Miracles

God has always been in the business of miracles not just in Biblical times but here and now 

For years I never believed in God let alone miracles, it wasn’t until 1983 I witnessed my first when my husband Raymond was knocked over by a car.  On arrival the ambulance men thought Raymond was dead and a blanket was put over him, shortly afterwards somehow another ambulance driver realised he was still alive but only just.

Consultants at the hospital never expected Raymond to survive as his injuries were horrific, the worst that they had seen in years but to their amazement Raymond proved everyone wrong.

His journey to recovery was a long one as his injuries were multiple including brain damage.  For me that was the least of my worries, the most important thing was that he was alive and still here with us. I knew in my heart that it was God and his archangels who intervened and saved Raymond for me.  I strongly believe that your life is planned out for you and if God had wanted to take Raymond to be with him, he could have quite easily of done it there and then.

Sometimes things do happen in our lives of which are way beyond our understanding but somehow I knew there was a purpose as to why Raymond had been spared though I didn’t fully understand the reason why until God revealed everything to me some years later.

There is no doubt in my mind that God does exist and that he can and does perform miracles, I believe it can happen to anyone at any time he chooses whether we believe in him or not.

Faith, Hope & Love

From the age of seven my life was turned upside down and I was left broken hearted.  I felt everything that was good in my life had been taken away from me and I blamed God for all of it.  My Mam left my Dad and she took me, my twin brother and my older sister away with her to live with a new family and a new father.  Shortly afterwards my Nana Gardner who I truly loved and adored suddenly passed away.  I felt my whole world as I knew it had come to an end, I hadn’t just lost my home and family but also my school and all of my friends.

I had never felt so desperate, unhappy, unloved and so alone, it was as if I didn’t belong or matter to anyone including God.  As time went by my life continued to go from bad to worse simply because of the amount of abuse I was suffering from all angles.  Looking back I never realised just how ill I was and how much my life had been greatly affected until everything came to ahead at the age of sixteen when I became mentally ill and had a massive breakdown.

I eventually ended up in a secure mental institution. My experience there was so horrendous that it will live with me forever.  I think it is true to say whether we believe in God or not that he is the main guy that most of us turn to when we are faced with the most difficult and traumatic times in our lives. I know I did.  If you are in a bad and dark place at this moment in time and think that there is no way out, please believe me when I say that there is as I am living proof.  There were many times in my life when I wanted to give up and hoped and prayed that I wouldn’t wake up in the morning.

Many years have now passed and when I look back I still can’t quite believe all I have achieved, remember that you can to if you put your mind to it as everything in life is possible.  Stay away from those who are full of negativity as it will only play with your head and bring you down and make you feel much worse within yourself.  I can’t express enough how important it is to mix and be with those who think and act positive as it will have a much profound and greater impact on your life.

By having faith, hope and love in my life now it makes me want to carry on no matter how bad things may seem, never give up on yourself, live your life to the full and cherish every moment especially with those who you love as we don’t know what tomorrow may bring.

God bless and take care of yourself.

You can read more about my life and how I overcame adversity in my book Blind Courage.

Thank you to those have donated and supported

I am writing this blog to say a huge thank you to everyone for all their love, support and donations, we really could not do what we do at Emmanuel House without your kind help.

I would like to say a big thank you to for supporting Emmanuel House over the years. Your generous donations have always been greatly appreciated and has all went towards the running costs of our three Emmanuel House holiday homes that we have purchased and are situated in Weardale. This is a place of outstanding beauty where cancer patients the terminally ill and their families can go to for respite care completely free of charge.

Since the opening of our homes in 2006 we have managed to provide holidays to hundreds of families who were in desperate need of a break. They are always so grateful and don’t just remark about what a lovely time they’ve all had but also express how special and important it was to them being able to go away and spend some quality and precious time having fun with their children and loved ones.

Unfortunately for some it was the last holiday they spent together but at least they will have some wonderful memories to cherish and look back upon. Throughout the years Doctors and Macmillan nurses across the region refer patients to us and I know once again that this year will be another fruitful one.

As well as the many individuals who all donate I'd just like to say a special thank you to the following organisations who have so kindly helped me...

John Luke and everyone at the Haltwhistle & Smith district Charitable Trust

Lynne Govan & Bellway Homes Ltd

Burnopfield Methodist Church

Chowdene Community Church

St Mary’s RC Whickham

Dunston Chapter Rose Croix No1069

Liddell Royal Arch Chapter No3616

Chic’s hairdressing, Lobley Hill

Sorry if I have missed anyone out, you all help us so much and your donations and help mean we can provide families this much needed facilities and support during such a difficult time.  You really are all "Super Stars" and make a difference to so many lives.

So thank you all once again for your support as it has enabled me to carry on with my work in caring and also providing quality of life, but most of all for being able to help put smiles on so many faces who desperately needed it.

Hope you are all well and have a lovely Summer.