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Looking for "something" finding "nothing" gaining "everything".

That basically is my life in a nutshell!

I didn't have the best childhood but on the whole I was loved, and my needs supplied. Unfortunately this was more my mum’s doing, due to my dad serving in the Navy, his troubled health and a few other battles he was dealing with. Though at times actions didn't always show love, I knew I was loved but often I found myself searching for more.

A very "colourful" adolescence I had, and as I look back now, I see that as all part of the searching. At just 15 yrs God brought into my life the first person who would be joining me on such an amazing journey.

Nigel even 21 years ago had something very different about him, now I see that as being Jesus!

He was far from perfect and though wasn't following the Christian values he now would have wished, he was still attending church. After three weeks of being together Nigel invited me along to a Sunday morning service at Prettygate Baptist Church. I have to admit as far as dates go it didn't really thrill me but Nigel had already disclosed his family history of regular church attendance and his keenness to read the Bible.

Church was ok, very friendly people. Some even now, I remember from the first time I walked in, seemed to take a added interest in me. Amazingly looking back at those frequent visits over a two month period my memories are not of the music or the sermon, they very prominently are of the people who stood out and showed a love to me that replicated that love Jesus had for them. If only I had seen this at the time!

After leaving school I attended the college where I now work, to study towards becoming a beauty therapist. After qualifying I was asked to join the college and work towards becoming a tutor on the programme. This was when God brought the second person into my life who was going to share this amazing journey I was on.

Michelle became over the next few years the best friend a person could have in so many ways. Being six years my senior she had such an amazing influence on my life. She was full of so much wisdom that in many ways has shaped my life today.

Over time and as part of my searching we delved into the now seen as the darker side of life (the occult).

Spiritualism took hold and seemed so exciting. Having realised I had the ability to hook up and receive messages from past spirits I decided this was the way forward in life. I went on to train in reiki as an enhancement to the holistic therapies I was now practicing. This was all about using guardian angels as a power for healing, healing that we could use on ourselves and others. The healing on others commenced immediately, but I didn't need the healing, I just enjoyed the concept of communicating with the afterlife.

Nigel true to his faith remained against this, and refused to have any part. Every evening he would read his Bible and I would mock him and more often than not challenge him with regards to his faith. I struggled to see God in this world and as I looked at the world and the mess it was in, I declined to accept that amidst all of this there was a loving God, who longed to heal me and this world if only we would choose Him.

As I'm sure you can imagine these dangerous ways did not bring me the fulfilment I was seeking, only dis"comfort" and dis"ease" in my relationship with Nigel. After two further years of searching I had found "nothing".

Three years after Sarah was born I agreed that church would be great for Sarah, after all they taught some good morals! Nigel and Sarah would go off to church every Sunday, whilst Abigail and I would remain home. Not a weekend would go by without Nigel and I coming to blows over me coming along to church. Eventually I gave in and accompanied Nigel and Sarah to a local church they had been attending. After my first visit to the church I felt very uncomfortable with some of the ways and experiences I had been exposed to but I agreed to try again. I remember Nigel asking me at this point what had changed and my response was "I guess if these morals are good enough for our children then I should also be prepared to learn them".

My discomfort at this local church remained still very uncomfortable, so Nigel, in a bid to find me a place I was happy and comfortable, suggested Stanway Evangelical Church.

As in the same way as my very first experience of church with Nigel, Stanway felt very different to the spiritualist church I had attended or even the latter church Nigel had agreed to leave in a bid to find me somewhere I was comfortable. There was so much love at Stanway and I don't think I had ever been somewhere and made to feel so welcome. I just want to say a huge Thank You to all of you who eight and a half years ago took the time to spend with us and make us so welcome. Your love became the start of my journey to faith.

After a year of meeting at Stanway I realised through some fantastic teaching and amazing witness that I needed Jesus in my life. I specifically remember the times I spent listening to God minister through our own pastor and how he loved his God.

