Proof of Identity

Every Wednesday in our community there is a luncheon club for elderly,frail and lonely people held in the church hall just along the road from where I live.  I have been helping out every Wednesday for quite a few months now.  After I had been helping for a few weeks it was accepted that it wasn't just a flash in the pan and that I really was committed to helping, I got some forms through the post to fill in and send back so I could be vetted and I had to supply two references who would guarantee that I am who I say I am.  Fair enough I suppose.  You can't be too careful and I didn't mind.  This week I received a letter parcel and inside was my badge.  It's official!  I am now a helper trying to make a difference in my community under the watchful eye of the Royal Voluntary Service and I have the badge to prove it.

Of course a badge with your name on it is nothing new.  Whenever we go shopping, most of the large stores make their staff use their name badges and their particular role within the company, whether that's customer service, manager or cashier.  Most of the large supermarkets will have a hanging notice high above every aisle telling us exactly what's in that aisle and each individual item has a name/title at the top of the packaging.  We don't need to open it to see what's inside.  We can tell by what it says on the front.  With fresh produce, labels are put beside each tray of goods so we know exactly what it is and where it's come from.

A piece of cake?

Usually when we do our shopping trip on Friday mornings, we stop part way through the morning and have a coffee and piece of cake at our favourite family-run coffee shop,appropriately named 'Detour'.  They sell a very reasonably priced coffee/tea with cake that is about half what you would pay at your usual more well-known coffee shops.  There is always a great variety of cakes, all freshly baked.  We made it our solemn duty to try a different one each week so that we can then decide which we prefer.  (That's my excuse) Actually as you've probably guessed - they are all yummy.  Normally you can just look at the name and say which one you want, knowing by their label just what's in them.  Yesterday, however, they had some new cakes in keeping with the Christmas spirit with some very seasonal names.  The one called 'sugar and spice' was easy to guess.  (It was just as delicious as I had anticipated by the way!)  But there were others that we had to ask, 'What's in that one', like Jingle Bell Slice and Pixie Pie.  Their identity label didn't really suggest what to expect.  You couldn't tell from the name that Jingle Bell Slice was a flapjack with a layer of mincemeat through the middle or that Pixie pie was a normal pie crust filled with a gooey chocolate filling topped with mini marshmallows.

We've heard much this week about a certain American politician who says that a particular ethnic group should all wear badges so people can see at a glance that they belong to a certain religion.  (Sounds like history repeating itself but with a different faith group)  It made me think.  Those of us who profess to be Christians and therefore are not so readily identifiable as such from our clothing, do we live in such a way that people can see what our faith is without reading any label?  If we had to wear a badge saying that we are Christian, would people be surprised by some of the things that we say or do?  Is my identity really that of following in Jesus' footsteps?  Do I really live according to The Way?  Apart from attending a place of worship on a Sunday, does my daily way of living and attitudes to others really reflect the teachings of Jesus?  How do I show my identity as a follower of The Way?  Do I make it clear or do people need to ask or just guess by my lifestyle?  Is the way I live my life proof of my identity?  Hmmm!  Time for a coffee and food for thought.

It All Depends ...

First of all I must say for any who are not in touch through social media and so haven't seen my update, my son and his wife arrived home safely on Tuesday after spending a weekend in Paris.  With the happenings over the weekend, their time did not go as they had planned - the scheduled concert was cancelled by the authorities and most of the sight seeing attractions were closed until the Monday.  However, we are all very relieved that they are safe and well and can live to celebrate other birthdays in the future.  Now for some musings for this week.   

It's that time of year when those of us who like feeding the wild birds over the winter  start to buy various things to put out in the garden trying to attract them to come and feed.  Apart from the usual seed mixture there are the sunflower seeds, either whole or just the sunflower hearts.  For the finches they tell us to put out nyger seeds.  There are various types of fatty goods - suet pellets, fat balls and large 'cakes' of fat all mixed with seeds, insects or mealworms.  And we mustn't forget the peanuts.  All of these various goodies also need varying types of containers.  It's no good putting seeds into a wire container and fat balls needs to be in a container that the birds can peck through.  It's not that they're fussy eaters so they need a bird table menu to choose from, it's more a case of some foods suit some birds and not others.  Some are happy to cling onto feeders while others prefer to peck at the bird table.  Others, mostly the larger birds tend to just walk around pecking what is on the ground.  It would seem though that the nightly visitor to our garden will eat anything that s/he can get hold of.  Some people get urban foxes while others have problems with deer somehow breaking through their fences.  We have a nightly visit from a badger who will eat whatever s/he can get or dig holes looking for something.  He even seems to have the ability to reach up and pull down off the tree the container with the fat balls in it.  I thought I had put it high enough to be out of his reach but the fat balls and the container have disappeared - again!  Ah well, I'll have to think of another way of letting the birds get their needed fat intake.



We are starting to look at all the Christmas goodies that are appearing in the shops and I'm starting to make my lists of things to buy, food stuff that is - things that can be made at home and kept, other things that can be frozen or stored safely while there is always the list of the last things to buy that need to be fresh.  I prefer to plan ahead and not rush at the last minute.  That's just how I do things - with plenty of time and loads of lists.  The butcher has the order for the turkey which will be collected at the appropriate time.  I like to try and cater for everyone's tastes and take into account any allergies.  But I think we all tend to eat those extras that all the year round we avoid often for health reasons but somehow feel that because it's Christmas they won't have any affect on us - that is until we get on the scales after New Year - if we dare.  And don't mention the presents!  Personally I have great difficulty with so much choice, usually with inflated prices just because it's Christmas.  I always prefer gifts that are useful and not something that will just be put in a drawer and either forgotten or recycled next year for someone else.  Not everyone would agree with me and that's ok.  We're all different and do things differently.  It's just that that's the way I function.  It works for me.


