Category Archives: Carole Rawley

What Drought?

Posted on May 16, 2012 by Lanie| 3 Comments

By Carole Rawley

A few weeks ago the UK government announced that as a country we were in a state of drought! Ironically, as soon as this was broadcast the heavens opened and we have been experiencing a continuous downpour ever since (with little breaks of sunshine in between). As I write this post, I am looking out onto my lush green garden full of colourful flowers, which have all benefitted from the heavenly watering!  But even with this ‘answer’, I have heard lots of complaints about the rain!!

I am reading through the book of Numbers at the moment and have been struck by how many times the Israelites complained to Moses:

‘Now there was no water for the community, and the people gathered in opposition to Moses and Aaron. They quarreled with Moses and said, “If only we had died when our brothers fell dead before the Lord! Why did you bring the Lord’s community into this wilderness, that we and our livestock should die here? Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to this terrible place? It has no grain or figs, grapevines or pomegranates. And there is no water to drink!”

 Numbers 20:2-5 (NIV)

 

For them, there was no rain! No rain in a desert is a scary thought!! But as we continue to read throughout the history of the Israelites, God provided for their needs over and over again.

I’ve been examining my own heart to check if I’m also like this sometimes. There have been many times of need in my life where I have needed Gods’ provision; physical healing, emotional strength, financial provision, spiritual refreshment…. the list goes on.

Sometimes I have been full of faith and at other times felt weak and helpless. When we don’t see God’s immediate provision, does it mean we start to trust Him less? Do we forget about his past provision for our needs in the light of the looming present day ones?

All I can say is that God is FAITHFUL. One of his names is Jehovah Jireh, our Provider.  

 

‘Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.’

Hebrews 13:8 (NIV)

 

That means He never changes!

So whatever you’re crying out to God for today, remember there are no droughts in heaven and that He promises to be our Provider. He has no shortage of faith, strength or power. We are His children. Let’s continue to trust our Heavenly Father.

 

 

You might also like:

→ 3 Comments

Posted in Carole Rawley

Tagged , , , ,

Not Crowded Out!

Posted on April 25, 2012 by Lanie| 2 Comments

Have you ever been in a crowded place? I have been many times!

Last summer we went to watch our son and daughter compete in the London Triathlon and the crowds jostled for the best spot to watch the event. I’ve also experienced crushing crowds in the London Underground at rush hour when you can hardly move! Not a comfortable feeling!

Jesus was used to crowds. Throughout the gospels we see accounts of the crowds following him everywhere, eager to hear what he had to say. We even hear of Zacchaeus climbing a tree in order to see Jesus in the crowd.

The other day I was re-reading a very familiar story of a woman who was healed in the midst of the crowds!

 

Luke 8: 42-47

 As Jesus was on his way, the crowds almost crushed him.  And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years, but no one could heal her.  She came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped.

“Who touched me?” Jesus asked.

When they all denied it, Peter said, “Master, the people are crowding and pressing against you.”

But Jesus said, “Someone touched me; I know that power has gone out from me.”

Then the woman, seeing that she could not go unnoticed, came trembling and fell at his feet. In the presence of all the people, she told why she had touched him and how she had been instantly healed.

 

For this woman, the miracle transformed her life and it restored her back into community life. According to Jewish law, a woman who was bleeding was ceremonially unclean, and as such was not touched. In her touching Jesus and being healed she was made clean. And he healed her in the midst of the crowd.

We lead very crowded lives. They are filled with work, looking after our homes, bringing up children, studying and exams, friends and family etc. Jesus sees us, hears us and knows where we are. And he asks us to reach out and touch him right in the middle of our busyness and pressure. He wants us to know, not only his healing power but his overwhelming love for us. Jesus tenderly asked who had touched him in the crowd. He wanted her to know his love and approval of her seeking him out.

So let’s take a moment in our day whether sitting at our office desk wrestling with a deadline, driving in the car to yet another appointment, or standing once again in the grocery queue (line), to reach out to Jesus. He wants us to know His touch in our lives. It brings peace, healing and joy.

