De La Mennais Brothers: Making Jesus Christ better known and loved by young people

I've been a fan of Remedy Drive for years. They’re committed to working with anti-trafficking charity The Exodus Road to the point of going undercover to the Far East to help expose criminals + free sex slaves. I love this lockdown version of one of their songs which have formed part of the soundtrack of my time in confinement; Hope's Not Giving Up.

I recently wrote this in response to a Facebook post by friend David Kralik: Faith and hope help us to keep our eyes lifted up to the heavens, even in the darkest of times, as we journey on to the source of all love. And when we meet Him face to face (God willing) those two companions on the journey withdraw, their work complete. All that is left, as you say, is love.  The Beatles got it partially right... 😉🎸  

A lovely prayer for happiness I found here whilst preparing resources for our form teachers: Father, Please help me to rest in your happiness, To allow a smile to linger on my lips, To dwell within a wonderful memory, To walk back through sunlit places. Please help me to awake with hope, To engage with life in all its variety, To take in the beauty of others joys, To touch the souls of those I meet with thankfulness. Please help me to sing with faith, To carry the truth close in my heart always, To rejoice at new life and To have peace as I age. Please help me to indulge in love To breathe in the sweetness of intimacy, To taste the kindness of friendship, To feel the warmth of embrace. Please help me not to miss A single drop of heaven, To catch each moment And drink in the great joy of life. Amen.

Yesterday I received in the post 2 recently published books, one by my sister, Mona Villarrubia (née Hayes) and one by my film mentor, Jean Collet, whose inspiration, influence and friendship lead to me teaching Film Studies after I came back from my 4 years study in Paris from 1995-99. I look forward to reading both in the coming weeks /months.

Thanks to my sister Mona for pointing this wonderful article out to me (see below).... " If y ou take five minutes to marvel, right now, what do you see? What gifts are revealed to you?" Not only can such thinking open our hearts to sensing God's presence in our lives, but you also reap the benefits of positive thinking. "Always look on the bright side of life", as the Monty Python crew so memorably put it. 5 Minutes of Marvel: How to Practice Extreme Awe | Spirituality & Health Magazine : We’re still in that time of year when we challenge ourselves to create new and healthier habits. The newspapers are full of specials for gym memberships and packages of yoga classes. Many of my friends have resolved to work out for 45 minutes a day, or meditate for 15 minutes a day, in the efforts to retrain their brain chemistry and lock in a new pattern of being. As I’ve thought about what I most need and what might provide me with a new boost of energy and hope, ...

Hope is a marvellous thing. I pray for those who have lost all hope, that they may see and never lose sight of the hope-giving signs of God's presence in their lives. "But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." (Isaiah 40:31, NIV) Sent using Bible Promises for iPhone