This week I received an unexpected phone call from a cousin in Canada.  She normally phones sometime between Christmas and New Year.  The purpose of her call was mainly to tell me that her mother who is now almost 95 years of age had recently gone into a nursing home and so the address I currently have for her is no longer valid.  The strange thing is that she said to address it to Stefana.  She is actually an aunty of my late husband who I first knew when we lived in Argentina many years ago.  I have known her for 50+ years and have always called her Tia Nancy (Aunty Nancy) and now 50 years on I learn that her name is not Nancy at all but Stefana.  Surprised, I presumed that Nancy must be her middle name but was told that she isn't called Nancy at all.  Her name is Stefana but everyone, even all of her own family have always referred to her as Nancy and that is how she is known to most people.  I can't think of her as Stefana.  For me she will always be Tia Nancy.  I guess that's ok when it comes to Christmas greetings cards and personal letters.  If it were a legal matter then her real name has to be used.

All week I have been thinking about this and the fact that how often we live for years with a certain supposition and even when we know that the truth is different from what we are accustomed to, we carry on as before regardless.  Nothing changes.  Old habits die hard as they say.  Some things we do just out of habit even though it's not quite correct.  I have been reminded of such life lessons again with creation and life in general.  How we are all different and need different things in our lives for us to be complete and flourish.  It's not that one is right and others are wrong, we are just different and have varying needs. It all depends on our unique make up and circumstances.  The same goes for our personal taste in food and in life choices in general.  Some times though we need to recognise that some of the things we do and say are not strictly correct and that often we do and say them purely out of habit and a false sense of what is right.  Even the ordinary occurrences of life have much to teach us. But that all depends on if we listen.

Paris

There will be no blog post today.  My son Martin and his wife Lisa yesterday travelled to Paris to celebrate her birthday and go to the U2 concert this evening.  Then as you will all know there have been many killings, bombings and a hostage situation.  They have been in contact and are safe but as you can imagine, my mind cannot concentrate on anything else at the moment until they are safely back home.  

If you are the praying kind, please remember Paris today. #JesuisParis

Don't Forget

I must admit that I struggle with this particular time of the year.  I am really more of a pacifist and try to avoid confrontation of any sort if I can.  So I find the reminder of war and military conflict difficult.  I know and understand the arguments in favour of such action but can't help thinking that if those in power who lead their country to war were themselves to be affected by it in the same way that service people are, then there would be much more time spent in trying to avoid war in the first place.  It's fairly easy to say that there is no other way when you are not going to be killed or maimed yourself.  I must admit that I tend to dream with John Lennon's song that says ... 'Imagine there's no countries, it isn't hard to do, nothing to live or die for and no religion too.  Imagine all the people living life in peace.'  Everybody caught up in war loses something so there are no real outright winners.  My uncle who was held prisoner by the Japanese on the infamous Siam railway used to say, 'War makes people on both sides do some terrible things.'  It would seem that the only ones who come out of it all happier are those who invent and trade in the arms industry and as long as there are wars and conflicts they are laughing all the way to the bank!

The problem is that although you might kill the ones who are considered to be the instigators and leaders of 'the enemy', you can't kill an idea so easily.  Hitler was killed but today neo-naziism, fascism and ultra-racist nationalism exist all around the world in the guise of a pseudo 'patriotism' and 'looking after your own'.  Osama Bin Laden may be dead but his ideas live on.  So, does war actually achieve anything?  In Europe we are straining under the crisis of displaced people and those fleeing war situations.  It seems a bit hypocritical to bomb places where people are living and then try to avoid helping them when they flee for their lives and no longer have a home to live in as a result.  Sometimes I wonder.  Is it just a sort of macho power thing among world leaders, a case of not losing face, more about one-upmanship?  It certainly seems to be more of a case of who has the biggest weapons and best strategies rather than who is actually right, a bit more of a power thing than a better way of living.  It reminds me of the school bully or children fighting over a toy each claiming 'it's mine ... ... no, it's mine'.  Wars are usually caused by disputes over power, who is 'right' or possession of land.  And so some people prefer to wear a white poppy to signify the desire for peace to safeguard any tendency to glorify war and conflict.  I think we need to accept both the red and white and understand the stance of the other instead of judging them as lacking patriotism. 

Prince William painting a wall.

I was very moved the other week watching DIY SOS, the Big Build.  They took on a whole street and converted some of the houses especially for veterans.  If you didn't see it you can watch it on BBC iPlayer, DIY SOS, Homes for Veterans.  It makes you wonder if being killed is maybe an easier if not better option than surviving but being disabled.  The programme showed veterans who suffered mentally, emotionally and physically as a result of their severe injuries.  The saddest thing is that so many of these veterans return as heroes but are soon left on their own.  They can no longer serve in the military, so they find themselves unemployed and unable to do the job they have been trained for.  Many have severe bouts of depression and trauma and any sudden noise triggers off terrible memories.  Some struggle to cope.  And it also affects their families.  One veteran cried at the thought that now he had a house with a lift so he could get upstairs to put his children to bed.  He had felt that he was no longer able to be the father he wanted to be.  And so there are so many tragic stories.

