Friends

There are many emails doing the rounds that are about friends and friendship - friends for a season, special friends, those who are there for ever, those you can tell anything to etc.  I guess it depends what you really mean by friends.  The Concise Oxford Dictionary says:
friend - 1. a person with whom one enjoys mutual affection and regard. 2. a sympathiser, helper, or patron.

There are some friends you meet up with occassionally for a particular reason - a celebration or a coming together for a mutual interest while there are others you just hang out with or share a coffee with.  You want to know their news and share (in detail) what has been happening in your lives since your last meeting.  'Tell me all about it' is what we often say on such occasions.  We want to pack in as much as we can in the limited time we have before returning to our everyday commitments.  I love to have people round at our house for this reason - to share life together.

Catching up with my sister and eating, of course!

 Family gatherings in our family our great as the above photo shows my younger sister and me at my 70th celebration. 

My sister and some of her closest and special friends at her 60th celebrations.

There are those occasions when you meet with others for a specific purpose.  I have made a number of friends and had very blessed times by being with others in prayer teams going into places to encourage and help the local people.



With a prayer team in Lille, France in 2007



A number of years ago, while living in Argentina and working with the Salvaiton Army there, I remember an occasion when a man who was to be the new head of Salvation Army operations in Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay gave his welcoming talk.  He said that when he arrived at the port, he said to a fellow passenger 'There are my friends'.  The other man asked how long he had known them and he replied that he had never met them.  The other passenger was intrigued - 'you mean they are acquaintances'.  'No', was the reply, 'they are my friends'  Although he had never met them, he knew that because they were all engaged in the same work, had the same purpose in their lives and served together to work for God that they were friends.

I have, over the past couple of years or so, followed a blog that I discovered through someone else's blog.  That's how it happens sometimes.  You know that there are some people that just seem to draw you, like a magnet, and you want to know more about them and follow their journey.  And that's how it was.  This lady and her husband are British but live in Latvia as they felt that God was leading them to be there.  Our connection has grown through the blog system and also through Facebook and recently emails.  Yesterday, I booked a flight to visit them in their home in Latvia in September and on Facebook she wrote the comment 'I'm so excited, my friend Mavis is coming to visit us in September'.  We have never met in the flesh but I know she is a friend and look forward to the time of sharing together.  Thanks Joanna!

Modders

Normally you would buy some new gadget to use it for its true purpose - phone, games console etc.  But there are some people who buy such gadgets to deliberately dismantle them to see how they work and try to apply that technology for a completely different use.  These people are called 'modders'.

When the Wii games system came out, there was a certain modder who modified it in such a way as to make it work, not with a control that you hold in your hand, but with a headset.  The next step was when Microsoft came up with the Kinect - a gadget that responds to your movements and doesn't need a controller like the Wii.

The Kinect that tracks and follow your every move and translates that onto the screen.

In November, when the Kinect first appeared, a Mobile Robotics Team who had worked together for 5 years bought a Kinect machine for the sole purpose of taking it apart.  At first Microsoft made a big fuss about this.  Understandably, such firms as Microsoft, Sony and others are concerned about copyright and people using their designs for counterfeit goods, so modders need to be careful that they don't infringe such regulations.  Now Microsoft is embracing the efforts of the Mobile Robotics Team as they are pushing the new gadget far beyond its intended capabilities.

When they dismantled it they discovered that it doesn't need a controller as the combination of cameras, infrared sensors and a microphone track and measure players movements in 3D space.  They are now developing the gadget as a rescue robot for use in disaster areas, locating injured humans in hazardous environments.  The Kinect is used for 3D mapping and perception and is used along with an inbuilt PC in the place of a XBox. 

This surely is what they call - thinking outside the box!  The whole of this news item can be seen on http://www.bbc.co.uk/  homepage, then in Search put 'Click' and click.  Scroll down to the entry Click:26/02/2011 where you can find out about modders adapting games equipment. 

Seeing the robot, it seems like something out of Star Wars.  I wonder what the next step will be - that the robot will talk to us like R2D2 or C3PO, maybe?  But I do hope that fear of misuse and copyright infringements won't stop the modders applying such technology for good and that the big companies won't put a stop to their research.  

A Good Day

Today started with a visit to me GP.  Just over 3 months ago he recommended that I start taking a tablet (one a day) to control my cholesterol level.  After 3 months I went back to the phlebotomist to have some more blood taken to check the levels again. (See Check ups posted on 8th Feb 2011)  For a number of years my cholesterol level has been between 5.6 and 6.4 so I was hoping for an improvement.  The thing is that the year previous to this I had been really strict on what I was eating in order to try to keep the level down and after a whole year it hadn't changed .  I was gutted to say the least.  So today was the day I had the appointment with the GP to see what the result was.  I was hoping but remembered that in the previous 3 months we had  Christmas (with all the chocolates and extras), New Year and then my 70th birthday celebrations.  Today I was told that in the past 3 months my cholesterol level had gone down to 4.2 .  Wow!  Was I pleased! - and that's without being so strict about my diet. 

What a difference a small tablet can make.

When I got back home, the load I had left in the washing machine was done and so I hung them outside.  We have had a lovely sunny day here today.  Another good job done.  I was on a roll so then I tackled a job that I had been putting off as I had never done anything like it before.  There were a few spaces between the bricks of the house that could do with a bit of repair to the pointing.  About a month ago I had bought a bag of mortar mix for just such a job but with all the wet weather I hadn't got round to doing it. At least that's my excuse. 



Found the trowel in the shed so had no excuse not to do the job.



