LET NO DEBT REMAIN OUTSTANDING

Two years ago this month Chris and I were able to pay off our IVA early through the amazing gift of 10,000 being made available to us. After decades of struggling with debt and 39months in the IVA we were girding our loins for the last 2 years and praying it would go quickly. What worried us more than anything was the Redundancy that had been hanging over Chris head for months. We knew if this happened that our IVA would fail and we would have to go bankrupt and we were pretty sure we would lose our home too so it wasn't a great year for us.

When we knew we could pay off the debts early and not have to repay the gift we couldn't believe that God would bless us in this way....we spent most of December 2009 in a daze and until we got the actual certificate of completion in late January we kept thinking something would go wrong. So....for almost 2 years we have been debt free...!! All we have at the moment is 5 more years on our mortgage and when that's done and dusted we will owe no money anywhere.....

In last 2 years we have seen amazing blessing in every aspect of our lives....Yes.. Chris did get made redundant and even after 32 years with the same firm he didn't get a great package...this was because the jolly company went into administration so instead of a lovely big lump sum he was allocated the government maximum of 10,000...and now almost 20 months later we still havent had all of it as the CEO is a pain in the bum ...to put it politely...we have spent almost 1,500 in solicitors fees trying to get it but so far we have only had 6,000....in fact....we have kinda given up on the remaining few quid as the effort and emotional toll isn't worth it...if it ever appears we will be thanking God as it will surely be a major miracle if it does come our way,.LOL

Chris has taken early retirement and is now enjoying a good pension..(so at least his 32 years with the company did some good ) and is working as IT manager for the church 2 days a week. I am continuing to be Matt's PA and after 7 years I still cant believe I get paid for such a great job...Matt is so much a part of our lives and family that it seems weird to get paid. I also childmind a wee boy 2 days per week and have Elisha 3 days a week so Chris and get to share our days with such great kids and get paid for it....God is good.

As we have been able to over last 2 years we have shared our blessing with our family and friends in several different ways as we have been able and been prompted but more than that I have to say that being debt free is also a state of mind. For so long we always felt slightly guilty and ashamed that we hadn't been able to manage our money better and here we are years later with the ability to have money and not spend it!! This is fun...honest...to walk around a shop and come out with nothing is almost as much fun as a spending spree. To send a cheque to our son for no reason other than to bless him and his partner ranks fairly high on the joy scale....to buy Elisha a toy...or help Cat and Nick to decorate a room....to let our live in son off with rent for a month as he is off on hols...all these things are not just monetary blessings...but way more than that...it gives us joy.

Recently I experienced God speaking to me about these words from Romans Ch 13 verse 8

"Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another ...for he who loves his fellow man has fulfilled the law."

I have been very aware this last few months of the "call" to love one another and at times have been stretched in my capacity to keep on loving people at times. I have also been looking at ways I can love people more than the norm...As this year draws to a close I have resolved to ensure I have no debt outstanding...not in the financial realm but in my relationships with others....I have been thinking through the petty disagreements I have had with Chris...and asking God to help me rise above it all and not carry any grudges over into 2012....I have been looking at friendships and working my way through any wrong and selfish thoughts I may have had and asking God to take charge and help me to love others....I am determined that as I celebrate the birth of Jesus and spend time with my family and friends that no debts will remain outstanding in our love for one another...Keeping "short accounts"is going to be my prayer for 2012 and ensuring I have asked for forgiveness if I know I have been hurtful in any way.

I know that some who may read this may have financial debts...may have emotional debts...may have stresses that I may have no understanding off... Being a Christian doesnt mean we dont have major trauma in our lives.... in recent months my closest friend has had a diagnosis of terminal cancer....and I heard this week that a precious young couple lost their first born child.....all these things are difficult to cope with and my prayer for us all is that 2012 will begin with an outpouring of Gods love into your life and that you know His perfect love in every sense. May you know the peace of God that passes all understanding .

For a look at a couple of others experiences have a read of a couple of friends blogs...listed on my page....Home Made Sal and her entry entitled...Extravangance and Ruthies Blog....The Reality of Debt...Two excellent viewpoints...

PEACE......