Prince Harry supporting disabled veterans in their fund-raising

In one of the episodes, the tradesmen were joined by Princes William and Harry as they showed their support for the project and actually did some work and talked with the workers and the veterans.  Whatever your opinion of the royal family is in general, I must admit that I do admire Harry for the way that he supports in active ways those who have been affected by their faithful military service, walking with them on long treks and adventures to raise funds for charities that help the wounded and highlighting the problems and bringing them to public awareness.  He was so right when he made the comment that we send our young men and women into war situations and when they come back injured and in need of specialist help, what sort of country are we if we don't rally round and help?  Yet these people who were willing to put their lives on the line for the country (unlike many politicians and those in seats of power), slip through the net and have to depend on charities to help them.  Some end up living on the streets.  Is that how we treat heroes?  

The original poem about the poppies in Flanders Field remembered those who had died.  It was not a racist idea - us vs them (whoever 'them' may be).  It was not about national pride.  It was not about British values (it was actually written by a Canadian)  It was not about jingoism.  It was not about glorifying war.  It was actually the opposite of all that.  It was about remembering the senseless shedding of blood and waste of lives and the national sentiment at the time was 'never again'.  Today, sadly for many it seems to be more about judging people on the sort of poppy they're wearing - or not and judging their patriotism accordingly.  It is often thought about as being 'proud to be British'  when that was not the original idea of the poppy at all.  So this Remembrance Day, don't forget the real reason for the day and the original thought behind the poppy and not confuse it with a sort of 'call to arms' or a 'we'll show 'em' kind of gung-ho attitude.  Remember those who have given their all for their country (whichever that may be).  Don't forget those who survived but for whom life has changed forever.  Don't forget those left behind who have to pick up the pieces and carry on.  Don't forget those whose homeland has been destroyed to such an extent that they can no longer live there and raise their families.  They need help.  It might seem that killing will solve the problem.  The truth is though that ideas live on and the aftermath of war and its consequences bring many more problems that need to be addressed.  Don't forget all those affected by war, wherever they are or in whatever way they are affected.  Throw your memory net wide to include all who need help as a result of war.  Don't forget the real significance of the poppy.

Great Fully Grateful

Today's photo taken in a bird sanctuary in Brazil near Iguazu.

At the beginning of the week I was nominated on social media by my daughter-in-law, Lisa Andradez, to a 6 day challenge to share for 6 consecutive days a photograph I have taken at some time about the natural world.  I immediately started looking through my folders of photos, looking for 6 photos that would be completely different while at the same time show a variety of creation.  As I sifted through and began choosing I felt such gratitude because I have had the privilege of visiting so many places and had such wonderful experiences conjuring up great memories for me now as I look back on what each photo represents.  To others who see them, they are probably just interesting photos but for me they are reliving wonderful times that I have had the great privilege to experience.  People and situations have come flooding back to my mind, experiences that have made me the person I am today.  What a wonderful world indeed!

My great-grandmother, my grandmother, my mother
and elder brother.  Sadly all have now passed away.

This week we have also had the pleasure of a visit from my elder sister, my brother-in-law and their younger son.  We have been able to chat at length face to face and not just over the phone.  We have been able to go out and share meals together - 3 sisters, my brother-in-law and 3 cousins.  And so I am grateful for a wonderful family who over many years have shared and helped each other, celebrating important occasions and looking back on happy days gone by.  I have a number of photos of my family that go back 5 generations.  I can't even remember where I managed to get copies of some of them or when I put them on my computer but it was good to be able to share them and remember our parents and grandparents and even our great grandmother, seeing photos of us when we were small and as we grew older.  There is one of my younger sister taking her first step (to try to get hold of the camera) and one of my elder sister's wedding and again with her children when they were young.  Again, precious photos bringing back cherished memories and a grateful heart for wonderful Christian parents and a very happy childhood.

Cherish the NHS!

Yesterday I had my check up at the Eye Clinic following the removal of a cataract from my right eye just over 4 weeks ago.  I am delighted with the outcome, being able to see things I haven't been able to in years.  I can now read the subtitles on the television news and see which number bus is coming before it actually gets up to me.  I go along the street now reading car number plates, just because now I can!   On my visit yesterday, the consultant was very pleased the way it had turned out and has given the go-ahead to get the other eye done as soon as possible.  Yeah!!  Can't wait!  I am so grateful for the many talented doctors and consultants (particularly in this case Mr Shah) who are so dedicated and learned so as to restore sight to the 'almost blind'.  It has given me a new lease of life and much pleasure in being able tp see details that I missed before.  It may seem a routine operation to some but for me it has meant so much.  Thank you to all who work within the NHS in whatever capacity.  Be grateful for our NHS and cherish it.

So this week has be a great week and I am fully grateful.

Now and Then

The farm owned by the blogger mentioned

A blog I follow commented this week about the way the countryside has changed, at least in the USA.  He was noting the difference between the number of small family farms that have now been taken over by the much larger and highly mechanised form of growing crops and farming animals.  He says that today only 15% of Americans live in rural areas.  In 1945 30% of Americans were farmers owning land with an average 195 acres.  Today less than 1% are farmers and most crops are grown on farms of over 1000 acres.  You can see his blog post on this link entitled Disappearing Farmers (October 21st).  I guess that is only one of the changes in the way our food is produced.  It is also true that the way we food shop has changed greatly over the last few decades and our expectations when we shop.  We now expect and usually get fresh food all year round as though there are no longer seasons for crops.  We can get food grown in more tropical climates whenever we want, more or less, without considering the cost of shipping this around the world just for our convenience.

