I love to sing and, in 2004, after hearing the Lakes Gospel Choir at Kendal Leisure Centre, I auditioned and started to sing with the choir regularly.

Our mission is ‘making available the fullness of Jesus Christ through singing and sharing Gospel music’.

I think I generally have an optimistic outlook on life - my glass is half full, rather than half empty.

The Covid lockdowns in early 2020 taught me that I can’t control everything but they also inspired me to set out to read the Bible from start to finish. I started in June that year and I’m really enjoying taking my time to think about the passages I read.

I believe that (as Paul wrote to the early Christians in Rome) God has given us the gift of His word for our encouragement.

I’ve found many of the Bible passages offer inspiration for each day and, together with prayer, provide comfort, strength and confidence to cope with any challenges that present themselves.

God is faithful and true to His word.

He is good to those who wait for Him and seek Him, trust Him and love Him. And He has promised that His grace is sufficient for us in all the challenges we face, no matter how weary we may become, for His power is perfected in our weakness.

We only need to believe in His beloved Son and place our trust in Him.

Julie Armitstead, Lakes Gospel Choir, Windermere