The Real Me

I came across this cartoon and it made me smile.  It reminded me of a conversation I had the other day when I pointed out to someone that what they said or maybe their attitude could have been misconstrued.  It is so easy for us to know what we think and believe but sometimes the way we put that across is not always clear and so people very often get the wrong message of what we are really saying.   

Also I think that sometimes our opinion of ourselves is not what others see in us.

Another picture to make you smile.  It depends on who is looking and what their own opinions are.  Maybe we don't think that we are awesome but the way we walk, talk, look can give a wrong impression.  So often how we see ourselves is not how others see us.  Sometimes this can be because they are not accurately informed or maybe they just have certain prejudices without actually being aware of them. (as in the first photo)

This seems to be the best policy as we can't please everybody all the time.  The trouble is that so much of our lives seems to be taken up with trying to do just that.

Deshaciendonos de cosas inútiles

El otro día, el hombre que me ayuda con el jardín, vino a podar los árboles. Había uno que había llegado a ser muy grande y estaba un poco descuidado y salvaje. No quería sacarlo de todo porque en la primavera está lleno de flores. Entonces el jardinero trajo su serrucho grande y escala larga y fuerte y cortó las ramas viejas y muertas que habían sobrevivido su utilidad y que ya no producían las flores que debían.

Cortando para dejar lugar para crecimiento nuevo

Muchas de las partes que cortó realmente impedían el crecimiento nuevo y cruzaban y torcían alrededor de otras ramas que ya se estaban retorciendo en lugar de crecer derecho como debían. Después que terminó, fue sorprendente ver cuánto que había cortado y sin embargo el árbol todavía estaba grande, fuerte y sano. Pero en cambio, ahora tenía más lugar para crecer como debido y producir las flores hermosas que todos disfrutamos.

¡Tantas ramas viejas y muertas!

Una amiga comentó que cuando estaba guardando los regalos de ella y su familia después de la fiesta de Navidad, se dió cuenta que realmente tenían demasiadas cosas y era tiempo de deshacerse de tanto cachivache. Cuál fácil es quedarse atado a todas las cosas que tenemos aún cuando ya no nos sirven y por lo tanto significa que amenudo ya no queda lugar para nada nuevo. La lección importante de la vida es de no atarnos tanto a las cosas del pasado que ya pasó su propósito de ser útiles sino que hay que deshacernos de estas cosas para dejar lugar para suceder cosas nuevas. ¡Más fácil decirlo que hacerlo! Sin embargo es una lección que vale la pena aprender.

¡Cuántas cosas!

De-cluttering

The other day, the man who helps me with the garden came to prune some trees.  They had got very large and were getting a bit out of hand and wild.  I didn’t want to get rid of them because in the spring time they are full of lovely blossom.  So he brought his chain-saw and very long, strong ladders and cut away the old, dead branches that had outlived their use and were no longer producing the flowers they ought to. 

Cutting to leave space for new growth

Much of the parts that he cut away were actually impeding new growth and crossing over and twisting around other branches that would eventually have become tangled and not branching straight outwards in the way they should.  After he had finished, it was surprising to see just how much he had cut away and yet the tree still looked big, strong and healthy.  Now, however it had more room to grow properly and produce the beautiful blossom that we can all enjoy.

So much dead wood!

 

A friend commented that when she was putting away the gifts she and her family had received over the Christmas time she realised that they had so much stuff, it was time to de-clutter.  How easy it is to hang on to all the stuff we have, even when it no longer serves its purpose and often means that we have little room for anything new.  The important lesson of life is not to hold on to the things that are past that are no longer useful for purpose but rather cut away and get rid of it in order to allow new things to happen.  Easier said than done!  But a valuable lesson all the same.   

Cambios

Hace un par de semanas que una sobrina en la Argentina me preguntó si tenía algunas fotos de su padres difunto, Gladys y Adamo. Ella preguntó particularmente si podría mandar por email copias de cuando Gladys nos visitó aquí en Inglaterra. ¡Ningún problema! Comencé a mirar a través de todas las fotos que tenía en la computadora. Conseguí unos que había tomado cuando Diego y yo visitamos en 2004 para sus celebraciones de bodas de oro y también en 2007 cuando le llevaron al hospital poco antes de que ella falleció. Busqué en mi computadora para alguno de su visita a nosotros pero sin ningún resultado.

