Little Weed

I've just been out in the garden this morning doing a bit of tidying up.  I know that God created all things so I guess the weeds and wild things growing in my garden are God's plants.  But really, does he have to contribute so much!?

It seems that the wild grass is everywhere.  It always pops up where I have dug over to put my plants.  The thing is that you can pull it up from the top thinking that you've dealt with it but it just seems to grow back the very next day.  Of course when you really dig down, you discover that the roots are quite deep and travel along underground to pop up again somewhere else.  It took me quite some time to get to the grass roots and get them out.  I guess that's life.  There are some things that you have to go quite deep in order to deal with the real problem or it just keeps emerging at a later date and we have the same problem all over again.

One little plant caught my eye though.  So I got my camera out and took a picture to share it.  It is so small I barely noticed it.  It was growing between two big stone slabs in our patio area.  It struck me that there was this little flower, all on its own, in full bloom doing what it was created to do - blossom even against the odds.  It wasn't in some carefully maintained soil, fed and watered by the gardener.  It just found a small space and did it's thing, in all its glory.  Even if no-one had noticed it, it would still have blossomed and do what it was created to do.

Ah!  How often we do things well so that we are liked or appreciated.  If no-one is looking then maybe we think, 'what's the point?'.  That was one little weed that I didn't pull up and discard into the bin of garden waste.  I left it to remind me that I should do what I'm here to do, regardless of whether I'm noticed or appreciated.  As the sports logo says, 'Just do it!'.  It's what we used to call Integrity.  

Take Your Time

Walking into town this morning, I passed a young woman with a small child.  The woman was holding an empty pushchair, looking behind where the child was.  The small toddler was walking very slowly.  I smiled to myself thinking 'you can't be in a hurry when a small child wants to walk.'  The mother knows where she's going and just wants to get there but for the child, it's a whole new adventure.  She wants to look closely at everything and just take time to enjoy the freedom of walking and taking it all in.  No doubt some things were new to her and so had to be investigated.

Those of us who are parents or grandparents remember well the times when our children discovered things for the first time.  Oh the excitement; the look on their faces; sheer wonder at discovering something new.

It does seem a shame that much of that wonder of seeing life goes as we grow older.  We can so easily get to the point of 'we've seen it all before' and dismiss the awesomeness of small things happening all around us.  We are so often in a hurry just to get from A to B as quickly as possible.  Busy, busy, busy; deadlines to meet; so much to pack into our 24 hours.  And before we know it, the months and years have flown by.  

I must say that as a retired person, I do have the privilege of not having deadlines to meet or places I must be.  Still, it is a good reminder to occasionally just stop and notice the small details of everyday life.  Take time, take a deep breath and enjoy just being alive.  Don't let life slip by without taking time to enjoy it.   

Checking the Time

Earlier this week we had a visit from our water supplier.  They are going around all the homes to do checks and make sure that all our facilities are up-to-date and see if they can save us any money.  Well, I'm all for saving money where I can so I agreed to their visit.  I was told it would take about 45 minutes.  The representative came and began checking all the taps, cisterns, pipework and machines that use water, making sure that we use them in such a way that we aren't wasting water unnecessarily.  

The timer that stuck half way

After only 15 minutes, he said that he couldn't find anything that we could or should change and that the water system in our house has passed with flying colours and he was giving us a 'clean bill of health' so to speak.  Before going on to the next house, he left us with a small timer.  He said that it should only take us 4 minutes to have a shower and that this timer would help us to see if we were complying with this suggestion.  It should take four minutes for the contents to go from the top to the bottom of the timer.  He jokingly said that we could also use it to time how long it takes to boil an egg.

The next morning, while using the shower, I thought I would try the timer just out of curiosity, although I didn't think I ever stayed in the shower for too long anyway.  Well I had my shower and checked the timer.  The contents were only half way through which puzzled me a bit so I thought I would check it again.  So I turned the timer to begin the count again.  Sure enough, the same thing happened.  Half way through, the contents stuck and the whole process came to a halt.  I left it for a while but it didn't move any further.  Just as well I didn't use it as an egg timer, I thought!

