Havergal, that hymnal heroine! - still 5 days to go.

Francis Havergal, the hymn writer, is just awesome!
She’s a definite fusionbabe (if we publish a calendar I will let you know ;o)

Another woman of God that I admire is Claire Burton (she’s the ‘senior’ youth leader in our church). Her passion for God is infectious and I have to admit, I honestly feel stronger in my faith after speaking with her… no matter what it is about!

However, what I don’t admire her for is her emailing etiquette :o)
Let me explain.
She is one of those people who, rather than sending you a fresh email (which isn’t that time consuming surely!), simply replies to and old one that you had sent her. This often results in you receiving very long emails which will no doubt contain lots of unrelated material (although you only realise this after you have attempted to read it all!).

I once more fell foul to this abuse as I opened a recent email from her … but this time it didn’t bother me because there were some mysterious gems hidden deep in all that forwarded material [just above the disclaimer at the end].

It would appear that I sent her an email not long after my birthday last year. For some reason (which I am none the wiser to, being as I have no recollection of ever sending the mail) I had included the following which looks as though I had copied it from my daily Bible notes (probably Our Daily Bread).

It did me good to read it again and so I thank her, on this occasion, for her lapse in emailing etiquette …. but I don’t want anyone else forwarding it on to me OK!

The woman must have had a major chocolate craving! She stopped at a Woolworth's store in London and asked for every Mars bar in stock. She paid cash for the 10,656 chocolate bars. Nobody bothered to ask why she wanted so many, but one person jokingly said, 'Perhaps she has a sweet tooth.'
The Psalmist had a 'sweet tooth' too for something far more healthy than chocolate. He loved the Word of God and found it "sweeter than honey" to his taste (Psalm 119:103).
How can we develop our spiritual tastebuds so that we have a strong craving for the sweetness of God's Word?
Read the Word. It may seem obvious, but you have to read the Word if you're going to learn to love it as the psalmist did. Set aside a few minutes each day and read a passage. Think about the words, their meaning and context. Reflect on the Word. Jot down a verse and carry it with you. Look at it often during the day. Follow the psalmist's example and make it your "meditation all the day" (Psalm 119:97).
Apply the Word. Ask God what He wants you to understand and how to apply it to your life that day. God's Word will give you a 'sweet tooth' and always satisfy it.


“Upon Thy Word I rest, so strong, so sure;
So full of comfort blest, so sweet, so pure,
Thy Word that changest not, that faileth never!
My King, I rest upon Thy Word forever.”
- Frances Havergal

Thank you Claire, you’re a star!