Unexpected creativity

Those who are my friends on Facebook will know that I have just returned from a very enjoyable holiday – a cruise around the Mediterranean.  For the past few years we have organised our holidays through the internet but remembering the problems that people had last year with volcanic ash and strikes, we decided it would be best to go into town and book this particular holiday through an agency so that financially we would be covered in the case of some untoward incident.  We actually booked it last year.  My son had said that the fellows at work were talking about cruises and that he had never been on one.  I hadn’t actually been on a cruise but I had travelled on an ocean liner before – three times between London and Buenos Aires (Argentina) in the days before flight travel took over the travel world.  So we did our sums and decided to go for it.  He still had some money that he had kept from his motorbike accident 2 years ago and thought that this would be something nice to spend it on.

The final part of the bill had to be paid by the end of March.  At the end of May my son was out of a job.  Under normal circumstances we would have cancelled the holiday losing the deposit but as it was already all paid for we decided to go for it and enjoy it.  And that we did!

One of the surprises was the way in which the cabin crew left the clean towels in our rooms every morning – in the shape of various animals.  Very creative and unexpected.  I’m often surprised by the hidden talents of very ordinary folk.  Each day we smiled when we returned to our cabins after breakfast to see the new artwork of our stewards – a very pleasant start to our day from people who just did the extra in order to please.

So now it’s back to reality and job hunting so we can save up for next year’s holiday.

Two more sayings

How often have we had to eat humble pie?  There may have been times when we have said or done something and later regretted it.  It seems that the only way out was to back track on whatever it was we said or did and have a more humble attitude to those we have inadvertently wronged. 

In medieval times, the lords and ladies, the landowners and other dignitaries who made up the upper class of the nation, would dine off wild venison and other such culinary extravagances. 

Fine dining in medieval times



They would enjoy the flesh of the hunted and slaughtered deer while those lower down on the class scale of society would have to make do with the bits that were left – the entrails and offal which they would bake in a pie to try to make it as tasty as possible.  These parts of the animal were known as ‘umbles’ and so it was understood that the humble folk ate the umble pie. 

An umble pie

In time it became known as humble pie and nowadays refers to someone needing to show humility of attitude rather than any class position in society.

The saying of having to take Hobson’s choice means that really we have no choice at all – it’s what’s on offer or nothing.  Mr T Hobson lived in Cambridge, England in the early 17^th century.  He was a horse keeper and loaned his horses to anyone who wanted them.  But he made a condition that whoever wanted to hire a horse must take the horse nearest to the stable door or none at all, thereby allowing them a horse but the choice of which horse to hire was Hobson’s. 

There was no real choice, you had to take what he offered or none at all.  The meaning of the phrase is virtually unchanged and still means that Hobson’s choice is no real choice at all.

Local service

I have always enjoyed the benefits of belonging to a library.  Over the years I have used it mainly for borrowing books but many people use it for studying from their reference books, borrowing dvds, reading the daily newspaper and now-a-days for connecting to the internet.  I used to be a frequent visitor, particularly when I was looking for information on a particular subject, or a place we were hoping to visit while away on holiday. It does seem that modern technology has become more the norm, partly because you don't even have to go out of the house to find the information you are looking for and books can so easily be available online to read or to buy.  And after all, using less paper means cutting down less trees and in turn benefiting the planet.  And so in these days of cut backs many libraries in less populated areas are facing an uncertain future.  I must admit to feeling that if our local library closed, I probably wouldn't miss it, at least not that much.  I would cope fine without it. 

This week, I needed to copy a letter I had received, sign the copy and return it to the sender.  I switched on my printer/copier only to discover that the copier was not working properly.  Oh, no, not now when I needed it.  So I got ready and went into town.  First of all I went to a street where I knew there was a small business that did all that sort of stuff - copying, faxing etc for a small charge.  But when I got there, the said business was no longer in business.  Instead there was a beauty salon!  So I made my way to the library - dear old faithful public service and yes, getting a copy was no problem.  When I asked how much it was the librarian told me that the person before me had put too much money in the box and so my copy was already paid for.  It made me feel a little bit guilty of my previous thoughts and instead I said a silent 'thank you' for a service that is still available for my use, even if I don't use it quite so often.