It reminded me of the advert for paint that says - 'It does what it says on the tin' meaning that you can trust it to do what it's supposed to, except this was just the opposite.  When we tell people that God is love and that we follow the teachings of Jesus and then they look at our lives, I wonder it they think we are acting and saying things that really show what God is like or are we a bit of a disappointment.  Does my life do 'what it says on the tin' or are my words empty, a bit of a pointless gesture that doesn't really mean anything? It's not so much what we say but how we actually live and put our words into practice in the ordinary, daily walk of life that counts. As another saying goes, 'actions speak louder than words.'

Variety and Nonconformity

Hello, everyone, as you can see I'm back after quite a long break.  I won't be posting regularly every week as before but will do so occasionally.

In the news lately, we have been advised that taking a brisk walk every day even for only 10 minutes, will keep us healthy.  So this morning I decided to go for a short walk around the estate where I live.  I don't know how often I'll do this, but at least it will be a start!  After I'd finished doing some chores in the house and had put a load of washing in the washer, I went on my way.

I passed a garden with beautiful flowers, all colours, shapes and sizes making a wonderful display.  Further along a passed a hedge trimmed very neatly and next to it a neighbouring hedge that was obviously well tended but one twig stuck out.  It made me smile.  Nonconformist!  In just two gardens it seemed that I was being reminded of some great truths.  The beautiful display was a combination of many different plants, different formations of flowers, different sizes and colours but together making the garden a very pleasant place.  The hedge reminded me that even in creation, there are those things that don't always conform to what the majority are doing and that's ok.  Variety is accepted and tolerated.



It reminded me of the time I with my two sons were visiting family in Argentina (in 1999) and we went to visit one niece/cousin who met us at the airport with her husband and two daughters (the third daughter was born a few years later).  We went to a small cafe for something to eat and the youngest daughter Cata (Catalina) just couldn't sit still.  Her father kept saying, 'Cata, sit down.', 'Cata, don't do that.'  Eventually he asked, 'Cata, what do you want?'  Immediately, without even thinking about it, she replied in her childhood innocence, 'I want to misbehave.' Well, we didn't know whether to laugh or look away and ignore the comment.  Her father then explained that she couldn't misbehave here as other people wouldn't like it.  Of course, I'm not advocating we misbehave but how often children in all innocence question why they must conform to what other people expect of them.  She is now a lovely young lady who probably doesn't even remember that occasion.

Thank God, that He doesn't create clones!  Creation shows us that variety and difference go to make life beautiful and that we are all individuals who contribute to the success of the whole.  Even those who don't conform to what the majority want have a place and make life interesting, often bringing a different approach and way of seeing things.   All parents will vouch for the fact that all their children are different, each special in their own way.  It's when others don't always do things the way we like or insist on being just that bit different that we find it hard to accept.  Patience!  I'm working on it. 

   

Taking a Break

I have been blogging now every week (and sometimes more than once a week) for over 5 years. I've come to the point when I feel it's time for me to take a break for a while.  I just feel that now is the time to fill my mind with other things. I don't want to be always thinking of something meaningful to write about so I miss life that is happening all around me. Will I blog again in the future? Maybe, probably, don't really know. I'll still be around on social media so no doubt will write and share some of my thoughts there.  But for now it's au revoir to my blog and thank you to all who have taken an interest in what I have shared here. 

Not Just A Drop

A thought that I have been coming back to all this week is about a drop in the ocean.  You can't begin to compare the difference in size between a vast expanse of ocean and just a small drop.  And yet the ocean is found within each tiny drop.  The drop doesn't depend on size in order to qualify as water, the same water that makes up the whole ocean.  So although the ocean is not a drop of water, in essence each drop is ocean.  