 But it's amazing the difference a bit of sunshine makes.  So I set to and mixed the mortar and applied it to the wall.  Not a professional job by any means but not bad I thought for a novice.  You're never too old to learn.



Some of the repaired pointing.

All in all I've had a very productive day.  Hopefully this evening I'll settle down to watch TV - and no doubt quietly drift off into dreamland in my recliner.

 

What question?

Yesterday I had the opportunity to watch a programme called 'The Big Questions'  It's a programme I don't usually see for various reasons but yesterday I was intrigued by one of the questions put to the invited guests - 'If Jesus returned today, would He be a Roman Catholic?'  As you can imagine the Catholic priest and the nun said 'Of course' giving their reasons about Jesus building His church on Peter who was the first Pope (in their understanding and belief) So as the head of His church He would return to His church.  This was then quickly disputed by a man who was adamant that he was a humanist and that he felt that all organised religions 'have lost the plot!'  Others reminded everyone that Jesus spent a lot of time condemning and speaking against the religious people of his day who finally crucified him.  It was suggested that if he returned to (as they want to believe) the particular branch of the Christian church 'that He set up' then he might do the same again and they in return would possibly crucify him again.

The discussion continued for some time amongst people of various denominations until a muslim (one of the invited guests)  who accepts Jesus as a great prophet, said that he felt that Jesus wouldn't even understand the question.  He felt that he wouldn't go to any building or join any particular group but instead would go to the estates and see if he could help anyone.  Hmm.  I think that he who declared himself not to be a christian was nearer to the truth.

I have also been reading a few blogs lately where people are questioning what it means to be a christian.  There are many millions of people throughout the world who have now opted out of structured forms of doing church but still feel very much followers of Jesus and live their lives accordingly.  The following is an excerpt from one of these blogs.

The question of disclosing my faith has been a problematic one for me, not through any shame about my beliefs, more through issues about the culture that has grown up around it, and the way that it is popularly perceived. To declare myself ‘Christian’ is to enter an ecosystem of misunderstanding and judgements about what I believe. It is, too often, to be labelled homophobic, unscientific, intellectually closed.

Ironically, rather than answer the question, or offer to denominate ourselves, we should do as Jesus did and turn the question round. Who do you say that I am? was Jesus’ piercing question to Peter, and perhaps this offers something important. Jesus did not self-identify, and may be we should follow this lead.

Perhaps Christians should be non-self-identifying. If you want to call me ‘Christian’ then go ahead. But perhaps it’s best if I don’t identify myself as that. Aim to be known for my actions, not hiding behind my labels. What I think this does is turn the tables on our ethics. Our actions are not based on ‘I call myself a Christian, so I should do x,’ but more on ‘she does x, that’s a Christ-like thing to do.’

Lots of food for thought here.  I think sometimes that we get so caught up in the structure  of how we worship and our own denomination's slant on particular verses of Scripture (and of course, our way is the right way and everyone else is a bit misguided) that we forget just what the gospel is really all about.  Is it important where we choose to congregate or even if we choose to congregate?  Too often we pre-judge people on which denomination they belong to instead of the lives they live.  Remember the bracelets we used to wear - What Would Jesus Do?  Surely to be followers of Jesus we should do what He would do and go where he would go.

WWJD



Whatever!

What a lovely day we had yesterday here in the southwest of England.  I actually hung out a load of washing and got them dried in the sun.  I also noticed my first crocuses in flower.  I had earlier been to do some supermarket shopping and on my way saw along the side of one of the main roads on the outskirts of town that all the daffodils were out in full bloom (Western Relief Road/Lysander Road for those who know the area).  It reminded me of Wordsworth's poem - 'Ten thousand saw I at a glance ... ... a host of lovely daffodils.'  In my garden, however, they are still in bud but showing good signs that soon I will have daffodils in flower as well.

The first crocus of 2011

coming soon

Today I washed some bedding but didn't put it outside to dry as it was a bit too dull and it wouldn't have dried.  I listened to the weather forecast and they say that by tomorrow some parts of the UK will have more snow - again.  What a difference a day makes!

Life is like that - one day things seem to go according to plan and the next nothing seems to go right.  It's like two steps forward and one step back.  I guess the secret is to enjoy the moment, the now.  Someone said that the past is gone and you can't do anything about it, the future you don't know what will come so enjoy the present, it's all you've got.  Another saying I remember is 'don't make today the yesterday you will regret tomorrow.'  Wise words indeed.  But it is sometimes difficult to find something to enjoy in every present moment.  I think Paul found the answer when he said, 'I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.  I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty.  I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.  I can do everything through him who gives me strength.' (Phil 4:11-13 NIV)

The little things

A Facebook friend this morning wrote that what she had done was only a little thing but it had made a difference in the bigger picture.  That set me thinking about the little things and how important they are.  I thought particularly of the dot or full stop.  Of all the punctuation marks, the full stop is the smallest but has a very important role.  It means the end of a sentence - completion.  It is the first punctuation mark a child is taught.

But then the dot has other important functions.  Try to get a website or send an email when you've missed out a dot or put it in the wrong place!   Without the dot, it doesn't work or you get a site you don't want.  The Morse Code is made up of dots and dashes and again, a dot missed out or in the wrong place can mean a completely different letter.  Even the spaces between letters and words are measured in dots.  If the dot was missed out the 'i' would be an 'e', making 'sit' 'set'.  I'm sure many others examples could be found.


