Neil....

A deeply and profoundly sad day for many of us. The news of Neil’s passing this morning extinguishes a very special light to those of us who were privileged to know him. He was, in every possible sense, a man of God. The gentlest of spirits, who knew and loved His God without question, and who maintained his integrity in life, and through his illness, at every conceivable level. Our thoughts and prayers naturally continue to be with his lovely wife Anna, and two incredible sons, Joel and Simon. Such experiences of loss at such a young age - for all of them - can floor many people, were it not for the fact that their spiritual inheritance from Neil will, I am sure, support them through some tough days ahead Pat’s thought for the Day: Considerable weight is often given to someone’s last words. I have no idea what Neil’s last words actually were – such things are far too private, and should remain so – but Neil’s last words on his blog serve as a measure of the man. He said “(This Christmas) - have a really good time and make sure you take time to reflect on the true meaning and include Jesus in your celebrations- He makes the difference.” Jesus made all the difference in the world to Neil.