At this time of year many gardeners and those who grow crops are planning the layout of their land and beginning to sort out and acquire the seeds they need for this year's produce.  Within each tiny seed is the dna to grow and produce great crops that we in turn enjoy and devour, giving us energy and life.  Who would think that such a tiny thing had such great prospects all wrapped up within it's tiny package.  It reminds us of when Jesus referred to the mustard seed and how such a tiny thing can grow into a plant the size of a tree where birds can nest.  Although the seed is so small in comparison, it still has within it the essence of the plant it will become.

How often do we seek out the large, showy experiences in life. We make celebrities out of preachers, speakers and worship leaders.  We go to certain places in order to 'catch some of the spirit' manifest there.  No doubt there are occasions when large gatherings are a means of great blessing and situations where God pours out his spirit on many people.  But let's not forget that God is everywhere and therefore the same spirit and love of God that is manifest in large gatherings and special occasions is also in the small, insignificant moments, maybe when we're alone or carrying out some tedious, daily task.  God is there also in all his glory.  

Just as the entire ocean is in essence in each tiny drop and the large tree is in essence in the seed, so God is in all things whether large or small.  He is in all of his creation, seen or unseen, spectacular or ordinary.  For God there is no sacred and secular.  That is a distinction that humans have created.  His presence and love are everywhere and so for God all things are sacred.  You can touch the divine in all things, whether you are involved in a large revival meeting or sharing a coffee with a friend; whether you are enjoying the beauty of a great view of creation or tending a small house plant; whether you are amazed at the variety of species in the animal kingdom like some David Attenborough programme or feeling the touch of your pet as you sit and watch the television.  God has a wonderful way of making the ordinary extraordinary; the everyday spectacular; the insignificant meaningful.  May we learn to experience each ordinary moment as a drop full of divine presence.

Change of Perspective

This week I had to smile at a video I saw and shared on social media.  It was about a very small child holding a mobile phone.  I am guessing that the child is only about 12-18 months old as she is not able to pronounce proper words and talks throughout the video in gobbledigook. It is very humorous to watch how the small child carries out her 'conversation' using gestures that no doubt she copied from the adults in her life whom she had seen doing the same thing.  No doubt the toddler is very serious in what she is doing while others who are older find her actions quite funny and worth filming and sharing.  The video lasts just over a minute long and is worth seeing if you haven't already done so,.  Just click on the picture.

Often our age has a lot to do with how we view things.  Our perspective changes as we grow older.  As small children, we think our parents know everything about everything and tend to believe anything we are told.  As we grow into our teens, they obviously know nothing at all but when we ourselves become parents, we realise that they were right all along.  And so it is with many things in life.  How our concepts change depending on our age!

I had a stark reminder of this this week as yesterday I reached a milestone in my life when I celebrated the fact that I arrived on this planet 75 years ago.  I remember as a child thinking that people in their teens were quite grown up.  When I became a teenager, I looked with awe at those in their 20s while people in their 30s were getting on a bit.  There is a tendency to look upon someone of an older generation as really old until we actually reach that age.  I always felt that those in their 60s and 70s were really ancient but now that i'm 75, well it's not that old.  I mean people often live until they're well into their 90s and beyond.  (Forget the Bible verse that tells us that a person's life is three score years and ten!)  In my mind, I'm still young and active.  I just wish sometimes that my body would adopt the same perspective.

This has all been a bit tongue in cheek but on one last serious note, it is important to accept that someone can change their opinions about things without actually being a sort of traitor to their prior beliefs and thoughts.  It's just that as nature evolves with the seasons and the life flourishes and becomes something quite different from the early stages of existence, so we humans change our perspective on things as we live and learn.  It is the nature of things to evolve and we as part of creation continue evolving as we grow, learn and become aware of things in life.  As we journey, our view points vary.  We begin to see things we couldn't before.  And I'm still evolving and learning.  Well, we're never too old to live and learn. 