Morse Code

Putting a decimal point in the wrong place can make a big difference.  The problems of division and multiplication involving decimal points and where to put it in the answer!  And what would dice or dominoes be like without the dots?   Braille is also based on the dot system and makes a huge difference to the quality of life of someone with limited or no vision.   

Apart from the dot there are other small things that make a difference.  Miss out the pinch of salt or a spoonful of sugar and the taste of food is quite different.  Remember the old saying 'Look after the pennies and the pounds will look after themselves'.  Or, as in the case of my online friend, a spoken word at the right time and circumstance can make a difference to others.  

As someone who is vertically challenged, I am encouraged to think that small is important and can make a difference.

The Mystery Is Solved

Since moving into this house 21 months ago, I have been aware that we have a regular nocturnal visitor.  Down the side the house is open access so getting into the garden is easy but what puzzled me was the appearance of holes in the ground to get access past the rear fence to the adjacent garden of the next street.



back to back

                           

I had considered mischevious children but surely not most nights throughout the year whatever the weather!  Then I thought it must be the neighbourhood feline population.  I tried blocking up the gaps, nailing extra wood to the fence and blocking with large stones, only to find the next morning that my hard efforts had been dismantled.  I realised that this was not the work of a household pet.  So I ruled out the cats.

My next suspect was an urban fox.  Again, I kept blocking up the gaps and the same thing happened.  It seemed that nothing worked.  I few days ago, I tried again, sure that this time nothing could shift my efforts.  BUT ... you guessed it - another gap was apparent and this time the fence was so bent it almost broke.  What could have such strength?  Whatever it was, it wouldn't be deterred, so I gave in and left a big gap accepting that it was better than having to mend the fence all the time.



What strength to remove part of the fence!


Over the past few days, I have noticed holes dug in other parts of the garden.  The mystery deepened.  What is going on?  I looked through a book we have about animals and looked in the section of wild animals that have recently become urbanised.  I read it, looking for clues.

Last night I awoke, looked at the clock and it said 3:01.  I then saw the rear security light go on - my bedroom window faces out onto the back garden.  I went to the window and there it was.  With my own eyes I saw the culprit.  It was a 2'-3' long badger just going round the shed to the edge near the fence that was hidden from my view.  This morning when I went to have a look, this is what I saw.  Gotcha!  Mystery solved.

The Badger Effect 1



The Badger Effect 2


I know we share the planet with a variety of creatures.  We share our garden with a number of birds (and yes, the blackcap now visits every day - see The Unexpected posted Feb 1st 2011) and the neighbourhood cats but I must admit I didn't expect to have to share it with a badger!

Check ups

This morning my sister drove me over 20 miles to a neighbouring town's hospital.  I had been referred from our local hospital's eye clinic.  This all started a few years ago through a regular eye test.  It was considered that the pressure behind the eyes was a bit high and so I'd better see a specialist.  They have been monitoring the situation now for a few years and in December decided that they wanted to have a closer look behind the eye but our hospital wasn't able to take the necessary pictures - hence my visit to the neighbouring town.

The above is a copy of the pictures of what is behind my eyes.  Hmmm.  Not that I'm any the wiser!  But I'm sure it will make more sense to the specialist.

After some lunch I phoned my local GP's surgery to make an appointment to see the phlebotomist next week to have some blood taken for a check on my cholesterol level.  Sounds like I'm falling apart, doesn't it. 

But the point is that all these hiccups of increasing years were really not noticeable - by me at any rate.   I feel fine.  But the deeper scans and tests say otherwise and so remedies need to be found.  I thank God that there are those who feel that their purpose in life is to medically help to deal with health problems so that I can go on having a relatively healthy and good lifestyle.  

God, investigate my life; get all the facts firsthand.  I'm an open book to you; even from a distance you know what I am thinking. ... ... Investigate my life, O God, find out everything about me; cross-examine and test me, get a clear picture of what I am about; see for yourself whether I've done anything wrong - then guide me on the road to eternal life.

Psalm 139:1,23&24 The Message

I might think I'm fine but am I as happy for God to scrutinise and investigate me to see if I need help in order to be able to have true life in Him?  Like life, there are ups and downs but He is always ready to check me over and put things right - the GP - Great Physician. 

It's a jungle out there.

I have just been watching another episode of Human Planet.  This time it was about people who live in the jungles of the world.

One tribe in Papua New Guinea make their houses in the trees high above the forest floor.  It was amazing to see how they carried everything up the trees and built their homes right near the top.  The cameraman made a very interesting comparison between how he used ropes and pulleys and a lot of safety gear to get him and his camera up to the house while they just seemed to be able to climb up without much difficulty.  They had learnt to be at home in and with the nature around them and have great respect for their surroundings.

In Asia men were using elephants in order to move great logs and so saving their habitat by not forging great roads into the forest and using big machinery and trucks to devastate the land.

A tribe in the Amazon jungle hunted monkeys as one of their food sources but then took any orphaned young of those they had killed and fed them, raised them and loved them as pets.  Their philosophy was that you take out of the jungle but you also have to put something back.  Others have gone into the Amazon and devastated it, chopping down great areas of forest in order to clear the land, destroying everything in their path.  The sad thing is that many believe they are bringing civilisation to the remote tribes.

I am not against modern living with all its technology (otherwise I wouldn't be writing a blog on the Internet!) but there is much to be said for putting something back when we have taken something.  It's a bit like a bank account - you can draw out when you want/need to but if you just keep taking and taking, there comes a time when there is nothing left to take.  And who are we to impose our way of living on other tribes who have lived happily for hundred of years without all that goes into making our modern lifestyle?  When you watch news bulletins you can't help but wonder just who are the more civilised?

