Thanks for the memories
Rhod Gilbert hears the funny side of celebs’ early years
Former Voice UK star returns to her musical roots
What is The Salvation Army?
The Salvation Army is a Christian church and registered charity seeking to share the good news of Jesus and nurture committed followers of him. We also serve people without discrimination, care for creation and seek justice and reconciliation. We offer practical support and services in more than 700 centres throughout the UK. Go to salvationarmy.org.uk/find-a-church to find your nearest centre.
What is the War Cry?
The Salvation Army first published a newspaper called the War Cry in London in December 1879, and we have continued to appear every week since then. Our name refers to our battle for people’s hearts and souls as we promote the positive impact of the Christian faith and The Salvation Army’s fight for greater social justice.
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The Salvation Army Trust is a registered charity. The charity number in England, Wales and Northern Ireland is 214779, in Scotland SC009359 and in the Republic of Ireland CHY6399.
On Saturday (26 October) the remaining contestants will be singing their hearts out in a bid to win ITV1’s The Voice UK. As they watch, viewers will no doubt see behind-the-scenes footage of the singers talking about their nerves and their hope of winning the cash prize and recording contract.
That hope will be familiar to Michelle John, who reached the final of the show in 2017. In an interview this week, we hear how, though she didn’t win, Michelle has no regrets about taking part in the programme.
‘It didn’t hurt me to have the endorsement of The Voice and to have people like will.i.am and Tom Jones saying that I can sing,’ she says. ‘It opened other platforms up for me.’
This summer Michelle released God Is, a gospel album that reflects the Christian faith that has supported her through the good and tough times in her life.
‘I want to encourage people that, whatever they’re going through, ultimately everything’s going to be all right because they’re not in this alone. God will bring you through,’ she tells us. ‘I have experienced the worst times, but I came through. And going through some of those things has given me a compassion for others.’
The quality of compassion is something Christians aspire to show. This week we report on a church based in the red-light district of Edinburgh which is providing practical and non-judgemental support to sex workers –with no strings attached.
‘This isn’t about helping people on the condition that they become Christians. We care for them without expecting anything in return,’ says Sally Fraser, who heads up the church’s community action. ‘These women are used to being objectified – but our hope is to show them that we care about them.’
The good news is that, when someone is offered care and compassion, it can make a positive difference in their life by giving them hope for a better future.
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Your local Salvation Army centre
Dara Ó Briain, Layton Williams and Susie Dent confess their past to Rhod Gilbert (below)
How embarrassing?
Celebrities compete to share tales from their youth
TV preview: Rhod Gilbert’s Growing Pains Mondays Comedy Central UK
By Claire Brine
Fully prepared to end up red-faced, three celebrities are taking a trip down memory lane to revisit their most embarrassing stories. After opening up about the moments that cause them to look back and blush, the contestant deemed to have the most cringeworthy tales from their teens will be crowned the winner in Rhod Gilbert’s Growing Pains
In the first episode of the new series, host Rhod is joined by Dara Ó Briain, Susie Dent and Layton Williams. All three are game to find out if they had the most embarrassing adolescence.
From the get-go, it looks like the competition is going to be tough. Susie admits that she used to be ‘a dweeb’, Layton reflects that he did some ‘questionable things’ in his youth, and Dara explains, ‘I was a nerd, verging on geek.’
The prize that they all have their eye on is a package containing items that they wanted as teenagers but never owned: a pair of size 11 shoes (desired by Dara), a Barbie doll (coveted by Layton) and a sports captain school badge (longed for by Susie, who was more used to receiving the librarian badge).
After the competition kicks off with the most embarrassing photo contest (which Dara wins, thanks to his younger self’s pudding bowl haircut), round two requires the celebrities to reflect on any mortifying moments at school. Layton confesses that he was expelled from his theatre school in London, while Susie remembers looking up the definition of a word that she thought was rude in the dictionary.
Later Rhod asks his guests to confess their teenage obsessions. Susie jumps in by revealing that her youthful obsession was her pet rock.
‘I loved it – I used to talk to it,’ she tells Rhod, as the others laugh along. ‘It wasn’t my only friend, but it was a friend.’
