Received: 2026-07-14 21:29:37

My sister in law Jacquie ( only 59) has been type 1 diabetic her whole life. After chemo for breast cancer last year and the aftercare medications she has hard a hard time keeping her sugars in check Long story short she has had 3 emergency surgeries in the last 2 weeks resulting in an amputation just above her knee, today we were told the surgery was not successful and she will potentially have another surgery on Thursday, if this one doesn’t work they have said that there is nothing more they can do. John is looking at flights as I write but we would appreciate Gods protection over Jacquie and the medical team. Also comfort for the whole family. Jacquie is not a follower of Jesus so Id also like prayer that she will turn to God through this time and that she would feel his comfort, love and presence

“How we spend our days is how we spend our lives.” (Annie Dillard)

From the moment our bodies awaken, our eyes begin to open, and we enter into the ordinary wonder of a brand new day.

What do you do with the first few moments of your day? Does what comes ‘first’ really matter?

We gather as the church on the first day of the week and we worship together, because we believe it forms us. And it does.

But the rituals of our ordinary days form us so much more. The day in, day out patterns of where we point our eyes, our hearts. Our lives and our loves are shaped by what we do again and again.

From the very first moments of your day, your life is being formed; you are being formed.

When you awake, do you breathe in the wonder of the life that courses through your veins? Or do you rehearse with worry and anxiety the coming events of the day?

Do you pause in the stillness and tune your heart to God? Or do you launch headfirst into the mad rush of ‘things to be done’ and ‘hills to be climbed’?

Do you reach for a Bible to encounter the presence of God? Or for your phone, and its endless stream of entertainment, stimulation, information.

How we spend our days is how we spend our lives. It is shaping who you become, whether you want it to or not. What will you put first?

Contemplations
First Things First

Ready for what's next?

Bible Study
Journaling the Bible | Micah 6:6-8

What we’re wanting to do here is to shake up both over-familiarity (for those who have been reading the Bible for a long time) that can sometimes cause the Bible to feel stale, as well as to think more deeply about what some of the ancient words and metaphors really mean, and what they might look and sound like in our present day context. 

Activities
Practicing Love | Christmas Cards

I wonder how many of us are looking at the weeks ahead, and feeling like love is going to be pretty hard, in some situations. That maybe we’ll be in encounters – whether at family dinners, work parties, even extra time at home – with people we actually find it hard to love... 

Contemplations
Love Languages: Gift-Giving

Awhile back, a popular author categorized some of the ways we express and receive love into five different ‘love languages.’ But have you ever thought about the ways that God loves us? 

At Southridge, we believe that LGBTQ+ people are deeply loved by God and are full image bearers of God, each bringing unique value to our community. In that spirit, everyone is welcome to belong and participate in the life of our church.  

As a fully-inclusive Jesus-centred church, LGBTQ+ followers of Jesus have full and equal opportunity to participate in baptism, membership, leadership, employment, and marriage.

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