Parents often are all too much occupied with their Smart phones , and children can feel neglected . But when you really listen you would not have to search for loving words in reply .
Following her advice , you would also have to become more courageous and do something nice for strangers . Tell the shop assistant that she was very helpful and give her a smile ; this would also result in a good feeling for you . And if you are getting angry about some slight , don ’ t give in to road rage , or quarrel with the family , but if you do , apologise , and you would be feeling better . Just tell your colleagues something nice , give them encouragement , a compliment , it will become natural . Maybe you would also give another penny to a beggar , at least give him or her a smile . Maybe , best for yourself would be reading a good book , or taking part in a Bible Study . I am sure there will be one at St Oswald ’ s during Lent , which would make you feel better ! And it will include prayer for the community or for people in need , that way you would be following St Augustine . Just try to live differently for those seven weeks !
As for myself , I intent to give up ‘ things ’ for Lent , I will take my shopping trolley and every day I shall put in one thing which I don ’ t need , and at the end of the week wheel the trolley to the charity shop – that might be of benefit to somebody else !
Brigitte Williams
A HOMEOPATHIC CHRISTMAS MIRACLE
In last Sunday ’ s sermon , Lesley-Ann was talking about the different ways in which God talks to all of us all the time ; not in a big Hollywood production style ( think thunder and lightning and booming voice coming from the parted clouds ) or in a “ I-see-the-face-of-Jesus-in-the-seeds-formation-of-a-splitaubergine ” kind of thing , but in our simple everyday life . It is what we usually call “ coincidence ”, “ sixth sense ”, “ serendipity ”; yet , if only we pay attention , sometimes we see how all these little coincidences actually form a pattern . I have had many examples of this in my personal life , so I thought I would share the most recent one .
As you may remember ( possibly because I keep going on about it ), I am a training homeopath and have recently started my practice under supervision . Back in November , my supervisor Gill had suggested I take the case of a seventeen-year old boy we ’ ll call Oliver with severe depression . Gill had been treating him on and off for a few years , but with little success and she now felt that things were reaching a critical point and the best way to deal with it was to re-take the case from scratch . At this point I would like to point out that my supervisor is a respected practitioner with thirty years of experience , yet she felt she had run out of avenues on this case and trusted me enough to let me take over ; no pressure then !
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