Nontando and the Merit Shop

The first time Miss Turner noticed her, she stood quietly at the back of a group of girls. She and her brother were fairly new arrivals at Bulembu, their parents having died of AIDS. Nontando was a shy girl, Miss Turner thought.

The girls were there to spend their merits. All the 400 rescued children were in school in Bulembu and merits were given for good work and good behaviour; rewards to spend. Miss Turner was particularly pleased to land the job of running the merit shop. She saw many of the children she cared for in the trauma unit- those that had been most deeply affected by their loss.

And she saw Nontando.

Each term, when the shop opened, Nontando came. And each term she stood with her friends, looking on as they spent their merits on sweets, books, toys and comics. But not Nontando. She just stood, quietly watching.

‘Hi Nontando, don’t you have any merits to spend?’

‘Yes Miss.’

‘So where are they? Where are your merits? What would you like? Sweets? A book maybe?’

‘No Miss. I don’t want anything today.’

Miss Turner was intrigued. Every time the shop opened, Nontando would be there. Every time, she stood and watched as her friends spent their merits. Miss Turner figured she was saving for something expensive. Maybe the beautiful coat that had been sent in recently?

Each time the shop opened, she asked the question. Each time, the same answer.

‘No Miss. I don’t want anything today.’

It was near the end of term when Miss Turner next saw Nontando. With a big smile on her face, she approached Miss Turner with a handful of ‘merits’.

Miss Turner smiled.

‘Nontando, you’re going to spend your merits. How wonderful! You have a lot there- you can get something really special! Are you after that lovely coat?’

‘No Miss.’

Slowly Nontando walked to the back of the merit shop and picked up a beautiful pair of black leather shoes.

‘Oh Nontando, I’m so sorry- those shoes would never fit you I’m afraid. They are far too small.’

‘No Miss. They are not for me. They’re for my little brother, Ciswe. You see, he’s not got any shoes. This is my present for him.’

There were tears in her eyes as Miss Turner closed the shop that day.

This is based on a true story although the children’s names have been changed. ‘Miss Turner’ is our daughter Lois who works in Bulembu. You can find more about the rescued children here: http://bulembu.org/

REPOST: Restore a Town, Transform a Nation

ON THE DAY WE TRAVEL TO BULEMBU, HERE'S A RE-POST FROM JULY 2011  TO TELL YOU WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT AND WHY IT'S WORTH IT.....

You drive for 5 hours from Johannesburg, through the mountains and over the Swaziland border. What greets you is quite breathtaking. Bulembu is an old mining town. When the mines closed nearly ten years ago, the 10,000 population moved out. Bulembu became a ghost town. Until someone had a vision of what could be.

Today a Christian trust owns the whole town. All 4,000 acres. The population is back to 2,000. There are successful industries in wood production, water bottling, honey production, a bakery, a dairy, successful tourism. All from nothing.

Most of all, there are 200 orphans saved. Bulembu has become a centre for rescued children. With the worst HIV rate in the world at around 40%, and an average age expectancy of just over 30, Swaziland is slowly dying. Children die daily. Bulembu is changing the statistics.

Their aim is to be a sustainable community for 2000 children by 2020. Their shirts carry the slogan ‘experience transformation’. And they are. In restoring a town, they are transforming a nation.

What's it all about?

What's it all about?

Christ - his incarnation, life, teaching, mission, death, resurrection, ASCENSION, present rule and future return.

That's what it's about.

(With thanks to Trevor Lloyd and his Different Kingdom blog for such a great and succinct definition.)

And So It Came To Pass.....

That my latest book is fully launched.

Now on Amazon, the book is out there.

It is the heart-rending story of Linda and her journey through abuse, drink, drugs, drug trafficking, prostitution, prison…. and into a new life, a hope and a future.

It is the story of life overcoming death, prayer overcoming cancer, love overcoming abuse.

Written in the style if a thriller, it is a roller-coaster emotional ride, a story of a present day miracle-finder, a story of the power of transformation.

Here are a few of the comments from readers:

‘This really is an amazing book. You will probably read it in about 2 or 3 sittings and your heart will descend into the depths and feel some of the pain - only then for it to soar as you read of this real life tragedy come miracle.’
From an Amazon review.

‘This is a real story, not a work of fiction, but it is as every bit as gripping as a thriller.’
From an Amazon review.