Diego, yo, Gladys y Adamo visitando un rancho un día en 2004

Entonces por supuesto me dí cuenta que era antes de que tuviera una cámara fotográfica digital o una computadora! Tomé unos rollos de película durante el mes que ella estaba con nosotros y yo tenía las fotos pero por supuesto ninguna tarjeta, palillo o disco de memoria con ls fotos - solamente los rollos. Cuando me puse a pensar, había sido hace 17 años cuando ella vino a Inglaterra que volvía a su hogar en la Argentina el 4 de enero de 1995. ¡Cómo va el tiempo tan rápidamente!

Esas memorias todavía están frescas en la mente pero la tecnología se ha progresado tanto. Me imagino que hay adolescentes hoy quiénes nunca han visto la clase de rollo de película que utilizábamos para tomar las fotos. Se parece también que tampoco se está usando las cámaras fotográficas tanto hoy en día sino que muchos utilizan solamente su mobil. Cada año aparatos nuevos aparecen que hacen que el modelo del año pasado sea indeseable. Me hace la sensación que estoy corriendo, tratando siempre a alcanzar la tecnología nueva y cuando me parece que lo he entendido, el mundo ya se ha movido a otra cosa más avanzada. Este año se va a poder comprar televisiones en 3D!  ¿Qué voy a hacer? Cada día que vivo sigo aprendiendo algo más.

Una nueva televisión en 3 dimensiones.



Changes

A couple of weeks ago a niece in Argentina asked me if I had any photos of her deceased mother and father, Gladys and Adamo.  She particularly asked if I could email her copies of when Gladys visited us here in England.  No problem!  I clicked into My Pictures Library and started looking through all the photos.  I managed to get ones that I had taken when Diego and I visited in 2004 for their golden wedding anniversary celebrations and also in 2007 when she was taken into hospital shortly before she died.  I searched on my computer for some from her visit to us but to no avail.

Diego, me, Gladys and Adamo on a day out at a ranch in 2004

Then of course it dawned on me - that was before I had a digital camera or a computer!  I took a number of rolls of film during her month long stay with us and had the photos but of course no memory card, stick or disc with them on - only rolls of film.  When I reckoned back, it was 17 years ago when she came to England returning to her home in Argentina on 4th January 1995.   How time goes quickly! 

Those memories are still fresh in the mind but the technology has moved on so much.  I guess there are teenagers today who have never seen the sort of roll of film we used to use in order to take photos.  Indeed it seems that cameras are often not used either as many people just use their phone.  From one year to the next, new gadgets appear that make last year’s model undesirable.  It makes me feel I'm always playing catch-up and when I seem to have caught up, the world has moved onto to some other superior gadget.  This year you will be able to buy televisions in 3D.  Ah well, you live and learn.

The new 3D television

Fuerza en la Debilidad

Las tormentas de los últimos días ha afectado el jardín.  Arreglamos la cerca que el viento sigue echando atrás otra vez.  La hamaca del jardín de que gozamos en los meses del verano se ha volcado dos veces.  ¡Tal fuerza que causa tanta devastación!

Diego y Martin disfrutando el verano en el jardín

Tuve que ir hoy a recuperar mi tacho de basura que había estado soplado en la calle y fuí luego al jardín trasero otra vez para intentar y apoyar el respaldo de la cerca en lugar y devolver la hamaca a su posición legítima otra vez después de vientos más salvajes.  Al volver a casa noté que las campanillas blancas comenzaban a abrir sus flores.  Me quedé parada y sonreí.  En medio de todo el caos causado por los vientos había tales flores delicadas, pequeñas que florecían en toda su gloria, soportando las condiciones tremendas a pesar de su aspecto débil.

Y recordé las palabras “porque mi poder se perfecciona en la debilidad.”  Agradecí a Dios por las campanillas blancas y por el hecho de que aunque las tormentas sean muy fuertes, su presencia y gracia brilla por medio de la debilidad para demostrar su gloria en toda perfección.