After further rounds, in which the celebrities continue to compete for the title of who is the most embarrassing, Rhod gives them the opportunity to pass on a piece of advice to their younger self. Susie explains that she would tell little Susie to ‘never give up’.
At any age, such words are wise and worth heeding. When we look back on our past, we have all done things that cause us to cringe with embarrassment. Perhaps we
have made questionable choices. Maybe there are even situations that we look back on with deep regret, remembering how we behaved badly and hurt ourselves or those close to us.
But rather than dwell on the bits of our past that we’d rather forget, we can follow Susie’s advice to ‘never give up’ on becoming the better person we want to be in future. We can look forward. We can be different.
A good place to start is by asking God to help us. When we follow the teachings of his Son, Jesus, and say sorry for our mistakes, we can be forgiven and filled with God’s life-transforming love.
One Bible writer explained: ‘Anyone who belongs to Christ is a new person. The past is forgotten, and everything is new’ (2 Corinthians 5:17 Contemporary English Version).
Following Jesus – who shows us how to experience God’s peace, joy and love – is a choice we will never regret.
talk talk Team talk Team talk ‘ ’
j TEA M TAL K
Life gets in-tents
Sarah Olowofoyeku gives her take on a story that has caught the attention of War Cry reporters
I’ll admit it. When I spotted the headline in The Sun ‘My husband sleeps in a tent to escape our kids’, I had made up my mind about this husband. Surely he didn’t love his wife or his children.
However, as I read Chloe Hamilton’s article about her family life, I began to see the value of Stuart’s controversial move. Inspired by a book on micro-adventures – small adventurous things you can fit into the margins of your life – he had announced to Chloe that he wanted to sleep in a tent in their garden.
The couple had been living a hectic life and going through sleepless nights with their two-year-old and their newborn, and Stuart was at breaking point. He thought that sleeping outside could be the perfect solution. It turns out that it has been.
Life has improved as a result of Stuart’s night-time escapades. After the first night, he was ‘refreshed and revitalised in a way he hadn’t been for months’, Chloe reports. Given that she was co-sleeping and there wasn’t much Stuart could do at night to help, she adds that it was far better for him ‘to be rested – and doing something to help his mental health’.
To my surprise, I agreed. On minimal sleep, Stuart was much less useful to his family than he is now. Chloe says: ‘Our arrangement has shown us no parent can pour from an empty cup.’
And Chloe is right, no one can pour from an empty cup. We must look after ourselves, even if our actions may appear selfish.
I’ve learnt this lesson the hard way over the years, finding myself wanting to help others but pouring from empty, which has meant I have ended up tired, irritable and far from the loving person I was trying to be.
I like Stuart’s method, but I’ve taken a similar leaf out of Jesus’ book. He didn’t spend his nights in a tent in a back garden, but after spending time teaching and healing the crowds, he often took himself away to quiet places in nature to be with God and be refilled.
If I can spend more time with God, filling up my cup, I’ll be better able to love others.
WAR
Church drop-in works well
The MP for Croydon West, Sarah Jones, praised the work of The Salvation Army when she attended its employability and community fair.
About 70 jobseekers turned up to the free drop-in event held at its Croydon church, where they were able to seek advice from The Salvation Army’s Employment Plus service and learn about volunteering and training opportunities.
Sarah said that the fair was important in supporting the people in Croydon who need help with finding work.
‘It was great to attend The Salvation Army’s employment drop-in event in Croydon and learn about how their Employment Plus service supports people into work,’ she said.
As well as the Employment Plus team, jobseekers were able to meet representatives from other organisations, including the Department for Work and Pensions and Sutton and District Training.
The Salvation Army’s Employment Plus service has provided employability support to 40,000 people over the past two years. It assists people who want to work but face barriers such as physical and mental health problems and a lack of education and relevant skills.
WAR CRYWnRLD
Miranda’s morning prayers revealed
After the publication of Miranda Hart’s autobiography, I Haven’t Been Entirely Honest with You – in which she reveals that she suffered for decades with Lyme disease – The Times reported on the comedian’s improving health, pointing out that taking time to pray was one of her daily activities.