The other day I had a conversation with a friend about the basket she was carrying.  She had made it herself from willow that grows on her land.  I made the comment that she should try selling them and make a business for herself.  Her reply was practical but a bit sad I thought.  She said that what she could charge for them and what people would be prepared to pay just wouldn't pay for the hours it takes to make them and so it would just not be cost effective and certainly not a way to make a living.  We came to the conclusion that sadly many old crafts are slowly dying as people either don't have the spare time to take them up as a hobby or they are no longer a way to earn enough money to be able to sustain a decent way of life.  To be fair, I had to admit that when buying something, price is a big consideration and if the item serves the purpose we buy it.  For most of us then it's more a case of why are we going to pay more just to get something that has been handmade when the cheaper version serves us just as well?  .    


This week saw a very important date in time travel.  Many will understand when I say the date October 21st 2015.  That was the date that Marty McFly experienced when he flew in the time travel car from the year 1985, 30 years into the future in the film Back To The Future.  There was much on the news as people considered just how many of the things that he experienced in the film actually are now commonplace and which things never came to pass.  Of course much of the technology we now take for granted could not have been envisaged 30 years ago - individual mobile phones, internet connection on the go from just about anywhere and being able to talk face to face to someone on the other side of the world.  I'm sure you can think of many other ways that our lives have been revolutionised and changed forever. 

All this brings to mind the truth that things are continually evolving and changing.  Some things are sadly lost while other things are received with much pleasure.  Maybe it makes us think about the things that are under threat and if we really want to lose them or if they no longer serve their purpose in a modern era.  The same goes for religion.  We hang on to traditions, just because they are traditions when maybe we should be letting them go in favour of other ways that are more compatible with our world today.  Tradition is good but only if it is fit for purpose.  Just as we evolve and change and the world around us is constantly evolving, we should continually be evolving in spirit in order to continue to follow where the spirit leads.  Why do we do the things we do?  Is it simply because that's the way we've always done them?  Is what worked in days gone by working today?  Is it making a difference and making our world a better place?  Our faith is worth nothing if it's not applicable to our lives now in the 21st century.  It is good to remember the past but not to live in it.  What do I need to hold on to and what should I let go?  My belief system must be relevant to my life now or what's the point?  These and many more questions come to mind when thinking about my spiritual journey now and then.

Civilised - Or Not!

Earlier this week many people in Spain and the Americas celebrated Columbus Day, the day that Columbus first set foot on land on the other side of the Atlantic on the 12th October 1492.  At the time, Columbus and his associates went in order to find new land and claim it for the Spanish crown.  They actually thought they would find India going west instead of east as was the usual route. When they arrived in the Americas, they realised that this was a 'new world', somewhere they didn't know about.  They.saw how much gold and treasure there was and how friendly the native inhabitants were and realised how easy it would be to dominate them, making them slaves, forcing them to accept their christian faith and robbing them of all their wealth.  The native population were treated like animals that needed to be 'civilised'.  The truth is that many tribes were actually more civilised than the Spaniards, having a good system of social care, a healthy economy and thriving trade.  They were knowledgeable in many aspects of life including the arts and crafts as well as their study of the solar system and the natural world around them.  In opening their hearts and arms to receive their new guests, what they received was abuse, murder, pillaging and slavery - all in the name of Christianity.   Nowadays there is a growing movement to rename the day in favour of the indigenous people rather than Columbus.  


Although nations no longer go around the world killing and pillaging as in the past days of European empires, there are those who still find ways of destroying what is not theirs and taking for themselves what rightfully belongs to others, of course with promises of payment of a kind.  We need look no further than the same American continent to note that vast parts of the Amazon jungle are being cleared in order to have land where cattle can be raised.  This is so that more cattle can be farmed in order to keep down the price of beef for more northerly  parts of the world.  Apart from the damage to the planet's climate that the destruction of the Amazon jungle causes, there are countless indigenous tribes that have been swallowed up in this scheme.  Some feel almost forced to comply with what they are asked to do while others still fight on to keep what is rightfully theirs and the lifestyle that they choose to live.  It begs the question, 'Who are the savages and who are the civilised ones?'   The photo shows the systematic clearing of the jungle to make way for cattle.

On a happier note, this week I saw an article on social media that was also remembering an incident from the past.  Fifteen years earlier a small boy had fallen 18 feet into a den of gorillas at a zoo.  Everyone was dismayed as they thought that he would certainly be harmed.  However a gentle female gorilla called Binti approached the unconscious boy as he lay on the hard concrete surrounding the den.  She picked him up and cradled him in her arms, patted him a few times but got no response.  Everyone thought that surely now the boy would be hurt but instead Binti picked the boy up and walked almost 60 feet to an access door where an attendant and a paramedic could see to him.  All the time Binti guarded the boy from the other gorillas, growling at them to make sure the boy was kept safe.  I can't help thinking though that if any of the bystanders had been carrying a gun, they would have shot Binti without a second thought, presuming that on approaching the boy, she intended to harm him.  

We may not physically harm someone or rob them of any worldly goods but how often do we prejudge others?  Sadly many white people seem to have the attitude that they are in some way superior to those of a darker skin colour.  It might not be expressed in words but certainly in attitude.  How often do we look at a person's way of dressing or the house they live in and prejudge them without getting to know them?   Who would have thought that a gorilla would treat a human being with such care and gentleness in comparison to the way many people treat their fellow human beings?  People aren't better or worse than anyone else - they are simply different, sometimes by choice and sometimes by their cultural background.  I always remember my dear mother telling us as children, 'God loves everybody and so must we.'  Wise words.  Maybe being civilised is really about living God's love through our daily activities and attitudes and has nothing to do with authority, power and wealth.