Terminar y empezar

Mientras que entramos un Año Nuevo, tendemos para mirar por atrás y estamos sorprendidos a menudo en apenas cuánto ha cambiado desde este tiempo el año pasado.  Para mí hoy tiene un significado especial.  Estoy esperando que alguien lleva mi pequeño auto fiel de nuestra calzada y que no se lo devuelva.  He limpiado y he puesto en orden el interior y he quitado toda mi propia materia personal.

Me di cuenta que estoy cada vez más agotada a conducir el auto, particularmente durante los meses oscuros en que el tiempo puede a menudo ser mojado y en el deslizadizo peor.  A mi edad avanzada, me parece que los conductores son más impacientes.  ¡Pienso realmente que tiene que hacer posiblemente con el hecho de que mis reacciones son más lentas que antes y por eso he venido tan a la decisión dar para arriba conducir más, para la seguridad de todos en el camino! - y una vida menos agotadora para me.  Suena drástico pero con instalaciones en línea para hacer las compras por la compu y un paso libre del autobús (los jubilados en Inglaterra viajan gratuitamente en los ómnibuses locales), estoy segura que pronto conseguiré a hacer las cosas en forma distinto sin demasiado trastorno.  No más de preocupaciones por la presión del neumático o un lugar conveniente al parque. 

Otra ventaja por supuesto es financiera - pagando impuesto del camino, seguro, servicio y MOT (una inspección anual de los autos de más de 3 años), sin hablar del precio de la nafta que sube cada vez más, o pagando para aparcar.  Lo que ahorro en eso debe pagar algunos precios del taxi y quizá algunos días de viaje!  Asique hoy para mí no sólo es el final de un viejo año y el principio de un nuevo sino es el final de una era - mis años de conducir - y de una nueva manera de ver el mundo.  Estoy mirando adelante ya a mi nueva vida después de coches. 

Strength in Weakness

The storms of the past days have taken their toll in the garden. We keep propping up the fence that the wind keeps on pushing back again. The garden swing that we enjoyed in the summer months has been overturned twice. Such force causing a great deal of devastation.

Diego and Martin relaxing during the summer.

Today I had to go and retrieve my bin that had been blown down the road and later went into the back garden again to try and prop the fence back up into place and return the swing to its rightful position after more wild winds. On my way along the path towards the house I noticed the snowdrops were beginning to open their flowers. It made me stop and smile. Amid all the chaos caused by the winds there were such delicate, small flowers blooming in all their glory, withstanding the awful conditions despite their weak appearance.

I was reminded of the words 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' I thanked God for the snowdrops and for the fact that no matter the storms that blow, His presence and grace shine through the weakness to show His glory in perfection.

An Ending and a Beginning

As we go into a new year, we tend to look back and are often surprised at just how much has changed since this time last year.  For me today is especially significant.  I am waiting for my little faithful car to be driven off our driveway by someone else and not to be returned to me.  I have cleaned and tidied up the interior and removed all my own personal stuff.

I have been finding it increasingly stressful driving the car, particularly during the dark months when the weather can often be wet and at worst slippery.  As I get older, it seems that drivers are more impatient.  I think really that it possibly has to do with the fact that my reactions are slower than before and so I have come to the decision to give up driving for good, for the safety of all on the road! – and a less stressful life for myself.  It sounds drastic but with online shopping facilities and a free bus pass, I’m sure I’ll soon get used to doing things a little differently without too much upset.  No more concerns about tyre pressure or a suitable place to park. 

Another upside of course is financial – no more paying for road tax, insurance, service and MOT, let alone the ever rising price of petrol or parking fees.  That should pay for a few taxi fares and maybe a few days away.  So today is not only the end of an old year and the beginning of a new one for me but it is the end of an era – my driving years - and a new way of seeing the world.  I’m looking forward already to my new life after cars. 

