Life gardening!
I am not much of a gardener… but I do love flowers, so every year I visit a garden centre, get a few trays of annuals and get my hands dirty planting them out in pots. Usually, I can remember to water them enough, and the tiny amount of time, energy and money I put in rewards me with colourful flowers to brighten up our patio.
Annuals seem fairly simple – stick them in a pot with decent potting compost, keep things watered and that’s all you need to do!
Flower beds and perennials are a lot trickier in my mind. On the one hand, they look after themselves and come up year after year, which is great! However, they also tend to get out of control and take over – and it’s rarely the plants you want to dominate the bed that overwhelm all the others. Our flower beds seem to be particularly favoured by Michaelmas daises, sedge and self-seeding lupins. I have nothing against any of these plants, they are all fine plants in their own way, except for the fact that they swamp and overwhelm everything else!
I suddenly noticed that our lovely rose bush was being smothered by all the stuff around it, and so I had to take the secateurs and cut down some perfectly good lupins and daises to allow the rose to flourish. I discovered many rose blooms, but I hadn’t been able to see them through all the other greenery! As so often happens with gardening, this made me think about the similarity with my own life. It is so easy just to let bits of my life get out of control and swamp me. Sometimes these can be good things in themselves, but if they start to take over, they can prevent better things.
How many amazing things do I miss because I have allowed something average to take all the space?
It is so easy just to let bits of my life get out of control and swamp me. Sometimes these can be good things in themselves, but if they start to take over, they can prevent better things.
Jesus often used farming and gardening illustrations when he was talking. In one of his parables he spoke about how the weeds of life, worries, riches and pleasures, can smother and choke the good seedlings of God’s good life within us. It’s interesting how he had worries and pleasures both as things that can stop fruitful growth – things we see as good as well as things that we recognise are bad.
As we head into the summer, I am hoping for a little space to reflect on the good… average… not so good things that fill my time and take over my life, and maybe get a bit radical with the secateurs! Perhaps you might like to join me in this personal gardening adventure – who knows what good things God might be wanting to grow in my life and yours!
With every blessing
Rev
Jo
Levasier
jo@burphamchurch.org.uk
Church Office: 01483 825533
www.burphamchurch.org.uk
Courage to Rebuild!
Have you made any New Year’s resolutions, are you looking forward to putting 2020 behind you and getting on with life as ‘normal’? Perhaps this year it’s going to be a little more challenging than usual.
The New Year is often an opportunity to start fresh and never have we needed that more than after the year of 2020!
What a difficult year, in so many ways, it has been for so many of us! There lies the problem, that most of us are tired and in need of a good rest. Our aim for 2021 might be simply to be able to keep going in our relationships, keep going mentally or keep going financially.
If we can find that elusive thing, ‘courage’, there is an opportunity ahead of us to build something better in 2021 than what we had before.
I don’t know how you feel about heights, but for those who feel a little cautious, imagine a narrow bridge across a deep valley. You need to cross to the other side, but the bridge is long, it’s a very long way down and you do not feel safe! Somehow you need to find the courage to cross over.
If we can find that elusive thing, ‘courage’, there is an opportunity ahead of us to build something better in 2021 than what we had before. One dictionary definition of courage is: strength in the face of pain or grief. So, the first place we discover courage is in acknowledging our own pain and grief for whatever 2020 brought. We need to be willing to face our troubles and realities, however unfair they might seem.
Very few of us can do that on our own, we need help from those who love us or those professionals who understand how to get people through problems. But asking for help can be difficult! Perhaps that’s the thing we most need courage for in 2021.
As a Christian, I live with the knowledge that God promises to be with me at all times, which brings me extraordinary courage to face whatever life brings. Here is one of God’s promises I am holding onto for 2021:
“Be strong. Take courage. Don’t be intimidated. Don’t give them a second thought because God, your God, is striding ahead of you. He’s right there with you. He won’t let you down; he won’t leave you.”
Deuteronomy 31:6
With every blessing
Rev
James
Levasier
james@burphamchurch.org.uk
Church Office: 01483 825533
www.burphamchurch.org.uk
Big questions
Everybody has them.
And the last eighteen months have perhaps presented us with bigger, more troubling questions than ever before: How could this pandemic have happened? What went wrong? When will things be back to ‘normal’? What does ‘normal’ even mean now?