It reminded me of a song that Queen used to sing:

        Just think of all those hungry mouths we have to feed
        Take a look at all the suffering we breed
        So many lonely faces scattered all around
        Searching for what they need.

        Is this the world we created?  What did we do it for?
        Is this the world we invaded against the law?
        So it seems in the end
        Is this what we're all living for today,
        The world that we created?

        You know that every day a helpless child is born
        Who needs some loving care inside a happy home
        Somewhere a wealthy man is sitting on his throne
        Waiting for life to go by.

        Is this the world we created?  We made it on our own.
        Is this the world we devastated right to the bone?
        If there's a God in the sky looking down,
        What can He think of what we've done
        To the world that He created?

Paradox

According to the dictionary, a paradox is 'a seemingly absurd or contradictory statement'.  Today I received an email with a number of paradoxes.  So I thought I would share some with you here on my blog.  They speak for themselves so all I'll say is read them, meditate on them and see where that takes you.

The heart has reasons that reason doesn't have.

The essential things in life are invisible to the eyes.  You can only see them with your heart.

There was a man who was so, so poor, the only thing he had was money.

Technology brings near those who are furthest away but

can distance us from those who are near.

While objectively we are better off than ever,

subjectively we find ourselves profoundly unsatisfied.

He who knows much, listens while he who knows little, talks. 

He who knows much, asks questions while he who knows little, makes sentences.

Man looks for answers and finds questions.

He is not the richest who has more but he who needs less.

The more love you give, the more love fills you.

We suffer too much for the little that we lack and celebrate little the much that we have. 

The unexpected

                                                      Happy

  Christmas      

No, I haven't gone mad!  Today, I received an email from a nephew in Argentina to say that he has just received a Christmas card from my eldest son, who sent it well before Christmas and with plenty of time to get there for the festive season.  I guess he was surprised to receive it now, almost 2 months after it was sent.  Maybe the postman swam there - even by boat it doesn't take that long!  Ah!. living with the unexpected!

I had another surprise at the weekend.  I was taking part in the RSPB's annual Big Garden Bird Watch.  This is something I am happy to be part of as it is necessary to have some idea of how the numbers may be changing and what effect the change of habitat and environment may have on our wildlife.  This is part of the garden space we have set out for feeding the birds.

During my watch on Sunday, I was counting the usual birds that come into our garden to feed when I noticed a bird I hadn't seen before.  I got the books out, looking for a picture of it and discovered that it was a Blackcap, rightly named for the black cap of feathers it has on  its head.  This is a bird that is usually a summer visitor to Britain but in recent years it has been noticed that a few stay in the southwest over the winter time - another indication of the changing climate tendencies.  So I was really happy that this infrequent visitor had decided to feed in our garden.  I have looked for him and seen him often since then so hopefully he will become a regular visitor here.  I wasn't able to get a live photo of it - it was too quick for me!   But I took this one from a book.

Life is full of surprises, some pleasant, some not so pleasant and some just bizarre.  In life I think the only thing we should expect is the unexpected.  At least that way we are not disappointed because our expectations haven't been realised.

The Walls of Tradition and Culture

Yesterday was a day of catching up with things that had been recorded.  First I watched a programme called Human Planet about how people survive in the most extreme circumstances.  This week's episode was about those who live within the Arctic Circle.  It showed how the Inuits hunted for food.  It had never occurred to me before but they have no fruit of vegetables as they cannot grow any produce on a land that is covered with ice and snow most of the year.  My thought was 'What about your 5 a day?'  We are told rightly that we should eat plenty of fruit and vegetables to have a balanced diet but I had never thought about people who cannot do this.  Then there is the issue of hunting and killing rare sharks that live only in the Arctic waters and hundreds of birds.  But can it be wrong if it is in order to survive? 

The second catch up was a podcast on Martin Scott's blog of a recent visit to Sacramento.  He and his wife are currently living in Majorca and learning the language.  He spoke of their neighbour whom they could often hear with raised voice to her partner and said how he had learnt some Spanish words that he couldn't find in the dictionary!  But on the other hand he was so provoked by this same lady who would go out looking for people who needed help and doing what she could to help them. 

It is so easy to judge others according to what we consider to be right and proper.  What may be wrong for me may not be wrong for someone else.  If we can look past the outer veneer of our own culture and way of doing things, we will find that God is at work in some of the most unlikely places.  We don't always see this because we have built a wall around ourselves and consider that those who follow Christ must join us within the walls and fit in to our ways, habits and way of living.  One very important lesson I learned from living in another country is that some of the things that I had accepted as right and proper were not necessarily biblical but more English tradition and culture.  'Lord, help me to see others not as better or worse but simply different.  Help me to see past the customs and traditions to see as You see.  Man sees on the outside but You see the inside.' 

Who knows where I'll see God today?  Probably outside of the walls I have constructed in my life.

House or Home

 The thing about winter is that, although it brings rest and renewal to creation and gives way to spring and new life, there is also a destructive element to it.  Fences need to be strengthened and there is a patch of pointing in the brickwork that needs some attention to prevent dampness from seeping into the inside of the house.  Roof and loft areas need to be checked.  Repair and maintenance always seems to be ongoing - always something to do, inside or outside.

I love watching all those property programmes on TV - Homes under the Hammer, Escape to the Country, Location,location,location etc.  Some properties are beyond our wildest dreams while others are quite humble and ordinary.  But then I look at the news and see what happens to man made property when creation begins to groan and we see the effects of floods, earthquakes, war and unrest in the land.  And things seem to take on another perspective. 