Dividing Walls

It would be almost impossible for any person living in Britain not to be aware that this week saw the final of the Great British Bake-Off and know who won the title of Champion Baker.  There are those in the media who tried to claim that she won because of her ethnicity and religion to try and make a point that we are an open and accepting country.  Actually if those responsible for such accusations had actually seen the wonderful creations that she baked they would have realised that she won because she was a very capable and creative baker who although she began the competition struggling, she worked and worked until she overcame her doubts and succeeded in creating some amazing culinary delights.  She is a young mother of three young children, has beautiful eyes, a charming smile, a great sense of humour, some wonderful facial expressions and has come out with some great self-deprecating one-liners.  She has endeared herself to the heart of the nation.  Well done Nadiya.  She just happens to wear a scarf to express who she is.  People who cover themselves with tattoos do so in order to express themselves as does a gentleman who wouldn't be seen without a bow tie, feeling it gives himself a certain air of charm.  They all express themselves by their appearance.

Pope Francis has also been in the news again this week.  Last week we saw that during his visit to the USA, he met up with people of many faiths and religious ideologies other than Roman Catholicism.  This week the news is that in November he plans to meet up with some leaders of the Evangelical and Lutheran church in Rome and apologise for the way the Roman Church has treated Protestants, bearing in mind that it was Martin Luther, after whom the Lutheran church was founded, who was the reformer who opposed Roman authority and as a result the Protestant movement was formed.  


I was brought up in the ways of The Salvation Army and I was also reminded this week by a friend that the co-founder of that organisation once said, 'I don't believe in any religion apart from doing the will of God.'  It is a sad fact that over the centuries, Christians have forgotten the truths that Jesus taught about God's  all-encompassing love being for everyone.  Instead we have emphasized the divisions and differences, making them more important than our walk with God.

Another friend this week has said that after 8 years 'outside' of organised church he will be returning as part of the leadership team of a church in order to help out his friend.  He wondered what the reaction would be of those who had also left organised religion behind.  Is he a religious turncoat?  Has he changed his opinion about church structure? Is he in or out?


It saddens me when people think that you have to be either 'In' or 'Out'.  Why?  Which part of the Bible tells us that?  On the contrary.  Jesus speaks of God's love being unconditional and for all.  It was as much for the Roman centurion as it was for Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish Sanhedrin.  He preached from a boat as well as in the synagogue.  He accepted those on the fringes of society as well as those who were faithfully observant of their Jewish faith.  After the resurrection, he walked through walls to join his disciples as they met in secret.  No walls or locked doors can keep him out.  He also met with them by the lake as they went fishing.  He taught us that God is Spirit and we must worship him in spirit.  God really is everywhere.  The Psalmist so many centuries even before Jesus appeared said that there was nowhere we can go and not be in his presence.  There are no walls, whether physical, imaginary or religious that can keep him out.  Yet we continue to build walls of division, separation and exclusion.   Whatever walls we may build and divisions we think up, they don't mean anything to God because he is Spirit, everywhere.  When are we really going to understand this truth?    

God's love is unconditional.  There are no conditions that we must observe in order for us to be in his presence.  In or out?  Does it matter?  God breaks through barriers, frontiers and divisions. Let's stop building walls of division and trying to box God into our own ways of doing things.  He refuses to be forced into our boxes.  Just let God be God wherever we are and however we choose to seek him.  Does it matter if we wear a scarf or bow tie or have tattoos?  Does it matter if we meet with a certain group of people on a specific day in a specific place?  As long as we seek God, he will meet with us.  Outside appearances and man-made rules don't affect his love for all of us.  He only looks on our hearts, what we feel in our spirits.  I just seek his presence and to know and do his will.  Everything else is not that important and of no real consequence.    

Get A Life!

I saw this photo the other day.  Apparently it has now gone viral.  It is obviously a crowd of people waiting to see their favourite celebrities.  When you look more closely at the picture you see that everyone is ready with their camera, iphone or tablet to get the occasion for posterity so they can look at it later at length.  Everyone, that is, except a small, white-haired lady right at the front.  Maybe she doesn't own any such device.  But on the other hand she doesn't have to be concerned with getting the right angle or if someone sticks their head right in front of her just as she is taking the longed-for photo.  She is just happy to be there and is soaking up the atmosphere and I guess not missing a thing.  Her total concentration is on the event of the moment and she is enjoying whatever is happening right now without being distracted by searching for the optimum position and getting ready to click, making sure to click the right button at the exact moment.  She is engrossed in the moment and enjoying it to the full.

At the beginning of the week (for those who aren't on my friends list on Facebook so don't already know) I underwent an operation to remove a cataract from my right eye.  People I spoke to who have had it done all told me that it was nothing to worry about and that I wouldn't feel a thing.  It would all be over in no time at all.  Everyone tried to console me and I tried to take it all on board but if I'm honest I was still a little apprehensive.  

Learning about something, whether from books, professionals or friends and actually experiencing what they are describing can be two entirely different things.  It's the difference between saying, 'People told me about it' and 'Now I know what it's like'.  

Ask any young mother who has just given birth for the first time or a sports fan who watches a game on television while other fans go to the venue and watch it in person.  You can't really absorb the atmosphere and the feeling of being carried along by other fans who also want to cheer on their team.  The singing, the cheering, the banter.  They will tell you that there is no comparison between watching it on a screen and watching it for real.  The experience far outweighs seeing it second hand.

