Happy New Year from Silver Fish Jewellery

HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM SILVERFISHJEWELLERY

“The silver is mine and the gold is mine, declares the Lord Almighty” Haggai 2:8
The clock struck midnight on New Year’s Eve and the crowds began to sing “Auld Lang Syne.”

I have always wondered what those words meant and a quick search online revealed the meaning as: Old Scottish for ‘times gone by’.

I began looking back over the past year in a mood of thanksgiving. I looked back over some of our newsletters from last year. Our newsletter from this time last year was entitled ‘how to move a mountain’. It was going to be a tough year, the economic recession loomed as large as any mountain and we would move it, with God’s help, by digging deep into our faith reserves, we would tunnel through until we saw the light at the end!

Then one day when I was somewhere deep in the mountain, a dark place of fear and worry, I saw the light, was this, the end of the recession? Was this the financial breakthrough that we had been praying for? The light came closer and closer, until it touched me. That light was and is Jesus, as I recognised His radiant presence, He lifted me out of the tunnel and placed me on the mountaintop, to proclaim His name and His faithfulness to the nations, so here I stand!

In August we had the riots and for a while, it felt like being back inside the mountain, retailers were advised to keep shutters closed and a spirit of fear and uncertainty seemed to hang over the jewellery quarter. There were riots and rumours of riots. When a shop just a few doors up from us was attacked, it seemed like the mountain was closing in on us!

On the third day of the riots, James asked, “shall I open the shutters today? “Yes” I replied, we must not act out of fear, God’s word stands true even when it seems like there is chaos all around us.

Also in August, we received our charity number for our charitable foundation ‘Treasured by Silverfish jewellery’ and we successfully completed our mentoring programme with the Salvation Army’s future jobs fund where we trained seven long termed unemployed young people at our Jewellery Quarter premises.

In October we travelled to Haiti with Haiti Hospital Appeal to train a group of people who were left paralysed by the earthquake of January 2010. Our five day intensive course in jewellery making, using locally found materials is aimed at changing lives by giving disadvantaged people hope, jewellery making skills and an income.

It certainly was a privilege and a life changing experience for me, there I found a real spiritual hunger, a genuine, humble and childlike faith in the Haitian people even in the mist of the terrible social injustice that they face. I was inspired by the faith, hard work, dedication and vision of the charity founders.

In November we reached a milestone as we celebrated seven years of service at our shop. The shop is central to our ministry and work. It’s always a pleasure to meet, serve, inspire and to pray, prayers of blessing and healing. People come into a jewellery shop that might never go into a church. “The silver is mine and the gold is mine, says the Lord of hosts” and my earnest prayer is that we will continue to be and open door into His Kingdom and a light for Jesus on that high street.

We launched many new designs as well as a range of affordable, solid silver communion chalices and patterns for home, church and travel use. We started using Eco gold alongside our recycled silver as we continue to promote ecological and ethical practices in precious metal mining and gemstone industries.

Looking ahead, we continue to move forward with our eyes fixed on Jesus, the future is bright in the light of His love and we are really excited about that!

Thank you for your continued friendship, support, prayers and purchases, together we are making jewellery, change lives!

Love and blessings in Jesus,
Norma Murrain<
Jewellery designer.

Chistmas Blessings form Silverfish Jewellery

And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
Luke 2:6-8

One of my favourite things about the advent season is watching the children as they take part in the nativity play. It always brings a tear and a large smile.

This verse always takes me back to my youngest son, Daniel’s first nativity. He was just three years old and he was dressed up as the angel Gabriel, the cutest angel Gabriel I ever saw. All was going well until Mary and Joseph got to the scene at the inn where the inn keeper says “No room”.

As those words were spoken, Daniel burst into tears and attacked the little innkeeper, he was totally inconsolable! The innkeeper started to cry, other children started to cry, embarrassed and apologetic his dad and I with the help of a couple the teachers managed to remove him from the scene, still crying inconsolably whilst his elder brother and sister fought back fits of laughter….

As the angels in heaven rejoice when one sinner repents, I wonder if they cry, like Daniel did, when Jesus comes knocking at our hearts and finds no room. I wonder how they will feel as they watch our festivities this Christmas will they laugh and celebrate or will it break their hearts, will you make room in your heart for Jesus, will you make the angels smile, or cry?

Here is my Christmas prayer; will you pray it with me?

Dear Lord Jesus, Please forgive the times I’ve shut you out, my heart is open now, will you come in? Please cleanse me from anything that might cause you pain and fill my heart with your love this Christmas and forever.
In Jesus name Amen.

Norma visits Haiti!

Subject: Norma visits Haiti!

Dear Friends,

“In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words of the Lord Jesus Himself, It is more blessed to give than to receive” Acts 20:35

I’m back in the U.K and our mission trip to Haiti was a great success!

Thank you for your thoughtful prayers, words of encouragement and generous donations.

Tools and bead supplies for this project were donated by Cookson’s Precious Metals, Sutton’s Tools, T H Findings and Davran Jewellery. All based in Birmingham’s famous Jewellery Quarter.

It was all very exciting and life changing, both for my-self and the rehabilitation patients at the hospital in Cap Haitian. I had the privilege of working with around fifteen delegates who were mostly rehab patients, left paralysed by the recent earthquake.

I expected to find pain and despair but thanks to the great work of Haiti hospital appeal with the Baptist Convention of Haiti who built the hospital in partnership, and the God given resilient Haitian spirit, I found just the opposite!

Love our coconut shell crosses!

Each day in the Rehabilitation vocational room (now called the jewellery workshop!), training began with thankful prayers. The delegates often sang as they worked and we laughed a lot as we sang songs familiar in both languages, such as ‘the old rugged cross’, ‘amazing grace’ and ‘blessed assurance’.

The room was filled with the electric yet peaceful presence of God, the simple joy of being alive, friendship and warmth, both from the Haitian smiles and the Caribbean sunshine! There was much hope and optimism for a much brighter future.

There was a hunger for knowledge as delegates concentrated on making beautiful jewellery as well as a hunger for God as we shared the biblical inspirations behind each design.

It was my great privilege to share how to make a range of jewellery including crosses, pendants, bracelets and earrings using found, recycled and natural materials, such as co-co nut shell, seeds, up cycled aluminium cans and horn.

By the end of the five day intensive training period delegates could all make locally saleable jewellery and were already taking orders from NGO staff and visiting missionaries!

My hope and prayer for all our delegate/rehab patients in Haiti, now my new friends, is that they will continue to use their new tools daily and keep developing their new jewellery skills and their relationship with God!

Love and blessings in Jesus,
Norma

About this blog

“When we shine, we give others permission to do the same”

Nelson Mandela

Hi,

I’m Norma Murrain, founder of the Silver Fish Jewellery Company, jewellery designer, mum of three and blog author…

In this blog I will  sharing news about the work of the Silver Fish Jewellery Company.

I hope that through this blog you will be encouraged to do your best work and live your best life.

Love and blessings in Jesus,

Norma.

Mission Trip To Haiti

We would value your prayers for our forthcoming mission trip to Haiti with our charity of the year Haiti Hospital appeal.

Leaving on October 10 we will be working with delegates who have bee paralysed by the recent earthquake, showing them how to make jewellery using coconut shell and locally found objects.

The aim is that the jewellery they make will be sold locally, through tourist outlets, enabling them with hope, a new skill and an income…

Love in Jesus,

Norma<><

www.silverfishjewellery.com