I remember thinking this is more than just a job to him and his ways, his joy and his abundance in love towards his God became the reality of what I was searching for. Through Eric and the love for his Heavenly Father, I knew this was the love that I needed to bring about healing in my life.

Finally I took what would become the first step of my new life and repented of all my sin and invited Jesus into my heart.   I became born again! I had a longing and a desire to learn more about my Spiritual Father and for my life to change. Instantly, looking back my heart changed the very evening that Jesus had entered it.

"Finding Everything"

The hardest thing I ever had to do after finding Jesus was to express my love to my earthly father. This wasn't something I had ever prior to my conversion had a desire to do. However, I knew as part of my healing I had to do this as Jesus had planted this longing in my heart. I decide that face to face was a step too far, so I decided to send my dad a card. It was very basic but the hardest thing I ever did. It simply said "I love you".

From the moment I wrote that card my life changed and a healing began. My relationship now with my dad is good and sometimes we even laugh about how similar we are.

I had found everything. I have newness of life and a hope for the future, I feel content with my all and am truly blessed to be able to serve, talk and pray frequently with my husband and my beautiful girls that I truly adore.

"So what's next"

A verse from the Bible which encourages me daily is:I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.(Philippians 4:13, NIV)

And that is exactly what God does on a daily basis. God has blessed Nigel and I with gifts that we can use to serve him. You will often hear us say "we would rather be busy satisfying God’s desires than busying ourselves with our own"

We will continue to pray for God’s will in our life and for guidance and certainty in all we do.

God Bless  Mandy

To all who

Pay tax

Think Gift Aid

It is easy to give as you please with no fixed amount and the  Church receives extra money.

See Keith Groom

My Testimony

by Mandy Drew

Humility: True Greatness

By C J Mahaney

Very rarely do I read a book that has as much of an impact on my life as this one did. This book is one that every Christian should read at some point in their walk with God. The book is written by an American pastor who does not profess to be humble but asks the reader to walk with him on this journey towards it. In it you will find scripture of humility expounded and daily application methods given. It will challenge every aspect of pride within and encourage you to achieve what true greatness really is. The book is easy to read and thoroughly addictive, lifting your spirit more and more each page. For those looking for a book that will encourage you, challenge you yet not confuse you, this is the one.

THIS BOOK WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE   

Click to download a full PDF copy of the

Lighthouse

Book Reviews

A Christian women's conference is a popular venue for religious women who want to strengthen their faith. At these extended meetings, women learn more about scripture and hear motivating stories from other women who have overcome various obstacles and life challenges. Women at these events meet other women of Christian faith and often make friends from different areas of the country.  And this is why a group of women from Stanway Evangelical attended the yearly Christian Women’s Convention at Sizewell.

It is a Christian conference which aims to enable Christian women to take time out to rest and reconnect with God, their calling and each other in order to be revived in their faith. The theme for the weekend was on stones – as Milestones, Markers and Memorials (Hebrews Chp 12 vrs 1-13 and Psalm 118).  Our speakers for the weekend were Pam Harvey and Mary Rush.

Their teachings were about how we considered the different ‘stones’ in our lives, whether we saw them as stepping stones or stumbling stones.  There was good teaching and time to relax and have fellowship with friends, old and new.  It was also a weekend of gentle rediscovery and renewal where the presence of God was so readily felt and experienced.

Seven ladies on the trip (Angela, Barbara, Judy, Mandy, Marion, Monica, Ruth) are veterans of Sizewell and Stella joined them for the first time this year.  As usual we shared cars to Sizewell – thank you Mandy and Ruth for ferrying us all there and back safely! We arrived just after 6pm and joined everyone for dinner in the huge dining hall.  There were 98 of us staying the weekend! Praise the Lord! Later in the evening, after dinner we had our welcome session.  There were 4 sessions in total over the weekend.  In between these sessions we (the Stanway group) managed to get together for a chat and also take a long walk along the beach to Thorpeness.  Fortunately, there was a cuppa and cake waiting for us there, but we still had to do the journey back to Sizewell.  We somehow managed to make it back in time for session two at 5pm!  Well done ladies.

