Man at Work

 Yesterday we were in town doing some shopping in the supermarket when my phone went.  I was surprised to hear a man's voice saying that our delivery would be with us withing half an hour.  The day before I had received a text to say that they would deliver between 3 and 5 pm and would phone me an hour beforehand so I thought I had plenty of time to get what we wanted and be home by 2.  The time was just 1 pm!  So I left my son to sort things out in the trolley and I just left and just got in the house when the doorbell went.  They were here delivering our new garden furniture.  I mentioned about the time in passing and the driver smiled and said that he was more efficient than they realised.  As it happens we returned to the supermarket later in early evening and it was actually better with less people around.

The driver had said that he was delivering our new hammock and I answered that I didn't want a hammock.  I had ordered swing chairs.  He assured me that that was what it was called.  So this afternoon we started to assemble the new chair/hammock.

Now where do I start?

Half way there - time for a break!

We finished it in good time and so had a good time to just sit and enjoy it, the good weather and watch the birds feeding.  It was worth the effort and hopefully will provide many an enjoyable hour in the garden.  Just what the doctor ordered - rest and relaxation.

Rest and relaxation.

Diego enjoying the fruits of his labour.

It's Good to Talk

Today's day out had been in the diary for a few weeks.  At last the bus arrived and I made the hour and a quarter journey to Wells.  Oh the the benefits of having a Senior Citizen's Free Bus Travel pass! - all the way from Yeovil to Wells and back without costing me anything.  We had arranged to meet in Wells as it was some way between where we both live.  I first met Diane a number of years ago and although I am a generation older than her, we got on so well and have been friends ever since.  The last time I saw her was at my 70th birthday get together in January.  It's good to get together with a lot of friends but you can't really talk about some private matters on such occasions.  She used to live a bit nearer (about 50 minutes drive away) but when she remarried a few yearsa ago, she moved to her husband's home nearer to Bath - a lovely small town called Bradford on Avon.  

So today we met ... ... and talked ... ... and drank coffee ... ... and talked ... ... and had lunch ... ... and talked.  You get the idea!

Diane at the gate to the Bishop's Palace in Wells.

  After a coffee and a long chat we wandered around the grounds near the Bishop's Palace.  Historically, Wells has a very important place in the Church and it's struggles through the ages.  We ended up at the cathedral where there is a very nice cafe/restaurant where we had some lunch and chatted some more.  You'd be surprised just how long a sandwich and salad can last when you're engrossed in conversation!

Diane outside Wells cathedral.

We brought each other up to date with family news (can't quite believe her son is now 20!) and exchanged notes on our spiritual journeys, gaining insight into some of the things that are happening in our own lives and in the lives of other mutual friends.  Oh, it's so good to talk, one to one and face to face.  Better still if you can do it in a nice place and enjoying a meal together.

On the bus journey home, that came all too quickly, a couple of things caught my attention and made me smile.  The first one was a street name I noticed as we were going through Glastonbury - it was called Leg of Mutton Road.  I couldn't help wondering who on earth would have, could have suggested such a name or if there was some story behind it.  Who knows?  The second thing was as we stopped at a bus stop in the next town after Glastonbury, called Street, we stopped outside a very nice house with a very nice garden but what really caught my attention was the garden shed.  Well, not exactly the shed.  That was an ordinary shed but on the outside, above the door was a clock.  I must admit, I've never seen a clock hung on the outside of an ordinary garden shed before.  I checked the time on my watch and it was the same.  The clock was going and showing the right time.  I smiled as I thought of someone gardening and looking at the clock to make sure they didn't miss their meal, or favourite TV programme.  It couldn't have been an ordinary clock but one specially made to withstand the weather conditions outside.  So where had it come from? Maybe a closed down train station?  Again, who knows?  It's amazing the things you notice when you're not having to do the driving and concentrate on the road.  I did enjoy my day out.  Here's to the next time, Diane.

A Work in Progress

I have spent the past few days mainly in the garden - working, I might add!  The weather here in the south west has been like summer.  Over the weekend you could sense a distinct smell of barbecues in the air.  I felt really sorry though for my friends Joanna and Ian who live in Latvia.  They had more snow last week and still couldn't see the grass.  Today, however, on her blog she does say that the snow is now thawing rapidly and you can actually see the road and some bushes and tractor equipment etc.  

