Vic will sit before God, quietly, just being in God’s presence. Me, I aspire to this level of zen, but my personality is different and God not only knows it, but I believe He cherishes the differences because he made those. When I pray, I often don’t even know what I’m going to pray about until I’ve talked for a bit and it’s almost like I’m finding out my deepest concerns as they come out of my mouth! 

We are told that some disciples doubted the risen Jesus, not just Doubting Thomas. Jesus, by appearing to them on the mountain, was expanding their limited earthly horizons. Do we allow Him to do the same? Do we worship Him as His due, or do we doubt Him still?

Next week is Deaf Awareness Week.

Many of us, if not all, in Open Ears are all too aware of hearing loss. Let’s celebrate our community.

God’s open doors are not literal doors that we can walk into as well as go through. Rather they are indications of things he may be setting before us…

Gently and meditatively exploring the Bible book of Psalms together.

The UN’s Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and EU Law stipulate that disabled people have a right to take part in social and cultural life. Hard of Hearing (HoH) people are often overlooked, even though they are the largest group of disabled people in Europe (20%).

Funding from the European Union enabled a team of Disability advocacy groups across Europe to compile a guide for organisations wishing to creat open, accessible, welcoming events for HoH and those with hearing to equally participate.

As we approach the liturgical season of Lent, we are invited to enter into a journey with Jesus which led to His betrayal, arrest and crucifixion at the hands of the Romans two thousand years ago.

Eugene Peterson paraphrases this verse as: ‘I’ve told you these things for a purpose: that my joy might be your joy, and your joy wholly mature.’

Jesus never wasted any of His words.

“Being hard of hearing/deaf is hard, isn’t it? …….Jesus understands.”

Encouragement to pray.

However small we might think our gifts are or however differently we work, each one of us has a vital role to play which God has given us for a very important reason. Even our deafness can be used to help build up God’s

Last week, I had a ‘first’. My first visit to Center Parcs. Those who get the weekly Open Ears Together* email will already know this. You’ll know about my efforts on a tricycle. You’ll know that various family members pushed me up the hills.

For a while I was very confused as to where they had come from but then one morning the squirrel who visits my garden everyday

My grandson, C, who is 11, has just opened his own banking account for which he will be fully responsible. He is very excited about this, very proud of his new bank card.

I felt a real lightness and joy in my spirit.  At the end I tentatively asked Him how He saw my heart.  To my amazement He gave me a picture of a beautiful sapphire in His hand.  It was the deepest blue and shining with light. 

At the start of John chapter eight, we see the Pharisees bringing to Jesus a woman who was caught in the act of adultery. Adultery was a serious sin forbidden by God and written for total clarity on tablets of stone by him stones written by God’s own finger. The Pharisees said ‘Moses’ law said we should stone her, let her be crushed under the weight of the stone of the law, what do you say, Jesus of Nazareth?’

When I moved to Dorset, two of my friends gave me a water dome with a white dove suspended within and the word “Peace” inscribed on the front in golden lettering. What a lovely gift to receive. I still have it on my windowsill.

‘You guys really gotta stop asking athletes what’s next after they win a medal at the Olympics. Let us soak up the moment we’ve worked our whole lives for’

A Thanksgiving service for the life of Julia was held in Wokingham Baptist Chirch.. The service was led by Mr Tony Brown, Chair of Torch Trust for the Blind.