On Wednesdays I meet with a wee group of friends...we originally began over a year ago studying the Morph bible study....we so enjoyed and benefited from the study..but more than that we enjoyed and benefited from the friendship.. We are all different ages and all different life situations with 15 children between us..(I think ).Its been special to share myself with friends who care about me and I hope I have shown my love and concern for them too.

This year we have decided to read and study a book by Steven Furtick called ...Sun Stand Still...and its been quite different from the more structured study that we did with Morph but has nonetheless challenged us in our faith and our walk with God. Today we met for last time before Christmas and had lunch and chatted about what we were doing over the Festive season. Sandra gave us all a present and this is what prompted me to write this blog entry. It was a very simple gift of a candle . Each if us had a different word written on the candle and my word was ...PEACE.... Sandra had wrapped each the gifts in shiny red paper and tied a red ribbon round that was all curly and pretty and then attached a home made tag with my name written in gold letters. On the bottom Sandra attached a verse of scripture from Isaiah Ch 9 v 6

FOR UNTO US A CHILD IS BORN AND TO US A SON IS GIVEN....AND THE GOVERNMENT WILL BE ON HIS SHOULDER AND HE WILL BE CALLED WONDERFUL COUNSELLOR...MIGHTY GOD..EVERLASTING FATHER ..PRINCE OF PEACE.

A simple gift but chosen and wrapped with Sandra's flare for creativity somehow or other did something in my spirit. When I got home Chris and I ...with the help of Matt and Elisha put up our tree and all the decorations and played Christmas songs and generally had a great time...we then put out the lights and lit the candles and just soaked in the atmosphere of Christmas. I lit Sandra's candle and I had already popped the scripture card beside it and I just felt this amazing warmth surround me as we gazed at our tree and and sat together.

Those of you who know me will perhaps remember that my name actually means PEACE and that I have always been a "peacemaker " Between my children and family and friends I have always sought to bring peace and harmony and I so dislike any tension or conflict so seek at all times to ensure that we all care for and love one another as best as we are able . This last three months I have been involved with several areas of conflict that have caused me some pain and anxiety and I have been praying and asking God to bring me to a place of PEACE....this afternoon I felt God answer that prayer in a very real way...The candle...the gift....the tree...the carols...Elisha and Matt and Chris...all just merged together for a short span of time in the candlelight and God touched my heart with His PEACE....I am grateful beyond words for this gift...Sandra may not have realised as she chose the gift...or wrapped it...or wrote out the words of scripture ..or attached the tag..that it was just what I needed and that it was so much more than "just a Christmas present"...God gives us so much more than "just a Christmas present " There are times when He steps in and makes His presence known in a very tangible way .

My hope and prayer for anyone who reads this is that you will also experience the PEACE of God this Christmas time for yourself...your circumstances...your family..and your friends .

In Honour of Mr Ben Davies

Yesterday I sat through the 7pm meeting at church mesmerised by Ben Davies as he preached through the Christmas Carol..Hark the Herald Angels Sing. Those of us who know Ben will remember this is his all time favourite Carol but as far as I can think back its the first actual "preach" he has made on it. It truly was amazing and if you didn't get to one of the three meetings yesterday then aim for the website and listen on the podcast.

I have been a part of this church for 27 years and Ben led it for decades before handing over the helm to our very own Simon and Catrina Benham and it was through Ben's teaching that both Chris and I became Christians all those years ago. We are so privileged in the church to have Simon and the other leaders who preach to us week in and week out but I confess to still hankering after Ben's preaching. There is something about his character that oozes his passion for Christ....his desire for all of us to know Jesus as our own personal saviour and to be right with God that still stirs me and shakes me to the core every time I listen to him.

With regards to this particular preach on this Carol....I loved Ben's explanations of each of the verses...the history of the actual writing of the Carol... (I didn't know that Wesley had written over 8,000 Hymns )...I waited almost breathlessly to see how he would bring in the Gospel message and he didn't disappoint.!!..The line "God and sinners reconciled " prompted the good news that through Christ... God has reconciled each of us to Him.!! I urge each of you reading this to listen to the podcast as it will also bring the Christmas message alive again .

Ben's style of preaching is sometimes referred to as "hell and fire and damnation"..(not by me...) but in reality it is TRUTH that he speaks and brings the reality of the Gospel straight into our spirits. No pussy footing around for Ben...he doesn't dress it up in pretty words ...he plainly refers to sin and salvation and repentance and reconciliation with no apology.!!.. There have been times over the decades when even though I have taken the steps and become a Christian that I almost want to do it all again as I listen to him speak!!

