'One for One'

I AM A BIG FAN OF TOMS. Blake Mycoskie started off a movement that is extremely clever and worth-while. He came up with the idea of 'one for one', which means that for every shoe sold they would give a pair of shoes to a child that needs shoes. Why shoes you may ask? So many children across the world are at risk from injury, infection and soil transmitted diseases because their feet aren't protected. Some children can't go to school unless they wear shoes and if they can't go to school then this doesn't give them or their community a lot of hope for the future. Also, many children in less-developed countries have to walk for miles everyday.. imagine doing that without any shoes on! There has been over 1,000,000 smiles across the globe as TOMS gave shoes to those that needed them because people that could afford to buy shoes purchased them from TOMS. This is my third pair of TOMS shoes and I don't regret a single penny. There are lots of different designs to choose from and they are rather comfy to wear. So next time you are thinking about buying a new pair of shoes, why not buy a pair of TOMS..you may just save a child's life :)

TOMS video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Evbs3ilpqwU#!

TOMS UK website:

http://www.toms.co.uk/

TOMS America website:

http://www.toms.com/

Chosen not rejected

For a while now, I have been reading John Ortberg's book 'Love Beyond Reason' which is a book that aims to help you to move God's love from your head to your heart. A chapter I read today switched on a light in my soul and I wanted to share my revelations with you. The main theme of the chapter displays the idea that to be loved by God is to be chosen by Him. Being chosen means four factors in today's world:

1. I am seen as unique

2. I am seen as someone who has something to contribute

3. Somebody wants me

4. I am superior to someone else

The first three were apart of God's plan but the last was definitely not, in fact it was the opposite.

When God chose me, that action is meant to augment others not make them feel inferior leading to deadly envy. We are missing out on a huge joy when we are jealous of our brother's and sister's joy of being chosen instead of rejoicing with them. We are all chosen and God lovingly chooses every son and daughter with immeasurable uniqueness. This means that there is no need to compare ourselves against one another, which would of resulted in us struggling to love one other. We are not chosen at the expense of someone else. No one is rejected or alone. We are all God's beloved.

Thank you Almighty God for loving us and choosing us each uniquely. I love and praise You for that. x

Peace

'One very wet and windy Autumn morning I was looking at the garden out of my kitchen window. The rain was teeming down and the Silver Birch tree was taking a real battering from the gales.

As I looked, I noticed on the bottom branch, right against the trunk of the tree, a little dove sitting calmly and peacefully, waiting out the storm. It was totally undisturbed by it's uncomfortable, noisy and chaotic surroundings.

A lovely truth came to my mind. It is possible to have complete peace and calm in our hearts, even in the middle of the turmoil and storms of life.

That little dove had settled on the strongest part of the branch - next to the trunk, and was perfectly safe.

God has promised that He will keep us in perfect peace if our hearts and minds are trusting in Him.'

This was put in a card from a friend to encourage me as I went back to teaching after being ill. In the midst of the uncomfortable, noisy and chaotic surroundings, I can say that God has been giving me a peace beyond understanding and I'm just waiting out the storm, until my placement is over.