Fire and Water

This afternoon we had a great time with friends and family chilling out, catching up and eating a barbeque.  At the very start, fire needs to be applied to the firelighters and charcoal in order to create the necessary heat source for the food to be cooked. 

Lighting up

The charcoal that was added to the fire gradually began to take hold and began to burn.  After a while the charcoal itself became the fire.  It reminded me of what I wrote a few blogs ago about the intake of food that eventually become an integral part of us.  So what was added to the firelighters eventually became not just an extra part to the fire but the fire itself.

Not our barbeque but a fire that has been going for a while

Everyone who is familiar with the workings of the kitchen will know that a colander or sieve is used to strain liquid out of food or to separate the solid part from the liquid part.  We would never think of trying to carry liquid in a colander or try to fill it by pouring water into it – it would disappear straight through the holes.

Filling a colander with water is an impossible task



  

But exactly the opposite happens when we put a colander into a sink or bowl full of liquid.  Instead of draining the liquid from the inside of the colander, it lets the liquid into the colander.  The only way for a colander to be full of liquid is for it to be immersed in the liquid itself.

Totally immersed, the colander retains the water

We don’t need to be as intelligent as Einstein or have a degree in rocket science in order to understand the principles of how things react in the above two examples of fire and water.  Following on from what I mentioned in my previous blog about things in the natural, physical world having a corresponding truth in the spiritual realm, what Kingdom truths does this teach me? 

I think as humans we often get things the wrong way around.  We decide on a project or a course of action and then go to God and ask Him to bless our efforts and our plans and to give us success (whatever we feel that success in a given situation looks like).  We should be doing things the other way around by asking God what He wants to do in a given situation and ask Him what part He wants us to play, if any.  We talk of inviting God into our lives, almost as though we are doing Him a favour by allowing Him to occupy a part of our busy lives.  God is everywhere, so we should really be thinking in terms of living constantly in God’s presence and not about inviting Him into a part of ours.  Like the colander in the bowl full of liquid, not seeking to pour the Holy Spirit into my life but rather to be totally immersed in the presence of God and like the fire I want to be so caught on fire for Him that I am not just a part of fuel added to the fire but totally consumed for Him and by Him and thus become the fire itself.



Paradoxes

According to the Concise Oxford Dictionary a paradox is:

1. a seemingly absurd or contradictory statement
2. a person or thing conflicting with a pre-conceived notion of what is reasonable or possible.

In the natural world there are a number of such situations.  I am always amazed in spring to see what seemed dead suddenly burst into life again.  On several occasions I have thought that I had completely lost a particular plant.  One such plant is a beautiful clematis that I planted last year.  Over the winter it completely disappeared.  When I started to prepare the garden this spring, I was about to dig it up and replace it with something a bit sturdier but I noticed a few leaves beginning to open.  So I left it and have had such lovely flowers from it this year.

Such beauty out of what seemed dead



Whatever truth exists in the natural world corresponds to a similar truth in the spiritual realm.  Out of death comes life.  The Bible says that a seed must fall to the ground and die in order to bring forth fruit and Jesus on another occasion said that only if I am prepared to lose my life can I save it.  Of course the ultimate example is of Jesus himself who died to save all.

Another natural paradox is that you need to cut back in order to grow.  It does seem absurd that cutting a plant right back is the only way for it to grow big and strong.  You would naturally assume that cutting back would take away strength and make a plant weaker not stronger.  Sometimes in our lives we need to let go of some things in order to become strong in spirit.  Our dependence on certain things (and people) can actually weaken us and only when we let go of these can we gain strength within ourselves.  A young sapling tree has a prop in order to support it until it has grown but then the prop is removed and it learns to stand in its own strength and thrust out its own roots in order to grow.  We all need help from time to time but there comes a point when we need to stand up straight and grow without depending on all the props around us.  The writer to the Hebrews reminded his readers that they had been followers of the Way for a while now and should be past the baby stage of drinking milk and should be growing stronger in their faith and not relying still on others to feed them all the time. (Hebrews 5:12-14)