Same but Different

I have recently been watching the television series called 'Living with the Amish' where six English teenagers spent a few weeks living with various families of the Amish tradition.  For the last week of their stay, they spent time with a family who had been 'shunned' by their 'church'.  When church leaders decide that you have disobeyed any of their strict rules then you are shunned and excluded from having conversations with other members (including your own family!) or mixing and participating in any church activities.

The six English teenagers

The great misdemeanor that these particular brothers had committed was to use a machine that, although did not use electricity (the use of which is forbidden), had a part in it that the leaders considered should be removed.  The brothers disagreed and so were now shunned.  They would be allowed back into the fold when they repented and admitted that they were wrong and had sinned.  When one of English teenagers questioned one brother about if he was going to repent, he said 'No' and the reason he gave was that he felt that what they had asked him to do by adapting the machine to the leaders' specifications was not biblical but was based on man-made rules.  The future meant therefore that eventually he and his family would be excommunicated.

I remember many years ago when I first went to live in South America, I was surprised how some things that I had always considered 'not right' seemed quite acceptable and this drove me back to the Bible.  As I searched for truth, I found (to my surprise) that many things that I had accepted as right or wrong was not really based on the Bible but partly on my upbringing in the particular church group to which I belonged and partly due to English customs and culture.  I began to learn that often people are neither better nor worse but simply different.  They see things differently and their point of view is as valid as mine.

The thing that impressed me most about the Amish group was that even though they had been shunned, they still wanted to live an Amish lifestyle.  They didn’t want to turn their backs on all things Amish and certainly didn’t want to embrace modern American living as a whole, although they found the telephone very useful!  They simply wanted to live Bible-based lives.  Today, many Christians of many other denominations are also doing the same.  Some feel quite isolated as they no longer ‘belong’ as before and certainly misunderstood or just not understood at all.  Asking questions and seeking the truth tends to lead to more searching of the Scriptures and not less. 

It is easy to criticize the Amish, saying they are narrow-minded and intolerant of any who do not conform, but I need to remember that narrow-mindedness and intolerance rear their ugly heads among people of many communities and religious persuasions.   



That's ours!

It was reported on the late news last night that fighting broke out in Bethlehem in the Christan church there as they prepared for the festival to celebrate the birth of Jesus. But it wasn't Christans defending their building against other opposing religions. It was amongst the clerics of the different factions within the Christian faith - Christian cleric against Christian cleric, fighting with the brooms they had been using to clean and prepare the church! They each had their own small patch of the church building that they were preparing and apparently one section inadvertently strayed into someone else's patch. Eventually the local police were brought in to break up the fighting and calm the situation.

We may smile but even in this country, how often have we heard a denomination referred to as 'my/our church' and I have known some who would not dream of entering into the building of another denomination that they considered somehow not as good, holy or right in their ways or beliefs, they interpret Scripture differently or they emphasise something others consider not quite as important.

But I am reminded of David who wrote a song 'The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it, the world and all who live in it.' (Psalm 24:1)

Many years later Jesus, talking to the woman at the well said, 'Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. ... ... Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshippers the Father seeks. God is spirit and his worshippers must worship in spirit and in truth.'

It seems to me that when a particular place, whether building or location, becomes more important than the worship itself, then in defending the plot, humanity has actually lost the plot. Christians believe that God is everywhere and yet we seem to regard some places as more holy than others even within the same building. I'm sure it must sadden God when He looks and knows that after over 2000 years of Jesus uttering those words, his creation still struggles to grasp the truth of them.

Faith is ... ... 4

Faith is ... ...  the dependence of a new born.

He did it for us and as His followers He wants us to do the same.  That's hard!

Faith is ... ... 3

Faith is ... ... the conviction of realities I cannot see or feel.

The wise men of the East were not put off searching further when they didn't find the New Born immediately.  They just knew He was close and their convictions of what was real kept them going until they found the One they were looking for.

Feliz Navidad

Queridos amigos y familia

Ya es la epoca cuando miramos por atras y recordamos de todo que ha pasado durante los meses pasados.

Empezo con  celebracion – en enero cumpli 70! Mis dos hijos tomaron cargo de organisar (y pagar) que varios amigos se junten conmigo para disfrutar una tarde muy linda.

