We are the HOPE we have been waiting for

At times it can be easy to believe that there is no HOPE,  that things are inextricably difficult and confusing, emotions are raw and it seems that there is no clear sense of direction.  Yet it is exactly this situation that the Jews find themselves in at the time that Jeremiah delivers the words of Jeremiah 29. The truth is that HOPE is something that is not just of the future, nor is it a destination, a success story or simply an emotion. HOPE is the out working of God's love and presence in our lives every day and how we share that love through our actions and words with others. This is what brings HOPE into everyday situations and also enables HOPE to structure and shape the future.

 

HOPE Martin Luther King said is at the heart of everything, without HOPE nothing happens and in a sense he is true, for without HOPE that things can change, that situations can be managed, that there will be someone there to be with us, to share what ever lies before us; we never would find the strength to carry on.

 

When God speaks through Jeremiah he speaks of a HOPE that is real and tangible and that makes a difference. But he also speaks to a nation, not to individuals in isolation.  It would seem that God's vision of HOPE is reliant on us partaking in the realisation of that as much as him directing it. It is each one of us that is key in the fulfilment of HOPE in our own lives, but also in the lives of others.

 

This week may we all play an active part in making that HOPE realised in the lives of each of us, but most importantly for those for whom HOPE is needed in the challenging circumstances that they face.

Sharing HOPE

In our first Key Stage assemblies this week, we have been reflecting on how HOPE is something that we are all responsible for bringing into each others lives.

We thought about how, when we hold a dandelion, take a deep breath and then blow, the seeds are scattered far and wide. If we did nothing and instead just held it, then eventually it would die and nothing would happen.

In a sense we too can share hope in the same way, for by our own actions, our prayers and the way in which we respect and value each other, we can spread HOPE far and wide, just like the dandelion seeds!


Our closing prayer focused on the idea that HOPE can mean Help Others Pray Expectantly and our challenge was to see how we could bring HOPE into the lives of others this week.

A very special visit

The ladybirds enjoyed free choccochinnos and a chocolate flake, thanks to Costa coffee on Queens Road.

While there we spent our £2 wisely on a thank you biscuit for our Business manager, and a get well soon biscuit for one of our friends who was too poorly to join us.

We listened to one of our favourite stories (Norman the slug with the silly shell) and read the menu deciding what to have if we came back again one day.

 

 

 

 

Staff and customers commented on our excellent behaviour, and on the way out we gave the manager a thank you letter that we had all signed.

Around our school this week part 2

It's been a very busy week!

Around our school this week part 1

Lots going on around school again this week, each year group has contributed something that they wanted to share.