Ben has charisma....of that there is no doubt...but that seems almost an empty description....you have to see...or hear him to fully understand what I mean. He is physically a small man...I seem to think I may even be taller than him but as he speaks he seems to grow taller....as he walks from side to side...as he moves his head and his arms and makes point after point stand out it can be strangely fearsome. I don't mean that in a scary way and he certainly doesn't frighten people into the Kingdom...it is more that he is standing on the side of righteousness and is ensuring the powers of darkness that God has won the battle.

Ben often refers to himself as he speaks and is honest about his failings and his sin and this in itself helps me to move towards God as I can easily then admit that I too am a bit of mess at times. Over the years Ben has helped us in so many ways...I am not a personal friend of his but through his preaching and teaching both Chris and I have weathered some tough times. Ben's teaching about money has enabled us to finally break the hopelessness of personal debt...his teaching about being a family and parenting has definitely helped us in this respect....his teaching on personal sin and repentance has shown us areas in our lives where we need to get right ..not just with God but with others too.

Finally I write this entry simply to honour Ben.....he isn't perfect...he isn't sinless..I havent placed him on a pedestal and I certainly don't worship him....I simply want to honour a "man of God" . Looking back over my life there have been many people who have influenced me......some of them not great but I can say with absolute certainty that the influence Ben has had on my life has all been for the good. Ben pointed me to God...who through Jesus forgave my sin...showered me with mercy and grace and put my life back together again when at times it seemed as if it was broken forever. I am grateful beyond words for all that Ben has shared with us over the years and even at 72 is still sharing with us...if he was Scottish( argh I hear you cry...as he is as Welsh as they come )..I would say to him.." lang may yer lum reek "

My Grandads a Hero....

Today I have a guest Blogger....for the first time ever and in his debut entry.....Elisha Kent is blogging !!!

Thanks Granny.....I wanted to take the time to tell everyone about my Grandad....lots of people know him as Chris....or Mr Mooney....or your husband....or my mummy's daddy....it all gets very confusing but to me its very simple and easy....

He is MY Grandad....Grandad Mooney....he took over this title on the day I was born ...his daddy was always Grandad Mooney but of course he is now Great Grandad Mooney..so may different ways to describe all this but to me its very simple...

He is My Grandad....Grandad Mooney.... and he is my hero....I know lots of kids have fabby Grandparents but I think my Grandad is amazing ..let me tell you why.

He is really funny...he can make his eyebrows go weird...sort of up and down and wiggly waggly all over the place....
He lets me play with the hairy bits round his nipple.....
He lifts me way up high to the sky.....
He makes the fan turn round so I can touch it....
He lights the candles and helps me to blow it making silly noises....
He claps his hands like a nutter when I do something ordinary like smiling..
He never gets cross with me even when Granny has had enough...
He doesn't shout loud or groan when I am naughty....
He gives me my dummy whenever I want it.....
He offers me choices of food and lets me point at what I want....
He sits me on his knee and talks words that I have no idea what they mean....
He babysits for me whenever he is asked.....
He looks after me overnight ......
He gets up to me in the morning when Granny is still asleep...
He makes a mean Ready Brek and toast....
He splashes me in the bath and blows bubbles.....
He puts me on my new trike and walks all the way up to Sainsbury and back....
He tickles me under the arms and makes me giggle...
He makes a roast dinner and lets me chew on his Yorkshires and throw peas on the floor....
He loves my Granny.....
He sings to me when no-one is around....
He loves Jesus....
He sometimes does a burpy noise out of his mouth and his bottom too....
He gets to be with me a lot cos he doesn't work very much....
He is forever sneaking up on me and saying..peek boo....
He loves my mummy a lot...
He changes the stinkiest of nappies and isn't sick....
He is endlessly patient with me when I am grouchy....
He says he is besotted with me but I don't really know what that means unless it is all of the above....
He has the best laugh ever and tells jokes that are just plain awful....
He takes my picture all the time...
He crawls around the soft play places and takes me out all by himself....
He loves me very much....
He thanks God for me all the time....
He never gets tired of playing with me.....

My Grandad is a hero...I love my Grandad.....