‘The story draws you in and I found myself still reading at 4am...the only reason I stopped reading was my eyes decided they just had to close.’
From an Amazon review.

‘This story grips the reader from beginning to end. You just have to keep reading to find out what happens next. A roller coaster of a life from pillar to post... until it finally comes to land and the reader can breathe out at last. How can God persist with such a person? - A woman who is controlled by men, drugs and a lifestyle she’d never have chosen; she ended up with a storm whichever way she turned until God’s people met her, persisted in their contact with her and well…. readers will have to read it themselves and find the God who transforms lives! A “Nicky Cruz” style story but British and more recent!’
From Dr Anne E. Dyer,  Lecturer,  Mattersey College

Two Giant Steps

Most of our journey through life is made in small steps. What the writer Eugene Peterson calls ‘A Long Obedience in the Same Direction.’ A coffee here, a meal there. A conversation one day, a car journey the next. Small integral parts of life’s direction.

Occasionally, a giant step comes along. For us two have come at once.

The first is the start of KingsGate Community Church Leicester. Our first (amazing!) meeting was last night. As someone who had spoken often of the possibility of KingsGate planting a new church into Leicester, it is the realisation of a dream. And a giant step.

The other giant step comes as we drop our youngest child, Lois, off at Heathrow later today, as she starts her long obedience in the same direction. She is travelling out to Bulembu in Swaziland to serve as a long term missionary. For us, it means an empty house for the first time, with the other three children having already moved away.

Two giant steps. Two key moments in our lives. And fuel for the journey as we continue our own long obedience.

Life Is Short

Life is short. Live it to the full.

Here's a small reminder of how quickly the years go by.....

Daniellehttp://vimeo.com/74033442">Danielle
> from Anthony">http://vimeo.com/anthonycerniello">Anthony Cerniello on Vimeo.https://vimeo.com">Vimeo.>


For everything there is a season, and la time for every matter under heaven:

2 a time to be born, and a time to mdie;

a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;

3 a time to kill, and a time to heal;

a time to break down, and a time to build up;

4 a time to nweep, and a time to laugh;

a time to mourn, and a time to odance;

5 a time to pcast away stones, and a time to qgather stones together;

a time to embrace, and a time to rrefrain from embracing;

6 a time to seek, and a time to slose;

a time to keep, and a time to tcast away;

7 a time to utear, and a time to sew;

a time to vkeep silence, and a time to speak;

8 a time to love, and a time to whate;

a time for war, and a time for peace.
Ecclesiastes 3: 1-8

When God Says 'Hello'

Just back from my monthly Businessman’s Life Group and I was really struck by a small phrase my friend Jarek used. He talked about the times when God says ‘hello’.

In fact if you think about it, those times are frequent. He is a God who loves us and wants to say ‘hello’, even if we choose to say ‘goodbye’.

He says ‘hello’ every time the sun rises. Every time you smell the fragrance of a rose. Each time your children or grandchildren give you a hug.

He says ‘hello’ through a friend’s prayer when you are struggling to stay sane. Through the gift at the door when there is nothing left in the kitchen. Through the unexpected addition to the bank balance, the bonus and the promotion.

He says ‘hello’ through an act of kindness, the squeeze of a friends hand, the arm around the shoulder.

And he says ‘hello’ through you. Every time you reach out, pray out, show you care, send a card or give a gift.

We have a God who loves to say hello. From the beauty of the sunrise to the grandeur of its setting, He is opening up a conversation. And He loves it when we reply.

Changing Expectations: Welcome to Holland

Sometimes things don't go as we expect. But it's how we deal with those moments that make us or break us. We can choose to complain forevermore about what 'should' have happened. Or we can embrace the change.

This is a short piece of prose from Emily Kingsley, a writer who's expectations changed one day. I'll let her tell you in her own words.....

WELCOME TO HOLLAND

by
Emily Perl Kingsley.

c1987 by Emily Perl Kingsley.
 I am often asked to describe the experience of raising a child with a disability - to try to help people who have not shared that unique experience to understand it, to imagine how it would feel. It's like this......

When you're going to have a baby, it's like planning a fabulous vacation trip - to Italy. You buy a bunch of guide books and make your wonderful plans. The Coliseum. The Michelangelo David. The gondolas in Venice. You may learn some handy phrases in Italian. It's all very exciting.