Quite apart from those of us who are still living with losses from COVID, this week as I write, the world is also reeling from the speed at which the Taliban has taken over Afghanistan, and the devastation caused by another earthquake and huge storm hitting Haiti. Plymouth too, is in mourning from the loss of life in the UK’s worst shooting incident for over a decade. Things look dark. We can be left with so many questions. Are there any answers and where can we find them? Is it even possible to find hope when life seems so fragile? How can I find purpose and happiness? Can there be a loving God in all this mess? I wonder what questions you are left asking? And what do you do with those big questions? Do you have anyone to ask them of?
Over the next couple of months let me encourage you to take advantage of a couple of great opportunities to ask some of those big questions and wrestle with these issues.
Over the next couple of months let me encourage you to take advantage of a couple of great opportunities to ask some of those big questions and wrestle with these issues.
The first is a unique opportunity to get alongside someone a little more experienced than I, in dealing with difficult questions – the Archbishop of Canterbury. Over the weekend of the 25-26th September, Archbishop Justin is going to be visiting our area and hosting a series of Big Questions events, including one at GLive – see ‘What’s on this month’ page 9 or visit burpham-pages.co.uk/whats-on-directory/ This will be a unique opportunity for you to put your questions to the Archbishop of Canterbury and hear him speak on how to find security and hope in uncertain times. Why not join us and bring your Big Questions along?
If your questions or thoughts are of a more personal nature and you are wondering how to process the last eighteen months, share your own story and move on with hope, perhaps you might like to engage with our local Autumn project: A Hope Space in Burpham.
It is our prayer and hope that you will be able to make the most of these opportunities in the next couple of months and that you discover real answers to your questions. As always, if you would like to speak to someone in confidence about your specific issues and questions, we would love to be here for you and connect – please do use our website to contact us, or give us a call on 01483 853023. With every blessing
Rev James & Rev Jo Levasier
With every blessing
Rev James & Rev Jo Levasier
Church Office: 01483 825533
www.burphamchurch.org.uk
Surrey Hills Baby Clothes Library
Saving our planet and helping keep those ££ in your pocket for making memories.
Launched in March 2021, Surrey Hills Baby Clothes Library provides rental of age appropriate boxes of pre-owned baby clothes at a suggested rental of £5 per box (this is just a recommendation, more is always welcome and benefits many more families with young babies) plus a £20 returnable deposit (subject to the condition of the returned clothes).
Who & why?
I am a local mum who wants to share with other families. I want to help make a difference to our planet and keep money in your pockets for making memories. I do this voluntarily and in good faith and all that I ask is that our customers share these values when using our service.
£243 is the average spent on baby clothes in the first year.
[Money Advice Service (2021)]
Clothing available:
- We focus on ages 0-2 years old.
- Boxes are rented with an array of clothing. For example, vest, socks, dresses & leggings.
- Pram suits, shoes and grobags are all available to rent with an additional deposit.
We have had an unbelievable amount of support from the community with clothing donations and currently can not accept any more, however, we are in desperate need of 35litre+ sturdy plastic boxes with lids for our clothing to go into.
70% of our textile waste goes into landfill.
[Common Objective (2021)]
For further information please email us on: surreyhillsbabyclotheslibrary@gmail.com
Eden People wellbeing & spirituality group
Eden People are a local community wellbeing & spirituality group based in the Stoughton area of Guildford. They have over 20 years’ experience of facilitating & running wellbeing spaces & activities around the Guildford area. Some locals may remember their venue at Guilfest and many other community events.
This group look to support people’s mental, emotional, physical and spiritual health through a range of activities accessible to people of all ages, gender or ethnicity; with any, no or some belief or faith basis – everyone is welcome.
The group creates different wellbeing & spirituality activities to bring rest & peace to the body, mind & spirit, and to encourage participants to build self-worth and awareness of their uniqueness & identity.
As we look to come out of restrictions Eden People are here to help support local people’s wellbeing, spirituality & health at this time. They would like to open opportunity for people to engage with them and others through some of the following activities:
- Body Blessing & Positive
- Postures Sessions
- Meditation / Contemplation
- LifeWalks walking group
- Art & Creative workshops
- Dream Interpretation, Insight & Destiny, Encouragement & Healing.
All activities are offered for free or with a donation from participants.