  

All Things New

Well. here we are in a new year.No doubt some have made resolutions that possibly will be broken within the first 2 weeks or so of January while others will be hoping for a better year than the last one. Whether you are in either of these groups or neither, the thing about the new year is that it is new.  It's not just reliving the past year a bit differently. It's time that we haven't yet lived.  It's new, untouched, fresh.

I do smile when looking round the shops and seeing adverts about certain products that they are 'new and improved'.  We do tend to think of something that has been made better as something new, it's not like the old version.  

Actually it's either new or improved.  If it's improved then it really is the old with some slight difference in content or the way it's been put together.  Something new is something that hasn't existed before.  So this new year is new, having not been lived before, new opportunities, new adventures, new encounters.


With this in mind, I've been pondering about Jesus' words when he said 'A new commandment I give unto you'.  Many times he referred to Old Testament laws and commandments and then said 'but I say unto you ...'  His way wasn't just to be an improvement on the old, something rehashed, a sort of reinvention of the wheel so to speak.  It was to be something different, something that hadn't been considered before.  It was a new way of thinking, different attitudes and reactions, a different way of living.  


We are told that in Christ we are a new creation - not just the old but a bit more tolerant and maybe a bit more smiley than before, not so quick to react.  God is not just patching us up and repairing us, mending the bits that are broken.  He re-creates us.  Many people have the thinking that we gradually work our way up the spiritual ladder, improving as we go,  It's as though somehow we earn our entry into heaven by being more and more active within our local church community.  It's a bit like a scout or guide working to earn their badges of merit.  We don't seem to understand Jesus' teaching that God loves us, full stop.  We can't earn his love.  He is love.  Actually what Jesus said was not that we should be an improvement of our old self but a new creation and have different ways of doing things.  As he said to Nicodemus, we must be 'born again', become a new and different person   We have made following him a religion centred around the person of Jesus, while he was telling us to follow his teachings.  When after feeding the 5000 and the people wanted to make him their king, he rejected the idea.  Again when there were those who said that he was 'good', his reply was. 'Why do you call me good?  There is none good but one and that is God.'  He was always pointing us to God and showing us how to live the way God intended, showing his unfailing love to all and at all times by the way we live.  We are to be people of 'the way' of Jesus. 

I am just musing and wondering how will 2016 be a new year?  How am I a new person in him?  What does that look like?  I don't have all the answers and not everyone may agree with my rambling thoughts but I can't help wondering if we as his Church have not just re-formed and improved the Old Testament ways instead of doing a 'new thing'.  How much of Jesus' teaching do I actually live day by day?  How much do I really follow him and show God's all-embracing and ever present love through my daily living?  I pray that in this new year, God will guide me along new paths and reveal himself to me in new ways.   Happy New Year to you all.

Expectations

I wonder how many children yesterday received gifts that were on their wish list to Santa.  I suspect that most of them did.  I can imagine the excitement when opening their presents to see which items on their lists had become reality.  And I think that maybe somewhere there may be one or two who are a little disappointed when they discover that not all on their endless list has been granted.  After all there is a limit to how much parents can spend.  But it does mostly seem to be the case that what is asked for is received, with great anticipation, excitement and joy.  I'm sure we can all remember how difficult it was to go to sleep on Christmas Eve.  We just wanted the morning to be here so we could open our gifts and see if our hopes had been realised.

Of course as we get older, we (well most of us!) don't get quite so excited and are not quite as demanding in what we want to receive.  I'm happy to say that I didn't get anything that was not according to my taste or that I would find useful in some way.  They were all things that I had hoped for so I am one very happy lady today.


In ancient times, the Jewish nation had been promised a Saviour, a Messiah.  They hoped that a great leader would come and free them from the cruel rule of the occupying forces of the Roman empire.  A number of zealots had arisen, and fallen, in the past but they were still a nation that lived under oppression.  The might of Rome was too great for them to overcome.  A Deliverer had been promised and the people waited for many, many years.  

