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Hardship. Mali, Syria and Greece – today I cry with you

Hardship. Mali, Syria and Greece – today I cry with you

As I searched the Internet for the latest news pertaining to \'hardship\'. The extent of what \'hardship\' can mean soon unravelled. Here are some recent news items that came up in my search;.

  • Words of comfort for when we've been taken out of our comfort zone

    As we waited for the paramedics to arrive, my daughter clutched my shoulders as she struggled for breath. A very bad reaction to a migraine was having a spiralling effect on her. The instructions from the call centre were to keep her calm. I wanted to cry as I looked at her white frightened, clammy face, but I knew I had to muster every bit of strength in me to calm my distressed child.

  • Poor but happy?

    "They are just so much happier and more faithful than we are" stated a girl in my bible study group last week.

  • The willing vessels

    I am not sure why I am constantly being encouraged by the senior citizens of our time, but I am. I just can't help it. My own four grandparents lived inspiring lives for Christ and when I think about their lives I am regularly motivated and challenged.

  • It's not the dole, it's jobseekers allowance

    It's been an unusual few weeks trying to settle back into life in the UK, for example I've had to start wearing two pairs of socks just to get through the day. But, on a more serious note, as I looked around me at the other faces at the job-centre in Preston, I'm aware that I'm not the only one finding it hard.

  • Luck had nothing to do with it

    I am a huge fan of the Stanford University American football team that play 'College Football' in the USA. They are a top ranked school both academically and on the football field. The 2012 season has just finished, they were one of the team's best for SU in 40 years, and this came as a surprise to journalists and college football analysts, but not to the fans, coaches and players.

  • I'm depressed and I'm a Christian

    Yes, okay, we know the answers (or rather the Answer) to life, hope, job and peace and you would think that it would be an easy fix… however millions of Christians around the world suffer from depression. This dilemma in life is a very real thing and the fact that sin is in this world happens to be the best Christian explanation for depression.

  • Window of Opportunity

    One-third of the 7 billion people on this planet are under the age of 15 – that's 2.3 billion young people. The world's population is becoming increasingly urban and young. So often churches think of teens and young adults in their 20's as the next generation of people to impact the nations for Christ, forgetting that another generation is being born right now!

  • In control

    We all like to think we are in control of the things that happen in our life; it's human nature. We put routines in place, which can give us a sense of control. A colleague of mine proudly declared this week that she 'hates routine', and then was rather reflective as her friend highlighted that she turns up to work at the same time each day, picks up coffee from her favourite café every day on the way in, and loves to eat breakfast at the same time each morning.

  • A Century of Britten

    This year, among many other occasions, marks A Century since the birth of the English composer Benjamin Britten. Although the centenary date isn't until the end of the year numerous organisations have been programming concerts performing many of his much loved works.

  • Music: The wisdom of experience

    Live music is about the experience as much as it is about the sound. If it were just about the sound, then people would be completely fine with staying at home and listening to it by themselves. But it seems even as illegal music downloads strangle the music market; the live music scene has never been stronger.

  • Pornography and masturbation among Christians: lets fight it out loud!

    Slapping the monkey. Visiting Mrs Palmer and her five daughters. Five knuckle shuffle.