Tag Archives: Story

Extra, Extra! Read all about it!

By Posted in Five minute Friday Challenge, Monthly Gratitude Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , 2 Comments
BERJAYA

FMF: Extra.

Extra! Extra! Read all about it!

Read about what?

What is so amazing and worth reading about?

Good News is what is worth reading.

Your story is worth reading.

The work of God in our lives is good news worth reading.

I am sometimes tempted to think that these thanksgiving blogs are a bit dull to others – just a list of gratitudes – a bit like the acknowledgments in a book maybe?

But to me, who has prayed over so many things each day, every time I see my prayers answered, it is a miracle to celebrate in my life.

It is good news. It is answered prayer.

It is my testimony. It is the miraculous.

My testimony is the most EXTRA-exciting story that I can tell. It is undeniably true!

(This pre-amble is the five-minute bit, the gratitude list I just wrote first.)

Thanksgiving for answered prayer in March and April

In March I thank God for answering my prayers, in particular for:

For a blessed 60 years of life – 48 of them knowing my God is for me.

For all the friends who wished me well and came to celebrate with me with love and generosity.

That there was enough soup and cake for everyone.

That S could come to celebrate with us and for her safe flights and good connections.

That her battery and Sat Nav both worked.

For answering my questions about ashes and fasting.

For the blessed intensive ministry in Northampton and for mending my heart.

For your provision, miracles and the heart-lesson You taught me over the puncture.

For all those who kindly stepped in to help me.

For dreams, visions and words of knowledge – for all the gifts of Your spirit!

For C coming alongside me and helping me break off all attachments that were not from You Lord.

That P died well, at home and at peace.

For protecting C and Z on their long trip.

For J and L’s new apartment.

For the visions for the shop and community.

For healing C’s breathing

For protecting L and A and restoring them safely.

For the healing work You did in E, C and C this month.

For the opportunity to see Van Morrison with C.

That the sale of the house finally went through and that burden is removed.

That folk requested more Christian songs with the toddler group.

For teaching me how to say ‘No’ when necessary.

For the precious opportunities to spend time with the grandkids and to sort them out with accessories for the wedding.

For exposing and bringing to the cross my sinful judgments and bitter expectations.

For expanding my ‘tent’.

For bringing us all safely to and from Comrie Croft (long car journey) and for an amazing homely break with family and friends, to celebrate the love and marriage of S and O.

That we got to catch up with other family on the way.

For blessing their marriage union.

For the honour of being at P’s funeral to celebrate the life of that beautiful, much-loved soul.

BERJAYA
Mother of the Bride with my handsome sons.

In April I thank You for answering my prayers, in particular:

For finding me a way to finish off the vegetable patch and to plant seeds for a harvest.

For the wherewithal to get the bike serviced and a new wheel and chain.

For guidance in how to invest time wisely.

For the transformational work You did in K and J this weekend, and in all of us!

That finally being observed didn’t stress me!

For all the Easter cards You let me write and give/send.

That I could fully partake in the Easter Triduum, the Walk of Witness, and still have lots of time with family.

For giving me inspiration and persistence to complete the 30 days of poems for April’s NaPoWriMo.

For a real sense of evangelism and unity this Easter in Nottingham.

For R’s opportunity to work away from home and spread his wings.

For protecting Your church throughout the world over the Easter weekend.

For helping me to decide and to plan the trip to Romania.

For birthday blessings and fun for S and E and for inspiring a lovely meal out.

For continuing to work healing and steps to freedom in my heart.

For this amazing journey of abundant life with You.

For C’s love, time, commitment and generosity towards me and Your work.

For reminding me to collect my train tickets in advance and to check in online that morning.

For a good and safe journey to Sighisoara.

Thank You Lord for the miracle of each new day for 60 years.

Thank You that You communicate with me, love me, guide me, protect me, heal me and generously pour out Your blessings of grace, hope and love all over me every day.

I am blessed indeed!

His-Story or Mine?

By Posted in Five minute Friday Challenge Tagged , , , , , , , , , 3 Comments
BERJAYA

I love a good story. The best stories for me are true stories.

If you sit and tell me your story, or you write it in a letter, a blog, a book or have a film made of it, I am more than interested. I am interested in people – in all of us and how and why we think and act the way we do.

In films and books I especially love historical fiction. I like the idea of learning more about a time/place/person, whilst being fully engaged in a gripping story.

To me the historical accuracy does not depend solely on the fraction of details, but on conveying the zeitgeist and truth about the human condition in that time period and for that story.

When I wrote ‘Lost Down Memory Lane’, I was aware that I was writing our story (mainly about my mother and I, but obviously including all of my family), but writing it from my perspective. Had my sister, aunt, mum, dad, son, or friend written the story of the events I describe, the story may have been so different in emphasis as to be hardly recognised as the same story.

But in a very real way, my family history is my history and part of my story. The history of the UK is my history and my story. The history of humankind is my history and my story. We are individuals, but corporate.

So whether it is my-story or our-story, your-story or their-story, her-story or his-story, the variable factor is the person telling the story – the author, or narrator – and our unique perspective.

That is one of the things I love about the Bible. The Bible is God’s Story and His people’s story. It is their-story, our-story and truly His-Story.