En junio Diego y yo disfrutamos de vacaciones de crucero por el Mediterraneo que habiamos reservado desde el verano pasado.  Habia mucho para ver y disfrutar y tiempo hermoso y caluroso.

Al fin de mayo Diego vino a ser uno de los estadisticas de los desempleados.  En Julio empezo una serie de cursos para mejorarse.  Por el momento ha conseguido  trabajo hasta enero de dos mananas por semana en un supermercado local.  El espera que esto conduzca a mas trabajo y una oportunidad para el futuro.

Por el verano y otono tuvimos visitas de familiares y amigos, disfrutando de los asados (estilo ingles!) y pasando tiempo juntos.  Es una gran bendicion poder compartir estos tiempos con seres queridos.

Martin y Diego caminando por el parque en Yeovil

En septiembre yo fui a Latvia para visitar nuevos amigos Ian y Joanna Storie, una pareja inglesa.  Pase una semana muy linda con ellos, conociendo otra forma de vivir y hacer las cosas y encontrando con muchos de sus amigos, todo dandome la bienvenida.

Joanna, yo e Ian

Durante los ultimos dos meses, he tenido unos problemitas de salud resultando en una consulta con el especialista del hospital.  Despues de varios chequeos se descubrio que habia tenido un problema con la fluidez de la sangre por los arterios del cerebro.  Pero con atencion medica excelente estoy muy bien cuidado con remedios y atencion.

Miro hacia atras por un tiempo variado y doy gracias a Dios por su amor, cuidado y proteccion a traves de todo lo bueno y lo malo.

Esperamos a Navidad cuando Martin vendra a pasar unos dias con Diego y yo y a disfrutar una comida navidena en la casa de mi hermana Marilyn.

Los deseamos a todos

una Navidad muy feliz y

el Futuro lleno de las bendiciones del Senor.

Con mucho carino de Mavis, Martin y Diego.

Happy Christmas

Dear family and friends

It’s that time of year again when we look back and remind ourselves of what has happened over the past year.

It began with celebration – in January I reached the grand old age of 70!  My two sons kindly took charge of organising (and paying for) a number of friends to join me for a very enjoyable afternoon and evening of eating and sharing.

In June, Diego and I enjoyed our holiday cruise on the Med. which had been booked since last year.  There was much to see and enjoy and great weather.

At the end of May, Diego became one of the unemployment statistics. In July, he began a series of Open Learning studies to better himself.  He currently has a part time, temporary job in a local supermarket for two mornings a week.  He’s hoping it will lead to more work and an opening for the future.

Throughout the summer and autumn, we had visits from family and friends, enjoying barbeques and spending time together.  It’s a great blessing being able to share such times with loved ones.

Martin and Diego walking in Yeovil Country Park

In September, I went to Latvia, to visit new-found friends – an English couple Ian and Joanna Storie.  I had a great week with them, getting an insight into a different way of life and meeting many of their friends, all very welcoming.

Joanna, me and Ian

 Over the past couple of months I have had a few health problems resulting in consultations at them hospital.  After various tests and scans it was discovered that I have had a few TIAs (mini strokes).  But with the excellence of the medical professionals, I am well looked after with medication and on-going monitoring and feeling well.

I look back over quite a varied year and thank God for his loving care and protection through all the ups and downs.

We look forward to Christmas when Martin will be joining Diego and I for a few days and a family Christmas dinner at the house of my sister Marilyn.

We wish you all a very

Happy Christmas and a Blessed New Year.

Love Mavis, Martin and Diego

Faith is ... ... 2

Faith is ... ... living with the unexplained.

God breaks into history at the most unexpected times and in ways we often don't understand.  But the shepherds accepted what they were told and experienced God in a way hitherto unknown.  A great lesson indeed.

Faith is

I have a small booklet of inspirational quotes about Faith is ... ... by Pamela Reeve.  I found some that seem quite poignant at this time of Advent.  I will post a few of them over the next few days.


Faith is: Remembering that in the Kingdom of God everything is based on promise not on feeling.