After months of eager anticipation, the day finally arrives. You pack your bags and off you go. Several hours later, the plane lands. The stewardess comes in and says, "Welcome to Holland."

"Holland?!?" you say. "What do you mean Holland?? I signed up for Italy! I'm supposed to be in Italy. All my life I've dreamed of going to Italy."

But there's been a change in the flight plan. They've landed in Holland and there you must stay. The important thing is that they haven't taken you to a horrible, disgusting, filthy place, full of pestilence, famine and disease. It's just a different place.

So you must go out and buy new guide books. And you must learn a whole new language. And you will meet a whole new group of people you would never have met.

It's just a different place. It's slower-paced than Italy, less flashy than Italy. But after you've been there for a while and you catch your breath, you look around.... and you begin to notice that Holland has windmills....and Holland has tulips. Holland even has Rembrandts.

But everyone you know is busy coming and going from Italy... and they're all bragging about what a wonderful time they had there. And for the rest of your life, you will say "Yes, that's where I was supposed to go. That's what I had planned."

And the pain of that will never, ever, ever, ever go away... because the loss of that dream is a very very significant loss.

But... if you spend your life mourning the fact that you didn't get to Italy, you may never be free to enjoy the very special, the very lovely things ... about Holland.
 

The Power of Forgiveness

Maureen Greaves talks of forgiveness in this amazing radio interview:

On Christmas Eve, her husband Alan was murdered by two young men. Here she tells of her forgiveness towards them:

“I see them as two people who have done a terrible evil….. but they are made in God’s image and were living a life they were never meant to live.”

“I place them into God’s hands….. forgiveness is a strong commandment.”

“It was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done…. To place them into God’s hands, so I don’t have to hate them or have any unforgiveness of them.”

“If Alan could have spoken to me for the last time, he would have said ‘forgive them…. Don’t give yourself permission to act like that [unforgiving]’”

“Every time I go past the spot of the murder, I pray for someone. And on Christmas Eve I will mourn Alan and pray for his attackers.”

“We [the family] don’t want to live in a grief that traps us…. I will live.”

Shout it out!

There are times as a church when it’s best to be quiet. But there are other times when we need to shout out loud!

Well done to the Archbishop of Canterbury for shouting!

An average bank loan is around 15%APR. The rate from Wonga? 4,214%. That’s not just profitable. That’s criminal.

If the church can help by expanding Credit Unions and promoting them as a safer alternative, we should do it. Not to would be criminal.

Twenty Albums Everyone Should Own (Part 2)

A reminder -  it’s a personal selection. Of course it is. And it reflects a certain time period as well. But you wouldn’t go far wrong in seeking out these albums/downloads and adding them to your collection…..

I’ve excluded compilations and they are kind of in an order, but can pretty much change at will, depending upon the mood you’re in. Here are the next ten; there could have been so many more! Let me know what you think!

1.       PINK FLOYD – THE DARK SIDE OF THE MOON

Floyd at their best. ‘Time’, ‘Money’, The Great Gig’…. If you’ve not heard them, you’re missing one amazing album.

2.       ADELE – 21

A new and prodigious talent. A mix of folk and soul with most of the tracks written by Adele, who was only 21 when writing! ‘Rolling in the Deep, ‘Rumour Has It’ and ‘Set Fire to the Rain’ are just three of the brilliant tracks, with no weak ones in sight. Now famous the world over - with reason.

3.       HARRY NILSSON – NILSSON SCHMILSSON

The Beatles declared Nilsson as their favourite artist and this, the strongest of his albums, is why. ‘Gotta Get up’, ‘Coconut’ and ‘Without You’ are the best of a strong set of tracks. And Nilsson’s version of ‘Without You’ went on to be a worldwide hit.

4.       DEREK AND THE DOMINOES – LAYLA AND OTHER ASSORTED LOVE SONGS

Trying to tie Eric Clapton down to a ‘best album’ is next to impossible. He has continued to produce top quality albums to this day. But if I had to pick, I’d go back in time to this one. It has the best guitar lick of all time in ‘Layla’ and strong tracks all the way, partly due to the able assistance of a strong band including Duane Allman.