We moved into this house in May 2009 (nearly 2 years already!) but the first year we were busy sorting out the house and renewing and changing things so we didn't give much thought to the garden.  It is quite long - about 100ft x 30ft. When we moved here it was mainly grass with a few bushes at the top and a small patio near the house.

This was how the garden looked when we first moved here in 2009.



 Last year we removed quite a large part of the lawn in order to make a good sized patio so we could have a barbecue and have friends round.  We also dug the border on the left right up to the end of the garden.  At the top and at various points in the lawn on the left we planted fruit trees and canes, some rhubarb and a few flowering bushes to attract the bees and butterflies.  We extended the patio and added a small rockery with a water feature (which the birds love). Last week I started on the right hand lawn, taking away some more of the grass to make a less boring oblong shape.

These were taken today.

Already the plum tree and the cherry trees are in full blossom.  I was so pleased to see also today that the fig tree (under the plastic covering - for protection against winter frosts - on the centre left) has got new leaves just in bud.  I thought we had lost it as it looked just like a dead twig so here's hoping we get a few figs from it this year - we only planted it last year so haven't had any fruit yet.  There's still more to do  - digging and preparing the soil, weeding and putting in new plants and bushes.  I have already bought a few that are now at the point of almost bursting out of their pots so if it's still fine tomorrow, I should get them in the ground.  We also ordered a 3 seater swing-seat so we can sit and enjoy the summer outside.

Some plants almost bursting to get into the garden where they'll have a bit more space to grow.

  People say you're nearer to God's heart in a garden than anywhere else on earth.  I know that is theologically incorrect - God is everywhere present - but there is definitely something about being amongst nature that seems to bring us more in tune with the love and peace of His presence.  I think that maybe it has something to do with the fact that God is creator and being amongst creation it's as though we are touching not only what He has made but touching Him.  We are connecting with what God is about in a non-controlled, directed or organised way.  It's not about listening to someone else talk about Him or sing about Him - it's a direct and immediate contact with the Creator Himself.  I just love it!

Grace and Islam

Yesterday evening I watched a programme on BBC3 called My Brother the Islamist, about a young man who made a film about his step brother who a short time before had embraced an extreme form of Islam.  I must admit that I watched it primarily because it had been produced by a good Christian friend of ours living in the south west.  He is an investigative journalist who set up his own film company called Grace Productions. (Hence the title of this post)

It turned out to be a very interesting hour of viewing that brought many thoughts to mind.  If you're interested in seeing the programme you can catch up with it on BBC iplayer (click on BBC3 and My brother the Islamist) I don't want to go into the deep theological issues but some things I found a certain familiarity with.  A friend on Facebook afterwards commented that she knew a number of Christians like that and I had to agree with her.  Sometimes we don't always see just how we appear to other people by the things we say and do and see the speck of dirt in the other person's eye while unable to see the plank in our own. 

The Christian brother got very upset when his Islamist brother explained that with other people of his faith he would greet and shake their right hand but those not following Islam he would shake their left hand, the explanation being to distinguish between the spiritual brother and the 'unclean'.  So his (own flesh and blood) brother, he would shake by the left hand.  He insisted that it was nothing personal and that he wasn't saying he was dirty but that was the way it was with his faith.  Maybe as Christians, on the surface we don't make such a distinction but I think that often there is a sense of spiritual superiority and a security of going to Heaven while others who don't follow our teachings are bound to burn in Hell's fire.

The scriptures that came to mind were how God miraculously saved the life of Ishmael (when he was dying or thirst after having been thrown out of Abraham's household along with his mother Hagar) as well as saving Isaac (when Abraham was asked to sacrifice him)  He saved Ishmael not condemned him to die in the desert.The other verse is the well known and often quoted John 3:16 - 'For God so loved the world.'  I think we shouldn't forget the wording is 'the world'.

Watching the Islamists on the streets, putting stickers everywhere and giving out leaflets and urging people to convert to their way of thinking and living, I couldn't help thinking of many Christian groups doing exactly the same (myself included)  I guess to those with no religious affiliation, there is no difference between us - all declaring that they have the truth and that everyone should convert to their group.

So in the end people ask 'Who is right?'  The answer all would readily give is, 'I am, of course'.

Remember in Genesis, God speaking to Moses called Himself 'I am'.  I'll leave you to ponder! 