We hear much of the mixed feelings about the whole situation of both Mary and Joseph - being misunderstood, doubt, being talked about, no where to stay - many forms of exclusion.  God's promises given to the prophets and how angelic visitations had told them that they were to be a part of the fulfilment of those promises must have seemed impossible and totally incomprehensible to them at such a time.

Boxed in

It is difficult at the moment to listen to the news without some comment on unions, strikes, pensions or public sector.  I listen with interest at the various reports and am amazed by some of the figures that are bandied about.  The amount paid into the pension scheme was mentioned as being 3.5% to 6%.  The focus seemed mainly to be on those paying 3.5% and noting that in the end they would receive a great deal less money.  Before retiring, I worked for over 26 years for the local Government, part of the recognised public sector.  In all my years there, I paid 5% at the beginning but rising to 6%, which I paid until I retired.  I don't know where reporters get the final amount of pension from but my total works pension after paying for a quarter of a century is about half of the amount of loss talked about.  Thinking of this incredible amount of loss, I wonder what their actual pension will be and just who has this sort of pension deal?

Photo taken on the day of the strike this week

It is not my intention to debate the rights or wrongs of the situation or play the blame game but it irritates me when all public sector workers are lumped together as being the same, when I know that home helps, dinner ladies, refuse collectors, sheltered housing workers, cleaners and many more get no way near the figures that are mentioned in the news items.  Many are on very low rates of pay.


Sadly we seem to hear a word or phrase and have a preconceived idea of those we connect with such words.  We talk about bankers in derogatory terms but not everyone who works in the banking system is in receipt of huge wage increases or bonuses.  Those working in High Street branches don't actually receive an increase in pay or a bonus if their targets have not been met.  Those are set of course by others at higher management level.  We need to recognise that the part of banking that led to the current financial situation has more to do with investment banking and private equity firms (those faceless, untouchable, unreachable people in the upper echelons of the financial world) and not those in the local High Street branch.

We have a similar reaction to investigative journalism.  Sadly those connected to a few newspapers have tainted our perception of all investigative journalists.  But many important discoveries of malpractice or bad laws have only been uncovered because of those who have spent time looking into things like sex trafficking, bad treatment of the elderly or vulnerable, unscrupulous moneylenders, cruelty to children or animals ... ... and so we could go on.

Not all unemployed people are lazy and not all those receiving benefits are scroungers ... ... and we could go on ... ...  So why is it that we want to categorise people - everyone must be put in a box - public servant, banker, journalist etc?  


This ranting post is really to say - let's stop prejudging with uninformed, preconceived criticism and recognise that you cannot tar everyone with the same brush.  Usually those reported on are only a few and the rest of said group are largely innocent of the complaints made against them. In the end, modern living in the 21st century would be very difficult, even impossible, without those working in public services, the High Street Bank or media reporting.  Whilst we need to address wrong situations and practices that arise and recognise the guilty ones, not all working in these fields are bad so don't let's put them all together in a big box labelled 'unsavoury characters'  We need maturity in distinguishing one from the other.


Rant over!!!

True Lies

I was interested this morning to hear about a particular sauce whose maker had been taken to court as it was claimed that he had stolen the recipe from a couple of friends.  There is nothing unusual about that.  What caught my attention was that the judge who considered him not guilty of the crime went on to say that however, 'he is a liar'.  Apparently he had gone on the programme 'Dragon's Den' claiming among other things that this was a recipe handed down in his family for generations - it was all lies.

Strangely, some of the comments made were that this was really creative marketing, a real entrepreneur, anything to get noticed and receive the financial help from a multi-millionaire and that the subsequent success of the product has proved its worth


It reminded me of a couple of weeks ago there had been complaints of adverts which claimed their product was 'unlimited' for the quoted price.  The problem is that here 'unlimited' doesn't really mean without a limit.  It means that there is freedom within this price range.  Some people found this out to their cost.  One consumer queried how, instead of his £38 a month bill, he actually received a bill for over £200!

So 'unlimited access' really means 'until you reach the limit'!  And 'as much as you can eat' really means 'as long as it's within a certain amount'!