5.       JONATHAN KELLY – TWICE AROUND THE HOUSES

I can pretty much guarantee you won’t have heard of this guy. His album is haunting, emotional folk-rock. Great lyrics, especially on ‘Ballad of Cursed Anna’ and the political ‘We Are The People’. And for every up tempo song, there is a lilting ballad such as ‘Madelaine’ and ‘Rock You To Sleep’ (which I used to sing to my children when they were growing up!)

6.       SANTANA – ABRAXAS

How can one album pack so many classic Santana hits? It does! ‘Black Magic Woman’, ‘Samba Pa Ti’ and ‘Oye Como Va’. Incredible guitar playing. So different to most guitarists, you can tell it’s Santana within a few seconds as the Latin-Rock style begins.

7.       PAUL MCCARTNEY AND WINGS – BAND ON THE RUN

Slightly controversial choice in that I put this ahead of all the Beatles albums! Pop at its slickest, McCartney at his best.

8.       SIGUR ROS – TAKK

The Icelandic band with a made up language and grandstanding melodic symphonies. ‘Takk’ gets the nod ahead of other albums mainly because of  'Hoppipolla', a beautiful melody. You will have heard it; believe me, you will have heard it!

9.       BOB DYLAN – SLOW TRAIN COMING

This is from Dylan’s ‘God’ era and is all the more wonderful for it, with fabulous lyrics alongside the best of melodies. ‘When He Returns’, the title track, and the fun (for Dylan) ‘Man Gave Names to All the Animals’ are the best of a strong bunch.

10.   MOUNTAIN – NANTUCKET SLEIGHRIDE

A close run final slot with Mountain just seeing off Stray and ‘Saturday Morning Pictures’. Leslie West’s guitar and vocals is what gives it the edge. Strong, powerful rock. Wish I’d made it to one of their concerts!

Twenty Albums Everyone Should Own (Part 1)

OK, it’s a personal selection. Of course it is. And it reflects a certain time period as well. But you wouldn’t go far wrong in seeking out these albums/downloads and adding them to your collection…..

I’ve excluded compilations and they are kind of in an order, but can pretty much change at will, depending upon the mood you’re in. Here are the first ten; the others will follow. Let me know what you think!

1.       EVA CASSIDY – SONGBIRD

The artist never knew fame in her lifetime. Her version of ‘Somewhere Over the Rainbow’ was picked up by Radio 2, and this, the best of her albums, sold millions. A clear as crystal voice makes for moving listening.

2.       MIKE OLDFIELD – TUBULAR BELLS

It was so different when it came out in the early seventies. Aside from earning a fortune for Richard Branson and his new record label, it’s a great fusion of classical meets pop.

3.       FLEETWOOD MAC – RUMOURS

Beautifully crafted pop music with the amazing voice of Stevie Nicks and fabulous harmonies. This is their best studio album, in my view, recorded as they reappeared on the pop scene. Includes the classic tracks ‘Don’t Stop’, ‘Dreams’ and ‘Go Your Own Way’.

4.       ARGENT – IN DEEP

If only Rod Argent and Russ Ballard had stayed together, Argent could have been as famous as Deep Purple or Led Zeppelin. Brilliant keyboard and guitar mixes and the classic often copied song ‘God Gave Rock and Roll to You’.

5.       DON MCLEAN – AMERICAN PIE

In his later years, he appears to have become disillusioned with fame, and the quality of his songs reflect it. This is a young Don Mclean at his best, with the title track and ‘Vincent’ as stand out tracks. Not a weak track on the album.

6.       CAROL KING – TAPESTRY

The whole album is a work of art. The tracks flow together, bringing a great listening experience. Includes classic tracks like ‘Natural Woman’, ‘You’ve Got A Friend’ and ‘Will You Love Me Tomorrow’.

7.       LARRY NORMAN – ONLY VISITING THIS PLANET

Something of a Christian/Mainstream crossover, this is the prolific troubadour at his very best. Not a weak track in sight (which sadly can’t be said of later albums), it’s a mix of strong politics and big messages.

8.       EMILE SANDE – OUR VERSION OF EVENTS

There is no doubt that the Olympics gave Sande a whole new worldwide audience. And she deserves the fame with this classic album. A great voice linked to memorable tunes.

9.       NICK DRAKE – FOUR LEAVES LEFT

What if Drake had lived? He would be world renowned. His short and tragic life left us with a gem of an album. Introspective, haunting, magical.