Maybe it's because I have lived in many different houses and places in my life, that I can't quite understand people who are so attached to a particular building.  Of course there are memories that we wish to keep hold of;  there are untold stories and emotions connected to certain places.  We should enjoy the place where God has allowed us to be and be good stewards of the material things he has given us but also try to see things from God's world perspective.  

A house is a place to live but a home is a place of love and that can be wherever God chooses for us to be.  So as we face the necessary repairs, I try to keep focused on the real purpose for our being here - to live out the love of God and make a difference just here, whatever the bricks and mortar look like.

Sorting out

It's been one of those sorting out days.  I started this morning by making a list of 'to do' things, gradually ticking off the things I actually managed to get done - ironing, cleaning bedrooms, bathroom, kitchen, sorting out rubbish and recycling.  I didn't finish my list but still have a sense of achievemnet for what I have done.

While sorting out the rubbish, I eventually threw away what had been a beautiful bunch of flowers. 

I had been given them for my birthday a couple of weeks ago - lilies and roses.  The roses had already died but I kept the lilies as long as I could for their lovely aroma.  I had put them on the table in the dining room (at the front of the house) so that you could smell them as soon as you walked through the front door or down the stairs. But sadly, today I said goodbye to them.  They didn't really smell very nice now. 

Things come and go, life changes and sometimes what once was lovely and enjoyable has served a very useful purpose but we must move on. The trouble is we always want to hold on to what we have enjoyed hoping that it will continue to always be the same.  And then are disappointed when it doesn't have the same effect or appeal.  I love the quote from Bono when he says: 'Religion is what you've left when the Spirit leaves the building.'  I don't want the dying or dead leftovers.  I want life - the real thing -as Jesus puts it 'in all its fulness'.  So it's a case of sorting out what is no longer useful and doing away with it, even though it might have been good once but no longer serves the purpose - replenishing and renewal.  I thank God for what I had and experienced - all good and right at the time - and I move on in my journey.

Renewal

This photo was taken on Monday and is the first sign of new life in our garden this year.  It reminded me of something I wrote a number of years ago when life was a bit of a struggle.  I was doing an Open Learning course at the time and for one assignment had to write a prayer in the Celtic tradition.  I chose to write about the snowdrop.  The only words I have changed from the original are you instead of thou and your instead of thy. 



                                                             THE SNOWDROP

                                      God of Life, you give hope to me

                                      When all around is deathly white.

                                      God of Love, you show warmth to me

                                      When icy snows begin to melt.

                                      God of Creation, you speak to me

                                      Your world around me tells me of your truth.

                                      The small white flower that is so delicate yet strong

                                      Braves ice and snow to bring your message to me.

                                      Thank you, O God, because you remind me

                                      That hard times some day surely will end,

                                      That cold days will give way to warmer clime,

                                      That winter cannot prevent spring's resurrection.

                                      Thank you, O Father, God of Creation.

                                      In the dark, cold days you are with me.

                                      Thank you, O Jesus, God of Love.

                                      In your tender mercy you enfold me.

                                      Thank you, O Spirit, God of Life.

                                      In your everlasting faithfulness you renew me. 

Back in the garden

I have been so wanting lately to get back out into the garden.  There is so much I want to do so I was really happy when this afternoon I was able to sort out some plants and bulbs.  For about 2 hours the sun actually shone.  I had received from friends for my birthday a couple of lovely pots with plants for the patio and so this afternoon I was finally able to put them out and also to pot some other bulbs and plants ready to be transplanted in the garden at a later date when they have become more established.  There were irises, lily of the valley, red hot pokers, anemones and a few others. Hopefully in another few months the garden will be transformed in a blaze of colour.  I was just about finished when ... surprise, surprise, it started to rain ... again!  Never mind, I was very pleased with what I had managed to get done in the short space of time.

I am always amazed how the spring bulbs keep on growing despite the bad weather.  These are some daffs and narcissus that I planted last autumn.  All through the winter time, the place looks so desolate and barren and yet, seemingly out of nowhere, there is life.  I need to be reminded often that in times of waiting when apparently nothing is happening and all seems dead and lost, there are great changes going on in the dark, deep places.  It seems that more often than not, the miracles happen away from the glare of publicity, in the secret places.  The waiting and the coping with the darkness and cold storms of winter are necessary for the new life to flourish.  The barren times of waiting can be very hard but thank you Lord that spring is just around the corner!

What plans?

It's been one of those weird days. Normally on a Thursday morning I meet up with my sister and we spend the morning together. Sometimes we go shopping and sometimes just sit and drink coffee and chat about anything and everything, putting the world to rights. A couple of days ago she phoned to say we would have to give it a miss this week as something else had cropped up. So now I had a morning I could do something else.

I had received a number of gift cards for my recent birthday so thought it would be a good idea to go into town and see what I could buy and spoil myself. Then I would come home and sort out a couple of big pots I had also received from friends for the patio. I would go into town first as I needed to be home this afternoon to receive a delivery from the local farmers.