God is the author, though those chosen to pen the story for God and for us, had their own perspectives. Hence we read about King David in so many books – in Kings, in Samuel, in Psalms, in Chronicles – all with a different emphasis and all of them true. The same in the Gospels accounts of the life of Jesus – each of the gospel writers had a different approach and a different audience in mind. But all of it is true.

My-story is also true, from my perspective, but true.

My story is also His-story.

Your-story is His-story.

For the children of Father God, He is the author and perfecter of our faith, as well as the author of our stories.

I want to play the role designed and written for me by my God.

We are all part of the corporate human-story and history, all part of His-story.

What an epic story!!!!

Most Fridays, I join an online Christian writing community, Five Minute Friday. We are given a one-word prompt and write – unscripted, unedited, pure free-write – for 5 minutes. The prompt this week is HISTORY

I do read through my script afterwards to correct my mistakes; to check scripture references and to find an appropriate image to illustrate the topic.

To read other FMF posts on this subject click BELOW.

Join the link-up and read other posts here​

Day 17: The Power of Love, or Barcarolle

By Posted in napowrimo, Poetry Tagged , , , , , , Leave a comment

Day 17

NaPoWriMo: Optional prompt for the day. Today, we’d like to challenge you to write a poem that is inspired by a piece of music, and that shares its title with that piece of music.

This poem went a bit to the winds.

I began thinking of the song ‘The Power of Love’, a Song by Frankie Goes To Hollywood.

Then I thought of the song, and the film, ‘When a Man Loves a Woman’ – the song originally by Percy Sledge and the film (1994) Directed by Luis Mandoki and starring Andy Garcia and Meg Ryan, as a recovering alcoholic.

That film is meaningful to me, but then I thought of one of my all-time favourite films – ‘Life is Beautiful’ and began to rock to the romantic melody of Barcarolle (by Jacques Offenbach) . ‘Life is Beautiful’ is a 1997 Italian comedy-drama film directed by and starring Roberto Benigni.

So here goes.

The Power of Love, or Barcarolle

‘The Power of Love

a force from above‘

aren’t all songs written

about love?

Doesn’t all love hail

from above?

There’s a song with a power

and a pathos and story –

‘When a Man loves a Woman‘

is a song that I knew

and a film that I saw;

and love won.

So many songs about romantic love,

familial love,

sacrificial, powerful love.

The songs are stories.

The stories are true.

Love is true.

The most powerful love in a story I know,

in a song and a film,

of a man and woman and son,

is the story of Guido.

Guido is true;

His story is true.

Guido knew that Life is Beautiful,

so he was beautiful

and he saw that she was beautiful.

They saw the opera one night –

Imagine the gondoliers

movements strong and movements weak

like human hearts.

Her heart was moved

her soul transfixed

and spellbound by Barcarolle.

And he loved her and wooed her

His love was true.

Their life was built on love

and they bore a beautiful son.

Life was changing,

It is always changing,

but the music didn’t.

War persuaded people to fight the enemy

though they didn’t know who they were.

In a concentration camp,

Guido’s love,

for his son and his lady, and life,

empowered his all –

the best of humanity to take a selfless risk;

Then, out of the relentless despair

Love sways through the night,

sweeps into the lifeless bricks

where she waits

and breathes it’s stringed melody of love,

expanding the air with hope,

strengthening courage;

perseverance rekindled.

Imagine the gondoliers

movements strong and movements weak

like human hearts –

Her heart was moved

her soul transfixed

Love is empowered

Love communicated in the pit.

To live, or not to die,

to forego the jam sandwiches,

persevere in love

and win the competition;

Yes,

Love won a tank!

Love always wins.

Love never fails.

BERJAYA
an image of Guido, wife and son from the film

This is my story, this is my song…

By Posted in Five minute Friday Challenge Tagged , , , , , 6 Comments

FMF:STORY

BERJAYA
notepad, felt-tips and glasses with hand-written words – This is my story

Do you know this song?

This is my story,

This is my song,

Praising my Saviour, all the day long…

There is one big story – the story of the God who created the world and all that is in it and saw that it was good.

The God who so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him will have eternal life.

The creation story and the redemption story is the story of the Bible – It is the Gospel.

Likewise we each have a story, the story of our creation, our response to it, and our redemption.

This is my story. This is my testimony – what I have seen, heard, experienced and witnessed.

My story is my truth and my witness of praise to my Saviour.

It always strikes me how St Paul loved to tell his story over and over.

He spoke only about how he was the greatest of sinners, but God…

He spoke of his journey on the road to Damascus and how Jesus spake, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?’

This was his story, his testimony. It was therefore his way of presenting the gospel.

Read and ponder how St Paul tells the Gospel through his story.

(You will find it in Acts 9 and again in Acts 22.)

Ask Jesus what the nuggets of your story are? What He wants you to share?

Which parts most give glory to Him, the Saviour? Ask Him,

What is my story, my testimony, my song of praise to my Saviour and God?

Then share this for His glory.

Every Friday, I join an online Christian writing community, Five Minute Friday. We are given a one-word prompt and write – unscripted, unedited, pure free-write – for 5 minutes. The prompt this week is: STORY.

Actually, I do read through my script afterwards to correct my mistakes, underlined in red; to check scripture references and to find an appropriate image to illustrate the topic.

http://fiveminutefriday.com/linkup .