In the autumn farmers set fire to the stalks left in the land to make way for the new seed and growth that is to come.  Forest wardens cut down some trees in order to give light and space for others to grow.  Sometimes we have to cut out even what has been useful but has served its purpose in order for future growth to take place.  The trouble is we humans tend to hang on to things that we have enjoyed and so institution is formed instead of new life and future growth.  What has passed has been good and served me well and was very useful for my spiritual growth at that time but maybe some things need to go in order to make room for new and future growth in Him so that I don’t just become part of an institution instead of having a living, vibrant spiritual life.  So I look at the world around me and learn about Kingdom truths and, as part of God’s great creation, about how I should be living.

More sayings and their origins

The following two sayings have their origins in the shipping world.  The first is said of someone who is ’swinging the lead’.  This is usually said of someone who tends to waste time really doing nothing while at the same time appearing to be busy.  That person is simply trying to avoid doing something that s/he really doesn’t want to do.  How many parents have had this problem with their children when they have been asked to help in some way?  The origins of this saying go back to the time when the ships didn’t have the navigational aids that they do today. 

A modern-day liner that has all the latest technological aids to navigation

Many years ago there was no sonar system to help detect any obstacle beneath the water level where it couldn’t be seen.  In these circumstances, the only way to determine whether a course was safe or not was to measure its depth.  A deck hand was called to put over the edge of the boat a long rope that had a lead weight attached to the end.  The rope was marked at one-foot intervals and thus putting the string and weight into the water, the water level could be measured.  It was often the case that the deck hand who wanted to prolong the process and thus delay going back to a more tedious or less desirable job, would go to a remote part of the ship and swing the string back and forth for a couple of minutes before actually putting it in the water.  Hence came the saying ‘swinging the lead’ meaning to waste time or delay doing something else.

The other saying connected to shipping is when you refer to something as ‘in A1 condition’.  A society in London known as Lloyd’s Register produces each year a list of ships.  The register records the condition of each ship.  The letter refers to the condition of the hull while the number refers to the condition of the fittings inside the ship.  Thus A1 means that a ship is in excellent all-round condition.



A1 signifies the best condition both inside and out





Nowadays we use the expression about anything that is in very good condition or about someone’s health, especially when recovering after an illness.  A1 is a high goal to reach for in life but feels good if we can manage it!

 

Did You Know?

There are many sayings that are part of our everyday language but we don’t know where they came from or when and how they started.  Take for example the cheering sound of ‘Hip Hip Hooray’.  This goes right back to Roman times and is linked to the destruction of Jerusalem by Titus and his army in AD70. 

Loud Roman cheers

Although the Romans were known for their strength, the Jews were very stubborn and resilient putting up great resistance.  When at last Titus won the battle there was a victorious shout of Hierosolyma Est Perdita, which is Latin for Jerusalem Is Destroyed and then there was the response ‘Hurrah!’.  This was quite a mouthful to say every time and so it was abbreviated to the initial letters making the word ‘Hep’.  The English version of the word is ‘hip’ and nowadays refers to happy circumstances surrounding a win and not a war situation. 

Cheers for a victory at a football match

Another saying I found intriguing is when we refer to someone as a chatterbox and who doesn’t seem to stop for breath when talking.  Of such people we say that they ‘went on 19 to the dozen!’ 

A market stall trader who is very capable of talking you into buying

This saying goes back over 200 years to the 1770s and to the Cornish mines where they used steam-powered pumps invented by James watt.  At one of the mines they were testing the efficiency of the pumps and one week it was recorded that 19,000 gallons of water were raised for every dozen bushels of coal that had been used.  The engineer at the time said that ‘it has gone to the dozen’.  That was a record.  Later 19 to the dozen was used when referring to someone who is a compulsive talker.

You live and learn! 

 

Food for Thought

We all have different preferences when it comes to food.  Some have a sweet tooth while others prefer savoury.  Whatever your likes, dislikes or allergies, I think it is true to say that we all enjoy good food.