Also at the beginning of the week we had the rare occurrence of the supermoon and lunar eclipse that could be seen around the world.  Many people stayed up to watch it.  Others who had work or other commitments really needed their sleep so opted to watch pictures shown on the news the next morning.  Although I am retired and don't need to go to work, I still slept through the night and missed actually seeing the event as it unfolded.  The pictures I saw were indeed quite spectacular and it's an event that won't happen again until I'm well into my 90s, if I'm still with life that is. I'm sure though that for those who did see it, they would look at pictures and just know that you can't capture the same feelings of awe and wonder at the workings of the heavens.  You have to be in it to feel it.

 You can have a great deal of knowledge about a subject or event but that doesn't compare with the actual experience.  We can look at photos or pictures, read articles or books but the experience allows us to identify with the occasion and the people involved.  It involves emotions and conjures up feelings of wonder and pleasure.  We never know what the future will bring or how long we have in this life so it's a shame if we spend too much time just having second hand knowledge rather than living the occasion with all that that entails.  It's rather sad that so many people spend so much time learning about something that they never get to really enjoy experiencing it.  Embrace the moment to the full.  Immerse yourself in the experience.  Go for it, even though you may be a little apprehensive.  In the nicest possible way I want to say 'Get a life!'    

Inspiring

Lisa Potts receiving the George Medal.

In the news this week there was an item on Lisa Potts (now Webb).  In case the name doesn't immediately ring a bell, she was the nursery teacher who in 1996 bent over the children she was caring for at the nursery school when a man with paranoid schizophrenia began attacking them with a machete.  She sustained some horrific injuries to her head, back and arms, one arm being almost severed.  She subsequently lived for some time with the consequences and trauma of this event.  She was only 21 years old at the time but her bravery and courage was rewarded with a medal from the Queen - the George Medal for outstanding bravery.

http://www.upworthy.com/the-popes-lunch-plans-tomorrow-
are-exactly-why-we-love-the-dude-so-much?c=ufb1

Also in the news this week has been the visit of Pope Francis to the US.  Even if you don't agree with some of the things he has to say. you can't help but like him as he keeps surprising us with some of the things he says and does.  This week as he addressed the American Congress, he did not shy away from talking about climate change and the need to abolish the death penalty, saying that all human life is sacred.  Afterwards, instead of eating with the politicians as had been planned, he went to a homeless centre and helped to serve meals to the homeless people who gathered there.  He also stopped the motorcade in order to listen to the request of a small girl.  His humility and the way he identifies with the ordinary worker is symbolically demonstrated in the motorcade of all the big flashy cars while he travels in a little Fiat along with his assistant.

This week I have also been washing out all the bird feeders and buying in the various types of bird food ready for the time of looking after and feeding our wild birds. I do enjoy watching the birds as they come and feed in our garden.  They give me a great deal of pleasure.  On Twitter and Facebook I follow Simon King.  He is probably better known as one of the presenters that used to be on Spring/Autumn Watch.  He lives in Somerset on a plot of land covering quite a few acres.  He has over the past few years converted this wild piece of land into what is known as Wild Meadows where he seeks to encourage various types of wildlife, large and small.  He's also set up cameras that you can watch the wildlife for yourself, including badgers, foxes, otters, small rodents, pheasants, kingfishers, and many other types of birds.  You can link up with his website here and here.

 Three completely different types of people but all inspiring in their own way and within their own situations and circumstances.  But inspiring people should be more than just interesting stories that catch your eye.  Learning about them should really inspire us to want to reach out and do more, to copy them in a way even if a bit more simply.  After one of the Pope's speeches someone wrote on Twitter 'Not many speeches make me want to be a better person.  Thank you Pope.'  That's inspiring.  The bravery of Lisa Potts makes us feel how important it is to care for and protect those more vulnerable.  Simon King inspires me to be aware of the environment and the natural world and do something to help, even though on a much smaller scale than him.  I don't embrace all the wildlife but I do like to feed the wild birds in the winter and plant things that help bees and butterflies in the summer.  Who inspires you?  It may not be someone famous or in the media headlines.  It might be a family member or a neighbour or someone you've been told about or seen on social media.  Let's be inspired by someone today and when thinking of them don't just say 'Ah! That's nice' but determine to reach out to make the world a little better just where we are and in so doing maybe inspire others to do the same..  

Mixed Blessings

This week has been a week of looking towards various events.  At the beginning of the week I had a couple of appointments with the surgery's nurse to check my blood pressure and also to take a blood test to check my cholesterol level, any signs of diabetes and other necessary checks.  That's one I don't particularly like because it has to be done while fasting so from about 8 pm the evening before until after the blood has been extracted, it's a case of no food and only a little water if you're thirsty.  That means no hot chocolate before bed and no putting the kettle on for coffee when I get up!  

Although it doesn't really bother me too much, I don't look forward to being jabbed in the arm with a hypodermic needle, particularly as my blood vessels never seem willing to let my blood leave my body.  The nurse was very good and managed on only the second jab.  The results came back that I am 'normal'.  (For those who question the expression they were the doctor's words, not mine.)  Later this morning I have to go back to the surgery to get my yearly flu jab - another needle. 

I also had word this week about the date for my eye operation to remove the cataract from my right eye, as that's the worst of the two.  Later I hope to get the other eye done.  Then, so they tell me, I should be able to see without my spectacles, something I haven't been able to do for about 35 years.  At least I should be able to tell which bus is coming before it actually gets up to me.  Everyone who has had this operation tells me that it's 'a doddle'; but I still feel a bit apprehensive.