The article said that from the book ‘we learn that her morning routine involves drinking warm water with lemon or ginger, going outside to look at the sky, praying, doing shoulder rolls, taking deep breaths, eating porridge and not looking at her phone’.
Bikers’ jump-start on garden
A motorcycle club in Merthyr Tydfil has been working to transform the overgrown gardens at The Salvation Army in the town.
Bikers from the Unsanctioned Motorcycle Group turned up at the church earlier this year and asked the leaders how they could help. Biker Connor Tudor explained that the reason behind the group’s willingness to volunteer was because The Salvation Army is ‘a big part’ of the community.
‘We asked if we could do something to help as a thank you for their great work,’ he said. ‘They wanted us to work on their overgrown gardens, which were in a bad state. Some of the boys are ex-landscapers and ex-farmers, so they have some experience in this area.’
The bikers spent weekends cutting back the overgrown gardens to the front and sides of the church, as well as planting flowers in order to make the wild patch more attractive. They plan to return every few weeks to keep the garden tidy.
Cathedral’s canine calendar
A cathedral in Suffolk has created its own canine calendar, BBC News reports.
For the calendar, St Edmundsbury Cathedral in Bury St Edmunds commissioned photographs of dogs – who are also regular attenders of its church services – inside and outside its building. The pictures include a Scottish terrier at the organ and a cocker spaniel using a kneeling cushion.
The cathedral’s marketing and communications manager, Catherine Rayson, who created the calendar, said: ‘With Bury St Edmunds being voted the most dog-friendly town in England last year, we wanted to celebrate the fact that dogs are very welcome here at St Edmundsbury Cathedral.’
Parishioner Dee-dee Dobell, whose dog Mikey was featured in the calendar, told BBC News: ‘He comes to the morning service most mornings and he comes to the 8am communion on Sundays… He collects the offertory with me and comes up to the altar with me.’
Miranda (centre) with her sitcom co-stars Patricia Hodge (left) and Sarah Hadland
TOM SOPER PHOTOGRAPHY
Toy poodles Bonnie and Pippin are September’s dogs
Connor Tudor
Church offers sex workers warm welcome
SALLY FRASER explains why members of her church are taking to the streets to offer support to sex workers
Interview by Claire Brine
Aphoto that my friend James posted on Facebook caught my eye. It showed shelves of women’s toiletries and tubes of lube lined up alongside hymn books. He went on to explain that the church he attended –St James Scottish Episcopal Church in Leith – was supporting sex workers in the area, meaning that the bookcase, which used to store only hymn books and Bibles, looked ‘a bit different these days’.
I contacted James, asking him to tell me more. He put me in touch with Sally Fraser, the church’s community and facilities administrator, who was happy to answer my questions about how and why the church was offering help to sex workers.
‘Our building is slap bang in the middle of the red-light district in Edinburgh,’ she says, ‘so sex workers are looking for business on our street. Part of my role at
the church is to form strong links in the community, so I started looking at what was happening locally and how we could get involved.
My hope is that every woman feels cared for
‘Isaw that Sacro, a community justice organisation in Scotland, was already supporting sex workers in the area, and so I phoned their office and asked how we could help. It turned out that our best resource to offer was our church building. So, since May, we have been opening it up on Thursday evenings and inviting women sex workers to come in and take a break from the streets.’
When women step inside the church, they are met by Christian volunteers, who offer them a hot drink and biscuits. There’s
the opportunity to chat, if the women want to. And they can pick up any personal toiletry items they might need.
‘We have things like deodorants and wet wipes,’ says Sally. ‘And, with winter coming up, we are gathering together extra warm clothes and handbags to give out, as these are things that the women have been asking for.
‘As well as opening our building, we head out on to the streets with flasks of tea, just so we can get to know the women, offer them a drink and invite them back to the church, if they want to come. Sometimes we might see one or two women. Other nights, it might be five or six. When we meet them, our focus is on meeting their immediate needs. Are they hungry? Would they like a drink? It’s all about hospitality.’
Over recent months, by spending time with the women working in the area, Sally
Sally Fraser
A Facebook post showed the church’s hymn-book shelves, stocked up with toiletries for sex workers
and her team have come to understand more about their situation. She believes that many are struggling financially.