And next time you’re in a large crowd, take a moment to remember this woman and how Jesus transformed her life forever. And that He does the same for us today!

 

You might also like:

→ 2 Comments

Posted in Carole Rawley

Tagged , , ,

Changing Seasons

Posted on March 19, 2012 by Lanie| 4 Comments

By Carole Rawley

My four children are all in their twenties; two of them married, one engaged and one single!! When they were young I remember many older mothers telling me to enjoy being a mum as the time would fly by! At the time I had no comprehension of what they meant by this, being caught up in an endless round of shopping, cleaning, cooking, washing, taxiing and homework!!

But they were right! In September of last year, I waved my youngest off to University and came home to an empty house. These past few months have been very strange. It is the first time in 28 years that I haven’t had to think about doing something for them. I have thought about them a lot – but it’s different to having to look after them.

My role in their lives has been changing for a while. Through the teen years I was very conscious of allowing them space to make their own decisions and take responsibility for themselves, to become a listener, supporter and guide rather than the full-on decision maker role which hallmarks the younger years.

But even so, this does not prepare you for a completely empty house!

It’s highlighted a big question for me :

 

How well do I adjust to change?

 

The Bible talks about changing seasons in Ecclesiastes.

“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven.”

 Ecclesiastes .3:1

 

It goes on to list many examples of different ‘times’ that we face.

I know we all face changing season in our lives, whether natural ones like mine, or ones that have snuck up on us unawares!

But what do we do when they come?

I’ve been through a whole range of emotions! They include the whole range from crying and sobbing to being reflective and peaceful. And God isn’t phased by that at all!!

One thing I’ve also been aware of through this season is that God draws very close. He has promised:

 

“Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” Hebrews 13:5

 

In thinking about your own season, I would encourage you to draw close to God. He is our Comforter and friend and is always there for us.

 

Final tips:

  • Ask the Lord for specific verses for the season you face right now. These can form the basis of your prayers during this time.
  • Remember that God made us emotional beings
  • Plan in relaxation times for yourself.
  • Make time to laugh with friends.

 

P.S. After 6 months of having no children living at home, we have just acquired two adorable kittens who are a bundle of fun!! I’m not advocating you do the same but that you find something that brings joy in the midst of change. 

No related posts.

→ 4 Comments

Posted in Carole Rawley

Tagged , , , , ,

Wrinkle Free?

Posted on February 8, 2012 by Abby| 9 Comments

By Carole Rawley

The other day I happened to be walking through my local department store when I heard the words, ‘This actually transformed my life!’ I turned round to see who had made such a powerful statement only to find that it was a cosmetic consultant showing a customer the latest face cream!

As I walked on, I thought about how easily we attribute things with transforming our lives – the latest ipad, smart phone, Facebook, a new pair of shoes. They may help us to organise ourselves better or to keep in contact with friends or to make our feet look pretty, but they don’t transform us as God intended.

In order to do that, he sent Jesus!

In John 9 we read of an encounter between Jesus and a blind man. Jesus declared that this man wasn’t blind because he had sinned but ‘so that the work of God might be displayed in his life.’ He then declared that he was ‘the light of the world‘ and proceeded to make a mud pie from his own saliva and smear it onto the man’s eyes. Jesus didn’t even pray but simply told the man to wash it off. When he did, he could SEE.

Now that is transformation!

A number of years ago I was at a conference as part of the prayer ministry team and the speaker called people forward who needed healing.  Many people responded and I went to pray with a young seventeen-year-old woman. I asked her what she needed prayer for and she said she was deaf in her right ear. She wanted God to make her hear. She explained that she had pushed a knitting needle down her ear canal when she was three years old and had destroyed the ear. She hadn’t heard anything in that ear since!

As I placed my hand on her ear, I simply whispered, ‘Show your power, Lord.’ Immediately she started screaming! It looked as though she was in pain and I tried to comfort her, having no idea what the matter was. Then, in amongst the sobs, I heard the words ‘It’s so loud, the music’s so loud.’ Jesus had healed her and she could HEAR.

That is also transformation!