10.   SIMON & GARFUNKEL - BRIDGE OVER TROUBLED WATER

This is the last, and best of five classic albums. Paul Simon has gone on to greater fame, but may best be remembered for his collaboration with Art Garfunkel, who provides the beautiful harmonies alongside Simon’s penmanship.

Seventh Heaven

On the 7th day of the 7th month, 77 years later, history was made. The last British winner was Virginia Wade in ’77. And 77 years ago, the last British man to win; Fred Perry.

“I don't play any tournaments to come second best.” Andy Murray.

 

In the Beginning, God Created

When I consider your heavens,

The work of your fingers,

The moon and the stars,

What is man that you are mindful of him?

Psalm 8:3-4

The Crab Nebula was first seen in 1054. The Hubble Telescope has improved the image. The Nebula puts out 10 quadrillion volts of electricity. That’s thirty times the power of a lightning bolt.

The Rose Galaxies, also viewed from the Hubble Telescope, are 300 million light years away in the constellation of Andromeda.

In the beginning, God created.

On the Edge of Adventure

I’ve travelled quite a lot with my job. And I’ve led a good few mission trips. But it’s always the same, the day before you travel.

It seems unreal. Everything in you is waiting for the alarm to go off, for the drive to the airport, for the flight to take off….

This week I travel with a team of 10 to Slovakia, working with local churches there. It’s not real yet, but in a few hours it will be. New places. New friends. New challenges. On the edge of a new adventure.

Les Misérables - A Redemptive Story

A late night yesterday as Roh and I enjoyed our new dvd – Les Misérables.

Les Misérables is a powerful story. Not just the music and acting- but the story itself. It’s a story of redemption. Of someone getting a second chance. Of being given hope when there was none.

Every one of us has a spiritual ‘awareness’, a knowledge that there must be more to life. That ‘more’ can only be filled by Jesus’ redemption. If we are honest with ourselves, we have to accept that, like so many in the film, we are lost, poor, alone. Like the main character, we deserve nothing. History shows Jesus lived, died and rose again. Taking our punishment. That moment offers us our own redemption.

In a moment of love and forgiveness, the main character,  Jean Valjean, was given hope. The bishop who welcomes him into the church building on a cold night says ‘you need not tell me who you are. This is not my house; it is the house of Christ. It does not ask any comer whether he has a name, but whether he has an affliction. You are suffering; you are hungry and thirsty; be welcome . . . Your name is my brother.’

Valjean accepts the forgiveness and lives a selfless life as a result. His own forgiveness of his enemy is summed up in these words:

You are free, and there are no conditions,
No bargains or petitions.
There's nothing that I blame you for
You've done your duty, nothing more.

We can do the same. Live a life according to the maker’s instructions. A life that is whole, full and free. Generous and forgiving. Anything less is less than our maker intended.

There is power in love and forgiveness.

Dear BT (Part 5)

Oh, how I wish there were not a part 5, BT. You do manage to excel in the ‘own goal’ department.

Thank you for the bill. Yes, really. Thank you for the prompt delivery with the well explained text. I understood it entirely. It’s just that it’s wrong.

You have charged me for a delivery of the BT equipment for Broadband. Sorry to sound fussy, but you did that already. I know why it happened- you had to cancel the original order and reinstate it because you got the codes wrong. (Remember that? Send my regards to Sam, Julie, Jessica, Ahmed and Natalie by the way).

But what really got me annoyed is that you charged me for calling the BT help line number! You know, the one you asked me to call to sort out the problem that you instigated. That’s the one. Now I know I can be a bit of a pain to you, but when you start charging me for your mistakes, what do you expect?!

So, thanks to Sherif and Shalim for taking my grumpy call today and for changing the bill. I await the compensation…. Or do I have to call your (chargeable) help line for that one too?

Dear BT (Part 4)

Dear BT (Part 4)

The man came. He fixed a lead. It works. Anti-climax.

Dear BT (Part 3)

Dear BT (Part 3)……. Dear Caroline, thanks for the Facebook message asking how we got on yesterday with BT. It is becoming a bit of a soap opera isn’t it?

I was out yesterday when Sam called. (Yes, he has a definite name now). Roh took the call. In fact he’s not called ‘Sam’, he’s called ‘that incredibly nice man called Sam’. He charmed the socks off my wife. So long as it’s only the socks.