I awoke early with my mind set for the day. I had my plan and was waiting for my son to leave for work and then I would get in motion. NOT, as it happens! My son came downstairs hardly able to speak, croaking that he really felt he should take the day off work as he felt really poorly. So I made him a hot honey and lemon drink and he went back to bed. I suppose I could have gone out and left him but thought it better if I hung around and made him his hot drinks. He slept all day but thankfully by teatime he was feeling much better and got up in time to eat. Apparently they are typical symptoms of so called 'man flu' - go to bed and have everyone feeling sorry for you, sleep most of the day and get up when the food is ready! (Only joking - he really did look rough this morning)

So this morning I pottered around hoping to get into the garden to sort out my new pots for the patio - but as it was wet and miserable all day, that didn't happen either. Never mind I had a very chilled out day which I enjoyed to the point that after a spot of lunch I began drifting off in my very comfortable recliner when suddenly the door bell went bringing me back to reality. It was the delivery from the local farmers - the only part of the planned day that actually happened.

What are my plans for tomorrow? I'll wait til tomorrow and see what happens.

Value and purpose

This morning the TV presenter was interviewing a well known celebrity about a documentary programme he was involved in about physics. What may not be well known is that the well known comedian is qualified in quantum physics. It seems a long way from what he is more readily recognised for. In the interview he said that preparing the programme made him feel that his life had purpose again.

I know what he means but began thinking how we evaluate people by the jobs they do. I guess that in an evening after a day's work, when we just want to relax and escape the drudgery of life for a while, we may prefer to listen to a comedian than a scientist (depending on what you like of course) But being able to relax and smile is important in life and those who dedicate their lives to helping us achieve this I feel are doing a very worthwhile job.

How often I have been introduced to someone firstly by their name and quickly followed by their profession or trade/job skill. I once heard that someone had commented on an undergraduate's choice of boyfriend as 'Could she not have done better for herself? He 's only a ... ... ' I know that some jobs are vitally important but how often we value people wrongly because of what they do at work. Teachers are very important but so also is the dinner lady or the person who helps in the playground. For children travelling to school, the lollipop man/woman is so important. And surgeons would be lost without the after care nurses, hospital cleaners and porters and admin staff. Over the bad weather we have come to realise our need for the refuse collectors when they have been unable to collect down some streets. And so I could go on ... ... How often, even in Christian circles, do we see those who have some social clout being welcomed and fussed over more than the sole parent struggling to cope with life.

On a personal level, my two sons are so different in that one is very academic while the other struggled to finish school. He went because he had to but was so relieved when he could leave. One will always be paid more than the other and so will always have financial standing and status in society. As a mother and knowing how both worked as hard as each other - in fact I would say that at school the one who struggled applied himself more than the other - but the so called rewards in life being so different, I can't help feeling that life just isn't fair and that we judge people wrongly and put more importance onto things that in God's whole scheme of things are not that important. I pray that I will see people through God's eyes and accept that whatever they do, they have an important contribution to make to those around them. Looking at what the high fliers of the financial world have done to the world's economy, I would lean towards valuing the cleaners and lowly workers more. But that's another blog - maybe.

Perspective

A perspective is basically what you see from where you're standing. In art it is drawing in 2 dimensions in such a way as to see depth and distance. Of course your persepective can change depending on where you are standing.

I remember when I first passed my driving test and got my full licence - too many years ago to think about! But my license said that it expires in January 2011 when I reach a certain age. At the time I remember thinking, 'Well why on earth will I want to be driving at that age anyway?' A few weeks ago I received a letter from the Driving License Centre reminding me that my license was due to expire and that if I wanted to renew it for another 3 years then I needed to fill in the necessary form and sent it back to their office for confirmation. It's strange how my perspective has changed! Of course I want to renew and extend my license.

As a young woman, I could not have imagined how I would feel as the years progressed and held certain opinions about many things, not just about driving. But life is a great teacher and I have learnt many lessons. I have changed my perspective, point of view, outlook on a number of issues. How often do we hear people say that they have changed their minds about certain issues or that they don't think or believe certain things any more or they now do things differently.

I may elaborate on some of my own changes of opinion in future blogs but for now suffice to say that I have learnt to be less dogmatic and more tolerant because I know that over the years I myself have changed.

New house, new start

I have been thinking lately that I should start blogging again. It is now over 3 years since I last posted something here. Since then we eventually moved house in May 2009. We have done quite a bit of work on the house since moving in and are now tackling the garden. So here goes - new year, new house, new start.

A new year comes with the natural looking back and looking forward. Some friends have been talking about their 'to do lists' for the year ahead. I guess that at my age I don't really want to have a long list and feel pressurised into completing it. I may not be as quick and agile as I once was but there are things I would like to do and places I would like to visit. These past 3 years have been a time of waiting and now in this new year I have a sense that things may start to move again so who knows what this year holds - only God. And I just want to journey with Him and go where He wants me to and connect with those whom He has prepared for me to share this part of my journey with. I wonder what surprises He has prepared for me. I have a feeling that it's going to look different from anything I've experienced before. So here's looking forward to 2011.

The end of a season

I have, after quite a bit of thought, come to a decision. I believe that there are seasons in our lives and every season comes to an end. I have decided not to blog any more. I think it was beginning to take up quite a bit of time that really I felt I should be giving to other things. It is so easy to browse and browse and browse and in the end, spend more time than I intended. So today I am writing this as my last entry. This for me is the end of blogging - at least for some time.

Christian politics

I have just been watching the evening news. A statue of Nelson Mandela has been erected in Parliament Square in London and the man himself was there to see the unveiling. Certainly he is a man of politics with a difference.

After spending almost 3 decades in prison because he believed that everyone should have the same rights regardless of the colour of their skin, we all know how he was released and subsequently became the leader of South Africa. When I think of all he must have endured in those years of imprisonment, his political life after release is all the more amazing.

Instead of reprisal and revenge, he introduced strategies of reconciliation.