When the man who had been blind was summoned before the Pharisees to explain himself he had no theological arguments or explanations. He couldn’t tell them how or why he was healed but he could say:

‘One thing I do know, I was blind but now I see.’ (John 9:25)

What are the ways in which Jesus has transformed our lives? We may not be able to explain exactly how or why he has changed us, but we know we are different. Maybe we can now love where we once hated, maybe we have joy where we once had deep sorrow, maybe we know peace where we lived in constant anxiety. The ‘light of the world’ has touched our hearts.

So let’s make sure that the work of God is seen in our lives, even if we do happen to indulge in wrinkle free face cream from time to time!

No related posts.

→ 9 Comments

Posted in Carole Rawley, Healing, Power to change

Tagged , ,

Parents Wanted!

Posted on January 20, 2012 by Abby| 4 Comments

By Carole Rawley

I came across this a few months ago and it made me smile!! So I thought I’d share it with you too!!

»

Job Advertisement

for a Parent

WANTED

 

A RESPONSIBLE PERSON, male or female, to undertake a life long project. Candidates should be totally committed, willing to work up to 24 hours daily, including weekends during the initial 16 year period.

Occasional holidays possible, but may be cancelled at no notice.

Knowledge of health care, nutrition, psychology, child development, household management and the education system essential.

Necessary skills required:-

Stress management and conflict resolution

Negotiation and problem solving

Communication and listening

Budgeting and time management

Decision making

Ability to set boundaries and priorities as well as providing loving support.

Necessary qualities:-

Energy, tolerance, patience, good self-esteem, self confidence and a sense of humour. No training nor experience needed.

No salary but very rewarding work for the right person.

»

All I can say is that if I’d applied before I had children, I wouldn’t have got the job. God is so good to us in that he knows we’re works in progress and that it’s perfectly fine to learn on the job!! 

 

No related posts.

→ 4 Comments

Posted in Carole Rawley, Focus Fridays, Motherhood, Patience

Tagged , , , ,

Advent: Countdown to Christmas and Beyond!

Posted on December 9, 2011 by Lanie| 2 Comments

By Carole Rawley

I love everything about Christmas!!

And it always starts for me in the preparations. Inviting our guests, ordering the turkey, buying just the right presents, choosing a real Christmas tree from the local garden centre, decorating the house, writing our annual letter to friends and family, sending cards; these are all important preparations in the run up to the big day.

Advent means ‘arrival’ or ‘coming’.

Isaiah prophesied Jesus’ coming  around 700 years before he came.

‘For to us a child is born, to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called Wonderful Counselor,
Mighty God, Everlasting Father,
Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end.
He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness
from that time on and forever.
The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this.’

Isaiah 9:6-7

In this season, we prepare to celebrate the coming of Jesus to this world. When there is a ‘coming’, it is always accompanied by a ‘leaving’. Jesus was preparing himself to leave heaven, to leave his Father’s side, to leave a place of glory, wonder and worship, in order to reveal to us who God is.

Advent also speaks of Jesus coming as the light shining in darkness. Those shepherds on the hillside around Bethlehem were some of the first to experience the fact that heaven had come to earth. They were surrounded with light; the ‘glory of the Lord’ (Luke 2:9).

In many churches, Advent candles are lit each week to symbolize the coming of Jesus as the essence of hope, peace, love and joy. Once again we see Isaiah prophesying this hundreds of years before:

‘The people walking in darkness have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of the shadow of death
a light has dawned.’

Isaiah 9:2

And in the New Testament, John speaks about Jesus:

‘The Word became flesh and made his dwelling with us.
We have seen his glory,
the glory of the One and Only,
who came from the Father,
full of grace and truth. ‘

John 1: 14

As I said at the beginning, Christmas is a time to celebrate the coming of Jesus, the son of God, to our planet, in our timeframe, in human likeness, in order that we can be reconciled back to God.  The day that I believed in Jesus as the son of God and recognized my need of him, was a day of transformation in me. My friends even noticed a change in my appearance, asking why I was smiling! A light had been turned on my darkness. I had begun to live!