The NIMBY Factor

Yesterday, travelling along a road, I noticed that most of the daffodils that had been growing in a garden right next to the pavement, had been snapped off and just thrown on the ground.  I don't have any garden at the front of the house as it has all been turned into a car parking area.  Part of me was grateful that my daffodils were in the back garden and not so easily accessible. 

My daffodils are less accessible to vandals.



My sister had some solar-powered garden lights that she had placed on either side of the path down from the front gate towards the door of the house.  This morning when I went to visit her, I noticed a couple of lights were broken.  She explained that the other morning she woke and when she went into the garden she noticed that most of the lights were missing.  On looking beyond the gate and along the path and grass verge, she found them, broken and thrown away.

Similar garden lights along a similar path in a similar garden.

What is the point of such mindless vandalism?  Why do people do such things?  Do they get some sort of perverse satisfaction from breaking things that others have put there for enjoyment and pleasure.  Without seeming to be a 'grumpy old woman', I struggle to understand the mentality of such people or make lame excuses of the way they have been brought up or lack of education to explain such behaviour.

On the other hand, I couldn't help comparing attitudes towards such destructive behaviour with the fact that humanity goes on destroying the planet's resources.  These are not so easily replaced or renewed and yet our attitude seems to be more accepting of this type of destruction.



A catalogue of man's destruction of only some of the planet's resources





This doesn't even take into account the use of fossil fuels or the ravages of war.  Maybe it's because we notice what is in our immediate surroundings or what actually 'belongs' to us whereas something far away and happening to other people, can be put to the back of our minds.  If we don't actually see the problem then it's easier to forget.  It's as if it doesn't really matter as long as it doesn't affect me personally, here and now.  We don't really care as long as it's Not In My Back Yard. (NIMBY)



Where's the Line?

Joanna Trollope was interviewed on TV recently about her new book.  She summed it up by saying that basically it was about family relationships and when support gives way to suffocation.  I have just read a blog that I follow that talks about when helping someone find God and grow in their spiritual life can so easily become a dependency on a person rather than freedom in God to be what He wants us to be.

This set me thinking about the invisible line that is so often crossed and when things change from what they were meant to be and become something completely different; when the positive becomes a negative.  As the line is invisible, it is difficult to tell when we have reached or crossed over that line.

At what point does being a friend become being a nuisance?
How much can we correct someone before it becomes nagging, harassment or bullying?
When does strong ruling become dictatorship?
How does an interest so easily become an obsession or addiction?
To have awareness in a situation can so easily turn into fear.
This can make a natural and healthy concern turn into worry or panic.
What is the difference between quirkiness and madness?

And so we could go on finding other examples.  It seems almost like a tug-of-war between the emotions and logical reasoning.  It would be so much simpler if we had clear cut lines so we could see exactly how far to go and when we are in danger.  The trouble is we don't always realise until we are over the invisible line.  On the other hand life would be more like being a robot without the same level of freedom of choice that God wants us to have.  We wouldn't learn the difference between one and the other - we only need to follow and obey the rules.  But the New Testament tells us that we are no longer under the law but under grace - it is the grace of God that sets us free!

Ah!  questions, questions.  Just musing!

Waiting Time

Waiting time is a time that is usually not of our own choosing but rather imposed upon us.  It's a time we have little control over.  If you've ever had to stand and wait for a train that is running late or a workman or delivery man who can't give you a definite time for his visit, you'll know what I mean.

A very slow train to Aviemore in the highlands of Scotland.

 

On the other hand there are waiting times that we know are inevitable.  Try travelling on the M25 at rush hour (a misnomer if ever there was one!) and you feel more like you are in a car park - in fact it is often referred to as the M25 car park.  If we want to take a flight anywhere, we know there will be at least an hour's wait after checking in and usually longer than that with all the security we now need to contend with.

In the natural world, winter is the waiting time when it seems that nothing is happening.  Looking at the plants, it would appear that all is lost except that through experience we know that is not the case - things are just sleeping.  We know very well of course that particularly the bulbs are

Our garden in winter

being transformed deep under ground and in time appear above the snow to herald the spring.  What seems to be like a wilderness, barren and without life is experiencing something extraordinary.  In the waiting something is happening, changing deep where we can't see.