‘We think that the cost of living crisis has hit these women hard. Men wanting their services used to drive in from all over East Lothian, but with petrol costs rising, it has become too expensive for them. And, if their wives are checking the family bank statements because they are tightening their budgets, the men can’t explain why they want to take any extra cash out. So there are things like that which, we think, have had a big impact on sex workers.
‘My hope is that every woman we meet feels cared for and accepted without judgement.
As a church, we feel strongly that our encounters with these women aren’t transactional. This isn’t about helping people on the condition that they become Christians. We care for them without expecting anything in return.’
For Sally, such an approach is inspired by Jesus, who, she explains,
was always ‘drawn to people on the margins’ of society.
‘I love that Jesus sat down and ate with people,’ she says. ‘He met them, wherever they were in life. But I’m also inspired by Mary, his mother. Along with some other women, she was present at his crucifixion – so she was there for him during the painful bit. I think there’s something important in that: just being there, physically, for people when they are going through something difficult.’
Though Sally recognises that the efforts of her church are unlikely to bring an end to the sex trade any time soon, she maintains the belief that offering a cup of tea, a warm space and a bit of kindness holds infinite value.
‘A lot of the women we meet are trapped in their situations – and there’s not much we can do,’ she says. ‘There’s a big system that needs to change. But I believe that you should always do what you can to help.
‘When people from our church hand out drinks, condoms or lube, we are offering these things with kindness. These women are used to being objectified – but our hope is to show them that we care about them.’
Back to front
A TV broadcast of MICHELLE JOHN singing lead in a choir led to her spending years working as a backing singer with big-name musicians such as Eric Clapton and Mariah Carey. But since reaching the final of TV talent competition The Voice UK, she has been making her own music – and has now released an album that both goes back to her roots and offers listeners hope for the future
Interview by Philip Halcrow
Someone recently sent Michelle John an old TV clip of her as a teenager, taking the lead in a rousing gospel song when the TV cameras came to her south London church. In the decades since, Michelle has worked as a backing singer with some of the biggest names in the music industry. She has captivated Saturday-night TV audiences by stepping forward and singing her way to the final of The Voice UK. And she has taken the stage in arenas as a soloist for BBC Planet Earth III Live in Concert.
But when she launched her new album this summer, she went back to the New Testament Assembly Church in Tooting.
A few days before the launch, when we meet in a music room across town, Michelle is talking about the early TV clip of her as a teenager – because that night a DJ changed her life.
‘It was absolutely an accident,’ she says. ‘When I was about 13 or 14, Songs of Praise came to film at my church where I sang in the choir. The girl who normally sang the song we were doing wasn’t able to be there, and someone said: “Get Michelle to do it.” So I ended up singing the lead.
‘I think in those days Songs of Praise used to be repeated on a Sunday night at something like two in the morning. A house music DJ came in from the club where he
had been DJing, put the TV on, and there was me in my choir gown going “Waaaa!” He got in touch with the BBC and told them that he really wanted to get that young woman to come and sing on a track he was working on.
‘So my mum arranged for me to go – and that was my first time in a professional recording studio.’
The track by Ricky Morrison was not released, but Michelle had had her first experience of the wider music scene. And it was not the last time her music-making went to the next stage by what she calls an accident.
Michelle spent a decade in London Community Gospel Choir (LCGC), which turned out to be the bridge that would take her into her career in music.
‘LCGC have always been known for backing pop artists,’ she says. ‘We worked with different people and did lots of TV shows, so I got introduced to that world through the choir. Then I became a backing singer. People would ask me,
Michelle John
PHILIP HALCROW
Michelle launching her gospel album at the church where she grew up
Clapton record?” I’d say, “OK.” I didn’t know that you could have a career doing
‘I got one booking, and that booking ended up travelling all round the world on tour. I worked with Eric Clapton for a long time, and there was also Annie
‘One of my friends was running an open mic night, and I asked if I could bring a couple of my students to sing, just for them to get some experience. I went along, and my friend told me, “If you’re going to be here, you’ve got to lead by example.” So I got up and I did a song.