‘Jesus Christ did not come into this world to make bad people good; he came into this world to make dead people live.’

Lee Strobel

So as we open the doors of our advent calendars this year, let’s be reminded of what Jesus ‘left’ for our sakes so that he could ‘come’ and we could begin to live!

 

 

You might also like:

→ 2 Comments

Posted in Advent, Carole Rawley

Tagged , , ,

Little things count big time!

Posted on November 11, 2011 by Lanie| 9 Comments

By Carole Rawley

I don’t know if you’ve ever had the experience of reaching up to your ear only to find your earring is missing! Well, it happened to me this summer whilst camping with 7000 teenagers at an annual youth convention. But it wasn’t just any old earring! Our youngest son Josh, had carefully selected this pair for me as a gift from his 5-month trip around the world!! He bought them in New Zealand and had carefully carried them in his rucksack for the rest of his travels. They had been to South Africa, Zambia, Tanzania, Rwanda and even up Mount Kilimanjaro.

I felt mortified! I had absolutely no idea where to even start looking as I had been walking around the campsite all day. There had been a massive storm that afternoon and every surface was awash with mud and water.

So I prayed asking God to do a miracle. After all, he knew where it was! That night I went to sleep asking him to show me where it was hidden. I was also trying to envisage telling Josh that I’d lost the earring on it’s first wearing!

When I was clearing up the next day, I pulled up a pile of blankets and wet clothes that had been hurriedly dumped in my awning during the storm of the previous day and there beneath them was my earring! I was beside myself with thankfulness.

It may seem a small thing to you, but I can’t tell you how grateful I was to God for answering my prayer.

Being thankful is really important. It is the outward expression of an inner gratefulness for all that God has given us. It causes us to  worship him.

Psalm 100:4

Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.

Hebrews 12:28

Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe…

So why is it so important to be thankful in the little things?

Because it focuses our attention on the Giver. It acknowledges that we are less and He is great. It puts God in his rightful place as the One who gave us everything in the first place. This recognition is core to our relationship with God and shapes our lives, our thinking and our relationships with others.

One practical way in which we can cultivate a thankful heart is to regularly have ‘5 minutes of thanks’ during the day.

I’ve recently been reading the book, ‘One Thousand Gifts’ by Ann Voscamp where she sets out to write down 1000 things to be grateful to God for. I started my list in the summer!! And it’s progressing really well. When we focus our hearts and minds on being thankful, it’s amazing what we become aware of in our lives that would otherwise have passed us by.

‘Cultivate a thankful spirit! It will be to thee a perpetual feast. There is, or ought to be, with us no such thing as small mercies; all are great, because the least are undeserved. Indeed a really thankful heart will extract motive for gratitude from everything, making the most even of scanty blessings. ‘

J. R. MacDuff

 

You might also like:

→ 9 Comments

Posted in Carole Rawley, Focus Fridays, Thanksgiving

Tagged , , , , , ,

Mentoring Women

Posted on October 7, 2011 by Lanie| 8 Comments

By Carole Rawley

Practical suggestions – Personal insights  – Profitable shaping

When I was a student at University, the pastor of my church asked me if I would visit the older ladies in my homegroup. The job had the title of ‘care co-ordinator’. I was thrilled to be asked and so for one afternoon a week, I set aside my study books to visit ladies in their 80’s and 90’s!

These old ladies loved my visits but I loved them even more! They told me about their lives, their families, their joys and sorrows, their insights on life. I learned so much in simply sitting alongside them, drinking tea! They in turn wanted to hear about my hopes and dreams, my worries and concerns – and they then prayed for me! I was blown away by the fact that these dear women, in the latter part of their life, would want to listen to a nineteen year old babble on mostly about boys, work and God! But they prayed for me, encouraged me, laughed with me and cried with me. When I tentatively took my first steps in sharing a spiritual gift at church on Sunday, these old ladies would be the first to come and encourage me!

Without knowing it, I was being mentored! And my walk with God got stronger as a result. It was much later on that I found that the mandate for mentoring women comes straight out of the Bible!

