God's arms

Hello there folks,
I just want to wish you all a very happy new year. I hope your celebrations on new years eve were fun and safe. I have to say, in Iceland my celebrations were a lot of fun. Safety on the otherhand...well...Jon, Marisa, Lindsey and I nearly got taken out with a firework that fell over and came straight at us! But as we say here in Northern Ireland, "it'll harden ye" i.e. "what doesn't kill you, makes you stronger".

I've not really taken the time so far this year to look back at last year and reflect, which is something I've tended to do in the past. I think part of that is that I don't want to look back at the past year. I mean, there has been a lot of good that has happened but I feel that for me looking back, I will dwell on the bad which will then overshadow the good. I want to try to focus on the good though - I was in America for the first time, I saw such good friends again when I was in America, I got to work a couple of weeks at Capernwray this summer which was such a blessing for me, I got to see the Red Hot Chili Peppers again at the MEN Arena in Manchester with Gary and I finished the year off in a beautiful country with 3 good friends. Those are some huge postives. Some amazing experiences to name but a few.

But I think for me, the way to sum up the past year is with this verse -

"The eternal God is your refuge,
and underneath are the everlasting arms."
- Deuteronomy 33 v 27 (NIV)

I have known this verse so practically, so realistically, so immensely in my life over the past 12 months that for me to ignore this or say anything else about last year without mentioning these verses would be dishonouring to God. I have known what God as my refuge means, I have known what His everlasting arms underneath me feels like and I have known that both He and His arms will never fail, never let me down and never drop me.

I spoke last night at a childrens' meeting in Belfast on this verse. I went to that meeting to thank the children who have been praying for me faithfully ever since I started Bible school and to hear them pray again last night for me was just overwhelming. I updated them on my situation over the past year or so and based it on this verse. The amazing thing was, when I was clearing out my drawers at home, after I knew I was going to speak to them last night, I found a card they had sent me last year. What verse was on it? Yup, Deuteronomy 33 v 27. I took the card with me last night and showed it to them. I honestly cried when I found the card and read the verse afresh.

"The eternal God is your refuge,
and underneath are the everlasting arms."
- Deuteronomy 33 v 27 (NIV)

I hope that no matter what happens in 2007, no matter where you are geographically, no matter who you have around you, no matter what you want to do in life, that you will remember and trust that the eternal God is your place of safety and rest and that His arms that will never, ever, ever drop you are continually below you.