‘There happened to be some scouts there from The Voice UK. They came over and told me that they wanted me to go on the show. I thought absolutely not – I would never do a reality show.
people and working in the background
Jennifer Hudson, will.i.am and Gavin Rossdale for the 2017 series of ITV’s
‘Would you believe me if I told you
‘I spent a long time being a vocal coach, and I’ve always encouraged
‘But they kept asking me every year for three years, and then on the fourth year I just thought it was time for me to be brave. I thought it was time for me to start singing my own songs. I decided that if they called again, I might do it. And they did. So on the fourth year I said yes.
‘Although I’d had a wonderful career working with all these phenomenal people, I’d always had a desire to sing my own
From page 9
songs. But there were many years when I thought I wasn’t good enough to do it.
I also wondered whether I shouldn’t just be grateful for the career I had, travelling round the world with Eric Clapton. I had written songs, but I’d given them away to other people. Now I just felt it was time for me to take ownership and to really go for it.’
Michelle felt that stepping into the limelight on the show was a risk. She hoped that her prowess could impress
Michelle with her ‘Voice UK’ mentor will.i.am
one of the judges enough for them to turn their chair and choose her.
‘Essentially you are asking a panel of people to affirm that you’re good enough to be on the stage,’ she says. ‘Imagine if they looked at my CV and saw who I’d sung with, but then no one pressed the button, and I had to go home with my tail between my legs. How would I then go back to my career?’
Yet when Michelle sang ‘It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World’, will.i.am pushed
the button to turn his chair round. He coached Michelle all the way to the final.
Though she lost out to Mo Adeniran, Michelle reflects positively on the experience.
‘It didn’t hurt me to have the endorsement of The Voice and to have people like will.i.am and Tom Jones saying that I can sing. It opened other platforms up for me. And I’ve just tried my best to build on it in the way that feels right.’
As well as singing with orchestras for live shows based on BBC wildlife documentary series such as Planet Earth III, Michelle has been working on her own personal projects. In 2020 she recorded The Diva Songbook, a collection of cover versions. Her new album is what led her back to the type of music that has been part of her life since she was growing up – and to that launch concert at her previous church.
Something about the song made me want to know more about God
Butthe project was not one she had initially planned – and, although she again uses the word ‘accidentally’, she also suggests that there has been something other than luck behind it.
‘I always knew I was going to do a gospel album sometime,’ she says, ‘but I thought I was going to be really old when I did it. I didn’t think I even had time in my diary to do one now.
‘But what happens is that sometimes you get “the nudge” – whether you want to say that’s God or life – and I kept getting the nudge. I wrote down that I wanted to do a gospel album, and I wrote down that I wanted to do one song in particular, “God Is”.’
Michelle recalls how hearing the song in church one day when she was about 10 years old had a profound effect on her.
‘I had a moment when I felt something – goosebumps, floating, emotion. I had a physical reaction. Something about the song and the way it was being sung made me want to know more about God and give my life to him.
‘So that song has stayed with me through my life.
‘Then my grandmother passed away a couple of years ago, and I thought about some of the songs I’d sing to her when she wasn’t well. She was key to my life. She was always singing hymns in the
kitchen when she was cooking rice and peas and chicken. So there are two of those songs on the album that I’ve put my own spin on – “My Faith Looks Up” and “Trust and Obey”.
‘This album was accidentally beginning to take shape.’
Michelle says that she kept coming across the music that she had been thinking about. Repeatedly feeling the nudge, she eventually went into a studio with a small choir and a band.
‘We invited some friends and family to be in the room to worship with us, so you hear people clap, you hear people say “Amen”. It’s really old school.’
The resulting album God Is includes not only the title track, but also the Tramaine Hawkins classic ‘What Shall I Do’, the traditional ‘When the Saints Go Marching In’, and ‘Everything’s Gonna Be Alright’, which is inspired by an old church chorus – and which reflects Michelle’s confidence in God.
‘I have to believe that, whatever happens and whatever state I find myself in, God is in control – and I have been in some states,’ she says. ‘Even if there were lessons along the way and some that were painful, I can see now how they have made me the woman that I am, have taught me that actually I’m stronger than I thought I was. So I can look back
at those things and say: even though what I went through wasn’t nice at the time, everything was going to be all right.