Titus 2 :3-5,

 ‘Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. Then they can urge the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God.’

Here we find a clear injunction for older women to mentor younger women. And the reason for this is amazing – so that the word of God will not be maligned or discredited.

In other words, in mentoring women we can have a direct affect on how God’s word is perceived by others!

It basically talks about us being role models in:

Everyday life – juggling work, family, church, friends, hobbies!

Our speech

Resisting temptation

Loving our family

Self-control

Purity

Homemaking

Kindness

Respectful attitudes

When you look down this list, what strikes you?

Is it ‘I haven’t got it together in my own life, let alone be capable of mentoring others!!!’

Before we go any further, it’s important we all realize we are all works in progress! We all make mistakes and none of us are perfect!

Think of yourself in the role of parent or aunt or sister or grandmother or friend – do you expect to be perfect in that role at all times? Of course not! We all make mistakes and sometimes fall flat on our face!! The important question is – what do we do at those times? Do we stay there or do we get up, ask forgiveness of God and others, and continue to walk forward.

I have appreciated the ‘older women’ in my own life who have been great role models for me. It doesn’t mean they’ve been perfect and I have seen them make mistakes and ‘get it wrong’. But I have also watched what they do at those times and my respect of them has only deepened as I have seen them put things right in a godly way.

On the other hand, you might look at the list in Titus 2 and be saying,

‘ This is great! I thought it would at least include having to have read the Bible 20 times right through, memorized 100 key verses so I can quote them to match every circumstance and getting up at 5am to pray every day!’

God is not asking us to be spiritual super stars! He’s asking us to walk closely with him and love and pray for others. What I like about this list is, that it is totally relevant to our lives – it covers things we all face every day.

It’s practical, it’s personal and it’s profitable!

So how do we start? Get involved! Get to know the women in your church! Get involved in a homegroup, Bible study or social. Invite other women to your home for dessert and coffee! Visit the older ladies in your church. The list goes on… Out of these relationships will come mentoring conversations.

Those early experiences put in me a love for getting alongside women of all ages and doing ‘life’ together. I’m grateful to those who continue to mentor me, and will always count it a joy to mentor others. Remember it’s God’s Word in action!

 

No related posts.

→ 8 Comments

Posted in Carole Rawley, Focus Fridays, Mentoring and Discipleship

Tagged , ,

Calling out Creativity

Posted on September 28, 2011 by Abby| Leave a comment

By Carole Rawley

We were thrilled to welcome actress, Abby Guinness, to our Girl Talk Women’s Conference this summer. She had us all laughing and thinking with her entertaining monologues of Bible WAGS! We met Mrs Jonah, Mrs Zaccheus and a wonderful ‘Welsh’ shepherdess from the hills above Bethlehem who ended up going to find out who this baby was, that everyone was talking about!

In this interview with Abby, we find out more about her journey as an actress and her thoughts on encouraging creativity in the church today.

 

You might also like:

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Carole Rawley, Creativity

Tagged , , , , ,

A Voice for the Voiceless

Posted on August 1, 2011 by Abby| Leave a comment

Baroness Caroline Cox was deputy speaker of the House of Lords from 1985 to 2005 and is currently Chancellor of Liverpool Hope University and a Vice President of the Royal College of Nursing. She is heavily involved with international humanitarian work, including many missions to conflict zones. She was created a Life Peer in 1982.

Baroness Cox recently spoke at Girl Talk, a women’s conference hosted by Carole Rawley and New Life Church, about her work bringing relief and representing the needs of persecuted Christians in some of the worst areas for human rights in the world.

Here, Carole interviews Baroness Cox for Completely Devoted…


To read more about Caroline’s life and work, you can purchase Eye Witness to a Broken World  which is also our book of the month! Make sure you are signed up as a subscriber to Completely Devoted for your chance to win a FREE signed copy of the book.

 

To find out more about the Humanitarian Aid Relief Trust, the charity Caroline founded, please click here.

No related posts.

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Book of the Month, Carole Rawley, Heart for the Nations

Tagged , , , , , ,