To whom can the holy God be compared?
    Is there anyone else like him?
Look up at the sky!
Who created the stars you see?
    The one who leads them out like an army                           
    he knows how many there are
    and calls each one by name!
His power is so great—
    not one of them is ever missing!

Isaiah 40: 25-26

A few weeks ago I stayed for a couple of nights in a Shepherd’s Hut not far from Rhadyr.

Even leaving Cardiff after having lunch with Over 50s so as to get there before dark, I still managed to miss the turning off the main road and it took a while to negotiate the narrow, stony track down to the site. The farmhouse might have been within a stone’s throw, but the whole place had the feeling of being in the back of beyond. Nevertheless the chair was comfy and the pile of books on the little table inviting. Bliss!

A couple of hours later I looked up for long enough to realise it was getting late and about time to finalise plans for tomorrow with friends. My phone was nowhere to be seen – in the hurry to get settled in I’d left it in the car. Not a problem. I got up, grabbed the car key, opened the door and stepped outside. Pitch blackness was everywhere.

Living in the city, light pollution from cars, houses, and streetlights means we rarely experience true darkness. There’s usually some spec of light to focus our eyes. Berating myself for not bringing a torch (apart from the one on my phone) I waited for my eyes to adjust. Nope. No can do. Oh well, better be careful.

I’m ashamed to say that it was only when the silly thing was retrieved that I remembered to look up at the stars. The clear night twinkled back at me, almost in amusement at my antics. Utterly beautiful. And I’d nearly missed it – too busy focusing on other things.

You probably already know this, but stars are a key part of Conway Road’s Christmas plans this year. The Creativi-TEA group and the Over 50s are currently knitting, crocheting and otherwise creating small stars so that a group of us can go around the local community offering them as gifts to our neighbours together with an invitation to the many services planned for the Christmas period (more about this on the next page.) But we need your help! The more stars we have, the more we can deliver. Pick up a knitting or crochet pattern from the New Room or create your own from any material you like and bring them to church on or berofre Sunday 3^rd December!

These stars will help the people receiving them to pause for a moment to think about the true Light of the World and the meaning of Christmas. Who knows what else God will do through them?

Every blessing,

Laura