and get help and we can take the time to read and meditate on the word of God or we can never open our bible….
We have to be wise and make good and positive choices whilst relying on God’s word…. Just as in the quote above we can also put on inappropriate things and try to rely on them- these things will never wholly satisfy you I promise! They may make you feel good, safe or happy for a short time but ultimately they will let you down- the only things we can truly rely on are the promises of God because those promises give us a future and a certainty based upon the wonderful sacrifice made by Jesus on the cross on our behalf.
So this month as we hopefully move into Spring and you dig out the spring and summer clothes think about putting on the things of God, trust him and listening when God gives you a ‘PPE’ warning or asks ‘Have you got your coat?’.
Dear Lord,
We ask for your help in remembering to put on your full armour every day, for you give us all that we need to stand firm in this world. Forgive us God for the times we’ve been unprepared, too busy to care, or trying to fight and wrestle in our own strength.
Thank you that we never fight alone, for you are constantly at work on our behalf, shielding, protecting, strengthening, exposing deeds of darkness, bringing to light what needs to be known, covering us from the cruel attacks we face even when we’re unaware.
We love you Lord, we need you today. In the Powerful Name of Jesus.
Amen.
God Bless
Keith
Will you still Love me tomorrow?
So Valentine’s day has been and gone once again and some of you will have received gifts or cards from either partners of spouses- others will be wondering who the card was from and some of you may have not received any cards at all!
Every year there seem to be more and more elaborate ways of letting the one you love know how you feel about them on one day of the year- in the UK we spent over £950 million pounds on Valentines gifts in 2016……. That is a huge bunch of roses and amounts to the budget of our very own Constabulary for around five and a half years!
When we think about Valentine’s day this year it falls at the beginning of Lent- a time where we as Christians consider sacrificing something for the lent period whilst reflecting on our own lives in preparation for the celebration of Easter- some join in this tradition of abstinence or fasting whilst others choose not to- I for one will abstain from Chocolate till Easter.
When we think about Valentine’s celebration and the out pouring of Love on 14th February I want to ask you if the 14th February is the only day that you pour that Love out? Is Valentines the only day that your ‘significant other’ knows you love them? I hope and expect the answer to both those questions to be ‘No’!
Love in all its forms is not a one day a year event or feeling- showing love to those around us must be on-going, generous and genuine! I tell Mrs Evans and the girls that I love them every day- I don’t spend hundreds of pounds on flowers during the year and I am not always seen in the Chocolate aisle at the supermarket buying elaborate chocolate creations for them!
However I do show my love to them in other ways that may not seem so elaborate but equally show them that I love them- Tea in bed every day (when I am home) for Mrs Evans, checking on Abigail and Holly every night and tucking them in before I go to bed, taking time to take the time to be there for them – even if it does mean watching the ‘Tinkerbell’ movie for the tenth time this week…. (Other films are available). I know that these things mean more to my family than once a year grand gestures; and I do them because I want to show them Love not because I have to out of obligation!
If we think about Love we must remember that we as Christians are called to Love everyone…… Yes everyone!
Love for those around us isn’t reserved for our family and friends- we must be the ones who show love to those all around us! We can do that in many ways- but obviously too many to list! I recently spoke to a friend who has been having a really tough time- they have felt isolated, alone and totally unsure about how the future was going to play out for them- the simple and straight forward act of me listening to them, showing understanding and praying with and for them was enough for them to know they were not alone and were loved!
During Lent many people sign up to the ’40 acts of kindness’ programme where they try and do 40 random acts of love and kindness during lent to ‘spread the love around’. I often randomly buy the next person in the queue a coffee (mostly anonymously)- or give them my ‘loyalty card’ that entitles them to a free drink- not much I know but after the initial shock of doing something nice they usually smile and say thank you!
In scripture we read in John 13- ‘A new commandment I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so also you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another.’
Love is and must be selfless- we read in the scripture in the picture at the beginning of this reflection about the ultimate sacrifice made for us on the cross- for me on the cross even though I don’t deserve it- that is Love!
So this year don’t just think about love for 24 hours- take Love into the world for the rest of the year- Be generous, be selfless- don’t let anyone wonder if you will love them tomorrow!
Have a Blessed month and pray for me as I avoid Chocolate…..
God Bless
Keith
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
Keep on running!
Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13 Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 3 12-14
I did something this week that I haven’t been able to do since September last year- I managed to get on my mountain bike and go for a decent ride! The reason I hadn’t got out till now was due to some problems caused by a seemingly straight forward operation that I had towards the end of September that meant I wasn’t able to ride my bike without it causing me some issues. I had tried two or three times to go for a ride but on every occasion I had had to out the bike away and think again! I had also tried going for a run- something that I don’t have much experience of- this also caused me some issues so I had to stop. In short I, have found it hard to do any exercise for a few months and it was starting to annoy me!
It was great to get out in the fresh air today- the sun was shining and it felt good to get moving again…… for about twenty minutes that is! I had clearly forgotten that I am not totally ‘match fit’ and having gone off at my usual pace I soon realised that I wasn’t going to beat my usual time for the route I cycle and that I was feeling very tired!
So, at the twenty-minute point I had a few of options-
• Simply stop, phone Mrs Evs and get her to come and rescue me.
• Turn around and slowly limp home.
• Stop for a rest and then carry on.
• Man-up and keep going!
It is clear that all of the above options were the one I could choose and in my own mind I would have been able to justify any of them- In the end I decided on option three; I stopped for a couple of moments had a drink of water and then got going again even though I knew I had around 45 minutes ahead of me. And even though my time around the usual route was about ten minutes slower than in September I was really pleased to get all the way around and reach home with a sense of accomplishment- now I know to some cycling for a little over an hour is nothing to some of you- but for someone who hasn’t been able to ride for around five months I was quite pleased!
For each of us there are times in our lives when it just seems too hard- too tiring or as if giving up is the only option for whatever reason. For some of us in our walk as Christians there will be days when we feel like it is too hard to carry on with what God has given us to do for him- there will be days when it is all too much and either turning around and going the other way or getting someone else to rescue us Is tempting!
These are the days when we need to focus even more on our walk with God and rely on the strength that he gives us- In Hebrews 12 we read:
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
Hebrews 12 1-3
I have taken great encouragement from this piece of scripture in the past few weeks as I have had an increasing feeling of weariness. With more demands on me at home looking after the Small ones, work getting very busy because of an impending move to another station, demands on my time representing the CPA and my work for my own church I have had to choose option three from my list above ‘Stop for a rest and then carry on’. But I have definitely not given up or given in- I have just taken time to refocus on the Lord and not tried to do too much- this has given me a new energy and renewed focus to carry on with the work that God has given to me!
We can be inclined to believe that we simply have to keep going a record pace all of the time and that God doesn’t understand….. Well remember God knows us better than we know ourselves- and he understands that sometimes we do get a bit tired, but also when that happens he doesn’t abandon us- he is there for us!
From speaking to friends lately it is clear to me that I am not the only one who is feeling this way- whether it be the demands of a busy life or an issue or incident that has stopped you in your tracks I want to encourage you that God is bigger than that issue or incident and has your back- Give it to him, focus on him and if needs be ‘Stop for a rest and then carry on’ but don’t simply give in!
So this month if you are feeling weary or that everything is getting a bit much for you- be encouraged and don’t throw in the towel- if you need to take a rest then take it is Ok! Focus on spending time with the Lord and not doing too much and then when you are good to go again push onwards towards the goal, run with perseverance and do not grow weary
God Bless
Keith
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