After Jesus had been baptised, you would have thought that He would have started on His ministry.  He had already left His home and family in Nazareth but instead He went off on His own into the wilderness for 40 days and nights.  He had things to sort out, some spiritual warfare to be engaged in.  He was tempted to go an easier route to saving the world but He knew that was not God's will or plan and so He spent a long time battling it out with the enemy and when He had won that particular spiritual battle, He knew the time was right to go back into the towns and villages and begin His work.

In numerous places the Bible says, 'in the fullness of time'.  In other words, when the time was right.  God is not governed by time and He knows just when is the perfect time for something.  It is difficult for us as we cannot know what the future holds.  Sometimes waiting can seem too long.  We want everything quickly or at least peek into the future and have an idea of when something will happen.  I don't have the answers or a quick fix solution.  But I know from my own experience that even in the waiting room of life (which can sometimes last for years), God is at work, deep down working things out, battling on our behalf.  He knows when the time is right and things will be worked out according to His will and purpose.  In the fullness of time, He will open the door for us to leave the waiting room and go forth.

Minsteracres

This poem was written by a lady who visited Minsteracres Monastery on a retreat in October 1991.  She has since died but I often read it and remember many blessed times there.  I hope you will enjoy reading it and are able to capture some of the beauty of the place in her worship.




The avenue of redwoods lining the driveway up to the main house.



I stood bareheaded in the rain
Woshipping
In a great cathedral, the work of God and man
A nave of redwoods,
Eighty feet high, one hundred and thirty years old,
Brought as saplings from the station in the publican's pony cart
And planted there.
Men's part was done then
But God had just begun.
His the soil, the sun, the rain,
His the wind that skins the branches,
His the glory that I worship.

I have seen the cathedrals,
York and Westminster, Guildford and Lincoln,
Durham, Salisbury and Wells,
Built to the glory of God,
But never before God's own handiwork
In such awe-inspiring splendour.
The size, the silence, the spirit
   Brought tears to my eyes,
        warmth to my heart,
               praise to my lips.

I shared my worship, not with human friends
But in the company of pheasants,
A feral cat, a flock of sheep
And an Airedale dog taking a walk,
A red squirrel who fled at my approach,
A choir of blackbirds, chaffinches, rooks,
   and a dove who sang solo.

Yet is was the wind of God's spirit,
   elusive and pervasive through the trees,
Which prompted my song.


Time for a Break

I guess most people look forward to having a break from the mundane round of tasks involved in everyday living.  We anticipate the weekend when we have time to do something different and love planning for holidays and getting away from it all.  We have natural cycles of being awake and needing to sleep.  The body needs time to recoup energy ready to face the next load of activity.  When we are feeling a little unwell, we often find that a day in bed, doing nothing but resting, is as good as taking any medication.  It gives the body a chance to use all its energy in healing rather than in activity.  (I am not of course referring to serious illness - that is quite a different matter.  I refer to when we have an 'off day' or a bit of a cold)

In music, the pause and rest signs are very important and give 'shape' to the sounds we hear.

In the particular piece pictured above, the pause over the rest is poignant.  They come after a part that was gradually getting louder and more forceful.  Everyone is waiting for what comes next - a sense of anticipation and wanting to hear more.  Then the music returns but softly.  What a contrast!  No doubt the whole atmosphere is helped by the use of the paused rest.  It is used for the benefit of the listener.  So pauses and rests are good!

Some years ago (looking back at some photos, I see it's about 20 years ago!) I would go regularly once a year in October to a silent retreat at a monastery in Northumberland.  People who know me questioned at the time that it was possible for me to go 3 days in silence! But it did me SO much good.

As I say it is a monastery owned and run by the Roman Catholic church - called Minsteracres - and a wonderful place for a retreat.  They even had a hermitage in part of the grounds if anyone wanted to use it, where they had no contact with anyone at all, not even at mealtimes.  Special permission had to be granted for this but I just loved to walk in the grounds and see the wildlife - listening to the birds, watching the endangered red squirrels, walking among the giant redwoods - just me and God, without having to make conversation with anyone.  Sheer bliss!  I always returned home renewed and strengthened.  Isaiah reminds us that 'they that wait upon the Lord, shall renew their strength.'  (You can Google Minsteracres Monastery to find out more.)

In many sports there is a time out period when the participants receive a pep talk and encouragement from the coach and go back to the game with renewed determination to win.  That time out gives the body a short time to relax, think about and assess what has gone before and refocus on what now faces them. 