Brothers Martin (right) and Diego (left) on a previous visit

On the positive side my son Martin and daughter-in-law Lisa are visiting us this weekend.  It's always good to be able to spend time all together as a family and something we have looked forward to with pleasure.  To crown it all today sees the return of Dr Who on our television screens.  Any who regularly read my blog or who know me know that in our house we are avid Dr Who fans and have been for years.  I remember seeing the very first episode in the 60s.  So this week has been a mixture of looking forward to things, some really pleasurable and others not so much but still necessary.  

Lisa and me on a previous visit.

The thing is that the check-ups and jabs and operations, although not very pleasant at the time are really for my own good and will prove beneficial to me in the long term.  In life we can't have everything we like all the time.  Some people seem to be of the opinion that if you conform to certain religious practices, then somehow you are protected from unpleasantness in your life.  I'm sorry to disappoint those people .  Life is just not like that.  We have to take the rough with the smooth.  The best way is to accept the good things and enjoy every minute, savouring the pleasure so we have good memories for the future while accepting the not so good experiences knowing that they serve to make us stronger, wiser and more capable to cope with life.  Nothing lasts for ever so it's best to accept the not so pleasant things, knowing that there will be a time when they will be over and we will feel the benefit but remember to enjoy every minute of the good times while they are here.  Mixed blessings.

  

I'm OK Right Here

Si(mon) King and Dave Myers - aka The Hairy Bikers

At the moment there is a series on television with The Hairy Bikers as they ride through northern Europe, eating the local cuisine and making dishes from local foods for other guests.  I love to watch them, partly because they are not what you expect from cooks/chefs and also of course being a Geordie myself, it is so lovely to hear Si's Geordie accent.  (He's the one on the left in the photo)  Although I have lived in many other parts of the UK and abroad and my own accent has changed somewhat over the years, I do love to hear that accent genuinely spoken.  It's somehow comforting when lovely memories of childhood days come flooding back to my mind.

Dishing up a meal to some of Muhu's inhabitants

This week the adventures of The Hairy Bikers took them through Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia.  Having visited friends in Latvia about 4 years ago, I was interested to see what they showed and cooked.  It was all very interesting but the thing that really caught my attention was when they went to Estonia (sorry Jo and Ian - my friends in Latvia)  They went to the island of Muhu off the Estonian coast and thought that one of the restaurants must have a difficult time obtaining all the ingredients that they would need to make a first class meal.  As it happened, the chef showed them how they gathered wild sea kale and other herbs and ingredients that were growing wild virtually on their doorstep.  Along with fish freshly caught by a friend from the waters surrounding the island, they served up a delicious meal using only the things that were round about them.

Wise words from Arthur Ashe

How often we spend time wishing for this or that without noticing the richness that we have on our own doorstep.  It's so true that often visitors will tell us of things they have seen that we barely notice because it is so familiar and to us seems nothing special.  On a spiritual level we so often say that if we were like so-and-so or had such-and-such a talent we could do great things for God.  I am reminded of when God called Moses and he kept making excuses for not going to Egypt.  God''s reply was simply, 'What have you got in your hand?'  With the staff in his hand, God showed Moses how powerful he is when we just give him what we have and are.  Many times Jesus told people just to go back home and tell others there what he had done.  It's not everyone whom God asks to leave everything and go to the ends of the earth (although for some he does ask this and for those they should do just that)  How often we think, when this happens or when I'm in a certain situation then I'll be able to do something for God.  Don't worry and wish your life away wishing you were something you're not.  He made you the unique person that you are and asks you to use just what you have.  Don't go looking and coveting what others have and do.  Be yourself, where you are.  The wise words of Arthur Ashe the great American tennis player come to mind - see picture on the left.

Imperfect

Every Wednesday morning I help out at the luncheon club that is held in the church hall just further along the street where I live.  We had a break for the summer during the month of August but this week we were back again.  Someone had donated a large bag full of apples they thought we might be able to make some use of.  As it happened, on the menu this week was pork and gammon so some freshly made apple sauce was just right.  There was plenty left over that was partly cooked and put in the freezer to use at some future date in some dessert.  What caught my attention was that they were all apples that you would never have been able to buy at any store.  

They weren't perfectly formed.  Some had bruises from their fall from the trees and some had a few bits that had to be cut away and discarded.  Having said all that we made good use of what we had, imperfect as they were.  It never ceases to amaze me just how much food must be discarded just because it is not perfectly formed or has some bruising or is maybe a little overripe.  What a waste!  We don't know because such merchandise never actually gets into the shops for us to buy even if we wanted to.  

It seems that nowadays everybody looks for perfection in all things.  Nobody wants to tolerate anything less than perfection, whether that be the shape of fruit or any other merchandise we may want to buy.  Anything that is even slightly damaged is discarded.  We would be in real trouble if God thought that about us though!  'If you're not perfect, you're not welcome here in heaven' is not something that God who is love would say to anyone.  We sing the song 'Just as I am' and that's how God accepts us.  

Stories from the Old Testament should really open our eyes to the overwhelming love and grace that God has for his creation.  King David who is held in such high esteem was a murderer and coveted the wife of another.  Lot got drunk and had incestuous relations with his daughters (even though it was their idea)  Samson was a womaniser.  Gideon kept asking God for proof of what God was asking him to do.  Joseph was an arrogant show-off, always taunting his older brothers.  Jacob was a cheat, finding a way to steal his brother's birthright.  Rahab was a prostitute.  And in the New Testament, Paul, who is so revered and quoted by Christians, aided and abetted in the extermination of Christians, ruthlessly hunting them down and gloating at the stoning of Stephen.  These make up many stories in our Scriptures - God's word.  The murderer David and the prostitute Rahab are mentioned in the lineage of Jesus, the perfect son of God.  