It was lovely to get together as a group and share heart-warming stories as well as get to know each other better. During the weekend Monica and Stella wanted to inject a bit of extra fun, so swapped their name badges, as they believed they looked so much alike no one could tell the difference, even confusing those who already knew who Monica was.  When they found out, they shared in the joke as well.

It was all the more of a special weekend as Monica’s second grandchild (James) was born on the Saturday we were away.  This meant Monica had to leave us rather early on Sunday morning to meet the new arrival to her family. It was wonderful and heart-warming to be part of such a joyful and invigorating group!We thank all those past and present women who work so hard to show the love of Christ to everyone, old or young.

For me (Stella) Sizewell rocks forever, once you go there you never want to leave and when you do leave you can feel God inside you lifting you up to do greater things.  It is such an amazing place that is just overflowing with beauty. People (and God!) fill it with love and I felt so much closer to God.  Thank you ladies for a great weekend, fellowship blessings and lots of laughs!

Sizewell Hall is that, “Special place by the sea“, “An environment for God’s work“.

One thing we brought back to share with our fellowship (as is our responsibility) is entitled ‘Stones of Worship and Witness’.  We all need to:

1. Look Back – we need to remember God’s blessings with thanksgiving

2. Look in – recognise our need of God’s forgiveness and guidance

3. Look up – renew our trust in God

4. Look on – ready for all God has for us

5. Look forward – rejoice; we shall see the Lord

Future Conventions

If anyone would also like to come to Sizewell next year, please talk to Judy by September at the latest.  This is when bookings are taken, and demand for places often exceeds Sizewell’s capacity.

Women for Christ also hold other events during the year, at different venues. Please see Church notice board for details.

By Stella David & Monica Addison

Women for Christ, Sizewell Hall

28th - 30th January 2011

The Daily Walk

“Walk thru the Bible”

‘The Daily Walk’ from Walk thru the Bible is a great daily study Bible. The scriptures are broken up into daily ‘chunks’ which are quick and easy to read. Each day starts off with a thought for the day, some insight into the passages being read and other information to focus your mind on what you are about to read. It is a New Living Translation which is easy to read on a regular basis. This is a great tool for daily Bible study and provides an easy yet effective way of reading the whole Bible in a year

We have several copies of this in the vestry should anyone wish to read one.   

The Dell Update

At our morning service on January 16th, 2011 the land behind the Chapel known as The Dell was dedicated to the Lord in prayer by Pastor Eric Blowes.

On Tuesday January 18th a small group of us cleared the ground of rubbish in readiness for the contractors to come in and create a ramp into The Dell. The next phase is the construction of a boundary fence.

Christians Against Poverty Course

In December I attended the first CAP course to be held in our Church.

I really did not know what to expect. My husband Eric has always been on at me to bring my desire to spend money under control!!! So I thought this might help me.

We were introduced to the team who would be our coaches and heard a little about the scheme and how the evening would progress. We were told the founder was a Christian and this formed the basis of all he did and we were lead in a short Prayer to start.

We then watched a DVD where the founder of the scheme spoke of how the course came about. We then heard from others how the course had really changed their lives and the way they deal with their money.

After a cup of coffee it was time to talk about what we had seen and to be given some home work, this would form the pattern over the next two weeks.

I personally have been blessed with a husband who has always seen to our money and kept a record of what comes in and what goes out, and I had amazing parents who taught me many things, but controlling money was not one of them, so this course I found was great for me to understand the need to keep control and learn a system that has worked for so many others.

If you have never had problems with money be thankful, but there are many who do have problems with money and this course will benefit them. You might feel you do not want people knowing your personal finances but you only tell the coaches as much as you want to, they have experts a phone call away they can hand you over to if you have some serious financial worries.

I personally recommend this course to anyone who like me just needs to be pointed in the right direction regarding budgeting or if you have got some serious money worries you do not have to face them alone, there are people waiting to help you through.

Judy Blowes