‘I want to encourage people that, whatever they’re going through, ultimately everything’s going to be all right because they’re not in this alone. God will bring you through.
‘Our faith demands of us to believe that everything is going to be all right, because God has got us.’
I’ve had to start my life again
Michelle
applies the reassuring message behind the song even to experiences in her past that left her feeling broken.
‘I went through a divorce and I’ve been through domestic violence,’ she says. ‘I’ve had to start my life again with only three black bags of belongings. When I was showing up to sing for Eric Clapton I didn’t have anything. I was living at my mum’s home, sharing a bedroom with my child. But I survived. I have family that love me. And I have my son, who is an adult now.
‘I have experienced the worst times, but I came through. And going through
some of those things has given me a compassion for others – for other women and for men that are going through domestic violence and for children that have heard what is going on with their parents.’
Michelle supports charities that work with women experiencing domestic abuse. She hopes her story can encourage others who have been suffering in the same way.
She hopes too that her music can help people whatever they’re going through –just as hearing her church choir sing ‘God Is’ when she was a young girl continues to influence her.
‘Someone at work might annoy you, and you could say “God is my peace”. Or travelling home on the Tube, you could know that “God is my protection.”
‘God is different things for me at different times, and I believe he is all those things. Whatever I need him to be at that time, that’s exactly what he is.’
With her backing musicians and choir at the album launch
The War Cry invites readers to send in requests for prayer, including the first names of individuals and details of their circumstances, for publication. Send your Prayerlink requests to warcry@salvationarmy.org.uk or to War Cry, 1 Champion Park, London SE5 8FJ. Mark your correspondence ‘Confidential’.
jBecoming
a Christian
There is no set formula to becoming a Christian, but many people have found saying this prayer to be a helpful first step to a relationship with God
Lord Jesus Christ,
I am truly sorry for the things I have done wrong in my life. Please forgive me. I now turn from everything that I know is wrong.
Thank you that you died on the cross for me so that I could be forgiven and set free.
Thank you that you offer me forgiveness and the gift of your Holy Spirit. Please come into my life by your Holy Spirit to be with me for ever.
Thank you, Lord Jesus. Amen
Eating fruit and vegetables is good for us – and, according to the Bible, a healthy inner life also includes fruit. In this series Peter Mylechreest takes his pick of nine life-enhancing qualities called ‘the fruit of the Spirit’
Shortly after the couple moved from the north of Scotland to London, Katherine’s husband died suddenly. She was left with three young children and no income. Relatives in America suggested that she stayed with them temporarily, but she didn’t have sufficient funds to take all three children.
Learning of the plight of this young widow, a couple at the local church offered to take care of Muriel, the youngest child, until her mother and siblings returned from the States. However, war intervened, which resulted in Muriel being separated from her family for several years.
As an adult, when Muriel looked back on her life, she spoke with great affection for the couple who had looked after her, saying that they were the kindest people she had ever known.
That kind couple displayed the special love that is implanted in the heart, mind and soul of Christians by God. Paul, a teacher in the early Church, said that kindness was one quality of ‘the fruit of the Spirit’.
Kindness affects other people, and acts of kindness are often remembered by the recipient long after the event. Giving away an umbrella to a stranger on a rainy day; paying for the groceries of another customer; buying a hot drink for someone shivering; or changing a flat tyre for a stranded motorist. Wherever there are people, there are opportunities for kindness.
There is a saying: ‘No act of kindness, however small, is ever wasted.’ And it’s true, because kindness can create ripples of further kindness. It has been suggested that it is difficult to give away kindness, since it keeps coming back in a different form.
Kindness is not the exclusive property of Christians, but it should always be one of the characteristics of those who follow Jesus.
On occasions kindness may necessitate holding back, restricting or sharing unwanted news, rather than carrying out generous acts. However, the phrase ‘You’ve got to be cruel to be kind’, sometimes used to justify harsh comments or unfeeling actions, is not true. Even challenging conversations can be carried out in a kind way, which actually benefits everyone involved.
Kindness is good to grow.