Lewis Shand Smith, the communications ombudsman, says that such phrases should not be used as it is misleading but the advertising agency claims it is OK as long as you explain the limitations of 'unlimited'!

So, apparently it's alright to say something when you know it's not strictly true as long as you make money in the long run.


The Oxford Concise Dictionary says: lie - an intentionally false statement, be deceptive.  Maybe it's time they changed their definition!

Good News Week

The week began with an interview for my unemployed son, Diego.  He, along with 9 others had an appointment at the local supermarket.  They did some activities together and also an individual interview and a little work experience in various parts of the store.  The manager told him that he had passed the interview with flying colours - a great encouragement.


The following evening he received a phone call to say they would be happy to offer him a part-time, temporary job.  At least it's a start, a foot in the door.  So next week he goes for 2 days of induction  followed the following week by two mornings work until the New Year, when the situation will be reviewed.  Thank you Asda for offering some hope in what seems to be quite a hopeless job market.

The other good news also involves Diego.  During his time of unemployment he has been doing a course to improve his school exam results of maths and English and also learn some IT and interview skills and eventually update his fork lift truck licence.  He successfully achieved his maths , IT and interview skills a few weeks ago.  Yesterday he had his English exam and came home pleased to announce that he PASSED!  He is now awaiting a date for his fork lift truck refresher day.

What a difference hope and good news can make.  On so few hours a week, finances have not improved for the moment but suddenly there is a bit of light where everything seemed dark; there is hope for a future where before such a scenario was impossible to see.  Thank you Lord for good news, however small!

Remembering

Maybe I have just not noticed it before, but this year there seems to be much more controversy over 'the poppy'.  As I understand it, the whole idea of buying and wearing a poppy was originally to remember all those who had been killed in the two world wars.  As there are ongoing conflicts, it has now come to be a support for those even today who have been physically, mentally or emotionally affected by such events.  In itself, that is a good thing - to be of help where possible.  Although it would seem a bit unfair that the country expects troops to go into these situations (on our behalf, so they tell us) but when they need help, they have to depend on public charitable donations.

So it seems that, instead of one day of the year (Remembrance Day) when we wear a poppy and spend time thinking of the fallen and praying for their families and above all for peace, we have somehow come to think of it as a month when we support 'our heroes'.  As I said before, I am not against it per se but I just feel that the language and attitudes behind it all have become rather jingoistic and not about a search for peace.  It's as though the original meaning has been hijacked by mob-rule and we need to conform or be frowned upon.  (Where has our human right to make our own choices gone in this freedom we call democracy?)

I had a very dear uncle who died only a couple of years ago, who had been held in terrible conditions as a prisoner by the Japanese in WWII and when anyone spoke of the war, his comment was simply, 'War makes people on all sides do some terrible things.'  I think in remembering those who have suffered, we should also think of those caught up in many conflicts throughout the world and of those who suffer on all sides, whatever colour of skin or religion or any other cultural tendency they may have.

Some will be wearing the white poppy of peace but whether we wear a red poppy to remember those who suffer, a white poppy of peace or no poppy at all, above and beyond that, let's pray for peace in a world ravaged by war and learn how to share the planet as God intended His creation to do.  As David says in the Bible, 'Seek peace and pursue it.' (Psalm 34:14) 

Autumn

One of the beautiful things about autumn is the changing colour of the leaves.  In fact many people visit woodlands at this time of year just to see the spectacular colours.

Of course the downside to autumn is that the changing colours of the leaves really means that a gradual process is taking place - that is the death of the leaves.  Eventually they fall to the ground.  How often as children have we enjoyed wading through a pile of fallen autumn leaves and hearing the rustling sound under our feet.

But, as we know, this process is necessary so that the tree can conserve energy to last the cold spell of winter and then produce new growth in the spring.  God's creation makes even dying into something beautiful to contemplate.


Life brings many changes, colouring our lives with different shades, all beautiful and necessary in their own way, maybe bringing a dying of one circumstance in order to allow growth of something new.  It may be hard to let go sometimes but God's recreation in us can result in something beautiful for others to see and a future full of hope and renewal.