The Lord is my shepherd,
I shall not want;
he leads me beside still waters,
he restores my soul.

These very familiar words from Psalm 23 are amongst the most well-known words of the Bible. They speak of a peace and tranquillity that many seek - and sometimes find.

July has always seemed to me a month filled with hope, as school terms draw to a close and the summer holidays are imminent — the days are filled with all sorts of possibilities. In my head I picture long hot days enjoying family time, and it seems that everyone has a lighter step and an easier smile.

Now it may not work out quite like my imagination, come September I may look back and realise that the tiny summer tops bought in anticipation of blazing sun remained in the closet under a cloudy sky, and the barbeque was not charcoaling quite as much as hoped for, and the family may get so fed up spending time together that we all fall out. But for the moment there is this glorious feeling of hope.

Why can’t Christians work together? That used to be heard so often when I was a youngster. Members of one denomination would never be seen talking with someone from another – and church people would never go to Services in any church building other than their own.

How things have changed. Nowadays, Christians recognise that there’s more that unites them than divides them – and so we are so often  seen to be working together.

Clearly the World Cup is not the time for humility.

Our teams need support and encouragement, and I am sure that when the manager gives his team talk it is all about building the team up to believe in themselves and their ability to make it to the final. We do the same for our children before a special match or an exam, to give them the confidence to do their best, and there is certainly a need for self belief, when there seem to be so many people who suffer from poor self esteem.

Yet in the words that are so familiar to many of us from our parents, it is also true that “nobody likes a showoff”. So where do we draw the line?

Even though election time is here again, our politicians are not being overly optimistic with their promises but instead cautiously warning us not to expect miracles given the problems our economy has had over recent years. The warning is probably quite unnecessary, because few of us do expect miracles these days.

The Queen has been very busy. In late March she announced the appointment of Stephen Cottrell as the new Bishop of Chelmsford, and immediately after Easter dissolved Parliament so that the General Election can take place. So, the church locally and the people nationally are eagerly awaiting the first sights and sounds from our new Leaders.

Way back in the dark snowy days of February, I visited Scotland to see family, only to have my return journey badly disrupted due to weather. Flights were cancelled and I tried everything I could to get back home that day. I took a train from Inverness airport to Aberdeen, only to find another cancellation, and then a taxi ride to the station only to find the last train had already left. Eventually I was forced to accept that my plans were changed, to take a room for the night and try again the next day.

Spring has sprung, the grass is ris; I wonder where Easter is?

All around are signs of new life. Spring is bursting out of the dark of winter. The anniversaries’ card industry is ready for the next peak, with their pictures or drawings of primroses, chicks, lambs, bluebells, daffodils, Easter bonnets and Easter eggs.

In anticipation of moving house soon, I have been trying to clear out cupboards and boxes. Given that I also have a storage facility full of things I have not seen for three years, and a garage with boxes that I have not used in one year, I am appalled at how much “stuff” I have gathered. By now you may be asking the same question I am, how much do I need this if I have not touched it in three years, and the answer is I don’t. I don’t need it, some of it I like, much of it I cannot remember why I bought it in the first place, and so my “barn” is filled with stuff, unnecessary stuff.

A mother has spent years worrying about her grown-up son who is terribly ill. The family call upon others to join them in praying for his recovery. Almost immediately his symptoms ease, and his quality of life improves. A coincidence, or an answer to prayer?

Have you ever said the words “I did my best” to be met with the response “Well your best is just not good enough” or worse still, has this ever been your response to someone. Such discouragement lingers with us and often when we attempt something new it is the negative voices which we hear rather than the positive. I once took part in an appraisal at work where, rather than looking at strengths and weaknesses, it looked only at the strengths and built on them, a much more positive experience which left us feeling valued and encouraged.

This edition of Outlook records many of life’s important events.

For some it is the start of a new phase of life - marriage, bereavement, or a new job. For others it is the marking of a significant milestone – 25 years of The Friends or 100 years of Guiding. Even these milestones are just the end of one chapter, and the start of a new one. There’s no thought of stopping.

Ten years ago the new Millenium began amidst fears and speculations that aircraft would lose their bearings; the banks’ computers would crash; and everyone’s PCs would become ineffective. Midnight on Millenium-eve saw spectacular firework displays all around the world – 'though for some of us it was marked by common-or-garden flu!

The start of the New Year can be a real mixture of emotions, excitement at the possibilities ahead perhaps tinged with a bit of fear as to what this coming year might hold. I wonder if this is how the Israelites felt as they stood on the brink of the Promised Land?

So preparations for Christmas are now in earnest.

Preparing the food, planning menus, freezing ahead, making the cakes and pudding, bracing ourselves for that last shop in all its madness. Preparing the presents, shopping online and in stores searching for the right gift and then the right wrapping. Preparing the house for family, perhaps for guests, decorating trees, sorting out guest rooms. Preparing ourselves, on the outside anyway, something new to wear, or a trip to the hairdresser. It seems to gather its own momentum, some of it fun, much of it stressful.