A Cake Time event I did last year in aid of the charity Shelter.



When we take in food, the human body begins to show what a remarkable creation it is.  The whole digestive system is quite complicated.  Once the food reaches the stomach, it is then reduced to small amounts that can be passed on through the digestive system.  The stomach juices contain hydrochloric acid!  Who would have thought that our bodies contain such a corrosive substance and yet it doesn’t harm us but is used for our benefit.  When the food is passed on to the liver, bile is produced which then neutralises the acid before the food continues its journey.

                                           

I won’t go into any more detail about the scientific stuff (that can be found on the internet in abundance – if you’re interested) but there comes a point in the process when the ingested and digested food is absorbed into the blood stream and is converted into energy for the body’s survival.  In a very real sense the saying is true – you are what you eat!  We take in food but that substance isn’t just added to the body mass we already have.  It is rather converted until it becomes not just an extra bit of us but an integral part of our make up.  It becomes who we are.  

I guess that in every sense, what I take in is what I become. 



What's the Cost?

We are living at a time when we all need to tighten our belts and try to make savings.  Many have changed their shopping habits, going more frequently to the cheap food outlets, while still trying to consider the effect on the environment.  In order to help the environment we can all recycle especially as now the recycle trucks come weekly to take away so much that before we just threw away.  Many companies are making an effort to reduce packaging or using packaging that can easily be recycled.

Less packaging equals less weight and space for transporting

We all like a bargain and like so many I go round the supermarket looking for the special offers of the day.  We need to be wise of course and only buy the bigger pack or the multi buys if the product will keep long enough and we really will use it.  Otherwise it isn't a special offer at all but a waste - of both food and money.

Will I use all three?  Who is really paying for my bargain?

The other concern I have about special offers is who is actually paying so that I can have the product more cheaply?  So often it is not the supermarkets who are taking less profit but the producers who are forced to sell to them at a cheaper rate so that it can then be sold as a special offer.

There have been many programmes about how much it costs to transport goods from across the world so that we can have such choice all year round.  On the one hand we are encouraged to buy from nearer to home to save on transport costs but on the other hand some of the countries we buy from so far away (especially in the 3rd world and developing countries) actually depend on exporting their produce to us in order for them to survive and pay their way as a country.  So it doesn't seem that straight forward.

Buy from afar or from nearer to home?

Buying British is helping our own economy.  Here in the south west we are fortunate to be near many farms and buying from local farmers does help the local economy.  It's good when you know where your produce actually comes from and how it is made, whether it's mass produced or more cottage industry product.  There is also the question of Free Range or caged and restricted animals to consider.  The concern there is that so often these products that are undoubtedly superior in quality (as many TV chefs keep telling us) so often the price is also higher.  What a dilemma when you are trying to cut back on spending!

Quality or price?

It seems that the answer is to grow your own but how many have the land sufficient for this or the ability or even willingness to do so?  On a personal note, we are hoping to enjoy quite a bit of fruit from our back garden this year with the berries, fruit trees etc that we have planted but we still need to buy so much from the shops.

Hoping for some strawberries.

What's the cost?  There are many questions to answer and points of view to consider.  This post just scratches the surface  and no doubt we could go on to find many more pros and cons on the subject.  For some people the economic situation won't make much difference in their actual weekly food shop.  They will still buy the same, it will only cost them a bit more so they will cut back on the other luxuries of life or put less into their savings.  But for many who are struggling already on a minimum wage or dole money, the finer foods with a bigger price tag will just have to go and the option of choosing products from near or far will be decided more by the cost to the customer and less by the quality or where it's come from.

What am I?

This morning I had an appointment with the nurse at the GP's surgery for my 6 monthly blood pressure check. 

As always, my height was checked.  I think I've stopped growing, vertically at least, and I hope I don't shrink or you'll not see me!  Also the nurse checked my weight - I'd rather not but it is necessary.  And again, the usual questions about habits and lifestyle - exercise and food and drink intake.