To find out more about Eden People, join their mailing list and current activities
Email: edenpeople@edenpeople.org.uk
Visit: www.edenpeople.org.uk
Text: 07866 247 919
The Fountain Centre
A charity providing vital and much needed support for cancer patients and their carers. St Luke’s Cancer Centre, at the Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust
Can you believe it has been over one whole year since the world stood still? I don’t think any of us could have predicted the way things have gone. Yet, here we are, one year on and the Fountain Centre is still standing. Like many others, it has been a challenge for us to keep our services going. But we can say without doubt and fear of humility – we did it!
Main image: The Fountain Centre in its COVID layout. “We hope to revert back to our comfy sofas in the near future!”
For those who do not know us, the Fountain Centre is a small independent charity situated within St Luke’s Cancer Centre at the Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust in Guildford. This support is offered from diagnosis and beyond to cancer patients and their carers who live within Surrey, West Sussex, and Hampshire. Support is provided through the provision of a Complementary Therapy Service which includes acupuncture, massage, wig service, reflexology, reiki, emotional freedom technique, manual lymphatic drainage and Indian head massage among others. We also have an Emotional Support Service, a Children’s and Family Service and an information service.
Our Children and Family Counselling Service is unique in England, we believe. This team works with those cancer patients who have school age children or younger – currently about 20% of all patients. All of this support is offered with the help of over 100 volunteers who each give us 3 hours of their time per week.
During lockdown we had to close all our face-to-face services. Although our doors had to close, support continued for those who needed it in whatever way we could offer it. Covid offered us a chance to reassess the way we work both for our patients and together. During that time we redeveloped our website, www.fountaincentre.org, to include many new video services and our emotional support team was able to maintain a full counselling and coaching service by phone, Zoom, Skype and Facetime.
“The Fountain Centre is an amazing place, filled with love, compassion and hope. You are all incredible people and help so many people who are dealing with cancer. I’m proud to be involved.”
We have developed a range of resources for patients with on-going physical and psychological side-effects following their treatment. Since April, we have been opening up gradually to welcome those patients coming in for out-patient oncology clinics and radio-therapy, providing any therapies that current social distancing requirements allow. We are responding flexibly and imaginatively to the constant changes of ‘the new normal’ including making necessary environmental changes within the Centre but hope to revert back to our comfy sofas in the near future! We are looking forward enormously to a time when all our volunteers can return to us and we can provide a full range of therapies again.
We depend on the support of local companies and community groups, and generous individuals, to cover our annual costs of over £200k. As with many small charities, the pandemic has hit us hard and we have had to find new ways to raise money and support our patients and their families and we are proud that we have continued to do this. We know the service is so vital to so many. In the words of one of our volunteers “The Fountain Centre is an amazing place, filled with love, compassion and hope. You are all incredible people and help so many people who are dealing with cancer. I’m proud to be involved.”
Should you wish to donate to the Fountain Centre, visit our website www.fountaincentre.org or donate by texting FOUNTAIN to 70085. Every little helps!
Tel: 01483 406618
Email: rsc-tr.fountaincentre@nhs.net
www.fountaincentre.org
Charity Number 1089086
Drain away your problems
Do you ever feel there is a build-up of problems in your life and you would really benefit from a fresh start without just ignoring your reality?
Sadly, I cannot offer you a magic way to solve your problems – although I do believe in a God who can do anything.
More often though, God does not work by removing our problems but moulding us as we face them! I have however, found ways that help me find strength to face the problems and realities that come my way.
Our garden is in a part of Burpham that has a very high water table; that is the water in the ground is close to the surface. The result of this is that parts of the garden are always boggy, even in the summer, and when it rains a lot parts of the garden become pools of water! It is the same with our problems – if they keep building up our lives get boggy, or even flooded, and then it is difficult to have hope or to see a way forward.
The way we dealt with this problem in our garden was to put in what are called land drains. These are pipes which have holes in the sides and are laid just below the lawn surface, allowing water to soak into the pipes and then to be carried away from the lawn to a stormwater drain. These underground land drains are constantly at work draining the water away, so the garden now only gets boggy when it rains very heavily, and even then it does not last long.
Create a regular way to release the anxious thoughts and worries of everyday life so there is no build-up when a ‘storm’ comes!
So, I am suggesting this is a good approach in the rest of our lives too. Creating a regular way to release the anxious thoughts and worries of everyday life so there is no build-up when a ‘storm’ comes! How can we do this? Well, people have different ways including meditation, exercise and reading but they all involve setting real time aside daily. For me as a Christian, I spend time daily in prayer. The real advantage of prayer is that I am speaking to someone (God) who loves me so much He is longing to listen and carry my worries for me.