Nobody's perfect!  Yet God loves and blesses and uses us.  He does not discard us because of our imperfections.  I need to remember that whenever I see something not quite perfect or before making some judgmental remark about someone.    

Don't Hold Your Breath

The phrase 'Don't hold your breath' as we know, refers to the fact that something is very unlikely to happen.  We shouldn't expect a certain result or we will probably be disappointed.  The truth is that holding your breath can, in extreme cases, be quite dangerous.  I know someone who as a young child, used to hold his breath when he cried.  This was a cause of constant concern for his parents.
Whenever he started to cry, they had to watch him to make sure that within a few seconds at most he would start breathing again.  Otherwise they would need to take some action to make him stop holding his breath.  Holding your breath like this could cause serious physical harm.

Breathing is something we do without even thinking.  We breathe in fresh air so that oxygen can be extracted from it by the lungs and pumped around our bodies through our blood stream.  The air is made up of many things but mainly oxygen, nitrogen and carbon dioxide.  The lungs processing this air we have just breathed in, as well as extracting the oxygen that our body needs to stay alive, also expels the unwanted carbon dioxide as we breathe out.  So, no matter what we are doing, our bodies perform the act of breathing in and out, taking in what we need and expelling what our bodies reject.  It's the same with eating.  We need to feed our bodies with energy but with everything we eat there is some waste that must be expelled in order to remain healthy.


We take into our lives so much, not only in the daily, physical bodily functions that keep us alive but in the things that we acquire.  The trouble is that we humans have a habit of hoarding stuff, 'holding our breath' as it were with material things.  Those who have moved house will know just how much we accumulate without even realising it.  Some people move into a bigger house so they can have more room to stash their accumulated stuff -  and then get more.  It would probably be cheaper to 'breathe' with our material wealth and as we take in more maybe we should get rid of stuff that we no longer need or use.  Some things might have been useful at one time but are no longer necessary.  And yet we hold on to them! 

Saddest of all though is when people hold on to negative emotions or memories.  Holding onto to such feelings can really be harmful to our spirits.  If something is no longer needed, breathe it out or you run the risk of becoming hurt and damaged.  We want to be blessed by God and often experience such blessing but at the same time seem unwilling to let go and breathe out the negative resentments, attitudes, disappointments and grudges.  Holding your breath can be harmful, physically, materially, emotionally and spiritually.  Breathe in the fresh air of God but don't forget to breathe out what you no longer need or what negatively affects your spirit.  You'll feel better for it.    

Recipe for Life

Although I have my own recipes for certain dishes and my  own way of making them, occasionally I like to look online to see just how other people make them.  The other day I was looking for a recipe for pasta carbonara and another one for curry.  We are quite happy with the results of my own way of doing them but I was curious to see if other people did things in more or less the same way.  Often we follow a recipe that has been handed down from previous generations or the way we learnt it.  We like things 'like mother used to make'!  So I wanted to see what other people did.  It seems that everyone has their own particular slant on things.  Each of the different celebrity chefs came out with their version.  I got so tired of looking at the seemingly endless list of curry recipes that in the end I just switched off the computer and went back to my own tried and tested method of always.  And we enjoyed it - as always.

So many variations on a theme!  What was evident, however is that all of the recipes for a given dish had some basic ingredients that were included in every version.  But then each one had some extra something, a vegetable, some special herb or spice or added cream to make it more luxurious (and fattening)  But the basic ingredients were in all of them.  So the question some would ask is, 'Yes, but which one is the true version?  Which is the authentic recipe?'  Well I guess that depends on your particular taste buds.  In the recipe for pasta carbonara, some wouldn't dream of making it with any pasta other than spaghetti.  The bacon has to me smoked.  Well, actually, we don't like smoked bacon so I use unsmoked bacon because that's our particular taste.  So is our version not authentic?  It is for us.

It reminds me of the fact that I can get 3 different buses to go to visit my sister, each one going a different way but all ending up at the same bus stop a few yards from my sister's house.  So which one is the right one?  All of them, of course.  You hear people saying that this or that version of the gospel is the only true version.  Their particular recipe for a Christian life is the real authentic one and anything else is a deviation.  Well, I guess if that particular way is to your taste then maybe it is - for you.  The Bible says, 'Taste and see that the Lord is good'.  So if I don't feel comfortable with a particular way of expressing my faith then maybe it isn't good for me and I need to look for what corresponds to my taste.  Some people like it quiet and organised while others like it happy clappy and noisy.  Ahh! but which is the true version?  Well, as we said it depends on your taste - and often depends on what you have been taught from childhood and learned from previous generations.  Sometimes you're happier with what you;re used to and don't want a new or different version.


Having looked at a number of different faiths lately, including those of Buddhism, Sikh, Unitarian Universalism, Baha'i, Muslim, Jew, Pagan, I have discovered that there are certain basic 'ingredients' found in all of them.  They all seek to worship a Supreme Being.  Many of them accept and follow the teaching of Jesus.  They all acknowledge the need to fight injustice and help the poor and broken, seeking to make life better for humanity and caring for the planet, the world that God has given us as our home.  Most people follow the religion that they have grown up with.  We look to, admire and accept people of other faiths, often quoting their words of wisdom like Confucius, Gandhi, the Dalai Lama among others.  Their recipe for life depends much on geography and their cultural background.  Who am I to say that my recipe is the only true, authentic one?  It is for me but might not be for someone from a different background and upbringing.  There are so many different recipes, different ways to the same end goal.  I have come to accept that you have to find the one that is right for you even though it might not be right for everyone.