It is reassuring to know that the numbers shown on the monitor that measures the blood pressure are not taken in isolation, that I'm more than a few digits on a screen.  It is also important to take into account that our background, medical history and things we do and how we live do make a difference.  What we sow, we reap?  I am not just a whole load of random facts and figures, chemical elements that can be reproduced in a test tube but I am an accumulation of experiences that are interwoven into a tapestry that make me ME, individual and unique. 

And my blood pressure was fine.   

Evangelism

It is nearly 2000 years since the death and resurrection of Jesus and yet what is recognised as the Christian church is in decline in many parts of the world.  Most people would consider that if after 2000 years the main goals and objectives have not been reached then maybe we are doing something wrong.  For the first 300 years or so the gospel reached much of the then known world and then things seem to change.  At that time the Roman emperor Constantine decided to erect a building for worshipping God and since then it has been considered that to worship God, a building is an important way to do that. 

It would seem that when we talk of revival, we often mean that the congregation has grown and we have more members in our denomination.  But so often the community has not changed.  This is not always the case but in my experience I have found that after a while things seem to revert back to the way they were before the 'revival'.  It has also been my observation that too often when someone in need has been helped, they are silently expected to join the congregation.  It's almost an unwritten code of conduct, an expectation, a condition that is understood even if not spoken.  It would appear that help is not given simply because there is a need but as a way to gain another member.  Again, this is not always the case but too often that does seem to be the attitude.  I have heard it said when someone has not wanted to remain part of the congregation '... and after all we've done for them.'

I have recently been re-reading a book first published in 1970 called Secular Evangelism by Fred Brown.  He was working in an evangelical Christian centre in the West End of London in the early 60s and was well aware of the drop-out hippies, flower people culture of the time and desparately wanted to reach out to help them.

One of his comments on the situation was

We should stop thinking of evangelism as a means of inflating our congregations.

We think that the only way to reach anyone is to get them into the building where they can hear the gospel message.  Again Fred Brown comments

The basic trouble was that we were not identified with the people where they were; and our only answer apparently was to shout at them to come over and join us.

He, along with other leaders who were engaged in this work, came to the conclusion

We perceived the need to discover another way to communicate our Christian faith.  ... ...  God's love was worse than meaningless to them until they experienced it in and from somebody else.  To make preaching a substitute for loving or even to give it first priority was a denial of the gospel, a blasphemy that was not redeemed by its devout intentions.

Jesus was known to the religious people of His day as someone who associated with the 'not-so-nice' people, those living on the margins of society.  He Himself said that His ministry was to bring freedom to the captives and good news to the poor.  He also spoke of clothing the naked, giving food to the hungry and visiting those in prison.  He doesn't say anything about how often or where people meet together but that when we help those in need we are serving Him.  It should never be about swelling the numbers in our buildings.  It is about introducing people to the Almighty Loving God.  They may as a result join a particular group but that should not be the aim and purpose of outreach and projects.

I must admit that 'outreach' is a word I struggle with. Outreach implies going out of our comfort zone and bringing people back with us into our setting.  Jesus didn't do outreach - He identified with them.  He walked among them and loved them.  The Bible says He went about doing good.  I recently watched the film Evan Almighty where Evan was a newly-elected US congressman and wanted 'to change the world'.  I won't go into detail about the storyline but at one point in a conversation with God, God says to him that the way to change the world is by acts of random kindness.  It's not 'bums on seats' in buildings as they say but about living Jesus where we are.

I'll end these musings by quoting from two blogs that I follow.  The first one is from Roger Mitchell and he says,

The ecclesia is defined by the work of the kingdom of God in the world and not by buildings or religious practices connected to them.

There are 2 quotes from Martin Scott's blog and his writings on Gates of the City.

Transformation is not the call for a few to be involved in and is not something that takes place within four walls but must be the expression of the Body in the context of all creation.

The Body of Christ is to live in her geography as citizens of another place and dimension.  Not looking to escape ... but looking to put the imprint of heaven on the society.

The Christians of the early church have the answer - live the gospel and show the love of God where we are.  People may not want to enter the building but they will notice how we live.
  



  

What is Church?