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanks-giving, present your requests to God.”
Philippians 4:6
Are you starting your new day every morning with love? Where is your love coming from every morning?
With every blessing
Rev
James
Levasier
james@burphamchurch.org.uk
Church Office: 01483 825533
www.burphamchurch.org.uk
Could you be a Home-Start volunteer?
Home-Start Guildford is a family support charity covering the Borough of Guildford.
Our trained, home-visiting volunteers with parenting experience, support families struggling to cope with postnatal depression, mental health, illness/disability of parent or child, multiple births, family breakdown and financial worries.
We are currently recruiting for our Autumn Volunteer Preparation Course which starts in Sept 2021.
Please call the office on 01483 511181 or office@hsguildford.org.uk for further information.
Sacrificial love
I wonder if you are a morning person, who is always full of beans and energy first thing in the morning, ready to face the day. Or are you a night owl who comes alive in the evening and can keep going long into the night. Most of us will be somewhere in between the two extremes!
What I have observed is that those people who start the day with the right attitude seem to get through life much better. I am not really one for life phrases but the one that says, ‘today is the first day of the rest of your life’ is true. However, it does not address how to act in each new day of the rest of our lives! In the last issue we talked about the need to let go of our worries and those things we cannot control and drain away the rubbish. But perhaps the most powerful thing we can start each morning with is forgiving sacrificial love. Parents learn to start every morning with new love, day after day, for their children. Our life partners and perhaps friends, can be harder to start each morning with fresh love, particularly a sacrificial kind!
Sacrificial love means a love that costs us and is not always returned to us. I understand that is hard and sometimes impossible to find this kind of love to give away every morning. Indeed, in order to give love away, we need to receive love from somewhere. That is generally from our family and friends, but they can fail too. Our danger is then to look in the wrong place for love. While this too is understandable it still often leaves us empty.
Sacrificial love means a love that costs us and is not always returned to us.
While I understand not everyone shares my faith in God, God is my place to go for love each and every morning, because He promises that His love is unlimited and always available to everyone who seeks and knows Him. The Bible says this:
“God’s loyal love couldn’t have run out, his merciful love couldn’t have dried up. They’re created new every morning.”
Lamentations 3:22-24
Are you starting your new day every morning with love? Where is your love coming from every morning?
With every blessing
Rev
James
&
Rev
Jo
Levasier
james@burphamchurch.org.uk
Church Office: 01483 825533
www.burphamchurch.org.uk
Pound the pavements for Sight for Surrey
Did you miss out on a place for this year’s London marathon again? If so, do not fear, Sight for Surrey has 4 places up for grabs at this year’s virtual race on Sunday 3rd October 2021, when 50,000 runners will have the chance to be part of the biggest marathon ever staged anywhere in the world!
Runners have 24 hours to complete the virtual race at their pace, wherever and whenever they want on Sunday 3rd October. A special Virgin Money London Marathon app records your run every step of the way shouting words of encouragement to keep you motivated and on track. To be part of record breaking history and secure your place in this life changing race, email fundraising@sightforsurrey.org.uk All you need to do is commit to raising a minimum of £200 and pay a £28 entry fee to secure your place (+ £10 if you live outside the UK).
All registered participants to the 2021 virtual race will receive their Virgin Money London Marathon running number to proudly display whilst pounding the pavements. Whilst all official finishers will receive their coveted finisher medal and T-shirt post event. Runners in the virtual event will join a record 50,000 participants who will run the traditional marathon event from Blackheath to The Mall.
The Virgin Money London Marathon fundraising pages are integrated with Strava, music to a runner’s ears, and YouTube, and will contain many new features.
Sight for Surrey support people across Surrey who are blind, vision impaired, Deaf, hard of hearing and deafblind and the virtual London Marathon is an opportunity for the charity to raise much needed funds for the charity after the loss of all their fundraising events due to the Coronavirus. Money raised will help support more people with a sensory loss, empowering them to lead independent lives.
The first virtual Virgin Money London Marathon last year was phenomenally successful when 37,966 runners took part from all corners of the globe, earning it the Guinness World Record Breaker title of ‘The most users to run a remote marathon in 24 hours’.