In our busy lives, it isn't always possible to set aside a great deal of time but it is a necessary part of God's plan for our lives and how we were meant to live.  Although God is not governed by time, a time of rest is part of who He is and how He works.  In the creation story we read - and on the seventh day He rested.  It is not only good to have a break - it is necessary for our physical, mental, emotional and spiritual wellbeing.

This post has been about a deliberate and chosen time out.  Next time, I'll write more about a waiting time that is not always of our choosing.

Some things take time

We live in a press-button, instant society when so much is done just by pressing one or two buttons or buying things ready prepared.  A lot of food is ready in a couple of minutes in the microwave.  But I remember as a child, seeing my mother bake bread.  After kneading it she would put it in a massive bowl, cover it with a clean tea towel and place it in front of the blazing coal fire.  After about an hour it was twice the size.  Then she would divide it up into portions and bake it.  That hour in the warmth of the fire was so important.  She could have baked the bread and we could have eaten it but it wouldn't have been half as good as when the dough had risen to its maximum capacity.  Those were the days when we seemed to have more time to do things like that.



Pictures of freshly baked bread taken from a magazine


We know then that some things take time if we are to see them at their best.  Any young lady who is preparing to go out on a date will confirm that!  But seriously, in many walks of life we find this is true - sculptors will chip away for many weeks, even months to achieve the desired results; a craftsman will keep on improving his work and not be content with the first attempt.  Quality so often takes a long time to achieve.

I think the finest example of this is the diamond.  It comes from the Greek word, adámas, meaning unbreakable.  It has the highest hardness and thermal conductivity of any bulk material and this determines their use in cutting and polishing tools.  (Thanks to wikipedia for this information) 

The very lucrative diamond trade

Basically carbon, most natural diamonds are formed at high pressure, high temperature conditions existing at 140-190 kilometres (87-120 miles) in the earth mantle over periods of 1 -3.3 billion years - i.e. 25%-75% of the age of planet Earth.  They are brought nearer to the surface by deep volcanic eruptions.  It is said that diamonds are just carbon that stayed on the job!

The beauty of a diamond

How time changes the appearance of carbon!

We would use carbon as a form of fuel for burning but we wouldn't dream of burning a diamond!  We wouldn't think of carbon as something beautiful but diamonds are considered a very desirable accessory just for that reason.  What a difference time makes!

So sometimes when we have to wait for something, it may be because God is doing something more special that can't be hurried.  My hope and prayer is that as the years progress in my life, that God will use the time to hone me and work on me so that I become a better person than I was 10, 20 or more years ago.  That might just take a long time.

The Fourth Dimension

Recently there has been showing on TV a series of programmes with David Attenborough about Madagascar and its unique flora and fauna.  I, like most other people need to be content to see it on 2 dimensional TV.  But a few may be privileged to actually visit and see all the wonderful creation in 3D.  There are many beautiful pictures of some beautiful places in the world.  It is better, of course if we can actually go and see those places.  I thank God for the privilege that I have had of seeing many such places both near and far.  That is why when we visit somewhere we like to take photos to show off to others when we return and especially the ones where we appear on the photo just to prove that we were there.

A lovely holiday in Malta a few years ago with a great view from my hotel room!

 We often forget though as we look at the beauty and wonder of the created world that in the whole creation story there is a very important fourth dimension - time.  Animals and humans came on the last day of creation.  Before any form of life form, plant of animal, came into existence, God separated the darkness from the light calling them night and day.  Later he made the sun, moon and stars thus as they revolved around in orbit, they gave rise to months, years and seasons giving us structure in our activities.

Instead of thinking about time as the enemy as we often do, (where has the time gone? it's about time! etc.) we need to embrace it and use it as part of God's purpose for our lives.  Instead of letting our lives be ruled by the clock, it is better to allow time its rightful place and benefit from it, or as the Bible says to redeem the time wisely.

Over the next few days, I'll expand a bit more on different aspects of time and how it affects us in different situations.

Satisfied

A couple of weeks ago, I made an attempt at baking some custard slices, at my son's request.  The pastry bit was easy - just roll out some ready made puff pastry and bake.  But the patisserie cream filling was a different matter.  I followed the instructions to the letter but sadly it turned out a bit, not runny but not really set the way it should be for custard slices.  It tasted OK so as we don't like to waste food, they were eaten. 

Today, I had another attempt at making them but this time amended the filling by adding some cornflour to thicken a little more and - voilá - result!