You can walk along a street and see St. Thomas's Church or the Church of St. Agnes or whatever other name is given to a particular building.  And so over the centuries the building has become known as the church.  People talk of going to church when they are going to a building.  It is sometimes known as 'the House of God'.

Let's see what the Bible says about this.  In Acts 7:44-51, Stephen is before the Sanhedrin and he says

                  'However, the Most High God does not live in houses made by men.' 

He goes on to quote from the prophet Isaiah 66:1,2 

                                             

                                    'Heaven is my throne

                                    and the earth is my footstool. 

                                    What kind of house will you build for me? 

                                    Or where will my resting place be?

                                    Has not my hand made all these things?

So right from Old Testament times it is clear that God doesn't live in a building, no matter how big or small.  He allowed the Jews a tabernacle in the desert so that they had a point of focus for the guidance of God on their journey but, as humans throughout the ages have done, when they reached and settled in the Promised Land, they wanted to make what had been a good experience for them into a tradition and institution.  So the Temple in Jerusalem was built so they could come and worship God.  Had they not remembered that God was with them wherever they went on their journey to that place?  Did He then live in one place in a building?  

But on the Friday that Jesus died, the curtain in the Temple separating the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies where the High Priest was the only person allowed to enter only once a year, was torn from top to bottom.  The Jews believed that God inhabited the Holy of Holies, it was His dwelling place but now it was open not just to the High Priest but to all.  God was demonstrating that He was no longer confined to a building.  Yet it seems we do the same today - we erect buildings and call them God's House or Christians refer to them as 'church'.

Paul in his letters wrote to the church in Corinth about divisions in the church.  He knew that there was more than one group of Christians there and insisted that they were wrong to think of themselves as one group following Apollos, another followers of Paul and others of Cephas and Cristos.  He insisted that there was only one church, one undivided Body of Christ.  Nowadays in the UK there is a week in the year when everyone concentrates on church unity - the week of Christian Unity.  During that week it is customary that each evening Christians go to the building of a different denomination to 'share' together.  I remember on one occasion going to such an event and I was welcomed with the words 'Welcome to our church'.  'Our church'?  I thought, 'they really don't get what church unity really is about.'  At the end of the week everyone goes back to their own group and continues as before.  It reminds me of a chorus we used to sing as children, 'You in your small corner and I in mine'.

So I think that the Bible clearly shows us that there is only one Church and it is not a building.  Jesus said that the Temple of God is within us.  He didn't tell Zacchaeus that he should go to the synagogue on the Sabbath and after the service the rabbis would pray for him.  He went to his house and spent time with him and talked to him about God and about his own relationship with God and about his life.  Then Zacchaeus became a changed man.  When Jesus was about to be ascended to heaven, he spoke to His followers.  He didn't tell them to go to Jerusalem and build a big church and get people to come and worship there.  He never mentioned buildings or meeting in buildings at all.  He told them to go and make disciples.  It is nice to meet other Christians and share together and there is a place for that but the act of going to a building does not in itself make us Christians.  It is about our own individual and personal relationship with God.  We, people, are the Church, His Body on earth, a temple made with living stones.  Wherever followers of Jesus are, there is the Church. 

 

A Woman's Place

This is a subject I have been thinking about quite a lot lately and wondered whether or not to blog about it.  Could be controversial.  Then yesterday, after the Prime Minister's ill- advised (so called) joke to a female minister on the opposite side of the house, I decided that maybe it was time to say what has been on my mind.  I don't want to discuss about the Prime Minister or whether it was a sexist remark or not.  It's more about the general attitude to women in society and in the church that I'm thinking.

We criticise those of other faiths because of the way they treat their women but traditional Christians are not always free from blame.  There are many places where they wouldn't dream of having a woman preacher or in any sort of office within the church organisation apart from 'in a woman's place' in the kitchen making the tea and refreshments or cleaning the building ready for the next service.  I have known of people who refused to take communion because it was given by a woman vicar.  In the end she was urged to go to another church!