So, having exchanged recipes’ and holiday photos, Sam took Roh through what was now planned…. The old order is cancelled and the new one in place. We have been put on the urgent list, so we can expect a BT man in 10 days. (If he turns up of course: One cancellation and one no-show and counting....). I wonder what dictionary the incredibly-nice-man-Sam uses? Ten days?! Urgent means one or two days, a week at the most. Ah well, we’ve been this far on the journey. What’s another 10 days when you originally asked BT to switch to them nearly 6 weeks ago?

One more problem for incredibly-nice-man-Sam to solve though… I have an email from BT saying to return the hardware they sent as I had now cancelled my order. And then I got another saying they would be sending my new hardware next week. So, incredibly-nice-man-Sam, in case you are reading this, how about we call it quits and I keep the one you sent with the first order and you cancel the hardware on the second order? (What’s the betting that’s not possible?!)

Finally Caroline, I wonder whether you would be good enough to take Roh for a coffee. Simple message. Husband good. Toy boy not good. :-)

Dear BT (Part 2)

Dear BT (Part 2).

 

A big ‘hi’ to Julie, Jessica, Ahmed, Natalie and Dan. Or was that Sam? Not sure. You’re all very nice people. It’s just that your company are hopeless.

 To transfer from Virgin to you, you wanted a transfer code. I had to get that from Virgin. Fair enough. But when the code doesn’t work, nor does the system. Virgin tells me they get the code from BT Open who get it from you anyway.... So this is what has happened so far:

 I asked Virgin for the code, who asked BT Open who asked you. You gave it to BT Open who gave it to Virgin who gave it to me who gave it to you. You said the code was wrong. I went back to Virgin who went back to BT Open who went back to you. You said the code was fine. BT Open said the code was fine. Virgin said the code was fine. I said the code was fine. You said it wasn’t. With me so far?

 I then went back to Virgin for a new code, who asked BT Open who asked you. You gave the new code to BT Open who gave it to Virgin who gave it to me, who gave it to you. And it worked.

 Trouble is, over a month has gone by so the old order has to be cancelled and we then have to wait 24 hours before we can re-order. And we start all over again tomorrow when Dan-Sam phones.

 By the way Ahmed, ‘we can work this out together’ only works for me the first few times. And Sam-Dan, I’m not sure calling me ‘Ralph mate’ is going to do much either.

Dear BT (Part 1)

Dear BT. Hi. I'm your new customer. Not that you would know that it seems. Thanks for not coming over today. Thanks for cancelling the appointment without telling us. Yours sincerely, your not-so devoted customer.

Cast Your Cares....

A new survey out today highlights the happiest and most unhappy places in the UK.

It seems that contentment does not come with riches but with simplicity. The Outer Hebrides, Orkney and Shetland are the places to live for a happy and worthwhile life. Such out-of-the-way places point to the simple enjoyment of the outdoors, amazing scenery and a lifestyle unencumbered by over reliance on modern appliances, supermarkets, television and speed of travel.

In the same article, my own city of Peterborough sadly topped the poll for being the most anxious. Not all of the city is like that though. Come along to KingsGate Church where on an average Sunday you will find around 1,800 people who would not in the least fit into that ‘anxious’ image. With 58 different nations represented and a number of different church services to choose from, this is Positive Peterborough.

And the reason for the lack of anxiety? We know where to ‘cast our cares’!

Dangling Conversation

Thank you Miss Kerr.

Miss Kerr was my English teacher at secondary school. And she introduced me to pop music.

Ours was a 'classical' home and 'Top of the Pops' was frowned upon. So it was only as I reached senior school that I began to pay attention to the charts. My very first contact was my English lesson where we were given the lyrics and listened to 'Dangling Conversation' by Simon & Garfunkel. Not exactly leading edge rock, but a wonderful song and great lyrics.

The album it came from, 'Parsley, Sage, Rosemary & Thyme' is unbelievably 47 years old now. But good lyrics last the years.

May we never become lost in 'dangling conversations', but make every day of our lives count.

It's a still life water colour,
Of a now late afternoon,
As the sun shines through the curtained lace
And shadows wash the room.
And we sit and drink our coffee
Couched in our indifference,
Like shells upon the shore
You can hear the ocean roar
In the dangling conversation
And the superficial sighs,
The borders of our lives.