Not quite the mighty warrior the nation had hoped for.

When God did send a Deliverer, the Saviour, it wasn't in the form of a militant person, a sword brandishing warrior who would bring about an uprising against the Romans.  It was the opposite - a baby.  God certainly works in mysterious ways.  When Jesus claimed to have been sent by God and said that God was his Father, he was shunned by many.  How could this be the promised Messiah?  That wasn't what they had hoped for at all.  All that waiting, and for what?  Most Jews were indeed disappointed at the gift that God had given them and couldn't accept Jesus as the fulfilment of God's promise of a Deliverer..

We often have a wish list for God.  Sometimes when we pray it's almost as though we have a 'shopping list' that we reel off to him and expect him to answer our requests in the way that we want.  But God being God often does something quite different.  

Lord help me to see what it is that you want to give me.  Help me not to get disappointed when things don't happen in the way that I want but help me to see that through it all you want to show me your will and purpose for my life.  Thank you for the way that you have guided me and the things that you have shown me and taught me.  Help me never to underestimate that what I don't understand just might be exactly what I need.  Grant me wisdom and eyes to see your gifts for me.  So be it.

Advent - Love and Joy

The third and fourth advent candles stand for love and joy.  John, in the first words of his gospel, tells us that the Word that was at the beginning of creation, became flesh and blood at the birth of Jesus.  He was God in human form and the way he lived and the things he taught were to show us the Father.  Look to Jesus and we see God.  His love is unconditional.  Until that point in time the Jewish nation had laws that they had to obey in order to 'please God' but Jesus shows us that God is love and he loves his creation no matter what.  He doesn't put conditions on us.  He just asks us to accept him, as we are.  We could never earn his love, although some seem to try and feel that if they comply with certain rules then they are more pleasing to God.  

Jesus came to show us that the special relationship that had hitherto been between God and the 'chosen' race of Israel, was now for all.  Again as the well known verse in John's gospel says, 'God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son so that whoever believes in him might be saved'.  It is for everyone, without exception, without condition.  That is perfect love.  Love came down at Christmas!


A very popular song that we sing at Christmas is Joy to the World.  I think that the greatest joy at Christmas is not about the gifts received or given but when families can meet together and enjoy each other's company.  Of course I am well aware that not everyone is so blessed.  Some live alone and have no-one to share with, others live a long way away and are unable to meet up.  But when families can, it is indeed a great joy.  God's family is more than those who belong to a particular religion who might feel that they have the truth and are the sons of the Almighty.  Humanity is his creation.  We are all his children in the sense that he made us all.  Jesus came for all the world.  

God is love and it gives him great joy to share his love with his creation.  He shares his love with us in a special way through the birth of Jesus at this time of year and he also wants to share his joy with us, as we experience joy by sharing with others.  There will indeed be joy in heaven when this earthly family of humanity can live together and enjoy celebrating his love in whatever way they choose and are accepted in so doing.  God did not intend that his human creation should be a dysfunctional family, always arguing and fighting with each other.  His will is that all humanity can share together and enjoy what he has created on this planet, our home in the universe.  He wants us to live as one and reflect his unconditional love to each other.  May you know his love this Christmas and experience the joy of sharing and being together with others as God's big human family.

Advent - Peace

When we think of the word 'peace' we generally think of the absence of war.  When world leaders hold peace talks, it is to try and solve the problems that are behind a particular situation where opposing sides are fighting, usually with deadly weapons.  It seems that there is always a war situation somewhere in the world at any given moment in time; the world is constantly having to tolerate the devastation and knock-on effects caused by conflict.  Can we hope amid all the killings that occur daily, that at this Christmas time there can indeed be peace on earth? 