If at first you don't succeed, ... ... ... try again!





After eating one, my chief taster and head culinary critic (my son) gave me a very satisfied look and the 'thumbs up', which means that no doubt I will be expected to make them again sometime in the future. 

Later this afternoon I went into the garden and brought in the washing from off the line.  It was all dry and this time it was I who had the satisfied look on my face.  While in the garden, I was amazed how suddenly the grass seems long and crying out for a trim - not today though.  But I did have a wander around to see what else I could see.

Just the other day everything looked so barren and now the rhubarb has quite a few leaves growing, the jasmine is all in flower and you can see the tiny buds just beginning to form on all the trees and bushes.



Jasmine coming to life






Spring has sprung



The daffodils are all unfolding their yellow headdresses.  Some of them are double headed and as I have quite a number in various parts of the garden I decided to cut just a few to enjoy in the house so I can continue to enjoy them inside as well as outside.  Very satisfying!

First flowers of 2011 from my garden

Living it!

Reading a friend's blog yesterday, I was really struck by what had occurred.  I quote from her blog:

Our neighbours to the land called late last night with a request for a lift into the village as their car was stuck because of the snow and they live about 7km (4.3miles) outside the village. We didn't have much snow yesterday but we did have wind, accompanied by a 10 minute blizzard where our village disappeared from sight, and it meant that their road was not passable with an ordinary car, in fact it was barely passable with ours. The problem was the young lass needed to be in village the following morning, the only catch was that it was for 6:20am, an early start for Ian then. In our three years of living in Latvia we may not have learnt much of the oral language but we do feel we have learnt more about the culture and we feel accepted despite our failings with the language as our neighbours know they can rely on us when they get stuck.

They have found that helping others has paid off in that they are often invited to celebrations and special events by their neighbours and feel really included in their community.

It reminded me of an experience I had many years ago.  Our niece was to be married and we were going to the ceremony and celebrations with other members of the family.  We thought that everything was organised but when we got to the bus stop there were problems and we were unable to get the bus we needed and the next one was the next day.  We had to travel about 150 miles to where the wedding was being held.  My father-in-law mentioned this to a friend and he wasted no time in getting his car out and driving us all there and then returning - a round trip of about 300 miles.  I don't remember exactly what was said that day in the church but I will never forget that generous act of a friend.  

Of course it isn't just about giving someone a lift in a car.  In Acts 10:38, Peter, summing up Jesus' life said, 'He went around doing good.'  He crossed the accepted barriers of religion, class, sex and nationality.  He was totally inclusive because God loves the whole world and Jesus died for the whole world.  All those years ago, our friend, a Roman Catholic was a close friend to us who were evangelicals, a poignant fact in a Catholic country.  My present friend whose blog I quoted is British, living in a foreign country and not really understanding the language fully.  But it's not the words we speak that are remembered, but the way we live.

St Francis of Assissi on one occasion said that he and his companions would go into town and preach to the people and he added, 'we may even use words!'  Do we tell people that we are Christians and so we feel we should and also they expect us to act in a certain way or do they see the way we live and can tell that we are followers of Jesus?  Today on Facebook, a friend wrote that better than saying is doing, better than promising is making something become a reality.  As the years have passed, I realise that denomination and preaching are less important than the actual putting it into practice.  It's not the structure of the group we belong to that matters.  In fact I think that it is almost irrelevant.  People take notice of how we live.  It's the living it that counts. 

One of Life's Little Pleasures

One of my pleasures in life is feeding and watching the birds in our garden.  It is interesting to see them throughout the seasons, from being fledglings still being taught how to feed by their parents, through the 'adolescent' stage when they squabble as they sometimes need to wait their turn for the nuts, fat balls, seed or whatever else is on the bird table, until they show the beautiful variation in colours of the adults.

Just topped up the bird feeding section of the garden

They are my pets.  The down side is that they don't come and greet me when I return home or show any signs of faithfulness, affection or pleasure in my company.  But on the positive side, they are not so expensive to feed, don't need pet insurance, take care of themselves and are not demanding of my time or attention.  They don't tie me down as to how long I can be away from the house and I don't need to make arrangements or pay for care for them when I go away.

One of the 'regulars'.

One of the advantges of being retired is that I have more disposable time to engage in such 'activities' as bird-watching - while sitting in the comfort of my home.

I am blessed indeed!

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!