To receive basic reading about Christianity and information about The Salvation Army, complete this coupon and send it to
Extract from Why Jesus? by Nicky Gumbel published by Alpha International, 2011. Used by kind permission of Alpha International
QUICK QUIZ
1 2 3 4 5 6
Who played Maximus, a former Roman general sold into slavery, in the 2000 film Gladiator ?
Which boy band had a No 1 hit in 1997 with the single ‘Mmm Bop’?
Who wrote the novel David Copperfield?
What is the highest mountain in Wales?
In medicine, A and B are blood groups. What are the other two main groups?
What herb is known in American English as cilantro?
A NOVEL IDEA
Next Friday marks the beginning of a month devoted to writing
Feature by Emily Bright
Twenty-five years ago, the story of National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo for short) began with a challenge: to get people to write 50,000 words of a novel within 30 days.
The organisers say that the month is dedicated to ‘creating a more diverse, equitable and inclusive community of writers’. And, since NaNoWriMo’s inception, people from all walks of life have channelled their creativity into writing their own works of fiction. The idea that anyone can give it a go has taken root and National Novel Writing Month has become a charity in its own right.
Though a US initiative, it has connected with people round the world, and hundreds of thousands of writers have received support from the organisation. Novels penned during the month have gone on to be published and sold in an outworking of NaNoWriMo’s central ethos that ‘stories matter, and we’re here to help yours’.
Whether or not we’re budding authors, we all have our own personal story, made up of our lived experiences. Life is full of plot twists. Unexpected events can shock and sadden us, and it is sometimes difficult to know where to turn in our struggles.
But there is someone who can read us like a book, and who cares deeply about our stories. God knows our thoughts before we even express them.
He can also fully empathise with our struggles, as he sent his Son, Jesus, to live on Earth among humankind. Jesus was no stranger to suffering himself – he experienced betrayal and physical pain, taking all our mistakes and burdens on himself, to the point of death, so that we could be reconciled to God.
Jesus’ sacrifice means that we can be open with God, telling him about everything that is going on in our lives and asking for his support.
If we put our trust in God, he’ll help us recover from life’s setbacks. He’ll also equip us with the strength we need for the next chapter of our lives.
When we choose to follow his guidance, we’ll go on an adventure more exciting than anything we could have ever imagined.
PUZZLES
Quick CROSSWORD
18. Medic (6)
19. Renowned (6)
21. Disgrace (6)
22. Barely (6)
23. Custom (5)
24. Insurgent (5)
HONEYCOMB
Purse. 8. Annul. 9. Trend.
Ample.
Irony.
Diet. 15. Lustre. 17. Naval.
Defeat. 20. High.
Grave. 26. Troth. 27. Bland.
Twice. 29. Rusty.
Mushroom gnocchi
INGREDIENTS
1tsp olive oil
500g gnocchi
250g chestnut mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, finely chopped Pinch chilli flakes
20g sun-dried tomatoes, finely chopped
400g can cannellini beans
100g baby spinach
150ml hot water
Freshly ground black pepper
15g Parmesan cheese, finely grated
METHOD
Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a high heat and brown the gnocchi for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the gnocchi from the pan and set aside.
Stovies
INGREDIENTS
1tbsp vegetable oil
1 large onion, chopped
300g potatoes, peeled and chopped into large chunks
1 large carrot, diced
200ml reducedsalt vegetable stock
Freshly ground black pepper
100g frozen peas
60g roasted red meat, cooled and cubed
Add the mushrooms to the pan and cook for 10 minutes, or until softened.
Reduce the heat and stir through the garlic, chilli flakes, sun-dried tomatoes, beans and spinach. Add the water and cook until the spinach has just wilted.
Return the gnocchi to the pan and heat through.
Season with some pepper and top with the Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.
METHOD
Heat the oil in a heavy-based saucepan and cook the onion until lightly brown.
Add the potatoes and carrot, then continue to lightly brown the mixture.
Pour in the stock to cover the potatoes. Sprinkle with a little pepper, then cover with a lightly fitting lid and cook until the potatoes are nearly done.
Add the frozen peas and chopped meat. Bring back to the boil and simmer for 3-4 minutes, until the peas are cooked and the meat is piping hot.
John 3:17