He is a man of absolute integrity in everything he does.

He is forthright, not mincing his words, but does not choose words in order to deceive, score political points against rivals or give an incorrect impression.

He doesn't lie but speaks the truth, even if it isn't popular.

He is approachable.

I tried to think of other political figures both in the UK and in other countries and tried to imagine them with those characteristics. Quite difficult - even for those politicians who claim to be Christians. Some would say that in politics, you can't display your own faith publicly and you cannot always live according to Biblical standards. There are other faiths to consider. It would appear that Nelson Mandela managed to do a pretty good job! What if ... ... all 'Christian' countries had leaders who really lived the Jesus way, then we would really make a difference for good in the world.

Blair Wingo

I recently listened to a powerful video I found on Sarah Rooney's blog. Click on the link to her blog and then on the video of Blair Wingo - Poet Missionary. I found it very thought provoking.

The changing shape of church

I've been doing a bit of browsing on the internet this afternoon.

A recent post on Martin Scott's blog tells of a research that suggests there are 111 million Christians outside of local church. The question asked is, 'Are they all in rebellion - or is there a (God) movement taking place?' Martin Scott is a very respected prophetic voice and he suggests a number of books on the subject. You can read his post by clicking on my links and on his blog for the post 'Books - or an excuse to ramble'.

I have also read how the church in China is sending out thousands of missionaries in twos to Muslim countries. And a report by Chris Mitchell on

CBN news

tells of hundreds of thousands of Muslims accepting Christ. You can click on the link to watch a video of the report. Many come to know Jesus through the internet and others have had dreams about Jesus.

Another website I like is http://www.god.tv/ It was founded by Rory and Wendy Alec.

The shape of church is changing!

Time for a smile

I read these in the August edition of Inspire Magazine. they made me smile so I thought I'd share a few with you. Hope you enjoy them.

A boiled egg is hard to beat.

A backward poet writes inverse.

In a democracy it's your vote that counts; in feudalism, it's your Count that votes.

With her marriage she got a new name and a dress.

The guy who fell on an upholstery machine was fully recovered.

You are stuck with your debt if you can't budge it.

A plateau is a high form of flattery.

When she saw her first strands of grey hair, she thought she'd dye.

NOT Sold

This afternoon I received a phone call from our estate agent to say that the investor who was buying our flat has pulled out. So now we have to put it back on the market and hope it sells quickly or we may lose the house that we were hoping to buy. We put an offer in and it was accepted but if the owners think they have to wait longer they may decide to sell it to someone else. Again we trust that God will work all things out according to His purposes. There are moments when things get taken out of our control and we just have to trust Him. It's being in a place of 'not knowing' that can be difficult. We don't know if we'll be able to sell quickly. We don't know if the house we want will eventually be ours or if we will need to look for something else. It's as if life has been put on hold - a sort of suspended animation. Like I'm holding my breath and don't know when I can breath out.

Encouraged

I was truly blessed this morning by something I heard at church. A young Church of England vicar has recently been assigned to Yeovil with a remit to investigate new ways of being church in the 21st century. He came to share with us this morning something of his heart for our town. Town plans are to build many new homes in the next few years creating 3 new housing estates. Then David (the young vicar - Rev David Keen) posed the question about what we as the Body of Christ will be doing about the situation. Will we just stay where we are and suggest people travel into town to congregate with us or are we going to move out into the new estates?

I was greatly encouraged when he then went on to say that yesterday he and other church leaders from a number of churches in the town had met together and had agreed about working together on the issue. (Leaders of different denominatins actually agreeing to really work together in a non-denominational way? That's a good place to start!) They want to see people from across the churches working together in the new estates to find out particular needs and finding solutions to those needs. Not to build a church building, but to meet peoples' needs. It's not about them coming to a church building. It's about us being with them where they are in the community.

He also continued saying that all the leaders agreed that they shouldn't be planning too far ahead but seeking God's guidance in what HE wants to be done, when and how. We really need to pray that the enemy will not be allowed to thwart this vision or try to creep in with human plans and projects but it will indeed be Heaven to Earth directed. You can click on David's blog to find out more about him. I went home greatly encouraged.

An Inconvenient Truth

Yesterday I sat and watched the documentary film by Al Gore 'An Inconvenient Truth'. It is truly convincing the scientific data that he comes up with. I was already convinced of the reality of Global Warming and the effect of CO2 emissions but if I hadn't been then this film would have persuaded me. It is a 'must see' for anyone and everyone who cares at all about this planet. He doesn't just tell us the problem but also a solution that is possible for each one of us to live out in our everyday lives. We can each and all make a difference.

My niece has just given birth to a daughter and I don't want in the future for her to look at me and ask 'Why didn't you do something?' You can find out more by clicking on

An Inconvenient Truth

Sold

This afternoon we sold our flat, after being on the market for less than a week! When God moves He doesn't hang about! So now it's all systems go to find somewhere for us to live. They say that moving house is one of the most stressful experiences in one's life. But when God gets moving you don't have time to get stressed. I must admit that I haven't felt stressed. I reckon that if this is God's idea then why should I worry - He'll have it sorted.

An evening with Godfrey Birtill

I have just returned from a wonderful evening worshipping with Godfrey Birtill. Right at the start he said that our churches need to be delivered from 'lovely times of worship'. He referred to Paul and Silas in prison when they began to worship God and sing His praises. Then the earth trembled and the gates were opened. The jail keeper was so afraid he wanted to commit suicide. We know how the rest of the story tells us how he and his whole family came to accept Christ as Saviour. Godfrey with a smile commented, 'I don't think Paul and Silas went on their way that night saying, "Well that was a lovely time of worship!"'