Of course peace is not only the absence of war and conflict.  I guess most young parents with small children who are healthy, active and boisterous look at their offspring lovingly but sigh 'Oh for some peace and quiet.'  Peace for them is not the cessation of hostilities but a few moments of silence and tranquility, usually when the children have gone to bed exhausted after all their activity during the day.  Or who looks at the sunrise or sunset over still water or a country scene and doesn't get a sense of peace and tranquility?

Above our front door at our home we have the word 'Shalom', which is a Hebrew word meaning 'Peace'.  In Hebrew, however, it has a much wider and deeper meaning than just what we understand as peace.  It is a form of greeting, either of welcome or of farewell but means much more than peace, hello or goodbye.  It has a sense of wholeness, completeness, contentedness, well-being and harmony.  So the greeting the angels gave was more than peace.  They said, 'Peace and goodwill to all men'.  That includes completeness, health, safety, fulness, rest, absence of discord.  

Jesus came as God's answer to a troubled world that had lost its way.  He came as a baby who with his parents had to flee as refugees to Egypt from the fear of death at the hands of a despotic ruler.  After returning to Nazareth as a young child, he lived all his life in a country that was invaded and controlled by the mighty, imperialistic force of Rome. It seems that in 2000 years not a lot has changed in the way that humans treat each other.  Yet Jesus says that he leaves us his sort of peace, not as the world gives but a different kind of peace, a deeper, fuller, complete peace.  It might seem very difficult, if not impossible to imagine peace in the world today but maybe if I follow his teachings, then maybe I can bring peace and harmony in the spheres in which I live and move.  Shalom is more about connectedness, completion and harmony, where everything fits right together.  All creation is connected to each other and to God.  We all have his DNA in our being.  He breathed his life into all of creation.  It is his will that we should all be one in him, living and sharing together, making the world whole.  Jesus came as God's answer to the problems of the world.  His ways are still God's answer.  Peace and goodwill to all this Christmas and always.  Shalom.

Advent - Hope

Last Sunday was the first Sunday in advent when the first candle of the advent wreath was lit.  The light of this first candle represents hope in the darkness.  When everything around is dark, the light of one, even small light changes everything.


I was brought up in a fishing town in the north east of England.  Along the coastline there were a number of lighthouses because of the number of fishing boats that travelled along that part of the North Sea.  I remember as a child, seeing wrecks of large boats that had been destroyed when they hit rocks that they had not seen.  The lighthouse plays such an important role in the safety of those aboard shipping vessels, both large and small.  At the coast where I lived there were two lighthouses, one on each side of the mouth of the river Tyne.  Even in the darkness, the crew of any boat searching for safe harbour knows that if they steer between the two lighthouses, they will arrive at the harbour.  

Once past the lighthouses, they can then see a number of small lights along the banks of the river.  These are known as the lower lights and guide the boat into the harbour in safety.  Out at sea, everything is dark, often only the light of the moon and the position of the stars act as guidance .  So the lights of the lighthouses are crucial in giving hope for a safe arrival in the port.

As we think of this first week of advent and the hope that the light brings, I remember the song we sing:

A light came out of darkness; no light, no hope had we,

Till Jesus came from heaven our light and hope to be.

We are also meant to be light in the darkness of this world, just like the lower lights.  The first verse and chorus of another old song reminds us:

Brightly beams our Father's mercy from his lighthouse evermore;

But to us he gives the keeping of the lights along the shore.

Let the lower lights be burning, send a gleam across the waves;

Some poor fainting, struggling seaman you may rescue, you may save.

We look at the world today and sometimes feel there seems little hope with so many problems.  We are reminded that Jesus, the light of the world came to a nation that was occupied by the Roman forces and was forced to flee as a baby with his earthly parents to Egypt as refugees.  Yet God was working in the darkness.  His answer is to bring hope to a dark world.  As we light our candles and our trees and put up our light decorations, let's remember that they are not just nice to look at as they twinkle in our homes but they represent hope for a world that seems lost and can't see the way out of the darkness.  Even a small light gives hope.  

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.