Good News! 

GOOD NEWS STORIES FOR THIS WEEK - 18 JULY 2020
The Methodist Church, Stoke-on-Trent South Circuit
Collected by: Hil Hands (Local preacher)
Dear friends,
I met up with a lady I know this week. We don’t know one-another well, but she hasn’t had an easy time over the last couple of years: marriage break-up, strained relationships and redundancy have all taken their toll. Mid-way through our conversation she shared how, at her lowest point, she prayed for help. “From then onwards, things have been better,” she said, “and I keep giving thanks to God!” Wow! I felt that I was blessed by someone who has never attended church, yet whose heart has been moved by prayer.
1 Chronicles 16: 34 (NIV)
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
his love endures forever.
Our conversation continued as I shared how we too were held in prayer in the early Lockdown days: we had our Grandson, Elijah, in the neonatal ward in Stoke and my Mum in hospital in Rotherham, and could not visit either. Being held in God’s hands brought some peace of mind. It was with a grateful heart that I walked around Trentham Gardens in the warm sunshine yesterday, pushing a very healthy Elijah in the pram. And it is good to be able to talk with Mum on the phone, although her care home is restricting visits.
Sometimes we may feel that we can’t do much, but we can pray! And prayer can bless and direct our actions when we seek God’s way before actually doing something?
Give Thanks (Don Moen)
Give thanks with a grateful heart
Give thanks to the Holy One
Give thanks because He's given Jesus Christ, His Son
And now let the weak say, "I am strong"
Let the poor say, "I am rich
Because of what the Lord has done for us"
If you have good news, please let me know: email - hands.hilary@yahoo.com Please send news to me by Friday 24th July, ready for next weekend
From Stuart and Sylvia Hick
Update on Ashley
This week Ashley had a procedure by endoscopy to drain the fluid from the cyst that had developed on his pancreas. On Monday, the surgeon was talking to Debbie and when she asked what would happen if the endoscopy didn't work, the surgeon said, "He might die, 1 in 5 don't survive this."  You can imagine how Debbie felt at that moment.  She rang me in floods of tears. I contacted a load of people to ask them to intensify their prayers.  And PRAISE GOD, he answered prayer!  The procedure went well.  They only had to give him 30% oxygen whereas the anaesthetist said she often has to give 60-100%.  They drained 100ml of fluid from the cyst (they said 150ml initially then changed their mind) and put in two stents so that if the fluid builds up, these will drain it into the stomach and there is a tube from his nose draining the fluid from his stomach.  He is heavily sedated and will stay so for at least another 24 hours (I am writing this on Thursday.) He is still very poorly but God has answered prayer and we now have hope although they have warned us that he may still have bad days before he really starts to recover. Thank you all for your support, concern and prayers.  It means such a lot to us to know we have so many friends praying for us.  Please continue to do so.   God bless you all.
An intercessory prayer (The Methodist Church)
Dear God,
You call us to speak to you in prayer– even when the places we would usually go to are not available.
Help us to know you Spirit’s presence wherever we pray.
Today we especially pray for those who are living in fear – give them your strength.
For those who have not yet realised the urgency of the situation – protect them, and all of us from harm.
Today I especially want to pray for …….
In the name of Jesus.  Amen
We can use our fingers to pray for everyone:
Little finger – for children as schools break up for the summer holidays
Ring finger – for relationships within communities across the UK, particularly as more venues begin to open again.
Middle finger – for all Church leaders, as they guide our way through easement of Lockdown rules.
First finger - for all those returning to work, with new guidelines in place to help with safety for all.
Thumb – for ourselves, that we act lovingly upon that nudge from the Spirit.