So much of our worship is just singing 'nice songs' and wanting a kind of 'feel good' factor. It can so often be only about us and what we like and how we feel. For Paul and Silas, worship was about shaking the foundations of strongholds and opening the gates to let in God's power.

We spent the next 2 hours really worshipping. I reckon some foundations of enemy strongholds were shaken tonight.

For Sale

Today the estate agent came to write down particulars about the flat and to take photos. After he had finished, up went the board outside. The other board is for our neighbour who is also selling - but his has only one bedroom while ours has two. So now we are officially selling our home and only hope that it won't take too long before someone wants to buy it - and we can move to wherever God has prepared for us. Exciting but a bit scary. I guess it's all in His hands and in His timing.

Prayer for your town/city

Yesterday I read an article in the April-June edition of Prayer magazine about Rev. Jerry Bowers for the US. He spent the first part of 2007 in the UK. He has a heart for unity among churches and corporate prayer. He says:

We add prayer to the programme of the Church, but we really should be adding Church to the importance of prayer. Jesus Christ said, "My house shall be a House of Prayer".

Pastors, you are not called to your congregation but you are called to your city. Jesus Christ will hold you accountable for your city. For you to see change in your city, you must pray with other pastors.'

You can find out more about Prayer magazine by clicking on my list of links.

Busy

I haven't blogged for a while. I've been busy travelling to Birmingham for prayer days at the World Prayer Centre. We are also hoping to move house so I have been cleaning, sorting and decluttering to get the house in order. It's amazing just how much stuff we hoard! Last week we had a consultation with a financial advisor to discuss our financial state. We have now had 2 evaluations on our present property and hoping for another on Monday. Then we'll decide which Estate Agent will sell our apartment. We feel that all this is in God's timing so we are trusting Him for our new home.

Marc's blog

Marc van der Woude has a quote from Brother Andrew on his blog. It says:

If your vision doesn't scare you,

then both your vision and your God are too small.

He also mentions a book called 'Jesus has left the building'.

I just keep thinking about it!

More travels

Last Saturday I spent in Birmingham in the heart of England, gathered with about 2000 other Christians to pray for our nation. It was a very blessed day with great worship and lament for these islands. One quote that stayed with me, when talking about the gospel being more than meetings was '2000 years ago the Word became flesh and we've spent 2000 years trying to turn it back to words.' As Martin Luther said 'a heart curved in upon itself is sin.'

After the gathering was ended I continued north to stay overnight with a friend - Sally Ann. She had been asked to take a prayer team to Newcastle and as I was born and brought up in the area, she asked me to join her, along with Val, a scottish woman who is currently living in the Midlands. So Sunday morning we travelled further north.

We spent the next three days in meetings and prayer-walking. It has been said that Newcastle has the highest rate of teenage pregnancy in Europe and people travel from long distances for one-night stands. We learned of sex slaves who have been smuggled in from eastern Europe and saw a building that exhibits pornographic and obscene art. It is considered to be a city in renewal with many building projects but we discovered statues of gods along the riverbank. Paul's words were continually with us as we prayed - 'Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.' (Ephesians 6:12)

I know that meeting together as a Body to worship and encourage each other is important but when you see things like that, you realise that the majority of people are not going to come to church looking for God. We have to take the gospel to them. Yet so often we spend a much greater percentage of our time doing things connected with the activities of the organised gathering than seeking and praying for the lost. These prayer teams give me a glimpse of God's heart and a determination to not make an idol of the organised church set-up and all that goes with it. Going to church on Sunday is not the culmination of my Christian life. Prayer walking softens the ground for the seed of His word to take root and grow and I hope He gives me many more years of travelling and praying and walking the land for His Kingdom's sake.

France

I have just returned from a trip with a prayer team to Lille, France. We went only for a long weekend (travelled there Friday and returned Tuesday) but managed to pack quite a lot into our 3 days there. On the Saturday we went to a small church to pray for them as they were leafleting the area for a special musical evening this coming Saturday.

Prayer together before we went out.

What no-one knew was that in the area we were going to hand out leaflets, there was a street market that day. They are held only a couple of times a year. I guess God wanted to arrange a conversation with someone who doesn't live around there and so otherwise would not have

been in that street at that time.

Walking, praying and Liz conversing with passers-by.

Sunday morning, we returned to the small church. We were an international group as there were a number of South Koreans as well as the locals and ourselves. Some South Koreans are living in another area of Lille, training as missionaries and learning French. That weekend they were also visited by relatives who had travelled to see them. After the service we spent some time praying with individuals.

Laura and Mike pray with a local man.

On the Monday we visited an African community that had recently bought an old, broken down building and were repairing it to make a church for their community. We were able to spend some time with them, looking around and praying with them. Hopefully another team will be able to go out later to give practical help with the building and refurbishment.

What will hopefully be the new meeting place.

We went to a Creperie for our last meal together in Lille.

L-R: Me, Liz (who lives in Lille), Wes, Lesley, Laura, Mike, Margaret and Alan.

Turkish martyrs

I have been thinking a lot lately about the modern day Christian martyrs. We heard recently about three Christians who were tortured and brutally murdered in Smyrna in Turkey. It made me realise that my Christian commitment doesn't really cost me that much. I have never been persecuted or afraid for my own safety. Yet for so many around the world, this is the way they live all the time. You can read about the martyrs of the Smyrna church here