I love the story of Mary and Martha and many read it and are happy that Jesus says that it is better to be in His presence and not always be busy, busy, busy, running here and there.  But I think that this misses the real point of the story.  In those days it was customary for the menfolk to sit at the feet of a rabbi and learn of him and the women could not be there with the men.  In the synagogue they are kept separate.  I'm sure that when Martha was telling her sister to go and help her, the other disciples would have agreed with Martha.  They were sitting at the feet of the Rabbi and this was no place for a woman.  Jesus contradicted that thought process and said that she had chosen well.  He condoned her action, not condemned her for her forwardness.  I think that this story is more about the rightful place of women, alongside the men in God's kingdom.  He broke the conventional law of separation of the sexes in spiritual matters.

There are many instances when Jesus breaks all the taboos and talks to women.  The woman at the well and the adulteress woman are cases in point.  I always wonder in the case of the woman caught in adultery, if she was caught 'in the act' then she couldn't have been alone!  So why was she the sinner and the other person not.  I think that's why Jesus looked at the men who had brought her before Him and asked them 'Who is without sin?'  Was He saying that they are as much to blame for going with such a woman as they considered her to be?  Did they understand what He meant?  Another fact we should always remember is that the first Easter message was given by a woman - the men had all fled for their safety.

Yesterday after hearing about the PMs bad joke, I read Martin Scott's blog that I follow.  He was talking about the Virgin Birth. You can see the entire entry on http://3generations.eu/blog and click on the entry for April 27th about the Virgin Birth.  In it he said:

Maybe there is a ‘no need for help from you males’ involved in the virgin birth. That would be quite like God. Marginalise the powerful. Jesus was male, but so very different.
Not so much about the virgin birth but certainly the family line was somewhat interesting. Sexual issues there and quite a bit of racial impurity. Oh boy. God does just do things his way. Doesn’t seem he flows along too well with the religious status quo.

If Jesus came to reclaim a fallen world then through him the results of the fall should be dealt with.  The subservience of women I think is one of those issues.  I am no feminist but simply a Jesus follower trying to put into practice what He taught and how He related to others.

Success or Failure

We are coming up to the season of exams.  Up and down the land, students will be revising facts and dates.  So much depends on what they remember on the day.  Their whole future could depend on it - which subjects they can then take at A level or which university they can get into.  No pressure then!!

A university education is now considered the norm, a 'must' and yet there are some great people and some very successful business people who never went to university.  There are also some very important jobs that don't need a great education.  Where would we be without refuse collectors, people working in the service industry, postmen/women - and we could go on.  Graduates wouldn't think of taking a job in some of these situations.  They want top jobs with big salaries, flashy cars and big houses.  It reminds me of what my late husband used to say, 'Too many chiefs and not enough indians.'  Someone needs to be in factories making those cars and on sites building the houses.  Someone needs to deliver the goods from warehouse to shop and someone needs to serve in the shop.  Don't misunderstand me I'm not advocating that learning and seeking to have a better income is wrong but I think sometimes we measure a person's success or failure in life by their job, car, house and so on.

Most parents will agree with me when I say that our children are different one from the other.  My two sons are like chalk and cheese when it comes to academic issues.  One will always be able to earn far more than the other one because of academic achievement.  But this doesn't truthfully reflect the effort put into their school years.  In fact, I think that the less qualified possibly tried a bit harder - he needed to in order to survive.  So as a mother, I do feel that sometimes life seems very unfair.  Why should one be thought of as successful and the other not?  As people they are both loving and caring but because of the way their brains are wired, they are who they are.

How often are we introduced to someone new, names are exchanged and then we are asked, 'And what do you do?'  It may be just conversation but then subconscious judgments are made depending on the answer.  I sometimes feel, 'Who cares?  I am me!'  Do they want to know about my job or about me and I don't think you can tell what a person is really like just by knowing their income or material wealth.

Is our purpose in life to get more things, a bigger bank balance or be just who we are and the best that we can be?  It's not about X amount of income we have but rather our attitude to that material gain.  God sees us just as we are and loves us just as He has made us, all different and unique.  Failure to accept this truth is life's real failure.

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!