And you read your Emily Dickinson,
And I my Robert Frost,
And we note our place with bookmarkers
That measure what we've lost.
Like a poem poorly written
We are verses out of rhythm,
Couplets out of rhyme,
In syncopated time
Lost in the dangling conversation
And the superficial sighs,
Are the borders of our lives.

Yes, we speak of things that matter,
With words that must be said,
"Can analysis be worthwhile?"
"Is the theatre really dead?"
And how the room is softly faded
And I only kiss your shadow,
I cannot feel your hand,
You're a stranger now unto me
Lost in the dangling conversation.
And the superficial sighs,
In the borders of our lives.

The Impossible Divide

We’re all looking for God. Some of us admit it. Others of us don’t.

The thing is, our efforts to find him always fail. Prayer, meditation, ritual, repetition, fasting, feasting…. You name it, we try it. Pretty much every religion ever invented requires us to do things. But whether we are as saintly as Mother Teresa or as evil as Adolf Hitler, we fail to reach God. It’s an impossible divide to cross.

So God reached out to us. He came in human form, died for us (Good Friday) and then rose again (Easter Sunday), breaking death and bridging the impossible divide. The impossible divide to cross was crossed with a real cross.

What we could never do, Jesus did for us. Because of what Jesus did, we can cross the impossible divide and know God. Forty-two years ago, I prayed a prayer that changed my life. Here it is. If you pray it too, please write and let me know. Happy Easter.

Lord Jesus

I know you are alive and are still changing lives today. Please change mine.

Forgive me Lord for my life lived without you.

I invite you in right now as my Lord and Saviour.

Please come and change me.

Please come and bridge the impossible divide.

Amen.

Late Fragment

A fond farewell today to Mon, a former colleague at Emap. This is a short poem read at the service by her granddaughter Sarah-Jayne. Beautiful.

And did you get what
you wanted from this life, even so?
I did.
And what did you want?
To call myself beloved, to feel myself
beloved on the earth.

Late Fragment by Raymond Carver

Air New Zealand and The Hobbit

If all safety video's were like this we'd all pay more attention! One of the highlights of our trip!

 

Lost party, lost country, lost way, lost mind

David Cameron has lost his party, lost his country, lost has way and lost his mind.

He’s lost his party. (Not that I mind- I don’t vote Tory). The Times records it as ‘Cameron Reels from Huge Revolt on Gay Vote’. 60% of his MP’s are at odds with him on the vote, with warnings from the party they may lose the next election because of it.

He’s lost his country. We are a cautious bunch, careful with change and protective of our roots. Our roots are Christian. Marriage is between one man and one woman. It’s been that way since we became the country we are today.

He’s lost his way. How can a gay marriage be consummated? How can a gay marriage be for ‘procreation’?  Is he really going to change the law and delete all the references to ‘husband and wife’?

He’s lost his mind. Usually pragmatic and clear thinking, he has been persuaded to move in a direction that cuts against all we are, all we have been and all we should be.

Freedom

His name was Rene Mouchotte and he was a Free French Second World War pilot. The former newsreader Jan Leeming first came across him when she chose to sponsor a name on the Battle of Britain memorial in Kent. Having been given his name, she turned detective.

He died at the age of 29 after yet another battle in the skies. His grave was in Paris. Not knowing how to contact any living family, Jan left a note on his grave. Four months later she was contacted by Rene's sister, now aged 101.

Jan found out that the sister had never received his war medals after the war. More detective work. Because he had used an alias name for safety (as the German's had announced they would execute any Free French flying in the British Air Force), his medals had never been properly dealt with.

Three weeks before Rene's sister died, she was presented with his medals - the Croix de Guerre and Legion d'Honneur from the French and the Distinguished Flying Cross from the British.

An amazing end to an incredible story of one of the many who gave his all for our freedom.

"Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few."

Winston Churchill

Another Day, Another Galaxy

This week, astronomers discovered another galaxy. This one is big enough to accommodate five of our Milky Way galaxies inside it.

Back in 2004, scientist discovered that new-born galaxies are still being produced and that the universe is still growing.

The bible says ‘I look up at your macro-skies, dark and enormous, your handmade sky-jewellery, Moon and stars mounted in their settings. Then I look at my micro-self and wonder, why do you bother with us? Why take a second look our way?.... God, brilliant Lord, your name echoes around the world.’

To which I would add ‘God, brilliant Lord, your name echoes around the universe.’